Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 20 04 2017

Son remanded for allegedly burning father to death Page 2

No. 104888

THURSDAY APRIL 20, 2017

Price: $80

(VAT Inclusive)

GTT under pressure to prove data capacity Page 3

… assures of handling overseas traffic … says Guyana losing US$30M due to Digicel’s trans-border link

President meets with Perry Centre officials

Page 16

From left: Ms. Katherine O’Ryan, Colonel Claudia Carrizales, Chief Military Liaison Officer at the US Embassy in Georgetown, Mr. Michael White, Ambassador Perry Holloway, President David Granger, Director, Mr. Mark Wilkins, Coordinator, Major General (ret’d), Richard Goetze, Brigadier Patrick West and Mr. Darryl Long

Oil revenues

–– Citizens can benefit via annual cheques or regional social services – Trotman

Page 4

Two die in separate motorcycle Pages Ackeem accidents 2&16 Dead:James

Cigarette smuggling hurting DEMTOCO

Page 7

… but profits pegged at $2.8B for 2016

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday April 20, 2017

Gov’t heeds call of concerned parents

By Shauna Jemmott

GOVERNMENT in answering the calls of parents for improved road safety facilities along Woolford Avenue,has begun construction of a pavement to accommodate pedestrians in a bid to minimise if not prevent accidents there.

The avenue is commonly used by students of several schools and colleges – including the Government Technical Institute (GTI), North Ruimveldt Primary, Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC),

Tutorial High, St. Joseph High, North Georgetown Secondary, Critchlow Labour College and Texilla American University.

Woolford Avenue is known for being a chaotic zone after school in the afternoons as children stroll along the lane to Vlissengen or Camp Roads or Lamaha Street to get public transportation to go home.

Many times students scamper along the streets in playful mode on their way out, even as traffic flows through the very road, posing a threat of traffic danger.

On December 9, 2015, Guyana Chronicle published a caption story accompanied by photograph headlined ‘Schoolchildren facing traffic peril’.

The article pointed out that hundreds of school children who attend several schools along Woolford Avenue walked through the high traffic area where there is no pavement for pedestrians.

“In the perilous circumstances, motor vehicles vie for space among the throngs of lively but vulnerable schoolchildren along the narrow roadway,” the arti-

Workers busy at work. The pavement (walkway) along Woolford Avenue, Georgetown under construction (Photo by Adrian Narine)

cle observed.

The photograph was taken during Road Safety Month in November 2015 just after schools were dismissed one afternoon.

Concerned parents and teachers had invited Guyana Chronicle to highlight the dangers along the avenue with the hope of authorities becoming aware of the traffic peril and fixing the problem.

Just outside North

Georgetown Secondary School, this publication snapped workers constructing a pavement (walkway) along Woolford Avenue, in Georgetown.

Now as the problem is being fixed, the Guyana Chronicle highlights this road safety feature,giving credit to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure for answering the calls of concerned Guyanese.

Here in these photo-

graphs, road construction workers are at work.

Efforts made to contact Ministry of Public Infrastructure officials for further information on the project proved futile.

Parents and students from several of the schools are thankful to Government for installing the road safety feature and look forward for the continuation of the project.

Son remanded for allegedly burning father to death COLIN Ross of Lot 14 Kildonan Village, East Berbice Corentyne appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court, charged with the murder of his father, which occurred on April 10, 2017.

The 52-year-old father of two was not required to plead to the indictable offence and was remanded to prison until May 8, 2017. It is alleged that on the day in question, Ross murdered 82-year-old Rudolph Ross in the course of arson at the dwelling house.

Ross, who did not have legal representation, told the

Dead: Rudolph Ross

court that he was a farmer; his case was transferred to the Whim Magistrates’ Court.

On April, 10, fire ripped through the home of the older Ross and his charred remains were later found lying by a window on the eastern side of the two-storey wooden and concrete structure. The fire reportedly started at 03:00hrs in the kitchen, located in the upper flat of the house.

The elderly man resided with Colin Ross, who was not at home at the time of the fire.

However, the younger Ross arrived five hours after and reportedly gave conflicting stories of where he was at the time of the fire. He was subsequently arrested and after days of interrogation he admitted to being at home when the fire started.

He however told investigators that an electrical appliance was left on. This newspaper however understands that on the day in question, the father and son had an argument and he [Ross] left the house with his belongings.

A neighbour, Brian Jackson, 41, told Guyana Chronicle that he was awoken by loud cries for help from the elderly man. Jackson said he immediately summoned help and a bucket brigade was formed in an effort to save

the elderly man. Ross was trapped due to grille work, the thick smoke and intense heat.

Murder accused, Colin Ross Brian explained that while the bucket brigade was trying to douse the inferno, he and another neighbor tried to get the senior citizen out but had to retreat after the heat became too much.

Ross, a father of seven, was described as an avid church member and a respectable individual in the community.

He once served as the Overseer of the Bush Lot/ Adventure Neighbourhood Democratic Council.

GPL technician dies in Essequibo crash A TECHNICIAN of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc was killed in the wee hours of Wednesday on the Reliance Public Road, Essequibo Coast after his motorcycle collided with a motor lorry which was parked on the road.

Dead is Ackeem James, 22, of Lot 3 Golden Fleece, Essequibo Coast. According to a police report, the accident occurred at approximately 01:30hrs as James was proceeding south along the Re-

liance Public Road on motor cycle CH 2307; he collided with the left side front fender of motor lorry GKK 9159, which was parked on the side of the road facing north.

He was taken to the Suddie Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police said at the time of the accident, James’ helmet was strapped to the handle bar of the motor cycle.

The body is at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Dead: Ackeem James

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday April 20, 2017

GTT under pressure to prove data capacity … assures of handling overseas traffic … says Guyana losing US$30M due to Digicel’s trans-border link

TELECOMMUNICATION giant GTT Communications Inc has assured government that it has the capacity to handle the volume of data and international voice services being demanded by Guyanese.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, GTT said that it operates a reliable international service that contributes to the economy, employs over 600 Guyana workers and has the capacity to handle all of the country’s overseas traffic.

In March, the Ministry of Public Telecommunication had said that GTT must provide the evidence that it has the network capacity to meet the needs of the market before a decision is taken to discontinue Digicel’s link to Suriname. The Ministry’s statement came amid calls by GTT for an investigation to

be conducted into Digicel’s alleged “illegal, unlicensed trans-border link between Guyana and Suriname”.

In response to the Ministry on Wednesday, GTT said that it is a legally licensed operation and provides transparency to citizens; its system is built to handle more than 70Gbps capacity – exceeding the capacity needed to handle all international traffic by more than 50%; it is currently operating well below capacity.

According to GTT, it has redundant paths to Internet via subsea fibre optics and the company has paid over US$45 million U.S in taxes over the last 5 years.

Meanwhile, GTT also alleged that Digicel (Guyana) has been engaged in practices which has resulted in Guyana losing over US$30M in taxes.

“The people of Guyana also deserve to know whether, and how much, Digicel’s bypass operation has cost our country in lost tax payments.

The damage to Guyana could be $30 million U.S. or more” GTT said in the statement.

Additionally, the telecommunications provider indicated that Digicel was bypassing the local network and using a Surinamese network for the provision of its data service.

Digicel had signed an interconnection agreement with GTT. The company alleged that Digicel has kept this operation secret from the public, the business community and the media for years.

“Now that the illegal bypass service has been acknowledged by Digicel and confirmed by the government, the public deserves full trans-

parency and action by our leaders. We therefore, again call for Digicel’s bypass operation to be audited by an independent and trusted organisation,” GTT said.

“The damage to Guyana could be $30 million US or more” the company said, adding that “the public needs to know if Digicel has in fact robbed our country of badly needed revenues by failing in its obligation to pay such a large sum.”

The telecommunication company also weighed in on liberalisation of the telecommunication sector, offering that this “could be very positive for Guyana,” only if laws are enforced and the public has transparency.

The Ministry of Public Telecommunication had said that it was actively engaging both GTT and Digicel in

discussions on GTT’s claims of unlicensed transmission of voice and data traffic by Digicel across the Guyana-Suriname border.

It said that the matter has proven to be a complex one, exacerbated by demands of the market for adequate voice and data services. “Among the issues to be considered are whether GTT has sufficient data capacity to meet the needs of the market and the degree of congestion of its network,” the Ministry headed

by Minister Cathy Hughes had noted last month.

The Ministry, however, said its current position should not be misconstrued to mean that it is willing to condone illegal activities.

“The Ministry wishes to emphasise that this does not mean that the Government is

in any way eager to condone this activity, but in this age of such high dependence on telecommunications and the Internet for the conduct of business, learning and many activities of life, we must be satisfied that there is adequate communications available for the people,” the Ministry had stated.

It said that while Government is committed to ensuring that applicable licence terms and conditions are honoured, it must also ensure that the required obligations in the licence that provide for adequate service are met, as well as the needs of the people. The Public Telecommunications Ministry said it is well aware that increased investment and greater network capacity are needed to meet the demands of consumers.

Two meat processing facilities for Regions 5, 9 COMPONENT three of the recently launched Sustainable Agricultural Development Programme (SADP) will advocate for the compliance of sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS).

One of the major undertakings under this component will be the construction of two pilot facilities for meat processing in Regions Five and Nine. The SADP has a long-term objective of increasing productivity, while maintaining a sustainable and climate resilient use of natural resources in Guyana.

With increased access to meat processing facilities, there will be higher productivity, which will contribute to reduced pressure on the fragile eco-systems while increasing income for small and medium scale farmers.

Component three of the SADP programme has been allocated US$2.8M, from a loan valued at US$15M, which has been approved by the Inter-American Development Bank to facilitate this aspect of the programme.

When constructed, the SADP is expected to increase the country’s capacity to comply with sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS) which will open up markets for

livestock production.

Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, said that once there is complete compliance with SPS, Guyana stands a better chance of exporting meat and its by-products.

Guyana currently has 10 registered abattoirs; however due to outdated standards managing these facilities, there is the need to ensure that livestock farmers have adequate access to more state-of-the-art facilities.

“By ensuring compliance with SPS standards, the overall quality of meat

processed in the abattoirs will be enhanced. The longer term position of our Food Safety System can then be recognised by international trading partners and open the opportunity for export of meat products. This is in line with our policy as outlined in the Food Safety and Animal Welfare Bill presented in Parliament earlier this year,” Minister Holder noted.

It is widely recognised that rising SPS standards have created numerous obstacles to the international exchange of agricultural commodities. The

issue is of particular importance for developing countries such as Guyana, which has an abundance of agricultural resources.

Head of the Agriculture Sector Development Unit (ASDU), Khemlall Alvin said that opportunities for exporting meat from Guyana are limited as a result of these outdated standards.

“Some of the current standards, for example, the Public Health Ordinance dates back since 1915 – it’s very outdated.

The standards for the ab-

attoir are mirrored off of Indian standards, which are dated back to 1978 and a comprehensive cost is not available for the standards to be upgraded,” he further added.

To alleviate this challenge, the Ministries of Agriculture and Finance engaged the Inter-American Development Bank, proposing to review and update standards and codes related to products destined for both local and potential export markets, as well as local markets. (GINA)

Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder

Oil revenues

4

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

-Citizens can benefit via annual cheques or regional social services - Trotman

By Alva Solomon AS the country’s petroleum sector evolves, the authorities will consider whether the citizenry will receive benefits directly such as year-end cheques,or via social services within the regions.

This was noted on Wednesday by Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman when he appeared before the Economic Services Committee of the National Assembly to provide an update on the work of the Natural Resources Ministry. Junior Minister, Simona Broomes and staff of several agencies which fall under the umbrella of the ministry,including the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC),accompanied the ministerial team.

The ministers and support staff were asked by the committee for updates on the oil and gas sector, the aftermath of Chinese

logging company Bai Shan Lin’s closure of operations in Guyana as well as information on the mining syndicates.

Trotman during his presentation, told the committee which is chaired

by Minister of Communities, Ronald Balkan, that the population will benefit from the petroleum sector after American oil giant ExxonMobil starts pumping gas in commercial quantities mid-2020. In his update, Trotman told the committee that the government has completed the structure for the Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill, an aspect of the regulatory framework for the oversight of the country’s newest economic sector. He said that the bill will have budget support or what he termed “budget stabilization” which he noted is to ensure that the ministry of Finance is capable of carrying out programmes relative to the petroleum sector.

He said that government

Members of the committee during Wednesday’s meeting

will ensure that the nation’s children and adults can benefit from the “finite” resource, noting oil will not be around forever. To this end he mentioned that social programmes will be undertaken from the funds of the sector to ensure everyone has the best education and health care. He elaborated that the authorities will ensure both citizens and regions benefit from the oil

revenues.

“The idea is that regions would receive a percentage perhaps following the fiscal transfer system as is use currently,” Trotman said noting that the decision will rest with the Minister of Finance and ultimately the National Assembly. He further explained that the population can receive benefits in a variance, in which each citizen would receive

a cheque at year end such as what occurs in Alaska.

On the other hand he noted the funds can be provided to each region of the country for the development of various sectors. This occurs in Peu and Colombia, he noted.

He added that Regions Five, Six and Ten will benefit from the establishment of a petroleum facility which is carded for Crab Island in Berbice. Meanwhile, as the ministry works along with ExxonMobil to determine the volume of the natural gas in the Stabroek Block, Trotman assured the committee that the ministry will pay keen attention to the usage of the gas. “What is for certain is that we would not be squandering the gas or flaring the gas,” he said.

He noted that the idea of the resuscitation of an alumina plant can become a reality since a plant of such nature requires high energy and the natural gas plant can produce that energy required to power the plant. Trotman posited that Guyana may be

able to access 50 million cubic feet per day of natural gas which by calculation can provide the country with 200 megawatts of power. He said the move can become the answer to some of the country’s electricity woes.

As it relates to Chinese logging company, Bai Shan Lin, Trotman informed the committee that the government was left with “little choice” following a national outcry regarding the company’s forest practises as well as the entity’s heavy financial indebtedness. He said the GFC made futile efforts to recoup monies owed by the company and as such, the logging company could not be allowed to operate without honouring its financial obligations to the state.

Trotman said government is concerned about the logs which were left lying behind,and he noted that the situation would be assessed to determine whether the logs will be auctioned or sold to individual companies.

Thursday, April 20th, 2017 -12:00 hrs Friday, April 21st 2017 - 13:30 hrs Saturday, April 22nd. 2017 - 14:00 hrs

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Better Internet at UG 5

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

--UG, Public Telecommunications Ministry sign pact to boost ICT

By Ravin Singh INTERNET woes at the University of Guyana (UG) will soon be a thing of the past as the Ministry of Public Telecommunications aims to strengthen the Information and Communications Telecommunications (ICT) platform on campus.

At a simple ceremony at UG’s Turkeyen Campus on Wednesday, the two entities inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will result in better Internet access across campus and an inter-connection between the Tain, John and Turkeyen campuses With routine complaints about poor Internet access on campus, Minister of Public Telecommunications,Cathy Hughes,said the goal of her Ministry is to better equip the university to provide broadband Internet access, which supports pro-

ductivity and expansion.

“Our goal has been to better equip the university and to provide broadband Internet access. UG has struggled with the provision of reliable Internet access… so our focus is to ensure that as many locations at the university have wireless Internet access at a level that supports productivity and expansion,” she said.

This, according to the minister, will be supported by a wireless fibre-optic ring which the e-Government Unit of the Ministry has created, to connect the university onto the e-Government network.

“Our focus is also on ensuring that we are able to equip lecture theatres and hotspots across the campus,” she added.

Further, the minister revealed that her Ministry will soon be handing over a video conferencing facility which will allow lecturers

UG’s Vice Chancellor (VC), Professor Ivelaw Griffith receives one of the 20 laptops from Minister of Public telecommunications Cathy Hughes in the presence of staffers of UG and the Ministry. The laptops were donated by the Ministry of Public Telecommunications for lecturers at UG

and students to interact in real time with the other two campuses.

Minister of Public Telecommunications and University of Guyana (UG) Vice Chancellor (VC), Professor Ivelaw Griffith sign the Memorandum of Understanding in the VC’s office on Wednesday

In addition to the signing of the MoU, the Public Telecommunications Ministry also handed over 20 laptops to the institution, for lecturers.

The minister explained that this was part of the Ministry’s vision of ensuring lecturers are better equipped.

“It is going to be an incredible time for learning.

We want to make sure that we are investing as much as possible to deal with some of the challenges the university is facing. We want to bring the highest level of tertiary training that could be provided,” Minister Hughes said.

Meanwhile, e-Government Unit General Manager Francis Simmonds noted that there are systems in place to ensure the use of Internet on campus is strictly for work purposes.

He explained that firewalls have been created and if students decide to use the Internet services for purposes not intended, then they will be blocked from accessing certain materials online.

Offering brief comments at the signing of the MoU was UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, who noted that the agreement represents the end of a tortur-

ous long-standing frustration by a lot of students.

Cognisant of the fact that reliable Internet provision is one of the challenges at the university, Professor Griffith extended appreciation to the Public Telecommunication Ministry for its support in ensuing students have a comfortable and friendly learning environment.

He noted too that this is just the first step in a series of collaborations which will see the university benefitting from Government agencies and the private sector.

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

Losing our culture?

A SOCIETY’S culture is defined by the experiences of its people. It includes their language, values, system of Government, history, foods, clothing, people, education, buildings, infrastructures, habits, artefacts, entertainment, religion, sports, the use of the environment, and so forth.

As society evolves so would its culture. At the same time it ought to be noted that the evolution of a culture is different from abandonment or adaptation of another’s culture.

Being discerning in identifying evolving indigenous culture as against abandonment or adaptation of another is an issue facing the society. Such has reached crisis stage and deserving of judicious intervention, given the implications for identity, self-worth, growth and development of the people and the nation.

A people’s culture gives and reinforces their identity.

To lose the sense of identity, in whatever measure, whittles away at self-worth. When self-worth is brought into question it not only undermines self-esteem but influences how others would treat with you and the desire to be self-propelling and defend what’s yours.

To understand the level of loss, just pay cursory attention to the climatic apparel parade as fashion statement and indication of ‘status’, along with the hosting of spring, summer and other events, dissimilar to our environment and way of life.

Mimicking has its place but it does not help when reduced to the ridiculous.

Understandably Guyanese, not unlike citizens of every country, desire to live in a society where government works effectively and efficiently, growth and development are widespread, crime is minimised, and people are treated with respect by their leaders and fellow man.

Such desire often drives Guyanese to be vocal partici-

pants on social media to events happening in other countries.

The slide into intimate involvement may be the resultant effect of an impression that other societies are better off or superior in their systems. Though there is no harm with such admiration, recognition that such standard came through a process of evolution that required the people’s involvement, should similar efforts be mimicked here, Guyana can also evolve to the admired stage.

In our education process where children are developing their cognitive skills and interpretation of the environment through programmes such as Dora, the Explorer, the acculturation to another environment from an early age is preparing our future to cultivate dissimilar identity and ready market for export.

Exporting our human capital by preparing their minds for such from infancy is ensuring the society never creates roots of belongingness and identity necessary for its growth and development.

Nothing in principle is wrong with the Dora’s programmes, if it could be understood that the creation of such characters forms part of the United States acknowledgement of the necessity for promoting its diversity in building harmony and peaceful co-existence among its people. Where the dark-skinned Hispanic Dora was created to help U.S develop positive outlook for diversity, the West Indians Readers exemplify our diversity and have been created along similar values. These readers could create similar mega marketing and television programmes like Dora.

Accepting evolution of culture would see efforts to make events and teachings adaptable to 21st century realities. But doing this requires concerted national approach that would inform policies where support will be provided in ensuring the retention of identity and by extension the citizens’ selfworth, driven by recognition that the failure to do so could

result in the under-development of the society.

People protect or develop what belong to them and if they are not thought to appreciate what belong to them they would not know what to defend, protect or develop.

When mimicking reaches the stage where identity is suppressed, and the desire to be another – because only through such undertaking self-worth can be attained, such thinking not only threatens indigenous development, but the very reason for the existence of the independent state.

What is even more troubling is that such practices are being executed without thought, suggesting a zombie or trance-like state in going about daily activities of living.

The Caribbean history witnessed a plethora of intellectual thinking, shaping the independent movement and immediate post-independent society, which saw the forging of an indigenous identity.

Development of national symbols (flag, coat of arms, etc), alongside indigenous education, government, music, artefacts, economy, and literary genre were the foundations laid to be developed on. These fertile foundations were not created to be overtaken by the proverbial weeds of cultural imperialism, jeopardising the sacrifice of our forebears and the future of the society.

WPO condemns KN “Dem boys seh’ Why can’t this Dear Editor, THE Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) condemns the Kaieteur News article, “Dem boys seh”, published in April 17, 2017, edition of the newspaper, accusing the deceased mother of the former President, Leader of the Opposition and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, Cde Bharat Jagdeo of teaching him to steal as a child.

Glenn Lall and Adam Harris’s obnoxious, unusual and extraordinary decade-old obsession with Cde Jagdeo is well known.

However, they have now crossed every line of decen-

cy and have hit an all-time low in this publication. It is unbelievable how deep in the gutter some will go in their attempt to embarrass and humiliate those with whom they share personal and political differences.

Decent and civilised people are careful not to speak ill of the dead. To attempt to use one’s newspaper to publish that a deceased mother taught her infant child to steal and pass it off as a satire can only be the product of a sick and twisted mind. Both Glenn Lall and Adam Harris have mothers and while we do not know if they are alive, we wonder how they would feel if their mothers were demonised in that manner,

just as a joke.

Glenn Lall and Adam Harris are also parents. We hope that when they pass on to the great beyond and are no longer capable of defending themselves, no one will publicly accuse them of teaching their children to become criminals, because there is a certain limit to which the human being must never descend, for if we do, it will be difficult to differentiate us from animals.

In the circumstances, WPO calls on all women, especially mothers to condemn Kaieteur News malicious attack on womanhood and motherhood.

Mothers bring life in to

the world, without whom the next generation would not exist. This level of journalism by Kaieteur News is even below its own standards and as such, we call on the Guyana Press Association to condemn this attack on womanhood and motherhood. We also call on the Women and Gender Equality Commission, Red Thread, Women Across Differences and all other women’s organisations to condemn Kaieteur News attack on the former President’s mother and indeed, mothers everywhere.

Regards Women Progressive Organisation

feeling last?

Dear Editor, The euphoria -the feeling of happiness, camaraderie and sheer good will that we experience on Easter Monday is like no other and transcends all barriers and borders.

It was good to see the coming together of families, friends, neighbours and even strangers in a mingling of space on the ground and in the air. The sharing and part-taking of food, drinks, a good gaff or helping to get kites

raised or repaired or untangled are experiences and lessons we can transport to our everyday life.

At the end of the day, tired and weary as we trudge our way home, the good feeling of joy, fulfillment and contentment is with us and we cannot help but wonder why can’t this feeling last?

Yes, Easter Monday in Guyana is like no other and we would not trade it for anything.

Regards Shamshun Mohamed

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

Cigarette smuggling hurting DEMTOCO

7

…but profits pegged at $2.8B for 2016 DEMERARA Tobacco Company says smuggled brands of cigarettes, which avoid the tax net, continue to be one of its biggest challenges even as it announces a $2.8B before tax profit for the year 2016.

In his chairman’s report at the company’s Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday at the Pegasus Hotel, Felicio Ferraz said that the widely available smuggled brands of cigarettes made it exceptionally difficult for the company, but despite the challenge it was able to deliver the $2.8B profit, which represent a marginal decline of 2.3% from that of 2015.

Ferraz said the company continued its efforts to invest and reward customers for making the adult choice of selecting its brands. “The economic, business and wider environment continue to remain challenging for 2017.However,I am fully confident that with the vision and guidance of the Board of Directors, the exceptional execution and delivery of both management and staff, our resilient portfolio and the con-

tinued focus on efficiencies, the company will progressively drive and sustain shareholder value for the years to come,” Ferraz said.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of the company, Maurlain Kirton,said they were able to deliver a sustainable performance for the financial year 2016, despite the potential of tobacco regulation and difficult macro-economic circumstances.

“The above was primarily exemplified in the high rate of consumers seeking less costly alternatives within our portfolio. Pall Mall fulfilled its role of retaining consumers seeking quality products at an affordable price.”

Earlier this year the World Health Organisation said that weak regulation of tobacco products in some countries allows powerful companies to market those products unfettered, and to recruit young smokers. According to a report issued by WHO on January 16, 2017,its International Health Regulations and Framework Convention on Tobacco Con-

trol provide legal frameworks to countries for responding to public health emergencies and the global tobacco epidemic.

The contention of the WHO, the United Nations health agency, was contained in a wider report in which the body highlighted the use of the law to improve health. The body issued the report based on studies it conducted in conjunction with the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), the University of Sydney, and the Georgetown University in Washington, DC. The passage of tobacco legislation here has been in the making for years. Guyana signed onto the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) on 15,September, 2005. However, while other sister Caricom countries including Barbados, Jamaica,and Trinidad and Tobago have enacted tobacco legislation, the Tobacco Control Bill here has been delayed for passage in the National Assembly. It was touted for passage in the National Assembly in

Chairman of Demerara Tobacco Company, Felicio Ferraz delivering his report at the Annual General Meeting yesterday

2016,but has since remained under discussion.

The proposed tobacco control legislation is expected to see a ban on smoking in public places, while cigarette advertising will be disallowed and graphic and text health warnings will have to be displayed on at least 75 per cent of the packaging on tobacco products. The legislation seeks to ban smoking

at all indoor workplaces, public transport and strictly regulates the sale of cigarettes while creating reporting requirements for manufacturers, wholesale distributors or importers, with stiff accompanying penalties, as well as imprisonment.

Last year, DEMTOCO described the draft tobacco bill as “draconian”, mainly the recommendations made

in the bill. The company, as reported in some sections of the media, was particularly concerned with the imposition of a ban on public smoking and to prohibit advertisement and sponsorship from the tobacco industry, among other things. It has also called for consultation with the authorities on the crafting of legislation.

Tax alcohol and cigarette Traffic chaos at Perseverance Dear Editor, I SAT in the National Cultural Center (NCC) a few Fridays ago and heard the Prime Minister, the Honorable Mr. Moses Nagamootoo, say that the government will NOT review the VAT on private tuition for 2017, but they will consider reviewing it for 2018.

I also saw that as soon as he said that, the audience, almost in unison, got up and began walking out. I had never before seen anything like that. Normally, protocol dictates that the audience remains seated until the Prime Minister leaves. However, the ire of the attending audience members was so invoked, that they defied any established protocol and began walking out as the Prime Minister was still speaking.

I was not there at the NCC for the Prime Minister’s address. I was at the Center to attend the health symposium that was a simultaneous event at the same venue. So when I enter the hall and saw Mr. Nagamootoo (who used to be my favorite politician) speaking, I quietly sat and listened.

I heard the PM say that the government had reduced the VAT from 16% to14% and that single act cost the treasury billions of dollars.

I heard him say that the Cabinet agreed to again bail out GUYSOCO – again, to the tune of 1 billion dollars.

I heard the PM say that the government has increased the education budget substantially. He made some other points to establish his case that having done all this spending, the government had to find ways to make up for the budgetary and operational shortfalls. He went on to justify his argument that the VAT on tuition was justifiable, given this now overwhelming financial need of the government.

As I sat there listening to him, I kept wondering if the Prime Minister was listening to himself. Here he was telling a hall scattered with some of Guyana’s finest minds, that his government has given the Guyanese people a lot of financial incentives and therefore his government must find a way to take it back from them. He looked as though he was reading

from a script and I wondered who wrote that script, or who assisted in advising him on the content and construct of that script. How could the Prime Minister justify telling a gathering of protesters that his government is simply taking back what they had given to the people? It was a Public Relations nightmare!

I remain seated and did not agree with the students, parents and teachers walking out in defiance of the PM, but I understood their frustration.

Then two days ago I opened the daily papers and read that the AFC (the Prime Minister is the highest ranking AFC member in the Government and Cabinet), will be reviewing the VAT on education. Editor, I did not know if to laugh or cry. Only a couple of weeks ago, the PM got up in front of a protesting crowd and articulated his Government’s position: he being the 1st Vice President and 2nd in command. Now a few days later the AFC comes out and says – contrary to the Government – that they are reviewing the VAT on education.

The VAT on education

was a non-starter from the beginning. I have said before that while I am no supporter of Mr. Burnham, he put Guyana’s education in its right perspective. His notion of free education from nursery to university was visionary.

And that his party – the PNC – would lead the charge of making it more difficult to achieve this basic and worthwhile necessity, is a slap in his face.

Let me end by saying that while the current administration seems confused and incoherent on this matter of tax on education, it is heartening to know that within the halls of administrative power there is some degree of commonsense. There needs to be an immediate cessation of this nonsensical additional cost to Guyanese education. If the government wants to replace the money they will lose from taxing education, let them tax cigarettes and alcohol.

As far as I am concerned, there can never be too many taxes on those.

Regards Wendell Jeffrey

Dear Editor I RESIDE at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara in one of the ‘turnkey’ houses and I traverse the road daily, seven days a week, sometimes five or more times a day. This road is situated between the Ramada Hotel and the National Stadium.

What I am writing you about today is the traffic congestion that occurs at the entrance by the public road and it is caused by a few taxi and private cars used as taxis.

Sir, some days the situation is so ridiculous that the trucks, vans, buses and cars have to go wide to turn left from the East Bank Public Road when they are coming from the city because the taxis jostle each other for space and passengers sometimes are lined up three in a row.

I took it onto myself to observe what really transpires and the chaos and greed are so evident that a few drivers just pay no heed to the traffic markings and just shout, jostle and fight for the few passengers that traverse the location.

Earlier this year, some of the pioneers and regular

taxis used to assemble on that same spot or area and the Traffic Department at Providence removed them, at the same time ensured that ‘no parking’ and ‘no stopping’ markings were installed on the road; this caused some semblance of order to the situation.

However, recently a new breed of drivers and taxis has emerged and they are showing total disregard for the law, police and safety of the said passengers they are fighting over. For your easy reference I do submit the cars that are the main culprits and law breakers: HC 6715, HC 5053, HC 7830, HC 7633, PSS 6728, PLL 8934 and PTT 3454.

Mr. Traffic Chief, I plead with you to have this situation corrected so that some semblance once again be restored in this thriving housing scheme and that the law abiding taxi drivers be given a chance to earn a decent living and eradicate the greedy and unruly new drivers from this location.

Regards Resident

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Who beat up Benjai?

His attorneys want answers ... Guyana’s Top Cop asked to give update

[Trinidad Express] - LOCAL attorneys representing soca artiste Rodney “Benjai” Le Blanc, who was slashed across the face with a glass bottle during an altercation in Guyana on Sunday, has written to that country’s police commissioner calling for an update on the status of the investigation, provided that one has been launched.

The letter, which was written by attorney Gideon Mc Master, who, alongside Keith Scotland and Joel Roper represented the interest of Le Blanc, was dispatched on Tuesday evening. It stated, even though their client had made a report of the incident on Sunday at Brickdam Police Station in Georgetown, up to the time the letter was written, he had not been contacted by officers and provided with an update on the matter.

On Sunday morning, after completing a performance at the Palm Court Night Club in Georgetown, Benjai was assaulted by two men.

“One of the said persons, whom our client has identified as Imran Khan, threateningly

pointed a firearm to our client and the group of persons with whom our client was standing, causing our client to apprehend the fear of being shot. The other person, whom our client has identified as

Rodney ‘Benjai’ Le Blanc Maverick De Abreu, hurled a glass object towards our client, which struck him on the face with force, causing severe injuries,” the attorney wrote.

Mc Master went on to state that following the incident, Le Blanc was taken to

the Accident and Emergency Department of Woodlands Hospital Ltd, where medical treatment was administered

by Dr Juan Manuel Alvarez.

Le Blanc received 25 stitches to the face; prescribed a course of medication and is currently receiving further medical treatment in this country.

Based on this, the attorneys are seeking information on whether any of the two people identified by their client, or any other suspect has been arrested or interviewed by police, and if so, have any criminal charges been laid.

“We wish to indicate that our client remains willing to assist the Guyana Police Force in any way he can with any proposed and/or ongoing investigation. To that end, we have provided images of the persons whom our client claims to have assaulted him.

We are also in possession of a dossier of witness statements, which we believe might be of assistance to you. We will forward same to your office in due course,” the letter stated.

Dominican Republic national admits to forging immigration stamp A DOMINICAN Republic national was fined $200,000

by Magistrate Fabayo Azore on Wednesday after she pleaded guilty to two charges relating to passport fraud.

Ysabel Cuzma Benitez, 31, admitted that between May 13, 2016 and December 20, 2016 at Georgetown, with intent to defraud, she conspired with persons known and unknown to forge an immigration stamp in her Dominican Republic passport, purporting to show that same was issued by the Guyana Immigration Department.

Benitez further admitted that on April 13, 2017 she showed to Constable Capel Samaroo, an immigration officer, a Dominican Re-

public passport in favour of herself with a forged Guyana Immigration service stamp,

Dominican Republic national, Ysabel Cuzma Benitez purporting to show that same was issued by the Guyana Immigration Department,

knowing same to be forged.

Police Prosecutor Simone Payne told the court that the woman arrived in Guyana legally on February 2, 2017 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and was granted one month’s stay.

Prosecutor Payne disclosed that the foreigner applied for an extension of stay and was granted same.

According to the prosecutor, upon placing the endorsement stamp in her passport, it was discovered that she had a previous extension stamp in her passport and it was forged.

The prosecutor said that Benitez claimed she paid a man US$500 for the stamp. Failure to pay the fine will see her spending six months in jail.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday April 20, 2017

Suspend it without further delay –– protestors urge action against VAT on private education

A GROUP of persons on Wednesday protested in front of the Ministry of the Presidency, calling for the 14 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on private tuition fees to be immediately suspended.

The group, which has held several smaller protests in the past in support of their position, had submitted to the Government a petition against “VAT on education” signed by 14,000 persons.

Students, teachers, parents and members of civil society held placards that read “Education is the key to success”, “Raise tax on tobacco, not education”, “Education is the key to our future”, “Vat on Education is shameful”

and “Think before you Tax”.

“The majority of students attending private educational institutions in Guyana are from humble backgrounds and can only attend these places of learning as a result of the sacrifice of their family,” one parent said.

Jonathan Yearwood, another of the protestor,believes that the amount which will be garnered by VAT is $350M and that amount will dwindle each time a student drops out of private school, which will result in far less than expected because of the pressure being mounted on private education.

“I would suggest that Government put on hold VAT on education, and cer-

Some of the protestors, including children calling for an immediate suspension of the VAT on private education

tainly not much though went into the idea of VAT on education,” he said.

Another protestor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, contended that the President has said he wants an educated society and more persons being qualified, but VAT on private education does not mesh well with his plan.

Some of the protestors say they have children who attend private educational institutions and the VAT on education is a “burden” too much for them to handle.

President David Granger had said the 14 per cent VAT on private institutions will stay for now.

3 years jail, $4M fine for woman Soesdyke man busted with cocaine at CJIA walks free – alleged recruiter remanded; cars, $14.5M in cash seized

By Clestine Juan A GEORGETOWN woman was sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined $4M after she admitted to trafficking cocaine in a false wall of her suitcase at the Ched-

JAILED : Bernadette Warren die Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri.

Bernadette Warren, 51, of Lodge Housing Scheme, Georgetown pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on Sunday, April 16, 2017 at the CJIA,she had

1.504 kilograms of cocaine in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Prosecutor of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU), Konyo Sandiford told the court that the mother of two was an outgoing passenger on a Dynamic Airways flight destined for JFK Airport, New York when the discovery was made. According to the Prosecutor, two suitcases, which belonged to Warren, were placed on a scanner and it was discovered that one of them had false walls.

The walls were pierced and a whitish substance was found, the prosecutor said. Warren was escorted to CANU Headquarters where she gave a statement and disclosed who supplied her with the drugs.

When asked by Magistrate Fabayo Azore if she had anything to say, Warren stated that she was sorry about what happened.

Before passing sentence, the Magistrate took into consideration that the woman pleaded guilty and did not waste the court’s time and the fact that she expressed remorse.

Meanwhile, the alleged recruiter, a 32-year-old businesswoman was also charged and remanded to prison, after CANU found almost five pounds of cocaine stashed in her Lodge, Georgetown home.

Joy Jacqueline Caines, who owns a Boutique, also appeared before Magistrate Azore and denied that on April 16, 2017 at Lot 232 Lockoo Street, Lodge, she had 2.092 kilograms of cocaine in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Caines denied the charge while her lawyer, Adrian Thompson told the court that the mother of two also lives in Campbellville, Georgetown with her child father.

According to CANU prosecutor, Konyo Sandiford,on April 16, after Warren was arrested at the airport, she implicated Caines as the person who gave her the illegal substance.

The CANU ranks visited Caines’ house, conducted a search and found an empty suitcase with false walls that contained cocaine; the illegal substance was also found in the kitch-

REMANDED : Joy Jacqueline Caines en and on the stove. The court also heard that a large quantity of cash, amounting to $14.5M and other foreign currency were also found inside Caines’ house.

The CANU prosecutor also noted that a Toyota Premio and Altezza motor car which were found in the yard were also seized. Additionally, Caines’ child father was also implicated in the drug bust and is said to be in hiding. The businesswoman was remanded to prison until May 3, 2017.

…found not guilty of road death

A SOESDYKE/Linden Highway resident was found not guilty by Magistrate Judy Latchman of the offence of causing death by dangerous driving on Wednesday, due to insufficient evidence.

Nathan Heyliger, 27, was on trial for causing the death of Carl Dundas, a father of eight, on September 11, 2016, when he drove motor lorry, PVV 1650 in a manner dangerous to the public.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Vishnu Hunt, while Heyliger was represented by Attorney, Sonia Parag. DEAD : Carl Dundas Magistrate Latchman in her ruling noted that there is no evidence to show that Heyliger was speeding which resulted in Dundas’ death.

According to reports, Heyliger was driving at a fast rate when he collided with a parked truck that was reportedly seized from Bai Shan Lin Company, by officials of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Dundas, 41, a porter, of Kuru Kuru and his wife Rona were occupants of the vehicle driven by Heyliger. They were reportedly leaving Yarrowkabra, after participating in Amerindian Heritage Celebration. Based on reports, Dundas was seated in the front passenger seat.

Both Dundas and his wife received injuries and were rushed to the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital.

Dundas succumbed to his injuries a few days later.

According to reports, Dundas and Heyliger were workmates who operated a truck for a dredge owner in the interior.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday April 20, 2017

NGOs in anti-suicide campaign

THE New Jersey Aryaj Samaj Humanatarian Mission (NJASHM) has partnered with Lisa Punch and Prevention of Teenage Suicide (POTS) Guyana to launch the ‘Be the One to’ campaign in Berbice.

In explaining the reason for the partnership and the purpose of the campaign, Punch, Founder of POTS Guyana, said she felt that Berbice is the right place for the launch of the campaign since

the county has the highest recorded suicide rate in the country.

“We have partnered with NJASHM because, as you know, Guyana has the highest rate of suicide per capita in the world, and Berbice has the highest in the country,” she said. “So, we are here to launch our campaign, ‘Be the one to’.

“Be the one to ask; be the one to be there; be the one to be your brother’s keep-

er... We are going to be here extensively in the schools and in the communities, going door- to-door talking to families, telling them about suicide-prevention strategies and awareness and other social ills.

“We believe this is much needed in Berbice, and believe that by going to people’s homes and reaching them directly, that would be the most effective way of meeting those affected.”

ONE-ON-ONE SESSIONS Punch went on to explain that while there are other forms of reaching out, such as through group sessions or live programmes on TV and Radio, the one-onone sessions in the comfort of your own home allows for a more personal interaction, where questions, concerns and solutions can be discussed and answered that many persons would have been shy about asking in any other setting.

And, given the magnitude of the work and resources required, the team met with Divisional Commander, Mr Ian Amsterdam and his team of other high-ranking officials of ‘B’ Division last Tuesday, and have since got his commitment that his community policing and youth groups will be a part of the campaign.

Speaking with the media after the meeting, NJASHM President, Mr Suresh Sugrim, said the collaboration with POTS and the Guyana Police Force is just the beginning, as he would like to see other NGOs and like-minded groups and organisations get on board the programme.

“Suicide is everybody’s business,” he said, “and we will need all the help we can get, as this approach is geared to meet everyone in the comfort of their homes, and will require a lot of resources to be effective.

“So we are calling on all the NGOs and other organisations to come on board as we try to get the stigma attached to suicide from Berbice and

Guyana replaced with positivity.

“We need to work together to touch and save as many lives as possible.”

HOUSE-TO-HOUSE The campaign will for the first time seek to have counsellors visit every home in Berbice to educate and counsel persons on suicide and other social ills.

Punch, whose organisation is based in Georgetown, has given her word that she will be in Berbice twice weekly for the door-to-door and school visits on April 27 and 28.

“The organisation will begin door-to-door and inschool tours from the 27th to the 28th of April,” the former Miss Guyana World contestant said.

“The door-to-door, as a direct marketing tool,” she said, will probably be the most effective way to get persons to talk to someone, one-toone, ask questions, and give solutions.”

Meanwhile, on Sunday last, both Punch and Sugrim paid a visit to the Corentyne home of the Berbice teen who was allegedly sexually molested by her stepfather.

They not only spoke with the teen and her mother, but also pledged to keep in close touch with the family so as to provide them with as much assistance as they possibly can.

The team later told this publication that having been shocked to learn of the family’s plight, and after reading the article in the Guyana Chronicle, they decided to

reach out to them.

Punch said she was heartbroken after learning of what the teen had had to endure and was appalled that the authorities have not yet taken any real action against the alleged perpetrator.

It was for this reason that the team took the mother of the victim with them last Tuesday to their meeting with the divisional commander, who has since pledged to have a special team investigate the matter thoroughly.

As it relates to the actual rape matter, the commander has confirmed that the file is expected to be returned from the DPP this week and based on the advice, the relevant course of action will be taken.

Punch further appealed to all to be compassionate in dealing with the victims of any circumstance, since they are usually emotionally and psychologically scarred. She noted that the authorities have their jobs to do in questioning victims but care should be taken to ensure they do not feel as if they are the ones who are wrong or who had brought the situation upon themselves.

Both POTS and NJASHM are calling on all NGOs and the Ministry of Social Protection to reach out to the family, since they are in need of any assistance they can get.

“We are providing some assistance and counselling to the victim and the family, but they really are in need of support, and can use any help they can get. So, please don’t hesitate, before it’s too late,” she said.

Equal opportunities for women –– in mining syndicates, Broomes assures

By Alva Solomon

AS Government works towards advancing the mining sector, the syndicate initiative is being undertaken to ensure that women receive equal opportunities in the movement.

This was noted on Wednesday by Junior Minister of Natural Resources,Simona Broomes,when she accompanied Minister of Natural Resources,Raphael Trotman, who appeared before the Parliamentary Committee for Economic Services.

The authorities created the opportunity for small miners who traditionally have had limited access to mining lands, invariably as tenants to bigger mining landlords,under conditions which were deemed to be unfair, even exploitative.

Broomes told the committee on Wednesday that Guyanese are aware of the challenges small miners face in the sector.

She said that initiative was taken to cluster the small miners together by pooling resources, noting that it advances social cohesion.

She pointed out that Government is providing general attention to women in the male-dominated sector.

“The view and the consideration of women are being looked at,” she said.

Broomes said since the formation, there are women who function in the syndicates in senior positions, noting that it provides a whole “new outlook” for the female gender.

She said syndicates provide equal opportunities for women involved in mining, noting that the move has

been long overdue.

“Women are not only chefs and cooks,” she said as she made reference to those involved in mining.

A syndicate is comprised of many persons, as much as one hundred members, and according to Broomes, the Natural Resources Ministry has ensured that the groups are mainly focused on addressing the concerns of small miners within the sector.

To date, there are some 15 syndicates across the mining districts of the country; the maximum number being pursued is 20.

At Wednesday’s meeting, committee member and Minister of State,Joseph Harmon and Opposition Member of Parliament,Neil Kumar,commended Broomes on the initiative.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday April 20, 2017

Referendum to decide legality of homosexuality

GUYANESE will soon have a chance to vote on whether they believe homosexuality should remain a criminal act or if those laws which criminalise it should be struck down via a referendum.

The Government made this announcement in a letter to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) following the 161st Ordinary Period of Sessions which addressed issues of human rights violations against young persons in Guyana.

According to the Government in its letter, there are mixed views on the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and sexual identity and repealing of the laws to decriminalise homosexuality.

The executive added that

with these existing circumstances, more needs to be done regarding a collective and consensual approach and the implementation to fulfill such rights.

The Government pointed out that the issue of repeal was brought to the attention of the National Assembly on several occasions, but it was deemed unfit for that arm of Government to make a decision on the matter.

As such, the Government noted that “… it was recommended, that the matter be taken to a vote, where the people of Guyana will decide by a referendum on these matters”.

No indication was made as to when this referendum is likely to be held.

The signaled support of President David Granger, for

the reformation of the laws with respect to the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community was also referenced in the letter.

Over the years, the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) has been lobbying support to get the Government to decriminalise homosexuality and laws which discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and identity.

In a broader context, the Executive noted that its position on the cross-cutting principles of discrimination towards members of the LGBTI community, is that the principle of universality admits no exception and that human rights are the birthrights of all human beings.

“With this Executive sup-

Sugar in trouble in Fiji …World Bank says decline in sugar exports to accelerate this year

THE long-run decline in sugar exports is expected to accelerate this year with the elimination of production quotas within the EU market this September.

In its East Asia and Pacific Economic Update released this month, the World Bank said it was widely expected to reduce both the prices and the quantity of sugar imported in the EU market, accelerating the ongoing exit of farmers from the sugar sector. The report said external financing would remain a risk, but continued support from the donors, including the EU and multilateral lenders,would be forthcoming.

According to the World Bank, the external deficit will likely remain elevated from higher import demand for raw materials and capital equipment for reconstruction and infrastructure projects.

In its report the World Bank said the fiscal deficit would likely remain elevated throughout the forecasting period, as the government accelerated the reconstruction effort while continuing to focus on spending on priority sectors — health, education, and infrastructure, the central elements of the previous two budgets — until the next election next year.

“The recently announced review of public sector wages, if it leads to large increases in the wage bill, will further challenge the path for fiscal consolidation,” it said. Meanwhile,the report highlighted that the external deficit for Fiji’s economy remained elevated at about 6 per cent of the gross domestic product

(GDP), reflecting large structural deficits in the merchandise trade account.

“A large surplus in the services account (relating to tourism and transport) and continued strength in remittances, which rose by 10.2 per cent in the year to January, are providing needed offsets. “Foreign reserves remain adequate at $1976 million at end-February;sufficient to cover 5.3 months of imports of goods and services.”

It said the planned fiscal deficit for FY2016/17, announced in August, had widened to 7.3 per cent (4.7 per cent in the national convention of including privatisation receipt as revenue) from 3.5 per cent (1.5 per cent) from the previous comparable year, about 2.1 percentage points of which reflected cyclone-related spending. The World Bank forecast said the actual ratio of fiscal deficit to GDP was likely to be contained despite slower-than-expected growth in the first four months of the fiscal year,because of the under-execution of reconstruction spending.

Meanwhile, despite higher inflation, the Fiji dollar remained largely stable against the basket of currencies, and regained some ground against the US dollar and the euro in the year to January — 4 and 7 per cent, respectively — while depreciating against the New Zealand dollar, the Australian dollar, and the Japanese yen — -7, -2, and -0.1 per cent, respectively. (The Fiji Times Online)

port, efforts will be made to advance the cause and strengthen the implementation, enforcement and the system of the protection of every Guyanese citizen, including the LGBT community,” the Government committed to the Commission.

Weighing-in on the issue of discrimination of the LGBT community in accessing work, the Government made it clear that “no person should be discriminated against on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation, since everyone has a

right to work, pension and gratuity”.

Article 149 ‘A’ of the Constitution states that: “No person shall be hindered in the employment of his or her right, that is to say, the right to free choice of employment.”

Government also noted that the Constitution of Guyana provides specific guidelines regarding the fundamental human rights and freedom enshrined in the international treaties.

With these, the Government noted that members of the LGBT community

benefit from the Protection from Inhuman Treatment (Article 141); Freedom of Conscience (Article 145); Freedom of Expression (Article 146); Protection of Freedom of Assembly, Association and Demonstration (Article 147); Protection from Discrimination on the grounds of Race….Sex, Gender, etc. (Article 149); Right to Free Education (at any Primary or Secondary School owned and funded by the state) (Article 149); and Protection of Human Rights (Article 154).

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Suriname Art Expo opens here

By Shirley Thomas

THE Federation of Visual Art in Suriname (FVAS) on Tuesday launched a three-day Suriname Art Expo at the Umana Yana, Georgetown, placing on display a wide range of what could be classified as being among the finest works of art.

The FVAS which, for the last five years has focused on mainly national community

Also officiating were Caricom officials: Assistant Secretary General (ASG) for Trade and Economic Integration, Joseph Cox; Deputy Programme Manager (Culture), Riane de Haas Bledoego, as well as local Director of Culture, Tamika Boatswain; members of the diplomatic corps, among other representatives of missions.

The president of the FVAS said he considered it a great

change culture, learn from each other’s presentations and to visit artists’ studios,” he said.

The FVAS president said Suriname is looking forward to the return visit of the Guyanese artists.

And noting that ‘art and culture’ bring people together, he added that such an exhibition is very important, and is the start of a more extensive collaboration for the art and cultural develop-

and see. It says a lot about the cultural level of a country … and there are special values that can be distinguished from art, namely: they promote social cohesion, help us pursue a common path, articulate and represent the value of our democratic identity and provide an open and connected society.”

And as it relates to exchange programmes, Blankendal affirmed that an exchange in the field of art is to be seen as very special, since art is a universal language that is understood by everyone from their own experience and emotion.

In Suriname, besides organising community art projects, the FVAS also has great interest in exchange programmes that go beyond borders.

SHARING IDEAS

Samples of the exhibits on display art projects and international exchange programme, because of an interest in the latter, took the initiative in an exchange programme with neighbouring Guyana.

The result is the ‘Suriname Art Expo 17’, a breath-taking display of colourful, intricate and thought stimulating creations and presentations about art in Suriname, currently being staged here.

Meanwhile, leading members of the visiting delegation are President of FVAS George Struikelblok; Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Suriname Lieselle Blankendal; and madamme of ceremonies Angela Angela Salmo.

honour for the FVAS delegation to be hosted in this beautiful country, Guyana.

He recalled that during the Guyana Art Competition of 2015, he presented the goals of the FVAS and it was out of that engagement that the idea of having Suriname stage an expo here was mooted.

GOOD RELATIONS George said that since Carifesta 13, organised in Suriname, there has been ongoing good relations between artists of the two countries.

“Having an exchange between both countries was always a topic, since being here means an opportunity to network, ex-

ment of both countries.

Moreover, he proposed that “to make it complete”, French Guiana needs to be brought into the equation “Because in the world, we are known as ‘The Guianas’.”

He thanked everyone – both from Guyana and Suriname -- as well as their sponsors in Suriname, who contributed to the realisation of this very special art exhibition.

Lieselle Blankendal, who spoke on behalf of the Surinamese Embassy, sees art and culture as essential to any society, noting that it serves as a source of creativity.

“Artists create work to show what they think, experience, feel

“This international exchange with Guyana gives us the opportunity to showcase what Suriname has, and with regard to Surinamese art where we are; how we want to strive to get to a better level and to share ideas where we can learn from each other,” she concluded.

Taking to the podium, ASG Cox took note of the venue – the Umana Yana, and referred to it as “beautiful, and a reflection of the efforts made in Guyana to safeguard the cultural heritage of the Caribbean”.

He congratulated the Governments of Guyana and Suriname, through their respective directors within the Ministries of Education and Culture and commended their roles in encouraging initiatives from Arts communities.

Such framework, he said,

promotes social cohesion and inclusiveness and contributes to wealth-creation and reduction of poverty.

Elaborating on the role of culture, the ASG noted that culture is seen as being a pillar for building economic and social resilience. It promotes social cohesion and inclusiveness and contributes to wealth-creation and reduction of poverty, as well as strengthening Caricom’s identity and spirit of the Community.

The works of 14 artists are being expertly showcased on acrylic canvas. They include Anand Binda, Robert Enfield, Glenn Fung Loy, Soeki Irodikromo, Sri Irodikromo, Dakaya Lenz, Dhiradj Ramsamoedj, Ardie Setropawiro, George Struikelblok, Sancha Boksteen-Sullivan, Manuela Tjin A Soe, Patrick Tjon and Kit-ling Tjon Pian Gi.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday April 20, 2017

President meets with Perry Centre officials

OFFICIALS from the William J. Perry Centre for Hemispheric Studies, a United States (US) Department of Defence institution, on Wednesday paid a courtesy call on President David Granger.

The delegation included the Centre’s Director, Mr. Mark Wilkins, Coordinator; Major General (ret’d), Richard Goetze; the Centre’s Regional Officer, Colonel

Claudia Carrizales and Assistants,Ms. Katherine O’Ryan and Mr. Darryl Long.

According to a release from the Ministry of the Presidency, they were accompanied to State House by US Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Perry Holloway and Chief Military Liaison Officer, Mr. Michael White. Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon and Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF),

Brigadier Patrick West were also present at the meeting.

During their discussions, Director Wilkins said that the Centre has developed several new programmes aimed at strengthening defence governance and is willing to work in partnership with Guyana in this regard, the release noted.

“He said that every country has its own peculiarities and added that the Centre is prepared to share best practic-

es and tailor a programme to best suit the country’s needs,” the release further stated.

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of the Presidency, President Granger said that a partnership with the Centre could prove to be beneficial for Guyana given the security challenges it faces. He explained that given the country’s size, geography, extensive borders and scattered population, it is

difficult to conduct adequate surveillance and provide the level of security required in some far flung locations in the hinterland.

The Perry Centre promotes greater understanding of US policy, mutually supportive approaches to security challenges, and improved, sustainable institutional capacity through courses, seminars, outreach, strategic dialogue, and focused re-

search in support of policy objectives.

The Centre originated from the first Defence Ministerial of the Americas in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1995, a conference established by then-US Secretary of Defence William J. Perry,to convene defence ministers from around the hemisphere to discuss shared defence and security issues.

Colwyn Harding accused of snatching woman’s purse COLWYN Harding was released on $50,000 bail on Wednesday by City Magistrate,Fabayo Azore for the offence of robbery.

Harding, 26, of West Ruimveldt Housing

Scheme,Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the allegation which stated that on April 15, 2017 at Lime Street, Georgetown, he robbed Margaret Baird of three cell phones valued $160,000,and a

pair of eye-glasses,among other articles to the value of $211,000.

Harding, a father of one and a vendor, told the court that he did not rob the woman and that he is willing to help her

Colwyn Harding purchase a new pair of glasses. According to the unrepresented man, he was at home sleeping when the woman was robbed.

However, the victim, who was present in court,

expressed her frustration and fear to the Magistrate, as she noted that her purse was snatched with the items inside. According to the complainant, persons have been calling from the stolen phones, threatening her. Magistrate Azore however released Harding on bail and adjourned the matter until May 3 2017.

Last November, Harding was remanded to prison after it was alleged that he and another man robbed Jameel Williams of a Samsung cell phone, a pocket knife and $15,000 cash.

In July 2014, Harding was charged with violently robbing Cheryl Ann

Hope of $30,000 cash and three Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphones costing $360,000 at Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

Harding became known in 2013 after he had accused two police ranks of raping him with a baton while he was in custody at the Timehri Police Station.

The police ranks were charged the following year with assault causing actual bodily harm. However, the charge was dismissed against them in March 2016,after Magistrate Leron Daly found that there was insufficient evidence to convict.

‘Unruly’ killed in Mc Doom crash

A FATHER of two was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Wednesday after the motorcycle he was riding, crashed into a parked vehicle on the Mc Doom Public Road, East Bank Demerara.

Dead is Troy Cordwell, 40, known as “Unruly” and “Silverado” of Durban and Louisa Row, Georgetown. Residents descried him as a jovial person, who worked at Vishal’s Auto Store on Sheriff Street, Georgetown.

A police report noted that Cordwell was proceeding north along the western carriageway on his motorcycle, CD 3069, allegedly at a fast rate at approximately 01:00hrs, in the vicinity of Pestex Environmental Solutions, when he lost control and crashed into motor vehicle, GSS 1066, which was parked on the said western carriageway.

The body is at the hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Dead: Troy Cordwell

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday April 20, 2017

Tighter restrictions for safer roads –– says Ferguson

By Rabindra Rooplall

GOVERNMENT will be enacting additional laws and regulations to better resource the National Road Safety Council among a raft of measures to ensure safer roads.

Among the measures to come on board include a penalty points system for errant and recalcitrant drivers, seatbelt for occupants in rear seats of vehicles and introduction of speed and safety cameras.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson made these disclosures while addressing the opening session of a two-

Bank (IDB), the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the International Road Federation (IRF).

Minister Ferguson said Government will commence massive road rehabilitation works to enhance and incorporate safety mechanisms for all road users.

“This will contribute to positive changes in road user’s behaviour, thus causing a reduction in road fatalities…

Guyana road fatality statistics is a frightening one especially for a country with such a small population,” the minister noted.

She said the Ministry has embarked on works to include

through education, among others.

The minister said the culture of road users have to change and drivers need to be more responsibility to their passengers, themselves and pedestrians.

“In Guyana, we need to improve on our road safety culture, road users need to think safety first… Road safety cannot be achieved through isolation and therefore we must all collectively contribute to its enhancement,” the minister said.

MOST VULNERABLE Traffic and Maintenance officer of the Public Infrastructure Ministry, Kester Hinds said most of the road fatalities occur on the East Coast of Demerara and the East Bank of Demerara

A section of the stakeholders at the road safety workshop day Road Safety Workshop at the Marriot Hotel, Georgetown, on Wednesday.

The workshop, which concludes today, is a collaborative effort among the Inter-American Development

proper road signage, road markings, and construction of sidewalks, installation of street and traffic lights, road maintenance and resurfacing, placement of speed humps and promotion of road safety

and the vulnerable groups include the pedestrian and cyclists.

He explained that over the last 10 years, on average 129 persons died annually as a result of fatal accidents and the

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson, receives an International Road Federation (IRF) membership certificate from IRF Director, Esteban Salinas (Samuel Maughn Photo) country loses over US$13M annually in human resources as a result of these deaths.

Guyana National Road Safety Council (GNRSC) Chairman, Romona Doorgen, stressed the need for more collaboration between stakeholders as road traffic crashes result in considerable economic cost to the country and world.

She explained that with much more Public Private Partnerships between all stakeholders in society, much more could be done to save the lives of people.

The GNRSC official said road traffic injuries place a heavy burden on national economies, as well as on households.

In low- and middle-income countries, they particularly affect the economically active age group, or those set

to contribute to family, society and the workforce in general.

She explained that many families are driven deeper into poverty by the loss of a breadwinner, or by the expenses of prolonged medical care, or the added burden of caring for a family member who is disabled from a road traffic injury.

Underscoring that there is need for more safety on the roadways for all categories of road users, Doorgen said there is need for a special ambulance response unit dedicated, specifically to road crashes.

She noted that the first responders who are usually the traffic police should all be trained in post-crash response and certified in first aid training.

According to Doorgen, insufficient attention has been paid to the needs of pedes-

trians, cyclists and motorcyclists, who together make up 49 per cent of all global road traffic deaths.

Making the world’s roads safer will not be possible unless the needs of these road users are considered in all approaches to road safety – including the way roads are built and the way vehicles are manufactured.

Making walking and cycling safer will also have other positive co-benefits if these non-motorised forms of transport become more popular, including more physical exercise, reduced emissions, and the health benefits associated with such changes.

IRF Director, Esteban Salinas said he is optimistic about the future developments of road safety in Guyana as the political will was present.

Local doctors for training to detect microcephaly MORE than 20 local doctors are slated to begin training Friday at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to use ultrasound to detect microcephaly in pregnant women who were exposed to the Zika virus.

A release from the Ministry of Public Health stated that Friday’s programme runs from 8:00hrs – 16:30hrs and the RAD-AID representatives will train participants in innovative strategies to support advancement of patient-care in the area.

The workshop will be facilitated by Dr Brendt Schimit, the Equipment Implementation specialist at RAD-AID International and Dr Gillian Battino, a Director, RAD-AID for Latin

America.

RAD-AID is a UN-affiliated non-profit organisation. Last year, RAD-AID donated two new CT Machines valued at over G$88M to the Ministry of Public Health, through Phillips Corporation, USA. In addition to coursing the more than 20 General Medical Officers (GMOs) and obstetricians, drawn from the country’s 10 Administrative Regions and the GPHC, Schimdt and Battino, who are already in the country, will visit the sites for the CT Machines at the Bartica Regional and New Amsterdam Hospitals.

They will inspect and provide technical assistance and support in the design of permanent housing for these CT

machines, the release noted.

The team is also expected to meet with GPHC executives and Dr. Madan Rambarran, Director, Institute of Health Sciences Education (IHSE) to plan for infrastructure necessary for a residency program that is scheduled to begin in August this year.

RAD-AID International provides medical imaging (radiology) programmes and improves radiology resources to 15 developing countries, with over 4,000 volunteers and 44 national chapters, including the first 3-Year Radiology Residency training program in Guyana at the GPHC in collaboration with the University of Guyana (UG).

From left: Gillian Battino, Berndt Schmit, Dr William Adu-Krow of PAHO/WHO and Dr Paul Edwards, Director,Health Systems and Services,also of PAHO/WHO

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

Welcome to Watooka --A community once segregated, but is now integrated THE little community of Watooka, located on the Mackenzie shore in the mining town of Linden, has its history enshrined in the commencement of bauxite mining.

With the establishment of the Canadian-run Demerara Bauxite Company (DEMBA), the first such company here, the community of Watooka was established expressly for the white expatriates and their families.

Wooden mansions were soon constructed for this elite little group, and an apartheid-like system was strictly enforced. The entrance to the community was secured with a barrier, and manned by a constable, whose responsibility it was

Ms Janice Lake, another Watooka resident

grew, there was now need for a school and other so-

that greatly increased with the demand for aluminium at the onset of World War II. Steve Connolly, who grew up there as a child and has since authored a book titled “Children of Watooka”, recalled during the launch of the bauxite mining centennial activities last year that even Dr Cheddi Jagan and his wife were once turned away from the guest house because he was not white.

In his memoir, Connolly, now in his 80s, drew heavily on his childhood days spent at Watooka, recalling fond memories of learning to swim in the pool there and attending the community’s school.

WATOOKA TODAY

property.

Despite this, the community still has this ancient historic residential feel to it.

When walking through the interior streets, if a pin drops, one could hear it.

Things have changed drastically in the community, and while some changes are for the better, some brought on challenges. Ms Allison Luckhoo, an old-time resident of Watooka, told the Guyana Chronicle that her love for the community comes with its quietness and reserved atmosphere.

“It is more family-oriented; you could bring up your children in the way you want to. And the thing is, we live so far apart, there is not much mixing to influence your children in a negative way,” the mother of four said.

Added to this, she said, there are a lot of positive and influential figures in the community whom the children look up to as role models and emulate. “Some of them are doctors, some are lawyers, entrepreneurs, pastors,” she said, adding: “So you look at them, and you want to emulate their examples and want to be that person.”

As a result of this, there are not many social ills plaguing the youths in the

Watooka resident, Ms Allison Luckoo and her daughter, Rena

community such as teenage pregnancy and school dropouts.

“Most of the young people here are pursuing an education; they are at the University of Guyana or probably UWI or probably overseas studying,” Ms Luckhoo said.

LOVE AND UNITY Another positive of the small community is the closeness among the resi-

DEMBA House in Watooka

to ensure that all local visitors -- who most times were maids, gardeners or caretakers -- were furnished with passes and gave a detailed explanation for their visit.

As bauxite production spiralled and the company grew, there was need for more expatriates, so similar apartheid-like communities were established in close proximity to Watooka.

These communities were Fairs Rust, Noigtdacht, and Richmond Hill.

And as families

cial facilities which quickly erupted. Of course, only the children of expatriates were allowed to attend the Watooka Day School, as it is now called, and enjoy the other social facilities such as the Watooka Swimming Pool.

A historical feature of the community’s development was the construction of the Watooka Club, replete with a guest house to accommodate the ‘industrial customers’ and shareholders of the company who went there on business; business

When the whites left, however, taking with them their apartheid-like system, even though the community was still reserved for company managers and still exuded an air of exclusivity, it mattered not the race or nationality as time progressed.

Today, Watooka is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious community of roughly 120 residents.

And while many of the old DEMBA houses are still standing, many residents have opted to renovate their

A street in Watooka

dents, despite the houses are some distance apart from each other. Residents boasted to the Guyana Chronicle of the way they look out for each other and render assistance when necessary. “It’s like a family community; the neighbourhood is good.

If you run short of anything, you can always ask your neighbour for help,” another resident, Ms Janice Lake Turn to page 21

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

From trash to treasure --taking craft to another level WITH the high unemployment rate in the mining town of Linden, more and more residents are seeking varying avenues of earning so as to provide for their families.

Whether it be to invest in a business, seek employment out of Linden or to simply turn to the gift within one’s hands to create various products whether it is craft material, value-added culinary products or agro-processing.

Monica Higgins, proprietor of Monica’s Fabric Designs, one of the most recognised craft businesses in Linden, has decided to make good use of the gift of designing she realised was locked away in the palm of her hands.

Many decades ago, Monica was sitting in her home and decided to experiment with some waste material that she had previously discarded. That decision has landed her many years of success in the local craft industry.

“My mom was abroad, and she used to send home these little things,” Monica recalled.

“And you know, kids

would just play with them but I would just sweep them under the table. And one day I say, ‘Let me check these things;’ and I realised it was fabric paint. And that is where it started; nobody taught me to do this.”

Realising that she could have made beautiful craft items and clothing and fabric designs from basically nothing, Monica decided to venture into her yard and sought unwanted material for her new hobby.

NEW BEST FRIEND The coconut became her new best friend after realising its wealth of uses, and, to this day, continues to be a main source of raw material for her craftwork, which has also gained recognition internationally.

“I make like little earrings of coconut shell, coreo seeds and pieces of wood,” she said. “It’s like from trash to treasure; it’s like from ordinary into extraordinary, because we do throw away these coconut shells and these things. And

you know, when you see them in the yard, you look at them and right away you get ideas on what you can do with these things.”

After perfecting her skills and creating a market within her hometown, the mother-of-four and grandmother of 11 decided some 20 years ago to establish her own craft business, which is presently located at the Linden Enterprise Network compound on Republic Avenue, Mackenzie.

Monica produces tie-dye material, fabric designs, jewellery, ornaments, clothing, chair backs, curtains, hats and various other handcrafted items.

Many of these items are made from simple raw material and transformed into clothing and accessories which, when worn, would have many heads turning.

The hardest part of her work is inputting the manual labour which, despite being time-consuming, is never laborious since she loves what she does.

GROWING POPULAR-

Some of the beautiful handcrafted items that can be had at Monica’s

ITY Her popularity has granted her the opportunity to impart her knowledge and skills to the other persons in Linden.

“I have been enjoying my work all the time, and I teach craft classes too,” Monica said.

“I also participate in competitions, and am the main

designer of hats for the popular Francine Hat Show.

“I travel with this business; I go to Atlanta, to various islands, and I am also with the Guyana Arts and Craft in Georgetown.

“I am just happy to do this; I do it for the love of it, because I am very voluntary,” she told the Guyana Chronicle.

And despite business can sometimes be slow in Linden, she’s not complaining.

“Sometimes I get a lot of orders. People come and order their chair backs; their curtains. I also do a lot of designing of hats around Easter-time, so I really can’t complain,” she said.

Teaching them young --to channel their positive energy FACILITATOR of the Linden karate programme, Maqsood Mansoor is on a mission to bring extracurricular activities to the mining town; something that parents have always complained was lacking.

Just recently, Mansoor completed his black belt training, and being a beneficiary of the many positives to be derived from practising karate, he wants to pass it on to the youths in Linden and has been doing so for the past three years.

“I’m promoting it,” he said, “because, once youths are involved, it can help them to stay away from the crime and other wrongdoings, because it is energy...

“If you channel it prop-

erly, it can be used in a positive way, ‘cause if you don’t guide them, they can go astray; they can get involved in crime, drugs, and other wrongdoings.”

KARATE IS SAFE And the feedback has been good, he said, but there is this fear among some parents that their children may get hurt or become aggressive.

Contrary to this belief, however, the karate promoter said that the students are actually taught not to hit or be violent. “It is very beneficial for their health and mind,” he said, adding: “The kids will do better in their studies as well, because once you are healthy, you are better focused; it will be beneficial in all

aspects, so parents should get their kids involved in this sports.”

Prior to practising karate, Mansoor revealed that he was often sick, but after becoming involved in the sport, not only has his health improved but his focus as well.

The monthly cost is $3000 per month, and classes are held once a week at the Senior Supervisor’s Club in Mackenzie.

According to the Japan Karate Association, karate is a Japanese martial art; its physical aspects seek the development of defensive and counter-attacking body movements.

The themes of traditional karate training are fighting and self-defence, though its mental and mor-

al aspects target the overall improvement of the individual.

This is facilitated by the discipline and persistent effort required in training. If

karate had to be described in only one sentence, then the most suitable one may arguably be, “You never attack first in karate.”

This is a maxim of

Gichin Funakoshi, the Okinawan who brought karate to mainland Japan in 1922, and who is accepted as the father of modern karate.

Linden karate students with their sensei, Maqsood Mansoor

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

Ebini’s all set --to become the agricultural hub of Region 10 THE small community of Ebini, located up the Upper Berbice River, close to an hour’s ride by boat from Kwakwani, is set to become the agricultural hub of Region 10.

And it’s all thanks to the Regional Democratic Council, which is pursuing all avenues to boost the agricultural sector in the region, which has been ailing for some decades now.

The community, which has its genesis in farming, continues to depend on the soil for survival, and agriculture as well as livestock rearing are the main economic activities.

Being aware of the fertile soil and the availability of many experienced farmers, the National Agricultural Research Extension Institution (NAREI), in collaboration with the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), is making serious strides to revive agriculture in Ebini.

In a missive to Regional Chairman, Mr Renis Mo-

Regional Chairman Renis Morian

rian, NAREI reported that the two entities at reference have a total of 25 employees in the community. They currently occupy about 1500 acres of farming land, 1000 acres of which are dedicated to livestock production, specifically cattle and sheep.

The remaining 500 acres comprise of orchard crops, which are currently under cultivation, and this will be expanded by another 20 acres this year.

Thirty acres are under

coconuts, and about five acres are dedicated to grapefruit production. NAREI is currently conducting experiments on corn, soybeans, red peas, cassava and black-eye peas, while a nursery was recently set up to produce seedlings.

As if this were not enough, NAREI has also recently acquired an additional 15000 acres of land from the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC) for the new project to be implemented with the IDB. This operation will soon compete with the large-scale operations of a Brazilian investor who is in the process of commencing corn and soya bean production.

The investor and his team are proposing to do a 200-acre plot of soybean around May-June 2017.

THE CHALLENGES Regional Chairman Renis Morian, in his quest to boost agricultural production in the community given its potential in that regard, recently dispatched a team, led

by former Regional Chairman Mortimer Mingo, to meet with farmers in the community, who were eager to voice their concerns and talk about the challenges.

At the meeting, held on March 21 with about 34 farmers, it was revealed to the team that only about 65-70 acres of land are accessible to them.

Each farmer is entitled to between 5-10 acres of this amount. The farmers highlighted their plight of working with limited equipment and seeds, but making priority on the list is the deplorable state of the access road which is approximately a mile long and leads from the waterfront to the Ebini Savannah.

The state of the road, coupled with the lack of cheap and reliable river transportation, has resulted in farmers losing big on their produce. “We were

informed that quite a lot of the produce perished before meeting markets, and that the middle-men, who are few in number, usually offer them prices for their produce, which is way below what it cost them to produce their products,” Mingo wrote in his report to Morian following the meeting with the Ebini

Welcome to... said.

She shared similar sentiments as Ms Luckhoo. “I love the way we live in love.

If you have a need, you can call and will get assistance; we look out for each other, so to speak.”

Everyone is their brother’s keeper, and since most of the residents attend the community’s church, the unity is strengthened. This is also reflected in the active Community Development Council and the members who reach regularly to address issues and to put forth solutions in an effort to alleviate challenges.

A typical day at the Skeldon market

Former Regional Chairman, Mortimer Mingo

THE CHALLENGES One of the challenges, due to the absence of company management, is the

degradation of the community’s infrastructure. Residents pointed out that the roads are in a deplorable state, and the dust from the roads when vehicles drive by is posing a serious health hazard.

“The dust affects us bad.

We call; we made complaints, but nobody is doing anything,” Ms Luckhoo said.

“We have the CDC group and we reported this, but they are saying that they themselves have no control over this, but nothing is being done...

“The roads need fixing.

They did a few patches here and there, but there is still more to be done; lots more to be done,” she added.

Janice Lake is extremely affected by the dust, since

farmers.

“About six of the farmers informed us that on one acre of land they cultivated with watermelons, their yield was about 8000 pounds of melon per farmer, and they were forced to sell same for about $25-30 per pound,” he added.

The farmers have also opted for the lands to be leased to them by the government through Lands and Survey so that they can become qualified for loans from banks or lending institutions.

This financing will assist them in expanding their farms. The farmers also highlighted that during the dry season, their crops suffer as a result of limited water resources and are requesting that at least two wells be dug in the Savannah.

Regional Chairman Morian has noted these challenges and will be putting systems in place to alleviate them soonest.

From Page 18 she is allergic to it. “It is very, very dusty! The vehicles just fly past, so the dust affects me quite a lot. It also gives off an odour, and I am allergic to that too. So when I inhale that dust, I sneeze a lot,” she said.

Residents also talked about how the unavailability of public transportation affects them, particularly those who don’t have their own vehicle.

These residents are either forced to walk 20 minutes to the Linden Hospital to access a ‘short-drop car’ or face a hefty taxi fee. But according to Ms Luckoo, with life comes many challenges, so one might as well accept them, as the positives far outweigh them.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

Roy’s Extra-Quality Spices --the secret to finger-licking good cooking TAKING the advice of a good friend to go into agro-processing was one of the best decisions Roy Singh ever made some 20 years ago. And now, he is reaping the benefits of doing so.

Today, Roy Singh, who hails from Suddie, is an established entrepreneur on the Essequibo Coast and his culinary seasonings and spices are the most sought after.

Roy’s son, who is also his business partner, sat down with the Guyana Chronicle at the last night of the recently held inaugural Essequibo Agro and Trade Fair and explained how his father went from being a simple trader of raw ingredients to Suriname in 1996 to one of the most prominent agro-processors and owner of the small company, Roy’s Extra Quality and Spices.

Roy Singh sold the raw geerah, masala, cinnamon and black pepper, but one day his friend, who was returning to the United States, asked him to grind and package the ingredients. Agreeing to do so was the turning point for his business.

“When the guy came back, he said, ‘You know what! This thing, people like it!’ And they started complimenting him. And the guy told him that he can start grinding and selling it,” Gobinda Singh said.

It was in 1997 that Roy put his first stock of pro-

cessed geerah and masala on the Suddie Market. The response was overwhelming.

“He started right in the Suddie Market; and the people started buying,” son, Gobinda said, adding: “It was now in demand; everybody wanted it. Friend tell neighbour, and neighbour tell friend; and that is how it got big.”

MEETING THE DEMAND To meet the demands of the people, Roy mastered the art of sealing the plastic packages with hot candle.

And though it was a tedious task, it had to be done. The labelling was handwritten on typwriting paper and placed into the packages. The look, however, did not sit well with Roy, or Gobinda, who was by this time grown enough to have a say in the business.

Being cognisant of the fact that the product has to appeal to the eyes, the pair decided to improve on the packaging after being rejected by the supermarkets.

“Because of how big this thing actually is in Essequibo, I want the Demerara people and the Berbice people to actually enjoy it,” Gobinda said.

“But when I go to certain supermarkets and stuff, they actually rejected it, because of the label. And so I said, ‘You know what? I am going to prove to you guys that we have good stuff,’ because

people don’t wanna eat the packaging; they want to get the quality!”

Noting that today, Roy’s is the preferred brand on the entire Essequibo Coast, Gobinda said this is mainly because the spices they use are all 100% natural, as in no additives and no preservatives.

Currently, there are over 43 packaged spices and seasonings produced by Roy’s Extra Quality Spices. “When we started,” Goninda said, “was just the ground geerah

Savouring the moment after the victory (Photo by Shirley Thomas)

ticipants as young as five years old.

Photo shows winners

THE FACTORY The little factory at Adventure has in its employ six Essequibians, and is equipped with its very own mill, sealing machine, storage room and other facilities.

age not only Essequibians but all Guyanese to support local businesses such as Roy’s Extra Quality Spices.

“I think that Guyanese should support local businesses, because, when they support us, we in turn support them; we actually go back to the local producers of turmeric and ginger; the people who make the packaging also get money; the chain of spending,” he said, adding: “That is how the economy will be boosted; once you support local, we don’t need to import stuff from other countries.”

Some of the 43 newly packaged spices produced by Roy’s Extra Spices on exhibition at the Fair

‘Twas fun galore --at Lamaha Springs Easter Fun Day IT WAS fun galore Monday for dozens of Lamaha Springs children who converged on the community’s playfield for their annual Easter Fun Day. With their parents on hand to watch over them, the jubilant band of children spent the afternoon enthusiastically engaged in kite-flying and a host of other fun activities such as races and other games.

But the highlight of the afternoon’s programme was the awarding of trophies and medals as incentives for good performance and team-spirit to par-

and the masala, but now we have stuff ranging from all-purpose, chicken, cookup, fry-rice, meat and fish, ginger, black pepper, jerk seasoning, achar, masala, turmeric, ground glove and cinnamon, just to name a few.”

The packaging was again modified and improved to meet international standards so as to be accepted in supermarkets countrywide.

This new packaging was launched at the exposition, and Gobinda said that surprisingly, it is less expensive to do than the older one.

On an even more positive note, the company will soon be collaborating with the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) to have their products stocked at the Guyana Shop in Georgetown.

Gobinda Singh, who is proud of his entrepreneurial skills, would like to encour-

of trophies and medals in the various competitions.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday April 20, 2017

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday April 20, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday April 20, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

Motorcade for returning ...

Street, north into Oronoque Street, west into South Road, north on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive for their first stop at the Ministry of the Presidency.

Following the courtesy call, the motorcade will proceed down several Georgetown streets, including Regent Street, and Avenue of the Republic, before ending at Olympic House on High Street, where there will be a media briefing.

Later Friday evening, the athletes will be guests of honour at the National Sports Commission Sports Award Ceremony scheduled to be held in the Savannah Suite of the Guyana Pegasus Hotel.

The all-embracing welcome home for the athletes come on the heels of Guyana finishing fifth overall, of the 28 nations that participated in the Games. Guyana

claimed eight medals, including four gold.

The highlight for the team was Linden’s Compton Caesar’s historic win in the Boys’ Under-20 100m dash, a title once held by the world great Usain Bolt. It was the first time in the history of the CARIFTA Games, which started in 1972, that a Guyanese has won the male 100m; an event usually dominated by

From back page the Jamaicans.

Caesar also took the bronze in the 200m.

The other gold medallists were fellow Lindener Chantoba Bright, overseas-based athlete Natricia Hooper, and distance runner Claudrice McKoy. McKoy also has a bronze medal from the Girls’ Under-18 1500m. There was, too, a silver medal for Anfernee Headecker.

Jason ‘The Prison Pride’ Barker – fighting for a second chance

By Rawle Toney JASON Barker is an inmate of the Camp Street Prison incarcerated for the past nine of his 20 years sentence, but now, a nominee for National Sports Commission (NSC) Sportsman-of-the-Year award, he’s seeking a second chance to make a first impression.

In 2008, Magistrate Chandra Sohan sentenced Barker and three others to a total of 30 years imprisonment for three counts of robbery under arms, three counts of attempted murder and possession of a firearm.

Barker was 20 years old at the time when he admitted to the offences and pleaded with the magistrate at the Albion Magistrate’s Court to be lenient.

Barker, a former soldier, told the magistrate that he had been charged in the past with stealing an AK-47 from the army.

It was while incarcerated Barker picked up the sport of boxing, and why not? After all the now Caribbean heavyweight and superheavyweight champion said that every day, behind bars, it was a fight for survival.

“I came up in a single home, single parent. She alone working, then I wanted to help, went

to drugs, started selling drugs, then the guns and because of the money and the situation home whereby we had nobody to give us anything and she was struggling.

No work, and we still had to eat. So I turned to a life of crime - drugs, robbery and now I’m in prison,” Barker said in an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport at the penal facility.

Barker claimed both the Heavyweight and Superheavyweight titles when he participated in the Caribbean Championships in Barbados last year; something he said was far from his thinking, especially since he’s an inmate.

Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) president Steve Ninvalle stated that Barker was nominated without hesitation given the fact “he has done, himself, the Guyana Prison Service and Guyana very proud. I am not certain but this may be the first time that we have actually had an inmate of the prison being nominated for such a prestigious award”.

“I never thought that one day I would be champion in anything, honestly, when I came here (Camp Street Prison), I thought life was over for me and

I was just going to spend my time, survive however it is and just come out,” a sad Barker said.

H o w e v e r, h e a d d e d , “When I came into the prison, the Prison Officer, Mr Graham, said I have good size to box and he introduced me to the gym. Eventually I get to like the sport and I just did my thing after then.

“It’s about making up your mind to succeed and deal with the circumstances, be disciplined towards the sport and find yourself feeling like you have nothing to lose.”

Known as the ‘The Prison Pride’, a name given to him by fellow inmates and guards, Barker, sorrowfully told Chronicle Sport, “Yea, I regret what happened, every day I regret what happened but I tell myself I’m changed now, so when I get back out there I wouldn’t be the same person.

“From the time I’m in prison, I find myself being disciplined, getting to know life, getting to have faith, getting to believe in myself, because once you believe in yourself, you could make something out of life.”

He added, “I never thought that I would’ve been nominated for anything and the guys in here they look out for me

and encourage me to focus on boxing. I want to be a world champion. This (boxing) is my life now and I hope people can now see me as a boxer and not a criminal.”

Barker believes his life is much like Bernard Hopkins, the former Middleweight world champion, who at 17 years old, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for nine felonies, but also discovered his passion for boxing behind bars. In 1988, after serving five years of his sentence, upon release Hopkins turned pro and, the rest as they say, ‘is history’.

“I’m a changed man, I’m not the same person that walked into this jail. Boxing saved me and I want to repay the people who believed in me to give me this chance to show the world my talent, especially my coach and president (Steve) Ninvalle,” Barker said.

Barker will be up against Olympian Troy Doris, Guyana cricket captain Leon Johnson and motor racing champion Kristian Jeffrey, but the Camp Street inmate believes “even if I don’t win, to my fellow inmate, I’m already a champion, their champion. It would be great if I win yes, but if I don’t, the guys will be proud of me same way.”

British teenager has legs amputated after Formula Four crash (REUTERS) - British Formula Four driver Billy Monger has had his lower legs amputated after a horrific crash at the Donington Park circuit on Sunday, series organisers said yesterday.

The 17-year-old, who smashed at speed into the back of another car that had halted on the

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track, was trapped in the wreckage for more than 90 minutes before being extricated and flown to hospital.

“Due to the injuries sustained and despite every effort, Billy has sadly had both lower legs amputated,” the FIA-sanctioned junior series, the first step on 09:25 hrs Salateen 10:00 hrs Brando 10:35 hrs War Decree 11:10 hrs Manaahil 11:45 hrs Daawy 12:20 hrs Mystique Moon Cheltenham 09:05 hrs Dusky Legend 09:40 hrs Antartica De Thaix 10:15 hrs Snow Leopardess 10:50 hrs Upswing 11:20 hrs Mr Clarkson 11:55 hrs Boa Island 12:30 hrs Melangerie

the single-seater ladder after karting, said in a statement.

“He has been kept in an induced coma while undergoing surgery, from which he is expected to be woken in the next few days.”

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medical treatment and recovery, with Formula One drivers joining the motorsport community in expressing support on Twitter.

“Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family,” said Mercedes’ triple world champion Lewis Hamilton.

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26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

Champions League

Steely Juventus shut down Barca to kill off comeback hopes

By Richard Martin

BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Barcelona’s hopes of staging another sensational Champions League comeback fell flat against a hardened Juventus side, who held the Catalans to a 0-0 draw yesterday at the Nou Camp to reach the semi-finals 3-0 on aggregate.

The Italian champions barely gave Barca a glimmer of hope of repeating their historic turnaround against Paris St Germain in the last 16 and protected their healthy advantage from the first leg by starving the hosts of space and clear

sights of goal.

Lionel Messi came closest to giving Barca a route back into the contest with four strikes at goal but failed to hit the target with any of them and frequently came up short against Juve’s intimidating centre-back pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.

Twice European champions Juve lacked the spark and power of their thrilling first-leg victory in Turin, but there was rarely any doubt they would exact revenge for their defeat to Barca in the 2015 Champions League final by reaching the semis for a 12th time.

Barca coach Luis Enrique had said before the game that if Barca managed to strike early then the noise of the Nou Camp would suck the other goals in.

Juventus, however, showed in the opening stages that they are made of sterner stuff than PSG, who gave up a 4-0 first-leg advantage.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side pressed Barca in their own half and limited the supply to the front three.

Messi almost managed to pick out Jordi Alba with a hooked pass and later played a one-two with the Spaniard before dragging narrowly wide of the far post.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi looks dejected.

(Reuters/Albert Gea Livepic) Ivan Rakitic and Neymar also missed the target with hopeful efforts but Juventus’ aggressive gameplan limited how much attacking Barca could do without leaving themselves

Tennis superstar Serena Williams pregnancy confirmed

WORLD number two Serena Williams is pregnant and due in the autumn, her representative has confirmed.

The 35-year-old earlier posted a picture of herself on Snapchat posing in a mirror with the message: “20 weeks” before deleting the post.

The American, who won an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam in Australia in January, will miss the rest of the season.

This includes three Grand Slams - the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

Williams, who will return to world number one next week, would be eligible to retain her ranking under the WTA special

Serena Williams beats her sister Venus in the final to win the Australian Open in January. ranking rule if she is ready to play her first tournament within 12 months of giving birth.

US Open Tennis re-

sponded to Williams’ message by saying: “Serena Williams will have a new pride and joy to hug and call her own soon! Congratula-

tions on the exciting baby announcement!”

Would it be a 24th Grand Slam in France 2018?

exposed.

Gonzalo Higuain cracked a shot over the bar before the break while the probing Juan Cuadrado almost picked out the Argentine striker in the middle, but was thwarted by

… will miss rest of the season “We are very unlikely to see Serena compete in another Grand Slam before the French Open of 2018.

That event will take place four months before her 37th birthday - but do not write off a woman who will return to world number one on Monday.

Victoria Azarenka is a useful guide. Even though she is eight years younger, Azarenka gave birth to her first child in December, returned to serious training in March and is targeting the WTA event in Stanford at the end of July for her return to the WTA Tour.

BEST FEMALE PLAYER OF THE OPEN ERA Williams, who is en-

gaged to the co-founder of community news and chat site Reddit, Alexis Ohanian, is top of the alltime list of major winners since Grand Slams accepted professional players in 1968.

Serena Williams beat her sister Venus in the final to win the Australian Open in January She is second only to Australian Margaret Court on the list of women’s alltime Grand Slam singles titles leaders.

She is also a five-time Tour finals winner, the last of which came in 2014, and was recently picked as the greatest female tennis player of the Open era by BBC Sport users. (BBC Sport)

Keshav Maharaj called up to South Africa’s ODI squad.

preparations with two 50-over tour matches against Sussex and Northamptonshire.

Squad: AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir.

Spinner Maharaj gets first ODI call up

(REUTERS)-Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj got a first-ever One Day International call-up when he was named on Wednesday to South Africa’s 15man squad for three matches against England next month, followed by the Champions Trophy.

Maharaj, who helped South Africa to Test success in New Zealand last month, bolsters the spin options alongside Imran Tahir for the ODIs against England. Their first group match of the Champions Trophy will come on June 3 against Sri Lanka at the Oval.

Cricket South Af-

rica convener Linda Zondi said the selectors have picked a strong squad that covered all the combinations and conditions on offer for the eighth edition of the eight-team event.

“We have been working with this group of players for the last two seasons where our key

emphasis has been consistency in selection,” he said in media statement.

“That has shown in how this group has performed over the last while, which has resulted in winning three consecutive ODI series.”

The squad will leave for England on May 16 and will begin their

a brilliant block from Gerard Pique.

Barca increased their grip on possession after the break and spent most of the remainder of the game in their opponents’ half trying to carve out chances, but Juve were always ready for them.

Messi whipped a free kick onto the roof of the net and slammed another shot wide before spurning his best chance, a volley which fizzed over the bar.

Barca right back Sergi Roberto attempted a repeat of his heroic strike against PSG, but also missed the target, unable to prevent his side’s second successive elimination at the quarter-final stage, which will provoke much soul-searching at the fivetime European champions.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

ICC Champions Trophy

Former captains to make ICC TV debut … 34 cameras for each match; Player Tracking to be used

THE International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced a stellar lineup of commentators as well as detailed broadcast production plans, which for the first time in cricket will include Player Tracking for the ICC Champions Trophy, to be held in England and Wales from June 1 to 18.

Former captains Ricky Ponting of Australia, Brendon McCullum of New Zealand, Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and Graeme Smith of South Africa will be making their ICC TV debut.

Other big names who will commentate through the tournament include Sourav Ganguly, Shane Warne, Michael Slater, Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, Shaun Pollock, Sanjay Manjrekar, Ian Bishop, Ramiz Raja, Simon Doull and Athar Ali Khan.

RICKY PONTING: “As a player, I always looked forward to the Champions Trophy. Winning it on two occasions was a big thrill.

This year I’m really looking forward to it being staged in England and being a part of the commentary team.

“I’m expecting Australia and England to make the final with Pat Cummins and Jason Roy, two guys to stand

Ricky Ponting out across the two weeks. I can’t wait!”

BRENDON McCULLUM: “The ICC Champions Trophy is one event I look back on with many fond memories. Each team will be desperate to do well and put their stamp on the 50-over game.

“To now be in the commentary box for such a prestigious tournament is something I am really looking forward to. Working with names like Ponting, Ganguly and Smith is going to be great fun and hopefully we can give the viewers a unique insight on the action unfolding out in the middle.”

GRAEME SMITH: “I was very excited when I was asked to commentate at this year’s Champions Trophy and didn’t hesitate to accept. The Champions Trophy is a great tournament where every team has a chance to do well.

Linden Town Week STAG Bowl football

Double-header feature on tonight at MSC ground THE second of four nights of this year’s Linden STAG Bowl Inter-Ward football championship is set for tonight with a big clash between Christianburg and Silvercity Valley Alleys in the second game of a double-header. In the first game Amelia’s Ward will challenge Silvertown/Canvas City/West Watooka at 18:30hrs.

At stake in this year’s tournament is $1.2M for which $200 000 will go to a community project in the area the team is representing.

Former national player Rickland ‘Tallo’ Hutson, now residing in the United States, is the main person behind this tournament for which the second-place team will receive $500 000, third-place $300 000 and fourth-place $150 000.

The main sponsors are Ansa McAl Trading through its STAG Beer brand, Eagles United Football Club, Babaloo Car Rental, Trophy Stall, Alex Bunbury, Bella’s Lumber yard, Premier Sportz Fashion and Star Party Rentals.

The big clash at 20:30hrs brings together Christianburg with national player Clive DeNobrega, Seon Barrett, Kwesi Quintin, Yannick Simon and Kellon Primo while the Silvercity Valley Alleys have among their crop of players Benny Neblett, Jashawn Freeman and Colwyn David.

The first game should be very interesting also with the Amelia’s Ward facing Silvertown/Canvas City/West Watooka.

Graeme Smith

Brendon McCullum “I am sure there will be a few surprises and many memorable performances, so there’s a lot to look forward to!”

KUMAR SANGAKKARA: “The Champions Trophy is a special tournament which I loved playing in and am honoured to have enjoyed success in. Now, as a commentator, I am very much looking forward to being part of the tournament and watching the best players in the world go head-to-head.

Most of the teams have a chance of lifting the trophy so it promises to be a fascinating three weeks of action.”

ICC TV will produce live coverage of all 15 matches, supported by production partner Sunset+Vine and equipment partner NEP Broadcast Solutions.

The eight-team tourna-

Kumar Sangakkara

ment, which kicks off with hosts England playing Bangladesh at The Oval on June 1, will see a state-of-the-art coverage which will include 34 cameras at every game, including eight ultra-motion Hawk-Eye cameras, front and reverse view stump cameras and a Spidercam.

In what is a first for cricket coverage, six Player Tracking cameras will be used in each match while the final at The Oval on June 18 will have additional pictures provided by a drone camera to supplement the broadcast coverage.

Among other enhancements for the live coverage

will be an Analysis Zone that will add depth to the coverage, bringing out details and nuances for the benefit of the audience. Regular broadcast tools such as the Hawk-Eye will be supplemented by an in-depth cricket data analytics system to be provided by analytics app Cricviz and a player tracking and real-time data visualisation system made available by leading graphics company Chyron Hego.

Aarti Dabas, Head of Media Rights, Broadcast and Digital: “The ICC is committed to providing a world-class broadcast that is credible, informative, engaging and attracts a global audience. Our team of 15 Champion Commentators will help tell the story and build heroes, connecting with the fans using relevant insights and broadcast innovations.”

Scores and statistics, which are an important element of any cricket coverage, will be provided by sports

graphics specialists Alston Elliott in a fresh new style and feel designed by creative design agency DixonBaxi.

The coverage provided

by ICC TV to broadcasters will commence 30 minutes before the start of play of each match and will include the live toss, the pitch report, player profiles and features looking ahead to the game.

Programming will be produced for the innings break to ensure continuous and engrossing content that will keep the viewers hooked. Reviews of the first half of games and a preview of run chases will be interwoven with a segment dedicated to the history and stars of the ICC Champions Trophy. Match telecasts will culminate with a crisp postmatch show.

ICC TV has also made arrangements to produce engaging and informative additional content,, to be distributed to its broadcast partners and other media rights partners via the ICC TV Content Delivery Service.

This content will include daily player profiles, team features, match previews and other behind-the-scenes content, getting fans up close and personal with all the action around the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.

EBFA hosts Coaches Awareness Workshop … New club Diamond Upsetters gets support

EBFA Technical Adviser Winston Benons hands over one of the balls to a female member of the Diamond Upsetters FC, as the other members display the FIFA branded bibs and tee-shirts.

TECHNICAL Adviser to the at reaffirming a number of tached to the various clubs and Parents Relationship and East Bank Football Associa- important components of the in the association.”

Child Abuse Awareness . tion (EBFA) Mr Winston Be- sport that must be upheld and Among the areas Benons Meanwhile, Diamond nons recently held a Coaches improved upon by the coaches. dealt with were: Change in Upsetters, a new club that Awareness session with the “This is one of my regu- Culture where he reminded the has been formed in the Dichief tacticians attached to lar sessions with the coaches coaches that they are required amond Community was clubs affiliated to the asso- as I seek to ensure that they to spearhead the change; Re- presented with balls, FIFA ciation. are on top of their game at spect for the game, players, branded bibs, tee-shirts, Held at the Diamond Com- all times, as they work to- parents, community and self; boots and cones, complimunity Centre, Benons said wards improving the overall Players Safety; Players Rights; ments of the EBFA and Bethat the session was aimed abilities of the players at- Coaches Behaviour; Coaches nons.

28

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

Hetmyer says tour match against Pakistan was a learning experience KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – West Indies’ latest batting recruit, Shimron Hetmyer, has hailed his out-

ing in the three-day tour game against Pakistan as a learning experience and an important boost to his

career.

The 20-year-old struck 97 in the contest at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium in Tre-

lawny last weekend, a knock that helped him force his way into the 13-man squad for the opening Test bowling off here tomorrow.

“I’ve learnt that going through my innings I should take it a ball at a time and a session at a time as well,” the Guyana Jaguars left-hander said. “(I need to also) just keep my eyes on the ball as much as possible and try and communicate as much as possible with my partner to see what’s going on. Just waiting and being more selective (is also important).”

Hetmyer has been on the selectors’ radar ever since he captained West Indies Under-19s to their triumph at last year’s Youth World Cup in Bangladesh.

He further impressed in the Regional four-day championship by gathering nearly 500 runs and was rewarded with a call-up to the WICB President’s XI side to face the Pakistanis.

Hetmyer said such tour games against international opposition were crucial for young players in the region.

“I think it is very important. (It tells us) where we are in our cricket and where we should improve and where we can improve,” he pointed out.

“If this should continue and we get more youngsters in the system, they would under-

Shimron Hetmyer

stand where they are and know how to build later.”

A naturally aggressive player at the top of the order, Hetmyer struck 11 fours and two sixes in a breezy 115-ball innings against a Pakistan attack that included the likes of leg-spinner Yasir Shah and pacer Mohammad Amir.

He said the knock had been important since he failed to get a significant score in his previous first class outing.

“I just played to my strengths; that was mainly it. I

just chose the balls that I could put away and I think I did that well,” he explained.

“The ball that I got out with I don’t think I could’ve really done that much but then again, that’s how cricket goes sometimes.”

He added: “It (innings) boosted me a lot because coming off the last first class game I played in Barbados I didn’t really get much so I was hoping to get some in this game and I think that came off.”

No medals for Guyana at CARIFTA Swimming Championships

GUYANA’S Leon Seaton managed to improve his timings in several of his events. However, it was another medal-less year for Guyana at the CARIFTA Swimming Championships which concluded yesterday at the Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Centre in Nassau, Bahamas. Guyana’s other participant was Lian Winter.

Lian Winter

Leon Seaton However, in the oneday CARIFTA Open Water Championships, which also went off yesterday, Guyana had swimmers Daniel Scott and Alex Winter in the Boys’ 16-18 category.

Results for the Open Water Swim were not available up to yesterday afternoon.

Swimming in the Boys’ 11-12, Seaton pushed himself to improve his seed times in the 100m and 200m freestyle. Coming off an entry time of 2:21.30s Seaton finished the distance in 2:17.09s, though

he finished 7th in his heats.

In the final of the same event, he had 2:17.49s but placed eighth. Seaton was also in the final of the 100m, as well as the 50m freestyle.

He took a second off his 100m freestyle, after clocking 1:00.39s, finishing third in the heats. But in the final a time of 1:01.58s saw him end up fifth in that race.

Seaton was also in the 50m butterfly (30.28s), where he finished in ninth position.

Winter was in six events for which she moved into the final of only one of them. She contested the final of the 50m butterfly ending with a time of 32.79 seconds, taking eighth place. She did not place in the top ten of any of her other races.

She also competed in the 50m backstroke (35.91s), 100m backstroke (1:22.57s), 200m backstroke (2:57.22s), 100m butterfly (1:16.67s) and 200m butterfly (3:00.98s).

29

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

Doris starts off season at #22 in world ranking

GUYANESE Olympian Troy Doris started off his season at No. 22 in the world in the Men’s triple jump, after he leaped 16.39m at the Mount Sac Relays last weekend in California.

The national record-holder placed second behind USA TF’s Donald Scott who covered 17.01m for the win.

The performance marked a late start to the 28-year-old’s season, after he skipped out on the indoor events.

“I took this indoor sea-

Guyana’s Troy Doris

son off to take a break really. I wanted to work on technique and work on my endurance and strength; plus there weren’t many triple jump meets during the indoor circuit,” the Sportsman-of-the-Year nominee said.

“Those are things you can always improve on and it’s those fine details that separate jumpers. The more consistency you have in your technique, you’ll have a better execution on each of your jumps. It’s important to have

endurance because this allows you to maintain your stamina throughout the 6 rounds of the triple jumps.”

Doris’ next stop is the Drake Relays in Iowa, set for next week, while also on the cards are two Diamond League meets, next month: one in Doha, Qatar, and another in Eugene, Oregon.

The meets are all a part of the Olympics finalists’ journey to meeting, or surpassing the 16.80m IAAF World Championships qualifying standard.

“My plans for this year are pretty straightforward.

I want to have a better season than I had last season. My goal is to make the World Championship finals in London,” Doris explained.

Eight athletes have already made the mark for the event, with Cuba’s Andy Diaz leading the list with 17.40m.

Last year’s Olympics gold medallist Christian Taylor is not too far behind, sitting in third, after the 17.26m he cleared earlier this month.

Doris, who has a personal best of 17.18 in the event, is shaking up his training regimen somewhat as he aspires to push himself even further this season.

“Not that last season was bad, but I just set a new standard for myself. I’ve taken a lot of time to reflect on last season and listed the elements of my training I’ve wanted to improve. Things I would typically focus on for a few weeks, I would focus on for a month (this season),” he explained.

C. Mohan Contracting Guyana Inc. on board with Boyce/Jefford Relay Festival AS sponsorship continues to pour in for the upcoming Boyce and Jefford Relay Festival and Family Fun Day, C. Mohan Contracting Guyana Inc. has entered a long-term agreement to sponsor the Women’s 4x100m race of the April 30 event.

The company on Tuesday handed over the sponsorship package, and pledged their annual support, at a simple presentation ceremony.

“The group is of the view that the event is a refreshing activity for sports in Guyana, and as such, it will partner with the hosts to offer continued annual support,” a press release from the organisers said.

Chairman of the Management Committee for the Boyce and Jefford Relay Festival, Colin Boyce, thanked the entity for its contribution, indicating that it augurs well for the longevity of the event when a company decides to offer long-term sponsorship.

This year marks the second edition of the Relay Festival, which began last year. Over $1M in cash will be up for grabs at this year’s hosting, which will feature the addition of two new relays and two cycle races, as well as an increase in the cash prizes.

The relays this year include the 4x100 (Male and Female); 4x400 (Male and

Office Manager, Bevaughn Ferrier (left) of C. Mohan Contracting Guyana Inc., hands over the sponsorship to chairman of Boyce and Jefford committee, Colin Boyce, as proprietors Carl Methuram (foreground, left) and Vishal Mohan look on

Jadunauth re-elected chairman of Enmore CCCC RIDING on its successes over the past three years, the Enmore Community Centre Cricket Club (ECCCC) membership recently re-elected most of the outgoing executives to continue to manage the affairs of the club for 2017.

Taajnauth Jadunauth was unanimously re-elected as the chairman with similar confidence expressed in Bheemraj Ramkelawan as secretary and Club captain Tahal Ganesh as treasurer, with Ramdeo Ramkissoon and chaitram Ramlall as committee members.

The new faces on the executive body are Suresh Jainarine - assistant secretary/assistant treasurer, Rudolph Singh vice-captain, and Gavin Moriah committee member.

Jadunauth thanked the members for their confidence in retaining the majority of the executives from 2016, and called upon the membership to re-commit to the club’s mission.

Club secretary/captain

Ramkelawan, highlighted some of the plans for the club during this year. They included a high-grade cricket pitch cover, village outreach for expansion of membership, cricket tour to Trinidad and Tobago, inter-block cricket competition and the club’s

The ECCCC executive anniversary cricket tournament.

He also urged members to be active in the club’s fundraising activities in order to realise this year’s programme.

Meanwhile, the club commenced the 2017 cricket programme with consecu-

tive victories over D’Edward Village, East Coast Under-19 and Strathavon SC. The ECCCC’s anniversary T20 cricket and Inter-block softball competitions are also scheduled for April 30 and May 1 respectively.

Female); 4x200m Mixed Relay; 4x400m Mixed Relay; Sprint Medley Females (100m,100m, 200m, 400m); Sprint Medley Males (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m); Distance Medley Females (2400m) (400m, 600m, 600m, 800m) and the Distance Medley Males (2800m) (400m, 600m, 600m, 1200m).

Cash Prizes of $25 000; $15 000 and $10 000 will be awarded to teams finishing first to third, respectively, in each event for total prize money of $500 000 to be handed out in 10 races.

In addition, the event this year will include football, softball cricket, and dominoes competitions.

Williamson, Dhawan overwhelm Daredevils

KANE Williamson, playing his first match of the season, made an imperious 89 off 51 balls and propelled Sunrisers Hyderabad to their fourth win in four home matches.

Williamson was named New Zealand’s T20 international player-of-the-year last month and yet he could not break into Sunrisers’ XI until their sixth game. This was probably because his record in the IPL doesn’t match up to his usual standards.

Before yesterday, Williamson had only one six in eight IPL innings. Yesterday, he hit five times as many on a used pitch to lead Sunrisers to 191 for 4.

Delhi Daredevils put up a good fight to reach 176 for 5, led

by Shreyas Iyer’s riveting 50 off 31 balls with five fours and two sixes.

But even he could do little against an equation that eventually read 24 off the last over.

Siddharth Kaul was asked to finish the match off but he was smacked for six second ball.

The seamer recovered by bowling two dots and getting rid of Angelo Mathews to secure a

Kane Williamson 15-run win.

On a track where some balls stopped on the batsmen while others skidded on, run-scoring was not easy. David Warner was dismissed for his first single-digit score in 19 T20 innings, as a bouncer from Chris Morris came on slower than he expected.

Jayant Yadav’s accurate non-turning off-breaks gave Sunrisers no breathing space at the other end.

They managed only 39 for 1 in the first six overs. (ESPN Cricinfo)

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

GCF shares developmental plans with Minister Henry during courtesy call THE Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) hopes to establish a chess and scholastic centre as well as to implement programmes to increase female participation in the game. They shared these plans and more with the Minister of Sport Nicolette Henry, when they paid her a courtesy call last Tuesday.

Representing the GCF were the president, Attorney at Law James Bond along with businessman Frankie Farley; Vice-president of Development, Attorney-at-Law Yolander Persaud; Vice-president of Sponsorship and Finance, and committee member

Anthony Drayton.

Top of the executives’ plans that they shared was their hopes of seeing the game more integrated in schools. For the Chess and Scholastic Centre, the GCF hopes to name this facility after former national and Caribbean chess champion Maurice Broomes.

N a t u r a l l y, H e n r y pledged her full support for the work of the Federation, noting that her Ministry has an open door for the GCF and any other sport discipline.

She took particular interest on the Federation’s plans to focus on increasing female participation

Ex-NFL star Hernandez hangs self in prison; family seeks probe

Former NFL player Aaron Hernandez during his murder trial in Fall River, Massachusetts, March 2015.

(REUTERS/Dominick Reuter) (REUTERS) - Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez hanged himself yesterday in a prison cell where he was serving a life sentence for murder, prison officials said, and his family called for an immediate investigation into the circumstances.

The body of the 27-yearold former athlete was found hanging from a bed sheet at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts.

Hernandez was serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder of an acquaintance

but on Friday had been found not guilty of killing two other people.

State police were investigating the circumstances of the death of the former rising star in the National Football League, and a coroner was performing an autopsy yesterday.

There were no conversations or correspondence from Aaron to his family or legal team that would have indicated anything like this was possible,” said lawyer Jose Baez, who successfully defended Hernandez in the double-murder trial.

by hosting women’s tournaments and whipping up the interest of young girls across Guyana.

Henry vowed her support to assist the Federation in acquiring a home for its activities and also making provision for other board games such as scrabble to have a permanent and conducive space.

Expressing her vision for the modern and well-equipped facility, Minister Henry indicated that her ministry is in the process of building capacity amongst her staff to better manage such facilities. This will guarantee optimum involvement and use of such facilities.

Tuesday’s courtesy call, from left: businessman Frankie Farley, vice-president of development Attorney-at-Law Yolander Persaud, Minister of Sport Nicolette Henry, vice-president of sponsorship and finance, committee member Anthony Drayton and GCF president James Bond.

Gayle: The Universe Boss is still here and alive RECORD-BREAKING batsman Chris Gayle said he is not finished yet after making history in a superb knock for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Chris Gayle declared, “The Universe Boss is still here and still alive” after becoming the first player to score 10 000 Twenty20 runs on Tuesday.

The powerful West Indies opening batsman reached the landmark during a brutal innings of 77 from only 38 balls in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Indian Premier League victory over Gujarat Lions.

Gayle was dropped for RCB’s defeat to Rising Pune Supergiants after failing to make a half-century in three IPL knocks, but responded in style in Rajkot.

The 37-year-old hit back at his critics following his latest onslaught.

“Samuel Badree reminded me before the game (about being on the verge of 10 000 T20 runs) and said, ‘Chris only three more runs to go, make sure

Chris Gayle you get them’, so it was actually playing on my mind a bit.” said Gayle.

“Once I crossed the line, I said: ‘Listen it’s time to have a go and then it eventually paid off; so I am really happy to get the runs.

“People are still looking out for Chris Gayle.

The Universe Boss is still here and still alive. It was great fun. You know it’s good to be back. I wanted this so badly, but first of all to get 10 000 runs, it was actually on my mind, so I’m glad to get that sort of achievement.

“It’s a privilege to actually be the first person to get there. Hopefully I

can continue entertaining the fans.

“I just want to thank the fans and all the franchises where I have actually played around the world, even playing for West Indies as well. At the end of the day, they have actually played a part in this 10 000 runs as well.

“So, I want to thank all the franchises. It has been fantastic and I still have a lot more to offer the fans. Hopefully, I can keep entertaining and get a few more thousand runs under my belt.”

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday April 20, 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) Kensington Oval, Barbados, 1958 (2) Gerry Alexander & Abdul Kardar Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI registered the first Test hundred against Pakistan?

(2) Which Pakistani scored the first Test century

against the WI? ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

31

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017

Drubahadur resigns as GCB president citing personal reasons … says no internal wrangling

By Rajiv Bisnauth PRESIDENT of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Drubahadur yesterday confirmed his resignation from the post because of personal reasons.

The businessman who took over the board’s top post in 2013 dismissed public perception that internal wrangling has led to his decision.

“There was no issue.

I have no issues with the Board. The Board is still close to my heart. Anytime they need me whether personally or my expertise I will definitely be there,” he said.

Drubahdur has confirmed his resignation from the GCB.

He added, “It was quite simple. My current job, and more recently I’ve acquired a new business venture, which I figure would need my input more than ever. It’s a new business, so one has to look at priority. For me, the Guyana Cricket Board is much bigger than I am.

“The fact is, I would not be able, because of these ventures that I’m in now, to give that time that I previously did give. I thought it is in the best interest of Guyana’s cricket that I hand over the baton to someone else,” Drubahadur said.

Speaking of his experi-

ence during the post, Drubahadur, who once served as the board’s assistant secretary, pointed out that dealing with the media generally was a whole new experience, but something he relished.

“Because for one, I had to learn to temper my own public image out there; I had to deal with adverse situations a lot, especially dealing with the media generally. It was a whole new experience from what I was accustomed to, so yes, it was a situation that I relished,” he pointed out.

Further the former president feels that the board is in a better shape now, despite

Four days to GBBC’s `Locked and Loaded’ fight card WITH four days before the Guyana Boxing Board of Control’s (GBBC) `Locked and Loaded’ fight card, local prizefighters are all eagerly awaiting the sound of the first bell to signal the start of the event and to showcase their talent and prove their point as to ‘who is better than who’.

The card, which will be staged at the Giftland Mall, Pattensen, East Coast Demerara, will be the GBBC’s first for the year and will be a test for the Board, whose president Peter Abdool said he wants to replace the `Friday Night Fights’ with once-monthly Sunday Night Fights.

The feature fight on the night’s card brings together Guyana’s Dexter `De Kid’ Marques (15-2-0) and Venezuela’s Luis Alberto Requena Zarraga in a 10-round flyweight contest and according to Abdool, this is a stepping stone for the Guyanese (Marques) as his manage-

Dexter `De Kid’ Marques to battle Venezuela’s Luis Alberto Requena Zarraga in a 10-round flyweight contest ment team is in the process of finalising a Commonwealth title fight which will be held here in Guyana.

The co-feature event is a six-round lightweight bout between Imran `The magic’ Khan and Keeve Allicock.

After a successful ca-

reer as an amateur boxer, Khan turned Pro in 2015 and immediately stamped his authority as he recorded a second-round knockout victory against Dennis Thomas. Unfortunately, he lost his next two professional fights against Quincy Gomes during the months of February and August 2016.

GCCB president Abdool, at the signing of contracts for the card a few weeks ago, had said Sunday’s card is a small card in terms of the number of bouts, but the quality of fights should and would be a booster to professional fights and will serve as motivator, that can see fight fans and enthusiasts come out in their numbers to support boxers of their liking and the sport in general.

Abdool had said when there is no professional boxing, the sport is stymied and it is the intention of the GBBC to give local prizefighters exposure to reach heights.

Marques, Abdool said, is

Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali a doubt for Sabina Park Test KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) – A groin injury has put Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali in doubt for the opening Test of the three-match series against West Indies bowling off here tomorrow.

The 23-year-old, who is yet to make his Test debut, picked up the injury during last weekend’s three-day four game against the WICB President’s XI and is yet to recover.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said the player would undergo rehabilitation in an attempt to return to full fitness quickly.

“Clinical assessment there is strain to one of his adductor muscles. He will undergo progressive rehabilitation to regain strength in the groin,” the PCB statement

Hasan Ali has taken 29 wickets in 16 ODIs. said.

“Currently, we are confident that he will recover in time to be able to play in the Test

series against West Indies. We will continue to review his situation as he progresses through rehabilitation stages and give an update later when we are satisfied with his successful recovery or progress.”

Ali was expected to be a shoo-in for the first Test after impressive performances in the preceding limited overs series.

He was especially outstanding in the opening one-dayer with a five-wicket haul.

The right-armer sent down 27 overs in the first innings of the tour game but did not bowl in the President’s XI second innings.

He has taken 29 wickets in 16 one-dayers and 10 wickets in seven Twenty20 Internationals.

a bit ring-rusty having been out of the ring since February 2016 and signing him for Sunday’s fight is one way of

the many challenges he had faced during his tenure.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Cricket Board in a statement on Wednesday thanked Drubahadur for his service to the game.

“The Guyana Cricket Board would like to thank its outgoing president Mr Drubahadur, who served the board for (4) four years as president. Mr Drubahadur tendered his resignation effective March 10, 2017, citing excessive business and familial commitment.

An accountant by profession, the outgoing president also served on the WICB

Finance Committee. In 2011, Mr Drubahadur joined the GCB as its assistant secretary and was elected in 2013 as the Board’s president during a turbulent period,” the statement reads.

The executives and staff thank Mr Drubahadur for his leadership during the difficult period and realise his worthwhile contributions to the current success of Guyana’s cricket on and off the field of play.

Mr Fizul Bacchus, current Vice-president of Administration will serve as the president until elections of the GCB are held.”

… Boxers anxiously awaiting first sound of bell getting rid of that rust and “moving him up the ladder”.

Sunday’s card will feature three professional fights,

three amateur contests and five mixed martial arts bouts that will feature Trinidad and Tobago martial artists.

British teenager has legs amputated after Formula Four crash See story on page 25

Motorcade for returning CARIFTA Games team … Courtesy call on President Granger

Director of Sport Christopher Jones (right), with the Guyana CARIFTA team just before they left for Curacao.

FOLLOWING an extensive motorcade beginning at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and continuing around the streets of Georgetown tomorrow, the returning Guyana team, that represented the country well at the XXXII CARIFTA Games, in Curacao, will pay a courtesy call on President David Granger at the Ministry of the Presidency.

The team of 12 athletes, two coaches and team manager Yvonne October are expected to touch down in Guyana on COPA Airlines at 14:00hrs, and will be received at the airport by a delegation that includes Director of Sport Christopher Jones, Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) president Aubrey Hutson, and other AAG executives.

The motorcade will depart the airport with Police escort at 14:45hrs, travelling north along the East Bank Demerara Highway, turning off east onto Mandela Avenue then west at Homestretch onto Croal

Turn to page 25

Tennis superstar Serena Williams pregnancy confirmed

Jason ‘The Prison Pride’ Barker strikes a pose for Chronicle Sport’s Rawle Toney at the Camp Street Prison.

… will miss rest of the season

See story on page 26

See story on page 25

Jason ‘The Prison Pride’ Barker – fighting for a second chance 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

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017