Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 24 06 2016

Too heavy No. 104592

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2016

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President says proposed parking fees too burdensome

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16 years jail

…for men who robbed, beat Judge, husband P.24

Way cleared for Linden TV …several members added to expanded Board of Trustees P.12

Jagdeo wants Granger to get tough on corruption 24 P.

Help & 16 Shelter in money crisis P.

Flood-affected residents of Region Five were given additional relief when two new pumps were installed to address flooding in the communities. Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, was on hand to witness the installation in affected areas such as Trafalgar, Number 28, Number 29 and Number 33 villages.

Minister Patterson explained that one of the primary objectives is to ensure better or continuous maintenance, “since the sluice and pump at Trafalgar which drained the area needed to be maintained better,” to remove excess water from the land. The minister noted that, “what I noticed is that there was a lot of water in the area. We have to do a few things better going forward.” In this GINA photo farmers are busy trying to install a tractor-driven pump

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$23B trade gap GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

Gov’t, private sector urged to expand trade with Brazil

By Derwayne Wills THROUGH an almost 15-year-old agreement with Brazil, Guyana purchased GYD$26.7B in products from the Portuguese industrialised nation from 2011 to June 2016, but sold only

GYD$3.2B in products to that country for the same period.

Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge presented himself before the National Assembly’s sectoral committee on Foreign Relations, where he updated the committee,

chaired by Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira on the status of the trade agreement between Guyana and its Portuguese-speaking neighbour.

Greenidge’s presentation focused on the notable imbalance between Guyana imports from and exports to

between his ministry and the private sector.

The foreign minister explained that the agreement, which facilitates involvement with Guyana’s private sector, allows for a relaxation of taxes on particular products moving between the two countries, so that those specially selected products can flow easily.

Products moving between the countries are classified in broad categories called Minister Carl Greenidge at yesterday’s committee meeting at the Public Buildings, Georgetown

Brazil, which show a difference of GYD$23.5B for the period 2011 to June 2016. As a means of closing this trade gap, Greenidge championed the need for increased trade promotion by his ministry as well as this country’s private sector. He similarly called for larger scale operations and greater collaboration

Foreign Relations Committee Chairperson, Gail Teixeira

“tariff lines,” Greenidge expounded. Products can be lumped under categories, called ‘tariff lines,’ as manufactured, agricultural products etc.

This agreement gives Guyana an advantage over its immediate neighbours who also compete for space on the Brazilian market.

As part of a quota system, which means Brazil will allow a specified quantity of products from Guyana and from other countries so as to ensure countries are given fair access to Brazil’s market, Guyana exports 10,000 tonnes of sugar; 10,000 tonnes of rice; and 100 tonnes of red peppers.

Greenidge said other than sugar, rice, and peppers, there are other agricultural products which can be exported to Brazil under the agreement, but the list of products must be drafted with inputs from Guyana’s Agriculture Ministry as well as from the private sector.

Speaking directly to why there is an imbalance of imports to exports, Greenidge explained that Brazil has some 830 tariff lines coming into Guyana, while Guyana has some 127 tariff lines going to Brazil.

“It is a reflection of Turn to page 8 ►

Too heavy GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

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President says proposed parking fees too burdensome

WITH an impending parking fee yet to be finalised by the Georgetown City Council, the proposed $500 per hour fee which was touted initially is too burdensome, President David Granger has said.

The President’s contention was expressed during Thursday’s recording of his weekly television show “The Public Interest.” Quizzed on whether he believes the touted fee is too burdensome, the President responded in the affirmative, stating that, “It is a burdensome amount for any person, rich or poor; it is high.”

Asked whether the government will intervene to

have this fee readjusted, should it be the approved fee, the President said that this is a decision for the municipalities. He went on to register his concern regarding this impending fee, noting that this was the reason he requested Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan to examine the contract for the project and the conditions under which the agreements were made. The contract for the implementation of the parking meters project was signed between the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and National Parking Systems (NPS)/Smart City Solutions.

City Mayor Patricia

Chase-Green had said that the Council is currently reviewing the rate to charge citizens despite the announcement of $500 per hour. Parking meters are to be installed on every street between South Road and Church Street, Water Street and Camp Street.

And while the Mayor is moving full force ahead with the project, Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan has publicly declared that the project is a shady one. He said the mere fact that the City Mayor has refused to reveal the details of the contract to city councillors and make the contract public, suggests that something sinister is taking place.

President Granger also weighed in on the controversy regarding the contract, noting that he is not privy to it, but that Government has asked to see it in an attempt to “protect the national interest” since there have been public outcry.

“Truly enough, the City Council itself as a corporate body has the authority to make decisions; that’s why we had local government elections. I am disappointed that there are members of the councils who feel that they have not been consulted.

The purpose of having democratic elections is to have democratically-run councils” the President said. He fur-

ther noted that as far as the government is concerned, it will insist for there to be greater transparency. “As far as we are concerned, we will insist for there to be greater transparency and we cannot overrule the council but we can ask for transparent procedures to prevail in the city council” he added.

The head-of-State is also slated to address the council next week, and according to him, his key message to that council will be to continue the work that they initiated, in terms of urban renewal.

“I recently engaged members of the diaspora in New York and they all told me that they are very

pleased with the cleanliness of Georgetown; clearing of canals, removals of solid waste, clearing of Stabroek square and D’Urban Park.

These are all aspects of urban renewal and I would urge City Hall next week to continue that” President Granger said. Additionally, he noted that he would also urge the council to minimize slums and squatters’ settlements. He reasoned that together with central Government, the City Council can embark on a programme of housing, which can help indigent families to move out of the blighted areas of the town and go into decent housing.

Rukatuks for NCC ‒ in aid of Henry Rodney medical fund

Colombian gov’t, FARC sign peace treaty

IN response to the recent announcement of beloved actor and comedian Henry Rodney’s sudden illness, local performers and beneficiaries have banded together to stage a Benefit Concert to raise funds for medical expenses needed for his treatment.

The concert, “RUKATUKS”, will be staged tomorrow at the National Cultural Centre at 20:00hrs, and will be directed by Ron Robinson.

The event will see performances by the “Nothing to Laugh About crew, The Reactors, Simone Dowding, Kirk “Chow Pow” Jardine, Leza “Radika” Singh, the National School of Dance, Mr Kwesi “Ace” Edmondson, Free Souls Dance Movement, Sheron Cadogan-Taylor, Leslyn Bobbsemple, Sean Bhola, the National Drama Company, and many other local talent.

According to a release, Henry Rodney “has been ailing for a while now, and has visited many local doctors.

And after a variety of examinations and tests, his health still seems to be deteriorating rapidly. “Consequently, arrangements are being made to fly him to Trinidad for urgent medical prognosis and treatment.”

Henry has been an entertainer for over 30 years locally and abroad, and

THE Colombian government and the Farc rebels have signed a historic ceasefire deal, bringing them closer to ending more than five decades of conflict.

The announcement is seen as one of the last steps before a full peace deal is signed, which is expected within weeks.

Colombia’s president and the Farc leader shook hands in celebration.

The longest-running insurgency in the Western Hemisphere left an estimated 220,000 people dead and almost seven million displaced.

The announcement in Havana caps formal peace talks that started three years ago in the Cuban capital.

But it does not mark the start of the ceasefire, which will only begin with the signing of a final accord.

Colombia’s President, Juan Manuel Santos, has previously said he hopes to sign that accord by the end of July.

“Let this be the last day of the war,” Farc leader Rodrigo Londono, known as Timochenko, said at the

is still very much a household name today.

He has brought many to stardom, and is very much loved for his kindness, humility and, of course, his many talents, which include singer, songwriter and poet.

Henry was also a teacher at St. Joseph High School, Apex Academy, St. Roses High School. He currently teaches at the Marian Academy, the release said.

Tickets for “RUKATUKS” cost $1500 and $1000, and are on sale at the National Cultural Centre.

announcement.

Both sides agreed to let the courts rule whether a popular vote can be held in Colombia to endorse the deal, which was a promise made by Mr Santos.

The president said at the ceremony that this was a “historic day”.

“We have reached the end of 50 years of death, attacks and pain,” he said.

“This is the end of the armed conflict with the Farc.”

The announcement of the Farc ceasefire dominated the headlines of the Online editions of the main Colombian newspapers and other media outlets.

Centre-left newspaper, El Espectador featured extensive coverage of the news of the agreement and a banner headline, which reads: “The guns went silent” along a striking image of two guerrilla fighters in action. It also covered the key points of the deal, as well as the history of the conflict.

Conservative newspaper, El Tiempo emphasised President Juan Manuel Santos’s statement that the final

agreement would be signed in Colombia, not Cuba.

Medellin-based newspaper, El Colombiano featured a commentary by former President Alvaro Uribe, who remains sceptical about the prospects for peace, saying, “The word peace is wounded.”

One of the main national radio networks, RCN ran a story, citing Farc leader Timochenko as saying: “We are going to do politics without arms.”

Both sides still need to establish how the peace deal, in its entirety, will be implemented, verified and approved.

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and leaders of Latin American countries also attended the ceremony.

The agreement was welcomed elsewhere, with the EU’s foreign representative, Federica Mogherini calling it “a turning point in the Colombian peace process”.

US Secretary of State, John Kerry said that “although hard work remains to be done, the finish line is approaching and nearer now than it has ever been.” (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

UK’s EU referendum...

Too close to call

THE UK’s EU referendum is proving too close to call, with Leave getting more

votes than expected in early results, but Remain starting to gain ground.

The North-East of England and Wales are backing Brexit, on a higher turnout

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than at the general election.

Scotland and Northern Ireland appear to have opted for Remain, but millions of votes are still to be counted in London and South-East of England.

The pound surged, as polls closed before falling dramatically.

Unlike at a general election, the results in individual areas do not count; it is the overall number of votes cast for one side or the other across the country that will determine the outcome.

Polling expert, Prof. John Curtice said at this very early stage, Leave looked favourite to win the referendum. He estimates that the finishing post for one side to win is 16,813,000 votes.

The pound surged against the dollar when polls closed at 22:00 BST, and opinion polls pointed towards a Remain win, but it fell dramatically when the first results were declared.

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Votes are being counted at each of the 382 local counting areas. These represent all 380 local government areas in England, Scotland and Wales, plus one each for Northern Ireland and Gibraltar.

Results from these areas will then be declared throughout the night, along with result totals from 11 nations and regions.

Jenny Watson, chief counting officer, will announce the referendum result at Manchester Town Hall after all 382 local totals have been certified and declared.

Gibraltar was the first to declare a result, with 96% of voters in the British overseas territory backing Remain.

A big Remain win had been predicted in Gibraltar, amid concerns about its border with Spain.

Leave won by 22% in Sunderland, but Remain edged it in neighbouring Newcastle, but by a tighter margin than expected, in two of the first results to declare.

According to Prof. Curtice, the Remain vote is about 10% short of what was expected in the North-East of England, and although Remain is ahead in Scotland, turnout is lower than in the rest of the UK. Wales appears to be leaning towards Brexit, with a

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vote of 54.9% for Leave after four voting areas had declared.

Northern Ireland, with five constituencies declared so far, is voting in favour of Remain.

There are no results so far from the Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, or London and South East of England, where voting was disrupted by flash flooding.

An Online survey taken on polling day of 5,000 people by YouGov suggests the Remain side running at 52% of the vote, to Leave’s 48%. Ipsos Mori have released polling from Thursday and Wednesday, suggesting Remain will get 54%, and Leave 46%.

UK Independence Party leader, Nigel Farage told the Press Association the Remain camp had won, based on “what I know from some of my friends in the financial markets who have done some big polling.”

In a speech to supporters in London, Mr Farage, whose political career has been built on campaigning to get the UK out of the EU, said his “sense” was that the UK had voted to Remain.

He told the cheering crowd he hoped he was wrong, but added: “Win or lose this battle, we will win this war; we will get this country back.” (BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

The story of India ‒ as told by a humble street snack

By Justin Rowlatt YOU may think of the samosa as a humble street snack, but it is much, much more than that.

It is an historic artefact, as well as delectable evidence that there is nothing new about the process of globalisation.

Bite into a samosa, and the notion that identity is defined by the boundaries of a nation state should shatter like the deep-fried crust.

These days, it is considered a quintessentially Indian delicacy, but its history is far more complex and cosmopolitan than that.

Savour the sensation as your teeth sink into the soft, yielding centre. Let the flavours flow into your mouth.

What you are tasting is the story of India itself, the product of the fluid forces of the great migrations and interactions that shaped this country.

The samosa’s origins actually lie thousands of miles away in the ancient empires that rose up in the Iranian plateau at the dawn of civilization itself.

We don’t know for certain when the first cooks shaped pastry into the now-familiar triangular shape, but we do know that the origins of the name are Persian: “Sanbosag”.

The samosa is first mentioned in literature by the Persian historian, Abul-Fazl Beyhaqi, writing in the 11th Century.

A DAINTY DELICACY He describes a dainty delicacy, served as a snack in the great courts of the mighty Ghaznavid empire.

The fine pastry was filled with minced meats, nuts and dried fruit, and then fried till the pastry was crisp.

But the samosa was to be transformed as it followed the epic journey made by successive waves of migrants into India.

It was brought to India along the route the Aryans had taken more than 2,000 years earlier: Through Central Asia, and then over the great mountains in what is

now Afghanistan, before descending down into the fertile plains of the great rivers of India.

The great armies of the Mamluks, Tamerlane and the Mughals later made the same journey, helping build the great sub-continental empire we now know as India.

And, just as India was reshaped by these waves of migrants, the samosa also underwent a transformation.

Initially, it metamorphosed into something much less refined.

By the time it reached what is now Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, it had become what Professor Pushpesh Pant, one of the world’s experts on Indian food, describes as “a crude peasant dish”.

A HIGH-CALORIE STAPLE The courtly titbit was now a high-calorie staple; a much bigger and heartier dish; the sort of thing a shepherd would take out into the pastures with him.

It retained its distinctive shape, and was still fried, but the exotic nuts and fruits were gone; the savoury pastry was now filled with coarsely chopped goat or lamb, eked out with onions, and flavoured simply with salt.

Over the following centuries, the samosa made its way over the icy passes of the Hindu Kush and into the Indian sub-continent.

What happened along the way explains why Professor Pant regards the samosa as the ultimate “syncretic dish”; the ultimate fusion of cultures.

“I think the samosa tells you how influences, culinary and otherwise, have come across to us,” he says, “and how India has adopted them; adapted them to its own requirements and milieu, and transformed them totally.”

Once in India, the samosa was taken up and tailored to local tastes, becoming the world’s first fast-food.

ENDLESSLY ADAPTABLE The samosa is endlessly adaptable, and India introduced its own spices, adding coriander, pepper, caraway seeds, ginger and more.

The filling changed, too, with vegetables often replacing meat.

Later still, it was to become a vehicle for other much more novel foodstuffs, because the modern India samosa is the product of yet another great historical upheaval: The discovery of the New World.

These days, most samosas are filled with potato, and flavoured with green chillies, ingredients only introduced from the New World by Portuguese traders in the 16th Century.

And the samosa has continued to evolve since then.

Everywhere you go in India, it is different.

Samosas vary from region to region, and even from shop to shop, as samosa-makers compete for custom.

Sometimes they are monsters; an entire meal in a single crisp pastry casing.

Elsewhere, they have reemerged as a courtly treat:

Samosas are served as cocktail canapés at weddings and modish Delhi parties.

Even the wafer-thin pastry packed with mince and peas that the Moroccan traveller, Ibn Batuta describes being served at the lavish banquets of the court of Mohammad bin Tughlaq in 14th Century Delhi lives on in the “lukhmi” of Hyderabad.

Meanwhile in Punjab, no samosa is complete without the addition of paneer, fresh Indian cheese; though elsewhere in India, this is considered an aberration.

And not all samosas are savoury these days.

Bengalis love “labong latika”, a samosa packed with mawa, a sweetened evaporated milk.

At least one Delhi restaurant serves a delicious chocolate samosa.

COOKING TECHNIQUES Even the cooking techniques can vary.

The classic samosa is still fried to a crisp, golden finish, but you can sometimes find baked samosas for the calorie-conscious.

Some chefs have experimented with steamed samosas; a mistake, says Professor Pant. He argues that without the oil, the flavours simply don’t emerge

properly.

And, of course, the samosa’s journey did not end in India. After centuries of refinement and reworking here, it followed new routes back out into the world.

The British loved the samosa, and spread the now uniquely Indian innovation across their vast empire, along with shampoo, bungalows, verandas and pyjamas.

And, as the Indian Diaspora has spread around the globe in the last few centu-

ries, they, too, took samosas with them.

Which is why what began as a tasty titbit for ancient Persian emperors is now enjoyed in virtually every country on Earth.

So, as you savour this delicious snack, remember this: Wherever your samosa was prepared and however it was filled, it embodies the essence of India: Adaptable, inventive, tolerant and heterogeneous. (BBC)

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Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

Editorial: 227-5216; 227-5204 guyanachronicle.com wnigel10@hotmail.com gnnleditorial@gmail.com

Editorial

65M displaced by conflicts worldwide THE United Nations (UN) Refugee Agency on Monday released a report which says that 65 million people have been displaced by conflict worldwide as at the end of 2015.

This number trumps the World War II (WW) figure by five million,the number of people who were displaced during the war.

According to the UN a refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. The influx of refugees brings pressure to receiving communities/countries in several social and economic forms. The presence of unplanned population increase impacts the receiving countries’ education and health-care systems, public transportation, housing, and the availability of jobs, to name a few.

While the populace of countries may express concerns about the socio-economic circumstances of the displaced, they remain mindful of the responsibility of the State to offset expenses of an unplanned demographic, which leads to reservations that funding is being diverted to other areas resulting in the compromising of the quality of social services received.

For instance, one of the reasons used by the Brexit (Britain exit) campaign in the United Kingdom to exit the European Union was the pressure legal residents felt the National Health Scheme has been subjected to due to the influx of refugees and un-documented persons.

At a cultural level, that is the way of life of displaced migrants- there emerges varying lifestyles which bring about further conflict and if not properly managed can lead to xenophobia and discrimination against groups and individuals. The displacement of the identified millions did not occur through major wars which involved countries against countries or regions against regions as happened in WWI and II. These present wars have their geneses in pursuits such as political, ethnic and religious domination, economic control of resources, gender and child violence, and narco- trafficking.

The factors involved in the existing conflicts that have led to the current displacement reflect how complex the world has become in managing its own affairs. WWI and II were fought on economic and political dominance, ethnic superiority, and expansionist tendencies. As such, resolutions were not too difficult to be found to not only resolve differences, but to avoid repeat of similar acts in the future.

Arising from the WWI the International Labour Organisation (ILO) was established in 1919 on social justice, and the UN in 1948 on human rights informed by notions of superiority/inferiority that was a major conflict in WWII. The principles that established the ILO were based on recognition that the industrial revolution resulted in the displacement of the cottage industry, high levels of inequality in the societies, and the exploitation of workers/labour. This consciousness led

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

Teen among common criminals Dear Editor

OVER the past five to six weeks amidst the highpoints of the national jubilee celebrations, we who still live here were all too conscious of some high-profile crimes and naturally, the role of the Guyana Police Force.

The Police Force is our national law-enforcement agency. I have recently read and heard of the successes of the police investigators. Privately, I’ve heard praises for Crime Chief Blanhum and Commander Hicken and interestingly, there is now an acting Commissioner of Police who sounds engaging and professional, as well as a brand new GPF Public Relations Officer. But privately too, a single parent has been expressing frustration, fear and concern at one aspect of police procedures. Vicariously, but with some caution, I too share her concern and promised to publicise the issue in order perhaps to attract some explanation – if not relief.

It has to do with the young woman’s son. He is 17 years 6 months. The teenager, apparently quite intelligent and good at computers, was charged last year with fraud related to forgery of a cheque. The mother has her own views, version and suspicions about the allegation. She has demonstrated a relentless measure of personal preliminary investigation about the allegation and the complainant, in order to brief fully her son’s defence attorney.

The court is the ultimate arbiter

and judge of the lad’s guilt or innocence, whatever stakeholders’ personal knowledge or opinions. I dare not comment on what I’ve heard regarding the machinations of the case, the trial itself or expected outcomes. That is the business of the court, though we all hope for fair and just legal/evidence-based decisions.

But here is the primary reason for this correspondence, based primarily on my shared concern and alarm with the mother: the teenaged accused, at 171/2 years old is being treated as an adult apparently.

Having been known to have absconded from the Essequibo New Opportunity Corps (NOC) because he claimed that he was continuously bullied and accused of “talking too much,” he cannot return there to await trial. The police have determined that he cannot be accommodated at a juvenile centre in Sophia, Georgetown.

Not yet found guilty or innocent of the alleged fraud, the police treat him as a remand “prisoner” and have had him incarcerated with very adult, seasoned, sometimes dangerous accused criminals. He has been held, the mother reported, at Providence and Grove/ Diamond Stations in sometimes overcrowded cells. There is no juvenile accommodation, despite the police’s claims to the contrary. The young accused, an occasional asthmatic, has had to be rushed to the Diamond Health facility, the worried, harassed mother claims. She says she has had to speak out and speak up to tired, un-

to addressing same through a tripartite approach to societal management and development which comprises government, workers’ representatives and employers’ representatives.

The ILO is further based on the philosophy that tripartite association would see collective development of instruments that guide and regulate conduct of operatives in society, and moreso to assist in resolving differences, establish best practices that can be used in countries and across borders, and minimise tensions in society. The establishment of the UN was to avoid future occurrence of expansionism and notion of superiority/ inferiority which saw 60 million persons being displaced in WWII and resulted in the Universal Declarations which proclaimed the equality of man and the right to be treated with respect and dignity. Handling the global refugee crisis requires applying the principles adumbrated by the ILO and the UN. These two institutions remain the post-war entities, based on the philosophies of their establishment, to help the world deal with the crisis.

kind, aggressive Station Sergeants and Corporals, even paying “a top-up” for her son to use a small piece of foam or cardboard on the cell’s concrete floor. Very senior police officers seem reluctant to criticise their system on juniors.

My concern and question – not only for this specific case – is this: since the young accused is not at all responsible for the repeated postponements of his “matter” in court, is it fair and just to have him cooped up – for weeks – with seasoned accused who can infect his mind, if not body?

Not yet guilty, I suppose the police can still suspend his human and civil rights in this land.

I read, a few weeks ago, where a convicted mass murderer in Norway demanded and obtained certain basic rights whilst serving a life sentence.

I might not agree with or understand that system, but could not a young Guyanese, under 18, awaiting for weeks a definitive day in court, be entitled to humane treatment in police station cells on the East Bank of Demerara?

I’m still a personal supporter of the police, law and order and hopeful of just decisions by learned, compassionate officers of the courts.

But I am moved by this mother’s travails, whether her accused offspring is guilty or not. Any responses, authorities?

Regards NAME WITHHELD

As it is recognised by the UN, a “Refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.” Outside of the UN and its attendant agencies responding to the global crisis, member-states can also aid resolutions by the manner in which they manage or govern their countries. By rigidly embracing the principles and objectives of the ILO and the UN, governments and peoples around the world can set the tone and be examples to influence the peoples of affected communities/countries to stand up to their leaders for what is just and fair. Acknowledged too is the fact that responsibility for the current displacement is that of the leaders of the country of origin. Consequently, increased pressure has to be brought to bear to cause said leaders to recognize that their actions pose dire consequences for their people, other countries and the world at large.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

Long wait for birth, marriage certificates Dear Editor, I HAVE applied several times on behalf of poor residents in my community and also for members of my church for birth, death and marriage certificates, but the wait is very long. I haven’t seen any changes in this area of frustration and incompetence from the previous administration to this current administration. Several visits to the General Registrar Office (GRO) tell me of this long, frustrating procedure; our citizens waiting months for birth, marriage and death certificates in the mail, but never get them. Their visits to the GRO are a next long, tedious experience. In this day and age of modern technology, a birth certificate should not take more than three days to process.

From my observation, I don’t think the GRO has a current register general that makes it more difficult to administrate this office.

As a result of the slow processing of birth certificates, perhaps thousands of our Guyanese citizens have been unable to register for their new identification cards and were unable to vote at last year’s elections. I have observed a new, updated birth certificate that has a silver Guyana Coat of Arms, also the same logo stamped all over the back of the certificate in a lightly pink colour. It’s unfortunate I haven’t seen this same design for the marriage and death certificates. If they were updating these certificates and specimens then all three birth, marriage and death certificates should bear the same logo of the Coat of Arms to

avoid frauds. These updated templates should be sent to immigration and embassies in Guyana. By just updating the birth certificate creates more suspicion of frauds. Some institutions rejected these new birth certificates. Also, these specimens should be published in the press and posted to all government institutions. The certificate’s size should be bigger because people with four or five names cannot fit these into the small lines.

Why is it that birth, death and marriage certificates are taking months and even years to be processed at the GRO? It seems as if there is a lot of incompetence at that institution. In addition to the people who have been waiting for their birth certificates for over a year, I know of many who had old birth certificates and who are now told that they

Why the secrecy in the parking meter project?

Dear Editor, LET me from the outset state categorically, I am in full support of the process in principle to institute parking meters in Georgetown, Guyana. My logic is very simple: if you can afford a car, you should be able to afford to pay for your parking in central Georgetown.

But what I cannot understand is why there is so much secrecy surrounding the now ill-famous “Parking Meter Contract.”Is history about to repeat itself in Guyana where financial skullduggery, fuelled by arrogant politicians is about to kick off and take centre stage again? I have been a strong supporter of Mayor Patricia Chase- Green for a long time, since I think she brings a more “can do attitude” to the city than her predecessor, Cde Hammie, who clearly was out to lunch on the fundamental issues on more occasions than not. But clearly Mayor Patricia has stepped off the road on this “Parking Meter Contract” and is clearly now in the mud.

I wish for her sake that she comes out of the mud, back on to the road, because I still think she has much value to add to the city of Georgetown.

I have no problem with the fact that the mayor intends to go full speed ahead to have parking meters installed in the City of Georgetown. But that position can only be supported after due process was

followed by fully adhering to the principles of accountability and transparency. The foundation principles in the procurement of any goods or services have to be the promotion of competition and securing the best value for money spent. I, like many others whom I have spoken to, cannot with a clear conscious conclude that the people of Guyana are securing the best value for money as a result of this “Parking Meter Contract.” It smells and looks rotten.

Answers to these three questions will expose that “something is rotten in the city of Georgetown” if I am permitted to borrow portions of a Shakespearean quote from Hamlet: 1. Is there anything unique about these goods and services being provided? The answer is NO! Every properly conceivable city of the world has parking meters and there are hundreds of contractors doing this kind of work, so why sole-source?

2. Are the goods and services being offered of a highly complex nature? The answer is again NO! The technology is basic, the systemography is elementary and operation is easy to manage, so why are we sole-sourcing again?

3. Is there a major disaster about to unfold if we do not procure from this preferred sole-sourced contractor? The answer is again NO! This

is not a broken sea defence structure that needs immediate attention before the next high tide or else the villagers will be flooded at great loss to the economy. This contract can wait until it is figured out professionally by the technical experts.

And where are the Transparency Advocates such as Christopher Ram, Anand Goolsarran, and Ramon Gaskin? Where is the voice of Mr. Nigel Hinds, the accountant now when we need it?

Why are they so silent all of a sudden in light of this mass act of procurement transgression which is directly contributing to a breakdown in public confidence in the M&CC? If one is to observe who went on this trip, none of them are technical experts in parking meters and at a minimum, the city engineer and city treasurer should have been on that trip with the mayor and the town clerk, rather than Mr. Oscar Clarke, General-Secretary of the PNC and city councillor. As I said, something stinks on this contract and therefore I am calling on President Granger to engage his technicians to review this procurement deal, since it appears as though a huge scandal is in the making here, especially in light of so much secrecy. Shame on those who are trying to hide public business from the members of the public.

Regards SASE SINGH

were never registered. A late birth registration now takes six months and tons of paper work and documentation that cost a lot. The cost for one birth certificate just over a year ago was just $30 and now it’s $300, an increase of 1000%, yet the process takes longer.

I was of the opinion that this coalition government would speed up things in this area, but it now takes-much longer into many more , for example a transport and land title takes years to process. I read about all these changes and modern technology in the press but nothing changes. Our ministers seem to be travelling on tours rather than getting jobs done efficiently and expeditiously.

They are never in office or too busy to take calls.

We can no longer trust the mail since mails can be lost, damaged, or go to a wrong lot number. Worse yet, not many homes have a mail box and many residents work and are not at home. So why are the staff at GRO telling our citizens who have waited hours for their birth, marriage, and death certificates that ‘’You will get it in the mail’’? What makes it so hard to give it to them right there? It’s very sad that many people who have to sign these documents are never in the office or come to work

extremely late or hardly ever work. I have been to several other offices in Guyana for documents, and have been told that the person who has to sign the document is not in the office, although that same person could have been seen “gaffing” around the compound, but is still getting paid for a job they are incapable of doing.

I am not the only person who is faced with this problem; there are thousands of Guyanese experiencing the same thing because the lines for these documents are getting longer and longer every day, and some have to resort to bribery to obtain these certificates.

These incompetent persons may never change because many get rich on these jobs by bribery.

Amerindians are given first preference to obtain birth certificates through the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, so why is it that Indians, Africans and others are given such a hard time?

In particular, as a marriage officer I am faced with the long wait for marriage certificates.

Just about two years ago when I married a couple, I would register the marriage and apply for the marriage certificate at the same time. I would be given a slip to obtain the marriage certificate in a week, which I

would get. Now they have a new requirement that when I register a marriage I have to go downstairs and apply for the person’s marriage certificate or the person will have to make the application. Unfortunately, marriage officers like myself are blamed because the marriage certificate takes months to come. If I receive it, it is only after several applications have been made or I have gone back into the marriage section to query the situation. I believe marriage officers should be given preference in obtaining marriage certificates for marriages they perform. Citizens need their marriage certificates for immigration and embassies.

Why this royal run around? It makes marriage officers, most of whom are religious leaders, look like fools to the people whose marriages we have performed.

It’s about time our new Minister of Citizenship look into these issues. For Guyana to progress we must stop living in denial and correct our incompetence from day to day. I really don’t think our recent Jubilee Celebrations puts us on the contemporary road map of modern civilization.

Yours faithfully, REV GIDEON CECIL

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

AG Williams meets Two jailed for rape, FATF in Korea buggery, one freed Barama rape case

TWO men were on Thursday sent to jail while another was freed at the end of the trial of the December 5th, 2007 assault on a young girl at Barama.

THE accused who allegedly entered the Barama Complex on December 5th 2007 and criminally assaulted a 17-year-old girl were Paul Abrams, Claude Craig and Holston Melville. They were all tried by a jury who deliberated for nearly 4 ½ hours before reaching a verdict. The jury had to decide whether the offenders had committed the offences of buggery, rape and indecent assault against the girl. And the unanimous verdict for the number three accused Houston Melville was that he was not guilty of the

offences charged.

Following the jury’s verdict the Presiding Judge Miss Jo-Ann Barlow freed Melville and then elected to criticise the guilty offenders for committing such offences on a young woman. Paul Abrams, represented by Mr Bernard De Santos, was found guilty of buggery and Indecent assault and not guilty of rape. Claude Craig who was represented by Mr. Nigel Hughes was found not guilty of buggery but guilty of indecent assault and sentenced to four years imprisonment. Holston Melville who was represented by Mr Bernard De Santos was found not guilty of rape, buggery and indecent assault. He was freed.

ATTORNEY GENERAL and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams made representation for Guyana at the recently concluded meeting of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in Busan, South Korea on June 24.

The high-level meeting in South Korea precedes another such meeting of the G20 countries, the world’s top 20 economies, in July, when recommendations will be made for improving the implementation of FATF

standards globally.

At the July meeting of the G20 countries, recommendations from the Korea meeting will be presented around the areas of the global response to terrorist financing, as well as the need for improved transparency as it relates to corporations which store assets abroad to avoid paying taxes in the countries they operate.

An agenda of the South Korea meeting, according to the FATF website, says that meeting included delegates

from some 190 member countries of the FATF and FATF-Style Regional Bodies and the United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank.

The goal of the FATF, according to their website, is to “set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation.”

From left, Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) Executive Director, Calvin Wilson; Gambia’s Financial Intelligence Centre official, Philip Danso; Attorney General Basil Williams; and Ugandan finance official, Sydney Asubo

$23B trade... our relative capacities,” Greenidge said in his defence. “Guyana has a relatively limited range of products that it can export.” The foreign minister sees this not only as a feature of underdevelopment, but also a feature of “limited capacity of our exporters.”

While Guyana exports 10,000 tonnes of rice to Brazil, there were questions from the committee as to whether more rice could not be exported to that country, since the collapse of Venezuela’s agreement in 2015 to purchase Guyana’s rice in exchange for fossil fuels.

Foreign relations committee members Zulficar Mustapha questioned the possibility of negotiating for Brazil to absorb Guyana’s rice which went to Venezuela up to 2015.

Mustapha implored Greenidge to engage the administrative commission, a body made up of Guyanese and Brazilian officials, to ex-

pand Guyana’s quota of rice to Brazil from 10,000 tonnes.

In his response, Greenidge noted part of the reason for the 10,000-tonne quota has to do with the close proximity of Santa Fe in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) to the Brazilian border.

Rice coming from Guyana’s coast, on the other hand, would not be feasible considering the logistics of such an arrangement, but Greenidge said he will bear it in mind.

Another challenge facing the movement of coastal goods from Guyana’s coast to the interior regions and closer to Brazil’s border is the condition of the Linden to Lethem Road. This concern was raised yesterday by Foreign Relations committee member, Nigel Dharamlall.

Greenidge said Guyana had met with Brazilian officials, including President Dilma Roussef, some time ago, and that there was an

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agreement by both sides to have a feasibility study done on the road.

Similarly, there were hopes that the study would be funded through the Chinese-Latin America agreement, but because of the current political situation in Brazil, where that country’s President is facing an impeachment trial, Greenidge said this is difficult.

“Until such time as Brazil settles down at the political level, you are not likely to see such progress in that regard,” Greenidge continued.

This situation also sees the proposed deep-water harbour in Guyana being placed in limbo, even as Brazil could benefit substantially from its construction.

“The difference between exporting via the eastern ports [of Brazil] and coming through Guyana to the north is five or more days,” Greenidge told the committee.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

Gaskin: Economy not in crisis …but private sector says business in decline

GMSA President Eon Caesar presenting Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin with a copy of GMSA’s 2015 Annual Report

By Svetlana Marshall MINISTER of Business Dominic Gaskin has said that although Guyana is going through a difficult phase, the country is not in crisis, but Junior VicePresident of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce, Nicolas Boyer, begged to differ, contending that there has been a 30-40 per cent drop in sales in businesses across the city. “…Guyana is not in crisis. Venezuela’s economy is in crisis, Brazil’s is in trouble with negative growth for the second consecutive year and no clear end in sight. Trinidad and Tobago is projecting negative growth of 2 per cent yet again. Barbados is unlikely to grow by more than one half of a percentage point this year, following a 0.3 per cent growth in 2014 and 0.8 per cent in 2015,” Minister Gaskin said as he addressed the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association’s (GMSA’s) Business Luncheon on Thursday at the Pegasus Hotel.

He said while Suriname’s economy grew by 1.8 per cent in 2014 and 0.2 per cent in 2015, Guyana’s economy grew by 3 per cent last year.

This year, it is projected to grow by 4 per cent. “I repeat, we are not the ones with an economic crisis on our hands,” the Business Minister emphasised.

In response to the minister’s position on the state of the country’s economy, Junior Vice-President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Nicholas Boyer, pointed out that businesses under the umbrella of the chamber are experiencing a 30-40 per cent decline in sales. It was on this note, the he pressed the Business Minister for answers regarding measures to be implemented

to cushion the impact of falling commodity prices and the shortage of employment.

Another participant proposed that short-term plans be implemented. But Minister Gaskin stood firmly on his position.

According to him, a financial crisis calls for short-term decisions which are often taken at the expense of long-term plans. Notwithstanding the many challenges, the Business Minister said the Government and the private sector have an opportunity to work towards a long-term vision for the country which should not be “squandered” because of the illusion that there is an economic crisis.

“A green economy, powered by affordable and renewable energy, driven by foreign earnings derived from exports of a range of value-added goods and services is well within our means to achieve.

So too is the sustainable growth of this economy and the sustainable exploitation of our natural resources so that generations of Guyanese to come can enjoy our rich patrimony…,” he posited.

In keeping with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a menu of goals to end poverty, inequality and injustice, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) Government intends to prioritise the development and improvement of infrastructure in the areas of transportation, energy, infor-

mation and communication technology and sea defence.

This, Minister Gaskin said, will pave the way for Guyana to become a model for sustainable economic development. “This is a model that our Government is asking you to believe in and to invest in because the private sector is an important stakeholder in Guyana’s economy without which there can be no development.”

He made it clear, however, that the Government is not turning a blind eye to the Doing Business Report which includes the Paying of Taxes, Trading Across Borders and Getting Electricity Indicators.

In light of the issues raised in the Doing Business Report, the Business Ministry has initiated a programme that will tackle the indicators. This programme is being done with technical assistance from the World Bank.

“We’ve just had a legal and ICT consultants engaged to identify respectively, the legislative requirements and amendments under which we can better regulate and protect our businesses, and the ICT deficiencies that need to be corrected in order for government to provide better services for businesses.”

Additionally, at least two countries have offered technical assistance with the aim of addressing some of the remaining Doing Business reforms. It was explained that the Minister is also working

to develop an electronic trade facilitation system that will completely change the way the country processes import and export licences, permits and transactions.

When compared to the Doing Business Report, Minister Gaskin said the Global Competitiveness Report is similarly comprehensive but focuses on boarder issues.

“It examines Institutions, Infrastructure, Macroeconomic Environment and Health and Primary Education as basic requirements for economics at Guyana’s stage of development. It also looks at areas such as Labour Markey Efficiency, Financial Markets Development and Technological Readiness in the context of enhancing efficiencies of economies and ultimately Business Sophistication and Innovation as key factors for economies that are driven by innovation,” Minister Gaskin explained.

The country’s competitiveness, he reiterated, must be addressed through appropriate public-private dialogue.

Currently, a model for this level of dialogue is being developed, and according to the Business Minister will be proposed shortly, however, he underscored the importance of having greater private sector participation in the development of long-term projects in the form of public-private partnerships.

GMSA President Eon Caesar, in his address, said “for far too long, Guyana has been stuck in this mode of primary production and export of primary products – rice, sugar, fruits and vegetables, meat and coconut water.”

He said it time for a paradigm shift. “We have to believe that the Government is prepared to challenge the status quo and broaden the availability of skills for the entire industrial sector. We have to witness the start of the outreach programmes that are badly needed, for example, to show the growers of lemons in the Mahaica Creek the best ways to get their produce to city markets, or to importing countries like Aruba and Dominica.”

Additionally, he advocated for the level of creativity displayed during the country’s Jubilee Celebrations be sustained for the good of the country.

GCCI Junior Vice-President Nicholas Boyer making his point on the drop of the sales

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

Parking Meters row

City Hall says contract for ditched contractor missing TOWN Clerk Royston King is now claiming that the contract that the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) gave to Astrolobe Technology Inc. to install a structured parking

system in Georgetown cannot be found in the official records of the council.

But Chief Executive Officer of Astrolobe, Mr. Saratu Phillips, is in possession of a letter from King,

dated October 6, 2015, acknowledging that he is aware that M&CC has this contract with the company.

In the letter seen by this newspaper, King said: “I am aware that you have a

signed contract with the council to do paid parking.”

An area in East Street was subsequently identified to roll out a pilot project.

At a press conference on Monday, following his visit

Town Clerk Royston King

to Mexico and Panama with the Mayor and other councillors, King had reported: “The contract with Astrolobe is not in the official records of the council and even though we had given Mr. Saratu an opportunity to make a presentation, that particular agreement is not within the official records; not within the archives of the M&CC. “I have seen a copy of that contract. It’s not really a contract; it’s an agreement, and I’m aware of that agreement, but it was not placed formally in the records of the council and therefore we do not recognise it.”

Phillips had told the Chronicle that his contract with M&CC was signed since 2007 and that he was “shocked” to learn that it is now being given to someone else. “The issue that first jumped out at me is that I have an exclusive contract already to do parking with the M&CC and they are dealing with a new company as if I no longer exist.”

Phillips came to Guyana in 2006 and had put together a team of information technology professionals who were looking at transferring other technologies from the United States to Guyana.

From December 2006, Phillips said his team worked with the City Council until October 2007, when he obtained an exclusive contract, valid for 25 years, from the municipality to design the parking system.

“It was going to run the City Council close to US$2M to implement a simple parking system and

they didn’t have the funds at the time, so the idea was for me to bring the investors, bring the technology. We had a core team working and we were going to put everything together.”

However, Phillips decided that he would not start works until the City Council amended some of its by-laws. Until this was done, the understanding between the parties was that Phillips’s contract remained valid and would continue as soon as possible. “Everybody in the City Council knows I have this contract.

We did a lot of work on it.

There is no violation on my part of the contract nor was there any on their part.

The simple thing was for us to meet, get the by-laws passed, and get the government to give them the go-ahead.”

After the general elections in 2015, Phillips began engaging the Town Clerk who said that as soon as he got into office they would start working on the project.

“In November 2015, someone from the media called me and told me that the contract was being handed to someone else who has political connections. I am shocked. The name of the person they are giving the contract to is Kamau Cush. I told Cush I have this contract and that we would have years of litigation and that nothing is going to happen. Why go after something that I already have? He bluntly told me I am a small fish and that he has lots of political and judicial connections in this country and that he is going to get this. His business partner or his consultant here is Bobby Vieira.

I emailed Bobby Vieira every piece of paper work that I have on parking and I told him that I have this contract.”

Phillips is hoping that good sense will prevail and that the M&CC will acknowledge that what they are doing is wrong. “I have invested a lot of time and money in relation to parking. I have some lawyers and whatever they advise, I will do. But this borderlines corruption and nepotism.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

President unveils Jubilee plaques at GPSU IN commemoration of Guyana’s Golden Jubilee of Independence, President David Granger yesterday unveiled two plaques at the headquarters of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) at Regent Street and Shiv Chanderpaul Drive and at the GPSU’s Sports Centre at Thomas Lands, respectively.

The President, also a historian, reminded the gathering that colonialism was an era of degradation where ordinary Guyanese had to struggle to achieve independence.

“On the night of the 25, May, 1966 on that sacred and holy night when you looked around Guyana, one would have asked if they were really free. The GDF chief of staff was a foreigner, the police commissioner was a foreign-

President David Granger and GPSU President Patrick Yarde unveil a jubilee plaque at the GPSU’s Sports Complex at Thomas Lands. (Samuel Maughn photo)

er, the bishop of the Anglican and Catholic Churches were foreigners, the vice chancellor of UG was a foreigner, the Governor-General of the country was a foreigner, when you looked around,

you wanted to know whose country you were in,” the President said.

In reflecting on the need and importance of an independent Guyana, the President explained that many jobs

under colonial rule were not within the ambit of reach for a Guyanese public servant.

“I remember in the 1960s even to get someone to become the Postmaster-General was cause for a strike,

because the deputy Postmaster-General was about to be superseded by a foreigner, and the union stepped up, resulting in the formation of the Clerical & Commercial Workers’ Union (CCWU).”

Underscoring that Guyanese were being stifled under the British Empire, President Granger said the GPSU was part of the struggle of “Guyanisation.” He said the 50th anniversary was not just a ceremonial occasion, but a landmark of a free Guyana.

According to the President, the work of the GPSU over its nine decades also contributed to the struggle for independence, which was the massive contribution of public servants.

Adding that very few people understood the meaning of colonialism, President Granger said people thought

it was a golden age when everything worked and everyone knew their places and had enough food to eat.

However, on the contrary, Guyanese were subdued.

Meanwhile, the President noted that copies of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Public Service report will be made available to the GPSU and discussions surrounding various issues will be discussed and negotiated.

“I will not commit or make any promises,” he said. President of the GPSU, Patrick Yarde, underscored the relationship between the government and the union in observing the country’s 50th independence, as he noted that both organs contribute to the working and social lives of the nation’s public servants.

Granger confirms national events dep't coming

By Ravin Singh CONFIRMATION has been given by President David Granger that government is currently exploring the option of establishing a Department of National Events which is likely to be housed at the Ministry of the Presidency.

The disclosure was made by the Head-of-State on Thursday during the recording of his weekly television show, ‘The Public Interest.’

This newspaper recently reported that the President had mooted the idea of establishing the department to ensure major public events are well coordinated and properly executed. This was based on reliable information released by a source, who also said that the department will likely be housed at the Ministry of the Presidency.

According to the source, the idea of establishing such a department was floated at a meeting between the President and several high-ranking officials, including Minister within the Ministry of Education, Nicolette Henry. At that time, the source said, the department was just a conceptual idea which was based on a recommendation made by President Granger.

However, the President confirmed on Thursday during

President David Granger

his recording of the Public Interest that such a department is likely to be established, given the fact that this issue is currently engaging the attention of government.

“Yes, we are looking at a department to deal with national events and we have made progress in establishing that department. We have made moves in that direction,” he said.

The Head-of-State also explained that the move is intended to chart a way for strengthening the management of these national events.

Minister Henry was responsible for coordinating Guyana’s national events this year given her portfolio in the Education Ministry. And although she was part of the

meeting which led to the birth of such an idea, it was not clear what her reaction to this idea was.

Last month, Guyana celebrated 50 years as an independent nation, and the planning of events for that occasion was hailed a success by Minister Henry. However, several shortcomings in protocol and logistics were noted and those attracted many criticisms.

One such logistical mishap was the seating arrangements at the Independence Flag-raising ceremony, which led to the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) leaving the event prematurely.

Another criticism, which continues to resurface annually, is the mundane cultural displays at the independence anniversary celebrations and to some extent, Mashramani events. These have generated much discussion in social quarters and the general feeling is that there is need for better management of these events.

Using these events as a point of reference, the President was keen to note that Government has learnt a lot from those celebrations.

“We’ve learnt a lot of lessons from the Independence Anniversary celebrations,” he said, adding that it is necessary to coordinate the activities of all agencies participating

in national events. Some of these, he said, included; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, should there be visiting dignitaries; the Ministry of Public Security to organise security for visitors and venues; the Ministry of the Presidency; the Ministry of Education

which has responsibility for culture, youth and sport and the Ministry of Communities, which has responsibility for the municipalities.

Given the multi-dimensional approach needed to develop the quality of management and execution of

these national events, President Granger noted that a multi-agency department is needed. What the President was not able to say however, was when the department is likely be established, given that the idea is still in its preliminary stage of discussion.

Roads being repaired

...as Guyana prepares for CARICOM meeting

T

HE Government of Guyana (GOG) is currently rehabilitating roads in the vicinity of the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, Ogle,East Coast Demerara, in time for the upcoming Caricom Heads of Government conference to be held here from July 4-6.

Minister of State Joseph Harmon told reporters on Wednesday that it is government’s intention to ensure that the route from that airport “right up to the hotel” where delegates will be staying is of international standard.

“You can be assured of that… the Minister of Public Infrastructure has clear directions as to what he has to do,” said Harmon.

However, Minister Patterson has noted that the current road works are in keeping with the ministry’s ongoing rehabilitation works. Meanwhile, the Minister of State said while Guyana is the host country, all preparations minus venue and transportation are the responsibility of the Caricom Secretariat located at Liliendaal,Greater Georgetown.

“The content of the conference, ar-

rangements are CARICOM arrangements.

Guyana is just a venue for the conference.

We are not taking over the conference altogether. We have agreed to provide the venue for it, that is to say where it will take place, accommodation for heads of government, their transportation to and from the conference and things of that nature,” he explained.

The CARICOM Heads of Government meeting will be held in Guyana next month as Dominica, whose turn it was to host the meeting, is not in a position to do so.

Last August, heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Erika caused widespread flooding and mudslides across the island and also resulted in the death of persons. The Tropical Storm has caused major infrastructural damage to the island.

Harmon added that Guyanese are warm and hospitable people and “Guyana is prepared to step in when other CARICOM brothers or sisters are unable to provide a service to the people [of the] region.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

Way cleared for Linden TV …several members added to expanded Board of Trustees

By Vanessa Braithwaite AFTER months of bickering it seems that the way has been cleared for the Linden Television Station to go into operation following a meeting with high government representatives and the expansion of the caretaker companyRegion 10 Broadcasting Inc Board of Trustees.

According to Mayor of Linden Carwyn Holland, the selection was made by the representatives of the various stakeholders present at the consultation hosted

by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo. In attendance also were Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valarie Patterson and Director of Public Information, Imran Khan in Georgetown on Wednesday.

The call for the Trust to

be extended was made in February at a consultation held in Linden, chaired by Prime Minister Nagamootoo, who recommended that the membership be extended to include a wider cross section of stakeholders in the Region. This call was also echoed by Chairman of the GNBA, Leonard Craig who reiterated that the Trust is the officially recognised agency of the station and rather than form a new Trust, it was recommended that it be extended.

Given this mandate, Secretary of the Trust, Sharma Solomon previously told the media that correspondences were immediately sent to the various stakeholders requesting that a representative be chosen to join the Board of Trustees. “The board immediately held a meeting with all five members and agreed to facilitate and have

that bone of contention dealt with and settled by having all those members at the stake holders meeting to be a part of the board,” said Mr. Solomon. This however did not go well with Regional Officials and according to Mayor Holland; the representatives were tasked with making their selections at Wednesday’s consultation.

He further revealed that the Trust, which currently has four legal directors namely Mr. Sharma Solomon, Ms. Sandra Vantull, Morris McKinnon, Gloria Britain was extended to 15 members. In addition to the present four, the Regional Democratic Council has the majority share with three representatives, namely Mr. Renis Morian, Mrs. Sandra Adams and Mr., Phillip Bynoe.

Representing the Mayor and Town Council is Mr.

Carwyn Holland, Mayor of Linden and his deputy Ms. Waneka Arrindale. Representing Central Government is two Regional MP’s, Mr. Jermaine Figueira and Mr. Audwin Rutherford. Representing the Chamber of Commerce is Mr. Kevin DeYounge, while Mr. Leslie Gonsalves will represent the Guyana Trades Union Congress. Ms. Merna Adrian will represent the Neighbourhood Democratic Council. Mayor Holland told media operatives that the current legal members of the Trust was mandated to call a meeting within seven days of which the extended members will be summons after that stipulated time to commence the process of moving forward.

According to Holland the Regional Chairman was selected as the new Chairman of the Board. “It was established that the authority

Dealers urge gov't to lift ban on scrap metal trade SCRAP metal dealers in Guyana are concerned about the prolonged suspension of the trade and are calling on government to swiftly lift the ban.

Since the suspension of the scrap metal trade on June 15, 2015, dealers have been calling for it to be lifted given that it has taken away from their livelihood.

During a telephone interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Secretary of the Guyana Metal Recyclers Association, Michael Benjamin highlighted that “according to the laws of Guyana, under Chapter 91:08 of the old Metal Dealers Act section 13A... the export of old metal could be prohibited for a specific period of time not exceeding one year.”

As such, he said the government is operating “in breach of the law,” as he noted that the livelihood of hundreds is being affected. With the demand of scrap metal still high on the international market, investors have been

losing money particularly because dealers were paid in advance for their metal.

“Some of the buyers are now threatening to take legal action against the dealers,” bemoaned the Association’s Secretary.

He said that some members of the Association suffered losses between $1015M during the period of the ban. Two meetings between government officials and stakeholders to resolve the burning issue resulted in a draft proposal being crafted.

According to Benjamin, the proposal was supposed to be taken to cabinet; however they have not received any response from government.

Thus, the Association continues to plead with the

government to have the trade reopen.

“It must remain vibrant so as to deal with low carbon issues,” Benjamin said.

Meanwhile, last year, the then Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Keith Scott said that the suspension will come to an end only when the forensic audit into the scrap metal trade concludes.

According to the findings of the audit report, there is far too much uncertainty surrounding this trade and the law governing it is severely outdated.

It was outlined that, “there appears to be no consistent policy towards the trade with the government opening and closing the trade

at will.”

According to the audit, there is no reason why responsibility for the trade was transferred to the Central Housing and Planning Authority and why no export duty is paid under the Customs Act. “In our opinion there is a high probability of revenue leakage but because of the inadequate reporting, any estimate is merely speculative,” stated the findings of the audit.

The report further noted that there seems to be a total lack of coordination between and among the four agencies involved, which are the Guyana Police Force, the Ministry of Business, the Scrap Metal Unit and the Guyana Revenue Authority.

As such, it was recommended that the law and the trade need to be completely revamped after consultation with key stakeholders but government needs to put interim measures in place as the trade is at a standstill while export is temporarily banned.

on this television station will first stand with the Region so that the people of Linden will have a true representation,” posited the Mayor.

Regional Chairman Morian in an invited comment said that his desire is to have the process expedited so that the television station can benefit from subventions from the Government in a timely manner.

The Regional officials believe that the ongoing controversy surrounding the television station will finally be put to rest since a way forward has been paved. “I believe that it was a fruitful meeting with everyone present, it was a meaningful engagement and I’m very pleased with the persons who attended and who were part of the discussions,” mentioned Mr. Holland. He also congratulated former Regional Chairman Solomon for taking up the baton in having the television station returned to Linden.

The television station’s Trust was formed by Solomon during his tenure as Regional Chairman after realising that the law does not allow for a television station to be controlled by an RDC or an individual but only by a Trust or a company. In so doing Solomon, along with prominent members of the community, joined together thus forming the Trust (Region 10 Broadcasting Inc.). The policy states however that any member of the community to be part owner of the station should be residing in Linden or be owners of persons within the community. The application for the station was made after residents complained about the limited and bias content that they were subjected to. The Government signed an agreement to grant the license August 21st 2012 after a deadly protest by the residents of Linden.

No vending Sunday as M&CC plans massive clean-up THE Mayor and Councillors of the City (M&CC) of Georgetown would be conducting a massive cleanup exercise on Sunday, June 25 2016 commencing at 07:00hrs, in the central business district, according to Public Relations Officer (ag) Debra Lewis.

She noted that all vendors operating within the precincts of the city are expected to participate in this activity, therefore, no vending would be allowed on Regent, Water, Commerce and Robb Streets.

“Vendors are reminded

that this exercise forms part of the agreement made with council that vendors would cooperate with council to maintain the aesthetics of the environment; this includes cleaning the areas where they operate on the last Sunday of every month,” she noted.

Further, Ms Lewis said those participating in the exercise are encouraged to bring whatever tools they have to help in the exercise. The council has already begun mobilizing its resources to make the activity a success.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

PM attending GOPIO conference in New York be held at the Marriott Hotel near LaGuardia Airport in New York City, from June 24-25. The theme of the conference is: “Strengthening Connections between India and the Global Indian Diaspora through Business and Technology,” and will provide an opportunity to con-

Flashback! Prime Minister Nagamootoo, in 2008, in New Delhi, India, was presented with the Merit Award by India’s Overseas Minister

PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo is attending the Global Organisation

of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) conference in New York.

The 27th anniversary celebrations and GOPIO Biennial Convention 2016 will

nect and network with people of Indian origin worldwide.

“This conference will examine several pertinent issues, providing a unique forum for education, information and interactive participation,” said GOPIO International President Niraj Baxi.

The major thrust of this

year’s conference sessions will be on entrepreneurship, business, technology and investment within the Diaspora and India.

A second conference will be organised by GOPIO Council chairs to develop their strategy for future action.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

Nandlall presses gov’t on tax write-offs OPPOSITION frontbencher Anil Nandlall has posed a series of questions to Finance Minister, Winston Jordan regarding the tax settlement cases between the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Demerara Distillers Limited

(DDL) and other companies and individuals.

The questions are down on the order paper for response by Jordan at the next sitting of the National Assembly. Nandlall, a former Attorney General, prefaced his questions by saying that

“in the interest of good, accountable and transparent governance and in light of certain public disclosures, I ask of the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Winston Jordan, the following questions.”

He firstly asked that Jor-

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan

dan explain what principles were employed by the GRA in the recent settlement of litigation involving DDL in respect to outstanding assessed Consumption Tax for the period 2000 – 2006.

Nandlall also wants the minister to provide the names and rank of the officers of the GRA and or the Ministry of Finance who authorised, negotiated and approved the aforesaid settlement. He further wants to know whether the settlements were approved by the Board of the GRA; how the settlement of a legal challenge to the assessment of Consumption Tax accumulated over the period 2001 – 2006 results in a write-off in Excise Tax for the period 2007-2015 and whether GRA refunds other manufacturers, who paid their Consumption Taxes as assessed by the body using the same formula which was used to calculate Demerara Distillers Limited’s Consumption Tax and Excise Tax liabilities.

Additionally, in another round of questions, Nandlall wants the names of taxpayers against whom there were court cases in respect to outstanding tax liabilities to the GRA and whose cases have been settled from 1st June, 2015, to date, and in each instance, provide the following: the terms and conditions of each settlement arrangement; the names and rank of the officers of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and or the Ministry of Finance who authorised, negotiated and approved the aforesaid settlement; and evidence that the aforesaid

settlements were approved by the Board by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Jordan at a May 23, 2016 press conference had said that GRA is constantly working out tax settlements with businesses. Dispelling criticism that the agreement with the DDL was a giveaway, Jordan said that the $1.5B Consumption and Excise Tax settlement between the GRA and DDL is not novice.

“No, settlements at GRA go on all the time…. Listen, they (GRA) didn’t wake up overnight and decide to settle,” he said. He made it clear that Government

PPP, MP, Anil Nandlall

did not give up G$5B in exchange for G$1.5B. Reiterating the point that the Revenue Authority is authorised to settle matters outside of the court, the Finance Minister said the matter has been before the High Court and the Court of Appeal for 14 years, and the GRA has been on the losing end. “14 years this matter has been going on for….

Every time GRA went to courts, they lost.” Minister Jordan thus stressed that GRA’s decision was a “sound” one.

DDL announced in April that it had reached an amicable settlement with the GRA to resolve a longstanding dispute over Consumption Tax owed to the state.

The agreement is intended to settle all claims by the GRA and liability by the entity for both Consumption and Excise taxes up to March 9, 2016 to the tune of $1.5B. “This sum is payable over 12 months. DDL, in

good faith, very recently effected payment of one hundred million dollars in compliance with the settlement terms,” a statement to the media said.

The issue began in 2002, and the company said settlement follows an extended legal battle between DDL and the GRA, arising out of the $5.3B Consumption Tax assessment levied against DDL in January 2009 by then Commissioner-General Khurshid Sattaur.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had contended that the tax deal recently struck between the two entities has set a precedent for similar requests to be made by other companies.

Jagdeo also described the tax settlement as scandalous, noting that it sends the wrong message to the business community “… that a company can unilaterally decide to stop paying taxes while other companies comply with the law; take the matter to court, and drag it out until a sympathetic Government comes to power, and (then) settle its debts to the State,” said Jagdeo.

“If one were to calculate interest on this sum at a rate of 10 per cent per annum using only the past 10 years, the liability would amount to $10.6B. The GRA assessment of $5.392B was based on a formula handed down by the court, but yet DDL refused to pay,” Jagdeo stated.

In 2002, DDL had raised a legal challenge against the GRA on the methodology adopted by the latter for the assessment of Consumption tax. In February 2005, the High Court found in favour of DDL. The GRA subsequently appealed that decision, and on July 31, 2008, the Guyana Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed GRA’s Appeal.

Following the dismissal of the appeal, the GRA commenced a new assessment in August 2008; and notwithstanding attempts by the parties at resolving the matter, on January 16, 2009, GRA issued a new claim in the crippling amount of G$5,392B.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

Mother of raped Major crackdown toddler is an ‘alcoholic’‒ police …M&CC moves to collect billions owed in rates, taxes

to the charge, which alleged that she is a “known alcoholic.”

It is further alleged that on June 19, she went on a drinking spree, returned home at 20:30 hrs and retired to bed with her children.

However, at around The mother was remanded to prison 1:30hrs, she until June 27 awoke to find the baby girl The mother of the threemissing from the bed. Upon year-old who was raped, checking, she discovered the appeared at the Springtoddler in front of the one flat lands Magistrate’s Court Thursday, charged with home bleeding severely from willful neglect with intent to her vagina.

The toddler was taken cause the child unnecessary to the Police Station where suffering and injury to her the mother was advised to health. take the child to the hospital, Due to the serious nature where it was confirmed that of the incident, the matter she was indeed raped. was held in – camera, thus Meanwhile, the male reporters and members of friend of the mother was the public were not allowed released on $100,000 station inside the court room. She bail Wednesday as investigawas unrepresented and was tion continues. remanded to prison until According to a police June 27. source, the file was sent to The mother of five, the Director of Public Proswho resides at Corriverton, ecutions (DPP) for advice was not required to plead

while the Police in ‘B’ Division are working closely with the Child Care and Protection agency to ensure the toddler and her two siblings are being cared for in the absence of their mother.

The child remains a patient at a medical Institution in Berbice; her condition is listed as stable.

THE cash-strapped Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will be moving to collect billions owed in rates and taxes from defaulting taxpayers.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the M&CC, Debra Lewis said the council is seeking new ways to garner revenue and as such, defaulters will be taken to court.

“So far 14 businesspersons were taken to court, and we are in the process of cracking down on others who owe millions in rates and taxes,” Lewis said.

To encourage the payment of taxes, the M&CC has denied a number of payment plans and negotiation systems

to provide a reasonable breakdown of a sum which would not be strenuous, especially to low-income earners.

Recently, Town Clerk Royston King declared that the council had garnered over $300M from an interest-free rates and taxes amnesty for defaulting taxpayers; however others are yet to come forth with their payments.

Over the years, persons have been withholding their rates and taxes, causing the M&CC to stall projects such as the Merriman Mall rehabilitation project and the Stabroek and Kitty markets restoration due to lack of funds.

Despite this, the Town Clerk had promised that

M&CC’s PRO, Debra Lewis

most of the projects will regain momentum within three months. As such, the PRO reiterated that the council will “spare no bones” in cracking down on defaulting taxpayers. [Navendra Seoraj]

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

Help & Shelter in money crisis …counselling services could close due to lack of funds HELP and Shelter has revealed that it is in critical need of funds to sustain the coordination and operation of its essential counselling services (hotline, face-toface and court support) provided by its Crisis Service Centre.

A statement from the organisation noted that the precarious financial situation resulted from the reduced availability of project funding to Guyana due to its re-classification as a middle-income country.

“Hence, Help and Shelter has barely managed to keep its counselling activities alive,” the statement noted.

It was further revealed

that when the organisations’ three-year, EU-funded human rights project came to an end in June 2014, they were able to persuade UN Women to cover the costs of its counselling services for a year.

Last year, the organisation successfully applied for UK government funding, which covered its four counsellors for 80% of their time.

“We were optimistic that we would receive further support from the UK government for another year, but we have now learnt that our application was unsuccessful.

“In light of this, we therefore face the prospect of having to drastically reduce our vitally important face-toface, hotline and court-support counselling services, and are seeking to use every strategy we can conceive of to acquire funds to forestall this impending situation,” the statement noted.

The organisation noted that it is grateful to the

Guyana government for assistance already extended. However, they are now forced to make an urgent request for further government support.

“In this context, we wish to state that the previous UN Women support to Health and Shelter was predicated on their view that the government should thereafter assume financial responsibility for a service that donor agencies do not now cover.”

The organisation is also soliciting assistance from individuals and private sector businesses in addition to pursuing its own fund-raising initiatives.

“In the circumstances, we are therefore now obliged to seek overall national support that can possibly aid us to continue providing necessary psycho-social assistance to the many victims of child abuse and gender-based and sexual violence,” the statement concluded.

Friday, June 24, 2016 - 14:30 hrs Saturday, June 25, 2016 - 14:30 hrs Sunday, June 26, 2016 - 14:30 hrs

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

The Jubilee Writing Competition...

WINNERS ROW (Part I) writers in the categories of Prose, Poetry and Drama.

Among the entries received, three winners were chosen from each category.

Emerging from this competition are eight talented writers, whose work were deemed the best of the lot.

Some of them you may have heard of; others are now making their mark. But above all, these young people have lauded the exposure provided through the writing competition, and expressed hope that the venture will give rise to more frequent platforms that will give local writers a chance to have their voices heard.

We interviewed the winners of the competition in each category, and will be featuring their thoughts and comments on writing over the next few weeks.

Subraj Singh, first-place winner of the Prose and Drama categories WHILE the majority of ‘Jubilee’ events may have passed, some are still reeling from the exposure received through ventures hosted in honour of our

50th Independence Anniversary.

Among these was the Jubilee Creative Writing Competition, which welcomed entries from local

SUBRAJ SINGH, 24 Subraj is no stranger to awards, having won the 2014 Guyana Prize for Literature in the Best First Book of Fiction Category.

For this competition, Subraj entered the Short Story and Drama categories,

and won First Prize in both categories for his short story, The Boy Who Loved Neesa Gopaul, and his one-act play, Laugh of the Marble Queen.

At a time when love of country was at its peak, Subraj entered the competition, feeling that it was fitting to showcase the type of work being produced 50 years after Guyana’s Independence.

“Perhaps, fifty years from now, when people look back to this time in order to see the kind of writing that was being done, my own work might be a part of what they find to be representative of this era,” Subraj told The Buzz.

His short story, The Boy Who Loved Neesa Gopaul, interweaves with elements of the Neesa Gopaul story, and features a boy who has several encounters with what may be the ghost of the murdered girl.

Asked about his inspiration for the piece, Subraj said that the Neesa Gopaul murder stands as one of the most shocking crimes of its time. “In every decade of our country’s history,” Subraj said, “there is always some

Yerrodin Bowen, first-place winner of the Poetry category Massacre in 2008. sort of particularly heinous “Neesa Gopaul’s murcrime that exists in the minds der also falls into this catof people for a very long egory, and it’s a story that time. reaches into so many cor“Examples include the ners of Guyanese society; Lilawatie murder from the See page 23 1950s, and the Lusignan

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

Traditional wear with a modern twist SHOWCASING Hashim Alli and Melicia Partab’s ‘Prem rantan’, which, in English, means, ‘Treasures of love’.

This collection is refreshingly different from most Indian fashion lines. The shades, designs and hand-crafted embroidery makes you feel like royalty, and are very trendy too.

Nothing succeeds in bringing out the essence of Indian wear more beautifully than the fabrics and colours.

The ethnic vibe is also becoming a common theme in fashion lately; the ethnic chic with a twist of modern has taken the fashion world by storm.

The duo said their inspiration comes from their backgrounds, being raised in traditional Indian homes. “The things we read; the things we were shown; colours, textures, and history of this wonderful country, Guyana.

“It’s about knowing what you want to portray, and who you are at the core as a designer.”

“This ‘Treasures of Love’ collection takes the classics, such as the sari, dhoti, salwar kameez and kurtis, and creatively transforms them, giving them a modern twist. And this has become a trend you can sport in our line.

“Making an outfit look contemporary and ethnic at the same time can be challenging at times, but a little creativity and a little fashion sense, and you’re ready to go! “Whether it’s chiffon, georgette, satin brasso, net or any other fabric, you can play with sequins, stones, beads, cut work and thread work of contrasting shades to augment the modern look.

“Pull out an old sari from your mom’s wardrobe, and revamp it, if that makes you happy! Experiment!

“I think Guyanese know how to dress themselves fashionably, while remaining modest and comfortable, which is why we prefer loose-fit clothes.

“I personally find the clothing elegant; it’s very motivating, watching women look so elegant in traditional attire.” (Photos by Delano Williams)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

Feed the Flames to represent Guyana

--at T&T rock concert

Having keenly observed their competition while abroad, Gavin stated that FTF will now begin to prepare accordingly, EVEN as Rock n Roll’ slowly seeps its way into Caribbean so as to win the next Wacken Metal Battle Caribbean, schedculture, local rock band, Feed the Flames (FTF) is about uled to be held in Suriname in 2018.

Since their formation, FTF has released a three-song EP, to embark on a new step in their journey by lending their and is currently recording and self-producing their first fulltalents to support Trinidad and Tobago’s premier deathlength studio album. core metal band, LYNCHPIN in the ‘twin-island’ in July.

The band has performed at numerous underground Heavy For you local rock fanatics, you’ll know it’s a big deal, because LYNCHIPIN itself is making its mark on the Metal events in Guyana, and many prestigious events for the Caribbean ‘Rock’ scene, and will soon represent the Ca- national public’s eye.

FTF follows the trend of the ‘New Wave of Heavy Metribbean in the Wacken Open Air Metal Battle competition al’: Marrying European guitar riffing and throaty vocals with in Germany. aggressive drumming and heavy bass.

Formed in 2008, FTF consists of vocalist, Gavin PerIn Guyana, FTF has set a new standard for live perforsaud; guitarists, Gavin Singh and Emilio Martins; bassist, mances in the ‘Rock’ scene, which is still very small and Gavin Mendonca; and drummer, Nicholas Chung. The band underground.

“Here in Guyana, the general public is not very is considered to be a significant member of the Heavy Metal accepting towards ‘Rock’ music, mostly because they do not Movement in Guyana, which started in the late 80s.

In an interview, Gavin told The Buzz that this is a huge understand it. And there is a saturation of American ‘Pop’ and opportunity for them, and that they intend to represent Guyana Jamaican ‘Dancehall-type’ music,” Gavin said. well. “We have performed once in Suriname in 2013,” he CONTINUES TO PROGRESS said, “so, this is our second performance outside of Guyana.

Despite this challenge, FTF continues to progress as a We had submitted our application to be a part of the Wacken Heavy Metal band.

Over the past few months, the group has Metal Battle Caribbean, but did not qualify. been stepping out of the shadows, and performing at more “We still chose to go to Suriname to attend the event, so public events, most recently at the National Stadium for the that we can be a part of ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ history.

‘Next Generation Concert’, part of the Golden Jubilee Concert Series.

MADE GREAT FRIENDS It was the largest audience the band has every played for, “We made great friends, expanding our network, and the with over 1,000 people in attendance. The band received an possibility of us performing more regional and international overwhelmingly positive response for reciting a rock version gigs is greater than ever.” of Guyana’s National Anthem. The band’s recent single,

Feed the Flames

‘TerraPissed’, was also featured in the recently released international film, A Bitter Lime, which was shot here in Guyana.

Feed The Flames aims to take Guyanese Heavy Metal across the globe, and to prove to Guyana that young people can have dreams, pursue them, and accomplish them, even in the face of extreme adversity.

ABOUT LYNCHPIN LYNCHPiN is a four-member Death and Groove metal band hailing from Trinidad and Tobago. The band recently won the Wacken Open-Air Metal Battle, Caribbean Edition, which allows them the opportunity to represent the Caribbean at the Wacken Open-Air Metal Battle finals in Germany.

This festival, one of the world’s largest and most prestigious metal festivals, will be held from August 3-6, 2016 and will be headlined by top metal acts such as Iron Maiden, Blue Oyster Cult and Testament.

LYNCHPiN’s inclusion marks the first time a Caribbean band will perform at the festival, and is thus a historic moment for Caribbean rock and metal bands and fans.

On July 9, LYNCHPiN is hosting a fundraiser show titled, LYNCHPiN vs. The World, at Space La Nouba, South Trinidad, in an effort to raise money for the very expensive trip to Germany.

Scheduled to perform at this event in addition to LYNCHPiN are top Trinidadian bands Sidekick Envy, Goodnight Parliament, Bound to Oblivion and Absence of I. LYNCHPiN vs. The World will therefore be a true showcase of Caribbean rock/metal music, and promises to be a great event for all attendees.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

Celebrating fish

By Neil Primus

GORDON loved to drink.

The only other thing he liked as much was fish. He would eat fish fried, baked, steamed or raw. Once you said fish, he was there.

Tonight, he would be going to a party; he relished the idea of nuff rum and bountiful fish.

Wata Muma was lonely; she needed a new mate. All of her previous mates were dead; they did not last very long.

She spread the news to her fish friends. “Be on the lookout for a good man for me.” She waited impatiently to hear from them.

The party was in full swing. It was a big fish fete; only fish was prepared. Gordon ate his belly full and drank himself silly.

He ate Low-Low, Arapaima, Pirai, Banga, Patwa, Huri, Hassar and a few he could not name.

He drank El-Dorado, XM, Absolute Vodka and Gin. Eventually, someone showed him to the gate, and closed it firmly behind him. He stumbled towards home.

High Banks was a riverine community, and boats of all sizes lined the river bank. Gordon’s route home came close to the river. It was while trying to maintain a straight course that he stumbled and fell into the river.

SPLASH! As drunk as he was, he was still an excellent swimmer. He began to paddle skilfully in the wrong direction.

Soon, he was heading out into the deep. The water was calm, so he did not panic at the distance he had to go.

Unfortunately for him, he did not realise that he was looking at the opposite bank of the river. He kept going.

The fish raced off to inform Wata Muma.

“Man in water! Come quick!”

She was there with a few flips of her wonderful scaly tail. Taking hold of Gordon, she dove for home. She took him to meet all her family, and he smiled as he shook hands and fins. He was that drunk.

Wata Muma called all her friends. Here was a mate who was very pleasant, and obviously ready to stay below. The trouble with the others was that they had all flatly refused her offer. Too bad for them.

Now they were no longer in the picture.

BIG PARTY A big water party was thrown; all the river creatures were invited. The place was filled to capacity. Food was there, and drink was limitless.

Gordon looked at the food and fumed in anger.

This was the first sign that he was unhappy, and his new mate wanted to please him.

“What’s the matter?”

“I hungry and thirsty.”

“I’ll get you some food. What would you like to drink?”

“Rum!” was the immediate and predictable reply.

She took off and disappeared from view i n t h e m u r k y w a t e r.

After a while, she returned with her fish c r e w. S h e b r o u g h t a small barrel of well cured rum, and an abundance of fruits.

These were set down in front of her new lover.

He grabbed the rum, and again frowned.

“What now, my dear?”

Wata Muma was getting a bit worried.

“I want food! Not fruits!”

He was irritated by now.

Meanwhile, the party was in full swing. Fish, crabs, snakes, octopus and other river dwellers were enjoying themselves.

Even though they appeared to be having fun, they were all listening to the unusual exchange between their friend Wata Muma and this clumsy, ugly land creature.

OH-OH! “Ok! What do you want to eat?”

“Fish! Any kind!”

A sudden hush came over the revellers, as they all stared at Gordon in horror. Then,

pandemonium broke out. In the blink of an eye, all the sea creatures were gone. Except Wata Muma.

Her eyes were flashing, and she shook with anger.

With a mighty swing of her silvery tail, she swatted Gordon savagely out of the water. He landed on the river bank, where he fell in an immediate doze.

Sometime later, Gordon got up, dusted himself off, and staggered home, hugging the barrel of rum. He was quite put out by the fact that he had missed out on a nice party.

There was one thing about Gordon that even he did not realise: He was now smelling very, very fishy.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

Loss of relevant awareness

A WEEK ago, I was asked to have a discussion on Walter Rodney at a private school. I discussed the direction I would take with the school’s head, because I didn’t want to indulge in the preamble reflective of the political banter concerning this citizen’s death.

I would walk with some of his books and create the interactive discussion on Dr. Rodney’s works, which, to me, has been abandoned for the self-serving power politics of perception that has, for decades, wrapped itself around the Guyanese consciousness.

The purpose of the exercise was to help expand the social awareness of young Guyanese with respect to our heroes. I was dealing with Form IV. I will now share that experience with you; I have had the disappointing nod of approval from the school’s head. I began the hour’s discourse by asking any student to say what they knew of Dr Rodney. No response.

This I credited to the chill students have when challenged to “break the ice” as the first on the invisible podium; we have all been there at some time.

I proceeded to do a synopsis on ‘How Europe Undeveloped Africa’, dissecting the subject into the periods of “Slavery” and “Colonisation”.

I had a flashback to a lecture event the Pan-African Movement had some weeks ago, where the lamentation was that such events seem only to attract persons above 40. And I immediately captured the recent Broadway presentation by Lin Miranda on the American national hero, Alexander Hamilton.

Miranda used the ‘Rap’ idiom to tell that story, and it won him 16 nominations and 11 Tony Awards.

THE SWITCH Because I wasn’t getting through, I switched to the one book that I assumed would ignite some interest: ‘A History of the Guyanese Working People, 1881-1905’.

I brought the facts of working 14 hours a day without

--A broken journey through education

overtime on the estates and the waterfront, without elevation of status and options that were now normal to this current time; housing was definitely different. I inserted the name of Martin Carter and his verse, ‘I come from the nigger yard of yesterday’ and how Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow formed the British Guiana Labour Union (BGLU) for better living standards. It was evident that there was a great divide.

When I challenged the class to tell me who Martin Carter was, no one responded.

I enquired if they knew how long South Ruimveldt and its sister schemes existed. No one could say.

This was a descent into a surreal pedestrian realm, not entirely of these children’s making.

Activities from the school system, parents and the conversations in the home, content on television shaping priorities all are contributing factors to this loss of awareness.

I shifted to Walter Rodney as a Guyanese; I needed to delve into their sub-consciousness. Surely they could not have not heard something about this prominent citizen, and his contributions; it’s just impossible, I concluded.

THE GYAFF By that time, I had coaxed an active, interactive relationship of “gyaff”, so some questions came forward.

“Was Rodney a deportee? He did get deport from somewhere, right?”

“Rodney used to kill people for the government, right?”

“How he died?”

By this time, the class was divided; an almost all-male group had gathered in the first two benches right before me. This was inspiring, though the rest of the class, from the blank, unresponsive stares, had diverted into group conversations, and playing with their phones.

I had about 12 to 14 Fourth Formers who were asking significant questions. Two young men in particular were interested in the whereabouts of the main actors said to be involved in Dr Rodney’s death.

I related that they were all dead. “Then, why was there an inquiry?” I had to explain that Politicians deal with perspectives, and not necessarily the truth.

The final question of that session was: “Do the people involved in inquiries work for free?” I responded in the affirmative, and they asked, “How much?”

I indicated that I did not know the exact amount.

“Over three hundred million dollars,” I said. They were astounded.

One youth who had remained quiet, but attentive, burst out, “What! And sports can’t get a plane ticket!

What!”

THE BREAKTHROUGH I used that as the cue to implore that they pay attention to what’s happening around them: Read the newspapers, and watch the news on TV at times.

I had them write down the names of Dr, Rodney’s books, and urged them to credit his most significant contributions to the world and to his country; his academic contributions.

Fixing the education of the next generation will take unorthodox methods. There should be a History and Guyana month every May, when topics of significant, holistic moulding can be dealt with.

If, as a result of such a programme, 10% of our young do self-driven further reading into charted subjects, the fact is that a ‘History and Guyana Month’ can be an awakening experience for not only students, but for all directly and indirectly related.

This article was written with permission from the Head of the school involved.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

SASOD Film Festival Young man enters final week on the move

SASOD’s 2016 LGBT Film Festival concludes this week with the showing of “Fit”, a film from the United Kingdom.

Produced by the campaigning group, Stonewall, for distribution in secondary schools, and supported by governmental bodies, including the Mayor of London, this film aims to tackle homophobia.

Writer-director Rikki Beadle-Blair does an interesting job of showing that while race and class prejudice seems to be relatively dormant, homophobia is alive and kicking, and that “gay” is the ubiquitous term of abuse.

Following the screening, the festival will close with an interactive session. This activity is a form of creative expression for Spectrum’s attendees to leave their mark of support, messages of hope, and inspiration for a Guyanese society that is more accepting and respectful of sexual and gender diversity.

In this its 12th year, SASOD will be taking patrons on a journey through the years, by displaying the messages of encouragement and hope left by attendees from previous Spectrum film festi-

vals over the past years.

There is no charge for admission to attend the film festival. However, drinks and snacks will be on sale.

In this last week of the festival, the bar will also feature special Spectrum-themed cocktails and mocktails.

All proceeds go towards SASOD’s LGBT Emergency Shelter and Community Centre Fund.

The film festival also offers free, on-site HIV coun-

selling and testing every night, which is supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Advancing Partnerships and Communities (APC) Guyana Project.

The films are intended for mature audiences.

Persons must be 18 years and over to attend. SASOD reserves the right to refuse admission to persons who do not have identification to prove that they are not minors.

HERE’S a sneak peek into the moves of an ambitious, upand-coming videographer, who, in his own words, “intends to change the way music videos are made in Guyana.” An ambitious statement, but 25-year-old local videographer and music video director Kenatta Chester has, in the last two-and-a- half years proven that he is a force to reckon with in the music industry.

Known by most as ‘Director Kenny’, Kenatta has so far placed his signature on well-known local videos such as the Golden Children video (A collaborative effort with videographer/photographer, Jay Carter), Jumo Primo’s ‘157’, and ‘Stamina’ videos, which latter has gained in popularity regionally, and Jackie Jaxx’s ‘Mashannal’ video, as well as her soon-to-be-released and highly anticipated ‘Guyana’ video.

Kennata says that since he started working on music videos, he’s been met with much positive response with regards to the quality of his work.

“People say that the quality is better, and that we are getting on a regionally acceptable level with our music videos,” he told The Buzz.

The young director said that the vision for his music videos usually comes with close collaboration with the artists themselves, as well as detailed research into techniques and

WINNERS ROW ...

From page 18 everything; from family to the education system. I just had to write a story on it.”

H i s p l a y, L a u g h o f the Marble Queen, uses a unique, post-modernist structure to tell two stories which are meant to highlight the importance of history, by showing how colonialism affected contemporary Guyana, while also acting as a commentary on race-relations in this country.

The plight of a modern, poverty-stricken family is juxtaposed with a family of slaves living on a plantation hundreds of years ago. “Like most Guyanese writers, I consider race to be an important literary subject. For the play, I wanted to try and offer some answers, in an attempt to explain where the racial tension in our country comes from, by looking at history.

“I wanted to try and offer an explanation, or an answer, instead of just writing a play that presents the problem; so I used a lot of histori-

cal imagery, symbols, and post-modernist/experimental theatre techniques to do so,” he said.

Laugh of the Marble Queen was staged at the National Drama Festival in 2015, where it became one of the most nominated plays, winning several awards, including Best Production.

While he is grateful for his win, and welcomes the exposure of the competition, Subraj also looks forward mostly to the possibility of having more training and workshops for writers; for copyright laws to be put in place; and for the establishment of proper publishing infrastructure in Guyana.

YERRODIN BOWEN, 25 Yerrodin’s five-piece collection of poems won First Place in the poetry category.

Through his pieces, Black Sheep, Desperate Times, Hold Me Down, Black Woman and Raindrop, Yerrodin explored the topical subjects

of race; the socio-political atmosphere in Guyana; braindrain and love, and they contribute to what Yerrodin refers to as the ‘Comebackie Chronicles’, by sharing his perspective of Guyana as a re-migrant.

Moreover, as a known spoken-word poet, Yerrodin missed participating in local poetry slam competitions, and saw this competition as a means of diversifying his craft. “I like spoken word, and my poetry is usually known for how it’s delivered verbally. But I think there is a lot of meaning that is missed, until you get a chance to sit and read it,” he said.

Choosing pieces for a written competition turned out to be different than what the poet admitted he’d do for spoken word, as the audience is significantly different.

“Spoken word is about hype and trying to get a reaction from people; written poetry is more structured, so I had to appeal to judges rather than to the regular audience I’m accustomed to,” he said.

Yerrodin says that winning the poetry category of the competition was extremely meaningful, because of the milestone it celebrates.

Moreover, it gives his work validation, in that it lets him know that it has quality and worth in the eyes of others, by being chosen as a winner.

“I do think they should have more of these competitions; it gives you chance to have an outlet … But there are a lot of people who won’t go up for spoken word, because they don’t write for that audience; or they are too shy. But if you give people a chance to write and send it in, there are more people who would do that,” he said.

Yerrodin wishes to see poetry programmes taken into schools, so as to garner interest from that level; letting young people know that poetry can serve as an outlet.

He is actually considering establishing a programme in which he can be part of that process in helping young writers to create new work.

Kenatta Chester, aka ‘Director Kenny’

other methods being used both regionally and internationally.

Added to state-of-the-art equipment used during production, the results show music videos that indeed mirror the quality of regional work.

“This is a passion for me; it is certainly a dream. I have worked with a lot of popular local artists, but I don’t tell myself that I have reached the top.

I would say I’m progressing,” Kenatta said, adding that his greatest achievement would be to work with Adele, as he believes that the concepts and style of her videos match his work.

He’s currently working on a few exciting projects, including another music video for Jomo, called ‘Guyanese Summer’.

Without giving away too much, he stated that the video is expected to gain as much regional recognition as ‘Stamina’ did.

Buzzing this weekend LOOKS like the parties are on ‘pause’ until the summer hits, but feel free to visit popular spots like Palm Court, 704 and Gravity Lounge for a drink and some dancing.

Meanwhile, here’s what else is buzzing in the streets for your entertainment this weekend.

TOMORROW Show your support for beloved actor and comedian Henry Rodney at ‘Rokatuks’, a comedy relief show staged in hopes of raising funds for necessary medical expenses, in light of the comedian’s illness. The show will be held at the National Cultural Centre from 20:00hrs. Tickets cost $1,000 and $1,500.

Local Rock Band, Feed the Flames will host a fundraising barbecue in aid of their upcoming trip to Trinidad, where they will represent Guyana.

Barbecue will be served at the Courtyard Mall from 13:00hrs. Tickets cost $1,000.

The Brazilian Embassy in Georgetown is hosting its traditional ‘June Festival’ at the Brazil-Guyana Cultural Centre on Church Street.

The event is a two-part one, beginning at 16:00hrs for children, and at 18:00hrs for adults.

Admission to the event is free. Come out and celebrate the rich Brazilian culture with members of the local Brazilian community.

As “Painting the Spectrum 12”, SASOD’s 2016 LGBT Film Festival comes to a close next week, SASOD will celebrate the success of the festival by hosting its first party in Region 3, dubbed “West Side Pride Party” at the Aracari Resort’s banquet hall in Versailles, West Bank Demerara from 19:00hrs. Admission is free. There will also be free, on-site HIV counselling and testing all night, which is supported by Peace Corps Guyana.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

Jagdeo wants Granger to get tough on corruption PRESIDENT David Granger is being accused of failing to stamp out corruption as promised during the lead up to the May 2015 General elections.

Former President, now Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo at a press conference on Thursday told reporters that the president needs to step up to the plate and deliver on his promise to eliminate corruption.

“The President said he wants to stamp out corruption and …this is a lofty goal,” said Jagdeo, who noted that if President Granger is serious about stamping out corruption he would make public commercial contracts.

He pointed specifically to the settlement between the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) recently over outstanding

monies owed to the Revenue Authority for a number of years.

In April, DDL and GRA reached what was described as an amicable settlement resolving a longstanding dispute over Consumption Tax that began in 2002.This settlement follows an extended legal battle between DDL and GRA arising out of the January, 2009 Consumption Tax assessment levied against DDL by then Commissioner General Kurshid Sattaur.

Jagdeo, just after the announcement of the settlement said that DDL had use of the money for 15 years. “If one were to calculate interest on this sum at a rate of 10 per cent per annum, using only the past 10 years, the liability would amount to $10.6B. The GRA assessment of $5.392B was based on a formula handed down by the court, but yet

DDL refused to pay,” Jagdeo stated.

According to Jagdeo, the settlement also writes off all possible liabilities in respect of Excise Tax up to March 9, 2016. “So if the same situation obtains with regard to the Excise tax between 2006 and 2016, then the liabilities would run into tens of billions more,” he contended.

Jagdeo believes that President David Granger “is living in a bubble because all that is happening in his government runs contrary to what he is saying.” He said if the President is serious about the issue of corruption he would make a “proper pronouncement” on the matter.

“We have been asking who made this agreement. Is the staff of GRA, the board, the Cabinet? …is it not time for him to disclose this agreement too…” said the former

16 years’ jail

…for men who robbed, beat judge, husband

Nicholas Narine

Warren McKenzie

Dameion Millington

THREE men were sentenced to 16 years imprisonment by Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul for the robbery and home invasion of Land Court Judge Nicola Pierre and her husband Mohammed Chan.

Dameion Millington, 22, of Lot 118 Caesar Street, Agricola; Nicholas Narine, 18, also of Caesar Street, Agricola and Warren McKenzie, 22, of Lot 18 Brutus Street, Agricola, were all charged with rob-

bery under arms and felonious wounding of Pierre and Chand.

Millington, Narine and McKenzie were sentenced to eight years for the armed robbery charge and eight years for wounding the duo.

The men broke down in tears when the magistrate told them their sentences would run consecutively.

Prior to the sentencing, the magistrate asked the defendants if they had anything to say; in response, the men denied committing the of-

fences and proclaimed their innocence.

In passing the sentences, Magistrate Ally-Seepaul said she took into consideration the amount of time the men had been on remand and the fact that they have no previous convictions.

The magistrate also considered the evidence which revealed that they were all part of the crime and that they had aided and abetted each other; the serious nature of the offence, since the lives of the virtual

President who made it clear that nothing that his party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) did has come “even remotely close to giving up $60B of revenue.”

That aside, Jagdeo said there is massive corruption within the Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil). He told reporters that former head of GuyOil, Badrie Persaud was sent home to “facilitate widespread theft.”

Jagdeo alleged that there is a “fuel smuggling racket” ongoing at the entity and claims that Ministers of the APNU-AFC government are involved in corrupt activities.

“We know what is going on in GuyOil --- many of the political people they put in Guyoil and some ministerial people have been involved in this racket. They are syphoning off the fuel… everybody knows this—this complainants had been threatened; the high value of the items they stole; the brutality and use of a firearm.

The matter was prosecuted by Attorney Nigel Hughes, who was hired by the office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

On June 17, the magistrate had found two other men not guilty of the crime.

They are Premnauth Samaroo and Anthony David.

The charges stated that on July 9, 2015 at Montrose, East Coast Demerara, being in the company of three others and being armed with a gun, they robbed the victims of a safe containing US$7,000, five wristwatches, a Samsung Galaxy S5 phone, a wedding ring, four Oakley sunglasses and one brown leather wallet, totalling over $ 2.6M. They were also accused of feloniously wounding Pierre and her husband and discharging a loaded firearm at Roy Peters, with intent to maim, disable, disfigure or cause him grievous bodily harm. Pierre sustained a broken jaw and other injuries,while her husband received severe injuries to an eye,which he lost as a result.

is large scale theft,” alleged Jagdeo. He called on President Granger to launch an inquiry into the alleged fuel racket but the inquiry must exclude ministers of the government. “…get an external group to look at it,” he said.

Attempts to contact Minister of State Joseph Harmon for a comment on the allegations proved Additionally, the Opposition Leader said while there were allegations of corruption with respect to the Specialty Hospital under PPP rule, the APNU+AFC government chose to use the PPP evaluation to award a contract to the second ranked bidder for the project. “We then pointed out, no, no, no… the technical evaluation under the PPP had Fedders Lloyd disqualified. Nevertheless they persisted,” Jagdeo reminded, noting that govern-

ment was persistent in single sourcing. “We complained about it, the transparency body here complained about it and President Granger turned a blind eye and he talks about stamping out corruption. It was only stopped when the World Bank disqualified that company,” said the former President.

Indian contractor Fedders Lloyd Corporation Limited, was selected late 2015 by the APNU+AFC Government as the alternate contractor after the previous one, Surendra Engineering Company Limited, was fired in 2014.

Fedders Lloyd was the second most qualified bidder for the US$18M project; however the World Bank has debarred the company from participating in any work between April 6, 2016 and April 5, 2020.

Fmr GRA employee jailed for three years on cocaine charge …fined $1.9M

FORMER employee of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Clive David was sentenced to three years imprisonment and fined $1.9M by Magistrate Fabayo Azore for trafficking cocaine.

David, of Lodge, Georgetown, had pleaded not guilty to the charge, but was found guilty by Magistrate Azore at the end of the trial.

The court heard that between April 9 and 11, at the Georgetown Post Office

Cooperation (GPOC), Robb Street, he had 647 grammes of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking.

According to reports, police attached to the Narcotics Branch, Eve Leary, conducted a routine check on a mail bag bounded for JFK Airport.

As a result of the search, five sealed envelopes containing cocaine were found.

During the trial, Clive stated that he was given the packages with the illegal substance by someone and was promised a payment of US$1000 to post the prohibited substance to the US.

Man flees police after dropping gun Police are investigating the discovery of an illegal weapon which they found on Cemetery Road.

According to a police report, at about 21:00 hrs on June 22, police ranks in ‘A’ Division were on patrol duty on Cemetery Road, Georgetown, when they saw a man dropped a bag and ran away.

A search was carried out in the bag and a .32 pistol was found. Investigations are ongoing.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, June 24, 2016

Bartica-Potaro Road big boost to miners …Broomes says link will open window of opportunities

By Svetlana Marshall REHABILITATION of the Bartica-Potaro Road will open a window of opportunities not only for miners but residents of Regions Seven and Eight, Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes asserted on Thursday.

The main thoroughfare, which will effectively link Bartica to Mahdia, will soon undergo extensive repairs after being neglected for more than 20 years.

Minister Broomes had lobbied the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government to rehabilitate the road, which is in a state of disrepair, long before she had even explored the possibilities of becoming a Minister of Government and was simply a miner. “I took pictures of that road, I wrote about that road, I begged for it to be repaired…I pleaded with the then government to rehabilitate that road but I felt as a miner that it was a deliberate act by that government to remove that link between Bartica and Mahdia,” Minister Broomes told Guyana Chronicle.

According to her, the

The Denham Suspension Bridge at Garraway Stream

government’s announcement is a promising one and a clear indication that it has its people at heart. When the road is completed, she said it will allow residents to have easier access to educational and medical facilities. It was explained that in its current state, persons travel for hours being able to access the Bartica Regional Hospital.

“The rehabilitation of this major road will definitely link towns and forms part of the APNU+AFC’s Policy, a policy that I embrace because the opening of that road will bring hope to hundreds of people, real hope,” Minister Broomes said.

In addition to easier access to mining plots, health and educational facilities,

the minister opined that the rehabilitation of the road will stir up economic activities in communities that line the main thoroughfare. She assured that the Ministries of Natural Resources and Public Infrastructure will continue to work collaboratively for the betterment of all Guyanese.

In a recent interview, the

Public Infrastructure Ministry’s Senior Hinterland Engineer, Naeem Mohamed revealed that most of the critical work will be between 80 Miles and 111 Miles, which is approximately eight miles from the Issano Road junction in Bartica. It was explained that bushes will be cleared, corduroy work will be done and lateritic material will be used to fill in the road.

The Denham Suspension Bridge at Garraway Stream; popularly referred to especially by miners as the Cassandra Crossing Bridge, along the Bartica/ Potaro Road will also be repaired.

Mohamed explained that the bridge is the main one linking Bartica and Mahdia.

“We are currently doing an estimate for the Cassandra Crossing Bridge and examining the best alternative for construction, whether the bridge will be a concrete structure, steel structure and whether it will be a one-span or intermediate span,” Mohamed said.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Annette Ferguson had also explained that a technical team had visited the area and is currently in the process

Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources Simona Broomes

of preparing the engineer’s estimate.

“When that is completed, they will go out for public tendering. When we receive those tenders, (they) will be reviewed and forwarded to Cabinet for ‘no objection’ by route of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB),” Minister Ferguson further explained. In the 2016 budget, $1.702B has been provided for rehabilitation of hinterland roads in Bartica, Mahdia, Ituni-Kwakwani and the Cassandra Crossing Bridge. A total of $400M from the budgeted amount will be used for rehabilitation works on the bridge.

$40M in medical supplies donated to Health Ministry THE Ministry of Public Health was yesterday the beneficiary of a $40M donation of medical supplies from the Hope for the Nation Foundation.

Being new to the field of volunteerism, the organisation is here with the aim of promoting health and fighting diseases. Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings, thanked the foundation for their donation.

“The equipment and supplies donated…will certainly go a long way in improving the delivery of health care services in Guyana,” Dr Cummings said.

Among the items donated were bed-support rails, nasoenetric feeding tubes, syringes, paediatric manual resuscitators and fluid-dispensing connectors.

It was noted that donations

such as these are reasons why the health care system is continuously improving; however, the minister said that improvement of the system is a task which cannot be undertaken solely by the government.

As such, Dr Cummings said the ministry is committed to ensuring that the health needs of all citizens are met. Meanwhile, President of the Hope for the Nation Foundation, Dr Abdel Bari, said this is the foundation’s first token to Guyana, but plans are on stream to assist the poor,provide breakfast for schoolchildren and offer extensive assistance when it comes to boosting the hinterland regions.

According to Dr Bari, “Guyana has great potential of being one of the richest countries, but it can only happen if there is a cohesive approach towards the betterment of society.”

Dr Bari (extreme left) hands over equipment to Dr Karen Cummings in the presence of the foundation’s secretary, Otillo Pereira

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

DVA B division tournament on today THE Demerara Volleyball Association continues to make good on its promise of development, with an upcoming B division tournament which will see new teams, new names and new talent.

The teams expected to take part are: Timehri Airport Males, Timehri Highflyers Males, Plaisance Males, St Cuthbert’s Males, Vanguard Females

and St Cuthbert Mission Females.

Action begins with the first leg on June 24 at the Airport Playfield, Timehri at 17:00hrs and the second leg on July 9 at St Cuthbert’s Mission to decide the winners.

DVA president Mr Trevor Williams expressed gratitude on behalf of the DVA to Mr Ramesh Sunich for coming on board and supporting the development of volleyball in Demerara.

The emerging B Divi-

sion competition provides much needed exposure and competition for new teams in Demerara which in turn gives us all the opportunity to take volleyball right across the expanse of Demerara.

Mr Sunich of Trophy Stall also expressed his delight at being onboard with the DVA as he sees his sponsorship as a way of giving back to the sporting fraternities and looks forward to a fruitful relationship with the DVA.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Friday June 24, 2016) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: 11 centuries Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica (1992)

Today’s Quiz: How many ODIs have been hosted at the Kensington Oval, Barbados to date?

Where and when Australia and SA contested an ODI for the first time?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

South Africa Racing Tips Fairview 08:15 hrs Limpopo River 08:55 hrs Dreamforest 09:30 hrs Temple Rock 10:05 hrs Just Too Early 10:40 hrs Kenton On Sea English Racing Tips Cartmel 09:00 hrs Knight Bachelor 09:30 hrs Ever So Much 10:00 hrs Desoto County 10:35 hrs Rockrobin 11:10 hrs Exemplary 11:40 hrs Altruism 12:10 hrs Robinshill Doncaster 09:10 hrs Turanga Leela 09:40 hrs See The City 10:10 hrs Aberlady 10:45 hrs Haley Bop 11:20 hrs Ruscombe 11:50 hrs Hubertas 12:20 hrs Laila Honiwillow 12:50 hrs Mus’t Grumble Newcastle 13:10 hrs Count Montecristo 13:45 hrs Encore D’Or 14:15 hrs Moueenn

14:45 hrs Nezwaah 15:15 hrs Marbooh 15:50 hrs Misu Mac 16:10 hrs Black Grass Irish Racing Tips Curragh 12:30 hrs Bean Feasa 13:00 hrs Reckless Gold 13:30 hrs Rattling Jewel 14:00 hrs Udogo 14:30 hrs Dawn Missile 15:00 hrs The Major General 15:30 hrs Mutadaffeq American Racing Tips Gulfsteram Park Race 1 Aviatrix Race 2 Untrue Race 3 Grand Nene Race 4 Canarsie Kid Race 5 Norman’s Hero Race 6 Israel’s Dream Race 7 Goodbye Sorrow Race 8 Blings Express Belmont Race 1 River Date Race 2 Game Girl Race 3 Far From Over Race 4 Astropphe Race 5 Front

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

2016 Copa America Centenario Finals

Chile trumps Colombia, to face Argentina

CHILE booked a meeting with Argentina in the final of the Copa America Centenario courtesy of a 2-0 win over Colombia on Wednesday.

Chile have the chance to claim back-to-back Copa America titles after sealing passage to the decider of the Centenario tournament with a 2-0 win over a 10man Colombia.

The defending champion raced out into a 2-0 lead

after 11 minutes in Chicago, courtesy of early goals from Charles Aranguiz and Jose Fuenzalida.

Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado headed a cross down to Aranguiz, who had the simple task of slotting it past David Ospina, before Fuenzalida tapped home from close range after an Alexis Sanchez shot came off the post.

However, as a severe storm made its way to Soldier

Field, the second half of the contest was delayed for over two hours due to the threat of lightning.

The skies finally cleared and action resumed, but wet patches all over the pitch made things difficult for the players.

Colombia worked hard to reduce the deficit but was dealt a huge blow when Carlos Sanchez received a second yellow card in the 57th minute.

... Pekerman furious after exit Chile held on to the win to seal a spot in the final against Argentina - a rematch of the 2015 decider in which the former came out a winner after a penalty shootout.

Meanwhile Jose Pekerman had harsh words for referee Joel Aguilar following Colombia’s loss to

Chile in the Copa America semi-final.

Colombia head coach Jose Pekerman was left fuming with the match officials after his side crashed out of the Copa America Centenario against Chile in their semi-final.

A poor start from Colombia saw them go 2-0 down

after just 11 minutes.

“We have to remember that our bad start cost us two goals, but throughout the game there were many accidents and none of them favoured us,” the Argentine said.

“In that sense, I feel that (the referee) committed certain injustices.”

Rose sent to Knicks (NBCChicago) - THE Chicago Bulls have sent point guard Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks in a blockbuster trade, the team announced on Wednesday.

The Bulls will also send Justin Holiday to the Knicks, along with a second-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

In exchange, the Bulls will receive Jerian Grant, Robin Lopez, and Jose Calderon from the Knicks.

“We felt that (championship) window had come to a close,” Bulls G.M. Gar Forman said in a press conference. “In simple terms, our plan moving forward is that we need to get younger and

more athletic. We need to find players that fit the style of play that Fred (Hoiberg) wants to play.

“In making this trade, we feel it’s the first step in that direction,” Forman added.

In a statement, Chicago Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said that the decision to part ways with Rose was a difficult one.

“Knowing Derrick as I do makes this trade a hard one. Everyone knows him as the local kid who became MVP for his hometown team, but not everyone got to know him like I did. While he is a terrific basketball player, he is an even better person with a tremendous heart,” he

said in a statement.

“I wish him the best of health for the remainder of his career, and I want to personally thank him for everything that he did on the court and in the community during his time with the Chicago Bulls.”

Rose will be entering the final year of his contract next season, where he will make more than $21 million. The Bulls took on a nearly equal amount of salary from the Knicks in the swap, with Robin Lopez set to make $41 million total over the next three seasons (and $13.2 million in 2016-17) and Jose Calderon on the books for one more year at $7.7 million.

Derrick Rose

Boldon questions Blake’s future Vardy snubs Arsenal

(SPORTSMAX) - Trinidad and Tobago Olympic silver medallist and track and field pundit Ato Boldon has expressed doubts Yohan Blake, the world’s second fastest man, will ever be the same athlete he was.

At the peak of his powers Blake, the 2011 100m World champion, was expected to be the man to push and challenge training partner Usain Bolt.

With personal-best times of 9.69 over 100m and 19.26 over twice that distance, coupled with double Olympic silver medals in 2012, it seemed Blake was well on the way to doing so. Then the young sprinter experienced a horrific injury spell and things became less clearcut.

A troublesome hamstring injury in 2013 and more seriously a complete tear of the tendon one year later. The injury not only threatened his career but left the sprinter a shadow of himself.

“There are not a lot of people who have come back better than they were before from hamstring surgery,” Boldon told LetsRun.com.

Once thing the Trinidadian did admit was that the 25-year-old had time on his side.

“I don’t know if we’re going to see the Yohan Blake that we saw in 2011 and 2012 ever again. But I don’t think that he needs that this year to be on the podium. I think that he looks good enough given that he’s coming off of that major surgery and I think he has to like his chances,” he added.

There have been signs that the sprinter is ready to get back on the track to fulfilling his great promise. Two weeks ago he clocked 9.94 at the Racers Grand Prix his best time in three years and opened the season with a 9.95 run.

(BBC) - England striker and Arsenal target Jamie Vardy has agreed a new deal with Premier League champions Leicester.

The Foxes said the 29-year-old, whose goals helped the club claim a shock title success last season, will sign an extended four-year contract.

“Both parties hope this announcement will end recent speculation regarding Jamie’s future,” a club statement said.

Vardy was the subject of a reported £20M bid from Premier League rivals Arsenal before the start of Euro 2016.

That bid activated a re-

lease clause in his contract, with the Gunners offering him a deal reported to be worth £120 000 a week.

Leicester responded with an offer said to be worth £100 000.

Vardy, who joined the Foxes from non-league Fleetwood Town for £1M in 2012, had already signed a new three-year deal with the club in February.

Former Leicester defender Matthew Upson, who also played for Arsenal, said some might view Vardy’s decision as a “strange” one.

“Having played for Arsenal, when that club comes calling, it’s a big decision to turn it down because it

is such a fabulous club,” Upson told BBC Radio 5 live’s Sports Panel.

However, the ex-England centre-half said that Arsenal’s style of play might not have suited his former team-mate.

“When you look at how both teams play, there is such a contrast in style,” said Upson. “Arsenal have a very methodical build-up, they like to play through the middle, on the floor, break lines with passes and are very clever and intricate.”

Leicester, added Upson, played in a way that enabled Vardy to shine and become the star he is now.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

CPL signs Stadium Agreement ICC Champions Trophy back in doubt with Ministry of Education (ESPNCricinfio) The future of the ICC Champions Trophy is back in doubt. It is understood that the tournament is highly likely to be scrapped after the 2021 tournament, in India, and could even be abolished after next year’s tournament, in England, should a new ODI league be introduced from 2019.

The Champions Trophy was originally meant to be scrapped after the 2013 edition, but the huge commercial success of that year’s tournament in England led to it being retained, at the expense of the World Test Championship that had been scheduled for 2017.

However, now the tournament faces being a victim of the ICC’s ongoing review of the structure of international cricket. Under the latest proposals an ODI league, of 13 nations, is being planned from 2019, culminating in a play-off between the leading two sides in 2022.

It is felt that, with an ODI league alongside the World Cup, a third 50-over tournament would be superfluous, adding unnecessarily

to the schedule and risking confusion among casual fans by creating three winners of 50-over international tournaments in the space of 24 months.

Although the Champions Trophy has proved hugely popular, in part due to its condensed nature - 15 matches will be played over 18 days in next year’s competition - the ICC has never been enamoured with having two marquee tournaments in 50-over cricket alongside the World Twenty20, and had planned to scrap the tournament as far back as 2011.

Over seven editions, and despite the concise nature of the tournament, the Champions Trophy has struggled to build up a clear identity. An additional factor is the anticipated return of the World T20 to a two-year cycle.

That proposal is likely to be ratified at the forthcoming ICC Annual Conference in Edinburgh.

As part of the ICC’s proposals for reforms to the schedule of the international game, it is envisaged that structured competitions - ICC global events, and the leagues in Test and

ODI cricket - would take up less than six months a year, creating ample time for countries to organise extra bilateral cricket, such as the Ashes, and for players to participate in domestic T20 leagues.

The commercial implications of scrapping the Champions Trophy are not a great concern. This is because the extra value of a biennial WT20 would more than offset the costs of its removal.

Indeed, it is understood that senior figures from the ICC have recently met with Star Sports in Dubai to discuss the future of ICC events and whether to retain the Champions Trophy.

It is possible that, as part of the negotiations for Star Sports to broadcast the two extra WT20s in this broadcasting cycle, scheduled for 2018 and 2022, they would agree for the 2021 Champions Trophy to be scrapped.

If it was agreed that the 2021 Champions Trophy would not take place, India, the scheduled hosts for that tournament, would be well-placed to host another WT20, in 2022 or 2024, instead.

Caribbean Airlines confirmed as Official Airline Carrier for CPL

CARIBBEAN Airlines is the official airline carrier for the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL T20) 2016 and will be instrumental in connecting enthusiastic cricket fans and teams participating in the events throughout the Caribbean and North America.

As official airline partner, all teams and officials travelling to CPL matches and related activities will travel on Caribbean Airlines flights to and from events.

Colville Carrington, CEO (ag) of Caribbean Airlines stated: “Caribbean Airlines understands the value of sport to the Caribbean and cricket has always been a uniting force for both teams and fans within the region. CPL matches will be held on various days throughout the Caribbean and for the first time, matches will be played in Fort Lauderdale at the Central Broward Stadium from July 28 to 31. CAL is delighted to support this exciting tournament.”

Commercial Director, CPL T20, James Stewart noted, “Once again it is a pleasure to welcome Caribbean Airlines as the Official Airline of the Hero CPL. Getting around the islands of the Caribbean is notoriously challenging and we rely heavily on the friendly and reliable services of our airline Partner.

With the League now hosting games in Fort Lauderdale, CAL will for the first time be taking our players to the USA, and I am sure many fans will be flying the ‘CPL Express’ for the matches there. We are also delighted that once more CAL planes will be carrying the ‘Hero CPL’ logo as they make their way around the Caribbean and North America - the best possible sign of CPL’s significance to the region.”

Caribbean Airlines offers an all-inclusive in-flight experience with complimentary authentic Caribbean meals and signature cocktails. Also, all passengers first checked bag always flies free and economy passengers can pay just U$$30 for a second-checked bag, which is one of the lowest rates in the global airline industry.

GUYANA National Stadium will host four matches in this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Team Operations Manager of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Mr Omar Khan recently met with the Minister within the Ministry of Education, Hon. Nicolette Henry, Permanent Secretary Alfred King and Legal Officer Kelly-Ann Hercules-Payne to sign the Stadium Agreement for the 2016 edition of the CPL. This is the fourth year the Guyana National Stadi-

um will be hosting the CPL. The stadium will feature four big matches on July 7 (Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs), July 9 (Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, July 10 Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders and July 12 (Guyana Amazon Warriors vs St Lucia Zouks).

These four matches will no doubt attract thousands of Guyanese to the national stadium. Guyana is regarded as one of the countries in the Caribbean with the largest cricket fan base.

Following the recently held WICB Tri-Nations Series, the management of the stadium is working along with the CPL organisers to improve the state of the pitch. Already a number of international cricketers are in Guyana preparing for the upcoming competition. The inclement weather has not deterred training as the stadium has the best drainage system in the Caribbean.

While at the Ministry, Mr Khan presented Minister Henry and PS King with Amazon Warriors T-shirts.

Guinness Greatest in the Street East Coast leg

Action climaxes tonight at Haslington ACTION in the Guinness Greatest in the Street East Coast leg will climax this evening at the Haslington tarmac when semi-final and final action get underway.

In the first semi-final, Sparta Boss will take on Wisroc while in the second semi-final Team 25 will go toe-to-toe against the Channel 9 squad. The winners of those respective games will meet in the final later that evening.

Wednesday evening’s first-round matches, Wisroc held North Ruimveldt to a 1-1 draw before winning 5-4 on sudden-death kicks. Wisroc’s scorer was Clarence Huggins (15th)

while North Ruimveldt saw Travis Grant (20th) score their goal.

In game two, Kemo Lawrence (6th) and Dennis Edwards (13th) were on target in Channel 9 Warriors 2-0 victory over Showstoppers while BV-B and Team 25 played to a 1-goal stalemate; the later winning 3-2 on penalty kicks Sparta Boss were the most decisive winners in that round as a strike each from Gregory Richardson (3rd), Dennis Edwards (9th), Sheldon Shepherd (11th) and Roberto Osbourne (14th) helped them beat Stewartville 4-1.

Dwayne Charles (17th) was

Stewartville’s scorer.

In the second round, Wisroc eased past Showstoppers 1-0 thanks to Clarence Huggins (20th) while the Channel 9 Warriors had Joshua Fiffee (4th) and Kemo Lawrence (7th) on target in their 2-0 conquest of North Ruimveldt.

The same scoreline applied to Team 25 as they beat Stewartville Gunners 2-0 with a goal each from Quacey Johnson (2nd) and Keron Smith (20th) while Sparta Boss’ 4-0 result over BV-B saw braces from Devon Millington (11th and 12th) and Gregory Richardson (13th and 14th).

(Stephan Sookram)

Kumble appointed India coach

(BBC) - India have appointed former captain and leg-spinner Anil Kumble as their new head coach on a one-year deal.

Kumble, 45, has no international or first-class coaching experience but is India’s leading Test wicket-taker with 619 wickets in 132 games.

India have been without a head coach since Duncan Fletcher left the role after the 2015 World Cup. Former team director Ravi Shastri has overseen India’s recent World Twenty20 and Asia Cup campaigns.

Kumble previously

Anil Kumble served as the cricket committee chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 2012 to 2016 after retiring from cricket.

A panel comprising former players Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly made the decision to appoint Kumble after an 18-month search.

India won the 2013 Champions Trophy under Fletcher but suffered a 3-1 defeat in their last Test series in England in 2014 and failed to defend their World Cup title.

Under Shastri’s guidance they reached the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 in March, with captain Virat Kohli becoming the ICC number-one ranked T20 batsman.

34

GOA plans week of activities in observance of Olympic Day

THE Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) joined the rest of the world yesterday in celebrating Olympic Day 2016.

In celebration of the 2016 edition, the GOA planned a week of activities in various disciplines which started on June 20 and will conclude on July 3.

It includes an Open Badminton Tournament which started June 20 and finishes on June 26 at the National Gymnasium.

Additionally, Taekwondo saw a Tournament (Poomse and Gyrugi) at the Guyana Teachers Union Hall which started June 22 and will finish today at 17:00hrs.

Cyclists will benefit from a Youth competition scheduled for June 25, while Rugby players will see a Men’s 15s and Women’s 7s games on June 26 from 11:00hrs to 16:00 hrs.

Tennis and Volleyball are also scheduled for June 26, with the former from 09:00hrs to 17:00hrs at the Racquet Centre and the latter at the National Park from 10:00hrs to 16:00hrs.

The GOA’s Triathlon is set for July 2 from 06:00hrs to 08:00hrs at the National Aquatic Centre and precedes the Open Water Swim on July 3 in Linden from 07:00hrs to 08:00hrs.

Rounding out the activities are Karate (Kata and Kumite) and Weightlifting also on July 3, with the YMCA hosting the former from 13:00hrs to 18:00hrs. Weightlifting will be hosted at the St Rose’s Basketball Court, 15:00hrs-17:00hrs.

However, the highlight of the activities will be the annual Olympic Day Run/Walk/Jog on June 26 with the starting point being the YMCA, Thomas Lands at 06:00hrs. All are invited to participate and will receive and Olympic Day T-shirt and certificate signed by the International Olympic Committee president. Teams participating will be awarded monetary prizes and trophies. Those wishing to participate in the Run/ Walk/Jog can contact the GOA for more information.

Olympic Day 2016 was celebrated under the three pillars – Move, Learn and Discover Of the three pillars: ‘Move’ encourages persons of all ages and abilities to be involved in some form of physical activity.

‘Learn’ involves the teaching of Olympic values and providing information on the positive effects of sport on society.

‘Discover’ encourages persons to attempt sports which they have not previously tried.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

FIFA’s RDO concludes successful three-day visit to Guyana FIFA’S Regional Development Officer, Howard McIntosh, concluded a successful three-day visit to Guyana after being involved in multiple meetings with key stakeholders across Guyana, including Lethem and Georgetown.

According to a Guyana Football Federation (GFF) release, the visit which began on Sunday last, saw McIntosh witness the final of the STAG Elite League at the National Track and Field Facility, Leonora.

He also visited Lethem, Region 9, where he met several stakeholders and opened the GFF-NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 Tournament. He was accompanied

by GFF president Wayne Forde.

In brief remarks at the opening of the Rupununi Football Association’s (RFA) leg of the GFF-NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 Tournament on Monday, McIntosh said, “The Rupununi is a gold mine of talent that must be harnessed with urgency.”

He expressed his appreciation to the RFA for the grand welcome extended, which included being serenaded by groups of par-

Launch of RFA-leg of the GFF-NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 Tournament in Lethem. ing football pitches across ticipants displaying mulintegration strategies for Guyana. tiple welcome signs then Present at that meeting hinterland teams into the garlanded by traditional were the Ministry of Ednational programme were ornament. discussed as well as general ucation’s Chief Executive Among the key stakefootball development in the Officer (CEO), Olato Sam holders met during the oneand the Director of Sport, region. day visit to Lethem were On Tuesday, McIntosh Christopher Jones. Addipersonnel from the Guyana and Forde met with repre- tionally, the team held a Bank For Trade and Industry sentatives from the Minis- meeting with the CEO and (GBTI) and Republic Bank; try of Education and the a representative of NAteachers and students from Department of Sport to MILCO to discuss the dethe St Ignatius Secondary discuss the implementa- velopment structure of the School and the Executive tion of a National schools National U-17 tournament. of the Rupununi Football McIntosh departed football programme and Association (RFA).

Guyana on Wednesday. access to land for buildDuring these meetings, development initiatives and

National cycling ‘big guns’ battle for supremacy in Saturday’s time trials WHEN cyclists face the starter at 08:00hrs on Saturday, Guyana’s `big guns’ in the sport of cycling will battle in a race against time, as the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) runs off its national men’s individual time trials around the Mahaicony circuit, East Coast Demerara.

The time trials will be used by the GCF to select local teams to represent Guyana at regional and international meets, hence competitors will be seeking to ink their names with a view of being selected for such meets.

On Saturday, the Junior, Juveniles, Veterans and Elite categories will be contested as the Ladies category was ran off last

Saturday around the same 5.5 miles circuit.

Intense rivalry in all the categories is expected as most of the country’s locally based top wheelsmen (Elite) are currently in tremendous form. Adding to this, local senior cyclists based in the United States have been creating waves on the U.S. circuit.

Unlike last year when the event was staged along the East Coast Highway and which saw the competitors enjoy the assistance of the Atlantic breeze on their backs for most of the four-mile event, this time around, they will have to contend with breeze against their chest for approximately three miles, as the circuit is situated not far

from the Atlantic Ocean and could prove a problem for most of them.

To make matters worse, Saturday’s event is an individual time trial, so there will be no club/teammates to shelter anyone and this will make the event even more exciting.

The cyclist with the fastest time for the event will obviously be named the champion and will have bragging rights for another year.

Last Saturday, United Kingdom-based Guyanese Claire Fraser-Green won the Ladies Individual time trial in a time of 13 minutes .02 seconds, while locally based cyclists Christine Mattehson and Romella Samuels placed second and third respectively.

On the very day (last

Saturday), the GCF ran off the road races for juniors, juveniles, veterans and ladies, Fraser-Green dominated the latter category, winning the four-lap race in one hour, seven minutes .06 seconds. Mattehson and Samuels placed second and third respectively.

Meanwhile, the 70-mile road race for the elite class (Category on to four) cyclists’ will be staged on Sunday around the outer circuit of the National Park beginning at 11:00hrs.

The event is a 30-lap affair which will get underway with a roll start and conclude outside the Guyana Defence Force compound on Irving Street, opposite Sandy Babb Street, Kitty. (Michael DaSilva)

GFF/NAMILCO Flour Power National U-17 league launched

THE Bartica Football Association leg of the GFF/ NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Intra Association Under-17 League kicked off last weekend with three of the four scheduled matches at the Bartica Community Centre ground.

Rising Stars FC needled Millballers thanks to a Paul John 15th minute goal. Wolves United roared to a 2-0 triumph over Agatash United. Leon Chan in the 7th minute and Ryan Richards in the 19th were the players on target for the Wolves.

Potaro Strikers took full points via a walkover from Lazio FC who did not make an appearance while Beacons and Riversview battled to a 1-1 stalemate. Joshua Jones scored for Beacons while Mellon Richardson responded for Riversview.

Matches are set to continue this weekend at the same venue.

Tomorrow, Beacons will come up against Ballers FC with Rising Star taking on Riversview. On Sunday, Potaro Strikers are down to play Wolves United, followed by a match between Lazio and Agatash.

Matches will be played at 14:00hrs and 16:00hrs.

35

GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday June 24, 2016

Ballr Cup Tri-Nations series …

South Africa relaxed ahead of decider

(Windies Cricket) - South Africa bowling coach Charl Langeveldt says his players are relaxed ahead of their must-win game against West Indies at Kensington Oval here on Friday night.

The tourists have been out of action ever since their game against World champions Australia last Sunday was ruined by rain and finished in a no-result.

However, Langeveldt said the downtime had been crucial to their recovery and had allowed them to refocus for the upcoming contest.

“The mood has been great. The two days off have given us a breather,” Langeveldt explained.

“Conditions are warm here so if you practise every day you will get dehydrated and your energy will be low. Our big thing is to keep the energy levels high and to manage the players well.”

South Africa are second on 12 points, four ahead of West Indies, with Australia already having qualified for Sunday’s final.

West Indies won their first encounter with the Proteas in Guyana by four wickets in the first leg in

de Villiers congratulates Pollard during Match 1 of the Ballr Cup Tri-Nation Series between West Indies and South Africa at Guyana National Stadium, Providence on Friday June 3, 2016. (Photo by WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks Latouche Photography) Guyana but were soundly beaten by 139 runs on the second leg at Warner Park

in St Kitts.

On that occasion, the regional side were dismissed

for 204 chasing 344 for victory, and Langeveldt said much would again rest on South

Africa’s bowling group.

“From a bowling point of view we are confident as

an attack, especially the seamers,” he said.

“We have had the odd blip with the no-balls but that’s cricket, you are going to get that. The wides and no-balls have been a big improvement from the T20 World Cup where we were sloppy.”

Langeveldt, a former seamer who played six Tests and 72 One-Day Internationals, said it was important the bowling department continued to develop their craft especially in the shorter formats.

“It (bowling) has come up in leaps and bounds but it still remains a work in progress. In the nets I try to encourage the players to work on their various sets of skills,” said the 41-year-old.

“Hopefully in a few months we will get to a point where everyone has a different slower ball, everyone can bowl a slower ball bouncer, that is the ultimate.”

Langeveldt has special memories of the Oval here, taking a hat-trick in the final over as part of a five-wicket haul, to help South Africa to a dramatic one-run victory over West Indies in an ODI back in 2005.

WICB replaces Lloyd

COURTNEY Browne, former wicketkeeper, coach, and talent manager, will be the new Chairman of Selectors for the West Indies Cricket Board, a media release from the Board said yesterday.

Browne has been on the senior men’s selection panel for almost six years and he has had oversight for selection for the women’s and Under-19 programmes for the last two years while being regional talent manager for the same period.

Before joining the selection teams, Browne served as Chairman for the senior selection panel in Barbados and also as an alternate selector for the West Indies senior men’s team. Before becoming a selector, he was

Browne apponited chairman of selectors

ately and will run for two years. Browne is awaiting his final results following his recent completion of an MBA in General Management/Business Administration. He also has an Executive Diploma in Project Management.

The England-born Barbadian played 20 Tests and 46 one-day internationals for the West Indies over ten years. He was the wicketkeeper.

Courtney Browne

the wicket-keeping coach at the High Performance Centre in Barbados.

Browne thinks that with the increased exposure to matches in various formats “players will now have an opportunity to be seen.”

The comprehensive technical programmes being offered by the WICB “will give players so much more chances to solidify their skill sets.”

The new appointment will take effect immedi-

LLOYD ‘SPECIAL AMBASSADOR The WICB, effective October 1, 2016, will appoint the former Chairman of Selectors, Clive Lloyd, as a special Ambassador.

While in this role, Lloyd will be responsible for be-

ing a spokesperson for the Board at special events in and out of the region.

Lloyd will end his stint in the current role on September 30, 2016. “The time as Chairman was quite rewarding and I am hoping my contribution would have added value to the current system.”

For the period up to the end of that contract Lloyd and Browne will ensure there is a smooth transition and hand-over.

About the new role, Lloyd said, “I made every attempt to serve with distinction and I was pleased to contribute to the game again. I look forward to the new role. The details of that arrangement will be discussed and will be released

shortly.”

The former captain has served the WICB in multiple roles. Among his most noted was captaining the 1975 and 1979 teams to victories in the World Cup. This significant appointment coincides with Lloyd’s 50th anniversary of representing West Indies Cricket. He made his Test debut against India in December 1966.

President Dave Cameron, thanked Lloyd for his service and for the selfless contribution made to West Indies Cricket.

Cameron noted that “we are satisfied that Clive’s upcoming role will serve as another great opportunity to promote the best of West Indies Cricket”.

WICB replaces Lloyd

CPL signs Stadium Agreement with Ministry of Education (See Story on page 35)

Clive Lloyd

(See Story on page 35)

DVA B division tournament on today (See Story on page 31)

(L-R) Permanent Secretary Alfred King watches on as Minister within the Ministry of Education, Hon., Nicolette Henry hands over the signed Stadium Agreement for the 2016 edition of the CPL to Team Operations Manager Mr Omar Khan

Chile Trumps Colombia, to face Argentina

National cycling ‘big guns’ battle for supremacy in Saturday’s time trials (See Story on page 34) Guinness Greatest in the Street East Coast leg

Action climaxes tonight at Haslington (See Story on page 33)

Charles Aranguiz #20 of Chile scores a goal past David Ospina #1 of Colombia during a semi-final match in the 2016 Copa America Centenario at Soldier Field on June 22, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) See story on page 32 Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216.

South Africa relaxed ahead of decider (See Story on page 35)

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2016