Guyana Chronicle E-paper 5-15-2019

WEDNESDAY 15th May, 2019

PUTTING OUT THE SMOKE No.105638

… cigarette importer barred after failing to comply with tobacco law

… several others given until August to get in line with packaging requirements

By Svetlana Marshall AN importer, who has shown scant regard to the Tobacco Packaging and Labeling Regulations, has been barred from selling hundreds of cartons of cigarettes in the local market, Public Health officials have disclosed.

Other importers of tobacco products, who have modified their packages and labels to include graphic health warnings in an attempt to comply with the regulations, have been given up to August 31, 2019 to make all necessary corrections for full

compliance.

In an interview on Tuesday, Ministry of Public Health National Tobacco Control Focal Point, Dr. Kavita Singh, told the Guyana Chronicle that an importer wrote Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence on April 26, 2019 seeking permission for hundreds of cases of cigarettes to be allowed on the local market, though the packages and labels of those cigarettes are in total breach of the Tobacco Control Act. None of the packages reportedly bears graphic health warnings as stipulated in the Act. In the letter to the Public Health Minis-

Woman killed, buried in 17 shallow grave PAGE

… ex-husband leads cops to scene, allegedly confesses to crime

Ministry of Public Health Legal Adviser on Tobacco Control, Kesaundra Alves, displays some of the samples of modified cigarette packages (Samuel Maughn photo)

ter, the company reportedly explained that it had no knowledge of the Tobacco Packaging and Labeling Regulations. It reportedly requested a period of nine months to sell the non-compliant products on the local market but the request has been denied.

“It is in the country, but whatever he (the importer) does with them, I can assure you it wouldn’t be sold on our market because they do not have any graphic health warnings,” Dr. Singh told this newspaper.

Adding that it is a “no, no” for the Public Health Ministry, Dr. Singh said the importer would have to ship the cigarettes back to

GECOM lawyer under scrutiny

PAGE

14

… reportedly passed on information to Shadick without permission

the country of origin or another location or discard of them.

The Tobacco Control Act came into effect in August, 2017 after the bill was passed in the National Assembly in July that year. Part VII of the Act stipulates that prescribed rotating pictorial and text health warnings must be permanently displayed on a minimum of 60 per cent of the top portion of each principal display area of any tobacco product’s outside packaging.

These packages and labels are required to be in English. See page 18

Greenidge appointed Foreign 03 Secretary PAGE

… Roopnaraine, Gaskin re-assigned

2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Mayor calls off statutory meeting –– as town clerk distributes meeting agenda without approval

By Telesha Ramnarine GEORGETOWN Mayor, Ubraj Narine, called off the statutory meeting of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) on Monday because he said Town Clerk, Sharon Harry, printed and distributed the meeting agenda without first sending it to him for approval.

The mayor, upset that this is the third time that Harry is preventing him from exercising his prerogative as mayor and chairman of the meeting, said he will not continue to tolerate such behaviour from the town clerk.

“It is not once, it is not twice; this is the third time

and I gave a warning already,” Narine told reporters in his office shortly after 14:00hrs when the meeting was slated to begin.

Councillors did not show up because they were told via their Whatsapp group that the meeting would not be held. However, City Engineer, Colvern Venture; Solid Waste Management Director, Walter Narine; and Chief Constable, Andrew Foo were seen liming in City Hall’s precincts as they were only informed of the cancellation when they showed up for the meeting.

The mayor and councillors are supposed to be in receipt of the agenda at least

48 hours before the statutory meeting. As such, Narine said he was in office last Saturday awaiting the agenda and learned of councillors receiving theirs even before he was able to peruse it.

“People must understand that this is not an administration meeting; it’s a council meeting. So I am placed there by the councillors to represent them, and I must know, as chairman, what is on the agenda before it is being circulated. I’m no madman to tell Ms. Harry the statutory is off,” the mayor said, adding that he is still hoping the meeting will be held before the end of the week.

the time. I will not tolerate that. If you’re finding excuse for those things, you’re incompetent. We must not throw blame on the equipment.”

Deputy Mayor, Alfred Mentore, said Harry’s actions were disrespectful. “The tail can’t wag the dog; the dog must wag the tail. This matter was deliberated earlier and I think the mayor spared the town clerk any embarrassment at the time.

To continue to not allow the mayor his authority or his prerogative to do what he is supposed to do as chairman is disrespectful.”

Mayor Ubraj Narine at his office on Monday In a letter to Harry about the issue, Narine said he was frustrated and disappointed that the agenda was printed before he could see it. “It seems as though you are taking my words for granted and I am very much displeased about the way you’re acting towards your responsibility.

Please madam, do get your act together and let us carry out the business of this council in the way it should be done,” the mayor wrote.

While Harry attempted to explain that there was an issue with the printing machine, Narine said he would not accept this explanation.

“You cannot find excuses all

OVERSIGHT Meanwhile, the town clerk offered that issues arose with the printing machine which resulted in the administration replicating the agenda late.

“The front page of the meeting is usually given to the mayor for him to have a look at prior to us printing the agenda. Because of the fact that…we had a number of meetings, for some reason, it didn’t go across to the mayor, but the administration went ahead and did the agenda and the mayor, because he had not seen the front page, asked that we not have a meeting,” Harry told reporters in his office on Monday.

Harry said she had a very packed day last Friday and had to attend several meetings, in addition to the ma-

chine not being in working order. “Because of that, your attention had to be at a number of places, and as human beings, errors are made, and that was an oversight on my part.”

“Managers manage dif-

Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry ferently and there are different styles to management. I think that the mayor is of the view that he’s being taken for granted, which of course is not so,” Harry expressed.

While not seeking to cast blame elsewhere, Harry said had she gotten a little reminder by way of phone call on Friday, the document might have been sent over to the mayor.

The statutory meeting was called off because the meeting agenda was printed and distributed without the mayor’s approval

3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Guyana faces unique challenges –– in holding elections following no-confidence vote, says Commissioner Trotman

By Lisa Hamilton

WHILE the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) expects Guyana to hold elections as stipulated by the Constitution, in the case of a no-confidence vote, Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner Desmond Trotman explained that Guyana faces a unique set of challenges.

On Tuesday, Trotman responded to comments of CCJ President, Justice Adrian Saunders who, last Thursday, suggested that the country ought to be prepared for snap elections.

On Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10, the

CCJ heard oral arguments in three consolidated matters which stemmed from the December 21 no-confidence motion in the National Assembly of Guyana.

In one of the matters, the CCJ is to determine whether 34 votes were required to carry the motion of no-confidence in Guyana which will determine whether the country heads into early elections.

At the hearing, GECOM’s Senior Counsel, Stanley Marcus, told the court that once funding is provided, elections could be held by November, 2019 following the revision of the Official List of Voters through houseto-house registration.

However, Saunders stated: “It seems to me that the commission, must, at every stage, put itself in a position where, within a three-month timeframe, it is able to handle an election because that is always possible and if that situation were to occur then the normal strategic plan that you had… would have to be adjusted,” Justice Saunders suggested.

However, Trotman explained that while Guyana would one day like to achieve the same, its challenges are specific.

“The judges aren’t aware of all the nuances on the commission. One of the things they don’t know is that the commis-

sion cannot act in relation to an election until they have money. So it’s all well and good to say that the commission should always be in a position to carry out elections but one of the primary things for the commission to act in relation to the elections is money and the commission is only given money for an election when election is due,” he explained.

Earlier in the year, GECOM had stated that it would require $3.5B to conduct General and Regional Elections and the President had also committed that these funds would be provided to the commission.

Funding from the government is still pending

on the decision of the CCJ. In the meantime, Trotman said GECOM continues to function on existing funds of the secretariat.

“I suspect in some point in time a formal request will go to the Parliament for money for holding elections. We’ve already submitted what is required,” he said.

“I believe that if it is that the CCJ rules against the government that the government will then have to go and ask for money.”

Meanwhile, Trotman stated that GECOM is working towards the commencement of houseto-house registration by the first week of June

Director of Public Service Training within the Ministry of the Presidency, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine

Director of Manufacturing and Marketing within the Ministry of Business, Dominic Gaskin

possible date, to determine its jurisdiction over the case brought against Venezuela. Greenidge was replaced as Foreign Minister

by DR. Karen Cummings, the former Minister within the Ministry of Public Health.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Information explained that Gaskin, the former Business Minister, as Director of Manufacturing and Marketing within

the Ministry of Business, he will be responsible for the enforcement of standards. Under this new portfolio, Gaskin is expected to provide assistance to small producers and access to markets, particularly Eastern Caribbean markets. Gaskin was replaced by Haimraj Rajkumar as Minister of Business.

Dr. Roopnaraine, in his new position, is now

GECOM Commissioner, Desmond Trotman 2019.

He stated that by then, the over 8,000 polling day staff should be fully trained to conduct the countrywide exercise which can run for a long as two-three weeks.

Greenidge appointed Foreign Secretary … Roopnaraine, Gaskin re-assigned CARL Greenidge, the country’s former Foreign Minister, has been appointed Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while Dominic Gaskin has been appointed Director of Manufacturing and Marketing within the Ministry of Business. Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, another former minister, has been appointed Director of Public Service Training within the Ministry of the Presidency.

Director of Public Information, Imran Khan made the announcement on Tuesday on behalf of the Ministry of the Presi-

dency. The new appointments come shortly after the appointment of Joseph Harmon, former Minister of State, as Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency. The former Ministers – Greenidge, Harmon, Roopnaraine and Gaskin – resigned in April as ministers and parliamentarians as result of them being dual citizens.

The Constitution prohibits Members of Parliament from having dual citizenship.

On Tuesday, when the new appointments were announced, it was explained that as Foreign Secretary, Greenidge, will

be responsible for the Department of Frontiers and Territorial Integrity and the Department of Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Under his leadership, the Guyana/Venezuela Territorial Controversy was placed before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to re-confirm the 1899 Arbitral Award after decades of the issue being stalled at the ‘Good Officers’ process. With Venezuela refusing to submit its Counter-Memorial on jurisdiction, Guyana has asked the ICJ to proceed with the holding of oral hearings, at the earliest

Foreign Secretary, Carl Greenidge responsible for training standards at the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service, Guyana Defence Force Staff College, and Guyana Police Force Staff College.

Dr. Roopnaraine was replaced as Public Service Minister by Tabitha Sarabo-Halley while Harmon was replaced

by Dawn Hastings-Williams – the new Minister of State.

4

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

More Venezuelan lawmakers cited for treason CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela’s top court accused four opposition lawmakers of treason on Tuesday, following similar accusations against 10 legislators this month, escalating a deep political crisis in the South American country.

Security forces had earlier prevented lawmakers from entering the legislature for Tuesday’s session, saying they were investigating the possible presence of an explosive device inside the building.

The Supreme Court, in a statement posted on its Facebook page, accused lawmakers Carlos Paparoni, Miguel Pizarro, Franco Casella and Winston Flores of treason and inciting rebellion. The accusations marked the latest step in a crackdown

by President Nicolas Maduro on allies of opposition leader Juan Guaido following a failed effort to spur a

military uprising in April.

“This simply gives us more strength,” Flores told Reuters, calling the Supreme Court’s accusations “illegitimate orders from the dictator.”

Last week, one opposition lawmaker was arrested and several took refuge in foreign embassies in Caracas or fled the country after similar accusations from the court.

Flores said he would make an “emergency” trip to Uruguay to denounce the wave of accusations against Venezuelan lawmakers to the parliament of the Mercosur trade bloc, where he is also a representative, in Montevideo. In a tweet, Pizarro called the court ruling “an illegal sentence that seeks only to generate fear to shut us up.”

Reuters was unable to obtain comment from the other legislators. Opposition leaders in recent

weeks have called such charges an effort by the ruling Socialist Party to shutter the legislature. The Trump administration strongly condemned this month’s detention of Edgar Zambrano, the vice-president of the legislature.

Guaido, leader of the opposition-controlled Assembly, in January invoked Venezuela’s constitution to assume an interim presidency, arguing Maduro’s 2018 re-election was illegitimate. More than 50 countries have recognized him as the country’s rightful leader, and say the assembly is its last remaining democratic institution.

“This is a dictatorship that goes after dissidents, and we are fighting for a political change,” lawmaker Juan Pablo Guanipa told Reuters, referring to the blocking of congress.

May to launch new push on Brexit deal next month LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May will launch another push next month to approve Britain’s exit from the European Union before the summer break, setting a new deadline for her Brexit plan and a potential timetable for her own departure.

Nearly three years after the United Kingdom voted 52% to 48% to leave the EU, politicians still disagree about when, how or even if the divorce will take place.

Brexit had been due to take place on March 29, but May was unable to get her divorce deal ratified by parliament, which rejected the so-called Withdrawal Agreement three times, and now the date is set for Oct. 31.

In a change of tack, her

spokesman said she was now planning to put forward a Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which implements the terms of Britain’s departure, in the week beginning June 3 to try to secure Brexit before lawmakers go on summer holiday.

“It is imperative we do so then if the UK is to leave the EU before the summer parliamentary recess,” the spokesman said after May met opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as part of talks to secure his party’s support for the bill.

“We will therefore be bringing forward the Withdrawal Agreement Bill in the week beginning June 3,” he said, citing the same week as U.S. President Donald Trump’s state visit to Britain.

Saturday 11, May, 2019

02 13 16 21 25 26 06

G

25, 23, 21, 16, 14

2, 4, 8

7, 4, 0

01, 05, 07, 12, 16

10, May, 2019

05 09 16 17 19

5

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Rowley to visit Europe, US

– to talk with oil companies PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley is to visit Europe and the United States for talks with oil companies, and he urged opposition legislators to put aside partisan politics and hope for a fruitful outcome of the deliberations as Trinidad and Tobago seeks to improve upon its economic situation.

“I leave here at the end of the month. I go to Holland to meet Shell; I go to London to meet BP; I go to Houston to meet EOG and Shell, and I am doing that.

Just wish us well,” Rowley told a late-night sitting of the Parliament debating the MidYear Review for fiscal year 2019, presented by Finance Minister Colm Imbert.

Rowley told legislators that his administration did not panic when the oil

company, BPTT, issued a statement over the weekend indicating that disappointing results “have had a material impact on our forecasted production especially in 2020 and 2021.”

But Rowley, just like Imbert before, dismissed the “unwarranted negativity” that followed the BPTT announcement by certain sections of the media and the opposition.

“This government is not panicked in treating with the business of Trinidad and Tobago. We make decisions.

BP is up the east coast, they drilled…close to Tobago.

Two of those wells were unsuccessful,” and that the contract required more exploration.

“What do we do? Force them to drill more exploration wells in the formation that were not showing good

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley

prospect. No we did not do that. We said we are the government we could make decisions for these people and we said you drill in the area where the formation was showing positive prospects and they have done that.

“And today we are in a much better place than we were when two wells were not successful,” he said, adding that he had visited the east coast last week, and had seen first-hand the present situation.

Greek billionaire in ‘ganja’ fix in St Kitts

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – A Greek billionaire and heir to the Coca-Cola fortune remained in police custody here on Tuesday after making an appearance in court following his arrest on drug-related charges last Thursday.

Alkiviades “Alki” David, 50, was arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Unit at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport after a search of his private jet uncovered more than EC$1.3 million (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) worth of cannabis on board.

David was charged for

possession with intent to supply, possession of controlled drugs and importation of a controlled drug, was originally released on EC$30,000 cash bail and ordered to surrender all his travel documents and report to a police station daily.

But following his court appearance on Tuesday, his bail was increased to EC$300,000, and bail conditions changed due to new evidence submitted by the police. The media were barred from entering the court building, and some media houses here are reporting

that David’s lawyers were seeking an urgent sitting of the High Court.

During a news conference on Monday, David claimed the plants on board his private aircraft were “all hemp”, and were intended for a new venture to start a legal cannabis business in the region.

He and Chase Ergen, the heir to a satellite fortune, announced in April that they formed a consortium aimed at developing the cannabis business in St. Kitts-Nevis, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda.

Pupils witness teacher’s stabbing at school A TEACHER was beaten and stabbed in a classroom at a primary school in Arouca on Monday.

Police said the 26-yearold suspect, armed with an ice pick, walked into the compound of the St. Pius Boys’ R.C. Primary School at around 2p.m. He entered the classroom where the female teacher was on duty. The man slapped the 45-year-old teacher and then stabbed her about the body, police said.

The incident occurred in full view of her pupils.

Investigators said the incident was not related to the teacher’s duties.

The teacher and the suspect are involved in an ongoing land dispute, the Express was told. The injured woman was taken to hospital by her colleagues who were alerted by her screams.

THE SUSPECT ESCAPED.

Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) confirmed the incident, and appealed for increased security at primary schools.A TTUTA official said the school was locked down, and the police were called in.

Ministry officials visited the school on Tuesday.

The TTUTA representative said pupils will undergo counselling sessions, as they

were traumatised by the incident. “There is one security guard at the school, and he could not accompany the man, who came as a visitor to the principal’s officer.

The man walked in and found the teacher’s classroom, and attacked her in full view of her students,” she said.

Police have not yet detained the suspect. (T&TExpress)

6

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Love for country THE role of the diaspora in the nation’s development cannot be overlooked or underestimated. From their direct recorded input to the gross domestic product, through remittances to the un-recorded sum sent when someone is visiting, barrels, home construction and other services, their presence is felt, though not quite quantifiable.

The presence of this group in our everyday lives is often for the better. In addition to the utilisation of social media, where daily interaction is made with resident Guyanese and keeping abreast with local development,

many actually play a role on the ground in providing needed services to the community, and bringing new ones. The advantage this group brings to the nation’s development is that residing in what is considered more developed societies, they retain an abiding interest in ensuring those at home share or benefit from similar experiences. And such desire is a broad spectrum.

For instance, children of Guyana are happily engaged in the inter-disciplinary approach to learning via the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) project. This project, reportedly the brainchild

of a United States-based Guyanese family, has the support of First Lady Sandra Granger. Another diasporic group is also engaged in a new approach to learning and proposes to do it one school at a time. The “Blossoms of Guyana” is reportedly utilising unconventional approach (marrying of books and computers) to learning, with the aim of developing our schools and improving the lives of children at orphanages around the country.

The two cases cited are not the full representation of the interest and commitment to the development of Guyana and Guyanese the diaspora

has shown. What these and countless others represent is that though physically removed from the country, persons’ hearts have never left. In this regard, there is much to be thankful for.

Such input could also signal the importance of establishing a database for those in the diaspora who are so willing to register, allowing for their scope to make known, through structured approaches, the goods and services that can provide country and how through partnership these can be addressed.

The proposed approach is not intended to deprive the diaspora of the evident

freedom of interest and allocation of time and resources, but to make full use of the meaningful role they continue to play. This is another form of investing in Guyana outside of the traditional services GO-Invest offers.

With a one- stop database/ registry where locals can too make known the unique needs in their communities, and where such is made accessible to the diaspora, in addition to determining what they can do to help, they may be able to tap into their networks to provide other needed services.

The talents, skills, experiences, resources, interests and network of the diaspora are more diverse than obtained in our society, given their spread across the globe, opportunities available, and the connections created overtime. Establish-

ing synergies between the two communities could go a far way in putting Guyana in good stead. And while, truth be told, there is admiration for the other, this is not without some element of peculiarity on the part of both. One such is where it is felt that the diaspora thinks it is all-knowing, always condemnatory, and wanting things done on their terms.

For the diaspora, they may view those remaining not aggressive enough in doing what ought to be done and engaging in time-wasting.

It is said that the grass always looks different from the other side, but these quirks are mere human frailties and should not hinder what has sustained and united us over the years, which is love for country and wanting the best for ourselves.

The Sean Oris are living in another time and place Dear Editor

SEAN Ori – is that his real name? Maybe.

However, if it is, then his latest piece of absolute miasmic garbage can only cause those who know him, the objective and clear-minded ones, to heap on him dismissive laughter and advise that he visit a psychiatrist.

Editor, I respect individuals’ rights to whatever their points of view; but the kind, such as Ori’s “APNU+AFC afraid to face electorate,” can only be described as a reflection of a comprehensive liar, or a mentally ailing mind. The fact is that, whichever the two – it must be exposed and shown no mercy because of the great falsities intended. For I declare, without any compunction, that I am an implacable foe against lies for political mileage, since its potential for subversion of the truth, and damage to national reality, can have untold consequences. It is against this background that I now respond to Ori’s deceptions, lies and attempt at misinformation.

Beginning with the dangerous lie, that the coalition is afraid to face the poll, has to be the view of a dangerous mindset, a mischief-maker, and a politically bunkered person. For why would the current government avoid/be afraid of the polls, once it

becomes constitutionally due in 2020, or even in the instance if the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) overturns the Guyana Court of Appeal decision?

Of course, its four-year-in-government performance, in terms of what it has achieved for the socio-economic rehabilitation and advancement of the nation and its peoples, is testimony to its performance that has impacted the lives of thousands of Guyanese in hundreds of communities throughout Guyana. And this is even in locales that are PPP/C supported. Ori must be reminded, that the government is in no way a ‘‘bit confused as to why people are not rushing to congratulate them,” as he was bold to contend in asinine fashion. Its satisfaction lies in the public declarations of citizens, reporting the relief to their lives, by solving of their particular problems.

This government never came to office for political vaudevilles. It was elected to serve the people, and its daily programme of governance, inclusive of the “Bringing the Government to the People”, illustrates why it has had no such time for evil ends such as being vindictive to critics and opponents alike; plotting mischief and slandering perceived opponents in the state-owned media, as was practised by the PPP/C administration.

The current initiative has continued to re-

veal why this country was never able to fulfil its rich potential under PPP/C rule, despite the latter’s access to so much financial and other resources, which it shamelessly pillaged in what is now infamously known as the episode of the criminal state. One notes that Ori attempts to deny such wholesale corruption, existing as part of the former administration, by questioning about the evidence to support such a contention. I can only say that one does not dignify such barefaced and dishonest denial by a citizen, who apparently supports such high state criminality committed by a government.

This administration is about finding solutions to the problems that had made for gross disaffection and dissatisfaction, particularly among the working class -- the category of citizens which the PPP/C has always claimed to love, but which suffered criminal neglect. It is a many-sided task, gigantic in scope, which is about restoring belief in those neglected citizens, and hope in a country that their children and grandchildren must inherit for future living.

It is every government’s duty to work towards improving the lives of its citizens; and there have been many commendations from those whose daily lives have been impacted by the good efforts of the coalition.

And what better example has this been, than

through the current cabinet initiative that has brought relief even to PPP/C communities.

Surely, this must have been too much of a discomfort and fear for the Sean Oris of Guyana, who continue to see their devious slate of wicked denial and racism being taken down by practical results which continue to make Guyana a better place for all.

Finally, Ori should be reminded that his former government was not about job- creation, or about the empowerment of especially our young people for gainful employment. The fact that there had been a 45% unemployment rate speaks of an administration that catered only for their cronies, family and friends. One need not emphasise the numerous empowerment programmes that have begun to materially benefit thousands, inclusive of women.

Such an initiative has also been extended to those sugar communities, to which the criminally selfish political ends of the PPP/C had caused so much suffering. In fact, Ori, if he has testicular fortitude and any semblance of moral decency, should go to Freedom House and demand an account of PPP/C administrative policies of the once national giant named SUGAR. Regards Carla Mendonca

7

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Gail Teixeira’s hypocrisy Dear Editor, PLEASE permit me space in your newspaper to respond to a letter from Ms. Gail Teixeira asking how an ordinary citizen, a Berbice farmer like Compton Reid, could have raised the cash to hire a number of prominent attorneys to fight the government’s post-no confidence case at the Caribbean Court of Justice(CCJ).

Well Ms Teixeira, your political hypocrisy has to be exposed and quickly so.

Neither you nor anyone in the PPP asked similar questions as to wherefrom did Mr Cedric Richardson raise the millions to send a team of similarly high-priced lawyers to Trinidad, while they

tried to get that court to rule that former President Bharrat Jagdeo was entitled to a third term in office.

Ironically, we had all thought that the constitution on this particular issue was clear as crystal: no more than two terms. Yet those close to Jagdeo used the name of a former Finance Ministry employee of Mr. Jagdeo’s time at that ministry, as the person filing the petition before the CCJ. As far as many of us know, this is normal legal practice that is neither immoral, unethical or most importantly, illegal. To its credit, the media tracked Mr. Richardson down to his home in West Ruimveldt and also learned that he was once Mr. Jagdeo’s driver in his early days at the Minis-

try of Finance. For the PPP, using Mr. Reid’s name as a petitioner is a horribly bad idea, but not so for Mr Richardson, because a God-appointed party of angels had decided that this is the way to go.

I am therefore appalled that a seasoned politician like Ms Teixeira could take the time to write a letter asking about Mr Reid’s ability to hire lawyers to fight the Guyana leg of the no-confidence cases, as well as that at the CCJ. Her letter and her mindset remind me of those rabid Republican politicians in the US. Mr Trump and others in the Congress had railed against President Obama occasionally playing golf during brief peri-

Media abuse cloaked in journalism

Dear Editor

IS it not strange that, almost at the virtual ending of the Caribbean Court of Justice(CCJ) hearing of the People’s Progressive Party(Civic) appeal against the Guyana Court of Appeal decision that invalidated the December 21 passage of the no-confidence motion against the coalition administration, that the Stabroek News is now casting itself in the role of castigator via what can be described as both a political caricature and lampoon – Reference Politikles, Cartoon May 10, 2019.

This is not surprising, since it further underlines the political hypocrisy of a media house that has been shamelessly a part of the media attack on the government, giving full coverage to the phalanx of “constitutional experts,” whose daily socalled “scholastic interpretations’’ of the constitution served to incite, rather than add any clarity to the existing circumstances. It is a period of journalism in this country’s media history that will long be remembered for its wilful plot, in concert with the PPP/C to remove

a duly elected government from office, against a now irrefutable recorded background of political treachery.

Surely, the Stabroek News would have long been aware that persons who held dual citizenship would not be eligible for seating in the nation’s parliament, a fact enshrined in the Constitution; reminded by the High Court’s ruling; reinforced by the Court of Appeal, and sure to be finally affirmed by the CCJ, whenever it delivers its judgment, since it is a central part of the matter of Charandass Persaud’s vote against the government. In fact, one would have noticed that this vested interest news house, studiously avoided, any discussion in its pages, especially by opinion pieces on the dual citizenship aspect of the no-confidence motion, in the immediate aftermath of the December 21, National Assembly vote. But this line would have been taken, in deference to the leader of the opposition, lest it contradicted his dishonest strategy that had been employed in the matter of the no-confidence vote.

It is interesting though, that it had to be certain about the CCJ’s views on this issue,

gleaned from the judges’ many statements, before deciding to indulge in what is both a lampoon and caricature, of very bad taste, as a matter of rebuke on both the President and the leader of the opposition.

Editor, one accepts that among the many functions of media is its ability and role in educating the readership. And even though the use of cartoon is universal for such a process, and for the lighter side of poking fun at the highlighted parties, it is the manner and style for so doing that determines its taste and acceptability, in the realm of proper media report practice.

Therefore, to indulge in the kind of language used, as illustrated in the extant cartoon, leaves much to be desired; since it is understandably nasty, disrespectful, and above all, opportunistic. This is a clear case of MEDIA ABUSE CLOAKED IN JOURNALISM. It must be rejected, as it is a further descent into the discredited calibre of national journalism which has become the order of the day.

Regards Earl Hamilton

ods of downtime, or with visiting foreign dignitaries.

Now the records are clearly showing that Mr. Trump in less than three years in office has spent more time on the golf course than

Obama in his two terms in office. Like Ms Teixeira and the PPP, the Republicans in the house and Senate find absolutely nothing wrong with this, simply because it is their guy com-

mitting what everybody else sees as a wrong. What a mindset Mr Editor, as I rest my case.

Regards Winston Mars

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Poor hygiene alarmingly high at food establishments -- Government Analyst Food and Drug Department survey finds

By Svetlana Marshall

THE storage and preparation of food in the city and other parts of the country leave much to be desired, according to a recent Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) survey.

The survey found that a high percentage of food establishments are practising poor hygiene and poor storage in their preparation of foods, thereby putting consumers at risk of falling ill.

taken and submitted for microbiological analysis. Micro-organisms of interest were E.coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus,” Cole further explained.

The inspection checklist assessed six areas: food storage, cold storage, food preparation, sanitation, garbage disposal and employee hygiene.

Based on the survey conducted from September 2018 to March 2019, only 25 per cent of the facilities practised adequate food storage, while 34 per cent of the facilities had satisfactory

that there was adequate external garbage disposal present in 73 per cent of establishments, but only 56 per cent had adequate temporary internal garbage disposal. With regard to employees’ hygiene, only 20 per cent practised hand- washing correctly, and in 42 per cent of the establishments, workers used no hair nets.

percentage of unsatisfactory foods may be as a result of cross-contamination.

Cross-contamination, the director of the Food and Drug Department explained, can stem from unsatisfactory food-storage conditions, unsatisfactory thawing practices, inadequate cleaning or sanitising of food-contact surfaces and

An improper dry storage

giene was generally adequate, except for the practices employed after hand-washing which may have led to re-contamination of the hands. This ultimately called into question the knowledge of food handlers on the correct method employed to effect proper hand-washing and the availability of adequate hand-washing facilities,” he said.

estimates on the burden of food-borne illnesses suggest that 77 million persons fall ill annually as a result of foodborne illness, with approximately 9, 000 deaths and of those, 31 per cent or approximately 2000 are children, five years and under,” he explained.

In Guyana, a 2009 Burden of Illness study, estimated the occurrence of approximately

An improper cold storage

This photo was captured at one of the 55 food establishments. According to the Food and Drug Department, the condition seen in the photo promotes cross-contamination

Improper garbage disposal

This is how cooked food was stored in one of the establishments; the Food and Drug Department has dubbed it as “improper.”

GA-FDD released the statistics on Tuesday following a six-month survey, which ended in March, 2019. In making the disclosure, Director of the Food and Drug Department, Marlan Cole, explained that the survey covered 55 randomly selected food service establishments in Region Four, between Georgetown and Timehri; and Region Six, between New Amsterdam and Corentyne.

The survey was intended to determine levels of compliance of the food service industry with existing sanitary regulatory requirements.

“Operating procedures in the establishments were assessed using an inspection checklist and samples were

cold storage. Seventy-eight (78) per cent of the food establishments had no functioning temperature monitoring device (thermometer).

“In regard to food preparation, only 18 per cent effectively protected the food from contamination, whilst a mere 11 per cent practised meat thawing safely. Food handlers in only 13 per cent of establishments used gloves. As it relates to sanitation, only four per cent of the establishment’s workers were observed applying the correct principles of cleaning and sanitising [dishwashing)]” Cole detailed.

The Food and Drug Department Director, however, noted that the statistics show

Microbiological samples were taken of the food; from workers hands (swabs), from food-contact surfaces, from food-service containers, and air quality.

ALARMING “Of the 99 food samples submitted, 37 per cent was unsatisfactory and of the 102 hands of workers that were swabbed after washing, 47 per cent were unsatisfactory,” Cole reported.

With regard to food-contact surfaces – cutting boards and utensils – 30 per cent of the 125 surfaces swabbed after cleaning and/or sanitising were unsatisfactory.

Forty six per cent of the 48 food-service containers (food boxes) sampled were unsatisfactory. The air quality in the majority of establishments was generally satisfactory, since 95 per cent of the 64 air-quality samples taken were satisfactory.

It was noted that the high

workers’ hands.

“High microbial contamination of food-contact surfaces and the hands of workers can be as a result of the incorrect or inadequate methods used to clean and sanitise workers hands and food-contact surfaces. Food handlers were generally unaware of the difference between the process of cleaning to remove dirt and sanitising to kill bacteria,” Cole said.

UNCOVERED BINS Additionally, he said inadequate temporary garbage disposal (uncovered bins) inside processing areas may suggest why insect infestation (flies and cockroaches) was observed in many food-service establishments.

The Food and Drug Department Director said too that garbage disposal in proximity to the processing area(s) may also result in cross-contamination.

“Lastly, employees’ hy-

The hands of a chef

The survey was conducted by analytical scientific officers attached to the GA-FDD’s Food Laboratory in collaboration with food inspectors of the GA-FDD, public health officers’ from the city and municipalities, environmental health officers (EHOs) of the region and port health officers.

It was noted that in 2015, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that 1 in 10 or approximately 600 million persons fall ill each year after consuming contaminated food, with approximately 420,000 deaths.

Children aged five and under account for approximately 30 per cent or 125, 000 of those deaths. Cole said the WHO estimates suggest that more than half or 550 million illnesses result from diarrhoeal disease.

“In the region of the Americas, the Caribbean included,

131,012 cases of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) or diarrhoeal illness annually and each person in Guyana experiences at least one episode of diarrhoea each year.

The findings of the survey were shared with members of the National Food Safety and Control Committee Meeting on Tuesday, May 7, 2019. Members of the Council are expected to take the detailed results and findings to food-service establishments that fall under their purview, and either work collaboratively with proprietors to ensure compliance with sanitary regulations, or to take appropriate action in the very best interest of consumer protection and safety. Cole has assured that analytical scientific officers will continue to expand this exercise to other regions and municipalities.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

New variety of rice being studied –– GRDB working to introduce rice/wheat flour

SOME 3,000 breeding lines are currently being studied seasonally at the Burma Rice Research Station, the research arm of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB).

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, during the first crop, over 17,522 bags of seed paddy were produced at the facility.

The varieties planted included GRDB 10, GRDB 15 and G98-196 among others.

The GRDB 15, a longgrain variety which was released in 2018, continues to receive good reviews from farmers, and has been described as ‘excellent’ in field conditions.

It accounts for some 20 per cent of paddy cultivation during the first-crop.

The research station, as the authority, works to ensure that farmers have access to quality seed lines which can withstand the

changing climatic conditions, and at the same time improve yields.

GRDB Deputy General Manager, Allison Peters said the research station currently has 16 promising new breeding lines being observed in field conditions in all rice- growing regions.

She explained that this is being done in replicated yield trials to ascertain its superiority over the existing varieties. In addition to these trials, the researchers are also working on another 99 promising breeding lines.

Further, she said that 14 aromatic breeding lines are currently in the advance stage of testing. The GRDB) hopes to be able to release a new aromatic variety from these trials to farmers.

For 2019, Peters said the Board plans to produce approximately 100 tonnes of basic seed, which will

be multiplied within the industry by seed growers, along with the other certified seeds produced at the station.

The deputy general manager hinted at the Board’s plan to have a candidate variety identified by the end of the second crop this year.

Once identified, she said, the candidate variety will be tested in farmers’ fields countrywide for a period of at least two crops, so as to determine its ability to be released as a new variety.

RELEASE Once successful, the new variety will be ready to be officially released by the end of 2021 or the first crop of 2022.

The Board is also working with international institutes such as the Latin American Fund for Irrigated Rice (FLAR) and the

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and has sourced some 300 new rice germplasm lines which will be used in its multiplication programme.

This year, the Board will also be looking at over 100 crosses of breeding lines which possess the ability for high-grain yields, aroma, salt tolerance and other improved quality traits.

“The Board continues to offer high-quality seeds to farmers to assist in quality production of paddy in farmers’ fields. We have heard the farmers’ pleas for high-quality seeds, and are continuously working on improving the quality of our seeds,” Peters said.

The deputy general manager said that over the years, the Board has been looking at ways to improve services through the strengthening of its research arm.

She said that the introduction of new lines, which are flood, drought and salt-tolerant, and the resources/advice required for dealing with existing and emerging pests and diseases are high on the rice station’s agenda.

This year, she said, work will commence with the assistance of MARDI (Malaysian Rice Development Institute) to introduce three new varieties, catering especially to salt tolerance, higher yields and a new aromatic variety for farmers.

It must be noted that some 15 varieties of paddy were released by the GRDB during the period 1997 and 2018.These varieties have resulted in significant increase in productivity over the last decade, moving production from 3.8 tonnes per hectare (equivalent to 24 bags per acres) in 2000, to 5.8 tonnes (which

GRDB Deputy General Manager, Allison Peters amounts to 37 bags per acre ) in 2018. With the introduction of the new lines, it is expected that farmers will be able to receive higher yields.

Additionally, it was noted that the GRDB is also working on the development of value-added products such as blended rice/wheat flour, the introduction of new management techniques for the management of red rice, and new insecticides to ensure pest and weed control.

Shaheed Orphanage gets computers for refurbished lab MINING company, Tesouro Resources, on Monday, made a donation of seven computers to the Shaheed Girls Orphanage in support of the re-establishment of an Information Technology (IT) laboratory at the orphanage.

The orphanage reopened to a new building last month after the original building was gutted by fire last October.

The donation marks Tesouro’s continued longstanding relationship with the Shaheed and many other orphanages. The company had made an initial donation of computers to the orphanage last year May; however, everything in the building was destroyed in the October fire.

By donating the

Tesouro Resources General Manager, Jaswick Williams (left), hands over the systems to CEO of the orphanage, Raheema Rahaman, as Consultant Roshan Khan, looks on (Delano Williams photo)

systems which together cost some $650,000, Tesouro saw it fitting to see that the orphanage’s information technology laboratory is restored.

Te s o u r o G e n e r a l Manager, Jaswick Williams, handed over the units to the orphanage’s consultant, Roshan Khan, and Chief Executive Officer, Raheema Rahaman, at its Oleander Gardens location.

Also representing Tesouro was Human Resources Officer, Arlington Samuels, and Procurement Officer, Esan Sekou.

Aside from the seven computers, a printer was also donated to the laboratory and chairs were provided for the computer stations.

“We have been in partnership with this orphanage as well as several other orphanages for some time now. We have

a very strong partnership with this one, especially, so we saw the need to help them to this regard.

Last year, we challenged them to come up with a project for approximately $1 million and what we wanted were projects that were sustainable and this was extremely beneficial to the children,” Williams said.

Williams noted that it has been some five years now that the company has been working with the administrators of the orphanage, continuously making donations of clothing, footwear, food stuff and other educational materials.

The orphanage currently provides for some 18 girls between the ages of four – 17.

Rahaman called the donation “timely” and thanked the company for its continued benevolence.

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Woman freed of murder charge

Oliver and Nazeema Permaul during a court appearance (file photo)

By Tracey Khan NAZEEMA Permaul breathed a sigh of relief after she was freed of a murder charge relating

to the death, in 2017, of Lilawattie Mohammed, a domestic worker of Tain Settlement, Corentyne.

Permaul was one of three women charged with the

capital offence She spent over two years behind bars and was finally released after her lawyer applied to the High Court to have her committal

squashed.She was released on May 3. She maintained her innocence and said the past two years were dreadful.

The mother said she almost lost one of her children who attempted to harm herself because of the shame the situation brought to her family. Her husband, Oliver Permaul, was also charged with Mohamed’s murder and remains behind bars with

two other men.

Permaul believes being freed was a second chance to get her life back on track and mend her broken family.

She is maintaining a low profile and she awaits the court’s decision regarding her husband’s fate.

In the High Court, Justice Simone Ramlall said the magistrate was wrong to find that a sufficient case was made to put the woman on trial.

She was represented by Attorney Murseline Bacchus, who quoted a number of authorities both local and overseas and cited a number of deficiencies in the prosecution’s case.

The victim, 45-year-old Mohammed, a mother of four who worked tirelessly to help herself and family was shot at point-blank range and killed by bandits who invaded her home and demanded cash. It was after telling the men that she had no money that they shot her in the face, before escaping.

However, investigators later revealed that the motive was not robbery but jealousy. It was reported that businesswoman Indira Outar allegedly placed a hit on the woman’s life after suspecting the domestic worker was having an affair with her now ex-husband. She was

Lilawattie Mohammed

freed of the murder charge in 2018.

The men who were hired for murder were allegedly promised $4M, but received only $400,000. Before the remainder of the money could be paid to them, investigators cracked the case after one of the men allegedly confessed and led them to his conspirators who were soon after charged.

Jamaican national Rohan Johnson called ‘Jamacie’ Andre James called “Tattoo man”, Permaul and her husband, Shebekie Johnson and Indira Outar were all jointly charged with the indictable offense.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

‘Jealously guard’ non-energy sector ––T&T economist tells Guyana

By Vishani Ragobeer

GUYANA must “jealously guard” its non-energy sector if it wishes to sustain positive economic growth,Trinidadian Economist and Senior Lecturer of Economics at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr Roger Hosein said.

With an estimated recoverable resource of approximately 5.5 billion oil-equivalent barrels from the Stabroek Block so far, it has been reported that Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is set to increase significantly over the next few years.

Guyana recorded a GDP of US$3.6 billion in 2017, a figure which translates to approximately US$4,900

per capita. Former US Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway, had affirmed last year that the country’s GDP could increase by 1000 per cent by 2025 with the advent of the oil-and-gas industry.

“Ten per cent of the population -- if so much -- will be in the energy sector which you will have growth of maybe 15, 20 or 25 per cent; and 90 per cent of the population will be in the non-energy sector, in which you will have growth of about five per cent,” Dr Hosein said at a recent forum, however.

What this means, according to him, is that the country’s growth will be illustrated by “aggregate GDP”; this is the growth in the energy sector, as well as

in all other sectors.

He explained further that when countries experience that growth, inflation becomes a likelihood -where the prices of goods and services will increase.

In oil-producing countries around the world, contraction of the non-energy sector has been seen too, because persons leave these for the energy sector where it is believed that higher salaries exist. Employers will be forced to raise salaries in the non-energy sector.

And because of the situation of inflation, Dr Hosein also indicated that price competitiveness of goods will be affected.

Here, spending the oil revenues (by the state and individuals working in the industry) will cause an in-

Trinidadian Economist and Senior Lecturer of Economics at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr Roger Hosein crease in the price of things. cheaper,” he explained ana“If it is that you have logically, while maintaining yam selling in two countries that Guyana must be wary --- A and B -- and it is same of this. yam of the same qualiAs such, he underty, it will be bought from scored: “Your non-energy the country where yam is sector has to be jealously

guarded and aggressively guarded.”

The country’s real GDP is expected to improve, of course, but he cautioned that countryfolk should not pay attention to the aggregate GDP and “get carried away and make grandiose expectations out of simple reality.” Instead, he urged that persons focus on non-energy or non-oil GDP, which he said will not grow more than five per cent.

“I’ve seen my people in Trinidad make that mistake and it’s unfortunate that I have to speak about it,” he said, while later adding: “Oil [and oil revenues] is a very, very difficult resource to manage.”

Additionally, he urged that the country work towards increasing actual labour force participation and to do so beyond striving to only get jobs in the oil-and-gas sector.

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Technology training for girls vital for national development - IDB country representative

By Vishani Ragobeer INTER-AMERICAN Bank (IDB) Country Representative Sophie Makonnen has stressed that technology training for girls and young women is a fundamental part of national development in an increasingly technology-dependent job sector.

Makonnen made these remarks at a ‘data reveal and gala’ on Saturday night. The data revealed was part of the “Girls and Technology can change Guyana” project crafted by Evie Kanhai-Gurchuran, a 2018 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Alumna.

As part of her YLAI fellowship, Gurchuran crafted a project that seeks to study the perceptions and hin-

IDB Country Representative, Sophie Makonnen

drances to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in local communities, particularly among the female population.

Subsequent to this, the empirical data (which was presented at the gala) will be used to guide project interventions.

Makonnen, who has a background in education, noted that a good investment for Guyana would be to get more girls educated in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

“STEM disciplines are characterised to provide enabling skills and knowledge that increasingly underpin many professions and skills of a technology-based workforce,” Makonnen related.

She added: “They are the disciplines that help us

Evie Kanhai-Gurchuran

understand the natural world and enable us to grow a constructive world in which we can employ what we know to improve humankind.

Technology training is seen

as an important factor in increasing human capital such that low participation rates of women and girls may TURN TO PAGE 13

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Body of pensioner found floating in canal THE body of a 68-year-old man was found floating in a canal at Number 29 Village, West Coast Berbice at around 09:00hrs on Monday.

The deceased was identified as Michael London also known as ‘Chucky’ of Number 29 Village.

Neighbours said that his remains were found in a canal which he

normally crosses to get to his home. Reports said that the man attended a Mother’s Day gathering on the other side of the canal not far from where he lived, and had been helped to cross the bridge some time late Sunday night after he seemed to be ready to go home.

It is believed that after being helped to cross the bridge, he had

attempted to return to the venue of the gathering sometime later and had fallen overboard in the process. The reporter, who visited the scene shortly before the body was removed, saw no marks of violence on it. London, a pensioner, was well- known in the villages between Number 29 and Lovely Lass WCB where he was frequently

FROM PAGE 12

Technology training... diminish of international competitiveness,” she said.

While underscoring the importance of technology in a changing data-driven world, Makonnen reminded that many of the jobs today require knowledge of technology; and such will be more pronounced in the years to come.

“Girls must be provided with job-relevant skills that employers actually demand or that they can use in launching their own business,” the IDB representative stressed and added that “In the case of Guyana that is even more important because the job market is going to boom and change.”

And to facilitate this necessary development of education which further integrates technology, she said it is important that the job market and school system work in tandem to ensure the success of the Guyanese workforce.

“By 2025, 75 per cent of the jobs in the world are

going to require some skills in using the computer, in using a tablet and using the Internet and knowing how to navigate these,” Public Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes related at a recent event geared at getting youth involved in ICT. The study conducted by Evie and her team showed that the top three ICT interests of the 227 persons interviewed emerged as e-commerce, graphic designing and software development.

This aligns with the general move to digitise businesses globally and underscores that persons in Guyana are cognisant of these trends and would learn more.

However, 68 per cent of the female respondents indicated that they did not have the financial support for learning technological skills.

The study also showed, according to Evie, that females want more af-

ter-school programmes and scholarships and camps to learn about ICT. And with the data ready for consumption, Evie noted that stakeholders who have the resources -- such as the IDB -- would be in a better position to craft programmes that would help foster the development of girls in ICT. “The emphasis on girls’ education needs to focus on how to build better pathways and bridge the job market with access to high quality technological opportunities which are needed,” Sophie opined also. She also stressed that there needs to be a change in mindset since globally there is low participation of girls in STEM because these areas are not seen as traditional study areas for females.

In so doing, she further opined that gender stereotypes in education will be overcome and gender discrimination in the workforce would be diminished.

seen walking on roadway on a daily basis to and from relatives who provided him with meals.

His remains were taken to Anthony’s Funeral Parlour at Fort Wellington pending a post-mortem examination. According to the police, an investigation into the circumstances in which the man met his death, is ongoing.

Michael London

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

GECOM lawyer under scrutiny … reportedly passed on information to Shadick without permission

By Lisa Hamilton

GUYANA Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner, Desmond Trotman, is calling for an investigation to be launched into what he referred to as an “act of deceit” on the part of the commission’s

legal officer.

Coming out of Tuesday’s statutory meeting which saw the commissioners reducing the backlog of minutes up to May 7, 2019, Trotman stated that legal opinion had been offered by the legal officer to Opposition-nominated Com-

missioner, Bibi Shadick, without permission.

The legal officer at the commission is Attorney-at-Law, Excellence Dazzell.

According to Trotman, Dazzell provided her opinion on the state of the list or registrants without sanc-

tioning from the commission.

“There was a request of Commissioner Shadick some time ago about her [Dazzell] offering her opinion on a matter. We had never agreed on the commission that this should go forward. But suddenly, last night I saw, for the first time, there was some correspondence from her [Dazzell] which included a memo on this matter.

Because, as far as I know, there was no agreement on that, I raised it today as a matter of concern,” the commissioner explained.

It was at the same forum that Trotman expressed that based on the looks of the situation, some form of “deceit by the legal officer”

was at hand.

“One has to be concerned that this opinion that she has offered has to do with the fact that there’s a challenge in the court on the house-to-house registration exercise,” Trotman said.

He added: “The legal adviser is offering an opinion that Shadick requested on what to do now that the list has expired on April 30, 2019. Normally, any commissioner can request anything but, for it to be acted on by one of the staff members, it has to be agreed on by the commission.”

Trotman said that he is concerned that Dazzell is responding to the requests of a commissioner rather than the collective commission.

He stated that while Commissioner Shadick claims that she had put together the information back in April 2019, at previous discussions of the matter at the commission, she failed to speak on the pending opinion.

Trotman said: “She has never said that she has an opinion in draft. So, for me, the appearance of this opinion today is pregnant with suspicion and I do believe we require an investigation into that.”

He requested GECOM Chair, Justice (ret’d) James Patterson to launch an inquiry into the matter which he expects will receive a response at next Tuesday’s statutory meeting.

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow hailed as ‘selfless man’

FATHER of Trade Unionism in the British Commonwealth, Guyanese Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, was on Tuesday described as a “selfless man” by representatives of the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) and Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG).

The union representatives registered the views at an observance to mark the 61st death anniversary of the champion trade unionist at the Critchlow Labour College.

The simple ceremony saw remarks from GTUC President, Coretta MacDonald; General Secretary of the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) Seepaul Narine, and economist Hector Butts.

“When we talk about Critchlow, we have to talk about Critchlow as an institution; an institution that allows us certain

rights and benefits in the trade union movement,” Narine, who is also treasurer of FITUG, said.

“We have to talk about an institution; and that institution is what we are enjoying today, enshrined on our laws. We, as the inheritor of Critchlow’s legacy, have to look at ourselves to ensure that we continue to represent the interest of the workers; the interest of the dream of Critchlow.”

Giving a brief biography on Critchlow’s life and work, Narine emphasised Critchlow’s ability to unite the masses.

“Critchlow was a man that cut across all races, and brings together in a united way the workers… While the workers were there without union, he was able to represent their interest, and he was well respected. Let us read the works of Critchlow, and let us commit ourselves to having it kept alive in our hearts,” Narine said.

At the head table are, from left: GTUC General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis; GAWU General Secretary, Seepaul Narine; GTUC President, Coretta MacDonald; and economist Hector Butt at the observance of Critchlow’s death anniversary (Delano Williams photo)

The event was chaired by GTUC General Secretary, Lincoln Lewis.

MacDonald, during her speech, called on all the unions to put differences aside and work together for the common good of all workers across the country.

“Those who forget the past, they are condemned for the future, so I am happy that today we are remembering this selfless son. He was selfless in all of his deeds, and unless we become selflessly committed and dedicated and ready for this battle, we would not be able to fit

the shoes of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, or those after him,” MacDonald said, adding: “But one of the problems we have is we have lost sight of the Father of Trade Unionism. He stood there as a selfless man; standing for workers’ right.

But very often, we as trade union leaders; we get sidetracked and we lose sight of what we were placed there to do. We need to stand for what we believe in, and we have to be united in what we do.”

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Money disappears from customers’ bank accounts –– Competitions and Consumer Affairs Commission steps forward to help

SEVERAL persons in Guyana have complained of unauthorised deductions being made from their bank accounts, and they are not happy with how the matter is being dealt with by a prominent city bank.

All the reports so far are being reported as having occurred at only one bank; and several of the persons say when they make reports

at the bank, they were told that money was deducted for Online payments to Netflix accounts, or Online shopping that was made on the account.

Efforts to contact the identified bank on Tuesday proved futile. However, an overseas-based customer service representative of the bank noted that the issue is one that would need to be addressed by the bank’s

local branch.

According to Competitions and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC) Communications Officer, Allison Parker, affected persons can file a report of such incidents with them, and they will investigate the matters.

The CCAC has confirmed that at least one case was recently reported to the agency, and they were able

to help the consumer get back the missing money.

The issue of money disappearing from accounts may have been going on for some time now. One customer said she experienced the problem more than once at the well-known city bank.

The woman, who asked to remain anonymous, said the first time she realised suspicious activity on her

account was when $8000 disappeared from her account. By the time she reported the matter, another $4000 disappeared.

She said the first time she experienced the problem, she had never used her card to conduct any Online shopping.

In this first case, she informed that the bank could give no reason for the deduction from her account; not even suspicious Online shopping, and eventually refunded her some 70 per cent of the money. She said the bank said it was a “system error”.

VERY UPSET “I was very upset that first time, and I got paranoid. I was checking my account more than twice daily via telebanking, just to make sure my money is in my account,” she said.

The woman added: “When I went into the bank, they ask me if anyone else had access to my card, or if anyone knew my PIN. They pushed me around for about a few weeks, but I got 70 per cent of my money, and I was told it was a system error.”

She withdrew all of her money from the bank and closed the account. However, she subsequently opened another account with the bank last year when she began shopping Online.

However, she soon noticed suspicious purchases on her bank statements yet again.

She once again closed the account, and moved to another bank.

Another customer said she has been waiting almost one year for the bank to resolve a matter where money vanished from her account.

She said suspicious activities on her account began after she got back her ATM card from the bank, after the card was stuck in a malfunctioning ATM for a period of time.

“I noticed over $20,000 missing, so I went into the bank and asked for a printout of my bank statement, and there I noticed payments to a website which I did not make. I went to the queries section; they destroyed my card and issued me another one and opened a claim saying it would take six months, ‘cause they have to investigate.

And I never hear back from them,” she said.

In a more recent case, another customer, who requested anonymity, complained of a similar problem to this newspaper.

BEWILDERING “It seems that an Online transaction was done on May 7. When I went to do a transaction on May 9, some of my money was on hold, so I called the bank to say I don’t understand why the money was on hold, I didn’t do any transaction and they said you did an Online transaction and you have to come into the bank. I never did an Online transaction,” she said.

The woman added: “They said the money is on hold; it hasn’t been released to the vendor as yet, so I said can’t you cancel it [the transaction] and they said no they can’t but that I have to wait a month until the money leaves my account before I can file a dispute.”

As it pertains to these other cases, the CCAC noted that it would encourage affected consumers to report the incidents so that they can be investigated and addressed. “ We ’ v e d e a l t w i t h customer issues with the bank and we’re opened to dealing with any issue. We will investigate once they come. I wouldn’t want to comment and be prejudice without any facts or information, but as our mandate says, we’re opened for them to come, as with any other service, so they can come and we can investigate,” related Parker.

The issue came to the fore on Tuesday when a popular social media personality posted a testimony of someone who claims that their bank account was emptied after someone used his bank card’s information to pay on a Netflix account and make clothing purchases at an online site.

Several other persons came forward attesting to having similar experiences at the bank. In most cases, when they report the issue to the bank, they were told online payments were made using their Visa debit card.

Some banks in Guyana provide Visa Debit Card services with their Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards which allow the owner to easily make payments and shop online.

Once someone has a Visa Debit Card attached to their account, online shopping can easily be done as Online payment simply requires the 16 digit debit card number, the card’s expiration date, the name on the account holder and the three digit card verification value (the three-digit number at the back of the card).

17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Woman killed, buried in shallow grave … ex-husband leads cops to scene, allegedly confesses to crime

By Leroy Smith

RYAN Sugrim of Crane, West Coast Demerara is being prepared for court where he is expected to be charged with the capital offence of murder, for allegedly killing his ex-wife, then burying her body in a shallow grave.

The man was detained on Monday after his ex-wife, 37-year-old Zaila Sugrim, went missing. On Tuesday he led police to the shallow grave just next door to his home and business place where he had buried the woman on Saturday night after allegedly killing her. At the scene of the crime, relatives told the media that the man has been very abusive to the woman and had her in the house during their 15-year relationship like a prisoner.

They said that she managed to summon the courage a few times to leave the relationship, but would always return although her relatives advised against it. Police sources said that woman’s remains were badly disfigured.

By late Tuesday afternoon, the stench which emanat-

Murder-accused Ryan Sugrim ed from the shallow grave ‘lit-up’ the neighbourhood.

The remains were buried in a plot of land next to the gas station which the man operated. That plot of land can be accessed from the gas station’s property. The children told detectives that they suspected that their father had buried something there as he cautioned them on Saturday night not venture into that part of the property. This was shared with the police on Monday night, but given the time that they received the information, they could

not act. However, on Tuesday, as soon as they were able to gather the necessary resources, they moved to the location with the man’s guidance where the remains were found. Within seconds of the discovery, the area was filled with spectators who slowed as they passed on the public road even as some stopped.

Divisional Commander, Edmond Cooper, who was also on the ground, spoke with the press. According to Cooper, the police acted on information and a report of

Mrs. Zaila Sugrim was killed and buried in a shallow grave

Members of the police forensic team on the scene of the crime a missing person which was lodged at the Diamond Police Station. The details were forwarded to the police in West Demerara and they activated the necessary procedures which saw the man being arrested and questioned. On the issue of being able to secure the remains at such an early stage of the investigation, the commander said that the police acted on every single lead which they received.

It was also at the scene that the police forensic team was seen combing the area and the property for other clues. The Guyana Po-

lice Force, over the last few years, has been receiving advanced training overseas in crime scene management, protection and preserving the crime scene, among others.

Earlier on Tuesday, before the remains were found, one of the woman’s sisters told the Guyana Chronicle that Sugrim has been staying with her after she removed from the man’s abusive home, leaving the children behind with him.

However, on Saturday, she left to meet with the man who was expected to take her to his home where the children

were, as one of the children was celebrating his birth anniversary. However, it was later revealed that the man never arrived at the home with the woman, neither was she heard from or seen since.

Calls to her mobile phone were also going unanswered as the phone was said to be off.

The woman’s sister explained that she warned her sister not to go with or at the man’s place, but her sister, Zaila, assured them that he was not going to do her anything, since the children would be around.

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

No Guyanese in St. Lucia jail − Violent Venezuelan inmates are isolated, says Samuels

GUYANA’S Acting Prison Director, Gladwin Samuels, who is currently in Saint Lucia, says he is proud to know that none of his countrymen are incarcerated at the Bordelais Correctional Facility (BCF).

“Fortunately, I found out that there are no Guyanese in the prison here,” Samuels said during an interview while visiting the BCF. “There is a saying that

wherever you go you are bound to see a Guyanese,” he stated.

However the visiting Guyana prison official disclosed that of the 504 inmates, he was ‘proud’ that despite the high number of Guyanese living here, there are no Guyanese at the BCF. “Fortunately for Saint Lucia as well, we currently have in the vicinity of 2150 prisoners back home and we

have no Saint Lucians, so I guess it is a plus for both countries,” Samuels told St Lucia Times.

Currently, 16 foreigners are incarcerated at the BCF including three Venezuelans and 12 citizens of countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

“There is the saying that foreign prisoners have the potential to bring new cultures to a prison environment

which can result in very aggressive behaviour from the local prison population,” the Guyanese visitor told St Lucia Times.

“So despite our limited resources currently, in terms of being able to adequately segregate those prisoners, we do pay attention in terms of preventing that inbreeding or that bad culture from coming into our system,” Samuels told St Lucia Times.

He disclosed that there are a number of foreigners in the Guyana prison system.

“We are bordered by Venezuela and Brazil – we have a number of those nationals in our prison. We have persons from the US, Colombia, Cuba – and some of those countries are deemed to have persons who are very bad in terms of their ability to influence others,” the Guyana official

observed.

He told the St Lucia Times that as a result, Guyana officials are constantly working to ensure that they keep the situation under control.

This was Samuels’ second visit to Saint Lucia.

He revealed that the first time he came here was in 2004 for a British-sponsored training programme.

(St Lucia Times)

PUTTING OUT ...

LABELS AND PACKAGING Dr. Singh explained that while the legislation was in effect since August 2017, the Tobacco Packaging and Labeling Regulations came into force on May 26, 2018, and in keeping with the Act, companies and importers of tobacco products were given nine months from May 26, 2018 to be fully compliant.

It therefore meant that all packages of tobacco products were required to have graphic health imagines by February 25, 2019.

Dr. Singh said as stipulated in the Act, the Public Health Ministry provided the companies and importers with two schedules (A and B) comprising two sets of four graphic health imagines to be placed on the packages of the tobacco products for a period of 12 months per scheduled. The schedules are to be rotated.

She said while there are four images in each schedule, they must be used evenly.

“The images from both sets must be spread evenly across all packages, meaning if you are doing a thousand packages of a Bristol, 250 packages must be attributable to each of the images. You cannot decide, okay, I like this image better and I am going to do this one. The country reserves the right then to say that you cannot sell all these packages because they are not fully compliant with the law,” the National Tobacco Control Focal Point made clear.

However, while the companies and importers submitted their packages and labels to the Public Health Ministry for review, they did not submit the final packages and labels before releasing them onto the local market.

“Three months prior to

the packaging and labeling regulations, there were supposed to say to us these are the packages that will be on the market. Three months before, the reviews were made but they never submitted the end product but they placed it on the market, and we saw packages carrying words like full flavored,” Dr. Singh explained.

It was noted that while most of the importers placed the graphic health images on the packages, there were other texts and images that were included in total contravention of the law.

Part VII (5) of the Act states: “The unit package and outside packaging and labelling, and the design and appearance of any tobacco

product shall not promote that product by any means that are false, misleading, deceptive or likely to create an erroneous impression about the product’s characteristics, health effects, hazards or emissions, including using – (a) any term, descriptor, trademark, figurative, colour, number, or other sign of any kind that directly or indirectly creates or is likely to create the false impression that a particular tobacco product is less harmful than another; including terms such as, but not limited to, ‘low tar’, ‘light’, ‘ultra-light’ or ‘mild’, ‘smooth’, ‘natural’, ‘fine’, ‘extra fine’, ‘extra’, ‘ultra’.”

NON-COMPLIANT In a separate interview,

Ministry of Public Health National Tobacco Control Focal Point, Dr. Kavita Singh holding one of the samples submitted by DEMTOCO.

Attorney-at-Law and Legal Adviser on Tobacco Control to the Public Health Ministry, Kesaundra Alves, explained that while the images were placed on the boxes, the remaining 40 per cent, which should comprise name of the company and its logo, included other promotional information and images.

“The majority of them placed these graphic health warnings on their packages but they did not necessarily comply with the regulations, so, some of the images were stretched out and did not look like the images we had given them. Some of them used their 40 per cent to advertise, and as you know, in the Act, Tobacco advertisement, promotion and sponsorship are banned entire-

ly,” Alves explained Because words such as ‘light,’ ‘filter,’ and ‘green’ found themselves on the modified packages and labels, and the graphic health images poorly placed in some instances, the importers and companies during a recent meeting with Public Health Officials on April 1, 2019 were given up to August 31, 2019 to ensure that their products are fully compliant. “If there is no graphic health warning and you didn’t make any attempt at all, the product will not be allowed on the market. If we see that you made an effort but you still did some things wrong, a grace period was given during which period we will not pull that product from the market,” the Legal Adviser

Ministry of Public Health Legal Adviser on Tobacco Control, Kesaundra Alves

A box of cigarettes showing a graphic health warning on the exterior of its package (Photos by Samuel Maughn)

FROM PAGE 1

explained.

Once August 31 passes, Alves assured that there will be a complete ban on tobacco products with defective packages and labels. Such products, she explained, would be seized or denied entry into Guyana.

It was noted that while there have been defective packages in this first schedule (A), companies and importers have submitted fully compliant packages and labels for the second schedule (B), which will be gradually phased in from October.

BLACK MARKET While there have been new brands popping up in the Local Tobacco Industry, the Legal Adviser rebuffed claims that the enforcement of the Tobacco Control Legislation has resulted in a surge in the “black market.”

“Truth be told that argument is used by the Tobacco Industry throughout the world to try to delay or stymie any movement towards the passage of Tobacco Control Legislation, for the most part it is a fallacy,” she said.

Alves said while there are contrabands from Suriname entering Guyana, the Tobacco Industry has “magnified” the issue across the world for their business.

In Guyana, she said it is becoming more and more difficult for contrabands to enter the country undetected due to the use of the Excise Stamp by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). “That wasn’t in our act but it is a measure taken by GRA but it is a very good measure, and you could tell, quite easily whether it is an illicit tobacco product or whether it came through some valid legal channel,” she posited.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

19

China News

A cultural glimpse into China’s economic strength

B

EIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- With China maintaining sound economic momentum for decades, observers have long tried to fathom to what extent Chinese culture is behind development of the world’s second-largest economy.

Many believe Chinese culture shapes the characteristics of the Chinese people and helps drive the country’s economic growth.

OPEN, INCLUSIVE Ryan Labar, a 43-year-old American ceramic artist who runs a workshop in Jingdezhen, an eastern Chinese city known as the “porcelain capital”, said coming to Jingdezhen is like “a son returning home.”

“Despite its language which I didn’t know and still don’t know, I feel comfortable. I speak the language of porcelain and everyone else around me understands that language,” he said.

Dramatic changes are undergoing in Jingdezhen. The city is embracing its old historical identity but shining it up, Labar said.

Jingdezhen has a long history of porcelain production. The city lost some of its past glory in modern times due to various reasons. Yet thanks to its transition plan and increasing number of artists dedicated to the crafts of porcelain making, new vitality is being injected into Jingdezhen, where previously abandoned factories have been turned into art communities

and incubators that attract capital, technology and people from different cultures and with various backgrounds.

China respects cultural diversity and is keen to learn, import and absorb whatever cultural fruits it can, and Jingdezhen offers a platform for cross-culture exchange, said Huang Wei, founder of the Dongjiao Center, a porcelain gallery in Jingdezhen.

China is open to change and open to pushing new ideas into reality. “There is a can-do attitude and an ability to manifest a creation or idea,” Labar said.

Back in the United States after a one-year stay in China, Labar was bothered by an inconvenience -- he kept forgetting his wallet. “I never carry a wallet in China, because everything is paid with by WeChat or Alipay on my cellphone.”

Falling in love with the country and the culture, Labar kept inviting his friends to visit China again and again.

Chinese culture is amazing, but it’s even more amazing to see “how China is evolving, adapting, changing and creating a new world identity,” he said.

CULTURAL NUTRIENTS After experiencing 34 years of China’s development during the past four decades, Bridgewater Associates founder and co-chairman Ray Dalio attributed China’s rapid development to a combination of its culture and the reform and opening up.

“There is a lot to respect about the Chinese culture and

approach that led to its remarkable accomplishments,” Dalio said.

Describing Chinese political culture, Dalio noted there is a top-down way of setting up a mission, putting the collective interest ahead of individual interest with each member knowing their place in the hierarchy.

Zhu Tian, a professor at the China Europe International Business School, believes Chinese culture, predominately Confucian values, is the key to China’s rapid economic development.

Zhu said that compared with other developing countries, China’s outperformance stems from two fundamental features of its culture -- thrift and an emphasis on education, which fit the three engines powering economic growth -investment, education and technological progress.

Thrift leads to high saving rates, which helps boost investment, while an emphasis on education provides an educated labor force, which ensures progress of technology and productivity, he said.

Chinese culture emphasizes harmony but not uniformity, as well as the ideas of harmonized development and inclusive growth, which are quite helpful for generating solutions, said Zhuang Jian, senior economist with Asian Development Bank.

According to Zhuang, Chinese culture lays less stress on divergence and competition, thus offering wisdom for exploring opportunities for win-win cooperation.

China holds exhibitions, activities Belt, Road, exchanges feted during meeting with Greek leader on Asian culture, exchanges

B

EIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- China is holding a rich variety of exhibitions and activities on the culture of Asian countries and regions as well as exchanges among them.

The Asian Cultural Festival will open with “The Gala Evening of Asia Ballet” on Tuesday evening. Ballet performers from China, the Republic of Korea and the Philippines will perform “Swan Lake,” “Don Quixote” and other classical ballets at the Beijing Tianqiao Performing Arts Center.

Several exhibitions respectively showcasing cultural relics and artwork from Asian countries are open to visitors this week.

The Splendor of Asia: An Exhibition of Asian Civilizations, featuring over 400 cultural relics from 49 countries, opened Monday at the National Museum of China.

The exhibition showcases the dialogues, exchanges and mutual learning between Asian civilizations with both traditional displays and multimedia technology.

As for artwork, “Craftsmanship of Civilizations -- Exhibition of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Asia” will kick off on Thursday at the National Library of

China (NLC). The exhibition will display the artworks of intangible cultural heritage of over 60 craftsmen from 13 countries and regions in Asia.

A three-day Asian Culture and Tourism Exhibition helping visitors to better understand the continent’s civilizations will open in Beijing Thursday. Starting

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds a welcome ceremony for Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos at the square outside the east gate of the Great Hall of the People before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, May 14, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

“We want to provide a broader platform for dialogue among Asian countries and demonstrate the glamor and vitality that Asian civilizations bring to people’s life,” said Xin Lu, director of the NLC’s exhibition department. Another artwork exhibition, titled “Shared Inspiration -- Asian Art Exhibition,” is going on at the National Art Museum of China, showcasing 130 pieces of art, including paintings and sculptures, created by 120 artists from 41 countries.

More than 230 pieces of national treasures from Afghanistan are on display at Tsinghua University Art Museum.

the same day, Asian Film and TV Week will showcase 60 selected Asian movies in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Xi’an and Guangzhou. China will hold the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations starting from May 15 under the theme of “exchanges and mutual learning among Asian civilizations and a community with a shared future.”

More than 2,000 government officials and representatives of various circles from 47 Asian countries and other countries outside the region will attend the opening ceremony and forums.

T

he Belt and Road Initiative and the proposal to build a community with a shared future for mankind are aimed at promoting exchanges among different civilizations and boosting cooperation between countries, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.

Xi made the remark while meeting with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Pavlopoulos is making a state visit to China from Sunday to Thursday. He will also attend the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations.

Noting that Greece is an ancient Western country, Xi said that the Greek president’s visit has great significance to promoting exchanges of a cultural and civilizational nature between Asia and Europe.

Xi said that Chinese civilization has developed in an inclusive rather than exclusive manner since ancient times.

Through the Silk Road, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome

and Mediterranean culture, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam all entered China and blended and coexisted with Chinese culture, Xi said, adding that China has never had civilizational conflicts and religious wars with other nations.

When Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and admiral Zheng He led his powerful fleet to distant shores some 600 years ago, he brought silk, tea and porcelain rather than war to the world, and he did not occupy any land along his navigation route, Xi said.

Since ancient times, Chinese have considered national interests a top priority, Xi said, adding that the happiness of individuals is based on the country’s unification and prosperity.

Chinese people have a high degree of unity and firm resolution in safeguarding national unity, interests and sovereignty, Xi said, adding that socialism with Chinese characteristics is a choice made by both history and the people.

He said China would like

to enhance practical cooperation with Greece and jointly build the Belt and Road with the European nation.

Pavlopoulos said that the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations has great significance in promoting exchanges of different cultures.

It is wrong for some people to advocate the theory of civilizational conflict, and different civilisations can learn from each other through dialogue and exchanges, he added.

He spoke highly of Xi’s thought on world civilisations, the Belt and Road Initiative and the proposal of building a community with a shared future for mankind, adding that China has kept its promises in international affairs as a responsible major country.

The Greek people admire China’s great developmental achievements, and Greece would like to take the historic opportunity of jointly building the Belt and Road and promote cooperation with China, he added.

(CHINA DAILY)

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

$60M water-testing laboratory for August commissioning A $60M state-of-the art water quality laboratory will be commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture’s ‘Hydromet’ Department in August.

Once functional, the new facility, which is located in the ‘Hydromet’ Department’s Brickdam office, will boost the capacity to effectively retrieve and process information vital to assessing the quality of the country’s water resources.

Chief Hydromet Officer (ag), Dr. Garvin Cummings, has stated that the laboratory, once operationalised,

would further enable the Hydrometeorology Service to accomplish extensive duties as it relates to water resource management.

“This laboratory is a very important and significant addition to the hydrological monitoring framework within the Service. It adds to the existing resources that the Service has for the monitoring of water quantity, and places the ‘Hydromet’ Department in a position to undertake its broader responsibilities for water resources management in Guyana,” Dr. Cummings said.

The project, which began in 2018, seeks to fulfill the purpose of the Hydromet Service’s mandate to establish national monitoring systems for water resources under the Water and Sewerage Act of 2002.

Among the services to be performed, the Hydromet Department would possess the ability to facilitate the testing of water samples gathered from both ground and surface water sources to determine their quality.

In addition to establishing a database for Guyana’s baseline national water quality,

Chief Hydromet Officer (ag), Dr. Garvin Cummings

Dr Cummings noted, such a database would support and inform environmental protection, infrastructural

development and agriculture.

Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture, Valerie Patterson-Yearwood, in an invited comment, said the laboratory will serve the agricultural sector well.

“Essentially, water quality testing ensures that water is safe and meets local and international standards. This facility will offer internationally-recognised testing procedures through detailed water sampling techniques and other technology to ensure water is safe for the purposes intended,” Minister Patterson-Yearwood said.

She added that the introduction of such a facility creates an enabling environment for youths and persons interested in water quality testing.

The Minister will soon embark on a tour of the facility ahead of its commissioning.

The facility will also allow the Hydromet Department to issue early-detection bulletins for water-borne diseases; provide insight into the effects of water patterns on water quality, and influence future policies in relation to the management of the country’s water resources.

UG warns against disruption of classes …clears air on vicechancellor forgoing leave

THE University of Guyana has warned against any disruption of classes as students head into final-examinations mode, even as it cleared the air that Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith’s request to forgo his annualised leave was duly approved by the Council following a vote.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the university quoted Pro-Chancellor, Major General (retd) Joseph Singh, who is also Interim Chairman of the University Council, as urging all members of the university community to “be responsible and ensure that the administration of our final examinations is not disrupted.

“I urge that our students, the primary stakeholders, be accorded the highest priority in this season of examinations,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, the university said on April 15, 2019 that it was decided by the Council at a duly-constituted meeting that the vice-chancellor should be formally requested to proceed on leave with effect from May 13, 2019.

However, on May 2, 2019, Professor Griffith wrote to the pro-chancellor, requesting reconsideration of the Council’s decision. According to a release from the university, Professor Griffith cited, among other things, that “extenuating circumstances” oblige him to forgo proceeding on leave, effective from that selected date, and requested to be paid for “30 of the 35 days” due to him.

Following the vice-chancellor’s request, Singh requested a review of the

Council’s decision by a round-robin of all members of the Council. The members were asked to indicate their support or otherwise of the vice-chancellor’s request for payment of a portion of his leave entitlement.

“It is my understanding that the round-robin practice has been in place over the years, and has been utilised

by Council and other statutory organs of the university.

Therefore, it should not be interpreted as a special dispensation for the incumbent vice-chancellor,” Singh stated, according to the release.

In the end, 13 Council members participated in the process, with seven supporting the vice-chancellor’s request; four positing that the matter be deliberated upon at an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council; one opposing the vice-chancellor’s request; and one believing that a meeting of the Council should be duly convened. Three members did not participate in the process.

“The vice-chancellor and Council members were duly informed by the Secretary of the Council on May 10 that a clear majority of members had approved his request of May 2, 2019,” the release indicated.

It added that Council members were also informed that the amount of pay in lieu of leave the Vice-Chancellor was entitled to would be based on the advice of the Bursar and Personnel Officer. The Unions have since issued threats of possible industrial action arising out of the round-robin process.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Anti-money laundering workshops target lawyers, accountants

TWO Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) training and sensitisation workshops

for attorneys-at-law and accountants/auditors will be hosted locally this week.

This was announced by the Ministry of Legal Affairs

Leguan man remanded for allegedly murdering friend PHILLIP Jhagroo, of Richmond Hill, Leguan island, was yesterday May 14, 2019, remanded by Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennan for allegedly murdering his friend when a simple outing took a turn for the worst.

Jhagroo, also known as ‘Tanky,’ was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleged that between March 30, 2019 and March 31, 2019 at School Dam, Richmond Hill, Leguan, he maliciously murdered Mark Narine, also known as ‘Marco.’

According to facts presented in court by Prosecutor Stacey Gittens, the two friends went out to consume alcohol and had a heated argument following a misunderstanding. On the day in question, Narine was riding his motorbike, when he was subsequently lashed off by Jhagroo, who was armed with an object. The prosecutor objected to bail due the serious nature of the offence.

After this incident, he was thrown into a trench and his body was discovered days later. A post-mortem revealed that even though he died from drowning, he had also suffered wounds to the head.

The magistrate eventually remanded the defendant to prison until his next court date on May, 30, at the Leguan Magistrates Court.

Teen accused of stealing $350,000 in cash, jewellery ALLIYAH Bacchus, 18, appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce on Tuesday, May 14, 2019 at the Providence Magistrate’s Court, charged with simple larceny.

The court was told that on May 10, 2019, at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, Bacchus stole $350, 000.00 in cash and jewellery from Lindon Heywood.

Bacchus pleaded not guilty to the offence, but told the court that she was at the home of Heywood and asked for money to travel to the city, but was given only $1100. The court was also told that Heywood and Bacchus were involved in a relationship from the time that Bacchus was 14 years old.

The court noted that none of Bacchus ‘s family members were in court to offer her support; however, Magistrate Sunil Scarce urged Bacchus to encourage her family to be present for her next court appearance .

The court denied Bacchus bail, because she gave different home addresses. Her next court appearance is May 15, 2019

on Tuesday, which indicated that the sessions will be held for attorneys-at-law on Friday May 17, 2019 and for accountants/auditors on Saturday May 18, 2019.

The events are being organised by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, who is the Prime Contact for Guyana’s AML/CFT regime and the Chairperson of the AML/CFT and Proliferation Financing National Co-ordination Committee.

The workshops will be held at the Cara Lodge Hotel from 13:00hrs to 16:00hrs

for attorneys and for accountants/auditors from 09:00hrs to 12:00hrs.

“These engagements are critical as Guyana prepares for its CFATF Fourth Round Mutual Evaluation, scheduled for the first quarter of 2022, and more so, given that the Money Laundering (ML) vulnerability levels for attorneys-at-law and accountants/ auditors are generally considered to be high, based on AML/CFT trends globally,” the release stated.

The completion of Guyana’s first Money laundering and Terrorist Financing (ML/

TF) National Risk Assessment in 2016 concluded that the ML vulnerabilities and risk with these sectors in Guyana are consistent with international norms.

The workshops will highlight the obligations of attorneys-at-law and accountants/auditors classified as Designated Non-Financial Businesses or Professions (DNFBPs) under local AML/ CFT legislation.

According to the ministry, these category of DNFBPs are required to report suspicious transactions to the Financial Intelligence Unit

21

only when, on behalf of or for a client, they engage in certain financial transactions as outlined under Section 18(11) of the AML/CFT Act 2009 (as amended).

“In keeping with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Standards, these DNFBPs should be effectively supervised, to ensure their effective compliance with their obligations to assist in protecting the international financial sector and playing their part in combating ML and TF in Guyana and worldwide,” the ministry stated.

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Second suspect remanded for Norton Street murder Osaffo Grundall

OSAFFO Grundall, 25, was on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, remanded by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after being charged for his alleged involvement in the murder of Marlon Rodney, also known as ‘George.’ He was not required to plead to the indictable charge. Particulars of the charge alleged that between April 25, 2019 and April 30, 2019, at Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown, he maliciously murdered Rodney.

Grundall, who resides at Lot 14 Freeman Street, East La Penitence, is reportedly the second person charged in connection with the incident. On May 8, 2019, James Fraser was also arraigned before the chief magistrate on the same charge.

In court yesterday, the defendant was represented

by Attorney-at-law Eustace Anderson, who requested that his client and James be jointly charged for the said matter.

According to reports, Rodney, who is a known 35-year-old taxi driver of 71 Norton Street, Lodge, found himself in a heated argument with the accused and two other persons on the day in question. It was during this confrontation that one of the men pulled a gun and fired several rounds at Rodney, which resulted in him being shot to the leg. The injured man was rescued by public-spirited persons and then rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where he later succumbed.

G r u n d a l l w a s re manded until his next court appearance of May 21, 2019, for report.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

23

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Wed., May 15, 2019

02:30hrs.-04:00hrs/14:30hrs.-16:00hrs.

Nicholas Pooran

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

25

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

27

28

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

29

30

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

31

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Wednesday May 15, 2019)

COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ: (1) Bangladesh won by 8 wickets (vs WI) (2) Shai Hope (WI) TODAY’S QUIZ: (1) How many times both openers have now scored centuries in the same ODI innings?

(2) Which pair of openers were the first to register 150-plus scores in the same ODI innings?

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

American Racing Tips Delware park Race 1 Doodle Hopper Race 2 Jamacian Magician Race 3 Thaddeus Race 4 Glorious Mystery Race 5 Sweetheart Lady Race 6 Proper Manners Race 6 Creedibility Race 8 Tiffanys Dream South Africa Racing Tips Scottsville Outer 08:40 hrs Mocha Rose 09:20 hrs Rip It Up 09:55 hrs Extravargant 10:30 hrs Duchess Lane English Racing Tips York 08:50 hrs Fujaira Prince 09:25 hrs Sandra’s Secret 10:00 hrs Invincible Army 10:35 hrs Fresnel 11:05 hrs The Night Watch 11:35 hrs Monoski 12:05 hrs Starcaster Newton Abbot 09:10 hrs Passing Call 09:45 hrs Ollie Vaar 10:20 hrs Jot’em Down 10:55 hrs Dolphin Square 11:25 hrs Phoebus Lescribaa 11:55 hrs Road To Riches 12:30 hrs Perfect Percy Bath 12:25 hrs Dalness Express 12:55 hrs Powerful Dream 13:25 hrs Key To Power 13:55 hrs Ekayburg 14:25 hrs Siombrisk 14:55 hrs Agent Gibbs 15:25 hrs Greyzee Irish Racing Tips Punchestown 12:45 hrs Authorized Art 13:15 hrs Run For Mary 13:45 hrs Shantou Warrior 14:15 hrs Dakota Moirette 14:45 hrs Stowaway Forever 15:15 hrs Pass The Ball 15:45 hrs Dlauro

32

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Bairstow fires England as Ul-Haq’s 151 goes in vain

ENGLAND won comfortably. Of course they did.

They were chasing, after all, and the last time they lost an ODI at home batting second, the word ‘Brexit’ was almost as unfamiliar (and the event as unlikely) as the scale of transformation this England side have

undergone since that dreadful World Cup campaign Down Under.

What were they chasing? It doesn’t really matter, though for the record, it was 359. England scoffed, as though merely posing the question was an insult to their abilities, and then, like

a group of players with better things to do than dismantle Pakistan’s bowling attack, cakewalked to the finish line more than five overs ahead of time, having barely broken a sweat.

It looked like almost anyone in that top seven was capable of gunning down what

was, after all, England’s second-highest successful chase ever; but they were grateful for a pair as marvellous as Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy. England had won 15 consecutive ODIs when chasing a total at home, and the two openers were a major reason for that record. By the second

over, Roy’s twin boundaries had put Pakistan on the back foot, and what followed was an hour and a half of such glorious hitting even the most churlish of Pakistan fans had to applaud.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, dropping Roy was unquestionably a sliding door moment, not just because of

the devastation he wreaked thereafter but how simple the catch was. It plopped straight out of his hands at cover, and that may as well have been the match gone for Pakistan.

Every strike was pure, every stroke convincing.

There were no half-measures; Imad Wasim, usually Pakistan’s economical option, was smashed for a straight six

by Roy off his first ball and then again a couple of overs later, while Bairstow seemed to pick up any length, thanks to a strong bottom hand, and lift the ball over midwicket for regular boundaries.

By the time the hundred was achieved in the 13th over with a swept Bairstow six off Imad, England still needed 260 runs to win, but the game had the sense of a foregone conclusion already.

Griezmann to leave Atletico Madrid

Antoine Griezmann has been heavily linked with a move to Spanish giants Barcelona

( B B C ) - AT L E T I C O Madrid striker Antoine Griezmann has announced he will be leaving at the end of this season after five years.

The World Cup winner signed a five-year contract last June but Saturday’s La Liga match against Levante will be his last for the club.

Barcelona will pay the buyout clause in Griezmann’s contract of 120 million euros, BBC Sport understands.

“It’s been an incredible five years. Thank you for everything,” he said.

“I wanted to tell the fans who have always given me a lot of love that I have taken

the decision to leave, to see other things, to have other challenges,” the 28-year-old added, in a video posted on Twitter.

“The truth is it has been difficult to take this route but it is what I feel I need and I would like to thank all of you for the love you have shown me during these five years.”

The Frenchman has scored 133 goals in 256 appearances for Atletico since joining from fellow Spanish outfit Real Sociedad in 2014.

He has won the Europa League, the Spanish Super Cup and the UEFA Supercup during his time at Atletico and has been the team’s top

scorer in each of the last five seasons.

Griezmann rejected an offer from Barcelona last year and revealed his thought process in a documentary called ‘The Decision’.

Atletico also reported Barcelona to FIFA over an alleged illegal approach in December 2017.

Griezmann will be the third high-profile player to leave Atletico this summer after defender Lucas Hernandez agreed to join Bayern Munich and long-serving captain Diego Godin announced he would leave, with his contract set to expire.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Nineteen-year-old Prithvi Shaw

Saha, Pant and Shaw to feature in India Caribbean tour

(CMC) – OUT-of-favour Test batsman Wriddhiman Saha and rising star Rishabh Pant will both feature on India A’s tour of the Caribbean which bowls off in July.

The 34-year-old Saha, who played the last of his 32 Tests nearly a year-anda-half ago, was named in the 15-man squad for all three four-day ‘Tests’.

He has been kept out of the senior side through a series of injuries.

Batsman Shreyas Iyer, who has played six One-Day Internationals, will lead the ‘Test’ squad, which also includes exciting 19-year-old opener Prithvi Shaw, whose only two Tests came against West Indies last year and yielded a maiden hundred.

However, Shaw will feature only in the third and final ‘Test’ Pant, meanwhile, who was surprisingly omitted from India’s World Cup squad, will be a part of the tourists’ 15man squad for the five oneday matches.

The 21-year-old has played nine Tests and averages nearly 50 with two hundreds.

The one-day squad will be led by batsman Manish Pandey and includes Shaw and Iyer.

India A’s series will precede the senior team’s tour of the Caribbean which is expected to begin in August and comprises two Tests, three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals.

The Indian cricket board (BCCI) said yesterday Antigua will host the five one-dayers from July 11 to 21, with Coolidge Cricket Ground and the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground serving as venues.

The Vivian Richards Cricket Ground will also host the first ‘Test’ from July 24 to 27 before the series moves to Trinidad where the second ‘Test’ will be played at Queen’s Park Oval from July 31 to August 3 and the third ‘Test’ at the Brian Lara Stadium start-

ing August 6.

SQUADS: ONE-DAY: Manish Pandey (captain), Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Rishab Pant (wkp.), Rahul Chahar, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Krunal Pandya, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan 1st ‘Test’ Shreyas Iyer (captain), PK Panchal, AR Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Hanuma Vihari, Shivam Dube, Wriddhiman Saha (wkp.), KS Bharat (wkp.), K. Gowtham, S. Nadeem, Mayank Markande, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan 2nd & 3rd Tests: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wkp.), KS Bharat (wkp.), Shivam Dube, Mayank Markande, K. Gowtham, S. Nadeem, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan.

FIFA Conference on Development to focus on sustainable growth

By Rawle Toney GUYANA is hosting the FIFA Conference on Development for the very first time, as affiliated Member Associations from the Caribbean Confederation Union (CFU) gather in Georgetown where they will streamline the future for the sport as a collective and individually in their respective regions.

F I FA’s D i r e c t o r o f Member Associations and Development, Veron Mosengo-Omba, addressing the gathering, expressed his gratitude to the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and the Government of Guyana, on behalf of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, adding that the head of the sport’s World Governing body, “asked me to tell you that he is looking forward to seeing all of you in Paris and he thanks you for your support which enables him to continue the work started in 2016.”

Mosengo-Omba reminded the delegates

that Development means “the future, the FIFA Development Programme, Forward is essential for the future of the sport of football.

Despite the progress made since the implementation of the Forward programme in many FIFA Member Associations, Mosengo-Omba said, considerable inequality remains in most of the segments of football organisation.

“The Forward Development Programme, an essential pillar of FIFA development, provides to all FIFA Member Associations, a great opportunity to improve their football and other important areas: administration, technical education, social responsibility, etc. (but) to make all of this happen, each MA most put in place a proper administrative structure, define its objectives, implement a strategy and also evaluate the impact of its actions,” said Mosengo-Omba.

Mosengo-Omba, who is responsible for development for Africa and the Caribbean, was clear that while indeed development takes time, it requires the Member Associations and FIFA “to work hand-inhand and also requires the trust of the public in our respective organisations.

The basis of trust should not only be due to the good result of national teams but also due to our actions in the area of social responsibility.”

The Agenda of the conference, according to Mosengo-Omba, “will be focused on the instruments that will allow us to better plan and manage projects.

It will address for instance, the question of: What is a project? What triggers a project? How and why to establish a project? Strategy? What does it mean?

Why do we need it? How to evaluate our project during and after completion, - the power of football to bring shine in the society!

The Conference will wrap up today.

33

34

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Defeat to Bangladesh has not dented confidence – Nurse

(CMC) – FRONTLINE spinner Ashley Nurse said Monday’s defeat to Bangladesh had not dented the team’s confidence, and they were now fully focussed on breaking their jinx against the Tigers in Friday’s final of the Tri-Nations Series.

West Indies went down by five wickets at The Village, to follow up their eight-wicket loss to Bangladesh in their second

game of the tournament last week.

The Caribbean side have now lost six of their last eight one-day meetings with the Asian side inside the last 12 months.

“Next game is the final; so it’s the most important game of the series. All the work we did over the last couple games is all well and good but to get the win in the final is the most important

thing right now,” off-spinner Nurse said following the defeat.

“It’s a tournament where the final is the ultimate goal.

They’ve gotten the better of us in the last two games but that doesn’t mean anything. We have to turn up on Friday and try to do the work.”

In the first match, West Indies managed just 261 and Bangladesh easily chased down their target with five overs re-

maining. Monday’s contest was much of the same, with the Tigers chasing a modest 248 and reaching their target with nearly three overs to spare.

Nurse, who has played 49 One-Day Internationals since his debut in 2016, said it was important not only for the Windies to bat well but to place pressure on the Bangladesh middle order which was yet to be really tested.

“I think if we can get some more runs on the board, first and foremost then the bowlers would have an easier job,” the 30-yearold pointed out.

“Because the wickets are

really easy-paced and it’s a case where we have to be on the ball as a bowling unit, build some pressure in the field and put them under some serious pressure and get into their middle order.

“The two games so far we haven’t really gotten into their middle order so if we can get into the middle of their batting order I think we’ll be in with a good shout.”

Nurse was the Windies’ best bowler on Monday with three for 53, taking his tally for the tournament to seven.

However, he said while he was pleased with his performance,

he was disappointed by the result.

“Today I had some more rhythm. From playing the other games I didn’t have a lot of rhythm but today was a lot warmer as well, so I felt a lot more at home,” Nurse explained.

“It was a slow pitch so I think the pace we bowled at was very important and today I got most of it right. It was a good performance from me but obviously to get the win was the most important thing and we didn’t do that; so we have to go back to the drawing boards and come back next game.”

Defending female champions go down in first leg of RFA Champions League quarterfinals

Paiwomak Warriors FC drew first blood against the defending champions.

DEFENDING female champions of the Rupununi Football Association (RFA), the Gladiators Football Club, went down to rivals - the Paiwomak Warriors FC - in their opening leg of the quarterfinals on Sunday at the Saints Sports Club ground in St Ignatius Village.

Samantha Roberts led the winners’ attack with a brace.

She opened the scoring in the 21st minute and Vandette Henry equalised in the 70th minute.

Five minutes from the end of regulation, Roberts fired in the game-winner.

Gladiators FC and Paiwomak Warriors were the female finalists last year.

In the other first-leg quarter-final clash (males) at the Massara Village in North Rupununi, Guyana Rush Saints and Strikers FC battled their way to a 2-2 draw.

Franklin Parks scored a double for the Saints.

In a recap of the female division quarterfinal firstleg games: Guyana Rush Saints whipped Sun Parakeets 5-0, while the Strikers FC got the better of Titans United FC 3-0. Also claiming a victory were

Flash FC, who whipped the Kanuku Harpies 5-1, last Saturday.

In the male division, Paiwomak Warriors FC needled Sun Parakeets 2-1 and defending champions Tabatinga FC stormed to a 6-1 win over the Titans United FC, while the Kanuku Harpies got the better of Jaguars FC 4-2.

Teams are now preparing for the return leg of the quarterfinals, with matches scheduled over the next two weekends (May 18 and 19, May 25 and 26).

The team with the highest goal aggregate will advance to the semifinals.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Wednesday, May 15, 2019

35

Archery Guyana Ruralites’ Gibbons confident ahead of GOBSA Independence Track & Field Meet moving closer to Olympic qualification

The fourth annual GOBSA Independence Track & Field Meet is open to children from as young as U-10.

Devin Persaud at the US Nationals 2018 70m Qualification

ARCHERY Guyana has announced the participation of its 29-year-old member Devin Persaud at the Hyundai World Archery Championships 2019 in the Netherlands.

Devin has his roots in Rose Hall Town, Berbice but is currently residing and training in Canada.

He has been involved in the sport of Archery for the past 5 years during which time he became so passionate about the sport, that he started Canada’s first online Archery Shop.

This is a platform from which he shares his passion whilst assisting with the continued growth of the sport, as he continues to pursue his passion of representing Guyana at the highest level.

This world competition represents his first opportunity to secure a spot for Guyana in the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

AFTER her impressive performance at the CARIFTA Games where she landed a gold medal in the U-17 Female Javelin throw, Anisha Gibbons is confident ahead of the fourth annual Guyana Overseas-Based Sports Association (GOBSA) Independence Track and Field Meet this weekend.

Gibbons, who is a member of the Ruralites Track Club (East Coast Demerara), talked up her chances along with those of her club at the meet scheduled for the National Track and Field Centre (NTFC) at Leonora, West Coast Demerara over the coming weekend (May 18-19).

Speaking to the media, she revealed; ”I have to compete mostly with the senior men because I don’t have much competition here, I don’t beat them but I try my best to do

well and I expect to do well.”

Meanwhile, Club coach Raymond Daw also expressed confidence in his charges excelling at the meet, citing preparation and motivation as key to their chances of attaining podium positions.

However, one of the Ruralites’ top athletes, Osrick Pellew, might not be competing because of injury.

The Independence Track and Field Championships is open to all ages, from kids as young as under 10 years. They will compete for medals and trophies In addition, the organising committee of the championships has added a number of rewards for athletes who turn in exceptional performances.

The event will commence at 10:00hrs both days.

Capelli Sports to outfit ‘Golden Guyana outclassed Jaguars’ at CONCACAF Gold Cup by El Salvador 8-4

By Rawle Toney

SPORTSWEAR manufacturer Capelli Sports is the Golden Jaguars’ kit supplier for the June 15 – July 7 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The kit, which will be worn by Guyana during their maiden Golden Cup appearance, was unveiled yesterday at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, following the opening of the FIFA Conference on Development.

While president of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde didn’t divulge much information surrounding the deal, he noted that they’re “working through just a few bits and pieces with Capelli Sports; but no doubt there’s a commitment on both parties that there will be an agreement that we will announce - some of the details - once the dotted lines are signed off.”

“We believe that we’ve been able to establish a remarkable working relationship with Capelli ... at the heart of our discussion has been where we are as a federation and the support we need to grow the sport from the grassroots level, straight up to the senior team,” Forde said.

Guyana will open their 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup campaign against defending champions USA on June 18 at the Allianz Field in Minneapolis.

Golden Jaguars were drawn in Group D of the 16-team tournament, with the defending champions (USA), Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.

Following their June 18 opener, coach Michael Johnson and his squad will travel to Cleveland to take on Panama on June 22 at the FirstEnergy Stadium then play their final group game against regional rivals, Trinidad and Tobago, on June 26 at the Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas.

… to play Guadeloupe today

DESPITE a spirited performance by Guyana, they were outclassed by former Champions El Salvador 8-4 in their opening game of the 2019 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship.

Jamal Haynes netted twice (13th, 17th minutes) while Shane Luckie (6th) and Trevon Archibald (19th) contributed the other two. The team is made up of players from Linden; the only area with a Beach Soccer facility in Guyana.

Deshawn Joseph (captain) and, Jermaine Grandison, Michael Wilson, Kennard Simon, Keon Sears, Cordel Johnson, Jeffon Figueira, Ethan Sparman and Jashaun Moore are the other members of the team.

Following yesterday’s game against El Salvador, Guyana will play Guadeloupe today, and will close their Group D round of matches against Belize on May 16.

El Salvador, 2009 winners also 2015 and 2017 thirdplace finishers of the tournament, will face Belize today.

Guadeloupe opened the tournament with a 7-6 win over Belize.

Guyana are no strangers to the tournament, with the ‘Golden Jaguars’ defeating Belize 4-1 in the group stage and Antigua & Barbuda 6-4 in the placement stage, to end 12th out of 16 teams. (Rawle Toney)

Defeat to Bangladesh has not dented confidence Page

34

– Nurse

Off-spinner Ashley Nurse … eyeing win over Bangladesh in Tri-Nations Series final

Capelli Sports to outfit

‘Golden Jaguars’ at CONCACAF Gold Cup

FIFA Conference on Development to focus on sustainable growth 33 Page

Page

35

GFF president Wayne Forde shows off the Golden Jaguars’ new kit which will be used during Guyana’s showing at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. (Samuel Maughn photo)

A token of appreciation! FIFA’s Director of Member Associations and Development, Veron Mosengo-Omba (first from right), makes a presentation to Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton. Also in photo is GFF president Wayne Forde (first from left). (Photo compliments: DPI/Keno George)

Archery Guyana moving closer to Olympic qualification Page

Devin Persaud

35

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2019