Guyana chronicle epaper 09 11 2016

No Cabinet reshuffle No. 104671

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2016

Price: $140

(VAT INCLUSIVE)

-despite errors, Granger defends keeping all his ministers

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Parika woman, 78, back in school to be a trained mechanic

See inside

- Fed up of being fooled by mechanics, Yvonne Trim decided she had to learn how to fix her own vehicle

Bartica power Three juveniles Free wifi in all public station to be escape from holding facility buildings soon overhauled Page

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Three juveniles escape from - one recaptured, two others on the run holding facility THE police have recaptured a juvenile, and are in pursuit of two others after they escaped from the Juvenile Holding Centre at Sophia, Greater Georgetown,on Saturday.

In a statement, the police said the trio escaped from the holding centre around 05:00 hrs after they allegedly dug a hole in the lower flat and scaled the fence.

According to the police, the recaptured juvenile, who hails from Adventure, Essequibo Coast, was recaptured at Rose Hall Town, Corentyne. He was on remand for a charge of robbery under arms.

The two other juveniles were on remand for simple larceny and break and enter and larceny.

“Efforts are being made to have them recaptured,” the police said.

When the Guyana Chronicle visited the Juvenile Hold-

ing Centre at around 11:30hrs on Saturday, the facility had a heavy presence of police officers.

But the officers on duty were all tight-lipped, saying all questions must be directed to the Divisional Commander, Marlon Chapman.

Commander Chapman, when contacted by the Guyana Chronicle, would only say that the two juveniles are still on the run.

Sources close to the investigation told the Sunday Chronicle that the trio used parts of a bed- frame in the facility to bore the hole

through the wall.

This newspaper also understands that while no officer is on close arrest, security personnel who were on duty at the time of the escape are all being investigated. The security system at the facility is also being reviewed.

The Juvenile Holding Centre at Sophia

Bandits grab $1M+ in items from newly-wed Port Mourant couple ACCORDING to information received, at some time between September 1st and 8th, bandits entered the home of the

Bheemsinghs, a young, recently married couple living at Lot 370 Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne but having left

the country to visit the USA. The bandits carted off items estimated in value at over $1 million.

The couple had report-

edly secured their premises before leaving the country; but on September 9th, at about 20:25 hrs, Savitri Rameshwar, mother of the female victim, was informed by neighbours that the light to the downstairs of her daughter’s home was off. Suspecting something was amiss, she and others went over to the house and checked. They found the front door broken, and as they ventured further inside, they noticed that the entire house was ransacked.

Among the items stolen are a television set, DVD player, clothing, cosmetics; and a quantity of jewelry, which included gold and diamonds, all with a total value of $1.1 million.

The police have since launched an investigation, and several persons were held for questioning, but they have all been subsequently released.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Bartica power station to be overhauled - but another week of blackout for already angry businessmen, residents

By Svetlana Marshall THE Public Infrastructure Ministry has stepped in to support the Guyana Power and Light after Bartica had endured more than two weeks of erratic power supply, but it will take another week before an overhaul of the Bartica power station is completed.

“The failure of two of GPL’s engines in Bartica has led to an untenable situation, and the Ministry will assist where possible,” the Public Infrastructure Ministry stat-

do better, protests by residents and promises from central government, the situation with the current electricity supply from GPL to Barticans is now worse than before,” she complained.

Moonsammy noted that there is no longer load shedding due to scheduled maintenance, but rather random outages. “It (blackout) just comes upon us like a thief in the night; and even when you do get it (power supply), in return you have to contend with low voltage,”

received, “GPL is trying to fix the unfixable.”

“Even if they get through now, we know that down the line we will get more power outages,” he opined.

There are currently three generator sets at the power station on First Avenue, Bartica. One is reportedly unserviceable, another is currently being repaired, and the third – a containerized generator - is the only unit servicing the entire Bartica community.

“It is time for the company to make a decision

The GPL Power Station at Bartica

Bartica Mayor, Gifford Marshall

Concerned resident Elizabeth Moonsammy

Concerned resident Holbert Knights

ed on Saturday.

Barticians have, over the past two weeks, been enduring prolonged periods of blackout, sometimes lasting eight and even 12 hours. The two ministers of Public Infrastructure having reportedly been briefed by the utility company, and are placing “special attention on Bartica’s situation, with measures being put in place to remedy it as quickly as possible.”

The Ministry said a major overhaul is expected to be completed by September 17, and the Ministry is asking residents of Bartica for their patience.

“The Ministry further thanks the residents of Bartica for their resilience, and extends its sincere apologies for the inconveniences they are experiencing.”

Elizabeth Moonsammy, a concerned resident, told Guyana Chronicle she is fed up with the situation.

“We all have endured enough, and yet it seems (that) despite pledges to

Moonsammy further contended.

She is of the opinion that the power company should consult with residents in an attempt to find a long-term solution to the electricity problems facing Bartica.

Another resident, Holbert Knights, told this newspaper that what is needed are new generators to power up Bartica. Knights said that based on information

to have new engines that will give us a couple of years trouble-free (service),” Knights posited, while noting that blackout for eight hours is neither good for business nor security, and is a major source of discomfort.

In an invited comment, Bartica Mayor Gifford Marshall said the town is severely affected by the poor supply of electricity.

He explained that the lone generator which services the town supplies only 1.2 megawatts of electricity when the demand is two megawatts.

He also noted that the current situation is placing economic hardship on residents, particularly the business community, and is affecting school children and giving rise to the issue of security.

But in addition to the poor supply of electricity, the Mayor said, the Bartica Town Council has serious issues with the operation and location of the power station.

“The present facility is inconsistent with the ‘greening’ of Bartica. If you visit the site, you will see that the power plant continues to be responsible for air pollution, and even water pollution,” Marshall explained.

He said the location of the power plant conflicts with the proposed Green Bartica Land Use Development Plan. According to him, the current location of the power station -- on First Avenue, Bartica -- has been identified as a commercial hub.

“In the interim, we believe that Bartica should

be powered by generators located at another site,” the Mayor said. However, he said the Council is hoping to consult with GPL on the best possible location.

“Such a move will significantly reduce noise and air pollution, which affects the health of residents, commuters, and patrons that operate within and around the present GPL location,” he said.

Marshall said the Town Council is aspiring to have clean and cheap energy from solar, biomas or hydro power, in keeping with the greening of Bartica.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

No need for Cabinet reshuffle ‒ despite errors, Granger defends keeping all his ministers

By Ariana Gordon PRESIDENT David Granger is not of the opinion that the errors made by members of the cabinet of his administration warrant disciplinary action, because those errors, in his opinion, do no amount to criminality.

“Yes, we accept that there have been errors, but those errors have not been (the) result of criminality; there have been administrative errors, and they are being corrected,” the President said on his weekly television programme, The Public Interest, which was broadcast Friday evening.

“Every government makes errors, and we just want to ensure we make fewer and fewer errors as we go along. But we have learnt a lot over the last 15

months,” the President stated, adding that in some cases Government had limited control over the situations.

“Some of them are human, some are administrative errors, and some are as a result of what was inherited,” the President declared.

President Granger does not believe there is a need for a Cabinet reshuffle.

He said the changes made to his Cabinet at the beginning of the year were designed to improve Cabinet’s performance. Early this year, the President created the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, headed by former Minister of Tourism Cathy Hughes. He also merged the Ministry of Tourism with the Ministry of Business, and placed same under the control of Minister Dominic Gaskin.

“Whenever something

happens that has been damning to the Government, we have an investigation. It is not something to ignore. Where necessary, we ask the ministers concerned to explain and give reasons for their conduct,” he added.

President Granger noted, too, that all matters of national importance -positive or negative -- are deliberated upon at the level of Cabinet. He said inquiries and investigations are done as a means to improve his administration’s performance.

Referring to the controversy surrounding the rental of a pharmaceutical bond at Sussex Street in Georgetown, the President made it clear that while there were errors with respect to the acquisition of the property and the rates

for rental, government had an urgent need to remove much needed pharmaceuticals from the wharf. “…we had a situation with drugs on the wharf, and there was a danger of expulsion from the facility and there was need for the pharmaceuticals around the country; and those were the motivations for the action that was taken,” he explained, even as he assured that “there was no criminality”, and noted that “it was a question to get the job done.”

“Errors were made, and the Minister apologized.

We are correcting those…

As far as I am concerned, we have put in place a system to prevent a recurrence,” President Granger told reporters.

Facing mounting calls for him to be relieved of

President David Granger

his portfolio, Public Health Minister Dr. George Norton apologized on August 25 for what was deemed misleading and untrue statements to the National Assembly regarding the acquisition of the Sussex Street bond, owned by Lawrence ‘Larry’ Singh of Linden Holdings Inc. “I gave answers based on knowledge…and information presented to me,” he said, referring to his statements in the House on August 8, when he claimed that the New GPC, which previously housed Government’s pharmaceutical

supplies, wanted over $19 million a month for rental, and so his Ministry sought to rent a cheaper bond for $12.5 million. He had also claimed that the Sussex St. building was certified, but a check revealed that the building was incomplete, and in fact had no certification.

“As Minister of Public Health, I know a high standard of duty is expected of me…I take full responsibility, and you have my commitment that it will not recur,” declared Dr. Norton.

Norton did not believe that his misleading statement to the House warranted his resignation or dismissal. Government has since described the arrangement with Linden Holding Inc. as “undesirable”, and has explored a number of options to remedy the situation, including shortening the lease period for the rental of the Sussex Street facility while expediting a search for another facility.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Collective approach needed to reduce high suicide rate

By Svetlana Marshall

WORLD Suicide Prevention and Awareness Day was observed on Saturday with calls for a collective approach to reduce the high incidence of suicide in Guyana.

Under the theme, “Connect, Communicate, Care,” the day’s observances, organised by the Public Health Ministry and the Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO), unfolded at the Giftland Mall, Liliendaal,Greater Georgetown.

According to 2012 statistics, Guyana, a developing country with less than a million people, is faced with a staggering suicide rate which has landed the country atop the list of countries with the highest suicide rate – a fact that PAHO/WHO Country Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, bemoaned.

Dr. Adu-Krow, in delivering brief remarks, pointed out that while Guyana accounts for 0.01 per cent of the world’s population, it contributes 0.03 per cent of the world’s suicides.

As such, he said all sectors of society must play their part to reduce the key risk factors. “All of us got to play a role…We can all play a role and we all can be each other’s keeper,” he posited.

In alluding to this year’s theme, Dr. Adu-Krow said: “It is important that the government shows that it cares, it is important that the donor community shows that it cares, it is important that development agencies show that they care, it is important that the United Nations (UN) agencies show that we care, it is important that faith-based

Dr. Jonge Balseiro, Psychiatric Consultant at the GPHC and Professor John O’Connor with members of the For the Children’s Sake Foundation take a selfie at Saturday’s event. (Delano Williams photo)

organisations…show that they care.”

Meanwhile, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament and social activist, Vindhya Persaud, said while life is full of challenges, persons should not succumb to them.

“We all know that life has its fair share of challenges, everyone has bad days, everyone has days when things are up and down, and we all have our fair share of obstacles and impediments… but we should let people know…that they should not succumb to those bad days,” she posited.

Persaud also called for an end to the stigma against

mental health, and further urged that Guyanese be more caring and supportive. “I think we need to move away from being a judgmental so-

ciety and move towards being a society that cares,” she said.

Acting Director of the Mental Health Unit, Dr. Mee-

na Rajkumar, while echoing similar sentiments, noted that the last suicide study completed on Guyana indicates that there were 667 reported cases for the period 20102012, resulting in an average of 200 deaths per year.

“We have found that suicide was most prevalent among the age group 20-49, which catered to 50% of the cases, 13-19 and 50 years of age which recorded a 16.6% simultaneously. During the same period, we recorded 344 cases of attempted suicide, again a very distressing figure,” Dr. Rajkumar pointed out.

The high the incidence of suicide she said, is of major concern to the Government, which “views the psychological and emotional well-being of its people as vital to their having the best quality of life.”

Cognizant of the situa-

tion, Dr. Rajkumar noted that the Public Health Ministry has been working to scale up its mental health services, and continues to work closely with PAHO. Currently the National Suicide Prevention Programme is being implemented.

“The programme involves all sectors of society, highlighting community participation and role; with the support of PAHO/ WHO’s Guyana Office, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the participation of NGOs, community leaders, health workers and specialists in mental health,” she explained, while calling for greater unity in the fight.

Senior Psychiatrist, Dr. Bhiro Harry and Psychologist, Dr. Caitlin Vieira were among those present in addition to For the Children’s Sake Foundation.

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Editor-In-Chief

Nigel Williams Editor

Godfrey Wray

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

Editorial 15 years after 9/11

15 years after 9/11

MANY can remember, 15 years to date, where they were on September 11th, 2001 when news broke that planes flew into the United States’ (U.S.) World Trade Center (WTC) and Pentagon Building. When it dawned on the world that these simultaneous acts were not accidents, but were well-coordinated attacks from foreign individuals, it brought new recognition of the vulnerability of a country thought to be the ultimate fortress. 3000 lives were lost in the WTC and 115 at the Pentagon as a result of these cowardly acts. The average person never thought anything like this could have happened on U.S. soil.

September 11, 2001, or 9/11, represents the telephone number to call in the case of emergency. That this date was chosen by those who attacked the U.S. says that the date was no accident, but a deliberately symbolic attempt to show America its vulnerability; and it is not unfair to say that the comfort zone of complacency has since been disrupted.

These attacks have also taken away the complacency of the safest means of transportation, which is airline travel. New institutions and restrictions have been established for airlines, to prevent any other terrorist act. The world has become more hypertensive to terrorism and acts of terrorism, and new code systems are in use to assess levels of terrorism or threats.

The attacks on the WTC and Pentagon were the first on America’s soil since Pearl Harbour (1941). Not only did that attack send a signal that what is considered the world’s most prosperous nation can be hit, but the hit was aimed at the heart of U.S. commerce, given that New York is considered its money capital. The Pentagon is the military headquarters of what is considered the world’s most powerful army. It is here that the president, vice president and others take their briefings and engage in military planning for the world.

Given the symbolism of the stated, the psychological impact had to have reverberated in the corridors of U.S. power. Further, these acts were not conducted by a country, but by a small group of men perceived to be ill-equipped and underfunded, but having an ideology of destruction that is still prevalent 15 years after, becoming more complex in operation and wider in spread. The new form of terrorism, i.e. non-state actors, is more terrifying than Adolf Hitler and his army, which had threatened the world before World War Two. With increasing access to information technology and social media applications, persons with terrorist propensities have mastered the Internet and have spread propaganda, influencing and recruiting people from all corners of the world. Persons are now creating their own cells to become self-sufficient to commit acts of terrorism in representation of a group they have never met, or men/leaders that are dead.

The Internet has removed boundaries based on ideology, beliefs and even terrorism to the extent that persons from middle income or affluent families in the Western societies can fall into the belief and ideology of a leader half way around the world. People are also leaving their countries to go to the Middle East and elsewhere to join terrorist groups with the

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

SARU, SOCU given a basket to fetch water Dear Editor, IN RECENT weeks, there have been several reports emanating from different quarters in support of, or sternly against, the envisaged new roles for SARU, soon to be SARA; and SOCU. In the interest of properly educating the otherwise confused, bewildered, or plain uninformed general populace, it is instrumental in narrating just what these fancy sounding acronyms stand for.

(A) SARU: State Assets Recovery Unit; and this will soon become SARA (State Assets Recovery Agency), and is under the direct supervision of the Ministry of the Presidency (erstwhile Office of the President). It falls under direct jurisdiction of Dr. Clive Thomas (the respected economist) with the day-today operations headed by R’td. Major General Aubrey Heath-Retemyer. Word is that this entity will soon be reporting to, and working in conjunction with, the still to be operationalised FIU (Financial Intelligence Unit).

(B) SOCU: State Organised Crime Unit, which is headed by Senior Superintendent Sidney James. This entity is now being brought under the jurisdiction of the Guyana Police Force.

(C) CANU: The Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit is the official anti-drugs agency tasked with gathering intelligence; intercepting, arresting, prosecuting and dismantling any and all illegal drugs or narco-trafficking businesses. The new anti-money laundering laws in Guyana are supposed to making it easier in going after the proverbial ‘Dons’, ‘Big Fishes’ etc. Regrettably, that has not happened, and when is still the billion-dollar question.

Frankly speaking, all of the above agencies are nice on paper, but extremely weak in actually doing anything because they lack the requisite trained human capital, modern intelligence gathering, and institutional resources such as eyes in the sky (military drones), rugged 4X4 vehicles, amphibious craft, aircraft and military grade choppers with night time operational capabilities to go into the field and in pursuit of the criminal syndicates running Guyana.

In short, they have been given a basket to fetch water. In fact, the dominant economic indicators for Guyana are drug trafficking, gun running, money laundering and human trafficking, just in case no one has noticed.

Guyana today is suffering one of its darkest moments in its economic history, with the traditional sectors such as rice and sugar underperforming mainly due to market conditions, as in rice; and the haphazard management at GUYSUCO. Oil and gas will take years to produce the first penny, and gold is extremely cyclical. The timber sector is not really going anywhere, as it has been rife with crooked deals of one kind or another, with the

recent expose of BaiShanLin illustrating deeper issues of racketeering and bogus businesses augmented with human trafficking as per the recent reports of the British and German authorities.

Our so-called Ministry of National Security and Ministry of Citizenship need to do a better job of chronicling how many foreigners are in Guyana, how many are here legally versus illegally, how many have overstayed their time; and once and for all start their immediate deportation forthwith without any room for ifs, ands, or buts. The Guyanese citizenship of all BaiShanLin employees must be immediately revoked, because they came to Guyana under false pretence, and the liberties they enjoy, rest assured that we could not enjoy those in China. This also applies to other foreign entities or nationals operating here, whether they are from China, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran etc. The rule of law is most important.

The recent interception of a container load of rice from Guyana containing more than 100 lbs. of cocaine, a few days ago in Jamaica, highlights the tip of the iceberg, in that the rice sector is now being used by certain unsavoury characters to launder money; and despite this information being brought to the attention of the appropriate local rice marketing authority, it was simply ignored or not acted upon, and so there is need for new leadership at the said rice marketing board, so both President Granger and Minister Holder must act immediately.

If President Granger and Minister Holder do not act condignly in dealing with this scourge, then we might as well kiss the once lucrative rice export business a permanent Sayonara (Japanese for goodbye) for the lack of a better word, because no one in their right minds will be interested in doing business with rice exporters from Guyana for the fear of opening a container or two filled with narcotics.

In case the authorities do not understand the long-term ramifications of this latest drug haul in Jamaica, let it be known that we are talking about the complete destruction and possible annihilation of an important foreign exchange earner, and this will not be an APNU/AFC versus PPP or East Indian versus Afro-Guyanese issue, but moreso a national problem wherein hundreds of thousands of struggling rice farmers scattered across the coastland sell their rice to the major millers, and this problem will have a disastrous, cascading effect upon the entire rice sector or value chain.

Bankruptcies, suicides and social fallouts will become the order of the day, with their attendant negative side effects on the wider economy.

The DEA and its Jamaican counterparts are not going to simply sweep this under the carpet, as is customary of all things illegal and criminal in Guyana,

mindset of becoming martyrs/jihadists on the promise of an ideology pertaining to the now and hereafter.

America itself has created its own home-grown terrorists, as in the instances of the 2013 Boston, Massachusetts marathon attack, and the 2016 San Bernardino, California night club attack by persons who had influence of Islamic extremists to attack or destroy anything that has modern Western ideology.

The question as to whether the world is safer after all the new systems that have been put in place after 9/11 will forever be debated. What is undebatable is that terrorism is global, and the fight against it requires global collaboration. It continues to be seen that there is no boundary, race, ethnicity, financial standing, or limit to who can be recruited or engaged

much to the point where the local private sector operates with a mercenary mindset for the most part. Heads will roll; foreign assets, including bank accounts in Miami and elsewhere, will be frozen and seized under the unforgiving anti-money laundering laws of the United States, including ‘The Patriot Act’; because there is an established nexus between the drugs trade/money laundering and terror financing. Even Jesus could not save you on this one.

There are also several crooked local bankers, whose culpability will soon surface as aiding and abetting, and seizure of their assets locally and abroad and full revocation of their US, UK and Canadian visas and that of their loved ones will take place. A word of advice to those in the local private sector: You have been crying out against the new laws to combat drug trafficking and money laundering because many of you are only too aware that you do not run a clean business, and so once the spotlight goes on you and you come under the microscope, you are going to have to face the long arm of the DEA and the US Department of Justice, and your political patrons in Guyana will be unable to intervene.

You are well advised to make a plea when the time comes in naming all those that have benefited in any way, shape or form from the proceeds of your rotten business.

This also underscores the urgent need for political finance campaign reforms, which Transparency International and its regional affiliates in Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana have been arguing for since 2000, but no one in the Caribbean Region seems interested because the proceeds of organised trans-national crimes have been financing several political campaigns across the region, and we all know only too well about the nexus of ill-gotten gains, failed states, drug lords and terror incubators; which US Ambassador Perry Holloway can deliver a full course on because he has first-hand experience, having served with distinction in very sensitive posts in both Afghanistan and Colombia.

The Government of Guyana will do well to learn from the former President of Colombia, President Alvaro Uribe Velez, who carried the fight against narco-trafficking and narco-terrorism during his term of office from 2002 until 2010; and who, with massive amounts of US military assistance and with superb training, real time intelligence and serious resolve defeated the narco-empires and the FARC guerilla movement (now called peace negotiators) that were freely supported by then Venezuelan strongman the late Hugo Chavez. The end results were amazing: Colombia regained its international investment grade; negotiated several free trade deals with the US, Canada and India, to name a few; Turn to page 7 ►

in terroristic acts. This situation can be likened to a snake that has no head, or an organisation without a leader, driven by an ideology, not a person. This makes modern terrorism, aka jihadism, the hardest fight the Western world has ever fought; and unlike previous wars, when these leaders die or are captured, the war is not over.

Answers to fighting this new form of terrorism are not easy. The problem is complex and represents an enemy that is ever evolving, transcends all levels of modern-day warfare, and makes common-sense approach to getting rid of it far exceeding modern understanding. What is encouraging, however, is that governments are not giving up in trying to understand the phenomenon that drives the behaviour and efforts to contain it.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

AFC maintains Ambassador to Kuwait not a convicted criminal The Alliance for Chance (AFC) Saturday evening maintained that Guyana’s Ambassador to Kuwait Dr Shamir Ally was never convicted of a crime.

The party said that Dr Ally has denied culpability in charges brought by the US’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to the company he was employed with.

According to the AFC, Dr Ally was employed by Acrodyne, a Public Manufacturing Company, for a short period (February 2, 1999 to May 9, 1999) as the Cost Accounting Manager. On May 10, 1999 he was promoted to Controller and he served in this position for fifteen (15) months up to July 10, 2000, the AFC stated.

The party noted that the company’s President, A. Robert Mancuso had asked Ally to help turn around the company as they were preparing to manufacture Digital Television Transmitters for Television Stations, converting from analogue to digital systems.

“Dr. Ally was terminated in July 2000 when the Technical Director Ostroff became the new President.

The company was at the time in the midst of a power struggle, falling revenue/income and a depleting labour force,” the AFC claimed.

Two years later in May 2002, the SEC, the United States agency for maintaining fair, orderly and efficient markets in-country, served notice on Acrodyne Pty. Ltd. and its former principals of its intention to take civil action.

The charge read that the SEC was accusing former President A. Robert Mancuso and former Chief Financial Officer Ronald R. Lanchoney, along with Controller Shamir Ally, of disseminating false financial information in press releases and Commission filings in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Dr. Ally was first employed at Acrodyne in 1999, the AFC noted.

“The procedures he worked with he had inherited, and he operated under the close supervision of the CFO,” the party claimed.

Dr. Ally was charged jointly with Mancuso and Lanchoney, the party stated, and that instead of proceeding with a long and costly trial, the three professionals were strongly advised by that company’s Attorney-at-Law, Mr. Steven Thomas, to make a deal with the SEC to pay fines without admission of guilt.

Dr. Ally’s vehement denials of any culpability were first contained in correspondences to the Staff Attorney

of the SEC’s Central Regional Office, Ms. Dawn Leporati Leget, on May 29, 2002.

“His position today, fourteen (14) years after the incident, remains unchanged.

He insists that the company’s annual reports to the SEC were accurate financial results, gleaned from information available from the company’s accounting systems,” the AFC stated.

The party said that Acrodyne used to prepare quarterly reports based on some actual, and some estimated figures. But at year-end they did annual stocktaking for end of year reports which were all audited and forwarded to the SEC. The Quarterly Reports to the SEC were not audited.

“That was Standard Operating Procedure at Acrodyne. There were also no highly computerized systems to offer closer evaluations from one year to the next,” the AFC stated.

In all of his correspondences to the SEC and Acrodyne since 2002, Dr. Ally has said that he “most vehemently disagrees with the sec’s charges”, and that he had agreed to pay the US$10,000 penalty under protest. The CFO also paid a US$10,000 penalty and the company’s President US$50,000.

Dr. Ally also accused the SEC of making him a scape-

goat since the Accounting procedures he had worked with he had inherited from his predecessors, and he has consistently iterated that he worked under the close supervision of Mr. Lanchoney, the CFO. He said that his July 2000 termination ruled out his ability to access the accounting records which would have enabled him to substantially rebut the SEC’s 2002 charge.

The AFC stated that contrary to information carried recently in several sections of the local media claiming

that the SEC’s 2002 charges took away his voting rights in the USA, Dr. Ally has proven that the SEC’s final judgment (the US$10,000 penalty) never prohibited him from serving as an Officer or Director of any public company (as it did his erstwhile colleagues), neither did it rescind his voting rights.

Since 2002, Dr. Shamir Ally has continued to function unimpeded at very high levels in and out of the United States, voting at all national elections, City and Town elections.

At Indian Trail, North Carolina, Dr. Shamir Ally was sworn in to serve on six (6) Town Boards and Committees from 2014 to December 2015.

More recently, in February 2015, the North Carolina Secretary of State appointed Dr. Shamir Ally as a Notary Public, the AFC stated.

“We must reiterate that contrary to recent media reports, Dr. Shamir Ally was charged and required to pay a penalty by the SEC. He was not convicted of a crime,” the AFC declared.

SARU, SOCU given a... and foreign direct investments surged, including Facebook, Google, HP, Samsung, Tata, WIPRO, Infosys and others, establishing a major presence and employing hundreds of thousands of well-educated Colombians in multiple sectors. Colombia is today the driving force in ‘The Pacific Alliance’, and is fast becoming the Silicon Valley of Latin America, as multiple incubators and innovation centres are springing forth across this resilient nation.

However, the above did not come without a patent resolve and tested leadership, which is what Guyana sadly lacks.

I have read President Granger’s books on public security which he presented

me a few years back, and it is no different than The Uribe Doctrine, as it speaks to need for security, without which there will be no serious foreign investments. So President Granger needs to seriously and urgently take a page out of his own book and implement without further delay.

Today the Colombian military is the most battle hardened and field tested in Latin America, much to the point where it is now among the most sought after in the world for its readiness, and is today providing private security to several heads of state globally. Guyana lacks the ability currently, so it must allocate the requisite resources

From page 6

-- financial and otherwise -in upping its game in terms of the necessary military preparedness, training, weapons and intelligence that will result in creation of an elite commando unit trained by the Israelis to go after the drug fraternity with clear direction to terminate with extreme prejudice. The Colombian elite commando units were trained by Israel, with the US providing the funding; and if cash is the excuse for inaction, then consider seizure of assets of the drug lords and use their cash in paying for the best that Israel can offer.

Regards, MIKE SINGH

HINDS’SIGHT

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Dr David Hinds

GUYANA is a difficult country to comprehend politically. When I teach about this country, my students often conclude that it generally defies most political theories. Of course, Guyana is part of the larger Caribbean family which represents perhaps the most complex group of countries you will find any-

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

The contradictions of Guyana’s politics

where in the world. With its mixture of different ethnic groups who arrived at different times under different circumstances, along with the long history of bondage and resistance to bondage within the context of global political and economic dynamics, the Caribbean has to be a complex space.

When the rest of the world

woke up yesterday to the phenomenon of Globalisation, we in the Caribbean have been conscious of its deadliness for 400 years; slavery and colonialism were vivid examples of that globalisation which Professor Rex Nettleford referred to as “a new designation for an old obscenity.”

Guyana and its Anglo-

phone Caribbean neighbours are post-colonial societies of recent vintage. We still bear the scars of centuries of bondage and suffer from the systemic consequences of that bondage. We still exhibit some of the resistance culture which helped us overcome forced domination. But, as a society, we are also to a large extent still reflective of the political and economic status quo which obtained during that period of institutionalized bondage. In other words we have, under a new guise, held on tightly to some of the political behaviours which were used to keep us in chains.

Some have argued with much justification that after being socialised within a politico-cultural system for so long, it is inevitable that we would bring aspects of that system into the present. But I would hasten to add that it is also to be expected that the resistance culture which was nurtured during the period of bondage should also form part of our contemporary praxis. The truth is that we brought into our Independence both the authoritarian and resistance tendencies.

The question, therefore, is which one has been more dominant during Independence, or have we found a way to alternate between or worse amalgamate the two tendencies.

One has to be very frustrated about what obtains at both the level of governance and leadership on the one hand and among the general citizenry on the other hand— the (inherent?) contradictions are so stark. We belong to a region whose cricket team with sheer artistry and cultural resistance were able to dominate world-cricket for two long decades, yet at the end of that period our region’s children average 40% pass in Mathematics and approximately 70% pass in our official language. The statistics for Guyana are much more dismal. Our political

leaders, from the visionaries of the period of decolonisation to the political managers of now, have generally exhibited a keen understanding of our global and domestic challenges yet day- in-day- out find ways to stifle and kill the very energies which are so needed to help us overcome those challenges.

One of the glaring negatives of the PPP’s rule was the manner in which Indian-Guyanese leaders and by extension the community which they led generally remained quiet in the face of the government atrocities, even when it was clear that they were against those actions. African- Guyanese leaders and their followers were very critical of this development, even if they did not express it publicly. After all, a critical mass of African-Guyanese had publicly resisted the atrocities of the PNC government. Now that the PPP is in opposition, this new government appears to be impatient with criticisms from their supporters and the supporters are equally suspicious of criticisms emanating from within the ranks.

Many African-Guyanese have told me that they welcome my self-criticism of “our government,” but some have warned me that the Indian-Guyanese do not criticise their own. These were the very people who were critical of Indian-Guyanese when they remained quiet in the face of PPP over-reach—in effect they are asking me to emulate a behaviour which they condemned yesterday and still do today. I usually answer by saying that my critique of government is part of my activism regardless of who is in power and in this case they are aimed mostly at helping to ensure that the government does the right things.

Some government leaders have reacted to my critique by publicly chiding me in the name of the state for misusing the freedom they

“gave me.” Others have gone further. The cynics would quote David Rudder who in his classic calypso-lament “1990,” observed that “the more we change, rearrange, everything stays the same.”

Who can be so culturally blind and insensitive to where the world is in 2016 that he/ she would remove a woman from her position because she is pregnant? Why are we, in 2016, chasing vendors off the streets in order to tell them that they should keep their surroundings clean and abide by settled rules? What has happened to reasoning?

The wages of workers are their breath of life, so to live they require a living wage. The government has given a 1-10% increase, but the union has rejected it. The president has said that despite the rejection, he would go ahead and pay the increase while the next action by the union is awaited. I see where the president is going, but I cannot help but ask myself if he is not running the risk of being seen as saying “If you do not take it, I will go over your head and pay it.”

Why would a government spend $130 million dollars on forensic audits only to discover that people with the evidence to prosecute the wrongdoers are either reluctant or scared to give statements to the police? Some in this government have said that the PPP wasted money on the Rodney Commission of Inquiry and at the end of the day, we are no nearer to the truth. I ask—has this government wasted money on the State Audits and are we any nearer to the truth?

More of Dr. Hinds ‘writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ GuyanaCaribbean Politics and on his website www. guyanacaribbeanpolitics. com. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Respecting labour laws and conventions

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HE wages/salaries’ issue between the Government and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) is obviously of interest to citizens.

Some have opined that the increases are comparative to what had been imposed by the Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar governments; others view it as inadequate based on public servants’ economic status vis-a-vis the significant increases Cabinet awarded itself and Members of Parliament.

That being noted, attention cannot be lost sight of the process that must at all times be respected and applied to deliver an agreement acceptable to the parties; that is, Government and GPSU. There exists an established mechanism that if the parties, at the bilateral level, cannot arrive at agreement, the issue in contention shall be referred to conciliation.

This was upheld in the 1999 impasse between Government and GPSU; from the failure to arrive at an agreement, the parties proceeded to arbitration. At that stage, all decisions of the panel were final and binding on both sides.

Government, being the representative of the state, as the major employer, also has responsibility to uphold and respect laws. The Trade Union Recognition Act, Chapter 98:07, Section 23 (1) states that where a trade union is recognised, the employer shall negotiate in good faith. When the Government can publicly state it shall pay the wages/salaries’ increases even though the union has said there exists

no agreement, this speaks to an imposition. Where a non-agreement exists, either party can request conciliation.

Instead, the APNU+AFC Administration has opted to mirror the conduct of the Jagdeo and Ramotar governments, inasmuch as it had condemned that conduct when in the opposition. Jagdeo, Ramotar and Granger/ Nagamootoo governments have all talked with the GPSU one or two times, then imposed wages/salaries afterwards. The only difference with the APNU+AFC is that the Minister of Finance announced in the National Assembly this administration’s commitment to respect the right to collective bargaining.

Today this right is being trampled, and the law that protects it is being violated.

There is the thinking that the GPSU, in rejecting the offer, is being self-destructive. I fundamentally disagree with this thought, though some who expressed it are well-meaning. Where time-honoured principles, laws and rules are established, you cannot circumvent them, lest circumvention undermines the foundation upon which law, order, and mutual respect is built.

Governance is grounded on established guidelines, and no disregard for the established process in dealing with matters -- be it collective bargaining, public procurement or otherwise -must be supported, for these cannot be cherry picked.

The issues between the National Communications Network (NCN) and Mrs. Jocelle Archibald-Hawke

and Ms. Natasha Smith are reflections that decisions at the level of government and state institutions continue to be made by gut feelings and not by due diligence. The recognised union at the NCN is the Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU), and it is compulsory, by way of law, that the management engages the CCWU on any request it makes on behalf of its members. Management cannot make up rules and apply them in the workplace as it deems fit.

The Trade Union (Amendment) Act (1984) makes it clear that a Collective Labour Agreement is legal and binding on the employer and trade union, unless expressly stated otherwise. These agreements outline what workers can be disciplined for, and how the process is to be handled. Compounding the gut-feeling approach to management are Ministers Lawrence and Scott, who inserted themselves in the issues like headless chickens, taking on the role of clerks, and denying the technicians the opportunity to discharge their duties.

The involvement of the Ministry of Social Protection should, in this instance, have been by way of the Chief Labour Officer and his team, who are industrial relations’ practitioners. The NCN matter was not that of crisis. A crisis exists at the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (GB&GWU), where the workers are denied their right to belong to a trade union of choice and the ministers continue to be collaborators

with a management that reminds us of those who had enslaved our forebears.

Running to NCN presented opportunity for the ministers to hoodwink society into believing that they understand their roles and are discharging their duties.

Mrs. Archibald-Hawke remains on suspension, while the management maintains its unreasonable position.

From an industrial relations’ standpoint, this constitutes horse trading, where management receded on one but held steadfast on the other, despite being wrong.

At the City Council, Town Clerk Royston King fancies himself a Caesar in his demonstration of scant regard for universally acceptable principles. The vendors whom he once used to go after Carol Sooba are now targets of his ruthlessness. Sooba, whom he once condemned for having the City Council pay for her bodyguards, has seen him increase the numbers who now guard him. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

This country continues to experience instances

when men and women -though some may be new to their positions -- abuse the offices they hold, and show no regard for the laws, rules and principles governing official conduct, and the people they are elected or appointed to serve. Our voices cannot be still in the presence of the things we once condemned.

It must matter not whether one voted for the party in office: right is right and wrong is wrong. If this is not the governance we think we deserve, we must speak out.

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Financial Sustainability and the Good Life

By Rear Admiral (Rtd.) Gary A. R. Best Presidential Advisor on the Environment TODAY, we will talk a little bit about options for financial sustainability as we move towards a good life in a green economy. If we use the Bruntland Report definition of sustainable development to mean ‘Development that meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,’ then we should also agree that financial sustainability will possess inter and intra-generational characteristics. Concurring that every good idea should be met by a corresponding good financial plan, means that one of the pillars of the promised good life must be sound financial structures and options.

Financial sustainability is driven by sound, long-term strategic financial planning.

It is critical for leaders, at every level of the organisation, to routinely mobilise the entire financial staff so that they are aware of the financial planning expectations irrespective of whether there is a financial crisis or not. Leaders at all levels should stress and believe that a better future is available if planning is effected around the relevant community of actors. In the Guyana context, the community of actors operate at the village, local, regional, civil and national levels. Financial forecasts

must be presented in such a manner as to achieve credibility and avoid speculation.

The entire working staff of, for example, the Mayor and City Council, must be involved in the overall picture of the entity’s activities in order to be cognitively aligned to its outcomes. The financial system should also be decentralised for greater financial efficiency which will enable early feedback on forecasts with adjustments as necessary to the various financial streams. Therefore, all resources must be aligned and planning must be institutionalised to guarantee financial sustainability. However, reliance on flawed financial indicators will impact negatively on social, environmental and good-life issues.

Sustainable investments and assessments include and require energy use, resource and waste management, climate control, building design, health and safety planning, shipping, marketing, personnel benefits and transportation. However, the incorporation of sustainability into the company’s financial practices requires more than the above elements. Accordingly, sustainability accounting, a method developed by the United Kingdom-based Forum for the Future, is a useful tool to examine internal and external rates of return through an organisation’s environmental and social performance. Further, and as an example, risks associated with climate change will include a valuation of carbon footprints from fos-

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Rear Admiral (rtd) Gary A. R. Best

Towards a Good Life in a Green Economy

sil fuels use in electricity, heating and transportation.

Of course, environmental and social performance and climate change solutions are key ingredients of the green economy. In that context, ecosystems services valuation and natural capital valuation are useful, financially sustainable activities in terms of developing and enhancing public environmental planning policies.

The concept of micro financing is also useful in attaining financial sustainability, especially for low-income households, which are usually left out of the banking system due to absence of collateral. Micro financing can mitigate this negative and actually result in low- income households saving, but one has to be careful that one’s orang-

es are not being compared to another’s apples. Even though it sounds like a winwin, difficulties abound. The target group should be the poor and then up the scale as progress is identified. There is a real risk, however, that if not well mamaged, micro financing will end up serving citizens further up the income scale. There is also an argument, with which I agree, that micro financing provides more opportunities for growth and savings than donor-driven, subsidised programmes. Contrastingly, however, there are those who instead posit that the best practices of the winwin, non-subsidised approach has not manifested in increased micro financing over subsidised financing.

Micro financing is a good option for generating and driving the village and micro economy towards the promised good life.

At the international level, financial sustainability could well entail charging for the use of the global commons which includes the oceans beyond the Exclusive Economic Zones, the electromagnetic spectrum,

biodiversity and outer space, including the geostationary lower orbits. International taxation is another method of achieving financial sustainability in that, it is justifiable because transnational activities such as tourism and use the global commons encourage free-riders in the international system. Every nation should pay its fair share for use of the global commons. An air tax, for example, might be relevant to the ‘polluter pay principle’.

The difficulty here, however, is that it would require an organisational-type international agreement that is GATT/ WTO compatible which may prove difficult and out of reach of the developing states, since such an agenda may well be dominated by the developed countries. But we must push the developed world in that direction.

It is also clear that at the national level environmental taxes and other ecosystem charges can be implemented by governments to drive a form of sustainable financing. It is also clear that insecure property rights over natural resources can be a key factor in the loss of biodiversity in developing countries. To this extent, Guyana must be careful to ensure that rights over large concessions for mining and foresting do not emerge later into inalien-

able property rights in favour of international entities. In addition, property rights over natural resources should be temporal and reviewable.

We should note also that the private sector can be encouraged to look at green’ businesses and bio prospecting in the area of provision of drugs from forest resources, even though weak country capacities may initially affect regulating the sector.

However, an international system of property rights and royalties may be necessary to ensure compliance and protect private sector business investments.

Finally, the non-governmental organisations can initiate activities such as ‘debt- for- nature’ swaps which are characterised by exchanging debt in hard currency for local currency or equity in local enterprises as additional measures to attain financial sustainability. While attractive in principle, the nature of the property rights that accrue using debt- for-nature swaps should be carefully worked out to benefit Guyana as a whole.

Next week, we shall look at institutional sustainability.

(Comments can be sent to towardsagoodlife @gmail.com)

Mr Gary A R Best is a retired Rear Admiral and former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force. He is an Attorney at Law and the Presidential Advisor on the Environment. He is a PhD candidate at the University of the West Indies and holds a BSc in Nautical Science (Brazil) and Masters Degrees from the University of the West Indies and the University of London. His research areas include climate change governance, climate change finance, international relations and environmental law.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Obama on 9/11 anniversary:

We never give in to fear Hailing the values and resilience that he says both define and sustains Americans, President Barack Obama on Saturday honoured the nearly 3,000 victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks.

In his weekly radio and internet address, he also hailed the bravery of survivors and the emergency personnel who responded, and the work of scores of others who have worked since to keep the US safe.

"In the face of terrorism, how we respond matters ... We cannot give in to those who would divide us. We cannot react in ways that erode the fabric of our society," he said.

The attackers' goal was to frighten Americans into changing how they live, Obama said, adding: "Americans will never give in to fear."

"We're still the America of heroes who ran into harm's way, of ordinary folks who took down the hijackers, of families who turned their pain into hope," Obama said.

Diversity 'makes us resilient' "It's our diversity, our welcoming of all talent, our treating of everybody fairly - no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, or faith - that's part of what makes our country great.

It's what makes us resilient," said the president, whose term ends in January 2017.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed in New York City, Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon when hijacked commercial airliners were slammed into all three locations in attacks that were planned and carried out by the al-Qaeda group.

Al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, was killed nearly a decade later by US forces during a May 2011 raid on his Pakistani

hideout that Obama authorised.

Obama noted in his address that the threat has evolved since September 11, 2001, "as we've seen so tragically from Boston to Chattanooga, from San Bernardino to Orlando", cities that suffered headline-grabbing attacks.

He pledged that the US will stay relentless

President Barack Obama against attacks from al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group, which is spreading its mayhem across the Middle East and the West.

"So in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and beyond, we'll stay relentless against terrorists like al-Qaeda and ISIL. "We will destroy them.

And we'll keep doing everything in our power to protect our homeland," Obama said.

Obama will mark Sunday's anniversary by observing a moment of silence in the privacy of the White House residence at 8:46am EDT, when American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center, before delivering remarks at a Pentagon memorial service. (Al Jazeera)

- US president begins remembrance by celebrating diversity and promising to “destroy� groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIL.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

MPI now tasked with fixing rates for gov’t property - following Sussex Street bond controversy

THE Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) is now mandated to make recommendations on the rates to be used for any property the Government of Guyana intends to rent.

Making this announcement on Thursday during his weekly televised programme, ‘The Public Interest’, President Granger said the decision followed the recent hue and cry raised over the controversial Sussex Street bond deal between the Ministry of Public Health and

Linden Holdings Inc., owned

by Lawrence ‘Larry’ Singh.

Asked by reporters whether Government would be moving to rescind the deal already on the table, the President said, “We have already had an investigation, and Cabinet has considered the rates. We have had evaluations, and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has been given the mandate to make recommendations on the rates to be used for any property the Government intends to rent.”

He, however, noted that

based on the Sussex Street bond issue, his administration has recognised that “the subject ministry is not necessarily the best judge of the suitability of a particular premises, building, or facility to be rented; and I put that responsibility on (the Ministry of) Public Infrastructure.”

The President stressed that the rates which Government is required to pay for the rental of any premises must be reasonable, and he emphasised the need for the rented facility to be “capable,

and have the infrastructure to do what we need done.”

The three-year arrangement between the Ministry of Public Health and Linden Holdings Inc., which was agreed on on June 1, 2016, stipulates that rent for the bond is $12.5M monthly, and that the Ministry of Public Health is responsible for the payment of Value Added Tax (VAT) to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on the property.

It was also agreed that the contract may be terminated with due cause by either party 12 months ahead, once notice is provided in writing; and that the Ministry of Public Health would pay $37.5M, the equivalent of two months’ rent in advance and one month’s rent as a security deposit.

According to the arrangement, this security deposit would be refunded at the

end of the tenancy, minus deductions made by Linden Holdings for any damage done to the property during the period of tenancy.

The arrangement also stipulates that the Ministry of Public Health is responsible for maintenance of the aesthetics of the premises, and paying its monthly utility bills, these being to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT).

Additionally, Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, told reporters on August 25 -- when he apologised to the nation -- that he is comfortable with the facility provided, while noting that the facility is fully capable of accommodating the pharmaceuticals and is on par with international standards.

Minister of Public Security, Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), Khemraj Ramjattan, has described Government’s response to the bond deal as adequate.

Speaking at his party’s press conference on Friday, Ramjattan said, “At this stage, we feel that we have gone the gamut in rela-

tion to identifying the wrong that was done; and what our sub-committee at Cabinet did was to ensure that it sought some remedies. The remedies of having the renegotiation, and the remedies of asking the Minister who is ultimately responsible to apologise are sufficient.”

The Minister noted that who is culpable for the wrongdoing is of no consequence to the nation at this point. He said that while the public outcry on the situation is only to be expected, “the criticism that we ought to go further…I don’t know what further investigations might prove, because I don’t know if anybody is going to say ‘I was the one that did that.’”

He noted that it was hardly likely that persons would come forward to accept responsibility. “We are dealing with humans, and not angels,” Ramjattan said, adding: “Should we then bang our heads against the wall?”

The Opposition’s People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) has called on the Government to rescind the contract granted to Linden Holdings Inc., while accusing Government of a “cover up”.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Williams now deputy chair of CFATF - organisation seeks bigger budget to intensify monitoring work

THE Council of Ministers of the Caribbean Action Task Force (CFATF) has wrapped up its annual meeting in Miami, USA with the organisation looking to increase its budget to augment its work at the level of the secretariat.

At that meeting, which concluded on Thursday, the organisation also elected Guyana’s Attorney General, Basil Williams, as its deputy chairman for the period 2016-2017; and he will assume chairmanship for the 2017-2018 term. Ms. Rhonda Lee Braithwaithe-Knowles, Attorney General of Turks

and Caicos Islands, has been elected chairman. The outgoing chairman is Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago, Faris Al Rawi.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Saturday, Mr. Calvin Wilson, Executive Director of CFATF, said the meeting recognised the work of the organisation has become onerous and has recommended an increase in staff, which will necessitate a bigger budget.

At present CFATF is funded by its members, who make annual contributions to the organisation. Wilson has said that although optimism

is that member countries would respond to the needs of the organisation, CFATF is acutely aware of the financial strains some countries are dealing with.

“We recognise their problems…Since 2008, when we had the massive recession, a lot of our countries are still to recover; but equally, our members are aware that a strong anti-money laundering regime is crucial to the economic survival of their countries,” Wilson said.

He said flowing from discussions at the meeting, held at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Miami, CFATF

may have to adjust its initial schedule for completion of its fourth round of monitoring, because of the work that is required. He said initially it was projected to complete the evaluation of all members by 2022, but this does not seem likely.

Minister Basil Williams recently told a news conference here that the fourth round mutual evaluation from CFATF would test Guyana’s systems for compliance in relation to anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism. “In the fourth round -- that is what you call the money round,

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Basil Williams because you have to not only and deputy director for the show compliance, but you Financial Intelligence Unit have to show effective com- (FIU), and making the Spepliance,” the Attorney Gen- cial Organised Crime Unit eral explained. During this (SOCU) functional. round of compliance monA five-member team from itoring, the FATF conducts the CFATF/FATF will be peer reviews of each member making an on-site visit to on an ongoing basis, to assess Guyana during September levels of implementation of 14-15 to ensure the country the organisation’s recom- meets the organisation’s commendations, providing an pliance requirements for the in-depth description and anal- AML/CFT. The fourth round ysis of each country’s system evaluations will take place for preventing criminal abuse after the onsite visit. of the financial system.

The Caribbean Financial According to Minister Action Task Force (CFATF) Williams, Guyana has started is an organisation of 26 states preparation for this round which have agreed to impleof evaluation. “The first ment common counter-mearound has actually started. sures to address the problem We have assayed the fourth of criminal money launderround in Guyana because we ing. It was established as the have started the exercise of result of meetings convened de-risking, and the national in Aruba in May 1990 and assessment that has started Jamaica in November 1992. to identify risks in Guyana; In Aruba, representatives of and that would take some Western Hemisphere countime, but we have already tries, in particular from the introduced that aspect,” the Caribbean and from Central minister explained.

America, convened to deAccording to FATF’s velop a common approach website, in the fourth to the phenomenon of the round, the scope of the laundering of the proceeds evaluations will involve two of crime. Nineteen recominter-related components mendations constituting this for technical compliance common approach were forand effectiveness. The tech- mulated. These recommennical compliance compo- dations, which have specific nent will assess whether the relevance to the region, are necessary laws, regulations complementary to the addior other required measures tional forty recommendations are in force and effect, and of the Financial Action Task whether the supporting Force, established by the AML/CFT institutional Group of Seven at the 1989 framework is in place.

Paris Summit.

The effectiveness compoThe main objective of nent will assess whether the the Caribbean Financial AML/CFT systems are work- Action Task Force is to ing, and the extent to which achieve effective implementhe country is achieving the tation of, and compliance defined set of outcomes. with, its recommendations Since coming to office to prevent and control in May 2015, the coalition money laundering and to government has taken steps combat the financing of to ensure the country’s fi- terrorism. The Secretariat nancial systems become fully has been established as compliant with AML/CFT a mechanism to monitor regulations. Among the steps and encourage progress to taken are the enactment of ensure full implementation the AML/CFT legislation, of the Kingston Ministerial appointment of a director Declaration.

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Candlelight vigils held to observe World Suicide Prevention Day

WORLD Suicide Prevention Day was on Saturday observed with a number of candlelight vigils aimed at sensitizing the nation about this prevalent issue, and to join hands in reducing the high incidence of suicides.

The Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha held vigils not only across Georgetown, but in Berbice and in parts of Essequibo, among other areas; and at those vigils, the Sabha urged all persons coping with mental health disorders, the loss of loved ones to suicide, survivors of attempted suicide, and even those not directly affected by these issues, to know that there is help available and persons facing these troubles are not alone.

The Miss Global International Guyana Team, which currently has Poonam Singh as its Miss Global International Guyana queen, held a vigil in front of Electronics City, Poonam’s major sponsor. Hashim Alli, member of this team, noted that suicide is at an “all-time high” in Guyana; and though this team’s vigil was attended by only 30 persons, he reassured that Poonam and the Miss Global International Guyana Team would be endeavouring throughout the year to help with reducing the number of suicides.

He also revealed that a schools’ educational programme and a website in this regard would both soon be launched.

The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), in partnership with "Voices Against Violence", highlighted at its vigil that most LGBT Guyanese are at greater risk of committing suicide because of various issues.

SASOD co-founder Joel Simpson noted that the local LGBT

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A section of the POTS team praying for all those who are, or have been, affected by suicide community faces a “greater risk” of committing suicide because of the enormous amount of mental health challenges they face daily due to stigma; homophobic and transphobic discrimination; and other related factors, such as intimate partner violence and depression.

Simpson urged all LGBT persons facing these problems to visit SASOD, where help is always available.

Prevention of Teenage Suicide (POTS) Guyana is a pro-

gramme headed by former Miss Guyana World, Lisa Punch, and generally focuses on helping teenagers. Vice President of POTS Guyana, Ruth English-Wilson, noted that the programme’s candlelight vigil, held at the ‘Cuffy Square’, was to let persons know that POTS is always open to providing assistance.

She also urged all to recognize that suicide is not an issue to be taken lightly. (Vishanie Ragobeer)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Free wifi i public buildin

- President announces at Indigenous H Story and Photos by Alva Solomon

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U YA N E S E c a n expect free Wifi in the coming months at all public buildings; the initiative will commence at the Cyril Potter College of Education at Turkeyen and schools across the country.

This was disclosed by President David Granger who emphasised the importance of several key aspects of development -- including education -- when he addressed dozens of residents and visitors at Lake Mainstay on the Essequibo Coast on Saturday during Indigenous Heritage celebrations there.

The President was accompanied by several government officials including Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock ; Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Valerie Garrido –Lowe as well as Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Dawn Hastings-Williams.

President Granger made several commitments as he addressed residents. These commitments included the revision of the Amerindian Act as well as the operationalising of the Indigenous lands commission. But he told the gathering, which grew as the midday sun rose, that education is essential in all the plans of the citizenry.

He noted the importance of education to womenfolk in particular, as he spoke of equality and the educational upbringing of girls. He said that it is a travesty that the children are not kept in school.

According to the Head

of State, women transmit values, since they are the mothers who ensure that children are properly educated. He said that Guyanese should ask themselves whether there is equality in the communities across the country, noting that it is a basis of modern development. He said that “no Guyanese girl or woman should be exploited or abused,” noting that it is a collective responsibility of all communities to ensure this does not occur.

He tied the importance of education of women and the nation to development of the communication sector, noting that one of the first things he asked of when visiting Mainstay this weekend was the availability of internet services. The audience chuckled.

“I would like to be sure that in the months to come

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

in all ngs soon

Heritage Day celebration

President David Granger is presented with a painting of the villages’ popular fruit by Toshao Joel Fredericks Preparing for showtime at Indigenous Heritage Day celebrations at Mainstay/Wyaka that at public buildings including the schools , hospitals - that there would be Wifi in every single… building.”

The Head of State also addressed the issue of jobs, noting that employment is essential to every community. He said that the country’s aim should be to ensure there is full employment.

According to the President, there was a time in the past when an indigenous woman is seen in the capital city and one would “almost be certain” that the individual is a domestic employee.

He said if such person were seen in the mines, he/she would have been seen as a diver. “Those days are over; we want to see coming out

These performers were among those who added tempo to the event

of Mainstay/Whyaka accountants, attorneys, architects , engineers,” he said as the audience reacted with applause.

He said that the highest level of qualifications should be the aim of all Guyanese. ”We want to see everyone in control of their economic lives and livelihoods,” he added.

Earlier, Minister Allicock told those gathered that the government is committed to assisting Mainstay in the development of ini-

tiatives there, including developing the community’s pineapple potential. “It is time Mainstay/Whyaka do well again in agriculture,” he said. He noted that there are already two fundamental pivots in place, including marketing of pineapples, as well as the potential of indigenous people to plant and harvest the fruit.

Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt told those gathered that the upgrade

and maintenance of the road which connects Mainstay with the Essequibo Coast should be addressed, as well as consideration for the placement of an airstrip there.

His presentation provided unifying tones as the crowd grew in large numbers.

The heritage celebrations included several cultural presentations, including performance on stage by the community’s Toshao Joel Fredericks, who sang one of

his songs which was recorded in time for Saturday’s event.

Young Kenisha Allen wowed the audience with her poem which spoke of her and the importance of the indigenous person within the Guyanese society.

Food stalls, craft stands and seating at the lakeside all added to the festive atmosphere as the celebrations were expected to simmer with a mini-pageant on Saturday evening.

Wood-cutting competition attracted the audience

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Rose Hall prepares for 46th anniversary THE Town of Rose Hall is abuzz with activities as it prepares to host its 46th Anniversary.

Residents are excited about the fact that the Mayor and Town Council has decided to partner with the Rose Hall Youth and Sports Club (RHYSC) to put on the celebrations.

The RHYSC will be the organizing and executing body of this year’s celebrations under the theme: “Proud of our past, optimistic about our future.”

As the countdown for the September 14 launch gets closer, visible changes in the environment are already noticeable with several areas being spruced up and repainted in the national colours, as well as in the town’s colours of green, yellow and white.

However, the bulk of the work is being done behind the scenes, as the club and its members are busy coordinating and finalising arrangements for what is billed to the be biggest Town Week for Rose Hall.

Coordinator of the event, Hilbert Foster, said that due to the overwhelming support they have received the celebrations have been extended to 12 days, commencing with a massive parade on September 14.

“This will be the biggest town week celebrations this town has ever seen,” he stated.

The parade will feature 1,000 participants. The official opening ceremony will follow the parade.

The other activities which are billed to be held at various locations throughout the town are all free of cost, compliments of sponsorship from various organisations, businesses and individuals.

Apart from a Medical Clinic and a public exhibition, the Arch Road will come alive on September 17 with a steelpan concert and dance competition, while Sunday the 18th will be a full day of sports including cricket, 5/5 cricket competition, football and basketball competitions and will culminate with a dance, all at the Area ‘H’ Ground.

Monday the 19th will see a series of educational events, including an art competition for nursery school students, spelling bee for Primary school and essay competition for secondary schools students.

Tuesday, September 20, will see the launching of a 40-page booklet on the history of the town which is being sponsored by the Bank of Nova Scotia. According to Foster, this will go down in history as being the first town to officially have its history documented in detail and distributed.

In addition, residents over the age of 85 will be honoured.

On Thursday 22nd there will be one of the main attractions - a career and business fair on the Public Road.

This event will be held in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism, The Ministry of Business and the Guyana Police Force. Over 90 booth spaces have already been registered.

Friday, the 23rd will see the opening and handing over of a family recreational park.

S u n d a y, S e p t e m b e r 24 will see a Rose Hall Yard Fowl curry competition in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism. This will be a calendar event for the tourism ministry as well as for the town’s anniversary celebrations. The competition is open only to residents and those who work in Rose Hall Town. The winner will receive $50,000 cash and other prizes. There will also be second and third prizes.

The event will conclude with a public talent concert from 18:00hrs.

Foster stressed that all the events are free and is urging everyone to take part and don’t be exploited by unscrupulous individuals. He is also appealing to residents to keep their environment clean.

Rose Hall Town is the smallest of three towns in Berbice and sits on approximately 13 square Kilometres of land. It has a population of over 8000 and became a town on the 20th of September 1970.

Bus shed for Alness A newly built bus shed, donated by Mr. Reagan Persaud of the USA, was last Friday handed over by Mrs. Sita Nagamootoo, wife of the Prime Minister, to the residents of the Corentyne village of Alness, in East Berbice, Region Six. This bus shed will especially benefit students of the Alness Primary School.

“This is a wonderful gesture, and I am sure it will benefit the students tremendously. It was a wonderful initiative that coincides with Education Month,” Mrs. Nagamootoo remarked.

In brief remarks, Mr. Gobin Harbajan, Representative of the Prime Minister in Berbice, explained that the

head teacher of the school had pointed out that whenever it rains the students get wet, since the school is located further in the street; and when students get off the

bus, there is no shelter at the head of the street.

“These little contributions from people make a huge difference in communities,” he declared.

19

In photo, Mrs. Nagamootoo and Mr. Harbajan assist children in cutting the ceremonial ribbon at the commissioning ceremony for the bus shed.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

GFF in search of venue to host Jamaica THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) is hoping that a delegation from the CFU, expected in the country next week, will give a nod of approval for the use of the Leonora Stadium when Guyana meets Jamaica in a 3rd round Men’s Senior Scotia Bank Championship encounter on October 11th.

As it is, the fixture is without a venue, since the only FIFA approved facility in the country, the Providence Stadium, is unavailable due to works being currently conducted on the field for the upcoming Regional Professional Cricket League.

The GFF, in an attempt

to have the match played here, as it has been scheduled, dispatched a correspondence to the CFU office last week, explaining the predicament and seeking approval for the alternative venue to be used.

General Secretary of the CFU, Antiguan Neil Cochrane,told Chronicle Sport that a delegation will be arriving in Guyana this coming week for an inspection of the Leonora Stadium,where the size of the ground is smaller than the Providence Stadium. There are also security concerns for both players and officials, as well as fans.

Guyana surrendered home turf advantage in the

second round of the competition played in June, as the Providence facility was unavailable due to International cricket. The game was played in Curacao, who took the home advantage on an artificial turf, and Guyana lost 5-2.

The Golden Jaguars rebounded with an emphatic demolition of the USVI to advance to the 3rd round, but since then nothing has happened for the national selection with regards to preparations; and the Federation has been very tight lipped.

With just over three weeks before the team travels to Suriname,for an Oc-

Kerber battles past... had dropped a set.

Play remained tight in the third with an increasingly confident Pliskova getting the early break to go up 3-1.

But Kerber, on her first break chance since the opening set, took quick advantage of her opportunity breaking back at 3-3.

By now the towering Czech, beginning to wilt in the punishing conditions, bent over her racket at the end of every point.

Kerber, sensing an opening, stepped up the pressure and pace getting triple break point at 5-4 and closed out the contest on the first match

English Racing Tips Bath 09:05 hrs David’s Beauty 09:40 hrs Teak 10:15 hrs Racquet 10:45 hrs Emell 11:20 hrs Totally Committed 11:55 hrs Count Calabash 12:30 hrs Tasty Ginger

point.

After beating top ranked Serena Williams in the semi-finals to end the American's record-equalling 186 week stay at the top of the rankings, Pliskova faced her successor in the final.

The match opened with Kerber breaking a jittery

Chelmsford City 08:45 hrs Qatar Man

tion regarding Ninvalle’s selection,by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF),to take part in a camp in Lima,Peru.

“Kayson was recognised

by ITTF and will be taking part in a National World’s Hope camp in October, where the best prospects in the Latin American Region will be supported through the various ITTF programs”

stated Munroe.

“If he is selected at the camp, he will be given a clear path and support by the ITTF to being a better Table Tennis player” declared Munroe.

Kayson chimed in on the membership,stating that he was very excited to not only meet his hero, but to be given the membership.

“I was so excited to meet Sarwan,and when I heard

09:20 hrs Marzouq 09:50 hrs Cartwright 10:25 hrs Mickey 11:00 hrs Huntlaw 11:35 hrs Titan Goddess 12:10 hrs Regal Miss

Irish Racing Tips Curragh 09:00 hrs Captain Power 09:35 hrs Best In The World 10:10 hrs Cotai Glory 10:40 hrs Promise To Be True 11:15 hrs Churchill 11:50 hrs Order Of St George 12:25 hrs Medicine Jack

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tober 8th meeting to begin their 3rd round campaign, a squad is yet to be named.

Add to that the uncertainty of where the game versus Jamaica will be played, and you can understand how under-prepared we are, going into this important round of matches. (Ras Wadada)

From back page

Kayson Ninvalle given... mer sportsman,he knows the challenges faced by young athletes and once Kayson is guided properly,his potential has no ceiling.

Also commenting was Guyana Table Tennis Association’s (GTTA) president, Godfrey Munroe, who stated that Ninvalle was one of the brighter prospects that Guyana had.

He also gave informa-

CFU General Secretary Neil Cochrane

Listowel 09:10 hrs Dodgybingo 09:45 hrs Hidden Cyclone

Pliskova and ended the same wayWith Kerber closing in on a straight-sets victory, Pliskova finally made a breakthrough sailing a reflex lob over the second seed that landed on the line to secure her first break in five chances and a 4-3 lead.

From back page

he was going to be here, I couldn’t stop smiling, I know I can use this membership to be a better table tennis player” Kayson stated.

When commenting on what his goals were, the 11-year old simply stated “I want to be the best table tennis player in Guyana and I wanna win all the medals in Guyana,and outside of Guyana.”

10:20 hrs Smitty Bacall 10:50 hrs Teacher’s Pet 11:25 hrs Westerner Lady 12:00 hrs Kylecrue 12:35 hrs Le Martalin South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 08:40 hrs Alesnado 09:15 hrs Argo’s Jet 09:50 hrs Emperor Niarchos 10:25 hrs Fire The Rocket 11:00 hrs Mayfair

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

City edge United in derby clash, Arsenal leave it late

Manchester City's Claudio Bravo in action with Manchester United's Paul Pogba Action Images via Reuters / Carl Recine

(REUTERS)-Pep Guardiola got one over his old rival Jose Mourinho as Manchester City edged an absorbing derby clash against Manchester United 2-1 yesterday to go three points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The victory on their rivals' home turf maintained their 100 percent start to the season and inflicted a first defeat on United, who looked second best for most of the encounter at Old Trafford.

Arsenal were lucky to escape with three points from a home clash with Southampton as Santi Cazorla held his nerve to score a 94th-minute penalty in a 2-1 win, while Son Heung-min scored twice as Tottenham Hotspur won 4-0 at Stoke City. Watford completed a superb come-

back to beat West Ham United 4-2 away.

City's Kevin de Bruyne was at his scintillating best and returned to haunt Mourinho, his former manager at Chelsea, by opening the scoring when he met a flicked header from Kelechi Iheanacho.

He then created City's second goal when his shot deflected off the post into Nigeria striker Iheanacho's path.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic reduced the deficit just before the break during a breathless first half after City's new goalkeeper Claudio Bravo dropped a high cross at the Swede's feet, one of several errors during an unconvincing debut.

City held firm, however, to wrap up the points and

hand Guardiola first blood in the latest instalment of his simmering rivalry with Mourinho.

"We were the team trying to change the result," a defiant Mourinho told reporters.

"We had the courage and the honesty and the dignity to go and chase with pride."

Bravo could have given away a penalty with a studsup challenge on an infuriated Wayne Rooney, while Ibrahimovic had a goal ruled out when he deflected the ball home from a clearly offside position, but United never really got the upper hand in the match.

FAMILIAR FAILINGS Arsenal enjoyed much of the possession against Southampton but lacked a cutting edge and needed Ca-

Yorkshire beat Durham to stay in title hunt YORKSHIRE beat Durham by 228 runs to remain in the hunt for a third successive County Championship title.

Resuming on 39-3, Durham slipped to 63-6, with Ryan Sidebottom (4-34) taking the wickets of Graham Onions, Scott Borthwick and Paul Collingwood.

Ryan Pringle (57 not out), Michael Richardson (33) and Graham Clark (25) delayed the hosts into the

afternoon.

But Jack Brooks (3-55) took the final wicket of Chris Rushworth as Durham were all out for 192.

Second-placed Yorkshire are a point behind leaders Middlesex, who beat Nottinghamshire by five wickets on Friday to relegate the East Midlands county.

Durham's target of 421 always looked out of reach, especially after losing three wickets in 16 overs before

close on Thursday.

Sidebottom finished with season-best bowling figures and he struck in his first and second over of the day to rip the heart of the Durham middle-order.

Clarke and Richardson put on 49 for the seventh wicket to make sure the game went behind lunch, while Pringle hit a spritely half-century and brought up his 50 with a six off Tim Bresnan.

But Durham slipped to their third Championship defeat of the season and remain in relegation trouble.(BBC Sport).

zorla's late penalty to take all three points after Jose Fonte was harshly penalised for tangling with Olivier Giroud.

"He did very well to score because he felt a heavy mental weight for the team," Arsene Wenger told reporters. "It's a relief because we missed many chances and they had one or two opportunities having thrown everything forward."

Laurent Koscielny's overhead kick had earlier cancelled out Petr Cech's own goal.

Tottenham's Son scored either side of halftime after

fine interplay with the impressive Christian Eriksen as Spurs rediscovered the fluid attacking football that made them such an irresistible offensive threat last season to outclass Stoke.

Dele Alli and Harry Kane opened their accounts for the season after the break as Spurs moved fourth with eight points.

"What was most important was that we started a very difficult run of seven games in 20 matches with a win," said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino. "It was the perfect result for us."

Two first-half goals from Michail Antonio put West Ham United in control against Watford, but the hosts drew level when Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney hit a quickfire double at the end of the first half and Etienne Capoue and Jose Holebas completed a remarkable comeback with second-half strikes.

Crystal Palace got their first win of the season as they beat Middlesbrough 2-1, while Bournemouth beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 and Burnley and Hull City drew 1-1.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Barcelona beaten at home, Real thrash Osasuna (REUTERS)-Promoted Alaves dealt champions Barcelona a shock 2-1 defeat at the Nou Camp yesterday while Cristiano Ronaldo returned from injury to help Real Madrid thrash Osasuna 5-2 and go two points clear at the top of La Liga.

With Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta all on the bench, Barcelona went behind to the visitors in the 39th minute before Frenchman Jeremy Mathieu equalised in the 46th. Ibai

Gomez then scored the winner in the 64th.

Ronaldo, who had been out for two months with a knee injury, scored six minutes into his return as Zinedine Zidane's Real equalled the club's 1960-61 record of 15 successive league victories.

The result left Real Madrid with three wins from three games, while Barcelona are fourth. Sevilla went second on seven points after beating thirdplaced Las Palmas 2-1.

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo (2L) celebrates his first goal during the match. REUTERS/Juan Medina

22nd Annual Mayor’s Cup football tournament

Police, Tigers’ coaches both optimistic of victory ahead of today’s final COACHES of the two finalists of the 22nd Annual Mayor’s Cup Football Tournament, which concludes this evening at the Tucville ground ,are both optimistic of victory.

Dwayne Bobb, coach of the of the Guyana Police Force team admitted that the Western Tigers unit has had a good run this season,;winning the Georgetown Premier League just over a month ago.However, Bobb said his charges are ready for whatever the West Ruimveldt based unit brings to them (Police).

Bobb,who coached the team to a third place finish in the Georgetown Premier League ,said his team has had an excellent season so far and is confident they can continue their good run.

Bobb will be hoping that strikers Quinci Holder and Anthio Wallace will receive valuable support from Travis Jones and Winston Tanner, while Darius Frank has proven throughout the tournament that he is capable of holding things between the uprights.

Western Tigers’ coach, Calvin Allen, is equally confident, stating that Western Tigers have come a long way and cannot afford to falter ,since his team members have been going hard at it and are all well- primed to take the $700,000 first-prize purse and the Aruwai Resort

trophy.

Allen is looking forward to leading goal-scorer and central forward, Randolph Wagner,along with prolific goal scorer Dwayne McClennon, to come good on the big day and will be relying on assistance from midfielders Phillip Rowley, Daren Benjamin, and Romell Legall.

The runners- up in the tournament will receive $300,000 and the Ansa McAl trophy.

The third-place play-off, which will also be played today at the same venue, will bring together Ann’s Grove of East Coast and Federal Winners Connections of Linden, and the winning team will earn $200,000 and the John Fernandes trophy, while the team placing fourth will earn $100,000 and the Ministry of State trophy.

The highest goal scorer of the tournament will receive a three-piece suit, compliments of A.H & L Kissoon Furniture Store.

Ricks and Sari Agro Industries Limited will also donate hampers to every member of the winning team.

Meanwhile, the organiser of the tournament, Lennox Arthur, has decided to stage a seven-a-side competition between three teams; with the winner of receiving $30,000.That will commence at 17hrs.

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

Anthony steals the march Richards supports professional WICB to win feature Degree 35-lap cycle race

Cycling coach Hassan Mohamed presented Berbician BMX cyclist Shay Sue-Han (left)with a cycle donated by Ricks and Sari Agro Industries Limited.

(Photo by Cullen Best-Nelson)

TEAM Evolution’s Michael Anthony stole the march on his rivals to win the feature 35-lap event of the 16th Annual DeSinco Trading 11race cycle programme,which was staged around the inner circuit of the National Park yesterday.The event was organized by cycling coach Hassan Mohamed.

Anthony,who returned a winning time of one hour 17 minutes 38.49 seconds in winning the event, also won two of the eight prime prizes that were up for grabs.

From the start of the race Anthony,and second place finisher Raphael Leung,along with Christopher Griffith, Raul

Leal and Andrew Hicks,opened a lead but were caught by the chasing pack which included Andrew Hicks, last year’s winner Junior Niles, Shaquille Agard, Jaikarran Sukhai and Paul Cho-Wee-Nam. Anthony then jumped the pack but was chased by Leung, Paul DeNobrega, Christopher Griffith, Niles and Cho-Wee-Nam who all connected and from there they were never challenged.

With three laps remaining, Anthony, Leung and DeNobrega opened a sizeable lead over Niles and Griffith.Anthony then started the sprint for the finish from the 125-metre mark and held on to the lead to win from Leung, DeNobrega,

Griffith, Niles and Cho-WeeNam,in that order.

Griffith,during the course of the event won four prime prizes,while Niles and DeNobrega won one each.

While Niles was dethroned in the 35-lap race, he successfully defended his veterans’ under 50-years of age, fivelap title, winning in a time of 11 minutes 53 seconds,ahead of Keith Fernandes and Ian `Dumb Boy’ Jackson respectively.

The junior/juvenile 10-lap race was won by Hicks in a time of 21 minutes 00.38 seconds. Leung placed second and Nigel Dugin third.

Kennard Lovell won the five-lap race for veterans over 50 years of age. Second was Linden Blackman and finishing third was Courtney Hackett.

Keon Thomas won the five-lap race for mountain bikers ahead of Jude Bentley and Shane Budhan respectively.

The two-lap event for BMX boys 6-9 years old was won by John Niles. Second was Jared Barrington. Third was Shay Sue-Hang.

Zab James won the threelap race for BMX boys 12-14 years of age,ahead of SueHang.

For his sterling performances throughout the 2016 cycle season and even before, Sue-Han,who hails from Berbice, was presented with a BMX cycle, compliments of Ricks and Sari Agro Industries Limited.

This gesture,according to race organizer Hassan Mohamed,has been something that the Ricks and Sari group has been doing for over a decade and,according to Mohamed, the company will continue to recognize the youngsters’ potential with similar incentives.

WINNERS: prize-winners of the various categories of the DeSinco Trading Degree 11-race cycle programme strike a pose with race organizer Hassan Mohamed (second right) yesterday (Cullen Best-Nelson photo)

Former West Indies batting legend Vivian Richards

WEST Indies batting legend Vivian Richards has

thrown his support behind the concept of a fully professional West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

At current the board consists of six territorial cricket associations each providing two directors, in addition to a number of non-member directors. The officials are elected for the post.

The board has, however, often been accused of unprofessionalism and cronyism’ with most recent criticism calling for an audit. Richards believes a professional set-up with compensated individuals would to an extent alleviate a few of the current issues.

“The whole circuit itself has become professional

and if you are going to have guys making decisions where individuals are paid professionally and paid handsomely in order to make some of these decisions, because some of these guys have their fulltime jobs, I see no problem with [them] getting a suitable enough stipend,” Richards said.

“It’s about the people who would have made certain decisions in the past and who would have put us in certain positions and embarrassed us in positions, to be accountable,” he said.

“Some of the stuff you would have had to correct, some of the wrongs and some have gone totally ignored.” (Sportsmax.com)

Pakistan recall Umar for Windies T20 series UMAR Akmal has been recalled to the Pakistan Twenty20 squad for the upcoming three-match series against West Indies in the United Arab Emirates this month.

The wicketkeeper-batsman was omitted from a training camp in May for disciplinary reasons, but is in contention to make his international comeback against the world champions.

Umar, who has not played for his country since

the World Twenty20 in India, has been rewarded for his fine form with the bat for Lahore Whites in the National T20 Cup. Amad Butt missed out from the squad which was selected to face England, while Mohammad Irfan and Mohammad Hafeez are not included due to injuries.

Left-arm seamer Rumman Raees and all-rounder Saad Nasim are included in the 15-man squad.

Pakistan hammered England in a one-off T20 at

Old Trafford on Wednesday and will attempt to build on that success in the first game against the Windies in Dubai on September 23.

Pakistan Squad: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Saad Nasim, Rumaan Raees.

(Sportsmax.com)

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

National Khan bowls Lower Corentyne Beach football to third straight win trials on today

By Rajiv Bisnauth

LOWER Corentyne pulled off a stunning 32-run win over Upper Corentyne in the Jaguars Franchise League,Three-day competition when the third round ended yesterday at the Port Mourant Cricket Club ground.

A stunning performance by the bowlers, especially left-arm spinner Kassim Khan, backed by excellent fielding,helped Lower Corentyne defend a small total of 148, as Upper Corentyne were bowled out for 115 in 43.4 overs.

Khan spun ‘webs’ around the Upper Corentyne batsmen to scalp 6-23 off 15.4 overs, in a spectacular display of left-arm spin bowling.

While Khan was the wrecker-in-chief, fellow spinner Sharaz Ramcharran chipped in with 2-37, with pacer Raun Johnson, and Gajanand Singh, being the other

Left-arm spinner Kassim Khan bagged six for 23 off 15.4 overs

two wicket takers.

Joshua Ramsammy played something of a lone hand, with 44, but the other batsmen failed to make any impact on a spinner-friendly pitch.

Play resumed on the final day at 12:10hrs, after early

morning rain washed out the entire first session.

Resuming at 25-2, Upper Corentyne panicked and crumbled;losing wickets at regular intervals.

They were plunged into strife as early as the seventh over in the day’s play,when Khan removed Rajiv Ivan (17) with the score at 46-3.

The other overnight batsman, Joshua Ramsammy, then added 24 for the fourth wicket with Clinton Pestano, but Ramcharran then drove home the advantage for his side with the wickets of Pestano (8) and Anthony Bramble (2), to leave Upper Corentyne at 73-5.

Singh then trapped Arif Chan, leg before wicket for one before Khan claimed the final four wickets, including Ramsammy, to complete his side’s third straight win in the tournament.

In an invited comment, assistant coach Andre Percival said he was delighted

with the win, adding that “it feels very good; we played some good cricket, especially after we conceded a first innings lead.

“I was pretty confident of our bowlers,” Percival pointed out.

Meanwhile, scores in the other games are as follows: At Bourda: Early morning showers forced play to be called off at 14:05 hours.

Georgetown had reached 63/3 after dismissing East Coast Demerara for 148 on day 2.

At Everest: Play was called off at 11:35 hours after early morning showers.

The fourth round commences on September 16, with East Bank playing Lower Corentyne at Everest, West Demerara clashing with Upper Corentyne at Wales, East Coast Demerara and West Berbice play each other at Enmore, and Georgetown taking on Essequibo at GCC.

THE Guyana Beach Football Association (GBFA) will this afternoon stage the first ever trials to select a National Beach football squad to begin preparations for the CONCACAF preliminary World Cup qualification,set for Florida early next year.

Appointed Head Coach, Abdullah Hamid and his Technical team will select a squad of 20 players from the trials which begin at 15:00 hrs today at the Bay Rock Beach Soccer facility in Wismar.

The GBFA has invited 25 players from the inaugural 12-team national league,which was played earlier in the year, to participate in the trials in order to gain selection on the 12-man team that will be travelling to the USA. The players who will be on show today are: Royal Youths – Shane Luckie,

Shaquille Fraser, Marvin Sullivan and Tshekedri Whitehead; Silver Bullets – Tony Gilbert, Gishawn Freeman, Kellon Major and Michael Wilson; Cool Runnings – Jermaine Grandson, Keon Sears, Deon Charter, Kennard Simon, Travis Bess and Rodwyn Fraser, KK Warriors – Rayan Scott, Cordel Johnson and Ethan Sparman; Attention Family – Trevorn Archabol, Jamal Haynes and Jahshawn Moore; Hi Stars – Michael Peters and Leonard Peters; Spartaboss – Sheldon Sheppard; Alexander Village – Randolph Wagner and from NC, Deshawn Joseph.

The 20-man squad will continue preparation training at the Bay Rock facility every Sunday leading up to the competition to be played next year between January 29th and February 5th. (Ras Wadada)

Djokovic expects hard work ahead when he meets Wawrinka today

By Larry Fine NEW YORK,(Reuters)-World number one Novak Djokovic has enjoyed a whirlwind trip to today’s U.S. Open final, but the top-seeded Serb expects hard work ahead when he meets Stan Wawrinka at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Defending champion Djokovic, who became the third man to hold all four grand slam singles titles at once after his triumph at Roland Garros in June, owns a 19-4 career head-to-head advantage over the Swiss third seed.

He leads 4-2 in grand slam meetings against Wawrinka, with three of Djokovic's victories going five sets, including a memorable 2013 Australian Open fourth-rounder decided 12-10 in the fifth set.

"He's a big match player.

He loves to play in the big stage against big players, be-

cause that's when he elevates his level of performance," said 12-times slam winner Djokovic. "He just gets much better."

Gifted by a second-round walkover and two retirements along the way, Djokovic has spent less than nine hours on court, completing 13 sets through six rounds at Flushing Meadows, reaching the final 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-2 over 10th seed Gael Monfils.

The hard-working Wawrinka has been on court twice as long, 17 hours, 54 minutes, playing 23 sets.

He advanced 4-6 7-5 6-4 6-2 over sixth seed Kei Nishikori after surviving a match point in his five set, third-round match against unseeded Daniel Evans of Britain.

The 'big match' Warwinka, whose indefatigable determination brought him the nickname "Stanimal", has won his last 10 finals.

The contrasting path to

Djokovic came to Flushing Meadows showing signs of wear and tear after losing in the third round at Wimbledon and the first round at the Rio Olympics while dealing with a nagging wrist injury, and considers his relatively easy ride a "blessing".

"Before this grand slam there were things that were

happening with my health and physical state that were making me a little bit skeptical...

"I was blessed to have more days off with no match so I could focus on the recovery and work things in my game and take things easily and to get to this phase," said 29-year-old Djokovic.

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COMPLIMENTS OF: THE TROPHY STALL Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & AUDREY’S TASTY SNACKETTE 176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown (Tel: 226-4512) Stan Wawrinka

Novak Djokovic

the final suits both players.

Wawrinka prefers to build momentum in order to bring his best at the finish.

"We've had many big memories together, especially in grand slams, so it's going to be an exciting match," said Wawrinka, who is playing his first U.S. final

and beat Djokovic on the way to his slam titles at the 2014 Australian Open and 2015 French.

"Because the biggest matches, it's the end of the tournament. Final, semi-final, and I had matches to get confidence to play well match after match."

Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Gerry Alexander-5 catches (WI vs ENG, Barbados, 1960) (2) Courtney Browne-5 catches (WI vs SL, Brisbane, 1996) Today’s Quiz: (1) Who is the first captain to lead the WI to victory in a Test?

(2) Who is the first captain to lead the WI to victory in an ODI game?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

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SUNDAY CHRONICLE September 11, 2016

GBA’s Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate championships

GDF prevails over Republican Gym on opening night end, Trotman was declared a unanimous winner.

The two gym met again in a junior welterweight contest that featured Colin Hinds (GDF) and Denroy Nero).From the first round, it was evident that the two men were polished fighters and it was Nero,the taller of the two,who used his height and reach to good effect to stave off the challenge of his opponent,using jabs and landing several combinations throughout the three rounds.

During the second and

third rounds ,however, Hinds connected with quite a few combinations, but in the end it was Nero who was declared the unanimous points’ winner.

Mark Blake (GDF) then faced Joshua Joseph (Rep) in a welterweight contest and from the start of the first round it was evident to both the fans and to Joseph’s corner that Joseph was no match for his opponent (Blake); and the corner men threw in the towel at 59 seconds of the first round.

Lorex Cummings (GDF),

like Blake, subsequently caused the referee to stop his contest against Terry Peters (Rep) at 59 seconds of the first round in their welterweight contest.

In the final fight of the night,again between boxers from the same two gyms, Darren McPherson (GDF) defeated Faisal Moore(Rep) by a unanimous points’ decision in their middleweight contest.

The championships will conclude this evening at the same venue. Starting time is 19:00hrs.

Ten teams confirmed for Elite League 2016-17

By Ras Wadada

Darren McPherson of the GDF (left) connects with a stiff left jab to the face of Faisal Moore, during their middleweight contest in the GBA’s Lennox Blackmoore tournament, at the National Gymnasium on Friday night (Cullen Best-Nelson photo)

By Michael DaSilva BOXERS from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) prevailed over their counterparts from the Republican Boxing Gym, when the Guyana Boxing Association’s (GBA) Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate Championships got underway at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue on Friday evening.

Of the six Elite fights that the two gyms were together involved in, the GDF won four, while the Republican Gym won the other two.

At the conclusion of the first night’s action, the soldiers were way ahead of their opponents in terms of points, and seemed certain of retaining their championship hon-

ours;which they did.

When boxers from the two gyms clashed for the first time on Friday evening, it was evident that both gyms wanted to `steal the thunder’ as Jushaine Ferrier (GDF) and Anthony Patterson (Rep), went after each other from the start of their bantamweight contest; standing toe-to-toe and exchanging punches, with neither of the two retreating during the first three minutes of the bout.

When the small crowd thought that the two would go lighter at each other during the next round, they were surprised that the fight intensified as the two bantamweights continued to slug it out; and it remained the same way during the third and final round. At the end, Patterson (Rep) was adjudged

the winner by a unanimous decision.

The second fight between puglists’ from the same two gyms was a lightweight contest between Donald Trapp (Rep) and Jason Trotman (GDF) which, from the start, saw Trotman going on the attack.

However,Trapp was equal to the task, countering well and eventually caught Trotman with a three punch combination.

However, from the second round Trotman came out taking the fight to his opponent,who at this time appeared tired as he started to hold his opponent, who seemed intent on finishing the job at hand;but Trapp survived the round.

The third round was a repetition of the second and in the

THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) last Friday evening confirmed that two teams will be added to the revised Elite League, the country’s top tier club football competition.

The decision to include Upper Demerara’s Top XX and Victoria Kings of East Coast,in the 2nd staging of the Elite League was agreed upon at a lengthy and intense meeting, among the GFF, the original 8 Elite teams and the two newcomers, held at the Federation’s Boardroom.

The key fundamental change to this year’s competition is that the Champion will be decided from the two rounds of games and not from a play-off final, as was the case in last season’s inaugural Tournament.

The team accumulating the most points at the end of

the tournament will be declared the winner. Each team will play a quota of nine games in each of the two rounds of competition where 3 points will be awarded for a win and one for a draw.

The increase to ten teams will give fans some additional games for the upcoming season and more importantly, return top flight football to a much starved Linden Community.

There is the general belief among stakeholders of the ‘Beautiful Game’ that the move by the GFF to revise the league is a positive one for the development of the sport, in particular the deserved inclusion of a team from the Bauxite Mining Town,where there is a great passion for football and where talent is abundant.

One thing for sure is that the financial burden of running the competition will be reduced for the

GFF,with increased funding from FIFA and a possible G$20M contribution from Government, as well as Corporate Guyana’s input;the upcoming season promises lots of excitment.

However,there is no word forthcoming from the GFF with regards to sponsorship for the League in the new season, or outstanding payments to players from last season.

According to a reliable source, a number of issues and proposals were discussed in depth at last Friday night’s meeting, but no date was set for the kick-off of the new season.

It is believed that the GFF will study the proposals made by the Elite clubs and work feverishly to pay outstanding cash owed to clubs from the last season,before a date is set for the kick-off of the new season.

Ten teams confirmed for Elite League 2016-17 Kayson Ninvalle given lifetime membership to Fitness53 Gym P.31

Kerber battles past Pliskova ‒ rewarded by his hero Sarwan to win US Open

Angelique Kerber (GER) poses with the trophy at the presentation after her match against Karolina Pliskova (CZE) on day thirteen of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre.

By Steve Keating NEW YORK- (Reuters)-Germany's Angelique Kerber began her reign as world number one in imperious style battling past a determined Karolina Pliskova 6-3 4-6 6-4 to win the U.S. Open final yesterday and claim her second grand slam title of the year.

Kerber, who officially takes over from Serena Williams as the world's top ranked player on Monday, underlined her number one status displaying the heart of a champion as she fought off a fierce challenge from Czech 10th seed Pliskova on a steamy afternoon at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 28-year-old began the grand slam year beating Serena Williams to lift the Australian Open title and celebrated again on Saturday rallying from a break down in the third.

Second seed Kerber fell onto her back when a wilting Pliskova hit a forehand into

the net to end two hours and seven minutes of compelling high-quality tennis.

"It’s just amazing," a beaming Kerber told an adoring crowd. "I won my second grand slam in one year. That’s the best of my career.

"Actually just incredible.

"When I was a kid I was always dreaming to be the number one player in the world and win grand slams and today is the day I won my second grand slam here, especially in New York. I’m the number one player on Monday.

"All the dreams came true this year."

Pliskova, who arrived at Flushing Meadows with the reputation of grand slam under-achiever having never before been beyond the third round of the major, shed that label by making it all the way to the final and taking on back-to-back world number ones.

Pliskova served out to even the match, the first time the entire tournament that Kerber Turn to page 26 ►

L-R Godfrey Munroe, Kayson Ninvalle,and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

IT was a bright moment yesterday for 11 year old Kayson Ninvalle, when he was awarded lifetime membership to former West Indies Cricket Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan’s Fitness53 Gym,in Providence.

The young Ninvalle is the current U-13 Caribbean PreCadet champion and the U-15 runner-up, in addition to being one of best U-11 prospects in Guyana.

According to Sarwan, the wheels began turning to young Ninvalle’s lifetime membership when he met with his father, Steve.

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“It was his dad who got it started; he had told me that Kayson was a big fan (of me), and really wanted to meet me” stated the cricketer.

“When I heard how well he had done I decided to award him the membership, it wasn’t his performance alone that made me do it, but I believe that we corporate Guyana have a huge role to play in developing our young athletes” Sarwan added.

He went on to say that being a forTurn to page 26 ►

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2016