Guyana chronicle new york edition 08 11 2017

ISSUE NO. 62

WEEK ENDING AUGUST 11, 2017

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PPP to challenge ‘Broadcast Bill’ amendments – claims deprivation of property and constitutional violation of freedom of the press ■ Page 3

Grandma takes rap for coke in gas cylinder ■

Page 2

President, Cabinet members visit GDF annual training camp President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamooto, Attorney General, Basil Williams and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan Thursday visited the group of reservists who are undergoing training on the 2017 Annual Camp at the Colonel Robert Mitchell Jungle and Amphibious Training School (JATS) at Makouria in the Essequibo River.

The Commander in Chief and his team were welcomed by Chief of Staff, Brigadier Patrick West and a team from Defence Headquarters.

At JATS, the Reservists are receiving Basic Jungle Survival Training being conducted by a team of Brazilian Jungle Specialists. While at Seweyo, this batch had benefited from Basic Military Training which included Field Craft, National Policy and Disaster Relief.

A total of 414 youths are being trained on the programme. More than 50 percent are new to the programme and 34% are females.

During the visit, the reservists conducted a number of presentations highlighting what they have learnt thus far. Jungle Training teaches them how to survive in the jungle by living off the land. Their assimilation of the information thus far is commendable. The visit also included tours to the jungle survival camps and shelters.

Court orders full hearing of Red House case ■ Page 4

Guyana vision appealing ■ Page 7

– Indian businessman

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

Grandma takes rap for coke in gas cylinder …gets four years, $21M fine

THE grandmother of a National Under-19 cricketer was sentenced to jail on Wednesday after she pleaded guilty when the duo appeared in court on a joint charge of drug trafficking following a gas cylinder cocaine bust at the family’s Campbellville house.

Joshua Persaud and his 51-year-old grandmother Naomi Persaud had been jointly charged with drug trafficking after the discovery of over 20 pounds of cocaine in a cooking gas cylinder at the family’s home.

However, the cricketer’s grandmother pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to four years imprisonment along with a $21M fine by City Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

The charge against Joshua Persaud, 17, was with-

National Under-19 cricketer, Joshua Persaud

drawn since his grandmother took the rap and stated that the teen had no knowledge of the narcotics being in the house.

The matter was heard in

camera (legal proceeding in private) despite the teen being the legal age for arraignment in open court. The Persauds were represented by attorney Glenn Hanoman.

According to particulars of the charge, on August 06, 2017 at Delph Avenue, Campbellville the duo had over 20 pounds of cocaine in their possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Reports stated that on August 06, 2017 ranks from the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit swooped down at the Delph Avenue, Campbellville home where Under-19 cricketer Joshua Persaud and his 17-year-old girlfriend were alone.

The home was searched and the CANU ranks seized nine rectangular-shaped objects, weighing over nine kilograms, with cocaine from inside a cooking gas cylinder

Live grenades found in Linden house

RANKS of E’ Division on Wednesday night recovered two live grenades in an abandoned house at West Watooka Hill Top, Linden.

The lawmen, as part of ‘Operation Clean Sweep’, made the bust after acting on information received. According to Commander of the Division, Fazil Karimbaskh, after conducting a search inside of the house, two live grenades were found, concealed in the ceiling of the house. The grenades were diffused and kept in police custody. No one has been arrested as police continue their investigations

`Operation Clean Sweep’ was launched following the escape of 13 prisoners from the Lusignan Prisons on July 24th. Twelve of the 13 prisoners have since been recaptured. Out of the 12, one, Kendall Skeete was recaptured at his resident’s home in Wisroc, Linden.

Commander Karimbaskh confirmed that patrols have been increased in light of the new development. On Wednesday, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) announced a $10 M reward for information leading to the recapturing of the four remaining prisoners at large.

The two grenades that were retrieved by police in an abandoned house in Linden

The 17-year-old cricketer and his grandmother, Naomi Persaud at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court

which had a false bottom.

The 17-year-old girlfriend was released.

Shortly after the Persauds were arraigned, a wanted bulletin was issued

by CANU for businessman and former murder accused, Andre Gomes, aka “Zipper”.

The wanted man reportedly rented the home where the drugs were found and is said to be in a relationship with Naomi Persaud.

Two years ago Andre Gomes was charged with the murder of 49-year-old Nigel Isaacs, who was shot to his head outside the Palm Court nightclub.

However, the case against him was withdrawn, after the Director of Public Prosecutions advised that there was not enough evidence against the man to move ahead with the murder charge.

Alleged teen killer arrested at Springlands THE prime suspect in the murder of a teenage girl back in July in Berbice has been arrested, police have reported.

The suspect was arrested about 11:30hrs on Wednesday at Springlands, Corriverton. He is alleged to have murdered Parbattie Lakhpal, called “Rosanna” at Number Two village, East Canje, Berbice on July 29, 2017.

Police said that the 30-year-old suspect of 48 West Ruimveldt Estate Housing Scheme and 46 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Berbice is assisting with the investigation.

Lakhpal, 17, a former student of Berbice Educational Institute (BEI) was a babysitter while, her live-in boyfriend was unemployed and was said to be in the habit of liming with known drug addicts in the area. The couple resided on the lower flat of the two-storey house owned by Lakhpal’s mother, who was not at home when a quarrel erupted, then a fight ensued during which the alleged suspect, Ryan Singh, took a knife and slit the throat of the teen.

He then covered her body under two sheets and fled.

According to residents of the

The murdered teen: Parbattie Lakhpal called “Rosanna”

Murder suspect Ryan Singh after he was nabbed at Springlands on Wednesday

area, Lakhpal and her reputed husband Ryan Singh, formerly of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, were involved in a heated argument, which later became physical. It was reported that the couple shared a rocky relationship where they often had loud fights over money, since Singh was unemployed and was in no hurry to get a job.

This newspaper was told that whenever Lakhpal asked Singh for money, he would get upset, which would lead to them fighting and he would usually become physical with the teen.

About three days before the murder, Lakhpal requested money to buy items for the house and a fight started between them.

According to a relative, the teen, tired of the situation, “put Singh out of the house.” However, Singh returned to the Number Two Village apartment on the day in question and it is suspected that he slit Lakhpal’s throat, then fled. The suspected murder weapon, a black-handle, stainless steel knife was discovered in a toilet close to where the teen’s body was found.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

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PPP to challenge ‘Broadcast Bill’ amendments – deprivation of property and constitutional violation of freedom of the press

THE OPPOSITION Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP) has signalled its intention to challenge the constitutionality of several amendments made to the 2011 Broadcast (Amendment) Bill passed in the National Assembly on Friday.

This position was articulated by the party’s spokesperson on legal affairs Anil Nandlall at a Wednesday afternoon press conference.

The amendments which were made to the Act now calls for broadcasters to re-apply for their licenses, within 30 days of the bill being assented to by President David Granger.

Another amendment stipulates that all radio and television channels are to air one hour of public service announcements (PSA) daily, at no cost.

The PPP had opposed the amendments when they were tabled in the House on Friday, but their 23-member vote was insufficient to

block the passage of the bill.

Asked on Wednesday if the party was likely to challenge the bill, Nandlall responded in the affirmative, saying “Yes, we will be challenging it”.

He said the amendments will be challenged on two grounds. First, he explained that when licenses are terminated upon assent to the bill, it means that government will be taking away private property without compensating the persons affected.

“That when the licenses are terminated, it confiscates private property without payment of compensation as is guarantee by Article 142 of the Constitution and it also takes away freedom of the press…” Nandlall shared.

He offered that the second violation has to do with the bill not guaranteeing re-issuance of licenses and re-issuance of licenses with the same spectrum reach as what currently obtains.

“All of that is depriva-

Opposition MP Anil Nandlall

tion of property and constitutional violation of freedom of the press,” he maintained.

However, the issue of granting broadcast licenses and spectrum reach has been one marred in controversy since 2011. That year, before

Pensioner crushed by canter truck A 71-YEAR-OLD woman was hit and killed by a canter truck as she stood near the median at Houston public road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), Thursday morning.

Dead is Chitratkha Sankar of Lot 61, Houston, EBD. Reports indicate that the pensioner was heading out to a clinic when the accident occurred at 06:45hrs.

It is alleged that the canter truck, GMM 6594, with logo K&G Shipping, was going north into Georgetown when the driver crashed into the pensioner as she stood at the median next to a utility pole, dragging her 40 feet away.

Dead: Chitratkha Sankar

The body was removed from the scene by a police pickup and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The body was then taken to the Lyken Funeral

Parlour pending a post-mortem.

The canter truck driver was taken into police custody as investigations continue.

“The canter truck pick up this woman from right in the corner, dragging her on the concrete separation, crushing her to death,” one eyewitness said.

The mother of seven was described by relatives as a very quiet individual who was heading out to clinic when she met her demise.

According to reports from the Traffic Department, Sankar is the country’s 57th road fatality this year.

demitting office, then President Bharrat Jagdeo had awarded licenses to several known affiliates of his party, despite a mutual agreement with Opposition Leader Desmond Hoyte in 2001 that he would not.

Several persons who were granted licenses include former PPP General Secretary and current Member of Parliament (MP) for the party, Clement Rohee; former PPP Minister Robert Persaud; and Vishok Persaud, brother of PPP MP, Dr. Vindhya Person and son of former PPP stalwart Pandit Repu Damand Persaud.

Nandlall also argued that government will be taking away an hour air-time from broadcasters without compensation and this is in clear violation of the Constitution.

However, the section which provides for the PSA has always been included in the law which was passed by the PPP in 2011.

In fact, that law did not put a cap on the air-time government could have requested from private broadcasters.

The amendment though, stipulates that only up to one hour can be requested, and if the broadcaster has an issue of complaint, then it will be heard by the Broadcasting

Authority.

During the debates Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams had questioned the basis for the opposition’s complaints. He specifically spoke to the one-hour airtime which the opposition has said is “unconstitutional” and asked: “How could you pass legislation and when you go out of power, say it is unconstitutional?”

The AG further added that what the bill seeks to do is create a level playing field and put an end to discrimination in the sector, in the interest of all Guyanese.

Meanwhile, two international press bodies – Reporters without Borders (RSF) and the International Press Institute (IPI) – and the Trinidad-based Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) have called on President David Granger to not assent to the bill until consultations are held.

Narrow escape

THERE was traffic congestion on Regent Street, Georgetown, around noon on Thursday following a collision between a taxi and a motorcycle.

It was not clear how the accident occurred, but the motorcycle ended up under the car.

The motorcyclist escaped with minor injuries and was unhappy that his bike was mangled in the accident. Below is a scene of the accident.

Man jailed for wounding mother

A police pickup removing the body of Chitratkha Sankar from the accident scene adjacent to the canter truck that crashed into her Thursday morning.

(Rabindra Rooplall photo)

A 26-year-old mentally ill man was on Wednesday sentenced to three months imprisonment by City Magistrate, Fabayo Azore, for wounding his mother.

Timothy Thompson confessed that on August 03 at Lot 1936 Humming- Bird Street, North Ruimveldt, he unlawfully and maliciously wounded, his mother, Harriet Thompson.

According to reports, on the day in question the 26-year-old man broke a glass cup,

then picked up a piece of the shattered glass and went into his mother bedroom and attempted to cut her neck.

“I would kill yuh” Thompson reportedly told his mother while approaching her with the broken glass.

Thompson told the court that his mother would have him out on the street. The magistrate sentenced Thompson to three months imprisonment during which he will also be subjected to psychiatric treatment.

Concerns over list 4

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

…widespread dissatisfaction over police promotion list

THERE is widespread dissatisfaction over the list of officers submitted to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for promotion, which has sparked quiet protest within the force, top police sources have confirmed.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that an internal police committee that would normally make recommendations to the PSC for promotions did not meet on this occasion, and it is unclear how the names for promotion were arrived at. Efforts to contact Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud, or his assistant, David Ramnarine, were unsuccessful.

This newspaper was reliably informed that a number of aggrieved officers are planning to raise their concerns about the list which they deemed as ‘defective’.

“This list that was submitted has officers who are not fit for promotion. This is a very bad list,” a senior officer told this newspaper.

The Ministry of the Presidency recently wrote the

Commission urging that there be no consideration of promotions until further notice. Reports are that the President may have asked for the promotions to be delayed to allow for greater scrutiny of the list, and to ensure that the procedures at arriving at the list were followed.

The life of the Commission comes to an end sometime in September.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, said it had been brought to his attention that President Granger has caused a letter to be dispatched to the Police Service Commission (PSC,instructing the Commission not to proceed with any promotion in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) until further directed by the President.

Jagdeo said Article 226(1) of the Constitution clearly states: “In the exercise of its functions under the Constitution, a Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud

“The Police Service Commission is one of the Commissions to which Article 226(1) makes reference. “We urge the Police Service Commission (PSC) not to succumb to these unconstitutional and unlawful directives, but to continue to discharge its mandate in the manner provided for by the Constitution,” Jagdeo said.

Meanwhile, in a letter to the editor of this newspaper, retired Assistant Police Commissioner, Clinton Conway, while supporting the President’s decision to put on hold the promotions, said he wants the police to act professionally at all times and to deliver the highest quality of service to the citizens of Guyana they swore to serve and protect. He noted that the conduct of many senior and junior officers of the GPF is being questioned at the Commission of Inquiry (COI)being conducted by Paul Slowe, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police.

“These officers have been highly recommended to the Police Service Commission (PSC) for promotions. What if the PSC goes ahead now and promote them and the COI finds them guilty of misconduct? On the other hand, why not wait a short while until the COI completes its work. Certainly, if the COI clears the officers of any misconduct, they will be promoted. That will be well within the ambit of justice and fair

Court orders full hearing of Red House case

…says issues to be determined can’t be resolved at the interlocutory stage CHIEF Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire on Wednesday ruled that the issues to be determined in the Red House lease revocation court case require a full hearing, and that it could not be resolved at the interlocutory stage.

Among the issues to be determined in the case as outlined by the Attorney General Chambers are: (i) whether the President has immunity for his acts done in performance of his functions? (ii) whether officials acting for and in the name of the President are likewise immune from orders of Court? ; (iii) whether Red House gazetted as a National Monument and Heritage Site could be leased by the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys to the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre Inc. (CJRCI) without the permission of the Minister of Education; (iv) whether President Jagdeo or Ramotar

sanctioned the purported lease of Red House to the CJRCI; (v) whether the failure of the CJRCI to advertise in the official gazette in the manner of executing a Transport, the purported lease of 99 years to the CJRCI, renders the lease invalid, ineffectual and incapable of being pleaded in a Court of Law; (vi) whether such a lease of 99 years ought not to have been filed in the Deeds Registry as a matter of record and annotated by the registrar as is required by the Deeds Registry Act; (vii) whether the

claim of constitutional breaches ought not to be supported with particulars and facts in the Application by CJRCI. In its statement, the AG Chambers said the Chief Justice ruled that until the hearing/ trial the status quo needed to be preserved, and to that end issued an interlocutory conservatory order. The Chief Justice also applied case management and ordered the CJRCI to file its statement of claim within 21 days and 21 days thereafter for the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys to file pleadings

in response. The CJRCI then had 14 days to respond to the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys pleadings.

The Chief Justice also ruled that failure on the part of the CJRCI to file its Statement of Claim within the time limited by the Court, the matter would stand dismissed. According to the AG Chambers, Attorney -at-law for the Plaintiffs, CJRCI, Anil Nandlall, was also ordered to pay costs to the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys, previously imposed by the Court, which was not paid. The matter was ordered to take its normal course. The AG Chambers and the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys are being represented by Basil Williams S.C M.P- Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Solicitor General Ms. Kim Kyte and Senior Legal Adviser, Ms. Judy Stuart.

play for all. It is only a matter of time.” “I agree with the action of the President. It is a giant step in the right direction. Let there be many more, swift, certain and appropriate actions by His Excellency, David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

NOT THE FIRST TIME It is not the first time concerns have been raised over promotions within the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

Back in 2015, Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud had defended the decision to promote two ranks-one an officer who had burnt a teenager’s genitals. Persaud had said then that the men were exonerated in the criminal trial and no departmental charges were recommended against them. Narine Lall, and Mohanram Dolai were promoted by the Police Service Commission (PSC) who described their records as unblemished apart from that back in 2009, while stationed at the Leonora Police Station, they poured methylated spir-

its on a West Bank Demerara (WBD teenager while investigating a murder. In defending the promotion of the men, Persaud had said: “Well we have a policy on discipline of ranks…if they are convicted they are dismissed, if they’re exonerated then they become a member of the force … if anyone is disciplined two years after they are eligible for consideration.”

However, following the coalition victory at the polls in May 2015, Corporal Dolai, who was found criminally liable for burning the teenage boy’s privates was dismissed on the instructions from Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan. Ramjattan had confirmed that Dolai was fired on his instructions.

Regarding Inspector Narine Lall, Ramjattan had said that he could only be dismissed by the Police Service Commission (PSC).

The officer was last stationed at the police canine division as the PSC did not acquiesce to calls for his dismissal.

Ramjattan will not take the stand

COMMISSIONER inquiring into the alleged plot to kill President David Granger, Paul Slowe, has ruled that there is no need to call Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, to give evidence.

Christopher Ram is the lawyer representing businessman, Imran Khan, the brother of the alleged plotter, Nizam Khan. Ram had requested that Ramjattan take the stand.

In his petition, Ram said the Public Security Minister was part of a dual interview with Police Commissioner, Seelall Persaud, conducted shortly after the investigation became public.

In giving his ruling on Wednesday, Slowe, a retired Assistant Police Commissioner said when the request was made he had committed to review the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the COI and the evidence laid before the Commission. “I have gone through the Terms of Reference (TOR), from one to eight. I have reviewed the evidence given by all the witnesses, and I see no reason to call the minister before the Commission to give statement,” Slowe declared.

In addition to making the ruling, the Commissioner disclosed that Andriff Gillard, the man who accused businessman, Nizam Khan, of plotting to kill the President, is expected to re-appear before the Commission for further cross-examination on Friday; so too is Acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine. After those two witnesses, the curtain will come down on the public hearing but the Commission will continue its work.

GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York Edition Week-ending August 11, 2017 Guyana York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

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The Handel Andrews Column

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T TH HE E H HI IS ST TO ORY RY PA PAG GE E

THE GRAND ACHIEVER — Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

ohandas Karamchand Gandhi is one of the greatest freedom fighters in world history.

Some others are: Antonio Agostinho Neto (Angola), Mao-Tse-Chung (China), Fidel Castro (Cuba), Che Guevera (Argentina), Charles de Gaulle (France), Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), Nelson Mandella (South Africa), Vladimir Lenin (Russia), George Washington (United States), Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia), Touissaint L’Overture (Haiti) and Cuffy (Kofi) Guyana.

Before I discuss the great man and his achievements, I wish to reflect on the use or relevance of the past. Sometimes I am asked: “Why do you keep bringing up the Past? We are living in the present and don’t care about what happened long ago.” I get the point and believe the question requires an answer.

History helps us understand change and how our society evolved. The past causes the present and so the future. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said it eloquently, “Lives of great men all remind us; we can make our lives sublime. and, departing leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time.”

GANDHI’S EARLY LIFE

Born October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, in the State of Gujarat, North West India, he was the youngest of three sons of Putlibai and Karamchand Gandhi. The little house where Gandhi was born is today the "Kirti Mandir".

He attended elementary school in Porbandara and later, the Albert High School, in nearby Rajkot, where his father was Chief Minister to the local Ruler. India was then under British rule, had over 500 kingdoms and principalities. States were allowed autonomy in domestic and internal affairs. They were known as “native states.”

Rajkot was one of these.

Much of Gandhi’s early life is recorded in his brilliant autobiography, “The Story of My Experience with truth.”

His father died before he finished elementary schooling. At thirteen (13), he married Kasturba Makhanji, also thirteen.

He attended Samaldas College in Bombay. In 1888, he went to England and studied law at University College, London.

After graduating, he was called to the bar in 1891.

After a year of unsuccessful law practice, he accepted an offer from Dada Abdulla to join his law firm in South Africa as a legal advisor. He remained in the country for over 20 years.

At this time, the Indians in South Africa were known as “coolies” and had no legal rights. In his autobiography, Gandhi speaks of being thrown out of a first-class railway car, despite having a first-class ticket.

It was in South Africa that he coined the term “satyagraha”, which meant the theory and practice of non-violent resistance.

In 1909, on a visit to India, Gandhi authored a short treatise entitled Hind Swaraj (Indian Home Rule), where he diagnosed the problems of humanity in modern times,

their causes and remedies. He returned to India in 1915 and stayed.

POLITICS

He plunged into politics and earned from no lesser a person than Rabindranath Tagore, India’s most accomplished writer, the title “Mahatma” or “Great Soul”.

When disturbances broke out in the Punjab, leading to the massacre of a large crowd of unarmed Indians at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Gandhi wrote the report of the Punjab Congress Inquiry Committee.

Over the next two years, he initiated the Non-Cooperation Movement, which called upon Indians to withdraw from British institutions, return their honours and learn self-reliance. Despite moderate success, the movement was suspended in 1922.

Gandhi then joined the Indian National Congress, which was founded in 1855 by Allan Octavian Hume, a Scot, and two Indians, Dadabhai Naoroji and Dinshaw Wacha. Within one year, he became leader of the Party, reorganizing its constitution around the principle of ‘Swaraj’, or complete political independence from Britain.

MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND GANDHI Because of his call for mass civil disobedience, he was arrested on March 10, 1922, and tried on sedition charges. Due to poor health, he served two years, of a sixyear prison sentence. He observed a 21-day fast in prison, when Muslim-Indian riots broke out at Kohat, a military barracks on the Northwest Frontier. Mahatma was a Hindu; but he always contended that the unity between the two religions was essential for the independence of India.

When the British introduced a tax on salt in 1930, Gandhi sent a letter on March 2, to the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, stating that unless INC demands were met, he would be “compelled to break the salt laws.” When he was ignored, he led a 240-mile march towards Dandi on the sea to collect his own

salt.

That year, the INC started advocating independence for India and in 1932, Gandhi commenced the “Epic Fast unto Death” towards that end.

Subsequently, the British agreed to hold a conference in London to discuss Indian independence. It was at this conference that Sir. Winston Churchill issued his famous statement, “I have not been made her Majesty’s First Minister to preside over the dissolution of the British Empire.” On Gandhi’s return to India, he was arrested.

In 1947, India was granted independence. Gandhi is known as “Father of Indian Independence.” However, the British In-

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

Time to reconsider overseas voting Dear Editor

Nation-building NATION-building is hard work and relies on constant vigilance, sacrifice, self-critique and reverent commitment to the ideals that would promote, ensure and maintain a unified polity. It is work in constant process and progress. Our society was built and sustained for significant periods on the practice of divide-and-rule, where, with the exception of the Amerindian community, the others arrived from different parts of the world, but every group has brought to this nation’s landscape its unique culture, gave of their labour and expertise, and are deserving of being acknowledged.

The cultural and racial diversity that has shaped this national ethos has given us our unique characteristics as Guyanese, forged a nation, and developed nationhood and our sense of belonging. Grappling with these variants in the name of nation-building is an arduous task.

Nation-building requires vision, determination and steadfastness. Thus, it is understandable that societies such as our CARICOM counterparts and the USA consider it important to designate a date in their national calendar to commemorate the efforts of their founding fathers and mothers, which presents opportunity for national reflection -- to examine the contributions of these founding fathers and mothers, and to learn from and build on them.

The characteristics of nation-building, on which rest the foundation of welding a people together -- and in our case six peoples -- include creation of structures and institutions, such as a national motto, political system, laws, national anthem, national economy, national holidays, flag, folklore and language (in our instance our unique accent, linguistic expression, and structures that have shaped the Creole and English languages).

Where our society has been formed out of slavery, indentureship and colonial experiences, and groups have dominated others, and felt, or were conditioned to feel, that they were better than others, it requires resoluteness to ensure and maintain nation-building.

Unfortunately, this has not been without challenges.

It should be said that the achievement of Independence (1966) and republican status (1970) have not realised the obliteration of historical thinking and practice of division, and to this attention is turned.

After 50 years of independence and 46 years of republican status, Guyana is still considered a young nation on the world stage. However, in a fast-paced world, it

I PRESENTED a paper at the recent University of Guyana (UG) Diaspora Conference where I sought to both critique our current approach to diaspora engagement and suggest some ways in which we can begin to think differently about the subject. I think there is need for a new approach to the diaspora that conceptualises our overseas brothers and sisters as an integral part of the Guyanese nation.

We must change the narrative of “us” and “them” on both sides. There is a critical mass of Guyanese who live partly abroad and partly at home and others who make several short trips per year. If we begin to employ the narrative of “us” more, then we are likely to have a new thinking and new policies that reflect that mindset.

It is foolish to have more than half of your people living abroad and ignore their skills and other resources, just because they do not live at home permanently. Small countries such as ours, with its limited access to the skills and resources needed to compete in an uneven world as far as development is concerned, must draw on all its energies whether they physically reside in Guyana or abroad. With the coming of the oil economy, we would be challenged to find skills and resources to serve our needs and interests. Although

it would be ideal if persons return permanently, one does not have to live in Guyana permanently to contribute in a meaningful way.

Of course, those who live abroad need to resist the temptation to behave as if they are “better” than those who live here. They should not demand, nor should they be afforded more privileges that those citizens who live here. But having said that, they would be more inclined to return or to invest resources if there are incentives at the level of policy.

In that regard, I wish to make two suggestions for consideration. First, I propose that each government ministry should have a “diaspora section.”

I know the Foreign Affairs Ministry already has such a section, but it should be expanded to other ministries. There is a popular view that there should be a Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. But I think that is too narrow.

My second suggestion is much more controversial, given its association with a bad period in our history.

I do believe that the time has come for a reconsideration of overseas voting. Over 90 countries allow overseas voting in one form or the other. Given the increased migration globally, this makes sense. I think the problem for us in Guyana was not the concept of overseas voting, but that it was used as part of the rigging machinery of that

time. So, in an era of fair elections, the meaning changes. I would propose that if we go in that direction, as I think we should, it would bring overseas Guyanese more emotionally attached to Guyana.

Voting is perhaps the most significant aspect of citizenship. Guyanese who live abroad can now come home to register and vote. So, if we go the route of overseas voting, we would be merely allowing them to vote where they are located. Perhaps we can begin with some form of weighted voting whereby, for example, two or three overseas votes are equivalent to one local vote. In that way, you control for the perception and reality that those who do not live here all the time should not have equal rights and privileges. I know that the immediate response to this subject would be partisan—whether it would benefit one party or the other. That, of course, is not my motivation. I am guided by a desire to bring our sisters and brothers residing outside of Guyana into the national mix in a substantive way. This matter, however, would have to be subject to wide-ranging discussions both in and out of Guyana and may even have to be subject to a referendum.

Regards Dr David Hinds

Region Five chairman disputes councillor claims Dear Editor THE Office of the Regional Chairman Region # Five, wishes to publicly refute claims made by APNU+AFC Councillor, Mr. Abel Seetaram, which was published in the Kaieteur News on Friday, August 4, 2017.

Councillor Seetaram deliberately misled readers and by extension the general public, by suggesting that the PPP Councillors of the Regional Democratic Council Region Five failed to submit

projects to be included in the region’s 2018 Budget proposals.

Mr. Seetaram’s utterances are not only untrue and misleading, but it is also a demeaning piece emanating from an elected representative and a sitting member of the Regional Democratic Council of Region Five, since a total of 144 projects from across Region Five were collectively compiled by the PPP Councillors and submitted to the Office of the Regional Executive Officer on June 26, 2017.

stands to the nation’s benefit if youth is not used or construed as a clutch to engage in acts and actions that would give rise to any speculation that we started before we were ready. We are an independent nation. More importantly, we are a republic, which means the destiny we are charting is solely in our hands to mould. The struggles, sacrifices and investment of every group without exception (race, political party, religion, et al) played a part in bringing us this far.

The unfortunate truth is that the contributions of groups are honoured, dismissed, or condemned and blown out of proportion (favourably or unfavourably), depending on who is speaking, and about whom. This aspect of our folklore may have been born out of the historical practice of divide-and-rule, which has sustained the myth of superiority and inferiority and guided treatment of the other, both at the level of the enslavers and among the enslaved, indentured and colonised. Remnants of it still remain. In the political sphere, it is not unreasonable to say that, having observed the dynamics, this folklore has come to characterise interpretation, acceptance and/or rejection

These submissions were signed for and received by the Secretary to the Regional Executive Officer. We therefore demand an apology from Councillor Abel Seetaram, and calls upon the REO, Mr. Ovid Morrison, to issue a similar statement denouncing this irresponsible allegation made by the APNU+AFC Councillor.

Regards VICKCHAND RAMPHAL Regional Chairman, Region Five

of the contributions of ‘our own’ or ‘the other.’

There is a tendency in political discourse to view persons solely through binary lens. Persons are seen as either good or bad, and there is very little effort, if any, to engage in nuances in assessing someone’s or group’s contributions to nation-building.

It has become politically fashionable–-nay, acceptable--to ignore any good, deny it, or bequeath it to another for those on the ‘other side.’ Adversities are not seen as lessons to learn from and move on, or eras in our evolution considered to be deserving of contextualisation and explanation. Rather, there is pre-occupation to view events through inflexible lens, and demand that others follow suit, unconcerned that such an outlook can be debilitating.

Appreciatively, we are an expressive people, and we should be heard. The freedom to share ideas, information and knowledge is fundamental and important to human existence, growth and development, and this must be protected and defended at all cost.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in articles in this newspaper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies and views of the management of the New York Edition of the Guyana Chronicle.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

Indian businessman says govt’s vision for Guyana appealing PRESIDENT David Granger on Wednesday received a courtesy call at State House from Mr. R. Veeramani, Chairman of the GEM Group of Companies, India and Chairman of the Natural Stones and Products Panel, who said that the vision of the Government is refreshing and appealing to investors and as such, it will encourage investment opportunities.

During the meeting, Mr. Veeramani, who is in Guyana on a five-day scoping mission to explore investment opportunities, said that Guyana is a country filled with abundant opportunities for investment and has the potential to become a multi-billion-dollar economy, once its many resources are developed in a sustainable manner. With the leadership of President Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, the businessman said that there is no reason why Guyana cannot become a prosperous nation. “The Government is very proactive with the development vision for this country and with this I am very sure that I will come back. I personally felt that both the President and the Prime Minister of Guyana, both of them are determine that the country should develop economically, create more employment and should be one of the proud countries on the lines of development.

I am sure that they will do that. I am sure that they will inspire and make this country a prosperous nation by the right policies,” he said.

In an invited comment, Mr. Veeramani said that he and the members of his company met with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo last year when he visited India and were invited to explore Guyana and its potential for investment. “You have the products. You can do wonders.

This country can do wonders with what it has…I have come here to study and find out what are the opportunities that this nation offers. This is a tropical country and with the many resources and less population, I want to find out what is happening here and what are the opportunities that can help to develop the industrial activity in this country. I like the people and I am sure that I will return,” the Businessman

President David Granger in discussion with Mr. R. Veeramani during their meeting at State House

said. President Granger welcomed the investor to Guyana, noting that while the country possesses the resources, it needs financial

and technical support from all sectors to assist in their development for the benefit of all of the citizens. “We need that type of experience

and sense of entrepreneurship and so we are happy that you are here,” the President said. (Ministry of the Presidency)

7

Overflowing river banks delaying Linden/Lethem road works DUE to the May/June roads. The Minister has inrains, works on several structed his contractors “to hinterlands roads includ- use a bit more geotextile ing the Linden/Lethem on the road, I’ve also asked road have been suspended, them to contact local and Minister of Public Infra- international businesses and structure, David Patterson suppliers that supply stabihas said. lising materials which makes The minister explained the laterite more a compact to the Department of Pub- soil, so we don’t have this lic Information (DPI) that battle in rainy season,” the during the rainy season con- minister explained. tracts that were awarded To date the Ministry were stalled. He noted that has completed 91 per cent for the Linden/Lethem road of its work programme they were faced with several with a total of 83 percent of issues beyond their control. contracts being awarded.

“I know that a lot of peo- Several of the 28 projects ple are complaining about yet to be tendered are being the Linden/Lethem road and redefined. This includes they have all right to, but it’s the Inter-American Develan issue out of our control. opment Bank (IDB)-fundThe Ireng and Takutu river ed Sheriff Street/Mandela banks have overflowed so Avenue project which was the water is accumulating in signed on March 15, 2013. the valley, but the contrac- This was tendered eartors have started working lier in the year but was over the weekend and soon withdrawn. Minister Patthey’ll finish and work will terson pointed out that continue until a solution is the scope of that project found,” Minister Patterson was redefined and will be underlined. re-tendered before the end Additionally, it was high- of August. Other projects lighted that the ministry is being redefined include the exploring the use of more Linden/Lethem, the Ituni/ durable materials for the Kwakwani and the road (continued on page 22) construction of hinterland leading into Mahdia.

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Guyana Chronicle New Guyana Chronicle NewYork YorkEdition EditionWeek-ending week endingAugust August 11, 11, 2017 2017

EMPHASIS ON TRAVEL AND TOURISM

CARIBBEAN TOURISM ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF CARIBBEAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS TOURISM WRITING COMPETITION Awards will be presented at Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum taking place from 6-8 September in St. Kitts

F

our Caribbean primary school students ranging in age from 812, will be honoured for excellence in tourism writing at next month's Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum in St. Kitts.

The four — Kassie Haley-Shai of St. Augustine Roman Catholic School in Montserrat, Ariah Khobie Diamante Darroux of Convent Preparatory School in Dominica (both in the 8-10 category), Jhe'auti Belyca Craigg of Belmont Government School in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Gabriella Lewis of Atwell's Educational Institute in Trinidad and Tobago (10-12 category) — emerged winners among 44 participants from 26 schools who participated in the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)'s Caribbean Primary Schools Tourism Writing Competition.

The contest, held as part of activities for International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and the CTO's Year of Adventure, was organised to enhance primary school students' awareness of tourism and its value and contribution to the region's social and economic development. It was also meant to challenge the students to think of creative ways to make tourism more sustainable.

"I am very pleased with the level of interest exhibited in this initiative, as evidenced by the diversity of participating schools," said Amanda Charles, the CTO's sustainable tourism development specialist, whose department spearheads the Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum.

"The submissions were all of a high calibre, with the students displaying depth and creativity in their compositions. It is clear that even at the primary school level students are aware of the importance of tourism to the region, can speak eloquently about tourism in their countries and have some insight into the opportunities and challenges associated with tourism development."

The students in the 8-10 category were asked to write about what sustainable tourism meant to them or how visitors and locals should act towards each other to promote peace, while those in the 10-12 category were challenged to conceptualise and describe a new adventure tour or to suggest ways that the CTO can help make tourism in the Caribbean more sustainable. The students in both categories were also given the option of writing on whether they felt tourism does indeed contribute to making the Caribbean region a better place, or to identify an adventure tourism activity in their countries and deliver a sales pitch to encourage tourists to experience that activity.

Themed, Good for Us, Better for All, the 6-8 September Climate Smart Sustainable Tourism Forum is being held in observance of International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and will bring together local, regional, and international representatives from public and private sector tourism entities, as well as development agencies that offer programming in sustainable tourism, for three days of interactive engagements.

Major elements will include best practice sharing and strategic consultations for a CTO climate adaptation project funded by the Caribbean Development Bank, in order to strengthen holistic destination management approaches in the Caribbean. The programme will also include experiential field visits, a meeting of CTO's Sustainable Tourism Technical Committee, and winning presentations from CTO's Primary School Tourism Writing Competition. The event culminates with the presentation ceremony for CTO's 2017 Sustainable Tourism Awards which recognise regional sustainability champions.

Organising partners include the CTO, the St. Kitts Ministry of Tourism, the St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council, and Sustainable Travel International.

The winner of the 2014 CTO/Travel

Mole Sustainable Tourism Award in Destination Stewardship, St Kitts is one of the first destinations in the world to be accepted as an early adopter of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council's criteria for destinations. It also is a founding member of the Sustainable Destination Alliance of the Americas, an initiative by the CTO, the Organization of American States, Sustainable Travel International and Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited to promote sustainable destination management in the Caribbean and Central America.

Its many initiatives include the establishment of the Heart of St. Kitts Foundation and Sustainability Charter, which helps businesses understand how their operations contribute to destination-wide sustainability, and to support community projects that make St. Kitts a more sustainable place to live and experience.

MINERVA TRAVEL

CLIA/IATA OSSN/SATH APTA/PATA TPOC/IGLTA M/W/DBE CERTIFIED

ELAINE HENRY, CTA, MCC Travel Consultant 1053 E 40th Street Tel: 718-377-2071 Brooklyn, NY 11210 Fax: 718-377-1291 email: minitravel@hotmail.com www.minervatravel.net

To Advertise in this new and exciting paper The New York Edition of the GUYANA CHRONICLE — Guyana’s National Newspaper call: 917-379-6590

GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew NewYork York Edition Week-ending August 4, 2017 Guyana Edition week ending August 11, 2017

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Prison Dilemma In Guyana What Are The Options?

“W

hen one door closes, another door opens; however, we often look so long and regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which opened for us.”

— Alexander Graham Bell

Having provided a background to the penal predicament Guyana faces and explained how institutionalized deficiencies across the criminal justice eco-system have contributed to the razing of acceptable penal standards. Notwithstanding the current range of challenges — economic, political, environmental and social —facing the nation, there is still a measure of hope that makes available numerous opportunities that could evolve into success for the nation’s security. This section will review some options available for action. They will be examined in a dichotomy of short-term to long-term suggestions with the former being a period of three months to five years and the latter covering six to 10 years. This is in view of the election cycle.

used to protect the domestic violence victims by issuing a geo-fencing alert to the victim, the monitoring station and a response team if required. A comparable level of service can be utilized to monitor sex-offenders and manage the police fleet on patrol. A cost-recovery program can be implemented to recoup cost from the person being monitored. There would be challenges that would require government clearance prior to implementation and partnership with others entities. Once cleared, the system would aid law enforcement in their work and gain the confidence of many segments of the

Conclusion

proximately 1,000 persons arrested for illegal possession of marijuana (quantity undetermined) over a period of one year. The equates to G$1.329 million spent on boarding and accommodation 1000 inmates on illegal possession of marijuana.

This valuable resource could have been utilized on other important priorities such as training for staff or improving the conditions within the facility (that impacts both inmates and staff) if a Marijuana Decriminalization & Diversion Bill was implemented. Hence, an option of government would be to decriminalize marijuana possession as was similarly done by Jamaica, however with a level of variation: limit personal consumption to 0.50 ounces.

This measure would pave the way for the establishment of a licensing authority to manage regu-

SHORT-TERM OPTIONS GPS Monitoring The initial short-term option is to harness technology to reduce prison overpopulation and empower law enforcement. For example, Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) surveillance system to monitor low to medium risk offenders — based on the severity of their criminal activity — granted pretrial liberty. Such a solution provides information for prudent decisionmaking. This solution combines the FLASHBACK: Prisoners at Guyana’s main facility. power of GPS technology with intuitive software to monitor and losociety. This approach would gen- lation on cultivation, distribution cate any person under judicial erate increase employment locally and possession of marijuana for sanction. The technology can be deto meet additional demand for mon- medical, scientific and therapeutic ployed effortlessly, intuitive to use, itoring services with direct links to purposes in Guyana, with rigid conenhances results, diminishes cost, local law enforcement and fugitive trols on trafficking and underage provides value for money when consumption. The revenue generapprehension teams. compared to the individual cost of ated from taxes would support eduaccommodating and securing an inDECRIMINALIZATION OF cation, public health and public mate and have a positive impact on MARIJUANA POSSESSION safety programmes. However, public safety. It allows 24-hour The 2016 COI Report noted, it given the delicate nature of this monitoring, compatible with geo- costs the government approxi- issue, it remains highly unlikely graphic information system (GIS) mately $1,329.00 (GC) per day — that government would adopt such overlay and report generation for at substandard levels — to house a an approach as it may be petrified court records. prisoner within the institution. As to venture into the unknown world The technology would also be per 2015 arrest data, there were ap- of marijuana legalization.

By Dr. Yeon Adams

RECRUIT NEW PRISON OFFICIALS To meet current staffing demands within the penal sector, the government should commence a recruitment drive to attract, train and retain the best-suited candidates for employment within the prison sector. This would be challenging as there is a demonstrated low-level of apathy for employment of this nature due to a variety of reasons including its relatively low wages in comparison to rising cost-of-living.

As an option, government should consider recruiting retired discipline service individuals, however, there are a range of challenges to be resolved. Their employment would require reconsideration on the retirement age — as this would enable retirees to curtail their current pension — and regain wages rather than pay pension and wages. This could and should be considered as double dipping. While this approach would solve a short-term situation, it will present other challenges, inter alia training, synthesizing organizational cultures, morale of existing staff and their upward mobility.

An unintentional consequence of this effort would be the perception that the authorities are antiyouth. Currently, it is evident that educated young Guyanese are uninterested in public safety careers, primarily due to its unattractive wages.

Some young people are disillusioned and see employment in public safety — police and prisons — as oppressive while others allude to broken campaign promises of jobs and post- election comments of find your own employment. Therefore, these organizations may require an image makeover to attract younger members of the society to sustain the preservation of law and order.

GUYANA CRIME BILL: To ensure and adequately fund the public safety sector, the subject minister should present a National Crime and Safety Bill to the National Assembly. This proposed bill (continued on page 22)

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Guyana Chronicle NewYork YorkEdition EditionWeek-ending week ending August August 11, 11, 2017 2017 Guyana Chronicle New

DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION MODELS: PART 2 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." — Psalm 119:105

M

ajor General (Ret'd) Joseph Singh, my Guyanese colleague, often responds to my weekly column with encouraging remarks. Last week was no exception and I begin by sharing his sentiments in full.

"Your column is a refreshing contribution to the concept of 'thinking outside of the box' and implementing innovative methods to chart a way forward towards sustainable economic growth, livelihoods enhancement, and maximum utilization of existing resources.

"Your proposal for disruptive innovative models to catalyze economic development should have resonance among citizens of CARICOM member states who have had their fill of the 'same old, same old' rhetoric.

"It may be worthy of consideration to apply the same disruptive innovative model to achieve a concatenation in governance by merging political parties in parliament with civil society representatives in order to catalyze the lethargic decision-making process and to monitor the implementation process.

"The CARICOM Charter for Civil Society which was crafted by an eminent persons panel, including Knights Ramphal and McIntyre, is languishing because political leaders are wary of ceding 'power' which they perceive as having been given to them on a platter at election time and are dismissive of any attempt by the 'disruptive civil society elements' - trade unions, the churches, youth and women's groups, and the Fourth Estate, to revolutionize decision-making and prompt transformational change."

Each of us, as we observe systems

that work well, will find that sustainability is a result of vision, innovation and change.

Have we noticed how the Infor-

mation Age has gradually effected change over the past 55 years? I remember when at University we stored data on punch cards and lugged heavy boxes of cards around. Today, my

smartphone gently reminds me when I need to extend my capacity in the cloud to back up my data. A disruptive innovation model.

Have we noticed how Health City Cayman Islands has gradually effected change over the past three years in the Caribbean? Three years ago Caribbean nationals often had to travel primarily

to the United States to access the highest standards in tertiary care, if it could not be provided at home. Today, Health City Cayman Islands is a Caribbean

Dr. Basil Springer’s Column hospital delivering a new model of high quality, affordable healthcare with a constant flow of patients coming from the nations of the Caribbean and Central America and growing at an exponential rate. Another disruptive innovation model.

Joseph Singh is appealing for change at the CARICOM level. The CARICOM Secretariat is not a regional government, it is not a federal government, it is not a political union, it is an administrative and advisory body which serves several individual governments in the Caribbean region. It has no power but it could be proactive and attempt to exercise influence by giving advice.

In this context, the innovative measures that the CARICOM Secretariat could promote to each of its member states are as follows: (1) Merging political parties with civil society. A simple concept. Why spend energies in opposite directions, as if in a "tug of war", when the energies could be spent in the same direction in the national interest. Switzerland is an example and to some extent Singapore.

(2) Combing financial resources.

The Government has the power to innovatively collect taxes to provide services to the populace and also can provide innovative incentives so that private sector capital can be invested efficiently to grow the economy. The Government also has to reduce expenses and innovatively secure loans to restructure the economy.

(3) An expert communications strategy is mandatory so that the government, unions and the private sector can communicate efficiently with the populace. Innovative public-private partnerships can do this well.

(4) An innovative system of local government can cumulatively effect significant progress towards national efficiency and growth.

(5) Finally, the government, the private sector and the unions must promote increased productivity. The abundance mentality must be nurtured which will lead to sustainability and happiness.

Let the CARICOM Secretariat provide an innovative role to guide Caribbean governments along a new and productive path. Stay tuned in prayer for divine guidance, often cloaked in disruptive innovation, which will be the light to our feet and shed light on our path.

(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is a Change-Engine Consultant. His email address is basilgf57@gmail. com. His columns may be found at www.nothingbeatsbusiness.com and on www.facebook.com/basilgf.)

Guyana week ending August 11, 11, 2017 GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew NewYork YorkEdition Edition Week-ending August 2017

11 11

Ease The Tension — Enjoy A Laugh CARROT RICE Ingredients: 5 cups rice, cooked loosely with each grain separate Carrots - 2, peeled and grated Bay leaf -1 Cloves - 6 Cinnamon stick - 1" Onions - 2 (medium sized, finely sliced) Green chili-ginger-garlic paste - (1" ginger/2 cloves garlic/2 green chilies) Coriander leaves - 4-5 tbsps, finely chopped: Coriander powder - 1 tsp Broken Cashew nuts - 2 tbsps Salt - to taste Oil - 1 tbsp Ghee - 1 tbsp (optional) vegan can omit ghee and substitute with oil

Add green chili-ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves, coriander leaves and kasoori methi and saute for 4 minutes.

3. Add the grated carrot and cook for 7-8 minutes on low to medium. Add coriander powder and mix. Add salt to taste and mix.

4. Reduce heat, add the cooked rice and mix.

Cook on low flame for 3 minutes.

5. Remove onto a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and toasted cashew nuts. Serve warm with raita or any curry of your choice.

Method: 1. Heat oil or ghee in a vessel or pressure cooker, add cashew nuts and toast till golden. Remove the cashew nuts and keep aside.

2. In the same cooking vessel, add cloves and cinnamon and stir fry till they splutter. Add the sliced onions and saute for 3 minutes.

SENIOR MOMENTS

conversations. I’ve changed my will three times!”

very elderly gentleman, (midnineties) very well dressed, hair wellgroomed, great looking suit, flower in his lapel smelling slightly of a good after shave, presenting a well looked-after image, walks into an upscale cocktail lounge. Seated at the bar is an elderly looking lady, (mideighties).

wo elderly gentlemen from a retirement center were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says: “Slim, I’m 83- years-old now and I’m just full of aches and pains. I know you’re about my age. How do you feel?”

A

The gentleman walks over, sits alongside of her, orders a drink, takes a sip, turns to her and says, “So tell me, do I come here often?”

A

n elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, “Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.”

The gentleman replied, “Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the

IT’S A FACT

by JAMES SYDNEY

THE MANY USES OF THE CONCH AND THE CONCH SHELL

T

he conch, the familiar mollusk with its beautiful pink shell and tasty meat, is one of the attractive features of the Caribbean region. It is common on beaches, in souvenir shops and in restaurant menus.

The people of the Caribbean islands who prepare and eat conches, go at them with hammer, hatchet or machete to put a hole in them, then use a knife to cut a tough muscle and make it simple to pull the meat out through the large opening in the shell.

The conch is then cleaned and consumed. People eat conch meat either raw, as in salads, or cooked, as in fritters, chowders, gumbos, and burgers.

Some conch shells are very beautiful. You know instinctively that the shells should not be destroyed by putting holes in them. They seem destined to be preserved as treasured ornaments.

Such conches may be put whole

T

Slim replied, “I feel just like a newborn baby.” “Really!? Like a newborn baby!?” “Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants.

H

ospital regulations require a wheelchair for patients being discharged. However, while working as a student nurse, I found one elderly gentleman—already dressed and sitting on the bed with a suitcase at his feet—who insisted he didn’t need my help to leave the hospital.

After a chat about rules being rules, he reluctantly let me wheel him to the elevator.

On the way down I asked him if his wife was meeting him. “I don’t know,” he said. “She’s still upstairs in the bathroom changing out of her hospital gown.”

piece. Most shells will only naturally play one note, but the hands and fingers could be skilfully used to coax various pitches from them.

The conch shell has been used in many societies to communicate messages. In the Caribbean, it was used to call people together, announce events, advertise that some commodity is for sale, or even to call people to worship.

The early Caribs used the conch shell to call their people together.

In Jamaica, the African word Abeng was used as the name for the conch shell, more particularly one which can be used as a horn by blowing into one end. In Jamaica’s history, the abeng was used by slaveholders to summon slaves to the sugar fields and also by the Maroon army as a method of communication.

THE CONCH SHELL in water and brought to a boil, or al- shells, ground up into an ingredient in ternatively frozen in order to keep the porcelain. shell intact while the meat is carefully One of the interesting uses to teased out of the shell. The intact which conch shells are put is serving shells are then used as decoration, or as the equivalent of horns or bugles. as decorative planters, or in cameo An opening is made in the small tip making, or as with other mollusk of the conch shell to form a mouth-

In Tobago today, the conch shell still signals men to haul in the fishing nets. The conch shell is also used by Hindus in their religious services in many parts of the world. They blow it at specific points during worship.

Other sound makers take the place of the conch shell today — the music on the ice cream cart in the city, the bugler in the armed forces. It is believed that the bugle was constructed to imitate the old noise makers such as the cow’s or sheep’s horn.

Or the conch shell.

12

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

Assassination Plot

‘Diva’ says accuser fabricated story …had advised him to “Wuk lil obeah”

By Svetlana Marshall

ALTHOUGH she was unable to answer basic questions when she appeared before the Commission inquiring into the alleged plot to assassinate President David Granger, Diamond Housing Scheme cosmetologist, Luanna Walker fondly known as “Diva” said she had pleaded with the accuser not to go to the police but

instead “wuk lil obeah” on the accused plotter.

It is Walker’s strong belief that the accuser, Andriff Gillard, who in her view has a questionable background, fabricated the story about the assassination plot with the intention of putting the accused, Nizam Khan, behind bars.

On Wednesday, Walker was one of two witnesses who appeared before the

Commission of Inquiry (COI) as the high-level investigation continues into the alleged plot to kill the President and the Guyana Police Force’s handling of the matter.

On March 29, 2017 Andriff Gillard alleged that Nizam Khan asked him to kill President Granger in 2015, an allegation Khan has since denied. According to Gillard, he had approached Khan to loan

him $6M but Khan instead offered him $7M, noting that he would not have to repay the money if he killed the President.

When Walker took the stand on Wednesday, she told the Commission, headed by retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe, that Gillard was her neighbour for approximately three years but he recently relocated along with his wife.

It was noted that during that period, Gillard had rented a workstation within her salon for the purpose of barbering, and it was also during that period that she would come to learn of Khan and the support he had given to Gillard in the setting up of his taxi service.

During one of his many visits to her residence this year, Walker said Gillard had complained bitterly about Khan and his involvement with his wife and other issues that had stemmed from the alleged affair.

“He said Diva, ‘you don’t worry with that, when I done with he, you will see what I’m going to do,” Walker said as she recalled her conversation with Gillard. Upon hearing this, the cosmetologist said that she told Gillard not to do anything “stupid.”

It was then she said that Gillard unveiled his plan.

“His direct words to me were, ‘Diva, I don’t have to put anything in his yard, I got better sense than that. When I do what I got to do to the man, I gon lost he away in jail because you know how long he come telling me he want me kill the President,” she further recalled.

According to the single parent mother, she pleaded with Gillard “not to go down that road” because “ungratefulness” is worse than “witchcraft.”

“I even go so far in telling Andriff, Andriff best you go and wuk lil obeah someway on the man before you do something like that.”

The Commission’s Attorney James Bond questioned her about the time and place, where the story of the plot was revealed to her. In response, Walker told the Commission that while it was said at her residence she cannot recall the exact month it was told to her by Gillard.

“Was Andriff over at your place in January, the first month of the year?”

Bond questioned, while further asking if it was in the month of February or March.

Walker, in response said, “I cannot recall.”

After repeatedly being pressed for an answer by the Commission’s attorney, Walker said “I never looked at date, I never looked at time, I never looked at month because it was not even of interest to me until it started making the news.”

On the basis that the report made to Police by Gillard was lodged on March 29, 2017, Bond suggested that the story of the plot was told to her between January and March, 2017, to which the cosmetologist responded in the positive.

“It was not long after Andriff came to me that I saw the news,” she added.

During the cross-examination, Walker concurred that although she had filed a report to the Grove Police Station about Gillard’s failure to pay her $10, 000 he had owed in rent, and had subsequently expressed concerns about him negatively influencing her stepson, Gillard never made any false allegation against her.

The Diamond Housing Scheme resident said she decided to give a statement to the police based on her knowledge of the incident on July 19, 2017 after she realised that the allegation “was getting out of hand.” She was reportedly following the developments on social media, and even consulted with her “lawyer” on the matter.

“I knew that Andriff was lying on the man based on what he told me,” she repeatedly told the Commission.

As he further cross-examined Walker, Bond asked: “Did the Police promise to withdraw any charge or any story or drop any matter against your son, if you were to give a statement against Andriff?” Walker, in response, said she had no knowledge.

Slowe, in seeking clarity on the statements made by Walker, asked her to disclose the name of her lawyer. “I can’t recall,” she said while promising to supply the commission with the name at a later stage.

Additionally, it was not until several minutes had elapsed that Walker was able to disclose to the Commission where she had given her statement to the police.

Initially she had repeatedly said, “It was not far from here.” The statement was reportedly given at Police Headquarters’ Eve Leary.

The name of the officer that took the statement, Walker was also unable to disclose.

She was subsequently told that it was Corporal Laundry.

Retired Chief Justice, Ian Chang, who is representing the interest of the police, in his line of questioning, asked whether Gillard had said he had planned to lie on Khan, and was told no.

“I cannot recall him saying the word plan,” Walker responded. However, she opined that based on her understanding Gillard was lying and it was a plan to put Khan behind bars because of a land dispute and the alleged affair.

Walker had also told the Commission that Gillard’s wife had told her that Gillard was planning to frame Khan. However, Walker was unable to disclose the name of the wife although claiming to be her neighbour for approximately three years.

Guyana York Edition week ending August 11, 2017 GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York Edition Week-ending August 11, 2017

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Sadhu Albert Hoppie celebrated his 75th Birthday in spectacular fashion in the Big Apple

I

ndeed it was a festive occasion and celebration on Sunday August 6th, 2017 when Sadhu Albert Hoppie, patriarch of the Hoppie family celebrated his 75th birthday in fine style at the newly-renovated and exotic “Lights On Kent” ballroom at 862 Kent Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.

Sadhu who hails from Beterverwagting (BV) on the East Coast of Demerara, Guyana in South America, migrated to the United States in 1968 where he worked arduously for over 30 years, then returned to the land of his birth in 1998 to take up permanent residence.

The Patriarch who has five (5) children and fifteen (15) grand chil-

dren returned to the United States to celebrate this milestone with his family and close friends, who still reside here. Some of his close friends who reside in Guyana came with Sadhu to celebrate this memorable milestone.

The program spearheaded by his wife Daphne and his beloved daughter Tamesha, who adopted the role of Master of Ceremonies, delighted the audience with jokes and roasts throughout the reception.

A warm and touching prayer and readings from the bible by Father Mark Bristol set the stage for a glorious evening.

The celebration and atmosphere had a peculiar setting. It certainly did not confirm to the traditional pattern of birthday celebrations. Rather it was constructed with a different flair, whereby the program was divided into sections

The Patriarch Sadhu Albert Hoppie (center) surrounded by his male family and friends present who were linked by placing hands on each other’s shoulder while a prayer was said for them.

To Publish any special event of your loved ones in the NEW YORK EDITION of the GUYANA CHRONICLE

Call: 917-379-6590 Ask for Dennis

and instead of receiving tributes from the formally-attired audience, Sadhu paid homage to every invitee at each of the fifteen (15) tables depicting his connection and expressing his personal gratitude, love and appreciation to all in attendance.

The dapper Patriarch in his closing remarks demonstrated the need for family togetherness and this was portrayed by the singing sensation of the family his niece, Camilla Thomas. The wonderful evening ended in camaraderie and dancing.

The management and staff of the New York Edition of the Guyana Chronicle, some of whom were present at this wonderful occasion wish Sadhu Albert Hoppie Sadhu and his wife Daphne as they “A Happy Birthday” and prepare to cut the cake which was made in the shape of a stack of books.

God’s richest blessings.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

‘It’s your House, take ownership’ – Speaker urges eager youngsters as Youth Parliament opens

By Svetlana Marshall Guyana’s Youth Parliament opened on Monday with Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland calling on the young leaders to take ownership of the House.

“This House is your House; the Parliament belongs to all of us and we must cherish it; we must add to its luster. We must improve it, we must see it as a place to which we can contribute,” Dr. Scotland told the more than 35 secondary school students who travelled from various parts of Guyana to participate in the auspicious event.

Youth Parliament 2017 is the third of its kind to be held in Guyana, with participants drawn from all 10 Administrative Regions, with the exception of Region Two. As he addressed the students, who, from all indications, were enthusiastic about the day’s offering, the Speaker made it clear that the week-long forum was not designed to transform them into “politicians”.

“The intention is not to make young politicians; I would say the intention is to make young leaders and good communities,” he posited.

In addition to debating a wide range of issues, Dr. Scotland posited that during the mock Parliament, they would be educated about Parliamentary Procedures

Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland, addressing the Youth Parliament on Monday during its opening ceremony

One of the students responding to a question posed during Monday’s sitting (Photos by Delano Williams)

while having a hands-on approach about the work of the National Assembly.

“It would also help you

to understand how laws are made in Guyana. During your discussions on a particular topic, you will discover that

you are going to have different viewpoints, and some will urge their viewpoints very seriously; very persuasively,

and that is what happens in Parliament.

“You will learn how to urge your point without being rude or disrespectful...

You will learn to urge your point, not losing sight of the fact that the other person has an equally urgent point they wish to make,” he explained.

Chief Administrative Officer of the Parliament’s Office, Ms. Monette Garnett-Christopher, in brief remarks, recalled that the first Youth Parliament was held in 2015 under the stewardship of then Speaker, Mr. Raphael Trotman.

“In the year 2015, the Parliament of Guyana under the Speakership of the Honourable Raphael Trotman, commenced Youth Parliament with the objective to ensure young people are involved in Parliamentary Democracy, and understand the principles that underpin democracy while molding future leaders,” she explained.

This year, she posited, is no exception, but pointed out that this is the first time it is standing on its own away from Commonwealth observation.

WIDE-RANGING The topics that will be debated on Thursday will be wide-ranging but of national interest, she added.

“Over a six-day period, you, our future leaders will be engaged in several activities. Most importantly, you will be debating on topical matters such as the Guyana-Venezuela Border Con-

troversy, Suicide Prevention, Capping of CSEC subjects and the Oil and Gas Sector,” the Chief Administrative Officer further explained.

She said it is the hope of the Parliament Office that at the end of the six-day programme, the young leaders will have a better appreciation for the Parliamentary system, and will be propelled in the direction of greater leadership.

The 35 students between the ages of 14 and 17, will assume the roles of Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Prime Minister, Ministers of Government, Leader of the Opposition, Members of the Government and Opposition, Clerk, Deputy Clerk and Sergeant-at-Arms.

In addition to learning about the work of Parliament, the programme seeks to boost the students’ morale, develop debating skills and hone leadership skills.

An opportunity will also be presented for students to engage with the Speaker, Members of Parliament (MPs), and senior staff of the Parliament Office, who will also serve as mentors and assist them in finalising speeches,and develop elocution/debating skills.

A prize-giving dinner will also be held for the students upon completion of this exercise.

The activity is one which is highly anticipated among youths, who have a keen interest in pursuing politics and even those who do it merely for the experience.

Legal advice being sought against ‘rogue’ prison officer POLICE are seeking legal advice in the case involving a chief prison officer accused of facilitating the smuggling of contraband into the Timehri Prison, Commander of ‘A’ Division, Marlon Chapman, has confirmed.

Reports indicate the officer was arrested after a search was conducted at the Timehri Prison Thursday during which a quantity of drugs and mobile phones were recovered.

It is alleged that the prison officer has been facilitating the smuggling of contraband into the prison, which is against the prison laws chapter 11:01.

The prison officer was reportedly rewarded financially for each pass that occurred within the prison confines.

On Thursday, the Guyana Prison Service (GPS)

launched an investigation into the discovery of a quantity of drugs, cell phones and other items found at the Timehri and New Amsterdam Prisons.

At the Timehri Prison, Samuels said a prison officer is at the center of the investigation, as a prisoner had indicated that a “prison staff took pay for the items to pass during a visit”.

“The discovery has caused the owner much pain and he is talking about killing prison officers. The police were called in to investigate,” the director noted.

Between 09:40-12:30hrs, ranks of the Joint Services conducted a thorough search of the cells at the said Timehri Prison and a number of prohibited items were found.

These are eight lighters, seven smoking utensils, 16 improvised weapons, eight packs of cigarettes,

two dining forks, two pairs of scissors, five cell phone chargers, one bottle pepper sauce, three cellular phones, one tattoo machine, a quantity of tobacco and 305 grams of cannabis.

A similar search was also conducted on Thursday at the New Amsterdam Prison under the direction of Deputy Commander ‘B’ Division, Senior Superintendent E Cooper, who was accompanied by 20 police ranks and seven prison officers.

Two dorms, two landings and cells were searched and eight cellular phones, three cellular phone batteries, one cellular phone display, three earphones, five cellular phone chargers, 16 cigarette lighters, two tattoo machines, five improvised weapons, 20 packs cigarettes and three grams of cannabis were found.

Some of the items found by prison authorities

TV, radio giveaways

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

– Jagdeo awarded 13 channels to E-Networks – PPP’s Freedom Radio has widest reach in Guyana

By Ravin Singh BHARRAT Jagdeo as President of Guyana back in 2011 awarded 13 channels to E-Networks Incorporated – the most of any single broadcasting entity currently operating in Guyana.

This revelation was made

by Minister of State Joseph Harmon in the National Assembly on Friday during the debate on the 2011 Broadcast (Amendment) Bill. During his presentation, Minister Harmon examined the distribution of broadcast licences

by Jagdeo just prior to him demitting office in 2011.

According to the list provided by the minister, in Regions Three and Four, E-Networks secured 10 channels: 36, 37, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48 and 49. In Regions Five and Six, the company was awarded channels 43, 44, 45, 48 and 49 – bringing the total to 13. E-Networks is owned

by Vishok Persaud, who is the brother of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Parliamentarian Vindhya Persaud and son of late PPP stalwart and minister, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud.

Coming in second was the National Communications Network (NCN) with eight channels spanning seven regions across the country.

In relation to radio licences, while NCN was granted the most frequencies of any single entity, Freedom Radio Inc – which is owned by the PPP-- was granted the widest broadcast reach in the country. The broadcast area where the party’s station has been able to penetrate includes:

Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and 10.

The only other radio station to compete with Freedom Radio was IRadio Inc., which was owned by then PPP Minister Robert Persaud.

IRadio reached seven of the 10 administrative regions in Guyana. Persaud sold the entity to ANSA McAL after the PPP lost the General Elections in 2015.

In 2011, Jagdeo had granted 11 licences under the colonial Post and Telegraph Act just before the November 2011 General and Regional elections. It was a move that saw widespread criticism from the public and the then political opposition.

The amended Broadcast Act now requires all operators to reapply for licences within 30 days of the President assenting to the bill which was passed on Friday evening.

During the debate, from which Jagdeo was absent, Minister Harmon said that clarity needs to be provided for the Guyanese to know exactly what happened with the country’s scarce national resource. He was speaking about the frequencies which were handed out by the PPP government.

“This bill is going to correct what Jagdeo did. The people of this country require us to act and we will act,” Minister Harmon said.

He added too that what the amendment seeks to do, is break the shackles placed on freedom of expression, and give the Guyanese people a chance to benefit from a variety of content and not just those produced by affiliates of the Opposition Leader.

However, PPP MP Anil Nandlall would have none of it. Nandlall defended Jagdeo in his absence, arguing that although these licences were given out, they were done legally as the persons had applied.

He advanced the argument that no individual or entity has approached the court to challenge those grants, which means that they were done within the confines of the law. “All of the persons granted are Guyanese and would have applied and were deemed successful. There has been no argument which shows that they were not fit to be granted licences. How can you fault the agency for not applying?” he questioned.

However, the University of Guyana and Stabroek News – one of the country’s leading publications – had applied and neither was granted broadcast licences for reasons still unknown.

Nandlall also defended E-Networks, arguing that the company has contributed over $150M in licences fees over the last five years. But this ushered in much heckling from the Government’s side of the house, with one MP declaring: “That’s their responsibility, every broadcaster has to pay to use state resources.” Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo also weighed in on the issue, arguing that the debate on the amendments saw a political and vested interest taking

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control of the opposition. He said that the opposition MPs were not interested in the content of that bill, but rather, were focused on whether they would be deprived of proprietary rights.

Further, he stated that the granting of Freedom Radio to the PPP was arbitrarily done, since the 2011 law was not assented to. “That was arbitrarily done; illegally done. 11 licences were given for 22 frequencies to political friends and cronies,” the PM reminded the House.

In 2001, as a result of the dialogue between Jagdeo and then Opposition Leader, the late Desmond Hoyte, it was agreed that no new licences for either radio or television would be issued until an impartial and autonomous Broadcast Authority was established.

Subsequently, in 2003, a communique between then Opposition Leader Robert

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on Friday revealed discrepancies in the award of radio and television frequencies by the PPP administration (Adrian Narine photo)

Capital spending improves

By Rabindra Rooplall GOVERNMENT’S capital spending in the initial months of 2017 was slow but improved towards the end of the first half of the year as Cabinet revise the outlook for the second half.

This is according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, during a post- Cabinet press briefing on Friday.

He said a report of spending was presented to Cabinet

Wednesday under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) for the first half of 2017.

Underscoring that the PSIP with an allocation of $56.75B for 2017 is the main mechanism for government’s spending, Harmon said Cabinet has discussed ways and means of assisting the budget agencies to improve their performance in relation to capital spending.

Cabinet was informed of

Corbin and Jagdeo ratified this arrangement that no licences would be issued until the Broadcast Authority was established.

Between 2001 and 2011, this provision was used by the then PPP government to deny anyone a TV or radio licence. Even existing stations were denied expansion, since it would have meant granting them additions to their licences.

However, in 2011, Jagdeo breached this long-standing agreement by awarding licences to several known affiliates and supporters of the then PPP government.

Among the other persons granted licences by him were the Little Rock Television Station (Berbice), Hits and Jams, Maxwell Thom, Alfro Alphonso, Haslyn Graham, Anand Persaud and Dr Bobby Ramroop – a known friend of Jagdeo and 2015 PPP candidate.

the issues that hindered the implementation of projects under the PSIP and discussed ways and means of assisting the budget agencies to improve their performance in relation to capital spending.

The Minister of State said the procurement entities have been very careful in checking all contracts and that amounted to slowing up of the processes.

He explained that ways were looked at to expedite the procurement process, includ-

ing the recommendation to appoint project management officers in various ministries to effectively speed up all procedures.

Adding that the Finance Ministry will try to facilitate other ministries with the appointment of project managers, Harmon said this will accelerate all the paperwork hurdles that may be hampering the implementation of various contracts.

“Better streamlining of the

– for first half of 2017, says Harmon

procurement process from the time that a contract is awarded to the time of mobilisation is given to the contractor to start work will be done. What we are trying to do is narrow that gap so that things can happen at a faster pace,” Harmon said.

He said Cabinet also indicated its intention to continue to closely monitor the implementation of the PSIP as permanent secretaries expressed appreciation for Cabinets intervention.

“An assurance was given to Cabinet that the bulk of PSIP projects for the year 2017 will be implemented,” he said.

Additionally, Harmon said Guyana saw a growth rate of 2.2 per cent for the first half of this year compared to a 2.0 per cent for the same period in 2016. He said that the private sector’s credit has increased while the exchange rate (US dollars) remained constant.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

Pilot hurt in Eteringbang plane crash THE Guyana Civil Aviation Authority is investigating a plane crash which occurred at Eteringbang in Region Seven (Potaro/Siparuni) Tuesday morning.

The GCAA said in a statement that it has launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to the crash of a single-engine CESSNA aircraft, bearing registration number 8R-GPR, shortly after take-off at the Eteringbang airstrip.

The accident occurred at approximately 11:00hrs

on Tuesday and the pilot, Captain Dominic Waddell, sustained minor injuries following the incident. The aviation body said that preliminary reports indicate that the plane was on a shuttling mission from Eteringbang to Ekereku when the incident occurred. Other reports are that the plane came down shortly after take-off at the Guyana/ Venezuela border location.

Police Divisional Commander, Rabindradath Budhram, told the Guyana Chronicle that a police team was

dispatched to the location soon after it received reports of the accident.

This is the second aircraft incident at Eteringbang in recent weeks. Two Tuesdays ago, Roraima Airways Chief Pilot , Collin Martin, perished when the airline’s Britten Norman Islander bearing registration 8R-GRA crashed while approaching for landing late that afternoon. No one else was on board.

The aircraft crashed in an area of thick vegetation while preparing to land.

The CESSNA aircraft which crashed on Tuesday at Eteringbang

The pilot of another aircraft owned by Roraima , was flying in the area at the time of the incident and saw what

happened.

The GCAA subsequently commenced an investigation into that accident. The

body noted that a team was headed to the location on Tuesday to investigate the latest accident there.

Expansion works on north-eastern end of CJIA runway almost complete EXPANSION works to the main runway of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) are moving apace.

The CJIA posted an aerial view of the works on social media several days ago and reports from the ground noted that works to the north-eastern end of the runway are almost complete ahead of schedule. The entire 710 metres of that ex-

tended section of the runway have been capped.

Such works include the capping of a turn pad which will allow jumbo jets to turn around after landing.

Works to the south-western end are ongoing, with compaction progressing to meet the December 2017 deadline.

That end of the runway is being extended by 810 metres.

In May this year, following a media tour, the Minis-

try of Public Infrastructure (MPI), the contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) and the project consultants MM/CEMCO were optimistic that expansion works will be finished before the December deadline. At the time, the entire volume of works was 62% complete.

During a presentation, Permanent Secretary of the MPI, Geoffrey Vaughn,

said the extension of the north-eastern end of the runway and the south-western end are 80 per cent and 60 per cent complete, respectively. At the moment, key facilities at the airport have been relocated. In June this year, the airport management closed the viewing gallery at the CJIA. That area is expected to be enveloped into the entire section of the terminal which will be trans-

An aerial view of the extended north-eastern end of the runway at the CJIA (Photo credit: CJIA)

formed into the departure terminal.

By May this year, some US$79M was expended on the project. This translated to 57.2 per cent of the total US$138M contract sum.

The project is expected to expand operations at the CJIA. It will cater for, among other things, the accommodation of Boeing747 aircraft. Already, several international carriers have expressed an interest in operating into the CJIA. Last weekend, Aruba Airlines conducted its inaugural flight into the CJIA. The company possesses two Airbus A320 twin-engine, 150-seat jet airliners in its fleet. The company plans to undertake a scheduled service between the CJIA and Aruba in the weeks ahead. The airline would be operating here with three flights weekly.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

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Too many elderly security guards …Min Scott says they are easy targets for criminals

By Zena Henry MINISTER within the Ministry of Social Protection with responsibility for labour, Keith Scott, has raised concerns over the number of elderly persons being employed as security guards across the country, saying that they are easy targets for criminals and something must be done to address this issue.

He said that reports pertaining to incidents and murders involving security guards are causing some amount of concern for the Ministry of Labour, recognising that this dangerous field is dominated by elder persons – most of whom are women. Scott told the Guyana Chronicle that the ministry has recognised in a recent investigation that

Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott

most of the security guards involved in accident and even killed on the job, are elderly persons, some past the age of retirement.

The minister is concerned

that work-related investigations involving these types of incidents and senior citizens may continue if some consideration is not given to the matter. The minister told the newspaper that the ministry recognises and respects the right of every person to work, but is concerned that this field is dominated by elderly persons, who in some cases may not be physically able to perform such a vital service and are being looked at as easy targets for criminal elements.

The minister’s comments come in the wake of a recent murder involving a security guard while on duty. Gerald Henry, 64 of Sophia was shot dead when a young man took away his firearm during what was said to be a botched robbery. The assailant, it was said, did not engage persons

in the supermarket, where the security guard was working but wrestled the gun away, shot Henry and made good his escape with the weapon.

The Labour Department’s investigative arm recommended compensation of the man’s death while on duty. “There is no way government can interfere with people’s right to work, but on a personal note I am unhappy about the situation (involving elderly persons).” Scott told the newspaper that there have been sporadic cases of guards being injured or killed over the years, but the fact remains that these persons are being seen as easy targets by criminals.

He said it has been observed that some of these older persons seem physically unable to carry out the task

assigned to them in what is usually a 12-hour work period. Acknowledging this, Minister Scott said he is willing to hear proposals to help improve the environment within this field. For example, Scott said, he would like to think that security agencies would have policies and standards relating to the physical capabilities of its employees and regular assessment of their fitness, along with the necessary training.

The minister indicated that this consideration would only mean well to ensure the smooth functioning of the security agency and the safety of its employees so they are not made easy targets for criminals. “I would expect that these agencies would have mandatory assessments, physical assessments… maybe every six months or something like that.”

FEMALE GUARDS On another note, Scott was equally concerned about female security guards working night shifts in especially secluded locations. Again, the minister said, he respects the right of every person to be employed in whatever field they desire, but noted the safety factor that must be considered when looking into such matters. “I personally would prefer to see women work the day shift,” the minister said. He pointed out that some of these women are mothers and have families to take care of so their presence would especially be needed in the home at nights. Minister Scott said he is very open to suggestions and would react kindly to any concerns or considerations the public would have about the matters mentioned.

Patterson peeved over blackouts …on fact-finding mission to fix power outages EXPRESSING disappointment over the constant power outages to have hit the country in recent times, Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson on Tuesday announced that he will be conducting a fact-finding mission to ascertain the causes and possible solutions.

On Monday, at approximately 18:45hrs, a cable at the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Vreed-en-Hoop Power Station caught fire, triggering a shutdown of the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System. This resulted in Georgetown and villages along the East Coast, East Bank and West Bank of Demerara being plunged into darkness, along with other areas. In a statement on Tuesday, GPL said restoration efforts commenced at 18:55hrs and power was restored to affected areas by 20:00hrs on Monday, with the exception of a section of the West Bank of Demerara, from Versailles to Vriesland.

Electricity in those areas was expected to be restored by 19:00hrs on Tuesday.

Monday’s electricity woes came days after the same Demerara Berbice In-

terconnected System (DBIS) had suffered an interruption in service due to a fault on the breaker of the F6 Feeder on August 4. Responding to a series of questions based on the power outages, Minister Patterson told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that he will be visiting the power stations to ascertain first-hand what interventions can be made to restore the situation to normalcy.

This, he noted, will be done during the parliamentary recess with the aim of finding solutions. Based on reports coming out of GPL, the issue remains with the transmission and distribution lines, he posited. “Over the years our transmission and distribution line has deteriorated.

I keep saying this and I don’t want persons to think that we know the problem and should be addressing it. It’s still functional and can transmit electricity very efficiently, but we should be able to isolate the disturbances,” the Public Infrastructure Minister explained.

In other instances, it is difficult to identify the troubled area bringing the entire system offline. “Often the team may think they found

the problem and put on back the system, only to have to take it off back when they realise they haven’t and this has led to the deterioration of the protection system,” Minister Patterson told the DPI. It was posited too that the issue is not solely linked to the transmission and distribution lines, but is compounded by non-technical matters, including receiving clearance from the Guyana Revenue Authority and the wharves. The minister explained that new equipment was procured, but is stalled at the wharf awaiting clearance.

“I met with the staff of Guyana Power Light Incorporated (GPL); they’ve explained the issues they have, such as manpower and those equipment that have been ordered and not coming in [as] quickly as they should. I’m meeting with the board and [will] ensure that they are equipped as fully as possible to address these issues,” Minister Patterson explained.

The minister further explained that GPL is currently financially stable, therefore, monies should be invested towards enhanced gener-

ation, so that issues such as tree-trimming and burnt generators will not affect distribution.

In February, 2017, GPL Chief Executive Officer (ag), Renford Homer had disclosed that as a result of a spate of unscheduled blackouts, the power company had planned to spend US$31M for the construction of four new substations.

He had made the disclosure during a site visit at the junction of Lamaha Avenue and Vlissingen Road, where the feeder supplying electricity to Queenstown and environs “kissed,” causing a massive malfunction in the system. Maintenance was done and a high-voltage line was dropped to prevent any recurrence.

Homer had noted that a second transmission line will be built linking the Kingston substation to the Sophia substation for redundant purposes and additional loads that may occur within the system.

Homer said the new substations will be located at Wales, West Bank Demerara, Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, Williamsburg, Corentyne and Hydronie, East Bank

Essequibo. He explained that the six substations already within the system will be expanded to produce better voltage stability and reduce technical losses, because power would be travelling across shorter distances. $17B REVENUES Amid the blackouts, GPL has earned revenue totalling $17.0 billion in the first half of 2017, up from $14.7 billion for the same period in 2016, as a result of more timely payments. This is according to the mid-year report that was produced by the Ministry of Finance. The report also states that similarly, expenditure increased from $9.3 billion in the first half of 2016 to $12.6 billion in the same period of 2017.

The expenditure increase is driven by the higher cost of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) for which the weighted average cost rose to US$48.70 (for the half year) from US$30.50 as at June 30, 2016. Additionally, GPL has repaid the Government $500 million on the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana (GCRG/GPL) on-lending loans for the first half of the year. The company’s outlook for 2017 has improved, with the budgeted deficit of $5.0 billion now expected to

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson

improve to a lower deficit of $771 million.

Despite this improved cash performance of GPL, the report also revealed the company’s technical performance remains plagued with inefficiencies. It shows that the production of electricity increased marginally to 394,832 MWh in the first half of 2017, from 387,864 MWh for the first half of 2016.

Total losses were 29.6 percent ,a slight increase from the half year for 2016, when total losses were 29.3 percent, the report noted.

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Emphasis on Real Estate, Taxes and Business

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Guyana August 11, 4, 2017 GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York York Edition Edition Week-ending week ending August 2017

The Edgar Henry Column

hile growing up as a children, there are many phrases and comments our parents would instill, which would certainly leave indelible memories and impressions on our minds. My father’s favorite line was:“Easy come, easy go, That’s why they call me lucky Joe.”

The reason for my above opening statement would reveal itself in the contents of this week’s article. Today, many business owners feel that once finances are in place and profits are in abundance, other parts of the business operation should take a back seat. Recently someone asked me why they needed a business plan if they were getting all the funding they needed from friends and relatives. It sounded to me as if he was thinking of a business plan as just a fundraising tool. In fact, a business plan is much more than that: It’s a tool for understanding how your business is put together. You can use it to monitor progress, hold yourself accountable and control the business’s fate.

And of course, it’s a sales and recruiting tool for courting key employees or future investors. Not because you are a “lucky Joe” or you have a fairy godmother or perhaps you have greatness and wealth thrust upon you, should you leave certain crucial business procedures unattended.

STRUCTURE On the contrary, writing out your business plan forces you to review everything at once, such as your value proposition, marketing assumptions, operations plan, financial plan and staffing plan. You’ll end up spotting connections you otherwise would have missed. For example: if your marketing plan projects 10,000 customers

Why You Need a Business Plan?

by year two and your staffing plan provides for two salespeople, that forces you to ask:

How can two salespeople generate 10,000 customers? The answer might lead you to conclude that forming partnerships, to achieve your goal may be the answer.

OPERATIONAL PLAN As part of your operational plan, you’ll lay out major marketing and operational milestones. When you’re the owner, the only person holding you accountable to those results on a daily basis is you. There-

fore your plan becomes a baseline for monitoring your own progress. If your prototype was to be complete by October 1, and it gets done early by September 1, you can ask yourself why? Was there an unexpected breakthrough? Did someone put in a heroic effort? Or did you just overestimate? What you learn will help you to make adjustments to your plan in the future.

But even more than a tool for after-the-fact learning, a plan is how you drive the future. When you write, “We expect 100 customers by the end of year one,” it’s not a passive prediction, you don’t just wait for the customers to show up.

A close friend of mine told me recently that if business is booming, there was no need to advertise. How silly! It becomes your sales force’s goal.

The plan lays out targets in all major areas: sales, expense items, hiring positions and financing goals. Once laid out, the targets become performance goals. However, a wellwritten plan is great for attracting talent. When a prospect asks questions to understand your business, you can hand them a plan that gives them an entire overview. Their reactions tell you something about how quickly and thoroughly they can think through your business’s key issues. Plus, the written record of your goals coupled with a track record of delivering against those goals sends a strong message. Before deciding to skip your business-planning phase, consider all

the implications and what they mean for your future success.

CRAFTING A SIMPLE BUSINESS PLAN Find out why a fully detailed, elaborate business plan may not be your best choice. That might be because business plans are more common than they used to be. It might also be a matter of trends among bankers and investors who read business plans. Or it could be because people have less time to waste wading through documents.

For whatever reason, the trend in business plans these days is to go back to the fundamentals, with good projections and solid analysis. An "easy to read quickly" format is more important than ever. If you want people to read the business plan you develop — and most people do — then my best advice to you is to keep it simple. Don't confuse your business plan with a doctoral thesis. Keep the wording and formatting straightforward.

But don't confuse simple wording and formats with simple thinking. The reason you're keeping it simple isn't because you haven't developed your idea fully. You're keeping it simple so you can get your point across quickly and easily to whoever's reading it.

With that in mind, get down to some specifics when it comes to simplifying your plan.

Save the deep prose for the great novel you'll write later.

TIPS When you're crafting your plan, remember these tips: u Use simple, straightforward language, like "use" instead of "utilize" and "then" instead of "at that point in time."

Bullet points are good for lists. They help readers digest information more easily. Unexplained bullet points can be frustrating. u Keep it short. The average length of most business plans is shorter now than it used to be. You can probably cover everything you need to convey in 20 to 30 pages of text plus another 10 pages of appendices for monthly projections, management resumes and other details. If you have prepared a business plan that's more than 40 pages long, you're probably never studied precise and analysis in primary school.

You may not be a “Lucky Joe” as all businesses were not created equal, so craft your business plan and use it to the best of your ability.

“It is always better to have information and not need it than to need it and not have it.”

To have all your real estate questions answered — FREE CONSULTATION — call: Edgar Henry @ (718) 930-9526

Guyana York Edition week ending August 11, 2017 GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York Edition Week-ending August 11, 2017

A PLAN BY GUYANESE IN THE DIASPORA TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE HOMELAND

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by Colin A. Moore

igration to develop countries is a phenomenon with which most Guyanese are familiar. Migration consists of two factors — the Push factors and the Pull factors. The Push factors are those which compel individuals to migrate from their countries of origin. The Pull factors are those which attract an individual to an advanced society. The traditional Push factors that propeled the brain drain in the 1950s were:

• The lack of a natural resource base in Guyana.

• Even though Guyana contains mineral resources, such as, bauxite, gold and diamonds, the lack of a transportation infrastructure prevents the maximum exploitation of these resources.

• Guyana does possess two principal export commodities, rice and sugar, but in the 1960s the output of these commodities declined dramatically. Between 1985 and 1990 the rate of growth of the economy declined to almost zero.

• As a result of the economic decline, the unemployment rate averaged almost 50% during this recession, and there was a massive brain drain in which skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers migrated to Canada, United Kingdom and United States.

THE PULL FACTORS: • The availability of employment in the factories, offices, private households, hospitals and nursing homes in the United States.

• The availability of college education at universities in the United States.

• The enactment of the Hart-Cellar Immigration Act of 1965 in which the quota from nations in the Caribbean rose from 1,000 persons per country to 10,000 persons per country, and in which the quota for the Western Hemisphere increased to 120,000.

• The migration from Guyana to the United States rose from 1,434 in 1960-1965 to 5,760 in 1966-1970 to 14,320 in 1971-1975 to 33,211 in 19761980 and to 140,000 in 2005. Guyana now has the fifth largest immigrant population in New York City.

Migration is not a linear equation, but a circular flow. The remittance flow is a form of compensation to the present generation of Guyanese for the massive economic loss imposed on the nation in the 1960s for the recession caused by the brain drain. The Guyanese national in New York residing in the Diaspora today is like a spouse who is paying alimony and child support for having abandoned the marital residence in the 1960s. In 2012, remittances of Guyanese in the United States to their relatives in the homeland totaled $400 million, consti-

tuting 17% of the GDP of Guyana.

Most of the remittances to Guyana have been transmitted by money transfer companies, which represent 77.7% of the remittance market, while commercial banks represent 11.3% of the market, and CAMBIOs 11.1%. Orozco and Hamilton observed that the cost of sending remittances to Latin American and the Caribbean is the highest in the Western Hemisphere. The average price paid to send $100 US dollars via money transfer companies is $10 compared to US$25 if the same remittance was sent through a commercial bank.

IMPORTANCE OF REMITTANCES In the year 2012, the remittances to Guyana constituted 17% of the GDP, 205% of the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and 36.3% of the exports.

DEVELOPMENTAL IMPACT OF REMITTANCEs The traditional hypothesis is that remittances are used primarily for consumer spending, but not for economic development. However, economists such as, Orozco, Hamilton and Roberts have clearly stated that while at the micro level it has been used to reduce the poverty rate and to boost household income, it can also be used at the macro level to boost output and economic development. Whether the funds are used to finance consumption or investment is unimportant. Financing consumption tends to have a multiplier effect that creates jobs, boost output and enhances economic growth. The statistics show that the remittances sent to Guyana are used for the following purposes: - Food 27% - Clothing 20% - Real Estate 16% - Education 15% - Savings 14% - Business 8% The 16% expenditure on real estate development is significant, since migrants can now send money directly to financial institutions to purchase real estate in Guyana. The 15% expenditure on education is also important, since education constitutes human capital development — the acquisition of skills enabling individuals to obtain employment. The 8% investment in business reflects the failure of the Guyana Stock Exchange and Go Invest to market busi-

FLASHBACK: President David Granger in New York. ness opportunities to the public at large, and to stimulate a thirst to invest in business ventures. The 14% investment in savings is important, since it results in financial deepening —the increase use of commercial banks to transact business enabling the individual to obtain credit and invest in new business

opportunities.

REMITTANCES AND POVERTY REDUCTION Remittances tend to alleviate poverty in the recipient countries.

Adam and Page in their study of 70 low income countries show a positive cor(continued on page 20)

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Guyana ChronicleNew NewYork YorkEdition EditionWeek-ending week ending August August 11, 11, 2017 2017 Guyana Chronicle

THE GRAND ACHIEVER — Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (from page 5)

dian Empire was partitioned into two dominions, a Hindu-majority (India) and a Muslim-majority (Pakistan).

This led to displacement and religious violence, especially in the Punjab and Bengal. Gandhi did not attend Independence celebrations in the capital, Delhi. He went to the areas affected by disturbances. In the following months, he observed several “fasts unto death” to abate violence. The last of these was undertaken in 1948 when he was 78, is credited with making India pay cash owed to Pakistan.

Unfortunately, the best and most wellintentioned persons have enemies. There were many nationalists who considered Gandhi too accommodating. One of these was Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist, who assassinated the Mahatma on January 30, 1948.

October 2, the date of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, is commemorated in India as Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday, and worldwide as the International Day of Nonviolence.

LITERARY

One rarely thinks of the Mahatma as a literary figure. However, he was a prolific writer. Here are a few of his writings:

An Autobiography by The Story of My Experiments with Truth; Bhagavad Gita According to Gandhi; Non-Violent Resistance Indian Home Rule; All Men are brothers and Autobiographical Reflections; The Way to God; Freedom’s Battle; India of My Dreams; Prayer; What is Hinduism?; Mahatma Gandhi and Tolstoy Letters; My Religion.

MAHATMA GANDHI’S INFLUENCE A man’s reputation rests on the persons who influenced him and those he influenced. Mahatma was greatly influenced

by Gautama Buddha, Jyotirao Phule, Leo Tolstoy and Henry David Thoreau, among others. He, in turn, influenced

1. President Barack Obama. In a 2010 speech to Indian MPs, Obama said, “I am mindful that I might not be standing before you today, as President of the United States, had it not been for Gandhi and the

message he shared with America and the world. "Throughout my life, including my work as a young man on behalf of the urban poor, I have always found inspiration in the life of Gandhi and in his simple and profound lesson to be the change we seek in the world,” 2. Martin Luther King. The Mahatma was King’s hero. He famously said of the great man, “Christ gave us the goals, and Mahatma Gandhi tactics.”

3. Ho Chi Minh, the great Vietnamese revolutionary, was greatly influenced by Gandhi. He once said, “I and others may be revolutionaries, but we are disciples of Mahatma Gandhi, directly or indirectly, nothing more nothing less,”

4. Bernard Shaw, whose witticisms are equalled by only Oscar Wilde, said of Gandhi, “Impressions of Gandhi? You might well ask for someone's impression of the Himalayas,”

based on the belief that there is no private ownership of capital; it is given in trust for redistribution and equalization. Similarly, while recognizing differential aptitudes and talents, he holds that these are gifts from God to be used for the collective good.”

Albert Einstein, the great physicist, said of Gandhi, on the 70th anniversary of his birth, “From his understanding of wealth and poverty came his understanding of labour and capital, which led him to the solution of trusteeship based on the belief that there is no private ownership of capital; it is given in trust for redistribution and equalization. Similarly, while recognizing differential aptitudes and talents, he holds that these are gifts from God to be used for the collective good.”

5. Nelson Mandela, who was greatly influenced by Mahatma, said, “From his understanding of wealth and poverty came his understanding of labor and capital, which led him to the solution of trusteeship

Mahatma Gandhi transcends religious dogma, philosophical tenets, all isms. He is everyman and the world is greater because he walked among us, not as a saint, but as a man. Sir Winston Churchill, whom I admire, might consider the great man, a “seditious, half-naked Fakir; but the rest of us consider him fully clothed in human goodness.

provides $3 for every $1 invested by the Hometown Associations.

(5) The government should work closely to match Hometown Associations with international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, UNDP, IMF and the IDB. (6) The banks should be persuaded to open foreign currency denominated accounts, which would give the recipient the option of whether to convert the funds into local currency at the institution or to maintain it in the US currency.

(7) GAPF proposes that the government of Guyana establish a new administrative region to be designated as Region XI, comprising the Guyanese citizens residing in New York City. The New York City Department of City Planning estimated in December 2013 that this population was 40,000, the fifth largest immigrant population in New York City. The IMF has estimated that remittances to Guyana in 2012 was $400 million, representing 17% of the GDF. In light of their population size, and their financial contribution to Guyana, the Guyan-ese residents in the Diaspora deserve to be designated as a separate and distinct administrative region. Article 59 of the constitution of Guyana states that every Guyanese citizen over the age of 18 years is eligible to vote in elections in Guyana. The right of expatriates to vote in elections in their country of origin varies according to the legislation to their country of origin. As of 2006, 93 countries allowed their expatriates to vote in elec-

tions — 36 European countries, 21 African coun-tries, 15 Asian countries, 13 countries in the Americas and six Pacific countries.

I would propose that the National Assembly pass the necessary legislation authorizing GECOM to register the Guyanese citizens in New York City and to prepare the election proceedings for the national elections in 2020. In light of the debacle of 1968, I would recommend that GECOM implement a system of absentee voting rather than in person voting, and that the electors in New York City be permitted to mail their ballots to the GECOM office for processing. The Carter center and other regional and international monitors should certify the impartiality of the election process.

(8) Democratic elections are the fairest and most equitable system to ensure that the Guyanese nationals in the Diaspora participate in formulating policies in their homeland. They have demonstrated their commitments to their homeland by maintaining cultural links with Guyana, and by sending remittances, which have constituted a significant portion of the Gross Domestic Product. It is only appropriate that the Government of Guyana reward this commitment to the homeland by giving them an opportunity to exercise their franchise and to participate in the political process by 2020.

Working Paper, Guyana Diaspora Engagement Conference, July, 2017, Georgetown, Guyana.

A PLAN BY GUYANESE IN THE DIASPORA TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE HOMELAND (from page 19)

relation between remittances and poverty reduction. Their findings conclude that a 10% increase in the share of remittances to the GDF leads to a 1.2% in the reduction of the people living below the poverty line. In 1988 when there was a massive brain drain in Guyana and a low inflow of remittances, the poverty rate stood at 65%.

When remittances kicked in by 1992, the poverty rate had been reduced to 43%. By 2002 it had been reduced to 35%. It is expected that by 2018 the poverty rate will fall to 20%.

CONCLUSION The data indicates that remittances have had an impact on the development of the Guyanese economy, both at the micro and macro levels. At the micro level, it has increased household disposable income and has significantly reduced poverty levels. At the macro level, it has increased gross national disposable income from $563.4 million at the end of 1995 to $790.8 million by the end of 2005. The expenditure on education investments translates into human capital formation. financial capital accumulation has increased output and employment.

PROPOSALS (1) Guyana needs to promote the transfer of remittances through commercial banks rather than money transfer companies. Statistics show that remittances held in deposits at commercial banks, have a multiplier effect of two to three times, however, transmittal

fee of 25% charged by the commercial banks is much too exorbitant. The government needs to persuade these banks either to reduce the transmission fee of 25% or else to hold the remittances in foreign currency deposits rather than to convert them into the domestic currency.

(2) The government should promote the creation of Micro Finance Institutions (MFI’s) as investment vehicles, particularly in the rural and hinterland communities. In many developing countries, such as, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, women have been particularly valuable in creating investment opportunities in the areas of textile manufacturing, agricultural marketing, catering, and retail business activities.

(3) The Guyana government should establish a Remittance Unit within the Bank of Guyana, as is done in many developing countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. This unit should be responsible for engaging the Diaspora in using Hometown Associations to engage in more extensive remittance activities, and to disseminate financial literacy information to both donors and recipients, especially in the area of intermediation — the increase use of banking institutions in the developmental process.

(4) The Guyanese authorities should adopt the “better practices” paradigm adopted in other developing countries, such as the use of matching funds for remittance-backed community projects, as is done in Mexico where the government

GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York Edition Week-ending August 11, 20177 Guyana York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

New York Chronicle Horoscope

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C CR RO OS SS SW WO OR RD D

ISSUE 61 CROSSWORD ANSWER

ARIES (Mar. 21 — April 20) Think about starting your own small business, You will have to check your cash flow before you decide to indulge in hobbies or entertainment that may be beyond your budget. Do not blow situations out of proportion. Get involved in groups that will help you meet established individuals. Your lucky day next week will be Wednesday.

TAURUS (Apr. 21 — May 21) Difficulties at an emotional level may be likely. Your involvement in groups will be favorable for meeting new and exciting individuals. Get back to basics and reevaluate what is important in life. Discuss your objectives with partners or peers. Your lucky day next week will be Monday.

GEMINI (May 22 — June 21) Overindulgence could cause problems for you with your loved ones. Take care when dealing with older relatives. Investments are best left alone this week. Love could develop at social events that are work relate. Your lucky day next week will be Saturday.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) You are exceptional at presenting your ideas. You may find that depression is causing you to feel lonely and insecure. Family outings or a quiet stroll through the park will lead to stimulating conversation and a closer bond. Expect to experience a sudden reversal of fortune. Your lucky day next week will be Thursday.

LEO (July 23 - Aug 22) You can expect to have a passionate time if you go out with someone you are romantically interested in. Romance will develop through work related activities. Make sure that you have all the pertinent facts before taking action.

Children may cause limitations. Your lucky day next week will be Tuesday.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 — Sept. 23) Physical activity will help defuse your frustration. Opportunities for travel and communication are evident. You will do best to entertain those you wish to close deals with. Discord could be unnerving. Your lucky daynext week will be Sunday.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 — Oct. 23) Problems with skin, bones, or teeth may mess up your schedule. Time to deal with institutional environments, government agencies, and matters of a private nature this week. Friends may not understand your situation.

You may be tom between two possibilities. This has left you in a confused and uncertain state. Your lucky day next week will be Tuesday.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 — Nov. 22) Residential moves look hectic and sudden changes in your life are likely.

Your self esteem will come back if you take part in organizational functions that allow you to be in the lime light. You could be cornered, so be prepared to tell the truth. You’ll have problems with authority figures if you don’t play by the rules. Your lucky day next week will be Saturday.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 — Dec. 21) Mingle with those who can help you get ahead. Your own small business on the side sounds pretty lucrative. Visitors are likely to drop by and chances are, they may even stay a little longer than you want them to. Don’t overreact if your partner has a poor attitude. Your lucky day next week will be Thursday.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.— Jan. 20) You’re eager to learn. Spend a quiet day with the one you love. Social evenings at your place will be highly successful. Do not lend money to friends, or contribute more than necessary to groups unworthy of your cash.Your lucky day next week will be Tuesday.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 — Feb. 19) You should be setting up interviews or sending out your resume this week.

If you’ve taken on a lot of work, be sure to leave some time for yourself and family. You should follow through on educational endeavors you have wanted to pursue for some time. Communication will be the source of your knowledge and you must be sure to spend time with those who have more experience. Your lucky day next week will be Tuesday.

PISCES (Feb. 20 — Mar. 20) Channel your energy into passionate interludes with your lover. Question your mate if you must. Take your time be fore making personal decisions.

Use your added discipline to get what you want. Your lucky day this week will be Monday.

6. Half (prefix) 7. Subtraction word 8. Loath 9. Used a match 10. Columbus Day mo.

11. Golf peg 19. Cavity filler’s deg.

39. Vinyl records, briefly 20. Attention 41. One Stooge 21. Dock 42. Swashbuckling actor 22. Painter’s stand Errol 23. Da Vinci’s country 43. ___ tantrum 25. Preen 45. More serpentine 26. Dugout 48.Use toweling 27. Fury 51.Cul-de-___ 30. Kilmer of films 52. German autos 34. ___ illusion 56. Tangle 37. Graphics within pictures 57. Singing syllable 38. “Moneyline” network 58. Electrified particles 59. Weekend days (abbr.) 40. Envision 44. Chris Noth, on “Sex and the 60. Entire City” (2 wds.)

61. Formal dress 46. Nick Charles’s dog DOWN 47. Marx or Malden 1. “Help Wanted” offer- 48. Yr. divisions ing 49. “ __ Sentimental Mood” (2 wds.)

2. “ __you kidding me?” 50. Farberware item 3. Petite 53. Cow’s sound 4. Up to now (2 wds.)

54. Compass dir.

5. High-strung 55. Nine-digit ID

ACROSS 1. Shark movie 5. Hockey gp.

8. “___ you know!” (2 wds.)

12. Cookie from Nabisco 13. Width of Shaq’s shoes 14. Bad habit 15. Stew meat 16. Chambers (abbr.)

17. Little (suffix) 18. Ann Landers, for one 21. Oddball 24. Animal rights gp.

28. Mexican ___ dance 29. Excursion or Escalade 31. Televised again 32. Smart ___ whip (2 wds.)

33. ___ Paulo (Brazilian city) 35. Verb ending 36. Keepsake

W O R D F I N D

S C H O O L

ARITHMETIC BLACKBOARD BOOKS BOYS CHALK CLOSET COMPUTERS CRAYONS DESKS DOODLE DRAWERS FIELD TRIP FRACTIONS GIRLS GLOBE HALL PASS

D A Y S

LEARN LIBRARY MAPS PAPER PENCILS PENMANSHIP POINTER PRANKS PROJECT QUIZZES RECESS REPORT CARD TEACHERS TESTS VIDEOS WINDOWS

ISSUE 61 WORDFIND ANSWER

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Guyana Chronicle New YorkEdition EditionWeek-ending week endingAugust August11, 11,2017 2017 Guyana Chronicle New York

Prison Dilemma In Guyana

(from page 9) of $25 billion (GC) for a three-year period would provide funding for the modernization of the criminal justice system and the public security sector of Guyana amongst others. The massive financial infusion to the public safety sector would provide inter alia; • Funding for the construction of a new maximum security facility—including integrated fire-suppression system, centralized locking and surveillance system, introduce skill development for inmates and electronic monitoring of low to medium level inmates.

• The recruitment of 5,000 additional law enforcement officials to fill estimated vacancies within the Police, Prisons and Fire Service.

Establish and staff an Emergency Medical Response arm of the Fire Service and provide safe conditions of work (including body armour).

• Establish an integrated court system across the country and a Parole Branch to monitor prisoners.

• Strengthen the national security infrastructure — including the expanded use of Technological Applications for Law Enforcement (TALE) and incentivize the use of

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) inflation in the third year. This would provide the ministry with apover cash-based transactions. proximately $25 billion for the • Establish national registries for sex-offenders and violent per- three-year period to fund the crime bill. Moreover, ministries and ofsons. fices that underutilize their budgets • Decriminalize possession of at the end of the accounting period small amounts of marijuana posseswill have their unused allocations sion. redirected to the Ministry of Public • Introduce and expand sen- Security. This will ensure that the tencing guidelines on gun posses- sector is adequately equipped, sion and related crimes, staffed and resourced to perform its • Establish a Racketeering In- fiduciary functions and responsibilfluenced and Corrupted Organiza- ities within the short proposed term of three years. tion (RICO) law.

• Expand the use of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) • Establish a Police Airwing.

For some officials, the perceived challenge would be funding such an ambitious Crime Bill. The current public safety budget is $17.

3 billion (GYD). Factoring in a 10% cost sharing budget from all ministries and offices of government for national security projects would result in an additional $8 billion available to the Ministry of Public Security; a total of $25 billion in the first year. Budget 10% for inflation in year two (2) and an additional 10% of year two cost for

LONG TERM OPTIONS The long-term options to address this current prison situation would require even greater investments in education, poverty reduction, adequate healthcare and social development, to name a few. These investments would take many years to obtain a positive return on the investment. Moreover, it would require longitudinal studies more than 10 years to monitor participants’ development and progress. Government can slowly implement programmes to address the root causes of crime and criminality. However, results are currently required to curtail the perception that the society

Invest in young people PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo charged J. C Chandisingh alumni to invest in young people and aid in the development of Guyana. The Prime Minister made this charge at the school’s 21 years of alumni on Saturday in Corentyne, Berbice.

The Prime Minister told past and current students of the school that they must not only remember who they were “but invest in who you could not have been. “We must invest in young people so they can become better than who we are or could not have been.”

Prime Minister Nagamootoo used the opportunity to reminisce on his humble beginnings and close relations with members from the J. C Chandisingh Secondary School alumni, especially his beloved wife Mr. Sita Nagamootoo. The Prime Minister credited the school as one of

excellence which produced successful students worldwide, including tennis champions and cricketers. “You have passed through the J. C Chandisingh, benefitting from an education that was inaccessible. J. C Chandisingh is one of the schools in Guyana who can credit itself for training great people. You’re all proud alumni of J. C Chandisingh.”

Prime Minister Nagamootoo concluded by presenting Rishi Persaud, president of the J.C Chandisingh Global alumni, copies of two books he authored, ‘Emancipation: the African resistance’ and ‘Indian Culture and Courage: 100th year of Abolition of Independence.’

Mrs. Nagamootoon noted that, “though things have changed we are all proud of the J. C Chandisingh it helped to make Guyana a better place.” She thanked the past teachers for their hard

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamotoo presenting President of the .C Chandisingh Global alumni, Rishi Persaud a copy of his book ‘Emancipation the African resistance’ at the J.C Chandisingh 21 years of alumni in Corentyne, Berbice (DPI photo)

work especially since in those days there were no social media or various technologies as there is now. Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ram-

jattan a past student also of the J.C Chandisingh Secondary School noted the importance of remembering where you came from. The Minister high-

lacks guardianship. Therefore, investing in a crime bill will produce results in the short term, create employment for citizens, serve as a deterrent to some criminal activity and encourage the youth to respect the law and be accountable for their behaviour.

As we reflect upon this crisis, it is evident that we are in this situation because several unresolved vulnerabilities were exploited to the detriment of the sector, causing lives to be lost, property destroyed, a nation scared and unnecessarily embarrassed. Nevertheless, the managers have an enormous opportunity and a fiduciary responsibility to examine the situation, review the options and implement a solution that mitigates the vulnerabilities while raising the standards to acceptable levels. The time of change is here and the moment to act is now, it can be done.

It is my patriotic duty to use the knowledge that I have acquired in this field to advise the leaders of my Dear Land of Guyana on solutions to alleviate the prison dilemma that has arisen in Guyana.

I hope they find my solutions feasible and acceptable.

– PM charges J. C. Chandisingh alumni

lighted that he was equipped with many cultures from the school.

“It is important to pay homage to such a school, I remember when I used to read plenty days but it was because of that kind of education and discipline we had that generation which I feel was extraordinary and will go places.”

The Minister alluded to the great heights Guyana will be going especially with its oil and gas sector. He implored the local and overseas students to continue to support the school since their assistance continues to be important.

Past student of class of 1977 Diane Shields used the opportunity to thank all her teachers and others who aided in incorporating strong values in the students of the J. C Chandisingh Secondary School including the Public Security Minister Ramjattan.

“You were the nurturers of our

thirsty, impressionable minds, the shapers of our destiny and the foundation on which our futures were carved.”

Shields welcomed all those students who travelled from near and far especially those from overseas, who she urged to remain Guyanese.

“You can take us out of this country, but you can never take this country out of us. We are Guyanese to the core and proud of it. I man barn ya!”

Prime Minister Nagamootoo was awarded as an honorary student while Minister Ramjattan was awarded from his alma mater.

Outstanding athletes were also awarded medals and the homecoming queen for 2017 was crowned by Mrs. Nagamootoo. J.C Chandisingh Secondary school was the former Corentyne High School but was renamed after its famous headmaster in 1980. (DPI)

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week ending August 11, 2017

23

President Granger opens Guyana leg of Queen’s Baton Relay

By Stephan Sookram

THE Queen’s Baton Relay commenced its Guyana leg yesterday morning with a parade through the streets of Georgetown.

It opened with President David Granger carrying the

Baton from State House on Main Street and handing over to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo followed by the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Patrick West; Minister of Education Nicolette Henry and

British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn.

After lunch on Tuesday, the party travelled to the Leonora Stadium where the Baton was be greeted by members of the community, Tassa drummers and a masquerade band.

Today, the Baton travels to Kaieteur Falls. It then goes on to Surama and Annai where the party will be greeted with sport and cultural presentations.

On Commonwealth Day, March 13 this year, the Gold Coast Queen’s

Baton Relay was launched at Buckingham Palace, signalling the start of the Commonwealth Games which will be held in April 2018 in Australia.

According to the Commonwealth Games Federation, Her Majesty Queen

Elizabeth II heralded the start of the Relay by “placing her message to the Commonwealth and athletes “into the distinctive loop-designed Queen’s Baton which set off on its journey around the world.

British High Commissioner Greg Quinn marches with the Baton on Main Street

HI FANS & SUPPORTERS

Handing over the baton! President David Granger after walking his leg of the Queen’s Baton relay hands over to Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo during the Main Street, Georgetown exercise. The Relay, which is a tradition that celebrates the diversity of the Commonwealth, carries a message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II that calls for Commonwealth athletes to come together in peaceful and friendly competition. The Relay started on Commonwealth Day on March 13, 2017 at the Buckingham Palace. It will travel a journey of 388 days across Commonwealth territories, covering a total of about 230,000 km, before arriving at the final destination in Gold Coast, Australia, the host country for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

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The Lions Club of Georgetown takes part in the Relay

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24 24

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition week endingAugust August11, 11,2017 2017 Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending

THE RAISE ACT WILL LOWER AMERICA! “Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I immigrants and revolutionists.”

The ALBERT especially, are descended from BALDEO — President Franklin D. Roosevelt Column

“Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity, until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country.”

—President Barack Obama he Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy Act (RAISE Act), introduced by Republican Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and David Perdue (R-GA) at a White House press conference with President Trump recently, is the latest assault on immigrants and our heritage. These misplaced priorities fly in the face that we have always been, and will continue to be, a nation of immigrants!

T

All across America, immigrant communities are self-sufficient, thriving and progressive, and contribute massively to the national economy while hardly seeking any benefits.

The Trump administration revealed legislation last week that seeks to drastically change American immigration, moving away from the family based immigration tradition that has been the hallmark of our immigration

policies for centuries and promoted family reunification, in favor of one that reduces people to numbers and rankings through a narrow and rigid point system.

This bill will be a disaster, if enacted. It would not create jobs, increase wages, or otherwise boost the economy.

The RAISE Act does not increase the total number of employment-based immigration visas, and it cuts family

(at left) US Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, following the highest American traditions, have lauded the hard work and leadership of many immigrants, shown here congratulating Albert Baldeo for his advocacy, loyalty and fighting for others — (at right) Albert Baldeo advocating for fairer redistricting. based immigration visas by 85 percent while allowing only for a limited number of spouses and minor children to apply. This would be devastating to both our families and the economy, the very antithesis of America.

Bloomberg News editorial sounded this dire warning: “The sharp reduction in immigrant workers in the years ahead would also reduce tax receipts for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the tripod supporting the nation’s rapidly aging baby boomers — 10,000 of whom retire daily,” the editorial said. Immigrants paid about $328 billion in taxes in 2014 alone, it quotes an estimate. “In effect, the plan would take the demographic headwinds the U.S. faces already and transform them into a gale.”

Statistics establish that immigrants account for vital domestic economic growth, play a key role in business development and community improvement, and are among the most upwardly mobile segments of the labor force. Economists agree that one of the keys to economic expansion is increasing the workforce — not shrinking it, as this bill would do.

Moreover, the pillars of the American family rests on reunification and family support, which inject positive economic benefits, and facilitate immigrant integration. Ethnic communities and families contribute critical resources for newcomers, including op-

portunities for employment, access to credit, and multiple kinds of support.

The bill also seeks to eliminate the Diversity Visa, an abrogation of the principle that America welcomes individuals from diverse backgrounds.

It will also eradicate the President’s authority to set refugee admissions and limit them to 50,000 per year.

Consequently, this proposal would lead to an overall reduction of legal immigration by 50 percent over the next decade. Taken together, the creation of a point system, the elimination of diversity and many refugee visas will result in the systematic exclusion of nationals from many regions of Africa, Central America, and Asia, all of whom have contributed indelibly to America’s progress as a nation.

It will devastate our nation, exacerbate, not cure, labor shortages, undercut our economy, and destroy our values.

Note: Albert Baldeo is a civil rights activist and community advocate.

His political battles placed previously ignored minority communities like Richmond Hill and Ozone Park firmly on the political and economic map. As President of the Baldeo Foundation and Queens Justice Center, he has continued to fight for equal rights, dignity and inclusion in the decision making process.

He can be contacted at the Baldeo Foundation: (718) 529-2300.

Guyana York Edition week ending August 11, 2017 GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York Edition Week-ending August 11, 2017

The Peter Haynes Column

25 25

CARICOM NEEDS HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CRIME AND TOURISM

. . . Region Listed Among Top Homicide Countries

O

ne of the most sensitive subjects in the travel industry is the issue of security. Whether it relates to visitors’ personal safety or to the safekeeping of personal information, it is an issue that most of the industry want to say as little about as possible. Despite this, because of the industry’s centrality to Caribbean prosperity, it is a subject on which an appropriate, if though private, regional forum needs to be created.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) — murders, rapes, burglary, violent assaults etc. — compiles statistics for member states throughout the world. Reviewing a very recent report on “Homicides” is most alarming, in its relation to the Caribbean compared with the rest of the world.

The statistics provide readers with a reference tor the counries with the largest number of murders. A variety of national and international sources on homicides have been considered to compile UNODC homicide statistics, and to present accurate and comparable statics, data have been selected which confirm as much as possible to the definition of international homicides used by UNODC for statistical purposes: “unlawful death purposefully inflicted on a person by another person”.

All existing data sources on international homicide, both at National and International levels stem from either criminal justice or public health systems. In the former case, data are generated by law enforcement or criminal justice authorities in the process of recording and investigating a crime while in the latter, data are produced by health authorities certifying the cause of death.

The countries with the highest murder rates may surprise you. It’s a known fact that the modern world is everything but a safe place. But it’s shocking to see how unsafe the world can be.

The most recent list of the top twentyfive (25) countries where there is one homicide for every 100,000 population is very disturbing. Seven (7) English speaking Caribbean islands are on this notorious list: u Dominica — 21.1%. u St. Lucia — 21.6%. (this island’s homicide rate has doubled in the last four years). u St. Vincent and the Grenadines — 25.6%. u Trinidad and Tobago — 28.3%. u Bahamas — 29.8%. u St. Kitts/Nevis — 33.6%. (this island has a population of 50,000) and

To advertise in this newspaper call Dennis at: 917-379-6590

u Jamaica – 39.3%.

Guyana’s neighbours Surinam stands at 43% and Venezuela is at 52.7% and rising.

The statics for the other English-speaking Caribbean countries are Anguilla and Antigua – 6.8% each; Barbados 11.3% (the island’s homicide figure for the first seven months of 2017 has already surpassed the figure for the entire 2016); Grenada – 11.5%; Guyana and Montserrat – 19.7% each.

The top five homicide countries are Honduras – 90.4%; Venezuela 52.7%; Belize – 44.7% (with a population of 340,000); El Salvador – 41.2%, (with a population of 6.3 million); and Guatemala – 39.3% (with a population of 16 million).

The English-speaking Caribbean islands are almost all dependent on tourism as their main source of revenue. Europe and Great Britain, along with America do not hesitate to issue travel advisories to their nationals.

Fortunately, most of the territories have a relatively high rate of detection — primarily because of its small populations. The security forces need more resources in terms of manpower and crime fighting capabilities. High detection rates cannot solve the problem of the crime in these Caribbean islands.

It should be noted that these stats only represent homicides. Other serious crimes such as rapes, burglaries, and other forms of violence are not included in the numbers stated.

Most troubling is the fact that use of guns in the murders is on the increase. The acquisition of these weapons require money, or are they being procured through the exchange of drugs?

GUNS FOR HIRE A recent revelation is that guns are rented to criminals, and the owners are paid a percentage commission from the spoils. An obvious question is why the law enforcement agencies cannot arrest the owners of the weapons?

The criminal justice’s system must be more supportive of the crime fighters. An example is that in some islands, persons are awaiting their day in court for five or six years or more. Upon application to the High Court, murder accused are granted bail, then the file cannot be found resulting in the charges being dismissed.

Earlier this year, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) published a report on Caribbean Human Development.

The document explored in detail crime in the Caribbean and its social and economic implications and considered in passing, the economic impact of criminality on tourism.

It noted that the region’s now heavy dependence on tourism had created new vulnerabilities. Potential tourists, it suggested, were alienated by perception of violence and criminal activity and have been searching for other

locations where there was no threat to personal safety.

The UNDP hinted at a hidden iceberg of economic damage, when it quoted figures that suggest that youth crime alone is costing CARICOM nations an average of a little over three percent of GDP annually in lost tourism.

Addressing the issue of crime and tourism is not easy, the UNDP’s report stated, as there is always the danger that by drawing attention to a problem one dissuades visitors from booking a perfectly safe and happy vacation.

The report further suggested that tourism’s ability to prosper free from the threat

of crime, terrorism or cyber threat should be seen to represent a key component in the region’s long term defence in economic security.

“Without the industry, already weak, tourism dependent economies could, at worst, become unstable”, the report stated.

The UNDP’s report in closing stated that, “There is at the very least a case for the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association to establish with interested regional agencies and external parties in the industry, a low-key but functional committee to discuss regularly with Police Commissioners and others, crime and tourism in a more holistic way”.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending August 11, 2017

Memorable Moments Cricket lovers would wish for a replay of great moments!!!

F

ollowers of cricket have a greater sense of the history of their favorite game than the partisans of any other sport. Asked to draw up a list of great memorable moments, most cricket-lovers would rise to the occasion.

Agreement might be reached easily on a small number of classics.

Jim Laker’s classic, 19 wickets at Old Trafford in 1956 against Australia. April 18, 1994. Brian Lara pulling England’s allrounder Chris Lewis to the mid-wicket boundary to surpass the legendary Sir Garry Sobers mark of 365. Lara finally fell for 375.

And it was against Durham, as he compiled a world record 501 not out erasing Hanif Mohammad’s epic 499. Our own Joe Solomon will be remembered as long as he lives for the most famous throw in cricket folklore, which invariably resulted in the first tied Test in cricket history, it was between West Indies and Australia in Brisbane, 1960-61.Two youngsters, Glendon Gibbs who made 216 and Leslie Wight 262 not out in a record opening partnership of 390, was broken after fifty years in 2004, British Guiana then, established a ground record at Bourda — 692 for nine against the hapless Bajans in 1951.

Someday, I hope to discuss that match in further detail. I’m sure you’ll find it both exciting and entertaining.

Often the most exciting moments, when the underdog bites, and the most enduring moments when the great players fail. What could be more memorable than Bradman’s duck in his last Test innings? The main talking-point at The Oval was probably the most dramatic duck in Test cricket. Needing to score only four runs to reach 7000 runs in Tests and an average of 100, Don Bradman was bowled second ball by Eric Hollies in the final Test at The Oval, Bradman walked out to bat in Australia’s first innings. He received a standing ovation from the crowd and three cheers and they sang 'for he is a jolly good fellow' from the English players. His Test

BRIAN LARA Highest frist class score 501 n.o.

Highest 400Facing n.o. the batting averageTest stoodscore at 101.39.

wrist spin of Eric Hollis, Bradman pushed forward the second ball that he faced, was deceived by a googly and bowled between bat and pad for a duck. An English batting collapse resulted in an innings defeat, denying Bradman the opportunity to bat again and so his career average finished at 99.94, if he had scored just four runs in his last innings, it

would have been 100. A story developed over the years that claimed Bradman missed the ball because of tears in his eyes, a claim Bradman denied for the rest of his life. Every great performance with bat or ball, every fight contributes to the drama that is the essence of this sunshine game at it glorious best.

Sobers’ 163 not out made in the neverto-be forgotten rescue operation which he and his cousin David Holford mounted in the second Test at Lord’s in 1966. They added 274 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket partnership almost snatching an unlikely win from the jaws of defeat in the drawn Test.

England in their first innings made a formidable 355 in reply to West Indies’ 269. When Holford arrived at the wicket, West Indies had already lost five men for a paltry lead of nine runs, and eventually went on to score 369-5 declared in their second innings. De-

Keith Miller 137 and Ray Lindwall 118, and as if jealous, the third pacer, Ron Archer chipped in with en exuberant 98.

It is a feat often recalled by the Bajans who witnessed the unlikely stand between the two local players who joined forces on the third day and were not separated until the first over of the fifth. Atkinson went on to his highest score, 219 told Wisden Cricket Monthly many years later: “I remember when I was on 99, Ian Johnson put all his men on the off-side when Keith Miller was bowling. He had only one man at mid-on and Miller said: ‘Don’t mind him. I’ll give you a half-volley to the leg peg and let you get your hundred.’ “You can’t trick me,” but when he bowled the next ball, true, it was a half-volley for getting my hundred in Test cricket.” After his sterling performance with the bat, Atkinson took five wickets for 56 in Australia’s second innings to secure a draw for his side

Atkinson and Depeiza set a world record seventh-wicket partnership of 347 in 1955.

spite knowing that he was an uncertain starter, Sobers made no effort to shield him from the bowling. Holford, growing in confidence, eventually dispersed the close fieldsmen, allowing Sobers to take some easy singles as the English concentrated their efforts on the less recognized batsman. Holford went on to complete his only hundred —105 not out of his Test career.

The fourth Test turned out to be the most memorable of the 1955 West IndiesAustralia series. Dennis Atkinson’s consistency a year earlier against England was rewarded with his appointment as vice-captain to Jeff Stollmeyer for the visit of the first Australian side to the Caribbean. But, after Stollmeyer was injured, Atkinson, a White insurance salesman, soon found himself the casualty of a volatile political situation as he took over the reigns of captaincy of three of the four Tests in which he took part, without having yet established himself as a player.

Against a backdrop of political and social change, there was intense pressure especially from Jamaica to have Atkinson removed.

Eventually, the furor defused and Atkinson answered any remaining critics with one of the most memorable rearguard actions in Test history. He and wicket-keeper, Clairmonte DePeiza added a world record 347 for the seventh wicket, after Australia had compiled a mammoth first innings of 668 and then reduced the home side to 146 for six in the fourth Test at Bridgetown, Barbados. Interestingly enough, in the Australian innings centuries were recorded by two pace bowlers,

by SHAN RAZACK

again, but a draw was achieved with the West Indies score at 234 for six, and believe it or not, with Atkinson and Depeiza once again together at the crease on scores of 20 and 11 not out respectively. In the end what remains is the memory of Atkinson and Depeiza, brave, defiant, tireless, going on and on and on. Their partnership record will forever celebrate their courage!

It is interesting to note that the Test record of 347 by Atkinson and Depeiza in 1955-56 was challenged in 1964 at Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan, in reply to New Zealand’s 348 seemed in serious trouble when they lost their sixth wicket with only 111 runs on the board and needed a further 86 runs to avoid the follow-on. But when Imtiaz Ahmad joined Waqar Hassan, Pakistan was out of danger soon after lunch and the pair defied all efforts to dislodge them until five minutes from the close, when the giant all-rounder Tony Gibbons had Waqar caught behind by E. C.Perie. Imtiaz and Waqar added 308 runs for the seventh wicket. Imtiaz Ahmad made 209 not out and Waqar Hassan 108, as Pakistan went on to score a hugh 561 for seven.

The winners of the inaugural World Cup, the West Indies in 1975 and again in 1983, India, the eventual winners have virtu-

SIR DONALD BRADMAN

in the series in which the tourists were much the stronger side. This was the first occasion that a West Indian captain made a hundred and taken five wickets in an innings in a Test match. DePeiza, without even a first-class fifty to his name, made a defiant 122. He defied the bowlers with a studious defensive push which prompted someone to christen him “The Leaning Tower Depeiza.”

Depeiza recalled coming into the West Indies team as an immature cricketer. But others were more confident of his ability than he was. That, of course, until he had to remain at the wicket. He remembered that Atkinson shrugged his shoulders at seeing him walk to the wicket and display an obvious lack of confidence. He remembered that all he had to do was play the “basics”. Playing forward defensively, he imagined how Jeff Stollmeyer, his hero, or Len Hutton would have played. It called for a lot of courage and determination as he faced fierce First cousins Garfield Sobers (left) and David intimidation from Keith Miller Holford after their unbeaten 274 sixth-wicket in particular. A very substantial record breaking partnership at Lords in 1966. collection was made after the match and Atkinson, himself a wealthy man ally one thing in common. They got the scare in comparison gave Depeiza the whole of their lives in the preliminary rounds. The amount for his sheer determination. In the first World Cup was held in England and second innings, Australia made 249, which came at a time when West Indies were beginleft the West Indies 408 to win. Except for Clyde Walcott, most of the top batsmen failed (continued on page 27)

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending August 4, 2017

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BRAVES WIN SOFTBALL CRICKET CHAMPIONSHIP B raves Cricket Club defeated Street Kings to be crowned WISA (West Indian Softball Association) Softball Cricket 25-overs champions at the Charles Drew Park, Queens, New York. Batting first, Braves took a commanding lead with a brilliant opening partnership of 50 between Albert Baldeo and Deven Morrison.

Steve Ramlakhan, who scored five glorious fifties in the competition, made another half century. Captain Ravin Singh and Roddy Spencer

played delightfully in pushing Braves to a challenging 189 for 7, they contributed 26 and 13 respectively. H. Nerahoo took 2 wickets.

Chasing a formidable score, Street Kings took advantage of some indifferent Braves bowling and fielding, which caused the game to be delicately poised at halftime, with Street Kings needing only 78 runs in 12 overs with 7 wickets in hand.

By Staff Reporter

When they returned after halftime, Braves fought back valiantly, and won the match by 1 run in a nail-biting finish.

For Street Kings, T. Danraj made 44, K. Ramoutar 46 and A. Utoo 27. Alvin Seepersaud, Chandrapaul Persaud, Morrison and Deoraj Ramnauth took wickets at The victorious Braves Cricket team: (Front from left): Roddy Spencer, Albert crucial stages of the game to ensure Baldeo, Shamlall, Steve Ramlakhan and Vishal Outar.

(Standing from lef)t: Dave Tejeshwar, Clifton Ferguson, Chanderpaul Braves victory.

Hardworking coach and player Persaud, Alvin Seepersaud, Ravin Singh (captain), Deven Morrison, Deoraj manager, J. “Bonai” Singh of Be- Ramnauth, “Bonai” Singh (Manager/coach). Absent (CPL): Vo Tejeshwar, dessee Sports, which has supported Rudy Itwaru, Avishkar Kottiah.

Albert Baldeo, an accom- opment of international cricket as a cricket since 1992 in New York with distinction, deserves a lot of credit plished batsman, hopes everyone major sport in North America. for his team’s championship victory. can work together toward the devel-

Memorable Moments ning to coalesce into a formidable unit under Clive Lloyd. They entered the tournament as Cup favorites and lived up to that billing by beating Australia in the final. West Indies biggest scare came in an early round match against Pakistan. Chasing 267 to win they were reduced to 166 for eight. Then, in one of the most memorable actions ever, Deryck Murray conjured a remarkable win for the West Indies out of an impossible situation against Pakistan at Edgbaston. When Murray was joined by Andy Roberts, 64 runs more were still required. But an unbeaten 61 from the wicket-keeper who coaxed Roberts (24 not out) to stay with him and brought West Indies a spectacular victory with just two balls remaining.

In the 1983 World Cup preliminary match at Tunbridge Wells, India beat Zimbabwe by 31 runs. A remarkable match containing one of the most incredible innings played in this form of cricket. India had chosen to bat on a pitch from which the ball moved a lot. They were 9 for four, soon to be 17 for five, when their new and captain Kapil Dev came in. None could see then that a week later, India would be winning the whole tournament. Indeed, qualification for the semi-final was in grave doubt. With Roger Binny (22) and Madan Lall (1) gone, the enigmatic Kapil Dev took the score to 140 for eight and by then was in full flow.

Wicket-keeper Kirmani provided sensible support in an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 126 in sixteen overs while Kapil Dev, with 6s and sixteen fours in all reached 175, beat-

(from page 26)

ing the previous highest of the tournament, Glen Turner’s 170 for New Zealand against East Africa at Edgbaston in 1975. The match was still not firmly in India’s hands for Curran along with Rawson who had been responsible for India’s early disaster played a dashing innings of 73, and it was not until he was 90 not out at 2.30 in the 56th over that India was safe.

The old-timers would recall that Pakistan began its career as an official Test country at Lord’s, the spiritual home of cricket in 1954. Before coming to England, Pakistan’s Test cricketers had played only one series outside their own country, losing to India in 1952. Back home, a youthful nation listened on the radio, bewildered by the long rain delays — at Lord’s the match didn’t start until after lunch on the fourth day— but captivated by the brave deeds of the dashing teenager Hanif Mohammad, and the brilliant pace bowler Fazal Mahmood, against such colossi

FAZAL MAHMOOD

as Len Hutton, Peter May, Dennis Compton, Tom Graveney, Brian Statham, Johnny Wardle and Frank Tyson. Fate dealt them a bitter blow; it seemed as though as if the monsoon had followed them to ‘Mother’ England.

Lord’s play was washed out and so too was the third Test at Manchester. The sun shone in all its brilliance at Trent Bridge, but not for Pakistan. England won by an innings and 129 runs.

For The Oval Test, the fourth and last of the series — England rested Alec Bedser — who taught you to bowl Australia fame-and Trevor Bailey. No! That is not to say “that they were dropped.” They were genuinely rested; a tour to Australia lay ahead. At The Oval, where again the heavens opened. Pakistan mustered a first innings total of just 133, but bowled England out for 130. Fazal Mahmood, considered by many to have been the true pioneer of reverse swing, accounted for Hutton, May, Compton, Tom Graveney, Johnny Wardle and Tyson. In the second innings, Pakistan reached 164, recovering from 82 for eight.

A very capable England side had batted badly in the first innings, but there was an air of supreme confidence when England set out in the second innings to make 168 to win. At 66 for one, it was all over bar the shouting . . . or was it? Several of the middle and lower assuming that as far as they were concerned the entertainment for the day was over; but rain had been about the match and the policeman medium-pacer, Fazal Mahmood found the pitch just his cup of tea; just giving the assistance he needed to make him a very awkward proposition. At 109 for two, 168

HANIF MOHAMMAD

still looked a very attainable target . . . and then it happened! May and Compton out, Graveney followed for naught and Evans for three — 121 for six. Fazal, winding himself up to full propulsion, could not be suppressed, the tail petered out into nothing and England was all out for 143. Fazal took another six wickets: Hutton, May, Compton, Wardle and Tyson again, plus the wicketkeeper Godfrey Evans. Pakistan had won by 24 runs, the first team ever to win a Test match on their inaugural visit to England. So the series was drawn, but never was such a draw greeted with such jubilation. There was pandemonium in Pakistan — which had been formed by partition from India in 1947 — where a Test victory in England was considered to symbolize an entire nation’s comingof-age. Fifty-years later, Hanif Mohammad said that the last English wicket fell (to his own dazzling run-out from extra cover), the home supporters crowded around the pavilion at The Oval cheering him and his teammates to the skies.

Barbados humble Guyana 5-1 in CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Group D opener

Captain Tia Briggs-Thompson (fourth from left) joined by her teammates after scoring her second goal against Guyana

By Rawle Toney DESPITE a spirited performance, Guyana fell 5-1 to Barbados in the opening football match of Group D in the CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Qualifier tournament Wednesday at the Leonora Track and Field Facility.

It was certainly not the start coach Akilah Castello wanted for her girls, since they showed flashes of brilliance against a much more

physical and match-ready Barbados unit.

Barbados captain Tia Briggs-Thompson had a double, while Tiana Sealy and Caitlin Padmore each had a strike and coupled with an own-goal by Tiandi Smith, that was enough for the women from the ‘Land of the Flying Fish’ to celebrate.

Guyana got the start they wanted from Smith, who showed off her long-range shooting ability in the 12th minute; sinking a Cristiano

Barbados’ Tiana Sealy celebrating her goal in the 51st Minute against Guyana (Samuel Maughn photos)

Guyana’s Jalade Trim in full control

Ronaldo-like free-kick from approximately 25 yards from goal, that stunned Barbados’ Rowland Kirton-Browne between the uprights.

The crowd erupted in jubilation but those celebrations were short-lived, given the fact that Barbados found the equaliser four minutes later (16th) off the cleats of Padmore, who sneaked in Guyana’s six-yard area and with a free kick stunned the local goalkeeper.

Things went downhill for Guyana as Smith went from hero to villain when she at-

tempted to clear a ball from a corner taken by the ‘Bajans’, but her effort instead went into the net - an own-goal that handed the visitors a 2-1 lead after 21 minutes of play.

Tried they did, but Guyana could not get past coach Thomas Jordan’s defence and the half ended with the home team trailing the visitors by a goal (2-1).

“We told them, press forward and try the goalkeeper since we realise that she was short and was having trouble with the ball in the air,” Barbados assistant coach Gabrie-

la Lopez told the media at the post-match press conference.

Indera Amardeo, Guyana goalkeeper was indeed having a hard time saving the ‘air ball’, since being very short was certainly working against her.

Briggs-Thompson heeded her coaching staff’s advice and scored a long-range shot in the 50th minute, while one minute later (51st), Sealy replicated her captain’s feat, giving the Barbados team a 4-1 advantage.

In the 71st minute, Briggs-Thompson completed

her double; this time scoring a free-kick from just over the halfway line to make it 5-1.

By this time, given the fact that Guyana could not have gotten around Barbados’ defence, the score line became unassailable and the Guyanese were defeated.

Meanwhile, Jalade Trim was the crowd favourite, lighting up the Leonora facility with every touch of the ball.

The 13-year-old, who hails from Kwakwani, was the youngest player on the pitch for both teams, and, her flashiness, her fearlessness, along with her ability to read the game, saw her receive loud cheers with every touch.

Trim didn’t score and that could be due to her inability to out-muscle the Barbados defenders, but, like a true warrior, she put her teammates in goal-scoring positions which they failed to capitalise on.

Guyana play Cuba on Sunday in their final fixture.

Cuba, the preverbal powerhouse of Caribbean football in the women’s department, will have their first taste of the tournament tomorrow, at 17:00hrs against Barbados.