Guyana Chronicle New York Edition 30 06 2017

ISSUE NO. 56

WEEK ENDING JUNE 30, 2017

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Economy to grow 3.5% – IMF makes projection

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Jagdeo urged to be honest

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…as MoTP knocks ‘diplomats fear’ story

PSC pledges support to Linden economic ventures P 14

President David Granger on Thursday peruses the paintings on display at the Castellani House for the 2017 Guyana Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition (Samuel Maughn photo)

President at Castellani House

Bishops’ girl takes Miss World Guyana P 17 2017 title

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

DISTINGUISHED DIASPORA ACADEMIA TO DELIVER PRESENTATIONS AT UG’s DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT CONFERENCE

D

r. Fitzgerald Yaw, Chairman of the University of Guyana’s Planning Committee for the Diaspora Engagement Conference has confirmed that several eminent Guyanese will be making presentations at the six days of meetings.

President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency David Arthur Granger will deliver the Keynote Address on Monday, July 24 at 8:00 a.m. at the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

The Welcome and occasion will be delivered by Professor Ivelaw Griffith, Vice Chancellor and Principal of U.G. The Opening session will include presentations entitled “Voices from the Dias-

pora and the Homeland. These will be presented by Dr. Dhanpaul Narine of the New York City Department of Education; Dr. Indsrianna Minto-Coy, Mona School of Business, University of the West Indies; Mr. Chat Bowling, Director, Guyana Diaspora Inc. from Russia and Dr. Raquel Thomas-Caesar, Director Resource Management and Training, IWOKRAMA International Centre for Rainforest Conversation and Development, Guyana.

There will also be two Cultural presentations to be performed by visiting Dis-

tinguished Artists-in-residence Keith Waithe and the Renaissance Performers.

By Staff Writer

Professor Ivelaw Griffith

However, on the previous evening, His Excellency David Granger will host a Welcome Reception at the Ramada Hotel.

Planning Committee Chairman Dr. Yaw, has indicated that the University will waive the late registration fee for participants from the Diaspora. He indicated that the decision was taken following several re-

quests from interested persons wishing to attend the conference, but could not confirm their attendance earlier due to previous commitments.

Two Plenary sessions will follow the opening sessions and on the succeeding days, with each session divided in into two, thus allowing greater involvement in the wide variety of topics to be presented.

Among the topics to be presented are: “Insights for a Guyanese Diaspora Policy”; “Towards a Multi-Dimensional Process of Diaspora Engagement”; “The Diaspora Challenges”; “The Private Hindu College Best Practices in Diaspora Engagement” and “Diaspora Engagement for Tourism Growth in the Caribbean with emphasis on Tobago”.

Hon. Carl B. Greenidge, Guyana’s Second Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs will deliver an address on ‘Guyana’s Diaspora Engagement Strategy”, while Hon. David Lammy, MP of the British House of Commons is also scheduled to deliver an address.

Other keynote speakers include His Excellency Ivan Roberto Sierra Medel, Ambassador of Mexico to Guyana; Ms. Gail Teixeira, Opposition Member of Parliament and Mr. Glen Khan, Chairman of the LAPARKAN Group of Companies.

In summary, the DEC will have forty-

two (42) papers presented, in addition to five (5) Keynote Addresses and two Video Messages.

The Diaspora being represented are from American States: Arizona, New York, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Washington and Maryland.

Also attending from other countries represented are Canada, United Kingdom.

Nigeria, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

On Friday, July 28, the official Investiture of the Vice Chancellor and Principal, Professor Ivelaw Griffith will be held at the Turkeyen Campus at 4 O’clock.

Pres. David Granger

L.I.A.T’s INDEBETNESS TO OGLE AIRPORT INC. CAUSES PASSENGERS TO PAY AIRPORT FEES

G

uyana’s Ogle Airport Inc. (OAI), the operators of the Eugene F. Correia International Airport (EFCIA) has been forced to take steps to collect fees for the service provided to LIATs passengers.

O.A.I. have implemented measures to collect the fees for Landing,

Passenger Service, and Cargo Service which LIAT and other airlines using the Ogle facility are required to pay.

However, according to Kit Nascimento, Public Communications Consultant to OAI and EFCIA in an exclusive interview with Guyana Chronicle New York Edition, LIAT was not paying these fees at the beginning of the second quarter of 2017.

Mr. Nascimento pointed out that the fees charged to the respective airlines including LIAT is the source of revenue for the Airport. These fees he pointed out were approved by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority.

An OAI advertisement in the Guyana Newspapers two weeks ago alerted passengers travelling on LIAT

By Peter Haynes

from Ogle International Airport to Barbados that they will be required to pay the fees directly to the Airport authorities when checking in for their flights.

The fees being charged are $36,000.00 for adults and $24,000.00 for 12-year-old children. These fees are not new, as travelers when purchasing tickets to fly on LIAT planes either online or from Travel Agencies are required to pay the Fees and Taxes along with the airfare.

Mr. Nascimento did not indicate the level of indebtedness by LIAT to the Ogle Airport Inc, except to refer the newspaper to when the situation started and the fees which are to be paid by airlines using the Ogle facilities.

On the issue of OAI communicating with LIAT demanding payments, Mr. Nascimento said: “LIAT has been written to on this matter from the inception of them failing to remit the fees to the airport. The response from LIAT has been much less than satisfactory. The CEO of the EFCIA has corresponded directly with the CEO of LIAT on the matter without receiving acknowledgement.”

It was also pointed out in the in-

terview that Passenger Service Fees may be collected by the Airline and included in the ticket or directly by the Airport when the passenger checks in for the flight.

In response to a question whether other Airports in the Caribbean have instituted similar measures, Mr. Nascimento said that he has no knowledge about the practice at other Caribbean Airports, except to say that in the case of LIAT, the Passenger Service Fee is shown on the ticket out of Barbados to EFCIA but not out of

KIT NASCIMENTO

EFCIA to Barbados.

However, checking on Wednesday last the LIAT online site for a trip from Barbados on July 3 and returning from Ogle on July 10 the posted fares along with fees and taxes were stated as follows: BGI to OGL airfare — US$170.00 and Fees and Taxes — US$76.70, and the return to Barbados the airfare is US$201.00 and US$78.43 Fees and Taxes.

A passenger purchasing this ticket having already paid LIAT the Fees, would be required to pay the Ogle Airport Inc. and additional US$18.00.

LIAT has for many years struggled with its financial stability, in addition to numerous industrial issues, particularly with its pilots over payment of salaries.

Several Caribbean Governments who are shareholders of LIAT are as follows: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, St. Lucia and St. Vincent. Shares are also owned by a variety of Caribbean financial institutions.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

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Economy to grow 3.5% – IMF makes projection THOUGH non-performing loans remain high, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during its recently concluded Article IV consultation with Guyana has projected the country’s growth at 3.5 per cent this year while “real economic activity has expanded by 3.3 per cent” last year.

Subdued agricultural commodity prices, adverse weather and delays in public investment weighed down on activity, while large increases in gold output helped support growth, the report said. Consumer prices increased by 1.5 percent in the twelve months ending in December 2016, as weather-related shocks to food prices reversed the deflationary trend.

Meanwhile, according to the IMF’s Executive Board, Guyana’s overall non-financial public sector deficit widened to 2.9 percent of GDP in 2016 from 0.2 percent in 2015.

Despite slower-than-expected economic growth, fiscal revenue increased owing to improvements in tax administration and higher mining royalties, the report stated while adding that the total expenditure increased by 2.8 percentage points of GDP, but the increase was lower than budgeted due to delays in capital expenditure.

The current account moved from a 5.7 percent of GDP deficit in 2015 to a 0.4 percent surplus in 2016, driven by the large increase in gold exports and improved terms of trade. Gross international reserves stood at 3.6 months of import at end-2016.

Additionally, the IMF reported that bank capital adequacy ratios appear comfortable (averaging 25.4 percent as of end-2016). “But non-performing loans remain high, at 12.9 percent of total loans at end-2016 from 11.5 percent at end-2015 and provisioning remains very low (45.8 percent at end-2016).”

In a statement issued on its website, the IMF noted that progress in strengthening the financial stability framework was assessed in detail during the Article IV consultation as part of the IMF’s Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), which analyzes financial sector soundness and associated policies. The FSAP’s findings are summarized in the accompanying Financial System Stability Assessment (FSSA).

As such, it was determined that the macroeconomic outlook is positive for 2017 and the medium-term.

“Growth is projected at 3.5 percent in 2017, supported by

an increase in public investment, continued expansion in the extractive sector, and a recovery in rice production.”

Moreover, 12 month inflation is expected to remain low at around 2.6 percent by year-end while the fiscal deficit is projected to widen to 7.2 percent of GDP in 2017, due in part to delayed capital spending from 2016.

“The shares of current and capital spending in GDP are projected to increase by 0.6 and 1.8 percent, respectively. Tax revenue is projected to remain stable at about 21.5 percent of GDP. The current account deficit is projected at -3 percent of GDP, financed by investment inflows and donor-supported investment. Net international reserve cover is projected to remain stable at 3.6 months of imports at end-2017,” the report stated.

Meanwhile, the Executive Directors in their assessment welcomed Guyana’s “continued economic growth, the improvement in its external position, and its positive medium?term outlook, which is supported by the expected start of oil production in 2020.”

They underscored the importance of preserving macro-economic and financial stability while making growth more broad-based and inclusive while noting that the economy is vulnerable to external shocks and domestic

challenges remain.

The Executive Directors also welcomes the plans by authorities here to establish a comprehensive framework for managing oil wealth, and stressed the importance of having a transparent and rules?based framework in place before oil production starts.

“Most Directors supported staff’s recommendation for a moderate fiscal consolidation to slow debt accumulation and safeguard against adverse shocks before the onset of oil production. A few Directors considered a more gradual consolidation appropriate in light of the country’s development needs.

More generally, Directors recommended moderating the growth of current expenditures and moving ahead with the reform of public enterprises, notably the sugar and electricity companies, while providing a safety net for those affected by these reforms,” the report said.

Additionally, it is believed that the issuance of longer-term domestic debt instruments could provide a stable source of financing which can be used to settle the government’s negative balance at the central bank and help develop domestic capital markets. Guyana was however put on warning that a significant increase in domestic debt could drive up borrowing costs.

“In this regard, Directors commended the authorities for continuing to refrain from non?concessional external borrowing. Regarding Guyana’s ongoing negotiations with bilateral non?Paris Club creditors, a few Directors reiterated the importance of preserving comparability of treatment across official bilateral creditors.”

Moreover, the Executive Directors welcomed the “recent increase in exchange rate flexibility” and encouraged the authorities to allow the exchange rate to play a stronger automatic stabilizer role going forward.

The IMF the establishment of a clear communication strategy is important in this regard and encouraged the authorities to auction foreign exchange when conducting official transactions to help improve price discovery and transparency in the foreign exchange market.

That aside, the directors have also agreed that the current monetary policy which has been described as “accommodative” is appropriate but stressed the importance of remaining vigilant for possible inflationary pressures and being ready to tighten monetary policy as appropriate.

Importantly too, the IMF noted that the banking sector appears “resilient to severe shocks”, and welcomed the authorities’ plans to continue bringing the supervisory and

regulatory frameworks in line with the 2016 FSAP recommendations.

Steps to reduce the stock of nonperforming loans, and higher provisioning to account for slow collateral recovery, unrecorded related?party exposures, and loan misclassifications were encouraged as the Directors also called for the amendment of the Financial Institutions Act to operationalize the crisis management framework and establish an emergency liquidity assistance framework.

Additionally, local financial authorities were commended for exiting the Financial Action Task Force follow-up process and encouraged the further strengthening the anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism framework, drawing on the recent National Risk Assessment. Progress made in respect to correspondent banking relationships were noted and continued vigilance was suggested.

The need for further improvements to the business climate, diversification efforts, and structural reforms of key economic sectors are needed to support more broad-based and inclusive growth.

The next Article IV consultation with Guyana is to take place on the standard 12-month cycle. The 2016 consultations concluded on May 24, 2017.

No hike in housing allowance …Parliament raps SN for fake article THE housing allowance for Government ministers was never increased to $500, 000 per month, Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs said as he rubbished a Stabroek News article deeming it a deliberate act.

In its lead story on Tuesday June 27, 2017, under the headline, “Cap on ministers’ housing allowance was increased to $500, 000 in 2015,” Stabroek News reported that the allowance was increased from $25, 000 per month to $500,000 under the government in 2015.

In the article, attribution was made to the Clerk of the National Assembly, but on Tuesday Isaacs told the Guyana Chronicle that he was misrepresented. “I never indicated that the housing allowance was increased

from $25, 000 to $500,000. I never said that,” Isaacs told this newspaper.

According to him, the article was a deliberate act.

“It was incorrect. I think that they did it for sensational purposes, some newspapers are like that,” he stated.

To bring clarity to the situation, the Clerk explained that according to the Handbook for Members of the National Assembly, “the Speaker, the Prime Minister, Vice-Presidents, the Attorney General and the Senior Ministers are each entitled to occupy, free of rent, a furnished residence provided by the Government or, in lieu thereof, to be paid a house allowance.”

While ministers and the leader of the opposition are not entitled to be provided with residences, they are

each entitled to a house allowance. That allowance, according to the Handbook, has been set at $25, 000.

Isaacs made it clear that once the housing allowance of $25, 000 is paid to a minister, he or she is not entitled to accommodation. He said it is common practice that once there are no available housing quarters in Echilibar Villas, houses would be rented for ministers.

“Where can you find a house for $25, 000? The last administration rented, as far as I am aware, for Mrs. Sukhai, Mr. Rohee, and Mr. Robert Persaud…and a number of other ministers,” the Clerk pointed out.

NO CAP UNDER PPP It was noted that under the previous administration – the People’s Progressive

Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs

Party (PPP) – there was no ceiling for the rental of houses for Government ministers.

At the time, these payments were issued by the Office of the President, now renamed Ministry of the Presidency.

However, Isaacs said when the decision was taken, under the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (AP-

NU+AFC) administration, to have the Parliament Office pay the housing allowances and rental fees among other payments, Finance Minister Winston Jordan advised that a ceiling be put in place for the rental of properties.

According to Isaacs, the ceiling was set at $500, 000 because the Parliament Office found is difficult to find suitable houses for less. “There was never a ceiling. During the last administration, the office of the President paid the rent, and this administration the Parliament Office pays the rent, but there was never a ceiling or a cap in place,” he emphasised Currently, houses are being rented for two ministers, the Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes; and the Minister within the Ministry of Communities with re-

sponsibility for Housing, Valerie Adams-Patterson; both of whom reside out of Georgetown. Minister Broomes hails from Bartica, Region Seven, while Minister Adams-Patterson hails from Linden, Region 10. According to the clerk, months after signing contracts for the rental of the two properties, he was advised by the Finance Minister to reduce the ceiling to $300,000. “Minister Jordan told me to reduce it to $300, 000 some months ago. But we had already signed the contracts,” Isaacs said.

Because the information was related to him verbally, he said in the near future he would return to the Finance Ministry to have further discussions on the ceiling and to have it formalised. But any changes, he maintained, will have to be done after the contracts have expired.

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G U YA N A S P R O U T S The Zena Henry Column

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ust over a week ago, the Ministry of Natural Resources reported to the nation that American oil giant Exxon Mobil had been granted its production licence by the government for its Liza operations out in the Stabroek Block.

This meant the official go ahead for the company to start pumping the crude with the possibility of pouring the first barrel before the 2020 mark as planned initially.

The Natural Resource Ministry said that the granting of the license was an important step in getting to the first phase of oil production from the Liza field. The statement said further that Exxon’s licence will place emphasis on Guyanese employment and training, the procurement of goods and services in Guyana, infrastructural soundness and the protection of the environment.

Heading into this stage of Exxon’s operation in Guyana, it is already demanding the auxiliary services to keep the company functioning. It would of course seem logical that Guyanese would be able to fill in those secondary services, thus creating their own jobs and ensuring that the bulk of the employment stays at home.

But already some are raising concerns about whether Guyanese will be able to fill positions paying some of the highest wages, some millions and even billions of dollars. In some cases, there have been utterances about whether the jobs being

advertised is reaching out to more international applicants with the experience and expertise, eliminating the need to train locals and in some light, saving time and money.

Only recently a report in the Kaieteur News pointed out that just after Exxon had received their production license and started advertising for support services for their operations some locals had started to

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The New York Edition (Guyana Chronicle) is looking for motivated sales representatives to join our team selling print and on-line advertising to an established account list.

The New York Edition (Guyana Chronicle) is a weekly newspaper, carrying news, views and comments from the Diaspora, Guyana and the Caribbean and is circulated every Friday in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, as well as on our webpage (www.guyanachronicle.com).

Do you have experience meeting and exceeding sales goals, anticipating challenges and continually seeking new customers. If you are goal-driven, we want to talk to you.

Email your resume and references to Dennis Nelson @ dennisnelson.nychronicle@yahoo.com or call: (917) 379-6590 to schedule an interview.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017 Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

Guyana and the oil employment challenge

make objections.

This is because the local companies say that Exxon’s advertisements are also targeting members of CARICOM states, some of whom they say are in the oil business, or

have the experience. The locals say it is putting Guyanese companies at a disadvantage since they will be unable to compete.

The Exxon advertisement which featured in newspapers made requests for companies among other things, to provide air support services for helicopter operations, maintenance and ground service, support service for platform supply vessels, multi-purpose intervention vessel and tanker assist tugs. They are also seeking freight forwarding, packing transport clearance and expediting of materials to and from major international locations, Guyana and Trinidad.

However Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. (EEPGL) invited companies registered in, “Guyana or other Caricom countries,” to express their interest in providing the service to the company.

While this might be beneficial to Exxon to promptly have the desired services, it would not spell so well for Guyana when much needed revenue for the country is going to outside sources.

In the Petroleum (Exploration

and Production) Act Chapter 65:04, Section 36 (4) and (5) says that “A Petroleum production licence shall not be granted to an applicant therefor unless- the applicant’s proposals for the employment and training of citizens of Guyana are satisfactory; the applicant’s proposals with respect to the procurement of goods and services obtainable within Guyana are satisfactory...”

It is thus expected that Guyana would gain more than royalties and a 50/50 split of the oil, but that the nation’s people will become empowered as trained professionals in the oil industry thanks to Exxon. The company has been saying for a long time that it does not intend to hire many workers because the operation is offshore. The last time an employment figure was given by Exxon it had not reached 800. It is no ‘biggy’ that this top multi-national oil giant should expend on the small number of workers that are expected to help with the operation.

As it relates to support services, the oil company should try its utmost to give Guyanese first preference and even invest in the businesses of small operators, while creating business arrangements that benefit both the company and locals.

The specific aspects of the law on what it takes to receive a production licence states clearly the benefits that must come to Guyanese in order to access this resource.

The oil hype is being built up by the government’s optimism and citizens are eager to know just how the oil find will benefit them personally.

It is the onus of local companies to also position themselves to provide support and receive support from the oil company. Local companies should also speak with one voice in seeking their due piece of the pie from Exxon.

Additionally qualified Guyanese who are experienced in oil exploration and or production should be flocking to get in on the action. There are two sides to this employment coin; ensuring that Exxon uses Guyanese services, and that they help the country provide the services that they need.

GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York Edition Week-ending June 2017 Guyana York Edition Week-ending June 30, 30, 2017

The Handel Andrews Column

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Things That Bother Me

A brief description of education, economic and political developments in Guyana

WHERE WE STAND his discussion focusses on where the Co-perative Republic of Guyana stands now and, in some instances, within recent years with respect to the economy, education and politics. Any comparisons with other periods is incidental and not intended to compare Governments or Presidents.

You will be the best judge of whether we are better off than before independence in the areas discussed.

T

EDUCATION In the 1990s, Guyana's educational system was probably the weakest in the British Caribbean.

This reflects, mainly, the decreasing resources then available in the sector. The proportion of GDP allocated to education declined sharply during this period, below that of other Caribbean countries.

In 1976, a decision was taken to transfer responsibilities for education to the public sector. All private schools were assimilated into the public system and Government subsidized education from nursery through university, including the costs of textbooks, exercise books and writing materials. Imposition of fees or other cost-recovery measures were strictly prohibited at institutions.

This was good for students, who could study for the GCE (advanced level) at schools other than Queen’s College, St. Stanislaus, Bishop’s High School. St. Joseph’s, St. Roses and Berbice High Schools. In the days before this, other students studied privately and could not perform to their full potential. Cecil Glasgow, who achieved a distinction in Latin was an exception.

With the introduction of the regional system in 1980, a greater element of decentralisation was introduced into the educational system. As early as 1985, the 10

General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level). Students take the exam after five years of secondary education. Guyanese education specialists assert that the outcomes of these examinations reflect the effectiveness and efficiency of the Guyana education system.

CAPE The old GCE (advanced level) was replaced by the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination. It is taken by students with the CSEC or its equivalent. Cecil Cox of QC was named the Most Outstanding Overall candidate at CAPE in 2015, the first time Guyana received the award.

ECONOMY The Coalition Government leaders Pres. David Granger and PM Moses Nagamootoo The World Bank (WB) says Regional Democratic Councils the 1989-1992 period was 5.5% of that as of 2012, Guyana was the (RDC) assumed much of the re- GDP. By 1994, it rose to 5.8%. By third poorest country in South sponsibility for the provision of 2012, it had risen to 10.26%. The America and the Caribbean. Its per education.

2016 budget allocated $40.3B or capita income in 2015 was USD Prior to independence, Guy- 17.5% of total Government expen- $4,090.

Agriculture and natural reana’s educational system was diture on education. sources are important sources of based, as it had been during the CSEC colonial period, on a system of priIn 1998, the Caribbean Ex- Guyana’s revenue. Mining acvate and public schools and pay- aminations Council introduced the counted for 28% of total GDP, and ment of tuition fees. Government Caribbean Secondary Education bauxite, sugar, rice, gold and timexpenditure on education during Certificate, which replaced the old ((continued on page 22)

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017 Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

Schools should benefit from billboard advertisements in their compounds

Dear Editor,

guyanachronicle.com

For All Publishing and Advertising in New York consult our New York Representative:

Dennis A. Nelson

dennisnelson.nychronicle@yahoo.com

Tel: 917-379-6590

Editorial

The past administration headed by former presidents Donald Ramotar and Bharat Jagdeo allowed a multinational corporation Moneygram to advertise its services on billboards placed on school grounds all across Guyana.

To this very day one can see billboards, with the name of the School and Moneygram’s logo on them in school compounds.

It is my understanding that Moneygram has offered boxes of chalk to the respective schools, instead of advertising dollars for the

Advertising costs a lot of money and Moneygram is utilizing a great medium to advertise their services to the Guyanese public. We all know that family members in the Diaspora continually send money to their siblings and children who still reside in Guyana. This is bringing in a lot of money to the money transfer companies of which Moneygram is one of the leaders.

It is my view that if the schools in Guyana are benefitting from these billboards on their compounds, then

the government should encourage this practise, but if they are not, and are still only receiving boxes of chalk, then this advertising should cease immediately.

I do hope that the powers that bind see my letter and take immediate action to rectify this matter, and if the practise of giving chalk instead of paying advertising fees is still being done, then it should cease immediately.

Thank you for publishing my letter.

Respectfully, William Greaves Concerned Citizen

‘GUM has no support among the people’ Dear Editor

Withholding T teachers’ salary

WHEN it comes to pay, nobody wants to be deprived of what they feel they have earned, and this is understandable. It was brought to the nation’s attention that teachers in Region Five and Region Ten have complained about their salaries being withheld. This matter involved the Regional Executive Officer (REO) as in the instance of Region Five, and the Regional Education Officers as in the instance of Region Ten. Teachers have had to protest what they said have been acts in breach of their employment.

None other than the Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education, Vibert Welch, has said there is no rule that permits the withholding of earned income. The withholding of salary by the regions had to do with the perception by the respective officers that are involved.

At a place of work or business, and more so in the public service, there are written rules and guidelines that prescribe how issues are to be dealt with. It is reasonable to expect that every supervisory officer will find great benefit in being au fait. Outside of this recognition the public embarrassment being brought to the Government, more so the Ministry of Education, cannot be ignored and may further be pointing to the need for some form of training to address the functions supervisory officers are expected to discharge.

In the Region Five scenario, the teachers not only engaged in protest actions, the public weighing in, and the Guyana Teachers Union issuing an ultimate for the REO to provide the rule that informed his decision, but even the National Assembly felt the need to seek clarification.

When PS Welch appeared before the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, he was asked about the matter and advised that there is no policy/rule authorising withholding of salary. What this could suggest is that the REO may not have seen the importance of contacting the PS before making the decision; the PS may not have been aware of the REO’s action, not advised otherwise, or the advice was ignored.

The Region Five issue happened weeks ago and was resolved, but surprisingly last week there was another report that the Region Ten teachers are seeing their salaries being withheld. This is another unfortunate occurrence that could have been resolved differently were attention paid to the Region Five matter. Teachers are appointed by the Teaching Service Commission and the stipulated rules

use of the school property to advertise their services.

he Guyana Independence Anniversary Celebration Committee (New York) hereby responds to an article, written by Zena Henry, titled “GUM records successful independence unity celebrations,” published in the Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 23, 2017.

1. The article was obviously a favor to Guyana Unity Movement (GUM). It is one-sided with no objectivity or basis in fact. It is unprofessional to have published those erroneous statements and personal attacks against our Committee Chairman, Mr. Rickford Burke, without verifying the veracity of the statements by GUM’s presi-

dent, Ms. Sherif Fraser. The lack of balance caused the newspaper to lose credibility.

2. The title is a charade.

GUM did not have a successful celebration. Besides a dinner dance on June 9, its other five events flopped.

No one showed up. It was a disaster. A Mayor who came from Guyana for their events expressed disappointment.

GUM has no support among the people. The article inadvertently highlighted this disaster. It did not mention a single successful GUM event. It was a failed attempt at self-praise. Ms. Fraser could not say what GUM has done. Instead, she proved what GUM is – a divisive, opposition to our committee that wants to use our platform to make money.

emanating from the Commission applies across the board.

There is a responsibility of the employer to ensure those who they are supervising abide by the rules and a copy of the rules be provided to each employee. In this way it avoids the supervisor disciplining an employee for an infraction the employee is unaware of.

Salary is earned, deemed an individual’s property, and cannot be withheld unless a legal determination has been made to do so. Personal feeling by supervisors is not sufficient to determine any matter where rules advise, and in all instances the latter must supersede. Our erstwhile education officers are trained in education delivery and may not necessarily have the benefit of prior exposure to managing people and the rules that guide such relations. Where they too may operate at such disadvantage, the importance of having them adequately equipped with the relevant tools cannot be over-emphasised.

3. Ms. Fraser claimed that last year’s 50th Independence celebration parade on Church Ave, Brooklyn, was her idea for which Mr. Burke “is seeking to claim.”

Apart from her compulsive obsession with our committee, Ms. Fraser has created an alternative reality. The idea of the 50th Independence celebration was the vision of President David Granger, not her’s. Mr. Burke has not taken credit for anything. Our committee conceptualized, planned and organized every aspect of the 50th independence celebration. We proudly take credit for its success.

Ms. Fraser played no role in this process. We reject Ms. Fraser’s deceitful attempt to take credit for our hard work.

4. It is time for people

to start telling the truth. Ms. Fraser, in writing, declined an appointment as chair of the Parade/Mashramani sub-committee because her advocacy for chairman of the overall committee failed. A copy of her letter declining the position is attached. Although it was her desire, Ms. Fraser was not even a contender for overall chairman. None of the leaders knew her, plus, without knowing who he was, she publicly insulted the PNCR group Chairman a few months prior. Hence, she has zero support. This is when her conspiracy against the committee began. I know. I was there!

5. Ms. Fraser’s claim that there should be no division in Turn to page 10 ►

At a psycho-social level where the Region Five issue has had much public ventilation, and the fact that a similar situation is reportedly occurring in Region Ten, teachers in the other eight regions are likely to be concerned and wondering who would be next. At the same time it is not lost on us that there may be similar occurrences in other regions which have not been made public. It is most reasonable to say the last thing any worker wants to have is his or her earned income withheld or feels that such could be possible. These two matters are also unnecessary distraction for the government and its image. There are too many issues people have to worry about in their dayto-day activities, which their income is hinged on and they plan around; to deny it would be adding undue discomfort.

It is hoped that the Region Ten issue is resolved soonest and will be the last of this nature.

Disclaimer:

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

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

robertsconsulting@gmx.com * (347) 279-6668

C

Capitalism and American Politics

apitalism, the oft quoted system that supposedly has the builtin ability to lift all boats, and rewards individual creativity with success, is one of those enduring myths repeated over and over again that has now become accepted by most Americans.

It’s just like the much touted and ever-changing concept of the “American Dream” (that is now a nightmare) that is open to varied interpretations. Today, by almost every major statistical measurement, the average American is worse off than they were a generation ago. Some people have taken to blaming the younger generation, saying that they’re entitled, self-centered, too absorbed in their smartphones to work, and while some of those complaints may have a grain of truth to them, the data suggests that the kids are not the problem. The truth of the American Dream based in myth is much more complex. Consider: Today, approximately 25% of people with college degrees don’t have a job and aren’t even looking.

The reality of capitalism’s American-Dream-Turned-Nightmare is that now there are millions of hardworking, intelligent people, who are living from paycheck-to-paycheck and are stuck in jobs with few opportunities for advancement and little hope for the future. In the wake of capitalism’s abject failure, is the fact that small businesses, longingly yearning to become big, genuflect to the pompous denizens of the corporate oligarchy that presumably are, in the words of President Donald J. Trump, “the best and brightest” in all industries in the world.

Phew! That’s American exceptionalism for you, touted by no less a person than the “orange-haired-one-in chief.”

Never mind that it was these same corporate “wunderkinds” who royally screwed up the U.S. economy in 2008 causing what economists now call the Great Recession. It was a stroke of luck that one Barack Hussein Obama was elected that same year and who stemmed the cash hemorrhage started by a bunch of greedy Wall Street fat cats that Trump so adores and admires.

But back to the much ballyhooed American system of capitalism. Debunking these long-held and media promoted myths, lies and falsehoods about a 200-plus-year-old economic system is not going to be easy but the very first place to start is, WITH THE EXAMPLE OF TRUMP HIMSELF. He’s a capitalist. He sees American politics and economics as intertwined and interwoven with capitalist policies. In fact, a unique peculiarity of politics in today’s advanced capitalist systems is how those systems corrupt and train politicians.

American corporations and the ultra-rich provide the funds that create, cause, and enable election victories — from local city races to big congressional ones. Money, the saying goes, is the “mother’s milk of politics.” And who has the money? Large corporations now considered “people” due to a United States Supreme Court ruling. So

7

that when people like Donald Trump become President of the United States, capitalist America rejoices because they now have one of their own in the White House.

For their support, they get, no, demand, access to the President, to manipulate polices in their favor, and expect specific favors in return. Things like a favorable pro-big business government order, a tariff on manufactured goods, financial crisis bailouts, or a foreign intervention that triggers war profiteering, for example. There is little doubt that politicians in office must deliver those, or risk removal by their overt and covert corporate sponsors, next time around.

They must also camouflage those deliveries with deliberately confusing verbiage about the US national interests,

the people's safety, job creation, and other vague yet important-sounding priorities. These bought and paid for politicians of all hues and stripes usually do the favors (or, at least, most of them) while allaying popular concerns with infantile public posturing.

So we might ask what must happen for Trump’s actions to yield the outcomes he claims to hope for? Indeed, these answers will point to some sense of where this theatrical new administration is most likely to thrust the American people. For example, how might Trump deliver on his promised "middle class" jobs and incomes to the millions who lost or lack them? Trump's rickety economic plan is to stimulate demand for labor power, supposedly via major infrastructure spending, and relocating manufacturing workplaces back into the United States, while limiting the supply of labor power, by deporting and banning the entrance of millions of immigrants.

Such policy contradictions and confusion makes his job creation policy very suspect and unworkable. So for all that to happen, it will be necessary, no critical, to prevent a surge in automation as the employer response to rising wages. It

will also be necessary to prevent or offset retaliatory tariff and protectionist measures by foreign countries. Consider one such scenario: Countries (like Mexico) may place tariffs on incoming US exports or tax or discriminate against US holdings inside their borders. It will be necessary to prevent or offset a business cycle downturn. Nor is this short-list by any means complete or include the many other conditions that need to happen to enable President Trump to deliver on his promises.

Then too, in capitalist nations like

(continued on page 22)

EMPHASIS ON TRAVEL AND TOURISM 8

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) says a holistic effort is needed by key players and stakeholders in society to address the issue of rape and sexual exploitation of teenage girls which were reported as being prevalent in the town of Bartica.

The police, in response to an article which the Guyana Chronicle published on Wednesday in which the issue was highlighted, noted that the force has been working in tandem with the Child Care & Protection Agency (CC&PA), along with school welfare officers in an effort to eliminate the problem.

The police said that for the year, there has been a total of fourteen reported cases

by a group of men in the area. The Guyana Chronicle was alerted by a post on social media by a Bartica man Tuesday highlighting what he called the “real dangers” faced by young women, whom he listed as “13, 14, 15 year-old schoolgirls”.

President of the Guyana Women Miners Or-

14 cases of sexual assault on …police say issue needs teens in Bartica holistic effort of sexual assaults committed on females in the Region Seven town. The police said that ten of such matters are currently before the courts; one was dismissed for want of prosecution, two were sent to legal advice and in once case a suspect is being sought. The force said it acts on information or complaints it receives in such matters.

The police noted that the Divisional Commander and key personnel under his command have embarked on a number of community outreaches and Social Crime Prevention Programmes targeting Bartica and the mining community of Itabali among others. It said that

the aim of such activities is to sensitise especially young people of the ills of society and the importance of living healthy and productive lives.

Such activities have so far yielded much success, the police said, noting that these include the formation of youth groups, Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) programmes , reduction in cases of teenage pregnancy , as well as improved public /police relations, among others.

Residents of Bartica expressed disgust over a prevailing situation of sexual exploitation in which teenage girls as young as 13 are being gang-raped, some even drugged with ecstasy,

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ganisation (GWMO) Urica Primus, who is also a Bartician, expressed disgust and said the issue is not a new one. She told the Guyana Chronicle that rape in the mining town is on a steady increase, but few persons report cases, since many of such cases end prematurely. Bartica

Mayor, Gifford Marshall Tuesday afternoon confirmed the reports to be true. Marshall said his office is aware of the situation and has launched an investigation. He is expected to give a statement on the issue in a few days after he would have gathered adequate information.

Three held for murder of Sophia schoolboy

more persons from the com- has been ruled a homicide. munity were arrested for Smartt’s body was found questioning. in a swampy yard which COMMANDER of ‘A’ The body of Isaiah Da- was considered too shallow Division, Marlon Chap- vid Smartt of Lot 148 ‘E’ for him to drown and his man, on Wednesday said Block Plum Park, Sophia, relatives suspected foul play that three persons are in was found in a yard on Tues- since he was deemed an excustody assisting with the day afternoon by a relative. cellent swimmer. investigations following the The boy was last seen alive The Commander of homicide of eight-year-old on Monday night when he ‘A’ Division said Smartt’s

Isaiah Smartt last Tues- left home to visit his father, body which bore no visiCLIA/IATA OSSN/SATH APTA/PATA day. who resides a short distance ble marks of violence was TPOC/IGLTA M/W/DBE CERTIFIED He told the Guyana away. A post mortem per- found at about 19:45hrs Chronicle that on Friday formed on the boy’s body on Tuesday in about two ELAINE ENRY CTA, after the post-mortem was revealedH that he died, as a MCC feet of water. He related conducted and the cause result of asphyxiation due to that after the child left his Travel Consultant of death indicated that it bronchoaspiration and com- mother’s house alone and E 40tha Street Tel: 718-377-2071 was1053 a murder, woman pounded by compression did not show up at his faBrooklyn, NY 11210 was detained and is still injuries to the neck. Fax: 718-377-1291 ther’s home, a search was in custody. So far, she has Police said it is a clear initiated by relatives who email: minitravel@hotmail.com denied any involvement in www.minervatravel.net indication that Smartt’s discovered his body and the boy’s murder and two death was unnatural and summoned the police.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

9

your accounts Jagdeo urged Settle – to be honest City Hall tells lessees

…as MoTP knocks ‘diplomats fear’ story The Ministry of the Presidency has questioned the veracity of a Guyana Times article headlined, ‘Diplomats express fears over Granger’s ulterior election motive’ and calls on the outlet to either provide the evidence of the claims made therein, or retract it immediately.

Further, the Ministry of the Presidency has called on the Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo who is quoted as making “these spurious claims in the article without providing any actual evidence or proof to be more responsible and honest in his public statements.”

According to the ministry

in the article published on Wednesday Jagdeo is quoted as saying; “I had discussions with people from the diplomatic community…

He (Granger) is raising a lot of concerns internationally about the elections.” The article, which is void of any evidence that any ‘real’ diplomat expressed such fears to Mr. Jagdeo, is a clear attempt to use a serious constitutional matter, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chairmanship, for malicious political theatre. The Ministry calls on all media outlets to seriously investigate the wild claims made by the Opposition Leader, who told members of the media, “we

have started doing work internationally to ensure that the election is free and fair… people see this in the international community as a strategy”, on the part of the Granger Government.

“The Ministry of the Presidency calls on the Opposition Leader to state which ‘diplomats’ ex pressed ‘fears’, when and to whom. If there is no evidence that diplomats expressed such ‘fears’ then the newspaper, if it is interested in operating as a credible and responsible source of news, which meets international journalistic standards, should retract the article.”

The Mayor and City Council has advised all those individuals who have leased lands and other facilities from the council to ensure that they settle their accounts for those leases with its City Treasury.

In a statement City Hall said a look at its register of leases revealed that many individuals who are occupying Council’s lands have not paid fees for many years, while others are using those portions for purposes other than the purpose for which they were leased. “In other cases, some reserves have been left to the mercies of stray animals and persons, who have veered off the normal side of society. Those who have not settled their accounts with the council for leases for which they were awarded have up to July 6, 2017 to come in and pay off all monies owing to

the council on those leases.”

According to the law, Municipal and District Councils Act, chapter 28:01, if rents or lease fees are owed to the council for any such lands for two months and beyond the Town Clerk must take possession of those lands and any crops or provisions thereon should be sold, the rent or fees or extracted and the surplus returned to the disposed. “Also, the council is contemplating a new approach that will allow Administration to rent instead of lease lands that are within its custody to those, who are desirous of utilising such lands for economic and related activities,” the City Hall release stated.

“It is the considered view of the council, that in these modern times, and its obligation to provide vital municipal services on an

Town Clerk, Royston King

extremely limited budget that this could help garner much needed revenue to allow it to fulfill its mandate to all local communities.

Inspectors from the City Engineer’s Department and officials from the Town Clerk’s Department have started to visit various areas to verify those individuals occupying council’s reserves and the purpose to which they have put such areas.”

Bosai mines causing pollution, flooding in Noitgedacht

By Vanessa Braithwaite RESIDENTS of the community of Noitgedacht, located in proximity to Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated (BMGG) bauxite mines are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to monitor the company’s operations on the dyke, where bauxite mines are located due to recent cases of flooding and pollution.

Speaking on behalf of the residents was Gavin-Greene Marshall, who has been a resident of Noitgedacht for many years and is currently experiencing terrible environmental issues which he claims are as a result of Bosai’s unregulated mining practices.

Marshall said that when it rains, the waste water and sludge from the dyke is drained into Noitgedacht because Bosai is not putting systems in place to have the waste material diverted or discarded in a proper manner. The drains in the community, the resident claims are blocked by the sludge and debris from the mines and the water is therefore backed up into the yards of residents, in addition to bauxite slush.

The situation has worsened during the May/June rains. “For whatever it is worth, I am paying my taxes, Bosai is making millions of dollars with good tax exemptions and therefore must be held responsible for bad environmental practices,” Marshall said. The distraught resident affirmed that the entire community is being affected, though the situation has been brought to the attention of the relevant authorities, including the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LMTC).

As a past employee of the bauxite company, he said that he can speak with authority on the matter since he was involved in mining for years. “The way they are operating the dyke, is contrary to how we operated the dyke years ago in Linmine.

I am an engineer, I worked with Linmine and I know it is not done correctly and we are at risk in Noitgedacht.”

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on the issue was Bosai’s Senior Technical Service Coordinator, Wainwright Bethune, who

One of the drains in Noitgedacht that was clogged with bauxite waste, thus allowing the area to be flooded

Bauxite residue that is washed into the home of a Noitgedacht resident every time it rains

is also the municipal constituency representative for Noitgedacht, who said that the situation was brought to his attention but denied that it is as a result of Bosai’s present operation.

Bethune explained that the

colour may be influenced

by Bosai’s operations and Bosai can assist in alleviating the issue. “I have seen the pictures from two or three residents………it is some residue of bauxite grime in the area and every

time it rains, the water will be discoloured but is not from the operation directly at the moment,” Bethune said. He promised to visit the area on Thursday with a team to ascertain the level of the damages caused.

10 10

GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew NewYork YorkEdition EditionWeek-ending Week-ending June June 30, 30, 2017 2017 Guyana

INVESTMENT FINANCE SYSTEM REVISITED "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

T

hree weeks ago we revisited five generic business systems and postulated that this perspective could be of great help in the management development process. The underlying pattern of these business systems is Structure, Security Life, Growth and Sustainability, which is the sequence that obtains in the evolution of the human species from which we can learn in the evolution of businesses.

Our only hope for sustaining projects that have the "DNA of an national economic growth, a neces- Elephant" (i.e. with potential to exsary condition for happiness in this port or to support export projects) world, is to allow the business de- but also to ensure that the mind-set velopment process to evolve from of the entrepreneur is well tuned and start-up, one successful business lubricated for the journey to busiafter another.

I promised to revisit these business systems in turn over the next several weeks. Two weeks ago, we began with the Corporate Governance business system, representing the structure, and concluded that "as a house is only as strong as its structure, so too a business is only as strong as the corporate governance system that underlies its operation.

Please recognize that enterprise development is the sector on which our future economies will be built and we should start our businesses with a Shepherd and a board meeting".

Today, we shall revisit the Investment Finance business system, representing the security which gives us confidence to proceed. The issues associated with investment finance are (1) the quality of the business and the entrepreneur's commitment; (2) the type of funding that is most appropriate for start-up businesses; (3) the effective man- ness success.

One of the first things on the agement of risk; and (4) an innovative concept of payment for services entrepreneur's mind is money and very often the entrepreneur is in rendered out of future profits.

We must do, due diligence on search of other persons' money the entrepreneur not only to find rather than trying to build a savings

‘GUM has no support... the Guyanese community is laughable. She is the divisive force in our community. She deliberately planned GUM’s events to clash with the same days of our celebration to try to shut us down, but failed.

She tried to sabotage our committee, but failed. Persons stole our sponsors list, email contact lists and cele-

bration strategy documents, which GUM used. Ms. Fraser herself ran a smear campaign against Mr. Burke. She called every elected official and community leader in Brooklyn to gossip about and smear Mr. Burke. She even crossed the line and called the Pastors and members of his church to smear him. There

From page 6

is not unifying about Ms. Fraser’s or GUM’s conduct.

It was shameful!

6. The article parroted GUM’s attack strategy that our committee is defunct.

This again demonstrates bias and an unprofessional lack of objectivity. A simple check on the New York Department of State’s website would ver-

— Psalm 46:1

account and invest his or her own money. This approach will result in very slow growth since the lack of access to money is frustrated by the perception of high risk and inhibits the development process.

We therefore have to be innovative and move away from the traditional loan concept which is not suitable for start-ups. We must introduce a quick response seed (a revolving and growth fund which can be innovatively rolled into equity)

and a quick response equity model (with a strong working capital component that is consistent with the cash flow uncertainty which is endemic to start-up enterprises). A deify that our committee is an active not for profit organization. This notwithstanding, it is amazing that our committee, which GUM alleges is “defunct,” mobilized over 10,000 Guyanese for our independence celebration on June 11, while less than 30 people attended GUM’s event on June 11.

7. The independence celebrations are over. The Guyanese people are not divided.

Dr. Basil Springer’s Column sign has been developed for the Barbados Entrepreneurs' seed/equity fund.

Shepherding using the ManOBiz™ Matrix as a shepherding tool is designed to reduce risk and hence provides protection to the investor. The value of shepherding has been discussed ad nauseam in this column but is really the key to success.

Finally, but quite innovatively, the concept of payment out of future profits may seem crazy given the traditional mind-set but in an innovative context it is doable and makes a lot of sense.

Start-up businesses have weak cash flows at the outset but if given the opportunity can grow quite quickly with the help of the entrepreneur, investor, marketer and the shepherd. Here, we encourage the entrepreneur to build a team where the funds taken out of the business for services rendered by the entrepreneur, investor, marketer and shepherd are commensurate with the cash flow growth of the business.

Let us engage the talent of the young leaders as it emerges, let us garner the experience of our elders before it fades into the sunset, and let us capture the energy of the youth as we innovate, remembering always that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help when in trouble.

(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is Change-Engine Consultant, Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust Inc. — CBET. His email address is basilgf57@gmail.com and his columns may be found at www.cbetmodel.org and www.nothingbeats business.com.)

99.99 % overwhelming rejected GUM and supported our committee. Ms. Fraser and GUM must cease their divisiveness and join our committee’s efforts to make our Guyanese heritage and identity indelible in New York. Our committee is focused on fostering unity and cohesion of the Guyanese community. We invite all Guyanese to join us. In light of the aforementioned, we

will be grateful if your newspaper can publish another correcting your article of June 23, to include all of the issues and clarification we have set out above.

Yours sincerely Nevlon Duguid Director of Communications Guyana Independence Anniversary celebration Committee (New York)

Guyana Edition Week-ending June 30,30, 2017 GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew NewYork York Edition Week-ending June 2017

11 11

Ease The Tension — Enjoy A Laugh DINING OUT

GUYANESE SALT FISH CAKES Ingredients: 1 lb salted cod fish, soaked overnight to remove salt 2 large potatos ½ medium onion, finely chopped scallions, finely chopped thyme, finely chopped (no stems) cilantro, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 wiri wiri pepper, finely chopped 1 egg Oil for frying Directions: 1. The thyme, garlic, cilantro and scallion can be replaced with 2 ½ tbsps green seasoning.

2. Peel the potatos, cut into cubes, place in a pot with cool water and then cook until soft.

3. Strain, then mash until there are no lumps.

4. Flake cod fish into fine bits. You can also pulse it a few times in a food processor to speed up the process.

5. Add codfish, mashed potato, egg, onion, scallion, thyme, cilantro, garlic, pepper in

a large bowl and mix to combine. Place a heaping spoonful of mixture into your palm and form a patty. Set aside, then repeat with the remaining mixture.

6. In a frying pan over medium low fire, place enough oil so that it’s approximately ½ inch deep. The oil should be enough to come up halfway the side of the salt fish cakes.

When oil is hot, add salt fish cakes and fry each side until golden brown. Remove from the oil and let drain on a plate lined with a paper towel. Serve warm. Yield: 10-12.

A man and woman were having dinner in a fine restaurant. Their waitress, taking another order at a table a few steps away, suddenly noticed that the man was slowly sliding down his chair and under the table, but the woman acted unconcerned.

The waitress watched as the man slid all the way down his chair and out of sight under the table.

Still, the woman dining across from him appeared calm and unruffled, apparently unaware that her dining companion had disappeared.

After the waitress finished taking the order, she came over to the table and said to the woman, “Pardon me, ma’am, but I think your husband just slid under the table.”

The woman calmly looked up at her and said, “No he didn’t. He just walked in the door.”

THE FLIGHT HOME

A distinguished looking young lady is on a flight returning from Switzerland. She finds herself seated next to a priest and asks “Excuse me father, may I ask a favor of you?” ”Well of course Miss, what can I do for you?” he replies.

IT’S A FACT

by JAMES SYDNEY

WHY DO PEOPLE SAY . . . AS DEAD AS A DODO?

T

he Dodo died, or rather became extinct, and no one noticed until it was featured in the popular children’s book ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ by Lewis Carroll. As the book became increasingly popular, people began using the expression: “As dead as a Dodo.”

The Dodo was known to exist in only one place in the entire world — Mauritius, a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean. First sighted there around 1598, the Dodo was extinct less than 80 years later.

When the Portuguese arrived in Mauritius in the early 1500s, the island was not inhabited by man.

Dodos, tame and unafraid, lived there in abundance. They had no predators and grew large in safety, weighing up to about 50 pounds each. It was so easy to catch the bird that the Portuguese called it Duodo, meaning “simpleton” or “fool.”

The DODO bird The Dodo was the size of a turkey cock. Its plumage was dark gray, with the breasts, and tufted tail yellowish white. The large, heavy, hooked bill was blackish. Its short thick legs were yellow. It lived in the forest and the female laid a single white egg in a mass of grass.

The Dodo was a flightless bird with paltry wings and a stubby tail.

Portuguese sailors first visited Mauritius in 1505, but the island remained uninhabited until 1638 when it was colonized by the Dutch, who became the first permanent settlers. The Dutch abandoned the island decades later, then the French were in control until Mauritius became a British possession in 1810.

It is possible that some of the birds may have been eaten by the Dutch sailors. However, the primary causes of their extinction seem to be the cutting off the Dodo’s food supply through the destruction of the forest and the destruction of the eggs and nests of the Dodo by the animals such as cats, rats, and pigs that the sailors brought with them It is not clear to what extent

“Here’s the dilemma, I purchased for myself, a superbly sophisticated electronic hair remover. I paid a lot of money for it. I really went well over the limits set forth by Customs, and I fear they will confiscate it from me. Could you perhaps pass it through Customs for me under your robes?”

“I certainly could my dear, only I must warn you I really am not ever able to lie...” ”You have such an honest face father, surely they will never ask any questions of you.” And with that she hands him the hair remover. After landing they proceed through Customs and it becomes the father’s turn in line. ”Father, do you have anything to declare?” asks the Custom’s officer. ”From the top of my head to my waist I have nothing to declare my son.”

Finding this answer a little strange the custom’s officer proceeds to ask, “And from the waist to the floor, what do you have to declare?”

The father replies, “I have a marvelous little instrument destined to be used on a woman, but which has never yet been used...”

Roaring with laughter the Custom’s officer says, “Go right through father.”

“Next!”

these birds were eaten by people, even though it has been claimed that Dodos were eaten as food during the long voyages between the Cape of Good Hope and Asia. The Portuguese were said to have found the birds hard to eat and very messy.

Dutch settlers called them a name meaning “disgusting bird” because they did not find the meat pleasant.

It is reported that the sailors who landed on Mauritius found the Dodo’s behavior clumsy and amusing.

A few birds were taken on tour around Europe. They were displayed in cages and were said to demonstrate how the Dodo could “eat” stones, as they seemed to do just that at times.

No complete specimens are preserved, although a number of museum collections contain Dodo skeletons.

When in October 2005, a mass grave of well-preserved Dodo remains was found in Mauritius by a Dutch-Mauritian research team, there was great excitement in the scientific world.

Scientists hope to learn more about the Dodo as time goes by. They will probably have something more to say about another expression one hears from time to time: “Dumb as a Dodo.”

12

Grief-stricken widow hangs self

– mere weeks after husband’s death THE TURKEYEN nursery school teacher who was found lying atop her dead husband in early June at their Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara apartment, reportedly took her own life early Monday morning.

Police Public Relations Officer,Jairam Ramlakhan told the Guyana Chronicle that Cindy Dawson’s lifeless body was found by one of her siblings hanging from an electrical cord at their parents’ Charity River Dam home on the Essequibo Coast, where she’d gone to recuperate after her husband died.

The gruesome discovery was reportedly made at around 05:00hrs by the 28-year-old woman’s brother, who told the police that when he retired to bed at about 23:00hrs on Sunday night, after watching television with his sister, he had no inkling it would be the last time he would see her alive.

He told the police that while his sister did not show any indication she was contemplating suicide, she was understandably depressed after losing her husband, Kevin Dawson, to typhoid and malaria.

The 35-year-old miner had died at the couple’s home after a prolonged illness, and

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

Woman shot as husband ‘cleans’ gun A 50-YEAR-OLD housewife of Bougainvillea Park, East Bank Demerara was shot to her abdomen when her husband’s licenced firearm accidentally went off early Monday morning in their home.

The incident occurred around 02:30hrs.

The woman is presently a patient at the Georgetown

Public Hospital Corporation, in a stable condition.

Police reported that it happened when the couple returned from an outing about 02:00hrs after which the victim went to the shower and on entering their bedroom she heard an explosion, followed by a burning sensation to her abdomen, which began to

bleed profusely.

The victim’s sixty-year old husband, who is a licensed holder of a handgun, alleged that he was clearing the weapon when it accidently went off and injured his wife, whom he rushed to the GPHC. He is in police custody assisting with the probe and his firearm is lodged.

Woman charged with issuing fake US notes

Kevin and Cindy Dawson in happier times

his disconsolate wife was found in a semi-conscious state, after she did not show up for work and calls to her cellphone went unanswered.

The discovery was made by the landlady who went to check on the couple after not seeing them for a few days.

Cindy Dawson was admitted to the GPHC for treatment and was later discharged.

Police opined that the man may have died between June 3 - 5, 2017, but a neigh-

bour put his death to closer to May 31, since that was the last day she’d heard him vomiting.

A post mortem confirmed that he’d died of typhoid and malaria.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that the couple had gotten married just last year; that the husband worked in the interior and would return home only for the August and Christmas holidays.

A 30-YEAR-OLD woman who allegedly defrauded a city businesswoman with fake US currency was on Monday charged before City Magistrate, Judy Latchman.

Shavon Davis Gillian was slapped with three charges in relation to the counterfeit money and was released on $300,000 bail after denying the charges.

Particulars of the first charge alleged that on June 21, 2017 at Georgetown, Gillian uttered six forged US $50 bills to Marcia Lowenfield.

It is further alleged that

on the same day Gillian obtained$60,000 from Lowenfield by pretending that the six US $50 bills she exchanged were genuine.

Gillian is also accused of having the six forged US $50 bills in her possession without lawful authority or excuse at her Lodge, Housing Scheme home.

According to the facts read in court by Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves, on June 21,2017 Gillian went to Lowenfield’s business place in Kingston, Georgetown and purchased a beer.

Gonsalves noted that Gillian then inquired from

the businesswoman if she would be willing to change US $900 into GYD dollars.

Lowenfield agreed to change US$300 and Gillian handed over six US $50 bill, which were counterfeit and unknown to the woman.

The businesswoman later discovered that the money was fake and reported the matter to the police.

The prosecutor made no objections to Gillian being released on bail and she was released on $100,000 bail on each of the three charges. Magistrate Latchman adjourned the matter until July 17.

City Hall owed over $6B A NUMBER of big companies and Georgetown residents owe rates and taxes to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) totaling more than $6B.

The M&CC said the non-payment of these taxes hinder the municipality from carrying out critical works in the city.

City Hall is working

through its attorneys to recover outstanding rates, saying that it has exhausted all other options to recover the outstanding sums, including encouraging defaulters to take full advantage of a special payment plan.

“Many property-owners continue to neglect to honour their civic-responsibility to pay their

rates. The Council wishes to remind property owners that there has been no valuation of properties in the city, for over 20 years.

Meanwhile, environmental, demographic, economic and other changes have increased the costs of municipal services and facilities for the Council,” City Hall said.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

13

Business Profile of the Month You say where, OG Shipping gets it there

T

here is a flurry of activity at 958 Rogers Avenue in Brooklyn as a container is being loaded with barrels, boxes, and packages to be shipped to destinations in the Caribbean. On this hot summer afternoon, Orin Henderson is personally involved in the operation.

He burst into action because some of his workers were on vacation. That’s the kind of dedication and commitment the owner of OG Shipping & Business Inc, puts into running his company to ensure all shipments are delivered on time.

Orin has been at the helm of a thriving shipping business since 2004.

He started with a truck, operating

By G Isaiah Chappelle

from his home. But after eight years problems developed between himself and neighbors because of the heavy traffic in moving shipments, so he moved the business to its present location on Rogers Avenue and he has been there for the past three years.

Orin Henderson was not always in shipping. He did many other things before settling into the shipping business.

He was born and grew up in Alberttown, Georgetown. He traversed the Garden City to attend Carmel Roman Catholic school in Charlestown, located in the southern part of Georgetown. He was an adept table tennis player. He later worked with the PNC bookstore, then with the New Nation newspaper. He was reg-

ularly at the Chronicle, the parent company of this newspaper, where the New Nation was printed.

When Henderson migrated to the United States in 1991, he was working in the lucrative gold mining industry, running the operations of Kay’s Diamonds.

“I got the opportunity to migrate and came to the USA on a non-resident visa,” Henderson relates.

The new immigrant worked in the trucking business. He worked part-time with Laparkan for three years before getting a full time job with them in1994. He, also, had a stint with Caribbean Cargo. In those years, he was exposed to all aspects of the industry and met a lot of people in the shipping industry. So based on that background, one of the truck owners advised him to start his own shipping operation and he took his advice.

Today, OG Shipping & Business Inc. handles about 200 barrels a

OG SHIPPING AT 953 ROGERS AVENUE IN BROOKLYN.

month. The company also ships boxes, No item is too big or too small for the company which also ships cars, boats, furniture, etc. “You name it, we ship it,” Henderson says.

Six regular staff keep the operation moving, along with two non-regular workers who mainly assist with loading the shipping containers.

Shipments go to destinations all over the Caribbean, but Guyanese in the Diaspora are the main customers, followed by Trinidadians. There is an office in Georgetown at 7 Public Road in La Penitence, CEO ORIN HENDERSON AT WORK where all the paper work is done before the customer goes to the he retires and passes on the business wharf to uplift their cargo. To satisfy to the children. He’s been married for the needs of the customers, the busi- ten years, and has children, in the ness is open Monday to Saturday. USA and Guyana. He has no regrets “But the Christmas season which is in taking up residence in the USA. “When you come to the United the busiest time we work seven days States, you live by the rules of the a week,” Henderson said.

Henderson is aiming to expand United States,” Henderson advises. the business, and is at present, looking “The shipping industry has been chalfor a more spacious building, if all lenging, but you have to ensure you goes well, he is hoping to move by next year. Orin is renting at present but will purchase the bigger building.

Cargo of every size is tucked in every corner of the present office, ready to be shipped to destinations as far as Linden in Guyana.

“The business started to develop and progress, mainly because of the trust people have in me, and I started to expand,” Henderson explains. So when the work force is short, he steps in to get the work SECRETARY DAWN ADAMS AT WORK done.

“When workers are out, I do it put things in place. I wanted to step up my game in the shipping busimyself,” Henderson declares.

The shipping business is not as ness.”

Orin Henderson believes in lucrative as long ago due to stiff comorder for your business to grow, you petition arising from several shipping companies springing up, some regu- have to let people know, where your lated and others not regulated. Many business is located, how they can get of the unregulated ones have been in contact with your business and the dropping prices as low as $50 to ship services your business has to offer . . a barrel, severely cutting the profits. . that is why he advertises in this and However, OG Shipping & Business other newspapers.

The company’s motto is: “YOU Inc. is regulated and bonded.

After more than a quarter cen- SAY WHERE, WE GET IT tury of living in the USA and now the THERE.” Henderson says the most satisfyowner of a thriving business, Orin ing aspect of working in the shipping Henderson’s heart is still in the country of his birth. He maintains a home industry is, “It keeps me busy,” in Guyana and visits three times a year. He hopes to re-settle there when

CHECK OUT OG SHIPPING ADVERTISEMENT ON

14

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

PSC pledges support to Linden economic ventures MEMBERS of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) during a recent visit to the mining town of Linden, pledged to support the Linden Chamber of Commerce (LCC) in achieving the goals which will allow the community to become a sustainable and economic viable town.

The members included businessman Gerry Gouveia who met with the Linden Chamber of Commerce and other important stake holders, such as the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN), Mayor and Town Council (MTC), Bosai Minerals Incorporated along with several business in Linden. The meeting focused on how the town can position itself to benefit from the

economic wealth that can be garnered from the imminent construction of the Linden to Lethem road.

Gouveia said that the PSC will render all the needed assistance to the LCC and other stake holders, but posited that the secret lies in more collaboration. He urged them to establish a committee including representatives from the LCC, LEN, MTC, RDC and Police, as well as other major stake holders, and to hold a monthly statutory meeting which will enable them to discuss pertinent issues while bringing solutions. Gouveia said that the Private Sector in Linden needs to position itself and be more organised, so that the Government does not have the power to

make all the decisions within the town since bureaucracy at times hampers progress.

Gouveia also urged the stakeholders to remain positive and optimistic as this spirit will permeate across the town. “Nothing is impossible, if you got an idea, get it done …as businessmen, no one will give you anything, you have to earn it,” Gouveia said.

The established businessman made mentioned of Linden’s tourism potential and how the industry can create scores of jobs for Linden youths. Gouveia alluded to the beauty of the Demerara River that runs through Linden and how that river can be used to generate revenue through organised

PSC members and representatives of Linden during their meeting

tours, boat rides etc. He gave many anecdotes of how he emerged from a poor youth growing up in the community of Lodge to a successful businessman and the secret of gaining such successes. “I am a living example of how talk turned into action.”

President of the LCC, Kevin Deyounge also encouraged the stakeholders to collaborate and to unite more for greater progress as they are currently working in isolation. “We need to understand it is not about sitting down and waiting,

yes Mr. Gouveia is going to come and assist but he is not coming to fetch Linden Chamber of Commerce, he is coming to assist, we have to pull our weight and try to move forward ourselves,” Deyounge urged.

Chairman of LEN, Klensille Grenville also alluded to collaboration and more action as Linden is in dire need of stronger heads to take to the wheel at a time when wealth is approaching. He said that it is time for the rhetoric to end and action to be-

gin, as the current attitude to the major stake holders has sapped the will of the people. He said. “ we need to be more involved and that is where we are lacking…if we don’t come together as a people and really don’t sanction our authority, nothing will happen.” Mayor of Linden, Carwyn Holland said that he is happy that the PSC has responded positively to Linden’s trajectory and that he has accepted all of the advice on how to materialise same.

Bandits force engineer to make withdrawal at ATM A MAN sitting on the seawall Monday night at Ogle, East Coast Demerara relaxing, was robbed by three armed bandits who also bundled him in his car and took him to a Robb Street ATM to withdraw cash.

Reports indicate that the aircraft engineer was robbed of $60,000 cash and one Samsung cell phone. He was at the time sitting on the seawall at 22:00hrs when the

men approached him with a gun pointed in his direction.

The engineer then handed over 20,000 in cash that he had in his possession, along with his cell phone, but the bandits demanded more.

He was then taken to his vehicle PVV 17 32, where he was restrained in the back seat while the men drove to a Robb Street ATM. One of the bandits then exited

the vehicle and visited the ATM where a withdrawal of $40,000 was done using the engineer’s bank card.

The bandits then used the vehicle with the engineer inside to go on a joy ride, later abandoning the vehicle with the victim at Regent and Cummings Streets, Georgetown. The matter was reported to the police on Tuesday and investigations continue.

Pumps in operation Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

– as authorities battle floods caused by persistent rain SEVERAL East Coast Demerara (ECD) villages were under water on Saturday and the authorities are urging residents across the country to take precautionary measures as efforts to alleviate flooding continue.

Persistent rainfall over the past several days have

resulted in an inundation of low–lying areas across the coastland, and on Saturday, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, led a team of engineers, government officials, and media operatives on a visit to the communities of Buxton, Vigilance and connecting villages on the ECD in

response to recent heavy rainfalls that have left many homes flooded.

Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, who was present, provided critical updates on the works being undertaken by his ministry, through the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).

Frederick Flatts noted

that most of the 58 pumps across the coastland were in operation. According to a release from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, a pump would be relocated from the village of Strathspey to Ogle in order to provide relief to residents in Atlanticville, the University of Guyana (UG) area, and Cummings Lodge.

Floodwaters at the Buxton Sideline Dam on the East Coast of Demerara on Saturday

15

“So, by midnight tonight, they [the residents] should start to have some relief,” Minister Patterson said.

Minister Patterson told the media that he has requested the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to revisit the area in the coming days to address the concerns of residents. He added that several interventions will be taken by the Government of Guyana (GoG) over time, while more immediate efforts will be undertaken to provide relief to the residents. These include the distribution of care packs containing sanitation items, to ensure the welfare of residents is addressed.

“We do empathise with the persons who are under water at the moment, and we’ve asked them to take precautions for the next three days because the weather forecast does say that we will have rain,” Patterson said.

According to him, the authorities including the NDIA and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) will work its utmost to alleviate the situation.

During the Buxton visit, this newspaper observed that the floodwaters were high in certain areas, including several yards near the Buxton Sideline Dam. Villager,

Michael Todd, related that his yard has been under water since Thursday resulting in his entire garden where he plants vegetables being destroyed . He said that the koker near his yard is utilised for channeling the water out of the area but pointed out that the structure has been covered with water since Friday morning.

Along the Church of God road in Buxton, several yards were also flooded and persons there noted that the water level is expected to remain high until the rains eases.

At Stratsphey, several homes which are built on the government reserve were also affected by the floodwaters. The homes were built beyond a canal which is used

by GuySuCo for drainage and irrigation purposes.

Several communities along the lower ECD, including Success and Better Hope were also under water when the team visited on Saturday.

According to the Hydromet Department, over the next three days, cloudy to overcast conditionswith isolated thunderstorms and intermittent rainfall is forecasted. In addition, inland and coastal areas can expect 20 to 80 millimeters of rainfall.

A resident of Buxton wades through the waters near the railway line embankment on Saturday

Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder and National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Frederick Flatts inspect the pump in Buxton in operation (DPI/GINA photo)

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson (left) listens to the concerns of an affected resident of Vigilance, during a tour of the area on Saturday

16

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

Big drop in world market prices for sugar THE Guyana Sugar Corporation has said that over the past six months the World Market price for sugar has dropped significantly with a range of US$ 250 - 275 per tonne, which is in the vicinity of 12.5 cents per pound (c/lb).

Today 28 June, 2017, the price is US 12.66 cents per pound. In a statement GuySuCo said it supplies annually, 65,000 tonnes of bagged and packaged sugar to Caribbean and local markets. Another 12,000 tonnes of raw sugar is supplied to the North American market while the remainder which is also raw sugar, is sold on the European market. The supply to Europe for the Second Crop 2017 will total some 70,000 tonnes.

“The current forecast is that there will be a surplus of sugar on the World Market for the marketing year 2017/2018. In addition, from 1st October 2017, the European Union (EU) market will also see some radical

changes since it is anticipated that significant additional amounts of beet sugar will be available for sale and this will compete directly with cane sugar. This may result in reduced sugar prices in Europe. Due to the competition with beet producers, the price paid by the refiners for raw cane sugar (as supplied

by GuySuCo) will be more in line with the World Market Price, which currently is trading at US$275 per tonne and the forecast is that it will not increase significantly in the near future . The price at the commencement of the year was US$396 per tonne.”

According to the sugar company, the anticipated lower prices for the sugar sold will not assist the Corporation’s fragile financial position and poor liquidity will continue to pose a serious challenge in the upcoming Second Crop. “The Corporation is therefore encouraging its employees, particularly harvesters and

planters, to turn out and assist their estates to harvest all canes in the cultivations and maximize on sugar production. Sugar-dependent communities are also urged to support the Corporation’s outreach drive to increase attendance on all estates for the Second Crop which starts mid-July.”

“We have a serious problem when it comes to that. We are about to start the second crop in the middle of July and attendance is a serious issue,” GuySuCo’s Communication Director,

Audreyanna Thomas, told the Guyana Chronicle Tuesday. Thomas alluded to the company’s agriculture department which she said has the largest capacity of employees with the highest level of absenteeism, particularly among planters and harvesters. These workers are described as being extremely important assets to the company, since according to the communications director, if planters do not plant cane, then there is no money to be gained and if they do not plant enough and

harvesters don’t attend work to reap, then there is less money to be gained.

This directly affects sugar-dependent communities, since they rely heavily on the activities of the sugar company for their economic gains. Thomas explained that while workers’ attendance has been an issue for GuySuCo for many years, the company’s current aim is to ensure the communities understand the damage that is done to the collective when the company cannot perform because of absenteeism.

In an effort to save the crop, GuySuCo has thus organized a number of outreaches in mainly sugar estate-based communities to implore not only workers, but key village personage and other stakeholders to assist in maintaining the operations that directly benefit the community.

GuySuCo’s public statement said that engagements will be held with stake-

holders at Wales, Uitvlugt, Enmore, Albion, Rose Hall, Skeldon, among others. The outreaches will commence this Thursday, June 29 and end July 6.

The focus of these meetings will be on ‘The Role of Communities in Improving Attendance on Estates for the Second Crop 2017’.

GuySuCo said it wants to mobilise cane harvesters, planters and cane transport operators, their families and communities around the importance of improving attendance at all estates in order to sustain the industry. The company said it wants employees to turn out to work to ensure that the canes are harvested within the crop.

Government’s intention to restructure and downsize the financially strapped state company saw strikes at various estates. GuySuCo had mentioned that during the first crop at Rose Hall, for instance, the sugar company lost $17m in revenue in one day when workers engaged in strike action which left unattended cane to spoil.

The workers in turn lost some $7m in wages.

GuySuCo has called out the Guyana Agriculture Workers’ Union (GAWU) for encouraging strike action that results in both workers and the industry losing millions of dollars respectively.

Amidst the communication on the second crop, Thomas said, the company hopes to clarify any other industry-related questions and concerns stakeholders may have, based on the future of the sugar company.

She indicated that there are areas of misinformation and untruths fed to workers that must be clarified.

Thomas highlighted that absenteeism is one reason that could be highlighted in the company’s decisions to merge some estates. She pointed out, for example, that this is one reason why Wales’ workers are being asked to go over to Uitvlugt, “to boost operations by bridging that gap and improving production there.”

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017 GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, June 27, 2017

17 5

Bishops’ girl takes coveted title --in keenly contested Miss World Guyana 2017 pageant

By Tamica Garnett

ma-Waini), cleared the “Talent Award”, which was based on the competition held two Fridays ago at the Tower Suites.

A singer, Wright gave Sunday night’s audience a display of her musical capabilities when she sang Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” to the top five delegates.

The Top Model award was the final segment to be contested, and was the only one contested on Coronation Night, since, as customary, 80% of the competition was already completed prior to the final on pageant night.

The Top Model segment accounted for only 20%, while the other segments that the young ladies competed in, and already completed prior to coronation night were: The sports, which went for 5% of the score; the multimedia presentation went for 15%; one-on-one interviews went for 20%; talent 10%; and the beauty with a purpose was for 30%.

Not understanding how the scoring system worked, even though co-host Gerard explained it earlier in the evening, a few patrons of the pageant were somewhat baffled after Mookram was announced the winner.

Believing that like other pageants, the girls were being judged based on the final question, whereas in actuality no points were going to the question and answer segment at the end of the pageant.

Host Joel Ghansham also stole the show too, after he announced the winner ahead of franchise holder Natasha Holder, who was on stage to do just that.

For the most part, most the top five young ladies breezed through the question, but of course that was expected since it was pretty elementary, asking each girl “Why should you be the next Miss World Guyana?”

“I believe that I should be the next Miss World Guyana because I possess all the qualities necessary to be a successful queen: Ambitious, hardworking attributes to complete my goals. With these qualities, I believe I can be a remarkable ambassador to represent my country on the international stage, while not only fighting to promote my Beauty With A Purpose Project but the entire Miss World Guyana Organisation. In closing, I am a woman of

substance, a confident young lady who believes she can win this crown and bring Guyana a successful victory come this November in China,” was how Mookram dealt with that question.

And in the end, she was adjudged the most all rounded of them all.

An excited Miss World Guyana 2017 Vena Mookram is crowned by last year’s queen Nuriyyih Gerard as first The MissManisha World Guyana 2017 top are, from left: The winner Mookram;was Hemwantie Seodat; Topat Princess Wong (right) andfive second Princess Arieleventual Ghanie look on.Vena The pageant held Saturday night Model, Ariel Ghanie; Sports and Fitness winner, Manisha the Marriott Hotel (Samuel Maughn Wong, photo)and Nitifah Thompson

Top Model, Ariel Ghanie during her award-winning strut (Photos by Samuel Maughn)

AFTER being declared winner of the Photogenic Award, the GTT People’s Choice Award and the Multimedia Award, 18-year- old former Bishops’ High student, Vena Mookram was officially declared Miss World Guyana 2017 when the pageant concluded late Sunday night at the Marriott Hotel.

The daughter of Vic and Sharda Mookram of the trendy East Bank fast-food joint, M & M Snackette, Mookram was moved to tears when what she’d done really sank in.

“I really didn’t expect it, but I was absolutely amazed.

I’m so happy, and I’m so grateful that I will be representing Guyana. I knew that I deserved to win because I worked really hard and I’m just so proud of myself tonight. I was nervous, but I was more excited than I was nervous,” Mookram said.

Standing tall in her evening gown, “The Golden Pheasant” designed by local boy Quinton Pearson, Mookram was crowned by outgoing queen, Nuriyyih Gerard, and will now represent Guyana at the international Miss World pageant later this year.

Mookram, who only this year concluded writing her Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), represented Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), prevailing over crowd favourite Manisha Wong, who finished in the First Princess position, and local model, Ariel Ghanie in the Second Princess position.

To their credit, Wong, who represented Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), won the Sports and Fitness Award, while naturally, Ghanie, representing Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), strutted away with the Top Model award.

Also making the top five were Hemwantie Seodat and Nitifah Thompson who represented Regions Three and Ten respectively. Seodat claimed the pageant’s “Beauty With A Purpose” award for her advocacy on education for underprivileged children.

Delisha Wright, representing Region One (Bari-

The queen, Vena Mookram, displaying her hardware

18 18

Emphasis on Real Estate, Taxes and Business

E

The Edgar Henry Column

very reasonable homeowner wants the best possible price and terms for their. Several factors, including market conditions and interest rates, will determine how much you can get for your home today. The idea is to get the maximum price and the best terms when your home is being marketed.

In other words, home selling is part science, part marketing, part negotiation and part art. Unlike math where 2 + 2 always equals 4, in real estate there are no certain conclusions. All transactions are different, and because of this, you should do as much as possible to prepare your home for a valuation of sale.

All homes have a price, and sometimes more than one. There's the price owners would like to get, the value buyers would like to offer and a point of agreement which can result in a sale.

Your home's market value is an important factor in a long list of financial decisions, including selling the home, refinancing your mortgage, borrowing against your equity, estimating your annual property tax bill, buying homeowner's insurance, calculating the expected return on remodeling costs, managing your other investments, estate planning and so on. The prudent thing to do is to figure out how much your home is worth, remembering that how much you paid for it months or years ago isn't relevant to its current market value. It's not a bad idea to gather information from several sources and then compare the findings, rather than relying on just one approach to home valuation.

GET ESTIMATES Even if you're not planning to sell your home right away, many real estate brokers will be willing to prepare a Comparable Mar-

ket Analysis (CMA) with the ultimate goal of getting your business whenever you decide to sell. A CMA shows the prices of recently sold homes that are comparable to yours and the prices of comparable homes on the market. A market-savvy realtor can give you a rough idea of what your home would be worth, given its size and condition and local market trends.

APPOINT A PROFESSIONAL APPRAISAL Unlike a CMA, a professional appraisal is rarely free. However, the dollars you'll pay for an appraisal, depending on size of your home and the complexity of the work, could be money well spent if you're making a major financial decision that hinges on the value of your home. Appraisers rely on an inperson inspection of your home, recent sales of comparable homes and other data to arrive at an opinion of value. The appraiser's report is a full-blown description of your home and the criteria used to formulate the valuation.

Guyana GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew New York York Edition Edition Week-ending Week-ending June June 30, 30, 2017 2017

HOW MUCH IS YOUR HOME REALLY WORTH? VISIT NEIGHBORHOOD OPEN HOUSES Open houses are a good opportunity to view comparable homes for sale in your neighborhood and talk with real estate professionals about the local real estate market.

It's not easy to be objective about your own home and you shouldn't assume that the listing price on a for-sale signage necessarily reflects the home's true market value. If you keep those points in mind, information gathered at open houses can be worth considering along with data from other sources.

DO RESEARCH ONLINE A number of websites offer home valuation information free and others for a fee.

The free service at iOwn.com, displays sales, prices of comparable nearby homes and market activity data within a three minute time frame. Dataquick.com charges around $30 for a full home valuation estimate, while Appraisal-net.com offers a comparable sales report for a nominal fee. VirtualRealEstate Store.com will send a free home price analysis to your e-mail address within 72 hours or you can pay for an immediate reply.

Price per square foot is a time-honored method of real estate valuation and not a bad rule of thumb. However, it doesn't account for a choice location, a move-in-ready home

(turn-Key) or personal criteria and you should factor in how the property was measured and whether the square footage includes the garage or other detached buildings on the property.

HOME VALUE FACTORS The value of your home relates to local sale prices. This same home, if located elsewhere would probably have a different value.

Sale prices are a product of supply and demand. If you live in a community with an expanding job base, a growing population and a limited housing supply, it's likely that prices will rise. Alternatively, it's important to be realistic. If the local community is losing jobs and people are moving out, then you'll likely have a buyer's market. Owner needs can impact sale values. Sale prices are not the entire deal.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? Because all transactions are unique there is flexibility in the marketplace. The amount of flexibility depends on local conditions. Imagine you live in a community of Brown Stone style homes, most of which were built in the 1920s. All these homes are different in terms of size, condition, modernization, style and features. In such a neighborhood, an average sale price is just a statistic without much practical meaning. On a single block one home may sell for $800,000 while another is priced at more than $1 million. The average price may be outrageously high for one home and staggeringly low for another.

WHO CAN HELP? Experienced real estate brokers that are active in the local marketplace can provide assistance with pricing, marketing, negotiation and closing. Since they have handled many transactions, they're familiar with the terms and conditions that went into actual individual sales, not just published sale prices, which may not reflect various premiums, discounts and adjustments. Gather information from several sources and compare the findings rather than rely on just one approach to home valuation. Not because you are selling translates to over beautifying your house thinking that it would change the price is a wrong concept. Remember your idea of beautifying may be contrary to what the potential buyer has in mind. For all you know let’s say you beautify your kitchen and spend about $5,000 according to your standards, the new buyer may condemn the entire kitchen and rebuild it to his or her own taste and fancy. It would be tantamount to throwing away $5,000.

“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

Best Advice Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

19

President says Government taking time with petroleum sector THE Government of Guyana is receiving the best advice on the evolving petroleum sector and negotiations are undertaken “above board.”

This is according to President David Granger, who noted on last week’s edition of the weekly televised programme “The Public’s Interest,” that the recommendations made so far to Cabinet are reasonable.

President Granger was at the time responding to queries on whether the government has systems in place to ensure the country is not cheated.

Noting that moves in the sector are in the interest of best practices, he said that the government was “taking its time” regarding its preparations as the sector develops. He singled out advice the government has been receiving from several

entities, including the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) , the Canadians on the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) as well as his Petroleum Advisor .

As regards queries on Exxon in which it was noted that the American oil giant has not honoured court outcomes in other jurisdictions, he said that for a corporation the size of Exxon, “it would not do itself any good to have dealings

or negotiations which are subjected to international scrutiny.”

The President said that all negotiations with parties on the sector, including Exxon and other oil companies, are being undertaken above board.

He said, “We are getting the best advice on the negotiations” and according to him, “when those are about to be completed, they will be put before Cabinet “as

well as the National Assembly.

Recently, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan reported at a forum on oil and gas , that the Ministry of Finance is currently finalising the draft legislation to govern the establishment and operation of a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF).

Minister Jordan stated that the Finance Ministry has received extensive feedback and comments on

the draft document, and an in-house team is examining the feedback with a view to revising the draft SWF provided by the Commonwealth Secretariat.

He said that the main purpose of the Sovereign Wealth Fund is to safeguard against the resource curse, to improve future generational wealth, to achieve fiscal sustainability and increase the country’s national savings.

Australian firm to set up lithium mines …discovers rare earths in commercial quantities

By Svetlana Marshall GREENPOWER Energy, an Australian company that confirmed the existence of lithium in Guyana, is gearing up to commence phase two of its Morabisi Lithium and Tantalum Project, even as it eyes the establishment of Lithium mines here.

In April, Greenpower Energy (ASX:GPP) received results of up to 1.04% lithium from a rock chip sampling programme at its Morabisi Lithium and Tantalum Project here. The project is located within a mineral-rich greenstone belt located within the Turesi Ridge area.

On Tuesday, Greenpower Energy Executive Chairman Gerard King, AEFS Consultant to Greenpower Energy John Watts and Leandro Pires of Guyana Strategic Metals met with Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, at her Kingston office.

Shortly after that meeting, King told the Guyana Chronicle that results from the first phase of the project, which was conducted in March and April, 2017, showed promising results. “It not only confirmed that there is lithium in the area, but we found something that we were not even looking for – rare earths.”

In addition to Lithium, 17 different elements considered to be rare earths were discovered, many of which have commercial value.

As such, the executive chairman said the Australian company is awaiting the start

Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes, shaking hands with Greenpower Energy Executive Chairman Gerard King, in the presence of AEFS Consultant to Greenpower Energy John Watts (left) and Leandro Pires of Guyana Strategic Metals (right)

of the dry season to initiate the second phase of the project – an initiative estimated to cost US$1M upon its completion at the end of the year.

“What we found was very encouraging, so what we will do is, go forward and measure the quantity,” King said.

The second phase includes an airborne geophysical survey to assist in identifying additional areas that may host pegmatites similar to the Turesi Ridge area. The lithium mineral has been provisionally identified from field inspection as a pale green variety of spodumene, hiddenite.

The assay results received to date, in addition to the identification of spodumene, confirm that the area has the potential to host a significant lithium deposit. The company has exclusive rights to earn up to a 74% interest in the project and is fully funded for all earn-

in stages.

Watts said the second phase is critical. “We know the lithium is there, we know the rare earth is there in two separate areas, so we now have to quantify, so this is the next stage -- the start of the quantification,” the Greenpower Energy Consultant said.

The company is hoping to initiate this phase by July.

Based on its findings at the end of 2017, Watts said the company will conduct a feasibility study into the establishment of a lithium mine here.

“If everything is good at the end of the second phase, then we start looking into the feasibility studies to put either the Lithium or rare earth into production,” he said.

Watts added, “the best way is the cheapest, most economic, most socially acceptable and environmentally friendly.”

Pires has been playing a

critical part in the project. He is part of the company Guyana Strategic Metals (GSM) which has been executing the project on the ground. GSM is a private Canadian company established by a group of min-

ing professionals with significant Guyanese experience and in-country expertise.

Over the past two and a half years, GSM has undertaken a substantial amount of work in terms of identi-

fying areas within Guyana which are prospective for lithium and tantalum (including compiling, interpreting and undertaking desktop work in relation to historical information).

20 16

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June SUNDAY CHRONICLE June30, 25, 2017 2017

Power company eyes big profits –– gov’t expected to save millions of dollars when contract ends in 2019

By Svetlana Marshall

POWER Producers and Distribution Incorporated (PPDI) is expected to earn between US$2.7M and US$3.9M in profits when its three-year contract with the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) ends in 2019.

With this forecast, the government is expected to save millions of dollars had it still been utilising the services of Finnish company Wärtsilä.

With effect from January 1, 2017, PPDI took over the operations of Wärtsilä, which had been offering operational and maintenance services to GPL since 1994.

At an extremely cheaper rate, PPDI – a self-sufficient, Guyanese-run company – has been offering the same services to GPL, and is expected to save the Government in excess of US$2M annually.

PPDI is generating the electricity, while GPL is responsible for distribution.

In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, PPDI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arron Fraser explained that the new power company is charging GPL a fixed rate

of US$16.87 per megawatt of electricity – US$3.64 less than the fee (US$20.51) Wärtsilä’s had proposed for 2017.

With an estimated production of 650, 000 megawatts of electricity per year, GPL is expected to pay PPDI some US$10.9M or approximately GUY$2.3B per annum, saving GPL US$2.4M. Fraser explained that under Wärtsilä, GPL would have had to pay US$13.3M for 2017.

With an average yearly expenditure of US$9.6M to US$10M, the PPDI CEO said the company’s return is set way below Wärtsilä’s benchmark.

“Overall we are looking at a margin of just about 8-12 per cent return on revenues. It is a lot less than what our competitor (Wärtsilä) would have gotten,” Fraser explained, while noting that PPDI’s lower bound is set at US$2.7M and upper bound, US$3.9M over the three-year period.

NO OUTSOURCING Asked how PPDI is able to produce power at a far cheaper rate than Wärtsilä and still make a

profit, the CEO said the fully staffed company is able to save due to the fact that it has the ability to perform its own overhauls, and as such, there is no need for outsourcing.

Another factor, he said, is the profit margin set by PPDI. “Our returns are much lower than what Wärtsilä wanted. We just ask for 8-12 per cent return, and that is significantly less than what Wärtsilä would have set as a benchmark, so therein lies another factor that allows us to charge a cheaper price.”

It was noted too that PPDI’s budget would fluctuate on the basis of its output.

“The fluctuation is strongly correlated to the amount of maintenances that we do… so for instance, this year we are scheduled to have nine major overhauls, so our expenses this year are going to be just around US$8M. But come next year when we have 13 major overhauls, our expenses are going to be a little higher than that,” Fraser further explained.

Questioned as to whether there was any need for the Government

to inject funds into the company during its initial operation following the exit of Wärtsilä, Fraser responded in the negative.

NO SUBVENTION He said based on the company’s current financial outlook, there will be no need for government subventions, since the company has the ability to meet all of its operational needs.

“We are self-sufficient, and there is no need for any injection from the State,” the CEO stated.

He further added that “in the current arrangement, GPL owns the four power plants” located at Kingston, Vreed-en-Hoop and Garden of Eden, and PPDI manages the operations and maintenance of these plants.

“They pay a rate which is essentially tied to the amount of megawatts we produce… and the revenue generated is used to run the business. In that regard, there was no need for any start-up capital,” said Fraser.

PPDI has a staff size of 135 persons, 90 of whom are technical people. It is headed by a CEO followed by three Deputy CEOs –

This Kingston Power Plant is among the plants managed by the Power Producers and Distribution Inc

PPDI CEO Arron Fraser Finance and Accounting, appointment to the post of Technical, Administration. CEO of PPDI served as the There are also five head of the Wärtsilä Commiddle managers – one pany in Guyana for eight managing each of the four years and nine years before power plants and the fifth that as head of finance for manager oversees the op- the same company. He has erations of the workshop. a total of 17 years of senior Additionally, each plant management experience unis staffed by four shifts of der his belt, and is confident four persons. that his team will be able to deliver under his watch.

EXPERIENCED STAFF “So I have no doubt According to Fraser, that the people who stayed his staff has the requisite with PPDI, who were in experience needed to fulfil Wärtsilä’s employ have the mandate of the compa- the capabilities, they have ny, due to the simple fact the experience and they that many of them played still have the drive. So the critical roles in building answer to the question is the local Wärtsilä oper- yes, we have the technical ations. capability.

“When Wärtsilä came to “I am surrounded Guyana and signed a con- by an excellent team, a tract with GPL, they had no hard-working team with prior experience in operat- really good work ethics. ing and maintaining plants. We truly run a 24-hour Luckily from day one, the operation so it is not becompany in Guyana was yond any of us to come to always run by Guyanese, so the plant at three in the that the experiences of oper- morning to do what is reating and maintaining plants quired. So with a culture originated in Guyana. Guy- like that it is less pressure anese did so well, so much on me personally, because so that some of us were everyone in the organisatransferred to the Caribbean tion understands and apand wider Latin America, preciates their function,” some got even as far as Fin- Fraser added. PPDI is land,” he explained. overlooked by a board Fraser, who prior to his chaired by Mark Bender.

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

New York Chronicle Horoscope

21

CROSSWORD CROSSWORD

ISSUE 55 CROSSWORD ANSWER

ARIES (Mar. 21 - April 20) You can meet interesting new friends if you join worthwhile groups. You need some excitement in your life, and meeting new people in exotic destinations will certainly satisfy your desires. Use your innovative mind to surprise youngsters. You need some rest. Your lucky day next week will be Friday.

TAURUS (Apr. 21- May 21) People who try to persuade you to do things their way will annoy you. Opportunities to meet new lovers will I come through pleasure trips or social events. Positive changes regarding your personal status are evident. Too much work and no play will not only result in fatigue and frustration but also loneliness, too. Your lucky day next week will be Saturday.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Don’t let domestic problems interfere with your objectives. Be prepared to make compensations and adjustments. Travel opportunities should be your first choice. Changes regarding your career direction will payoff handsomely. Your lucky day next week will be Saturday.

CANCER (June 2 - July 22) You will do best to entertain those you wish to close deals with. Your lover may not under stand your needs so you must figure out a way to communicate them. Travel will be favorable. Your own small business on the side could ease your financial stress. Your lucky day next week will be Tuesday.

LEO (July 23 - Aug 22) Trips will be enjoyable, and communication with your lover will clear up any misconceptions. You should be doing something special with children.

Your fickle nature may cause jealousy. Get out and enjoy some entertainment.

Your lucky day next week will be Saturday.

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sept. 23) Beware of someone who is trying to make you look bad. Don’t spend too much in order to impress others. You may have problems with those you live with. Be ready to explain your actions. Your lucky day next week will be Wednesday.

LIBRA (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23) You can make drastic changes in your professional direction this week. Trying to deal with your mate will be unproductive and possibly hurtful. Changes in your home will be positive. You may find yourself in the limelight for the wrong reasons. Your lucky day next week will be Sunday.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) Pamper yourself for a change. Beware of colleagues who don’t have your best interests in mind. You can meet potential new mates if you socialize with friends. Your need to obtain additional details will lead you into strange topics of conversation. Your lucky day next week will be Saturday.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23 - Dec. 21) You may find that your generosity has been taken for granted. Good friends will give you honest answers. You can make alterations to your appearance that everyone will admire. You need to make your lover feel wanted, not like a piece of the furniture. Your lucky day next week will be Friday.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Don’t jump too quickly if someone tries to make you join in on their crusade. You may find that your mate is well aware of the circumstances. You will have difficulties spreading yourself between your work and your home. Don’t try to twist things around so that they sound more enticing. Your lucky day next week will be Wednesday.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19) Your lover may feel rejected. Travel should be on your mind. Don’t let criticism upset you. Hassles will delay your plans. Your loved ones could set you off. Your lucky day next week will be Thursday.

PISCES (Feb. 20 - Mar. 20) Direct your energy wisely this week. Anger will prevail if you expect help from others. You’ll find it easy to charm members of the opposite sex this week. Unexpected bills may set you back. Be careful not to exaggerate when interacting with your lover. Your lucky day next week will be Friday.

5. From __ Z (2 wds.)

6. Fragment 7. Brogans 8. ___ alai 9. Frequently, to a bard 10. Pig’s abode 12. Blister sites 35. Sell’s opposite 17. Stadium sounds 36. Dutch cheese 19. Ump’s call 38. Students 40. Mister (Sp.) 21. Olympic events 42. Environment 22. Escape as a whistle 43. Battle of Britain gp. 24. “Sing Along with ___” 45. ID digits 26. Up, in baseball (2 wds.)

46. Thorny shrub 27. George W.’s first lady 50. Cut calories 28. Lovers’ meeting 54. Lifesaving technique 30. Goes over again (abbr.)

34. Participates in a heist 55. Like a Smurf 37. Extra 56. Plus 39. Actress Lavin 57. ___ loss (2 wds.)

41. Synagogue head 58. French islands 44. Crowded 59. Actor Howard 46. Magnavox rival 47. Choose DOWN 1. Busy mo. at the IRS 48. Mrs., in Mexico 49. Take to court 2. Fluffy stole 51. Kind 3. Bivouac bunk 52. Suffix for Vietnam or Taiwan 4. The ___ Are Coming...” (1966 movie) 53. Cargo weight

ACROSS 1. Diane Sawyer’s network 4. Knocks sharply 8. ___ Boys” (Alcott) 11. Piglet’s pal 13. Beehive State 14. Morning follower (abbr.)

15. Rank numerically 16. College club for females 18. Snaky letter 20. Oolong, e.g.

21. Give a ticket for your coat 25. Commandments word 29. ___ in love and war” (2 wds.)

31. Broadway VIP 32. Actor’s prompt 33. Keyboard key

W O R D F I N D

F A A N B O C U L T U B S

BIRTH SIGN BUTTON CLUB COMMON BOND CONCERT CONTACT DISCUSSION ENTHUSIAST EVENTS FAME FAN JOIN KEEP TABS LETTER MAIL

MEETINGS MEMBERS PHOTOS ROCK SCAN NEWS SCI-FI SHOWS SIGN AUTOGRAPHS SINGER SPORTS STAR STICKER STORIES

ISSUE #55 WORDFIND ANSWER

Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

22

A brief description of education, economic and political developments in Guyana

(from page 5) ber made up 83 percent of exports (Ministry of Finance, 2016). These sectors are also large sources of jobs.

“Guyana’s economic fortunes in recent years have reflected the path of global commodity prices.”

Between 2005 and 2014, the economy grew 4.7 % on average annually. In 2015, real GDP growth decelerated to 3.1 percent. Some analysts attribute this to the collapse of commodity prices for Guyana’s major exports. Preliminary estimates show growth of 3.3 percent in 2016.

Despite the deceleration, Caribbean Human Development Report (CHDR) 2016 published for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has ranked Guyana as having the highest percentage average of annual real GDP growth as of 2015. The

UNDP which works closely with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that Guyana will experience continued growth. It should grow around 3.6% in the 2016-17 period.

POLITICS Political parties and leaders: A Partnership for National Unity or APNU [David A. GRANGER]; Alliance for Change or AFC [Raphael TROTMAN]; Justice for All Party [C. N. SHARMA]; National Independent Party or NIP [Saphier Husain SUBEDAR]; People's Progressive Party/Civic or PPP/C [Donald RAMOTAR]; The United Force or TUF [Manzoor NADIR]; United Republican Party or URP [Vishnu BANDHU].

Elections were held May 11, 2015. APNU+AFC received 50.3%, PPP/C 49.19%, other 0.51%; seats by party — APNU+AFC 33, PPP/C 32. Coalitions could work and one

hopes, in the interest of the Guyanese people, this one will.

Coalition governments have not fared well in Guyana. The PNC-UF coalition was dissolved after three years. We could isolate two factors which caused this: 1.

Ideology of the two leaders. Burnham was a Socialist and D’Aguiar was a Capitalist; (2) there was no agreed programme. The one thing they agreed on was to keep the PPP out of office.

There is a feeling of great expectations for the way forward. In some parts of the country. The President has announced some sound and workable plans for progress. AFC appears to be on board. The journey, like Guyana’s journey to independence, would be difficult. Guyanese of all political views and allegiances should give the Government a chance and if they fail to deliver, it would be

your democratic right to vote them out.

RACISM My native country continues to be plagued by racism. The people and their leaders must share the blame. Perhaps, the present government will do what no other party or government has done — avoid using racism as a tool for political gain. Why is it still important in this modern era for us to fuel race-based politics? What is there to gain from looking back at the ills of the PPP or the PNC? In the words of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “Let the dead past bury its dead.”

As for me, I am going ahead with hope in my heart. I will not cease from mental strife, nor shall my sword lay in my hand, till I have rid my native Guyana of those things that plague it most.

Capitalism and American Politics (from page 7)

America, the perpetual anxieties that politicians constantly experience flow in part, from their general function as scapegoats for the system's bad economic outcomes — instabilities, inequalities and injustices. The fallout from these occurrences is that they shamefully blame each other, and thereby cultivate illusions among the electorate that rotating the major politicians will change the basic capitalist economic structures and their inevitable effects.

Most importantly, they reinforce long-held taboos against blaming economic ills (such as unemployment, low wages, foreclosed homes and unsustainable debts) on the capitalist economic system that has fired, underpaid and/or evicted so many in their rush for super profits. To the extent that politicians address economic issues at all, they carefully and methodically avoid systemic critiques. For example, they will attack a price, an interest rate, some tax or fee, without exposing or attacking the economic system that reproduced and continues to produce it.

The political sleight-of-hand used by now adept politicians is to find and fasten onto important issues — less immediately connected to the economic system — to establish some real differences (e.g., on ecology, abortion, civil liberties, immigration policy, etc.). Thus, mainstream politicians — Democrats and Republicans alike — do this hypocritical

dance because in the final analysis there is very little difference between them, when it comes to supporting, protecting and reinforcing capitalism.

Indeed, for politicians, acting as willing scapegoats for capitalism's systemic dysfunction they are quick to identify others upon whom to offload as much of their scapegoat status as possible. So-called “soft political targets” include: immigrants, foreigners, religious or ethnic minorities, “named” terrorists and so on. In this sense, as evidenced by the modus operandi of the Trump Administration, capitalism's politics turn ugly, vicious, vengeful and can become lethal.

When all is said and done the million-dollar question is this: What if Trump’s actions are not followed by enough rising jobs and incomes? What if his now still myopic popular base begins to turn against him and heed his many detractors? What will Trump do then?

For President Trump to accept defeat and abandon his “Make America Great Again” project is out of the question.

What is more likely is he’ll ratchet up his tried and tested scapegoating program of American’s most vulnerable and defenseless communities and populations — immigrants, Muslims, etc. So we’ll see more deportations, more refugee bans, more industry deregulation, more foreigner bashing, more saber rattling, and calls for war. With that also comes more demonization and repression of those who will likewise increase their ques-

tioning or disapproval of the way Trump “does business.”

To better understand this looming showdown between capitalism, its politics, and the reaction of the Trump Administration we must start with the uncoordinated and unstructured "resistance" movement that has quickly become the watchword of an impressive opposition to the Trump government and its oppressive potential. But the lessons of capitalism's dysfunctional politics and what it has spawned will go unlearned, if opposition remains only at the level of simply resisting this particular administration.

It is absolutely hilarious to think that exchanging the Trump regime for a return to so-called "normal" capitalism will, of necessity, change the status quo in America. That’s wishful, foolish thinking since “exchanging faces every five years” continue to bring us back to precisely the system that produced Trump in the first place. The situation and status quo needs to be disrupted and a revolutionary, progressive politics that require, at the very least, that political parties endorsing capitalism be supplemented and challenged by those that do not. Further down the road, we need an informed political debate between those who think that the capitalism of today is the best that American and human society can achieve, and those who think we can do much better.

Indeed, the continuing one-sided politics of the post-Cold War in which criticism of capitalism has been equated to treason and in the case of America “un-American” and unpatriotic, must be relegated to the garbage dump of history.

If capitalism is all humanity can do to life all boats, stop global man-made poverty, and elevate the very super-rich as overlords of billions of the world’s people, then I would have lost all faith in humanity. If — and it’s a very, very big if — we can summon the guts and courage to confront a system that caused so much pain and heartache in 2008, then we could finally expose the system and offer solutions.

But as long as our political and economic systems are controlled, manipulated, and run by politicians in the pockets of big business in America, such a dialogue will be long in coming. American politicians will continue to heap huge amounts of vapid praises on capitalism, as the ONLY system to alleviate poverty — just as they continue to tout education as one of the tools. Fact is that a POLITICAL SYSTEM BASED ON RACISM has corrupted and polluted the very best ideals of capitalism. And we’ve not confronted racism yet, far less reform the very economic system that it spawned.

The political phenomenon that created Donald J. Trump and company is precisely why we should look to reforming capitalism. But I can dream, can’t I?

Guyana Chronicle New Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017 SUNDAY CHRONICLE June York 25, 2017

23 11

Gov’t steps up investment in hinterland education –– as three more Five Bs school buses commissioned

AS the Government continues to place tremendous emphasis on the importance of education, three more buses were handed over under the President’s Five Bs Programme, this time to the communities of Annai and Aishalton in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region.

The Boats, Buses, Bicycles plus breakfast and books (Five Bs) programme is in keeping with President David Granger’s mission to provide equal and equitable opportunities to the children of Guyana.

The 15-seater bus, which was handed over at Aishalton, will be used to transport schoolchildren from Awaruwaunau and the surrounding communities in the South Rupununi. In the North Ru-

to ensure that their children stay in school and go to university and qualify as doctors, lawyers and engineers,” President Granger said.

Over at Aishalton, he said too often children, particularly from rural communities, are forced to drop out of school simply because their parents cannot afford the cost of transportation. There are also instances where children are forced to walk or row in canoes for hours just to get to school. The buses, the President noted, will eradicate the challenges faced by the children of the Rupununi.

“This bus is very important to you, because it will help you to go to school.

It will help you to stay in school. It will help you to maintain your attendance. I don’t want to see any drop-

Bs programme is significantly improving school attendance, as well as easing the financial burden on families.

Meanwhile, Luana Allicock, a student of the Annai Secondary School, expressed appreciation to the Government for the provision of the buses, which she described as a timely intervention.

“Your gift to us could not have come at a better time, since our present Grade 10 class of my school started to raise funds to offset transportation cost for an educational tour to Lethem. Today that class is smiling,” she said.

In order to ensure that more students from the hinterland have an opportunity to pursue tertiary education, Government is looking at a number of measures. Minister of

Residents of Aishalton and surrounding communities turned out in their numbers to meet President David Granger during his visit pununi, one bus will be used by the students of the Bina Hill Institute and the second one will benefit the students attending Annai Secondary School.

In his address to the residents of Annai, President Granger said once every child completes his/her primary, secondary and tertiary education, Guyana’s economic development will occur at a faster pace.

An educated population, he posited, encourages innovation, which in turn, drives development. “What we need is a condition in this region where children understand the importance of education and where parents take a vow

outs; not here in Rupununi, not in Barima-Waini, not in the Pomeroon, nowhere,” President Granger said.

Regional Executive Officer of Region Nine, Sherwyn Wellington, described the Five Bs programme as a well thought out initiative, which recognises the fact that education is fundamental to the country’s future. “By investing in the children, we are investing in Guyana’s future… This initiative by the President is making Guyana an educated nation,” he said.

He also informed that 50 percent of the region’s budget goes towards the education sector and added that from all indications, the Five

Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mr. Sydney Allicock, said that his ministry is currently in the process of constructing a facility to house hinterland scholarship students and teachers who are attending the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE). The facility will accommodate some 125 students.

EMPLOYMENT President Granger said that many young people who are school dropouts are often left with no choice but to seek menial, low-paying jobs and this, in many ways, prevents them from getting out of the

These students look on as President David Granger symbolically commissions one of two school buses, which were donated to the community to transport children to school at Annai. cycle of poverty. He noted that each region is endowed with wealth-creating resources, but for these to be developed, education is key.

“What we want is a generation of young people, who are educated, who can use computers, who can use machines and help themselves to make a good living…

Once you get an education, you would be able to use your science and your skills and your technology to use the very products that are coming out of your region in what is called agro-processing. Anything you produce can be processed and exported,” he said.

Echoing this point, Minister Allicock encouraged residents at Aishalton to start seeing themselves as

citizens with a responsibility to use their resources to contribute to the economic development of their region and the country as a whole.

He said, “We have space, we have land, we have fertility in the land. This is something to celebrate. The very land here could give us acres upon acres of peanuts, mangoes, peppers, fish ponds, beef, sheep, chickens, tourism.

You name it, it’s there, but it all comes down to… education; appropriate education is what the Government is going to help to develop.”

The Toshao of Aishalton Village, Mr. Douglas Casimero, lauded the Government’s efforts at providing training and employment opportunities for the youths of the Rupununi. He disclosed that nine young people have

graduated from a skills training programme facilitated by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).

Minister of Social Protection, Ms. Amna Ally, who coordinates the Five Bs programme, was also present at Friday’s handing-over ceremony. The three buses were provided by the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, which, along with the Regional Democratic Council of Region Nine, will be responsible for maintenance At Aishalton the communities were also presented with agricultural tools, public address systems, television sets for educational purposes, while at Annai the community received agricultural items, including baby chicks for rearing.

These two school buses were handed over at Annai for the Bina Hill Institute and the Annai Secondary School.

24 24

GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew NewYork YorkEdition EditionWeek-ending Week-ending June June 30, 30, 2017 2017 Guyana

FOCUS ON COMMUNITY AFFAIRS

with ALBERT BALDEO

AMERICA IS LOSING ITS SOUL! ASK NOT FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS, IT TOLLS FOR THEE!

No man is an island, Entire of itself.

Each is a piece of the continent, A part of the main . . .

Each man's death diminishes me, For I am involved in mankind.

Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.

John Donne Thanks to the thousands of you who read my last column, and commiserated with me that I suffered the gravest injustice in America.

You asked what crime could I have possibly committed, and even assuming the facts presented by the government were true, how can one be guilty of a crime by using one’s own money to finance one’s campaign, when the Supreme Court has said that is free speech.

Others have asked how come my efforts to run

for public office was a crime at all, especially when others have done worse than what was alleged against me — from Presidents to Governors to Mayors. You even asked how come one can be convicted for obstructing a bogus crime, which was really a civil, administrative case, and reasoned that the obstruction charges should have been dismissed because the jury acquitted me of all of the underlying charges.

Some of you encouraged me that these were the same tactics used in attempts to stifle much bigger political martyrs who ran before me — Marcus Garvey (he was charged with a similar fabricated mail and wire fraud charges theory), Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, Basdeo Panday, and others.

Many of you also reminded me of thousands of candidates who also run for public office, but whose shenanigans the government pretended to be blind to and selectively persecuting me, and were alarmed that former US Attorney Pretender Bharara could have shoplifted venue and criminally prosecute a Queens administrative case in Manhattan with such chicanery and immunity.

I call you to fight for your family and generations to come! We have a lot of work to do, because my case is symptomatic of the terrifying realty that America is losing its soul.

Don’t be bystanders as the government consolidates its selective and malicious abuse of citizens, and marginalize you as second class citizens. Don’t only look for me when your basement apartments and businesses are being targeted, or you are being harassed mistakenly as “terrorists,” or your kids are being taught in trailers, and your families are being torn apart by deportations. As the iconic Bob Marley urged, get involved now in the political struggle! “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.”

America is losing its soul through over criminalization, making and enforcing far too many stereotypes and criminal laws that are making criminals out of respectable, law-abid-

dollar over-burdened with debt, with civil liberties sacrificed for the war on terror, the liberty and prosperity of the American people have been thrown into the trash bin of history. The militarism of the U.S. and corporate greed is the norm.

Any day, our lives can be upended by the government, using legally sanctioned methods.

The average American is unaware that he or she has likely committed several federal crimes in a routine day! Modern federal criminal laws have not only multiplied, but are written deliberately broad and vague. Consequently, rogue prosecutors abuse them with impunity, riding the publicity their perverse abuses garner them to higher offices and the average citizen becomes the stock for the burgeoning prison industry complex.

In Three Felonies a Day, Harvey A. Silverglate reveals how federal criminal laws

Albert Baldeo urges our community to put aside narrow minded selfishness, unite and be vigilant against immigration and civil rights abuses, harassment and exploitation, and urges all to collectively get involved in the fight for upliftment, unity and betterment. His efforts brought cricket great Clive Lloyd and then Governor, David Paterson, and many other public officials to our community — the first time a sitting governor came to hear our problems in Richmondhill — State Senator Sanders, Dr. Baldeo and Chuck Mohan are also in photo. After that, bogus charges were instituted against him. ing citizens. The abuse of the criminal law and practice over the past few decades by the government have eroded the fairness of our criminal justice system. Liberate your minds, confront these questions, and protest them, or your time is coming too, unless you do.

We must collectively make a major effort to return the criminal law to its proper role in society — to ensure public safety and protect the innocent. Over criminalization should concern everyone in America, both as citizens and as potential accused, because the freedom and constitutional guarantees of future generations are at stake, and we will squander the great treasure that is the American Criminal Justice System. We must restore accountable and moral government to the U.S. Deceit, hypocrisy and outright criminality have infested our government, and economic collapse, internal repression, ongoing wars, and rising rejection by friends and foes alike are the norm. Trillion dollar wars have created financing problems for Washington’s deficits, threatening the dollar’s role as the world reserve currency, and putting Social Security, Medicare and health care on the chopping block. With likely unemployment, with American jobs, GDP, and technology having been given to China and India, with war being Washington’s greatest commitment, with the

have become dangerously disconnected from the English common law tradition and how prosecutors can pin federal crimes on any one of us, for even the most innocuous behavior.

The volume of federal crimes in recent decades has increased well beyond the statute books into the morass called the Code of Federal Regulations, gifting federal prosecutors additional ammunition of vague and exceedingly complex and technical “crimes” to destroy the lives of American families. The integrity of our constitutional democracy is being destroyed with each transformative indictment. Google “America Injustices” and read the millions of hits that appear.

Remember, “A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.” (Edward R. Murrow). Don’t be a sheep!

Note: Albert Baldeo is a civil rights activist and community advocate, and his groundbreaking political efforts placed previously ignored minority communities like Richmond Hill and Ozone Park firmly on the political and economic map.

As the President of the Baldeo Foundation and Queens Justice Center, he has continued to fight for equal rights, dignity and inclusion in government and decision making. He can be contacted at the Baldeo Foundation: (718) 529-2300.

8 Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday June 26, 2017

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Girls’ night-out turns tragic – leaves one dead, five injured

DEAD: Debra Pompey A GIRLS’ night out turned tragic on Saturday when the car in which they were travelling became involved in an accident in the vicinity of Liliendaal, on the Railway Embankment Road, East Coast Demerara.

Dead is 36-year-old, Debra Pompey of Belle West, Canal Number 2, West Bank Demerara.

The accident, which rendered injured the five other occupants of the ill-fated vehicle, among them the driver, reportedly occurred at around 23:40hrs on Saturday.

According to the police, based on their investigations, motorcar PSS 7195 was proceeding west along the embankment when the driver, 27-year-old Tecona Welcome, lost control of the wheel.

Among those injured when the car crashed into the southern rail of the westernmost of the two bridges at Liliendaal were 20-year-old Rodlyn Grace of Blygezeight Gardens; 18-year-old Shameica Martin of Beterverwagting, ECD; the deceased’s 26-year-old sister, Tushana Hubbard;

Saskiya Boyer, 30

Rodlyn Grace, 20

The ill-fated vehicle in which the girls were travelling and 30-year-old Saskiya Boyer of Lodge.

According to the police, all four of the injured girls are institutionalsied at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC),

but Welcome, who suffered a fractured left arm, was discharged and is assisting with the investigation.

A breathalyser test found that she was un-

Tecona Welcome, 27 der the influence of alcohol when the accident occurred.

When the Guyana Chronicle paid a visit to the home of the deceased, Pompey’s distressed mother, Ms Jennifer Clyne, said both of her daughters were in high spirits when they left home that evening.

“The last I know they were at a bridal shower with their friends,” she said, “but around midnight, I got a call from a guy who said that my daughters were in an accident.”

The Guyana Chronicle was made to understand that Pompey was already dead when her mother arrived at the hospital. And though both of her sister’s legs are broken, her condition is listed as stable.

Pompey, a former employee of Medicare Pharmacy, was neither married, nor had any children.

A police source has confirmed that the four other girls who were injured are also in stable condition and will be discharged from the hospital soon.

Elderly struck ECD bandit nabbed Manman killed by down with loot ‘threesome’ lovers

AN elderly man, identified as “Murselene” of First Street, Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara was on Sunday struck down on the public road at West Meten-Meer-Zorg as he was crossing it.

POLICE arrested a bandit benab at a popular fun Eyewitnesses say the elderly man, who is believed with loot in hand shortly park at Mahaicony, when a to be in his 70s, came out of his yard and attempted to A BARTICA man was incident occurred between summoned the police who after robbing a Mahaicony, lone armed bandit pounced cross the road without looking at the traffic. As he made East Coast Demerara couple and relieved them of their beaten to death Monday 04:00-08:00hrs Monday on responded promptly and Sunday night. cellular phones, cash and his way over the road, a motorcycle travelling east and morning on Third Avenue Third Avenue Beach, Bar- arrested the suspects and Police said in a release that other valuables after which The weapon seized from the bearing the number plate CJ 2191, struck him down. after refusing to leave the tica. escorted the victim who was swift action by ranks stationed he fled; leaving his victims alleged bandit Coincidentally, an ambulance was passing by and scene of a sexual act that Investigation revealed in an unconscious state, to on the East Coast of Demerara traumatised. public-spirited citizens flagged it down and placed the along with an unlicensed Shortly afterward, was being performed by that because the victim the Bartica Public Hospital resulted in the apprehension injured man inside. Accompanied by one of his sons, he of the suspect who was still in the victims ventured to the 9MM Glock Pistol and nine three persons including a refused to remove from where he succumbed whilst possession of most of the arti- nearby Mahaicony Police (9) live matching rounds. was taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, but was later woman. the beach, the suspects, receiving treatment. The cles stolen from his victims, as Station and reported the The thirty-year old unemtransferred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

Police identified the dead who were involved in a body of “RADIKA” whose well as the firearm he allegedly matter. Based on intelligence ployed Calcutta, Mahaicony The rider of the motorcycle sustained minor injugathered, police went to Re- suspect is being processed man only as “Radika”. Ac- “threesome act”, allegedly address and correct name used to commit the robbery. ries, while Murselene, who reportedly suffered interAccording to the release, a cess Public Road, Mahaico- for court. A ballistic test is cording to the police, three gave him a severe beat- are yet to be ascertained, is nal injuries, was bleeding from his mouth. Reports The rider of the motorcycle just on the firecouple residing at Burma, Mawhere the suspect, who being conducted after the Public-spiritedny, citizens assist in transporting the injured elderly persons inclusive of a female ing. According to police, at the Hospital’s mortuary haicony, arm to determine if it was East Coast Demerara, was later positively identiindicate that the elderly man’s condition is stable. accident man to the ambulance are in custody assisting with a public-spirited citizen awaiting a post-mortem was on Sunday night, at about fied, was arrested with the used in the commission of the murder investigation. The who witnessed the incident, examination.

23:00hrs relaxing under a stolen items, minus the cash any crime.

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Guyana Chronicle New York Edition Week-ending June 30, 2017

The Peter Haynes Column

CHANGE TRAFFIC LAWS TO STAMP OUT “PRIVATE HIRE” OPERATORS

I

t is no secret that whenever an individual decides to join a car, taxi, minibus or whatever name is chosen to describe the vehicle and it is being operated as “Private Hire”, that individual is literally signing a suicidal note. Regardless how hard or bad things are, individuals who drive private cars for hire, know that they are involved in an illegal act, and that the passenger is just another number to charge a fare.

Guyana’s Traffic Chief reporting on his department’s success in arresting the carnage on the country’s roads informed the public that over three hundred cars operating as “Private Hire Cars” were apprehended in 2017.

Of course, he could not foresee the horrific accident which claimed the life of the young professional last weekend.

The practice of individuals operating private vehicles for hire is nothing new. The fact that it has been in operation for decades certainly does not make it ‘OK’ to continue.

The most damning aspect of this illegal practice is that registered Taxi services are now involved in the operation. I have been reliably informed that the Taxi Services arrange with owners of cars to operate out of their base for a fee of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) a week, plus another fee for the rental of the two-way radio.

The Taxi Service has absolutely no responsibility for the vehicle, the driver or the passengers. The worst situation is that the Taxi Service does not require the driver to have the requisite insurance coverage.

As far as I am aware the law requires all taxis, minibuses or other vehicles plying for hire MUST have a minimum of “comprehensive insurance coverage”. This would be very expensive for someone “hustling”. The norm is that vehicle owners purchase “Third Party insurance” which does not provide coverage for the passengers in the event of an accident and injuries.

Questions to be asked at this juncture is what are the insurance companies doing about this situation? Are the companies only interested in collecting the monthly or quarterly premiums? Is there no morality or conscience among the insurance executives? Are they only interested in declaring “X” Billion dollars after tax profits? Don’t they feel morally obligated to assist in protecting the travelling public?

Surely the answer from the insurance companies to all the above questions is, “it is the police and not their responsibility to ensure that vehicles have the required insurance coverage for the purpose they operate their vehicles.”

The practice in the more developed countries is that every licensed driver would have a certain number of points on his/her license. In New York, a driver has 12 points and on each happening he has a moving violation — running a red light, failure to adhere to the stop sign, driving in the wrong direction on a roadway, and of course, is involved in an accident — two, three or four points are deducted from the twelve points, depending on the severity of the infraction.

And on each occasion points are deducted, there is a penalty on the vehicle’s insurance policy, with the premiums being increased. And we all know that is a very

costly situation for anyone to be placed. And of course, when the driver’s license attracts twelve or more penalty points, the license is suspended for two or more years. It also takes a similar period for the points to be restored for each infraction.

We know of cases when some drivers insist on driving with a suspended license, but if caught, its straight to jail.

That is a system, which Guyana must consider implementing. Applying the points system which will attract higher insurance premiums so the infractions must serve as a deterrent to errant drivers.

But going back to the private taxis operating out of the established companies, the companies must be held responsible along with the ‘hustlers’. The companies have effectively eliminated an expense which they would normally have to pay — the insurance, a salary and petrol — but on top of those savings, they collect eight to 10 thousand dollars ($8,000.00 – $10,000.00) from each private hired driver per week.

The hustle, from all reports increases daily, and although the police have reported that over 300 vehicles were stopped for the year, they will have a difficulty to get convictions.

Without too much legal qualifications, the police would have to prove that the passengers in the vehicle at the time they stop the car or minibus is not a friend, or someone the driver is ‘helping out’ to get home or to some other destination.

Many years ago, when private hire was prevalent, the police used decoys who paid for the trip with marked notes to apprehend and convict the drivers. That too had their disadvantages as the decoys became known to the drivers and they would not be picked up.

On one occasion, the decoy who was a female member of the traffic department, whose cover was blown, the driver at McKenzie picked her up for the trip to Georgetown, along with some of his friends. The vehicle made an unscheduled stop off the Linden Highway and the hapless policewoman was sexually assaulted by four men. The incident caused the campaign to stop, as the male police declined the assignment, since the assault on the female could be considered normal for a female, the males would not risk that type of assault.

This proposal may be considered way off target, but upon review, the law makers could consider making amendments to the traffic laws and permit the individuals who want to be in the ‘hustle’ to be allowed to do so once they have comprehensive insurance coverage.

It will provide the public with additional transportation, the drivers could do their ‘hustle’ and the passengers are protected to an extent with insurance coverage.

While reviewing the suggestion, the lawmakers should also reconsider the minimum age and driving experience for someone to be granted a license to operate a legitimate car for hire. Now, an individual with a minimum of two years’ experience is allowed to apply to drive a hire car or a minibus for a fee of $500.00 It is impossible for someone at age 20

years to be matured to be a hire car or minibus driver. The minimum age should be raised to at least 25 years and the person must be licensed for a minimum of five years.

The lawmakers in collaboration with the insurance companies should seriously consider to the points system on driver’s licenses.

This would be one sure way of eliminating the “road hogs’ from our streets.

FLASHBACK: Paramedics attend assisting a traffic victim.

Guyana Edition Week-ending June 30,30, 2017 GuyanaChronicle ChronicleNew NewYork York Edition Week-ending June 2017

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CANADIAN BOXING CHAMP RETAINS TITLE WHILE FIGHTING FOR CHARITY

HAMILTON, ONTARIO (June 26, 2017) — Canadian boxing champ and Hamilton, Ontario hometown hero Steven "The Piranha" Wilcox successfully defended his belt while fighting for a cause during his recent title bout in Canada.

Wilcox, who is now 17-2-1, retained his World Boxing AssociationNorth American Boxing Association (WBA-NABA) Super Lightweight title by defeating Oscar Arjona from Mexico (13-6-0) in a unanimous decision.

A Sports Ambassador for Health City Cayman Islands, Wilcox will donate a portion of his fight purse to the Have a Heart Cayman Islands charity.

The professional boxing match was presented by Three Lions Promotions at the Hamilton Convention Centre on Saturday, June 3, and Three Lions' Dan Otter has also confirmed that the company will donate all of the proceeds from the event to Have a Heart Cayman Islands.

Have a Heart Cayman Islands partners with local and international organizations to subsidize and provide pediatric heart surgery.

"With Steven's generous commitment and continual efforts, he is helping to provide lifesaving heart surgery to children around the world," said Nicola Banks, Director of Health City Cayman Islands'

Canada Office.

Wilcox won all 10 rounds of a tough title match against Arjona. The fight was a rematch between the two, following Wilcox's loss in a controversial split decision in Mexico in December 2016.

During the June 3 rematch, Wilcox dislocated his thumb in the seventh round after knocking Arjona down to the canvas twice.

Wilcox used only his left jabbing hand for the remainder of the seventh round and the additional three rounds, putting one hand behind his back at one point in the eighth round to illustrate that he was fighting one-handed.

The other main event of the evening featured Hamilton champion, current NCC and WBA Canadian Super Welterweight title holder Kevin Higson (11-1-0), who defeated Martin Islas (11-3-0) of Mexico City, in a split decision.

Prior to his June 3 victory, Wilcox defeated Argentina's Jorge Luis Rodriguez in a March 18 match, resulting in a unanimous decision after an eight-round super lightweight contest held at the Powerade Centre in Brampton, Ontario.

Wilcox was chosen to represent Health City Cayman Islands following a visit he made to Grand Cayman in January this year to participate in the Island Rumble boxing showcase, hosted by reigning World Boxing Or-

Steven "The Piranha" Wilcox successfully defended his belt. ganization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao.

While in the Cayman Islands, Wilcox toured the tertiary care facility and met with children who were receiving cardiac surgery with the support of Have a Heart Cayman Islands. Wilcox also took the opportunity to learn more about the hospital's expertise in sports medicine, and met with Dr. Niranjan Nagaraja, Senior Orthopedic Surgeon at Health City Cayman Islands.

Health City Cayman Islands' Canadian office, which is based in Wilcox's hometown of Hamilton, works with its Canadian Board of

Advisors to facilitate Canadian patients receiving healthcare services at Health City.

Source: Health City Cayman Islands Contacts: Christina Trumbach PR & Communication Specialist Health City Cayman Islands Tel: + 1 345 526-2203 E-mail: christina.trumbach@health city.ky Sarah Munn: Marketplace Excellence Tel: + 1 201 861-2056 E-mail: sarah@marketplaceexcellence.com

Bolt holds on to win 100 metres at final Golden Spike (REUTERS) - Usain Bolt overcame a slow start to win the 100 metres at the Ostrava Golden Spike meeting yesterday as he gears up for a final world championships in London this summer.

In his second 100m outing of his final season, the Jamaican was slow out of the blocks but jumped ahead before the halfway point to finish in a time of 10.06 seconds, just edging Yunier Perez of Cuba, who ran a personal best 10.09 seconds.

Bolt, who has eight Olympic gold and 13 world championship medals, will retire after August's world championships.

The 30-year-old said he was not happy about clocking over 10 seconds for the second straight race, although he remained confident about the remainder of the season.

"I am not happy with the time but I am just getting to my running," he told the sellout crowd after his ninth and final appearance at the meet in the eastern Czech industrial city.

"I have some training to do. But I will be fine."

Bolt has become a regular at the Ostrava meet and his fans showed their appreciation at the end of the night, holding up placards to form the Jamaican flag as Tina Turner's "Simply the Best"

was played in the stadium.

"The biggest thing is always the crowd. That is why I keep coming back here.

You guys are wonderful.

Thanks for everything," Bolt said.

He later told reporters his focus was on staying healthy, including taking care of his back as he gets older. "But I did not get injured, that is key," he was quoted as saying by Czech news website idnes.cz.

With Bolt moving closer to retirement, a number of athletes could be set to emerge from his shadow.

Among them is South African Wayde van Niekerk, who broke the 300m world

record earlier in the evening, rubbing Michael Johnson out of the record books for the second time in less than a year.

The 24-year-old, who beat Johnson's 400m best at last summer's Rio Olympics, recorded a time of 30.81 seconds in the rarely-run 300m, bettering the American's previous mark of 30.85 seconds set in 2000. van Niekerk's time also beat the Ostrava meeting record set by Bolt in 2010.

"I have been improving in each and every one of my events so it is a great step for the year and I am feeling quite confident for the rest of the year," the sprinter, who is

Jamaica's Usain Bolt in action. (REUTERS/David W Cerny)

expected to run the 200m and 400m at the world championships, told Czech Television.

"I was ready to dig deep and just get used to the feeling of the longer events. I am

pleased with today."

Britain's Mo Farah held on to beat Mathew Kimeli of Kenya in the 10 000m with a time of 27 minutes 12.09 seconds.

Andrew Lewis National Novice c/ships

Two KOs, five stoppages highlight opening night Darmandar Shoepersaud scores with a straight left jab to the head of GDF’s Hakium Bostwick during theit 49kg semi-final match at the National Gymnasium on Tuesday night. (Photos by Delano Williams)

By Michael DaSilva THERE were two knock-out victories and five stoppages by the referee when the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA)-organised Andrew Lewis National Novices championships got underway at the National Gymnasium on Tuesday night.

The night’s card produced much excitement from the first of the 12 bouts that were contested and it continued that way in all of the encounters, but it was Ishawn Khan of the Harpy Eagles (HE) Boxing gym and Delroy Fordyce of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) gym who really highlighted the night’s proceedings which attracted a small but appreciative audience as they both knocked-out their respective opponents within the distance.

Other outstanding performances came from Akiemo (GDF), Kevin McKenzie (GDF), Jamal Leitch of the Republican Gym (Rep), Mark Chester (Rep) and Anthony Williams (GDF).

From the first contest - a semi-final in the 49kg weight division - boxing fans knew right away that the night’s proceedings would be action-filled.

Watts came up against Nyron Fraser (Rep) and from the first gong, both boxers went at each other, throwing punches from all angles. Watts was stunned by a straight left from Fraser and was issued an eight-count.

Round two saw Fraser coming out looking to end the fight, but Watts was equal to the task and retaliated in like manner. The pattern continued until the third round when Fraser went out brawling; but Fraser looked the stronger of the two and landed a series of combinations which resulted in two more eight-counts before the referee called a halt to the proceedings at two minutes 13 seconds of the third round.

Two fights later, the first of the two knockouts was registered as HE’s Khan stopped GDF’s Jason Mickle for the full count at two minutes 26 seconds of the third round after pummelling him (Mickle) for three consecutive rounds and connecting with a `wicked’ straight right.

Later in the night, the various referees were forced to stop proceedings as some of the boxers were far superior to their opponents.

The first case was the 60kg weight division where Fordyce caused the referee to stop his contest against Rakesh Chandrat (Rep) at two minutes 15 seconds of the first round.

The 64kg weight division saw stoppage between McKenzie (GDF) and Quincy Letlow (Rep) at 2 minutes 5 seconds of the first round in their preliminary contest.

Then came the fight between Leitch (Rep) and Richard Lanferman of the Vergenoegen Boxing Gym (VBG) in the 69kg division, where the referee called a halt to the pro-

GDF’s Akeimo Watts (left) connects with a straight right to the head of Republican’s Nyron Fraser during their 49kg contest at the National Gymnasium on Tuesday night

ceedings at 44 seconds of the second round in Leitch’s favour.

In the same weight division, the referee stopped the fight between Chester (Rep) and Jamal Crawford at one minute 25 seconds of the second round in Chester’s favour.

The other stoppage was during a 91kg

weight division between Williams (GDF) and Jason Lespoir (Rep) which the referee stopped at one minute 23 seconds of the first round.

The tournament ends tonight at the National Gymnasium with the finals in all the divisions.