Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News

PAGE 04

Friday April 21, 2017

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL Adjusting fuel prices daily at petrol stations is a long overdue reform Hiking fuel prices at petrol pumps is such a politically fraught exercise that there is even a hesitation to decrease prices so as to safeguard against a possible spike in global petroleum rates in the future. It is worth watching, therefore, how the proposed pilot project by the three public sector oil marketing companies — Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum — proceeds as an effort to reform the pricing mechanism. Starting next month, in select cities fuel prices at the pump point will be reset daily in tandem with global oil price movements. Till the project’s outcomes are assessed, the rest of the country will continue with the existing system, under which petrol and diesel prices are calibrated generally on a fortnightly basis. If one considers the latest price change effected by oil companies (a 3.77 reduction per litre in the price of petrol accompanied by a 2.91 cut for diesel on March 31), the case for a daily price reset makes eminent sense. Apart from the fact that it is illogical for an economy integrated with the global financial and commodity markets to keep fuel prices unchanged for as much as a fortnight, aligning prices daily and spreading out the degree of change will lessen the impact on consumers, on both the upside and the downside. Marginal changes in the daily price of fuel will not make or break consumer confidence or fuel inflationary expectations, at least because of oil costs, as it currently does. A more gradual ascent or descent in fuel prices, rather than abrupt shifts over randomly selected intervals, makes good sense, given how closely our fiscal outlook is tied to oil price movements. The United Progressive Alliance government had freed the regulation of petrol prices in late 2010, and the National Democratic Alliance government followed through by liberating diesel prices within six months of assuming office in 2014. Such dismantling was necessary as previous attempts at abandoning the administered price mechanism for India’s largely import-dependent consumption of petroleum products never really took off, even as subsidies distorted the system further. The fortnightly system of price resets for both fuels has been followed over the last three years. The latest price cuts came after more than two months of no change, overlapping with the Assembly elections in five States. A transparently formulated and dynamic pricing regime would hopefully prevent such distortionary coincidences in the future. It would also allow private companies to compete with the PSU oil marketers, which today control 95 per cent of fuel outlets. The government, on its part, must start winding down the extremely high petroleum product taxes imposed since June 2014, when oil prices began to fall, along with its energy subsidy liabilities. Guyana is still to be an oil producer but as a developing country it is gearing to be counted among the large oil producers. Indeed the discovery is coming when the global prices are on the decline. The price of oil is far below the US$120 per barrel. Be that as it may, Guyanese are paying a price far higher than many for its fuel. The cost to the budget is astronomical. This is why the nation is praying for the oil to flow. For one it would save a lot of money to pursue other forms of development. Its motorists would suddenly enjoy cheap fuel. This is when Guyana may be pushed to adjusting the prices at the pumps, daily, as is contemplated in India.

Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.

A new political party is coming on stream very soon Dear Editor; I noticed an image of Granger being bandied about in the local press holding people’s kites and trying to look like the regular Joe. This man agreed to further impoverish Guyanese with the 2017 Budget, refuses to engage the private sector in policy discussions to lift the welfare of the country, and has the gall to come and keep the company of their children? Guyanese need to recognize that our politicians are doing severe damage to us with their ill-advised and backward policies. These people no longer represent our interests. In fact, it seems that our attempts to improve our welfare such as protesting VAT on education etc., run counter their plans for us. I strongly urge we start questioning this man and his government ministers. All they are doing is playing politics while they continue the plot to deceive Guyanese to accept more of their political mediocrity. .It has been almost as long as the current administration’s reign that Granger announced his Green Economy. This is

turning out to be pure political nonsense. We have come to realize by now that Granger doesn’t know head or bull-foot about running an economy, so he ensured everyone was in the same boat with him by choosing the Green Economy model, which will take 50 years to implement. In the two years in office there has been only about one release on the green economy, this being that conjured up by rear admiral Best who by reason of his prior expertise, we can safely say knew nothing about any green economy in the first instance. What has also become clear is that the Green Economy concept was chosen as a bit more than a time-wasting mechanism. Its very nature seems to facilitate heavy government involvement in planning and orchestrating of investments, thereby controlling who could get a piece of the cake. Its purpose was to give the PNC a chance to figure out how to use it, re-implement Burnham’s ideas of statecontrol and cooperativism. A piece on cooperativism has already been done in the

state-owned newspaper The man who was heralded as soldier, savior and protector of the state, by following through with B u r n h a m ’s i d e a s o f cooperativism, where resources are state-owned and people are organized into cooperatives, has now become, like Jagdeo, an enemy of the state. The PNC, like the PPP, by not giving up its socialist dogma, finds itself trapped in managing a capitalist oriented state along its socialist principles. The brutal tax structure in the 2017 budget is the first step in the gutting of the private sector. Government has to look to the mining sector to deliver growth this year, because little if any, can be expected to come from other major contributors. Left in power, the Coalition’s antibusiness stance will continue to shrink the economic base, resulting in more tenuous and difficult-to-navigate policies. Guyana has to start rating political parties and their governments according to the functionality of their economic policies. Both the PPP and PNC have failed miserably. If we are slack in

developing another party with the desired set of policies in 2020, we will fall right back into the hands of the PPP, which will reinstate its government wide corruption and drug-running without regard to employment creation or the plight of the public service, education or health or otherwise, while sugar workers continue to be dragged through the economic mud. The 2017 budget was just the beginning of Guyana’s worries again because the PNC is on the way to reducing Guyana to the state it was before they lost office in 1992. But this time history will repeat itself chapter and verse. They will be booted again, but we have to start preparing to take the reins of the country in 2020. A new political party is expected to come on stream fairly soon. Get ready to join and take control of the life and future that was stolen from you. Equality of Opportunity for All, Equal Rights & Justice, Freedom of the Press. This we all are and can believe in. Lance Cumberbatch.

Mr. Jagdeo’s statement is an affront to President Granger Dear Editor; There are some things we can opt to ignore and allow to pass as irrelevance or nonsensical. However, when public figures utter unsubstantiated damaging or discrediting statements, there is cause for great concern and even need for such misinformation to be exposed, challenged and corrected. The latter is extremely important. It has become a Public Relation challenge for the incumbent administration particularly in this politically divided and intellectually fragile society where analytical skills are at an all time low. Sustained mischievous utterances and attacks by some members of the political opposition against the State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA), its functionality and its human resource component have not gone unnoticed, nor should they be taken for granted. Such attacks seek to discredit and compromise SARA’s functionality and endanger its personnel. The chief instigator and crusader against SARA is

none other than one of Guyana’s former Presidents, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo. Mr. Jagdeo’s greatest nightmare seems to be SARA. He becomes vividly livid at just hearing the acronym. From the get-go, Mr. Jagdeo opposed the very idea of a State Asset Recovery Agency. He sought, through various schemes and agents, to dismantle its very formation. Other tactics involved personal attacks against SARA officials, sensationalism and fear mongering by some of his cohorts, particularly those in the Private Sector Commission (PSC). More recently, direct onslaughts have been leveled against Dr. Clive Thomas, Messers Eric Phillips, Desmond Trotman, Tacoma Ongunseye and Aubrey Heath-Retemyer. Those were the specific names mentioned by Mr. Jagdeo! The attack against Mr. Retemyer by the former President is my main reason for writing. Mr. Jagdeo has been using his status and immunity in a shockingly indiscriminate and

disgraceful manner. It is jejune for someone of Mr. Jagdeo’s standing to descend to the level that now appears to be his zone of comfort where he rants all sort of ludicrous and character damaging assertions about individuals, some of whom his comparative moral short falls are significantly great. His recalcitrance is simply unbecoming of a leading political figure. Mr. Jagdeo, in his latest public utterance, called Mr. Retemyer a re-migrated Security Guard and geriatric friend of President David Granger. Jagdeo sought to establish the latter association as the reason for Mr. Retemyer’s appointment a s S A R A’s C E O . M r. Jagdeo’s statement is not just ludicrous, mischievous misinformation, but also an affront to Guyana’s standing President – David Granger. It is also discrediting and slighting to the Guyana Defence Force, the University of Guyana, the Pan-African Development Foundation, the Christian Community, and the New York City Department of

Education; all credible institutions where Mr. Retemyer would have served honorably or received some form of accreditation. Mr. Jagdeo failed to p r o n o u n c e t h a t M r. Retemyer, notwithstanding all of his other personal accomplishments including legal marriage and children, is a practiced Major (Retired) of the Guyana Defense Force who grew up on a Sugar plantation and climbed the ladder of success without compromising his manhood or integrity. Jagdeo also failed to posit that Mr. Retemyer wrote a book, is mentally alert, fit and can still do a conservative 5 Kilometer walk without necessary resuscitation of medical attention thereafter. Mr. Jagdeo has also insulted all members of Security Guard services and their personnel. Even if Mr. Retemyer served all his life as a Security Guard, Mr. Jagdeo’s statement has sought to establish disgrace and infamy of the profession as one which has no scope for career or personal (Continued on page 6)

Friday April 21, 2017

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Kaieteur News

Recent paroling of felons; questions, and consequences for democracy MR. EDITOR, Parole was first used in Britain around the middle of the nineteenth century and in the USA during the latter part of the said century. In both instances parole was turned to as a means of solving the problem of over - crowding at prisons. However, even though over- crowding still plagues the prison system of these nations, in the USA there has been a reduction in the use of parole. Indeed, to date at least 16 states have abandoned the practice. While here in the US opportunity for parole has been extended to accommodate felons, generally access to the program is directed to nonfelons. Further, here in the USA the amount of a convicted felon sentence that must be served before being considered for parole differs. Some require that 50% be served others 80% and in others a convicted felon is not eligible. In Britain felons must have serve 50% of their sentence before becoming eligible for consideration. Recently, the Kaieteur News of 10th April 2017 informed us that 10 prisoners were released on parole for Guyana’s 37th Republic Anniversary, and among those released were two felons. While I don’t mind Guyana adopting practices from these countries, in this instance, why have we gone with the lower qualification mark? What is it that we have learnt about felons in Guyana that make them deserving of the privilege of being released

after serving the low requirement criteria of the British(50%) of their sentence? The said report quotes the Director of Prisons as saying, in reference to the paroling of the ten offenders, that they are “well behaved and go beyond the call of duty of what is required.” But is this good enough reason? Good behaviour could be adopted to achieve a specific end, in this case, early release. It is no indication of one being reformed or contrite. Further, often in manslaughter cases the guilty persons display an inability to control their anger when experiencing a perceived wrong. What has led the prison officials and the parole board to be confident that the offenders offered parole have now mastered the skills of anger management? This releasing of the two felons concerns me in two ways. First, I am not convinced that appropriate conditions were/are in place reference their release from prison. Here in the USA there exists a list of seven (7) factors that a Parole Board must consider before granting parole. Now, possibly, Guyana might have good reasons for not observing all of these. However, certainly citizens have a right to expect that the following ones are observed: (a) Demand that victims (this includes spouse, children, parents in cases in which the primary victim is killed) be informed of the impending release,(b) An assurance that the offender will find employment (in some states this

might mean offenders providing proof of an offer by a would-be employer). The relationship of unemployment and underemployment to crime has long been established. Thus, parolees’ ability to gain employment is likely to influence the level of recidivism (c) The community’s willingness to have the parolee return. This latter demand is one I can identify with, growing-up in Wortmanville I can recall the anxiety, the fear that residents experienced when news of the release of a felon who lived in the ward circulated. Certainly, Guyana should find no difficulties in satisfying these three requirements. Were they observed? Were they even thought of? Further, while the parole system carries certain requirements that must be observed by parolees and directly associated with their supervision, today a number of states have added other requirements. For example: (1) Parolees must contribute a certain percentage of his/her earnings to the victim or dependents (parent, spouse, children) of the victim. (b) Parolees must contribute to the cost of his/her supervision. In Guyana, are similar arrangements in place regarding parolees? The fact that answers to these questions are not readily available to the Guyanese public, indicate a frightening lack of transparency among too many public agencies and boards in Guyana. This brings me to my second concern.

HARRY GILL AND NURSE MARKS NOT QUALIFIED TO PRONOUNCE ON PATIENT’S MEDICATION DEAR EDITOR; I refer to a letter to the Editor attributed to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament Harry Gill carried in the Kaieteur News Edition of April 19, 2017 and Captioned “Ministry of Health needs to investigate this conspiracy in Region 5” In his letter to the Editor, MP Gill declares inter alia that a “high profile APNU+AFC Councillor in Region 5 who was being treated at the Fort Wellington Cottage Hospital (FWCH) for a medical condition was and I quote: “being given more medication than required”. What qualifications does MP Gill possess which gives him the right to so confidently declare how much medication a patient

should or should not get? Additionally, according to the MP, Staff Nurse/ Midwife Sherilyn Marks who works at the hospital had sent a letter t o M i n i s t e r o f Health, Volda Lawrence in which she expressed concern about the “…prolonged administration of the injection Pethidine” to the patient. The same question can be asked of Staff Nurse/ Midwife Sherilyn Nurse: On what professional basis did she arrive at the conclusion that a patient with a known condition was getting more medication than required? What are her qualifications which allow her to pronounce on these matters? Are Ms. Marks and MP

Gill hallucinating? Or are they both bedeviled by a desire to be obnoxious? Mr. Editor any sick person, be it an APNU+AFC Councillor or ordinary member of the public is entitled to medical attention and to medication prescribed by a Doctor. Indeed a deeper investigation into the motives behind the scurrilous allegations made by Ms. Marks and regurgitated by MP Gill, will unearth some very personal reasons for their bizarre attempts to scandalize the highly qualified and competent Doctors who make up the Staff of the FWCH. OVID MORRISON Regional Executive Officer Region No.5 (Mahaica/ Berbice)

Mr. Editor, while the above questions focus attention on some perceived comings in our approach to paroling, I also posed them to demonstrate the threat to democracy that the absence of transparency give rise to. Transparency in its (government) activities keep citizens informed, this allow them to contribute and be involved in decision making by offering informed suggestions on a range of social issues. Citizens’ participation in decision making is the hall mark of the majoritarian model of democracy. This demand of majoritarian democracy confers a duty on government to keep citizens informed of its plans and activities undertaken on their (the people) behalf. It is only by being informed that citizens’ meaningful participation in decision making can be possible. And this right to participate goes way beyond the right to vote. Citizens’ participation involves, among other activities – contacting senior govern-

ment officials, peaceful demonstrations and letters to the Editor. It is by use of these socially acceptable means that citizens’ are encouraged to influence policy decisions. Mr. Editor, when government agencies and boards do not provide information on their activities it makes it difficult for their actions to be influenced by the informed wishes of the people they are intended to serve. This neglect places an essential feature of democracy under threat. It also has the capacity of creating conditions for unnecessary controversy, resort to undesired modes of protesting and civil unrest. This is the lesson of the parking meter controversy. In Guyana’s political history thus far and particularly during the reign of Presidents Jagdeo and Ramotar commitment to transparency by government has not been a priority. Important agencies and boards do not seem to feel it is their duty to regularly inform citizens on their plans

and their activities. They feel no compulsion to; by use of the print media and television; report to citizens at least twice yearly on their progress. Outside of Guyana Water Incorporated one would be hard pressed to identify an agency that adequately keeps citizens informed. Mr. Editor, over fifty years ago a small section of Wortmanville knew fear when a convicted person was released back into the community. This was because we knew so little of Parole Boards and other early- release programs. Thus, it was ignorance that created room for assumptions which gave rise to the fear. Today little has changed in this regard, and the recent action of the Parole Board is proof of this. Until state agencies and boards begin to demonstrate respect for citizens by ensuring they are informed, citizens are likely to continue to demonstrate little faith or interest in them and our democracy will be further undermined. Claudius Prince

The Canadian Prime Minister’s bold move DEAR EDITOR; On April 13, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sent Canada and its citizens into a hypnotic frenzy by making good on his high-profile campaign promise—the passing of a Bill legalizing marijuana for recreation purposes, making Canada the first developed country in the world to legalize pot since the international war on drugs began in the 1970s. This stunning announcement can be juxtaposed for its truth and applicability to the sayings of Savoyard lawyer, historian and philosopher Joseph Le Maistre, “that every nation gets the government it deserves, and Alexander de Tocqueville, the famous French political thinker and historian, speaking in the Chamber of Deputies just prior to the outbreak of the European Revolution who said: “We are sleeping on a volcano... A wind of revolution blows, the storm is on the horizon. Thankfully the Bill has not yet become law, but from the spectator’s seat it stands an extremely good chance. On one hand the majority of the House of Commons is controlled by the Liberals, and the even more liberal New Democratic Party is backing them on legalization, although currently they represent a small minority in the Canadian gov-

ernment. While our Prime Minister is doing his level best to keep his campaign promise of appeasing those who seemingly wish to escape reality, the passage of such a Bill is not without its accompanying profound ramifications that run the gamut from health and culture, to homeland and border security, international relations and right here at home safety on the roads. These may be the precursors before the eruption of the volcano on which Canada now sits. Generally the Bill follows the recommendations of the recent Federal Task Force on marijuana legalization. Age 18 is the minimum age for purchasing marijuana, but provinces are free to raise this age. The Federal government has been tasked with handling licensing producers, and their provincial counterparts will manage distribution and retail sales. Canadians can grow up to four marijuana plants per household, and carry up to 30 grams per person. Quebec’s Premier Philippe Couillard, in a succinct Pilatetype hand washing gesture, forewarned that Government,

to be careful in burdening the provinces with too many responsibilities, such as regulation, testing of individuals and implementation. A similar admonition was voiced by Quebec’s Finance Minister Carlos Leitao, who said that the province wanted no part in anything to do with selling pot, but instead wants the Feds to sort out the commercial aspect of things. The province wants no part of the Liberals’ nightmarish game— hence no attributable blame or shame. Premier Trudeau has seemingly forgotten that Canada like our neighbour the U. S is part of international drug treaties that unequivocally ban the legalization of marijuana. Despite the fact that activists have been trying for years to change these treaties, they have been unsuccessful- so that when Canada moves to legalize (Continued on page 6)

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Friday April 21, 2017

Kaieteur News

THE APNU+AFC/GUYSUCO MACHINE MUST STOP LYING DEAR EDITOR; Here are facts: Wales Sugar Estate is closed and hundreds of sugar workers are unemployed. Skeldon, Sugar Estate has had its first crop operations suspended, no planting has occurred and no harvesting has taken place. Skeldon is essentially closed. Enmore Sugar Packaging Plant has suspended its operation. LBI cane cultivation has ended and no planting has taken place at Enmore. Enmore/LBI has closed. The ethanol plant at Albion has not been used since 2015. The Providence cane fields have been abandoned. GUYSUCO, no matter how much it denies the truth, is totally carrying out instructions from APNU+AFC to first signifi-

cantly downsize and then close sugar. No amount of spin and PR to change the narrative will hide the truth. It is high time APNU+AFC/GUYSUCO stop lying to the sugar workers and to the people of Guyana. President Granger this past week unw i t t i n g l y conceded the truth when he announced in Regions 5 that Wales has been closed and Enmore/ LBI, Rose Hall and Skeldon will cease operation this year. The BIG MAN has spoken- closure of the sugar industry is near. Sugar has already contracted (downsized). Surely the Senior Communications Officer from GUYSUCO who wrote a response to one of my statements cannot accuse President Granger of misrepresenta-

tion. GUYSUCO might prefer to use the spin word re-engineering - but whatever cute or misleading words they use, the fact does not change. Sugar has been downsized, is being further contracted, thousands of sugar workers have lost their jobs and thousands of families have been impoverished. A spade is a spade. Fancy words will not improve the lives of those families who are suffering because GUYSUCO is downsizing as part of APNU+AFC’s mission of ending sugar in Guyana. In America, President Trump’s people have invented a new spin for false statements and outright lies, A LT E R N AT I V E FACTS. Cute, but lies are

The Canadian Prime Minister’s bold move From page 5 marijuana it will immediately be in violation of international law that could upset other countries with a stricter view of legalization. In the U.S eight states have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, while the only nation in the world that allows marijuana to be used legally for recreational purposes is Uruguay. However, the difference lies in the fact that Canada is pursuing legalization as a country. The dangers of marijuana have repeatedly been echoed across the nation even from the lips of the Liberals them-

selves. Then why are they now advocating its use for recreational purposes? Since Canada is the first country to promise legalization at the ballot box, the truth is hidden in the smoke. Millions of weed smokers allowed Justin Trudeau, to get just in, making the biggest comeback victory in Canadian election history. —-the Liberals have kept their promise on what they are certain would improve their rating at the expense of over subscription on broken campaign promises in other areas. Canada’s success in its attempts to legalize marijuana

will depend on how it balances all expressed concerns, for while the government may opine that marijuana legalization is right for Canada, the risk therein lurks the danger that legal Canadian pot may find itself in the U.S with resultant tension between previously close friends. Let us not forget the arm of the law whose role would be changed come legalization. To once again quote Alexander de Tocqueville — laws are unstable unless they are founded on the manners of a nation, and manners are the only durable and resisting power in a people. Yvonne Sam

Mr. Jagdeo’s statement is an affront... From page 4 development. If that is to be taken literally, Mr. Jagdeo is insinuating that Security Guards are worthless people. As an electorate and citizen of Guyana, I would urge Mr. Jagdeo to make a concerted effort to act like the statesman he claims to be and refrain from treating his fellow countrymen with disdain and

indignity, or further attempting to insult the intelligence of Guyanese. We will not all be hoodwinked. On April 13, 2017, Guyana’s Parliament approved the SARA Bill, which will integrate and empower the SARU (State Assets Recovery Unit) to trace and recover stolen or misappropriated state as-

sets. It also provides the legislative scope for deterring and preventing such activities from taking place in future. Assets of the state fundamentally include Taxpayers funded tangibles, Land and Finance. The Guyana Government has a fiduciary duty to prudently manage, preserve and protect its state’s assets, as the majority of citizens expect the government to ensure that there is accountability, fairness and equitable distribution of the nation’s resources. Orette Cutting

still lies. Let us stop the lie, stop insulting and demeaning the workers and the Guyanese people, Wales Sugar Estate is closed. There has been no cultivation of sugar cane on GUYSUCO’s sugar cane fields at Wales since the second crop of 2015. There is no harvesting going on right now. The sugar fact o r y a t Wa l e s h a s b e e n largely dismantled. Sugar workers have been laid off, some of whom have been paid severance and some of whom have been told they have no choice but to accept employment at Uitvlugt Sugar Estate. These workers are now fighting for their severance too. Ms. Thomas, GUYSUCO and APNU+AFC can scream REENGINEERING until they turn blue, but it does not change anything in the above paragraph. Sugar workers and the people in West Demerara have no illusion - Wales Sugar Estate is closed. It has been almost eighteen months since the Wales decision was made by APNU+AFC and since GUYSUCO has been implementing the decision. Yet there is still no concrete plans for Wales and the people there. APNU+AFC has sporadically announced things like sharing land to small farm-

ers, rearing tilapia, dairy farming and cultivating rice seed paddy. The Minister of Agriculture lied that there were 450ha of rice ready to be harvested in December. More recently we were told that 200ha were cultivated, but I stood in those fields two weeks ago and the only evidence is that about 200 acres are now being prepared for rice. Sugar is DEAD in Wales, not being re-engineered. While GUYSUCO is trying to invent a new narrative of re-engineering to displace the reality of downsizing of sugar, President Granger valiantly tried his own spin and ALTERNATIVE FACTS last week to change the ugly narrative. He told the people of Region 5 that they should not be worried and depressed over the closure of four estates because the real story is that three states are being kept open - Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt. None of this confounded nonsense changes the reality that Wales is closed and Enmore/LBI, Rose Hall (Canje) and Skeldon are already in advanced stages of being closed. As regards cultivation at Providence, West Bank, Berbice, a part of the Rose Hall sugar cane cultivation, GUYSUCO ( I am assuming Ms. Thomas is parroting

the position of GUYSUCO) wants us to believe that Providence is still operational. Have any senior person from GUYSUCO and for that matter, anyone from APNU+AFC been to Providence recently? I know of no one who has seen any GUYSUCO senior officer at Providence for the longest time, not just in recent months. No planting has taken place at Providence since end of 2015 and all fields with productive cane have been harvested. Those cane fields are no longer productively occupied by GUYSUCO. I know. I walked those fields on April 2, 2017. Truth can be denied, at least for some time, and lies might become ALTERNATIVE FACTS. We can spin closure and taking away people’s jobs and call it REENGINEERING. But at the end of the day the reality is that sugar cane fields are being abandoned for grass, weeds and bushes to take over, factories are being closed and dismantled, workers are unemployed, small community markets die, small shops, b u s inesses, seamstresses and others in the sugar belts are feeling the squeeze. These ugly truths do not become less vulgar even if we redefine downsizing and closure as re-engineering. Dr. Leslie Ramsammy

A man keeps disrupting the meetings of Enmore NDC NDC who has constantly rupts every meeting of the DEAR EDITOR, Please be kind enough to carry the attached letter which is, indirectly, a retort to President Granger’s criticism that development is inhibited in PPP-controlled NDCs/Municipalities. The President either does not know or is misinformed about the truth. I will cite an instance which I witnessed one afternoon this week as I was riding past the Enmore NDC office. There was a blockade of the roadway in front of the NDC office caused by one man. I came down from my bicycle and observed this man (whom I later learnt to be (name given), an APNU Councillor of the

been upbraided because of his continuing misbehaviour in meetings) shouting and cursing on top of his voice. Apparently, this man earlier insisted on still being seated as a Councillor despite being suspended. For a Councillor, this man is a disgrace. He was on top of his voice and using invectives freely and loudly. I recognised a senior official of Region 4 who was egging him on to “give it to them”. Knowing this area, if anyone else was behaving the way this man did, the Enmore Police would have locked him up. But this man seemed special. I enquired from persons, and I was told that this man dis-

Council and that he has the protection of the Region and the Enmore and Cove & John Police. Mr. President, from what I saw and from other firsthand experiences, I can say that this country is not far from its lowest ebb. Your functionaries are not telling you the truth or you are refusing to acknowledge the truth. The Ostrich became famous for burying its head in the ground and exposing its rear. I am seeing so much of that. I bleed for this country, Mr. President. I voted for the AFC. What I saw this week forces me to conclude that other persons rather than the APNU/AFC politicians, have to in their political and administrative functionaries. It was indeed a sad display of misplaced power by this man and the Regional senior officials. May God have mercy on us! Charles Selman

Friday April 21, 2017

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Kaieteur News

Gold dealer money laundering probe widens...

Govt. begins to address SOCU seizes several economic slowdown weapons from Bartica - Harmon

Saddiqi ‘Bobby’ Rasul and the family that was found at the 25 Sandy Babb Street Kitty address where a large quantity of ammunition was found remain of interest to the police as a major money laundering probe continues. In custody with Rasul is Ricardo Fagundes, a former employee of Rasul, who is believed to have been at the Sandy Babb Street address at the time of Wednesday’s raid that was conducted by the Special Organised Crimes Unit (SOCU) in conjunction with the Guyana Police Force. Kaieteur News has learnt that Rasul has a security firm in Bartica and a number of gun licenses were issued to that firm. The police have since seized a quantity of weapons belonging to the firm and the gun licences are being revoked. The police are also trying to locate a sport utility vehicle belonging to Rasul. It is believed that the vehicle might have left the country. When contacted yesterday, head of SOCU Assistant Police Commissioner Sydney James confirmed that ammunitions were indeed found at the Sandy Babb Street address and that aspect of the probe has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). James said the ammo find is now being investigated by the police. His unit continues to look at the money laundering aspect of the investigation with Rasul at the centre of those investigations. The SOCU head also confirmed that another associate of Rasul, who this newspaper learnt is Wassim Kassim, is being interviewed by SOCU in connection with money laundering connected

to the embattled gold dealer. On Wednesday, the police in what appeared to be a well coordinated raid descended on a number of addresses, including one in Bartica where Kassim was found. He was arrested and brought to Georgetown for further interrogation. James was asked if his unit is investigating whether there was collusion between Guyana Gold Board (GGB) officials and Rasul, and he said that SOCU is interviewing officials from that entity. Rasul is still in police custody although he was arrested and placed on $3M bail for six counts of fraud for $956M that was transferred into his bank accounts at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Bartica branch without the proper procedures being followed. That was a police operation. This is an antimoney laundering probe. In fact, the Citizen Bank cheques that were cashed at GBTI were not cleared with Citizen Bank before the cash was released which is a deviation from banking norms. Those cheques subsequently bounced. On Wednesday as SOCU widened the money laundering probe into Rasul’s gold mining operations which include R. Mining Inc, a number of addresses were raided including 25 Sandy Babb Street Kitty where the unit seized three high value sports motorbikes, a Jet Ski, and also found a bag of ammunition. The entire family that was at the property at the time was arrested. Rasul found himself in hot water after the banking fraud was unearthed. It is believed that declarations by R Mining

Inc. owned by Rasul were deliberately structured so as to avoid the mandatory two percent tax that normal, small miners have to pay. Mining companies are not obliged to pay the two percent upfront when they are declaring. Kaieteur News has learnt that Rasul visited the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) multiple times per day and those visits should have raised immediate suspicions because they indicated that R. Mining Inc. owned by Rasul was supposedly washing down at its mining operations several times a day. However, the reality is much different, it is logistically impossible to produce that much gold from the operations of R Mining and have it brought before closing time to Bartica and to the Brickdam office of GGB, insiders say. Yet, R Mining managed to do this over a three-month period-—September to November, 2016—- without any attention raised. These visits by Rasul at GGB caused officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources to call in SOCU to investigate if there is collusion between employees of that entity and Rasul. Questions are also being asked about the role of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) who should have been alerted to Rasul’s suspect operations. It raises questions if GGMC officials were delinquent in their responsibilities or if it was a case of ‘turning a blind eye to what went on’.

Over the past few months, reports have emanated which suggest that the Private Sector is taking a beating as many businesses have opted to take drastic measures to reduce their workforce. Their argument is that there is not enough money being generated to keep their employees. All fingers are being pointed in the direction of the economy, which according to some, is not doing so well. Head of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Eddie Boyer, had even stated that there is a slowdown. He however expressed hope that the economy will ‘right itself’. Some businesses have even resorted to reducing the working hours allotted to staff members. Many employees who hold top positions have had their salaries cut. Also, several perks that were once offered to staff have been pulled, reports have stated. Just recently, this newspaper carried an article which relayed the frustration of businesses in Berbice. During a meeting with the Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce and executives of all the chambers in Berbice, noted that there is a slowdown in loans and advances from the commercial banks. This was dubbed as a worrying sign that investments are at a standstill. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, during the

post-Cabinet Press Briefings yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency in Georgetown, was asked how the government plans to deal with these issues. “The economy is always on the forefront of our considerations, not only in the Cabinet but all of our government undertakings. The impact in which the economy has on the people of this country is something which we are very careful about or dealing with. These reports being made are being taken very seriously.” Harmon responded to Kaieteur News. Harmon noted also that the President, David Granger, has on at least three recent occasions, summoned some of the key ministers including the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister of Business and Minister of Natural Resources to ‘look at options and how is it we are going to address certain things.’ This move by the President has seemingly begun to bear fruit since Minister of Natural Resources -as recent as Wednesday – indicated some of the measures that are being taken in the Ministry that will effect business and ultimately, the flow of money

into the economy. Harmon also made reference to a previous press conference where he had revealed Government’s plans to inject a huge sum of money into the housing sector with the primary aim of generating employment and economic activity. Further, the Minister explained that one has to take into consideration, the ‘economic realities’ of Guyana’s Continental and Regional neighbours. “These things, of course, have to be taken in conjunction with the economic realities of the countries that surround us: the economic reality of Suriname; the economic reality of Brazil; the economic reality of Venezuela; the economic reality of Trinidad and Tobago; and that these economic realities, they’re not strange – people are reading, they’re on the internet and you understand what is happening internationally. We are doing our best to ensure that we do not have to go down the road where some of these countries have gone and we want to say that the government – your government, is very conscious of this. We’re taking every step to ensure that economic activities (are) revitalised and that there is a flow of money into the system.”

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Govt. to split Barama concessions into four blocks …international companies, small loggers to benefit Government announced last month that it will be redistributing the forestry lands which were allocated to Barama Company Limited. However, the 1.6M hectares of land will not be redistributed as a single block but rather will be divided into four blocks. This clarification was made by Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman on Wednesday while making a presentation to the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources in Parliament’s Chambers. Trotman who was with

Minister within the Ministry, Simona Broomes, and other Ministry officials were requested by the Committee to make presentations on the oil and gas sector, Bai Shan Lin and mining syndicates. During his presentation, Trotman said that Barama had communicated to government in October last year that it will be giving up its forestry concessions but will concentrate its efforts on plywood and veneer manufacturing and sawmilling operations. Following the company’s announcement, Trotman said that a number of Expressions

of Interest have been received for the concession. However, he said, “We will not be giving out the 1.6 million hectares en bloc any longer; we have cut it into four; one will be held reserved for conservation, one will be held for small loggers and two have been advertised for international companies.” He said that so far, 17 Expressions of Interest have been received. According to him, Government hopes to complete the review of these proposals at the end of this month. Barama, a Malaysian-

owned company, has been in Guyana for 25 years. Before leaving the forestry sector, the company was negotiating with the government for a new investment agreement. The company had expressed its regret at having to close its forest concession after 25 years and having invested about $45B to develop Guyana’s forestry sector. According to Barama, it had concluded that it is no longer viable to continue its forestry operations. Speaking more on the forestry sector, Trotman said that last year, Guyana earned US$38M which represented a decline of 15 per cent relative to the sector’s performance in 2015. He said that this decrease was due to a slowdown in the Asian economy in addition to the withdrawal of Barama and the removal of Bai Shan Lin from the forest. He said that Bai Shan Lin had two concessions, both of which have expired and Government chose not to renew them. Those concessions had amounted to 180,000 hectares, the Minister said.

Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman “Those have not been renewed; Bai Shan Lin had also entered into joint ventures with five other companies. We have since repossessed the lands because those joint ventur es have not been approved according to law. So at present there is no activity involving Bai Shan Lin or any of its associates in the forest.”

The Chinese company had been scrutinised for failing to develop a processing plant and not paying fees, among other issues. Trotman had noted that the company was still in arrears with the Guyana Forestry Commission. The Minister reported that the forest previously owned by Bai Shan Lin is currently being held in abeyance and has not redistributed them because the China Development Bank which underwritten Bai Shan Lin has asked Government to be given an opportunity to find new finances to recapitalise the loans given to the company. “So, those concessions remain intact and are not being worked at this time.” Trotman said that currently, his Ministry is actively pursuing the allocation of forestry concessions to small logging associations. He said that last December, government gave out 69 of those concessions for active use in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Ten.

Govt. to keep re-structured sugar industry As the government looks for measures to keep the struggling sugar industry afloat, a White Paper that outlines measures to help in this regard is to be debated in the National Assembly shortly. At the weekly post Cabinet press briefing yesterday, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, said a White Paper which sets out certain measures for the industry’s future is to be robustly debated in the National Assembly. Minister Harmon said this follows a process that was undertaken by the ruling administration with regards to the industry. He said that on the back of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the Guyana Sugar Corporation (Guysuco) and the subsequent establishment of a team to look at options for the industry. Harmon stated that some options were presented to the government and at the Cabinet level it was decided that there should be consultations with stakeholders before a decision is taken on the industry. He said that government made its position known on the state of Guysuco before stakeholders were consulted but that did not prevent them from listening to those persons and organization that will form the group that was consulted. Harmon said that during the consultation the government met with the opposition, the Guyana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU), Guysuco as well as representatives from the sugar industry. He said at that meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture

Minister of State Joseph Harmon with the stakeholders the government’s position became much clearer. Harmon added that they had also asked persons who have proposal for the improvement of the industry to come forward. The Minister explained that although the opposition had stated previously that they have a plan for the industry, they did not offer any suggestions to improve the struggling industry at that consultation. He said that proposals were received from GAWU and that those were taken into consideration in the preparation of the White Paper. Harmon also said that three issues were highlighted and he did not want to go into detail as to the content of the white paper because these issues will be properly ventilated in the National Assembly shortly. However, Harmon said that following those consultations the financial evidence and facts presented are say-

ing that it is feasible to amalgamate some estates and factories for better utilization of the nation’s resources. He also said that the White Paper recommended that there should be diversification within the industry as well as using lands owned by Guysuco to embark on agriculture cultivation. Harmon noted that the aforementioned are only some of the proposals proffered in the white paper but other issues arising from that document will be discussed in greater detail in parliament. He said that the consultations are an attempt to engage a wide cross section of people before such an ‘important’ decision is made about the future of the industry. He said that Guysuco is not going anywhere and Guyana will continue to be involved in sugar but it was important that adjustments be made within the industry if it were to remain sustainable.

Friday April 21, 2017

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Kaieteur News

The Public Service Training School is ancient The government is establishing a private sector training college which will be compulsory for persons entering the public service. This is another controversial idea, one that was clearly not properly thought out. The idea of a staff training college is part of military establishments. They have no place in the modern public service. Not because something worked in militaries means that it can be trans-

posed into civilian life. For one, the idea of a training college for public servant entrants is outmoded. Induction training institutes are becoming redundant around the world. Guyana seems to be going backwards rather than forward. While the rest of the world is moving ahead by privatizing public services we are actually reverting back to old archaic ideas about training within the public service.

Philosophically, the idea of a training college for public servants is one which emphasizes an expanded role for government in the economy. This measure is therefore bound to attract criticism on ideological grounds. It will be seen as a return to the old socialist emphasis on public bureaucracies which turned out to be highly dysfunctional, not just here in Guyana, but also in the USSR.

Telecoms liberalization war…

Digicel rejects GTT’s claims of owing taxes Digicel has expressed disappointment with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) most recent statements to the press in which it repeated “untrue allegations”. According to the mobile company which is the main competitor to GTT, more specifically it is denying that it owes the Government of Guyana any taxes. GTT on Wednesday claimed that Digicel has established an illegal link with Suriname for international calls on which no taxes were being paid. GTT estimated that almost US$30M ($6B) was lost in taxes. “Digicel wishes to state categorically that it owes no taxes and is in good standing with the GRA,” the mobile company said in a statement yesterday. Digicel said it began providing services in Guyana in 2007 with consumers experiencing up to 50% decrease in domestic call rates and access to new affordable handsets with no activation fees. “Digicel began providing services in remote regions of Guyana. It must be noted that today, 27 years after GTT’s launch in Guyana, there are still areas even in Georgetown where customers are still waiting for service from GTT.” Digicel insisted that it recognised the need for consumers in Guyana to have access to the internet on the go. In May 2007, it introduced mobile internet service via Blackberry. “It was only in November 2011 that GTT decided to follow suit - over four and a half years later.” Digicel pointed out that the exchange of text messages between the Digicel a n d G T T n e t w o r k s was made possible through the efforts of Digicel despite GTT’s resistance for over two years as Digicel considered it to be a basic requirement of service provision for Guyanese to be connected to one another regardless of choice of network.” Digicel said it believes the focus here should be on cus-

Digicel has denied owing Government any taxes, as claimed by GTT. tomers and competition. “Digicel calls upon GT&T to desist from making false allegations that serve to mislead and remove the focus from the imminent opening of a fully competitive telecoms sector in Guyana and to allow the Government to continue to work towards making liberalisation a reality for the benefit of the public of Guyana.” Digicel said that if GTT believes it offers a superior level of services to consumers in Guyana, then there should be no need to fear liberalisation. “It’s ironic that GTT is trying to portray itself as a consumer champion whilst doing

everything in its power to frustrate our attempts to provide competition and choice in the market. Despite these challenges, Digicel has managed to compete effectively with GTT and prides itself on its innovation and on the standard and quality of its services and will continue to fight to provide them to the people of Guyana.” The two companies are at it at a time when the administration has introduced new laws to open the market to new players and break the international calls and landline monopoly that GTT has. Both Government and GTT, a US-owned company, are involved in negotiations to break the monopoly.

Secondly, public services are becoming highly specialized and therefore there is a need for more specialized skills. The various parts of the public service perform different functions. You do not expect a clerk in the Ministry of Legal Affairs to have the same training as a clerk in the Ministry of Health, except if both persons are involved in the accounts departments of the respective ministries. Ministries need to be able to recruit persons who want to make a career in a particular Ministry not those who are assigned to a Ministry on completion of their time in the public service training college. The Ministry of Health needs persons who are interested in a field in public health administration. This freedom to recruit the better suited persons for the jobs is going to be affected by this new policy. Thirdly, there is always the fear that such colleges will be used, as they were, in the past, for the purposes of political indoctrination. In the past, public servants were forced to attend all manner of political activities under the pretext that they needed to under-

stand the political context in which they operated. There is always some justification for courses on political indoctrination. Public service training colleges can be used to brainwash public service recruits. Fourthly, publics servants are not expected to be neutral and they do not need training on how to be neutral. They are expected to be partial towards implementing government policies. They can be PPP or PNC but at the end of the day, they know that their job is to serve the government of the day and not the party of the day. Fifthly, the establishment of a public service training institute is likely to be a costly exercise. No one has stated as yet what are infrastructural costs involved in the establishment of this institute. No one has yet quantified the recurrent costs involved. They are both expected to be high. One wonders if plans for that college are scrapped if the expenditure is saved and help avoid the imposition of the VAT on private education. Sixthly, in most public services in the Caribbean per-

sons leaving schools are eligible for entry-level admission. The establishment in Guyana, of a public service training institute, now places a second eligibility tier. You now have to pass through the college. This really makes a mockery of the CXC system which has been adapted to making students functionally literate. Why should any student spend five years in high school and then have to spend another period training just to become a clerk. The whole system is going to attract suspicion. People will see this new system as a means of filtering who enters the public service. It is a criticism which the government will have to disprove. If you cannot graduate from the training institute, then you cannot secure a job in the public service. This is bound to raise suspicions in people’s mind.

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=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

No modern society should have such a population This column is not about Mr. Bharrat Mangru, a prosecutor on the magisterial circuit. But I mention his name here because his position symbolizes the nature of the Guyanese society. I was researching the verdicts on death by dangerous driving and one particular case struck me where a driver was charged for killing a dance instructor. He offered compensation and was freed of the four serious charges he faced. The first number I found was Mr. Mangru. I wanted to know what the law said about compensation and its relation to the course of a trial. Since Mr. Mangru was a prosecutor, I figured that he would be in a better position to know the law even more than some of my friends who are lawyers.

Mr. Mangru told me he cannot speak to me. I insisted that all I wanted to know was what the law said and not his opinion. He still persisted with his position that he cannot speak to me; that the best person to do so was the DPP. I did not accept his reaction and would not accept it from any person in this situation. All I wanted to know is, if the law permits a certain process and all he had to say was ‘yes the law stipulates that’, or ‘no, that is not in the law.’ If I call any traffic cop to ask what is the legal age to own a driver’s license? That cop has a right to give me that information. If I call the GRA and request information on the limit of foreign currency you are allowed to take out, that information should be

offered. I see nothing exceptional with how Mr. Mangru behaved; it is typical of this society where fear dominates the psychology of almost ninety-nine percent of the population. People in a land named Guyana in the Caribbean family of nations live with more trepidation in their lives than in most countries. Let us take three authoritarian countries – China, Iran and Cuba. I doubt whether the students would be courageous enough to challenge the political status quo. But if there is a policy at the university that is not connected to state power, and it affects them emotionally they would demonstrate and picket. Student power has been with civilization since time immemorial. Student power is one of the constants in human existence. When the Athenian court passed the death sentence on Socrates, his students rebelled. That was over two thousand years ago and since then students have kept rebelling. There is no other student population in any other country in this entire world where apathy and fear are so widespread than in Guyana.

I have seen fear come into the faces and eyes of people who complain to me as soon as I utter the words, “will you be willing to come forward?” Once I use those words the conversation ends. And I am not talking about hell-raising violations. I am referring to innocuous situations that are simply too petty for people to worry about, not like someone coming with a gun to kill them. I met this gentleman and he asked me to publicize the plight of motorists on the harbor bridge in the mornings. I said, I will do it and cite you as one of the drivers affected. That was that! He was no longer interested in it. Someone gave me a letter to be published about road repairs. He said that when a road is being repaired, the

workmen must put a sign at the head of the road so you would not have to drive through the street only to turn back because work is being done. . He asked that his name be withheld. This young lady was in her car waiting to be attended to by a traffic cop who stopped her. I asked if he just randomly stopped her. She said yes. I showed her documents which unambiguously state that the traffic ranks are prevented from doing random pull over. The rank came up to her and I indicated to him that he cannot do routine stops. He agreed. I then said to him; “This young lady told me you just stopped her at random.” He denied it. I insisted that she repeat in front of him what

Frederick Kissoon she told me. She lost her voice. The examples I gave here is just point nine nine percent of what I know about the penetration of fear in this country. And all governments since Independence want it this way so they can rule over a fearful land. But no country like this deserves to exist in such a sad state

Dem boys seh ...

Dem boys willing to tek any polygraph test, Politicians willing? Yesterday dem boys talk how security cameras these days humbugging people from thiefing. Dem boys call Jagdeo name. Dem seh when he was a li’l boy he mudda use to send him to a store wid a dollar and he use to go back wid $25 ration. De PPP women organization tek offence and send a letter saying that Uncle Adam and ee boss man claim how Jagdeo mudda teach him to thief. Nowhere in de article dem boys seh Jagdeo mudda teach him fuh thief. But like dem women know something deeper than wha dem boys know. Dem seh how Jagdeo mudda dead among other things. Dem also seh dem hope when Uncle Adam and ee boss man dead dem don’t vex when people talk dem name. Dem boys find that very

funny. In fact, dem boys got a message fuh dem. We don’t care if dem talk we name now, when we get old or when we get cock eye and dead. People got a right to talk or express how dem feel about a scamp. Dem boys want dem ladies to know that is he go and pick up de goods from de grocery store and tell ee mudda how de shop owner give him. No way that could be interpret to mean she taught him how to thief. De only thing dem boy vex about is that she mek such a horrible creature. Dem ladies should also know that is de habit wha Jagdeo got mek he run from he own polygraph machine. Is he bring de machine and seh govt officials exempt. He bring it in to ketch people who was thiefing wha he seh belong to he, he friends and he

family. Now he is not a govt official and dem boys know he thief a lot but he continues to talk like a saint. That is why dem want him to tek a polygraph test. Dem boys want dem same ladies to know that if Jagdeo tek a polygraph test dem would shut down de Waterfalls paper. Dem boys want dem same ladies to know that dem don’t talk two mouth. Dem giving de same challenge to de new govt. Dem boys remember when all of dem was in de opposition dem was demanding that de govt officials should be de first to face de polygraph machine. Today de shoes deh pun dem foot. Joe ShanLin now singing Jagdeo tune. Talk half and wait for another letter from de Pee Pee Pee girls.

Friday April 21, 2017

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Kaieteur News

‘Strengthening nurses education’ high on Ministry’s agenda - the aim is to restore integrity of nursing Historically, Guyana’s nursing programme has had significant accolades. This has translated to graduates being highly sought after across the world. However, recent developments have caused the quality of the local nursing programme to come under intense scrutiny since its integrity has been seriously questioned. This state of affairs was yesterday amplified by Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, as she addressed a strategic workshop aimed at strengthening nurses’ education and practice for success in Guyana. According to the Minister, the expectation is that standards of acceptable performance will be adhered to and the public trust will be safeguarded. “It is because of these expectations that we have to ensure that the health care professionals who are placed in the system have been certified using a programme that has effective quality management embodied in every aspect of the training and assessment process,” Minister Cummings asserted. In an effort to provide health care of optimal quality, the Minister noted that the assessment strategies must conform to rigorous and specific standards. “It would be

unethical to deviate from these standards for any conceivable reason. I must reiterate that this position means that everyone is accountable. We have to take a tough stance on the issue of dishonesty, lack of integrity, and indiscipline that has besmirched our health education and training,” asserted Minister Cummings. Moreover, the move to conduct the workshop, according to the Minister, was premised on the fact that “the apparent paucity of robust quality assurance measures has resulted in unsavory and unscrupulous actions perpetrated by a selfish dishonorable few seeking to bring our nursing programme into disrepute.” This situation, Minister Cummings said, must never

The workshop in session yesterday

be allowed to happen again. “As we review the entire nursing programme with the aim of strengthening it for broader success across the board, let us all recommit to working assiduously to improving the quality of nursing education we provide,” the Minister underscored. In the quest to improve the quality of nursing education, the Minister stressed the need for nurses to be able to receive higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression. As she qualified the need for an improved nursing education system, Minister Cummings noted, “In today’s world where patient needs and care environments have become more complex, our

Nagamootoo wants revamped Cummingsburg Accord When it comes to politics, most things never remain the same. And since “circumstances” have changed from the time the Coalition party assumed office, the Alliance For Change (AFC) is of the belief that the time has come for the Cummingsburg Accord to be renegotiated. Specifically making this statement was First Vice President and Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo. The seasoned attorney-atlaw also holds the post of Elder Statesman/Political Advisor to his party. In an interview with this newspaper, Nagamootoo was asked if the AFC has any intention of moving to have the Cummingsburg Accord updated. He made it clear that such a political question should be put to the AFC Leader or General Secretary. He nevertheless offered his opinion on the matter. Nagamootoo said that he is of the firm conviction that the Cummingsburg Accord ought to be renegotiated. The Prime Minister said that the document was for a limited duration and it was not in-

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo tended that it should last indefinitely. The Prime Minister said, “As new situations develop you may wish to reexamine the Accord and see whether there are some things you want to renegotiate or prioritize...” The First Vice President was then asked if the AFC already has its eyes set on certain areas that it would want to renegotiate with the APNU. To this he said, “Politics

is a dynamic process. Nothing remains constant. And I would be the first to admit that being in government for two years now; you would find it convenient to revisit platforms of the programme which is the Accord. You have to. Circumstances have changed.” The Prime Minister continued, “You have two years of experience in Government. And you now know that though we have tread cautiously in the first two years that you may now wish to move forward boldly on some matters rather than pursuing everything a t t h e s a m e time.” Nagamootoo added, “So the Accord is a working document that defines the relationship among the coalition partners while its manifesto determines the plan of action that ought to be pursued so those are two different things.” The political advisor to the AFC said that it is recommended that if Government is in midterm, one would want to reevaluate and prioritize. The Elder statesman said that it is a reasonable expectation. (KIANA WILBURG)

nurses need to attain the requisite competencies to deliver high-quality care.” These competencies include leadership, health policy, system improvement, research, and evidencebased practice. But according to Minister Cummings, “these priceless skills must be complemented by teamwork and collaboration as well as competency in specific content areas such as community and public health and geriatrics.” The Minister noted the need for the development of new approaches and educational models to respond to burgeoning information in the field of nursing.

In so doing she considered that competencies will have to move from task-based proficiencies to higher-level competencies that provide a foundation for care management knowledge and decision-making skills under a variety of clinical situations and care settings. Further, she pointed out that emerging new competencies in decision making, quality improvement, systems thinking, and team leadership must become part of every nurse’s professional formation. “As we seek to enhance the quality of the nursing education programme, the focus must be on competency-

based learning that embodies quality assurance measures, said Minister Cummings. “Nursing schools must also instill in students the spirit of inquiry, so that after graduation from the basic nursing programme, lifelong learning is sustained with continuing nursing education.” But according to the Public Health Minister, the emphasis in nursing education is sometimes perceived to be on preparing students for their nursing exams alone. However, the Minister made it clear, yesterday, that “we must recognize that the licensure exam is a minimum (Continued on page 31)

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Friday April 21, 2017

Kaieteur News

Three Regional hospitals to benefit from approved US$17.5M Indian loan Bartica hospital, Region 7, will receive up to US$3M in an Indian line of credit for upgrades.

A recent line of credit approved by the Government of India will enable the modernization of three primary health care facilities in Guyana. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about US$17.5 million will be provided for the improvement of Suddie Regional Hospital, the West Demerara Regional Hospital and the Bartica District Hospital. Under the initiative, Suddie Regional Hospital will receive almost US$8 million for the construction of a new ambulatory and inpatient centre and diagnostic care facility. More than US$4.5 million will be used for the same purpose at West Demerara Regional Hospital. Furthermore, the Ministry said, the Bartica District Hospital is ex-

pected to receive about US$3 million for the expansion of the existing build-

ing along with the construction of a number of new structures in the compound. The projects are all expected to commence later this year. Director of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vanessa Dickenson, noted that “the signing of this agreement will pave the way for improving and upgrading the delivery of healthcare services in Guyana”. Diplomatic relations between Guyana and I n d i a were established on May 26, 1966. Since then, the bilateral relationship has been of mutual benefit including through the

provision of official development assistance from the Government of India and of political support from Guyana. The two countries are also cooperating in the

areas of renewable energy technology, agriculture, health and education, among others. At present, ongoing projects in Guyana include the acquisition of an ocean

going ferry to service Region One (Barima/Waini) as well as the development of the Centre of Excellence in Information Technology on the Turkeyen campus of the University of Guyana.

Third motorcyclist killed in two days A father of five became the third motorcyclist to die in an accident in two days. He collided with a mini-bus on the Rupert Craig Highway, East Coast Demerara yesterday. Christopher Singh, a 62-year-old security guard of Industry, East Coast Demerara, succumbed around 07.00 hrs at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. The accident occurred around 06.50 hrs, in the vicinity of the University of Guyana access road. Police said that the minibus driver alleged that he was heading east along the Rupert Craig Highway, when Singh, who was on a motorcycle, suddenly turned from the UG access road into the path of the bus. Singh, who sustained severe head injuries, was rushed to the GPHC Emergency Unit, where he succumbed. His wife, Basmattie Singh, said that he was heading home from his Kitty workplace when the

accident occurred. Mrs. Singh said that she received a call from her son, who told her that “daddy get in an accident.” She rushed down to the GPHC where she was told that her husband had died. The minibus driver has been detained. Two other motorcyclists perished in almost similar fashion on Wednesday. Troy Cordwell, 40, a father of two, was proceeding north on the McDoom, East Bank Demerara Public Road around 01:00 hrs when he allegedly lost control of his cycle and crashed into a parked vehicle. Cordwell was pronounced dead on arrival at the GPHC. And around 01.30 hrs on Wednesday, 22-yearold GPL technician Ackeem James lost his life after crashing his motorcycle into a lorry on the Reliance Public Road, Essequibo Coast.

Friday April 21, 2017

Kaieteur News

Money laundering investigations…

Gold Board head, deputy, Legal Officer sent home

General Manager, Lisaveta Ramotar

Deputy GM, Andrea Seelochan

Legal/Compliance Officer, Suzanne Bullen

Three of the most senior officials of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) have been sent on administrative leave as the police continue investigations into alleged money laundering activities of gold dealer, Saddiqi ‘Bobby’ Rasul. According to a letter dated April 20, 2017 to General Manager, Lisaveta Ramotar, and signed by Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, the police requested several staffers to be sent on leave to facilitate the investigations. Ramotar is the daughter of former President, Donald Ramotar. The investigations are being conducted by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), an arm of the police, that has been focusing on financial crimes. In addition to Ramotar, also to receive letters are

Deputy General Manager, Andrea Seelochan, and Legal/Compliance Officer, Suzanne Bullen. According to the letter to Ramotar, the police have commenced an investigation into allegations of money laundering and suspected involvement of staff members of GGB. The ministry said it is giving the police its full support and cooperation. “On April 19th, 2017, I have received a request from the Guyana Police Force for further investigation to ensue and for several Gold Board officers, including you, to be sent on leave to facilitate the conduct of the investigation,” the letter from the minister said. “In the circumstance it has therefore been decided to send you on Administrative leave, with immediate effect, to allow the police to

complete their investigation. Further, you are expected to continue to cooperate with the investigating ranks in the conduct of the investigation.” Ramotar was also told that on the completion of the investigation, she will be advised further. The troubles at the GGB came to the fore earlier this month when news broke that Bartica gold dealer, Saddiqi ‘Bobby’ Rasul, was arrested in a $950M fraud at the Guyana Bank For Trade and Industry. The alleged fraud saw police later charging Rasul with several counts and placed on $3M bail. Former Chief Justice (ag), Ian Chang, will come out of retirement to perform the duties as a special prosecutor. Details of Rasul’s (Continued on page 14)

Guyanese busted with US$67,000 of coke in shoes found guilty New York (New York Daily News) -Turns out you can judge someone without walking in this shoes. Brooklyn Federal Judge Ann Donnelly said Amaziah Hohenkirk was guilty of trying to smuggle cocaine by hiding the drugs in the soles of six shoes. Donnelly accepted Hohenkirk’s plea after Customs officers busted the Guyanese citizen with about four pounds of blow at JFK. The drugs were valued at around US$67,000, according to authorities. Hohenkirk, 28, got caught flat-footed when arriving from a February 9 flight from Trinidad and Tobago. Officers picked him for inspection and he presented two bags and a backpack. When they looked inside, officers spotted an adhesive of the soles of the four sneakers and two shoes, according to court papers. The shoes tested positive for

cocaine. On Wednesday, Hohenkirk copped to a cocaine importation count. “I am sorry about that,” he told

Donnelly. Hohenkirk is slated to be sentenced in October and could be hit with a legal maximum of 20 years.

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Jagdeo must report fuel smuggling ring - Minister of State Minister Joseph Harmon has denied claims by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, that there are three fuel smuggling gangs being supported by the government. Jagdeo said at a recent press conference at Freedom House that his party had brought this matter to the attention of the ruling administration but nothing was done. He said that one gang consists of businessmen that are sympathetic to the Alliance for Change (AFC) while the second gang is being headed by a prominent lawyer – who is the relative of a top government official. The third gang contains people who Jagdeo claimed are known. Jagdeo told reporters that the members of this alleged third gang recently acquired licenses to import fuel and that this was written about in the mainstream media. Towards this end, the former head of state admonished the media to

‘throw some rocks in the bushes’. According to Jagdeo, the gangs are very huge and are marauding with the executive squarely in their corner. Harmon said yesterday that if Jagdeo is aware of a serious fuel smuggling ring, it is his duty as a citizen, his duty as the Leader of the Opposition to report that information to the police. “I don’t want him to report that to the Ministry of the Presidency. Let him report it to the police and let the police do their work. “We have allowed the police unfettered access to persons who are the subject of investigations. They’ve come in here to the Ministry (of the Presidency) (and) we’ve given them unfettered access to our Permanent Secretary and several other officers within the Ministry.” Harmon said. The Minister observed that Jagdeo seems to be “having a lot of information these days” and implored the former President to “say who

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon these people are.” “Certainly, the administration will never encourage something like that because a fuel smuggling ring suggests there is some illegal operation taking place and we will never be part of such activities – I can say that.” Harmon said.

A mini health check is the first step to donating blood

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Friday April 21, 2017

Kaieteur News

Court rejects SOCU’s insertion Police probe alleged plot to in rice miller’s court case assassinate President Granger

An attempt by the Special Organised Crime Unit, (SOCU) to be inserted in a legal battle between the State and a private rice miller has been rejected by the court. The said matter involves Essequibo rice miller, Arnold Sankar, and the Guyana Rice Development Board, (GRDB). Yesterday, Justice Diana Insanally struck out an affidavit filed by SOCU in answer to a summons in the ongoing legal battle between the two parties. The Essequibo rice miller, who operates under the name Arnold Sankar and Sons Rice Mills, had taken the GRDB to court for some $99 million over an alleged breach in agreement. The plaintiff had claimed that under the agreement the GRBD had promised to repay Sankar for the purchase of paddy but failed to honour its obligations. The motion was filed by Attorney-at- Law Anil Nandlall and Associates. The respondent in the matter (GRDB) is represented by Attorneys from the Chambers of the Attorney General. However, during yesterday’s court proceeding the team of Attorneys from the AG Chambers was joined by Sydney James, Head of SOCU. During a closed hearing, the court was then informed that James had filed an affidavit in response to the summons by the plaintiff as part of the defence. The court was informed, further, that the rice miller is subject to an investigation by SOCU, hence the actions by James. But Lawyers for the plaintiff, Manoj Narayan and Rajendra Jaigobin, noted that the SOCU has no locus standi in the matter. The attorneys argued whether the

SOCU’s Head, Sydney James defence should be struck out and that judgment should be granted in favour of the plaintiff. The lawyers based their arguments on the defendant’s failure to meet the court’s deadline in filing their affidavit in response. They noted that the failure to meet the deadline resulted in a delay in the court proceedings. The attorneys outlined that the defendants were initially granted 14 days leave to file an affidavit in answer. That response should have been filed by January 19, last. However, the AG Chambers did not meet the initial deadline. The court subsequently granted them more time to file their defence. Failure to do so would have resulted in judgment being granted in favour of the plaintiff. Again, the lawyers reported that the attorneys from the AG Chambers failed to reach the deadline. An affidavit was then filed until April 10, last. Additionally, when the matter was called yesterday, the affidavit by SOCU was added to the defence presented by the AG

chambers. But after hearing arguments from both sides, the judge struck out the affidavit by SOCU and granted the AG chambers time to file a new affidavit in response. The matter will continue on May 15. In the 15 point endorsement of claim, the Plaintiff had stated that the GRDB requested the company purchase as much paddy available on the market at a price of between $3,000 to $3,300 per bag. He said that the Rice Development Board had guaranteed, promised and agreed that it would purchase the entire said paddy from the Plaintiff at the price of US$490 per metric tonne. At the time of purchasing the paddy, the Milling Company noted the GRDB supplied them with $60 million. The cheque for $60 million was handed over to some of the farmers from whom the paddy was purchased under the aforesaid agreement. However, the sum advanced, the plaintiff claimed, was not enough to pay for all the paddy purchased. And due to the aforesaid breach, the Plaintiff suffered loss and damage. The plaintiff therefore claims from the Defendant the following the sum of $99,670,273. The plaintiff is therefore claiming interest at the rate of six percent per annum from the date of filing to the date of judgment and thereafter at the rate of four percent per annum until fully paid. “The costs fixed in the s u m o f $ 2 4 9 , 3 6 3 such further or other reliefs as the Court may deem just,” the legal document had outlined.

Elderly Berbician accused of sexual assault A high profile Berbician is currently under investigation for reportedly sexually assaulting a 19year-old. According to the Divisional Commander, Ian Amsterdam, the teen has since lodged a report at the Albion Police Station and an investigation has been launched. According to the Commander, “We are currently taking statements from both parties; we were told by the girl that they shared a relationship once. The matter is also in the hands of the sexual offence

unit”. Kaieteur News understand that the young woman recently gave a statement detailing that she was touched inappropriately by the 62-year-old man, whom on many occasions appeared on the popular television programme in Berbice “Alliance on the Move”. The teen confided that she was sexually molested on three occasions but did not include that in the statements because of her parents “strong religious beliefs”. It was also revealed that the

accused had made advances to “tie the knot” with the young woman and even promised her a job with an allegedly illegal Mercury business he claimed to be a part of. Attempts have also been made to have the matter swept under the carpet but the parents of the young woman decided to take it to the Commander of B Division so that it can be investigated. The individual hastily denied the accusations. “That’s not so. I’ll take a law suit. I am not a fearful man”.

The man as seen in the taped interview with reporter, Travis Chase of HGP TV.

Police are investigating allegations of a plot to kill President David Granger. During the weekly postCabinet yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, confirmed that the Cabinet and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are aware of a reported threat made against President Granger’s life. The police will now determine how credible of a threat it was. The minister was at the time answering in response to a question posed by reporters about the claims of a plot to shoot the Head of State for a bounty of $7M. The media was informed that the threat, which was discussed at the last Cabinet meeting on April 18, has garnered the attention of the GPF which has launched an investigation. Minister Harmon stated that the matter has been referred to the Police Legal Adviser, but declined to give further details, noting that an investigation was already underway. “Security is not something you play with. The professional people know what they do and they put certain measures in place.” Asked about a possible

motive, Minister Harmon proffered that President Granger enjoys popularity across the country. “It’s important that we understand while we have a popular president, that people all around this country love him and embrace him, that sometimes, there are some people who are misguided by what they see on Facebook and copycat type of issues. Therefore we always have to be careful.” Minister Harmon expressed his confidence that the security forces can protect the Head of State and all other government ministers. He made it clear that the information provided thus far is what has been revealed by the GPF’s administration. The alleged plot was reportedly revealed when a man whose name was not disclosed was interviewed by HGP TV and a part of the footage released yesterday. During the interview, the man who had no problems with his face shown detailed a plot in which he was offered $7M to kill Granger near or at State House, the official residence of the president. The man claimed that he went to borrow $6M from a businessman, said to be gold miner. Instead, the businessman offered $7M.

An assassination plot?: President David Granger The businessman allegedly showed the person being interviewed a long gun and said it was to be used in the assassination. However, the man claimed he turned down the offer. The police reportedly have been investigating the matter for a month now. The man was reportedly picked up and questioned. It was claimed that police officers and a businessman with links to the gold industry were said to be involved. The man, who insisted that he has never harmed anyone before, said he was threatened with death by the persons who attempted to hire him.

Gold Board head, deputy... (From page 13) transactions with GGB later came to light and it was alleged that the businessman, who has interests in several parts of the country, including Bartica and the city, was involved in questionable transactions with GGB. It was alleged that Rasul and his gold dealing and mining companies cooked up a scheme in which he sold gold purchased as mined ones. He allegedly as a result defrauded the state of almost

$100M in taxes over a threemonth period late last year. Investigators believed that Rasul alle g e d l y laundered his proceeds into vehicles, properties and his businesses. He reportedly owned a security firm to which several gun licences were issued. SOCU, since being handed the matter by police to investigate, has conducted several raids to properties in Kitty, Prashad Nagar and Bartica, and Essequibo coast, arresting staffers and

business colleagues, and seizing luxury bikes, a jet ski and guns. With regards to GGB and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, it is believed enough attention was not paid to Rasul’s activities despite red flags. SOCU would especially be paying attention if any GGB staffers helped Rasul. Guyana has passed tough anti-mon e y laundering laws and has been cracking down on a number of cases.

Friday April 21, 2017

Kaieteur News

Cabinet doesn’t require polygraph tests - Harmon Responding to whether the David Granger-led Administration will consider taking polygraph tests, Minister of State Joseph Harmon, said that there is no need for that. He, instead, contended that the polygraph test that needed to be done was already carried out on May 11, 2015. “That was the polygraph test and that was the Election Day when the people decided this is what they want,” Harmon told media operatives. Harmon’s response would come on the heels of the Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, refusing to be subjected to a polygraph test as was suggested by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) Aubrey HeathRetemyer. The genesis of the fallout between SARU and the Opposition, stemmed from claims made by Jagdeo about SARU “shaking down businessmen”. The former Head of State told media operatives that the bank accounts of top SARU officials would have swollen within a short period of time. Retemyer took offense to this claim. He labelled it as ‘disgusting’. He rejected the assertion, noting that he has no ill-gotten gains and could not say the same for Jagdeo. The CEO then suggested

...Says test was done on May 11, 2015

SARU CEO, Aubrey Heath-Retemyer

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

that polygraph tests be done. Jagdeo said that the only way he would take the test is if the President takes one too. His rationale for having a polygraph with the President is that he is a former President and it will only be fitting to have it with the Head of State as oppose to the CEO of SARU. “I (Jagdeo) will determine the questions that will be asked of the President and he determines what questions are put to me, I think that will be a brilliant idea”. The opposition leader said that such a move will ensure that the two top officials will be in the same room whilst the exercise is conducted, since he has a

number of questions he wants to put to Granger. Harmon said, yesterday that President Granger was “elected by the people to serve as their Leader, as their President and therefore, the President acts in the best interest of Guyanese,” Harmon went on to say that the same can be said for Government Ministers. “And we don’t require any polygraph tests. If Mr. Jagdeo wants to be tested, then he’s free to do so but certainly, I don’t see the President going head to head with him (Jagdeo) on any polygraph testing because you know how it will come out,” Harmon told media operatives.

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Friday April 21, 2017

Kaieteur News

Court orders AG to appoint GNBA notes several broadcasters Commercial Registry Board operating without valid licences Justice Nareshwar Harnanan has handed down a ruling, making the order to appoint the Governing Board to the Deeds Commercial Registry Authority, (DCRA) absolute. The order was directed to Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General (AG), Basil Williams. The application was filed by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall. In his application, Nandlall said that the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority Act 2013, Act No. 4 of 2013 establishes the Deeds and Commercial Registry as a corporate body, to establish and promote the efficient and orderly operation of the Deeds Registry and the Commercial Registry, to establish the conditions governing the employment of officers and employees of the Authority. He noted that Section 5(1) of the Act establishes a Governing Board of the said Authority, which shall have the function of ensuring the proper and efficient performance of the functions of the Authority. The Board is supposed to consist of a Chairman, Registrar of Deeds, Registrar of the Commercial Registry, a nominee of the Ministry of Finance, a nominee of the Ministry of Housing and Water, a nominee of the Guyana Bar Association, a nominee of the Guyana Association of Legal Professionals and a nominee of the private sector. The Chairman is to be appointed by the Minister of Legal Affairs. The matter was filed by former Attorney General Nandlall on March 6, last. The case was first heard before Justice Brassington Reynolds. The Court initially granted an Order Rule Nisi of

…Anomaly to be addressed soon - Leslie Sobers By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell

Attorney General, Basil Williams

Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall

Mandamus on March 8, last, instructing AG Williams to show cause why the order should not be made absolute. On April 5, last, detailed legal submissions were made by the Attorney General and Nandlall before Justice Nareshwar Harnanan. On Wednesday, Justice Harnanan delivered an 18page written ruling, in which he overruled all the AG’s submissions and upheld arguments by Nandlall. The Court therefore made Order Rule Nisi of Mandamus, granted by Justice Reynolds, absolute. The AG was therefore ordered to appoint the Governing Board to the DCRA. According to information obtained by Kaieteur News, he was further ordered to pay to the Applicant $100,000 in costs. When he made the application, Nandlall noted that apart from the ex-officio members, the tenure of the members of the Governing Board who were last appointed during June 2013 expired in June 2016, and they were never re-appointed by the Minister, in accordance with Section 6 of the Act. “The Board is nonfunctional, not properly constituted, and has not held

a meeting for over a year,” he said. Further, Nandlall stated that the conduct by the Minister not to appoint a Board constitutes multiple breaches of the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority Act. He added that an omission to perform such duties imposed by the said Act, constitutes an abuse of power, and conflicts with the policy of the Act and constitutes misfeasance in public office. As a result of the Board not functioning, Nandlall said that there is inefficiency in the services rendered at the said Registries, which has an adverse impact on his practice and his ability to discharge his duties to clients competently and diligently. In addition, for an order to be granted compelling Williams to appoint members to the Board, Nandlall had also asked for an order nisi of Mandamus compelling the Board to discharge functions given to it, in accordance with, and as mandated by the provisions of the Act. Meanwhile, a plan to amend the DCRA Act is on the parliamentary agenda. The DCRA Act (2013 is still pending on the Order Paper.

The Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) has not turned a blind eye to the fact that there are several broadcasters currently operating without valid licences. The Authority is simply looking to arm itself with the relevant legislation to govern the actions that it wants to take. The Authority’s position on this matter was conveyed by its Board Chairman, Leslie Sobers. Sobers, an attorney-atlaw, was appointed to serve as chairman a few months ago but had not been very vocal in the media. Kaieteur News made countless attempts to speak to him but all efforts proved futile until yesterday. Sobers explained that it was not his intention to shy away from the media but he wanted to be in a good position to speak whenever he chose to do so. Also, he said that he preferred to speak to the media when he had solid and new information to share. In the meantime, the Chairman said that the Board continues to work tirelessly to complete regulations to govern the broadcasting industry. “We are still in the process of working on the regulations…I am not stalling or brushing off the media; that is the truth. The truth is we are working assiduously to complete the regulation,” said Sobers. He noted that the regulations being worked on are going to become law. “At present, we only have the parent law which says that

the minister may make regulations to cover the broadcast industry. Those regulations will become law; they will be attached to the law, we call them subsidiary regulations.” Sobers said that the regulations will set out the terms and conditions under which the Authority will be measuring the eligibility of persons who want to operate in the broadcasting industry along with that which is situated in the parent Act. The Chairman said, “The parent Act is just half of the story. When we get the regulations in place we will now have the complete story and then we will turn our attention to ex a m i n i n g those persons who have applied for broadcast l i c e n ces be it for radio, television or cable and we will be examining those who are reapplying.” Sobers said that there are currently a number of persons who are operating in the broadcast industry without valid licences. “Their licences have expired because (licences) are issued on an annual basis; so all those Broadcasters who have expired licences will have to reapply.” The Chairman said that there are some television, radio and cable broadcasters who are holding expired licences. “This is the case in all sections but not everybody; there are some who are in that position.” Sobers said that when GNBA addresses those broadcasters the authority will be equipped with the regulations that will be used

GNBA Chairman, Leslie Sobers to measure who should be reissued licences and who should be told no. “You must understand that the guidelines are in the regulations.” The regulations spoken about by Sobers were touted by the previous GNBA Board which was chaired by Leonard Craig. That Board had claimed that it had completed a draft regulation document that it submitted to the Attorney General’s Office to be fine tuned and eventually gazetted. But nothing ever came out of it. It is now unclear whether this Board started to draft new regulations or if it is continuing with that which was created by the previous Board. The previous GNBA Board was plagued by discord and as a result accomplished very little or nothing at all. But, the work and expectation of any GNBA is huge. Former President Bharrat Jagdeo had issued several radio licences to his friends and family just days before existing office. The Board, as promised by the APNU+AFC, was supposed to address the “illegal” licences and regularize the industry.

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Friday April 21, 2017

Kaieteur News

Pork-knocker charged for engaging No. 68 Sand Pit Murder... in sexual activity with child Gladwin Welch was yesterday placed on $100,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a charge of sexual activity with a child. Welch, 54, of Lot 184 New Settlement Street Mocha, East Bank Demerara, pleaded not guilty to the allegation. The charge read that between December 1 and December 24, 2016, at Lot 281 New Settlement Street Mocha, East Bank Demerara, he engaged in sexual activity by means of touching and

Gladwin Welch released on bail rubbing with a nine-year-old female.

According to information, the child’s mother sent her to the defendant’s home to pick eddo leaves when the defendant told her to enter his home. Upon entering the defendant’s home, she was asked by the defendant whether she has pubic hair. He told the child that he would not allow her to leave the house until she showed him. The child obliged to show him her private parts and he touched her inappropriately. When the child returned home, she told her parents and the matter was reported to the police. Welch was later questioned by the police arrested and charged for the offence. He will make his next court appearance on April 27.

Police file not ready

Attorney at Law Mursaline Bacchus on Wednesday made an appearance for murder accused Munilall Sarjou, 47, a deportee of No. 68 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, who is on trial for the murder of 28year-old Levan Chanderpaul. Chanderpaul’s body was found in a sand pit at Corentyne, Berbice, on August 24, last. It is alleged that between August 22 and August 24, 2016, Sardou, murdered Levan Chanderpaul. The man had first appeared unrepresented before Chief Magistrate Ann Mc Lennon in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he was remanded to jail until April 19. On Wednesday the matter was subsequently transferred to the Springlands Magistrate’s Court after Sarjou appeared before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh and was remanded to jail until May 25. In court, attorney at law

Bacchus made an application for the disclosure of the witnesses’ statements. The Magistrate subsequently issued the order. However, Police Prosecutor Inspector Bernard Brown informed the court that the statements are not ready and that the file has been returned to Georgetown. According to reports, Chanderpaul, who was suspected to be a pirate, was found in a backdam not far from his home. His body, which bore visible marks of violence, was discovered by a young man who was coming out of the backdam. Sarjou, reportedly a drug dealer, was deported from Canada in 2009 after slashing a woman’s neck. It is believed that Chanderpaul’s killing stemmed from a drug deal between the victim and Sarjou. According to information, the accused gave Chanderpaul money to purchase drugs but the fisherman failed to do so,

instead taking the money and leaving the village. Chanderpaul returned some months after and the two men made contact and shortly after the fisherman’s battered body was found in a sandpit. According to reports, when detectives approached Sarjou last year to question him about the murder, he fled, leaving his vehicle behind. The vehicle has since been impounded at the Skeldon Police Station. Sarjou was later apprehended. When Chanderpaul was found his body had started to decompose. His head was battered and eyes were bulging. A post mortem examination conducted on the body by Dr. Vivikanand Brijmohan showed that he died from shock and hemorrhage and a fractured skull. Chanderpaul was well known in the community and was charged numerous times with various offences including piracy.

It was a weekend of ‘Bare... From page 25 blow. All dem taxi men does give blow, conductors and bus drivers, blow. Dem men who does lime on the corner, blow. Dem men who does wuk in the bush, blow.” Garraway's response isn't as popular as Blaze's and some have described it to be a poor or weak comeback. With time, it's expected that both will be played at parties for the amusement of patrons. Again, both songs are filled with hasty generalisations which means they're claims are fallacious. However, it doesn't mean there aren't some Guyanese who fit the profiles, but come on, not all of us. The next blow to rock the entertainment scene happened in the wee hours of Sunday morning outside of Palm Court on Main Street when Rodney “Benjai” Le Blanc was attacked. According to a press release sent out by Benjai's Attorney Gideon McMaster, on the morning of April 16, 2017, after completing a performance at the Palm Court Nightclub, Benjai was stand-

ing in a nearby car-park, in company with his manager and other persons when he was attacked by a patron. The statement said, “During this time, the driver of a vehicle in the car park, occupied by two individuals, reversed his vehicle into our client and the group of persons with whom our client was standing. When alerted to the presence of persons behind the vehicle, the driver alighted the vehicle and threateningly pointed a firearm towards our client and the group of persons with whom our client was standing. At this time, the other occupant of the vehicle exited the passenger seat door and threw a glass object towards our client, with force. Our client was struck and sustained injuries, for which he has received medical treatment and is now recuperating.” Quite frankly, this incident is a major embarrassment and indictment on Guyana and its entertainment industry. One of the major issues which all promoters must know when flying in foreign artistes, is

SECURITY, SECURITY, SECURITY. Artistes are supposed to be provided a security detail that monitors their every move. It seems as if the promoters of this event either did not employ proper security or did not have any at all. Any trained bodyguard would have been able to block the object from hitting the artiste and prevent the situation from escalating into a violent altercation. Responsibility for that incident falls squarely on the promoter. The incident could have been avoided. Despite that Sunday morning ruckus, Easter Monday seemed to be a blessing for Guyanese as thousands left their homes to be among friends and relatives in public spaces to sit back, relax, fly a kite or two, eat, drink and be merry. On the coast, the seawall from Oleander Gardens on the East Coast of Demerara right down to the Capital City was filled to capacity, a true spectacle. This was the atmosphere all across Guyana as Berbicians would have flocked the 63 Beach and other public areas to experience their version of Easter Monday, West Coast Demerara residents would have congregated primarily at Joe Viera Park and Lindeners as well would have gone to their favourite spots to have their Easter fun and soak up some of the blowing breeze; hopefully nobody gave 'blow' that day or got a blow to the face.

Friday April 21, 2017

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Kaieteur News

Nurse’s revelation forces drug-dependent councillor to resign Carol Joseph has resigned from her post as a Councillor on the Region Five Democratic Council. While her letter to the Council did not cite a reason for the resignation, it does follow the disturbing allegation of her becoming addicted to a pain killing medication, and using her position to have frequent access to injections at the Fort Wellington Hospital. It was Nurse Sherilyn Marks who, over the course of several months, was tasked with administering the injections. After realising that the APNU-aligned Councillor is receiving doses of Pethidine, more frequent than required, the nurse lodged a complaint with health authorities, both at the level of Central Government, and the regional department. After no action was taken, Marks followed up with another correspondence in December 2016. Her persistence to have the issue addressed was based on the fear of being held liable for not administering the doses as prescribed by the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic

Substance (Control) Act of Guyana. Soon enough, 2016 turned to 2017 and Marks’s concerns were still not addressed. Having exhausted all other avenues, Marks decided to highlight her plight via a letter to the press. After the piece she penned was published, the young woman received a letter from the Regional Health Office, saying that she was being transferred from the Fort Wellington Hospital to the Bath/Experiment Health Centre, effective yesterday, April 20, 2017. The letter sought to inform Marks that her transfer was done “in an effort to establish good vaccination coverage within this catchment area.” Contacted by this newspaper, Marks was not very open to speaking. “I’m being treated like I somehow went against protocol. Everybody coming towards me right now,” she said. Marks spoke of having had a meeting with Ministry of Health officials yesterday, but refused to give details as

Region Five REO, Ovid Morrison to what was discussed. “I really don’t have anybody backing me,” she added. It was the Coalition Government that had been pushing for Protected Disclosure / Whistle Blower Legislation, intended to protect individuals who disclose acts of corruption or other wrongdoings occurring in the country. But despite all the initial enthusiasm, the document has still not been presented to the National Assembly. In the meantime, the transfer of Nurse Marks is

Ministry zeroes in on healthier ageing Through the establishment of an elderly health strategic plan, seniors living in Guyana will be able to age with dignity, maintain their independence, if possible, play active and valued roles within society, and have their rights respected and upheld. In this regard, the Ministry of Public Health will be tasked with not only focusing on just preserving and prolonging life, but also on enhancing and improving the importance of the life of senior citizens. This notion was amplified yesterday when the Ministry of Public Health at a consultation forum at the East Coast Demerara Grand Coastal Inn, presented a situation analysis on elderly health care in Guyana. The analysis represented a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Public Health and PAHO/ WHO which, according to Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr. Karen Cummings, underscores the seriousness with which elderly healthcare is being treated. “The information gleaned from these

- advocates for respect, tolerance, and dignity for elders

Minister of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings consultations will inform issues like improving quality of public health for the elderly, establishing better coordination of health care services, improving access to service, improving service quality, and extending service capacity,” Minister Cummings quipped. In establishing pathways to healthier ageing within the Guyanese society, the Ministry of Public Health, through its programme for the elderly, will ensure that it

optimizes opportunities for physical, social, and mental health, in order to enable older persons to take an active part, without discrimination, in society. This notion was emphasized by Minister Cummings, yesterday. “Our senior citizens must enjoy, as much as possible, an independent good life characterized by respect, tolerance, and dignity.” But one major challenge in effectively addressing healthy aging is dealing with the burden of NonCommunicable Diseases (NCDs) on senior citizens, Minister Cummings said. “It cannot be denied that with aging comes the risk of developing chronic disease and disability.” “As we focus on introducing our strategic plan for elderly health care, strict measures will be in place to provide primary health care that will guarantee that optimum benefits will accrue to this (Continued on page 31)

being seen by many, including Region Five Chairman, Vickchand Ramphal, as an act to target and victimise a whistleblower. Ramphal told this newspaper yesterday, that he was made aware of Marks’s initial complaint, but was awaiting action by higher authorities like the Ministry of Public Health. The Chairman said, too, that he was informed about the decision to transfer Marks, but was not privy to the reason behind the decision. “I think that an investigation needs to be launched...I am going to speak with the Regional Executive Offer to see what is happening,” Ramphal said. Meanwhile, in a letter to this newspaper, People’s Progressive Party Civic Member of Parliament, Harry Gill, said that while other patients are only given a maximum dose of 50mg of Pethidine, the APNU-AFC Councillor is injected with 100mg of Pethidine. “This happened almost every day since September of 2016,” Gill said. “Sometimes Joseph received 100mg of Pethidine during the day, and returns later in the evening for a second high,” he added. Records, as seen by this

Resigned APNU-AFC Councillor, Carol Joseph publication, confirm this to be true. Meanwhile, contacted for a response on the entire issue, Ovid Morrison, the Regional Executive Officer, questioned Gill’s qualifications to determine how much medication a patient should or should not get. “The same question can be asked of Staff Nurse/ Midwife. On what professional basis did she arrive at the conclusion that a patient with a known condition was getting more medication than required? What are her qualifications which allow her to pronounce on these matters?” Morrison asked. He went further to enquire if both Gill and Nurse Marks are “bedevilled by a desire to

be obnoxious.” Morrison said that a deeper investigation “into the motives behind the scurrilous allegations made by Ms. Marks and regurgitated by MP Gill, will unearth some very personal reasons for their bizarre attempts to scandalize the highly qualified and competent doctors who make up the Staff of the FWCH.” Nonetheless, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud told this newspaper yesterday, that enquiries have begun into the complaints. “We are currently in the process of taking statements from everyone involved.” The CMO maintained that prescribing doses of medication that are beyond what is required is unethical, and can result in severe sanctions for medical malpractice. As of late last night, Joseph said that the deterioration of her health is the reason behind her resignation. “Nothing else,” she added. The former councillor declined to comment on the drug addiction allegations, saying that she was pursuing legal action against those trying to “slander” her reputation.

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Kaieteur News

Friday April 21, 2017

Friday April 21, 2017

Police officer killed, two wounded in Paris shooting

Police secure the Champs Elysees after a shooting incident in Paris, France, yesterday. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (Reuters) A French policeman was shot dead and two others were wounded in a shooting in central Paris last night before the gunman himself was killed by officers, police and the Interior Ministry said. The Islamic State group claimed the shooting, days before French presidential elections, via its Amaq news agency, naming the attacker as Abu Yousif the Belgian. President Francois Hollande said he was convinced it was a terrorist attack. A second suspect who might have been involved in the incident on the Champs Elysees shopping boulevard may still be on the loose, authorities said. The famous wide street that leads away from the Arc

de Triomphe that had earlier been crowded with Parisians and tourists enjoying a spring evening remained closed off hours after the incident. France has lived under a state of emergency since 2015 and has suffered a spate of Islamist militant attacks, mostly perpetrated by young men who grew up in France and Belgium, and that have killed more than 230 people in the past two years. Interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said it was too early to say what the motive of the attack was, but that it was clear the police officers had been deliberately targeted. “A little after 9 p.m. a vehicle stopped alongside a police car which was parked. Immediately a man got out

and fired on the police vehicle, mortally wounding a police officer,” Brandet said. Officers at the scene said they were searching for a potential second assailant, and Brandet said it could not be ruled out that there was another or others involved. Officers also conducted a search at the home in eastern Paris of the dead attacker. “I came out of the Sephora shop and I was walking along the pavement.... A man got out of a car and opened fire with a Kalashnikov on a policeman,” witness Chelloug, a kitchen assistant, told Reuters. “The policeman fell down. I heard six shots, I was afraid. I have a two year-old girl and I thought I was going to die... He shot straight at the police officer.”

France’s would-be presidents make last-minute appeals before vote (Reuters) Candidates in France’s presidential election made last-ditch appeals to sway undecided voters yesterday as the third and fourth placed contenders kept up the pressure on the two hopefuls leading opinion polls. Voters will cast ballots on Sunday in the first round of what has turned into the most unpredictable French election in memory, with four of the 11 candidates within reach of the two places for the run-off on May 7. Pollsters see centrist Emmanuel Macron and farright Marine Le Pen taking the top two places on Sunday and so going head-tohead in the run-off. That would break the normal rotation of power in France between the center-left and center-right.

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Polls on the race to succeed the deeply unpopular socialist President Francois Hollande are so close that gaps between candidates fall within the margin of error. A Harris Interactive poll showed Macron and Le Pen still in front, with the gap a bit wider than before. The centrist inched ahead to 24.5 percent while Le Pen was a bit weaker on 21 percent. Conservative former prime minister Francois Fillon scored 20 percent, meaning he was now gaining on Le Pen. Jean-Luc Melenchon, a far left politician propelled from wildcard to genuine contender thanks to feisty television performances and smart social media campaign, was stable on 19 percent. An IfopFiducial poll showed roughly the same breakdown.

All 11 candidates fielded questions on television about their policies on Thursday evening, the last real chance in the election spotlight for some of them after a tumultuous campaign of surprises and scandal. The election will decide the direction of France’s 2.2 trillion euro economy, which vies with Britain for the rank of fifth largest in the world. With Eurosceptics Le Pen and Melenchon in the race, the outcome could have a bearing on France’s place in Europe. The outcome will be watched closely by France’s allies given its role as a nuclear-armed permanent veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council and its military and diplomatic clout in the Middle East and West Africa.

US prepares charges to seek arrest of WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange Washington (CNN) US authorities have prepared charges to seek the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, US officials familiar with the matter tell CNN. The Justice Department investigation of Assange and WikiLeaks dates to at least 2010, when the site first gained wide attention for posting thousands of files stolen by the former US Army intelligence analyst now known as Chelsea Manning. Prosecutors have struggled with whether the First Amendment precluded the prosecution of Assange, but now believe they have found a way to move forward. During President Barack Obama’s administration, Attorney General Eric Holder and officials at the Justice Department determined it would be difficult to bring charges against Assange because WikiLeaks wasn’t alone in publishing documents stolen by Manning. Several newspapers, including The New York Times, did as well. The investigation continued, but any possible charges were put on hold, according to US officials involved in the process then. The US view of WikiLeaks and Assange began to change after investigators found what they believe was proof that WikiLeaks played an active role in helping Edward Snowden, a former NSA analyst, disclose a massive cache of classified documents. Assange remains holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, seeking to avoid an arrest warrant on rape allegations in Sweden. In recent months, US officials had focused on the possibility that a new government in Ecuador would expel Assange and he could be arrested. But the leftleaning presidential candidate who won the recent election in the South American nation has promised to continue to harbor Assange. Last week in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, CIA Director Mike Pompeo went further than any US government official in describing a role by WikiLeaks that went beyond First Amendment activity. He said WikiLeaks “directed Chelsea Manning to intercept specific secret information, and it overwhelmingly focuses on the United States.” “It’s time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is: A non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia,” Pompeo said.

US intelligence agencies have also determined that Russian intelligence used WikiLeaks to publish emails aimed at undermining the campaign of Hillary Clinton, as part of a broader operation to meddle in the US 2016 presidential election. Hackers working for Russian intelligence agencies stole thousands of emails from the Democratic National Committee and officials in the Clinton campaign and used intermediaries to pass along the documents to WikiLeaks, according to a public assessment by US intelligence agencies. Still, the move could be viewed as political, since Assange is untouchable as long as he remains in the Ecuadorian embassy, and Ecuador has not changed its stance on Assange’s extradition. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said at a news conference Thursday that Assange’s arrest is a “priority.” “We are going to step up our effort and already are stepping up our efforts on all leaks,” he said. “This is a matter that’s gone beyond anything I’m aware of. We have professionals that have been in the security business of the United States for many years that are shocked by the number of leaks and some of them are quite serious. So yes, it is a priority. We’ve already begun to step up our efforts and whenever a case can be made, we will seek to put some people in jail. “We’ve had no communication with the Department of Justice and they have not indicated to me that they have brought any charges against Mr. Assange,” said Assange’s lawyer, Barry Pollack. “They’ve been unwilling to have any discussion at all, despite our repeated requests, that they let us know what Mr. Assange’s status is in any pending investigations. There’s no reason why Wikileaks should be treated differently from any other publisher.” Pollack said WikiLeaks is just like the Washington Post and the New York Times, which routinely publish stories based on classified information. WikiLeaks, he says, publishes information that is in “the public’s interest to know not just about the United States but other gov-

ernments around the world.” Assange has also compared WikiLeaks to a news media organization that uses documents provided by whistleblowers to expose the actions of governments and powerful corporations. “Quite simply, our motive is identical to that claimed by the New York Times and The Post — to publish newsworthy content,” Assange wrote in a recent op-ed in The Washington Post. “Consistent with the U.S. Constitution, we publish material that we can confirm to be true irrespective of whether sources came by that truth legally or have the right to release it to the media. And we strive to mitigate legitimate concerns, for example by using redaction to protect the identities of at-risk intelligence agents.”

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange In his speech last week, Pompeo rejected that characterization and said Assange should not be afforded constitutional free speech protections. “Julian Assange has no First Amendment freedoms. He’s sitting in an Embassy in London. He’s not a US citizen,” Pompeo said. Rep. Peter King, R-New York, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that based on CNN’s reporting, “I’m glad that the Justice Department has found a way to go after Assange. He’s gotten a free ride for too long.” King said Assange has “caused tremendous damage to our national security, put American lives at risk.” But Ben Wizner, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, argued that US prosecution of Assange sets a dangerous precedent.

PAGE 30

FOR RENT

WANTED 1 Experienced general domestic to work in G/town, must know to cook Indian dishes. Call: 656-6388

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620

SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 6471773/660-5257

Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Eagle’s: Re-gas -$8,000, Washing machine repairs, Gas Stove, Plasma flat Screen computer repairs & more. Call: 697-2969/646-0966 Floor sanding & Lacquering, house plans, estimate & painting, boat for Santa Mission. Call: 650-4362 Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigration Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496/ 662-6045

TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)

Friday April 21, 2017

Kaieteur News

VEHICLE FOR SALE Allion, Primo, Fielder Wagon, Spacio, Bluebird, 212 Carina, NZE, Honda CRV, Toyota IST, RZ & Pit-bull – Call: 650-7501

Experienced Cashier, Apply at Hacks Halaal Restaurant, with written application, 5 Commerce Street. One nail technician at West Shore Plaza, 15 Public Road Ruimzeight. Call: 269-1524/ 656-3561 Live in waitress, domestic & supervisor 18-45yrs, salary starts -$80,000 monthly, boarding & lodging free (Bar & Grocery). Call: 610-3974 1 female to live-in for cooking Indian food, answering phone, cleaning etc for single male Whatsapp : 673-9283 Nail Technician who knows to do everything to work. Special on hair, plaiting & stitching Contact Mia : 679-7044

Toyota Pickup (Tacoma) 2002 /4 wheel drive Manual 4 cylinder - $3M negotiableCall: 649-7771/ 690-7155

Tuschen, Uitvlugt, La Parfaite Harmonie, Eccles, Providence, Herstelling. We pay best price. Call: 666-2326

Not working vehicles for sale, 1 small bus, 1 canter, 2 cars, 2 motor bikes, 1 bobcat. Call: 227-4377/624-6013

Experienced shop workers, handyman & domestic to work in the Interior, age 1840yrs. Call: 231-0363 (9am4:30pm). (TIN, ID & NIS)

Fully loaded Ford explore sport truck, excellent condition, 22" rims, surrender sound system, DVD head rest. Call: 627-7718

Business opportunities needed to invest in Gold trade in Interior. Call: 6587553

1 Toyota Vigo, with 3 RZ engines - $2M. Call: 698-7807

Truck Driver. Call: 227-1717 AutoCad Technician. Must be familiar with AutoCAD 2008 or higher. Computer will be provided. Call: 628-2962 Carpenter, Tiler, Plumber, mason, painter & one day domestic helper, preferably from East Bank. Call: 625-3705

LEARN TO DRIVE C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj BuildingCall: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 (affordable packages).

Responsible Hire Drivers. Call: 231-7200

Car

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WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP REATES,SPECIALOFFERS FOR THE SEASON. CALL: 690-6494

AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MIN BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPOTR & FAMILY OUTING, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807

1 Complete Sawmill at Ya r r o w k a b r a Linden Soesdyke Highway and 1 F66 – Clarke, Ranger Skidder. Call: 609-8041/ 6441190 3 Ton Mitsubishi Canter- GMM, negotiable . Call:698-5604 Design & Make Aluminum windows, doors, stainless rails, showcases, rolling shutters, make & install automatic doors. Call: 2336818/677-5599/659-9999 Two Massey Ferguson Tractors, one 4299 and one 290, price negotiable. Call 611-1277 for more information. 1 Fishing boat for 38-7-8 inch. Call: 677-6154 1 Double Stall for sale @ Bourda Market Section D. Call: 665-7896

VACANCY Room attendant, male security age 30-55, 233 South Road, Lacytown. Call: 225-0198

1 Welder to work in the Interior. Call: 625-5136

Diesel mechanic, welder/ fabricator, machinist. Have Technical background & atleast 3yrs experience. Apply: Written application @ Technical Services, Eccles

Ladies to work in Suriname. Call: +597-875-4660

Bottom flat house @ 25 North Road & Oronoque Street, fully furnished/ air condition/ residence /business.Call: 226-7012 Upper flat for rent 3 bedrooms in Atlantic Gardens- Call: 2274377/227-0613/624-6013 Space for rent @ Vreed-en Hoop Junction, lessons place, church, storage bond, office, others -$20,000 monthly. Call: 603-6400 Business property to rent near Campbellville Secondary School. Call: 6276480/ 613-6815

Apprentice. Must have Technical Background. Apply with written application @ Technical Services Inc, 18-23 Eccles Industrial Site. Cashiers to work at Super bet, 21-22 Hink Street, Georgetown. Call: 625-5322 Washers/presser, hotel attendant, bell boy. Call:2277714/223-3448

House & Land available for sale. Contact Pacific Development Inc @ Lot 3 Church Street, G/ Town. Call: 223-6035/227-8274 Newly built @ Craig E.B.D land 91X50, house 40X28, 3 rooms, 1 self-contained- $23M. Call: 718213-6496/617-7691 Subryanville property for sale: 44 fifth Avenue., Subryanville, Georgetown $45M or best offer. Call Mortimer: 625-7669/ Richard: 624-1154 Property Execution Sale Berbice Sub- Registry 27Apr-2017 at 10.00 hrs. Contact 335-3344 or 616-4821 for details.

One and two bedrooms apartment Herstelling E.B.D - Tel: 641-2311 or 627-3882 One bedroom apartment well secured for working couple $35,000 monthly. Light, water and garbage included. Call: 638-8858

TO LET 2 & 3 Bedrooms, fully furnished luxury apartments, long and short term rental. Call: 665-3505/ 655-6270

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Upper flat $120,000 and lower flat $100,000 fully furnished 2 bedrooms for rent in Barr St. Call 592-6011700 serious inquiries only.

Furnished 1 bedroom apartments in Nandy Park, parking available. For further information – Call: 619-4824; 233-5560 Journey Inn apartments: 1,2 & 3 bedrooms with AC and Kitchen. Call: 233-2300/ 7182301695

Accounts Clerk for Eccles, Industrial Site area knowledge of NIS, PAYE, VAT, Quickbooks. Call: 6144358 Experienced cook (for canteen), porters, bond clerks, snackette attendants, drivers. Apply: Survival, Lot 10 Vlissengen Rd, Kitty.

Maid must know how to cook & clean well, need reference from E.C.D – Contact: 677-4637

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

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FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461

LAND FOR SALE Transported land for sale size 37X270 @ Coglan Dam, Vreed-en-Hoop, W.B.D. Call: 650-5644/677-9938 La Parfaite Harmonie- $1.6M, $1.2M, $1.4M, Tuschen Phase II - $1.4M, Herstelling -$3.5M, Uitvlugt - $2M. Call: 604-6724 or 673-6300 La Parfaite Harmonie - $1.8M, $1.2M, $1.1M, Tuschen Phase II $1.3M, Uitvulgt $2M, V/Hoop - $27M. Call: 666-2326 21 Acres land for housing, alongside Linden Highway, average distance from Soesdyke -$20Million. Call: 692-8216 Eccles - $5M, Farm $3M, La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.6M, Uitvlugt -$2.6M, Bartica - $3M, Cuyuni Mining Block - $2.5M. Call: 658-5897; 651-1969

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Friday April 21, 2017

Ministry zeroes in on healthier... (From page 27) special group of people.” According to the Minister, “…the implementation of policies to promote healthy lifestyles and disease prevention activities throughout life are essential to ensuring that people live healthier as well as longer lives so that they can continue to fully contribute to society well into old age.” “As we strive to bolster our elderly health care services, better efficiency will be derived in identifying health risks and detecting diseases earlier.” This therefore means that timely intervention and prevention of complications, in a multi-disciplinary approach under excellent primary care settings will be the result of establishing best practices in elderly health care services. It was therefore the expectation of the Minister that at yesterday’s forum “many brilliant ideas would emerge on how we can best improve the elderly health care services we provide.” She moreover urged those in attendance “that you promote discussion of the goals of medical care and suggest means to facilitate appropriate ways of implementing these in practice, using the resources available.” While good health is essential to human happiness, the Minister

noted that it also makes an important contribution to the economic progress of an individual as well as a country. “It is often times said that the health of a nation’s people is its wealth. “We must acknowledge that the human capital of a nation includes the elderly. Therefore, while emphasis is placed on other areas of public health in Guyana, attention must be accorded to the seniors in our s o c i e t y, ” t h e M i n i s t e r underscored. Commitment is focused on delivering the best quality public health care and services to everyone living in Guyana, including t h e e l d e r l y, M i n i s t e r Cummings said. The Minister emphasized that preserving the wellbeing and quality of life of seniors “must be handled with the utmost priority as moves are made to continuously explore more strategic pathways to maximize and enhance the value of public health care provided by the Ministry to elderly citizens.” The Minister added, “We at the Ministry of Public Health are cognizant that the provision of effectual primary health care for the ageing population improves considerably their self-care ability, encourages healthy living, and strengthens family support, which consequently minimizes significantly, illness and disability.”

Dr. Janice Woolford, Family Health Consultant at PAHO, listed some of the issues that must be taken into consideration when drafting the plan. “We look in terms of training care persons, health care providers, health professionals looking as well at meeting the mental health needs of older people; these are some other areas of priority action. Providing appropriate services for older persons with disabilities, providing care and support for the care givers preventing neglect and abuse which is still very current in elderly population looking at violence also in older people.’ Deputy Director of Social Services, Abike BenjaminSamuels, said that the Ministry of Social Protection has been contributing to geriatric care, training exercises, infrastructure, health and fitness among other undertakings to facilitate a more robust elderly population. Last year, the Ministry developed minimum standards for elderly residential facilities. These standards encourage persons working in these facilities to improve the quality of care provided to senior citizens. These standards also serve as guidelines, ensuring that the best health care for seniors is promoted while continually striving to increase standards.

‘Strengthening nurses education’... From page 11 standard…it tests only for minimum safe competency.” “The public wants more than that. They want optimal competency, especially in the specialized areas. We have to move beyond the notion of creating nursing programmes that produce graduates who demonstrate that they are minimally competent,” said Minister Cummings. She stressed that being able to assess what health care professionals can do, and not what they know, describes the commonly known gap between test takers who have difficulty performing a procedure or recognizing warning signs in a patient experiencing difficulty, and decision makers who can function in crisis situations on the wards and at patients’ bedsides. According to the Minister, as the health care system refines, quality assurance and quality improvement standards and the accountability of the individual care providers will have to intensify. She pointed out that “increased accountability has become a common theme in modern society.” “When the public good relates to health care, the expectation is that standards of acceptable per-

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formance are clearly defined by regulatory and professional bodies.” It is the view of the Minister that quality assurance must be embedded in the teaching strategies, in the assessment procedures, and in the curriculum. Added to this, she noted that there must be alignment between what is espoused and enacted through the curriculum and what the students experience and learn. “There must be congruence between training and education of our nurses so that we can be confident of the skills they possess. Quality assurance methods can help health programme managers to define clinical guidelines and standard operating procedures, to assess performance compared with selected performance standards, and to take tangible steps towards improving programme performance and effectiveness,” the Minister stressed. Every year, the Guyana School of Nursing produces nurses, who according to the Minister, are trained, highly skilled and qualified. These are nurses who work diligently in our public health care system, in a variety of capacities.

She added, “We must acknowledge that nursing is a tough profession. However, it is a noble one. And while it can be physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding at times, it is also very rewarding. We at the Ministry of Public Health salute every one of our hard-working nurses that serve selflessly all across the country.” The Ministry was able to bring to fruition the workshop with the support of its technical partners, the Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation [PAHO/WHO]. PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. William Adu Krow, was tasked with delivering a presentation to the participants at the Pegasus Hotel, the venue of the workshop. “This exercise today is indeed a step in the right direction for enhancing the quality of nursing education provided by the Ministry of Public Health. At the end of this strategic engagement, Minister Cummings added, “I am confident that comprehensive quality assurance measures would have been identified to be implemented so as to ensure that our nursing programme returns to the epitome of excellence it once was.”

Trump praises Chinese efforts on North Korea ‘menace,’ Pyongyang warns of strike (Reuters) U.S. President Donald Trump praised Chinese efforts to rein in “the menace of North Korea” yesterday, after North Korean state media warned the United States of a “super-mighty preemptive strike.” Trump told a news conference “some very unusual moves have been made over the last two or three hours,” and that he was confident Chinese President Xi Jinping would “try very hard” to pressure Beijing’s ally and neighbor North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs. While Trump gave no indication of what the moves might be, U.S. officials told Reuters that the United States was aware of a higherthan-usual level of activity by Chinese bombers, signaling a possible heightened state of readiness. The officials played down concerns and left open a range of possible reasons. Those possibilities in-

cluded defensive exercises or Chinese concerns over North Korea. None of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, suggested alarm or signaled that they knew the precise reason for such Chinese activity. U.S. officials have been saying for weeks that North Korea could soon stage another nuclear bomb test, something both the United States and China have both warned against. Trump has taken a hard line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has proceeded with nuclear and missile programs in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions. The United States and South Korea are technically still at war with North Korea because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. Tensions have risen sharply in recent months af-

ter North Korea conducted two nuclear weapons tests last year and carried out a steady stream of ballistic missile tests. Trump, who took office in January, has vowed to prevent North Korea from being able to hit the United States with a nuclear missile. Trump has focused his efforts on North Korea on trying to persuade China to put more pressure on its ally and could view any unusual Chinese military movements as supportive of this. He told a news conference with the visiting prime minister of Italy yesterday that the United States was “in very good shape” on North Korea and that China’s Xi, whom he met this month for a summit in Florida, was working hard to help. “We don’t know whether or not they’re able to do that, but I have absolute confidence that he will be trying very very hard.”

Angry lover stabs spouse with beer bottle -victim in critical condition due to internal bleeding An angry lover was yesterday remanded to prison after she appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Thirty-five year-old Cynthia McIntyre of Lot 18 Ruby, East Bank Demerara, was not required to plead to the charge which read that on April 17, last, at four Mile Arakaka, North West District, with the intent to commit murder, unlawfully and maliciously wounded Ryan Roberts. Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore told the court that the virtual complainant and McIntyre shared a relationship and on the day in question the two were at a shop consuming alcohol when they had a misunderstanding.

The court heard that the two had a scuffle and the accused picked up a broken beer bottle and stabbed the victim to his chest. The victim collapsed and was air dashed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he is currently a patient in the Intensive Care Unit. The prosecutor further told the court that the victim sustained a stab in the region of the heart and is still bleeding from the wound. The prosecutor objected to bail being granted citing the serious nature of the offence, and the fact that the victim is still hospitalized in a critical condition. The accused was remanded to prison and will make her next court appear-

Remanded to prison Cynthia McIntyre ance on May 9 at the Matthews Ridge Magistrate Courts.

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Kaieteur News

Venezuelan opposition protests TT businessman selected as UWI Chancellor again against Maduro

A demonstrator gestures while facing riot police during a rally against Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, yesterday. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins (Reuters) Venezuela’s opposition renewed nationwide protests yesterday to pressure the government of President Nicolas Maduro to hold elections and improve a collapsing economy, a day after three people were killed in similar demonstrations. However, crowds were smaller than the hundreds of thousands of people who flooded the streets of Caracas

and provincial cities on Wednesday, the latest and largest in several weeks of protests against what Maduro’s opponents condemn as a lurch toward dictatorship. Government officials dismiss the protests, characterized by street barricades and clashes with security forces, as violent and lawless efforts to overthrow Maduro’s left-

ist government with the backing of ideological adversaries in Washington. The opposition counters that Maduro, deeply unpopular as Venezuelans grapple with triple-digit inflation and shortages of food and basic consumer goods, is seeking to stay in power indefinitely by barring opposition leaders from office and quashing independent state institutions.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – A Trinidadian businessman, Robe r t B e r m u d e z h a s been selected as the next Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI). Education Minister Anthony Garcia, made the announcement at a post Cabinet press conference yesterday. Bermudez will be the second Trinidadian to hold this position following Dr Eric Williams. The term of the current chancellor George Alleyne expires in late July 2017. Garcia said the UWI

Council had established a search committee – that included representatives from contributing governments, the UWI Senate, the UWI Students’ Guild, the Post- Graduates Association and the University Teachers Group – to find a new chancellor. The decision to appoint Bermudez was ratified by Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads in their last meeting in Guyana. Bermudez is the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bermudez Group of Companies and has led the growth of the Bermudez

Group from a local, familyowned business, to a regional business throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. He has enjoyed a distinguished career in business and is associated with several other corporate bodies in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. He is also a non-executive director of the Massy Group. Bermudez was elected to the Board of Neal & Massy Holdings Limited, now Massy Holdings Ltd., in 1997 and has served on the Company’s Audit and Governance and Compensation Committees.

IMF praises Jamaica for ‘strong performance’ (Jamaica Observer) Jamaica’s programme implementation under the StandBy Arrangement with the IMF was on Tuesday described as a “strong performance” by the executives as the board concluded its first review on the country’s performance. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Chief for Jamaica Uma Ramakrishnan, all structural benchmarks and all but one performance criteria for the first review under the new arrangement were met, allowing the country another US$170 million for drawdown from total access of US$1.64 billion over a 36-month period. Nevertheless, the IMF highlighted the preservation of social consensus for reform as a risk that will be critical in sustaining gains to macroeconomic stability and resilience that have been achieved by Jamaica over the past four years. In fact, the IMF is now cautioning the Government to “carefully plan, manage and communicate upcoming public sector changes, especially in light of ongoing public sector wage negotiations”. J a m a i c a ’s f i s c a l r e sponsibility law allows for a wage bill of nine per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by fiscal year 18/19. However, Minister of Finance Audley Shaw, in his budget presentations last month, indicated an estimated two to three per cent increase in the salary of public sector workers. The proposed increase in public sector wages already pushes the budget over the required wage bill to GDP. “With that in mind, the path needs to be agreed on

...but wage bill challenge remains

IMF Mission Chief for Jamaica, Uma Ramakrishnan by the Unions about how to meet that nine per cent, because the two-year wage negotiation is going to happen. So the question is what the path is going to look like; the budget has made certain assumptions on what wages could be for this year. “That budget is based on calculations of 9.6 per cent of GDP, and the question is how to get to nine per cent within the time frame required on what is required by l a w, ” Ramakrishnan told media representatives during an IMF video press conference at the Bank of Jamaica. She added that Jamaica’s law on wage-toGDP levels must be taken into consideration during the negotiation process in order to maintain macroeconomic stability. Currently, Jamaica has debt of 120 per cent of GDP and as such maintains a primary surplus of seven per cent to lower the debt levels. “Jamaica’s wage bill and the interest bill together are about two-thirds of the total spending of the Government. The remaining third of the budget is what is left for total

spending on priority areas,” she said, adding that what is important for the country to keep in mind is that Jamaica is by no means out of the woods. “In the context of wage negotiations and other discussions, this broader perspective has to be borne in mind and to recognise the fiscal reality for Jamaica, which is not an easy run. “Times are still tough, because the fiscal consolidation has continued in order to reach the debt targets and to reallocate spending into growth-enhancing expenditure. Therefore, the wage bill is part of that discussion on how to manage,” she said. According to Ramakrishnan, Jamaica’s wage bill is still high by international standards and progress is needed in that direction in order to reprioritise the spending and to remain on track with structural benchmarks and performance criterion. Under the first review of the Stand-By Arrangement, Jamaica requested a waiver on the breach by US$2.2 million ($300 million) by one public body on the accumulation of external debt-payment arrears.

Friday April 21, 2017

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Jaguars, Hurricanes in final showdown... Motherhood no obstacle for Serena’s... (From page 38) achieved in the second round of matches last November which was only the third victory for the Hurricanes over t h e i r o p p o n e n t s since the turn of the century. Jaguars having won the last two matches between the two sides at the Guyana National Stadium also fortify

their tag as favourites for the contest. GUYANA JAGUARS (from): Leon Johnson (captain), Anthony Adams, Anthony Bramble, Rajindra Chandrika, Assad Fudadin, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Steven Jacobs, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Ve e r a s a m m y P e r m a u l , Clinton Pestano, Raymon

Reifer, Bhaskar Yadram. LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES (from): Rahkeem Cornwall (captain), Elvin Berridge, Jason Campbell, Kacey Carty, Montcin Hodge, Chesney Hughes, Jeremiah Louis, Jermaine Otto, Sherwin Peters, Akeem Saunders, J a c q u e s Ta y l o r, G a v i n Tonge.

Batting the key as Windies square off... (From back page) the longest format. All three arrive at this point with recent runs under their belts which Holder expects to serve them well if they are selected in the final XI. “As I’ve said before, we just need to be consistent. The squad that we have is a very good squad, it’s a young squad and guys have been doing well in first class cricket,” he pointed out. “It’s just about transitioning that into the in-

ternational circuit now and being consistent here.” Signficantly, Pakistan have never won a Test series in the Caribbean but in recent times, have lost just three of their last 15 Tests to the Windies. SQUADS: WEST INDIES – Jason Holder (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Jermaine Blackwood, Shai Hope, Vishal Singh, Shimron Hetmyer, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Alzarri Joseph, Shannon Gabriel,

Devendra Bishoo, Miguel Cummins. PAKISTAN – Misbah-ulHaq (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Sarfraz Ahmed, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas.

(From page 33) women’s tennis could still be at Williams’s mercy, given no players had emerged to provide a sustained challenge to the American’s dominance. “There’s not the depth in the women’s game like there is in the men’s. It’s not good for women’s tennis which is a shame,” she said. “It’s like they have one win and they think ‘well, that’s it.’ They’re made. It’s a bit sad in many ways. “It was more open in my years with Billie Jean King, (Martina) Navratilova and (Chris) Evert-Lloyd.” Williams’s “20 weeks” caption in a social media post on Wednesday suggested she was two months’ pregnant when she won her 23rd grand slam at this year’s Australian Open. Court was also well into her term with Daniel when she lost the 1971 Wimbledon

final to Goolagong. But she had no idea. “Our first child was with me on the centre court. My coordination, my timing was all out and I thought: ‘what’s wrong with me?’ “Balls were dropping in and I was letting them go. Nobody knew. I went to the doctor and then I found out.” Court promptly stopped playing and was initially unsure if she would return. But after giving birth, the former world number one’s mind was made up and she began jogging around a park near her house with a pram to get fit. Court and her husband Barry juggled baby Daniel alone, and he was often wailing in the grandstands during matches. That situates her a world away from the comeback that, in the age of social media and multi-million dollar celebrity endorsements, would await

Williams as a playing mother. “It was nothing like they have today. They’ve got the money to do it,” Court said of modern players with children. “They could have their own planes. But we coped very well.” Marketing experts have said Williams’s pregnancy will boost her commercial appeal and open up lucrative avenues into maternal-wear and baby clothes. Court chuckled at the idea. “We didn’t have that,” she said. “I remember I’d signed a contract with Yamaha and it was on all the billboards in America and they had to take them down because I couldn’t play (due to pregnancy). Different times. “But players are very blessed in these times and they should appreciate what’s been built before them. I don’t think they should ever forget that.”

GRFU shortlists large pool... (From page 39) Akino James, Godfrey Broomes, Filon Thompson, Kevon David, Joseph Rahaman, Phibian Joseph, Elwin Chase, Gregory Wills, Sean Phillips, Jacques Archibald, Ahmad Isaacs, Kesta Mars, Cyon Kitt, Leon Greaves, Kevin Joseph,Troynton Braithwaite, Jamal Angus, Tobey David, Richard Staglon,Terrence Daniels, Trevin Selman, Jose Felician, O’Neil Charles, Elisha Harrison, Keifer Lopes, Rawle Cole, Wayne Hutson, Jomal Mona, Rickford Cummings, Osafo Selman, Jamal Dick, Malcolm Rhodius, Robert Skeete, Elon Fordyce, Lloyd Anderson, Kevin Wills, Telroy McAlmont, Joshua Griffith, Jason Tyrell, Grantley Williams, Jermaine Cozier, Troy Arjoon, Quacy Kendall, Jevon Eastman, Kevin McKenzie, Vallon Adams, David Lindie, Dane Parks, Carl Roach and Jason De Marques.

Friday April 21,2017 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A quiet restful day just staying in bed or catching up on reading will be your best bet. Your intellectual charm will win hearts and bring opportunities that you least expect. Your ability to charm others will bring added popularity. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Do things that involve children. You're not your usual self today. Try to enlist the support of your coworkers first. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your temper could get the better of you if you confront personal situations. You will have good ideas for home improvement projects. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Be careful not to get involved in other people's personal affairs. Changes could be overwhelming. Romance is likely if you can bring yourself to go out with friends. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Sudden changes regarding your circle of friends could prove interesting and stimulating. This is a great day for a trip. Your diplomatic nature will help you in straightening out unsavory situations. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You'll be an emotional basket case today. Don't take any comments too seriously. Don't count your chickens before they hatch. You may have a rather hectic day due to events that children are involved in.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Communication will be your best bet. You can gain valuable cultural knowledge through dealing with foreigners. Try to be honest when dealing with your mate. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Finish up any correspondence by early afternoon. Competitive games will be your forte. You may think gifts will win their heart, but it could add stress from lack of funds. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Passion is inevitable and commitments can be made during the heat of the night. Put your efforts into moneymaking ventures. Don't delay; go to your physician or dentist and get to the bottom of the discomfort. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You don't want to give anyone fuel for the fire. Your charisma will no doubt attract a lot of attention. Put your thoughts on paper. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) New romantic partners will evolve through group endeavors; however, the association may not be likely to last. You can learn from those who have had similar experiences. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your high enthusiasm will be sure to inspire anybody around you. Dead end projects could plague you. Make a point of working on yourself.

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Australia name Pattinson, Henriques in Champions Trophy squad ESPNcricinfo - Moises Henriques was chosen ahead of batsmen including Usman Khawaja, Pete Handscomb, George Bailey and Cameron White - plus the allrounder James Faulkner - in an Australian Champions Trophy squad that also features recalls for James Pattinson and John Hastings. The omission of Faulkner from an Australian ICC event squad for the first time since 2011 marks a major change for the selectors, who have also determined that Henriques is worth his place for his batting alongside the likes of Marcus Stoinis and Hastings. K h a w a j a a n d Handscomb were both part of the ODI team over the summer, and the latter’s performance with the bat suffered notably when asked to keep wicket in New Zealand in place of the injured Matthew Wade. Chris Lynn, who injured his shoulder in the IPL this week, and Mitchell Starc have been chosen subject to fitness assessments, meaning Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Pattinson all appear in a pace-laden squad six months out from a home Ashes series. Tr e v o r H o h n s , t h e chairman of the selection panel, said Australia’s

medical staff would monitor the fitness of Lynn and Starc - who has been out of action since he flew home halfway through Australia’s Test series in India with a stress fracture in his right foot - and hoped both would be fit by the time the team departed on May 18. Pattinson, who last played an ODI in September 2015, has been in roaring form since his return from a long-term injury, taking 24 wickets at 17.41 for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and carrying that form into the County Championship for Nottinghamshire, taking 13 wickets in two matches at 12.92. His inclusion gives Australia a wealth of genuine pace options, with Hastings’ return a nod to early English summer conditions. “Both James and John have made very good returns from injury and are bowling well for their respective teams in the English County competition as well as both contributing well with the bat,” Hohns said. “When you also add Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins to the fast bowling artillery it becomes a very exciting proposition for Australian cricket.” Henriques has been an irregular member of Australia’s ODI squad,

playing only eight matches between his debut in 2009 and his last match in August 2016. He has scored 46 runs at 6.57 and taken six wickets with his medium-pace at 40.83. Faulkner has greater ODI experience - 67 matches, with averages of 34.06 and 30.08 with bat and ball - and was Player of the Match in the final of the 2015 World Cup. Since then, while his left-arm seam has remained an effective weapon, his batting returns have fallen away, with his last 17 innings yielding a high score of 36 and an average of 17.40. It is also possible that a lack of recent match practice has gone against Faulkner, who has not featured in a competitive game since playing for Tasmania against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield in early March. He is yet to play a match for his IPL team, Gujarat Lions, this season. Henriques, on the other hand, has featured in all but one of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s six matches, scoring 138 runs at an average of 46.00 and a strike rate of 127.77, and taking one wicket in 10 overs. “Moises finished off the domestic season very well and has had a great start in the Indian Premier League,” Hohns said. “We believe Moises’ batting has

GABBFF 2017 Novice Competition set for tomorrow @ Theatre Guild Rookie athletes seeking to make their names in the world of body building will tomorrow have the opportunity to make a good first impression when the Guyana Amateur Body Building and Fitness Federation (GABBFF) brings off the 2017 edition of the annual Novice Competition tomorrow. Set for the Theatre Guild in Kingston, federation president Coel Marks, who will preside over his first championship having been elected earlier this year, informed that the show is dubbed, ‘Simply the best better than all of the rest.’ The categories that will see the eager athletes trying to outdo each other are

Coel Marks Under-21, Women’s Bikini, Men’s Physique Tall and Short, Bantamweight, Lightweight, Welterweight,

Middleweight and Heavyweight. Muscle flexing time is 19:00hrs.

With James Pattinson joining Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, Australia will have a wealth of genuine pace options at the Champions Trophy © Getty Images improved significantly in the past six months and he will provide us with a strong option should he be selected. “James has been a consistent performer for the one-day squad for several

years, however with players such as Pattinson, Cummins and Hastings coming back to full fitness and the e m e rg e n c e o f M a r c u s Stoinis, James was squeezed out of the squad and an unlucky omission.”

Stoinis and Hastings are the two other seam-bowling allrounders in Australia’s squad, with Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head providing part-time offspin back-up to Adam Zampa’s legspin.

Motherhood no obstacle for Serena’s return, says Court M E L B O U R N E (Reuters) Motherhood may do little to slow Serena Williams’s pursuit of grand slam success but more hungry opponents, if they emerge, could yet deny her the all-time singles record, the woman who holds that distinction told Reuters. Australian great Margaret Court won 24 grand slam singles titles, one ahead of American Williams, who confirmed she was pregnant on Wednesday and will sit out the rest of the season. Court, 74, who straddled the sport’s amateur and professional eras, was also the first mother to win a major as a professional. She took three of those titles in 1973, the year after giving birth to her first child Daniel. But she rejoined the tour at 31 while Williams would be 36 if she came back as planned in 2018, a difference Court thought might play a role. “Coming back after Daniel I had one of my best years ...(but) I was quite a few years younger (than Serena),” Court told Reuters in an interview on Thursday. “And I think you’ve got

Serena Williams (REUTERS/Thomas Peter/Files) to know physically what you can do and how you can do it. You put the baby first and that to me was everything at the time. But we’re all different.” The only other mothers to win slams in the Open era are Court’s compatriot Evonne Goolagong and Belgian Kim Clijsters who were both 26 when they

came back. “I don’t know (if Serena can win another) ... It will depend whether she still feels like doing it. It’ll depend on her,” Court said. “It depends who’s coming through, too.” ‘THERE’S NOT THE DEPTH’ On that point, Court felt (Continued on page 32)

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Bekele in a hurry for London marathon glory LONDON (Reuters) Tr i p l e O l y m p i c t r a c k champion Kenenisa Bekele is somewhat surprised that his sepia-tinged 5,000 and 10,000-metres world records are still standing but, at 34, he still feels he can complete a remarkable hattrick by claiming the marathon mark. Ethiopian Bekele, widely regarded as the greatest distance runner of all time, set 5,000m and 10,000m world records in 2004, improving the longer distance a year later, and nobody has got remotely close to either since. After finding his feet in the marathon, he posted the second-fastest time ever two hours, three minutes and three seconds - when

winning Berlin last September, six seconds outside Dennis Kimetto’s world record of 2:02:57, set on the same course in 2014. On Sunday, finally running free of the succession of back, hip and calf injuries that have dogged the last five years of his career, he hopes to be able go one better by winning the London Marathon and eclipsing Kimetto’s world record. “Times are very important,” Bekele told reporters in London on Thursday. “On the track I don’t see anyone out there looking like they can reach my marks at the moment. In the marathon, running 2.10 and winning would not give you full happiness. Winning

in 2:04 would be a different feeling. “ B u t i t ’s r e a l l y challenging. It’s almost 10,000 meters pace so it’s difficult. I had to learn how to run differently from the track, a different foot strike. Every race, every course is different and I’m learning with everyone.” Fellow Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie previously held the world records for 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon but nobody has held all three at the same time. Bekele was third in London last year and said he really enjoyed and learned from the experience. “The crowd here are different from any other race,” he said. “People like

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia celebrates winning the men’s competition at the Berlin marathon in Berlin, Germany, September 25, 2016. (REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch) the sport here. It’s very special.” Last year ’s winner, Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, will not be defending his title as he concentrates on trying to dip under two hours as part of Nike’s “Breaking2” project. B e k e l e ’s s t r o n g e s t challenge could instead

Blow for Jamaica as Powell withdraws from Jamaican World Relays KINGSTON (Reuters) Olympic and double world sprint relay gold medalist Asafa Powell has withdrawn from Jamaica’s team for this weekend’s third IAAF World Relays event in the Bahamas. The team’s technical leader, Maurice Wilson, confirmed to Reuters by phone yesterday that Powell — twice world 100m bronze medalist — was among three athletes to pull out of the team currently heading for the Bahamas. “I’ve been informed that Asafa Powell is not available; Julian Forte is also not available; Rusheen McDonald is also out. Those are experienced athletes that would make a big difference to the composition of the team,” Wilson said. Powell’s absence is a huge blow to the Jamaican team, who are already without eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, who did not make himself available. Powell’s publicist, Tara Playfair-Scott, told Reuters on Thursday that the 34year-old’s decision to withdraw was strategic. “He’s training. We’re just being very selective in what he runs, because he has Doha (Diamond League meet) next week,” she said. “To do World Relays and

come from Eritrean Ghirmay Ghebreslassie, who was crowned marathon world champion at 19 two years ago. The women’s race is also intriguing, with twicewinner Mary Keitany installed as favorite after last year’s London and Olympic champion and fellow Kenyan Jemima Sumgong pulled out after failing a doping test. Sumgong’s positive for the blood booster EPO brought stinging criticism from some of her compatriots ahead of the race. “For me it really embarrasses the sport,” said Florence Kiplagat.

“I am ashamed because we are losing top athletes like that.” Ketainy added: “I think all of Kenya now is in the spotlight. I don’t want such a mess.” Vivian Cheruiyot, the Olympic 5,000m champion, urged Sumgong, who has yet to have her positive test confirmed by her B sample, to cooperate with the authorities. “She knows that she went for that injection,” she said. “She can’t say she didn’t know. “I remember her winning in Rio and that everyone was happy for Kenya. If she is using something it is very disappointing.”

Olympic high jumper Germaine Mason dies in motorbike crash

Asafa Powell of Jamaica celebrates winning the men’s 100m competition. (REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Picture Supplied by Action Images) Doha, to come back to do all of the other stuff ... we want to do as limited amount (of races) as possible and just focus on the bigger ones,” Playfair-Scott added. Wilson also revealed that two of Jamaica’s top female competitors might be competing in only one relay each. “I’ve not had any final discussion with the coach (Stephen Francis), but I was advised that (Olympic sprint double gold medalist) Elaine Thompson would only be available for the 4x200 and Shericka Jackson ( O l y m p i c a n d Wo r l d Championship 400m

bronze medalist) for the 4x200 as well,” Wilson added. Despite the withdrawals, Wilson is confident the Jamaica team will do well in the Bahamas. R E V I S E D JAMAICAN TEAM FOR IAAF/BTC WORLD R E L AY S B A H A M A S 2017 Men 4x100m: Kemar BaileyCole, Yohan Blake, Everton Clarke, Jevaughn Minzie 4x200m: Nickel Ashmeade, Oshane Bailey, Rasheed Dwyer, Nigel Ellis, Chadic Hinds, Warren Weir 4x400m: Javere Bell, Javon Francis, Demish

Gaye, Steven Gayle, Peter Matthews Women 4x100m: Gayon Evans, Simone Facey, Sashalee Forbes, Natasha Morrison, Christania Williams 4x200m: Samantha Henry-Robinson, Anastacia L e - R o y, J u r a L e v y, Dawnalee Loney, Audra Segree, Elaine Thompson 4 x 4 0 0 m : Ve r o n e Chambers, Christine Day, Shericka Jackson, Anneisha M c L a u g h l i n - W h i l b y, Stephenie Ann McPherson, Janieve RussellMixed 4x400m: Natoya Goule, Jaheel Hyde, Tiffany James, Martin Manley, Jamari Rose, Ristananna Tracey

KINGSTON (Reuters) High jump star Germaine Mason died in a motorbike crash outside Jamaica’s capital early yesterday, police said, an announcement that prompted tributes to the British Olympic silver medallist from across the world of athletics. School friend and sprint medallist Michael Frater told Reuters he went to the scene after hearing about the accident, and waited there until an ambulance arrived. “I’m just devastated at the news, he was a friend from high school days ... still can’t believe this,” said Frater, who once shared an apartment with Jamaicanborn Mason in Kingston. Mason was driving a motorbike on the main road connecting Kingston with Jamaica’s international airport at around 4.20 a.m. (0920 GMT), police said. “He allegedly lost

control and fell from the motorcycle. The police were summoned and Mason was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead,” the Jamaica Constabulary Force added in a statement. Mason died aged 34, still holding the 2.34-metre Jamaican high jump record he set in 2003. He started competing for Britain in 2006 and won silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. “Devastated by news of t h e d e a t h o f @GermaineMasonHJ 2008 Beijing Olympics Silver Medal winner High Jump 2.34m.Jamaican record holder. RIP,” tweeted @MVPTrackClub, headed by Stephen Francis who coached him. British sprinter James Ellington, who survived a motor cycle crash in Spain in January, tweeted “Can’t believe the news I have just heard about Germaine Mason.”

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Mumbai top order destroys Kings XI in highest successful chase ESPNcricinfo - In the best batting conditions of the IPL, Mumbai Indians coasted to their highest successful IPL chase to reclaim their spot atop the points table. A target of 199 should have been more daunting but such was their dominance that by the 15th over of the innings, the required rate was 1.6. All of that meant Hashim Amla’s maiden T20 hundred, 60-ball 104 stocked with elegance and grace, was in vain. It was also the highest successful chase this season. Jos Buttler and Nitish Rana struck authoritative fifties in Mumbai’s chase after Parthiv Patel’s 18-ball 37. Buttler found form with a brutish display of power hitting, hammering seven fours and five sixes. Rana saw no need to keep the ball along the ground, striking seven sixes in his unbeaten 62, taking his top spot back at the top of this season’s run-making charts. T20 batting, a pleasant sight again Occasionally, T20s are stripped of some of the simple joys of cricket, such as timing or technicallyequipped batsmen building an innings. Kings XI have

not lacked either. Manan Vohra’s replacement, Shaun Marsh, and Amla are arguably the most pleasant opening pair in this IPL. They immediately showed why. Marsh’s delectable cuts, drives and pulls were matched by Amla’s beautiful wrists and timing. They raced to 46 before Marsh played his worst stroke - a flick he tried to muscle, instead of relying on his timing. Saha’s sacrifice Wriddhiman Saha had laboured to 11 off 14 balls, struggling for fluency. Although his strike rate was lofty, Amla was set on anchoring the innings. Kings X I ’s r u n r a t e w a s approaching seven. With plenty of batting resources to come and the chance of a middle-overs collapse relatively low, Saha decided to attack. It didn’t come off he was bowled off Krunal Pandya, but he allowed more able hitters to use a strong platform. Glenn Maxwell did, thwacking an 18-ball 40, making full use of the second half of the innings. Malinga v Amla Lasith Malinga is M u m b a i ’s s l o g - o v e r s

Jos Buttler shapes to play the scoop ©BCCI

Nitish Rana sets off for a run, Mumbai Indians v Kings XI Punjab, IPL 2017, Indore, ©BCCI

specialist. Amla is Kings XI’s most equipped batsman t o h a n d l e M a l i n g a ’s variations. Both teams needed their gun overseas players to break the game open. Malinga, though, missed his length too often; his slower balls landed on a full length and skidded onto the bat. Amla wasn’t funky, he stuck to his strengths. When Malinga bowled at the stumps, Amla hit straight and met the ball at different angles to pick different gaps. When the line was wayward, Amla could use the cross bat

GCA/NBS semi on tomorrow Tr a n s p o r t S C a n d Demerara CC will clash in the final of the GCA/NBS 40-over second division final starting at 10:30hrs tomorrow at Bourda (M. Yosef Yisrael and Deon Feassal). Matches in the Carib Beer T20 first division continue at 13:30hrs on Sunday with TSC facing

DCC at DCC (Hortence Isaacs and Clyde Layne), GYO playing GCC at GCC (Shannon Crawford and Matthew Kissoon) and GNIC SC tackling UG at Eve Leary (Javed Persaud and Cyril Garnath). E B D C A T 2 0 commences The East Bank Demerara CA T20

openers - Buttler and Parthiv - took it a step further, plundering 82 in the Powerplay. There were 14 boundaries and just six balls not scored off, the secondlowest in IPL history. Scores: Mumbai Indians 199 for 2 (Buttler 77, Rana 62*, Parthiv 37) beat Kings XI Punjab 198 for 4 (Amla 104*, Maxwell 40) by eight wickets.

GCA/GDA U17 T20

GYO, GNIC SC, DCC, TSC triumph

Dwayne Dick

Adrian Hinds

Tournament starts today at DCC Under-13 cricket tournament bowls off later today at the DCC Ground on Lance Gibbs Street, Queenstown. The tournament starts at 4:30pm today at the DCC with a game between GYO

but also the nature of the surface - even pace and bounce without much turn. Batsmen can hit through the line, and mis-hits take the ball over the boundary. The Holkar Cricket Stadium is the closest resemblance to those characteristics this season. Despite Kings XI putting up 198, all Mumbai needed was a strong start to keep the asking rate in check. Their

tournament will commence tomorrow at Farm. At 09:30hrs Farm will play Silver Bullet and at 14:00hrs Rome Athletics will take on Ruimveldt. On Sunday Combined United will battle Uprising at 09:30hrs and at 14:00hrs Herstelling will match skills with Sandpipers.

Well Teen, Trophy Stall, Tropical Springs, Nauth Motor Spares, Day/Night U-13 Cricket Mike,s Pharmacy through its brand “Well Teen”, UK’s No. 1 teenager product, together with the Trophy Stall, Tropical Spring Waters and Nauth Motor Spares of Sheriff Street sponsored nationwide

without risk. Malinga went for 58 - his most expensive IPL returns. Amla alone took him for 51 of those, the second-most against a bowler in the IPL. Using the best conditions The reason M Chinnaswamy Stadium was a favourable chasing ground last season wasn’t just the small boundary dimensions,

vs TSC and continues tomorrow with Permaul’s Berbice vs DCC. Players qualified to play must born on or after 1 September 2003. Balls and umpires will be provided by sponsors. st

G a n d h i Yo u t h Organisation, GNIC SC, Demerara CC and Transport SC registered victories when the Georgetown Cricket Association/ Guyana Diabetic Association U17 T20 tournament continued yesterday. At Malteenoes SC, GYO defeated the host by six wickets. Batting first, Malteenoes SC were bowled out for 56 in 18 overs. El Nathan Suknandan and Movindra Dindyal took two wickets each. GYO responded with 57-4 in 12.2 overs. Yeudistir Persaud struck 35; Kester Mc Allister claimed two wickets.

GNIC SC beat St. Stanislaus by 34 runs. GNIC SC took first strike and made 110 all out in 19.4 overs. Dwayne Dick stroked 43 as Renny Hutson, Travis Thomas and Daniel Persaud captured two wickets each. St. Stanislaus were sent packing for 76 in 17.5 overs in reply. Dick and Romeo had 2-5 apiece, while Christopher Persaud took 28 and Akeem Williams 2-12. At DCC, the host overcame Georgetown Cricket Club by 24 runs. DCC scored 119-6, taking first turn at the crease. Nkosie Beaton slammed 30 not out while Ashmead Nedd got 22.

Stephon Wilson snared 2-12 and Aryan Persaud 220. GCC were restricted to 85-7 in response. Ansugga Rodrigues made 25; Nedd had 2-7 and Sachin Singh 2-11. Tr a n s p o r t S C b e a t Everest by nine wickets. Everest managed 85-7, batting first. Christopher Baljit made 25 and Ariel Tilku 18; Joel Spooner claimed 2-6 and Fidel Collins 2-15. Transport SC replied with 86-1 in 11.3 overs. Adrian Hinds struck 40 not out and Shamar Yearwood 15 not out. The competition continues today. (Zaheer Mohamed)

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Friday April 21, 2017

Radford hails start of new era KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Batting coach Roby Radford expects the influx of young players in the West Indies squad to compensate for the loss of experienced players like Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo, in the three-Test series against Pakistan starting here today. Both Samuels and Bravo, with 120 Tests between them, were both ignored by selectors in the 13-man squad announced earlier this week for the opening Test at Sabina Park, with the uncapped Guyanese pair of Vishal Singh and Shimron Hetmyer preferred instead. And along with rookies like Roston Chase and Shai Hope – neither of whom

have played 10 Tests – Radford believes West Indies could be seeing the emergence of a new era of batsmen. “Marlon’s been a great servant to West Indies cricket and has played some wonderful innings over the years so we do lose a bit of experience there but I’d like to think this is a dynamic group of young players with lots of talent and probably the start of a new age in West Indies cricket,” Radford said here. “I’d like these boys to come in and play the way they play, not fear anything and play the way they would in any other team and not feel the occasion. Just come out, do what they do and

show everyone the talent that they’ve got.” Vishal, 28, is an obdurate left-hander who has been rewarded for his heavy scoring in last year’s first class championship and relative success with West Indies A. He also struck an unbeaten 135 for the WICB President’s XI in last weekend’s three-day tour match against the Pakistanis. The 20-year-old Hetmyer, meanwhile, has been fast-tracked into the Test side, following a first class season where he gathered nearly 500 runs. His 97 in the recent tour match also helped his cause. Radford said he liked the sensible yet no-nonsense

approach brought by former Youth World Cup captain Hetmyer. “The first time I saw him was up at Trelawny this week and it was a fantastic innings. He deserved a hundred,” the Englishman noted. “He ended up two or three runs short but it was a superb knock. He looks very organised. [He’s a] powerful batsman but correct, strikes the ball very cleanly but he’s not a hitter – he’s a proper batsman. “If balls were there to defend, he defended them but the minute the bowler was loose it (ball) went a long way.” Radford said both players seemed ready to

handle Test quality bowling. “I was really impressed by the way [Hetmyer] and Vishal Singh played. They

were very matured innings and [both players] looked equipped to play the bowling of that calibre.”

Successful CARIFTA Games team returns today -Motorcade, Courtesy Call on President among plans

PREPARING FOR BATTLE: Young uncapped opener Shimron Hetmyer readies himself for a net session in the build-up to the opening Test. (Photo courtesy WICB Media)

Massy Berbice to host inaugural Fitness Walk on Sunday

The successful CARIFTA Games athletics team will be returning to Guyana at 2pm today with a motorcade escorting them to Georgetown for a Courtesy Call on President David Granger. The National Sports Commission (NSC) and Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) will both w e l c o m e G u y a n a ’s successful C A R I F TA Games team home today with a planned motorcade and Courtesy Call on His Excellency, President David Granger. The team is expected to arrive at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport aboard COPA Airlines today at 2pm. Director of Sport,

Christopher Jones and AAG President, Aubrey Hutson among other officials will be at the airport to receive the team. The motorcade will depart the airport at 2:45 pm with police escort leaving the airport road and travelling north along the East Bank Demerara Highway, right on to Industrial Site Ruimveldt, east on to Mandela Avenue, west on to Homestretch Avenue, on to Croal Street, north on to Ornoque Street,

west onto South Road, north on to Shiv Chanderpaul Drive. The motorcade will stop at the Ministry of the Presidency where the contingent will pay a Courtesy Call on President Granger, scheduled for 3:30 pm. Following the Courtesy Call, the motorcade will proceed north on to Shiv Chanderpaul Drive west on to Regent Street, south onto the Avenue of the Republic, west onto Brickdam

travelling around the Linden bus park, north onto the Avenue of the Republic onto Main Street to High Street, Kingston ending at the Olympic House, Kingston. A press release said that there will be a short media briefing at Olympic House. The athletes will be Guests of Honour at the N S C S p o r t s Aw a r d s Ceremony, scheduled to be held in the Savannah Suite of the Pegasus Hotel beginning at 7pm.

Massy Berbice will host an inaugural Fitness Walk on Sunday as part of the c o m p a n y ’s p l a n n e d activities across the Group to commemorate World Occupational Safety and Health Month, which is being celebrated this month. A press release from the company stated that the theme for the event is “Willpower knows no obstacles.” World Health Day was celebrated on April 7 and the activity also forms part of that celebration. “It sends out the call for all to become actively involved in their own health by exercising regularly and follows from the bigger 10km fitness run that is done annually in Georgetown during the month of September when professional athletes compete in preparation for the South American race,” the release said. Massy Berbice intends to make this an annual Berbice event and is

inviting corporate Berbice to join in participation and helping to raise awareness levels among the working class, especially as it relates to fitness. The proposed route is from No. 2 Village, East Canje (in front of Speedy Tr a d i n g ) , t h r o u g h t o Princess Elizabeth Road then to Massy Industries, 2 Strand New Amsterdam, Berbice. The walk is expected to start promptly at 6:30 hrs. Immediately after the walk, participants are invited to join the company for a short awareness session on leading a healthy lifestyle, which will be facilitated by a medical professional. There will be prizes up for grabs for the top three finishers and the organisation with the most representatives. Participants can assemble at Massy Industries at 06:00hrs since transportation will be provided to the starting point.

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Friday April 21, 2017

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RHTY&SC, MS Vice President Mark Papannah receives donation from Alisa Rasheed of Nand Persaud Co. Ltd.

RHTY&SC, MS 27th Award Ceremony

President Granger, Nand Persaud Co. Ltd, NSC and Global Access on board The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS 2 7 t h A n n u a l Aw a r d s Ceremony scheduled for the 23rd of April would be the largest ever hosted and promises to be a once in a lifetime experience for all the 74 persons who would be honoured. Support for the Club, the Award Ceremony and its 2017 list of activities continues to pour in as Club executives work around the clock to make the event a success. President David Granger, Patron of the RHTY&SC, MS last week donated $1M to the Club for its 2017 work programme. The Club Patron, who would be unable to attend the 27th Awards Ceremony due to an urgent official visit overseas, donated one million dollars to support the Club for its programmes and also to undertake some restoration work at its Area ‘H’ Ground Office. Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo will deputise for President Granger. Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster, who accepted the donation, expressed gratitude to the President, while stating that the funds would be used for the Annual Awards Ceremony, the Club’s highly successful Say NO/Say YES campaign, Charity Outreach Programme support of its monthly Senior Citizens campaign, cricket development programme, while a Patron’s Community Outreach Programme would be launched Sunday. Under the Patron’s Programme the Rose Hall Town Nursery School, Rose Hall Town Primary School, ST. Joseph Anglican Church and the Mission Chapel Congregation Church would

all receive financial assistance towards their 2017 work programmes. Twelve Cricket Clubs drawn from across Berbice would also benefit from a donation of $300,000 worth of cricket balls in a joint RHTY&SC/National Sports Commission project. The Balls would be shared out to the Clubs as part of an Effort to get more youths involved in Cricket as part of the Club’s Say YES to Sports Programme. Among the Clubs to receive balls are Bush Lot, Blairmont, Tucker Park, Kildonan, Chesney, Big Star and Police. The RHTY&SC has also received support from Global Access of NO.57 Village who donated one year free supply of Cable Television for the 2016 Cricketer of the Year, while Roraima Group of Companies has contributed a trip to Arrow Point Resort for the same award. Nand Persaud Co. Ltd of NO.36 Village donated $50,000 worth of trophies for the 2017 list of activities. Kings Jewellery World contributed a West Indian Cricket Medallion for the Benefit of the Year Awardee. Other Companies and individuals making contributions to the Awards Ceremony are DeSinco Trading, Jamie McDonald of Fitness Express, Ricks and Sari, Namilco, John Lewis Styles, F+H Printery, Office of the Speaker, Ansa Mcal, Modern Optical Service and Gizmos and Gadgets. A total of 74 Club Members, Retired Teachers, Outstanding Teachers of the Year and Law Enforcement Officers would be honoured at the Awards Ceremony, while a total of over $2.5M

worth of trophies, medals, prizes, framed certificates, plaques and donations would be shared out. Fifteen outstanding Guyanese would also be presented with RHTY&SC, MS highest Award, The Dolphin Award of Excellence.

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Friday April 21, 2017

Entertaining night envisaged as Knight, Matthews lead Barbados ‘Locked and Loaded’ promises to victory over defending champs captivating displays

Keron Bourne

Martin Joseph

It may be regarded as Guyana’s top shopping center with loads of bargains, but this weekend, the Giftland Shopping Mall will be transformed into a war zone when boxers as well as MMA fighters, local and international, take to the ring in pursuit of top fiscal accolades. Yes, officials of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) has taken the sport to a higher level and those patrons attending the card, dubbed ‘Locked and Loaded’ can be assured of a satisfying night of fistic fury and entertainment when the gong sounds this Sunday 23 at the Liliendaal ECD venue. The boxing aspect of the card features several local pugilists matching gloves against each other and will be highlighted with a potentially thrilling 10 rounder where former CABOFE bantamweight champion, Dexter ‘The Kid’ Marques pits his skills against Venezuelan, Luis rd

Alberto Requena in a 10 rounds flyweight scrap. The other bout s a catchweight 4 rounder between Anson Green and Charwin Estwick, while Imran Khan and Keeve Allicock will duke it out in a 6 rounds lightweight match. The main supporting bout will be a super/middleweight 6 rounds encounter between Edmond DeClou and Winston Pompey. The 2 WBC amateur bouts will have bantamweight Rewinne David up against Akeela Lamazon over 4 rounds and a 3 rounds jnr/welterweight clash between Kelon Isaacs and Euel Augustin. Fans are also in for a special treat when, for the first time in local boxing history several MMA fighters add to the excitement. Trinidadian, Martin Joseph will match skills with Emerson Hurley (BDS) in the light/heavyweight division, while Guyanese, Lawrence Hearwood tackles

Keron Bourne in a light/heavyweight matchup. Those are the two professional MMA Bouts that will be supported by 5 amateur encounters i n c l u d i n g t h e light/heavyweight bout between Lashawn Sladden (TRI) and Kwanza Thompson (GUY), the lightweight shindig between Erland Maloney (TRI) and Isaiah Cave (GUY). The other fights in this category are the lightweight bout between Ahmad Khan (TRI) and Kereem Simon (GUY), the heavyweight match between two Guyanese, Colwyn Benn and Ry a n B e a t o n a n d t h e flyweight encounter between Gershom Griffith (TRI) and Ray Gill (GUY). With less than 48hrs to bell time the respective fighters are putting the finishing touches to their preparations even as the fight pundits get ready for a card that will not only be locked but loaded to the hilt.

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – Kyshona Knight followed a destructive spell from her West Indies Women’s teammate Hayley Matthews with a resolute half-century that guided Barbados to a six-wicket victory over regional sporting arch-rivals and reigning champions Trinidad & Tobago in the Women’s Regional Super50 Tournament yesterday. Knight hit four fours and one six in 56 from 107 balls to lead a successful Barbadian pursuit of 132 in the rain-marred opening round match at Sion Hill on the outskirts of the Vincentian capital. Stumbling at 17 for two in the seventh over after losing Knight’s twin sister Kycia and Matthews cheaply, Barbados were put back on course, when Windies Women’s star Deandra Dottin and Kyshona added 65 for the third wicket in a match reduced to 46 overs-a-side, due to rain.

When Dottin offered a return catch in the 26th over to her Windies Women’s teammate, off-spinner Anisa Mohammed, Kyshona kept her cool and got the Barbadians within reach of the Promised Land before the same bowler trapped her lbw in the 34th over with 19 needed. E a r l i e r, M a t t h e w s , bowling her flighty off-spin, collected 4-24 from her allotted 10 overs and Dottin supported with 2-19 from six overs, as T&T were bowled out for 131 in 42 overs after they were put in to bat. ICC World Twenty20 hero Britney Cooper led the way with 52 from 59 balls that included six fours and one six and her Windies Women’s teammate Merissa Aguilliera, the T&T captain, made 25. At the Arnos Vale Sports Complex: Veteran Cordel Jack propelled Windward Islands to a fivewicket victory over Guyana. The 35-year-old Vincentian hit all but nine of

her top score of 41 in boundaries, as the Windwards successfully chased 131 for victory. Jack, a former West Indies Women’s player, shared 62 for third wicket with her captain Afy F l e t c h e r, t h e Wi n d i e s Women’s leg-spinner, that put the home team firmly on track for victory which they achieved with 95 balls remaining. Earlier, Windies Women’s World Cup hopeful Akeira Peters grabbed 3-23 from eight overs to lead the bowling for Windwards after they chose to field and restricted the Guyanese to 131 for nine from their allocation of 50 overs. Opener June Ogle hit the top score of 37. At Park Hill: The match between Leeward Islands and Jamaica, led by incumbent Windies Women’s Captain Stafanie Taylor, was abandoned without a ball bowled, due to wet conditions caused by rain.

Jeffrey to compete in USA Criterium Series – Speed Week 2017

Jaguars, Hurricanes in final showdown of the season ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Guyana Jaguars will formalise regaining the Headley/Weekes Trophy, symbol of supremacy, for a third straight season, when they face Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the final match of the Digicel Regional 4Day Tournament, starting today at the Guyana National Stadium. The match will be the

only contest this week, since it was rescheduled from the ninth round, due to the staging of the three One-day Internationals between West Indies and Pakistan earlier this month at the same venue. The Jaguars effectively wrapped up the title last weekend, when they crushed the Windward Islands Volcanoes in the 10th round

of matches by an innings and 122 runs at the same venue, so this weekend’s game will be to practically put the icing on another successful campaign following the long, gruelling season. Stuck in the craw of the home team will be the highest successful run chase ever in the modern era of a R4Day which the visitors (Continued on page 32)

Raynauth Jeffrey whilst competing in the Baker Memorial Classic. (Franklin Wilson photo) Raynauth ‘Obeah man’ Jeffrey, who now rides for t h e U S A b a s e d Te a m Pharmaco-DeepSouth, Atlanta Georgia, will contest the USA Criterium Series – Speed Week 2017 to pedal off tomorrow to April 30th, next.

The reigning National Time Trial champion was home briefly and rode to victory in the 6th annual Baker Memorial Cycling Classic which was held in the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden, two weeks ago. He also rode in last

S u n d a y ’s C h i n C h a n Family and Friends sponsored 65-mile cycle road race but did not complete the race. The one-week event will start with the first race tomorrow in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Kaieteur News

Friday April 21, 2017

PAGE 41

2nd Annual Boyce & Jefford Relay Festival & Family Fun Day

Top futsal teams invited to participate Most of the top teams in the shorter version of football have been invited to participate in the 2nd Annual Boyce & Jefford Relay Festival & Family Fun Day, which is set to be staged on April 30, at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary. Coming off the just concluded Petra Organisation / GT Beer Futsal Competition the invited teams will no doubt be in prime form for the occasion and fans could expect some rivetting action in the 5-a-side format, which will be played over a period of 15 minutes. According to a member of the Organisaing Committee, among the teams invited to participate are recently crowned Futsal champions Sparta Boss, losing finalist Back Circle, Agricola Champion Boys, West Front Road ‘Gold is Money’, Broad Street Bullies and Bent Street. The source also

-event could see a mixture of excitement & revenge

disclosed that upon hearing about the star-studded lineup for the competition, the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Police Force have also requested that they be included in the selection of teams to vie for the top prizes and the Organisers have acquiesced to the request. Many would know, should all the teams confirm their participation it is anticipated that this segment of the event will take centre stage since the more traditional teams in this format are all gunning for revenge following some heartbreaking losses in the indoor futsal tournament that was played recently. Sparta Boss are the

Futsal kings Sparta Boss’s Gregory Richardson shields the ball from a defender in a previous encounter. undisputed kings of the small-goal format and provided another example of their prowess with a convincing 5-2 triumph over the ambitious Back Circle so right away there is the obvious hunger for revenge. The win was even more impacting since the Bosses

lost to Back Circle in the preliminary rounds, before winning when it mattered. Bent Street with a number of national players in their line-up and former futsal champs were eliminated in the semi-finals by Back Circle and will no doubt have vengeance on

their minds, while all the other teams will be harbouring similar ambitions. On the other hand, the Army and Police teams have not participated in tournaments of this nature traditionally so they may want to grab this opportunity

to showcase their talent in this format and send a strong message to Organisers to include them in their competitions. Whatever the outcome, fans are assured that once all the invited teams confirm, the day will be littered with plenty excitement.

RAN XV Regional Championships

GRFU shortlists large pool of players to commence preparations The Guyana Rugby Football Union (GFRU) is reminding players that there are ongoing training sessions towards the upcoming international game to be played against Barbados on May 13, at the Garrison Field in Barbados. Guyana will be defending their South Zone 2016 title against Barbados as well as Trinidad and Tobago in this year’s RAN X V R e g i o n a l Championships. The home game to be played against Trinidad and Tobago will be on June 10, at the National Park. Players, whose names are not listed, but have a desire to try out are also welcomed and are being asked to register with the Head Coach. Players will be put through their drills by the Union coaching personnel comprising Head Coach Kenneth Grant Stuart, Assistant Coach Alton Agard, Strength and Conditioning Coaches Theodore Henry and Phillip

The victorious Guyana national rugby team known as the ‘Green Machine’ poses for a photo op. Barrington. Manager and Captain of the team will be confirmed after trials. Meanwhile, training and video sessions will be conducted on the following days: Field Sessions Tuesdays & Thursdays, Video sessions Fridays, Trial

matches Saturdays, Endurance and Fitness runs Sunday or Monday. Players requiring letters for time off are asked to contact the General Secretary Ms. Petal Adams and / or the Head Coach for same to be given. Punctuality is extremely

important with weekly sessions requiring start times of 16:30 hrs, Saturday 15:30 hrs and Sunday 00:8 hrs or otherwise as may be determined by the Coaching personnel. Guyana Men’s team is the current runner up to Mexico in the Regional

RAN XV Championships as well as Current RAN VII Caribbean Champions. The players shortlisted a r e : Ry a n G o n s a l v e s , Claudius Butts, Avery Corbin, Scott Garraway, Rondell McArthur, Delroy Gordon, Akeem Fraser, Patrick King, Michael

Barrow, Osei McKenzie, Ronald Mayers, Andrew Jarvis, Dwayne Schroeder, Daniel De Abreu, Daniel Anderson, Blaise Bailey, Allain Crawford, Clyde Prowell, Shaquille Horatio, Reign Dey, Peabo Hamilton, Carl Lewis, Colin Martin, (Continued on page 32)

t r o Sp Batting the key as Windies square off with Pakistan

HOMETOWN BOY: Jamaican batsman Jermaine Blackwood goes through his paces in training as he gears up for the opening Test against Pakistan. (Photo courtesy WICB Media) KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Not for the first time, West Indies’ unpredictable and error-prone batting will attract all the attention when the Caribbean side face Pakistan in the opening Test of the three-match series at Sabina Park today. In search of their first series win over their opponents in 17 years, West Indies have placed the burden on an inexperienced batting line-up with Kraigg Brathwaite, Jermaine Blackwood and Kieran Powell, the only three to have played more than 20 Tests. Even then, the trio have played just 77 Tests among them and scored a mere nine hundreds, further underlining the tenuous nature of the batting line-up and captain Jason Holder was quick to emphasise the importance of the batsmen stepping up during the series. Pointing to the side’s batting effort in their last Test when they beat the Pakistanis in Sharjah last November, Holder said West Indies needed to consistently hit those standards. “We finished off the year last year quite well. We won that game in Sharjah – we batted well and we also got 20 wickets,” he told reporters here yesterday. “In the past, we’ve been

able to get 20 wickets but we h a v e n ’t b e e n a b l e t o consistently put runs on the board. That’s obviously one area we need to pay attention to. “The first innings total is o b v i o u s l y v e r y, v e r y important for us to start the game and then obviously set up things well for the end of the game.” He continued: “I’ve just stressed on consistency. One thing we have spoken about in the dressing room is momentum. If we have the momentum we need to hold it as long as possible and not shift it back to the Pakistanis. “For us it’s just to get runs on the board for the first innings and our bowlers will support us in the field.” That Test victory in Sharjah, which broke a 19month win-less run by the Windies, featured a brilliant unbeaten hundred and halfcentury by Brathwaite and fifties from Roston Chase and wicketkeeper/batsman, Shane Dowrich. The hundred was one just one of two in the series, with the scored by elegant left-hander Darren Bravo whose continued stand-off with the West Indies Cricket Board has seen his omission for yet another series. Bravo, who has played 49 Tests, and Jamaican Marlon Samuels, 71, are the

two most experienced of the current players but with both ignored by selectors, attention will fall on the likes of middle order batsman Roston Chase. The Barbadian will have fond memories of Sabina Park, having struck a maiden unbeaten hundred against India last August to rescue West Indies on a difficult final day, and Holder said much was expected of his countryman. “I see him as a key member in our squad. He’s our number six batter and he also bowls quite a few overs for us,” the all-rounder said. “Roston for me is a quality player. He’s gone back into first class cricket and he’s done well and he’s obviously showed people here on the international circuit that he can perform. I’ve played a lot of cricket with Roston as I have with many of the guys in the dressing room so I know what to expect from them. “As I said before, it’s having the momentum and keeping it as long as possible.” The uncapped lefthanded Guyanese batting duo of Vishal Singh and Shimron Hetmyer have been called up to the squad while Powell, who played 21 Tests before taking a self-imposed break, has been recalled after three years away from (Continued on page 32)

Law hoping last Test success provides momentum for Windies KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Head coach Stuart Law hopes West Indies can build on their strong finish to their last Test series against Pakistan, as they prepare to take on the Asian side in a three-Test rubber starting here today. The Caribbean side were brushed aisde in the opening two Tests on the tour of the United Arab Emirates late last year but bounced back to win the final game in Sharjah. And Law, overseeing his first ever Test series with the Windies following his appointment in February, hopes that victory can prove an inspiration to his players. “That [win] resonates pretty well with the group at the moment. They are very proud of the fact that they went through a long tour and finally had some joy at the end,” the Australian explained. “We’d love to start this series the way we finished that one. We’ll go away over the next couple of days and we’ll do a lot of talking as much as playing cricket as well. We’ll do a lot of talking, soul searching and work out the right strategies. “Hopefully the conditions that we’d love to see will come to fruition and we can go out and play our cricket.” West Indies will be without some of the experienced players who toured the UAE last year, with Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo both dropped. However, selectors have called up the Guyana Jaguars duo of Vishal Singh and Shimron Hetmyer to the 13-man squad, with lefthander Kieron Powell returning to the Test arena following a three-year absence.

Law said he had been impressed by all three players, noting they all brought something special to the squad. “Kieran Powell has got pedrigree, he’s made Test hundreds before and Shimron Hetmyer, the Under-19 captain, he’s shown some promise,” Law pointed out.

other day, showed good temperament, good quality, solid defence against spin as well, so there are a few new faces. “We had to replace a few players for one reason or another, and these guys have come in. They’ve got some form on the boards and it will be really interesting to see how they go.”

Uncapped left-hander Vishal Singh smiles during a training session on Wednesday, ahead of today’s start of the opening Test against Pakistan. (Photo courtesy WICB Media) “He hasn’t played a lot of cricket to be honest but what he has done is he’s really impressed with the way he goes ahout it. I really like the way he’s aggressive, very busy at the crease. He can play the shots, can play spin, can play pace.” He continued: “Vishal Singh made 135 not out the

And with the opening Test marking the 50th to be played at the historic Sabina Park venue, Law said he was hoping for a Windies win to highlight the occasion. “We’re looking forward to it … it would be really nice to come out and really put on a show and win the game,” he stressed.

Successful CARIFTA Games team returns today -Motorcade, Courtesy Call on President among plans

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