Kaieteur News
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Wednesday August 08, 2018
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
NOT HIRING QUALIFIED PERSONS IS A DISSERVICE
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raditionally, we have been told by our parents or guardians that education is the key to a successful life. They have drilled into our psyche that taking our education seriously is the only avenue to obtain a career and a well-paying job that would in turn create a better living standard for us. We were also told that without education, we would not be able to achieve anything of significance. To some extent, both versions are correct, but success or failure in life does not only depend on having an education but also on the individual. It is true that some of the wisest and most productive people in society are not university educated and most businesses in the country and elsewhere started with an idea, and not with a university education. However, increased government grants and loans have made university affordable in Guyana for the average person to obtain a post-secondary education locally or abroad in countries such as the United States, Canada and Britain etc. But at the end of their educational journey, whether at home or abroad, only a few could access good paying jobs. The reason could never be that the country was in a recession, because this has not been the case. In fact, getting a good job in Guyana does not depend solely on qualification, but on party affiliation or who one knows. Quite often, most of the people with degrees have found themselves at job interviews trying to convince the employer to hire them. But after perusing their résumés, some employers would tell the job-seeking applicants: “Sorry, you seem like an asset to any company but we cannot hire you because you are overqualified.” Others would say “We are impressed with your accomplishments and the person you seem to be, but we’ll give you a call.” The truth is very few persons ever receive a phone call, email or mail from employers. This is what many job applicants with degrees have to face, so they are left with no choice but to dumb down their résumés so as to make it more suitable to the job market. Some would remove their degrees from their résumés and leave only their Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) or the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) qualifications. It is belittling for them to be dishonest, but for employers to tell job applicants with university degrees that they are overqualified or not experienced enough is disturbing and ridiculous. The fact that many university graduates do not get the jobs they dreamed of has made the assertion that education is the key to success comes across as , because there are others who have jobs and positions that they are not qualified for. These folks have political contacts or someone on the inside to do what is known locally as “pulling a string for them.” It is no wonder why we have such an inefficient, lawless and corrupt system. It is not fair to the people who have made years of sacrifice to go universities, be it local or abroad, studied hard to achieve a career and met all the requirements needed only to have the door slammed in their faces. This has forced many qualified persons to take a job for a little over half of what they deserve to be paid in order to survive. It also proves that education may not really be the key to a better living but the opiate of the masses in which the poor will continue to get poorer and suffer while the rich become richer and prosperous. Governments, past and present, continue to do a disservice to themselves by not employing qualified persons. It may lead to a brain drain. But sadly, it is governments that have drained themselves of the brain by hiring unqualified people based on who they know and rejecting those candidates who will migrate to a country that recognizes their worth.
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.
President Granger is ignoring a reality DEAR EDITOR, Recently, Stabroek News canvassed the views of a number of my colleagues in the media about the fact that the President has held two Press Conferences since being elected to office. They all, some more circumspect than others, bemoaned this practice. After all, it is certainly a departure from the norm.I wonder, however, whether our President, who is an exceedingly intelligent man but not a traditional politician, has given a thought to the fact that any political leader in a democracy is putting himself or herself at huge risk, if not prescribing his or her own political demise, by isolating himself or herself from the media and, I believe,
ultimately, from the people. Never mind what the journalists think about it but what does the President think about it. What do his colleagues in the Cabinet think about a President, their President, who, to all intents and purposes, has decided to ignore holding formal scheduled conferences with the press? Surely, Mr. President, you are my President too, and I am a former journalist and a consultant in public relations. You realize that the media every day of every week of every month throughout your tenure communicate with a high percentage of the population and what they cover is usually regurgitated on social media.
Yet, Mr. President, you choose to ignore this reality. Yes, Mr. President, you do so at your own peril and will inevitably and ultimately pay the price. I have to assume that our President reads the press or someone culls it for him. He now heads a nation which is about to be the richest per capita in the world, but the media, without exception, reflects the view that he and his government are woefully unprepared to get a fair share of the coin which will flow for his people. The Stabroek News Editorial of 6th August, 2018, on the appointment of Dr. Mark Bynoe could not be more bluntly condemnatory o f o u r g o v e r n m e n t ’s confused approach to
managing our new riches. When I lecture on PR, I often quote Abraham Lincoln, who said in 1858, “He who molds public opinion goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions. He makes statutes and decisions possible or impossible to be executed”. What Lincoln said, then, is as profound today and a thousand times more. We live in an information age. Mr. President, if I were your PR Consultant I would be tempted to commit hari-kari but, then again, I am not. Merely a humble citizen concerned for my President and concerned for my country. Yours sincerely, Kit
ECONOMIC SABOTAGE - BANKRUPT IDEAS DEAR EDITOR, I wish to reply to a speech delivered by Professor Clive Thomas on 5th August, 2018 to an East Coast Community audience. He said: “I don’t think giving cash transfers to persons are a waste of resources. If you look at the evidence, cash transfers are the single most effective means of combatting poverty.” With respect, Professor Clive Thomas lives in the past. He wants to give “handouts” to the poor when we get the oil and gas money. But all the experiences have shown, graphically, as in Trinidad and other parts of the underdeveloped world, where Oil has been produced, that it is not the best way forward towards a brighter future for our youths and the long-term unemployed. Highly paid jobs are the best answer to our poverty. The emphasis of education, personally promoted by the President, with the ramping up of specialised training in the varying agro-industrial and other potential growth industries – like the creation of a mini oil refinery – is the only sound and sustainable way to empower our citizens and prepare them for the 21st century global economy. Everyone in Guyana – with a population of less than a million people - can be gainfully employed, if a dynamic economic policy and programme is pursued. Professor Thomas and the AFC leadership have sat on their hands and prevented the
regularisation of Hemp, which could yield 10 times that of rice. Let me let the “cat out of the bag”. It was Dr. Clive Thomas, who put together the final touches to the C O A L I T I O N MANIFESTO, which outlines a “reformed economic programme”, which would have laid the basis for full employment, if it was implemented. But the professor has not sought to get the fundamentals in place, after three long years. In fact, the reverse has taken place. The economy has slumped due to the lack of implementation of our economic programme that would have seen the complete revival of the agriculture sector - making the rice industry among the best in the world empowering the poor peasants and put an end to the super-exploitation by the Rice Milling class. Wi t h t h e R e establishment of agriculture an industrial bank, GAIBANK; the setting up of the rice stabilisation fund; a massive drainage and irrigation programme — farmers and young people would have been laughing. What the AFC has done over the last three years - is nothing short of a “criminal assault” on our agriculture sector - killing the initiative of our industrious farmers and their farming hands. The Kaieteur newspaper owner, Mr. Glenn Lall, had opened the pages of his daily tabloid to the Alliance for
Change (AFC), free of cost to expose the daily atrocities committed by the JagdeoRamotar PPP. So it was not that these men and women in the AFC were unaware of the problems and difficulties the country was going through during those dark years of governance by the PPP. This newspaper was fearless in its exposure of the last regime, causing Jagdeo to restrict its operations and threatened to close the newspaper. Anil Nandlall, former Attorney General, made damaging remarks that to owner and staff of the publication, that has gone unpunished, as I write. Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman and the AFC must pay dearly at the upcoming LGE polls for this dastardly act - of selecting the wrong people in cabinet to administer our human and material resources in the interest of all Guyanese, not the few at the top of society. Generations to come will chastise these traitors, who have brought further distress to the ordinary people of this country. The time will come when people like Noel Holder will
be put on trial for economic sabotage - for placing criminals in charge of key positions of our agriculture sector. Those elements should have been placed in jail; rather, they are still around making key decisions. The willful closure of Wales Estate by Minister, Noel Holder and PM Nagamootoo - is nothing more than economic sabotage - bringing thousands of people into abject poverty and nearstarvation. During the period of this government, more than 4000 sugar workers have lost their jobs, all due to the lack of knowledge by leading members of this administration of “how to transform agriculture” from a mono crop to a diverse entity - based on our indigenous traditions of Cooperativism and self-help. Where are the lands that PM Nagamootoo promised the sugar workers??? N e i t h e r, D r. C l i v e Thomas, nor Moses Nagamootoo, has had the experience of managing any (Continued on page 5)
There was no promise of re-engagement DEAR EDITOR, An article in Kaieteur News (07-Aug-2018, 'The Department of Energy will decide if it needs Dr Mangal's expertise - Harmon) gave the impression that I was “assured" by the government of being re-engaged. This is incorrect. I was never assured by the government of being re-engaged nor did I seek to convey this impression in any of my exchanges with members of the media. Regards, Jan Mangal
Wednesday August 08, 2018
CLIVE THOMAS’ SUGGESTION COULD AID CORRUPTION DEAR EDITOR, The suggestion by Professor Clive Thomas to distribute a portion of net Oil revenues to households throughout Guyana was startling. Here is one of our foremost Economists making a suggestion more suited to a politician desperate for votes or an inebriated fantasist waxing lyrically at a Guinness Bar. Were such a suggestion to come from anyone other than Professor Thomas, it would be dismissed out of hand. However, given his plethora of prominent roles in the current administration of our nation’s Government, it must be examined seriously. There is no doubt that the idea is seductive to a large portion of the population, US$5000 per household annually would indeed be difficult to refuse. But, alas, any such programme would undoubtedly prove fertile ground for corrupt practice. What or who would constitute a ‘household’ raises immediate questions of fairness of such criteria. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine any criteria that would be adjudged fair by all segments of the populace. The second issue would be the logistic capability of any current government agency to administer the distribution of more than $150,000,000,000 annually.Any pragmatic examination of Professor Thomas’s suggestion leads one to the conclusion that the good professor has lost faith in the APNU administration to deliver prosperity to the masses. Any layman can see the anti-business policy blunders; the inability to negotiate a beneficial contract with ExxonMobil; the fruitless crack down on foreign currency transactions; the ef-
fects of massive budgets on our nation’s financial reserves; the desperate grasping of the GRA to keep us from going deeper into debt - a battle that we are losing daily. Guyana has plummeted downwards on International indices, down nine positions on the Global Human Capital Index, down nineteen positions on the Global Competitive Index Report, the only thing rising is Unemployment. Professor Thomas must know that by ‘first Oil’, our nation will be indebted to the tune of three years Oil revenue, I believe that this good man holds no belief that the APNU+AFC Coalition can deliver anything other than mismanagement, corruption and bankruptcy; it in this context that Professor Thomas is making a last plea for the people of this nation in the hope that some tangible benefit will accrue from the exploitation of its resources. We would all like to get US$5,000 annually. However, we and our future generations would be much better served with a Government of Guyana that is guided by vision and
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administered with competence. No intelligent person can continue to accuse the PPP of maladministration, given what we are currently witnessing. No one can honestly talk of ethnic discrimination when the PPP distributed tens of thousands of house lots throughout the country. The APNU+AFC were good at making accusations, pointing fingers and making budget cuts. Now, given an opportunity to administer, they have been an abject failure, with a minimal number of new houses delivered in three years. Our nation is about to add a pillar to our economy, and the APNU+AFC plan to put the entire weight onto that pillar. Any sensible administration would have to be engaged in bolstering the previous foundation pillars. I admire Professor Thomas for his attempt to get citizens a piece of the pie, but our only real hope, as a Nation, is to place the APNU+AFC back in opposition seats where they do their best work. Respectfully, Robin Singh
ECONOMIC SABOTAGE .... From page 4 economic enterprise. They write and they talk a lot. But that is not in itself a qualification required to manage a country. Talk is cheap; it is proven to be.Dr. Thomas, as Chairman of the State-run sugar corporation, said nothing when those sugar estates - in Wales and later in Berbice - were arbitrarily closed – offering no future to the backbreaking sugar workers and their families. The Working People’s Alliance (WPA), a member of the coalition, was heavily criticised by its founding members - Eusi Kaywana and Moses Bagwan. There has been no public response from Dr. Thomas. Guyana needs good managers at all levels of our society. These politicians are no good for our country’s growth and development. M. JINNAH RAHMAN Co-chair Rice Producers Association Action Committee
Trying to see Guyana one decade ing of Pearl Harbour made this may deem a curse; that of hence European event into what we political rivalry and a nonsenDEAR EDITOR, Everywhere one turns, both at home and abroad, Guyanese are faced with the question of what will our country be like in the next decade? The searching question must be directed to our political, religious and business and youth leaders, in other words, what will we bequeath to the succeeding generations? My formative years in primary school, I knew a world consumed with horrors of the so called World War II, 19391945; a war which began as no more than a second major European civil strife. When people like Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan were fledging teenagers, on February 22, 1945, German Americans known as the Bund organised a massive rally in the Madison Square Garden, New York, USA. This rally was to denounce the American Jews for their alleged hatred of German Nazis and German National Socialism. One of Adolph Hitler’s supporters, Fritz Kuhn telling the crowd of 22,000 that the Jews may not all be Communist but we do know ‘that Jews are the driving force of Communism.’ Of interest Bernard M. Baruch, a Jew, was one of the US President Roosevelts’ Advisors who came in for his share of abuse. It is amazing how there are always similarities on both sides of the Atlantic and a reminder of what placing individuals and groups into narrow compartments can do. Later, in the 1950s, as a colony we had our own taste of communist influence in the politics in Guyana. This along with the bomb-
now know as World War II. A conflict that took over 60 million lives and destroyed whole communities. With Truman dropping the atomic bomb on two Japanese cities, seventy-three years ago, this month this brought to an end the fighting and mayhem among civilized leaders and people. The war ended in September 1945 after Japan’s unconditional surrender. This set the stage for a tragically divided world of what we term Eastern Communism versus western democracy. We still see the scars of this division. There were meetings with the ‘Big Three’— Stalin (USSR), Churchill (UK) and Roosevelt (USA) and later Stalin with Atlee (UK) and Truman (US). These Meetings were intended to share the spoils of war. It turned out to be a start of an all-consuming ideological war in which we in the smaller countries were literally caught in the middle. We call it the ‘Cold War.’ As they say when the elephants fight or make love, it is the grass that suffers. We remain the grass but experience should help us to be a resilient evergreen grass. We were and remain the grass in a world that requires astuteness and commitment by leaders in countries like Guyana or what we are better known as the third world. Guyana is blessed with God-given resources—agricultural land, gold, diamonds, bauxite, timber marine resources and very kind weather conditions. What more can we ask of the Creator? Before and after Independence, we faced what some
sical racial situation promoted in the late 1950s. With oil coming on stream, to add to our blessings, the time has come for all of our leaders, and I repeat all religious, political, business and youth to sit down and agree on a national plan to take us gloriously to the mountain peak. Let us craft an agreed menu of measures. Tedious as this may be, it is worth the effort. Whatever political party, whatever religion, whatever business enterprise we are part of, we must know that apart from missteps internally, we are overshadowed by the boogie-man of imperialism and greed lurking behind every door, every international organisation and every conference. As recent as the 1980s, we recognised that the lack of industrial and technological development had left those of us in the less developed world not only to a state of dependency but poverty inconsistent with our natural resources, vast land mass and less than a million souls. Daily, I read in some sections of the media criticisms of the Coalition in their dealings with the giants of industry, the banking system and those with advanced scientific and technological competence, oil and gas of course being the most recent. Even though we have seen improvements in Guyana, the truth is that in an extraordinary period of scientific and technological advance, we in Guyana and elsewhere still face the reality of illiteracy and a lower standard of living. Of course, we still have a (Continued on page 6)
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THE SALE OF GUYSUCO MAY BE A PIE IN THE SKY DEAR EDITOR, The GAWU saw that August 7, 2018 Kaieteur News reported that Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, said that the Ad m i n i s t r a t i o n had received a proposal expressing “…interest for t h e e n t i r e i n d u s t r y. ” Though we noted that the Minister hadn’t expressed, according to the report, the Government’s position on the matter is the fact that it has been publicly disclosed, which says a lot in our view. The Kaieteur News article reported that the proposal which was submitted by par-
ties from the Middle East, the United States, India and Guyana had proposed that new factories be built and focus will be “…on packaging and co-generation and other value-added activities”. This is an often heard sales pitch where sky-high promises are made but the reality is usually very different. In Jamaica, the GAWU recalls, similar promises were made when the industry was sold a few years ago. An August 17, 2011 Jamaica Information Service report had said “COMPLANT International, the Chinabased company, which has acquired the state-owned assets of Jamaica’s sugar industry, is now set to roll out its investment of some US$156 million to renovate three factories and sugar cane lands over the next four years.” Now less than a decade later, unsurprisingly, but more disturbingly, is that the new private owners have pulled out and leaving many in limbo.
We believe we ought to know that all that glitters isn’t gold. But more importantly the announcement by the Government could be construed as an interesting about turn by the Administration. We recall Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, just days ago, in a July 27, 2018 DPI report said in relation to the recently secured $30B financing that Government was seeking to have “…GuySuCo… back on its feet; not as expanded before but in a way where it can stand on its own feet”. Similar sentiments were also expressed by other Government officials and spokespersons and the Administration had said the bond was a tangible demonstration of its commitment to seeing GuySuCo succeed. Therefore, the sudden announcement that there was a possibility that the remaining state-owned estates could be sold off only serves to further undermine the Administration’s credibility in our view. We a r e h o p e f u l t h a t better sense would prevail and that the Government carefully considers, even at this belated stage, its approach to the sugar industry. The GAWU urges that we learn from the pitfalls of others and not repeat them. Yours faithfully, Seepaul Narine General Secretary GAWU
Wednesday August 08, 2018
Exxon talks a promising future DEAR EDITOR, It seems to me that our luck just keeps getting better. Exxon’s increased estimate of Guyana’s oil reserves raised the total figure by 25 percent. That puts us at a remarkable reserve amount of more than four billion barrels of oil. Exxon’s explanation of the breakdown of activities is even more promising. Liza Phase 1 is in the process of development and will produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day. Liza Phase 2 will be even larger, up to 220,000 barrels of oil per day, and is expected to startup in 2022. Exxon also conducted a well test on Liza-5 to explore the northern part of the field.Then there’s the Payara discovery, just above the Liza field, which has given Exxon a reason to start a third development phase which could be brought forward sometime next year. Additionally, there have been other discoveries in the Turbot and Longtail areas which could yield a fourth development.
This means that in addition to huge reserves, our assets are diversified. Guyana could potentially have a total of five active developments in the near future, and with that amount of production will come a broad mix of field operators and providers bringing jobs, investment and infrastructure. Which brings us to the real question, “What does this announcement mean for Guyana and how will this benefit Guyanese?” We all know that there are many ways in which Guyana could benefit from revenues and investment. Obviously, the increased reserve estimates mean even higher revenues for Guyana. Energy analysts estimate that the Guyana government’s take could reach US$15 billion annually by around 2030. This figure could be even higher if more discoveries are made. A more immediate effect, though, is Guyana is going to see a massive uptick in foreign direct investment,
benefiting numerous industries across all of Guyana. The urgent question is how will we use this blessing? We will have enough money to finally start critical infrastructure projects. We could improve healthcare access for many citizens. We can focus on education and ensure that Guyanese are getting the skills necessary to turn oil revenues into a lasting foundation for a diverse and sustainable economy. We can also implement the Green State Development Plan, bringing renewable energy production to all regions of Guyana. What we need now, with oil and elections looming, is a clear course of action. We have the potential to make an immediate improvement for Guyanese today. However, more than that, we have an opportunity to provide a very bright future for our children. We cannot let that pass us by. Sincerely, Clement Smith
Trying to see Guyana one decade ... From page 5 caring concern Government that is far from perfect. For example, we have just assembled a team to give hampers and to help Venezuelans fleeing from an oil rich country but now facing poverty. On a recent visit to Boa Vista, I witnessed scores of Venezuelans camping in parks and begging for food and shelter. I suppose it is good that we can help a neighbour in distress but I can’t help sharing the view that perhaps we should take care of our own kith and kin before worrying about a neighbour; but such thoughts should not be encouraged for the Good Book tells us Love
Thy neighbour as Thyself. This injunction was not to ‘Love thy Neighbour more than Thyself.’ This letter is a plea that we pause a movement so that we can set aside our differences, our prejudices for the common good. Beyond this, whatever we do, we must not ignore or forget to take account of those ancestors who made by far the greatest sacrifice and suffered humiliation and martyr them to build the Guyana we know today. Many of us, elders and youngsters are consumed with a vision to transform our Motto of ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny’, into reality. Hamilton Green
Wednesday August 08, 2018
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Cash handouts from oil wealth will spark ridiculous election campaigns - Nigel Hughes Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes is completely against the suggestion by some that a portion of the nation’s oil wealth should be set aside to make direct cash handouts to every household. At the recently held Eusi Kwayana Emancipation Symposium which took place on Sunday at Friendship Primary School, Hughes said that such a proposal would lead to ridiculous election campaigns which would distort, completely, the need to focus
on true development of the state and its people. “My fear is that when we talk about giving people cash, we are opening the doors to politicians jumping up and saying I will be able to give you more cash than the next, and you end up with a ridiculous election campaign of people being irresponsible about development, because it becomes a competition of who can give more,” Hughes asserted. He stressed, “We are liv-
Tax Amnesty ends Sept. 30 The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has announced that the tax amnesty has entered its second and final phase, July 1, 2018 to September 30, 2018. According to the authority yesterday, individual and corporate taxpayers who file all outstanding tax returns (true and correct) and pay all principal taxes can qualify for 50% off all interests and penalties in this phase. “This recourse to settle tax liability applies to those who are delinquent in filing and payment, those who mistakenly underreported or understated their income, and/ or those who are subjected to completed audits, and a determination was made that the additional taxes owed to the GRA are still outstanding,” the authority explained yesterday. However, GRA pointed out that the public should be aware that tax amnesty relates only to liabilities up to and including the Year of Assess-
ment 2017, not the current year of 2018. “Additionally, only Income, Corporate, Property, Capital Gains and Withholding Tax related penalties will be waived. Therefore, interests accumulated on trustee taxes such as Value Added Tax (VAT), P.A.Y.E remittances, Travel Voucher Tax, Travel Ticket Tax and Premium Tax will not be waived.” The Tax Amnesty was introduced in the 2018 National Budget in two phases - the first for the period January 1 – June 30 offered a full waiver of the interest and penalties while the second phase - July 1 to September 30 - is offering a 50 percent waiver. “In the process of seeking amnesty, taxpayers are advised to request a tax status check/liability statement from the GRA’s Debt Management Unit before proceeding further. The GRA also wishes to thank those taxpayers who took advantage of the first phase timeline and are now fully tax compliant.”
ing in a different social era, with different commitments and views on development.” Hughes’ comments would come on the heels of statements made by Professor Clive Thomas, who is a staunch advocate of cash transfers being made to every household. At the said event, the economist suggested that almost every household should get US$5000 per year. Professor Thomas said, “I believe that some portion of the net cash flow from oil should be dedicated to giving cash transfers to every single household in this country. Whether it be US$5000 per year or whatever it works out at, we can do the calculations, but there must be a mechanism which dictates that every single household and by extension, every single person would see the benefit of oil and gas in terms of a cheque or cash…I believe that there can be no better spender of resources that the person themselves. No one can tell you how to better spend money on what you need than yourself…” Dr. Thomas said he is afraid that the national debate
Presidential Advisor on Sustainable Development, Professor Clive Thomas is moving “further and further away from this reality.” He noted that some critics have often quoted the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which said that the idea is simply a waste of resources. But he does not agree with this. Professor Thomas said that indeed, some people can point to many examples where this mechanism has failed. He noted, however, that there are instances where this can also work. “One friend told me it is
Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes
done in Alaska and it is not failing,” he said. Professor Thomas acknowledged that there is a risk that such a mechanism can fail; that the politicians can steal the money. But he stressed that there is no certainty with that. He insisted that systems can be put in place to ensure that
it works for the people. “Otherwise, you know who is going to get it? The same middle class that is running the industry today and saying that it is not really going to…” Dr. Thomas concluded that the poor and powerless must stand up for their interest.
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Wednesday August 08, 2018
Mayor strikes successful deal with hire car operators
H
ire car operators, who were dis placed after City Hall barricaded the Stabroek Market East Bank car park, have been able to strike a deal with City Hall after reaching out to Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen. Some 112 hire car drivers who operate from the Stabroek Market car and bus park area were displaced, when a decision was taken by the City Hall to use an area that has for over 30 years been a car and bus park, and is now earmarked as a vending area. On Friday last, a number of the affected hire car operators held a protest at the Stabroek Market East Bank car park, against City Hall’s actions. The drivers were claiming that no consideration was given as to where they would be placed, since when they came last week Tuesday, the car park was barricaded. The drivers had claimed that no consult a t i ons were held, and since they were displaced, it has been bringing much hardship to them and their families. They also claim that police ranks have been harassing them anytime they stop anywhere in the vicinity. The drivers sought an audi-
ence with the Mayor, and were told that they should put forward a proposal, which would be looked at on Monday. When this publication reached out to the Mayor on Friday last for a comment on the matter, she said that there was a dangerous situation brewing at the back of the Stabroek Market that could cause injury or even the loss of life to vendors that ply their trade in that area, since some parts of the roof of that area had already started to fall. She emphasised that after careful consideration, the Council made a decision to move the vendors out of the area. The Mayor met with a group of five hire car operators who were selected to represent all the hire car drivers that have been affected. These meetings took place Monday and again yesterday where a basic understanding was established. The hire care operators had put forward a proposal that suggested that they would pay one thousand dollars a week for the use of two lanes that had existed for the short drop hire cars before, this would see City Hall having to move back the fenced area, just a few feet. The drivers informed this
‌after protest action against displacement
Some of the hire car operators when the initial protest action was taken, at the location where they were displaced from. publication, that City Hall has instead proposed fifteen hundred dollars. The drivers said even that was reasonable, compared to not being able to work. The drivers said the Mayor told them that they would meet again tomorrow, when the Town Clerk would finalize everything, and at which time they would have a formal agreement. When the Mayor was
called for a comment, she confirmed that the parameters of the agreement as stated by the hire car operators were accurate, but tomorrow was when it will be finalized, in addition to having all of the operators in the area agree to the terms and conditions of the agreement, since she doesn’t want persons to say they were not consulted. The Mayor said the operations will be regularized and persons will be required to have their vehicles registered with City Hall, in an attempt to ensure an efficiently running operation at the car park.
Mayor Patricia Chase Green.
P
rofessor Clive Thomas is proposing that some part of Guyana’s oil wealth be used for cash payments to every Guyanese household. He has suggested a figure of one million dollars or whatever is the amount that can be paid. It is not an unreasonable suggestion, except that Professor Thomas seemed to have overlooked certain calculations. He seems to have forgotten that Guyana only agreed to a 2% royalty and 50% profit oil which works out, after cost recovery to around 14.5%, leaving very little to be distributed in the early years of oil production. He also seems to forget the fact that the government is which he serves is not in favour of cash payments, evidenced by its cancellation of the cash grants which were paid to parents of school children. But more importantly, the oil money is going to be channeled into a Sovereign Wealth Fund, which limits what can be spent each year. Norway limits annual spending to around 4% of the Fund. If a similar model is applied to Guyana, it would
mean that in the early years after first oil, very little resources will be available to pay cash grants to households. However, it is not difficult to determine where these billions of dollars are going to come from to pay cash grants, and especially by the government, which would prefer to spend the money than to place it in the hands of citizens for them to spend. Guyana does not need oil revenues to pay cash grants. The resources are there to pay the cash grants presently. The political will and public pressure are missing. The government is awash in revenue. The government inherited a flush treasury. The government is spending in excess of 200 billion dollars each year. Each day alone, the public service consumes more than 550 million dollars in current expenditure. This is on a daily basis. So the money is there; it is just that it is being spent on a monstrous bureaucracy which no government seems willing to dismantle. Instead of reducing the public bureaucracy, the government is bent on
expanding it. And most of the oil money is going to end up being gobbled up by the public bureaucracy, leaving little or nothing for cash grants for households. I reiterate, in case it hasn’t hit you - five hundred and fifty million dollars are spent each day in running the public bureaucracy. There are people sitting in government offices doing very little and receiving hefty pay packages each month, while young persons, just out of school and willing to work, are not finding jobs. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent to subsidize electricity in certain communities while in others, workers are being placed in the breadline because the subventions which they need to retain their jobs have been denied. We have Guyanese earning consultants’ salaries and not doing consultants’ work. The APNU+AFC government has brought in some experts from Estonia to help develop a digital governance roadmap. Well what ever happened to our local ICT experts within the government who are working
Experts from Estonia here to guide Digital Governance Roadmap Two experts from the eGovernance Academy (eGA) of Estonia have returned to Guyana on a second visit, and as part of the first phase in a project to develop the Action Plan for the creation of a Digital Governance Roadmap. As soon as they arrived on Monday, they called on Public Telecommunications Minister, Cathy Hughes. Also there was Head of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), Mr. Floyd Levi. The mission of the experts on this second intervention is to meet separately with Cabinet members and technical officers in key agencies including the police and fire services and the Attorney General’s Chambers, as part of the research and fact-finding phase. The visiting Estonians are Dr. Arvo Ott, Chairman of the Management Board of the eGA, and Project Manager, Tonis Mae. “They spoke briefly about the best ways to harmonize the various ICT projects being
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implemented in Guyana, and to retrofit these initiatives into the national ICT Strategy.” According to the Public Telecommunications Ministry, Hughes expressed great optimism for Guyana’s economic future and the well-being of the citizenry, who stand to benefit from digitized government and public services, commerce, manufacturing and social life. “There’s a growing awareness and understanding of Guyana’s efforts to ensure that all aspects of life, including Government, are computerized and inter-connected. The biggest challenge for us as a country was sourcing the best international skills to guide us in the crafting of this Roadmap,” she said. “Now we are well on the way.” Estonia stands tall in the world as one of the leaders in Digitized Government solutions. EGA trains and advises leaders and stakeholders in using ICT to improve Government’s efficiency, and build open societies.
for super salaries? Why can’t these high paid persons working for consultant-level salaries produce the roadmap? Why do experts have to be imported? What is the government paying these fat cats to do? It is totally unacceptable that taxpayers are financing hefty salaries to a whole range of persons within the government and three years since the new government took office, we do not have a revised energy plan. The government was hopping up and down recently in excitement over being able to unlock funds
being withheld by Norway under the Low Carbon Development Strategy. The government is in for a rude awakening, because Norway is not going to release any money until the government comes up with a better plan than Amaila. There has been a lot of talk about Guyana becoming a green state. A Department of the Environment was established and yet the Guyana Green State Development Strategy is stuck somewhere. Guyana does not need oil for cash payments to households. A 20% decrease
in public expenditure will release about forty billion dollars per year. Why then is the Guyana Teachers’ Union indicating its willingness to reduce its 40% demand for wage increases for 2016? The money is there for wage increases and for cash grants to every household. We do not need to wait for first oil.
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THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Olivia Grange is doing what David Granger should do Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, is reviewing the dress code for women in governmental buildings. Under current guidelines, sleeveless dresses and tops are not permitted. The renewal of the debate was tempestuous after the UK Prime Minister wore a red sleeveless dress to the official ceremony welcoming President Trump. Many argued that such a type of wear would not have allowed a woman to get into a government function. One writer then exposed the
double standards of Jamaica society by pointing out that the wife of the GovernorGeneral wore a sleeveless dress to the inauguration of Prime Minister Andrew Holness. And the writer gave a hilarious example of a woman who was stopped from entering a ministry, went back to her car, tore a hole in a page of the Jamaica Gleaner, covered her arms, and was allowed to enter. Responding to the debate, Prime Minister Holness remarked; “as a modern society, we must evolve”. It was during a media interview that President Granger showed his
disapproval with Guyana’s archaic dress code. But unlike Jamaica, there is no report into the aberration. President Granger made his remark and that was the end of that. The sign stipulating those anachronistic sartorial requirements are all over Guyana. Most schools have the signs prominently featured on their gates. It is conspicuously emblazoned on the door leading to the offices of the Mayor. It appears like the Mayor does not want you to wear sleeveless tops when you come to her office, but when M&CC sponsors the
bacchanal in a few days’ time to celebrate the 175th birth anniversary of City Hall, you are allowed to gyrate naked in the streets. One would have thought that once Granger made his remarks, he would have ensured that the Ministry of the Presidency compile a report for guidance. This has not happened and the ancient dress code is still alive in Guyana. It is so sad that so many irritating inconsequentialities that reduce us to a silly republic could be removed with the stroke of a pen. I literally mean with the stroke of a pen. Here are the designations that are authorized to sign a UG pensioner’s form: - Notary Public; Commissioner of Oaths; Medical Practitioner; Head teacher; Minister of Religion; Superintendent of Police, or a Bank Manager. In the entire society of Guyana, only seven categories of persons can sign a UG pension form for that person to be paid. No military officer, no lawyer, no journalist, no university lecturer, no engineer, no Permanent Secretary, no business proprietor, etc. How can that be changed? A simple memo from the Vice Chancellor to his Human Resource Officer
repeating the following words of Prime Minister Holness – “ as a modern society, we must evolve.” All the Vice Chancellor has to do is to ask the relevant subordinate to widen the list of persons who can sign the form. Your guess is as good as mine if that effort, which will take less than a minute, will do done. Here are the categories of persons that can sign an NIS pension form: - Justice of the Peace; Notary Public; Minister of Religion; Medical Practitioner; Head teacher; Senior Public Servant; Superintendent of Police; Bank Manager; President or Secretary of a Trade Union. The NIS also stipulates that the designation stamp must be affixed. As you can see, the NIS criteria have two other categories than UG – senior public servant and trade unionist. The question is whether the NIS makes a distinction between a public servant and a public sector employee. The ministries’ employees are generally regarded as public servants. Public sector employees are those that are outside the general civil service format. A good example would be a Forestry employee. All the Board of the NIS
Frederick Kissoon has to do is to task the Human Resource Officer with extending the designations. What is so onerous about that? Also, there are hundreds of prominent citizens in this country who do not operate with a stamp. Why must the NIS insist on a stamp? Many lawyers do not have stamp pads. These little stupidities have no right to be in existence in Guyana, fifty-two years after Independence, but they are ubiquitous in 2018. Moreover, what is so sad, tragic and sickening is that these vexations could be removed within minutes. There is absolutely no need to consult the University of Guyana Act or the statutes of the university to change such a harmless piece of nonsense. It is not a legal matter. It is an administrative decision. When foreigners come here and run us down, we get angry. But Christ man! Why are we so backward?
Wednesday August 08, 2018
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GWI to service wells within hours To prevent low pressure and lengthy disruptions during maintenance of its wells, the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has invested $48M in new equipment. The equipment, which will comprise a truck fitted with well maintenance apparatus and new disconnection devices, is being sourced from Q-Flow International, a Dutch company based in the Netherlands. The $48Million expenditure includes the cost of the equipment and training for staff both in Holland and Suriname over a two-month period. It is expected to arrive before the end of the year. Director of Operations, Dwayne Shako said over the years, GWI has experienced a continuous drop in the production of large wells after two years of operation. Should a well be reduced to half its production it never returns to its full production capacity. Hence, the need for their proper maintenance. “It’s important for us to capture these wells and rehabilitate them before they reach to half of their production. We have 137 wells across the country and, including the treatment plants, that would be 141 wells…These wells are the heart of our business, more than 70 percent of our production is groundwater,” Shako explained. Over the years, GWI’s
...with $48M purchase of equipment also working on acquiring its own rigs for drilling wells. Additionally, GWI has already received another loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) that will cater for treatment plants in the Somerset to Charity area in Region Two and at Bush Lot in Region Five. Other plans in GWI’s pipeline include assessing the feasibility of treating water from the Hope Canal for distribution further down the coast.
GWI is positioning itself for faster maintenance of wells with the acquisition of new equipment. drilling technique usually took weeks and included the use of chemicals in the installation of the casings, which over time clogged the wells. Shako said the new equipment will see the well being maintained within eight hours. “We’re trying to maintain continuous service at good pressure. If the wells are
taken offline, it creates several issues, among which is low water pressure. So, with this equipment, we will be able to maintain the wells swiftly. We will have the equipment on site, install it, and within eight hours can have the well clean, the casing clean, and the well production brought up back to normalcy.” The utility company is
Director of Operations of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Dwayne Shako
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Wednesday August 08, 2018
Aid to Venezuelan migrants...
CDC receives 50 hampers from DeSinco Trading The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) yesterday received a donation of 50 food hampers from DeSinco Trading Limited, which will be transported to Venezuelan migrants, who are occupying areas in Barima-Waini (Region One). The number has moved from about 260 to almost 500 persons, including children. The items were handed over at DeSinco’s headquarters in Eccles, East Bank Demerara. Director General of the Commission, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, who received items on behalf of the CDC, expressed gratitude to the business organisation for their donation. He noted that while the Government has convened a multiagency coordinating committee, which includes the Guyana Police Force, the Ministries of Communities, Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Social Protection, Public Health and Citizenship and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to provide assistance, much humanitarian support would be needed to tackle the migration of Venezuelans, particularly along the Continued on page 27
DeSinco Limited Trading’s CEO, Mr. Frank DeAbreu and Sales and Marketing Director Ms. Alicia DeAbreu hand over 50 hampers of food items to Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, CDC’s Director General.
Wednesday August 08, 2018
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$53M police station for Woman, 46, tells cops she gunned down lover, 72 La Parfaite Harmonie Cabinet last week “noted” the construction of a long-overdue police station for La Parfaite H a r m o n i e , We s t B a n k Demerara. The housing scheme is one of the largest in the country and there have been growing complaints of crime in the area. The construction has been awarded to A. Ograsein and Son for $53.09M. Also given the green light is the rehabilitation of the east block of the doctors’ quarters at Wa t e r l o o a n d Q u a m i n a Streets. The Ministry of Public Health project is for $50M and has been awarded to Memorex Enterprise. Several other projects were also noted by Cabinet, according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, during the post-Cabinet briefing on Monday. There will be an extension of the Warapoka Primary School, Mabaruma, Region One. That $16.4M contract is being awarded to A. Nazier and Sons Contracting Services. There will also be an extension of the Port Kaituma Primary School (Annex), in Region One. The Ministry of Communities project is for $17.4M and is being awarded to International Import Supplies.
There will also be a $15.7M contract for the extension of the Sacred Heart Primary School, Mabaruma, Region One. That project is for $15.7M and the contractor is AAV Ragoobeer General Construction. The Ministry of Education is moving also to rehabilitate the electrical infrastructure of three d o r m s o f P r e s i d e n t ’s College, Region Four. That $23.5M contract has been awarded to A Ograsein and Son. For the excavation of drains and canals and the construction of access dams and hydraulic structures at Buxton, East Coast Demerara, the Ministry of Agriculture has asked for an increase of $15.1M on the contractor. The contractor had been awarded the $120M project, which has now gone up to $135.3M. The aging MV Makouria is due for docking and rehabilitation. The almost $70M project will be undertaken by the Guyana National Industrial Corporation. The Ministry of Agriculture is also moving to acquire a motor grader. Supplying the $54M piece of equipment will be MACORP Inc. Two refrigerated trucks are also being procured for
the sum of $36M. Massy Industries has been awarded the contract. For the supply and installation of blockmaking machines and training of beneficiaries in Regions 4, 6, 9 and 10, for the Ministry of Education, contractor Gaico Construction and General Services will be delivering to the tune of $17.1M. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Security is looking to conduct a comprehensive study of security in indigenous communities, with the aim of improving it. A consultancy contract for US$129,000 has been awarded to The Consulting Group. For the supply of uniforms in Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9, the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs will be dealing in several lots. Lots 1, 2, 4 and 5 for the sum of $19.9M will be handled by S P Worldwide Import Export; Lot 3 for the sum of $5.3M has been awarded to Ravina’s International; while Lot 6 is earmarked for award to R. Sookraj and Sons for $4.6M. For the supply of janitorial supplies, Ministry of Health, Metro Office and Computer Supplies will be delivering $12.3M of selected items, while a contract for $31.9M will be awarded to New GPC Inc.
- had claimed ‘masked man’ was killer A 46-year-old woman who had claimed that a masked gunman killed her 72-year-old lover, even as she bravely tried to defend him, has now admitted that she committed the murder. Police said that the woman, of Charity Housing Scheme, confessed yesterday after being questioned in Georgetown by ranks from the Police Major Crimes Unit. Three other suspects who were also brought to the city have since been released. A senior police official said that the woman claimed that she shot Deonarine, also called ‘Russia’, at his Lower Pomeroon, Essequibo home last Friday, after an argument. Investigators are still to retrieve the murder weapon and are trying to ascertain whether the slain farmer had owned
Murdered: Deonarine called ‘Russia’ a firearm. The woman had initially painted herself as a heroine who had grabbed onto the weapon of the ‘killer’. Police were told Deonarine had picked up his lover at Charity Housing Scheme last Friday and taken
her to his home. The woman claimed that they were sitting at a table when Deonarine reportedly went to answer a call at the front door. He was then reportedly confronted by a masked man who was said to be armed with a ‘long gun.’ The woman claimed that she held onto the intruder’s firearm, but that the ‘masked man’ then pulled out a knife. Deonarine’s lover claimed, she also held onto the knife, while Deonarine attempted to flee downstairs. She claimed that the ‘gunman’ then pushed her down, pursued Deonarine, shot him in the abdomen, then fled the scene. Deonarine was pronounced dead on arrival at the Charity Hospital. A post mortem is likely to be done today before charges are filed.
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Kaieteur News
MURDER/SUICIDE AT KILCOY/CHESNEY…
OPR probing allegations that police ranks accepted bribe As the dust begins to settle after the grisly murder/suicide at Kilcoy/Chesney on Monday afternoon, there have been some developments in connection with the allegations made against the ranks who accompanied Rohini ‘Sabrina’ Lakhan to the home that she shared with Ramesh Ramdeen, to remove her clothing and other belongings. The relatives of Lakhan had expressed outrage after learning that the police sergeant who accompanied her, left her with her estranged husband in the home while she was packing her clothing. They are also alleging that the sergeant, attached to the Albion Police Station, accepted a bribe from the sister of the now dead Ramdeen, a canecutter. Divisional Commander Lyndon Alves has since confirmed that the ranks in Berbice attached to the Office of Professional Responsibility have launched an investigation into the allegations made against the rank.
Asha Hildar, sister of the canecutter who killed his wife and then himself.
Monica Lakhan, sister of the dead woman
He said via telephone that, “OPR in Berbice has commenced their investigations into the claims made by family members of the woman. This is being done to ascertain the integrity of the whole thing, so I have asked OPR to conduct an investigation.”
Alves disclosed that they are trying to get some clarity as it relates to the circumstances surrounding the removal of the police along with the allegations that the police were paid to leave the premises. When questioned about the decision taken by the
police to leave the premises although a protection order was granted earlier that day against Ramdeen, Alves explained that he was not equipped enough to comment on that, since he had not fully briefed on what took place. He also stated when told that the woman made previous reports against Ramdeen of the abuse, “that is according to the family, I am now hearing about abuse of this woman, so when you are going to use terms like previous reports, that it kind of worrying to me. I cannot pronounce on that until the investigation is completed.” Meanwhile, a prominent attorney in Berbice in an invited comment explained that, “It is the police’s duty to ensure compliance with the court order.” He questioned: “Why would she apply for the order to go with police and then ask them to leave when they are there?” According to the attorney, the police are culpable whether
Rohini ‘Sabrina’ Lakhan who was killed by her husband, Ramesh Ramdeen, on Monday. she asked them to leave or not. “Their role was to ensure compliance with the order. So until the order was complied with...that is, the safe distance away from the husband as ordered, their role did not end.” The attorney argued that by leaving, whether on request or not “the police were defying the court presence.” Additionally, a senior police source in Georgetown told this publication that the police would have claimed that they were told to leave, while the relatives of Lakhan are claiming she had made up her mind to leave, but to be on the safe side, the police should have remained and followed through until Lakhan had collected her belongings and left. “If she wanted to go back after, then that is left up to her, but as long as the police saw that she left the home with her stuff their job is done.” Meanwhile at the home of the sister of Ramdeen, Asha Hidar, 51, told reporters that after court, the probation officer asked her if she would take responsibility of her 14year-old niece (Lakhan and Ramdeen’s eldest daughter), to which she agreed. She said they had to uplift the teen’s belongings from the home at Kilcoy/Chesney and Lakhan stated that she had to also uplift hers in the company of a police rank. “Myself, the police, her (Lakhan) and Alisha (niece) went to the house, and her mother packed her stuff and gave her, and she was packing hers. She (Lakhan) wasn’t finished packing and Alisha was finished, so the police lef and we go behind the police when they lef,” Hidar said. According to her, while at the house, there was no argument between the couple, but her brother kept saying that “we go mek up back”. However, at the home of Monica Lakhan, mother of Rohini Lakhan, she told Kaieteur News that she called her daughter three times after court concluded to inquire when she would be leaving, “Every time me call, she saying that ‘ma me deh ah pack up, me na got nuff more.” But it was her last
conversation at approximately 12:10 hrs on Monday that had her shaking and worried after the call. “When me call back and talk to she, she tell me, she ah come just now, how she na done pack, but she na bin sound right and she tell me “ma when me come, me go tell you wat happen,” the tearful mother said. She stated that she waited, but as time passed, she became worried and decided to call back her daughter, but at that point, all of the calls went unanswered. “Me start shake and me know something wrong.” According to her, contact was made with the police after her nephew told her that screams were heard in the house, but while her son was heading to the location, the police pick-up with the sergeant inside were leaving the scheme. They then reportedly stopped the police vehicle and informed them what was taking place and the police turned back and headed to the location. CUTLASS AND WIRE The mother of the dead woman told this publication that her daughter was staying with her since last week, out of fear that her husband wanted to kill her. “She tell meh how Ramesh fetch he cutlass and a long piece wire and put it in dem bedroom and when she ask, he seh how he just put it deh just in case anything happen in the night. She get scared, because he used to threaten fuh kill she, suh come, she come here and stay,” the woman said. According to her, her daughter was abused constantly by Ramdeen and reports were made at the Whim Police Station and Albion, but her daughter would return, since Ramdeen’s relatives would intervene and convince her daughter to go back with their brother. She said some three years ago, Ramdeen dealt a cuff to Lakhan’s face, breaking her nose in the process, that took place on her birthday, but she remained with him because of the children. However, this time around, she made a decision to leave him for good Continued on page 15
Wednesday August 08, 2018
Local businesses continue to ignore fire precautions – Prevention Officer A significant number of businesses in Georgetown continue to operate in breach of the fire precautions outlined by the Guyana Fire Service. Chief Fire Prevention Officer, Andrew Holder explained that while some entities have responded positively to ensuring that their buildings, environment, properties and customers are secured, many are still operating in default. The Fire Prevention Officer had noted that facts presented display the scary situation that several commercial entities are currently without fire extinguishers and fire exits among other shortcomings – objects, which are necessary in the event of a fire. “What we have found is that most businesses which operate within the safety regulations have regional and international linkages. The local businesses are not too keen on following our instructions. They do not see fire prevention measures as a worthwhile expenditure or investment, since to them, it does not yield any real or immediate benefits.” According to Holder, non-compliance of businesses results from one of two things – non-renewal of fire safety certificate or proceeding to offer services even without a certificate. He pointed to the fact that there are cases such as one in which a business was once a Clothing Store and was rented to Chinese immigrants, who would have changed the specification of business to a restaurant. Holder noted that the safety measures for a Clothing Store would differ from those of a restaurant. The Fire Prevention Officer emphasized that noncompliance by business places could result in hazardous situations. “One fire on Regent Street for instance, can result in losses to a whole block, which is why it is important to put safety measures in place. But, we have been insisting on ensuring that these businesses have the necessary measures in place. We also tried to work with the business community to help them implement good fire
Chief Fire Prevention Officer, Andrew Holder safety measures,” Holder said. In the past, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) had collaborated with the Fire Department to urge stakeholders to adhere to the relevant fire safety regulations. The Chamber had worked closely with the Fire Advisory Board (FAB) and the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) to highlight and to reinforce the importance of compliance with fire prevention and fire safety regulations following a series of fires, which destroyed business places in various sections of the city. The GCCI cited several factors as the reasons for the fires. Some are faulty and outdated electrical wiring, overloaded electrical systems, poor storage arrangements, noncompliance with building codes, increased fire loads, insufficient fire protection systems and, generally, a casual regard for the importance of fire prevention techniques. “Fire safety precautions and fire prevention measures are essential to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire that may result in death, injury, or property damage…Education and knowledge are of paramount importance and relevance in preventing widespread damage and losses to property and lives,” the GCCI said. The chambers therefore urged the business community to ensure that all necessary precautionary measures are put in place in the interest of fire prevention and for the safety of lives.
OPR probing allegations... From page 14 and get herself a job to take care of her and the children, hence her requesting a protection order against him. Rohini Lakhan was discovered lying on her abdomen in a southern bedroom in the upper flat of the house in a pool of blood with her throat slit, resting just beside her lifeless body was a cane cutter’s cutlass covered in fresh blood. Just beside the bedroom, there was a trail of blood on the indoor step leading to the bottom flat. There Ramdeen was found lying on his back, also in a pool of blood, with his throat slit. It is suspected that he slashed his throat after killing his wife and tumbled down the inner stairway.
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Guyana/Cuba scholarship programme.... Disciplinary Committee probing allegations of fraud by medical graduates A Disciplinary Committee has been set up by the Medical Council of Guyana to probe allegations of grade manipulation and other questionable acts carried out by a number of graduates of the medicine programme offered through the Guyana/Cuba scholarship programme. The medical students under scrutiny are from among large batches of students who were trained in Cuba in recent years. In fact, the state of affairs is one that has forced the Medical Council to even implement new measures to guard against the criminal acts. This is according to Chief Medical Officer within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud. According to Dr. Persaud, having detected the troubling development, the Medical Council was forced to establish the Disciplinary Committee, a measure which is stipulated under the regulation of the Medical Practitioners Act. Once set up, the Committee must be headed by a judge. Moreover, the Committee is being led by Justice Joann Barlow at the behest of
the Chief Justice, Dr. Persaud informed. “She [Justice Barlow] has been advising and conducting the hearing into these matters,” said Dr. Persaud, as he shared his suspicion that some of these very persons who are being investigated have been the agitators of an upheaval facing the Medical Council. While there have been a number of doctors who are convinced that the operations of the Medical Council should be closely scrutinised for several reasons, Dr. Persaud said that efforts are also being made to bring the body into disrepute for carrying out its legitimate role. The Council is a recognised regulatory body tasked with enhancing and monitoring the functioning of the medical fraternity in Guyana. As such, Dr. Persaud who is an ex officio member by virtue of his position as CMO, said that the Council has a role to ensure that only medical graduates who complete accredited programmes are licensed to practice. He explained for instance, “If you were trained at UG [University of Guyana] or UWI [University of the West
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud. Indies] or in most of the other commonwealth countries, you will be entitled to complete your medical training and get a degree from the university that you attended, and then you present that degree to the Medical Council and you could be issued an internship registration which you will complete.” However, Dr. Persaud shared, “for the Cuban programme, that was not necessarily accredited by the body that accredits for Guyana.”
The medical programme in Guyana, and in a number of Caricom countries, is accredited by the Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions [CAAMHP]. CAAM-HP is therefore the legally constituted body established in 2003 under the aegis of the Caribbean Community. But since the Cuba/ Guyana scholarship programme is one that was brought into being by the Guyana government [the previous administration], Dr. Persaud said, “What we have done is accept them [Cuba graduates] back because they were scholarship students who were sponsored by government.” These graduates, according to Dr. Persaud, are placed on an 18-month rotation programme and during that period they are expected to demonstrate their competences in the four main specialties and primary health
care. Once the rotations are completed, a supervising doctor is expected to grade and sign a performance booklet for each graduate, which is then submitted to the office of the CMO. But according to Dr. Persaud, there have been a lot of issues surrounding the process. The CMO shared his conviction that, “Some of the agitators who have been trying to raise concerns about the Medical Council are the once who fraudulently forged those documents. I can say that boldly... some of them have gone ahead and changed grades; modified them and signed for the supervising doctors. When we verify the signatures with the supervisors they say: ‘No this is not my signature’.” “For someone who wants to be a medical practitioner, this is really low and beyond what we would accept as a minimum standard, and it is a criminal act too,” asserted Dr. Persaud. According to the CMO, “the current Council was really tasked and pressured to deal with this matter, but I think they have tried to be guided by the law.” Although he described the situation as “really difficult cases,” Dr. Persaud said that he has nevertheless tried on several occasions to have them resolved at the level of his office. “I really tried desperately to resolve some of them as much as I can from here by trying to redeem the books; I tried to get their current su-
pervisors to repeat rotations if they had not passed them properly...but they are of the opinion that we should hand them a license just like that, but I can’t hand people a license just like that to go and deal with people’s lives.” Even as the investigation in the alleged fraudulent acts continue, Dr. Persaud said that some of the graduates are continuing their rotation, while others have their performance booklets held up at his office for a number of reasons including the absence of signatures, or evident manipulation. “These books are issued by my office, and I always ensure I sign them before they are issued, but some of them [graduates] if they feel they got a low grade, they would throw the book away and they come with photocopied books and they fix their own grades or even pull out pages if they weren’t happy with the grades they got.” As part of the effort to bring an end to the despicable acts, Dr. Persaud said that he has even started to initial each page of the performance booklets. But even with calls being made for a change of the current membership of the Council, Dr. Persaud said that the issue will continue to be one that will remain on the front burner. “A change of the Council members will not overshadow or hide issues like that...people forging documents will not be overlooked,” assured Dr. Persaud, who revealed that the previous Council was also faced with a similar challenge.
Wednesday August 08, 2018
Ministry helping to tackle drug misuse among adolescents
Mr. Ren Gonzales
Ms. Sylvia Cort
The Government and a non-governmental organisation (NGO) have teamed up this week in a training programme to help tackle drug misuse among the nation’s adolescent population. The Drug Demand Reduction Services, an arm within the Health Sciences Education department of the Public Health Ministry, launched the five-day ‘Training of Trainers workshop under the theme ‘Connected with the Youth Sector in Drug Prevention and Drug Demand’ to help sharpen the shills of public sector and NGO employees working with adolescents and youths addicted to illicit drugs and other psychotropic substances. Some 30 participants selected from the Ministry of Social Protection (MOSP); Ministry of Education MOE); Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP); the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) and the Salvation Army are participating in the training scheme. Director of the MOPH Drug Demand Services, Sylvia Cort, said the training is follow-up to a similar effort done in 2017. Cort said this time, the training will provide “in-depth insight and guidance” in the curriculum. “We recognise the need to train persons to work with adolescents and youths who may be using or addicted to substance that may result in negative behaviour patterns,” Ms. Cort stated. Meanwhile, Ren Gonzales, President and Psychologist of the Guyana Psychological Association said the training focuses on drug prevention
among youths and its insight will allow participants to broaden their knowledge on various life skills useful to help reduce drug use among adolescents. “It is important that facilitators administer knowledge, attitudes, values and the necessary skills required among adolescents, to encourage better alternatives to the use of (illegal) drugs,” Gonzales said. During the training programme, Gonzales stressed the importance of facilitators developing counselling techniques and skills based on physiological theories. MOPH Health Promotion Officer, Tashia James, the 2017 training is bearing fruit. “Part One of the training enabled me to test the skills and knowledge I have gained hence it is my belief that the continuation will allow beneficiaries to examine the specific needs of adolescent population,” James said. Participants who benefitted from part one of the Drug Demand Reduction training stated that they were able to use the acquired skills and knowledge to work with adolescence, meeting them at their point of need. The five-day training is continuing at the Guyana Red Cross Association headquarters in Kingston, Georgetown and will examine such issues as the introduction to skills and drug prevention and rehabilitation; incorporating knowledge, attitudes and skills among facilitators; and counselling techniques and skills, with special focus on gender, parenting, media and peer education.
TRIO CHARGED OVER... (From page 23) ammunition were discovered in Jerioh’s waist. Touching on the issue that Jerioh was not taken for medical attention, Prosecutor Mansfield related to the court that Jerioh was shot by the police after it was alleged that he opened fire on the law enforcement officers. Jerioh, the prosecutor added, was taken to public hospital where he was admitted as a patient under police guard. The Chief Magistrate remanded both defendants until August 27, when Bourne is also expected to appear in court to answer to the charges.
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Battle over severance pay…
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6004212: We create A/works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Installations, Repairs and parts for AC, Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc call Nick 627-3206, 630-1600 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 PEN PAL 35 year old male, looking for a female companion. Tel# 673-4454
FOR SALE 1 45ft fishing boat with 48HP engine & 3000lb icebox Negotiable. Water pump (never used) $15,000. Call #648-7606 Parts for Tacoma Tundra Titan for sale. Tel#686-9608. Generac Pressure Wash for sale 3100 PSI. Tel#654-5267/ 652-2244/220-4203 1- Honda 450 ATV. Contact # 275-0367/683-7225 3 Mining Blocks $6M Contact# 650-0402/603-1402 Mix breed puppies. Tel#6920126/646-7745 1 (3) bedroom ranch house with business on EBD, 1 acre land. Tel#266-5013/681-8333 Second hand 1500 watt transformers, 1 countertop showcase, hanging baskets, fluffy puppies- Free pair of crutches. Tel#266-5013
CAR RENTAL
AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.- CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
1 Air compressor 5HP 3 Phase 230/220 volts. Call: 628-1486/698-1134.
1 (3) Bedroom apt in Enmore. 662-5524, 681-4563, 627-8000 Two Bedrooms cottage house at 97 Fourth St, Pearl, EBD Call: 219-5462/625-3981 2 bedroom apartment, unfurnished & Furnished (AC, Parking, WiFi etc.) Eccles. #667-2536 1 Downstairs for business at Vreed-en-Hoop W.C.D Tel# 227-4377, 227-0613, 624-6013, 645-7248 1 Three (3) Bedroom upstairs flat in Atlantic Gardens E.C.D Tel# 227-4377, 227-0613, 6246013, 645-7248
Land to buy in Parafaite Harmonie, Eccles, Uitvlugt, Tuschen,Covent Garden, Herstelling, Diamond, Providence & Zeelugt. Tel#686-9608 Experienced Roti/Puri Cook, cleaner, handy boys. Apply Hack’s Halaal. 5 Commerce St. Live meat birds to buy. Tel# 625-2108 Live-in Waitress to work in a bar, must be 18-22 yrs old, must have ID. Contact#2212785/692-3877 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665
For Rent-Hotel Bar & Restaurant $400,000 monthly in 5th Street Albertown, Georgetown. Call: 684-9409 House at Kuru Kururu on roadside. Contact #6787906
Wanted land- Parfaite Harmonie, Farm, Eccles, Providence, Uitvlugt, Diamond, Tuschen, Zeelugt, Herstelling, Best price pay and Cash #604-6724 Wanted experienced hire car drivers at Ramada Princess Hotel, Providence E.B.D. Contact on 616-5419, 265-7075
One and two bedrooms apartments to rent located at Nurses section, Turkeyen. Contact#680-5944/656-4211
One live in domestic. Must know to cook indian dishes. 610-3974. Salary $20,000 weekly. (25-50yrs) Security Company Manager. Valid driver’s license. 30-55. Call 629-9450.
LAND FOR SALE
Lot 1 Sophia For sale Wren Avenue Land for sale, Land at Kuru Kururu For sale. Contact# 227-1042
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Yamaha boat engine 250. 6625524, 681-4563, 627-8000
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FOR RENT
Parfaite $1.4M Uitvlugt $2.7M Farm $4.5 Pouderoyen land road to river, Diamond $4M Tuschen $1.5M $6M Call: 666-2326 Herstelling (New scheme) 1st Bridge $9M 2nd Bridge $4.5M (110ft x 60ft) 3rd Bridge $4.8M Tel#656-1345
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EDUCATION Study in Canada/US 100% acceptance MicroGraphics #264-3057 2019 Processing now. CXC 2018 Computer deal 9 course Diploma $40,000 4 Course Computerized Accounting MicroGraphics Vreed-en-hoop #264-3057 PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 15 Public road #2 Vill. WCB 3 House Lots. Rice Cultivation 49ftx10,314ft length. Price $18M. Contact# 648-7109/686-4818 Super newly renovated property 2 storey house with 2 washrooms, one with bathtub, Lowland ECD Price $15M Neg. Cell: 6470655 House lots for sale at Blankenburg WCD 40ft x 150ft $3.9M. Contact #650-0402/ 603-1402 VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Nissan Pathfinder Jeep and 1 Nissan Laurel car in excellent condition- Final sale bargain, call to view: 2258427/609-7766
VACANCY 1 Live in domestic, Salary $80,000 monthly. Call: 6694436 Vacancy for 1 experienced female account clerk, must have Mathematics & English. Apply @ Alabama Trading 65 Robb St, Bourda Vacancy for 1 cleaner. Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb Street, Bourda Hick’s Ville Hotel, Receptionist/Washer & Presser/ Hotel attendant/ Bell boy. info@vgiworld.com 2310951/223-3448 One experienced legal computer clerk. Call: 624-7087/ 226-4283/258-0213/ email: husainsaphier@yahoo.com Now Hiring- Management Staff, Services Staff, Office Staff. Call: 233-6997/622-1957 Training available www.JobfairWorldwide.com Vacancy exist for 1 Security, Apply with application at Millenium Manor Hotel 43 Hadfield & Camp Street.
Lawyers argue to dismiss claims of redundant sugar workers Lawyers, involved in the matter, for which Government is being sued, over their refusal to pay redundant workers of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), are raising technical legal arguments in a bid to dismiss their claims for severance pay. The matter was filed by the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU). The Union has been calling on GuySuCo to pay all monies owed to its dismissed employees. The case followed months after Government paid out only 50 percent of severance payment to several categories of sugar workers. Some 4,280 workers attached to the Skeldon, Rose Hall and the East Demerara Sugar Estates are calling for their full severance payments. Earlier this year, sugar
VACANCY Vacancy for 1 female tutor for a 3 year old boy. Apply @ Alabama Trading 65 Robb St, Bourda CSR for Internet Service Provider. Must be customer oriented and able to multitask. Email cv to jobs@awngy.com or Tel#227-2001 Fantastic Job Opportunities. Architects, Engineers, Draftsmen, Construction workers. CXC Graduates. Email Experience & Q u a l i f i c a t i o n s guyanajobs@yahoo.com Tel# 656-0075 Carpenter, labourers, tilers. (Must have experience in the installation of sheet rack work) to work in Georgetown. Contact: 608-5303 Urgent vacancy exist @ Natural Beauty Salon & Spa. For experience Nail Technician Located @ Grove EBD. Contact Ms. Rasharie #652-5800 Maid for East Bank to cook and clean. 614-4358 Vacancy exist for 1 Pharmacy assistant to work @ reputable pharmacy in Georgetown. Call: 227-0630/628-8811 between 8-4 Pm. Porter/Salesmen Age 18-40 knowledge in stocktaking & salesmanship, apply with written application KeyFood McDoom Village. Factory workers from 18 years & over must have Police Clearance, for more info contact: 223-0090
workers whose severance packages were $500,000 or less, were paid in full, under a supplementary budgetary provision of $1.931 billion, in an effort to provide severance packages to the fired workers. However, workers earning more than that specified amount were paid half of their severance and to date, Government still owes those workers their money. This outstanding payment is at the centre of the civil case. Yesterday, lawyers representing the State, i.e. GuySuCo and National Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), presented arguments before Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln at the Georgetown High Court. Attorneys Ralph Ramkarran and Devindra Kissoon are among those petitioning the court to have the claims of the redundant sugar workers dismissed. The redundant workers were to receive their redundancy allowance/ severance payment no later than December 29, 2017, which was in keeping with the letter of Section 21 of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act (TESPA). Their legal team, which is led by Attorney Anil Nandlall, stated that the over 4000 workers were paid only a portion of their severance payments. The lawyers highlighted that even while this was ongoing, GuySuCo transferred all of its assets for those three estates under the Finance Minister to NICIL as per notice published in the Official Gazette (Extraordinary) of Guyana on December 30, 2017. Lawyers also observed that GuySuCo has been collateralised as security for a $30 billion loan that it has or is borrowing from commercial banks. The attorneys are seeking an order from the court to direct the respondents – GuySuCo and NICIL, their officers, servants and agents – to “pay forthwith to the said 4280 employees of GuySuCo – and members of the Applicant, all severance or redundancy payments or allowances due, owing and payable under the provisions of TESPA. They are also seeking costs. Apart from Nandlall, Manoj Narayan, Sasha S Mahadeo-Narayan, Rajendra Jaigobin and Anuradha Deodasingh are all representing the applicants in this case. Nandlall and his team will present their arguments when the matter resumes on September 4.
Wednesday August 08, 2018
Green Agenda goals to be reflected in NDCs’ planning
Dr. Simpson Da Silva The Ministry of Communities is committed to the realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 through Government’s Green State Development Strategy (GSDS). According to a representative of the Ministry of Communities, Dr. Simpson Da Silva, the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and other Local Government Organs are prepared to begin implementation of GSDSrelated policies in 2019. “We met with the Neighborhood Democratic Council heads and the various leaders in the communities and we have gotten them to start building into their budget the green concept,” Da Silva said. In addition, Da Silva says the time for action is now, and it is incumbent on all Guyanese to educate
themselves about the SDGs and the GSDS; in order for them to become meaningful contributors to the accomplishment of established goals. According to Dr. Da Silva, the necessary authorities must go into schools and in neighbourhoods to get people involved in discussions on the protection of “everything below water our fish and shrimp and crabs to put it simply, stop the pollution of the waterways. When must we talk about it? Now!” He said the Ministry of Communities believes that all the linkages need to be embraced so that citizens can contribute positively towards the achievement of all the sustainable development goals which are the foundation for the green state development strategy. The Government’s Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) is soon to be laid before the National Assembly. Consultations are being held across the country. The objective of the consultations is to raise awareness of the GSDS and to ensure that the people of Guyana can participate and contribute to the development of the GSDS by identifying and prioritising their regional needs and expectations. “Time to Think, Time to Decide, Time to Act” is the slogan used in promoting the GSDS process.
CDC receives 50 hampers... From page 12 border locations. “The current situation in Region One, Seven and Nine can be considered a complex humanitarian situation, which has security implications, foreign policy implications, implications for humanitarian support, in terms of providing food and shelter, and health implications. The Civil Defence Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of Citizenship and several other agencies have taken a multi-agency approach to provide the necessary supplies to the affected persons in those regions… A gesture like this is welcomed by the Civil Defence Commission and it shows that agencies like DeSinco Limited are taking corporate social responsibility very seriously,” the Lieutenant Colonel said. Colonel Craig also used the opportunity to urge other organisations to come forward and contribute in whatever they can to the efforts to bring relief to the migrants. “I would also like to encourage corporate Guyana to continue to support people in need, not only the Guyanese in need, but the
Venezuelans in need. Similar activities like these are occurring in Colombia and in Brazil, and people there are coming out and giving support to those in need, so we’re looking forward to the support of the private sector,” he said. DeSinco’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Frank DeAbreu, in brief remarks, said that his organisation strongly believes in being good corporate citizens and providing a helping hand to those in need. “DeSinco will always stand by the needy. We have been doing this for years. To help those who need is to help, but to help who already have is to be famous, and we are not looking for fame. We are looking to help… Now that God has helped me so that I can offer, I am delighted that I can give back to the Venezuelans,” he said. Government has established a committee to assess the situation and will likely be requesting international assistance to deal with the fleeing Venezuelans, mainly indigenous persons with children. Government has announced plans to construct settlements in Region One for the migrants.
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Atkinson to receive Order of Distinction KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Alia Atkinson, the first black woman to win a World Championship title, will be honoured with the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander on Jamaica’s National Heroes’ Day on October 15, 2018. Atkinson, 29, won the 100-metre butterfly at the 2014 Short Course Championships in Doha, becoming the first black woman to do so. The Olympian said she was humbled to be receiving such an award. “So proud and humbled to be considered, much less actually be awarded a CD,” she said on social media in reaction to the news. “Swimming is blossoming once again in Jamaica and I look forward to being a part
of the wave of athletes that are paving a path for the Caribbean and swimmers of colour.” In a later interview with SportsMax.TV, Atkinson, who recently won three gold and two bronze medals at the CAC Games in Barranqullia, Colombia, said she never believed she would have achieved such a feat. “I have always wondered what path my life would take, and I still do. However, I was always told to dream big. I have been told no matter the dream, God will use you and make it incredible. “In my wildest dreams I did not consider being in the same sentence as this accolade; nonetheless it’s a testament to His promise in
Ephesians 3:20; ‘Dream big and He will make your dreams bigger,’” Atkinson said. She promised to work even harder to lift the sport of swimming and live up to what it means to be awarded the Order of Distinction. “I just need to keep up. I will work even harder to not only promote swimming in Jamaica and the Caribbean, but also work to change the society and mindset of past generations. “Athletes can accomplish great things if we use our unique skill set for the betterment of our brothers and sisters. I am tremendously honoured to receive this distinction and I will work to always fulfil its requirements,” Atkinson said.
Wednesday August 08, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) If you're single, you could feel a very powerful attraction to someone unusual and perhaps a little wacky. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Have you been looking for a new job? If so, you might hear of an opportunity from an unexpected source, perhaps at a social gathering. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) If you're single, love may come to you completely out of the blue today. The person could be standing behind you in line at the store or sitting at the next café table. Wherever you connect, don't be too cautious. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Some unexpected but very welcome visitors could arrive today, Cancer. They might bring some people you don't know but should connect with right away.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) If you're in the arts or sciences, Libra, sudden inspiration could cause you to start or continue a project that means a lot to you. Some friends or group members could help out with useful information. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Meditation, dreams, or visions could bring amazing insights your way, Scorpio. You might find them too bizarre to believe SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You're an adventurous soul . Are you thinking about a little mischief today? Are you going to propose that you and a friend or perhaps your partner skip town for a day and forget about work CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) An unexpected communication may come today from someone connected with your career, Capricorn.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Leo, who's that intriguing new person in your neighborhood? What is it about this new neighbor that makes it impossible for you to stop wondering about them? Quit obsessing.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) An unexpected chance to fly to a faraway place, perhaps at someone else's expense, could come to you today. A group might be involved, perhaps one connected with education.
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) An unexpected letter could arrive today, with a check enclosed, perhaps a gift, bonus, or offer to make more money. This might be a welcome break, possibly coming at a time when you really need it.
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Some bizarre and rather silly dreams might come to you tonight. They may be the sort that is so crazy that you actually wake up laughing. Don't dismiss them. Silly or not, these dreams are trying to tell you something.
Ben Stokes acted in “spiteful” and “angry” tone, court told ESPNcricinfo - Ben Stokes has been described as “mocking” a gay couple and speaking with “a spiteful” and “angry tone” by a witness in his trial in Bristol. Andrew Cunningham, a 37-year-old door supervisor at the Mbargo nightclub in the city, alleged that Stokes abused him and a gay couple having been refused entry to the club in the early hours of the morning on September 25 on the second day of Stokes’ trial for affray. Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale are facing the same charges. The jury was also shown CCTV footage that both Cunningham, the head doorman at the club, and PC Daniel Adams, the officer in the case, suggest shows Stokes flicking a cigarette butt at the head of one the gay men, William O’Connor. “He got a bit verbally abusive to myself,” Cunningham said. “First he mentioned my teeth. I have four front gold teeth. He told me I looked like a c***. I replied ‘thanks very much.’ “Then he mentioned my tattoos and how shit they all are. He just looked at me and said my tattoos were shit and to look at my job. [He had] Quite a spiteful tone; quite an angry tone.” Cunningham then went on to describe how “the ginger guy… started to take the mick out of the gay couple.” “They’re quite extravagant people,” Cunningham said of O’Connor and his
Guyanese team... From page 34 the team did extremely well.“They finished first for the team point sparring and Dellon Hyman was awarded first place for traditional Kata, second for individual point sparring, and third for open form kata,” Usain informed. According to Usain, Rodwell Alleyne was awarded first for individual point sparing, Remington Alleyne was awarded third for traditional Kata, third in open form kata and third in individual point sparring. “We would like to thank our sponsors, Forrester Lumber Yard, Javid Ally of Two Brothers Gas Station, the management of West Vibz Sports Bar, Dumb Boy General store, Guy America General Store. Without your contributions this would not have being possible,” concluded Usain. (Sean Devers)
friend Kai Barry. “Their mannerisms are not like everybody else’s. “The ginger guy picked up on this and started to take the mick. He changed his voice to talk like them. He started to mimic their actions. He just made noises to sound like them. He made hand gestures. If you hear them speak, they’re quite high-pitched guys. Quite effeminate guys. He made noises to try and copy them. Just making stupid sounds. “They just stood to the side. I don’t think they were impressed but they didn’t say anything. “When he flicked the cigarette I intervened. It didn’t hit anyone. But it was aimed in their direction. That’s when I stepped in, cos they hadn’t done anything wrong. They’re only little guys. I said ‘If you want to start on someone, start on me.’ “He wouldn’t look at me or acknowledge I was there then.”
Under cross-examination, Gordon Cole QC, representing Stokes, pointed out what he suggested were various inconsistencies with Cunningham’s evidence. It appears Cunningham or his colleagues did let in other visitors to the nightclub after 2am (CCTV footage shows O’Connor entering the club at 2.07am) while his claim that he had never seen the footage before conflicted with a statement given to the police on November 23 in which he said he had been shown it. PC Adams, the officer in the case, also admitted, under cross-examination, that “there may be another explanation” for the purported vsign allegedly directed at the doormen and accepted that, “on the whole” Stokes’ interaction with the gay couple “seems light-hearted” and that “there is laughter” in the six or so minutes they are shown interacting with Stokes outside the club. The case continues.
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Windies’ Under-15 team to tour England ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – A West Indies Under15 squad is headed to England for a two-week tour where they will play six 50over matches and one 20/ 20 match. The tour, which is being held for the fourth straight year, is part of an ongoing exchange between Cricket West Indies and the England Barmy Army’s Colts. This year, the Windies’ team has attracted support from Virgin Atlantic.They will play the Colts as well as Ireland’s Under-15s during the tour. The 14-man squad which was chosen following the Regional Under-15 championships held in March, will play a 20/20
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warm-up match against the London Schools Cricket Association on Friday, before starting the official schedule on Sunday, August 12. Dr Oba Gulston has been named as both manager and physiotherapist and he will be accompanied by head coach Richard Clarke and Steve Liburd, who is the assistant coach. The squad is scheduled to return to the region on August 20. The squad reads: · Hilroy Andrew – Antigua/Leeward islands · Ackeem Auguste – St Lucia/Windward Islands · Nimar Bolden – Barbados · Carlon Bowen-Tuckett – Nevis/Leeward Islands ·Mavendra Dindyal – Guyana · Jordan Johnson – Jamaica · Johan Layne – Barbados · Jaden Leacock - Barbados · Tariq O’Neale – Barbados · Andrew Rambaran –
Trinidad and Tobago · Yawani Regis – Dominica/Windward Islands · Che Simmons – Barbados · Sanjay Walker – Jamaica · Rashad Worrell – Barbados The match tour schedule is: ·Sunday, August 12 – WINDIES Under 15 v Hertfordshire
LeBron James praised by Ohio school district after Trump attack
·Monday, August 13 – WINDIES Under 15 v Hampshire ·Tuesday, August 14 – WINDIES Under 15 v South West England ·Thursday, August 16 – WINDIES Under 15 v Ireland Under 15s ·Friday, August 17 – WINDIES Under 15 v Barmy Army Colts ·Sunday, August 19 – WINDIES Under 15 v London and East Region
A combination photo of NBA basketball player LeBron James (L) in Oakland, California January 16, 2013 and U.S. President Donald Trump in Lewis Center, Ohio August 4, 2018. (REUTERS/Robert Galbraith, Leah Millis/File Photo) (Reuters) - National Basketball Association star LeBron James won praise on Monday from an Ohio school district for his support of disadvantaged children in his hometown of Akron, after U.S. President Donald Trump attacked him in a weekend tweet questioning his intelligence. The president lashed out at James after the three-time NBA champion was interviewed by CNN’s Don Lemon largely to tout a public school in Akron, Ohio that his foundation helped to open last week. During the interview James said sports was something that unites Americans but that Trump “used sport to kind of divide us,” drawing the retaliatory tweet from the president. The “I Promise” public school in Akron, which opened last week, will offer classes for “at-risk” students in the third and fourth grades and add first and second grades the following year, the foundation website said. The school will be finished by 2022 with first through eighth grades. James also promised a free bicycle and helmets for students and vowed to pay tuition to the University of Akron for I Promise graduates, among other things. “Anyone that’s done what LeBron James has done for the past decade to 15 years
for our children to prepare them to flourish in life has to be an intelligent person,” Akron Public Schools spokesman Mark Williamson said in a telephone interview on Monday. “He’s a bright guy, end of story.” The comment came after Trump on Friday had tweeted “Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!” The president’s “I like Mike!” comment was an apparent reference to the perennial sports debate over whether six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan, or James, a four-time league most valuable player, was the NBA’s all-time best player. Jordan, who rarely wades into the political fray, and other U.S. athletes rallied to James’ defense on Saturday, praising him for his work in his community. James, a persistent critic of Trump and prominent supporter of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, last month announced his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time, this time to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. In response to Lemon asking what James would say to the president if he were sitting right there, the NBA star said:
“I would never sit across from him. ... I’d sit across from Barack though,” referring to Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama. Trump has lambasted National Football League players who knelt during playing of the national anthem as a form of protest against law enforcement’s treatment of racial minorities. And he has disinvited championship teams whose members have been critical of him from traditional White House visits. U.S. first lady Melania Trump also appeared to take exception with her husband’s attack on James. “It looks like LeBron James is working to do good things on behalf of our next generation and just as she always has, the first lady encourages everyone to have an open dialogue about issues facing children today,” a statement issued by Melania Trump’s spokeswoman said. The spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a question on whether the first lady planned to visit the I Promise school. LeBron James Family Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. Williamson called James a great role model. “He’s never let our children down. Not once. He’s never let these kids down,” he said.
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Kroenke wins full control of Arsenal after Usmanov agrees to sell LONDON (Reuters) American billionaire Stan Kroenke has struck a deal to take full control of Arsenal by buying out Russian rival Alisher Usmanov, valuing the English Premier League club at around $2.3 billion (1.8 billion pounds) but enraging some fans of the north London team. Coming at a crucial time for Arsenal as they start life without manager Arsene Wenger for the first time in 22 years, the deal cements the position of the U.S. sports boss among an elite band of super-rich soccer club owners in England. Fans worry however that Kroenke, relying on a loan for the bulk of the funding, will not spend enough to compete for players with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City or Paris St Germain, backed by money from Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar respectively. The deal ends a standoff between the two tycoons, who had both battled for control, but it has angered the small group of well-connected independent shareholders who see themselves as guardians of the 132-yearold club. “The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust is wholly against this takeover,” one fans’ group said. “Arsenal remains too important to be owned by any
Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke applauds from the stands. (Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs) one person.” Kroenke, who largely avoids the media spotlight, owns a string of U.S. sports clubs including the U.S. Denver Nuggets basketball team, the Los Angeles Rams American Football team and the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. DONE DEAL Initially viewed with suspicion by the Arsenal board, the 71-year-old started building his stake in 2007 as he slowly bought out the families who had run the club for generations.
He said on Tuesday he had now received an acceptance from Usmanov to buy his 30 percent stake, adding to the 67 percent he already owns. He will now buy out the remaining independent shareholders at 29,000 pounds for each of its rarely traded shares - more than the average salary for a British worker. “We appreciate Mr Usmanov’s dedication to the Arsenal Football Club and the storied ethos and history the club represents,” he said. Usmanov, ranked by Forbes as Russia’s 10th rich-
est man with a fortune of $12.5 billion, owns stakes in some of Russia’s biggest companies including phone operator Megafon, iron ore producer Metalloinvest MTALI.UL and Internet group Mail.ru. “I have decided to sell my shares in Arsenal Football Club which could be the best football club in the world,” Usmanov said in a brief statement. To buy him and the other investors out, Kroenke will pay 602 million pounds, using 45 million pounds of his
Jamaica in control, Guyana stage fightback KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC – Jamaica is in a good position to claim first innings lead over the Windward Islands, while Guyana staged a fightback against Trinidad and Tobago after being skittled out on the opening day of the second round of matches in the Regional Under-19 Championship yesterday. Led by three-wicket hauls from Sanjay Brown and Raewin Senior, Jamaica dismissed the Windwards for just 184. At the close of play, they had made significant inroads into that total, finishing on 133 for two, just 51 runs adrift. Jamaica was given a solid start by openers Kirk McKenzie (33) and Ricardo McIntosh, who scored 64, as they added 65 runs in just 12 overs for the first wicket. McIntosh’s knock contained seven boundaries and one six and came off 83 balls. Following their eventual dismissals, Bryan Brown who is unbeaten on 16 and Andre McCarthy (12 not out), ensured there were no further surprises. Earlier, Brown and Senior, along with McCarthy who
took two wickets, ran through the Windwards lower order. From a comfortable position of 181 for 5, the Windwards lost their last five wickets for the addition of just three runs, after Tahj Tavernier and Micah Joseph had helped rescue them from early trouble. Tavernier, who topscored with 53 and Joseph (34) shared a 65-run partnership for the sixth wicket after the Windwards had stumbled to 116 for five. But once they were dismissed within a run of each other there was very little resistance. Table leaders Guyana were routed for just 104, but fought back to limit T&T to 51 for four at the end of play. B a s k a r Ya d r a m w a s Guyana’s topscorer with 25, with no other batsman scoring 20 runs, as Navin Bidaisee’s four for 31 left them tottering at 65-5 at one point. Kevin Sinclair then accounted for the first three wickets of Bidaisee, Cephas Cooper and Leonardo Julien, to reduce T&T to 29-3, and leave the contest evenly
poised heading into Wednesday’s second day. Barbados was led by a superb five-wicket haul from Joshua Bishop, as they ended their contest against the Leeward Islands in the driver’s seat. Batting first, several Barbadian batsman got starts but failed to carry on as they were bowled out for a respectable 249. Matthew Forde (45) and Nyeem Young (44) both fell short of half centuries, as Barbados recovered from 137 for seven. Elroy Francis was the main destroyer, snagging four wickets for 56 runs, while Mikyle Louis and Zawandi White each took two wickets. Bishop then struck thrice in three successive overs to restrict the Leewards to 49-3. Mikyle Louis who is unbeaten on 49, helped to steady the innings and avert catastrophe after his team fell into further trouble at 78-5. Together with Joshua Grant, they have added 41 for the sixth wicket so far to end on 117-5. Scores: At Park Hill Play-
ing Field: Leeward Islands trail Barbados by 130 runs with five wickets intact. BARBADOS 249 (Matthew Forde 45, Nyeem Young 44, Shian Brathwaite 32, Kilano Brathwaite 26; Elroy Francis 4-56, Mikyle Louis 2-44, Zawandi White 2-52) LEEWARD ISLANDS 119 for five (Mikyle Louis 49 not out; Joshua Bishop 5-23) At Sion Hill Playing Field: Trinidad and Tobago trail Guyana by 53 runs with six wickets intact. GUYANA 104 (Baskar Yadram 25; Navin Bidaisee 4-31, Rivaldo Ramlagan 214, Justyn Gangoo 2-20) TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 51 for four (Kevin Sinclair 317) At Arnos Vale Playing Field: Jamaica trail the Windward Islands by 51 runs with eight wickets intact. WINDWARD ISLANDS 184 (Tahj Tavernier 53, Mica Joseph 34, Johnel Eugene 29, Kimani Melius 25; Sanjay Brown 3-12, Raewin Senior 3-45, Andre McCarthy 2-40) JAMAICA 133 for two (Ricardo McIntosh 64 not out, Kirk McKenzie 33)
own money and a 557 million pound loan from Deutsche Bank. FAN FEARS In a world where clubs are owned by billionaires who do not always turn up to watch them play, the independent shareholders formed a rare bridge between the club’s board and its fans. Arsenal’s annual meeting was always a feisty affair. At the last game of last season, when Wenger stood down, some fans hired a plane with a banner saying “Kroenke You’re next”. David Kershaw, an independent shareholder, fan and CEO of advertising group M&C Saatchi, said he was concerned that the deal would not lead to a better performance on the pitch. “I think it’s very sad that we’re in danger of losing any transparency into how our club is run,” he told Reuters. His comments were echoed by Patrick Barnes, a shareholder who has been going to Arsenal since the 1970s to watch the likes of Liam Brady, Tony Adams, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry. “I’m disappointed it’s come to this, it was a strong way to connect to the club when you owned a piece of it,” he said. Kroenke now competes against the billionaire own-
ers of other clubs such as C h e l s e a ’s Roman Abramovich, Manchester United’s Glazer family and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahayan, who owns last season’s runaway winners, Manchester City. Arsenal fans have long complained that the club has not ploughed enough money into the team. Americans have had a mixed fortune as Premier League owners, with the Glazer family rarely popular at Manchester United, even when the club won the league. Arsenal finished the 2017/ 18 season in sixth place behind the two Manchester clubs, fierce local rivals Tottenham Hostpur, Liverpool and Chelsea. That marked the second season running it had missed out on the lucrative European Champions League. Founded by workers at the Royal Arsenal armaments factory, the Arsenal team have claimed the League 13 times, including three under Wenger, and are FA Cup winners a record 13 times. New manager Unai Emery, who joined from Paris St Germain, will be given a baptism of fire this weekend when Arsenal kick off their new season against Manchester City.
Boyce/Jefford Track and Field Classic IX to be launched today The Management Committee of the Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic IX will be holding a Press Conference to update the media on preparations for the Ninth Edition of one of Guyana’s most prestigious athletics competitions today from 10:00am in the Boardroom of the Headquarters of Ansa McAl Trading Limited, 60 Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara. Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic IX is scheduled for August 11-12, 2018 (this weekend) at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden. This event has hosted several of the region’s most popular athletes in Guyana since 2010, including Aliann
Pompey competing for the first time in Guyana at the Second Edition in 2011 and Marian Burnett a year later. Every notable Guyanese athlete has competed at the Classic with most holding meet records, including Brenessa Thompson and Winston George. For more information on the event, visit: https:// w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / BoyceJeffordTrackAndFieldClassic/ . This meet is coordinated in accordance with International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Rules and is sanctioned by The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG). Admission is $1,000 and $500 respectively for adults and children.
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Kaieteur News
Annual C’bean Dragon’s Cup Martial Arts tournament
Guyanese team produce good performances
The successful Guyanese contingent with their trophies and the Golden Arrow Head in T&T. The Guyanese team produced some good performances at the annual Caribbean Dragon’s Cup Martial Arts tournament on Sunday
evening at the National Cycling Velodrome, Cova Trinidad and Tobago. Rodwell Alleyne, Dellon Hyman, Remington Alleyne
and Ulanda Hyman represented Guyana and Dellon Usain, spokesperson for the team, told Kaieteur Sports that (Continued on page 31)
Wednesday August 08, 2018
Rio, Train/Play Camp cost effective for GFF – Forde With the Golden Jaguars mere days away from commencing what will be a historic Train/Play Camp in neighbouring Brazil that will last for two weeks, President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde has stated that this new initiative is undoubtedly the way to go for Guyana. In making this statement, Forde informed that it would have easily cost the GFF 7.5 million to play Grenada in a Friendly International so if that figure was to be the basic standard for playing such matches it would be an uphill task for the federation to undertake. The GFF boss who recently returned from a fact find visit to Brazil was also able to secure this Train/Play Camp which will see the players being exposed to top quality football facilities, training and quality matches at a much less cost. ”When I looked at what it cost me to play Grenada and that was one game, I spent easily seven and a half million dollars to play a friendly in Grenada, that’s one game. I also looked at the fact that we have never really invested in a network and relationship with Brazil which is clearly one of the most powerful football
Michael Johnson
nations in the world.” Looking at this scenario, Forde said that his executive and technical team sat down and deliberated on it and figured out that four highly competitive matches within a country that is one of the best in the world whilst also opening up opportunities for local players there, made loads of economic and strategic sense. ”We’re going to have people there from our Brazilian network that we have established looking at the players, because one of the things that they want to determine is that if they were to open up opportunities for our players in their leagues, is which level they come in at. So we will get four games, the coach will spend two weeks with the players, so we are talking about not just the physical and tactical aspect of the game, we are talking about the physiological aspect of relationship building, establishing trust, who you can rely on when the chips are down. You cannot get that in an international friendly, so this is bringing together a new staff and really making a family out of people that are coming from diverse backgrounds and different cultures.” Forde posited that Michael Johnson, the first Guyana Head Coach to be the holder of a UEFA Pro Licence comes from a professional background and environment similar to that of Technical Director Ian Greenwood, while the majority of our players are local based and have not been exposed to such an environment. ”So to really bring everyone into a singular focus requires time to realise our theme: “One Team, One Dream; so the decision to go to Brazil for two weeks covers a range of strategies. One is that we want the Brazilians
to have a look at our players; we want to give the new coaching staff as much time as possible with our players.” The facility for the Play/ Train Camp has been used by the Italy National Team for pre-season camps, Forde informed. ”So we want to inspire these guys, they come into this facility and we want to say to them, this is what it feels like if you commit yourself to a professional journey. It’s going to be a significant investment but if we calculate it against doing four friendly games, there’s no way we can get what we will get out of this by doing four friendly games which would cost us easily, about 30 Million dollars. We’re not spending anyway close to that here, so that’s the thinking behind going to Brazil.” Forde boasted that going forward the GFF would be going to Brazil much more often since we are establishing strong relationships and ties with some of the top professional clubs. ”So we can actually go there, spend time, play games and train. What we are also doing is figuring out how to reduce the cost of getting there and staying there. This initial trip, we’re going to invest some money because we are getting to know people and we’re building relationships but going forward we’re going to do that in the most economical way.” The Brazilian experience is the first step in what would be a long journey towards qualification for the FIFA World Cup in 2026. But qualification for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2019 is the immediate ambition with the stepping stone being the CONCACAF Nations League (CNL) Qualifiers which begins on Saturday September 8 for Guyana against Barbados, here.
Wednesday August 08, 2018
GMRSC King of the Strip 3
T&T, Suriname and Barbados set to invade South Dakota Circuit - Team Mohamed’s the undisputed KOS The third edition of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMRSC) King of the Strip (KOS) drag race competition will scorch away on August 26 at the South Dakota Circuit at Timehri and competitors from Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and Barbados will go head to head with the Guyanese for the bragging rights of being the King of the Strip. The title of King of the Strip is held by current Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) super bike Champions, Team Mohamed’s. After making light work of their closest rival in Shawn Persaud during the first KOS drag meet in February, Team Mohamed’s had a sterner test against Trinidadian Sheldon Bissessar’s rail car which was competing for the first time in Guyana during the KOS 2 on April 22nd. Mohamed’s Nissan GT-R ‘Goliath’ piloted by Shawn Cox then outraced the rail car in the final unlimited class showdown last April, lowering the strip record once again to 7.52 seconds, while the rail car finished a tenth of a second slower, in a time of 7.62 seconds.
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Kaieteur News
Team Mohamed’s GT-R Goliath (left) speeds ahead of the Rail Car in the unlimited class final last April. In the other classes, Shawn Persaud with his Toyota Caldina outclassed the competition for the 8-second class trophy with a dominating showing against the men the from the Twin Island Republic of T&T. The 9-second class was picked up by the Toyota Alteeza of Raj Panday, while the 10-second class was won by Damian Persaud who also
drives a Toyota Caldina and is also the son of Shawn Persaud.Michael Namchand of Suriname with his Toyota Mark II took the 11-second class with Raymond John and his Toyota Chaser joining his countryman on the podium for the 12-second class. The Toyota Starlet of Ricardo Moore was the winner of the 13-second class with Bishram Rajaram winning
the 14-second class. The 15-second class was won by Troy Kowlesar with the Trinidadian bike duo of Shawn Brigs and Ian Atherly also picking up trophies. The sponsors for KOS strip 3 include Mohamed’s Enterprise, Ansa Mcal, B.M. Soat, ExxonMobil, Tropical Shipping, Del Ice Company and Trans Pacific Auto Spares. (Calvin Chapman)
Brand new CPL trophy up for grabs PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The winners of this year’s 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will walk away with a brand new trophy. The sleek and modern design, which integrates the colourful and vibrate Hero CPL logo with a cutting-edge look was designed by Ryan McClean of Ryan McClean Silver and was officially unveiled on Monday at the Queen’s Park Oval. Chief executive officer (CEO) of the Hero CPL Damien O’Donohoe said he was especially pleased with the finished product. “We just want to showcase our new trophy which we’re very proud of. We had a top silversmith working on this for about six months and we think it’s first class,” he said. Speaking about the vision behind the trophy McClean said: “I designed the trophy after spending time looking at the Hero CPL logo. I wanted
to try and tie the two things together. The logo, just like Hero CPL, is dynamic and colourful and I felt the trophy should mirror this. The swirls from the logo holding a cricket ball seemed a perfect fit to reflect what Hero CPL represents – the perfect synergy of carnival and cricket.” Captain of the Trinbago Knight Riders Dwayne Bravo was also present at the unveiling and said he hoped to be the first to lift the new trophy. “It’s a pleasure for me to be standing here next to this nice trophy. Hopefully, I’ll be the first captain to lift it again this year. CPL is a very good tournament, it’s one of the most successful tournaments in the world, one of the most anticipated tournaments in the world,” Bravo said. The tournament gets underway today at the Queen’s Park Oval when the Knight Riders take on the St Lucia Stars.
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Wednesday August 08, 2018
Kaieteur News
CONCACAF U-15 GIRLS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
Lady Jaguars go down to Cayman Islands Guyana’s young Lady Jags lost their second match of the CONCACAF U15 Girls’ Championship yesterday at the IMG Academy, USA. Following their 1-3 loss to St. Lucia in their opening match of the competition, the Guyanese put in an improved performance but it was not enough to get past the St. Lucian lasses. Guyana Football federation Women’s International Coordinator Paul Beresford commenting on the game said that the girls played well and were much improved even though the match was a tough one to the extent that the Coaching Staff is of the belief that the team will become a much more cohesive unit as they garner experience. ”We were very unfortunate and I would say even unlucky not to win this game having hit the post four times during the game, out shooting our opponent for the second game in a row and not have the ball fall in place for the team. It was a lot of hard work by the attackers and defenders but unfortunately it was not our day today to win the game.” Guyana will next play Bahamas tomorrow from 11:00hrs and it would be a match of redemption according to Beresford which will allow the ladies to put their stamp on the tournament in some small way.
The U-15 starting team against the Cayman Islands ”The girls are putting in all the effort and doing everything we asked of them and more and they deserve to have
better results for the last two games of the tournament,” Beresford concluded. The starting X1 - 1 Ludeaha
Reynolds- Goalkeeper, 3 Hasha H o l d e r, 4 J e n e a K n i g h t , 1 5 Ashaya Doobay, 16 Allianna H o l d e r, 7 J a i d a B r o o k s , 8
Samantha Banfield, 9 Shacaylah Williams (Captain), 14 Kirsty Thomas, 11 Anaya Willabus, 2 Aliea Moses.
Kaieteur News
Wednesday August 08, 2018
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BCB honours former Presidents Lennox Phillips, Ancel Hazel, Windies player Shimron Hetmyer
BCB Executives posed with Lennox Phillips and Mortimer George.
BCB Vice President Qualis Wynter honours Shimron Hetmyer.
P
resident of the Berbice Cricket Board on his election on 18th February, 2018, pledged that every hero would be recognised and honoured as long as he remains head of the Berbice Cricket Board. On Thursday last, the Berbice Cricket Board honoured former Presidents Lennox Phillips and Ancel Hazel by presenting them its highest Award “The Hero Award of Excellence” while West Indies middle order batsman Shimron Hetmyer was honoured for scoring a brilliant 125 vs Bangladesh at the National Stadium. Former Secretary of the
Berbice Cricket Board Mortimer George and his wife hosted a Cocktail Reception in honour of the former Presidents at their Sheet Anchor Village Home. The former Secretary told the attentive audience, which included executives of the Berbice Cricket Board that, Phillips and Hazel were dedicated and honest administrators who worked hard to gain respect and recognition to Berbice Cricket. The duo along with the late Leslie Amsterdam and George were in charge of Berbice Cricket when five ODI were played in the county and they played major roles in the
developmental works at the Albion Cricket Ground. They were also responsible for hosting a team from Pakistan in the 1970’s. Phillips and George were forced to mortgage their own personal properties to cover the expenses associated with the Pakistan Team tour. The county during that period produced players like Alvin Kallicharran, Leonard Baichan, Sew Shivnarine, Milton Pydana, Leslaine L a m b e r t , Ty r o n e a n d Romain Etwaroo among numerous others. Phillips, who served briefly as President (ag) of the Guyana Cricket Board after the sudden death of Mr.
B. Gaskin, expressed gratitude to the Berbice Cricket Board for honouring him and his colleague, Ancel Hazel. Phillips stated that serving Berbice Cricket was the highlight of his life and urged the current executives to always put Berbice Cricket infront of their personal ambition. He congratulated the Hilbert Foster led administration for the outstanding work it was doing. George, who received the award for Ancel Hazel, spoke at length of the tremendous work of the Berbice Cricket Board under Phillips and Hazel l e a d e r s h i p a n d congratulated, the duo
joining him as awardees of the Board’s highest award. President Hilbert Foster expressed gratitude to the two former Presidents for their services to Berbice Cricket and most importantly for being positive role models to the present Berbice Cricket Board executives. He committed himself and his administration to always lead by example while providing equal opportunities to every youth in the Ancient County inspite of race, location, creed or gender. The presentation to Hetmyer took place at the Albion Ground during a
Berbice Cricket Board Meeting with First Division Clubs. Foster congratulated Hetmyer for his brilliant innings and told the West Indies middle order batsman that the entire county was proud of him. He urged Hetmyer to always be a perfect ambassador for the younger generation of Berbice youth cricketers and to assist his Club, Young Warriors Cricket Club to get back on its feet. Each of the Awardees received Framed Certificate, Medal of Excellence and Trophy. The presentation was sponsored by the Patron’s Fund of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club.
GFA/Stag Beer Revival Cup
GFF present footballs to enable execution of tournament
GFF’s Keeran Williams (right) hands over one of the balls to GFA IMC Competitions Committee Member Akram Sabree, IMC Chairman Trevor Williams shares the moment.
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has presented eight balls to the Interim Management Committee of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) to enable the kick start of the “GFAStag Beer Revival Cup.” The presentation was made yesterday at the Boardroom of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) by Keeran Williams, GFF’s Social Media Officer to Akram Sabree, GFA-IMC Competitions Committee Member in the presence of Chairman of the GFA IMC, Trevor Williams. In receiving the items, Williams expressed his
pleasure for the balls and said it will contribute to the successful execution of the tournament: “It will go a long way to ensure teams are outfitted. Support is never too much for football now especially since we’re coming out of a period where football has not been played in the association for a protracted period. The use of official match balls at this stage will certainly aid in improving the quality of the game as it gives a truer bounce and better stability in flight.” The tournament is scheduled to open on Sunday, August 12 with GDF opposing Northern Rangers
at 15:00hrs and GFC tackling Pele at 17:00 at the GFC Ground, Bourda. The official march past is scheduled for 16:30hrs where official remarks will be made by representatives of GFF, GFA-IMC officials and sponsors. The “GFA- Stag Beer Revival Cup” is the roundrobin knock out senior tournament conducted in partnership with Stag Beer and the Guyana Football Federation.
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday August 08, 2018
AAG’s Hutson says the BrijParasnath Champs was new platform for Athletics here I
n a very happy mood and overwhelmed with the successful conclusion of all events of the inaugural BrijParasnath National College Athletics Championships, Aubrey Hutson, President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG); was much relieved and relaxed and declared that the Championships was “a new platform for Athletics in Guyana”. T h e h i s t o r i c BrijParasnath National College Athletics Championships successfully concluded at the Leonora National Track & Field S t a d i u m , We s t C o a s t Demerara recently amidst much joy, happiness and pleasant memories etched in the minds among all the participating athletes, coaches, officials and supporters who made it a celebrated occasion. While the successful athletes and their teams were overjoyed, it was the AAG President who felt much relief and a sense of pride and accomplishment at the day’s proceedings. It was Hutson who made the bold decision to launch the BrijParasnath NCAC with a view of ensuring that there is a forum for Guyana’s budding athletes to pursue their athletic careers alongside their academic advancement. In December 2016, Hutson was present at the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ National Sports Commission (NSC) office at Homestretch Avenue and in company with Christopher Jones (Sports Director), Melissa Dow-Richardson (Assistant Sports Director), Ivan Persaud (chairman
NSC), Edison Jefford, Lavern Fraser (Director) and Seon Erskine (Director) looking into sports in the school system. Huston shared that historic consultation when Brij Parasnath, International Sports CommentatorAnalyst-Mentor and his former Bladen Hall Multilateral School teacher/coach; made a comprehensive presentation and outlined programmes that he had pioneered as the one of the first five Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sports’ former Regional Sports Organiser (1973-74) and successful First Class Secondary School graduate teacher of the Cyril Potter of Education (1974-77). Parasnath was the founder and main organiser for the first ever Guyana Institutions of Higher Education Athletics Championships (GIHEAC) that featured the University of Guyana (UG), Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), Guyana Technical Institute (GTI) and Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) on December 5, 1995 at the Police Sports Club, Eve Leary. Parasnath outlined the important and holistic benefits of sporting activities in the lives of students at Guyana’s Institutions of Higher Learning, including all tertiary level educational and training institutions. As the head of the AAG, Hutson saw the wisdom of having a nationwide competition and decided to take up the challenge to rekindle Parasnath’s vision and dream for holistic development for students attending all institutions of higher learning.
Triumphant University of Guyana (UG) team celebrate their historic triumph. Aubrey Hutson (President of AAG) is at extreme left is while Brij Parasnath is at extreme right. B e f o r e t h e Championships got underway with many exciting track and field events; Hutson, in his opening remarks; said that “Mr Parasnath was my school teacher, my coach, my mentor and it gives me great pleasure to spearhead the drive to organise the National College Athletics Championships to keep his dream alive. It’s a real honour to stand here today and to know that we are starting something special that gives all of you a chance to develop your athletic careers while you are attending your respective institutions.” Much to the surprise and delight of all those present and in light-hearted mood, Hutson added: “And I hope that one day in the future
when I get older, that one of my students- among you; will take up the mantle and carry on this legacy and make me proud to sit in the stands and enjoy the competition.” Those remarks were warmly greeted by all and after the successful completion of the day’s 30event programme it was the powerful University of Guyana (UG) team that celebrated their historic achievement of being crowned the inaugural triumphant champion team. In an invited comment, Hutson declared that “the inaugural BrijParasnath National College Athletics Championships was off to a great start and now provides a new platform for Athletics in Guyana and the
Caribbean. Everyone was really happy and excited and expressed their great satisfaction how everything went off smoothly. I wish to publicly express my own overwhelming feeling of satisfaction and to state that the inaugural Championship was a grand success.” Hutson was very elated with the response from all the athletes and officials who were involved in the exciting action. He was grateful for the response from twenty one educational and training institutions which participated in the heats and trials. Hutson stressed that: “This great start of the Brij Parasnath National College Athletics Championships will become a success story for Track and Field in
Guyana and in the Caribbean. These events will help our athletes to build their athletic careers around their school studies.” “It will create an attraction for our athletes to stay in Guyana and pursue their academics up to the University level or other tertiary level institutions.” Hutson also expressed sincere thanks to the Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry; and Minister of Social Cohesion, Dr George Norton; who offered their support and blessings as well as Sports Director Christopher Jones who also supported in a tangible way. The Organising Committee was headed by Hutson and Championships Commissioner Laverne Fraser-Thomas.
Bissan’s Trading supports Buxton CC Cricket Camp The 13th annual Buxton ‘Carl Hooper’ Cricket Club Camp starts today from 9:30hrs and runs from August 7-19 at the Buxton ground on the East Coast of Demerara and Bissan’s Trading has been the latest Corporate Citizen to support this commendable Community development programme. The two-week camp caters for children between the ages of 7-19 and Buxton Cricket Club’s President Essie Peters explained, the camp caters for 40 participates from Buxton and Villages in close proximity to Buxton. “The Camp is not to make money but to instil good values to the youths them and keep them away from doing the wrong things when they have so much free time now school is closed,” Peters explained. Peters added that there is no fee to register since asking for money from the parents of
these children, many of whom comes from single parent homes, would be counterproductive to the intended reason for the Camp. He informed that sponsorship covers the cost of holding the Camp which is a Community service. Sessions will include technical, practical, physical and off-the field actives and run from 09:30hrs to 15:00hrs and among those conducting sessions are former National Youth Cricketer Clive Andries who played with Guyana’s champion three-day U-19 team in St Kitts in 2008 and former National U-19 and Berbice senior Inter-County offspinner Sean Devers. The club was founded in 1992 and played in Tapeball competition before being officially launched as the Buxton ‘Carl Hooper’ Club in 2002 when Hooper was appointed West Indies Captain.
Owner of Bissan’s Trading Bissoon Singh presents the sponsorship cheque Buxton CC President Essie Peters.
- Event commences today
Kaieteur News
Wednesday August 08, 2018
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N.K
Big G Lumber yard, KGM Security Gaming Authority gets confirm support for Guyana Cup 2018 on board Guinness Cage
Compliance officer attached to the Gaming Authority, Towana Whinfield, hands over the entity’s contribution to Three Peat’s Rawle Welch. Big G Lumber Yard’s sales representative, Miss Marlena Barran, hands over their sponsorship cheque to Roy Jafarally. It’s just over one week before the 12th annual Guyana Cup horserace meet speeds off at the Rising Sun Turf Club with over $15 million in cash and prizes up for grabs.The August 19th event is dubbed as the most lucrative horserace meet in the nation and the many fans and turfites are preparing for anticipated keen rivalry between the jockeys and their mounts in the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee and Port Mourant Turf Club collaborated initiative. The one-day meet set for Berbice is gaining traction both locally and overseas with a lot sponsors ready to saddle up with the mega event. The latest companies to have confirmed their support have been Big G
Lumber Yard and KGM Security. Last week, Big G L u m b e r Ya r d ’s s a l e s representative, Miss Marlena Barran, handed over the sponsorship cheque to hard the working Roy Jafarally who is one of the organisers of Guyana Cup 2018. Jafarally was also on hand at the KGM Security’s head office to receive that company’s contribution. The two businesses join the long list of companies who have committed to the 12th Guyana Cup, those companies include Discount Store, Hand-in-hand Insurance, Superbet, Gizmos and Gadgets, B.M. Soat, Mazi Night Club, Hyper Malt, $R bearings and Rohan Auto Spares. The programme of
Roy Jafarally (left) collects KGM Security company’s contribution from their representative.
events for the day will see as is customary, the C Class event is the main attraction. The day’s full race programme reads as follows: 1) C class and lower, 1 6 0 0 m . To t a l p u r s e : $3,875,000 2) 3yr old Derby 1100M – purse: $2,000,000. 3) G1 and lower 1400M – purse: $1,550,000. 4) H3 and lower 1100M – purse $1,350,000. 5) 2yrs old Guyana Bred 1100M – purse: $680,000. 6) I class and lower 1400M – Purse: $581,000. 7) J3 and lower 1400M. Purse: $485,000. 8) L class 1400M – purse $390,000. 9) L class 1400M – purse $390,000. 10) L class 1100M – purse $290,000.
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i t h t h e growing need to build cohesion among our communities and to foster better understanding among its residents, the Three Peat Promotions/Guinness Cage Competition dubbed ‘East Coast Best versus the Rest’ is expected to provide the platform to achieve those goals. In order to accomplish those objectives, Sport has been earmarked as one of the vehicles to do so and members of the corporate community are leading the way through their support to the initiative. On Monday, during a simple ceremony that was conducted at the entity’s location on South Road, the Gaming Authority added its name to the list of sponsors in support of the Three Peat Promotions Guinness Cage Competition. Compliance Officer
attached to the Authority Towana Whinfield handed over a cheque for an undisclosed sum to Three Peat Promotions Rawle Welch as part of the entity’s contribution to the event. Welch in his remarks thanked the Authority for its timely support, adding that the contribution’s significance cannot be undervalued, especially at a time when there is an overwhelming cry for unity, peace and love among communities. The competition is set to kick off this evening, at the Haslington Market Tarmac from 19:00hrs. The five-day tournament dubbed ‘the East Coast Best versus the Rest’ commences tonight, at the Haslington Market Tarmac with the remaining playing days being August 11, 18, 25 and September 1, at the same venue. Welch in his remarks
expressed his gratitude to the Company for its significant support at the Promotions first call, adding that it signals the seriousness of the organisation in helping to develop sports and cohesion among the various communities that the participating teams are coming from. Among the other entities who’ve pledged their support are: Banks DIH under its Guinness and Power Wine brands, Clarks footwear giants Chetsons, ENetworks Inc., KSM Investments, Yhip’s Bakery, Brass Aluminium & Cast Iron Foundry (BACIF), Ray’s Auto Sales, Y.K. Investments, Trophy Stall, Express Shipping, Wo o d p e c k e r P r o d u c t s , National Sports Commission, ‘C’ Division of the Guyana Police Force, Jai Signs & Auto Designs Julius Variety Store and C & C Prestigious Styles.
FIFA Referees to officiate at 2018 Scotiabank CONCACAF League
Gladwin Johnson
Sherwin Moore
Three Guyanese FIFA referees have been appointed Match Officials for the 2018 Scotiabank CONCACAF League game scheduled for the Jamaica National Stadium tomorrow from 21:00hrs. Referee Gladwyn Johnson, Assistant Referee Kevin Stephens and Fourth Official Sherwin Moore will be among a six-person
Kevin Stephens
panel officiating in the Arnett Gardens (Jamaica) vs CD Arabe Unido (Panama) match. The three are among the Elite Referees of Guyana whose skills will be on show in the second edition of the club tournament. The 2018 CONCACAF Champions League’s winners will qualify for the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League.
rt o p S GMRSC King of the Strip 3
T&T, Suriname and Barbados set to P. 35 invade South Dakota Circuit Brand - Team Mohamed’s the undisputed KOS
new CPL trophy up for grabs
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A new CPL trophy will be up for grabs.
From left, Team Mohamed’s Marco Passante, Terrence Cox along with owner Azzurudin Mohamed and Heyat Chunia pose in front their pair of Nissan GT R after another dominant day on the drag strip last April.
Rio, Train/Play Camp cost effective for GFF – Forde P. 34
Flashback! Guyana’s flagship senior national team, the ‘Golden Jaguars’ going through the paces at the GDF ground.
Annual C’bean Dragon’s Cup Martial Arts tournament
Jamaica in control, Guyana Guyanese team produce stage fightback good performances P. 33
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