Sunday August 13, 2017
Kaieteur M@ilbox 2020 Elections must be about Guyanese Values and Principles DEAR EDITOR, I would like to continue my advocacy for a ‘One Party, One Term Government’ from 2020-2025. For the past 51 years our current organisational structure for governing the country has, for the most part failed, and I am of the strong view that we need to seriously consider a different and more effective and efficient organizational government structure, at least for a period. The current organisational structure has kept us polarized and largely impoverished, and has not really positioned the country to be competitive at a local, regional or global level. The ‘One Party, One Term Government’ which I am proposing, will have a specific mandate for five years with specific targets to be achieve every six months and annually. An oversight body could be established to monitor and evaluate the government’s performance - essentially the achievement of targets. The oversight body will also have the authority to review, revise and reorganise aspects of the government in order to ensure that the right people are in the right places and that they are doing the right things, consistently. The establishment of the ‘One Party, One Term Government’ could be done based on a petition signed by no less than 75 per cent of the electorate. It is important to note that the proposed government will include parties which has the potential to qualify to participate in the elections and not necessarily any and every person who are of the view that they can manage and administer the country (I
find it amazing, particularly when I travel abroad, the number of people who want to come back to Guyana and be President, Ministers, Mayors, etc. many of these people have never managed an organization before). Winston Churchill once said that ‘if I was able to see far it was because I stood on the shoulders of giants’. If any President is going to see and reach far in Guyana, they would need some giants upon whose shoulders they can stand. The sad part is that very few people want to be the giants. I do believe that there are people from the Government and Opposition who can move this country forward but they must be force by the people to work together with a common purpose for the common good or the government is not the place for them. It is either we work together or stay out of government! One of the tasks for the ‘One Party, One Term Government’ would be to change the current system of Government and Opposition. I am proposing that the new system become the Government and the ‘Wider Legislature’ or something in this context. The concept behind this
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idea is that the Opposition is also a part of the government, it is a key aspect of the Legislative Arm, and therefore has a fundamental role in oversight and accountability generally. However, the current system of the Opposition, in my view, by virtue of the name, has devalued the important purpose which the Opposition is intended to serve. Therefore the term ‘The Wider Legislature’ may give greater effect to the true intent and purpose of the Opposition as a body tasked foremost with ensuring accountability. Today in Guyana, we have more persons with postgraduate qualifications – Masters degrees, PhD’s, etc., and the time has come for us to begin to see the positive impact of this body of higher knowledge – higher learning. This impact must be reflected in more practical ways – in the development and implementation of policies, strategies, programmes and projects where results can be incremental and measurable. By creating, enabling and reconstructing our institutions to make them functional thus giving rise to the culture and environment that is needed to make Guyana, in Continued on page 6
Kaieteur M@ilbox What contributions have these diaspora conference, His Excelattendees made to Guyana? the lency President David DEAR EDITOR, I refer to the Guyana’s Diaspora Engagement Conference which was held from 23 – 26th July 2017. It was held at The Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel and was organised by The University of Guyana (UG).I was privileged to attend. On entering the Hall for the conference opening, I thought I was in the wrong place. It appeared to me that the hardworking Vice Chancellor, or one of his organizers, had made a mistake by calling the conference, “Guyana Diaspora Engagement Conference.” I would have been more comfortable and understanding if the conference was called by another name. I saw more of one side of our cultural diversity from usher to registrar to technician. The musical performers were not at all representative of our cultural diversity. From time immemorial, Guyana has been promoted as “The land of six races.” I expected to see the major races in Guyana equally represented, but over 90% of those in attendance were from one section of our society.. Of course, there were the token speakers and attendees from the other side looking for work and contracts from UG or from the new Granger Government.
Listening to some of the speakers at the conference’s opening night, I am still a little confused about what contributions they made to their beloved country. How many of those returned home to create employment and opportunities for their brothers in the Desmond Hoyte’s Government? I thought that The Hon. Prime Minister Moses Nagamotoo would have graced the opening. Was he too afraid to attend the reception? He claims to be a Guyanese with no ethnic heritage. In his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, chanted like a mantra, the colloquial African term, “If me na com, me na kno, me com so me kno.” On the second day of
Granger, said Guyana is going forward, but he didn’t say how and where. To me, his emphasis was more on promoting eco-tourism, the same speech he gave at many places all over the Caribbean. He spoke about The University of Guyana’s contributions to tertiary education and his experience as a student. President Granger didn’t say, or conveniently forgot the same University he attended was established by the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan and C.R. Nunes. What a shame. The opening speakers of the conference failed to remember that different cultures have made, and continue to make, tremendous contributions to the development of Guyana. Ms. Farah Ali
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Kaieteur M@ilbox 2020 Elections must be... From page 5 the first instance respected and in the second competitive. The impact must be reflected in a citizenry (individuals, families, communities and organisations) oriented and mobilized around the qualities and roles that are extremely vital to the process of the country achieving its goals and objectives. There is a global shift in development and business from merely being responsible to ensuring more accountability. It is therefore imperative that as citizens we give serious thought to reconstructing our society more towards being accountable, and a fundament part of doing that is to reconfigure our systems and structures of governance/government. Editor, I feel not only an obligation and a duty but a burden to advance these
points since, like I have stated before, I have one citizenship, my Guyanese citizenship, therefore for me, it is imperative that Guyana works! Finally, the 2020 elections must be about Guyanese values and principles. After 51 years of Independence, we must demand that our leaders reflect our values as a people! Any and everybody should not be allowed to lead us anymore, we have to mature and become more selective on matters of leadership generally but more so for governing the country. 2020 will be our finest hour! The time has come for us to recreate a new institutional/ organizational system of government/governance and usher in a more enlightened dispensation of politics in Guyana. Citizen Audreyanna Thomas
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Did he understand what was written in Article 226 (1) Sections 6, 11 (1) & 20 of the to halt promotions can only of the Constitution? Police Complaints Authority be seen as subjecting it to DEAR EDITOR, The problem with some people on retirement is that they have too much time on their hands, and tend to do things to prove that they are still relevant. This I believe is the case with retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clinton Conway who retired from the Guyana Police Force on October 1st, 2008. For a man who has stated publicly that he has “no political ambition” and does not seek public office, Conway appears to be always suckingup to the President as if to send a signal to the APNU+AFC Administration that he is available. Recently, Conway has been very active giving his unsolicited opinion in the local media on matters relating to the Guyana Police Force much to the disgust of the Police Public Relations and Press Officer, Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan, who exposed a number of discrepancies in a recent letter by Clinton Conway, accusing him of “deliberately attempting to mislead members of the public on activities of and issues within the Guyana Police Force.” Ramlakham also accused Clinton Conway of “lying on the dead when he wrote that
“ghosting” was done in a large division when the late Henry Greene was Commissioner of Police. In a letter published on June 3, 2015 in which he queried the Police Complaints Authority getting their own investigative team, Conway wrote, “The vexed question is whether there is any law giving the newly appointed investigators the legal authority to conduct an investigation of offences against discipline as stipulated in the Police (Discipline) Act Chapter 17:01, whether or not a complaint was made to the Police Complaints Authority. Perhaps the law was enacted some time ago….” Could someone please make it pellucid to me, an ordinary layman with some interest in the Police Force what is legally taking place at the Police Complaints Authority in relation to investigation of discipline that falls within the ambit of Section 4 of the Police (Discipline) Act Chapter 17.01?” Of course, Clinton Conway is no ordinary layman. He is a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police. But this prompted a response from the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, Mr CC Kennard who suggested “that my friend Mr Conway look at
Act, Cap 17:02 of the Laws of Guyana as well as the Disciplined Forces Commission Report of 2003.” Mr. Kennard further suggested “that Mr Conway read the Police Complaints Authority Act and the Disciplined Forces Commission report for his own edification.” It is obvious from the above that retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clinton Conway seems to have a serious problem with both his credibility and his interpretation of the law. And so it is not surprising that he would once again take sides with the unconstitutional action of President Granger who “directed that there be no consideration of promotions for members of the Guyana Police Force by the Police Service Commission, until further notice”. Article 226 (1) of the Guyana Constitution clearly states that; “In the exercise of its functions under this Constitution, a Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.” The Police Service Commission is an independent body, and is one of the Commissions to which this Article refers. It does not take a rocket scientist to understand this. Even Chevy Devonish, a Law Student, knows that the President cannot dictate to a constitutional commission. In a letter published in the Kaieteur News on August 10, the writer observed, “Undoubtedly, the President is a person to whom this Article refers, and the Police Service Commission is a commission contemplated by this provision. Therefore, the President’s direction for the Commission
such direction or control which the constitution aims to prevent… The rule of law, as a constitutional doctrine, adds weight to the principle, and law, that the President, and all other office holders for that matter, must exercise power in accordance with the law, resisting urges to act arbitrarily, and conveniently. The President, therefore, exercises his power subject to constitutional limitations. He is inferior to the Constitution, its subordinate even.” Editor, we have seen similar interference and abuse of power by the Executive Branch of this APNU+AFC government since taking office. Carvil Duncan, Chairman of the Public Service Commission was “hounded and persecuted out of office” because he refused to compromise the independence of the Public Service Commission, and to sell his integrity and independence to this Government. So, with this in mind, and with total disregard for the Constitution of Guyana, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clinton Conway argues that, “The conduct of many senior and junior offers of the GPF is being questioned at the Commission of Inquiry currently conducted by Paul Slowe, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police. These officers have been highly recommended to the Police Service Commission for promotions. What if the PSC goes ahead now and promote them and the CoI finds them guilty of misconduct? On the other hand why not wait a short while until the CoI completes it work. Continued on page 7
Sunday August 13, 2017
Kaieteur M@ilbox Guyana Press Association has misled Guyanese From page 4 understanding of the difference between these two concepts negates most, if not all, of their bases for opposing the amendments to the Broadcasting Act, 2011. To argue that the airing of PSAs would “disrupt and violate contractual obligations that stations will have with advertisers and program sponsors” is not only lopsided but emphasizes the lack of understanding of broadcasting, broadcasters obligation to the public and to broadcast in the public interest. The GPA has deliberately knowing or unknowingly sided with a model of broadcasting which is outdated and lacks balance and is an affront to the rights of the public – the profit oriented commercial broadcast system. It would be remiss of me not to site the Broadcasting Act which provides at section 18(2) that among the functions of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) is to “require licensees to carry information on any programmes issued by the Civil Defence Commission, the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Fire Service and or health services, and certain other programmes as
public information deemed appropriate and necessary in terms of national security, emergency and disaster as a public service at no cost.” The power to require the PSAs is in the existing legislation of 2011 and therefore the amendment is an attempt to bring clarity by clearly setting certain obligations for PSAs. This, to my mind, is a good way to determine whether licensees are compliant and to determine whether the GNBA is exceeding its power by requiring more than is established by law and without valid reasons. It seems to me to be an attempt to bring some much needed balance and accountability to our broadcasting landscape by ensuring that licensees honour their obligations and the conditions of their licence and that the GNBA does not exceed its power. In terms of balance, the Broadcasting Act is also very clear at section 2 where it provides that this Act shall provide, among other things, balanced information for the Guyanese public. Therefore, any strong opposition the GPA has should have been raised prior to the enactment of the Broadcasting Act in 2011and that opposition should have at least rec-
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ognized that the power granted to the GNBA under section 18 was vague and needed to clarified otherwise it can lead to confusion and abuse by both the GNBA and licensees. Contrary to the GPAs shuddering thought that it hoped that Prime Minister Nagamootoo did not provide the Cabinet with bad advice on what constitutes PSPs, it is the GPA representatives who do not understand the concept. In closing therefore, the comments and calls by Reporters without Borders and the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) are unfounded because of their apparent reliance on the information provided by the GPA. I submit that, the amendments now under public and international scrutiny all seem to be based on existing provisions in the Broadcasting Act, 2011, so the uproars that are now taking place were due back then. As an independent body it is expected that the GPA would indeed be independent, conduct its own research and not rely on the noises of the Opposition which seems to have vested interests in some broadcasting licenses. Concerned Guyanese
Kaieteur M@ilbox Did he understand what was written... From page 6 Certainly, if the CoI clears the officers of any misconduct they will be promoted.” Is Conway privileged to inside information to determine how long the CoI will last? Could it not be that the Administration may have deliberately initiated this CoI as a smoke-screen to elevate certain individuals into strategic positions within the Force? Why else would they insist in having this worthless Commission of Inquiry during the worst security crisis when dangerous prisoners are still on the run? The problem with Conway’s argument is simply this: As a former Assistant Police Commissioner, he took an oath to uphold the Law, not to break it. For as long as I can remember, there have always been two types of police officers: those who are dedicated and are committed to the Force’s motto of Service and Protection, and those who are corrupt. Some are so good, that they rise to the pinnacle of their career in the GPF without detection or having to face disciplinary actions for violating the very Laws they
took an oath to uphold. If indeed Clinton Conway was an upright and upstanding police officer during his long career in the Guyana Police Force, one must surely question the reason he has changed. Has Clinton Conway read and if so, did he understand what is written in Article 226 (1) of the Guyana Constitution? And if he did, why is he so willing to tarnish his credibility by publicly supporting the President who has knowingly violated the Constitu-
tion? The answer of course, may be found in the many lucrative job opportunities that the Administration has made available to retired member of the security sector, and perhaps he believes if he makes a good enough impression, he may be invited to join the SARA family. I wish him well. HARRY GILL PPP Member of Parliament Member of the Parliamentary Oversight Committee for the Security Sector
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Kaieteur News
Cleared NBS manager tells of nightmare getting jobs in US Two former managers of the New Building Society (NBS) who said they suffered terribly from trumped up fraud charges 10 years ago, are calling on the mortgage institution to do the right thing. Kissoon Baldeo, 48, is now living in New Jersey, US, with his family. Following news that NBS was appealing an award to pay millions in pensions, Baldeo said he is hoping to bring closure to the worst period in his life, where he was rejected for jobs, among other suffering. He was the former Assistant Mortgage Manager. Kent Vincent, 56, is now the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the highly respected Food For The Poor (Guyana), a non-Governmental organization involved in charity work. A former Operations Manager, his life too was torn apart after he, Baldeo and their former boss, Maurice Arjoon, were all charged with stealing over $60M from NBS, Guyana’s foremost mortgage lending institution. The men were later cleared of the fraud charges and Arjoon, the former CEO, filed a High Court action, seeking his pension and other benefits. He also filed an official
- Says appeal of High Court ruling an unconscionable act
Former CEO, Maurice Arjoon
Former Assistant Mortgage Manager, Kissoon Baldeo
Former Operations Manager, Kent Vincent
complaint in 2014 with former Ombudsman, Justice Winston Moore, in 2014, asking for an investigation to be launched into his wrongful arrest and charge. Arjoon claimed he was set up, under the direction of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, because he refused to use NBS monies to finance the construction of the Berbice Bridge. Arjoon said that the use of the monies would have been illegal un-
der NBS regulations. After Arjoon was charged, NBS nevertheless went ahead and bought shares in the bridge, a structure that was until last year under the control of Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, a close friend of Jagdeo. A number of board members have reportedly expressed unhappiness over the charges. Moore, who has since
passed away, in his Ombudsman report findings, concluded that Arjoon and his two managers were wrongfully charged. The High Court last month awarded $79M to Arjoon, representing pensions and other benefits. However, Justice Brassington Reynolds did not immediately award damages. Arjoon was claiming up to $550M. NBS has since signaled its intentions to appeal
the awards. The matter, for Arjoon and two managers, has now been dragging on for almost 10 years. Baldeo made it clear this past week that NBS should think the matter through and do the correct thing. It would have the first time that the manager has spoken since the 2007 charges where their faces were splashed in the newspapers. NO JOBS “After serving the NBS for 20 years I was wrongfully charged for fraud and subsequently dismissed from the Society. After the criminal case was dismissed due to absolutely no evidence, I felt the NBS would have paid me my benefits…pension contributions, severance pay and pay during the four years the court case took. Although there was no evidence, I was forced to file a lawsuit against the NBS seek compensation.” Baldeo explained that unfortunately, he had to migrate to the US with his family and thus had to withdraw the lawsuit. “During all these years, me and my family suffer tremendous setbacks…financially, emotionally and physically.” He said that the embarrassment that the matter brought him and his family
cannot be explained. “However, we have managed to overcome this trauma and eventually move on with our lives, but the scar is still there.” In the US, it was hard to find jobs. Companies who interviewed him conducted background checks. “It affected me getting a job in the US and negatively impacted my life in every regard... now the court has ruled in favor of Arjoon, I still feel the NBS will do the right deed and compensate the three managers.” Baldeo, noting that he and his former colleagues were all charged and freed under the same circumstances, made it clear that he is not seeking a fortune from NBS. “We are just asking to be compensated for what we are entitled to. I do hope that good sense will prevail and the Board now realize the extent of damage that was caused to the three innocent managers and do the right thing by rewarding then for what they deserved.” UNCONSCIONABLE Meanwhile, Vincent said that it was difficult to describe the move by NBS to appeal the decision of the court to award benefits to his former boss. Continued on page 12
Sunday August 13, 2017
Dem boys seh...
When Exxon done wid Guyana you can’t even fry kakabelly If people not careful, when Exxon dun wid Guyana you wouldn’t have a drop of oil to fry a banga mary; kakabelly or ride a bike. That is wha dem boys certain about. Dem boys gun tell you why dem really think so. A quick question fuh you to answer. If a man come to marry you daughter, wha is de fuss thing you gun do? If a man come and tell yuh he believe that yuh backyard full of gold and diamond and that you and yuh family gun get very, very rich if you allow him to dig it up fuh share wid you wha you gun do again? De man also tell yuh that yuh don’t have to do nutten, because he gat de money fuh buy the excavators and he also got the expertise to bring up the diamond and gold. Wha is de next thing you gun do? You have to check out de man background to see if he is a scamp like dem African and Guyanese politicians and if he gat the money he seh he gat fuh do the job. Dem boys seh when you dig into the man’s background you find out that he is a man who not even a dog can trust wid he bone, how he rob people in every village he been to. Yuh end up finding out that everybody backyard he find gold and diamond he cheat the people and getaway. As a matter of fact you find out when he leave the people backyard, dem more poor than when he enter de yard. Wid that info, dem boys want to know if yuh would still gun tie bundle wid such a man? Would you strike a deal wid him or right away you gun kick de bastard out immediately and leff yuh damn gold and diamond right deh? Well, dem boys seh that is the problem Guyana find itself in with ExxonMobil. That company tell Guyana find how much billion barrel of oil it find. And how it gun get filthy rich overnight. From de time it mek de announcement that Guyana gun get filthy rich, people start sport. Dem kill fowl, duck, sheep, goat, cow and cook. At one stage Banks DIH and DDL didn’t have likker to supply Guyana. Is man, woman and child was sporting every day. Some people give up dem citizenship in America and Canada and come back. But is when dem hear de background of de people dem run back. Background checks prove that every country wheh ExxonMobil been to, it rob de people blind. America still sending walking stick and sunshades fuh some of dem blind people. ExxonMobil also leff the people poorer than when dem went and meet dem. You might want to ask why de people allow de company in de country in de fuss place and did not chase dem out. De company bribe de presidents and full all the politicians’ pockets and bank accounts. Then de company run away wid all de oil. It didn’t even lef oil fuh grease de donkey cart wheel. Allow dem in Guyana without proper safeguard you wouldn’t have oil to fry kakabelly much less banga mary Talk half and demand that Soulja Bai and that scamp Jagdeo don’t allow that to happen to Guyana.
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Five Ministers visit Exxon H/Q in Texas … to “familiarize” themselves with oil and gas matters Five senior ministers of the Government of Guyana are currently in Irving, Texas, visiting with officials of ExxonMobil. Those on the trip are Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan; Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson and Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin. The team reportedly left early last week. U s u a l l y, an
announcement is made to the press about upcoming visits to be made by Ministers, but this instance was different. Not a single word about the trip was made during Minister Harmon’s last postCabinet press briefing. One usually reliable source has expressed concern that the Minister left to go speak with Exxon officials in Texas, but took no technical persons. The source said, “They are Ministers they should not be
the ones going there to speak with Exxon’s people, they do not know what is going on.” The person contended that “even if Ministers wanted to go, technical people are supposed to accompany them. This spells recipe for disaster.” The trip was confirmed by a very senior government official who said that the Ministers are not in Texas to negotiate with ExxonMobil but to “familiarize” themselves with the oil and gas-related matters.
The facts about many areas of Guyana’s developing oil and gas industry are being treated as state secrets. The contract between Guyana and ExxonMobil is under lock and key. Further, even the names of those who have and are continuing to negotiate on Guyana’s behalf are being kept a secret. At a post- Cabinet press briefing, Harmon said that the government is not ready for the Guyanese people to know Continued on page 13
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PM seeks to alleviate concerns about Broadcast Amendment Bill
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo has penned a missive that aims to educate the public about the content of the Broadcast Amendment Bill 2017. He said that much of the concerns expressed are misdirected. While there have been local and international calls for President David Granger to withhold his assent from the Bill, Nagamootoo said that this will not happen. He noted that the President’s assent “cannot be delayed by vested and parochial politi-
cal interests, and by misconceived or misinformed arguments.” The Prime Minister said that the amendments are required, with “some urgency, in the public interest.” BELOW IS MR. NAGAMOOTOO’S FULLSTATEMENT In some quarters, there has been a gross misunderstanding and, in a few instances, deliberate misrepresentation of the recent amendments to the Broadcasting Act. This Act was signed
- Says it serves national interest into law on September 27, 2011 by then President Jagdeo. It is apparent that those who have expressed some sort of opposition to the amendments did not examine carefully the provisions of the 2011 Act, which the amendments seek to give effect, as authorized by the said Act. In most cases, the amendments give clarity to certain Sections and also, add certainty to
them. These amendments were recommended by the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority GNBA, and tabled by me in the National Assembly as an AMENDMENT Bill, after statutory consultation with the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU), as required by the 2011 Act. I will explore the changes made by the amendments, starting with the interpretation assigned to certain terms in the Act. 1. DEFINITION In the ACT “broadcasting service” means a service providing broadcasting. The AMENDMENT gives clarity to this definition and amplifies that “broadcasting service” means a service providing broadcasting and includes – (i) a television broadcasting service; and (ii) a radio (sound) broadcasting service”. The ACT has no definition for “public service broadcasting” though it makes provision for broadcasters to provide “certain percentage” of time for such broadcasting. The AMENDMENT fills the gap, defining “public service broadcasting” as the broadcast of a programme produced for the purpose of informing and educating the public, and promoting policies and activities of the Government that benefit the public as a whole”. 2. PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCAST The ACT gives the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA), in Section 18 (2), powers to (i) require licensees to carry information on any programmes issued by the Civil Defence Commission, the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Fire Service and or health services, and certain other programmes as public information deemed appropriate and necessary in terms of national security, emergency and disaster as a public service AT NO COST;” (k) “require licensees to carry A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE of public service broadcast or development support broadcast as public information deems (sic) appropriate as a public service AT NO COST.” “Development support broadcast” has long been
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
recognized as relating to Government development programmes. 3. CERTAIN PERCENTAGE – is now limited That vague “certain percentage” in the original Act, EXCLUDES “information issued by the Civil Defence Commission, the Guyana Police Force” etc., and therefore, could have been interpreted as requiring additional free broadcast time to the “certain percentage” to which I have already alluded.. The AMENDMENT seeks to place a maximum cap on the “certain percentage” which will now include notices of the Civil Defence Commission, Police Force, etc., and limits it to between one minute and sixty minutes daily. The Amendment says in Section 8. (1) Every broadcasting agency shall broadcast public service programmes in the following manner(a) for a total of up to sixty minutes per day; (b) between 6:00 hrs and 22:00 hrs; and (c) free of cost. The sixty minutes referred to shall INCLUDE time allotted for any – (a) address to the Nation by the President; (b) emergency notice or disaster warning issued by the Civil Defence Commission, the Guyana Police Force, Guyana Fire Service, the Minister of Public Health and the Government generally by any agency duly authorized. 4. CLASSES OF LICENCE – now clearly defined The ACT says in Section 17 (1): The Authority shall be responsible for the regulation, supervision and development of national broadcasting, including PRIVATE, PUBLIC and COMMUNITY broadcasting. And in Section 18, it adds: The Authority shall establish classes of licences. The AMENDMENT provides for these “classes of licences” and creates a structure for their proper operation, as required by the Act. It says in Section 21A that a television broadcasting service or a radio broadcasting service shall be of the following classes:(a) Commercial, where 80% of revenue comes from advertisement and sale of airtime; (b) Non-commercial, where funding comes mainly from donors; and (c) Community, where a Board elected by a geographic area runs the station for the
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo community and in its interest. To accommodate these classes of operators, the AMENDMENT allows for zones to be created - primary, secondary and tertiary zones in various geographic locations to ensure that the entire country is covered by broadcasting from one medium or the other. The GNBA is vested with powers to do these things and much more, as the ACT allows it to amend any condition of a licence on application of the licensee or on the Authority’s own motion; issue renewals of licences; suspend or revoke any licence; require licensees to carry public information broadcast as public service at no cost, etc. 5. FEES – significantly reduced Under a Schedule of the existing 2011 Act, all operators were required to pay a flat fee of $2,500,000 for a broadcasting licence, whether the agency has nationwide reach or is confined to a specified and limited location. The imposition by the former Government of an across-theboard $2.5 million fee, resulted in most licensees not paying the fees, and they have voluntarily become unlicensed, some since 2012. Reports indicate that broadcasters owe an estimated $125 million to the GNBA; and only eight (8) of them are in conformity with licensing requirements under law. But the AMENDMENT relieves operators from what I had described in the National Assembly as “the kleptocratic obsession” of the former government to levy heavy fees. The Amendment substitutes a new Table of Fees that, except for a license to operate radio in the primary (populated) zone, significantly reduces the fees. The new Fee for television in the primary zone is slashed to $1,200,000. The licence fees for secondary and tertiary zones are $600,000 and $300,000 respectively. These fees are also applicable to cable. A community radio (Continued on page 11)
Sunday August 13, 2017
Assassination plot…
Halted promotions include cops who testified at COI Just days after President David Granger directive that there be a halt on police promotions, it has been revealed that at least three officers summoned to the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the alleged assassination plot against him, were on the list to be promoted. These officers include Assistant Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken, for the post of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Chief Senior Superintendent Wendell Blanhum for Assistant Commissioner and Assistant Superintendent, Head of Major Crimes Unit, Mitchell Caesar, to Deputy Superintendent. These officers were called to testify at the ongoing COI for the role each of them played in the investigation of the allegation made by Andriff Gillard, that businessman, Nizam Khan, attempted to recruit him to kill the president. The COI was ordered after it was reported that the investigation was poorly done. As the modus operandi of the Guyana Police Force is being examined at the COI, the president wrote to the Police Service Commission (PSC) and asked that all promotions be halted until further notice. Chairman of the PSC, Omesh Satyanand, confirmed that the letter was sent to the secretary and it came up at a meeting. Some of the officers on the promotion list were Assistant Commissioner, Nigel Hoppie to Deputy Commissioner and Senior Superintendent E. Thomas to Assistant Commissioner. From Deputy Superintendent to
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Kaieteur News
President David Granger
Assistant Commissioner, Clifton Hicken
Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum
Assistant Superintendent Mitchell Caesar
Superintendent: G. McAllister, R. Banwarie, R. Ali, L. Saul, G. Davis, C. Johnson, H. Winter and R. Martin. Assistant Superintendent J. Barker and S. Reid were listed to be promoted to Superintendent. The Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) raised some concerns about the government’s interference in the police promotions. In the letter from the Office of the President, dated July 26, addressed to the commission’s secretary, Marvalyn
Stephens, Minister Harmon said that President Granger had “directed that there be no consideration of promotions for members of the Guyana Police Force by the Police Service Commission, until further notice”. The leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo in a statement said that the letter is another “vulgar and authoritarian” attempt by the President to trample upon the independence and functional autonomy of a Constitutional agency.
PM seeks to alleviate... (From page 10) licence fee is only $150,000. 6. TRANSFER OF LICENCE The ACT contains in Section 19 the broadcasting policy for Guyana that ensures that Broadcasting services are effectively owned and controlled by (a) (i) Guyanese nationals; (b) (ii) Guyanese nationals and CARICOM nationals: Provided that in the case of CARICOM nationals their ownership and control shall be subject to there being RECIPROCAL PROVISIONS governing broadcasting by the Member State of which the CARICOM national is a citizen..” We know of cases where broadcasting licences have been ostensibly transferred to non-Guyanese nationals. In cases where such licensees had sold or transferred their broadcasting rights and interests, there would be need to review such transfers in keeping with requirements as regards (a) zoning and (b) status of transferees under the 2011 Act., Under the 2011 Act, a licence could not be transferred to any other person without the written consent of the GNBA. 7. TERROR THREATS The broadcasting policy in the ACT ensures compliance by broadcasters with the Constitution and laws of Guyana and requires them not to incite violence, ethnic, reli-
gious or cultural hostility. It provides for review of broadcasting rules that regulate content that violates the Constitution, stimulates sexual violence and abuses women’s and children’s rights etc. The AMENDMENT amplifies this section, in keeping with new developments, and in Section 39B provides that a broadcasting agency shall not broadcast advertisements or programmes which contain HATE SPEECH, RACIAL INCITEMENT or TERROR THREATS. This cannot be an interference with free speech! This is in keeping with the Guyana Constitution which, in Article 146 (3), states that “Freedom of expression does not relate to hate speech or other expressions, capable of exciting hostility”. It is my strong and confident submission that freedom of the press or of expression is not violated where any law provides for an action to be taken in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or for regulating broadcasting or television services. 8. REQUIREMENT TO RE-APPLY Depending on the class of service or the zone for which the licence is granted, all broadcasters, including the State radio and television, have to fill out the new application forms that are part of the Broadcasting Regulations (the Amendment).
This was a requirement in 2011 as the Act stipulates that all legitimate broadcasters must submit application for continuation of broadcasting within 30 days of the said Act coming into effect. A person who wanted to start broadcasting service had to apply for a licence under the new conditions in the Act. The 2017 AMENDMENT Bill re-applies this requirement for submission of application in keeping with the classes of licences, the zoning for operations and the adjusted fees for the different zones. This is a practical measure, and logical within the context of the adjusted broadcasting landscape, which was done in full conformity with the existing Broadcasting law. The Opposition-driven allegations that the amendments violate the Constitution, breach international treaties and conventions, “kill” freedom of the press and take away “proprietary interests” of broadcasters, are totally without merit, and form part of the partisan political propaganda against the need for modern legislative changes in Guyana. The assent of His Excellency, President David Granger, to the Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2017 cannot be delayed by vested and parochial political interests, and by misconceived or misinformed arguments. The amendments are required, with some urgency, in the public interest.
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Cleared NBS manager tells of... From page 8 “Yes, I suffered terribly and would like to bring closure. It is difficult to describe…to put into words exactly what NBS is doing. I think it was said that they can drag this out in court indefinitely.” Vincent, who had spoken in the past about the suffering he and his family faced because of the charges, disclosed that he feels for Arjoon. “I feel badly for Mr Arjoon. I feel that it is totally unfair, on their part; I think it is unconscionable for them to now appeal. We sued separately…ours is still pending. The same judgment will come, as we followed the same procedure.” Vincent said he was 44 when he was charged and then fired after serving 13
years. “I don’t know if they want to see this man (Arjoon) die before he gets what is due. It is wicked on their part to do something like that. Terrible, terrible…people should come out and speak, Arjoon don’t deserve what happened. I don’t know who could put pressure…they (NBS) don’t have a heart…they don’t have conscience. This is a man’s livelihood. Go ahead and pay the man.” According to Vincent, persons will have to answer to God for the wrong things they are doing. “Even if they don’t answer in this life, they will answer in judgment. This appeal is an indictment on NBS. I have not even called Mr Arjoon. What can I tell him? NBS was a place with a heart for the people. If they can do this to someone who worked for them 30 years, giving his best to society, what would they not do to anyone else? They have no heart and they have lost their way.” The Arjoon family last week expressed frustration by the appeal of NBS. The former CEO said that the mortgage society had provided no acceptable reason
why he was dismissed, and no objection on the pension claim, during the High Court case. “I was therefore very surprised when the judge “awarded” my pension due for the past 10 years and unpaid salary, but none of the $550M in damages and consequently, it is my opinion that I won the battle, but NBS won the war.” Arjoon said that he decided to accept the esteemed judge’s ruling and expected that NBS would have done likewise. Arjoon pointed out that his innocence was also proven during the NBS internal and external investigations, as well as that of Bank of Guyana, since 2007, and subsequently confirmed in court in 2010, and then by the late Ombudsman in 2014. “I subscribed to a pension scheme for three decades to be paid pension at age 60, yet I was illegally dismissed six months before retirement. My pension rights have therefore been illegally denied from the inception 10 years ago; a blatant violation of the Terminations and Severance Pay Act (TESPA) which is continuing with the non-payment to date!”
Sunday August 13, 2017
No arrest in Chinese restaurant owner murder Yesterday, investigators discovered that the surveillance cameras they were depending on to give them a lead in the murder of 44-year-old Liyan Jiang, does not have any footage of the businessman’s attackers due to the way it was positioned. A police source explained that the cameras are positioned in the opposite direction in which the bandits escaped. This, according to the source, confirmed that Jiang’s killers entered and exit through his bathroom window. While no one has been arrested, the source explained that investigators will hunt for the persons who cold-bloodedly murdered the father of two. The ranks will be depending on intelligence in this case. Divisional Commander could not be reached for a comment. The bound body of the businessman was discovered in the bathroom area of his Paradise Chinese Restaurant at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo around 22:00 hrs on Thursday. Investigators suspect that Jiang, who had been running the restaurant by himself, was killed sometime Wednesday night or in the wee hours of Thursday. His mouth was gagged, his hands were tied behind his back with a phone charger and his feet were also tied. No blood was found at the scene, but there were marks of violence on the victim’s body. His right cheek was swollen and the entire house was ransacked. Investigators suspect that he had been strangled. The bandits gained entry into the restaurant by removing louvre panes from a bathroom window and then breaking the grill. There was a chair next to the window, indicating that the men left the same way they entered. The restaurant does not have cameras.
Dead: Liyan Jiang
The victim’s wife, who runs another restaurant at Soesdyke, told the police that she last spoke with her husband around 22:00 hrs on Wednesday. When she did not hear from him on Thursday, she called his phone but it went to voicemail. The woman then asked a male friend in the area to check on him. When the individual went, he called several times but did not get a response. Upon entering the building, the young man noticed the restaurant door was partly open and immediately went to the Tuschen Outpost, from where he was accompanied by ranks. When they entered the building, the cops noticed the place was ransacked and shortly after, they found the body. Investigations are ongoing.
Sunday August 13, 2017
Kaieteur News
Five Ministers visit Exxon...
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon
Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman
Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin
Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan From page 9 the names of the main professionals negotiating with ExxonMobil. He told the media, “I cannot say specifically who else was there (at the negotiating table). Those matters are still under wraps, so I cannot give specific names to you. But, what I can say is that the matter was led by the competent Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, and the government has all confidence in that Minister to lead the sector and to lead any negotiation in the best interest of the people of Guyana.�
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Why Financial Literacy Matters The money problem From time to time, we must refresh our thinking about the things that are important in our lives. For most people, the number one problem is money. In fact, most problems
are money problems. There is a 17th Century Proverb that states, “If money be not thy servant, it will be thy master.” Furthermore, the financial literacy literature informs us
that most people are living from paycheque to paycheque. Such financial worries exact a high toll which people often pay all of their lives. Health, personal relationships, and
professional activities all suffer when there are financial burdens. Just last week, someone asked me the questions, “Does Financial Literacy matter? Will it have any effect on how Guyanese make financial decisions?” There is one thing that we do know, “To bring your ambitions and desires to fulfilment, you must be successful with money.” However, before delving into the questions, we must discuss some definitions and contextual matters relating to “Financial Literacy”, since it means different things to different people. What do we mean by Financial Literacy As discussed in a previous article, when we talk about financial literacy we are usually referring to a set of skills that allow people to manage their money wisely. Financial literacy is a broad concept that includes both information and behaviour and it is relevant for all consumers, regardless of their wealth and income. Broader concepts of financial literacy also assume that people will make better judgements about their financial affairs if they understand the relationship between their own finances and the wider economy. From the macroeconomic perspective, a financially literate population is of major importance in terms of combating poverty Why Financial Literacy matters Without an understanding of basic financial concepts, people are not well equipped to make decisions related to financial management. People with low levels of financial literacy suffer from that lack of knowledge at every stage of their lives. In fact, the literature indicates that people who have a lower degree of financial literacy tend to borrow more, accumulate less wealth, and pay more in fees related to financial products. They are less likely to invest, more likely to have trouble with debt, and less likely to know the terms of their mortgages and other loans. They also end up borrowing more and saving less money. Alternatively, the potential benefits of financial literacy are significant. A review of the literature indicated that people with strong financial skills do a better job planning and saving for retirement. From a social welfare perspective, it matters greatly or not how people are able to manage their financial affairs wisely
Sunday August 13, 2017
and live within their means. However, the benefits of financial literacy extend well beyond stronger household balance sheets to the promotion of a more resilient financial system and, ultimately to the more efficient allocation of resources within the real economy. The troubling aspects of Financial Literacy The global financial crisis of 2008 highlighted a number of deficiencies with financial products. All of the research pointed to the fact that the crisis was primarily caused by deregulation in the financial industry. Specifically, Banks were permitted to engage in hedge fund trading with derivatives; subsequently demanding more mortgages to support the profitable sale of these derivatives. After interest rates resets from both the Federal Reserve and the Banks, housing prices started falling as supply out-paced demand. As a result, the trapped homeowners could not afford the payments and could not sell their homes. In a 2013 article by Helaine Olen of the Guardian, she states that with respect to banks advocating for financial literacy after the crisis, “It promotes the false equivalence that the victims of the financial shenanigans of the past several years are as responsible for the financial crisis as the financial services sector, the ultimate creator of all those financial products of mass destruction.” With these situations in mind, the question should be, “How helpful is financial literacy?” Well, the financial literacy literature informs us that, managing one’s finances is a complex set of challenges requiring a combination of skills, judgement and resources. So what can we do to raise the level of Financial Literacy in Guyana In the case of Guyana, families must grapple with a variety of financial decisions; these are not as complicated as those in advanced economies but just as troubling, ranging from choosing a bank and managing various kinds of debt to planning for retirement. Even the simplest of these decisions requires at least some basic financial knowledge and competency. The road to financial freedom requires practice and discipline. Our nation needs citizens to be able to manage their financial lives well. To get there, we must make a commitment to raising the level of financial literacy
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
Dr. Terence Smith, Deputy Governor, Bank of Guyana among Guyanese. This is an issue with broad implications for our nation’s economic health. As we move forward in formalising and coordinating an approach to achieving financial literacy throughout the length and breadth of the country, our strategy must be guided by the following precepts: · Financial education must start early. Children and young people must be a target group for financial education, they should be taught to use their resources properly at an early age, to avoid problems such as debt. Parents should engage in regular, constructive conversations about money matters to give children a solid foundation for financial wellbeing. · Teachers need the right training to provide financial education. A survey by the National Endowment for Financial Education found that very few teachers believe they were prepared to teach personal finance to their students. Personal finance is an important life skill and equipping school children with this skill will not only help them to participate fully in society as they move into adulthood, but will also promote national development. · One size does not fit all. Financial literacy rates vary substantially by age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status. For example, people living in rural areas are particularly vulnerable to bad uninformed financial choices. Their incomes are largely low and irregular, and thus any loss or impudent use of money has significant consequences for them. In many of the indigenous communities, even the most basic financial information is lacking. Financial literacy matters on many levels. It helps people manage their financial affairs and improve their standard of living. It also improves the economic health of the nation. Next week we will discuss King Solomon’s financial wisdom. Thanks for all your comments and support. As usual, please send your comments or questions to deputygovernor@ bankofguyana.org.gy
Sunday August 13, 2017
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Sunday August 13, 2017
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More than one year and still no Sugar industry, national coroner appointed – Nandlall security issues pose risk to economy
In January 2016, the National Assembly passed the Coroners (Amendment) Bill. To date, no coroner has been appointed. This issue was raised by former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall during a recent press conference. Nandlall, a vocal figure when the amendments were being made to the Coroners Act, said that in 2016, the APNU+AFC government had pushed the amendment Bill through parliament with much haste. He said that the government had argued that the amendments were necessary, since President David Granger had promised the people of Guyana during the 2015 campaign that more inquests must be held, and that too many deaths were unaccounted for. Nandlall said that government had indicated its haste to pass the Bill so that it can get the needed inquests started. “Well we passed that thing about two years now and not a single coroner has been appointed. In fact, the structure which the amendment contemplates to make it work has not been established.” During the parliamentary debates on the amendments to the Bill, Attorney General, Basil Williams had said that there was one amendment to the Coroners Act which was cited in the Bill as Section 3A. That amendment speaks to the appointment of persons to be coroners. The section reads, “(1) notwithstanding anything in Sections 2 and 3, the Judicial Service Commission may appoint fit and proper persons as coroners. (2) In the county of Demerara, there shall be at least three coroners, in the county of Berbice at least two and in the county of Essequibo, at least one….” It was explained by Williams that presently, the magistrate of the magisterial district where an unnatural death occurs, is the coroner. How-
for 2017 – Finance Ministry
Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall ever, he said that if that magistrate for some reason is unable to act conveniently or cannot be found, the nearest Justice of the Peace who can act, shall be the coroner. Further, he said that the amendments do not change the law, but merely widen the definition of a coroner. According to the amendments, the Judicial Service Commission is to appoint fit and proper persons to be coroners in Guyana. Meanwhile, Nandlall had argued that there is proper infrastructure in place to support the administrative responsibilities that will follow as a result of the amendments. He had said that coroners are essentially magistrates and are answerable to the Chief Magistrate. However, the former AG explained that since coroners will be given the responsibility to handle inquests, they will have to report to the Chief Justice. “It is an unnecessary bur-
den to place on the office of the Chief Justice. It makes no administrative sense. Hence we are asking for a department within the Magistrate’s office to deal specifically with the matters relating to the coroners. It will bring greater administrative ease.” At the time of the debate, the opposition had called for the Bill to be sent to a select committee for further consideration. However, it was passed without so doing. According to the amendments that were made to the principal Act, there shall be at least three coroners in the county of Demerara, at least two in Berbice and at least one in Essequibo. Further, coroners shall have all the powers, privileges, rights and jurisdiction of a Magistrate and justice of the peace that are necessary for the performance of their duties.
The Baccoo Speaks The holidays have had their share of tragedies, but that is not what is worrying. The problem rests with the people who are busy trying to force something to happen. They cannot rob people leaving the banks, and for certain, they have a problem entering some places. So there is frustration. The desperation will result in a carjacking, but sometimes such things do get ugly. This one would, because the police would be hot on the tail of the carjackers. There would be a shootout.
** Donald Trump coined the term, fake news. The situation in the Rupununi would be reported inaccurately. The fact that there is no fuel shortage would cause a problem across the political divide. ** A shooting would occur in the heart of the city largely because of a drug dispute. The police are going to identify it as an attempted assassination.
In reviewing the performance of the economy at the end of mid-year, the Finance Ministry has identified a number of risks which can undermine the business climate and the overall economy for 2017, if left unchecked. Among the risks identified were the state of the sugar industry, the underwhelming performance of the public sector investment programme and national security issues.
has proposed, with Parliament approving $130 million, for the creation of a Special Purposes Unit to deal with the valuation and sale of related assets. In addition, the diversification of less productive estates is intended to provide alternative employment opportunities for workers in the industry.
SUGAR
Another hurdle on the domestic front, as identified by the Finance Ministry, has been the underwhelming pace of implementation of the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP). According to officials within the Ministry, this was underpinned by poor management of the public sector investment programme across almost all sectors, a limited pool of qualified contractors, dearth of procurement planning, and a lack of accountability of supervising consultants, among other factors. The slow pace of implementation was reviewed at the level of Cabinet at the half year and it is anticipated that this level of engagement with Heads of Budget Agencies will occur at least quarterly, in light of the chronic institutional weaknesses that prevail. According to the Ministry, many Heads of Budget Agencies continue to be weak in demonstrated capacities and the reviews at Cabinet level will determine how to fill existing capacity gaps. Additionally, developing public sector capacity to spend effectively has been placed at the forefront of re-
The Finance Ministry said that one untenable risk is that of management of the production of sugar which continues to be plagued by inefficient cost structures, weather and labour relations. The Ministry said that the cost structure of the industry continues to be misaligned and the discussions on restructuring and diversification are yet to yield benefits to the corporation’s bottom line. Once again, the $9 billion allocation to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has continued to crowd out needed expenditure in other sectors. The Finance Ministry said that the related shortfalls in production will continue to hamper growth, constrain export earnings, and impact the fiscal deficit. GuySuCo has signaled that during the second half of the year, funds will be secured from sales of molasses and sugar and sale of land. In recognition of the need to arrest the unsustainable position of the company, a decision to privatize the Skeldon plant and estate was taken. Since then, Government
INVESTMENT PROGRAMME
form agenda for public financial management and by the end of 2017, the Department of Public Service is expected to establish planning units in all key sector ministries. Further, in September, Government will undertake a Public Investment Management Assessment that will evaluate the design and effectiveness of institutions that shape investment planning, allocating investment to the most productive sectors and implementing investment. The results of this assessment will help to drive additional reforms going forward. SECURITY ISSUES According to the Finance Ministry, public security priorities have arisen as a result of the recent repeat instances of prison escapees. The Ministry said that this has placed the population in a state of deferred activity. With this in mind, the need to address security issues definitively is now placed on the front burner to avoid the undermining of the business climate, the level of economic activity, and personal safety. As it relates to national sovereignty, the Finance Ministry said that concerns in light of the border situation with Venezuela under the Good Officers Process has seen the United Nations Secretary General extend it until the end of 2017. The success of that process is important to resolving the controversy and ensuring no deterioration in the relations between Guyana and Venezuela given the potential to impact negatively on our economic development objectives.
Sunday August 13, 2017
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== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==
Another hospital death, another jail term, another disaster waiting to happen Another mother has died at the Georgetown Hospital. A mother of five young children, passed away with her unborn child last Wednesday. Yet another enquiry will be held. These probes we never seem to hear about the outcome. There never seems to be any criminal charge against the involved doctor. What happened to the investigation that was launched after the death of the ten-year-old kid who was kicked in the stomach and was sent home? What happened to the police probe into a missing passport which was handed to an immigration official by a departing passenger with surveillance cameras all over the place? But forgive my cynicism of the ragged mess that my country is essentially made up of, when I say that when the cameras were checked, they revealed that Santa Claus stole the woman’s passport and flew away with it to the North Pole. A loan officer of a bank was sentenced last Thursday to eighteen months on a three million fraud charge by Magistrate McLennan. Could any human in this country believe this, after what happened at the Camp Street prison in two consecutive years? He is a first offender. He didn’t violently maul his victim. Couldn’t a fine and community service have sufficed? Once more I was the guest of Stan Gouveia’s radio programme The Hot Seat, last Thursday on Hits and Jam Radio. I told Stan I would make the most tyrannical president the world has ever seen. Using the president’s power in the 1980 Constitu-
tion (as President Granger is currently doing), I would walk into some magistrates’ courts and do what President Forbes Burnham did. What I am about to describe is a true occurrence. It was during the construction of the President’s College. One of the contractors was way behind schedule and was recalcitrant. The President was livid. He went to the construction site, came out of his car, went up to that particular contractor and said to him; “show me your car.” When the contractor complied, Burnham exclaimed; “get into it and don’t come back on this site.” That is what I would do, if I am president, with certain magistrates that see people as animals to be caged. So we have a president that I am betting will not say a word on this issue, but is the same president that has accused me (who partially contributed to his election victory) of creating mischief in Guyana. This is the same president that responded to the ruling of the Chief Justice by asserting that it is her interpretation of the constitution and he has his. The Minister of Public Security is not going to say a word on this jail term, but that is the same Minister that has accused me (who partially contributed to his election victory) and David Hinds of wanting to bring the PPP back to power. So why are they going to stay away from commenting
on that decision to jail the banking official? Because as President and as Minister, they can’t comment on judicial decisions. That is blatantly and egregiously untrue. The President reacted publicly to the Chief Justice’s ruling on the GECOM issue. And it is the President himself who said that he and his ministers can make comments in their personal capacities. He resorted to this theory when the Minister of Communities criticized the Chronicle’s journalism, in
a published letter. The President’s reaction was that the Minister was commenting in his capacity as a private citizen. Fair enough! Can President Granger in his personal capacity offer a comment on the jailing of this banking official? Would he like to comment on the harshness of the sentence? Would Minister Ramjattan, in his capacity as a citizen, like to give his opinion on Magistrate McLennan’s decision in the
context that it is he, the Minister, that feels the heat from the society when overcrowded prisons in Guyana explode in fiery conflagration and violent death? So let’s return to the caption of this column. As I type this article my mind ran straight to a movie I saw long ago with that husband and wife team - Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. It was on the rush to get out of Cuba at the airport after the government was overthrown by Castro.
Frederick Kissoon I envisage such a picture in Guyana as entry to the US become harder as Trump truncates the numbers of visas issued to Third World countries. As Dante’s inferno spreads in Guyana, the psychotic rush to get out will create hell at the airport, as in that movie.
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Sunday August 13, 2017
“The people of Guyana own these airwaves” As the debate on the merits of the Government’s proposed Amendments to the existing Broadcast Law wound down on Friday 4 August, 2017, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, gave it some people’s perspective. This is the first part of her address to the Parliamentary House. This Amendment Bill further defines the powers and functions already existing under the Broadcasting Act of 2011. It seeks to do four very important things: 1. Provide an unambiguous, fair and equitable licensing regime 2. Prohibit hate speech, racial incitement and terror threats 3. Provide for the protection of international agreements, and 4. Ask for a commitment from broadcasting agencies to provide one hour per day for public service programming The substantive Act of 2011, section 18(2)k, Laws of Guyana, says that the Broadcasting Authority requires licensees to “carry a certain percentage of Public Service Broadcast or Development Support Broadcast as public information deemed appropriate as a public service at no cost”. Public service broadcast has always been mandatory. This Amendment Bill seeks to define what a “certain percentage” would be, and it has been proposed that it should be one in every 24 hours. This amounts to a mere 4% per day. It is important to note that in most democratic countries of the world, broadcasting enterprises are required to set aside time for public service programming. For instance, the Trinidad & Tobago Telecommunications Act 2001/4 specifies, “The concessionaire shall, on a free-of-charge basis up to a limit of fourteen (14) hours per calendar week and thereafter … transmit any programme, announcement, information or other material which the Government may require to be transmitted as a matter of public interest … such material shall, up to a limit of one hour per day, be transmitted without accompanying advertisements”. The people of Guyana own the airwaves in Guyana’s air space. Since they are the property of the people, then we the people deserve to have good programming that informs and educates us, and helps to keep us safe in emergency situations. What is really diabolical and disingenuous is the Opposition behaving as if the concept of public service programming was just made up by this government with ulterior motives.
The fact is that Public Service Programming is already a part of the Laws of Guyana, Broadcasting Act of 2011 which was piloted by the PPP government, and passed in Parliament when they had the majority of seats. Moreover, the Opposition mischievously contends that private broadcasters will be “forced to air government propaganda”. Assuming (and it’s a wild assumption) that such a situation does arise, these proposed Amendments do give to every broadcaster the right to register a complaint/objection with the National Broadcasting Authority if s/he is of the opinion that the material s/he is asked to air does not constitute a public service. S/he also has the right to be heard. ONLYIN EMERGENCIES The opposition needs to be reminded that the Amendments specifically state, “up to sixty minutes”. That is the upper limit and its intent is for the time to be utilized only in the event of emergencies. One example was the 2005 floods when more than six feet of water sat on the land on the East Coast Demerara for nearly two weeks. The national radio and television station, NCN, was off the air for awhile, and at that time it was vitally important for the Health Ministry to send messages to the people, particularly about Leptospirosis. The electricity company had to get life-saving advisories to the residents who were trapped on the second floor of their homes since the ground floors and their electrical appliances were under water. GWI and the Civil Defence Commission had equally important information to send out, and everyone had to use privately-owned television stations for awhile. It was a credit to GPL that they kept the power on throughout the ordeal. One TV station owner had devoted more than 10 hours of its broadcast day, for several days, to public messaging, showing videos, and even joining the distribution of food and sundries. PRODUCTION IS GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY In most parts of the free world, private broadcasters produce their own programming, set their own logs. They work with specific requirements, e.g. a limited number of words for a 15, 30, 45 or 60 second advertisement or announcement, irrespective of its origin. Time is the broadcasters’ commodity. Even NCN, the nation’s station, works with strict adherence to time. Most stations employ script writers to produce quality messages with the right rhythm and wording. This will remain the forte
Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes of NCN, so the objections are moot! I began my own career as a broadcaster and have worked extensively with both the public and private media. It is well known that it is no easy task to produce any TV or radio programme, commercial, PSA, or an hour-long programme that is on-message. That requires a lot of resources, skill and time. Therefore, I take umbrage with the accusation (a red herring) that these amendments would require private media houses to produce 60 minute programmes for the government. HATE SPEECH It is not so incomprehensible that the Opposition objects to the article that prohibits hate speech, racial incitement and terror threats. In fact, the “learned gentleman” (Jagdeo) has been adamant that since the words “hate speech” and “racial incitement” appear in other pieces of legislation, then it is unnecessary to have them in these Broadcast Amendments. Well, we wish that the ‘learned gentleman’ would comprehend the fact that because the Laws of Guyana cover many, many subject areas, reiterating them in the Broadcast Act underlines their utter importance. (To be continued)
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My column
Show us the ExxonMobil deal Guyana is on the cusp of becoming an oil-producing nation. About three years ago ExxonMobil announced that it had made a significant discovery offshore Guyana. I remember when then President Donald Ramotar reported to the nation that Guyana was ready to move ahead. Indeed, Guyana is now rated a middle income country, but if you are to talk to any Guyanese you would hear them deny that Guyana is a poor country. It does not have the skilled people necessary to take advantage of the jobs that are going to be opened up. Some have already gained low-level jobs with the oil company and the University of Guyana is now preparing to train engineers for the oil sector. Last week ExxonMobil announced that it was taking about a dozen Guyanese to train them in the United States. But while all this is happening, the people are not really sure what the future of oil holds for them. They heard that the previous administration had signed an agreement that secured a one per cent royalty. The details of this agreement were never made known, but from what happened later when the current administration renegotiated the contract,
it was able to get a slightly better royalty rate. The government also announced that it has secured fifty per cent of the proceeds after expenses. There was no further release of the contract. The nation had been reading about the exploits of ExxonMobil around the world. There was talk that the oil company left some countries in no better condition than when it began to extract oil. The reason cited was corrupt officials who simply reached out to the oil company for their personal aggrandizement. But if there was enough from the oil, then it would be difficult to see the leaders pocketing so much money. Guyana is on the world stage as one of the most corrupt nations, so the rest of the world does not really expect to see Guyana develop. But this time around the current administration is seen as less corrupt, so one would expect the nation to enjoy the benefits from the oil discovery. Yet the way things are, it is as if the people are not important to whatever is being discussed between the government and the oil company. I remember talking to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo about the coming of ExxonMobil. He told me that there was some skepticism on the part
of ExxonMobil about investing US$150 million in the search for oil. It was then that I realized that technology can play an important part in any development. There were many oil explorers, but nine had the capability of going as deep as ExxonMobil. The fact is that where they said that no oil existed, ExxonMobil showed that there were millions of barrels. Given the technology, Guyana could have been an oil-producing nation decades ago, and one can only dream about what might have been. Is Mr. Jagdeo taking some credit for the oil find? Perhaps. But he never released the contract that he signed. The new government promised to be transparent, but all of a sudden it is saying that it cannot disclose the oil contract at this time. And as fate would have it, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall is insisting that it could. What the government could not do in the past is still a secret. I never understood confidentiality clauses. I could understand if there are going to be challengers for the right to explore and produce the oil and gas. But with the agreement in place, I cannot see that happening unless Guyana wants to be blacklisted. The good thing is that the
nation is not sitting back and allowing the secrecy to go unchallenged. It has also challenged ExxonMobil to talk with us, a challenge that is still to be accepted. I cannot understand why the oil company cannot say what it is doing. After all, we are a bit of insignificant people in a corner of the world that many people have never heard of. At least that is what ExxonMobil once thought, until the reality slapped it in the face. We may not know anything about marketing oil, but we know what a fair share is in any partnership. We have heard that Guyana will get fifty per cent of any oil that comes to the surface after expenses, but we do not know what the expenses are. Is ExxonMobil opening its books to the government? And if so, do our auditors have the knowledge to read and understand what is presented to them? It would be nice if the government could explain to us whether it is being kept abreast of the expenses being created by ExxonMobil. These are things that could be checked, since oil produc-
tion is nothing new. There was a time when foreign companies came to Guyana, got tax concessions beyond the imagination, and left little behind for the Guyanese. Omai Gold Mines extracted tonnes of gold. I remember the late President Cheddi Jagan checking the contract and finding that he could not have got better had he done the negotiating. The royalty from gold was not bad, but to this day, I believe Guyana gave more than it got. In the end Omai bailed out, but others came in, and working in close proximity to the Omai mines, are doing great. The returns may not be great, but the government is not complaining. We have not heard anything about concessions for ExxonMobil. Are the concessions hidden in the agreement? We do know that concessions can be elaborate. BaiShanLin got so many concessions that at one time it wanted to import paint that could have painted every house in Guyana, and enough cement to construct hundreds of homes.
Adam Harris Fortunately, the government changed, so these concessions were not granted and BaiShanLin soon packed up. We need to see the contract so that we could indicate whether we are happy. One official once said that Guyana needs ExxonMobil rather than the other way around. That may be the case but then again, we are familiar with our poverty. While we would like to creep out, we are not prepared to prostrate ourselves.
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Sunday August 13, 2017
Kaieteur News
The future is Agriculture I n v e s t m e n t , infrastructure, information and innovation are key to the future growth of the agriculture sector in Guyana. Infrastructure is a key factor in agricultural development. Infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, will facilitate greater access, by our farmers to inputs. It will allow them, also, to get their production more easily and quickly to the markets. The roads are a means to stimulate the rural non-farm economy, catalyze the development of communities, and facilitate the integration of rural areas into national economies. Farmers in some regions have long suffered from poor prices for their produce. Farmers must not be satisfied with solely producing for the local markets. The expansion of their production depends on finding new markets, including export markets. Farmers need information to be able to penetrate into
these markets. Guyana’s agricultural sector must become more resilient. It must reduce its exposure to commodity price downturns. The agricultural sector must lead the revival of rural Guyana by ensuring that production moves up the value chain through increased agro-processing. The processing of agricultural produce will also help farmers to reduce the present high levels of spoilage. Farmers must not be discouraged by the past experiences at moving up the value chain. The Coalition government recognizes the continued importance of agriculture to the economy post petroleum production. It is also noteworthy that that Guyana is in a unique position to take advantage of the need for food and fresh water in the coming decades. The growth of the world’s population along with
increased urbanization is expected to increase the demand for agricultural produce by some 70 percent in the next thirty years. The ability of many countries to meet this demand will be affected by climate change. The global phenomenon of climate change is resulting in increased desertification and the depletion of freshwater supplies. Guyana’s abundance of land and freshwater supplies for agricultural purposes places it in an enviable position to take advantage of the increased demand for food globally. The United Nations projected last year that the world’s population would reach 9.6 billion by 2050. A large portion of the increased food demand in decades ahead is projected to result from rising appetites for meat; several pounds of grain are needed to grow each pound of meat. There will also be a greater
demand for fresh water, fresh fruit and vegetables. In order to take advantage of these challenges, Guyana has already begun the process of reorganizing the management of the sugar, rice coconut livestock and other crops in appropriately designed organizational structures that project images of credibility to counterparts; and assurance of quality products and services to clients and farmers. The government continues to advocate the importance of agroprocessing and value-added over the production and marketing of primary commodities. The goal is to create a flexible broad-based, integrated, innovative and environmentally sensitive agriculture sector to satisfy the demands of domestic, regional and international competitive markets. Already we see the establishment of programmes like the Sustainable Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Development (SLED) for technical and financial support; improved land tenure arrangements; programmes geared to meaningfully involve our youth and women in the sector; and disseminate
knowledge and skills to agricultural, farmers and other community organisations and individuals through extension services. Looking into the future, President Granger has articulated that revenues from the petroleum sector will be used to further develop and modernize our agricultural sector. There will be the creation of sustainable enterprises, through the application of cost-effective management of traditional and modern technologies, in order to increase volumes and quality of diversified produce. And also, there will be implementation of capacity building, through the settingup of Regional Agricultural Institutes and research centres, along with continued investment in infrastructure, information and innovation. Taking our geography into consideration, intensive and urgent action will be necessary to rehabilitate/expand, as necessary, current drainage and irrigation deficiencies. Infrastructure investment in roads, bridges and airdromes will significantly improve access to markets.
Creative promotion and packaging of produce and the imaginative packaging of Guyana, will help to show us a serious ‘Agriculture’ player. In an address at Parika, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara Region last year, President David Granger laid out the challenge to farmers all across the country when he said; “Opportunities for increased agricultural markets exist within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Region’s agriculture’s sector share of Gross Development Product (GDP) declined from 13 percent to 7 percent, over the last 25 years. International food prices have been declining for the major traded agricultural products and are at the lowest levels since 2009. The food import bill of CARICOM has been rising and stands, today, at over US$4 Billion annually. CARICOM’s food insecurity must be reversed if the Caribbean is to survive. Guyana’s farmers can contribute to regional food security by increasing agricultural output. Caribbean leaders are looking to Guyana as the new horizon for agricultural development”. Guyana can play a meaningful role in becoming the rice bowl and vegetable basket of the Caribbean. Guyana under an APNU+AFC administration will play such a role through investment, infrastructure, information and innovation in agriculture. The future beyond Oil and Gas is agriculture. So not only must we grow more food, we must now grow more people interested in growing more food.
Sunday August 13, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Commonly asked questions about appendicitis By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Appendicitis is the most common abdominal emergency found in children and young adults. One person in 15 develops appendicitis in his or her lifetime. More males than females develop appendicitis between puberty and age 25. It is rare in infants and children under the age of two and the risk gradually decreases as one approach the fifth decade of life. Today we will discuss some commonly asked questions about this common and potentially deadly illness. WHAT IS THE APPENDIX? The appendix is a long, thin pouch that is shaped like a finger. It hangs down from the large intestine, which is also called the colon. There are many theories around but the function of the appendix remains unknown. WHAT IS APPENDICITIS? Appendicitis is the name for when the appendix gets infected and inflamed. If that happens, it can swell and in some cases burst. That’s dangerous, because a burst appendix can cause infection in the belly. WHATARE THE SYMPTOMS OFAPPENDICITIS? The usual symptoms include: *Severe pain in the lower part of the belly, on the right side. (For many people, the pain starts near the belly button and then moves to the lower right side.) *Loss of appetite *Nausea and vomiting *Fever Some people can have different symptoms, such as: *Stomach upset *Having a lot of gas *Irregular bowel movements *Diarrhea
*Feeling ill IS THERE A TEST FOR APPENDICITIS? Your doctor can run tests that can help him or her find the cause of your symptoms. But if you do have appendicitis, he or she will probably be able to diagnose it just by doing an exam. Your doctor can learn a lot about your condition by pressing on your belly and talking with you about your symptoms. SHOULD I SEE A DOCTOR? Yes. Call your doctor right away if you have the symptoms listed above. The risk of your appendix bursting is much higher after the first 24 hours of symptoms. If the appendix bursts, the surgery to treat it will be more complicated. HOW DEADLY IS APPENDICITIS? The inflammation caused by appendicitis, when left untreated, can cause the appendix to burst. After an appendix bursts, infectious materials are spilled out into the abdominal cavity and can cause poisoning through sepsis. In extreme cases, appendicitis can lead to peritonitis, which is a much more severe version, and can cause death. To prevent such fatalities, surgeries are preformed to remove the appendix (appendectomy).Due to medical advances, people rarely die from appendicitis in developed countries today. Nonetheless, the disease does maintain a 1% death rate. HOW IS APPENDICITIS TREATED? The main treatment for appendicitis is surgery to remove the appendix. This surgery can be done in two ways: *Open surgery – During an open surgery, the surgeon makes a cut near the appendix that is big enough to pull
the appendix through. *Laparoscopic surgery – During laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon makes a few cuts that are much smaller than those used in open surgery. Then he or she inserts long, thin tools into the belly. One of the tools has a camera (called a “laparoscope”) on the end, which sends pictures to a TV screen. The surgeon can look at the image on the screen to know where to cut and what to remove. If your appendix has burst, your surgery will probably be more complicated than it would be if it had not burst. Your surgeon will need to
wash away the material that spills out when an appendix bursts. As a result, your cuts might be larger or you might spend more time in surgery. If it has been a few days since your appendix burst and you are not very sick, your doctor might decide not to do surgery at all. That’s because the body sometimes forms a wall inside the belly, to block off the area that became infected when the appendix burst. In a case like this, doctors usually give antibiotics and carefully watch the person. They might be able to avoid doing surgery right away, since it can be more dif-
ficult in people who fit this description. But many people will need surgery later to take out the appendix. WHAT IF I AM PREGNANT? If you are pregnant and think you have signs of appendicitis, make sure you tell your doctors that you are pregnant. They will still treat you like every other patient, but will take steps to protect your unborn baby. Remember that appendicitis lasts for a short time. If your belly pain has been occurring for weeks to months,
Dr. Zulfikar Bux chances are it’s not your appendix. By the way, patients ask this question about their chronic belly pain more often than any other.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday August 13, 2017
SUNDAY SOLDIERS FIND ILLEGAL AIRSTRIP NEAR LETHEM – 12 ABANDONED CAMPS, SEVERAL DUG OUT TRENCHES ALSO AT LOCATION Soldiers on August 5 found an illegal airstrip, a chain saw and aviation fuel five kilometres west of Santa Fe, outside of Lethem. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) said that ranks were conducting a reconnaissance mission when they made the discovery. There were 12 abandoned camps at the location and several dug out trenches. The GDF said that the authorities are conducting a thorough investigation, as the alleged find represents the challenges faced by the security forces in the Hinterland. Over the past few years several illegal aircraft were seized by the state. PROBLEMS PLAGUE HOSPITAL, SCHOOLAND POLICE STATION AT MATTHEW’S RIDGE It would be ideal that a respectable level of government services are provided in remote areas, for the simple reason that it would be difficult for persons in those areas to access services in the urban centres. However, for whatever reason, adequate attention is simply not being directed towards fixing the many problems which affect the Pakera/ Matthew’s Ridge District Hospital, the Matthew’s Ridge Primary School and the community’s police station. Matthew’s Ridge is a small community located in Region one (Barima-Waini). Based on reports received by this newspaper, the only good story about the state of the hospital is that it is not short of drugs. However, there is a considerable lack of other resources such as equipment and staff. Currently, there is a shortage of nurses at the hospital and there is no clerk. This apparently causes the small cadre of nurses to perform the duties of a clerk in addition to their responsibilities. The hospital is the central health facility in a community where the majority of residents are involved in mining and other stressful jobs. As such, persons visit the institution with a number of physical injuries. Compounding the issue is that there is no X-Ray department. Hence, if patients want to know whether they would have broken, fractured or dislocated a limb, they have to be flown out of Matthew’s Ridge, which costs at least $20,000. Information reaching this newspaper is that the malaria department at the hospital is also struggling. As it relates to transportation, there is no All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) at the hospital. This is disappointing,
since ATVs are one of the best forms of transportation to be used in the hilly, alluvial soil conditions. Apparently, the one bike which was used by the hospital was stolen and sold for parts as some of these are presently lodged at the police station. Added to that, there is a Toyota Cruiser that is parked in the compound of the hospital, but it has several mechanical problems preventing it from being used. A report was made to the Regional Administrative body concerning the vehicle, but no meaningful action has been taken. According to information received, due to the condition of the roadways, when patients are being transported to the hospital, some would arrive with additional injuries than they initially had. With the lack of a vehicle, assistance needs to be sought from private individuals that own such vehicles to move patients around. The hospital does not even have a laboratory to conduct blood testing for renal failure or to record patients’ blood level. In addition, there is no ultra-sound machine at the hospital. This would be important, especially for pregnant women. Based on reports received, hospital staffers have difficulty knowing how far advanced women are in their pregnancy. Further, there is no driver at the hospital nor is there a maintenance officer or pharmacist. ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING SUPERVISORS APPOINTED FOR HIGH-RISK ENTITIES – FINANCE MINISTRY In an effort to enhance the integrity and stability of the local financial sector, the Government has taken further steps to strengthen the nation’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Fi-
nancing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime. This was noticeable, particularly in the first half of the year. In fact, the Finance Ministry in its mid-year report said that during the month of April, the country’s first AML/CFT National Risk Assessment (NRA), as mandated by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Revised Recommendations, was completed. The Ministry said that this allowed for the identification and better understanding of the risks to which Guyana is exposed. The National Risk Assessment was conducted by officials from public and private sector agencies, with technical and financial assistance from the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.
According to the Ministry, the findings of the National Risk Assessment formed the basis for the preparation of a National Risk-Based Action Plan for AML/ CFT. This is expected to facilitate the adoption of a risk-based approach to the allocation of resources and the implementation of policy measures to prevent and mitigate money laundering and terrorist financing. The Finance Ministry said, “The supervisory regime for AML/CFT was enhanced by the appointment of AML/CFT Supervisors for some reporting entities identified as high-risk entities, but which were never assigned an AML/ CFT Supervisor”. Several Bank of Guyana officials confirmed that some of these “high-
risk” entities relate to the real estate industry, car dealerships and betting places. During a National Risk Assessment workshop which was held a few months ago, Attorney General and Minister of Legal A ff a i r s , B a s i l Wi l l i a m s h a d stressed that it is not enough that Guyana is armed with the relevant laws to detect and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. According to Williams, an AML/ CFT framework will demand convictions. This is an area in which Guyana has been lacking, and Williams is determined to change this state of affairs. Williams said that the NRA is a good starting point in the journey towards an efficient and (Continued on page 41)
Sunday August 13, 2017
(From page 32) effective AML/CFT regime. MONDAY GRUESOME KILLING ROCKS BETTER HOPE…MAN HACKS OFF UNCLE’S HEAD OVER LAND DISPUTE Allegedly upset with the court cases involving his aunt over a plot of land at Lot 125 South Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, a 27-year-old man beheaded his uncle before surrendering to police Sunday morning. The suspect, identified as Dwayne Tappin a former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) rank, turned himself in to ranks at the Sparendaam Police Station, some hours after killing his uncle, Randolph Seenauth, 51. Seenauth’s headless body was found in the wooden cottage where he resided. Commander of Police ‘C’ Division Calvin Brutus, who was at the scene, said that Seenauth and his nephew lived in separate apartments on the plot of land. He said that at around 04:30hrs neighbours heard a loud commotion coming from one of the apartments but there was silence for a few minutes which led them to suspect something was amiss. Neighbours called out for Seenauth but got no response and later contacted the Sparendaam Police Station, the Commander disclosed. Police ranks arrived shortly after and upon pushing the front door to Seenauth’s apartment, found his head lying in a passageway between the living room and kitchen. Further checks were made in the apartment and the rest of the man’s body was discovered on a mattress in the bedroom. Brutus stated the murder weapon was not recovered despite searches on both apartments. Indra Kowlessar, a sister of the slain man, said that Tappin, who is her nephew, was always in the habit of beating her brother. According to the woman, her family is involved in a dispute over the land which her mother died and left for
Kaieteur News
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her. She disclosed that the dispute is engaging the attention of the High Court. She said that her sister, who is Tappin’s mother, lived on the land for several years before building her home at Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara. After her sister moved out, Kowlessar said the woman’s daughter lived there with her partner who also was in the habit of beating Seenauth, an epileptic. She said that the situation became overbearing and she served her niece with a lawyer’s letter and she eventually moved out. THANKS TO NEW MEASURES…TAX REVENUE REPRESENTS OVER 80 PERCENT OFTOTALREVENUE COLLECTION – FINANCE MINISTRY Several tax measures which were introduced in the 2017 budget last year have proven to be worthwhile efforts on the part of the Government. These measures have actually helped to increase government’s revenue collection significantly this year. This is according to the half year report which was prepared by the Finance Ministry. According to the report, revenue collection increased to $97.2 billion at the end June, 2017. This is a13.1 percent increase above the corresponding period in 2016. The Finance Ministry said, however, that this year’s tax revenue represents 88.3 percent of total revenue collection. This is an indication of the magnitude of the contribution Guyana’s traditional sectors have made thus far towards total revenue
collection. With regard to internal revenue collections, the Finance Ministry said that this increased by $5.0 billion, reaching $41.6 billion during the first half of 2017, compared to $36.5 billion in the same period of 2016. The Ministry said that this increase was primarily attributed to a growth in corporation tax payments of $2.3 billion by several companies in the manufacturing and services sectors as well as the natural resource sector. As for withholding tax, the Finance Ministry found that this grew by $865.5 million, or 27.2 percent,
mainly due to payments by two companies providing support services to the oil and gas sector, and interest earned on savings accounts at commercial banks. Of the amount collected, the Ministry said that almost $191.9 million was arrears. TUESDAY PAHO/WHO REP. SAYS … “THE VERDICT IS GUILTY FOR TOBACCO” – IN WAKE OF LEGISLATIVE MOVES TO CONTROL CIGARETTE SMOKING “Nobody is banning smoking! But if you need to smoke, go some-
where else and smoke where there are no people around.” This was the passionate declaration of the Pan American Health Orga n i s a t i o n / Wo r l d H e a l t h Organisation [PAHO/WHO]’s local representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, in response to those who have spoken against moves in favour of the control of tobacco smoking. In fact, Dr. Adu-Krow was only too eager Monday to weigh-in on the opposing stance taken by the Demerara Tobacco Company Limited [DEMTOCO] in relation to the recent passage of the Tobacco Control Legislation Bill in the National Assembly. ”You would be surprised that the tobacco companies use the same argument everywhere in the world. They did it in the United States, they did it in Australia; they took the governments to court and lost. They did it in Barbados, they did it in Trinidad, they did it in Jamaica and they are doing the same thing here,” an evidently irked Dr. AduKrow vocalized during an interview with this publication. ”What baffles me, is that they don’t even change their tune; it’s the same song that they sing all the time,” said Dr. Adu-Krow. Added to this, the PAHO/WHO representative said, “I was appalled to read in the newspaper on Saturday that DEMTOCO is saying that the Government stands to lose $4 billion a year from taxes. Yes, but we are also going to gain, not spending over $4 billion in curing people who fall sick or get cancer. It is not an issue of the jury is out, the jury has already come in with its verdict, and the verdict is guilty for tobacco.” According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA], tobacco is a plant grown for its leaves, which are dried and fermented before being put in tobacco (Continued on page 42)
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(From page 41) products such as cigarettes. NIDA is a United States federalgovernment research institute which has a mission to “lead the Nation in bringing the power of science to bear on drug abuse and addiction”. The body has been able to deduce that tobacco contains nicotine, an ingredient that can lead to addiction, which is why so many people who use tobacco find it difficult to quit. However, there are also many other potentially harmful chemicals found in tobacco or are created by burning it. Experts have found that “cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals, including 43 known carcinogenic [cancer-causing] compounds and 400 other toxins.” This message is one that the Ministry of Public Health has long been amplifying on the airwaves in its attempt to dissuade persons from embracing the habiting of smoking tobacco. Among the dreadful ingredients of cigarettes are nicotine, tar, and carbon monoxide, as well as formaldehyde [chemical that is used in building materials and to produce many household products], ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, and DDT. PREGNANT WOMAN, HUSBAND, 4-YR-OLD SON ESCAPE THROUGH WINDOW DURING HOME INVASION – FIVE IN CUSTODY; SHOTGUN, GANJA SEIZED A nine-month pregnant 26-yearold is nursing minor scratches about her body after herself, husband and their four-year-old son jumped their bedroom window during an armed home invasion and robbery by bandits. Their home, a two-storey wooden edifice at Lot 100 Number 69 Village, Upper Corentyne, was reportedly stormed by armed men with guns and a wallaba post sometime around 23:00 hrs Saturday. According to reports reaching this publication Vidya Gopaul 26, her husband Satesh Ramrattan, 27, and their young son had retired to bed around 22:30 hrs. The woman shortly after heard a loud noise and voices, and awoke her husband. The husband jumped off their bed and switched on the lights, it was then that they realized bandits had entered their home. The pregnant woman bolted the bedroom door. The men began banging on the door when Ramrattan, his wife and son jumped from their bedroom window and landed on a neighbour’s shed. By then some of the men had managed to enter the room and fired two shots as the trio ran to safety. They managed to run to Gopaul’s mother’s house, located two lots away from theirs and immediately contacted the police. The men reportedly ransacked the family’s home in their absence, in search of valuables, and ate and drank during the time spent at the house. They managed to escape with an estimated $1.2 Million in
Kaieteur News
jewellery, US $1000 in cash, a tablet and a cellphone. Gopaul was taken to the Skeldon Public Hospital for a medical examination and according to reliable sources, herself and unborn child are out of harm’s way and in good health. The couple’s four year sustained minor scratches but is also said to be doing well along with his father. Relatives complained that the police patrol arrived some two hours after the invasion, but according to a police source, the patrol was dispatched immediately after they received the call. While on their way to the village the ranks heard gunshots and decided to exit the vehicle and cordon off the area on foot. Residents in the area reported seeing the police in tactical positions within and around the perimeter of the house. There were reportedly seven perpetrators, all armed. Meanwhile, police in ‘B’ Division have since made headway into the robbery. Five suspects are in custody, including a 33-year-old, driver of No. 72 Village, Corentyne, who was found in his vehicle within close proximity of the crime scene. At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of a small quantity of cannabis and a search of his premises unearthed an unlicensed shotgun, two spent and one live cartridge. BISRAM GETS MORE TIME TO FIGHT EXTRADITION The court battle in the US to bring back Guyanese-born murder accused, Marcus Bisram, is heating up, with the businessman being granted more time to counter the initial case that has been filed against him. Through his lawyers, Bisram last week ask New York judge, Peggy Kuo, for more time to file what is called an Opposition to the Pretrial Memorandum in Support of Extradition.
Last month, he was granted an extension to August 4 (last Friday). However, Bisram, who is in jail awaiting the outcome of the proceedings, is asking for more time. A status conference set for tomorrow has been rescheduled for September 5. Bisram is fighting against a 1931 extradition treaty signed with Great Britain, that could see him being successfully sent back to face a murder trial in Guyana. According to court documents filed last month by state attorneys on behalf of the Department of Justice, the applicable provisions between the United States and Guyana are found in the Extradition Treaty between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of December 22, 1931. Bisram was refused bail early last month after he appeared before Judge Kuo in a Brooklyn court, New York. WEDNESDAY INT’L MEDIA BODIES CALL FOR DELAY IN ASSENT OF BROADCASTING BILL Days after the country’s lawmakers in the National Assembly successfully pushed through legislation hat was supposed to correct deficiencies in the manner that radio and television stations operate, the administration is under pressure to hold off before signing it into law. Tuesday, two respected world media bodies, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the International Press Institute (IPI), urged that consultations be held soonest, as there are a number of press freedom concerns. The statements of both RSF and IPI would come after the Guyana Press Association (GPA) and local media houses also expressed concerns over the Bill, which has been hailed by the Coalition Government as a campaign promise to correct the controversial doling out of licences by the People
Sunday August 13, 2017
Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government in 2011 to mainly friends and party members. RSF Tuesday, in urging President David Granger not to assent to the Broadcasting Bill that was adopted by Guyana’s National Assembly last Friday, wants consultations to be held with broadcasters in order to take into account their recommendations. ”The current Bill, which was adopted without such consultation, raises multiple press freedom concerns.” It was pointed out that on Friday, the National Assembly adopted The Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill of 2017, a piece of legislation which has drawn sharp criticism from broadcasters as well as local and regional press groups. President Granger still has to assent to the Bill before it can take effect. RSF noted that according to the government, the new legislation is meant to address the issue of illegal broadcasters who have long been operating without a licence. ”Yet the Bill calls for all broadcasters to apply for a licence within 30 days of its entry into force, a time limit that is being criticized by local and regional press freedom groups as too short. Broadcasters found operating without a licence could be fined up to one million Guyanese dollars and sentenced to one year imprisonment.” RSF pointed out that according to local press freedom advocates, these burdensome provisions threaten the existence of many TV and radio stations which have operated without a licence since no renewals were ever issued at the time of their expiration. ANOTHER PLANE GOES DOWNAT ETERINGBANG – PILOT ESCAPES WITH MINOR INJURIES It is becoming increasingly clear that flying to the hinterland of
Guyana is no child’s play. Almost two weeks after a deadly crash that killed an experienced Roraima Airways pilot near the Eteringbang airstrip, Region Seven, another incident has occurred. This time, the pilot of a single engine Cessna aircraft has managed to stay alive after his plane went down in the same area shortly after takeoff. Kaieteur News was told that Captain Dominic Waddell, 32, of Wing’s Aviation, was on a shuttling mission. According to the regulator of the sector, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), it has launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to the crash of the single-engine CESSNA aircraft-bearing registration number 8R-GPR. “The accident occurred at approximately 11:00hrs today August 8, 2017. Preliminary reports indicate that the plane was on a shuttling mission from Eteringbang to Ekereku when the incident occurred. The pilot suffered minor injuries.” Officials from the Accident and Investigation Group supported by a team from GCAA as of Tuesday afternoon were preparing to fly in to start their investigations. “Further information on this latest incident will be announced when it becomes available.” Persons said that from initial indications, the plane was already in the air, when after takeoff, it started to go down. With an increase in gold mining and other activities in recent years, the use of small crafts to access hinterland areas have become popular but have not been without incidents with a number of crashes, some of them deadly, recorded. Late last month, Roraima Airways’ Chief Pilot, Collin Winston Martin, tragically died when the Britten-Norman Islander aircraft he was attempting to land at the Eteringbang airstrip, nose-dived (Continued on page 43)
Sunday August 13, 2017
(From page 42) into thick vegetation, a short distance from the runway. The 40-year-old Martin, a former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer, assumed the role of chief pilot at Roraima Airways in 2015 following the death of Captain Alvin Clarke. According to information received, Martin was heading to Eteringbang from Ekereku where he had shuttled fuel for miners when the tragedy occurred. He was flying alone. CHIEF PRISON OFFICER INTERDICTED, AS COPS STEP UP DRUG-SMUGGLING PROBE The Chief Prison Officer who was implicated in a drug-smuggling scandal at the Timehri Prisons has been released from custody. A senior police official said that the rank “has been released into the custody of his organization,” while more work is done on the case. Police are likely to seek further legal advice on the matter shortly. Meanwhile, Deputy Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels revealed that the accused rank has been interdicted from duty, pending the outcome of the investigation. The Chief Prison Officer (whose rank is equivalent to that of police
Kaieteur News
inspector), was detained last Thursday, after it was alleged that he facilitated the smuggling of a quantity of marijuana into the prison. The drug was concealed among the prisoner’s meals. The accused rank is in his fifties and has some 20 years service. Deputy Director of Prisons Samuels had repeatedly conceded that some of his ranks are in collusion with prisoners, and would face the full brunt of the law if they are caught. Marijuana is said to be a highly valued commodity in the prisons, reportedly selling for as much as three times its street value. Over the years, several prison wardens, including females, have been brought before the courts on allegations of smuggling. The smuggling weapons into the Camp Street Prison resulted in the death of one rank and permanent injury to another during the 2002 jailbreak. DEFIANT NBS APPEALING $79M JUDGMENT IN WRONGFULLY DISMISSED CEO CASE Mortgage lender, New Building Society (NBS), which late last month was ordered by the High Court to shell out that $70M to its former Chief Executive Officer (CEO),
Maurice Arjoon, is refusing to pay up. The entity, through its lawyer, Ashton Chase, has within the last few days, instead, issued a Notice of Appeal, in a move that signaled Arjoon’s battle with that institution is far from over. Nine years have passed since the former CEO, and two of his managers, Kent Vincent and Kissoon Baldeo, were all arrested and charged with stealing over $60M. However, the men were exonerated and an independent Ombudsman investigation raised worrying questions why Arjoon and the managers were ever charged in the first place. Arjoon filed a High Court case seeking damages in excess of $500M and his pension and other benefits. After the matter dragged on for more than six years, Judge Brassington Reynolds in a decision last month awarded $79M in lost pension and other benefits. There were no awards for damages. Arjoon had long claimed that he and his managers were set up and charged, at the direction of former President Bharrat Jagdeo, after he refused to sink almost $2B of NBS money in the construction of the Berbice River Bridge. The CEO claimed that the lending of NBS money in that manner would have been highly illegal, breaching financial laws. NBS later still went ahead, after the men were sacked, and purchased shares in the Berbice River Bridge. Tuesday, it was clear that the Arjoon family was frustrated by the refusal of NBS to pay the lost pension and benefits. Acknowledging that the mortgage company has signaled its intentions to appeal the judgment, Arjoon and his family in a statement shared on social media, that NBS had provided no acceptable reason why he was dismissed, and no objection on the pension claim, during the High Court case. THURSDAY PLANE DROPPED FROM SKY SECONDS AFTER TAKE-OFF – GCAA SOURCE As Captain Dominic Waddell, the pilot in the Eteringbang plane crash continues to recover from minor injuries, it has been revealed that his plane dropped out of the sky—just seconds after he took off from the airstrip on Tuesday. A source at the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on Wednesday revealed that the pilot had not gotten far when the plane fell out of the sky. Waddell is hospitalized at the Balwant Singh Hospital nursing a broken elbow. He also sprained his ankle and underwent surgery Tuesday night. According to information received, the 32-year-old pilot took off and shortly after, his plane fell out of the sky and landed on a tree. Waddell, who was flying a single engine Cessna, managed to get out of the mangled plane and was sub-
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sequently rescued by a Roraima Airways pilot and brought to the city. The Wing’s Aviation pilot was on a shuttling mission. According to the regulator of the sector, the GCAA has launched an investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to the crash of the CESSNA aircraft-bearing registration number 8R-GPR. “The accident occurred at approximately 11:00hrs on Tuesday. Preliminary reports indicate that the plane was on a shuttling mission from Eteringbang to Ekereku when the incident occurred. The pilot suffered minor injuries.” Officials from the Accident and Investigation Group supported by a team from GCAA traveled to the scene of the crash Wednesday. “Further information on this latest incident will be announced when it becomes available.” Persons said that from initial indications, the plane was already in the air, when after takeoff, it started to go down. With an increase in gold mining and other activities in recent years, the use of small aircraft to access hinterland areas has become popular, but has not been without incident, with a number of crashes, some of them deadly, recorded. Late last month, Roraima Airways’ Chief Pilot, Collin Winston Martin, died when the BrittenNorman Islander aircraft he was attempting to land at the Eteringbang airstrip, nose-dived into thick vegetation, a short distance from the runway. The 40-year-old Martin, a former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer, assumed the role of chief pilot at Roraima Airways in 2015 following the death of Captain Alvin Clarke. According to information received, Martin was heading to Eteringbang from Ekereku where he had shuttled fuel for miners when the tragedy occurred. He was flying
alone. MAN WHO SLIT TEEN WIFE’S THROAT CAPTURED IN SURINAME Ryan Singh, the man who allegedly slit the throat of his 17-yr-old common law wife, Rosanna Lakhpal, almost two weeks ago, has been captured in Suriname and handed over the police here. Singh, 25, went on the run on July 29, after allegedly murdering Rosanna Lakhpal in the couple’s apartment at No.2 Village, East Canje. The teen had reportedly eloped with Singh while she was a student at the Berbice Educational Institute. The teen and Singh then returned to her mother’s house at East Canje. It was here Singh allegedly killed her, two days after he was evicted from the home. But Singh is also said to be wanted for a brutal attack on another young woman two years ago. The victim was Aszeema Alli, who was repeatedly stabbed at a West Ruimveldt home on Valentine’s Day, 2015. Alli’s relatives said that she and Ryan Singh had been involved in a relationship while she was a 14-yearold school girl. A relative related that Alli was very secretive about her relationship with the man and they only learnt that he was in the habit of abusing her after the Valentine’s Day stabbing, which has left her with several scars and limited mobility in one of her hands. On February 14, 2015, Alli and Singh got into a heated argument over someone she was texting on her mobile phone. The incident reportedly occurred during a party at the suspect’s home, shortly after Singh had lured Alli into a room and (Continued on page 44)
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(From page 43) tried to force himself on her. He reportedly punched her to the face, and after she fell, drew a knife and began stabbing her to her neck, chin, face, back and other parts of the body. Based on reports, Alli only escaped with her life because her brother-in-law intervened and shoved Singh off of her. Relatives said that Aszeema Alli went into hiding after learning that her attacker had allegedly murdered Rosanna Lakhpal. $10M REWARD FOR CAPTURE OF ESCAPEES
Kaieteur News
Sunday August 13, 2017
ees, is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 2258196, 225-2227, 226-1389, 227-2128, 227-1149, 2267065, 699-0869, 600-3019, 699-0867, 669-4606, 603-3261or the nearest Police Station. FRIDAY MARRIOTT PAYMENTS INCREASE COUNTRY’S EXTERNAL DEBT – FINANCE MINISTRY The decision by Central Government to take on the payments needed for the Marriott Hotel has contributed to the increase of the nation’s overall external debt. This is according to the Ministry of Finance. In its half year report, the Ministry said that the external debt stock increased by 5.0 percent, from US$1,143.5 million at end June 2016 to US$1,200.7 million at the end of June 2017. The Finance Ministry said that this was due to a number of reasons. In this regard, it was explained that Guyana’s external debt increased as a result of the decision taken by the Government, in April 2017, to transfer the Atlantic Hotel Inc. (AHI)’s financial obligations to Republic Bank Limited (Trinidad), to the Central Government. This was due to AHI’s inability to meet the repayment. AHI is the owner of the Guyana Marriott Hotel, Georgetown. One of the shareholders in the Hotel is the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICI). According to its head, Horace James, the new Board for AHI has been receiving unsolicited requests from persons who are interested in the construction of the Marriott’s Entertainment Complex and the benefits that might bring. With this in mind, James said that the board is currently working out how they are going to deal with that in terms of advertising and construction of the complex. James said, “But Marriott International is managing the hotel. There is a contract between AHI and the International brand for that. In terms of the loans, the hotel is not making money to service the loans. In fact, the Government has to pay US$1.2M every six months.” The official said that while this cost should have been handled by AHI and/or NICIL, the latter simply does not have the money. He stressed that “NICIL cannot stand on its own two feet”. James said, “So the government is helping out both AHI and NICIL. Marriott can become profitable, but I don’t think it should really be a government-owned institution. That is why I think government is looking and will continue to look for a model to sell the whole thing or some shares in it. There is a better possibility of getting something from Marriott”.
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is offering a reward of $10M for information leading to the arrest of prison escapees Uree Varswyck, the ex-cop on trial for two counts of murder; Bartica and Lusignan massacre killer, Mark Royden Durant and murder suspects, Cobena Stephens and Paul Goriah. All information will be treated with strict confidentiality. Just around 17:00 hrs on July 9, inmates set fires at several sections of the prison to distract the authorities—as Varswyck, Durant, Stafrei Alexander Hopkinson and Desmond James broke out of the facility. Cobena Stephens is believed to have escaped during the time the police ranks and soldiers were moving prisoners from the burnt facility at Camp Street prison to the Lusignan Prison. Hopkinson was later nabbed in Topoo, a village nestled between Hampshire and Albion in East Berbice, Corentyne on July 29, last while James was caught hiding in an abandoned shack at Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara (WBD) on July 14, last. Additionally, on July, 24, last, 13 prisoners crawled to freedom through a tunnel they had dug in a latrine in the Lusignan holding facility. Eleven of the inmates have since been caught and placed back into the prison system while one had been shot dead. Goriah is among those escaped from the Lusignan Prison facility. Odel Roberts, Rayon Jones and Jamal Forde were nabbed along the Agriculture Road, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, while Teshawn McKenzie and Winston Long were captured near the Route 44 bus park in Georgetown. A few hours later, Jamal Joseph and Jason Howard were captured in North East La Penitence. Some days later, escapee Pascal Smith was captured in Barr Street, Kitty. He plunged into a latrine to avoid recapture. Shawn Harris was nabbed in Mocha, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Clive Forde was shot dead during a shootout with ranks from the joint services two Sundays ago. Later that same evening, another escapee Kerry Cromwell surrenETERINGBANG PLANE dered at the Brickdam Police Station acACCIDENTS… AIRCRAFT companied by his mother. ENGINES BEING SENT TO Kendall Skeete was caught hiding in the MANUFACTURERS abandoned house of one of his relatives at Wisrock, Linden. As investigations into the two Anyone with information that may lead to the recapture of these escap- recent plane crashes close to the
Eteringbang airstrip have begun, efforts are being made to have the engines belonging to the two aircraft shipped to their manufacturers to assist in the investigations. This is according to Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Col. Egbert Field. The GCAA head, during a press conference Thursday, was asked to give an update on the status of the investigations. He said that the investigations are o n g o i n g a n d b e i n g c o n ducted by the Accident Investigation Group, which is a separate unit from the GCAA, but supported by personnel from within the Authority. ”We have commenced those investigations and they are at a preliminary stage, especially the accident earlier this week, is at a preliminary stage at this time. We have secured the engines for the first accident – that should be shipped out to the manufacturers, and all this is a part of the investigation.” He said that as it relates to the most recent accident, presently the investigator is at the location securing the engine to ship it out to Georgetown for further transportation to the manufacturer. Fields said that there are no preliminary findings at this time. He said that the first of the two accidents took place when the aircraft was approaching the airstrip while the second happened after the aircraft took-off from the runway. ”We do not have any findings as yet, but we are hoping that we can come to a definite position as to what caused the accidents. As I said, investigations are ongoing and we have to look at a number of areas. We have to look at the equipment, we have to look at weather conditions, we also have to look at the human factors involved, not discounting any one of them, and as we drill down, we will be able to ascertain what the cause of each accident was.”
When asked about safety in the aviation sector concerning the age of aircraft, Field said that the age of the aircraft is not of major concern, since they were made to last as long as 50 years. He said that the Authority concerns itself predominantly with the quality of maintenance for the aircraft. ”And that’s the reason why we have inspectors who go out and undertake surveillance exercises looking at the maintenance organisations…also, ensuring that the individuals or the personnel within the organisation are properly qualified.” SATURDAY “TROUBLED” BUSINESSMAN STABS WIFE TO DEATH, COMMITS SUICIDE Residents of Cumberland Village, East Canje Berbice, were awoken to the shocking news of the murder of their fellow villager and popular businesswoman, Rhonda Blair. As the news spread like wildfire across Berbice, many were still trying to come to grips with the tragic reports of the woman’s demise. The 42-year-old retired teacher and mother of two, was stabbed to death by her 47-year-old husband Rudolph Blair called ‘Rudy’, who, after committing the act, ran to the back of a neighbour’s yard and shot himself. He is said to have also ingested a poisonous substance after fatally stabbing his wife. The couple who owned a string of Stretch ‘D’ Dollar stores, lived at Lot 91 Coburg Street, Cumberland, East Canje. Police sources have revealed that sometime around 23:00 hrs on Thursday and 00:05 hrs on Friday at the aforementioned address, Rudolph Blair, in a fit of rage and frustration, stabbed his wife multiple times about her body. He was believed to have been drinking prior to the incident as there were several Stag beer bottles found at the home. The couple’s eightyear-old daughter, Soraya, was residing with her grandmother at the
time. They also have a 21-year-old son, Anthony. COPS BELIEVE RESTAURANT OWNER WAS STRANGLED The bound body of a Chinese national that was discovered in the bathroom area of the Paradise Chinese Restaurant at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, on Thursday night, has been identified as 44-year-old Lian Jiang, a father of two. Jiang’s body was found in the lower flat of the building where he operated a restaurant. He resided in the upper flat. Investigators suspect that Jiang, who had been running the restaurant by himself, was killed sometime Wednesday night or in the wee hours of Thursday. His remains were only found around 22:00 hrs on Thursday. His mouth was gagged, his hands were tied behind his back with a phone charger and his feet were also tied. No blood was found at the scene, but there were marks of violence on the victim’s body. His right cheek was swollen. The entire house was ransacked. Investigators believe that the victim was strangled. LETHEM RUNS OUT OF FUEL Weeks of heavy rain and an almost impassable trail have contributed to the Region Nine border town of Lethem being without fuel. As of yesterday midday, only diesel and kerosene were available in the area. As early as 9am, drivers were told that they would be limited to $3,000. But by midday, there was no gas at Takutu Gas Station, Lammy’s and Macedo’s. The situation was brought on by the poor condition of the Linden/ Lethem road which leads from the coast. Other than the trail, residents along the way to Lethem have little options to move goods, except by air, a far more expensive way. Opposition Member of Parliament, Alister Charlie, confirmed that gas had run out.
Sunday August 13, 2017
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Sunday August 13, 2017
Kaieteur News
Task at hand to determine why some youths use tobacco - GYTS Consultant Although the tobacco use situation among local youths has been uncovered through the Global Youth Tobacco Survey [GYTS], the real work to determine why a vast majority of youths are smoking will now have to commence. This deduction was recently made by Dr. Morris Edwards, the Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation [PAHO/ WHO] Consultant on the GYTS 2015 Report. According to Dr. Edwards, the findings will now warrant focus group discussions and other techniques to determine why the school-aged youths who rep-
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resented the survey sample were involved in the practice of tobacco use. “We need to find out the ‘why’ and that should also help in terms of the programmes that have to be put in place,” said Dr. Edwards. He pointed out that among the objectives of the GYTS was that there would be a reduction in current tobacco use, among students from 21 percent in the previous survey in 2010 to 15 percent in 2015. Based on the 2015 survey, the overall current tobacco use is 11.7 percent of the sample. According to Dr. Edwards, it was also hoped that current cigarette use in Guyana would move from 10 percent in 2010 to seven percent in 2015. In 2015 the overall current cigarette use percentage amounted to 8.6 per-
cent of the sample. Further it was hoped that there would be moves to increase the tobacco use cessation attempts. This essentially meant that there would be an increase in the proportion of youths who actually attempted to quit smoking, regardless of the addictive nature of smoking. The smoking cessation in 2010 was 76 percent but it was hoped that this would have increased to 81 per cent in 2015. Based on the results of the survey, the overall percentage in this regard stood at 70.1 percent while 75.8 percent said that they thought they wanted to quit. Only a mere 30.4 percent of students said that they had received help/advice from a programme or professional to stop smoking. “Thinking that you would be able to quit and actually
trying to quit, there is a disparity in that...so you can see that those who actually tried to stop smoking overall, there was a reduction. In those who tried to stop smoking this was more significant in girls. None of us can answer what’s the reason for that but that is something that we need to go and find out,” noted Dr. Edwards. Another crucial objective of the survey was to increase knowledge about the harmful effect of other people’s smoke on the students. However, Dr. Edwards acknowledged that “we are now recognising that it is a fallacy to think that just by providing them [students] with the knowledge is going to increase their attempts to quit smoking.” “The tools weren’t there,” said Dr. Edwards about the students who wanted to stop smoking. As such he speculated that “with the proper assistance and tools these students could stop
smoking forever.” Dr. Edwards however took into consideration that while this is an “easy statement...we recognised that you have to deal with the addictive part of nicotine and looking beyond the governmental services; how can we bring on board the non-governmental organisations to play a vital role as a resource for youths interested in quitting.” The GYTS was conducted from November to December of 2015 and the sample frame consisted of students from forms one to three of public schools. The sample size was 1, 697 drawn 69 classes of 25 public schools. According to Dr. Edwards, “selection was voluntary, so it meant that students could have actually refused to participate and the other thing is that it was anonymous, so there is no way that you could link the results with any particular student.” Allowing the response to
GYTS Consultant, Dr. Morris Edwards be anonymous, was important, since Dr. Edwards noted that students were more inclined to be truthfully with their answers. Added to this, he related that “if it is self administered then there is not that much pressure for persons to actually lie about their use.” The multiple choice responses were scanned and then uploaded into a database before they were analysed. However, Dr. Edwards noted that the database used will make it possible for further analysis of the data.
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Kaieteur News
PULP VITALITY By Dr. Neromini Fagu There are several layers of a tooth, the outermost layers being the enamel in the crown and cementum in the root. Below these two layers is the dentine and directly below this is the pulp. The pulp is housed in a chamber and traverses both the crown and root parts of a tooth. The pulp is said to be the nerve of the tooth, and for good reason, as it contains both the neural and vascular tissues. A vital pulp is one that is alive and capable of providing the support for maintaining the health of a tooth. The pulp has several functions: Nourishment: The blood vessels contained within the pulp provide nutrients essential to the wellbeing of the tooth. Pain sensation: Differences in temperature and pressure as well as pain from trauma are said to be sensed by the pulp and these sensation travel to register in our brain. Dentine formation: The pulp contains specialized cells that produce dentine. When the tooth experiences trauma, these cells produce secondary dentine, also
called reparative dentine to protect the tooth. Your pulp may become inflamed due to a number of reasons including tooth decay, infection or trauma. The severity of these factors determines the vitality of the pulp. Since the pulp is the living part of the tooth, any
treatment. Once removed from the tooth, the pulp will not regenerate inside the tooth. Testing for pulp vitality is important in determining the course of treatment for a troubled tooth. There are several methods for testing whether the pulp is alive or not and they include: Electric Pulp Testing: This involves sending an
Electric Pulp Testing
action to compromise its integrity will have an effect on the entire tooth. Issues that are not dealt with promptly and are left to worsen will overtime render the pulp non-vital. A tooth with a non-vital pulp will either have to be extracted to prevent further infection or may be retained in the mouth by way of root canal
electric current through the tooth in question to assess the status of the pulp. A known healthy tooth is also tested to compare results. The sensation will quickly disappear when the stimulus is removed from a vital tooth. When the sensation lingers, it signifies stimulation of nerve fibres, and an irreversible condition of the pulp. No response indicates
STANDARDS IN FOCUS
Labels are helpful in the selection of back to school supplies In just a few weeks, it will be back to school time, and as always, we are in the moment when parents and guardians purchase school supplies and school uniforms. Whether imported or locally manufactured, these products must conform to basic labeling requirements. Labels are intended to guide consumers by providing key information on the products they intend to purchase. A well labeled product provides consumers with the relevant information to make informed choices and ultimately gives guidance as to the product quality, monetary worth and manner of usage. Labels state the brand name which could be “high end” or “low end”. “High end” brands often attract higher prices and are of better quality, but they must be authentic and not fake. Label information such as Brand Name, Name of Manufacturer and Name of Supplier help consumers to identify who manufactured the product if there is a need to seek redress because of quality and safety concerns. Because our children wear clothing and footwear of varying sizes, it is important that sizes are included on labels. As long as parents are aware of their children’s sizes, there is no need for them to accompany their parent during the busy shopping season. Items can be bought based on sizes specified on labels. Care and use, warning and precautionary information about products, which most labels carry, help to ensure the health and safety of children who will be the actual users of these products. There are cases where some school items like geometry sets and staplers are recommended for use by children over a
specified age. Further, labels guide parents during the wash and care of apparels, which prevent damage and discolouration. Labels of goods imported, manufactured and distributed in Guyana must comply with the requirements of the Guyana Standards Specification for the labeling of commodities – Part 1: General Principles which is a mandatory standard. According to the standard, Product labels must be in English Language and state the Brand, Type of product, Name of Manufacturer or Distributor, Country of origin, and where necessary information on the care, maintenance and precautions for use, and the manufacture and expiry dates. Other standards are available at the Guyana National Bureau of Standards that address the labeling requirements for specific goods, for example: the labeling of textiles, labeling of footwear, labeling of garments, etc. The GNBS monitors these products according to the requirements of these standards. Consumers who are engaged in shopping for Back to School items should take a “timeout” to read and understand the labels of the products you intend to purchase, especially if they are costly. Remember not to compromise quality for cheaper prices. Our children are not always as careful as we are and may need good quality and sturdy back to school products to take them through the new school year. For further information on this subject, please contact the Guyana National Bureau of Standards on Telephone Numbers: 2190065, 219-0066 and 219-0069 or visit the GNBS Website: www.gnbsgy.org or www.facebook.com/gnbsgy
the pulp is non-vital or dead. Thermal Testing – Cold: Applying a cold stimulus to the tooth is another way to gauge vitality. A good old fashion piece of ice or containerized Ethyl Chloride may be used. Again, a sensation that lingers may mean pulpitis and no sensation may indicate a nonvital tooth. Thermal Testing – Hot:
Applying heat can be tricky but often warmed guttapercha is used to illicit a response. Also, isolating the tooth with a rubber dam and immersing it in hot water is another method for assessing the pulp’s reaction to a thermal stimulus. Laser Doppler Flowmetry: This is a noninvasive test for blood flow Continued on page 61
Dr. Neromini Fagu
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SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyanapassport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Eagle’s: Re-gas -$8,000, Washing machine repairs, Gas Stove, Plasma flat Screen, computer repairs & more. Call: 697-2969/646-0966 Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigration Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496/ 662-6045 Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezersCall:629-4946 or 225-4822 Building Contractor: estimates, house plan to be drawn. Call: 216-0671/6928464/622-0267/ FB:K.Lakeram Construction. Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Mason, experienced and reliable, available for casting block work and plastering. Call: 619-3296
LEARN TO DRIVE C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj BuildingCall: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 (affordable packages).
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. -CosmetologyCourses:$120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257
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Kaieteur News
WANTED Cosmetologist: all rounded, experienced, further training provided. Call: 647-1773 1 Accounts Clerk, preferably from E.B.D – 5 subjects CXC minimum @ gtcareers592@gmail.com Mature, experienced salesman/driver, able to work flexible hours, apply with reference/police clearance @ Key Food, Mc Doom Mature maid to work 3 Days weekly, must know to cook . Apply with recommendation @ Key Food, Mc Doom Village. Canter truck drivers to work on W.C.D -$30,000 weekly. Call: 684-8231 Need experienced garbage drivers & labourers. Call: 6707920 Live in waitress to work in bar. Call: 604-6606/ 6924649 Experienced waitress. Apply at Hack’s Halaal with handwritten application, 5 Commerce Street (Day Shift only) Need 1 interior welder (3) years experienced and must be able to fabricate. Call: 6234242 Immediate vacancy exist for one checker to work @ Meadowbank Ice Factory, good handwriting. Call: 231-1408/ 642-9191 (8am1pm)
VEHICLE FOR SALE
FOR SALE
2012 Nissan Bluebird: reverse camera, low mileage, unregistered. New model Allion coming -$3.3M negotiable. Call: 655-3400
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
RZ, Pit Bull, 212 Carina, IST, Verossa, Suzuki Vitaera, Premio, Allion, Fielder Wagon, Spacio- Call: 6507501/ 616-2577 2010 Nissan Juke, PWW series, alarm -$2.9M negotiable. Contact Dewan: 223-1332/6137542,Alok:347-617-7582 RZ bus, good working condition, 2006 bluebird, 36,000KM, PVV 6406, 2009 unregistered Bluebird, 31,000 KM. Call: 265-2171/ 682-7589 Toyota Premio 2005 with AC, music and alarm, PTT series, price negotiable, good condition. Call: 617-5257/ 6199894 One 2006 Vitz -$1.350M Negotiable –Call: 639-1997 CK2 Lancer – 134,000km $740,000 negotiable. Call: 613-5645 One Leyland DAF55, dump truck. Call: 621-4740 Tacoma V6. 2011 automatic, 4WD, cover to back tray, excellent condition. Phone. 694-2197 One pit bull minibus, BTT series, in excellent working condition, with alarm, price – $1.8M negotiable. Call: 6259204/691-8272 Red RAV4, old model, dependable & strong - $1.1M. Call: 600-0036/691-3999 Nissan X-Trail 2012, fully powered, TV, Nail, CD, BMW320i 2012, fully loaded, never registered. Call: 642-1137
Drivers to work on water truck, must have experienced -$30,000 weekly. Call: 6294236/ 684-8231 Live in couple: duties husband (driving & mechanical skills), wife: (domestic), good rates and private cottage. Call: 2271830 1 Experienced person to work at Superbet outlet. Apply at August Beverages Enterprise. Call:225-5501 Wanted one experience cook. Tel: 623-8654, 265-3111 or 2260554.
Lawn grass - $1,400, potting soil -$800, Ficus, Exora, Purple Heathers – 4 for $1,000, Palms @ $1,000. Call: 626-1044 C-T Cummings Engine starter for sale (foreign used). Call: 649-8449/ 615-6683 One LT 15 wood mizer sawmill with Perkins generator. Contact: 689-5059 5 lots in Blankenburg, back of the gas station @$2.9 M each. Contact: 650-0402\6031402 Great Deals on video games & all gaming consoles. PC, video games & repairs – Call: 672-2566; 265-3231 Roxie’s Fashion! Sale! Uniforms for Nursery, Primary & Secondary. Lot 301 Church Street, South Cummingsburg. 1 - Mitsubishi Fuso 7 1/2 ton Canter, year :2007 - $ 4 M. Contact: 650-0402/ 603-1402
One data entry clerk, must be computer literate & have passes @ CXC Maths & English. Apply PO BOX12118 1 Counter clerk, must have a decent handwriting & passes in Maths & English. Send handwritten application to PO BOX 12118 Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic. Call: 223-7500 Monday-Saturday 8:15-4:15pm Female & Male fish cleaners @ Shakoor ’s Seafood, Eccles. Call: 233-2546 2 Salesgirls preferably from East Bank, 1 Farm worker. Call: 265-3586 One experienced salesman, apply with written application & recommendation, also one general domestic. Apply @ Keyfood, McDoom Village. Full time cook needed, must know to cook different soups serious inquiries only. Call: 647-9988 Electrical Technician to work in Georgetown. Call: 623-2277 Teacher for theory & practical of carpentry, masonry & plumbing programmes @ Vocational Centre. Send application PO Box10461 by August 19, 2017 OneCleaner. Contact223-5273/74
House & land. Just Arrive! Tundra, Tucoma & Titan parts. Call: 674-8911 Fluffy puppies (Tibetan Terriers) 6 weeks old, dewormed. Call: 668-9021
One Supervisor / Manager to work in Charity contact 2235273/74 Once Cook contact 223-5273/74
LAND FOR SALE 26 Happy Acres, East Coast, 5,830sq (53X110), 25 Million, negotiable. Call: 614-4358 Land for sale in Tuschen, Phase 1. Call: 679-1096 Tuschen Phase 1 -$2.5M, Zeelugt 1st New Scheme$2.5M, La Parfaite Harmonie$1.6M. Call: 642-1252 La Parfaite Harmonie - $1.4M & $1.6M, Amelia’s Ward (100ftX50ft) concrete fence, farm (East Bank) -$2.8M. Call: 656-0701/ 651-1969 Uitvlugt New Scheme (100ftX50ft) - $2.8M, First Street (20ft Reserve). Call: 656-0701/ 651-1969 Titled land: E.B.D River @ Loo Creek, Linden Highway, 85.6 Acres, water source, farm land, etc. Call:625-8589/6880882/518-859-5313 New Road Vreed-en-Hoop house & land- $50M, $5.5M, La Parfaite Harmonie house & land -$3.5M, Tuschen house & land -$2.7M. Call: 604-6724/ 686-9608 La Parfaite Harmonie main road (50X100) - $3M, $1.4M, $1.7M, $2.5M, Eccles -$6M, Crane main road -$8.5M. Call: 604-6724/ 6869608 LaParfaiteHarmonie-$3M,$1.2M, $1.6M, $3.5M, $2.5M, Eccles $6M, Farm- $4M, Herstelling $3M & $4.5M, Tuschen $2.5M. Call:666-2326 Land to cultivate rice 33.14 Acre, Plantation Betterhope, Essequibo Coast. Call: 667-3322 Back half of land -$12M, Size: length 105ftXwidth 65ft, Well Street Ogle, East Coast Demerara. Call: 625-1514 Land for sale. Call: 698-8772
1 Maid for East Bank area; 3 days per week, must know to cook. Call: 614-4358 Sell us you land in La Parfaite Harmonie, Eccles, Herstelling, Providence, Farm, Zeelugt. Call: 656-0701/ 651-1969
New Housing Developments @ Blankenburg & Schoonord, Houses and lots available. Cash or terms. Contact # 650-0402/ 603-1402
VACANCY
TO LET FOR RENT CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL:656-0087,6435122 ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM DOLLY’SCARRENTAL-CALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494 AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL: PICKUP,9-11SEATMINIBUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILYOUTINGS,CHEAPEST RATE.Call:698-7807
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Property for rent - 2 storey house at republic park, E.B.D. Call 647-1773 3 Bedrooms upstairs with toilet and bath, kitchen @ 16 Station Street Kitty. Call: 2255977/673-1872 1-2 Bedrooms bottom flat spacious apartment @ 5th Avenue Diamond, grilled & secured, concrete fence, parking available -$70,000 monthly. Call: 662-9335/612-3244 Prime business place to rent suitable for offices on Sheriff Street. Call: 627-6740/227-8644
FURNISHED TWO BEDROOMS APARTMENT, SHORT/LONG TERM. CALL: 222-7891/ 609-9202 1 & 2 Bedroom tiled apartment@ Charlestown, decent working single/couple -$40,000 & 50,000. Call: 225-1415/601-1585 from 8am-5:30pm (no children) Fully furnished apartment $95,000-$140,000. Call: 644-5151 1 Bedroom apartment, single persons only, semi-furnished. Call Elsa Reid: 657-9372 Bachelor apartment - $30,000 and one bedroom furnished $50,000, 6 months contract, Haley Street, no children. Call: 600-0036/ 691-3999 Semi-furnished one bedroom apartment in Insdustry, E.C.D -$45,000 monthly includes water & Wi-Fi. Call Ashley: 686-2999/ 222-9019
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE OFACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: Registration commenced for I.A.E Secondary school, forms 15, termly fee -$30,000. Call: 683-5742/621-7365 Lessons: Mathematics, English ‘A’, Social-Studies, Accounts, OfficeAdministration, SBA’s, only four students to a class. Call: 610-6087 TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS) Continued on Page 61
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CONSUMER CONCERNS
“VALUE FOR MONEY” ALWAYS By PAT DIAL
As part of Consumer Education, we will be carrying more articles on Consumer Rights and warnings against those who supply goods and services in a dishonest, careless and substandard way. This week we will touch on two such topics: TELECOMMUNICATIONS (i) By a ruling of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) several years ago, the telephone has to make 8 rings at least before voicemail is activated. As soon as voicemail is activated, the caller is charged for a call. But both telephone companies have programmed their systems that voicemail comes on immediately or long before 8 rings and the consumer is unfairly and unlawfully charged for a call. In this way, the companies are illegally exploiting the consumers at millions of dollars per month. We have brought this consumer exploitation to the PUC’s notice and they will be taking corrective action. (ii) Replacement of telephone instrument: GTT from the time they were given a Contract and Licence to operate the landline service in Guyana, replaced faulty instruments as of course without any charge to the subscriber. Recently, in breach of their Contract, they illegally began to extract payment from subscribers. The PUC by Order #2/ 2017 reiterated the position that GTT has to replace faulty
PULP VITALITY From page 59 within the pulp tissue. It has been shown to be quite reliable, except it is very technique sensitive and time consuming. Test Cavity: This is considered a last resort as it is quite crude and invasive. It involves cutting a cavity into a tooth without the administration of local anesthetic. If pain is experienced then the tooth is vital! Tooth Discolouration: While not strictly a test, clinical appearance of a tooth may indicate what is happening to the pulp. Tooth discolouration may indicate pulpal haemorrhage, necrosis, microleakage from enamel crazing or leaking restorations, or gutta-percha in the pulp chamber. For more information contact OMNI DENTAL at 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown Tel: 227-0025, Parika Tel: 260-3133 or send emails to nerominifagu@hotmail.com.
instruments without charge to subscribers. Telephone subscribers must therefore reject any attempt by GTT to charge them for replacement of telephone instruments. (iii) Delay in repairs Compensatory credit by GTT. In recent years, unlike in their earlier years, GTT has taken to neglecting repairs to landline telephones. Subscribers have often complained that their telephones have been out-oforder for a year and more. When the Company was first established here, telephones were repaired within the regulatory 3 days. Consumers are of opinion that the poor repair record could be attributed to poor management and also the attempt to force consumers to use the far more expensive cell phones. The PUC, Consumers and the Government have tried without success to have GTT repair telephones in a reasonable time. Now, by PUC Order #2/2017, GTT will have to pay the subscribers a compensatory credit for every day they have failed to repair their telephones. This took effect from 1st August. Subscribers must start asking for their compensation via PUC. (iv) International Calls. By PUC Order #2/2017 international calls were slightly reduced in cost. The reduction was what GTT asked for since the PUC and the other major stakeholder, the Consumers, had always wished GTT would make its rates competitive with OTT providers like Internet cafes. CONSUMER DURABLES
AND WARRANTIES With the advent of the Free Market, consumer durables such as washing machines, refrigerators, gas stoves, toasters, microwaves and such other consumer durables came to be imported from various parts of the world and not from the traditional exporters in Europe and North America who supplied brand-name products of high standard. East Asia was the chief import market and the attraction for local importers was the cheaper prices. Quality and durability of the products imported were not a consideration. India, where Western standards are accepted as the norm and where many of the well-known Western companies operate and whose growth resemble China’s, does not concentrate on the export trade as East Asia does. Instead, the Indians concentrate on satisfying their own huge market. Thus Indian
consumer durables are rarely imported. In Guyana, a few big stores still stock Western brand-name products, but most of the smaller and middle-sized stores sell East Asian imports. East Asian consumer durables, with some justification, are regarded as inferior to Western-made products and though they are sold at cheaper prices, in the final analysis they do not provide value for money. But ordinary folk are attracted by the lower prices and are not acutely conscious that they are buying an inferior product which may be completely useless in a short time or may be plagued with repair woes. The sellers of such substandard durables give warranties for one month so as to escape the Law which prescribes that if there is no warranty, then a six-month warranty takes effect. And for the month, they have no intention of honouring the
warranty since they have no repair shop or do they engage technical persons to repair defective machines they sell or do they import spare parts. As consumer advocates, our advice would be that consumers should try to buy the better product, though it may require more immediate financial sacrifice. They will have a longer warranty which could be honoured, since there would be repair help available as well as spare parts. There would also be not much delay before repairs are effectuated. We would therefore reiterate that consumers should avoid buying at a cheap price and risking losing what they have paid for the item. A number of the big stores offer hire-purchase facilities. Hire-purchase contracts as they are in Guyana at the moment are largely in favour of the companies and not the purchaser. We would advise purchasers to avoid hirepurchase, even if they have to make some sacrifice.
From Page 60
PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported Property @ Grove - $16M, negotiable. Tel: 625-5461. Property @ 180 Charlotte Street Bourda, 1 building in front & 2 storey house at the back, L 120X B 30- $50M negotiable. Call: 624-7341/ 227-6817/226-5183 House/land at Durban Street, 3rd house between Victor/John 73X43 -$10.5M Call: 646-9997 Property @ Covent Garden, E.B.D. Call: 265-3586 Transported 2 story with shop ideal for business, E.B.D Soesdyke, Public Road. Call: 625-8589/ 688-0882/518-8595313 87 ‘E’ Albert Street Alberttown, price -$35M, negotiable. Call: 669-8701 Property @ Middle & Cummings Street, Georgetown. Call: 667-3332 Transported property in Regent Street, between Wellington & Camp Street. Call: 667-3322 FOR SALE One 306 Caterpillar excavator with 700 ours. Contact: 602-4692.
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Cops seek ‘Grey Boy’ over alleged death threats to Crum-Ewing’s mother Police are seeking the whereabouts of former murder accused Regan Rodrigues, called ‘Grey Boy’, over alleged death threats he made to Donna Harcourt, the mother of slain political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing. The search for Rodrigues came after Mrs. Harcourt told police that Rodrigues had threatened to “wipe out” Mrs. Harcourt for accusing him of killing her son. Mrs. Harcourt said that
‘Grey Boy’ made the threats at around 10.00 hrs yesterday, while she was at her stall at Regent and Wellington Streets. She said that a number of eyewitnesses were present. She later filed a report at the Brickdam Police Station and also spoke to an attorney. A senior police official confirmed that investigators had received the report. The official said that police are taking the report seriously, but
have been unsuccessful so far in their efforts to locate ‘Grey Boy.’ “We have made checks for him because this is a very sensitive matter,” the official said. Mrs. Harcourt, who was accompanied by her husband, Eustace Harcourt, told Kaieteur News that she was sitting at her stand with a friend at around 10.00 hrs, when she heard someone shouting “Donna…Donna!” On turning around, she saw Rodrigues and another man in a black Toyota Allion, which was parked a few feet away. According to Mrs. Harcourt, Rodrigues began shouting at her, and even came out of the vehicle to threaten her. “He said: ‘You been on TV saying that I kill yuh son…I is a robber-man (and) if I had the will I would wipe
Courtney Crum-Ewing and Regan Rodrigues, called ‘Grey Boy’
you out.” She said that Rodrigues, who was wearing a pair of black ‘cut-off’ pants and a vest, eventually returned to the car and drove away. Kaieteur News understands that officials at CID Headquarters, Eve Leary, were also told about the alleged
threats. Mrs. Harcourt expressed concern for her safety. She said she is taking the threats seriously, and recounted that her son was gunned down after receiving threats on his life. The bullet-riddled body of Crum-Ewing was found at
Third Avenue, Diamond New Scheme East Bank Demerara on March 10, 2015. Rodrigues was subsequently charged with CrumEwing’s murder. Magistrate Judy Latchman later discharged the matter, citing insufficient evidence.
Sunday August 13, 2017
Kaieteur News
Bunting, China Feud …Embassy says Opposition spokesman’s allegations could lead to racial tensions Jamaica Observer – Peter Bunting and the Chinese Embassy in Jamaica are now engaged in a bitter jousting over allegations he made against Chinese companies operating in the island, which
Evidence of that, he said, can be seen in the construction sector where China Harbour Engineering Company and 14 or so other Chinese companies operating in that sector “have now con-
Peter Bunting
the embassy has described as offensive and could lead to racial tensions. The first strike was delivered by Bunting, the Opposition spokesman on national security, in an Internet programme which he calls Probe and which was posted on YouTube. The programme opens with Bunting stating that 55 years after Independence from Britain, many Jamaicans are concerned that the country is “undergoing, a new form of economic colonialism by Chinese businesses operating in Jamaica”.
trolled at least 50 per cent of the sector”. According to Bunting, the figure was an estimate from industry professionals. He also accused the Chinese firms of engaging in unfair competition, saying that most of them are either 100 per cent or majority-controlled by the Chinese Government, giving them virtually unlimited resources. “They come into Jamaica, typically on the basis of concessionary financing for a government project and they get all sorts of duty concessions and imported machin-
ery and equipment and they get to buy local building inputs free of GCT,” Bunting charged. “They then use these concessions and machinery and equipment to compete for private sector projects, so they have an advantage over local contractors.” Bunting also accused the Chinese companies of using “convict labour”, saying that the allegation was not limited to Jamaica “but is quite widespread in Africa and southeast Asia”. He said, too, that there is no effective regulation of the Chinese companies. “Their records are kept in Mandarin, the tax administration and audit department has no effective way of telling what is used on one project versus another, where workers are moving between companies, etc,” he said. “The Chinese Government, as a policy, is not very transparent about all these operations,” he said, adding that many international media have attempted to “penetrate the veil of what takes place in many of these companies with absolutely no cooperation from the Chinese Government”. He said he has written to the Chinese Embassy in Jamaica, asking them to respond to the allegations of unfair competition and to shed some light on Chinese business practices, specifically as they’re operating in Jamaica.
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Tourism minister welcomes Taiwanese investors to St Kitts-Nevis
Tourism Minister Lindsay Grant (left) receives token from George T. K. Li, leader of the Taiwanese delegation
BASSETERRE, St Kitts (SKNIS) — Minister of tourism, Lindsay Grant, welcomed more than 30 investors from Taiwan who are currently in St Kitts and Nevis to showcase their products and services, as well as to seek opportunities to invest in the federation. “We are very thrilled that you would have made this visit in your continued quest to build partnerships with us here in St
Kitts and Nevis in the areas of business, tourism, trade, services, and cultural reciprocity among others,” Grant said, during a brief ceremony last week. “You are all from various backgrounds and so I am elated to be among some of the best minds of your beloved country.” Grant briefly highlighted the relationship between St Kitts and Nevis and Taiwan, which dates back to 1983. “Over the years, the com-
mon interests that bind us and underpin our relationship have become much broader and deeper. We are coordinating and cooperating with each other in far more areas than before,” he said. “Our communication and coordination have been deepening with regard to major international and regional issues and the strategic nature and global significance of our relationship are more evident than ever.”
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Kaieteur News
Barbados records decline in foreign reserves during first half of 2017 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - CMC – The Central Bank of Barbados (CBB) says that at the end of June, the island’s international reserves fell to BDS$635.5 million (One Barbados dollar =US$0.50 cents), which was equivalent to an estimated 9.7 weeks of imports. In a review of the performance of the island’s economy over the past six months, the CBB said that the decline in the foreign reserves, which was on par with the corresponding period in
2016, reflected in part a weaker external current account balance over the first six months 2017, as higher international oil prices contributed significantly to a 44 per cent increase in the value of imported fuel. It said in addition, retained imports of consumer goods and capital goods increased by an estimated 1.8 and 7.3 per cent respectively. The CBB said that the financial account recorded a surplus of BDS$119.5 million for the first six months of 2017,
which was BDS$66.5 million greater than that of the same period last year. “This outturn is largely the result of lower net longterm public sector capital outflows relative to the first half of 2016, when Barbados made its capital subscription to the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF). On the other hand, net long-term private sector inflows of $227.0 million were virtually unchanged compared to the corresponding period of 2016.”
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Trump to ramp up trade pressure on China with call for probe tomorrow
Xi Jinping and Donald Trump
WA S H I N G T O N (Reuters) - President Donald Trump tomorrow will order his top trade adviser to determine whether to investigate Chinese trade practices that force U.S. firms operating in China to turn over intellectual property, senior administration officials said yesterday. The move, which could eventually lead to steep tariffs on Chinese goods, comes at a time when Trump has asked China to do more to crack down on North Korea’s nuclear missile programme as he threatens possible military action against Pyongyang. Trump has said he would be more amenable to going easy on Beijing if it were more aggressive in reining in North Korea. An administration official, however, insisted diplomacy
over North Korea and the potential trade probe were “totally unrelated,” saying the trade action was not a pressure tactic.“These are two different things,” the official said, speaking to reporters on a conference call. Trump will direct U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to determine if an investigation is warranted of “any of China’s laws, policies, practices or actions that may be unreasonable or discriminatory, and that may be harming American intellectual property, innovation and technology,” the official said. “China’s unfair trade practices and industrial policies, including forced technology transfer and intellectual property theft, harm the U.S. economy and workers,” a second official told reporters.
“The action being taken on Monday is a reflection of the president’s firm commitment to addressing this problem in a firm way.”Any investigation that may be launched could take as long as a year to conclude, a third official said. He said it would be premature to speculate on actions that could eventually be taken against China, and added that the issue could be resolved through “negotiated agreement.”Trump, who will interrupt a 17-day working vacation to make a day trip to Washington for the trade announcement, had been expected to seek a so-called Section 301 investigation earlier this month, but an announcement was postponed as the White House pressed for China’s cooperation on North Korea.
Top UK ministers: Brexit transition cannot be back door to staying in EU LONDON (Reuters) Britain needs a transition period to soften its exit from the European Union, but it cannot be used to stop Brexit, two senior ministers said yesterday, signalling a truce between rival factions in Prime Minister Theresa May’s cabinet. May’s Brexit strategy has been the subject of open debate among her top team ever since a botched June election which weakened her authority and exposed differences of opinion over how Britain should manage its departure from the bloc. However the outspoken pro-European Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond and ardent Brexiteer trade minister Liam Fox looked to end the debate by setting out a joint position in a newspaper article. “We believe a time-limited
interim period will be important to further our national interest and give business greater certainty - but it cannot be indefinite; it cannot be a back door to staying in the EU,” Hammond and Fox wrote in a joint article for the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. Hammond had previously angered pro-Brexit colleagues and some voters by raising the prospect of an exit deal that saw little immediate change on issues like immigration when Britain leaves in March 2019, and which could last until 2022. Such an arrangement was criticised by euroskeptics as a betrayal of the swift Brexit they wanted, and has even raised fears the process would be stopped altogether. But the article, due to appear in Sunday’s newspaper, said that the government strategy was not being wa-
tered down and Britain would leave on schedule albeit with a transition period. “We are both clear that during this period the UK will be outside the (EU) single market and outside the customs union and will be a ‘thirdcountry’ not party to EU treaties,” they said. However it also confirmed that immigration controls one of the key issues for voters who backed Brexit - would not stop all EU workers coming to Britain. “During this period our borders must continue to operate smoothly; goods bought on the internet must still cross borders; businesses must still be able to supply their customers across the EU, and our innovative, world-leading companies must be able to hire the talent they need, including from within the EU,” they said.
Sunday August 13, 2017
Latin America slams Trump’s Venezuela ‘military options’ threat CARACAS/LIMA (Reuters) - After months of attacking Venezuela’s unpopular President Nicolas Maduro, Latin America came out strongly against U.S. threats of military action against the struggling OPEC nation. U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise comments on Friday may give beleaguered leftist leader Maduro a regional boost, just as Venezuela was on verge of becoming a pariah. Following Trump’s comment on Friday that military intervention in Venezuela was an option, Maduro’s critics are caught between backing the idea of a foreign invasion of Venezuela or supporting a president they call a dictator. The surprise escalation of Washington’s response to Venezuela’s crisis came as U.S. Vice President Mike
Pence was set to begin a regional trip today that will bring him to Colombia, Argentina, Chile, and Panama. Venezuela’s powerful Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino on Friday disparaged U.S. threats as “craziness” and Foreign minister Jorge Arreaza said yesterday Venezuela rejected “hostile” threats, calling on Latin America to unite against Washington. “We want to express gratitude for all the expressions of solidarity and rejection of the use of force from governments around the world, including Latin America,” said Arreaza, in a short speech yesterday. “Some of these countries have recently taken positions absolutely contrary to our sovereignty and independence but still have rejected the declarations of the U.S. president.”
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CAREBACO DAY TWO RESULTS...
Guyana continue winning ways The Guyana Badminton Team continued their winning streak on day 2 of the Caribbean Regional & International Badminton Championships currently playing at the National Racket Centre in Tacarigua, Trinidad. On Friday, the Guyana Juniors Players all moved through to the SEMIFINALS & MEDAL ROUNDS with Priyanna Ramdhani in Under-17 Girls Singles/ Girls Doubles /Mix Doubles Tyrese Jeffrey in Under-17 Boys Doubles/Mix Doubles Akili Haynes in Under-17 Boys Doubles Jonathan Mangra in Under19 Boys Doubles Ambika Ramraj in Under-19 Girls Doubles The Matches played on Day 2 are: Under-13 Boys Doubles Quarter-Finals:
Vikash Mootoo (GUY) & Romer Pena (DOM) lost to James Babwah & Nicholi Marcano (TRI): 21-17, 21-17 Under-17 Girls Singles Quarter-Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani (GUY) defeated Chequeda DeBoulet (TRI): 21-15, 21-8 Under-17 Boys Singles Quarter-Finals: Tyrese Jeffrey (GUY) lost to Leon Cassie (TRI): 21-18, 16-21, 15-21 Under-17 Boys Doubles Quarter-Finals: Tyrese Jeffrey & Akili Haynes (GUY) defeated Luke Lutchman & Aidan Mootoosingh (TRI): 21-14, 21-15 Under-17 Girls Doubles Quarter-Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani (GUY) & Imani Mangroe (SUR) defeated Sandhya Cassie & Chequeda DeBoulet (TRI): 21-14, 21-12
Under-17 Mix Doubles Quarter-Finals: Priyanna Ramdhani & Tyrese Jeffrey (GUY) defeated Vance Juteram & Chequeda DeBoulet (TRI): 13-21, 21-13, 21-16 Under-19 Boys Doubles Quarter-Finals: Jonathan Mangra (GUY) & Cesar Brito (DOM) defeated Aleem Ali & Nathaniel Joseph (TRI): 21-7, 21-13 Under-19 Girls Doubles Quarter-Finals: Ambika Ramraj (GUY) & Shemara Lindveld (SUR) defeated Demi Ramdial & Johannah Walker (TRI): 216, 21-10 Under-19 Mix Doubles Quarter-Finals: Jonathan Mangra & Ambika Ramraj (GUY) lost to Renaldo Sinanan & Amanda Ramsingh (TRI): 21-13, 21-19 The Tournament is continuing.
EBDCA Sterling Products Ltd T20 on today The East Bank Demerara Cricket Association Sterling Products Sterling Products Ltd T20 com-
petition is set to continue today at Laluni. Sandpipers will take on Providence in the
opening fixture at 10:00hrs, while North Soesdyke will face Ruimveldt at 14:00hrs.
The Hopes star as Windies lead Derbyshire after 2nd day of tour game DERBY, England, CMC – West Indies, leading Derbyshire by 246 runs, reached 60 for one in their second innings at the close on the second day of their day/night three-day tour game at Derbyshire County Ground here yesterday. The Hope boys each scored a century in a domi-
nant first innings as the Windies declared on 427-3. In their second turn at the crease, the Windies reached 60-1 with Kieran Powell, who hit a halfcentury in the first innings was not out 41. Derbyshire were restricted to 181 in their innings. The action continues today. Scores: WEST INDIES
427 for three decl. (Roston Chase 110 not out, Shai Hope 107 not out, Kyle Hope 105, Kieran Powell 92) and 60 for one (Kieran Powell 41 not out). DERBYSHIRE 181 (Calum Brodrick 52, Ben Slater 39; Jason Holder 3-48, Roston Chase 2-5, Kemar Roach 2-31, Shannon Gabriel 2-64).
Guyana beat Jamaica by nine wickets... (From page 68) Mahabirsingh 5-69) and 250 for nine decl. (Uri Smith 73, Sh a c o y Floyd 48, Zawandi White 30 not out; Joshua James
3-38, Shaaron Lewis 344). TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 133 (Saiba Batoosingh 39, Christian Thurton 22; Uri Smith 3-24, Dimitri
Adams 2-11) a n d 2 5 6 (Christian Thurton 70, L eonardo Julien 48, Saiba Batoosingh 45; Zawandi White 3-31, Dimitri Adams 2-26).
Whopping 102 entries and $15M at... Sunday August 13, 2017 ARIES (Mar. 21- April 20) You may have difficulties with foreigners. Doublecheck before you go out. Real estate should be lucrative for you. TAURUS (Apr. 21- may 21) Your ability to relate will close the generation gap. You could lose a good friend because of it. Family outings that aren't expensive will be enjoyable and help strengthen ties. GEMINI (May 22-June 21) Older relatives may be a burden. Empty promises are evident and deception probable. Be up front if you don't want to be embarrassed. CANCER (June 22-July 22) You need to spend some time with individuals who have more experience than you. New partnerships will develop if you join investment groups. There could be disappointment regarding investments. LEO (July 23-Aug 22) Don't let your lover put demands on you. You will be confused about the intentions of someone you work with. Unstable relationships are likely. VIRGO (Aug. 23 -Sept. 23) Partnerships could be tense. Don't push your luck. Don't let others take advantage of your good nature. You can make money through solid investment plans. LIBRA (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) Disputes may start because of a lack of honesty. Make
plans to do something special with the one you love. Don't be too quick to judge your loved ones. SCORPIO (Oct. 24 - Nov. 22) You will be misinterpreted if you get involved in other people's problems. If boredom has set in, find new and unique directions that offer interesting friendships. Don't be too quick to let friends and relatives know what you're up to. SAGIT. (Nov. 23 -Dec. 21) Travel and entertaining conversation will be informative and uplifting. When the work is done, they may serve you for a change. Look into any educational activities involving the whole family. CAPRI .(Dec 22.- Jan. 20) Use your own ideas to further your interests. Sudden changes regarding work and colleagues are apparent. If you can work at home, do so. AQUAR. (Jan. 21 -Feb. 19) Focus on forming business partnerships. Try and avoid getting involved in idle chatter or gossip that might get you in trouble. Sudden changes regarding friendships are likely to occur if you have tried to change others. PISCES (Feb. 20-Mar. 20) Get involved in creative projects that will enhance your earning power. Take the time to close deals that have been up in the air. Don't be too quick to judge those you live with.
(From page 69) animals; The H3 & lower 7 furlongs race for Guyana Bred and 4 years old West Indies bred horses for the $400,000 pay day over a distance of 1100m; The H2 and lower and 4 Yrs Old WI Bred Non – Earners, which is also open To All other Guyana and West Indies Bred 3Yrs Old & Up for the $400,000 winners money and trophy. The Zeneyatta Memorial Guyana Bred 3years old event ; The race for 2 years old Guyana Bred horses over 1100m; the I1 and Lower gallop over 1100m; The J2 & K & Lower event and the L& Lower non winners match up both over 1100m. Among the other animals set to compete are- Red Rocket, T&T, Isn’t She Charming, Witchipoo, Keep On Swinging, Quiet Dancer, Mid Night Blues, Got To Go, It’s My Turn, Isn’t She Charming, Cat Messiah, Super Bowl, Bigman Boss, Quiet Dancer, Marry Ann, Puppy Tail, Seven Dust, Miss Olympic, Born To Dance, Governor, Ground Gyal, Princess Saria, Natural Beauty, Genuine Risk, Fresh Dancer, Lucky Lucky, King Stanley, the Final Line, Princess Showna, Perfect Return, Wise Tom, Touch Gold, Jungle Prince, Suicide Mission, Catalena, Great Sacrifice, Release the Heat, Irish Baby, Party Time, Liquid Lion, , Natural Beauty Red Jet, Royal Son, De Rocket, I Am Back, Slim Shady, Blondy, Confusion, Daddy’s Dollar, Red Region, Massapequa Dr and Big Man In Town, Little Mcgyver, Not This Time, Irish Boy, Blue Lighting, Shoba, Back Track, Party Done, Black Devil, Physical
Disturbance, Supreme Cat, Angel Eye, Little Star,Timely Business, Dwayne Solomon, Bounty Be True, Desert Landing, Irish Vision and Maximus among others. The top Jockey along with the runner up, the top stable and champion trainer
will all be presented with trophies and other incentives compliments of the organizers and Trophy Stall. Bugle time is 12:30 hrs. The coordinator is Nasrudeen (Jumbo Jet) Mohamed Jr with assistant Fazal Habibulla.
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Sunday August 13, 2017
Kaieteur News
Kaieteur Sports Week in Review SPORTS WEEK IN REVIEW Over the past week the inclement weather did hamper some sporting events, nevertheless several competitions were held with Bodybuilder Bruce Whatley returning home with a bang to storm to the Mr. Guyana title and Alisha Fortune defying age and the younger competitors to stay on top of her game. Guyana under-19 female cricketers claimed Regional glory for the first time, while the Guyana leg of the Queens Baton Relay was successfully held among other indoor action. Here’s a look at what transpired to make the news. BRUCE WHATLEY IS NEW MR. GUYANA, DETHRONES 4-TIME WINNER KERWYN CLARKE ALISHA FORTUNE IS LONE FEMALE COMPETITOR Guyana has a new king of the bodybuilding stage, he is USA bas ed Bruce Whatley w ho dethroned Kerwyn Clarke who was seeking his fifth consecutive Mr. Guyana crown but was stopped by the chiseled and well defined Whatley. Competing under the Buddy’s Gym banner, this was Whatley’s first ever Mr. Guyana title and he accomplished the feat in style by whipping his former student, Clarke. It was obvious to the sold out audience at the Marriott Hotel that the battle for the most prestigious title in the bodybuilding arena would have been between Whatley and Clarke after the duo won the respective heavyweight and middleweight categories. Clarke had to stave off the stiffest challenge of the night to gain the judges nod which allowed him victory in the middleweight division. The Space Gym athlete did enough to flex past the crowd pleasing challenges that were presented by fellow middleweights and rivals, Godfrey Stoby, Sylvester Andrews and 2017 Novice Overall winner, Nolan Smith. Whatley had a much easier task in getting past Fitness 53’s Rhon Lonke and Space Gym’s Tremol King in the clash of the heavyweights. The other finalists in the Mr. Guyana contest were Marlon Bennett (Fitness 53) who had won the Masters Open as well as the lightweight categories; he upstaged a former Mr. Guyana, Lindie Sharpe and two others in being the top Masters competitor. His win in the lightweight class over Space Gym’s Ebo Orford and Donald Lindie of Total Fitness was not a crowd pleasing decision as many felt Orford had done enough to take the win. Ruling the roost in the bantamweight division was another
President Granger passes the torch to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo in the presence of GOA President, K. A Juman Yassin. Buddy’s Gym athlete, Dwayne Chung in a five-way battle, while Caerus Cipriani (Life Gym), who was not daunted by the fact that he only earned a 4th place finish in the hot Men’s Physique contest, returned moments later to beat Odel Crum-E-Wing to take the welterweight title. There was a new king crowned in the Mr. Guyana Open Men’s Physique showdown. Yannick Grimes (Buddy’s Gym) gained sweet revenge over Fitness 53’s Emmerson Campbell who had got the better of him for the past two years. The lone female that graced the stage on Sunday night was the indefatigable and multi talented Alisha Fortune who took the Ms Body Fitness title. The sponsors of the event were Ghandi’s General Store, Fitness Express, Atlantic Mining, Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports, World of Flowers and Chung’s Global Enterprise, Windjammer International Hotel and Cuisine, Safe Sol Restaurant, Star Party Rentals, Gizmos and Gadgets, Aruwai Resort, I Ride Guyana, Gem Magazine, Space Gym, and L. Seepersaud Jewelry. GUYANA CAPTURES FIRST REGIONAL FEMALE TITLE The Guyana Female Under-19 team lifted the Cricket West Indies Regional Female Under-19 tournament title by defeating Trinidad and Tobago in the finals. The tournament which commenced on August 3rd, witnessed Guyana concluding the preliminary rounds with an astounding tally of 10 points, no losses, to place them on top of the points table along with Trinidad and Tobago. The final, at the National Cricket Centre, saw Guyana facing Trinidad and Tobago for the Championship honours. Guyana won the toss and in deciding to field, restricted
Trinidad and Tobago to 94 for 9 off the allotted 20 overs. R. Boyce top scored for Trinidad and Tobago with 33 off 40 balls and R. Dookie 22 from 20 balls. Bowling for Guyana, Plaffiana Millington picked up 4 wickets for 17 runs and Mandy Mangru 2 wickets for 8 runs to be the leading performers. Guyana in reply scored 86 for 3 in 17.2 overs, winning the tournament by 7 wickets on DLS (Duck Worth Lewis System). Mandy Mangru claimed the Player of the Match award with a top score of 34 runs off 36 balls. Sheneta Grimmond contributed with 11 runs off 21 balls and Captain, Shabika Gajnabi 20 off 36 balls. Bowling for Trinidad A. Ramoutar picked up 3 wickets for 17. The win against Trinidad and Tobago gave the Guyana Female Under-19 their first Regional Championship title. The champions returned to home yesterday. HEAD OF STATE SET EARLY PACE AS QUEEN’S BATON RELAY HELD IN GUYANA After a total of 37 stops on its way to the 2018 Commonwealth Games to be hosted in the Gold Coast, Guyana became the 38th destination yesterday and given the honour of setting the pace on the first leg was His Excellency, President David Granger. In the cool of the morning at about 08:00hrs, President Granger commenced the first of three days for the relay here in front of State House and minutes later passed the torch to Honourable Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo at the corners of Quamina and Main Streets. Nagamootoo at appreciable pace and in the company of Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) President K. A. Juman Yassin, then handed over the torch to Chief of Staff, Brigadier Patrick West outside the Bank of Guyana before
Minister of Education (ag), Nicolette Henry took over at Quamina and Holmes Street. Maintaining a steady pace, Minister Henry then proceeded to the British High Commission where she handed over to British High Commissioner to Guyana, Greg Quinn who subsequently passed it on to Guyana’s lone Olympic bronze medalist Michael Parris in front of the GOA Office, Main Street. The final leg in the first stage was jogged by Director of Sport, Christopher Jones in the company of a number of cyclists and this was after a number of associations and federations kept the pace going throughout the morning in the city. The relay moved to the Leonora Stadium where it was welcome to the sweet sounds of the Tassa Drummers and a masquerade band. It also travelled to the Kaieteur Falls before heading to Surama and Annai where it was greeted with sport and cultural presentations. The Baton departed Guyana on Friday last for the Falkland Islands. The Queen’s Baton will arrive on the Gold Coast for the XXI Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony on 4 April 2018, where Her Majesty, or a representative, will remove the message from the Baton and read it aloud to officially open the Games. GT BEER KEEP YOUR 5 ALIVE KO FUTSAL TOURNEY WEST FRONT ROAD-GOLD IS MONEY, FUTURE STARS ARE JOINT CHAMPS What turned out to be a colossal battle of a never say die disposition, experience, youth and determination displayed by Future Stars and West Front Road-Gold is Money in the final of the GT Beer Keep Your Five Alive was eventually marred by the over exuberance and stubbornness of the fans at the National Gymnasium. The battle between two tactical sides turned out to be very
explosive with neither side giving up or giving in to the extent that kicks from the penalty mark was necessary to decide the winner after a draining 4-4 tie in the 60-minutes of regulation, added on and extra time that produced some of the most nerve racking futsal one would ever absorb. But the fans eventually ruined an otherwise epic night as the referees and players who had pleaded with them to leave the playing area eventually exited the Gymnasium leaving the fans behind. The organiser and team representatives met later and came to an agreement to split the spoils on offer in the final. It was $500,000 and $250,000 for the winner and loser. However, the teams got the organiser to add $50,000 more to round it off at $800,000 which was then split down the middle between Future Stars and West Front Road-Gold is Money. Corporate support for the tournament was provided by HJTV, 94.1 Boom FM, Trophy Stall, Star Party Rentals, A&J Carpet House, Ravi’s Carwash (Pike Street, Kitty), Cheese Please, Colours Boutique, Confidential Cabs and the title sponsor, GT Beer. ANOTHER GASA AFFILIATE NOT PLEASED WITH ENTITIES POSTURE Following, on the heels of sister club Dorado Speed Swim Club seeking the Ministers intervention in the sport of swimming, another club has written to the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) voicing its dissatisfaction on a number of issues. The Sea Otters Swim Club has formally written to the GASA, headed by Mr. Ivan Persaud, objecting to the selection of a swimmer to represent Guyana at the Goodwill Swim Meet which will be held in Guyana from August 18 – 20, 2017. The Goodwill countries are Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados, Suriname and St Lucia; additionally, this year, two guest countries, Grenada and the Bahamas have been invited to participate. Last year, (2016), the Goodwill Swim Meet was held in St Lucia and a young American child, (Nia Fraser) flew from the United States suddenly appearing in St. Lucia to swim on the Guyana team, displacing a Guyanese swimmer who had travelled from Guyana to St Lucia to swim having made the required times. This was in direct contravention of the rules that govern Goodwill. The Goodwill Summons is clear as follows: ELEGIBILITY: All Competitors must either be citizens or residents of the country (Continued on page 67)
Sunday August 13, 2017
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur Sports Week in Review (From page 66) they are seeking to represent. Naturalised citizens and residents must have resided in that country for at least 12 months prior to the competition. Proof of residency which may be in the form of a sanctioned letter from swim clubs or the athlete’s attending school must be submitted at the Technical Meeting. This year Guyana is hosting the Goodwill Swim Meet and Nia Fraser has showed up, once again, displacing a Guyanese child, (Nekita Peters). Nia was recently registered as a member of the Orca Speed Swim Club. The President of GASA, the Vice President, the Secretary and the head of the Technical Committee are all members of Orca. Prior to Nia showing up as an Orca swimmer, her parents had approached the Dorado Speed Swim Club to become a member. But in keeping with adhering to rules, Dorado wrote back stating that it could not subscribe to that as the FINA rules were not being adhered to. Despite this, the Orca Swim Club, (that dominates the GASA Executive), took Nia into their membership and when Nekita’s club (Sea Otters) protested, pointing out that it was in contravention of all the rules, the attitude seemed to be - we are the hosts of Goodwill and therefore can break the rules. The Sea Otters club wrote to the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association stating that, while the club accepts that the Council voted for Ms. Fraser to remain on the team, the club wishes to register their concern about this process. The rules of the summons are clear and they were violated by Council. NIA FRASER ELIGIBLE TO REPRESENT GUYANA AT GOODWILL GAMES – GASA’S IVAN PERSAUD President of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) Ivan Persaud said that female 9-10 age group swimmer Nia Fraser is eligible to represent Guyana at the upcoming Goodwill Swim Meet later this month, here. In response to the Sea Otters Swim Club objection to Fraser who resides in the United States of America, being included in the Guyana team for the 2016 Goodwill Swim Meet in St. Lucia and 2017 here, Persaud told Kaieteur Sport that Fraser participated in the trials and as such she was included in the team. ”She came last year and took part in the trials. We did not had a full team since Dorado Speed Swim Club had pulled out and she asked if she could be placed on the team if she funded her own costs and we decided to place her on the team so we could have taken part in
the relay event in that category,” he stated. Persaud added that she came back and participated in the trials held in July last and was one of the better swimmers. He explained that she is in possession of a Guyanese passport and the eligibility rule does not apply to development meets such as Goodwill, rather it only applies for elite competition such as Olympics and World Championships. When quizzed about the accountability of GASA, Persaud stated that since he took over the association in 2014, all the financial statements from 20142016 have been audited. He said that monies from the Government which assisted in athletes travelling to St. Lucia were paid directly to Muneshwar Travel Service and since it did not came through GASA it would not reflect in the financial statements. He further stated that his trip to Hungary was funded by FINA. DEY RIDES AWAY WITH ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER IAN AMSTERDAM, EMANCIPATION CYCLE RACE Curtis Dey took 1hr and 30 minutes to ride away the Flying A c e C y c l e C l u b ( FA C C ) organised road race which was held in honour of Emancipation and retiring Assistant Commissioner of Police and former Commander of B Division, Ian Amsterdam. The event was for cyclist of the FACC only and began at 10:10hrs with 12 cyclists taking to the starting line at the junction of Main and Alexander Street in New Amsterdam and proceeded to the University of Guyana Tain Campus before returning to the starting line for the finish. Dey was dominant and rode home unchallenged to win from the rest of the field. Occupying the other top were positions Balram Narine, Jason Cameron Ralph Seenarine and David Hicks fifth. Seenaine was the first juvenile to cross the finishing line with Hicks and S e w n a r i n e B h o w a n d i n occupying the other two spots. Shenika Teixeira, who is scheduled to represent Guyana at the upcoming Inter Guiana Games, was the lone female in the contest and she received a special prize and words of commendation from hose present. Dey for his dominance copped three of the prime
Assistant Commissioner and former Commander of B Division Ian Amsterdam presents the winning cheque to Curtis Dey as his Wife Tamera (centre), Assistant Commissioner Paul Williams and other recipients and organisers share the moment. point prizes on offer with the other going to Narine. OSMOND CUMMINGS FOURTH MEMORIAL FOOTBALL EXTRAVAGANZA BOTOFAGO U18 AND U23 OUTGUN EAGLES UNITED AND AMELIA’S WARD Botofago Football Club (BFC) defeated their Under-18 and Under-23 counterparts in the Osmond Cummings fourth Memorial football extravaganza Sunday last at the Silvertown All Stars Sports Club Ground. Under the theme, “Unite, Develop and Distribute”, Botofago’s Under 18 got the better of Eagles United FC 2-0. It was all Botofago again in the Under-23 clash, they won 4-1 against Amelia’s Ward FC. The Under-18 team received the winning trophy and replicas. The winning Under-23 team a trophy and replicas. The loosing teams received medals. Emerging as the MVP for the U23 was Tevin Thompson of Botofago, Ojani Whittington was adjudged the best Youth Player, Best defence went to Kendall Lewis of Eagles United, Botofago’s Kester Johnson was given the nod for Best goalkeeper
and Antwaine Gill received the MVP U18 prize. The teams were met by Nigel ‘Mice’ Cummings and DeAndre Cummings, son of the late Osmond Cummings, who also did the honour of kicking off the ball. Nigel ‘Mice’ Cummings in his remarks said that he was hoping to
have the tournament run as a league this year but there were some hiccups and it didn’t materialize but come 2018 it will be done as a League so all the teams in Linden will benefit. The Acting President of the UDFA sanctioned the league and committed to assist.
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Regional U-19 cricket 5th round BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Guyana defeated Jamaica by nine wickets on the last day of the final round of matches in the Regional Under-19 Championships at Conaree here yesterday.
Kaieteur News
Sunday August 13, 2017
Guyana beat Jamaica by nine wickets – 3rd day Scores: JAMAICA 187 (Brad Barnes 64, Rajni Roye 27; Ronaldo Ali Mohammed 5-30, Ashmead Nedd 3-52) and 139 (Raewin Senior 31, Darren Small 30; Ronaldo Ali Mohammed 4-25,
Ashmead Nedd 4-67). GUYANA 250 for eight decl. (Richie Looknauth 61 not out, Ramnarine Chatura 59, Kevelon Anderson 38; Brad Barnes 3-45, David Bird 2-61) and 80 for one
(Raymond Perez 44 not out). Barbados beat Wi n d w a r d s b y e i g h t wickets – 3rd day Barbados defeated Windward Islands by eight wickets on the final day of the fifth round of matches in the Regional Under-19 Championship at St Paul’s. Scores: WINDWARD ISLANDS 121 (Kimani Melius 52; Dante Niles 4-12, Camarie Boyce 3-27, Jarion
Hoyte 2-30) and 219 (Tahj Tavenier 57, Johnnel Eugene 33, Kimani Melius 31; Dante Niles 3-45, Shavin Brooks 349). BARBADOS 282 (Shian Brathwaite 101, Kilano Brathwaite 46, Nico Reifer 41, Shavin Brooks 26; Sealron Williams 6-85, Lee Louisy 3-52) and 61 for two (Nico Reifer 28 not out, Shian Brathwaite 27). Leewards beat T&T by
86 runs – 3rd day BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Leeward Islands beat Trinidad and Tobago by 86 runs on the last day of their final round match in the Regional Under-19 Championships at Verchilds. Scores: LEEWARDS ISLANDS 225 (Shacoy Floyd 49 not out, Uri Smith 43, Jamie Cornelius 34, Dimitri Adams 31; Avinash (Continued on page 65)
Sunday August 13, 2017
Kaieteur News
Slick Britain win 4x100 relay as Bolt pulls up LONDON (Reuters) U s a i n B o l t ’s f i n a l appearance on the track ended in agony yesterday as he pulled up injured running the final leg of the World Championships 4x100 metres relay as Britain stunned the United States to win a shock gold medal. Bolt, who had to settle for bronze in the individual 100 metres, had been hoping to sign off from the sport by leading Jamaica to a fifth successive relay gold but they were struggling in third place when he collected the baton. As he tried to gain ground, Bolt pulled up and fell to the floor with what looked like a hamstring injury. The 60,000 in the stadium who had come to mark the farewell sport’s greatest showman had only a split second to absorb what was happening as up ahead a new chapter was being written. The U.S., with individual gold and silver medallists Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman running the second
US sprinter Michael Johnson paid tribute to the Great Britain team, telling BBC Sport: ‘An amazing and outstanding performance from that British team. They beat everyone fair and square’. (AFP/Getty images) and fourth legs, had been expected to push the Jamaicans all the way but they were always trailing the slick Britons. The brilliantly executed race by Chijindu Ujah, Adam Gemili, Danny Talbot and Nethaneel MitchellBlake gave Britain gold in 37.47 seconds, breaking an 18-year-old national record, and the world title for the first time. “I wasn’t sure if I had won or not, I gave it my all
but I could see Christian Coleman out of the corner of my eye,” said MitchellBlake. “The feeling of euphoria was from infinity. I can’t register it. We smashed the British record to pieces.” Britain’s only other men’s global sprint relay golds came in the 1912 and 2004 Olympics. It completed a great night for the host nation’s sprinters after their women had earlier taken silver behind the
Americans in the sprint relay, their best performance s i n c e t h e f i r s t championships in 1983. The U.S. men took silver in 37.52 but for a nation that used to be totally dominant in the event, it was only their second medal in the last eight global finals after a series of world championship and Olympic disqualifications. Japan took advantage of Jamaica’s travails to take third in 38.04.
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Whopping 102 entries and $15M at stake in Guyana Cup race meet today The day has finally arrived and all systems are in place for the much anticipated 11th Annual Guyana Cup 2017 Horserace Meet at the Rising Sun Turf Club, Arima Park West Cast Berbice. With over 102 entries and thousands of turfites expected at the edge of their seats the atmosphere will be electrifying. The prize monies have gone to $15M making it one of the richest horserace meets and sporting event in Guyana. The mega event is organized by the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and Racing stables in collaboration with the Rising Sun Turf Club. The feature C and lower event has some 13 entries racing for the coveted $2M and the Banks DIH Trophy over 1800M. The Jumbo Jet and Nand Persaud Karibee Rice Stables lead the entries with three each. Jumbo has Jack In MY Style, It’s My Choice and new comer Vera’s Finally out of the
USA, The Karibee Rice stable will be running, Brave Sky, Honey Flow and Golden Blue Echo, Shariff enters two with defending champion Princess She’s Not and the inform Settling Star. Among the others looking to take the crown are Lady Budapest, Just Call Me Boss, Media Day, Climate Change and Bridal stone Corner. The other races all have full entries with the E & lower 1500m race for all imported and Guyana Bred 3 years and up and those rated E class and lower for a sumptuous $1.2M winner’s purse. This race has the likes of Red Rocket, Storm Bird, Release the Beast, Honey Flow, Climate Change, and Fire in Line, Because I Say So and Red and Lovely in contention. The other events are the G2 and Lower race for Guyana and West Indies Bred 3Yrs Old and older (Continued on page 65)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday August 13, 2017
Hero CPL Munro hits masterful unbeaten 70 as t20 cricket Warriors slump to 3rd successive loss By Sean Devers in Trinidad In association with Mings products & Services, C a r i b B e e r, V n e t Communications and Rose Hall Town Sports Club Watched by the largest crowd of the competition, a masterfully constructed unbeaten 70 from 30-yearold Colin Munro and an aggressive undefeated 23ball 41 from Denesh Ramdin powered the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) to a seven-wicket win against Guyana Amazon Warriors yesterday morning in the Hero CPL t20 cricket tournament at the Queen’s Park Oval. A capacity crowd of over 20,000 dancing, flag-waving and horn-blowing fans created a Sea of red and saw Jamaican Chadwick Walton clobber 36 from 24 balls with a four and four sixes to add 40 for the first wicket with Skipper Martin Guptill, who made a 14-ball 24 with
two fours and two sixes in 3.1 overs. But only Roshon Primus with a run-a-ball 23 with two fours and a six of the others reached 15 as the Warriors wasted a rollicking start to be restricted to 156-7 after their middle order scored just 22 runs between the 10th and 15th overs, while losing two wickets in another disappointing batting performance. Leg-spinner Shadab Khan (4-28) and off-spinner Sunil Narine (2-16) bowled well on good track for the Knight Riders who replied with 162-3 in 19 overs to win by seven wickets and move to six points from four matches, condemning the Warriors to their third successive defeat. Munro’s innings lasted 47 balls and was decorated with five fours and five sixes. He added 56 in an unbroken stand with Ramdin whose knock included three fours and three sixes to see their team home with an over
to spare. Guptill got going with a six and a four off consecutive balls in the second over off South African Robert Frylinck, while two more blistering boundaries from t h e Wa r r i o r s c a p t a i n followed in an over which cost 22 after left arm spinner Khary Pierre first had produced just two. Walton clobbered Pierre for a six and a four as he and Munro started like a house on fire much to delight of the large Guyanese contingent and for the first time CPL 2017 actually felt like the biggest party in sport. Walton powered Shadab Khan for a huge six before Guptill was dismissed at 411 in 3.1 overs as Shadab Khan struck, while Babar Azam (2) did not last long and was soon LBW to Narine at 52-2 in the fifth over. And it was time for the T&T fans to scream their approval as pulsating scoca music blared from Trini Possie stand and the rhythm
of Tassa drumming could be heard under a clear night sky. At the end of the power play the Warriors had galloped to 61-2 from six overs as Walton threw his bat lustily depositing Pierre for a couple of sixes and the roar from the Guyanese could be heard all the way to Georgetown. Mohammed upper cut Dwayne Bravo for a boundary over point before Walton skied Kevin Cooper ‘miles’ into air as Cooper claimed his seventh wicket to become the tournament’s leading wicket-taker and leave the Warriors on 77-3 in the ninth over. Gajanand Singh got going with a paddle sweep for four before Mohammed (13) pulled a long-hop from Khan to deep mid-wicket at 89-4, while Singh (7) topedged Narine to deep backward square seven runs later sweeping at one that bounced. Primus entertained with a six and four off Bravo off successive balls before under edging Narine for four more, while Sohail Tanvir dispatched a short ball from Khan over mid-wicket for six. Khan removed Primus and Tanvir off consecutive balls in the 18th over to leave the Warriors on 137-7 before Rayed Emrit (11) clipped Cooper for four, while Paul (14) dumped a slower ball from Bravo for six to take them past 150. TKR started in horrendous fashion when Brendon McCallum fell to Tanvir for a first ball duck before the Munro show began with a tuck past midon for four before hammering Tanvir for two sixes and a scorching boundary in third over. Munro punched Steven Jacobs gloriously past cover
Colin Munro misses a reverse off Rashid Khan during his unbeaten 70 for TKR. (Sean Devers photo)
for four before stroking him elegantly to extra cover ropes and took a liking to Emrit; brutally dumping him for sixes off the second and last ball of the fifth over. Narine (23) badly dropped by Primus, added 79 with the left-handed Munro before he fell to Jacobs in the eighth over to bring Darren Bravo to the crease. Bravo cut for four before hitting a full ball from Primus for six, but with the introduction of Khan, Bravo was befuddled by a succession of googlies from the leg-spinner who bowled a maiden to him in the eleventh over. In Khan next over, Munro tried to counter with reverse sweeps to no avail, but the 100 was posted in the 12th over before Bravo (19) was removed by Primus at 106-3 in the 13th over. Ramdin hit Khan to the
mid-wicket boundary and along with Munro took the score to 148 with a six off Tanvir’s last ball of the 18th over leaving TKR to get nine from 12 balls. Ramdin stroked Emrit for a boundary off the first ball and with two to win from seven balls, smashed Emrit for four to evoke Carnival in August. “ We d i d n o t h a v e someone to bat for long and then take it deep into the innings. He (Munro) got away early, we bowled well to other guys. Hopefully, the only way is up. The good thing is that we are improving with every game,” said Guptill, who did use Paul, the tightest bowler in the previous game, for a single over in this game. The Warriors face the Stars tonight in St Lucia in a game they can’t afford to lose.
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Guinness / Three Peat Promotions Cage Competition
Strong Brazilian team among 32 invited -over $800,000 in prizes up for grabs The glut of futsal tournaments being staged recently will certainly guarantee a high standard of play when the inaugural Guinness Cage Competition, which is being held in collaboration with Three Peat Promotions commences on August 24, at the National Gymnasium. A release from the Organisers predicts that the new and exciting format will produce a brand of football never seen before and choosing a winner is proving to be a difficult undertaking. With thirty-two of the top teams in the indoor format scheduled to compete including a team made up of Brazilians from one of the world’s most powerful nations in the sport, fans could expect eight nights of
riveting action for prize monies totaling in excess of $800,000 with the winning set to receive $400,000, while second, third and fourth placed finishers will take home $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 along with trophies. A source close to the Organisers pointed out that with Sparta Boss, the most successful team in the smallgoal format, dip in form, the door is now open for another team to step up and take over the monarchy. Teams such as Linden’s Dave & Celena All Stars, who’re the current Guinness National champions, Future Stars, West Front Road ‘Gold is Money’, the Brazilian combination, Tucville, Back Circle, Albouystown and Bent Street must be thinking of
The competition promises to be explosive with teams like Sparta Boss and Albouystown seen here in action.
replacing Sparta Boss, undoubtedly the most dominant team over the past two years. Another compelling reason for any team to win the tournament is the fact that they will go down as the
winners of the inaugural event, a feat that will be etched in the annals of the competition’s history. Te a m s h a v e b e e n engaged in serious preparations ever since the tournament was announced
Extra Beer/Ballers in the Summer Street Football
Future Stars, ESPN, Lot-20 flawless on opening night of group play Future Stars, ESPN with an upset win over Dave and Celina All Stars of Linden and Lot-20 were all flawless with two wins apiece when round-robin play in the Third edition of the Second Ground Entertainment / Extra Beer Ballers in the Summer Street knock-out football tournament kicked off on Friday night at the Pouderoyen Tarmac. Future Stars posted wins over Samaroo Dam and Tiger Bay; ESPN downed Hustlers and Dave and Celina All Stars, while Lot20 defeated Back Circle and Tucville in their matches. Sixteen teams are contesting the group stage with the top two from each advancing to the quarter finals. Group matches were expected to continue last night at the same venue. Following are the respective groups. Group A - Show Stoppers, Agricola, Tajo’ Admiral, Speed Boat. Group B Tiger Bay, Lot 20, Samroo Dam, Gully Side. Group C – Bagotstown, Dave and Selena All Stars, Hustlers, ESPN. Group D - Future Stars, Tucville, Silver Bullets, Back Circle.
and it is anticipated that from Day One the excitement will begin as they seek to make it through the knockout phase over the two opening nights. Among the stars that will be on show are Future Stars’ Akeemo Anthony, Keiron Solomon and Jeremy Garrett, Broad Street’s Jimmy Gravesande and Lenox Cort, Sparta Boss’s Devon Millington and Gregory Richardson and Sheldon Shepherd, Tucville’s Jermaine Junior and Delon Williams, Dave & Celena’s Rawle Gittens, Keon Sears, Kenard Simon, Randolph Wagner, Hubert Pedro and Jamal Pedro.
The other playing dates for the championship are August 29 and 31, September 2, 5, 7, 9 with the final set for September 16, at the same venue. Some of the teams invited so far areGeorgetown- Sparta Boss, West Front Road ‘Gold is Money’, Back Circle, Future Stars, Leopold Street, Broad Street, Queen Street Tiger Bay, Albouystown, North East La Penitence, Tucville, Sophia, North Ruimveldt; East Bank DemeraraChampion Boys; LindenDave and Celena’s All-Stars; West DemeraraShowstoppers, Hustlers, ESPN; East Coast- BV, Melanie, Plaisance.
Hamilton Green Cup Football continues on Friday in Linden Lot-20 scores the lone and winning goal against Back Circle. Following are the results from Friday night’s matches: Game-1 - Silver Bullets-2 vs Tucville-0. Damion Williams-10th and 23rd. Game-2 - Lot-20-1 vs Back Circle-0. Own Goal-5th. Game-3 - Dave and Celina’s All-Stars-2 vs Bagotstown Warriors-0. Kennard Simon-4th, Joel McKinnon-12th. Game-4 - Tajoe’s Admiral United-0 vs Showstoppers1. Marvin Josiah-11th. Game-5 - Future Stars-0 vs Samaroo Dam-0. Future
Stars won 3-2 on penalty kicks. Game-6 - Hustlers-0 vs ESPN-1. Kevon Lythcott6th. Game-7 - Agricola-2 vs Speed Boat-1. Agricola scorers, Collis Samuels-3rd and 10th, Speed Boat scorer, Amoniki Buntin-7th. Game-8 – Tiger Bay-0 vs Gully Side-0. Tiger Bay won 1-0 on sudden death penalty kicks. 2nd Round Game-1 - Back Circle-1 vs Silver Bullets-0. Jermaine Beckles-9th.
Game-2 - Tucville-0 vs Lot-20-0. Lot-20 won 3-2 on penalty kicks. Game-3 - ESPN-0 vs Dave and Celina’s All-Stars-0. ESPN won 2-1 on sudden death penalty kicks. Game-4 - Future Stars-1 vs Tigerbay-0. Jamal Cozier4th. Game-5 - Bagotstown Warriors-0 vs Hustlers-0. Bagotstown won 2-1 on penalty kicks. Game-6 - Agricola-0 vs Tajoe’s Admiral United-0. Tajoe’s won 2-0 on penalty kicks.
Competition in the Hamilton Green Cup Knockout Football tournament continues on Friday at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden on Friday. The tournament kicked off last week with a few matches but was paused due to the weather. So far Ann’s Grove, Mahaica, Buxton, Plaisance and Golden Grove have advanced, winning their matches. In the scheduled games on Friday at the MSC from 7:00pm, Silver Shattas square off against Rhythm Squad, while at 9:00pm, Milerock take on Georgetown Football Club (GFC) as the night features Georgetown versus Linden
rivalries. More play is set for Sunday 20th August at the Victoria Ground with a double header starting from 6:00pm with Santos opposing Mahaica, while at 8:00pm Golden Grove take on Ann’s Grove. The Teams are battling for attractive prizes which include $500,000 and the Minister of Citizenship trophy for the winner, $250,000 and the Busta trophy, $150,000 and the John Fernandes trophy and $100,000 and the Cummings Electrical trophy respectively for the other top three finishers. Former national footballer and Coach Lennox Arthur is the coordinator of the event.
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Slick Britain win 4x100 relay as Bolt pulls up
Usain Bolt pulled up injured in the 4x100m relay - his final major track race - as Great Britain pulled off an amazing feat to come first. (Reuters)
CONCACAF Group D Under-17 female World Cup qualifiers…
Lady Jags clash with Cuba in final group match this afternoon @Lenora from 5pm GFF head, Wayne Forde, urging fans to come out and support the local side The Lady Jags are set to clash with Cuba this evening at the Leonora Track and Field Facility in the third and final Group D game of the CONCACAF Under-17 World Cup qualifiers. Cuba will need to defeat the inexperienced Guyana team by five goals or more to advance to the next round of qualification for the 2018 female under-17 World Cup that will be held Uruguay. The Lady Jags lost their first game to Barbados 5-1 on Wednesday last but that final score didn’t reflect the level of competitiveness of the match. In the second game of Group D played on Friday evening at Leonora, Barbados who came into the match against Cuba with a +4 goal difference,
employed a clear defensive tactic. The Bajans held on for a goalless draw against Cuba who squandered many opportunities, including a penalty in the 65th minute. At the pre-match press c o n f e r e n c e y e s t e r d a y, Cuba’s coach, Lazaro Ruiz Alfonso, stated that his team will be gunning for a huge win against the Lady Jags who lost heavily to Barbados in Wednesday’s opener. Despite Guyana’s proven weaknesses, Ruiz Alfonso stated that, “We have to be careful because no two games are similar.” Cuba’s left winger, Elianne Valdes Sarmiento, will be a player to watch this evening. On Friday she was one of the best players on the pitch, she dribbled and combined
Barbados’s coach Thomas Jordan watches from the touch line as his team hold for a draw in the second half against Cuba. well with her teammates to get in behind the Bajans’ defence but her finishing was off, in addition, she failed to convert the penalty in the 65th minute. Poor finishing marred an otherwise dominant performance by the Cubans and their coach Ruiz Alfonso stated yesterday that the
spirit within his team is high despite the pressure, “It was the first international game for a few of the girls and I’m contented with the way they played although they missed a lot of a great chances.” Speaking for the Lady Jags at the pre-match presser yesterday at the Ramada
hotel, head of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Wayne Forde, reiterated that, “The hosting of CONCACAF Under-17 G r o u p D Wo r l d C u p qualifiers is a launching pad for Guyana’s development of Women’s football.” The GFF head urged fans to rally behind the local
side that played surprisingly well, judging the limited time they had to prepare for the qualifiers, “Guyana should be proud because the squad is 100% homebred Guyanese and I hope fans come out in their numbers to support the girls t o m o r r o w, t h e y w i l l definitely need it.”
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