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Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
EDITORIAL
The courts are not the corner shops The local courts used to be a place held on a pedestal: there but not really there; a realm shrouded in grandness and held in reserve for when things go wrong, and there is nowhere else to go to for, sometimes, desperate relief, for truth and justice, for the majesty of the law in its sparkling radiance and breathtaking sweep. The court reigns as the supreme arbiter in the land embody and project all that is profound, and that which is final. The courts were approached with some uncertainty, nota-little trepidation, varying degrees of awe for the airing of grievances in the hope of favourable resolution. In this arena of jurisprudence, men and women— practitioner and petitioner, friend and foe, yeoman and peasant— came to seek remedies for incurable ills; remedies that eluded; and for solutions in which a great degree of faith and trust and confidence was vested. The court has spoken. That was yesterday. Seems ancient, if not quaint and increasingly irrelevant nowadays, given what prevails. For the courts of today, indeed, is of the customary adversarial. Yet it is of more than citizens and corporations and criminals locked in the unending conflicts that savage the breasts and motivations of man, and many times make them into beasts. Today, the world of the courts of Guyana is shriveled and shredded, almost daily it seems, with one contention after another relative to the socially inflammatory, the politically scorching, the racially piercing. This has become so ordinary and every day that the luster of the halls of justice has suffered. Those halls and interpreters of legal mysteries (and sorceries) bend under the incalculable weight of interpretations that nobody wants to make. The edifice shakes. It shudders from the rush of so many hustling feet and the roar of so many quarreling voices raised in the national contentions and discordances that sour and acidize, that leave panting for breath and lacking in spirit. As men and groups engage in the spectacles of their believed noble and democratic pastimes, the third arm of government is rendered infinitely lesser. It has become as normal as the sprawl of the market square; as hastened to and patronized as the old, familiar, corner shop: convenient, stacked and packed, and as jostling and bustling and all so commonplace. It is not reaching too far, or too inaccurately, to suggest that the courts of Guyana have become as common as the cacophony of the rum shops; and with all the agitated spirits that seek succor amidst the elbowing for attention, the imbibing to distraction, and the regular brawling for some fleeting, meaningless satisfaction. It may be postured that it is a different time with different values, metrics, and objectives; that there is cleverness in seeking the mantle of the constitution, law, and the adjudication of the courts; and that, in the clash of incoherent circumstances, the courts have fallen from its once pristine pinnacle, as it is hauled into the gutter of the cheap and the dirty. When governance and politics combine to monopolize the attention of the jurists, rivet a nation, and diminish the ideals of a land struggling to discover itself, then the courts, too, are diminished inevitably; perhaps irreparably. For the local courts, from its highest levels, to its forced ordinariness, has been reduced to the roll of the dice in the gaming of a nation’s destiny. Thus, the final frontier, the one unyielding barrier, trembles and totters under the demands placed upon it, the expectations invested in it. Unreal. Improper. Reckless and coarse. To say that Guyana is now a thoroughly litigious society is an understatement. And that crass political agendas dominate is not exaggeration. When examined carefully, the local courts have been as misused as men using lampposts to relieve themselves in public; and like the many road users determined to make everyone else surrender to their will and ways.
IS THERE ANY HIDDEN AGENDA BEHIND THIS DEAL WITH HUAWEI? DEAR EDITOR, A few days ago, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that African governments are using Huawei equipment and technicians to spy on political opponents. Bloggers supporting the opposition in Zambia, a democratic country, are being tracked and arrested. But it is not just the opposition in Zambia that is being tracked, journalists are also targeted. This is a move in the wrong direction for the people of Zambia, a country which was a stable and permissive democracy. Is Guyana on the same track with the rollout of the Huawei facial recognition system? The WSJ report reveals a sophisticated system for
tracking where facial recognition and monitoring of WhatsApp messages are used to track dissenters. The spying is not only using Huawei equipment but Huawei employees help governments of the day to spying operations. This obviously gives Huawei insight into sensitive operations of the respective government. A video that touches on part of the report can be found here, https:// www.wsj.com/video/wsjinvestigation-huawei-staffhelp-governments-to-spyon-people/0CE986A8-99754 C B 6 - B B 9 C 031A24540E93.html A couple of weeks ago, in my letter to the press, I asked
if by using the Huawei system we are ceding control to a foreign power. There was no response from the Government of Guyana (GoG) to the many questions I raised in that letter. After reading the WSJ journal article, I have additional questions on what other types of spying capabilities did GoG obtain from Huawei. Does GoG now have the ability to install rogue apps on smart phones to spy on WhatsApp messages and it is able to live trace the mobile phones of Guyanese? Are there Huawei employees in Georgetown reading the text messages of Guyanese reporters? The WSJ interviewed Steven Feldstein, an expert in
digital surveillance, for their investigation. He makes this comment, “The big question has been whether Chinese companies are just in this for the money, or whether they’re pushing a specific kind of surveillance agenda.” He suggests the latter. His comments should make every Guyanese question if the future is one where our citizens cannot protest freely and contentious reports in our widely read newspapers are stifled. Was the parking metre protests one of the last triumphs for Guyanese citizens to demonstrate their rights? Are we destined for a future where our voices (Continued on page 6 )
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The PPP’s enablers should turn a new page for the sake of ground that the WPA has setting of an election date. cial process has been de- Commission and other Civil its election camnational harmony launched The WPA has always felt feated. It must now return to Society organisations to paign. While the party would that this recent move to the parliament to facilitate the recognise that the tide has
DEAR EDITOR After careful evaluation of its first term in office, the WPA has concluded that the government’s performance has been mixed. The enormous challenges it inherited in 2015 and the fact it has not been in office long enough are factors that must be taken into consideration in any serious assessment of the Coalition’s tenure. However, WPA feels that there have been mistakes, some of which could have been avoided. These have contributed, in no small way, to a weakening of the government and to the emergence of some degree of alienation among its support base. First, at the policy level, the government has failed to satisfactorily tackle some of the structural problems that negatively affect the poor and the powerless in the society. Second, we believe that the government’s political strategies and tactics have allowed room for a resurgence of the PPP as a viable competitor for office at the coming election. Third, the lack of ongoing contact with its support base has been an error that should have been avoided. Fourth, the decision not to pursue some of its crucial campaign promises has raised doubts about the Coalition’s ability to keep promises to voters. Fifth, the WPA is dissatisfied with the overall management of the Coalition, which we feel has contributed greatly to the outcomes cited above. The stubborn refusal to meaningfully engage Coalition partners in decisionmaking has been the root cause of the government’s less than adequate performance. Maximum leadership and the limiting of decision making to one organ are inconsistent with the principles
of coalition politics. Despite those mistakes, the WPA feels that the government has done enough to warrant a second term. We have identified some important areas of democratic governance and management of the political economy that are comforting and have led to a strengthening of the country as a whole. WPA is convinced that a multi-party government is a superior option for management of the coming oil and gas economy than a oneparty government. The Coalition is in theory if not in practice one step closer to the desired Government of National Unity. Towards this end, WPA views the Coalition as the political force that offers the better chance for the realisation of our party’s vision for Guyana’s development and for true liberation from the clutches of underdevelopment. In light of the above, the WPA formally announces its decision to contest the election as part of the APNU+AFC Coalition. It is a decision that took into consideration the wishes of the majority of our members and supporters and the overarching needs of the country at this historical juncture. WPA intends to be more proactive in and out of government should the Coalition win. We intend to continue to balance our independence and traditional political values with our responsibility as part of a plural government. The party has already signed on to the Coalition’s Core Principles, but given our experiences during the first term, WPA has decided to request alterations to its formal engagement within a Coalition Government. It is against this back-
play its full role in the Coalition’s campaign, we feel that a supplementary campaign by the WPA is necessary. This decision was influenced by feedback we have been receiving from the Coalition’s constituents and beyond that suggests that the WPA’s particular political brand is needed on the ground in the communities. Therefore, in the last four weeks the party has held ten community meetings on the Demerara Coast and Linden aimed at connecting to alienated constituents. The outcomes of these meetings have confirmed the correctness of our initiative—there have been some interesting revelations. WPA welcomes the High Court’s ruling that the current House-to-House (HtH) registration is constitutional and lawful. Even as we note concerns in some quarters about aspects of the ruling, WPA urges all parties and organisations to respect the court’s conclusions on the major issues—the House-toHouse Registration and the
court was nothing short of “legal and constitutional gymnastics” aimed at the larger PPP agenda of frustrating credible elections. The CCJ’s ruling and orders were very clear. The court does not have the constitutional right to interfere with the process by which an election date is determined—that is a matter for the president in consultation with GECOM. We salute the court for not tampering with the CCJ’s ruling. This ruling is hopefully the final blow against the PPP’s effort to get the court to become unnecessarily entangled in the country’s politics. We urge GECOM to deliberate on the court’s recommendations and proceed with the preparation for elections in a timely manner. WPA again wishes to congratulate GECOM for not bowing to pressure and for keeping the HtH registration timeline within the ambit of the constitution and CCJ’s guideline. Finally, the WPA calls on the PPP to acknowledge that the game is over that its attempt at railroading the judi-
desired extension of the life of the government. Refusal to do so, would further tarnish that party’s image and render it unfit to lead Guyana. We also urge the PPP’s enablers in the Private Sector
swung against them and turn a new page for the sake of national harmony .Guyanese should become tired of the PPP’s delaying tactics. David Hinds WPA Executive Member
With this serious Russian and Venezuelan claim, we should put aside our political nitpicking DEAR EDITOR, The recent claims by Russia of Venezuelans being trained in Guyana is nothing more than giving that country a reason to assist Madura’s army to invade Guyana. Make no mistake, people, this is serious. There is too much oil being discovered and Venezuela will not go out without a fight. The many daily columns should start looking at this situation and inform the Guyanese public of its potential to upturn their lives instead of babbling about NCV of which there are no winners. The two major parties had better come to their sense and look at something of a shared governance, if not everything will be taken away from the Guyanese people, then again there are some politicians who would love to see Russia and Venezuela having a stake in Guyana’s oil so they can continue to build upon their ill gotten wealth. Colin Grant
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Context is everything! Is the river running dry?
Another attempt at distorting the facts
DEAR EDITOR, Economics is a lively and intriguing subject. It is a real life guide of how man carves out a living from his environment from a business perspective. I have a pass grade in this subject from the London based GCE, O level exam. I am familiar with concepts of supply and demand, factors of production, optimum firms etc. They all make sense at my level of learning. It’s a pity, I never went on to the level of the Finance Minister (Jordan). It seems that at his level, the subject delve more into articulation than visual facts. A few days ago, the Minister was giving some comparative growth rates for our economy during the Jagdeo presidency and Granger’s presidency. To my astonishment, Jagdeo’s time was listed with growth rates of 1.2 to little over 2 percent. Granger’s presidency is
listed with over 4 percent. To the normal Joes and Janes (Man and Woman), this does not make sense. Rice, Sugar, the construction industry and the manufacturing industry all seemed to have been doing better in Jagdeo’s time, in comparison to the Coalition’s reign, where every sector seems to be in chaos. Jordan’s comparative growth figure are reminiscent of going to a fishing outlet to purchase fishing hooks where a number 2 hook is huge, whilst a number 8 is a tiny hook. The bigger the number, the smaller the product! This is the only way Jordan’s growth figures will resonate with the ordinary man in the street. The degree of a politician’s honesty is reflective of his proclivity to expediency. Jordan was on a Facebook post saying that some politicians would like to see this country have en-
claves where certain people cannot go. He found it expedient to mention Jagdeo’s call to supporters in Bernice to “Chase them out” (Govt ministers) as an example . Jordan conveniently leaves out the date, March 31, from which the call was made to “Chase them out”. Jordan in his dishonesty, found it expedient to elude the context of the passage of the NCM which constitutional renders his Govt illegal after March 31st. The Minister would be aware that his Govt has a policy to chase out people squatting illegally on state lands. With due respect! When a Govt is found squatting on the state illegally, as rendered by the passage of the NCM. It is only fair that the Govt’s people (ministers) be driven out too. Context is everything. Is the river running dry? Rudolph Singh
Come out in your numbers in remembrance of our brothers and sisters DEAR EDITOR, The Guyana United Artists (GUA) and the Movement for People’s Power (MFPP) will be holding a cultural event, an Art Exhibition and Poetry reading to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Great Civil Rebellion of
1979 – 2019. The event will be staged in Main Street Georgetown on Friday, 23rd of August, between 11am to 5pm. Lessons of the Great Civil Rebellion of 1979 are essential and necessary at this political junction in resolving Guyana’s politi-
cal stalemate. The occasion saw the highest development of Guyanese working-class consciousness and solidarity. It struck a serious blow to race politics practised by both the PPP and PNC, which has once again raised its ugly head following the NCM of December 21, 2018. As Guyanese, we need to reflect on our recent history to fully understand the part these two parties played in undermining the democratic (Continued on page 7)
DEAR EDITOR, Your media report, “Parking meter group now agitating for early elections” (August 16, 2019) confirms my belief of just what I have always contended - that this group is political in nature. This has been my contention from the very day that they came out to protest against City Hall in droves. This is not to say that they may not have had a legitimate reason to protest against the issue of the parking meters; but simply put, the Parking Meter controversy provided their numbers with the perfect veneer for protesting against the government. In positing this, one must not forget that this group, comprised mainly from the Private Sector, that is part and parcel of the PPP/C-led political movement against the A Partnership for National Unity+ Alliance For Change(APNU+AFC), and it
would seem have a vendetta against the government. Thus, its modus operandi on those Thursdays outside of City Hall have now come into question about their motive. For all their protests, one wonders how many of the larger numbers have been honouring their civic duty, by paying their rates and taxes; for according to recent stats, there is still multibillion dollars owed to the City Council – meaning the defaulters would be many from the Private Sector. Reading the comments by one of their members, it is of the same dip from the dishonest pool of misinformation and disgusting lies that originated from the PPP/C. To state, emphatically, that Government should “have honour and respect the constitution, which is the law of the land”, and that “having lost the no confidence motion, the government has not yet
Is there any hidden... From page 4 cannot be heard in the streets and the press? GoG is currently deploying a facial recognition system from Huawei. What are the intentions of Huawei and GoG for this system? And, are they aligned? Recall, that CNOOC, a Chinese oil company has rights to the Stabroek Block. That block contains at least 6 billion barrels of oil worth about US$300 billion at US$50 a barrel.
Dr. Jan Mangal, the former advisor to the President on petroleum, has suggested we are losing US$60 to $120 billion on the Stabroek contract. If we recoup our loss then one of the big losers will be CNOOC. That amount of money is not pocket change even for a powerful country like China. There are a number of Chinese laws, which mandate Chinese organisations, if requested, must comply with intelligence work. Would China instruct Huawei to help quell any Guyanese dissent on the oil contracts? Darshanand Khusial, M.Sc. of Computer Engineering
abided the constitution”, speaks of a woeful, pathetic misunderstanding of the events that have subsequently followed the NCM and a disgusting regurgitation of the Jagdeo line of party propaganda – they are all singing from the same song book. Except that one thought that with all the explanations given by the government, there would have been a clear understanding of the events. Granted that there was no Parking meter controversy in 2014, but there was the proroguing of parliament by President Donald Ramotar. Did any of these “constitutional watch dogs”, protest against Ramotar’s action, which did stifle parliamentary democracy, as his actions thwarted debate on the NCM that had been brought against the then regime? Actually, one must add the disrespect shown to the APNU and AFC opposition parties, who only became aware of the parliamentary status quo ante when they arrived at the House’s chamber. And one can add, the more than deafening silence of these so called “Guardians of the City”, who may have also been living in another dimension as the capital city gradually sunk and stifled under the garbage piles and its putridity. This is just plain political rabble rousing and expediency, shamelessly deliberate, in seeking to sustain political spin and political mileage. One wonders just what do these representatives of the Parking Meter group hope to achieve? Regards Earl Hamilton
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The actions of David Granger and the PNC diverge from their words DEAR EDITOR, I write this letter conscious that there are many foreign emissaries and younger persons who may not be sufficiently aware of the groundings of PNC party which is the main political party constituting the APNU which forms the Coalition APNU/AFC government of Guyana. The PNC operates on one principle “Do whatever it takes to get power and do whatever it takes to keep power”. It is the application of this principle, which saw the rigging of elections during the 28-year PNC dictatorial rule prior to 1992 in order to maintain their hold on power even at the ultimate cost of the lives of Walter Rodney, Father Darke, Jagan Ramessar and Bholanauth Parmanand (commonly known as the “ballot box martyrs”) and many others. The flourishing of democratic power has been one of
the pillars of a better and more prosperous world for our species and Guyana is no exception. Examine the World Bank data of Guyana’s GDP growth from 1964 when the PNC first took power to 1992 when Guyana had its first free and fair election since independence in 1966 and you will see Guyana’s GDP (a measurement of a country’s annual productive value) moved from US$194M to US$373M, which means that over the course of 28 years Guyana’s GDP grew by 92%. On the other hand, Guyana’s GDP moved from US$373M in 1992 to US$3.6B in 2018, which means that over the course of 26 years Guyana’s GDP grew 865%. The story of Guyana’s Gross National Income per capita over the delineated period evinces more convincingly the importance of democratic rule. Guyana’s GNI per capita moved from US$280 in 1964 to US$390 in 1992, which
was a growth of 39% over 28 years while Guyana’s GNI per capita moved from US$390 in 1992 to US$4760 in 2018 which was a growth of 1,120% over 26 years. Those numbers while stark does nothing to elucidate the untold history of suffering of poverty and repression of undemocratic rule. Everyone knows that actions speak louder than words and the actions of David Granger and the PNC diverge from their words, which must be understood as a duplicitous misdirection strategy. David Granger, leader of the PNC, reiterated that the party believes in the principles of democracy and the rule of law but their action was to make a unilateral appointment of the Chairman of GECOM in the stealth of night which never occurred in 25 years and both prior to and shortly after many independent legal experts advised that
it was a breach of the Constitution as was recently affirmed by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The Party Leader went on to say that the party believes in democracy and the rule of law but their action was to set up a secret bank account outside the national treasury and beyond the reach of parliamentary scrutiny for the US$18M signature bonus paid by ExxonMobil which was in violation of Article 216 of the Constitution. David Granger and the PNC say that they believe in democracy and the rule of law but refused to accept its defeat in the no confidence vote in parliament arguing all the way to the CCJ that the required majority of 65 is 34 and not 33. David Granger and the PNC say that they believe in democracy and the rule of law yet they refused to request the resignation of the two ministers who they know are
dual citizens, which the Constitution prohibits. David Granger and the PNC say that they believe in democracy and the rule of law yet they refuse to have the Cabinet resign and still holds weekly Cabinet meetings and take Cabinet decisions contrary to the Constitution and the ruling of the CCJ. David Granger and the PNC say that they believe in democracy and the rule of law yet they refuse to call an elec-
tion before the deadline of Sept 18 as the Constitution requires as opposition said on numerous occasions that it would not extend the life of Parliament. If you want what is best for Guyana and all Guyanese, the economic record shows that Guyana’s democracy and the rule of law must be protected and preserved at all costs. Sincerely, Charles S. Ramson Attorney-at-Law
Come out in your numbers ... From page 6 process and compromising our Independence and Territorial Integrity as a nation. Our Natural resources are being plundered by transnationals while Guyana remains the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. What prospects have Guyanese in the oil/gas sectors with these greedy, heartless political Elites. Come out in your numbers in remembrance of our brothers and sisters who gave their lives so that we could live as human beings and not exist as sub-humans. Yours faithfully Desmond Alli (General Secretary G.U.A)
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Security questions raised over Huawei possible access to citizens personal data Late last month, Government announced that it has placed over 100 smart cameras around the city as part of a long-term battle to arrest crime. The Chinese-built system all had the capabilities of facial and car licence recognition. However, there are questions now whether Guyana would have exported without realising the implications data of citizens. With regards to the security project, according to the administration, the noose would be tightening on crime as the cameras were strategically placed across the city. The Safe City System is a component of the US$32M National Broadband Project, which was funded by China. Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, and Minister of Public Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s , Catherine Hughes, along with other high-ranking officials were given a preview of how the safe city system works. The headquarters is the New National Database Centre, Liliendaal. Minister Ramjattan said the system is crucial. He highlighted that statistics shows that 53 percent of serious crimes occurs in the city hence the decision to launch the pilot project in Georgetown. “This is going to be one of the best developments for our country in relation to matters of security and the capacity and capabilities built in to ensure that we can track vehicles, track suspects to the extent of knowing where
they are… thorough this technology, I am just so thrilled,” the minister underscored in a government statement. The system is being built by Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Government said that the high-tech system can perform face and [car] licence recognition. Several police vehicles are also equipped with cameras and radios that can be traced and accessed at any time. From the security control room, the operators have access to all the cameras across the city that they can pull up on a big screen as they keep watch. The company at the center of the project is Huawei.That Chinese company, one of the biggest phone makers in the world, is under investigation by the US, with Canada detaining a senior executive for alleged wrongdoings. There have been numerous articles accusing Huawei of using its software to allow Chinese Government access.A recent Wall Street Journal investigation said that technicians of the Chinese phone company helped African government spy on political opponents. However, in Guyana, the government and the previous administration, appear to be comfortable with Huawei despite the reports. Yesterday, Robin Singh, a social commentator who is also President of the Guyana Baseball League Inc. questioned whether the smart city project would see data being handed over to the Chinese company.
The camera project being demonstrated at the headquarters is the New National Database Centre, Liliendaal last month.
Singh has significant experience in technology. He said that in 2003, he was asked to look at the possibilities of using computing to improve sports performance. “At the time, I was the owner of a successful technology startup in Trinidad and a part-time football coach. After some research I opted to introduce a computer-based system that paired data with video for comprehensive analysis. “At one point, I was collecting video and correlating data on every first-class cricketer in the West Indies, then local club players in Trinidad, and further international players from around the world.” In 2005, while employed by the West Indies Cricket Board, Singh said he was asked to turn over his database to West Indies Head Coach, Bennett King.
“I expressed misgiving about such vital material being handed over, given that Mr. King was Australian. This led to a row, which saw me leaving the employ of the WICB after my blunt refusal to hand over the entire database. “I was only willing to hand over material of players under direct supervision of the head coach. I saw the handing over of players information as a betrayal of the trust they placed in me by allowing themselves to be recorded.” Singh explained it was against this background that his concerns rose after hearing about database being compiled by the Huawei Smart City System in Guyana. “You may ask that since there are been security cameras in Guyana for some time now, why the worry over the addition of a few more? The Smart City system is
not simply cameras; it is facial recognition; people and vehicle tracking; it is the gathering and use of data to identify our habits; our associates; Data is any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural (living) person, including names, dates of birth, photographs, video footage, email addresses and telephone numbers. Other information such as IP addresses and communications contentrelated to or provided by endusers of communications services - are also considered personal data,” Singh disclosed.He pointed out that Cambridge Analytica boasted of using 5,000 data points to create a profile of an individual that could be used to influence them to buy products or vote for a particular political party for example. Cambridge Analytica Ltd
Commentator, Robin Singh is a British political consulting firm, which combined data mining, data brokerage, and data analysis with strategic communication during the electoral processes. “Huawei built our national network and is engaged in managing the Smart City system whose scope is not (Continued on page 10 )
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Govt. cannot be trusted with pursuit of Gas Development Plan -Ramson -Says APNU+AFC lacks legitimacy, confidence of the people By Kiana Wilburg As ExxonMobil and its partners continue to explore the Stabroek Block for oil, sizeable quantities of gas are being discovered. In the absence of a national plan for this resource, the operators are left with no choice but to re-inject it. To combat the foregoing challenge, the Energy Department has said that a gas development plan is being pursued; a feasibility analysis will be included. But given the grave mistakes made with the oil sector, Attorney-at-Law, Charles Ramson, opines that this should not be pursued. Ramson said that not only has the government lost the trust of the people given its incompetence, but it also lost its legitimacy when the No-Confidence Motion was passed in the National Assembly on December 21, last. “There are two issues here. One, the governments
track record with oil has been poor at best. And two, it is no longer legitimate as a result of the No-Confidence Motions successful passage.” Turning his attention to the governments track record in preparing the nation for oil, Ramson stressed the relevant governance structure for this resource is not in place. Furthermore, Ramson said that there have been some glaring mistakes which will have a lasting negative impact on Guyanas international image and its economy. Ramson noted that in the 2016 re-negotiation of the Stabroek Block deal with ExxonMobil and its partners, the government failed to hire the skilled experts who would have secured a better deal and signature bonus. At the outset, he articulated that the Government did not treat oil as an apolitical sector which would have allowed the best and the brightest minds to work on the policies and laws that seek to
prioritise the interest of Guyanese while increasing investor confidence. He reminded that there were many persons who were excluded from the process simply because they were not supportive of the government s party. Ramson said that no one knows how Eco Atlantic and Tullow Oil received a contract in 2016 after the discovery of oil in 2015 on worse terms than the ExxonMobil contract. The attorney reminded that the negotiated royalty for this contract that governs the Orinduik Block was one percent. He also bemoaned the fact that no signature bonus was acquired for this block, which was recently proven to be oil rich. Furthermore, the 35-yearold expressed disappointment that the local content policy and legislation are not in place. He noted that this state of affairs has resulted in Guyanese losing access to billions of dollars worth of opportunities.
Teen stabbed during robbery now on life support Eighteen-year-old Omesh Lakeram of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, is now on life support in the Intensive Care Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital after he was stabbed to his chest during a robbery last Thursday Evening. According to sources, Omesh was trying to protect his neighbours’ daughters who at the time were coming home from work when the bandit followed them and attempted to rob them.The girls who are 17 and 19, were walking along a lonely street in the area around 19:00hrs on their way home when a man on a bicycle approached them and demanded cash. At the time, Omesh was walking in front of the girls and when he realised what was happening, he turned back and rushed at the robber. That was when the man took out a knife and stabbed him.The suspect then escaped
with $5000 in cash and the girls’ bags that contained their personal documents. According to the mother of the girls, her daughters told her that a man rode past them on a bicycle and waited for them to reach a dark spot on the street and that was when he attacked them.The girls said that Lakeram told them that he was ok and started to walk away but collapsed because of the wound he received. The young man was taken to the Public Hospital by his father.The woman said that she is very upset with the La Grange Police Station because reports were made at the station concerning the matter since 02:00hrs on Friday but until now, the police have not made any contact with the family.The family has received information from the doctors that as a result of the injuries, one of the young man’s lungs is punctured.
Dem boys seh ... You get free chocolate from Tullow but you mudda got to pay These days people only hearing, “Don’t do dat.” And de closer dem go to de Brazilian border, dat is all dem hearing. At first, dem couldn’t understand. Some who had a wicked mind start to imagine all kind of things. Things get worse when dem hear Winston Felix voice when he seh, “Give me one good reason.” People stay quiet. Then one woman seh it might mek de back track worse. Just de odda day, Felix get a report from Brazil about how many Haitians does cross de border when de day come. People seh Felix should have dem figures at de crossing when de people leaving. De Haitians need a visa to come in but dem don’t need nutten to go out. Dem don’t even need to see an immigration officer.Felix was planning to get dem immigration people to check all who going out. Dem boys seh dem same officers woulda be more busy than dem at de Timehri airport. Instead of couple hundreds by day, it woulda be thousands. It more easy to let de people cross de bor-
der than trying to buy pen to write down dem names. Dat is wha had people telling Felix, “Don’t do dat.” It woulda mek sense if people did tell de people who sign dem oil contract de same thing. Dem sign a one percent contract wid Exxon at first. Then dem sign a two percent contract. Dat is when everybody claim how de leaders give away de country because dem tek money from de foreigners to line dem pocket. De thing dat tek de cake was when dem get de news dat Soulja Bai sign a fuh a one percent royalty wid Tullow. If was a real royalty was something. It is a case wheh dem pay de royalty and collect back de money. Is like when de sweet man visit de woman and carry a slab of chocolate fuh de child. Then he tun round and tell de mudda dat she got to pay him fuh de chocolate. Imagine somebody signing to such a contract. Guyana do dat.Talk half and y’all don’t sign contract like Guyana.
Ramson also highlighted the folly of the government in managing the sector, stating that it created an Energy Department and placed Dr. Mark Bynoe, an environmentalist, as its head. He emphasised that such a department needs an oil specialist as its leader. “...He (Dr. Bynoe) does not have the political clothing necessary to speak on behalf of the people.” He noted that four years after oil was discovered, there remains no local capacity to audit the expenditure of the international oil companies.
Ramson reminded that those costs are usually inflated and can significantly eat away at the profit oil Guyana is expected to benefit from. Considering the foregoing missteps with the oil sector, Ramson reiterated that a gas development plan should not be pursued at this point. He said that this plan should have been done years back. The lawyer said that the opportune time for getting same done would have been shortly after the major oil discovery announcement in 2015.
Attorney-at-Law & Petroleum Consultant, Charles Ramson
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Sunday August 18, 2019
Kaieteur News
Total public debt stands at US$1.65B Midyear report
A
t the end of June, Guyanas total public debt was US$1,657.8M, a 1.5 percent increase over the US$1,634M at last years half year report. This was iterated by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, last week, as he presented the countrys mid-year report for 2019. 76.9 percent of that total, or US$1,274M accounts for the external debt, while the domestic debt is US$383.8M or 23.1 percent. The external debt increased by three percent, from the previous report, and the domestic debt correspondingly declined by 3 percent. The report says that the public debt is sustainable and faces a moderate risk of distress, primarily attributed to “Governments commitment to meeting its financing needs and payment obligations at the lowest possible cost, over
the medium-to-long term within prudent risk parameters.” Government iterated that the stability of the countrys public debt from year to year could be attributed to the debt relief of US$50.7M granted by the Government of Kuwait under a Bilateral Debt Settlement agreement it signed in March, 2019. Of that debt, US$24.9M remains, which Government intends to repay through a combination of cash payments and a debt swap arrangement. Had it not been for that relief, the growth of the public debt from the previous half year would have been 4.5 percent, and not 1.5 percent. Otherwise, several arrears have been accumulating at high interest rates. Government is actively engaging other bilateral non-Paris Club creditors in debt settlement negotiations.
In the first half of the year, the mid-year report states that public service debt payments increased by 17.3 percent, from US$44.3M in the first half of 2018, to US$52M. This was attributed to 96.9 percent increase in domestic debt service payments. Government reported that the public debt service payments accounted for 9.4 percent of its revenues, as opposed to 8.5 percent in the previous half year. External debt service payments accounted for 81.2 percent of total public service debt payments. That is 7.7 percent drop from the same period in 2018. It should be noted that Guyanas public service debt of US$1,274M was US$1,251.9M at the previous half year. This is attributed to a 95.9 percent increase in debt to the World Bank International Development Associa-
tion, to US$78.4M; and a 3.5 percent hike in debt to the countrys largest creditor, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), from US$505.5M to US$532.2M. At half year 2019, the multilateral debt share grew to 61.9 percent of the external public debt, from 58.4 percent at the previous half year, and the bilateral debt share fell to 35.4 percent, from 38.8 percent, mainly because of the Kuwait debt write-off.
Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan
Security questions raised over... From page 8 public knowledge. The Huawei Artificial Intelligence software Deep Learning cannot be run on a laptop or small server bank…It requires serious computing power, the likes of which is not available in Guyana.” Singh said that as far as he is aware, Guyanese have not consented for their data to be used in creation of a database. “…Nor have we consented to our data being exported to another country. We have certainly not consented to being spied upon by our own government much less a foreign power. There is a real possibility that the Smart City System (SCS)
can be used to pry into every aspect of our lives in Guyana. “For example, the cluster of cameras in front of PPP headquarters is a clear indicator of possible political usage.”The commentator stressed that the Granger administration has not provided any information on the SCS so far, leaving many to believe it is limited to crime and traffic control. However, he said, “The Head of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) Floyd Levi, has made it clear that “the command centre will enhance the capacities and capabilities of security agencies”. Levi also made it known that “it is our network
corporation centre to members of the security sector so that they can commence operations here immediately” but the MDMA would not relinquish the facility. “Clearly more is at play here than the citizens are being told. The Government of Guyana needs to make the SCS contract and all of its provisions public. Citizens of Guyana do not enjoy data protection laws as in the EU and 100 other countries as yet. “Maybe if we saw who was in control of our data and how it was being managed, we would demand new laws be enacted for protection of our privacy and data.”
Sunday August 18, 2019
Kaieteur News
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Sunday August 18, 2019
Kaieteur News
Our leaders embrace 2% garbage royalty that sinks Guyana’s prospects for vibrant economic development By Nigel Hinds The passage of time has seen our oil discoveries exceed six billion barrels. Our commentators, with great zest and zeal, protested the unconscionable contract’s plunder and robbery of our oil resources by ExxonMobil and their minions, with a 2% contract that has now withered down to appeals for Local Content, Ring Fencing, Tax Stabilisation Removals, and Environmental Protection. The slave masters in the room wax proudly and poetically about their enormous oil discovery in Guyana with no mention of the slavish whip of the 2% royalty. This royalty is more exploitative than the other atrocities in the contract between ExxonMobil Corpora-
Nigel Hinds tion, Hess Corporation, Nexen/China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), and the Government of Guyana. The contract
is called a Production-Sharing Agreement (PSA). The Chief Executive Officers of the oil companies, namely Darren Woods of ExxonMobil, John Hess of Hess Corporation, and Yang Hua of Nexen/CNOOC, indulge in contractual infamy by suffocating Guyanese with this 2% contract, while they, their subordinates, and shell companies commit cruel crimes against humanity. It is timely to note that there were regulations and contracts for people that were enslaved. We Guyanese, survivors of slavery and indentured labour, are now being colonised by two European corporations and a Chinese corporation. As illustrated time and time again in Kaieteur News, Guyana is supposed to re-
President David Granger ceive a royalty of 2% under the PSA, the lowest royalty for oil in this universe, as shown when compared to royalties of 35 other oil-pro-
Raphael Trotman
Donald Ramotar
ducing nations. The so-called leaders – I prefer to call them misleaders – have been provided by God with a gateway to deliver enormous prosperity to Guyanese alive today and future generations, yet they are squandering this prosperity in exchange for selfish gain and servile power. Our overseers in Guyana are no longer White, but instead Black and Brown acquiescent misleaders in the form of politicians from the ruling and opposition parties: invariably lackeys and acolytes for ExxonMobil et al. who have sold their souls to maintain or acquire political, economic and social power, at the expense of the Guyanese people. What a shame! We often preach about historical oppression suffered for over 400 years, and now our leaders embrace this oppression by accepting 2% garbage royalty that sinks our prospects for vibrant economic development. Such a deal stinks across the continents of the world. Let me be clear, a fair royalty is 15% for the preeminent oil find of the 21st century: light crude oil with high porosity and permeability in the offshore waters of Guyana, which are prime easily marketable locations. The contract does not need any local content policy, does not need any ring fencing or tax stabilisation policy; the 15% royalty will allow for local content development in the oil industry and the development of other major industries in Guyana, such as sugar, rice, forestry, fishing, mining, bauxite and Social Services. The 15% royalty will neutralise and de-risk the tax stabilisation clause and lack of ring fencing in the 2016 PSA. The pre-contract costs that I referenced in an earlier letter in Kaieteur News – “Pre-contract cost…
US$460M seem to have been pulled from an alternate universe” – and dated February 10, 2018 is another heavy yoke on the backs of Guyanese. These costs are openended and should be fully absorbed by the oil companies, as is the general practice in the industry, which was illustrated in the Pre-contract cost letter. Foisting this immeasurable and unaccountable precontract cost on Guyanese is akin to the enslaved having to pay for their journey across the Middle Passage. How absolutely callous are these greedy masters of industry, their major shareholders, and the power-drunk local cabal for pretending not to perceive the evil of this witless oil contract. The local political faction will act subserviently in any renegotiation, as the political misleaders care not for the broad prosperity of the Guyanese people, but instead for political power and pats and praise from their masters at ExxonMobil et al. The rush-stumbling of our misleaders to not offend any one of America’s cornerstone corporations is disgraceful. Surely, we can find the mental acuity and strength to do what is best for Guyanese and not subjugate Guyanese to another form of subservience. To be courageous is not to be fearless; it is to take action in spite of fear. We have the power to do what is right for Guyana. Let me paraphrase the trials of Cato, the Roman soldier, as an example of the courage needed: Cato was not terrified of the foreign contractors and put the Republic first; he refused to play along to the two major parties, Caesar and Pompey. He uttered words fraught with freedom, encouraging the people not to fail in their struggle for freedom but to try by all means necessary, to act (continued on page 13)
Sunday August 18, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Jagdeo achieves political power by creating confusion - Aubrey Norton
Executive member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, is calling out the Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo on his claims that the Coalition Government is illegal. “The government is not illegal. The opposition leader is in a place where he hopes to get powers at all cost. The government is clear on its end; it is operating legally. The Elections Commission has jurisdiction as to when elections are called. And the minute that the Elections Commission says to the President that it is prepared and ready and there’s a credible list, then there will be elections,” Norton explained on Friday at the PNCR’s weekly press conference. Norton said that he understands the nature of the Opposition Leader. He said that one cannot stop the op-
position leader from enjoying press coverage. “A lot of the press coverage is aimed at getting political power through creating confusion, and we will do everything to ensure that that does not occur.” The PNCR executive member went on to say that, the party welcomes the decision by the Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire on the ruling of house-to-house registration, which was deemed legal and not identifying a date for the national elections. “This decision is in keeping with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruling that that is not within the court’s ambit to identify a date for elections. “It should also be noted that the Honourable Chief Justice reaffirmed the CCJ ruling that election matters fall within the jurisdiction of the President and the Guyana
Our leaders embrace 2% garbage royalty that sinks Guyana’s... From page 12 in a manner that is in the best interest of the Republic. What a pleasure it is to have Guyanese who will fight unflinchingly and heroically against the evil and abominable 2% contract for the better of all Guyanese. As paralleled with the words of Virgil, “…march with a spirited step…and heart abounding in courage…” Are we Guyanese not human beings too, entitled to humane and fair treatment? Our politicians are carping about the abuse, misuse, and adherence or non-adherence to the Guyana constitution, filing court actions, appealing court findings, disregarding court rulings, and emphasising the importance
of the constitution and court rulings, all for power of one racial party or another racial party. Both parties ignore the fact that the sole purpose of Guyana’s constitution is to have a system of governance that mandates equal opportunity and fair treatment for all Guyanese; this purpose takes precedence over the partisan scramble for political power. As our misleaders pander for the hubris of ministerial office and executive duty-free lifestyle, they can only see 2 trees to salvage, when the entire forest belongs to us; our misleaders commit and palaver away 98 trees to the foreign corporations. How idiotic!
Elections Commission (GECOM). “It seems logical therefore that GECOM has the author-
ity to compile a new Register of Registrants (NRR) in keeping with the law.” Norton said that the
house-to-house registration is a legal process that permits the people of Guyana to register.
It will ensure that there is a new credible list that will result in credible elections, said Norton.
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Sunday August 18, 2019
Kaieteur News
Govt. renews Ogle lease seven years in advance Ogle International Airport
GLSC Commissioner, Trevor Benn The Government of Guyana has renewed a lease to the Ogle Airport Inc. (OAC) for a period of 50 years. The renewal was published in the August 3, 2019 edition of The Official Gazette. In the 2001 Master Lease, the total surveyed area
covers 441.1 acres. In pg. 2488, item #66 of the August 3, 2019 edition of the Gazette, the land is stated to be surveyed and recorded by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) in May 2019. Block A totals 69.2 acres; Block C totals 329.27
acres, and Plot T totals three acres. The three parcels of land total 401.89 acres. Hence, the renewed lease accounts for 39.21 acres less than the original one. Further, the lease issued by the GLSC was executed in April 2018 by its
Commissioner, Trevor Benn, and the Chairman of OAI. It has an effective date of January 1, 2018. This means that the lease was signed one year before its survey date in 2019. This renewal was done seven years before the previous lease is set to expire. The original lease did not expire. The 2001 lease agreement does not list a provision to account for the extension of the lease before its end. The land was leased for commercial purposes, for the
specific purpose of establishing and maintaining an aerodrome. In the 2001 lease, paragraphs 2.3 and 16.6 provide for Satisfactory Performance of the Airport Operator by an Airport Review Panel (ARP), which shall include a member of the Inter American Development Bank. The review is to be done one year before the expiration of the 25-year contract. It is unclear whether that review has been done, since the calculated completion of the lease would be 2026.
It should also be reminded that the major office complex of ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), is currently in construction on 15 acres of the land. The lease of those 15 acres was not contemplated in the original lease. It is unclear whether any Government agency approved the utilisation of the 15 acres for any purpose besides the establishment and maintenance of an aerodrome.
Disciplinary action recommended for city officials after cash found in Chief Constable’s vehicle The Local Government Commission, (LGC) has recommended disciplinary action for several officers of the Georgetown municipality over a matter involving monies belonging to the Council. The recommendations come weeks after a bag of cash was found in the vehicle assigned to the Chief Constable, Andrew Foo. The monies were supposed to be deposited in the bank on behalf of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) on June 20. Reports indicated, however, that weeks later a staff of the council found the bag of cash bearing the M&CC seal in the vehicle of the Chief Constable. A complaint was lodged at the LGC and an investigation was subsequently launched. During the investigations, the Commission found that the officers had breached the standard operating procedure. This week, officials attached the Commission confirmed that investigations have been completed and recommendations have been made for at least eight officers attached to the council to be disciplined. Among the officers found culpable for the dislocated bag of cash are Town Clerk Sharon Harry –Munroe who
Chief Constable Andrew Foo is currently on administrative leave, City Treasurer— John Douglas, Clerk of Markets Sherlock Lovell, and a sergeant of city constabulary responsible for escorting officers with the money to the bank. The officers have all been asked to write to the Commission to show cause why they should not be disciplined. Meanwhile no action was recommended for the Chief Constable since he did not handle the money. Last month, Foo issued a statement refuting reports, which suggested that he was involved in the matter. In a letter to the editor, Foo explained that as Chief Constable, he is in no way
responsible for the collection or depositing of monies into the Bank on the behalf of Council or the custodian of bank deposit bags or its keys. Foo noted that his department (the Constabulary), provides a service to the City Treasury and Markets’ Department on a daily basis relating to the escorting of designated cashiers of the departments mentioned and their cash, using a vehicle of the City Constabulary assigned to the Regent Street Outpost. “As a consequence of the vehicle assigned to escort duties being out of order on the 17th June, 2019, because of defective tyres, a request was made by the Town Clerk (Continued on page 63)
Sunday August 18, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Region Three Health and Wellness Club on mission to help put - conducts outreach at Vreed-en-Hoop First Assembly of God Church dent in NCDs Scenes from the outreach
As Government, through its Ministry of Public Health, continues to wage war against chronic Non Communicable Disease [NCDs], it has been gaining some crucial support from some non-governmental organisations [NGOs]. This has manifested through the hosting of a number of medical outreaches. Taking the lead in this regard in Region Three has been the Region Three Health and Wellness Club. Just yesterday the club held an outreach at the Vreeden-Hoop First Assembly of God Church. According to the Club’s Chairperson, Mrs. Donett Castello, as expected, a number of persons who accessed the services offered, were found to be suffering from diabetes and hypertension, two of the main contributors to NCDs in Guyana. Of concern, too, were the several persons who were found to be obese after completing a BMI test.
Other services that were offered were blood sugar and blood pressure tests, Visual Inspection with Ascetic Acid [VIA] test, ear nose and throat tests and dental checks. Also on hand were a paediatrician and nutritionist who provided their specialised services. The members of the church and others in proximity were able to take advantage of the services, said Castello who revealed that the outreach was conducted in collaboration with the Public Health Ministry which has been supportive to its ventures over the years, especially in the through the provision of medication. “We have to extend much appreciation to the Ministry for its support to have such an activity through which we can help to track patients who are diabetic and have high blood pressure and may not be taking their medication as recommended... “By doing this, we are also able to detect some
people who may not have even known that they had these conditions,” said Castello. To arrest these challenges that have been contributing to the NCDs dilemma in the country, the Club’s chairperson said not only are these cases referred for follow-up care but all information acquired are handed over to the Regional Health Officer. It is expected that the deliberate efforts to combat NCDs will help to reduce the impact of the country’s burden of illness. Detailed in its Mid-Year Report, Government has noted that hypertension and diabetes are two of the main conditions that continue to afflict a significant proportion of the population. This situation has by extension placed a heavy burden on healthcare facilities. In a bid to raise awareness, and offer treatment and guidance to persons suffering from NCDs,
government has put in place a workplace screening programme in 2019. The services offered to work sites are VIA sensitisation and screening for cervical cancer, screening for diabetes, blood pressure and blood sugar testing, all of which are offered during the Region Three Health and Wellness Club’s outreaches.
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Sunday August 18, 2019
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Mid-Year Report highlights shortage of trained teachers in some regions The 2019 Mid-Year report presented by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, indicated that there is a shortage of trained teachers in some regions of Guyana’s educational sector.
According to the report, there were 3,781 teachers delivering primary education during the 2017/2018 academic year. Of this number, 78 percent were trained, similar to the previous academic year,
and the pupil to trained teacher ratio remained elevated at 21:1. Furthermore, at the secondary level, there were 3,785 teachers, of which 72 percent were trained, with a
pupil to trained teacher ratio of 25:1. However, despite having a total of 7,566 trained teachers across the nation, this disguises the disparities across regions, particularly in hinterland areas where, for example, in 2018, Region Eight has 23.9 percent trained teachers compared to 82 percent in Region Four.
The report further indicates that teachers are technically competent and appropriately skilled at communication, classroom management and appropriate discipline techniques, to create a positive learning environment. Also, teachers continue to develop skills through the best practices via continuing
education and classroom experience. Finally, according to the Mid-Year report, of the 1,111 teachers who are in training at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), 75 are expected to graduate this year ‘equipped’ to teach at the nursery level, 134 at the primary level and 156 at the secondary level.
Man files personal injury lawsuit A man has filed a lawsuit against Hemnaj Kissoon and Amid Mohamed, listed jointly and severally as the defendant, alleging personal injury. The claimant Sayed Khan, has filed the litigation at the High Court in Demerara and it comes up for hearing on Wednesday, August 21 before Justice Damone Younge. According to a notice published in t h e d a i l y newspapers, the lawsuit was filed since February 14, 2019. In a Statement of Claim, Khan is seeking special damages in the sum of $1,390,000. He also seeks damages in excess of $100,000 for injury,
loss and damages sustained together with pain and suffering endured by him. He claims that the accident was as a result of the negligent driving of the defendant, owner of motor truck with registration number GSS 2848 during an accident which occurred on August 4, 2018 at the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. Apart from damages, the claimant is also seeking costs and interest in accordance with Section 12 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Chapter 6:02. If the defendants which to defend this action, they must file an affidavit in defence and
serve it on the claimants lawyer, Shellon Boyce. The affidavit in defence must also be filed with proof at the court’s registry no later than four days before the matter is fixed for hearing. Then, the defendants must appear in court or retain a lawyer. The notice published in the newspapers warns the defendants, “If you fail to file such affidavit and or fail to appear at the hearing, final judgment may be given against you notwithstanding your absence.” Generally, such a lawsuit seeks compensation for injury suffered because of another person’s negligence.
A new way to wash: A police patrol yesterday claimed it lost control of the pickup in the vicinity of the 1763 Monument yesterday morning, while chasing suspicious characters. This was the scene.
Sunday August 18, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Support to boost economic projects in Indigenous communities The Cassava Flour Processing Facility in Kwebanna Village, Moruca sub-district, Barima-Waini, Region One has received the nod from the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) for ensuring the facility is built to international standards. Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe recently led a team to Kwebanna Village, which included Ms. Donnette Babb, an Inspector from the FDD who conducted a thorough inspection of the facility. Following the inspection, Ms. Babb told residents at a general village meeting that “what you have here is a beautiful building.” “However, the Food and Drug Department looks at your labelling, the process, we test your product from farm to table or from raw materials down to distribution. So we are here along with the environmental officer in Region One to assist you.” The much talked-about
Officials touring the facilities project is a commitment made that every Guyanese deserves by Minister Valerie Garrido- to live a good life no matter Lowe towards helping the where they live.” The project, which is in Indigenous peoples raise their standard of living which line with the Government’s according to her “makes me Green State Development Strategy and the Sustainable enjoy working with them. Our President believes Development Goals has been
The Cassava Flour Processing Facility receiving tremendous support particularly from villagers who are eager to see operations commence. They have since cultivated more than thirty acres of cassava. Minister Garrido-Lowe told residents that, “in a
couple of years, your cassava processing facility will evolve into a huge enterprise, because as a country, a rich one too, we have to prepare for the influx of investors who will come. So we don’t want to stop
progress.” Over the years, farmers have been lamenting the fact that there is limited market opportunities for their produce and with the establishment of this facility (Continued on page 18)
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Sunday August 18, 2019
Kaieteur News
Streetlights for Crabwood Creek
Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, interacting with residents of Crabwood Creek.
The streets of Crabwood Creek in Region Six will soon be brightly lit following the installment of several streetlights. This was the commitment made by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, for what he says will be to improve security in the community. The pledge was made to the residents during a meeting at the local community ground. During the engagement, residents explained that several streets in the community are “pitch black” at nights, and criminals use the opportunity to commit small robberies. The installation of the lights, the residents believe, will deter criminal behaviour. Chandrashekhar Bisnauth and Ameer Ally, both residents Crabwood Creek, welcomed the initiative and opined that it will bring relief to the residents.
Bisnauth said, “Sometimes you in the dark, and they [thieves] just wait for you, so the streetlights are really needed in Crabwood Creek.” Ally shared similar sentiments stating that “putting up the light for the people is a good thing to do… It can avoid crime and make it safe for people coming home at night.” Minister Ramjattan said that even though the light will be installed, the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) and residents need to play their role to maintain the lights. He noted that the NDC would be required to pay a small fee of $300 per streetlight to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to keep the lights on. “If the NDC can take the responsibility to pay for streetlights as is the law, that is what they are supposed to
pay for and then take the money from the citizen, it would be a wonderful country and that would help to deter crime,” the minister underscored. Security for Guyanese has been a priority for the government since taking office. The Ministry of Public Security has taken several steps to improve security and build the capacity of the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The efforts have borne fruit as there is a 3.2% decrease in serious crimes for the first half of 2019. Also present at the meeting was Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma. Minister Sharma was able to listen to the concerns of the residents and pledged to return with engineers who will able to address their concerns and provide answers to burning questions. (DPI)
Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma interacting with residents of Crabwood Creek.
Support to boost economic projects in Indigenous... From page 17 along with three other massive economic projects (the Fish and Crab Facility in Smith Creek, Mabaruma, Region One; the Ground Coffee Project in Santa Rosa, Moruca, Region One and the Lapidary in Monkey Mountain, Region Eight), Government would have responded to their pleas. Last year, Minister Garrido-Lowe was instrumental in providing technical support to farmers in partnership with the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute NAREI and Brazils Stem Integrated Production in Agribusiness, SIPA. The team visited 17
farms in the area over the twoday period and was able to share with farmers improved planting techniques and pest control methods to vastly improve yields. Minister GarridoLowe reminded that, “the hinterland has great prospects in agriculture and tourism and our people are willing to work to raise their standard of living and they are not afraid to try new things. The Pakaraima Flavours Sundried Tomato Ketchup is testimony to that fact; our people are hardworking and when they make up their minds to do something for their benefit, they can deliver for themselves and others. “All they need is the financial support which Government has already
committed to, for both the cassava flour and the ground coffee production, the technical assistance in the farms and, of course, training in the value-added process. “My job really is to put things together and to motivate them, and believe in them… so I get easy job.” Kwebanna, which is located along the Waini River is home to approximately 650 residents with its main economic activity being lumbering, farming, traditional fishing and hunting. With the establishment of the Processing Facility, the livelihoods of residents will improve tremendously.
Sunday August 18, 2019
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Kaieteur News
---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---
They told us not to come, but I came, and now I am ready to vote tomorrow I have spent the last few weeks on the campaign trail with the WPA, which has decided to visit communities to begin to rally disgruntled voters back to the Coalition. It has been an interesting experience—coming face to face with loyal but dissatisfied voters is quite a challenge. As one of the major speakers at these meetings, I have been tasked with balancing a critical analysis of the Coalition government and making the case for its return to power. But more importantly, we have had to face stern grilling from supporters and potential supporters. Guyanese and Caribbean political culture are complex. I remember years ago, a then Grenadian graduate student asking me to explain how could Grenadians who voted for Eric Gairy, the then Prime Minister, throw their support behind the revolutionaries in their bid to topple the government. I explained to her that the Caribbean political instinct is plural and diverse to the point of appearing contradictory. The history of bondage has engendered in our psyche, a need to constantly look for diverse routes to freedom. It is that psyche that could accommodate both Burnham and Rodney as heroes of Linden, and Burnham and Kwayana as legitimate lead-
ers of the African Guyanese community. Professor Rex Nettleford describes that phenomenon as “order in chaos and chaos in order.” There has always been a place for radical politics in the collective instinct. You could not come out of slavery and colonialism and not be radical. Faced with a hostile world after independence, the governmental leaders opted for a pragmatic approach to governance—it was out of that pragmatism that came what we call today “mass parties” such as the PPP and PNC. These parties were primarily geared to fight and win elections. Consequently, they generally saw politics through the lens of “transaction”—the trading of promises for votes. This transactional approach rendered the parties incapable of serious political reflection. Consequently, they view the cries of the citizens for transformation of their lives as unnecessary moaning, and as ingratitude for what the party and government do for them. These leaders are incapable of understanding that the euphoria on election day quickly turns into sober reflection by the individual and collective once the dust settles after election. It is that misunderstanding of the deeper political culture by the
mass parties that induces alienation among their electoral supporters. In our visits to the communities, the WPA has come face to face with this alienation among many government supporters, which manifests itself in diverse ways— anger, cynicism, disconnection, skepticism, frustration, pessimism and cautious optimism. We have had to employ a balanced critique of the government to get through to these citizens. We opted not to tell them that the government has done wonderful things for them, for they come to our meetings having already concluded the opposite. They still want to vote for the government, but they want an honest explanation of its recalcitrance and guarantees that should it be returned to power, things would be different. As an individual, my critique of the government over the last four years, gives me an easier entrance into the consciousness of these citizens. This critique along with the harsh treatment meted out to me by the government has brought me closer to the disgruntled—I am one of them. It makes reasoning with them easier. In Den Amstel, it is reported that some PNC members, led by a powerful PNC
The Baccoo Speaks Reasoning goes through the window when people are faced with daily problems. There is no reason why people should opt to walk into traffic. That is going to be the case of a pedestrian who some say became distracted with a passing fancy. He would be attempting to cross the road, momentarily oblivious to the oncoming traffic. ** A mistake would become a political issue.
Carelessness on the part of the Ministry of Education would see a leading student dropped from a list of candidates.The fact that this student would come from a
certain ethnic group would fuel the charges and the media would do little to help. Most of the caustic comments would be posted on social media. ** Another failed robbery would grip the headlines. The presence of cameras about the city is going to be a cause for concern among the criminal elements. These cameras would be attacked with serious consequences.
man, told villagers to stay away from the WPA meeting because Hinds “does talk a lot of stupidness.” The end result was that approximately 75 residents defied these calls and in their own words, came “to hear Dr. Hinds’ stupidness.” More than half of them signed up to be become WPA members. Many of them came to the meeting as doubtful voters, but left vowing to vote for the Coalition. One man summed up the spirit of the meeting this way: “I came here not sure if I would vote, but after listening to your meeting, I am ready to vote tomorrow. It is this latter attitude that we have encountered from Buxton to Victoria to Linden. From the complaints of the people at Melanie Damishana - that their pleas for help to regularize their status of their housing scheme - to the pleas of Victorians, for a proper road
to the farmlands and markets for their crops, to the cries of the people of Dem Amstel, for help in turning their ancestral lands into house lots for the landless, the people cry out for attention and opportunities. A journalist at the WPA press conference asked us to explain why, after the terrible treatment of the party by the leadership of APNU, do we still want them back in power. The answer is this: Politics for me has never been about the individual leader—I learned that from Kwayana. I want to assure all those who welcomed us into their communities and waited to shake my hand or to give me a hug or take a photo or have a quick chat or to tell me that they pray for me, that I would channel your pledge of support into making the Coalition a more responsive vessel to your needs and your empowerment if they win the elec-
Dr David Hinds tion. I learned that some of the Coalition leaders despise me for criticising the government, but that does not deter me— it is the empowerment of the people that drives me to work for the Coalition’s return to office. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his w e b s i t e www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com
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Sunday August 18, 2019
Kaieteur News
Killing a waitress and hiding in plain sight By Michael Jordan here always seemed to be a touch of mystery and sadness in her eyes, and looking at her standing behind the counter of the Chinese Restaurant that I sometimes visited, I often wondered what her story was. I never knew that I would write Debra Blackman’s story one day, and that it would be such a tragic one. I first saw her around 2002, when she was working at a Chinese Restaurant, located a short distance from Kaieteur News. Maybe it was the satinbrown skin, or the hint of sadness and allure in her eyes, that reminded me of the actresses who played those femme fatale roles in old blackand-white movies. In reality, Debra Blackman was just a hard-working, struggling mother. At around 8.00 p.m. on Saturday, August 23, 2014, one of my contacts called to say that a waitress had been shot dead in the Delicious Restaurant, located in D’Urban Street, between Haley and Hardina Streets. The next day, there was my sad-eyed friend staring out at me from under the newspaper headline: ‘WAITRESS SHOT DEAD AT BAR’. They say it was around 7.30 p.m., and 48-year-old Debra Blackman was standing behind the bar when two men on a motorcycle rode up to the D’Urban Street restaurant.
T
The camera image captured of the gunman (at left) and a photo of Shelton George, called ‘Boorie’ According to police, the pillion rider entered the restaurant paid for a meal, then shot Blackman in the neck before escaping. Footage from a security camera showed a man of African ancestry in a black cap, with red peak, going up to the counter and apparently making a purchase. Two other men then came to the counter, and one of them gave Blackman a $5,000 note. The footage showed the apparently nervous men constantly glancing around. According to investigators, all clues indicated that the gunman had entered the restaurant with the sole aim of killing Debra Blackman. Police came up with a number of motives. One was that Mrs. Blackman was slain
Debra Blackman for something someone else
had done. Blackman’s children insisted that they knew of no reason for anyone wanting to kill their mother. ”My mother doesn’t own her own house, she doesn’t have jewels, she is not a rich woman, she doesn’t have life insurance, she doesn’t have anything for anyone to want to kill her for, just her life and children,” one distraught daughter had told me. The daughter said that security footage they saw showed the gunman tossing what appeared to be a moneybag at their mother before shooting her. She says this suggests that the gunman had come to rob the restaurant and had ended up killing her mom. Another suggestion made to me was that one of the bandits was connected to a previous robbery at the restaurant. With the investigation stalled, police released a photograph of the shooter, whom they identified as the man in the black and red cap. Kaieteur News also placed part of the security camera footage on Facebook. Surely, someone knew who he was. Someone did. HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT In early February 2017, almost three years after Blackman was slain, police got a tip that sent them to a premises at South Better Hope,
The wheelchair-bound murder accused at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts East Coast Demerara. T here, they found their suspect, 22-year-old Shelton George, called ‘Boorie. The suspect didn’t try to run when the police entered his mother’s house, because he couldn’t. Shelton George had been confined to a wheelchair. He had been shot twice in the back while in Suriname and had lost a kidney. The badly wounded youth reportedly returned to Guyana, and in September 2015, police charged him for armed robbery and he was remanded. According to his mother, he remained on remand until June 2016, when he was released on bail. He was reportedly attending court; literally hiding under the very noses of the police who were looking for Debra Blackman’s killer. Investigators had reportedly received a tip that Blackman’s killer was in prison, but were provided with an incorrect name. On February 8, 2017, seated in a wheelchair with a urine bag hanging between his legs, Shelton George was lifted into the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and charged for the murder of Debra Blackman . He was also charged for shooting former Magistrate Mohamed Fazil Azeez on April 25, 2015, with intent to commit murder. The accused had reportedly visited a site where Azeez was building a house, under the pretext that he was looking for a job. He had then shot Azeez in the stomach, and fled, leaving a money-bag be-
hind. George was also under investigation for the murder of Bernadette Campbell, 40, who was shot in a minibus at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, in August 2014. Campbell was sitting in the front seat of a minibus when she was shot to the stomach by a bandit who stopped the minibus and demanded that its occupants exit the vehicle, after which two rounds were discharged, hitting the woman. George’s attorney, Melvin Duke, argued that there were no eyewitnesses to Debra Blackman’s murder. He stated that his client was charged based on video evidence, which was of poor quality. DEAD IN CELL The case never reached the High Court. On Tuesday, August 22, 2017, at around 05.50 a.m. – almost exactly three years to the day that Debra Blackman was slain – crippled murder accused Shelton George was found motionless in his cell at the Lusignan Prison. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead. No marks of violence were found on the inmate’s body. If you have any information about any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown offices. Our numbers are 22-58465, 2258473 and 22-58458. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : kamarangnight@gmail.com
Sunday August 18, 2019
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Kaieteur News
==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
David Granger: A study in failure We are months away from a general election. One of the persons likely to become president is the man who is the president since 2015. Any analyst or commentator has an obligation to the media house he/she works for, to assess the president who wants to lead his/her country again. I remember when Bharrat Jagdeo came to power, our iconic elder statesman, Eusi Kwayana, wrote a perfect letter. Perfect in the sense that all Guyanese had to embrace the sentiment of giving this brand new leader of young age, and without any kind of baggage, an opportunity to lead his country. Kwayana urged Guyanese to give Jagdeo a chance to govern. Guyanese did and Jagdeo currently competes with Forbes Burnham for the award of Guyana’s most autocratic head of state. Guyanese did not know David Granger as a politician before 2010. He certainly was not an activist in politics Guyanese were aware of. I remember at the south/ eastern gate of the High Court, PNC personality, Clarissa Riehl telling me what she had already said publicly – as a
leading figure in the PNC, she never heard about Granger in her party. She echoed this sentiment when he became leader of the PNC. Mr. Granger did not have a smooth introduction to leadership. He contested against two large names who were former PNC ministers - Carl Greenidge and Dr. Faith Harding. The latter claimed that the elections were shaped to favour Granger. Greenidge lost by a mere 12 votes. It was not a good showing for Granger, because Greenidge was out of the memory of Guyanese. He left to work in Europe after the 1992 national election and stayed there for more than 20 years. Many PNC ranks have told me that they thought Corbin manoeuvred Granger into the leadership during that PNC congress. In the 2011 election, there was no PNC. The party was subsumed under the title of APNU. The PNC regained the five parliamentary seats it lost to the AFC in the 2006 poll. I think that if there wasn’t APNU, David Granger as PNC leader would not have recap-
tured those seats. APNU excited the imagination of PNC constituencies because the party of Walter Rodney had settled its difference with the party of Forbes Burnham. In 2015, Granger became president and the sentiments of Kwayana in relation to Jagdeo reverberated all over Guyana. This columnist supported David Granger in many of his articles since 2015. I no longer do, because I think the Granger presidency has failed Guyana. The PNC and Guyana need someone better than Granger. This column will have to be continued, because space would not allow for the concatenation of failures of Granger as president. I offer a few instances. He has to be condemned for assenting to the cynical, depraved, almost surreptitious salary increase for his Cabinet and non-Cabinet ministers, weeks after power was attained. A decisive, sensitive, caring leader would have stopped it. Secondly, it remains an act of political cruelty, with few parallels in modern Guyana, to retrench 7,000 state employees in the space of months in the sugar industry and not
immediately pay them their legal entitlements and not offer them alternative employment or land for them to make a living. Thirdly, he approved of a project that was a total waste of money and which has no bearing on developmental programmes. Granger’s adventure into D’Urban Park was just as silly as Jagdeo’s descent into the Marriott Hotel. Fourthly, his enigmatic reluctance to face the press is an intentional act of insult to the Guyanese people. A Prime Minister or President must talk to the nation through the media as often as possible. Three press conferences in four years should cause one to question Granger’s eligibility to govern a troubled nation like Guyana.
I will leave out his enormous PR disasters and his colossal mistakes in the area of constitutional politics since the no-confidence vote. Between December 2018 and August 2019, Granger demonstrated no leadership. Elaboration is for another column. I will end with a harsh judgment of his leadership qualities with the example of UG. Let me be pellucid and unambiguous. And when I do, let me state that I don’t care what is said about me. I never did and never will. So here goes. Presidents Burnham, Hoyte, Janet and Cheddi Jagan, Jagdeo and Ramotar would never have allowed the prodigious wastage of money and one-man hegemony that were perpetrated on UG under the leadership of a person
Frederick Kissoon Granger chaperoned into that office. No sane mind could contemplate the insanity that went on at UG in the past three years. If Granger were a fit and proper president, he would have stopped that madness. More later! (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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Sunday August 18, 2019
Kaieteur News
The past week has been a busy and fruitful one for the Coalition Govt Apart from the widely expected comprehensive victory in the High Court on house to house registration and the failure of the Opposition to force the Court to name a date for general and regional elections, Government was also able to outline a number of developmental plans for the country in the coming months - all the while pushing ahead with its agenda in spite of the antics of a desperate opposition. For example, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, headed by the Honourable David Patterson, brought sweet news to the ears of thousands of Guyanese who either live in the far-flung interior regions, or whose lives depend on the quality and functionality of the infrastructure in those hinterland districts. Works will soon begin on extending the road network
from 4 miles to Kwebana in Region One, the BarimaWaini District, Guyana’s northernmost region. Additionally, a number of roads which had been horribly neglected during the 23-year reign of the PPP, will be upgraded in the Santa Rosa area and nearby islands, also in Region One. If these are not enough, similar works are at an advanced stage for the crucial Itaballi to Puruni district in Region Seven, as this area has emerged as a major mining and hub. Its rich soil also holds great potential for agricultural development. Other planned major developmental works include the construction of new bridge culvert at Bina Hill - Region 9, construction of new bridge culvert at Surama Junction, road improvement of Annai to Lethem Road - Region 9, Rehabilitation of road from
Mabura to Mango Landing, rehabilitation of 3 bridges and 1 year maintenance of Sherima to Rockstone Crossing in Region 10, as well as road improvement and rehabilitation for Kurupukari Landing. While all this was happening, the executive of the Alliance For Change (AFC) in the past week also found the time to deliberate on the country’s soon to be dominant oil and gas sector. In the same week that Tullow Oil of the United Kingdom said it had found large deposits of oil at its Jethro-1 well in the Orinduik Block, Party leaders deliberated on the way forward. The Party said in a statement that it reiterated “its support for conditional cash transfers from oil revenues as a means of ensuring that traditionally neglected segments of Guyana’s population are able to benefit meaningfully
from the natural wealth of our country. While the AFC is in the process of formulating a more comprehensive policy position to advance to the Guyanese people, we believe strongly that the concept has merit and should not be dismissed without the benefit of further examination. The AFC’s policy will explore several indirect initiatives which can benefit Guyanese, including: low interest loans, improved health care, free education, enhanced pensions and NIS benefits, greater access to affordable housing, as well as conditional cash transfers. The AFC believes that cash transfers tied to social programmes and responsible civic behaviour have been proven to work in other countries. There are numerous successful models worldwide which have brought significant social adjustments to marginalised people and catalysed further socioeconomic progress. One such programme close to home is Brazil’s
“Bolsa Familia”, under which poor families with children, must ensure their children attend school and are vaccinated in order to qualify for and remain on the programme.” Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, headed by the Honourable Cathy Hughes, was busy taking advantage of the schools holiday period to push ahead with a number of ICT training programmes and student exposures. Twenty-eight web developers have just completed the “National Capacity Building Program on Web Accessibility and online design. The programme also included exposure to the development of accessible websites programmes. The programme was executed in collaboration with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Minister Hughes noted that her Ministry is doing its part in ensuring that Guyanese are more capable of meeting the demands of the new global and digital world that exists today.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Nine, the Minister said, speaks to humans’ access to the internet. This is “almost a human right, so it is in that context that the Ministry of Public Telecommunications really got involved with ensuring that we look at how we can use technology to better the lives and to improve accessibility for persons living with disabilities. Information and data, they say, in today’s world is the new oil. It is extremely valuable and so we do under-service any person when we lock out any person from being able to access the worldwide encyclopedia we call the internet,” Minister Hughes noted. She also suggested that the private sector should come onboard for future programmes, noting that Government wants to see “regular websites being constructed and enabled to reach not just what we would call the average Guyanese or the average person overseas, but we want to make sure it’s enabled so that persons with disabilities can access and share the information,” she pointed out. I look forward to the day when every ordinary website would be enabled for accessibility for this important sector and persons in our society. We don’t want to leave anybody out”. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
Sunday August 18, 2019
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Kaieteur News
My column
Our people are not seeing the jobs It would be interesting to know how many foreigners have secured jobs in Guyana at a time when Guyanese themselves say there are no jobs. For some time now, people have been saying that they cannot get jobs. So persistent have been these statements that they actually became believable. There were those who claimed that they spent years pursuing an education and having completed their studies, simply cannot find jobs. Eventually this chant about no jobs became a political statement. The political opposition, with no evidence, chanted that the government is neglecting young people. I remember the early days of the Coalition Government when there was a massive drive to clean up the city that had become a haven for disease. Garbage was everywhere, because the people responsible for disposal couldn’t care less. Many of them were going to an office but doing precious little. An overseasbased Guyanese had noted this behaviour and had made the perennial comment, “Only in Guyana.” That is because in the developed world, when
people leave their homes, they go to work. They find things to do when their chores are exhausted. We in Guyana only tend to do something when we have to, and this is our downfall. We get incensed when we learn that Trinidadians are coming and getting jobs that we should be doing. The truth is that we simply do not go after those jobs. Finance Minister Winston Jordan likened this attitude to Guyanese who go overseas and get jobs while the people in those countries simply live off welfare. We hear talk about Guyanese working for even less than the minimum wage. That is because they have to put food on the table in a foreign country. There is no one giving you anything. But you are comfortable at home. People have been known to walk off jobs because they complain that the pay is too small. What do they do? They prefer to earn nothing than to earn something. They prefer to rely on others who are working, because there are many of us who do not hesitate to give someone a change because they ask and we have it in our pocket.
Yet I wonder how a man is prepared to live off a pittance than to work for so much more. Sociologists say that even if you pay someone to just sit at a desk for a pay, that person would find a reason to quit. Some people simply cannot work. There are Venezuelans and Cubans in Guyana who have found jobs. These jobs were there but we, Guyanese, are not interested. The reaction to Minister Jordan’s comments was that he wanted Guyanese to work for a pittance. The trade unions actually got into the act. In the United States, the authorities have made it clear that they would provide welfare for a limited period. The individual is compelled to find a job. Just this past week, I was informed that people want jobs that they are not capable of undertaking. Teaching comes readily comes to mind. Not many professional people get into the teaching profession, so there are vacancies there. People have come to me for a job and I have directed them to the teaching profession. The reply is that I do not
like teaching. Some we employ as reporters, but they lack the ability to think. They also do not read, so they become useless and are let go. A look at the media landscape would reveal people who have worked at many media houses, simply moving to another when they prove to be inefficient at one. Guyana must be one of the few countries where reporters are not trained. I was one of the people who having left school had to find a job. I sent out applications and was invited to Bartica. At that school, I had a headmaster, the late Edgar Jordan, who looked at me for about two months and suggested that I go into the teachers’ training college, which I did. I graduated to the media after seven years and again I was singled out for training. There are not many of us trained reporters around, because not many young reporters seem inclined to be trained. Then again, the private media institutions cannot be bothered with sponsoring their reporters. There is an employment exchange in Guyana, but I do not know how many people
use it. Employers would use it to announce vacancies in their midst. I am not certain that they get many responses from the employment exchange. The foreigners have come with innovations. I see carts with edibles in the streets, competing with our sedentary food vendors. They are bound to succeed and could displace local food vendors. When we sat and complained that business had declined, the Chinese came and turned that comment on its head. And the Chinese are expanding. I see people constructing what would later become businesses operated by the Chinese. Why is this so? Guyanese are not prepared to take risks, only going after a sure bet. Outside the city at places like Diamond, I see Guyanese who have invested and are doing very well, because they insist that they can do well. And they employ locals. The Chinese employ foreigners, largely Cubans, to do the translation. There is always agriculture, but again, our young people seem inclined, for the greater part, to stay away from this venture. One of my
Adam Harris colleagues was in the field on Friday. She returned to the office and proclaimed that she could never be an agriculturist although the field is a gold mine. So what’s all this about jobs? For starters, our young people should have an aim. If they go after a job, they must know something about it, at least learn something about it. The days when an office job was the best thing are over. With oil, there are many other jobs that are not traditional. We may not be able to spend the day sitting, but at least we could be working. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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Sunday August 18, 2019
Kaieteur News
Guyanese deserve a world class health system
G
uyana’s public health system, in the past, had been plagued by inadequate infrastructure, high maternity mortality rates, weak disease prevention measures, poor emergency health response and constraints to access to health services, particularly for hinterland residents. However, under the APNU+AFC government, Guyana is finally moving in the right direction. In four short years, we have made significant progress in improving both the access and quality of healthcare for all Guyanese. For 23 years, under the PPP administration, hospitals and clinics, especially those in the urban, rural and hinterland areas were neglected. Guyana had high unacceptable rates of maternal mortality. A report by the World Health Organisation - WHO found that maternal mortality rates for the period 1990 to 2013 rose from 210 death in 1990 to 250 death in 2013. There was also a high incidence of cervical cancer 46.9% per 100,000 persons
due to inaction under the previous government. It is clear that under the PPP, no clear effort was expended to promote preventative health. There was a general lack of access to potable water and sanitation facilities were not maintained. Vector-borne diseases were prevalent. Malaria reached endemic levels in some hinterland regions. Hospitals and clinic nationwide suffered from a lack of life-saving drugs. Added to this, by 2013, towards the end of the PPP’s time in government, the numbers of doctors and nurses dropped to 9.5 and 15.3 per 10,000 persons respectively. This was the PPP’s abysmal record in the health sector during their time in office. The APNU+AFC government has been addressing these deficiencies over the past four years. We believe that Guyanese deserve a world class healthcare system, regardless of where they live or how much money they have. Since taking office, the Granger-led administration
has built several new clinics, especially in the rural and hinterland areas to ensure that isolated communities are served. The Public Health Ministry has made significant progress in tackling preventable diseases, through a sustained expansion of its vaccination programme; Guyana can now boast of over 90% coverage for the entire country. Our children will soon live in a country without Polio, Tetanus and Tuberculosis, thanks to the efforts of the APNU+AFC government. During the 23 long years of the PPP administration, it was no secret that billions of dollars were wasted on bureaucracy and shady deals that did not deliver for the Guyanese people. However, this government has been able to reverse that trend. We did not create the mess that our healthcare system was in, but the APNU+AFC government have taken the responsibility for fixing it. Our public hospitals now have the necessary specialists and diagnostic equipment that
can help identify and treat more complex illnesses. Today there is more availability of medicines, through expansion of drug dispensaries and the training of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians. By providing training and resources, we have managed to reverse the deadly trend in the area of maternity survival and disease prevention. Since 2016, the APNU+AFC have provided funding of $91.5 billion to ensure that all Guyanese have access to good quality healthcare; a further $35.9 billion was allocated for 2019. The government has increased the number of medical professionals across all regions, so there are now over 13 doctors and 36 nurses for every 10, 000 persons. A new drug procurement system is being introduced. This system will increase stock rates from 65% to 95% thus eliminating shortages. Greater financial and technical support has been allotted in the area of preventable diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Malaria cases have reduced from 17, 599 reported cases in 2014 to 11, 000 reported cases in 2018. Vaccination against tuberculosis increased from 90% in 2015 to 98% in 2018. This has led to a decline
in the incidence of tuberculosis. Increase availability of retroviral treatments for HIV has resulted in the infection rate remaining stable at 1.7% of the population. The government has also launched a national programme to immunize children against the human papillomavirus - HPV. In 2019 alone, twenty-two new medical facilities have been commissioned. The infrastructure has been upgraded at several clinics and hospitals. Greater specialised care is now available in the areas of radiology, paediatrics, neo-natal care, anaesthesia, gynaecology and cardiac intensive care. Water ambulances were commissioned at Bartica in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region, at Orealla in the East Berbice Corentyne Region, and another at Linden in the Upper Demerara-Berbice Region. The improvement in the health sector under the APNU+AFC government has been tremendous. Under this government, access to public health services is constantly being improved. Maternity waiting homes have been commissioned to accommodate high-risk pregnant mothers. The Ministry of Public Health is in the process of
mapping the proximity of health facilities to communities to ensure that, as far as possible, a health facility is located within 5km of a community. Preventative treatment will continue to be intensified. A programme for the screening of and treatment of eye diseases in children and providing them with lowcosts spectacles is one of the many interventions to be undertaken. Under the APNU+AFC, Guyana is on the right path. A modern laboratory for testing food and food products has been established to ensure food safety. A telemedicine initiative, utilizing ICT to diagnose and treat persons in remote areas is currently being tested in several of our hinterland regions. Although progress has been made, we know that real change is neither quick to come by or easy to establish. There is still a lot to do. But with your help and support, David Granger and his Coalition team can finish the job and fix our health system so that, together, Guyana can move forward. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
Sunday August 18, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Chiropractic medicine: Is there a role for it in pain management? By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
C
hiropractic is a treatment where a practitioner called a chiropractor uses their hands to help relieve problems with the bones, muscles and joints. It’s considered a type of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which means it’s not a conventional medical treatment. It has been around for a long time, but studies are now showing its benefit for patients with certain pains that are not too responsive to medications. Today we will discuss how this alternative form of pain management can benefit those in pain. WHAT CONDITIONS CAN BENEFIT FROM CHIROPRACTIC
MEDICINE? Chiropractic can mainly help with pain in muscles and joints, such as: · Back pain · Neck pain · Shoulder pain · Elbow pain There’s little evidence that it can help with more serious conditions or problems not affecting the muscles or joints, such as asthma, allergies and mental health problems. WHAT HAPPENS DURING CHIROPRACTIC TREATMENT? At your first appointment, the chiropractor will assess your symptoms to determine if chiropractic is suitable and what techniques are likely to help. Chiropractors use different techniques to treat problems with the muscles and joints, including:
· Spinal manipulation using their hands to apply force to the muscles, bones and joints in and around the spine · Short, sharp thrusting movements · Gradually moving your joints into different positions · Pulling or stretching your muscles in different directions Treatment isn’t normally painful, but some people experience a bit of discomfort. Tell your chiropractor immediately if you find it painful. You may need a few visits before you begin to see improvement. ARE THERE RISKSAND SIDE EFFECTS WITH CHIROPRACTIC TREATMENT? Chiropractic is generally very safe when performed correctly by a trained and reg-
istered chiropractor. Ensure you verify that the chiropractor is properly certified to perform chiropractic care. Some people may experience side effects from treatment, such as: · Aches and pain · Stiffness · Tiredness These side effects are usually mild and pass in a few days. There is a risk of more serious problems, such as
stroke, from spinal manipulation, but the risk is extremely small. Not everyone responds to chiropractic adjustments. A lot depends on your particular situation. If your symptoms don’t begin to improve after several weeks of treatments, chiropractic adjustment might not be the best option for you. Speak to your doctor if you’re unsure whether chiropractic
Dr Zulfikar Bux is right for you as its better to seek conventional medical care before resorting to chiropractic medicine.
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SUNDAY NO LEGAL CONSTRAINTS EXIST TO PREVENT CHANGES TO TERMS WHEN EXXON DEAL COMES UP FOR RENEWAL There is no provision in Guyana’s Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act of 1986 which states that the terms of a Petroleum Production Agreement are insulated from revision when the license comes up for review. GGMC Commissioner, Newell Dennison, in an invited comment confirmed that the renewal of the application is not an automatic process. Dennison said, “…There is more to it. There is an element of due diligence; there is an element of reporting; there is an element of discussion to determine how the impact of the renewal will unfold etc. “So it certainly isn’t automatic that when you make the application it is granted. There is an expectation however, that if there aren’t any material issues, that the renewal should take place.” The GGMC Commissioner further stated that there is, usually, no intent to deny renewal without just cause. “You must have good reasons to do so if that is the case,” the official asserted. ExxonMobil’s Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the Stabroek Block comes up for renewal next year October. Energy Department Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe has already provided the citizenry with the assurance that Guyana will have the requisite help to assist it when that time comes. The official had disclosed this following queries from Kaieteur News about the need for a specialist team, especially when one considers the weaknesses of the current PSA. Since the release of the Guyana-ExxonMobil contract, many industry analysts have said that there are numerous weaknesses which Guyana should address at the earliest chance, with the renewal period for the deal being highlighted as a golden opportunity for same. The paltry two percent royalty is just one of the many provisions considered by industry analysts to be abnormal and in urgent need of regularization. Specifically, University of Houston Instructor, Tom Mitro, recently pointed out to absurd provisions which allow expatriates and subcontractors’ salaries or income to not be subject to tax. The Petroleum Consultant
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noted that under Section 15.12 of the PSA, expatriates’ salaries are not subject to Income tax if they don’t spend more than 183 days in the country. Mitro said that this is an old trick in the book as the company simply gets many expats to be in rotation to avoid going over the 183 days. The Consultant stressed that most countries have plugged this tax avoidance loophole that companies have been abusing while noting that Guyana should too in all of the existing PSAs. STRIKING SIMILARITY BETWEEN GUYANA, ISRAEL’S LEVIATHAN BASIN IS WHAT ATTRACTED US –RATIO GEOLOGIST, COFOUNDER Before American oil giant, ExxonMobil, made 13 successful discoveries in the oil-rich Stabroek Block, the multinational was hardpressed to persuade other oil majors to join its exploration campaign after Royal Dutch Shell threw in the towel in 2014. In fact, Exxon went knocking on the doors of 22 other firms, with only two answering the call to invest in a basin that was essentially deemed by most to be “too risky.” But even before ExxonMobil and its two new partners, Hess Corporation and China’s state-owned CNOOC//NEXEN, had a Lizatype taste of what the Stabroek Block would produce, one Israeli company affirms that it knew since early 2012, that the Guyana basin was flooded with potential. During an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, one of Ratio Petroleum’s co-founders and Senior Vice President (SVP) of Exploration and Production, Eitan Aizenberg, said he knew three years before Exxon struck black gold that the Guyana basin was unquestionably, well endowed. Aizenberg asserted that he was able to make this observation given his years of experience in operating in the Israeli basin and other parts of the world. But in order to understand his subsequent entrance into the Guyana basin via the acquisition of the Kaieteur Block, of which Exxon is now the Operator, the geologist intimated that one has to understand a little of the firm’s background. The entrepreneur said that Ratio started its activities in the early 1990s as a partnership between two pioneering Israeli business
The demolishing of the bar on by the NDC. families – the Landau and Rotlevy. Aizenberg noted that both families are well known in Israel and are highly appreciated for their contribution to the growth and development of the Israeli economy. The geologist said, “Ratio’s exploration and production activity started as a joint venture of the Landau and Rotlevy families together with me in 1992, to explore for hydrocarbons in Israel. In those days, Israel had no significant discoveries and hundreds of dry wells were drilled. Ratio started with drilling wells onshore Israel which didn’t result in significant achievements – the wells turned out to be dry or not commercial.” AFTER THREE COURT ORDERS,AUTHORITIES DEMOLISH POPULAR BAR AT SOESDYKE JUNCTION Representatives of an East Bank Demerara council on Friday started to demolish a popular roadside bar at the Soesdyke/Linden junction, following a court order issued earlier this year. The bar, said to be ‘Julie’s Roti Shop’, has been in a battle with neighbours and the Soesdyke Neighbourhood Democratic Council for a few years now. The bar is said to be one of several in the area that has angered residents. On the weekends, the junction area is packed, with barbecue and other activities. The noise situation along with the parking headache has been dominating the agenda at the NDC. One neighbour complained that her entrance
to her home was blocked by the bar. Despite objections, the bar was completed on Government’s reserve. The owners claimed that the facilities had been given the necessary permits for the government reserve. The woman took the operators of the bar to court. It has been back and forth. Reportedly this is the third time it engaged the courts. A representative of the NDC confirmed that the council was acting on a court order. He said that the NDC has been receiving countless complaints of noise issues. The court order was issued earlier this year with the bar ordered to be demolished. MONDAY LOOPHOLE GIVES EXXON RECOVERY COSTS FOR ANY ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER How will the costs of environmental damage offshore Guyana be treated? Will it be a deductible expense for the operators under all circumstances? Based on a perusal of the Stabroek Block contract Guyana signed onto with ExxonMobil and its partners, the company will be able to deduct all these expenses via cost recovery. For Exxon to be blocked from recovering these costs, Guyana will have to prove that the damage was due to “willful misconduct” or “gross negligence.” According to Annex C of the Production Sharing
Agreement (PSA), the contractor can recover without the need for approval from the Minister, all fees and other assessments that may be levied by the government in connection with the petroleum operations. For the insurance that is meant to cover environmental expenses, the operator will be allowed to recover the insurance premium as well as the cost for the insurance. Further, all costs, losses and damages incurred to the extent not made good by insurance, will be recovered by Exxon and its partners. If the operators can recover the foregoing costs, it therefore means that it is Guyana that is really standing these expenses and not the operator. What is also significant is that there is nothing in the Stabroek Block PSA which ties Exxon and its partners to handling all restoration costs following the clean up exercise. In the USA and other territories, Exxon has to adhere to much more stringent provisions of this nature. If an oil spill occurs due to ExxonMobil’s operations, it could take a decade or more for the country to “fully recover.” This gloomy possibility was well document in the operator’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which examines how Exxon’s operations would affect the environs. The document was prepared by Environmental Resources Management (ERM). In the EIA, the international company uses phrases like “highly unlikely” and “very low” throughout lengthy paragraphs to
convince readers that the chances of an oil spill occurring are quite slim. But when ERM had done its assessment to determine the implications of Exxon’s operations offshore Guyana, it was taking into consideration that the country would be producing 100, 000 barrels of oil per day. Those projections have changed significantly. Today, Guyana is estimated to produce about 750,000 barrels of oil per day by 2025. GOVT. SHOULD APPROVE NO FURTHER PROJECTS UNTILIT CAN REGULATE OFFSHORE OIL OPERATIONS – MANGAL The Government of Guyana should not have approved another project after Liza-1. It is moving too fast. With every project it approves, it does so to its detriment. Government should slow down, and should not approve any more, until it can properly oversee and regulate the operations of the contractors offshore Guyana. This is the caution of Oil and Gas Consultant, Dr. Jan Mangal. Recently, an Attorney-atlaw, Melinda Janki had raised concern over an article of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) of the Stabroek Block, which allows the contractor to take as much oil for its operations as is reasonably required. Article 11 of the PSA speaks about Cost Recovery and Production Sharing. Article 11.9 affords the Contractor the right to use from the production for its (Continued on page 33)
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From page 32 operations. It states, “The Contractor shall have the right to use in any Petroleum Operations as much of the production as may reasonably be required by it there for and the quantities so used or lost shall be excluded from any calculations of Cost Oil and/or Cost Gas and Profit Oil and/or Profit Gas entitlement.” The Contractors on the Stabroek Block are Exxon’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL); Hess Guyana Exploration Limited; and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited. Janki had contended that, because there is no cap on the amount the oil companies are allowed to take, and because Guyana does not currently have the means to oversee that process, the article is unfair to the people of Guyana. “We have to get past the ugly truth of Guyana’s oil deal.” Janki had said. In an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, Dr. Mangal said that Janki is correct in raising this issue; that Government is not prepared to verify the claims of ExxonMobil, the lead operator on the Stabroek Block, that what they will take is reasonable. But more importantly, the Consultant said that this speaks to a much bigger issue: the fact that Government does not have the capacity to regulate the offshore operations of these offshore oil companies. When Exxon first struck oil, “Government did not understand the obligations with regard to monitoring”, Mangal said. TUESDAY TULLOW STRIKES OIL IN ORINDUIK BLOCK -ANTICIPATES OVER 100 MILLION BARRELS -DISCOVERY INCREASES SHARE PRICE BY 20% One of the United Kingdom’s
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leading exploration and production companies, Tullow Oil, has finally struck black gold in the Orinduik Block. In fact, Tullow’s Chief Executive, Paul McDade noted the discovery was made at the Jethro-1 well which could hold more than 100 million barrels of recoverable oil. According to a Reuters news article, Tullow is also smiling from ear to ear as its share price jumped by 20 percent Monday following the discovery. The other two partners on the Orinduik Block, being Eco Atlantic and Total, are ecstatic about the find too. Eco Atlantic in its release to the media noted that the Jethro-1
exploration well was drilled by the Stena Forth drillship to a final depth of 14,331 feet (4,400 metres) in approximately 1,350 metres of water. The company said that evaluation of logging data confirms that the Jethro-1 comprises high quality oil bearing sandstone reservoir of Lower Tertiary age. The company said that it encountered 180.5 feet (55 metres) of net high-quality oil pay in excellent lower Tertiary sandstone reservoirs which supports recoverable oil resources. It noted that the well has been cased, and is now awaiting further evaluation to determine the appropriate appraisal activity. Gil Holzman, CEO and Co-
Founder of Eco Atlantic, was keen to note that he is thrilled about the exciting discovery, describing same as a revolutionary moment for Eco. Holzman said, “It has been a long path of hard work for our team, and with this announcement, we feel our first rewards have justified our journey. We have been very confident in the prospects of the Orinduik since we first decided to make a licence application in February 2014, based on a strong recommendation from our team at Kinley Exploration.” Holzman further stated that he always believed that Eco would create exceptional stakeholder value for its shareholders and the people
of Guyana alike. The CEO added, “This is a transformational event for the company, and we now need to strategically plan for an even brighter future. With multiple targets to consider, and Joe as the next prospect to be drilled, we will now pursue our evaluation of the timing for wells to develop the Jethro field and to expediently bring it on production. We are funded for at least six additional wells.” In sharing his thoughts on the momentous occasion, Eco’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) and CoFounder, Colin Kinley, was quick to note that the Jethro-1 well confirms (Continued on page 41)
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From page 33 the continuance of the petroleum system onto the Orinduik Block, an up dip from the prolific discoveries on the Exxon-operated Stabroek Block. GPLATTEMPTS ONCE MORE TO BURY CABLE BELOW DEMERARA RIVER Weeks after managing to successfully install an alternative submarine power cable across the Demerara River, the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) is currently looking for a more permanent fix. Beginning last Wednesday, August 7th, the exercise across the Demerara River is expected to last 12 days. A notice by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) over the weekend said that the exercise will be between Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara and Kingston, Georgetown. Four vessels will be used to conduct the burying of the cable at least five meters. The Chinese-laid cable was part of a US$40M project commissioned back in 2015. It would have included new transmission lines, several sub-stations and submarine cables across the Demerara and Berbice rivers. However, the one across the Demerara River has been proving a major headache. Lying in the middle of the most traversed area, it has been damaged a number of times now. The cost to repair the cable is in the tens of millions of dollars, but would pale in comparison to the cost of the power cuts that resulted as the
Demerara and Berbice engines were not producing enough for the demand. With a 26-megawatt power station at Vreed-en-Hoop, the last cable incident in June, suspected to be from a ship’s anchor, left Demerara and the inter-connected system to Berbice without the badlyneeded power. It had led to prolonged outages. GPL will now be attempting to correct the problems that came from the works of the Chinese contractor, CMC, by burying the submarine cable deeper. In June, GPL successfully energized a new 13.8 kV submarine cable across the Demerara River linking the Vreed-en-Hoop and Kingston power plants via Princes Street. On June 2, GPL’s 69 kV cable from Kingston to Vreeden-Hoop sustained damage which resulted in the unavailability of 14 MW of generation to the eastern half of the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS). The safety of the cable from potential damage due to ocean-going vessels will be monitored by MARAD. HIGH STREET BUILDING BEING SOLD TO HELP CASH-STRAPPED FORESTRY COMMISSION Cash-strapped Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) is looking for long-term solutions to dig itself out of the hole it finds itself in. However, according to management and the current board, headed by Jocelyn Dow, the Forestry Commission never recovered from that dent in its reserves.
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To compound matters, another $300M or so was transferred for the operations of the struggling Iwokrama forest conservation project. That was almost $1B wiped off from GFC coffers. In recent months, amid falling exports of logs and increased activities relating to the conservation efforts brought on by the Norway US$250M deal to conserve the forests, GFC has been struggling to pay staffers. Monday, Dow confirmed delays in payments to staffers, but stressed that some staffers were not paid in days, as not for months as reported. She also traced the situation of the GFC back to the previous administration. She said that the current board members don’t receive fees until everybody else has been paid. Government had ordered former Commissioner of Forest, Clayton Hall, to conduct an examination of GFC’s operations, including aspects of the welfare of staffers. He is expected to hand over his report to Government shortly. Last week, officials of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) which represents workers of the commission, met the board and Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman on the financial situation of the commission. Trotman has reportedly since met with Finance Minister Winston Jordan to discuss help. It was stressed that GFC had far more responsibilities as a consequence of the Norway deal and other international commitments.
“We are in problemsolving mode now. It is important we realize the forest has multiple roles. It is not only about timber. Under the laws we now have ecoservices and more importantly, commitments under the Paris agreements. Those increased responsibilities come at a cost,” the chair pointed out. Currently, GFC’s monthly salary bill is over $60M. WEDNESDAY BLOOMBERG PLACES SPOTLIGHT ON GUYANA’S UNPREPAREDNESS FOR OILWEALTH Bloomberg, one of the world’s leading news platforms, has turned its spotlight once again on Guyana’s oil sector. This time, its focus was primarily on the nation’s preparedness to receive and efficiently manage the billions of oil revenue to flow from the ExxonMobil –led Stabroek Block. The international news site stated that Guyana is “unprepared for what’s coming.” Bloomberg noted that while Guyana is mere months away from first oil, its petroleum laws remain outdated, the Energy Department is underfunded, new and relevant laws have not been established, a regulatory body to oversee production is virtually nonexistent, and while a Natural Resource Fund was established to save as much as $5B in revenue per year by 2025, the government is still to put forward a plan on how
it will use those funds. Further, Bloomberg notes that Guyana’s authorities are still torn over what to do with the money. The Granger government it noted, wants to use the windfall to reshape the economy, pumping money into health and education, into the country’s vast natural resources, and into rail, road, and port projects that could provide an important pathway to the Atlantic for northern Brazil. In the midst of that, there are suggestions by some that there should be cash transfers to poor homes. Bloomberg noted that all of this “unpreparedness” is taking place against the backdrop of confusion on when elections should be held and threats by Venezuela over Guyana’s territorial waters. Bloomberg also solicited the perspectives of several known officials. Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, told the news agency that he is not convinced there is any caution in all the euphoria about oil. He also registered his disappointment that after oil was discovered in 2015, the government failed to secure better terms in the contract signed with Exxon the following year. Former Presidential Advisor on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal, intimated to Bloomberg that Guyana did not get a fair deal with ExxonMobil for the Stabroek Block. That deal saw Guyana receiving a mere two percent royalty and 50 percent of the profit oil from which it will pay the income taxes for ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and
Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), Hess Corporation, and CNOOC/NEXEN. Bloomberg observed that unlike Dr. Mangal, ExxonMobil’s Country Manager, Rod Henson, believes that the contract was in keeping with the “high risk” that came with drilling the first well. PPP PICKET FOR EARLY ELECTIONS CONTINUES AT MINISTRY OF THE PRESIDENCY The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) conducted yet another picketing exercise Tuesday, near the Ministry of the Presidency. The party is advocating for elections by September 18, 2019. Present at the exercise were PPP General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo; Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali; parliamentarians, Zulfikar Mustapha, Neend Kumar, Juan Edghill; several regional executives, and other members of the party. The procession chanted, “We want elections now! Who must go? Granger!” as it marched down Vlissengen Road. Jagdeo is adamant that with Ali at the helm of the campaign, the party will win the upcoming General and Regional Elections. The party staged several protests, recently, throughout the country. “Call elections now! Granger must dissolve parliament now!” The dissolution is Parliament is one of the several demands the Opposition has made to (Continued on page 42)
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From page 41 Government, following the consequential orders of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the No Confidence Cases. President David Granger had indicated that his Government is taking the Opposition Leader’s demands seriously and with careful consideration. Government does not appear to accede to the demand. Minister of Government, George Norton, said at a recent press conference of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) – a body of the APNU+AFC Coalition – that Government is considering having a sitting of the legislative body. It just hasn’t decided on a date yet. Several bills are slated to be laid in the National Assembly, and the Opposition has indicated that, should it win the election, Bills passed during the period are likely to be considered illegal. The PPP has also demanded the resignation of the Cabinet, but Granger has refused. The chant could be heard Tuesday: “Caretaker government must respect the Constitution!” The President had indicated that several restrictions would be placed on the operations of the “interim” Government, out of respect for the Constitution and the rulings of the Court. THURSDAY HOUSE-TO-HOUSE REGISTRATION LEGAL; COURT CANNOT FIX DATE FOR POLLS - CHIEF JUSTICE The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has acted within the remit of the powers invested to it under the laws said Chief Justice Roxane George as she declared that the current house-to-house registration exercise embarked upon by the commission is legal. In fact, Justice George held that not only is GECOM a constitutional creature, it is also an independent body and the court cannot interfere with the manner in which it executes its function, unless it is found to be unconstitutional. Justice George was Wednesday delivering a highly anticipated judgment in a challenge mounted by Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram who had petitioned the High Court for a Conservatory Order prohibiting GECOM from conducting or continuing to conduct the current houseto-house registration process
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which he deemed unconstitutional. Ram had also sought another Conservatory Order compelling GECOM, immediately, take all steps and actions necessary and requisite to hold General and Regional Elections on or before the September 18. Ram sought the order on the basis that the current registration exercise and failure to hold elections by September 18 would be in violation of Article 106 (6) and (7) of the Constitution and also the ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in the NoConfidence Motion appeals. “I don’t see how the house-to-house registration exercise violates Article 106 (6) and (7). The CEO (Chief Elections Officer) of GECOM has no role to play in relation to Article 106 (6) and in regards to Article 106 (7) GECOM could conduct the house-to-house registration or any other verification in the circumstance following the No-Confidence Motion,” said Chief Justice George. There is nothing in the Elections Law (Amendment) Act or the National Registration Act which suggests that the registration exercise was unconstitutional. According to Justice George, since GECOM is an independent body it can conduct house-to-house registration, as a means provided to it for verification of the list of voters to compile the Official List of Electors (OLE). ECO ATLANTIC SHARE PRICE DOUBLES FOLLOWING ORINDUIK DISCOVERY Just hours after announcing on Monday, the discovery of oil at its Jethro1 well on the Orinduik Block, the share price for Eco Atlantic doubled from 73p per share to trade just over 139p per share on the London Stock Exchange. Thrilled with the news, CEO of Eco Atlantic, Gil Holzman was quick to comment that the partners which include Tullow and Total, have multiple plays on the block with similar geological characteristics with the Joe prospect being the next well to be drilled. Furthermore, Eco’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Co-Founder, Colin Kinley, commented that the Jethro-1 well confirms the continuance of the petroleum system onto the Orinduik Block, an up dip from the prolific discoveries on the Exxon operated Stabroek Block. Kinley said that the well has resulted in a mitigation of risk of the presence of quality
reservoir sands, seal and trap parameters. He also stated that the company has multiple drilling targets on the block with similar geophysical characteristics. Kinley said that the company will be moving the Stena Forth drill ship immediately to its next target, the Joe-1 prospect which is just a short move to a shallower target, and is expected to spud midAugust. ORINDUIK JV PARTNERS In January 2016, Eco signed a Petroleum Agreement and is party to a Petroleum Licence with the Government of Guyana and Tullow Oil for the Orinduik Block offshore Guyana. Tullow Oil as the Operator of the Block, paid past costs and carried Eco for the first 1000km2 of the 2550km2 3D Survey. Further, Tullow contributed an extensive 2D seismic data set and interpretation. The Company’s 2550 km2 3D seismic survey was completed in September 2017, well within the initial four-year work commitment the Company made for the initial 1000km2. In September 2017, Eco announced that its subsidiary, Eco Atlantic (Guyana) Inc. entered into an
option agreement on its Orinduik Block with Total, a wholly owned subsidiary of Total S.A. Pursuant to the option. Total paid an option fee of US$1 million to farm-in to the Orinduik Block. An additional payment of US$12,500,000 was made when Total exercised its option to earn 25 percent of Eco’s working interest in September 2018. ANNA REGINA SECONDARY AND ST ROSES’HIGH STUDENTS ARE TOP CSEC PERFORMERS Riana Toney, a student of Anna Regina Secondary in Region Two, has emerged as the top performer at this year’s overall Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate, (CSEC) with 19 Grade one passes. Toney emerged as the top performing student from amongst a total of 11,467 candidates who were registered to write the exams. The Region Two native is followed by Alex Abraham of St Rose’s High School who came in second with 18 Grade ones and two Grade two passes. Charrandatt Narine of Anna Regina Secondary secured third place with 18 Grade ones . The top three performers are followed by Samuel Haynes of Queen’s College who has 18 Grade ones; Donlee Castello of Queen’s College, 17 Grade ones;
Chetram Harrinarine of Swarswati Vidya Niktean, 17 Grade ones ; Manoj Latchman of Swarswati Vidya Niketan 17 Grade ones ; Vijay Sharma of Queen’s College, 16 Grade ones and 2 twos; Keisha Jaisingh of Swarswati Vidya Niketan, 16 Grade ones; Jhashodra Ramnarain of J.C Chandisingh Secondary 16 Grade ones, 1 two; Daniel Roopchand of Queen’s College 16 Grade ones, 1 two; Jorrel Desantos of Queen’s College16 Grade ones; Brianna Gopie of Queen’s College, 16 Grade ones; Amisha Ramdin of Anna Regina Secondary, 15 Grade ones; Premchand Rampersaud of Anna Regina Secondary, 15 Grade ones, 3 twos ; Dharshanie Birbal of Swarswati Vidya Niketan 15 Grade ones, 2 twos ; Alicialall Hiralall of Queen’s College 15 Grade ones, 2 twos; Cameron Fraser of Queen’s College 15 Grade ones, 1 two; Ushana Mohan of Abram Zuil Secondary 15 Grade ones, 1 two. Minister of Education Nicolette Henry announced the results for the May/June CSEC and CAPE examinations Wednesday at the National Centre for
Educational Resource Development (NCERD). She noted that the names were drawn from a list of 251 candidates who secured Grade One passes in eight or more subject areas. According to Henry, of the 251 top performers, candidates also came from West Demerara Secondary , Al Madina Islamic Academy, Camille Institute, Zeeburg Secondary , St Ignatius Secondary ( Region Nine), Diamond Secondary , Hope Secondary, Annandale Secondary , Apex Academy, Skeldon Line Path Secondary, Berbice High School, Brickdam Secondary , Christ Church Secondary, Central High School, Isa Islamic School, Tagore Memorial Secondary, Bygeval Secondary, President College, Diamond Secondary St Joseph High School, Maes Secondary , Rosignol Secondary, New Amsterdam Secondary, Mackenzie High school and Fraser’s Educational Institute. FRIDAY ORINDUIK DISCOVERY STRETCHES OVER 20 SQ. KM AND FULL OF OIL – ECOATLANTIC CEO After 40 days of drilling, (Continued on page 43)
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From page 42 the operators of the Orinduik Block finally stuck black gold at its Jethro-1 well. The Orinduik partners which include Tullow, Eco Atlantic and Total, encountered 180 feet of net pay of very high quality sandstone. For those not familiar with the terminology, Holzman explained that this means the discovery represents a 15-storey building worth of sand that is fully soaked in oil and stretches over 20 square kilometers. During a discussion with Proactive Investor, a leading source of in-depth financial news and share price data, Holzman noted that the thickness of this discovery surpassed the expectations of the Orinduik partners while noting that it has essentially de-risked all the tertiary sandstone plays on the block. Holzman said, too, that the quality and porosity of the entire sandstone is soaked with oil which gives Eco Atlantic more confidence about what it can expect in the future. The CEO further stated that the quality of the Jethro-1 find will also make appraisal simple, with less time to finish. He said, “This is only beginning…Once you understand the play after a discovery is made, it becomes easier to the professional team to pinpoint where the oil is accumulated.” Additionally, Eco Atlantic is already benefitting from the mere announcement of the discovery since its share price doubled on Monday from 73p per share to trade just over 139p per share on the London Stock Exchange. The share price for Tullow also doubled on Monday after the news broke. Holzman was quick to comment that the partners have multiple plays on the block with similar geological characteristics with the Joe prospect being the next well to be drilled. Furthermore, Eco’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Co-Founder, Colin Kinley, commented that the Jethro-1 well confirms the continuance of the petroleum system onto the Orinduik Block, an up dip from the prolific discoveries on the Exxon operated Stabroek Block. Kinley said that the well has resulted in a mitigation of risk of the presence of quality reservoir sands, seal and trap parameters. He also stated that the company has multiple drilling targets on the block with similar geophysical characteristics. US$150M CJIA RENOVATION… CONTRACTOR’S WORK NOT AT BEST QUALITY – MINISTER SHARMA The US$150M renovation of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) is nearing its
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completion, but several issues still abound. According to Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma, different aspects of the constructive works are between 80 percent and 97 percent complete, but there are several issues pertaining to quality of materials and work that need dire attention. At this juncture, the Minister said that even though there are still so many quality issues, it wouldn’t make sense to terminate a contract when the project is almost complete. What Government is trying to do, he said, is to make sure it provides as much support as necessary to fix the issues. “Whatever the contractor needs, we have to help them.” In one case, the contract listed a sprinkler system for the Departure terminal, but Sharma said that it did not consider the fact that the top of the terminal consists of wood, which could rot very quickly if sprinklers are installed there. Another issue, he said, is that if a particular aspect of the works requires steel rods at certain quality standards, the contractor would bring rods from China that are not up to the set quality standards. In cases like these, more rods would have to be bought than originally intended to provide the sort of strength the better quality steel would provide. Government has found that the contractor spent more money on particular aspects of the project than what was laid out in the contract. It is unclear whether the Contractor has spent more than the total contract sum. Minister Sharma told Kaieteur News that the Government is still in possession of some of the funds set aside for the project, and that it will not release the funds to the Contractor until the project is completed and properly done. Government is involved in regular meetings and is in constant contact with the Contractor, its parent company in China, and the Chinese Ambassador The contractor has agreed, he said, to hire an American company to do testing and verification of its work. SATURDAY VENEZUELANS BEING TRAINED FOR SABOTAGE… GUYANA, BRITAIN REFUTE RUSSIAN CLAIMS ON MILITARY BASE IN E’BO One day after Russia’s Foreign Ministry made damning claims that Guyana is facilitating the training of Venezuelans to overthrow the current government in that neighbouring country,
Government has called for an immediate retraction. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the recent remarks of the Russian spokesperson are baseless and false. On Thursday, Russia is what was viewed with disbelief by Guyana said that refugees from Venezuela are being trained at local military bases to overthrow the Nicolas Maduro administration. However, the Government of Guyana is not taking the statements by Russia lightly. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes with concern a statement made by the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation, M. V. Zakharova, during a briefing on August 15, 2019 on the sidelines of the International Youth Forum Eurasia Global in the Russian city of Orenburg.” Foreign Affairs pointed out that the spokesperson stated that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was “completing the construction of a military base on one of the islands at the mouth of the Essekibo (sic) River under a plausible pretext - supposedly to stop the smuggling of weapons and drugs.” She went on to say, “There have already arrived several dozen so-called ‘Refugees’ from Venezuela to undergo training as part of reconnaissance and sabotage groups and then to be dispatched to Venezuelan territory in order to destabilize the situation and carry out appropriate actions - from extremist to terrorist.” The Government of Guyana made it clear that it is calling on the Government of the Russian Federation to immediately withdraw the baseless statement, which is utterly false. “It is especially unfortunate given that relations between Guyana and Russia have always been based on mutual respect, trust and friendship. The Government of Guyana reaffirms its unequivocal commitment to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. Guyana has always been resolute in its advocacy for several principles of international law including, in particular, the sovereign equality of states. “Guyana therefore categorically rejects any suggestion that it would allow its sovereign territory to be used in a manner inconsistent with its neighbourly and peaceful relations with Venezuela.” Meanwhile, the British
online news, Morningstaronline.co.uk reported yesterday that the country’s defence ministry has denied allegations it was involved in a plot to overthrow the Venezuelan government. The Star said it contacted the Ministry of Defence (MoD) regarding allegations made by the Russian Foreign Ministry which claimed to have uncovered secret British plans to arm Venezuelan refugees across the border. Britain made it clear that it does not have a military base in Guyana, and dismissed Russian claims it was constructing a site on an island in the mouth of the Essequibo River on the pretext of thwarting arms and drugs smugglers. An MoD spokesman told the Star: “The claims by the Russian Foreign Ministry are clear disinformation. The UK does not possess, is not building nor operates from any base in Guyana.” ICANNOTPROVIDE FORMYCHILDREN … SAYS WOMAN WHOSE HUSBAND WAS ELECTROCUTED The sudden death of my husband was a shock to me; I still can’t believe that he’s dead.” This was the words of Aronva Parmanand; the woman is now left to raise her three children after her husband, Orlando Ramnarine, was electrocuted
while on a fishing trip. The woman, who is unemployed, told Kaieteur News that her husband was the lone provider of their family. Because her children are so small they don’t stay with anybody else beside her, and because of this she is not able to acquire a job. The children who are Omesha, four, Kevin, two, and Devin, 11 months, are presently receiving help from family members and close friends with food. Ms. Parmanand is pleading with the public to assist her and her children. She added that since the death of her husband she had to remove from the family home because she cannot pay the rent and is now lodging by her friend until she can provide a better home for her children. Ms .Parmanand is very concerned that her oldest child, Omesha, will not be attending school in September due to a lack of school clothes and stationery. FIVE OPERATORS TO MAN PETER’S HALL ELEVATORS -TO WORK 6AM-10PM The Peter’s Hall elevators at the overhead walkway built by Government were on Friday morning commissioned after months of delays. In a low-key affair, attended by state media, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson; Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma and Permanent Secretary, Kenneth Jordan commissioned the lifts at that
overhead pass. It is two of 10 lifts along the East Bank Demerara, located at strategic points along the busiest road in the country. The overhead walkways are located at Diamond, Providence, Peter ’s Hall, Eccles and Houston. There has been much interest in the walkways and elevators which were supposed to enhance safety on one of the most dangerous roads in the country. A statement from the Government information service on Friday also disclosed that a total of five persons were selected from communities within the Peter’s Hall area. According to the management of Demerara Harbour Bridge, which will manage the staffers, the operators will be working a shift system from 6:00 hrs. 14:00 hrs and from 14:00 hrs. to 22:00 hrs. “The decision to close the lifts at 22:00 hrs is because there is little visibility of pedestrians after the aforementioned time. The operators will also b e outfitted with safety vests and radio sets. They are required to have their radio set on them at all times, in the event of an emergency, the operators will be able to connect with their supervisor at the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation,” a Facebook post explained.
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How a high-fat diet enhances the spread of cancer Researchers may be one step closer to developing new drugs that can stop cancer in its tracks, after discovering a protein that is essential to the spread of the disease. What is more, dietary fat appears to work with this protein to exacerbate the spread of cancer cells. Lead investigator Prof. Salvador Aznar Benitah, of the Institute for Research Barcelona (IRB) in Spain, and colleagues recently published their findings in the journal Nature. This year, it is estimated that more than 1.6 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer. While an increasing number of people are surviving the disease, almost 600,000 Americans are expected to die from cancer in 2016. The earlier the disease is diagnosed, the greater the chance of successful treatment. Once cancer has spread to other areas of the body - a process known as metastasis - it can be much harder to control and treat. In metastasis, cancer cells break away from the primary site - where the tumor is first formed - and migrate to other areas of the body through the bloodstream or lymph system, where they form new tumors. While metastasis is known to be a main cause of cancer death, the precise mechanisms behind it remain unclear, making the development of new drugs that can halt the disease hugely challenging. In the new study, however, Prof. Benitah and team unveil the discovery of protein that plays a key role in cancer metastasis, a finding that could bring anti-metastatic therapies well within reach. For the study, the researchers first analyzed metastatic and non-metastatic cells taken from the tumors of patients with different cancers, incl u d i n g o r a l cancer, melanoma, ovarian cancer, bladder canc e r, l u n g c a n c e r, a n d breast cancer. In metastatic cells, the team identified overexpression of a protein called CD36. When this protein was added to non-metastatic cancer cells, they started to metastasize, confirming the role of CD36 in the spread of cancer.“Although we have not yet tested this in all tumor types, we can state that CD36 is a general marker of metastatic cells, the first I know of that is generally specific to metastasis,” says Prof. Benitah. Next, the researchers set out to investigate how dietary fat might contribute to the spread of cancer. They fed mice a high-fat diet, prior to injecting them with a form of human oral cancer.
Compared with mice fed normal chow, those fed a highfat diet showed greater cancer metastasis and the formation of larger tumors. The researchers then wanted to see whether the CD36 protein might play a role in increased cancer metastasis in response to dietary fat. For 2 days, the researchers treated human oral tumors with palmitic acid - a saturated fatty acid present in vegetable and animal fats. They then injected either the treated or untreated tumors into mice with the CD36 protein, all of which were fed normal chow. The team found that all the mice injected with tumors treated with palmitic acid developed cancer metastasis, compared with only half of the mice that were injected with untreated tumors. According to Prof. Benitah, this finding suggests a “direct link between fat intake and an increase in metastatic potential through CD36.” “More studies are needed to unravel this intriguing relationship, above all because industrialized countries are registering an alarming increase in the consumption of saturated fats and sugar,” he adds. “Fat is necessary for the function of the body, but uncontrolled intake can have an effect on health, as already shown for some tumors such as colon cancer, and in metastasis, as we demonstrate here.” In the final part of the study, Prof. Benitah and team administered CD36-blocking antibodies to mice with human oral cancer. The researchers found that these antibodies completely prevented the spread of cancer. When CD36-blocking antibodies were given to mice with human oral cancer that had already spread, the researchers saw an 80-90 percent reduction in the number of metastatic tumors, and their size was also reduced. In 20 percent of the mice, metastatic tumors were eradicated completely. The researchers note that the mice experienced no side effects with the CD36-blocking therapy. Taken together, the authors believe their findings could pave the way for new drugs that could stop the spread of cancer. “We expect this study to have a big impact on the scientific community and to further advances in metastasis research, and we hope to be able to validate the potential of CD36 as an anti-metastasis treatment. Things like this don’t happen every day.”www. medicalnewstoday.com
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Earn the respect of others by helping them to improve (continued from last week) Here are some more pointers to guide you into helping others towards selfimprovement, and so earning their respect and gratitude as a result: 1. Let the other person save face. When you have to deal with any negative habit by your friend, do it in such a manner that he/she is not embarrassed by its coming to light. Rather be discreet in letting them get the opportunity to e x c u s e themselves for indulging in it, and feel good about making another effort towards its removal. 2. Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement. You should always try to mention any improvement
you feel that your friend has achieved, and show some amount of appreciation for this accomplishment. This will go a long way towards them accepting your suggestions in the future, and help them to keep on the path to right conduct.
3 . Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to. Letting your friend learn of the ways he/she can develop
himself-herself will serve to make this clearer and more easily achievable. It will give him/her something to add to his/her goals and purpose in life, and keep on the right track towards these. 4. Use encouragement. Make the
faul t seem easy to correct. Try to be positive and hopeful in all you say or do, so that he/she will feel that they can improve when they make the
effort towards this. This will serve to make them selfconfident in this and the other activities in which they are indulging. 5. Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest. When you keep the whole process cheerful, t h e y w i l l automatically feel that you have confidence in their ability to improve. This will make the whole effort more liable to succeed, and also keep your relationship cheerful and fruitful. In any effort to help others, you will be helping yourself in may ways, so do not hesitate to offer your assistance to others when you feel that th ey n eed th is to h elp themselves.
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A Friend A friend is on who reaches for your hand, One who shares his ideas and together you expand, When you are in trouble or pain, One who lends assistance and together you gain A friend is not selfish, cruel or heartless, He is not unmindful or helpless; A friend does not watch another in sorrow, But is always there today and tomorrow. A friend is caring, loving and kind, He is there with a wise and pure mind, He is not vulgar, rude of immature, But is there to solve, assist and cure. A friend is always there to land a hand, He is not vain, proud or playing grand, He is there to ever offer a smile, And keep you happy through all life's trials.
Help others and you help yourself, the most valuable reward being the feeling that you are worthy enough to contribute THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK to others' advancement. TELL IT TO UNCLE ROY Please always remember that Uncle Roy is always ready and willing to assist with any problems with which you may be faced. Just connect by my email at uncleroy1992@yahoo.com and I will respond promptly.
Solutions to last week’s Balance Quest Printable Puzzles
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Repositioning Guyana for sustainable development
By Rawle Lucas Future of the country This writer wishes to make it clear from the outset that this article is not intended to denigrate anyone. The objective is to provide readers and other Guyanese with a context in which to judge the performance of those leading the country or wishing to lead it. Where opportunities to compare performance exist, this article does so since talk is cheap and hard cold facts expose the truth. Like the Mighty Chalkdust would say, “I am just the umpire”. At some point in the near future, Guyana will have national and regional elections and it is being said that the upcoming elections in Guyana are about the future of the country. Indeed, with oil and gas set to become an integral part of the production structure of the economy, the country will become different. It will become larger. It will become richer and it will become more populous and diverse. Within these changes will be the expectant people of Guyana whose wellbeing must remain the foremost interest of any future government. These changes will have to be managed responsibly. The United Nations Committee for Development Policy observed that a good development governance system must place emphasis on its human and productive assets if future growth and improved human wellbeing are to be achieved. Embedded in the concept of a good governance system articulated by the Committee for Development Policy is the need for a trusted leader who has integrity and humility among the leadership traits. Behaviour of productive capacity The wellbeing of Guyanese is therefore connected to the behaviour of the productive capacity of this country. The productive capacity of a country refers to the amount of a country’s resources that is available to produce more goods and services each year. It includes the resources used by both the private sector and the public sector to produce goods and services. If one thinks of his or her own business or even that of a company, one would realise that the productive assets are among the most important things needed to increase the income of the business and to help it expand. The productive capacity includes physical assets like land, equipment, factories, warehouses, trucks, tools, money and services such as t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , telecommunication services and energy services that are
used in a business. In a country, the productive assets also include the houses that people build for residential purposes. It is no different for a government. The productive capacity refers to the same set of items mentioned above, including office space that it builds for its staff and taxpayers and infrastructure that it puts in place to facilitate production of goods and services and payment of higher salaries. Many who comment on the performance of the PPP/C when it was in power often refer to how it destroyed the sugar industry and kept hiding the naked truth from sugar workers about the dim future of sugar in Guyana. To keep the charade going, it went so far as to use the money of Guyanese taxpayers to subsidise the consumption of sugar by foreign countries. People became aware of that when they realised that GUYSUCO was producing sugar at a cost higher than it could export it. What people were unaware of was the massive damage the PPP/C had done to the productive capacity of not only GUYSUCO, but also the entire country during 1998 and 2015. The graph displayed below captures the evidence of why GUYSUCO and other entities struggled in this country. From the evidence below, it has nothing to do with the Granger administration as the leader of the opposition is trying to make Guyanese believe. The graph was taken from a 2018 World Bank report and it shows the productive capacity of Guyana from 1990 to 2017. It expresses in percentage terms the amount of the country’s resources that was available to produce more goods and services annually. What the graph above also reveals is the combined effect of the incompetence and corruption of those who managed the economy after the late President Hugh Desmond Hoyte had left office. The available data in the graph shows that from 1990 to 1992 President Hoyte built a skyscraper of productive capacity and put Guyana in a position where 51 percent of its income could be used to produce goods and services, increase investments, grow the incomes of workers and create additional employment. In other words, both the public and private sectors had regained the ability to expand business operations and grow the economy for the benefit of the people. It was a hopeful time for Guyana. Lost ground The elections came towards the end of 1992 and people opted to let the PPP/C form a government to lead the
country. Because of the productive capacity inherited from President Hoyte, the Guyana economy grew in the range of 6.18 to 8.53 percent per annum in real terms until 1997. The late President Dr. Cheddi Jagan understood the importance of having a strong productive capacity and was making efforts to rebuild it when he met his demise. After President Cheddi Jagan was gone, Guyana never regained a productive capacity above 31 percent where he left it until President Granger came along. In contrast, the economy lost ground in 1998 when it contracted 1.68 percent. The most telling part of the graph though is the long and continuous decline in productive capacity of the country between 1997 and 2006. During his long tenure of 12 years, the leader of the opposition could not get the productive capacity to where Dr. Jagan left it and to where President Granger has already taken it in less than three years. The graph shows that at 31.09 percent of GDP that things are getting better and the full impact of the oil and gas industry has not even kicked in as yet. A contributing factor to the failure of the PPP/C is the new Skeldon Sugar Factory, which is a millstone around the neck of GUYSUCO. Even though money was spent building the factory, it could not be used effectively and so the productive capacity of the country fell. People retain painful memories of the collapse of CLICO and the collapse of the bridge over the Rupununi River. No one knows today where the “Technology Park” that was to be built since 2009 went even though money was allocated in the budget for it. People remember the incomplete accounting of monies connected to Cricket World Cup. People recall the road to Amaila Falls that was never built to satisfaction or completion by the original contractor. As people’s memories are jolted, they remember the fiasco surrounding the fibre optic cable and the loss of money from the unbuilt Specialty Hospital. Laudable effort And so, when the PPP/C handed over the reins of government to the Granger administration, the productive capacity of the economy was in natural decline by 2015. The productive capacity has now been increased to over 31 percent. It is this laudable effort at repositioning Guyana for future strong and fast economic growth at this hopeful time that the PPP/C has no confidence in Guyana.
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‘COMEBACKEE’ - A Short Story by Harold A. Bascom My well-meaning aunt suggested that I meet Grantley, the brother of a close friend of hers who had returned to Guyana for a three-week vacation. “ Anne! Listen! To! Me! … If you get in on him, who knows? You stand a good chance of him coming back, marrying you, and later sending for you. You know what that is for you in this hard guava season country? Eh? They say oil coming and oil doan spoil, but good women suffering here! Anne, is a break you could be getting just so!” The truth was, if something like that could have happened, I wouldn’t have minded at all. But, again, much depended on what he looked like. I wasn’t going to take-up with any creepy thing that crawled out of a plane from Ol’ York; but yet at the same time, I wasn’t going to watch a gift horse in the mouth. So, I said: “Aunt Milly, what this Grantley look like, and how old is he?” “Man, Anne, he looking so good, you won’t believe sixty—not hard an’ dry out like how we men does look just in they forties! Plus, them big men does take care of nice women like you good! On top o’ that, I hear he doing good in America—got he own business and a big house— the works. This could be the person to give you a real break in life! I know your big son over in the States, but it going take him a lil time to send for you. This is an opportunity, Anne!” My aunt wanted me to come along with her to a function in West Ruimveldt where he would be present. I told her okay.
When the minibus dropped me and my aunt to the lil get-together, I knew I was looking ‘good.’ Not boasting, but God blessed me with a beautiful face on top of a beautiful body and added to that, I always looked ten years younger than my real age. So, that night when me and my aunt walked in, the music stopped, and the next sound you heard was the sound of men’s lusting tongues hitting the floor. Lol. Ya’all doan worry with me; I’m just being dramatic. But it wasn’t hard spotting Mr. Grantley, the ‘comebackee.’ He stood out in a coffee-coloured snapbrim hat, a neatly pressed cream shirt, and slim-fitting pants with seams sharp like knives over shoes that were new and shine. The big man looked good! And there was no need for my aunt to introduce us. Mr. Grantley came over smiling widely. “This is the Guyanese beauty I missed,” he began. “Nothing like this in New Yark,” he said. And so we got to talking. He was fast: It wasn’t long before he proposed a relationship which I deftly parried with the appropriate, let’s-get-toknow-one-another-first’ kinda talk. We started going out, and that is when I discovered that he loved to drink. For me, that was a first strike against him. I hate men who can’t hold they liquor! My late husband was a cruel drunk and I have hidden scars of being brutalized by him to prove it. The second strike against Mr. Grantley was when he took me on a shopping trip with him to Bourda Market where a school friend of mine who
lived in Albouystown had a small business. “Gat to get me some meat,” Mr. Grantley twanged. We got into a taxi and soon were at the market where he stopped at a little butcher stall over from where my friend sold tripe. He wanted pork chops. When the girl took the meat down from the hook and started cutting, Mr. Grantley, took off on her: “You call those pork chaps, huh? What kinda pork chaps are those? I won’t give my dawg in New Yark something like that!” And he and the girl fetched away. She started cussing him about how he bigging up he salt-water yankee self; and to my surprise, Mr. Grantley lost his accent and began cussing her right back, tit for tat, in impeccable Guyanese. That was the third and final strike against him; as far as I was concerned, he was out! In the height of it, I had crossed over to my friend with the tripe stall who was worried. “Annie!” she quaked. “What if he come over here and start saying that me tripe too stink and it nothing like he tripe in New York?” And together we had a good laugh at the jackass. After we got back to where he was staying, I kindly told him I didn’t think a relationship with him would work. He begged and promised he’d stop drinking and that he’d be nice to people. When I didn’t budge on my decision to not be with him, he started calling me all kinds of unambitious. “What I’m offering you is an opportunity to leave Guyana!” he snapped.
“You’re blowing it!” “I’m good,” I told him. “You’re so stupid!” he ended. “You know what? Huh? You’re going to be here living a local hand-to-mouth life until you die! You’ll never get out of Guyana!” I left feeling bad about myself; but at least he didn’t get anything from me despite the amount of money he had given me. That night, I told my aunt what had transpired, and guess who she was upset with? You guessed right: “Anne, man you move wrong!” she fretted. “You mean you allowing a man with he own business in New York and a five-bedroom house in Long Island to slip out yo’ hand, just because he wasn’t nice to a butcher shop girl in Bourda Market?” “Man, Aunty,” I said, “is much more than that.” “What else so bad?” “He drinks a lot, Aunty. He just remind me so much of my dead husband.” “Okay,” Aunt Milly said and sighed. I knew she was disappointed; but she knew that when my mind was made up, it was made up. One year later, it so happened that I got a visitor’s visa to the United States and traveled soon after. After I got off the plane at JFK and was picked up by my big son, there was one thought foremost in my mind: to find Mr. Grantley and show him that despite what he had said, I still managed to get out of Guyana and to the USA without him. One weekend when I was with a friend in Queens, we started talking Guyanese old story and eventually we got around to men. I told her about me and Mr. Grantley. “Grantley…Hmm; name sound familiar. Describe him for me,” she said. “I can do better than that, Yvette. I still have a picture of me and him on my phone,” I said and found him. “Oh! I know him!” she said, chuckling. “He lives on Long Island,” I said. “He showed me a photograph of his house.”
“You want to see him?” “Not really,” I said. “The truth is, I just want to look him in the face and say, ‘See? You didn’t bring me to the States, but I’m still here!’” My friend laughed and it was a funny laugh. I remembered my granny who liked saying that every kee-kee, kee-kee nah laugh. “Listen,” she said, “tomorrow I’ll pick you up.” “And you’ll take me by him.” “Just be ready,” she said. “I’ll pick you up around ten.” That Saturday morning in Brooklyn felt very much like a Saturday morning in Georgetown minus the brownstones. Yvette drove to a church, pulled into its parking lot, and turned off the engine. “What we doing here, Yvette?” “Patience, noh girl,” she said, as we looked at a line forming before the church door. In the line were decent looking people and unfortunate looking people—mostly unfortunate looking, though. “What’s going on here, Yvette?” “The church runs a food bank.” “I didn’t know food got bank,” I chuckled. “They would collect food from big businesses and so on and give it out free to the unfortunate.” “Okay,” I said, and then I saw another man join the line. He looked familiar. Suddenly,
my hand flew to my chest in shock. The man was Mr. Grantley and he was not impeccably dressed as he had been in West Ruimveldt. Now he was in a washed-out pair of jeans, a dingy white t-shirt, a cap turned back, and he pushed a rickety shopping cart before him. “Oh, my, God!” I gasped. “That is the Mr. Grantley you tell me about?” “Oh, Jesus Christ! … Yes,” I gasped. “What is it we uses to say in Guyana? ‘Come come see mih and come come live with mih, is two different things?” “Jesus Christ!” I hissed. Yvette laughed. “Want to go talk to he?” I shook my head. I wasn’t that vindictive. “So, where he really lives?” Yvette started driving off. “In some dotty room below some Haitian people on Flatbush Avenue,” she said while waiting to make a left turn out of the church’s parking lot. “Oh Jesus Christ,” I whispered, as I thought of all the people, pumped up on lies, who returned and continue to return home on vacation. A strange sadness enveloped me. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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STANDARDS IN FOCUS
MAKE GOOD SELECTIONS OF BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES In a couple of weeks, school will reopen, 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. In addition, careful attention should be placed on the quality of these products so that students can have prolonged use. 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 name of the brand 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 Name Brand, Name of Manufacturer and Name of Supplier help consumers to identify who manufactured the product, and if necessary a need to seek redress because of quality and safety concerns. Students wear clothing and footwear of various 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. The care, use, warning and precautionary information about products, which most labels carry, help to ensure the health and safety of students 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 students over a specified age.
Further, labels guide parents during the wash and care of apparels, which prevent damage and discolourations. 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 addresses 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 they intend to purchase, especially if these items are costly.
Remember not to compromise quality for cheaper prices. Take time to physically examine each piece of item at the time of purchase to ensure there are no lose threads or other damages and defects. Our children are not always as careful as we are and may need good quality and sturdy back to school prod-
ucts 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: 219-0065, 2190066 and 219-0069 or visit the GNBS Website: www.gnbsgy.org or www.facebook.com/gnbsgy
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FOCUS By Alex Wayne
I
love travelling and sightseeing, and I certainly do love exploring, but I would have been a happier person if my exploring today had practically nothing to do with speedboats or water. But what can I say? There was no trail that would possibly lead me to Supenaam in the county of Essequibo. And if I could get there by aeroplane, I just could not afford it on this particular journey. I have a phobia of water, and horrid tales of mermaid dragging humans under surfaces every time, I dare to enter a speedboat, or any form of water transport. I was certainly getting goose pimples as I approached the area where the Supenaam/Parika speedboats were moored. And this particular morning the waves were really rough, crashing into each other, a sound that was certainly not welcoming to me. I watched in fear as the moored vessels bobbed and danced crazily atop the waves, as the tide washed in with much ferocity. It was a great effort to get on the boat as it seemed to want to sweep me off my feet and into the Essequibo River. I eventually sat gingerly in
the very first seat of the vessel, and a beaming elderly woman mouthed, “Son, yuh sure yuh want to sit down there?” I flashed her one of my best smiles and assured her I preferred my choice of seat. She chuckled mischievously at my response, with a certain twinkle in her eyes that had me wondering what she was implying. I would soon learn the true meaning of what she was hinting and it was certainly an unpleasant ordeal. Supenaam (Region Two) is a region of Essequibo in Guyana, a territory that is claimed by Venezuela. It stands bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the region of Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara to the east, the region of MazaruniPotaro to the south and the region of Barima-Waini to the west. The journey I carefully strapped on my life jacket, and quite soon, I heard the rev of engines from our vessel, signalling the captain's readiness to take off. The engine roared loudly and the vessel seemed to shudder as it took off riding the waves like an enraged dolphin. My heart lurched in my chest and my breath seemed to stop short and the captain pushed the vessel against the menacing tide. The boat rode the waves as it sped forward landing on the other side
The speedboat ride was just hilarious
Sunday August 18, 2019
a budding tourism highpoint with bustling speedboat activity The hustle and bustle enroute to Supenaam
with a sickening thud that sent pain searing through my lower back. At one point, a very large wave sent the boat almost sailing into the air evoking wails of alarm from several passengers. When it landed on the other side, I felt as if the vessel was breaking in two. The impact flung me upward causing me to hit my head sharply on the roof of the speedboat. And to think that at least three passengers were peacefully sleeping through such an ordeal, certainly amazed me. The journey continued in this fashion and by the time we arrived at the Supenaam Stelling, I was battered, sore and in much pain. I was kind of limping when I got off the boat,
seething inside at the recklessness of the boat captain. One woman let on that they pushed the vessels to the extremes, despite the weather, so as to ensure they make as many trips as possible. In no time, we were swarmed by hire care drivers, but I had to sadly burst the bubble of a very pleasant car driver by informing him, that my destination was no further than where I had just arrived. Exploring the location Supenaam was indeed quite an exciting location, and very alluringly picturesque and breathtaking. As I walked about, I observed in some areas sprawling lush, green
rice fields, beautiful cottages, and a fusion of very impressive businesses. This location, according some residents, is said to be the first place in Guyana to be settled by the European colonisers, thus projecting the called Pomeroon/ Supenaam. This location is made up of several villages and communities according to villagers, some bearing names like villages on the East Coast of Demerara, and Berbice as well. I gulped in the mesmerising sight of colourful plants, laden mango trees, and the melodious sounds of singing birds, darting from flower to flower, soaking up coveted nectar. In some areas, the scenic location seemed to ooze quiet and tranquility, and this was evident by the sight of residents lounging under trees, and a few in hammocks under their homes. My first encounter was with vegetable vendor, Selena Persaud, who spoke a little of her livelihood. “The Supenaam area is really nice with very peaceful people, and very hard working too. Many of us get by with our farming and we always gather around after a hard day's work to bond and catch up with friends and relatives. “This location can said to be the village of fun frolic and good music. On
weekends, especially, music creeps into to your very soul from the rum shops, and that signals the time or drinking and maybe dancing to your favourite tunes. “If yuh like more action, then you can always travel to Charity which is more developed than this area. In this village, everyone does something and everything to make a living. Some persons still trade in the traditional making of coconut oil, while others still walk and sell pastries or vegetables and ground provision. Many are rice farmers and this brings in quite much needed dividends for family members.” Villagers said they enjoyed good water supply, good electricity and good drainage in many areas, but noted that much more can be done in the backlands of Supenaam. Lucille Spencer said life is mostly merry, but not without struggles as in every other village “Not everyone has life e a s y i n t h e Supenaam/Pomeroon area. We all have our struggles, but we are contented and try to make ends meet with our coconut products and fresh bush fish from the many ponds and trenches we have here. “This is a very promising area; we just need a little Government assistance from time to time to get things (continued on page 59)
Kaieteur News
Sunday August 18, 2019 From page 58 going.” Gloria English, who has been living in Supenaam for ages now, attempted to shed light on the history of the location. During this process, she said that to do so, she will have to talk about several locations, since they formed the chain like fusion of highpoints that is more so referred to as Pomeroon/ Supenaam. “There are many wonder to behold here in Supenaam and the Pomeroon region by extension. This area is quite a promising tourist attraction. I have heard the story that at Kabakaburi in the Pomeroon River, there is a big iron chain tied to a huge tree, and some say it leads to the middle of the river, where it is said a Dutch ship sank long ago. Many tell stories of the ship being filled with treasures, and as such tours are being organised to this very location. That aside, this village is popular for the best in Creole foods, like cook-up rice and metagee, and one can always get properly prepared wild meat if they so desire.” T h e G o o d Hope/Supenaam area in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), which is the main port of entry to the region from the Essequibo River, has seen an increase in business activities and more visitors, now that the multimillion-dollar S u p e n a a m Wa t e r f r o n t Development Project is a reality. The project poses great opportunities especially for the local businesses and tourism and has greatly changed the locations. The $88M project was made possible by the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the
Region Two Democratic Council (RDC), works was done on the boat docking, the parking area, the installation of lights and the construction of the road leading to the location. It allows farmers to market their produce under less strenuous conditions, and more comfortably too. The project features a new passenger-waiting and paved, parking areas, organised vending spaces with standardised shops, a paved waterfront promenade with rails, shaded public seating and lighting panels along walkways and GFC request for a boathouse, were some of the amendments residents would desire to be included in the project. The PomeroonSupenaam region comprises forested highland and low coastal plain, but also takes in a small portion of the hilly sand and clay region. The over 42,769 people of this region live in Amerindian settlements and more established villages concentrated along the coast. The town of Anna Regina, on the west bank of the Essequibo River, grew out of a government land development scheme and is made up of former plantations such as Henrietta, Lima, La Belle Alliance. The Tapakuma Project in this Region links the Tapakuma, Reliance and Capoey lakes into one large conservancy, which supplies irrigation water for rice fields, which dominate R e g i o n Tw o . O n e o f G u y a n a ' s l a rg e s t r i c e producers, Kayman Sankar Ltd operates in this region, producing rice not only for local consumption, but also for export to other countries of the world. Besides rice farming,
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Our breathtaking journey and the alluring countryside
some people cultivate coconuts and care for beef and dairy cattle. Timber production is conducted on a very small scale in this region. Not surprisingly, the
Welcome to the breathtaking Supenaam
Region is known as 'the Rice land' as historical facts suggest. With its many beautiful waterways, amazing river transport, and jovial, feisty The beautiful backlands of the Pomeroon Supenaam region
people, Supenaam (Pomeroon/Supenaam) is indeed a location that can holds its own against many of the budding tourism locations in Guyana.
Join us next Sunday when we take our cameras to the somewhat secluded village of Good Faith, in Mahaicony on the East Coast of Demerara.
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Sunday August 18, 2019
Kaieteur News
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale at Lot 271 Thomas St, North Cummingsburg. Contact Info: Dennis James #676-1337/2170208, Winifred James #6699969/225-7286 @200,000,000 Negotiable
SERVICES
FOR SALE
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
450-Honda ATV, Cat 215 Excavator, Cat 215- Excavator spares, Cat 428 Back-hoe #683-7225/275-0367
Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Eagle’s re-gas AC, Fridge, Washing machine & computer repairs, Gas stove, Plasma flatscreen, Electrical installation & more. Call: 6972969/646-0966
Double steel wheeled 8-tons roller, 9 wheel pneumatic roller. Mack concrete Mixer truck- 8 cu. Yds, 650-Gals spray kettel. #683-7225/275-0367 For sale:Pure bred German Shepherd puppies(Male only).Contact:697-1141,6126672. 1 (2) Storey house & land, 3 bedroom $39M, 1 (2) Storey house & land, 4 master bedroom $59M Gated community @ Schnoord WBD #650-0402/603-1402
Yamaha Outboard Motor 200 HP for 550k, control box 50k, all are foreign use. Call: 699REPAIRS AT LOW COST: 6467 FRIDGES, AIR C O N D I T I O N E R S , 5650 MF Combine parts, track WASHING MACHINE, chain seal and lubricated D4 FREEZER, SALE OF AC’S. Size, 98% life. Call: 601-9000/ TEL#629-4946,225-4822 647-9897 Installation, Repairs and parts for AC, Fridge, Washing 1 Double Axel (6x6) TM trucks, Machine, Stove etc. Call Nick Reasonable offer. #654-2001/ 500-6817 630-1600, 627-3206 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezer-Call: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Need a land surveyor? We do surveys for: Boundaries, Leases, engineering, cadastral, topo etc. Call: 6622677
Technician Certificate in Mechanicanical Engineering Part 1 at New Amsterdam Technical Institute. Email: lamechhamer93@yahoo.com. Tel# 687-9987/614-6610 KEY CUTTING SERVICES @ AFFORDABLE RATES. KURU KURU MARKETING SQUARE (DENTALCLINIC BUILDING) CONTACT# 622-1031/ WHATSAPP #626-9590 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool table. #6519039 TO LET Furnished, Airconditioned one bedroom apartment E.B.D Light & water included No security deposit.Price$80,000 Call:6680306/694-7817
Entire Boutique closing down sale.All ladies clothing as made JL brand, over 2000 pieces.Tel:225-0571. LAND FOR SALE
FOR RENT
WANTED
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 2 Bedroom apartment top/ bottom @ 575 block XDiamond, E.B.D.3 bedroom, 1 master room single home @ 95-2nd street Craig,E.B.D.Call June:623-1562. 1 three bedroom Top flat apartment for rent in Diamond. Tel#602-2563/6094365
1 Security personnel to work shift. 6 Days a week. Tel# 2275536/ 223-0504
One Live-in caretaker to care for elderly person in Bel Air. Call: 227-0373 1 maid needed. Age 30-40. Call: 226-7766 Tailor & Seamstress. Contact #253-3070/601-9855 We buy land and low income houses. We pay cash. Tel# 611-7223
Newly Renovated Apartments for rent at Peter’s Hall. #698-5800/648-1391 Apartment- Vreed-en-hoop, two bedroom (Kitchen, bath, grill, security camera, A/C, Granite countertop) family preferable. $25,000 Tel: 6825230, 615-4414 House to rent located at 1298 Diamond H/Scheme EBD. Tel# 678-9112 2 bedroom bottom flat at Cummings Lodge ECD. Tel# 627-6565 Self contained rooms to rent in Prashad Nagar. Tel#2272993 One Apartment for Rent, First Street Mon Repos. ECD. Tel#220-7330/672-0477 Office & Business space to rent, High street, Georgetown. Contact Ray’s Realty #6279685 House to rent- upstairs & downstairs, fully grilled. 422 Block Y Golden Grove, EBD. #255-0466/683-3389/609-9178
WANTED Parfaite Harmonie $1.5M $2M Parfaite Harmonie Cashiers to work at Superbet. Transferable $2.3M Tuschen Tel#691-7123 Phase II $1.3M Providence, Herstelling, Farm. All price Experienced Cashier, Apply drop Tel#666-2326 with handwritten application. Hack’s Halaal 5 Commerce St Eccles (Single & Double lots) , Providence EBD, Enterprise Teacher for playgroup & & Paradise ECD Contact Ray’s children for playgroup and nursery school. #223-8457 Realty #627-9685 Farm New Scheme (on main road) $7M & $3M Parfaite Harmonie $1.5M & $2M Schnoord $3.6M Tel# 6560701
Fish processing workers. Call: 223-5180
Events Assistant & Front desk Receptionist. Apply: General Manager, Herdmanston Lodge, Lamaha & Peter Rose Sts
Wanted One truck, car & van Riverside Land, Friendship driver at VV&I General Store. EBD. Contact Ray’s Realty Tel# 223-9677 #627-9685 Wanted- Salesman, Cashier LEARN TO DRIVE and Office Clerk. Apply in Person at Lot 10 Vlissengen N. Outar Driving School, Road, Survival. Learn to Drive the right way @ Cuffy Square. Affordable Live-in General Domestic 30package. Call: 644-5166/691- 45 yrs. Salary $25,000 wkly. 2561/681-2808 #610-3974
VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Honda CRV. includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, sproiler, crash bar, Low mileage. PTT Series (First Owner) Contact #6490956 New model premio, pearl white 2009 registered $2.3M , Toyota Vitz 2010 Black unregistered $1.8M . Tel#2235615/600-4212 Pick up Truck from Canada extra cab, 2005 Tacoma $1.750M, Ford F150 Sport $1.2M, Ford Ranger sport $1.1M, 682-5230/615-4414. Tractor Massey Ferguson (foreign used) MF165$1.5M, MF135 $1M, MF265 $1.7M, MF165 Loader tractor $2.1M Vreed-en-hoop.Call:682-5230/ 615-4414. 1-Tundra $1.8M, 1-Audi Convertible $2.5M Contact#650-0402/603-1402
Lot 192 Atlantic Gardens, East Coast Demerara. Contact 1 experienced driver, must #691-0230 have license for car/van/ minibus & motorbus, residing Business property for sale, lot in G/town between ages 24- 27 Grove Housing Scheme, 50 yrs old. #225-1429/641-5075 East Bank Demerara. Contact #691-0230 Pump attendant & cashier, shift rotated weekly (6am-3pm (1) 3 bedroom house located & 3pm-11pm) Shell Service at Middle St, Stewartville. Station Providence EBD. Tel#625-3299/268-3129 E m a i l : Sale of Lot 87 Albert St, Shellramsburg@gmail.com Albertown Cottage. Land and Industrial Sales Property 80x20. Tel#669-8701 Representative, 5 Subject Newly constructed 4 CXC Age 25+ Experience in bedroom, 3 bathroom, house Sales, must own vehicle, email overlooking the sea for sale, r e s u m e : ECD#675-1510/613-7964 vacancy@josarltd.com Modern 3 bedroom house, Handyman. Contact# 223- business area below & bond 5273/223-5274 behind, Ketley Street, Georgetown. Ray’s Realty Vacancy exist for a Full time/ #627-9685 Part time teacher, must be able to teach (2 & 7) years old. Call: One concrete 2 storey 3 600-6887 for more information bedroom Modern home, Vacancy exist for Receptionist Melanie (public road) ECD Contact Ray’s Realty #62725yrs & older. Send 9685 Application to Agri Parts Machinery & Services. 193 2 storey concrete property 11 Mandela Avenue, (classey) self contained rooms, Broad St, Georgetown. Georgetown Contact Ray’s Realty #627Vacancy for (2) professional 9685 and experienced nail homes in technician @ Natural Beauty Desirable Campbellville and Bel Air Salon & Spa. Call: 652-5800 Georgetown. Contact Ray’s Male Bond Staff & Realty. #627-9685 Experienced Salesgirl with 2 yr experience CXC maths & Well kept modern 2 storey english. Attractive Salary, concrete property, Zeelugt Apply @ Christine’s Variety, WCD 4 bedrooms (grilled) Lombard St. Contact#227- Contact Ray’s Realty #6279685 8529 Waitress & Cook preferably Charming 2 Storey Home, Enterprise C, ECD. 3 bedrooms. carnegie trained & cashier/ Contact Ray’s Realty # 627waitress #225-7933 or visit 172 9685 Sheriff Street For Properties in Campbellville Room attendant 25-45 years & Kitty. Contact Ray’s Realty 233 South Road Lacytown #627-9685 #225-0198 Beautiful Two storey concrete Diesel Mechanic. Contact# building, 4-bedrooms newly 223-5273/223-5274 renovated, East Coast TRUCK DRIVER. Contact Demerara. $25M Tel#6560701/651-1969 #223-5273/223-5274 VACANCY
Two Vehicles: 1.Nissan Pathfinder Jeep, 2.Nissan Laurel Sedan-Both in Superb condition. All documents intact, Let’s negotiate #6097766/225-8427
1 Female Clerk $30,000, 1 Receptionist $25,000. Tel#617-5700 One General Domestic, must be able to prepare vegetarian meal. Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb Street Bourda One Experienced Mason. Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb St Bourda
VACANCY
CAR RENTAL
Model M Truck, great condition with winch, fitness etc. $3.2M Neg. #673-4527
DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL Vacancy exist for a Spanish CALL: 225-7126 & 226Teacher- must be able to teach 3693-DOLLYS AUTO (2 & 7) years old. Call: 600-6887 RENTAL @ YAHOO.COM/ for more information W W W . D O L L Y SAUTORENTAL.COM Trained & experienced CAR primary school teachers, PROGRESSIVE kindly send application to: RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 dukeedwardsanglicanschool & UP, SUV’S PER DAY- CALL: / 643-5122, @gmail.com/ 144 Ornoque & 656-0087 Lance Gigg St, Queenstown. EMAIL:PRO_ AUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM Tel# 223-0211
If selling your house or land. Give us a call. Tel# 648-1635
CAR RENTAL Speedy Auto Rental & Bus Service: Lowest rates guaranteed. Special pakages for overseas customers. Call: 629-2915/616-7351. Email: speedyautorentals @gmail.com AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807
Sunday August 18, 2019
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Kaieteur News
CONSUMER CONCERNS
SNAKE KILLING IN RISK AREAS TO BE BALANCED BY ECOLOGICAL RESTRAINT ELSEWHERE By PAT DIAL Last week, the news media carried the report of a small child in the North West District who had died from a scorpion sting. Several people die each year from bites by venomous snakes but such deaths are rarely reported in the media. Some statistics have however been kept by the Health Authorities of patients who were treated for snakebites and deaths from such bites. For instance, in the fiveyear period (2010 - 2014), 1,190 cases of snake bite patients were recorded of which 95 had died. The number of persons who had suffered snake bites countrywide is believed to be much greater and the number of deaths is also believed to be higher than 18 per year since a good proportion of snake bite victims are unable to access hospital facilities. Guyana’s economy still largely depends on agriculture, forestry and mining and snakes are common in the sugar and rice fields and food farms. The loggers in the forests are always open to the risk of being attacked by venomous snakes and so are those engaged in mining for gold and diamonds. In other words, a good proportion of the country’s workforce are each day open to the risk of being bitten by snakes. In Georgetown, people are less aware of the danger of snakebites since the City is snake-free. This was not always so. Two or three generations ago, in the 1940s and 1950s snakes, centipedes and scorpions were common in the City and it was a usual custom to ascertain that no centipedes or scorpions had secreted themselves in one’s shoes before putting them on. Guyana is known to be home to a wide variety of snakes but the five most known and deadly are the Bushmaster, the Labaria and Carpet Labaria, which are found in most parts of the country, especially in the moist coastal plains, the rain forests and the arid grasslands; the other two types are the Rupununi Rattler mostly found in the savannahs and the Coral Snake which is found everywhere since it moves around to find its food supply. The snake risk has been addressed in various ways. In the first place, there was medication. A generation or two ago, the most common treatments were folk remedies such as trying to suck the venom from the bite or wid-
ening the wound so that blood and venom could be squeezed out. Indian indentured immigrants had brought a number of treatments used in India such as the snake stone and various herbs but by the beginning of the 20th century; all these self-help treatments were forgotten or fell into desuetude. For many years, the medical profession has been using various anti-venom serums or other drugs imported from abroad. Of recent years, the Georgetown Public Hospital acquired an anti-venom treatment from Costa Rica, which is reported to be an effective treatment for snake bites. The Hospital has also built up skills to deal with complications such as allergic/anaphylactic reactions as side effects from the treatment. The relevant staff from the Regional and District Hospitals are accorded training by the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital to render immediate help to patients in the Regions. Farms, forested areas, woodlands, grasslands and the newly developed housing schemes are high risk areas for snakes. People who live or work in such areas are recommended to do a number of things to protect themselves: They should eliminate dumping and heaping up of vegetation waste such as branches, cuttings, weeds, coconut shells since such dumps and heaps provide breeding grounds for snakes. In their yards and around their habitations they should remove all excess and overgrown vegetation since such vegetation in the high risk areas not only attract snakes but could also accommodate breeding areas for them. Throwing about food or food materials carelessly on the ground or in drains attracts both rats and snakes. Persons who live or work in these high-risk areas should ensure that they have at hand personal protective equipment such as sturdy long boots, sharp cutlasses, appropriate heavy sticks and even shotguns. Teachers in the schools and social workers in the countryside and other highrisk areas should be educated about the habits of snakes, what should be done on encountering them and precautions to be taken against them. Some elementary first-aid treatment should also be taught to them. Such training should take an hour or two
and could be illustrated with video tapes. In all civilisations, snakes have been regarded ambigu-
ously - either as an enemy to be killed on sight or with some protective reverence as for instance, the snake emblem,
which the medical profession uses which is associated with the Greco-Roman God Apollo. Modern Man, influenced
by Ecology, knows that snakes should not be killed except they are a threat or nuisance.
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Sunday August 18, 2019
Sunday August 18, 2019
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Opposition-led town council at Corriverton stymieing progress - Govt ministers hears - residents complain of no co-operation among councillors Government ministers who recently visited the town of Corriverton, Berbice, heard of complaints of progress being stymied in the town. Businessman Faaiz Mursaline and APNU Councillor, Anil Sugrim, shared similar views of the opposition councillors blatantly opting not to facilitate development in the town. Corriverton, located on the upper Corentyne Coast, is one of three towns in the East Berbice-Corentyne Region and is also one of the two towns in the region predominantly led by PPP/C Councilors.
This grievance of stymied development was brought by supporters of the Coalition Government while supporters of the opposition staged a small protest nearby. Sugrim said that the town council refused a government intervention of approximately 200 streetlights, which were to go towards the community. “Our concern here is that we would like to see central government use some other method to ensure there is development in these areas.” Mursaline outlined the potential, which exists in the town in many sectors. However, he noted, the leaders of the township must
be mature and take full responsibility for the peoples needs as well as the needs of the town. The developments, which the council withholds are critical to the lives of residents. “The development in Corriverton is stagnant, not because of the government, but because of the inefficiency of the council that is in place and the council is run by the opposition who is stagnating local development. “It is not things, but its the little things like the cleaning of drains, maintaining streets, all these little things mean a lot to
Belize signs letter of intent with Taiwan
Belize’s Tracy Taegar-Panton, Minister of State with responsibility for Investment, Trade and Commerce, while Jong-Chin Shen, Minister of Economic Affairs sign agreement TAIPEI, Taiwan - CMC – The Belize government has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Taiwan to engage in the negotiation of a Partial Scope Agreement (PSA) with the objective of formalizing trade relations between the two countries.The agreement was signed following a week of discussions between Belize and Taiwanese officials. The Belize delegation to the discussions was headed by Tracy Taegar-Panton, Minister of State with responsibility for Investment, Trade and Commerce, while Jong-Chin Shen, Minister of Economic Affairs headed the delegation from Taiwan. A Belize government statement issued following the talks said that the LOI “clearly lays out the nature of the agreement as being only partial in its scope of product coverage and should conform to the rules of trade under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO)”. It said ‘it also recognizes Belize’s obligations to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy (CSME) that allows for the free movement of
goods, skills, labour and services across the region. “There is also a commitment that the PSA should provide for acceptable benefits to both parties and that its content and context should seek to promote economic development through investment and trade,” the statement said, adding that this should be supported by a targeted agenda for cooperation to be pursued by Taiwan to strengthen Belize’s capacity in key areas of product develop-
ment, food safety and standards.The LOI also provides for the finalization, signature and ratification of the PSA and is contingent on a successful outcome of the negotiations, in which Belize’s and Taiwan’s constraints, interests, development needs and external obligations are adequately considered and addressed.It is not, however, intended to create any legally binding rights and obligations on the parties,’ the statement noted.
Disciplinary action ... From page 14 (ag) for the vehicle assigned to me to assist in the transporting of Council’s cash.” He said that the vehicle was therefore used on several occasions for the transporting of the cashiers of the departments mentioned above and their armed escorts. This movement continued until the said vehicle was also grounded for defective tyres on June 20, 2019. The Chief Constable said that on July 16, 2019, he received a report from his driver that during the process of cleaning the interior of the vehicle, he discovered a bag under a seat. Foo said that the bag was shown to him and he immediately summoned the administrative Inspector and the Officer in charge of Investigation, “where we observed the bag to be sealed and bearing the markings of the M&CC. Foo said that he later brought the issue to the attention of other relative officials of the Council
people,” he said. Minister with responsibility for Housing, Annette Ferguson; and Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Valerie Garrido-Lowe, who attended a community meeting in the town, stressed the importance of local democracy and the role central government plays in ensuring the development of the country. Minister Garrido-Lowe said, “If you are in charge of a town or a community or a village, you are in charge of 12,000 or even 500 people. It is your duty to ensure that things are ok with your people.” Meanwhile, Minister Ferguson added, “Many times, when we go into communities, you know what the common cries are? Ministers, when will the road
Businessman, Faaiz Mursaline. be fixed? Ministers, we need street lamps; ministers we need this, we need that and the majority of the complaints are at the local level that is why you have to hold your local representatives accountable.” Minister Ferguson emphasised further that President Granger places a
high priority on Local Government Elections (LGE) as a means of ensuring local democracy. Residents were urged when voting to do so based on the understanding that they are giving someone the power to ensure their issues are heard and addressed in a timely manner. (DPI)
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Prison Service understaffed, overcrowding still an issue- Report The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) currently has the manpower of just over 500 officers. However, despite of this, it is still understaffed by 101. This is according to the Ministry of Finance mid-year report which was recently released. While the report did not highlight the reason for the GPS being short staffed, it noted that there was a recruitment drive in the first half of this year which boosted its capacity. Notwithstanding this, the report said, “To ensure that the Prison Service is staffed with qualified and competent officers, with the necessary skill set to allow them to effectively manage this complex environment, 24 new recruits were trained in the areas of supervision, correctional emergency response, leadership, and emergency medical procedures, among others.” Recently, Director of Prison Gladwyn Samuels revealed that there were 2069 inmates distributed across the five prison facilities in
Guyana, noting that the overall figure comprises 724 male convicted inmates between the ages of 18 and 35. These are namely the Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Mazaruni, Lusignan and Timehri prisons. According to the midyear report, “Some components for the rebuilding of the Camp Street prison, including steel cells, have already been procured, with works to begin in the second half. The expansion of the Mazaruni prison is ongoing and the project remains on track for completion in the second half of 2020. These upgraded facilities are intended to alleviate the overcrowding situation across the prison system. The procurement of equipment intended to improve the safety of officers and inmates, including body scanners, has commenced and is expected to be concluded in the second half.” Reports reveal that the issue of overcrowding is
being addressed from all angles. These include, but are not limited to releasing offenders on parole,
Presidential pardons for nonviolent offenders and the greater use of alternative sentencing, According to a report titled Survey of Inmates in Guyana, “the prisons have been faced with several problems such as shortage of resources, overcrowding, rising number of admissions and very precarious systems of information to effectively run the prison system. Overcrowding has been a
major issue in the Guyana prison system. It was flagged by a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into a fire at the Camp Street Prison in 2017 which claimed the lives of 18 inmates. The CoI report compiled by the commissioners had noted that a combination of overcrowding, uncomfortable and unhygienic confinement is all ideal conditions for epidemics, for gangs to prosper and to propagate discontent. Apart from that, a report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
found that the overcrowding at Guyanas prisons put inmates at risk of contracting contagious diseases. Moreover, the Survey of Inmates in Guyana Report had found that, “Many prison directors and guards had a grasp on inmates´ daily lives; however such information was not systematised or readily available for other potential users. Moreover, many records within prisons were kept in old-fashioned books instead of computers. The Guyana Prison Service, in delivering its
mandate of ensuring safe custody and effective rehabilitation of inmates, was allocated approximately $4 billion towards the maintenance and improvement of the prison environment across the country. The mid-year report disclosed that the designing the reconstruction of the New Amsterdam Prison will commence during the second half of this year. Once completed, it is expected that the Mazaruni Prison will house an additional 400 inmates.
In three days, 130 persons charged for traffic offences Many drivers are charged everyday when they are caught disobeying the traffic laws. While some drivers are aware of the traffic laws, they choose not to follow the traffic rules that are put in place to govern society. During a survey done at the Georgetown Magistrates Courts focusing on the traffic court, which works on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, those three days new traffic matters will be called. Many persons were seen waiting outside of the traffic court waiting for their matter to be called, the majority being male drivers. From the survey, an average of 40 and more persons appear in court each day on Monday, Wednesday or Friday for minor offences. How-
ever, while many persons would appear in court for minor offences a few persons would appear in court for more serious traffic offences like dangerous driving and careless driving. Inquiries were made to find out the number of drivers that were charged during the week and those that were granted bail. From August 5, 2019, to August 9, 2019, and it was discovered that a total of 130 persons appeared in court for minor traffic offences. On Monday, August 5, 2019, a total number of 42 persons were charged for offences like breach of traffic light signal, breach of one way; failing to carry a licensed conductor, piloting an unlicensed motor vehicle and be-
ing unlicensed driver. On Wednesday, August 7, 2019, the number decreased by three. Some new charges that drivers were charged with were; failing to conform to sign, tinted motor vehicle and unregistered vehicle. On August 9, 2019, a further 49 persons appeared before the Magistrate to answer to minor offences and other traffic offences like dangerous and careless driving. Most drivers who are charged for minor traffic offences are released on small amount of bail ranging from $5000 to $20,000, and most times the matters are dismissed. It was also noticed that many bus drivers and conductors were also charged for public disorder.
Cops accused of acting as enforcers for airport touts In recent weeks, operations at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri have come under the microscope with the arrivals of Haitians. While it has been ascertained, now, that the vast majority of the almost 9,000 Haitians have left for Brazil, there were concerns over the security side of things at the airport. Police officers were openly seen milling about and conversing with persons who were making arrangements to move the Haitians. There were persons openly using signs and others with smart phones bearing passengers’ photos. There were also claims
that some persons were even accessing secured areas at the Arrivals Hall to speak with officials. Yesterday, another side emerged. Also arriving at the airport are hundreds of Cubans every week. Many of them are coming here to trade. They have largely been returning to Cuba.However, scores of them are also making their way across the border to Brazil, via the Takutu Bridge weekly. Before leaving Cuba, the passengers have to reserve hotels. No reservation meant no tickets. According to one taxi driver, Cubans are being harassed and made to pay fees for those reservations or
face not getting a flight to Guyana. Everybody seems to be involved. Yesterday, one taxi driver at the airport was upset after police arrested a Cuban national who arrived and did not want to accompany a driver/tout who was there to pick him up. “The police arrested him and marched him from the Arrivals area to the police outpost. I told them this is an Immigration matter and it should be dealt with there. The constable told me he was instructed to take him to the outpost. This is not right,” the taxi driver told Kaieteur News.He said that this is not an isolated case and called for the police force to conduct an investigation. Under regulations, visitors must record on their Immigration form their intended address. Airport sources claimed that there is a ring, which involves employees and police ranks which facilitate the movement of especially Cubans and Haitians.
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Stolen cocaine, whisky smuggling, and shooting of 15-year-old…
Former SWAT, Narcotics Branch Heads, Cadet officer demoted In a major decision, the Police Service Commission has ordered the demotion of former SWAT Unit Commander, Motie Dookie; former head of the Forces Narcotics Branch Wayne De Harte; and Cadet Officer Franz Paul. All three ranks were implicated in incidents ranging from the smuggling of whiskey, to the disappearance of cocaine; to the shooting of a 15-year-old boy in his mouth. Kaieteur News understands that the PSC, which is headed by former Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Slowe, handed down the decision about two weeks ago. Sources said that Dookie,
a Deputy Superintendent, has been demoted to Assistant Superintendent of police; Superintendent De Harte is now a Deputy Superintendent and Cadet Officer Franz Paul has been busted to constable. Dookie was detained in January 2018, at Whim, Corentyne, after ranks intercepted a vehicle containing several cases of smuggled Johnny Walker Whiskey. De Harte was head of the Police Narcotics Division, when a large quantity of cocaine, tendered as evidence, disappeared from a storage room in his office at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Eve Leary.
The cocaine was connected to a case involving an ex-cop Travis Mendonca who was sentenced to three years in prison after cocaine was discovered tucked away in a false bottom of his suitcase while he was attempting to board a flight to New York. De Harte was transferred and the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) recommended disciplinary charges.In 2014, former Cadet Officer Franz Paul was charged after he shot 15-yearold Alex Griffith in the mouth. According to reports, Paul’s sister, Nadia Paul, was robbed on April 30, 2014. The Cadet Officer reportedly took
Food and Drug Dept. investigating possible drug scam The Government Analyst Food and Drug Department has commenced investigating a complaint whereby a number of pharmaceuticals are being manufactured and sold under conditions that are not authorised. Based on information reaching Kaieteur News, the products sold to the public are bootlegged complete with labeling purporting them to be from established manufacturing companies. This publication has learnt that these named pharmaceuticals are not in any way associated with the established companies and it is on this fact that the Food and Drug Department has premised its investigation. Further information revealed that the distributor [name withheld] has no licence, no degree or certificates of approval from any health institutes to engage in such activities. This publication has learnt that the conditions under which the products are made are insanitary and this is compounded by the fact that ingredients used, in some cases, could be detrimental to end users. This is according to a source familiar with the
state of affairs. Information provided to this publication reveal that one of the product sold is made up of Caustic Soda better known as Sodium Hydroxide which is broken down to be placed as an ingredient of the product. Wikipedia says, “Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound. It is a highly caustic base and alkali that decomposes proteins at ordinary ambient temperatures and may cause severe chemical burns.” Furthermore, another website, ThoughtCo, stated that, “Caustic soda is not sold in bulk and in some cases it has been removed from the market because of being used as an ingredient to make illegal drugs.” According to the source, what is especially worrying is that the items are being sold in bulk and not only to Guyanese but to persons overseas right under the nose of the relevant authorities. When contacted, Director of the Food and Drug Department, Mr. Marlan Cole, confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the allegations. “I do not have the direct
facts in front of me at the moment but I can say we [Food and Drug Department] have received a complaint to that effect,” he said. He added, “The only thing I can say thus far is that an investigation has been launched which is being treated as a priority and as a result it will not take us a week or two weeks to get this completed.” According to the Director, his team of investigators will be starting off by visiting the locations where the pharmaceuticals in questions are allegedly being retailed and once the items have been found, the distributor will then be located and the necessary action taken.
Former SWAT Unit Commander, Motie Dookie (dookie)
Former head of the Forces Narcotics Branch Wayne De Harte
Former Cadet Officer Franz Paul
her to the police station to make a formal report of the incident. Based on information received, Griffith was later arrested by a party of policemen
headed by Franz Paul. It was then that Paul discharged a loaded firearm in the teen’s mouth. During an identification parade held at the Brickdam
Police Station, Griffith positively identified his alleged shooter as Franz Paul. The case was settled after the accused agreed to pay the youth $2M.
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Pujara tunes up for Windies Test with hundred ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Cheteshwar Pujara tuned up for next week’s first Test with a compact hundred on the opening day of India’s three-day tour match against West Indies A here yesterday. The right-hander, who averages 51 in 68 Tests, struck exactly 100 as India enjoyed a good warm-up, ending on 297 for six at Coolidge Cricket Ground. Rohit Sharma chimed in with 68, Hanuma Vihari finished 37 not out, while Lokesh Rahul (36) and Rishabh Pant (33) both also got starts but failed to carry on. Part-time seamer Jonathan Carter was the home side’s best bowler with three for 39. India started soundly with Rahul and Mayank Agarwal (12) posting 36 for the first
wicket before Carter struck twice as the visitors lost three wickets for 17 runs in the space of 29 balls. Agarwal missed a full length delivery from Carter and was bowled, Rahul hooked at fast bowler Keon Harding and taken at long leg by Romario Shepherd while Ajinkya Rahane lasted just six balls before falling to a catch at the wicket after flirting at one from Carter which swung. Pujara then combined with Rohit to resist West Indies A in a 132-run fourth wicket stand which took India to lunch at 89 for three. Unbeaten on 16 at the break, Pujara went on to face 187 balls in a shade under 3¾ hours while striking eight fours and a six. Rohit, meanwhile, also counted eight fours and a six in 115ball knock which lasted just
India batting star Cheteshwar Pujara. under 2-½ hours before holing out to long on where Harding took an excellent running catch on the ropes off off-spinner Akim Fraser. Pujara, not out on 89 at tea with India on 219 for four, added a further 58 for the fifth wicket with Vihari both
Sunday August 18, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today you might decide to host an impromptu party, and a lot of merry and interesting people could attend. You will have a lot of fun, blow off steam, and feel pleasantly exhausted when it's over.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A strange conversation could take place with someone you don't know well, Libra. He or she could be an acquaintance from work or someone who's just arrived from far away.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) A long phone conversation could take place between you and a romantic partner, Taurus. You could discuss philosophy, current events, the weather, and your opinions.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Learning is apt to be your primary concern today, Scorpio, probably metaphysics, philosophy, history, or some other division of the humanities.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) - Creativeworkcould require more focus and concentration than usual today. You might need to do some in-depth research, intricate detail work, or another type of intense process that could strain your eyes and overstimulate your mind.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Some intense conversations could take place between you and a group of friends.
CANCER(June21–July22) Some young visitors may come to your home today, Cancer. You could unexpectedly find yourself called upon to entertain them. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today you might receive intense telepathic communications from someone you don't know very well, Leo. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Some intense work you've done in the past that you might have forgotten about could have caught the attention of someone in authority. Some long-overdue rewards for that work might come your way today.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Today you might concentrate on some very close work, perhaps a drawing or painting, sewing, jewelry making, or creating a new recipe. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) This morning , you could see nothing but piles of papers that you have no use for. You might go through them like a house afire, wanting to clear out as much clutter as you can. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A study of a philosophical or metaphysical concept or perhaps an ancient or foreign culture could take up a lot of your time today, . Your mind is especially sharp and penetrating now, so you should notice morelearn more quickly
retiring after reaching three figures. Pant put on 53 for the sixth wicket with Vihari before playing back to Carter and falling LBW. Scores: INDIA 297 for six (Cheteshwar Pujara 100, Rohit Sharma 68, Hanuma Vihari 37 not out, Lokesh Rahul 36, Rishabh Pant 33; Jonathan Carter 3-39) vs WEST INDIES A.
Guyana for Lima 2019 Parapan American Games Guyana will be competing at the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima Peru under the umbrella of the National Paralympics Committee of Guyana. Guyana was given a quote of four, consisting of two para athletes and two officials. Members of the delegation are: Mr. Wilton Spencer Chef de Mission Mr. Linden Johnson Coach (Table Tennis) Mr. Gibron Sarfaraz - Para Table Tennis Athlete
Mr. Walter Grant- Stuart - Para Cyclist Athlete Mr. Spencer, Johnson and Sarfaraz departed Guyana yesterday, August 17, while Mr. Grant- Stuart will follow later. The team is extending a hearty thank you to the following agencies which are responsible for equipping the delegation for the Games: International Paralympics Committee, Guyana Olympics Association and the National Sports Commission.
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Neymar called up for Brazil friendlies amid transfer speculation RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — Neymar was included yesterday in Brazil’s squad for friendlies against Colombia and Peru next month, amid speculation of a departure from Paris SaintGermain (PSG) and a return to La Liga. Coach Tite’s announcement comes as former captain Neymar appears set to leave the French outfit and head back to Spain before the end of the transfer window on
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September 2, either to his former side Barcelona or Real Madrid. The world’s most expensive player has been plagued by an ankle injury that ruled him out of last month’s Copa America success. Authorities in Brazil also recently dropped an investigation into rape allegations against the forward due to insufficient evidence, accusations which he had vehemently
Knee injury puts Osaka’s U.S. Open title defence in doubt
denied. Tite said he had spoken to Neymar, who “said he was happy”, but he acknowledged that he was not doing “tactical work”. “I will not abandon an athlete of Neymar’s level and quality,” Tite said, explaining he wanted to give him “playing time”. Brazil will face Colombia on September 6 in Miami, and Peru — who they beat in the Copa America final — on September 10 in Los Angeles.
Relentless Djokovic beats Pouille to reach semi-finals (Reuters) - Novak Djokovic wore down Lucas Pouille after an even first set, dispatching the Frenchman 7-6(2) 6-1 in a Cincinnati Masters quarterfinal in Ohio on Friday. The match was much closer than when the pair met in the Australian Open s e m i - f i n a l s i n J a n u a r y, when Djokovic conceded only four games before going on to win the title. It took Djokovic nearly an hour to prevail in the first set but he closed out a one-sided tiebreak with a deft backhand passing shot. The second was oneway traffic as the world number one played with relentless efficiency against an opponent who ran out of answers. Perhaps the only concern for Djokovic with the U.S. Open looming in less than two weeks was a sore elbow which required brief treatment by his trainer late in the match. “I managed to finish the match, had a little bit of tightness in my elbow but hopefully everything will b e f i n e f o r t o m o r r o w, ” Djokovic said in an oncourt interview.
Naomi Osaka (JPN) returns a shot against Sofia Kenin (USA) during the Western and Southern Open tennis tournament at Lindner Family Tennis Center. (Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports)
Novak Djokovic (SRB) serves against Lucas Pouille (FRA) during the Western and Southern Open tennis tournament at Lindner Family Tennis Center. (Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports) He will have less than 24 hours to recover for a semi-final against Daniil Medvedev, who continued his recent hot form, ousting Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-3 in barely an hour. Medvedev, a careerhigh eighth in the rankings, faced only one break point. He has made two finals in the past two weeks, losing to Nick Kyrgios in Wa s h i n g t o n a n d R a f a
Nadal in Montreal. In other quarter-final action, Frenchman Richard Gasquet continued his comeback from groin surgery by defeating 11th seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(2) 3-6 62. Gasquet, who defeated Andy Murray in the opening round, set up a semi-final clash on Saturday with Belgian 16th seed David Goffin. Goffin advanced when his quarter-final opponent, J a p a n ’s Yo s h i h i t o Nishioka, pulled out before their match on Friday due to illness. Gasquet underwent groin surgery in January and returned to competition in May. “I didn’t play for six months, so it’s great to be back here and reaching the semi-finals aged 33,” Gasquet told ESPN in an on-court interview. “Goffin is a tough guy, one of the fastest from the baseline, so I will be prepared to battle and to fight.”
(Reuters) - World number one Naomi Osaka will “probably” defend her U.S. Open title, even if it means defying her doctor’s orders, she said after retiring from the Cincinnati Masters with a knee injury on Friday. Osaka was trailing American Sofia Kenin in the third set of their quarter-final in Cincinnati when she sought treatment on her heavily-strapped left knee. After briefly returning to play, the Japanese star retired with Kenin leading 6-4 1-6 20. Osaka’s withdrawal comes after Serena Williams, the woman she beat in a tumultuous final at Flushing Meadows last year, pulled out of Cincinnati with back problems. The injury has also loosened Osaka’s grip on the top ranking, with world number two Ash Barty poised to reclaim it if the Australian makes the final. “I really don’t know what’s going on with my leg
right now,” Osaka told reporters. “It sucks, especially since I didn’t want to get injured this close to the Open, and now I’m kind of worried a little bit. “The thing is, my pain tolerance is really high, so that’s usually why I play through things that apparently I shouldn’t.” Osaka said she “felt it wasn’t safe” to continue against Kenin ahead of the U.S. Open starting Monday week. “I feel like this might have that one percent chance of me not being able to play, and that’s what’s concerning me. “In the end, I’m going to play even if the doctor says no, probably.” Osaka’s retirement sent Kenin through to face fellow American Madison Keys in yesterday’s semi-final. Keys faced only two break points in beating Venus Williams 6-2 6-3 in the evening encounter. Barty will face Russian
veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova in the other semi-final after rallying to a 5-7 6-2 6-0 victory over Greek Maria Sakkari. The Australian had surged to a 4-1 lead in the first set befo r e s h e stumbled with unforced errors, with Sakkari l i f t i n g t o t a k e c o n t rol through a slew of backhand winners. Barty cleaned up her game in the second set, however, recovering the backhand slice that had deserted her in the opener. “It was important for me at the start of the second set to go back to basics and what worked before,” the 23-yearold Barty said. “I had to serve well, and not give her too many looks at second serves. I tried to bring in my slice to change the tempo of the match.” Kuznetsova outlasted Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova 3-6 7-6(2) 6-3, having been a set down with her opponent serving for the match.
Seven more Russian weightlifters banned MOSCOW (Reuters) Another seven Russian weightlifters have been provisionally suspended for doping violations, joining five compatriots already banned from the sport earlier this week. The International Weightlifting Federation said on Friday the seven had
been charged based on data from the Moscow anti-doping laboratory. The announcement come days after the IWF said five other Russian weightlifters had been provisionally suspended. The latest batch include Dmitry Lapikov and Nadezhda Evstyukhina, who had Olympic medals from the 2008 Beijing Games stripped for doping.
“There is no certainty that there won’t be more suspensions,” the president of Russia’s weightlifting federation, Maxim Agapitov, told RIA news agency. The World Anti-Doping Agency is in the process of analyzing data retrieved earlier this year from the Moscow laboratory and submitting the results to international sports federations.
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Club 45 claim Real Sports Entertainment Group Masters football tourney
GT Panthers- Runner up GT Panthers side. Club 45 were crowned champions of the Real Sports Entertainment Group Masters football tournament which concluded recently at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue.
After winning semi final against Beacons 4-0, Club 45 gained a walk over from GT Panthers in the final. West Demerara won the third place title in similar fashion after Beacons failed to turn up, while GT Panthers beat West
Members of the victorious Club 45 team. Demerara 1-0 in their semi final encounter. In other preliminary games, Club 45 beat GT Panthers 4-2, Park Masters and West Demerara drew 1-1, Club 45 overcame Beacons 20, West Demerara defeated
Bravo in search of form in tour match as India Tests loom ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Much of the spotlight will fall on left-hander Darren Bravo when he turns out for West Indies A in a three-day tour match against India starting at Coolidge Cricket Ground here yesterday. The Trinidadian has endured modest success since returning to international cricket last November following a wellpublicised spat with former Cricket West Indies president, Dave Cameron, and subsequently lost his place in both the One-Day International and Twenty20 sides. His 59 runs from five innings in the three-Test series against England earlier this year only served to reaffirm his troubles at the crease. He remains one of West Indies’ most experienced batsmen in the longest format, however, and along with vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite is the only player with more than 50 Tests to his name. Bravo has e i ght hundreds and 17 fifties, and averages 38 from 52 Tests, and West Indies will be hoping he finds form in the
Beacons 2-0, Club 45 beat Park Masters 2-1, West Demerara got the better of GT Panthers 1-0, Club 45 and West Demerara drew 0-0 and Beacons drew with GT Panthers 1-1. Quacy Price was the
highest goal scorer with five goals. A release from the organisation stated that the players loved the initiative and even as k e d f o r a monthly meeting of the masters’ teams. The release
indicated that the teams involved were asking for the third place and final games to be postponed, but that was not possible unless there was a consensus as all the teams played under the same conditions.
Barty stunned by Kuznetsova in Cincinnati semi-finals (Reuters) - Ash Barty stunningly lost her chance to regain the number one world ranking when the Australian was beaten in straight sets by Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semi-finals of the Cincinnati Masters yesterday. Top seed Barty, who would have replaced the injured Naomi Osaka as the
world number one with a victory, struggled with the rhythm off her serve as she lost 6-2 6-4, losing eight consecutive games to the Russian at one point. Barty won the first two games, then lost the set as Kuznetsova, effectively handling the Australian’s slices and serving well, won the next six.
Barty at one point called a medical time out to have her right ankle retaped. But the streak continued in the second set with Kuznetsova winning the opening two games before Barty held. The Australian rallied to within 4-3 and 5-4 before Kuznetsova served out the victory.
West Indies batsman Darren Bravo. coming days, ahead of the opening Test bowling off at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground next Thursday. He will be joined in the 14man West Indies A squad by rookie opener John Campbell who impressed in the only three Tests of his career against England, but without really dominating. The 25-year-old averaged 35 from six innings but more importantly, struck up an excellent partnership with fellow opener Brathwaite with whom he shared four halfcentury stands. West Indies white-ball specialist, all-rounder Rovman Powell, will also feature in the three-day game
along with left-handed batsman Jonathan Carter and left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, both of whom have also represented the senior teams in the shorter formats. The side will be led by wicketkeeper/batsman Jahmar Hamilton. The contest is India’s only tour match before the opening Test. SQUAD – Jahmar Hamilton (captain), Darren Bravo, John Campbell, Jonathan Carter, Akim Fraser, Keon Harding, Kavem Hodge, Brandon King, Jason Mohammed, Marquino Mindley, Khary Pierre, Rovman Powell, Romario Shepherd, Jeremy Solozano.
Ashleigh Barty (AUS) returns a shot against Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) during the Western and Southern Open tennis tournament at Lindner Family Tennis Center. (Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports)
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GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power U-17 League –EBFA Leg
Grove’s Garnett slams 5 past Soesdyke; Samatta Point edge Agricola; Timehri A swamp Swan
Samuel Garnett - Grove Hi Tech FC
Warren Williams Mocha Champs FC Grove Hi Tech FC’s Samuel Garnett blasted the nets on five occasions to lead his team past Soesdyke Falcons 7-0 in latest play of the GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power U17 League played at the GFF Facility, Providence, EBD. Also securing wins last weekend were Samatta Point Kaneville which upstaged Agricola Red Triangle in a humdinger 4-3, the biggest win of their still fledgling career in the EBFA. Timehri Panthers ‘A’ led by hattricks from Tyrel Khan,
Samatta Point/Kaneville FC goal scorers Ty r o n e B u r n e t t e a n d Captain Shanon Samnauth roped to a huge 11-0 win over Swan FC, while Mocha Champs and Timehri Panthers ‘B’ battled to a 2-2 draw. Garnett, just back from duties with the national Under-15 team that competed in the 2019 Concacaf Boys’ Under-15 Championship at the IMG A c a d e m y, B r a d e n t o n , Florida, USA, wasted little time in stamping his authority as he rocked the nets in the 22nd, 38th, 39th,
Senior CASA Championships
Men’s singles at Georgetown Club & Racquet Center courts this morning The 2019 edition of the Senior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Championships hits off this morning with the Guyanese being in the thick of the men’s singles round-of-32 action with current under-17 Caribbean Champion Shomari Wiltshire, who is just 15years-old in his third senior competition, matching skills with Tahjia Lumley at 09:00hrs at the National Racquet Center on Woolford Avenue. Over at the Georgetown Club Courts on Camp Street, Guyana’s Richard Chin will be pitted against Brandon De Montrichard of Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) at 09:40hrs before Nicholas Naraine challenges Joe Chapman of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) at 10:20hrs. Deje Dias will try to get past Cameron Stafford of BVI on court three of the Georgetown Club at
09:40hrs. Damien DaSilva plays Barbados’ Bryant Cumberbatch at 10:20hrs at the Georgetown Club Court one just before National Champion Jason-Ray Khalil takes on Zaki Williams of Barbados in that same court at 11:00hrs. The athletes will return to the courts from 18:00hrs for round-of-16 action this afternoon. From today to the Saturday August 24, the Guyana Squash Association (GSA) will host Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago for the Senior Caribbean Championships. The venues will be the Georgetown Club on Camp Street and the National Racquet Centre at Woolford Avenue.
48th and 52nd minutes. Teammate and fellow n a t i o n a l p l a y e r, D e v o n Padmore had opened the scoring in the 13th minute, while Nikosey Gordon closed out the goal spree with a strike of his own in the 63rd minute. Samatta Point/ Kaneville put in a sterling show against seasoned campaigners Agricola Red Triangle winning the match 4-3. The Samatta Point lads erased a two goal deficit to snatch full points, leaving their opponents, stunned.
Ishmael Pulsaram, (right), Shanon Samnauth, Tyrel Khan, Tyrone Burnette and Kevon Scott – Timehri Panthers ‘A’ Agricola had taken the lead through goals from Brian Lambert in the 16th and Jamal Fyffe in the 21st minute, respectively. Jadon Forthe netted the first of his double in the 30th minute, while two minutes later, his teammate Kareem Richmond tucked one past the Agricola goalie to even things up for Samatta Point. Agricola snatched back the lead in the 56th minute but Forthe the netted again in the 60th minute to knot the score before Denzel
Garraway sealed the deal for Samtta Point when he scored in the 65th minute to take a memorable win. Like Samatta Point, Mocha Champs battled back from being two goals down to earn an equal share of the points in their match with Timehri Panthers ‘B’ which ran away with a two goal advantage, thanks to a brace off the boot of Orin Solomon in the 22nd and 33rd minute. B u t M o c h a C hamps’ Warren Williams emulated his
rival, Solomon when he fired in a double of his own in the 40th and 62nd minutes to bring parity to the score and match. Timehri Panthers ‘A’ were in devastating form as they waltzed to an 11-0 whipping of Swan thanks to hat-tricks each from Khan (8th, 34th, 60th), Burnette (21st, 39th, 41st) and Samnauth in the 23rd, 58th and 62nd minutes. Complimenting the efforts of the trio was Ishmael Pulsaram with one in the 24th minute and Kevon Scott in the 59th minute.
Argos Cement and National Hardware Limited renew Santos FC sponsorship
(Left) Jose Guillermo Araujo (Marketing Rep Argos), Juan Gonzales (Head of Marketing Argos), Ramesh Persaud (President of Santos FC) and Edward Boyer (CEO of National Hardware) cement the agreement. Argos Cement in collaboration with National Hardware Limited has renewed their sponsorship of Santos Football Club’s Elite League Team. In the cement industry,
Argos is the leader in Colombia and the fourth largest in the southeast of the United States. The sponsorship will aid in the team’s participation in the GFF Elite League Season
6. This Relationship between Santos FC and Argos Cement is ongoing for the past 3 years. This corporate support will greatly contribute to the
advancement of the Goals of the Club. Santos FC qualified for the GFF Elite League in January 2019 and ended the season ranked sixth in the ten team tournament.
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Winfield Braithwaite C’bean Schoolboys & Juniors Boxing tourney
Guy beat B’dos, lose to T&T in close fights on opening Night Sean Graham (left) about to unleash an upper cut against Malachi Jones in a local bout.
Jaqwan Milo (right) throws a right jab to the head of Jeron McKenzie. By Sean Devers The late completion of the setting up the Boxing Ring at the Cliff Anderson National Sports Hall on Friday Night, caused an almost two-hour late start to fourth annual Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors Boxing Championships, which now has the name of Commonwealth Gold Medallist Winfield Braithwaite attached to it. The delay resulted in two of the six scheduled local bouts along with opening Ceremony being postponed to last night; night two of the Card, which ends tomorrow night. Friday night’s attendance was disappointing as Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago won the two International bouts of the night with both decisions raising eyebrows of the
loser’s supporters. With the Famme Band Sound from South Ruimveldt entertaining the fans in the sparsely populated stands, Sean Graham beat Malachi Jones, Jaqwan Milo got the better of Jeron McKenzie, Joshua Thombarran beat 13year-old Theirry Moore and Sherlon Stephen defeated Shemar Morrison in the local match-ups. In the International bouts, Guyanese Mark Crawford was far from his best and seemed a bit fortunate to gain the judges verdict in his Lightweight fight in the Juniors division against Barbadian Tyreec Taitt, while Trini, Al Jaleel Jokhu’s victory over Dwayne Castillo in the most entertaining fight of the night, could have gone either way and left the Guyana Camp fuming.
Guyana has won Championship honours in all of the three previous tournaments and the last time they would have failed to win a Caribbean tournament at this level was in 2017 in St Lucia when they sent a depleted team for the Caribbean Development Boxing tournament but they were off to an inauspicious start at the home of Boxing on Friday night. The Guyanese preparations for this tournament commenced since June 14 but the performance of the 15-year old Crawford from the Forgotten Youth Foundation left much to be desired in his contest against Taitt. Both boxers came out in aggressive fashion with the Bajan looking the better boxer despite being warned for
CWI seeks close partnership with CARICOM Governments on schools cricket KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent and The Grenadines - Cricket West Indies under the current leadership of President Ricky Skerritt and Vice-President Dr. Kishore Shallow reiterates its campaign commitment to strengthen ties with CARICOM, following a courtesy call on Thursday morning with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr. Hon Ralph Gonsalves. Accompanying CWI President Skerritt and Vice President Shallow at the meeting was former West Indies wicket-keeper and recently appointed CWI Independent Director, Ambassador Michael Findlay. The more than three-hour meeting conducted in a serious but very cordial atmosphere, addressed not just the urgent need to strengthen schools cricket,
but also concerns and plans for Governance reform, a financial review, modernization of the Team Selection System, and the need to introduce a fitness culture at the youth level. “West Indies Cricket success and growth are crucial to our regional psychological wellbeing. A regional good cannot be operated like a private club,” said Prime Minister Gonsalves who is also CARICOM’s cricket sub-committee Chairman. President Skerritt assured the Honourable Prime Minister that after just four months of the new administration, hard work was well underway on all fronts to strengthen stakeholder relations, and to bring improvement and success both off and on the field. Skerritt also thanked and
commended Prime Minister Gonsalves for Saint Vincent having done such a good job of hosting the just concluded Rising Stars Under-19 tournament and trial matches. Dr Gonsalves, one of the better known cricket-loving Prime Ministers of the region, reflected on h i s o w n pleasant memories of the glory days of West Indies cricket, and said he is hopeful for some of the talent he is seeing now. He urged the visiting CWI trio to do whatever is necessary to mold that talent and improve the on-field results, as the “Caribbean people are hungry for a return to the victory days”. The Prime Minister pledged the full support of his Government and committed to help rebuild the CARICOM and CWI relations going forward.
ducking, while Crawford was cautioned for holding by the Referee. Both boxers had their moments but Taitt seemed to have won the round. The second round saw Taitt scoring with combinations to the head and body of the Guyanese, who retaliated with a hard right to head as both boxers threw punches and counter punches with the Bajan seemingly ending the round slightly ahead in the fight. In the final round Taitt kept moving forward and had Crawford, not utilizing his Jabs as he should, on the back foot and he was caught with a few upper cuts to the body. With Crawford starting to run out Gas, it seemed a knock-out was the way out but despite a late flurry from the Guyanese, he appeared a bit fortunate to gain the Judges nod. In the second International fight in the 46kg division, 14-year-old Castillo and the stylish Jokhu from the Twin Island Republic produced the best fight of the night.
The Trini displayed nice foot-movement but most of his early punches were fired from out of range and hit thin air as Castillo easily evaded them. Jokhu was the busier of the two but Castello, boxing out of a Southpaw stance, found his rhythm and connected with some good shots to the body. But the Trini, dancing around the Ring, demonstrated fast hands and landed some good shots of his own as the opening round ended without a clear winner. In the second stanza, the intensity increased and with the entire Guyana team screaming encouragement from Ringside, Castello seemed re-energized by the raucous support and caught Jokhu with some clinical Combos as the teenagers went at each and fought toeto-toe to bring the handful of fans to their feet. In the final round the slick Trini danced out of range as Castello threw some big punches as the boxers traded punches in bunches with the
Guyanese scoring towards the dying stages with a couple of body digs but Jokhu held on and did enough to win an action packed fight that could have gone either way. Last night the International bouts were set after the opening Ceremony is held at 18:00hrs, while the lone international Female bout between 14-year-old Alisha Jackman and her Trinidadian opponent was also scheduled for last night. Meanwhile, Boxing promoter Seon Bristol presented a pair of Boxing boots to Alisha and her elder sibling Abiola who was slated to fight a boxer from Sophia in a local bout last night. The sisters from the FYF Gym in Albouystown thanked Bristol, the cousin of former Professional pugilist Kenny Bristol, for his donation and said they would put their best foot forward with the news boots. The presentation was done in front of the portrait of former Boxer Cliff Anderson after whom the National Sports Hall is named.
Seon Bristol is flanked by siblings Abiola (left) & Alisha after he presented them with a pair of Boxing Boots (Sean Devers photos)
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Sunday August 18, 2019
Kaieteur News
Blairmont Community Center Cricket Club annual cricket Camp underway The Blairmont Community Centre Cricket Club (BCCCC), situated on the West Bank of Berbice is holding a two weeks cricket camp at its location at the Blairmont Community Center. The camp is being held under the theme “Options for Youths”. The event which began on Monday, 12th August will last until August 25. Sessions are being held from 14:00hrs to 17:00hrs daily. According to the organisers the camp is still open to youths from ages 10 to 16 years residing anywhere from Ithaca, West Bank to Abary on the West Coast Berbice. Coaching session will encompass both indoor and outdoor activities. Participants will be taken through the basic aspects of the game including batting, bowling, fielding, catching, wicketkeeping and throwing among other skills. There will also be lectures on topics such as health, career opportunities, leadership, social ills and other discipline. The participants will be taken through their paces by a team of experienced and qualified coaches and other individuals in the related topics. Despite the inclement weather the camp has been
Class room sessions as Coaches Colin Stuart and Michael Hyles take the youngsters through their paces.
ongoing with some 41 youths in attendance. According to the organisers one of the objectives of the camp is to recognise talent at a very early age and help enhance the members of the club. The camp has been
ongoing for over nine years and a number of players who have graduated from the camp and have gone on to represent Berbice and Guyana at various age groups. Among the coaches are former West Indies Player
Coaches Colin Stuart and Michael Hyles going through the paces with the youngsters.
Outdoor sessions as Coaches Colin Stuart and Michael Hyles instruct the youngsters.
Colin Stuart and for National Player Michael Hyles. Former Guyana and West Indies player and Government
Minister Roy Fredericks was a member of the Club as well as Former Guyana Player and BCB president.
The coordinator is Shabeer Baksh and he can be contacted on telephone No 628-6767. (Samuel Whyte)
Guyana National Mini and Pre Cadet Table Tennis Team seek Regional honours Guyana’ National Mini Cadet (11 Years and under) and Pre cadet (13 years and under) table tennis contingent is set to depart Guyana tomorrow, Monday 19th August, for the Dominican Republic to contest the 2019 Caribbean Mini and Pre-cadet championships scheduled for the August 19-27. The Caribbean Cadet and Junior Championships engage girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 13 years and under players in the Caribbean region. It is one of the signature competitions on the GTTA’s and Caribbean calendar of events, since its forms the basis for regional table tennis supremacy and the incubator and platform for the development of young emerging table tennis talents and from which all of the region table tennis stars commence their journey. Guyana’s representatives will include a very formidable group of players the likes ofNational 13,18 and 15 years and Under Boys Champion Jonathan Vanlange, the talented Colin Wong, Krystian Sahadeo, Dhanesh Persaud, who are in their fourth and final cycle of competing at the Mini and Pre cadet level and who will
form Guyana’s under 13 boys team in addition to the Boys 11 years and under team of Malachi Moore, who is currently in the Dominican Republic participating in the World Hopes Caribbean training camp and fast improving and energetic Ebo McNeil (debutant from Linden) along with our under 11 girls team of national 11 and 13 years and under girls champion Jasmine Billingy, the talented Akira Watson, and tenacious Samara Sukhai, are strong candidates for possible medal performances. The team will be coached by Shavin Greene, Dwain Dick with assistance from Colin France. The GTTA has commenced planning its activities on a 4-6 years basis and sees the selected players as our next prospects to transition as key representatives of Guyana at regional and international tournaments, Junior Olympics and Junior Olympic cycle games in the future. Guyana has had a rich tradition of success, winning several medals and bringing Guyana regional honours against competing teams that includes Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St Lucia and St
Vincent. Competition for regional honours will be in the categories of Boys and Girls 11 and 13 Yrs team Doubles, mixed doubles and singles events. The team selected to participate in the championships includes: Under – 11 Boys: Malachi Moore and Ebo McNeil Under – 11 Girls: Jasmine Billingy, Samara Sukhai, and Akira Watson Under – 13 Boys: Jonathan Van Lange, Krystian Sahadeo, Colin Wong, and Dhanesh Persaud Coaches · Colin France · Dwain Dick · Shavin Greene Manager Delegate · Ms Deirdre Edghill Several Parents will also be making the sojourn. The team has been engaged in regular training sessions, including morning individual sessions and afternoon national team sessions aimed at having them optimally prepared to perform at these championships. The GTTA would like to thank the many sponsors who have contributed to making the team participation a reality.
Kaieteur News
Sunday August 18, 2019
PAGE 75
Guyana Cup horserace meet speeds off today All systems are set for a successful 13th edition of the Guyana Cup horse race meet that will see over $20million in cash and prizes being doled out to the top performers when the event at the Rising Sun Turf Club in Rising Sun Village, West Coast Berbice. Thousands are expected to flock to the venue which is located just 45 minutes from the capital city, Georgetown, and with nine anticipated races on the card, turfites will be well occupied today. Over 80 animals have registered for the meet, which is one of the marquee events for horseracing in the Caribbean Region and North America. Among the horses registered to compete are two-time defending
champion Vera’s Finally and Just Call Me Bass, which will headline the feature C Class and Lowe race. Some of the top animals expected to be on show come race day will include Just Call Me Bass, Crown the King (Jamaica), Doublin Fashion (USA), Chameli (Jamaica), Safara (Jamaica), Southern Express (T&T), Silver & Things (T&T), Sitarr (T&T), Kentucky Woman (T&T), Super Easy (T&T) and She’s a Princess. Apart from the foreign contingent of horses to be on show, several leading jockeys from overseas are also expected to participate, which will add that international flavour to the day’s event. The top five finishers in all 10 races would receive
cash incentives with the total prize purse being increased from 15 to $20million with US$50,000 in cash being handed out tomorrow. The details of the races and prize money are listed below: – C Class and Lower feature race over a distance of one mile, $2M – Three-year-old Guyana-bred, $1M – G3 and Lower, $400 000 – L3 and Lower (open to non-winners from Trinidad & Tobago), $350 000 – Two-year-old Guyanabred over, $300 000 – J3 and Lower over seven furlongs – $300 000 – L Class for Colts, $250 000 – L Class Filly and Mare, $250 000
Guyanese advance to CAREBACO Junior Under-19 Badminton semis
Vera’s finally gaps the field during the feature C Class and Lower race at the Rising Sun turf club last year. (Emmerson Campbelle photo)
Guyana Rush Saints FC/RFA Pre-Heritage Senior Male and Female Football Tourneys continues Priyanna Ramdhani on course during her singles encounter.
Amanda Cabral (left), Samantha Paulino and Nina Cabral - Guyana Rush Saints FC Tyrese Jeffrey & Akili Haynes involved in Doubles action. On Day two, Friday August 16th at the CAREBACO Junior Under-19 International Badminton Championship, which is being played at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium in St. Michael, Barbados, Guyanese players advanced to four Semi-Finals and Medal Rounds after defeating their opponents in the Quarter-Finals. Priyanna Ramdhani moved through to the Singles, Doubles & Mix Doubles, Tyrese Jeffrey in Doubles & Mix Doubles and Akili Haynes in the Doubles. The Quarter-Finals Results on Day-2 are: Men Singles: Tyrese Jeffrey of Guyana, who picked up a knee injury, lost in a thrilling three setter to Leon Cassie of Trinidad: 21-14, 19-21, 21-14 Ladies Singles: Priyanna Ramdhani of Guyana defeated
Robyn Sobers of Barbados: 21-6, 21-4 Men Doubles: Tyrese Jeffrey & Akili Haynes of Guyana defeated Sean Butcher-Nurse & Alexander Price-Greaves of Barbados: 21-10, 21-10 Ladies Doubles: Priyanna Ramdhani of Guyana & Chequeda De Boulet of Trinidad defeated Kayleigh Moenne & Faith Sariman of Suriname: 21-14, 21-5 Mix Doubles: Priyanna Ramdhani & Tyrese Jeffrey of Guyana defeated Jair Naipal & Chaista Soemodipoero of Suriname in a thrilling three setter: 19-21, 21-18, 21-16 The Semi-Finals were scheduled for last evening where the players will battle to get into the finals.
In the recent playoffs between Guyana Rush Saints FC and Snatchers FC Females (semifinals), the host club swamped Snatchers FC, 6-0. Nina Cabral fired in a helmet-trick making good use of all her opportunities, while her sister Amanda Cabral and Samantha Paulino the other as they booked their place in the championship match. Gladiators FC hammered Far East United SC 8-0 to earn a place in the female final against Guyana Rush Saints FC. In the first male semi final between Gladiators FC and Snatchers FC, both teams displayed an aggressive style of play for the
entire match; after the final whistle was sounded, the score line read 3-3 which meant extra time was needed to decide the winner and this failed to do so. In kicks from the penalty mark, Snatchers FC prevailed to book their place in the final. The second male semifinal between Guyana Rush Saints FC and Far East United SC saw a display of natural skills and team work from both teams. Guyana Rush Saints were the better of the two and prevailed 3-1 and will face Snatchers for championships honours. Both finals were scheduled for last evening at the St Ignatius Village Sports Ground.
Winfield Braithwaite C’bean Schoolboys & Juniors Boxing tourney
Guy beat B’dos, lose to T&T in close fights on opening Night Guyanese Mark Crawford gets himself into tangle and cops a left to his head from Bajan Tyreec Taitt on Friday night. (Sean Devers photo)
Senior CASA Championships
Shomari Wiltshire
Men’s singles at Georgetown Club & Racquet Center courts this morning
rt o p S
T&T’s Al Jaleel Jokhu (left) & Guyana’s Dwayne Castillo trade punches in the best fight of the Night. (Sean Devers photo)
CWI seeks close partnership with CARICOM Governments on schools cricket At the office of the Prime Minister, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, from left: former West Indies wicket-keeper Michael Findlay, CWI Vice-President Dr. Kishore Shallow, CWI President Ricky Skerritt and Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. (Photo: KB Pixels)
Jason-Ray Khalil
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