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Kaieteur News
Sunday August 05, 2018
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL The Caribbean Single Market and Economy
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n today’s globalized world, regional integration offers a way forward for trade and the economic growth needed for reducing poverty and improve the well-being of the masses in the Caribbean. It is vital to the development and survival of the region’s small economies. We have learnt over the years, through experience, multiple disappointments and numerous heartaches, not to hold our breath when the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders make decisions on the region’s future economic development at their annual summits. The one obvious thing that CARICOM leaders have in common is their oratory skills and their ability to articulate issues, which in the end dash the collective hopes of the people. Still, we cannot help but feel attached to CARICOM. Forty-five years after the creation of CARICOM, it is time for its 15-member states to take a good look at the progress made, the failures that have been incurred and the initiatives needed to move the union forward in the face of globalization. The formation of CSME is crucial for regional integration, which is one of the main objectives for economic growth and development in the Caribbean. The CSME is expected to offer more and better opportunities for the CARICOM states to produce and sell goods and attract investment, increase competitiveness, create employment, and improve the standards of living of the people of the region. The ultimate goal of the CSME is to provide the foundation for the region’s goods and services to become more competitive on the international market and boost long-term growth. At the 28th Inter-sessional CARICOM meeting of Heads of State held in Guyana in February 2017, President Granger said that if the region were to escape total emasculation in today’s global environment, it must expedite the full implementation of CSME. President Granger opined that the CSME must not be allowed to become a victim of equivocation and procrastination and that there must be legal and institutional measures and mechanisms to support the free movement of goods, services, people and cross-border establishment of businesses. He has called on the leaders of CARICOM member states to re-examine how they can dismantle tariffs and other barriers to trade and agricultural products. At the time of its launch in 2007, the CSME was seen as a sort of panacea to the various obstacles standing in the way of region integration, intra-regional trade and economic development among member states. The Caribbean, especially Guyana, has the land, manpower and capital to guarantee food security for all its citizens. However, the fact that the region’s annual food import bill exceeds US$4.5 billion is an indictment of the region’s ability to stimulate growth in the agricultural sector. The CSME was touted as a solution to the longstanding low growth rate and limited economic development that have undermined the efficiency of competitiveness in the region’s industries. In global negotiations, the CSME was supposed to provide CARICOM with a stronger voice in the global community. Today, it is fair to say that the CSME has made some progress. It has allowed several categories of persons seeking employment to move freely from one CARICOM member state to another. This has been achieved through the abolition of the work-permit system; approval of the Certificate of CARICOM Skills Qualification allows for indefinite leave for people to stay in a Member State; and the right to transfer social-security benefits from one CARICOM state to another.
Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.
Guyanese, please let us join forces with the Govt. to make a better oil deal for us Dear Editor, I feel the coolness of the breeze that permeated the Guyana coastline from the letter penned by Chartered Accountant Nigel Hinds in the Kaieteur News of August 3. For this letter to be published just after we celebrated Emancipation Day seems very refreshing and applicable. Our Government should recognize, albeit their authority to govern our country, that their wisdom is not infinite and that lesser mortals, the likes of Nigel Hinds, Christopher Ram, David Hinds, Jan Mangal, Lincoln Lewis, Tarron Khemraj, Euclid Rose, Melinda Janki, Charles Ramson, Sase Singh, the IMF, the World Bank and others also possess the technical, scientific and
managerial skills needed to secure the best outcome from a massive project like the Oil and Gas find in our country. Finally, we are about to see real economic success on the horizon for ourselves, our children and future generations. Exxon is not in love with Guyana. They are there to exploit us and to grab as much of our resource for themselves. We have not learnt our lessons of the past. We brought in Omai, they took our gold and took the cream of the revenue. Barama exploited our forest (thank God it’s renewable) and exported the prime species and kept the bulk of the revenue in other countries. Bai Shan Lin did more damage to our forests than
Barama. When will we wake up and recognize that we are being continuously screwed. Let us look at the countries that were once loved by Exxon. After the revenue flow dries up for Exxon, they disinvest in those countries and look for the next bait. Guyana is now their most lucrative investment and they intend to grab every penny they can get for themselves. Thank God for Kaieteur News for bringing to the Guyanese public the numerous atrocities countries faced with Exxon, the latest being Alaska (a State within the United States) for paying hundreds of millions of dollars in legal fees to get their fair share of revenue.
Guyanese, please put aside the race baiting of political parties and let us join forces together with the Government to make a better deal for us. Take a walk in the cemetery and see if race matters there. Whether we consider ourselves Amerindian, African, Indian, Chinese, Portuguese, Mixed race or whatever, we are all dead men and women in the cemetery. Nigel Hinds and others have started a journey to secure a better future for us. Let us all be a part of this journey, as we ask the Government to put aside animosity against anyone and let us work together to make our country outstanding. Yes we can. Sincerely, Charles Sugrim CPA
Sunday August 05, 2018
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Kaieteur M@ilbox
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This govt. was given the mandate to bring about change and must be held accountable Dear Editor, There are slippages in this society that must be arrested as matter of urgency. The Police Force, after a short hiatus, has returned to behave like judge, jury and executioner. This nation is not at war with itself where unnatural casualty is considered acceptable. Equally as it is wrong for someone to murder, under any pretext, so too it is for the police to engage in extrajudicial killing. If extrajudicial killing was wrong during the Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar administrations, then it cannot be right, now. President David Granger set the right tone when early in his presidency, he made it clear extrajudicial killing will not be tolerated and the accused must have his or her day in court. It is disturbing extrajudicial killing gets commendation by the AFC via its column in Kaieteur News. Celebration by persons on social media for such killing is not vindication or valid evidence to embrace lawlessness. Ours is a nation of Laws and the Rule of Law, which includes the activation of the Coroner’s Act, must prevail at all times. In 2005, former Chancellor, Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General Keith Massiah had this to say, “Killings, however reasonable and expedient in the opinion of many persons of goodwill, ought not to be countenanced. Even the alleged serial killer, the persistent rapist and the paedophile, detestable as those pariahs are, enjoy the fundamental right to a fair hearing and the full protection of due process. Persons who are thought to have committed crimes must be arrested, charged and tried in a
court of law. Nothing less can be accepted.” This sage advice still has value. The ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on the matter of consultation/ non-consultation by the Guyana Sugar Corporation and Government with unions (GAWU and NAACIE) in the industry on the issue of the recent redundancy exercise is lesson to all of us. While the CCJ said consultation had taken place, it critiqued the level of same, noting it could have been better and attitudes more civil. The CCJ’s pronouncement on civility in governance was also echoed in the case brought before acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire on the interpretation of how the appointment for GECOM Chairman ought to be conducted. While civility (good manners) cannot be legislated what these two cases have pointed to is the departure of manners in public discourse and the management of the people’s business. This must be addressed forthwith given the damage that is being created in society. The adage that manners maketh man needs to become centre-stage again as was imparted and insisted on in our upbringing. The other issue is that of Local Government and the redrawing of local authorities. While such may be purview of the subject Minister, civility and Article 13 in the Guyana Constitution dictate those affected by the decision should not only have been made aware after the fact but involved in the process. Leader of the Opposition Jagdeo is correct in calling for consultation and involvement on matters of national import. He is reminded what he rightly calls for, had he as
President favourably responded to similar entreaties the degeneracy he condemns today, he would have had the moral high ground to speak from. That being said, nonconsultation, poor consultation and incivility have to stop. The Coalition government was given the mandate to bring about the change and it must be held accountable to do so. Society is being advised by the President that dialogue, on issues of national importance, with the Leader of the Opposition will commence when the latter is ready. According to the Constitution, the President is Head of State and Head of Government, which means as Leader of Guyana, the office holder shoulders premier responsibility, and it is the expectation of citizens such leadership is delivered on this matter. Having presented the Coalition’s
areas of interest (oil and gas, environment, and crime) for discussion when the parties initially met on 19th July 2018, the Opposition Leader said he would have consulted with his party and returned to the table. The President needs to give a specific date for this return where he will be properly advised as to the Opposition Leader’s decision and if possible the commencement of establishing a consensual agenda that will guide the parties’ discussions/engagement. There is too much animosity in political discourse and this engagement is being looked forward to as the beginning of civility between the forces on matters impacting workers/citizens’ well-being. Engagement could aid in reducing tensions and bringing about a level of peace and harmony. (Continued on page 6 )
COI needed into the working of City Hall DEAR EDITOR, When will someone in authority realize that there is a critical need for a Commission of Inquiry to be held into the workings of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown?Over the years, there’s been so many scandals, acts of unethical behaviour and outrageous wrongdoings that have either been swept under the carpet or condoned, that most persons have lost count, but how much longer must the citizens of our capital, be subjected to having to pay their property rates, market fees, licence fees etc, when the Council’s books are not audited and when there is no system at the Council that tracks and controls their income and expenses? If one were to just look at the Abattoir, one would have to investigate the stun gun fiasco, where lots of money was spent to purchase cap-
tive bolt pistols most of which were not in accordance with what was required, whilst animals were slaughtered in a brutish way. Then there is the lack of a scalding barrel or tank for boiling water and other basic equipment needed for the slaughtering operation all a disgrace. Just a stone’s throw up the road as they would say on Water Street, one encounters the City Constabulary Training School established not so long ago to impart training to the new entrants of the Constabulary along with other courses including refresher courses. It now appears abandoned and derelict with a leaky roof, windows and doors missing and littered with a few old beds and other furniture. What a shame! There should be an investigation into how this building (Continued on page 6)
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Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
High time the Medical Council and the way it discharges its functions be scrutinized DEAR EDITOR, Much more appears to be wrong with the operations of the present Medical Council than has been mentioned in the letter by Gustavo Kuerten in “Kaieteur Mailbox” of the 22nd July 2018 edition of Kaieteur News. Indeed, it does appear that the present Medical Council has as its priority the protection of the professional and financial interests of their members and their close associates in the medical profession rather than the public interests i.e., the availability and delivery of quality medical services of the people of Guyana. Since the behavioural pattern of the present Medical Council is highly questionable, it behooves the Medical Council to answer the following questions: 1. Can Dr. Mahendra Carpen, a member of the present Medical Council, practice as a medical cardiologist in Canada where he obtained his post-graduate fellowship training? If he cannot do so in Canada, how could he be registered to practise in Guyana as a medical cardiologist? 2. Why are medical doctors of foreign nationalities (particularly of Cuban nationality) many of whom are quali-
fied specialists being denied full registration when they have met all the statutory requirements, including the residency requirement to full registration? Does the answer lie in the selfish protection of turf and fear of competition? It is unconstitutional to discriminate on the ground of nationality. 3. Why is the grant of institutional registration being substituted for the grant of full registration when institutional registration can be granted only where the applicant has failed to meet one or more specified statutory requirement? 4. How can a medical practitioner who has served satisfactorily for one period of institutional registration be made to serve another period of institutional registration instead of being granted full registration as a matter of statutory entitlement? There is need only for a single period of satisfactory institutional registration for the grant of full registration. 5. Did the enabling provision under the Medical Practitioners Act (the main legislation) legally enable the Minister to make regulations for the suspension of a medical practitioner by the Medical Council pending the determi-
nation of a disciplinary charge against the medical practitioner? In other words, does the wording of the enabling provision of the Act lend itself to an interpretation, which enables the Minister, by regulation, to put the professional life of a medical practitioner on hold without a finding of fault being first made against him? It must be borne in mind that the issue is not suspension from an office but rather suspension from one’s profession. This has implications in respect of one’s right to work and to earn one’s livelihood. Such interim suspension from practising one’s profession does not obtain in the legal and other professions. Why should the enabling provision be so widely construed as to embrace the power to provide for such interim suspension in the medical profession? 6. Since, under the Regulations, suspensions, after a finding of guilt, is limited to only one year, is the Medical Council authorised to have a medical practitioner suspended for over a year pending the determination of a disciplinary charge against him i.e. before a finding of guilt? It is repotted that there is a Cuban-Guyanese doctor, Dr. Abel, who is under suspen-
sion for over a year pending the determination of a disciplinary charge. Even though the hearing has been concluded, and the report submitted to the Medical Council several months ago, Dr. Abel’s professional life is in limbo while the Medical Council dallies. Is this true? Why are professionals being kept out of practice for so long by their own peers? 7. How can Kamal Ramkaran be an in-house member of the Council and at the same time be legal advisor to the Council? If Mr. Ramkarran were to take one legal view as a member of the Council and the other members of the Council were to take a different legal view, surely Mr. Ramkarran cannot be expected to later proffer formal legal advice to the Council against his own view. If the Medical Council is a unitary body and Mr. Ramkarran is a member of that Council, it necessarily means that the Council is advisor to itself and Mr. Ramkarran cannot be legal advisor to the Council since he is not extrinsic to it. A distinction must be drawn between a lawyermember of and a legal advisor to the Council. But that said, it does appear that the (Continued on page 7 )
COI needed into the... from page 5 fell into such disrepair in such a short period of time. The condition of the waterfront area of the Stabroek Market where the roof keeps collapsing and the pier in precarious state should be the subject of another investigation. What does the Council do with the stall rents it collects from the Stabroek Market stallholders? Spend it on overseas trips? And why is it awaiting the central government to repair it? Is the Stabroek Market and its precincts not the property of the Council? And that takes us to the dilapidated City Hall building. Listening to officials of the City Council, one would conclude that the maintenance of that beautiful building was not the responsibility of the Council and that they woke up one morning like Rip Van Winkle to find the building in that state. It is mind boggling that they would be waiting for foreign missions, central government, foreign aid agencies and the local business sector to fund the repairs of their headquarters. If the City Council had been doing routine maintenance of the building each
year for the last 25 years, as they should have, then the building would have been in a pristine state, and the whopping US 4.3 million dollar bill being currently touted would have been less than half. As they say, ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ There are scandals about the Bel Air Park playfield and Farnum Ground, the new and authorized building going up where the Kitty Abattoir once stood, the beauticians that were dum p e d on Merriman’s Mall, The purported Presidential Park, the inordinate delays in the construction of the Kitty Market, the robberies in the municipal markets, the disappearance of firearms and the brutalization of juveniles and other citizens by the City Constabulary, the debts to the GRA, the NIS, GPL, GTT and the credit unions, etc, the feather bedding at the Council and the lack of an audit of the Council’s financial systems for decades and so much more. And finally, what is preventing the Minister from sending the Town Clerk on the accumulated leave? Could we please have a COI at City Hall? Sincerely Modi Sankar
This govt. was given... From page 5 This meeting forms part of day-to-day governance and is equally important as resolving the border controversy, preparing the National Budget, making a foreign trip to conduct government business, and the pouring of oil. The Prime Minister (PM), second highest constitutional office, has been given the responsibility for governance. Governance cuts across every Ministry and Department yet it is being touted that he has no power and authority. The failure of the PM in asserting himself in this responsibility and delivering leadership has to be attributed to the absence of a
Policy Paper/Document being developed and ensconced within the philosophical direction the Coalition would like to pursue. Article 13 gives him a platform to develop a policy from which engagement and programmes will evolve.The weaknesses that exist in a number of areas in the government are the result of an absence of clear policy positions, and what is being seen is that Ministers are operating as supervisors not policy developers and directors. It is time that the actors come up to speed with what governance entails, what are expected of them, and what they commit to change and do. Lincoln Lewis.
Sunday August 05, 2018
Kaieteur M@ilbox High time the Medical .. From page 6 Council has too in-house a structure to properly function as a public authority. A cursory look at the racial composition of the membership of the Council and an examination of the way it purports to discharge its functions may give rise to suspicions and concerns. It may be that the Council hides behind the petticoat correspondence refined by its Afro-Guyanese secretary who has displayed an inclination to accept the role of an investigative operative in addition to that of a secretary. 8. Another important question to be answered relates to the membership of Dr. Frank Anthony, a known political activist of a major political party. How can Dr. Anthony, a partisan political activist, be a member of a public authority, which has overall responsibility for the disciplining of medical practitioners of differing political persuasions? Even if Dr. Anthony is impartial and unbiased, he lacks that appearance which each member of the Council ought to have. If Dr. Anthony is unable to see that his position as a partisan political activist of a major political party disqualified him from being a member of a disciplinary body such as the Medical Council, then he may well be not a ‘fit and proper’ person to be a Presidential Candidate.Incidentally, the Medical Council has been less than frank in failing to disclose to the public that the recent decision of the C.C.J involving a Cuban doctor turned not on a matter of substance or merits but rather on procedural technicalities. The Court held that the doctor
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ought to have proceeded by way of statutory appeal rather than by judicial review proceedings. Undeniably, the C.C.J did castigate the doctor for stating ex post facto in his affidavit that he knew of no circumstance, which militated against the grant of his application for full registration when he must have known of the Council’s concern for an alleged breach of his institutional registration. Such an ex post facto statement to the Court could have had nothing to do with the merits or demerits of his prior application to the Council for full registration. In any event, the doctor was relying on his statutory entitlement to full registration – having met all the statutory requirements for the same and not on the exercise of any discretionary power in the Council. The decision of the C.C.J was that the doctor’s application to the High Court was procedurally misconceived in that he utilised the judicial review rather than the statutory appeal process. As recommended by the C.C.J during the hearing, the doctor did re-apply to the Council for full registration so that the Council can afford him a fair hearing including the right to be heard. The application was made soon after the C.C.J rendered its decision. But alas, the Medical Council is still to hear his reapplication after several months.It is high time that the Medical Council and the manner that it purports to discharge its functions in the public interest be publicly scrutinized. There are many questions for the Council to answer. (Concerned citizens)
Kaieteur M@ilbox
This Coalition now has another highly potentially destructive witch hunting weapon DEAR EDITOR, When in Opposition, this Government knew all the right answers for every aspect of good governance. They knew that the AML/CFT Bill proposed by the PPP/C Government was deficient and that was the reason they could not have supported it in the National Assembly. Immediately upon holding the reins of power, our ‘erudite’ Attorney General, Mr Basil Williams on 26th June, 2015 successfully piloted the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Authority even though the former Attorney General M r. A n i l N a n d l a l l h a d pleaded that the’ creation’ of such an Authority would undermine the independence of the Financial Intelligence Unit(FIU) and is contrary to what the AML/ CFT Task Force had wanted. Over three years after, AG Williams has finally admitted that he said that at that time the Government did not understand what was really happening, he said that, ‘We weren’t in the loop’ and now they are taking corrective action. However, is this the ‘correct action’? The Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing
(AML/CFT/PF) National Coordination Committee, which is headed by Attorney General Basil Williams, who is also Chairman of the PNC, is far worse than the Authority, which is now defunct. There are no pretensions whatever that this Committee will ever act independently and objectively. This is following in the same settings as SOCU and SARU and will not be devoid of political direction and control. This Committee will give an umbrella of total control over the FIU. We have seen in Trinidad and Tobago that the Director is the Head of the FIU and is responsible for the supervision and implementation of policies with respect to the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism in accordance with the FIU Act and any other laws. The FIU is also the oversight and monitoring body of the AML/CFT. In Guyana the FIU has now become a political weapon for APNU/AFC Coalition Government. Unlike the now defunct AML/CFT Authority and the AML/CFT/PF of Guyana whose heads are appointed by the National Assembly. It must be noted that the Director of the FIU, the Deputy Director and other senior functionaries of the FIU are
all appointed by the National Assembly. We know that the National Assembly is controlled by the APNU/AFC, they have the majority therefore whoever they appoint will take effect. Consequently, the appointment of AG Basil Williams as the Head of the AML/ CFT/PF as pointed by Dr. Jagdeo we now ‘ have a politician being conferred with an enormous authority…undermining the FIU, which was supposed to police the act’. All these appointments will be strictly political, there is no room for objectivity and impartiality, fairness and justice. Moreover, apart from Financial Intelligence Units being independent and operate autonomously, they should possess expertise in finance and financial analysis and they should be able to exchange information directly and independently. It is evident that Mr. Williams is no ‘expert’ in finance and financial analysis and is definitely ‘NOT FIT AND PROPER’ to be the person in charge of the Committee. However, as the Chairman of the PNC his ‘expertise’ in witch-hunting may be necessary! On the other hand, the Director and the Deputy Di-
rectors of the T&T FIU are appointed by the Public Service Commission. In addition, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance in T&T appoints the other members of staff after consultation with the Director. This applies to consultants and experts as well who are employed on a contractual basis. This is how our system should be modeled. It is time that the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), which is an organization of states and territories of the Caribbean Basin to vehemently object to this type of political interference. It must be noted that the CFATF have agreed to implement ‘COMMON MEASURES’ against money laundering and terrorism financing. I must submit that the Anti-Money Laundering measures in Guyana are by no means ‘COMMON’. It is evident now that this Coalition Government now has another highly potentially destructive weapon added to its burgeoning arsenal to continue its ‘witch hunting’ attacks against the PPP/C and its supporters. Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf RDC Councillor-Region 6
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Sunday August 05, 2018
All oil contracts should be subject to renegotiation-UNDP By Kiana Wilburg Oil contracts are not set in stone. If there are fiscal arrangements that leave a country holding the short end of the proverbial stick, then renegotiation is not an unreasonable expectation. This is essentially the viewpoint of a report that was facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). That report was written by Anthony Paul, Principal Consultant of the Association of Caribbean Energy Specialists Ltd. In the document that was handed over since 2016, Paul noted that one of the basic rules of contract renegotiation is that the minute one party opens an agreement up for review; all terms are up for discussion. It therefore means that Guyana during its review of the ExxonMobil oil deal in 2016 was in a position to renegotiate to the state’s benefit, all fiscal terms. Nothing was off limits. For future contracts, it was recommended that Guyana puts in place a strat-
egy for renegotiating contracts. Paul said that this must include engaging an experienced negotiator. As with other such advisory services, Paul said that if such a person is taken on, use should be made of her/his presence to train and mentor Guyanese staff from the Ministry and other agencies, involved in contract negotiations. Paul also said that Guyana’s authorities must get clarity on terms it may want to review and this is regardless of the security of certain terms. He said that Guyana may want to review terms that relate to the extension of licences, sale of assets, opportunities to capture capital gains taxes, local content and capacity development, procurement rules and strategies, cost recovery limitations etc. CHATHAM HOUSEAGREES In an effort to ensure transparency and accountability, Chatham House is another international agency which has advised Guyana to input renegotiation and periodic review clauses in all oil contracts. Chatham House is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization based in London. Its mission is to analyze and promote the understanding of major international issues and
…provides strategy to help Guyana
Anthony Paul, Principal Consultant of the Association of Caribbean Energy Specialists Ltd. current affairs. In its 2016 report, Chatham House said that the aforementioned clauses would allow renegotiation when specific triggers are activated. It advised that such a move helps to maximize economic returns to the state. Additionally, Chatham House advised that Guyana and other emerging producers should design fiscal terms that are aligned with a national vision and ensure clear fiscal priorities.
It said that these must also clearly articulate the fiscal terms that govern upstream petroleum activity. Chatham House said, “Emerging producers must also develop simple tax structures. Tax obligations should be defined in the tax code rather than in contractual agreements. This includes provisions for taxing capital gains earned by companies that sell or assign their rights or part of their rights before or during production.” The London-based organization said, “New producers seeking capital for exploration should focus on requiring viable work programmes in order to encourage drilling activity. To attract and retain investors, the use of progressive, flexible fiscal formulas and royalties that respond to changes in profitability is particularly recommended.” It added, “Emerging producers must strive to reduce the knowledge asymmetries they encounter in negotiations with foreign oil companies. For example, governments can engage consultants or technical advisers to evaluate the baseline conditions for the award of acreage. “To simplify negotiations, emerging producers should move as many contract elements as possible into laws and regulations that apply across licences.” Chatham House said that
new circumstances, such as a major discovery being made, or a rise in commodity prices, may prompt many producers to seek to change the terms of their contracts with foreign companies. It said that similarly, low prices may prompt companies to ask governments for revisions of terms. Chatham House said that Governments should respect existing contracts, and their first remedy when changes become needed should be to amend future licensing. HELPISAVAILABLE If Government so desires, it would be able to tap into the expertise of an international group, which helps countries in the successful renegotiation of contracts on a pro bono basis. The group is called the International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP). Over the past 17 years, with support from law firms, foundations and government agencies, ISLP has mobilized hundreds of experienced lawyers to provide more than $100 million worth of pro bono legal assistance in support of just, accountable and inclusive development in more than 80 countries. The Project was successful in helping Liberia renegotiate its contracts with Arcelor Mittal S.A., a German-based steel manufacturing company and American company
Firestone Tire and Rubber. The group has also helped other countries across the world in the renegotiation of oil contracts. ISLP is also no stranger to Guyana as it has provided support to the Attorney General’s Office for the review of Guyana’s Cyber Crime Bill and Electronic Transactions Bill. CALL FOR RENEGOTIATION Local commentators have also expressed concern over the lopsided deal Guyana signed with ExxonMobil, especially when it is compared with the agreement Exxon Mobil signed onto with the African country, Ghana. The glaring disparities between the two contracts also underscore the need for the Guyana-ExxonMobil contract to be scrutinized by Parliament, critics say. The Ghanaian contract, for example, has an entire section dedicated to procurement laws, which ExxonMobil must follow at all times. Those provisions are in place to ensure that a significant number of the local companies are able to benefit from the nation’s oil sector. On the other hand, Guyana’s contract mentions nothing about procurement laws. Given the aforementioned and other factors, locals have been calling for the contract to be renegotiated.
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Dem boys seh... China baiting Soulja Bai like how an old scamp gat he eyes pun yuh 13-year-old daughter The world has no space for fools. Old people seh suh and is true. Dem boys seh if yuh can’t keep yuh head on then cat will surely eat you and your family tea, breakfast and dinner. That is exactly what China is now doing to almost 70 countries of this world. And dem now add Guyana to that list. Dem bait Guyana wid money when a Vice President was passing through de region waving money. Jagdeo, like a prostitute, couldn’t tek ee eye off de money. He grab and that is how Guyana end up wid de US$200 million Skeldon Plant and de US$150 million airport project among others. Wha China do to Jagdeo and wha dem now want to do to Granger resemble an old scamp trying to ketch li’l 13-year-old gyal. She and she family living in a small home; she parents barely making ends meet in de house. Daddy is a carpenter and mammie wukking as a maid. De man
does walk to and from wuk every day. Up come de old scamp like de shart Baccoo and offer de man a motorbike fuh go to wuk.Daddy eyes light up. “Thanks, thanks, thank you brother you are a god sent.” De next day, the old scamp carry de bike home and give de daddy in front he nice, nice wife and dem children include de li’l 13-year-old gyal.After a few weeks, de old scamp drop in and offer de wife to put a nice veranda pun she house, fuh free. Mammy seh, “Yes. Yes thank you sir.” She too don’t know de old scamp eyeing she small daughter. The same month, he come back again, this time offering dem a way how to mek money. He tell both parents how he can buy a car fuh dem that they can put to work hire and make $10,000 per day and all them have to give him is $3000 plus de interest on de car.The whole house when dem hear that started jumping fuh joy. Even de 13-yearold join in de celebration. De poor child don’t know what
is in store fuh she body. De old scamp, like China, tell dem how dem have to put up de house as security. De parents suh gullible, dem agree.After a few months, the car ain’t even making the $3,000 fuh pay he much less de interest. Like dem countries that find demself in de China debt trap, de family find dem-self in a bind and the man seh, “You know I have to tek back de car, you house plus ah want that 13-year-old.” This happens when yuh stupid and gat shine eyes fuh other people things. Like de bait wid de motorbike, China give Guyana a conference hall fuh free. De building nearly fall down. Dem boys seh when yuh have shine eye parents, yuh does lose you li’l gyal pickney. When you have Govt officials wid shine eyes, de whole country does lef wid a pole from China. Talk half and hope Soulja Bai ain’t got shine eye.
Three years into the project, Pakistan... (From page 3) Project, “debt-trap diplomacy.” The European Union and Indian officials also have stepped up criticisms of the Belt and Road initiative, saying it lacks transparency and sustainability and is designed to expand China’s strategic influence. With the U.S. freezing all security aid and winding down economic support this year, Pakistani officials now say its financial future lies in emulating China’s emergence as a low-cost manufacturing hub. Some diplomats believe China will keep throwing money at Pakistan, regardless of the returns. China and Pa-
kistan have had close ties since the 1950s, when each saw the other as a counterweight to India. Many Pakistani and Chinese business leaders are skeptical about Pakistan’s potential as a trade route, especially if railway upgrades are cancelled. The only land route across the border into western China is a two-lane road over the 16,000-foot Khunjerab Pass. It is closed four months of the year by snow, and passes through a region claimed by India. On a recent visit, a Journal reporter saw little traffic.
At the other end of the proposed route, Gwadar has failed to attract significant cargo traffic. Beijing had hoped the Orange Line and other early projects would have been finished in time to help secure victory for Pakistan’s ruling party in July, last, according to people involved. This did not happen. The country now has a new Prime Minister, Imran Khan. He was elected just two weeks ago. Last year, the old Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, was dismissed as prime minister and in July, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for corruption.
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Dr. Bynoe has no experience in Oil and Gas Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram is of the firm view that the President’s selection and appointment of economist, Dr. Mark Bynoe, as Head the Department of Energy, leaves more questions than answers as the country prepares for its oil and gas sector. In his recent writings, Ram noted that Dr. Bynoe has zero experience in oil and gas. In this regard, Ram said that Dr. Bynoe was identified in a 2017 news report in Caribbean Climate, a regional climate change blog, as a senior environment and resource economist with the Belize-based Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC). The CCCCC helps countries develop G r e e n C l i m a t e Fund programmes, acts as a vehicle for the dissemi-
… appointment leaves more questions than answers - Ram
Head of Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe
Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram
nation of relevant information to help the Green Cli-
mate Fund process and (Continued on page 71)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday August 05, 2018
100 percent renewable energy by 2025 may not be achievable Head, Office of Climate Change, (OCC) Janelle Christian, on Friday acknowledged that the target of 100 percent renewable energy use by 2025 may have to be revisited given the new dynamics created by the emerging Oil and Gas Sector and discovery of natural gas. Speaking before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations, Christian said, “Coming out of the studies, there are so many things that need to be considered as a country to get to any ambition.” She said 100 percent renewable energy use within seven years would require lots of financial resources, infrastructure, capacity building, legislative changes and development of specific policies. Christian informed the Committee that the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) has committed support, through a window titled “NDC Invest” where it works with countries to review their NDCs and ensure that they have realistic investment plans, as well as clear targets to achieve those goals. “I believe that given the
Head of Office of Climate Change (OCC), Janelle Christian extensive research done over the last three years, it is clear that we cannot reach to the goal of 100 percent by 2025,” hence the need for review, Christian said. Representative, Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Shevonne Wood, highlighted that a Power Generation Expansion study and a Renewable Energy and Distribution study were conducted in 2016. Support was then received from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to update the Power Generation Expansion study to arrive at a more informed renewable energy target. She said a feasibility study for an offshore natural gas pipeline and LPG separation plant and electricity infrastructure is currently ongoing. Asked by the Committee Chair, Gail Teixeira, about the inclusion of natural gas in that
plan, explained that natural gas will be used as a transition fuel to eventually get to a renewable energy position. This is based on Guyana’s present position as it relates to diesel use. Natural Gas, Wood noted, would place the country in a “cleaner position” in terms of the energy sector.She noted too that when the NDC was prepared the dynamics that exist today were not occurring. “There is need to review the target based on the information that is available today,” the GEA representative said. Wood also pointed to Government’s plans of establishing a number of small hydropower plants across the country as it begins the transition to renewable energy.
Sunday August 05, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Almost 500 fleeing Venezuela in Region One -Region urges more supplies, better collaboration
Regional Chairman, Brentnol Ashley handing over some supplies on behalf of the Region yesterday to a family.
A few of the Venezuelans are camping out in this structure at Yarakita, Region One.
A few of the Venezuelan migrants. As Government continues to grapple with an evolving situation in Region One, where scores of Venezuelans have fled from their homeland, authorities there are calling for closer collaboration to deal with the situation. Regional Chairman, Brentnol Ashley, disclosed that the situation is getting serious for the Region with about 500 Venezuelans now camped out in a number of areas. Government has signaled intentions to establish a settlement for the mainly indigenous Venezuelans. The Civil Defence Commission and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) disclosed last week that they were prepositioning supplies in Regions One, Seven and Nine to deal with the growing situation. According to the Regional Chairman, the almost 500 persons are scattered in a number of areas
including White Water, Yarakita and Smith Creek. “Yes, I can confirm to you that in the Region, we are not comfortable how many of the families are living with drinking water among one of the main issues.” Ashley had raised the issue a few weeks ago, appealing for supplies. The issue is being looked at seriously by Government with a national committee, headed by Minister in charge of Citizenship, Winston Felix. Supplies have been taken to Region One. However, according to the Chairman, there needs to be more collaboration to determine how and where the supplies are being taken. “Many families are not receiving and are in dire need of help.” He explained that in one case, there were three families using one drum to catch water from a troolie-thatched roof. ”They are hoping for rains with the drum almost empty,” Ashley said. In some
cases, the Warrau-tribe Venezuelans were living in makeshift areas with mudfloors.”The Regional Chairman also said that plans by the administration to establish a settlement at Farm Corp is not such a good idea. “We are talking about indigenous people who are accustomed to swimming, fishing, and paddling. I have seen some of the Venezuelans walking a few miles just to swim.” Guyana would be worried about the control of wholesale movements of Venezuelans with Trinidad and Colombia battling a major problem. Fortunately, for Guyana, the difficult terrain is making it harder for them to travel to the coastlands although there are reports of it happening. Venezuela is facing major shortages of food, medicines with unrest and inflation high. The oil-rich neighbouring nation ran into problems after oil prices fell about three years ago.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday August 05, 2018
GMC offers unique marketing opportunities for small agro-processors
UMAMI prepares to showcase their items at the recently concluded Agro-processors’ Exhibition last week. “I cannot believe we have so many nicely packaged items made right here in Guyana,” said a woman who was shopping at the recently concluded Agro-processors’’ Exhibit, hosted by the Guyana Marketing Corporation last week. Ten agro-processors, who all have products in the Guyana Shop, were given a unique opportunity to market their items at the outer premise of the Republic Bank, Camp and Robb Streets. The exhibition began Friday, July 13, and was held
every Wednesday and Friday for the rest of the month. UMAMI, INAVA, the Women’s Agro-Processors Development Network (WADNET), Kingdom Apiary, D’ Body Therapy, Roosters and Royal were the first set to participate in the first phase of the Agro-processors’ Exhibit. The booths were surrounded by shoppers and curious Guyanese as the agro-processors showcased their items. Persons from all walks of life stopped to shop, sample and asked questions about the
various items that were on display on the days of the exhibit. According to representatives from all the companies that participated in the Agro-processors’ Exhibit, the response from the public was overwhelming and the opportunity is one that persons should take advantage of when offered. “The response from this exhibition has been really good; members of the public came out and asked questions about the product and the company. In addition to that, persons were impressed with what UMAMI
Some of the women from the Women’s Agro-Processors Development Network displaying their products at the recently concluded Agro-processors’ Exhibition last week. has to offer, especially given that Persons purchasing they were unable to tell that our products are local coconut water from because of how beautifully Roosters last Friday. packaged they are, “ said Michelle Reidwald, a representative from UMAMI. “We are always willing to be a part of any exhibition offered by the Guyana Marketing Corporation because it gives added exposure for any company, especially a small agroprocessor, would needs it,” Reidwald added. Ms. Celestine Butters, Manager of the Packaging Facilities at the Guyana Marketing Corporation shared similar sentiments. “The exposure and sales were overwhelming for the (continued on page 66)
Sunday August 05, 2018
Kaieteur News
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Sunday August 05, 2018
Kaieteur News
Coverage of Guyana’s financial sector deemed poor …Nation has fewer bank branches per capita than its regional neighbours - Report
The Coalition Government’s focus is on creating opportunities through the green economy.
Guyana’s private financial system is considered reliable and stable. The six commercial banks, three foreign and three national, which make up the system, are the largest and most important financial institutions therein. Guyana’s commercial banks are well-capitalized, holding reserves equal to over 160% of required reserves at the end of November 2016. Together, they accounted for assets equivalent to 98.8% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2010. However, coverage of the financial sector is still poor. This was highlighted in the Framework of the Guyana Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) and Financing Mechanisms. The report was prepared by the United Nations in partnership with the Ministry of the Presidency. It was noted that Guyana
has fewer bank branches per capita than its neighbours, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname (8.4 per 100,000 people in Guyana versus 13.0 in Trinidad and Tobago and 11.1 in Suriname). According to the report, there are also fewer ATMs per capita (16.7 per 100,000 people in Guyana versus 41.0 in Trinidad and Tobago and 47.8 in Suriname). The report states that Port Kaituma and Lethem are the only hinterland communities with bank branches. In fact, many hinterland residents must make costly overnight trips to access financial services. Further to this, the Green State Development Framework noted that NonBank Financial Institutions are the next largest financial group with assets equivalent to 42% of GDP in 2010. They include mortgage providers, trusts, credit unions and pension funds.
The nine insurance companies are the next largest group by assets, equivalent to 16.6% of GDP. The document explained that the commercial banking sector accepts deposits, provides loans, makes payments in both domestic and foreign currency, and supports import and export financing. The Green State Development Strategy is expected to guide Guyana’s economic and socio-cultural development over the next 15 years. It will lay the new Coalition Government’s principle foundations for inclusive green economic and social growth, provide a roadmap for achieving sustainable development goals and related targets, and outline a long-term vision for a prosperous and equitable future. The objective of (Continued on page 15)
Sunday August 05, 2018
Kaieteur News
PAGE 15
Public Infrastructure officials meets with PSC…
Future of Berbice Bridge, Linden/Lethem road condition raised Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, and a team from his Ministry, including Minister in the Ministry, Annette Ferguson, on Friday held wide-ranging discussions with a delegation from the Private Sector Commission (PSC) on infrastructure projects including roads, bridges, airstrips, stellings, sea defenses, ports and a deep-water harbour. “The more than two-hour long meeting with the PSC delegation headed by the Governance Sub-Committee Chairman Capt. Gerry Gouveia, was convened to facilitate the PSC being brought up to date with current and future plans for key aspects of the nation’s infrastructure development, and to identify some issues with which the private sector is concerned.” According to the Commission, among the key decisions arising out of the meeting is the re-establishment of periodic meetings between the Public Infrastructure Ministry and the infrastructure sub-committee of the PSC to provide for the exchange of information and input from the private sector in the decision making and implementation processes regarding infrastructure development. “This will begin with the PSC providing the Ministry with regular feedback about the state of airstrips in hinterland communities so as to ensure that these remain in good condition and safe for use by aircraft serving these communities.” There was also detailed discussion on the issue of the future viability of the Berbice Bridge Company with a decision taken to further discuss
Minister Patterson and his team with the PSC officials. a number of options advanced to ensure the ongoing good condition and safety of the bridge. In bringing the PSC delegation up to date with the state of hinterland roads, Minister Patterson disclosed that current repairs to the Linden to Lethem road will be completed by the end of August. There had been widespread complaints about the state of the road following the last rainy season. The Ministry’s team of technicians at the meeting explained that quarterly maintenance of the road has proven insufficient and that a monthly schedule of maintenance has now been put in place. “Emergency work has also been undertaken to fix four hinterland roads among those identified by the Forestry Association; seven of 12 roads identified by the Guyana Manufacturers and Services Association (GM&SA); and the top four identified by the Gold and Diamond Miners (Continued on page 72)
Coverage of Guyana’s financial... From page 14 the strategy is to reorient and diversify Guyana’s economy, reducing reliance on traditional sectors and opening up new sustainable income and investment opportunities in higher value adding and higher growth sectors. Importantly, the present document is the proposed “Framework” for
Guyana´s Green State Development Strategy providing guidance on the prioritized areas to be developed in the strategy. It does not give in-depth detail specificity for the GSDS, but rather lays out the elements to be examined and consulted upon during the course of the GSDS’ development (April to December 2017).
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Sunday August 05, 2018
Kaieteur News
Tumor victim seeks financial help After being diagnosed with a tumor in the head, 26year-old Tiffany Williams of Eccles, East Bank Demerara is now seeking the public assistance with funding a life saving surgery in the United States of America (USA). According to Michelle Henry, a relative of the ill w o m a n , Wi l l i a m s w h o worked at the Demerara Harbour Bridge was at a family function some time last year, when she fainted and fell down a flight of stairs. Thereafter, Williams was taken to the Georgetown
Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where a tumor was discovered in her head following a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). According to medical documents seen by this publication, Williams is a known patient to the Neurosurgery Clinic where she was examined by two doctors. An MRI of the brain revealed irregular heterogeneous enhancing mass lesion to the right temporal region. Doctors say that the MRI finding is consistent with diagnosis of Pilocytic
Astrocytoma, a brain tumor that occurs more often in children and young adults. Although Williams’s situation is not life threatening nor is the tumor growing rapidly, it has been affecting her nervous systems. In fact, she is partially paralyzed to the right side of her body and his dependent on her mother to carry out day-to-day activities. She has blurred vision in one of her eyes. “She (Williams) cannot do anything on her own. Her mother has been taking care
of her and the child,” Henry related. Ever since the diagnosis, Williams was forced to leave her job due to the daily battle with excruciating headaches, numbness and blurred vision. Speaking with this publication, Williams expressed, “I am just seeking assistance to save my life.” She related that the cost for the operation is estimated at between US$60,000 and US$65,000, which is equivalent to between $13,000,000 and $13, 650,000.
Apart from this, she still needs funding for hospitalization, after surgery care, medication and other associated costs. Upon visiting her yesterday, she was seen interacting with her beautiful six-year-old daughter. Nevertheless, Williams expressed that she was doing fine. In the meantime, the Ministry of Public Health has donated $1M in aid of funding the much needed operation. The Demerara Harbour Bridge has also made a
monetary donation towards offsetting the cost of the operation. Her condition is getting worse each day, and according to doctors, the necessary resources for Sterostatic guided biopsy and/or tumor removal is not available in Guyana. Williams is hoping to undergo treatment at The University of Vermont Medical Center. Persons desirous of assisting Williams can contact her on 592-612-0664. Contributions can also be deposited to Republic Bank account #225-951-3.
Sunday August 05, 2018
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Kaieteur News
---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---
I have some difficulty with the president’s rebuke of Black people on Emancipation Eve
A
ccording to media reports, President Granger used the occasion of the Emancipation Eve event at Beterverwagting to deliver what one media house described as a “hardhitting” speech in which he rebuked African Guyanese for not lifting themselves as their fore-parents did. It was one of those moments that caused all of Guyana to stop and listen because the rebuke came from the leader of the country and the political leader of Black people in Guyana on a day when those people turn out in their numbers to celebrate the anniversary of freedom from the worst form of human bondage. Twist it or turn it, Emancipation Day is a sacred moment for Black people—a moment of memory of bondage and of overcoming and defeating bondage. It is a moment of celebration of the best of the African spirit. It is also a moment of sisterhood and brotherhood, of Black unity within the context of Black diversity. It is a moment of sober reflection on the road traveled from 1838 to the present . It is a moment when Black people must ultimately confront their present condition. So, what is said on that day has great meaning. As I read the president’s words, I detected an attempt to grapple and confront the current Black Guyanese condition. I, myself attempted to do so in my column last week. Five years ago, as part of the leadership of Cuffy250 organization, I suggested that we title our annual forum, “The State of African Guyanese Forum” and use the occasion to reflect on the current condition of the group. President Granger gave the keynote address at four of the five forums we have held to date and on each occasion, he spent part of his address speaking frankly to the state of African Guyanese. It was always appreciated, and his comments never raised concerns.
So, I am at one with President Granger in openly and frankly confronting the current state of African Guyanese. He observed some negative tendencies that have taken root among sections of the Black community. They are not universal among the group, but they are prevalent enough to be cause for concern. Self-critique is vital to democratic deliberations and it is the highest form of critique. Selfcritique could be uncomfortable for the group, but when criticisms come from within, it, more often than not, comes from a place of love. I think President Granger loves Black people—he has spent a lot of his academic and journalistic energies unearthing Black history and constructing Black narratives of resistance and pride. But, having said that, I must admit that I have some difficulty with his rebuke. There was something about the tone, the generalization, a kind of “talking down” rather than “reasoning” and a seeming lack of responsibility to the group that bother me. Excerpts from the president’s speech are worth quoting: “You must be ashamed if you do not have work. Some people are proud that they don’t have work. They want a raise. They always want a raise. People get a raise today, they expect to come back… to come back to want another raise, but we’ll have to promote self-employment in this village and other villages,” Granger said. “Go out there and use your talent to enrich yourself and your children. That is economic emancipation. We must go out there and use our talents. If we make our living by hanging around the corner and liming at the Guinness Bar, we will be forever poor but if we go into our farm, go into our workshop, go into our schools we will be able to bring prosperity,” he said.
“Let’s put our monies in boats, buses and bicycles, not in vodka, rum and gin. Let’s put the children first. If our fore-parents were drunkards, we won’t be here today, but they saved their money and they bought these villages not for themselves but for future generations.” My first difficulty is with the very notion of self-critique coming from the president. While the president justifiably feels free to admonish his people in the open for their bad ways, he heads a government that is most intolerant of internal self-critique. No member party of the governing coalition has felt free to criticize the government in the open on any issue. The WPA, of which I am a leading member, has been severely criticized for publicizing its own marginalization—the outcome has been further marginalization. At a personal level, I, along with Lincoln Lewis, have been removed as a columnist from the sate-owned newspaper on instructions from the highest level of the government for engaging in self-critique of the government. The president did not condemn that act or separate himself from it or order an inquiry, which has been his preferred mode of justice. Lincoln Lewis and I are known supporters of the government and our criticisms come from a place of concern and love. There is a double standard in the president feeling free to rebuke his people for their shortcomings while his government punishes supporters for rebuking them, the government for their shortcomings. My second problem with the president’s rebuke has to do with the context of his comments. He was addressing his rebuke to poor Black people. He is a successful Black man. He is their leader. He got opportunities that they don’t now have. Yes, he is right to talk about their bad
The Baccoo Speaks There will be another clash between the police and suspected bandits. There will be an attack on a shopper but the police would be nearby. An alarm would go up and the police would pursue the suspected bandits. One would be caught. It would turn out that this one would be out on bail for a similar offence. ** Another disaster would
occur on an outing. There would be a drowning that would surprise everyone. No one would see the swimmer
go under. This would spark suspicions of foul play. ** There is going to be another report of child sex molestation. The victim would be a pre-teen and the abusers would be close relatives. There is going to be an accusation that the Child Care and Protection Agency is foot-dragging. Meanwhile there is also going to be an accusation of child abuse.
priorities, the bad attitude of some of them to work and education and the “raise” mentality that resides in their midst. But these are poor peopl e whose options are limited, who exist in a state of hopelessness and who often lack the enabling environment to encourage alternative choices. We who have escaped the clutches of the ghetto have to be very careful when we seek to rebuke those who are left behind. In trying to urge them towards a different way we must try to climb down from our social perch of relative privilege and power and try to get into their minds and heads. We must try to avoid talking down to them or appearing to do so and strive to reason with them instead. I don’t get the impression that the president was in a reasoning mood at BV. So, his message came over negatively— as anti-poor and smelling of the traditional black-stereotypes that have been the narrative of those who feel blackness is inherently inferior. It must also be pointed out that liming and having a drink or two are part of leisure—a vital part of human existence. True, too much of it could take away from other aspects of human endeavor. To his credit, the president seemed to be arguing against leisure as a substitute for work. But that got lost in the tone of his remarks. My third difficulty with the president’s speech is that after rebuking Black people,
he left them with little hope. He is the most powerful person in Guyana. His power came from the votes of mostly Black people, including some of those same drunkards and bad-way people he rebuked. Some of them put down the bottle and the hustle, stopped liming and voted for him and the Coalition in May 2015. Many of them voted for us because they wanted an opportunity to do better. President Granger and the Coalition promised them that if we won power, we would help them. Now that we have the power, we seem to be telling the “go help yourselves.” No, Mr. President, that is not right or fair or just. We have to go back to these very people in 2020 and ask for their votes. You, Mr. President, have the power to make a difference in the lives of those poor Black people. Having rebuked them, you promised them no big policy to help then own the “boats, buses and bicycles” you urged them to aspire to. Where are they going to get the loans or start-up capital from, for example? Mr. President your brilliant career as a military man came because of government investment in you and your generation. Now that you hold the reins of government, you should do the same for the present generation—invest in them. Rebuke them, but when you are done, tell them what your government will do to help them to do bet-
Dr David Hinds ter. Government policy is not hand-out—it is part of what government was created for. That is a major role of government in post-plantation societies. There is no country in the world where the descendants of the enslaved lifted themselves without the deliberate intervention of government. Even the most stubborn of them, the USA, saw it fit to enact an affirmative action policy. Those people empowered the president and the government to help them. It is my considered view that the bad habits which the president correctly identified and criticized would decrease if and when his government put in place policies that target the structural problems of the black community. A PPP government would never see that as their principal task. The president is not a disinterested party in the scenario he lamented at BV. 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 05, 2018
Kaieteur News
By Michael Jordan What else could go wrong on a night like this? That’s what we all thought on Thursday, May 9, 2013. Police had found the bodies of two young lovers in a car at Pearl, East Bank of Demerara; victims of a murder/suicide. The reporter who had covered the story had left for the day. After all, what else could go so tragically wrong? But just before midnight, something did. A loud explosion shook houses in Area Q, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara – a quiet, upscale community also known as GuySuCo Scheme. Those who rushed to the scene of the explosion were greeted by the eerie sight of flames emanating from a concrete, two-storey house in the community. The blast had punched a huge hole in one of the walls. Residents could see the flickering flames through the gaping hole. The Lot 22 property belonged to 54-year-old businessman Totaram Mootoo, also known as ‘Beer’, and his 48-year-old wife, Bhajmattie Mootoo. Sheik Yaseen, a close friend of the couple, would later state that he had heard two gunshots prior to the blast. One of the first at the scene, Yaseen reportedly observed a white car with tinted windows driving away from the area. Yaseen also noticed that both of Mr. Mootoo’s ve-
The gutted building
Undertakers remove one of the bodies
hicles were parked outside the premises. But where were Totaram and Bhajmattie? Close relatives tried to reach the couple on their cell phones. They got no answer. Snapping off the padlock from one of the gates, Yaseen
Totaram Mootoo and his wife, Bhajmattie
entered the house via an unlocked door in the bottom flat. But the intense heat drove him back. Firefighters arrived at the scene shortly after. They eventually gained control of the blaze and began to scour the house. Shortly after midnight, Totaram Mootoo’s badly burned body, with hands bound behind his back with duct-tape, was found in the couple’s master bedroom. Nearby, investigators found his wife’s charred remains. They found no trace of Mr. Mootoo’s licensed handgun. It was all too clear that police were dealing with a brutal double-murder. Investigators concluded that the killers arrived shortly before 11.00 p.m. on Thursday, May 9 at the Mootoos’ home. It is believed that the businessman did not feel threatened by his visitors, so he let them in. It is believed that the visitors and their intended target conversed at a table and even had refreshments. Then things quickly turned ugly. Some sources believe that after that ‘decent conversation’, the visitors forced the Mootoos to accompany them to the couple’s bedroom, where they duct-taped the businessman’s hands behind his back. It is believed that the visitors tortured the couple and forced Mr. Mootoo to open a money safe in his room. The killers then placed a 20pound gas cylinder on the bed and ignited it. The cylinder ‘bomb’ blew a hole in the
bedroom wall and tore off parts of the zinc-sheet roof. Fragments of a gas cylinder were found on the bed and other fragments in the yard. A post mortem confirmed that the Mootoos were alive when the killers detonated their ‘bomb’. They had succumbed to extensive burns and smoke inhalation. Both victims also sustained blunt trauma. An investigator at the scene would later remark that he had seen explosives such as grenades used in other local killings, but never a gas cylinder. He said that the use of the gas cylinder was reminiscent to crude incendiary devices used in bombings in Iraq.But who could have planned such a cruel death for the Mootoos? Detectives were unable to glean any information from surveillance cameras in the community. The fire had also destroyed the sole surveillance camera on the slain couple’s home. Some of the detectives knew Totaram Mootoo. He was once incarcerated and later freed for manslaughter. He had operated a rum shop and subsequently became involved in several businesses, including money-changing, gold mining and the sale of fuel. Some close relatives of the slain man said that he had repeatedly complained of being owed large sums of money. Police also received reports that Mootoo was expected to collect some $57M on the Thursday that he was
killed. This pointed to a theory of someone killing the couple to avoid paying off their debts. But everything else suggested that someone with a proficiency in executionstyle killings had murdered the couple. Some pointed to the fact that two of Mootoo’s close associates, Intaz Roopnarine and Jason Wills, were gunned down a few months earlier.These sources, including some police ranks, suggested that the victims were slain by persons linked to a foreign gang that had accused some Guyanese of fleecing them of a substantial amount of money. There were reports that Mootoo had recently sold a plot of land for some $40M, allegedly with the intention of paying his debt. However, the individual to whom he sold the property failed to pay him immediately. The businessman was still waiting for payment when he was executed. Police officials sharply dismissed this theory. Meanwhile, investigators detained then released, three of Mootoo’s close associates, including a bodyguard and a handyman. But some three weeks later, one of Totaram Mootoo’s brothers contacted me. He had flown in from overseas. He was convinced that two avaricious men with very, very close ties to the couple plotted their death. He believed that the men hired a close associate of his brother to carry out the execution. According to the brother, the two suspects stood to reap huge financial gains from his brother’s demise. According to the brother, he learned about the couple’s death sometime after 03:45 hrs on May 10, 2013, after receiving a call from one of his brothers. He said that two
suspects immediately came to mind, and he subsequently received information that seemed to confirm his suspicions.The man said that he contacted the couple’s two sons, who subsequently travelled to Guyana. Mootoo’s brother suggested that the murder plot was hatched about a month prior to the Mootoos’ execution. He also believes that someone tampered with the surveillance equipment in the couple’s residence. According to the brother, Totaram Mootoo was in the habit of keeping large sums of currency in his home and was upset after several million in local currency disappeared from his residence. He claimed that the moneychanger kept two safes in his residence and alleged that one of the safes had disappeared. He suggested that the individuals who plotted his brother’s death paid off the killers with some of the cash from his sibling’s stolen safe. Police sources later confirmed that the brother and an in-law of Totaram Mootoo had relayed their suspicions to them.Mootoo’s brother at the time had said that he was determined to assist the police in every possible way to bring the killers to justice. But five years later, the case appears to have gone in the direction of other executionstyle killings; that is, nowhere. If you have any information about any 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 ident i t y . You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address mjdragon@hotmail.com and kamarangnight@gmail.com
Sunday August 05, 2018
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Kaieteur News
==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
After Krauss, questions a nation must but won’t ask I have spent my entire life in struggle in this country. I know no other life but one of struggle. It started out when I was sixteen. I am in my mid-sixties and yet I am still involved. It has not been a pleasant journey, because when you have a family they suffer too as a result of your praxis. Next February would be forty years of marriage to Janet Kissoon, and both she and my daughter have had to suffer from my activism.Looking back over those fifty years I cannot say and will not say I know my country and that I have seen the fruits of my sacrifice. A better word to use would be results. I see my sacrifice and I see the results and what I see is a country that hasn’t changed in moral, philosophical, humane ways since my journey began almost fifty years ago. In 2018, Guyana is different from when my radicalism began, but is different in the large buildings, fast food res-
taurants, smart phones, internet, ATM cards etc. But those things do not define a nation. The possession of a soul, the instincts of humanity, the philosophical fulcrums on which a country rest, I don’t see in Guyana. Mr. Krauss described Guyana using terms that the outsider will feel is a country yet to take its place in the modern world. Mr. Krauss’ playbook was replete with stereotypical, cultural bias that Third World scholars have long understood through the brilliance of our own scholars of which for me Edward Said’s book, Orientalism, stands out. Krauss was wrong in countless ways, but deep in the Freudian walls of the minds of the Guyanese people, Krauss picked up on a country that is hopelessly backward. But the frightening thing about this awareness that Krauss is right, is that we who accept that Krauss is right, brought into being the
canvas that Krauss painted. We can stop another Krauss coming in another year, but will we?There is so much that is profoundly disturbing and deeply scary about my country that sometimes I wonder if I threw away fifty years of my life and did an immense wrong in marrying and bringing a kid on board. For me, Guyana is not your average fallen down country. It is a formation that stands outside universal civilization. To offer the picture you do not know where to start. I was trained as an historian and I went on to study philosophy, and that combination offers you a powerful insight into understanding the evolution of people living together in community. One of the values that civilization enjoys is academia. The university has always been one of the most beautiful values civilization gave to its citizens. People love university life and do not want to part with it. It is a universal spirit in youth.
Not so in Guyana. On my parents’ grave, I swear that in my 26 years as an academic at UG, there has not been one student that I asked, who told me he/she loved UG. The refrain in my 26 years went like this – “Mr. Kissoon, I can’t wait to get out.” The concept of service drives all nations. From ancient times to the present, service is what humans living together in community expect. In Guyana, service is a debased value and its almost non-existent life tortures and torments the people of this country. Since the state is coterminous with society then when state service disappears, service disappearances nation-wide. In every sphere of activity in this country, service is either deplorable, accompanied by vexation, and the receiver is
treated as if they are mere servants wanting something. There is hardly an exception. Guyana has the most crass and crude medical doctors, who mistreat patients. Nurses are the same. NIS employees are the same. Bank employees are the same. Public sector attendants are the same and this takes in all ministries, all public sector organizations; university lecturers are the same. Private and state security personnel, male and female, higher and lower ranks operate as if the people they serve are their slaves that they can talk down to. From President through to Prime Minister down to ministers and permanent secretaries, they do not put value on service to people. They treat citizens with condescending attitudes. Clients have to run after their lawyers.
Frederick Kissoon In the private sector, a CEO never takes a call unless it is from a prominent citizen. This columnist once spoke directly to Prime Ministers, Michael Manley of Jamaica and Olof Palme of Sweden. Never, never, would an ordinary person have that delight in Guyana. Krauss was partially right and partially wrong. What he was right about is spreading like wildfire.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday August 05, 2018
ONE MORE REASON WHY PPP SHOULD NEVER GOVERN THIS COUNTRY AGAIN
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ast week, Justice Donald Trotman presented his longawaited report of the investigation into the 2008 Lindo Creek Massacre. Based on the comments made during the presentation, we conclude that that gruesome incident presents one more reason why the People’s Progressive Party should remain out of government for a long while yet. In last week’s column we had said that Guyanese were healed from the wounds inflicted on us during the era of urban terror, the 2000’s, but in truth, we are not quite as
well healed, not enough to withstand another decade of non-stop brutality. If for no other reason, that massacre and the callousness with which it was handled at the highest levels of government, presents another reason why Guyanese must keep the PPP away from decision making. Left to them, the massacre at Lindo Creek would have continued to be passed off as ‘just another’ senseless attack by a gang of domestic terrorists. But according to the recent report, it may have been the work of another bandit gang, or a gang of
rogue law ‘enforcers’. Just after the massacre, we recall, there was widespread belief that some Joint Services ranks who were hunting down the heavilarmed Fine Man gangsters, may have done the deed at Lindo Creek and then covered up their involvement by way of cremation. The evidence given then by the mining camp’s owner, Leonard Arokium, to the authorities included a detailed description of the topography and geography of that vast, remote jungle along the Berbice River. Extrapolations from all of that
information suggested even then that the notorious gang of bandits may not have been the perpetrators of this crime. Arokium did it again recently when he testified at the Commission of Inquiry. He said that it was logistically and geographically impossible for a rag tag gang of sometimes barefoot terrorists to commit this crime which had to have taken a lot of time, manpower and effort. Fine Man and his gang did not have that time, since they were running, hiding and dodging law enforcement search parties that were a step behind them. The implications of Trotman’s report span a broad spectrum, but they circle right back to the turbulent times Guyanese lived in, that saw a record amount of extra judicial killings of known criminals; murders of large numbers of ordinary citizens deliberately and by accident; armed robberies; brutal home invasions for material gain and erasure of certain people; open warfare among gangs; and proliferation of the narcotic drug trade, which became Guyana’s counted parallel economy. That epoch was characterized by a fast dwindling population, people fleeing the country in droves. Some families even took their dead overseas, and then there were the reports of officials and acolytes providing arms and
ammunition, bullet proof vests and vehicles to private militias to do police work. The kicker was the criminal (now in a US prison) caught red handed in possession of really high tech spying equipment, the importation of which carried the imprimatur of officials high up in the governing echelons, according to our news reports. Making brief remarks during the presentation of the report, President Granger vowed that such a period would never be allowed to revisit Guyana. He said, “It was a time of arbitrary arrests; of disappearances and of torture of young men; of the surge in armed robberies, narcotrafficking and gun-running. During that deadly decade, there were 1,317 murders and 7,865 armed robberies”. Guyanese citizens, he said, do not deserve to live in continuous fear, under the threat of violent death. Their lives should not be “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short”. Then he made the nation this promise: “I commit to lifting the veil of dissimulation and deception surrounding the deaths of so many Guyanese citizens. Human safety and respect for the right to life have never been so imperiled as during the first decade of the 21st century – a period to which I have referred as the
‘Troubles’. I stated, in my address to the National Assembly on 13th October 2016: “The ‘Troubles’ will be remembered as the darkest hour of our history. It was a time of the uninvestigated assassination of a Minister; of the investigation into the alleged implication of another Minister in the direction of a ‘death squad’; of the alleged implication of yet another Minister in the acquisition of a computer to track the telephone communication and location of adversaries targeted for assassination…” The President could have gone on and on listing the horrors we lived through with compromised top officials in Government, the Police Force, the civil service, the courts and even the military. Most people would be happy with the recommendation that the families of victims of the mass murders should be compensated. “The basis for recommending compensation is that many of the families have suffered financially from the deaths of their husbands or fathers who were at the time supporting them . They were dependent and now that they have gone there is no economic and financial support and so we feel that compensation should be given them and that has been so recommended,” the report stated.
Sunday August 05, 2018
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Kaieteur News
My column
Going home and passing have replaced death These days there is a lot of euphemism surrounding one’s death. People hardly say that someone is dead. Instead, we would hear that the person has passed or that the person has gone home. Sometimes the message is simply that someone has gone. Then there is the funeral. It is no longer a funeral service; it is a going-home service. Often, too, one is not actually saying farewell; one is celebrating the life of the person. When I was a boy I was dragged to church on every occasion my stepfather had. Being Anglican or as the Americans say these days, being Episcopalian, I served at the altar. In that role I did many things. I carried the crucifix, I served as a boat boy which had nothing to do with boats that sail. It was merely the boy who walked alongside the Churifer—the person swinging the incense pot. My role was to fetch the incense pot into which the priest dug ever so often. We stood out at funerals. We sang the dreary hymns and heard the mournful litany. Of course, people only spoke about the good things that the dearly departed did during his life. Even if he was a criminal the words were soothing.
There was this case of a priest who presided over a funeral in Bare Root, East Coast Demerara. Not far away there was another funeral for one of those who terrorized the country during the crime wave. The priest mistook the corpse for what it was. So he preached about he who lives by the sword would die by the sword. Pandemonium broke out in the church. “He ain’t live by no sword,” the church screamed. It was some time before some semblance of order returned. But it is the procession from the church to the final resting place that takes the cake. Most funeral processions are somber. En route to the cemetery people would drive before the hearse because they “don’t want no dead to lead them”. But there are some that are calypso events. I remember the funeral of the sister of Rita Forrester. The assembly point was Stabroek Market. Needless to say, the snocone carts and the various push carts came out. There was a truck with a steel pan that provided up tempo music. Alcohol flowed and people gyrated. That day it was not all’s well that ends well. A popular character
called Bundarie fell off the truck and died. Since that soul funeral there have been others too numerous to mention. Just Friday there was a big soul funeral, if that is what they are called. There were countless motorcycle riders, colourfully dressed people who caused me to wonder where have the black and the purple gone. In the coffin was one of the five who were shot and killed at Liliendaal a few weeks ago. The man was celebrated as a hero of sorts and I said to myself, he had a lot of friends. Needless to say, the police kept a close eye on the procession, but I wondered if they would have dared to make an arrest had they seen a person of interest. I must admit that the spectacle is worth seeing, because it is so out of the ordinary. Smiling faces at a funeral always takes away the grief and even the fear of dying, I suppose. When my grandmother died way back in 1986 she was led to her grave by a band. The band played up-tempo music from the home until they reached the gates of the church. The priest later wondered why they stopped. His sermon was that this was a
joyous occasion. It might have been for some people, but it wasn’t for me and most of my relatives. Now that I look back, dance music is perhaps the best thing to lead a funeral procession. It adds life to an occasion that is often somber. Of course the dead cannot hear and certainly does not seem to care. My grandmother supervised the construction of her tomb. She even lay on the tomb to ensure that she would have room when they put her there, because she didn’t want to feel hot. She never came back to tell anybody if the place was hot. But picture the heat inside a sealed concrete contraption and tell me that it would not get hot. She wanted a band for whatever reason. So here I am thinking about providing an occasion for a gala party when my passing comes. Wakes are occasions for drinking and merriment. Gone are the days when the older people walked with
their hymn books and sang the mournful hymns while keeping an eye on the coffee and biscuits. These days, biscuits are no longer served. There are copious amounts of liquor, pots of cook up and metagee with loud salt fish, and of course, music. Depending on the mood, there would be oldies or pop music. I never heard dancehall music at wakes, but I heard calypsos and reggae or soca. Not that I care, but it would be nice to ‘sport’ all those who find time to come to my wake. Let there be loud music and bountiful liquor. Let there be mini-skirted girls. Knowing some of the people I know, there would be ‘nuff ganja’ to drunk a horse. While I stay away from the drug, I wouldn’t care who smoked. In fact, I wouldn’t care about a thing. I have told my children not to spend money on a fancy casket and things like that. An old box would do, because the last place I would be would be a crematorium.
Adam Harris And that’s another story. People ask “Why cremation?” Why would I want to leave work for people? They would want to trek to the gravesite on special occasions to paint and to weed. If the place is anything like Le Repentir, they would need axes and the fire service. They would also need pumps to remove the water from the ground. There is no such thing with ashes. But for now life is beautiful; people would have to wait a while for this ‘going home party’ and for the wake. Twenty years is not too long.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday August 05, 2018
Local democracy and economic development By H.E. David Granger
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ocal government is central to fostering democratic decision-making and community development. The Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana states clearly at Article 71(1): Local Government is a vital aspect of democracy and shall be organized as to involve as many people as possible in the task of managing and developing the communities in which they live. Your government, consistent with its Constitution mandate, restored local democracy on 18th March 2016 after an absence of two decades. The Minister of Communities has announced the 12th November 2018 as the date for the conduct of local government elections, the first time in decades that local government elections would be held when lawfully due. The conduct of regular elections reflects government’s sincere commitment to promoting democratic renewal and community development where they count first and most – from the bottom-up. It is manifestation of government’s resolve to empower citizens to take control of their own communities. Local democracy is an appropriate approximation of
Abraham Lincoln’s adage about “…government of the people, by the people and for the people.” It gives common citizens the means of holding their high officials accountable and of removing or rewarding them, or of rejecting or re-electing them, as the case may be, on the basis of their performance. Local democracy allows citizens a greater say in their local democratic organs. It creates the catalyst for transforming their neighbourhoods, villages and communities into centres of human interaction. Local democracy, therefore, is not an academic abstraction. It requires institutions, structures, and systems of governance which can positively transform regions, towns, neighbourhoods, villages and communities and the lives of the citizens who live there. Guyana is divided into administrative regions which, in turn, may be subdivided into municipalities, neighbourhood democratic councils and village councils – three tiers of which constitute local democratic organs. These organs are not an ornamental pyramid. They are as part of the system of devolved governance aimed at ensuring an inclusive and democratic state which will
promote citizen’s well-being. The ‘Constitution’ vests local democratic organs – Regional Democratic Councils, Municipalities, Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and Village Councils – with the authority: … to maintain and protect public property, improve working and living conditions, promote the social and cultural life of the people, raise civil consciousness, preserve law and order, consolidate the rule of law and safeguard the rights of citizens. These are demanding duties. These are vast responsibilities. These functions require collaboration, cooperation and coordination between the various local government organs and Central Government. They require commitment by all and at all levels of government and society. Local government organs must deliver quality public services to residents. The provision of public services is vital to improving the living and working conditions within neighbourhoods and villages. Local government organs are required to provide quality and reliable services such as: - preserving cultural values and propagating customs and mores;
- providing and maintaining bridges, drainage and irrigation structures, roads, security, street-lighting, sanitation, sporting and recreational facilities; and promoting education, employment and economic enterprises, including cottage industries and health. Local government organs must be autonomous to allow them to serve their residents’ best interests. They must not be dominated by or become dependent on, Central Government. Some local democratic organs, particularly at the neighbourhood and village levels, have been weakened. This is not due to any fault of the residents but because of the lack of resources – financial, human and technical – to guarantee the efficient delivery of quality public services to residents. Their revenue base has been constrained; they often lack technical expertise and, as a consequence, become dependent on government subventions to finance their day-to-day operations. VILLAGES I declared 7th November each year as National Day of Villages in recognition of the centrality of villages to the future of our nation. I noted, then, that the majority of Guyanese, for the most part, were children of villages. The majority of our people still live in villages. It was our villages which incubated our nation. Villages are the cradle and crucible of the nation. Villages need not feel that they have been neglected. They are not sleepy hamlets. Residents, indeed, may leave early in the morning to work outside of the village and return in the evenings to sleep. This means that the economic bases of villages need to be rebuilt in order to stimulate local employment and enterprise. The relentless processes of urbanization and migration overseas and to the local the gold and diamond fields, have always tended to depopulate the villages. Villages, through the rebirth of local democracy, could look forward to renewal and revitalization. This process must be led by the neighbourhood democratic councils, working in collaboration with the coordination of the regional democratic councils and Central Government. I repeat the invocation made on the 7th November 2016. The Ministry of Communities will work with the elected local authorities and other stakeholders to
revitalise village economies: village economies must flourish by the establishment of micro- and medium-scale enterprises to generate industries and businesses which will provide employment; by growing food again; producing goods again; providing services again; village lands must bloom again by being placed under cultivation. - village democracy must flourish again through regular local government elections and the selection of local leaders who care for their communities and who represent their constituencies; - village cultural life must be revived. Villages must have happy homes, happy families and happy neighbourhoods. Villages must become socially cohesive units promoting interethnic harmony. Community centres must come alive with athletic, cultural and social activities and trade fairs. Neighbourhood democratic councils must drive the revitalization and renewal of their villages. They must ensure local democracy, revive their cultural lives and rebuild strong village economies. I iterate my recommendation to the National Toshaos Council that consideration should be given to the adoption of village improvement plans (VIPs). These plans should be blueprints for improving the delivery of services in communities countrywide. The VIPs must address, as a priority, four major categories of public services: first, the improvement of access, attendance and achievement in public education should be a major obligation of any administration – local, regional or central. Village councils should ensure that every child attends and graduates from school in order to benefit from the opportunities which education unlocks.; second, employment should not be limited to everyday village life. Opportunities should be opened for your people to be educated as accountants, attorneys, businesspersons, doctors, engineers, managers and other professional occupations. Every child should be given the opportunity to be best that she or he could be. Job-creation, especially through programmes which foster self-employment and entrepreneurship, should be emphasised. Agro-processing, eco-tourism and valueadded manufacturing can be developed to generate incomes to boost the village economies; third, the quality of
human life is linked to the quality of the environment. Plans, therefore, must build environmental resilience against the threats of droughts, floods, land degradation, reckless disposal of solid waste, pollution of waterways and the coldblooded exploitation of wildlife. Plans must promote human wellness through improved health services. Residents must be able to enjoy medical treatment at health centres in their own communities and regions. Plans must be devised to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy, cancers, communicable and vector-borne diseases such as such as dengue, chickungunya and malaria; and - fourth, every community should have access to affordable, reliable and renewable energy. This will help to establish reservoirs and wells and to power agro-processing enterprises, households, health centres, schools and community facilities. The supply of ‘green’ energy and safe water should not be left to chance or taken for granted. Plans for the delivery of services – particularly those related to education, economic development, energy and the environment – will certainly yield improvements in villagers’ quality of life. Plans must aim at ensuring more sustainable and secure livelihoods, boosting human wellbeing, creating increased opportunities and reducing the inequalities between the coastland and hinterland communities. CONFERENCE The National Conference of Local Democratic Organs (NCLDO) should be an annual forum aimed at establishing itself as a vehicle for delivering improved services to all local communities. It is about planning and implementation. It must erect institutions to ensure accessible, affordable and appropriate services in all villages. The NCLDO is intended to support local government organs. It can foster collaboration, and improve coordination so as to support the renewal and revitalization of our villages and communities. The NCLDO aims at empowering, not emasculating, local democratic organs. It respects their autonomy. It charges local democratic organs with ushering in a new era in local government, one that will help to improve citizens’ quality of life, build local democracy and promote economic development. This is the future that we all desire and deserve.
Sunday August 05, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Pylori: A common cause of your stomach problems By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine here is a microor ganism that lives in the stomach of half of the world’s population and slowly causes damage. We are of course talking about the H. Pylori bacteria. This bacteria accounts for up to 90% percent of stomach ulcers (stomach sores); but it is often undetected and slowly causes damage in our stomach. Today we will highlight some facts about H. Pylori and its potential life-threatening consequences. WHAT IS H. PYLORI INFECTION? Pylori infection occurs when a type of bacteria called Helicobacter pylori infects a person’s stomach. Many people have H. pylori infection. Most of the time, H. pylori infection, does not lead to any problems or cause any symptoms. But in some people, H. pylori infection leads to problems that can cause symptoms. These problems can include: · Open sores, which are called ‘ulcers’, on the lining of a person’s stomach or duodenum – The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine. · Stomach cancer · Bleeding from your stomach These conditions can sometimes cause pain in the
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upper belly, bloating, nausea, or vomiting. Doctors do not know why H. pylori infection leads to problems in some people and not others. WHATARE THE SYMPTOMS OF H. PYLORI INFECTION? Most people with H. pylori infection have no symptoms. But people who have ulcers can have symptoms that are caused by the ulcers. Common symptoms of ulcers can include: · Pain in the upper belly · Feeling bloated · Feeling full after eating a small amount of food · Not feeling hungry · Nausea or vomiting · Dark or black-coloured bowel movements · Feeling more tired than usual Not all ulcers are caused by H. pylori infection. For example, people can get ulcers from taking certain pain-relieving medicines. But if you have the symptoms listed above, let your doctor know. IS THERE A TEST FOR H. PYLORI INFECTION? Yes. Doctors can do different tests to diagnose H. pylori infection. These can include: · Blood tests · Breath tests – These tests measure substances in a person’s breath after he or she has been given a special liquid to drink. · Lab tests that check a sample of a bowel movement
for H. pylori infection · Biopsy – For this test, a doctor takes a small piece of tissue from the lining of the stomach. Then he or she looks at the tissue under a microscope. A doctor can do a biopsy during a procedure called an endoscopy. An endoscopy is a procedure that lets a doctor look at the inside lining of the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum. SHOULD I BE TESTED FOR H. PYLORI INFECTION? You should be tested for H. pylori infection if you have symptoms and: · Have an ulcer in the stomach or duodenum · Have had ulcers in the past Sometimes, doctors test people who have no symptoms for H. pylori infection if they have a family history of stomach cancer. Doctors also sometimes test people with symptoms who have never had an ulcer. HOW IS H. PYLORI INFECTION TREATED? Pylori infection is treated with medicines. Most people need to take 3 or more medicines for 2 weeks. These can include: · Medicines to reduce the amount of acid that the stom-
ach makes – This can help cure the infection and help ulcers heal. · Different types of antibiotics People who are diagnosed with H. pylori infection should get treated, because treatment can: · Help ulcers heal · Keep ulcers from coming back · Reduce the chance that an ulcer will get worse or lead to cancer It is important to follow all your doctors’ instructions about taking your medicines. Let your doctor know if you have any side effects or problems with your medicines.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER TREATMENT? After treatment, most people have follow-up tests to check that the H. pylori infection has gone away. Follow-up tests can include: · Breath tests · Lab tests that check a sample of a bowel movement Most of the time, H. pylori infection, is cured with treatment. But sometimes, H. pylori infection is not cured with treatment. People who still have H. pylori infection after being treated might need to take more medicines. It’s best to eradicate the bacteria than to leave it alone.
Dr. Zulfikar Bux The long term risk of cancer and internal bleeding from it is real. Ask your doctor if you need to get tested for H. Pylori. Treating it now will make your life much better as you get older.
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Sunday August 05, 2018
Kaieteur News
SUNDAY OAI ties ExxonMobil to 10 acres of airport land for 30 years– ExxonMobil can terminate at anytime but OAI cannot impose termination – Arbitration has to be done in T&T – Fees for land considered “generous” ExxonMobil is expected to begin construction of its local headquarters by next week at the Eugene F. Correia Airport. Such a venture has been made possible by the Ogle Airport Inc (OAI). The company gave ExxonMobil access to 10 acres of land while several small local operators continue the years-long wait to access land. ExxonMobil’s local subsidiary, ESSO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with OAI on July 27, 2017. ExxonMobil will now be in control of the land for a minimum of 30 years.The airport land is owned by the State and the period granted by OAI to ESSO exceeds the Government’s Master Lease timeline by 20 years. Therefore, OAI’s kind offer to ExxonMobil had to receive the blessings of the APNU+AFC Government. Kaieteur News saw a copy of the signed MoU. In this document, OAI agreed, during the tenure of the MoU, to not offer the use of the land to anyone without ESSO’s consent. Aviation operatives at Ogle say that this action is in complete contrast to “the strong-arm tactics and threats of repossessing lands which OAI had approved for use by local aviation companies.” OAI agrees, based on Clause three of the MoU, that Esso is authorized to commence construction of
Earlier this year, OAI said the vegetation on the land earmarked for ExxonMobil was dying of “natural causes”. (File photo)
ESSO’s facilities without a sublease. In contrast, Guyanese applicants were made to wait several years for their subleases prior to moving a brick. In fact, several small domestic aviation operators are still waiting for OAI to deal with their requests for land and other facilities at the airport. Through the MoU, ESSO is not only protected from any breach of agreement by OAI, but will have the right to continue to possess the land if a breach occurs. MONDAY Review oil spill plans for companies before signing contracts – NRGI cautions Govt. Before any contract is signed with an oil operator,
the government should require that it presents and obtains approval for contingency plans in the case of emergency. According to the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), these contingencies should include the availability of equipment and expertise to manage accidents, such as oil spills. The Institute said that this should be accompanied by the means to monitor a project throughout its life cycle to ensure that all parties follow the plan and to identify future, unexpected impacts of the project. As it is impossible to predict all the potential costs, NRGI said that requiring developers to have systems in place to monitor and manage environmental and social impacts on an ongoing basis is just as important as the assessments con-
Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Cui Jainchun (left) and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding
ducted in project planning. The Institute opined that the government is responsible for setting and enforcing environmental standards (preferably in compliance with international standards such as the Equator Principles), while the extractive company is usually in the best position to mitigate environmental damage. The international organization said that companies may have only weak incentives to consider the environmental consequences of operations, unless the government makes it a condition of awarding the concession, with penalties attached. As such, NRGI said that the government should ensure that either it or the company sets aside funds for remediation, as the company may leave or sell to another party when projects become unprofitable, which may be long before the official project period ends. It said, too, that independent contractors, acquired on a competitive basis, can be hired to undertake environmental operations such as reclamation. Further to this, NRGI said, “The security arrangements around projects can give rise to human rights concerns when private or state security forces use excessive force. Operations should include strong safeguards and legal recourse mechanisms in cases of human rights violations.” NRGI said, “Finally, the government should separately and explicitly identify and factor into the decisionmaking process the social impact of extraction on vulnerable or marginalized groups of resource extraction since these groups are often omitted from broader
community impact consideration.” You will need the “enemy” to be reelected to Office– Lewis reminds President Granger Whatever the reason President David Granger has decided to function without opening himself to steady and sustained accountability to the people of Guyana through the media, Trade Unionist, Lincoln Lewis has reminded him not to burn the bridge he crossed. Lewis thinks that while Granger seems to have made the media the “enemy,” his success at the next election will be significantly hinged on the willingness of the media to give him coverage when he needs it most. Lewis made his views known in his most recent column published in this newspaper. Read entire column: https:// www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2018/07/29/is-presidentgranger-being-well-servedby-his-advisors/. Lewis said that there is a perception that the government is floundering in the making of policies, and not serving the people’s best interest due to an absence of vision that would impact coherent thought processes and direction. He said that the views as to what or who is responsible for this are mixed. Lewis said that some hold the view that President David Granger is not taking advice. While, others are contending the problem is his advisors – “i.e. the ministerial team – and that many lack the strength and capacity to do what is expected of them, including honestly advising
him. The ultimate responsibility for the performance of the Executive is the President, and as he expresses satisfaction with the performance of his team, continuous evaluation is being made by the man in the street who sees it differently.” Lewis noted that the media community is clamouring for the President to hold press conferences and the Press Association has even referred to the level of access it had when he was in the Opposition, comparative to now. Dad murdered after rescuing daughter from violent spouse– suspect allegedly rammed fatherin law’s boat with highpowered vessel An irate Port Kaituma man allegedly murdered his father-in-law in a most unusual way after the 67-yearold victim rescued his daughter from a beating. Police said that Dennis Williams, a farmer, died at around 06:30 hrs Sunday, after the suspect rammed his engine-powered vessel into Williams’ small paddle boat. According to reports, the suspect and two of his friends were consuming alcohol early Saturday morning and he eventually invited them to spend the night at his home. Shortly after, the suspect’s wife and daughter went outside to use a washroom. This infuriated her husband, who allegedly accused her of wanting to see his friends.After seeing his wife coming from the washroom, the suspect began to (Continued on page 33)
Sunday August 05, 2018
From page 32 beat her.On hearing the commotion, the woman’s father, who resided nearby, crossed a river with his boat and rescued his daughter. Williams then remained with his daughter until daybreak. According to information, Williams was returning home in his boat when his son-law hopped into his engine-powered boat and in “a fit of rage” drove over Williams’ boat, causing the elderly man to fall overboard. Williams’ body, which bore injuries to the head was later recovered, while his son-in-law was detained. TUESDAY Crowd runs right, Guyana goes left…country signs on to “troubled” Belt and Road initiative “Pakistan is now one of several countries grappling with the financial and political fallout of taking on so much Chinese debt.”- The Wall Street Journal “Look and learn from the experiences of other countries.” This is what most international agencies and individual experts keep telling Guyana. The advice is given as the nation is being governed, at a critical juncture, by an inexperienced administration. But, is this recommendation being taken…or even considered? While several countries considered better off—economically—than Guyana are regretting the pen used to sign onto the China’s Silk Road Economic Belt initiative, Guyana thinks it is the way to go. These countries continue to grapple with the effects of the initiative, wishing to find a way out, but Guyana has calmly walked into what is being labelled a “trap.” The initiative that Guyana signed on to is being widely considered, on the international stage, as a major theme in China’s plot to take over the world. On July 24, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge and Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Cui Jainchun, signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) within the framework of China’s Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road, more commonly referred to as the Belt and Road Initiative. The MOU makes provision for cooperation in the areas of policy coordination, facilities connectivity, trade and investment, finance and integration, and people to
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people interaction. ”One of our main priorities at this point in time is to work on the development of infrastructure and that would include assistance with the design, whether it is with roads, harbour and the like, as well as access to funding for the construction of such facilities,” Minister Greenidge said. The Belt and Road Initiative was introduced by China’s President Xi Jinping in 2013. The massive trade and infrastructure investment project entails cooperation between China and more than 70 countries. The Belt seeks to recreate the old silk routes which connected China to the West through Europe and Africa. The road aspect is the strengthening of maritime routes. Guyana is the first South American country to cooperate with China under its Belt and Road Initiative. Many would wonder why China extended this project to Guyana. But the bigger question is why Guyana accepted, even with the glaring flaws of the project? Govt. rejects spending $10M now to save $1B in the future – Mangal tells Al Jazeera His rationale is similar to that used by persons who choose to impose security measures at their homes. While it may be costly, it is for the protection of resources considered more valuable. But former Presidential Advisor on Petroleum, Jan Mangal says that government is opposed to going this route. Mangal said this Monday during a live interview conducted by Al Jazeera, an international and well credited media entity. Mangal was on a panel which included attorney-atlaw, Christopher Ram, Director of Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, Lisa Sachs and Director of Public Information, Imran Khan. Al Jazeera’s host said, “Oil companies have identified massive offshore reserves in Guyana, one of South America’s poorest nations. New estimates last week report that more than 4 billion barrels of oil could be extracted from a region known as the Stabroek block, where ExxonMobil expects to start pumping crude in 2020. The country is poised to become a major energy supplier, but not everyone is optimistic about the potential for oil revenue to benefit Guyanese citizens. So what can Guyana do to avoid becoming another poor, yet resource-rich na-
The Berbice River Bridge
tion?” Khan was first to speak on the interview, he attempted to speak on all the plans that the APNU+AFC government has for Guyana. But, before he could have finished his speech, Khan was interrupted. He was saying, “We are ensuring we are getting the best advice from global experts to ensure that this transformation opportunity for infrastructural, social and economic change is not squandered.” Mangal interjected, “What Imran says there are all good words, but when you look at what is happening on the ground it’s a different story. Imran mentioned the need for having experts. In fact there are consultants coming and going, but there are zero oil and gas experts—people with 15 to 30 years plus experience—on the ground working full time in decision making roles in the government.” Mangal said that, “Unfortunately, there seems to be huge reluctance hiring the required capacity.” Khan tried to defend government’s position. He pointed out that experts have been engaged. He said that Mangal “…has been and I am sure he will be in the future. There are experts giving advice on short term basis.” Berbice Bridge Company likely breached agreement by failing maintenance programme More than 12 years ago,
the Bharrat Jagdeo-led administration, signed a concession agreement with the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. Representing the Government was the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (now Ministry of Public Infrastructure). Under that agreement, which was a closely guarded secret by the previous governments of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic, there were strict clauses as to how the bridge company should have gone about maintaining the floating structure which was commissioned in 2009 at a cost of around US$40M. The bridge had been welcomed by Berbicians but the financing structure has placed the facility in deep trouble now with the only option being – according to its board – to raise tolls. In fact, the returns of investments were upwards of 18 percent for some investors. It appears now based on the document that the bridge company breached the concession agreement by failing to carry out the required maintenance. Earlier this year, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, disclosed that the bridge company had approached his ministry for help in the maintenance of its pontoons. The pontoons, almost 50 of them, have to be taken out and cleaned and repaired in accordance with the Operations and Maintenance schedule. However, since being commissioned,
it appeared that the bridge company failed to carry out this basic maintenance. It could not only have been about the money. It is publicly reported that the bridge company has paid dividends to shareholders. According to the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) section of the concession agreement, the bridge company as the concessionaire shall be obliged at its own expense to operate and maintain the toll bridge in accordance with the construction specification. The agreement said that the concessionaire warrants that the operations and maintenance specifications must comply with the good engineering and operating practices. The agreement went further: “The concessionaire shall ensure on a continuing basis that at all times during the concession period, its maintenance and operating procedures are sufficient to ensure that, save as expressly provided otherwise by this agreement, the O&M requirements are continuously met.” WEDNESDAY Shareholders hire law firm to probe Guyana Goldfields A Toronto, Canada law firm with offices in Detroit, Michigan, US, says it has been hired to investigate the Guyana Goldfields Inc. to determine possible misrepresentation in a recent report to shareholders.
According to a statement issued and distributed by www.businesswire.com, Morganti & Co. disclosed that it has been contacted by investors to investigate Guyana Goldfields, Inc. “whether it released misrepresentations about its operations at the Aurora Gold Mine in order to artificially inflate its perceived investment quality and corresponding share price.” The Aurora Mine is in Region Seven, near the Cuyuni River, and is the country’s largest gold operations. It is being operated by mainly Canadian investors with several hundred workers. Single-handedly, it has been producing the biggest quantity of gold, and has become the largest declarant since its start of commercial operations in 2016. However, the company has been under scrutiny with questions over its adherence to its concession agreement and commitment to local content. The company is now moving to underground mining, the first time for Guyana. According to Morganti &Co., on July 16, 2018, Guyana Goldfields Inc. released a statement “reducing its annual 2018 guidance numbers blaming the late arrival of haulage trucks. The price of shares dropped approximately 22 percent in value.” The law firm said that investors that have “realized or unrealized financial (Continued on page 34)
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From page 33 losses” as a result of acquiring Guyana Goldfield Inc.’s securities after February 20, 2018, are welcome to contact Morganti & Co. to further discuss their options”. The firm said that confidentiality of investors and whistleblowers will be respected. ”You may contact us at (647) 344-1900 or by email at info@morgantilegal.com for further information.” Morganti & Co. said it is a law firm that investigates, litigates and resolves economic and financial disputes on a success-fee basis.
The mill area in the Aurora Mines, Region Seven
E-Networks blocked from landing submarine cable Cable network provider, E-Networks Inc. has found itself in some trouble with a submarine internet cable that it wants to land. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications said that it has not granted permission for the landing of the cable. The Ministry said that it has taken note of the publication of a notice to mariners by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), published in the newspapers indicating that maritime surveys shall be conducted by two vessels “on behalf of E-Networks Inc. as preparatory works for subsea cable laying … within the Guyana Maritime Zone”. The Ministry said that while the interest of investors in the sector in general is welcome, no licence for the laying and landing of a subsea cable system has been granted to E-Networks Inc. In fact, any companies now in possession of a telecoms licence will have to comply with new laws in place since 2016. ”The Ministry of Public Telecommunications wishes to advise further that applications for licences to lay and land subsea cable systems and/or other major telecommunications operations by any entity that does not
currently hold a telecommunications licence will be considered in accordance with the provisions of the Telecommunications Act, 2016. Oil and Guyana… President has solid long-term plan but coalition politics poses a stumbling block– Mangal tells Al Jazeera International experts think that Guyana’s lack of a solid long-term development strategy will surely result in stagnation for the country even with oil wealth. In fact, some even think that with the paucity of that strategy and other needed measures, Guyana can end up worst off. This issue was a topic of discussion when Al Jazeera recently did a 25-minute feature on Guyana. The general theme of the programme was “Guyana: Will its oil boom benefit the people?” The discussion was be-
tween Al Jazeera hosts; Attorney-at-law, Christopher Ram; former Presidential Advisor, Jan Mangal; Director of Public Information, Imran Khan and Director, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, Lisa Sachs. Giving her take on the issue, Sachs expressed disappointment that Guyana seems severely ill prepared with just less than two years away from first oil. Sachs said, “There are two components. One is getting the deal right and the other is managing the sector and being able to negotiate with international players—which is an enormous task.” She said that the other component would be ensuring that the benefits that the country receives trickle down to the masses. Sachs said that the economic linkages so far are not the bonanza that all were hoping for with an oil boom. She said, too, that
Guyana should not rely on job creation even if there were capacity. “What the country needs is a long-term development strategy. How does this oil boom fit into the long-term development plans and needs of Guyana? How is this going to help build health system, energy system and the education system? This was when Mangal interjected. He said, “The president has a very solid vision for the country. It is just in implementing that vision that there are some stumbling blocks. We have to recognize that it is a Coalition Government and the politics involved.” Mangal told Al Jazeera that Guyanese think that the President “can make everything happen but he cannot make everything happen.” THURSDAY Govt. must be mindful of every donor agency eager to offer help – UNDP Report The proven oil reserves in the Stabroek block have certainly propelled Guyana into the international limelight. Now, everyone wants a piece of the oil pie. In fact, everyone will want to offer a helping hand in building the oil and gas sector. But the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is cautioning the coalition Government to be wary of every agency that
wants to lend assistance. In a report that was handed over to the administration since 2016, the Government was warned that it must figure out the landscape of donors before it, identify what they are really good at, and prioritize the aid that the country needs at this point. Oil and Gas Consultant and Local Content Expert, Anthony Paul who prepared the report for the UNDP, expounded further on this matter. Paul said that Guyana comes into the eyes of the world for oil and gas exploration and production at a very interesting time. In this regard, he notes that recent high oil and gas prices, coupled with major discoveries in new places in the developing world, created a burgeoning industry of development aid focused on good governance in the oil and gas sector. The Oil and Gas Consultant said that the quality of assistance is quite mixed, but, given that these countries have been traditionally dependent on aid, the donors have very high level access and respect. Paul said, “Unfortunately, not all bring high quality support or exactly what is needed. Neither some donors nor the government know what is important and priority. Some donors have niche areas of support and are very prepared to make that offer to the recipient government.” He continued, “The end
result is that many donors take up a lot of valuable time of the very few government officials who know how to deal with the myriad issues facing them, including developing and supporting their new hire staff. Not only that, but many donors do the same thing, with little coordination. With the drop in oil prices this area of focus has declined in importance in the development economics industry (it engages several corporations from the home countries of the major donors).” Suspicious car tracked, one occupant shot -Police Jamal Goriah, 21, was shot by police Wednesday afternoon at the junction of Norton and Chapel Streets, Lodge, Georgetown, after police claimed to have stopped a car, PSS 4647, and that soon after, Goriah exited and started to shoot at them. With the outburst of gunfire, people in the vicinity ran for cover. It was around 14:45 hrs. When the dust settled, Goriah was nursing gunshot wounds to the back and left shoulder. Two other persons were arrested. The police also recovered one .357 revolver with four live rounds and one spent shell. From the police accounts of what transpired, ranks on mobile patrol in Georgetown, observed suspicious movement of a (Continued on page 35)
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From page 34 motor car in the city, and followed it into Princes Street, where two occupants exited with handguns and proceeded into a yard. Two ranks went in pursuit of the men while the vehicle continued to Norton and Chapel Streets where another armed male exited. He too was pursued by two other ranks and in the process he discharged his weapon at the ranks, who returned fire. Police have since taken the car into custody and two other persons are assisting with investigations. Goriah, who is said to be from Albert Street, Queenstown, was reportedly in a stable condition FRIDAY Lindo Creek findings cast doubt on ‘Fine Man’ gang killing miners -says former Govt. functionaries failed to properly investigate the massacre The Lindo Creek Commission of Inquiry has cast doubt on suggestions that Rondell ‘Fine Man’ Rawlins and his gang slaughtered and burnt eight miners in their Upper Berbice River camp in June, 2008. It has pointed to “other persons” being responsible for the killing, known as the “Lindo Creek Massacre.” The Commissioner’s report also concluded that some former Government functionaries, including senior police ranks, failed to properly investigate the killings and recommended that their individuals be subjected to an investigation. It also recommended that financial compensation, as well as benefits for the victim’s children, be awarded to the families of the slain men. Most of the
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victims were the main financial providers for their households. Presenting the report to President David Granger Thursday at the Ministry of the President, Chairman of the Commission, Justice Desmond Trotman said that despite several challenges and constraints, the team tried its best to be faithful to the requirements of the terms of reference, to achieve the objectives and to obey the mandate of the Inquiry. Commending President Granger for appointing the Commission, Trotman said that during the past six months, the Commission “has searched and travelled to find truth that could lead to justice. ”In our own time and for the sake of closure, we and the suffering families of the murdered miners may want to forget that gruesome massacre of Lindo Creek, which shocked the conscience of the nation. ”But history and posterity will not erase the dark deeds of those who have conspired to disrespect the dead, to deceive the living and to conceal the truth from the nation.” Guyana must review rules for cost recovery –IMF …Finds contract with ExxonMobil allows unrecovered costs to be carried over without any limitation Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs) normally include an accounting annex, which details the rules for cost recovery. The annex specifies, which costs are allowed to be recovered by an operator for an oil and gas project. It also outlines the treatment of certain expenses such as services provided by affiliated parties and fi-
Jamal Goriah, the suspect who was shot by police. (Travis Chase photo)
nancing costs. But after a review of Guyana’s accounting annex in its PSA with ExxonMobil, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes that there can be opportunities for abuse and profit shifting activities. The IMF notes that in Guyana’s PSAs, exploration and even development costs can be fully expensed for cost recovery purposes. Moreover, the IMF noted with concern, that in any given period, unrecovered costs by ExxonMobil can be carried forward to subsequent periods without any limitation. Taking this into consideration, the IMF said that the government needs to close fiscal loopholes in existing PSAs. Significantly, the IMF called for the government to undertake a policy review of fiscal terms contained in existing PSAs to ensure that these are
implemented appropriately, and assess areas of improvement for future investment. Guyana traps itself because Ministers see ExxonMobil as saviour – Mangal tells Al Jazeera ExxonMobil is operating in Guyana to make money. But, according to former Presidential Advisor, Jan Mangal, too many Government officials run away with the idea that the oil giant is here to “rescue” the country. Mangal said as much to Al Jazeera during a recent interview. It was Director of Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, Lisa Sachs, who was speaking about the many areas where Guyana is lacking in regard to preparedness. Sachs said that the unpreparedness can land Guyana in a bit of trouble.
The car from which police claimed Jamal Goriah emerged before shooting at them (Travis Chase photo)
Mangal interrupted Sachs on this point. He said, “The odds are stacked against Guyana, and a lot of work is needed. Imran (Khan, Director of Public Information) puts a positive spin on it and that is good; we need a positive spin. But, we also need to recognize the risks; and unfortunately, enough people in government are not recognizing the risks.” Mangal continued, “We have to recognize that ExxonMobil is not here to rescue Guyana, Exxon is here to make money. But we have people in Government are running around saying that Exxon is here to save Guyana. It is a completely wrong attitude.” Mangal said that this sort of attitude is what landed Guyana is so much trouble already. He inferred that because of the trust Guyana has in Exxon, Government did not see a need to have experts at the negotiation table. Mangal said, “Guyana did not negotiate well in a renegotiation process that happened recently. Guyana negotiated with zero expertise; they did not bring in anyone to negotiate.” SATURDAY Alaska spent US$217M in legal fees to get its rightful revenue from ExxonMobil …Meanwhile, Guyana sets aside zero dollars to fight such cases …Finance Minister says this will be looked at later on Many countries have expended billions of dollars fighting legal battles against oil companies which have robbed them of their de-
served revenue. In fact, research shows that operators such as ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, Repsol and British Petroleum have done this quite often to countries through the cost recovery process. This procedure allows the oil company to recover moneys expended on an oil project. Once the money has been recovered by the company, whatever is left is deemed as profit to be split with the host country. Therefore, if the cost recovery bill for the operator is exorbitant, then the country will get a smaller slice of its oil pie. What many international organizations have found over the years, is that oil companies often inflate their cost recovery bills to get a bigger bite of the profits. As a result of such crookish behaviour, countries like Indonesia, Chad and Equatorial Guinea, and the State of Alaska in the United States, were left to expend billions of dollars in the court system to get oil companies to cough up the money they robbed the said nations. These countries would have been able to fight these legal battles since they had set aside funds for such challenges. But is Guyana paying attention to these lessons? Is it putting aside funds to deal with such challenges with USA oil giant, ExxonMobil? Answering these questions Friday night was Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. He told this newspaper that Guyana is still in the early stages of its oil sector and such issues will be looked at later on. He said that priority for the government at this time is getting (Continued on page 36)
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From page 35 the right legislation in place for the sector and hiring the needed professionals. Jordan said, “We are in the early stages. We still have to get certain things in place such as legislation and hiring the right people…Those are priority for us at this point. When those things are in place, we can look at setting up a mechanism that you spoke of.” The American state of Alaska provides a compelling example of the technical challenges of securing the full proportion of revenues owed to the Government. According to an analysis undertaken in 2003, over the 25-year lifespan of the petroleum sector, “one dollar out of every six that Alaska received from its oil development was obtained through legal challenges to the industries original payment.” The majority (90%) of the petroleum production in Alaska since first exports in 1977 has been controlled by three companies now known by the names British Petroleum, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips. Over the first 25 years of production, Alaska received approximately $70 billion in petroleum revenue from royalty payments of 12.5% of the value of the oil, and three principal taxes: corporate income tax, a petroleum production tax, and property tax. Based on independent analyses and audits, Alaskan officials overseeing the petroleum sector claim that “industry chronically reduced the bases for calculating royalty, severance, and income tax payments by underestimating the market value of a barrel of oil at the point of sale. Overstated pipeline shipping charges (tariffs) had the same result.” In order to secure what government officials believed to be a fair share of revenues from this petroleum development, they were forced to take prolonged and intensive legal action against the companies. Between 1977 and 1994, the Alaskan Department of Law reported that it had paid contract lawyers and accounting specialists from 30 different companies a total of more than $217 million to fight these matters. The money was well spent. Liti-
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The original car park that is now to be used by vendors
gation resulted in additional company payments to government of $2.7 billon. Prison authorities foil escape plot by two murder accused- inmates cut through steel bar at Lusignan Penitentiary Prison officials have tightened security at the Lusignan facility following a foiled jailbreak attempt by two high-profile murder accused. A release from Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels stated that the escape bid occurred between last Thursday and yesterday. “Officers on duty at Lusignan Prison were able to disrupt an escape plot by two prisoners that are committed to stand trial in the High Court for murder. During security checks conducted, one steel bar was discovered cut while attempts were being made to cut another,” the release stated. The Director explained that due to the nature of the housing unit and the Standard Operating Procedures, the prisoners should not have been in possession of cutting equipment and more so being allowed to actually cut. As a result, the police have been called in to conduct a full investigation. Additionally, Samuels said that prisoners’ security classification has increased and “additional layers of security” are currently in place.
He declined to release the name of the two inmates or further details of the escape bid, until the police investigation is complete. A police official said that investigators are taking statements from prison staff as well as prisoners who were in close proximity to the two inmates. Prison authorities were forced to transfer several prisoners to Mazaruni and Lusignan in July 2017, after rioting inmates burned down the Georgetown Prisons and several escaped. New anti-money laundering measures… FIU zeroes in on car dealers, cambios, banks and others The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is to be given more powers to monitor an expanding pool of reporting entities for the purposes of Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Finance of Terrorism (AML/ CFT). According to Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, the AML/CFT (Amendment) Bill 2018 provides for the further monitoring and compliance of reporting entities by requiring all reporting entities to register with the FIU. “For the purpose of monitoring compliance with the provisions of this Act, reporting entities shall register with the Financial Intelligence Unit in the man-
ner and form as the Director may determine,” the Bill states. The Bill was passed by the National Assembly on July 27th, but has to receive the President’s assent before it becomes law. Reporting entities which include commercial banks, auto dealers and money transfer agencies, among others, are required to file suspicious transactions reports with the FIU. The Bill now adds other professionals such as real estate agents, real estate developers, Commissioner of Oaths and Auditors, who are now compelled to report to the FIU. Further, Williams has outlined that the new Bill fortifies Guyana’s AML/ CFT systems as it allows for a freezing procedure to deal with proliferation financing along with measures where the Gold Board must now employ a ‘fit and proper’ criteria before approving any licence. “As we continue to formulate policies and develop new ways to strengthen our AML/CFT regimes and meet with competent authorities, supervisory bodies and reporting entities through outreaches, our laws will have to be continuously strengthened by filling loopholes and closing gaps,” Williams outlined. He said that Government is fully committed to and will continue to put the necessary policies in place that by 2022, Guyana is able to demonstrate that its AML/CFT systems and policies are effective. Williams stated that the Bill is to strengthen the regulatory framework and bring it in line with international standards to combat money laundering, terrorist and
proliferation financing. The Bill establishes an AML/CFT Committee which will be chaired by the Attorney General. The other members will be the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Governor of the Bank of Guyana, the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit, the head of the Special Organised Crime Unit, the General Manager of the Guyana Gold Board, the Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Chairperson of the Guyana Securities Council, the Chairperson of the Gaming Authority and the Chief Cooperatives and Development Officer. Ejected from Stabroek Market Square… Hire car operators protest City Council action The move by the Mayor & City Councillors (M&CC) of Georgetown to place Stabroek Market vendors from the dilapidated area aback of the Stabroek Market to the 42 mini bus park, and short drop car park, has caused some amount of confusion and has been met with resistance by hire car operators.Some 112 hire car drivers who operate from the Stabroek Market car and bus park area were displaced, when a decision was taken by the M&CC to use an area that has been used for over 30 years as a car and bus park, and now being earmarked as a vending area. On Friday, a number of the affected hire car operators held a protest at the Stabroek Market East Bank car park, against the M&CC’s actions. The driv-
ers are claiming that no consideration was given as to where they would be placed, since when they came on Tuesday morning, the car park was barricaded. The drivers are claiming that no consultations were held, and since they were displaced, it has been bringing much hardship to them and their families. They also claim that police ranks have been harassing them anytime they stop anywhere in the vicinity. The drivers sought an audience with the Mayor, Patricia Chase Green, and were told that they should put forward a proposal, which will be looked at on Monday. When this publication reached out to the Mayor for a comment on the matter, she said that there was a dangerous situation brewing at the back of the Stabroek Market that could cause injury or even the loss of life to vendors that ply their trade in that area, since some parts of the roof of that area have already started to fall. She emphasised that after careful consideration, the Council made a decision to move the vendors out of the area. When asked what she plans to do for the hire car operators who were displaced, the mayor said, “I spoke to one man who claims to represent the drivers. The man said he had a proposal. I told him to bring it in writing on Monday and the council will be more than willing to come to some compromise that will see a solution being arrived at.” The Mayor made it clear that the safety of the vendors is her primary concern at this time, but she will consider all who are affected in this case.
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Women from 10 regions being educated on REDD+
Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman
Women from all 10 administrative regions are being readied for REDD+ More than 30 women across sectors and indigenous communities are being educated to better understand what Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is and their role in the initiat i v e . The women, drawn from the ten administrative regions,
participated in a one-day workshop which was the official launch of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) gender process for REDD+ readiness. The workshop was held at the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, G e o r g e t o w n . REDD+ is an initiative to supply financial support to re-
duce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The FCPF-REDD+ projects seek to prepare Guyana to ensure its forest environmental services are enhanced while improving the quality of life of the people. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, said the project ensures indig-
enous communities and forestry stakeholders have a voice in REDD+ readiness. ”Gender integration can increase ownership and maximise the ecological dividends of forest conservation including carbon sequestration, biodiversity protection and ecosystem services provisioning,” Minister Trotman
said. The gender process recognises women and men’s specific individual roles, rights and responsibilities as well as their particular use and knowledge of the forest and how these shapes their experiences differently, Minister Trotman added. Project Assistant, Michelle Astwood, noted the workshop also seeks to create a female task force. ”We would have women identified from each region who we can use in terms of net-
working for the project we can’t utilise them when we are going out into the fields because after this meeting the next idea is to have cluster workshops around the country,” Astwood explained. FCPF is a government initiative executed through the Ministry of Natural Resources. The project intends to increase stakeholder participation in REDD+, strengthen institutions and develop a National REDD+ Strategy (Continued on page 49)
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Guyana records astounding HIV spending in 2016
Ms. Julia Henn.
Mr. Tesfaye Dereje.
Ever since international funding for HIV started to dwindle, Guyana has been taking seriously its responsibility to maintain the gains made over the years. Moreover, in 2016 alone, Guyana’s spending in HIV reflected an astronomical hike in disbursement. This astounding development was highlighted Friday at a multipartite National Health Accounts [NHA] Dissemination meeting held in Georgetown at the Cara Lodge on Quamina Street. Commenting on government’s commitment to combat the dreaded disease, Ms. Julia Henn, Director, Health and HIV/AIDS Office within USAID/Eastern and Southern Caribbean, said that the increased expenditure from 25 percent in 2015 to 64 percent in 2016 is simply “mind-boggling”. Guyana, like a number of other countries, has been stepping up to the challenge in the face of declining global support for health care. The strong reply to dips in international backing to combat the deadly disease is also needed “for adequate and continuous funding to achieve HIV targets and objectives in the face of additional funding cuts from the Global Fund to fight AIDS,” a document circulated at Friday’s meeting outlined.
It said too that “increased budgetary spending by the State also supports the Guyana government’s commitment to implement a ‘Treat All’ approach among its menu of measures to combat the HIV/AIDS deadly disease.” “It is critical for the country to develop a credible long-term financing scenario that includes efforts to diversify funding sources and optimise resource utilization,” the document states. Increase in spending in the public health sector is an overall pattern in the social services by the government which is taking the lead in the HIV/AIDS fight, according to government statistics. The data disclosed at the forum revealed that State spending for the HIV/AIDS stands at 62 percent while funding from the country’s international partners is 35 percent. Additionally, donations from other sources amount to three percent. At the meeting it was also found that Guyana is also doing exceptionally well when expenditures were disaggregated by type. According to official figures, the country is spending 52 percent of allocations in the HIV/AIDS fight on preventative care, while 21 percent of the sum (Continued on page 65)
Women from 10 regions being educated on... From page 47 for Guyana. Under the FCPF the Ministry recently established a Grievance and Redress Mechanism (GRM) for REDD+ which allows stakeholders to lodge complaints about the REDD+ process. A stakeholder consultancy will be operated during the life of the project. Guyana is one of 58 countries that is participating in FCPF funded by the World Bank. Guyana is the recipient of a $3.8Million grant which is being delivered through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
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Why Demi Lovato Has Agreed to Go to Rehab Demi Lovato will be heading to rehab after she’s released from the hospital. Last week, the 25-year-old “Skyscraper” singer was taken by ambulance to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after an apparent overdose. Lovato, who was suffering from extreme nausea and high fever earlier this week, remains in the hospital, but is expected to be released in the upcoming days. “Demi’s turned the corner and is doing much better,” a source tells E! News. “She will be released in the next few days and the plan is for her to go to rehab. She is starting to grasp the severity of what happene“She is scared and grateful to be alive,” the insider continues. “Her family hasn’t left her side and have consulted with several people to figure out what the best plan of action is. Everyone wants her to take it very seriously and she seems to be.” Another source also tells E! News that Lovato is agreeing to go to rehab because “she wants to make a statement to her fans, family and friends that she is strong and can recover.” “Demi knows she needs help,” the insider adds. “Her family has told her that this is the time to be a good example
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to her fans.” Following her hospitalization last week, a source told E! News that Lovato has been in a “downward spiral” in recent months. “She had a sober coach who she cut out of her life a few months ago. She’s been in a downward spiral ever since and has not been doing well,” the insider shared. “She’s been heavily using and her friends have been very worried that this was going to happen.” While another a second source told E! News, “Demi has been suffering her addiction disease for months now
and has been spiraling.” Lovato, who has been very open about her struggles with drugs and alcohol, released a song in June called “Sober,” about breaking sobriety. “She made the decision to come out publicly about her relapse recently because she thought she could inspire her fans and it would help her keep on track, but she has been battling her own demons for months,” the insider continued. “Demi has been trying to stay busy with her tour but she has definitely been having her ups and downs.”(www.eonline.com)
Where Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna Stand One Year After Explosive Drama A lot can change in a year, and in the case of Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna, they’re volatile romance has blossomed into a peaceful friendship. A source tells E! News exclusively the reality TV stars are much better off as co-parents to 1-year-old Dream Kardashian, especially having moved on from the Xrated social media scandal that pushed Chyna to obtain a restraining orderagainst Rob and threatened his custody rights last summer. “Chyna and Rob are fine right now,” our insider shares. “There’s no major drama between them; it’s all civil and they’re getting along for Dream.” The pair, who went their separate ways in February 2017 after a whirlwind engagement, share joint and equal custody of the adorable toddler. As the source puts it, “They are so particular about each getting their time that it’s down to the hour.” Baby Dream goes back and forth between Dream’s home and Kris Jenner’s residence, where Rob lives. She spends plenty of time with her famous cousins, most recently bondingwith Khloe Kardashian’s daughter True Thompson and Kourtney Kardashians’s daughter Penelope Disick at a baby class. “Dream is the cutest little girl and has such a fun personality,” the source reveals
to E! News. “She walks and talks now, she says small, basic words and she knows everybody’s name. She also loves to dance when she’s at home with Chyna and when friends come over to visit.” In a recent interview with E! News big sister Kourtney Kardashian gushed over Dream and the many new additions to the Kar-Jenner squad. “It’s such a blessing,” she reflected. “I don’t even know how we got here with so many babies but it’s so amazing. Just the fact that our kids can all grow up together… It’s such a magical time in our family.” As for Chyna’s personal
life, we’re told the social media maven is still going strong with 18-year-old rapper YBN Almight Jay and is not pregnant with his child, despite speculation. The source says she hopes to break into the music industry and has plans to release music before the end of the year. Explains the insider, “Chyna built a studio in her home so that’s where she records. She has a couple of asks out to other artists for collaborations so is just waiting on people to confirm.” Rob maintains his usual low profile, but keeps fans updated through Twitter. (www.eonline.com)
Britney Spears Is Worth $56 Million, But Her Shopping Habits Prove She’s Just Like Us Britney Spears is the queen for the people and of the people. Despite the pop star being worth well over $56 million dollars, she still frequents the same retail stores as any every day American. In documents obtained by E! News—released ahead of her conservatorship hearing that is occurring on Friday, Aug. 3—dozens of trips to household favorites like Target, Old Navy, Macy’s and TJ Maxx are listed among her annual expenses.In addition to the “Toxic” singer’s shopping excursions at the aforementioned retail stores, the mother-of-two has spent a healthy amount of money on sporting goods and clothing for herself and her sonsat Nike, Dicks Sporting Goods and Adidas. However, some of her more out of the ordinary expenses include paying for her full-time bodyguard, maintaining her home’s elevator and a legal team. She also pays her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, $20,000 a month in child support following their divorce in 2008. This amount is currently being renegotiated after Federline requested to “revisit a modification of the existing child support number, given that the kids are older and the financial circumstances of the parties are significantly different than when the child support was originally resolved.” Leading up to the court hearing on Friday,
a source close to Britney says she is “doing great right now despite all this court stuff going on. It isn’t bothering her. She’s in Europe right now on tour having a great time.” And with the amount of money the performer has spent at the fashion retailers, there is no doubt this Maxxinista will be enjoying Europe in style. (www.eonline.com)
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Study: Sunscreen products block the production of vitamin D by 99% In recent decades, the mainstream media has spread such fear about skin cancer that most of us religiously lather ourselves in sunblock as soon as we hit the outdoors. While it is certainly true that it is important to take precautions to prevent the skin damage that can result in melanoma, it is equally important to ensure that we get sufficient exposure to the sun to ensure our bodies can produce the hormone vitamin D3. This hormone is absolutely essential for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, insulin regulation, good
cardiovascular health and a strong immune system, among other things. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with an increased risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and other serious illnesses. The results of a recent study by the American Osteopathic Association, which found that close to 1 billion of our planet’s inhabitants are deficient in vitamin D, are therefore truly alarming. The researchers found that this deficiency can be attributed to a lack of sun exposure, chronic disease and the use
of sunblocks, which decrease vitamin D production by a staggering 99 percent. The human body only produces vitamin D when skin is exposed to direct sunlight.
Diet determines whether you get type 2 diabetes, especially in older women For many years, doctors insisted that a diabetes diagnosis was nothing more than bad luck, an unfortunate genetic predisposition about which very little could be done. In some instances, patients were advised to lose a bit of weight, but for the most part they were prescribed chemical drugs to control the condition and sent on their way. Unfortunately, these chemical drugs can only stave off the devastating effects of diabetes for so long and cannot cure or reverse the condition. Natural health advocates like Mike Adams, the Health Ranger and editor of Natural News, have been insisting for years, however, that Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is, in fact, a lifestyle disease triggered by being overweight, eating the wrong foods, and not doing enough exercise. And, as the years have passed, more and more studies have been published confirming this fact, causing an increasing number of mainstream medical practitioners to change their thinking and to try to educate their patients. The latest study to emphasize just how preventable Type 2 diabetes really is, was conducted by researchers from the Chalmers University of Technology and Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. Their research confirmed that biomarkers in the blood prove the strong link between certain foods and the future development of Type 2 diabetes. The results of the study, which included 600 female participants, were recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Blood samples were taken from the women at the start of the study when they were all 64, and then follow up tests were conducted five years later. A press release by Chalmers explains: The blood samples were analysed at Chalmers, where a unique metabolic fingerprint, including many different diet biomarkers, could be linked to each woman at the specific time the sample was taken. Using this method it was possible for the first time to objectively determine the impact of key dietary components on future type 2 diabetes risk, as well as to find differences in dietary patterns between women with and without type 2 diabetes. The results confirm that diet is an extremely important factor in the future risk of developing T2D. The team found that fish, whole grains, vegetable oils and a high intake of vitamin E provided the most protection against developing the disease. Red meat and saturated fats, on the other hand, were linked to an increased risk of T2D. “Collecting information about diet can be complicated and time consuming, and is always biased by what people remember and
Spending too much time indoors, locked into video games and electronic devices, in combination with too little time spent outdoors, is a serious contributor to the problem of low vitamin D levels. In addition, as noted at the outset, during the little time most of us do manage to spend outdoors, exposed skin is usually covered liberally with sunblock. In addition, very few foods provide significant levels of vitamin D, meaning that maintaining adequate levels of this hormone through diet alone is virtually impossible. Complicating things even more, vitamin D needs to be synthesized in combination with other vitamins and minerals like magnesium to properly perform all of its func-
tions in the body. “People are spending less time outside and, when they do go out, they’re typically wearing sunscreen, which essentially nullifies the body’s ability to produce vitamin D,” noted Kim Pfotenhauer, D.O., a member of the research team who is an assistant professor at Touro University. “While we want people to protect themselves against skin cancer, there are healthy, moderate levels of unprotected sun exposure that can be very helpful in boosting vitamin D.” (Related: Study shows low vitamin D levels linked to increased risk of bladder cancer.)In recognition of the importance of vitamin D, it is important to be able to recognize when someone in the family may be deficient. Some common signs of such a deficiency include: Frequent bouts of illness: A study published in the Cambridge Journals found that a lack of vitamin D predisposes children to respiratory illnesses. Muscle weakness: In order for skeletal muscles to function properly, their vitamin D receptors must be sus-
tained by sufficient levels of this hormone. Sustained muscle weakness is therefore an indicator of a lack of vitamin D. Asthma: Vitamin D reduces the severity and frequency of asthma attacks. Periodontal disease: If you find you are struggling with constant bouts of gum disease, which causes swollen and bleeding gums, you may have low levels of vitamin D. High blood pressure: A study by researchers from Harvard University found that the risk of hypertension was increased 67 percent in women with low vitamin D levels. Fortunately, increasing vitamin D levels and reducing the risk of serious illness is as simple as getting out in the sunshine more often. “You don’t need to go sunbathing at the beach to get the benefits,” said Dr. Pfotenhauer. “A simple walk with arms and legs exposed is enough for most people.” (https://www.health.news/ 2018-08-03-sunscreen-products-block-the-productionof-vitamin-d-by-99.html)
What’s in your water: 6 Reasons why you should never drink from the tap think they should report,” noted Associate Professor Alastair Ross, a senior researcher at Chalmers. “Dietary biomarkers don’t have this problem, and highlight that dietary recommendations to avoid red meat and saturated fat and increase intake of plant-based oils and whole grains do seem to hold true, at least in this group of women. “The new method has allowed us to measure several markers of diet and nutrient status at the same time in a large number of people, which we believe is the first time this has been done,” he added. Many mainstream health websites like Healthline now confirm that most, if not all, of the risk factors for T2D can be minimized or eliminated through simple lifestyle changes. And since 95 percent of all adults with diabetes have Type 2, that means that virtually all adult diabetes could be prevented through lifestyle and dietary changes. Close to 30 million Americans have been diagnosed with this disease, but experts believe that over 8 million more are simply not aware of their condition. (Related: Diabetes skyrockets 75% in just one decade … medical system clueless about answers.) Anyone who takes steps to prevent Type 2 diabetes will also be reducing their risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and many types of cancer. These steps include: · Exercise consistently and regularly · Cut out all sugar and processed foods · Increase intake of fresh, organic, nonGMO fruits and veggies · Maintain a healthy weight (https:// www.health.news/2018-08-03-study-diet-determines-type-2-diabetes-especially-in-olderwomen.html)
While the tap seems like an easy and hassle-free way to drink water, it’s anything but. Tap water is filled to the brim with dangerous contaminants that have no business being anywhere near your body. Every time you turn on the tap and fill your glass, you risk drinking any of the thousands of chemical toxins that have been found in our nation’s tap water.In California, sewer water is now being recycled into tap water. “New regulations approved Tuesday by the California State Water Resources Control Board allow treated recycled water to be added to reservoirs, the source of California municipal drinking water,” reports the San Francisco Gate. “The regulations specify the percentage of recycled water that can be added and how long it must reside there before being treated again at a surface water treatment facility and provided as drinking water.”Listed below are some of the most common and prolific toxins found in municipal water: 1. Fluoride — Because it’s believed to prevent tooth decay, water fluoridation has been practiced for the last 50 years. Unfortunately, not only is fluoride totally unnecessary, it also does more damage than you think. According to FluorideAlert.org, fluoride can harm tooth enamel, negatively impact thyroid and pineal gland function, and weaken bones. The dose is not controlled, and it is known to accumulate in the body, interfering with digestion, hormones, and neurotransmitters. This array of health issues is why countries such as Belgium, Sweden, and Hungary have either banned or rejected water fluoridation. 2. Chlorine — Turns out chlorine isn’t just for the pool; water treatment facilities make use of this chemical as well. The problem with chlorine is that it’s so effective a disinfectant that drinking it destroys beneficial gut bacteria. In turn, this makes you more susceptible to digestive issues and ailments such as asthma and food allergies. Moreover, chlorine is believed to be
highly carcinogenic in even small amounts. 3. Arsenic — This naturally-occurring element can seep into groundwater and water wells, which is usually how you become exposed to it. On top of it being extremely carcinogenic, arsenic has been known to raise the chances of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cognitive development disorders in young children. 4. Heavy metals — Pipes contain heavy metals that make their way into our water whenever water passes through them. Lead is the most well-known of these heavy metals, and has been connected to neurological and developmental difficulties in young children. Other heavy metals like aluminum can damage your nerves, kidneys, and brain. And don’t make the mistake of thinking that having new plumbing fixtures makes you safe. As per NRDC.org, even new brass faucets and fixtures can still have a relevant amount of lead in them. 5. Hexavalent chromium — This probable human carcinogen can result in reproductive harm, severely damage the liver and kidneys, and bring about eye and respiratory irritation. Hexavalent chromium is so dangerous that even drinking it over a short period of time has been shown to cause health issues. 6. Pharmaceutical drugs — From being flushed down the toilet to being passed through bodily waste, there are several ways that pharmaceutical drugs can end up in our drinking water supply. And the kinds of medication that have been found in drinking water is nothing short of shocking: painkillers, antidepressants, blood thinners, antibiotics, and hormones are just some of them. This means that your local water supply could be harboring a deadly cocktail of pharmaceuticals with disastrous health effects. (https:// www.health.news/2018-08-03-whats-in-yourwater-6-reasons-why-you-should-neverdrink-from-the-tap.html)
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West Dem man jailed, another remanded in Canje River narco, guns and ammunition bust. Five men, including a teenager, appeared before Magistrate Renita Singh at the Reliance Magistrate Court to answer to several charges. Lloyd Samuels, 26, of Bagotsville, West Bank Demerara was jailed for four years each on possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking and three years for cultivating a prohibited plant. He was also fined $7M. He pleaded guilty for those charges but pleaded
not guilty to being in possession of ammunition. He was placed on $200,000 bail on the latter. Damion Peters, 32, a mason of New Amsterdam, and Vickram Balgobin, 26, a chainsaw operator and father of one of Cumberland, East Canje, were both granted bail in the sum of $200,000 on each of the four charges respectively. Kembleton Dorway, called ‘Merciless’, of Wallace Street, Cumberland, East Canje Berbice was represented by
Attorney-at-law Horatio Edmonson. In pursuit of bail for Dorway, his Attorney stated that like his son, he has no knowledge of what was discovered by the police and that he suffers from hypertension. Dorway’s son, the teen, was also slapped with four charges. Prosecutor Althea Solomon stated that she had no objection to a substantial bail for the juvenile but asked that bail be refused for the
From front: Kembelton Dorway, the teen, Vickram Balgobin, Loyd Samuels and Damion Peters
Guyana records astounding HIV... From page 49 targets curative care. Administrative costs are calculated at 25 percent while ‘capital’ and ‘other’ account for one percent of the estimates in that sub-sector. When she addressed the forum, Dr. Karen Cummings, Minister within the Public Health Ministry, said, “Guyana’s Health Accounts will play a pivotal role in national health care policy. It will also serve as a base from which sub-accounts of expenditures useful to decision-makers can be crafted. Our health accounts will serve as a base from which projections of health expenditures can be modelled.” Reminding the audience that the public health care system is not static, Dr. Cummings said “the NHA must be periodically reexamined to determine the extent or scope of public health care, and to ensure that the best concepts, data sources, and methods are being captured.” The recent meeting was also attended by PAHO/ WHO Guyana Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, who noted that the NHA is a “useful monitoring and evaluation
[M&E] tool” when reliable and timely data are available to ensure planning for proper spending to take place. “One cannot manage what one cannot measure,” Dr Adu-Krow said. After 17 years of trying, Guyana has finally joined Mexico and Nicaragua [pioneering States in the Health Accounts field] and several Caribbean countries to utilise the strategy, related Ms. Karen Yaw, the Director of Planning within the Public Health sector during an overview. Nevertheless, “Guyana is off to a great start,” Mr. Tesfaye Dereje of the USAID Health Financing Governance project told participants. Guyana’s NHA is built on three planks: revenue raising, managing resources and purchasing of services. According to the document circulated at the meeting, Guyana is “undergoing an epidemiological transition from communicable… to noncommunicable diseases [NCDs] and for some time it will continue to face this double burden of disease”. As part of its recommendations, those who worked on the NHA initiative recommended the country
allocate more funding to disease prevention since figures show that only 19 percent total health expenditure focus on this critical area. The team in one of its five recommendations cited a bigger role in healthcare for the country’s private sector which contributes a mere 13 percent of total health expenditures, with nine percent coming from households and four percent from the companies. “The private sector spending is relatively low in comparison with that of other countries with similar Gross Domestic Product [GDP] per capita,” the recommendation noted citing the meagre contribution as “an opportunity to diversify the source of funds for health and strengthen private sector involvement.” But according to Yaw, the strategy is sufficiently adaptable to fit the peculiarities of the emerging Guyanese public health sector. Minister Cummings added too, the country must, “strategically utilise the information to promote better and targeted investments for the improvement of public health outcomes for all Guyanese.”
adults. The juvenile who was initially granted bail in the sum of $100,000 on four charges, had his bail reduced to $50,000 each after his attorney, Edmonson, stated that his mother could not afford such a sum. His father was refused bail and remanded to prison on all four charges. They are all set to return to court on August 23, 2018. The men and the teen were arrested following a “Joint Service Operation “at Ekura Creek, Canje River on
Tuesday during which five shotguns, a pistol and three live rounds were found along with twelve kilograms of dried cannabis and a five-acre plot of cannabis cultivation. The almost 16-hour operation commenced at 03:00h and involved 14 ranks including two Senior Officers, one from the GPF and the other from the GDF. The team first retreated to a location at Ekura where two camps with several occupants were seen but upon seeing the ranks, the men fled into
the thick vegetation and escaped, leaving behind three single barrel shotguns. Several miles further up the creek at Wakie, Ekura, the ranks descended on two more camps with six males, one being a 15-year-old, one escaped. A search of their camps revealed a 9mm pistol with three live rounds, two single barrel shotguns , and the processed cannabis. There was the cannabis cultivation with plants ranging from one inch to three inches in height.
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UNICEF provides support for Region One schools accepting Venezuela children The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) is providing support to almost a dozen schools in Region One that have been accepting children from Venezuela. That figure represents just a fraction of schools, which have accepted children from the Spanish-speaking neighbouring country in the Region. UNICEF ‘S country representative, Sylvie Fouet, had told the press recently that there are at least 74 schools in the Region but there are challenges with taking in the children from Venezuela owing to the language barrier. In this regard, UNICEF has reached out to offer support in the form of interpreters to the schools. Fouet said that UNICEF has continually been monitoring the situation in Region One. “Most of the communities that we have visited were actually absorbing not only children but families, mainly in the Amerindian area,” she said. The UNICEF country representative said too that emphasis is being placed on water and sanitation. She noted that the
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country office will be offering much needed support to the Social Worker Network. Thousands of migrants have been fleeing from the troubled country, making their way into border areas of Region One, sparking actions from the authorities to provide supplies and grapple with solutions. Recently, the Civil Defence Comission and UNICEF joined forces to address the issue of the increasing number of Venezuelans coming into Guyana. The relief supplies, which include shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene are being procured within Guyana to the value of US$30,000. The CDC has disclosed that it will deploy the relief supplies within the coming weeks to the regional administrations for storage and distribution. The supplies will target an estimated 60 families per region with the total number of persons benefitting estimated at 900. A few days ago, Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, said plans are in motion for the establishment of a homestead settlement area for the 260 confirmed
Venezuelans, who are occupying areas in BarimaWaini (Region One). Minister Felix said that the resettlement area will allow the Venezuelans to be self-reliant. “It is intended that we [will] develop something like a homestead where families are accumulated and eventually we can move them into cash crop farming. We can encourage them so that in the first instance, they can feed themselves, and if they have surpluses, they can sell. We are looking at crops for their sustenance and their immediate needs. Once you
get that going, then the next thing is to guide them into areas in which they can sustain themselves. The immediate outcome is that we want to see them properly settled and they must be able to sustain themselves…,” he said. Rather than criminalise the Venezuelans, Minister Felix said that the Committee and by extension, the Government, has chosen to respond to the situation in a humane manner, with concern for the safety, health, and accommodation of the migrants.
New Amsterdam man found guilty of raping disabled teen girl Found guilty on a majority verdict on Friday at the Berbice High Court was Wazir Ali of Bermine Housing Scheme, New Amsterdam, Berbice. Ali was convicted of raping a 17-year -old disabled girl in 2015. He was represented by Attorney-at-law, Charandass Persaud. According to the facts of the case, Ali who was tasked with transporting church members, among whom was the disabled teen, raped the young woman after dropping
off all the members. Five witnesses were called by Prosecutor Tuana Hardy while three were called by the defence, including the pastor of the church of which the victim was a member. The defence’s case was that the accused was at work during the month of April, hence he was not around to have committed the act. A probation report was ordered by Justice Joann Barlow by the next court date on August 27 when Ali would be sentenced.
GMC offers unique marketing opportunities for... From page 12 agro-processors who responded,” Ms. Butters said. At the exhibit, persons were able to ask questions about labels, packaging and other services offered by GMC and as a result, agroprocessors have begun to show more interest in the organization and what it has to offer. “From this activity, there have been numerous phone calls from persons enquiring about the products and even one person who visited has
invited us (Guyana Marketing Corporation) to an activity at Kuru Kururu to showcase the products,” Ms Butters explained. Ms. Jennifer Spencer, Administrator of the Women’s Agro-Processors Development Network (WADNET) said that WADNET has benefitted from the Agro-processors’ exhibit. “Exhibitions like this (Agro-processors’ Exhibit) brings more awareness about who we (WADNET) are. It also shows persons what we can produce in Guyana because when they see the products, they are surprised that these items are actually produced here, so it gave them an opportunity to know more about what we have right here in Guyana,”
Spencer said. Spencer added that exhibitions such as the Agroprocessors’ Exhibit creates opportunities for new clients. “We may not see it the same day of the exhibition, but it creates opportunities for us (agro-processors) to create links and gain new clients which will, of course, benefit us in the long run.” According to a representative from the Guyana Marketing Corporation, the recently concluded Agroprocessors’ Exhibit is just one of the activities planned for the year 2018. Just recently, GMC through the Guyana Shop held an exhibition in New Amsterdam, in front of the B’s Mart Supermarket to sensitize
the public to the availability of locally produced items in Guyana. That event, according to the GMC representative, was also well received by the people of New Amsterdam and was deemed as successful by Kevin Macklingam, Manager of the Guyana Shop. Over the years, GMC has made available, opportunities for local Agro-processors to market their products. They have also created linkages outside of Guyana for Local Agro-processors to export their items. The Corporation also recently concluded its Emancipation Exhibition, which was hel d a t t h e Stabroek Square last Tuesday.
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STANDARDS IN FOCUS MAKE GOOD SELECTIONS OF BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES In approximately a month’s time, 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. Labels are intended to guide consumers by providing key information on the products they intend to purchase. A well labeled product provides consumers with the relevant information to make informed choices and ultimately gives guidance as to the product quality, monetary worth and manner of usage. Labels state the brand name which could be “high end” or “low end”. “High end” brands often attract higher prices and are of better quality, but they must be authentic and not fake. Label information such as Brand Name, Name of Manufacturer and Name of Supplier help consumers to identify who manufactured the product if there is a need to seek redress because of quality and safety concerns. Because our children wear clothing and footwear of varying sizes, it is important that sizes are included on labels. As long as parents are aware of their children’s sizes, there is no need for them to accompany their parent during the busy shopping season. Items can be bought based on sizes specified on labels. Care and use, warning and precautionary information about products, which most labels carry, help to ensure the health and safety of children who will be the actual users of these products. There are cases where some
school items like geometry sets and staplers are recommended for use by children over a specified age.
Further, labels guide parents during the wash and care of apparels, which prevent damage and discolouration. Labels of goods imported, manufactured and distributed in Guyana must comply with the requirements of the Guyana Standards Specification for the labeling of commodities – Part 1: General Principles which is a mandatory standard. According to the standard, Product labels must be in English Language and state the Brand, Type of product, Name of Manufacturer or Distributor, Country of origin, and where necessary information on the care, maintenance and precautions for use, and the manufacture and expiry dates. Other standards are available at the Guyana National Bureau of Standards that address the labeling requirements for specific goods, for example: the labeling of textiles, labeling of footwear, labeling of garments, etc. The GNBS monitors these products according to the requirements of these standards.
Consumers who are engaged in shopping for Back to School items should take a “timeout” to read and understand the labels of the products you intend to purchase, especially if they are costly. Remember not to compromise quality for cheaper prices. Our children are not always as careful as we are and may need good quality and sturdy back to school products to take them through the new school year. For further information on this subject, please contact the Guyana National Bureau of Standards on Telephone Numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066 and 219-0069 or visit the GNBS Website: www.gnbsgy.org or www.facebook.com/gnbsgy
Two arrested at Jamaican airport for attempting to smuggle coke to Guyana J a m a i c a (rjrnewsonline.com) - Two persons who were held at Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) for allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine, are to appear in court on Wednesday. Miriam Thompson, a 58year-old vendor of Norwood, St. James and 56-year-old construction worker Edson Berry of Portmore, St. Catherine have been charged with importing cocaine, possession of cocaine and dealing in cocaine. It is reported, that about
4 o’clock Sunday morning, Ms. Thompson and Mr. Berry arrived at the airport for a flight to Guyana. Their behaviour reportedly aroused suspicion during security screening and they were taken to a hospital. Ms. Berry allegedly expelled 68 capsules containing cocaine. Mr. Thompson expelled 71 capsules. The combined weight of the capsules is a little more than four pounds. The total value of the cocaine carries a street value of $2.6 million.
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2010 Suzuki GXR600 for sale. 950K Negotiable. Whatsapp 718-696-7608 or call 665-6164
Clean Garden earth, delivery to spot. Tel# 616-0617 or 6188199
2 bedroom apartment, unfurnished & Furnished (AC, Parking, WiFi etc.) Eccles. #667-2536 1 Two bedroom apartment. Contact Mrs. Z.Khan 11 Thomas St. Kitty. Tel# 2267948 or 688-8660 Self contain rooms for working couple/single person $35,000/$32,000 monthly, Light & Water, Lodge. Call: 623-0076
Guyana Business. For everything on setting up & doing business. Check: Guyanaconnection.com; (f) Guyanaconnection; Guyanaconnection100 @gmail.com
Brand new Toyota Fielder New Model. Contact #6149021 (Rasheed)
Deals on wheels, August discount on all vehicles, Financing avaliable. #6305650/679-7616
One three bedroom flat concrete house in Parfaite Harmony WBD $7.5M #6397623
1 Downstairs for business at Vreed-en-Hoop W.C.D Tel# 227-4377, 227-0613, 6246013, 645-7248
TO LET
1 Three (3) Bedroom upstairs flat in Atlantic Gardens E.C.D Tel# 227-4377, 227-0613, 6246013, 645-7248
Pure bred German shepherd pups, 10 weeks. Call: 6806721
Newly constructed apt in a safe and healthy environment. Call: #698-6496 VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Nissan Pathfinder Jeep and 1 Nissan Laurel car in excellent condition- Final sale bargain, call to view: 225-8427/609-7766 Pickup truck from Canada, double cab 2005 Tacoma $2.1M, Ford F150 sport $1.5M, Ford ranger sport $1.2M. Call: 682-5230, 6154414 Tractor (foreign used) Massey Ferguson excellent condition 165 $1.5M MF 135 $1.1M MF 265 $2.1M 165 loader, tractor $2.3M @ Vreed-en-Hoop. Call 6825230/615-4414
1 room apartment bathroom and living room @ 294 4th Field Cummings Lodge ECD, Job letter required #222-0401/ 673-2467 Preferably UG students. Executive type 2 bedroom air conditioned bottom flat with modern convenience in South Ruimveldt Gardens, Call: 618-8436 SALON September Cosmetology Courses $40,000 Nail Technology $25,000 Advance Make-up $15,000, All products provided. Abby #614-6749
2015- Yamaha R6 Yellow & Black, Kawasake 250. Tel# 675-2649 LEARN TO DRIVE N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way. Affordable package. Call: 6445166/691-2561
Sunday August 05, 2018
Kaieteur News
DRESSMAKING Ladies wear, uniforms etc. Professionally made to order. Call: 676-6312
2 apartment for rent : 1 bedroom and 2 bedrooms ECD. Contact Mr Khan #6752550/656-9313
1 Bedroom apartment. Working couple with no kids. Tel# 651-5644 Hotel Bar & Restaurant $400,000 monthly in 5th Street Albertown, Georgetown. Call: 684-9409 House at Kuru Kururu on roadside. Contact #678-7906 One and two bedrooms apartments to rent located at Nurses section, Turkeyen. Contact#680-5944/656-4211 Spacious three bedroom bottom flat, parking space 188 BB Eccles #645-0656 #2332223
Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic - Call: 223-7500 Monday to Saturday 8:15am4:15pm 1 Male able bodied clerk Call: 231-2029/616-5954 Land to buy in Parafaite Harmonie, Eccles, Uitvlugt, Tuschen,Covent Garden, Herstelling, Diamond, Providence & Zeelugt. Tel#686-9608 Experienced Roti/Puri Cook, cleaner, handy boys. Apply Hack’s Halaal. 5 Commerce St. Drivers Wanted, Truck Driver to work in Georgetown. Call: 227-1717 Field Supervisor to work in Georgetown. Call: 227-1717 Cooks, cleaners, cashiers. Apply at 112 3rd & Albert Streets, Alberttown. Must be able to work shift. Phone: 2269000, 225-6255. Live meat birds to buy. Tel# 625-2108 Live-in Waitress to work in a bar, must be 18-22 yrs old, must have ID. Contact#2212785/692-3877 Driver wanted 5 yrs experience Car/Van/Lorry reference and police clearance, Zoon Inc 288 Middle Street. Labourers for wood concession $5000 per day. Call: 618-0487 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665 Female Stitchers with heavy duty sewing machine experience. Call: 676-6312 Wanted land- Parfaite Harmonie, Farm, Eccles, Providence, Uitvlugt, Diamond, Tuschen, Zeelugt, Herstelling, Best price pay and Cash #604-6724
One bedroom bottom flat to rent Onion Field, LBI Tel#2207399/682-6294
Masons to work in Diamond. Call: 227-8682/227-3681 ask for Devon 682-6716
Advertise in Kaieteur News Classified Ads and get fast results.
VACANCY Vacancy for 1 cleaner. Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb Street, Bourda
Porters/Salesmen, apply in person with application to ARK Enterprise/The Container House. 17 Lombard Street, Werk-EnRust. Urgent vacancy exist @ Natural Beauty Salon & Spa. For experience Nail Technician Located @ Grove EBD. Contact Ms. Rasharie #652-5800 Female cleaner office & home. 233-2745 1-Grillman, 1 live-in mature nanny from Berbice/ Essequibo,1-kitchen assistant Contact X’s Grill & Cuisine 675-2550/656-9313. Vacancy exist for 1 Pharmacy assistant to work @ reputable pharmacy in Georgetown. Call: 227-0630/ 628-8811 between 8-4 Pm. Porter/Salesmen Age 18-40 knowledge in stocktaking & salesmanship, apply with written application KeyFood McDoom Village. IPE seeks trained & experienced teachers for the Primary & Secondary. Phone#265-3996/220-0538/ 629-5300/643-0777 Vacancy for Joiner. Contact# 619-9966
DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL:225-7126/ 2263 6 9 3 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM/ WWW.D OLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494 VACANCY Vacancy for 1 female tutor for a 3 year old boy. Apply @ Alabama Trading 65 Robb St, Bourda Hick’s Ville Hotel, Receptionist/Washer & Presser/ Hotel attendant/ Bell boy. info@vgiworld.com 2310951/223-3448 Security guard wanted for BV location by security company. (Night shift) Call: 672-1920 between 9am-4pm Only. One experienced legal computer clerk. Call: 6247087/ 226-4283/258-0213/ e m a i l : husainsaphier@yahoo.com LAND FOR SALE
Factory workers from 18 years & over must have Police Clearance, for more info contact: 223-0090
Prime land to build that dream home. Not far from Princess, New Thriving, Massy, HJ water world $13M neg- Call: 669-8397
Now Hiring- Management Staff, Services Staff, Office Staff. Call: 233-6997/622-1957 Training available www.JobfairWorldwide.com
Parafaite Harmonie, Eccles, Uivlugt, Tuschen, Covent Garden, Herstelling, Diamond, Providence, Zeelugt. Tel# 686-9608
Vacancy exist for 1 Security, Apply with application at Millenium Manor Hotel 43 Hadfield & Camp Street.
2 acres of title land situated @ 1st St Garden of Eden EBD $6.5M Neg. Call Terrence #638-7836. email: Latchmanrich@gmail.com
Vacancy for 1 experienced female account clerk, must have Mathematics & English. Apply @ Alabama Trading 65 Robb St, Bourda
Herstelling $4.6M & $5.5M. Farm $2.6M & $3.5M. Schoonard $2.3M & $2.8M. Parfaite Harmonie $1.4M & $1.8M. Uitvlugt $2.8M Tel# 656-1345
CSR for Internet Service Provider. Must be customer oriented and able to multitask. Email cv to jobs@awngy.com or Tel#227-2001
Land at Tuschen Housing Scheme, near school, 3 minutes away from main road. Call: 261-2988/695-8215 Continued on next page
Sunday August 05, 2018
CONSUMER CONCERNS
A MEMORABLE CULTURAL EVENT BY PAT DIAL The universal consumer motto is “Value for Money”, which indicates that the consumer must be made to receive the full value of the goods and services for which he would have paid. This implies that the main concern of the consumer is to be treated fairly in the process of buying and selling. Such an understanding of consumerism is erroneous since consumers are interested in maintaining a healthy environment and in Education and Culture and in anything else which would enrich the quality of life. Last week, there was one such memorable cultural and educational event when there was the launching of Professor Winston McGowan’s newest book, A Survey of Guyanese History. Dr. McGowan, a native of Georgetown, had a distinguished academic career. He attended St Rose’s Roman Catholic School and then Queen’s College; thereafter, he went to the University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica where he graduated with the Special Honours Degree in History. He then went on to the prestigious School of African and Oriental Studies of the University of London where he was awarded his Doctorate in West African History. Unlike so many brilliant Guyanese who choose to pursue their careers in Europe, North America or other parts of the world, Dr. McGowan decided to return and serve his country. He joined the University of Guyana in 1970, and over the next forty years did valuable research and taught generations of students. He reached the pinnacle of an academic career when he was appointed Professor and spent the last six years as the occupant of the prestigious Walter Rodney Chair in History. He was appointed Emeritus Professor in 2009. Professor McGowan was recognized and honoured by the State with the Golden Arrow of Achievement (AA) and the Cacique’s Crown of Honour (CCH) for his valuable service to the nation. He serves as a Minister of the Full Gospel Fellowship, a home-grown Pentecostal Church. “A Survey of Guyanese History” is a collection of essays and articles on subjects covering the gamut of Guyanese History. The book is arranged into eleven parts and each part deals with a number of subjects. “The parts or themes are respectively titled: General Historical Description; Demography; The Slave Trade, Slavery and Abolition; Economic History; Church History; Education; Cricket; Labour and Trade Unionism;
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Biography; Nationalism and Movement towards Independence; and Miscellany.” The topics covered under these themes are varied and always present an individual and new orientation. Some essays like those on the history of the various Churches; that on the Origins of the Fishing Industry and those on Cricket have made new knowledge and new perceptions available to the reader. The Slave Trade, Slavery and Abolition is the theme which has more essays than any of the others and is particularly strong and valuable since this is an area of research and study which is one of Dr. McGowan’s specialties. At the end of the book, there is a chapter on “Milestones: Significant Dates and Developments in Guyanese History, 1498 2016” where the important dates and events of Guyanese History are outlined. This is a very useful precis of Guyanese History and provides an easy reference. Publishing a book in Guyana has never been easy and this achievement was made possible through Mr. Vic Insanally’s Guyenterprise. In Professor McGowan’s words, “My greatest human debt, however, is to my former classmate and long-standing friend, Victor Insanally, for agreeing to undertake the publication of the book, including raising funds to make it possible”. The book is a delight to read and one could spend hours of continuous reading. It is the kind of gift which parents could well present their children at Christmas or other anniversaries. The book launching itself was a memorable event. It was done under the patronage of President David Granger and took place at the Baridi Benab on the grounds of State House. It was well attended with an audience, which was multicultural, multiracial, appreciative and friendly to each other. It was reminiscent of such events in Old Georgetown where there was a closeness and almost familial ambience. Dr. James Rose gave an interesting survey of the book and Mr. Tota Mangar spoke on Dr. McGowan. Dr. Rose, Mr. Mangar and Dr. McGowan were colleagues at the University of Guyana and their presentations had a professorial flavour. They all paid homage to Professor Sr Mary Noel Menezies as being a great scholar, researcher, teacher and the mainstay of the History Department of the University of Guyana for many years.
The final remarks were made by His Excellency President David Granger who was a brilliant student of History and was responsible
LAND FOR SALE Lot 1 Sophia For sale Wren Avenue Land for sale, Land at Kuru Kururu For sale. Contact# 227-1042 5 acre to lease, Coconut & other fruit trees on Demerara river. Call: 261-2988/695-8215 Parfaite $1.4M Uitvlugt $2.7M Farm $4.5 Pouderoyen land road to river, Diamond $4M Tuschen $1.5M $6M Call: 6662326 PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 15 Public road #2 Vill. WCB 3 House Lots. Coconut & Mango trees 49ftx10,314ft length. Price $18M. Contact# 648-7109/686-4818 3 bedroom concrete house (one self contained) located in Kitty. Price $22 Million Neg. Call: 672-1920 5 bedroom house (2 self contained) located in Bel Air Park. Price $66 Million Neg. Call: 672-1920 4 bedroom house (1 self contained) located in 19th Ave Diamond. Price $22 Million Neg. Call: 672-1920 Super newly renovated property 2 storey house with 2 washrooms, one with bathtub, Lowland ECD Price $15M Neg. Cell: 647-0655 New building with two apartment downstairs for sale.10 minutes from Georgetown .Call:675-1510/ 256-0180 Better Hope E.C.D. Wooden 2 story. Home-30x30 Land80x100ft. Contact Ray’s Realty 627-9685 Comfortable 3 bedroom home, Big yard space, Melanie ECD, just off public road. Contact Ray’s Realty #627-9685 Stunning New 2 storey home, Enterprise East Coast Demerara. Contact Ray’s Realty #627-9685 Property with exceptional yard space, Paradise East Coast Demerara. Contact Ray’s Realty #627-9685 2 Story building. Ideal for business. Barr Street, Kitty. Contact Ray’s Realty 6279685
for several educational and historical publications. Several members of the audience who knew President Granger only as a General in
the Armed Forces were pleasantly surprised to learn of his brilliant academic record. In his remarks, the President spoke spontaneously from his heart recalling his early days at Queen’s College when he studied Caribbean History, which had been introduced to
the School by Pat Dial and taught by him. He recollected the time when politics in Guyana had no racist undertones. He awakened a sense of Guyanese nationality in all those present and manifested his warm egalitarianism when he freely mingled among the audience.
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Pomeroon farmer 72, gunned Govt. hemming and hawing on down in front of 46-year-old lover ‘marijuana amendments’ – Opposition -woman among three detained A 73-year-old farmer was gunned down in his Grant River, Lower Pomeroon home after being attacked by a masked intruder at around 18:30 hrs on Friday. Police said that Deonarine, also called ‘Russian’ was slain in front of his 46-year-old lover after he went to answer a knock at his front door. Investigators have detained Deonarine’s lover as well as three other individuals. Kaieteur News under-
stands that the killer is believed to be an individual who was “not comfortable” with the relationship between Deonarine and his female friend. Police said an hour before he was slain, the farmer went to the Charity Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast where he picked up the female and took her to his home. They were sitting at a table when Deonarine reportedly went to answer a call at the front door. He was then re-
portedly confronted by a masked man who was said to be armed with a ‘long gun’. Police said that the woman held onto the suspect’s firearm. The intruder then pulled out a knife, but she reportedly also held on to that weapon. Meanwhile, Deonarine attempted to flee downstairs, but the gunman allegedly pushed down the woman, pursued Deonarine, and shot him in the abdomen. He then escaped. Deonarine was pronounced dead on arrival at the Charity Hospital, while the suspect remains at large.
The debate over reduced sentences for small amounts of marijuana has died down and so too is the push to pass related legislation. All of this come despite President David Granger’s openness to remove custodial sentences for possession of small amounts of marijuana. “They [the Government] are hemming and hawing because they don’t want to move forward,” said Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, on Thursday. The Alliance For Change (AFC), which is a member of the Coalition Government, has publicly indicated its support for non-custodial sentence for persons convicted on possession for small amounts of marijuana. AFC Member of Parliament, Michael Carrington, had tabled amendments to the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Act since 2015, but it has not reached the stage of a vote despite public support from the Opposition.
AFC Member of Parliament, Michael Carrington It is clear that the amendments will not see this session of Parliament, which goes into recess from August 10. “They have their own problems so they are blaming us for it; saying that we have changed our positions privately,” Jagdeo outlined. The Opposition stated
that the party’s position has not changed. It is to allow each member to take a conscience vote on the proposed amendments when it is brought to the floor of the National Assembly. “I am in favour of decriminalizing small quantities and giving the Magistrates greater flexibility so they can sentence people to community service; they can sentence them to rehab, but not lock away them for three years,” Jagdeo stated. Government has indicated that it will incorporate the final report on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Commission on Marijuana. Apart from the CARICOM report, the Government has done its own work through the Ministry of Public Health’s survey on the matter along with examining the sentencing guidelines on the possession of various sums of marijuana. The pressure to change the law, which allows for (Continued on page 72)
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18 GWI wells in trouble because of poor designs - company gets tough on contractors, quality of materials
Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West Charles(R) and other officials at the press conference on Friday. The state-owned Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) says it is grappling with a major problem of ensuring that materials its uses for its projects meet the necessary standards. The company is calling for local manufactures to get fully on board. Soon, both GWI and employees of contractors with which the entity does business, will have to be certified. The disclosures were made Friday during the halfyear update.The company was questioned about its efforts to recover costs from contractors who fail on their projects, especially in laying pipes and drilling wells.
In recent years, contractor BK International ran into problems with two wells- one at Eccles, budgeted for $84M, and another at Mon Repos. The majority of the monies have been paid to the contractor but the wells are not commissioned yet, about four years later, because problems with casings and the screens.According to Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West Charles, investigations found that BK could not be faulted on the Eccles well, as the contractor worked according to designs. The official disclosed that GWI has started now to assess contractors also after they have completed their
work. But sometimes contractors do experience cash flow problems. Recently, a contract for the laying of HDPE pipes on Vlissengen Road, for over $100M, was found to be way behind. The matter came to the fore after three breakages occurred exacerbating the situation. The contractor was summoned and the matter is being resolved, Dr. Van West Charles said. The official disclosed that one of the issues that GWI faces as a company, in terms of the materials that comes from abroad, is that there is no way to test. There is just no installed capacity. Although a
Dr. Bynoe has no experience in ... From page 9 helps countries develop priority programmes and projects under the Fund. Ram said that Dr. Bynoe was particularly involved in a project in Belize to assist residents of Trio Village combat the effects of climate related events such as deforestation due to lack of water, insufficient arable land and forest fires which threatened crops. “It seems a transformational change for Dr. Bynoe to move from a job in which it was all about mitigating the effects of climate change to a sector which is a major polluter and contributor to climate change… For Dr. Bynoe,
the transition will require an epiphany of biblical proportion.” In addition to this, Ram questioned how the President arrived at his selection. He said, “It is not clear how the President arrived at his pick, what inquiries he made of persons who know and have worked w i t h D r. B y n o e , o r h i s attitude to the extractive industry in general or the petroleum sector in particular, and his views on how the sector ought to be regulated. “To have arrived at a decision without the benefit of such a process would be considered human resource heresy on the part of the Presi-
dent…” CHAIN OF DECISIONS It was only a few days ago that the Natural Resource Governance In s t i t u t e (NRGI), insisted that the governments for emerging oil producers like Guyana inform the nation of every aspect of their decisionmaking process. NRGI believes that an essential prerequisite for accountability in the oil sector is transparency. It stressed that piecemeal information is not sufficient. It insists that the government should disclose its decisions with a complete, complementary set of data.
The troubled $84M Eccles well will be up and running in a few week, GWI officials say. contractor can produce a manufacturer’s certificate attesting to quality, it does little to help the situation. He urged the locals to get more on board, ensuring that the standards are the best. With regards to the building of GWI’s in house capacity, the Managing Director disclosed that it is looking at the Brazilian technologies.The army of that neighbouring country is helping to drill several wells in Region Nine to battle drought problems. The problem with
capacity would be further highlighted by the discovery that designs using the wrong cases have caused 18 wells on the coastlands to be at a critical stage.GWI has imported about $40M worth of stainless steel casings to fix the integrity of the wells.It is fixing the Eccles well so it can lend capacity to the treatment plant in that location. The addition of the well will allow 24-hour service in one of the most populated areas in the country. GWI has also been sending staffers to Oklahoma, US, for
training to drill wells. According to the Managing Director, the idea is to eventually have the inhouse capabilities for GWI to drill its own wells.The company is looking to also work more with the Dutch who recently drilled three wells- at Diamond, Sophia and Sparendaam, at half the cost.To boost the capacity of GWI, the company has also purchased a crane to conduct drilling operations. A number of staffers are heading to Holland next month for training, too.
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Hotel owner shoots driver dead during confrontation Where Jason De Florimonte fell dead after being shot.
A 30-year-old driver was shot dead at around 01:00 hrs yesterday during a confrontation with his neighbour, who is the owner of the Tourist Villa Hotel in Fifth Avenue, Subryanville, Kitty. Jason De Florimonte of 96 Fifth Avenue Subryanville, Kitty, was shot four times after he allegedly confronted Erwin Bacchus, a licensed firearm owner, in the businessman’s hotel. De Florimonte fled outside and died a few feet from his front gate. Police have taken the businessman into custody. De Florimonte, who was a driver/salesman employed by Top Brandz Distributors, and who lived opposite the Tourist Villa Hotel, was said to have had a strained relations with Bacchus, an aunt of the slain man said.
The victim was the father of three children. He was at the time living with a 24-yearold woman, Christine Rambarran, who is at the centre of the incident. Police said that the shooting occurred after De Florimonte and his 24-yearold girlfriend had an argument.According to a police press release, Terrance Newsun, a handyman, was at the hotel gate when he saw a commotion between the couple. When Newsun confronted them, De Florimonte allegedly attacked the handyman, who fled into the hotel, with De Florimonte in pursuit. Police allege that while in the hotel, De Florimonte turned his attention to the hotel owner, who shot the driver four times in the chest with his licensed firearm. The shot man died at the
scene, while police took the shooter into custody. Some hotel employees claimed that De Florimonte had run into the hotel with two knives and was shot during an argument with the proprietor. Relatives of the slain man confirmed that De Florimonte and Rambarran were having an argument near their gate, when the handyman, who is employed at the hotel, intervened. They said that an argument ensued between the two men, and Bacchus, who has a licensed firearm, also got involved, after which gunshots rang out, leaving De Florimonte dead on the road. A blood trail, leading from inside the hotel to the roadway, was still visible when Kaieteur News arrived at the scene.
Future of Berbice Bridge, Linden... From page 15 Association.” There was significant discussion about the East Coast/East Bank bypass to be constructed between Ogle and Diamond. A number of questions raised by the PSC were addressed by a team of the Ministry’s engineers. The PSC delegation also raised questions about ongoing work on the current East
Coast and the East Berbice sectional roads and the Sheriff/Mandela road project. The PSC has undertaken to help resolve an issue, which threatens the timely completion of work on the East Coast road. The discussions also centered on plans for the completion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri; the construction of the new bridge across the Demerara
Govt. hemming and ...
From page 70 automatic jail sentence for certain quantities of marijuana, was reignited in May when a 27-year-old farmer was jailed for three years by a city magistrate for just over eight grams of marijuana.Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, has explained that the delay in moving forward with the 2015 proposed amendments was due to studies undertaken by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and CARICOM. Other delays relate to the non-establishment of the Advisory Council and the Rehabilitation Fund for users who are processed by the court.
River; the proposed deep water harbour; maintenance of the sea defences and completion of the Indian Monument in East Berbice. The Minister’s team included Kenneth Jordan (Permanent Secretary); Geoffrey Vaughn (Chief Works Officer), Ron Rahaman (Chief Roads and Bridges Officer), Nigel Erskine (Head, Technical Services), Greg Rickford (Coordinator Hinterland Committee), George Linton (Design Engineer) and Imran Baksh (Design Engineer), while the PSC team included Capt. Gerald Gouveia, Mr. Edward Boyer, Mr. Komal Singh, Mr. Deonarine Ramsaroop, Mr. We s l e y Kirton, M r. Komal R a m n a u t h , M r. L e arie Barclay, Ms. Elizabeth Alleyne and Mr. Devon Seeram.
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Persaud, Hussain, Subhan take Category lead as LGC - Hussain, Dr. Deo, Webster Open tourney commences tied in flight B category By Zaheer Mohamed Following an absence of 25 years, the Lusignan Golf Club Open tournament made a grand return yesterday with some exciting action in the respective categories. The Groups started off eagerly at 10:00hrs in brilliant sunshine on a spanking looking golf course. Reigning Guyana Open Champion, Avinash Persaud (72), used his experience much to his advantage to be the clear leader of ‘A’ Flight and to be the undisputed Best Gross for the day’s play. In the ‘B’ Flight, LGC President Aleem Hussain, who is being sponsored by Chetsons Under Armor brand (84), another experienced golfer, emerged Best Gross winner, while Imtiaz Subhan (98) was Best Gross in the ‘C’
GCC overcome Everest CC by 26 runs Georgetown Cricket Club defeated Everest Cricket Club by 46 runs in an U-17 Tapeball fixture played recently at Bourda. Batting first GCC managed 126 all out in 30 overs with Thaddeous Lovell and S. Persaud scoring 21 apiece. Aaron Beharry claimed 4-23. Everest CX were bowled out for 80 in 23 overs in reply. Ariel Tilku made 33 and Vahardeve got 32 as Zachary Jodah snared 4-17 and Aryan Persaud 2-17. In another fixture, Ogle beat GCC by 17 runs. Ogle took first strike and made 130 all out in 35 overs. Devenand Khemraj struck 28 and Andrew Samaroo 17. Darius Andrews and Zachary Jodah had 3-24 each, while A. Persaud took 2-18. GCC made 113 all out in 33 overs in reply. Rivaldo Phillips got 30 and Sanjay Persaud 16. Rudranauth Kissoon grabbed 4-13, Michael Pooran 4-20 and Brian Singh 2-12.
Guyana take useful lead... Aleem Hussain (left) and Avinash Persaud (centre) with Minister Ronald Bulkan. Flight. As usual, the 1st day’s play only indicates the likely
winners of the tournament, but it is the sum of the 1st and 2nd days’ play that matters.
Sunday August 05, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Career responsibilities may require a temporary separation from a love partner today, Aries. This is apt to be upsetting and rather disheartening
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Some older visitors to your home, perhaps your parents, might be too vocal in their assessment of how you're handling a situation, Libra.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Travel arrangements may have to be put off because of unexpected developments that keep you where you are, Taurus.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Beware that creative efforts involving modern technology, such as computer graphics, recording, or film, might suffer from "too many cooks." Everyone has a different idea of how things should be handled.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may feel especially lonely, overworked, and passionate today, Gemini, and therefore longing for the company of your romantic partner. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Upsets in the home could occur today. You and other members of your household are on edge and liable to snap at the least provocation. Someone could get all flustered over a minor problem and storm out. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Expected calls or deliveries may prove more trouble than they're worth, Leo. You could get involved in endless games of phone tag, and deliveries might come when you're out. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) A temporary delay in receiving some expected funds might force you to postpone a much-needed purchase. Don't make yourself crazy over this. It isn't worth the stress.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) In spite of the leaps and bounds you've taken over the last several months, a slump could set in as you start to doubt your ability to attain your goals. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Are you waiting to hear some important news, Capricorn? Significant career matters may be involved. This isn't a good day to sit around waiting. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) This isn't a good day to travel, Aquarius, especially by air. Long lines at the ticket counter, endless delays, and lost luggage could be the result. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) A friend or colleague involved in an enterprise with you could be inhibited in some way by lack of money, Pisces.
In this regard top Gross scores in each Flight were: ‘A’ Flight: Avinash Persaud 72; Kassim Khan 81, Vishnu Seecharran 81 and Kevin Dinanauth 81 all tied in second position; Mohanlall Dinanauth 82 and Mike Mangal 83. ‘B’ Flight scores were: Aleem Hussain 84, Lakeram Ramsundar 89 and two time Guyana Open Champion Dr. Joaan Deo 90, Shanella Webster 90, Kalyan Tiwari 90, Andre Cummings 91, Bholawram Deo 92, Patanjalee Persaud 93, Ian Gouveia 93 and Aasrodeen Shaw 93. ‘C’ Flight gross scores were; Imtiaz Subhan 98, Maurice Solomon 99, Albert Rohan 101, Philbert London 101 and Maxim Mangra 109. Top Net scores in each category were; ‘A’ Flight – Avinash Persaud 70, Kassim Khan 73, Vishnu Seecharran 74, Mike Mangal 75, four ties at 77 – Kevin Dinanauth, Nohanlall Dinanauth, Chandra Lakeraj and Patrick Prashad. In the ‘B’ Flight division – Aleem Hussain, Shanella Webster and Dr. Joaan Deo are tied on 74; followed by Bholawram Deo 75, Patanjalee Persaud 76 and Lakeram Ramsundar 77. Four ties at 78 – Ian Gouveia, Andre Cummings, Aasrodeen Shaw and Kalyan Tiwari. In the ‘C’ Flight, Net scores were: - Imtiaz Subhan 76, Maurice Solomon 77, Albert Rohan 77, Philbert London 79 and Maxim Mangra 81. The tournament continues with Tee-off at 8:30 today; groups scheduled to start in 10-minutes succession. Prizes to be awarded for total performance over the two days are Best Gross only in each category, and 1st to 3rd Best Net in each category. There will also be a prize for the Longest Drive and the Closest to The Pin on the day two.
From page 76 captures 5-70 and Zawandi White 3-16. Scores: At Arnos Vale Stadium: Leewards trail by 91 runs overall. LEEWARD ISLANDS 116 (Kevin Sinclair 4-19, Kelvin Umroa 3-28, Joshua Jones 2-27) and 22 without loss. GUYANA 229 (Kevin Sinclair 51, Sachin Singh 49, Bhaskar Yadram 35, Javid Karim 30; Javin Spencer 5-70, Zawandi White 3-16) At Sion Hill: Jamaica trail Barbados by 162 runs on first
innings with six wickets remaining. BARBADOS 223 (Shian Brathwaite 87, Kadeem Alleyne 54, Nico Reifer 39; Raewin Senior 7-58, Sanjay Brown 3-32) JAMAICA 61 for four (Carlos Brown 25; Camarie Boyce 3-15) At Park Hill: No play possible. WINDWARD ISLANDS 238 (Teddy Bishop 79, Kimani Melius 53,JohnelEugene37;Navin Bidaisee 3-29, Justyn Gangoo 3-34, JaydenSeales2-36) TRINIDAD & TOBAGO one without loss.
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From page 75 72kg class and ended behind her countrywoman Taharally in 4th place with a best Squat of 107.5kg, Bench Press 60kg, Deadlift 140kg for a Total of 307.5kg. Competing in the evening session, Paul Adams stormed to the gold medal in the Men’s Classic Open, 83kg by the same margin that eluded Taharally for the silver medal, 2.5kg. Adams achieved a best Squat of 215kg, Bench Pressed 140kg, Deadlift 262.5kg for a Total of 617.5kg. Adams’ Deadlift and Total are new Personal Best’s. CARLOS ‘THE SHOWSTOPPER’ PETTERSON CLAIMS OPEN 93KG GOLD; BRISPORT-LUKE COPS 2 BRONZE Carlos ‘The Showstopper’ Petterson has continued his impressive international form when he lifted his way to a gold medal and Guyana’s third when competition at the 16th Annual IPF/ NAPF North American Regional Powerlifting Championship continued in Mexico City. Following on the heels of gold medals accomplished on day 1 by Nadina Taharally and Paul Adams, Petterson stormed to the top podium spot in the Men’s Raw Open 93kg competition beating Puerto Rico’s Michael Correa and Guatemala’s Zepeda Hernandez who had to settle for the silver and bronze medals, respectively. It was a virtual no contest from the first lift (squat) as
Petterson stamped his authority from the get go and pulled away after every subsequent lift on his way to victory. So devastating was Petterson, he won the gold medal with a total of 790kg which was 130kg above the 2nd placed Correa who ended with 660kg, Hernandez managed 725kg. Petterson’s New Total was made up of a Personal Best Squad of 300kg up from his previous best by 20kg; a Personal Best Bench Press of 165kg, up by 15kg from his previous best; Deadlift of 325kg. Unofficially, Petterson’s performance has qualified him to compete at the 2019 World Championships. Franklyn Brisport-Luke contesting the Men’s Equipped Open and Men’s Equipped Masters 11 66kg Weight Class copped a bronze medal in each category achieving a Total of 367.5kg which was made up of a best Squat of 145kg; Bench Press 75kg, which is a Personal Best up from 72.5kg and Deadlift of 147.5kg. Brisport-Luke failed his second attempt at 155kg and passed up on his third and final attempt. In action today would be Petterson, Frank Tucker (Men’s Equipped Open and Men’s Equipped Masters III, 105kg), Erwyn Smith (Men’s Equipped Open, 93kg) and Nairanjan Singh (Men’s Equipped Open and Men’s Equipped Masters IV, 83kg). Medals haul to date Gold 3 Silver 0 Bronze 3
Proud Moment! 2018 CAC Middleweight winner Bruce Whatley poses with the 2nd and 3rd place finishers. QUEENSWAY/GSSF MULTI GUN PRACTICAL SHOOT RYAN MCKINNON AND MICHAEL BLAKE EMERGE LIMITEDAND PRODUCTION WINNERS Top shot Ryan McKinnon has continued his domination of events under the umbrella of the Guyana Sports Shooting Federation (GSSF) when he shot his way to another first place when the Queensway Group of Companies Inc., sponsored Multi Gun Practical competition was held at the Timehri Rifle
Ranges, Yarrowkabra, Linden Soesdyke Highway. McKinnon comfortably won the Limited category with 440.2476 points shooting a rifle, shot gun and a hand gun. Taking the second place was Pravesh Harry with 377.5218 points with the third place going to David Dharry who managed 300.8722 points. Taking the 4th, 5th and 6th places were Vidushi PersaudMcKinnon, Rajiv Latchana and James Singh. Ruling the roost in the Production class was Michael Blake who tallied 415.6330
points to take the top spot ahead of Joshua Ramlakhan who managed 354.1800 points with Dallas Thomas third (329.0048) and Allemul Ali (307.2261) claiming the 3rd and 4th positions. Medals and cash prizes were presented to the top three shooters in each category; the GSSF deemed the event a success. GFA/STAG BEER REVIVAL CUP LAUNCHED - UNDER-21 AND NONELITE PLAYERS TO BE GIVEN PLATFORM After some failed attempts and false starts, organised football is set to return to the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) under the stewardship of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) and the sponsorship of Ansa Mcal through their Stag Beer brand. The tournament is being dubbed the GFA/Stag Beer Revival Cup, a fitting name since the IMC along with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) and all football stakeholders would like to see the beautiful game rejuvenated in the most popular member association (MA) of the GFF. The tournament was launched at the Sleepin Hotel on Brickdam, present at the
ceremony was GFF President Wayne Forde Snr., Trevor Williams; Chairman of the IMC, Otis James; competitions chairman of the IMC, and Stag Beer representative, Seweon McGarrell. The competition chairman of the Revival Cup further noted that the tournament will follow a round robin/knockout format and will be competed at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) and the Tucville grounds over 16 days with a total of 56 matches to be played. There will be a total of 16 teams vying for a total prize purse of $900,000; those team are Guyana Defence Force (GDF), GFC, Pele, Northern Rangers, Western Tigers, Riddim Squad, Beacons, Black Pearl, Fruta Conquerors, Police, Camptown, Eastville, Buxton, Santos, Flamingo and Order & Discipline. The tournament will see the participation of strictly non-elite players and majorly under-21 players. This has been decided with the aim of giving players down the pecking order in elite clubs an opportunity to showcase their talents, while the national selectors will have the opportunity to have a look at the youth players.
Regional Under-19 Championship – 2nd day, 1st round
Guyana take useful lead
Top guns from right, Dallas Thomas, Joshua Ramlahkan, Michael Blake, Ryan Mc Kinnon, Pravesh Harry and David Dharry.
KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, Aug 4, CMC – Guyana took a useful 91 run lead with play continued on the second day of the opening round of matches in the Regional Under-19 Championship here yesterday. At Arnos Vale Stadium
after dismissing the Leewards for 116 Guyana replied with 229 with Kevin Sinclair 51, Sachin Singh 49, Bhaskar Yadram 35 and Javid Karim 30 the run getters. Bowling for the Leewards Javin Spencer (Continued on page 75)
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We take a look back at the key events that took place and made the news in the local sporting arena over the past week GABF AWARDS CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING TEAM, COMMISSIONS RESURFACED BURNHAM COURT The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) held their awards ceremony for the historic senior men’s team that won Guyana’s first Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championship gold medal, last month in Suriname. The team was led on all fronts by 18-year-old Stanton Rose who was the youngest captain in Guyana’s basketball history and the Kwakwani lad was so outstanding that he was awarded MVP in the competition played at the Anthony Nesty Sporthal in Paramaribo. During his address at the simple but significant ceremony at the newly commissioned, resurfaced Burnham hard court, Rose posited that, “It was a pleasure leading you guys and my country to the Caribbean Championship and I will keep working so I can do it again in the future.” Guyana are now ranked 95th in the world after winning the tournament. Heading into the tournament which was hosted hiccup free by neighbouring Suriname, the Guyanese were ranked 117, the second highest just above the host nation Suriname on 118. Overseas based Kevon Wiggins was the youngest player on the team, aged 17 years, and he was the top scorer in Guyana’s first group game. During his brief ad-
Team Guyana pose with the championship trophy for a photo op on Saturday night. (Calvin Chapman photos) dress he noted that he was proud to be part of a championship winning team at such a young age and noted that he will always represent Guyana because here is where he belongs. Coach of the team Junior Hercules explained that the key ingredient that was missing in the past that this 2018 team had was that the players believed that they could’ve won the tournament. “I hope that this victory will inspire the future generation of ballers in Guyana.” Meanwhile, President of the GABF, Hinds, thanked the players for their dedication and hard work while acknowledging the coach: “Theoretically you’re a student of the game and you practically brought it (the
CBC championship) home.” Hinds mentioned the significance of the Road to Mecca championship and the warm up series in Barbados which were pivotal during Guyana’s preparation. He thanked all the sponsors including Ministers Joseph Harmon and David Patterson who contributed $1million each out of pocket, towards the team’s costly funding for participation in the event. At the end of the ceremony, each player along with the coaches were awarded $100,000. The commissioning of the M&CC owned but GABF maintained Burnham hard court capped off the evening. The court recently underwent an $11million resurfac-
ing project which was funded by the GABF. BRUCE WHATLEY SNAPS UP PRO CARD AFTER GOLD IN MASTERS & MIDDLEWEIGHT CLASSES- CAMPBELL GOOD FOR BRONZE Opting not to defend his 2017 Mr. Guyana title but focusing his energies on the 45th edition of the CAC Body Building & Fitness Championships, Guyana’s USA based Bruce Whatley flexed his way to a Pro Card following gold medal performances in the Masters and Middleweight categories. The seasoned campaigner placed 2nd Overall behind winner Damion Daniel of Grenada who also received
The commissioning of the Burnham Court after the awards ceremony.
his Pro Card. Whatley successfully defended his Masters title which he won in 2016 in the Dominican Republic and returned to the stage to capture the Middleweight gold before ending 2nd in the Overall showdown. The annual championship was cancelled last year following the hurricanes that ravaged parts of the Caribbean and the earthquakes in Mexico. Emmerson Campbell, who recaptured the Mr. Guyana Men’s Physique title this year from Yannick Grimes who dethroned him last year, ended with the bronze (Under 174cm Class) medal in Mexico. Campbell had won silver in the Dominican Republic in 2016. Campbell has expressed
thanks to Fitness Express, the National Sports Commission/ Ministry of Social Cohesion, Bounty Farm Ltd and the GABBFF among others for making his attendance in Mexico possible. The other two athletes that made their way to Mexico, Caerus Cipriani ended just outside the medals, 4th place in the Under 182cm Men’s Physique competition, while Alisha Fortune did not get past the pre judging phase in the Body Fitness contest. Next year’s CAC Championships will be hosted by the Puerto Rico federation. 16TH ANNUAL IPF/ NAPF CHAMPIONSHIP – MEXICO DAY 1... NADINATAHARALLY SNARES GOLD AND BRONZE MEDALS; PAUL ADAMS TAKES GOLD BY2.5KGS Guyana’s powerlifters got off to a fantastic start when the 16th Annual IPF/ NAPF North American Regional Powerlifting Championship lifted off in Mexico City. Three lifters took the platform with two medaling as Guyana won two gold medals and a bronze. Nadina Taharally, started off the medal haul for the Guyanese with a gold medal in the Women’s Classic Masters I and followed up that performance with a bronze medal in Women’s Classic Open72kg class, narrowly missing the silver by 2.5kg. Taharally’s had a best Squat of 130kg, Bench Press 65kg, Deadlift 160 and a Total 355kg. Grace Babb on debut at this level also competed in the Women’s Classic Open (Continued on page 74)
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16th Annual IPF/ NAPF Championship – Mexico Day 3
Petterson, Frank Tucker, Nairanjan Singh golden on last day; Guyana 6 gold, 3 bronze
After snaring the gold medal in the Men’s Raw Open 93kg battle on Friday, Guyana’s leading young strongman, Carlos ‘The Showstopper’ Petterson competing in the Men’s Equipped Open division yesterday, the final day of the 16th Annual IPF/ NAPF North American Regional Powerlifting Championship in Mexico City closed out equally emphatic with another gold medal. His and fellow countrymen, Frank Tucker and Nairanjan Singh’s gold medal equaling efforts saw Guyana ending the championships with a total medal haul of 6 gold and 3 bronze. Competing against five other athletes, including fellow Guyanese Erwyn Smith, the 24 year-old Petterson showed his pedigree by blowing the opposition away with a winning Total of 800kg – Squat 315kg; Bench Press 155kg and a Deadlift 330kg. Pett e r s o n w a s t h e o n l y lifter on the day to crack the 300 Deadlift mark. Nelson Viera of Puerto Rico took the silver with a Total of 745kg, the bronze medal going to Eric Estrada of Mexico who had a Total of 725kg. Erwyn Smith failed to get any of his
Deadlifts (155kg, 275kg, 292.5kg) which meant he was unable to get a Total. Smith was also unable to get either of his third attempts in the Squat (255kg) and Bench Press (155kg). His best lifts in both the Squat and Bench were 250kg and 150kg, respectively. The 66 year-old Frank Tucker won gold contesting the Men’s Equipped Masters III, 105kg with a Squat of 210kg; Bench Press 100kg and Deadlift of 200kg for a Total of 510kg. Tucker, who also comp e t e d i n t h e M e n ’s Equipped Open category, could only land the 4th place taking on younger athletes. The gold medalist in this class was 24 year-old Michael Fernandez of Costa Rica with a Total of 800kg (Squat 315kg; Bench Press 200kg; Deadlift 285kg). Silver and bronze went to Alfredo Rivera (777.5kg) of Puerto Rico and Costa Rica’s Sergio Vindas with a Total of 662.5kg. The USA based Nairanjan Singh, the elder statesman of the sport at age 73, battling in the Men’s Equipped Masters I V, 8 3 k g t o o k t h e g o l d
GBA Schoolboys/ Junior Boxing C/Ships
The full Guyanese contingent that attended the 16th Annual IPF/ NAPF North American Regional Powerlifting Championships in Mexico City. medal with a Total of 395kg (Squat 125kg; Bench Press 110kg; Deadlift 160kg). Ta k i n g o n h i s m u c h younger rivals in the Men’s Equipped Open contest, Singh ended in the 4th place behind 50 year-old winner Luis Tapia of Puerto Rico who had a Total of 772.5kg – Squat 327.5kg; Bench Press
177.5kg; Deadlift 267.5kg. Christopher Osorio (Total 670kg) of Guatemala was good enough for the silver medal while the bronze was taken by Mexico’s Manuel Lucero whose Total was 620kg. On Day one, Thursday, Nadina Taharally had set the medal haul in train for the
Guyanese with a gold medal in the Women’s Classic Masters I and followed up that performance with a bronze medal in Women’s Classic Open72kg class, narrowly missing the silver by 2.5kg. Paul Adams then emulated Taharally later on Thursday by snatching the gold medal in the Men’s Classic Open,
83kg by the same margin that eluded Taharally, 2.5kg. On Day two, Friday, Petterson took the top podium spot in the Men’s Raw Open 93kg category, while Franklyn Brisport-Luke took bronze medals in the Men’s Equipped Open and Men’s Equipped Masters 11 66kg Weight Classes.
Five titles decided on opening day Malachi Sealey (right) hurts Michael Mangal to take the 75-79 lbs title in one of the most shot filled bouts at the Six Head Gym yesterday.
By Sean Devers The two-day Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Schoolboys and Juniors Boxing Championships at the Andrew ‘Six Heads’ Lewis in Albouystown began late yesterday with one of 13 scheduled bouts being cancelled. But this did not deter the large and raucous turn out from witnessing an entertaining Boxing Card and hearing an informative interactive talk
on Domestic Abuse by Deidre Ifill, Prevention, Programme & Education Officer Ministry of Social Protection.Ifill told the youngsters and their Coaches that physical, verbal and emotional abuse are some of the most prevalent forms of abuse in the Guyana and encouraged those who know of their friends being abused to call them on 227-0779. In the Ring, Harpy Eagles’ Enoch Munroe, only boxing
to twice yesterday, beat Stephon McDonald of Forgotten Youths Foundation in 95-99lbs division in the first fight and then returned to get the better of Dwayne Baptiste in the day’s final bout to book his place in today’s final. Orland ‘Pocket Rocket’ Rogers has been assigned as Hinterland Coach and boxers from Mabaruma and Region 1 were also involved. In other results on day
Leson Torris (right) about score with an upper cut to the head of Alvin Harripersaud. one: Garval Hyman (VBG) lost to Dwayne Castello (FYF) 8589 Semis Michael Mangal (FYF) lost to Malachi Sealey (YA) 75-79 Final Alex Adams (VBG) beat Adriana Wong (MBC) 65-69 Final Malachi Jones (FYF) beat
Daniel Pompey 100-104 Final Lionel Mohabir (MBG) lost to Joel Anthony (HE) 9599 Semis Juniors: Bantamweight semis: Sherland Stephenson (VA) was stopped in 43 seconds of round 2 by Mark Crawford (FYF) Troy Rodrigues (R1BG)
was stopped by Chris Romel Lightweight Semis Alvin Harripersaud (MBG) beat Lesron Torres (RIBG) 64Ks Final: Ravin Rodrigues beat Shemar Halley 69Ks Final; Fitz Heywood lost Shemar Morrison
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Differently Able Athletics Club to begin Terry Fox walk fundraisers Courtney Benn Construction Services, the people of the West and East Coast along with Mon Repos Market,
From left, Amanda Anthony, Godfrey Williams and William France pose for a photo with one of the three wheelchairs that the MOPH donated to the DAAC.
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his year, three athletes from the Differently Able Athletics Club (DAAC) will be heading to Canada to participate in the 2018 Terry Fox Foundation Cancer Awareness run. Those athletes are the President of the DAAC William France, Vice President; Godfrey Williams and for the first time, double amputee Amanda Anthony will be participating. This is quite the opportunity the DAAC has created for Anthony who only started walking long distances less than a year ago and DAAC President France shared with Kaieteur Sport that although Anthony is
differently able, the double amputee can walk as much as 12 miles. Anthony posited that she was very happy to be given the opportunity to be part of the Terry Fox walk. France and Williams are no strangers to marathons and fund raising walks with both being experienced campaigners. According to France, the DAAC contingent is expected to wing out on August 25th but before such there are a few fund raising activities planned. On Thursday there will be a six-mile walk from Hampton Court to Anna Regina Police Station, while next Sunday the DAAC has an eight-mile fundraising
walk from Grove Police Station to Ruimveldt Police Station. The final fundraising walk will be on the 21st of August and it will be another eight-mile event beginning at the Cove & John Police Station and concluding at the Beterverwagting Police Station. William France and one of the recipients; Amanda Anthony, gave special thanks to the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) that donated three wheelchairs to the DAAC. The DAAC also thanked long serving patrons such as Stanley Ming, Gafoors, Ramchand Auto Sales, H u m p h r e y ’ s B a k e r y,
Republic Bank on board with Nand Persaud and Company Sky Plus Sprint Classic
W
ith race day just one week away for the Nand Persaud Group of Companies Sixth Mega Sprint Classic Horserace meet, Republic Bank Guyana Limited has come on board in a big way. The event which is dubbed the ‘Nand Persaud Karibee Sprint Classic’, and is organised by the Sky Plus Promotion Group, is slated for next Sunday 12th August at the Company’s, No.36 Village, Macedonia Estate, Corentyne, Berbice Racing Facility. Republic Bank joins other major sponsors that included Beverage Giants Ansa McAl Trading, Trophy Stall of Bourda Market, and Retired Jockey Abdul Latiff, businessmen Deo Persaud, Jaikaran Sergobin and Jaikishan Persaud among others. Over $4M in cash trophies and other incentives are up for the taking with seven races listed for the day. Meanwhile, over 20 horses have already entered for the day’s event. The feature is for animals classified D and lower over four Furlongs for a winning purse of $400,000 and trophy which will see the likes of TNT and Isn’t She Charming powering for the attractive purse. Flash Again among others will be competing in the race for H and lower animals for a take home prize of $260,000
and trophy over 3 Furlongs. There is an event for 3 year-old animals which will see the horses galloping for a winning take of $200,000 and trophy also over 3 Furlongs. Set the Flame and Perfection are among the early entries in the event for 2 year-old animals set to race for a similar winner’s purse of $200,000 and trophy over 4 Furlongs. The K Class and Lower animals will have at stake a first prize of $140,000 and trophy over 3 Furlongs. Among them will be Guava Ground girl. There is an event for male animals classified L and lower over 4 Furlongs with the likes of Pikachu running for a winner’s money of $100,000 and trophy. The L class event for female horses has the likes of Country Girl, Physical Disturbance and She’s a Princess racing over 3 Furlongs for a first prize of $100,000 and trophy. The Trophy Stall through Managing Director Ramesh Sunich will be presenting trophies to the top trainer, stable and jockey among others. Interested persons can make contact with Nick on 600-7280 or Amanda on 618-5916. The Coordinator is Mohendra ‘Mohin’ Persaud. (Samuel Whyte)
Canje Bridge and Demerara Harbour Bridge and the Guyana Police Force (GPF). If anyone is desirous of
making a contribution they can contact William France on 592-680-3892 or Godfrey Williams on 592-696-3373.
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GMRSC Endurance Series continues today with round 2 at Timehri
Flashback! Competitors gather at the starting line for the commencement of the 2-hour Endurance Race at a previous Meet.
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he second round of the 2018 Endurance Series speed off today at the South Dakota Circuit, Timehri, from 13:00hrs. There will be 4 classes in which the drivers will be able to compete in, namely: 0 – 1500 cc; 1501 –
1600 cc; 1601 – 2000 cc; 2001 cc & over (unlimited). The overall championship is currently being led by the duo of Adrian Fernandes and Anand Ramchand who completed a total of 83 laps in round one of the championship which took
place earlier this year on January 27th. In the 0-1500cc class, Roshan Ali and Shahabudin Roshandin are the defending champions as they outshone the Nexus team of Haniff Mohamed and Raymond Seebarran who completed one lap
less. The 1501-1600cc was won by Team Wreckers’ Fernandes and Ramchand who were the overall winners. In the 1601-2000cc class, Rameez Mohamed was the only driver to finish the race with 32 laps, also resetting the lap record
with 1:19.086. The Unlimited class was won by Romeo Singh who completed 57 laps. The event which is being sponsored by Special Auto, B.M. Soat, Tropical Shipping and Ansa McAl is free to the public.
A. Forrester Lumber Yard, Soriedom Guyana Inc, 4R Bearings on board Guyana Cup Soriedom Guyana inc. representative, Mezan Ally hands over the sponsorship cheque to Roy Jafarally.
A. Forrester Lumber Yard Manager Roberta Mortley hands over the sponsorship cheque to Roy Jafarally. The Guyana Cup 2018 horse race meet is quickly approaching and the August 19th premier local racing event, which will be held at the Rising Sun Turf Club in Port Mourant, Berbice, is sure to attract many fans along with hundreds of turfites. The event, which is hosted by Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee in collaboration with the Rising Sun Turf Club in its 13th year, will see over $15million in cash and prizes up for grabs and that was made possible by the tremendous support from the many sponsors who have been pledging their contributions almost daily. Last week, three companies in A. Forrester Lumber Yard, Soriedom Guyana Inc. and 4R Bearings opted to support the Guyana Cup with monetary contributions. Roy Jafarally, organising committee member, was present at each of the above entities to receive the sponsorship cheques on behalf of the organising committee of the Guyana Cup 2018. Also throwing support behind the Guyana Cup recently have been Discount
Store, Hand-in-hand Insurance, Superbet, Gizmos and Gadgets, B.M. Soat , Mazi Night Club USA, Hyper Malt and Rohan Auto Spares. The programme of events for the day has been released and as is customary, the C Class event is the main attraction. The day’s full race programme reads as follows: 1) C class and lower, 1600m. Total purse: $3,875,000 2) 3yr old Derby 1100M – purse: $2,000,000. 3) G1 and lower 1400M – purse: $1,550,000. 4) H3 and lower 1100M – purse $1,350,000. 5) 2yrs old Guyana Bred 1100M – purse: $680,000. 6) I class and lower 1400M – Purse: $581,000. 7) J3 and lower 1400M. Purse: $485,000. 8) L class 1400M – purse $390,000. 9) L class 1400M – purse $390,000. 10) L class 1100M – purse $290,000.
4R bearings Ssales Manager, Kevin Parasram hands over the sponsorship cheque to Roy Jafarally.
Sunday August 05, 2018
Kaieteur News
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Mohamed Enterprise 5th annual futsal tournament
Figgy Green Jags hit 8 past Red Line on Friday as Bakewell lends support The fifth annual M o h a m e d ’ s Enterprise/ExxonMobil futsal tournament continued on Friday night at the Mackenzie Hard Court in Linden with 8 electrifying clashes. As the battle for the top prize of $600,000 gets heated, Red Line continued to have a torrid time as they suffered another heavy defeat, this time at the hands of Figgy Green Jags who were relentless during their 8-0 rout. As fans were probably th in k in g th at th e 8 - 0 thrashing would’ve been the highlight of the night, Silver Bullets edged Nut Genaslide
Bakewell General Manager Rajin Ganga (right) presents New Era’s Aubrey Major with his company’s contribution during a simple presentation last week.
7-6 in a 13-goal cliffhanger to close off Friday night’s play. Earlier in the night, West Side Ballers came out the better of the two sides in the opening 10-goal frenzy against Presidential Family who they defeated 7-3. In game two, Quiet Storm defeated Trend Setters 5-3, while Good Fellas extended their unbeaten streak with a comfortable 52 win over Haynes Hitters. Meanwhile, German’s United brushed DC Ballers 6-1 in the penultimate group game of the night. When the final whistle is blown on August 18th the
runners-up will receive a handsome $250,000, third $100,000 and fourth place $50,000 in the competition which has been sanctioned by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF). Additionally, Bakewell, which has been supporting the New Era Entertainment o rg a n i s e d M o h a m e d ’s Enterprise futsal tournament since the first year, continued their service to Linden’s premier futsal tournament after handing over their sponsorship cheque to N ew Era’s Director Aubrey Major Jr. last week at their Beterverwagting office.
rt o p S 16th Annual IPF/ NAPF Championship – Mexico Day 3
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Petterson, Frank Tucker, Nairanjan Singh golden on last day; Guyana 6 gold, 3 bronze
The four Guyanese lifters that competed yesterday from right, Erwyn Smith, Frank Tucker, Nairanjan Singh and Carlos Petterson.
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GBA Schoolboys/ Junior Boxing C/Ships
Five titles decided on opening day
Alex Adams (right) overpowered Mabaruma’s Adriana Wong in their 65-69 lbs Final yesterday. (Sean Devers photos)
Enoch Munroe (right) of Harpy Eagles leads with a jab to beat Dwayne Baptiste of FYF to register his 2nd win and advance to today’s 95-99 lbs final.
Persaud, Hussain, Subhan take Category lead as - Hussain, Dr. Deo, Webster LGC Open tourney commences P. 75 tied in flight B category Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.