Kaieteur News
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Friday December 07, 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
New CIA leak adds to evidence against MBS (Republished from The Washington Post)
P
resident Trump and his top aides keep insisting that there is no “direct evidence” or “smoking gun” connecting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A new leak from the CIA underlines just how disingenuous those claims are. According to an agency assessment reviewed by the Wall Street Journal, the Crown Prince had at least 11 exchanges of messages with a top aide around the time; a hit team overseen by that aide was entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul and ambushing Mr. Khashoggi. It was already known that the 15-member hit team was headed by an official, Maher Mutreb, who is close to Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), and included at least four other operatives connected to the prince’s personal security detail. It was known that Mr. Mutreb called Saud al-Qahtani, the Crown Prince’s closest associate, from the consulate and told him to “tell your boss” that Mr. Khashoggi was dead. Now we also know that Mr. Qahtani and Mohammed bin Salman exchanged numerous messages at this time. According to the Journal, the CIA assessment says, “It is highly unlikely this team of operators... carried out the operation without Mohammed bin Salman’s authorization.” Its conclusion that the Crown Prince “personally targeted” Mr. Khashoggi and “probably ordered his death” is labeled as “medium-to-high confidence.” So, yes, there is no “direct evidence” — but any reasonable assessment must conclude that the Crown Prince is responsible. That the Trump administration refuses to draw that conclusion means its policy toward the kingdom is based on denying reality. Whether the United States preserves or alters its present relationship with Saudi Arabia, the starting point must be recognizing the truth about the regime and its reckless de facto ruler. That’s why there ought to be an independent international investigation of the Khashoggi case. In addition, congressional leaders should insist that CIA Director Gina Haspel appear before relevant committees to lay out the agency’s evidence and answer questions. After the administration offered spin rather than hard intelligence to senators last week, the chamber voted overwhelmingly to advance a War Powers Act resolution that would stop U.S. military support for Saudi Arabia’s disastrous war in Yemen. That was a good first step, but legislators should support legislation that is broader. One bill with bipartisan sponsorship would require the administration to sanction anyone in the Saudi leadership connected to the Khashoggi killing and suspend all military sales to Saudi Arabia. That could be offered as an amendment to the War Powers Resolution. Saudi Arabia remains a “semi-important ally” of the United States, as Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) aptly put it last week. But Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Salman are not synonymous, and the Crown Prince is, as Mr. Corker said, “out of control” — a conclusion underlined by the jubilant high-five with which the prince greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin, another murderer of journalists, at the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires. If Mohammed bin Salman is not sanctioned and restrained, he will continue to damage U.S. interests in the Middle East — which is why Congress must act.
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.
The NIS is complicit in withholding pension payments Dear Editor, I read with sadness, but not surprise, Mr. Rampaul Chetaru’s letter in your yesterday’s edition narrating the delay in the approval and payment of his National Insurance Scheme pension. A c c o r d i n g t o M r. Chetaru, he attained the age of sixty on 24th February, 2018 and filed for his pension on 3 January, 2018. Editor, without in any way taking away the pain of Mr. Chetaru who is now unemployed, and for whom the NIS pension will probably be his main if not only source of income, our experience is that there are many other similar cases. Too often, the NIS, which is charged with the duty to manage contributions by the self-employed and the employed and their employers for the payment of short-term and long-term benefits, comes across as uncaring, if not callous. I am not trying to console or scare Mr. Chetaru but the
delay in his case pales compared with a nineteenyear saga of a 79-year-old woman which finally ended in her favour a few days ago after intervention by our legal firm. In her case, she was fortunate that the majority of her service was in the employment of Banks DIH which readily assisted with supporting information and made her case against the NIS irresistible. Compare that with the misfortune of employees of those employers who failed to pay over their contributions, or which have gone out of business, or whose records were destroyed by fire such as the Ministry of Transport and Hydraulics, or which liquidated its operations only to appear under another guise. The NIS is very well aware of who these companies are but yet seems more willing to penalise the affected employees instead of aggressively prosecuting those employers. This is the
height - or depth - of injustice. The NIS Act of the 1969 Act is partly responsible for the hardships suffered by workers making claims against the NIS. But my experience with NIS law and its operation, forces me to conclude that the Board and the senior management are also culpable for the inordinate delay in agreeing and then paying claims. While the NIS supposed fear that any flexibility will open a floodgate of claims may not be entirely unfounded, the experienced staff of the NIS must surely be able to separate the genuine claims from the contrived ones. Whether they intend it or not, the effect of their sloth and cruelty is that many persons die before their claim is resolved. The NIS cannot be unaware that once a person dies, no one pursues the claim for any pension otherwise payable. And the Scheme knows, as well as
anyone, that the average life expectancy in Guyana is 63.6 for men, with the women doing better, going on to 69. From its records, the NIS will know, too, that not every qualifying person has the will to fight the NIS bureaucracy, often resigned to accept a minor grant rather than pursue a more lifesupporting pension. Ms. Sahadai who pursued her claim despite her deteriorating health, and the 79-year-old whose claim was settled after nineteen years, are exceptions, which cause them to stand out. I understand that there are hundreds of other claims still to be resolved even as there has been no Commissioner of National Insurance. While the Act and Regulations need major revisions, there is also an urgent need for a new, more uniformed humane approach by the Board, the management and the staff to contributors and claimants. Christopher Ram
Officials make statements that reduce Guyana to a laughing stock Dear Editor, It has become rather commonplace these days for the government and ruling coalition officials to make statements that serve no other purpose but to make Guyanese a laughing stock and to bring the nation into disrepute. Just the other day, a Minister of Government had cause to issue a public apology to persons who were deeply offended and felt hurt and aggrieved by a statement she made concerning qualifications for employment in public service. Another statement of recent vintage but which apparently fell below the radar was the following, “We want to take the profit out of this illegal (noise nuisance) activity and that means ... we want to revoke some of the licences of those bars that play loud music, music carts or hucksters walking down the street or cars of people or probably it might be better to enforce the law by taking away their equipment.” These were the words of the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, when he addressed recently, a one-day seminar on noise management. Apparently, the Minister was addressing noise nuisance only in respect to loud, continuous and repetitive
music and not noise emanating from a mechanic/machine shop, a car wash bay, or a bottom house joinery in a residential neighbourhood. This particular Minister is known to make public statements that attract attention to himself for all the wrong reasons. His frequent off-the-cuff remarks tend to provoke the ire of many Guyanese including supporters of the ruling coalition government. The Minister has been a practising Attorney-at-Law for many years, in the circumstances, he ought to be acquainted with the laws and regulations pertaining to what is popularly referred to in Guyana as ‘noise nuisance’ viz; loud, continuous and repetitive music to the annoyance of the sick, senior citizens, the student or the working mom and/ or dad. All the talk about “revoking licences of bars,” “taking away equipment “ and “taking the profits out of this illegal activity “ sounds bullish and combative for all the wrong reasons. Counterproductivity beckons. The truth is, cumulatively, the actions referred to by the Minister are aimed at penalizing all those who operate in the tourism and entertainment sector as well as in the industrial sector.
But the Minister must know that he should proceed with care, caution and consideration when issuing general orders and direction to the Guyana Police Force to take action specifically in respect to noise nuisance complaints whether in the tourism, entertainment, industrial or any other sector for that matter. Complaints of a vexatious nature ought not to be ruled out. And as though in c o n t r a d i c t i o n t o M r. Ramjattan, h i s c a b i n e t colleague, Minister Jordan in his budget speech, recently boasted; “I can say with confidence that this (APNU+AFC) is the most business friendly administration in (Guyana’s) recent history...” How can this be when Mr. Ramjattan by way of his public statement obviously targets small and medium size entertainment business places from whom he wants to seize their equipment? This begs the question, which business friendly administration would engage in actions that by its very nature, would negatively impact the tourism, entertainment and/or industrial sectors and eventually result in the closing down of businesses operating i n t h o s e s e c t o r s ? M r.
Ramjattan must know that before the police or any other law enforcement officer proceeds in the direction he is suggesting, a report about loud, repetitive and continuous music must have been lodged by a complainant at a nearby police station. Unless a complaint is lodged at a police station in the station district where the noise, whether industrial or musical is reported, only on that basis will the police be able to act albeit in a matter circumscribed by a Magisterial Order or a permit granted by the EPA. Moreover, assuming that the police decide to act on the complaint, on arrival at the location, the police must ask those playing the music to produce the order issued by the District Magistrate granting permission to play music between the hours applied for.In any event, the police in the concerned Station District should have in their possession a copy of the District Magistrate’s Order lodged with them by the applicant.The mistaken understanding by many that they must have a piece of paper called a ‘Police Pass’ to play music at a wedding house or any other public function is nonsense and is wrong in law. And provided that the persons playing the music (Continued on page 6)
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Kaieteur News
Friday December 07, 2018
GBTI’s minority Shareholders (39%) should demand forensic audit in billion in corporate bonds giv· Why is it that DIDCO all why shift focus into busirise to a total of $14.8 bil- of a sudden went into receiv- nesses that are not aligned to the interest of all other stakeholders ing lion. In the interest of trans- ership and then the majority that of core banking services?
DEAR EDITOR, Permit me space in your letter column to thank Mr. Rustum Bulkan for having referenced my analysis of GBTI’s 2017 Financials in a letter carried by this publication on June 19, 2018. Mr. Bulkan, in his letter carried on November 29, 2018, echoed the very concerns that I had highlighted in my writings in which it was explicitly concluded with the burning question, who is representing the interest of the minority shareholders?Without regurgitating much of the analysis previously done, that institution, we have established, is obviously financially weak and is very vulnerable to further exacerbated deterioration of its financial soundness especially in the absence of sound, professional and competent leadership. With regard to the financial analysis, another interesting point that should be highlighted which was not mentioned in the earlier analysis, is that, the Bank of Guyana Supervision Guideline No.5 Section 15
states, “An account shall be written-off three months after being classified as a loss unless it shows a definite and significant improvement, which indicates recovery within the next six months. A record of bad debts writtenoff shall be maintained in a memorandum account for monitoring purposes.” That being said, if one were to scrutinise and audit the bad-debt portfolio of GBTI, which is in excess of some $11 billion, it is almost certain to find billions of non-performing loans that are still reported on the balance sheet, that should have been written off in keeping with the statutory requirements. To this, GBTI may want to respond saying that these loans have been renegotiated, or in fact, this is what they have been doing; renegotiating many bad loans only to revert to being bad, and this is a shrewd and skilful way to avoid having them written off, because writing off these loans, would mean that the bank’s balance sheet would be weakened even fur-
ther. It would have to come from their reserves, bearing in mind that the loan-provisioning is already under-provided for by over $4 billion, so this would mean less real profit for the bank and less dividend paid to shareholders. So, from almost every dimension, GBTI, a once financially sound and healthy bank, is being destroyed by its careless and irresponsible Board of Directors – viz-a-viz, reckless financial management and questionable governance philosophies. Now, to wrap this up, and to further complement and build on Mr. Bulkan’s contentions, hereunder stated are a number of crucial factors of concern to which, it becomes imperative that GBTI issues a public statement to answer these questions in the interest of all stakeholders, particularly the minority shareholders: · From looking at the 2017 balance sheet under investments, GBTI has $7.8 billion in securities issued by foreign governments (including CARICOM countries), and $7
Dr. Jagan and the PPP were forced to Resort to ‘Reverse Racism’ to explain the PNC’s policies DEAR EDITOR, Clairmont Lye’s letter ‘Only Solution to Current Problem...’ in another section of the media (SN) on December 05/18, sought to paint the PPP and PNC as being ‘twins of the same political womb’. In the interest of public information, the PPP evolved in 1950 from the original Political Affairs Committee formed in 1946 by Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, Joycelyn Hubbard and Ashton Chase. The formation of the PPP saw Dr. Cheddi Jagan retain the portfolio of Party Leader, Forbes Burnham as Chairman, and Janet Jagan as General Secretary. While not all the details are immediately available, Burnham consistently sought to usurp the leadership of the PPP, on one occasion being stopped by Sydney King (Eusi Kwayana). Things deteriorated when Burnham managed to garner enough support to successfully break away from the PPP to form the PNC. The PNC did not win the 1964 elections. It secured support of the United Force with its six seats. With his ideas in mind, Burnham recognized even then that the PNC could not win an election based on race, which is what he turned our politics into. So began the rigging, and the birth of racial tensions in Guyana.
Dr. Jagan’s PAC and subsequent PPP never started on the issue of race, but on the push to end abuse and exploitation by the British, which ultimately transformed into the push for independence. History records that this was successfully achieved, with both him and Burnham being recognized as our national leaders at the time. The perception of both parties galvanizing support based on racism is true, but Jagan and the PPP’s resort to ‘racism’ was in fact ‘reverse racism,’ as he and the PPP were stigmatized as racists by the PNC. Jagan and the PPP were forced to inject racism into their politics to explain Burnham and the PNC’s policies and behaviours. Much of the information here was discovered in Jagan’s book, My Fight For Guyana’s Freedom.National government, or shared governance (from the little that I have come to understand of it) is a recipe for political and economic disaster, since this is the birth of the end or democracy as we know it, the result being single party rule, and domination of the masses, even as this is being allowed by our present constitution. Nothing needs to be said about resource ownership, control, or allocation at this point. Yours faithfully, Craig Sylvester.
parency, how much of this investment is concentrated in the Barbados Government Securities and how much is concentrated in Petrotrin Trinidad &Tobago? Both of these institutions have undergone massive restructuring of its debt owing to the structural reforms of the Barbados economy and the closure of Petrotrin Trinidad, respectively. This means, if GBTI has billions of dollars in these investments, they are bound to incur massive losses amounting to billions of dollars, noting that these are not collateralised securities. And, they do have sizable amount of exposures (investments) in these securities, so they need to issue a statement on this to its minority shareholders. · Insider sources confirmed that, the discredited Larry Nath who was appointed CEO and was proven to be unfit and improper for the job, is still running the bank from Trinidad as a consultant. The question is why. Why have an ex banker whom has questionable, and compromised his professional integrity, still engaged in this manner with the bank?
shareholders subsequently acquired the franchise of KFC? Is this not breach of good corporate governance practices and akin to insider trading? Is this not criminal? And enough to remove the entire Board of Directors? · How did the majority shareholder acquire the property that now houses KFC on Vlissingen Road that was once owned by GBTI property holdings, a subsidiary of GBTI? By carefully studying the balance sheet, GBTI property holding made a loss of $600 million at some point, how is this possible? It means that the property was sold to the majority shareholders, who sits on the Board of GBTI, way below the price it was valued for and acquired by GBTI property holdings, is this not fraud? · Now, to be politically correct, GBTI needs to justify from a prudential accounting standpoint why was Property Holding established as a subsidiary? Why are they engaged in the business of buying and selling gold? Are they not competing with their customers, which is unethical and why is this even allowed? The bank is already not being managed prudently,
Is it a case where Property holding was set up to aid the process in valuation fraud in favour of its majority shareholders by inflating values of properties and selling to them at undervalued prices? These are questions that warrant answers and clarity from the bank. · The bank is also in breach of strict governance control embodied within the Financial Institutions Act– that is, it has been operating without a substantive CEO for over one year now. When will the Board of Directors appoint a new CEO? Editor, in the spirit of this missive, the minority shareholders are encouraged, like Mr. Bulkan suggested, that they must seek the services of a professional and independent accountant and demand the regulator to engage a forensic audit of GBTI. If the bank continues on this trajectory, it will certainly not be healthy for its long-term viability and sustainability. This is at minimum, worrying at this point. Yours sincerely, Banking & Economic Analyst. Name & Address Supplied
Guyana is making international waves DEAR EDITOR, Guyana is increasingly making waves on the international energy market. With Monday’s announcement from the Department of Energy that a 10th find offshore has raised our proved reserves to 5 billion barrels of oil; our remarkable run of discoveries is gaining international attention. That number has risen from around 3 billion to 5 billion in less than a year—an astonishing and almost unprecedented leap for a new producer. That could mean billions and billions of dollars for Guyana’s over the next decade.According to data from the U.S. Energy Department, our reserves now far surpass those of Colombia and Ghana and we are rapidly closing in on famous oil producers like Mexico (6.6 billion barrels), Oman (5.4 billion barrels), and Norway (6.4 billion barrels). A look at what oil revenue has done for the development of any of these countries should be heartening even to the harshest critics here in Guyana.Surely, everyone now realizes that Guyana made the right choice in prioritizing a fast development schedule and establishing incentives that enticed one of the world’s biggest companies to take a chance on an unproven region.The series of discoveries in the
Stabroek doesn’t just offer the potential for wealth. If carefully managed and well spent, it could mean real security for Guyana. The size of the block, stretching from the maritime border with Venezuela all the way to the edge of Surinamese waters is an asset in itself—staking a strong and clear claim to our territorial integrity.Already, Guyana has more international support than ever before in our case against Venezuelan territorial aggression. U.S. policymakers are clearly watching closely for any sign that could spell trouble from our western border and Brazil recently pledged to support us in any territorial conflict with Venezuela.The possibility of a gas-to-power plant could also free our power supply from global disruptions and give us energy independence. The government might even consider spending a portion of our oil revenues on enhancing border security to further deter aggression from neighbours.Seemingly overnight, Guyana is staring at a level of wealth and development that was unimaginable just a few years ago. If we manage this abundance wisely, we can secure our nation for generations to come. Sincerely, Clement Smith
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Friday December 07, 2018
Constitutional Reform will remain a mirage on the distant horizon DEAR EDITOR, Recent disclosures by PM Nagamootoo that the present stalemate on Constitution Reform is not solely the responsibility of the Government but rather a concerted effort of the parliamentary committee on constitutional reform, comprising both members of the government and Opposition, is a candid reflection of how difficult it is for any reform of the Consti-
tution to transpire. At the head of the Opposition team on the committee is Anil Nandlall. Anil has been openly critical of any reform of the constitution in his missives, “Are foreign interests driving the haste for CR?” and “Political maturity, constitutional compliance more vital than their reforms, “in KN on September 30 and September 23, 2017, respectively. Given Anil’s public vocif-
erous distaste for CR, the PPP putting Anil Nandlall on the constitutional reform committee is clearly a conflict of interest, contrary to the intent of the committee. It is a clear signal that the PPP does not want any reform of the Constitution and with the head count given by their supporters on a 34% turn out at the LGE; the PPP will remain adamant on the issue of CR because they fancy their
THE FOUR HINTERLAND TOWNS REPRESENT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT DEAR EDITOR, The fact that there are four new hinterland towns has gone unnoticed. These four new towns, Bartica (Region Seven), Mabaruma (Region One), Lethem (Region Nine) and Mahdia (Region Eight) were, prior to the APNU+AFC Coalition Government taking office, considered villages. Now, these four towns can provide vital services to the people who reside therein. This is a major accomplishment as for years residents of our hinterland were compelled to travel to other parts of the country to register their businesses or to renew their passports, to name a few. Many of these essential services will soon be decentralized thereby allowing residents to conduct their businesses within their environs, their home. The quartet is no longer labelled based on their economic and social activities. They are no longer termed
“mining community”, “bush” or “backdam”. They are towns, managed by the people who live there, the very people who now have the power to chart the course of development. There are Mayors, Deputy Mayors, councillors and Town Clerks to manage the affairs of these newly minted towns. The people of Bartica experience daily, President David Granger’s vision for “Capital Towns”. This government has spared no effort to demonstrate that it is prepared and ready to decentralize essential services. For instance, by 2020 the township of Bartica will see the construction of an immigration office and a magistrate’s court. The construction of these essential edifices will significantly reduce the town’s dependency on Georgetown for related procedures. Bartica has become Guyana’s green model town,
attracting international attention as it pushes ahead with its green mandate. However, the construction of a power station at Dagg Point, Region Seven, the construction of the Bartica Ferry Stelling, and the resurfacing of the Four to Five Miles Road, will see in excess of $1billion being spent to further develop the town. These investments are in addition to the billions of dollars already spent throughout the hinterland, aimed at bettering the lives of the citizenry and empowering our towns. Bartica, Mabaruma, Mahdia and Lethem are no longer ‘bush’ or interior villages. They are pristine capital towns, governed by councils elected by the residents and supported by a democratic government. Gifford Marshall Mayor Municipality of Bartica
The Fire Side Grill and Bar is a nuisance to the Kitty Neighbourhood DEAR EDITOR, About two years ago the Fire Side Grill and Bar on Garnett Street opened for business. There is an enclosed club and an open yard where food, barbecue and drinks are sold. I live a few doors away from the club. Every week, music is played very loudly disturbing neighbours. Sometimes, the music is played until the next morning, at which time customers are drunk and very noisy, using expletives and involved in fights with other customers or employees of the club. Males can be seen urinating on neighbours’ fences and females can be seen in their underwear.
During the August vacation, events were held during the week and pool parties were held on Sunday nights. Fire trucks from the Guyana Fire Service would come on Sunday mornings and fill the pool. Now events are held on Saturdays while loud music is still playing during the week. The music would either start early afternoon or early evening. There is no curfew. My question is who gave permission to host such events and play loud music? There are persons who work, children who go to school, not forgetting the senior folks who are at home. When can they sleep? During these sessions, our home vibrates continuously until the music stops. No one can sleep. The foreign nationals working at the club are ill treated by the “boss” and employees. When these
women do not comply with the “boss” and his friends, they are physically and verbally abused. These Latin Americans are obligated to rent apartments in a David Street building where they are kept under strict curfews and orders. They are transported to and from the club in heavily tinted vehicles. Any of them dare to disobey the “boss” are thrown out without their belongings and cannot step foot in any of the compounds again.We do not need this menace in our neighbourhood. This is a residential neighbourhood and this nuisance is unacceptable and unbearable. Can someone advise us on a way forward? Where is the Guyana Police Force, where is the task force for noise nuisance and trafficking in persons or do we have to go to court to get an injunction? Disgruntled Resident
chances of regaining power under the same constitution in 2020. The Coalition has no interest in CR either. Back in 2017, Nagamootoo was accused of gerrymandering with his so-called “Constitutional Reform Commission Bill” while the UN and the Carter Center were attempting to initiate the process for CR. It was pointed out that there was already a “parliamentary committee for constitutional reform”; evidence that Nagamootoo was definitely gerrymandering! Nagamootoo piloted the “Constitutional Reform Commission Bill” in parliament and now he does not know where the “bill is.” Nagamootoo said, “I have never heard any calls, not even from the Opposition, for this committee to meet and without the commission, there can be no constitutional reform.”
The politicians on both sides will continue to play the blame game to fool the public. Neither wants CR! The Coalition is presently enjoying the liberties our present Constitution offers and the PPP craves to have it once more in 2020. The dramatization continued when Jordan commented, “We have allotted some resources in Budget 2019 to mount a survey and an awareness programme, in partnership with the University of Guyana and others. The survey will seek to assess the current understanding of constitutional reform by the general populace and their expectations, while the awareness programme will aim to stimulate a grassroots participatory approach to the entire process.” Will this ever happen? I think not.Last year, the British High Commissioner said, “Constitutional Reform is not just a government issue. It
cannot take place without 66 percent of parliamentary vote.” He added, “But it is not just one group of individuals who should or can be held responsible for the lack of progress.” He means Government and Opposition. The Commissioner (Greg Quinn) suggested that the lack of progress can be blamed on all Guyanese, who failed to see the importance of CR and do not want to call for it and make their input. In retrospect, he added, “If enough people say it is important, then it will happen.” With the diehard supporters of APNU and PPP only believing what their leaders say, Constitutional Reform will remain a mirage on the distant horizon. The luminaries in society, whom prudence would have expected to lead the charge, seem to be in the wilderness too. The CR debate is dead. Rudolph Singh
Officials make statements that... From page 4 have in their possession a Music and Dance Licence granted by the Chief Fire Officer it will be even more difficult for the police to intervene, much less seize their sound system, their private property thus impinging on their Constitutional rights. In the case of noise nuisance emanating from both industrial and sound systems, successful consultations were held between the then Minister of Home Affairs, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the EPA, the Guyana Police Force and the then Attorney General resulting in agreement being reached on the roles of the Police, the EPA, the District Magistrates as well as the responsibilities of Citizens, NDCs and other organizers of public and private events where loud, continuous and repetitive music or industrial noise was anticipated. This is precisely why Mr. Ramjattan needs to proceed with care, caution and consideration less he directs the police to act foolhardily and to bring the Force unnecessarily into disrepute. The Minister should take a leaf out of the previous government’s book whereby a ‘name and shame’ campaign was launched, though notices published in the local media following investigations by the Community Police Groups and the Guyana Police Force. That campaign was highly successful. Moreover, the then Ministry of Home Affairs had published in the local media, an advisory offering advice to the general public on steps to be taken should they wish to
lodge a noise nuisance complaint at a police station or the EPA. Many persons affected including senior citizens, welcomed publication of the advisory. In addition, the Ministry facilitated passage through the National Assembly an amendment of the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Act to prohibit the playing of loud music in minibuses and other means of public transportation. An agreement was reached between the Ministry of Home Affairs and the General Minibus Association in April 2009 stating that ‘ no amplification if sound is permitted, whether by way of power amps, tweeters, equalizers, boosters or any other means, in minibuses or hire cars. Minibus owners and taxi drivers complied much to the satisfaction of the traveling public.In respect to the involvement of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address industrial or musical noise nuisance issues, it is to be recalled that the EPA is powerless since the agency never showed any inclination to establish an enforcement arm to arrest and prosecute nor to assist the police in arresting and prosecuting alleged perpetrators. In any event, a number of laws would have to be amended if the GPF is to collaborate with the EPA and be associated with measuring decibels. Inter-agency meetings were held with a view to harmonizing laws and regulations and formulating draft legislation. Though some progress
was made the consultations were not conclusive. As regards the issue of loud, continuous and repetitive music being played via music carts, the now disbanded National Commission for Law and Order (NCLO) held several rounds of discussions on the matter. Consultations were held between the NCLO and the proprietors of music carts at the auditorium of St. Stanislaus College. Agreement was reached to regularize music cart vendors by becoming licensed as hucksters; that designated locations be identified for the operators to vend their goods rather than have them traverse the streets and block traffic with their carts; that the vendors would wear a uniform. Finally, it was agreed to re-design the carts in such a way that they would be outfitted with headphones for use by customers when purchasing CDs. Captain Gerry Gouveia, the Private Sector Representative on the Commission, was selected as its plenipotentiary to meet with the music cart vendors to follow-up and bring closure to the matter.Some owners of music carts complied while others resisted and had to be engaged on an on-going basis. While desirous of appearing strong and use of the heavy hand of law enforcement, the Minister of Public Security should consider the above-mentioned ‘softer’ antecedents, which suggest a much more consultative and inclusive approach with stakeholders to address noise nuisance, a matter of public interest. Yours faithfully, Clement Rohee
Friday December 07, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Outgoing US ambassador justifies Guyana’s oil deal with ExxonMobil Outgoing US ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway has defended that the 2016 production sharing agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil, saying that it is a good deal. In his last sit down with media workers Tuesday at the Duke and Young Street embassy, the ambassador was asked about the controversial agreement which was heavily criticized. According to the agreement, Guyana gets two percent royalty on every barrel sold with a 50/50 share on profits. However, commentators, pointing to the track record of ExxonMobil, were fearful that Guyana was getting the short end of the stick as the oil company and its partners have to first recover its costs, seriously eating into that 50/
50 arrangement. How those costs are being claimed and determined is what is the subject of debate. According to Holloway, a 58-year-old diplomat who commissioned the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2016, with every deal negotiated, one can get a little more with little on others. He noted that earlier this year, he had pointed out that at the time that it was signed, in 1999, the agreement was a great one for Guyana. No one had the money to do it. Guyana had no track record. The ambassador also said that he has also pointed out that there is a lot of misunderstanding of the contract. It is a hybrid contract- one that involves royalties and a profit sharing. However, it is commonly
Ambassador Perry Holloway speaking to reporters on Tuesday at the US Embassy. analysed as only a royalty one. When it is done that way,
Turkey should take Khashoggi case to the UN - Human Rights Watch
Civilians hosting a funeral prayer for Khashoggi in Istanbul
T
urkey should submit a formal request to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to co n d u c t a n independent international probe into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Human Rights Watch said. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has c o m e u n d e r i n c r e a sing scrutiny with many publicly accusing him of complicity in the assassination. “An international investigation under the authority of the secretarygeneral w i l l h a v e t h e mandate, credibility and stature to press officials, witnesses and suspects in Saudi Arabia to cooperate with requests for facts and information about the murder that occurred in Istanbul on 2 October 2018,” the rights group said in a statement on its website on Thursday. The investigation, the statement continued, would cut through attempts intended to protect Saudi officials and muddle the truth. Turkish officials have made public statements in support of such an inquiry, but have yet to formally
request one. “The Turkish government should make good on its call for an international investigation into Jamal Khashoggi ’s d e a t h b y formalising it with an official letter to the secretary-general,” Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said. “A UN investigation has the best chance of pushing Saudi Arabia to provide the needed facts and information about Mohammed bin Salman’s precise role in this murder - information that is available only from sources in Saudi Arabia,” she added. PRECEDENT The oil-rich kingdom has maintained that Prince Mohammed, or MBS as he is also known, had no prior knowledge of the murder. However, after a closeddoor briefing by CIA Director Gina Haspel earlier this week, top US senators have said there was “zero chance” MBS wasn’t involved in Khashoggi’s killing. Guterres previously said he would conduct an international inquiry into Khashoggi’s murder if he (Continued on page 29)
it “is a bad deal”. The ambassador, who leaves tomorrow, stressed that combined, it is a good deal. It was also pointed out that it is difficult to determine exact percentage of what Guyana will be getting as factors of oil price have to be taken into account. In the case of the arrangements, ExxonMobil is putting up the money for the investments while Guyana is getting monies from day one of production. According to Holloway, Guyana will always “get more” than ExxonMobil. In that case, it is hard to argue that it is a bad deal. The ambassador also warned that it is not advisable that attempts are made to con-
tinuously renegotiate contracts as it can scare investments. He said “sure”, Guyana could have gotten a better deal.
However, on the same breath, there are countries where it could be found that a better deal was had while for others, it was a worse one.
Apology
Kaieteur News wishes to apologize for erroneous material published in its Wednesday December 5, 2018 edition. Under the headline “Government accused of trivialising importance of JSC,” the statements were mistakenly attributed to retired Judge Oslen Small. The comments were not those of Justice Small. This newspaper apologizes for the inconvenience and any embarrassment caused as a result of this error
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Kaieteur News
Friday December 07, 2018
“One trillion spent and nothing to show!” - Gail Teixeira says Govt. ‘hard ears’
W
hen the finan cial books of the coalition government come to a close for 2018, it would have expended one trillion Guyana dollars. But what does it have to show for this in t h r e e years? ‘Nothing,’ was the response offered by Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira when she posed the question to her colleagues yesterday in the National Assembly. Speaking on the fourth day of the b u d g e t d e bates, Teixeira said, “We are going through budget 2019 and we are hearing about all the interesting things to come, but I have some simple issues to
raise. This is the fifth budget of this government and when it is approved, the total will be $1.3 trillion dollars… but what would we have benefitted from a trillion dollars in a short period of three and a half years?” The politician said that the citizenry has never seen this kind of money being spent in such a short space of time. “Where is the proof of the pudding? Where do we see the progress and the transformational projects? What is there to show for this spending, to show that we are going forward?” Teixeira noted that the
Government has landed itself in this position because it has refused to listen to the people. She said, “Ministers have been hard ears when it comes to the concerns of not only us, but the business community, the trade union movement, and you have been hard ears to respond to what they have said. You come into the House with this bullyism and big ‘bradaar’ behaviour that accounts to no one but you…” On this note, the Opposition Chief Whip reminded of the concerns raised by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which was disappointed in the government’s refusal to reduce the Excise tax on
Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira
fuel for 2019. Teixeira sided with the
Chamber, while reminding that it was the very APNU+AFC Government which told the House tha t t h e G u y a n a Power and Light had made a profit, yet the benefits are not passed on the public. “A reduced tax rate
would have made the lives of citizens a little better, but nothing was done. Yet, you come to the House and lecture about bringing the good life to all,” an impassioned Teixeira lamented.
Friday December 07, 2018
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Kaieteur News
The coalition government has failed to bridge the racial divide
P
oliticians have to be careful with what they say in public, because what they say can have a negative impact on the country and its people. The statement about employing only PNC persons is not just awful, but it will virtually end any possibility of a political rapprochement between the PNCR and the PPPC. The statement was all the more awful considering that the person making the remarks, the Chairperson of the PNCR, had recognized the need for the party to attract more persons “looking like Jagdeo”. How then does only employing PNC persons help that cause. The comments about attracting more persons looking like Jagdeo, in other words Indians, is perhaps the first time in some time that there has been a public admission that the PNCR is racially imbalanced. The PNCR has always pretended that it is multi-racial party even though, historically, it h a s d e r i v e d the bulk of its support from persons of African descent. T h e M i n i s ter ’s comment is therefore the first admission, in recent times, that the party is not as multi-racial
as it pretends to be. It is against this backdrop that the Minister went on to mention about jobs for PNC persons. The PNCR has to explain how, on the one hand, the PNCR hopes to attract Indians into its ranks when, on the other hand, there is a statement by the Chairperson about her giving jobs to only PNC persons. One would have presumed that since the PNCR is now seeking to court greater East Indian support, it would stay far from anything which can jeopardize that goal. After more than 60 years as a political party, reality may have finally stepped in on the PNCR. It has come to accept the ‘we’ and ‘them’ dichotomy or the ‘us’ and the ‘other’ dichotomy. The result of the local government election of November 12th 2018 indicates that the PNCR failed to make inroads into the PPPC’s support base. The PNCR, which when it was in opposition had championed shared governance, must have realized that the results of the LGE 2018 suggest that coalition politics has failed to bridge the racial divide. So where does this leave the PNCR? The PNCR likes to credit
itself as the architect of coalition politics. But it has always rejected a coalition with the party which is supported by the largest ethnic group in Guyana, the PPP. In 1964, Burnham rejected overtures by Jagan to form a coalition government. He joined forces instead with The United Force. When in 2011, the PPP had a minority government, it sought and believed that it had a deal with the PNCR over the 2012 Budget. But the PNCR backpedaled on that deal, with disastrous consequences. It was no different 18
years earlier when the PPC thought it had a deal for the rotation of the position of Mayor of Georgetown. When, what they believed was their turn to assume the Mayorship, they claimed that the PNC reneged on the deal. There is therefore a great deal of mistrust between these two main political parties and despite both sides, at the urging of former US President Jimmy Carter, agreeing to some form of talks, nothing has materialized thus far. So we return once again to the divisive political system, one that is made more
divisive by the statements from the PNCR Chairman. Trust between the political parties, but particularly between the citizens and the government, has been tarnished by the recent controversial statements made by the Chairman. It is difficult to see how that individual can now be part of any possible engagement between the PNCR and the PPPC, or for that matter between the government and the Opposition. The C h a i r p e r s o n ’s statement about jobs for the PNC persons is the final nail in the coffin on shared
governance. The PPPC will not even think about broaching this issue if ever the leaders of the two parties meet. We are going to remain within this ‘us’ and the ‘other’ divide. And this is not healthy, given that demographic changes suggest that all future elections are likely to be extremely close contests.
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Kaieteur News
Friday December 07, 2018
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Guerilla warfare in the PNC; Volda versus Joe My reliable source in the PNC hierarchy told me that President Granger, if he wins in 2020, will not sit out the full term to 2025. Things have overrun themselves, since I was given that information. It is a very valid speculation to make at this moment that he may not contest the 2020 poll. If Granger is not in the equation, Volda Lawrence as deputy leader by virtue of being Chairman of the PNC will feature largely in the contemplation of a presidential candidate for the PNC. Let us rewind the tape to the two-man contest before Volda beat Joe Harmon. Harmon figured that if his credentials to succeed Granger should Granger give way during his 2020 tenure - would shine brightly, then his status as deputy leader would help the catapulting process
into the presidential chair. Harmon knew he stood a better chance of beating Basil Williams, so the winner was a foregone conclusion. But guerilla warfare erupted in the PNC. A tiny but very formidable group does not want Harmon to succeed Granger as president (assuming that the PNC will win in 2020, and that is a colossal assumption). The guerrillas had to find someone to beat Harmon. The barrel is almost empty in the PNC. Of the two persons that could beat Harmon, Lawrence was chosen over Greenidge for one fundamental reason; she has the support of three crucial elements in the PNC. First, there are the diehard PNCites who feel that Lawrence’s physiology is older than Harmon’s, therefore the longest serving one
should get the nod. The second compartment is a serious part of the PNC – the women members. Obviously, Volda would get their votes. The third dimension of the PNC’s anatomy is where Volda’s popularity is enduring – the “lumpen” elements. Harmon doesn’t stand a chance with them. They don’t know him. They know Volda very well. For all his decades in the PNC, Aubrey Norton was literally stunned when he saw how that section of the PNC hunted down and hounded down Carl Greendidge during the contest for leadership of the PNC. There are videos of that incident in which Greenidge was called some ugly names for which those delegates should have been expelled from the PNC and charged for criminal threats. At that time, I thought David
Granger should have apologized to Greenidge for the philistine descent of some of his supporters. Volda was very much visible when those elements were involved in a brawling confrontation with PPP picketers outside the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre when the Government decided to revoke the PPP’s lease of Red House. The guerrillas knew Harmon could be stopped, and Joe’s heart almost stopped when he learnt that Volda had thrown her hat in the ring. I did a column on the ambience when she won, and described the type of scenes that prevailed when she was being congratulated. (See my article of Sunday, October 7, 2018, titled, “Sigmund Freud and the people who hugged Volda Lawrence.”) The guerillas will have to continue their war against “Joe Shanlin” because Harmon now has an opportunity to fight for the presiden-
tial candidacy. Volda has run into the same quicksand that “Satyra Gyall” from the PPP dived into, when she went to the home of the US Ambassador and killed her political career. Volda has apologized for bringing to the surface of her mind some Freudian skeletons.There is a gargantuan question mark that is so big that an aircraft carrier dwarfs in its presence. Despite the apology, is the damage so colossal that it has wounded Volda permanently? Forget about the AFC (they are as dead as the nails in a coffin); the 2020 APNU+AFC campaign is the PNC’s campaign to win the election for the PNC. Does the PNC have enough votes to take it over fifty percent? My answer is no. But the closeness to 51 percent in my opinion has receded since Volda showed her Freudian instincts. What will happen now in my assessment is that Joe will invent his own guerrilla army.
Frederick Kissoon So there will be an intensification of guerilla warfare in the PNC. Volda will run. She will have her loyalists pushing hard for her. “Joe Shanlin” will definitely run, arguing that Volda cannot take the PNC over the fifty percent margin because she is damaged goods. Are we in for a repeat of Eric Williams in Trinidad and Cheddi Jagan in Guyana? PNM big boys fought against each other after Eric Williams was gone and they settled for an unknown – George Chambers. PPP big wigs did the same and Jagdeo squeaked in.
DEM BOYS SEH
Parliament is a place to sleep
Sityra Gyal tear off in de Parliament Wednesday and all because de new Education Minister give back $2 billion to de treasury. She seh dat money coulda do nuff things; it could build two house fuh a comrade, it coulda buy more Chinee food than people could eat and it could buy some plane ticket. Above all, it coulda buy a house fuh ten people in Pradoville. But Poor Nicolette, all she know fuh do is spend and when duh done, wha she got to do is give back de money. She is not de only one who get cuss up fuh dem wuk how dem know it. Then things get so far dat people start to mek up story. One man claim how de government spend more than $1 billion pon travel. When de government hear dat, dem cuss. Then dem decide to tell people how de opposition lie. Wha dem don’t realize is dat when something sound nice, dat is wha people does believe. Dat is how dem got nuff rumour going
around. People seh how Jagdeo got nuff outside children. Dat sound more nice than de truth. When dem people seh how Soulja Bai suddenly build big house months after he tun president, dat sound nice too. People like to hear how de big ones thief. When Soulja Bai seh is he brother house and he tek control, de people who start de rumour didn’t even seh nutten. De truth wasn’t nice. Parliament boring and dat is de truth but because of de food and de small piece dem don’t seh nutten bad bout dem sittings. But dem boys got de evidence. Dem got photos of MPs sleeping, some playing candy crush and some reading Dem Boys Seh while Sityra Gyal mekking she argument. Dem pon de government side does get people to write dem budget speech. Then dem does read. De odda day, one of dem read de mistake and everything wha de person write. Talk half and hope everybody don’t sleep in parliament at de same time.
Friday December 07, 2018
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Friday December 07, 2018
New salary package for teachers expected in first quarter of 2019 – Union President
I
n a matter of weeks, the Guyana Teachers’ Union [GTU] will be moving to submit a new multi-year salary package proposal for public school teachers. This is according to GTU President, Mr. Mark Lyte, who told this publication that the proposal will be submitted following the union’s general council meeting set for December 18, 2018. A move in this direction is warranted, as the existing agreement between the two parties is slated to come to an end this very month. Reflecting on the experiences of the past, Lyte said that the union is prepared to face negotiations with the Education Ministry, with confidence that an agreement can be reached within the first quarter of next year. The proposal, Lyte said, will again cover a five-year period [20192023]. He however noted that the union will not rule out adjusting the number of years being negotiated for. “We hope to negotiate for five years, but we will settle for three like the last time... but we will assess that when
the time comes,” he said. “Within the first quarter of the year, we should be able to know exactly what teachers will be getting, coming out of the negotiation. We don’t expect it to be long and drawn out...the last time, it took about three years before we were able to sign anything. It started in December 2015...we talked on and off until 2018 before we actually got around to signing. We don’t expect it to be that long this time, so we will be demanding that it is settled within the first quarter,” Lyte asserted. At the signing ceremony of the salary package agreed to by the parties in September last, Chief Education Officer, Mr. Marcel Hutson, regarding it as symbolic said, “We consider the union to be an integral part of what we do at the Ministry of Education.” In fact, he took the opportunity to share his belief that the Ministry cannot function effectively without the union and its input. He however recognised that there was still a great deal of work to do if success is to be achieved in education. As
such, he added that, “we intend to work with all of our partners, including the union that we consider to maybe be our greatest partners, in this process.” According to Hutson too, the Education Ministry has always fostered the idea of team spirit. “We recognise that if we are divided, we cannot impact the nation’s children, and we are about transformation. We are about change, and the only way that can happen is if all of us move forward with one agenda, one voice, and with one purpose.” The CEO shared his conviction that the move by the Education Ministry and union - to settle major differences in an amicable way - is indicative of the beginning of a great relationship. But the inking of the agreement came after the union and its membership became frustrated with what they perceived to be the slothful approach to the negotiation process on the part of government. In fact, efforts to fasttrack the process did not start until the union instigated
strike action which affected the attendance of both teachers and children at schools across the country. As he considered the journey to signing the last agreement, Lyte said, “We are hoping we will not have a repeat of that experience. Based on what transpired, there have been a lot of concerns on our part as to whether we will be treated in a similar way”. Lyte, however, shared his optimism that “We assume that maybe they [Education Ministry] have learnt from their experience with us having been on the road, and they would not want us to go down that road again.” “We got a little more confidence coming out of the strike action, because the meetings we had with them after that were a lot more cordial...people were respectful; it wasn’t the kind of treatment we got at first,” Lyte reflected.
GTU President, Mr. Mark Lyte He added, “We are going into the negotiation optimistic that things will be more favourable from our point of view. We are optimistic that mutual respect will prevail over the table, and that is exactly what we will demand if it is not shown to us.” The union President is therefore hopeful that all
negotiations in the future will be aimed at helping to improve the delivery of education. “Fortunate for us, we have realised that the teachers want to believe that with the expected boom in the economy, the next negotiation process will be much easier,” Lyte added.
Govt. mulls establishment of Industrial Court - Several labour laws to be amended While there have been varying views in relation to the establishment of an industrial court, Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott has elucidated that a Bill is currently being proposed in favour of it. This disclosure was made during his budget debate presentation to the National Assembly. It was also revealed that the Government has moved to amend several labour laws within the legislation. It is within the pretext of improved labour, that the concept of establishing an Industrial Court or Tribunal is being explored. Aptly, deliberations on the prospect have arrived at a point when many of the country’s workers are recognizing their rights. It was noted that the concept of establishing an industrial court within Guyana would address the country’s growing workforce and the exploitation of employees in so many manual labour professions. Key stakeholders in this venture would include members of the National Tripartite Committee. “The Ministry has engaged the major Stakeholders who comprise the National Tripartite Committee, which is currently examining a proposed Bill which should bring into existence either a Court or a Tribunal,” Minister Scott said.
Minister Keith Scott In addition to this, the Minister posited that labour management relations would be greatly improved with the implementation of an industrial court, “…the object of which would be to enhance Labour Management Relations and ultimately the quality of life of all workers, who should be able to experience decent working conditions.” Moreover, as a prelude to programmes slated by the Ministry for 2019, several laws are being amended to accommodate the changes in the country’s socio-cultural atmosphere. The minister said that as Guyana is to expect an influx of foreign businesses due to its newfound wealth, changes in key labour related legislation would be needed.
He explained that it is within the pretext of aligning with “enlightened thinking and practices” that the revision would be done. The laws that are to be amended would include “The Labour Act”, “The Leave with Pay Act”, “The Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act (TESPA)”, “The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act” The Friendly Societies Act, “The School Thrift Chapter 36:04”, and “The Cooperative Societies Act”. Compounded with this, the minister stressed that the Labour Act, a key legislation, was first enacted in 1942, and while it may have been relevant at that time, it does not suffice for Guyana’s current political climate. It was stated that the Ministry’s mandate for fairness, equity and justice amongst citizens was not being manifested through the current laws. “It is against that background that the Labour Act will be amended to provide for the compulsory submission of the necessary records to aid in the resolution of complaints for the benefits of the ordinary worker and towards the promotion of Human Development.” The concept of accruing a quasi-judicial body, if not the court itself, to hear cases of disputes between employer and employee, is being explored.
Friday December 07, 2018
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$6B for feasibility studies makes budget “much ado about nothing” – Dr. Vindhya Persaud Member of the Opposition, Vindhya Persaud, chided the government for a budget that she deems to be all about discussions, and very little in the line of real action. The MP said that, when she sums up the budget, all the feasibility studies amount to about six billion dollars, just to check if projects will work out. Persaud said that the government intends to spend millions per page for projects that will likely never happen. Six billion accounts for two percent of the entire budgetary allocation, and Persaud believes that spending that money will not amount to substance. She said that the government is wasting money, not just for feasibility studies, but for assigning expenditures to areas that have, for the duration of the government’s tenure in office, little development. “Why do we need more monuments, arches and another monstrosity like D’Urban Park? People need to eat, people need to afford health care, people need jobs. Women need jobs that can allow them to provide for their families.”
Finance Minister Winston Jordan had said that the government estimates the country to experience real economic growth of 4.6% in 2019. Persaud said that this “small growth rate” primarily depends on areas such as livestock, where no studies can be done to ascertain how those projections were determined. “The same can be said of the construction sector when VAT has been implemented by this government on previously zero-rated construction materials. Maybe the minister forgot, but in the move to reverse the imposed VAT on concrete blocks, he did not take into account the input tax on materials that are required to make the blocks, making the benefit a dubious one.” She said that there is a lot of talk about the upcoming oil, but that talk is cheap. “What we see from their track record has left us in dismay. Lack of accountability still persists. We still don’t know where the $18M signing bonus is. When this money comes, how will the government spend it on sectors outside of oil, so that the effects of that wealth could trickle down to help the aver-
age Guyanese?” She was not impressed by the government’s tax reform proposal either. She said that though the government has proposed their tax measures as a major policy objective, it is not to reduce the deficit, “but for wanton, extravagant and avoidable expenditure.” As a result, she stated, the deficit will widen from $41.3M to $52.1M. She also said that 2018 has seen a drastic decline in the international reserves from US$581M to US$477M, “and the reckless spending and unaccountability reminds me of those dark and unaccountable years when the country sunk into a quagmire of debt and loss.” Persaud often alluded to Minister Lawrence’s controversial statement about hiring only persons aligned with the PNC/R, and at one point said, “Why is it that the tax measures and benefits do not benefit a wider cross-section of the country? Why is it only confined to a small group of people?” Persaud also said that the government is exercising a dangerous “proclivity to borrow, borrow, borrow. All the
future generations will be born with a tax debt on their head.” She stated that the government is living above their means, doing incessant borrowing to fill a hole of debt, but that these actions are not narrowing the deficit. “When this budget gets larger, it is taking a larger share of the income that people earn. The Minister [Jordan] has not provided culpable benefits.” “We are in for nothing but trouble.” “I have great faith in the public. There will come a time when they will say “Enough is enough.” The masses have spoken through multiple [avenues]; the teachers, the parking meters. People are hoping for something different.”
Opposition MP, Dr. Vindhya Persaud
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Friday December 07, 2018
Fly Jamaica passengers allege difficulty in obtaining reimbursements - Airline says office is open to address issues Passengers of Fly Jamaica have voiced several concerns about refunding and compensation for previously booked flights that were cancelled as a result of the crashed aircraft. This publication understands that the entity cancelled all flights until December 14, 2018. For the commuters, this meant that in order to get to their destinations they would either have to book another flight or delay their trip and wait for the airline to restart operations. The passengers have raised concerns about not being able to obtain reimbursement and not being able to communicate with or hear any official pronouncement from the airline.
Services offered by the airline were described by a number of passengers as “disgraceful, unethical, highly disrespectful and unreliable,” among other things. Travellers claim to not have received any notifications or assistance in obtaining alternative flights. They also highlighted that several attempts have been made to contact the agency but “all the phone lines are failing”. The customers are calling for the intervention of the Civil Aviation Authority and the ministry responsible for the transportation sector. However, during an interview with this publication, a senior official revealed that the airline is currently undergoing the process of compensation and refunding, and that
persons interested in reimbursement should visit the office. The official explained that the persons would have to visit the office and undergo the standard procedure which would see the monies paid being refunded to the source whether it was via credit card or a travel agency, where they’d be able to obtain it. The official also referred to an advertisement published in the Thursday, December 6, 2018 Kaieteur News Edition which detailed that “Fly Jamaica has begun the process of interfacing with its customers to ensure that if they have suffered loss, they can be fairly and reasonably compensated in line with accepted principles of aviation
international law and our own corporate responsibility to our valued customers.” However, that advertisement only made reference to passengers who were on board the crashed flight. On November 11, last, a Fly Jamaica aircraft with 128 people on board en route to Toronto, Canada, was forced to make an emergency landing at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.
The aircraft, a Boeing 757, had taken off from the airport just over an hour before it crashed on return. According to a passenger, about 20 minutes into the flight the captain reported that there was a problem with the hydraulic system. The hydraulic system controls the braking system, the rudder, the flaps and some other movable parts. The aircraft was given permission to
land and by then all the emergency services were in place. The aircraft could not stop as a result of the failed braking system. It taxied onto the extended runway and continued into a sand pile that is strategically placed at most airports. The airline noted that it continues to work closely with the authorities to identify the underlying cause of the incident.
Bipartisan Committee to meet on Constitutional Reform Members of the Parliament a r y S t a n d i n g Committee for Constitutional Reform are expected to meet today, their third meeting for the year. The bipartisan committee was formed in 2015 after Opposition Member of Parliament, Anil Nandlall, insisted that the Bill, which was tabled by Prime Minister
Moses Nagamootoo to establish a Constitutional Reform Committee, be handed over to the Standing Committee. The Bill was sent to the committee to be examined, as it is the body responsible for dealing with constitutional matters. The Opposition had raised concerns about the Prime Minister leading the
constitutional reform process, h o w e v e r, meetings have been minimal, with the last meeting hosted in March. The committee comprises Chairman, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, B a s i l Wi l l i a m s S C . , Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, Minister of Education, Dr. Nicolette Henry, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman and Minister of Public Service, Dr. Rupert Roopnarine. Opposition MPs on the committee include Anil Nandlall, Priya Manickchand, Dr. Frank Anthony and Adrian Anamayah. The Bill was published on July 26, 2017, and was introduced in the National Assembly on July 27, 2017, and read for the first time.
Friday December 07, 2018
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Judicial officials undergo training on jail alternative for drug-addicted offenders Local prosecutors and judicial officials are exploring alternative measures to incarceration in the criminal justice system for drug-addicted offenders. The officials were introduced to the programme yesterday at the opening of an awareness workshop on the Drug Treatment Court. The Drug Treatment Court is being touted as an alternative to incarceration for drug-addicted offenders. Among those addressing the gathering at the Felix Austin Police Training College yesterday were Director of the National Anti-Narcotic Agency, Leon Carr, Co-coordinator of Health and Human Development at the CARICOM Secretariat Beverly Reynolds , Representative of the Organization for American States,(OAS) Jean Ricot Dormeus, Director of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the US Embassy , Alexandra King Pile and Ontario High Courtbased Justice Kofi Barnes. In her remarks, Reynolds noted that a few years ago the CARICOM Secretariat had been looking into recommendations of providing alternatives for incarceration for persons addicted to using drugs. She explained that the call was grounded in substantive evidence from research which indicated that drug addiction is a treatable medical condition. “Of concern then and now, are the human social and economic losses associated with simply locking away offenders whose petty crimes are often driven by drug addiction. Over the years, this issue re-
sulted in prison overcrowding, with persons being incarcerated for small amounts of illicit drugs and crimes linked to feeding their habit.” Reynolds said that CARICOM has also been looking at means of addressing the issue. The CARICOM Representative told the gathering that the Drug treatment Court has proven effective in this regard. According to Reynolds, it is a mechanism that addresses the issue of drug offenders holistically. Justice Barnes in his keynote address echoed similar sentiments. He underscored the importance of looking at the overall rehabilitation of the drug offender, noting that imprisonment is one thing, but treatment is addressing the other side of the issue. In the case of drug-addicted offenders, he said, there are two sides to a coin and often only one part of the problem is addressed by incarceration However the problem with drugs does not automatically disappear and so the offender goes to prison, serves time, but returns to society to commit the same crimes to support their habit. And then it becomes a cycle. The Canada-based Judge stressed that even though part of the efforts towards treating offenders will include social work mechanism, judicial officers are being trained in this regard. “We do not want offenders in a repeat cycle all the time. There is a cost to fami-
Man gets life for raping one year old High Court Judge Jo-Ann Barlow yesterday imposed a life sentence on a man convicted for engaging in sexual activity a one-year-old female. Rodney Kurtzious, was found guilty of the offence of sexual activity with a child after a jury returned a verdict of 11 guilty – 1 not guilty at the Sexual Offences Court in Georgetown yesterday. The incident is said to have occurred on July 27, 2017. Kurtzious had pleaded not guilty to offence. However, when given a chance to speak before the sentence was handed down yesterday, the convict offered no statement to the Court. Justice Barlow on the other hand noted that the case, like many others with similar circumstances, is quite troubling. “It is even more troubling given that the victim is a baby and a close rela-
tive of Kurtzious,” the Judge said. “You not only breached the trust of her mother and other children that were left in your care, since they too witnessed the incident… but after the incident, the baby had to be hospitalized for several days, due to the severity of the injuries.” The judge noted that the victim was left with body parts which were torn. “You have not only torn this child’s parts, but you have torn your family apart and you must suffer the consequences.” Noting the incident is a worst case scenario which she found no mitigating factors, Justice Barlow told Kurtzious that the maximum sentence would be imposed. Kurtzious was therefore sentenced to life in prison, with a possibility of parole only after 25 years.
Keynote speaker on the Drug Treatment Court, Justice Kofi Barnes lies, there is a cost to society; a cost to the Justice System. Therefore we must find a way to address the problem of these addicts without putting society at risk.” Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, had pre-
viously outlined the dire need to address drug offenders in a court-operated rehabilitation programme. “In our national drug master plan for 2016-2020 there is the policy that states we have to reduce the use of incar-
ceration, which is a punitive response for non-violent drug offenders,” Minister Ramjattan said. “We wanted, through that policy, to provide treatment and rehabilitation, and so the establishment of a drug treatment court was identified as one such programme.” Minister Ramjattan said that the programme will yield many benefits. “I can also see that with treatment, recidivism will fall, and not only with drug offences but with other offences, because drug users support their bad habits just for the want of getting more money so they can buy some more drugs.” The initiative will be cost effective in the long run and forms part of the transformation needed in Guyana’s justice system, Ramjattan said. Earlier in the year, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, Acting Chief Justice, Roxane George-
Wiltshire, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Dion Mc Calmont and Major General (Ret’d) Atherly attended meetings in Chicago and New York that explored problem-solving courts and alternatives to incarceration for drug-related offences. There they experienced innovative models first hand, and asked questions of those directly involved in the programmes’ implementation and operation. The initiative is a commitment made by CARICOM, the Executive Secretariat of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (ES/CICAD) and Secretariat for Multidimensional Security of the Organisation of American States (OAS). The commitment embodies the goal of providing technical assistance to OAS member states in the implementation of alternatives to incarceration programmes.
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Kaieteur News
Friday December 07, 2018
IDB approves US$11.6M loan for Guyana’s Energy Sector With Government facing harsh criticisms over its oil deal with US-owned ExxonMobil, moves are underway to prevent a replay. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is taking a leading role in helping Guyana transform its governance approach when it comes to the energy sector. According to the IDB, Guyana has been approved for a loan of US$11.6M which will, among other things, pay for drafting a model contract for future Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs). Under the 2016 agreement with ExxonMobil, the Coalition Government signed for a two percent royalty and questionable 50/50 share on every barrel of oil. However, Guyana’s share of the 50/50 is dependent on ExxonMobil recovering it expenses first. Commentators say that based on ExxonMobil’s track record, Guyana will be left with little. The Government of Guyana says that it will be strengthening its newly established Department of Energy to handle these and other
issues. The IDB says that the loan will prepare Guyana for its transition towards becoming a major oil and gas producing state. “Relying upon a $11.64M policy-based loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), this project is designed to support the strengthening and the sustainability of the energy sector in Guyana by contributing to the institutional development of oil and gas governance and the development of cleaner energy sources for electricity generation,” IDB explained yesterday. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES The specific objectives of this loan programme are first, to develop a management and planning framework for Guyana’s oil and gas sector; and second, to contribute towards the development of a policy framework so that Guyana may diversify its electricity generation matrix using cleaner or renewable sources. According to the bank, Guyana’s new energy scenario, which will likely yield
significant revenues for the government, represents a transformative shift in Guyana’s development trajectory. “It embodies a crucial and unprecedented opportunity for economic growth and sustainable development. The conversion of short-term oil wealth into long-term wellbeing, hinges on the capacity of the Guyanese Government to adequately manage this new sector and enact productivity-enhancing reforms.” The bank stressed that if handled well, it can boost the overall standard of living for the country. However, there is considerable work to be
done so that Guyana can enjoy the benefits of its recent – and potential – oil and gas wealth. “Too often resource-rich countries have become or remained poor as a result of inadequate resource management. Hence, there is an urgent need to improve the governance of Guyana’s oil and gas sector ahead of the start of production in 2020.” Under the first tranche of the programme, the monies are being earmarked for the creation of the Department of Energy (DE) within the Ministry of the Presidency to take over responsibilities related to the governance and development of Guyana’s oil and gas sector. It will also be used for approval by the DE of a draft roadmap to develop Guyana’s oil and gas institutional framework, and to design of a model contract for future Production Sharing Agreements by the DE and presented to Guyana’s Ministry of the Presidency. Under the second tranche, some of the monies will be used to prepare a DE functions manual establishing its organizational structure, budget and staff allocation, approved by the Ministry of the Presidency, and a
PSA set of protocols and mechanisms for contract management. Also to be prepared will be an oil and gas depletion policy designed by the DE and presented for approval to the Ministry of the Presidency. “Finally, the programme will aid Guyana’s Government with the development of a policy framework to diversify and promote the sustainability of Guyana’s electricity generation matrix.” The loan is funded in two components totalling US$11.64M. The first component will be US$5.82 million from the IDB’s Ordinary Capital, disbursed within two years, with a grace period of 5.5 years, and an interest rate based on LIBOR (London Inter-bank Offered Rate). The second component will total US$5.82 million from the IDB’s Concessional Ordinary Capital, disbursed within two years, with a grace period of 40 years, and 0.25% interest rate. The executing agency will be Guyana’s Ministry of Finance. FINANCIAL SYSTEMS Several local and international organizations have lamented over the need for Guyana to improve many of
its institutional and financial systems before 2020. In fact, the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) has urged emerging oil producers like Guyana for example, to improve its Public Financial Management System. NRGI notes that strong public financial management (PFM) systems are essential for effective and sustainable economic management and public service delivery. To cement the importance of strong PFMs, NRGI noted the cases of Chad and Nigeria. The Institute said, “Much cash has flowed into Chad’s government treasury from resource extraction. In fact, 70 percent of government revenues come from oil. However, rather than translating this into human development, money has instead been spent on security services totalling 18 percent of the budget. The result is a growing stock of debt and 184th in the ranking of countries in the Human Development Index.” With regard to Nigeria, NRGI said that this African state reformed its public procurement process in 1999. Previously, on average, US$300 million was lost each year in corrupt practices. Since reform and strengthening of its PFM, the Nigerian government has saved an estimated US$1.5 billion between 2001 and 2007. With the foregoing in mind, NRGI said that improvement in public spending management is necessary and can take the form of both an increase in the capacity to choose appropriate spending plans, and incentives for institutions to make decisions without political interference. (Continued on page 27)
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Friday December 07, 2018
Kaieteur News
Despite scathing criticisms...
Lawrence insists health sector achieved major milestones for 2018 By Kiana Wilburg For the year 2018, Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence came in for heavy criticisms from the political opposition, which often accused her of managing the sector in a most lax and even corrupt manner. But during the 2019 budget debates yesterday, the Minister made it clear to members of the National Assembly that whenever corruption is detected in her sector, it is never swept under the carpet, unlike what has taken place under the previous regime. She insisted that the sector is underpinned by good governance practices. On that note, Lawrence went into the many achievements made by health sector this year. Lawrence noted that the Ministry was able to host its first-ever Health Fair, which attracted more than 20,000 persons and was hosted at the Sophia Exhibition Centre under the theme, ‘Reaching for a better Life with Good Health.’ The Minister said that Health Expo 2018 brought the whole issue of health care into sharp focus, and sensitized the public on the many services offered by the Ministry of Public Health. Turning her attention to efforts regarding tobacco c o n t r o l , L a w r e n ce said, “The National Tobacco Control Act was assented to in 2017 and in 2018, the Ministry of Public Health, received the World No Tobacco Day Award - Regional Office for the Americas. This accolade
positions Guyana at the highest level of adherence to three out of the four tobacco control best buys.” She added, “In 2019, the Ministry is poised to achieve the fourth best buy practice within the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), since the Minister of Finance has introduced a new regime for taxing tobacco consisting of a combination of ad valorem and specific taxes as follows: the imposition of a specific tax of $2500 per 1000 sticks, together with Customs Duty and VAT of 14%.” HEALTH INFORMATION SYSTEM With respect to the Government Health Information System (GHIS), the Public Health Minister said that the East La Penitence Health Centre is being used as the pilot to roll out Guyana’s First Paperless Health Facility. She said that the New Amsterdam Hospital is 80% completed and will be soon be ready for test runs. Lawrence explained that GHIS features a single Electronic Medical Record platform that will capture pertinent patients’ information such as their Demographic, Medical History, clinical treatment data upon entry, transfer from or within a facility via this system, thus eliminating the need for paper-based documentation. In 2019, the Public Health Minister said that a Pharmacy/Inventory module, an integral component of the GHIS, directly linked to the Essential Drug/Medicine List
Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence will be rolled out. She said that this will aid doctors in the prescription of drugs, and ensure accountability. HUMAN RESOURCES In 2018, Lawrence said that the Ministry continued to build Human Resource Capacity, especially in the field of Nursing. She said that this has resulted in a boost of 448 qualified nurses in the health system. Further to this, Lawrence revealed that for the first time, the Governments of Guyana and Brazil have jointly sponsored a Master ’s and Doctoral programme in Nursing. She said that eight students are benefitting from the Master’s while five are pursuing the Doctorate in Nursing. Lawrence said that this will further enhance the sector’s human resource capacity, and provide the platform for the building of sus-
tainable healthy communities. With respect to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Lawrence said that the medical facility continued to function as the country’s leading health teaching and research institution, hosting both medical students from the University of Guyana and private medical schools during their period of clinical rotations. She said that the GPHC continued to offer Post Graduate training in a number of specialized areas. In fact, the Minister said that 39 graduates benefitted from these specialized programmes which include Master’s in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine, Emergency Nurse Residency Programme, Family Medicine, Paediatric Medicine, Psychiatry and Surgery. The Minister said it is important to note that the Post
graduate training of doctors in Family Medicine has boosted the Primary Health Care system, allowing for earlier diagnosis, better treatment of pregnant women, especially high risk mothers. SERVICE DELIVERY Lawrence said that this year the overseas missions continued to impact significantly on the nation’s health system. In this regard, she said that seven successful kidney transplants were completed. Additionally, Guyana’s first ever paired Kidney Transplant was also successfully conducted. She said, too, that there were 15 successful corrective cardiac surgeries, and 18 other medical interventions by two Baby Heart Missions, among other notable surgeries. PAEDIATRIC CARE CENTRE Minister Lawrence reminded that in July, last, Guyana’s first Paediatric Critical Care Unit was commissioned through collaborations between the Ministry and the International Children’s Heart Foundation She said that this unit offers treatment to critically ill children under the age of thirteen years, houses 16 High Dependency beds and a fourbed Intensive Care Unit, which cater to the medical needs of children with congenital heart diseases. To date, Lawrence said that 1,960 children have benefitted from the various medical services which include General, Cardiac, Neonatal, Nephrology, and Neurology, among others. ONCOLOGY
DEPARTMENT Minister Lawrence noted during her presentation that a new Facility housing an Oncology Department and Institute of Health Sciences Education (IHSE) was built at a total cost of $48.8 million. She said that this new and improved facility provides a more “treatment friendly” atmosphere for approximately 100 cancer patients who seek treatment at the GPHC on a monthly basis. She said that the new accommodation for the Institute of Health Science Education provides improved teaching facilities for Doctors and Nurses pursuing Post Graduate medical education training or seeking to specialise in a particular area of medical science. The Minister sought to emphasize that despite certain constraints, the sector’s tertiary institution, GPHC, with its targeted interventions, is well positioned to make an impact on the lives of the Guyanese nation. MATERNALAND CHILD HEALTH When it comes to Maternal and Child Health, Lawrence said that the Leonora Health Facility in Region Three was upgraded to accommodate a 24-bed Maternity Ward which will provide services for high-risk mothers. She said that there was the training and equipping of 20 Community Health Workers in Region Nine. To date, Lawrence said that this has impacted significantly; no maternal deaths have been recorded in this Region.
Alleged theft of Law Reports...
Nandlall to lead defence on January 25 The case involving former Attorney General and People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) M e m b e r of Parliament, Anil Nandlall, was yesterday given a revised date when the matter came up in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The matter was adjourned until January 25, 2019, when Nandlall is expected to lead his defence. Yesterday when the matter was called in the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore, the matter was given a new date because the Magistrate was engaged at a workshop. On November 23, last, Magistrate Azore ruled that sufficient evidence was led against Nandlall in relation to the alleged theft of 14 Lexis-Nexis
Law Reports of the Commonwealth. In the circumstances, he will be called upon to lead a defence on the aforementioned January date It is alleged that Nandlall, between May 18 and May 29, 2015, being a bailee in the then capacity of Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, fraudulently converted 14 Commonwealth Law Reports valued at $2,313,853, property of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, to his own use and benefit. Nandlall has pleaded not guilty to the allegation and is out on selfbail, pending the outcome and determination of the trial. The Magistrate ruled that Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) Pros-
e c u t o r, P a t r i c e H e n r y, was able to prove every element of the offence. In addressing the courtroom, she said that after spending hours of perusing the evidence led by Prosecutor Henry, she was left with no option but to overrule the d e f e n c e ’s n o c a s e s u b mission which was presented by Attorney-atLaw Glenn Hanoman. Nandlall’s lawyer in addressing the court said that his client will give a s w o r n t e s t i m o n y. H e added that they will also try to get former President Donald Ramotar, to testify on Nandlall’s behalf. Nandlall, on his first court appearance last y e a r, i n a d d r e s s i n g t h e media opined that the charge is politically mo-
tivated, and that it was his constant criticisms of the sitting Attorney General Basil Williams, SC, that has landed him in hot water. He said that he will not be cowered into making his views known about the transgressions of the Attorney General and the APNU+AFC administration. The outspoken former AG branded the charge as ‘nonsense’. He was confident that the matter will get nowhere. Nandlall was asked why the State should pay for the books that he was using. He replied that when he took the job as Attorney General at the time, he did so at a loss of income. It was for that reason he agitated for the State to pay for the
Anil Nandlall law reports that cost over $2.3M. The arrangement, he stressed, had the blessings of the then Head of St a t e D o n a l d R a m o t a r.
H o w e v e r, i n v e s t i g a t o r s are contending that because the books were bought with State funds, they cannot be the property of Nandlall, and in fact, the State should not have entered into such an arrangement in the first place. The Ministry of Legal Affairs is contending that there is no evidence of the agreement between Nandlall and R a m o t a r. A n d e v e n a s suming that there was such an agreement, the use of public funds in this manner is a flagrant violation of the Financial Management and Accountability Act. Nandlall was charged after the SOCU, an arm of the Guyana Police Force, completed investigations.
Friday December 07, 2018
PAGE 27
Kaieteur News
Copa Airlines adds flight to its Guyana-Panama route Copa Airlines has announced that it will be adding another flight to its Guyana-Panama route, with onward connections, effective from Sunday, December 9, 2018. The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority has approved a request by the airline to add the new flight to what is becoming an increasingly busy Guyana route. Copa will operate the additional flight on Fridays, adding to existing flights on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The decision to add an additional flight day is based on increasing demand, and is part of the airline’s ongoing plans to expand and improve its service to the people of Guyana. According to the airline, it doubled its flights in 2015 to four in response to increased requests from passengers to expand the service. Bernardo Ordas, Copa’s Regional Sales Manager, said, “The airline is very
proud to be serving Guyana. The additional flight will cater to the growing demand and will also provide a way by which Guyana’s tourism product could be further enhanced. We are also cognizant of the increase in traffic associated with Guyana’s emerging oil and gas industry, and would like to continue playing a role in national development.” Nadine Oudkerk, Copa Airlines Sales Manager in Guyana, said adding yet another flight day is a significant accomplishment and the airline is extremely happy to be offering more options to Guyanese. “The addition of a fifth flight to Guyana is part of our ongoing expansion efforts in the country and demonstrates that Copa is here to stay. We have been able to build strong partnerships with a number of groups, companies and individuals, and remain committed to further developing these valuable
Copa Airlines is adding another flight to its Guyana-Panama route
relationships.” The airline said it has been a strong supporter of programmes in Guyana
geared towards community development, sport, medical services, and care for youth and the elderly.
IDB approves US$11.6M loan for... From page 16 In countries with low institutional capacity, the Institute said that it may be politically easier to introduce improved, stricter management rules for new spending projects than to reform existing spending. It said that governments should aim for several things their public financial management systems. It said that this would involve public, multiyear plans that allow coordination of spending projects, and greater certainty for the private sector; competitive, public and transparent procurement; oversight and internal controls; pre-approval measurement of the costs of major expenditures against their likely social and economic benefits; and public, independent audits of spending projects, for both oversight and to help government improve its spending processes. NRGI said that it would be in the interest of countries for the authorities to invest in public investment processes and in eliminating supply bottlenecks in the economy to reduce the cost of investment projects. IMF RECOMMENDS Guyana has been carrying out several assessments in an effort to achieve a strong PFM. While there were some improvements over the years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently noted
that there is still more which needs to be done. During one of its recent assessments, the Fund noted that the limited capacity at all levels of the Ministry of Finance and even in various line agencies will pose significant constraints when the time comes for the implementation of needed reforms for Public Financial Management. To ensure success going forward, the IMF said that reform measures will need to be carefully prioritized and sequenced so as not to overload the limited capacity. The Fund said that the extent and wide-ranging nature of future PFM reforms per-
haps requires a more coordinated approach to reform implementation. It said that many countries faced with an extensive body of work have formed a dedicated reform team to organize, coordinate, and facilitate the required reforms in many PFM areas. It said that the reform unit/team will provide oversight, guidance and monitoring to the PFM reform plan and act as a coordinator of the overall PFM reform programme. The Fund said that a substantial part of their work should be directed to upgrading the skills of staff in the Ministry of Finance and line agencies by developing
a core PFM training programme. The Fund also stressed that capacity building in the Ministry of Finance and in line agencies is an important prerequisite for sustainable PFM reform. It said, “A comprehensive assessment of required skills is essential for successful implementation. It could be considered to appoint a small group to analyze the longterm capacity building needs, and to develop an overall plan for PFM capacity development, to be managed and coordinated within the reform unit in the Ministry of Finance.” The Fund added, “The results of the assessment could summarize the skills required in every function. For example, for budget office skills in preparing baseline expenditure are crucial or for macrofiscal division the analysis of fiscal risks.” The Fund further stated that capacity-building efforts could be coordinated with local training institutions. In this regard, the Fund said that the Ministry should explore further, the options to cooperate with local training institutions (e.g. recently-opened Bertram Collins College of the Public Service; University of Guyana) and other partners to deliver necessary training programmes on a continuous basis.
Copa offers flights to over 78 destinations in 32 countries in North, Central, and South America and the Carib-
bean from the Hub of the Americas at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.
49 percent of people living with HIV unaware of TB co-infection -UNAIDS says situation undermining treatment Tuberculosis is the leading cause of death of people living with HIV, accounting for one in three AIDS-related deaths. However, it is estimated that 49 percent of people living with HIV and tuberculosis are unaware of their co-infection and are therefore not receiving care. This state of affairs has been highlighted in a recently released UNAIDS report which emphasizes that since access to HIV testing is a basic human right, there must be a global commitment to remove the barriers preventing people from testing for HIV. Among the barriers that must be eliminated are HIVrelated stigma and discrimination, ensuring confidentiality in HIV testing and treatment services, deploying an optimal mix of HIV testing strategies to reach the populations most in need, integration with other health services, removing policy and legal barriers hindering access to HIV testing and treatment, expanding access to viral load monitoring in low- and middle-income countries and ensuring access to early infant diagnosis
for newborns. The report demonstrates that implementing these measures will hugely advance progress towards ensuring that all people living with and affected by HIV have access to the life-saving services they need. According to the report in 2017 an estimated 36.9 million [31.1 million–43.9 million] people globally were living with HIV, 21.7 million [19.1 million–22.6 million] people were accessing treatment, 1.8 million [1.4 million–2.4 million] people became newly infected with HIV and 940 000 [670 000–1.3 million] people died from AIDS-related illnesses. To help advance the fight against HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS has amplified the need for a variety of testing options and services. Among these, the UN body has highlighted the need for community and home-based testing which can help mitigate many of the logistical, structural and social barriers to HIV testing. In its report UNAIDS noted that while about 75 percent of all people living with (Continued on page 30)
PAGE 28
Kaieteur News
Motorcyclist dies in head-on collision with bus
The victim lying on the roadway just after the accident occurred Twenty-six-year-old David Aulder died yesterday afternoon when according to eyewitnesses, he rode his motorcycle head-on into a minibus on the Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara Public road. Aulder, of Lot 254 Section ‘A’ Non Pareil, ECD was riding his motorcycle, CJ 193, in an Easterly direction on the Non Pariel Public Road when he collided with minibus BRR 9843 which was being driven by a resident of Mon Repos ECD, in the direction of Georgetown. Police in a statement said, “As a results of the collision, the cyclist lost control and fell onto the roadway and received injuries. He was picked up in an unconscious condition
and taken to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he was pronounced dead on arrival.” Police also conducted a breathalyzer test on the driver and he was found to above the legal limit, the man was immediately taken into custody where he is assisting with the investigation. The incident, which occurred about 15:30 hours, showed the importance of motorcyclists wearing their safety helmets, with some witnesses claiming the man may have survived the crash if he had been wearing a helmet, since most of his injuries appeared to be to the head.
Friday December 07, 2018
Attorney’s elderly mom tied, robbed at gunpoint in home The mother of Attorney-at-law George Thomas was held at gunpoint, then gagged, bound and robbed in her Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara home at around 09:00 hrs on Tuesday. Police said that the suspect gained access to the Tenth Avenue home of Eunice Thomas, 74, under the pretext of visiting a relative of the victim. Kaieteur News understands that the elderly woman was alone at home when a young man, with a flop-hat concealing his features, entered the yard and rapped at the front door. The woman looked outside, and the ‘visitor’ enquired about her grandson. When Mrs. Thomas opened the door, the
‘visitor’ held her at gunpoint and pushed her further into the house. He then gagged the elderly woman with a stocking and tied her hands behind her back with a pair of plastic handcuffs. Kaieteur News understands that the robber then began asking for specific pieces of jewellery. He eventually carted off some $1.5M in cash and jewellery. According to sources, Mrs. Thomas eventually managed to shift the gag and call for a neighbour, who eventually arrived and untied her. Police have since arrested a man who fits the robber’s description.
Creole Rock enjoys nothing but... From page 25 Gavin headed to Lethem for its Town Week. In October, his band 'Feed The Flames' put together a massive Rock Concert, which was highly regarded as the biggest Rock event in recent history, featuring ALL of the local Rock Bands, and two bands from French Guiana - Aeons of Disorder and Carnage. He then received a surprise call from the Director of Music, Andrew Tyndall, who invited him to be part of a Guyanese Contingent, heading to Brazil as part of a Cultural Exchange Program. The group spent two weeks in November in Boa Vista and in Brasilia, performing at multiple schools and cultural centers, the University of Brasilia, and the 13th edition of the annual 'International Fair of the Embassies'. The Guyanese Ambassador in Brasilia was particu-
larly impressed by Gavin's twist of the local Folk songs, in his style of 'Creole Rock'. Most recently, Gavin returned from Suriname where he performed with some friends there at a Hardcore Punk concert, which featured an American band. This was part of a plan Gavin has in motion - to create the first ever 'Inter-Caribbean Rock Band', featuring Gavin Mendonca (Guyana), Jose Mossel and Shavero Ferrier (Suriname) and Bryan Khan (Trinidad). The Punk Rock band is called 'SugarCaned', a play on the three countries similar history, and will make its on stage debut at Skyy Rock Festival in Trinidad next April. Before that, Gavin has been invited again to perform at Quelonios Festival in DR at the end of January, and then the Rupununi Music and Arts
Festival scheduler for February 15-17. He is also planning a major international tour for the latter half of 2019 Gavin says he is extremely grateful for the support he has received, both locally and internationally, and is now even more determined to turn his dreams into reality. As Christmas approaches, Gavin wishes all of Guyana a blessed Holiday Season, filled with Pure and Positive Vybes. And as a gift to citizens, Gavin says he will be releasing 'How To Build A Tree House' online for the first time on Christmas Eve at 8 PM (the time at which he happened to be born back in 1991). Visit www.creolerock.com to learn more about Gavin and subscribe to his newsletters, and follow his facebook page to get updates and to see the premier of his short film.
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Kaieteur News
Friday December 07, 2018
Burnt remains behind temple…
Two freed of Corriverton wholesale vendor’s murder
T
he two men who were accused of the April 19, 2018 murder of Saeed ‘Sayo’ Hamid at Bennett Dam, D’Edward Village, West Coast Berbice, were yesterday set free. The matter was set aside against them by Magistrate Rhondell Weaver following no case submissions made by defence attorney Mursaline Bacchus at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court. The men, Satrohan ‘Bluey’ Madray, of Bennett Dam, D’Edward Village, West Berbice, and Antonio Singh Balroop, of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice and Reliance, East Canje, were before the court in relation to the death of the Queenstown, Corriverton wholesale vendor. Hamid was bludgeoned to the head and his burnt corpse was found behind the home and temple of Madray at D’Edward village. Prosecuting Woman Police Corporal Racquel Mars had submitted that the prosecution had put forward enough evidence to have the two men committed to stand trial in the high court. In his no case submis-
sion, attorney Bacchus put forward a number of points and also quoted a number of authorities in his submissions. He submitted that a prima facie case has not been made out against either accused and they should both be discharged at this stage and cannot be doubted, according to section 69 of chapter 10:01. He further stated that it is the duty of a committing Magistrate to ensure that no one be sent to trial unless a Prima facie case is made out. It was emphasised that “the Out of Court assertions of one accused cannot be used as evidence against his co-accused. Wh ere tw o p e r s o n s a r e charged jointly and the evidence does not point to one or the other individually, and there is no evidence that they were acting in consort, then both have to be acquitted. The uncertainty cannot be resolved by convicting both and a statement made in the presence of a suspect can only be evidenced against him if he by words, conduct or demeanor accepts the truth of such statement”.
Turkey should take... From page 7 received a formal request from the Turkish government. Three prominent experts from the UN - Bernard Duhaime, David Kaye and Agnes Callamard - have called for an “independent and international investigation”. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has also repeatedly called for an international probe into the murder. Human Rights Watch said there were precedents for conducting international investigations. In 2008, Pakistan asked former secretary-general Ban Kimoon to probe the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Earlier in 2018, Britain resorted to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to confirm the findings of British authorities that a Sovietmade nerve agent was used in the English city of Salisbury against a former Russian spy.
Freed: Satrohan Madray Bacchus stated that there was no evidence against Madray, written or oral, implicating him in the death of the deceased. The only thing against his client was a statement given by Balroop, which Madray vehemently denied. Bacchus further submitted that the case against
Freed: Antonio Singh Balroop Balroop was weaker. He said that the evidence by one of the prosecution witnesses who said that he helped Balroop and Saeed Haniff remove some items from one car to another - was useless. He said the man saw the driver’s face for less than five seconds and never “picked out” Balroop at any identifi-
cation parade. Bacchus said the witness was seeing the driver of the car, a Toyota Premio, for the first time, when he identified him by way of “dock identification” which should not have been allowed. “He never said he saw or knew the driver of the Premio before. He never gave evidence as to where the Premio went to after the things were put in it. And there is no evidence that the driver (Balroop) took Hamid to Madray’s home or did anything to him,” Bacchus asserted. He also submitted that “There was no reason why an identification parade was not held. There is also nothing to show that Balroop did anything to Hamid and that the deceased was the man supposedly beaten at Madray’s home. According to evidence
given by the police, “the identity of the deceased was not known by Balroop, but was supplied by Madray which is hearsay and cannot be used”. Bacchus also submitted that there was no evidence that Balroop was hearing what Madray was saying in the video of the “scene” There was no confrontation between the two accused persons concerning the oral statement made by Madray implicating Balroop was made. Bacchus c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h ere was also “no evidence that the person whom the accused persons were charged with murdering, died from any injuries inflicted by any or both of them”.
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Friday December 07, 2018
Kaieteur News
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N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way. Affordable package. Call: 6445166/691-2561 TO LET Business apartment on ground floor 70 Quamina Street. $50,000 monthly Negotiable. Phone: 225-6741 One bedroom studio apartment, Parfaite Harmonie $22,000 monthly #694-7817/ 668-0306 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool table. Tel#2770578
Salon for rental, New Market St, Georgetown, also hair/ nails/barber/massage. Makeup stations for rental #638-1106 1 Apt for rent- Bottom flat for rent, for business. Contact Radica Kassim #264-2639 Lot 7-8 Plantain Walk WBD Mini excavator $8,800 per hour, also Bobcat service available. Tel#623-0290 (1) 4 Bedroom upper flat, fully grilled in first st Herstelling. Contact #265-3844/662-2687
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Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic- Call: 223-7500 Monday to Saturday 8:15am4:15pm Office clerk, Senior/Junior CXC English/Mathematics, Computer knowledge an asset. Call: 223-7500 We buy land in Eccles, Herstelling, Farm, Parfaite Harmonie, Uivlugt, Zeelugt, Providence & Dairy Tel# 6117223/651-1969 Buying Wamara Whatsapp: 664-5150
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2 sets Golf clubs! Ford Econoline van with shelves. LED panel lights. Fishing poles #690-5197
Android TV boxes fully loaded over 1000 channels plus free after sale service $15,000 call: 621-9604
Demerara Bakery Inc. is looking for Distributors, Wholesalers & Retailers. Call us on 266-5847 or email: sales@demerarabakery.com
One (1) Security Officer #2271717
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Secret Villa & Harmony Inn. Fully furnish, air-condition rooms & apartments. 2256337, 668-0306, 218-1400, 6028769, 266-5243-4 LEARN TO DRIVE
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
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From page 27 HIV know their status, the prevailing situation is that 25 percent are oblivious to theirs. However, with increased testing options, UNAIDS holds the position that more persons will be able to access testing services. “They offer testing options for people who live far away from health services, do not have the constraints of inconvenient opening hours, which is particularly important for men and people from key populations, and do not come with the stigma and discrimination often perceived in traditional health and HIV services,” UNAIDS has noted. In fact, according to Imam Harouna Koné, President of the Platform of Networks in
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 HEALTH HERBAL REMEDIES: Diabetes, Hypertension, Infertility, Menstrual disorders, Enlarged prostate, Kidney,Gall stones & Arthritis etc. Call Sparman #676-5924 ENTERTAINMENT Big G Sounds is available for small events. (Wedding, Small BBQ, Birthday parties etc) Contact numbers #661-9931/ 622-5713/672-9293
One Industrial Electrician. Tel#682-2971 1 General Domestic, must know how to cook. Please call: 225-3832 between the hours 8:30am-4:00pm Couple or male to live & work on fruit farm, must know to operate weeding machine #697-8928 One Nanny, must be able to speak Spanish & English. Please call #613-8471 Seamstress and Tailor. Contact: 684-1345 Monday to Saturday 9am to 4pm LAND FOR SALE 35 acres land at Yarrowkabra, situated next to the Soesdyke Linden Highway. Tel#2612553
VACANCY Vegetarian Garden- Driver/ salesman # 227-7714/223-3448 info@vgiworld.com Paralegal, must have Immigration experience & Excellent communication skills. Please send CV’s to: moses@rambarranlawfirm.com Hick’s Ville HotelReceptionist. #231-0951/2277 7 1 4 / 2 2 3 - 3 4 4 8 info@vgiworld.com Vacancy exist for Experienced Pharmacy assistants to work @ reputable pharmacy in Georgetown. Call: 696-5098/ 628-8811 between 8am-4pm
Farm (East Bank) $3.2M Eccles $7M Herstelling $4M & $5M Schnoord $2.8M Dairy $1.6M & $2.6M Tel#656-0701/6481635
Inventory clerk/Store keeper 5 Subjects including Maths & English, Computer literate, send application to operations@cevons.com / call #227-1717
Transported land 11.6 acres. Lot 15 public road. #2 Village W.C.B. Price $18M. Contact 686-4818, 648-7109
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Zeelugt $2.3M Tuschen $2.9M Parfaite Harmonie $2M (fenced) Parfaite Harmonie $1.5M #697-6311, 642-1252 Diamond New Scheme, 5th Avenue Double lot (Million Dollar area) $9.2M. Tel#6039700
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the Fight Against AIDS, “We cannot wait for people to become sick. We must go out to our communities and offer HIV testing and treatment services.” The report outlines the importance of taking a five Cs approach: consent, confidentiality, counselling, correct test results and connection/ linkage to prevention, care and treatment. UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé quipped, “There isn’t a one size fits all approach to HIV testing.” He added, “There are a number of different strategies needed to reach people at risk of HIV, including innovative approaches such as self-testing, where people may feel more comfortable that their privacy is respected.” Another important step to take is to integrate HIV testing services within other health services, including maternal and child health services, services for tuberculosis and services for sexually transmitted infections and viral hepatitis.
Friday December 07, 2018
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New Amsterdam nursing school certifies 117 One hundred and seventeen nurses from the New Amsterdam School of Nursing were, on Wednesday, encouraged to invest enthusiasm into their work and rise above and beyond the call of duty, as they enter into the working world. The call was made by Regional Advisor to the Senior Minister of Public Health, Alex Foster, as he delivered the feature address at the school’s 15th Biennial Graduation ceremony. Foster told the graduates that nursing is a noble profession, which needs dedicated persons who are determined to render services earnestly and engender positive changes within the Ministry of Public Health. “Each one of you is precious to the fabric that makes up Public Health. I, therefore, ask that today, this be taken seriously and you put your training into action, and be determined to make a difference,� Foster underscored. Acting Principal and Senior Tutor of the New Amsterdam School of Nursing, Oselene Hicken-Paul, reported that in the year 2017, that institution saw major developments compared to previous years. Among these was the acquisition of seven full-time tutors
and some senior nurses who lecture part-time and ensured that the curriculum was completed. Hicken-Paul also reported that two new classrooms were installed, along with a spanking new Student Hostel. For the past two years, the school has conducted training for the Professional Nursing, Nursing Assistant, Post Basic Midwifery and the Single Trade Midwifery programmes. In 2017, there was an intake of 19 single trade midwifery students; while in 2018, there were 112 students registered, of which 54 were listed for the professional programme and there were 58 entries for nursing assistant, however, nine students withdrew. At the graduation, there were students who commenced training between the years 2011 and 2016. Among the graduates are 61 Registered Nurses (RN), 44 Nursing Assistants (NA) and 12 Midwives. These include eight male graduates who were acknowledged for their perseverance. The acting Principal further highlighted that every participant was successful in the final examination, resulting in a 100 percent pass rate in October 2017 and 2018. Newly graduated Registered Nurse (RN), Reniska Marks-Warde was the valedictorian for the Class of 2018.
The graduating class holding lit candles symbolic of the light in nursing In her speech, she reminded her colleagues of the challenging encounters and the many sacrifices that they made while attending classes. Marks encouraged her batch,
along with those who have completed other programmes to always be professional in their respective fields. The graduates were later charged by Chief Nursing
Officer Linda Johnson, to be humble and to always make health and safety their number one priority. Nurse Johnson also encouraged the class of 2018 to take advan-
tage of the courses and programmes offered by the University of Guyana and other accredited institutions, which would advance their academic lives.
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Lance Armstrong says Uber investment has ‘saved’ his family BBCsport - Lance Armstrong says an early investment in Uber has “saved” his family after paying out $111m (£86.8m) in legal fees and settlements. The American, 47, was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned from cycling for life in 2012 before admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs. He says he gave $100,000 (£78,212) to a venture capital fund that invested in the ridehailing app in 2010. “It’s saved our family,” he told CNBC. In April, Armstrong agreed to pay $5m (£3.9m) to the US government to settle a long-running lawsuit that could have cost him $100m (£78m) in damages.However, he said he felt he did not “get off scot free”
as other settlements and legal fees meant he had to pay $111m in total. Armstrong, who has five children, did not say how much he had earned from his Uber investment but added it was “too good to be true”. He said Uber, which was founded in 2009, was valued at $3.7m (£2.9m) when he invested. The company was valued at $72bn (£56bn) this year and is targeting a valuation of $120bn (£94bn) in 2019. When asked if he had earned “10, 20, 30, 40 or $50m”, Armstrong replied: “It’s one of those.” He added that he did not even know he was investing in Uber when he gave the money to associate and entrepreneur Chris Sacca, who started Lower-
Lance Armstrong
case Capital in 2010. Armstrong retired after winning seven straight Tour titles from 1999 to 2005, finishing third in his comeback in 2009 before retiring again in 2011. The US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) subsequently found Armstrong had led “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme
Friday December 07, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today, Aries, you might get the chance to take a trip around the world to visit fabulous palaces and experience a timeless love, and all - get this - totally free! TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You will float today, Taurus. You won't talk, you will be sleepy, and your mood won't be the best. OK, perfect! Get back into your novel GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You're certainly in a strange mood today, Gemini. True, things have been going smoothly for the past few days, but be careful not to be fooled. Pride goes before a fall, as they say. CANCER(June21–July22) It will be as though you're in a new and hopeful world today. The people you meet will be cordial and caring, and the future will seem like a bright, attractive place to live. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Because you have a tendency to brood over everything right now, a day like this can't be anything but beneficial. It has been difficult for you to find satisfaction within the realm of the known world lately VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) There are days when you feel wonderful without being able to attribute the feeling to any real event. Of course, your rational mind will search for a reason for your happiness.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) The day ahead should be excellent. For the past several days you've been searching for meaning in life. There have been changes in your chief occupation, new relationships, bursting ambitions. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You will probably be perfectly in tune with the day ahead, Scorpio. Of course, it's tempting to run away from the reality and hardships of the moment. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Don't try to control what happens today, because you won't be able to fathom what's going on. How could it be otherwise when collective currents are interfering with your life? CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) This kind of strange day doesn't come around often, Capricorn. It will seem as though you no longer know what you want. Do you have a yen to take off for the other side of the globe? AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Do other countries represent real openings for you? This is a question that you will soon have to answer. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You're going to think this is a strange period. It isn't. It's just that today won't be like others. Look around and you will see that people are either depressed or trying to keep up a good façade.
that sport has ever seen”, with the Texan admitting in 2013 he had used drugs throughout his career. Yet Armstrong said it was how he conducted himself and not just the fact he cheated that led to his downfall. Armstrong agreed a settlement with The Sunday Times in 2013 having previously been paid to settle a libel case in 2004 after the newspaper alleged he had cheated.
Cheteshwar Pujara leads India fight back... From page 37 since March’s ball-tampering scandal and started strongly. India skipper Virat Kohli was caught by a diving Usman Khawaja at gully for three as the tourists slumped to 41-4. However, Pujara batted for six hours to score 123 before being run out by Pat Cummins’ direct hit to end the day’s play in Adelaide. Australia captain Tim Paine had spoken about rebuilding his side’s relationship with its fans prior to the match after former skipper Steve Smith was banned along with David Wa r n e r a n d C a m e r o n Bancroft for the ball-tampering incidents in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. India won the toss and chose to bat but the deci-
sion quickly backfired. KL Rahul edged Josh Hazlewood to Aaron Finch at slip and fellow opener Murali Vijay was caught by wicketkeeper Paine off the bowling of Mitchell Starc to leave the tourists 15-2. The prized wicket of Kohli followed when he was tempted by a delivery outside his off stump and was brilliantly caught by Khawaja, diving full-length to his left, off Cummins. Pujara did not receive much support from Ajinkya Rahane (13), although Rohit Sharma (37), Rishabh Pant (25) and Ravichandran Ashwin (25) stuck around longer to provide some resistance. The hosts did not review a not out decision when Pujara appeared to get a nick when on 89 and the batsman went on to reach his 16th century, and first in Australia. However, he was superbly run out by Cummins’ direct hit with only one stump to aim at when attempting a quick single off the penultimate ball of the 89th over in an effort to keep strike.
Ireland to play West... From page 38 U19 team. Shalom Ault (Grade 6), Beaton (6 subjects CXC) and Torrington (Top CAPE student) were rewarded for the outstanding academic achievements. Other awards were given to; Nkosi Beaton for being named the Most Improved Youth Player, Garrick Persaud the Most Improved WicketKeeper, Mahiem Khan (junior) and Trevon Griffith (senior) the Best Fielders (Roger Harper award); Lynden Lyght took the Williams Whyte award for his sterling contribution and successful leadership of the club’s second division side.
Kuru Kururu Village... From page 39 Under11, 13, 15 and senior players would all have a chance to compete for the attractive trophies and cash prizes on offer.
Friday December 07, 2018
USA Gymnastics, reeling from abuse claims, files for bankruptcy Reuters - USA Gymnastics, the sport’s governing body, filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday, saying that it is staggering under the weight of lawsuits filed by hundreds of women who were sexually abused by former national team doctor Larry Nassar. The organization’s chairwoman, Kathryn Carson, cited the lawsuits in the decision to seek protection from creditors in federal bankruptcy court in Indianapolis. ”Our organization is a financially solid going concern but for the hundred lawsuits that we do have out there,” Carson said on a conference call with reporters. “That is the primary reason that we made this filing, to use the Chapter 11 process as a vehicle for resolving those claims.” Nassar was sentenced to up to 300 years in prison in two different trials in Michigan last February after more than 350 women testified about abuse at his hands, including Olympic champions Aly Raisman and Jordyn Wieber. The scandal prompted the entire board of directors at Indianapolis-based USA Gymnastics to resign, along with the president and athletic director at Michigan State University, where Nassar also worked. The school agreed to a $500 million settlement with his victims earlier this year. In addition, three chief executives of USA Gymnastics have stepped down in the last two years amid criticism of their handling of the Nassar case. Many gymnasts who suffered abuse at Nassar’s hands have accused USAG of failing to investigate earlier complaints about his misconduct.
FILING SUSPENDS LAWSUITS The filing could complicate efforts by Nassar’s victims to recover damages from the organization through lawsuits. Typically, a bankruptcy petition will temporarily halt any litigation while the process unfolds in bankruptcy court. ”This bankruptcy filing will suspend all lawsuits by Nassar survivors and their ongoing efforts to discover the truth about who at USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee knew about Nassar’s criminal conduct and failed to stop it,” John Manly, an attorney whose firm represents around 150 of Nassar’s victims, said in a statement. In a court filing, USAG’s chief financial officer, Scott Shollenbarger, said the organization has estimated the impact of the lawsuits at between $75 million and $100 million. “The survivors’ claims, in the aggregate, may exceed the available resources of USAG,” he said in the sworn statement. Carson said victims’ claims will be paid by USAG’s insurers, but Shollenbarger’s declaration said insurance proceeds “may be insuffucient” to cover all claims. The U.S. Olympic
Committee, which has also been sued by many of Nassar’s victims, filed a complaint last month seeking to remove USAG’s status as the sport’s official governing body. That attempt will also be frozen while the bankruptcy case unfolds, according to a lawyer for USAG, Catherine Steege. A USOC spokesman, Patrick Sandusky, said the committee was reviewing the effect of Wednesday’s filing on its complaint. In its bankruptcy petition, USA Gymnastics listed assets of between $50 million and $100 million and the same amount in liabilities. Among the biggest unsecured claims listed in the filing is a $340,000 severance payment for former Chief Executive Steve Penny, who resigned in March 2017 in the wake of USA Gymnastics’ handling of the abuse claims against Nassar. The payment is “disputed,” according to the filing. Carson said USA Gymastics has no intention of closing its doors. “We absolutely will continue as a not-for-profit organization serving the sport,” Carson said. “We have 100 lawsuits with about 350 survivors. We think this is the best way to get it done, and to expedite it.”
Real Madrid thrash minnows Melilla 10-1 on aggregate in Spanish Cup Real Madrid thrashed third division Melilla 6-1 to record a 10-1 aggregate win and reach the Spanish Cup last 16. Marco Asensio’s double and Javi Sanchez’s debut goal earned a 3-0 half-time lead at the Bernabeu. Isco and Vinicius Junior added two more before Melilla, a tiny Spanish autonomous enclave in north Africa, scored through striker Yacine Qasmi’s 81st-minute penalty. Spain midfielder Isco got his second goal of the game to complete the rout. Although Madrid boss Santiago Solari made 10 changes to the team that beat
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Vinicius, 18, joined Madrid for £39m from Flamengo in July. (GettyImages) Valencia 2-0 in La Liga on Saturday, he still named four Spain internationals and three-time Champions
League-winning goalkeeper Keylor Navas. The first leg, on 31 October, was Solari’s first match in charge.
Kipchoge and Ibarguen named 2018 World Athletes of the Year Eliud Kipchoge and Caterine Ibarguen have been named the male and female World Athletes of the Year at the IAAF Athletics Awards 2018, held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Tuesday. Kipchoge underlined his status as the world’s most dominant distance runner. The 34-year-old Kenyan won the London Marathon in April in 2:04:17 to finish comfortably ahead of one of the deepest marathon fields in history. Five months later, he won the Berlin Marathon in 2:01:39 to smash the world record. His time in the German capital was 78 seconds faster than the previous world record, representing the biggest single improvement on a men’s marathon world record since 1967. Not content with being the best triple jumper in the world, Ibarguen also tested herself against the world’s best in the long jump this year – and consistently came out on top in that too. The34-year-old Colombian won both horizontal jumps at the Central American andCaribbean Games, the IAAF Continental Cup and at the IAAF Diamond League finals – winning the latter two titles in two different cities within the space of 24 hours. She was unbeaten in all eight of her triple jump competitions, ending the year with a world-leading mark of 14.96m in her specialist event and a national record of 6.93m in the long jump. MALE RISING STAR – ARMAND DUPLANTIS Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis won the senior European title by breaking his own world U20 record three times within the competition. He went over 5.95m, 6.00m and 6.05m on his first attempts, winning with a height that has been bettered outdoors only by Sergey Bubka. Earlier in the year he won the world U20 title in Tampere with a championship record of 5.82m and won on home soil at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, beating many of the world’s leading senior pole vaulters. FEMALE RISING STA R – SYDNEY MCLAUGHLIN - US sprinter Sydney McLaughlin broke her own world U20 400m hurdles record of 52.75. Not only was that mark the fastest time in the world this year, it also moved her into the top 10 on the world all-time list. Undefeated in all of her races at 400m flat and the 400m hurdles, she won
IAAF World Athletes of the Year Eliud Kipchoge and Caterine Ibarguen (Philippe Fitte) © Copyright the US collegiate title in Eugene. Earlier in the year she recorded the fastest ever indoor performances by an U20 athlete at 300m and 400m, clocking 36.12 and 50.36 respectively. She ended the year as the world U20 leader for the 200m indoors and outdoors, the 400m indoors and outdoors, the 400m hurdles and the 300m indoors. IAAF PRESIDENT’S AWARD – ANDREAS BRUGGER - A former shot putter and Swiss champion in the event back in 1955, Andreas Brugger, now 91, is best known for his tenure as meeting director of Zurich’s iconic Weltklasse. During his time in the role, 19 world records were set at Weltklasse and he transformed it into one of the most prestigious meetings in the world. I A A F COACHING ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR – JOE VIGIL - In his 50-year coaching career, Joe Vigil has worked as US team coach on two Olympic teams, seven IAAF World Cross Country Championships and four Pan American Games. Over the years he has guided
the likes of 2004 Olympic marathon champion Stefano Baldini, Olympic silver medallist Meb Keflezighi, Olympic bronze medallist Deena Kastor and 2013 world 800m silver medallist Brenda Martinez. In total, athletes he has coached have achieved 20 medals at global championships. IAAF WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD – EVELYN CLAUDIO LOPEZ - Puerto Rico’s Evelyn Claudio Lopez has dedicated her life to promoting the cause of women’s athletics. She is Chairperson of the NACAC Women’s Commission and General Secretary of the Association of Pan-American Athletics. She is also part of the IAAF’s Gender Leadership Working Group and in 2013 she produced a book, Living History of Women’s Athletics. ATHLETICS PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR – FELIX SANCHEZ ARRAZOLA - The Spanish photographer’s image of an exhausted and mud-splattered Selemon Barega after winning the Cross Internacional Juan Muguerza in Elgoibar was judged to be the winner from this year’s shortlist of four photographs.
Champion girl for Swimming Amy Grant Champion takes Javelin gold to make it 5... From page 41 and Dr. Paula Alexander a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2019. She noted that she is very thankful for the collective support of the trio of Doctors who have all done their best to make it possible for her to have re-started her
sporting exploits in the competition pool and track and field. ”Without their support and expertise I would not have been able to be in the 2018 GTU Nationals School Championships and to them I say thanks but most of all to God for his blessings.”
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Leeds win highlight of tenure: Law London, CMC — Three months after he announced his resignation as West Indies head coach, Stuart Law has been reflecting on his tenure at the regional side, pointing to the Windies’ first Test victory over England in 17 years as the highlight of his tenure. Law’s last series in charge was the tour of India last month when West Indies lost the Test, ODI and T20 series. ”Not just winning it, but getting the boys back up into a mental space after the first Test where we got absolutely walloped, and then to come out and outplay England in all facets was an amazing achievement,” Law said of the team’s five-wicket win over England in the second Test at Leeds last year. ”I didn’t have to do a hell of a lot. The boys were hurt; and I just highlight certain things that were being said back home, and by certain people in the media in England… I said, ‘these people don’t think you’re good enough. ”You’ve just got to go out there and prove you are. I
believe you are. Everyone in this room thinks you are good enough. So get out there and show them.” West Indies were hammered in the first Test at Birmingham by an innings and 209 runs but then chased down 322 on the final day to pull off an astonishing victory in the second Test. Law succeeded Phil Simmons as head coach two years ago after the former was sacked by West Indies administrators over “differences in culture and strategic approach”. Simmons led the team to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup in India in 2016, and prior to that he played a key role in Ireland’s rise as a non-Test playing nation. However clashes with Windies bosses over selection, as well as his views challenging the Board, resulted in his demise after 18 months on the job. In an interview with Cricbuzz, Law noted that one of his challenges was effecting a cultural change within the team. “It was quite evident that there was a cultural change that needed to take place. The hardest thing to
Stuart Law change is culture,” the Australian pointed out. ”In my first couple of months in charge, you could realise that the players aren’t fit. Niggling injuries were preventing players from performing at their very best on the ground. Our work ethic probably wasn’t where we needed it to be. That was the first change: to try and get the mindset around that.” Law said he prioritised
discipline and stressed the importance of communication. “From the onset I said, I want to see us as a family, and in a family, if someone’s not doing what they should be doing, they should get told,” he explained. ”An open, honest conversation is not to hurt, it’s to help you get better. That’s the first thing I tried to instill – the family aspect to it. From there, it was just installing a
little bit of discipline here and there. I didn’t want to go in and change ten things in the first week, but one thing in ten weeks. ”Then add another thing. And then all of a sudden, one thing leads to three, and another in the next week.” He continued: “For me, it was to find something that’s working. The first step was try to get the boys fitter and stronger; to cope with the amount of cricket that they’re playing; then try and install that underneath the (international) level, so when they come up to us, they’re already fit and strong, so that they’re not doing their fitness and strength work on the road while playing cricket.” Law acknowledged that the foundation in the Caribbean needed to be laid at the junior level, however some schools have stopped their cricket programmes as they prioritise education over sport. Nevertheless he remained hopeful. ”If they can still instil the love of it back in the juniors and the young kids, it would help. There has to be a sys-
tem in place,” he said. “It would be nice to get an academy up and running, whichever island it’s on. An academy where young players of note can come and do a threemonth program for fitness and strength, first and foremost, rather than cricket skill. ”They’ve all got cricket skill; they’re natural athletes. But to get the functional strength and anaerobic capacity is what made the great West Indian team stand out from the rest. They were fitter than everyone else. Now the rest of the world has caught up and gone past. Now everyone knows that if you’re not fit, you’re not going to play.” At the time of his appointment Law was given a mandate to improve the results of the West Indies, but he endured a difficult period with the team. He won only six of his Tests in charge, and picked up series wins against minnows Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in the six tours he has overseen. Law will take up the new post of head coach at Middlesex CCC in the New Year.
NBA roundup: Thunder’s George scores 47, hits winning 3 Paul George hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds remaining and finished with a seasonhigh 47 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied for a 114-112 road victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. The Thunder overcame a 23point deficit to notch their largest comeback in franchise history. Russell Westbrook added 21 points, 17 assists and 15 rebounds to give him 108 career triple-doubles, moving him past Jason Kidd for third place on the NBA’s all-time list. He is 30 triple-doubles behind Magic Johnson for second place and 73 behind all-time leader Oscar Robertson’s 181. George, who scored 25 points in the fourth quarter, recorded his ninth career 40-point game and fourth since joining the Thunder before last season. He finished two points shy of his career high, shooting 10 of 12 in the fourth when the Thunder outscored the Nets 39-19 and won for the 16th time in 19 games since opening the season 0-4. Lakers 121, Spurs 113 LeBron James scored 42 points, including 14 consecutive points for Los Angeles in a pivotal stretch of the fourth quarter, and the Lakers came from behind to beat the visiting San Antonio. The game went back and forth through the fourth quarter and was tied at 104 before Lonzo Ball poured in a 3-pointer to give Los Angeles a 107-104 lead with 2:36 to play. With the Lakers up 112-109, James hit a 3pointer and a layup on Los Angeles’ next two possessions, then a free throw with 20.8 seconds to play to
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George (13) shoots against Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Harris (12) and guard Allen Crabbe (33). Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports close out the scoring. Kyle Kuzma added 22 points for Los Angeles, which earned its fourth consecutive win. DeMar DeRozan led the Spurs with 32 points while Rudy Gay scored a season-high 31 points. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 points for San Antonio, which lost for the fourth time in five outings. Warriors 129, Cavaliers 105 Stephen Curry bombed in 42 points, and Kevin Durant saved 15 of his 25 for the third quarter as
Golden State surged from behind to topple host Cleveland in a rematch of June’s NBA Finals. The Warriors, who swept the Cavaliers in the Finals for a second consecutive title, trailed 64-58 at halftime before exploding for 37 points in the third quarter en route to a nine-point lead. Durant hit three 3-pointers in his personal flurry, while Curry also drained a trey as part of his big night that included 25 first-half points. Nuggets 124, Magic 118 (OT)
Jamal Murray totaled 31 points and eight assists, and visiting Denver needed overtime to extend its winning streak to seven games with a hard-fought victory over Orlando. Nikola Jokic added 12 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds for Denver, and Paul Millsap scored 18 points. Evan Fournier had 26 points for Orlando but fouled out with two minutes left in overtime. Nikola Vucevic had 24 points and 15 rebounds, Aaron Gordon scored 19, and Terrence Ross finished with 17 as the Magic lost for the third time in five games.The Timberwolves (1312) are now over the .500 mark for the first time all season. They are 93 since the trade that brought Covington and Dario Saric from Philadelphia for Jimmy Butler. Raptors 113, 76ers 102 Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points, grabbed nine rebounds and added five steals to help Toronto to a victory over visiting Philadelphia. It was the 13th straight victory over the 76ers at home for the Raptors, including two this season. Toronto has won 20 of the past 22 games between the teams overall. Jonas Valanciunas added 26 points and eight rebounds in just 18 minutes off the bench, while Serge Ibaka had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Raptors, who have won nine of their past 10 games. Wizards 131, Hawks 117 With his backcourt running mate out of action, guard Bradley Beal took over and scored 36 points to lead visiting Washington to a win over Atlanta. The win was the third straight for Washington, while At-
lanta lost its fourth straight. Washington’s John Wall was out of the lineup with personal reasons, so Beal carried much of the offense himself. He was 12-for-22 from the field and easily topped his career average against Atlanta of 17.7 points. Beal, who also had six rebounds and nine assists, fell far short of his career high of 51 points set Dec. 5 against Portland. Bucks 115, Pistons 92 Eric Bledsoe scored 27 points in 26 minutes, and five other Milwaukee players reached double figures in an easy win over visiting Detroit. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Malcolm Brogdon tossed in 14 points. Tony Snell, Thon Maker and Sterling Brown contributed 11 points apiece for Milwaukee. Blake Griffin carried the Pistons with 31 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Reggie Jackson supplied 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Andre Drummond chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds. Grizzlies 96, Clippers 86 Mike Conley scored 22 points, and JaMychal Green added 19 points and 11 rebounds off the bench as Memphis built a big early lead and held on for a victory over visiting Los Angeles. Conley, who fouled out when the Clippers rallied for an overtime victory the last time the teams met on Nov. 23, added seven rebounds and went 9 of 16 from the field. Rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. added 13 points for Memphis, which entered having lost four of its previous five games.
Friday December 07, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Windies lose warm-up behind Tamim, Sarkar centuries Dhaka, Bangladesh, CMC – Hundreds by Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar trumped half-centuries from Shai Hope and R o s t o n C h a s e , a s We s t Indies lost their tour match by 51 runs under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern here yesterday. Defending an impressive 332 at the Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protisthan No 3 Ground, West Indies found themselves put to the sword by Tamim who struck 107 and Sarkar, who made an unbeaten 103, as the Board XI raced to 314 for six at the end of the 41st over. Fading light then forced players from the field with the hosts ahead of the DLS par score. Earlier opting to bat, the Windies produced an encouraging display to reach 331 for eight off their 50 overs, with the stylish Hope carving out a top score of 81 and Chase chipping in with 65. Rookie Fabian Allen struck 48 and opener Kieran Powell, 43, while inform left-hander Shimron Hetmyer hit 33 and the returning Darren Bravo, 24. Hope and Powell gave the tourists a rollicking start, posting 101 from 92 balls to dominate the early stages of the encounter. While the right-handed Hope counted six fours
Shai Hope
and three sixes in an 84ball knock, Powell was more patient in his 49-ball stay at the crease striking three fours and a six. Powell fell in the 16th over but Hope found an ally in Bravo to add 58 for the second wicket, the experienced left-hander facing 33 deliveries and hitting three fours. Both fell within the space of 20 balls, however, prompting a slide which saw four wickets tumble for 17 runs, leaving the Windies on 176 for five in the 32nd over. The innings was then lifted through key partnerships. First, Chase anchored a 39-run sixth
wicket stand with Hetmyer, who lashed a couple of fours and sixes in a 26-ball cameo. Then, Chase paired with Allen to add 78 for the seventh wicket, a partnership which put the Windies within touching distance of the 300-run mark. Chase faced 51 balls and struck six fours and a six while Allen needed just 32 balls as he belted eight fours and six. At the end, Chase and Sunil Ambris (10 not out) added a quickfire 35 off 15 deliveries to give the innings a rousing finish. The BCB XI rattled the Windies early as Tamim and Imrul Kayes (27) put
on 81 from a mere 54 deliveries to take control of the match. Tamim, who missed the Test series through injury, showed no signs of lack of fitness as he slammed 13 fours and four sixes off 73 balls. He added a further 114 for the second wicket with Sarkar who clobbered seven fours and six sixes in an 83-ball innings. When Chase (2-57) had Tamim stumped in the 23rd over, Bangladesh lost five wickets for 70 runs but Sarkar and Mashrafe Mortaza (22 not out) added 49 off 35 balls in an unbroken seventh wicket stand, to make their side safe.
GAPLF Senior Championships 2018
Hardcore Barbel Club powers to Best Gym ribbon Australia v India
Cheteshwar Pujara leads India fight back at Adelaide Oval
Kohli made just three before being dismissed by Cummins. BBCsport - Cheteshwar Pujara scored a century to lead India’s recovery to 250-9 on day one of the first Test in
Australia. The Aussies are playing their first home Test series (Continued on page 34)
The Rosignol, West Coast Berbice based Hardcore Barbel Club (HBC), home of Overall M a l e C h a m p i o n , Vi j a i Rahim was on Sunday evening last named the Best Gym when the curtains came down on the 2018 Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) Senior National Championships. A total of 26 athletes from nine (10) gyms competed but when the last lifter exited the platform and the numbers were tallied, HBC emerged as the best of the lot and received a trophy and a $50,000 cheque compliments of the Ministry of Social Cohesion, Department of Culture, Youth and Sport. They were led by this year’s Overall Male winn e r Vi j a i R a h i m w h o copped gold in the 74kg Open Equipped Class; Timothy Bagla was golden in the Junior Equipped and Junior Open 66kg
Classes; Ramzan Mohamed emulated both Rahim and Bagla with gold medals in the 112.3kg Open Equipped and Junior Equipped categories. The other gold medalist on the team was Fazim Abdool who was the best in the 105kg Open Equipped division. Nigel Phillips competing in the 93kg Open Equipped class copped silver while Hardat Tarson, Bombed Out. Wit its motto being, ‘Unless you Puke, Faint or Die, Keep Lifting’, Hardcore Gym was officially opened back in 1999 but prior to that, members were mostly involved in Olympic style weighlifting
and was the best gym in the business at the time. Back then, the gym was not only the best gym in Olympic style weighlifting but also held the distinction having broken 22 records in the same sport; the Best Lifters at the time were Bhojnarine Persaud (junior) and Fazim Abdool (senior). It was after this era of weightlifting that the gym started to focus its strength towards powerlifting which has produced some of the best lifters the likes of Rahim, Phillips, Hardat Tarson, Bhojkumar Jagnarine, Fazim Abdool and Farouk Abdool, just to name a few. The Hardcore Barbel
club crew proudly states that they have won the Overall Best Gym accolade about four times before and has stated that if such an award is at stake yearly, their name would be inked on the trophy. One challenge that is facing the gym though is female lifters but they are working assiduously towards changing this in 2019. Also in its 2019 wish list is the procurement of an Original Powerlifting We i g h t s S e t . K a i e t e u r Sport was informed that the current members lift in possibly the smallest gym in the country with almost all the lifting being done with homemade equipment.
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Kaieteur News
Friday December 07, 2018
Concacaf Disciplinary Committee Barnwell, Nedd, Singh rewarded issues decision in the BFA Player at DCC Annual Awards ceremony Eligibility Cases - Guyana moves to 8th in the table Miami – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) yesterday announced its Disciplinary Committee has decided to sanction the Barbados Football Association, by declaring as a forfeit the Concacaf Nations League Qualifying match played against Guyana, on September 6, 2018. After due examination of the evidence, the Committee determined that the Barbados Football Association infringed the applicable articles of the Tournament Regulations and the Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes in relation to the eligibility of players to play for representative teams by fielding ineligible players Hallam Hope and Krystian Pearce. In accordance with articles 55 and 31 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the Barbados Football Association is considered to have lost the match against Guyana by a score of 3-0.
The result of the match played against El Salvador on October 13, 2018 is upheld in accordance with article 31 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, with a score of 3-0 in favor of El Salvador. With this decision, Guyana has now moved up to the eight place in the points table with two wins and a loss for six points. They are behind leaders Curacao, Haiti, Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, Martinique and Bermuda in that order. St. Kitts & Nevis is 9th followed Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and French Guiana to close out the top 12. Guyana will play its final match of this stage on March
23rd, 2019 at the Leonora Track and Field Stadium. At the end of the third week, Curacao, Haiti, Canada, Cuba, Jamaica and Martinique occupy the first six positions to play in the ALeague and have a direct ticket to the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup. Bermuda, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Dominican Republic will look to lock down the final four Gold Cup spots in March. Other teams that remain in the hunt in March for a direct ticket to the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup are: Nicaragua, French Guiana, Belize and El Salvador. Without a doubt, March will be a month full of emotions as CNLQ comes to a close.
All-rounder Christopher Barnwell and Windies youth players Ashmead Nedd and Sachin Singh were among the top awardees when the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) held its annual awards ceremony on Wednesday night last at t h e c l u b ’s p a v i l i o n , Queenstown. Barnwell was handed the Clive Lloyd trophy for being named the First Division player of the year while Nedd who played for the Regional side in the ICC U19 World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year, received the Second Division player of the year award. The U19 player of the year prize went to Nkosie Beaton, the U17 accolade was given to Windies U15 and National U17 skipper Singh while Jonathan van Lange collected the U13 and U15 Most Outstanding Player trophies. Raymond Perez received the Travis Dowlin award for the Most Impacting Performance of the
Ireland to play West Indies and Bangladesh in ODI series BBCsport - Ireland are to host the West Indies and Bangladesh in a one-day international tri-series in May. The games at Malahide and Clontarf will bring the number of men’s international fixtures being staged in Ireland next year to 16. The Irish will also face England, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe in ODI games. The highlight of their 2019 calendar is the four-day Test match against England at Lord’s on 24-27 July, which will be Ireland’s second at the top level. Ireland played their first ever Test match in May 2018, losing by five wickets to Pakistan at Malahide. The ODI tri-series starts on 3 May, with the final on 17 May. The West Indies were last in Ireland in September 2017 but their scheduled oneday match at Stormont was abandoned without any play. Cricket Ireland plans to develop a new stadium at Abbotstown in west Dublin and chief executive Warren Deutrom said they have spread the venues for their 2019 fixtures in an effort to preserve the quality of their pitches: “In all, we will be
Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien holds the record for the fastest century scored at a World Cup. hosting eight matches in Dublin and eight matches across Northern Ireland. ”The venues have been chosen to spread the fixture load across our four international-rated grounds - with five matches at Malahide, three at Clontarf, five at Stormont and three at Bready. ”The configuration of fixtures also allows teams involved in the Tri-Series to all be located in the same city to reduce travel impacts and maximise training and acclimatisation opportunity for those sides as part of their build-up to Cricket World Cup 2019.
”This rotation of matches will also maximise our ability to play on new pitches in most matches. The fact though that we do not have enough international standard pitches to provide a new one for every match will give a sense of why the Board was keen to see a fifth international cricket ground constructed at Abbotstown.” Ireland’s home international matches in 2019 3 May England (ODI) Malahide 5 May West Indies (ODI triseries) Clontarf 9 May Bangladesh (ODI triseries) Malahide
11 May West Indies (ODI tri-series) Malahide 15 May Bangladesh (ODI tri-series) Clontarf 19 May Ireland v Afghanistan (ODI) Stormont 21 May Ireland v Afghanistan (ODI) Stormont 1 July Ireland v Zimbabwe (ODI) Bready 4 July Ireland v Zimbabwe (ODI) Stormont 7 July Ireland v Zimbabwe (ODI) Stormont 10 July Ireland v Zimbabwe (T20) Stormont 12 July Ireland v Zimbabwe (T20) Bready 13 July Ireland v Zimbabwe (T20) Bready
Ashmead Nedd receives one of his trophies from Mrs. Dowlin
Sachin Singh accepts one of his prizes from Dr. Vincent Adams year; 32 in the final over in the GCA T20 semi-final while Dennis Squires took home the Executive of the Year Award for his hard work and dedication. The Lennox Hunte Memorial award for the Club Member of the Year went to Rawle Rodney; Lawrence Smith collected the MP Fernandes trophy for his Leadership and Discipline while the Colin Wiltshire prize was given to Coach Garvin Nedd for his success. Special awards were also given to Windies senior player Keemo Paul, Windies B Team players Tevin Imlach and Sherfane Rutherford and Youth players Raymond Perez and Joshua Persaud. The Roy Fredericks award for the Best Batting Performance of the year went to U13 Jonathan van Lange for his 34 versus GCC, U15 Jaden Campbell 28* against Bel Air Rubis, U17 Sachin Singh 96 versus Saints, U19 Nkosie Beaton 120 versus Malteenoes SC, Second Division Sachin Singh 171 versus Diplomats and First Division Christopher Barnwell 165 versus University of Guyana. The Lance Gibbs award for the Best Bowling performances of the year were given to U13 Romeo Deonarain 4-6 against Bel Air Rubis, U15 Gustavo Hutson 5-15 versus Bel Air Rubis , U17 Daniel Mootoo
5-26 against Saints, U19 Qumar Torrington 4-12 versus MSC, Second Division Xaviee Smith 6-21 versus Transport SC and First Division Totaram Bishun 6-35 versus Police. The Keith Semple award for Scoring Centuries went to Singh, Perez, Alphius Bookie, Beaton, Griffith, Joshua Persaud and Barnwell. The Carlyle Miller award for Taking Five-Wicket hauls were received by Ashmead Nedd, Smith, Carlton Jacques, Mootoo, Gustavo Hutson, Barnwell and Bishun. Barnwell took home the Andrew Lyght Jr. trophy for scoring the Most Centuries (three) while Nedd pocketed the Philbert Blair award for taking the Most Five-Wicket hauls (three). Singh grabbed the Mark Harper accolade for being named the Most Outstanding National Youth Player of the year from DCC while Rutherford received the Linden Joseph trophy for being the Most Outstanding National Senior Player from the club. Nedd, Rutherford and Paul were given the Berkley Gaskin award for the taking five-wicket hauls for Guyana; Paul and Rutherford received the Robert Christiani award for scoring first class and list A centuries respectively. Nedd, Persaud and Perez were recognised for the selection on the West Indies (Continued on page 34)
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Friday December 07, 2018
Saint Lucia National Female Team participate
The Saint Lucia National Female Rugby 7s team leave the island today to participate in the Mitsubishi Electric Rugby Barbados World 7s tomorrow and Sunday at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados. The Saint Lucia Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) has fielded a 14-person contingent consisting of 12 players, Ms. Zhenya C. Allain as Physiotherapist and Mr. Roger Butcher as Manager. The SLFRU female team last participated in the Rugby Americas North (RAN) 7s tournament in September this year where they entered seated in 10th place and finished seated in 4th place. Other female teams that will participate in this tournament include, but not limited to Barbados, Trinidad Police, G u a d e l o u p e , To r o n t o Saracens and Swansea Bevvies. The SLRFU has expressed thanks to St. James Club Morgan Bay, Cox & Company, Ziggy’s Hair Salon, Mr. Robert Norstrom and Mr. Lyndel Norville for assisting with
- Mitsubishi Electric Rugby Barbados World 7s
The SLRFU Female 7s Team. fund raising and fund-raising activities. The female team consists of Lioanna Alexander, Genesis Alfred, Kera Dornelly, Kisha Edgar, Jermiah Evariste, Mylene Grunberg, Electra Marcelle, Kameka President, Winnie Della Rene, Mary Roberts, Nelta Samuel and Senetta Vigee. Ms. Chantel John who also coached this present
female team, is once again officiating at the tournament. Ms. John was also referee at this tournament last year and also just completed officiating at the RTEX Rugby Americas North (RAN) 7s in September. President of the SLRFU, Mr. Roger Butcher, stated that the SLRFU sees this competition as an important step in the preparation for the RAN 7s 2019.
The Mitsubishi Electric Rugby Barbados World 7s 2018 will take place in the 11,000 seater Kensington Oval, Bridgetown – the home of West Indies first class cricket! The 2017 RBW 7s was the best ever 7s tournament held in Barbados and attracted global attention with all games shown live on line. A hard act to follow, BUT this year the tournament will
Newcomer Levy joins Jamaica Scorpions
K
i n g s t o n , Jamaica, CMC – Pacer Jermaine Levy will be the new face in the Jamaica Scorpions 13man squad named this week f o r t h e We s t I n d i e s Championship that bowled off yesterday. The Scorpions open their campaign against the Barbados Pride from December 13-16 under new captain Paul Palmer Jr. ”It’s an honour to be selected for participation; every young cricketer aspires to represent his country and here in the Caribbean, to represent the West Indies in every format of the game,” said an excited Levy who represented the CCC Marooners which won the recently concluded regional Super 50 tournament. ”This selection takes me one step closer to realising my childhood dreams. Each level of participation opens up more opportunities to grow, develop and earn. “I’m a pacer in a squad with strong, talented players. The chemistry is good, we have each other’s backs. When I’m on attack they will be sharp in the field. I’m here to
Jermaine Levy
p u t e v e r y e ff o r t i n t o defending any total we put up; dot balls, maiden overs and wickets are my top priority along with staying injury free.” The 25-year-old has played a single first class game for CCC four years ago. Meanwhile, CEO of the Jamaica Cricket Association Courtney Francis is confident that the Scorpions put on a strong performance,
saying the coaches have worked hard to strengthen the team’s abilities to stay focused for long periods. ”In last year ’s competition we had some games in which we would post strong first innings scores but the second innings scores were subpar. The players and staff have all learned from those errors and have put in some serious effort into targeting our
shortcomings in maintaining concentration,” Francis said. ”The squad is balanced and should challenge for the title. As always, once we field well and deliver at high levels through our batting and bowling then the title will be well within reach. The lads are physically fit and strong; once this is complemented by mental strength, our opponents will have a tough task to better us. ”Further, I’m particularly excited about the inclusion of young Levy. This young man had two 4wicket hauls in the recent Super 50 competition and one of them was in the final guiding his team to victory. He knows success and is hungry for more; this is the kind of injection of talent we can benefit from,” he added. The 13-man squad includes Paul Palmer Jr (captain), John Campbell, Chadwick Walton, Jermaine Blackwood, Andre McCarthy, Steven Taylor, Aldaine Thomas, Kenroy Williams, Dennis Bulli, Nikita Miller, Derval Green, Reynard Leveridge and Jermaine Levy. The Jamaica Scorpions will travel to Barbados on December 10.
see 32 Men’s & Women’s teams from around the world, including past and present rugby Internationals as well as rugby 7s Olympians, competing over two action-packed days in both the ‘Elite’ and ‘Open’ tournaments. The prize money for the Mitsubishi Electric Rugby Barbados World 7s has now been increased to USD$30,000. Fifteen
Thousand ($15,000) will go to the finalists of both the Men’s and the Women’s Elite Divisions, with twothirds of that amount: US$10,000 going to each winning team and $5,000 to each losing finalist. T h e o rg a n i z e r s a r e expecting to be able to increase these amounts as more partners come on board.
DCC, International SOS Unveil Fruitful Partnership The Demerara Cricket Club and International SOS have teamed up to aid in the development of the younger players at the club through sport and health. This scheme allows the Club to benefit from cricket gears, outfits and health seminars. Club President Roger Harper expressed delight about the venture and is optimistic that this new development will enhance the talent of the youths. International SOS is one of
the world’s leading medical and security assistance companies. They are in the business of saving and protecting lives from more than 1,000 locations in 90 countries. 11, 000 employees, led by 5,200 medical professionals’ service multinational companies, governments and N G O s g l o b a l l y. T h e sponsorship is worth $500,000 and the club is the first from Guyana to benefit from such a package.
Kuru Kururu Village to host Exon Roberts 5-A-Side Football on Sunday In memory of the late Ezon Roberts who passed away one year ago, the village of Kuru Kururu on the Linden Soesdyke Highway will on Sunday pay tribute to his memory when they host a 5-a-side football competition. All the action will take place at the Kuru Kururu Primary School Ground from 15:00hrs where the (Continued on page 34)
Ezon Roberts
Kaieteur News
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Friday December 07, 2018
GMRSC Endurance Round 3
West Indies Championship
Singh’s half century boosts Guyana Jaguars; Carty slams century for Hurricanes
GT Drifters ready for this weekend’s action
Romario Shepherd Vishaul Singh struck a fine half century while Clinton Pestano picked up two wickets to put Guyana Jaguars in a comfortable position against the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the close of play on the first day of the C r i c k e t We s t I n d i e s Regional Four-Day Franchise League which commenced yesterday. Host Windward Islands Volcanoes inserted Guyana Jaguars at the Darren Sammy Stadium and Delorn Johnson provided them with the breakthrough by uprooting the stumps of Tagenarine Chanderpaul (02) before Leon Johnson was run out for eight, leaving the score at 23-2. Trevon Griffith struck two fours before he was removed by Ray Jordan for 19 while Tevin Imlach was caught and bowled by Shane Shillingford for 8 which included a six as Guyana Jaguars slipped to 56-4. Vi s h a u l S i n g h a n d Christopher Barnwell added 31 for the fifth-wicket, but Johnson ended their brief resistance when he removed Barnwell after the batsman had struck three fours in scoring 18. Anthony Bramble
Vishaul Singh ©WICB Media Kerrie Eversley
followed soon after for four; however Singh timed the ball well and reached the boundary six times as he put on 95 for the seven-wicket with Romario Shepherd to steady the innings fairly. Singh eventually fell to Shillingford for 74 after facing 150 balls. Shepherd slammed three fours and a six in scoring 47 off 89 balls while Keon Joseph (03) and Clinton Pestano (02) fell cheaply. Ve e r a s a m m y P e r m a u l remained not out on 23 as the Guyana Jaguars were bowled out for 223 in 69.1 overs. Shillingford claimed 4-61 while Johnson had 224. Tyrone Theophile and Taryck Gabriel added 28 for the opening stand before Pestano picked up two quick
wickets to reduce Windward Islands Volcanoes to 29-2 in reply. Pestano first bowled Theophile for 18 and then trapped Kirk Edwards lbw for 7 before Gabriel (03*) and Kavem Hodge (00*) saw them to the close on 32-2 in 18 overs. Pestano has so far taken 2-4. Meanwhile, at the Three Ws Oval, Leeward Islands Hurricanes batted first and posted 252 all out in 72. 2 Overs. Keacy Carty struck 10 fours and one six in scoring the competition’s first century (113) which came off 198 balls while Terance Warde was the next best with 19. Hayden Walsh Jr bagged 5-75 while Miguel Cummins and Keon Harding had two each. Barbados Pride are 12 without loss in 10 overs in reply.
Ramesh Auto Sales/GT Drifters’ Les Thomas and Bishram Rajaram (right) pose for a photo shortly after finishing second in the 1500cc Endurance race last August.
B
ishram Rajaram of Team Ramesh Auto Spares/GT Drifters has signaled his intent to show his machines’ worth when the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMRSC) host the final Race Meet of the year, which will be the third and final round of the Endurance Series. The South Dakota Circuit in Timehri will host the event which is scheduled to get underway from 11:00hrs with an expected full field of competitors and fans will be able to witness
the keen competition free of cost. Rajaram, who also drag races and competes in the GMRSC Starlet Cup, during an interview with Kaieteur Sport noted that he is confident of improving his second place finish in the 1500cc class which he achieved during round two in August last and has said that his Toyota Raum has got the ability to be the best on the track. After missing the first leg in January, Rajaram shared that his team will be coming hard to finish the season on a
high and with such a target, they have rolling out a fresh motorcar on the Endurance Circuit, a recently customised Toyota AE 100 which will be piloted by Les Thomas. Team Wreckers that were the overall champions in both legs contested in January and August are on course to clinch the championship this Sunday. The event is being sponsored by Special Auto, B.M Soat, Tropical Shipping, Hand-inHand Insurance, R. Kissoon Contracting, Jumbo Jet and Ansa McAl.
Six more matches set for Diamond Ground tomorrow EBFA/Ralph Green U-11 League
With the league at the half way stage, there is no team that has been able to pull away from each other in the top four bracket; six more matches would be played tomorrow when the 3rd Annual East Bank Football Association (EBFA) / Ralph Green sponsored Under-11 League continues at the Diamond Mt # Team 38. Agricola 39. Mocha 40. Friendship 41. Grove Hi Tech 42. Timehri 43. Herstelling Raiders
Community Center Ground, East Bank Demerara. Grove Hi Tech, which along with Friendship All Stars have played one more match than the other ten teams with the former leading the points table with 17 points, one ahead of second placed Agricola Red Triangle which is ahead of Swan FC on goal difference; fourth placed Team v v v v v v
Timehri Panthers is a point back with Diamond Upsetters in fifth on 10 points.Five of the clubs have recorded at least one win, one has 2, two have 3 with the top four posting five wins apiece, the top three are the only unbeaten clubs to date. Following are the Fixtures for tomorrow, day 7 of the League:
Diamond Upsetters Swan Samatta Point/Kaneville Kuru Kururu Warriors Diamond United Hauraruni Eagles
Time Venue 09:00hrs DCCG 09:45hrs “ 10:30hrs “ 11:15hrs “ 12:00hrs “ 12:45hrs ‘
This Friendship player is air bound as he challenges for the ball against Swan FC in their clash on November 24th last.
Kaieteur News
Friday December 07, 2018
PAGE 41
Inaugural Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers football champions to be decided this weekend
Jemar Harrigan – Annandale Sec.
Omari Glasgow – Annandale Sec
T
h e f i r s t Guyoil/Tradewin d Tankers schools football league which is also sponsored by Ansa McAl through their Icool, Smalta and Lyrix brands is set to conclude on Sunday at the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground with the final four matches. Twelve schools picked from Georgetown, West and East Demerara along with Linden have been competing in this historic tournament that kicked off last month and ahead of this weekend’s play, one of the top three teams in the points standing will be able to lift
Derwin George – Lodge Sec. the championship trophy. C u r r e n t l y, L o d g e Secondary are top with 27 points while Annandale are second with a lesser goal difference while tournament favourites
Thurston George - Lodge Sec. C h r i s t i a n b u r g / Wi s m a r Secondary School (CWSS) are third with 26 points; each team with one game remaining. Lodge that has lost one game in the league will play the unbeaten and prolific CWSS side that has netted an incredible 54 goals in their ten games so far, the final game of the competition which will decide who will lift the Guyoil/Tradewind Tankers Cup. In an invited comment, Manager of Lodge Leon Bishop posited that it is a must win game for the city side and he will be fighting
Tyrese Lewis, Randy Pickering, George Stephen and Andre Mayers - CWSS fire with fire as Lodge intends to go out attacking. Along with the Skipper Thurston Gordon and their leading scorer Derwin George (10 goals), Lodge will be depending on standout performers Ricky Stuart and Shemroy Mayers to lead the charge, with qualification for the KFC Goodwill tournament at the back of their mind as well. The Linden side will have a Mayers of their own in Andre, who has also been
GTU National Schools Championships
Champion girl for Swimming Amy Grant takes Javelin gold to make it 5 Sixteen year-old Amy Grant, a student of School of the Nations in the City won another gold on Wednesday last at the Guyana Teachers Union National Schools Track and Field, Swimming and Cycling Championships which concluded on Friday last. The multi talented Grant after dominating in the swimming pool with four gold medals, ended off her haul of gold medals by topping her rivals in the Javelin. Grant explained that she doesn’t get a lot of time for Track and Field because swimming takes up a lot of her spare time when she gets the opportunity to hit the pool. At the closing ceremony on Friday evening at the Leonora Stadium, prizes for the Top teams, Girls and Boys were presented to the winners by various celebrities, government officials and Banks DIH representatives. Amy Grant picked up the
Amy Grant displays her medals and trophy. Champion Girl trophy in the Girls 18 & Under category for winning all her events at t h e A q u a t i c C e n t e r, Liliendaal at the start of the games on Monday last. N o w t h a t t h e championships are over Grant can look forward to her birthday, which comes up near Christmas making it a good time to celebrate. She wishes all of the athletes who participated in the 58th National Schools Championships a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Coaching can be very
thankless because winning is credited to athletes whereas the blame for losing is often put on coaches whose contributions often go unnoticed on the sidelines but Grant is expressing gratitude to her coaches for t h e i r e n d l e s s encouragement, guidance, inspiration and motivation. Grant, who recognises that one the toughest job is for a parent to be their child’s coach, is very thankful for the amount of time and years her mother has coached her in swimming. She would also like to thank Coach Ambrose, Coach Scott and especially Coach Clint Hinds, who has worked above and beyond the call of duty resulting in her success in the field event. ”It is their inspiration that fuels my zest to succeed and converts the bitter pain of sacrifice into the sweet taste of victory,” Grant stated whilst also wishing Dr. Jeffrey, Dr. Rohan Jabour (Continued on page 35)
Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Sports.
outstanding with his teammates Tyresse Lewis, Randy Pickering and George Stephen also able to change the game. Second place Annandale have the best chance of winning the league because their final match will be against Queen’s College ( Q C ) , S u n d a y ’s f i r s t encounter. QC have only registered two victories with the last win being a walkover against Dolphin Secondary.
Annandale have the necessary firepower which they have demonstrated throughout the event with five players that have represented Guyana in the sport. The winning team along with the runners-up will join Annai Secondary of Region 9 and Shiva Boys’ Hindu College of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) to contest the KFC Goodwill Schools Football tournament which will run from December 18 - 22.
Implementation of National Sports Policy a priority in 2019 - Anti-doping a main focus
D
PI - The implementation of the National Sports Policy will be a priority in 2019 says Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Sports Dr. George Norton. He made the disclosure during the 2019 National Budget Debates in the National Assembly on Wednesday. Earlier this year, the policy was released in its draft form and circulated among sports federations and organisations and online as well to garner feedback and recommendations. In 2019, the Minister said, consultations and sensitisation initiatives will continue, towards the continued growth and development of the sports sector. This will be done by way of programmes consisting of outreaches and the wider circulation of documents, including brochures, flyers, posters. According to
Minister Norton one of the main areas of focus will centre on is anti-doping. ”The policy provides the basis for a structured pathway towards incentives, press coverage, international exposure and sports tourism, as well as issues of clean sport and anti-doping education. Guyana remains World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) compliant” he stated. The National Sports Policy has been one of this administration’s main focal points upon assuming office in 2015 and has been the topic of discussion ever since. Once completed, the policy is expected to, among others things, address the structures, programmes and infrastructure required for recreational and high-performance sport and how best to facilitate and support the achievement of the sports objectives over the next ten years.
t r o Sp
Barnwell, Nedd, Singh rewarded at DCC Annual Awards ceremony
Respective prize winners display their accolades.
Concacaf Disciplinary Committee issues decision in the BFA Player Eligibility Cases
Farouk Abdool happily accepts the Best Gym trophy and cash prize of $50,000 from Director of Sport, Christopher Jones.
- Guyana moves to 8th in the table
Wayne Forde
West Indies Championship
GAPLF Senior Championships 2018
Singh’s half century boosts Hardcore Barbel Club Guyana Jaguars; Carty slams powers to Best Gym ribbon century for Hurricanes 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.