Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Letters... Where your views make the news... Letters... Where your views make the news
Notes on the treatment of mental illness DEAR EDITOR, In the capacity of a now retired proud British trained Registered Mental Nurse, and one who has practiced psychiatry in three large Canadian teaching hospitals, kindly permit me to send a few cautionary notes in the direction of the Public Health Minister Mr. George Norton. I sincerely laud his intention regarding reconstruction of the National Psychiatric Hospital, the current condition of which beggars description, and so long overdue, it no longer merits mention. “Modernised Psychiatric Hospital on the cards,” Kaieteur News, January 3, 2016, heralds his intention to lobby for a modernized institution, where according to him, persons go and get cured. He is perhaps referring to seeking treatment and being properly managed through medication and therapy. A true mental illness, not a personality disorder, or situational anxiety etc. is similar to any other chronic physical illness. Since a true mental illness is biochemical in nature, as some have claimed, then it is exactly like any other chronic medical condition such as diabetes. By their very nature, chronic illnesses are not cured but instead managed. Hence mental illness such as schizophrenia and major depression are not cured but rather managed with medication, psychotherapy, art therapy, cognitive behavior therapy to name a few. A union of the most compliant patient and a skilled psychotherapist or psycho-pharmacologist will
see break through symptoms just as any other chronic medical condition. In his statement, the Minister also mentioned the current lack of trained personnel at the facility, and although I hate to digress, this is an area of concern that should have already been addressed, redressed and put to rest. However, better late than never! Success can only be assured when quality skilled, goal-oriented personnel are in place. Although Guyana’s present state of mental health leaves a lot to be desired, this is where the pedal hits the metal and an eye opener is warranted. According to Minister Norton, between September and October 2015, a team from Mc Master University in the province of Ontario Canada, trained Guyanese primary health care workers and mental health professionals in mental health work. What irony! In 2006 following a released study by the Canadian Senate showing how poorly those with mental illness in Canada were treated,
a horrible picture of Third World conditions in a First World nation had emerged. As a consequence, the Mental Health Commission in Canada came into being in 2007 with a 10 year mandate to serve as a catalyst in bringing together leaders and organizations from across the country in order to accelerate these changes. All parties in the House of Commons voted in favor of the establishment of the Commission and it was endorsed by all provincial governments. In March 2015 it was reported in the news that the Commission was stuck in “groundhog day,” for Dr. David Goldbloom Chair of the Mental health Commission of Canada, produced indicators of how poorly the health system was responding to Canadian mental health needs. Taking into full consideration the fact that Canada’s current mental status is akin to that of Guyana with allowance being given for known Third World disparities, one is Continued on page 23
GPL continues to attract the nation’s attention DEAR EDITOR, Suggestions for a new Board of Directors of GPL. GPL continues to be in the news. I believe that the affairs of GPL will be enhanced by the early appointment of a new Board of Directors. I wish to suggest to the Honourable Minister and Cabinet the following skills set for the new Board of Directors: (a) Two (2) engineers – one of whom should be electrical and the other may be civil. (b) An experienced Attorney-at-law. (c) An experienced Chartered Accountant. (d) An IT Specialist. (e) A Human Resources/Industrial Relations Practitioner. (f) One or two experienced business persons. Bish Panday
THE SWAMI TITLE IS ONE OF HONOUR
DEAR EDITOR, Reference is made to The Freddie Kissoon column in which he criticized Prof. Baytoram Ramharack for making reference to him (Kissoon) as an Indian who is not proud of his Indian identity and cultural roots and who (Kissoon) has refused to defend Indians against the most vile and vicious attacks from others. Kissoon has distinguished himself in his writings and the Indian community should confer an honor onto him for his rare achievements. The record would show that Kissoon himself, at various times, stated he is not “an Indian”, that he is not proud of India, and that he is ashamed of being an Indian. In contradiction to the preceding comments, Kissoon stated that his parents were proud Hindus and they raised him as a Hindu and that he gave his daughter a Hindu name (at the request of his mother). Kissoon has criticized many Indian that write from an Indian identity perspective In response to Dr. Ramharack’s critique of Kissoon’s lack of Indian cultural upbringing, Kissoon stated he understands Indian values well and that he does not have to display his identity publicly. That being the case, Kissoon has not explained why he does not celebrate Diwali or Phagwah or Eid or Arrival Day or other Indian festivals. All of his writings quote Westerners and not great Indian intellectuals. His references to music, arts, literature, and films are from the West and not India? How come he does not use Indian kinship
terms like mousie, mamoo, dada, cha cha, dulaha, patni, uncle, bhaiya, bahin. Anyone who understands Indian values or is an Indian will not call a pandit or a mulvi by his name or “Mister” as Kissoon routinely does. An Indian referring to an elderly person as “Mister.” or “Miss” is most disrespectful and must be condemned. Instead, the honorific title of pandit, meiji, uncle, auntie would precede or follow the name. I heard several Black and White priests refer to pandits, swamis and mulvis by their honorific titles and not their plain names. Kissoon calls Swami Aksharnanda as Aksharnanda”. No Indian will refer to a Swami like that Even Eusi Kwayana, Bonita Harris, Nigel Hughes, David Hinds, etc. respectfully refer to Aksharnanda as Swami. Even Muslims and Christians refer to Aksharnanda as Swami. The proper (Indian) way to address him is Swami, or Swami-ji, or Swami Aksharnanda, or Aksharnanda-ji. It should never be “Mister”. Ditto a Muslim title like Haji or Mulvi or Maulana or Meiji or Meiah. These honors are earned and the achievers should be so addressed. Most Indians use these titles when referring to those who achieved them. I most certainly do in all of my encounters with them. Swami is an earned honorific title; it is not self imposed. It is bestowed by gurus to a student after intense training. It is not proper to call Swami Aksharnanda-ji “Mister”. It is equally wrong for Indians to disrespect Kissoon. Vishnu Bisram
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Kaieteur News
Plans apace to strengthen parents’ parenting skills “Parenting is in trouble,” this was the assertion of Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), Ms. Ann Greene. Moreover, Greene at a recent forum related that moves are apace to help strengthen families so that they can take better care of their children. In this regard, an awareness programme is on the cards this year which will seek to promote early childhood development. This is particularly crucial, Greene noted, because “early childhood development years are serious years for a child...that is like building the foundation for a house, because you want it to withstand the weather...it is the same thing with children.” “They must have the early childhood experiences that can prepare them for life; they must have the tools to succeed,” said Greene. In the quest to help with the early childhood preparation for children, Greene related that efforts are being made to register and licence a targeted 300 day care facili-
CPA Director, Ann Greene ties. Thus far there are 280 facilities on board and, according to Greene, “we have started to work with them to get them to (at least) the minimum standard...” As such, she noted that efforts will be made to reach out to not only parents, but also care givers, with a view of helping them to understand how important the early days of a child’s life are. In addition to the planned awareness venture targeting parents and caregivers, Greene disclosed plans for a
national awareness programme exercise which will direct keen focus on the issue of child abuse. “This is to move people to take action to protect children,” said Greene. She also amplified the fact that while there is the obvious need to give help to children, support for the parents also cannot be disregarded. Greene pointed out that while some children are removed from dysfunctional homes, there is always the expectation that they will eventually be returned to their families. “The ultimate goal is always for the child to return, but because the (CPA) staff is so swamped with rescuing children, there is not enough time really to work with the families. So we are hoping that with collaboration with our NGO (Non Governmental Organisation) partners and even the students of the Social Work Department of the University of Guyana, we will be able to provide more support to parents to strengthen them so that they can take better care of their children,” Greene related. For this reason, she noted that a special programme is being streamlined for parents whose children were removed or are at risk of removal with a view of helping them to combat social dysfunctions. According to Greene, “it (Continued on page 21)
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Former AG makes proposals for Law Reform, Coroners Bills - says Executive consulting with itself Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, after consulting with Government about the Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2015 and the Law Reform Commission Bill of 2015, has put forward a number of proposals for the bills. This does not come, however, without Nandlall making several disapproving statements about aspects of the Bills. One instance was the Law Reform Commission Bill, which had put the authority to appoint in the hands of the President, provided he consulted with the Attorney General. “By this mechanism,” Nandlall said yesterday. “The Executive is consulting with itself. This is simply absurd.” “In the Bill, it is the Executive, without any extrinsic input, that determines who will be appointed to the Commission,” he went on to state. “We recommend that a formula be used whereby the names of the persons who are to sit on the Commission come from important stakeholders in our society.” Nandlall noted that the Law Reform Commission Bill should expressly state that the Law Reform Commission is an independent body. He made it clear that as an independent body, the appointment process as well as the composition of this
body should reflect this independence. “We recommend that a formula be used whereby the names of the persons who are to sit on the Commission come from important stakeholders in our society.” Meanwhile on the Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2015, it was recommended that the Bill be sent to a Special Parliamentary Select Committee, where the Principal Act should be subjected to a “holistic review” in accordance with the recommendations of the Disciplined Forces Commission. “The Bill in its current form does not address the real mischief in the Principal Act. The real mischief can only be addressed in a comprehensive review of the Bill,” the former Attorney General stated. “The definition of Coroner ought to be reviewed in the Principal Act.” “In the Act, a Coroner is a magistrate or a Justice of Peace. More specifically, consideration should be given as to whether a Justice of Peace can competently perform the functions of a Coroner.” “One of the main problems with the Principal Act is that, because of its language, it induces an abdication of responsibility on the part of the Coroner in the different magisterial districts,” Nandlall pointed out. “This must be rectified to ensure that magistrates are mandated to conduct inquests in the areas in which they exercise jurisdiction.” “In this regard, special considerations must be given to the Georgetown Magisterial District which has several magistrates exercising jurisdiction over the same geographic area. In the end, the Bill must make it clear to each magistrate that they have a duty to carry out their responsibilities under the Principal Act.” He was also adamant that the qualifications of Coroners must be fixed by the Bill, not left to be determined “at the discretion of any commission or authority”. Nandlall stated that at a minimum, a Coroner should have a university
Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall degree, preferably, in Law. “There should be persons performing the functions of the Coroner on a full-time basis in each magisterial district,” he also recommended. “There should be established in each magisterial district, either a Coroner’s office or a Coroner’s department attached to each magistrate’s court office to administer the business of the Coroner.” “One of the major problems with the current system is that there is no administrative structure in place which regulates, separately, the business of the Coroner,” Nandlall posited. “The business of the coroner should be administratively delinked from the ordinary business of the magistrate’s court. This will augment greater efficiency and accountability.” Nandlall also advocated for suitable time frames to be prescribed for the conclusion of inquests or inquiries from the time they are commenced. He also stated that the Coroner should fall under the supervision of the Chief Magistrate and not the Chief Justice, as the Bill prescribes. “Investigators who are independent of the Police should be assigned to the Coroner’s office or department to assist in the investigations of unnatural deaths, and to generally assist the Coroner in the discharge of his functions.” The Private Sector Commission (PSC) has also raised issues with both bills, stating that the Coroners Bill should be reviewed.
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
M&CC to commence construction of Stabroek Market Wharf this year
A projection of the new mall facility to replace the Stabroek Wharf The dilapidated Stabroek Market Wharf is set to receive a massive upgrade this year. This is according to Town Clerk of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC). During a meeting, yesterday, King noted that among the projections for this year is the plan to start the construction of a new state of the art facility at Stabroek Wharf. The mall facility overlooking the Demerara River is estimated at approximately $400 million. The Town Clerk is anticipating that the vendors will not only be happy to occupy a new shopping area but will be happy to pay an extra cost to vend there. He noted while the plan to start construction of the shopping facility is in the pipeline, there are a number
of other projects to be completed in time for the Nation’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations. Last year, a delegation from the City Council, including Town Clerk Royston King, and a team from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure headed by Minister David Patterson held discussions over the dilapidated Stabroek Market Wharf. The Minister had expressed empathy over the situation and had reaffirmed his commitment to help the City Council correct the situation at the wharf. Senior officers of the Works Ministry were subsequently assigned to work with the Council to help salvage the wharf from further deterioration. The condition of the wharf has been a source of
concern for vendors and members of the public alike. On two occasions, heavy winds caused further deterioration. They destroyed the roof of the wharf, resulting in its collapse. Vendors, who operate in the area, have continually expressed concern that a section of the dock could come crashing down at any time. A section of the roof of Stabroek Market wharf collapsed last March. Another area had also collapsed in early 2014, injuring a handyman. The Town Clerk subsequently held discussions with the Mini s t r y o f P u b l i c Works and identified an area for the relocation of vendors operating in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market wharf. The vendors are likely to occupy a section of a nearby car park.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Venezuela opposition controls congress after 17 years CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s opposition took majority control of the National Assembly yesterday after years in the political wilderness, setting the stage for a potential power struggle with embattled President Nicolas Maduro. Lawmakers were sworn in during a heated parliamentary session that saw pro-government representatives walk out in protest after pushing and shoving their way onto the dais as the new leadership laid out its legislative agenda. It’s the first time in 17 years that the opposition to the socialist revolution begun by the late President Hugo Chavez have controlled the legislature, and many of its leaders seemed rapt in disbelief. But the two-thirds opposition majority won by a landslide last month, giving it unprecedented strength to challenge Maduro’s rule, was in doubt
Henry Ramos Allup, incoming congress president, is surrounded by media members upon his arrival to the National Assembly building in Caracas, Venezuela, yesterday. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano) after a government-stacked Supreme Court barred four lawmakers from taking their seats at the last minute while it probes allegations of electoral fraud. As a result only 163 of 167 lawmakers were
sworn in during yesterday’s ceremony. Earlier in the day, hundreds of opposition supporters accompanied the incoming lawmakers past a heavy military barricade to the neoclassical legislature downtown. A few blocks away, a much larger crowd of government supporters gathered outside the presidential palace to lament the in-
auguration of what they called the “bourgeois parliament.” Reflecting the changing political winds, journalists were granted access to the legislature for the first time in years and state TV broadcast interviews with opposition leaders. Conspicuously absent inside the domed building were the oversize portraits of Chavez and independence hero Simon
Bolivar that had been a fixture for years. Instead, from the public gallery, the wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez held up a sign reading “Amnesty Now,” referring to what’s likely to be the legislature’s first order of business: a law freeing dozens of activists jailed during anti-government protests in 2014 that resulted in dozens of deaths. Opposition lawmakers promise sweeping changes, while the socialists have been equally adamant that the legislature not erode social gains of Chavez’s revolution. What unites the two factions is an agenda of probing government corruption and freeing opposition figures that they and many human rights groups consider political prisoners. It’s a polarizing issue that also promises to rally government supporters. “It’s completely illogical,” outgoing National Assembly president Diosdado Cabello said of the proposed amnesty law. “It’s like the assassins par-
doning themselves.” Jennifer McCoy, a longtime observer of Venezuela elections for a pro-democracy group founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, said the coming weeks will tell whether the government and opposition can put aside their mutual hatred. “This is the moment when both sides need to determine how to move forward: whether they are going to work together or engage in a battle royal,” said McCoy, who is now director of the Global Studies Institute at Georgia State University. The socialists began fighting the new congress almost as soon as it was voted in. Outgoing lawmakers appointed new members to the Supreme Court, which they hope will counter opposition legislation. Maduro also issued a flurry of decrees Monday including one circumventing congress’ power to approve the appointment of central bank board members. Ramos has vowed to review the executive orders. In Washington, the U.S. State Department congratulated Venezuela on the inauguration of a new assembly but said it remains “concerned” by controversy surrounding the delegates who have not been seated.
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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GOVERNMENTS SHOULD STAY CLEAR OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRICKET Australia is dishing out a cut-tail to the West Indies cricket team. The West Indies are going ‘down-under’. Ironically, this is an Australian team that is being rebuilt after the retirement and resignation of some of their stronger players from the team that succeed Ricky Ponting’s all-time great side. The West Indies are also in a rebuilding mood. The difference in the performance levels between the two sides is a reflection of the state of the reserve
players in the Caribbean. The West Indies team is really a second-rate outfit and it has been so for a very long time. The West Indies should be playing County cricket. The team is simply not up to international Test standards. This is also a reflection of the poor state of domestic cricket in the Caribbean. The absence of players who are playing in the T20 leagues is not the cause for the decline in West Indies cricket. When the West Indies cricket team was on
top of the world, most of the team played their cricket in the leagues in England. This did not stop the domestic league in the Caribbean from producing players that could make it into this team and compete at the highest level. The West Indies selectors, players and administrators are deluding themselves into believing that the side will eventually become competitive with the best teams in the world. It is not going to happen unless there is a recognition that the
Dem boys seh...
Rob de Earth run, Brassington get away and people dead De previous administration had no shame. Everything dem did was lawless and scampish. Dem was lawless when dem give away de radio licence that Craig Shadick now tekking back. All dem pumps wha dem put down throughout Guyana is bare scampishness. Wha nah cost $200M cost $300M and $400M and even $500M. De same costing Soulja Bai and Rum Jattan dem was cussing. Today it seems as dem have no shame. Dem commissioning dem same pump and repeating de cost. That is like rubbing salt pun de wound of a badly injured animal. Dem boys pray and hope that Soulja Bai and he team don’t sign another
pump contract that carry dem figures. Is not only de pump cost dem inflate. Dem boys hear that de govt use to pay de salary of people who ain’t even wukking wid de govt. Rob de Earth use to have a man 24-7 holding umbrella over he head whether rain fall or sun shine. This same man salary use to come from de Forestry place. Indeed de man wukking at Forestry but Rob de Earth had him functioning as a manager at one of he socalled news outfit. In fact, he use to pay he whole news staff from de govt treasury. When de govt change he play bruck and couldn’t pay dem from de treasury no more. So he run way to Uncle Sam and decide fuh sell out de place. Some
bigger thieves buy dem. So dem boys hear. He is not de only one who run away. Brassington run away too. He run away de day before de files meet de police. Somebody big in de Finance Ministry tip him off. De next day when de police tun up fuh search he house and arrest him he mek three people dead. De people was staking out he place because dem hear that he family was moving out files from he house—and not files wha does sharpen cutlass and knives. But files wha dem boys believe woulda lost he and ee wife, Marcie plus she husband, fuh life. Talk half and wait to see how much more people got fuh dead investigating dem scamps.
rut started decades ago, and that all the talk about “turning the corner’ has been an illusion. The only corner that the West Indies cricket team is going to turn is the corner that leads to its eventual demotion from Test cricket. Andy Roberts, who should have been appointed as a tactician to help the new captain, has made a useful point. He says that the Board cannot take all the responsibility for the failure of the West Indies cricket team, the players need to take some. He is not wrong. His message should be sent to the governments of the Caribbean Community who are attempting to meddle in the administration of West Indies cricket. These governments, many of whom can hardly recuse their countries from dependency and want, have the temerity to be offering themselves as saviours of West Indies cricket, when in
fact their neglect of cricket at the national level is partly, not exclusively, responsible for the fact that the West Indies simply are not producing players of quality anymore at the domestic level. The governments of the Caribbean have been making the wrong investments. There has been little or no investment in cricket at the grassroots level by governments of the Caribbean. These governments have built a number of stadiums throughout the Caribbean, but very limited investments have been made in terms of upgrading normal cricket grounds and investing in state-of-the-art facilities for cricket. School cricket has also been neglected. In Guyana, the PPP government actually tried to hijack cricket and the spasms of its attempts are still reverberating in local cricket. There is no place for the
governments of the Caribbean in West Indies cricket. They should stay out of trying to dictate to the West Indies Cricket Board. The governments can help West Indies cricket by fixing the cricketing infrastructure in their countries, none more so than in Guyana, where most of the grounds on which cricket used to be played are in atrocious condition. The club structures are weak and unable to sustain the maintenance of these grounds. There is a role here for governments, a social role. But in so far as the administration of cricket is concerned, governments should stay out. Cricket is big business. It requires persons with superior business acumen. Governments have never been known to possess such skills.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 06, 2016
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
President Granger and the press: What the future holds? President Granger told journalists at the media brunch last Sunday that while he would appreciate critical examination of his government, he would expect truthful reporting. Almost all the leaders of almost all the countries in history, started out with the appreciation of the importance of the media but as power settled, the divide became inevitable. So the question is asked; could the two have an enduring working relation? My answer is no. I believe there is an inherent contradiction between the Fourth Estate and the power establishment, and the reason for that is because of the nature of power. I remember the media’s cheerleader for candidate Obama in 2008 was Rachel Maddow of MSNBC. But in 2009 she roasted President Obama for his policy of retaining thousands of troops in Iraq after he declared the war had ended and the troops were coming home. The Obama Government actually asked to see what the New York Times would be reporting on the Snowden tapes. The Times refused the
request (see NYT online edition, Sep. 6, 2013; story by Margaret Sullivan). One of the most infamous confrontations between a government and the press in the 21st century took place under the watch of Prime Minister Tony Blair of the UK. The lowest point in that relationship was Blair’s opaque role in supporting the Iraqi War. The term, “sexing up a document” has become a common jargon in reporting on governmental scandals. The BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan first used the term in exposing Blair’s press secretary, Alistair Campbell’s use of dramatic embellishment in the dossier on Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq to support Blair’s endorsement of President Bush’s decision to go to war. In one of his early interviews after he demitted office, Blair referred to the press as ‘feral.” But was the press feral or was it the reporting on the use of power by Blair that caused Blair to use that adjective? Blair conveniently forgot when he used his “feral” remark that the biological warfare scientist, David Kelly committed suicide after the
BBC pressured Gilligan to name his source; Gilligan named Kelly. Kelly’s death was the greatest tragedy of Blair’s tenure in office. It comes back to the inherent contradiction between power and the press. When Gilligan exposed Campbell, it was a terrible blow to Blair’s effort to go to war. From thereon, the relation between Blair and the British media deteriorated. Could a Prime Minister or President maintain a correct, friendly and cordial relation with the press if reporting on their secret ways, lack of transparency, refusal to be forthcoming, downright withholding of public information, constant evasions of answers characterize their use of power? Just within months of its life in office, the Stabroek News accused the government of dilution of the Cummingsburg Accord. This newspaper has reported on questionable attitudes on some sensitive issues, one of which is the situation at GPL. There was a little spat between PM Nagamootoo and the Chronicle. There is the Simona Broomes reshuffle.
This columnist believes that the extension of the barriers around Parliament against the background of both APNU and AFC voting for their removal in 2012 is unacceptable. The Coalition needs to offer an explanation. Herein lies my greatest fear – the deterioration of the relationship between the Granger Administration and the press when explanations are frowned upon or bluntly refused to be offered. The press then has to report, and in reporting without governmental explanations available, mistakes are liable to be made. When mistakes are made the power establishment blames the media, but politicians don’t blame themselves for
their evasive habits. I think one of the uneasy things in the relationship between the Fourth Estate and the corridors of state power is that the media is constantly lectured on its responsibility, the need to be factual, awareness of the damage the media can cause, the vigilance to check before rushing to print. But the press is not allowed to lecture the power establishment on the humane use of power. Why should the media be responsible when the use of power is irresponsible? There is no doubt in my mind that David Granger is a committed nationalist, a decent man, and a politician who wants to do good for his country. But he is a politician
Frederick Kissoon nevertheless. He exercises power over an entire country. And power has its inherent psychic limitations. Power has its Freudian fears. Power has its irrational side. Mandela ran from it. Gandhi stayed away from it. Gorbachev turned his back on it. Only time will tell how David Granger handles it. The media’s role should always remain that of the watchdog.
No plans to implement “six months deposit” for disconnected customers - GPL The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) has assured it has no intentions to implement measures that will see disconnected customers paying up to six months or more on average monthly to be reconnected. The state-owned company was responding to questions and concerns over recent advertisements in Kaieteur News and other newspapers where consumers were warned about the pitfalls of disconnection. The notices immediately sparked concerns about the ability of customers to pay six months security when they could not even pay their bill for one month, with the likelihood that electricity thefts would see a rise. Not so, says GPL in a statement. The company explained that the Standard Terms and Conditions (STC) for Electric services (The Forth Schedule to GPL’s Licence) provides clear guidance to the agreement for electric services between GPL and its customers. The STC was one of the legal instruments that was amended in October 2010. Under the amended
GPL’s CEO (ag), Colin Welch Section 4.9, GPL is allowed in its sole discretion to require a post-paid customer who was disconnected to pay a security deposit greater than $20,000 or up to six months of the company’s estimate of the average monthly charges for any two-month period. GPL, however, insisted that while it has the powers under the amended regulations, it never had cause to implement it. “Even though the amended STC of October 2010 makes provision for this requirement, our company wishes to emphatically state
that it has never instituted this legal requirement and will not institute such a requirement without adequate notice to customers.” GPL also apologized, in its statement, for any misconceptions that the disconnection notice may have caused. Yesterday, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) expressed concern over the notice and in a statement, called on the company to rethink the implementation of this plan as a condition for reconnections. “If our people have difficulty in paying their monthly electricity bills, how will they be able to pay a deposit of six months for the reconnection of the service? We have to distinguish between hardship and tampering or fraud. We must have a social conscience and not impose a greater hardship.” Last week, both Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson and GPL’s Chief Executive Officer (ag), Colin Welch, assured that the six-month assessments will not be implemented, although it is in the regulations.
GPL Headquarters on Main Street, Georgetown.
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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$2.5M broadcasting fee to be lowered By Abena Rockcliffe The Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) has seemingly begun to accelerate its working pace. The body is now moving to lower the fee attached to broadcasting. The Board had set up a subcommittee to look into matters relating to licencing. That committee is referred to as the Legal matters, fees and licencing subcommittee. It is chaired by Veteran Broadcaster, Mr. Anthony Vieira. Other members include Mrs. Ameena Gafoor, Director Mr. Vic Insanally, Director Ms. Abiola Wong-Inniss, Ms. Debra Barrow-Graham and Mr. Michael Forde (Technical Advisor). Forde and BarrowGraham are not members of the Authority’s board, but are members of the subcommittee. The committee was mandated to deliberate on all matters relating to licencing and report to the board. During a recent interview with Kaieteur News, Vieira informed that the committee has decided to lower the fee. He said that it would have been somewhat premature for him to give the exact figure that the fee has been reduced to, since it is yet to receive final approval and be gazetted.
Vieira was sure however that “broadcasters will be happy with the new fee.” Currently, broadcasters are mandated to pay two fees - one to the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) and the other to the Authority. Vieira said that broadcasters will no longer have to pay the two fees as there will be just one broadcasting fee. Further, the committee has decided to set zones. Vieira said that it was always understood that a broadcaster operating in Georgetown will have access to a far bigger market place as compared to a broadcaster operating in Berbice, “So we have decided that we will make Georgetown a primary zone.” The Chairman indicated that there will now be four zones - Primary, secondary, tertiary and community. Each of these zones will have its own fee attached. The secondary zone will attract a fee half of that of the primary territory, half as much as the secondary, and community half the fee attached to tertiary. “It is very simple, maybe next year we will get more creative, if necessary. But we have done the same thing for radio; the zones have been set up all the way down to
Anthony Vieira the community level.” In giving examples of how the zones will be separated, Vieira said that Georgetown will be considered a primary zone and will be the only primary zone. New Amsterdam, Charity and Bartica will be considered secondary zones while Linden and Lethem will be considered tertiary zones and locations like Mahaica will be considered community zones. Vieira told Kaieteur News, “Unlike the previous regulators, we visualize regulations which are in the public interest. It is not in the interest of anybody to have a station operating in Georgetown which can be
Drowned sailor identified
The boat (at right) on which Shahabudeen Haniff and others were working. The sailor whose body was retrieved from the Berbice River has been identified as Shahabudeen Haniff of Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara. The remains of the 49year-old man were found in the net of a fishing vessel that was working in the vicinity of the Berbice River, on Monday. The deceased was a member of the crew of fishing boat Esperanza 110
that had sailed on December 30, 2015 from a wharf at New Hope, East Bank Demerara for the Berbice area. Haniff’s family declined to comment on the passing of their loved one. A relative of the dead man told Kaieteur News that they have been receiving conflicting information surrounding the death of Haniff. The relative said that the ideal persons to get
information from about Haniff’s death were his crew members. However, the captain for the vessel and several of the dead man’s co-workers refused to speak with the media. Kaieteur News understands that the crew members are assisting the police with investigations. A Post Mortem examination will be performed on the body today.
seen on South Road but not on North Road, or in Kitty but not in Alberttown. Therefore, when we give a licence we are going to insist—and I have already studied what kind of equipment we will use to determine the pattern of the broadcast—We are going to insist that if we give a licence to Georgetown and its environs, the area must be covered. Vieira said that that will become part of the licence issued to broadcasters. “Obviously we are introducing a new system and people will have to apply to become a broadcaster under these new conditions.” He said, however, that the main concern of the subcommittee, as well as the GNBA, is to serve in the best interest of the public. “We cannot serve the public’s interest if people have to have all sorts of fancy contraptions to view the channels.”
To ensure maximum efficiency from TV broadcasters, the GNBA will be instructing that all broadcasters operating in primary, secondary and tertiary zones will have to use towers no higher than 300 ft. and must transmit 1000 watts. He said this will go out 30 miles to cover all the people in the permitted area. The stations in the community zones will have to erect towers no higher than 50 ft. so they will reach out five miles out in all directions. “Obviously, someone living close to the transmitter will need a smaller antenna than a guy living farther away, but we are going to be insisting that the broadcasters seek to distribute the signal according to a plan that we have,” said Vieira. The Board member said that previous regulators use to be preoccupied with the kind of broadcast equipment
that broadcasters have to buy, “but it makes no sense, because people write down all sorts of fancy stuff that they are buying. But then they do not buy any of those things; they go and buy the cheapest piece of junk they can find. We just want to make sure that when we give a licence to a guy within a certain zone, he is broadcasting to all the people living in that zone. Noting that the “300 ft. tower is a good idea,” Vieira stressed that it is not being put into place just to be difficult, “it is not to give broadcasters a hard time”. “It is a limitation to avoid interference in broadcasting in New Amsterdam which may interfere with broadcasting in Georgetown somewhere in the middle…maybe at Mahaica.” He said that the stipulations will illuminate all such possibilities of interferences.”
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Despite falling oil prices, GPL unlikely to drop tariffs By Leonard Gildarie Despite the fact that world oil prices continue to plummet, it is unlikely that the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) will drop its tariffs anytime soon.
As of yesterday, prices remained under US$40 per barrel on the world market with analysts predicting no significant rise within the first quarter of 2016. For GPL, last year’s prices
fell from over US$131 per barrel of light fuel oil to US$87 while heavy fuel oil from US$86 in 2014 to US$50. In total, fuel costs halved from $20B in 2014 to $10.9B, not an insignificant amount.
On Thursday, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, who is charged with responsibility for the energy sector was questioned about the possibilities of a tariff drop, and he stated that this was unlikely. The minister was at the time, along with heads of the agencies under his watch, briefing the media about performances over the past year. Patterson and the Ministry of Finance have been examining GPL’s accounts for the past year. He noted that in 2015, Government did not plug in any cash bailouts to GPL to offset losses from high fuel in previous years. The company is badly in need of equipment, likely to cost upwards of $7.5B. (approx. US$37.5M), and it is the plan to invest in these, the Minister disclosed. It is unlikely also that Government this year will also
Minister David Patterson announce any cash help for the power company, which now boasts over 181,000 customers across the coastland, as revenue from the lower fuel prices on the world market has helped the finances. Rather, the internal revenues of GPL will be used to buy the equipment. According to Minister
Patterson, it would have been irresponsible to lower tariffs and when prices go up for fuel for GPL to come for a bailout. He also said that GPL has not made a windfall from the fuel savings as it was a lossmaking entity of the state. GPL’s revenues last year rose to $32.5B from $31.7B in 2014. In 2015, the number of customers for prepaid meters moved from 46,869 to 49,004. It appears that consumption of power went up too, with GPL recording 522,944 megawatt hours as against 493,592 from 2014. With a US$36M new power plant at Vreed-enHoop, West Bank Demerara, in operations just over a year ago, GPL is sitting comfortable for now with excess power to spare. A number of multi-billiondollar projects are underway to improve efficiency with the changing of transformers and new metering technology.
GPL will be using fuel savings from lower world prices to buy much needed equipment, Govt. says.
Three firms vie for consultancy on upgrade of Regional Hospitals The upgrade works to be done on three hospitals - Suddie Hospital, Region Two; Bartica Hospital, Region Seven and the West Demerara Regional Hosiptal, Region Three - are pushing ahead, with three consultancy firms submitting price proposals yesterday. During the Ministry of Finance’s National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) session yesterday, bids were opened under the Ministry of Public Health for these projects.
The move, to help with the “overcrowding problem” at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), was recently announced by Public Health Minister, Dr. George Norton. He had stated that through the upgrade works, these institutions will have the necessary resources and advanced equipment to deal with health issues in various regions. The upgrade will be funded by the Indian Government through the Modernization of Primary Health Care System project. Apart from the physical construction, the grant from the Indian Government will also cater for medical equipment that would be needed to take the hospitals to where the Ministry wants them to be in 2016. Trevor Thomas, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Health had said that the hospitals would form a part of a comprehensive programme to “strengthen primary health care.” It is understood that the upgrades will encompass additional beds and
establishment of a station for nurses at the hospitals, among other upgrades. Earlier this year, Norton had visited several hospitals and expressed his dissatisfaction with the way they were being operated, the state of their infrastructure and the nonavailability of key medical equipment. Among the hospitals the Minister visited were the Bartica, Suddie and West Demerara Regional Hospitals. The Minister had said that at the Suddie hospital, the operating theatre was not functioning due to sloppy work done by the contractor. Several parts of the hospital’s roof were leaking and the electrical work at the building was poorly done. Kaieteur News understands that maintenance will also be completed on the West Demerara Regional Hospital’s outpatient facility, its laboratory and X-ray department and administrative building. Upgrades will also include restructuring and construction of theatres and provision of modernized medical equipment.
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 21
No acts of piracy, less river deaths recorded last year - MARAD
MARAD’s Director-General Claudette Rogers
The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) saw a reduction of 21.7% in total marine deaths for the year 2015. This was disclosed during the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s performance review last week by Director General, Claudette Rogers. The decline was attributed to a number of safety
Labourer refused bail on narcotics charge Ryan Barker, a labourer was on Monday remanded to prison by Magistrate Fabayo Azore when he appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts charged for the possession of an illegal substance. Barker, 29, of 5B Dowding Street, Kitty, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the allegation which stated that on January 1, at Georgetown he had 30 grams of cannabissativa (marijuana) in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. Barker will return to court on January 28. Police Prosecutor Simone Payne told the court that Police Ranks were on patrol in the area and approached Barker. According to the Prosecutor, the defendant was caught by the police throwing away a package. The police retrieved the package and found a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems
Plans apace to strengthen... (From page 6) is so easy to fix the children but it is difficult to fix the parents, it would take a lifetime sometimes to fix the parents because of the dysfunction”. She pointed out that there are at least four areas that have been known to affect parents. Primary among these, she said, is that of parents’ mental health state. And according to her, some parents are not enjoying good mental health, a state of affairs which could have a dire impact on children. The negative impact is also realised when parents indulge in substance abuse, alcoholism and domestic abuse, Greene added. “We must be able to provide more resources for families so that they can better be able to take care of their children,” stressed the CPA Director, as she spoke of plans to build staff capacity since there is a current shortage. Once this is realised, Greene expressed optimism that the Agency will be poised for even more favourable results this year.
suspected to be cannabis. Payne said that Barker was told of the offence committed, arrested and charged. Attorney Peter Hugh, who represented the defendant, told the court that his client should be admitted to bail because the Camp Street Prison is overcrowded. He also pointed out that the illegal substance was found in the grass.
precautions, the MARAD official said. In 2014, the total number of boat accidents totaled eight while in 2015 the number dipped to five. Also for last year, the number of incidents recorded dropped from 16 to 12 when compared to 2014. 2015 recorded no reported act of piracy when compared to the 2014 which recorded four, according to the report. However, the accidents that occurred were as a result of unlicenced boats and operators. As a result of the accidents, 207 life jackets were distributed to all 10 administrative regions while MARAD helped in promoting safety awareness, particularly in schools. In addition, the United States Coast Guard, in collaboration with MARAD, held a capacity building training for security officers. The report also showed that of the $223.690M budgeted
for the department in 2015, the sum of $217.690M was utilised by the end of the year. For 2016, Rogers is hopeful of accomplishing a number of goals in building the capacity of the administration. These include the placement of buoys at the Berbice, Essequibo and
Demerara Rivers. Further, all efforts will be made to revive the National Maritime Security Committee. MARAD is working to establish safety centres in various regions around Guyana. Marine Cadets will also receive training on vessels ranging from 50-80
metres in length. They are expected to be qualified mates by the second half of this year. MARAD’s 2015 report also showed that Guyana signed an agreement with Barbados to provide training of pilots and engineers in 2016.
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Kaieteur News
WANTED OFFICE CLERK WITH EXPERIENCED, CXC, C O M P U T E R S KNOWLEDGE AND GENERAL OFFICE WORK, POLICE CLEARANCE. RUIMVELDT. TEL: 2318529 SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, C a n a da & UK; Guyana Passport application. Graphics design, Advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building. visadocumentsgy@ y a h o o . c o m . Call: 2256496, 662-6045 REPAIRS & SPARE, FRIDGE, FREEZER, A/C, WASHERS, STOVES – CONTACT NICK: 6831312, 627-3206 INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer-Call: 231-0655; 683-8734. Omar Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezersCall:629-4946 or 225-4822 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Desmond Repair Services Fridge, AC, gas stove, microwave, washer, etc on the spot repairs –Call: (592)678-8683; 687-9709
WANTED Damage batteries in any quantity, best price offeredCall: 696-5728, 656-2783, 6225941, 648-9395, 223-1111 Contract cars, dispatchers and hire cars (paid salary)Call:219-4086; 219-4087 Attractive waitress-Call: 6702323 1 Experienced male to look after layer birds in the Interior. Call: 678-0565 1 Experienced cook for a family in the Interior. Call:6780565 One domestic to work at Lusignan, 2 to 3 half days a week –Call: 220-0302 Two experienced waitressesCall: 627-5607 One Carburetor for Toyota Crown, 6 cylinders 2200 cc 2M engine- Call: 218-1806; 619-0757 One live in maid-Call: 6683985; 264-2563 One live in Domestic- Must know to cook, $55,000 monthly-Call: 661-8673; 6615992 One nail technician: apply in person with written application to Zytech Building Regent Street. Call: 225-0563 1 Experienced diesel/ gasoline mechanic to work in the Interior- must also know to drive & weld –Call:6802702/661-4265 Female housekeeper/cook, must be between 40-55, valid police clearance/ reference –Call: 656-3429 Live in domestic, must know to cook Indian dishes & also baking. Salary $80,000 monthly-Call: 610-3974
BOND WORKERS FOR WAREHOUSE, STRONG, FASTANDALERT. POLICE CLEARANCE A MUST. RUIMVELDT. TEL: 2318529 Wanted land to buy at Parfaite, Tuschen, Providence, Diamond, Eccles, Uitvlugt, best price pay-call: 604-6724 Computer literate person, CXC passes in Mathematics & English, apply with written application @ Trophy Stall (Bourda Market). Live in waitress to work in a bar- Call: 604-6606 One graphics artiste & junior technician- Call: 223-4555; 695-2199 Landscape maintenance team seeks hardworking, reliable workers, ages 17-35; on the job training. Call: 219-0468 Live in couple: husbanddriving & mechanical skill & wife: domestic. Excellent rates. Call: 227-1830 Experienced Pastry Maker/ Cake Decorator, counter servers, roti/puri cooks, Apply @ Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce Street. One tailor or seamstress- Call: 673-0373
Newly constructed 2 bedrooms apartment in a healthy and s a fe environment –Call: 6986496; 677-6638 One bottom flat 3 bedrooms to rent at Eccles. Call: 6727756 or 694-3421 Eccles furnished short term apartments include cable, internet, A/C, etc. Call: 2333974
1 Female cleaner apply Technical Services, Lot 18-23 Eccles Industrial Site E.B.D EXPERIENCED WRITERS, FREELANCERS OR GHOST WRITERS FOR SHORT FICTION EBOOK- GOOD PAY! TEXT ONLY: 603-0758
One 400 Cubic Ft. 10Ft. long freezer- Call: 218-1806; 6190757 Stalls 64-72: 47 feet long & 7 feet wide, section 1 LaPenitence Market, Albouystown-Call: 663-1597; 218-4837 Diving Suits-Call: 265-3449/ 613-5158 2 Mining Claims, Omai Ouratz Hill, 1 Aurora Along the 6KM Road, 1 IBM bottomside. Contact A. Thompson, telephone: 600-6057 Wholesale & Retail quantity of all types of belts –Call: 6702343 Crazy Deals: Dell/HP desktop & laptop computers from -$49,000, free games & educational programs @ FutureTech: 231-2206 33.6 Acres farm land @ Kuru Kuru Linden Soesdyke H/ way, 1 garden tiller. Call: 2257794; 679-1151 One used ATV 4 wheel motor bike, colour: yellow, 450 model, at Parfaite Harmonie, asking price -$1.5M. Call:6623350 1290 MF tractor in good work order. Call: 614-9262
One Toyota Corolla 192 Gold-Call: 694-3113
SALON -Make Up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, Black Opal, Mabelline. -Nail Technician Course Call: 647-1773/660-5257
CAR RENTAL
VACANCY Night Security- send application to: P.O. Box 10109, Georgetown, by 8th January, 2016. Immediate vacancies exist for at least 12 workers to work @ Ice Factory, MeadowbankCall: 231-1408/ 642-9191 Salesman with his own transportation-Call: 610-1111 Driver and porter for water truck-Call: 680-3863. One Cook/cleaner and one Cashier –Call: 624-0033. Accounts /Bond Clerk, apply at Alabama Trading, Georgetown Ferry Stelling Carpenters to work in Coverden, E.B.D apply at Alabama Trading Georgetown, Ferry Stelling.
DRESSMAKING Turn your flair for fashion into an exciting career or hobby. Clas s e s s t a r t i n g January –Call: 626-2629; 6766312 MASSAGE Happy Touch Day Spa: Come & Experienced heavens touch, visit us today! –Call: 690-6079
DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807 Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up rental- Call: 690-6494
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale, Grove $20M / Rent: $50,000 per month. Tel: 625-5461. Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities –Call: 662-9335; 612-3244 Two house & land for sale, excellent condition, one located at Tuschen & one at Goed-Fortuin. Call: 668-3985; 660-3235 1 Concrete house with 3 apartments @ Friendship $9M negotiable- Call: 6618700 Church and 2 storey building Lot 180 Charlotte Street Bourda-Call: 227-6817; 6247341
Caterpillar and Perkins mechanic, Excavator Operators. Contact 2235273 Gardener / handyman contact 223-5273-4 Welder/Fabricator, senior machinist, mechanic & cleaners- apply in person: Technical Services, 18-23 Eccles Industrial Site. 1 Experienced barman & chief cook –Contact Sheik on: 6219759 or Donald: 673-4628 Experienced cook, waitress, bartenders & bouncers needed @ Eden’s Bar, East Bank-Call for appointment: 652-0074 Experienced Bar/Shop worker for Ekeruku Bottom (Interior), ages 17-30yrs. Call: 231-0363 Able bodied male to work in a Hardware store-Call: 2194533; 231-2029; 616-5954 Male security, male desk staff, 25-45 years- Lot 233 South Road LacytownCall: 225-0198
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Two bedrooms house “A” Field Sophia, fully grilled off R o a d P a r k i n g , C C T V, $50,000 monthly with 2 months security-Call: 6932237; 219-0211 D’Aguiar’s Park: original house in gated community, unfurnished -$120,000 negotiable. Call: 600-2031 1-3 Bedrooms upper flat @ Section ‘A’ Diamond, H/ Scheme E.B.D, fully grilled & concrete fence with parking space- Call: 6629335; 612-3244
Live In farm worker- Call:6395577 Two sales clerk at People’s Choice Café- Call: 679-9449; 223-1645 LAND FOR SALE
PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM
Bar attendant at Cotton Club, Lot 44 Public Road Kitty. Call: 231-1908; 231-1912 One housekeeper, one babysitter, age 30-45 years. Call: 621-4999
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. 3 Storey business property on South Road, near the High Court. Call: 691-8420serious buyers
ADORABLE PUPPIES FOR SALE. CALL: 6004212
Maid and receptionist at Hilton Crest, Lot 12 Henry Street. Call: 225-9211 TO LET
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Transported land with fruit trees, fenced, fill high -$4.3M @ Richmond Essequibo Coast, next to School–Call: 682-5230; 628-9696 EDUCATIONAL Private customs brokerage, training certificate course from 2nd Feb 2016, register now & save –Call: 694-8322; 223-1506 Lessons Classes: Phonics, Reading, Composition & Mathematics- ages 4-12 years old @ Roxanne Burnham Gardens –Call: 2182076; 619-4355
Land for sale with structure at 407 Great Diamond, 8th Street front half. Call: 6533381; 609-3692 Parfaite Harmonie -$ 1.6M, 1.8M, $1.5M, 1.3M, Tuschen 11 street -$3M with foundation, Phase 2 – $1.4M, Uitvlugt -$3M, Terms available – Call: 604-6724 Continued on page 23
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 23
Letters... Where your views make the news
WHY ARE TEACHERS BEING TREATED IN THIS WAY? DEAR EDITOR, I wrote a letter in Kaieteur News on December 11, 2015 captioned, “This country has to treat teachers with a better paying system “. In that letter I asked two questions, “Why is it that teachers were given an increase in salary with effect from July 1, last year?” and “Did the teachers start working from July 1, 2015 this year?” Based on the budget presentation I learnt that all public servants will be given an increase in salary with effect from July 1. This is a new year and I haven’t seen that increase in my salary. I contacted the Guyana Teachers’ Union. The union’s representatives told me that
she questioned the officials at the Ministry on this issue and was told that teachers already received a five per cent salary increase from January. It is indeed factual that we received a five per cent salary increase from January. Most teachers are oblivious as to what increase they received. Let me make this pellucid, that five per cent increase in salary was bargained for between the union and the previous administration. At that time the now Government was totally against the low salaries given to teachers. How then can they give the same five per cent increase in salaries to teachers? It’s not an additional five per cent? I was
also informed that the union questioned this issue and was told that the Government is the Government of the country regardless which political party is in power. The previous administration bargained for a five per cent salary increase and the current administration who was the then opposition criticized that small increase. In simpler terms, they were saying if we gained power we will give something better. Where is the better increase in salary? I admit that the Government is the government of the country. However, we are now seeing the skullduggery that the previous administration was a part of.
Will this current administration follow this trend too? Since they are the government of the country. I think that phrase was used conveniently. All the other public servants benefited from the salary increase given from July 1. Why are teachers the only exception? I welcome and appreciate the bonus that was given to public servants but we were not treated in the correct manner to be deprived from the increase given by the new administration. I think this is unfair to teachers. I humbly request the authorities to let this increase be given to our teachers. They deserve it. Frustrated Teacher (name submitted)
This PPP leader has been bowled all over the place DEAR EDITOR, I read General Secretary Rohee’s respond to my letter which was in itself a response to his public statement that the PPP/C had not been invited to participate in the preparation for, and celebration of, the 50th Jubilee. In all that he has said there is no refuting that an invitation was sent and that there has been no response. He seeks to claim that he never received such an invitation but I never claimed
to have sent one to him. He built a straw house demolished it then attributed its existence to me. The letter was send to the Leader of the Opposition, albeit to Freedom House where they received and signed for it. In his press conference his reference was not to ‘him’ not being in receipt of an invitation. It was to ‘them’ presumedly the PPP/ C, the Opposition, not being invited. He failed to prove that the letter was not sent but
implicitly acknowledged that there was no response. In similar vein he acknowledged that the letter re UG Council which was also addressed to the Leader of the Opposition and delivered to Freedom House had been acted upon, while callously stating that “If that decision was not communicated to the relevant authority well that’s another matter”, how competent! In his opening salvo, Rohee talks about incompetence with a broad brush and not an iota of
BROOMES IS A VICTIM OF OLD, NASTY POLITICS DEAR EDITOR, When I read of Simona Broomes’ demotion, I was openly shocked. Beyond belief, was I shocked. If one thinks that her removal was not a demotion then they can think again. What did you do Simona? What did you do? Or should I say what you did not do. Did you not bow and Kiss the Ring? Did you not show overt respect to the new Gods that run this country? Could it be that you were getting too much ink, (publicity) in comparison to other drones? Whose toes between the untouchables in this land did you mash, that resulted in some consternation? Could it be that you overshadowed other persons, with your energy and vitality to get things done? Was it jealousy on the part of your squad-dies, who hated your dynamism? Stabroek News Editorial of 5/1/2016 states: “Broomes, would however, have had her detractors, not least, one feels, among those employers who would have been discomfited by her assertive official labour relations posture.” Discomfited by her assertive labour relations posture. Really and why? Who was Broomes representing with her insatiable labour relations posture?
And were there tangible results? Former trade unionist Mohamed Khan, in the Stabroek News of 4/1/2016. “I have never seen a fearless fighter for workers rights, such as her.” Who are her detractors? Was she doing a competent job? Is competence a qualification for being demoted? What I have found out over the years is that the old and very old PNC people often win against young people with tenacity and drive. This episode reminds me of Vanessa Kissoon losing her battle with a very senior functionary and ousted as a parliamentarian. Now we have learnt that Ms. Broomes new portfolio is her old portfolio. Which begs the question, was any vetting done to learn what politics these people know before they were seconded to various ministries? There is always a big show in this country to buffalo citizens, but in the final analysis its always business as usual. What was accomplished by Ms Broomes, in seven months was never accomplished in 23 years, and with the new person who has taken over her portfolio now; its just a big joke. In a democracy you have to stand up for what you believe and want, we need to stand up now for Simona Broomes. Milton Bruce
evidence. That’s another example of the “politricking” that I referred to in my previous letter. In cricketing parlance, Rohee has spun, been stumped and bowled all over the place. He spun on the question of to whom the letter was addressed. He was stumped through the exposure of his spinning and he was bowling all over the place. One time it is apparently incompetent to send a letter to the Leader of the Opposition thru Freedom House but a similar letter was received and acted on, and a third letter which was never addressed to him has not been received by him, as if it was intended to be received by him. There are no clarifications in Rohee’s letter but the address of the Leader of the Opposition has been noted. Rohee’s letter is an instructive lesson in Guyanese politics. Vincent Alexander Technical Facilitator to the Minister of Education
From page 22
EDUCATIONAL RISING STAR DAYCARE, KINDERGARTEN & AFTERSCHOOL CARE. Small class size: Phonics, Reading, Numeracy–Call: 690-9378s LESSONS FOR PRIMARY & SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: afterschool care, phonics, Reading, Numeracy for Children 3-7 yrs old. Call: 690-9378 Practical Electronic Course beginning 26 th January. Register early! Call: 226-6551; 225-0391
LEGAL NOTICE Application for Music and Dancing Licence (Pursuant to Section 4 of the Music and Dancing Licensing Act23:23). I, Leeuwen Adaker of Lot 1 Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara, Guyana, hereby give notice that I have applied to the Magistrate of the Georgetown Magisterial District for a new Licence under the Music and Dancing Act authorizing the granting to me a Music and Dancing Licence to Carry on the , Business of Eden Bar and Lounge at Lot 1 Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara, Guyana. Notice of any objections to this application should be sent forthwith to the Clerk of Court of the Georgetown Magisterial District and a copy of any such Notice should be sent to the subscriber Leeuwen Adaker. Dated at Georgetown, Demerara this 30th December,2015.
Notes on the...
From page 5 nevertheless forced to ask the question, as to whether or not the beam should not have been first removed from Canada’s eyes before she offered or rendered assistance to another in similar circumstances? Was the teaching tailored in all relevant areas to suit the existing conditions in Guyana, or was it simply a case of before none any? Did the mental health situation facing the Public Health Minister caused him to act like a drowning man clutching at any straw geared towards improvement? Hopefully, only time would tell if the team from McMaster was the last straw or possessed evident flaws. The Psychiatric Hospital is being modernized, and once completed who will rate, evaluate and facilitate the learned and the learning? Yvonne Sam
VEHICLE FOR SALE One Axela Mazda -$1.550 negotiable, one Nissan Titan, one Audi A4; all vehicles in excellent condition-Call: 665-3038; 226-4356 Noah & Voxy in ‘G’ series, fully loaded, never registered -$1.7M –Call: 617-2891 Toyota Fortuner 2012 yearCall: 624-6702 New model RAV 4 4X4 $2.5M, Mazda Axela -$1.5M, good for bank purchase (both excellent condition) – Call: 220-6380; 639-2490 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 Tacoma- Call: 680-3154 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 Fantasy Auto Sales: X-trail 2008, Mitsubishi RVR 2010, Audi A4, pre-ordered vehicles & get $100,000 discount. Call: 611-1833 1 Toyota Hilux Pickup single cabs; GGG $1.3M negotiable, excellent condition, long base- Call: 675-2650 Tractor Massey Ferguson from Canada : MF165 -$1.7M, MF -$135M -$1.1M, MF265$2.2M, Tundra -$1.9M, Tacoma 2005-$2.3M- Call: 682-5230, 628-9596 1 New model Raum, PPP series, 1 Toyota Spacio, PPP Series –Call: 649-2354 2-Unregistered new model Toyota Tacoma: step, alarm, crash bar, bed covering, dark & light blue colour. Call: 6956461; 639-7758 1 Jailing Motorcycle 70HP $40,000 –Call: 648-2356
ACCOMMODATION Harmony Inn Apartments: accommodation, internet, hot & cold water, 24hrs tea/ coffee, $5,000-$10,000 –Call: 668-0306; 218-1400; 6947817
Page 24
Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 06, 2016
THE VOICE OF THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
Youths and the working class are not spectators to the development of Guyana By Sase Singh Agriculture remains at the heart of Guyana’s peoplecentered development. The Agriculture Strategy for 20132020 clearly illustrated that in addition to the 4-Ps (pumpkin, pepper, pineapple and plantains), there was supposed to be a renewed focus on the 5-Cs (citrus, cassava, coconut, cocoa and cattle). In that mix is coconut. The grand strategy outlined for the coconut industry is to “re-engineer with a new orientation of value-added products”. With some 24,000 hectares (60,000 acres) under coconut cultivation, there is enough evidence that the cultivated land is there. H o w e v e r, p r o d u c t i o n remains poor. In 2013, Guyana produced some 23,000 coconuts compared to a production of 92,000 coconuts in 2010. Of that 23,000 coconuts harvested, some 10,000 were processed and exported in various forms, bringing in revenue of US$3 million. This simple illustration reveals that Guyana has the potential to harvest over 100,000 coconuts and export various forms of value added products such as bottled coconut water, copra, copra meal and other by-products which can generate more than US$20 million of cash inflows for the economy. In the 2015 Budget, the
Minister of Finance outlined a vision to grow the nontraditional agriculture sector by 25 percent by 2020 and to increase agro-processing of these products by 50 percent. Production of valued added coconut products will form an integral part of this strategy and the Hope Coconut Estate has a role to play. But this will not be accomplished until and unless we get the operations at the Hope Coconut Estates right. With the election of the new Government, a new Board chaired by one Iamei Aowmathi (the head of the BAKJA Movement, a place of alternative / herbal medicines) was appointed. The government through the Official Gazette appointed him non- Executive Chairman. The role of a non- Executive Chairman is very different from the CEO and this, I suspect, is the cause of the administrative frustration on the estate. HOPE is a very small government Corporation, with revenue of around G$13 million logged in 2014 (inclusive of a government subvention of G$3 million). Hope Estates just contribute about 2 percent of revenue to the industry. So why is a two percent company developing into a gross embarrassment for the APNU+AFC Government? LACK OF BASIC CORPORATE GOVERNANCEAT HOPE The non-executive Chairman is not responsible for the day-to-day
management of the company; rather he chairs the Board meeting, presents the agenda, and generally manages the board meeting. I suspect in the absence of Hope Coconut Estate having a CEO, the non-executive Chairman in a most uninformed and illegal manner assumed the seat of CEO. Until the Minister of Agriculture or Permanent Secretary issues a letter in writing appointing the nonexecutive Chairman as the Executive Chairman / Chief Executive Officer, he cannot function in that role. I strongly suspect that since June 2015, there may have been some expenditure made in the name of the Corporation that are illegal and in clear violation of the mandate provided by the Public Corporation Act. I am therefore calling on the Office of the Auditor General to conduct a special transactional audit on the books of this Corporation. The Accountant must know that the Fraud Squad of the Police can also be called in by the Office of the Auditor General and, therefore, must understand that the non-Executive Chairman of the Hope Coconut Estate cannot instruct him or her to make payments since that is not in the legal mandate of a nonexecutive Chairman. Only the head of operations at the Hope Coconut Estate can so instruct. WHO IS HEADING THE
OPERATIONS AT HOPE? The law provides for the most senior paid full-time officer at HOPE to run the operations until a CEO is appointed. That person shall lead the paid team and is responsible for the day-today management of the organization. This person should be invited to the Board meeting as an ex-officio member. So let us make this clear – the Board is responsible for policy, the Management is responsible for the day-today operations. The Board Members are paid a stipend and should not have a fixed office space in the organization (they are compensated visitors); while the Management Team has fixed office space in the organization (they are paid full-time workers). Therefore, the Minister of Agriculture has a responsibility and a duty to fix this MESS at HOPE COCONUT ESTATE; it reflects badly on him. On one hand he has appointed an Administrative Manager to join the existing team (Accountant, Ranger and so on) to run the day-to-day affairs of the organization and on the other hand, he recommends the appointment of a Board to supervise policy. It is clear someone in the organization has not gotten the Minister’s Memo or is acting on advisement contrary to the Minister’s instructions and challenging the Minister’s directions. Is
this a test case of the strength of the Coalition? LASTLY BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY It has been reported in the Guyana Chronicle that the Board issued a notice to the farmers who are working the leased lands at HOPE, informing them that the lease rates have increased from $2,000 per acre to $15,000 per acre. That is an increase of some 650 percent. Again, the Board makes policy; the paid management executes the policy. It appears that this BOARD is judge, jury and executioner and seems to be drawing their assumed power from sources outside of the Ministry of Agriculture? I would advise the farmers to reject this unauthorized imposition; they must take their protest to the Ministry of Agriculture and the news media since this is classic class oppression. This increase has to be gazetted and until and unless it is gazette (meaning sanctioned by the Minister), it is an illegal increase. This increase in rates illustrates a clear act of a class struggle against the pettybourgeois who now dominate the ruling class. Where are the fighters for the poor and the working class in this Government? Is this what the 50.3 percent of the Guyanese population voted for, a continuation of class oppression? Was this increase in the lease rates politically sanctioned? How on earth can we ask
Sase Singh these poor farmers to pay this hefty tax, most of whom occupy under five acres of land, but we cannot impose a functional Property Tax system on those who have huge amounts of land and property in Guyana? Would the PPP do this to the farmers of HOPE Estate? Guyanese are watching. The more the Minister plays coy with this issue, the more it will engulf him. I am sensing much tactical cunningness is at play here as the petty bourgeois rulers take an eclectic position on these issues where the taxes on the poor agricultural class become oppressive and the wages increases for agricultural workers are all but paltry. There is a method to the madness. And we thought Jagdeoism died in May 2015? Pockets of it are alive and well today. I trust President Granger will arrest these Jagdeoites in his Government; the sooner the better, before they destroy what he is trying to achieve.
SARU probes local... (From page 3) reasons it wasn’t used, was the lack of skills and technical staff to implement the work the legislation was intended to do, but that is just speculation on my part.” The UK expert emphasized that an anticorruption body is a “positive move” as it will not only thwart corruption, but also “strip illegal assets from those who are involved in it.” He noted however that it will take time, “so the people must have patience and not expect results tomorrow.” Horne explained that he will be focused on examining Guyana’s systems in place for fighting corruption and gathering other information. At the end of this exercise, he will make recommendation for Guyana’s State Asset Recovery Unit’s (SARU) transition to being the country’s formal anticorruption body.
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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MPs to debate petition seeking Obama, wiping tears, makes ban on Trump, no vote planned new push to tighten gun rules Reuters - MPs are to hold a debate on a petition signed by more than half a million people calling for U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to be barred from Britain after his proposal to stop Muslims entering the United States. The debate, called by the Petitions Committee of the lower house of parliament, will be held on Jan. 18 but will not be followed by a vote. The British government responds to all petitions that gain more than 10,000 signatures and topics are considered for parliamentary debate if they reach 100,000. “By scheduling a debate ... the Committee is not expressing a view on whether or not the government should exclude Donald Trump from the UK,” said committee chairwoman Helen Jones. “As with any decision to schedule a petition for debate, it simply means that the committee has decided that the subject should be debated,” she said in a statement. “A debate will allow a range of views to be expressed.”
Donald Trump Last month Trump, a billionaire developer and frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, prompted international outrage with his call for a ban on all Muslims entering the United States. His comments followed a shooting spree by two Muslims who the FBI said had been radicalised. British Prime Minister David Cameron said the comments were “divisive, unhelp-
ful and quite simply wrong”. His finance minister George Osborne said Trump’s comments flew in the face of the founding principles of the United States but that banning him from Britain was not the best way to respond. Britain is a close ally of the United States, including in the Western military campaign targeting Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria. Trump owns two golf courses in Scotland which he visited in 2015. In the past, people have been banned from entering Britain for fostering hatred that might provoke inter-community violence. The petition said: “If the United Kingdom is to continue applying the ‘unacceptable behaviour’ criteria to those who wish to enter its borders, it must be fairly applied to the rich as well as poor, and the weak as well as the powerful.” It was launched by Suzanne Kelly, a Scottishbased campaigner and longtime critic of Trump’s latest golf course in Aberdeenshire.
Reuters - Wiping back tears as he remembered children killed in a mass shooting, President Barack Obama yesterday ordered stricter gun rules that he can impose without Congress and urged American voters to reject progun candidates. Obama made it clear he does not expect gun laws to change during his remaining year in office, but pledged to do what he can to make gun control a theme in the months leading up to the November election to replace him. In a powerful address in the White House, surrounded by family members of people killed in shootings, Obama’s voice rose to a yell as he said the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms needed to be balanced by the right to worship, gather peacefully and live their lives. Obama has often said his toughest time in office was grappling with the December 2012 massacre of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. “Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad,” Obama said, tears roll-
Barack Obama
ing down his cheek. “That changed me, that day,” he said, after being introduced by Mark Barden, whose 7-year-old son was killed in the shooting. “My hope earnestly has been that it would change the country.” After that tragedy, the Democratic president failed to persuade Congress to toughen U.S. gun laws. He
has blamed lawmakers for being in the thrall of the powerful National Rifle Association gun lobby group. Obama, comparing the issue to the great civil rights causes of his time, is set to discuss gun violence again during a live televised town hall on CNN tomorrow, and during his State of the Union address next Tuesday.
‘We are not natural-born enemies of Iran,’ Saudi U.N. envoy says Reuters - Saudi Arabia said on Monday it would restore ties with Iran when Tehran stopped meddling in the affairs of other countries and pledged that Riyadh would continue to work “very hard” to support bids for peace in Syria and Yemen despite the spat. Saudi Arabia cut all ties with Iran on Sunday following the kingdom’s execution of prominent Shi’ite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Protesters in Iran and Iraq marched for a third day to denounce the execution. When asked what it would take for ties to be restored, Saudi U.N. Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi told reporters: “Very simple - Iran to cease and desist from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, including our own.” He added, “If they do so, we will of course have normal relations with Iran. We are not natural-born enemies of Iran.” On Monday, Bahrain and Sudan cut all ties with Iran, following Riyadh’s example. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told Reuters Riyadh
would also halt air traffic and commercial relations between the rival powers. Jubeir blamed Iran’s “aggressive policies” for the diplomatic action, alluding to years of tension that spilt over on Saturday night when Iranian protesters stormed the kingdom’s embassy in Tehran. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), home to hundreds of thousands of Iranians, partially downgraded its relations but the other Gulf Arab countries - Kuwait, Qatar and Oman - stayed above the fray. Shi’ite Iran accused Saudi Arabia of using the attack on the embassy as an “excuse” to sever ties and further increase sectarian tensions. Crude importer China declared itself “highly concerned” with the developments, in a rare foray into Middle East diplomacy. The United States and Germany called for restraint. Russia offered to mediate an end to the dispute but a U.S. senior State Department official said Iran and Saudi Arabia must work out their differences themselves.
Protesters holding pictures of Shi’ite cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr are pushed back by Iranian riot police during a demonstration against the execution of Nimr in Saudi Arabia, outside the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Tehran. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Govt. clarifies Ministerial portfolio Ever since President David Granger announced that Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes would be assuming responsibility for public telecommunications, the news spread that the government had scrapped the Tourism Ministry. Yesterday, a government spokesman explained that the tourism portfolio remains in effect. It has twinned with the public telecommunications portfolio. The ministry will now be known as the Ministry of
Public Telecommunications and Tourism with Cathy Hughes as the Minister. The spokesman said that the tourism sector remains a high level priority focus area for the Government and Minister Hughes will continue her
w o r k i n b u i l d i n g and strengthening this sector, positioning Guyana as one of the world’s leading ecotourism destinations. The portfolio for Public Information remains with Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.
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Wednesday January 06, 2016
Indian defence minister - six militants killed in air base operation Reuters - Indian security forces have killed six militants who launched an assault on a military air base in northern India that killed seven security personnel and injured 22, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said yesterday. Speaking at the air base, Parrikar declined to say definitively that no more militants were at large until the four-day-old operation to clear the facility was over. He
said those efforts could end as soon as today. While praising Indian security forces for eliminating the attackers, Parrikar also alluded to “some gaps” in security that allowed the attackers to reach the base in the northwestern state of Punjab. It has emerged that the militants hijacked a police officer’s car but that his call to a colleague, after he was dumped by the roadside, was
not taken seriously. The National Investigation Agency, a central body set up to probe such cross-border attacks, is investigating. The apparently wellplanned assault on a strategic military target just 25 km (16 miles) from the border has put pressure on an attempt by prime ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif to improve historically fraught relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Pakistan will investigate leads and information provided by the government of India, Sharif’s office said in a readout of the call. Both premiers are resolved to fight terrorism together, an aide also said. According to a statement issued by the Indian government, Modi called for “firm and immediate action against those responsible for the air base attack”, based on specific and actionable information provided to Pakistan. A round of talks between the two countries’ foreign secretaries has been tentatively scheduled for Jan. 15.
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
Australia pull out of U-19 World Cup ESPNcricinfo - Australia have pulled out of the Under19 World Cup in Bangladesh starting on January 27 due to security concerns. Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said the decision was taken after advice from the government stated that the threat to Australian interests in Bangladesh was as high as when the senior team had pulled out of their tour in October last year. The ICC has invited Ireland, who were runners-up in the qualifying tournament in Kuala Lumpur in October, to replace Australia in the tournament. No other team is known to have similar plans. New Zealand Cricket confirmed that they would be going ahead with their tournament preparations as scheduled. “For some time we have been working closely with ICC security advisors and monitoring the security situation in Bangladesh and have been keeping our players, officials and the players’ parents as up to date as possible,”
Sutherland said. “Regrettably, the advice from our Government suggests that the security threat to Australians travelling to Bangladesh remains as high now as it was when we postponed the Test team’s tour of that country late last year. “Included in that is reliable information suggesting there is a high threat to Australian interests in Bangladesh and the knowledge that the Australian Government has authorised the dependents of posted diplomatic staff in Bangladesh to return home to Australia. In the end, with all of the information and advice we have received, we feel we had no alternative other than to make this difficult decision.” The ICC said it respected CA’s decision but was disappointed by it. “The ICC takes its responsibilities around the safety and security of ICC events extremely seriously,” its chief, David Richardson, said. “And taking into consideration the full and unequivocal support of the
Bangladesh government that has been afforded to us at the highest level and through all local security agencies, the advice we have received from our own and independent security experts, and the robust security plan that has been developed, the ICC remains of the view the it is appropriate for event planning to continue as scheduled. “Security plans associated with an event of this size and stature are always subject to continual review to ensure that they remain appropriate and fit for purpose, and this event is no different.” The BCB told ESPNcricinfo that it had cooperated fully with the ICC regarding security for the event, but the final decision to visit lay with individual countries. “We have given a strong security plan to the ICC and took into consideration everything it asked us to do,” Jalal Yunus, the BCB’s head of media, said. “Whether a member nation decides on coming to Bangladesh or not, is up to them.”
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FIFA ethics investigator recommends 9-year ban for Valcke
Suspended FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke (Photo: AP) ZURICH (AP) — FIFA’s ethics investigator has recommended a nine-year ban for suspended secretary general Jerome Valcke.
Valcke, whose 90-day suspension was extended for another 45 days, was implicated by a FIFA ticketing partner for using work and private email
accounts to discuss a World Cup black market ticket deal. FIFA said Tuesday that Cornel Borbely, the chairman of the investigatory chamber, concluded his report and handed his recommendations to the ethics judges. Valcke has denied that he sought cash from sales of top-category tickets for matches at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil he knew were being offered at several times face value. The FIFA code of ethics allows for charges of breach of confidentiality and loyalty, which could be levelled simply for doing official business through private email accounts.
Benn, Badree to play in Unity... (From page 29) should be in a Guyana limited overs team, are some of the local players on show. Two of the World’s top t20 players are expected to soon confirm their participation.
The organizers have also announced that ‘early bird’ tickets which are bought before match day will cost $2,000, while fans will have to pay more for tickets purchased at the gate on match
night. Tickets, which allows entry to the Stadium for all the events including the Fun day for Children, goes on sale from the middle of this month.
Advantage Liverpool as Ibe... Wednesday January 06, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Be sure to find out all you can before you commit to anything. Make changes that will enhance your appearance. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) A lot can be accomplished if you organize your time. Take the time to do your job correctly or you may find yourself looking for a new one. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Time to deal with institutional environments, government agencies, and matters of a private nature today. Start sending out those resumes. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Rewards for past good deeds will be yours. Try to curb your bad habits, and compromise if your partner gives you an ultimatum. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You are best not to retaliate if members of your household are trying to pick a fight. Listen, but don't make any rash decisions. You'll find it easy to charm members of the opposite sex today. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Opportunities to get ahead are evident. Read some books on self awareness. A quiet restful day just staying in bed or catching up on reading will be your best bet.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Don't give them the use of your credit card. Try to convince a good friend to take a holiday with you. Get some sound advice and help setting up a workable budget. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Problems with your boss could lead to unemployment. You can invest in profitable ventures. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Think of starting a new business or emotional partnership. Travel and learning should be on your agenda today. You might find group functions tiring. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Don't overspend on items for your home. Talk to superiors about problems that you feel are getting out of hand. Take the time to sort out your personal papers and doublecheck your financial investments. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may be able to impart knowledge that's innovative to those searching for a new angle. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You can bet that situations will get out of hand if you allow others to interfere. You could experience unusual circumstances and meet eccentric individuals.
(From page 25) as it was a perfect reaction from the last game (a 2-0 defeat to West Ham United). “But of course we have two bad injuries and that’s why I’m not lucky tonight.” The eight-times winners were sharp and incisive as they pinned Stoke back in the early stages although they again looked to be lacking a killer instinct in front of goal. It was substitute Ibe who broke the deadlock for the visitors, putting the finishing touch to a swift counter attack after 37 minutes. Adam Lallana beat the offside trap down the right flank and squared for Joe Allen, whose scuffed shot fell into the path of Ibe who controlled the ball neatly before dispatching his left-footed shot low into the net. Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino was denied by a lastditch tackle from Ryan Shawcross, but Stoke did finish the half with their best two chances as Marko Arnautovic headed wide and former Liverpool fullback Glen Johnson drew a good save from Simon Mignolet. Stoke brought on striker Jonathan Walters for the second half and piled men forward but created few chances from a sustained period of pressure, until the substitute pulled an effort wide in stoppage time. At the other end,
Liverpool had penalty appeals turned down when Allen and Nathaniel Clyne
were barged over in the box, while Ibe hit the side netting.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Singh, Ram cop top Awards at Soesdyke Vishnu Mandir presentation awards The Soesdyke Vishnu Mandir held its annual sports awards presentation last Saturday Night at the Mandir’s
Ghaat which was witness by its members & invitees. Heading the list of performers was former Guyana
under-15 all rounder Bhojnarine Singh who won the Best Batsman prize after scoring 1,263 runs for the
year. Naresh Ram was adjudged Best Bowler for the year with 72 wickets. Ms Camille Deokie, Director of Studies at Camille’s Institute for Business & Science Studies was honored for sponsoring the Mandir Cricket Team throughout 2015. Laloo Ram was honoured for Managing and Coaching with great dedica-
tion towards the team. The Soesdyke Vishnu Mandir will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and the Executive has planned a six-night Yagna to celebrate this occasion in June this year. Additionally the Mandir has four weekly services. Thursday evening from 19:00 hrs to 21:00 hrs (Satsang) and Friday at the
same time (Meditation), while Saturday 18:00hrs to -19:30hrs there will be Open Air Chanting to Hanuman Baba. On S u n d a y M o r n i n g 08:00hrs to 09:30hrs the youth group will do prayers, puja, Havan, Aarti will conclude with a feeding programme. All are invited to come & witness these services.
Outstanding performances highlights Rising Sun Horserace meet
Time to celebrate as connections of the Baker stable collects their accolade after champion horse Red Region claimed two victories. On a good day for horseracing a number of outstanding performances were recorded in an exciting day of racing. In the end when the dust settled it was Red Region classified L of the Charles Baker Stable of Chelsea, Mahaica, East Coast, Demerara that upstaged its more illustrious rivals to take championship honours to be crown champion horse at the Inaugural Mohammed “Nankoo” Shariff Memorial meet. The event which was staged on Sunday last at the Rising Sun Turf Club, Arima Park West Coast Berbice was held in collaboration with the Inshan Bacchus Trucking Service and Mining Company, Banks DIH Limited and Trophy Stall. Red Region owned and trained by Baker and ridden by the veteran Jockey Prem “Light Weight” Chandra was in top form as it shone brightly to destroy its opponents and take its first champion horse status. A locally bred animal, it first conquered the field to take the L class 1100M event and the $100,000 first prize from Blue Lightning, Fit to Fight and Turn about. Moving up in class as it return in the K class 1100M event with Chandra again in the stirrups, victory was easier against the bigger animals as it dusted the field to
race away with the $150,000 prize money and trophy. In the feature event, Just Call Me Boss of the Jagdeo Stable with Trinidadian Jockey Nicholas Patrick on the mount showed them who is boss as it took the feature D and lower 1400M event, its second consecutive race at the venue. The horses were off to a good start and going at terrific speed all along then into the backstretch as Diplomatic Cat of the Bacchus stable with Trinidadian Padmore came up to challenge and took the lead momentarily. Pre-race favourite, Spit Fire of the Shariff Stable with Colin Ross, had a bad start as it raced out of the gate behind. Having a lot of catching up to do, Ross was moving Spit Fire along at a searing pace and eventually caught up with the rest of the field along the far turn and came into contention down the homestretch. By then Just call Me Boss had regained the lead and as the two animals came thundering down the homestretch there were some amount of bumping but Just Call Me Boss had enough to race over the finishing line as Spit Fire came charging back to take second. The Bacchus duo of Diplomatic Cat and Unsettled took the other two placings. Precise Gold ridden by Ross of the Shariff stable is quickly
becoming a horse to watch as it easily won its second consecutive event in taking care of business in the E and lower event. Front runner Storm Bird settled for second ahead of Appealing Harvest and Big Man Boss. The win was worth $400,000 and trophy. Settling Star continued the good showing of the Shariff Racing Stable. With Ross again riding the animal came through with a spirited run down the homestretch to win the G and lower 1400M race in a close finish from Its My Choice with stable mate Campador riding in third. Quiet Storm of the Mohabir stable with jockey Ajai Sansaran had a good day as it won from gate to police in the H2 and lower 1400M race. Cat Messiah, Weekend Surprise and Princess Maya were the others that place. The winning take was $220,000 and trophy. Affinity of the De Mattos stable and ridden by Yap Drepaul was in winners row in the J and lower 1100M race as it won the $180,000 first prize and trophy ahead of De Gump, Massaquita Dr. and Red Jet. The Shariff stable took the champion stable honours with Colin Ross being adjudged the top jockey ahead of Prem Chandra. Red Region for its two wins was the top horse. (Samuel Whyte)
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Advantage Liverpool as Ibe England survive as second downs Stoke in League Cup test heads for stalemate
Jordon Ibe’s 37th minute goal at the far post gave Liverpool victory at Stoke City. (AP) LONDON (Reuters) Jordon Ibe came off the bench to drive home the winner as Liverpool took a big step towards reaching the League Cup final with a 1-0 victory at Stoke City in the first leg of their last-four tie on Tuesday. Ibe was summoned into
the action early and the winger fired home left-footed in the first half as Juergen Klopp’s side grabbed a narrow but potentially priceless advantage ahead of the return leg on Jan. 26. Liverpool’s hopes of a record-extending ninth
League Cup title were given a stern examination in the second half as Stoke piled forward in search of an equaliser. However, a makeshift defence featuring Lucas Leiva and Kolo Toure stood firm. The prize on offer is a place in the final against Manchester City or Everton who play the first leg of their semi-final at Goodison Park on Wednesday. Klopp’s delight at victory was tempered by yet more injury woe as Philippe Coutinho and Dejan Lovren succumbed to hamstring problems in a high-paced first half, while Toure was limping at the finish. “It’s a strange feeling,” Liverpool’s German coach told Sky Sports. “I’m proud (Continued on page 25)
Gayle fined for conduct in TV interview with female reporter SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Chris Gayle was fined but avoided suspension for making inappropriate comments to a female reporter in a live TV interview during a Big Bash League Twenty20 match in Australia. After scoring 41 from 15 deliveries for the Melbourne Renegades in a win over the Hobart Hurricanes on Monday night, the former West Indies captain suggested to television reporter Mel McLaughlin that the pair go out for a drink and made remarks about her appeara n c e . He added, “Don’t blush, baby” d u r i n g a n awkward pause in the interview. Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland on Tuesday joined the criticism of Gayle’s suggestive comments, saying it bordered on harassment and was inappropriate in the workplace. Renegades chief executive Stuart Coventry reacted by fining Gayle $10,000 Australian dollars ($7,300). “It was done in jest but it’s inappropriate,” Coventry said. “We had a look at some history and ... we think that this is a one-off scenario.” Coventry said Gayle was “quite surprised” when informed of the fine, which will be donated to charity. Sutherland said Gayle “got it badly wrong last night.” “It’s not a nightclub — it’s actually a workplace, it’s Chris Gayle’s workplace and it’s Mel McLaughlin’s workplace and those comments border on harassment and are
inappropriate for cricket and inappropriate for the workplace,” he said. “We are working incredibly hard to ensure cricket is a sport for all Australians — men and women, boys and girls — and we just won’t tolerate behavior that undermines that.” Sutherland said that because the Renegades had sanctioned Gayle, the veteran batsman would not face further action from Cricket Australia for this incident. Coventry and Gayle both apologized to McLaughlin, with the player defending his comments as a “simple joke.” “There wasn’t anything meant to be disrespectful or offensive to Mel. If she felt that way, I’m really sorry for that,” Gayle was quoted as saying by Australian Associated Press. “There wasn’t any harm meant in that particular way. “It was a simple joke — the game was going on. Things get out of proportion but these things happen.” McLaughlin said in a television interview Tuesday she accepted the apology and wanted to put the episode behind her, adding that she’d prefer to be talking about cricket than being at the center of a controversy. “I’ve not spoken to (Gayle) personally,” she said. “I know he issued an apology. I accept that and I just want to move on.” The BBL, one of a growing number of domestic Twenty20 tournaments helping revolutionize cricket, is a TV ratings winner in Austra-
lia and drew a crowd of 80,000 for a game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground over the weekend. As part of the broadcasts, some players wear cameras on their caps or batting helmets and are involved in live interviews during the action. Cha n n e l 1 0 h e a d o f sport David Barham was quoted by the Herald Sun newspaper as saying Gayle would no longer be fitted with a microphone for onfield comments.
South Africa’s Temba Bavuma (R) plays a shot as England’s Jonny Bairstow looks on during the second cricket test match in Cape Town, South Africa, January 5, 2016. (Reuters/Mike Hutchings) CAPE TOWN, Reuters England’s openers came through the last half an hour unscathed after South Africa declared on 627 for seven and the second test was heading for a draw on Tuesday. South Africa captain Hashim Amla made a double century and Temba Bavuma struck his maiden test hundred on the fourth day to take South Africa to within just two runs of England’s mammoth first-innings total. England reached the close on 16 for no wicket with an 18-run lead after Alastair Cook and Alex Hales negotiated six overs as South Africa sought to turn the pressure back on
the tourists after dragging themselves back into the match. Amla scored 201 and the diminutive Bavuma 102 not out as South Africa forced England to bowl 211 overs in searing heat at Newlands. It made the prospect of a result highly unlikely with just one day to play, but the hosts’ morale should be lifted after a 241-run loss in the first test in Durban and a series of mediocre results in 2015. Amla, whose captaincy had been criticised, was the cornerstone of the fightback, spending almost 12 hours at the crease and facing 477 balls. He was dropped twice
on Monday but showed impressive concentration. South Africa were still under pressure at the beginning of the fourth day at 353 for three but it was only after the third new ball was taken after lunch that England made a breakthrough when Stuart Broad bowled Amla for 201. Faf du Plessis went three balls later after making 86 off 216 balls, edging a low catch to Ben Stokes at third slip off the bowling of James Anderson. Quinton de Kock fell for a trap set for him as he pulled a ball from Broad straight to Anderson at short square leg. Bavuma played an array of attacking strokes to race to his fifty off 52 deliveries before tea and brought up his century, which included 16 fours, to earn a standing ovation from the crowd. His pulls and hooks made for an entertaining innings, although he was dropped by wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow and got away with several thick edges. Chris Morris played a good supporting role in his first test and was looking odds-on for a ton of his own before driving on the up and being caught by Root at short extra over off Steven Finn for 69. Scores: England 629 for 6 dec and 16 for 0 (Cook 8*, Hales 5) lead South Africa 627 for 7 dec (Amla 201, Bavuma 102*, de Villiers 88, du Plessis 86, Morris 69) by 18 runs.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Drastic Action Needed: Talk is not Enough By Dr. Rudi V. Webster While reading West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) response to the Caricom Sub-Committee on Cricket, I was reminded of the words of the Irish playwright, critic and social reformer George Bernard Shaw: “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.” The WICB never takes responsibility for its poor performance. It always blames everyone and everything else. Its most recent blame list includes politicians, governments, ‘academic functionaries’, former players, head coaches, current players and scarce financial resources. In the Worrell/Sobers and the Lloyd/ Richards eras when West Indies dominated world cricket, financial resources were scarcer, governments and politicians interfered more and physical resources were far inferior to what they are today. The Board’s report is a smokescreen to hide its own
Dr. Rudi V. Webster incompetence and possibly other unpleasant things. It is also a clever attempt by the Board to lead Caricom prime ministers into its trap and force them to fudge, bargain and compromise. Most of the members of WICB have good intentions to lead and develop others but they are doing poorly because they have not yet learned how to lead and develop themselves. It is very difficult to change the direction and performance of your company without first learning to change yourself. Effective leadership of others begins with good leadership of self.
Members of the Board who are unaware of the importance of leadership must understand that organizations cannot rise above the level of their leadership. When I last checked the Board’s Vision Statement it read: “To establish and sustain West Indies cricket as the sporting symbol of the West Indies and the West Indies team as the dominant team in international cricket.” And its Mission Statement: “To develop and promote West Indies cricket for the benefit and enjoyment of the West Indian people, its clients and other stakeholders by producing a consistently highquality, successful and international West Indian product.” Clearly, the Board has lost sight of its vision and mission statements. That is why our cricket development and player performance lack purpose and direction. The Board has fallen way short of its stated goals and Caribbean people no longer listen to or believe any of its declarations. The rhetoric/reality gap is far too wide. Moreover, its structures, systems, strategies, communication, measurement and feedback and operational poli-
cies are out of sync and alignment with its vision and mission. In addition, the Board’s disruptive culture of interfering with the decisions and the work of its experts and professionals, particularly in the adversarial and toxic environment that it has created, surely does not help. The West Indies team has been near the bottom of the ICC Test and ODI rankings for some time. A friend in India recently reminded me of this. He said, “Twenty years ago, no team relished playing the West Indies. Now, given a choice, teams will queue up for an easily winnable contest.” Even Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are anxious to join that queue. This show how far the West Indies cricket has sunk and how hopeless the Board has performed. This is unacceptable. Everyone involved in West Indies cricket, especially its administrators, should now be forced to put cricket development and cricket performance ahead of personal and political agendas. During the Watergate scandal, Howard Dean, one of President Nixon’s lawyers warned the president that there was a cancer within the
BCB/Ramnarine Appiah Memorial 20 overs cricket competition
Young Warriors CC crowned champions Betsy Ground Triple Star take 3rd place On a hot but breezy day in a picnic like atmosphere, The Young Warriors Cricket Club of Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice stuttered a bit before recovering to beat Canje Pathfinders in the final of the 2015 Ramnarine Appiah (Brother Appiah) Memorial 20 overs cricket competition which was played at the Cumberland Cricket Ground last Sunday. Betsy Ground Triple Stars were too good for Kendall’s Union A in the third place playoff. The matches were witnessed by a large Sunday crowd and included the wife of the late Appiah, his children, grandchildren and other relatives and friends. In the final, Canje Pathfinders batting first after winning the toss, knowing that they have a highly rated batting line up, made a disappointing 115 all out in 19.5 overs. Their most accomplished player Videsh Singh and skipper S. Badal opened the batting and they lost Badal at 12 for 1 bowled by former national youth player Balram Samaroo for 1. Singh started to look dangerous before playing a careless shot to be caught at the long off boundary off Zaheer Moakhan
for 24. Thereafter, they lost wickets regularly with only Imran Harrinandan and Kishan Gangaram contributing 19 and 25 respectively. Veteran former national senior cricketer Hubern Evans spun webs around the Pathfinders batsmen to bowl them out for 115 off 19.5 overs. Evans ended with 4 for 15 off 3.5 overs. West Indies youth player Kevin Sinclair supported with 2 for 32 off 4 overs. In reply, Berbice Under15 opener Alex Algoo looked good hitting three classy fours before he edged to the keeper for 14. The other opener, Kevin Sinclair was joined by former national youth player Balram Samaroo and together they put together a slow but assured 35 for the second wicket before losing Sinclair for 24. Rudolph Baker came and went quickly for 1 and caused panic in the Young Warriors camp. However, seasoned umpire and all rounder Zaheer Moakhan joined Samaroo and slowly calmed the nerves of the Warriors players and supporters. Together they put together an unbeaten 51 for the fourth wicket. Samaroo
and Moakhan finished unbeaten knocks of 43 and 31 respectively with their team ending on 116 for 3 off 17.3 overs. In the third place playoff earlier in the day, Betsy Ground Triple Star were inserted by the skipper of Kendall’s Union A and took full advantage of excellent batting conditions. They amassed 187 for 7 off their allotted 20 overs. Krishan Sobhai was in a no nonsense mood scoring a rapid 58. He got support from Wohmeshwar Sobhai with 22. Bowling for Kendall’s Union A, Albert Budhoo took 3 for 28 and Navendra Mangra 2 for 45. In reply, Kendall’s Union A were never in the hunt and ended on a disappointing 111 for 5 wickets off 20 overs to lose by 76 runs with Tony Garnett the only batsman offering any resistance with 55. O. Imanudin took 2 wickets for Betsy Ground Triple Star. Young Warriors CC pocketed $40,000 and a huge trophy, Canje Pathfinders $30,000 and a trophy for their effort. Betsy Ground TS collected $15,000 and a trophy with Kendall’s Union A taking away $10,000. Hubern
Evans and Balram Samaroo was the best bowler and batsman for the final respectively, while Krishan Sobhai copped the man of the match prize in the third place playoff. At the post match ceremony, Miss Appiah, granddaughter of the late Ramnarine Appiah in whose honour the tournament was played, spoke on behalf of the family and thanked the board for a well organised tournament. She made special mention of Hubern Evans and Anil Beharry for the roles they played in the success of tournament. Board representative Vicky Bharosay thanked the teams for participating. He also thanked the print and electronic media for their support. The crowd was commended for their turn out and behavior. Special thanks were in order for the management of the club for the preparation of the venue. Lastly but most importantly, he thanked Mukesh Appiah and the rest of the family for providing the sponsorship and for traveling from North America for the event. The BCB presented a certificate of appreciation to the sponsor.
presidency. We all know what happened to the president and many of his administrators. If Dean were around West Indies cricket today, he would probably give the same warning to the WICB. In assessing the effectiveness or efficiency of a company, we usually look at its input/output ratio and the processes that transform inputs to outputs. In its response to Caricom, the Board focused strongly on its inputs and paid no attention to its outputs. It submitted a long list of the ‘wonderful’ things it has done in the last few years without any reference to the results of those activities. This is a common tactic of entrenched bureaucracies. If results had been taken into account, that list would never have been included. Unfortunately the Board is committing the cardinal sin of confusing activity with results and motion with direction. It is no surprise that the WICB has attacked the Fiveperson report and has tried to point out its inadequacies. Board members probably believe that pointing out what is wrong with the report will automatically prove them right. This kind of thinking is appealing but it is based on a
false premise. This is how an eminent Caribbean luminary summed up the WICB response. “The formal response by the WICB to Caricom is entirely expected and gives Caricom the finger. It says your Panel was a joke. We are not responsible for the performance of the team that comprises well-paid adults but we already have a plan to fix things and 13 committees to help. We will do our own thing in our own time. We need your money to promote the game in schools and at the local level, not your advice.” Clearly by its words and actions, the Board has shown that it has little or no respect for Caricom prime ministers. How then can we expect it to have respect for players and the cricketing public. The people of the Caribbean are hoping and praying that Caricom will take urgent and drastic action to save and revive West Indies cricket. They expect nothing less. If the prime ministers drop the ball and disappoint the people, they too will lose their trust, respect and admiration. There is no political risk in taking drastic action but there might be great political risk in compromising or taking no action.
Builders Lumber Yard continues support for D’Andrade
Distance athlete, Lionel D’Andrade (right) receives his sponsorship package from a staffer of the Builders Lumber Yard yesterday. Builders Lumber Yard yesterday renewed its longstanding sponsorship arrangement of distance-athlete, Lionel D’Andrade, who opened his 2016 competition season last weekend with the Bigi Broki Waka second place finish in the neighbouring Suriname. The lumber yard has been supporting D’Andrade for the last decade as he continues his career as a distance athlete, based in Trinidad and Tobago. Marketing Manager of Builders’ Lumber Yard, Shivani Salim had said that they are proud sponsors of D’Andrade.
“We’ve been supporting him as one of his major sponsors over the years because we believe that he is talented and has a good career. We want to continue to support him since we believe that it is this support that will help him become the best,” Salim had said. D’Andrade thanked the company for their support over the years, stating that he hopes that their unflinching support continues since his international participation in events wouldn’t be possible without them. D’Andrade is slated to compete again this weekend.
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Ansa McAl, Mike’s Pharmacy supports Boxing Hall of Fame initiative The recently inaugurated Boxing Hall of Fame is still in its embryonic stages but sports the pictorial portrait of several of Guyana’s top boxers. The list of those pugilists deserving of the accolade is quite extensive and according to the man behind the initiative, Michael Benjamin, some of the deserving pugilists are still to be mounted, not because they have not made the cut, but because of the paucity of adequate funding. Yesterday morning, business conglomerate, Ansa McAl, handed over a check of a sizeable sum to facilitate the progression of the initiative. Businessman, Lloyd Grant, has been integral in fashioning the
framework for the mounting of the portraits and he received the requisite check from PRO (Ansa McAl), Darshanie Yussuf, at their Beterverwagting office yesterday morning. Mr. Benjamin witnessed the handing over and expressed appreciation to Ms Yussuf and the executive of Ansa McAl. The former boxing champion also visited Mike’s Pharmacy in Bel Air where the proprietor, Lakhram Singh, handed over the cheque to facilitate the mounting of Gwendolyn O’Neil’s portrait. This will be done very soon along with those of boxing stalwarts, the late, Patrick Forde, Lennox Beckles and Lennox Blackmore. Mr. Benjamin is also in
Benn, Badree to play in Unity Cricket on January 30 Early bird tickets cost $2,000
Sulieman Benn Barbadian left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn and Trinidad and Tobago’s legspinners Samuel Badree have both confirmed their participation in the in the Legacy and 007 Promotions’ Unity Cricket t20 match under lights at the Providence Stadium on Saturday January 30. The fun begins from 10:00hrs with a family fun day on the Tarmac of the Stadium while five Softball matches are set for the International venue from 11:00hrs. The 10/10 ‘Open’ Final will be contested under lights before the feature event which will include most of the Caribbean’s top t20 Cricketers, will climax the one-day event and is expected to be watched by a
Samuel Badree capacity crowd of over 15,000 fans. The 34-year-old Benn has played 26 Tests, 34 ODIs and 18 T20 Internationals, while 34-year-old Badree has participated in 22 T20s for the West Indies. The pair will join a galaxy of starts which include overseas players Ryad Emrit, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Darren Sammy, Krismar Santokie and Nicolas Pooran. Former Guyana and West Indies Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan will lead one of the teams, while players like Ve e r a s a m m y P e r m a u l , Ronsford Beaton, Leon Johnson, Christopher Barnwell, Gudakesh Motie and Jonathon Foo, who will be eager to show why he (Continued on page 25)
discussions with President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC), Peter Abdool, in respect to the compilation of a reputable group that will discuss the installation of future hall of famers.
In this photo, Lloyd Grant receives the cheque from Ms Yussuf yesterday morning at her Beterverwagting office.
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Wednesday January 06, 2016
Triple success validates wonderful year for motor racing in Guyana By Rawle Welch Despite a few administrative blunders, the sport of motor racing maintained its lofty status on the sporting calendar with another strong performance last year. The Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club, the (GMR&SC), the governing body for the sport has been a consistent high performer among sporting entities for the past five years and last year’s showing was another positive indicator that the sport is in good shape both here and within the Region. The GMR&SC was able to run off all of its planned programmes and while there were a few instances of administrative slip-ups, the general consensus was that the sport enjoyed another year of on-track success that most likely translated to free promotion for the country. Motor racing is undoubtedly amongst the most popular sport in Guyana and this is supported
A view of the massive crowd that witnessed the 2015 Caribbean Motor Racing Championship final leg in Guyana. by the fact that it usually attracts thousands of supporters from within and outside the diaspora, a development that is second to none among our traditional sporting disciplines. Its willingness to partner
with other agencies such as the Ministry of Tourism and the hotel and hospitality industries were all welcomed signals that helped propel the sport to its current standing, enjoying more support than traditional powerhouse cricket and has now become
a strong rival to football. Guyana has always been one of the most important countries in the sport regionally and while corporate support continues to ebb and flow, the sheer love for the sport among competitors has made them
resilient and willing to make personal sacrficies for the joy of competition. The Club, however, must be complimented for reviving interest in the sport which had waned somewhat following the exodus of the middle and business classes in the 70s’ and 80’s due to the economic policies of the then Government. It took shrewd planning and the re-introduction of certain categories such as the Superbike and go-karts to augment the cars and while the latter has been absent from several Meets now, the former is just as eagerly anticipated right now. The sport is now at its pinnacle, Guyana can now boast of having the reigning Group 4 and Superbike champions in Kristian Jeffrey and Elliott Vieira; two exciting young competitors who many feel will dominate their respective categories for a long time. Add to that the fact that we’ve now won the overall
Caribbeal title back-to-back and it is no wonder that the sport is enjoying good fortunes. We currently hold the three most prestigious titles in the Caribbean and should more support come motor racing way then the reality of us controlling all the categories is not improbable. Last year provided ample evidence of the local administrators desire to lead regional track racing and all that is needed now is the continued support of members of the corporate sector who’ve been there at the beck and call of GMR&SC and competitors alike and the addition of new ones to make Guyana the most dominant force in motor racing in the Caribean. Drag and endurance racing continue to grow and their success last year enabled the GMR&SC to look back with delight and validate what a wonderful year it was for the sport of motor racing.
Lady Jags committed to complete lifestyle change for the next 8 weeks By Franklin Wilson Conscious of the enormous but not insurmountable task ahead of them, the Lady Jags and Te c h n i c a l s t a f f h a v e endeavored to pull out all the stops and to do what is necessary in order to achieve even higher heights for Guyana. Being Guyana’s most successful football team, male or female is just not enough for the committed and dedicated bunch of players who will end their
first camp 2016 as they p r e p a r e for the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament which will take place in the USA, Houston Texas from February 10 – 21, next. The camp which commenced on January 1st fully funded by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) will end today and was focused on the players striving towards adopting lifestyle changes with regards to fitness, nutrition, health, working with a personal fitness coach,
Third day washed out in Sydney ESPNcricinfo - A draw in the third Test between Australia and West Indies at the SCG appears almost inevitable after the third day’s play was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Persistent rain made it impossible for the players to take the field at all, making it just the third time in the past 20 years that a full day’s play had been lost in a Test in Australia. Only 68 balls had been bowled on the second day due to the wet weather, and rain also affected the first day’s play. The forecast for the fourth day is for a shower or two, but there is unlikely to be enough rain to significantly affect the chances of play. West Indies will resume in their first innings at 7 for 248, having not yet faced a full day’s allotment of overs. Scores; West Indies 7 for 248 (Ramdin 30*, Roach 0*) v Australia.
believing in the system of play and game tactics that the Technical Staff is promoting. A total of 21 players attended camp including the latest addition to the programme, Cameo Hazlewood. GFF Technical Director Claude Bolton who is in Canada working along with Head Coach Mark Rodrigues and staff, shared his thoughts on the Lady Jags’ chances of qualifying: ”Our Short term goal is game to game planning for each specific opponent. Right now it’s our opening game against one of the top ranked countries in the world who have rightfully earned their status. Our medium range goal is to get to the semi finals and long term goal, to win that semi final game as that would qualify us for Rio. These are very ambitious goals as we will be playing against very good teams, but we have worked hard and are doing our best with what limited resources we have at our disposal. The players have
First camp ends today in Canada
Lady Jags’ squad in Canada with Technical staff. all committed to a complete lifestyle change for the next 8 weeks to assist in increasing our chances of success. They truly are an amazing bunch of ladies who completely embrace the program and what it has done and means to football development in Guyana.” Guyana has been drawn in Group B which includes
neighboring Trinidad and To b a g o , C a n a d a a n d Guatemala while the world leading USA is in Group A along with Mexico, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. The Lady Jags will oppose Canada in their opening match, the feature game on February 11 with the opening clash between Guatemala and Trinidad and
To b a g o a t t h e B B VA Campus Stadium. Competition will however open the day before, February 10 at the Toyota Stadium where Puerto Rico face Mexico and the USA oppose Costa Rica. The Lady Jags are scheduled to reassemble on February 6 in Huston, Texas.
Wednesday January 06, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Mayor Green’s Inter-ward 7-a-Side Football final set for Sunday at Den Amstel The Mayor Hamilton Green 81st birthday 7-a-side Inter-ward Football competition coordinated by former National footballer Lennox Arthur will conclude on Sunday at the Den Amstel ground on the West of Demerara with the eight team finals starting at 2:00pm. T h e 3 2 - t e a m tournament, which saw the finals being rescheduled from late last year to accommodate the various year end tournaments by the associations, is now down to the last eight battling for a place in the championship game or even a final four placing to cash in on the money. The teams are battling for a first prize of $200,000 and the John Fernandes trophy, while the other top four finishers will collect;
$100,000 and Youth and Sports Trophy, $70,000 and China Trading trophy and $30,000 and the Business School trophy. Additionally AHL Kissoon has donated a 3piece suite for the top scorer, while Ricks and Sari will give 10 hampers each to the winning and runner up teams. The action on Sunday opens with Kitty versus Lima Dam at 2:00pm, followed at approximately half an hour intervals, by Uitvlugt against Haslington, Victoria battle Pouderoyen and Den Amstel oppose Mahaica. The respective winners will clash in the semifinals from 4:00pm, while the third place playoff is set for 5:00pm and the grand finale is at 5:30pm. Several outstanding players are to be on show
Trayon Bobb
Andrea Hector
Marvin Josiah
Sunday with Trayon Bobb (Uitvlugt) leading the lineup. He is the top goal-scorer with six to date and is in line for that AH&L Kissoon prize. Others in contention are Quincy Holder (Mahaica) with three, M a r v i n J o s i a h (Pouderoyen), Keon Moore
(Victoria), Kevaughn Ward (Den Amstel) and Anthony Sancho (Kitty) on two apiece and Andrea Hector (Den Amstel). Among the other sponsors that have contributed to the successful staging of the event are: Banks DIH, Massy, Beepat
and Sons, CBR Mining, M A C O R P, G u y a n a Beverage, home of Busta soft drinks, Aruwai Mining, I PA , M u n e s h w a r ’s , E Networks, CIDI, BEV Processors, EC Vieira, Cummings Electrical, Crown Mining, Sattar Gafoor, Kennav HDL and
Anthony Sancho Nigel Pyle and others. Football fans are promised an exciting afternoon of football at Den Amstel and massive home support is anticipated for the home team as they look and will be encouraged to claim the spoils.
Brazilian boxers to match skills with Guyanese athletes continue Guyanese counterparts next month dominance of Bigi Broki Waka Gonsalves, Dharry for Commonwealth title fights
10km& 5km races in Suriname
Guyanese Glory! Guyanese and other athletes display their silverware, from left, Lionel D’Andrade, Andrea Foster, Alisha Fortune (Foster’s mom), Cleveland Thomas is second right. Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry Boxing buffs still disappointed by the absence of the traditional Boxing Day card may feel somewhat compensated following a recent announcement that officials of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) are planning a power card tentatively set for February 20 next at the Giftland Office Max Liliendaal ECD location. According to spokesman for the GBBC, Eon Jardine, negotiations are currently ongoing with the management of several Brazilian boxers to have
Dexter ‘The Kid’ Marques
them match gloves with their Guyanese counterparts. The three Guyanese boxers that are expected to be on show against the Brazilians are former bantamweight champion, Dexter ‘The Kid’ Marques, New York based Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) bantamweight champion, Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry and female boxer, Mandessa Moses. The card will be headlined by recently crowned jnr/welterweight Fecarbox champion, Dexter Gonsalves, who will match
skills with Barbadian, Miguel Antoine for the former boxer’s recently won jnr/welterweight Fecarbox title. Imran Khan, who has recently made his professional debut, will also comprise a part of the card and he is scheduled to match gloves with Barbadian, Ezra Lord. Meanwhile, GBBC officials said that the fights will serve as warm up for Gonsalves and Dharry who are scheduled to fight for the Commonwealth titles in their respective divisions on May 20.
Like they did last year, Guyana’s distance athletes ruled the roost at the 13th edition of the annual Bigi Broki Waka 10km and 5km races which took place over the famous Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge, Paramaribo, Suriname on Sunday last. Cleveland Thomas, who had finished as the runner-up to Cleveland Forde in 2015, took the top podium spot this time around ahead of fellow countryman, Lionel D’Andrade. Winston Missinger placed fourth overall. The 5km segment of the race saw Devaun Barrington winning; it was won by D’Anrade last year. On the distaff side, Andrea Foster won the overall as well as the junior (13-19yrs) category to start the year in fantastic style. She had placed 2nd to Alika Morgan last year. There was also a 2km segment of the race for kids. One hundred and seventy five athletes participated in the 10km race, while 276 competed in the 5km.
t r o Sp Guyanese athletes continue dominance of Bigi Broki Waka 10km & 5km races in Suriname
Gayle fined for conduct in TV interview with female reporter
Overall male and female winners Cleveland Thomas (foreground right behind lead athlete) and Andrea Foster (4th left) seen in the frontline of the race on Sunday last in Suriname.
Chris Gayle (Photo: AP)
BCB/Ramnarine Appiah Memorial 20 overs cricket competition
Young Warriors CC crowned champions Betsy Ground Triple Star take 3rd place
Hubern Evans (left), captain of YWCC collects the winning trophy from Mukesh Appiah, son of Ramnarine Appiah while other family members and cricketers share the moment. Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210