Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Questions surround this final nursing examination Dear Editor, As the general public has been made aware via various media, the Professional Nursing Final Examination was reported as having been compromised. After two months of waiting for the investigation to conclude, we the students feel the need to share our story before any action is taken. On November 12, 2016, two hundred and fifty nursing students who wrote the nursing state finals examination Functional papers 1 and 2, and Clinical papers 1 and 2 on October 18 and 19, 2016, were asked to attend an urgent meeting at their respective schools. During this meeting a letter was read which stated that the theoretical aspect of the nursing examination finals mentioned above was compromised and we would be required to re-sit this examination on a date unknown, (what was mentioned in the letter was November 2016) and at a venue also unknown to us, where all 250 nursing students would need to be in attendance. Upon hearing this, many questions were asked, but no satisfactory answers were given. When and how this paper was compromised were the two most important questions asked by the students, to which the various principal tutors were unable or refused to respond. In our dissatisfied and disgruntled state we decided to seek answers. We were advised by persons in authority to seek assistance from the student council committee, since they represented all the nursing students countrywide.

However, to our surprise there was no such body in existence, so a few students suggested that such a body should be set up. In an attempt to form such a committee, a group of courageous nursing students from the Georgetown Nursing School decided to visit the different nursing schools countrywide to ask representatives to form the committee and strategize plans for a way forward. However, these representatives were faced with many challenges, the first of these being at the Berbice School of Nursing. After arriving to speak to the principal tutor and the students there, they were chased out of the building since the principal tutor felt that it was illegal for students to speak to their colleagues without permission from their principal tutor. This was in clear violation of the right of freedom of speech, and to this day these representatives are still unable to speak with these students since they were instructed not to speak to members of the various schools, and were told that they would have to re-sit the exam, a decision which could not be contested. Every attempt to reach out to these students has been futile except for three students who were not present that day. Upon arrival at the Charles Roza School of Nursing in Linden, we were able to speak to the principal tutor as well as a few students. This was not without clearly stating our intention to make sure that what we said was true and just. After the expansion of the committee, we were able to

Let the Walter Rodney issue be put to rest DEAR EDITOR; I read with interest the comments made by Prof. David Hinds in relation to the Walter Rodney affair. It was clearly established during the COI (Commission of Inquiry) that the WPA lead by Rodney was planning an armed revolution with the aim of removing the elected PNC Government from Office and as a result the PNC lead by Burnham took the necessary steps to ensure they did not succeed. As I stated in my testimony I may have done the same. The rest is now history. In the interest of national reconciliation and unity, peace and stability in my humble view the issue should be laid to rest; as it can never be proven beyond a shadow of doubt that Burnham gave direct instructions to kill Rodney. All that can be proven is that it was State sponsored. It was also clear that neither President Granger nor Mr. Harmon played any part in Rodney’s death. We may never agree with all the decisions made by the new Government but at the very least they should be given a chance to rule out their term of office without disruption. I will always be available to the Government to assist in anyway I can in the area of security and intelligence. Allan Robert Gates

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

speak to the previous Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton, who launched an investigation into the matter of the examination, since he was given unsatisfactory answers as well. It has been two months now and still this investigation is yet to be concluded. However, it has been confirmed that the examination was indeed compromised and that less than 5% of students and an undetermined number of council members had been involved. We ask people to bear in mind whether all the students should be penalized for a few dishonest people. In our opinion, we don’t think that is fair. Those persons should be isolated and dealt with accordingly, and not the students who were unaware of the exam breach. We are aware that this compromise not only affects the students, but the general public as well. There are persons who are desperately awaiting our care, persons who place their lives in our hands, and persons who have to be fully dependent on us and trust that we are knowledgeable enough to provide adequate care. This compromise also affects us globally, in terms of our accreditation by other medical agencies such as PAHO/WHO, institutions such as UWI and other universities, and business entities who may want to employ our services. Last but not least, our nursing image has been sullied, since the council has been rumoured to have had compromised papers in the past and licensed nurses who have previously written their exams will be scrutinized. If we the students who wrote this exam on October 18 and 19 are to re-sit it, will we be the only nurses who are trusted to provide care? We don’t think so. Our superiors and other senior nurses were licensed under the same council which is now under investigation. Pressuring the students to resit in an already disturbed emotional state will not prove anything if the culprits have already been caught. Why is it that they are employing the ‘Peter pay for Paul’ method? These same students are asked to provide care to the general public. Our motto at the Georgetown Public Hospital is “We Care”. If we cannot care for ourselves and our own, how can we care for others? Concerned students

Is the liberalization of the telecommunication sector a farce? DEAR EDITOR; It seems like daily in Guyana we are being subjected to increase in prices every way you turn, the latest shock and downright disrespect for citizen comes from GTT. All the major news outlet published stories with lower rate, faster speeds and no justification was given for the bronze plan raise of rates for an embarrassing speed of 1.5mbs which ironically you don’t get. So, in actual fact, we were already paying for inferior service, and now we are faced with an increase and what is even more shocking, GTT fully well knows that the majority of areas cannot get more than the bronze plan of 1.5Mbs. I am a great admirer of Minister Cathy Hughes and I don’t want to discredit her

portfolio, but it seems like the liberalization of the telecommunication sector was one big farce, while I know that negotiations with GTT is ongoing, when will it end? What is the intended outcome? Who will benefit? And when the telecommunication body will be set up to manage the sector and allow competition? While the government is fine tuning and publicly expressing words like bridging the technology gap, their actions and outcome tells another story. We the greatest assets of both GTT and the government are left in the backward technology wasteland, and are compelled to pay higher rates to a company that does not care of its consumers but just the bottom line. Nick Samaroo

Chasm between Government and Opposition widening DEAR EDITOR, It seems to me that in the next few months and maybe years, there will be problems with the David Granger administration and the opposition led by Bharrat Jagdeo. It is not a secret that the gap is widening and it appears that there might be no reasonable agreement in the near future. On Sunday President Granger announced that he had rejected the names of all six persons Jagdeo recommended to be Chairman of the Elections Commission, mainly because none of them was a former judge or someone eligible to hold high judicial office. The President’s rejection brought comments from former Attorney General Anil Nandlall who said that it is not a legal requirement and pointed out that Steve Surujbally and other chairmen did not have such qualification. The Red House fiasco is another major issue where the government and the opposition are at loggerheads and there is dissatisfaction in the opposition camp about the persons named to be Senior Counsel.

It seems as if more problems lie ahead with the naming of a Chancellor and Chief Justice and other members of the Appellate Court. According to reports Carl Singh who has been acting as head of the judiciary for more than 12 years will go into retirement in the next couple of months and Justice of Appeal B S Roy is also due to take his exit. Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards is now acting Chief Justice, and it is not known whether she will be confirmed in that position or whether she might get the top spot, or whether Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire who was recently appointed Senior Counsel will be considered. The government-owned newspaper, the Chronicle carried a news report in which Attorney General Basil Williams stated that the replacement of the Chancellor is a matter for the President. Under the Constitution (as amended), the Opposition Leader must agree to the appointment of the Chancellor and Chief Justice. If there is no agreement, the President’s nominee(s) will

have to act. This will be unfortunate because Ian Chang acted as Chief Justice for more than a decade and retired without being confirmed. The President will have to make a decision within weeks on who should take over as head of the judiciary because it seems that the outgoing Chancellor might not be given an extension given that the Chronicle carried an unsourced report that Chancellor Singh should not start new cases which he cannot complete before his retirement date. Minister of Cohesion Amna Ally in outlining the Service Cohesion Strategic Plan in Parliament said the plan “will bring us one step closer to achieving an enabling environment where persons are willing to … replace confrontation with co-operation … [reduce] inequalities and promote greater tolerance and acceptance of mutual respect.” Please let us have cooperation and understanding and strive towards our motto ‘One people, one nation, one destiny.’ Oscar Ramjeet

PAGE 6

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Kaieteur News

People are becoming desperate in Guyana DEAR EDITOR; Time and time again, the APNU+AFC government has been accused of giving with one hand, while taking much more with the other. We’ve see this strategy unfold with the administration increasing the Old Age Pension from $13,000 to what it is now, $19,000. But on the other hand, they took away the electricity and water subsidies that pensioners enjoyed under the PPP/C administration, leaving our senior citizens to pay their own utility bills. They have improved transportation for children in a few selected communities, allowing them easier access to schools through their “B’s” initiative. But on the other hand, they took away the $10,000 ‘Because We Care’ school grants that were given to every child in the public school system. They have improved Immigration services, making it easier for persons to obtain passports, but increased the cost of this document from $4,000 to $6,000 and the Travel Tax at airports from $2,500 to $3,500. While the Income Tax threshold has been increased, and the Minister of Finance deserves some credit for this, he must be aware that whatever little savings are gained from these measures are taken away by the additional tax burdens now imposed on every household. Guyanese all over are struggling to make ends meet under this administration. This year, the cost of living will be tough going for most families with the 14% VAT now added to water and electricity. Gasoline prices have already gone up. This will soon be followed by an increase in the cost of transportation; tolls have increased; the cost of basic food items is steadily going up; vehicular licences have already gone up since this government

came into being. Fees to transfer the registration of a vehicle have jumped from $5,000 to $25,000 or 2% of the value of the vehicle, whichever is greater. Fees for permits and other documents have also gone up, and the cost to obtain a liquor licence has just been increased last Friday. This is not the “good life” that the Guyanese people expected. Editor, the Ministry of the Presidency sent in men to take over the Red House, tearing down the Cheddi Jagan Research Centre signboard with the aim of destroying the legacy of one of our Founding Fathers, followed by the despicable behaviour of the PNCR who disrupted a peaceful candlelight vigil. And while things continue to go up, the only thing that seems to be coming down is the credibility of this administration. People are becoming desperate. This is reflected in the escalation of robberies being reported every day in the press. More and more young Guyanese are risking apprehension and incarceration just to survive and provide for their families. Where are the jobs that were promised during the election campaign by the coalition? Editor, listening to the Minister of Finance during the debate on the Income Tax (Amendment Bills) in Parliament, he made it sound as though a taxpayer can easily go to the GRA and claim monies due to him. This is highly unlikely to happen, something my colleague Bishop Edghill alluded to in his speech. Chapter 22 of the principal Act states that “If the tax payable under the assessment is less than the tax deducted from any person’s emoluments during the year of assessment, the

These two football clubs should be allowed to represent Guyana DEAR EDITOR; I read with surprise and uneasiness an email circulated on January 09 to members of the media and the global football fraternity from the General Manager of the Slingerz football Club, Mr. Collin Aaron. In his letter, Mr. Aaron was seeking clarification from the President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Mr. Wayne Forde, on the status of his club’s participation in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championships. At the time of composing this letter, I had not received any correspondence on whether the GFF has responded to Mr. Aaron’s concerns, however, It would be a travesty of immense proportions if the country’s top two football clubs, Slingerz and Alpha United,

aren’t allowed to play in the CFU Club Championships. These aforementioned two teams won the first and second place respectively of the inaugural Elite League and as a result qualified for the regional championships and should rightfully be given the chance to represent Guyana in the competition. The regulations of the CFU Club Championship is clear in this regard and assert that, “the Competition is open to the Champion and/or Runner-up of the highest professional club competition (or amateur if a professional league does not exist) within each of the CFU Member Associations, whereas such Champion team(s) is determined by the result following the completion of the last complete season prior to the end of registration of the Competition”

The inaugural Elite League ended in mid 2016 and is the last complete season of the highest club competition in Guyana. Despite all the controversy surrounding the two clubs’ participation in the current edition of the Elite League, those two clubs legitimately earned the right to participate in the 2017 CFU Championships. They would have expended enormous resources to achieve that goal and the opportunity to do so should not be denied. The GFF Executive Committee should do all within its powers to ensure that the two clubs are given the opportunity to represent Guyana and the Guyana Football Federation. Clinton Urling Former Chairman of the GFF Normalization Committee

Commissioner-General shall repay the difference to such person, in accordance with Section 107 of the Act.” There is no time limit set out here as to when a taxpayer will get a refund from the GRA. But Section 21 (1) of the same Act clearly states that “If the tax payable under the assessment exceeds the total tax deducted from any person’s emoluments during the year, the excess shall be payable by such person to the Commissioner-General within thirty days after that person is served with a notice by the GRA.” In fact, what this Act is saying, is that if a citizen under-pays the GRA, he’s given 30 days to pay up or face the consequences, which will be very severe. But when the GRA owes hard-working taxpayers of this country money for taxes overpaid, they have to wait

several years until the GRA finally gets around to processing their files. Since my return to Guyana 4 years ago, I have dutifully submitted my income tax returns year after year, but I’m yet to receive a notice from the GRA with a check for the amounts that I have over-paid. And when contacted, I’m told by the GRA that they’re still working on the 2012 returns. There are some who believe that the amount of money owing to the Guyanese taxpayers by the GRA may well exceed $8 billion. Whether this amount is accurate or not, one thing is certain: When the GRA owes you money, they’re in no hurry to give it back to you. This double standard is yet another exercise in gross mismanagement and incompetence. Harry Gill, MP-PPP

What is good or bad for democracy is properly left to the people DEAR EDITOR; The Court of Appeal, it was reported, is soon to entertain the government’s challenge to the ruling by the former Chief Justice that the constitutional provision on presidential term limit is unconstitutional. The Appeal Court in its lifetime will confront many intricate legal cases, but this is not one of them. The ruling by the former CJ is a classic case of blatant judicial over-reach, of the judiciary straying far outside its yard into that of the legislature. The core premise of his ruling—that (i) “any Act of Parliament which seeks to diminish such essential democratic values cannot be of legal effect without a referendum…” and (ii) “on the other hand, an alteration of any of those provisions which seek to

widen or promote the values or rights therein contained would not require a referendum, and a 2/3 majority vote of all the elected members would suffice…”— constitutes a glaring political matter not a legal one. For what diminishes or widens democracy as a concept is not a question for judges but for electors and legislators. The concept of democracy is burdened with value judgments, context specificities, and empirical and theoretical complexities. As one moves further and further beyond the core or safe agreements on democratic practices (such as on fundamental human rights, a free press, and an independent judiciary), deciding on refinements becomes an everlasting challenge. With the former CJ’s ruling, the judiciary has

appointed itself the country’s leading scholar in governance and political science. So, should the parliament change the formula to select the chairman of Gecom, or should it further restructure the local government system, the former CJ’s ruling, if not overturned, allows the judiciary to intervene, if a challenge is filed, to determine if the amendments should stand or fall on their democratic credentials. This is a wayward and dangerous understanding of the role of the courts. What is good or bad for democracy (what “democratic” in Article I translates into) is properly left to the people and their p a r l i a m e n t a r y representatives. The former CJ’s brave but misguided ruling should be quashed. Sherwood Lowe

First time the list has been rejected... From page 4 decision will be set aside. That is established by Padfield v Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which is a landmark in modern administrative law.” (Lord Denning MR in Breen v Amalgamated Engineering Union (1971) 2 QB 175, 190) The reasons attributed to the President in the press and the social media for his rejection of the list are wholly untenable. It is that the persons do not meet the constitutional requirements. These requirements are contained in Article 161(2) of the Constitution: “…the Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth, or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person.” It is clear that Article 161(2) of the Constitution contemplates two categories of persons. Firstly, a High Court judge or an Appellate Court judge, a former High Court or an Appellate Court judge or a person qualified to be a High Court or an Appellate Court judge. Secondly, or (disjunctive), any “fit and proper” person. However, from whichever category the persons come, they must be acceptable to the President. Article 129 of the Constitution sets out

the qualification of judges: “A person shall not be qualified to be appointed to hold or to act in the office of a Judge unless (a) he is or has been a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court; or (b) he is qualified for admission as an attorneyat-law in Guyana and has been so qualified for such period as may be prescribed by Parliament.” Historically, of all the persons who were appointed Chairman of Gecom, only Mr Doodnauth Singh SC appeared to have satisfied category one qualifications, although it could be argued that he would have satisfied the “fit and proper” requirement (category two qualifications), as well. All the other persons: Rudy Collins, Edward Hopkinson, Joseph Singh and Dr Steve Surujbally lacked legal qualifications and therefore, were all qualified under the “fit and proper” requirement. I am not surprised by President Granger’s manoeuvrings. Hence, the reason why I wrote a detailed article on this matter just one week ago. The President is playing a dangerous game. I believe these machinations will continue until the President conjures up an interpretation of the Constitution which permits him to unilaterally appoint a Chairman of Gecom. Anil Nandlall

Wednesday January 11, 2017

PAGE 7

Kaieteur News

Jagdeo requests urgent meeting with Granger on nominees for GECOM boss Government and the Opposition remain heavily divided as the process to choose a new chairperson for the Guyana Elections Commissions (GECOM) continues. Yesterday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and his party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), both disagreed on the stance of the administration that the list of six nominees contained names who did not meet the requirements of the Constitution of Guyana. Yesterday, Jagdeo released a letter he dispatched to President David Granger earlier in the day in which he disagreed with the arguments of the Head of State, and said that an urgent meeting is needed to resolve any differences. Referring to the rejection of the names, Jagdeo noted that the President was arguing that the nominees “do not seem to conform to the requirements of … Article 161(2) …” of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. “I have also noted certain comments attributed to Your Excellency by the media made at a function held at State House on the 8th January, 2017, which tend to suggest that you apprehend Article

President David Granger 161(2) to require only persons who are judges, qualified to be Judges, or former judges of, either a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matter or, a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court. If those media reports accurately conveyed your views, then I am obliged to inform Your Excellency that my interpretation of Article 161(2) is different, in so far as, it also provides for, in addition to the category of persons to whom you have referred, “or any other fit and proper person”.” Jagdeo said that he is requesting the President to clarify what he meant in his statements. “I am of the considered view that an urgent meeting

will immeasurably assist in reconciling any differences of opinion which may exist on this issue.” Earlier yesterday, the PPP in another statement expressed its “deepest concern” at Granger’s rejection. “The reasons advanced by President Granger, both in a letter to the Leader of the Opposition, as well as conveyed by the media reporting what the President said at an event held at State House, on the 8th of January, 2016, are indeed bewildering.” The party, which has been accusing GECOM of manipulating the votes in early general elections of 2015, has been accusing the administration of preparing to name a partisan GECOM chairman who has leanings to the government. A PERVERSION “If the media reports accurately capture the sentiments expressed by the President, then the President’s interpretation of the Constitution is nothing short of a perversion of both

the language and the spirit of Article 161(2). It cannot be justified in language, logic, law or, by the antecedent holders of the Office of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission.” According to the PPP, a brief review of the history of those who have held the office of Chairman of Elections Commission from 1992, under the current constitutional or a similar formula, will illustrate that only Doodnauth Singh SC, possessed legal qualifications. “All the others, were deemed qualified under ”the fit and proper person” category. These persons include Rudy Collins, a Career Diplomat, Edward Hopkinson, a Geologist, Joseph Singh, a retired Army General and Dr Steve Surujbally, a Veterinary Doctor. Significantly, Mr. Joseph Singh and Dr. Steve Surujbally, were appointed from lists submitted by the Opposition Leader, Mr. Desmond Hoyte, a Senior Counsel.”

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo The PPP also noted that the following persons who do not possess legal qualifications were on lists submitted by Mr. Desmond Hoyte to the then President for appointment as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission: Edward Hopkinson, Charles Liburd, Joseph Singh, Dennis

Craig, David Granger, Gem Fletcher and Harold Davis. “It is to be noted that the last five names along with Justice Rudolph Harper, were the names submitted by Mr. Hoyte, to President Jagdeo in 2000. Only Mr. Harper, possessed legal qualifications on that list. Is President Granger now saying that Mr. Hoyte SC violated the Constitution? Is he saying that he lent his name to a violation of the Constitution when he accepted his name to be placed on that list since he does not have any legal qualifications?” PPP argued that when the formula to choose a GECOM chairman was conceived by former US President Jimmy Carter, in 1991, it was designed and intended to achieve consensus between the Government and the (Continued on page 28)

PAGE 8

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Omar Shariff probe exposes weakness in financial oversight system By Kiana Wilburg When it comes to the Omar Shariff probe, Head of the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU), Dr. Clive Thomas opines that it exposes a weakness in the financial oversight system. “It should not have taken the work of the Unit to expose what seem to be irregular transactions,” Professor Thomas asserted. He said that this investigation should have been done by Central Bank or even the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). Both entities are empowered to exercise oversight over the financial system. Expounding further, Professor Thomas said, “The Omar Shariff (issue) shows the lack of clear oversight and monitoring by the relevant authorities…They have certain responsibilities that they are supposed to fulfill under the existing legislations.” “If you have someone coming into your bank whose apparent income from your view does not warrant the size of the funds passing through the account, you should do some inquiries and due diligence to ensure it’s all lawful funds. In this regard, I feel the banking system has a

- SARU Head

SARU Head, Professor Clive Thomas responsibility to be to be stricter and to be more careful.” At the moment, the Omar Shariff issue is still at the stage of investigation. The SARU Head reiterated that it should not have taken the department to be established for an inquiry to commence. He stressed that this should have been exposed a long time ago by a regulatory system that is more than equipped for the job. THEFIU Former Head of the FIU, Paul Geer, yesterday declined to speak on the Shariff issue. Geer said that it is an offence to provide any details on

suspicious transaction reports which are prepared by the Unit. Due to the implications of existing laws in this regard, Geer was unable to say whether he received a Suspicious Transaction Report on Omar Shariff from local banks at any time. “The bank or the FIU cannot tell you that by virtue of the law. We can only say how many suspicious transactions in total were received in the annual report, but neither banks nor the FIU can reveal whether it is John Smith or Tom Stone etc. It carries a two-year jail penalty,” Geer emphasised. BANK OF GUYANA Central Bank Governor, Dr. Gobind Ganga, confirmed that local banks, once they detect an irregular transaction, have a right to report it to the FIU. He said that they are not necessarily obligated to inform Central Bank of their findings in this regard. “They don’t have to. Because all transactions we do pick it up…When we do our onsite supervision we do pick up these things. Even if we go to the bank and we find something and it is not

reported then we do that. It is a risk-based supervision that we do,” said Dr. Ganga. He confirmed that on-site supervisions involve a wide cross-section. He said that the process allows for the scrutiny of entities, but particular focus is placed on individuals instead of firms. As for the criticism expressed by the SARU Head, the Central Bank Head declined to give a comment. OMAR SHARIFF CASE It was last year that Omar Shariff, a senior official of the Ministry of the Presidency was sent on leave and questioned by officials from the State Assets Recovery Unit and Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) in connection with allegations of money laundering and tax evasion schemes. It is said that Shariff allegedly had passed billions of dollars in a number of accounts through local banks. How Shariff ended up with that amount in the accounts is what investigators want to know. Shariff reportedly claimed that the money represented proceeds from the sale of

Omar Shariff

Central Bank Governor, Dr. Gobind Ganga

phone cards and other credit to mobile phones, but investigators did not buy his story. Kaieteur News was told that contrary to initial reports, commercial banks did little, in spite of questionable transactions. This newspaper was also informed by reliable sources that at least one local bank blocked Shariff after he made attempts to deposit several hundred million dollars into accounts, shortly after the May General Elections. The sum amounted to almost half billion dollars. It was around that time that investigators of both

SARU and SOCU got together with officials of Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to start investigating Shariff. They zeroed in on his bank accounts and assets. Shariff was a former Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Progressive Youth Organization (PYO), an arm of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), the current Opposition, and was a candidate for that party in last year’s general elections. He was appointed Permanent Secretary during the last administration shortly after former President Donald Ramotar was sworn in as President.

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Scores left stranded as bus drivers continue strike at Coomacka

Some of the school children stranded on Monday. By Jacquey Bourne As minibus drivers at Coomacka yesterday went on the second day of their strike action, school children, teachers and other class of workers were left stranded in the community and other outlying areas. The drivers have insisted they will continue their strike action until the road is fixed. According to one driver and minibus owner Robert Gentle, the reason for their decision to strike is a direct result of the condition of the access road and bridges joining the four communities (Nottinghamshire, Siberian/ Old England, Coomacka, Three Friends/Yaribo) commonly known as the ‘mines’. “We celebrated 100 years of bauxite mining in this country just last year; now after 100 years of bauxite mining the persons who are affected by the extraction of this bauxite mineral have no modern convenience. Our road is so terrible that it takes one hour and odd minutes to meet to Linden. If we are to continue to work under this condition it means one of two things will have to happen.” Gentle noted that a bus was donated to the community to transport school children but opined that this is the second term of the school year and the bus is still not operational. “The Government gave us a bus and it make one attempt at a trip in six months. Why? Because the road is bad and when the bus came and stick up and had to get pull out, the bus went and never came back. Now the Region and the Regional Chairman know that this road is in a terrible state because they never send back de bus; but they expect private operators to continue to work under this condition. This is the worse Christmas road in ten years. Now we got

a body who says they are going to provide a better life, nothing is better about what is going on in the mines.” Due to the condition of the roads some children had to repeat a class because they were late and couldn’t write some of the end of term examinations. One female New Silver City Secondary School student said that she wants to go to school but she is forced to stay at home because of the condition of the road and the drivers’ decision to strike. A male fifth former of the same school said he is very upset that he

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

cannot go to school. “The road has really deteriorated and I am a CXC student and it is very hard when you get to school late. I want the road fixed because I am writing CXC in a couple of months and I have to get to school.” BRIDGES In response to the residents’ complaints in front of the Regional Democratic Council yesterday, Regional Chairman Renis Morian said that there are two initiatives in place. He claimed he took photographs of the erosion of the river, the bridges and

the road and sent them with letters to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Civil Defence Commission and Maritime Administration Department. In relation to the road, the Regional Chairman said he had talks with engineers and a hydraulic engineer, based on the volume of water that is flowing through the Continued on page 30

Dem boys seh...

Chinee workers squatting in Marriott Jagdeo that scamp and Brazzy, de fat crook, lef Guyana wid nuff complicated headache. Dem lef de country wid so many Goadie that dem boys don’t know how Guyana gun fetch it. Is a good thing Soulja Bai live most of he life without a goadie and he seh he ain’t able wid none now. That is why he not looking at de Marriott, that big goadie. Brazzy never talk nutten. He never answer a question but slowly things are coming out about many of de projects he was sitting on. And is nuff weight he put on dem projects. Yesterday de nation learn that Brazzy go way to Miami wid de rest of de money fuh de Marriott and got de Chinese contractor and de workers living in de place. Dem waiting for him to come to pay dem. Idle Odle and Slidie Jamesie know this going on since dem tun bass and bassie and de wasn’t saying nutten. Dem boys had to find out through de grapevine. When dem ask wha kind of clothes dem seeing through de glass in de entertainment centre, a worker seh, “You all don’t know? Nuff Chinee living deh and dem got de place like a tenement yard. Dem boys hear dem does do dem thing and put it in plastic bag then shy it through de window into de Atlantic Ocean.” Dem boys wish some of de same stuff could land in Jagdeo swimming pool. Is either Idle Odle come clean and tell de nation wha going on or clean out de place. If foreigners can come and squat in de Marriott, wha do Guyanese who don’t have nowhere to sleep? Dem should go wid dem children and tek up lodging. And if anybody ask who send dem, dem can seh, “Dem boys.” Talk half and watch Marriott become a squatter settlement.

PAGE 10

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 11, 2017

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN...

Power in 2016: The unimaginative mind Sigmund Freud wrote that action and motive are inherently intertwined. They cannot be separated but when they are, the mind gets into profound trouble. A simple, hypothetical example should suffice. When you pay a supermarket cashier that is the action. The motive is that you are paying her for an item you want. If you go to her and pay and there is no purchase, motive and action have been separated. Is the collective mind of APNU+AFC in deep trouble? Let’s see if it is, by the unpalatable decision as the final hours of 2016 passed into history, to retain NICIL and keep the name itself. To argue that this is a manifestation of unimaginative politics where motive and action are disjointed, one has to go back to the name changes of the ministries. Public Works was changed into Public Infrastructure. The only logic

in that was to give the ordinary folks an acquaintance with the word, “infrastructure.” What was essentially wrong with the word, “Works,” that “infrastructure” had to replace it? I don’t know the reason and I am not aware there was ever a published one. But I am really curious to know why the name change. Ministry of Health became Ministry of Public Health. That is misleading, and someone thought he/she was being smart and innovative. The Ministry of Health does not deal with public delivery of health care only. It regulates health care and health delivery and the world of medicine in Guyana, whether private or public. Private hospitals and private pharmacies come under the jurisdiction of the Health Ministry. So why not leave it as Ministry of Health? After APNU+AFC got into Government, someone

became fascinated with the word “public.” We have the Ministry of Public Security replacing Ministry of Home Affairs. The phrase, “Home Affairs,” may be misleading and confusing; we just lived with it for over 50 years. Nothing is wrong in changing it, but why not Ministry of General Security or National Security (as it is in Trinidad)? Why public security, when that ministry has jurisdiction over all types of security arrangements in Guyana including the private sphere? Ministry of Local Government became Ministry of Communities. For centuries now people all over the world have come to know that there are central government and local government and the latter is about local municipalities. One can argue that the label, “communities”, is misleading, because that Ministry is about local

government; twist it or turn it. Now here comes the biggest mystery of them and it calls into question motive and action. President Granger briefly alluded to the justification of Home Affairs into Public Security. He referred to its colonial derivative. But what about Office of the Attorney General? Is that more acceptable than Home Affairs? What about Office of the Public Attorney since someone loves the word, “public”? Why not scrap Office of the Attorney General and stick to the Ministry of Legal Affairs? Anyway let’s look at NICIL. I am convinced that there are unimaginative minds inside the leadership of the government and those limitations are playing into the hands of the opposition. Someone or some persons in the APNU+AFC leadership is/are deficient in the art of

strategizing and the knowledge of how to use psychology in politics. NICIL had negative connotations in the era of Presidents Jagdeo and Ramotar. Anti–NICIL rhetoric as a campaign tactic paid off for the APNU+AFC campaign. With fantastic reporting by this newspaper and other media outlets, the Guyanese people saw this outlet as a mechanism for government to escape parliamentary scrutiny. It was described as a government within a government. It was seen as a source of immense corruptibility. The AFC, in particular, won votes from white collar Indians and decent Indian businessman because of the misuse of public funds through the manipulation of NICIL’s money. NICIL left a bad taste in the mouth of the nation. Why does the new government want to keep it? It has rejected the

Frederick Kissoon recommendation of the forensic auditor, Mr. Anand Goolsarran (wonder how he feels, after all he wrote against it during the reign of the PPP) to abolish it. Well alright, it wants to preserve NICIL and its functions, but why not change the name because of its distasteful and Machiavellian role under Jagdeo. Why not take it out of the psychology of the nation? You want to retain its functions but its name does not travel well, so change it. For me, this is elementary use of psychology in political strategizing. Unimaginative minds never produce ideas that change the world.

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Seven companies submit US$$M bids for EBD vehicle overpass The National Procurement and Tender Administrative Board (NPTAB), yesterday opened a number of bids for tenders and the supply of goods at the Ministry of Finance, Main Street, Georgetown. Tenders were opened for the construction of a vehicle overpass at the intersection of Diamond and the East Bank Demerara Public Road, Region 4. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure was listed as the procuring entity. The engineer’s estimate was announced at US$4.7M and the bids are as follows:

Tenders were opened yesterday for the procurement of one (1) fully reconditioned garbage truck for the Diamond Neighbourhood Democratic Council, East Bank Demerara.

The Ministry of Education was the procuring entity for the supply, delivery, installation and testing of equipment for the New Amsterdam Technical Institute, the Essequibo Technical Institute and the Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre. New Amsterdam Technical Institute

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure was also the procuring entity for the prioritization for the intervention of the East Bank Demerara pedestrian overhead crossing. The engineer’s estimate is US$906,491.

Essequibo Technical Institute

Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre

The Ministry of Education was also the procuring entity for the supply and delivery of photocopy machines.

Tenders were also opened yesterday for the installation of LED Highway lights on sections of the Essequibo Coast Public Road. The procuring entity was the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

The Ministry of Business was the procuring entity for the design and supervision of works at the Ministry of Business on South Road, Georgetown.

The Ministry of Business was also the procuring entity for the design and supervision of works at the National Exhibition Centre.

The National Communications Network (NCN) was listed as the procuring entity for the servicing and maintenance of the company’s fleet of vehicles. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure was also the procuring entity for the construction of a pedestrian sidewalk along Woolford Avenue. The sidewalk is going to be 800 metres, from Albert Street to Camp Street. The engineer’s estimate is $23.7M.

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), was listed as the procuring entity for the procurement of electrical items for a FG Wilson Generator installation.

Tenders were also opened for the procurement of vehicles for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

The Regional Democratic Council for Region 4 was the procuring entity for the supply and delivery of one (1) fully reconditioned mini excavator at Caledonia Good Success Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), East Bank Demerara.

PAGE 12

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 11, 2017

President has sole discretion in determining what ‘fit and proper’ means constitutionally - Attorney General President David Granger has indicated that he has received a letter from the Leader of the Opposition,

Bharrat Jagdeo in response to his letter, requesting a new list of nominees for the post of Chairman of the Guyana

Elections Commission (GECOM) that meets the requirements of Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of

Guyana. The Head of State indicated that he will respond to the contents of that letter in due course. President Granger had said that the list of nominees provided to him is unacceptable and falls short of the Constitutional requirements. The article first outlines clearly that “…the Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a Judge of a Court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a Court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such Judge…”, a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency said yesterday. According to the ministry, following those stipulations, the Constitution does allow for “any other fit and proper person, to be appointed by the President from a list of six persons…” identified after meaningful consultation. According to Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, this places the determination of what is ‘fit and proper’ at the discretion of the Head of State, and that every person submitted on the list presented by the Leader of the Opposition should meet that requirement. ”All six persons are required to be acceptable to the President. Therefore, if you bring in three of those persons, [who] are not in the range, you are actually reducing the options of the President. So it is beholden on the Leader of the Opposition to always provide a list of six acceptable persons or as they say six persons not unacceptable to the President. He is the decision maker. The President is doing nothing wrong. In fact he has invited the Leader of the Opposition

Attorney General, Basil Williams to send another list and he can do that several times until the Leader of the Opposition gets it right and he has to get it right, failing which the President will be forced to make an appointment. Of course at all material times he acts in his own deliberate judgement. So it’s entirely the President’s judgement,” the Attorney General said. Expounding on the legal qualifications set out by the Constitution, where Article 161 (2) on four occasions refers to judge level qualifications, Minister Williams said that the President believes that the Constitution should be followed thoroughly in the selection of a Chairman for such an important post and if the need arises for several lists to be submitted by the Leader of the Opposition in keeping w i t h t h e l a w, t h e n t h i s should be done. The Constitution further states, vesting ultimate responsibility in the Head of State to ensure a properly qualified person fills the post, that “Provided that if the Leader of the Opposition fails to submit a list as provided for, the President shall appoint a person who holds or has held office as a Judge of a Court having unlimited jurisdiction in

civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a Court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such Court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge.” The AG said: “It is entirely at the discretion of the President. The Constitution gives him that power to determine, who is a fit and proper person. The Leader of the Opposition ab initio (in the beginning) really has to address his mind to what the Constitution requires.” In December last year, the Opposition Leader submitted a list of six nominees, which included Major General (retired) Norman Mc Lean, Attorney and Political Analyst, Mr. Christopher Ram, Former Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Mr. Ramesh Dookhoo, Peace and Governance Consultant, Mr. Lawrence L a c h m a n s i n g h , Businesswoman, Ms. Rhyaan Shah and Professor Dr. James Rose. President Granger subsequently requested that the curricula vitae of the nominees be provided to him and upon careful examination of same, concluded that the Opposition Leader’s list is not in keeping with Article 161 (2), beyond the fact that it provides six names. Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana says: Subject to the provisions of paragraph (4), the Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person, to be appointed by the President from a list of six persons, not unacceptable to the President, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition after meaningful consultation with the non governmental political partied represented in the National Assembly. Provided that if the Leader of the Opposition fails to submit a list as provided for, the President shall appoint a person who holds or has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge.”

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Kaieteur News

PAGE 13

PAGE 14

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Chinese construction workers squatting... Estate worker allegedly killed for (From page 3) meantime the Marriott Manager continues to be in charge of the hotel’s operations. Yesterday, Kaieteur News visited the annex and saw at least four persons in the section that would have housed the casino. There are at least four storeys that have been left unfinished. The area outside of the annex is scattered with construction material and overgrown with bushes. A number of airconditioned makeshift rooms were converted to bedrooms for the Chinese workers.The area has electricity. And there was even, in one corner, a hot water tank and wash sinks. There were several construction overalls hanging in a corner with the breeze from the Atlantic Ocean coming through an open door leading to the

balcony drying them. Kaieteur News was told that SCG had been applying pressure for the monies, even visiting the East Coast Demerara office of Ansa McAl where Harper had been stationed, to press home their demands. Since the April 2015 completion of the hotel, SCG would have been obligated to stick around for a year to correct any defects. That period has long since elapsed, in April 2016. It was reported that former AHI head, Winston Brassington, had ordered monies withheld because of the quality of work. A hotel worker has disclosed that a section of a wall at the hotel recently collapsed forcing emergency works. Several of the marble tiles have cracked in places, largely because it is of poor quality. The hotel was heavily

pushed by the successive government of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) to improve the quality of accommodation in Guyana. However, the financing structure saw the hotel, in terms of square foot, becoming one of the most expensive in the world. While the Government of Guyana spent almost US$30M, it is last on the list to receive any returns or profits. There have been questions to claims by some officials whether the hotel is breaking even. Government has been hosting a number of events there, but without the casino in operation, officials have been arguing that it will be impossible to pay bills. Already, Government is in talks with the local banks to hold off collecting outstanding payments.

telling stepson not to harass daughter

When 38-year-old Kawal Shivnauth approached his stepson and instructed that he stop harassing his 15-yearold daughter, the young man got upset and felt embarrassed. So, when he (stepson) saw the Uitvlugt estate worker at a shop in Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, on Monday night, he decided to vent his anger on the father of three. With the help of his two friends, the young man started an argument with Shivnauth and then struck him to the back of his head with a bottle. The trio then ran out of the shop behind their victim and beat him. One of the three suspects then stabbed him twice to the abdomen after which they escaped. This is the story the victim’s stepson reportedly told the cops at the Leonora

Police Station when he was arrested yesterday morning at the Anna Catherina seawall. A second suspect was apprehended at Matthews Ridge, Region one, as the police hunt for a third person. The victim’s mother, Radha Lalchand said that her son indeed spoke to his stepson sometime back about harassing his daughter. “It wasn’t anything big, he (victim) just talked to him about troubling the girl,” Lalchand said. The woman said that her son was dating the suspect’s mother for about three years. “The woman doesn’t live with him (victim) but she goes there and spend time with him.” Lalchan said that her grandchildren reside with her and on Sunday, last, he called and asked that she send the children over so that they

Dead: Kawal Shivnauth could have spent the day by him since it was his birthday—that was the last time the woman heard from her son. Meanwhile, at the scene, one of the victim’s relatives said that Shivnauth had an altercation with three men, and as he was about to exit the establishment, he was reportedly hit behind his head while another man pounced on him and began to stab him repeatedly. Residents raised an alarm and the police were alerted. Shivnauth was pronounced dead on arrival at the Leonora Cottage Hospital.

Wednesday January 11, 2017

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

20 MONTHS LATER…

Medical team dispatched to deal PM knows nothing about work done with Gastro outbreak in Region 9 by Commissioner of Information After 20 months of being in office, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo says he remains unaware of what exactly Commissioner of Information, Charles Ramson Sr. is doing. As such, the Commissioner’s status and performance are now under scrutiny. Nagamootoo confirmed that four years after his appointment to the post, Ramson is still to submit a report, as stipulated by the law, regarding the workings of his office and the application of the Access to Information Act. According to the Act governing R a m s o n ’s office, the responsible Minister should “as soon as practicable but not later than nine months, after the end of each year lay a report on the operation of this (Access to Information) Act in the National Assembly”. The Act also states that the said report should include the number of requests made to the Commissioner of Information; the number of applications for judicial review of decisions and the outcome of those applications; the number of complaints made to the Commissioner of Information with respect to

- Says his status, performance now under scrutiny

Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo

Commissioner of Information, Charles Ramson Sr.

the operation of the Act and the nature of those complaints; the number of notices served upon the Commissioner of Information and the number of decisions by the Commissioner which were adverse to the person’s claim. Nagamootoo said, “The Commissioner never submitted any report to me or to anyone else. I am not aware that he is working, nor am I aware if he has an office…Indeed there was an allocation in the 2017 budget for him, but as I said, he is a statutory

appointee so he has to be paid.” The Prime Minister added, “He had made a call for gratuities, and that is only paid on a recommendation that someone has worked satisfactorily. But I am not aware that this guy has worked, much less satisfactorily. But I am looking at his performance and his status.” While Parliament is left in the dark about the work of the Commissioner of Information, Ramson Sr. continues to draw a salary of approximately $1.2M a month.

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence has reported that her Ministry has dispatched a medical team to Aishalton, Shea Village and Areunaw in Region Nine as there have been reports of an outbreak of Gastroenteritis. The team which includes the Acting Regional Health Officer, (RHO) Dr. Roland Cho Yoe an infectious disease nurse, an environmental assistant and two pharmacy assistants travelled to the three villages and held meetings with the Toshaos and residents on how to resolve the issue and prevent further contamination. Minister Lawrence said that there were 58 cases of the infection in the three villages of patients who are predominantly school children. Samples from the residents were taken and sent to Lethem for testing. The Ministry is awaiting the results to decide on the way forward. The new Public Health Minister noted that the team also conducted house to house visits and there were no reports of any fatality. “The infectious disease staff was sent in to look at all the elements to ascertain which element was the cause. We looked at the animals, drinking water and mining,” Lawrence told the

Government Information Agency (GINA). The team discovered that most residents were not sterilising their drinking water. According to Lawrence, the villages had medication on hand to deal with the outbreak of Gastroenteritis. “On Christmas Eve, former Minister of Health, Dr. George Norton visited the villages and took medication including those for Gastroenteritis,” Lawrence explained. On January 06, 2017 Dr.

Cho Yoe reported that he received messages from the Community Health Workers (CHWs) that in Aishalton, Shea Village and Areunaw there were a number of persons who had shown signs of Gastroenteritis. Currently the Ministry is collaborating with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ministries of Natural Resources, Agriculture, Communities and Indigenous People’s Affairs to address the issue. (GINA)

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Wednesday January 11, 2017

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

Guyana to be healthiest nation in Caribbean and Americas by 2020 - Minister Cummings An informed population will make informed choices and as such, nutrition education plays a vital role in ensuring that Guyanese are aware of what nutrients the body requires. Moreover, in 2016, some 3,427 persons benefitted from nutrition education activities which were conducted by the Ministry of Public Health’s Food Policy Division. Among the beneficiaries were parents, students, teachers, community members, teenage mothers, senior citizens, police officers and persons within the workplace setting. Collaborations were also done with Ministries, various workplaces, NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs), Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs) and Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) to conduct public education and community-based nutrition sessions to provide skills and knowledge in the preparation of nutritionally balanced meals for the family. The foregoing was recently disclosed by Junior Minister of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings. Dr. Cummings revealed that the Ministry currently has as its vision that “All people of Guyana are among the healthiest in the Caribbean and the Americas

by the year 2020.” To achieve this, she stressed the importance of proper nutrition, even as she outlined that nutrition will play a vital part in ensuring that this vision is realized, since it has major bearing on the overall physical health of an individual. “In order to improve nutrition in the population, we must first assess what the nutritional needs of the population are and at what cost these needs can be met. This is why nutrition surveillance is conducted to guide policy and programme decisions which result in improved nutrition,” Minister Cummings asserted. In this regard, a nutrient cost analysis was conducted. Nutrient cost analysis seeks to investigate the minimum cost of the food basket required by an individual to meet his/her basic nutritional needs. Moreover, Dr. Cummings said that data on food prices was gathered in all of Guyana’s 10 administrative regions, with data obtained from Regions One, Six, Seven, Eight and Nine being used to spread awareness in Mabaruma, New Amsterdam, Bartica, Mahdia and Lethem via an outreach initiative dubbed ‘Healthy Affordable Eating’. During the outreach, she disclosed that interviews

were done with approximately 50 diabetic patients in Lethem to ascertain eating habits given the high prevalence of diabetes reported there. Added to this, in- service training was conducted with seven Regional Food Price Collectors to improve the credibility of the food prices collected in the hinterland regions. Other Nutrition Education work spearheaded by the Ministry included deployment of Nutrition Officers to 20 health facilities offering antenatal and infant clinics to address issues of maternal and child nutrition, and nutrition assessment and counseling to persons living with HIV who were considered to be at high risk. “Work continued in 2016 to boost our human capacity to conduct nutrition education sessions, with 31 students being trained in the Nutrition Education component of the Environment Health Assistants Training Course,” said Minister Cummings, as she spoke of other training. These included the training of 12 physiotherapy students on “Nutrition for Athletes,” 25 Community Health Workers in the Basic Nutrition component of their course, 14 Community Volunteers in the Diabetes Signature Programme in Albouystown

and 12 Cooks from Buxton and Enmore in General Hygiene and Food Preparation. Community Nutrition Officers and Nutrition Auxiliary Workers also participated in training sessions in collaboration with the National AIDS Programme Secretariat on Medication and Interaction with foods for persons living with HIV. Meanwhile, Minister Cummings disclosed that a revision of Guyana’s Foodbased dietary guidelines was

conducted. This revision was conducted in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and three MultiStakeholder Sessions were conducted in this regard in 2016. Five persons were trained to be a part of the research team to conduct surveys on the knowledge and use of the current Food-Based Dietary Guidelines for Guyana. Guyana’s revised FoodBased Dietary Guidelines will be completed by July 2017

and will be launched during the Nutrition Awareness Week activities, according to Minister Cummings. According to the Minister too, there is currently a draft of the New Nutrition Strategy being funded by UNICEF. The previous strategy expired in 2015. The draft strategy, she added, is currently being reviewed internally at the Ministry of Public Health and a meeting with key stakeholders to review the draft has been planned for this month.

PAGE 26

VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Toyota Allion PVV series: TV Camera, HID, lights, alarm & remote start $2.2M negotiable Call: 649-0956 Leyland DAF 65 (sand truck). Call: 623-3895 SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620

SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 6471773/660-5257

Visa Application: U.S.A, C a n a da & UK; Guyana p assport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves – Contact Nick: 6831312, 627-3206 LANDSCAPING: We design, supply and implement residential and commercial indoor & outdoor landscaping. Call: 648-1821 Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigrant Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496; 662-6045 Hello the doctor is back! Have your gas stove service and repair. Call: 601-0595 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 We repair computers in homes and offices refilling of printer inks. Call: 658-5897/ 651-1969 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table. Call: 277-0578

Oswin J’s Auto Imports: New Arrivals: Premio, Allion, Fielder, Axio, Rush, X-Trail. Free full coverage insurance. Call: 609-2815 1 RZ Mini Bus, BTT Series $2.4M negotiable. Call: 6632600/ 226-4419 1-AT 192 Carina, 1- Bluebird Nissan Sylphy, 1-Toyota Raum & 1- Spacio. Call: 6469161/ 687-2648

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Fully furnished apartment in South & 2 Bedrooms unfurnsihed apartment in Holmes Street Charlestown. Call: 689-5877 2 Bedrooms apartment at Tuschen – Call: 669-1448 Top Flat 3 bedrooms apartment in Eccles. Call: 6544988

Saturn Jeep Left hand drive, stick gear. Call: 223-9677 PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461 2 Storey house 35X45 3 bedrooms, 1 self-contained @ 5th Avenue Diamond, H/ Scheme. Call: 677-0583/6645052

1 Black Toyota Tacoma GKK Series & 1 Mitsubishi Lancer PHH series for tender. Call Troy: 672-4153 1 RZ Mini bus, PKK $650,000 negotiable, 1 RZ Pitbull, 19 seater BNN -$1.250 negotiable. Call: 615-4728/ 652-0709

Riverside property, Roed-enRust, East Bank Essequibo, 3 Miles from Parika. Call: 2662217/694-5109 One concrete building (incomplete) in residential area. Price negotiable. Call: 699-4114

Cargo trawler- Call: 682-8724, 616-5954 Great Deals on video games & all gaming consoles. PC, video games & repairs – Call: 672-2566; 265-3231 TO LET

Transported property $4M per acre, shopping centre/ house @ Soesdyke. Call: 6153054

Three bedrooms apartment, recently renovated, free WiFi @ Nandy Park. Call: 6413318

Eccles New Housing Scheme property for sale by owner. Call: 618-2603

Bedrooms to let for students or single person $20,000 & $25,000. Call: 223-9677

DRESSMAKING Turn your flair for fashion in an exciting career or hobby, classes starts in January. Call: 626-2629/ 676-6312 Working suits and more, professionally made within 3 days. Call Sharmie: 626-2629/ 676-6312 (Canadian Trained)

FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

Gold mining land for rent. Call: 695-1713/338-2765 Alexander Village 1st Street, large two bedroom, 1 self contained with A/C, parking -$60,000. Call: 652-8970/ 6743735

PALMS: Any variety, all sizes, we deliver and plant anywhere. Call: 643-7193 One complete sawmill situated at Yarrowkabra Industrial Site Soesdyke/ Linden Highway. Call: 6441190/ 609-8041 German Shepherd pups for sale. Call: 699-6006 01 Leyland DAF55 Truck, excellent condition, no dump. Call Reaz: 675-4287/ 661-7186 Design & Make Aluminum windows, doors, stainless rails, showcases, rolling shutters, make & install automatic doors. Call: 2336818/677-5599/659-9999 1 Big music set, owner migrating. Call: 690-5225

LAND FOR SALE CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP REATES,SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE SEASON. CALL: 690-6494

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Kaieteur News

CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MIN BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPOTR & FAMILY OUTING, CHEAPESTRATE . Call: 698-7807

Uitvlugt -$2.3M, Zeelugt $1.7M, Tuschen -$1.6M, La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.4M – Call: 642-1252

Nintendo DS Lite -$8,000, Samsung Galaxy Note 3 $45,000, Dell Mini Desktop$40,000, Apple Ipad1 -$15,000. Call: 694-1748/ 621-9604

La Parfait Harmonie -$1.2M, Uitvlugt (100ftX50ft) -$2.5M, Cuyuni Mining Blocks $2.5M. Call: 658-5897/6511969

Honda S2000 Convertible$3.2M, Audi A4-$3.6M, 318i BMW-$2.6M, Toyota IST-$2M. Contact#650-0402/260-4988

Land for sale: 46 house lots on 70 acres of land, situated at Parika E.B.E. Call Raiz: 6226971/ 661-2289

WANTED One Floor Manager, must have at least five (5) years, experience in Hardware Store. Contact # 650-0402

VACANCY Popular East Coast Gas Station (Non-Pareil) Day/ Night: pump attendants, sales clerk & office assistant. Contact: 695-9880/684-4197

Security Guards. Call: 2181156 Articulated hauler/dump truck operator for interior Cleaners. Apply in person @ location, applicants must be Shikhan Hotel, Princess experienced with verifiable Street, Wortmanville. Call: references. Call: 618-2020 227-7749 Cook/Baker and Kitchen Experienced Diesel machine Assistant for interior to work in the Interior must location. Applicants must be have knowledge of Perkins experienced, for details call: Engine & Doosan Excavator. 618-2020 Call: 661-5307/ 625-1413 Skill experienced carpenter, One live in couple or a apply in person at Alabama general domestic to work in Trading, Georgetown Ferry Mahaicony River. Call: 655- Stelling, Stabroek. 9419/644-6905 Office clerk age 18-25, 1 Female Shop attendant to security guards, care taker to work in the Interior. Calll: 678- work in Atlantic Garden, E.C.D- Call: 638-5303/2270565 7380 1 Male or female to look after layer birds in the Interior. Call: Cashiers & Sales staff @ Nirva Supermarket. Apply in 678-0565 person with written Bahier to cook in the interior. application @ 49 Sheriff & Craig St. Tel: 227-5771 Call: 678-0565 1 Porter to work on vehicle in Experienced bar/shop worker & handyman for Interior and the Interior. Call: 678-0565 G/Town. Call: 231-0363 from Experienced cleaners, waiters 9am-4:30pm and counter servers. Apply with written application, Able-bodied driver/salesman Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce for Leyland DAF lorry, involves lifting. Telles Steel. St. (Day Shift only). Call: 226-6771 Wanted land to buy: Uitvlugt, Tuschen, Zeelugt & La Receptionist, Security Guard, Parfaite Harmonie. Call: 657- Room Attendant. Apply to 233 South Road – Tel: 225-0198 9594 American Variety Store: 140 Regent & Light Street: experienced & mature cashier; apply in person with application.

One fast food supervisor, one chef, dhal puri maker, one cashier. Call: 225-0723 for more information.

Salesgirl; security guards. 1 Domestic worker within G/ Call: 225-7417 Town. Call: 223-9677 General workers to work shift New Management: GT system. Call: 218-1400 Express wanted contract cars (1 week free base fee), Dispatcher & Drivers. Tel: 231-0316/ 231-0002 One live in cook to work at Port Kaituma. Call: 670-4584/ 658-2019 WANTED

Boardroom/Giftland Mall: 1 experienced chef, 1 male/ female cleaner to work shift system. Call Karishma: 6809091/ Sasha: 652-6533

We buy land in Eccles, Providence, Herstelling, Farm, Uitvlugt, Bartica, Zeelugt. Call: 658-5897/ 651-1969

Experienced taxi driver, mini bus driver and dispatcher. Call: 616-5419

2 Seamstress need at Lot 5 & 6 Supply Village, E.B.D. Call: 670-8182

Live in waitress to work in a bar- Call: 604-6606;692-4646

LEARN TO DRIVE C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj BuildingCall: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 (affordable packages).

Operator/Driver – Call: 6190898/698-4321 Male and female to work in Interior age 25-35 salary $80,000 monthly. Call: 6741767/ 685-8720

Continue on page 27

Wednesday January 11, 2017

PAGE 27

Kaieteur News

GPHC operating with two Finance Directors A situation tantamount to financial chaos currently exists at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). This is according to a source close to the premier public health institution, who revealed that this state of affairs has the potential to impact the entire operation of the hospital. The situation, this publication was reliably informed, is linked to the fact that the hospital currently has in place two Directors of Finance who do not remotely work in unison. Both individuals functioning in the capacity of Finance Director are paid the identical salary and have separate offices, Kaieteur News was told. In fact, it was revealed that one of the directors, who formerly worked at a semi autonomous institution, saw his salary reportedly being mounted by 110 percent. Speaking of the genesis of the situation, the source revealed that one of the Directors had his service terminated a few years ago by the then Chairman of the Board. The Director in question had sought legal redress. The outcome of that matter was the court ruling that the Chairman of the Board hadn’t the authority to terminate the services of the Director. It was asserted that such authority was vested in the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital. However, this publication understands that no directive was given by either the CEO or the Chairman of the Board to reinstate the terminated Finance Director. This publication was told that the jilted Director allegedly decided to seek the intervention of “political officials”. It was only under the tenure of the last Chairman of the Board that advice was forthcoming from the Attorney General that the Director be reinstated. In the interim though, this publication was told that a decision was taken to employ

...but finance and procurement system reportedly in chaos another Finance Director. But this was even without the position being advertised, as is required. Added to this, the source revealed that the position was not even vacant in the first instance since the embattled Finance Director was not terminated. In fact, he has since returned to the GPHC and has been working as per norm. The return of the jilted CEO and the appointment of the new Director reportedly occurred while the hospital was being managed by an Acting CEO who was allegedly instructed (reportedly by a higher authority) to permit the employment of the second Director. “The second Finance Director was brought in to meet Human Resource as the new Finance Director...ever since there has been two Directors operating,” the source revealed. “The whole finance system there is in chaos...no one knows who has the authority,” said the source who added that “paying these two Directors is an extra financial burden to the hospital.” “It is a mess...nobody knows, at times who has the spending power at this hospital, and things are not going right. There is no company in this country that has two Directors of Finance,” the source said. “People have just been placed in position, the finance and procurement departments are chaotic,” said the source who disclosed that the situation is amplified by the appointment of two Assistant Finance Directors, one of whom reportedly hasn’t the requisite qualifications. “There have been constant claims that the financial processes at the GPHC are transparent, but there have been many occasions when there has

been no evidence of transparency, especially with the appointment of some individuals,” the source asserted. “It has been a pattern over the years...things haven’t changed much over the years. It has been different sets of people doing the same thing,” said the source In fact, reports suggest that an individual currently in the Finance Department might have had an integral role in a financial fraud detected a few years ago. The matter is one that had gained the attention of the police and has for a few years been highlighted in the Auditor General report as unresolved. According to the Audit Office of Guyana, there were 159 instances where moneys amounting to $5.115 million were apparently misappropriated by a cashier (name provided) and possibly other persons who were not identified up to the time of the investigation. The cashier (who was later terminated) and the Finance Director (whose termination was rescinded by the court) were sent on administration leave while an Accounts Supervisor remained on the job. According to the report of the audit process, the apparent misappropriations occurred whereby cash and cheque payments were not made to the respective payees and the related sums were unaccounted for.

From page 26

EDUCATIONAL Now Registering! 9 Courses Diploma in computers $40,000, Computerize Accounting, Graphics Programs @ MicroGraphics, Vreed-en-Hoop. Call: 2643057 Visa Processing Centre: all visitors and students visa for USA & Canada. MicroGraphics, Vreed-enHoop. Call: 264-3057 Visa Processing Centre: All visitors and students Visas @ Cybertron, Parika. Call: 260-4850

The audit report detailed too that the various transactions surrounded three bank accounts relating to salaries, revenue received, and moneys payable to the Consolidated Fund. “Up to now the people who lost their money have not been paid...the matter was

brought to the Board to be addressed because there are certain people in the Finance Department and Audit Department who might have had a role to play in the fraud. The truth was skewed, because some of the people in key positions would have been aware but didn’t share

the truth of the matter,” said the source, who revealed that even the police were not furnished with sufficient information to conclude an investigation into the matter. “The fact is the police didn’t know what to do because they didn’t get the information they needed and some of the perpetrator(s) of that fraud are still working at the hospital,” the source confided.

PAGE 28

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 11, 2017

New army chief sworn-in President David Granger yesterday morning promoted Colonel Patrick West to the rank of Brigadier, before swearing him in as the new Chief of Staff (CoS) of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). The new Chief of Staff was also conferred with the National Award, the Military Service Star (MSS) in recognition of his 33 years of dedicated service to the Force. Brigadier West takes over command of the Force from Brigadier George Lewis, who was sworn-in on October 3, 2016. Speaking at a brief ceremony at Base Camp Ayanganna, President Granger said that while Brigadier Lewis has had the shortest tenure as Chief of Staff, the appointment of Brigadier West is symbolic of due process and it represents the decision of the Guyana Defence Board to ensure that officers retire when they are due to do so. Additionally, the move is in keeping with the GDF’s succession policy, which ensures that officers are promoted on the basis of seniority and performance. “We were pleased to follow the correct procedure. This is in keeping with the commitment of the Defence Board to ensure that there is no future disruption to the professional development of members of the GDF so that they could look forward to a comfortable and safe tenure of office, without fear of recrimination or retribution,” the Commander-in-Chief said. He noted that the GDF, a 52-year old institution, has

been faced with numerous challenges over the years. However, its management must ensure that its challenges, both internal and otherwise, do not affect the quality of the work of the officers. The President also reminded officers of the Force of their social responsibility and their oath to serve all Guyanese, regardless of their ethnicity, religion and geographic location and underscored the importance of professionalism, education and training. “The social responsibility of the GDF is embedded in the Defence Act. It is embedded in the functions performed by the GDF and it is embedded in the culture of officers and members of the GDF… The Defence Board would never advance to the rank of Chief of Staff, somebody who is completely untrained. Today we witness the advancement of an officer with 33 years of service. He has completed all his military courses at home and aboard and his military education is comparable to anything we have seen in the past. The first pillar of his professionalism is his professional education and there is no way anyone could criticise the professional education of Brigadier West,” President Granger said. Meanwhile, the new Chief of Staff said that being elevated to the helm of the Force was not something he had initially envisaged until a few years ago when he realised that there was a possibility. “I realised that I needed to broaden my horizons. So as the Commander-in-Chief said, I completed all my re-

quired professional military education and my academic education as well, so that I can provide the relevant balance and directions, strategic and otherwise, to the Force.” Brigadier West pledged to be a just Chief of Staff, whose watchword is professionalism. He also committed to ensuring that the GDF is transformed in the interest of total national defence. The new Chief of Staff enlisted in the GDF on September 1, 1984 and was commissioned on August 28, 1985, following which he was posted to the Artillery Battalion. During his 33 years of service, he held several appointments in the Force; from Platoon Commander to Commanding Officer in both the Artillery and Infantry Units. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Administration from the Central Michigan University, a Master of Military Arts and Science from the Command and General Staff College, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Management, a Diploma in Public Management and a certificate in Human Health and Global Environmental Change from the University of Guyana He also attended training courses at foreign military institutions such as the Escola de Aperfecion de Officias in Brazil, Intermediate Level Education at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; the National Defence University in the Peoples Republic of China and completed several Peacekeeping modules in Latin America.

...Commander-in-Chief says due process followed

Brigadier Patrick West being decorated with his new badge of rank by President David Granger and former Chief of Staff, Brigadier George Lewis at Base Camp Ayanganna yesterday.

Brexit could put tens of thousands finance jobs at risk – executives

Jagdeo requests urgent... (From page 7) Opposition. “Hence, the list emanates from the Opposition, but must find acceptance with the President. This formula was constitutionalized unanimously in 1995 in the National Assembly. It was retained by the Constitutional Reform Commission 19992001. The Speeches in the National Assembly and the notes of the Constitutional Reform Commission lauded the formula for its consensual characteristics.” TRUST IN GECOM Additionally, PPP emphasized that GECOM’s composition was also designed to achieve a particular degree of equilibrium. Hence, the composition of three nominees from the governing party and three nominees from the opposition with the chairman holding a balance with the power of a casting

vote. “If the President is permitted to unilaterally appoint a chairman of his own choosing, then it will fundamentally alter that vital balance. This will result in a tremendous loss of confidence in an already publicly impugned elections commission.” The PPP statement said that though the Opposition Leader was not constitutionally obliged to do so, he held widespread public consultations with almost every major representative organization in the country. “It is these consultations which produced the list submitted by the Leader of the Opposition to the President. A rejection of this list is therefore a rejection of the voices of all these organizations. Is the President saying that all these organizations have interpreted the Constitution

wrongly, and only his interpretation is correct?” The party, which lost its first elections in 2015 after 23 years in power, said that Granger is the first President who has ever rejected a list submitted by a Leader of the Opposition. “This is not without significance. We think that this is the beginning of an elaborate plan to rig the next elections. We feel that the President is laying the foundation for the unilateral appointment of a Chairman of GECOM of his own choosing. Such an appointment will not only be unconstitutional but will certainly compromise the integrity of the electoral machinery.” GECOM’s chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally, late last year signaled his intentions to resign on November 30, a development that has resulted in the current impasse.

(Reuters) Tens of thousands of jobs in Britain’s financial services sector could be lost if euro clearing shifts to continental Europe and full access to the bloc’s single market is lost, top industry officials said on Tuesday. London has become the world’s biggest centre for clearing euro-denominated financial contracts, and some continental policymakers want this shifted to the euro zone after Brexit. Xavier Rolet, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange Group (LSE.L), owner of the world’s biggest clearing house for euro-denominated contracts, said that without clarity on what happens to markets after Brexit, clearing customers in London will leave. Some tens of thousands of jobs could leave London, not just from clearing itself,

but also from ancillary services like software and IT, risk management, and administrative staff, Rolet told parliament’s Treasury Select Committee. To avoid customers quitting London when Britain begins formal divorce talks with the EU in March, existing rules should stay in place until 2022 to avoid disruptions that could undermine financial stability, Rolet said. Already, banks with large London operations say they will step up lobbying European officials because they are running out of arguments to convince the British government the industry needs single market access. Douglas Flint, chairman of HSBC bank HBSA.L, told the lawmakers that banks without operations elsewhere in the EU will likely trigger

migration plans immediately after EU divorce talks begin in March, estimating that “tens of thousands” of jobs are linked to EU “passporting” rights. Currently, banks have passporting rights, allowing them to operate across the 28nation bloc from a base in Britain. They could lose this right under Brexit. Possible job losses in banking would depend on how lenders in Britain negotiate new licences with regulators on the continent, raising question marks about the back office staff across Britain’s regions. This could hit JPMorgan (JPM.N), Citigroup (C.N) and Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) which currently employ thousands of back-office staff in regional cities around Britain in places such as Bournemouth and Glasgow.

Wednesday January 11, 2017

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

China to fund new Children’s hospital in Jamaica KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica and China have signed an agreement for the construction of a new 220-bed Children’s Hospital in Montego Bay, west of here. “When I visited the Bustamante Hospital (for Children) earlier, I was told that they needed at least another 100 beds to satisfy the marketplace…The fact that we’re building a 220-bed facility says to me that we’re able to now deal fairly adequately with the demands of childcare, “said Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton. The facility will be the first to be constructed in the island since the May Pen Hospital was built in the 1970s and will provide increased access to pediatric treatment and care. Dr Tufton said the the new facility will enable Jamaica to meet the targets under the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, particularly as they relate to the health status of the nation’s children. He said that following completion of the new hospi-

tal, families will be able to access specialised care for children under 12 years of age and adolescents closer to their communities. The project, he said, will also enhance the nation’s tourism product. Approval is being awaited for lands adjacent to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, which will be the site of the new health facility. Dr Tufton said that once approval has been granted and the necessary infrastructure is in place “within a year we’ll see a tangible product being presented”. The minister noted that the bilateral agreement between Jamaica and China for the project will serve to strengthen the relationship between the countries as well as boost the public healthcare system. Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Kamina Johnson Smith, said the project marks a significant milestone in the relationship between Jamaica and China as they celebrate 45 years of diplomatic relations this year.

Johnson Smith noted that the construction phase of the project will provide jobs for Jamaicans, while a wide cross section of healthcare professionals and support personnel will be employed following completion.

CARICOM welcomes new US-Caribbean legislation …wants good working relationship with Trump administration (CMC) – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council of Ministers ended a two-day meeting on Tuesday saying it was appreciat i v e o f t h e C a r i b b e a n ’s good working relationship with past US administrations and was looking forward to working with the Donald Trump administration. The Council, the second highest organ of the 15-member CARICOM grouping, said it welcomed the recent passage of the US-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act of 2016, which calls for a new longterm strategy to strengthen t i e s b e tween the United States government and the Caribbean region. The legislation was signed by President Barack Obama on December 16, last year. “We note with satisfaction the overwhelming bipartisan support received in both Houses of Congress for the Act and thank its sponsors, Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Com-

mittee on Foreign Affairs, and Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, former Chair of the Committee, for their tireless efforts. “We recognize that this Act is both timely and significant, and commend both Houses of Congress and the US Administration for this proactive and collaborative approach to engagement with the Caribbean region.” The CARICOM Council said it believes that the multi-year strategy mandated by this Act “will engender increased interaction between the Caribbean and the United States, especially in the areas of security, trade, economic development, energy, education and diaspora engagement. “We a r e k e e n t o u rgently advance dialogue on the specific interests of the Caribbean region,” the Council said, adding it was looking forward to working the Trump administration on further strengtheni n g U S - C a r i b b ean relations.

Engel said last year that that passage of the bill came “at a time when our friends in the Caribbean need us more than ever, this bill will prioritize our partnership with the sub-region for many years to come. “It is long past time to have a multi-year strategy that will allow us to increase engagement with the Caribbean, especially when it comes to energy and security. “The countries of the Caribbean are profoundly important to the United States, and particularly to the many Caribbean-American citizens in our country.” “I look forward to working with the CaribbeanAmerican diaspora to ensure that they can provide input to the State Department and USAID on U.S. relations with the Caribbean in the years ahead. Wi t h c o n s t a n t c r i s e s around the globe that demand U.S. attention, we must not lose sight of our l on g - t e r m i n t e r e s t s close to home,” said Engel.

China’s Ambassador to Jama i c a , N i u Q i n g b a o , t o l d M o n d a y ’s s i g n i n g ceremony that the hospit a l w i l l e a s e congestion at Bustamante Hos-

pital for Children in Kingston. Qingbao said the facility will not only serve to develop the health sector but promote childcare services.

He noted that the agreement for the hospital’s construction is a tangible demonstration of the excellent relations between the countries.

PAGE 30

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Kaieteur News

Majority of City Councillors left GUYANA-NY ROUTE IS in dark on municipal spending “ONE OF OUR CASH COWS” - COUNCILLOR CLAIMS

Councillor Bishram Kuppen According to a concerned councillor, the Finance Committee of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council has failed to present quarterly financial reports to the Full Council of the municipality. These reports, he emphasised, play a vital role in ensuring transparency and accountability as they inform the Council about how money is being spent. Speaking with this newspaper yesterday, Councillor Bishram Kuppen said that the Finance Committee which deals with all expenditures for the council has not presented a financial report since Local Government Elections in March 2016. He said that the Committee is supposed to bring before the Full Council such reports so that councillors can know what projects are being financed, how the money is being spent and who are the persons or companies being contracted. According to the councillor, attempts have been made for these reports to be produced but to no avail. He said that the Chairman of the Works Committee had

prepared a list of projects being undertaken by the M&CC and efforts were made to have the financial information regarding these projects supplied to the Full Council but again, nothing positive. “We were advised at the last Statutory meeting that a list of ongoing projects has been presented to the Works Committee Chairman, but all councillors have not yet received or seen this list.” He said that it is necessary that these matters be discussed in the open. The only expenditures which the council is fully aware of are the contracts which deal with solid waste management, for which Cevon’s Waste Disposal Service and Puran Brothers are the recipients. Following the Local Government Elections of 2016, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council has been accused of mismanagement in many instances. Kuppen had written extensively on these accountability issues where he pointed out in a letter that the Finance Committee has produced a few reports, but none were financial in nature. “As I recall, no contracts or projects were brought to the full Council for debate, discussion or approval, except for a consultancy project to assess the City Abattoir where, according to the Town Clerk, he had written to three companies and only one of them responded, and so the contract was awarded to that company.” He added that the City Treasurer presents a financial statement each month which does not provide any details of

current projects and nothing more than a summary of the monthly financial position of the council. “So the full council has not yet received any detailed reports for any projects, contracts or works that were completed, or that are currently being executed including the names of contractors, contract amount, and how much money was spent so far, the details and scope of each project, completion dates and who authorised such projects.” According to Kuppen, the M&CC has spent $2B of revenue collected up to November 2016, with about 55 per cent going towards employment costs. However, councillors have not been provided with any detailed financial reports on how all of the balance of money was spent. “If you were to ask the overwhelming majority of councillors if they are aware of how much money was spent on projects, and the financial details on any of those projects, including the contracts, you would not get a good answer. It seems that only the Mayor, Town Clerk and some members of the Finance Committee may know what is going on, while the rest of councillors are in the dark. How could you manage a City in this manner and expect good results?” Kuppen told this publication that this void in the provision of financial records was one reason why the Auditor General’s Report for 2015, had uncovered a number of discrepancies regarding the spending of the $300M which was allotted to the c o u n c i l f o r t h e c i t y ’s restoration. He said that this prompted the Ministry of Communities to launch its own investigation into the council’s spending of the money. The councillor said that the Municipal and District Councils Act Cap. 28:01 provides that the accounts of the municipality be audited once every year. The councillor said that the various committees of the council are only required to make recommendations as it relates to spending, while the full council makes the final decision. However based on the current practices, decisions on spending are being made without the council’s blessing.

– Caribbean Airlines Chairman

The CJIA to JFK route for Caribbean Airlines is one of its most profitable ones, Chairman Shameer Mohammed has testified. Trinidad (Newsday) Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) is poised to break even on its investments in 2018 with the Piarco to New York route being the most recent to begin to show profitability, says CAL Chairman Shameer Mohammed. Responding yesterday, to a number of questions on issues pertinent to the operations of the national and regional carrier at the Joint Select Committee on State Enterprises inquiring into the operation of the regional carrier, Mohammed said, “I can firmly say that we are making that turn” on profitability. “I am happy to inform that we have turned around (the) New York (route). I believe the initiatives that we have been working on have begun to bear fruit,” he said. “We do believe that in 2018 we should be able to break even. Our numbers indicate that 2016 was better than 2015. Our numbers suggest that 2017 will be better than 2016. We are hopeful that by 2018, CAL perhaps will no longer be a burden on the taxpayers.” On its assets, Mohammed said that CAL operates 17 aircraft, five of which it owns. The remaining 12 are leased. The aircraft may not be new, he said, but they were safe and reliable. He said CAL was conducting a fleet review to capture, not only

passengers’ needs, but the types of aircraft best suited to fly certain routes, reliability and costs. Noting that routes previously run by Air Jamaica and taken over by CAL were not doing well, and apart from Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in Guyana to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York “which is one of our cash cows as it were”, member Fazal Karim asked if CAL intended to drop any route and engage new routes. The airline believes that it should continue on the routes currently served, Mohammed said. With two of its five ATR 72-600 issues resolved, Mohammed added, “we believe that there is a window of opportunity that we can grow the airline regionally without the addition of aircraft”. The ATRs had been a source of concern in recent weeks and two had been out of commission. One has been on a flight test and is due to be back in operation. CAL was also looking at a new route in the region for which the ATR could be used, has made a application for the destination, and was awaiting a response from the regulators. He did not name the route and at the end of the hearing, Mohammed was not prepared to answer any question from the media. In relation to CAL’s safety

record and the incident involving CAL and Fly Jamaica aircraft at the CJIA last year in which the wing of the Fly Jamaica plane was clipped by a CAL aircraft, Mohammed said the incident was still being investigated. On the 2011 incident in which a CAL aircraft overrun the runway at CJIA, CAL Acting Chief Executive Officer Jagmohan Singh said the cause was human error. The incident was investigated by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) with the help of the United States National Safety Transport Board. “We were informed very early in the investigation of what may have occurred that caused the incident,” he said. With that information, he said, the airline immediately started remedial training for all its crews including pilots and flight attendants. In the aviation business, he said that the majority of accidents or incidents can be put down to human error. It is important to learn from aviation incidents and accidents and take correct actions in training of crews. “We carried out full training and when the report was eventually laid, we found that we had conducted most, if not all of the training needed for the crews,” he said.

Scores left stranded as bus... From page 9 Coomacka and the Three Friends area. “…Hence I’m aware that plans are afoot to do work on the road, but what we would have done at the level of the Regional Democratic Council in the short term to alleviate in terms of getting the children to school… there is a contractor who is on the road right now

working while we wait the intervention of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. So right now as it is, Mr. Bella is on the road working.” At that juncture the residents intervened in unison ‘no, nobody ent wukking deh, we just come from deh’. The Chairman continued, saying the contractor left Linden, and again he was interrupted by

the residents. However, he concluded by disclosing that the man “got the contract to do the road.” The Regional Chairman then bluntly refused to answer questions from this reporter. In the meantime, children are still stranded unless they travel with the BOSAI workers’ bus.

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Kaieteur News

PAGE 31

PAGE 32

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Wednesday January 11, 2017

PAGE 33

Kaieteur News

Westbrook, Thunder breeze past shorthanded Bulls (The Sports Xchange) The anticipated matchup between Russell Westbrook and Jimmy Butler fizzled, but Westbrook sizzled to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 109-94 win against the Chicago Bulls on Monday at the United Center. Led by Westbrook’s 21 points, nine rebounds and 14 assists, the Thunder (23-16) cruised to the victory while capitalizing on Butler’s illness, which prevented him from attending Chicago’s morning shootaround. Butler, who was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week earlier Monday, played just 28:48 and finished with one point.

He went 0-for-6 from the field, 0-for-2 from the three-point line and was removed in the second half because of the illness. Dwyane Wade had 22 points, Michael Carter-Williams added 15 and the Bulls (19-19) got 11 points each from Jerian Grant and Cristiano Felicio. It wasn’t nearly enough to stay with the Thunder, who had three players join Westbrook in double-figure scoring, including Steven Adams (22 points), Enes Kanter (20 points) and Victor Oladipo (13 points). Oklahoma City led most of the first half, building a 17point margin in the second

quarter and taking a 61-46 lead into the locker room at halftime. Chicago pulled as close as 67-57 on a three-point play by Taj Gibson (9 points) with 6:51 left in the third, but that was as close as it would get. The Thunder went on a 90 run in the final three minutes of the third to blow the game open and continued their onslaught in the fourth. The victory ended a fourgame road losing streak for Oklahoma City, which won its second straight game overall. The Bulls concluded a back-to-back set yesterday at the Washington Wizards and fell to 1-8 this season in the first game of back-to-backs.

Wednesday January 11, 2017 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Don't let your jealousy be the reason for a decaying relationship. Take care of matters involving institutions or government agencies. There is not much you can do to alleviate the problem, but consider putting some extra work into your house. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You might get behind if you spend too much time debating senseless issues. Your partner may blame you for everything. Finish those changes you've been talking about making to your residence. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Consider starting a small business on the side. Look for a marketable gimmick. Don't blow situations out of proportion. You can clear up important legalities and sign contracts today. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Do not push your opinions or try to reform your emotional partner today. Be careful when using machinery or electrical equipment. You may want to get a little extra rest. You are prone to infections and fevers. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You will find good buys and you will lift your spirits. Get involved in activities that will bring you knowledge about foreign land, philosophies, or cultures. You will need to do a lot of research if you wish to get to the bottom of things. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Older members of your family may try to take advantage of you. You can have a great

time if you go out with the one you love. Take care when dealing with older relatives. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) (Sept. 24 -Oct. 23) The distance may make you both appreciate each other more. Problems with gas, oil, or water in your home may disrupt your routine. Don't bother getting even; they'll make themselves look bad. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Try to curb overindulgence today. This is not the best time to take a risk, to gamble or spend money you really can't afford to part with. You need to be around friends and family. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Visit friends or relatives you rarely see. Your emotional life may be up in the air if your mate has been going through a change of heart. Things are looking up. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Try not to get into disputes that will lead to estrangements. Past partners are likely to reappear. Don't offer to pay for others. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Hard work will bring rewards. Someone you live with may cause drastic alterations in your usual routine. Try to calm down emotionally about personal financial matters. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Travel and educational pursuits may help alleviate the stress you have been feeling. You might find that the extra cash will come in handy when an opportunity to invest comes along. You can accomplish a great deal.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) celebrates during the first quarter of the game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. (Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports)

RHTYSC and Food for the Poor... (From page 36) two individuals, the RHTYSC would seek to play an even more larger role by hosting more cricket tournaments at the junior, female and second division levels and at the same time assist as much as possible Less for-

Warner slams... (From page 35) Warner, captain Steven Smith, Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Starc - will be unable to play in the T20s, while others such as Glenn Maxwell could yet find themselves in the Test squad too. “Scheduling is obviously Cricket Australia’s area,” Warner said in an interview with Fox Sports. “They play the big role in putting that on. For me, it’s about going out there and playing the game and not worrying too much about that. In saying that, it is very, very poor scheduling. To have your Test team going away to play a Test match... it doesn’t make any sense to us. “I don’t like it. Those of us who are part of the T20 team have a bigger goal and bigger picture, and that is to win a World Cup. You want to be putting your best team on the park all the time. At the end of the day, you’ve got Big Bash and IPL. “If me, Smithy, Starcy, Ussy, Shaun Marsh — all these guys that are in the Australian T20 team from the previous World Cup — if we are not playing any T20 cricket in Australia where the next World Cup is meant to be, it becomes quite a tough thing for selectors to work around. We have one-day stuff where you can put your foot down and prove some things, but for me it’s about playing my best in any of the three formats that you play.” A World T20 is scheduled to be held in Australia in 2020, but there remains the possibility of an event in 2018 as well. Australia are yet to win a World T20 title, having only once made the final, when they were runners-up to England in 2010.

tunate Clubs to better fulfil their mandate. The RHTY&SC, MS would also assist at least twelve cricket clubs to conduct coaching programmes for their junior members during 2017. Foster also disclosed that the Rose Hall Town Primary School would during the year receive donations from the RHTY&SC under the Club’s highly successful Say No to Drugs, Crime and Suicide Programme. Under-17 players Simon Naidu and David Prahalad each received a cricket bat, a pair of batting gloves and a pair of batting pads. The duo was honoured for working beyond the call of duty to assist the Club Secretary/

CEO Hilbert Foster to fulfil his duties and making sure that every programme/activity is successfully completed. Among the major programmes, Naidu and Prahald worked on were the Annual Awards Ceremony, Annual Youth Review Magazine, TCL Cricket Academy, Republic Bank Summer Camp, Bakewell Christmas Village, Annual Christmas Charity Programme and numerous Cricket Tournaments including the Food for Poor 5/5. The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club would like to express gratitude to the Management of Food for the Poor (Guy) Ltd especially Mr. Jimeel Davis and Kent Vincent for their continued cooperation.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 34

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Afghanistan approach ICC regarding Full Member status ESPNcricinfo - The Afghanistan Cricket Board is understood to have expressed a keenness to the ICC to apply for Full Member status, though is yet t o f o r m a l l y a p p l y, ESPNcricinfo has learned. The application is likely to be made in February and considered at the ICC meeting then, with Afghanistan currently preparing a comprehensive report to satisfy the ICC’s requirements. According to the ICC’s criteria, a team applying for admission as a Full Member must have a full-fledged c r i c k e t i n g a n d administrative infrastructure in the country. The ICC’s guideline criteria for Full Membership states: “A country must play regular first-class cricket (domestic 3-4 day competition) before playing Test cricket. Number of teams and players - sufficiently large pool of players to draw from capable of performing at the highest level of the game.”

Afghanistan have progressed rapidly through the Affiliate and Associate ranks after their induction in 2001 © Chris Whiteoak Afghanistan gained Affiliate membership in 2001 and were granted Associate status in 2013. In 2009, the team was given ODI status and, over the last few years, the ACB has undergone extensive organisational restructuring

to provide better leadership and find qualified staff to run cricket administration in the war-torn country. The ACB is also upgrading its cricket infrastructure. There is a four-day tournament between five regional teams, and four oneday tournaments (three provincial and one national, featuring regional teams). There is at least one cricket

ground in every region and a national cricket academy in Kabul, along with a development structure for teams from the youth to the senior levels. An ACB spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo that the four-day tournament was yet to get first-class status, but the board has applied to the ICC for this. “We don’t have that recognition yet; in 2011 we

started the three-day tournament and then in 2014 we started the four-day tournament. We have a grade-three 50-overs tournament between 16 provinces, a grade-two tournament between 16 provinces and a grade-one competition between eight provinces and the regional one-day cup. The proposal is sent to the ICC and we are hopeful

to get the recognition in the ICC meeting in February.” Afghanistan have played 70 ODIs so far, winning 35 games, and played at their first World Cup in 2015. In T20Is, they have won 32 out of 51 matches and have played in four editions of the World T20. The team is currently ranked tenth in ODIs and ninth in the T20I rankings.

Fellaini helps United to 2-0 win over Hull in Cup semi

Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini scores their second goal. (Reuters / Phil Noble Livepic) (Reuters) Manchester United planted one foot in the League Cup final after a late Marouane Fellaini header gave them a 2-0 win over Hull City in the first leg of their last four clash

yesterday. Juan Mata put United ahead early in the second half of what had looked like being a frustrating n i g h t f o r J o s e M o u r i n h o ’s side, who

spurned several chances to put the tie to bed. Paul Pogba rattled the post with a free kick and a string of other opportunities went begging as Hull dug in before Fellaini rose at

the far post to head home with three minutes remaining. Southampton and Liverpool contest the other semi-final, with the first leg at St Mary’s today.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 11, 2017

PAGE 35

Teenaged Russian ousts world number one Kerber in Sydney Angelique Kerber of Germany plays a forehands return to Daria Kasatkina of Russia. (REUTERS/Jason Reed) Daria Kasatkina of Russia plays a backhand return to Angelique Kerber of Germany. (REUTERS/Jason Reed)

(Reuters) Angelique Kerber’s build-up for next week’s Australian Open suffered a setback when the world number one was beaten 7-6(5), 6-2 by Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina in the second round of the Sydney International yesterday. An error-prone Kerber struggled to reproduce the form that led her to a first grand slam triumph at Melbourne Park last year and came unstuck against the 19-year-old Kasatkina. “The first matches of the year are always tough and I still don’t feel my rhythm. I made too many mistakes,” Kerber, who also lost in the quarter-finals in Brisbane last week, said of her 41 unforced errors. “So it was not so easy, but I will try to forget the

match as soon as I can. It’s the second tournament of the year. We still have a (long way) to go, so I will not (make) a big (deal) of that match.” Kasatkina kept her nerve when it mattered most and fought off three break points in the sixth game of the second set while leading 3-2 with a break. From there she did not have to look back. “It’s difficult to explain really. I beat the number one in the world and it doesn’t h a p p e n e v e r y d a y, ” Kasatkina, ranked 26 in the world, said in a courtside interview. “I think I will get some confidence,” she said referring to the year’s first grand slam which starts on Monday in Melbourne. A n a s t a s i a

Pavlyuchenkova earlier won an all-Russian battle against Svetlana Kuznetsova. Pavlyuchenkova beat world number nine and defending champion Kuznetsova 7-5 6-3 to set up a quarter-final clash against Canadian Eugenie Bouchard who caused another upset by defeating third seed Dominika Cibulkova. Ninth seed Italian Robert Vinci also fell to Czech Barbora Strycova 62, 6-3 but former world number one Caroline Wozniacki bucked the trend with a 6-0, 7-5 win over Kazakh Yulia Putintseva. Polish number two seed Agnieszka Radwanska also overcame American Christina Mchale 7-6(1), 61. Pavlyuchenkova came

Kenya sets up doctors network to fight doping NAIROBI (Reuters) Athletics Kenya (AK) has drawn up a list of accredited doctors who will be responsible for examining samples from elite athletes and ensure they are not tempted to use banned drugs, AK’s chairman said yesterday. The initiative is part of Kenya’s effort to clean up its image after a series of doping cases brought the nation to the brink of being barred from the 2016 Rio Olympics. After last-gasp measures to reassure the international authorities,

Kenyan athletes were allowed to participate in Brazil and secured the biggest haul of medals by a nation renowned for middle and long distance runners. “This plan is such that a first sample of trusted and skilled Kenyan doctors has been identified to form the Kenyan Doctors Network,” AK Chairman Jackson Tuwei told reporters. “Their responsibility is to take care of Kenyan toplevel runners and limit bad medical practices and doping promotion behavior by some Kenyan health professionals,” he said.

AK has prepared a list of 109 top athletes who would benefit from support by the doctors and drafted regulations that would make it mandatory for the elite athletes to use the network. “Failure to comply will result in impossibility for the athletes to represent Kenya in international competitions,” he said. The new rules will come into effect later this month. “We therefore ask the athletes, coaches, officials, managers and health professionals to follow this strictly,” Tuwei said.

into the match having lost five of the last six meetings against Kuznetsova and twice fell back in the opening set. The 31-year-old double grand slam winner was serving for the set at 5-4 before Pavlyuchenkova reeled off the last three games to bag the set.

“I’m really happy, especially because she’s not only defending champion b u t m y f e l l o w (countrywoman) and she’s top 10 and she’s had a really incredible year last year,” Pavlyuchenkova said. Next up for the Russian will be former Wimbledon finalist Bouchard who

completed her fourth consecutive hard-court win against world number six Cibulkova with a 6-4, 6-3 victory. It will be the first WTA quarter-final appearance for the Canadian in 10 months since Kuala Lumpur, where she lost in the final of the Malaysian Open.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 36

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Clemson clinch national championship (Reuters) A lastsecond touchdown gave Clemson a thrilling 35-31 victory over Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday. In a rematch of last year’s title game, which Alabama won, Clemson got their revenge when quarterback Deshaun Watson tossed the gamewinning score with just a second left. Watson threw for 420 yards and three touchdowns and led the final drive after Alabama had seized the lead with a late score of their own. “I told (my team on the last drive), ‘don’t panic, let’s go finish it. We’re built for moments like this,’” Watson said. “We worked so hard for it and fell short last year. Now we’re national champions. It’s amazing.” Alabama coach Nick Saban, who has led his programme to four titles in eight years, was going for a

The Clemson Tigers celebrate after beating the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports) sixth career national title which would have tied him with Bear Bryant for the most of all time.

Alabama were in command early and took a 24-14 lead into the fourth quarter before Clemson

rallied. Running back Bo Scarbrough rushed for 93 yards and two scores but

went down with an injury in the third quarter and did not return. Quarterback Jalen Hurts

gave Alabama a 31-28 lead with 2:07 remaining on a 30yard touchdown run before Watson responded.

RHTY&SC invites Berbice Teams to Dengue fever sidelines Malinga from register for 2017 Cricket Tournaments South African limited over series

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS is inviting Clubs from across Berbice to register with its Club Office if they want to participate in its 2017 cricket tournaments. The RHTY&SC would be arranging at least 15 cricket tournaments during the year at the Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Female and Second Division level as part of its cricket development programme. Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that the RHTY&SC was very unhappy with the current situation in Berbice Cricket with the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) being unable to fulfil its mandate due to a court injunction by two individuals. Expressing the frustration, the former Chairman of the BCB Special Events Committee stated that members of the RHTY&SC were forced to practise all year long in 2016 with hardly any cricket to play. This has resulted in many youths quitting the game altogether, while numerous Clubs have closed down due to the lack of cricket being played since the injunction being filed

almost two years ago. Foster, who successfully spearheaded close to 1600 programmes/activities as Head of the BCB Special Committee from 2008 to 2014 expressed concern about the state of Berbice Cricket and the lack of investment into the development of new talents. He stated that currently, Berbice Cricket has been kept alive by the hard work of club executives of the RHTY&SC, M.S, Albion, Young Warriors, Tucker Park, Blairmont and the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association. The RHTY&SC, M.S would be involving a total of sixteen teams in its Under 15, Under-17, Under-19 competition with three coming from the membership of the Club including its female section. This leaves space for thirteen Clubs to register and they have up to February 10th, 2017 to do so. Under15 players have to be born on or after the 1st September, 2002, Under-17 players on or after the 1st September 2002 and Under-19 players on or after the 1st September, 1998. A maximum amount of

twelve teams would be involved in several second division tournaments with two coming from the RHTY&SC, only two first division players who have played more than a combined four first division matches (3 days, 50 overs or 20/20) in 2016/2017 shall be allowed to play per team, while Under-19 players born after the 1st September 1998 shall not be considered as first Division players. All junior team applications would have to be accompanied by a completed list of the names of the players, Date of birth, Telephone number and schools attended. The RHTY&SC, M.S would debar any Club who provides misleading information from all of its cricket tournaments and from receiving any form of assistance under the Club’s Cricket Development Programme. Contact can be made at the Club Office via telephone number 3374562, email at foster hilbert@yahoo.com or visit the office during working hours of 8:30am to 18 hrs Monday to Saturday.

(Reuters) Sri Lanka paceman Lasith Malinga has been ruled out of the Twenty20 and One Day series against South Africa as he has yet to fully recover from a bout of dengue fever, officials said yesterday. The 33-year-old was expected to make a comeback after a litany of injuries but will now have to wait until next month at least when Sri Lanka play three T20 internationals in Australia. He struggled last year with knee problems that kept him out of the World T20s and the Indian Premier League, and late last year had bout of dengue fever. “He had a practice game last week and realised he still wasn’t up the right level of fitness,” team manager Ranjith Fernando told Reuters. The last of Malinga’s 191 ODI appearances was against the West Indies in November 2015 and last February he played a single T20 international against the United Arab Emirates at the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. Sri Lanka play the last of three tests against South

Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga (REUTERS/Anthony Phelps) Africa from Thursday and then have three T20

internationals and five ODIs against their hosts.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 11, 2017

PAGE 37

WICB APPOINTS NEW CEO Sharapova to make comeback

St. John’s, Antigua - The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has appointed Johnny Grave as its new Chief Executive Officer, following a rigorous recruitment process led by Price Waterhouse Coopers, Barbados. Johnny joins the organisation with a wealth of experience from both the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) in the UK, where he has been the Commercial Director for the past 9 years and Surrey County Cricket Club, where he held several senior leadership roles. During his time at the PCA, Johnny has significantly grown commercial revenue streams, as well as building excellent relationships and partnerships between the players, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and a wide range of commercial organisations. Among the new CEO’s tasks will be developing and delivering the WICB’s strategic plans, and building on the existing framework started by former CEO, Michael Muirhead. The top

Johnny Grave (Twitter) priorities for the new CEO will be the management and oversight of the WICB’s US$40 million budget, the creation of new commercial opportunities, helping to drive revenue into the whole game, along with an increased focus on player relations and improved performances on and off the field. President of the WICB, Dave Cameron welcomes the new CEO to the team commenting, “Johnny has a

proven track record of success in his career to date and a huge amount of relevant experience and will add exceptional value to the organisation. Johnny was the unanimous choice of the interview panel and clearly shares our vision for the future of West Indies Cricket.” Johnny commented, “I am delighted to have been given the honour of becoming the new CEO of the WICB. I am genuinely excited by the opportunity of improving cricket at all levels within the region and am looking forward to working with the many stakeholders who are committed to the long-term development of West Indies Cricket.” Johnny holds an Executive MBA from the Cass Business School in London and is a graduate from the University of Leeds. He will be fulfilling his contractual responsibilities at the PCA and is unavailable for further media comment until he officially begins his role with the WICB in February. He will be based in Antigua at the WICB headquarters.

Guyana to host Caribbean Cadet and Junior TT Championships in April T h e G u y a n a Ta b l e Tennis Association (GTTA) will host the Caribbean Cadet and Junior Table Tennis (TT) Championships over the Easter Weekend, April 14-19 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Homestretch Avenue. A press release from the G T TA s a i d t h a t t h e competition will be used as the qualification event for the 2nd Pan American Cadet and Junior Table Tennis Championship scheduled for the United States of America in September. “This competition will be used to select the top four teams from the Caribbean that will join the top four teams from Central America and the top four teams from South America in qualifying for the Pan American event,” the release noted. With the qualification Cadet and Junior Caribbean event being compulsory, all top teams from the region are slated to participate. It will engage players aged 15 years and under and those 18 years and under. “The tournament will provide the opportunity for 32 of Guyana’s top junior

-GTTA identifies players for training ahead of national selection players to compete against the region’s best for regional honours. The GTTA has already shortlisted the squad to be announced with the view of starting preparation,” the association said. Guyana’s junior boys’ team secured a silver medal in a three-way tie. “This year, the local team will look to use their home advantage to put in a more outstanding performance in view of securing qualification for the prestigious Junior Pan American Table Tennis Championships and winning regional honours,” the release continued. The boys identified for training include: Miguel Wong, Elishaba Johnson, Kyle Edghill, Sheldon Atherley, Nicholas Romain, Tyriq Saunders, Jamaal N i c h o l a s , Te r r e n c e Rausche, Yeudistr Persaud, Kaysan Ninvalle, Brandon Jaikarran, Navindra Persaud, Jeremey Singh, Isaiah Layne, Niron Bissu, Khalil Ninvalle, Jonathan

Van Lange and Ty Dixon. The girls indentified include: Priscillia Greaves, Neveah Clarkston, Selenas Jackman, Abigale Martin, Onieka Philips, Davona Bess, Thuraia Thomas and Christie Lopes. “ To e n h a n c e t h e i r training, the association will have the senior players train with members of the junior team. This will help to fast track and allow improvement in the technical and tactical skills (of players) reinforcing fundamentals while improving confidence,” the release said. “With an active training and competition programme mapped out for the association, the GTTA would be gauging the players’ progress over the coming months to derive the best possible team to compete at the Caribbean Championships,” it concluded. The categories to be include Boys’ and Girls’ Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles.

after doping ban in Stuttgart (Reuters) Five-time grand slam champion Maria Sharapova will return to competitive action following a 15-month doping ban at the Stuttgart Grand Prix in April, the Russian said yesterday. The Florida-based Sharapova was originally banned for two years after testing positive for meldonium at last year’s Australian Open. The former world number one, one of the highest paid athletes in the world in the past decade, admitted she had used meldonium for years and was not aware it had been banned since the start of 2016. Her suspension was later cut to 15 months on appeal. “I could not be happier to have my first match back on tour at one of my favourite tournaments,” Russian Sharapova, who won the indoor clay event three years running from 2012, said on the tournament website. “I can’t waitý to see all my great fans and to be back doing what I love.” She will return to action in time to contest the

Maria Sharapova (Jayne KaminOncea-USA TODAY Sports) season’s second grand slam at Roland Garros. The French Open begins on May 22. “I’m really happy for Maria that she’s back after a long break. Particularly pleasing for me is that it’s going to be our audience that gets to watch her comeback live,” said tournament director Markus Guenthardt. “(It)...is certain to be one of the sporting and emotional

highlights of our anniversary tournament.” Sharapova, who will turn 30 on April 19, had earned $29.7 million in 2015 as the world’s highest paid female athlete. She had called the I n t e r n a t i o n a l Te n n i s Federation’s (ITF) original ruling “unfairly harsh” as an independent tribunal had found that she had not intentionally violated antidoping rules.

Warner slams ‘very, very poor scheduling’

David Warner: ‘I don’t like it. Those of us who are part of the T20 team have a bigger goal and bigger picture, and that is to win a World Cup’ © Cricket Australia/Getty Images ESPNcricinfo Australia’s vice-captain, David Warner, has labelled as “very, very poor” the scheduling decision that will lead to Australia playing a Twenty20 international at home the day before they begin a Test series in India. The Test players will have a long preparation for

the first Test in Pune, spending up to two weeks training on spinning pitches at the ICC Academy in Dubai before heading to India for a warm-up game in Mumbai. However, while t h e Te s t p l a y e r s a r e acclimatising in Asia, a T20 team will be representing Australia in three

internationals at home against Sri Lanka. The T20s take place in Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide on February 17, 19 and 22, and the first Test in India begins on February 23. That means several members of Australia’s firstchoice T20 side - including (Continued on page 31)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 38

Wednesday January 11, 2017

RHTYSC and Food for the Poor make contribution to Clubs and RHT Primary The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club MS and Food for the Poor (Guy) INC. on Friday last assisted three cricket Clubs with equipment, while the Rose Hall Town Primary School along with two young Club members, also received assistance. The three cricket clubs – Rose Hall Canje and Young and Restless received two cricket bats, two pairs of batting pads and gloves along with a complete set of stumps, while the Mount Sanai Cricket Club, which is in the process of being restructured, collected a bat, a pair of batting pads, gloves and a set of stumps. The Rose Hall Town Primary School received a collection of trophies, certificate frames, cleaning detergents, sport equipment, school bags among others,

while two young cricketers of the RHTYSC, Simon Naidu and David Prahalad received a complete cricket kit for their hard work over the last year. At the simple presentation ceremony, Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that the year 2017 would be a historic one for the RHTYSC as it would seek to complete a total of 500 programmes/activities for the first time in its history. Management of the RHTY&SC has set itself a target of 450 for the year but the long serving Secretary/CEO expressed full confidence that with hard work and dedication, 500 programmes/activities would be achieved under the sub-headings of sports, education, charity, antisuicide, anti- crime, antidrugs, employment, social,

RHTY&SC, MS Secretary/CEO, Hilbert Foster (right), poses with the different representatives after the presentation ceremony. coaching, religious, community development, youth development among others. With Berbice cricket in a crisis due to a court injunction against the Berbice Cricket Board by (Continued on page 31)

FIFA agrees to expand World Cup to 48 teams ZURICH (Reuters) Soccer’s governing body, FIFA, voted yesterday to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from its current 32, brushing aside concerns that the expansion would lower the overall standard of the tournament and make it too big and unwieldy. FIFA president Gianni Infantino, fulfilling a promise he made during last year’s election campaign, said the move meant that “more can participate and many more will have a chance to dream”. FIFA’s 211 member associations each hold one vote in the presidential election, and 135 of them have never played at a World Cup, so expansion of the tournament was always likely to appeal. The new format, to be introduced in 2026, will feature a first round of 16 groups of three teams, with the top two in each qualifying for a round of 32. From then on, it would be a straightforward knockout contest. The hosts of the 2026 tournament will be decided in May 2020. The C O N C A C A F Confederation, representing North and Central America and the Caribbean, is seen as a strong contender, possibly providing a joint bid from at least two of the United States, Canada and Mexico. The new-look tournament will increase the number of matches from 64 to 80, but Infantino said it would require the same

number of match days and stadiums as now: “This format can be played in exactly the same number of days as today, 32, and the winning team will play the same number of games, seven, as today, and in the same number of stadiums, 12, as today,” he said. Critics have said that FIFA is tampering with a winning formula; the last World Cup in Brazil was widely regarded as one of the best in the competition’s 87year-old history, featuring shock results, last-minute drama and outstanding individual performances. N E G A T I V E FORMAT? One of the concerns is that the new format will make the group stage merely a matter of avoiding elimination, and so encourage negative play. Infantino said it had not yet been decided whether penalty shootouts could be used to decide drawn groupstage matches. The qualifying competition, meanwhile, is likely to become a mere formality for many of the strongest teams. The number of extra slots for each continental confederation, as well as formats for the qualifying competitions, will be decided at a later date, Infantino said. He had initially suggested a 40-team tournament, but then added another eight to that total in

October. Those who have never qualified include 41 out of FIFA’s 54 of its African members and 10 out of 11 members in the Oceania region. The ECA, the association that represents more than 200 European clubs, most of which dislike releasing their players for international duty, said the decision had been taken for “political reasons rather than sporting ones” and “under considerable political pressure”. “We fail to see the merits to changing the current format of 32 that has proven to be the perfect formula from all perspectives,” it said in a statement. Reinhard Grindel, head of the German federation (DFB), said he saw a danger that “in the future we will see more defensive-minded teams”. “If the World Cup stops being as attractive, then fan and sponsor support suffers, as does its marketing.” The pressure group New FIFA Now, which has campaigned for reform of FIFA, said the move “will make a mockery of the qualification process for most confederations”. The inaugural World Cup, staged in 1930 in Uruguay, featured just 13 teams and 17 matches. Sixteen teams took part from 1934, eight more were added from 1982 onwards and, finally, another eight in 1998.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 11, 2017

PAGE 39

GOA Financial Report amplifies Hutson’s poor performance

Aubrey Hutson By Rawle Welch Labeled as being one of the most important members of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), the Athletics Asociation of Guyana (AAG) has set January 22 as the date for its Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will elect new office bearers to serve the next term. This entity which has been the sole provider of bona fide qualifiers to the biggest sporting showpiece on Planet Earth called the Olympics will attempt to elect a new executive to run the affairs of athletics for the next four years so there is high anticipation as to who and who will be elected to office. This is so because despite its importance as an affiliate of the GOA, many observers conclude that the current executive failed to position the sport to the level where it ought to be and are calling for change within the Body. The incumbent President according to observers has done a poor job in advancing the development of the sport both in terms of its performance on the sports index and providing hope for our hard working athletes who make huge sacrifices to make the endeavour a career. For instance, AAG President, Aubrey Hutson has not added anything to the sport’s Calendar of Events in his four years at the helm, which shows that he lacks innovation. This observation of Hutson’s below-average performance in office was amplified even further with the release of the GOA’s

Financial Report during its AGM last December. Hutson’s failure to tap into the huge financial resources of the GOA received a scathing review by one commentator, who even questioned whether the entity possessed the ability to construct programmes to draw down on the available reserves or was it just a case of coldness towards the sacrifices being made by young athletes. Whatever the reason (s), an assessment of the current performance of the executive over the period is below average at best. There needs to be an injection of personnel, who in addition to having the sport and athletes development at heart are also equipped with the requisite knowledge of what is required to transform the depressing outlook that hovers over the sport. The current status quo cannot continue, there needs to be the fruition of new thinking within a new executive, one that involves the creation of modern programmes geared at

producing elite performances, while the materialisation of collaborative action must be a priority as well. Guyana at best is one hour away from Trinidad and Tobago and between three and four hours apart from the athletics capital of the world, Jamaica, and despite these short distances, we have not been able to forge a strong connection with these two countries that are well respected within the international athletics community. What does this say about the seriousness of our administrators? It simply portrays a lack of genuineness on their part and even more devastating, a clear disinterest in the real development of our athletes. The focus seems to be to reward assistants and coaches with overseas trips in exchange for their loyalty, all at the expense of the main stakeholders, who are the athletes. The world has now become a global village with the sharing of experiences and expertise just a click away and we know that our athletes are competent enough to get the required knowledge of their rights. Therefore, the time has arrived for them to be consulted by those who will vote via the secret ballot on their behalf. A secret ballot is in itself a covert means of electing public officials and is logically open to speculation.

It is a critical meeting, one that ought to determine consensus as to who their choice should be and not be reliant on the preference of someone who might have been rewarded for his or her allegiance at the expense of the athletes’ hard work and dedication. Hutson, during his tenure

failed to provide the kind of leadership that many had anticipated and the time is nigh for those who have the interest of the sport at heart to stop the bleeding, before the sport slips into comatose and subsequent death. Athletes have echoed sentiments of frustration

whether it is a missed opportunity to showcase their potential or questionable selections and the way to stop this is to elect an executive whose track record symbolise represe n t a t i o n a n d respect for the most important stakeholder, the athletes.

Tenth Street Sports bar supports Wiltshire Dominoes

Nichole October (right) accepts the third place trophy from Cecil Chandler of Tenth Street Sports bar. Tenth Street Sports Bar of Diamond, East Bank Demerara has supported the Mark Wiltshire 62nd birth anniversary dominoes competition which commenced recently.

Cecil Chandler of Tenth Street Sports bar handed over the third place trophy to Nichole October on Monday night at Dynasty during the Georgetown leg of the

tournament. Chandler said he is pleased to support the competition and wished the teams well while October expressed gratitude to the sponsor.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 40

Wednesday January 11, 2017

‘Lindeners’ dominate familiar terrain at AAG Cross Country

Athletes and participants start the AAG Cross Country on Sunday at the Bayrock Ground in Linden on Sunday. Winston Messigher and Ashanti Scott emerged victorious on Sunday when Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) held its second Cross Country Race at Bay Rock, Linden. Messigher and Nathaniel Giddings, both from Linden, topped Open Male category in that order as Marlon Nicholson finished third. Scott defeated Assata Eastman and Cassie Kirton in an Open Female race.

In other results: Boys Under-14: 1st Joel Williams; 2nd Benel Ogle; 3rd Joshua Bennett. Girls U-14: 1st Aaliyah Headley; 2nd Kellannie Glen; 3rd Attoya Harvey. Boys Under-16: 1st Murphy Nash; 2nd Nicholas Daw; 3rd Mark Solomon. Girls Under-16: 1st Johonna Archer; 2nd Kissanna Glen; 3rd Shaquka Tyrell. Boys Under-20: 1st

Mathew McKenzie; 2nd R e k i e Wi l l i a m s ; 3 r d Anfernee Headliner. Girls U-20: 1st Kezra Murray; 2nd Collia Rowe; 3rd Delicia Tinnitus The National Sports Commission and Banks DIH under its Rain Forest Water and Powerade brands were the sponsors of the event. The AAG noted that the event attracted in excess of 100 participants and four male and female categories.

CORPORATE ANTIGUA MEETS WITH WICB ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Sections of the corporate community in Antigua met with the Commercial, Marketing and Operation teams of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) at its head office in St John’s earlier yesterday.

Wi t h t h e R e g i o n a l Super50 competition two weeks away the corporate entities were given final details on packages on offer which will include access to commercial properties for the rest of the calendar year. The meeting also

highlighted how to acquire commercial relationships with the Coolidge Cricket Ground (Sticky Wicket). The Government of Antigua and Barbuda and the WICB have entered into an agreement to co-own and manage the facility and the WICB’s outgoing CEO, Michael Muirhead, spoke about the “exciting opportunities to be available with the acquisition of the property and how both the island and cricket will benefit as a result.” T h e S t i c k y Wi c k e t facility will be redeveloped into a full-service space which will cater to a range of services including cricket matches, camps, entertainment and an exquisite dining experience. “The transition will take place in phases over a threeyear period,” noted Muirhead. Coolidge Cricket Ground along with the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium will share Zone A matches of the Super50. Teams are Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, Windward Islands Volcanoes, West Indies Under 19 and Kent Spitfires. The next meeting is set for Thursday, January 12.

Wednesday January 11, 2017

Kaieteur News

PAGE 41

Players in action on Monday night at Dynasty. (Zaheer Mohamed photos)

Mix Up, C6, Beacons, Gangster victorious Mix Up, C6, Beacons and Gangster registered victories when the Georgetown leg of the Mark Wiltshire 62nd Birth Anniversary dominoes competition commenced on Monday night at Dynasty. Mix Up chalked up 77 games to beat Rage on 72 and In Time with 66. Clearance Whitehead and Mark Wiltshire made 15 each for the winners while Ronald Beharry got 16 and Shawn Morgan 15 for Rage. Ronald Goodman

and Roy George made 14 apiece for In Time. C6 marked 78 games to overcome Spartons 70 and Phantom 51 in their encounter. Sharon Jerome and Claire Benjamin scored 14 and 12 respectively for C6 while Leroy Edwards got 16 for Spartons. Orin Favourite and Rawl Cameron made 14 each for Phantom. Beacons defeated Impressers and Scramblers in a keenly contested affair. Beacons chalked up 71 games while Impressers

made 70 and Scramblers 66. Yonette Christmas and Barbara Marshall got 14 apiece for Impressers, while Basil Bradshaw scored 14 for Scramblers. Led by 14 each from Shellon Collymore and Dereck Collymore, Gangster marked 77 games to beat All Seasons with 71 and Tenth Street on 60. George Freeman made 17 for All Seasons. The competition continues tonight at Faye Joseph residence, Gaulding Place. (Zaheer Mohamed)

Letter to the Sport Editor

GFF should ensure Slingerz and Alpha United participate in the CFU Club Championships D e a r E d i t o r, I read with surprise and uneasiness an email circulated on January 09 to members of the media and the global football fraternity from the General Manager of the Slingerz Football Club, Mr. Collin Aaron. In his letter, Mr. Aaron was seeking clarification from the President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Mr. Wayne Forde, on the status of his club’s participation in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Championships. At the time of composing this letter, I had not received any correspondence on whether the GFF has responded to Mr. Aaron’s concerns, however, It would be a travesty of immense proportions if the country’s top two football clubs, Slingerz and Alpha United, aren’t allowed to play in the CFU Club Championships. These aforementioned two teams won the first and

second place respectively of the inaugural Elite League and as a result qualified for the regional championships and should rightfully be given the chance to represent Guyana in the competition. The regulations of the CFU Club Championship is clear in this regard and assert that, “the Competition is open to the Champion and/or Runner-up of the highest professional club competition (or amateur if a professional league does not exist) within each of the CFU Member Associations, whereas such Champion team(s) is determined by the result following the completion of the last complete season prior to the end of registration of the Competition.” The inaugural Elite League ended in mid 2016 and is the last complete season of the highest club competition in Guyana. Despite all the controversy surrounding the two clubs’

participation in the current edition of the Elite League, those two clubs legitimately earned the right to participate in the 2017 CFU Championships.

They would have expended enormous resources to achieve that goal and the opportunity to do so should not be denied.

The GFF Executive Committee should do all within its powers to ensure that the two clubs are given the opportunity to represent Guyana and the Guyana

Football Federation. F a i t h f u l l y , Clinton Urling Former Chairman of the GFF Normalization Committee

t r o Sp FIFA agrees to expand World Cup to 48 teams

P.36

FIFA President Gianni Infantino addresses a news conference after a FIFA Council in Zurich, Switzerland, yesterday. (REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann)

Former GFA Honorary Secretary appointed as new GFF Inc. GS Former Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Honorary Secretary Ms. Althea Scipio is now the new General Secretary of the Guyana Football Federation Inc. following her appointment which took effect from January 1st, 2017. In a press release, the GFF noted that Ms Scipio was selected following a series of interviews which took place in October 2016. Ms. Scipio served as an Assistant Superintendent in the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for approximately eight (8) years and as Honorary Secretary at the G e o rg e t o w n F o o t b a l l Association (GFA) for approximately one year. During her tenure in the GPF, the new GS honed her management and man management skills while performing various functions in the GPF, including forens i c s , c o m m u n i t y

Althea Scipio relations, media relations, security management and secretariat management. Ms. Scipio will now play a pivotal role in the ongoing restructuring process of the GFF’s Secretariat, which has been

embarked on by the Executive Committee, and, ultimately, the football fraternity as a whole. She will have the critical task of spearheading the successful and timely implementation of the Committee’s vision.

CORPORATE ANTIGUA MEETS WITH WICB P.38

Michael Muirhead speaks with (l-r) Cindy Grant, Dion Francis and Kevinia Francis of Kennedy’s Club Limited. Kennedy’s is a distributor of beverages and liquor. 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