Page 04
Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM NEEDED
In general, the business community has subscribed to the belief which held that customers are always viewed as valuable contributors to the success of commerce everywhere. This viewpoint is reflected in the well-known phrases that say “the customer is always right” or “the customer is never wrong.” This modern approach to running a business acknowledges the impact of customers on the old-fashioned corporate thinking and their role in modern society. Owners of companies believe that customers are at the centre of the success of businesses—a fact that cannot be denied. These concepts were guided by the recognition that businesses really exist because the customers have needs which can be met by companies. Therefore, if companies place emphasis on keeping customers happy by meeting and exceeding their expectations, the customers would continue their patronage, spend more; and companies would become even more profitable. To some degree, governments are like businesses, but the only difference is governments are not profit-driven; they are in the business of providing a range of vital services to satisfy the needs of the public. To deliver on their mandates, governments depend on the support and cooperation of a wide range of customers to contribute to the achievement of economic growth and the tax payers who provide the revenue to fund the operations of governments. Since independence, successive governments in Guyana have expressed their commitment to public sector reform with the aim of improving the quality and delivery of services to the people. But talking about public sector reform and actually doing nothing about it would be absurd. Today, the government continues to lag badly behind the private sector in terms of providing services to the public. In fact, many public servants view the public as bothersome and are reluctant to serve them. There have been many complaints from the people about the shabby treatment they have received from civil servants, some bordering on contempt and others totally disrespectful of them who are the customers and the taxpayers. For years, Guyanese from all walks of life, from the ordinary worker to housewives continue to wait in long lines for hours to be served at various governments departments and agencies. Many small businessmen have also experienced similar treatment, others have complained bitterly that it is almost impossible to see or even communicate with a minister. Such aloofness is problematic. The fact that any of its ministers are not making themselves available to the electorate is a bad sign for the government. It speaks to the lack of appreciation and disdain that some ministers have for the people. It does not take a scientist to solve the aforementioned problems; the government is in power long enough to reduce the long lines and hours of waiting. But until the Government starts to see itself as a facilitator of services to the people, then its stated objective of sustainable economic and human development, as well as to a good life for all, will remain elusive. The failure by the government to deliver proper customer service in a timely fashion shows that reforms are badly needed within the public sector to provide better service to the people. Bureaucracy and other inefficiencies in the public service have invariably led to loss of investment in Guyana and the closure of many businesses. These losses have deprived the country of much needed jobs, foreign exchange earnings and other benefits. Serious reforms of the public sector are urgently needed and should be a top priority for the government. At a time when the economy is faltering and the prices of key commodities are falling, public sector inefficiency can no longer be ignored.
Friday January 22, 2016
Letters... Where your views make the news
Statistics in support of the continuation of Wales Estate DEAR EDITOR, estate. For all the years, unlike the other costs from any of the estates to subsidize Like me, most Guyanese, here and estates, Wales enjoyed a stable and least the financing of Wales, so how its abroad, must have been shocked when disruptive workforce. closure will “allow improvements to be they open the newspapers and read that Editor, I make this analysis to carried out on the better performing Wales Estate will be closed at the end of illustrate that Wales has demonstrated estates”? this year. I was equally saddened when I over the years as being a consistently In the Ministry’s statement it further read the comments by residents of this “better performing estate”, but it has states that workers will be absorbed at estate’s community by a section of the s u f f e r e d i m m e n s e l y t h r o u g h Uitvlugt Estate, a worst performing media captioned “Wales residents say mismanagement of the agriculture estate within the last 5 years. Production will be badly hit by the sugar estate operations that has now led to its peril, on this estate has declined by almost closure”. The full extent of this closure where close to 1,800 sugar workers will 42% in the last 7 years relative to what is not properly felt yet; it’s when they have to be severed from employment. obtained in the period 1991-2008. will actually be unemployed that the full It is unthinkable what will be the fate The estate’s current manpower impact will be felt. Time will tell. of these workers and their families, and establishment is superfluous to its The Ministry of Agriculture in its not forgetting the many small and needs; it has reached saturation point, as statement contended that “it was medium businesses that line the such moving workers from Wales to impossible to make sugar at Wales pathways from Sisters Village to Free- Uitvlugt is a no-no for a starter. viable”, and that closing the estate and-Easy whose main source of sales The statement further states that would allow improvements to be are from sugar workers. farmers will be moving their canes to carried on the better performing It’s incomprehensible how the Uitvlugt. Anyone with even the faintest estates”. I disagree that “it’s impossible closing down of Wales will “allow knowledge of cane farming at Wales to make sugar at Wales viable”, since improvements to be carried out on the will tell you that it’s a ridiculous this estate was one of the “better better performing estates”. proposition. Farmers are already performing estates” not too long ago. If cost, profitability and viability of receiving a low price for the canes that The current poor performance of the operations are to determine what is they supply to the company, and the estate is due primarily to poor better in the context of prudent business huge cost to move their canes by tractormanagement at the estate and head management, then there are no “better drawn cane carts to Uitvlugt which is office levels in the past 7 years. performing estates” in GuySuCo. The some 25-30 miles away will drain their Agriculture operations and research recently-concluded Commission of last financial reserve to the point of and development units at head office Inquiry on the sugar industry revealed churning out massive losses. have failed to sustain the high level of that in 2015, the company projected a Inevitably, they will be forced out of production and productivity that loss of G$15 billion, in 2014 it suffered cane farming business. Operationally, prevailed on this estate in the era of 1991 a G$17.4 billion loss, and the average Uitvlugt has a punt dumper, not hoist, to 2008, as will be illustrated below. for the period 2009 – 2015 was a which means that canes transported by Between the periods of 1991 – 2004, whopping G$10 billion per year. cane carts will have to be off-loaded in an era when Booker Tate managed the Therefore, despite how the estates punts to be taken into the factory. industry, sugar production appreciated maybe be deemed now to be “better Who will pay for the double considerably each year. The average performing estates” each one of them handling of the canes, or has this been sugar production in this era for Wales made huge losses for the past 7 years. factored when it was decided to have the was 24,638 tonnes per year, of which There was no cross-subsidization of (Continued on page 31) Farmers contributed an average 7,746 each year or 31% of the total estate’s production. Cane yield and land productivity was 65 tonnes cane per hectare and 5.54 tonnes sugar per hectare, DEAR EDITOR, lead to believe that the US $225 million was respectively. After 2004 sugar I have seen in the media where Dr. Jagdeo reduced to US $ 150M, a reduction of US $ production precipitously declined on all estates each was addressing the sugar workers in Wales, 75M out of US $ 225M; this is not practical. misleading the people that the Coalition is An engineer who was authenticating cost year to present time. deliberately creating hardships for the PPP for the PPP is retained. The last 2 modules of Between the periods 1991 IFMAS was not used by the PPP to hide – 2008, the full era of Booker supporters. This is far from the truth. How can a human being publicly be so accountability and transparency and this Tate, average annual sugar boldfaced to assign the blame to others of an government said it has glitches and low and production for Wales was 24, industry he destroyed, he did not maintain the behold, 65% of $132m has to be paid to 932 tonnes, with farmers infrastructure, did not provide training and upgrade a system that was partially used and contributing 7,733 tonnes. C a n e y i e l d a n d l a n d competent management and he knows that glitches on 2 modules that was not used. The coalition may very well proceed with all the productivity was 68 tonnes the world price is a contributing factor. Is this about power, by a man who is inflated PPP projects this is why the ministry cane per hectare and 5.69 branded as extremely corrupt? There are so of Finance staff is retained/promoted. tonnes sugar per hectare, If the Finance Minister is going to conduct r e s p e c t i v e l y. D e s p i t e many negatives about politicians, how forensic audit at his ministry, who will production declining on all shameless and godless can people be? Again, a few weeks ago he was accusing conduct forensic audit on him since he was estates from 2005 – 2008, this new government about corruption. I do part of Jagdeo team; the diaspora thinks that Wales consistently sustained a not doubt him, but I Joe Persaud to hear it this government would not hire them, because high performance. Between the periods 2009 from Dr Jagdeo made me numb, how evil can they do not want people of integrity. They – 2 0 1 5 , u n d e r l o c a l a person be. As dem boys say, he was part of know the locals that do not have integrity; management, the average the PNC infrastructure of corruption prior to PNC had square pegs in round holes. PPP had round pegs in square holes and sugar production for the estate 1992, which he retained when the PPP took is 20,709 tonnes and cane office. He made the present Finance Minister, now the coalition has square pegs in round yield is 47 tonnes cane per Budget advisor etc. Programs/projects when holes, back to square one. Dr Jagdeo knows hectare; a decline of almost budgeted can be inflated to reflect what he is talking about, when he speaks of 4,000 tonnes sugar per year inducements. And now the same team is corruption, so Mr. Editor, can he enlighten us on the above public concerns. and a drop in yield of 18 retained by the Coalition. The public brought to my attention the My friend a retired general from the tonnes cane per hectare. following: We are not seeing projects cost Indian army, said to me,”Ramjeetsing, Herein lies the problem. reduced with the new government; the Baljeetsingh, Karamjeetsing is the same Jeet Farmers’ contribution rose from 31% to 50-52% as result speciality hospital was not tendered; the Singh.” So it does not matter which of poor cane yield and low airport modifications retained the same goverment is in power. It is the same game. Joe Persaud (Canada) land productivity on the allegedly corrupt contractor. And we were
Has the Coalition Gov’t retained Jagdeoites?
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 5
Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news
Retired Asst. Police Commissioner offers advice DEAR EDITOR, It is public knowledge that the police have reduced the duration of their recruit training course from six months to sixteen weeks. I am not certain what were the circumstances that led to the reduction or who initiated that abbreviation. The vexed question is - are we sacrificing quality for quantity? My last check with the major police forces across the Caribbean disclosed that their recruit training last for not less than six months. My groundings with Dr. Carl Williams, Commissioner of Police of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and some members of his high command revealed that their training last for six months. In their recruitment process applicants are subjected to polygraph testing. In addition, the aspirants are taken to assessment centers where trained assessors conduct a series of exercises or events to check for attitudes and behaviour including psychological behaviour. An applicant may be a graduate from UWI, or possesses ten CXC grade1s, be physically fit and has no criminal record but he may display psychopathic behaviour. If he fails the assessment he will be denied entry into the JCF. Back to Guyana . According to the police there are over 1,200 applicants awaiting to be inducted in the force. Apart from looking for academic achievement, physical fitness and criminal record the police must evaluate for attitude and behaviour. They will have less person joining the force but better quality of inductees into their system. I scanned the recruit training programme. It has four modules. It is lavish in technical skills but tight fisted in people’s skills. Very little is there in the training
programme to develop or enhance people skills. I am aware that ranks must be technically competent to perform their roles as specified under Section 3 (2) of the Police Act Chapter 16:01 and those imposed on them by society. They must be au fait with the laws, police duties, policies and procedures but equally important they must develop people’s skills. Those are interpersonalpeople- management-skills that is required to help them to effectively deal with people and to understand and adapt to the changing environment. Under the leadership of Commission of Police, Seelall Persaud, the paradigm has shifted sharply towards Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS). The police are now required not only to solve crimes but to solve problems in the various communities they serve and protect. This approach is bearing fruits and will continue to do so. Ranks are required to interact with various groups of stakeholders. They interact with their superiors, peers, subordinates, friends, rela-
tives and members of the public. Understanding of behaviour is of extreme importance. According to Harold C Russell and Allan Beigel behaviour is the major phenomenon that the police officer must deal with. He must not only deal with the behaviour of criminals, but also the behaviour of the general public, the behaviour of his family and his own behaviour. He can no longer regard the study of behaviour as the sole concern of the psychologist and psychiatrist. He must learn more about behaviour and the behavioral science to effectively and safely carry out his job. The police must ensure that their members are effective communicators, be better able to manage conflicts- Do you resolve conflict through the barrel of a gun, or assaulting unarmed peaceful protesters, or whip women and children deep in the Maroudi mountains or resorting to the 4B approach - boots, baton, bayonet and bullet? Be culture sensitive - we are one (Continued on page 31)
Former AFC official takes umbrage at PM Nagamootoo
DEAR EDITOR, Politics is largely about perception and justice is about fairness and transparency. Principles and ethics should always be the moral compass of elected officials because they should be held to higher standards. However, this was not the case with the Honorable Prime Minister on his recent visit to New York. As a seasoned politician, the Prime Minister is undoubtedly aware that perception, though not necessarily always based on fact, has a strange way of becoming truth. Guyanese, by nature, are fair-minded. In any dispute, they tend to side with and be sympathetic to the party which seems to be at a disadvantage. This is a fact that cannot be overlooked. Since in office, the government has faced enormous challenges head on, respected the rights of the citizens and put the country and people first with the ultimate purpose to faithfully serve all the people of the country and not only its constituency. When the Prime Minister was in opposition, he was very critical of the leaders of the
PPP government on their visits to New York where they had only invited PPP groups and members to attend their meetings. Lest we forget, it was the Prime Minister who had rebuked the leaders of the PPP for not representing all the people of Guyana, but only the PPP on their trips abroad. Not only had he accused them of breaching protocol but also for using the taxpayers’ money to promote the interests of the PPP only. How the Prime Minister can accused the leaders of the PPP of breaching protocol on their visits to New York and has done exactly the same thing on his visit? His recent visit to New York, whether paid or not paid by the taxpayers, should be representative of all the people of Guyana and not only a handful of members of the AFC. His activities should have been coordinated by members of the Guyana Consulate and not the AFC NY/NJ Chapter with only four members. The Prime Minister did not seize the initiative and set a conciliatory tone and extend
an olive branch to members of the PPP. His actions seem to have plunged a dagger into the hearts of the non AFC diaspora members. Understanding the intricacies of politics always requires a level of openmindedness which none of the members of the AFC NY/ NJ chapter is endowed with; because they have only been taught how to practice revenge and spiteful politics by their leader. This is the same way the AFC treat its youths in Guyana who are abandoning them for APNU. The Prime Minister has lost much credibility because of his partisan actions on this visit. For him to preach unity at home and not practice it abroad is politically inconsistent. His actions have served as a poor role model for the youths. Which begs the question: How the government can allow its politics to descend into a one party partisan affair at a time when it is seeking unity with the PPP? This precedent would only widen the division that already existed in Guyana. Asquith Rose.
Page 6
Kaieteur News
Friday January 22, 2016
Speaker rejects Opposition motion on Wales closure The Opposition finally had its day to discuss important matters of its choice yesterday in the National Assembly. First on the agenda was its motion to debate the imminent closure of the Wales Estate, which was recently announced by the Granger-led administration. Moving the motion was Opposition member, Komal Chand. Chand, who is also President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union, (GAWU) called for the other items placed on the agenda of the House to be adjourned, and for there to be a debate over the closure of the Wales Estate. He told the Members of the National Assembly that a substantial number of sugar workers and their families, and thousands of others, who depend on this facility for their livelihood, will be placed on the breadline because of this move by Government. He said that it is a move that will have dire economic consequences. He said that the motion is important; it was being moved to cause the government to reverse its decision to close the estate. Chand said that the motion was one which requires urgent or immediate attention, since this announcement to close the estate was made by the Ministry of Agriculture just a few days ago. “When it was announced,
Wales Sugar Estate
Opposition Member, Komal Chand it had a rippling effect on not only the sugar workers, but the thousands of people in the community and so on…This is contrary to what we were told, and what was expected from the government when they took office. “The workers in that area felt betrayed by this decision. This matter strikes to the root of the people of that area, and even beyond, as many close communities are worried about it. There should be no objection to this. We must take into consideration the message we will be sending to the people should the motion be ignored,” the Opposition member asserted. Chand had also sent a letter to House Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland, for the adjournment of the National Assembly to debate the matter. The Speaker made it clear that such requests for the House to be adjourned should fulfill three absolute
requirements as outlined in the Standing Orders. He said that such requests should be definite, urgent, and of public importance. Dr. Scotland said that the request by Chand only fulfills two of the indispensable criteria—definite and of public importance. The House Speaker said, “Indeed the matter is a definite one and it is of public importance. But based on the reports we have seen, the closure of the Wales Estate will take effect at the end of the year. In that case, it does not fulfill the absolute requirement of being urgent.” The Opposition’s motion was subsequently denied. Eighteen members of the Opposition then stood up, with the Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira explaining that in the case of such a request being denied, the Opposition can then invoke another Standing Order of the
House which allows for the said motion to be supported by those members. Teixeira said that she did not agree with the Speaker’s interpretation of “urgent” and emphasized that the nation should not wait until the end of the year to debate such an important matter. Even though she pointed out two other instances where such motions were moved and upheld by past Speakers, Dr. Scotland said that his decision on the matter is final and shall be upheld. Meanwhile, outside of the Parliament stood scores of peaceful protestors, most of whom were sugar workers. They vehemently objected to the looming closure of the Wales Estate. They believe that Government is being callous and failing to see just what kind of impact the move will have on the community. One protestor said, “I am a father of five. I have to provide for my family every living day, yet this government is looking to close the Wales Estate. They want to take bread out of our mouths. Where will we go?
How we gonna eat after year end? We ain’t know what is going to happen to us. We feel betrayed by this government. “The PPP warned us about the Granger Government. They can’t come and speak to us anymore. This is going to be the Government biggest mistake so early this year. They really break the hearts of the members of the Wales community.” Another estate worker supported his colleague as he held a placard which read, “Don’t Close Wales!!” He said, “This Government tricked us. They told us during the elections that they will not close down. They will improve sugar and things will get better. Now they want to close Wales. This feels like a plan to leave us poor forever. This Government does not want to see us move up. They alone want to move up. They want to eat a big piece of the pie and even take away the li’l crumbs we used to get. This is cold and heartless. “Whatever happened to talking to us before you make these decisions? The
President and all he ministers travelling all over the place all the time, but they can’t come and talk to us about this. We can never forgive this Government for this.” It was earlier this week that Government made it known that the country’s poorest performing sugar factory at Wales, West Bank Demerara will be closed this year-end, with some staffers to be absorbed by the Uitvlugt estate. The new administration had been hinting at the closure of the Wales estate since last year. It was even mentioned in the report by the Commission of Inquiry which is currently being studied by the administration. Cost-cutting is one of the key actions for the industry which has been facing tough times, especially over the last decade. The Ministry of Agriculture had said that the investment required to refurbish the Wales estate remains significant, with the finances simply not available. “Diverting funds from the other estates to keep Wales (Continued on page 26)
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
With days to go, rival camps bicker over teams for Syria peace talks
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry gestures as he meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their meeting on Syria, in Zurich, Switzerland. REUTERS/Jacquelyn Martin/Pool Reuters - Syrian peace talks will go ahead in Geneva, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry insisted yesterday, but with just days to go, rival camps bickered about who should be invited to take part. Kerry conceded that the timetable may slip from a planned Monday start but there would be no fundamental delay, he said, and U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura would send out invitations on Sunday. “What will happen is on Monday, there will be some discussions (in Geneva), but I would say that by Tuesday and Wednesday people will be able to get there. We just see this is as logistical,” Kerry told journalists at a roundtable discussion in Davos. “We are just kind of lining pieces up a little bit here. So we’ll see where we are.” With no military solution in sight after almost five years
of war and over 250,000 deaths, Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed on Wednesday that the talks should go ahead despite no apparent agreement on who should represent the opposition. Kerry said initial talks would be “proximity talks”, not a face-to-face meeting of participants in the same room. “You are not going to have a situation where they are sitting down at the table staring at each other or shouting at each other; you are going to have to build some process here, and that’s what will begin,” Kerry said. “The government of Syria will be wherever it is Mr. Staffan decides they will be and the ... (opposition) will be wherever he decides. And if he has some other people he wants to talk to and meet with he will.” Countries backing the talks, including the United
States and Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Turkey, are still at odds over which fighting groups should be branded “terrorists”, a discussion that is expected to continue even as De Mistura shuttles between the rival delegations in Geneva. Russia and Iran, which support President Bashar alAssad, have rejected attempts by Saudi Arabia, which like the United States and European powers opposes him, to organize the opposition’s delegation for the talks. Russia wants the opposition negotiating team expanded to include other figures that could be deemed closer to its own thinking as well as the main Syrian Kurdish party, the PYD, and the affiliated YPG militia. But the opposition has said it will boycott the Geneva negotiations if Russia insists on such a shake-up.
Cameron to call on business to support staying in EU Reuters - Prime Minister David Cameron called on business yesterday to speak out in favour of Britain staying in a reformed European Union, but warned those wanting a quick fix that he would settle only for the “right deal”. Cameron, who was attending the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos, hit back at criticism that his decision to call a referendum increased global un-
certainty, saying he was a democrat who wanted to “confront this issue” once and for all. His appeal, though, was to a largely sympathetic, if small, audience, increasingly worried that a Brexit, or British exit, would further hurt their businesses and London’s status as a financial centre at a time when the global economy is shaky. “I hope that business ... and other organisations won’t hold back. I would say
don’t hold back right now, even though the question isn’t settled,” Cameron said, adding he hoped to achieve agreement with the European Union at a February summit. “If there’s a good deal on the table I will take it and that’s what will happen. But I do want to be very clear, if there isn’t the right deal, I’m not in a hurry,” he told a halfempty hall at the leading business conference.
Page 7
Page 8
Kaieteur News
Friday January 22, 2016
Public health, other infringements abound in Georgetown -City tour proves revealing By Mondale Smith Several startling realities have been unearthed which must be addressed by City Hall, if all and sundry are to be taken seriously about plans to make Georgetown “green and clean”. Mayor Hamilton Green has expressed hope that people will understand that handling the affairs of the city at all levels is serious business. He made this assertion after he led a team comprising Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase Green and other officials, including City Engineer Colvern Venture, on a tour of several sections of the nation’s capital yesterday. The tour was organized to determine what works were completed, to identify defectors, and the conditions, according to the Mayor “which are still suffocating and frustrating a total picture and symmetry of what we seek to do”. According to the City Engineer, drainage works are ongoing in South and North Cummingsburg, however complaints are plentiful about silted drains leading to stench
and flooding which directly affects business places. Guyana Water Inc. has so far been pinpointed as the reason for the sewage situation. But while promises were given that efforts would be made to remedy the situation, some officials opined that the company was also breaking several public health as well as other codes. INFRINGEMENTS ABOUND IN ALBERTTOWN…WARNINGS FOR RESTAURANT Several sections of the city were covered yesterday, including Alberttown and it was obvious that even within the current city administration, there are certain weaknesses that could lead to major public health hazards at food outlets where sewage and grease are being deposited wantonly into the drainage system. One such was the reality of the Delicious Chinese Restaurant and Fast Food at Cummings and Quamina Streets, where sewage and grease are being deposited directly into the drain in front of the establishment. As part of efforts to treat with the glairing infringement,
city Public Relations Officer Debra Lewis said Environmental health officers will be ordered to inspect and serve notices on the restaurant, immediately following which, if efforts are not made to correct the situation the business will be ordered closed. Another infringement was noted at the adjacent GuyWill Ship International, which is currently constructing a bridge that has concrete deposited in the drains, blocking the free flow of water in the drains, adding to flooding in the community. Addressing the issue, Mayor Green said “the restaurant will be warned in the first instance and will be given an opportunity to put things right. If they don’t we will close them down.” As the tour continued several other serious infringements which some officers should have discovered some time ago, were observed, such as blatant blockage of drains through bridges built above and below the approved height. Contracts for desilting have been issued for Alberttown, the City Engineer told Ian Yansen, a resident of Alberttown who resides at Light and Fourth Streets.
“It’s been more than 18 years since this drain has been silted and flooding with no clearing,” Yansen told the Mayor and his entourage. Additionally there were also buildings that were way too close to each other. When quizzed about these observations, Mayor Green expressed agreement that generally it was noticed that there is also a worrying situation of indiscipline from both the citizenry as well as within the walls of City Hall. The chief citizen resolved that his council and enforcers will be speaking to those persons soonest. “We have spoken to some already and hope that at the end of the day, literally and metaphorically, we will get citizens and business people to come on board in our shared vision to make for a Green Guyana, in keeping with what the President calls this year “a year of renaissance”, a revival, a renewal…. What some officers should
have discovered before we found out today and we have spoken to them.” Further, yesterday the Mayor and his team observed that there was a bit of equipment that has been idle for two weeks and through intervention it was put back into operation immediately. DESTRUCTION OF TREES AT AN END … Notable also was the reality of the destruction of trees, that fuelled complaints and resulted in meetings last week with professional and experienced concerned persons. “That would be at an end… we will plan how to preserve greenery to make the city a beautiful place. The contractors have been given instructions that they should not touch any trees or any plant, and I have told the Town Clerk this. If they don’t adhere to this they will be blacklisted. “ SQUATTERS TO BE GIVEN NOTICE TO REMOVE
Meanwhile residents who are squatting at Turkeyen on Government’s Reserve and private land as well as a growing squatter community in East La Penitence area will be issued notices to remove, failing which they will be evicted. Following the visit yesterday to the latter community, the Mayor said after assessing the situation the squatters who were allegedly given permission by a former PPP/C Member of Parliament will ultimately have to remove as they are reportedly contributing to an unhealthy environment through the unsafe disposal of fecal matter etc. “I assume as they told us some time ago, a number of them have already applied to the Central Housing and Planning Authority. We will have to cross check it… We don’t want to be brutal, but we have to be firm. The land is earmarked as a recreational area and also to house a Community Centre.
Govt. talking with potential suppliers of special number plates for State vehicles Government has started consultation with local and international companies to produce special number plates for State-owned vehicles. According to Minister of
State, Joseph Harmon, during Wednesday’s post-Cabinet media briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency, the plates will have to carry special security features. The CRG (Cooperative
Republic of Guyana) number plates are being introduced to bring formality to stateowned vehicles and will serve for easy identification. The move was prompted by current challenges faced by the Government in recovering State assets including vehicles, which were used by officials of the previous administration. Harmon noted that Government received several proposals from local and international companies to produce the number plates. “What we want to do is that once these plates are issued they will have some security features and these are the things we are doing now.” He explained that a foreign company visited Guyana last week and met with officials, and another visit is scheduled for next week. The new system will also make obsolete those vehicles that belong to the state, but which people are holding under private number plates. All vehicles that will be purchased in the future for use by the state and state agencies will be fitted with the CRG registration. Guyana has been dealing with vehicles’ theft and a number of other issues like change of color which are not recorded anywhere. Currently, unless checks are made with the Guyana Revenue Authority, it is next to impossible to determine what vehicles belong to the state.
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 9
CLOSURE OF WALES ESTATE HAS SERIOUS ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR REGION THREE It is not for GuySuCo to save its Wales Estate and prevent close to two thousand workers from being put on the breadline. It is for the government to come up with a solution to save the estate. GuySuCo, from a financial point of view, has no other option than to let Wales Estate go. The sugar corporation is in dire straits and therefore has some hard financial choices to make. But it knows very well that it is not Wales alone that is losing money. All the estates are in the red, and therefore by the logic by which Wales is being shut down at end of this year, all other estates should also be shut down. It is for the government to save Wales. It will cost the government about 1.6 billion dollars to do so this year. It is costing the government many times more to provide dogcheap electricity to Linden. The subsidy required to save Wales and its close to 2,000 jobs (including employees working for private cane farmers) therefore cannot be such an onerous burden, more so now that there is a government in place that said
that corruption under the PPP was robbing the country of billions. These billions should now be available to subsidize and save the jobs of the workers of Wales, until a privatization deal is obtained that will save the country. GuySuCo is in deep debt. It cannot extricate itself from that debt, but it does have sufficient assets, including lands, to cover its indebtedness. It need not be a burden on the Treasury for too long. However, it has to let go of dead weight. Wales has been a dead weight for a long time. But you simply do not close down a sugar estate as major as Wales just like that. It will affect not just those employed, but also those that depend on them both directly and indirectly. We are speaking here of about 10% of the population of Region Three. This is too great a burden for that Region to bear at this time, when the economy is barely showing growth. One and a half billion dollars is not a great amount to spend to save the jobs and the economy of Region Three, until such time as a plan to privatize the industry
can be found. The decision of the government was too precipitous and rash. The PPP is milking this misstep by the government. The PPP says that it had been prepared to give some 16 billion dollars to the sugar company this year, far more than the present bailout package. It says that it would have kept the industry afloat because of the social fallout and the value of even a loss-making industry to the economy. There has been no major investment since the new government came in. New agricultural jobs have not been created. Until this is done, it is wildness to simply put 1700 mainly agricultural jobs out of commission Leadership is about making difficult choices. The new government has a difficult choice to make. It cannot simply subsidize Wales forever. It cannot subsidize sugar in-
definitely, but it can keep it afloat until steps are taken to privatize the industry. The Wales Estate is not like pavement vendors who can simply be removed from where they are selling and put somewhere else. Wales’ workers cannot go to Leonora. It is too far away. They will need transportation to and from the fields. This may be too costly for GuySuCo and inconvenient for the workers. The experience of Diamond workers was that not many of them were willing to work LBI-Enmore. The distance was too far. The private cane farmers cannot also grind their canes at Leonora. It is too far away. They will run bankrupt. Many of them have loans at the bank and they have put up their properties as collateral. They stand to lose all of this. This will exaggerate the financial
impact on the Region. The government should agree at least to bring in a consultant to study the overall financial impact on the economy of Region Three as a result of their decision to close Wales. I am confident that any professional study will find that the cost to the economy will be in excess of the $1.6 billion that GuySuCo is expected to lose this year by holding on to Wales. The closure of Wales
must therefore be seen in terms of its overall impact on the economy. It is not simply a case of GuySuCo shedding some of its feathers. The closure of Wales has serious economic consequences that the government has not considered carefully. It is time for more sober judgment, not wild actions.
Page 10
Kaieteur News
Friday January 22, 2016
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
PPP leaders in the police station One wondered what went through the minds of so many victimized people when they read what Gail Teixeira said about the police summoning her to proceed to the SOCU office for questioning. Teixeira said the police refused to allow her go down at her own time, but insisted that she accompany them. Teixeira spoke in vexed tones. There are hundreds of thousands of Guyanese who have no direct experience of how Teixeira and her hegemonic colleagues in the PPP leadership administered the affairs of Guyana. Had they, would they have any sympathy for people like Teixeira? When Teixeira sat in front of that policeman and answered questions about the alleged illegal violations by NICIL, history was flowing like a river that burst its banks. Teixeira and her PPP acolytes dominated Guyana as if it were their private property. I did a column titled, “I sat
eight feet from Teixeira.” It was about Gail Teixeira’s control of the Council of the University. The Vice-Chancellor at the time was Lawrence Carrington, on loan from UWI. Teixeira addressed him directly, produced a shortlist of UG lecturers (headed by my name) and requested that he terminate their contracts. Lawrence refused. Teixeira and her PPP colleagues on the Council were in the majority and they did what Lawrence refused to do. This was how the PPP hegemons behaved in government. It has to be one of the most sickening sights in the world today in any country to read what these people have to say about sacred concepts in political life like accountability, democracy, transparency, respect for the rule of law etc. Do the PPP supporters know how they governed Guyana? There is a demagogic ad-
vocacy by Bharrat Jagdeo to Wales sugar workers to take to the streets in protest against the intended closure of the sugar estate. Jagdeo is trying to safeguard his political longevity rather than the sugar workers’ well-being. It is ironic but sad that the sugar workers cannot see that it is the same Jagdeo who endangered their livelihood when he was President. It is sad that sugar workers whose future was imperiled by this same man have turned out to listen to him. It makes me wonder if Hitler had survived and wasn’t charged for war crimes, if the Germans would have turned to him to preserve their future. We are living in curiously fascinating times. On the one hand Jagdeo is upping the tempo, on the other, PPP leaders are being questioned by SOCU for allegations of corruption in government. The two processes may appear diametrically opposite, but
there is an interconnecting link. Jagdeo could urge street protest because the illegalities he engaged in during his abuse of power have not rendered him accountable. The interrogations at the SOCU head office are not animating and galvanizing Guyanese because the efforts to investigate illegalities and corruption are moving too slow. Why should any country as poor as Guyana allow for the expenditure of over two million dollars to facilitate a small housing scheme for members of the ruling class (I refer to Pradoville 2)? How long will it take to examine the paper trail? How labyrinthine is the paper trail that a case cannot be made out against Jagdeo and his cabal. Why is there no legal action against Priya Manickchand when there is a clear guideline that house lots
bought at concessionary prices cannot be sold until ten years after? One hopes and prays that the interrogation at SOCU head office is the beginning of justice for the people of this poor, Third World country. For the layman and laywoman, what happened to Gail Teixeira is called poetic justice. Gail Teixeira comes from a closely knit cabal in Freedom House that administered this country as if it belonged to them. The PPP regime from the time of Dr. Jagan’s death ruled this land as if it was destined for them to control. Mrs. Jagan was psychologically fixated on such a conceptualization. I lived under the authoritarian presidency of Forbes Burnham, but he was sensible and strategic enough to concede vast political, social and territorial space to the oppo-
Frederick Kissoon sition. Burnham allowed the countryside to be Cheddi Jagan’s fiefdom. Jagdeo conceded nothing. For him, Teixeira and others, there was nothing to concede. I remember the offspring of one of the PPP big wigs saying that Priya Manickchand thinks that Guyana is PPP’s territory. If Manickchand, the newcomer, could have had those thoughts, what about Messrs. Luncheon, Jagdeo, Rohee, Ramotar and their acolytes, and the lady herself who had to go down to the police station while complaining?
Public Health Ministry continues to monitor for H1N1 and Zika There has been no additional case of Zika reported in Guyana even as the Public Health Ministry continues to monitor for emerging diseases
in the Caribbean. Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton said that while one case of the virus was reported in Guyana, the
Dem boys seh...
Jagdeo trying to feel important When dem boys seh that Jagdeo is a devil, people use to seh that dem was wicked. Is now people seeing just how much of a devil he is. When he was president he nearly bruck up de sugar industry. He tek de Skeldon factory that was wukking good and shut it down fuh use de one he mek de Chinee people build fuh a jewel and a crown. To this day de new factory not wukking well. In fact, one day Jagdeo run and lef it. De people then had to mek de decision to bring on back de old Skeldon factory. He put in Donald Dumb who had a big hand in de sugar industry and who help bruck it up. Soulja Bai tek over and de next thing dem boys know is that de sugar business start to look good. Jagdeo tell people how is de wuk wha he put in cause de sugar factory to do well. But this is de same Jagdeo who shut down two sugar factory, one after de other. He shut down Diamond and he didn’t mek joke to tell dem cane cutters that if dem don’t like wha he doing dem can lef de wuk. Dem same workers had to pack de bag wid some food long before bird wife wake to get to LBI. Then Jagdeo decide to shut down LBI. Dem poor sugar workers had to think about travelling from Diamond to Enmore. That mean that dem didn’t have to get up because dem never go to sleep. Dem couldn’t afford to. Now is de same Jagdeo telling dem sugar workers to protest because Soulja Bai closing down Wales estate. Wales so old that de people who mek de mills dead long time and de mills also dead. But Jagdeo who nearly close down de treasury telling people to strike if anybody shut down a sugar factory. This man trying to be relevant when de truth is that he redundant like some of dem sugar workers. He just like de Wales factory, leaking and inefficient. Talk half and watch how Jagdeo trying to mek people notice him. .
country is fully prepared to battle the vector borne disease. The Minister stressed that if there is need from any international bodies, it is for them to “evaluate the system here and point to what more is needed for further strengthening…but we are prepared.” He said that the Ministry has “dealt with the mosquito before…It came with other diseases and it’s the same procedure.” The Ministry is currently fogging the city to kill the adult mosquitoes, which carry the Zika virus. Minister Norton has encouraged citizens to keep their surroundings clean, primarily drains. He said, “I’m worried about the weeds. Even if it requires the usage of weedicides, we should get it out.” In addition, chemically treated bed nets have been placed at all prenatal clinics to prevent possible birth defects derived from the diseases as special attention is being given to pregnant women. Symptoms of the viral infection include fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, rash and sometimes swelling of the limbs. Some persons may also experience vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. There has been one reported case of H1N1 in Guyana and the patient died overseas. The person did not contract the disease locally. In addition, all local health care providers and family members, who came into contact with the deceased, are still being monitored, but no symptoms have yet surfaced.
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Belizean UG student shot, condition critical
Up to late last night, doctors at the Georgetown Hospital were battling to save the life of a Belizean national who was shot twice by a gunman in Cummingslodge, East Coast Demerara. Garfield Dennison, 30, who is studying at the University of Guyana, was reportedly shot in the chest and left hand at about 21:30 hours just after he had dropped off his girlfriend, who is also a student of the university. According to reports, Dennison was about to ride off when the gunman walked up to him and fired three
shots, two of which hit him in the chest and hand. He was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Hospital where he was immediately admitted. Kaieteur News understands that Dennison’s condition is listed as critical. Police say they received a call from an unknown person who informed that there was shooting in the Cummingslodge area. When they got to the scene, they were subsequently informed that the victim was already at the hospital. They ruled out robbery as a motive for the attack since nothing was taken from the injured man.
Garfield Dennison
Plainclothes police ranks in unmarked vehicles barred from stopping motorists The Guyana Police Force is once again forced to announce that its plainclothes ranks who are in unmarked vehicles are not authorized to stop any motorist, except when they are performing duties on the roadway in front of a police station. The announcement comes a few days after a controversial high speed chase involving the son of the former Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority and a police rank in an unmarked vehicle. However, it is not clear if that was the reason for the police reissuing the advice but it will certainly prevent high speed chases through the city and other parts of the country. The young man had stated that he was fearful for his life when he noticed a
tinted vehicle following his vehicle. It turned out, according to the police, that the tinted car was being driven by a female police sergeant who was pursuing him after she reportedly observed that he had committed a breach of the traffic laws. Such incidents are not rare however in some cases they have ended tragically. A month ago, a Guyana Defence Force Sergeant and his wife were killed when their car crashed head on into an oncoming canter truck on Carifesta Avenue, while the soldier was pursuing another vehicle during an intelligence operation. The driver of the car that the Sergeant was pursuing had reported that the high speed chase started after some unidentified men, one of whom was identified as the
GDF Sergeant approached his car in a suspicious manner. He too claimed that he was fearful of being attacked by bandits, and since he had his sister with him, he was taking no chances. Meanwhile, the Police Force administration has also declared that traffic ranks are not authorised to stop motorists for routine checks of documents. “They should only do so if an offence is committed in their view or where there is reasonable suspicion.” The police said that the law permits police ranks to stop and search a motor vehicle based on reasonable suspicion or if they witness an offence being committed. This is not the first time that the police have issued such a directive; however ranks have not been adhering to it.
Workers protest outside Wales... From page 3 critical, Randy Rampersaud, who has been working at the estate for the past 14 years, said that young people are likely to be the most affected. “We have young children going to school. I am a young man with a wife and a child and I am worried about employment. Where am I going to go and get employment now and get some benefits? It wouldn't be the same, even if I went to another estate,” Rampersaud said. According to him, he is aware that there
are plans to “retain a handful of workers and the rest will have to be on the breadline...and this estate has over 1,000 workers I average, so you can imagine what will happen.” “Wales Estate has been the livelihood for so many of us over the years, I don't think it would be wise to close it down,” said Regina McDonald, who insisted that such a move would be devastating. She has been working at the estate for over 14 years. Her sentiments were mirrored by Nadira George, a mother of five. “Do they want us to thief? I have mouths to feed and they can't do that to us.”
Page 11
Page 12
Kaieteur News
Friday January 22, 2016
Venezuela/Guyana boat mishap….
Three dead, remaining passengers rescued The bodies of two Guyanese were recovered yesterday, two days after the boat they were traveling in sank in the Atlantic Ocean on its way to Mabaruma from neighbouring Venezuela. Kaieteur News was able to
confirm that the body of 24year-old Joel King of Port Kaituma was handed over to his relatives yesterday after it was pulled from a fishing seine, while that of a 13-yearold girl is presently lying at the Mabaruma Mortuary.
Venezuelan soldier found dead in Cuyuni The body of a Venezuelan soldier who went missing since Monday was found floating in the Cuyuni River yesterday. A release from the Ministry of the Presidency confirmed that at about 08:10 hours yesterday, Private W. Zamora, an enlisted rank of the Venezuelan Armed Forces (VAF), was found dead in the Cuyuni River, Cuyuni – Mazaruni Region. The partly decomposed body was discovered approxi-
mately 250 metres down river from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) location at Eteringbang, in the Cuyuni River, by a member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The Police Officer had been conducting patrols in the area at the time. The VAF location Commander at Ankoko Island was informed of the discovery and he told members of the Guyana Police Force that Private Zamora went missing on Monday January 18, 2016, when he fell into a tributary of the Cuyuni River in Venezuela. Local police have conducted their investigations and have since handed over the body to the Venezuelan military.
The two were among 16 passengers who were travelling in a loaded metal boat that encountered rough waters, early Tuesday morning. Another woman, 37-yearold Pamela Khedna of Wales, West Bank Demerara, died a few minutes after she was pulled from the water and taken back to the Venezuelan shore. The boat left Venezuela on Monday night for the sixhour trip to Mabaruma. About an hour into the journey it encountered rough waters and went down. According to reports, after the boat sank several passengers managed to grab on to floating objects that were hurled into the ocean and waited for help. Some of them were lucky that the crew of another passenger boat was passing and spotted them. However, that boat only managed to rescue eight survivors, and took them back to Venezuela which was the nearer shore. Kaieteur News understands that Pamela Khedna was among those rescued. However she appeared to be suffering from a heart attack at the time.
“She did not drown. When they picked her up and put her on the boat, she was bleeding through she nose. By the time they reach land with she, she start kicking up and then she died,” a source in the Mabaruma area told this newspaper. When contacted, her relatives on the West Bank of Demerara informed that the woman had spent most of her life in the Spanish-speaking country, having left Guyana as a child. “Only she brother living over here. We didn’t know she was coming to Guyana. But we hear about the tragedy and we see she brother keep wake fuh she,” the relative told Kaieteur News. After the first set of survivors were taken ashore, the Venezuelan military that was stationed at the border were informed and they went out and rescued five other persons. They did not find King and the 13-year old passenger, who is believed to be from the Mabaruma settlement but was residing with relatives in Venezuela. King’s uncle, Cloyd Peters, who was part of the
Joel King search and rescue team, said after hearing about the mishap, he and others set out from Mabaruma to assist anyone who might be stranded on the water. “I go out fuh search because I know after a time he gon float. Yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon some fishermen find he and tie he pon a beacon. Last night (Wednesday) I went out but couldn’t find he because it dark,” Peters said. He waited for daylight yesterday and travelled back out to sea and finally located the body of his nephew and brought it back to Guyana
through Imbotero. “I does travel that area and when the (Venezuelan) soldiers give me directions where the incident happen, I search and find he,” Peters told this newspaper. “We were going to bury him at Mabaruma, but his family wanted to take him to Port Kaituma, so we built a box and threw some chemicals on the body. We don’t know if it will keep until tomorrow (today),” another relative said. Meanwhile, the body of the 13-year-old girl was discovered later yesterday afternoon in the high seas. “Like she drift out and this evening they bring she in,” Peters said. Kaieteur News was informed that police at Mabaruma viewed both bodies and took photographs of them as part of their investigations. According to the man, contrary to other reports, only three persons perished as a result of the mishap. “Everybody calling and saying all kinds of things, but I went out there. People like talk and that is why I went out there myself,” he stated.
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 13
Beautician among three killed in separate accidents By Romila Boodram A 40-year-old beautician was among two people killed in separate road accidents early yesterday on the East Coast Demerara (ECD) Public Road. The accidents reportedly occurred between 04:20 and 05:20 hrs. Those killed, yesterday, have been identified as 40year-old Lurlene Forde, a mother of one, of 37 Prince William Street, Plaisance, ECD; and 55-year-old Edmond Smith, a father of 10, of 45 Helena No. 2, Mahaica, ECD. The third unreported fatality was Paul Waterman, a coconut vendor who was involved in an accident on Mandela Avenue two Wednesdays ago. He lost control of his motorcycle, collided with a utility pole, and died at the Georgetown Public Hospital on Wednesday. His daughter, four-yearold Paula Waterman, who was the pillion rider at the time of the accident, died two Fridays ago.
Paul Waterman
According to information, the child’s father had just picked her up from school and was heading to a canteen to purchase food when his motorcycle suffered a ‘blowout.’ This caused the older Waterman to lose control of his vehicle and slam into a utility pole. The child was flung about 10 feet away from the point of impact, while her father collapsed nearby.
Meanwhile, the police said that investigations into yesterday morning’s accident revealed that Lurlene Forde was driving a motor vehicle, allegedly at a fast rate, on the Goedverwagting Railway Embankment Road, when she lost control of the vehicle and collided with a concrete fence around 04:30 hrs, The woman and her vehicle ended up toppling in
Forde’s car
a nearby trench. She was later pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Kaieteur News understands that the woman was returning home after partying at a popular night spot in Georgetown when the accident occurred. It is believed that the woman swerved from several donkeys that were on the roadway and ended up losing control of her vehicle before she crashed. An individual who lives in the vicinity of where the accident occurred said that he was asleep at the time, but was awakened by a loud impact on the Public Road. “When I went out I see the car overturned in the trench. People run out and went looking for the person in the vehicle, but she was like 15 feet away from the car. When she was pulled from the trench, she had a big gash on her left side head,” the eyewitness recalled. He said that the woman was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. Iona Percival, the dead woman’s mother, in an interview late yesterday, said that she was asleep when her grandson called from New York and informed her that Forde was involved in a road accident. Forde resided in the bottom flat of her mother’s home and also operated her salon at the location. “I was sleeping and the phone ring, but I didn’t answer, because my daughter (Forde)’s customers dem does call early for her to start work at the salon. It was a little
Dead: Edmond Smith
Dead: Lurlene Forde
after five o’clock,” the woman recalled. She added that she heard the phone ring a number of times, but did not answer because she thought that Forde’s customers were calling. “I answered the tenth call and it was my grandson from New York and he told me to sit up on the bed and calm down. So I tell him that he should calm down because I am fine. Then he tell me that Lurlene was involved in an accident,” the elderly woman related. She said that she was under the impression that her daughter was involved in a minor accident but while she was getting ready to go to the hospital, two of Forde’s friends visited her home, and it was then that she was informed that her daughter had died. According to Percival, the last time she saw her daughter was some time around 22:00 hrs on Tuesday, when she (Forde) and her son went up to eat dinner. “I does cook for them, so they come upstairs and eat. We went gaffing and
laughing and then they went downstairs back,” the elderly woman stated. She explained that Forde was her last surviving child. Twenty-one years ago, her son was killed in a road accident. “I didn’t expect her to die like this too. My son died and now Lurlene died. Now, I only have two grandchildren… her 15-year-old son and my son’s 21-year-old son who is now overseas. When his father died, he was only a couple months old,” the woman said in a quiet tone. INVESTIGATING ATHEORY The police are investigating a theory that the mother of one might have been trailed by another vehicle. This newspaper was told that at the night spot, Forde complained to a security guard that a man had stolen money from her purse. When the guard searched the man, the money was recovered and he was kicked out of the club. There are reports that the man might have been following Forde when she (Continued on page 28)
Page 14
Kaieteur News
Friday January 22, 2016
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Slain British teen...
Guyana remains a peaceful, scenic destination for tourists While expressing condolences to the family of slain British teenager, Dominic Bernard, the Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday stated that Guyana will remain a peaceful, scenic destination for tourists. “This is indeed a tragic and unfortunate occurrence...It has cast a shadow over our beautiful land that so many thousands of people across the Diaspora are planning to visit in the coming months,” Minister Cathy Hughes said. “We will not be defined by this personal, heinous crime that was committed on young Dominic Bernard. We continue to mourn his loss and will also continue to offer our support to his grieving family.” The ministry stated that it would have loved to have the pleasure of showing Guyana’s beauty to Bernard whom the Minister described as a “Budding Filmmaker”. It also lauded the actions of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), especially the team who conducted swift investigations, apprehended numerous suspects, and acquired their confessions. “The Ministry of Tourism stands resolutely behind Guyana’s Public Security Service comprising men and
- Tourism Ministry
Dominic Bernard women who work tirelessly, and who keep as their top priority the safety and security of all visitors and citizens,” a release stated. Hughes also noted that this “unnecessarily heinous act perpetrated on someone so young by his own relative has shown the dark side of human nature. However, it has strengthened the ministry’s resolve to show the real Guyana to the rest of the world as a country renowned for its natural physical beauty and its kind and hospitable multi-cultural people”. This entirely unacceptable incident, the ministry stated, occurred at a sensitive time when Guyana is preparing to host thousands of returning
Guyanese and other visitors to the celebrations to mark the 50th Independence Anniversary. While noting that many people around the world may associate this recent tragedy with the general safety and wellbeing of visitors expected here during the course of this year of Guyana’s Golden Jubilee however, the ministry reaffirmed that Guyanese are not the sum of the few twisted, maladjusted individuals who take lives. “…Rather, we reiterate that Guyana remains peaceful, scenic, serene and safe destination for tourists and visitors who come for any reason”. According to reports, Bernard arrived in Guyana on October 14 last, for a threeweek vacation with his godbrother. He was scheduled to fly back to England on November 5, 2015, but failed to do so. A body suspecting to be that of Bernard’s, was discovered behind Nurney Village, Berbice. Five persons have so far appeared before the courts on charges related to the British teen’s demise.
Body of abducted Sophia man…
Suspect held after eyewitness claims she recognized his voice Police have detained an acquaintance of suspected murder victim Akeem Culley, after being told that his voice was similar to that of one of the men who abducted Culley from his Sophia home last December. An eyewitness supplied this information to investigators, who were also told that the same detained man and others had threatened Culley about a motorcycle that they claimed he had sold. The suspect and Culley share the same first name. He is also from Sophia and has reportedly denied any involvement in Culley’s death. Kaieteur News understands that investigators had also detained the slain man’s reputed wife, Candacy Duncan, but released her yesterday. Culley, 23, of North Sophia, was dragged from his home by a group of masked
individuals on December 30. On Tuesday, his decomposed body was found in a trench a short distance from his residence, after residents detected a foul smell emanating from the main canal aback of North Sophia. Duncan said that she last saw Culley alive on Tuesday December 30, 2015. She alleged that at around 01.00 hrs, someone who identified himself as ‘Akeem’ knocked on her door and said he had something to tell her. Thinking that the individual was a neighbour with a similar name, she opened the door, only to be confronted by a man with a gun. “Same time me boy come out de room and dem say look he deh. One hug him and de other hold on pun him. One of dem stab him; I hear him grunt when he get stab,” Duncan said. Culley’s reputed wife claimed that she then heard two gunshots, but by the time
she rushed outside to follow her husband, the men were gone. Duncan suspects that Culley’s disappearance had something to do with a motorcycle he was accused of stealing. According to her, a group of men had accused her partner of stealing a motorcycle. She said that the men had been searching for him and had even subjected her brother to a sound beating over the motorbike. Duncan claimed that the matter was reported to the police and had been under investigation when Culley went missing. A post mortem is to be conducted on the remains today.
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
Page 15
Page 16
Kaieteur News
GRA fires tax Chief Khurshid Sattaur
More than one month after sending the country’s tax chief on more than 200 days leave, a decision has been made to fire him. According to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Governing Board of Directors at yesterday’s 171st meeting took a unanimous decision to terminate the relationship between Commissioner-General, Khurshid Sattaur, and the authority. The decision will take effect on March 1, 2016. A press conference has been scheduled for today at GRA’s head office on Camp Street, to further discuss the development. “Acting CommissionerGeneral, Ms. Ingrid Griffith, will continue to function in the position of Commissioner-General until further notice,” GRA said. It will be recalled that Sattaur was sent off on December 17, after 12 years as Commissioner-General. The move, according to GRA, was made to facilitate an upcoming comprehensive forensic audit of the agency by an international firm. As Commissioner-
GRA Chairman, Rawle Lucas
Fired: Khurshid Sattaur
General, Sattaur reportedly accumulated over 200 days of leave. Sattaur was also a member of the Governing Board of Directors. Late last month, Kaieteur News reported that GRA officials visited the Goedverwagting home of Sattaur, removing property that belonged to that state entity. Reportedly taken away were an iPad, four vehicles and a number of computer related items, GRA also cut the remote access that Sattaur had at his
home with the servers and other systems of the authority. Earlier this month, GRA defended the visit to Sattaur’s home, saying it was done to retrieve sensitive data and other property belonging to the state. Sattaur voluntarily handed over his gun also. At his home, there were six vehicles belonging to GRA, including a golf cart. GRA Chairman Rawle Lucas disclosed that it was decided to leave one vehicle and the golf cart with the (Continued on page 26)
Friday January 22, 2016
Sattaur issues statement on termination Khurshid Sattaur, who was sacked as CommissionerGeneral yesterday by the Governing Board of Directors of the Guyana Revenue Authority, has issued a statement, saying that the entity was out to embarrass him. The tax chief also said that he had offered President David Granger to stay on, but he was made uncomfortable. BELOW IS THE FULL STATEMENT: At the very inception the many public pronouncements made by the Prime Minister (Moses Nagamootoo) indicated that it would be uncomfortable for me to continue as the head of the GRA under the new administration. I held office at the pleasure of the Minister, President and the Board and they are entitled to adopt the course of action they have taken. Immediately after the new Government was installed, I made a request to the President of this country for my services to be continued as the head of GRA and I offered my continued commitment and dedication to the revenue administration of Guyana. I received a response through a letter some time in September, that was backdated in July, acknowledging my offer, but
- had offered President to stay on; wants outstanding benefits indicating to me that His Excellency’s Ministers will take a decision. In the meanwhile, I was given all assurances from both the Minister of the Presidency and the Minister of Public Security that there was nothing to be worried about concerning continuing my services with the GRA. However, within the GRA there were many strange developments that belied or contradicted what was communicated to me by the politicians aforementioned. Professional ethics precludes me from disclosing any of these matters. Suffice it to say, however, I was extremely taken aback by the decision taken by the Board on 2nd December 2015 to have me proceed immediately on leave. According to the reasons offered this was to facilitate an impending forensic audit of the agency. As the public is well aware, since proceeding on leave certain incidents have occurred, including a press conference conducted by the Chairman, that have targeted me and would appeared (sic) to suggest that my days were numbered at the GRA. It does concern me that I gave long and dedicated service to my beloved country for which I have received a national award (the CCH), for my outstanding performance and I am now being discarded and attempts
are being made to have me ridiculed and publicly embarrassed by the very agency that I gave long and dedicated service. These incidents, sad to say, would appear to have been orchestrated to make it very uncomfortable for me to continue serving with the same dedication and sincerity with which I approach my work. It is apparent that if I were to resume duties at the end of my leave period I would have been unable to execute my mandate in an effective manner. I am, therefore, very much relieved that the Board, probably sensing my discomfort, has compassionately chosen to terminate my services after giving me the necessary notice and most optimistically would be providing me with my hard earned benefits including my pension benefits up to my legal age of retirement on 31st October 2017 among other entitlement that applies to termination such as severance pay and my full leave passage entitlement. I now look forward for a peaceful retirement and to engage in less strenuous activities that would allow me to enjoy the benefits of my long and dedicated service to this country. I am very proud and feel most honoured to have served my country with dedication, commitment and distinction.
Page 26
Kaieteur News
Friday January 22, 2016
GRA fires tax... (From page 16) Commissioner-General. The visit to Sattaur’s home was criticized in many quarters, with some of the critics contending that Sattaur was still the Commissioner-General. However, during a press conference at GRA’s Headquarters on Camp Street, the Chairman said regulations are clear when it comes to protecting taxpayers’ confidential information. Lucas insisted that Sattaur was not cooperative with the GRA officials when he was notified that the GRA needed to recover some property from his Pradoville One home, at Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara. The Chairman had explained that based on a directive of the Board, on December 17, Sattaur proceeded on leave. It was agreed that he would return certain property pertaining to taxpayers. The Board, Lucas revealed, also asked Sattaur to help identify persons in possession of GRA property. Lucas stressed that the entire exercise was to ensure the protection of confidential tax data as required by regulations. “We were not interested in anything else but the taxpayers’ property and data,” Lucas said. He added that initially Sattaur had been asked about the return of the property and data, he had in his possession. When he did not comply, a decision was taken to visit his home.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, who was accompanied at the press conference by senior officials, had spoken extensively on the need for taxpayers’ information to remain confidential. He said that on an initial review of the policies of GRA, there were gaps found that needed addressing, with little assurance that the information could remain confidential, especially when it concerns staffers who are on leave for a long time from the authority. He said that the information available at GRA could be a powerful weapon in the wrong hands. Sattaur came under fire in 2014 when a number of leaked emails alleged that he released confidential tax information on Kaieteur News to exPresident, Bharrat Jagdeo, and former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall. Complaints had been filed by the newspaper to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Sattaur has also been criticized for not doing enough to collect taxes from a large number of noncompliant persons and companies. There have been recurring reports of various scams involving duty free concessions for vehicles, happening under his watch, causing the country to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues. Lucas had warned that GRA is taking seriously the sanctity of taxpayers’ information - any leakage will result in the perpetrators being penalized, he said.
Speaker rejects... (From page 6) afloat would seriously jeopardize the future of these estates. This cannot be allowed to happen. It is impossible to make sugar production at Wales viable. This is made worse by the gloomy outlook for sugar prices for the foreseeable future.” This year, Wales estate is projected to make a loss of between $1.6 and $1.9 Billion. “This coupled with the extent of refurbishment needed renders this estate prohibitively costly to maintain.” The decision was one which attracted nothing but condemnation from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). The Opposition had said that decision is one which smacks of being cold-hearted and without any consideration for the livelihood of the workers, their families and the thousands of dependents. On Wednesday, GuySuCo’s management held meetings with representatives of the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) and the Guyana Agricultural and GAWU. Chief on the agenda was the recent decision to close the Wales estate. Head of GAWU, Komal Chand, had confirmed that while the meeting was held, much remained unresolved. Among the examples presented by Chand was the fact that a decision has not been reached on who will make up the list of workers to be made redundant, or when this will be compiled. It is understood that GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer, Errol Hanoman indicated that there will be future meetings to determine who on the list of employees at Wales will be transferred to the Uitvlugt estate. However, before such is done, the list has to be submitted to the Ministry of Labour.
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 27
Union opposes GTT early retirement plan, threatens industrial action “We are prepared to leave no stones unturned,” said President of the Guyana Postal and Telecommunication Workers’ Union (GPTWU), Mr. Harold Shepherd, when he convened a press conference yesterday to highlight what he described as a unilateral decision by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) to offer an early retirement plan to its employees. According to Shepherd, GTT in a written correspondence, dated January 5, 2016, which was dispatched to some 150 employees, advised of a ‘GTT Early Retirement Programme’. The correspondence, according to the GPTWU President, states inter alia “In order to participate in the plan, GT&T employees must be over the age of 55 with ten or more years of service to the Company as of December 31, 2015. In addition the correspondence stated “In order to receive the benefits, each eligible employee must sign a release and waiver of claims against the Company...” Shepherd noted that, based on the letter, any employee meeting the eligibility criteria will be eligible for: one week’s pay for every year of service but not exceeding 10 weeks’ pay; 100 per cent lump sum payout of such employees’ current pension benefits. And according to the Company, the programme will remain available to eligible employees until the specified date of January 29, 2016. The Union, Shepherd claimed, only learnt of the new plan the day after it was announced to employees. And according to him, some employees are not satisfied with the information provided to them regarding this new development. “Employees who challenge the vagueness of the imposition for specificity and accuracy were told by the Human Resource Department that no figures would be issued via document and the Company refuses to release even the formula being used...” the GPTWU President told media operatives yesterday of the retirement offer. He added that “the views expressed by the affected employees are that the Human Resource Department, that is tasked to provide more details, is itself unaware of same.” As such, Shepherd warned that the Union is not
…but CEO insists plan is optional
GPTWU Representatives, Eslyn Harris and Harold Shepherd prepared to allow the management of GTT “to continue with its callous spate of abuse of the workers’ rights (as) workers rights are fundamental human rights that must be respected.” He made it clear yesterday that if the company sees the need to restructure the employees’ pension plan, it must have meaningful engagement with the Union, since employees’ pension is part of their condition of service. IN CONTRAVENTION Shepherd moreover asserted that the move by the telephone company is one that could be deemed in contravention of the Collective Labour Agreement that exists between the company and the union. He added that “even though the Union, who has sole bargaining rights for non-management employees...has written to the Chief Executive Officer advising that the letters be withdrawn and for the company to follow the right procedure as set forth in the extant Collective Labour Agreement...to date this has not been done.” According to Article 33 (1) (a) of the Collective Labour Agreement, “the company and the Union agree that the normal retirement age for Guyana Telecommunication Corporation (GTC) employees who begin serving on or before May 31, 1973, is the later of the date such employees attains 55 years of age or the date he completes 10 years of service. The normal retirement age for all other participants is the later of the date he attains 65 years of age or the date he completes 10 years of service.” But according to Shepherd, over 95 per cent of
the affected employees commenced working with GTC/GTT after 1973. Further still, he emphasised that “management’s decision to send the voluntary retirement letter to employees who are 55 years of age and over without engaging the Union is also an infringement of Article 147 of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.” According to Shepherd, Article 147 expressly states “where there exists a Trade Union recognition, the employer is obligated to treat with the Union in good faith.” He added too that the decision taken by GTT’s management is a flagrant disregard for Article 23 (1) of the Trade Union Recognition Act No. 33 of 1997 which states: “where a trade union obtains a certificate of recognition for workers comprised in a bargaining unit in accordance with this Part, the employer shall recognise the Union. And the union and the employer shall bargain in good faith and enter into negotiations with each other for the purpose of collective bargaining.” As such, Shepherd warned that “the management of GTT is hereby placed on notice that they cannot break the resolve of the GPTWU since our membership are prepared to stand resolutely against such a blatant disregard of their rights.” And Shepherd intimated yesterday too that the Union is prepared, if necessary, to take some form of action to ensure that GTT reconsiders its programme. “In the industrial relations arena there are several things that a union can do. We can seek redress through the Ministry of Labour and we also have the
courts, and we are prepared to use one of those channels to ensure that the company gets our message that the letters must be withdrawn, and follow the right procedure, which is to engage the Union that represent those employees,” Shepherd said. He was supported yesterday by the Union’s General Secretary, Ms. Eslyn Harris. If the letters are not withdrawn, Shepherd noted that the first move that will be embraced by the Union is to have workers commence some form of industrial action
which could range from a ‘go slow’ to a picketing exercise. VOLUNTARY SCHEME But according to GTT CEO, Mr. Justin Nedd, in an invited comment yesterday, the early retirement programme is in fact a voluntary scheme. “We are not forcing anybody to do anything; if people don’t believe that it is for them they are within their right not to accept it. We are just trying to regularise the pension plan,”said Nedd, as he recalled engaging some of the workers recently, in order to address concerns they have with the programme. “We heard that they didn’t get answers and we subsequently called a meeting to address any concerns, and we believe these were addressed,” he noted, adding that “I am not sure what is vague, and there is a ‘point person’ that they can escalate any question to...so there is nothing sinister (about this programme).” Nedd in speaking on the issue yesterday maintained that “this is a matter that is very serious to the employees and the Company and we are doing this to ensure that the pension plan is safe and viable in the long term.”
GTT CEO Justin Nedd When asked if GTT is prepared to consult with the Union at this point, Nedd said, “Of course! We are always willing to talk to the Union. They are a key stakeholder in our business.” “The Union wrote (to me) and I responded to them trying to clarify, but this may not have been adequate,” he related. GTT in its voluntary retirement announcement letter, which was signed by Nedd, clearly stated that the company was willing to answer all questions employees have relating to the programme, and further attached a series of ‘frequently asked questions’ for the edification of employees.
Page 28
Kaieteur News
Friday January 22, 2016
Jocelyn Dow to chair Forestry board, Janette Bulkan included Government has officially named a number of State boards, with businessman Stanley Ming confirmed as Chairman for the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). Chairing the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) will be businesswoman, Jocelyn Dow, while IT specialist, Lance Hinds, has been appointed to the lead the Guyana Energy Agency. Notably included in the Protected Areas Commission as a member will be Varshnie Singh, ex-wife of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. According to the Official Gazettes published this week, there will be 20 persons on the Board of GGMC which regulates the extractive sectors, with the exception of forestry. The commission is a key one that has been under scrutiny for a number of mining lands granted under questionable circumstances. There has been a number of mining deaths recently that forced the administration to order an inquiry. The Commissioner, Rickford Vieira, whose tumultuous relationship with the previous GGMC board came to light last year, has been sent on leave pending an assessment of his performance. Of the 20 persons on the new GGMC board, the life of which expired on December 31, 13 will be members, with the remainder observers. The members are Mark Waldron, Nageshwari Lochanprasad, Euliene Watson, Vanda Radzik, Briony Tiwari and representatives from GGMC and GFC, the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association, the Guyana Women Miners Association, and Parliamentary Opposition. The observers will be Derrick Lawrence, Tom Dalgety, and representatives from the police, army, the Guyana Gold Board, the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), and the Ministry of the Amerindian People’s Affairs.
- Ming confirmed as GGMC Chairman; Varshnie Singh on Protected Areas body
New GGMC Chairman, Stanley Ming With regards to the Protected Areas Commission (PAC), the new Chairman will be David Singh while the members are Clayton Hall, Gerhard Ramsaroop, Raquel Thomas, Varshnie Singh, a representative from the Parliamentary Opposition, Commissioner of the PAC, the Ministry of the Amerindian People’s Affairs, GGMC and the GL&SC. With more scrutiny also in what is happening in the forestry sector, Government has promised widespread reforms to ensure compliance in the allocation of forest lands for logging activities. A number of large concessions to especially foreign investors have been raising eyebrows. Marketing executive, Troy Cadogan, will be the Vice Chairman while the other GFC board members will be Clayton Hall, Aaron Fraser, Vanessa Kissoon, Mr Khalawan- representatives of the Forest Producers Association and the Forest Producers Development and Marketing Council, the Opposition, Commissioner of GFC, workers’ rep and Legal Officer of GFC, Ministry of the Indigenous People’s Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association and forestry consultant, Dr. Janette Bulkan. Bulkan has been heavily critical of GFC’s transparency. With questions also over the management of the
New GFC Chairperson, Joycelyn Dow
Board Member of PAC, Varshnie Singh wildlife trade in the country, a new board has also been announced for the Wildlife Management Authority (WMA). Phillip da Silva will be the new Chairman while the members will be Dr. Simpson da Silva, Chairman of the Wildlife Authority, representative of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority, GFC, Guyana Revenue Authority, police, Chairman of the Wildlife Scientific Authority, the Legal Officer and a representative of the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs. Meanwhile, GEA’s other board members will include Nadia Sagar, Mark Bender, representative of the Parliamentary Opposition, CEO of GEA and Vincent Adams. GEA is the country’s regulator for fuel but widespread smuggling had raised questions whether the regulator has been doing enough.
Beautician among three... (From page 13) lost control of her vehicle and crashed. Also, around 05:20 hrs, pedal cyclist Edmond Smith was struck down on the Hand-en-Veldt Public Road, Mahaica. He was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The driver of the vehicle is in police custody. In a statement, the police said that Smith was
proceeding along the roadway when he allegedly swerved into the path of the motor vehicle. His daughter, Pheona Smith, said that her father was heading to his farm at Unity when he died. “I was at home when my brother-in-law come and tell us that he was involved in an accident and he was at the hospital,” the younger Smith said. She explained that when
she reached at the hospital, her father was already dead. According to the woman, the driver of the vehicle reportedly told the police that he thought he had hit a cow but when he came out of his vehicle, he saw it was a man. Kaieteur News was told that the Police Traffic Department has recorded six deaths resulting from road accidents for the year so far.
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 29
GWI aims at immunizing all employees with Public against infectious diseases - partners Health Ministry
With an aim to immunize all of its employees against infectious diseases, Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is partnering with the Ministry of Public Health for an immunization exercise, of which 50 employees have already been vaccinated. GWI Health and Safety Officer, Christopher Cathro, explaining the initiative, said it follows from Chief Executive Dr. Richard Van WestCharles’ proposal to enhance the utility company’s health and safety programme to include the immunization of all employees who may be exposed to communicable diseases and microbiological bacteria in the course of their duties. Particular focus is being placed on the Sanitation Department and Operations field staff to ensure that they are sufficiently protected against potential infections. The programme is scheduled for implementation over the next five months and will provide all GWI employees across the country with the opportunity to receive the complete course of vaccinations. Through a partnership with the Ministry of Health, the initial 50 employees were immunized against Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR), Yellow Fever, Diphtheria/Tetanus and Hepatitis B. The exercise was conducted last week at the company’s Cor-
A GWI employee receives a vaccine from a Public Health Ministry representative porate Complex in Georgetown. “Because of the nature of the job, many of our sanitation employees may come into contact with these potential infections,” Cathro stated. “I am pleased that with the support of the Chief Executive, we are protecting employees and properly preparing them for potential threats to their health.” The Health and Safety Officer further stated that vaccinations for Chicken Pox are also being made available for employees who require it. Prior to administering the vaccinations, representatives from the Ministry of Health provided information for every employee on all the facts
regarding the vaccinations. The immunization programme will see a further 156 employees receiving the vaccinations during the last week of January. A schedule is being prepared by the Ministry of Health and GWI’s Human Resources Department for the immunization of employees in Berbice, Linden, Essequibo, etc. In addition, Cathro indicated that GWI is in the process of upgrading the facilities available for employees of the Sanitation Department. “We are currently working on the design and plan for the rehabilitation of the facilities utilized by our sanitation teams,” the Health and Safety
Officer stated. The plan will see the installation of new shower rooms, sinks, and other amenities to ensure GWI employees are thoroughly sanitized after performing their duties. There is also to be the introduction of individual employee antimicrobial soaps, hand sanitizers and a laundry service for the cleaning of overalls to eliminate the risk of employees exposing their families to contaminants.
Iwokrama chairman pays courtesy call on PM
PM Moses Nagamootoo and Iwokrama Chairman Dr Rajendra Pachauri in discussion Chairman of Iwokrama, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, yesterday. They discussed matters of mutual interest, especially a green economy and a more sustainable Iwokrama. “I know Guyana is generating a lot of power from hydrocarbon resources and that is certainly not something that is going to happen in the future, so we need to bring about a shift in the more effi-
cient use of energy and much greater use of renewables. “We need to be making modern energy accessible to those who may not have access to it today,” Dr. Pachauri said. Prime Minister Nagamootoo said that Guyana has an abundance of natural resources but financial assistance is needed to promote a greater energy sector and good life for all Guyanese through various partnerships.
Page 30
Kaieteur News
WANTED General Workers-Call: 2653586 (8am-4pm) 1 General domestic age 3040yrs from West Bank/West Coast Demerara- Call: 6262629; 676-6312
SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana Passport application. Graphics design, Advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. Building Construction, house plans & estimates, floor sanding, lacquering & painting, boat for Santa Mission –Call: 650-4362 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer-Call: 2310655; 683-8734. Omar Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezersCall:629-4946 or 225-4822 Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves – Contact Nick: 6831312, 627-3206 Mahadeo Construction for all construction, carpentry, masonry, pluming, painting etc. Free estimates and plan Contact # 669-7376 INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC-TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.
WANTED Damage batteries in any quantity, best price offeredCall: 696-5728, 656-2783, 6225941, 648-9395, 223-1111 Counter persons; apply at Shanta’s 225 Camp & New Market Street. One experienced Cummings Mechanic to work in the interior. Call: 678-0565 Driver, salesgirls and porters. Call: 225-7417 2 Male cleaners- Apply at Technical Services Inc, 18-23 Industrial Site, Eccles. E.B.D Security to work in Georgetown- Call: 227-1717 Female domestic to work in Trinidad, must be educated & know to cook. Between 2535 years. Call/ text 18686831528 1 Farm worker to live in and take care of farm. Call: 2653586 (8am-4pm) 1 Female to work in snackette & bar. Must know to cookbetween ages 20-35 -Call: 647-7432/ 223-5798 One experienced domestic to work at resident –Call: 6970157 Taxi drivers and contract car (dispatcher) salary paid for drivers. Call: 231-0316 1 Domestic worker to work 2 days a week in Campbellvilleage 35-50 yrs. Call: 658-2866
Experienced Cashier and store manager at American Variety Store, Lot 140 Regent & Light Streets. Call: 2251864 Staff for plant shop, literate, hardworking, pleasant, team player:18-28 years. Plant knowledge an advantage. Tel: 648-1821 We buy residential house lots, if the deal is good or take a down payment until we sell. Call: 611-7223; 604-2207 Responsible hire car drivers. Call: 231-7200 OFFICE CLERK WITH EXPERIENCED, CXC, COMPUTERKNOWLEDGE AND GENERAL OFFICE WORK. POLICE CLEARANCE. RUIMVELDTTEL: 231-8529 BUILDING MATERIAL DEPOT: CLEANER, 6 DAYS A WEEK, 8AM-4PM @ RUIMVELDT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE. STRONG, HEALTHY & FIT. CALL: 231-8529 One experienced dispatcher –Call: 231-4000 1 Live in domestic, salary $50,000 monthly-Call: 6858720, 674-1767 One Chief Security to manage a security service. Attractive salary. Call 696-5603 Supervisor with experience for fish processing plant. Attractive salary. Call or send message to 696-5603
Girls to work @ restaurant in the Interior, salary -$80,000, monthly- Call: 675-7043; 6741767; 664-5199 TAXI SERVICES GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)
One live in waitress 1825yrs, salary -$60,000 monthly, boarding & lodging free. Call: 610-3974 DRESSMAKING Turn your flair for fashion into an exciting career or hobby. Enroll Now –Call: 626-2629; 676-6312 Sewing: Do you think you can sew? Compete for cash and prizes- Call: 227-8538 MASSAGE Happy Touch Day Spa: Come & Experienced heavens touch, visit us today! –Call: 690-6079
Experienced wash bay & janitorial, attractive salary. Call: 646-8748 Body man/ spray painter; 40yrs plus Indian lady seeks live/live out domestic duties. Good reference. Call: 2271830
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals and Black Opal - Cosmetology Courses - Nail Technician Course Call: 647-1773/660-5257 Earn a Certificate in cosmetology, nails, wig designs & hair cutting etc. Classes commencing February! Register Now! Call: 666-5241; 619-7603
EDUCATIONAL Practical Electronic Course beginning 26 th January. Register early! Call: 226-6551; 225-0391 Enroll Now! Classes for cake decoration, cakes & pastries, floral arrangements & bridal, classes starts February. Call Sharon: 612-4193; 672-8768; 223-3303
Female to work in Production Department- Call: 644-5151
January Computer Deals: 9 Courses office 2016 @ Micrographics, Vreed-enHoop-Call: 264-3057. Earn your diploma now!
Office Assistant: must have Mathematics, English, Accounts and must be computer literate. Call:6500402
Computerize Accounting: 4 courses: QuickBooks, POS, Peachtree, Excel 2016- Call Micrographics Vreed-enHoop-Call: 264-3057
VACANCY Cook/baker and truck driver for the Interior location, applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020 Urgent: Cleaner & kitchen helper (dayshift) required at Aagman Indian Restaurant. Apply at aagmanrestaurant @gmail.com or call: 219-0158 Driver/Salesman- Five CXC and license for a lorry. Telephone 624-0092 email info@fernandesgy.com 1 Cashier/clerk: apply with written application @ August Beverages Ent. Experience, Maths & English will be an asset. Tel: 225-5501
PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale, Grove $20M / Rent: $50,000 per month. Tel: 625-5461. 3 Bedrooms concrete house 22feetX48feet, land 50X90feet @ Vision Garden, Versailes, W.B.D – $11M negotiable. Call: 609-1367; 658-5803 House for sale with 3 bedrooms upper & bottom flat, @ Lot 153 Green Acres, Stadium Road- Call: 681-7366 One roadside, 2 storey building @ V/Hoop, ground excellent for restaurant or other business –Call: 654-0779 Property @ 650 Section ‘A’ Block Great Diamond East Bank Demerara. Call: 2254792; 609-1114
Cleaner, office clerk, carpenters, masons, welder fabricator, labourers, housekeeper & drivers, interested person call: 603-4094 Security officers wanted by security company-Contact: 672-1920, between 8:00am5:00pm Network technician to install outdoor internet wireless antennas. Email CV to jobs@awngy.com Interested in working in a Private School? Apply POBOX 101818, include your contact number. Male security, male desk staff, room attendants, between ages 25-45yrs @ 233 South Road, LacytownCall: 225-0198 Perkins Mechanic contact 223-5273
2 Storey wooden houselot 20ftx38ft in Kitty, transported land, price $15M negotiable-Call Monday 1 8 th J a n u a r y o n w a r d s 8:00am-6pm: 666-6934
Hicks Ville Hotel: Receptionist, Hotel Attendant, Washer/ Presser, Bell Boy. Email: info@hicksvillehotelguyana. com/call:231-0951
3068 Amelia’s Ward Linden: 4 bedrooms, 1 self-containedCall: 640-4731; 624-6609
Office Clerk: minimum 3 CSEC subjects, apply: Avinash Complex, Water Street, Georgetown. Call: 2263361; 227-7828
Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities - Call: 662-9335; 612-3244
Farm on Lower Soesdyke Highway, Seeking large quantities of cow mold. Urgent! Call 219-0468 One live in maid-Call: 6683985; 264-2563
Friday January 22, 2016
Hutson Ville E.B.D Bungalow3 bedrooms (1 self contained) A/C, hot & cold water, secured$16M negotiable .Call:6255431; 622-3736; 697-4131 One two storey concrete building, E.C.D-$30MContact: 661-9431 Two house & land for sale, excellent condition, one located at Tuschen & one at Goed-Fortuin. Call: 668-3985; 660-3235 VACANCY Popular East Coast Gas Station Day/Night: pump attendants, sales clerk & office assistant. Contact: 6694755; 695-9880, Non-Pareil 1 Female cleaner apply Technical Services, Lot 18-23 Eccles Industrial Site E.B.D
Accounts clerk: experienced in QuickBooks, accounting software, VAT, NIS & PAYE, @ Technical Services, 18-23 Industrial Site, Eccles. Vegetarian Gardens: driver/ salesman. E-mail: info @ vgiworld. com/ call:223-3448; 227-7714 Sales Assistant/Truck Porter Contact Fernandes Guyana Enterprise Inc. telephone 624-0092 email info@fernandesgy.com Security Officers, apply in person. Massey Security (Guyana) Inc, Lot 0 Ruimveldt, Georgetown. Call: 225-5773-6 Massage Therapist & cosmetologist: must be certified in facial waxing, manicure & pedicure. Call: 672-1230; 226-1172 Driver / Expediter contact 621-5907 / 223-5273
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Office Space at Camp Street. Call Naz: 639-4499 1-3 Bedrooms upper flat @ Section ‘A’ Diamond, H/ Scheme E.B.D, fully grilled & concrete fence with parking space- Call: 6629335; 612-3244 SD Real Estate: executive 2 bedrooms Apartment, in exclusive residential area with all modern amenities. Call for appointment Tele 653-2920 Apartments for rent @ Nandy Park- 2 bedrooms, recently renovated, free WiFi asking $80,000-$90, 0000Call: 227-5194 2 Bedrooms apartment @ Middle Road, La-Penitence -$47,000 monthly – Call: 6669534; 226-6374 Self contained rooms in Prashad Nagar, Wi-Fi available. Call: 227-2993; 659-3865
LAND FOR SALE Westminster Major Road$1.8M, Onderneeming $1.5M, Dairy (100ftX50ft) $2.8M & Pafaite Harmonie with foundation & structure -$2.6M. Call: 604-2207; 6117223 House lot 50X100, for sale in Gated Community, Land of Canaan -$4M negotiableCall: 694-7817; 668-0306 Residential: Ramsville Court, Cove and John 50’X100’ corner, quiet neighbourhood. Call: 226-7585 Providence Scheme (115ftx81ft) located on a Cul de Sac close to Bai Shan Lin - $8.2M negotiable. Call: 6014163; 223-0719 Parfaite Harmonie -$ 1.6M, 1.8M, $1.5M, 1.3M, Tuschen 11 street -$3M with foundation, Phase 2 – $1.4M, Uitvlugt -$3M, Terms available – Call: 604-6724 33 Acres prime agriculture land located at Plantation Flensberg W.B.D-price negotiable-Contact Erick Boodhoo: Call: 654-6229; 627-0556 One houselot at Mon Repos (Martyrsville) E.C.D, price $3.9M negotiable. Call: 2200538/645-2395 or Joel: 6295300 Continued on page 31
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 31
Students, teacher taken to hospital after “spraying” incident Three students and a teacher of Smith Memorial Primary were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after they supposedly inhaled a chemical that was being sprayed in proximity to their school at Hadfield Street, Werk-en-Rust yesterday. They all received treatment and were held under observation before being sent
away. Based on one child’s account, he was playing in the schoolyard when he “smelt something”. He recalled feeling weak; he was then rounded up with other children and rushed off to the Georgetown Public Hospital sometime around 10:30 am. Other students who were taken to the hospital complained about shortened
breaths, numbness and chest pains. “I was in the yard playing and I smell something “nasty” and my head was swinging…Sir bring we to the hospital “ the teary-eyed child stated. When contacted yesterday afternoon, the affected teacher, Anesha Eno, told this publication that all is well with her however, she is still experiencing headaches.
Letters... Where your views make the news
A policeman is always on twenty four hours duty DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me to express my disappointment with the recent advisory coming out of the Guyana Police Force about the Police in plain clothes and unmarked vehicles are not authorized to stop vehicles. It is my understanding that a police officer is a twenty four hours worker but he has specified active duty hours. Thus in this re-
gard in and out of uniform he is a policeman and has the authority to effect an arrest. In this regard if he is in civilian clothing and notice a crime or is on special assignment – intelligence gathering, and decided to stop search and detain a suspect then such an advisor ties his hands and may very well compromise his investigation. In other words, waiting for a
uniform rank might be valuable time loss. What the Guyana Police Force should insist that all officers while on or off duty and want to effect an arrest or conduct a search they must identify themselves as part of standard operational procedure. Therefore I find the advisory very retrogressive and counterproductive. Bevon Curry
Are these two men real persons? DEAR EDITOR, Yesterday (20/1/16) the media carried a letter written by my friend, the very well known Tony Vieira (not, as he sought to clarify, Anthony Vieira, Director of Guysuco) in which he, among other things, questioned whether Mr. Khemraj Tulsie does in fact exist or whether he is among the recent writers about the sugar industry and Guysuco who use various ‘noms de plume’. Without getting into the merits/demerits of the letters written by Tony Vieira and Khemraj Tulsie let me assure Tony that Khemraj does exist; this fact can be ascertained by Mr Anthony Vieira in his capacity as a Guysuco Director because Khemraj Tulsie is and has been a staff member of Guysuco for many years. Like Tony, I have also had cause to wonder if another ‘recent letter writer’ who also writes about matters involving Guysuco using the name Rajendra Parmanand does in fact exist or is this a pseudonym for someone who prefers to hide his real identity for whatever reason. Now, this is a case where for professional reasons I would honestly like to make contact with this person because it appears that he is also a professional in the Human Resource Management field and we may be able to learn from each other or certainly I might benefit from his insight into matters of mutual interest. For
example, I might benefit from his apparent superior knowledge of Guyana’s demographics, the supply & demand of skills and competencies in the local labour market with particular reference to the sugar industry and issues of succession planning etc. Can Mr Parmanand please facili-
tate our contact; the Editor is authorized to supply my email address. Nowrang Persaud Editor’s note: Mr. Tulsie submits an address and telephone number with each letter. Mr. Parmanand lists his address
Questioned about what might have transpired, she stated that she could not comment on the issue and that the HM (Headmaster/mistress) should be contacted for any information pertaining to the matter. The school was later contacted where a woman refused to provide information, saying that the Ministry of Education should be contacted. When this publication contacted the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Olato Sam, he revealed that he had no knowledge of the incident. Concerned parents are inquiring why the educators are being tight-lipped and are demanding that the authorities provide answers. One parent said that she was on her way to a function when she received a call that she was urgently needed at the school and upon arriving she was told to go to the hospital where she learnt that her child had inhaled “some poison”. The parent said that she would continue to monitor her child and will seek answers today. TOURS Suriname tour (return): Mashramani weekend February 20 th -23 rd 2016. Shopping, site seeing and more. Call: 639-2663; 6655171
dress through training. I have not yet analysed the methodology and assessment of the training. Despite numerous human and other challenges, the performance of the police over the last few months has been audacious. There is need for sustainability to cater for greater public confidence in the force. I again make a clarion call for a Behavioural Science Unit to be established in the Guyana Police Force or make one available to them. If behaviour at all levels in the force is not adequately addressed the performance of the police will be prosaic. Clinton Conway Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police
massive national tragedy points in the direction of all those who would have adjudicated in the agriculture management and control of the sugar industry from 2009 to date. Rajendra Parmanand
STAR CARS AUTO SALE: 30-06 PREMIO, 03-07 FIELDER, NEW RAUM, IST, BLUEBIRD, AXELA, PITBULL. CALL: 679-3140; 268-3509 Noah & Voxy: unregistered & fully loaded -$1.7M (black, white & silver). Call: 603-9700 Honda Accord, 2003, leather, TV, DVD, radio, 35,000km, like new, price negotiable- Call: 689-1194
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807 Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up rental - Call: 690-6494
Business place located on Robb Street n e x t t o Bourda Market. Call: 6237731; 629-0636
Wholesale & Retail quantity of all types of belts. Call: 670-2343 ADORABLE PUPPIES FOR SALE. CALL: 6004212 Crazy Deals: Dell/HP desktop & laptop computers from -$49,000, free games & educational programs @ FutureTech: 231-2206
1 RZ Mini bus, BJJ seriesCall: 678-5887; 677-3177
One Yamaha 2007 R1 with chrome rims. Call: 662-2569
New model Premio 2007 model $3.1M negotiable. Preorder Allion, Premio, Bluebird 2006 model- Call: 655-3400
Lots @ Blankenburg behind the gas station- $3.9M- Call Us Today: 650-0402
Toyota Hilux , Toyota wagon , food mobile canter contact 621-5907 / 223-5273
One Accent Hyundai $225,000.Call: 695-1744 Noah & Voxy in ‘G’ series, fully loaded, never registered -$1.7M –Call: 617-2891 Honda CRV, PJJ series GYD$1M –Call: 231-5080; 641-4704; 613-7091 1 Toyota Fun Cargo: AC, CD, 17" mags and flair kit never worked hire -$1.250MCall: 619-1047 Unregistered fielder wagon 2003, roof rack, rear spoiler, dark interior, body kit, fog, TV-Call: 617-5536 To y o t a Wi s h ( 7 s e a t s ) , PKK series, excellent condition & one owner $1.3M. Call: 698-9771 Honda CRV 1995, price $1M negotiable, in excellent condition. Call: 696-0100; 679-2753
TO LET
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Earth Delivery on spot, also bobcat & excavator rental. Call: 617-5536
BMW 318i- $2.9M, BMW 320i- $4M, Audi A4- $4M, Suzuki Escudo- $4M, new model Premio- $3MContact# 650-0402/260-4988 One extra cab gasoline automatic 4 wheel/drive Toyota Hilux GSS series$3.5M-Call: 654-0779
2- New model Toyota Tacoma, crash bar, step, alarm, bed covering, mag rimCall: 695-6461; 639-7758
Statistics in support... From page 4 farmers sending their canes to Uitvlugt? Editor, the decision to close Wales Estate and having to sever close to 1,800 workers must be attributed to neglect and mismanagement, and the ownership of this
VEHICLE FOR SALE
2008 Fielder- fully loaded vehicle, never registered $2.5M- Call: 617-2891
Retired Asst. Police... From page 5 people, one nation, one destiny, but we have different cultures even in the working environment. Be able to police a multi - cultural and diverse society. Be multi- lingual - proficient in English, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese and computer. Possess a high self- esteem; manage emotional intelligence; think critically ; develop skills; be able to apply knowledge ; have the capacity to act; be able to comprehend; develop solid academic base - reading and numeracy and develop the ability to research and analyse. All of the above and many more must be common attributes of a policeman’s operational life and can be ad-
From page 30
Modified Toyota Glanza$1M, 2005 Nissan Frontier 4 Wheel drive -$3M negotiable. Owner migratingContact: 614-2659
1,500 lb snapper sein e i n excellent condition. Call: 657-0044
Toyota Runx; PPP 560 $1.65M. Call: 676-5229 26" Mountain Bicyle & Speed -$12,000 each. Call: 226-1316; 691-0230 Combines: 7300 John Deere (2000 hours), Fiatagri L413 (2500 hours), Laverda 132 & Tractors: Massey 399, Fiat 110/90, Ford 6610-Call: 6859878; 338-4354 Stalls 64-72 (47feet long x 7 feet wide) @ La Penitence Market Albouystown. Call: 663-1597; 218-4837 TM 6X6 parts for sale: engines, gearbox, power box, def, drive shaft, etc. Call: 601-7001 1 Complete music set and also studio equipment (music studio). Call: 2653586 (8am-4pm) 290 MF Tractor- $1.4M, 330TK Bedford dump truck$1.2M; in working orderCall: 614-9262; 604-2540 Wooden building structure in Georgetown, ideal for house lot owner, price is negotiable-Call: 227-4285 One (8) eight inches river dredge -$2M. Call: 661-9431 TO LET Fully furnished luxury apartment: 3 bedrooms for rent- Call: 603-6351 3 Bedrooms upper flat for rent at Vreed-en- Hoop – Call: 661-0162
Page 32
Kaieteur News
Friday January 22, 2016
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 33
Govt. hijacks opposition income tax motion - gives own voice, passes it as amended By Abena Rockcliffe History was created in the National Assembly last evening. Following six hours of debate, a walk out, and numerous back and forth deliberations between Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Speaker of the House, Opposition MP Juan Edghill moved to withdraw a Motion taken to the House in his name. The Motion, if it was passed in its original form, would have seen all MPs publicly declaring their income tax return over the last 10 years. The Motion, though seemingly simple, was one which had teeth. Dissatisfied with amendments made by the Government, Edghill sought to have his motion withdrawn. But by then it was too late. The Standing Order which gave Edghill the right to withdraw his Motion—Standing Order 36 (1)—also stated that the Motion could have only been withdrawn if there was no dissentient voice. So, much to Edghill and his colleagues’ disappointment, the Motion was allowed to stand after Minister Raphael Trotman opted to be that dissentient voice. This case was unprecedented in Guyana’s Parliament. Edghill’s Motion carried one “whereas” and two resolve clauses. In his one whereas clause he pointed out that all Members of Parliament are required to file annual income tax returns to the Guyana Revenue Authority in compliance with the Income Tax Act, Cap 81:01. In his resolve, Edghill asked that all MPs, “in the interest of transparency and accountability in public office, make available to the public their tax returns to the Guyana Revenue Authority for the last 10 years on or before December 31, 2015.” Further, he asked that the House “urges the government to expeditiously table legislation to give effect to this motion.” The Motion attracted many Speakers. In opening yesterday’s debate, Edghill told the House that the Motion was one to remove the veil of secrecy. He said too that the Bill seeks to help change cultural perceptions that all politicians are corrupt.
Edghill posited that such a Motion would have helped to decrease the “harassment” public officials receive from the media “as now we will have a document to defend our honour.” “Not only do we get flowers, we also get stones, so to protect ourselves and for the people to put confidence in us, lets pass this motion. It gives the people hope,” said Edghill. He continued, “So people will not think you are running to high office to secure wealth. People must know they have elected officials who are not busy taking care of themselves, but busy taking care of the people of Guyana. Edghill told his colleagues that the motion is one of the strongest anti-corruption mechanisms that can be put in place in Guyana at this time. He challenged the Members on the government’s side to support the motion to show that they have “clean hands.” “Every no vote will tell the nation my walk is not consistent with my talk. You will be telling them, I bluff you, I fool you, I am not sincere. Sarcasm squeezing out of his voice, Edghill said, “that is not what you want to tell the people. Is it? “If you vote against this motion it means you have something to hide,” said Edghill. Edghill told his colleagues, that nakedness in this case is what is needed. He even went further as to quote the late Bob Marley “if night should turn to day a lot of people would run away.” “This motion is calling for light where there was darkness. The day of reckoning is now; the time to change the culture of politics in Guyana is now.” Edghill continued, “If we say no we are confirming this popular perception that politicians are corrupt. We are noble men and we need to prove that.” Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo also spoke to the motion. He said that the income tax law requires one to declare taxes over seven years, while Edghill’s motion asks for the last 10 years. Nagamootoo said that the motion violates the law. “It shows desperation behind bringing a motion of this sort.” The Prime Minister
sought to point out that some MPs earn tax-fee salaries and have pension which also do not attract tax. As he continued along this path, hinting at the Opposition Leader, the Speaker had cause to urge Nagamootoo not to single out any Member of the House by name. Nevertheless, Nagamootoo continued, and this time he sought to point out, “I am not naming anyone, I am saying Opposition Leader.” The Prime Minister said that the motion which is purported as one in the interest of the people and one to highlight skullduggery is too late. He said that the motion came “when the gate has been closed.” Nagamootoo continued jabbing at the Opposition Leader when he spoke of a man who went to the court declaring that all he had in his account was $10M and was willing to give his wife half but subsequently built a $100M house. That inference was allowed by the Speaker. But when Nagamootoo said that, MPs on the Opposition erupted. Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira shouted, “this should not be allowed!”
Nagamootoo responded, ‘you want to shut me up nah,” Teixeira responded, “come over here and you will see.” It was then that the Speaker interrupted, saying that the debate had gone downhill. Next to speak was Teixeira, who echoed sentiments that the motion would secure a better image for politicians. She said, “Yes, we have the Income Tax Act, but are we supposed to aspire to a higher level of integrity.” As he solicited full support from the House, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo referred to the motion as one that seeks to enhance transparency in public life. He said that it was those in the government who “lectured” Guyana on transparency and accountability. “Well here is a unique example to prove that it was not all rhetoric. Jagdeo said that it is no excuse to say that PPP did not have such a motion in the past, so it should not come now. “If we believe in higher forms of transparency, the bar cannot be about what happened in the past, it should be about what is ideal and
best for the country; that should be the bar to which we aspire.” He said that since the government is convinced that corruption was perpetuated under the PPP then it should be anxious to have PPP MPs make public tax declarations. “Would it not be the best thing to do? You guys should have nothing to worry about, only the PPP MPs will suffer.” Jagdeo highlighted one of the reasons given for the “phenomenal” salary increase when the new government came into office was that Ministers were making way more money in private practice. “If this is true then the nation should know. We should know those tax returns. The cabinet should be interested to find out if being duped. Jagdeo referred to a statement made in Nagamootoo’s presentation which is that he usually file tax returns of $500,000 a year. The Opposition Leader pointed out that that would mean that Nagamootoo was working for $1.5M a year which breaks down to
$130,000 a month. When Trotman rose to debate the motion, he said that the House was being asked to make legal that which is illegal. Trotman said “you cannot ask the highest law making body in the land to do what is illegal.” The illegality Trotman was referring to was the public declaration of tax. He told the Opposition Members that they are within their rights to publish their tax declarations on a website. “If you so strongly believe in it, go ahead, lead by example.” The opposition staged a walk out after its motion was hijacked and Nagamootoo moved beyond what is customary as he sought to wrap up a motion in someone else’s name. The opposition returned to the House to secure the integrity of its motion, but that was to no avail. The Motion was passed amended. Those Amendments will not secure public declaration. Those amendments basically call for support of mechanisms that already exist under the Income Tax law.
Abusive man flees after killing wife in trench Police were up to late last night hunting for a Zeelugt New Scheme, East Bank Essequibo man who fled into a bushy area after drowning his wife in a trench in the community. The woman, who was still unidentified at press time, was found in the trench several minutes after the suspect dragged, beat and submerged her there. The killing is said to have stemmed from allegations of infidelity.
Kaieteur News understands that the suspect had assaulted her on Wednesday. According to reports, at around 19.00 hrs, residents living near the Zeelugt public road saw the man suddenly grab his spouse and begin punching her. When some residents attempted to go to her rescue, the suspect jumped into a nearby trench with his wife and continued his brutal assault.
He then swam to the eastern end of the trench and fled into a bushy area. The residents became further alarmed when they checked in the trench and saw no sign of the woman. Ranks from the Leonora Police Station were sum-
moned and resid e n t s a s sisted them in searching for the victim, whose body was eventually pulled from the trench. The corpse was taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home. She is the fourth woman to be slain for the year.
Page 34
Kaieteur News
Friday January 22, 2016
Xi signs Egypt deals as China looks to boost Mideast clout
Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) held talks with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and was to address the Cairo-based Arab League yesterday. (AFP Photo/) Cairo (AFP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping announced yesterday billions of dollars in special loans and investments in the Middle East as Beijing seeks to boost its economic ties and clout in the region. Xi offered China’s financial support in an address to the Cairo-based Arab League after holding talks with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during his first tour to the Middle East as president. Xi arrived in Cairo late
Wednesday from Saudi Arabia and will travel today to Iran, the last leg of his threenation tour. Xi offered $55 billion in loans and investments to the Middle East. “China will offer $15 billion (13.8 billion euros) as special loans for industrial projects in the Middle East,” he told the Arab League. Another $10 billion would be provided as commercial loans to boost cooperation in the energy sector and an equivalent amount will be of-
fered as preferential loans, he said. Xi also announced the establishment of a common investment fund worth $20 billion for Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Beijing has long taken a backseat to other diplomatic players in the Middle East but analysts say the region is crucial to Xi’s signature foreign policy initiative — known as “One Belt One Road” — touted as a revival of ancient Silk Road trade routes.
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Israel says will seize West Bank land …demolishes EU structures
An Israeli soldier reacts to tear gas during the demolition of a Palestinian house at the order of the Israeli army as Palestinians try to stop the demolition in the West Bank village of Biet Ula, west of Hebron yesterday. REUTERS/Mussa Qawasma Reuters - Israel confirmed yesterday it was planning to appropriate a large tract of fertile land in the occupied West Bank, close to Jordan, a move likely to exacerbate tensions with Western allies and already drawing international condemnation. In an email sent to Reuters, COGAT, a unit of Israel’s Defence Ministry, said the political decision to seize the territory had been taken and “the lands are in the final stages of being declared state lands”. The appropriation, covers 154 hectares (380 acres) in the Jordan Valley close to Jericho, an area where Israel already has many settlement farms built on land Palestinians seek for a state. It is the largest land seizure since August 2014. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon denounced the move and Palestinian officials said they would push for a resolution at the United Nations against Israel’s settlement policies. “Settlement activities are a violation of international law and run counter to the public pronouncements of the government of Israel supporting a two-state solution to the conflict,” Ban said in a statement. The land, in an area fully under Israeli civilian and military control and already used by Jewish settlers to farm dates, is situated near the northern tip of the Dead Sea. Palestinian officials denounced the seizure. “Israel is stealing land specially in the Jordan Valley
under the pretext it wants to annex it,” Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told Reuters. “This should be a reason for a real and effective intervention by the international community to end such a flagrant and grave aggression which kills all chances of peace.” The United States, whose ambassador angered Israel this week with criticism of its West Bank policy, said it was strongly opposed to any moves that accelerate settlement expansion. “We believe they’re fundamentally incompatible with a two-state solution and call into question, frankly, the Israeli government’s commitment to a two-state solution,” Deputy State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Wednesday. In a development likely to
further upset Europe, Israeli forces demolished six structures in the West Bank funded by the EU’s humanitarian arm. The structures were dwellings and latrines for Bedouins living in an area known as E1 - a particularly sensitive zone between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. Israel has not built settlements in E1, with construction considered a “red line” by the United States and the EU. It could potentially split the West Bank, cutting Palestinians off from East Jerusalem, which they seek for their capital. “This is the third time they demolished my house and every time I rebuilt it, this time also I will rebuild it and I am not leaving here. If we leave they will turn the place into a closed military zone,” said Saleem Jahaleen, whose home was razed.
Page 35
Page 36
Kaieteur News
Friday January 22, 2016
ICC weighs in on MCL retirement... (From page 36) u n a c c e p t a b l e t o u s .” Hitchcock pointed out that affected boards have highlighted to the ICC that the MCL has been signing up players who are yet to retire, thereby weakening their domestic cricket. “Within the past week we have received notification from two Full Members that its current players have just been approached to play in the event, by requesting those players to seek NOCs from their respective Board,” Hitchcock said. Haroon Lorgat, the CSA Chief Executive, said he had to take notice once his board received a “couple of queries” for NOCs from current South African domestic players. “I am concerned because on the back of what was
meant to be [a tournament] for retired players they are now inviting or approaching who are currently playing in our domestic set-up,” Lorgat said. Lorgat did not disclose the names of the players, but said CSA had approached the ICC asking for intervention. “You can’t have domestic competitions affected,” Lorgat said. “This is the prime part of our season. And they are not retired players. They are contracted to our domestic franchises.” The MCL’s squads feature a number of South African players who haven’t yet announced their retirement, including a few who have featured in the current domestic season, such as Ryan McLaren, Richard Levi and Robin Peterson. WICB Chief Executive
Michael Muirhead said his board had written to the ICC seeking clarity, although he added no West Indies player had yet asked for an NOC. West Indian players in the MCL roster include Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Fidel Edwards, who are yet to announce their retirements. For the PCB, the challenge is of a different kind. Last week the PCB had made it clear that the Pakistan players who wanted to play in the MCL would need to submit in writing that they had “announced and confirmed their irrevocable resignation and retirement from international cricket on behalf of Pakistan”. The main issue for the PCB is the ten-day clash between the Pakistan Super League and the MCL, both of
Murray Survives Brushes of... (From page 37) contested between the two and at 5-5 Murray was able to secure a break of Coggins serve and set up two more match points. Coggins managed to swat off one additional match point with the swing of a down the
line forehand but failed to fend off the power of Murray’s serve. He conceded the set at 5-7 to make it the second match to last three hours. Murray had no time for rest with a back-to-back match in the quarterfinals against Andre Erskine.
The match was pegged to be a close one and it did not disappoint the spectators. The first set was grasped by Erskine in a close tie break which ended 8-6. The cheering fans of Murray rallied behind him to see a third set. A spark of confidence exuded from the steps of Murray as he took charge of the second set and won it 6-4. He fought through a tumultuous third to win it at 64. When asked about his thought during the many brushes of being eliminated out of the competition, he said he got too cocky when being up in the sets and his strategy was to readjust and forget about the scoreboard. At one point he did not realise he had won the set. Today, Murray faces Kijana Lewis in the semi-final of the top half of the draw. He never played Lewis before and it is anticipated to be another taxing match since the two players are the only ones to have played three setters.
which are being staged in the UAE. The MCL is scheduled be held from January 28 to February 13, while the PSL is to be held from February 4 to 23. ”MCL was earlier meant to end a few days before we started our league [PSL] in the UAE, but later the MCL and ECB made a some changes in their fixtures,” Najam Sethi, the PCB’s executive committee head, said. “Later we got a three-way agreement with MCL, PCB and ECB, but still it’s overlapping, which isn’t ideal, but we have agreed to it and we didn’t have any other choice.” According to Sethi the PCB, despite the clash with the MCL, had stayed quiet when the ICC board was deliberating over whether to grant an approval to the MCL. “Had we opposed it, they could have been in trouble earlier,” Sethi said. According to an official
privy to the negotiations, the MCL is signing up players who are not being selected for their national teams but are still playing domestic cricket, and forcing them to retire by asking them to get the NOCs. That, he says, is against the spirit of the original agreement. “It was about players who had stopped playing all cricket,” the official said. “How does it matter if a player has not played for the country for a decade, he is still available for selection. But by signing up for MCL that option is being ruled out.” Hitchcock said the ICC was in touch with the MCL to resolve the issue. “In the meantime,” he wrote in his email, “if you receive a request from one of your current/non-retired players to participate in the event would you please let me know immediately.” Zafar Shah, the head of the MCL, acknowledged that
the ICC was in touch, and said the league was not forcing players to retire. “This is the perfect time for players who have never announced their retirement to do it now,” Zafar told The National. “For example, Mohammad Yousuf never retired, he just found himself out and then not picked, he’s not even playing domestically. ”The board [member] is saying they have to come out and say they have retired and I agree with them. Our format is very clear - retirement is a must. Otherwise we will not entertain anybody. But we don’t have influence with players to tell them to go and retire. ”It’s a teething issue because clarity is not there between players and their boards. It has never been done before. We are now setting this platform. Everybody will understand what to do from now.” (ESPNcricinfo)
Friday January 22, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You should include children in your activities. Try to spend time with those having similar interests. Don't upset elders in your family who don't understand your present situation. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Work on legitimate financial deals that may enable you to bring in some extra cash. Your self esteem will benefit. Friends will be loyal and caring. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your lover will be extremely sensitive and now will not be a good time to make changes that they won't like. Be sure to pay attention to your bank account. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You always seem to spend more than you make. Chronic health problems are likely to surface if you are keeping your problems locked up inside. Look into real estate. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Do something constructive outside. Keep an open mind when dealing with youngsters. Get involved in creative groups. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You need to spend some time reflecting on past experiences and involvements. Don't be too quick to voice your opinion. Listen to others carefully.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You may be able to get some good advice about your personal problems. Hard work will payoff if you refrain from expressing your opinion to superiors. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Debates will stifle passion and result in estrangement. You can make changes to your living quarters, but not everyone will be pleased with your efforts. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Don't get involved in secret affairs or underhanded involvements. Physical limitations are possible if you aren't careful. You will get along well in social situations. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Residential moves will be hectic and may be unsatisfactory. You could make extra cash through creative hobbies. You may be likely to have difficulties with females. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Go out with friends. Social get-together will bring you in contact with intelligent new friends. Insincere gestures of friendliness are likely to occur. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Don't use emotional blackmail on someone you love. Others may want to steal your thunder when they realize your ideas are pretty solid.
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 37
Hewitt bows out for good, Murray marches on Lleyton Hewitt bade an emotional farewell under the Australian Open floodlights yesterday as David Ferrer snuffed out any chance of fairytale final flourish from the local hero. After world number two Andy Murray had trampled on home sensibilities by mauling Australian Sam Groth to reach the third round, the Rod Laver Arena crowd settled in to watch former world number one Hewitt try to extend his illustrious singles career for at least another two days. Eighth-seeded Spaniard Ferrer played the villain to perfection, however, ending the twotimes grand slam champion’s record 20th campaign at Melbourne Park with an emphatic 6-2 6-4 6-4 victory. Not that renowned streetfighter Hewitt went with a whimper. He fought to the last even when defeat was inevitable. ”Every time I play out here at Rod Laver Arena, it’s like a second home,” the 34-yearold Adelaide native told the fans after a typically pugnacious display in which he cursed a line judge and mouthed off at the chair umpire. “Playing for Australia has always been my biggest honour ... I feel fortunate to finish here.” The scandal over alleged match-fixing in tennis that has clouded the tournament’s opening days lingered on though with even Hewitt being quizzed about online speculation that some of his past matches had been implicated. ”Good luck taking me on with it,” he said angrily at the post-match media conference, his three children sitting beside him. “It’s disappointing. Throwing my name out there with it makes the whole thing a farce.” Hewitt’s sentiments ech-
Murray was unplayable in the first set as he took less than half an hour to take it 6-0. oed those of world number one Novak Djokovic, who on Wednesday was moved to deny any wrongdoing after an Italian newspaper report said a 2007 match he lost at the Paris Masters was fixed. NO DISTRACTIONS There were no distractions for Murray though as he ruthlessly demolished big-serving Groth 6-0 6-4 6-1 as the top seeds sailed through on a day of bright sunshine. The 2014 champion and fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka swatted away Czech veteran Radek Stepanek in the twilight, while women’s third seed Garbine Muguruza and two-times champion Victoria Azarenka also charged into the third round. Rafa Nadal’s first-round exit to Fernando Verdasco punched a hole in the bottom half of the draw, but four-times finalist Murray was not about to join the fallen Spaniard. He disarmed Groth, the world’s fastest recorded server, with a clinical returning game, showing his guile by lobbing the 6-ft-4in (1.93m) Australian repeatedly when
he lumbered forward in desperation. Murray has trounced both his first round opponents and Portuguese 32nd seed Joao Sousa is next in the firing line. Since her back-to-back titles at Melbourne Park in 2012-13, two injury-blighted years have kept Azarenka from claiming a third but the powerful Belarusian is looking dangerous. The former world number one, seeded 14th here, hammered Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic 6-1 6-2 at Margaret Court Arena to set up a match with Naomi Osaka and offered some chilling words for the Japanese qualifier. ”I’m feeling in the best
shape body-wise, you know, spirit-wise, everything-wise,” Azarenka told reporters. She remains on course for a mouth-watering fourthround clash with Spanish Wimbledon runner-up Muguruza, who crushed Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-4 6-2. Wawrinka eased past 37year-old qualifier Stepanek 62 6-3 6-4 in the Hisense Arena and the Swiss next faces another Czech in Lukas Rosol. Thirteenth seed Milos Raonic continued to shape as a dark horse, beating Tommy Robredo 7-6(5) 7-6(5) 7-5. Underlining the fickle nature of grand slams, Nadal’s first-round slayer and compatriot Fernando Verdasco exited after a hard-fought fourset loss to pint-sized Israeli Dudi Sela. The on-court drama spilled into the stands early in the day at Rod Laver Arena, where a spectator was injured in a tumble down the stairs during former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic’s 6-3 6-3 win over Anastasija Sevastova. She faces big-hitting American youngster Madison Keys next in a meaty thirdround clash. Teenager Osaka gave a bow to thrilled Japanese fans after dumping 18th seed Elina Svitolina 6-4 6-4, continuing her impressive main draw debut at a grand slam.
Born to a Haitian father and raised in the U.S, Osaka remains a curiosity in her mother’s country but a showcourt appearance against Azarenka could change all
that. “I always think that they’re surprised that I’m Japanese,” the frizzy-haired 18-year-old shrugged with an American accent. (Reuters)
Page 38
Kaieteur News
ECCB 40-Overs cricket continues on Sunday
Cladious Fraser slams 98 in Paradise CC’s opening round win The ECCB Trophy 40 overs tournament commenced last Sunday with three matches and will continue this Sunday with five more games. Following are the results of those matches. At Better Hope - Lusignan East Cricket Club (LECC) won the toss and reached 163 all out in the 28th over. Anand Ramsaywack top scored with a classy 52 and Anil Jailal contributed 37. Bowling for Better Hope ‘A’ Rasheed Rohaman had 3-29 and Suresh Budhu 3-33. In reply Better Hope ‘A’s Ricknauth Roplall clobbered 94 from 61 balls (9x4 3x6) while Christopher Deonarine supported with an undefeated 55 as Better Hope reached 164-1 to win by nine wickets. At Paradise - Paradise Cricket Club (PCC) destroyed Golden Grove Cricket Club (A)
(GGCC) by 113 runs. PCC won the toss and batted, Cladious Fraser with a robust 98 and Floyd James’ 77 led them to 232. Bowling for Golden Grove (A) Richard Woolford took 341, Cleon Mc Lean 2-15 and Terry Gardener 3-22. In reply, GGCC was routed for 120 from 31 overs; Woolford leading with 25. Bowling for PCC Shaun Hosannah snared 3-14 and Joel Persaud 3-32. At Buxton - Plaisance Cricket Club was given full points after Buxton Cricket Club failed to arrive on time. The ECCB / ECDCA and match officials once again are reminding all clubs to ensure that they fully comply with the rules, regulations and playing conditions. In Sunday’s fixtures Ogle (Sponsored by Builders Lumber Yard) will take on Mon Repos at Ogle Community
Centre. Better Hope Sports Club (B) oppose Rockaway Cricket Club at Better Hope Community Centre. Lusignan Sports Club (B) are at home to Golden Grove Cricket Club (B) at Lusignan Community Centre. Carl Hooper Sports Club (B) of Buxton will play Lusignan East Cricket Club. Paradise Cricket Club will entertain Plaisance Cricket Club at the Paradise Community Centre. Meanwhile, the ECCB/ ECDCA is asking clubs outside of their membership along with schools who are desirous of playing in the upcoming sponsored Under-15 competition to call Raymond Barton for registration and other relevant information on 626-0223 or Davteerth Anandjit on 6178502.
LABA AGM set for next Saturday General Council meets tonight at MSC Lounge The Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) will discuss the staging of its Annual General Meeting tonight from 19:00hrs when the entities General Counc i l convenes at the Mackenzie Sports Club Lounge.
A release from the association informed that the AGM will commence next at 17:30hrs next Saturday at the same venue for tonight’s meeting and will hear of plans for the first quarter of this year which includes a Mashramani tournament and filling of cur-
rent executive vacancies. Clubs are being reminded that they must affiliate and register their players for the new season before they can attend the AGM where they will hear reports from the president, secretary and treasurer, respecvtively.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs to host tapeball on Sunday The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be hosting a Tapeball competition on Sunday at the National Park Tarmac starting from 09:00hrs. The competition is being held
as part of the ministry’s sports promotion and among the teams that have already entered are Ministry of Education, Guyana Beverage Co., Police Training College,
OPM and PSM. Entrance fee is $6,000 and interested teams can contact James Lewis on 672 6179 or 665 5857. Entries close today and at stake are trophies and medals.
Friday January 22, 2016
Softball cricket, Dominoes set for Goed Fortuin The newly elected executive members of the Goed Fortuin Centre Council, West Bank Demerara will be staging a softball cricket and dominoes competition on Sunday starting from
09:00hrs. The softball competition will be of five overs duration and entrance fee is $5,000. Trophies and cash incentives will be given to the top
three finishers while there will also be a 10-over exh i b i t i on game between Wolf’s Warriors and Speed Boat. For more information teams can contact A. Persaud on 622 0560.
Letters to the Sports Editor
GCB sternly reprimands Claude Raphael The Guyana Cricket Board wishes to record its extreme disappointment and shock at the level that a former cricket official has descended to in his most recent letter to the media titled ‘How could our legal system embrace such an obvious illegality for five years?”. In that correspondence, Mr. Raphael proceeded to lampoon the Judiciary and the GCB with baseless allegations and reckless statements. Quite obviously, he seems upset with the decisions emanating from the legal system but his reactions are totally misplaced and utterly disrespectful. The GCB wishes to caution Mr. Claude Raphael to desist from making such potentially libelous and threatening statements against senior members of the Judiciary, both sitting and retired Chief Justice. Mr. Raphael’s scathing remarks against the judicial system and our learned Chief Justice are most disparaging when they are very closely examined. He has now publicly denounced and ridiculed numerous decisions of the Honorable Chief Justice, Ian Chang, whilst questioning the competence and integrity of the said Chief Justice and, quite possibly, the entire Judiciary. Mr. Raphael also took the opportunity to issue a thinly veiled threat to the new Chief Justice. We should all respect the rule of law and the custodians of the judicial system which
forms an important pillar within our democratic system of governance. The GCB issues a public call to Mr. Raphael to immediately make an unqualified apology to these esteemed Jurists and, in the future, to refrain from venting his frustrations in the public domain. This call by the GCB does not absolve Mr. Raphael from any future action that these legal luminaries may decide to institute against him for his statements. At the GCB, we have faced numerous decisions meted out to us by the judicial system, whether favorable to us or not, and have taken them all in stride whilst responding to them in the manner that our Executive Committee and Members have determined to be the most expeditious course of action. Obviously, our collective decisions will not find favor with Mr. Raphael and his colleagues, but they can be assured that they were all made in the best interest of preserving the integrity and development of firstly, our cricketers, the game of cricket, the institution of GCB, its constitution, its members and its valued staff. As custodians of the game the Guyana Cricket Board has an obligation to preserve its rich history and provide for the next generation. Everyone has disagreements and differences of opinions on issues from time to time
which, coincidentally, is the raison d’être why cricket administration has been mired in such controversy for the past 5 years. We all need to be matured and patient in our statements and actions and be ultra- careful not to offend, threaten or disparage persons that we do not agree with. The GCB is very proud of the investment that the Board and our valued sponsors have made into our cricketers, both seniors and juniors, over the past years and we are especially encouraged with the positive attitude, commitment and the successes with which they have been rewarded. We do acknowledge that we have not yet reached the pinnacle of our development programme, but we have already charted the course for achieving that with our business plan developed a few years ago. For the record, the Guyana Cricket Board recognizes that the Cricket Administration Act is the law of the land and duly respects same. Even though we have our disagreements with the Act, we have embraced same and continue to operate within its framework. We wish to remind everyone that GCB is the only legally recognized body enshrined within the said new Cricket Administration Act with the unenviable task of administering cricket in Guyana. This status existed just prior to the Act coming into force and subsequent to its implementation. The GCB has publicly expressed its dissatisfaction with this Act and has thus instituted a legal challenge to this Act which action is waiting to be heard and determined and, as such, is sub judice. We again strongly caution Mr. Raphael to stop making false assertions against the GCB. The Guyana Cricket Board will continue to encourage our players, officials and staff to be professional in executing their duties. Yours Sincerely, Guyana Cricket Board
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 39
NAGICO Super50 review
Poor batting order and team selections hurt Jaguars Assad Fudadin ©WICB Media/ Randy Brooks of Brooks LaTouche Photo Shiv Chanderpaul ©WICB Media/ Randy Brooks of Brooks LaTouche Photo
Veersammy Permaul ©WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks LaTouche Photo
By Sean Devers After a highly successful 2015 for Guyana’s cricket the Guyana Jaguars started badly this year even before a ball was bowled with some questionable selections. It was no surprise to many that the Leon Johnson led unit failed to reach the final of the NAGICO Super50 tournament which was divided into two Zones, played in St Kitts and Trinidad. The non-selection of Jonathon Foo, who has matured both as an individual and batsman should be a cause for concern. He ended the Local Professional League 50-overs tournament with the most runs including a century. This tournament was also used to select Super50 team.
Foo’s positive approach could have helped the Jaguars’ scoring rate and although Assad Fudadin scored the most runs in the tournament (259) supported by Chanderpaul’s 150 and Vishal Singh’s 146, they all used up too many overs to score those runs, putting tremendous pressure on the others to come in with a few overs left in the innings. Fudadin’s role was to bat through the innings and eventually get a big score and the left-hander played that role perfectly. He had scores of 44 not out,71 from 99 balls, 27 and an unbeaten 103 when he became the only batsman in the competition to ‘carry his bat’ with a well constructed innings decorated
with eight fours and four sixes from 136 balls, accelerating towards the end. Chanderpaul scored two half-centuries but gone are the days when would bat through the innings and convert a good start into a three-figure score. He, like Singh, wasted too many ‘dot balls’ without going on and it was amazing to see Singh and Fudadin opening the batting and Chanderpaul coming at number three, since they all struggle to get the ball away before they settled in and seemed incapable of taking advantage of the ‘Power play’ overs. Johnson reached fifty once but must start converting ‘good starts’ into big scores if he wants to regain his West Indies place. Anthony Bramble
GCB NSSCL....
Singh leads Charlestown Secondary to victory An impressive all round performance from Captain Sachin Singh led Charlestown Secondary to victory over Lodge Secondary in the final of the South Georgetown Zone as the 2015/16 Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) National Secondary Schools Cricket League (NSSCL) sponsored by Bank’s DIH Ltd’s Coco Cola, Rainforest Water and Digicel resumed across the country. Playing at the Everest ground, Lodge Secondary were skittled for 92 in 20.3 overs, after they decided to bat. Shamar Smith and Anthony Smith offered resistance scoring 27 and 23 respectively. Qumar Torrington claimed 3-9; Sachin Singh 2-
10 and Jamal Michael 2-14. Charlestown Secondary needed to score at just over 3 runs per over to secure victory and a chance to represent South Georgetown in the next stage of the NSSCL competition. Their batsmen did not disappoint as they completed the chase in the 19th over led by Captain Singh who finished on 46 not out, stroking six fours in the process. Negusa Walter supported with 21; Shamar Smith had 2/26. Charlestown Secondary will now face East Georgetown champions St. Joseph’s High on January 27 at Everest. On Wednesday Bygeval crushed Ann’s Grove by 10 wickets while Hope defeated
Lancaster by 55 runs in the Mahaica Zone. Playing at Fairfield, Ann’s Grove were bowled out for a paltry 38 in 12 overs, batting first. Bygeval Secondary responded with 41 without loss in three overs; Ceresy David scoring 20. Hope Secondary scored 171-7, batting first. Rovin Ramsarup struck four fours in a top score of 52 while Amor Persaud made 38. Pooran Mangal took 3-28. In reply, the Lancaster Secondary were dismissed for 106 in 22 overs. Bhootesh Persaud got 27 as Gopaul Applesammy had excellent figures of 5-20 while Hemchand Boodhoo claimed 3-9.
looked good against the Red Force in the semi-final when he joined Royston Crandon as the only Guyanese apart from Fudadin and Chanderpaul to reach 50. Chris Barnwell and Steven Jacobs came to the crease with the added pressure of having to score quickly due to the pedestrian pace batting of Singh, Fudadin and Chanderpaul who should all never play in a 50over game together. Essequibian opener Kevin Boodie is an attacking righthander yet he was dropped after just one match while Chanderpaul, who missed two games in St Kitts, continues to keep out a younger player. While the Coach and Chief Selector may attempt to defend their decisions, it must be noted that in a ‘real professional system’ the coach is judged on results and ‘heads would roll,’ which, unfortunately is not the case in the Guyana. When teams win, the GCB take the glory but when they don’t do well, the coach and his assistant, who is also the Chairman of Selectors and the Manager are not held accountable. Chanderpaul is not needed in a Guyana one-day team at this point of his career but he could still play a role at the First-Class level to help develop the young batsmen in a format he is better suited for. The Jaguars have five more matches to play in the four-day tournament which will resume around the same time the Masters T20 is slated for in Dubai. I would not be surprised if Chanderpaul abandons the Jaguars for the Dubai tournament. This would be a slap in the face of the Guyana Cricket Board and the Chairman of selectors. Veerasammy Permaul was again Guyana’s leading wicket-
taker while Jacobs and Paul Wintz had 10 each but were both injured at important times when they were bowling well. Despite reaching the semis and having one of only three centurions in the tournament (Andrew McCarty and Evin Lewis are the others) the Jaguars’ top order lacked positivity as their totals of 219-9, 209-9, 173-4, 153-4 and 122-4 suggests. And even when they made their highest total (255-5) to beat CCC, they would have lost that game against a more experienced team since the Jaguars won with only three balls remaining in the contest. The pitches in both St Kitts and Trinidad were not ideal for 50-over cricket where totals in excess of 300 are now the norm. Also, the general batting was way below acceptable standards with most batsmen throwing their wickets away once a few maiden overs were bowled.
The Media coverage from St Kitts was almost as poor as the cricket and the crowd with no TV coverage at all and radio commentary only for the games at Warner Park, the International venue. If the tournament was played in Guyana, Providence and Albion could have been used since both venues have lights to facilitate day/night games and the matches at Albion would have attracted a large turn-out, unlike St Paul’s in rural St Kitts. West Indies Cricket seems to be in terminal decline and the empty stands beamed to viewers around the world by the ESPN Cameras from the Queen’s Park Oval was little advertisement for Caribbean’s Cricket and I am beginning to agree with some of my colleagues who feel that cricket in this part of the world will die a natural death. I hope they are not right.
Page 40
Kaieteur News
Friday January 22, 2016
Colts courting Division I League Benn (4-26), Braithwaite (80*) steers Pride past Hurricanes title with blowout tomorrow By Edison Jefford Colts is aiming to run away with Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) Division I League title tomorrow at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall when they face Plaisance Guardians in a deciding third game of a bestof-three series. Colts is adamant that the game will not be as close as pundits say. President of the Club, Michael Singh told Kaieteur Sport yesterday that once his team plays crunchtime defence well, the game will become very easy for them to win on the offensive end. “Once we stay defensiveminded, we will be able to close it out. I do not think it (the game) will be close; at the end of the day, we got enough talent and structure to win. We have to play crunch time defence,” Singh said. “If we get a perfect game, it’s a blowout for Guardians. We have not played a perfect game yet,” he added. Singh believes that he has the weapons on the offensive end to comfortably win, which will
Michael Singh change the trend of the bestof-three series. The first two games were decided in the last seconds with Nikkoloi Smith shooting Guardians to a one-point win in game one, and an almost sweep in a three-point lost in game two. That is how close the series, which is levelled 11, has been to-date. Singh proffered a reason why his team has not been as dominant as expected, despite them being the higher rated team in the clash. He said that
they played game one without their guard Shelroy Thomas; in addition, he admitted the team has a new philosophy “The team has a difference philosophy now that we got ‘Gypsy’ (Centre, Kurt Elias) – that is we are going inside to our ‘big men’; we got (Kurt) English, Shelroy and Dave (Thomas) offensively and that means that anyone can give us 20 points per game,” he boasted. “We got to shut down players; we have to stop Nikkoloi. Plaisance Guardians are playing with a lot of confidence and that is something we cannot take for granted,” Singh added. Smith has been a Colt as recent as 2014, but went back to his foundation club. Colts won the GABA Under-23 League qualifiers, Division I qualifiers, Linden Forbes Burnham title and made the National Senior Club Championships final last year. They are eagerly looking to add another accolade to their cabinet tomorrow.
ICC weighs in on MCL retirement issue
The ICC gave the Masters Champions League the go-ahead on the understanding that only retired players would take part in it © MCL At least three Full Member boards have written to the ICC expressing concern over their current players asking for no objection certificates to participate in the Masters Champions League (MCL), which was approved as a Twenty20 event meant strictly for retired players. The ICC has warned that “actions of those involved with the MCL in seeking current player participation” is “unacceptable”. It is understood that the three aggrieved members are the Pakistan
Cricket Board (PCB), Cricket South Africa (CSA), and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). In an e-mail sent to all the member boards, ICC senior Operations Manager Clive Hitchcock asked them to contact him immediately if they received a request from a current or non-retired player for an NOC to play in the MCL.According to Hitchcock, the ICC had granted an approval to the MCL last November, and notified all the board members. ”Our decision not to issue
a Disapproved Notice was based on the application from MCL which clearly stated that it was an event for retired players only,” Hitchcock wrote in the e-mail, which is in possession of ESPNcricinfo. ”Emirates Cricket Board, who sanctioned the event, did so on the basis of their negotiations with MCL for a retired players event. Consequently, the actions o f t h o s e i n volved with the MCL in seeking current player participation in the event is (Continued on page 32)
into tomorrow’s Final
Man-of-the-Match, leftarm spinner Suleiman Benn spun web s a r o u n d t h e Wi n d w a r d s H u r r i c a n e s batsmen to finish with 4-26 before Kraigg Braithwaite scored an unbeaten 80 to give Barbados Pride a comforta b l e seven-wicket win in yesterday’s second semi-final at the Queen’s Park Oval. The Bajan Franchise now proudly marches into tomorrow’s final of the 2016 NAGICO Super 50 tournam e n t a g a i n st defending Champions Trinidad &Tobago’s Red Force in Portof-Spain from 13:30 hrs. Ashley Nurse (2-42), Carlos Braithwaite (2-41) and Jomal Warrican (2-30) supported Benn as the Hurricanes were blown away for 175 in 45.4 overs despite 44 from Devon Smith and 31 each from Tyrone Theophile and Sunil Ambris. Braithwaite (80) and the elegant Shamarh Brooks (33) featured in an unfinished 96run fourth wicket partnership to see Barbados to 179-3 from 44.3 overs to provide the team from the land of the Flying
Fish with a chance of dethroning the Red Force in front of what is anticipated to be largest crowd of the tournament. Mervin Matthew gave his team early hope by having the potentially dangerous Dwayne Smith LBW for a duck with the first ball of the innings before Mayers dismissed Shai Hope (28) and Liam Sebastian had Jonathon Carter (28) caught and bowled and at 83-3 in the 22nd over the Hurricanes were fighting back. The 23-year-old Braithwaite soon reached his fifth fifty at this level before being miss-stumped by Andre Fletcher off Keron Cottoy on 69. But the level headed Braithwaite, who was 20 short of his maiden century at this level, and fellow right hander Brooks consolidate the position to see their team home. Earlier, Johnson Charles was removed by Nurse for a duck with just a single on the board but Theophile and the lefthanded Smith put together 75 for the second wicket before the latter was stumped off Benn when six short of what would have been his 22nd 50-
over half century. Benn got rid of Theophile six runs later as the Hurricanes slipped 81-3 before the towering Benn struck again by trapping Fletcher (2) to leave the Windward Island Franchise in a deep hole on 87-4. Things got progressively worse when Skipper Sebastien (1) was caught behind as the 6ft 7inch Benn, who has played 34 ODIs, continued his demolition job to leave the Hurricanes on 95-5 in the 25th over. Watched by the proverbial ‘two men and a dog’ Ambris and Kyle Mayers took the score to 121 and were embarking on ‘operation rebuild’ before Ambris hit a catch to West Indies Captain Jason Holder off Warrican with the score at 121-6. Two quick wickets tumbled as Warrican removed Shane Shillingford (0) and Nurse got rid of Keron Cottoy in quick succession before Delorn Johnson (18*) and Matthew joined forces in a last wicket stand of 24. Braithwaite was then bowled by Matthew to end the innings.
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Target Hardware backs Wiltshire Dominoes tourney Target Hardware and General Store of 44 Public Road, Herstelling, East Bank Demerara has thrown its support behind the Mark Wiltshire birth anniversary dominoes tournament which commenced on Wednesday night last. Chief Executive Officer of the entity Troy Baksh presented a cheque of an undisclosed sum to Wiltshire at his company’s location y e s t e r d a y. B a k s h t o l d Kaieteur Sport that he is happy to contribute towards the hosting of the tournament and hopes that it will be successful while Wiltshire thanked him for his support. Phantom, Golden Masters and Brothers registered victories on We d n e s d a y n i g h t a t Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt. Phantom marked 72 games to beat Rage 66 and Turning Point 61. Orin Favourite marked 15 for the winners while Ronald Beharry got 16 for Rage and Loraine Reid 15 for Turning Point. Golden Masters chalked up 83 games to win their match
CEO of Target Hardware and General Store Troy Baksh (right) presents the cheque to Mark Wiltshire. up against Mix Up 75 and Scramblers on 70. Golden Masters were led by Cort Sutton and Sherwin Grenion both made the maximum of 18 games while Ganesh Sankar top scored for Mix Up with 16. Basil Bradshaw got 15 for Scramblers. Gavin Bownauth and Navin Sankar registered 16 and 15 games respectively to lead Brothers who totaled 72 games to victory over FX with 71 and KTS on 64. Claire Benjamin and Paul Williams made 15 games each for FX and KTS in that order. The competition continues tonight at Transport Sports Club while the playoffs will be held on Saturday and Sunday at the said venue. Teams that did not contest the preliminary rounds but wish to enter the playoffs will be charged a fee of $6,000.
Murray Survives Brushes of Elimination RTC Championships 2016 It proved true on Tuesday that the easiest points are the hardest ones to win in the game of tennis. Ronald Murray learnt that lesson when 8 match points were snatched from his reach by Oswin Coggins during the final round of 16 matches. It was easy cruising for Murray in the first set when he stamped his dominance with a 6-3 win in the first set using his potent arsenal of a serve. He continued to be in the driver’s seat of the match and took a commanding 5-3 lead to serve for the match in the second set. However, like Benjettan Osborne his fellow Roraima tennis club player, he displayed what they are best known for, resilience. Coggins dug deep and was patient, which allowed him
Ronald Murray to slowly creep back into the match. At this point Murray was on the back foot and his shots became plagued by doubt. The loss of seven match points left him mentally shaken and swung the pendulum of momentum to Coggins who then took the set 7-5. The third set was closely (Continued on page 32)
Page 41
Page 42
Kaieteur News
Champion of Champions Final
Friday January 22, 2016
Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition
RHT Gizmos Chase Academy focused on being first team to repeat and Gadgets to face Young Warriorson Sunday By Rawle Welch
The three pavilions art the Area ‘H’ Ground are expected to be filled to capacity when the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club hosts the final of the 12th annual Busta Champion of Champions cricket competition on Sunday. Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets would clash with Young Warriors after the Canje based team replaced Tuckber Park, whose Manager Carl Moore informed the organisers that his club would be unable to field a team due to the absence of key players. Young Warriors was the lo s in g s emif in alis t to Tuckber Park in Zone ‘A’ and was therefore selected as its replacement. Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets would be led by Shawn Perriera while Jason Sinclair, Rajiv Ivan, Clinton Pestano, Micheal Hicks and Eon Hooper would spearhead a powerful home
team batting order, capable of scoring heavily at home. Perriera would be part of a spin attack that includes Collis Butts, Eon Hooper, Troy Mathieson, Khemraj Mahadeo and Rajiv Ivan. Support will come from pacers Clinton Pestano and Keon Sinclair. Young Warriors would depend heavily on Gajanand Singh, Ishwar Singh, Kevin Ramdeen, Seon Hetmeyer, Linden Austin and Wahied Edwards. They would need to set a formidable total on a fast Area ‘H’ outfield if their bowling attack is to have any chance. Pacer Jermin Henry would receive support from off spinners Gajanand Singh, Kevin Ramdeen, Linden Austin, Kevin Sinclair and left arm spinner Kassim Khan. The winning team would be rewarded with $100,000 and the Busta trophy while the loser collects $50,000 and a
trophy. Other prizes would include man-of-the-finals and best all-rounder. Managing Director of Guyana Beverage Company M r. R o b e r t S e l m a n , Marketing Manager Ms. Shameeza Yadram and RHTYSC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster will assist at the presentation after the match. RHTG&G - Jason Sinclair, Micheal Hicks, Rajiv Ivan, Clinton Pestano, Eon Hooper, Khemraj Mahadeo, Collis Butts, Troy Matheison, Keon Sinclair, Shawn Perriera, Slyus Tyndall, Denzil Sinclair. Young Warriors - Wahied Edwards, Gajanand Singh, Alex Algoo, Keon Sinclair, Ishwar Singh, Kevin Ramdeen, Amir Khan, Seon Hetmeyer, Kassim K h a n , L i n d e n Austin, Balram Samaroo, Jermin Henry, Mortimer Fraser, Trevon Samsult.
Defending champion of the Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition Chase Academy is leaving no stone unturned in their quest to become the first team to win the title back-to-back. Speaking with Principal Henry Chase, who visited Kaieteur News yesterday, he revealed that the preparations of the players are moving apace and he is optimistic that they will achieve the enviable accolade of being the first team to win the title in consecutive years. ”Preparations have been going excellent and while we are not overlooking the Milo tournament, we are building a formidable team for the Digicel Nationwide Competition as well,” Henry related. He said at present they have around 10 to 12 players who will be returning from the championship squad of last year, adding that the team which has been preparing for a few months now is much stronger and loaded with talent. ”We are more balanced now and with a lot of depth in our line-up when compared to last year so we are confident that teams will fine it pretty hard to beat us.” Chase, who refers to himself as a passionate
Henry Chase person when it comes to sport told this newspaper about the heavy cost of preparing the team for competitions and urged the business community to get on board and help develop our youth’s quest to improve their ability. He pointed out that it is always a desire of his to give his students the best opportunity to excel in whatever field of endeavour they may choose, but added that without the necessary support it is difficult to help all of them. He spoke of paying a coach to hone the skills of the players, while the cost of beverages and other related food at practice sessions in addition to offsetting the transportation expenses of some players are all costs that are borne by the institution.
The Principal in emphasising his seriousness told this newspaper that they’ve decided to install a gym at the school to further boost students’ preparations ahead of competitions and this too has come at a high cost. Chase stated that they are not only involved in football, but other disciplines such as cricket, athletics and rugby as well. He noted that every year the school offers free scholarships to many students who may have exceeded the age limit to remain in the public school system. ”These students very often need another shot in life and we are prepared to provide that opportunity so that they may have a better life.” He said in his view, very often the persons tasked with the responsibility of developing sports do not deeply adore their responsibility, while many in the business sector act with similar dispassion thereby making it difficult to acquire much needed funding. Returning to the team’s chances, Henry said while they know that all the teams are busy with their preparation and the task of winning again will not be e a s y, h e f e e l s t h e y possess the talent and discipline to emerge victorious.
Friday January 22, 2016
Kaieteur News
Page 43
GFF Head Coach Shabazz eager to get going for new season CFU Championship high on radar; training to commence next week By Franklin Wilson ”I am very excited to get back on the field. So excited if I get a passport I might register myself as a player who knows.” The words of Head Coach of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Jamaal Shabazz who spoke with Kaieteur Sport on his plans for the new season. The former Trinidad and Tobago National Player who is on his third stint - a twoyear contract which was signed in March 2015 - as Head Coach of Guyana’s flagship senior team, the Golden Jaguars is anxiously a w a i t i n g t h e recommencement of training for the senior team. Guyana has been drawn in Group 5 of the Caribbean Football Union 2016 Men’s Caribbean Cup which also features Puerto Rico and Anguilla. Shabazz noted that it is important for the national team to get back into a training routine whilst playing matches against regional and international teams since it’s the only way they can develop and be competitive. He shared his view on the Men’s Caribbean Cup draw: “I like the draw. Puerto Rico is a tricky bunch whose programme is emerging well and we must ensure a good
GFF Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz has the full attention of his Golden Jaguars at the Guyana National Stadium during training in March 2015. preparation. While Anguilla is lesser known but I remember when Guyana was little known as well.” In order to put together a well oiled unit, Shabazz informed that training will commence next week. ”We plan to start training next week and the door is open again to everyone once they are prepared to be disciplined and conform.
The only idiot in the squad must be me and everyone knows I can be quite stupid at times I will not tolerate anyone trying to be disruptive. But all is starting on a clean sheet again.” Zooming in on advancement to the later rounds of the Caribbean championship, the nononsense Shabazz posited that progression in the group depends on the
level of preparation the team is afforded. ”We must have facilities and equipment; you cannot put the cart ahead of the horse. If you want to make an omelette you need eggs.” Round 1 of the CFU competition will be contested from March 2129; Round 2 May 15-21; Round 3 October 3-11; Fifth
Place Playoff November 715; and the finals are scheduled for May 2017. The inaugural Stag Elite League sponsored by Ansa McAl saw the Genesis (first half) contested in the latter part of 2015 and was won by Slingerz FC, the youngest of all the c o m p e t i n g c l u b s . The second half, called the Finale is expected to kick off
shortly. Shabazz offered his take on the importance of the Stag Elite League: “The Elite League is the most vital part of our preparation for CFU. It gives the staff a window to shop and the players an avenue to showcase themselves. I can only wonder what IF, if we had this Stag Elite League two years ago.”
t r o Sp
Benn (4-26), Braithwaite (80*) steers Pride past Hurricanes into tomorrow’s Final
Sulieman Benn. WICB Media/ Ashley Allen
Kraigg Brathwaite flicks the ball away. WICB Media/Ashley Allen
GCB NSSCL... Singh leads Charlestown Colts courting Division I League Secondary to victory
title with blowout tomorrow
Kurt Elias
Shane Webster
Sachin Singh
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