Kaieteur News

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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: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210

Editorial

OIL PRICES ARE LOWER, BUT The price of oil on the world market is at its lowest in 13 years. Yesterday the world market price was under US$30 per barrel, down from the record high of US$110 per barrel a few months ago. Indeed the high fuel prices forced the prices of ancillary products to skyrocket. In Guyana, as the price of oil rose on the world market so did the cost of fuel and fuel products in Guyana. Eventually the cost of transportation went up because the operators of public transport pressed the government to allow them to raise the fares. Their argument was that spare parts and tyres had become expensive as the price of oil went up. What Guyanese noted, too, was that the electricity company would trot up the charges. It included one called energy charge to compensate for the rise in energy costs. Private motorists also complained because the gas stations raised their prices because of what they said were acquisition costs. Today, the converse is the reality; gasoline prices have plummeted. The world price for a barrel of oil is 75 per cent lower than it was this time last year. Needless to say, the government is reaping a harvest. It is spending less money on oil so that the cost of running the electricity generating systems is drastically lower than a year ago. The world is aware of the lower oil prices; Guyana is also aware as it is aware of the falling gasoline prices in the United States. Just yesterday, there was the news that a gas station in Michigan was retailing gasoline at 49 cents a gallon. Of course this was a most unrealistic price but it sent the message that falling oil prices means lower prices at the pump. This has not been the case in Guyana. The gas companies have not been as quick to pass on the reduction in acquisition costs with the result that Guyanese are still paying an inordinately high cost for gasoline and dieseline. The result is that there are mutterings about the government holding on to its windfall. Surprisingly, this has not been made a political issue but there is a movement pushing for the government to slash gasoline and dieseline prices. It is as though the Guyana Government is enjoying the increased savings given that gold prices have hit rock bottom; rice is earning less than it did at this time last year; and bauxite is all but dead. However, if the truth be told despite the lower oil prices many countries are paying much more than Guyana for gasoline and dieseline. Venezuela, an oil-producing country, has the cheapest fuel in the world—about G$20 per gallon or 45 times cheaper than gasoline in Guyana. Trinidad, another oil producing country is retailing gasoline at a cost slightly lower than Guyana. The United Kingdom, a country far more developed than Guyana can hope to be in 200 years is retailing gasoline at US$6.69 a gallon. In countries like Spain, Bangladesh, Austria, New Zealand, Singapore and France the cost of gasoline is higher than it is in Guyana. There can therefore be no claim of a government seeking to reap a windfall at the expense of the people. There must be other factors. Most of these countries are producers of cars, electronic goods and household articles. The export of these products reaps huge revenues on which these countries turn. Guyana is not in such an enviable position. Even when oil flowed from Venezuela this country was paying a high price because Venezuela, while giving away its fuel at home, was prepared to earn from its trade with Guyana, not that this country did not benefit from the trade with its neighbour. Of interest is that despite the low price of oil on the world market Hong Kong is retailing gasoline at US$8.20 a gallon ($1,640 per gallon), and the Netherlands, US$7:50 a gallon ($1,500 per gallon.)

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com

President Jagdeo displaced over 3000 bauxite workers DEAR EDITOR, The call by Bharrat Jagdeo for meetings to address the issue of the proposed closure of the Wales estate that would affect 1600 workers, were one to examine same through the lens of universal principles, his is a just call. But one wonders whether Jagdeo believes in the call he is making. It was under his presidency 3000 plus bauxite workers from LINMINE and BERMINE were put on the breadline consistent with his government anti-working class agenda. This act was done in violation of the collective labour agreement (Section 23

(1) of the Trade Union Recognition Act) which saw the transgressing of workers’ rights as enshrined in the Guyana Constitution at Article 147 and 149C. Today what Jagdeo correctly demands for workers in sugar he trampled with impunity for workers in bauxite. The society, trade unions that represented bauxite workers, and the then opposition PNC were informed about the government’s decision to send the workers home (i.e. make them redundant) through the media. The unions thereafter requested to meet with the government but the government never entertained the

request. This notwithstanding, after these workers were sent home the unions made and submitted proposals to the government through the Privatisation Unit as to ways and means to save the workers’ pension plan. This pension plan was worth in excess of $2.5 billion, which was the single largest pool of money owned primarily by Africans. The government did not even exercise the courtesy of acknowledging receipt of the proposal in as much as it was hand delivered. It then proceeded to break up the pension plan even though (Continued on page 6)

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

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Kaieteur M@ilbox

What was the relevance Drivers should stop when asked to by the police of my name? DEAR EDITOR, I sent the following letter to Stabroek News on Sunday, Jan 17 in response to what was written about me in that newspaper on that very day. I re-sent it but no publication as yet. The letter follows I refer to Tarron Khemraj’s missive (Sunday, January 17, 2016) in which he wrote; “my column never said that members of the diaspora should replace locals. I always wrote about complementarities. As a matter of fact, the column made the point explicitly that for a diaspora policy to work, politically, re-migrants cannot interfere with the political patronage flows of the locals.” What was the relevance then of dragging my name into his analysis by penning the following observation; “In Guyana even the famous newspaper columnist, Mr. Freddie Kissoon, once labeled the diaspora as traitors.” One would have thought he would have found it useful to explain the relevance of my name. Then Khemraj did the unthinkable. He admits he couldn’t find the column where I referred to the diaspora as traitors He wrote that he “cannot locate at this moment the column, which I believe he (kisssoon) wrote about six years ago.” As an academic, Khemraj must be involved in Google search. He can find all my KN and SN letters and all my columns of six years ago on the internet. Why did he drag a fictional statement attributed to me into his column is for him to answer? I have my speculation. I am not surprised at the things people say about me because that is what people and life are about. Khemraj is not the first and will not be

the last to either assign a false statement to me or seek to attract attention by bringing up my name. After more than twenty seven years as a columnist those things you expect In relation to the airline ticket, my memory tells me it was about Khemraj coming for the election campaign. My intervention lasted literally less than a minute. A group of high-level AFC personnel, including the leader Khemraj Ramjattan, was speaking about the airline ticket issue and I merely said that the AFC should not buy a ticket for people like Khemraj because I believe people like Khemraj could afford to do so. That was my contribution which as I stated above, lasted less than a minute. As to his request for a high level position with a certain financial institution, the circumstances were identical. A group of well placed AFC personnel including the leader mentioned a preference of Khemraj. My intervention lasted a few minutes. I said that why should he choose that position; it may not be the right thing to do because others may be more suited. That was all I said and I have no regrets at making those two statements. There were objective analytical observations and had absolutely nothing to do with the character of Khemraj. I had an opinion to express in two situations where others were doing the same, and I gave my take. I did not have to inform Khemraj what I said about him in 2011. But that is how I see life As to the sacrifice he mentioned in his letter by choosing to do a dissertation

that would earn him less money in the US rather that one that would have brought him more income, well I hope he sees the context. If he made that sacrifice, he should know that untold numbers made similar decisions with harsher implications by staying in Guyana. I don’t for a fleeting moment find the migration of Guyanese in order to better themselves, a mistake. That was their choice and it should be respected. But I think Khemraj unwittingly opens himself to criticism when he describes the sacrifice he made with a mere choice of dissertation. Others in Guyana, like his UG colleagues who could have migrated as Khemraj did, stayed and endured What is Khemraj’s point about the dissertation sacrifice which brought him less income in the US where he lives and work? He wants us to know he did a thesis on Guyana which made him less marketable and thus he wants us to know about his sacrifice. He then should know of greater sacrifice by others. Khemraj taught at UG then left to do a PH.D in the US. He did not return to Guyana. I know of several friends who left UG like Khemraj to do their doctorates and are back at UG and Guyana, some of whom are more marketable in the US than Khemraj. What is my point? That if Khemraj wants to talk about who made sacrifice and are now earning less income, I can offer him dozens of (Continued on page 6)

DEAR EDITOR, “They are under instructions to stop a vehicle only if they observe a violation has occurred,” is a quote from Freddie Kissoon’s column in Saturday’s edition of your newspaper. “I have instructed my daughter not to stop if a traffic rank pulls her in at random. I will put a photocopy of this column in her car and she is advised to show the traffic cop it. He can ignore it if he wants but my advice to my daughter is once she is driving normally and does not commit a violation the police cannot make a routine pullover.” This is another excerpt from the same column. I am confused and perhaps so is Freddie. He says he has instructed his daughter not to stop yet speaks about her showing the traffic cop a copy of his column. Of course Freddie might not be confused. He perhaps anticipates that the traffic cop would be in hot pursuit of his daughter and rather than cause an accident which could claim her life and that of innocent others, she would eventually stop then show the cop his column. The real issue for my pen-

ning this letter however is Freddie’s promoting the view that, because the police are under instructions not to make routine stops, then motorists should ignore the instructions of the police if they feel they have not committed a violation. Well, in my view this is promoting lawlessness. Who is going to admit that they committed a violation? In some cases motorists may commit a violation without even recognizing it. Just a little swerve can be considered driving without due care and attention and thus be a violation. The bottom line is that if a uniformed policeman or woman indi-

cates that a motorist or even a pedestrian needs to stop, then that person must stop. The reasonableness and legality of the stop can be challenged in due course. To allow people to determine whether or not they should follow the instructions of the police will produce as confusing a society as Freddie’s column. Wesley Kirton Editor’s note: The police instructions make it clear that routine stops to examine drivers’ documents have ceased. One would assume instructions to stop for other purposes continue

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur M@ilbox

My wife and I contributed 50 Was Chanderpaul a selfish years to the agricultural sector sportsman? DEAR EDITOR, My first letter to Stabroek News was sometime in late 1989, when as a 16-year old Sixth Former, I chose to highlight the lack of funding and deplorable condition of my old school. Following the letter ’s publication, the school’s headmaster was asked to corroborate my claims, which he did. At the same time a senior functionary had sought to lay the blame on the school’s administration. In the aftermath, the headmaster was quietly sent packing, for “talking back”! However, as Bob Marley sang, “when one door is closed, many more are opened.” The former headmaster was to later accomplish much as an administrator of youth cricket, and as the principal of one the country’s most successful private schools. I reflected on the foregoing as I contemplated my response to Mr. Anthony Vieira’s scathing letter in the Stabroek News of January 20, 2016, and in which, among other things, he surmised that Khemraj Tulsie does not exist as a real person, but as a ghost writer of articles on the local sugar industry. You see, sadly I do not know that the Guyana of 1989 and which we have today, are any different. In addition, both my wife and I work for GuySuCo, a state-owned company of which Mr. Vieira has finally become a director, hence, my apprehensions about penning this response. A short while back I had written that the sugar industry is in dire straits, and that its uncertain future seems to matter only to those who have vested interests. This statement was in response to the calls of many in the public, for GuySuCo to be closed. I, like many others, thereafter sought to make suggestions about how the industry can possibly be restructured and given an extension on its life. Those suggestions were informed by my own experiences as an agricultural technician, and as a supervisory and managerial staff, not only in GuySuCo but also in the wider agriculture sector. Hav-

ing said this, I must admit that my understanding of the sugar industry has been limited to my experiences as an employee of GuySuCo, and supported by the technical and academic training I have been exposed to over a fair period of time. In this regard, I must also admit that I lack the voluminous insight Mr. Vieira has had as this country’s largest private cane farmer and land baron, and certainly his years as a very successful sugar producer would exceed my age by far! My wife and I have together contributed in excess of 40 years of service to the sugar industry, and almost 50 years to the agriculture sector in general, having joined GuySuCo while still in our teens. Like many young families that grew up in sugar, we can credit the industry for giving us just about everything we have, including the opportunity of putting two children into university. For instance, we both have to be eternally grateful to sugar for affording us post-secondary education. Hence, my personal adamancy that the sugar industry means more to this country than just its existence as an economic enterprise. My family’s own relationship with sugar, as outlined above, is synonymous with the kind of attachment thousands of other families have with GuySuCo across this country. Sugar is just too big to be allowed to fail – too many households in this country will fail with it we continue to listen to the chants of “close it down”. And this brings me to the point of why I consider a phased restructuring of the industry is better than some of the choices others are proffering, such as closure, full privatization or maintaining the happy-go-lucky status quo. I would be among the first to admit that many opportunities for restructuring in the past were either missed or deliberately overlooked in favour of the very sentiments about the welfare of the industry’s workers, as I have outlined before. GuySuCo is a state-owned company. That has exposed it often in the past to two different sets of forces – (1) tech-

nical and strategic management from within, and (2) political direction from without. I do not have to spell out which one triumphs more often. For me, one of the saddest sight I recall was when sometime around 1995 the entire fleet of cane-harvesting machines were washed and parked north of the LBI administrative office, in preparation for shipping overseas. Twenty years’ worth of efforts at early mechanization, which would have paid great dividends today, were swept up and sold off, at the behest of – guess who? What about the sugar levy? Summing it up and adjusting for inflation may make it bigger than GuySuCo’s debt today. And so to you also, Mr. Vieira, I say yes, I understand the sugar industry and know what has gone before. And we can continue to blame whoever we want to, for the current state of the industry, but decisive and purposive action belongs to you and the others who are in charge now. Making that difference in the lives of the thousands of poor families who depend upon sugar, now rests on your shoulders. We listened attentively while you were on the outside; now you are in the driver’s seat. With regards to my conceptual ideas of the role of small-scale commercial farmers in sugar, I have seen what has worked and what has not. As you admitted, some are making profits; the others at the other end would have done similarly if Skeldon had lived up to expectations. All I suggested was to empower those who can do better, to continue to grow. My developmental work with more than a thousand farming families over an 8-year period, says that the small farmer can rise to the challenge if supported. On the issue of closure, I would humbly ask that Mr. Vieira explain what has become of the lives of his hundreds of former workers, and to what productive use he has put the lands of the former Houston Estate, since its closure. The challenges, if there were any, will inform us about what to expect if we happen to go down that path. Khemraj Tulsie

From page 5 examples and those examples are right here in Guyana where they live and work for the people of Guyana. I close by asserting my statement that I know Khemraj did make a request to the AFC leadership

about a high- level appointment in the area of state finance. Why didn’t he make a greater sacrifice and choose UG where he was much more needed than the financial institution he chose Frederick Kissoon

What was the...

DEAR EDITOR, Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s resignation in my view came far too late. He should have done so more than 18 months ago when he was overlooked by the selectors in selecting teams for One Day International matches ( ODIs). I am a strong supporter of the Guyanese left hander and I have time and time again suggested to him that he should resign long ago. After his failure against England when he scored 0, 25, 7, 1 and 13 against England and had a miserable tour in South Africa when he scored 91 for the entire series I wrote in the regional newspapers “I think he should resign and call it a day before he is kicked out.” I advise him to quit on a high note, but he ignored my call wanting to surpass Brian Lara’s 11,953since he was only 86 runs away. Lara scored his runs in 131 Tests at an average of 52.88, whileShiv made his 11,867 in 164 Tests at an average of 51.37. The 41 year old middle order batsman is undoubtedly one of the best batsmen the West Indies has seen. He was described as very safe like money in the bank. He has the record for batting for 1513 minutes and faced 1051 balls without being dismissed. At 19 he partnered Lara in Antigua which allowed the Trinidadian to break Garry

Sobers record of 365 runs against England. In his long career he scored 30 Test centuries and 66 half centuries as compared to Brian 34 centuries and 48 fifties. Brian has received an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies, and was awarded the region’s highest honour, Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC) as well as Trinidad and Tobago’s highest award, the Trinity Cross. A park was named in his honour in Port of Spain. Shiv received Guyana’s third highest award, the CCH (Cacique Crown of Honour) and a street in Georgetown was named in his honour by the Mayor, Hamilton Green, who knew the Unity Village born cricketer since he was a teenager. It is said in some quarters that he was a selfish cricketer, who plays for himself and not his team because he tried to remain “not out” in order to boost his average. However I do not think that there is too much merit in this accusation. However, I cannot place Shiv in the same category with Lara, but he has done extremely well for the region. He captained the Windies in 14 Test matches and 16 One Day International (ODI) matches and was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2008 The Guyana Government and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) should give him a memorable farewell gift. Maybe CARICOM should consider him for an award. Oscar Ramjeet

Politicians of all parties must work together

DEAR EDITOR, One cannot help but be depressed about the equitable development of our nation when those on both sides of the political spectrum continue to carry on the affairs of our country with the misguided approach that they are right in whatever they are engaged in while the other side is wrong. This means that they try their utmost in word and action to discredit all that the other side is proposing or has implemented and, as a result, working without the benefit of their contribution. This approach to our national affairs clearly and continuously precludes the experience and expertise of the

other side in any exchange in the implementation of any project, and so those who accede to power after any election must start at zero in their attempts to forge any progress in any sector. It is must be clear from this inflexible attitude that the effect is that at any one time we are actually benefiting from only about 50% of the mental and other resources available. Isn’t this far from the intentions of the authors of our Constitution when they crafted the rules by which we should be governed, i.e. by the cooperative system? I strongly believe that our country will not progress unless we use conscience, un-

selfishness, and the sincere desire to achieve progress equally for all our citizens without prejudice of any nature to any as our guides to the administration of our affairs. I am still optimistic that our politicians on both sides of the spectrum would rethink their divisive strategies, and I dream of the time when statesmanship will become the prevailing feature of our succeeding administrations, and our politicians will truly work, in their efforts at development, towards gleaning the full potential of our people, as well as gaining for us a life of peaceful coexistence, sufficiency and satisfaction. Roy Paul

President Jagdeo displaced...

From page 4 proposal was submitted to have a sizable portion of this plan converted into an investment fund. The fund would have made available loans, at reasonable interest rates, to persons living and investing in the bauxite communities which would have ensured their dignity and personal development. On BERMINE, the workers together with their unions collaborated with an African business group on a joint venture arrangement to buy the company when the government put it up to be privatised. This business group has investment in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The Jagdeo government never acknowledged receipt of the proposal but subsequently handed the company over to their friends and colleagues. The government allowed the calcine kiln at Everton to rot instead of allowing a certain group access to it and maintain production of calcine in the Berbice areas. The arbitrary decision by the government to shut down LINMINE and BERMINE impacted negatively not only on 3000 plus work-

ers, but their families, businesses that relied on the income of these workers, the communities of Linden, Kwakwani, Ituni, New Amsterdam, and several villages on the East Bank of Berbice. The resulting economic dislocation has brought serve hardship on workers and their communities, of which they are still to recover from, yet the Jagdeo government did nothing to put in place an economic or development plan to cushion the adverse effects that rained down. Listening to Jadgeo today he seeks to give the impression that he did not manage the affairs of state in a brutish and inhumane manner. On the matter of sugar, he arbitrarily closed down Diamond and LBI estates and never sought to address the sugar workers’ benefits which caused these workers to publicly protest his administration’s action. Jagdeo ran roughshod over the nation’s affairs, inclusive of its laws and citizens’ wellbeing which he demonstrated no regard for. The APNU+AFC government must use the Jagdeo’s government performance as the barometer of what a government must not be. Lincoln Lewis

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

Iran’s leader says never trusted the West, seeks closer ties with China

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (L) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a welcoming ceremony in Tehran, Iran, yesterday. REUTERS/President.ir/Handout via Reuters Reuters - Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei yesterday called for closer economic and security ties with China, saying Iran had never trusted the West, as the two countries agreed to increase bilateral trade more than 10-fold to $600 billion (420 billion pound) in the next decade. Iran’s most powerful figure told Chinese President Xi Jinping during a visit Iran wanted to expand ties with “more independent countries”, adding the United States was “not honest” in the fight against terrorism in the region. “Iranians never trusted the West... That’s why Tehran seeks cooperation with more independent countries (like China),” Khamenei said. “Iran is the most reliable country in the region for energy since its energy policies will never be affected by foreigners,” Khamenei was quoted by his official website as saying at a meeting with Xi. Xi is the second leader of a U.N. Security Council member to visit Tehran since the nuclear deal Iran struck with world powers last year. Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Tehran in November. Iran emerged from years of economic isolation this month when the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog ruled it had curbed its nuclear programme, clearing the way for the lifting of U.N., U.S., and European Union sanctions. “Iran and China have agreed to increase

trade to $600 billion in the next 10 years,” President Hassan Rouhani said at a news conference with Xi broadcast live on state television. “Iran and China have agreed on forming strategic relations (as) reflected in a 25-year comprehensive document,” he said. Iran and China signed 17 accords yesterday, including on cooperation in nuclear energy and a revival of the ancient Silk Road trade route, known in China as One Belt, One Road. “China is still heavily dependent on Iran for its energy imports and Russia needs Iran in terms of its new security architecture vision for the Middle East,” said Ellie Geranmayeh, policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. “Iran plays quite an integral role for both China and Russia’s interests within the region, much more than it does for the Europeans,” Geranmayeh said. Khamenei said Iran would never forget Chinese cooperations during the sanctions. “The China-Iran friendship ... has stood the test of the vicissitudes of the international landscape,” Xi was quoted as saying by China’s Xinhua news agency. The Chinese state-backed Global Times newspaper said in an editorial yesterday that China hoped to improve ties with Iran as part of its sweeping plan to rebuild trade links with Europe and Asia and carve out new markets for its goods.

U.S. says prepared for military solution against Islamic State in Syria Reuters - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said yesterday that the United States and Turkey were prepared for a military solution against Islamic State in Syria should the Syrian government and rebels fail to reach a political settlement. The latest round of Syria peace talks are planned to begin tomorrow in Geneva but were at risk of being delayed partly because of a dispute over who will comprise the opposition delegation. Syrian armed rebel groups said yesterday they held the Syrian government and Russia responsible for any failure of peace talks to end the country’s civil war, even before negotiations were due to start.

“We do know it would better if we can reach a political solution but we are prepared ..., if that’s not possible, to have a military solution to this operation in taking out Daesh,” Biden said at a news conference after a meeting with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Daesh is the pejorative Arabic acronym for Islamic State insurgents who hold parts of Syria. A U.S. official later clarified that Biden was talking about a military solution to Islamic State, not Syria as a whole. The Saudi-backed Syrian opposition ruled out even indirect negotiations unless Damascus took steps including a halt to Russian air strikes.

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Sunday January 24, 2016

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Marriott’s questionable financing…

Dem boys seh...

Shadowy consortium has first claim if hotel goes belly-up

Dem scamps plan good fuh tek over de Marriott

Marriott Hotel is facing severe cash problems and will not be even able to service its US$27M bank loan. Less than a year after the Marriott Hotel opened its doors for business, burning questions remain over the manner in which Marriott Hotel, in Kingston, was financed. Last September, the facilities which the new David Granger administration says it is now considering selling, collected more than US$27M in a loan raised from a consortium of businesses. Republic Bank is handling that loan which together with interests and other costs will see the hotel paying back up to US$30M in 26 installments.

It is not known which are the businesses or individuals that comprise the consortium as both the previous Government and the present one have not come out and to share this information. What is known is that Marriott Hotel, which is reportedly racking up millions of dollars in losses, monthly, and likely to be subsidized by Government if no buyer is found soon, owes US$30M to Republic Bank. The consortium loan by Republic Bank would be important for Marriott Hotel as the bank through the consortium has first claim on

the property. This is despite the more than US$20M plugged in by the Government of Guyana through its company, National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). There have been questions also about why NICIL which had over US$5M ($1B) hidden in a bank account, did not plug that money into the hotel construction, thus reducing the need to take the entire US$27M from the bank and the consortium. ESCALATING COSTS The direct cost of the hotel will be over US$72M

after its critical additional feature- an entertainment complex is completed. Accountant, Anand Goolsarran, had estimated that when the indirect costs are taken into account, the total project costs will be around US$100M. It would make Marriott Hotel, per square foot costs, one of the most expensive in the world. At its opening last April, the previous administration had said that the hotel was constructed to the cost of more than US$50M, all using a mixture of tax dollars and the loan from the consortium. Continued on page 10

From de start dem had a group that had a plan to use de taxpayers money to build de Marriott. Of course, if de hotel was for the people that would have been a good thing but this group had a plan fuh tek de hotel fuh demself. Brassington always use to talk bout de preferred shareholder. This was a group that woulda put in de least money and end up owning de hotel. De hotel worth US$100 million but de preferred group woulda put in US$8 million. Now de hotel belong to dem. De hotel can’t pay its debt and according to de contract, de first people who gun own it when it collapse would be de group of preferred shareholders. Dem boys suspect a long time that de group was Jagdeo and he team. Dem even expect Jagdeo to have a share. Soulja Bai should tek some blame because when he and he team get into power dem didn’t look at de hotel. In fact, dem did done tek a decision to sell de hotel without even going to see wha dem inherit. And Brassington set de trap. He go to Republic Bank wid de plan and tek a loan. He didn’t go to de Guyana Branch because dem boys woulda hear who is de people who was putting de money. That is why de group go to de Trinidad Bank. And de trick was that Brassington mek dem do it when Soulja Bai tek up office so if he talk dem would seh that he was in control. All this mek people want see Brassington in jail. He was de man who tell people how de hotel gun mek profit even before de first brick put down. He put out some survey that show how de hotel gun mek back its money in ten years. Well dem boys she that reality is clear…that de hotel gun lose de amount money de taxpayers pay to build it within de ten years. That was de idea, though. One thing is certain, if Soulja Bai don’t want look at de Marriott de people gun mek sure that dem tek over de hotel because dem got most of de money inside. Den rather rent it out fuh shaat time and mek a dollar than mek de scamps wid dem preferred shares tek it. Talk half and prepare to fight fuh de Marriott

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Kaieteur News

Shadowy consortium has... From page 9 There have been questions about the consortium and whether the financing structure was deliberately configured to be like the Berbice Bridge Company which handed a few private investors control despite the Government of Guyana guaranteeing the majority of the monies used in that project. There were protests after it was learnt that two Hong Kong investors were set to invest US$4M, and enjoy a 67 percent control of the equity. The duo pulled out leaving a critical money-making part of the facilities in jeopardy. The private investors were also given the option of paying just US$12M for a 100 percent ownership for the hotel, that will eventually costs taxpayers US$100M from the construction costs, waived taxes and other expenses. This would appear much worse when it is taken into consideration that the country would have lost control of the hotel despite footing that estimated US$73M as against the consortium loan of US$27M financed Republic Bank. That entertainment section would have included a casino, restaurant and nightspot. Marriott International, which is managing the hotel, has announced plans to see the entertainment part of the hotel up and running. However, there has been no word on those plans. A recent audit report on Marriott found that the hotel is in no position to service the Republic Bank loan which works out to US$2.5M annually (both capital and interest) and there are no

EMBATTLED: Winston Brassington had helped see the Marriott deal through. reliable indicators as to whether or not the operations of the entertainment section will be a success story. The hotel itself in the first few months of operations, has been reportedly racking up a $60M monthly fuel bill for its power generators. Government has been holding a number of functions at the hotel but it is not known whether this is enough to cover costs. The hotel was officially opened in April, shortly before the May 11General Elections, with the then Opposition missing from among the invitees. Absent too from the ribbon-cutting ceremony was ex-President Bharrat Jagdeo who had been pushing the project. ROCKY ROAD The 197-room Marriott Hotel in Kingston was hailed by the previous Government, under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, as one of the special projects to boost tourism and hospitality. But it started off on a rocky road. From the transfer of the lands to the murky

details of the financing, there were many questions from the Opposition, leading to clashes even in the National Assembly. The land transfer is engaging the attention of former Parliamentarian, Desmond Trotman, who went to court, arguing that the land on which Marriott stands cannot be mortgaged. From the inception of the project, it has been one filled with controversy, as billions of taxpayers’ dollars were spent by Government on the edifice and without the authority of the National Assembly. It was supposed to be a private/public partnership project. In the end, it ended up mostly a Government one. No big worry, except that Government is now planning to transfer a majority stake to a shadowy Hong Kong investor. During the hotel’s construction, there was no evidence of the hundreds of jobs for locals as promised. The Chinese contractor, Shanghai Construction Group, reportedly imported scores of workers. The still-secret concessions and other benefits of the Marriott Hotel have also been heavily criticized not only by the then Opposition, but by other hotels which said the unfair playing field gave Marriottbrand structure a big advantage and would spell the death knell for them. The project was run by Winston Brassington, on behalf of the previous Government. Brassington was sent on leave by the new Government and has been under investigations for his dealings at NICIL.

Sunday January 24, 2016

Guyana slow to embrace EProcurement - Finance Minister …Says project to improve efficiency and value for money in public procurement will be rolled out this year Guyana’s weak public procurement system led to the loss of millions of dollars annually. It is a broken system which often sees contractors providing slapdash work with little to no consequences to be had, says Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran. He contends that the weak systems of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) need to be addressed by the new administration once and for all as they are costing the country approximately $28B annually. Goolsarran said that it is critical for the Ministry of Finance to review the operations of NPTAB given that the agency has been cited by the Auditor General for numerous cases of financial discrepancies. He emphasized that about 70 percent of the national budget relates to public procurement. The former Auditor General then pointed to credible allegations of corrupt behaviour in public procurement. These included sole sourcing of drug contracts to Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop’s New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation, contract splitting, inflated engineer’s estimates, evaluation bias on behalf of favoured contractors, the use of inexperienced contractors, the absence of competitive bidding in some cases and overpayment to contractors. Goolsarran said that at least, some $28 billion or US$140M is lost annually by looking at those areas. His estimation was garnered from an overview of the Auditor General’s reports on the country’s accounts over the past few years. But the Granger administration made it known last week that it is on a mission to change this wild, wild, west situation in Guyana’s procurement system. At a national consultation on Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) Public Procurement System requirements which was held recently, Finance Minister, Winston Jordan outlined that a number of changes are in the pipeline. Present at the event which was held at the Cara Lodge Hotel were representatives of the Private Sector in Guyana, specifically suppliers of goods and services as well as contractors and consultants. Jordan said that he was advised that those persons have been singled out as having the capabilities to

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan compete within Caricom for large procurement activity on equal terms with your Regional Counterparts. The Finance Minister first explained that the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) was born out of what is known as the Grand Anse Declaration and work programme for the advancement of the integration movement. At that time, he noted that the Heads of Government were determined to work towards creating a Single Market and Economy. He noted that CSME enabled the achievement of sustained economic development based on i n t e r n a t i o n a l competitiveness, coordinated economic and foreign policies, functional cooperation and enhanced trade and economic relations with third states. Jordan said that it is with the objectives of deepening regional economic integration and achieving International Competitiveness that the consultation was being held. He said that there is also a wider objective; one of encouraging competitive activity to produce a greater variety and quantity of services to trade with other countries. “In other words it also provides a forum for creating regional contracting and consulting entities that can compete internationally. Within Caricom Member States, governments are generally the largest procurers of goods and services. The collective volume and value of Public Procurement in the Caribbean Region is considerable. It is logical therefore that the focus should be on public procurement,” expressed Jordan. He added that the treaty states that “the member states shall establish and maintain a regime for the free movement of goods and services within the Caricom Single Market and Economy” towards the objective of “full

integration of national markets into a single unified and open area.” He said that this is specifically towards the achievement of a functioning, fully-integrated regional public procurement market. He noted that the overall objectives of the CSME Public Procurement System are the creation of the conditions necessary for full integration of the national procurement markets of member states into a single unified and open area for Public Procurement to bolster the CSME; the creation of the necessary competitive and nondiscriminatory conditions to facilitate achievement of value for tax payer’s money; the provision of opportunities for access to a single market with regional sales opportunities; and the strengthening the competitiveness of the regional supplier base and encourage the rational use of resources. The Finance Minister noted that this process began in January 2012 “Since then a number of initiatives have been undertaken. The first project was to provide the Caricom Secretariat and its member states with the recommendations on the required IT infrastructure for establishment of a fully functioning Regional Integration Electronic Public Procurement System. The region has begun to move towards e-procurement regimes. Jamaica is already well established in this regard. But Guyana has been slow to embrace Eprocurement, a situation this Government has taken steps to remedy.” The Finance Minister said that under the Public Procurement Modernization Project, for which funding has been provided by the Inter-American Development Bank under a Technical Cooperation Agreement called Public Procurement Modernization and Financial Management Strengthening in Guyana, Component One will provide support to improve efficiency and value for money in public procurement through strategic planning and introduction of egovernment procurement. This project he said will be rolled out this year. He said that the successor initiative by the CSME is Development and Implementation of the Infrastructure and Instruments for an Integrated CSME Procurement Regime.

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 11

Resources mobilized to bring relief to rice farmers A combine in a rice field

General Manager of MMA/ADA Mr. Aubrey Charles

The harsh weather condition, which is by no means unique to Guyana, has significantly impacted the agriculture regions of the country - Regions Two, Three, Four, Five and Six. In the wake of the El Nino phenomenon, which is characterized by prolonged dry weather, the Ministry of Agriculture has taken steps to bring relief to rice farmers in Region Five, and The Mahaicony Mahaica Abary Agriculture Development Authority, MMA/ADA. The latter is a massive drainage and irrigation scheme that has a critical role to play in bringing relief to farmers and averting a crisis in the rice industry. According to General Manager of the MMA/ADA, Aubrey Charles, the MMA/

ADA is overseeing some broad agricultural areas Berbice-Abary, Abary Mahaicony, and MahaiconyMahaica. He is asking farmers in the project areas to use the irrigation water in a responsible manner, taking into consideration other farmers who may be at a different stage of cultivation at this time. The authority is closely monitoring the situation, he said. He is asking farmers to cooperate with the authority, as well as to promptly report any situation which may need to be addressed by the MMA/ADA. Mr. Charles has stated that there is enough water in the Abary-Berbice Block to service farmers in the area for the 2016 spring crop. But

pumps have had to be deployed in the other blocks to ensure lands are adequately serviced. The authority is currently pumping water from the MMA main canal in the vicinity of the Blairmont Water Path, to service the Blairmont Sugar Estate so that there would be adequate water when the factory goes into operation early February. Two pumps are in operation moving water ‘around the clock’ from the Mahaicony River into the Abary- Mahaicony Block in an effort to bring relief to farmers. One pump is situated at Mora Point, and the other is at Pine Ground. Efforts are also underway to channel water from the Mahaicony River to MARDS, Burma. The Manager noted that

there have been some challenges. None the less, the MMA/ADA has been doing the best it can to avert a crisis. Teams have been deployed to engage farmers so that they may use their discretion and consider the other farmers. They must also be vigilant and report any situation which may need to be addressed by the Authority. There have been reports of people tampering with structures to allow salt water into the system. This which can be catastrophic for farmers as rice does not tolerate salt water. Mr. Charles, the General Manager is therefore appealing to those who may be so inclined to desist from tampering with drainage and irrigation structures. As for the Mahaicony -

Mahaica Block, water is also pumped from the Mahaica River into the irrigation system. That effort was boosted last Wednesday by the installation of a pump from the National Drainage and Irrigation Board. The pump was set up at Big Biabu, and works were carried out with assistance from some farmers, to allow proper flow of water to the pump. A five mile channel was also constructed to link with the Perth Biabu canals so as to benefit farmers. There are teams in the field conducting tests so as to ensure that salt water does not get into the fields. Sluices which discharge into the Atlantic Ocean are also being closely monitored so as to curtail seepage of salt water into the irrigation system, and

where necessary, the authorities have drained the salt water from the system. Mr. Charles has noted that priority is to ensure that established crops are properly irrigated. However, those farmers who have been very late with their crops would not be allowed to pump water from the main irrigation whereby they may jeopardise other farmers’ crops.

Page 12

Kaieteur News

MFK execution… Although a serving policeman has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, the relatives of slain businessman Mohamed F. Khan are disappointed that the police appear to have shelved the matter. This, according to relatives, is despite the fact that there is enough evidence in the form of an informant, who is willing to testify that he was an integral part of the plot to kill the businessman whose body parts were recovered in September 2014, a month after he mysteriously disappeared. Additionally, there is talk of a video recording of the killing which is reportedly in a safe place. Khan’s aggrieved family members are not too convinced that the police are following up on the leads available. “This is going on too long. If this had happened in the USA, there would have been charges by now,” said Khan’s sister, Bibi Fareema Khan, from her home in New York. Since May 25 last, a Police Sergeant was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, a trial which is still to get underway in earnest. There has been no new development with regard to holding anyone responsible for Khan’s death. The charge against Police

Sunday January 24, 2016

Cops to check reports of video recording of killing

Sergeant Leon Lindo stemmed from revelations made by whistleblower, Lennox Wayne, called ‘Two Colours’. This man is at present an inmate of the Georgetown Prisons awaiting trial for another murder committed on a Lusignan Cosmetologist. Apart from the Police Sergeant, Wayne had implicated others in the plot to kill Khan. Giving dates and locations which are consistent with information provided by Khan before his death, Wayne had admitted to being part of the plot to kill Khan, but denied that he actually committed the murder. He detailed a scheme that pointed to the use of police ranks and even former policemen to carry out executions. Khan had survived an execution attempt the previous July at La Grange, West Bank Demerara when a gunman shot him in his abdomen shortly after he returned to Guyana on a brief holiday. That gunman turned out to be Wayne himself. Wayne, who admitted that he was once an informant for the police, is convinced that he is being framed for the cosmetologist, Harriram’s murder, by the persons who orchestrated Mohamed F

-relatives disappointed with police inaction Khan’s d e a t h i n a n apparent effort to silence him for his part in the execution plot. He decided to speak out since he claimed that he was short changed by the persons who orchestrated the hit as well as to ensure that Khan’s family gets justice. In a three-page statement that this newspaper was able to obtain, Wayne claimed that on July 8, last year, he was contacted by a policeman (name given) who requested that he “report to base”; base being the compound of the Tactical Services Unit. When he got there he was told that there was job for him…someone wanted him to kill Mohamed Khan. He was to be paid $500,000. Wayne recently told this newspaper that he believes that the person who wanted Khan dead was a businessman with whom he had conducted a large business transaction. “This businessman was communicating all the time on the phone with the policeman (name given), telling him of Khan’s movements; where he

Dead businessman MF Khan

Whistleblower Lennox Wayne

lives and where he attends Masjid,” Wayne said. From all indications, except for a few persons who were implicated by Wayne, the businessman who reportedly put out the ‘hit’ was never arrested. When asked about the video of Khan’s killing that is supposed to be around, Wayne told this newspaper that he heard that it is in “a safe place” and that the police should make efforts to get it. Khan’s relatives are certain that the information provided by Wayne is of valuable importance and should be utilized more by the police. Kaieteur News understands that the police will be interviewing Wayne again, soon, in order to obtain further information on the reported video recording. Wayne’s last sighting of Khan was made when the businessman was at his Attorney’s Hadfield Street Chambers.

He claimed that he was contracted to monitor Khan’s movements and to report to the persons who contracted him. According to Wayne, the policeman subsequently pulled up with some other persons in a heavily tinted vehicle and they too waited for Khan to emerge from the lawyer’s office. When the businessman eventually left the lawyer’s office and boarded a taxi, the Policeman and his cohorts followed him in their respective vehicles. Wayne said that he was told to back off since, “They told me they would take care of things from here.” “I believe ‘Two Colours’; he called all the names of the persons involved. He even confessed to attempting to kill my brother. He is no mad man,” said an emotional Bibi Khan. “My brother last spoke to me on Whatsapp when he was in Nigel Hughes’ office, not knowing that they were

out there waiting to kill him,” she added. Bibi Khan claimed that she has been in contact with a senior official of the Criminal Investigations Department who keeps insisting that there is no new evidence to charge anyone with her brother’s murder. According to Khan enough evidence was presented to investigators who are not effectively following the leads. “They are dragging their feet. Why haven’t they arrested the businessman who was fingered? He needs to be in jail, then he will talk,” the dead businessman’s sister said. She told this newspaper that the police should be doing much more to find her brother’s killer, since he was the kind of person they always ran to for assistance when he was running his Hadfield Street business. “Guyana should stand up for my brother. The whole Police Force used to go to him and he used to give them things for free. He did a lot for the Muslim community in Guyana and yet no one is helping to bring those who killed him, to justice,” she said. She is appealing to President David Granger who she said knew her brother, to assist in any way possible to bring the killers to justice. Vowing that she will not give up, Bibi Khan said, “It is hurtful to know that everybody just throw back and not doing anything to prosecute those who killed my brother.”

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 21

Fixing a society laden with unacceptable peculiarities

Dr. Kenneth Hunte

By Sharmain Grainger Being courteous, saying hello or simply paying attention seem to be rather difficult tasks for some young people, and even some older ones for that matter, in our society. But this state of affairs is certainly not limited to our homeland. In fact it could be regarded as a global phenomenon. While some may argue that these peculiarities have been around throughout the ages, the many that are evident today could easily be deemed downright unacceptable and will in no way help a developing nation like ours to grow. Worrying is the fact that being polite, for some, is just not an option and, added to this, it would appear that people are increasingly committing despicable criminal acts against each other. As if this does not make the society disquieting enough, it seems that suicide has become the only answer to life’s troubles for many. There are, however, some who have seen the desperate need for a change in our society - even at the level of Government measures are being put in place. While the family has a crucial role in helping to set its young members on the right track, Dr. Kenneth Hunte believes that the school system must also have a hand in this. In fact, he is convinced that from the point of the teacher training institutions, efforts must be made to educate teachers so that they in turn could help foster needed societal change. It is for this reason that he is collaborating with the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) to ensure

Ms. Esther Utoh hands over a copy of Dr. Hunte’s book to Mr. Paul Cameron which is expected to aid CPCE’S pastoral care initiative. that the intended results of a pastoral care initiative, which was recently launched, is realised. Dr. Hunte is the author of ‘Towards Education for the Common Good – Personal and Social Development’, a publication that focuses on pastoral care. Pastoral care refers to a friendship that intentionally seeks to help a person along life’s path. Its focus is to offer emotional and spiritual support that leads to happiness. But Dr. Hunte was unaware when he ventured to the Turkeyen campus recently, to garner support to promote his book, that Principal of CPCE, Ms. Viola Rowe was already fast forwarding the pastoral care initiative. He was elated to learn that CPCE was already on course to setting in motion an idea that he had eloquently outlined in his publication. A partnership was immediately forged. “I have written in the book

The Baccoo Speaks The road fatalities are coming again. Two of them were caused by recklessness. There will be another this week as a pedestrian will be the victim. The drive is on to keep these down but there are always people who ignore the tenets of road safety. ** The political scene is interesting. The police would again be called in to investigate a public servant. The irregularities seem to be many and these are being uncovered, albeit slowly. Once more, though, there will be talk of witch-hunting.

** Another day and another robbery. This time the bandits would seek to target a business place in the eastern part of the city. The police would respond but sometimes luck is always with the reckless. Two will escape.

that all of the teacher training institutions have a role to play,” said Dr. Hunte, if Guyana is returned to the place it was envisaged to be. At the launch of the initiative, Dr. Hunte, in reflective mode, recalled that it was about 50 years ago that the national leaders had a vision for Guyana. And according to him, “it was a good vision…we developed the Coat of Arms which talks about One People; the National Pledge which talks about patriotism, love and happiness for all; the National Anthem…we must be free people, and of course the Golden Arrowhead, which highlights the contributions made by all our ethnic groups.” But Dr. Hunte observed that during the last 30 years, or thereabouts, Guyana started to lose its way. Consequently, he added, the vision that was carefully thought through is no longer the focus for national development. In his opinion, the current vision is all about greed; one’s personal self achievement, to get rich quick and by any means necessary, without giving any consideration of the impact of such behaviour on other persons. And he has concluded too, “this behaviour is a reflection of the way we are thinking; it doesn’t just drop out of the sky”. “We have got a mechanical process in our brains with the help of our conscience and our will that helps us to decide what is the right thing to do,” he added. But according to Dr. Hunte, because people have not been educated to ‘think right” the outcome is that Guyana has been reduced to perhaps “the most corrupt nation in the English-

speaking Caribbean”. And such a situation, he observed, has morphed into very high levels of anti-social and violent behaviour exhibited by our youths. And those within CPCE have not been exempted, Dr. Hunte noted. Through the pastoral care initiate, staffers of CPCE have committed to offer their time, voluntarily, to help guide students and spearhead measures that can lend to a transformed society, free of illwill and bad intentions. The initiative is being coordinated by Paul Cameron. “We are really hoping and praying that you guys will take the message forward so that we change the next generation of young people,” said an optimistic Dr. Hunte, who asserted that the lack of equal opportunities has also been an underlying factor lending to a daunting state of the society. “We say that education is free, but is it really? You can pay $10,000 on the East Coast or the West Coast where I come from and you’ll get your School Based Assessment done for you. And to cut a long story short, only half of the nation’s 16-plus year-old

children get entered for CXC,” Dr. Hunte pointed out. This situation, he observed, is a clear indication that enough is not being done to help the youths along, as he considered that only 16 per cent of students manage to get Grades One to Three passes in English Language. “How did that all come about? It came about because we have chosen it; it didn’t happen by accident, we deliberately excluded half of the nation’s population from the educational services that is intended for all people,” Dr. Hunte theorised. But he is convinced that, across the board, the common goal of people still remains happiness. As such he emphasized that the onus is on those who know better to do better. Dr. Hunte related that while CPCE has commenced the process, moves should also be made towards including in the schools’ curriculum, a subject called Personal and Social Development. This subject

area, Dr. Hunte noted, should be designed to focus on the intrinsic values or the affective domain of development for the nation’s children. “We want to make sure that those concepts that deal with personal development are addressed and addressed thoroughly, we don’t want children growing up being abusive to adults, we don’t want our children growing up being rude to people – not even saying good morning,” Dr. Hunte emphasised. He noted that “sometimes you open a door for a person and they just walk through without even saying thank you”. “It is becoming too much. We have to stop it and the only people that will stop it is if we educate our young people to be cognizant of the values of humanity…our values are very, very simple – we want to be happy so that means we have to love each other. We want to develop this country so that means we have to work towards a common goal together.”

Page 22

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2016

Two murdered girls…two unsolved cases…

DO YOU KNOW THE BATH SETTLEMENT KILLER? By Michael Jordan “You look at these scattered houses, and you are impressed by their beauty. I look at them, and the only thought which

comes to me is a feeling of their isolation and of the impunity with which crime may be committed there. It is my belief, founded upon my experience, that the lowest and vilest alleys in

London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside. Look at these lonely houses, each in its own fields. Think of the deeds of hellish

cruelty, the hidden wickedness which may go on, year in, year out, in such places, and none the wiser.” (Sherlock Holmes, The Copper Beeches) ********** Let me tell you straightout that I’m no psychic. But I’ve been getting this niggling feeling, over the past three weeks, that the police are going to find out who pressed a 13-year-old girl face-down in a trench in 2008, and strangled and buried a 14year-old girl in a shallow grave, four years later. Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes may have been referring to Bath Settlement, West Berbice, when he spoke of the hellish deeds that are committed, unseen and unheard of, in the isolated and quiet countryside. It’s where both of these still unsolved killings happened. Claudette David has claimed that on September 8, 2008, she watched from her Lot 122 Block ‘D,’ Bath Settlement, West Berbice home, as her daughter, 13-year-old Kavita Panday, rode on a bicycle she had borrowed from a neighbour. Ms. David would later tell the police that a 16-year-old boy was riding next to her daughter. Ms. David said that she observed that some of her cattle had strayed into a cash-crop farm, and she assumed that the boy was accompanying Kavita to chase the cows. Claudette David would also tell the police that it was nearing two p.m. when she went to call her daughter, and realised that Kavita had not returned. She became concerned when she spotted the bicycle that her daughter had used and also saw that the cows were still in the farm. The worried mother, allegedly accompanied by the same 16-year-old boy, began to search for the missing girl. Scouring an area near a

trench, Ms. David noticed a pair of green slippers her daughter had bought for Mrs. David’s birthday, along with the teen’s blue cap. Ms. David’s husband, Rajesh Panday, who had joined in the search, found his daughter’s body face-down at the corner of the canal. Her top was pulled up and her tights and underwear were pulled down to her knees. Government Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan in his evidence-in-chief cited the cause of death as asphyxia and drowning along with multiple injuries. The autopsy indicated that Panday was struck with a blunt object, which left a large bruise by one of her temples. Her eyes were also swollen, while there was a bruise on one of her hips and other bruises on her privates. In addition, there was muddy water in her stomach and a foreign object in her windpipe. There was also evidence of sexual assault. Police detained the 16-yearold boy and he was eventually charged with murder. During his two-week trial, which began in October, 2011, the accused, in an unsworn statement, denied seeing either the victim Kavita Panday or her mother Claudette David, on September 8, 2008, when the teen was slain. The trial judge, accompanied by the lawyers and jury, revisited the area where the body was found. At the scene, Claudette David identified her home and where she was when she had allegedly seen her daughter in company of the accused. Eventually, after deliberating for two hours, the mixed Berbice Assizes jury found the accused not guilty. The case remains unsolved and forgotten… Or is it…? BASMATTIE MOONSAMMY

Beaten, raped and submerged face-down in a trench in 2008: Kavita Panday, 12.

In late July 2012, Basmattie Moonsammy, also called ‘Manda,’ a student of Woodley Park Primary, disappeared from her parents’ Woodley Park, West Berbice home, which is also a section of Bath Settlement. When days passed and she failed to return, her mother, Padmoutie ‘Padma’ Dyall, a domestic worker, visited the Fort Wellington Police Station and reported her missing. It was not the first time that the troubled teen had disappeared. She was a frequent runaway, but would always return a few days later. On the morning of Saturday, August 4, 2012, Maniram Jainauth, a Woodley Park farmer, was working in his rice field around 10.30 a.m. when he saw something partially buried in the mud. On checking closer, Jainauth realised that the ‘something’ was a corpse, buried in a shallow grave but unearthed by recent heavy rains. The farmer instructed his wife to contact the police. Detectives removed the soil and discerned that the victim was a young female. The victim was lying face-down. She was wearing a shirt and brassiere; her underwear was pulled down to the knees, a length of cloth was knotted around her throat. Checking into the teen’s background, detectives were told that Basmattie shared a relationship with a 20-year-old man who lived at Bath Settlement. They also learnt that less than a year before Basmattie’s murder, the same youth had been acquitted of the murder of another teenage girl. That victim was 13-yearold Kavita Panday. A few days after Basmattie’s body was found, police visited the suspect’s Bath Settlement home and took him into custody for the teen’s murder. Two other youths were also detained. The suspect’s parents, (continued on page 23)

Found buried in a shallow grave in a shallow grave in 2012: Basmattie Moonsammy, 14.

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Boycott watching the Academy Awards next month I don’t think I have looked at three Academy Awards (the Oscars) in my lifetime. I am not big on movies as I am on music. I have one of the largest music collections as a layman. And the genres are numerous. My appreciation for cinema cannot compare to my love for music. I would pay an exorbitant ticket price to see ABBA perform again or to see Chuck Jackson sing the Burt Bacharach phenomenon, “Any Day Now.” Growing up in Wortmanville we used to argue as to who was the better soul singer - Jackson, Otis Redding or Wilson Pickett. Without hesitation, I would attend a ‘Kool and the Gang’ concert. I would love to see a live concert by the Italian baritone, Patrizio Buanne, performing one of my Engelbert Humperdinck favourites, “Il Mundo.” Buanne is an extraordinary talent. Yesterday, Aubrey Baptiste of Matt’s Record Bar secured his top CDs for me. I wouldn’t even think of paying for a ticket to see a movie star live, even those that I think are fantastic, like Michael Caine. It wouldn’t interest me. I doubt I would have any interest in looking at Oscar night in the foreseeable future. But this year’s Oscar ceremony is under intense scrutiny. For the second consecutive year no AfricanAmerican actor, male or female, is nominated. No film with a Black leading lady or leading man is nominated. Many Black American

Kool and the Gang - They dominated the global funk scene in the seventies

Chuck Jackson - One of the best singers rhythm and blues produced If the sixties belonged to the Beatles, the seventies belonged to Abba entertainers are enraged. Celebrated director Spike Lee says he is boycotting the ceremony. Will Smith and his wife Jada, are doing the same. Whoopi Goldberg is against the boycott. Speaking as someone who is against all forms of race discrimination, I would support the boycott. Last year and in 2013, some really top class movies with Black actors were overlooked. Has

DO YOU KNOW THE ... From page 22 meanwhile, vouched deeply for his innocence and even filed a report, at the Complaints Desk in New Amsterdam’s Central Police Station, into claims that he was assaulted. The parents denied that the suspect and Moonsammy shared a relationship, while painting an unflattering picture of the slain girl. “A murder story happened four years ago and that story done— and just so they came and arrested my son… just so they come and arrested him on Sunday,” his father said. “So anything happening now, they coming and hold him,” the father had told Kaieteur News. According to the parents, their son was at home the entire week that Basmattie

had disappeared. A few days later, police were forced to release the young fisherman and the other two suspects. The investigation into the murder of Basmattie Moonsammy, the troubled teen who often ran away from home, is now apparently at a standstill. Or is it…? If you have further information on this case or any other, please contact us at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office or by telephone. We can be also be reached on telephone numbers 2258458, 22-58465, or 22-58491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : mjdragon@hotmail.com

it got to do with Hollywood or the United States of America itself? Some sociological trends in the US have become disturbing. With the election of an African-American President, it was expected that the US would have had a greater appreciation for people of colour. It doesn’t seem that has happened Could it be the right-wing rejection of Obama? The Republican Party has not come to terms with an African-

Patrizio Buanne Italy’s talented baritone

American President. It may not do so in the foreseeable future. What the right-wing zealots, the Tea Party fanatics and the Republican Party have done is that in their denunciation of Obama, they have instigated a huge ethnic backlash, and it is beginning to haunt the US. Some may argue that an openly biased candidate like Donald Trump could not have been possible if this backlash wasn’t as penetrating as it is. To hear the racist things that come out of the mouths of American lawmakers from the Republican Party is literally mind-blowing. This huge right-wing ascendency with its attendant race-baiting seems to have permeated key institutions in the US, particularly the whitedominated police force. Is it possible that we are seeing its manifestation in the film industry? Some Black film critics have argued that Black films that were not recognized in 2013, 2014, and now in 2015, are far superior in both historical and sociological content than those who were given Oscar nominations for 2015. One would like to think that people like Spike Lee, Will and Jada Smith would argue that you have to fight back. If you don’t, then the bias can become institutionalized. This is an argument I find persuasive, because it is not only strategic but commonsensical Had Indian politicians, academics, writers, activists and film critics way back in the fifties denounced the allwhiteness in Hindi films, maybe many darker-skin

Frederick Kissoon artists would have had flourishing careers. Race discrimination is an abomination to the soul of humankind. It is an evil attitude that once seen, must be dealt with fiercely. No one should have his/ her talent stifled because of the texture of their hair, colour of eyes and hue of their skin. In places like the US and India, among other countries, think of the countess numbers whose hearts were broken because their colour prevented them from being an airline attendant, movie actor, singer, corporate executive or model. I have seen the race thing all my life growing up in Guyana - at the Catholic Standard where I was a columnist (with the fantastic exception of my editor, Father Andrew Morrison); in shameless forms at the Stabroek News where I was a columnist. Last week I showed my KN col l e a g u e Dale Andrews, an advertisement for a supervisor in a Guyanese-owned business and a white man was in the advertisement. Dale, with a thin smile said, “But an Indian or African will get the job”.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2016

THE FIGHT FOR CASSIE’S LIFE For a bit over two years Cassie, now 20, had been obviously labouring under tremendous pressure. Her young brows were furrowed all the time; she moved about the office more slowly than a tiny hundred-pound young lady would. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes and when she was working, her visible jaw bones moved indicating that she was grinding her teeth. She was a little too pliant and was seen crying more often than not. If her Supervisor raised his voice to call an employee, she jumped. He said that she always seemed to be afraid of him, or of something, but he never thought to ask and went on with business as usual. Everyone else noticed as

well, but nobody felt that they should ask her what was eating away at her like this. They did witness her crying in the bathroom area but instead of showing some concern, comforting her, they chose to speculate and came up with a few scenarios. Soon enough the gossip mill began to turn. Unsubstantiated and unfair stories began doing the rounds in the office - Cassie was pregnant; Cassie had the HIV/AIDS virus; Cassie had a boyfriend because she used to tear out of the office at quitting time and dash across the road to catch a bus heading downtown. No one knew where or how she lived, whether she was Christian, Hindu or

Muslim, if she was married or not (she didn’t wear a ring), or had a family with siblings. There was not a single person in the office she could call a friend, nobody to confide in. One mid-level manager decided that a few months of watching Cassie mope around was quite enough. She decided to engage Cassie in real conversation, just to befriend her at first, then learn about the factors and issues that made her so unhappy. That day her eyes were red and teary like she had just been crying. Close up, her arms and neck had black-andblue marks. Her ears were throbbing red and two fingernails were raw. It was easy to make assumptions but the manager, let’s call her Joan, decided that the time was long gone for suppositions and what-ifs. It was obvious

that day that Cassie’s troubles were not work-related, the missing fingernail and red ears told their own story. In the first 10 minutes of the conversation Cassie was like a vault – she wouldn’t say a word. A few minutes later she was answering with a nod or a shake of the head nonintrusive questions like: were you in a road accident today; were you in a physical fight; did you have a fall; did you have breakfast this morning and do you have lunch for today? Her clenched jaws gradually relaxed, the tears began to flow and Joan showed her some loving, motherly kindness, perhaps the first that came her way in years. She asked a colleague to fetch one glass with water, another with plain milk and the packet of cookies in the lunchroom. She led Cassie to her office where they remained for the rest of the workday. The Human Resources Manager was called in later and that’s all the observers, those who

had previously refused to help, were privy to. HERE’S CASSIE’S STORY Her 18-year-old friend in the quiet West Bank Demerara village where she lived has just had a baby. Those parents, products of the tiny community that is steeped in Hindu religion and culture, were incensed and embarrassed and often threatened to kill their daughter. Cassie, from all appearances, was bearing the brunt of her own parents’ fear that she was also sexually active and would ‘shame’ them in the same way. They reacted by imposing a series of strictures on poor Cassie - that she had to go to Pandit for counseling every day; that she had 30 minutes to reach home from work; and that she was never ever to speak to her pregnant childhood friend again. Then they began to beat her mercilessly with any weapon at hand for simple infractions like speaking to

anyone in the village; or if she arrived home after 5.00 pm. Something or someone convinced them that since Cassie was working in Georgetown she had a boyfriend and was going to hotels at midday. Then they decided that they would take her to a doctor to prove their theory that she was sexually active. I didn’t mention that as soon as this theory surfaced, approximately two months before Joan’s intervention, Cassie was being beaten even more frequently, more cruelly by her parents. This was enough. She decided that her life was not worth living. Her parents would not allow her to speak to anyone, not even her favourite aunt living in Berbice to where she could have escaped if she was allowed to use the telephone at home. She had no computer and was barred from speaking to her peers in or outside of the village. Cassie became desperate. She could see no (continued on page 31)

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

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My column

When hands fly and women die I interviewed President David Granger early Thursday morning. The topic was domestic violence. This is something that has been a bane to the Guyanese society. Men beat women and even kill them. I had written about this before, questioning the wisdom of those men who beat their wives then go to bed with them. I know two men who made that mistake and suffered. One of them looks none the worse for wear. He didn’t hit the woman, but he got her so angry that she waited until he fell asleep then doused him with hot oil. His neighbours said that his bellows got them out of bed in a hurry. Then there was this man who lived with his wife at the corner of Norton and Haley Streets. They had a dispute and he took a cutlass to her. She used her right hand to defend herself and got the palm split down the middle. She became deformed for life. When I spoke with her some months later she said that she was finished with him because he nearly killed her. Lo and behold she moved to New Jersey and shacked up

with him again. If my memory serves me right, he killed her. All I could do was shake my head. There was another man who appeared before the then magistrate Paul Fung-aFat. In his wisdom, Magistrate Fung-a-Fat asked him whether he had come with soap and toothbrush because he was going to jail. The man answered in the negative, so Magistrate Fung-a-Fat allowed him to go to his home in Sophia. On his way home, this man saw his wife and he battered her to death. Just the very Thursday after I interviewed President Granger ,news came that a man was beating his wife. When the police came he simply grabbed her and jumped into a canal with her. He escaped across the canal, but people had to remove the woman’s body. Her crime? Reports said that the man found her to be unfaithful. The story appeared in yesterday’s issue of this newspaper. President Granger said that this is a cultural phenomenon rooted in among other things, inequality. If the

man is the breadwinner and the woman is the housewife, he considers her an unequal, so he treats her as such. For her part, she takes the brutality because she feels that she cannot do better because she depends on her spouse’s earning. President Granger may be right. Cases of domestic violence are rarer when the woman earns almost equally. A lawyer who marries an equally successful public servant is unlikely to be the purveyor of violence against his wife. There is a view that if children grow up in a home where violence is a part of life, they grow up to be violent partners. I am not so sure, because I grew up in a home where my mother often quarreled with my stepfather. He would find other things to do with his pay and come home with a pittance for my mother to feed seven children at the time. My mother did not hesitate to lay her hands on me and my siblings, but none of us turned out to be abusers. I think our intelligence had something to do with this. We could have talked to our partners when something went awry. We resolved our

conflicts. I hasten to add that our parents never allowed any of us to resort to violence. In fact, I got angry on many occasions, because as far as my mother was concerned, my wife was always right. The police at one time were not too supportive of victims of abuse. There were cases of the police saying that the victim should go back home and patch up the differences. This could be that the ranks know the society, know that more often than not, the victim comes from the lower income bracket and that he or she may also be an abuser. As fate would have it, in my neighbourhood domestic violence is almost nonexistent. People take their lead from their neighbours and surely do not want to be the aberration. The jail may not be a major deterrent because the very victim would visit the culprit while he serves his time. Then there are those women who would repeatedly go to the police with a complaint and when the rank takes action the woman would step in to save

the abuser. This too may have something to do with the culture in which people are expected to form lasting unions. An offshoot of this issue of domestic violence, especially from the perspective of the man, is rape. I get the impression that men of the younger generation have little respect for women. Thus they treat them little better than some tool to be used whenever. Parents do not spend much time getting their daughters to behave in a certain way. They allow these girls to flaunt themselves as though they are goods on a market shelf. The buyer turns out to be the abuser. Mothers also no longer

Adam Harris insist that their sons treat women in a certain way. I remember one woman in response to a neighbour who asked that the woman control her son, told the woman that her bull can roam and that the woman must tie her heifer. If we see our sons as bulls and the girls as heifers we may never see an end to domestic violence.

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Kaieteur News

“Based on some of the information we already have, some of the concession deals brokered with some foreign investors border on illegality. We will have to renegotiate some of these deals and ensure that they fall in line with the law because as it is, it creates an unhealthy and an unlevel playing field for others who were not allowed such lavish concessions and tax breaks.” Also sharing his views on the matter Sunday was University Professor, Dr. David Hinds. He said that he agrees that there must be the renegotiation of the extravagant concession packages which were granted to certain companies under the PPP rule.

SUNDAY SPECIAL RETIREES GETTING ‘FATCAT’ SALARIES -SITUATION FORCING POLITICAL LOYALTY A practice by the previous Government of offering contracts under lucrative terms to retired public and other officials is coming under fire. Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran, who over time has been criticizing the practice, believes that the unacceptable situation is skewed in favour of political loyalty. This meant that Government would have sacrificed the hiring of technical and professional competence without any consideration of costs and the adverse effect it has on the morale of staff. ”I am aware that there are a number of persons who retire, say, today and return to work in the same position the next day. They were re-engaged on a contractual basis at emoluments significantly higher than their ending salaries when they were on the pensionable establishment,” Goolsarran explained. Among other benefits, the retirees would have been enjoying duty-free concessions and in some cases tax-free salaries. Goolsarran would be referring to a number of former top officials working in government services, including the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the President and even at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). In most cases, they would be hired outside of the normal recruitment process of the public service. In one case, a senior official of the GRA reportedly opted to end his contract and receive millions of dollars in gratuity and his pension. He was hired as permanent staff a few days later, after the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) narrowly won the elections. At least one senior official at the Ministry of Finance had been receiving in excess of $2M monthly, more than what Ministers were being paid.And there are a number of other similar cases. It is unclear at this time how many retirees have been retained by the new administration under David Granger. UNFAIR LAND DISTRIBUTION…SMALL MINERS GIVEN CRUMBS WHILE BIG OPERATORS GRAB UP PRIME LAND Small scale miners have revealed huge concerns about the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC)’s method of awarding land by lottery, including concerns that while they are being given land that has already been overworked, large scale miners are grabbing up blocks rich in gold. This concern was raised during the small scale miners’ meeting held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Liliendaal. Hundreds of miners attended and listened as Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, articulated the way forward. And in turn, miners were given the floor to raise their concerns about the industry. Mining operator Judith David, who once represented the People’s National Congress (PNC) as a parliamentarian, decried the practice of small miners being given land in remote areas and in some instances, land already overworked. She described this as a raw deal. ”We have been given a raw deal by the GGMC and the GGDMA,” she said. “As a small miner we have to get into GGMC’s lottery, pay $5000 for a lottery ticket and then when you

Sunday January 24, 2016

Former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran pull a lottery ticket, it is nothing.” She noted that this has been a prevailing occurrence. Miners have little choice but to give back the land to the commission because of its uselessness. She said that it even happened to her. She said that she could not mine and was forced to convert the land to planting. ”My concerns are many. We as small miners have been going through a lot for years. We have felt that no one was listening to us. And it has come to a stage where we have had no alternative but to park our dredges in our yards. As I speak, I haven’t worked for 14 months.” David also revealed that not only is the land useless within regards to gold deposits, but small miners sometimes have to expend huge sums of money just to ‘cut a trail’ to get access to the land. ”We the small miners need roads to get into the land,” she said. “The appalling thing is we are leasing land from the landlords (GGMC), but then as small miners we have to put the road to get into these lands.” MONDAY EDITION CONCESSIONS GRANTED UNDER PPP MUST BE RENEGOTIATED – GOVT. OFFICIAL The coalition government, A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), had promised that once it assumes office, it would release many of the concession agreements which were signed between the PPP regime and certain foreign investors. This campaign promise is yet to be fulfilled. Kaieteur News had asked the Minister with some responsibility for the Natural Resources Sector, Raphael Trotman when government will release these concession agreements, specifically those signed with Chinese logging company, Bai Shan Lin Forest Development Inc. Trotman said that the possibility does exist for this to happen but he would have to speak with the Finance Minister, Winston Jordan for guidance on that matter, since the subject of concessions falls under his portfolio. But when contacted, Jordan said that his office is not in possession of those agreements and the respective sectors would have those documents, given the manner in which such deals were done under the previous government. He said that in any case, while the Government promised to make those contracts public, they may be subject to confidentiality clauses. As a result of this, he noted that this would inhibit the move by Government to expose the agreements. Another Government official explained,

11-YEAR-OLD GIVES BIRTH, CPAINVESTIGATES UNDERAGE PREGNANCIES The Childcare & Protection Agency, (CPA) has launched investigations into cases whereby two pregnant girls (11 and 12 years old) were rescued by the Guyana Women Miner ’s Organisation (GWMO). The girls who are said to be from Region 1 were rescued by members of the GWMO some two weeks ago. According to information reaching this newspaper, the teens were taken to the Port Kaituma Hospital following their removal from communities in the Region. The girls were said to be anemic when they were brought to the hospital for medical care and examination. A source confirmed the teens (cousins) have since met with social workers in the region. Kaieteur News understands that the two girls were both impregnated by adults from their villages. According to the information, one of the men is related to both victims. The source said that since the cases are being treated as rape, the police are also playing a part in the investigation. TUESDAY EDITION FORMER MP CHALLENGES JAGDEO, DPP OTHERS TO JUSTIFY OWNERSHIP OF PRADOVILLE 2 LANDS

interested parties. These persons were originally excluded, but following submissions, the court has ordered that each be joined to the original action. Nandlall said that he will argue that the proceedings are misconceived and are bad in law. LOSS-MAKING WALES FACTORY TO CLOSE GATES THIS YEAR-END – SOME SUGAR WORKERS WILL BE MADE REDUNDANT Government has confirmed that the country’s poorest performing sugar factory at Wales, West Bank Demerara will be closed this yearend with some staffers to be taken up 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 over the last decade, especially. Despite racking up billions of dollars in losses annually, the new administration is not biting the bullet and heeding calls to close the sugar industry, which currently boasts around 16,000 workers across the coastlands in Berbice and Demerara. On Monday, a release from the Government said that the Ministry of Agriculture acknowledged 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 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. WEDNESDAY EDITION

Former Member of Parliament, Desmond Trotman, has made submissions to the court to have all persons who own lands in Pradoville 2 to be added as interested parties to a court case he filed late last year. Last September, Trotman moved to the courts to challenge the sale and transfer of acres of prime ocean-front state lands to former President Bharrat Jagdeo, past government Ministers and other close associates. Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, confirmed that he will be representing several of the persons who have now been joined as

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

AUTHORITIES SCRAMBLE TO PUMP WATER TO FARMLANDS AS DRY SPELL BITES DEEP With dropping water levels at its conservancies, Government says it is monitoring the levels in the main agricultural regions. A number of interventions are currently being taken to assist affected farmers. The water level in the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) on Tuesday stood (Continued on page 27)

Former Member of Parliament, Desmond Trotman

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

The Army says drones can cause serious if not fatal accidents, especially if operating in airspace allocated to low-flying aircraft

(From page 26) at 52.65 Georgetown Datum (GD), while the Boerasirie Conservancy was 58.15GD. The Mahaica Mahaicony Abary Water Conservancy’s level was 58.17 GD, a Government statement said. With thousands of acres of farmlands including for rice and cash crop lining the coasts, the situation is a worrying one. ”The Ministry of Agriculture and its National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) are closely monitoring the situation as there continues to be very little or no rainfall.” In Region Two, on the Essequibo Coast, low water levels have been reported in the Manikuru (Main Canal) and Tapakuma, Golden Fleece, Ituribisi, and Mainstay Water Conservancies. ”All four of the Dawa pumps are operable. A recent visit by an NDIA (National Drainage and Irrigation Authority) assessment team saw several immediate interventions being put in place to aid the situation in the affected areas.” Farmers in Region Two have been advised against starting new cultivation due to the lack of water. “The Dawa pump station is now operating 12 more hours daily, pumping water from a tributary of the Pomeroon River into the Tapakuma Water Conservancy.” However, authorities Tuesday said that there are some challenges in controlling the pumping of the water into farmlands, as farmers are not adhering to the irrigation schedule.

drones being flown in Georgetown, as well as other parts of the country. It reiterated that these devices can cause serious if not fatal accidents, especially when they are being operated in the airspace allocated to low-flying aircraft. “Further, it is recommended that the public refrains from operating these devices in and around Base Camp Ayanganna and all other Military Bases.” A senior official of the Guyana Defence Force with close links to the aviation sector explained that the situation could get out of hand if certain regulations are not enforced. He said that apart from operating near military bases, drone operators should adhere to the five-mile control zone around the Ogle Airport, where aircraft are taking off and landing regularly. THURSDAY EDITION US$200M SKELDON SUGAR PROJECT COULD HAVE COST US$60M LESS –AGRI MINISTER …PARTS ACQUISITION FOR 100-YEAR-OLD WALES FACTORY A MAJOR PROBLEM Government on Tuesday defended the planned closure of Wales Sugar Estate, saying that it had become virtually impossible to keep the 100-year-old factory running. Responding to questions during Government’s post-Cabinet press briefing, Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, said that parts for the factory had become very difficult to acquire over the years.

REMOTE-CONTROLLED DRONE “BUZZES” GDF HELICOPTER, DISASTERAVERTED In what could have been an otherwise tragic occurrence, a Guyana Defence Force helicopter, GDF 1, landed safely without incident at army headquarters, Base Camp Ayanganna, after it was “buzzed” by what appeared to be a remote-controlled ‘Drone,’ recently. At the time of the incident, the helicopter was making its final approach to Camp Ayanganna, overhead Thomas Lands, in the vicinity of Queen’s College and the National Park. The pilot reported that the drone flew dangerously close to the helicopter and also attempted to follow the aircraft. The Guyana Defence Force said that it has noted with concern the frequency of

Efficiency was another problem - the factory is operating at only 50 percent of its capacity. The decision to close the factory was announced this week, with Government saying that grinding will bon December 31, 2016. The 3,000 acres that Wales has not put under cultivation will not be used. Private cane farmers who contribute the bulk of the cane to Wales will then begin supplying Uitvlugt factory, another West Demerara estate that is modern and more efficient. Most of the staffers will be taken on by Uitvlugt which has several openings available, Government said. A few workers will be made redundant. But the closure has met with resistance from the Opposition with ex-President Bharrat Jagdeo and his party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) insisting that the decision to close the estate was a clear attack on PPP supporters. Both Holder and Minister of State, Joe Harmon, said that the decision was one made by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and its Board of Directors and featured in the entity’s 2016 plans. It had absolutely no relationship to the findings of the Commission of Inquiry of GuySuCo that was commissioned by Government last year. The report is currently being studied by a Parliamentary committee. BADAL NAMED GPL CHAIRMAN …ATTORNEY-AT-LAW STEPHEN FRASER TO HEAD CJIA BOARD After months of deliberations, Government has named a new Chairman for the all critical Board of Directors of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL). According to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, that person is Robert Badal, owner of Pegasus Hotel and the Guyana Stockfeeds Limited. He replaces Winston Brassington. Under the previous administration, Badal has been outspoken about a number of issues, including state contracts and projects and cost of power. He is closely aligned with the Alliance For Change, one of the main parties in the coalition Government. GPL has been under fire for its management of the country’s electricity supply and the distribution networks. However, bringing down electricity theft and technical losses as well as corruption among staffers has been causing major problems. There have also been questions about a

Page 27

Robert Badal number of large scale contracts, including the purchase of prepaid meters and transformers. Minister Harmon also announced that prominent Attorney-at-Law Stephen Fraser is now the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of the country’s main Port of Entry – the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. CONSERVE WATER!!! – GWI APPEALS …CONSERVANCY CRITICALLY LOW While 60 percent of the surface water used by the Shelter Belt comes from the East Demerara Water conservancy the current critically low levels have become a source of concern for the nation’s main water supplier. Georgetown uses some 50 million litres (11 million gallons) of water per day Making it clear that there is a decline in surface water and not a water crisis, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles, the Guyana Water Inc.’s Chief Executive, issued a call for more stringent public conservation even as the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority begins pumping water into the East Demerara Water Conservancy from the Maduni. The pumping is being done on a 24-hour basis until further notice to augment the current depleted amounts in the conservancy which could drastically affect the water supply nationwide. The Conservancy supplies 60 percent of the water used by GWI consumers while the remaining supplies come from the 126 wells, nationwide. The call for conservation comes even as efforts are being made to remedy the situation due to the prolonged dry season which is affecting the water levels of the EDWC. GWI advised citizens nationwide to immediately commence measures to conserve on the use of water with particular emphasis to citizens of Georgetown. FRIDAY EDITION VENEZUELA/GUYANABOAT MISHAP…THREE DEAD, REMAINING PASSENGERS RESCUED

The current water level at the GWI Shelter Belt on Vlissengen Road.

The bodies of two Guyanese were recovered Thursday, 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 24-year-old Joel King of Port Kaituma was handed over to his relatives Thursday after it was pulled from a fishing seine, while that of a 13-year-old girl was lying at the Mabaruma Mortuary. The two were among 16 passengers who were travelling in a loaded metal boat that encountered rough waters, early Tuesday (Continued on page 28)

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morning. Another woman, 37-year-old 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 six-hour 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. 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. GRAFIRES 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 Thursday’s 171st meeting took a unanimous decision to terminate the relationship between Commissioner-General, Khurshid Sattaur, and the authority. The decision will

Kaieteur News

longed 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. SATURDAY EDITION

Khurshid Sattaur take effect on March 1, 2016. ”Acting Commissioner-General, 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-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 be-

GRA: SATTAUR BACKDATES GRA’S PENSION CLAIM, COLLECTS $12M The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has launched an investigation into a suspicious $12M pension payment that CommissionerGeneral, Khurshid Sattaur, received shortly before the May 11 General Elections last year. The transaction was one of several reasons that prompted GRA’s Governing Board of Directors on Thursday to terminate the services of the embattled tax chief. Several senior GRA officials were present on Friday at the entity’s Camp Street Headquarters to explain the sacking. According to Chairman, Rawle Lucas, the Board during its 171st meeting, decided to end GRA’s relationship with Sattaur. The decision was spurred by a number of considerations. During a recent meeting with the Board, Sattaur, who was sent on more than 200 days leave last month to facilitate a

Sunday January 24, 2016

forensic audit, admitted that he broke confidentiality rules of GRA when he shared information on taxpayers with unauthorized third parties. The Board, Lucas said, learnt that approximately one month before the May General Elections last year, the Commissioner General divulged sensitive GRA information to persons who were not authorized to receive such information. GUNMEN STAGE DARING ROBBERY AT MON REPOS BANK With crime seemingly on the rise in Guyana, four gunmen took it up a notch by pulling off a daring daylight robbery on the Mon Repos branch of the Bank of Baroda on Friday. Mon Repos is a village on East Coast Demerara. The police in a statement revealed that four men – one armed with a firearm – entered the bank around 12:50 pm, held up the lone female private security guard and relieved her of her .32 service revolver before turning their attention to the female tellers on duty. In a five-minute ordeal, the perpetrators relieved the tellers of an undisclosed amount of cash before boarding a waiting silver grey/ off white Premio motor vehicle bearing a “false registration plate”, PNN 8984 . In wake of the incident, the police said that they responded to the report quickly. Several strategic road blocks were established and the anti-crime patrols were alerted along with the activation of the Crime Intelligence Units. No arrests were made. Investigations are continuing.

Sunday January 24, 2016

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The ‘secondary impact’ of criminal violence Address by His Excellency Brigadier David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, to a ‘Seminar on Tackling Domestic Abuse in Guyana’ sponsored by the Supreme Court in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat, at the Marriott Guyana Hotel, Georgetown. Guyanese, a generation ago, may still have regarded domestic violence as a private matter. A man hitting his wife was considered a ‘family affair.’ A parent or teacher whipping a child – giving ‘licks’ – was the conventional, even commendable, form of correction. School fights were considered a regular part of the curriculum and dismissed with a comment that “boys will be boys.” Everyday inter-personal violence, intimate partner violence and other forms of domestic violence today, however, are far from normal. These incidents have degenerated into an epidemic. The most deadly are usually characterised by arson, execution-style murders, murder-suicides, rape-murders, massacres, mutilation and torture, even within families, households and villages. They constitute the most vicious, virulent and prevalent crimes of violence today. Guyanese are experiencing the ‘secondary impact’ of surviving in homes, attending schools and growing up in communities where criminal violence persists or was recently prevalent. Televised and other media images of policemen shooting to death an unarmed wanted man with his hands in the air; corpses of ‘suspects’ dragged through yards and thrown into trucks or boats; carcasses floating in canals or washed up on the foreshore and, in more gruesome news media, the bleeding bodies of beheaded men, have been impossible to avoid. Memories of murder and violence are difficult to erase. Buildings are still marked with the bullet holes. Children became orphans. Violence then migrated from the street to the home. The Guyana Police Force reported that, during the 3,651 days of the decade 2005-2014, it received 39,566 reports of domestic violence. THE ‘TROUBLES’ The ‘Troubles’ is the name given to the decade –

between 2000 and 2009 – that witnessed this country’s most intense and sustained wave of criminal violence since independence. There were 1,431 murders during that decade, more than at any other similar period in the modern history of Guyana. The previous administration never bothered to account to this nation for the hundreds of lives lost through criminal violence. It refused even to conduct inquests into the assassinations of its own Minister of Agriculture at La Bonne Intention; of the head of the Police Force’s Target Special Squad on the LindenSoesdyke Highway; of the deputy head of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit in Buxton and of the attempted assassination of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kitty. It refused to conduct inquiries into the massacres in Agricola, Bagotstown-Eccles, Bartica, Bourda, Campbellville, Kitty, Lamaha Gardens, Lindo Creek, Lusignan and elsewhere. A generation of Guyanese which was an unwilling witness to criminal violence – has now grown up. The agony, anger and alienation caused by violence against citizens, especially the innocent and the young, still simmer. The crimes have not been explained. The memories have not been erased. Many are suffering in their bedrooms and schoolyards from the aftershock of the ‘secondary impact’ of years of criminal violence they saw on the streets and in the media. The scars of the ‘Troubles’ are still visible. Some communities — at Bartica, Buxton and Kingston —have become so unsettled by the violence, that they erected monuments to the victims. The ‘Troubles,’ no doubt, was the consequence of a high-level condonation of, or complicity with, the rise of drug cartels and the importation of illegal narcotics and weapons. These crimes brought an unprecedented wave of criminal violence into this country during the first decade of this century. The consequence of this narcotrade, particularly, has been a bloody battle to extend drug empires and to eliminate anyone who resisted them. The Chairman of the Central Intelligence Committee– who during that period was also Head of the Presidential Secretariat – described the criminal violence in the early years of this century as “drug-gang warfare.” He invented the

expression ‘phantom force’ to describe the gangs responsible for the perpetration of executionstyle murders. The Force, of course, was no ‘phantom.’ It was real. Any mystery about its origins and operations evaporated in October 2003 when a repentant gangster made the startling decision to confess his transgressions and to expose the Force’s links to a government minister. A Commission of Inquiry was established to investigate whether the Minister of Home Affairs was implicated in “promoting, directing or otherwise engaged in activities which involved the extra-judicial killing of persons.” Before the would-be testifier could testify, however, he was shot dead in his bed, sadly, on the night of 24th June, eight days before the Commission was sworn in on 2nd July 2004. SECONDARY IMPACT It would have been impossible for any society to have survived the ‘Troubles’ which Guyana endured without suffering a ‘secondary impact’ - the after effects. The bandits, ‘the phantom force’ and rogue policemen caused many deaths. Too many to be easily forgotten. The violence perpetrated by rogue policemen under the pretext of conduction of investigations, when in fact there was only intimidation, has left permanent scars. The arbitrary arrests, unwarranted detentions, deliberate shootings, torture, and sham inquiries have had a cumulative, corrosive ‘secondary impact’ on society. Many failed to comprehend how violent the drug war had become. Many failed to fath o m t h e r e p e r c u ssions of the prolonged violence which claimed the lives of an unprecedented, and still undetermined, number of policemen and youths. Opposition members of the National Assembly compiled a ‘Dossier in Support of an Independent Legal Interrogation of Grave Human Rights Abuses in Guyana’, on state-sponsored violence and other crimes. They, too, tried to comprehend the enormity of this terrible human tragedy. CAUSATION Attempts at the eradication of domestic violence must start with an investigation into causation.

It matters little how many laws are enacted; the core problem will not be solved unless the core causes of domestic violence are understood. Guyana has promulgated a raft of laws aimed at deterring domestic violence, punishing its perpetrators and protecting victims. These laws include the Domestic Violence Act, the Sexual Offences Act, the Prevention of Crimes Act, the Evidence Act and the Criminal (Procedures) Act. The law has limitations. The law cannot deal with the impact of violence. The law cannot rebuild shattered lives and broken homes. Laws can punish. They cannot, without an examination of the causes of the crimes, eradicate the scourge of criminal violence and, its secondary outcome, domestic violence. Legislation is essential. Explanations however, are needed, also. Domestic violence and the culture of violence are byproducts of the emergence, through time, of unequal relations in society and the state. I recall: “Domestic violence should not be seen or defined as simply a set of abusive behaviour: at the root of

domestic violence is the real perceived inequality and subordination of women (and children) which extends beyond the individual or family to the wider society…Any campaign to eradicate domestic violence, therefore, must aim at nothing less than changing the deep-seated cultural attitudes and behaviour that have been learnt.” Violence in the home cannot be separated from violence in society and the state. The primary cause of domestic violence may not be, as is commonly believed, drunkenness, drug abuse or everyday disputes. These factors may foster domestic violence, but they are not its causes. Criminal violence is likely to be most prevalent in unequal societies. Domestic violence, similarly, is likely to flourish in unequal relationships. It is a result of “a complex interplay of cultural, psychological and social factors which have combined to create an imbalance of power between parties in a relationship.” This imbalance which can lead to domination and abuse is at the root of domestic violence. Violence is not a political inevitability or social necessity.

H.E. President David Granger It is a human invention. It is aimed at generating and perpetuating domination of one group or person by another. Guyana seeks to reduce and, eventually, eradicate the infamy of domestic violence. This objective requires a sincere and serious approach to ensuring the equality and respect for women, girls and other minorities. It will take time to undo decades of a culture of criminal violence. The removal of inequalities, both in the home and in the state, is a start. It is a prerequisite for happy homes and a gentler Guyana.

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Sunday January 24, 2016

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Kaieteur News

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THE FIGHT FOR CASSIE’S LIFE From page 24 way out of her prison other than to end her miserable life. To say that the hand of friendship extended by Joan was timely is putting it mildly. Cassie had already begun to turn over in her mind the easiest, most effective ways to do this. She had no access to toxic chemicals or pharmaceuticals, and she was not going to jump off of any high buildings to add to her pain. What if she survived? So Joan, who fortunately is a mother of four with a nurturing nature, made Cassie her friend and over the course of three or four days she learnt the story of Cassie’s life. The company’s HR Manager had the opportunity to put her training in peer counseling and conflict resolution into practice. Before she admitted it, they both knew that Cassie had made the decision to end her life, so they talked her out of it one at a time. After Cassie’s initially strong objections to their going to speak with her parents (she had a real fear that her punishment would increase), she agreed. The officers made contact with the

favourite aunt in Berbice and without much encouragement she agreed to join them on their visit Cassie’s parents. By God’s good grace, it all worked out well. The parents were very resistant at first but the father’s sister (Cassie’s favourite aunt) forced them to listen. They were genuinely remorseful when they learnt that the girl was contemplating suicide. They had never considered that their actions would have such a profound effect on their daughter. Evening came and Cassie

returned home from work at 5.05 pm to be greeted by hugs from her tearful parents. They promised to end the brutality and Cassie metamorphosed into a brilliant, helpful employee which saw her promoted not so long after the intervention. Her social life blossomed (still with some restrictions) but she is a happy, grateful 20-year-old. This story ends well as a few others have, but the AFC is very concerned about another type of abuse - sexual abuse and trafficking of 12year-olds in a few interior

Regions. It takes no stretch to conclude that the stories recently carried in the media about pubescent girls impregnated by their fathers and close relatives have only now come to the front burner. We shudder when we imagine that this scourge, this abuse of our future, has been taking place for ages. We learnt that the rate of

suicide among children and women in the hinterland is unacceptably high, a situation that has to be halted right now. The Public Health Ministry has teamed up with the Ministries of Human and Social Services, Social Cohesion, Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Tourism and others to implement suicide prevention strategies and to

address the psychology of it. Many non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) especially those that promote the rights of women and children have joined this fight to save our future. (Look out for Part II) The Hotlines that could give you a tomorrow: 2230001, 223-0009, 623-4444, 600-7896.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2016

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: An increasingly common disorder in women By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine I have decided to highlight Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) this week, because it’s becoming a common finding in young females in Guyana. Women with PCOS may have enlarged ovaries that contain small collections of fluid — called follicles — located in each ovary, as seen during an ultrasound exam. The exact cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is unknown, but early diagnosis and treatment, along with weight loss, may reduce the risk of long-term

complications such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. SYMPTOMS/SIGNS Polycystic ovary syndrome signs and symptoms often begin soon after a woman first begins having periods (menarche). In some cases, PCOS develops later during the reproductive years, for instance, in response to substantial weight gain. PCOS has many signs and symptoms that you may notice or feel. All of these can worsen with obesity. Every woman with PCOS may be affected a little differently. To be diagnosed with the condition, your doctor looks for at least two of the

following: · Irregular periods - this is the most common characteristic. Examples include menstrual intervals longer than 35 days; fewer than eight menstrual cycles a year; failure to menstruate for four months or longer; and prolonged periods that may be scant or heavy. · Excess androgen elevated levels of male hormones (androgens) may result in physical signs, such as excess facial and body hair (hirsutism), adult acne or severe adolescent acne, and male-pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia). · Polycystic ovaries polycystic ovaries become enlarged and contain

numerous small fluid-filled sacs which surround the eggs. WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR See your doctor if you have concerns about your menstrual periods, if you’re experiencing infertility or if you have signs of androgen excess such as acne and male-pattern hair growth. POSSIBLE CAUSES Doctors don’t know what causes polycystic ovary syndrome, but these factors may play a role: · Excess insulin - insulin is the hormone produced in the pancreas that allows cells to use sugar (glucose) to make energy. If you have insulin resistance, your ability to use insulin effectively is impaired, and your pancreas has to secrete more insulin to make glucose available to cells. Excess insulin might also affect the ovaries by increasing androgen production, which may interfere with the ovaries’ ability to ovulate. · Low-grade inflammation - your body’s white blood cells produce substances to fight infection in a response called inflammation. Research has shown that women with PCOS have low-grade inflammation and that this type of low-grade inflammation stimulates polycystic ovaries to produce androgens. This may occur due to the unhealthy foods that are more

frequently consumed in this age. · Heredity - if your mother or sister has PCOS, you might have a greater chance of having it, too. Researchers also are looking into the possibility that certain genes are linked to PCOS. LIKELY COMPLICATIONS Having polycystic ovary syndrome may make the following conditions more likely, especially if obesity also is a factor: · Type 2 diabetes · High blood pressure · Cholesterol and lipid abnormalities, such as elevated triglycerides or low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol · Metabolic syndrome — a cluster of signs and symptoms that indicate a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease · Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis — a severe liver inflammation caused by fat accumulation in the liver · Infertility · Sleep apnea · Depression and anxiety · Abnormal uterine bleeding · Cancer of the uterine lining (endometrial cancer), caused by exposure to continuous high levels of estrogen · Gestational diabetes or pregnancy-induced high blood pressure WHAT CAN YOU DO? · Keep your weight in

Dr. Zulfikar Bux check - obesity makes insulin resistance worse. Weight loss can reduce both insulin and androgen levels and may restore ovulation. No single specific dietary approach is best, but losing weight by reducing how many calories you consume each day may help with polycystic ovary syndrome, especially if you’re overweight or obese. Use smaller plates, less processed foods, reduce portion sizes and resist the urge for seconds should help your weight · Consider dietary changes - low-fat, highcarbohydrate diets may increase insulin levels, so you may want to consider a lowcarbohydrate diet if you have PCOS — and if your doctor recommends it. Don’t severely restrict carbohydrates; instead, choose complex carbohydrates, which are high in fiber. The more fibre in a food, the more slowly it’s digested and the more slowly your blood sugar levels rise. Highfibre carbohydrates include whole-grain breads and cereals, whole-wheat pasta, barley, brown rice, and beans. Limit less healthy, simple carbohydrates such as soda, excess fruit juice, cake, candy, ice cream, pies, cookies and doughnuts. · Be active - exercise helps lower blood sugar levels. If you have PCOS, increasing your daily activity and participating in a regular exercise program may treat or even prevent insulin resistance and help you keep your weight under control Life with PCOS can be stressful and even depressing, being as healthy as you can will help to make life with PCOS much more tolerable.

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Sunday January 24, 2016

GTT looking forward to a year of progress Liberalisation of the telecommunication sector and realizing 4G mobile data service is among the vision for the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) for this year. The Company in a statement issued Friday said that “we remain optimistic that 2016 is the year in which we are granted 4G mobile data and the telecommunications sector is liberalized in order to ensure that all players are on a level playfield.” The statement, moreover, underscored that “GTT is eager to continue to play an in-

- to soon announce significant investments in key areas tegral role in the growth and development of Guyana as we ‘Do More’ to win for our customers.” In this regard the Company related plans to continue to deploy resources so that “we can expand services and make system upgrades. In fact, we are excited about our future plans in which we intend to make significant investments in some key areas, which will be announced soon.” And even as the company embraces progressive moves,

it has also been extending its appreciation to its long-serving employees who have significantly contributed to the development of the industry. The Company has been recognizing the work of these employees annually. “The Management congratulates and commends all long service employees who have significantly contributed to the development of the industry,” the GTT statement added. GTT employees, who are 55 years and over and

have served the company for at least 10 years, were recently offered the option of voluntary retirement. According to GTT, “Employees who fall within this group were given individual letters which outlined the optional offer.” As such, the Company’s Executive Management met with them at which time it was emphasized that “the acceptance or rejection of the offer is one of individual choice and the primary reason for this exercise was to ensure that the pension scheme remains viable to the benefit of all employees.” “One of the benefits of being employed by GTT is membership to our non-con-

tributory defined benefit pension plan. Employees become eligible to benefit from this scheme after serving for 10 years,” the statement emphasised. Moreover, GTT sees the voluntary offer made to its employees as a win for them and the consumers it serves. “Employees win because they are being given a unique opportunity to take advantage of a one-time, 100 per cent pension payout,” GTT has asserted. The Company ‘s comments on the optional pension offer follows on the heels of a call by the Guyana Postal and Telecommunication Workers’ Union (GPTWU) for GTT to withdraw the letters issued to its long-serving

GTT CEO, Mr. Justin Nedd employees. The Union, at a press conference on Thursday, also threatened industrial action if GTT failed to comply. According to President of the Union, Harold Shepherd, the Union’s decision was premised on the fact that the telephone company had failed to consult with Union and therefore made a unilateral decision to offer an early retirement programme to its long-serving employees. This move, Shepherd insisted, is in contravention of the Collective Labour Agreement that exists between the company and the union.

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

Singing cop touts optimistic messages for troubling issues

Orlanzo Webster with two of his CDs By Jarryl Bryan The scourge of suicide has almost been overwhelming in Guyana in recent times. The recent escalation caused President David Granger to convene a suicide prevention meeting on January 8. And there are others who want to play their part. Thirtytwo year old Police Corporal Orlanzo Webster, is a General Duty rank stationed at Central Police Station. He is a writer, singer and co-producer who goes by the name of ‘Big hard times’, and is determined to reach out to those most at risk using music. In fact, his lyrics are drawn from societal issues. Webster, who holds a degree in Strategic Management, is adamant that music has a great deal of influence on the minds of everyone, especially youths. With research indicating that there is a suicide every second around the world and statistics from the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) showing that suicide ranks among the leading causes of death among youths aged 13-24 in Guyana, there is no doubt that any positive message would be of consequence. As an officer of the law, Webster is cognizant of how serious the issue is. Recalling the case of the pregnant 14 year old, Sherry anne Alli and her 21 year old lover, Deoraj Persaud, who were found hanging in a house at Lonsdale, East Bank Berbice, just six days into 2016, Webster opined that the case appeared to be one in which a young couple lacked the requisite guidance. “When I talk about guidance, I mean parental. So some people lean on their own understanding (of life) when they should have talked to somebody, who

could advise them or show compassion and cause them to ignore their dangerous inclination.” VULGARITY Webster then made a detour while relating to youths. “As a police officer and a university graduate, I am very serious about songs that promote vulgarity. I believe that musicians have an essential role to play in society. I believe that from the time one becomes a musician, he becomes a leader.” “The influence that music carries on young people can cause either upliftment or destruction,” Webster said. “Even if you want to sing dancehall lyrics, the message must be positive. It must be a message of upliftment to all in society. Even if I want to bring out a particular point about sex life (in a song), I try to use words that are not degrading.” Webster pointed to cases where DJ’s got crowds excited or “hyped” to the point where violence erupted at dances, or girls exposed themselves indecently. Indeed, amateur videos have trended on social media platforms including Facebook, showing girls stripping to the command of DJ’s at dances. Webster referenced this as example of the power of DJ’s on members of the public. “DJ’s of today must contribute to positiveness in society. Play lyrics that people will enjoy and not lyrics that people will want to fight and glorify violence.” “(Sometimes) a DJ tells himself that he can play music and he can go behind a mike,” he said, also expressing the opinion that many DJ’s lack an academic foundation. “This (the result) makes the police work more hard, makes families have to cry.” “My mission as a (Continued on page 46)

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Sunday January 24, 2016

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Bascom enlightens new generation about Guyanese rich oral tradition ‘101 Words That Tell You’re Guyanese’… By Michael Jordan ‘Do you remember words like, ‘goady’, and ‘jombieumbrella’-words like ‘poezee’, and‘ coonamoonoo’? You do? Then you’re Guyanese to the bone, and this book is for you.’ So reads the blurb on a new and aptly named book called ‘101 WORDS THAT TELL YOU’RE GUYANESE,’ by novelist, artist, and fourtime winner of the Guyana Prize for Literature Harold Bascom. Spiced with anecdotes and illustrations, Bascom uses his story-telling skills and his talent as an illustrator to explain the meaning behind words like ‘fat fowl’ and ‘coona-moonoo’. This creative touch helps to make the collection more than a mere dictionary of Guyanese words. It’s a collection that is likely to find older Guyanese reminiscing fondly on words they, or their elders, had once used. It’s also a nice way of preserving Guyana’s rich oral culture for a new generation. Bascom explained that he got the idea when he began to post Guyanese words on Facebook.” I called my posts, ‘The Guyanese-word-oftoday’. Guyanese started attaching themselves to it liking it - commenting. They were having fun. WE were having fun. After a while, it dawned on me that a compilation of Guyanese words stood to be an exciting project. “For me, this book was a sweet journey. And the fact that I actually dedicated ‘101 WORDS THAT TELL YOU’RE GUYANESE’to, ‘My Facebook friends and associates, without whom this book would not have been the joy it was to write’, says a lot. I used to go to Facebook and clarify the meanings of Guyanese words. It was a process I enjoyed and I learned a lot from the sharing of meaning of Guyanese words with individuals on Facebook, People were also submitting words - asking if I had this one or that one. I was enjoying the interactions with so many Guyanese that finishing the book was easy.” And in its own way, the collection is a work of fiction. “The beautiful thing about, ‘101 Words’, is that I used fiction - little stories - to explain the usage of most of the words. I feel that the stories are what make the little book to be such a hit. “And then there are the illustrations. As one man from Georgetown wrote to me: ‘Some words had me; but the stories used as examples

really helped - and then the laughing started. I even read to my wife over the phone about ‘JINGEE-DRAWZE. I called her number. When she picked up, I said, “Hello,

Moongazer

Recognise this flamboyant Guyanese character?

Babes…careful as you get out of the car that breeze don’t blow up your dress and expose your ‘Jingee-drawze’and she responded, “Jingeewhat?’” “For me it was

something different- something to challenge myself with.” A stickler for deadlines, Continued from previous page

Bascom had given himself up to December 2016 to complete his work. That meant that he

had to shelve plans to attend the Guyana Prize ceremony in (Continued on page 47)

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Sunday January 24, 2016

Singing cop touts optimistic... From page 43 musician is to police people through music, as my talent is singing. It is a form of entertainment enforcement,” he said. “And I must praise the Commanders out there who try to get involved in society.” POLICE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Webster also touched on another troubling issue - domestic violence. He reflected that it is usually when a case has become frustrating to either or both partners that a report is made at the station. He stated that it would rarely be the first instance of violence when partners show up at the station to make that report. “…So when a woman or man shows up at the station, the police have to take immediate action. Make the person comfortable, interview them and file the report. And Commanders are very serious now. If one doesn’t feel comfortable, they can go to the hierarchy to make the report.” Webster stressed that how police handle initial reports is an important link in how such cases end. He also highlighted that the law caters for everyone, regardless of gender. “Men probably used to feel intimidated about going to the station. But in this modern age, every rank is (educated) in handling domestic violence cases. The key lesson is they are being reminded (in training) that every victim must be treated equally.” PLANS FOR 2016 Webster noted that for 2016, he will be launching an album entitled “Stop Suicide & Domestic Violence”. According to him, the lyrics speak directly to these issues and in some way offer advice and guidance on how to avoid them, but “in the form of dancehall”. He referenced the lyrics of one song entitled “Back, back home”. “If yuh know yuh man a give you blow,

why you going back, back home? If yuh know yuh wife a give you blow, why you going back, back home? You give yuh partner everything, but still it nah change him. You better consider someone else before domestic violence is in the ending.” “If yuh know yuh wife a give you blow, why you going back, back home? You give yuh partner everything but still it nah change him. You better consider someone else before domestic violence is in the ending.” “Ignore the women dem, if dem cannot solve the problem. Ignore the women dem, when them can’t behave themselves. Sometimes you have to accept the wrong or the right, in an effort to avoid big, big fight.” Webster stated that the prevailing theme of his music was its Guyanese flavour. He stressed that it was important for foreigners to be able to identify the music as coming from a Guyanese singer and consequently, that Guyanese were serious about bringing awareness to suicide and domestic violence. Webster also noted that he will be using the electronic and social media platform intensely in a bid to bring awareness to these issues. He said that it will encompass the airwaves, television and the internet. “Being around groups and events, I will seize every opportunity to (urge) young people to ignore suicide and to turn away from domestic violence. It’s not about violence against women and children alone; it’s about violence against everybody.” Important to reiterate is the fact that Webster is a serving rank of the Police Force and as he goes about his beat, he also intends to educate those he meets while exercising his duties.

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

Bascom enlightens new... From page 45 November. “I realized that if I had traveled to Guyana for the Guyana Prize Awards Ceremony last November, I’d be breaking my promise to get the collection finished, published, and available in early December 2015. “I rarely break promises, and since I had announced on Facebook that the book on Guyanese words will be ready early in December, I knew I had to finish it. So as the time for me to come to Guyana for the Awards Ceremony was getting nearer and nearer, I was still illustrating the book. So I decided to skip the ceremony, and finish the book. I was really sorry I didn’t get to come to Guyana; but I had promised to deliver the words book to my Facebook fans, and I kept it.” “The response has been extremely pleasing. The first batch that I printed sold out just before Christmas 2015. Guyanese supported me well. Before I printed the book, I had warned, jocularly, that I knew my people—knew that as much as they were saying they couldn’t wait to buy a copy, it would have been a different story when the book was finally out. I said, ‘Hear laugh when the book come out and nuff ya’all start running away and sehin ya’all ‘broks’. Hear! We’s all Guyanese and we all know ‘bout mouthar and Guitar.’ “But after the book was released in early December (in time for it to be purchased as Christmas gifts), the sale was excellent. What pleased me most was that the majority of Guyanese who bought it were total strangers to me. That meant a lot to me; and in the process, I made a ton of great new, Guyanese friends.” He’s even made some non-Guyanese fans. “One woman from the US. Virgin Islands bought a copy for herself, and another copy for a good Guyanese friend. I also was complimented by a Brazilian anthropologist who said that he spent some time in Guyana, and that he has been following my work. “Guyanese fifty years and older have responded the most. My oldest customer is 93, and in a retirement home in Florida. In all honesty, I set out to target Guyanese who have been too many years in the Diaspora, and missing what will always be home to them: Guyana, and its rich oral culture.” And what does he think is responsible for this positive response? “Most Guyanese, after so many years out of Guyana, still see themselves as individuals proud to be Guyanese. And this goes for Guyanese also at home in Guyana and seeing how fast the authentic Guyanese culture is being traded for other peoples’ culture. I guess that most

The cover of Bascom’s book Guyanese on the eve of celebrating Guyana attaining fifty years as an independent nation, just want to claim their culture back. I believe this 150-page book fits into that need.” Currently, ‘101 WORDS THAT TELL YOU’RE GUYANESE’, is available as a hard copy book that can be bought from Bascom’s Company website: WWW. LAUGHINGPALETTE.COM. The price is two-tiered: $22 USD for residents in the USA; and $25 USD for residents OUT of the USA. All books sold through the above website, come autographed. ‘101 WORDS’ is also available as an eBook for those with Amazon Kindle Readers, or with the Kindle app on whatever electronic device-phone, tablet, iPad, one owns. The price of the Amazon eBook, is $9.99 USD. All one has to do is to log onto Amazon, and type in the name, Harold Bascom in books, choose the ‘101 WORDS’, eBook title, and purchase. **** A LOOK INSIDE ‘101 WORDS THAT TELL YOU’RE GUYANESE’ The following excerpt is from Part 4: ‘More Guyanese words/names in alphabetical order’, Page 110: FAT-FOWL! In Guyanese vernacular, to ‘fat-fowl’ is to seduce a woman with gifts. Example: “Budday… ah see yo fatfowling dat binney badbad!—But ah gon warn yo’!

Dah gyal got plenty brains! —She forehead ent big soh foh nothing! She would tek all yo’ money and ent give yo’ nothing!” “BANNA, YOU ENT KNOW ME!” “I was just like you, Budday. I thought I did know me! But as de saying goes: Experience teaches wisdom. Careful! Dah gyal mek plenty man buss cry! De closest I know any man ever get to that girl after fat-fowling she good, was Thomo!-Yo remember Thomo with de curly hair from de Big yard? Eh?-well dat same Thomo fat-fowl dat girl good -she nearly mek he empty he bank account! And the night she tell ‘e he could come round by she, he go… “End up in she bedroom. You see de moment he tek off he pants and he shorts? Eh?a big, ignorant-lookin’ strong man with muscles all over he face walk in the room-” “An’ wha’ happen?” “AN’ WHA’ HAPPEN?THOMO HAD TO JUMP THROUGH A WINDOW SHUT-TAIL!”

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Sunday January 24, 2016

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Consumer Concerns

Clearing city of vagrants should be part of clean-up campaign By Pat Dial Over the last several months, Government and the Georgetown City Council have been seriously addressing the problem of drainage and cleaning of the City and they have made much progress in the downtown areas. The main stimulus of this fine effort has been the approaching celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Independence and helping to create the necessary infrastructure for our growing Tourist Trade. Clearing the streets and pavements of the scores of vagrants who live and sleep there must be done in tandem with the present Clean-up Campaign. If this is not done simultaneously with the Clean-up Campaign, it will partly negate it. It is not that the “Authorities” are unaware of the problem but they have been dilatory in addressing it. The Ministry of Social Protection, the Ministry of Public Health and the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown each has their role to play but each has felt that the others should be dealing with the problem. The fundamental reason for this shifting of responsibility seems to be the assumption that all the vagrants are the same. In fact, the vagrants could easily fall into three

categories: The first category includes those who are genuinely homeless, who do not have any relatives or children or who do not have the means of renting accommodation. Such persons are usually old, under-fed or suffer from some physical disability. This category is the smallest in number. The second category of vagrants includes those who suffer from mental illnesses. Such illnesses range from Alzheimer to violent schizophrenics. The mentally unstable are probably the largest group. The third category is those who are victims of the use of narcotic drugs such as cocaine and ganja - the “junkies”. This category keeps growing in numbers and will in time overtake the second category in size. These three categories fall naturally within the remit of the various responsible Ministries. For instance, the genuinely homeless would fall naturally to the Ministry of Social Protection or the mentally ill to the Ministry of Public Health. Once the “Authority” or Ministry is aware of the category of the vagrant which comes within their responsibility, they could more easily act. The process of clearing the City of vagrants should begin as early as possible. These few scores of vagrants create the impression to both

residents and visitors alike that Guyana is a country of overwhelming poverty, of neglect of care for the elderly, and of poor medical outreach facilities. Insensitive or even hostile visitors would delight in photographing the vagrants who reside on the eastern pavement of the General Post Office building. Many of the vagrants wander about the City by both night and day and violently attack passersby. For example, some years ago, a mentally deranged vagrant, at Princes and High Streets, threw a coconut at the head of a passerby and killed that person. Or when two young Dutch tourists, a young man and his female companion, were visiting the Promenade

Gardens at mid-morning, a vagrant who had secreted himself suddenly jumped out and stabbed the young lady to death. Or sometimes, they throw stones, glass bottles and other missiles at passersby or even physically assault them. During the last Christmas holiday season, in another instance, a tall and sturdy vagrant, at the busiest time of the day, stood at the corner of Robb Street and Avenue of the Republic and terrorized commuters by lashing out with a long whip at anyone he could. And smashing motor vehicle windscreens is a frequent occurrence. Sometimes they throw mud and filth on parked cars and demand money from

persons walking on the pavements, assaulting those who refuse to give them any or who give them too little. Removal of these vagrants is not an insurmountable task - there are facilities to house the homeless; the ones suffering from mental disease could be sent to the Mental Hospital for treatment; and the victims

of drug abuse - the “junkies” could be rehabilitated or sent to the Mental Hospital. If the City were cleared of these vagrants, downtown pavements would again be clean and sanitary and the City would be a much safer place. The clearing of these vagrants should be an integral part of the “City Clean-up Campaign”.

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Kaieteur News

WANTED One experienced dispatcher –Call: 231-4000 Experienced Cashier and store manager at American Variety Store, Lot 140 Regent & Light Streets. Call: 2251864 SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Building Contractor: drawing of house plan general, home maintenance, free estimateCall: 216-0671; 622-0267; 6928464 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana Passport application. Graphics design, Advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 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: 231-0655; 683-8734. Omar

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

BUILDING MATERIAL DEPOT: CLEANER, 6 DAYS A WEEK, 8AM-4PM @ RUIMVELDT INDUSTRIAL ESTATE. STRONG, HEALTHY & FIT. CALL: 231-8529

2 Male cleaners- Apply at Technical Services Inc, 18-23 Industrial Site, Eccles. E.B.D Female domestic to work in Trinidad, must be educated & know to cook. Between 25-35 years. Call/ text 1868-6831528 1 Farm worker to live in and take care of farm. Call: 2653586 (8am-4pm) Do you need an excavator operator with experienced to work in the interior? Call: 6021594; 626-3537 or 667-3983

Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezers- Call:629-4946 or 225-4822 One experienced domestic to Mahadeo Construction for all work at resident –Call: 697construction, carpentry, 0157 masonry, pluming, painting 1 Live in domestic, salary etc. Free estimates and plan $50,000 monthly-Call: 685Contact # 669-7376 8720, 674-1767 Brian Moe @ 642-3543: Taxi drivers and contract car Computer Technician: FB/ (dispatcher) salary paid for Brian.Moe.165: Home and taxi drivers- Call: 231-0316 Office visits at your comfort!! Girls to work @ restaurant in Building Contractor: the Interior, salary -$80,000, foundation to roof, free monthly- Call: 675-7043; 674estimates. Call: 646-7979 1767; 664-5199 Repairs at affordable prices: One live in maid-Call: 668fridge, air conditioner, 3985; 264-2563 washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezer- One live in waitress 18-25yrs, salary -$60,000 monthly, Call: 610-5846 or 661-8158 boarding & lodging free. Call: 610-3974 Experienced wash bay & janitorial, attractive salary. Call: 646-8748 TOURS Suriname tour (return): Mashramani weekend February 20 th -23 rd 2016. Shopping, site seeing and more. Call: 639-2663; 665-5171

OFFICE CLERK WITH EXPERIENCED, CXC, COMPUTER KNOWLEDGE AND GENERAL OFFICE WORK. POLICE CLEARANCE.RUIMVELDTTEL: 231-8529

Body man/ spray painter; 40yrs plus Indian lady seeks live/live out domestic duties. Good reference. Call: 227-1830 Female to work in Production Department- Call: 644-5151

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 Vehicles for rental: cars, SUV, pickups etc, long term only @ Ray’s Motor Spares and Auto Sales. Call: 231-7839

PEN PAL

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 Hairdressers, nail technician, barbers, also hair & nail stations available for rental location: New Market StreetCall: 638-1106

Hindu Male is seeking female 25yrs and older. Call: 6517263

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 1 Cashier/clerk: apply with written application @ August Beverages Ent. Experience, Maths & English will be an asset. Tel: 225-5501

EDUCATIONAL

Cleaner, office clerk, carpenters, masons, welder fabricator, labourers, housekeeper & drivers, interested person call: 603-4094 Attractive waitress, free meals and accommodation provided- E.B.D, $14,000 weekly. Call/Whatsapp: 6618802

Practical Electronic Course beginning 26 th January. Register early! Call: 226-6551; 225-0391

Network technician to install outdoor internet wireless antennas. Email CV to jobs@awngy.com

Enroll Now! Classes for cake decoration, cakes & pastries, floral arrangements & bridal, classes starts February. Call Sharon: 612-4193; 672-8768; 223-3303

Interested in working in a Private School? Apply POBOX 101818, include your contact number.

Private customs brokerage, training certificate course from 2nd Feb 2016, register now & save –Call: 694-8322; 223-1506 Music 2016!! Register – learn to play musical instruments and train your voice-Call: 225-1151/ 657-8404 International Language Institute Classes for adults & Children, Spanish, English as Second Language, Portuguese, Dutch –Call: 2233556 NURSERY EDUCATION: Living with Dignity Foundation; offers scholarships for students 18months-4yrs. Half & Full day programs. Call: 690-9378

Businessman seeking single female, for Companion/ friendship; Contact Deo- 27 Experiment West Coast Berbice: Text/call 611-9970

VACANCY Popular East Coast Gas Station Day/Night: pump attendants, sales clerk & office assistant. Contact: 6694755; 695-9880, Non-Pareil

Office Assistant: must have Mathematics, English, Accounts and must be computer literate. Call:6500402 MASSAGE Happy Touch Day Spa: Come & Experienced heavens touch, visit us today! –Call: 690-6079

Sunday January 24, 2016

Perkins Mechanic contact 223-5273

General Workers-Call: 2653586 (8am-4pm)

LEARN TO DRIVE

VEHICLE FOR SALE

We buy residential house lots, if the deal is good or take a down payment until we sell. Call: 611-7223; 604-2207

Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel:644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997

Toyota Ipsum automatic, fully loaded, excellent condition, reasonable price. Call: 612-2258

Male security, male desk staff, room attendants, between ages 25-45yrs @ 233 South Road, Lacytown- Call: 225-0198 Hicks Ville Hotel: Receptionist, Hotel Attendant, Washer/Presser, Bell Boy. Email: info@hicksvillehotelguyana. com/call:231-0951 Vegetarian Gardens: driver/ salesman. E-mail: info @ vgiworld. com/ call:223-3448; 227-7714 Accounts clerk: experienced in QuickBooks, accounting software, VAT, NIS & PAYE, @ Technical Services, 18-23 Industrial Site, Eccles.

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: 662-9335; 6123244 SD Real Estate: executive 2 bedrooms Apartment, in exclusive residential area with all modern amenities. Call for appointment Tele 6532920 Prime business place to rent on Sheriff Street for office only. Call: 627-6740/ 227-8644 2 Bedrooms apartment @ Middle Road, La-Penitence $47,000 monthly – Call: 6669534; 226-6374 Refurbished 2 bedrooms apartment at Liliendaal Greater Georgetown (between Bel-Air & UG) parking space. Call: 265-3964 One salon at 214 Shell Road Kitty- Call: 672-0686 Self contained rooms in Prashad Nagar, Wi-Fi available. Call: 227-2993; 6593865 Space to rent: boutique/salon store/office. Simone: 6265317/ 227-0501 Chateau Margot4 Bedrooms, private house located on Chimney Road, E.C.D-Call: 641-3701

TO LET Business place located on Robb Street next to Bourda Market. Call: 623-7731; 629Security Officers, apply in 0636 person. Massey Security (Guyana) Inc, Lot 0 3 Bedrooms upper flat for rent Ruimveldt, Georgetown. Call: at Vreed-en- Hoop –Call: 6610162 225-5773-6

1 Female cleaner apply Technical Services, Lot 18-23 Eccles Industrial Site E.B.D

Massage Therapist & cosmetologist: must be certified in facial waxing, manicure & pedicure. Call: 672-1230; 226-1172

Modernize 2 bedrooms apartment –W.C.D (Vreeden-Hoop) in a safe and healthy environment. Call: 698-6496

Driver / Expediter contact 621-5907 / 223-5273 Manager / Accountant. Requirements: 8 subject CXC including Maths and English, Peachtree would be an asset. info@xen1net.net.

Fully furnished luxury apartment: 3 bedrooms for rent- Call: 603-6351

Hairdressers, nail technician, barbers, also hair & nail stations available for rental location: New Market StreetCall: 638-1106

Eccles apartment includes: cable, internet, A/C, visitors preferable. Call: 233-3974 One bedroom apartment in Middle Road, La Penitence $30,000 monthly- Call: 6122258 Continued on page 63

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

LAND FOR SALE

LAND FOR SALE

PROPERTY FOR SALE

ONE HOUSELOT AT MON REPOS (MARTYRSVILLE) E.C.D, PRICE -$3.9M NEGOTIABLE. CALL: 2200538/645-2395 OR JOEL: 629-5300

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

Property for sale, Grove $20M / Rent: $50,000 per month. Tel: 625-5461.

Eccles-$4.5M, Herstelling (110ftX90ft) -$4.5M, Parfaite Harmonie Main Road- $1.6M, Zeelugt-$1.6M. Call: 6117223; 604-2207

Residential: Ramsville Court, Cove and John 50’X100’ corner, quiet neighbourhood. Call: 2267585 Scheme We are buying lands. Call: Providence 639-8474 or 604-4945, K&R (115ftx81ft) located on a Cul de Sac close to Bai Shan Lin Realty $8.2M negotiable. Call: 601Land for sale in gated 4163; 223-0719 community, Providence Parfaite Harmonie -$ 1.6M, E.B.D -$9.5M negotiable. 1.8M, $1.5M, 1.3M, Tuschen Phone: 621-6888 11 street -$3M with foundation, Phase 2 – $1.4M, -$3M, Terms FOR THE BEST Uitvlugt available – Call: 604-6724 Parfaite Harmonie, house lot, house with land, Belle West W.B.D and Enmore, E.C.D- Call: 604-4945 or 6398474 K&R Realty

ADVERTISING RATE – CALL US ON: 225-8452 OR 226-8210

33 Acres prime agriculture land located at Plantation Flensberg W.B.D-price negotiable-Contact Erick Boodhoo: Call: 654-6229; 6270556

3 Bedrooms concrete house 22feetX48feet, land 50X90feet @ Vision Garden, Versailes, W.B.D – $11M negotiable. Call: 609-1367; 658-5803 2-Flats, 2 bedrooms each, back house –upstairs wooden, downstairs concrete @ 55 Hadfield Street Stabroek, Georgetown. Call Cheryl Ogle: 218-2192; 6518151 3068 Amelia’s Ward Linden: 4 bedrooms, 1 selfcontained-Call: 640-4731; 624-6609 Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities –Call: 662-9335; 612-3244 Hutson Ville E.B.D Bungalow- 3 bedrooms (1 self contained) A/C, hot & cold water, secured-$16M negotiable .Call:625-5431; 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 House in Diamond. Call: 6712294 Front house lot @ 30 Ketley Street, Charlestown -$8M negotiable. Call: 625-1031 One 5 bedrooms, 2 storey & 3 self contained room, was a shop; previously renovated -$24M @ Lot 1313 Norton St. Call: 619-1570 Property @ Lot 87 Albert Street- Call: 669- 8701 2Storey house @ Tuschen New Scheme, with kitchen bathroom & toilet, (2) 3 bedrooms apartment near Public Road & Call CentreCall: 650-2982 One roadside, 2 storey building @ V/Hoop, ground excellent for restaurant or other business –Call: 6540779 House on double lot for sale at West Public Road, Waller’s Delight, W.C.D. Call: 610-8674 70 Acres Transported river side land for $40M negotiable. Call: 678-1575 or 641-6635 Plaisance, Betterhope, B.V, Diamond, Parfaite Harmonie, Land of Canaan Public Road$60M negotiable. Call: 6416635 or 678-1575 LAND FOR SALE 1-Houselot @ lot 18 Kingston Berbice Corentyne –Call: 676-2174

Page 63

From page 62 VEHICLE FOR SALE 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 BMW 318i- $2.9M, BMW 320i- $4M, Audi A4- $4M, Suzuki Escudo- $4M, new model Premio- $3M- Contact# 650-0402/260-4988 1 Mitsubishi open back canter truck, single wheel and good driving condition -$600,000. Call: 684-8231; 661-9447

FOR SALE 1290 MF tractor in good work order. Call: 614-9262 Mark 2 Car & Mannequins, display clothing rack. Call Simone: 626-5317; 227-0501 Students’ combination: chairs/desk with steel frames and padded seats. Excellent condition, excellent price Call: 619-8761 Computer games for sale, wholesale and retail, largest selection-Call: 675-2239

New model Premio 2007 model $3.1M negotiable. Pre-order Allion, Premio, Bluebird 2006 model- Call: 655-3400

AMERICAN BULLY DOGS, REMYLINE & GOTTILINECONTACT HARRY: 6100068/220-7933, WHATSAPP: 667-4845

Toyota Hilux , Toyota wagon , food mobile canter contact 621-5907 / 223-5273

LX 210 Yamaha, Jet Boat with 2 135HP engines and trailerTel: 642-9486; 696-8534

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

Toyota Wish (7seats), PKK series, excellent condition & one owner -$1.3M. Call: 6989771

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

TAXI SERVICES GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)

Modified Toyota Glanza$1M, 2005 Nissan Frontier 4 Wheel drive -$3M negotiable. Owner migratingContact: 614-2659 One extra cab gasoline automatic 4 wheel/drive Toyota Hilux GSS series$3.5M-Call: 654-0779

ADORABLE PUPPIES FOR SALE. CALL: 6004212 Crazy Deals: Dell/HP desktop & laptop computers from $49,000, free games & educational programs @ FutureTech: 231-2206 1,500 lb snapper sein e i n excellent condition. Call: 6570044 One Yamaha 2007 R1 with chrome rims. Call: 662-2569

26" Mountain Bicyle & Speed -$12,000 each. Call: 226-1316; 691-0230 House and land @ 118 Akawini Street, Section ‘K’ Campbellvilee. Price $37M negotiable. Call: 641-3532/ 651-8172 1-620-240 DAF Engine, foreign used, 1 Canter GNN 722, 1 Twin Steer CF DAF, GSS 5964. Call: 228-5655; 6281756 TM 6X6 parts for sale: engines, gearbox, power box, def, drive shaft, etc. Call: 6017001 1 Complete music set and also studio equipment (music studio). Call: 265-3586 (8am4pm) 290 MF Tractor- $1.4M, 330TK Bedford dump truck$1.2M; in working order-Call: 614-9262; 604-2540

Sliver Nissan Murand, Late PNN series- $6M –Call: 6815548 or 695-5701 One Toyota Mark 2 Grande for sale PKK series, owner leaving country, price $1.5M negotiable. Call: 601-4163

Wholesale & Retail quantity of all types of belts –Call: 670-2343

Toyota Runx; PPP 560 $1.65M. Call: 676-5229

2006 325i BMW 37000 mileage, American StandardCall: 676-2174 Unregistered fielder wagon 2003, roof rack, rear spoiler, dark interior, body kit, fog, TV-Call: 617-5536

Earth Delivery on spot, also bobcat & excavator rental. Call: 617-5536

Lots @ Blankenburg behind the gas station- $3.9M- Call Us Today: 650-0402

2008 Fielder- fully loaded vehicle, never registered $2.5M- Call: 617-2891 1 Toyota 4X4 Hilux surf, excellent condition -$1.1M negotiable- Call: 684-8231; 661-9447 One Accent Hyundai $225,000.Call: 695-1744

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

LAND FOR SALE Transported Corner Lot Garnette & Republic Streets Newtown Kitty 58.4X30.8, ideal for business – Call: 6450616 (no agents) Land in Diamond -$5M, Parfaite-$1.5M, $2M, Schoonord -$3M, Herstelling -$4M. Call: 6416635 or 678-1575

Wooden building structure in Georgetown, ideal for house lot owner, price is negotiableCall: 227-4285 One (8) eight inches river dredge -$2M. Call: 661-9431 1 Chicago 7¼” circular saw, all in one multi-function tool (cutter, grinder, sawder). Call: 621-9604; 694-1748 One long base RZ mini bus EFI gear shift, BKK 5784, price $700,000 negotiable. Call: 612-5738

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2016

STANDARDS IN FOCUS

GNBS PROVIDED CRUCIAL METROLOGY SERVICES IN 2015

Impacted Wisdom Teeth By Dr. NerominiFagu Let’s continue our discussion about wisdom teeth from last week by looking at impacted wisdom teeth.An impacted tooth is any tooth that is prevented by tissue, bone, or another tooth from reaching its normal position in the mouth. In simplest terms, it is a tooth that has failed to erupt in its expected position in the mouth. The most commonly impacted teeth are the wisdom teeth and the next most common are the canines. Some people are fortunate enough never to have problems with their wisdom teeth and can maintain them for a lifetime. Generally, wisdom teeth are extracted for two reasons. The first reason is because they are impacted and causing pain and the second is because they have the potential to cause problems later on. Impactions are classified according to the angle of impaction and the type of tissue involved. There are four angles of impaction: mesial, vertical, distal and horizontal. Mesial Impaction

The mesial impaction is the most common type and is where the wisdom tooth is angled towards the front of the mouth and pushing against the tooth in front of it. Sometimes the wisdom tooth becomes partially erupted where only the back of the tooth pokes out of the gum. This can also lead to food being trapped between the two teeth and causing them to decay. Vertical Impaction The vertical impaction is where the tooth is positioned almost normally, but it needs removing because it is pushing against the side of the tooth in front of it or against the bones at the back of the mouth. It can also cause the surrounding gum area to get infected if it is partially erupted. Distal Impaction The distal impaction is the exact opposite of the mesial impaction as the tooth is angled towards the back of the mouth. It is a less common type of impaction and its removal will depend on how much of an angle it is at. Horizontal Impaction The horizontal impaction is probably the worst kind of

Dr. Neromini Fagu impaction to have as the tooth is lying on its side pointing to the one in front of it. Because it is in the jawbone, some amount of bone removal and tooth sectioning may be needed for the extraction. If the tooth is not removed it can be painful and damage the surrounding teeth. A panoramic x-ray is the best x-ray to view wisdom teeth and diagnose their problems. The wisdom teeth in the upper jaw are located close to the sinuses and care must be taken to avoid perforations that will lead to an opening between the sinus and the mouth. In the lower jaw, the wisdom teeth are located close to the mandibular nerve and trauma to this nerve may result in permanent damage to it. The extraction of wisdom teeth should only be done by dental professionals with proper training in performing such surgeries. As with all surgical procedures there are risks for complications but these risks can be reduced if you see an experienced dentist or oral surgeon. Make sure you are given all the information regarding the procedure and don’t be afraid to ask questions. For more information contact OMNI DENTAL at 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown Tel: 227-0025, Parika Tel: 260-3133 or send emails to nerominifagu@hotmail.com.

Under the National Weights and Measures Programme, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), with support from the various weights and measures offices countywide, continued to effectively provide services during the past year. The verification and monitoring of weighing and measuring devices used in commercial trade was conducted for stakeholders in the various sectors of Guyana including the manufacturing, agricultural and retail sectors to protect consumers and maintain equity in trade. During 2015, importers and local manufacturers continued to submit their devices to the Bureau for initial verification before these devices were offered for sale or put into use. As a result, 588 scales, 1445 masses and 1580 electricity meters were submitted for verification. For weighing and measuring devices already in use, however, there was a slight decline last year in the number of devices verified (stamped) when compared to the previous year. These devices included those already in use at shops, markets and other locations such as supermarkets, hospitals, clinics, health centers, manufacturing companies, fish complexes, rice mills, sugar and food factories, airlines, post offices, petrol stations and bulk terminals. A total of 7,740 scales, 16,525 masses, 40 measures and four measuring rules were subsequently verified during last year. In addition, 1,616 petrol pumps, 43 storage tanks, 157 tanker wagon compartments and 230 bulk meters were verified mainly for stakeholders in the petroleum and manufacturing

sectors. Surveillance activities, which involved the inspection of weighing and measuring devices used at shops and markets countrywide, were conducted routinely during the year to ensure that these devices were verified and were in acceptable condition. As a result, 3,448 stalls/ premises countrywide were visited. During these visits, 399 scales, 347 masses, and 16 measures were seized and removed because they were either inaccurate, unverified or in a deplorable condition. In 2016, the GNBS intends to intensify its verification and surveillance campaigns to ensure greater compliance by users of weighing and measuring devices. In addition, the Bureau will continue to work towards building its capacity to provide more effective and efficient Metrology services across Guyana. Efforts to achieve this include making such services available in all Administrative Regions of Guyana, including Region Eight. It also requires continued collaboration with other key

Government agencies such as the Guyana Energy Agency and the Guyana Rice Development Board to ensure that devices used in the Petroleum and Rice sectors are verified as required, and the establishment of a new collaborative arrangement with the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure devices used in the Fishery sector are submitted for verification. Finally, in order to strengthen the Legal Metrology programme in Guyana, the passing of the newly drafted Metrology Bill and Regulations in Parliament is required. The Bureau has already conducted consultation sessions countrywide with stakeholders including the general public to ensure that the proposed draft legislation is comprehensive. A new Metrology Act and Regulations will allow the Bureau to more efficiently and effectively serve all stakeholders within the various sectors of the country, and ensure equity in trade. For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org

Guyanese dies at Port Kaituma -after shooting incident in Venezuela Police are trying to ascertain how a 21-year-old Guyanese ended up dead at Port Kaituma with a gunshot injury he sustained in Venezuela. The victim, identified as Keron Caleb, succumbed around 15.45 hrs yesterday, shortly after being taken to the Port Kaituma Hospital with a gunshot wound to the upper thigh. A police official said that they have received reports that Caleb shot himself while playing with a firearm.

The incident occurred at an area in Venezuela which is some four hours drive from Port Kaituma. Caleb is said to have worked with a gold mining company in the Spanish-speaking territory. A Port Kaituma resident said that Caleb was still alive and was communicating with his Guyanese counterparts who had brought him to Port Kaituma. However, his condition deteriorated and he died before he could receive treatment.

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

India roars back to Davos to seek overseas investment Reuters - Colourful lions adorn a salon on the main street of Davos, inviting visiting business leaders to “Make in India”. Optimism about the world’s fastest growing economy contrasts with the economic gloom facing other emerging markets and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra encapsulates a renewed confidence among Indian business and political leaders at the 2016 World Economic Forum. This year’s Davos push, led by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, has stirred memories of the ill-fated and extravagant 2006 “India Everywhere” marketing campaign that had aimed to showcase a resurgent India as a destination for foreign investment to rival China. But the ruling party was routed soon after in elections and subsequent years laid bare India’s frailties; its woeful infrastructure, inability to deliver reforms and a huge balance of payments deficit put it in the Fragile Five group of emerging markets seen at most risk of financial crisis. That has all changed, and the 140-plus strong India contingent at Davos is confident the turnaround this time is for real, driven by efforts at reform and falling oil import costs. “India will be a shining star, the I in the BRICs constellation is giving hope to the rest of the world that we won’t fall in the same trap that most of the world is in, that of slow growth,” Indian telecommunications tycoon Sunil Bharti Mittal told a panel at the World Economic Forum, Indeed, the other BRIC emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India and China - are wrestling with problems. The first

two are in a second year of recession, while this week China posted its weakest growth in 25 years. India has finally taken on the mantle of the world’s fastest growing big economy; its equities and bonds are favourites with emerging market investors who are betting that growth will accelerate further. What’s more, direct bricks-and-mortar foreign investment flows into India jumped 75 percent over 2015, according to a report this week from United Nations trade body UNCTAD. Davos regulars feel India may actually have something to crow about. A PWC survey of more than 1,400 global CEOs found India to be the rare bright spot among big economies, with rising confidence in shortterm sales growth. “I think they are doing it (Davos) more quietly this time, I think that’s good. Let China take all the heat and just keep your head down,” said Martin Gilbert CEO of Aberdeen Asset Management, who counts India as one of his favourite markets. But India has plenty to worry about. Key reforms on land and tax remain elusive. Latest data, showing a 15 percent year-on-year decline in exports, is proof enough that India cannot escape the fallout of a global slowdown stemming from China Neeraj Kanwar, vice chairman of Apollo Tyres, should be rejoicing in falling costs of rubber and energy. Instead, he is fretting about the weakening yuan and the possibility of more competitive currency devaluations in China and the rest of Asia.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2016

PM: Witnesses who stay silent unpatriotic …troops called out

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley arrives for a press conference at the J Hamilton Room of the Parliament, at Tower D, International Waterfront Centre, Port-of-Spain, Friday. Also in photo is Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie, left, and Finance Minister Colm Imbert. Photo: SHIRLEY BAHADUR Trinidad Guardian - Soldiers are to return to the streets of T&T immediately to assist in searching and taking out criminals, and they will become a permanent fixture. The decision came in the wake of the outrageous killing of two schoolboys on their way home in Laventille, on Thursday, by gunmen who dragged them out of a taxi and shot them dead. Facing criticism over the surge in murders which now stand at 33 in 22 days, Prime Minister Keith Rowley announced at a media briefing in Parliament, Friday, that soldiers would be assigned to patrol crime hotspots. Rowley, National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and Minister in the Ministry of the

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Stuart Young held a news conference at the Parliament Friday to outline measures to combat the spate of murders. Rowley said, Friday, he had “instructed Dillon to instruct the Defence Force to operate in conditions determined by them, within the laws of T&T, virtually permanently, on the streets where criminals have armed themselves and have determined the population is in siege.” Asked what will be different about this return of soldiers to the nation’s streets, Rowley said: “This time they will stay.” He said the crime situation usually got worse when the soldiers were taken off the

streets. The PM said while he expected some citizens to complain about this initiative, he insisted he preferred to hear those complaints “than to watch your children being slaughtered in their school uniform.” Rowley said the police and other security services “had no idea who were the ones that would have done what was done yesterday (Thursday).” He called on citizens to share information with the authorities to help solve and prevent such murders. Rowley said the law provides for the Defence Force to operate “freely and unimpeded in the presence of the police,” and “given what we are facing in this escalation of lawlessness, that the appropriate response must be forthcoming and it must be forthwith.” In response to a question on his comment in Parliament days ago about there being no murder spike in the country, Dillon said it was not his responsibility to “create a state of panic and be alarmist in T&T because the fear of crime is worse than crime itself.” Dillon said, in response to another question, “Wherever the criminals are we are going to search and take them out legally.” Rowley and Dillon extended condolences to the family of the deceased students.

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

Page 67

No place for corporal Bandits duct tape, terrorise punishment in Guyana and rob Regent Street staff By Abena Rockcliffe President David Granger is all for the abolition of corporal punishment in Guyana. In fact, he has said that the biblical quote, “Spare the rod and spoil the child” is “backward.” During a recent interview, Granger told reporters that there was a time when people confirmed faithfully to that guidance. “There was a time when (corporal punishment) was typical. People thought, spare the rod and spoil the child, but I think that is ancient and backward.” The President said that a caring parent should use non physical means to uphold discipline within the home. According to him, nonphysical forms of discipline will foster psychological health. The President said that the child will learn to handle conflicts responsibly. “When he or she goes to school they will already know how to reconcile with other children and when he or she gets married that child will already know how to solve conflict” said Granger. Granger said that a child who is taught to solve a conflict by violent means will continue that cycle. “What we see happening in Guyana today is that many adults, as reported in the newspaper, can only deal with conflict by getting physical. You’re in the minibus; someone opens the window and rains come in and there seems to be only one way to deal with that. You go to a wedding house someone dances with your wife; that person may die.” President Granger said, “We need to remove all forms of corporal punishment from the school and in the home. Maybe 50 years, 100 years ago it might have been typi-

- President Granger

President, David Granger cal but the days of going into a class room or a home and seeing the wild cane have passed. Intelligent educated parents must use different means which do not involve the application of force.” Education Ministry guidelines on maintaining order speak to the regulated and documented use of corporal punishment in schools as a last resort, which must be sanctioned by the head teacher. Children have, over the years, suffered injuries as a result of corporal punishment, and, in many cases, the teachers responsible for the injuries were not authorized to administer corporal punishment by their superiors. There was a reported case of a student of West Ruimveldt Primary School who was severely beaten with a bamboo wrapped with adhesive tape because he had allegedly taken fire crackers to school. Minister of Educa-

tion Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine had declared that the abolition of corporal punishment in the nation’s schools is high on his agenda. “The environment cannot be a learning one if the problem of corporal punishment persists,” asserted Dr. Roopnaraine. Corporal punishment, the minister posited, serves only as a demonstration of psychological scarring; additionally, he asserted that it is time classrooms are transformed into ideal places of learning. The minister revealed that he intends to do whatever he could to adjust the relevant legislation and will, with every fiber of his being, strive to eradicate this problem from schools. The Ministry of Education in 2007 had conducted a survey on the use of corporal punishment in schools. The survey revealed that 53 percent of schools use corporal punishment as a means of maintaining discipline.

In an ordeal that lasted about an hour, bandits yesterday carried out a daring daylight robbery on a Regent Street store. Staffers were reportedly duct-taped and terrorised. Some time around 8:30 am, the staff of Klassic Kollections, located on Regent and Alexander Streets, were pounced upon by five unmasked men as they were reporting to work. Based on reports, the perpetrators carted off $130, 000 and US$40 before fleeing the scene in a waiting car. One staff member recalls opening the gate for a car which is usually parked in the store, to exit when the men – one armed with a gun – walked into the building, closed the door and ushered everyone to the centre of the building. “They duct tape us, saying how they don’t want hurt us and how they only want the boss man money,” the teary-eyed woman recalled. The woman said that she was too upset to recall how many staffers were present and everything that took place. However, she said that several persons were dealt blows to the head and other parts of the body. The woman stated that after the men obtained the money, they boarded a “silver car” and fled the scence. An Indian national, believed to be the owner of the establishment, refused to provide any additional information saying that they wished not to publicise the incident. He said this as he caressed the top of his head with a cotton rag. Police investigations are currently ongoing.

Klassic Kollections, Regent and Alexander Streets Georgetown.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2016

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

New athletics season begins with Development Meet The new athletics season began Friday night at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Ground, Camp Ayanganna with the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Development Meet that showcased some of Guyana’s best talent under floodlights. The well-intentioned occasion was slow out the blocks owed to a late start, locked venue that left some participating clubs waiting at the gate. When they gained entry, another delay ensued to get the northern lights on while the athletes waited to compete. When things finally got going around 6:45pm, the most notable feature was the number of fresh faces that were beaming around the venue.

When Kaieteur Sport inquired, we were told the AAG has selected an elite squad from the National Schools’ Championships. However, that aside, the usual prodigies were at their best; quarter miler, Avon Samuels defeated Natricia Hopper in the Women’s 600 metres. Samuels clocked 1:35.9 seconds and Hooper 1:36.7 seconds in another of their many epic rivalries. Kezre Murray (1:42.9s) was third. Samuel Lynch ran 1: 21.1 over 600m in the Under-18 category. Nigel Gonsalves finished second in 1:21.9 while Kareem Purch (1:23.4) was third. Natrena Hooper won the triple jump with a leap of 12.19m ahead of sister, Natricia, who jumped 11.94m

for second. Linden’s long jump phenom, Chantoba Bright was third with a leap of 11.80 metres. Julio Sinclair threw 38.76m to win the Shot Putt Men. Leon Spelling was second with a throw of 36.22m. The multi-talented Emmanuel Archibald, who is more known on the basketball court, ran 8.8s to win the 80m. Linton Mentis and Morris Gibson clocked 8.9s for joint second. Natrena Hooper was the fastest female of the night over the 150m distance with a time of 16.7s. Kenisha Phillips ran 17.7s over the same distance for the second fastest time. Linden’s Compton Caesar and Davin Fraser were the fastest men over 300m, both clocking 33.3 seconds.

Sunday January 24, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may be emotional if you allow your lover to take advantage of your good nature. Be quiet about your intentions or ideas that might bring added cash. Concentrate on yourself or your work. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Knowledge can be acquired if you listen. You will have the discipline to make changes you feel are necessary. You will attract new love interests. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Travel will be most enticing. Consider a cruise. Pamper yourself for a change. You may have more to do with children today; keep an open mind. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Discuss your objectives with peers or lovers. Your passionate nature may make you jealous if your mate has been too busy to take care of your needs. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You can make a serious attempt at quitting those bad habits that you've picked up over the years. Stay calm and focus on things that will help you understand the situation better. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You could be cornered, so be prepared to tell the truth. Don't allow personal problems to conflict with professional duties.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A passionate party for two might be just the remedy. You need to control your temper and deal with the situation rationally. Keep your feelings to yourself if you want to avoid embarrassment. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Discrimination will be in order. Control your temper when dealing with your emotional partner. You mustn't give too much to your children. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Don't let friends convince you that you should contribute to something you don't believe in. Your ability to take hold of a situation will surely bring you popularity and leadership. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Be cautious who you deal with financially. You mustn't make promises that you won't be able to keep. A residential move may be in order. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You can help sort out problems that friends are facing. Don't let your personal partner hold you back or slow you down. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) This will not be the best day to make changes or renovations to your residence. Your involvement with children will be most rewarding. Don't get involved in other people's private doings.

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T&T beat Barbados by 72 runs... (From page 66) (54-1; 11.3 overs). His opening partner Kyle Hope, aiming to play through the onside to a full length delivery, was leg before wicket by medium-pacer Smith for 34 (722; 16.3 overs). Left-hander Kjorn Ottley, driving at a flighted ball, was well caught, low at cover by Benn off off-spinner Nurse for ten (78-3; 19.4 overs). Captain Jason Mohammed, driving, was caught at longoff by Brooks off left-arm spinner Benn for 31 (153-4; 33.4 overs). Ramdin, swinging across a slower ball, was bowled by Carlos Brathwaite for 26 (210-5; 43.2 overs). Bravo, driving at a wide ball outside the of stump, was

caught at the wicket by Hope (deputising for Dowrich who left the field after a collision with Nurse), off pacer Holder (253-6; 48.1 overs). And Richards was run out by a throw from Carter to Hope, for nine (270-7; 50 overs). Emrit was unbeaten on 18. When 24 with the score 135 for three in the 30th over (fourth ball), Mohammed clearly edged Benn to Dowrich as he pushed tentatively outside the off stump, but a raucous appeal was turned down by umpire Patrick Gustard of Jamaica. As Mohammed got a single off the next ball and reached the non-striker’s end, an up-

set Benn could clearly be heard telling him “you know you edge it, too”. Bowling: Holder 8-1-54-1 (w3, nb1), Nurse 9-0-42-1 (w2), C. Brathwaite 10-1-54-2 (w6), Benn 8-0-42-1, Smith 7-0-32-1 (nb1), Warrican 5-0-16-0 (w1), Carter 3-0-28-0 (w2). Scores: T&T 270/7: Bravo 97, J Mohamed 31, Hope 34: Holder1/54, C Brathwaite 2/54, Smith1/32, Nurse1/42, Ben 1/42. Barbados 198: Benn 27*, Warrican 24, S. Hope 50, C. Brathwaite 46, Dowrich 14, Holder 14; Wkts: Richards 2/38, Emrit 3/46, Jaggesar 2/30, Deo 1/26, Hosein 2/55. Result: Trinidad & Tobago won by 72 runs.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul announces... (From page 71) former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, had provided enough hints that they had moved past Chanderpaul as they ignored him for the various series in the last eight months. Chanderpaul was also not part of the 15 players handed annual contracts by the WICB in December. Last June Chanderpaul had said he would decide by the end of the year when he would exit the international scene. “Definitely, but I am on the outside, just waiting to see what is happening,” Chanderpaul told cricket365.com, when asked if he wanted to play Tests again. “Retirement isn’t on the cards at the moment. Not for now, probably the ending of the year maybe then.” That his desire to play on continued to be strong was evident from the fact that he remained part of the regional domestic tournaments and, in fact, played his last match just three days ago, in the semifinal of the Nagico Super50 one-day tournament for Guyana. The WICB said in a release that Chanderpaul formally notified the board “in an email that he will no longer be available for selection for West Indies”. “The WICB acknowledges the invaluable contribution Shiv has made to the game globally, and we wish him all the best,” WICB president Dave Cameron said. One big reason for Chanderpaul to re-think his international career could be his involvement with the Masters Champions League (MCL), a tournament for players who have left all professional forms of the game including domestic cricket, which begins on January 28 in Dubai. To participate in the MCL, players have to get noobjection certificates from

their respective boards stating that they have retired from all forms of cricket. Incidentally, till Thursday the WICB had not been approached for an NOC by any player. Chanderpaul was signed for $30,000 to represent Gemini Arabians in the tournament. Chanderpaul is only the second modern-day player, after Sachin Tendulkar, whose career stretched over two decades. He might not have been as celebrated and revered as Tendulkar, but Chanderpaul had worked hard, quietly, to become one of the strongest pillars of West Indies cricket. He scored 30 Test centuries and averaged 51.37 in the

format, and held numerous records that are likely to last for a long time, including batting for more than 25 hours in a Test series between dismissals - he did it against India in 2002, when he faced 1050 consecutive deliveries without losing his wicket. Unorthodox stance and great determination aside, Chanderpaul never allowed his emotions to overpower him or pour over on the outside. Perhaps that reserved nature of his explained why he led West Indies only 14 times in Tests. He also played 268 ODIs for 8778 runs at 41.60 (the last of which was during the 2011 World Cup), and 22 T20Is.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2016

“Tough underfoot conditions for final stages of WICB-NAGICO 2016 Tournament!” Colin E. H. Croft Whichever team; defending 2015 champions Trinidad & Tobago Red Force or al-

ways determined opponents Barbados Pride; would have won yesterday’s WICBNAGICO Super-50 2016 final, that team would have had to

overcome two “demons” to be victorious. Obviously, they must have played better than their opponents to win, but winning also meant that they had overcome underfoot uncertainties, as pitches prepared for the final stages had been spongy and conducive to spin, hardly situations to produce attractive batting and high run scoring. Semi-final No. 1; Guyana Jaguars v Red Force; was a difficult game for both teams. Batsmen struggled to come to terms with the slow, almost tennis-ball bounce of the pitch. Only batsmen with acuity for feet movements, ala T&T’s Darren Bravo, or with excellent timing and hitting, like Guyana’s Anthony Bramble, had abilities to negotiate such pitches. Batting first, T&T still could not come close to 300! In semi-final No. 2, Windward Islands Volcanoes players, like the Jaguars, appeared jet-lagged from the short trip from St Kitts to T&T, so laboured were movements. For Volcanoes not to have made 200 batting first was extraordinarily disappointing, as that 2nd semi-final pitch, while still not great, was good enough for at least 230, and was definitely an improvement on the pitch used for semi-final No. 1. Even with Dwayne Smith’s dubious LBW off Mervyn Matthew’s first delivery, batting was always relatively easier for Pride, and especially Kraigg Brathwaite, who looked in good touch.

Recently, West Indies captain Jason Holder lamented that most pitches in the Caribbean have not been conducive to big scores. But why is that so nowadays? West Indies Cricket Board has a regional pitch consultant who, in the past, has helped to produce good pitches in other parts of the Caribbean. So why is it so difficult to do so regularly at QPO? Sitting with another former WI fast bowler Mervyn Dillon for T&T v Guyana, we came to the same conclusion that the pitch for semi-final No. 1 was quite poor for such an important one-day game. Remember, performances in this tournament were being used as yardsticks for possible selectees for ICC World T-20 2016 in March. Merve made a telling observation, one that I agree with, and know of, from playing club cricket in T&T back in 1975 and while playing for WI in international games at QPO in 1970’s and 1980’s. “Crofty, I played my club cricket in T&T right here at Queen’s Park Oval. Every weekend, depending on the opposition, we literally ordered pitch conditions to suit which style we wanted. Always, without exception, we had what we asked for, might it have been a fast bouncy pitch, or one that spun or turned, depending on our bowling strengths at the time. So how come that cannot be so nowadays? These pitches are just not good enough for this competition.”

In the distant past, Sabina Park, in Jamaica, had been mostly hard, glossy, fast and bouncy, very occasionally inconsistent. We sometimes thought that we had actually been bowling on glass, those pitches being so good for both runs and wickets. Kensington Oval in Barbados was probably the best suited for even cricket. Pitches there were normally fast and bouncy too, but very consistent, so that batsmen could play true strokes and get right rewards for their efforts, while wickets were always on the offing. Bourda Oval in Guyana was not fast but was ‘firm’. If a good quick bowler put his back into proceedings, he could get wickets. Overall, though, Bourda was almost always the best suited pitch for batsmen, for trueness of bounce there could only very seldom have been faulted. From 1981, Antigua Recreation Ground’s proper bounce and consistent pace allowed for great cricket and many records. Now used mostly for soccer, that venerable ground had produced excellent international cricket over time. QPO back then was the enigma too. Batting first was sometimes a lottery, as WI opener Roy Fredericks found out v India in 1971. His first ball from medium-trundler Syed Abid Ali never rose more than an inch off the ground – proverbial ‘shooter’ – which uprooted “Freddo’s” off stump. WI lost. Yet, in 1981, WI, batting first v England, won after making over 400

runs! QPO used to be slick early on any first day of a Test too, but with so many confusing weather patterns, and starts of 50-overs games slated for mid-afternoons, any preparation moisture in the square would have been absorbed or would have evaporated long before play started. Yet one should expect that, with modern technology and soil engineering skills, pitches at QPO should still have been much better than those produced for this WICB-NAGICO 2016 tournament. Many might argue that batsmen of all opposing teams have to endure the same underfoot conditions. That might be so, but batting confidence need not be undermined by poor pitches. Thus, special efforts should be made by WICB to ensure that all pitches will be in the best shape possible for our two next international hosting duties; India v WI Test series and that tri-series featuring Australia, South Africa and WI. Those pitches must simply be excellent! Enjoy! E-mail address c.e.h.croft@gmail.com

T&T beat Barbados by 72 runs to retain title in NAGICO Super50, Final Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, (www.bcacricket.org) Trinidad & Tobago Red Force beat Barbados Pride by 72 runs in the Day/Night Final of the WICB NAGICO Super50 Championship to retain the title at Queen’s Park Oval yesterday. Set 271 to win in 50 overs, Barbados Pride were bowled out for 198 in 42.5 overs. Shai Hope topscored for the Pride with 50 off 92 balls including four boundaries. All-rounder Carlos Brathwaite made 46 off 32 balls with six fours and two sixes. Hope and Carlos Brathwaite added 59 in 12 overs for the seventh wicket. Last wicket pair Jomel Warrican (24) and Sulieman Benn (27 not out) put on 49 in 8.3 overs. Seamer Rayad Emrit was the leading wicket-taker with

three for 46 off 9.5 overs. In the Barbados innings, Dwayne Smith, essaying a big drive, was caught at third man by Emrit off pacer Marlon Richards for five (5-1; 1.2 overs). His opening partner Kraigg Brathwaite, also driving, was bowled off the inside edge by Emrit for five (10-2; 2.5 overs). Left-hander Jonathan Carter, favouring the drive as well, was bowled off the inside edge by Emrit for nought (22-3; 7 overs). Shamarh Brooks, pushing forward tentatively, was caught at the wicket by Denesh Ramdin off Richards for two (31-4; 9.4 overs). Captain Jason Holder, prodding, was caught by Ramdin off off-spinner JonRuss Jaggesar for 14 (63-5; 15.5 overs). Shane Dowrich, cutting, was bowled by

Jaggesar for 14 (80-6; 19.4 overs). Carlos Brathwaite, sweeping, was given out leg before wicket by umpire Lennox Abarham with the ball clearly pitched outside the leg stump, off off-spinner Narsingh Deonarine (139-7; 31.4 overs). Ashley Nurse, swinging, was caught at point by Deonarine off left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein for two (142-8; 32.3 overs). Shai Hope, driving, was caught at short third man by Deonarine off Hosein (149-9; 34.2 overs) and Warrican was bowled by Emrit (198 all out; 42.5 overs). Bowling: Emrit 9.5-0-46-3, Richards 8-0-38-2 (w2), Jaggesar 9-1-30-2 (w2), Hosein 10-1-55-2 (w1), Deonarine 6-1-26-1. The Red Force had scored 270 for seven off 50 overs af-

ter they were sent in. Darren Bravo sustained his fine form by hitting the topscore of 97 his third consecutive halfcentury. Left-hander Bravo faced 104 balls and struck eight fours and two sixes. Bravo reached his half-century off 69 balls with four fours and one six, picking up a single and taking the score to 165 for four after 37.2 overs. He was dropped on 53 by wicket-keeper Dowrich, diving to his left, as he flashed at pacer Carlos Brathwaite with the score 173 for four after 39.1 overs. Carlos Brathwaite was the leading wicket-taker with two for 54 off ten overs. Lefthander Evin Lewis, trying to run a ball down to third man, was caught by Dowrich off Carlos Brathwaite for 25 (Continued on page 65)

Sunday January 24, 2016

Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition -Four matches on today Chase Academy holders of the Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition title commenced the defence of their quest to retain the crown with an emphatic 50 thumping of Tucville yesterday, at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue. The game saw the young Tucville side produce an impressive defensive display in the opening segment, before Ryan Hackett opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, hitting a left footer from the left side of the box into the back of the net to take a 1-0 advantge at the half. In the second period, Ralph Parris made it 2-0 in the 44th minute, smashing his effort from the left side of the box through the legs of the Tucville custodian into the back of the goal. The diminutive Kelsey Benjamin was not to be left out of the spree as he entered the scoresheet four minutes later, after collecting a cross from the right side to finish

Kaieteur News

Reigning champion Chase Academy open defence in ominous form with clinical efficiency. The scoreline reached 4-0 in the 60th minute after Parris booted in his second, racing into the right side of the box, before unleashing a thunderous right footer past the goalkeeper. Parris then returned to complete a treble in the 65th minute with a perfectly placed shot into the lower left corner from a pass sent into the penalty area. Meanwhile, Kingston Secondary rebounded from a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 with last year’s losing finalist Dolphin Secondary. Leon Richardson gave Dolphin the lead from a penalty kick in the 16th minute, before returning to add a second in the 46th to make it 2-0. However, Levi Williams started the comeback in the 57th minute, before Vincent Thomas added the other in the 63rd to earn a draw. Cummings Lodge took a similar route to salvage a 2-2 draw against St. Mary’s. Trailing 2-0 at the half time interval following a brace from Alyne Haynes in the 24th and 31st minute, Cummings Lodge aided by a pair from Shaquille Inniss in the 43rd and 58th minutes managed to share the points.

East Ruimveldt beat St. Winifride 2-1 through goals from Kenrick Lewis and Brian James in the 22nd and 61st minutes respectively, while Michael Joseph in the 56th minute made the lone response for the losers Action in the event continues today at the same venue with four matches. At 11:00hrs, Brickdam tackle St. Joseph’s High, while Morgan Learning Centre engage North Ruimveldt at 12:30hrs. In the third encounter at 14:00hrs, Lodge Secondary oppose North Georgetown, while at 15:30hrs Queen’s College go up against Houston Secondary. In the day’s full results: Game-1 East Ruimveldt-2 vs St. Winifred-1 East Scorers Kenrick Lewis-22nd Brian James-61st St. Winifred Scorer Michael Joseph-56th Game-2 Cummings Lodge-2 vs St. Mary’s-2 St. Mary’s Scorer Alyne Haynes-24th and 31st Cummings Lodge Scorer Shaquille Innis-43rd and 58th

GCA’s Trophy Stall, GISC and Star Party Rentals Cricket

Barnwell, Savory hits tons, four bowlers claim 5-wkt hauls By Sean Devers National all-rounder Chris Barnwell again stamped his authority at the local level with a blistering 166, teenager Kemol Savory registered his third first division century and off-spinner Cohen Ismond grabbed 5-37 including a hattrick as hosts DCC put themselves in a commanding position to win outright early today against GYO in latest action in the GCA’s Trophy Stall, GISC and Star Party Rentals two-day first division Cricket tournament yesterday. Kellon Carmichael’s took the first five wickets to end with 5-25 which along with blistering half-centuries from Eton Baker and Orin Forde spearheaded home team Malteenoes to first innings points against GNIC despite 5-16 from Ryan Shun. At Everest, Troy Gonsalves’ 5-69 and an unbeaten 72 from Tagenarine Chanderpaul supported by Akshaya Persaud 64 left Everest well placed for first innings points against Police. No scores were available in the other game yesterday between GDF and TSC at the GDF ground since Kaieteur Sports was refused entry through the main gate at Camp

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Ayanganna while the Eastern gate which is usually used for sporting events on the ground, was padlocked. At DCC, the 29-year-old Barnwell celebrated his return from the Regional Super50 with a scintillating 166 with 11 fours and 14 sixes, while 19year-old Savory counted 10 fours and two sixes in a classy unbeaten 100. The pair got support from Cleon McEwen (41) and Ismond (20) to spur DCC to 362-8 declared. Garfield DeRoach took 373 for GYO who were bowled out for 132 with Abhilash Dookie, who made 41 with three fours and three sixes, top scoring, while DeRoach (27) and Chris Deonarine (23) also contributed. Ismond got support from Carlton Jacques (4-36) but GYO, following-on, 231 away from avoiding an innings defeat, ended the day on 3-2 with Deonarine (0) and Trevon France (1) both back in the pavilion. At MSC, GNIC were dismissed for 118 with only Shun (21) reaching 20 as Carmichael ran through the top order. Steven Sankar (3-33) and Elton Baker (2-24) supported Carmichael for MSC who responded with 213. Baker, who slammed 51 from 40 balls with nine fours

and Forde who clobbered 53 from 21 balls with four fours and six sixes, added 104 for the fourth wicket in explosive fashion. Shemroy Barrington reached the boundary four times and cleared it twice in 41 and added 60 for the first wicket with Joseph Cupidore (12). At Everest, Police fell for 208 with Kanhaiya Ramkarran (34), Vishal Jaigobin (28), Kevin Leitch (26), Corwin Austin (23), Randy Knights (23) and Seon Daniels (26) all getting ‘starts’ with Daniels and Ramkarran putting on 54 for the last wicket. Gonsalves, who captured four wickets bowling pace and the other with usual leg-spin, bowled well for Everest who reached 178-2 by the close. Renaldo Renee (0) who fell without a run on the board and Persaud who played some delightful shots in his half-century are the batsmen out. Chanderpaul, who stroked 81 in his last First-Class innings in Jamaica, favored the cut and shared in an unfinished half-century third wicket stand with Chanderpaul Hemraj who ended the day on 35. Today is the second and final day and play is scheduled to commence at 09:30 hrs.

Game-3 Dolphin Secondary-2 vs Kingston Secondary-2 Dolphin Scorer Leon Richardson-16th and

46th Kingston Scorers Levi Williams-57th Vincent Thomas-63rd Game-4

Chase Academy vs Tucville Ralph Parris-44th, 60th and 65th Ryan Hackett-23rd Kelsey Benjamin-48th

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2016

23rd Ricks & Sari Agro Industries Ltd. NP Cycle Meet

Michael Anthony tops experienced field in feature 35-lap contest By Franklin Wilson

The 2016 cycling season in the capital city got off to a flying start yesterday at the Inner Circuit of the National Park with Michael Anthony of Gillette Evolution riding off with the top spot in the feature School Boys and Invitation 35-lap race. The Lindener rode a tactical race along with team members Orville Hinds and Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams to dominate the contest as Hinds and Wil-

liams, also Lindeners, placed second and third respectively. Williams, who won last year in One Hour 20 Minutes 11 Seconds, was not able to repeat this time around as the younger Anthony and Hinds pulled away from Williams and the indefatigable Robin Persaud (Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club) towards the end of the race to effectively seal the deal and get his season off on a winning note. Anthony bettered last year’s time as he completed the dis-

tance in One Hour 18 Minutes 38.90 Seconds. Another Team Gillette Evolution member, National 5-stage champion, Raul Leal took the fifth place with Geron Williams of Continental Cycle Club claiming the sixth place. Trojan Cycle Club’s Romello Crawford successfully defended the juvenile 10lap trophy winning in 22 Minutes 56.19 Seconds bettering last year’s time of 25 Minutes 52.50 Seconds. Crawford has started the

year in excellent form winning both races held in the Ancient County of Berbice. Organiser Hassan Mohamed in remarks before yesterday’s presentation noted that this is the 40th year he has been organizing such races at the National Park and is proud of this unrivaled achievement. He thanked the sponsor for their continued commitment towards the sport and most importantly, the cyclists. Hampers of Ricks and Sari Products were distributed to some of the top performers. Following are the full results:

Race Laps Finishers – 1st to….. 12-14 Boys & Girls 3 Ronaldo Narine (8m 16.42s), Jerome Stephens, Ronella Samuels Veterans Under-50 5 Junior Niles (11m 16s), Warren Mc Kay, Jaikarran Sukhai Veterans Over-50 5 Andrew Spencer, Linden Blackman, Kevin Jeffrey Veterans Over-60 5 Monty Parris, Wilfred Thom Juveniles 10 Romello Crawford (22m 56.19s), Andrew Hicks, Raphael Leung

Mountain Bikes 5 Seon Budhan (13m 53,62s), Shane Bourne, Richard Charles BMX 6-9 years 2 John Niles, Jadan Cutting, Ajani Cutting BMX 9-12 years 3 Simon Chee, John Niles, Zab James BMX Boys 12-14 3 Adealie Hodge, Taran Garbarran School Boys & 35 Michael Anthony (1h 18m 39.90s), Orville Hinds, Marlon Williams, Invitation Robin Persaud, Raul Leal, Geron Williams

GFF / Petra Organisation host Grassroots Referees Clinic Over thirty-five (35) students representing schools that are participating in this year’s Milo Under-20 Schools Football Competition are currently engaged in a Grassroots Referees Clinic which is being conducted by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) in collaboration with the Petra Organisation at the Ministry of Education ground, Carifesta Avenue. Kaieteur Sport caught up with Head of Referees Stanley Lancaster, who is the lead Instructor of the Programme and he told this newspaper that the ongoing clinic’s genesis originated from discussions with the Petra Organisation aimed at pro-

ducing more qualified referees to officiate the game at every level. He said two students from each school participating in the Milo tournament were invited to attend the clinic which commenced last Friday and will end today, adding that while the turnout was below the targeted figure, he was heartened by the response from the students. According to Lancaster, the students were taught the basic laws of the game, while some amount of field work was done which included flag work, referees position and movements and those of the official at the centre of the game.

Lancaster, a FIFA accredited referee said that the aim is to develop the ability of the referee from the grassroots level in keeping with the GFF mandate and to get more aspiring persons involved in the sport. He disclosed that the participants will undergo further technical work on Tuesdays and Thursdays and this will last throughout the year as the Federation intensifies its efforts to get more referees qualified. He further revealed that there will be a Beginners Course in March where those that are participating in the current programme will be incorporated.

Horseracing returns to Port Mourant Horseracing is set to continue on Sunday 7th February when the Port Mourant Turf stages a grand one day horserace meet at the club’s entity, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice. Seven races are set for the day with over $4M in cash, trophies and other incentives up for grabs. The feature event is an open one and is for all horses imported in Guyana and those locally bred. The distance is 5Furlongs and the winner is set to take home $700,000 and trophy. The race for ThreeYear-Old maiden horses has a winning pocket of $ 220,000 also over 5F. There is a race for animals classified G and lower over 6.5Ffor a top prize of $300,000 and trophy. Animals classified H1 and Lower has at stake a top prize of $250,000 to aim for in another 6.5F event. The ‘J’ and Lower race will see the winner taking home $160,000 over 6F. The horses classified K and lower will be racing for a first prize of $140,000 and tro-

phy over 6F. The final event is for animals classified L and Lower also over 6F for a winning take of $120,000 and trophy. The race will be run under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA). Five horses must start a race before third prizes will be paid and seven horses must start before any fourth prize

is paid. For more information and entry details interested persons can contact: Kris Jagdeo on numbers: 322-0369, Rajendra (Jim-Jo) Jagdeo on 618-7278, Ramnauth on numbers 337- 5311 Fazal on 6577010 or Dennis De Roop on 640-6396. Race time is 12:30hrs. (Samuel Whyte)

Kennard Memorial Turf Club will be hosting their Phagwah Race Meet on March 13 at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice. Several races are carded for the day with the main event being D1 and lower W/ A which carries a first prize of $700,000. Other races on the tins are L and lower for a top purse of $100,000, H 1 and lower which will see the winner taking home $240,000, K and lower in which the victor will pocket $120,000, G1 and lower for a

first prize of $280,000 and J 1 and lower, the winner will take home $160,000. These races will be run under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority and owners of horses must pay at least $5,000 for each horse at the time of entry. Entries close on March 6 and r e g i s t r a t i o n c a n b e done through Roopnarine Matadial on 325-3192, Ivan Dipnarine on 331-0316, Cecil Kennard on 623-7609 or 226-1399, Fazal Habibulla on 657-7010 or Dennis Deroop on 640-6396.

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Hetmyer, Imlach blast centuries as Windies win handsomely F A T U L L A H , Bangladesh (CMC) — Captain Shimron Hetmyer and opener Tevin Imlach both pummelled hundreds as West Indies Under-19s turned the page on their recent whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh by crushing Scotland Under19s in their opening official warm-up of the I C C U n d e r- 1 9 Wo r l d Cup. The Caribbean side piled up 342 for four off 50 overs and then limited the Scots to 194 for seven off their allotted overs, to come away with a 148-run victory at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium here Friday. Hetmyer carved out 136 off 116 deliveries, while Imlach gathered exactly 100 off 115 balls. Imlach put on 27 for the first wicket with Gidron Pope who scored nine before

retiring but Hetmyer joined the fray to extend the partnership to 232 before Imlach retired in the 38th over. The left-handed Hetmyer struck 16 fours and two sixes and was first to three figures in the 36th over while Imach counted 12 fours in his knock before retiring in the 38th over. Pope returned to continue his innings and ended on 34. Scotland picked up their first wicket in the 41st over when Hetmyer finally perished with the score on 266, but the Windies middle ordered ensured the score went beyond 300. In reply, the Young Windies had a brilliant start when left-arm, quick Obed McCoy removed both openers — captain Neil Flack without scoring and Jack Waller for four, with only 15 runs on the

Classic Promotions small goal football on today Classic Promotions will be hosting a small goal football and penalty shoot out competition for street teams to0day at East Ruimveldt Basketball court starting at 10:00 hrs. East Ruimveldt, North Sophia, Lodge and Sophia are among the teams slated to take part; entrance fee is $5,000. At Stake are trophies sponsored by Noel Blackman and Trophy Stall.

All set for Benjamin Sports store Cycle road today A number of top cyclists in the country are expects to participate in the fourth annual ‘Benjamin Sports Store’ open cycle race on the Corentyne Highway. The 50 miles event is expected to pedal off at 10:00hrs today from Fyrish Village in front of the Benjamin Sports Store and proceed to the No 51 Police station before returning to its place of origin. The veterans, females and beginners are expected to turn around at Nand Persaud and Company Limited and return to the place of origin covering a distance of 30 miles. There will be prizes for the first six finishers, the top three juniors, the first three veterans and the first three females to cross the finish line. There will also be eight sprint point prizes up for grabs. A grueling event is anticipated as the riders will be looking to take an early advantage into the new season. Orville Hinds has won the event twice with Michael Anthony of team Gillette Evolution being the defending champion. As fate would have it the two winners so far are both from Linden. Some sumptuous prizes are up for grabs. Benjamin, a native of Berbice, was a former national cyclist who represented Guyana at both the junior and senior levels. He was also a former school and junior champion who won the national school championship on three consecutive occasions. He still rides in his adopted home land of Canada where he also operates a sports store. He is expected to be among the riders today. At present he is one of the top cycle race sponsors in the country where he sponsors three races with lucrative prizes. Apart from the Benjamin Sports store race, he sponsors an event for his father birth anniversary and another race for his mother birthday. The presentation ceremony will be held immediately after the completion of the event. The event is organized by the Flying Ace Cycle club. Cyclists are reminded that they must ride in their club colours.

board. However, Ben Wilkinson struck a top-score of 63 off 97 balls with ten fours and Owais Shah, 55 off 82 deliveries with seven boundaries, to revive the innings in a stand of 98 for the third wicket. Finlay McCreath, who weighed in with 32 from 52 balls with two fours and six, put on 43 for the fourth wicket with Wilkinson b e f o r e t h e innings declined with five

wickets tumbling for 34 runs. Seamer Shamar Springer was behind the collapse, claiming three for 19 in a five-over spell. West Indies Under-19s face South Africa in their second and final official warm-up today at the same venue here. The Windies will do battle in Group C of the tournament alongside England, Fiji and Zimbabwe.

Shimron Hetmyer

Tevin Imlach

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kristian Boodoosingh impresses at the 6 Hours of Sebring Sebring International Raceway, Florida, USA – Caribbean motor-racing phenom, 19 years old Kristian Boodoosingh of Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o competed in the PBOC 12th Annual 6 Hour race into the night at the legendary

Sebring International Raceway, Florida this past January 21, 2016. This grand prix track comprises of both asphalt and concrete and is 3.74 miles (6.02 km) in length with 17 turns. S.I.R. is famously known for its high

speed ‘turn 17’ which is arguably the most challenging turn in motorsports. It is a long, fast right-hander that can fit as much as 3 cars abreast that sets up for a long very fast straight-away. Kristian Boodoosingh

teamed up with Canadian, Gary Browne in the Mazdees rotary-powered # 228 Miata of Mazdees Performance. Te a m Principal, David Diedrick of Mazdees Performance along with crew provided an exceptional car to contest the 6 hours of Sebring in a test of durability and reliability. The duo of Gary Browne and Kristian Boodoosingh drove their hearts out all the way to 22nd overall out of 61 entrants with 17 different classes racing simultaneously on a very challenging and technical track with very fast and long straights, several high-speed corners with very technical slower corners with minimal elevation change and little camber on a bumpy, rough surface. T h e M a z d e e s Performance Miata is a 13b rotary-powered naturally aspirated engine built by Mazdees Performance that was paired with two exceptional drivers’ with Kristian Boodoosingh doing double duties as he had the most seat time during the 6 hours of any drivers’ because his teammate, Gary also shared a ride in a Radical with other teammates. Boodoosingh and Browne would’ve certainly won their R7 Class if it wasn’t for a few unscheduled pit stops. nd

Kristian Boodoosingh These issues sidelined the Mazdees Miata a few times which ultimately cost the team the title. However, the knowledgeable and experienced crew was phenomenal and worked arduously each time to get the 13b powered Miata back onto the track from pit lane but, the competition was so fierce that the time spent on the sidelines ultimately proved too much to overcome. All entrants certainly brought their ‘A’ game and gave it all their best with # 2: Cote/Borgeat, a Canadian based team, winning the overall title in a Porsche GT3 with 142 laps completed in comparison to the 105 laps completed by Boodoosingh and Browne. The 13b rotary-powered Mazdees Miata had the fastest lap times in its class including being faster than most upper class cars, however was unable to win because the competition had fewer issues which made

them stay ahead. As the race went on, the Mazdees team kept getting better and better and maintained their torrid pace as they played catch up. Towards the conclusion of the 6th hour, Boodoosingh was charging like a freight train in the dark towards moving up the standings but, ran out of time as the checkered flag waved. Kristian Boodoosingh is an exceptional driver and is certainly one of the best from the Caribbean. He will no doubt have a very busy schedule this year. He will be entered in multiple series including the CMRC Championships and abroad, especially in North America. We w i s h K r i s t i a n Boodoosingh, one of the best drivers’ in the Caribbean, the very best in ‘2016 and into the future. Special congratulations to a great team effort at Sebring International Raceway! Because these endurance races can either make or break a team in the pits. The crew (David Diedrick, Laurence Polley, Marco Jorge, Jonny Robello, Dereck Bassant) was always able to minimize the time spent in the pits to get the car back into the safe hands of Browne and mostly Boodoosingh. It was an extraordinary driver and car combination that spelled success!

2 WDFA/Derick Josiah Mem. KO resumes today

The second semi final of the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) Derick Josiah Memorial knockout football competition will resume today at the Den Amstel Community Centre Ground after being halted due to Banks DIH pulling out as sponsor under their Vi t a M a l t P l u s a n d Rainforest Water brands. WDFA Secretary Adrian Giddings informed Kaieteur Sport that the competition had kicked off on Friday December 11 with Uitvlugt Wa r r i o r s o u t p l a y i n g Bagotsville 4-0, while

Pouderoyen got the better of Eagles United on penalty kicks after an exciting 1-1 s t a l e m a t e . The WDFA’s decision to accept an invitation to compete in the Stag Super XV1 three-association year end tournament that also involved East Bank and East Demerara Football Associations was apparently the reason Banks DIH decided to discontinue sponsorship even though the playing dates for the Stag Super XV1 were not clashing with the Josiah M e m o r i a l .

Despite being set back, the Executive of the WDFA was eager to complete the Derrick Josiah Memorial competition and approached Ansa McAl which readily agreed to chip in to ensure the tournament comes to a successful conclusion. The Guyana Police Force and the Trophy Stall are also on board as sponsors. Competition today will see Den Amstel facing Uitvlugt in the second semi final from 15:30hrs, the winner will face Pouderoyen in the final next week. The opening match today, an exhibition, will feature Pouderoyen and Eagles United from 1 3 : 3 0 h r s . Young Achievers and Stewartville were both axed from the tournament for fielding ineligible players. The winning team will pocket $200,000 while the losing finalist will pocket $100,000. Third and fourth place will attract $50,000 and $25,000 respectively. Admission is $500.

Sunday January 24, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Number 1 Seed Upset The first ladies’ semifinals of the Rebel Tennis Club Championship took an unexpected twist during the match-up between Cristy Campbell and Aretta Dey. Most persons had written off the unseeded Campbell against the consistent number 1 seed, Aretta Dey. However, the viewers were left aghast when the dust settled and Campbell emerged victor. When asked about the match that could be described as the biggest one in her four years of play, Campbell said, “Obviously

it feels good to go out and win after being sidelined with various injuries for the entire 2015. My plan was to stick to my usual game and thankfully things went in my favour. Going into Sunday’s (today) final I intend to maintain my strategy which has worked thus far and just go out and have fun. There can only be one winner. Win or lose the year has started well for me. I’m working around the clock on my ankle and hopefully I’m in a better comfort zone come Sunday (today).” The match was

highlighted with long rallies and a test of mental toughness. It cannot be overstated the high level of fitness that goes into playing a 2 hours match, the longest of the women’s matches. Both women demonstrated that their matches can be as equally exciting and drew the largest amount of spectators. Campbell booked her first ladies’ finals with a 7/5, 6/1 win and faces the winner of yesterday’s second semi-finals between Carol Humphrey and Afruica Gentle. It is an impressive accomplishment

GBA School Boys and Juniors tournament fixed for April The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) will be hosting its second international competition in a five months period when they stage a School Boys and Juniors tournament on April 29 and 30 here. This follows on the heels of last N o v e m b e r ’s h i g h l y successful 13-nation Caribbean Development Tournament. Leading local boxing coach Sebert Blake has been named head coach of the Guyana team for the event. Blake is an AIBA Three Star, World Series Boxing (WSB) and AIBA Professional Boxing (APB) qualified coach. Veteran coach Terrence Poole is the only other coach from Guyana to hold Three Star certification. The association has sent invitations to Jamaica, St. Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago to be part of the tournament. GBA President, Steve Ninvalle

Blake in charge of squad

Sebert Blake

Steve Ninvalle

informed that at a meeting of Caribbean administrators last year, the lack of activity in the region’s female and junior department was highlighted. He said that, Guyana remains in the forefront of the development of the sport in the region and this was the reason for the organizing of the event. Citing the lack of finances, he stated that this was the reason for only three countries being invited to the two-day event.

Meanwhile, Ninvalle supported the appointment of Blake one of Guyana’s most qualified boxing coaches here, to get the youngsters in shape. He expressed full confidence in Blake’s ability, his commitment and enthusiasm that will transfer to the youngsters being able to represent Guyana well in April. Blake will be assisted by several other coaches to produce the best possible squad.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul announces retirement ESPNcricinfo - After more than two decades and 1 6 4 Te s t m a t c h e s , Shivnarine Chanderpaul, one of West Indies’ finest batsmen, has retired. Chanderpaul finishes as the second-highest West Indian Test run-maker, 86 runs short of Brian Lara: Lara got 11,953 (11,912 for West Indies and the rest for the ICC World XI), while Chanderpaul scored 11,867 (all for West Indies). Chanderpaul, 41, had not played for West Indies since May 2015; the West Indies selectors dropped him after a weak performance during

Shivnarine Chanderpaul the three-Test series at home against England. While Chanderpaul entertained

hopes of a comeback, the selection panel, headed by (Continued on page 65)

for novice players who now transition and frequent the open draws. The final match of the evening was contested between number 2 seed Leyland Leacock and Anthony Amerally in the quarterfinals. Amerally powered several remarkable aces which caught Leacock off-guard. However, the top seed was not to be deterred and went on to quickly wrap up his match 6/1, 6/1.

Cristy Campbell (left) and Aretta Dey after their contest.

t r o Sp 23rd Ricks & Sari Agro Industries Ltd. NP Cycle Meet

Michael Anthony tops experienced field in feature 35-lap contest

Sponsors Representatives, Organiser and Race Officials pose with the respective event winners and other recipients of prizes following the presentation.

GFF / Petra Organisation host Grassroots Referees Clinic

Head of Referees Stanley Lancaster (centre sitting) poses with participants attending the Grassroots Referees Clinic yesterday.

& beat Barbados by 72 runs to T&T retain title in NAGICO Super50, Final

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