Kaieteur News

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July 13, 2013 - Vol. 7 No. 27 - Price $80 kaieteurnews@yahoo.com Website:http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

SOESDYKE MAN MURDERS RIVAL Hope Canal works impress opposition parliamentarians

Engineers work to complete the eight-gate outfall

Skeldon Health Centre Govt not inclined closed down months to lower travel tax after grand opening - Works Minister

Prof. Dabydeen ignores handover of Burnham’s parliamentary speeches

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 13, 2013

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Hope Canal works impress opposition parliamentarians D

espite the project being about a year b e h i n d schedule, the Parliamentary committee visiting the multi b i l l i o n d o l l a r s Hope/Dochfour Northern Relief Channel yesterday was generally impressed with the works completed thus far.

This was according to Member of Parliament, Rupert Roopnaraine who said that even though he was skeptical, at the outset, about the project and its significant cost, it is commendable of the local engineers and their subordinates who were able to overcome the many technical challenges and complete a considerable portion of the overall project.

“I have always believed that upgrading the East Bank Demerara Outlets would have been better. But coming here today, and with what I’ve seen, I am happy. And I t h i n k t h a t w h e n i t ’s completed, the Hope Canal will serve its purpose. I think the work that these engineers were able to complete, with all the technical challenges, is impressive,” A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Roopnaraine added.

He was one of five Members of Parliament (MP), accompanied by four s t a ff o f t h e N a t i o n a l Assembly to visit the site yesterday.

The other MPs were Jennifer Wade, Trevor Williams, Neend Kumar, and Joseph Harmon.

They all met at ‘Flag Staff’ in Cane Grove, for a presentation outlining the various components of the project, after which there was a tour which was spearheaded by Chief Executive Officer of the National Drainage and

Members of the media and the Parliamentarians on the Bridge, 50 percent of which has been completed

Irrigation Authority, Lionel Wordsworth, Supervisor of the Project, Mr. Raymond Latchman Singh, and Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy.

The tour commenced with both the members of the m e d i a , a n d t h e Parliamentarians sailing in the conservancy towards the three-gated Head Regulatorthe component assigned to BK International.

It was noted that this aspect is about 40 percent complete, and that the contractors had applied for a “justified” time extension.

Harmon asked whether the project would need additional funds because of the extended time. However, it was explained that the contract is a fixed one, and that the companies are paid only for the works completed.

The contract for this, one of the largest infrastructure initiatives in Guyana’s history, is about $3.204B, with $2.395B disbursed thus

far. It was noted that the relief channel has the capacity to withstand floods greater than that which occurred in 2005.

Minister Ramsammy explained that the Canal, the most advanced part of the project, could be completed during the course of two weeks. It is dependent on the completion of the other major components.

The excavation of the 10.3km long earthen channel was carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture. It is about 80 percent complete.

The process of shaping the dam is currently ongoing.

The channel is being constructed to ease the pressure of water on the Conservancy at times when it reaches its maximum capacity, releasing it into the Atlantic Ocean, via an eightgated high level outfall.

As the tour approached the outfall, Dr. Ramsammy was obviously not pleased with the pace of the work. He became angry, demanding to

speak with a representative of Courtney Benn Contracting Services. But there was none. A displeased Ramsammy then ordered that Benn and his team meet with him subsequently.

The visiting body was particularly impressed with the bridge sited on East Coast Public Road. Works are being carried out by DIPCON Engineering.

Almost half of the work has been done. The process of building an incline road to the bridge is currently ongoing.

Speaking with Kaieteur News, Joseph Harmon said that the current works are an indication that Guyana does not need the major input from foreign contractors and engineers. Locals are very capable, he added.

“I am happy that work which we see here is done by Guyanese. It goes to show that we don’t need so much of the Chinese and other foreign contractors,” Harmon said.

The construction of the Hope/Dochfour Northern Relief Channel was a venture undertaken by the former Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud, who estimated an 18-month completion, when construction commenced in February 2011. During late l a s t y e a r, 2 0 1 2 , D r Ramsammy, who was then positioned as Agriculture Minister, announced an

extended completion dateJune 2013. This is now July, and the project is about a year behind the original completion date.

While the Engineers are looking at an August 31 closing date, Dr. Ramsammy said that he is not very hopeful about that date, but he is certain about the Hope Canal becoming functional by the next rainy season (December-January).

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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: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

We don’t need a larger bank note Last year, Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon informed the media at his weekly post-Cabinet Press briefing that Guyana would soon have a $5,000 currency note.

Indeed this would have been the largest denomination to appear in the country.

When rampant inflation hit Guyana in the early 1990s all of a sudden people found themselves walking around with large wads of cash. Certainly this could not augur well for the average person. He suddenly became prone to criminal attacks. There was no way he could escape attention.

Back then the largest denomination was the twenty dollar currency note. It took large sums of money to pay what would be considered a pittance these days. The government introduced the one hundred dollar note thus easing the pressure on the person conducting business.

Inflation soon made the one hundred dollar note meaningless and the five hundred dollar note came into existence.

Today there is the one thousand dollar note and this testifies to the level of inflation in the society. Indeed the level has slowed. Back in 1999 when the government was ordered to pay a fifty per cent wage hike there were fears that the situation would have gotten out of hand with the currency. It did. By no stretch of imagination could the government support such a pay hike.

The workers smiled when the award was made but two years later they were no better off. They were back to petitioning the government for pay rise. The pay hike created rampant inflation so prices rose at an astronomical rate.

When it was all over, the government found that it needed a larger currency note. But even then people in certain quarters began to recognize the importance of plastic money. In the metropolis, plastic money is the order of the day. Indeed, it has its limitations. For example, one of the rampant crimes is identity theft where people access other people’s information and put it to use for the other individual’s benefit.

But one thing was certain; people were not robbed of the sums of money that one would hear about in Guyana.

Gunmen in those countries do not target homes and stores in the quest for money and jewellery because such acts would be tantamount to time wasting. Of interest is the fact that even the huge department stores that conduct millions of real dollars of business in a given day do not have that amount of currency on the premises.

The society uses debit cards but for many people these cards are intended to avoid a trek and standing in line at a commercial bank. There are commercial entities that allow for the use of these debit cards, thus negating the need for cash but from place to place the terminal differs. A place that would accept a GBTI debit card may not necessarily accept a Republic Bank debit card. The commercial banks have been making half-baked attempts to have a unified approach to the introduction of plastic money, but we suspect that the half-hearted move is just to facilitate the huge deposits made by people who make money outside legitimate means. We are certain that with the passage of antimoney laundering legislation, plastic money would become ubiquitous.And this then asks the authorities to explain the need for the five thousand dollar note. The larger the note the more the cash that people would carry around.

For its part the Ministry of Finance has been silent on the larger currency note and one can only hope that the idea has been shelved. Surely Guyana does not need a larger bank note. The financial planners should take a note from the United States and Great Britain and the European Union. These countries have not introduced a larger currency note in decades.

In fact, the United States is scaling down on the use of its larger currency note-the one hundred dollar note. The reason that this is possible is because there are not much cash transactions over the counter when large purchases are made. Guyana must get its route. And it must monitor transactions if only for tax purposes.

Saturday July 13, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

Eight hundred hectares at Uitvlugt DEAR EDITOR, There seems to be a very irrational and misinformed opinion in GuySuCo about how farmers get their canes cut, whilst the estates are experiencing a shortage of labour and can’t harvest their canes on time.

The feeling seems to be that the farmers can be given 800 hectares at Uitvlugt and that magically the farmers will materialise the workforce to maintain and reap this huge acreage from thin air.

This is the kind of raw stupidity which has GuySuCo in the situation it is now in. It is also the kind of raw disregard this government holds for the people of Guyana, even its own supporters.

No cane farmer has his own workforce. The workers who do the farmers’ work, including reaping, are GuySuCo’s employees.

Our Sugar Estates have incentives for their workers which farmers can never match, i.e. free medicines and medical aid at the dispensaries on all of the estates, production bonuses, weekly target bonuses, access to a pension scheme, guaranteed out of crop employment, protecting them through payments to the NIS scheme.etc.

To q u a l i f y f o r t h e production bonus and to be k e p t o n t h e E s t a t e ’s employee register as a permanent employee, and therefore entitled to the benefits the sugar Industry’s employees are enjoying, a sugar worker must work a certain percentage of the days available to him within the crop.

And the workers watch the qualifications very carefully, but if they work 5

days at the estate to maintain their qualification they can, and do, work the other 2 days at the farmers’ plots to earn tax-free dollars, since if they worked on the estates they would have to pay higher taxes as their earnings per week would be more, also there is no evidence that farmers pay NIS for the labourers cutting their canes.

Numerous estate workers who get hurt when cutting farmers’ canes claim NIS as if they were harvesting the estates’ canes.

Of course there will be, and usually are, other incentives a farmer can offer as well, since the farmers do not have the huge expense of maintaining their own workforce, so they can offer a little more to reap the canes.

This being a national issue and the results being a national disaster which we have to make up for with our taxes, perhaps the time has come to offer tax-free concessions to cane cutters who cut more than a predetermined amount per crop.

This would encourage them to work on the Estates; this is why I am saying that the industry needs men and women in charge who understand the fundamentals of all of this.

There has to be a way to encourage people to work in the industry without raising the cost of labour in the industry i.e. a free house lot if you cut more than an established amount of tonnage of cane, and other such attractions.

You can’t sit down in some desk at head office and attract workers to the industry without coming up with these kinds of innovative measures.

And something has to be done. Last year the farmers grew more cane per hectare nationally 56.30 tonnes, than the estates, which only produced 55.18 tonnes of cane per hectare.

I have never heard of this happening before! Komal Chand is right “there are no canes in the fields”.

At this stage thinking a b o u t m a s s i v e mechanisation - with all of the problems it has and the adverse effect it can have on cane yields - is not the answer. They will end up with even “less cane in the fields”. It has to be done carefully over many years, perhaps even decades, to be successful.

The short version is that in order to convert, we end up with the sour acid subsoil on top and the fertile topsoil beneath and that depresses yields.

At this time, farmers are having a hard time finding labour, and many big farmers are going out of the sugar cane business, there are numerous farmers who were given loans by the commercial Banks to plant cane at Skeldon, consisting

of an area which was equal to the existing cultivation of Skeldon before the expansion, i.e., that for the factory to get the required amount of cane it needed to fulfil its huge capacity of 350 tonnes an hour, farmers will supply one-third of that enormous amount of cane.

It was unworkable nonsense from the beginning and to repeat again, I asked Bharat Jagdeo in his office in 1999, where he got his information from to embrace such a dicey project. The entire project sounded crazy to me.

The Skeldon farmers now have mostly defaulted on loans from the commercial banks from which they borrowed the money, and it is only through the intervention of the government that they are not foreclosed on. Did the PPP learn anything from this? Do they even know why it happened?

Of course they did, but they are so ruthless that they don’t care who they hurt.

And this is a dangerous practice; the problem is how does GuySuCo keep its employees reaping their (Continued on page 23)

David Casavis responds to Yog Mahadeo’s letter DEAR EDITOR, On Yog Mahadeo’s article on my book, The Thomas Carroll Affair, the facts I used were accepted into evidence in US Federal Court. This is the most credible evidence in the US system, along with deathbed confessions. Even Thomas Carroll and his defense team did not dispute the evidence.

As a University Professor, I often lecture my students on proper citations and diligent research. I look forward to the day when you come out with a thoroughly researched - and footnoted - book on massive corruption at GT&T during your tenure there.

David Casavis, author of The Thomas Carroll Affair

The absence of traffic control at the junction to Sophia’s Main Entry/Exit Point DEAR EDITOR, When I addressed you on September 25, 2012, I was hardly surprised at the expeditious reaction by the authorities in fixing the bridge in question, if only for sake of GuyExpo 2012.

The text was as follows: “It is ironic that the street which borders GPL’s massive facility situated in Sophia (North) has been without light for the longest while, and consequently dangerously trafficked, certainly from the point of view of pedestrians.

This is to invite the attention of the organisers of GuyExpo 2012 to arrange to

have the situation remedied, if only in the interest of the security of vehicles that are usually parked along this Eastern Highway, during events of this kind.

The organisers may also wish to pay a visit to the collapsible wooden bridge which joins Prashad Nagar to Sophia on the same highway, as this writer has sought to do several times.

With the expected weight of traffic over this bridge during the Exposition period, it would be prudent to take action to avert a serious emergency. Kindly treat with urgency.”

While attention to the

bridge is now suspended, the dangerously poor lighting in Ganges Street, where GPL is so strategically located, persists, waiting for some palpable excuse to be given when it will happen that a pedestrian is run over by a speeding vehicle flashing through the unforgiveable darkness - as if the power plant goes on automatic black-out after 6:00p.m.

A good reason one foresees this real possibility is the persistent negligence o f t h e P o l i c e Tr a ff i c Department in setting up any traffic control at the reckless juncture of Denis Street, with its traffic flowing

carefreely from West/East from/to Sophia, across the determined paths of those who assume that the right-ofway runs through Ganges Street/Eastern Highway.

The gasping expletives which accompany frequent narrow escapes from accidents, injury or death, make an eloquent case for the mounting effective traffic signage - which even the frequent police patrols would be bound to observe; while legitimising their predilection for charging motorists for incidental offences.

What sort of Exposition can we expect next?

EB John

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

We have to return to basics in the sugar sector DEAR EDITOR, Agricultural activity, accounts for about 30 per cent of GDP in 1991, according to the World Bank. In 2012, according to the Bank of Guyana, the agricultural sector only contributed 22 per cent to GDP. In spite of this shrinking of the economic contribution, the agricultural sector still remains of crucial importance to the socioeconomic well-being of rural Guyana, with some 100,000 mouths alone feeding from the sugar belt.

In 1991, the agricultural sector accounted for 48 per cent of merchandise exports and 40 per cent of the employment.

In 2012, the agricultural sector accounted for 32 per cent of the merchandise exports and 30 per cent of the employment, based on the latest credible estimates.

Although it has lost its place as the primary driver in the Guyanese economy, the importance of the sugar industry cannot be over emphasized, especially from a socioeconomic point of view with respect to rural Guyana.

Sugar is intertwined in whether rural parts of Demerara and Berbice do well or not, and if rice is added to the equation, all of coastal Guyana. It is therefore imperative that the Ramotar administration wake up and tackle the policy and institutional constraints of the sugar sector head on, if these 100,000 mouths eat or starve. It is not today that we know that Guyana has a low-lying topography which presents a whole range of challenges concerning the water table and its direct impact on the sucrose content in the sugar cane, yet we continue to not give adequate attention to this key factor that determines whether

GuySuCo succeeds or fails. We have to return to basics. It was Jock Campbell, the principal owner of Bookers who produced 334,441 tons of sugar in 1960 using three fundamental principles (1) an increase in the efficiency in the water system, factory and field; (2) stable prices and (3) an improvement in the human relationship between the managers and the workers.

It is vitally important that GuySuCo accelerates the technological innovations (no we are not talking of Chinese help) and social reform in the sugar belt.

That means mechanization in the field, it means rehabilitation of the factories, it means getting more specialists into the sugar industry, and most importantly, getting the Government to drill down into the sugar households and find out what is really keeping them back socially – is it the education system; the health care system, the water distribution system, the roads, their access to land, crime, etc. According to Clem Seecharran’s book “Sweetening bitter sugar”, Jock Campbell as a sugar leader had a mantra – “producing the greatest tonnage of sugar from the smallest acreage in the shortest time at the lowest cost”. Everything in the industry revolved around achieving this objective; that was their goal and every decision was coin in how it achieved that goal.

Now ask yourself, can Mr. Raj Singh, the Chairman, motivate the 15,000 cane cutters to give their all towards such a dream?

Jock Campbell was quoted in that book as stating that the qualities of sugar leaders must include competence and experience to achieve the above objective while at the same time understanding how and when to access and

structure requests for new capital and minimize the cases of hydrological deficiencies.

Campbell assured “one ignores this dismal reality of coastal Guyana at one’s peril.

But Campbell was not done; he put aside money under the Sugar Industry Rehabilitation Fund (SIRF) to facilitate planning, maintenance and mechanization to reduce unit cost of production.

Jock Campbell intimate knowledge of the industry always brought him to the Venn report which revealed that “every square mile of cane cultivation involves the provision of 49 miles of drainage canals and 16 miles of high level waterways. In the Bookers days they had some 5,000 miles of canals and the mileage today is not significantly less.

It was Jock Campbell who reminded us that if we think maintaining the waterways in the sugar belt was expensive, try neglect, since in his words “trenches left to themselves rapidly silt up and become choked”.

This is a recipe for floods and the associated low sucrose content that feeds directly into the productivity of the industry.

It is all about the size of the production and the productivity level, down to the granular level. Since the Jock Campbell days, the land has not changed and we have to accept the fact that we have to maintain the fields and the waterways, we have to flood fallow and we have to rehabilitate our factories.

Unfortunately the biggest distraction to this process is the “Jagdeo baccoo” at the Skeldon Sugar Mill.

I firmly recommend that a special team of international sugar professionals from South Africa (they are already there) take over the Skeldon factory and field for a fixed period of

time, with clear deliverables that will be funded directly by NICIL (the holding company for all state-owned entities) and allow the Guyanese team to fix the rest of the industry.

Honestly, can a human resource manager do all these things?

I am sorry, but this post-Jagan imposition on GuySuCo of Mr. Raj Singh will not bring confidence into the process of expanding the cultivation, maintain that cultivation, and enhance the efficiency of the factories.

At the end of the day, all Guyanese want a world-class sugar industry, but there is little hope the post-Jagan PPP has a firm idea of how to execute the technical innovations, enhance the productivity in the fields and improve the efficiency in the factories, to achieve this.

Does GuySuCo have a professional plant pathologist or field agronomist or certified agricultural machinery engineer?

I rest my case. I am now overwhelmed with classified internal report after report being sent to me by people who really care about the sugar industry and the more I read and decipher, the more scared I am for those 100,000 mouths that feed from the sugar belt.

These people in the post-Jagan PPP who are in charge of GuySuCo are operating like strategic novices.

As a final point in this letter, I want to personally apologise to Mr. Rajaindra Singh, the current Deputy CEO of GuySuCo, who is unduly being mixed up with Mr. Raj Singh, the current Chairman of GuySuCo. For the record, the person under the microscope is Mr. Raj Singh – Chairman of GuySuCo, not the Deputy CEO. Sasenarine Singh

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 13, 2013

Letters... Where your views make the news

A GOOD LIFE FOR ALL DEAR EDITOR, Everyone looks forward to enjoying a decent if not good life.

For the majority of the world’s population, this is a dream that remains largely unfulfilled, not because there is not enough resources to make that dream a reality, but because of the unequal distribution of the world’s resources - where some people have more than they could consume while the vast majority simply do not have enough to eat.

Guyana and the rest of the Englishspeaking Caribbean have made great strides in terms of improving the quality of life of their respective populations.

The same can be said of Latin America, where countries enjoy varying degrees of success in terms of meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Part of this success is attributable to the democratic wave that emerged over the past two decades, which swept aside dictatorial rule and ushered in a period of democratic governance.

True enough, there is still a significant degree of income inequality in most countries in Latin America - more notably Brazil and Venezuela - but the election of left-wing governments in these countries have already begun to challenge the old order and create enabling conditions for ordinary people to benefit from the collective labour of society as a whole.

Guyana is one of those countries that are ahead in terms of meeting the MDGs, especially in terms of reduction of hunger and poverty, according to the latest UNDP Report.

The report, which is an annual assessment of global and regional progress towards the goals, reflects the most comprehensive and up-to-date data compiled by over 27 UN and international agencies, and is produced by the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

The document contains some interesting facts in relation to each target and some key recommendations which must be taken seriously by national governments and other key development partners.

Based on official statistics, the MDG Report 2013 showed that the combined actions of national governments, the international community, civil society and the private sector, are making the achievement of these MDGs a realizable possibility.

According to the findings of the Report, with some of the MDGs already met, more targets are within the reach by the 2015 target date, even though there are still challenges by some countries to achieve some important targets.

With millions of people’s lives improved by already meeting targets on reducing poverty, increasing access to safe water, improving the lives of slum dwellers and achieving gender parity in primary schools, the report sounded an optimistic note

regarding the attainment of some of the other goals by 2015.

According to the report, big gains have been made in health. For example, between 2000 and 2010, mortality rates from malaria fell by more than 25 per cent globally, and an estimated 1.1 million deaths were averted.

Death rates from tuberculosis at the global level and in several regions could be halved by 2015, compared to 1990 levels. Between 1995 and 2011, a cumulative total of 51 million tuberculosis patients were successfully treated, saving 20 million lives.

Regarding the HIV/AIDS fight, the report notes that while new HIV infections are declining, an estimated 34 million people were living with HIV in 2011. At the end of 2011, eight million people were receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS in developing regions, and the MDG target of universal access to antiretroviral therapy remains reachable by 2015, if current trends continue.

Additionally, the report says that the target of halving the percentage of people suffering from hunger by 2015 is within reach.

The proportion of undernourished people worldwide decreased from 23 per cent in 19901992 to 15 per cent in 2010-2012.

Worldwide, the mortality rate for children under five dropped by 41 per cent – from 87 deaths per 1000 live births in 1990 to 51 in 2011, which means 14,000 fewer child deaths per day. Increasingly, child deaths are concentrated in the poorest regions, and in the first month of life.

Globally, the maternal mortality ratio declined by 47 per cent over the last two decades, from 400 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births to 210 between 1990 and 2010. The meeting the MDG target of reducing the ratio by three-quarters will require accelerated interventions and stronger political backing for women and children.

With respect to education, between 2000 and 2011, the number of children out of school decline by almost half – from 102 million to 57 million. It should be stated that Guyana has already achieved the target for universal primary education and is working hard to do the same at the secondary level.

However, the report recommends that global attention needs to focus on disparities.

“Progress towards the eights MDGs has been uneven not only among regions and countries, but also between population groups within countries. People living in poverty or in rural areas remain at an unfair disadvantage,” the Report maintained.

At present, the UN is working with governments, civil society and other partners to build on the momentum generated by the MDGs, to craft an ambitious, yet realistic, agenda for the period after the MDGs target date at the end of 2015.

Hydar Ally

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 13, 2013

Govt not inclined to lower Building Expo sees over 1,200 prequalified for housing loans - Dr . Luncheon travel tax - Works Minister Minister of Works Robeson Benn has said that for any reductions in travel voucher taxes to be made, there has to be a response from suppliers providing travel services. The Minister at a press conference, yesterday, used economic logic to conclude that where there is a high demand for travel; prices would rise if supply cannot satisfy the demand.

Responding to statements

by APNU’s Joseph Harmon, who called for a reduction in the travel tax, Benn said that a reduction in ticket prices by the virtue of tax removal will only result in an increase in the demand for tickets.

Ultimately, travel prices will jump again unless there is an increase in suppliers in the travel market.

The Minister said, “A few days or weeks of people getting a reduction will result in two or three weeks, another jump.

What has to happen is for us to have a response from the supply side, and that is why we are talking about LIAT, Fly Jamaica and all those other arrangements.”

Chief Executive Officer of

the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Ramesh Ghir, explained that the current price in the travel tax is not unusual. He said if one were to book a ticket at any of the travel agencies, there are several components involved in the ticket.

“For different airports there are different fees. Some say sales tax; some say departure tax, some say goods and service tax, while some say airport improvement fees or security fees.” In essence, he said, it is the same set of charges, which is associated with the cost of using the facility.

He said after checks with travel agents and airline, it was confirmed that with the exception of Jamaica, all countries charge a tax. In the case of Suriname, there is an, eight percent goods and services tax, however the facility charge is in the vicinity of $25 while a security charge is $35.

Ghir said that for Trinidad and Tobago there is a 15 percent Value Added Tax, while we in Guyana call it travel voucher tax. Barbados VAT, he said is 17.5 percent; Antigua’s VAT he said is 10

percent, but a high airport administration charge.

Ghir highlighted that the airports financial performance has increased. “In 2002, the airport would have collected $257M.” Last year, he said, it was $1.1B. Operating expenditure in 2002 was $144M. It has since grown, Ghir said and last year the airport expenditure was $553M. Electricity charges on a monthly basis are $15Mfor the airport. This is paid by the Ministry of Finance. On a yearly basis, there are transfers to the consolidated funds; last year it was $400M and the year before, $317M, and from 2002, contributions to the fund has been between two to four hundred million dollars.

Apart from that, Ghir said there have been significant changes to the international airport over the years.

Harmon has however viewed statements by Minister Robeson Benn, about the refusal to slash the 15 percent travel tax is crucial to “upkeep” the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri, as mindboggling.

The tax he said goes right back to the government.

Harmon said the statement from the airport authority says they have declared a profit two years in a row and it is expected that 2013 will be profitable.

Flashback: Potential homeowners at Housing Ministry booth More than 1,200 potential homeowners are now prequalified to access loans to erect their houses, courtesy of the interactions with financial institutions at Guyana’s fourth International Building Expo, says Dr. Roger Luncheon, Cabinet Secretary.

Dr. Luncheon, during his post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President, on Thursday said that the exposition also attracted over 4,000 registrants for moderate to low income house lots.

According to Dr. Luncheon, Housing Minister Irfaan Ali in his report to Cabinet highlighted the overwhelming evidence of the exposed success and its potential on engaging in the

harmonization of the efforts of all stakeholders in the housing sector.

The Ministry of Housing hosted its fourth International Building Expo over the last weekend. That event attracted over 60,000 patrons and more than 100 exhibitors including companies in the building and construction sector, financial sector, home décor, hardware and food sector. They transformed the tarmac of the National Stadium, Providence, into a true market place. Foreign companies from the United States of America, Canada, China, Brazil and Malaysia also participated.

According to Dr. Luncheon, “Among the firms from the international community that were there he identified two such companies that indicated their intentions of opening factories in Guyana to produce building construction units and

subunits.”

The centre piece of the exhibition, “Silica City”, gave the public a hint of what the new urban centre would look like at Kuru Kururu on Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

With limited land space on the coastland, the Ministry is now tasked with opening up other areas in the country.

However, to ensure housing and jobs are available Government wants “Silica City” to have residential and industrial developments simultaneously.

Dr. Luncheon said the Minister ’s report place particular attention on “Silica City”- the novel plans to build on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

“The plan was well received and feedback extremely positive and indeed a report that consolidated that feedback would now be used for public consultation on the establishment of Silica City,” he said.

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

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FAIR TRADE AND FARE HIKES The airfare for an economy travel to New York can reach as high as US$1200 at present. This includes the 15 per cent travel voucher tax that is charged by the government.

Without this tax the fare would be around US$ 1043 which is just under twice what was being charged last year by a low-cost airline for the same journey.

This is a mere reduction of US$157 on a fare that is already way too high.

It shows that the tax is not the problem. A partnership for National Unity wants a reduction in the voucher tax from 15 per cent to 10 per cent.

With this five per cent reduction the new fare would still be high at around $1150.

With a five per cent reduction the new fare would be just about US$50 less than what is being charged now.

Given the high cost of parliamentary sittings, it will cost taxpayers more to pass the legislation than it will save the travelers on a single flight out of Guyana.

APNU’s call for a five per

cent reduction in the travel voucher tax is a most illadvised suggestion. It makes one wonder why APNU would make such a suggestion in the first place.

Did they crunch the numbers?

Any reduction in the travel voucher tax will benefit the rich at the expense of the poor because the people who travel through our main airport to go overseas are mainly, not exclusively, drawn from the upper classes. But even the rich may find APNU’s suggestion laughable because it really amounts the savings will be a pittance relative to the actual fare.

The government, on the other hand, is blowing hot.

One Minister said he was outraged at the fares and that it will not be tolerated. After that statement we have heard nothing more from him on the subject, nor have the fares been reduced.

Now we have a new twist.

The government is questioning whether

Caribbean Airlines, which it considers as the principal culprit in the high cost of air travel out of Guyana, receives subsidized fuel from its government.

The hint is obvious. If indeed the Trinidad Government is selling to its flag carrier, fuel cheaper than it is selling to other carriers, this would be in violation of international and regional trade principles and the Trinidadian government can be taken both to the regional competitiveness council and to the Caribbean Court of Justice for offering less favorable treatment to non- national entities than it does to its own flag carrier.

The other option is negotiations, which in fact has to be pursued before any legal challenges are mounted.

The question however is whether Guyana can afford the cost of a legal challenge, or indeed whether it can even establish a prima facie case that subsidized fuel is being provided to CAL.

Dem boys seh...

De airport more important than de Marriott When de opposition cut de budget dem believe that dem woulda slow up de government. Dem talk bout de airport expansion and dem feel that dem woulda stall de project. Well Robeson set de record straight. He announce loud and clear that de expansion gun go on regardless.

One man ask he wheh de money gun come from and he seh “Don’t worry bout that.”

But why people shouldn’t worry? Dem ask wheh de money coming fuh de Marriott and de people tell dem, “Don’t worry bout that.” When people ask bout de Skeldon factory and who paying back de money, de people tell dem ‘Don’t worry bout that.”

That is how dem boys know that people thief so much money that dem ain’t got to worry about spending back some. Is like an investment. Is like a man who thief from he father and tun round and spend that same money in he father business and de father got to pay he interest pun de money he put in.

When de airport done dem people gun got to name different parts after people who

put in de money. Dem would have de Bharrat Jagdeo gallery, de Brassington toilets, and of course de Bees concourse.

When a man can talk so fat that de government gun find US$150 million like nutten and it ain’t coming from de Treasury is time fuh worry. It ain’t no Mafia lending money or at least dem boys don’t think suh.

If dem people got so much money why dem ain’t buy any plane? Well Robeson explain that too. He seh that every aspect of de airport industry does mek a profit except de people who operating de plane. That is why dem was backing Sonny. He was losing de money but dem woulda mek de profit.

Dem boys seh that de airport expansion is really important. That is wheh de real money gun come to Guyana. Chinee and Vietnamese and Africans all want to go to de States. Dem gun come to Guyana and get a passport which seh that dem is Guyanese. Then dem gun get a man from inside de Embassy to sell dem de visa fuh US$40,000 a shot. Think bout de bonanza. That is why dem expanding de airport.

Talk half and roll out de money.

Legal approaches on trade questions are however financially costly. Guyana could not have afforded to pay the fees of the experts that prosecuted Guyana case in the Law of the Sea Tribunal in the dispute with Suriname.

Where therefore will the money come to challenge CAL and the Trinidadian government?

Even if it could afford the cost, will it be worth the effort? By the time this matter is even called, the problem may have already been alleviated.

Despite these considerations, it is a matter of principle that Guyana should act if it feels that it has a case against even if it does so merely for exemplary purposes.

Many years ago, a company took the Guyana

government to the Caribbean Court of Justice on the grounds that Guyana had failed to apply tariffs on extraregional cement.

It was contended that this action by the Guyana government placed the company at a disadvantage.

Guyana lost the case but was spared a major fine.

It would seem therefore that Guyana would be within its moral right to approach the regional competitiveness council and the Caribbean Court of Justice if it can make out a prima facie case that the Trinidadian government is supply subsidized fuel to its flag carrier.

Given cost and time considerations, the government of Guyana is more likely however to ride out the present crisis until the new airlines which have

shown an interest in providing air travel to and from Guyana begin operations.

This does not however settle the issue of fair competition.

It remains incumbent on any regional government or indeed of any firm which suffers unfair competition to seek remedies from those regional institutions which have established to either secure fair trade of defend the principle of fair trade within the context of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

Repeat offender gets six years jail Marvin Britton, 35, of Craig, East Bank Demerara, has been sentenced to six years imprisonment for unlawful wounding and for escaping from police custody.

According to court documents, Britton, a repeat offender, wounded Alvin Mursalin on April 3, 2013 and escaped from police custody after he was arrested for wounding.

The accused pleaded guilty to the charges yesterday when he faced

Magistrate Leron Daly, at the Providence Magistrates’ court.

Police Sergeant, Shellon Daniels, prosecuted the matter.

On the day in question, while at Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara, a fight erupted between the two over money which Britton owed Mursalin. During the altercation, Britton used a cutlass and chopped Mursalin in the head and left elbow.

Britton was subsequently arrested and held in custody at the Grove Police Station.

While at the station, the suspect had requested to go to the washroom and was escorted to the male toilet by an officer.

It was there, that Britton reportedly removed a piece of wood from aback the outhouse and escaped.

After admitting to the offences, yesterday the accused was jailed for three years on each charge.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 13, 2013

Dabydeen ignores handover of Burnham’s parliamentary speeches

Several parts of the city for power outage tomorrow

Executive Director of Caribbean Press, David Dabydeen

GPL’s sub-station at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara under construction.

Flashback: APNU parliamentarians leave Parliament Building on Thursday after the ceremony was called off, so did House Speaker, Raphael Trotman and Members of the main opposition party, APNU

By Abena Rockcliffe The media turned out yesterday at Public Buildings for the second successive day to witness the scheduled handing over of the first volume of the published parliamentary speeches of late President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.

However, for the second time in two days the ceremony was called off because of the no-show of David Dabydeen.

Dabydeen, the Executive Director of Caribbean Press, the entity that has published the compilation, was slated to present the books to the Speaker of the National Assembly at Parliament yesterday. He was scheduled to do so the day before, too.

The Ambassador had a room of people awaiting his arrival.

On Thursday, after an approximately 15-minute wait, Trotman left the room to make inquiries, and about 10

minutes later, the Speaker returned saying that he contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was told that it was making every effort to ensure Dabydeen’s presence at the then stalled ceremony.

He said, too, that according to the information relayed to him, the Ambassador confirmed with Foreign Affairs Ministry at about 02:00hrs Thursday morning that he would have handed over the compilation at the scheduled time (11:00hrs).

There representing the main parliamentary opposition party - A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), were party leader, Brigadier Retired David Granger, Basil Williams, Winston Felix, Ronald Bulkan and Volda Lawrence, all of whom are serving Members of Parliament.

Secondary school students were also present.

However the other two political parties represented in the National Assembly - the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) - were absent.

However, the state of affairs changed yesterday as the media turned up to see a room occupied only by secondary school students. Kaieteur News understands that because of what occurred that day before, APNU refused to attend the forum.

After an approximate 25 minutes wait, Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs told the Press that the presentation ceremony was once again cancelled as Dabydeen told him that because of a “Cock up,” he won’t be in a position to attend.

Isaacs said that Trotman left the Building angry at what happened.

Continued on page 29

Several areas of the city are to be without power for nine hours tomorrow as the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc. work on a major upgrade at the Sophia 69 kV Sub Station, Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

According to the company, yesterday, customers powered by Sophia Sub Station are asked to prepare for a disruption of service from 08:00 hours to 17:00 hours.

“This is to facilitate the connection of existing and new equipment at the upgraded Sophia substation, where work has been proceeding in a live environment; a planned shutdown of the substation will be required. This is unavoidable and a necessary requirement to ensure the safety of the construction workers,” GPL said yesterday.

The areas to be affected will include the East Coast Demerara - between Liliendaal and Bygeval; Bel Air Village, Bel Air Gardens; Bel Air Promenade, Bel Air Springs and Bel Air Park; New Haven; Sophia; Lamaha Springs and Park; Congress Place; Lamaha Gardens; Festival City; North Ruimveldt; South Ruimveldt Park and a section

of GuyHoc Park; Vlissengen Road between Lamaha and North Rd; a section of Laluni and Lance Gibbs Streets; Church Street between Vlissengen Road and New Garden Streets; Camp St between Lamaha and New Market Streets; New Market St between Camp and East Streets; part of Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg and Sophia Exhibition Site.

According to GPL, the exercise is part of the modernization of the Sophia Sub-Station under its Infrastructure Development Programme (IDP) aimed at improving the company’s transmission and distribution network across the country.

IDP is a collaborative effort between the Government of Guyana, GPL and China through a concessionary loan of US$38.96M from the China Export-Import Bank (Eximbank).

This amount is supplemented by US$3.9M from counterpart sources for preparatory works, including route clearing, site preparation and backfilling to above 2005 flood levels.

The programme entails the construction of seven new 69/13.8 kV substations, expansion/upgrade of three

existing 69/13.8 kV substations, construction of approximately 96 km of 69 kV transmission lines, including a link between the Demerara and Berbice Interconnected Systems, 2.1 km of submarine cable, the construction of a new central control center with SCADA capabilities, and installation of 251 km of fiber optic cable.

Already, two new substations at Edinburgh, W.C.D and Vreed-en-Hoop, W.B.D, one expanded substation at Kingston, Georgetown and 14 km of interconnecting transmission lines with fiber optic cable were constructed and commissioned during November/December 2012 and are in service.

Work is currently proceeding on the construction of the remaining five new substations at New Sophia, Good Hope, New Georgetown, Columbia (Mahaicony) and Golden Grove, E.B.D., two expanded/ upgraded stations at Sophia and Onverwagt W.C.B, the central control center and 80 km of interconnecting transmission lines and fibre optic cable. The project is expected to be completed by December 2013.

“Once again, GPL apologizes for any inconvenience that will be caused by this disruption as it continues to strive to provide a consistent supply of electricity to our customers countrywide.”

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 13, 2013

Fisheries Chairman refutes GDF response to piracy attack Chairman of the Upper Corentyne Fishermen’s Coop Society, Pravinchandra Deodat, has refuted the statements by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on the response of the GDF to the piracy attack in the Corentyne River on Tuesday.

Deodat has stated that the army and police have no reason to be upset that suspected pirates caught in the Corentyne River on Tuesday were handed over to the Surinamese police. In fact, Deodat has said that the police here should be thankful that the pirates were quickly apprehended and arrested.

The army has expressed concern over reports alleging that inaction by the Coast Guard led to four persons held by some fishermen being handed over to Surinamese authorities. The four were reportedly nabbed after

...Suriname police handling matter botched hijacking and robberies at sea on Tuesday.

Deodat, yesterday, related a harrowing tale that occurred on the high seas Tuesday afternoon when he and the pirates exchanged gunfire in a high and intense drama along the Corentyne River in the Eversham area.

He also expressed his frustration while calling for the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and Coast Guard for assistance when he reported to this newspaper that phones were ringing our while other landlines were engaged.

Deodat stated that around 10:00 hrs on Tuesday he received a report from one of the boat owners, Jaichand Gopaul, that fishermen were being robbed at sea. “I got a

call that the hijackers were still on the water.”

“I tried to get the Police Commander and his Secretary said he was not in, neither was the Deputy Commander. I tried the number of the Officer-in-Charge of Crime for 25 minutes and the phone was busy.

“It’s so shameful that we the local authorities failed to respond when they getting paid to do this kind of work.

A lot of the people in the disciplinary forces are playing politics with people’s livelihood—they have to do their work because taxpayers’ monies are paying them and people deserve service.”

Deodat said that his patience was running out so he telephoned the Coast Guard (name given) who told

him that they needed “support from the police”, before acting on the complaint.

“We were running in circles….so we arranged to go out ourselves.”

He and five others traveled to the high seas armed with guns. “Outside at Whim, we recognized one of the boats owned by one of our fishermen and the pirates were in control of that boat.”

Deodat and his team exchanged gunfire with the pirates whose boat was a way off. “We went behind them and exchanged some rounds and the water was so rough…and it was a very difficult task because they had four men in the boat with them and it was difficult to determine who the hijackers were and who the fishermen were.”

Deodat noted that the pirates then sought cover inside the boat compartment after which he [Deodat] ordered them to come out with their hands held high. Gaining control of the situation, Deodat and his team approached the hijackers’ boat and cautiously observed them [the hijackers and fishermen] as they [the pirates] revealed themselves.

So he ordered the fishermen to separate themselves from the pirates, which they subsequently did.

“I told them that if they did not tell me the truth, everyone will die.”

The pirates were then tied by the other fishermen while

Deodat once more telephoned the Coast Guard for assistance. “The thing looked so shameful that while I was exchanging gunfire, I called again on the Coast Guard (Mr. Burnett), telling him that we needed backup, and he said he will get assistance and nobody never came. I stick in the water close to two hours circling, waiting, and thinking we will get support but nothing!”

Deodat also recognized the pirate’s boat as belonging to a popular fisherman at Number 43 Village, Corentyne. Deodat stated that the ordeal lasted around three hours and he finally telephoned Surinamese authorities who promptly arrived on the scene and took the four pirates into custody.

All of the fishermen, too, were taken to Nickerie, Suriname where they remain to this day, assisting the Surinamese police with investigations. Deodat stated that the pirates had one weapon and four cutlasses while he and his team had four guns.

“We continued to load the gun and we ensured that we had a lot of rounds because our manpower was less.”

“Luck played in our favour that day. It could have been worst…we were fewer but we still overpower them. I will try my best to support the fishermen and I am willing to work with any agency to do the people’s jobs.”

Deodat also claimed that since the incident, he is receiving a lot of death threats from individuals purporting to

Pravinchandra Deodat be in support with the pirate boat owner. “He say ‘now war start’”.

The police over there held an ID Parade on Wednesday and the fishermen positively identified the pirates.

Deodat stated that he and his men risked their lives that day but it was well worth it.

“The pirates confessed that they go and robbed these people so the Surinamese Authorities and I exchanged communication.”

He stated that further investigations are continuing whereby the police over there are also focusing on the aspect of whether the pirates were ever involved in recent hijacking incidents and murder of fishermen along the Corentyne River.

Deodat stated that the boat that was donated a few years ago by Minister Robert Persaud to fight piracy was used during the operation on Tuesday.

Appeals court upholds Trinidadian’s conviction in JFK airport bomb plot NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court upheld the conviction, Friday, of a former leader of the Shiite Muslim community in Trinidad and Tobago for his role in a conspiracy to bomb New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Imam Kareem Ibrahim, 68, was unable to sway the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York to reverse the 2011 guilty verdict on terrorism-related charges or the sentence of life.

Prosecutors said Ibrahim provided religious instruction and ‘support to the group planning the failed attack, which involved destroying buildings, fuel tanks and pipelines at JFK. The federal appeals court said a jury was entitled to find Ibrahim and his co-conspirators guilty of planning to blow up the airport.

The ruling followed a decision in May upholding the convictions of co-conspirators Russell DeFreitas and Abdul Kadir, who were found guilty in

Kareem Ibrahim August 2010 and also received life sentences.

A fourth man charged in the case, Abdel Nur, pleaded guilty in June 2011 and received a 15year prison sentence.

Prosecutors said Ibrahim joined the plot in May 2007 after meeting with DeFreitas and a confidential FBI informant in Trinidad. Ibrahim among other things gave them advice on avoiding attention by U.S. authorities, prosecutors said.

He was arrested in Trinidad in June 2007 and extradited to the United States.

A jury in Brooklyn, New York, found him guilty in May 2011 on five terrorism-related

counts.

On appeal, Ibrahim’s lawyers argued their client’s testimony was improperly limited, that evidence seized from Kadir’s home shouldn’t have been admitted, and that there wasn’t enough evidence to support his conviction. They also challenged his sentence as unreasonable.

But the three-judge appellate panel rejected all of his arguments and upheld the sentence.

Michael Hueston, a lawyer for Ibrahim, said his client was considering whether to seek further appeal, including a petition for review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

Accurate data of cross-border movement likely with Guyana/Suriname collaboration There is no accurate data available by either the Port Authorities of Guyana or Suriname to determine the movement of persons between territories. At least this was the deduction forthcoming at a press

of the country especially in the borders that we have.”

Suriname, according to Dr Blokland, has borders that are “kind of open and they are very difficult to control because of the vast area that you have to cover and the

undocumented.

It is for this reason, he said that moves have been made to put in place a system whereby official documentation will be collected and compiled into a single database accessible to

Page 13

Skeldon Health Centre closed down months after grand opening ....Mahadeo says building needs repairs

The abandoned building which once housed the Skeldon Health Centre which was commissioned 7 months ago

From left: Suriname Minister of Health, Dr Michel Blokland and Guyana Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran. conference following a ceremony to kick-off a BiNational meeting between the two countries at the Guyana International Conference Centre yesterday.

The meeting, which comes as part of efforts to embrace frontier health by strengthening the exchange of health information, commenced quietly on Thursday and is set to conclude today.

But even as the ambitious engagement took its course yesterday, Health Minister of Suriname, Dr Michel Blokland, was the first to admit that “our Government does not have the exact data of who is coming in and out

little resources that you have...”

Guyana and Suriname share a common border which is linked by the Corentyne River.The river originates in the Acarai Mountains and flows northward for approximately 724 km (450 mi) between Guyana and Suriname, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean near Corriverton, Guyana (or at Molseson Creek) and Nieuw Nickerie, Suriname.

A ferry service operates between these two towns but people have been known to opt for the “backtrack” route via speedboats. The latter travellers are usually

the relevant authorities.

With this system in place, the Surinamese Health Minister said that officials will not only be able to determine how many persons would have entered the territory over a period of time, but ascertain if any of them would have visited the health system regarding their health status.

Like Guyana, Suriname has embraced the importance of primary health care, which according to Dr Blokland, “is the best way to improve equitable health and contain the high costs of specialist care.”

Even as moves are made Continued on page 32

Stranger things have happened but just seven months after it was commissioned by senior officers within the Ministry of Health and Central Government, the building which housed the Skeldon Health Centre has been abandoned.

During a recent visit to Skeldon, it was observed that the building has been closed down; gate and doors locked; yard in a filthy state and the building is falling apart, with zinc sheets falling off.

In 2011, the BRHA decided to hand over the Government Medical Officer (GMO) building that served the residents of the area. That building was said to have been renovated and was transformed into the health centre.

“It is more spacious and affords more privacy; more counselors here and away from the hustle and bustle of

the hospital setting,” said the Senior Health Visitor of the Berbice area at the ribboncutting ceremony last November when the facility was commissioned.

When contacted, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA), Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, stated that the building was in dire need of repairs; hence a Ministry of Health contract was recently signed to effect repairs to the building.

The building should not have been occupied and commissioned in November as the Skeldon Health Centre if the building was not rendered fit for use or needed repairs, Mahadeo said.

He added that the Skeldon Health Centre services have moved to the Skeldon Hospital.

The Skeldon Health Centre has a history of being moved from place to place,

several times. In 1975, the Skeldon Health Centre moved from the St. Margaret Anglican Church at Number 79 Village to the lower flat of the Skeldon Hospital, after which it was moved to the GMO building that has now been closed down and abandoned. It is unclear when repairs to the building will be completed and members of the public can once again access the services of the Skeldon Health Centre at the original location.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 13, 2013

Family pickets GGMC for failure to act on land “bullyism” claim

A

family said to be the heirs of land passed down t h r o u g h generations picketed the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) yesterday, for the agency’s alleged failure to intervene in a land dispute involving themselves and a businessman.

Siblings of the Benjamin family said that the property located at Sand Hills, Demerara River, has been family property since 1926.

They claim that for some 20 years now, Dr. Grantley Wa l r o n d h a s i m p o s e d himself on their property and is conducting sand mining works at the location.

They say that Walrond recently approached the High Court and filed documents preventing the

family from going on the said land. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back, Desmond Major said. At age 76, he was the most senior of the protestors.

Major said that the family has filed counter claims against Walrond and is due back in court by month end. In the case of GGMC, he said they are refusing to issue the businessman with a cease work order. He says that the authorities are not assisting and it is a case of “blatant bullism” on the businessman’s part.

Major said that on the first encounter with Walrond, the family property was in the process of being handed over from parents to children. The matter was in the court since 1993, but they only received official hand over on July 16, last year.

Walrond at the time, reportedly presented the family with documentation stating that he had permission to mine on the family property, which he claimed was state land. The

Siblings of the Benjamin family protest family said the businessman also disregarded their land title and told them that it was false.

The Benjamins are saying however that their property, estimated at some 800 acres is not government land. Government property

he said is situated behind the family land. Daphne Sampson said that he however started on her side of the property and has now moved over on her relative’s side.

She said while some family members live on the property, others would come and go since they use the property for farming activities. The woman said that she became ill for some time and had not visited her piece, but when she got word that Walrond had invaded her property, she came to the land, only to find that all her stuff had been graded.

She claimed having a small structure on the property that had furniture and other household items; that was also destroyed.

Even the plants and food were graded, she said. Her mother and two other family members had been buried on

the land; a papaw tree was planted at the head of her mother’s grave; that too she said was destroyed.

Despite numerous tries, Major said the GGMC has continued to “push them around.”

“Every day you go they tell you come back tomorrow. Come back, come back. That is all they say; from the Commissioner right down. Why are they afraid of this man? Who is he?” Major asked.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment has however issued a cease work order to be on the sand mining operations. The agency, in a release yesterday afternoon, said, “It is investigating the sand mining activities on a private property in Sand Hills, Demerara River following objections

brought to the Ministry by residents of the Community.” ”As such, the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Hon. Robert M. Persaud has directed the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission to issue a Cease Work Order to all parties pending a thorough investigation and satisfactory outcome.”

The matter, it was noted, is also engaging the attention of the court and the Cease Work Order will be enforced by the Commission until such time.

“The Ministry’s Guyana Geology and Mines Commission is once again urging members of the public to report illegal sand mining activities to the Commission or the nearest mining station,” the release concluded.

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

Gov’t to proceed with CJIA expansion Government intends to go ahead with the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project in light of the fact that the hefty sum of US$20M has already been invested for mobilisation, field and laboratory works, Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn said yesterday.

The project represents the latest of government’s ongoing efforts to transform and modernise the infrastructural landscape of the country; including the East Bank and East Coast four-lane highways, which are under construction.

The entire $5.6B allocated to the transport sector programme was slashed by the Parliamentary opposition during the consideration of the 2013 National budget estimates, despite the pleas of the government and the benefits that a modern airport will bring to this country.

Of the amount, $5.3B was budgeted for the upgrade, expansion and

- US$20M already invested modernisation of the CJIA through the construction of a new terminal building, aprons, air-bridges, taxiways and the extension of the runway by a further 3,500 feet. Minister Benn explained that the US$20M is earmarked for China Harbour Engineering and work is ongoing however, the heavy earth moving and other works have not yet started.

“It’s either we let the money go down the line and forget about it or do it, but the question is whether Guyana needs the project or not,” Minister Benn said.

He said that the project has to go ahead. “We cannot stop the engineering refinement, and when we get the go-ahead we are now doing all those things,” he said. This US$150M project is funded by the Government of China through the China EXIM Bank.

Minister Benn said that

the budget cut has delayed the taking of certain steps between the company and Guyana, in terms of payments and signing of agreements.

The CJIA upgrade and expansion project comprises a new terminal building measuring 16,000 square meters, that will have eight passenger boarding bridges, two elevators; and CCTV and departures control systems.

The project also involves the extension of the airport’s main runway by 3,500ft to a final length of 10,500ft, capable of accommodating the Boeing 747-400 aircraft and the construction of eight International Parking Positions including a dedicated position for cargo aircraft. The Governments of Guyana and China inked the framework agreement on October 31, 2012 for a US$130M (RMB 825M) (Continued on page 23)

Page 15

SOESDYKE MAN MURDERS RIVAL - goes on the run

The slain man’s body

P

olice were last night hunting a Soesdyke man who killed a 24year-old miner during a fight over the suspect’s reputed wife.

The victim, Kevin Harrison, was stabbed around 20:00 hrs outside the Ideal Road, Soesdyke home of his girlfriend, who is also the suspect’s reputed wife.

Kaieteur News understands that Harrison and the woman had started a relationship some time ago. People in the neighbourhood said that the woman had gone to live with Harrison after he returned from the interior a

few days ago. According to a resident, around 20:00 hrs yesterday, the woman, who was accompanied by Harrison, returned to her home to pick up her two children, aged about seven and four. It was then that an argument broke out between the two men. This reportedly escalated into a fight, during which Harrison was stabbed.

The suspect fled the scene and was still to be apprehended up to press time.

When Kaieteur News visited the scene Harrison’s corpse was still lying outside his lover’s house.

Alleged gunman says he went to purchase an energy drink

Three nabbed at restaurant in suspected robbery…

The suspected gunman who was shot on Thursday by police who forestalled a robbery at a Chinese restaurant in Coldingen, East Coast Demerara (ECD) is seeking to distance himself from his two acquaintances who were nabbed with a Keltec 9mm. sub-machine gun and a .38 revolver.

With both his hands

handcuffed to a bed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Odinga Allen of Brusche Dam, Buxton, East Coast Demerara said that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The 23-year-old who is under police custody and is nursing a gunshot wound to his right foot at the hospital said that he only went to the

Chinese restaurant to purchase an XL energy drink.

“I don’t know those men.

That restaurant is a popular restaurant and I only had $500 so I went in and buy the XL and I sit down and then I see police come in and start shoot up,” the suspected gunman said.

Allen said he is a porter, working on a truck “somewhere” on the West

Bank Demerara. He claimed that he cannot remember anything about his employer.

According to reports, the police had received information that the three men, Allen, Elroy Newton, a former army corporal of Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara and Leon Howard were planning to rob the restaurant’s owners.

Before the men could

have carried out their act, police arrived and spoiled their plan. Allen was shot after he reportedly opened fire on ranks. Police managed to capture his two other accomplices.

Kaieteur News confirmed that Allen and Newton were previously charged on different occasions with robbery under arms.

Odinga Allen

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Saturday July 13, 2013

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 13, 2013

Guyana an Associate Member of MERCOSUR

G

Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett (left) with the Foreign Ministers of MERCOSUR

uyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn RodriguesBirkett, together with the Foreign Ministers of Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela, has signed a Framework Agreement allowing Guyana to join the Southern Customs Union

(MERCOSUR) as an Associate Member.

This initiative arose out of the decision taken by the Council of Ministers at the MERCOSUR Summit held in Brasilia last December, to foster and strengthen the relationship between Mercosur and Guyana.

The Framework

Association Agreement covers political, economic, trade, productive development, cultural and other cooperation issues.

Following the signing of the Agreement, Minister Rodrigues-Birkett thanked her colleague Foreign Ministers for welcoming Guyana into the MERCOSUR family. “Separated by history and culture in the past, Guyana has made a conscious decision to pursue its continental destiny and signing this Agreement today marks another step in this direction.” She praised the work done by the outgoing Chairman of MERCOSUR, Foreign Minister of Uruguay, Luis Almagro, and the staff of the MERCOSUR Secretariat for completing the process in such a short space of time.

Guyana applied for Associate Member status six months ago.

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 19

UG class assists Dharam Shala, other homes in Berbice tooth paste, soap powder, Dettol , bleach, groceries and also made a cash donation to the caretakers.

Coordinator of the group, Nalissa Mathoo, stated that they are willing to

UG students donating to inmates

A

group of students of the University of Guyana Care of the Elderly Class of 2013 recently travelled to Berbice and visited a number of Homes for the elderly. The visit was part of the community projects and assessments.

The group of five young ladies namely Nandranie Singh, Gwen Roberts, Arlene Stephen, June Ann Whitney and Nalissa Mathoo decided to move away from the city and head to Berbice where they visited three homes namely, Dharm Shala in Fort Canje, Berbice; the Good Samarian Home in Stanleytown, New Amsterdam and the Mission Of Charity Home in New Amsterdam.

The class was divided into groups. During the visit they assisted the inmates and made some tangible donations.

The group on the first visit was not too pleased with how things were at the Dharm Shala and decided to make a second trip in their effort to make a difference.

Of major concern to them was the state of the facility.

Some of the residents were stricken with some grave illnesses. There were residents with Tuberculosis who were in dire need of assistance.

The students now want to move those

persons to a health institution so that they could get better treatment.

Pooling their resources together and gathering whatever assistance they could, they set out on another mission to assist the residents of the homes.

During subsequent visits they donated clothes, soaps, tooth brushes, towels,

make it a monthly venture and hope that more persons can get onboard to assist the residents of the home and others in need .

The group would also like to say a big thank you to

everyone that contributed and helped to make the venture a success.

Receiving the donation on behalf of the home were Dennis Singh and Mrs. Erskine who both expressed

thanks on behalf of the owners, the caretakers and residents of the home.

They also wished the students success in their project and all their future activities.

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Saturday July 13, 2013

Saturday July 13, 2013

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Page 22

Kaieteur News

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Saturday July 13, 2013

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HILUX SOLID DIFF: 2L Diesel Engine, Excellent condition: UK Auto 60 Brickdam- Call:227-0424/ 676-6429 (Continued on page 23)

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Letters... Where your views make the news

Eight hundred hectares...

From page 4 canes on time? Giving out lands to farmers will only aggravate the problem as well as create a bad situation for the farmers themselves who cannot embark on this expensive exercise without bankrupting themselves.

Not satisfied with the disaster they have created at Skeldon for the farmers there, they are now going to trick more people to become sugar cane farmers at Uitvlugt by giving them 800 hectares to plant from the estate’s cultivation!

I don’t know where these 800 acres at Uitvlugt are, and on what conditions the farmers will have to operate, i.e., cleaning canals and keeping the drainage systems in good order, but the lands at Uitvlugt are notoriously bad with the highest rainfall in the industry, and if the estate can’t grow cane on it, begs the question: Which farmer will be able to do so?

This is another disastrous move by the PPP to trick people to part with the little money they have, and incredibly, these people are their own supporters!

Finally, as of this date I am not aware that the farmers have ever been given their part of the European Union

[EU] Development Fund since they, as well as GuySuCo, have lost economically in the removal of the preferential price of sugar.

Last year 2012, 10.99 % of the acreage under cane in this country was being cultivated by farmers.

Of the sugar produced from their cane they get 70% of the price per tonne marketed, so if the government was given 24.7 billion dollars for the loss of the subsidy since 2006, then the local sugar cane farmers are entitled to 70% of 11 per cent of the money, i.e., 189 million.

Since 2006 I have been talking about the allocation to GuySuCo of this relief from the EU to buffer the loss of the preferential prices for our sugar, and the money could have been used to do anything, even diversify GuySuCo. It was not intended to just make our sugar cane cultivation practices more efficient.

In an unprecedented move recently the EU has now been forced to come out and demand that the money be put where it was supposed to be put, into the sugar industry.

As if this is not embarrassment enough, the government still refuses to give the farmers their share of this money which is rightfully theirs. Per-

haps the EU can now ask that they get their share.

When dealing with this PPP government, you have to be very specific about what you are giving them grant aid to do, and see that they do it, or they will misuse it for their own enrichment and to hell with the rest of us.

Finally, on Thursday at the APNU press conference I did not disclose the names of the channels which are going to court to challenge the constitutionally of the Broadcast Act, and any publication of the identity of those channels is speculation.

Tony Vieira

port comparable to any other part of the world.

Jobs will also be created as several auxiliary services are anticipated and the country’s tourism potential is likely to be bolstered with the influx of visitor arrivals.

Annually an average 4,000 international flights and 600,000 passengers arrive at the CJIA, and these numbers

SERVICES Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call:225-6496,6626045,223-8115

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Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves.

Ultra Cool. Call: 225-9032, 647-2943

Advance Diploma in Computer Technology for students completed CSEC 2013: Register now @ MicroGraphics Technology, Vreed-En-Hoop- Call:2643057

House Plans, estimates and construction- Contact T.Boodhoo 625-9883 / 6759296

Get trained as a live-in Caregiver to live and work in Canada, under Canadian curriculum- Call:227-4881/ 416-674-7973 CAR RENTAL Progressive Auto Rental - cars from $4000 per day.

Call 643-5122, 225-8711; email www. progressive autorental. com Premio, Vitz call: 689-6668 A i d a n ’s C a r R e n t a l & Pickup- Call: 645-7981/ 698-7807

Gov’t to proceed with CJIA...

From page 15 loan from the Chinese Exim Bank to fund construction of the project. Once completed, it would ensure that the CJIA is able to meet the needs of projected traffic for several years into the future, along with becoming a hub for regional and continental traffic. It will allow the country to boast a state of the art air-

EDUCATIONAL SUMMER CLASSES: July 15th – August 15th: Phonics, Mathematics, Language, Spanish, Craft, Tours & Fun day: Garnett St. KittyCall:654-8650

are expected to double in the near future and by the year 2030, triple. From 2008 to present the CJIA has benefitted from investments totaling $1B. It has a new ProVision security scanner and a modern Air Navigation System at the airport’s Control Tower that was recently commissioned.

(GINA)

CXC Maths, English, Business and Science, January/ June 2014- Call Imperial College at 227-7627/ 683-5742 Summer Computer Classes: Ages 5-13: Starting at $6,500 and up @ MicroGraphics Technology, Vreed-En-HoopCall:264-3057 SUMMER CLASSES: Phonics, Language, Mathematics, Art & Craft & Fun day: (4-12 years)- July 15th- August 15th: Roxanne Burnham: Call 619-4355/ 2182076

We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer. Call:2310655, 683-8734 Omar Computer repairs in homesCall:675-7292 Tr a n s p o n d e r T V: No Monthly Fees, No Hidden Fees, No Additional Charges: 250 Channels + 50 HD Channels- Call: 6753201 Professionally designed website at affordable prices: Get a free consultation & quoteEmail: trinidadbusiness@gmail. com or call:868-397-3589 Repairs to Fridge, Freezer, AC, Washers, Stoves, TV: Call 683-1312,627-3206 (Nick) We Refill HP cartridges for $1800 call: 650-7699

(From page 22)

VACANCY Personnel needed, requirements: UG Diploma in Agricultural Science or a GSA certificate- Call:2230595/231-8053 Vacancy for 1 general domestic must able to prepare Vegetarian mealCall:225-5800 Operators, general workers (female/male), securityApply to: B.M. Enterprise Inc. GPL Wharf Houston, E.B.D- Call:227-8176/7 Guards, Males, Land of Canaan location.

Accommodation Available for Males. Salary $15,000+ per 6 day week. Call:266-4427 Fish cleaners @ Lot 80 Eccles Industry- Call:2332546 One Upholster & two Joiners- Call:219-1342/6107005 Vacancy exists for 1 Parts Sales Clerk: Sound Secondary education with knowledge in Japanese vehicles spare partsCall:231-7839

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Call:684-7403 Caribbean First Class Read Guyana through literacy & phonics: July 15th – August 23rd, 2013: Limited seatsCall:684-7403 Learn how to read with hooked on phonics for children and adults private sessions- Call:694-0689

PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for Contact:699-9926

sale-

Versailles 5 Bedroom House with modern facilities and beautiful landscape- Call: 592-684-9203 / 592-624-8704

Tw o (2) bedrooms furnished apartment in Georgetown for short term local and overseas guests. Contact: 699-7559

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2 Bedrooms bottom flat in Alexander Village- 689-7708

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Saturday July 13, 2013

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Kaieteur News

Page 25

Unlikely that body will be brought back for burial Death of Guyanese Nurse in India…

Lucinda Solomon-Lee with her husband

A

l t h o u g h disheartened at the minute possibility that exists of having her daughter’s body brought back to Guyana for burial, it is Morlyn Scipio’s desire to be provided with “all the details” surrounding her daughter’s death in India.

“I want to know why she dead and how she dead,” the distraught woman said during a conversation with this newspaper yesterday.

The death of the 37-yearold nurse, Lucinda Solomon-Lee, had been reported to her family members, via telephone call

from her Nigerian husband, three days after her passing.

The husband identified as Austine Molar, had not mentioned the cause of death during the phone call; even though questions had been asked.

He subsequently sent a detailed Facebook message to the nurse’s sister in which he stated that the nurse had been hospitalised two months prior to her death to undergo an ovarian surgery.

In the message, the Nigerian identified three hospitals in India where the woman reportedly received medical attention; including

SAFI hospital, where she underwent the surgery and NAIR hospital where she died.

Further light was shed on the matter when a conversation between Indian High Commission’s First Secretary, Tirath Singh, and a staff at the NAIR hospital revealed that a woman, listed as Lucinda Aistine Nichols, had been taken to the hospital by four Nigerians and died at 12 AM on July 5.

A post mortem was reportedly conducted; however, the findings of that operation could not be disclosed.

The body is reportedly still being held in the facility’s mortuary.

According to Scipio, in order for her to receive financial assistance to have the body of her daughter brought to Guyana for burial, she must be provided with the findings of the post mortem, information that she is in no position to access.

Otherwise, the woman says,

the chances are very slim.

Still, she is determined that in the event her daughter is buried in India, she needs to be given the details of what caused her daughter’s death. “If we don’t get to bring her, I would feel much better knowing what caused her death,” the mother stated.

SECRETIVE AND PROUD Meanwhile, ever since receiving word of the death of the nurse in India a week ago, it has been the strong belief of a close friend that the nurse’s secretive nature compounded with her pride could have very well been what led to her downfall.

Opposing what family members and other interested persons contended as cause of the nurse’s death, the woman does not entertain the idea of Solomon-Lee’s Nigerian husband harming her. However, she is not ruling out foul play, since even she held suspicions of

GPL apologizes for “shocking” light bill

T

he Guyana Power and Light yesterday issued a “sincere” apology to the La Penitence resident who was recently “shocked” by a $1/2M light bill.

On July 9, Donna Meusa of 31 Walker Terrace, La Penitence, told this publication that for the month of June she received a GPL bill for $488,030.

Meusa on that occasion said that “she was at a loss”, and did not understand how it is that she was billed so much money, especially since the previous bill, which comes under the name of a relative, Sybil Hawker, was merely $359.

The power company in a release yesterday explained

that “most of GPL’s meters are read manually, where a meter reader visually looks at the meter and inputs the reading into a portable electronic device.

At the end of each day, the readings are uploaded into GPL’s Billing System, which uses the readings to calculate bills.”

GPL further explained that the system then automatically highlights what appears to be “erroneous” consumption; which does this by comparing the current monthly consumption with historical levels.

GPL added that when Meusa queried her enormous bill, the staff should have then noticed that the consumption deviated significantly from previous

levels.

Had their employee established the correct procedure, GPL said that the staff should have then informed the customer that the “consumption does appear inconsistent and that GPL will re-read the meter to verify the accuracy of the reading”.

The power company said that the meter was then reread and the correct analysis was entered into the system thus the corrected bill was issued.

“Like the billing staff, the query staff did not follow

proper policies and procedures.

We are also dealing with this internally”, GPL said.

GPL further explained that the responsibility of the billing staff is to investigate and correct any supposedly incorrect bill before it is issued to the customer but in the case of Ms. Hawker’s bill, the system did highlight the uncharacteristically high consumption but the staff failed to make the correction.

GPL said that the company takes customer services seriously and encourages customers to raise any issue affecting them.

the Nigerians.

According to family members, there were several reports that the woman had been murdered by her Nigerian husband.

Further, the family’s suspicion was peaked due to the man informing them that the nurse had died three days after she passed.

However, according to the nurse’s friend, judging from her acquaintance with the couple, one would easily conclude that they were madly in love.

“They were always laughing, smiling, cuddling together. Other people around them would get jealous,” the woman said.

The woman said that she was not aware of any crisis in the couple’s relationship, even before they were married.

Still, her own suspicions, particularly in relation to the Nigerian’s “jobs”, prompted her to remove herself from a similar situation, and she urged Solomon-Lee to follow suit.

“I begged and pleaded with her to come home but

she made it clear that she’s not coming back,” the woman said. She added that the nurse had, on one occasion, mentioned that she was “shame to come home… she said people would laugh her.”

Added to Solomon-Lee’s pride, the woman contended that she was too secretive of her affairs. “If Lucinda wanted to come home, she would have come home. If she was in trouble, she could have called the Police or the Embassy there…I don’t think she wanted to come back home.”

The woman added that she often urged the nurse to confide in someone or to keep in regular contact with her mother in the event of any trouble, but her admonitions were ignored.

“She never used to call her mother.”

The woman said that since it has been confirmed that Lucinda Solomon-Lee has died, family members have little option other than to “get over” the cruel episode.

Page 26

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 13, 2013

China donates 10 fire tenders

Chief Fire Officer, Marlon Gentle, receives a key to one of the fire tenders from Home Affairs Minister, Clement Rohee.

China has donated 10 tenders and 400 suits for fire officers to Guyana. The

handing over ceremony took place on Thursday at the Ministry of Home Affairs,

Brickdam. The vehicles and protective gear were handed over following the signing of

the acceptance certificate.

According to Minister Clement Rohee, the gesture is another concerted manifestation of the friendly relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Guyana.

Rohee pointed out that in his Budget 2013 debate presentation he had made it known that the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) would be renamed the Guyana Fire and Rescue Service and would go through certain transformative periods in order to ensure that the service becomes modernised.

He said the GFS has come a far way with 16 stations around the country, up from seven. The country boasts 36 tenders now, he said.

The additional fire tenders will see an exponential growth in the capacity of the Fire Service to provide an effective and efficient service to the residents not only in Georgetown, but in the other regions as well, the Minister said.

Minister Rohee urged

officials of the GFS to take special care of the vehicles to ensure that they are well serviced and protected and that they are used for the benefit of the people.

Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Zhang Limin, noted that his country has long and fruitful relations with Guyana.

Barbados central bank clears CPL sponsor

W

ith just 17 days before bowl-off of the Caribbean Premiere League, the Central Bank of Barbados (CBB) has endorsed tournament sponsors, Verus International. It has also retracted an earlier claim that Verus International is not a licensed bank on the island.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Verus, Ajmal Khan, has signed onto a long-term deal with the West Indies Cricket Board to bankroll the Caribbean T/20 Tournament, through his company that trades as a merchant bank in Barbados, but CBB in an April statement denied its existence.

In a release yesterday, the governing Barbados bank however stated, “The Central Bank of Barbados confirms that any misunderstanding regarding t h e s t a t u s o f Ve r u s

International has been clarified and resolved.”

Contrary to its April advice that persons’ transacting business with Verus does so at their own risk, CBB now endorses the c o m p a n y : “ Ve r u s International is in good standing to conduct its business in Barbados. Verus International has been licensed under the International Business Companies Act in Barbados since 1999. The company’s investments are an important contribution to the diversification of the economies of Barbados and the Caribbean”.

The CPL starts July 30 at Kensington Oval with Barbados Tridents taking on St Lucia Zouks.

This multi-million month-long tournament will feature 24 matches across the Caribbean ending with the final in Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Tobago.

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

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Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

Incomplete pipeline relocation out of GWI hands Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), in response to a recent article published by this newspaper, has distanced itself from the circumstances that led to the delay in the relocation of pipelines operations pertinent to the ongoing extension project of the East Bank Demerara Public Road.

According to the article, works to the four-lane expansion project from Providence to Diamond commenced in January 2012 and was expected to run for 18 months. The works, however, were delayed primarily because utilities such as GWI’s pipelines and Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T)’s poles, as well as aerial and buried cables, had not been removed or relocated.

The article stated that owing to the presence of such utilities, works were stalled. Further, even when the contractor, BK

International, resumed works in May 2013, all the utilities were not removed.

Primary focus was placed on the GWI conduits and pipelines that had not been relocated.

According to the article, in October 2012, construction company, Macsood Ahamad, was contracted by Government to relocate conduits and pipelines from Providence to Diamond to the tune of $97M. The relocation process, which was expected to have a duration period of one month, reportedly commenced but did not see completion.

Further, there are no indications as to what proportion of the job was completed.

Responding to the article in a statement, GWI said that the relocation of the pipelines to accommodate the expansion project was initially intended to be completed during the month that the works had commenced.

However, contractor

Macsood Ahamad Construction encountered several obstacles in achieving the deadline. These included lack of permission and access to relocate pipelines on private property and Government reserved.

The statement said that garnering such permission remained outside of GWI’s authority and was the responsibility of another agency.

It was further stated that the contractor was unable to relocate pipelines due to the fact that sections of the canal along the East Bank Public Road remained unfilled, hence pipe laying exercises could not be executed.

Added to that, the contractor was informed of several changes to the original plan for civil works involved in the extension of the road, and was required to accommodate these changes which further extended the time required to complete all pipe relocations.

Man gets three year jail for wounding Clive Williams, 37, of New Hope East Bank Demerara appeared before Providence Magistrate Leron Daly. He was sentenced to three years jail after admitting to unlawfully wounding another

man. According to the allegation, on July 7, Williams attacked and wounded Harmon John The court was told that John questioned Williams about his missing bicycle but

DRIVER’S LICENCE SUSPENDED Edson Inniss of Lot 88 Amsville Housing Scheme, New Amsterdam, Berbice, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving following an accident on November 24, 2012 at Main Road, New Amsterdam.

He reportedly struck down pedestrian Sastia Natasha Phillips of Lot 5 Fifth Street, Islington, West Bank Berbice.

Inniss driver’s licence has been suspended pending the outcome of the matter.

he became annoyed, used a broken bottle and inflicted a deep gash to the victims face.

The fact of the case is that the accused and the complainant are known to each other.

Prior to the incident, the accused, had expressed his interest in purchasing the bicycle thus when it turned up missing, he became a suspect. The complainant went to the suspect’s home to inquire about the missing bicycle but the man deliberately denied having the bicycle. Williams became incensed and broke a banks beer bottle and advanced towards the plaintiff. He sustained a three centimeter incised wound from his mouth to his left side cheek.

At yesterday’s hearing the victim bore an ugly scar on his left side face.

Page 29

Composition of some Boards stalling appointment of members The non-appointment of certain Boards may be outstanding because of the requirement of nominees from Opposition Parties in the National Assembly.

According to Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon, on Thursday at the Office of the President, Boards are currently being appointed.

However, there is a historic commitment requiring the presence of an Opposition representative or nominee on the Boards and this is where the trouble exists.

“Many of these boards are statutorily appointed with fixed compositions so as we move along the efforts that have been successful so far in the appointments have addressed those that are noncontroversial there is no problem with the appointments,” he said.

Dr. Luncheon said that in relation to the other Boards, Government is faced with the decision of choosing between nominees presented by the two Opposition Parties, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC).

“The reappointments of those boards and the deliberations on the others whether the leader of the Opposition can indeed submit, whether the Government is willing to accept a submission from the Leader of the O p p o s i t i o n o f A N P U ’s nominees to the total e x c l u s i o n o f A F C ’s nominees whether the Government is willing to consider the submission of A F C ’s n o m i n e e s t o t h e e x c l u s i o n o f A P N U ’s nominees,” he noted.

According to Dr.

Dr. Roger Luncheon Luncheon, GuySuCo Board has not yet been appointed and has nothing to do with it being one of the more difficult ones.

He added that the issue of fees for directors would be dealt with at the time the Boards are being appointed.

Dabydeen ignores handover of Burnham’s...

From page 10 Questioned on the absence of government officials on Thursday, Trotman said that he wasn’t about to have a “press conference” on the issue. When asked the same question, Opposition Leader Granger’s only response was “that’s typical.”

At a subsequent press conference, in defence of its no-show, the AFC said that the party wasn’t aware of any official invitation.

The decision to compile, edit and publish the speeches of all presidents came about following the adoption of a Resolution in a parliamentary motion.

This resolution was passed by the National Assembly on August 7, 2008, after which the House took measures to have the verbatim records of the late

Presidents compiled.

The motion was piloted to give due recognition to Guyana’s first Executive President Forbes Burnham, 55 years after he first entered the National A s s e m b l y, t h e n a s a representative of the People’s Progressive Party in 1953 and 23 years after his death in 1985.

That motion had called on Members of the House to request the “National Assembly to designate a state institution to be responsible for historical research and documentation to chronicle and archive all of the works of each of the Presidents of Guyana for the benefit of future generations of Guyanese.”

During the debate, different perspectives were shared on Burnham’s

contribution to Guyana in the field of trade unionism, as a nationalist, a politician and a diplomat.

The motion had received the full support of both sides of the House and the debate chronicled the political involvement of Burnham in Guyana.

As a result of the motion, Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, along with the Staff of the Parliament Office, transferred the hard copies of the verbatim records to soft copies and compiled the first volume of the late President’s speeches.

To date, the Caribbean Press, under the directorship of Professor Dabydeen, has printed, published and presented the speeches of former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan.

Page 30

Kaieteur News

PM: Ministers deny meddling Trinidad Express - Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar said Thursday every single member of her Cabinet has denied ever meeting the Guardian board and interfering in the business of the media house.

The Prime Minister was responding to questions from the media during a walkabout at John Peter Road, Charlieville, in support of the United National Congress’ (UNC) candidate for the Chaguanas West by-election, Khadijah Ameen.

On Wednesday, three members of the Guardian staff resigned, citing political interference in their newsroom by government members.

Persad-Bissessar refuted this claim on Wednesday, saying her Government stands by press freedom and she was not aware of the tensions at the Guardian.

However, to be certain of this, at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair, Persad-Bissessar put the question to the ministers present.

“Today, at the Cabinet meeting, I asked every minister, did anyone meet as alleged in a newspaper, that two ministers met Friday, every minister who was at that meeting present today said no they never met. There’s

Kamla Persad-Bissessar been no political interference and I think you know people feel so but it’s not like that,” she said.

Told that the Express had quoted Housing Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal as saying he did call the Guardian expressing concern about the report with respect to the leasing of a Range Rover, the Prime Minister responded, “that is a different issue”.

“The Express carried a story saying that two ministers of the Government went to the Guardian offices on Friday. Every minister present today I asked them, because it is important to ask, as you know I stand for press freedom,” she said.

Persad-Bissessar said further that yesterday her Cabinet approved the Bill

which would ensure that criminal libel is removed from the statute books.

“We had made the commitment, we approved in principle the Bill that came to us today. My Government and myself, we have never been against press freedom. I asked every minister today and not one said they went (to the Guardian) as alleged on Friday,” she said.

Asked if there were any absent ministers, PersadBissessar said some were out of the country but she will also put the question to them on their return.

“This report said two ministers of the Government met at the Guardian House on Friday.

So far not a single minister has admitted they they’ve met, they all said they did not meet,” she repeated.

Persad-Bissessar admitted that some of her ministers did express concern over reports in the Guardian but took the legal avenue to deal with this.

“Anil Roberts has sued the Guardian for headlines, others have brought preaction protocol letters which is our right.

As is the right of the media to write their stories, it is the right of every individual whether minister or not to express their concern,” she said.

Holness says Govt. must put own interests over regionalism

Jamaica Gleaner Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) leader Andrew Holness says the country’s membership in CARICOM is partly to be blamed for its wide trade deficit.

Holness, who is also leader of the Opposition, has called for a re-examination of the country’s membership in trade and other groupings.

Addressing a Gleaner Editors’ Forum on Wednesday at the newspaper ’s Kingston offices, he argued that with the changing dynamics of world integration, it is now time for Jamaica to seek to forge stronger ties with other countries outside of CARICOM. “We have seen where other governments have made attempts at regionalism at the expense of Jamaica’s benefit,” he said.

“The common external tariff that we now have is the basis of the large imbalance in trade that we have with the rest of CARICOM.” In 2010, Jamaica’s trade deficit with Trinidad and Tobago stood at US$702

Andrew Holness million, a widening from US$616 million in 2009.

Of CARICOM countries, Jamaica had a trade surplus in 2010 with Antigua and Barbuda (US$4.9 million), Grenada (US$1.8 million), Montserrat (US$500,000), St Kitts (US$3.2 million) and St Vincent (US$2.4 million).

Holness told those in attendance at the forum that he commended CARICOM partners Trinidad and

Barbados for “putting the interest of their [respective] country over regionalism”.

He added that he would “not join those who will seek to blame Trinidad and Barbados for having taken steps to put their countries’ interests first”.

He said: “I don’t blame [them]. I support them, but I [would also] support Jamaica for putting its interest first.”

Holness, however, did not say whether he believed Jamaica should pull out of CARICOM. “When you seek to elevate the regional dynamics ahead of the national dynamics, when your economy is in such a bad state, your people are suffering, when the cry for justice is right across the length and breadth, people not able to take care of themselves, I am a little disappointed that the discussion is always pitted as the Labour Party being anti-regionalist, without understanding the dynamics within CARICOM,” Malahoo Forte said.

Saturday July 13, 2013

South American bloc sends tough message to U.S. on spying, Snowden MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) - South American leaders sent a tough message to Washington yesterday over allegations of U.S. spying in the region and to defend their right to offer asylum to fugitive U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden.

Capping two weeks of strained North-South relations over the Snowden saga, presidents from the Mercosur bloc of nations met in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Complaints against the United States were high on the agenda.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, at the close of yesterday’s summit, said the block would issue a statement officially “rejecting” U.S. espionage in the region and “affirming the right to asylum as a fundamental right.”

“This global espionage case has shaken the conscience of the people of the United States and has upset the world,” Maduro said. “It raises key issues of political ethics.”

The Mercosur bloc comprises Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.

Dilma Rousseff “Any act of espionage that violates human rights, above all the basic right to privacy, and undermines the sovereignty of nations, deserves to be condemned by any country that calls itself democratic,” Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff told reporters on arrival at the meeting.

Rousseff, who was imprisoned and tortured under military rule in Brazil in the early 1970s, said the rights issue was particularly important for South American countries that lived under dictatorships for years and

are now democracies.

The meeting began as reports emerged that Snowden plans to eventually travel to Latin America after seeking temporary asylum in Russia. Leftist leaders in Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua have offered him asylum.

Leaders throughout the region are furious over reports that the U.S. National Security Agency targeted most Latin American countries with spying programs that monitored Internet traffic, especially in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Mexico.

“This is the world we live in; a world with new forms of colonialism,” Argentine President Cristina Fernandez said in her closing remarks in Montevideo. “It is more subtle than it was two centuries ago, when they came with armies to take our silver and gold.”

Colombia, Washington’s closest military ally in Latin America, and Mexico, its top business partner, joined the chorus of governments seeking answers after the allegations were published by a leading Brazilian

Senate passes Defamation Act Jamaica Gleaner - The Senate has passed the amended Defamation Act, despite a declaration from one senator that he was not enthusiastic about the bill.

The Senate continued its debate on the Defamation Act after the matter was adjourned last week.

Contributing to the debate, Government senator, Lambert Brown, said he did not agree with the rush to pass this law while other issues such as rules on occupational health and

safety continue to languish.

Opposition Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, outlined that there were several gaps in the legislation.

Among the suggestions she made was that the Act contain a clause which requires parties to try to settle their dispute outside the court by allowing the offending party to settle with the complainant.

The Bill was eventually passed with 10 amendments.

The Defamation Act, if

approved by the House of Representatives, will replace the decades-old libel and slander laws.

Jamaica currently operates with a Libel and Slander Act, which was passed in 1851, and the Defamation Act, which was passed in 1961.

A key feature of the bill is the abolition of the distinction between libel and slander and the establishment of a single cause of action to be known as defamation.

Bahamas signs MOU with US NASSAU, Bahamas CMC – The Bahamas government says the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to counter-piracy between The Bahamas and the United States will play a critical role in maintaining as well as increasing the country’s position as a leading global Flag State.

Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys HannaMartin said the initiative would also strengthen The Bahamas’ enforcement reach in volatile shipping areas such as the coast of Somalia and that the country could also benefit from additional economic and national

security aspects of the agreement. “This agreement is very important to The Bahamas particularly because we have so many vessels that are potentially at risk and we appreciate the cooperation (with the United States) that I think inures to the benefit of both states,” Mrs. HannaMartin said. “The agreement acknowledges the very serious issue of piracy in specific areas of the globe and it is the fact that we are vulnerable as a Flag State.

Where the Americans are involved initially, and it involves a Bahamian-flagged vessel, we have a process of cooperation that will lead to the management of any

criminal activities that could impact The Bahamas as a Flag State,” she added.

She said Bahamians should not let the great geographical distance between The Bahamas and Somalia, where pirate attacks cost the world economy more than US$14 billion over the period 2010-11 distract them from the serious nature of piracy and the effect it can have on the Bahamian economy.

Global officials say while there has not been one single successful hijacking of a major commercial vessel off the coast of Somalia in more than a year countries must continue to work together.

Saturday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 31

Egypt’s bruised Islamists Pakistan’s Malala, shot by Taliban, protest after bloody week takes education plea to UN CAIRO (Reuters) Islamist supporters of Egypt’s ousted president, Mohamed Mursi, protested in Cairo yesterday after a week of violence in which more than 90 people were killed in a bitterly divided nation.

Nine days after the army toppled Egypt’s first elected leader following a wave of demonstrations against him, Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood is trying to mobilize popular support for his reinstatement, which for now looks like a lost cause.

At a Cairo mosque where Mursi supporters have held vigil for more than two weeks, crowds swelled as people were bussed in from the provinces, where the Brotherhood has strongholds.

“We’re here and we’re not leaving,” said Amer Ali, who drove the five-hour journey

from the Nile city of Assiut with his wife and two young children to join tens of thousands of protesters.

“We came with our kids to support legitimacy, democracy, and our civilian president, the first freely elected president in the Arab world.”

Some 2,000 people had gathered close to Cairo University on the weekly Muslim day of prayer, in the holy month of Ramadan.

The youth-led Tamarud group, which brought millions of people to the streets to demand Mursi resign, has called for a Ramadan celebration in Tahrir Square, the cradle of the uprising that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Officials say Mursi is still being held at the Republican Guard compound in Cairo,

where troops killed 53 Islamist protesters on Monday in violence that intensified anger his allies already felt at the military’s decision to oust him.

Four members of the security forces were also killed in that confrontation, which the military blames on “terrorists”.

Mursi’s supporters call it a massacre and say those who died were praying peacefully when troops opened fire.

Many of Egypt’s 84 million people have been shocked by the shootings, graphic images of which have appeared on state and private news channels and social media.

The incident occurred just three days after 35 people were killed in clashes between proand anti-Mursi demonstrators across the country.

Snowden wants Russia asylum, lawmaker says MOSCOW (AP) — National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden wants asylum in Russia and is willing to stop sharing information as a trade-off for such a deal, according to a lawmaker who was among a dozen activists and officials to meet with him yesterday at the Moscow airport where he has been marooned for weeks.

Snowden appeared nervous, but in apparently good health during the meeting behind closed doors in the transit zone of Sheremetyevo airport, Duma member Vyacheslav Nikonov told reporters.

Human Rights Watch provided a photo of Snowden at the meeting, the first new image to appear of the former NSA systems analyst since the Guardian newspaper broke the story of widespread U.S. Internet surveillance based on his leaks.

Whether Russia would be willing to take Snowden up on his request is unclear. The Kremlin has signaled that it wants Snowden out. But granting asylum would be a diplomatically risky move, threatening to worsen

Edward Snowden M o s c o w - Wa s h i n g t o n already strained by U.S. criticism of President Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on the country’s opposition and Putin’s allegation that the U.S. is meddling in Russian affairs. But it would allow Putin to portray Russia as a principled defender of human rights and openness, despite the fact that it allows its security agencies to monitor the Internet.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, told Russian news agencies after the announcement that Russia has not yet received a new bid for asylum and that Putin would continue with his insistence that Snowden stop

leaking information.

Both Nikonov and Genri Reznik, a lawyer who participated in the meeting, said Snowden was willing to stop leaks.

“He said he was informed of this condition and that he can easily accept it. He does not intend to damage the United States’ interests given that he is a patriot of his country,” Nikonov said.

However, it is unclear whether Snowden still is holding onto potentially sensitive information about U.S. intelligence operations.

Snowden is believed to have been stuck in the transit zone since June 23, when he arrived on a flight from Hong Kong, where he had gone before his revelations were made public. He had been expected to transfer in Moscow to a Cuba-bound flight, but did not get on the plane.

A brief video of the meeting’s opening shown on the Russian news site Life News showed Snowden speaking, then being interrupted by a flight announcement on the airport’s public-address system.

Malala Yousafzai gives her first speech since the Taliban in Pakistan tried to kill her for advocating education for girls, at U.N. headquarters in New York, yesterday. (Reuters) UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban last year for demanding education for girls, marked her 16th birthday with a passionate speech at the United Nations yesterday in which she said education could change the world.

“Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.

Education is the only solution,” said Yousafzai, speaking out for the first time since she was attacked.

Wearing a pink head scarf, Yousafzai told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Kimoon and nearly 1,000 students attending an international Youth Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York that education was the only way to improve lives.

Yousafzai was shot at close range by gunmen in October as she left school in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, northwest of the country’s capital Islamabad. She was targeted for her campaign against the Islamist Taliban efforts to deny women education.

“They shot my friends too. They thought that the bullets would silence us. But they failed and out of that silence came thousands of voices,” she said to cheers

from the students gathered at U.N. hall.

“The terrorists thought they would change my aims and stop my ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died.

Strength, power and courage was born,” a confident Yousafzai said.

She wore a white shawl draped around her shoulders that had belonged to former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated during a 2007 election rally weeks after she returned to Pakistan from years in self-imposed exile.

“I am not against anyone, neither am I here to speak in terms of personal revenge against the Taliban or any other terrorist group. I’m here to speak up for the right of education for every child,” she said.

“I want education for the sons and daughters of the

Taliban and all terrorists and extremists,” she said. “I do not even hate the talib who shot me. Even if there is a gun in my hand and he stands in front of me, I would not shoot him.”

Yousafzai presented Ban with a petition signed by some 4 million people in support of 57 million children around the world who are not able to go to school. It demanded that world leaders fund new teachers, schools and books and end child labor, marriage and trafficking.

Ban said that the United Nations was committed to a target of getting all children in school by the end of 2015.

“No child should have to die for going to school.

Nowhere should teachers fear to teach or children fear to learn. Together, we can change this picture,” he said.

“Together, let us follow the lead of this brave young girl, Malala.”

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Kaieteur News

Saturday July 13, 2013

Caribbean has largely untapped fish farming potential While the global demand for fish is climbing faster than current resources can meet, fish farming or aquaculture remains a largely underdeveloped industry in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions.

This was one of the main conclusions of the experts speaking at the “32nd Brussels Briefing” on “Fish Farming”, which took place on July 3 at the ACP Secretariat in Brussels.

The speakers noted almost unanimously the “significant potential” of the sector across ACP regions, if the right policies were in place.

Executive Director of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), Milton Haughton, pointed to the high per capita fish consumption in the Caribbean – 77kg each year in Antigua, and more than 30kg each in the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada and St. Kitts. He revealed though that most supplies are imported, due to the high input cost of fish farming.

Another factor he mentioned for the low level of supply is a general decline of the industry since the mid2000s, affected in parts by

impacts of the global economic crisis and climate change.

However, “despite the recent decline in aquaculture production, it has actually provided an opportunity to have a new look at the aquaculture industry in the region and learn from the lessons and experiences,” stated Haughton.

For the Caribbean, a regional CARICOM development strategy for 2013-2020 includes plans to develop the sector by adopting an ecosystem approach to aquaculture, creating a regional working group, as well as enabling policy and legal frameworks.

Voluntary guidelines and best management practices and standards are also expected.

Senior fisheries advisor at the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Sloans Chimatiro, said that while the tonnage of aquaculture production in Africa pales in comparison to Asia, the rate of expansion is “spectacular”, with an 80 to 90 per cent growth within the last five years.

But even with this increase, fish supply – both captured and farmed – will not be able to fulfill demand in

Sub-Saharan Africa by 2015.

“Africa might be able to import fish from other parts of the world, but I think there is potential to increase the amount of fish produced locally. It could lie in the aquaculture subsector,” Chimatiro disclosed.

In this context, Chimatiro considers that market-led approaches could be the best solution for boosting aquaculture growth in Africa (for example, the commercially driven model in Nigeria, which also offers opportunities to rural youth).

He also mentioned good governance and political will as key ‘ Union Heads of States - at the Food Security Summit in Abuja, Nigeria in December - named fisheries and aquaculture as strategic commodities alongside rice, maize and other strategic food products.

The Pacific region was described as a strong domestic market base, which is buoyed by vast territorial waters - similar in size to the African continent. Yet, the island landmasses are small and scattered, which hinders a solid development of the sector.

Aquaculture specialist from the Secretariat of the

Suspect in Water Street Ambush remanded - prosecution says investigations are still ongoing A 27- year-old taxi driver, who is said to be the main suspect in the alleged murder of a businessman’s handyman in the Water Street ambush, was yesterday remanded to prison after he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ court.

Magistrate Fabayo Azore, read the particulars of the charge which stated that on July 8, last, at Water Street,

Kingston, Joseph Williams allegedly murdered Victor Da Silva.

It is further alleged that on the said date, he robbed Cecil Albert Gajadhar of $8 million.

To the indictable charges, the unrepresented defendant was not required to enter a plea.

The prosecution stated that the case file is not ready as investigations are still ongoing, and sought two

weeks in order to prepare the file.

According to newspaper reports on the day in question, Gajadhar, 71, of Foulis, East Coast Demerara is a businessman who was shot in the face by gunmen during the robbery which resulted in the death of his handyman, Victor Da Silva.

The father of three is expected to return to court on July 18.

Aquaculture development in Guyana may be the way to go as the demand for fish worldwide continues to rise.

Pacific Community (SPC), Tim Pickering stressed that for Pacific micro-economies; even small developments in aquaculture can have an impact. While regional earnings top only US$200 – US$250 million per year (mainly from blacklip pearl and shrimp), the socioeconomic benefits for small communities are vital.

For instance, in Papua

New Guinea, 10,000 – 20,000 farmers raise tilapia and carp inland where fish is scarce.

Sea weed farming is also ongoing in outlying small islands where there are few other economic opportunities. “It is low in value, but a little bit of cash in empty pockets makes a big difference,” Pickering said.

He added that the Pacific region can take lessons from

aquaculture practices in Africa, especially in involving the private sector.

The briefings session also cited possible cooperation amongst fish farming groups in Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific.

The EU-funded ACP Fish II programme – which provides assistance to fisheries development in ACP countries – was also raised.

Accurate data of cross-border movement...

From page 13 to strengthen its primary health care system, Dr Blokland, during his address at the start of the Bi-National meeting, said that there is yet a need to refer patients to secondary care.

Moreover, he said that construction of a district hospital in Albina, at the French border has started and plans are apace for another such facility in the district of Wanica with the assistance of the Chinese.

“Our concern with reaching individuals with healthcare extends to those migrants living and working in our country, many of which make a considerable contribution to our economy,” said Dr Blokland.

He alluded to the complex setting of the gold-mining areas and the lack of documentation of some of the migrants as some of the factors that make the delivery of healthcare a difficult task.

As such he said that “we have to be very innovative…This is on the agenda and we will discuss this over the course of the meeting.”

The Surinamese Health Minister is confident that his country has many experiences worth sharing and according to him “by putting our heads together, we will also identify options to strengthen our health systems and find solutions to

reach all populations, including migrants and mobile populations, with the health services that they are in need of.”

According to local Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, it was in recognition of the traceability limitation that moves to collaborate were forged.

He noted, too, that migrant populations have long been recognised as key and critical issues.

Moreover, he dubbed yesterday’s meeting as an “oppotune moment” even as he observed that this is the first time that the two countries have been involved in such a high level meeting.

He noted too that despite there have be many “people to people” contact, officialdom has been greatly lacking hence the need for intensified collboration.

With specific reference to the Guyana/Suriname border, Minister Ramsaran said that because data is difficult to obtain “that is why we are promoting cross border cooperation in an official capacity.”

This, he said, could include the simple exchange of vaccination information even as he noted that both countries are known to have vibrant vaccination programmes.

“This is a work in progress and we recognise that it needs to be strengthened and

that is exactly why we are having these types of meeting for us to try to fill some of these gaps,” said Minister Ramsaran.

In the interim though, Dr Ramsaran said that both countries will continue to offer health care service at border hospitals that are already in place.

While the collaboration between the two countries will be funded for at least the next few years by the supporting agencies, the Government of Guyana will certainly play a role too, said Minister Ramsaran, who is optimistic that budgetary provision will be made.

The Bi-National meeting was streamlined by the the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), the German International Cooperation (GIZ), EPOS Health Management, which is headquartered in Germany, the Ministries of Health of Guyana and Suriname along with C A R I C O M , PA H O a n d other agencies.

The meeting, which saw the attendance of a number of technical officials from both countries’ Health Ministries, was graced by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Caricom’s Director of Sustainable Development, Mr Garfield Barnwell. Both officials delivered brief remarks.

Thursday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 33

NZC BOARD SET FOR REVAMP UNDER NEW CONSTITUTION

ESPNcricinfo - New Zealand Cricket’s board of directors is set to undergo an overhaul, following its adoption of a new constitution at a special general meeting on Friday. As per the new constitution, an ‘appointments panel’ will recommend candidates for

the eight-member board of directors, and the 28 members of the NZC will then vote to endorse - or reject - the candidates.

While the current directors are eligible to seek re-election to their posts, NZC chairman Chris Moller announced at the meeting

that he would step down step down from the role in September, following the elections. “I have been chairman of New Zealand Cricket for three years and a director for five years, the same duration that I chose to be involved in New Zealand Rugby and being chairman is

Football Association strengthens retrospective action powers BBC Sport - The Football Association has changed its process on retrospective action to strengthen its powers to deal with violent incidents.

Action can now be taken against players when officials are not in a position to fully assess the clash.

Wigan’s Callum McManaman escaped punishment for a dangerous

tackle on Newcastle defender Massadio Haidara last term as an official has seen the challenge.

Action could previously only be taken when none of the officials had seen it or in exceptional circumstances.

With McManaman, the view of referee Mark Halsey was obscured, but the incident was seen by assistant Matthew Wilkes.

Professional Footballers’ Association chief Gordon Taylor called for rules on retrospective action to be changed after the incident.

The FA said on their website: This change is not intended to usurp the authority of the match officials who are, in the vast majority of cases, best-placed to deal with incidents at the time they occur.”

Saturday July 13, 2013 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19): You may be extra considerate of other people’s feelings now that your key planet Mars is visiting nurturing Cancer.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20): You’re tired of friends and associates who continue to mislead you with witty words and big promises. But you’re not in the mood to be messed with today and you might become angry if you think that someone is avoiding a commitment.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): Although things settle down a bit as Mars leaves your sign today, your mind is still quite busy.

CANCER (June 21–July 22): Red-hot Mars pushes into your sign today to fire up your emotions. Unfortunately, your reactions can be strong and swift now, making you afraid to share your desires with most people because you’re worried that you might scare them away.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22): You may be quite attached to your desires today, yet still unable to bring them out into the open. Others expect you to be upfront with your personal disclosures and there could be trouble if they think you’re hiding something.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22): You can’t decide what to do now if you feel that the energy is off balance.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22): You may consider a personal retreat today so you can focus on taking care of your own needs. You’re distracted by your fantasies now because they actually seem quite plausible.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21): Sharing your deep concerns is not a wise idea today, especially if there isn’t anyone around that you sufficiently trust with your thoughts.

SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21): Someone may catch you off guard today as he or she tap dances around your probing questions.

Yo u w a n t t o t r u s t y o u r instincts, but others won’t likely sit still long enough for you to get a read on their intentions.

CAPRICORN(Dec.22–Jan.19): A friend or acquaintance may become a total pain in the neck now that macho Mars shifts into your 7th House of Relationships.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18): You cannot tell if your current assessment of someone is valid or if you’re basing it on assumptions that are built upon your desires.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20): You want to work in the practical realms today, but you don’t seem to be in complete control of your emotions.

a hugely time consuming role,” Moller was quoted as saying in a NZC release. “I also think it is in the best interests of cricket in New Zealand for a new chairman to be inducted into the ICC during the tenure of Alan Isaac as president.”

It was decided that the appointments panel will comprise a convenor who is nominated by the board, the chairpersons of three of the major associations (the six major associations will be represented on the panel by annual rotation) and one person nominated by Sport New Zealand, the government organisation responsible for sport. The first panel includes NZC president Stephen Boock as convenor, Auckland Cricket chairman Rex Smith, Northern Districts Cricket chairman Lachlan Muldowney, Otago Cricket chairman Murray Hughes and Sport New

Zealand’s John Wells.

As per the new process, vacancies on the board of directors will be publicly advertised, and anyone can apply for the posts. The adverts will go out on July 13, and the appointments panel will process the applications over the next 10 weeks. It will advise NZC of its recommended candidates on September 10, and the voting will be on September 19 at the board’s next special general meeting. Until then, the current directors will remain office.

The new board of directors, based on the appointment panel’s recommendations, might be paid salaries.

This recommendation is pending approval from the board; it will have to be ratified at its annual general meeting.

The new constitution was drawn up in consultation with “a wide cross-section of the

cricketing community”, including the NZC’s six major associations and 22 district associations. Previously, the directors were appointed by one NZC board member, one representative of the major associations and two persons from the New Zealand Institute of Directors, an organisation that promotes best corporate governance.

Page 34

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 13, 2013

THOMPSON WINS 100M HURDLES IN RECORD TIME

Jamaica Observer MONTEGO BAY, St James — Yanique Thompson highlighted a historic second day for Jamaica at the Eighth IAAF World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine, Thursday, running a World Youth best 12.94 seconds to land the gold in the women’s 100m hurdles.

Thompson’s gold was the first ever for Jamaica at the championships, as Rochelle Frazer also became the first Jamaican woman to make the final in a throwing event at a global championship when she contested the shot put medal round.

Jamaica’s first medal leaves them tied in fifth place with Australia, Norway and Turkey, while China lead the standing with two gold medals, a silver and a bronze followed by the USA with one

gold, two silver and three bronze, while Germany and Russia are on one gold and two silver medals.

Despite winning just one gold and failing to get onto the podium in the men’s 100m, it was another outstanding day for Jamaica, as nine athletes advanced to the medal round in their respective events, led by a brilliant World Junior leading run in the men’s 400m hurdles from Okeen Williams.

Marvin Williams is also in the final set for today; Andrenette Knight is also through to the women’s 400m hurdles final; high jumper Christoff Bryan easily qualified from the preliminaries yesterday; both men’s 400m runners Martin Manley and Devaughn Baker are through to today’s final, along with Tiffany James in

Khan/Drayton captures honours at Trophy Stall chess tournament Throughout the tournament, senior National Chess Champion, Taffin Khan, had dominated the board so it came as no surprise when he outshone the other players and after amassing an impeccable 7 points, he was duly declared champion when activities in the Trophy Stall Chess Tournament concluded at the Carifesta Sports Complex, Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, Sunday July 7 last.

Khan’s junior counterpart, Anthony Drayton, dropped one of his games to Khan and another to Alexander Duncan but rebounded to cop the junior crown after scoring 5 points.

Seniors, Maria Thomas, the lone female participant, and Raymond Singh, both amassed 5 points apiece but the former player benefited from the tie break system, while Canada-based Guyanese, Raymond Singh and Cleveland Hutson finished third and fourth respectively.

Roberto Neto was the second best junior player

while former junior champion, Hai Feng Su closed off the podium spots with Carlos Petterson coming in fourth.

The Best Beginner was 13 years old, Rajiv Muneshwer, of Queens College; he defeated last year’s national junior champion finalists, Davion Mars.

Once again, as in several previous tournaments, Omar Britton Grant was adjudged the Best Under-16 Player, while Ron Motilall copped the prize for Best U-19 player.

The other senior scores are: Maria Thomas and Raymond Singh (5 points apiece) and Cleveland Hutson 4 ½. Among the juniors, Anthony Drayton scored 5 points, Roberto Neto 4 ½ , former National Junior Champion Hai Feng Su and Carlos Petterson scored 4 points each, while Rajiv Muneshwer and Ron Motilall scored 3 points each with Omar Britton Grant recording 2 ½ points.

Nine seniors and 13 junior players participated in the tournament which consisted of seven rounds.

WILTSHIRE DOMINOES SET FOR TOMORROW The Mark Wiltshire Dominoes competition is set for tomorrow at lot 6 Middle Street, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara.

Fifteen teams are slated to take part in the competition which will be played on a

Twenty\20, 2 in 1 out basis.

Entrance fee is $10,000.

The first place team will collect $80,000, the runner up $40,000 and the third place $20,000.

Action gets underway at 14:00hrs.

the women’s equivalent.

Men’s sprint hurdler Jaheel Hyde also advanced to the semi-finals in the 110m hurdles with a new personal best time.

Meanwhile, the 200m for both men and women was to start yesterday, while Obrien Waysome and Clayton Brown were in the men’s triple jump eliminations.

Thursday was Thompson’s day, however, and the 16-year-old athlete whose coach at Holmwood Technical, Maurice Wilson described her as “a bigmoment performer”, lived up to the billing.

In the semi-final she ran 13.10 seconds for a new Jamaican youth best, beating the 13.22 seconds set in 2003

by Latoya Greaves, and was second on the all-time list behind France’s Adrianna Lamalle set in 1999.

She then destroyed that time with a supreme technical performance in the final, a few hours later, to become the only youth hurdler to go under 13 seconds, dragging American silver medallist Dior Hall to a new personal best 13.01 seconds and second overall.

Six of the runners in the final recorded new personal bests, as Mikiah Brisco of the USA took third in 13.29 seconds with 15-year-old Jamaican Rushelle Burton fourth in 13.32 seconds.

Burton was also lowering

Jamaica’s Yanique Thompson (centre) in action during her World Youth record 12.94 run in the women’s 100m hurdles at the 8th IAAF world Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine. Also pictured are Jamaiacan Rushelle Burton (left), who was fourth, and American silver medallist Dior Hall. (PHOTO: JIRO MOCHIZUKI) her personal best for the second time on the day after she had won her semi-final heat in 13.37 seconds.

There was a disappointing end to the day, however, Michael O’Hara, who went into the championships as a solid medal contender, placed fourth in the men’s 100m final in 10.46 seconds, running in lane one, while Waseem Williams was seventh in 10.58 seconds.

Both had qualified for the final as fastest losers after placing third in their semifinals. O’Hara ran 10.47

seconds and Williams timed 10.59 seconds.

Youxue Mo won China’s first ever men’s 100m gold medal, just edging Great Britain’s Ojie Edoboron — both timed in 10.35 seconds with Cuba’s Reynier Mena third in a personal best 10.37 seconds.

Jamaica’s two representatives in the women’s 100m — Joneille Smith and Saqukine Cameron — failed to advance past the semi-finals. Cameron was fourth in her semi-final heat in 11.83 seconds for 10th overall, while Smith ran 12.01

seconds for sixth in her semifinal.

The men’s 400m hurdlers continued to surprise, both winning their semi-final heats in convincing fashion and running personal best times.

Williams ran a World Youth leading 50.53 seconds, while Marvin Williams lowered his personal best a second time in the championships, to 51.53 seconds, and both are well set in tomorrow’s final.

Andrenette Knight is also through to the medal round, placing second in her semifinal heat in 1:00.16.

ST AG BEER/WDF A SENIOR LEA GUE STA BEER/WDFA LEAGUE

Matches on today and tomorrow @ Den Amstel Four more potentially exciting matches in the Stag Beer sponsored West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) senior league are slated for this weekend at the Den Amstel Community Centre Ground, West Coast Demerara.

Today from 14:00hrs it will be the clash of the pointless teams when De Kinderen and

Beavers goes head to head.

Neither team have come off the mark, in the case of Beavers, after a pair of matches, De Kinderen losing all four of theirs to date.

They will both be aiming to get their points tally off the mark today which makes this clash, interesting.

The main game today features Seawall FC and Bagotville/Nismes. Seawall,

Team Slingerz Bagotville/Nismes Stewartville Young Achievers Seawall Den Amstel Uitvlugt Eagles Beavers Jetty Dekenderen Wales

P 4 4 3 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 4 4

formerly Pouderoyen boast a perfect record of two wins from as many matches and will be going after win number three.

Bagotville/Nismes are ahead of them on the points table having recorded three wins from their four matches with one defeat. An intriguing showdown is anticipated.

Another double header is

LATEST POINTS STANDINGS W L D GF 4 0 0 37 3 1 0 6 2 0 1 8 2 0 0 12 2 0 0 11 2 1 0 8 2 0 0 8 0 2 1 1 0 2 0 1 0 3 0 4 0 4 0 1 0 4 0 3

GA 1 4 2 0 2 3 2 13 6 7 26 34

fixed for tomorrow at the same venue. Young Achievers, another Pouderoyen based unit, will take on Uitvlugt in the main attraction; both teams are unbeaten after two matches apiece.

The curtain raiser pits home side Den Amstel (2 wins 1 loss) against Eagles of Stewartville which have a single point from their three matches so far.

GD +36 +2 +6 +12 +9 +5 +6 -12 -5 -3 -25 -31

Points 12 9 7 6 6 6 6 1 0 0 0 0

Thursday July 13, 2013

Kaieteur News

Page 35

MotoGP: Jorge Lorenzo injures collarbone again in crash BBC Sport - MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo is out of tomorrow’s German Grand Prix after suffering a heavy crash just two weeks after breaking his collarbone.

The Spaniard flipped over the front of his factory Yamaha during second free practice, landing on his left shoulder.

Lorenzo broke his left collarbone in practice for the Dutch GP in Assen on 29 June and had to have eight screws and a titanium plate inserted.

He has now bent the plate and will return to Barcelona for more surgery.

A statement from Lorenzo said: “I have decided to go home and recover after today’s crash at the Sachsenring. “I prefer to focus on surgery to fix the plate that was unfortunately bent during the crash. I will try to recover and be back as soon as possible.”

It is not yet known whether he will be able to compete at the US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca in California next weekend. His absence has implications for the championship, which fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa currently leads by nine points from Lorenzo.

Before the crash, Lorenzo had conceded he was not 100% fit and that the injury would require more time to heal.

Even so, he posted the quickest time at the end of first practice, clocking one minute 22.047secs, 0.174secs ahead of Pedrosa but he had managed only three laps of second practice before he crashed out.

Home favourite Stefan Bradl on his LCR Honda emerged quickest overall with a lap of 1:22.030, ahead of Honda pair Pedrosa and Marc Marquez, followed by Lorenzo and Rossi.

Briton Cal Crutchlow was one of a trio of riders who fell heavily at turn 11 in first practice, Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone the others, with the latter’s Ducati ending up in two pieces.

In second practice, the same corner again caught out the 27-year-old, forcing him to sit out the remainder of the session with scrapes and burns to his left hand.

Having been sixth quickest in first practice, he finished 19th in second practice, almost two seconds down on Bradl.

Tech 3 Yamaha team-mate Bradley Smith was a second off the pace in 11th.

MotoGP title standings Dani Pedrosa - 136 points Jorge Lorenzo - 127 points Marc Marquez - 113 points Cal Crutchlow - 87 points Valentino Rossi - 85 points

Gabriel Torres send Panama into Gold Cup knockout stage SEATTLE (AP) — Gabriel Torres buried a penalty in the 85th minute and Panama advanced to the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup tournament with a 1-0 win over Martinique on Thursday night.

Martinique, which beat Canada in its first game, can still advance out of the group stage, but will need to beat Mexico on Sunday. Torres, who had three dangerous shots saved from the run of play by goalkeeper Emmanuel Vermignon, made good on his try from the spot, sending the ball to the back left corner.

The penalty was given when Jairo Jimenez was taken down in the box by Sebastien Cretinoir.

Martinique nearly tied the game in stoppage time, but Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo pulled down a target ball in the box while crashing into Martinique’s Kevin Parsemain.

Panama forward Gabriel Torres reaches to intercept a pass during the first half. (Photo: Steven Bisig, USA TODAY Sports)

Georgetown Turf Club horserace, gymkhana event pushed back to facilitate cricket Turfites gearing up for the grand horserace and gymkhana event, initially scheduled to get underway at the Georgetown Turf Club (GTC) aback the Mocha Arcadia community tomorrow afternoon, will be a mite disappointed to learn that the meet has been postponed to facilitate the One Day International match between the West Indies and Pakistan at the National Stadium, Providence tomorrow morning.

The organizers have said that the meet will now be staged on Sunday July 21 at the same venue and when the meet gets underway fans will be entertained with two main events, the Unclassified and one cart race over distances of 6 furlongs respectively. Additionally, turfites

would be entertained with popular musical sounds as well as a well stocked bar.

Some of the horses expected to add to the excitement are Shane, Redbull, Red Light, Red Dragon, GT Rush and Hungry. These animals are listed in the ‘C’ category, while several others will add to the excitement including Plucky, Starboy, Rum till I Die and Blessed Child.

Management of the GTC promises an action packed day and said that organizers are merely attempting to reinvigorate the sport in Demerara.

Horse owners and trainers wishing to obtain further information are asked to contact D. Smith on telephone # 682-5805.

Jorge Lorenzo injures collarbone again in crash.

GABA readies for pulsating Division I, III playoffs -Kwakwani extend challenge

By Edison Jefford The Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) will bounce off its Division I and III playoffs, including the top four teams from its extensive Leagues earlier this year, next weekend at refurbished Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The semi-finals of the playoffs are set for next Friday and will see the number one seeded Trinity Grid Holdings (TGH) Pacesetters face the number four seeded Pepsi Sonics in one of the Division III semis, while the number two seeded Buxton Heat come up against the number three seeded Colts in the other semi-final of the category.

In the Division I playoffs among the four top teams in Georgetown, the number one seeded TGH Pacesetters play the surprisingly ranked number four Dynas Ravens in what should be a thriller in one semi-final, while Sonics, ranked number three play the number two ranked Colts.

In the GABA League, Ravens were the only team that defeated Pacesetters to tarnish their unbeaten record.

Ravens blew out Pacesetters despite their eventual fourth placed ranking, which signals a riveting semi-final contest among them next Friday.

President of the GABA, Michael Singh has already sent out notice to all the respective Clubs for what should be a pulsating weekend of basketball in Georgetown, featuring the leading players at the Division I and III levels. The finals will be held next Sunday.

Singh, who took office this year, had swung into action and completed two Leagues for Division I and

to Marion Academy

Chris Bowman (left) & Michael Singh Division III with over 100 games on the Burnham Basketball Court. He had committed to the playoffs among the top four teams before inclement weather intervened.

In addition to inclement weather, Singh could not have opted for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) because the court there was under rehabilitation for some time.

With that new surface in use, Singh is hoping to continue the proliferation of the sport.

“I’m eager to get back to work; to use the recent Standings to run some competitive basketball as the interest in the sport gradually came back during the Leagues, which was faced with a lack of sponsorship and interest from the basketball community,” he had lamented.

However, he had reassured that the playoffs were high on the GABA agenda. Singh reiterated his commitment to returning basketball to a prominent

place in Georgetown. He said that all systems are being put in place for an exciting weekend of basketball.

Meanwhile, Kaieteur Sport was reliably informed that Kwakwani Secondary School, which lost the National Schools Basketball Festival (NSBF) Under-20 title in the final minute of their game against Marion Academy, have extended a challenge for a rematch.

Kwakwani had complained that the absence of a shot clock in the final where Marion Academy were allowed to hold the ball for about 40 seconds without making a play cost them a clean sweep after they had won the NSBF Under-17 title at the Sports Hall.

Ann Gordon and her Kwakwani side want another crack at Chris Bowman and Marion Academy unit. It is unclear whether Marion will take up the challenge, but if they do, the junior showdown will form part of the supporting game on the night of the GABA Playoffs final.

Page 36

Kaieteur News

Saturday July 13, 2013

Administrators, Instructors of Prison Gym graduate Following weeks of diligent training and application to their respective tasks in the intricacies of physical fitness, eight gym instructors and two gym administrators received their respective instruments when the curtains came down on Flex Night Incorporated/ Guyana Prison Service training programme at the Prison Officers’ Sports Club, Camp Street, Georgetown yesterday afternoon.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Angela Johnson represented Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee and delivered the keynote address. She was joined by Flex Night Director, Donald Sinclair, several of the top brass of the Guyana Prison Service including Senior Superintendent in charge of Camp Street Prisons, Carl Graham, Deputy Director of Prisons, Welton Trotz, who deputized for director of Prisons, Dale Erskine, Training Officer, Colin Howard and Marketing Director of the Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd, Clarence Perry.

Ms Johnson expressed gratitude to the organizers for

Donald Sinclair (C) is flanked by Deputy Director of Prisons and Welton Trotz (L), and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Angela Johnson (R). Also in photo is Colin Howard (extreme L) and Marketing Director of the Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd, Clarence Perry (extreme R) with the graduating students standing behind. their input that was responsible for the success of the venture. She noted that officials of the local prison system oversee more than two thousand inmates, while pointing out the dual purpose of the institution. “Prison is meant to discipline inmates in a positive manner in order to make them useful citizens upon reintroduction into society as well as protect society by offering correctional and rehabilitative

services thereby preserving social peacefulness,” explained the Permanent Secretary.

She further pointed out that the well being of the staff of the GPS as well as the inmates is an important issue for her Ministry. “It is for this reason that we believe that prison officers must be in prime shape if they are to maintain a safe and secure prison environment,” exhorted Ms Johnson. As

such, she feels that the initiative will benefit the officers tremendously.

The Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society Ltd donated some three million dollars towards the project and Mr. Perry reiterated his firm’s desire to foster the rehabilitative process within the prisons. “We at Demerara Mutual are pleased to be associated with this project,” he said. The Marketing Director expressed the hope

that the inmates will benefit from the rehabilitative process while inculcating positive behaviours upon reintroduction into society. “I wish to urge you all to strive for excellence while being disciplined,” he concluded.

Mr. Trotz gave a synopsis of the genesis of negotiations and discussions towards the establishment of the gym, sometime in October 2012. He said that the idea germinated through Mr. Sinclair and subsequently discussions began at the Ministry of Home Affairs before the organizers sought the benevolence of the Demerara Mutual Life.

Thereafter, negotiations progressed at a rapid pace and yesterday’s launch was the fitting end result.

Mr. Sinclair also extended deep appreciation to officials of GTM for supporting the initiative to the end. Further, he lauded the efforts of prison officials while highlighting the many challenges encountered by organizers to make the project a reality.

“The establishment of a gym in prison is by no means a simple task as gym instructors and administrators had to undergo special tutoring,” explained Mr. Sinclair. He said that equipment will be sourced locally as well as

from a foreign entity, while individuals in the New York Diaspora will contribute by providing anatomy charts and uniforms. Consequently, officials will conduct an evaluation within one year in order to assess the progress made.

During the training period, officials received instruction in theoretical and practical issues as well as seminars on the intricacies of gym management, basic anatomy and exercise physiology, principles of weight training and exercise performance and training for special populations among other topics. Trainees also benefitted from two practical sessions in an actual gym environment, conducted by Flex Night Inc. Director Onai Vasconcellos.

Attendees were also treated to a skit that highlighted the importance and benefits derived from fitness activities, while graduating student, Keith Bailey, delivered a stirring vote of thanks.

Those that graduated are Kevin Pilgrim and Deoraj Gyandat (Gym Administrators), Keith Bailey, Ceon Charles, Olivia Cox, Patrick Crawford, Roddy Denhart, Kevon Limerick, Cleave Martin and Martin Rajmangal.

SKIPPER DWAYNE BRAVO FOCUSED ON PAKISTAN SERIES MATHEWS SUSPENDED

By Sean Devers West Indies ODI skipper Dwayne Bravo explained that conditions in Guyana played a part in the composition of the regional side to oppose Pakistan in the first two ODI matches, but admitted the new culture of trying to build the ODI team by giving players an extended run was also a reason why there was just a single change in the squad.

“Playing in Guyana is more on the slower side…more on the turning side… so conditions here influenced the selection of the team to some extent but most of the same team is here for the first two matches,” the 29year-old Bravo informed.

Wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin was the lone causality from the Tri-nation series with the selectors opting not to pick an additional spinner or the in-form Narsingh Deonarine who could also provide a spin option.

“We basically want to keep the same squad together and that’s how we hope to build the ODI team. We want to give the players a good run and fair opportunity for as long as possible even if they might fail or not. That’s the

‘Not reaching tri-nation final was disappointing’ type of culture we are trying to put into place now,” the allrounder from Santa Cruz in Trinidad explained.

When asked if he or the WICB had requested a particular type of pitch at Providence, his response was “No, no, no! Obviously that is beyond our control. The ground staff here in Guyana is responsible for preparing the pitch. We have been busy in the last week with a trination series but we know what to expect in Guyana, it’s nothing new,” Bravo said.

“We don’t know what the weather is like. We landed here and it is overcast but I am not sure what the weather was like over the past week or so. We know there is always rain when there is cricket in Guyana but we have to play in conditions we get.

We have no input in the wicket,” Bravo, with 2,385 runs and 166 wickets from 142 ODIs, reiterated.

West Indies began with back-to-back victories against Sri Lanka and India in Jamaica but failed to reach the finals with a below par

performance in Trinidad where they suffered defeats to the same two teams.

“Yes it (not reaching the finals) really affected us. I must be honest and say it was very disappointing to the team and myself as Captain to lead the guys to such a positive start and then not being able to finish the job by getting into the finals.

We can’t let the disappointment in not reaching the finals get us down too much. We have got to take the positives with the negatives and not make the same mistakes that stopped us from reaching the finals.

This is a new series against a very good team, a new team, so we have got to pick ourselves up and play good, hard cricket,” Bravo noted.

Although West Indies beat Pakistan by 10 wickets in the last ODI to be played in Guyana two years ago, the visitors won the five-match series 3-2 after the home team suffered consecutive defeats in the first three matches in St Lucia.

Bravo was quick to point

out that not because Pakistan were dismissed for 139 before Lendl Simmons and Kurt Edwards saw their team to an emphatic win with an unfinished first wicket century stand, means it will automatically happen again.

“Every series is always different every team’s approach is different. That victory was over a year ago and we can’t expect to bowl them out for 150 just because we did so the last time the teams met in Guyana. We don’t know what the final eleven will be, we don’t know what pitch and conditions we will get this time,” Bravo revealed.

“We have to do the basics right, batters make runs, bowlers take wickets. We had a very good practice session this week in Trinidad and then the guys had a couple of days off before travelling here so I am confident we will play good cricket,” the West Indies Captain concluded.

West Indies Squad: Dwayne Bravo (captain), Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons and Devon Smith.

FOR TWO ODIS

A two-match suspension added to Angelo Mathews’ agony after the onewicket loss to India in the final (AFP) ESPNcricinfo - Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews has been suspended for two ODIs and his team-mates have been fined 40% of their match fees for their slow over-rate in the final of the tri-series against India in Port-of-Spain.

Match referee David Boon handed the suspension after Sri Lanka were found three overs short of their target at the end of the match, after time allowances were taken into consideration. Mathews accepted the suspension which avoided a formal hearing.

In accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct, the captain receives two suspension points and his team-mates are fined 10% of their match fees for each of the first two overs short and 20% for every subsequent over they fail to bowl in the stipulated time. Two suspension points equate to a suspension for one Test or two ODIs. The suspension means Mathews will miss the first two of the five ODIs against South Africa on July 20 and 23 in Colombo.