Kaieteur News
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Monday June 11, 2018
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
Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.
Robeson Benn must provide evidence of his racial discrimination issue Dear Editor:
It is noted the Chairman RIGHT CULTURAL of the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) ENVIRONMENT NEEDED efforts, via the media, to elevate the conversation of race and employment within FOR INVESTMENT this institution with the Nature has taught us some fundamental lessons that, when observed and applied, could produce startling results and pay great dividends. One such lesson is that every plant that grows has a culture and an environment in which it flourishes. Some plants grow in cold climates, some in warm and others in dry or damp areas. This principle also applies to all animals, each of which has a native habitat—a place where they thrive and succeed. The same is true for people who should know the best environment and culture in which to grow. Many suffer because they were placed in a poor cultural environment in which they could not succeed or survive. This is an important lesson that must not be overlooked by the government in its quest for economic growth and prosperity and to provide a better life for all. To achieve this goal, the government must create a conducive environment and motivate the country’s trained and highly skilled workforce to be receptive to new ideas. But in their quest for economic growth, governments past and present have put the cart before the horse. This makes investing in the current culture and environment to bolster economic growth almost impossible. To achieve real economic growth in Guyana requires the involvement of the private sector and the entire nation. The masses must be united in pursuit of the shared goals of progress and prosperity. This is vital to the process. Guyana will not develop and prosper if its citizens are not motivated to produce goods and services of value. It is vital for the government to create an environment conducive to diversify the economy and move it away from its dependency on agriculture.The mindset of society and workforce is crucial to the creation of the right culture and environment for economic growth. Not to employ this strategy as a significant part of the growth process could be catastrophic for the economy. Yet, in the past, governments have often overlooked, undervalued or ignored this strategy simply because of a lack of knowledge. Along with the right culture and environment should be the willingness of the people to participate in the national endeavor of building a prosperous country. Each of us must understand that we have a critical role to play and must be willing to work to contribute to the good of the community. Certainly, this will not happen by accident. The authority has to take the initiative to coordinate this effort or else it will not be realized. They have to motivate the citizenry and convince all the stakeholders to buy into the national vision. A new and efficient bureaucracy is needed to advance economic growth, which for decades has been stifled by the old-styled bureaucracy that exists in many quarters of the civil service. If the government is serious about an economic growth agenda, it must, as a priority, transform the civil service into an efficient, helpful service-oriented unit; not a human obstacle to frustrate the service-seeking citizens and the business community. A necessary condition for good governance is a skilled, motivated and efficient workforce with a professional ethos. By contrast, a bad civil service produces bad governance.Bureaucratic change and a new culture are key to national success and prosperity. But such change has to be intentional, not left to chance. Culture change experts have explained that the creation of a culture and an environment is needed to foster robust growth, and that the citizens have to be involved in the vision of making Guyana a prosperous nation. To ignore this growth culture and environmental preparation is to have expectations that may not be realized. And civil servants must know, believe and be conscious of the fact that they exist to serve the nation, solve problems, and make it easy for the average citizens, business person and all who seek their service. In other words, they are the servants of the people and should put their interests first.
statistical breakdown of those in its employed (June 10, 2018). This nation has to: 1) recognise the importance of race to human comity and development and; 2) start addressing race in a constructive and structured manner. We are having this conversation today because Commissioner Robeson Benn, PPP- representative on GECOM, has made allegation that up to 90 percent of those employed at GECOM are Africans. GECOM’s statistics advise that 46 percent of Africans are in its employed and 51 percent are at its Head Office. But the contention here, according to Benn, is that, that GECOM has a discriminatory policy to favour African and
discriminate against other races. Given his position, in GECOM and politics, and the sensitivity of race where it is used as a wedge in our society it requires of Benn justifying the allegation, which is considered serious. There is a need for information to be brought to the fore advising society ofi. what was the ratio of African versus East Indian and other races in the employed of GECOM during the period of the PPP/C administration; ii. how many vacancies occurred since the PPP/C demitted office; iii. the race of the applicants who applied to fill those vacancies and whether he or she met the requirement to: a) be interviewed and; 2) how each participant feared at the interview; and iv. The cultural dynamics as to the group(s) that gravitate(s) to the state sector and private sector and in which agency. The absence of
addressing these and other considerations would create doubt and suspicion as to C o m m i s s i o n e r B e n n ’s motive. Historically the charges of discrimination against the East Indian community have always been a mantra of the PPP. This is evidenced from the early 1960s which caused the Forbes Burnham Government in 1965 to invite the International Commission of Jurist (ICJ) to then British Guiana to conduct an inquiry and make recommendations. In as much as the charges were laid by the PPP, the party refused to appear before the ICJ to lead evidence in this regard. Throughout the life of the PNC government the PPP made charges that the PNC, in its employment practice, was deliberately discriminating against the East Indian community and repeatedly demanded that this be corrected by instituting “ethnic balance” in the state sector.
The call for “ethnic balance” in the state sector was not extended to call for similar employment practice throughout the country, which meant and still means that some groups will always be discriminated against. For 23 years the PPP was in office (1992-2015) and not one written policy on the issue of Equal Employment Opportunity can be found anywhere, prepared and promulgated by that administration. It is instructive having failed through a structured approach to bring about such practice, since it was placed in the Opposition allegations of discriminating against East Indians have surfaced. Addressing such a charge needs to be based on evidence not gut-feeling or playing on racial fears. Further there must be the clear distinction between political/government employment vis a vis state employment. Commissioner Benn has (Continued on page 06)
An anti-corruption The silence is deafening activist Dear Editor, I have now become greatly heartened that someone from the Coalition Government is willing to support the exposure and fight against corruption in this corrupt infested Region. It is also common knowledge that the AFC has become utterly consumed by bribery and corruption. There are many AFC officials who do not have a government position but traverse the length and breadth of Region Six impersonating and conning people that they are in a position to grant them gun licenses and other services. Some of them can be seen with AFC Ministers parading in Region Six and on television programmes. But Mr Gobin Harbhajan stands out as a beacon of honesty and truth within the AFC and has done more for the people of Region Six even when compared with his employer. Mr Harbhajan’s stance on corruption should be applauded since no one in any government has ever ventured out to support allegations of corruption against their own. I could
recall many instances of allegations of corruption being denied and investigations discontinued. It was historical to read that Mr Harbhajan actually stood up at the RDC Statutory meeting and vowed that he will never support corruption regardless of which political party is involved. This was what he said: “I don’t care which political party this contractor supports, I want this matter to be raised at the highest level; and if found guilty, he should receive the full penalty of the law; because we have been talking about corruption, now we actually have the proof”. This is how our politicians must react, with clear unambiguous statements. The Minister of Public Security and Second VicePresident, Mr Khemraj Ramjattan is setting a bad example by being in the company of known individuals with questionable character. I congratulate Mr Harbhajan on this unconventional approach to corruption. Yours sincerely, Mr Rohit Persaud
Dear Editor, The silence is deafening from the Guysuco Camp but the Wheels of Propaganda continue to turn, albeit i n t e r n a l l y. G u y s u c o ’s Propaganda Machine and a former Estate Manager, currently deployed elsewhere, continue to create mistrust and confusion among the staff of Guysuco. We are at a loss to understand what is the true purpose and intent of these two individuals. They are apparently blessed by the
Head of the Company since their primary function appears to be destabilization of the SPU in the eyes of Senior Management of Guysuco. R e c e n t l y, d u r i n g a meeting lasting two and a half hours and during which time the Propaganda Machine was audibly vibrant, it was clearly spelt out that Guysuco must defy the position of the SPU NICIL as regards the latter’s good intentions on the way forward. Mike Singh Snr.
Sundries Dear Editor, The Caribbean Voice, like many Guyanese, is thrilled that elevators are being installed at the various overpasses on the EBD road, especially since such is critical for the elderly, disabled and sick to be able to use the overpass. Now we repeat our call for the steps on both sides of the overpass to be completely enclosed so as to prevent anyone from jumping off the steps in suicide attempts. Already there has been one such victim. The bottom line is that small, proactive
measures like this are the strategies that lead to a gradual decline of suicide. Secondly, TCV lauds those involved in the protests and picketing in front of Mae’s and applaud the administration’s decision to apologize. However given the psychological trauma that the child has experienced, compounded by the bullying, we strongly urge the school to not only provide counseling to the child but to also hold anti-bullying and cultural sensitization sessions with all (Continued on page 05)
Monday June 11, 2018
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The Media is where citizens air The local private security services their grievances and concerns in must consider the older woman search of solidarity Dear Editor, I would like to refer to a letter by a Gecom Commissioner, entitled, “A resort to ethnic politics” in KN June 7th. The commissioner asserted that at the “determination” (termination) of Gocool Boodoo’s contract the PPP had accused the PNCR commissioners for plotting to dismiss Indian staff at Gecom. The Commissioner wrote that he/she, on that occasion, was “forced to break my silence. I made it known publicly that it was Gocool Boodoo who initiated and insisted on the dismissal of two Indo-Guyanese senior staffers of GECOM. The Commissioner continued, “On that occasion, the PPP`s resort to ethnic politics, to have Boodoo retained by GECOM, did not work. Boodoo`s contract was not renewed; GECOM no longer had to contend with a CEO who on two occasions, 2006 and 2011, personally presented and vowed for the wrong results of those elections.” Something seems amiss
here! The services of Boodhoo was about to be terminated, the PPP was crying victimization. This commissioner was” forced” to break his/her silence and let the public know that “it was Gocool Boodoo who initiated and insisted on the dismissal of two Indo-Guyanese senior staffers of GECOM”. Was this necessary? Who were these staffers and what was the relevance to Boodoo’s contract termination? Did initiation of the dismissal of two Indian staffers make Goocol a racist? The Commissioner then expressed a sense of relief or joy at Boodoo’s contract termination by saying, “GECOM no longer had to contend with a CEO who on two occasions, 2006 and 2011, personally presented and vowed for the wrong results of those elections.” The Commissioner without any evidence, is dogmatically asserting that some other party won the 2006 and 2011 elections. Profane! The commissioner said, “There is no such thing as
GuySuCo’s situation Dear Editor, GuySuCo’s current situation could be successfully fixed in a timely manner if both the political will and good corporate governance are undertaken. Firstly: the bank loan backed by the corporation’s assets is questionable not only because of the uncertainty of the pension fund’s viability, but also due to the form of the financing. A physi-
cal inventory needs to be undertaken and a fiscal audit is also needed to support a clear understanding of the asset base to be used for securing financing. In addition a line of credit should be pursued with Government backing to minimize the interest payments required. Secondly: labour concessions during the turnaround (Continued on page 06)
party commissioners”. We all know that both PPP and PNC were allowed to appoint three persons to represent their interest on the Commission at GECOM. Why shouldn’t these people be called party commissioners? The seventh position Gecom chairman, was supposed to derive its neutrality, by being selected from a list supplied by the opposition leader. That did not happen for the appointment of the present Gecom Commissioner. That should have been a matter of concern for this Commissioner, had he/she not being prejudiced. The Commissioner wrote, “However, it would be remiss of me if I did not disclose that the granting of high and low scores including perfect scores is a precedent created by a PPP”. Is this statement an attempt to condone what is alleged (discrimination against Indians) by Luncheon at Gecom? Was this person ever a commissioner at Gecom? “Going to the media” (the commissioner’s words) is not a crime. The Media is where people go to seek redress and to garner solidarity for causes. Why did this person not complain to the Media when it was perceived that the PPP were discriminating against Afro Guyanese- the media is where people air their grievancessurely this writer would know that, having sent “a resort to ethnic politics “ (letter) to KN. In like manner the public looks to the Media for the evidence on Luncheon’s allegation. Rudolph Singh
Dear Editor, The local private security industry employs the largest population of female security personnel in the world, approximately 67 percent. A significant number of the women employed therein, are in the 45- 55 years age group, so they are in their premenopausal and menopausal years, which often present special management challenges in an industry still dominated by male supervisors and managers. These managers are often ignorant and insensitive to the plight faced by this special category of workers. Introduction: Menopause is that rite of passage which marks the end of a female’s child bearing years and her assumption of a position of wisdom in her immediate family. It is characterize by the absence of the monthly menses cycle (menstruation) for a period of one year. Female Climacteric: Climacteric is defined as the period of life when fertility and sexual activity are in decline (in women) during and after menopause. The average age of Caribbean women at the time of menopause is 51 years, and the most common age range at which women experience menopause is 48- 55 years. Typically then, most healthy women will have 350 menses (periods) in their lifetime. The first period is called the menarche and the time from onset of menses to its cessation is approximately 36.6 years. It is generally believed that the first period in life is subject to greater environmental influence while the
last is more influenced by genetics, so that a woman experiences menopause at or around the same time that other close relatives would have experienced it. Knowledge about Menopause: in the past women in developing countries found it increasingly difficult to obtain reliable information on menopause primarily because most studies conducted on the subject was carried out on Caucasian females from western countries; and because the few studies done on non western women had severe copyright restrictions which made them inaccessible to women in developing countries. It is very important to take cultural and genetic differences and circumstances into consideration in order to properly address the challenges faced by individuals within specific groups; hence the general lack of understanding of the subject in Guyana and across the developing world. Today there is a World Congress on Menopause, specialty nursing practice on menopausal care, and menopausal provisions and clauses in modern work contracts; many foreign police departments and private security providers are now compliant in this regard. Cultural Attitudes: Most women of African descent are reticent or reserved with their views on matters of sexuality. They are often indifferent to conversations on menopause, which have negative consequences as information on the subject is often obtained vicariously,
too late, or through unreliable sources which ultimately leads to lifetime crises and the lack of proper therapeutic intervention. This fact must be viewed against the backdrop that women of African descent often experience the most severe symptoms and those which last for the longest period- sometimes over fifteen (Continued on page 06)
Sundries... From page 04 students. And, of course, the school administration and staff also need cultural sensitivity and emphatic communication training for obvious reasons. Finally, TCV has noted use of terms like ‘mentally unsound’, ‘unsound mind’, ‘mentally challenged’ to refer to persons with mental illnesses. We strongly urge that these terms be replaced by ‘mentally ill’ or ‘suffering from mental illness’ as generally advocated by mental health activists and practitioners. The fact is that no one who suffers from a physical illness is referred to as physically unsound, unsound body or physically challenged. Sincerely The Caribbean Voice
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There is a lot that needs to be THEFT OF THE CLIFTON-JOHNS CO-OP SOCIETY displayed Dear Editor, Though most of my time is spent addressing some pending matters which were shelved for some years now, I can’t say for sure the level of progress the Guyana Tourism Industry is making, but I will continue to say to all stakeholders that I am aware that
it’s no easy task in convincing foreigners to head to this direction. You just have to keep going and keep fighting harder in accomplishing your task. I still do make time to contribute my little bits and pieces from an independent stand point which is very challenging. I believe, locally, we can improvise in many little
GuySuCo’s situation... From page 05 period should be negotiated in order to reduce the cost of goods in order to allow for the reopening of the closed and neglected factories. In addition an organization capabilities assessment is required to ensure there is a clear plan to improve internal processes for improved front end operations. Thirdly: the acreage utilization needs to be optimized in order to increase field yield rates to best in class levels as seen by our successful international competitors. This will require limited investment. Factory maintenance improvement plans based on efficiency assessments will also provide clear guidance for improvement plans related to production costs and improved throughput. Such a fresh eye audit needs to be undertaken in order to develop a clear investment plan for the industry. This should be pursued to obtain benchmarked levels. Fourth: the pricing of
goods and services provided by the corporation needs to be revised allowing for increases that reflect not only inflation rates, but also the increased demand associated with the limited supply. Market prices are currently not reflective of adjacent and competitive products. The mind set of bulk sales vs. consumer sales needs to be shifted in favour of the latter to truly capture the pricing opportunity in the market place. A clear pricing strategy going forward needs to also be outlined. Based on my professional experience the above outlined approach will clearly walk the turnaround initiative through the P&L better identifying the financing needs and its required timing to support a successful turnaround initiative for the sugar industry. In addition it will ensure a successful undertaking of making the sugar industry profitable in the current competitive environment. Best regards, Jamil Changlee
ways with the consultation of experts on preservation of artifacts. Perhaps we can now consider a different approach and include school environs as an option. Of course, the Ministry of Education will need to play a major role in collaboration with all stakeholders. I thought perhaps artifacts that represent schools from decades ago, especially the ‘British Guiana’ era could now be displayed in glass showcases and in this way, we can assist in the preservation aspect of our history. I do possess a historical literature piece of the ‘ B i s h o p ’s H i g h S c h o o l Journal dated September 1958' which I am making available by way of photo image for education to everyone via your respective newspapers and it has some very interesting data along with a few photo images and advertisements. Two notable names published in it are as follows. Christobel Deane (Secretary of the Methodist Society at U.C.W.I)....Though I am wild guessing with this name, I believe she has transitioned and was the wife of the late Senior Council, Clarence Hughes. Shirley Field-Ridley (President of the Political Club and female student of the year 1957-58 at U.C.W.I)....This is a very popular name over the years. Quite a lot will agree. Yours Faithfully Trevor Pemberton
Robeson Benn must provide... From page 04 to be careful that his charge is not that of whipping up sentiments of mistrust and fear but one grounded in evidence that the Indian community is being targeted for economic discrimination. While the PPP makes charges of East Indians being discrimination against in employment, this country has on record that such a programme was instituted by the PPP when it came to office in 1992. African career public servants, which is different from political government appointees, were systematically removed primarily because of their race and perceived political persuasion, both of which are violations of their constitutional right to freedom of association (Article 147) and protection from being discriminated against on the grounds of race (Article 149). Society would recall Roger Luncheon in the wit-
ness box, under oath, telling the court words to the effect that no African was appointed Head of Mission in any of our overseas embassy or high commission because none was found to be qualified! While the PPP/C administration failed to address race and employment practices in a constructive manner, the APNU+AFC administration must be called upon to deliver. It is way past time this society grows up and deals with race and its attendant issues constructively. The charge of racial discrimination against any group is serious and must be treated as such. It points again to the importance of having a Ministry of Labour, which historically is tasked with responsibility for workers’ wellbeing. Contrary to perception such a ministry deals only with conflicts between trade union and employer, its scope is deep and wide, drawing from across ministries and agen-
cies, local and international, in ensuring the welfare of the people in the society by placing them as centre to development. Its work can address the critical issue of making sure a policy, programmes and legislation are put in place to constructively address the right of every group in equal employment opportunity across the board. This ministry is also tasked with responsibility of putting people in productive employment. In so doing areas such as population growth, racial development, new economic opportunities, graduates coming from various institutions, age of current workforce, a Job Creation Plan, Poverty Alleviation Strategy, domestic welfare, the retirement community etc. would be factors for consideration and attention. We must get to work in addressing race and other diversity in meaningful ways. Lincoln Lewis
Dear Editor, We request with much urgency that our letter be published as it addresses the plea of a group of dedicated people of the land whose very livelihood rests in a precarious balance, with everything to lose. The above said Society was founded in excess of 50 years ago with the initiative of Booker’s Sugar Co. with 30 members along the Corentyne Public Road. Together these people built their homes and farmed eleven acres of land that was allotted to them. Some graduated into mechanics and established welding shops; there were three commercial chicken farms while the others remained as livestock and cash crop farmers. This Co-Op Society ran headlong into problems with the Hanif family and subsequently went into a deliberate defunct state in 2012 by the aforementioned family. With the Booker’s lease expiring some eighteen years ago multiple attempts were made to renew but were denied. It must be noted that the former Chairman,
Secretary and Treasurer reside within the immediate vicinity on the Co-op lands. With the aid of a senior controversial lawyer instated as the new secretary, Mr. Hanif organized with his nephews and sons and one misinformed member of the original Co-Op a cunning and swift ploy to usurp the rights to the lands in contention. They approached the S.P.U. and reapplied unknowingly to the other original members and reregistered the said CoOp Society in their interests, successfully. Thereafter, they issued legal notices for the original members to vacate the land they’d occupied and made investments. An outright, unabashed and coldblooded banishment of the people who banded together, toiled countless hours and with humble resources they shaped and developed their fair square of earth with their own hands, by men of no honour. We are calling on the President, the Prime Minister to please intervene in this delicately unfortunate and explosive situation and use their God given positions to initiate a peaceful resolution. Yours respectfully, Members of the Co-Op
Persecution of religious minorities Dear Editor, The Trump administration says it is horrified by reports of Iranian government persecution of religious minorities in the Islamistruled nation. Speaking at the U.S. State Department, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, said the “horrific” reports related to what he called Iran’s persecution of people who are not part of its Shiite majority and who do not practice religion as the government directs. Brownback also said he had seen a “radical export” of such religious persecution out of Iran. He made the comments as he presented the State Department’s 2017 International Religious Freedom Report. The annual report’s section on Iran said its Islamist rulers continued to execute people on charges of “moharebeh” or “enmity against God,” including four prisoners in Alborz province in December and four men in Kerman province in September. The U.S. report said Tehran also continued to harass, interrogate and arrest Baha’is, Christians, Sunni Muslims and other religious minorities and to use anti-Semitic and anti-Baha’i rhetoric in official statements. The report said members of religious minorities, especially Baha’is, continued to face societal discrimination and harassment, with employers experiencing social pressures not to hire Baha’is or to dismiss them from their private-sector jobs. U.S.-based Baha’i International Community spokesman Farhad Sabetan said Iran’s international standing “always takes a hit” when there
are newly published reports accusing Tehran of religious persecution.“The Islamic Republic is sensitive about its worldwide reputation and tries to defend it when it can,” said Sabetan, an economics professor at California State University-East Bay in Hayward. On a visit to New York last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif spoke at a Council on Foreign Relations forum and said, “According to Iranian law, following a set of beliefs is not an offense.” Asked about Iran’s refusal to recognize the Baha’i religion, Zarif said: “Being a Baha’i is not a crime. We do not recognize somebody as a Baha’i as having a religion … that’s a belief.” “But … being a Baha’i does not immunize somebody from being prosecuted for offenses that people may commit,” he added. Sabetan disputed Zarif’s assertion. “Recently, Iranian officials have claimed that no one in Iran is targeted solely because they believe in a particular religion”. “In a statement issued last Friday, the Baha’i International Community said there had been a “new wave” of arrests and raids on Baha’i homes in several Iranian provinces, including Alborz, Isfahan and Razavi Khorasan. It said in many cases, the detentions of Iranian Baha’is had been accompanied by raids on personal homes and the seizure of religious books and writings. Anthony Vance, U.S. Baha’i Office of PublicAffairs director, claimed that international community members were trying to verify the names of those arrested and the dates of their detentions. Yours faithfully, Rooplall Dudhnath
The local private security services... From page 05 years. Cultural attitudes also influence the choice of intervention with the almost universal rejection of hormone therapy by black women. Challenge: Many middle aged women have a poor understanding of their bodies and tend to ignore symptoms which signal a departure from the norm, others blame menopause for symptoms which are rooted in other conditions for e.g. there are six other conditions which can cause’ hot flashes’—the dominant and most persistent of all meno-
pausal symptoms. These are prescription medications, excess weight, food allergies, anxiety, medical conditions and a hot environment. Symptoms: There are numerous menopausal symptoms, but only a doctor can ascertain for sure that they are indeed symptom(s) associated with midlife changes. Hot flashes, irritability and what is known as menopausal rage are a few of the many symptoms. Some women experience tenderness in parts of their body, increased heart rate and a general lack of energy and
wellbeing. Solutions: 1. A good support system 2. A better understanding of your situation will lead to empowerment 3. Follow the instructions of your doctor I sincerely hope males will do themselves a favour and read some more on the subject, especially those tasked with supervising women in male dominated management structures; many of whom are of the view, that menopause is just mind over matter. Clairmont Featherstone
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WITHOUT APPROPRIATE RULES AND ADEQUATE OVERSIGHT…
Sovereign Wealth Funds no guarantee for prosperity, Analyst warns By Kiana Wilburg Governments are often open to creating Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF) with the intention of squirreling away excess money made on their natural resources. This money can help to support budget shortfalls, can be used for international investments or simply serve as a savings for future generations. But economic analyst Andrew Bauer has cautioned that SWFs by themselves cannot guarantee future prosperity, and may even impede growth. Bauer is attached to the prestigious Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI). The consultant cited the
example of the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund in Canada, which was designed in part to save oil revenues for future generations. Yet, it failed to save anything in all but two years between 1987 and 2012. As for Trinidad and Tobago, Bauer said that this country’s Heritage and Stabilization Fund’s mandate to mitigate the negative effects of oil revenue volatility on the country’s budget, actually led to worse public investment decisions. He said that it even led to slower growth. Elsewhere, as in Kuwait and Libya, the NRGI official highlighted that SWFs became channels for
corruption and patronage, diverting billions of dollars away from social service and infrastructure spending. Bauer emphasized that SWFs by themselves do not guarantee sound macroeconomic management. In fact, the economic analyst said that these Funds may complicate budget processes and make public spending less accountable. Bauer said, “SWFs can be useful, but only if they help fulfill at least one macroeconomic objective, such as mitigating the impact of oil or mineral revenue volatility on government spending, or ‘parking’ oil windfalls until they can be spent more efficiently.”
Guyana explores deepening cooperation with Russia
From left: Russian Ambassador to Guyana Alexander Kurmaz, President David Granger and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon. Guyana has vowed to explore more avenues for cooperation with Russia in pursuit of common interest between the two countries. President of Guyana, His Excellency David Granger and newly-accredited Russian Ambassador, Alexander Kurmaz shared the sentiments at a recent reception in commemoration of Russia Day 2018. According to President Granger, Guyana and Russia share common concerns regarding the threats of terrorism and other transnational crimes, noting that the common abhorrence of the negative effects of these threats forms a basis for continued cooperation within the global multilateral system. The President stated that both countries have enjoyed cordial relations and collaborated in the fields of culture, education, economics, security and science. “Guyana iterates its appreciation for Russian support for debt relief and disaster relief. We are pleased with the recent conclusion of a Treaty to guide our basic relations and with the signature of agreements relating to visa waivers…The Patrice Lumumba University was established in the era of de-colonisation and numerous Guyanese have enjoyed scholarships there and, later, at the People’s Friendship University of Russia,” he said.
Guyana and Russia have enjoyed formal and informal relations for over 50 years. Russia-owned Rusal, the second largest aluminium producer in the world, has bauxite mining operations in Aroaima and further up the Berbice River. However, U.S. sanctions at the start of April against Oleg Deripaska, the main principal of EN Group which owns Rusal, threatened to derail the company’s operations. Deripaska is accused of being involved in a host of alleged Russian government predations, including Ukraine and Syria, as well as crimes against business rivals. Ambassador Kurmaz said that like Guyana, Russia too is home to different ethnicities and cultures and said that they too work towards a motto of ‘One People, One Nation, One Destiny’. “We are working very hard with the members of the Guyanese Government in order to establish a durable agenda for boosting the inter-ministerial and inter-governmental context to come back, first of all, to the practice of regular visits between the two countries,” he said. Russia Day is the national holiday of the Russian Federation. It is celebrated annually and commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) on June 12, 1990.
The economic analyst said that a global study of natural resource funds by the NRGI and Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment (CCSI) found that there are two pre-conditions for funds to function as planned: Appropriate rules must be enacted, and there must be adequate oversight and enough broad-based consensus to ensure compliance with those rules. APPROPRIATE RULES While there is no one-sizefits-all solution, Bauer said that the joint study of the two institutions offers guidance. With regard to deposit and withdrawal rules, the analyst said that these determine the timing, amount and conditions for the sovereign wealth fund’s inflows and outflows, either to or from the government’s main bank account. Bauer said that withdrawal and deposit rules must be tight enough to constrain government spending but loose and flexible enough to withstand political pressures to spend more. “For instance, TimorLeste enacted a rule that only allowed its government to spend three percent of petroleum wealth in any given year. This rule was too restrictive given the country’s capital scarcity, high poverty levels and the high social rate of return on domestic investment. As a result, the rule has consistently been broken. Further guidance on deposit and withdrawal rules can be found here.” Bauer then turned his attention to investment risk limitations. In this regard, he pointed out that SWFs hold
public assets to improve macroeconomic management or for safekeeping. As such, he noted that governments should not be allowed to gamble with these funds and their asset portfolios should reflect their purpose. “For example, a petroleum fund designed for stabilizing budget expenditures would require more liquid assets than a savings fund designed to benefit future generations since the government might need to draw on these assets if oil revenues collapse unexpectedly…Regardless of the asset allocation used, SWFs should be explicitly prohibited from investing in certain high risk assets, such as junk bonds.” Bauer said that Governments must also monitor conflicts of interest and set clear investment guidelines. Where there is inadequate oversight and rules are unclear, he said that it is often too easy for investment managers to invest with political allies, family or friends. “Equally, following the precedents set by Abu Dhabi (UAE), Botswana, Chile, Kazakhstan and Norway, among others, legislation should strictly prohibit SWFs from investing domestically. Spending directly out of the SWF could bypass the normal budget process, including parliamentary, auditor, media or citizen oversight.” Bauer said that this could result in inconsistencies with the budget and circumvention of controls and safeguards such as project appraisal, public tendering and project
Economic Analyst, Consultant at NRGI, Andrew Bauer monitoring. In Angola, Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia, Bauer said that SWFs have been used as secondary budgets, becoming easy sources of patronage or financing for investments that support the political goals of fund managers. As for institutional structure, Bauer made the point that there should be a clear division of responsibilities between the legislature, president or prime minister, the fund manager, the operational manager and external managers to help funds meet their objectives and prevent corruption. Again, he noted that there is no standard solution, but guidance from those who have studied the area is always recommended for consideration. TRANSPARENCY On the issue of transparency, Bauer stressed that disclosure requirements should be legislated. He said that bodies like parliaments, fiscal councils, and the media cannot perform their oversight functions unless Continued on page 8
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PPP to up its game in Oil and Gas Sectoral meetings - Jagdeo “They are clever people. It is just that they are not specialists in the areas.” That is a bit of what Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo had to say when faced with questions about the level of representation the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) has been having at some parliamentary committees. PPP/C has been posing many questions through the media pertaining to issues of national interest. However, the PPP/C has been employing this mechanism despite the fact that there are several Parliamentary forums available to the opposition to have its questions answered. At the most recent press conference of the Opposition Leader, Kaieteur News highlighted the fact that some opposition members of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Natural Resources seem to lack the capability of holding the government accountable at these meetings. The fact that most questions at the last meeting were posed by PPP/ C’s Odinga Lumumba was also noted. Jagdeo said, “Let me be truthful; yesterday (last Wednesday) at 1:00hrs, I had a meeting with the members of that committee. I said that whilst I was happy with what took place I am not satisfied that, for such an important committee, we do enough preparation to hold the government to account...”
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Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo Jagdeo revealed that that meeting saw an agreement being made that “they will seek guidance from the others because we work as a collective. Some may not be specialists in the areas that are going to be discussed. But we can have specialist assessments that will guide them in the questioning of the people who come before the committee.” The Opposition Member said that Minister of Public Infrastructure with responsibility for Energy, David Patterson will soon go before the committee to talk about the gas to energy project as well as the Amaila Hydro Power Project. Jagdeo said, “Most of our people are not specialists on hydro or gas but I think we have enough questions to ask on both projects and what they are doing now about
electricity.” Jagdeo is convinced that the PPP’s preparation will be so strong that it will be able to “expose how vague this government is on a critical matter for our national development and cost of living such as power and the supply of power. With good preparation, our members can do this. They are clever people. It is just that they are not specialists in the area.” Jagdeo said that the opposition will be doing briefs before all committee meetings now because “It’s a concern of mine not only in this committee but other standing committees. We are going to step up our level of representation in these committees.” The Sectoral Committees are made up of Government and Opposition parliamentarians and provide a forum for the Ministry and organizations under that sector to be scrutinized. Opposition members on that Committee are Pauline CampbellSukhai, Neendkumar and Yvonne P. Fredericks while the committee is chaired by Odinga Lumumba. The Government is represented by Joseph Harmon, Ronald Bulkan, Audwin Rutherford and Jermaine Figueira. The Sectoral Committees have the power to examine all policies and administration for each sector to determine whether the execution of projects and policies are done in the best interest of the nation.
Ramotar slams Govt. on fuel price hike The coalition Government has been accused of abandoning policies that would help to cushion the effects of rising fuel prices on businesses and households. Former President Donald Ramotar pointed this out as part of what he said was the regime’s ‘remarkable lack of concern for people’s welfare’ and its support for fuel smugglers. “The regime has turned Nelson’s eye and a deaf ear to the cries of the people. They have totally ignored the protests of minibus and taxi drivers throughout the land,” Ramotar stated. He disclosed that the former People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government had to deal with a similar situation on many occasions and its approach was totally different from this regime. According to Ramotar, when the price for oil went up internationally, the PPP/C administration adjusted the taxes downward. Similarly, when it goes very high, he stated that the PPP/C removed some taxes completely. “Indeed, I can recall at one time the price of fuel fell drastically. In that situation,
we thought that people should benefit more from the price fall. Even in those circumstances, we reduced the taxes so our people could benefit. The consumers of electricity from Guyana Power and Light (GPL) benefitted due to reducing electricity bills,” Ramotar stated. He stated that the PPP/C administration used the stateowned Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil) to regulate the price. According to Ramotar, as Guyoil reduced its price at the pump, the private gas station owners had to follow suit to keep up with the competition. “In the first place, they [coalition government] are very aggressive to collect maximum revenues. Taxes and licences are put on the donkey cart operators and on housewives kitchen gardens. People in micro business are not spared; they too are being hounded down,” Ramotar outlined. The former President also suggested that another reason for the coalition refusing to ease the taxes on fuel is to help smugglers. By keeping the price high at the pump the regime is allowing the smugglers to
Former President Donald Ramotar make huge, super profits. “The regime will, therefore, do nothing to reduce or remove the taxes because this will affect the huge profits that the smugglers make, many of whom are close to the regime, and reduce the kickbacks which some people high in government receive. The people are being soaked to uphold the lavish lifestyle and massive corruption,” Ramotar stated. The former President noted that the people must now bear the huge burden “to satisfy the greed of the rulers.”
Sovereign Wealth Funds no... From page 7 they have access to adequate and verifiable information. Bauer noted that the Alaska Permanent Fund (USA) is a model of transparency, which has helped to reduce conflict over the distribution and management of Alaska’s petroleum resources. Bauer said, “But even the best rules will not be followed unless there is ex ante broadbased consensus on these rules and ex post effective and independent oversight of SWFs. Rules established only between governments, international financial institutions and expert advisors alone are not likely to survive a political transition or even minor pressure to
break the rules. Compliance is ultimately a political problem, and as such requires a political response.” “Cognizant of this reality, the Ghanaian government took the initiative when, prior to the enactment of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, it carried out extensive public consultations, including a national survey on how Ghana should manage its petroleum revenues, regional town-hall meetings, and appeals to experts, civil society and the diplomatic community for technical advice. These consultations gave Ghanaians and internationals a sense of buyin and stewardship over the
Govt. commits to “fully... From page 3 clear and unambiguous institutional functions at the onset of a county’s Public Private Partnerships programme, greatly assists in successful implementation. It said that while institutional roles and responsibilities may change over time, as Government’s experience with Public Private Partnerships grow, the following public institutions will have integral roles in the programme: the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Public Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Business. The Government said that strategic direction of the Government’s Public Private Partnership programme will be the responsibility of a Steering Committee. A PPP Core Team, within the Ministry of Finance will act as the Secretariat to the Steering Committee and as a focal point for the day-today management of the programme.
law. A similar exercise is currently underway in C a n a d a ’s N o r t h w e s t Territories, which has just established a Heritage Fund to invest mineral revenues.” Bauer emphasized that oversight with teeth, once all the rules are in place, is equally important for compliance. In this regard, he noted that external audits and constant monitoring by parliament, the media and formal bodies like Norway’s S u p e r v i s o r y Council or Ghana’s Public Interest and Accountability Committee, are not nice-tohave additions but rather essential components of successful fund governance. Additionally, Bauer said that independent oversight bodies can encourage good financial management by praising compliance with the rules. He opined that they can also discourage poor behaviour by managers by imposing punitive measures ranging from naming-andshaming to fines or imprisonment. Ultimately, Bauer said that the effectiveness of independent oversight will depend on the power of the supervisory bodies’ carrots and sticks.
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Guyana can be a funny place. Imagine minibus drivers are protesting the increase in fuel prices and are calling for an increase in fares. The East Coast drivers kicked off the protest a few days ago. They assembled at a location. Later, there was a blockage of the railway embankment road, even though there was no mention of who did this. It was said that the reason for the blockage of the road was to prevent those buses who were working from doing so. Another group was calling on the government to drop the prices of fuel or increase fares, even if it was by $20.Now, the minibus operators do not need to protest to raise transportation fares. They have the power to do so. Fares are not regulated in Guyana. Yet, unlike in the past when operators increased prices which some consumers refused to pay, this time the transportation providers seem to want the government to approve the fare increase. Operators in Berbice are said to be calling for a 40% increase.
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Fear is the reason why the operators are not raising their fares but waiting to see what the government will do. They are fearful of the reaction of the government, consumers and their own operators. The government has not signaled that it is going to reduce its take on fuel taxes so that the prices can be reduced at the pump. And so instead of giving the government an ultimatum, the transportation operators are playing this funny game of calling on government to either drop the price of fuel or to increase prices. They know that fares are unregulated. But they are fearful of a backlash from government. Some of them fear the tax man coming after them, after they claimed that they used to make $5000 per day but are only taking home as low as $500 per day. If they were making $5000 per day, it means their monthly income would be around $150,000 per month, which means that they should be paying as much as $30,000 in taxes or $360,000
per year in taxes. But many of them are not, and so they are timid in setting their own fares based on what they say is the increased cost of the service they are providing. They want the government to set the fares. They ought to know this will not happen, and yet they are protesting. They are afraid that the Special Organized Crime Unit can be set loose on them. So they want the government to do what they cannot do. This is all a big joke. They are fearful of police harassment. In Brazil, truckers are engaged in protests over the price of petrol. They forced the government to drop the price in that country. But in Guyana, the minibus and hire car operators want the government to drop fares or drop the price at the pump. The transportation operators are calling for the government to act, because they are afraid of being undercut by their fellow operators who may be prepared to continue to charge the same fares. This is why there was that temporary road blockage by un-
known forces. This was because others have to be coerced into joining the protest action.Guyana is a cut-throat country. There are some operators who would not protest because they see the opportunity to make an extra buck when their fellow operators are on the protest lines. And this is one of the reasons why the operators who have the power to increase fares want the government to act first. The operators are also fearful of consumers. During previous attempts to increase fares, some consumers stood their ground and refused to pay the increase. This forced
the operators in turn to ask their customers to pay the fares upon entry. The protests by the transportation operators are going to fizzle because of this funniness and their fearfulness on their part. One thing they can expect. The government will be looking carefully at what they are doing, and if the situation escalates, they will meet with them and ask them to hold off while some multiagency task force meets with them to decide on the way forward. That process will end up being protracted just like the negotiations between the teachers’ union and the gov-
ernment. Once there is no unity within the ranks of transportation operators, once they are fearful of the government, they should simply put their tails between their legs and accept the inevitable – there is nothing they can do about increases. This is Guyana and fear stalks the land.
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THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Guyana at 52: Attica and Ithaca One of the most memorable scenes I have seen in a movie is Al Pacino in “Dog Day Afternoon” in which he robbed a bank and couldn’t get out because the police had him surrounded. He came out of the bank with a hostage, stood in front of the door and shouted “Attica” umpteen times with uncontrollable decibels. The huge crowds that gathered began to cheer him on. The shouts were in reference to the deadly prison riot at Attica Correctional Centre in New York that left several dozen inmates and wardens dead. After 51 years of Independence, there were two deadly prison riots at the county’s major facility right in the heart of the city that had long outlived its usefulness. The first mayhem occurred two months before we achieved the golden jubilee; seventeen prisoners died. In the second inferno, the rampaging prisoners torched
the Camp Street jail into ashes. That was two months after we achieved 51 years of Independence. It is outside the scope of this column to summarize the reasons for the horrors as adumbrated in the findings of a judicial commission. But some areas of expressions were - overcrowding, too many prisoners on remand, and the need to examine the sentencing structure of the courts. In fact the report specifically pointed to the “failure of supporting agencies” and made reference to the magistracy and the judiciary. The report used the following words, “serious dysfunction in the administration of justice.” The inquiry found that in February 2016 the Camp Street prison whose official capacity was to house 531 prisoners had a total of 979. The document makes for horrible reading and is not for the fainthearted. We are fifty-
two years into Independence and a majority of the conditions that led to two unspeakable disasters in the prison system in Guyana are reappearing. What is my point? That after 52 years of Independence we are still not producing leaders with vision and ideas. Guyana does not have leaders who can learn from mistakes and from the tragedies of the past. I would go so far to say that this country is not birthing even competent leaders. As I type this article, I don’t know what the prison population is. But this I know; we are slowly getting back to morbid overcrowding. Last week a security guard was on remand because he could not post bail put at $60,000. Guess for what? He cuffed a colleague and was charged with assault. You would think that someone with commonsense would have arranged a quick mediation process. No, that
didn’t happen so there is yet another person on remand. Since the arson, do we know how many more were put on remand? We have some magistrates who are doing complete and unadulterated nonsense on the bench. And I am going to use a favourite phrase of a good friend of mine; not one leader has the “testicular fortitude” to ask the Judicial Service Commission to investigate. I predicted the prison riot in July 2017 a week before as Stan Gouveia’s guest on Boom FM radio. I am predicting someone will soon shout “Attica” in another sad repetition of July 2017. From Attica, lets move to Ithaca, the quiet East Berbice village. The first time I saw it, I was part of a group of the WPA headed by Walter
Rodney. That was in 1977. Ithaca had no street lights then. After 1977, the next time I went back to Ithaca was 2012. Ithaca still had no street lights. Fifty two years after Independence a small village with a tiny population has never seen a street light in the village. My sister Gwendolyn took me to Black Bush Polder when I was seven. It had no street lights. The next visit to Black Bush Polder was when I was in my sixties on the campaign trail with the AFC in 2015. I spoke on the platform with Dr. Ramaya who is long gone from the AFC. There were no street lights in Black Bush Polder in 2015. We have achieved 52 years of Independence and there are still no street lights in Black Bush Polder.
Frederick Kissoon On Thursday night, I was looking at a movie on Youtube named “Raise the Titanic.” Blackout came and I retired to bed. This is life in my country after 52 years of Independence. My home overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. There are times late at night, when the moonlight is coruscating and incandescent, I would go on the balcony and talk with Nietzsche’s Ubermensch. I would ask him when he is coming to save Guyana. He always says; “never”.
Local writer launches book of adventures “Tales from Sugarcane Street,” a collection of short stories by writer Chevon Lim, was launched on Saturday at the National Library at Church Street, Georgetown. This is Mrs. Lim’s first self published work of fiction. The stories are centered around five children and their unique experiences growing up on Sugarcane Street. This collection falls in the suspense/thriller genre and is the first of three books. The author is currently working on - ‘Sugarcane Girl’ and ‘Bush Tales’- all in the same genre. It’s a e-book of stories that journeys into the worlds of adventures, mysteries, fairytales, magic and dreams; stories that go back in time and beyond to myths and legends, the real life of today and tomorrow, the passion, the beliefs and the wishes that come from deep within a child’s heart. According to the author, chapters and phrases in the book were compiled while she was travelling across South and North America, Europe and Eurasia. “This collection is dedicated to my grandmother, Justina Ince who sadly passed away three years ago. Incidentally I chose this day specifically for the launch, as it is her birthday. She would have been 82,” Mrs. Lim said. Mrs. Chevon Lim is also a professional freelance writer, tourism /events consultant. She also has eight years experience working in and with the media. She is also a former Spanish, French and English tutor and the former
Mrs. Chevon Lim presents a copy of the book’s cover and prologue to a fan. Communications Manager at the Guyana Tourism Authority. She also runs her blog w w w. s u g a r c a n e g i r l . wordpress.com where you can follow the characters and see how the stories evolve. She said, “My intent is to use this platform to help other writers through the process of self publishing and to provide the literary support.” As she continues on her literary endeavours, Mrs. Lim disclosed that a publishing company out of the USA has offered to publish her book, of course, at a cost. “This was such a bitter sweet moment for me, so
close and yet so far. Finally, someone other than me thought I had talent, but not I lack the resources t o follow through.” “Tales from Sugarcane Street” will soon be available for sale in local book stores and on Amazon. Working on her first book was no walk in the park and Mrs. Lim expressed gratitude to her family and friends for their unwavering support. Participants at the launch were given a sneak peek of what is to be expected of the book by a reading of its prologue by Mrs. Lim who also unveiled the cover of the novel.
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Local garment factory for Blueberry Hill The local ready-made clothing industry is about to be revived with the recent launch of a new garment factory at Blueberry Hill North in Wismar, Region Ten. Earlier in the year the Community Development Council (CDC) had received ten standard sewing machines and six heavy duty sewing machines through the Ministry of Communities. Initially, some fifteen young people were trained. As trainees grew more competent and confident and the demand for school uniforms and custom designed garments increased the idea of a garment factory was born. At the June 4, launch, Technical Assistant, within the Ministry of Communities, Mr. Shawn Austin, speaking on behalf of Minister Ronald Bulkan, reminded the gathering that the Blueberry Hill project is one example of the administration’s commitment to empower citizens at the community level Further, the gathering was informed that funds would be made available for the construction of a building to house the garment factory which currently is conducting its operations at the home of a community worker, Ms. Berneita Primo, Chairperson
of the CDC. The sizable crowd which turned out for the official launch was able view an array of garments on display, as well as being treated to a fashion display by members of the community group showing-off fashional wear created by the Blueberry Hill group. The Blueberry Hill CDC,
having gotten off the ground with garment production, has indicated that they are currently in the planning stage of setting up a factory for the production of hollow blocks. They also plan to train more youth, the objective being to equip them with the necessary skills that will help them to become employable, or to start their own business.
A section of the gathering.
Mr. Shawn Austin(left) Technical Assistant within Ministry of Communities, together with Director of Community Development, Mr. Ernest Elliot, looking at a piece of garment on exhibition.
Hundreds bid farewell to Calypso icon ‘Mighty Rebel’
The late Geofrey Phillips aka ‘Mighty Rebel’
Attendees at the funeral service for Geofrey Phillips aka ‘Mighty Rebel’ at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Hundreds, including senior Government officials, yesterday attended the home-going celebrations for popular calypsonian, ‘Mighty Rebel’, who entertained crowds for decades with stinging social commentary through his music. Rebel, whose real name was Geofrey Phillips, was entombed
in his former home village of Good Intent, West Bank Demerara following a motorcade from the Demerara Harbour Bridge. His casket was emblazoned with the songs that earned him six national calypso titles, which made him the most decorated Guyanese performer in the history of the art form. The songs were ‘Second Hand
Man’ (1977); ‘Dessy Yo Wrong (1993); ‘Political Lies’ (1997); ‘Ask the President (2001); ‘Is We Put You Deh’ (2007); ‘All ah we Know de Man’ (2010). A microphone and the words ‘Mighty Rebel’ also featured on the casket. The funeral service at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall attracted glowing tributes from fellow
Calypsonians and persons who shared fond memories of the ‘short man’, who brought melody to many of the political wrongs facing Guyana, regardless of the Government in power. He wrote more than 700 songs and performed more than 5,000 times around the world. His singing ability was personally acknowledged by the State of
California, as well as the then Mayor of Ottawa, Marian Dewar, in 1981. Those who have had the pleasure of meeting him can attest to his unassuming, friendly personality and quick-witted nature. Rebel was featured as a Kaieteur News Special Person in 2009 and shared his secret to success. “Don’t enter the arena for money since there is none to be gained. You have to love it with a passion,” Rebel stated during that interview. The Mighty Rebel was born in Evans Street, Charlestown, but later moved to Good Intent. He died at the Georgetown Public Hospital on May 31. He was 72.
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State owned enterprises were $7.9B below projection The overall deficit of public enterprises was $13B for the year 2017. According to Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, this was one percent lower than projected at the time of the presentation of the 2018 budget. He made this known in his recently published End of Year report of the 2017 economy. In that document, the economist said that revenue collection of the public enterprises was $7.9B below the 2018 budget projections, principally as a result of the further contraction in the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) performance. He said that current expenditures were $114.6B or $4.7B lower than projected. Minister Jordan also said that the lower-than-anticipated performance resulted mainly from GuySuCo, where employment costs and expenditures on other goods and services declined by $1.2B and $3.4B respectively. He also noted that capital expenditures of the public enterprises were $3.4B lower than expected. Jordan said that this was due mainly to reduced spending by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL). He also noted that GuySuCo experienced severe cash flow problems while GPL rescheduled its capital programme for 2018. STATISTICS ON STATE AGENCIES Some of Guyana’s state owned enterprises include the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), MARDS Rice Complex Limited, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil), Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC), Guyana National Shipping Corporation (GNSC) and Guyana National Printers Limited (GNPL). GUYSUCO At the end of the first half of 2017, the Guyana Sugar Corporation continued to have an operating deficit, recorded at $6.3 billion. According to the Ministry of Finance, the $7 billion outlay to GuySuCo by Central Government by the end of the first half is a reflection of the Corporation’s continued inability to reform its cost structure and improve its competitiveness. The Ministry had said that the revised revenue forecast for 2017 is $27.1 billion, down from the budgeted $28.9 billion. GuySuCo expects to realize increased revenue from land sales, but lower revenue from sugar sales. Expenditure is forecasted to rise to $35.7 billion, putting the deficit at $8.6 billion. In 2017, Central Government’s financing to
Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan GuySuCo was budgeted at $9 billion. The closure of Skeldon Energy Inc. during the first crop, weather, strike action, and factory maintenance downtime were some of the factors that contributed to the lowering of sugar production targets and revenues. The industry continues to be plagued by many problems, including an increase in the prices of several inputs such as fertilizers, and these have had a negative impact on the company’s ability to realize sufficient cash to cover its operating costs. At the half year, GuySuCo’s employment cost was an alarming 111.5 percent of revenue. GUYANAPOWER AND LIGHT The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) earned revenue of $17.0 billion in the first half of 2017, up from $14.7 billion for the same period in 2016 as a result of more timely payments. Similarly, expenditure increased from $9.3 billion in the first half of 2016 to $12.6 billion in the same period of 2017. This increase is driven by higher cost of Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) for which the weighted average cost rose to US$48.70 for the half year from US$30.50 as at June 30th 2016. In addition, GPL repaid the Government $500 million on the GCRG/GPL On-lending Loans for the 1st half of the year. The Company’s outlook for the year has improved, with the budgeted deficit of $5.0 billion now expected to improve to a lower deficit of $771 million. Notwithstanding the improved cash performance of GPL, the company’s technical performance remains plagued with inefficiencies. The Ministry of Finance said that the production of electricity increased marginally to 394,832 MWh in the first half of 2017 from 387,864 MWh for the first half of 2016. At the half year 2017, the twelve-month rolling average of total losses was 29.6 percent a slight increase from the half year for 2016 when the total losses was 29.3 percent. THEGUYANA OILCOMPANY The Guyana Oil Company
(Guyoil) Limited earned revenues of $18.0 billion in the first half of 2017, up 11.8 percent from 2016. The increase in revenues is primarily due to additional receipts from debtors which rose by 23.1 percent to $9.2 billion. Expenditure also rose in the first half of 2017, and was 28.8 percent higher than the first half of 2016. The Finance Ministry said that this is primarily due to increased payments to creditors. As a result, Guyoil recorded an overall deficit of $247.3 million, a 73.1 percent decline compared to 2016. Anticipated declines in local sales put the revised forecast for revenue at $37.6 billion, down from an original budget of $38.9 billion for 2017 while expenditure is projected to decline marginally. Altogether, Guyoil is expected to post a deficit of $328.4 million from an originally projected surplus of $813.1 million. GUYANANATIONAL NEWSPAPERS LIMITED For the first half year of 2017, the Guyana National Newspapers Limited recorded receipts of $264.1 million, a decline from the $287.5 million reported for the first half 2016. However, total payments declined from $249.3 million in 2016 to $218 million in 2017 resulting in a surplus of $46.2 million. Despite this achievement, the Finance Ministry said that local sales were lower-thanprojected, as readers make use of online news. Employment cost, the single largest expenditure item, was $84.8 million or 32 percent of total revenue. GUYANAPOST OFFICE CORPORATION The Guyana Post Office Corporation reported revenues of $518 million, a decrease of $13.1 million over the 2016 half year. This was attributed to a reduction in export sales as well as a decline in the volume of money orders. In addition, mobile phone companies have reduced the commission fee received by third-party vendors, including the Corporation, relating to the provision airtime credit. Further contributing to a worsening overall balance, expenditure increased by $37.7 million, moving from $500.6 million in the first half of 2016 to $538.3 million in the first half of 2017. This increase stemmed from higher transaction costs associated with the government increase in pension, and conveyance of value, as well as the cost of improving security presence. Declining revenue and increasing expenditure resulted in a deficit of $20.2 million in the first half of 2017 compared with a primary surplus of $30.5 million in the first half of 2016. Updated revenue and expenditure forecasts move the
Corporation from a minor surplus of $3.2 million to a similarly small deficit of $10.6 million for 2017. Going forward, GPOC expects to improve the marketing for its online shopping service coupled with active debt collection, with the intention of improving its bottom line. NATIONAL INSURANCE SCHEME The overall balance of the National Insurance Scheme
- Finance Minister reveals (NIS) improved from a surplus of $174 million at the end of the first half of 2016 to $252.5 million for the same period in 2017. Revenues as at the end of the first half rose by $1.0 billion year to year from $9.3 billion. This improvement is largely a reflection of increased compliance resulting
from campaigns by the Scheme targeting informal sectors. While contributions from employers were the main driver in this increase, it is noted that contributions from self-employed individuals increased from $403.1 million during the first half of 2016 to (Continued on page 22)
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PEN PAL American Citizen, Christian 61 seeks Wife/Companion 18-35. No Divorcee.Tx Msg: 660-8607
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2 & 3 bedroom fully furnished luxury apartments short and long term rental Tel# 6642143,691-1432,666-7028 Fully furnished apartment in South (AC, Cable & Internet) #689-5877/223-4390 House to rent: Upper flat 3 bedroom 696 Section ‘C’ Block ‘Y’ Grove. East Bank Demerara. Tel#652-7567 2 bedroom apartment $50,000 monthly. Middle road La Penitence. Contact# 666-9534 Display rack, space & parking lot to rent. Contact# 624-6783 LAND FOR SALE Continental Park (Double) $24M Land of Canaan (acres) $5.5M Schnoord $3.5M First St, Triumph Seaside. #2312199/608-0772 Tuschen $1.5M Uitvlugt $2.8M Parfaite Harmonie $1.8M Tel#697-6311
Have your house, fence & yard to pressure wash? Call: 666-2326
EDUCATION IAE- Register for CXC, full time evening & adult classes. Mathematics, English, Business & Science subjects #683-5742/621-7365
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From page 14 judged separately from manuscripts.” However, others have argued that allowing local and overseas contestants to compete together will ensure that winning entries are of a high standard. Speaking about the postponement, the writer added that “the deadline for submitting to the Guyana Prize was March 31st, 2017 with the Awards Ceremony slated to be held in July last year. We are now into May 2018; about ten months past the awards ceremony due date, and writers are still waiting in
blind hope to be informed of the Prize Short List and Awards Ceremony date.” The postponement has also led to some local and overseas-based writers questioning the present Administration’s commitment to the development of Guyana’s cultural industry. The Guyana Prize for Literature was inaugurated in 1987 by the late President Desmond Hoyte. The objective of the Guyana Prize is to “recognize and reward outstanding work in literature by Guyanese authors at home and abroad.”
State owned... From page 21 $417.4 million in the corresponding period in 2017. With regards to expenditure, the Scheme’s expenses have also risen from $9.4 billion to $10.0 billion, primarily attributed to an increase in benefit payments by $877.6 million resulting from a 4.0 percent increase in the NIS Old Age Pension. To rebalance its financial position, the NIS will seek to increase overall contributions including through the establishment of partnerships with professional associations in order to increase compliance of their self-employed members.
PPP challenges DPP over halt of private... From page 20 Law, filed by the Applicant against Ministers on the grounds that the said decision is capricious, whimsical, irrational, based upon irrelevant and extraneous considerations, contrary to the rules of natural justice, unreasonable, unlawful, null, void and of no effect. The matters are expected to come up before Justice Fidela Corbin Lincoln for hearing on the 10th of July, 2018, at 9:30am. According to court filings, Norton, in June 2016, while serving as Minister of Public Health, authorized the rental of a Sussex Street, Albouystown property for the purposes of a drug bond, from Linden Holdings Incorporated, for $12.5M per month.Norton had come under immense public pressure. He was part of a
Cabinet reshuffle that saw him being reassigned to the post of Minister of Social Cohesion. He subsequently received the additional appointment as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport. Lawrence, who was appointed Public Health Minister, is accused of the unapproved single-sourcing of $605.9M in drugs and medical supplies from Ansa McAl Trading Ltd. for the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) between January and February 2017. The charges against the two Ministers came exactly one week after identical charges were filed by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) against Dr. Ashni Singh, former Minister of Finance, and Winston Brassington, the former head of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL).
Prisoner found....
VACANCY Wanted male and female to work in interior salary $80,000 monthly. Call: 6741767/693-2138
Future of Guyana Prize in jeopardy...
VACANCY Female supervisor 35-55, male desks staff 30-48 233 South road, Lacytown. Tel#225-0198. Experience waiter/waitress, chef/assistant cook. Call us 225-7933 or visit 172 Sheriff Street. Female cleaner for office in Eccles. #233-2745
From page 20 time, in relation to claims that Prison Officers might have had something to do with Thom’s state at the time, Mr. Samuels said, prison officers are in no way involved with what happened to Thom. He also confirmed that Thom was in an altercation with three prisoners, one of whom he stabbed. That prisoner was taken to GPHC
where he was admitted and received treatment for his injuries. Kaieteur News was told that the Guyana Police Force was investigating, and would now have to take statements from the prison officers who were tasked with taking care of Dunn. They would also have to question the prisoners who were in his cell.
Monday June 11, 2018
Kaieteur News
Bandits shoot Broad Street car wash owner Two bandits shot a carwash owner and relived him of an undisclosed sum of cash, at his 17 Broad & Lombard Street business at around 22.00 hrs last night. Leroy Robinson, a 37year-old car wash operator, was shot to the leg. He has been admitted to hospital. Kaieteur News understands that Robinson was at his carwash business when the robbers approached and demanded money. Robinson’s mother, 62-
The robbery victim, Leroy Robinson. year-old Bridgette Robinson, who operates a shop just 25 feet away from the scene, said she heard someone saying, “no-
body don’t run”, after which she heard two gunshots.Mrs. Robinson then saw her son lying on the ground and bleeding. A sister then took the injured man to hospital.The mother said, she thought the robbers had killed her son, and was thankful that he survived the attack.When asked if this ever happened before Mrs. Robinson said, it was the first time anything like this happened to the father of four, who has been operating the carwash at that location for over 5 years.A report was made and police have since commenced an investigation.
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Bangladesh beat six-time champions for maiden Asia Cup title ESPNcricinfo - A maiden Asia Cup final. Nine runs required off the last over. Two wickets go down on the fourth and fifth balls and the match spills onto the final ball, with Bangladesh women needing two to win. A thriller. A heartbreak for six-time champions India. A perfect ending for Bangladesh, as No. 8 Jahanara Alam dived at the striker’s end to seal a threewicket victory and give Bangladesh their maiden Asia Cup title. Deepti Sharma’s throw from midwicket to push the final into a Super Over proved as bereft of vigour as was India’s performance with the bat that saw them post 112 for 8; half of the tally cour-
tesy captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s 42-ball 56. That they were still able to drag the game to the final over was down to legspinner Poonam Yadav’s career-best 4 for 9. With Bangladesh requiring 23 off 18 and a set Rumana Ahmed batting on 13, Harmanpreet, who hadn’t bowled in India’s last two league matches, brought herself on to bowl the 18th and 20th overs. She drew a topedge off her first delivery that flew over the wicketkeeper for four. The rest of the over continued to be eventful, featuring two singles and two twos, before ending with a missed run-out opportunity due to an erroneous throw from Smriti Mandhana.
India missed a second run-out opportunity in the 19th over when Deepti, the bowler, decided against throwing the ball at the nonstriker Sanjida Islam’s end after collecting a return drive. Islam survived and added 14 vital runs off 13 balls for the sixth wicket with Rumana. Deepti, however, gave away just four runs, leaving India with nine to defend in the final over. By then, however, all of India’s four frontline spinners had bowled out, their spearhead Jhulan Goswami had leaked 20 in two overs, and their only other fast bowler Shikha Pandey - left the field with a knee injury - in the second over of the chase - having bowled only four balls. It was in that context that Harmanpreet, who had
Monday June 11, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You often need to thrive on personal emotions. Today will be no exception to the rule. For instance, you could try to captivate the attention of people you admire. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) You shouldn't try to fight the feelings that run through you today. Don't even try to rationalize them. These feelings are probably related to your emotions GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Yo u ' l l b e l o s t i n y o u r thoughts today, analyzing your life and relationships. You'll be asking yourself if your existence is meeting your standards. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Ideas for creative, artistic, or service-oriented work might be coming thick and fast, although you could be torn between different possibilities LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You enjoy caring for others and you intervene regularly in their lives to guide them. Ironically, today you're the one who needs advice. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) We all have to make compromises in order to live in contemporary society. You may have strong beliefs, but it's difficult to combine your ideals and a social life. Today you may wonder if you're prepared to be edged out of society and fight for your convictions.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You've always felt the need to free yourself from society. You need to feel independent at any cost. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You may feel annoyed about the attitude of some of your group of friends. Unlike these people, you're very open-minded and you can deal with situations as they arise. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today, Sagittarius, you'll be submerged under a lot of emotions. In a way, you'll be revisiting your childhood. You may be very edgy. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You really know how to seduce, Capricorn. There is a spark inside of you that spreads naturally to those around you. You have a big reservoir of sensitivity and emotion that could grow today. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You're a very active person, Aquarius, but today you'll probably be disappointed. If you ask those around you to help with your activities, they most likely won't understand your needs. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Nothing much is happening today, yet you seem worried and tense. You'll have to use this day to your advantage. Think about your life.
memorably bowled the final over in India’s 2016 Asia Cup victory, came on to bowl the 20th. But Rumana, who had singlehandedly routed India in their seven-wicket leaguestage win, struck an insideout four off the second ball as Bangladesh shaved off six runs off the first three balls. Islam then slogged Ve d a Krishnamurthy to long-on as more drama ensued. Deepti and Harmanpreet then combined to have Rumana run out off the penultimate ball of the innings. With two required off the final ball, Harmanpreet pitched on a fullish-length, and it was met with a slog from Alam towards the deep. With that, India were denied a seventh straight title and Bangladesh had their fifth win in six matches to end a momentous Asia Cup campaign. But Bangladesh took their first steps towards history much earlier in the game, when they strangled India in the Powerplay, thanks to left-arm spinner Nahida Akter, whose three overs cost just six runs. Scores: Bangladesh 113 for 7 (Sultana 27, Rumana 23, Poonam 4-9, Harmanpreet 2-19) beat India 112 for 9 (Harmanpreet 56*, Rumana 2-22, Tul Kubra 2-23) by three wickets.
Nadal scales... From page 28 sidelines, saved a break point at 1-2 and two more at 2-3 and there were signs that Nadal was struggling with his timing as he framed several forehands. At 4-4 Nadal hit a second serve that bounced before it reached the net but he shrugged that off to hold. Thiem undid all his good work in the next game, netting an easy volley on the first point and gifting Nadal three more unforced errors to hand over the first set. Nadal was rampant when he broke early in the second but Thiem raised his game to force a break point when Nadal served at 4-2 — a game in which the Spaniard was warned for slow play. Nadal, however, averted danger with a pass after dragging Thiem in with a deft dropshot. Once he moved two sets ahead it merely became a race against time for Nadal to finish the match off before the rain arrived.
Guyana beat Barbados... From page 33 along with his nine rebounds, four steals and four assists. Orlan Glasgow had nine points and Shaine Webster swooshed seven for Guyana. Moe, Webster, Adams, Glasgow and Rose started the game for Guyana. Jeremy Gill had 13 points for Barbados, while Birkett had 15 points and they didn’t had another teammate that reached double digits in points. Guyana led the first quarter 17 – 14 points but Barbados tightened up on defence to race to a three-point lead at half time (34 – 31) and at the end of the third quarter Barbados led 54-50. However, the Guyanese outscored the home team 20 – 10 in the fourth quarter to close out the game and received a standing ovation from their supporters.
Game three of the series was contested last evening and scores were unavailable at press time. Guyana returned home today and will continue training at the Cliff Anderson Sports on Wednesday. Results of the series deciding game will be in tomorrow’s issue of Kaieteur Sport. This three-match series is being used by both countries to prepare for this month’s (24 – 30) Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) Championships in Paramaribo, Suriname. At the CBC tournament in Suriname, the Guyanese Men are in Group A, with hosts and rivals Suriname, St Lucia, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines, while Group B comprises Barbados, Bermuda, Antigua & Barbuda, Haiti and Montserrat.
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Jamaica’s queen of sprints cops Devine’s 59-ball century 100m in season’s best 11.10secs sets up crushing win
Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (centre) wins the women’s 100m at the JN Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium last night, clocking a season’s best 11.10 seconds. Also pictured (from left) are Briana Williams, who finished third, and American Jenna Prandini, who copped second. (Photo: Bryan Cummings) Jamaica Observer Jamaica’s two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann FraserPryce and Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain brought the house down at the third staging of the JN Racers Grand Prix with impressive wins in the 100m at the National Stadium Saturday night. Fraser-Pryce won the 100m in a season’s best 11.10 (-0.2 mps), while Hughes finally dipped below the 10second barrier clocking a world-leading 9.91 (0.4 mps). Fraser-Pryce, who changed her moniker from “Pocket Rocket” to “Mommy Rocket”, sped to her seasonal best of 11.10 in her third race since giving birth last August. American Jenna Prandini, who defeated her in Cayman last week, finished fast for second in 11.14. Rising Jamaican star, 16-year-old Briana Williams, who left the block like a bullet, was third in a very good 11.26. Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste was fourth in 11.27. Young Williams had behind her seasoned Jamaicans Natasha Morrison (11.41), Gayon Evans (11.46) and Schillonie Calvert-Powell (11.51). India’s Srabani Nanda was eighth with 11.68. Hughes, a considered pretender to Usain Bolt’s throne at Racers Track Club, has been in tremendous form and he confirmed that he will be hard to beat this year after smashing his personal best of 10.01. Young American Noah Lyles also achieved his personal best clocking 9.93 for second, with Yohan Blake third with 10.00, which was his seasonal best. Senoj-Jay Givans was fourth in 10.13, while Julian Forte was fifth with 10.17. Olympic champion Kirani James made a grand return to athletics with a scintillating 44.35-second clocking to win
the men’s 400m in a new meet record. James, who has battled Graves’ disease, was absent from the track since last April, but showed no rust as he chased down American Fred Kerley and caught him on the line. The fast-starting Kerley, who looked the certain winner, stopped the clock at 44.36. Grenada’s Bralon Taplin was third in 45.11, Matthew Hudson-Smith of Britain was fourth in 45.40, while the Jamaican pair of Javon Francis (45.42) and Demish Gaye (45.43) were fifth and sixth, respectively. James got a rousing reception from the crowd after brief fireworks greeted his victory. Stephenie Ann McPherson outbattled compatriot Anastasia Le-Roy to the line to win the women’s 400m. McPherson won in 50.98, while Le-Roy clocked 51.13. Chrisann Gordon finished fast for third with 51.98. American Francena McCorary finished sixth in 52.91 and was never in the hunt. As expected, the outstanding Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo eased to victory in the 200m in 22.11 seconds ahead of Shericka Jackson of Jamaica in 22.62. In the men’s 200m, Jamaica’s Nigel Ellis, running from lane seven, rocked the boat when he won in a personal best 20.36. American Bryce Robinson was second in 20.38, with howling favourite Miguel Francis of Great Britain third in 20.59. The meet got going with the women’s 400m A race, which was won by Rushell Clayton in 52.81 ahead of the fast-closing Junelle Bromfield in 52.85. Fitzroy Dunkley took the men’s equivalent in 46.13 ahead of Devaughn Baker in 46.65. Collin King was third
with 47.71. Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games champion Danniel Thomas-Dodd repelled the US invasion and won the shot put with a throw of 18.59m. Americans Raven Saunders and Monique Riddick were second and third with 18.57 and 18.37m, respectively. American record holder and Olympic champion Michelle Carter was fifth with 18.16m. Shanieka Ricketts erased the women’s triple jump record, leaping 14.39m. Ana Tima, of the Dominican Republic, was second with 14.22m. A stout-hearted run by Jamaica’s Natoya Goule propelled her to second in the women’s 800m in 2:00.66 minutes. American Ajee Wilson won in 1:59.84 with Charlene Lipsey third with 2:00.70. The first major upset occurred in the women’s 400m hurdles as Jamaica’s USbased Leah Nugent won from lane two in 54.67 seconds. Inform race favourite Janieve Russell was second in 54.89. National champion Ronda Whyte closed late, as usual, for third in 55.23. Olympic bronze medallist Hansle Parchment returned to winning ways in the men’s 110 hurdles in 13.31 seconds ahead of Commonwealth Games champion Ronald Levy, with 13.32. American Devon Allen was close in 13.38 for third with Barbados’s Shane Braithwaite fourth in 13.47. Jamal Wilson of Cayman Islands won the high jump with the bar at 2.24m ahead of Alexander Bowen of Panama with 2.21m. American Kyle Anderson was third with 2.21m. Reggie Jagers of the US threw 65.54m and won the men’s discus event ahead of Jamaica’s Travis Smikle with 64.04m. Andrew Evans of the US was third with 63.78m.
ESPNcricinfo – For the second successive time, New Zealand women sunk Ireland under a 400-plus total. And for the second successive time, New Zealand wiped out Ireland by over 300 runs. On Friday in the first ODI, New Zealand racked up 490, a record total in women’s ODIs, and then crushed them by 346 runs. Yesterday, almost the exact same script played out all over again. New Zealand piled on 418, Ireland fared even worse with the bat, this time collapsing to 112 all out. Perhaps Ireland’s lone consolation lay in the margin of defeat - 306 runs - massive, but a good 40 runs less than the demolition from two days ago. Yesterday’s sequence of events means that New Zealand now boast the top three scores and three of the five biggest wins in women’s ODIs, two of them having come this series, and today’s win without the services of regular captain Suzie Bates. Sophie Devine, who missed out on Friday, was the protagonist this time around, slamming a 59-ball century and getting to the landmark in just the 17th over of the innings. Not only did it set a launching pad, but it also covered up a middle-overs stutter where New Zealand collected just 22 runs in five overs and lost two wickets. In a boundary-laden assault, Devine brutalised Ireland’s bowling attack, pillaging 13 fours and six sixes. It was far from how she had begun, with 5 off 14 balls and nearly running herself out after a tap to mid-off in the fifth over. That reprieve was all that Devine needed as thereafter, she gave no more chances, tonking Ireland’s bowlers to all parts of the ground. She put on 74 for the opening stand with Jess Watkin, who contributed just 23 and a further 93 for the second wicket with Maddy Green, who was the second-highest scorer with an
Sophie Devine raises her bat to celebrate her century. (NZC) even 50. After bringing up her fifty off her 35th ball, Devine biffed six fours and three sixes off her next 24 balls for the second fifty. Immediately after the century, she struck a monstrous six over long-on, but one ball later, she lobbed the ball to short fine leg attempting a sweep. Ireland’s bowlers made regular inroads thereafter, but New Zealand’s middle order took toll on them, each making solid contributions and striking at over 100. Anna Peterson hauled them over the 400 mark with 36ball 46. By the time Holly Huddleston became the last women to be dismissed, off the penultimate ball of the innings, New Zealand had struck 50 fours - amounting to 200 runs - only the third instance of 50 or more fours in a women’s ODI. Ireland made it a lot worse for themselves by sending down 22 wides and four no-balls. Not one of their bowlers went at under six an over - the legspinner
Cara Murray feeling the worst of the carnage with figures of 2 for 96 in eight overs. Medium-pacer Lara Maritz took four wickets for 58 runs in 8.5 overs. Ireland’s batting was as insipid as their bowling. They lost Mary Waldron in the second ball of the chase, and it sent them on a freefall. Cecilia Joyce (26), Laura Delany (33) and Shauna Kavanagh (18) got off to starts but failed to make them count, while the rest fared even worse, not even managing double figures. A brief 32-run stand for the fourth wicket was the most resistance Ireland could muster up, before they lost their last seven wickets for 25 runs. New Zealand’s bowlers shared the wickets around, but Huddleston and Amelia Kerr stood out with combined figures of 4 for 31 in 12 overs. Scores: New Zealand women 418 (Devine 108, Green 50, Maritz 4-58) beat Ireland women 112 all out (Delany 33, Petersen 2-12, Huddleston 2-13) by 306 runs.
Giroud expected to be fit, Pogba to start against Australia - Deschamps PARIS (Reuters) - Olivier Giroud should be fit to play France’s World Cup opening game against Australia after leaving the pitch with a bloodied f o r e h e a d i n S a t u r d a y ’s 1 - 1 d r a w against the United States, coach Didier Deschamps said. Deschamps added that midfielder Paul
Pogba, whose performances have been under-par during the warm-up matches, was also ‘very likely’ to start Les Bleus’ first game in Group C next Saturday. They then take on Peru and Denmark. Giroud has ‘a beautiful cut of six centimetres but he should be ready,” Deschamps told TF1 yesterday.
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Neymar goal caps impressive Nadal scales heights again Brazil win over feisty Austria to claim 11th French title
Brazil’s Neymar scores their second goal against Austria. (REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger) VIENNA (Reuters) - Brazil scored three superblytaken goals, including a stunning Neymar effort, to beat feisty Austria 3-0 in sweltering conditions yesterday and put the finishing touches to their impressive World Cup preparation. Gabriel Jesus and Philippe Coutinho scored the other goals for the five-times champions who showed great patience in the first half as they worked to break Austria down before turning on the style after the interval. Neymar started a game for the first time since injuring his metatarsal in February although he played in the second half of last week’s win 20 over Croatia when he celebrated his return with a goal. His goal was sublime as he left one defender on the ground before scoring between goalkeeper Heinz Lindner’s legs. It was also the first time the quartet of Neymar, Jesus, Coutinho and Willian had started a game together. Austria, unbeaten in their last eight games and winners
over Germany one week ago, proved uncomfortable opponents and had nothing to lose in front of a capacity 48,500 crowd, having failed to qualify for the World Cup. Neymar, substituted in the 83rd minute, was on the receiving end of some rough challenges and needed treatment after a tackle from behind from Aleksandar Dragovic who was booked. “The concentration and competitiveness of the team was laudable,” Brazil coach Tite told reporters. “Today was another example that, mentally, we are maturing. It was a difficult match, with heavy physical contact and we did really well.” He would not confirm, however, that the same side would start Brazil’s opening World Cup game against Switzerland on June 17. With the temperature hot enough for water breaks, tempers frayed as Casemiro replied with a rough tackle of his own. Marko Arnautovic gave Brazil a couple of early frights
before the South Americans went ahead in the 36th minute, Jesus scoring with a delightful dinked effort from a difficult angle for his 10th goal in 17 internationals. Neymar’s goal in the 63rd minute was even better as he collected the ball on the left of the area, performed a dragback which left Aleksandar Dragovic on the floor before sending his shot between Lindner’s legs. That pulled him level with Romario’s total of 55 international goals, making him Brazil’s third joint top-scorer after Pele and Ronaldo. Six minutes later, substitute Roberto Firmino set Coutinho clear down the left and he curled his shot wide of Lindner in for the third. Brazil, who have won all four games this year without conceding a goal, also face Costa Rica and Serbia in Group E.They will head to Russia in confident mood, having lost only one out of 21 games — a friendly against Argentina — in Tite’s two years in charge.
Brazil’s Neymar celebrates scoring their second goal against Austria. (REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger)
Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Austria’s Dominic Thiem pose for photographs with their trophies after the final. (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier) PARIS (Reuters) - Playing the King of Clay at the French Open is akin to scaling Mont Blanc without ropes and even an intrepid adventurer from Europe’s Alpine heartland found it a peak too steep as Rafael Nadal stormed to an 11th title yesterday. Austria’s Dominic Thiem strained every sinew trying to cling on to the 32-year-old Spaniard and at times even gained a precarious foothold in his first Grand Slam final. But it ultimately proved a futile mission as, just like in all but two of Nadal’s previous 87 matches here, the relentless Spaniard proved insurmountable, winning 6-4 63 6-2. In claiming a 17th Grand Slam title to move three short of Roger Federer’s mark, Nadal also matched Margaret Court’s record of 11 titles at a single major — hers all coming at the Australian Open in the 1960s and 70s. After winning 26 of his 27 matches throughout the European claycourt season and 81 of his last 86 sets on clay there is nothing to suggest Nadal’s domination in Paris will end soon. Seventh seed Thiem arrived on a sultry Court Philippe Chatrier with three career wins over Nadal, all on clay, and in an absorbing first set lasting an hour showed why — going toe-to-toe in some ferocious rallies. But from the moment Nadal broke serve in the 10th game to win the opening set Thiem’s belief ebbed away. There was late anxiety for Nadal as the predicted thunderstorms loomed and he needed his left forearm mas-
Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates with the trophy after winning the final against Austria’s Dominic Thiem. (REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol) saged after beginning to suffer from cramp. “For me was scary, because I felt that I was not able to move the hand, the finger,” Nadal said. He also let four match points go at 5-2 but he would not be denied as Thiem went long with a backhand on the fifth. Nadal threw his arms skywards and turned to his entourage including coach and fellow Mallorcan Carlos Moya and his uncle Toni who stood down from his coaching role last year after his nephew worn his 10th French crown. The tears that welled up when Nadal received the Coupe des Mousquetaires from Australian great Ken Rosewall showed just how much he still cares. “It’s amazing now, I can’t describe my feelings,” a sweat-soaked Nadal told the crowd. “It’s not even a dream to win here 11 times, because it’s
impossible to think of something like this.” EDGYTHIEM Thiem was trying to become only the second Austrian Grand Slam champion after Tomas Muster’s 1995 Paris triumph and played his part in the two hour 42 minute tussle but was unable to sustain the high-octane tennis needed to unnerve Nadal. “What you did and what you are doing is the most outstanding thing an athlete can achieve in sport,” the 24year-old said. An edgy Thiem won only one of the first eight points as Nadal, cheered to the rafters when he walked on court, bristled with intent. But the Austrian freed his shoulders and broke back in the third game with forehand winner — pumping his fists in the direction of coach Gunter Bresnik. Thiem, mixing heavy topspin and flat groundstrokes and angling balls across the (Continued on page 26)
Monday June 11, 2018
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Kaieteur News
UCCA holds successful inaugural Awards Ceremony
The Awardees show off their hardware yesterday after the presentation ceremony. By Sean Devers The sun smiled on Guyana’s most Eastern Town as Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA) held it inaugural Awards Ceremony at the St Margaret Anglican Church Parish Hall Number 78 Village Corriverton yesterday. Graced with the presence of Mayor of Corriverton Krishnan Jaichand, Berbice Cricket Board (BCB President) Hilbert Foster, former Skeldon Estate Sports Organiser Linden Murray and the first UCCA President Dr. Pooran Seepersaud, the two and a half hour event was held with pomp and splendour. The UCCA was formed in 1988 with Dr. Seepersaud serving until 1991 when former Corriverton Mayor Roy Baijnauth assumed office.
Now under the Presidency of Dennis De Andrade the UCCA in collaboration with its parent body the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) staged yesterday’s elaborate Ceremony where the three former Guyana First-Class players from that area were inducted into the UCCA’s ‘Hall of Fame’, while several players, teams, schools and Administrators from Corriverton, were honoured. One of three Townships in East Berbice, Corriverton is bordered by the Dutch Nation of Suriname just across the Corentyne River and once hosted Regional Cricket at Skeldon Community Centre ground, one of four grounds in the Ancient County to host First-Class matches. However, the Skeldon ground is in an unplayable condition
with a grass almost as high as the wicket. The three former players inducted yesterday were former British Guiana Wicketkeeper Sydney Jackman, batsman the late Chimwala Munilall and slow bowler Imran Jafferali. The still sprightly looking 73-year-old Jackman made his Regional First-Class debut against T&T in Trinidad in 1966, replacing Reds Murray and played four matches. He had five catches and two stumpings after playing for British Guiana Colts against Australia Colts the year before at Bourda. Jackman played 13 FirstClass games; the others being for Berbice since the Inter-County Final was given First-Class status until 1990. He is presently the UCCA’s Vice-President and
served as Mayor of Corriverton from 1971 to 1973. The late Munilall was born in 1948 in Port Mourant and also played for City side Everest. He played six Regional First-Class games between 1968 and 1976 and a single 50-over game in 1973. In his seven First-Class games for Berbice he notched up three fifties with his highest being 77. The 37-year-old Jafferali hails from Skeldon but now resides in the USA. He made his First-Class debut in 2005 and played five times up to 2007. His best performace was 3-27 against the Windwards in St Lucia in 2005. He never took a fivewicket haul for Berbice. We s t I n d i e s B t e a m Captain Anthony Bramble, who played for Skeldon before joining Albion,
along with National female players Melanie Henry and Sheneta Grimmond, who hail from that part of Guyana were honoured for their recent achievements, while Administrators Zamin Bjwarsiar and Vikey Bharosa were also recognised for their contribution to cricket in Upper Corentyne. Nine U/C’tyne players including Bhim George, who was in Guyana’s First-Class squad in 1998, were also honoured. The others are Kawal Prashad, Esmond Winter, Patrick Ramsingh, Herman Jagdeo, Walter Bovell, Joe Dulam, Dowlat Ramgaram and Kari Chandrapaul. The BCB recognised the 16 schools who participated in the UCCA schools tournament (Five Secondary
& 11 Primary). Tagore Memorial was adjudged secondary school of the year, while Massiah Primary, winners of the Primary School competition, was the Primary School of the year. The BCB presented 20 clubs with a box of balls each and the two UCCA 1st division teams (Skeldon & U/ C’tyne) received 12 caps each, while five Educational posters were given to all the clubs in the area. Vetorie Latchman (U-15), Haresh Ramlachan (U-17) and Torend Shiwband (U-19) were awarded for being the best players in their category. Jackman read the UCCA report, while Foster urged the clubs to put their houses in order to ensure that cricket is played before Seepersaud congratulated the UCCA for a wonderful job done.
Report: Justify worth record $75 million after Triple Crown Reuters - It was an awfully profitable day for the owners of Justify, the 13th horse in history to capture the Triple Crown. After he banked a $15 million purse for winning the Belmont Stakes, Justify’s breeding rights were sold by the horse’s owners to Coolmore for $60 million, according to an ESPN report. E l l i o t t Wa l d e n o f WinStar Farm, one of the primary owners along with China Horse Club & SF Racing, declined to comment on the deal to ESPN. The combined value of $75 million tops Fusaichi Pegasus, who won five of seven starts and was sold for $70 million to Coolmore in 2000.
Adjusting for inflation, that figure would be $104 million today. Justify was purchased as a yearling for $500,000 and debuted less than four months ago on Feb. 18, going on to win all five races he started. Per ESPN, Coolmore will breed Justify in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, which could mean more than 250 times in his first year. A division of Coolmore also bought the rights to American Pharoah, who won the Triple Crown in 2015, snapping a 37-year drought. None of American P h a r o a h ’s f i r s t c r o p o f horses has yet to race. (Field Level Media)
Mike Smith aboard Justify wins the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes. (Michael Clevenger and Chris Granger/Louisville Courier-Journal via USA TODAY Sports)
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Monday June 11, 2018
Kaieteur News
Rampant Windies crush Sri Lanka for series lead PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – West Indies needed just 20 balls in the space of 13 minutes after lunch, to emphatically crush Sri Lanka by 226 runs in the opening Test here yesterday, and claim their first Test win over the Asian side in 10 years. Scenting victory at lunch with the tourists tottering on 222 for seven in their second innings, the Windies wasted little time in grabbing the last three wickets for the addition of just four runs, to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. All told, Sri Lanka lost their last seven wickets for 37 runs, in their failed pursuit of an improbable 453 for victory. “I’m extremely happy with the way we started this series. Credit must go to every individual who put an effort in,” an elated captain Jason Holder said afterwards. “It wasn’t easy. The pitch was pretty tough at first for the bowlers especially but every bowler came in, really put up their hand and gave a really good effort. “I must say credit to the batters as well. From the position we were in on the first day … I just felt it was a brilliant lower order contribution from the entire group and then we were able to come back out and back it up in the field in the first innings.” Part-time off-spinner Roston Chase grabbed two of the three wickets to fall after lunch to end with four for 15 while leg-spinner Devendra
Roston Chase struck twice at the stroke of lunch. (AFP) Bishoo took the other, to finish with three for 48. Speedster Shannon Gabriel picked up two for 52. Opener Kusal Mendis had earlier completed his fifth Test hundred with a brilliant 102 but he was one of four wickets to tumble in the morning session at Queen’s Park Oval, as Sri Lanka collapsed from their overnight 176 for three. The right-hander, resuming on 94, reached three figures in the third over of the morning when he whipped seamer Holder to the square boundary. However, he was the first casualty of the day three overs later when he gloved a brute of a delivery from Gabriel that was angled in, straightened and lifted, for wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich to snaffle an easy catch head-
high. Mendis faced 210 deliveries in nearly 4-1/2 hours, and struck 10 fours and two sixes. His dismissal set Sri Lanka back and they managed just 16 runs in the first hour as survival became the priority. Nightwatchman Lahiru Gamage, yet to score at the start, faced 49 balls for his three before missing a googly from Bishoo in the third over following the drinks break and falling lbw. Captain Dinesh Chandimal, who retired unwell the previous evening, resumed his innings on 15 and added a further 12 as he tried to hold up the Windies advance in a 23-run stand with wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella (19). But in a dramatic final over before lunch, Chase
knocked over both to put the contest firmly in the Windies’ corner. First, Chandimal miscued a pull and was taken at short mid-wicket by Kraigg Brathwaite and off the final ball of the over, Dickwella missed a prod at a straightish delivery and was lbw. With victory all but assured at the interval, West Indies ruthlessly went about finishing off the innings afterwards. Bishoo had Rangana Herath caught at short leg by Shai Hope in the third over without scoring, with three runs added. Chase then finished off the innings with the first two deliveries of the next over, having Suranga Lakmal caught at the wicket for one – though replays showed no
edge – and then removing last man Lahiru Kumara first ball, also caught by Dowrich but this time off an inside edge.
The next Test bowls off at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia on Thursday.
Warriors owner on keeping team together: ‘We’ll do whatever we can to keep them’ NBC Sports - The Golden State Warriors are the NBA champions once again, and now we turn to the offseason. Golden State is in a specific quandary given many of their stars are either due for free agency or for an extension. That means a lot of cost is going to be associated with keeping the core of the team together. Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala all have at least a couple years left on their contracts, but Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant are in need of new deals. The Warriors are already well over the cap, and they will be deep into the luxury tax no matter what kind of discounts they get on those players. Still, according to Warriors owner Joe Lacob, that won’t be a problem.
Via ESPN: “All good things cost a lot,” he said simply. “We’re going to try to sign Klay and Draymond to extensions this summer. They’ve earned the right to do whatever they want; maybe they want to wait until free agency. I can’t control that. But we’ll do whatever we can to keep them. “We’ve proven that if we think we’re competing for a championship, we’ll be in the luxury tax. No one wants to be, but we expect to be. All I can tell you is we’re going to sit down and do our planning on how we’re going to improve the team for the future and setting ourselves up in the future. And it could go a number of different ways.” The real problem for the Warriors is not the luxury tax itself, which seems like a necessary evil at this point given
the dynasty that has formed in Oakland. The repeater tax, a penalty for being in the luxury tax multiple times during a certain period, is what will really put the brakes on Golden State.As with many salary details, the repeater tax is sort of complicated. Essentially, for certain tiers above the luxury tax, teams who qualify for the repeater will be charged a certain dollar amount multiplied by the amount of money in each tier they are over the luxury tax. For example, the current repeater penalty for the tier ranging from $0 to $4,999,999 over the luxury tax is $2.50. So if a team was $4,000,000 into the luxury, they would pay an additional $10,000,000 in penalty ($4,000,000 x $2.50). You have to be over the luxury tax three out of the prior four years to incur the repeater, and Golden State
The Golden State Warriors are the NBA champions. has only been in the tax for the 2017-18 season. That means they’d have until 202021 to figure something out, at
which time it’s possible retirement or a trade of one of their players could factor as a way for them to duck the repeater.
Lacob is willing to spend, and it seems unlikely major elements of the Warriors are going elsewhere soon.
Kaieteur News
Monday June 11, 2018
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Guyana participates in International Football for Friendship programme
M
o s c o w , R u s s i a : Guyana is participating in Gazprom’s international social children’s programme - Football For Friendship (F4F) – which officially opened at 10:30hrs in Moscow, Russia on June 9 with a colourful parade of the flags and nations at Spartak Football Academy. The event, being held from the 8th – 15th June, will also see participants attending the opening ceremony and match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Guyana’s participation is in the form of two adults and two young footballers respectively – GFF’s National Female Junior Footballer of the Year 2017 and National U17 female player, Jalade Trim; National U13 player Josiah King; Member Association Representative Gidel Austin and Communication and Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), Debra Francis. Head of Delegation Francis said the team arrived safely to Russia, has settled in well and is excited about this opportunity which will contribute to the development of the young footballers: “This is an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the team and
the GFF is especially happy that these talented national youth footballers have been given the chance to participate in this educational programme. The coordinators have requested the young participants serve in two primary roles Footballer and Journalist and both will be exposed to capacity building in their respective areas of focus for the duration of the programme. Thus, the technical skills will be complemented by the opportunity to practice and network with other talented footballers and coaches from around the world. It can only serve their football ambitions well.” While King is scheduled to serve as the young journalist in the F4F International Children’s Press Centre, reporting on events as they happen, Trim will serve as the footballer and will be given a chance to play in the inaugural 2018 F4F World Championship on June 12 at the Sapsan Arena. This will feature a five-a-side mixed team of nationals from the 211 participating countries and regions, including those with disabilities, in keeping with the values of the programme. In addition to the International Friendship Camp at the Spartak Football Academy, which will seek to impart respective technical
– Jalade Trim was Flag Bearer for Guyana at Opening Ceremony
President Wayne Forde with participants before departure on June 6: (from left) Gidel Austin, Jalade Trim, Josiah King and Debra Francis. skills and expose the participants to the core values of the programme (School of 9 Values) – f r i e n d s h i p , e q u a l i t y, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions and honour – there will be a Children’s Forum on June 13, which will seek to showcase the work of the identified young journalists in promoting the F4F programme on various national and international
networks. Trim was the flag bearer for Guyana at the opening ceremony which featured three mascots, Freddy and Freida – the official F4F mascots – and Zabivaka, the official mascot of the FIFA Wo r l d C u p 2 0 1 8 . Participants had photo opportunities and interacted with them. The opening ceremony was also complemented by brief remarks from tournament
coordinators who encouraged the participants to play fair, practice the F4F’s nine values and have fun. Meanwhile, King was among eight young participants featured in the first edition of the F4F Daily Newspaper For Real Friends sharing his expectations of the trip. Gazprom is an official partner of FIFA and the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and
aims to develop youth football across the world through youth sport, healthy lifestyles and promotion of the nine named core values. Gazprom is a global energy company specializing in gas exploration, production and sale and heat and electric power generation and marketing. It is Russia’s largest producer and exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Vettel takes 50th win and F1 championship lead in Canada
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel celebrates winning the race on the podium with Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas. (REUTERS/Carlo Allegri) MONTREAL (Reuters) Sebastian Vettel capped an emotional weekend for Ferrari with a clinical poleto-flag win at the Canadian Grand Prix yesterday to
retake the lead in the Formula One world championship from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton by a single point. The victory, the 50th of
the German’s career, also put Ferrari back on top in Canada for the first time since Michael Schumacher claimed the last of his record seven wins on the Circuit
Gilles Villeneuve in 2004. Putting Ferrari on pole in Montreal for the first time since 2001 with a track record time, Vettel powered into the lead and was never challenged as he charged home seven seconds clear of Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas. It was the German’s third win of the season and second in Canada, the first coming in 2013 with Red Bull. R e d B u l l ’s M a x Verstappen, who dominated much of practice, turned in a mature error-free effort to take third place and quiet the storm of criticism swirling around him following a string of errors and crashes. It was the second podium of the season for the young Dutchman, who also had a third in Spain. The win put Vettel on 121 points to Hamilton’s 120 after seven races, the Briton coming home fifth behind the second Red Bull of
Australian Daniel Ricciardo. Running against rivals who had upgraded power units, unlike Mercedes, Hamilton was unable to match the pace or rhythm on a circuit he touts as a favorite and where he has won six times including his first in 2007.The timing of Vettel’s win could not have been better, coming on the 40th anniversary of the late Gilles Villeneuve’s victory for the Italian team in 1978 at his home Grand Prix. “Perfect is probably a good way to describe it. It’s unbelievable. I said yesterday how much this place means to Ferrari and to have a race like we had today is unbelievable,” said Vettel. “It’s 50 for me but after a long stretch that Ferrari didn’t win here, I saw the people around and they were super happy.” Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion, had
earlier led a parade lap before the start in the Ferrari his late father drove to that victory. While Vettel made a clean getaway from the start, with Verstappen almost passing Bottas, there was chaos behind when Williams’ Canadian Lance Stroll squeezed Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley into the wall. The Toro Rosso was launched into the air, wrecking both cars. McLaren’s Fernando Alonso chalked up 300 career grands prix but the Spaniard had little to celebrate as the two-time world champion’s day came to an early end, his McLaren coasting to a stop midway through the race with a mechanical failure. The Spaniard now turns his attentions to the Le Mans 24 Hours race with Toyota next weekend.
Kaieteur News
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Monday June 11, 2018
LABA YBG Linden Regional
Mackenzie High, LTI crush opponents, New Silvercity Secondary also win
Schools basketball game between New Silvercity Secondary (in gold) and Wisburg Secondary (in red and black) at the MSC Hardcourt. Tw o l o p s i d e d w i n s b y Mackenzie High and Linden Technical Institute (LTI) and a close encounter in favour of New Silvercity Secondary highlighted the start of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association’s Linden /Youth Basketball Guyana Linden Regional Schools Under-19 basketball championship, which got underway Friday afternoon at the Mackenzie Sports Club hard court in Linden. The championship bounced off in fine weather conditions as the
first game featured Mackenzie High School showing early form to clobber their way past hapless Wismar Christianburg Wismar ‘Multi’ Secondary 104-21 with Yannick Tappin and Kareem Roberts with 29 points each and Leon Benjamin 27 combining for 85 points, as Kevlon Cadogan chipped in with nine for the winners who were ahead 44-8 at the break. Only a 17 point performance was noteworthy by the Christianburg Wismar Secondary’s Matthew Peters.Game two was also
a one-sided affair with the Linden Technical Institute led by a 42 point performance from Jamal Gilkes, Daniel Lee with 18, Devon Duncan 17, Deshawn Mitchell 16 and Stephon Duncan 15 leading the onslaught for the LTI boys. They led 52-3 at half time and the best players for the Harmony side were Kevin Somersaul with six points, as Ezekiel Hinds and Delroy Belle each chipped in with five apiece. Game number three saw a much closer game with New Silvercity
Secondary coming out winners 4037 in what was a ding-dong affair in the end. The eventual winners were up at half time 20-17 and were led to victory by Kobe Tappin’s 23 points showing as David Johnson added 11 in the winning performance. For the losing Wisburg Secondary side Jonathan Copeland had 16 points and Odwyn Baird and Keyon Davidson scored eight and seven points respectively. The tournament will continue this afternoon with three more
games at the MSC hard court. In the first at 14.00hrs Christianburg Wismar Secondary take on Wisburg Secondary, then at 15.30hrs Harmony tackle New Silvercity Secondary and the third is between Mackenzie High and Linden Technical Institute at 17.00hrts. On Wednesday another triple header card is to be played in the preliminary round robin format to determine the four teams advancing to the semifinals of this championship.
Bush Lot Secondary claim West Berbice inter school U17 title
B
ush Lot Secondary defeated No. 8 Secondary by 151 runs to win the final of the West Berbice inter secondary school U17 30 overs tournament which was contested recently at Paradise ground. Bush Lot batted first and managed 199. Marvan Prashad and Tamesh Persaud added 75 for the opening stand to set the foundation for a decent score before Persaud went for 16. Prashad, who is almost certain of a place in this year’s national U17, team batted with fluency and hammered 59, while Seon Glasgow struck a robust 77. Adrian Samaroo made 19 as Brentnol Frank claimed 2-38. In reply No.8 were sent packing for 48 in 11.3 overs. Nigel Deodat made 25 as Lakeram Baksh snared 3-0 from 1.3 overs and Samaroo 3-18 from four. Bush Lot lost four wickets when they batted.
Bush Lot skipper Marvan Prashad accepts the winning prize from Shamar Angel (right).
Kaieteur News
Monday June 11, 2018
Bounty Farm Xvs 2018 Season
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Pepsi Hornets down Panthers in season opener
Hornets’ Captain Ryan Gonsalves (extreme left) collects a pass following a scrum with Panthers yesterday in the XVs opener at the waterlogged and muddy National Park ground. The 2018 season of the Bounty Farm sponsored Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) XVs kicked off late yesterday afternoon at the National Park rugby field with Pepsi Hornets versus Panthers. Panthers, who finished second in the recently concluded 2017 XVs season, lost the match against Hornets 12-10. It was a good start to
CBC C/ships warm-ups
the season for Hornets who had fallen behind in the 2017 season after finishing fourth on 11 points in the five-team league. Panthers’ Godfrey Broomes scored two tries and Leon Greaves registered one for Hornets as the winners trailed the first half 10-5. On the resumption of play, Greaves scored another try and his Captain Ryan
Gonsalves successfully converted on the muddy National Park surface to put his team in the ascendancy with 12 points. With Panthers missing one of the key players in Rondell ‘Bull’ McArthur and last week’s hero Jacques Archibald looking a shadow of himself, Hornets held on for the win; despite a disgruntled Lonsdale Brown
walking off the pitch. Hornets gained four points from the win, failing to attain the bonus point which is earned after scoring four or more tries. During the game, representatives of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) team received the 2017 Bounty Farm XVs championship trophy. (Calvin Chapman)
Guyana beat Barbados to even series
Team Guyana in their away kit before game two against Barbados on Saturday night. Guyana defeated Barbados 7064 on Saturday night at the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex to even their three-match friendly series 1-1 after losing on Friday night by 17-points.
Head Coach of the visiting Guyanese outfit, Junior Hercules, had stated that his team was a bit nervous in the opener that they lost 93-76, but a confident side which was backed by a huge and voluble
Guyanese crowd in the stands, produced a good team effort to defeat the ‘Bajans’ by 14 points. Anthony Moe, who led the team in scoring in game one with 19 points, had an off night from the
field on Saturday, making just four of his 20 attempts, while missing all of his nine three-pointers but he made up what he lacked offensively with some good defensive work which included six blocks to go
along with his 13 points and 13 rebounds. Harold Adams netted a teamhigh 15 points while Captain Stanton Rose sunk 11 points to go (Continued on page 26)
rt o p S
Rampant Windies crush Sri Lanka for series lead P. 30
Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel celebrates removing century-maker Kusal Mendis as West Indies march to victory in the opening Test. (Photo courtesy CWI Media)
Guyana participates in International Football for Jalade Trim was Flag Friendship –Bearer for Guyana at programme Opening Ceremony P. 31
Jalade Trim (88) holds Guyana’s flag during opening ceremony in Russia. Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.