Kaieteur News
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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
HAPPY FATHER’S’ DAY Today, Guyanese at home and abroad will join many others around the world to celebrate fatherhood and to honour fathers and father like figures. It is an occasion to mark and celebrate the contributions of fathers and father figures for making the lives of their children and society better. Father’s Day celebrations began in Europe during the middle ages where it was and is still being celebrated on March 19 to commemorate the feast day of St. Joseph. The Catholic Church actively supported the celebration of fatherhood on St. Joseph’s day. The celebration was subsequently brought by the Spanish and Portuguese to Latin America, where it is still being celebrated on March 19 every year, though many countries in Europe and the Americas, including Canada and Britain have adopted the U.S. date, which is the third Sunday of June. Father’s Day is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world mostly in March or in May. Different countries have a range of different ways to celebrate the day. In the United States, several events during the early 20th century may have inspired the idea of Father’s Day. One of these was the successful celebration of the Mother’s Day in the first decade of the 20th century. Another was a memorial service held in 1908 for 362 men, many of them fathers, who were killed in a mining accident in West Virginia in December 1907. It was a one-time commemoration. However, Sonora Smart Dodd, a woman from Spokane, Washington, was the influential figure to initiate the idea of Father’s Day in 1908. One of six children, Dodd and her siblings were raised by their father, a widower, after the death of their mother during childbirth. This was uncommon at that time, as many fathers would have placed their children in the care of others. Sonora felt that her father deserved recognition for what he had done. She was inspired by the work of Julia Ward Howe, a social activist and Anna Jarvis from Pennsylvania whose pioneering efforts led to Mother’s Day celebrations. Father’s Day was first celebrated state-wide in the US in the State of Washington on June 19, 1910. Slowly, it spread to other states. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson honoured the day and in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged all state governments to observe Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June but did not issue a proclamation. Two earlier attempts to formally recognize Father’s Day had been defeated by Congress. However, in 1966, President Lynden Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation to honor fathers and designate the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. In 1972, Father’s Day was made permanent by President Richard Nixon who signed it into law. Today, it is estimated that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts. In Guyana and elsewhere, father figures can include fathers, stepfathers, fathers-in-law, grand-fathers and great-grandfathers. Restaurants may be busier than usual on Father’s Day as some children take their fathers out for a treat. Everyone should celebrate Father’s Day in honour of their fathers and to thank them for all their love and support. Fathers are crucial to the early development of children, especially boys, but many children grew up without them being in their lives. Single parenting is the reality in Guyana and more often than not in these arrangements, fathers are absent. It is estimated that women are about 95 percent of single households in Guyana and 86 percent worldwide. It is very important for fathers to assume their role in the family unit. Happy Father’s Day.
Sunday June 18, 2017
Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
This man has a philosophy that is irrelevant that I consider both to and dangerous for my country irrelevant and dangerous to Dear Editor, For the past year the talk in political circles is the coming of a third political party to compete with the two big ones that have been around for ages. Many conversations I have had with friends and associates, they think that a third party is necessary because the AFC will not appeal to voters since it will be swallowed up by the PNC in 2020. From what I have discerned it looks like the third party will
fall victim to the ethnic requirement – Prime Minister and President must come from different race grouping. Mr. Freddie Kissoon and attorney Nigel Hughes seem the likely ticket. Letter writer after letter writer keep citing Freddie Kissoon as a vote catcher. Be that as it may Mr. Editor, these admirers of Kissoon must tell us if they agree with his philosophy? For over fifteen years Mr. Kissoon has
written a daily column - a remarkable feat. In those thousands of columns, Mr. Kissoon has laid bare his soul for the world to see. Everything Mr. Kissoon believes in he has laid out in those never-ending volumes. In those volumes, Kissoon perhaps has not left out even one iota of belief of his. Those Kaieteur News columns are his autobiography. But in those memoirs, Mr. Kissoon has published his philosophy
Guyana. I am not one who dislikes Mr. Kissoon. People give him heroic status. Who am I, an ordinary soul to deny Kissoon his rightful place in his country’s history? But as a strong believer in the Creator and as a devoted Hindu who believes in my religion, I find Mr. Kissoon’s philosophy inappropriate. I hope such a person does not become one of the leaders of my country. I cannot and will not vote for Freddie Kissoon (Continued on page 6)
Sunday June 18, 2017
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Kaieteur M@ilbox
Something is deadly wrong with the services and operations at UG DEAR EDITOR, I am writing this letter to inform other students of my experience and the general populace of the lack of communication and attention that is ongoing at the University of Guyana among the different departments that interact with the students on a formal basis. Students doing MNG 2100 - Computer Studies 1, this summer, are made to bring along their own computers to do the practical component of the course seeing that the lab - as we were reliably informed - is not operational during the summer. Yet this course with an IT base is being offered, why then can’t the lab be made available? What about
students like me, who don’t own a computer? How do we survive this summer without the use of the lab? Even during the semester, it’s a known fact that about 400 students do this course since it’s a cross faculty course, and there are only about 200 computers in the lab if that much. Those that can’t afford to get a computer to use are forced to endure the semester without a comprehensive understand of the practical element of the course; and needless I say this course has one of the highest failure rate at the university. Students during the summer are still required to pay the full $28,000 to do this
course, is this fair? I am going to ask the Ministry of Education for a Great Wall Laptop computer since I can’t afford, and I need it to do this course since the computer labs are not available. On the second day of the MNG class, there was a clash with two classes for the use of the room at CBJ and students were then asked to go to another room that had no electricity, obviously the class session did not even take off and that day was lost from an 8 weeks program. Now it’s one thing to have to endure mosquitoes all semester and constant blackouts but now having no electricity in the room we were asked to use, at a time when
half of the campus is out on summer break, tells me there is something fundamentally wrong with the operation at the University of Guyana. I received a mail from University of Guyana stating “Students make a minimum payment of fifty percent (50%) of the tuition fee by June 16, 2017.” This is for the students who are doing summer courses. As usual when any payment is made to the bank for UG, the students are required to take in the receipt to the bursary. I did as I know this is the usual procedure. On my arrival at the bursary after paying the 50% at the bank, I was told that I have to pay all then bring in the receipt. Since they are not accept-
ing part payment receipts, but I am being told to do part payment, am I to deduce that from the email that I am only supposed to pay but not bring in the receipt as evidence of my payment, when that is usually done? My time was wasted. Even the $80 taxi drivers are telling us that they cannot go beyond the parking lot to the registration building at the back as usual, except if it is before 9:00am. I guess that’s for the staff’s convenience, but what about the students who have to walk some distance. It might sound simple but little by little UG seems to all sorts of changes creeping in, which frankly in my opinion is making the life of the students difficult. What
might be a better thing to pay attention to is the water wasting at the side of catwalk from that ½” pipe, or the trees that are growing on the electrical wire in the UG compound. In this letter, I cannot even begin to crack the ice on the woes at UG, and it’s not my intention to beat up on the university but some things are just irritating, the incidents of a lack of communication and a lack of attention being paid are just too much. I saw a sign at the railway embankment at the entry to UG, promoting a party on the 1st of July entitled “Anything goes”, that sign is better placed at the gate of the University of Guyana. Samuel Gillis
US Ambassador to Guyana speaks to the Venezuelan crisis DEAR EDITOR, The diverse family of nations in the Americas recognizes democracy is a part of our collective DNA. Sixteen years ago in Peru, we underscored this principle with the adoption of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, affirming the right of the peoples of the Americas to democracy and obligating our governments to defend that right. The Organization of American States has for decades provided a forum to discuss our greatest challenges and take action together to address them. The challenge before us today is the death spiral of democracy in Venezuela. I n Ve n e z u e l a , t h e Maduro government has relentlessly and intentionally undermined constitutional branches of government from the inside. Since opposition parties won a majority of seats in 2015, Venezuela’s National Assembly has been systemati-
cally smothered by the Maduro government. Citing vague, unproven claims of electoral fraud allegedly committed by three legislators, the government has denied the legislative branch the right to pass laws, and the captive judiciary has declared Venezuela’s Congress “in contempt,” stripping it of all legislative authority. Maduro usurped the right of the National Assembly to appoint new members of the National Electoral Council, a right clearly provided for in Venezuela’s constitution. When the Venezuelan people tried to hold their government accountable by putting Maduro’s leadership to a vote through a recall referendum, the government again hid behind vague, unproven claims of fraud to delay the referendum. And, when it became clear the government would lose, it engaged in a failed dialogue. Venezuela’s constitution clearly stipulates that all public offices filled by
popular vote are subject to revocation. Maduro increasingly relies on Venezuela’s military to control the economy, intimidate opponents, and suppress popular discontent. More than 331 Venezuelan civilians are being held and prosecuted by military courts in secret trials. Yet Venezuela’s constitution clearly states that the jurisdiction of military courts is limited to offenses of a military nature. Venezuela’s Attorney General, appointed by then-President Hugo Chavez in 2007, has condemned the trials and been refused access to the prisoners. The Maduro government has had every opportunity to end its march away from democracy. Last
November, in talks overseen by the Vatican, it promised in a joint declaration with the political opposition that it would remain “strictly within the constitutional framework: one democratic, peaceful, and electoral path.” Remarkably, the government failed to implement any of its public commitments under the talks and has instead continued to sabotage Venezuela’s democracy. Faced with a crumbling economy and massive popular dissatisfaction, the Maduro government is now destroying the last vestiges of democratic order. The government has called for a constituent assembly to abandon the constitution and write a new one in a process that would instantly wipe away the cur-
rent National Assembly, the Attorney General, and other existing democratic institutions. When a government breaks with democracy, we must act in solidarity with its people, not through intervention or interference, but with diplomacy and mediation among all parties to help find a peaceful, democratic, and comprehensive solution. We must ask: if these things were happening in our own countries, would we not want the rest of our American family of nations to speak out, and reach out, to help restore fundamental democratic freedoms and respect for constitutional institutions? The spillover effects from Venezuela’s crisis are serious and growing,
whether it is irregular migrant flows to countries in our region or the increasing flows of arms and criminal activity that affect the Caribbean in particular. All of our countries have a direct stake in finding a negotiated solution that restores the rule of law and economic prosperity to our troubled neighbor. The General Assembly of the Organization of American States is the venue for us to unify as a region and act multilaterally to foster negotiations in Caracas to return to a respect for democracy, end the polarizing violence, and help the Venezuelan people reclaim their democratic rights and power. Perry L. Holloway United States Ambassador
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Time for Guyanese to rise above race and politics DEAR EDITOR, People who are hired during one administration should not be fired when that administration changes. The United Republican Party (URP) is concerned that several persons – both Afro and Indo-Guyanese – but mostly Indo-Guyanese, are being ousted from their jobs. One might argue that it can be racially biased for any political party to hire a disproportionate amount of party members and ethnically similar persons What we are seeing in Guyana is a swinging of the pendulum, from one direction to the next, in order to right the PPP’s wrongs. During the PPP’s 23 years in governance, and there is
ample proof that the Indian majority government showed preference to their Indian supporters. The most blatant evidence to that fact was when it was pointed out by Dr. Luncheon, that there was not a single Afro-Guyanese who served as Ambassadors for Guyana. Additionally, most of the public services and state board’s jobs were stacked with Indians and PPP supporters. Also, many of the huge, multimillion contracts were also awarded to Indian owned businesses. This was all wrong behaviour on the part of the PPP and about which the URP spoke out against. However, many of these persons were not re-
sponsible for being hired. They have planned their lives around their jobs – some borrowed loans or have their children in private schools – and therefore it is unfair to arbitrarily fire these innocent people. They are merely collateral damage and are now suffering due to no fault of their own. Are we to expect that if the PPP wins back the government that we will see the huge firing of those who were hired by the Coalition? This obvious political vindictiveness and blatant cronyism cannot benefit Guyana. There has to come a point in time where the politics in Guyana is left at the level of the politicians and those close to them.
There is political interference in Region 10’s police force DEAR EDITOR, I didn’t write this article to create a debate or to launch a personal attack on anyone but first of all let me state that I am a junior police rank stationed in ‘E Division’ (Linden) for the past six years and I can testify about the current situation in this entire division. It’s not surprising that our Commander and the Regional Chairman denied the factual allegations regarding the Chairman’s relationship with the police. However I want all civil minded Guyanese, including the Government reading this article and who would have read previous articles on this issue to ask themselves; (1) How come there were no allegations of such against the previous Chairman? (2) What was the Chairman who is also a Pastor doing at a Juvert on the microphone at
6am in the morning and what was he saying when the police attempted to shut off the music? (3) Why was Snr. Supt. Brutus, Sgt. George and the others transferred from that division? Editor! I wish not to elaborate on this issue, but I would like the Commander, the Chairman and the Commissioner of Police to let their conscience be their guide. It shows clearly that those in administration are in the media preaching about creating a professional Police Force but behind the scenes the Force is being subject to political direction/ interference.! There are some of my colleagues who are prepared to stand their ground against any interference from the Chairman and accept the consequences, so the public can expect more ranks will be
transferred. The Government must understand that we are in the 21st century where there is the presence of various recording devices, the presence of numerous media houses and more so civil rights organizations and it’s time to halt political direction in the Police Force. It must also be noted that Police ranks in Region 10 and elsewhere voted for a CHANGE and we look forward to do our job without ‘Favor or Affection’ and in accordance with the law. I thank the Acting Prime Minister, Joseph Harmon for his visit concerning the issues and let it be known that the cover-up is not surprising; it’s the past continuing to happen. I would be grateful if Linden can have a PAUL SLOWE type Commander. Junior Police rank.
The URP is not naive to the point of not understanding that elections have conseq u e n c e s . H o w e v e r, t h e small man should not be caught up in the shuffle that happens every time there is a political shake up. So we ask the Grangerled administration, in the interest of humanity and social cohesion, to immediately cease the practice of removing from office those who were hired by the previous administration. The country cannot move forward if we constantly mired in these petty, political practices from successive parties. We all know that this needs to stop. The Granger administration accrued to themselves 16 Afro-Guyanese to serve
as Permanent Secretaries and one, one single, IndoGuyanese. And if you think that the current administration will lose any sleep over these revelations, then you must be naive. They never apologize for anything. Similarly, do you think that the PPP lost any sleep over the story that AfroGuyanese were not intellectual enough to serve in any country as Ambassadors of Guyana? Remember? Do you remember that when questioned about why there was not a single Afro-Guyanese serving as Ambassadors in the entire Foreign Service, Dr. Luncheon said, none of the Black Guyanese were intelligent enough? Yes. Dur-
ing the Jagdeo-led administration, the PPP hired only Indo-Guyanese to fill ambassadorial positions. Now comes the (PNC) Coalition and we have the racial reverse of the PPP era. They have now hired just about all the Permanent Secretaries, most of whom are Afro-Guyanese. It would be very interesting to know (maybe, similarly, under oath), how the Coalition justifies this obvious imbalance. No doubt some brave journalist will ask the President or the Prime Minister to justify this racial inequity. However, it is obvious that not being under oath, they will use some trumped-up spin (Continued on page 6)
This man has a philosophy that is... From page 4 given the things he believes in. I doubt people would have digested all those thousands of columns but most of them would have read quite a lot. Kissoon is strongly influential as an opinion-maker and he writes not so much with flair but with emotional appeal. Reading at least a thousand of those articles over the years, it is not hard to see the essence of him. Mr. Kissoon is a self-confessed atheist. He once wrote that his favourite philosophers are Nietzsche, Marx, Freud and Sartre, all of whom had tragic lives; I hope a similar fate does fall on our beloved hero. If Kissoon partakes in elections in 2020, he would be the only candidate to ever contest an election in this country who was an atheist. Cheddi Jagan was not an atheist. My grandfather who was a pandit told me Dr. Jagan once told him that Marxism and the Hindu religion are not incompatible. Dr. Jagan was a non-practicing Hindu. You cannot be an atheist and be a Hindu. My father also knew Dr. Jagan. He told me that Mrs. Janet Jagan always de-
nied she was an atheist when asked. The only person in politics I know who wrote that he is an atheist is Freddie Kissoon. President Burnham and Dr. Walter Rodney were not atheists. Our current President is a strong believer in the Almighty. So is Mr. Hughes. Mr. Kissoon endorses same sex marriage. I cannot believe Mr. Nigel Hughes would accept such beliefs in his party. Mr. Editor, homosexuality is a turning away from God’s world. It is a wrong path that God never intended his children to go toward. Homosexuals may not be bad people but they have committed the ultimate sin and we should help to redeem them. Homosexuality has been imposed on us by the colonial rulers. The British tried to publicize it in India but was met with strong opposition. India today, with its large population has fewer homosexuals than Guyana with 800, 000 people. Mr. Kissoon is an advocate of legalization of marijuana. I want to believe this came out of the carefree life he grew up with. Any kind of narcotic substance is harmful
to the individual and society. Mr. Kissoon should take time off from reading philosophy books and do some research on the harmful effects marijuana has had on our youths. Many of the robberies committed were done by drugsmoking youths. Reading Mr. Kissoon, he appears as a person who hates power, authority, rules and traditions. Do we want such person to a president or cabinet minister or parliamentarian? I will not deny that Mr. Kissoon has good qualities. I admire his bravery on behalf of the poorer sections of our country. I admire his ability to live an open life. He seems to be a strong family man who loves his wife, child and always writes about his pets. I believe he does not have a racist bone in his body. I cannot see him being concerned with who is African or Indian. But those qualities alone do not make up Freddie Kissoon. There are other character traits which our elections, our politics and our government can do without. Sorry Mr. Editor, Freddie Kissoon is not my idea of an election candidate. Anand Seebarran
Sunday June 18, 2017
Kaieteur M@ilbox ISN’T ‘GUYANESE’ ENOUGH? DEAR EDITOR, After reading Nigel Hinds’ interesting letter titled: “I prefer you call me African Guyanese” in the media, Sunday 11/6/17, I wondered why the one-word descriptor “Guyanese” is not enough. I grew up hearing and believing that “Guyana was a land of six people (African, Amerindian, Chinese, European, Indian, Portuguese) and after Independence we were socialized to embrace the concept of “one people, one nation, one destiny”….all Guyanese! Am I wrong in thinking that a logical extension of Mr Hind’s postulation is that Guyana is now a land of ten
(10) peoples, having regard to the recent ‘migrations’ to our land (i.e in alphabetic order: African, Amerindian, Brazilian, Chinese, European, Haitian, Indian, Surinamese, Portuguese, Venezuelan); thus we will have in addition to African Guyanese: Indian Guyanese, Amerindian Guyanese, Brazilian Guyanese, Venezuelan Guyanese, Haitian Guyanese etc. etc. Would this not add to our already deleterious, dangerous divisiveness and detract from what should be a commitment to the cohesiveness being pursued by the Government and hopefully all Guyanese? Nowrang Persaud
Time for Guyanese... From page 6 to wiggle their ways out of this. It is these kinds of practices that have mashed up and stagnated our dear country over the past 50 years. Because what it does, is play to the racial bases of either of the main parties. The law of survival dictates that people will look out for their personal existence. So Blacks will continue to vote for a ‘Black’ administration because they see that the administration is hiring those who are predominantly Black. And Indians will continue to vote for the ‘Indian’ government because they see that that government is hiring mostly Indians. This then perpetuates the destruction of the country because the elections are not
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about progress, or issues, or substantial matters of nationalistic development. The elections are reduced to mere ethnic and racial hegemony and survival. And if you think that Dr. Jagdeo and Brigadier Granger are not, fully, aware of these despicable realities, then you are either honestly ignorant or politically inept. Dr. Vishnu Bandhu Editor’s note: Minister Harmon in his post-Cabinet press briefing has addressed the issue of the 19 permanent secretaries. He said the government inherited many of these state officials; they were already in the public system. He went on to state that such persons are entitled to employment elevation. Please see the relevant reporting on this in our Saturday edition.
Kaieteur M@ilbox
The analogy of rum bottles and Guyanese politics DEAR EDITOR, Dr. David Hinds may be tugging at straws when he asked in the press for a meeting between the WPA and President Granger. There is no need for such a meeting. The Granger Government marketed the APNU+AFC brand in 2015 for deceptive purposes and nothing else. In actual substance, this government is a PNC-led Granger administration. Everyone else is a “tag along” to the PNC. In such circumstances, the now much discredited WPA and AFC should understand their roles today; they are nothing else but political window dressing to the PNC-led Granger administration. It is unfortunate that Dr. Hinds and his colleagues in the WPA did not take on board the Guyanese proverb “When two large rum bottle deh ah table, quarter bottle nah gat business deh”. A government is constructed with a Constitution, not some “rum shop Accord” mashed together over drinks. Both the WPA and AFC had power in their hands and they threw it away all because a few opportunistic humans wanted Prodos, Perks and FAT Pay and were unprepared to be the balance of power. The rest is history and Guyana is now back to square one, where we only have two large rum bottles on the table – PNC and PPP. There is no place in 2020 for the WPA, AFC, KFC, JFAP, LFC or any third force period! The people will reject them all convincingly after observing how hypocritical the AFC and WPA have
turned out to be. In 2020, Mr. Granger can campaign with a 50 party coalition, the Guyanese people will recognize it for what it really is – a PNC dominated, controlled and led electoral machinery with some opportunistic individuals stitched on as window dressing. It is clear as day that the WPA and AFC have now played out their trump cards and they have no choice but to accept their new roles as the 5th wheel to a coach that can do without the 5th wheel. Would Walter Rodney or Sheila Holder accept this political abuse? The WPA and AFC will have to accept the wisdom of my ancestors who advised: “When yuh play out all yuh trump cards, yuh gat to lose till game done”. It is deeply sad on the occasion of the anniversary of Dr. Rodney, (whose ideas form the intellectual soul of the WPA), was chosen by the PNC as the date to formally deflower what was left of the WPA in Government. There are positions and there are positions. The facts will show that Dr. Roopnarine was transferred from a portfolio (Education) that was valued at G$43 billion in the 2017 budget to a role that is worth 1/ 20th or 5% of what he previously managed. Further, he moves from a portfolio in which he had his own Budget, his own Ministry, and his own Permanent Secretary. Now he is nothing but a Department Head in Mr. Harmon’s Ministry, is part of Mr. Harmon’s budget and has to work along with Mr. Harmon’s Permanent Secre-
tary. He is in no better a position than Moses Nagamootoo who is also subject to similar rules in Mr. Harmon’s Ministry. If that is not a demotion then what is? I like and respect Dr. Rupert Roopnarine, singularly for his intellect and gentlemanly attitude. When he became the Minister of Education, I was proud because here was a man who served education all his life at all levels and was being given a chance to make policies to change the way we educate our people. Yes his success was limited but do
we think his inexperienced and under-skilled replacement is any better? Why was Dr. David Hinds not asked to be the new Minister of Education? Why was someone not chosen who can measure up to Dr. Roopnarine or for that matter Dr. Hinds, on the policy front, on the organizational front, on the intellectual front, and on all other fronts? I thought a senior Cabinet post was reserved for the WPA? But then again, with all things considered, this is a PNC-led Granger administration. Sase Singh
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IDB elusive on status of deliverables for GPL smart meter project The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has responded to questions posed by this newspaper concerning the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the answers have done little or no justice to the queries made. The questions were specifically about the GPL Power Utility Upgrade Project (PUUP) to rehabilitate the medium and low voltage distribution network. Kaieteur News had asked the IDB via an email whether any payments were made to the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC), the company that was awarded the contract for Lot A of the project. The cost of the project is $4.6B (US$23M). On this issue, the Bank said that the contract for the project was signed in December 2016, and that rehabilitation works are being executed in accordance
with the contract and payments have been made accordingly. Further, the Bank said that the execution of the contract includes continuous monitoring and oversight by all parties involved. The Bank was also asked about the status of the items that were to be delivered, since the contract was signed in December last year. The IDB said, “The contract was indeed signed in December 2016 and as per agreement between GPL and the contractor, the mobilisation period commenced in February 2017. Rehabilitation works subsequently began in May 2017 and are ongoing, as per the contractual agreements.” With this response from the Bank, it is unclear whether these items have arrived. For the initial leg of the project to be completed there are certain items which need to be sourced and imported
into Guyana. These include the requisite line hardware, smart meters and enclosure boxes for the meters among others. Based on information received, utility poles are being planted as is required by the contract. This had started in the East Berbice/Corentyne area. However, some of the items which were to be affixed to the poles have not been installed. Kaieteur News understands that this delay is due to the power company still having to make certain decisions on the materials to be used on the distribution line. As of May 29, last, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) had said that it is yet to encounter the smart meters. This entity, according to GPL has to perform accuracy tests on the smart meters before they can be used. The deadline for the ar-
rival of the meters was set at May 15, 2017. The IDB was told that this publication had received information that CMC is experiencing difficulties sourcing and supplying the materials that meet the requirements set out in the bid documents. The Bank was asked if this was true and whether it was a matter of concern for the financial institution. To this, the IDB said, “As far as the Bank is aware, all materials will be sourced as per the contractual agreements, and there are systems in place for continuous monitoring by all stakeholders.” The attention given to the execution of this project is based on the previous performance by CMC on GPL projects, for example the Infrastructure Development Project (IDP) for the development and expansion of GPL’s high voltage 69 kilovolt (kV)
Smart meters are among the deliverables for the GPL contract transmission lines and associated 69/13.8 kV substations. Included in the project were the interconnection of the Berbice Interconnected System (BIS) and the Demerara Interconnected
System (DIS) and the installation of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. According to a report on the project conducted by (Continued on page 12)
Sunday June 18, 2017
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German company gets contract to install Harbour Bridge boss solar systems on 57 Govt. buildings Dem boys seh...
spite dem fathers Commonsense is not a gift. It is a curse because you have to deal wid everyone who doesn’t have any. Dem boys see a sign outside a store on Regent Street. De sign seh ‘We can shoot you wife and frame you mudda-in-law. If you want we can hang dem too.’ Somebody without commonsense would call de police and get vex if de police don’t lock up de people in de store. Another set would carry dem wife to get shoot and dem mudda-in-law to get hang.’ De man wid de commonsense would do de same thing but fuh a different reason. De store is a photograph shop. De cameraman doing de shooting and de workers hanging de photograph and doing de framing. But today de only violence dem boys want to talk about is to hang dem faddas who didn’t have no time fuh dem pickney. Today is Father’s Day and dem got two at de Waterfalls paper. Dem never tek care of dem pickney but now that de pickney get big dem always want gift. Last night, one of dem son tell him, “Dad, I’m sorry I forget to buy you something fuh Father’s Day.’ ‘That’s okay son. I forget things all de time, too.’ ‘Like what?” de son ask. ‘Like de time I forgot to wear a condom and ended up wid an ungrateful little brute like you in my life.’ Yesterday, dem boys sit down and look back at last month when was Mother’s Day. Was shopping and gifts galore last month fuh all dem mudda. Yesterday, de shops was empty. Nobody was shopping fuh dem faddas. That’s why de Harbour Bridge boss man choose yesterday, de day before Father’s Day to shut down de bridge fuh repairs. Dem boys hear ee telling de staff he never get a gift from he pickney dem and he know he ain’t gun get none today so he gun spite all who coming from over de river fuh do any shopping or to bring any fadda to town. Happy Father’s Day to all dem mothers who playing father and to all dem fathers who playing mother and father.
A German Company, Meeco Services Deutschland GmbH, has been awarded a $35.3M contract to supply and install grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems on 57 government buildings in Guyana. The procuring entity is the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA). A grid-connected photovoltaic power system – or grid-connected PV power system – is an electricity generating solar
PV power system that is connected to the utility grid. A grid-connected PV system consists of solar panels, one or several inverters, a power conditioning unit and grid connection equipment. The award of the contract was disclosed during the post-Cabinet Press Briefings at the Ministry of the Presidency last Friday, by the State Minister, Joseph Harmon. Back in March this year,
the company via a joint venture with a local company – Oursun, was granted the $14M contract to supply and install a solar PV system at State House, Georgetown. Meanwhile, a contract in the sum of $66,866, was awarded to the Water and Oil Well Services Limited, of Trinidad and Tobago, for the supply of equipment, material and labour, to rehabilitate potable water wells in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne).
These wells are located at Eversham, Number 63 Village, Number 47 Village, Fyrish, Number 96 Village, and Number 57 Village. Contracts were also awarded for the upgrading of the Farm Access Road and the construction of timber bridges at President’s College, Golden Grove East Coast Demerara. The contract in the sum of $29, 700,000 was awarded to GuyAmerica Construction.
For the rehabilitation of miscellaneous roads in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne):
For the rehabilitation and construction of hinterland roads in Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni):
Contracts were awarded also, for the rehabilitation of distribution network and service upgrade in Port Kaituma, Region One, for the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI). AMIC General Contracting Services was given this $26.1M contract. For the supply and maintenance of buoys and beacons, a contract in the sum of $29.5M was awarded to Brenco Shipping and Trading Company Limited. Finally, for the supply of frozen fish for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Global Seafood Distributors was awarded a contract in the sum of $45M.
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Kaieteur News
Ekereku Bottom, Baramita airstrips to get $130M upgrade The Ekereku Bottom Airstrip in Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) and the Baramita Airstrip in Region One (Barima/Waini), are expected to be rehabilitated. The contracts, according to the State Minister, Joseph Harmon, have already been awarded. The Minister was at the time, briefing the
media on issues that were discussed when Cabinet convened last Tuesday. The works on the airstrips are expected to start shortly after the contractors complete the mobilisation phase. Below are the names of the contractors that were awarded the contracts and the cost to carry out the works:
During the Ministry’s End-of-Year report earlier this year, Aerodromes Inspector Alphonso Mangah, had revealed that $170M was allocated for the rehabilitation works on three hinterland airstrips. Ekereku and Baramita were on that list along with the airstrip at Chi Chi (West), in Region Seven. These airstrips were chosen based on several criteria, including the number of flights over the past 10 years, aviation safety for aircraft operation and the number of beneficiaries. The sum of $60.7 million has also been set aside for the maintenance of 50 airstrips across the country over the course of this year. Currently, there are 57 licensed Govern-
ment airstrips in Guyana. Forty-seven are maintained by the Aerodrome Department of the Public Infrastructure Ministry. Last year $56.6 million was budgeted to carry out works to 47 airstrips which come under the purview of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Aerodromes Department’s control. The airstrips which saw repairs and maintenance works in 2016 were Port Kaituma ($1.45M); Mabaruma ($1.43M); Imbaimadai ($1.95M); Kaieteur ($1.73M); Aishalton ($4.72M); Anna Regina ($1.19M; Lethem ($1.65M); Paramakatoi ($1.13M); Kamarang ($1.91M); Ekereku Bottom ($1.7M); Bartica ($1.17M); Mahdia ($1.86M) and Annai ($3.9M).
Education Minister looks forward to her new role New acting Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, says that she is looking forward to her new role as the minister for one of the most important ministries in the government and that the proof of her performance will have to be determined in the future. Ms. Henry was elevated to the senior ministerial position after Dr. Rupert Roopnarine was transferred to the Ministry of Presidency. He is now the Minister of Public Service. Dr. Roopnarine has not been well for some time and many believe that his illness was the principal reason for his removal. In her first interview since her promotion, Henry said that while the position is new, the work that she will undertake is what she has been integrally involved in. As a matter of fact, Henry who was previously Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture added that she played a key role in the formulation of the ministry’s annual work programme. Some sections of society were less than enthusiastic about Henry’s appointment. The minister has come in for flack for some blunders she
New (Ag) Minister of Education; Nicolette Henry made in her previous role; one of those happened while she was delivering a speech on the observance of Phagwah. To that, the former military official said that she is yet to see one person who has not made a mistake during a speech or anything else in life. Taking a philosophical approach, the minister said that what it indicates is that she is human and mistakes are always likely to be made. In the meantime, she said that she will be pressing ahead with the task at hand and will be working with a nine point plan to advance the work of her ministry. She said
that she will be moving forward the work started by her predecessor and will also be looking to implement the recommendations coming out of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the education system. She said that this aspect of the programme cannot be rushed and much thought has to be given to those since they will have to be validated and complement the vision for the education sector. Additionally, the minister said that she is anxiously awaiting the results of the recently concluded Grade Six assessments examination, with particular focus on mathematics. The ministry recently started a new approach towards the delivery of mathematics across the nation due to the many years of pretty ordinary results. She was optimistic that the money invested in that programme will be funds that were well spent. On her projections for the ministry in a year’s time, Henry said that many of the ministry’s work programmes are set within a certain timeline and it was important that programmes commence on time.
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Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
CH&PA records decline in demand for land as of 2015
As of 2015, CH&PA recorded a decline in the desire for house lots The Central Planning and Housing Authority (CH&PA) in its Annual Report for 2015 which was laid in the National Assembly on Thursday has shown that there is a downward trend of the number of applicants being interviewed for house lots. According to the report, statistics on applications submitted and interviews conducted are used as indicators of need. As such, the report said, “It can be observed that the need for land decreased by 1,689 for the reporting year, when compared to previous
year (2014). In recent years, there has been a downward trend of the number of applicants being interviewed for house lots.” The CH&PA, in 2015, had continued to allocate house lots to applicants who had submitted applications prior to 2013. The report stated that this was based on the regional demand and the availability of house lots within the regions. “The eligible applicants were offered low, moderate, middle or high income house (Continued on page 71)
IDB elusive on status of deliverables... From page 8 Caribbean Engineering and Management Consultants (CEMCO), CMC was awarded an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract for the execution of the contract at a cost of US$33.9M. The report concluded that the firm selected for this substantial contract is not a construction company being mainly a trading company for
the export of Chinese engineering products. It was stated that CMC engaged other Chinese firms to perform all aspects of the contract save for purchasing of goods for the contract and even this aspect was not adequately performed. This was evidenced by shortages of materials and factory defects, the report said. As it relates to the qual-
ity of equipment and materials used for the project, the report said that the items supplied did not confirm to the standards stated in GPL’s requirements. There were other issues which were highlighted in the damning report which questions why GPL agreed to pursue Lot A of the PUUP with CMC given the company’s previous performance.
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Govt. contracts former shipping PR to sell GuySuCo The government has contracted former Public Relations/Marketing personnel of a well known shipping company, Wesley Kirton, to help it sell the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). Since last December, the US-based Guyanese was given a letter by the Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, authorizing him to act as a glorified real estate agent on government’s behalf. The letter stated, “The Government of Guyana hereby authorizes Mr. Brian Wesley Kirton to engage in discussions on its behalf with interested companies/ parties regarding their possible interest in acquiring the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO) in whole or in part and to facilitate the arrangements for negotiations between Government and interested parties/ companies.” It further stated that Kirton can “share any and all information and documentation, including proprietary information required by interested parties to determine their interest in entering into negotiations with the Government of Guyana.” No announcement was made by the government
Wesley Kirton about the arrangement when it was made. Harmon told the media, “Kirton has been asked to look at finding possible interests for the divestment of GuySuCo. His arrangement with the government is for payment of reasonable expenses in relation to travel and accommodation but not to exceed in any period of time US$2000.” The arrangement is due to last six months and should conclude at the end of this month. Harmon said that this move was made by the government in an effort to find the “best possible
arrangement for the people of Guyana.” However, Kirton’s ability to sell GuySuCo is not backed by his track record. Further, Harmon failed to state what successes Kirton has made over the last six months. Kirton recently responded to comments made about the arrangement by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo. His response was by way of letter. Kirton said, “Opposition leader Bharrat Jagdeo reportedly earlier today referred to a letter which gives me authorization to discuss the possible privatization of GuySuCo, in whole or in part with potential investors, and accuses the APNU+AFC government of misleading the Guyanese people and making a sham of consultations with stakeholders. Mr. Jagdeo is misguided on this issue.” Kirton, in defending his gig, said that the sensitization of possible investors tells the story of the government’s efforts to save the sugar industry. “The CoI on the sugar industry recommended privatization as among the options to save the industry. Note that this authorization is to enter into discussions as distinct from negotiations…In my
view it is good strategy to sensitize possible investors to this possible opportunity while holding consultations with stakeholders to determine the best possible options for saving the industry, its workforce and their families. So the consultations are not a sham. And the efforts to sensitize suitably qualified companies, particularly those with the capital, experience,
expertise and commitment to add value and diversify, are a laudable approach, especially if other options fail to save the industry.” The letter of authorization was issued to Kirton about one month after the GuySuCo Commission of Inquiry Report was handed over by Commission Chairman, Vibert Parvatan to then Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture.
In addition to the already closed Wales Estate, Skeldon and Enmore will be closed. Production, he said, would be limited to Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt Estates. The State Paper on GuySuCo states that Albion and Rose Hall estate’s cultivation will be amalgamated and will result in the closure of the Rose Hall factory at the end of 2017 with some of the lands being made available for diversification.
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Financial Literacy and Preparation are keys to Retirement Planning in Guyana Most older Guyanese, it appears, are not at all confident about the efficacy of their efforts to save for retirement. In many conversations with these older citizens it was revealed that retirement planning is lacking and many households arrive close to retirement with little or no wealth. In fact, what is apparent is that many households are unfamiliar with even the most basic economic concepts needed to make saving and investment decisions. Such financial illiteracy is widespread even more so in the rural communities of Guyana. What is significant is that the research indicated that adults who have an account at a financial institution or a mobile money account are about 53%-64% more likely to save for old age than adults who lack an account. In addition, there is evidence in favour of institutional arrangements enabling greater trust in the financial system, in terms of safety mechanisms such as consumer protection and deposit insurance being conducive to increasing rates
of saving for old age. In the case of Guyana, the banking industry has adopted measures to handle consumer complaints. The new insurance law includes consumer protection provisions, and the Credit Reporting Act, enhanced in January 2016 has relevant privacy provisions. Very early work is being done on developing a Deposit Insurance Scheme. Ways to prepare and plan for retirement Research has shown that retirees suffer from a variety of economic hardships, even in developed countries that enjoy relatively strong pensions systems. Retirement has an overall negative effect on life satisfaction, with larger effects for involuntary retirement, and insignificant effects for voluntary retirement. High levels of poverty among the elderly compound the negative economic consequences of a retirement crisis. For the Guyanese population it is no different and in some ways it is worse because of the lack of sophisticated social safety nets such as welfare, universal health care, and
other subidzed services for retirees as seen in more advanced economies. Financial security in
retirement takes planning and commitment. So, it is crucial to identify your future sources of income and expenses and establish your retirement budget, based on your plan. In fact, retirement planning is essential, the earlier you begin the better prepared you will be. 1. Start saving and keep savings: If you are not saving, it’s time to get started. The power of compound interest will have much more time to work in your favour if you start investing as soon as you start making money. However, most people in their 20’s are way too busy to think about retirement. The literature recommends that a common rule to follow is that a retiree will need up to 80% of his/her annual income today to retire comfortably. So, start small and try to
increase the amount you save each month. Pay yourself now, you’ll thank yourself later.
2. Budget for retirement: Create a monthly budget that shows all your current and expected monthly expenses. Vanguard Personal Investors recommends preparing a work sheet. Then, be prepared to adjust it as your retirement lifestyle develops over time. 3. Learn about your employer’s pension plan: If your employer has a traditional pension plan, check to see if you are covered by the plan and understand how it works. The employer contributions are vested to the plan member as soon as his or her membership begins. In the event of a member’s death, his or her spouse receive a pension or other benefit. Remember that the pension fund does not belong to the employer, it cannot be seized if the business goes bankrupt. Ask
Sunday June 18, 2017
for an individual benefit statement to see what your benefit is worth. In addition, find out if you will be entitled
to benefits from your spouse’s plan. 4. Don’t touch your retirement savings: If you withdraw your retirement savings early you’ll lose principal and interest or have to pay withdrawal penalties. 5. Find out about your National Insurance Scheme(NIS) benefits: According to the NIS, several rules come into play with respect to pension distributions. These rules are generally related to pension calculations. These include your “relevant wage” and the percentage factor.” Selfemployed persons must ensure that 12.5% of their declared income is submitted to the NIS as contributions. You will be able to estimate your benefit by periodically checking with the scheme. 6. Avoid high debt: High
Dr. Terence Smith, Deputy Governor, Bank of Guyana debt including the misuse of loans make it tough to save for retirement. Money that goes to pay interest, late fees, and old bills is money that could earn money for retirement. Debt isn’t necessarily bad, but too much debt is. 7. Insure yourself: Insurance protects your financial assets, by helping to take care of the really big financial disasters when they occur. You should consider health, automobile, and life insurance coverage. 8. Women need to pay special attention to making the most of their money: Women faces challenges that often make it more difficult for them than men to adequately save for retirement. Women tend to earn less than men and Continued on page 69
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$41.6M Mon Repos well incomplete 5 yrs later - Livestock Authority demands refund from BK Int’l or new one drilled
BK s owner, Brian Tiwarie
GLDAs CEO, Richard umberbatch
GWIs CEO, Richard Van West Charles
A $41.6M water well at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, that is incomplete after more than five years, has pitted two state agencies against each other. The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) now wants the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) to either oversee the drilling of a new well or the recovery of the money. The contract was signed between GWI and the contractor, BK International, for commencement on February 20, 2012. It was supposed to have been completed four months later on June 20, 2012. Today, grass has overtaken the area behind the GLDA offices, where works were done, and despite demands since last year, it appears that GWI is unwilling to resolve the matter, according to correspondence seen by Kaieteur News. Already, of the $41.6M earmarked for the project, BK International has pocketed $33.98M or just over 80 percent of the monies. BK is owned by Brian Tiwarie. The company is a major contractor for Government but has been under fire for a number of multi-billion-dollar contracts. GLDA, under a new Board of Director and management, on February 16, 2016, wrote
Orin Browne, GWI s Water Resource Manager, recommending the well be abandoned and that BK drill another in a location to be designated. “The GWI should enforce the clauses within the contract that allows for the successful completion of a well or an outcome that will see the recovery of funds paid,” GLDAs Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Richard Cumberbatch, wrote in the letter. GLDA insisted that it will not take the responsibility to terminate the contract as GWI is the employer, according to the contract. “The GLDA will not accept the well in its present output capacity due to the highly fluid nature of the
estimate maintenance cycle.” One year later, on February 10, 2017, GLDA tried again to address the matter. It wrote Dr. Hector Butts, Finance Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, beseeching his intervention to resolve the matter of the well. The letter was sent through George Jervis, former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture. Cumberbatch disclosed that in 2011, GLDA received approval for a well in its capital budget, to cost $41.6M. The well was supposed to provide water to the entitys Hatchery Unit and the Livestock Farm and pastures. GLDA, in its letter to the Finance Secretary, explained that it decided to vest the
monies in GWI to design and supervise the construction of the well. GLDA said, however, it found issues with the contract itself. “A perusal of the contract found some issues with the initial commencement of the project. Additionally, there has been some degree of vagueness in the contract document pertaining mainly to the works to be completed, contract date, contract sum when compared with the engineers estimate and the drawing designs. Further, numerous designs have been occasioned due to stoppages of work by the contractor and
lengthy delays to mobilize.” Cumberbatch disclosed in his letter to the Finance Secretary that while BK had completed 75 percent of the work; the well had major structural flaws and discrepancies, all of which had financial implications for GLDA, if it is made operational. GLDA complained that despite raising the matter since 2016 with GWI, it has not yet received a response. This month again, on June 8, GLDA wrote GWI. This time the letter was addressed to CEO, Dr. Richard Van West Charles. Cumberbatch stressed
that it sent letters in February last year and again this February and that GLDA and its board want the matter to be resolved urgently. GLDA copied the letters to Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder; Dr. Butts; Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; and Junior Ministers, Valerie Patterson and Dawn Hastings-Williams. The contract was awarded to B.K. International last year, and is part of a number of other wells being dug by that firm across the country. The wells all fall under a programme of the Ministry of Housing and Water.
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Body found at Vreed-en-Hoop identified The body of a woman found in a rice field at New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (WCD) on Tuesday with her face disfigured has been identified. Kaieteur News understands that the woman has been identified as 49-year-old Patricia Ronald of Lot 5 Crane Housing Scheme, WCD. She was identified by her sister. The sibling said that the victim left home the Sunday to go to Georgetown but never returned. According to reports, the
victim was identified from her clothing and her handbag. She is of Amerindian descent. Her body was discovered by rice field workers around 07:30 last Tuesday. Based on information received, the police were called to a rice field after the body of the woman, clad in a blue short pants and yellow jersey, was found. The victim sustained severe injuries to her face. A dark-silver and black Nine West shoulder bag was found next to her body. It was soaked
with water from the field. The police also found a pair of pink rubber slippers. In the bag there was a handkerchief, a pack of cigarettes, sweets, sugar, tablets, and pieces of white paper that resembles a hospitals prescription. The name, Patricia Ronald was written on one of the papers. The papers were also wet and muddy. Kaieteur News understands that the woman was seen consuming alcohol at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling the day before.
CH&PA to repossess housing lands The Central Housing and Planning Authority will be moving to repossess large swath of lands from private developers who have failed to honour their obligations. Agreements were signed between the CH&PA and several private developers which should have seen the development of housing schemes. However, some of these private developers did not live up to the deliverables; as such the authority will be moving to repossess those portions of lands. CH&PA’s Chief Executive Officer, Lelon Saul, at a press conference on Monday, June 12, 2017 in response to a
question asked by Prime News Editor-in-Chief Adam Harris on the repossession of lands in existing housing schemes said, “ Those lands that you see in schemes like La Parfaite Harmonie, are titled lands. It is not easy to dispossess someone of their property. In relation to the developers, many of them still owe this agency money and that is why it would be easier for us to repossess the land.” Mr. Saul further said, “I can tell you that I would have instructed our Corporate Secretary to initiate action in some cases to repossess lands from developers who
have failed to deliver”. It is unfair that some private developers are sitting on large portions of lands that could be otherwise distributed to applicants awaiting allocation. The agency has on file in excess of twenty thousand applications some of which date back more than a decade. “The agency notes the concerns of some individuals in relation to our attempts to repossess lands. However, we would like to assure individual allottees, that once you are compliant with the policies of the agency then you have nothing to fear.”
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The importance of Drainage and Irrigation systems in Guyana Proper drainage and irrigation methods remain crucial to the support system needed for the success of the agriculture sector. But beyond this, these systems are critical to mitigating the effects of flooding, an issue that Guyana is still grappling to properly address. The National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) functions as Guyana’s apex organization dealing with all public matters pertaining to management, improvement, extension and provision of drainage, irrigation and flood control infrastructure and services in declared areas of the country. Established in 2006, the Authority has developed an institutional structure in terms of water resources management strategy and water use planning for the primary purpose of locating, evaluating, conserving and distributing water resources of the country for agricultural purposes. In meeting its mandate, the NDIA has focused on improving and upgrading drainage and irrigation services countywide, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the various sectors and improving productivity. Through the work of the NDIA, the Ministry of Agriculture is ensuring that agricultural land is better protected against adverse weather-related events. Over the years, the NDIA has been building its capacity, resulting in a significant number of pieces of equipment being ac-
GNIC CEO, Clinton Williams quired, inclusive of mobile and fixed pumps, long reach excavators, bulldozers and other machinery. The NDIA has adopted a policy of constructing and rehabilitating sluices that are found to be functional through suitable foreshore conditions along the coast and riverine areas, aimed at upgrading and expanding the drainage system. These works allow for expanded acreage of agricultural activities and to better cope with extreme rainfall events associated with climate change. All improved and rehabilitated sluices are now serving areas to withstand in excess of 2.5" of rainfall in 24 hours as compared to 1.5" in 24 hours before. According to its website, the NDIA’s implementation of an aggressive plan for up-
One of the pontoons built and assembled by GNIC grading and rehabilitation of drainage and irrigation infrastructure to ensure optimum capacity has continued. Rehabilitation of drainage structures has been undertaken in Regions Two to 10. The NDIA, through its Community Drainage and Irrigation Project (CDIP) has also been supporting vulnerable residential areas by clearing critical drains and canals. About 900 miles of canals and drains are cleared by CDIP workers monthly. In addition, over the last five years, over 900 miles of drains and canals were maintained yearly in Regions 2, 3,4,5,6 and 10 by the NDIA.
The Baccoo Speaks The political arena is abuzz with the expectation that some leaders would be arrested in the not too distant future. Discoveries of rampant malpractices would be unearthed and increasingly the strident calls of witch-hunt would be sounded. This would not ease the determination of the administration to see justice done. ** The fires would
continue to strike in the most unlikely places. Another fire
would break out in a housing area where someone would make the mistake of leaving a lighted stove in the house. ** Robberies are not as frequent as they once were, but some of the perpetrators are suspected to be the very people assigned to protect the community. Evidence would surface that one such robbery involved the protectors,who would then scramble to arrest a man as a decoy.
The Water Users Association has also assisted with the maintenance of the secondary drainage and irrigation systems in key farming areas. ROLE OF THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR In order to equip itself with the machinery required to get some of the tough jobs needed in drainage and irrigation, NDIA has forged a lifelong bond with members of the manufacturing sector. The relationship between the two is a crucial one. One of the companies which has been supplying NDIA with the needed equipment for drainage and irrigation, is the Guyana National Industrial Company Inc. (GNIC). Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Clinton Williams explained to Kaieteur News in a recent interview that among the structures that are crucial to drainage and irrigation, and are needed by NDIA, are pontoons. For those who may not be aware, a pontoon can be a large flatbottomed barge or be lighter equipped with cranes and tackle for careening ships and doing
salvage work. Williams explained that pontoons in Guyana are designed mostly for desilting purposes. “The pontoon can be built in such a way that it allows for an excavator which would do the desilting and then take the debris and place it into the holding tank attached to the pontoon,” Williams added. The CEO said that this is just one of the many pieces of equipment that the GNIC has been contributing to the irrigation and drainage sector for many years now. Furthermore, Williams in the same breath noted that the company built last year, four large pontoons in record time, within cost and specification. These, he said, are currently in use by NDIA for the East Demerara Water Conservancy Drainage System. This job, he asserted, was in keeping with its traditional intervention into the sector. The GNIC CEO revealed that the entity has put in a competitive bid for one pontoon equipped with a cuttersuction dredge installed, in addition to two super long
reach excavators. It is intended to dredge the various rivers on the coast, all with an aim to improving drainage and irrigation in Guyana. Williams reminded that the company was also responsible for building the STEVE-N Dredge which is still currently in use following decades of operation. He noted that there is also periodic maintenance and rehab works that are done by GNIC for the said dredge. Speaking of other drainage and irrigation works, Williams reminded that GNIC constructed the eight-gate sluice for the Hope Canal, along with accompanying guides for the Atlantic end of the Canal. He noted that the completely stainless steel sluice gates were constructed in the company’s shipyard located on Lombard Street, within the prescribed twomonth contract deadline. According to CEO Williams, the delicate construction was completed under the close supervision of Gilbert B.M. Corlette, a highly certified and very experienced welding/fabrication Quality Assurance Engineer.
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Kaieteur News
Who terminated the exterminator? – The gunmen wanted Mohamed Baksh dead and they didn’t seem to care where the job was done and who saw them do it By Michael Jordan The gunmen wanted Mohamed Baksh dead and they didn’t seem to care where the job was done and who saw them do it. They didn’t care that he was sitting in an enclosed place; didn’t care that two women and an ex-cop from the feared ‘black-clothes’ squad were at Baksh’s side. It was Saturday, June 16, 2012; the time was 10 p.m., and Baksh, owner of Pest Control Plus, the ex-cop, and two women were sitting in a Thomas Street restaurant named Flava’s Grill, when a car stopped nearby. It is said that two men entered the restaurant, and one of them, with gun in hand,
walked over to Baksh. And though the 43-year-old businessman was also carrying a handgun, he never got to touch it. The gunman fired. Baksh slumped to the ground, with two bullets in his head, while the shooter and his accomplice fled in the waiting car, described as a burgundy-coloured Mitsubishi Lancer. Police reportedly pursued the car along Mandela Avenue but lost sight of it. Baksh died a few hours later. Police would later recover a 9mm shell at the scene, but failed to find the gun from which it was fired. Baksh’s friends all claimed that they were unable to describe the killer, since they had all dived for cover
when the shooting started. The police also got nothing from the staff at the Thomas Street restaurant. But investigators knew that someone had wanted the pest control expert dead for a long time. On Thursday, August 7, 2008, Baksh had just exited his vehicle in the vicinity of Camp and Lamaha Streets, North Cummingsburg, when a man emerged from a vehicle and shot him. Bleeding from five gunshot wounds, Baksh managed to seek refuge in his property, which was located nearby. From there, he called his wife. Baksh implicated a former business partner in the attempt on his life. This led police to Paul James, 41, of Barrack Street, Kingston, and
Dexter Lynch, 36, of West La Penitence Housing Scheme. They were charged with attempted murder. In court, Baksh had stated that James was his business partner and that James owed him $31 million. That matter was still before the courts when Baksh was executed. Two days after Baksh’s death, police detained the same former business partner. But aside from the fact that the businessman and Baksh had a financial dispute, police reportedly had nothing else to connect him to the murder. The former business partner denied any involvement in Baksh’s slaying and reportedly gave detectives an alibi for his movements at the time of the attack. Some of the man’s associates also reportedly told investigators that he was with them at the time Baksh was slain. Detectives impounded a burgundy car that fit the description that eyewitnesses gave of the gunmen’s getaway vehicle, but that turned out to be a false lead. The vehicle belonged to a police rank and was handed back to the owner. Investigators were given a 9mm warhead and a bullet fragment that were extracted from the slain man’s skull. They failed to match it to any firearm. But though Mohamed Baksh was dead, someone apparently still wanted to hurt his family. Just a few days after his death, someone doused the slain man’s Lot 322 Rohinital Street, Prashad Nagar office and storage bond with petrol and set the
Mohamed Baksh building alight. According to the slain businessman’s insurance agent, over $50M worth of products was destroyed. ”This clearly shows that this is a serious vendetta against this man. It is clear that his death and this fire are linked,” the agent said. Almost similar views were expressed by former Magistrate Fazil Azeez, a cousin of the slain businessman. Azeez said that they believed that whoever had wanted Baksh dead, would stop at nothing to wipe out his legacy. At the time, Azeez stated that the family had provided the police with all the necessary information about the case, and felt that investigators should have very strong leads. But he expressed dissatisfaction at the manner in which the matter
was being investigated. Azeez said that the venue where Baksh was shot was not a place he visited often. He believed that the killers must have known where he was going and followed him. Also expressing dissatisfaction with the legal system, Azeez said that the Preliminary Inquiry into the attempt on Baksh’s life was postponed more than 40 times, despite pleas to have the case concluded. Baksh had been the foundation of his family and his murder had left his relatives in a state of fear. Because of these security concerns, relatives temporarily took the slain man’s nineyear-old son out of school. The pest control business that Baksh had operated has now closed, and there appear to be no new leads about his murder. ”It will remain like that,” a close relative had said. “Nobody will pick it up.” Nevertheless, as another anniversary of this unsolved case approaches, relatives are daring to hope that his killers are caught. If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office. Our numbers are 2258458, 22-58465, 22-58482 and 22-58491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email address: mjdragon@hotmail.com
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PNC, WPA, AFC: Ménage à trois exposed The crescendo was building up, but suffered an interregnum when the Ministry of the Presidency and the top leadership of the AFC in a state of frenzy attempted to guillotine me. It didn’t work because I had a smoking gun – a tape. At his first press conference after winning the contest for AFC leader with Khemraj Ramjattan, Raphael Trotman told the nation that outside of the Cummingsburg Accord, which delineated the parameters (my word) of powersharing after the 2015 election victory, President Granger created three ministers on his own – Raphael Trotman, himself; Granger’s son-in-law, Dominic Gaskin; and Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder. That was a riveting revelation, so I simply wrote a column on Trotman’s announcement to do the math to see if the AFC got its forty percent of Cabinet seats as stipulated in the Accord. If the President chose three Ministers on his own, outside of the Accord, then that still entitled the AFC
to its forty percent. The first salvo against me, instead of Trotman, was fired by the Office of the President, which issued a press release accusing me of mischief. Up to this day, I don’t know what mischief I invented. One week after that (I assumed the APNU and AFC leadership met on my column and the AFC was pressured by APNU to denounce me) AFC leaders put out a press release rejecting the column. Now mind you, not chastising me for repeating what Trotman told the nation, but accusing me of saying what came out of Trotman’s mouth. T h i s w a s i n c e s t uous politics as morbid as any manifestation of that art in the Jagdeo presidency. The President and the AFC leadership substituted my name for Trotman. They had to protect their friend and let the blame fall on me. But I have my protection too. Former President of the TUC and current head of the National Workers’ Union, Norris Witter, flew into
Kaieteur News office and requested to hear the tape. He said if Trotman uttered those words, then the President and Trotman must explain to the nation. Witter was given a copy of the tape by me. The hangman’s noose of the Office of the President and the guillotine of the AFC missed me, because I had a tape of what Trotman said, and the media in Guyana had the identical tape. All of this becomes contextually relevant in the light of the Rupert Roopnaraine ministerial transfer issue. What we have on display right now is the nature of the ménage à trois between the PNC, WPA and AFC, and the ill-shaped forms of coalition politics. The first question; did the President go behind the back of the Cummingsburg Accord and snatch three top names from the AFC in a bold act of realpolitik? The President said no, he didn’t. The AFC said they created the ministries for Holder and Gaskin
under the Accord. But why would someone as huge in politics as Trotman go on record as saying the contrary? The second question relates to the WPA. If the AFC is saying that it assigned its leaders to the ministries it currently has, did the same process evolve in the APNU coalition with regards to Cabinet allocation? It doesn’t seem so. First Rupert Roopnaraine was de facto Natural Resources Minister, and appeared in the press as such with appropriate gear visiting a collapsed mining pit where a dozen miners died. Suddenly, he became Education Minister. It is his current assignment at the Public Service Ministry that makes the Trotman revelation relevant.
And this is because the Working People’s Alliance has told the nation that as a coalition member, it was not consulted in the ministerial shift. You don’t need to be a philosopher to understand what the WPA is saying. The WPA is implying that the Education Ministry was a WPA subject area as part of APNU’s Cabinet identifications, just as APNU did with the AFC in the Cummingsburg Accord. If the WPA Minister is to be reassigned, then let the WPA choose, because the WPA has a Cabinet portfolio Why Trotman’s emanation is germane to the Roopnaraine issue is if the WPA is saying it was not consulted, it is then possible that Granger did pick those three Ministers that Trotman
Frederick Kissoon named and the AFC was not consulted, and Trotman spilled the beans at his press conference. Knowing that Trotman may have said what he shouldn’t have, the President and the AFC hurried to do damage control and attacked me. Well, this time, it is the WPA accusing the President, so the President cannot prepare a hangman’s noose for me.
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Sunday June 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
A NEW CONTOUR OF GOOD GOVERNANCE IS EMERGING … SLOWLY By Moses Nagamootoo, Prime Minister Every time I approach the “Lowtan Turn” at Cotton Tree, West Berbice, I look out involuntarily for a lamp post where, a few years ago, a cardboard poster had been mounted with the slogan: “Down with CorruPPPtion”. That slogan said it all: the post-Jagan PPP government had become synonymous with corruption. Even committed Jagan loyalists like Ralph Ramkarran and Joey Jagan had accused the then ruling regime of “pervasive corruption”. It is now two years after those landmark elections in 2015, but many people seem to have forgotten about the quagmire of corruption into which the PPP had sunk our nation. In 2014, Transparency International (TI) had placed our country near the bottom of the global Corruption Perception ladder, ranking us 136 out of the 175 countries assessed. Today, we are still crawling out from that dark hole that the PPP had dug and
slid us all into, kit and caboodle. In 2016, the TI index placed Guyana at 108. This only means that we’re beginning to inch our way out of that abyss. The climb is high and fraught with human hurdles, but we’ll continue to fight for our country. Corruption used to be Guyana’s single biggest human rights violation pre2015. Moneys that should have benefited the citizenry were diverted into the bottomless pockets of public officials and their cronies. That fence that’s supposed to keep government officials away from the public purse was broken since 2009 when the Chairman of the Integrity Commission resigned. That pervasive corruption had eaten deep into the sinews of public life by the time Bharrat Jagdeo came to the end of his unbroken 12-year stint as President of this nation. So now, when we hear a jingle begging for his return, I just shrug like my gardener who disdainfully responded: “Bring back
who?” UNBRIDLED POWER It was the same cloak of corruption and authoritarianism that resulted in the once formidable PPP losing its iron grip on unbridled power at the 2011 polls when it was reduced to a minority government. By May 2015, it had lost its way completely, and its arrogance cost it the government. It was therefore a reasonable expectation that t h e m u l t i - p a r t y, m u l t i ethnic Coalition that succeeded the failed regime, would have had to work overtime to change Guyana’s image that we had earned as the Caribbean’s “corruption capital”. The Coalition started at the beginning, and it has only been 24 months. It will take years to effectively exorcise this social cancer, fighting off every disgusting hurdle being thrown up to retard progress. Fair-minded people will admit that a viable opening has been made for clean,
decent business to be conducted. Gone are the ugly sores of mega contracts going to cronies in return for kick-backs. The openly incestuous relationships among the powerful ‘rulers’, the narco-criminals, the phantom killer-squads, money launderers and bigtime swindlers have been contained. The business community has received a cleansing but it will take some doing, some time for it to regain financial strength. OUR OWN JUMBIES Over the past two years we (Government) have been haunted by our own political jumbies (cases in point the D’Urban Park project and the pharmaceutical bond fiasco). But there were no cover-ups. Explanations were sought and answers were given, repeatedly, including in the National Assembly. I believe that we have collectively learned our lesson, mainly from the onslaught of public criticism. These lessons inform us that our public will only accept frank and full disclosures. We are constantly reminded that it was the PPP government’s refusal to disclose that had led to a Motion of No Confidence against them after they had spent Billions without parliamentary approval. That was the motion that triggered the prorogation of the 10th Parliament in November 2014. Fresh elections were prematurely called, and the rest, as the saying goes, is history. GOOD GOVERNANCE Guyana’s image today is not the same. A new contour of good governance is emerging, perhaps too slowly, but our people are beginning to see evidence of structured
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and orderly social development everywhere. Georgetown stands out for its scrubbed image, no longer a garbage-infested, floodprone, unsightly capital city. But no horns yet. There is still much more work to be done. Though heavily criticized, D’Urban Park that used to be Georgetown’s urban jungle has changed the ambience of the entire ward where now flutters our majestic, giant Golden Arrowhead that’s visible from all approaches. It evokes daily displays of quiet patriotism. There’s further evidence, some imperceptible, of our renewal. The landscape for a more inclusive, accountable government has been enhanced by the:- Holding of local government elections - Establishment of new towns - Commissioning of
regional, relay radio stations - Passage of compliant Anti-Money Laundering law, Public Procurement law, and the establishment of a Public Procurement Commission - Establishment of the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) multi-stakeholders group to properly manage the proceeds from oil and gas - Establishment of State Assets Recovery Agency law to secure the people’s properties from unlawful appropriation - Enactment of reformed Telecommunications law to encourage competition and stimulate modern services - Financial autonomy of Parliament and the Judiciary which honours the constitutional requirement of separation of powers - Sparing of no effort to protect Guyana’s land and maritime zones from spurious claims and encroachment NO SLAPPING OR STRIPPING OF PROTESTERS In these two years, there have been perhaps more sporadic protests and picketing than in any period in our history. Under our leadership, no protest was broken up by police; no one was slapped or threatened or stripped; no one was arrested or tear-gassed; no one was injured or killed, and the infamous never-worked water cannon is where it should be. Citizens’ protests are being met with compromise, not stubborn resistance and intransigence. Only an authoritarian state would respond to its people’s concerns with suppression of public dissent and curtailment of press and other freedoms. The Coalition Government has brought that era to an end, and there it will stay.
Sunday June 18, 2017
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Kaieteur News
My column
Racism is within us Racism is something that one should not promote. Indeed it exists in every country where there is an agglomeration of different ethnicities. I have seen it at work in the land of my birth and I have seen it in some of the countries I happened to visit. It only rears its head when one group feels threatened by others. The United States is a classic example. The blacks and the Hispanics make up a sizeable portion of the population and they are there competing for jobs that the dominant race wants. Indeed, in many cities there is a growing tolerance and an increasing move at harmonization. In my native Guyana, where the two major races need each other, from time to time there are these racial outbreaks rooted in distrust. The violence sparked by the clash of the two groups is long gone, thanks to the active efforts of the people who recognized that each ethnic group has a contribution to make. However, every now and then someone seeks to highlight something that seems to smack of racism. The most recent involved a letter that suggested that the government is racist in its appointment of its administrators. I saw the list of names and I immediately concluded that something was horribly wrong. For starters, all the people listed as Permanent Secretaries were not black people. I asked Minister of State Joseph Harmon to comment on this situation and he did. He said that the letter writer
contended that once the name was not Indian in origin the person had to be black. But there was more, nearly all of the Permanent Secretaries in place were appointed by the previous administration. The new administration therefore inherited them. In one case where the letter writer, Sasenarine Singh, identified Geoffrey Vaughn as a Permanent Secretary, something that I did not know, I concluded that it could have only been a case of upward mobility. The previous Permanent Secretary was Balraj Balram. Perhaps he resigned. At the Ministry of Finance where the Secretary of Finance is Hector Butts, t h e r e w a s Ta r c h a n d Balgobin, who to my mind is the Permanent Secretary, him being the person who is there to administer every cent allocated for projects, whether the money is from the Public Treasury or from a foreign funding agency. The Budget planner is Sonya Roopnauth. I know that the drive is to professionalise the public service, so there would be no
political appointees serving as Permanent Secretary. That was the case prior to 1992 when Dr Cheddi Jagan demanded that most of the Permanent Secretaries resign. He then appointed politicians or people of his choosing. Two of them were recently implicated in a corruption probe and are before the courts. Their replacements were their deputies. It saddens me when people attempt to put a racial spin to everything. I remember the call to make the police and the army more racially balanced. After nearly three decades the Guyana Police Force is still predominantly black, and it is not that any government prevented people of any ethnic group from becoming members of the force. It is the same with the Guyana Defence Force. That too is predominantly black, because simply more blacks respond to the call to join these institutions. There was a time when employees of the commercial banks were of one ethnic group. They were handpicked by the owners. Today that has changed to the point where in nearly all the large
banks the staff happens to be black. That has nothing to do with ethnic selection. Way back when, most of the teachers were black, and there was a reason for that. They were the people who responded to the call to join the education system. Today there is a mix of people of different ethnicities, because increasingly, more people are responding to the call. People gravitate to the source of the greater pay cheque. People of Indian ancestry dominate the business landscape. They form the bulk of the accountants and correspondingly, the bulk of the private sector. There was a time when the artisans were almost all black. Today most of the con-
tractors are of Indian ancestry, because they are the people who could have afforded the startup money, either through a massive cooperative effort or because or inheritance. There are people who would gravitate to an activity. History says that rice came to Guyana with Africans. Today most of the rice farmers are of Indian ancestry. This has nothing to do with race; it has to do with people doing what they think they are best suited to do. When I was a boy, black people thought that they had to emulate the white masters. The result is that they gravitated to academics. They became the lawyers, the engineers and the teachers before the other ethnic groups.
Adam Harris Indeed, we can find racism in anything we see. Our dislike for anything different is always going to drive us and destroy us if we allow it to. Mr. Singh saw this in Permanent Secretaries when Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar did not.
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Sunday June 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Experiences of other Caribbean sugar-producing countries As we move towards contracting the sugar sector in Guyana, it might be instructive to examine briefly the experiences of other Caribbean sugar-producing countries. Mauritius Mauritius which is a far larger and much more efficient producer of sugar than Guyana, faced similar market risks as Guyana. Like Guyana, Mauritius was a member of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group that enjoyed special preferential access to the European Union (EU) market and protected prices for its sugar. It meant that when the special preferences were expected to come to an end in 2009, Mauritius would have to rely mainly on the world market to sell its sugar. The sugar industry was experiencing similar conditions to those which GuySuCo is facing. It faced a
labour shortage, a decline in guaranteed price of 36 percent and the eventual loss of the market preference it once enjoyed under the EU sugar protocol. With a serious challenge ahead of it, Mauritius decided to look at its sugar industry through a different prism. It saw its sugar industry as not just about growing sugarcane and producing sugar, but also about generating energy for the island and about property/hospitality development. In other words, Mauritius used the anticipated loss of sugar preferences and prices as an opportunity to free itself from the yoke of sugar and to liberate the industry from a decade-long stagnation. By rethinking its industry, Mauritius was able to achieve the reform of its sugar industry and change it from
being a manufacturer of an unfinished product to an exporter of a ready–to–consume product, by placing emphasis on refined sugar. Mauritius also made some other adjustments to its sugar industry by putting its lands to alternative use. It built gated-communities for the foreign market in what was known as Integrated Resort Schemes. Mauritius also engaged in the building of shopping malls and the production of electricity from bagasse-powered plants. It was thought therefore that GuySuCo could pursue a strategy similar to that of Mauritius of reducing its reliance on sugar and investing in activities of a vertical or horizontal nature. Barbados The harvested area within Barbados has been declining for years, dropping below 4,000 hectares in 2014. Both
smallholder farmers and agricultural companies have been experiencing losses from cane growing, so the downward trend is likely to continue. Sugar cane in Barbados is high cost and struggles for a number of reasons. It is grown under rain-fed conditions in a tropical climate, limiting both cane yields and sucrose content, as well as exposing the size of the crop to weather fluctuations. At 4-5 tonnes per hectare, sugar yields are modest by international standards and have fallen since the late 2000’s. This compares with sugar yields of more than 10 tonnes per hectare in Brazil, the world’s dominant sugar exporter and world price setter. In the past the industry was kept afloat by preferential access to EU and United States (US) markets, which commanded large premiums over world prices, as well as government subsidies. Over time, as premiums in the EU market, in particular have eroded, the sector’s financial position has deteriorated and cane area has declined. Should Barbados wish to keep a cane industry, because of its broader environmental and cultural significance, the Government of Barbados will have to consider how it could
be supported. Under current conditions, the industry can only exist with government support for both millers and growers. The limited size of the local and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) markets, a small US tariff-rate quota and erosion of the value of the EU preference, all suggest that sugar alone will not provide adequate income for profitable came farming. Jamaica The sugar industry in Jamaica faces major challenges. At their root, these challenges stem from the sector’s high costs stricture. The condition under which cane is grown in Jamaica means the industry cannot be a competitive exporter of sugar at world market prices, even with investment in farms and mills. This is because world prices are set by producers who achieve much higher levels of performance that translate into lower costs. The industry’s survival to date has been because of (a) its preferential access to the EU market where prices have commanded large premiums over world prices in most years, and (b) injections of government funds during periods when the Government of Jamaica owned part of the industry.
However, sugar prices in the EU have become more closely aligned with world market prices and are expected to remain so in the future. Moreover the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) has stated that it does not wish to inject further funds into the sector. If neither consumers in the EU nor the GOJ are sources of welfare tran s f e r s t o t h e sugar sector, the only remaining possible source of funds are consumers in Jamaica, via high prices for sugar, electricity or ethanol and CARICOM via high sugar prices. In the case of sugar, the industry sells brown sugar locally, but cannot access the local or CARICOM market for refined sugar without investing in refining capacity. Building a refinery would require a sizable investment as would any investment in ethanol or additional electricity cogeneration, none of which is likely with private-sector funding. This suggests that cane and sugar output will decline in the future, with only the most efficient estates remaining in operation and with sales of sugar focused on markets where the industry earns premiums over the world sugar price.
Sunday June 18, 2017
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Kaieteur News
Plantar Fasciitis: The heel pain that can lead to a spur By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Heel spurs develop in response to trauma of the plantar fascia, which can ultimately cause a great deal of pain when walking. They occur when calcium deposits build up on the underside of the heel bone, a process that usually occurs over a period of many months. Heel spurs are often caused by strains on foot muscles and ligaments, stretching of the plantar fascia. Stretching of the plantar fascia leads to plantar fasciitis. Repeated episodes of plantar fasciitis leads to heel spur formation. Heel spurs are especially common among athletes whose activities include large amounts of running and jumping or workers who walk on uneven surfaces often. They are found in about 50% of plantar fasciitis cases. Once you control your plantar fasciitis, then it will decrease your chances of getting a heel spur. We will therefore focus today on plantar fasciitis. WHATARE THE SYMPTOMS OF PLANTAR FASCIITIS?
The most common symptom is pain under the heel and sole (bottom) of the foot. The pain is often worst when you first get out of bed in the morning. It can also be bad when you get up after being seated for some time. The pain is very obvious when you put pressure on your heel. IS THEREANYTHING I CAN DO ON MY OWN TO FEEL BETTER? Yes, you can: - Rest – Give your foot a chance to heal by resting. But don’t completely stop being active. Doing that can lead to more pain and stiffness in the long run. - Ice your foot – Putting ice on your heel for 20 minutes up to 4 times a day might relieve pain. Icing and massaging your foot before exercise might also help. - Do special foot exercises – Certain exercises can help with heel pain. These exercises are focused around strengthening your muscles of your foot. Rolling a bottle or ball under your foot is one example. - Take pain medicines – If your pain is severe, you can try taking pain medicines that you can get without a prescription. A course of anti-inflammatory medicines (such
Dr. Zulfikar Bux
as diclofenac) are usually recommended. - Wear sturdy shoes – Sneakers with a lot of cushion and good arch and heel support are best. Shoes with rigid soles can also help. Adding padded or gel heel inserts to your shoes might help, too. %Wear splints at night – Some people feel better if they wear a splint while they sleep that keeps their foot straight. These splints are sold in drugstores and medical supply stores. IS THERE ATEST FOR PLANTAR FASCIITIS? No, there is no test. But your doctor should be able to tell if you have it by learning
about your symptoms and doing an exam. He or she might suggest an X-ray, or other tests to check whether your symptoms might be caused by something else. HOW IS PLANTAR FASCIITIS TREATED? The first step is to try the things you can do on your own. But if you do not get better, or your symptoms are severe, your doctor might suggest: - Taping up your foot in a special way that helps the support the foot - Special shoe inserts, made to fit your foot - Injections (that go into your foot) of a medicine called
a steroid, which can help with the pain - Putting a splint over your foot and ankle - Surgery (this is an option only in some cases that do not get better with other treatments) which can lead to recurrence and is usually last resort. IS THEREANYTHING I CAN DO TO KEEP FROM GETTINGHEELPAIN AGAIN? Yes. To reduce the
chances that your pain will come back: - Wear shoes that fit well, have a lot of cushion, and support the heel and ankle %Avoid wearing slippers, flip-flops, slip-ons, or poorly fitted shoes - Avoid going barefoot - Do not wear worn-out shoes - Avoid excessive walking on uneven surfaces Approximately 10% of the population will have heel pains from plantar fasciitis. It’s an annoyingly painful experience. Your best bet is to avoid it by wearing soft sole footwear and controlling your weight.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday June 18, 2017
SUNDAY MESSY SITUATION AT CITY HALL…COUNCILPAYING $82,000 EACH MONTHLY FOR PORTABLE TOILETS Despite claiming to be “cashstrapped” and rolling on battered bearings, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is serving up enormous chunks of money to private waste management entities for the rental of portable toilets. Kaieteur News has heard from a reliable source and has seen documents which illustrate that the Council, for the month of March alone, would have expended a total sum of $1,839,960 for the rental of these facilities from two companies. This is occurring against the background of calls being made by citizens for the establishment of more public restrooms within the Georgetown Municipality. This revelation also comes at a time when Government is promoting cost-cutting measures within its various Ministries and government agencies. The Town Clerk, Royston King, has been listed as one of the beneficiaries. He has one of these facilities on his premises, which is being rented to the tune of $80,080 per month. According to sources, the facility is being used by the security guards stationed at King’s Canal Place, South Ruimveldt Park home. A City Hall official told Kaieteur News Saturday that the millions of dollars being paid by City Hall to these waste management companies can reduce significantly if the entity moves to construct private sanitary facilities throughout the city.
These facilities, he noted, can bring in significant earnings for the Council. ”They can charge persons to use these facilities. They can also be used for commercial purposes by companies that wish to decorate these facilities with their slogans, et cetera.” He noted also that it was “high time” for the M&CC to start “thinking outside of the box”. ”The rental of these facilities is hurting the Council and by extension, the citizens of Georgetown. It is unfortunate that the Council cannot shake this cultural thing of renting facilities. It is time the Council becomes landlords.” Back in 2016, Oscar Clarke had
told the Council during a statutory meeting that the cost for portable toilets had escalated and steps needed to be taken. At that time, the Municipality was paying approximately $1M every month for the rental of these portable facilities. CHEC USES SUBSTANDARD CEMENT BLOCKS FOR AIRPORT PROJECT China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is using low grade blocks for the expansion works that are being done on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). Kaieteur News has been able to access results of tests done by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s Soils Materials and Quality Control Laboratory. The test done is called a concrete compressive strength test. The tests were done on eight-inch blocks as well as sixinch blocks both of which were aged for 26 days. The actual stress or Pounds per Square Inch (PSI) of the eight-inch block was 122.0 and the Mega Pascal (MPa) was 0.84. For the sixinch block the PSI 60.6 and 0.42 MPa. As for the compressive load in lbs, the eight-inch block stood up to 5000 pounds and the sixinch block stood up to 4000. Compressive strength is about maximum load that can be taken by a unit before failure. Out of many tests
applied to concrete, this is the one of utmost importance since it gives an idea about all the characteristics of concrete. By this single test, one can judge whether concreting has been done properly or not. Compressive strength of concrete depends on many factors such as water-cement ratio, cement strength, quality of concrete material, and quality control during production of concrete etc. The compressive strength of concrete of quality masonry units usually varies from approximately 1,000 psi (7 MPa) to 5,000 psi (34 MPa) based on the type of concrete used to manufacture the unit. However, the MPa of the blocks used by CHEC does not even meet the standard MPa of seven. The highest PSI of those blocks is 122. The blocks are used to construct the new terminal building. Last week Saturday, Project Manager, Kevin Lui, of CHEC, told Kaieteur News that the company buys the block from a local supplier. However, no name was provided. Further, the company said that it usually refuses blocks sent by the supplier whenever they are found to be substandard. The CJIA expansion project entails the construction of a new terminal building. MONDAY . ABUSE OF CONCESSIONS …GUYANA’S COFFERS WILL NOT BE DEPLETED TO THE ADVANTAGE OF OTHERS – GRA BOSS Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Godfrey Statia has consigned to the past, the manner in which the entity used to sign off or “rubber-stamp” Investment Agreements for entrepreneurs, particularly those from developed nations. Statia explained that previously, investment agreements were sent to GRA by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and/or
the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) after they were received from the investors. The Commissioner General stated, “We have now changed it up whereby (all) the parties meet and decide what would be the extent of the investment. Because there was not a meeting of the minds, so what used to happen is it comes to GRA and GRA sends it back or rubberstamps it and we are not doing that anymore. We are going to ensure that the coffers are not depleted to the advantage of the coffers of the developed countries…” The GRA boss also expressed that the Authority will be doing checks on a quarterly basis to ensure that investors live up to their obligations. He said that this has become necessary as the authority has noted that there have been several abuses to the concessions granted to investors due to their investment agreements. TUESDAY ONE IN EVERY FIVE REMIGRANTS IS BOGUS – TAX BOSS There are major problems facing the country’s Remigrant Scheme, offered to overseas Guyanese who want to return home to invest and live here. Almost one-fifth of them are deliberately selling their multimillion-dollar vehicles under questionable arrangements, while almost a similar number are failing to live up to the conditions under which they were granted the exemption, in the first place. Speaking on a number of issues that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) is working on to close the loopholes, Commissioner-General Godfrey Statia last week disclosed that an assessment has found some troubling things. Between 15-18 percent of all remigrants are not living up to the obligations they signed onto when they were granted the (Continued on page 33)
Sunday June 18, 2017
(From page 32) exemption. The losses of taxes and duties to the state because of the exemptions would be significant. On a yearly basis, GRA estimates that almost $1.1B in exemptions are granted to remigrants. A major portion of this amount would be on vehicles. A revitalized GRA said it has gone after approximately20 percent of the remigrants, because it was found that they were involved in arrangements to sell the vehicles or transfer them using Power-of-Attorney – a legal document which vests control power in the hands of a third party. When it was introduced more than decade and a half ago, the Remigrant Scheme was supposed to be a simple one to attract Guyanese who are living and working overseas, to come back home and invest. The remigrants were supposed to be living overseas at least five years continuously at the time of application, to be eligible for the exemption of duties and taxes. With regard to vehicles, they have to own them at least six months and are required to submit, with the application, registration documents, insurance and other related paperwork. APPOINTMENT OF GECOM CHAIRPERSON…GOVT., OPPOSITION AGREE TO THIRD LIST SUBMISSION President David Granger and Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo have agreed that the opposition leader will submit a third list of nominees for the position of Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This development follows a scheduled consultation last Monday between Jagdeo and Granger at State House, Carmichael Street. Granger had invited Jagdeo to dis-
Kaieteur News
cuss the issue after the second list of nominees was deemed ‘unacceptable’ by the President. In a statement released by the Ministry of the Presidency, it was stated that during the consultation, the government’s team comprised the President, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman. Meanwhile, the Leader of the Opposition was accompanied by former Attorney-General Anil Nandlall and PPP/C Parliamentarian, Irfaan Ali. The statement said, “The parties agreed that it would be in the best interest of the people of Guyana that the choice of a Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission is made without undue delay. The parties further agreed that the Leader of the Opposition will submit a new list of six names to the President.” Further, it was agreed that in the
event that the third list is rejected by the President, a high-level team would be established representing the President and the Opposition Leader to begin working instantaneously on exploring modalities to bring a resolution to the matter. ONE YEARAFTER INQUIRY…SOLDIERS INJURED AT CAMP GROOMES STILL AWAIT COMPENSATION After a hearing last year, the soldiers who suffered various degrees of injuries following an explosion at Camp Groomes on the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway, 16 years ago, were confident that they would have been adequately compensated. But just over a year since the inquiry, they are worried that even a new Government, led by a retired Brigadier, has not in any way helped to change their situation.
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Three of the nine soldiers, who have been voicing their concerns in recent years, on Monday shared their belief that from all indications, theirs is a fate of continuous neglect. They are however hoping that their fear will be appeased by the Head of State – President David Granger – who they claimed to have helped vote into power. According to the now ex-soldiers who visited this publication Monday to share their still traumatic tale, they were informed that the outcome of their situation currently lies in the hands of President Granger. ”We are hearing that everything is on the President’s desk and it has to go through Parliament and all sort of things,” the former soldiers said. On the night of Monday, December 18, 2000, the now medically unfit ranks were among a unit tasked with guarding the ammunition storage (munitions) bond at
Camp Groomes. The bond, due to reasons which have not been released to the public, exploded. The bond reportedly con t a i n e d g r e n a d e s , v a r i o u s rifles, guns, and a suspected chemical weapon which the government had said was destroyed at the time. When the dust settled after the massive explosion, three ranks were dead and among the injured were Samuel Archer, Colwin Lewis, Wincel Wade, Kerwin Wilson, Curtis Samuels, Delroy Hutson, Joslyn Ross, Cecil Ault and Wendell Cort. The first three named ranks, who visited Kaieteur News Monday, said that they were present when an inquiry into the matter was conducted in May of last year. They said that they were told that within three weeks of a hearing into the matter they would all be contacted. “The three weeks done turn into a year and we still ain’t hear nothing from nobody,” said Samuel Archer. The now 40-year-old man said that he suffered burns about 95 percent of his body following the explosion. He revealed that because of the burns he sustained, he can only retain short-term work. Wincel Wade, another injured soldier, is currently 34 years old. But he remembers all too well the day of the explosion. “I fly up in the air and when I land, both my hands break, and a piece of shrapnel fly into my back,” Wade recalled. He said that a doctor informed him that it would not have been wise to remove the shrapnel, since it was believed that it would have exited on its own. But the shrapnel, according to the Berbician, remains intact in his back years later. Still struggling to come to grips with the fact that his injuries will remain with him for life is Colwin Lewis. He undoubtedly sustained the worst of the injuries. The 37-year-old, who lives in a 10×10 structure at Enmore (Continued on page 34)
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(From page 33) East Coast Demerara, sustained third degree burns on both legs, lost three of his toes, and his left heel was burnt to the bone. He also suffered severe burns to his back, and suffers bouts of memory loss. Although he is still barely able to walk on his own, Lewis said that he felt compelled to once again make an appeal for Government’s intervention. According to the ex-soldiers, they are prepared to disregard all the years of waiting and the many promises made by both the past and present governments over the years, in the hope that the findings of the inquiry last year would serve to bring closure to not only the ordeal they experienced, but the subsequent fate they were made to endure. WEDNESDAY DECADE-LONG LAWLESSNESS… FAILURE TO ACTIVATEALLIT MODULES LEADS TO RAMPANT CORRUPTION, BILLIONS LOST – GRA BOSS For over ten years, officials within the Ministry of Finance had failed to implement crucial elements/ modules of a computerized accounting system from Canada. This programme was intended to ensure accountability for how taxpayers’ money is budgeted and spent by the government. It appears, however, that the Ministry of Finance was not the only agency that neglected its duty in this regard. In fact, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) failed to implement critical parts of an Information Technology (IT) system for almost a decade. The consequences of the entity’s actions in this regard only contributed to billions in revenue leakages and rampant corruption. GRA’s Commissioner-General, Godfrey Statia is now racing to implement measures that would bring an end to unjust practices that resulted from the Authority’s past actions. In an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, Statia explained that
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money and this would make it easier for the authority to repossess the lands. Saul said that authority has commenced the repossession process. “I can tell you that I would have instructed our Corporate Secretary to initiate actions to repossess lands from private developers who have failed to deliver.” CH&PA has also forwarded many of the developers’ agreements to the Attorney General (AG)’s Chambers for legal consideration before engaging the other defaulters. This was done after a review of the agreements was conducted by CH&PA’s Corporate Secretary, Hannifah Jordan. Jordan explained that the agreements were reviewed in two batchesone for discrepancies and two towards strengthening the document. the IT system referred to as the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS), was intended to merge all departments by having a common database, where all tax records could be scanned or entered into the system and found when needed. It was introduced with the aim of boosting efficiency in the assessment, collection and accounting for revenue. The TRIPS comprises two core applications: Taxes and Customs, which share information with each other and each application encompasses a total of 13 modules. The CUSTOMS Modules include; Lodgment; Data Entry; Goods Inspection/Enforcement, Valuation and Document Check, Risk Profiling, Cashiering, Release, Remissions, and Warehouse. The TAX Modules include; Taxpayer Identification, Tax, Accounting, Audit, Reports/Notices/Certificates. Statia noted however that since all of the modules were not implemented, the “TRIPS system was just tripping.” Statia said that the Authority has been trying to implement TRIPS completely since 2007. He said, disappointingly, the entity spent over US$4M on the IT system and it is still not up to date. Furthermore, the tax chief said
that failure to implement all of the modules affected the entity to a large extent. PRIVATE DEVELOPERS STILL OWE $MILLIONS FOR EAST BANK LANDS The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has warned that it will soon repossess lands from those private developers and house lot beneficiaries who have breached their agreements. This comes as the CH&PA moves to pave the way for the development of more low and middle-income housing solutions for Guyanese. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CH&PA, Lelon Saul, said that the authority is set to go after those developers, who acquired vast tracts of lands under the previous administration, but have since failed to develop them. “We are currently engaging these developers. We are encouraging them to develop those lands, to live up to the agreement of sale, and I should say that in some cases it is likely that we would move to repossess some of those lands,” Saul said at CH&PA’S mid-year press conference on Monday. He pointed out, in a government statement, that many of these private developers still owed CH&PA
DR. ROOPNARAINE REASSIGNED; NICOLETTE HENRY TO PERFORM DUTIES OF EDUCATION MINISTER More than two years after taking the helm of one of the most powerful ministries, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine is no longer the Minister of Education. The 74-year-old has been reassigned to the Ministry of the Presidency and will head the Department of Public Service. Until a substantive minister is appointed, performing the duties of the Minister of Education will be Junior Minister, Nicolette Henry. The announcement was made on Tuesday during a break of the weekly Cabinet meeting, by Minister of State Joseph Harmon. The move was not totally unexpected as the minister had been admitted to hospital a few months ago, and was said to taking it easy. With a large budget and schools across the country, the Ministry has been a challenging one. According to Harmon yesterday, in a released video interview, President David Granger briefed Cabinet yesterday that he had a discussion with Dr. Roopnaraine on Monday, and after that discussion it was agreed that Dr. Roopnaraine would
be reassigned from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of the Presidency with specific responsibility for the Public Service. Roopnaraine will continue to be a member of the Cabinet and member of the National Assembly. THURSDAY ARMY UNEARTHS 26 DREDGES IN OFF-LIMITS KAIETEUR PARK -RECOMMENDS CHARGES, SUSPENSION OF MINING LICENCES The army, criticised for its presence in the protected Kaieteur National Park area, has vowed to continue to playing its constitutional role in eradicating illegal mining. This came after recent joint services exercises which found 26 dredges, fuel and mercury in the area. Over the last weekend, at Mure Mure, the army also detained an Amerindian man, Anthony Melville and a cameraman from Capitol News, Rudy Morris, who had gone to video a signboard which shows the boundary of the park. Both have since been released as criticisms grew. Several persons, including Amerindians, were arrested more than a week ago for mining illegally in the area of the Kaieteur National Park. Amerindian bodies protested the arrests. Authorities later decided to drop charges against the miners, who were brought to the city after dispute arose over whether the lands were in the park. The army has since been patrolling the area to ensure that there is no mining. “The Guyana Defence Force wishes to make it pellucid that it is committed to supporting the efforts of the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) in their efforts to purge the Kaieteur National Park of illegal mining.” The army said that the recent Joint Services exercise, ‘Operations Midas’, revealed the extent of the environmental degradation plaguing the park due to widespread illegal mining activities occurring within the boundaries of the protected area. “The operation unearthed some 26 engines (dredges) among other pieces of mining equipment and environmental pollutants such as mercury, waste oil and silicone, which were being used indiscriminately by the illegal miners.” The army disclosed that it has proposed a number of recommendations to the PAC, including the erection of billboards to sensitise the public and visitors on the delineation of the park and prohibited conduct. Among other things, it was recommended that there be improved monitoring of all aircraft landing at the location and the scrutiny of any accompanying cargo; the prosecution of all registered dredge owners whose equipment were seized (Continued on page 35)
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Kaieteur News
ers. The two men outside acted as lookouts. The men were not masked. Kaieteur News was informed that the gunmen demanded that their victims lie face down on the ground as they relieved them of their belongings. When this newspaper visited the scene, the injured persons had already left for the hospital. Workers there said that “everything happened very fast”. They could not say what the gunmen took from the office. Tiny drops of blood were seen on the steps and the concrete floor. One of the workers said that when one of the gunmen cranked his gun, a .32 live round fell out— the police reportedly have it. A knife which was used to open the drawers in the office was recovered and fingerprints were taken. MISSING PROSPECT WOMAN’S LOVER ARRESTED ….AS MAJOR CRIMES UNIT REOPENS CASE (From page 34) by GGMC, the rehabilitation of all waterways that were deliberately diverted by the illegal miners and the temporary suspension of mining licences for those registered engine owners. “The GDF is constitutionally obligated to support the maintenance of law and order and therefore, remains resolute in its stance of supporting our nation’s efforts in eradicating illegal mining at the Kaieteur National Park and the preservation of its environment. To this end, frequent surveillance will continue over this and other such protected areas.” EIGHT GUNMEN STORMAUTO REPAIR OUTLET – ESCAPE WITH LICENSED GUNS, CASH AND PHONES The owner of an auto repair outlet was robbed around 15:00 hrs Wednesday when eight heavilyarmed bandits stormed his establishment at Lot 27 Industrial Site Ruimveldt, Georgetown during a brazen attack. The assailants, who came from the East Bank Demerara Public Road in two Toyota Allion motorcars, and
escaped using the same route, made off with two licensed firearms, cash and phones. Kun Ge, owner of Rich Thriving Auto Repair and Service Centre was hit with a gun over his left eye by one of the gunmen. They took his .32 pistol with live rounds. They also struck James Lee, a translator to the left eye with a gun. They took his phone and $5000. Businessman Zhi Yun Gao, who went to uplift his vehicle at the establishment, was also robbed of his phone and cash. He was chopped to the back of his head by one of the men who took away his Taurus Pistol. All the workers at the location were robbed of their belongings during the seven-minute ordeal. According to information received, the two cars pulled up in front of the outlet and the six of the eight men rushed in. Kaieteur News was informed that one of the six men was armed with a cutlass while the other five had guns. Two of the men grabbed the owner of the establishment, and the businessman took them up to the office, while four of the intruders remained downstairs with the work-
Ranks from the Guyana Police Force (GPF)’s Major Crimes Unit have arrested a lover of missing Prospect woman, 37-year-old Shawnette Savory, as they reopened the case. The man was arrested at his Grove, East Bank Demerara home on Tuesday. Kaieteur News understands that the individual was involved in an extra marital affair with Savory just before she went missing. It was while the police were interrogating another suspect that they learnt about the individual in Grove. “We had no idea about this man in Grove, but we pulled in someone and he told us about the person (lover) she (Savory) was having an affair with,” the rank noted. This newspaper understands that the case was reopened after ranks received a tip-off from a relative of Savory a month ago. “We were gathering information, but we had to wait until we had certain things before we made an arrest,” a rank said. Savory’s mother, Dhanrajie Murray had made contact with ranks from the Major Crimes Unit and expressed her interest in having the
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case reopened. Murray would have provided the cops with information that also helped them in making the arrest. FRIDAY EXXONMOBIL GETS PRODUCTION LICENSE FOR LIZA WELL The Government of Guyana has taken a decision to grant a production licence to US oil company ExxonMobil, for the Liza field project. This announcement was made Thursday evening by the Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, during the 65th Sitting of the National Assembly in Georgetown. The announcement would come on the heels of Government’s review of the technical and environmental aspects contained in the Development Plan for the Liza Project, which was submitted by ExxonMobil late last year. Trotman’s announcement would also come one month before the oilgiant was expected to make its Final Investment Decision (FID). “Government had said a few weeks ago, that it had prepared to issue that license so that the investment decision could be made expeditiously, and I wish to report that Government has taken a decision to issue that licence. This follows on the advice of world-renowned experts who reviewed the development plan and advised that it was appropriate to do so,” Trotman told the House. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources in a press release Thursday evening stated that in a separate process, the Guyana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would have already issued the Liza field environmental permit since June 1. The environmental permit, the Ministry states, ensures that the environment is protected through the lifecycle of the project. Extraction from the Liza field is expected to commence in 2020 at an initial rate of 120,000 barrels of crude per day in the first phase, with a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel providing the main infrastructural support for
the project. The Liza reservoir is estimated to contain between 800 million and 1.4 billion barrels of oil. It was reported that Guyana will receive a royalty of two percent on gross earnings and benefit from 50 percent of the profits from the sale of petroleum once production commences. TAX EXEMPTIONS… GRA HAS NO AUTHORITY TO APPROVE BIGGER ENGINES FOR ITS EMPLOYEES The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been advised that it has no authority to take it upon itself to unilaterally increase the engine size (cubic capacity) on vehicles granted to public servants via tax exemptions. In a letter dated last week Tuesday, June 6, to Commissioner-General Godfrey Statia, the Department of Public Service, warned that it has to first authorize any increase in the ‘cc’ before GRA can act. The tax collection authority has come under the spotlight with a transaction involving a senior official and a vehicle he brought in. Late last year, Customs’ head, Lancelot Wills, applied to the Department asking for a tax exemption on Toyota Harrier- its engine was over 2300cc. However, the department refused the request, noting that Wills was only entitled to a vehicle that had an engine capacity of up to 2000cc. Additionally, it was pointed out that the vehicle was over the 8-yearold limit that was introduced last year as a measure to ensure Guyana does not become a dumping ground for older vehicles. Despite the vehicle being rejected for a tax exemption, GRA went ahead in January and registered it. It appeared that Wills was allowed to pay a 10 percent rate - equivalent to what remigrants would be asked to pay. There were attempts, almost three months later, to correct the situation. Statia, explained last week, that only two officials at GRA- himself and his deputy, Hema Khan - are entitled to unlimited engine (Continued on page 36)
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(From page 35) sizes. He has made applications for the Customs head and the head of the Law Enforcement and Investigations Department to also receive unlimited because of the nature of their field work. In April, attempts were made to correct the transaction with Wills who was asked to pay an additional $1.7M, in addition to the $180,000plus he had paid in January to clear the vehicle. He was given a payment plan. Statia last week admitted that a mistake had been made. The transaction was described as irregular, but GRA insisted that it had the flexibility to grant its employees certain allowances. In late April, Statia wrote the Department of Public Service asking for a “Review of Procedures on Issuance of Department of Public Service Recommendation for Tax Exemptions on Motor Vehicles- Public Officers/Officials”. In his response, Permanent Secretary, Reginald Brotherson, indicated that the department has no objections to granting another approval for a different year and model. But these would have to fall within the law. Brotherson also addressed the issue of GRA’s defence of granting permission to Wills for an engine size that is above the 2000cc limit. Legal minds have disagreed with GRA on its position, pointing out that the tax agency has little leeway when it comes to tax exemptions. In addition to the Department of
Kaieteur News
Public Service, there are other agencies including the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and ministries which have to first screen and issue tax exemption letters first. GRA’s job, it was pointed out, is merely to ensure that the tax exemptions were issued in accordance to the law. GRA has no power to grant those waivers. GTT GETS APPROVAL TO INCREASE LANDLINE RATES The Public Utilities Commission has approved the application of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) to increase its landline rates and reduce the international rates on calls. The order was handed down on June 9, last by the PUC. The increase in landline rates and services will take effect from August 1, 2017 while the reduction of international rates will take effect from July 1, 2017. The PUC said that its order will be for temporary rates and that it will continue to monitor the services continuously to ensure that GTT improves the quality of service offered to the public. According to the PUC, the landline metered rates are to be billed on a per minute basis for the first minute or part thereof and on a per second basis after the first minute. In addition to these increases, the installation charge for dial tone access line has also been
increased. For residential lines, the new charge is $2000, an increase of $1500; for business places, the old fee was $1500 while the new rate is $4000. In the PUC’s decision it was stated that the installation charges include the cost for the handset which GTT will supply. Further, in the event that the device is damaged or becomes useless due to customer misuse, the telephone company may replace the handset but the customer pays the cost for a new handset. The increases do not stop there. The monthly rental dial tone access charge will also go up in the coming months. As it relates to residential customers who have no more than two lines the charge will now be $750 instead of $500 as was previously charged. For residential customers using more than two lines, the new rental charge is $1500, a 50 per cent increase from the old charge of $1000. Business entities using no more than four lines will now have to pay $2250 as against the previous rate of $1500. Businesses using more than four lines will now pay $4500 instead of $3000. Moreover, charges for wire line switched features such as speed calling; three-way calling, call waiting, call forwarding, voicemail and caller ID among other services were also increased. In some cases where no charges were applied for certain services such as ring again, call for-
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ward busy, call forward simultaneous and make set busy will now attract rates of $255 and $360 for residential and business customers respectively. Increased rates were also approved for Miscellaneous Non-Recurring services such as programme charge, record change, observed line and activate observed line. In some cases increases were by 20 per cent. Under Operator Assistance, rates for services were increased by 20 per cent from $116 to $140. Previously, there was no charge for domestic directory assistance but that service will now attract a charge of $140. Directory charges are now $340 as against $284 that was previously charged. Despite these increases, the PUC approved the reduction for outbound international calls to 250 destinations. GTT’s application for the changes to these rates was first made in July 2014. SATURDAY GOVT. TO SCRAP PREQUALIFICATION OF DRUG SUPPLIERS Minister of Health, Volda Lawrence, has promised an end to the controversial system of prequalifying drug suppliers. She made this promise to the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI). At a recent press conference,
GCCI President, Deodat Indar, said that the Chamber held a meeting with Lawrence at which concerns were expressed about a number of issues affecting members of the Chamber. Indar said, “We had constructive discussions with her and we will have quarterly meetings to check on the progress on the items discussed.” He said that public procurement practices for health care supplies were highlighted as a major concern of the GCCI. “She explained that the system is being redesigned to accommodate everyone. She mentioned that things like prequalification of contractors in that sector will no longer be used and everyone will have a fair chance to bid for contracts on a clean slate,” said Indar. Also discussed were issues surrounding the food and drug importation and the Tobacco Control Bill which was laid in the National Assembly. RADIOSHACK ARRIVES IN GUYANA RadioShack, the electronics and household giant from the United States of America has descended on Guyana thanks to the Unicomer Group. The local branch which is at the Giftland Mall on the East Coast of Demerara is the 73rd branch store for RadioShack. At the opening ceremony Friday, General Manager of Unicomer, Clyde de Haas shared that the Group is proud to bring the international brand to Guyana, and this store is one of others slated to come to Guyana. The General Manager stated that with the RadioShack brand, the retail landscape in Guyana will undergo changes. He said that from observations of the store and products offered customers will be given the experience of retail on a different level. “This is retail according to the standards of the industrialised world and we are very proud that we are pushing the boundaries of retail and retail standards in Guyana.” He said that part of this venture is to provide customers with the products that they need. De Haas promised that the store will carry the original branded RadioShack products which include every technological gadget one can think of. “It starts with batteries to sound systems to backpacks, to power packs, earphones, cameras, security cameras— too much to say.” Further, the General Manager said that unfortunately due to competition in the USA, RadioShack is scaling down. However, he said that the company is developing a strong web base for retail in the USA. He said that the operations in the Caribbean and South America are not being affected by anything that is happening in the USA. “In South America, in our part of the world, RadioShack is a very strong brand and we will continue to build on this brand and bring the quality that is desired and is needed to Guyana.”
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ExxonMobil has six months to present local content plan ExxonMobil has to supply the government with a local content plan within six months as part of the production licence which it was recently granted. On Friday, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman told the Department of Public Information/ Government Information Agency (DPI/GINA) the plan will cover the years leading up to production in 2020. “So that we will know how local content, both in terms of employment and procurement, and the provision of goods and services will be phased into this project over the next three years going into production,” Minister Trotman said. The Minister added he was “very happy” that Exxon and its partners have made their financial investment de-
cision (FID) to proceed with phase one development of the Liza field. On Friday, in a release on its website, Exxon announced it has made its FID, which will see the company acquiring a floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) facility to develop approximately 450M barrels of oil. Minister Trotman said the decision by Exxon and its partners prove, “They felt confidence in the work of the government of Guyana, that Guyana is a good place for investment, and the political climate and the regulatory climate, and everything is in place for them to proceed to bring this resource to production.” The Minister noted the decision is the “the largest investment in Guyanas history”.
CH&PA’s Clerks of Works receive training to better supervise projects The Central Housing and Planning Authority CH&PA within the ministry of Communities on Friday, June 16, 2017 held a workshop for the Clerks of Works. Chief Executive Officer CH&PA, Lelon Saul, said the aim is to train staff on the proper standards for the supervision of projects, according to a Government statement. “You are aware we have several projects outside there in terms of infrastructure development in our schemes and quality control is one of our major concerns so the session basically, is designed so as to provide our Clerks of Works with the necessary knowledge so they can effectively supervise our projects,” Saul explained. CH&PA Director of Projects acting, Omar Narine says that the training is to ensure that the Guyanese public get their money’s worth. “These works are worth millions of dollars and we want to give the Guyanese people value for money we don’t want to do shady work, we don’t want them to approve shoddy work, we want our work to be done in accordance with the(prescribed) standards,” Narine explained. The Bureau of Standards is pressing ahead with their building codes and the department is making every stride to keep in line with the standards, Naraine pointed out. He noted that the Clerk of Works will be in a better position to reject shady work by the contractors. On completion of the training the CH&PA Clerks of Works are expected to improve their competency level and quality of supervision of the projects they supervise, towards ensuring that the agency receives maximum value for its money. The training will also be facilitated for senior level ground staff which will include engineers and project managers.
Phase one is projected to cost Exxon and its partners US$4.4B. Meanwhile, Minister Trotman pointed out that the draft Local Content Policy has already been shared with the private sector as part of fa-
cilitating consultations before it is brought to the National Assembly. “This is a raw draft; it is not a perfect document; I know it has weaknesses I need your help to tell me where to give it strength and
so we re getting some comments coming back from them,” Minister Trotman said he expressed to the private sector. The Local Content Policy is expected to be finalised by August. The policy is ex-
pected to lay out what exactly Guyana expects from foreign investors when they come here. These include training for locals and the need to purchase materials and services from Guyana by the company.
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President mulls early release, reintegration for NOC youth President David Granger has indicated that he has commenced a process to look at the early release of girls and boys housed at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) at Onderneeming in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region (Region Two). The Head of State visited the facility on Friday to speak with the 85 young people, the majority of whom have been committed to the institution for wandering. He said that as part as an overall plan to ensure improvements to the physical conditions and the programmes offered, Government will in the short term be setting up criteria and a system to ensure that regular early release is an option for those who qualify. In addition, the President said that Government, as it enters deliberations for the development of the 2018 National Budget, is looking to make interventions at the institution, which will ensure that the young people housed there will be rehabilitated and equipped with skills that will facilitate a smooth re-integration into society. Accompanying the President on the visit was Minister of Education, Ms. Nicolette Henry, under whose purview the NOC falls. The Minister is tasked with ensuring that a system is implemented to allow for regular Presidential pardons, as currently there is no structure or methodology to allow for this to be properly considered. She said, “Once the criteria would be determined, on a case by case basis, and they would be satisfied by the students, there would be
The purpose of the President’s visit was primarily to listen to the concerns and needs of the children so as to ensure that those needs are catered for in the 2018 budget greater opportunities coming out of this to implement a system where there are more Presidential pardons.” Further, the Minister said that efforts will be made to ensure that there are no unnecessary delays that hinder the delivery of basic services; that the period of sentence is equated to the misdemeanour committed by an offender and that rehabilitation programmes are effectively implemented. President Granger emphasised that he remains focused on education and youth empowerment and reiterated that he strongly believes that children are better off in educational institutions rather than in incarceration or detention. “Going to school is important for me and staying in school is important for me, and it is important for you too, because in whatever you do, you must be able to read, write, spell and count… You
must be literate. We cannot build a country with illiterate persons, and that is why I want all of you to take your education seriously. It is my vision that you must get the best possible preparation for when you are ready to take over this country,” the President told the children. Noting that education and skills training are important aspects of their rehabilitation, the Head of State said that he will be working with the Minister of Education to explore improvements in the delivery of education and training, extra-curricular activities and psychosocial support. Speaking to the children after listening to their concerns, he said, “I have come to make some decisions on how we move forward in the NOC. I want to make the NOC better for the boys and girls here… We are going to look at all of your complaints, but the physical things we
will try to get to you over the next fortnight. We will try to make sure your life is
comfortable so when you leave here you will be better equipped to take your place
in society,” Granger said. The physical things that he referred to include television sets, sporting equipment and other items that allow for social engagements, during their leisure time. He also urged the children to start looking at their options for employment and enterprise, noting that there is significant profit in entrepreneurship, which can improve their lives in the long run. Many of the children spoke passionately about their desire to become productive members of society, some with aspirations of becoming doctors, teachers, army officers and business owners. Many of the young people have been committed to the NOC for minor offences and come (Continued on page 48)
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N/A inmate jailed again for smuggling ganja
An inmate of the New Amsterdam Prison who was serving an 18-month sentence for simple larceny has once again landed himself in hot water with an additional sentence of three years. Deochand Phillips, 53, of Woodley Park, West Coast Berbice, appeared at the Reliance Magistrate Court before Magistrate Marissa Mittelholzer to answer to the charge of Introducing narcotics into Prisons. He pleaded guilty to the charge. Phillips was also ordered
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Kaieteur News
to pay a fine of $15,000 or two months imprisonment in addition to the three years. According to the facts of the case, Phillips who was serving an 18-month sentence and had already spent one prison year (9 months) with another nine remaining, on the 10th June, last, at approximately 10:00 hrs was involved in community work outside of the prison. Upon his return and in company of other inmates later that day he was subjected to a routine search by prison officers at the western prison gates before
entering. During the search, two parcels wrapped in a transparent plastic bag and another in a black plastic bag was found in his crotch and waist of his pants respectively. Both parcels were inspected and a quantity of seeds, stems and leaves suspected to be cannabis were discovered. The accused was told of the offence committed to which he admitted that the parcels belonged to him. The parcels were weighed and amounted to 50g. They were then lodged at the Central Police Station.
President mulls early release... (From page 47) from difficult familial environments. The Head of State was visibly moved as some of the children cried as they told their stories to him. They spoke candidly about their experiences at the NOC, and while many of them expressed that being there has helped to them to see the need for them to change their behaviour, some of their comments illustrated the need for capacity building among staff members. Minister Henry indicated that a 2016 report for an assessment conducted by the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) flagged the professionalisation of the NOC as a key area for development. “It is the responsibility of the New Opportunity Corps to ensure that the students who are there are rehabilitated, so that they can contribute meaningfully to the society. In order to do that, you need to have the appropriate staff.” The Minister explained that prior to mid-2015, the type of staff that the institution attracted was far from desirable or suitable. “When I visited NOC and I looked at the skill set, the qualifications of the staff there, I recognised that most persons that were employed in the capacity to perform the various functions required were not in keeping with what the position required of them…These are children and they need love, they need parental care, and as the State, we are the parents of those children, and so if you are dealing with staff that are angry and a student that is angry, then you know what will happen,” she said. The Minister disclosed that the Ministry has recently hired a psychosocial support staff member. Acknowledging that this, by itself, is not enough and recognising the overall deficiencies, Minister Henry requested and received support from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for a consultant to conduct an assessment to identify critical and immediate areas for intervention so that the limited resources available can be more efficiently used. “I do have that report in draft… and some of the key areas that were identified had to do with one; in terms of training for staff. It seems like every sector needed staff training and capacity building. This was identified as particularly important when it comes to the development of a careful process of orienting a new entrant, which takes into consideration each child’s specific needs. All of this, the Minister said, forms part of the overall approach to improving the conditions at the institution. She added that a plan is being developed for the implementation of the o v e r a r c h i n g recommendations outlined in the report.
Work is being done to develop a strong reintegration system of the children, adequate psychosocial support, education and training. That report also recommended that extra-curricular activities be improved, particularly sports and music, both of which the Ministry has responsibility for. In this regard, she said that directors of Culture, of Youth and of Sport, will have to collaborate to strengthen the delivery of their respective programmes rather than operate in silos. Meanwhile, Minister Henry explained that there are two levels of activity that take place at the NOC in terms of rehabilitation. One has to do with reforming their behaviour, which caused them to be sent to the facility in the first place and the second is geared at ensuring that that they received education and skills training such as carpentry and masonry among other skills that are required in the job market. “More recently, perhaps in the last three months, we had worked to set up an IT [Information Technology] lab to ensure that all students, once being enrolled in NOC, would have been exposed to training in IT, because that is cross-cutting, and you pretty much would need IT skills in order to survive in any society, irrespective of what your trade would be. The other area and perhaps the more important reason why they are here, is because of deviant behaviour, and so there is a programme that is targeted to that, and that programme, you know, requires string disciplinary measures and regimentation and the likes. My own view is that that component really needs strengthening, and we have been working in order to strength and professionalise NOC,” Minister Henry said. The Minister said that the President’s visit to the facility is a clear demonstration of his commitment to bring about changes that will have positive impacts on the lives of the youths who are housed there and that she expects the staff of the facility to examine their work ethic and improve their performance accordingly. “I know at the level of staffing, notwithstanding the current capacity, they obviously received the message that they would have to step it up,” she said. The NOC is a detention facility for delinquents. It is governed by the Training Schools Act, which provides for the establishment of schools for the education, rehabilitation and vocational training for young offenders under the age of 18.
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The Whole Truth About Whole Fruits
Fresh fruits are loaded with fiber, antioxidants and other great nutrients. And studies show that eating fruit whole gives you the most of this food group’s potential benefits, like helping to prevent heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. While drinking smoothies can be convenient and healthy if they’re not loaded with added sugar, you lose some of the fruits’ fiber during the blending. It’s also easy to drink a lot more calories than you’d get in one or even two pieces of whole fruit. Research published in the British journal BMJ suggests
Sunday June 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
that eating certain whole fruits in particular may significantly lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. Since type 2 diabetes is epidemic in the United States, finding ways to prevent it is critical to continued good health. For the study, researchers looked at decades of diet and health records for thousands of people. They saw — but did not prove — that those who ate 2 or more servings each week of fruits like blueberries, grapes, raisins, prunes, apples and pears reduced their likelihood of getting type 2 diabetes by 23 percent. Conversely, drinking fruit
juice every day had the opposite effect, increasing the chances of diabetes by 21 percent. One possible reason: the spikes in blood sugar that the concentrated sugars in juice can cause. It’s not yet clear which nutrients in those good-foryou fruits may offer diabetes protection. But one thing seems certain: An apple a day might keep the blood sugar disease away. And don’t forget to eat a fruit’s peel or skin when edible — it’s a powerhouse of nutrients. https:// medlineplus.gov/news/ fullstory_166111.html.
To Lose Weight, Start With Dairy Swaps
Use This Diet to Lower Your Odds for Painful Gout Warding off the joint pain of gout may be as easy as eating right, a new study suggests. Gout, a joint disease that causes extreme pain and swelling, is caused by excess uric acid in the blood. It’s the most common form of inflammatory arthritis, and its incidence has risen among Americans over recent decades, Harvard researchers noted. But the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet — which is high in fruits and vegetables, and low in salt, sugar and red meat — can lower levels of uric acid in the blood. The American Heart Association has long supported the DASH regimen as a way to help avoid heart disease. “Conversely, the [unhealthy] Western diet is associated with a higher risk of gout,” said Dr. Hyon Choi, of Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues. The “Western” diet describes the fatty, salty, sugar-laden fare of many Americans. One nutritionist wasn’t surprised by the new findings, pointing out that the DASH diet is low in compounds called purines, which break down to form uric acid. “I can see how the DASH diet may benefit someone with gout,” said Jen Brennan, clinical nutrition manager at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “The DASH diet avoids excessive consumption of red and organ meats known to have high purine lev-
els.” Brennan added that the DASH diet “also encourages high intake of fruits and vegetables. We want to encourage fluids and vitamin C for these patients to help rid the body of uric acid, and fruits/vegetables can support this.” I n t h e i r s t u d y, t h e Harvard researchers analyzed data from more than 44,000 men, aged 40 to 75, who had no prior history of gout. The men provided information about their eating habits every four years between 1986 and 2012. Over the study period, more than 1,700 of the men developed gout. During 26 years of followup, those who followed the DASH diet — high in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, low-fat dairy products and whole grains, and low in salt, sugary drinks and red and processed meats — were less likely to develop gout than those who ate a typical Western diet, the findings showed. T h e We s t e r n d i e t i s high in items such as red and processed meats, French fries, refined grains, sweets and desserts. The study wasn’t designed to prove a causeand-effect relationship. However, the findings suggest that the DASH diet may provide “an attractive preventive dietary approach for the risk of gout,” the researchers concluded. Choi’s team noted that many people who have high uric acid levels also have elevated blood pres-
sure, or “hypertension” — another reason to switch to the healthier DASH diet. According to the study’s lead author, Sharan Rai, of Massachusetts General Hospital, “The diet may also be a good option for patients with gout who have not reached a stage requiring [uric acid]-lowering drugs, or those who prefer to avoid taking drugs.” Rai is with Mass General’s division of rheumatology, allergy and immunology. “And since the vast majority of patients with gout also have hypertension, following the DASH diet has the potential of ‘killing two birds with one stone,’ addressing both conditions together,” Rai said in a hospital news release. However, more studies are needed to track the d i e t ’s e ff e c t i v e n e s s i n curbing gout flare-ups, the researchers said. Dana Angelo White is a registered dietitian at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn. She called the new study “another win for the DASH diet, a sensible plan that emphasizes whole foods and a healthy balance of all major food groups. I’m pleased to see a study that highlights the benefits beyond cardiovascular health. If more p e o p l e ate this way, we would continue to see decreases in all kinds of chronic illness.” The study was published online May 9 in the BMJ. https://medlineplus.gov/ news/fullstory_165432.html.
Fruits, Veggies May Benefit Your Legs, Too
Losing weight comes down to simple arithmetic: Eat fewer calories than you burn off. Here’s a good way you can accomplish this without going hungry. Switch out high-calorie foods for low-calorie options to cut calories without cutting portion sizes. Dairy food is a good place to start, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. If you’re still using whole milk and cream, make gradual changes to lower-fat versions. Start by switching from whole milk to 2 percent milk for your coffee, on your cereal and in recipes. Then take the next step down to 1
percent milk and, eventually, to fat-free or skim milk. You can make similar switches with other dairy products, like yogurt and cottage cheese. Mix in your own fresh fruit or a few drops of vanilla extract to a serving of no-fat plain Greek yogurt to make you forget about highercalorie choices. You’ll get twice the protein of regular yogurts without the added sugar (and calories) of flavored varieties. Are you craving cheese? Choose types that are naturally lower in fat, like feta, string, goat and ricotta cheese. Also try reduced-fat versions of your favorites, like cheddar.
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables may help keep your leg arteries free of blockages, a new study suggests. “Our study gives further evidence for the importance of incorporating more fruits and vegetables in the diet,” said study co-author Dr. Sean Heffron. He’s an instructor in medicine at New York University School of Medicine. People with peripheral artery disease have narrowing of the leg arteries, which limits blood flow to the muscles and makes it difficult or painful to walk or stand. Researchers analyzed data from 3.7 million people, average age 64. They found that those who ate three or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day had an 18 percent reduced risk of peripheral artery disease. The findings were pub-
lished May 18 in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology. “One-on-one dietary assessments and counseling for [peripheral artery disease] patients, as well as greater public health awareness of the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption, are both needed,” Heffron said in a journal news release. Previous studies have linked lower fruit and vegetable intake with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, but there has been little research into the connection between fruit and vegetable consumption and peripheral artery disease, the researchers said. Only an association, rather than a causeand-effect link, between eating produce and peripheral artery disease was seen in this study.
“Our current study provides important information to the public that something as simple as adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet could have a major impact on the prevalence of life-altering peripheral artery disease,” said study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Berger. Berger is an associate professor of medicine and surgery at New York University School of Medicine. Older white women were most likely to eat three or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily, the study found, while younger black men were least likely to do so. Current and former smokers with low fruit and vegetable intake had particularly high odds for peripheral artery disease, the researchers said. https:// medlineplus.gov/news/ fullstory_165706.html.
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Katy Perry Responds to Recent Criticism Over New Image Katy Perry isn’t afraid of change. With a bold new haircut (a switch inspired by her desire to distance herself from the larger-than-life persona that made her famous), a different sound she’s dubbed her era of “purposeful pop” and a 96-hour live stream event that had many scratching their heads in disbelief, Katy understands where the criticism is coming from. “Every day when I think I know something, the universe shows me that I need to learn another lesson,” the international pop star told The New York Times in a revealing profile. “So I stand here today, more so than any other day, saying I know nothing. I literally know nothing.” The 32-year-old is defending her reinvention, explaining that by cutting alcohol out of her life and attending group therapy sessions with her family, she’s set out on a much more productive path. Perry shared, “I feel very empowered [and] extremely liberated, liberated from the conditioning of the way I used to think, spiritually liberated, politically liberated, sexually liberated, liberated from things that don’t serve me.” Katy called the recent
stream of negative press a “maddening game,” pointing out a double-standard she told The New York Times is hurting her. Describing it as a “strange race to be the most woke,” the “Chained to the Rhythm” songstress said, “They want you to stand for something, but once you do, and if you don’t do it perfectly, they’re ready to take you right down.” After some LGBT rights activists slammed Perry for collaborating and performing with Migos (a hip-hop trio that sparked controversy over anti-gay remarks) and Saturday Night Live, Perry responded, “Intention is everything. All I was trying to do was build a bridge.” She also discussed her rise to superstardom with 2010’s Teenage Dream. Perry called that time of her life “f— king intense. And amazing and beautiful and horrible all at the same time.” “I used to be scared of intimacy, I used to use my sexualization as attention, I used to over sexualize myself because that was the only way I knew how,” she revealed about her general style aesthetic from previous years. Referencing the “old” Katy Perry, she continued, “I
didn’t kill her, because I love her, and she is exactly what I had to do then. And I’m not a con artist, I didn’t con people, like, that was just me. And this is me now.” Another realization she’s made during her reemer-
Second Bachelor in Paradise Producer Files Complaint About Alleged Misconduct
More information continues to come out about the Bachelor in Paradise scandal... A source close to the production tells E! News that a second producer has stepped forward to file a complaint about whether contestant Corinne Olympios was able to give consent for a sexual encounter with DeMario Jack-
son. After less than a week of shooting, season four of the ABC reality spinoff was shut down so that Warner Bros. could launch an internal investigation into “allegations of misconduct” on the Mexico set. Reality Steve is also reporting that, like the first producer to file the complaint, the second producer was also not present when
the encounter occurred, has not viewed footage of the encounter, and only heard about it second or third hand. E! News has not confirmed this information. The outlet has also reported that, “all parties involved are wishing they could take it back. They never thought it would reach a level that it did.”
gence? “All the awards shows are fake,” Perry (who holds 13 Grammy nominations and five Billboard Music Awards) said, “and all the awards that I’ve won are fake... They’re constructs.” But despite the hate she’ll
continue to field, Katy believes, “It’s a departure, and it’s a necessary evolution that I have to take.” “And I know that sometimes it feels publicly like I’m dragging cement blocks, but like, the pyramids were made
out of cement blocks—or not cement. But do you know what I’m trying to say? I’m gonna get there.” http:// www.eonline.com/news/ 861057/katy-perry-respondsto-recent-criticism-over-newimage-i-m-not-a-con-artist.
Chrissy Teigen Would Consider Adopting or Fostering Children Pregnancy was never easy for Chrissy Teigen. She has been open about the fact that conceiving a child was a several-yearslong struggle for her and husband John Legend before the birth of their daughter, Luna, in April 2016. Life after pregnancy presented difficulties as well, as Teigen recently opened up about her experiences with postpartum depression. Now that those battles are behind her, the model is considering other options for children she may have in the future. “I would definitely adopt or have foster children,” she told Marie Claire. “Maybe I should be scared [of having postpartum depression again], but I don’t know. It couldn’t be any worse than it was—could it?” Teigen is known and beloved for her unabashed honesty, whether it’s on Twitter or in person, and she says this trait dates back to her teenage years. “I’m the person who had the fake ID in high school and college, and I would show it and be like, ‘I’m sorry; it’s fake,’ and run off,” she told the magazine. “I don’t know
if it’s way too honest or way too anxious—maybe it’s a combo of both.” This honesty has led the cookbook author to often share personal tidbits on her and Legend’s relationship, like the part of her body she thought he’d never seen. “John and I had a double date, and we were joking around, and I go, ‘ J o h n ’s n e v e r s e e n m y butthole,’” she also told Marie Claire, no sit-down with
the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl being complete without a little TMI. “And John says, ‘Are you kidding? Every time anyone does anything doggy style, you see a butthole. I see it every time.’” Teigen recalled saying, “I was like, ‘We are never doing it doggy style again.’” The Twitter queen also revealed in her cover story that however she keeps in great shape isn’t due to her love of exercise.
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Crane man suffers skull fracture during altercation with soldier
Linden Hastings A 57-year-old man is voicing his displeasure at the manner in which the Police at the Crane Police Station are investigating a matter of assault against him. Linden Hastings, called Bilaal of Lot 374 Crane Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara, said that on June 3, last, he went to the Mosque to pray. There he met a young soldier who is a frequent visitor at the Mosque. Hastings said that while at the Mosque he saw the young man and a woman sitting in the male section. He said that he asked that the young woman leave the mosque since she is not a Muslim, and she complied. Hastings stated that after the soldier and the young woman went outside he, too, decided to go outside. “I left and went outside to perform wudu which is a ritual washing performed in preparation for prayers. “While I was outside the soldier approached me from behind and started verbally abusing me.” Hastings said that the man told him he needed to watch how he was talking to him and his girlfriend “or else he gone deal with me.” Hastings said that after he heard those words he decided to turn around and that
Linden Hastings at the hospital is when the soldier dealt him several cuffs to his face. “Soon as I turn around he give me one cuff to my left eye. “When I get the cuff to my eye I tried to run but he advance towards me and started hitting my head to the wall.” Hastings said that after he fell to the ground the soldier stomped him to his head several times until he passed out. At that time, Hastingss wife who was in the upper floor of the Mosque, upon hearing the commotion ran downstairs to help her husband. She reached just to see him lying motionless on the
ground. The woman said that she had to stop a car and with the assistance of the taxi driver put her husband in the vehicle. They then rushed him to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. The woman said that due to her husbands condition she was advised by nurses at the hospital to rush him to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. At the (GPHC) her husband was admitted and she was instructed to make a report about the incident to the police. She then went to the Vreed-en-Hoop police station where the police took a statement from her. The woman said that after giving her statement she was accompanied by two ranks to the soldiers home. They were told by the mother that she did not know his whereabouts. The woman said that her husband had to undergo several tests, one being a CT scan which showed that he sustained a fractured skull. The man said that after he was discharged from the hospital he was accompanied by his wife to the station where he gave the police a statement
on what transpired. “Just imagine I nearly dead; the police have all the
information about this man and they cant find him up to now. They are dragging their
feet. I need justice, I am in pain and I am fearful for my life.”
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Sunday June 18, 2017
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WPA acknowledges President has authority to reassign ministers - Ministry of the Presidency
President David Granger yesterday morning with his team and that of the executive members of the WPA during the meeting at State House.
The administration has insisted that The Working Peoples Alliance (WPA) remains a strong an integral member of the Coalition Government. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, made the statement yesterday after a morning meeting between executive members of the party and President David Granger at State House. That meeting has served to reaffirm that the system of communication among parties will be reinforced and will remain strong, a Ministry of the Presidency release of the meeting indicated. The meeting saw the participation of nine members of the WPA executive who had asked to meet with the Head of State, following the reassignment of former Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine to the Ministry of the Presidency. Roopnaraine has been given specific responsibility for the public service. While the WPA had complained about the lack of consultation on the decision, the President indicated that there had been consultation and that there is an existing system of communication between Government and the political parties that make of the Coalition. Minister Harmon said: “The President explained that he did, in fact, consult, but they felt that the consultation should be wider and deeper. The meeting this morning was about dealing with how we will consult and the way forward. The President did, in fact, explain that the way the Coalition Government is structured is that there are representatives of the parties in the Cabinet and in the National Assembly and it is really a responsibility of the representatives of that partyin the Cabinet [and National Assembly] to ensure that they keep the [party members and] the executives briefed on what is taking place in the Government.” Describing the meeting as cordial, the Minister also said that the WPA executives expressed that they und e r stood that it is within the jurisdiction and authority of the President to assign or reassign Ministers as needed. “His Excellency was very clear on the re-arrangement, which needs to stay in place so that our Coalition Government remains very strong and that is to say that all the parties within the Coalition Government; the six parties, that we hold all of them as integral to the formation of our Government and we will con-
tinue to communicate with those parties… I think that the respect for the Presidents decision was there throughout and, quite contrary to what some people out there are saying, the WPA is a very strong part of the partnership and a very strong part of our coalition Government,” he said. Expanding on one of the significant roles that Dr. Roopnaraine will now hold at the Ministry of the Presidency, Minister Harmon said that innovations and reforms are critical to the education sector and this is the ultimate responsibility of the President of Guyana. “The President has made it actually very clear that he is not prepared to allow our children access to an education system which fails them, and we have to take steps and we have to make the decisions, which are necessary in the interest of the children of this country.” The new de p a r t m e n t will allow for the development of policies and programmes needed for the long term development of the sector and will also allow the Minister of Education to be able to focus on the day to day implementation and administration of the sector. “The COI [Commission of Inquiry into the Education Sector] pointed to that fact and what the President extracted out of that, was that what was needed was some entity which did not burden the Minister of Education in dealing with matters going forward; innovation, reforms and so on, in the education sector. So His Excellency recommended that we create a department that will oversee these initiatives and so this is how that came up, and in fact, [during] the meeting, this (yesterday) morning, they recognised that too. They said they were happy about it and they recognised that it was a good move and that His Excellency actually read the report very thoroughly and understood what was going on,” Minister Harmon said. Attending the meeting for the WPA were Dr. Clive Thomas, Dr. David Hinds, Dr. Wazir Mohammed, Dr. Rishi Thakur, Ms. Tabitha SaraboHalley, Mr. Desmond Trotman, Mr. Tacuma Ogunseye, Mr. Jinnah Rahaman and Mr. Mazarool Ekbaal Ali Majeed. Accompanying the President, along with Minister Harmon, were Minister of Legal Affairs, Mr. Basil Williams and Minister of Social Protection, Ms. Amna Ally.
Sunday June 18, 2017
By Dr. Neromini Fagu Medical emergencies can and do occur in the dental setting. Approximately onethird of these emergencies are potentially life threatening. Early recognition of medical emergencies begins at the first sign or symptom, and familiarity with the patient’s medical profile is of tremendous help in determining the onset of an emergency. Knowing what to expect and what to look for will invariably aid in a faster response. There are certain procedures that may help in preventing emergencies, and these include taking an accurate and thorough medical history, and taking and recording vital signs. Preparation for a medical emergency in a dental office is essential in order to avoid or minimize such an occurrence. Most dental offices will have a standard form for gathering information from the patients. It normally includes biographical data such as name, home and work contact information, date of birth, and occupation. The
Kaieteur News
Medical History in the Dental Office section on occupation might come as a surprise, and some patients may even question the necessity of divulging such information and its relevance to their dental treatment. Suffice it to say, your dentist is not being nosy in wanting to ascertain what you do for a living. Your job and working environment may have an impact on your oral health which needs to be taken into account during your treatment. You would never think that being an actress would cause you to lose your teeth but that is exactly what was disclosed this past week by the American actress Demi Moore. While on a late night talk show, Ms. Moore revealed that she lost her two front teeth by shearing them off because of chronic stress. While this would not happen to most actors, certain occupations will directly predispose a person to cause wear to their teeth. Think about a seamstress or a carpenter. How many of them use their teeth to “hold” pins and nails? Over time this habit will cause chips and
STANDARDS IN FOCUS
wear on the teeth. It goes without saying that the Medical Information section on the form is of vital importance. The accuracy of this information is of paramount significance because your dentist needs to be aware of all your medical needs when taking your dental health into consideration. Past medical history will dictate the type or duration of treatment that you would require. It may be better to have morning appointments for certain patients with a particular medical condition, while others may not be able to be in the dental chair for long periods of time and so treatment would have to be broken up into multiple visits. Certain medical conditions may necessitate being pre-medicated for prophylactic reasons. Persons with certain cardiovascular history may need to be placed on antibiotics before certain dental treatments, while others may need to come off of their existing medication in order to have dental treatment. The following is some of the information that you may be asked to provide when visiting your dentist:
Improve your business with consultancy services from the GNBS The Conformity Assessment Department of the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is responsible for providing essential services required to facilitate the implementation of a recognized Conformity Assessment Infrastructure in Guyana and to support the competitiveness of local businesses. Hence, one of the key services of the Conformity Assessment Department is to provide consultancy services to companies and businesses desirous of implementing any of the Management System Standards. As part of the implementation process, highly trained and competent officers of the GNBS conduct awareness sessions for key personnel of the organisation on the respective management system standard. Subsequently, a gap analysis is conducted, followed by training on the specific standard for implementation. The next step involves the development of policies and procedures. Training on internal auditing is another component of the Consultancy services programme which enables company representatives to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented Management System which contributes to continuous improvement. Through consultancy services offered by the GNBS, businesses are able to implement internationally recognized systems in their operations. These systems include a Quality Management System, which assists companies to continually meet the need of their customers , taking into consideration risk, a Food Safety Management System, which ensures safe foods are produced “from the farm to the fork”, and an Environmental Management System, which helps businesses
to demonstrate care for their environment. Laboratories, whether medical or nonmedical and Conformity Assessment Bodies such as Regulators and other Inspection Agencies are also beneficiaries of the services provided by the GNBS under the Consultancy Services Programme. The GNBS provides consultancy support to laboratories to implement the National Standard: GYS 170 - General requirements for the operation of a laboratory. Additionally, laboratories desirous of international recognition can also be assisted to implement the ISO/IEC 17025 standards – General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Meanwhile, Conformity and Inspections bodies can opt for support to implement the ISO/IEC 17065 - Conformity Assessment – Requirements for bodies certifying products and ISO/IEC 17020 – Conformity Assessment – Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection. Utilizing the consultancy services of the GNBS will allow companies that are manufacturers, exporters and service providers to become competitive since the implementation of standards will improve efficiency and effectiveness within the organisation. The cost to get onboard is usually minimal for businesses. So make that simple step and contact the Conformity Assessment Department of the GNBS and its cadre of professionals will work with your business towards certification and or accreditation to standards. For further information on this subject, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065 or 219-0064 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org
• Name and phone number of your current doctor • List of any systemic disease e.g. diabetes, respiratory disease, rheumatic fever, hepatitis, and the like • Any ongoing medical treatment • Any bleeding disorders, drug allergies, smoking and alcohol history
• Any cardiac disorders • Relevant family medical history • Pregnancy • Physical and emotional tolerance for procedures Knowing your current health status is not only important for your dental visit but should be part of your Continued on page 69
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Dr. Neromini Fagu
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Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Repairs to refrigerators, gas stoves, A/C units, washing machines. Call Lindon: 6411086/ 694-2202 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 A&T TRAVEL AGENCY INC: TICKETSGOINGVERY CHEAP!! OFFICE IN USA. CALL: 223-1332/ 6137542/+1-347-617-7582/ E-MAIL:OMKARLILIAH@ GMAIL.COM Employers post your job listings free on www.guyamazon.com For all your landscaping, weeding yards and empty lots, spraying for weeds and insects. Call Chris: 628-5990 Brian Moe @ 642-3543: Computer Technician, FB: Brian.Moe.165; Home and office visits at your comfort!! ACCOMMODATION Journey Inn apartment rental, short term with AC & Kitchen, as low as -$15US. Call: 6421783/ 646-3011634/7182301695
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Reduced Price! Apple Iphone 6, 6 Plus, 7 Plus, 64GB (like new) (not 16GB), factory unlocked - $69,000, $109,000. Call: 675-3062 Nine (9) pure bred German shepherd pups, location: La Grange, W.B.D – Call: 6546354 Mixed breed pups- Tel: 6469002/ 601-9414 Bully dogs mix with pit-bull puppies. Call: 684-9994/6878320 ask for Keno
VEHICLE FOR SALE Allion, Primo, Fielder Wagon, Spacio, Bluebird, 212 Carina, NZE, Honda CRV, Toyota IST, RZ & Pit-bull – Call: 650-7501 2011 ALLION - $3.3M, 2011 RACTIS -$2.5M, 2009 SIENTA - $2.1M, NOAH & VOXY - $2.6M, VEHICLES UNREGISTERED & FULLY LOADED. CALL: 642-7295 3.5 TON & 4 TON CANTER, OPEN BACK WITH 4D35 & 4D34 ENGINE, PRICE -$3.8M & $4.2M. CALL: 617-2891 TOYOTA FIELDER – 2009 WITH BODY KIT & RIMS $2.5M, SIENTA -$2.1M. CALL: 617-2891 One used Suzuki Escudo, excellent condition. Call: 6238078/ 645-4131 JustArrived: One Toyota Premio, never registered, excellent condition, fully loaded. Call:6238070/645-3131 Suzuki Escudo fully powered, mag rims, excellent condition. Call: 625-7380 Unregistered Corolla Fielder 2010, Dark Interior $2.4M, Nissan Pickup Truck, leaf spring, 2000. Call: 617-5536 FOR SALE/FOR RENT American Pool Table. Call: 277-0578
(1) 600 amps automatic transfer switch, price negotiable. Call: 627-7835
WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIAL OFFERS FOR THE SEASON. CALL: 690-6494 PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 677-7827, 6435122 ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM
1 Accounts Clerk, preferably from E.B.D – 5 subjects CXC minimum @ gtcareers592@gmail.com 1 Diesel Mechanic, must have knowledge of Perkins & Duetz engines, Cat & Doosan Excavator. Call: 2269768/660-2998 Hairdresser/Nail Technician apply at West Shore Plaza, 15 Public Road, Ruimzeight, W.C.D. Call: 269-1524/6563561
1 Transported property. Call: 265-3586 Hundreds of Items, new & used – www.guyamazon.com
Post classified ads free on www.guyamazon.com
For your packaging needs: scotch tape, manual strapping machine, polystraps, polybags, shrink wrap, waxed boxes, etc. Call: 6292292
Live in general domestic, must know to cook & waitress from E.C.D (live in/out) salary $20,000 weekly. Call: 610-3974
New Generator Diesel 110W, Generator/welder diesel 110w, waterpumps-3" gasoline. Call Melissa: 6292292 Sale! Sale! Seafood Mania!! Fish & Shrimp, all types and different processes. Call Cassie: 227-8176/77 ext 10
One experienced cook, ages 20-40 to work in snackette & bar. Call:663-7741/ 223-5798 Experienced caterpillar mechanic contact 223-5273/4 One cleaner to work at hotel contact 223-5273/4
Canter Driver; must have a lorry License contact 2235273/74
200HP Yamaha Outboard, 330 HP PR Perkins, Radiators for Diesel Engine. Whatsapp: 786-399-3109
Cashiers & Pump attendants tow work in the interior with experienced. Call: 644-6366/ 699-9458
Herstelling (100ftx50ft) $3.5M, Farm (100ftX50ft) $2.8M. Call: 629-2881/6511969 3762 BM Kiln dry locust @ $590 per BM. Call: 648-2356
One live in domestic and gardener to work in Mahaicony River. Call: 6559419/ 225-6571 One experienced cook for various types of vegetarian dishes, working hours from 7:00am-2:00pm, Monday Saturday 623-1615 2 Experienced work men to look after cattle, experienced in grazing & milking an asset -$21,000 weekly. Call: 2332048 @4:00pm Car/Van Driver – 45yrs + mechanical experienced an asset. Call: 227-1830 1 Car to buy on terms. Tel: 694-1258
TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)
PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461 House for sale -1 2 flat 3 bedrooms house located @ Belle West #2 W.B.D, asking $9.5M. Call: 604-1299 Residential House, lots across Guyana from $1.5M$10M. Call: 629-2881/ 6511969 10 Minutes away from Georgetown, you can own your own home, now in construction, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, concrete house. Call: 675-1510 Property @ the corner of 172 Zohora St. & Market St. Better Hope, East Coast Dem - $11.5M neg. Call: 220-1583 between 7am-5pm only. 2 Story building with extralarge land in well built $74.5M. Call: 220-1583 between 7am-5pm only. Beautiful 2 storey concrete, 4 bedroom property for sale at Rumzeight Garden, W.C.D with AC/ Hot & Cold water. Call: 699-9666/ 269-0189 House for sale, 2 flat, no flooding, 6ft fence, price $18M negotiable. Call: 2335400, 218-0595 One three bedroom concrete house for sale Contact Mala: 917-254-2909, location: Vryheid’s Lust, North. Call: 699-4111/626-2208
VACANCY Cook/ Baker and welder/ fabricator for interior. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 6182020 for more information One experienced pharmacy assistant to work in a reputable pharmacy in G/ Town (flexible hours). Call: 227-0630 Office Assistant: passes in Maths and English, computer Literacy, submit CV: ifsvs@hotmail.com Shift Cashier 7-2pm for general store on the E.C.D. Call: 649-2950 1 Experienced person to work in office for fish export company call: 674-1846/ email: 20112011@gmail.com One female cleaner for office in Eccles call 233-2745. Find job listings www.guyamazon.com
on
American Variety Store, 140 Regent & Light Street, Georgetown: experienced cashier and Salesgirl, apply in person. Exist for 1 Kitchen assistant/ juice maker @ People’s Choice Kitchen, 88 James Street Albouystown. Call: 679-9449 Night Auditor, apply to Manager, Herdmanston Lodge, 65 Peter Rose & Anira Street.
Truck driver for TM and Model M trucks contact 223-5273/74
Great Deals on video games & all gaming consoles. PC, video games & repairs – Call: 672-2566; 265-3231
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTING, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807
WANTED Salesgirls & boys with supermarket experienced , apply with written application to Best Buy Food supplies, Dennis & Middleton Street, Campbellville.
We pay in $US for land in Eccles, Herstelling, Providence, Farm, Parfaite Harmonie, Zeelugt. Call: 6117223/684-5822
1 85 Daf hauler truck with trailer, swap for 1 double axel sand truck or tanker tel: 6941258 CAR RENTAL
Sunday June 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
One hire car Driver, apply in person, 4 First street, Alberttown, 4 buildings from Cummings Street.
LAND FOR SALE La Parfaite Harmonie -$1M, Zeelugt -$2M, Tuschen Phase 1 and land -$4M. Call: 642-1252 Providence (corner lot) $4.5M & $3.5M, Farm-$2.8M, Herstelling - $ 3.5M, Uitvlugt - $2.6M, La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.3M. Call: 651-1969/6292881 40 Acre Land @ Port Kaituma Rd. Side with spring & creek. Call for information: 684-7516 Land located in Friendship E.B.D, land size 50X198, price -$3.9M. Call: 645-6498 Prime Gold & Diamond Mining Land for sale contact 223-5273/74 Land at 42 Coglan Dam, size: 37X270 price -$5.5M negotiable. Call Mr. Howes: 677-9938 or Mrs Clarke: +13473870537
EDUCATIONAL Canadian School of Arts & Science: Summer Classes 2017- Pre-K, Nursery, Primary, Secondary (July 10th – August 11th). Call: 216-6921/ 22 for registration I.A.E – Registered now for full-time secondary school, lessons, CXC/CSEC classes, adults, students, repeaters. Call: 683-5742/621-7365
CAKES & PASTRIES For all your catering needs please contact: 226-4001 Courses in cake decoration, pastry making & cookery also wedding dresses for sale. Call: 670-0798 Enroll Now! Classes: Floral Arrangement, Cake Decoration, Cakes & Pastry, Bridal Accessories. Call: 6124193/ 672-8768/ 223-3303 Continued on Page 69
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CONSUMER CONCERNS
ICT - way to wider knowledge, education and prosperity By PAT DIAL The Ministry of Public Telecommunications recently held its mid-year press conference in which it adumbrated its Information Communications Technology (ICT) programes. The Minister, Catherine Hughes, assisted by her Adviser Lance Hinds, Floyd Levi, Chairman of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), and Philip Wallcott, Director of Communications and Social Management of the NDMA outlined what is to be achieved in the near future. One of the themes of the press conference was that Guyana has to catch up with the rest of the world in ICT because Guyanese society cannot be fully functional and productive except it is computer literate and masters ICT. The Guyana State had long recognized this need and five or six years ago had moved from identifying the problem and planning into doing. At this time, a revolutionary scheme was launched giving for free one laptop for every family and providing training in computer use and care to all laptop recipients. Thousands of people including school children were exposed to computers for the first time and this drive was bolstered by the secondary schools offering ICT as a CXC subject. Knowledge of computer use is now fairly widespread,
especially among the youth and provides a good launching pad for the successful achievement of the Ministry of Telecoms’ programmes. In setting out its programmes, the Ministry did underline that the various activities will have to be undertaken almost simultaneously if they were going to be impacting and successful. In the first place, all communities throughout the country must be connected. This is important to unify the country more tightly and prevent communities from being isolated and neglected. In helping communities to be connected, Wi-Fi hot spots would be set up in public places such as libraries, NIS offices, post offices and parks. Such hot spots would in effect be information and education centres. The Government Ministries and other Government agencies would be computerized and there would be interconnectivity among them. The computerization and interconnection of Government Ministries was planned a few years ago. An office was established to accomplish this but it did not achieve much. It is now confidently felt that with the new team, computerization of the Government offices would be achieved. The full computerization of Government offices would improve their administrative
efficiency and be using less staff. The public visiting such offices would have waiting time eliminated. When Government offices are interconnected, they would regularly and quickly know what each is doing and if, for example, they are dealing with the same matter, they could co-relate and save themselves and the public much time. The development of an ICT strategy and connectivity in the Education sector would advance the intellectual strength of the country. Both learning and teaching become easier and more thorough and students would be able to do their research without depending on teachers. In a system where there is teacher absenteeism, the use of the computer could help to fill the breach. The Ministry’s programmes also make provision for computer training of all school children during the long August holidays. Such training will inevitably bring to the fore such skills as coders, web developers, programmers and animators among others. ICT in the modern world is linked to economic development from many standpoints. For example, the availability of an ICT skilled workforce would attract industries such as off-shore hubs. The availability of such a workforce would allow local industry to computerize and become more efficient and productive. In his presentation, one of
the Minister’s teams felt that there may be some resistance to the ICT drive because some districts and communities may perceive it as a government or partisan programme or project and may be lukewarm to it. We think such a fear is unfounded as people are very pragmatic and go for what is in their interest. In addition to training the school children during the August holidays, the Ministry has a much more ambitious plan to train the adult population and even those who are elderly. Training of the elderly would be a great achievement. When this is achieved, the last pocket of resistance would have been eliminated. Computer devises are not affordable to many people. Thought should be given to assembling computers in Guyana. One commercial firm - Star Computers - actually assembles most of the computers it sells more cheaply than the brand names. This also makes it easier to effect repairs. It is quite likely that if computers are assembled on a large scale, the unit cost may come within the means of most people. ICT has brought development and prosperity to several countries such as India and China. Guyana, though not in the league of India or China, does have some special advantages such as it being Englishspeaking and is located close to North America and Latin America. . .
Financial Literacy and Preparation are... From page 14 work fewer years. Some studies indicate that on average, women live 5 years longer than men, and thus need to build a larger retirement nest egg for themselves. Also, women tend to lose more income than men following a divorce. 9. Self-employed persons in Guyana must build their own personal savings: Unfortunately, certain financial products are not readily available in Guyana. As a result, self-employed individuals have no taxdeferred options to choose. In the United States for
example there are several options for the self-employed – Simplified Employee Plan (SEP), Keogh, Simple IRA and Annuites. 10. Preparation when there’s little time left: When retirement is just around the corner reduce expenses and funnel the savings into a nest egg. Take a second job or work extra hours; retire later, you may not need to work full time beyond your planned retirement age. Financial literacy and retirement planning Many Guyanese are poorly informed about basic economic and financial
Medical History in... From page 67 ongoing attention to your overall health. The ability of your dentist to produce and maintain accurate dental records is essential for good quality patient care and you can do your part in providing precise and up-to-date information. You should provide any updates to your medical status at each dental visit. Dentists are in positions of privilege and learn a lot about their patients, and this information is kept confidential. For more information contact OMNI DENTAL at 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown Tel: 227-0025, Parika Tel: 2603133 or send emails to nerominifagu@hotmail.com.
concepts, including the meaning of compound interest. Also, these individuals tend to be remarkable uninformed about their retirement benefits. To remedy this situation some employers have started financial and retirement seminars for their employees. With respect to retirement, the bank’s program will focus on basic financial literacy questions such as follows: 1. Numeracy – Suppose you had $100 in a savings and the interest rate was 2% per year. After 5 years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow? 2. Compound Interest – Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate in 20% per year and you never withdraw money or interest payments. After 5 years, how much would you have on this account in total? 3. Inflation – Imagine that the interest on your saving account was 1% per year and inflation was 2% per year. After 1 year, how much would
you be able to buy with the money in this account? 4. Time Value of Money – Assume a friend inherits $10,000 today and his sibling inherits $10,000 3 years from now. Who is richer because of the inheritance? 5. Money Illusion – Suppose that in the year 2010, your income has doubled and prices of all goods have doubled too. In 2010, how much will you be able to buy with your income? Conclusion With retirement preparation and adequate financial literacy, more Guyanese will learn to understand the value, features and planning process, associated with saving and investing and able to apply this knowledge to long term security and wealth. Next week we will discuss empowering teachers to help curb the gap in financial education. Thanks for all your comments and support. As usual, please send your comments or questions to deputygovernor@ bankofguyana.org.gy
From Page 68
LEARN TO DRIVE C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj BuildingCall: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 (affordable packages).
MASSAGE Neisha’s Massage Spa. Call: 674-8147 LEARN TO DANCE Dance to keep fit, lose weight build self-esteem while having fun, variety of styles. Call: 626-2629/676-6312
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Apartments – $45,000$160,000. Call: 644-5151 1 - 3 Bedrooms self-contained fully furnished upstairs in Diamond, 4-2 bedrooms apartment in Providence, furnished and unfurnished. Call: 672-1906/ 216-2299 One business place @ 152 Albert & Sixth Street Alberttown. Call: 691-7123 156 Alexander, Kitty, Georgetown, bottom flat for rent, suitable for restaurant, office, etc. Call: 226-9731 One large business place at ‘X’ Durban St. W/Ville. Call: 616-2445 or 226-1091
PEN PAL
Salon stations to rent; facilities available for spa & massage. Call:642-6204 or 227-4198
You deserve a relationship filled with love & excitement. Call Harmony Singles: 6262629/676-6312
4 Rooms for rental on top flat, bottom flat for business, 230 South Road Bourda. Call: 653-4366/ 690-9948 Upper flat – 3 bedrooms, lower flat – 2 bedrooms house with yard space, working couple preferably. Call: 223-4099 (12:30-6:00pm) Self-contained rooms in Prashad Nagar. Tel: 227-2993 3 Bedrooms bottom flat apartment, fully refurbished $65,000 monthly with 2 months security.
TO LET 4 AC Rooms/ 1 extra room, for business/offices @ 21 Seaforth St. C/Ville, Georgetown. Call: 226-1877, 624-7436, 654-9350 One bedroom apartments to let for more information. Please contact: 226-4001 Furnished newly renovated self-contained room, water & electricity, 12 Sussex Street Charlestown -$30,000 monthly! $30,000 Security. Call:219-1951/689-8757 Room in Albertown. Call:2253234
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CH&PA records decline in demand for land as of 2015 From page 12 lots at De Willem, Zeeburg and Stewartville in Region Three; Cummings Lodge and Providence Phase Three in Region Four and Kilcoy Chesney in Region Six.” Records show that there was a 4,677 shortfall in the number of applications in 2015 and there was a decrease in the number of allocations when compared with 2014. “The year 2015 saw 1,223 qualified applicants who selected and paid for house lots in the new schemes established for that period and in those schemes which had available lots for allocation.” This was the reality despite the CH&PA having a target of 5,900 for the year. The 1,223 allocations represented 20 percent of the target. According to the report this figure represents the prequalified applicants who selected and paid for house lots. “Of the total lots allocated, eight percent or 99 house lots were allocated in Region Two, 23.4 percent or 286 allocations were in
schemes in Region three. While in Region Four, 61.6 percent or 754 applicants selected house lots, 0.7 percent or nine were allocated in Regions Five, 5.9 percent or 73 lots were allocated in Region six, 0.08 percent or one was allocated in both Region Seven and Region Ten. Hence, during the reporting period no allocation was conducted in Region Nine.” The decline in need for house lots could have emanated from the major problem which persons found with the Authority, that is, the length of time taken for the processing of applications. This problem prevailed for a number of years. However, the issue is being addressed now with a new programme being employed by the CH&PA to deal with the over 20,000 applications in the system. Further, the report said that one of the important points to note is that 2,303 pre-qualified applicants were offered house lots.
According to the CH&PA, allocation offers are considered as a commitment from the Ministry of Communities for house lots to be allocated to eligible applicants
within housing schemes. Forty-six percent of that total allocation was done at the six One Stop Shop exercises that were held during 2015. Outside of that,
the remaining allocations were made at the Head Office of the CH&PA and the Regional Housing Offices. During that year, the Authority had identified
the three aforementioned housing schemes to be developed in order to address the housing needs and or reduce the demand for housing by the population.
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At least 58 feared dead in London tower fire
Members of the emergency services work inside the charred remains of the Grenfell apartment tower block in North Kensington, London, Britain, yesterday. REUTERS/Hannah McKay Reuters - At least 58 people are feared to have died in the fire that engulfed a London tower block last week, police said yesterday, as Prime Minister Theresa May admitted that the response from the authorities had not been good enough. With anger mounting over the government’s handling of the blaze, May met residents from the Grenfell Tower and vowed to personally oversee the recovery as protesters gathered to demonstrate in the streets around her residence for a second day. Weakened by a botched election gamble last week,
May has been criticised for her muted response to the fire and had to be rushed away from a meeting with residents on Friday under heavy police guard as protesters shouted “Shame on you”. “The response of the emergency services, National Health Service, and the community has been heroic,” May said in a statement. “But, frankly, the support on the ground for families who needed help or basic information in the initial hours after this appalling disaster was not good enough.” London Police Commander Stuart Cundy said the
toll of 58 represented those who were missing and presumed dead from a fire which ripped through the 24-storey social housing block as residents slept in the early hours of Wednesday morning. “Sadly at this time, there are 58 people who we have been told were in Grenfell Tower on the night that are missing and therefore sadly I have to assume that they are dead,” he said. If the number is confirmed, it would make the Grenfell Tower blaze the deadliest in London since World War Two. The toll had previously been put at 30.
US judge declares mistrial in Cosby sex assault case Reuters - Norristown (United States) (AFP) - A US judge declared a mistrial yesterday in Bill Cosby’s sexual assault case with the jury deadlocked on whether the disgraced star drugged and molested a woman in 2004, as prosecutors vowed to seek a retrial. It was a stunning development — and a momentary victory — for the 79-year-old pioneering black entertainer who risked spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted of assaulting former university employee Andrea Constand at his Philadelphia home 13 years ago. Prosecutors pledged to pursue a conviction, raising the prospect that the now frail and isolated comedian, once adored by millions as “America’s Dad” but his career now in tatters, would be forced to return to court in a matter of months. The trial has irrevocably damaged the legacy of Cosby,
Bill Cosby once a towering figure in US popular culture best known for his seminal role as a lovable father and obstetrician on hit 1984-92 TV series “The Cosby Show.” Free on a $1 million bail, Cosby — who says he is legally blind — hung his head and made no comment before
leaving the court in the Philadelphia suburb of Norristown, escorted by his representatives. Around 60 women have publicly accused the Emmywinning actor in recent years of being a serial sexual predator, alleging that he drugged and assaulted them over a span of 40 years across the United States. But Constand’s allegations were the only criminal case brought against him as most of the alleged abuse happened too long ago to prosecute. Her case was initially settled by a civil suit but reopened in 2015, when Pennsylvania prosecutors claimed that new evidence had come to light. “We’re going to retry the case,” said Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele. “There was no pause or hesitation about that, and we’re moving forward,” he told reporters.
Sunday June 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Jamaica welcomes one millionth stop-over visitor
Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett (left) is all smiles as he presents Paulette Murray of Philadelphia with a bouquet of flowers as he welcomed her as the historic one millionth stopover visitor to the island for the year to date. Enjoying the moment is her husband Henry (centre) MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — Jamaica’s tourism industry marked a historical milestone last week with Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett welcoming the millionth stop-over visitor to the island for the year to date. In tandem with this landmark achievement, the tourism sector has earned in excess of US$1.2 billion for the same period. “This is the first time ever that we have recorded a million stop over arrivals before the middle of the year. We are very excited about that because it feeds into the growth projections that we have,” said Bartlett, after greeting Paulette Murray and her husband Henry, who arrived at the Sangster International Airport (SIA) on an American Airlines flight out of Philadelphia,
USA. The Henrys, who are here on their fourth visit, are in Jamaica for a family vacation. Earlier it was projected that the millionth visitor would arrive on or about the end of June. However, Bartlett said all projections were being exceeded and at the end of May there were 970,000 visitors, rising sharply to Thursday’s one million. He said this was significant, “not only because it means a million opportunities are provided for jobs and for earnings but it also helps to quantify the actual revenue flow in foreign exchange into the country and I’m very pleased to announce therefore that for the first time in our hist o r y, b e f o r e t h e e n d o f June, in any year, we have achieved one million visi-
tor arrivals and earned in excess of US$1.2 billion.” He said incrementally, on top of last year’s tourism earnings, an additional J$850 million had gone into t h e J a m a i c a n e c o n o m y, “And it tells me that tourism does have the potential to drive economic growth and to bring foreign exchange into the country and create stability.” Bartlett added, “We’re excited about what can happen to an economy like Jamaica where investment, remittance and tourism can combine to give foreign exchange security.” Last year remittance was just over US$2.2 billion while tourism produced US$2.5 billion and foreign direct investment (FDI) was well over US$500 million. (Caribbean News)
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Murray hoping to make the most of last few competitions (Reuters) Andy Murray believes that he can compete at the top level for only another “couple of years” even though Roger Federer has proved that it is possible to win major titles at the age of 35. Despite the recent success of Australian Open champion Federer and 31year-old Rafael Nadal, who claimed a 10th French Open title last Sunday, Murray believes that his physical condition and fitness could limit his performances in the future. “I know some of the players have been doing really well until their mid-30s recently... maybe the next couple of years are the last few where I have a chance to compete for the majors and
the biggest tournaments,” the 30-year-old Wimbledon champion told the BBC. “Most of the players are traveling with physios now, spending a lot more time working in the gym to protect their bodies from the kind of pounding you give it on the court as well. I think some of that explains it. “I don’t know how long I’m going to be playing for any more. I want to make the most of every tournament I compete in... I’ll continue to play so long as my body is fine.” The Briton, who has won just one tournament this year, believes that the experience gained over his 12-year professional career helps him deal with the pressure during Wimbledon.
“For me, it is obviously always going to be the biggest tournament during the year,” Murray said. “A lot of pressure comes with it as well. There’s a lot of expectation during this period, so it can be a bit stressful... “I’m older and more experienced in dealing with it. The
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Turn things around, make sure that they do their share. You may find your nights sleepless due to bad dreams. Your determination and stamina will make your work look flawless and effortless. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You are best to concentrate on work. Your ability to work with detail will bring recognition. Good friends will give you honest answers. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Think about your budget before booking a trip. Secret affairs will only lead to heartache. You will be a real chatterbox today. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A better diet, exercise, or a change to a relaxed atmosphere could be ways to soothe your nerves. A little overtime may help you reduce the workload. Don't let your emotions get out of hand. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You need to refrain from being the generous one in the group. You are best not to retaliate if members of your household are trying to pick a fight. Be fair, not colorful.
Great Britain’s Andy Murray during an exhibition match at the launch. (Reuters / Matthew Childs Livepic)
Forget group win over Pakistan,Kohli warns... (From page 76) the cricket-mad sub-continent, but the experienced Kohli is treating that just as matter-of-factly. “It’s been quite a few years I’ve been dealing with that, so nothing new,” he said. “You can’t think of those things when you step onto
Sunday June 18, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Exhaustion combined with overindulgence could result in minor health problems. Do your own thing. Be extra careful with your valuables; loss and theft are evident today.
pressure and stress that goes with it maybe doesn’t affect me quite as much when I was younger.” Murray will start the grasscourt season at the Aegon Championships at Queen’s Club, where he faces British number four Aljaz Bedene in the first round.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You might want to spend some time by yourself in order to decide exactly how you feel. Your self esteem will benefit. Friends will be loyal and caring. You can't live your life for others. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Take your time before making personal decisions. Don't let your boss make you feel guilty enough to take work home with you. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Unrealistic promises will only get you in trouble. Spend some time with the one you love. Pleasure trips will be satisfying. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Your temper may get the better of you if a colleague has tried to ruin your reputation. The knowledge you have will enhance your reputation. Children may be less than honest with you. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Drastic changes regarding your personal attitude are evident. Don't allow colleagues to put unreasonable pressure on you. You may be able to get some good advice about your personal problems. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Be honest in your communication and don't lose your cool if someone backs you into a corner. You may find that your documents are not in order.
the field. I know there are people that expect the team and myself to do well every time that we play, but I understand as a player and as a person that it’s not possible. “This is a part of being an Indian cricketer. “You have to maintain a balance and then focus on what you need to do on the field.” If anything, India have tried to distance themselves
from all the noise by ignoring social media. “It’s so important to stay away from those things,” the captain added. “You have to make that sort of effort to stay in a good zone and a good mindset. I’ve learnt a lot how to handle certain things. And that can only happen when you’re able to connect with yourself first. “If you’re too distracted
listening to too many suggestions or praise or criticism, then you can’t focus on what you need to think as a sportsman first to be able to lead the team and then help the others in the team.” Admirable as those sentiments may be, Kohli will find few cricket fanatics in the two countries agreeing with him when he says of the final: “It’s just another game of cricket.”
Moseley Mike’s Pharmacy, Trophy Stall... page 79) 31 runs at the said venue. Encalls for... (From with Robert Mohan scoring terprise took first strike and
(From page 74) the girls enjoy this type of [weather]. “Going into the next game hopefully we should do a lot better and I am hoping we could put in a lot of work towards the next game.” West Indies take on Pakistan in their first official ICC warm-up game next Tuesday.
MMZ Masters... (From page 77) Lambert (2) and Arshad Ali (0) neatly stumped by Nichols before Stuart bowled Arlie Rutherford (0) behind his back with a slower ball. Chatram clobbered Stuart for six off the last ball of the innings before the Umpires began their run chase in disastrous fashion when Kowlessar bowled Kelvin Austin for a first ball duck. Banwarie overcame a shaky start to reach the ropes twice in his top-score and offered token resistance. With International Umpire Nigel Dugid and ex International Eddy Nichols among a fair sized gathering, Banwarie and Nichols offered hope before Banwarie was stumped off Haniff and Nichols (10) missed a sweep and was LBW. Massiah (20) was just beginning to look set for a big score when he was LBW as wickets tumbled in quick succession. A minute of silence was observed for the passing of Coach, scorer and Umpire Daniel Richmond who died following a motor accident in Georgetown last month.
48 and Dennis Mangru 40 not out. Parika Defenders were bowled out for 69 in 19 overs in reply. Kabesh Persaud made 19; Pooran Singh claimed 3-17 and Mohan 2-42. Enterprise beat Sunrisers
got to 121-7. Narine Rupdeo made 36 and Jitlall Jawahirlall 33. Sunrisers were sent packing for 91 in reply. J. Patterson made 41; Vishwanauth Gobin had 3-12 and Chatterpaul Singh 2-18.
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Moseley calls for calm after third defeat LEICESTER, England, CMC – Assistant coach Ezra Moseley has assured there is no need to press the panic button despite watching West Indies Women slump to their third straight warm-up loss here Friday. The Caribbean side were once again below par as they
went down to India Women by five wickets at Leicester Grammar School, following up losses to a near fullstrength England and Southern Vipers side last week. “This is the third game we have lost and some people would start to panic a
l i t t l e b i t . We ’ r e n o t panicking, this is all part of our preparation,” the former West Indies seamer said following the defeat. “Today though, I think we did some things well. I think we had a good start with the batting but we didn’t really get the score we
were looking at on a pitch which was a bit on the slow side.” He continued: “After having the Indians 80 for five, I thought that we were in with a chance of winning the game. Somehow, it seemed as if we went flat from the 25th over right up to
the end of the game and that is something we constantly talk about where we say we have to play a full 50-over game. We certainly didn’t play a full 50-over game today.” West Indies batted first but squandered a 70-run opening stand between Hayley Matthews (50) and Felicia Walters (20) to find themselves restricted to 174 for nine off their 50 overs. When they bowled, they reduced India to 37 for three and then 86 for five but then put down chances in the field to let their opponents off the hook. Moseley said it was now imperative that the training sessions took on a new level of intensity. “We’re going to have to really work hard at our next practice session and leading up to the tournament, we’re going to have to raise the
intensity of the training a little bit to get the girls a little bit sharper,” he pointed out. W h i l e We s t I n d i e s enjoyed familiar sunny conditions on Friday, they have had to battle with the unpredictable English weather over the last two weeks as they staged their training camp in Southampton. Moseley said he believed the girls were becoming acclimatised, however, but said they were still hoping for more of the Caribbeantype weather during the actual tournament. “Leading up to this game I saw a lot of hands in pockets; today I didn’t see that,” he said. “So although today was a lot warmer than the last two games, hopefully this weather would stay for a little while because we know (Continued on page 73)
Sunday June 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
PAGE 77
3 years and I class match ups to highlight Rising Sun Turf Club June 25 meet According to Compton Sancho, apart from the feature G class event, the 3 years and I class races are expected to produce fireworks when the Rising Sun Turf Club in collaboration with the Guyana Association of Women’s Police host a grand one day horserace meet on June 25 at the Rising Sun West Coast, Berbice track. Six races are carded for the day and over three million dollars in cash and trophies will be up for the taking. The entries have been
growing with over 45 horses being registered up to last week. Sancho noted that the racetrack is in excellent condition despite the recent inclement weather, it’s dry and anticipated to produce scorching action. Horse owners are encouraged to register as this process is set to close tomorrow, June 19. Owners of those horses must play at least $5,000 for each horse at the time of entry. The feature event is for horses classified G class and lower over a distance of one mile for a top prize of $300,000. The runner up will
take home $150,000 and third prize $75,000. Other events listed are the I class and three-year old Guyana bred, J 1 and lower, K class and lower, L 1 and lower and L 2 and the unclassified. Among the top horses slated to take part are Settling Star, Appling Harvest, Got to go, T and T, Cat Massiah, Bird Man, Chelsea, Red Jet, Red Regent, Something Special, Bridal Stone Corner, Party Time, Puppy Tail, Richie Poo, Seven Dust, Little Star and Unruly.
Resurgent Pakistan take on immense India ESPNcricinfo - How is it that we have got here? It seems surreal. In the age of skirting around stereotypes and upending norms, here comes a contest almost as old as partition itself: Pakistani bowling v Indian batting, and still, though we have all tasted this masala and read some version of this script, it doesn’t feel even slightly hackneyed, not even a little stale. How could it be? Australia might be the winningest outfit in the game, but are there two prouder cricket nations than India and Pakistan? Close your eyes. Bring to mind the players of yore. Waqar Younis and his yorkers, with tails like comets, making matchsticks out of the stumps; Mohammad Azharuddin, his flicks like brushwork, the ball teleporting through the leg side, reappearing so far into the distance you only knew it had arrived when it thwacked the boundary board. Here is Sachin Tendulkar tapping his bat, so poised, so zen at the crease; there blows Shoaib Akhtar like a hot wind, limbs whipping through that elastic action. An India v Pakistan match is not so much a new chapter in a rivalry, as a clash of cricketing bloodlines. And an elemental force has each side been in this tournament. India, sleeker now than they have been in previous decades, have overpowered oppositions to get to this final. Not since Australia in the last decade, has an ODI team looked quite so clinical, quite so bristling with purpose. They have a formula about their game too: start steady with the bat, surge through the middle, and finish big. With the ball: strangle up front,
make incisions through the middle, and let the opposition innings bleed out. They stand now, muscles rippling, only once against Sri Lanka - having had to break a sweat. Pakistan, meanwhile, have been the same old manic vortex: awful sometimes, amazing at others, transitioning from one to the other between matches, or within the same over - who knows how the mood will strike? While India are a knowable, quantifiable outfit, Pakistan’s strength is their imperviousness to any kind of rational breaking down of their game. How can you plan against that? Still, it is Pakistan who will have to spring the surprise here. They are the team that has to make the charge on Minas Tirith. It is up to them to gird up their strike power for the raid on the Death Star. At these global events, they have long been the racecar that goes from zero to a hundred quicker than anyone else, it’s just that sometimes, that is while tumbling off a side of a cliff. In the spotlight No one has quite lived out India’s dominance in the Champions Trophy, nor their appetite for the big events, like Shikhar Dhawan, whose 317 runs at an average of 79.25 (and a strike rate of 102), places him at the top of the run scorers’ list. Much like with his team, there is a brooding confidence in Dhawan’s game at the moment. He is resplendently unflustered by slow starts, backing himself to score quickly later on. So wellplaced is India when he typically departs, that it’s not just that he has laid the foundation, he has helped
complete most of the building. All that remains for the likes of MS Dhoni to do is stick a spire on the top, and run the flag up the pole. And who better embodies the campaign of what was the eighth-ranked team in the tournament than the man who was thought to be only the fourth-best quick in the squad. Hasan Ali has a hint of the old Pakistan sorcery about his bowling: the lachak in his approach, the theatrical celebration, the wisps of reverse swing. With ten victims at an average of 17.20, and a wonderful economy rate of 4.52, he has the potential to be the pebble that jams up India’s cogs, and brings the machinery tumbling down. Team news R. Ashwin was seen with a heavily-taped right knee on the eve of the match, and had appeared to pull a muscle. He required the physiotherapist’s attention and was then seen doing short run ups followed by stretches later. If he is ruled unfit, Umesh Yadav, who took 3 for 30 in the opening match against Pakistan, may slot back into the XI. Such is the quality in India’s squad, that they can lose a player of Ashwin’s stature and still not be too badly dented by it. Mohammad Amir has been ruled fit after missing the semi-final with a back spasm, meaning Rumman Raees is likely to exit the XI, despite his excellent debut. Pitch and conditions A fresh pitch is being used for the match and appears mostly dry, so perhaps the track will favour batsmen and scores in excess of 300 are likely. The forecast is for a slightly cloudy, but mostly dry day, with temperatures reaching the high twenties.
Some other upstarts in the lineup looking to upstage the favourites are Big Man in Town, Not This time, Stormy Breeze, Lil Boy,
Timely, Royal Prince and Bounty be True among others. Horses can be entered by contacting Cynthia Kelly
622 5975, Compton Sancho 691 1174, Fazal Habibulla 657 7010 or Niketa Ross 662 4668. Action gets underway at 13:00hrs on race day.
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Ritesh Bridgelall having a MVP Season Ritesh Bridgelall is an extremely modest humble, subtle and sublime individual but is a very good
softball cricketer, filled with a lot of courage, patience, talent and exuberance and is loved by all. Ritesh B is a
young free spirited man of immense cricket ability. He is a good all- rounder - he can bat, bowl, keep wicket and as
well be a very good captain. Playing in the United States softball cricket circuit, He has been blessed and has been embellished with feats of courage, lots of cricket talent, quickness in the outfield and also be very amiable, cohesive and totally cooperative to all those who surrounds him. He endeavors to adhere always to the rules and principles set out to him. He is a truly class act and a good role model. In the sport of cricket, Ritesh B, know more theo r etically than th e practical aspect of this beautiful game called cricket. But through his love and dedication and the great encouragement from Seal Team management and cricket staff who always bestow and encourage upon him to get involve in as many practice matches and warm up cricket games, which they always encourage to help players develop their respective cricket skills. B e c a u s e o f t h e encouragement by the Seal XI cricket team he has developed tremendously and had a stupendous domestic practice season prior to the current softball competition. He put in a ballistic batting performance during
Ritesh Bridgelall the 20/20 softball competition. In just six matches he scored 310 runs at an average of 62 runs per innings. He also took 6 wickets. So far in this completion he has scored the most runs and has the highest score of 128 not out. His six innings read as follows 12, 26, 128 not out, 57, 52 and 34 for a total of 310 runs. With all the facts and statistics, Ritesh Bridgelall is a touted to be the number one candidate for the MVP awards. With a few years of experience, strategic acuity and a super cool disposition make him an invaluable asset to the newly formed Seal Team XI cricket team.
Fast emerging as a highly reliable allrounder in the limited overs format has shown the heart and gumption to finish matches with the bat. Now that he has been rewarded for his spectacular performance, it is incumbent upon him to replicate his form in the all upcoming competition and future games. He is a key component in the Seal Team XI cricket team. Ritesh B has a big responsibility on his shoulders. Effective with both bat and ball his allround performance is crucial for his team chances in the future. Management, staff senior players like Ramesh (Famo) Ramsamooj, Steve and Romel Sookhoo, Joe, Sham, the manager of the Seal Team cricket team Seeram (Vickey) Ramsamooj would like to thank Ritesh Bridgelall for being a member of this team and wish him all the best for the future competitions. To achieve so much in such a short time is a quite amazing and totally astonishing and this definitely argues well for him and his team in the immediate future. All the best to Ritesh Bridgelall. (Gurcharran Basso)
Forget group win over Pakistan, Kohli warns before final (Reuters) India’s captain Virat Kohli has urged his team to forget the 124-run
drubbing they inflicted on old rivals Pakistan in the group stage of the
Champions Trophy ahead of the teams’ sell-out final at The Oval today. That overwhelming triumph may be regarded as giving Kohli’s team a psychological advantage but he insisted at a news conference on Saturday that it meant nothing. “I don’t see any relevance of the first game here because you can never tell how a particular team starts a tournament,” he told reporters. “Some teams start very confidently and then they fade off. Some teams might not have the best starts, and they come back amazingly, which Pakistan has done. “So everyone is aware of the kind of talent they have in their team, and on their day they can beat any side in the world. “At the same time, neither are we too intimidated nor are we too arrogant about what we are doing.” Like any meeting of the two countries, the final will attract enormous interest in (Continued on page 73)
Sunday June 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
Kennard Memorial TC Pre-Emancipation Meet fixed for July 30th The Kennard Memorial Turf Club will stage their Pre-Emancipation Horserace Meeting on July 30th at their Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne racetrack. Seven top class races have been fixed for the programme and the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority will be used to govern the action. Entries close on July 23 and no late entries will be accepted. Contact can be made with Fazal on telephone 6577010, Nikita on 662-4668, Dennis on 640-6396 and 609-9143, T. Jagdeo on 6187278, Justice Cecil Kennard on 623-7609 and Daloo on 689-0629 for entry and any details pertaining to the meet. The programme promises its usual excitement with the main event being for horses
classified B2 and lower with special weights over 8 furlongs, with the winner collecting $1M, second $500,000, third $250,000 and fourth $125,000. Other races will feature E class non-winners and F and lower Open covering 5 furlongs for a winner’s purse of $400,000, L class nonwinners also over 5 furlongs for a winners take of $110,000, the Guyana Bred 3 years and older 7 furlong race will pay a $240,000 purse, the K class nonwinners and L Open race runs for 6 furlongs and a $120,000 purse is on offer. The H1 and lower racehorses will gallop for 7 furlongs and the winner gets $250,000 and the J2 and lower category first place claims a $140,000 prize after covering a distance of 6 furlongs.
National Novice boxing tourney set for month end The Guyana Boxing Association will turn its attention to organization of a local kind when it stages the Andrew Lewis National Novice at the National Gymnasium from June 27 29. The three-day affair will see over 75 boxers from ten local gyms battling for the coveted Champion Gym trophy now held by the Guyana Defence Force. F o r g o t t e n Yo u t h F o u n d a t i o n , Yo u n g Achievers, Police, Republican, Pocket Rocket,
Harpy Eagles, Vergenoegen, Rose Hall Jammers, Wakenaam and GDF gyms will vie for honours when the bell rings at 7:00 pm each night. T h e N o v i c e championship will be followed by the Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate and the Terrence Alli National Open. The GBA has held two international competitions so far for the year with another scheduled for October.
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Daniel Richmond Memorial cricket tourney
MMZ Masters take GCB trophy with game one win
MMZ Masters display their spoils after taking game one of the seven-match series against the GT Umpires. By Sean Devers Meter-Meer-Zorg (MMZ) Masters beat a Georgetown Umpires lineup by 70 runs at Everest yesterday to take the first match of a seven-game series in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) trophy Daniel Richmond memorial t20 cricket competition. Played in sweltering heat, a 95-run partnership between man-of-the-match Zaheer Haniff (31) and Jitendra Kishore (30) led MMZ Masters to an imposing 185-8 from 20 overs. The pugnacious Troy Khan (26) and Munishwar Balgobin (27) give their team a solid foundation with
a quick-fire 46-run stand in 4.3 overs before the West Coast Demerara side lost seven wickets for 45 runs in their last five overs. Shannon Crawford (217) and Randy Latiff (2-20) bowled well for the Umpires who were bowled out for 115 in 20 overs as Skipper and opening batsman Rayn Banwarie top-scored with 25. But only division one allrounder Shaun Massiah (20) and Mario Nichols, Anwar Buksh and Mohan Chatram, with 10 each, of the other batsmen, got into double figures. Shawn McKay and Vinood Rajkumar took two wickets each to see their team to a 1-nil lead in the seven-match series.
When the game commenced, Khan flicked former West Indies pacer Colin Stuart disdainfully off his legs for four before Khan lofted him over extra-cover for another boundary in the first over. Khan then climbed into Massiah with a powerful boundary which raced across the slow outfield before depositing him for a couple of sixes. Khan, in full flow, ended the over, which cost 20, with another boundary. Balgobin then smashed Stuart, who took 20 wickets in six Tests for the West Indies between 2000 and 2001, for two fours, before
Khan was stumped by 1978 National U-19 Keeper Mario Nichols as left-arm spinner Trevor Velaidoum made the breakthrough. Khan’s 26 was decorated with three fours and two sixes. Balgobin smashed five brutal boundaries in a cameo 30 before he was removed by Lattif, who also had Shan Persaud (2) two runs later as MMZ slipped to 67-3. Kishore and Haniff joined forces on the flat track and played several audacious shots before Haniff retired out at 161, while Kishore retired a run later. Crawford had Flemray (Continued on page 73)
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GCF National Championships 2017
Jeffrey & Fraser-Green repeat; Dey & Nunes are junior and veteran winners By Franklin Wilson The Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) national championships pedaled off yesterday in fine style on the Linden Soesdyke Highway with the Time Trials that attracted 19 cyclists, two of which were not allowed to compete as they were not present at the line when their names were called. Despite the damper, reigning senior and ladies champions, Raynauth ‘Obeah Man’ Jeffrey and UK based Claire FraserGreen repeated as champions, in the case of Fraser-Green it was a historic fifth consecutive win for her. New champs in the junior and veteran categories came to the fore in the form of Curtis Dey and Lear Nunes. The just over 6mile course saw the cyclists starting at Hairuni, proceeded to the Long Creek Primary School sign before returning to the starting line for the finish.
Walter Grant-Stuart and Jason Cameron were the two cyclists who were not present at the line when their names were called, while Enzo Matthews arrived late. Yesterday’s event which was carded to pedal off at 09:00hrs started almost one hour late. Meanwhile, attention will now turn to the road races which will pedal off today from 08:00hrs on Homestretch Avenue. The ladies, juveniles and Over45 veterans will all battle over a 53-mile course which will see them riding to Timehri before turning back at the Bottleneck and returning to the capital city for the finish. The Under-45 veterans will battle for top honours in their 70-mile course which will see them turning on to the Linden Soesdyke Highway on the upward journey; they will travel all the way to the Camp Wesleyana sign before returning to the starting line.
Curtis Dey - GCF Junior Time Trial winner 2017. Franklin Wilson photo
Lear Nunes - GCF Veteran Time Trial winner, 2017. Franklin Wilson photo
Bravo sidelined unless tweet goes, says Cameron BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Cricket West Indies president, Dave Cameron, has made it clear that left-hander Darren Bravo will remained sidelined from selection until he removes the offensive tweet which resulted in his sending home ahead of the Tri-Nations Series in Zimbabwe last November. Speaking in a candid interview with Massy Insurances Line and Length Network, Cameron said the tweet – labelling him ‘a big idiot’ – was the kind of behaviour CWI was not prepared to accept, noting that Bravo needed to face up to this reality. “Let me make it very clear: what Darren Bravo has to do first and foremost is take down the tweet. Every day that tweet stays up, it is an infraction,” Cameron reiterated. “Secondly he needs to
accept that he’s done something wrong and then we can move forward from there.” He added: “But we’ve decided as an organisation – it came up at the board meeting – [that] we’ll put it to the disciplinary committee, let them have a look at it and determine if there is further action to be taken and how that will go. We’ll move it from there.” Controversy erupted last November after CWI announced the 28-year-old Bravo had declined a central contract for the period up to September 30, 2017. It emerged subsequently that Bravo, one of the most experienced members of the Test squad, had rejected the offer of a Grade C contract, a downgrade from his previous contract. Defending the move in a TV interview, Cameron stirred further controversy by saying the Trinidadian’s performances had not merited an enhanced retainer. “His averages in the last two years have been declining, so what do you do? Reward poor
Cricket West Indies president, Dave Cameron. performance or do you encourage him to get better?” Cameron was quoted as saying. He continued: “If you continue to keep giving him an A contract then what is the motivation to get better? He has been on an A contract and he hasn’t done well.” An angry Bravo lashed out in response on Twitter, tagging Cameron in a tweet which said: “You hav been failing 4 d last 4yrs. Y don’t u resign and FYI I’ve neva been given an A contract. Big idiot.” CWI demanded an apology from Bravo and also asked him to remove the offending tweet, with failure to do so likely to result “in
further disciplinary action, including referral to the WICB disciplinary committee.” Bravo complied with neither demand. C a m e r o n , h o w e v e r, defended his media statements at the time, noting they may have been misinterpreted. “If you’ve listened to my interview, I didn’t actually say you (Bravo) had a contract. I said ‘if you had such a contract’ … it was not ‘you have an A [contract]’,” Cameron explained. “It was really about if you had a higher contract then is it right to give someone who’s not been putting the numbers on the
board. We did statements about clarifying that. We have no issue. I have no issue with saying it … could have been interpreted in a partciular way.” In April, CWI chief executive Johnny Grave said a move to have the Bravo matter resolved had been scuppered after the player slapped a lawsuit against the regional governing body for damages arising from loss of earnings. Media reports said the resolution would have involved a partial apology from Cameron to Bravo and a similar apology from the player to the president. Bravo’s lawyers said in a statement no resolution had been reached with CWI but the player remained committed to representing We s t I n d i e s “ i n a n environment of mutual trust, confidence and respect.” Cameron, who in the past has been no stranger to controversy, told the Line and Length Network the Bravo impasse was symptomatic of a larger problem in West Indies cricket. “These are the kinds of
lack of standards we have had in the past that we are now trying to [deal with]. We’re not going to accept that kind of behaviour going forward,” the Jamaican administrator said firmly. “No player, no one is entitled to represent Cricket West Indies, none of us. And again, how we operate, how we behave is a reflection on all of us and that’s very important. “One-point-three billion Indians see Christopher Gayle as an ambassador, they see Bravo [as an ambassador] so how they behave says that’s how Caribbean people are and we t a k e t h a t v e r y, v e r y seriously.” Bravo remains the Windies’ premier Test batsman, with 3400 runs from 49 Tests at an average of 40, including eight centuries and 16 halfcenturies. In one-dayers, he averages 32 from 94 matches with three hundreds and 17 fifties. In Bravo’s absence West Indies have lost two of three Tests and won just three of 12 one-dayers.
Sunday June 18, 2017
Kaieteur News
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CARICOM Day ‘Cuff Out’ Boxing Tournament
GDF Boxing Gym promises clean sweep A total of 10 gyms have confirmed their participation in the Slingerz Entertainment / Vergenoegen Boxing Gym CARICOM Day ‘Cuff Out’ Boxing tournament but the Guyana Defence Force have thrown down the gauntlet to all others. The Army boys have stated in no uncertain terms that they will be taking away top accolades including the awards for Best Gym and Best Boxer of the tournament. A visit to Camp Ayangana, home of the GDF Gym on Thursday last, saw the gladiators in full training flow as they sought to be in
pristine condition for fight night. This ‘Cuff Out’ tournament is the first for the sport on the West Demerara; the soldiers have promised to make it a night that the West Side will remember as they will be sending no less than twelve (12) of their best fighters with outright dominance, their ultimate aim. Other gyms in contention will be the host, Vergenoegen, Harpy Eagle, Republican, Pocket Rocket Gym of Linden, Rose Hall Town Jammers, Guyana Police Force, Wakenaam, Forgotten Youth Foundation and Young Achievers. Fight time is 20:00hrs sharp.
GDF pugilists getting in shape for the CARICOM Day ‘Cuff Out’ Card.
Brian Lara Stadium to host CPL finals Brian Lara Cricket Stadium.
CASTRIES, St Lucia, CMC – The newly opend Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Trinidad will host the finals of the 2017 Caribbean Premier League in S e p t e m b e r, o rg a n i s e r s confirmed yesterday. Four games comprising three playoffs and the grand final will be played at the 15 000-seat venue in south Trinidad from September 59. The stadium, named after the aruguably the greatest b a t s m a n o f t h e contemporary era, opened last month and the CPL finals marks the first major event to be held there. “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing the Hero CPL finals to Trinidad & Tobago. There is nowhere that can host the CPL finals quite like Trinidad & Tobago,” said CPL’s chief executive Damien O’Donohoe. “CPL is without doubt
the biggest sports event in the Caribbean and has attracted huge international attention so this is a great opportunity for Trinidad & To b a g o t o s h o w c a s e everything that makes this country so special to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world. “Sports tourism is now creating lots of much needed jobs in the region and so Trinidad and Tobago are set to really benefit from hosting these games.” The stadium is run by the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago, an arm of the Ministry of Sports here, and was only recently completed following years of delays. Originally scheduled to host warm-up matches during the 2007 Cricket World Cup, the construction was plagued with controversy and cost overruns and eventually stalled. Building resumed last
year and the structure was finally completed earlier this year. Sports Minister Darryl Smith said the venue would do justice to the CPL finals. “What better tribute could we ask for the Academy’s namesake and the cricket-loving citizens of Trinidad & Tobago?” he said. “The CPL has become a true spectacle for the game and is enjoyed by cricket lovers across the Caribbean and the world. When the CPL officials visited last month and discussions began, I was quietly confident. “We will ensure that it will be one of the best finals in the tournament’s history.” The stadium hosted a d o m e s t i c Tw e n t y 2 0 tournament recently to mark its opening. The CPL, in its fifth year, is set to run from August 4 to September 9.
Agard creates history for Guyana with another appointment Guyana’s One Star boxing referee/judge Ramona Agard has created history by becoming the first from these shores to be selected to officiate in the South American Youth Championship. Agard was notified of the accomplishment by way of a recent letter from the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC). The championship is scheduled for September in Chile. “I feel elated. My long and hard journey is finally starting to pay off. My aim is to keep on doing my best so that it can open doors for other Guyanese officials,” Agard said. The experienced official extended gratitude to her husband Menard Wilson (also a referee), president of the Guyana Boxing Association Steve Ninvalle and executive for their unwavering support, AIBA Three Star Referee Trinidadian ‘King’ James Beckles, president of the Guyana Olympic Association K. Juman
Ramona Agard Yassin and Howard Cox of Hand in Hand Insurance. Agard, the Chairperson of the Guyana Boxing Association Referee/Judge Commission, gained her One Star badge last December following success at exams in Barbados after the GBA paved the way for her and Richard Braithwaite to attend courses there. She has since officiated at the Organization of
Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) championship in St Lucia and an International tournament in Grenada. She is currently preparing for the Creole Games scheduled for St Lucia next month. The South American Yo u t h C h a m p i o n s h i p signals Agard’s sturdiest test so far. Her last South American competition was the ALBA Games staged in Venezuela in 2011.
Mike’s Pharmacy, Trophy Stall, Nauth Motor Spares softball on today Action in the Mike’s Pharmacy, Trophy Stall and Nauth Motor Spares softball competition continues today at Bourda. On pitch one at 10:00hrs, Floodlight will take on Wellman Masters and at
13:00hrs Parika Defenders will face Liger Masters. On pitch two at 10:00hrs, Fisherman will take on Liger Masters, at 13:00hrs Mike’s Wellwoman will face Blue Divas, at 14:30hrs Trophy Stall Angels will challenge 4
R Lioness. Meanwhile, Fisherman defeated Parika Defenders by 59 runs last Sunday at Hydronie. Batting first, Fisherman managed 128-5 off their allotted 15 overs (Continued on page 73)
t r o Sp GCF National Championships 2017
Jeffrey & Fraser-Green repeat; Dey & Nunes are junior and veteran winners
Claire Fraser-Green - GCF Women Time Trial winner, 2017. Franklin Wilson photo
Raynauth Jeffrey - GCF Senior Time Trial winner, 2017. Franklin Wilson photo
Resurgent Pakistan take on immense India
The captains Virat Kohli and Sarfraz Ahmed pose with the Champions Trophy in front of the famed pavillion at The Oval, London, ŠGetty Images Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210