Kaieteur News

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 NO LONGER AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT It is said that change generally occurs through the planting and the subsequent growth of ideas that capture the imagination of the public. Over the years, this publication has served as the catalyst behind many significant changes in the country. Its role in national development is to increase the flow of truthful information that plants the seed of change. Contrary to common belief, the seeds of change do not necessarily have to be planted always by persons in positions of power. Rather, this can occur sometimes through the efforts of the ordinary man or woman in the street who feels sufficiently passionate about an idea and is motivated to share it with their fellow citizens. This is being done by our loyal letter writers who take the time ever so often to share their ideas and thoughts on issues with a national and, indeed, the global audience served by Kaieteur News. Many believe that their invaluable and candid contributions have helped to shape policies. To those sitting quietly on the sidelines, we encourage them to join the debate and to let their voices be heard. Together we can make change for the better. There are the regular contributors who have and continue to make priceless contributions to public debate via the letter pages. In some cases, their wit enables us to see the lighter side of a complex issue and their wisdom provides us with an in depth view of the various problems in the country. The decision-makers often take note of the pearls of wisdom which flow from their pens. These individuals are not just seeking a national platform to sound off because they have a lot of time to do so or hot air to blow off. They are genuine and passionate persons who have the national interest at heart and want the best for their fellow citizens and the country. The quality of decision-making can certainly be enhanced through the input from ordinary citizens. It is said that the best ideas which can inform practical solutions to problems do not necessarily reside with politicians but often come from the ordinary citizens. This is so because the average citizen often speaks from the fountain of their daily living experience, hence the saying “who feels it knows it.” Studies have shown that a major flaw in decisionmaking is that it tends to be driven more by a topdown rather than a bottom-up approach. Guyana has a rich history of this approach and the tradition continues with the present government. While several other platforms exist today for the sharing of views and ideas, more letter writers, especially youths, have chosen this publication to express their views. In fact, the more, the merrier! This is a testimony to freedom of the press and to the fact that our democracy is flourishing. Citizens are no longer shy about writing letters to the media even if they are controversial. But some of them seek anonymity. The reason is often spouted as someone fearing victimization. But there are the others who are scared to expose themselves for fear of offending someone in a powerful position. The deep-seated fear that had engulfed the nation during the last administration has disappeared. The exercise of free speech is a right granted to every one under the Constitution which means that very citizen has a right to express his or her opinions and ideas.

Sunday June 25, 2017

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

I hope Guyana is kind to people like these Dear Editor, I left Guyana in the eighties after my parents decided to migrate to the US. Before then I was in the YSM, the youth arm of the PNC. At the time also John Williams and I were good friends. We graduated from teaching college together and we joined the YSM together. It was on my initiative that John decided to switch allegiance from the PNC to the WPA. I would say there were three reasons why I made the move and brought John along with me. The first was my father. This is a long story. My father was a sergeant in the army. He was not at all inclined towards politics. But the fate of my mother’s brother at the bauxite company changed all that. My mother was from a single parent background. Her brother took care of her because my grandmother took ill and died when my mom was still at school. My uncle was the one who talked

politics all the time. It was a terrible family moment when my uncle was dismissed along with dozens of stalwarts in one swoop during an upheaval at the bauxite company. My mother never forgave Prime Minister, Forbes Burnham for what happened to a man that was both a father and a brother to her. I would say that radicalized my mother and her husband. I remember army people coming to our home and bad-mouthing the Prime Minister. My dad’s friends from the army were all anti-government. What assisted that development at the time was the presence of Walter Rodney. I believe if the incident in the bauxite industry had not occurred with my uncle, my mom, her brother and I would still have chosen Walter Rodney over Burnham. A person had to live in the moment of the Rodney marches to understand the powerful charisma of Walter Rodney.

The third reason was Freddie Kissoon. I met Freddie through John. He struck me as a different East Indian from all the Indians I knew and I hadn’t a close friend who was Indian. At training college I did not develop anything close to a friendship with any Indian. There was something different about Freddie Kissoon. I saw in him an Indian that really didn’t care about race and the fact that he was in the WPA made it even better. I knew one day, he would make a name for himself. As I see Freddie now, I think he is the logical inheritor of the legacy of Walter Rodney. I keep abreast of politics from Brooklyn and I was so angry at the things I saw happening to Freddie. For me after Walter Rodney, I would say he is my second hero. I have been reading of the stalemate between the WPA and the PNC leadership and I wonder what my dad (Continued on page 6)

Sunday June 25, 2017

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Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Our Differently Able folks are making enough viewers and buy- b u t m o s t i m p o r t a n t l y us proud ers at the exhibition. I credit must go to Cary

THE EFFORT AT CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM DOES NOT MATCH THE 1999 ENDEAVOUR

DEAR EDITOR, It gives me utmost joy to share this piece of news. I have marveled at the persons who are truly talented in different ways. There are people who take the care and time to highlight the hard work of differently abled persons. One such event was held at Cheshire Home in Unity on the E a s t C o a s t . I t ’s t r u l y mind blowing to realise that persons can be gifted with a talent one can never imagine. There was an art exhibition at the Cheshire Home, and residents such as Cary and several others showcased their art, done with not much sophistication but with mere paper and colors. Their paintings were on sale and I wanted a particular one of a jaguar but it was sold out. The Peace Corps were able to organize and invite as many visitors as possible. As such despite the distance and rainy w e a t h e r, t h e r e w e r e

know Cary because I had a c c o m p a n i e d h i m from Lethem to Ogle on a plane following a bad accident about four years ago. Initially, he was stationed at Missionary Cha r i t y S i s ters in New Amsterdam where he received initial p h y s i o t h e r a p y. T h en he was moved to his current home. In the beginning he was frustrated since he had to learn to perform normal tasks while being confined t o a w h e e l c h a i r. T h e Mother Teresa nuns encouraged him to scribble so that he could slowly begin to move his hands again. That initial scribbling led him to draw and eventually allowed him to become an amateur artist. Why am bragging about his art? The reason is simple, four years ago he could not move his hands and feet but after four years he can make use of his hands for something extraordinary. I suppose credit must really go all those people helped him reach this far;

himself who thought he would not be able to do anything but was able to achieve this. Hence, t h e r e ’s n o t h i n g i m p o s s i b l e f o r u s , i t ’s a l l within us but we need to ignite it. I suppose, there are no born artist but they become artists through their perseverance. Don’t give up. One never knows when something may turn out t o b e e x t r a o r d i n a r y. Howver the tendency is to give up when things don’t go according to our plan. Having said this, persons like Cary need encouragement and adulation so that they can feel the worthy. We as a nation need to recognize some of our strengths and build on it. Let us help our youth to dig deeper and find their worth. This will help us to build our nation. Development of a nation depends on youth when they are properly guided and encouraged to nurture their talents. Rev. Jerri Dias

DEAR EDITOR, Lincoln Lewis engaged in some necessary pushback against the calls for constitutional reform when he accused some advocates of being ignorant of key aspects of the constitution (in his letter of June 23rd - ‘There must first be understanding of the issues before the constitution can be reformed’). The problem, however, is wider than Lewis’ description. The current demands for constitutional reform are less based on inadequate knowledge of the constitution, but more based on a near absence of meaningful suggestions for changes that warrant a full-scale constitution reform process. This deficiency is not unexpected, as the sort of objective and subjective political and social conditions that fuelled the last reform process after the 1997 election are not in play today. It bears remembering that the conditions that compelled the 1999 constitution reform process included (i) a contested 1997 national election, (ii) heightened racial tension, (iii) the reality and perception of discrimination in the allo-

cation of land, contracts, and other state resources that, in the mind of many Guyanese, reached intolerable proportions, (iv) the reality and perception that government transparency, the rule of law and other aspects of good governance had gone to the dogs, and (v) the widely stated belief that the winnertake-all political system had failed and required replacement. Scanning today’s political and social landscape, one sees only weak signs of these drivers of constitutional change. The bull in the China shop, in the form of a powersharing proposal, has been put to rest, as the PPP notably, believing it can win back the government in 2020, continues to show absolutely no interest. Furthermore, the slew of good governance measures (from establishing constitutional commissions to local government reform to increased autonomy for the judiciary and constitutional agencies) has emplaced the structure, if not produced the full substance, to address some of the critical problems identified in the lead up to the

1999 reform process. What then are the current calls for constitutional reform proposing beyond tightening or clarifying this or that article? What are the compelling objective and subjective conditions driving the need for change? Where are the cries of the people similar to what we saw in the aftermath of the 1997 election? Where are the letter writers and opinion leaders pushing for new models and drastic shifts? Where are the green papers from the political parties? The answers to these questions go to the heart of the difficulty in restarting the reform process. The process is devoid not only of knowledge, as Lincoln Lewis contended, but also of fuel. By winning the 2015 election, the supporters of the coalition partners believe they have solved the political problem in Guyana which, in their minds, took the form of a PPP government running amok with power drunkenness. By narrowing losing the 2015 election, the supporters of the PPP believe they can solve the political problem (Continued on page 6)

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Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox I hope Guyana is kind to people like... From page 4 would have made of it. He died in 2009 before the merger of the PNC and WPA into APNU and knowing him and how he felt about President Burnham, I doubt he would have supported the merger. My father thought that Burnham was a great nationalist but should never have gone in the direction of killing Walter Rodney. The Rodney murder convinced my dad that Guyana would collapse and it was time to leave. He grabbed the opportunity to take his family with him, and I think we are better people for that. I have a few friends who put a lot of faith in the Granger government but the recent split with the WPA has brought back terrible memories, especially of my friend John Williams. When he died of illness, I felt

I was to be blamed. I encouraged John to leave the YSM and go with the WPA but I never received even a scratch while John was badly beaten by PNC thugs on the Merriman’s Mall. I sometimes wonder what Guyana would have been like had Rodney remained alive. I never sought contact with people I knew in the WPA after I left Guyana. I do know a few folks here who told me that they have seen and talked with Freddie while visiting Guyana from time to time. I hope Guyana is kind to people like Freddie Kissoon and those that remain in the WPA. I read a lot of criticism of the WPA by Freddie and I thought it would have been better if he had stayed with the WPA and become part of the leadership of the WPA. My mother and father were

big admirers of the WPA. Walter Rodney was their hero. I am moving on in age and though I follow what has been taking place in my country of birth, I doubt I would ever see Guyana again as I have no plans to travel in the near future. My two daughters are married to Americans who have no interest in seeing the land of their father-inlaw or mother-in-law. I never heard them speak of Guyana. Guyana is the country that gave birth to two wonderful people – my parents and I wish it well but the WPA/PNC split is bringing back memories I could do without. If Freddie Kissoon is reading this, I hope he sticks true to what Walter Rodney believed in. Kevin Thomas Brooklyn, New York, USA

THE EFFORT AT CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM DOES NOT MATCH THE 1999 ENDEAVOUR From page 5 in Guyana by voting for their party to regain dominance in

2020. I n t h e s e circumstances, power-sharing will not re-emerg e n c e a s a p r i o r ity constitutional project until and unless one of the major par-

ties loses power for t h r e e o r more consecutive elections—and by a wide margin. This reality should urge us to pay more attention to pulling the existin g g o o d g o v ernance levers (inclus i v e o f e f f e c t i v e government) to their full extent as the bird-in - h a n d approach to build a better Guyana. Sherwood Lowe

Sunday June 25, 2017

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Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

SOCIAL PRESCRIPTIONS FOR RELATIONALTERMINATION

HE SHOULD LEND HIS SKILLS TO CITY HALL ENGINEERS

DEAR EDITOR, It is with a profound sense of sadness that I seek to elucidate and contextualize the distressing pattern of intimate partner violence that is emerging as a permanent ill within the family domain in Guyana. Mr. Editor, impressionist evidence on reported cases in the daily newspaper, seems to suggest, that many women who are in violent romantic relationships are being killed by their partners as they seek to depart and permanently separate themselves from the relationship. The situation further degenerates as the perpetrator thereafter commits suicide or in some instances inflicts injuries and unleashes harm on other family or household members. This murder-suicide dichotomy appears to be much more pronounced among couples who are in cohabitating relationships and are experiencing relative social and economic deprivation. Nevertheless, while acts of violence and intimidation are on-going features of violent romantic relationship, the timing of the departure, Mr. Editor, must be viewed as an absolute life and death issue for the abused woman.

The unplanned departure amplifies and intensifies the acts of violence that are directed towards the woman and most likely lead to further abuse and sometimes death. Mr. Editor, one might infer that it is relatively safer for the abused woman to remain in the relationship and continue to experience acts of violence. This is further from the truth; but rather, it is the ill-timed act of departure that generates a potential bloody situation. The unplanned departure of women from abusive relationships is a threat not only to their personal safety and security but also to other members of the household The abused women must first and foremost consciously decide that they are leaving and meticulously formulate a safety plan that is in imbued with safety contingency. It should include but not be limited to, plans to be self-sufficient, adequate protection and the most appropriate time for l e a v i n g . M o r e o v e r, t h e abused women must seek to enlist the support of members of the Police Service, trained counselors, spiritual leaders, advocates and other physically

able members of their family before the actual separation takes place. It is also, necessary, Mr. Editor, for abused women to cease threatening their partners with their intention to terminate the relationship and leave when the abuser least anticipates. Additionally, they should cease and desist from sharing such information with individuals who may put their lives at further risk. I call upon Help and Shelter and all other likeminded NGOs to construct guidelines governing relational termination for abused women and also to embark on a national sensitization campaign to educate the affected population on departure techniques. Kelston O. Cort Sociologist

DEAR EDITOR, Something is fundamentality wrong with the composition of the city council’s engineering core. It is unbelievable that from year to year the city continues to flood and absolutely no one at city hall can produce any data to indicate the reason for this event. The whole country is aware of the location of the city but that should not negate the cause for this flooding during the rainy season. This clearly demonstrates two things: either city hall lacks the engineering science in its engineering department or it simply does not command engineering. Flooding stems from several causes - record

breaking rainfall, poor maintenance of drainage infrastructures; poor interpretation of rainfall data; faulty design to suit the existing infrastructures; inadequate storm water management design; poor data collection. Since there is no presentation by the city council from its engineers to outline steps that they are taking (from an engineering approach) this problem will persist for a long time. City Council will always be the focal point during rainy seasons regardless of the stellar engineers at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. The reason is not just for city hall to study but the people themselves

since for years that local organ has being the place of complaints for flooding. Charles Ceres who is a long serving engineer in this country and has a full command of engineering science due to his overseas training should step in to save those engineers from any further embarrassment. If he needs to work with them closely let that be or if there is a need for additional engineers with a command of engineering science then let that also be. But until then city hall will never be able to improve its methods of addressing inundation of the city, with its current engineering core. Terrell Waveney Roberts

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Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

Granger commits to reuniting girls at NOC with families

President Granger and Minister of Education (Acting), Nicolette Henry during the engagement at the NOC, Region Two. One week after visiting the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) at Onderneeming in the Pomeroon/Supenaam Region (Two), President David Granger was asked about his plans for the juvenile detention centre. The President was quizzed whilst participating in the Ministry of the Presidency’s television programme, The Public Interest.

The Head of State said that he was “quite distressed” at what he found, and promised that the situation at the facility is going to be changed. He noted that over 80 percent of the girls confined at the NOC, were there for wandering. The Head of State has vowed that in the near future, he would like to reunite most of these girls with their fami-

lies. “These are not criminals. And I would like to feel that in the very near future, I could reunite most of them with their families,” he said. The President spoke of one instance where a young mother was crying profusely every time she thought about her child. “Having looked at it again, it is not the type of (Continued on page 71)

Sunday June 25, 2017

ECD residents to brace for three more days of consistent rain Guyanese are being warned to take the necessary measures and to prepare themselves for about three more days of consistent rain. This is the urging of Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, during a visit to the lower East Coast Demerara area yesterday that has been affected by flooding. One of the catchment areas visited was the Buxton/ Friendship/Vigilance area. Specifically, side line dam in Buxton is covered with water as the main drainage canals have been breached. A number of yards were flooded. The floors of some homes which are not on stilts were covered by water. According to Chairman of the Buxton/Friendship Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Deon Abrams, the lower houses are under water. He said that

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residents will need things to get their homes disinfected and cleaned out. They will also need medication to prevent the outbreak of any waterborne disease. This was the common scene in around the area yesterday. Minister Patterson said that he will alert the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) because at least until tomorrow continuous rainfall is expected at varying intensities. He said that CDC will be asked to prepare the normal sanitation packages for those affected residents along the lower East Coast area. “Here we will see what interventions we can take, if any. I know lower East Coast Demerara coming back to Ogle, one of three pumps is not working and that one drains from UG, Atlantic Ville and Industry. It was down day before yesterday. It is a

major part. I don’t want to disillusion anybody, so I ask that persons in that catchment area to take whatever necessary precautions. We are looking at all our options. It is unfortunate. It is not something that could have been foreseen.” He said that currently the entire drainage and irrigation network is stretched. Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder, said that the entire system from Charity all the way through to Moleson Creek has been experiencing heavy rainfall. He said that this is the reason why all the pumps of the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) are operational. “They are all deployed helping out in various communities so shifting around isn’t easy to do. Everybody needs help. But certainly in terms of this area, there is a long range solution we’re working on before the end of 2019.” Holder said that new pump stations will be built at Buxton, Vigilance and Lusignan. According to Chief Executive Officer of NDIA, Frederick Flatts, the pump stations for Vigilance and Lusignan are under

construction. He said that within another two months or so construction will begin in Buxton. He said that the cost for all three stations will amount to $600M and at least two are to be finished before the next rainy season. When asked about the Hope Canal, Flatts said that the sluice is working well. Further, he said that the East Demerara Water Conservancy is currently at full capacity and water is continuing to be discharged through Land of Canaan and Hope Canal. He said that the alternative is the Kofi Sluice at Friendship, East Bank Demerara. “We’re managing the situation. So far there is no issue with the integrity of the dams; right now we have more than 10 excavators in the area there.” Flatts explained that the NDIA has 58 pumps and the only one he is not certain that is working is located at Taymouth Manor on the Essequibo Coast. This is so since Flatts could not have reached the engineer at the moment. However, he said that all things being right, the NDIA is operating at 100 per cent capacity.

Dem boys seh...

Soulja Bai order Bee Kay to build new well

Everyone has the right to be stupid. Is just that some people abuse de privilege. This is especially de case of Guyana politicians and kantractahs. Jagdeo and Rob de Earth give kantractahs money to build bridges. De bridges never build but dem don’t believe people would see that there is no bridge and money disappear. Was de same wid water wells. Jagdeo give Babbie one fuh free and he never believe people would find out. He give kantractah plenty money to build other wells all over de country. Just like how people can’t find dem bridge is de same way people can’t find de wells. And Jagdeo pay dem kantractah up front. He is one of dem who abuse ee stupidity and wake up Soulja Bai who order Babbie to give up de well. Then he order Bee Kay to build a brand new well wheh he was to build one in de first place and he tell Li’l Joe nottopay him one cent. Jagdeo abuse he stupidity further when he think he could give Gerry two prime state property fuh next to nutten and think he woulda get away wid it scott free. Soulja Bai find out and put de police pun dem. Is years now dem boys expose and complain about dem two property and Gerry never come out and tell de nation nutten. Even Jagdeo refuse to tell anybody anything. Since he hear bout police file deh wid de legal authority he start fuh sing. Dem boys seh he got a beautiful voice. If he was singing from de beginning by now he woulda been competing on international stages and collecting big, big trophies. De GRDB accountant who was wanted fuh fraud and who get away because he get a tip off, singing too but he singing in Canada. He was in de jail till he get bail yesterday. He is one of dem who abuse he stupidity and end up wid things in he pocket, he wardrobe and he bank book that don’t belong to him. Dem boys hope his stupidity don’t carry him to de level which while on he way home he open de plane door and jump out in mid air. Dem boys also hope Brassington and Ashni don’t jump out de plane on their way back home to answer fuh de stupidity dem committed during de days when dem use to walk and down dem head when dem see de Waterfalls boss man. Talk half and beg de Feds to handcuff dem to de plane seat en route to Guyana.

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Sunday June 25, 2017

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BK ordered to drill new well for Mon Repos to replace faulty one Contractor, BK International, will have to construct a new water well for Mon Repos, following news that one completed five years ago had technical issues and was not commissioned, despite almost all the monies being released. According to Dr. Richard Van West Charles, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI), a meeting was held with principals of BK International on Wednesday and a number of decisions were taken. It was decided that the contractor will have to build a new well but at its own cost. This is because for the faulty well, BK had already collected almost $34M (over 80 percent) of the $41.6M that had been earmarked for the project. According to the GWI boss, it has not yet been decided whether the new well will be constructed right in the compound at the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), at Mon Repos, or outside. Instead of serving only GLDA and its facilities, it is the plan that the new well will be providing service to Mon Repos and its environs.

With regards to the old well, the CEO explained, GWI believed that it could still be used to boost the water supply to the area, following attempts to connect it to the distribution system. The issue has been a vexing one for GLDA, a key agency of the Ministry of Agriculture. The new Board of Director, which was installed late 2015- had been addressing the nonfunctioning well since early last year. Between February 2016 and this month, GLDA’s CEO, Richard Cumberbatch, had written GWI and Finance Secretary, Dr. Hector Butts, to have the matter resolved. However, it was not until the matter was made public that any significant movements were made. GLDA had explained in its letter to Dr. Butts that in 2011, GLDA received approval in its capital budget for a well, to cost $41.6M. The well was supposed to provide water to the entity’s Hatchery Unit and the Livestock Farm and pastures. GLDA disclosed that it decided to vest the monies in GWI to design and supervise the construction of the well. However GLDA stated it had

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 engineer’s 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 revealed that 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 letters were sent last year February and again last February and that GLDA and its board want the matter to be resolved (continued on page 11)

BK’s owner, Brian Tiwarie

GLDA’s CEO, Richard Cumberbatch

GWI’s CEO, Dr. Richard Van West Charles

The area in front of this building is where the well was drilled but it is now covered in grass

Sunday June 25, 2017

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Kaieteur News

Local Govt Elections will determine Pensioner drowns after falling from bridge popularity of APNU+AFC - Granger The A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) has completed two years in office. The coalition has argued time and time again, that it was elected to make changes. However, some persons and entities are unhappy with some of these changes. President David Granger was asked during a recent episode of the Public Interest television show, which is produced by the Ministry of the Presidency, if he feels that

these changes will cost the coalition in the 2020 General Elections. The President said: “Taking the longer view and looking at the country as a whole, you’d see that there is deep appreciation of what has happened. The perception of a green state, people have adapted that idea. More and more people are adapting to sustainable energy - the banks, and the buildings, the homes, “So people have listened

BK ordered to drill new ... From page 10 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. GLDA has been demanding either a new well or GWI return the monies it was given to oversee the well project. The issue has highlighted some of the problems facing the administration with regards to state contracts. While on one hand, there have been attempts to tighten up on the procurement process, overtime state audits have pointed to weak supervision and even corruption in the tendering and evaluation stages. State engineers have been singled out for their weak supervision despite being charged with ensuring the country receives value for its money. C o n s e c u t i v e administrations have been heavily criticized for not coming down hard on contractors who have failed

on jobs, in terms of nondelivery or poor quality. There is little evidence that contractors are being blacklisted for poor work and even less evidence of government’s success in collecting penalties for those contracts.

to what I’ve said. People are proud of their country.” the President said. He added that persons are not cognisant of the developments taking place outside of their areas. He encouraged persons to “go around the country (and) they will see that some of the changes that were introduced over the last two years taking root.” “For example, people are proud of having their own towns – at Lethem, Bartica and Mabaruma. I see the mayors almost competing with one another to improve their townships. This has never happened before.” The Head of State was asked about his idea of a minipoll as a means to quantify his popularity. Granger however, responded for the coalition. “I want people to accept

the notion that the coalition as a module of inclusionary democracy is good for Guyana. I want people to look at the measures we’ve introduced and we will be introducing – in business, in health, in public telecommunications – and judge for themselves. I reckon that the Local Government Elections next year, will be a barometer of the popularity of the administration. So let’s look forward to 2018 Local Government Elections.” He noted also, that by 2020 (General Elections), people will see that the changes implemented by the government, would have brought about a better quality of life.

The body of a pensioner was pulled from a trench on Mandela Avenue, adjacent to the East La Penitence Police Station around 13:00hrs yesterday. The dead man has been identified as Mohim Rahim, called “Metal”. His last place of abode was the Palms on Brickdam, however he lived on the streets during his final days. According to reports, the pensioner, who was intoxicated at the time, was sitting on the rail of the high bridge on Mandela Avenue when he toppled into the trench. It is suspected that Rahim fell into the water on Friday night. His body was spotted by one of his drinking buddies from the Night Shelter which is located next to the East La Penitence Police Station around 10:00hrs

yesterday. The police will be reviewing Government CCTV in that area to determine how the pensioner ended up in the trench. Kaieteur News was informed that the deceased’s friend, “Mamoo” went to the bridge and noticed Rahim’s cane. When the man peered into the trench, he saw his friend in the water. By the time the police responded, the body had already gone down into the water. Reports are that the deceased was residing at the shelter next to the station but because he consumed alcohol daily, he was thrown out. He then went to the Palms from where he was also thrown out. Residents in the area said that he begged at the stop light on Mandela Avenue. The body is at the Lyken Funeral Parlour.

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Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

Duke Lodge files, eight others sent to Police Legal Advisor - Gouveia denies any role in decision-making sale process

The Duke Lodge properties in Kingston

Gerry Gouveia Investigators of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) are making progress with several probes relating to questionable transactions of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). At least 10 files are now being studied by the Police Legal Advisor, Justice (retd) Claudette Singh, SOCU officials said Friday. SOCU is an arm of the police that has been focusing especially on money laundering. NICIL is the controversial state agency that, under previous governments of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), privatised and sold several state-owned properties. It was involved in a number of large scale investments. There have been several allegations of impropriety involving those sales and

transfers of properties. Sources close to SOCU disclosed that among the 10 files, are those for the sale of two Duke Street, Kingston properties to businessman, Captain Gerry Gouveia. “I can tell you that the Police Legal Advisor has the Duke Street property files and about eight others and we are awaiting the advice on the way forward,” the official disclosed. The other files include the sale of lands at Liliendaal to National Hardware; the Sanata Complex sale to Queens Atlantic Investments Inc. (QAII); the transfer of lands at Turkeyen to Multi Cinema Guyana Inc.; properties at Farm, East Bank Demerara and New Amsterdam; the transaction involving the GPC offices at La Penitence; the Kingston land sale for the Corporate Head Office of the Guyana Bank For Trade and Industry; sale of lands at Ruimveldt to Twins Manufacturing, and sale of a plot of land at Lot 30 Seafield, Leonora. The Duke Lodge properties sales by NICIL’s sister arm- the Privatisation Unit (PU)- have been making the news lately with indications that Gouveia, a board member of the latter, bought two state properties in the Kingston area while being a board member. Contradiction PU’s online listing of (Continued on page 71)

Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

ExxonMobil history of underpaying royalties... (From page 3) with the Chadian court’s ruling. At the time of the judgment, it was examining other options. ALABAMA In 2003, ExxonMobil was found to be defrauding the state of Alabama out of royalty payments and was ordered by the courts to pay up more than US$100 million in back-pay royalties. According to www.classaction.org., in August 2012, a Kansas judge approved a US$54 million settlement with landowners who claimed they were underpaid royalties when ExxonMobil made deductions for expenses that occurred downstream of their wells. The settlement also ended a lawsuit filed in Kansas state court against ExxonMobil over royalties dating back to 2000. AMERICAN INDIAN/ FEDERAL LANDS The affiliates of Mobil with merged with ExxonMobil, were also caught in allegations of underpayment o royalties from American and Federal Lands. According to the United States Department of Justice, (https://www.justice.gov/ opa/pr/mobil-oil-companiespay-us-322-million-resolveallegations-underpaymentroyalties-american) Mobil Natural Gas Inc., Mobil Exploration & Producing U.S. Inc. and their affiliates had agreed to pay the United States US$32.2 million to resolve claims that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly underpaying royalties owed on natural gas produced from federal and American Indian leases. This was released by the Justice Department on April 5, 2010. The Justice Department said that the Mobil companies were alleged to have systematically under reported the value of natural gas taken from the leases from March 1, 1988, to Nov. 30, 1999, and, consequently, paid less royalties than owed to the United States and various American Indian tribes. The release from the Department said that the settlement with the Mobil compa-

nies came from a lawsuit filed by Harold Wright on behalf of the United States. “The qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act allow private citizens to file actions on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. Because Mr. Wright is deceased, his heirs will receive a US$975,000 share of the settlement,” the release had said. The Justice Department went on to state that it partially intervened against the Mobil defendants in the Wright lawsuit, and previously settled with Burlington Resources Inc. for $105.3 million, Shell Oil Co. for $56 million, Chevron Corporation, Texaco and Unocal Incorporated for $45.5 million and Dominion Exploration and Production Co. for $2 million. The Department said that the Mobil companies were merged into and became subsidiaries of ExxonMobil, the world’s largest publically traded international oil and gas company in November 1999. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the U.S. Department of the Interior is responsible for overseeing the collection of royalties on federal and American Indian leases, as well as federal offshore lands on the Outer Continental Shelf. The Justice Department said that each month, companies are required to report to MMS the value of the natural gas produced from their federal and American Indian leases and to pay a percentage of the reported value as royalties. “The United States alleged that the Mobil companies used transactions with affiliated entities to falsely reduce the reported value of gas taken from federal and American Indian leases, to claim excessive deductions for the cost of transporting that gas, and to otherwise understate the value they reported each month for their natural gas production.” The investigation of and settlement with the Mobil Defendants was jointly handled by the U.S. Attorney for the

Corruption benefits the rich and powerful at the expense of the poor. Say no to it

Eastern District of Texas and the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, with the assistance of the Department of the Interior’s Office of Inspector General, Minerals Management Service, and Office of the Solicitor. (The case is U.S. ex rel. Wright v. Chevron USA, Inc. et al., 5:03CV-264 (E.D. Tex.) PREPARING FOR THE WORST With the aforementioned in mind, it is not unreasonable

for citizens to be worried or cautious when it comes to the nation’s future relations with ExxonMobil as it relates to the payment of royalties. More importantly, given ExxonMobil’s history in the foregoing cases, it would not be impractical for Guyanese to question whether the state is preparing the legal framework to deal with the worst to come with the oil and gas superpower. To be continued…

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Kaieteur News

Guyanese Teachers Must be Empowered to Bridge the Financial Literacy Gap A study by the University of Wisconsin revealed that while 89 percent of K-12 teachers agree that students should either take a financial education course or pass a competency test for personal finance before graduating from high school, relatively few teachers believe that they are adequately prepared to teach such topics. From my discussions with some Guyanese teachers, it is apparent that the same is true for them. So it is vital that these teachers be presented with more learning opportunities in both financial education subjects and teaching methods. In 2005, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) pointed out that the elevation of personal financial literacy can lower the personal risk of poverty, as well as promote national economic development. Also, during my 24-year

tenure at the United States Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, the then Chairman suggested that school administrators should enhance the effectiveness of financial education for students, through which students can understand financial management problems and prevent incorrect decisions in the future. Examples of financial management education for students in advanced economies To better enhance financial literacy, many advanced countries’ corporate and government entities have already established financial management education for their students. Listed below are a few examples of these initiatives: · The United States Department of the Treasury

established the Office of Financial Education in 2002 which has worked to promote financial management education for students, even hosting stock market simulation competitions and courses for elementary school; · California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) Financial Literacy Center with a grant from Wells Fargo and General Electric teaches students to develop realistic budgets for things like fixed costs (rent) vs. split expenses, and to manage it, with many finding that they can keep more money in their pockets; · In 1996, the Japanese Securities Dealers Association and the Tokyo Stock Exchange Group provided financial management instructional materials for students in elementary school through university; · The Ministry of Education of Taiwan began incorporating financial management education into elementary school guidelines since 2011; · The current elementary and secondary curriculum in Ontario, Canada provides

many opportunities for students to learn about financial literacy topics; and · The Jamaica Stock Exchange introduced a simulation game for students that introduced them to trading stocks on the Jamaica Stock Exchange platform. It is designed to promote a better understanding of the stock market and how it works. Key factors for effective financial education The National Endowment for Financial Education suggests the following five key factors for an effective financial education: 1. Well-trained Educator: The educator needs to be confident, competent, and knowledeageable about the topic of personal finance in order to create a learning environment that is ideal for student learning. Educators attain this proficiency by attending college-level courses and/postcertification workshops that were evaluated to demonstrate impact in increasing instructor effectiveness. 2. Vetted/Evaluated

Program Materials: The content and programme materials (e.g., classroom activities, topics, examples, and assignments) should be created with the consultation of field experts (e.g., insurance agents and financial planners) and tested to be appropriate for the audience for which instruction was implemented. 3. Timely Instruction: Programme goals, instructional tools, and instruction topics should link to decisions that learners are readily able to make. If the topics cover concepts that are many years away from the capability of those participating in the instruction, alternative examples should be instituted which convey similar concepts, but can be relatable to a near-term decision or implementation. 4. Relevant Subject Matter: As with timely instruction, relevant subject matter is essential in not only engagement with the content, but also in the prospect of influencing behaviour. If learners are unable to relate to the topics, examples, and content, then the level of engagement the instructor

Sunday June 25, 2017

Dr. Terence Smith, Deputy Governor, Bank of Guyana seeks will not be achieved. 5. Evidence of Impact (Evaluation): Well-designed evaluations, which can be managed internally or by an external party, tell educators where they are having impact on behaviour, knowledge and/or confidence, where students are engaged, and where improvements need to be made. Without evaluation, instructors rely on anecdotes to inform their work, where a more robust assessment can show where immediate improvements can be made and which areas of success can be capitalized. A note on financial education strategies OECD and INFE suggest that national financial strategies are increasingly involving the introduction of financial education into the school curriculum and the design and implementation of dedicated learning frameworks. Against the backdrop, including financial education in the formal school curriculum must be recognised as one of the most efficient and fair ways to reach a whole generation on a broad scale. In addition, since the curriculum spans several years and can start as early as kindergarten, it is a unique means to inculcate and nurture a sound financial culture and behaviours amongst future adults. Yet, according to OECD, the successful integration of financial education in school curricula can be challenging in many respects owing to a vast range of constraints, notably due to the fact that this a new endeavour for most national administrations, including Guyana. These challenges include lack of resources and time; overloaded curricula; insufficient expertise and know; lack of high quality materials, the variety of stakeholders involved; and commitment and overall accountability. Next week we will discuss the importance of financial literacy in the workplace. Thanks for all your comments and support. As usual, please send your comments or questions to deputygovernor@ bankofguyana.org.gy

Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

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Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

June criminal session opens in Food and Drug Department warns Berbice - No judge assigned to hear cases against deceptive Vinegar labels The June 2017 criminal session of the Berbice High Court opened on Tuesday with the usual pomp and ceremony outside the Berbice High Court building on Esplanade Road, New Amsterdam. Leading the parade was a police contingent made up of ranks of the police B division and a police military band. The police contingent marched off from Central Police Station, the Police headquarters at Coburg Street and Strand, and then headed along Strand New Amsterdam to the High Court accompanied by the police drum corp. The salute and inspection was taken by

Justice Franklyn Holder wh o was escorted by Commander of Police B Division, Assistant Commissioner Ian Amsterdam. When the session was called to order Justice Holder addressed the jurors present. He informed them that he was not the presiding judge for the session, and he was only asked to open the assizes since no Judge has been assigned. He outlined to the potential jurors some of their roles and responsibilities, and emphasized the importance of these roles in the dispensation of justice. They are to return to court on July 11, next. The jail delivery was presented by

Superintendent of Prisons, Mr. Paul James. It showed that 31 persons including two women have been committed to stand trial this session. Of that number 26 are for the capital offence of m u r d e r, t w o a r e f o r attempted murder and the other three are for sexual penetration. The longest on remand a r e Narvin Sugrim, and Ravendranauth Mohanlall who have been incarcerated for over five years. The two women are H e m w a t t i e Abdulla and Seerojie Permaul. Two prisoners have indicated a willingness to plead guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter.

Local importers and manufacturers are being dissuaded from outfitting their products with deceptive labels. A statement to this effect was issued by the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department (GAFDD), this past week. In its statement, the body said that it wishes to advise all importers and local manufacturers that the word “Vinegar” must not appear on the label of products that are solutions/liquid prepared by diluting concentrated acetic acid. According to the Laws of Guyana Food and Drug Regulation Division 16 (I, VII & VIII), Vinegar is a solution/ liquid obtained by the acetous fermentation of an alcoholic liquid and shall contain no less than four percent or more than 12 percent of acetic acid, while the labels of a solution/ liquid prepared by diluting concentrated (synthetic) acetic acid must state “Diluted Acetic Acid (Food Grade four-12 percent)” and not Vinegar. The Department recently observed that there are several labels of locally manufactured and imported products that are actually solutions/liquids of food grade diluted acetic acid that misleadingly carry the word Vinegar. According to the Laws of Guyana Food and Drug Act Chapter 34:03 Section 6: “Any person who labels, packages, treats, processes, sells or advertises any food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive or is

- urges consumers to make informed choices while shopping

Acetic Acid is not vinegar. The bottles on the left are misleading. Those on the right are genuine vinegar likely to create an erroneous impression regarding its character, value, quantity, composition, merit or safety is guilty of an offense.” Consumers are moreover being advised about this practice and are being urged to take a closer look at labels so that they can make an informed choice between what is Vinegar (natural) and/or Diluted Acetic Acid (synthetic). According to the GAFDD statement, “Members present at our last monthly

National Food Safety and Control Committee Meeting were briefed about this practice and action will be taken against perpetrators which includes and is not limited to; the refusal of entry into Guyana products with misleading labels, refusal of approval of local labels with the word Vi n e g a r o n products that are diluted acetic acid and the withdrawal of support to local manufacturers who refuse to comply with labelling requirements for this category of product.”

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Kaieteur News

WWF, Agriculture Ministry join forces to improve artisanal fishery sector “Fishes don’t recognise boundaries. (Therefore), we must work together to ensure sustainable harvesting so (that) we do not deplete the stock and leave nothing for the future. It’s not a onecountry sector.” Those were the poignant words of Mr. Denzil Roberts, the Chief Fisheries Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture, as stakeholders welcomed the recent opening of the Sustainable Fisheries Framework and Strategy Development workshop. The crucial event was organised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries Department. The three-day workshop was held from June 21 to June 23, 2017 at Cara Lodge. It attracted the participation of stakeholders from Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname, including the artisanal fisher folk, industrial sector, Fisheries Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Coast Guard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, University of Guyana and the Maritime Administration Department. The workshop sought to promote the development, management, monitoring and sustainable use of marine living resources and the development of Guyana’s Artisanal

A section of the audience at the workshop

fisheries sector. Aiesha Williams, the Country Manager of WWF in Guyana, emphasised the importance of fisheries, not only for its biodiversity significance, but also for its importance for food security and livelihoods. The areas of focus for the workshop were fisheries research and development, environmental protection and management, monitoring, control and surveillance, and fisheries operations and support.

The key take-away from the workshop was that there is need for accurate data to inform evidence-based policies, updated legislation and effective enforcement of laws, especially with regards to the licensing process, piracy and Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing. It was also noted that there is a need for a transboundary relationship among fisher folk and government authorities within the

The Baccoo Speaks The rains will see vehicles driving overboard in the city. This is a common sight. A driver would be inattentive as she approaches a turn in the road uncertain where the edge is. The driver would be trapped briefly, but public-spirited people would be on hand to effect the rescue. ** It has long become increasingly difficult for the

drug dealers to move their stuff around. Another dealer

would try to smuggle some cocaine in a way that was tried before and of course, discovered by the authorities.There is going to be an arrest. ** Another domestic murder would occur in a depressed area. Infidelity would be the root cause. But what would be shocking would be the brutal manner in which the killing would be executed.

Guianas. Following the knowledge exchange from each country, the participants had the opportunity to propose their key objectives in order to formulate action plans and strategies for implementation. The proposals included creating structured and functional cooperatives; establishing incentives for artisanal fishers for the submission of accurate data; forming a traceability mechanism

for fish from catch to export; more capacity-building for both the staff of the Fisheries Department and fisher folk; and an urgent call to move beyond the strategic planning phase, so that concrete actions are executed. The workshop was only the first step towards improving the artisanal fishery sector in Guyana and the final report will be submitted to the relevant

authorities for implementation of strategies. T h e w o r k s hop ended with participants making an early morning visit to the Georgetown Fishermen’s Co-operative Society Limited at Meadow Bank Wharf where they observed the operation of the artisanal vessels, followed by a visit to Pritipaul Singh Investment Inc. (PSI Inc.) to observe the operations of the fishing industry.

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Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

Region’s women urged to break glass ceiling MEXICO CITY (CMC) – The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Bárcena, has urged regional women to break the glass ceiling through emancipation, and political, physical and economic autonomy. Addressing the “Forbes Powerful Women Forum 2017,” here, Bárcena said that women’s economic autonomy is “fundamental because it represents true emancipation.” However, she warned that poverty “wears a

woman’s face in the region,” and that 75 million people suffer extreme poverty, while 185 million live in situations of poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean. Bárcena said this is exacerba t e d b y t h e w i d e wage gap between men and women, “which still stands at 18 per cent in the region. “This is not fair. We h a v e t o f i g h t so that women with similar jobs receive the same pay as men.” In terms of physical autonomy, Bárcena empha-

sized that sexual and reproductive rights are essential. “ I t ’s a b o u t d e c i d i n g about ourselves, our body, our territory,” she said, adding that officials must effectively address teenage pregnancy, “which is one of the deepest expressions of inequality and mainly affects the poorest populations in Latin American and Caribbean societies.” The senior United Nations official also called for eliminating maternal mortality and raising the visibility of its indicators, warning that “the great

scourge that still persists in our region is violence against women.” She said that, despite multiple initiatives, violence against women “continues to be a grave problem, not only in poor households but also in high-income ones.” With regard to decision-making, Bárcena said women need more participation in hierarchical positions and greater access to ownership of financial assets and property. She said that the presence of women in spheres of power does not surpass

30 per cent. The ECLAC’s Executive Secretary noted that gender equality is “an axis” of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, “a roadmap that puts equality at the center, especially gender equality.” She said that there are

three “indispensable policy objectives” that must be applied in order to achieve equality for women. “Equality is the goal on the horizon, and we must move from a culture of privilege to a culture of equality.”

UN calls on Haiti Govt. to ‘step up’ PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AFP) – The UN Security Council yesterday urged Haiti’s government to take on a more active role in the country’s development, as international peacekeepers prepare to pull out after a 13year mission. “It is important to stress that we expect a stronger level of national ownership and leadership from the government and authorities in Haiti,” said Bolivian envoy Sacha Sergio Llorenty Soliz, as the Security Council wrapped up a 48-hour visit to Haiti. After two years of political turmoil, Haiti has brought its electoral process to a close, but concerns persist in the country, the poorest in the Americas. Economic growth remains

significantly lower than in neighbouring countries, as the country’s poor majority struggles against inflation exceeding 15 per cent annually. However, an improved security environment prompted the Security Council to vote in April to renew for a final six-month period its UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, known by its French acronym MINUSTAH. Once the last foreign soldiers have gone, the UN will deploy a successor operation, the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH). Its two-year mission involves training Haiti’s national police and working to help the country bolster the rule of law.

Eight killed, five missing in Colombia coal mine blast Bogota (AFP) - An explosion at an illegal coal mine in central Colombia killed at least eight people, as rescuers scrambled to find five others still missing, authorities said yesterday, updating earlier figures. The blast Friday occurred at a coal mine in the town of Cucunuba in Cundinamarca state, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) north of Bogota, at about 2130 GMT. One person was injured in the explosion, authorities said. Earlier reports listed two dead and 11 miners missing in the disaster. A rescue crew of 35 miners and seven engineers has been working “around-the-clock” in a frantic search for the miss-

ing, the National Mining Agency (NMA) reported. “We are going to dig by hand throughout the night to try to rescue” the missing workers, Wilson Garcia, director of the emergency response unit in Cundinamarca, told AFP late Friday. President Juan Manuel Santos, who was wrapping up a visit to France, used Twitter to express his “solidarity with the victims.” Officials said they do not know what caused the explosion. A total of 28 mining emergencies were reported in Colombia in the first five months of this year, leaving 23 dead and 33 injured, according to an NMA report. Sixty percent of the accidents occurred in coal mines.

Sunday June 25, 2017

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Kaieteur News

A country that does not assess its functionaries has no right to exist I have long made up my mind that Guyana’s main problem is the psychic damage of its people, which I truly believe emerged in the turbulent period of what I refer to as “the three-pronged rage,” meaning the duel that turned deadly between the PNC, PPP, WPA, the middle class and civil society from 1970 onwards. The aftermath of that battle, which climaxed in the destructive reign of Jagdeo, has deeply scarred this nation, and has reduced its capacity to think rationally, logically, to embrace humane feelings and birth visionary ideas. Not for a moment do I think that the continuation of the problem is political leadership only. The mental sarcoma afflicts the entire society. I will have more to say on the horrible decline in the wholesomeness of the WPA, but that party’s current debased political culture is

symptomatic of the magnitude of the psychological destruction of this nation. But as I alluded to above, the rut lies not only in the political leadership, but in each of us. I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that if you chase away all political parties and allow civil society of professionals, trade unionists, business people, church people, NGOs, youth organizations to form the government, the same backwardness, mediocrity and inept, inane, jejune government we will get. The problem is in the nation as a whole, not the political leadership only. I firmly believe that Guyana’s youths constitute one of the most backward groups of young people anywhere in the world. In command societies where the population is fearful of their intolerant government, I seriously doubt you can find

a more sheepish set of students as we see at the University of Guyana. UG students are an embarrassment to modern civilization. After 2015, we took to the streets to usher in a new era, but it was not to be. A pyrotechnic example of this is the University of Guyana Council. It is even more barren than when the PPP imposed its own Council from 1992 onwards until 2015. What I have been hearing from the academics makes me think that UG may be slipping backward. The thought is frightening and depressing, because this country knew how insipid the university became under Jagdeo and Ramotar. And to think you have a new government with a new council. The bonfires of mediocrity light up that place at the moment. I read a news item in the press and I turned to my editor, Adam Harris and I said; “Adam, did they assess these

people?” Adam replied, “I hope so.” I am referring to the recent promotion of a number of magistrates. There cannot be a country in the world in the 21st century where you would promote judges, generals, magistrates, heads of corporations, head teachers and so many other categories, without the periodic assessment format. I do not believe those magistrates were assessed. I will withdraw this statement and apologize, but I very much doubt it. I know my country. I have lived here all my life. We have come to the end of one year of the tenure of the three-year appointment of the new Vice Chancellor of UG. I wrote about UG last Friday, so I don’t want to repeat myself But it is my firm opinion that the UG Council will not sit down in a studied session and analyze his accomplishments

and separate the peripheral from the substantial. That Council will not evaluate the failures if any, the successes if any, of the Vice Chancellor. Life will go on as normal. Each day a joke is born in this country and that joke, adds to the tally of the ocean of clownish acts that we are literally drowning in. I read that the Government has assembled a panel to evaluate applicants for the posts of Chief Justice and Chancellor. The panel only has persons trained in law. Surely at a commonsensical level, you add non-law persons to the panel, so they can act as a bulwark against the possibility that because the applicants are from the legal profession and those evaluating them are from the same profession, there could be a less objective judgement. New Zealand once had an Ombudsman that was not a

Frederick Kissoon judge. For some strange psychic reason, the people in Guyana are averse to thinking outside the box, of birthing novel ideas and seeking to go beyond the banal and the ordinary. My heart goes out to the young proletarians from class-driven Guyana that have to stay in Guyana and live among an encroaching ocean of deadly waves of mediocrity.

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Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

Selecting the GECOM chair … LISTS FROM THE PAST The appointment of a new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) remains a trending topic in national conversations. Speculation is rife, with a lot of suppositions and threats emanating from the Opposition. This process has never really been easy or straight forward, but sensible, forward-thinking men and women had been able in the past to draw up lists of nominees that did not provoke contention and threats. This recent contretemps over finding a suitable Chairman for the Elections Commission really started to simmer before the departure of the last GECOM Chairman, Dr. Steve Surujbally. It began to boil in the immediate aftermath of the 2015 general elections when the PPP started the shouting, demanding that Surujbally goes away. He (Surujbally) eventually proceeded on well-earned retirement after the search for his replacement had begun. Since the Carter formula was implemented in the runup to the 1992 elections (it

was subsequently enshrined in the Constitution), there have been no prior instance of a President finding the list of nominees submitted to him to be so unacceptable. We are indeed in uncharted territory. The first list submitted by Jagdeo in December 2016 could be reasonably deemed unusual and noticeably different. But let’s backpedal a few decades. In 1991, then Opposition Leader, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, submitted the following list to then President Desmond Hoyte:1. Ambassador Rudolph (Rudy) Collins 2. Jules DeCambra 3. Joey King 4. Edward Luckhoo 5. Brynmore (Bryn) Pollard 6. David Yankana Ambassador Rudy Collins was selected by Hoyte. In 1995 after the PPP/C assumed office and prior to the 1997 elections, Desmond Hoyte who was leading the Opposition at the time submitted the following list to President Cheddi Jagan:1. Justice Rudolph Harper

2. Edward Hopkinson 3. Randolph Kirton 4. Ambassador Charles Liburd 5. Justice James Patterson 6. Attorney Doodnauth Singh He selected Attorney Doodnauth Singh. In 2000, Opposition Leader Hoyte submitted the following list to Jagdeo who had recently replaced Janet Jagan as President. That list was composed of:1. Professor Dennis Craig 2. Harold Davis 3. Dr. Gem Fletcher 4. Brigadier David Granger 5. Justice Rudolph Harper 6. Major General (rtd) Joseph (Joe) Singh Then President Jagdeo selected Retired Major General Joseph Singh who resigned about one (1) year later, so in March 2001, Desmond Hoyte had to submit another list to the President. This one was identical to the Y2K list, save for one change – Maj. Gen. Joe Singh was replaced by Dr. Steve Surujbally, and the rest, as they say, is history. You would observe

though that Justice Rudolph Harper had featured on all three lists submitted by the late President Hoyte. Before he retired from public service, Justice Harper had been a Justice of Appeal, a Puisne judge and Chief Justice. In 1991, the list that had been submitted by Opposition Leader Cheddi Jagan had included Attorneys-at-Law Edward Luckhoo, Bryn Pollard (who is also a former Chief Parliamentary Counsel), and Joey King. So, here we are in 2017 and the first list submitted by Jagdeo in December 2016 could best be described as historic and unusual. Whether it was deliberate or not, the list did not include the name of one ranking member of the legal profession – no former judge, or a Senior Counsel who qualified to be appointed a Judge. It does include Accountant Christopher Ram who holds a Legal Education Certificate (LEC) and was admitted to the Guyana Bar in October 2009. Here is the December list:1. Ramesh Dookhoo 2. Lawrence Latchmansingh 3. Major General (rtd) Norman McLean 4. Christopher Ram 5. Professor James Rose

6. Rhyaan Shaw President Granger then requested a different list from which he had to have the ability to select from a field of very eligible candidates. It was not enough that the December list contained only one member of the legal fraternity. He has been insisting on the nominees/list being chosen in strict accordance with Article 161 (2) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. That Article states, “The Chairman of the Elections Commission shall be a person who holds or who has held office as a judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court or who is qualified to be appointed as any such judge, or any other fit and proper person, to be appointed by the President from a list of six persons, not unacceptable to the President, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition after meaningful consultation with the nongovernmental political parties represented in the National Assembly”. So a second list was prepared and submitted by the Opposition Leader in May, 2017. This time the list con-

sisted of:1. Retired Justice of Appeal B.S Roy 2. Retired Justice William Ramlall 3. Former Magistrate, Oneidge Walrond-Allicock 4. Attorney-at-Law, Kashir Khan 5. Attorney-at-law, Nadia Sagar 6. Gerald Gouveia President Granger had outlined in very specific terms the qualities that should reside in ALL (or most) of the people presented on any list in accordance with the inferences in the aforementioned Article 62, and there should be a sufficiently wide field of nominees to choose from. Those qualities include impartiality, political neutrality, and no record of activism for any racial, religious or genderbased cause. The candidates must be honest, of high integrity, faithful and diligent. The Opposition Leader is now required to produce a third list of nominees, minus the threats of creating social and economic instability if he doesn’t have his way. The Head of State still has the option of working together with the opposition to reach a consensus and appoint an impartial candidate to govern the elections mechanisms.

Sunday June 25, 2017

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Kaieteur News

My column

Three violent murders in one week There is no shortage of excitement. Three people died violently this past week and the evidence is clear. People still have no regard for human life. It all began when a man killed his wife in the most brutal manner. The reports are that the man had gone to Suriname for whatever reason, leaving his wife and their five children behind. Something happened and he was reportedly deported to Guyana. I could only suppose that people would return to the place they know under such conditions, so the man went back to the home of his reputed wife. Neighbours talked about infidelity, but the man’s daughter put the situation in perspective. She said that after her father left for a number of years, her mother simply moved on with her life. Sometimes I wonder why women would acquiesce to their former partners when everything seemed to be at an end. Eyewitnesses would say that the man bludgeoned his wife in the head with a stool. As she lay on the ground the man reportedly queried, “You ain’t dead yet? Like you hard fuh kill.” People were standing by, some said because

they were afraid to intervene. He then used a chopper for effect. He is reportedly still at large. All this happened in Berbice where the second killing took place in the most unlikely of places.—the prison. Two accused killers are taken to jail. On their return they are pounced on by three men and stabbed. One of them died. The authorities would later say that the two victims, both of them brothers, are known bullies in the jail. They would attack anyone who crossed them. This time around, one of their attackers, himself in jail for murder, would later say that he got word that the brothers had planned to kill him. He claimed he heard them shopping around for a stabbing implement. I am aware that there are constant sweeps in the prison. Just a few years ago in the same New Amsterdam prisons there was a riot that saw an inmate losing his fingers. There was an inquiry that revealed that some prison officers were complicit. For a few dollars they would return seized implements to the prisoners. I am sure that despite

some of the officers have been transferred, they have been replaced by others equally corrupt. One may contend that the officers are not paid as well as they would like, so they would seek opportunities to make extra money. In this case, two accused killers put out the word that they wanted a stabbing implement and word does get around. So it was that the intended victim found out and used the knowledge to his advantage. He and his colleagues bided their time until the two brothers entered their enclave and attacked with deadly effect. What I can’t seem to understand is why would a man who is in prison for murder not hesitate to add another murder to his name. I can only suppose that it is because they have grown accustomed to their environment and they know that they would not be executed. The other victim of this attack is in hospital and would probably have to be moved from that prison for his own safety. The third murder was discovered just outside a South

Sophia woman’s backdoor. The victim was a mere eight years old. Someone spotted the body in a swampy area and raised an alarm. It is here that things get interesting. There is the report that when a child spotted the coat on the victim’s back and tried to use a stick to reel it in, the homeowner shouted at him. However, word went out and others made the discovery. People began to ask how was it that the homeowner did not notice the body outside her backdoor. They also wanted to know who would kill an eight-year-old who exhibited so much promise. The area is known for its electricity theft so init i a l l y, t h e r e w a s t h e thought that the child had come into contact with a live wire and died. But it was all left to the post mortem, which concluded that the child was murdered. The post mortem con-

cluded that something was stuffed into the child’s mouth then someone choked him. That could not have been a fight, but it could have been a ritual killing. In this day and age there are people who believe that they must take a life to improve theirs. I did read about one such killing in Berbice. A woman named Fullington went to the gallows for the death of a girl named Lilowattie. She was found in the pit of an outhouse. I also remember the late President Forbes Burnham represented Fullington. One day I was sitting with him in his office, years after Fullington was hanged, and he still believed that the woman should not have been hanged, not because of her sex, but because there was not enough conclusive evidence. There were other ritual killings, and I can say that those who perpetrated them did not improve their

Adam Harris lives one jot. What I can say at this time is that peace is prevailing in this community after the murder. There were no arrests at the time of writing, but I am certain the police would take some people into custody. So we have had three deaths this past week, all of them violent. I wish I could say that there would be no more but then again, this is Guyana, and we have some sick people in our midst.

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Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

Facing Reality - GUYSUCO In the run-up to the May 2015 elections the Coalition promised the nation that if elected to office it would find a way forward for GUYSUCO. A promise was made that a Commission of Inquiry into the operations of the Guyana Sugar Corporation would be convened and with the support of an expert multi-disciplinary group, review, analyze and recommend the way forward for the sugar industry. The COI interviewed several persons with expertise in various areas and made site visits to the estates owned and operated by GUYSUCO. It conducted desk reviews and used sub-committees to delve into specific aspects of GUYSUCO’s business units. The report of the COI is available online and contains the findings about the condition of the industry. A pattern of persistently poor performance by GUYSUCO was observed between 2006 and 2015. During that time period, average annual output of sugar declined by 14 percent and annual average foreign earnings went down by six percent.

The output projections suggested that the company would have to produce 305,000 tonnes of sugar annually over the next 10 years to earn an average income of G$29billion per annum for the period. However, GUYSUCO accumulated a total net loss of income of G$40 billion by the end of 2015. Given the present condition of the industry and its past financial performance, GUYSUCO was unlikely to meet those production and financial targets. Further, the company estimated that it would incur a total loss of G$96 billion from 2015 to 2025, an annual loss of G$10 billion per year, rendering its production objectives futile under present conditions. In addition, the cash position of the company was precarious and reflected an inability to meet its short-term debt which amounted to G$37.7 billion at the end of 2015. Given the financial projections for the period 2016-2025, the company has no hope of meeting its current or future debt obligations without radi-

cal changes to its operations. Further, the total equity of GUYSUCO declined from G$60.3 billion in 2006 to G$20.5 at the end of 2015, a significant loss of 65 percent of its ownership. With a capital structure of G$140 billion and claims on only 30 percent of the assets, it is evident that creditors and not the government of Guyana are in control of the enterprise;(if the creditors feel insecure about the future of the industry, they can force GUYSUCO into involuntary bankruptcy). With the future financial projections, the Government of Guyana was likely to lose total control of the company if it tried to keep it as is. The woes of GUYSUCO became apparent many years ago, but the starkness of the crisis in which the corporation was mired raised its ugly head in 2008 (during the Jagdeo administration) when it recorded a net loss of G$4.1 billion. The loss–making trend continued through 2012. GUYSUCO turned a profit in 2013 before resuming its lossmaking habits in 2014 and in

2015. While GUYSUCO was still making a small contribution to GDP through 2010, the corporation became a complete drag on the economy from 2011. Buying high and selling low is no strategy for success. It is a recipe for disaster since the company is unable to cover operating costs and critical fixed costs, including those such as drainage and irrigation. CRITICAL DECISIONS Like any other business GUYSUCO has three critical decision points, namely profit maximization or sales maximization; breakeven and shutdown of operations; or make radical modifications to the business model. The negative gross margins exhibited in the financial performance of estates have significant meaning for the relevance and future of the sugar industry to the Guyana economy. Negative gross margins mean that the marginal revenue of GUYSUCO is below its variable costs. Therefore, GUYSUCO is in no position to maximize profits or to maxi-

mize sales. Nor is it breaking even. Instead the government has opted to search for the most reasonable manner to resolve the crisis in the industry. This positive attitude has led to the desire of saving the profitable operations of GUYSUCO and as many jobs as possible while modifying or divesting the unprofitable components of the corporation for the benefit of all stakeholders. This approach makes sense, since negative gross margins mean that GUYSUCO is contributing virtually nothing to GDP. Given the vision that the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana had for GUYSUCO, on December 31, 2016, the government commenced consultations with key stakeholders, the opposition Party (The Peoples Progressive PartyPPP) and the Unions - the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Guyana Labour Union (GLU) and the National Association of Agricultural Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE).

The government made available the options for GUYSUCO as stipulated by the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report, the Corporation’s proposals and the Task Force’s report. The government also requested stakeholders to submit their ideas for the future of GUYSUCO. Further consultations were conducted on the 3rd and 17th of February 2017. Even though the leader of the Opposition now boasts that he has a plan to fix GUYSUCO, there was no submission by the PPP, but the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union made a presentation on February 17, 2017. Given the financial and technical evidence presented, the government has decided to (1) retain sugar production as the core function of GUYSUCO at three factories and five cultivating estate sites; (2) divest the remaining parts of the industry; (3) Invite sugar workers and cane farmers to undertake agro-based activities on lands to be made available to them. This is the way forward.

Sunday June 25, 2017

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Kaieteur News

What you need to know about “red eye” By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine We are currently experiencing an outbreak of conjunctivitis which is better known in Guyana as “red eye”. Many are scared of it because it is very irritating; although it rarely affects your vision. Treatments can help ease the discomfort of red eye. Because red eye can be contagious, early diagnosis and treatment can help limit its spread. WHAT IS RED EYE? Red eye is the everyday term people use to describe an infection or irritation of the eye. The medical term for red eye is “conjunctivitis.” If you have red eye, your eye (or eyes) might: %Turn pink or red %Weep or ooze a gooey liquid %Become itchy or burn %Get stuck shut, especially when you first wake up Red eye can be caused by an infection, allergies, or an

unknown irritation. CAN YOU CATCH RED EYE FROM SOMEONE ELSE? Yes. When red eye is caused by an infection, it can spread easily. Usually, people catch it from touching something that has been in contact with an infected person’s eye. It can also be spread when an infected person touches someone else, and then that person touches his or her eyes. If you know someone with red eye, avoid touching his or her pillowcases, towels, or other personal items. Contrary to popular beliefs, you cannot catch red eye by looking directly at the eyes of someone who has it. WHEN SHOULD I SEE MY DOCTOR? See your doctor if your eye hurts, or if you still have trouble seeing clearly after blinking. If you do not have these problems, but think you might have red eye, your doctor might be able to give you advice over the phone. CAN RED EYE BE

TREATED? Most cases of red eye go away on their own without treatment. But some types of red eye can be treated. When red eye is caused by infection, it is usually caused by a virus, so antibiotics generally do not help. Still, red eye caused by a virus can last several days and doctors often prescribe antibiotics to prevent opportunistic bacterial infections. Red eye caused by an infection with bacteria can be treated with antibiotic eye drops or gels. Red eye caused by other problems can be treated with eye drops normally used to treat allergies. These drops will not cure the red eye, but they can help with itchiness and irritation. When using eye drops for infection, do not touch your good eye after touching your affected eye, and do not touch the bottle or dropper directly in one eye and then use it in the other. Doing these things can cause the infection to spread from one eye to the other.

WHAT IF I WEAR CONTACT LENSES? If you wear contact lenses and you have symptoms of red eye, it is really important to have a doctor look at your eyes. In people who wear contacts, the symptoms of red eye can be caused by “corneal abrasion.” Corneal abrasion is a scratch on the eye and can be a serious problem. You should avoid using your contacts during this time. During treatment for eye infections, you might need to stop wearing your contacts for a short time. If your contacts are disposable, you will want to throw them away and

start fresh. If you contacts are not disposable, you will need to carefully clean them. You should also throw away your contact lens case and get a new one. CAN RED EYE BE PREVENTED? To keep from getting or spreading red eye, wash your hands often with soap and water. If washing is not possible, alcohol-based hand gels work, too. Also, avoid sharing towels, bedding, or other personal items with a person who has red eye. If you do have red eye, try your best to avoid coming in

Dr. Zulfikar Bux contact with others until your condition has resolved. It may take about 3-5 days of isolation but you will be doing your part to help contain the red eye outbreak.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday June 25, 2017

misclassification of imports was due to two reasons. ”It was either through ignorance – which I found there was a lot of – or collusion with the brokers and importers. And how I know that there was actually ignorance is because we started training (officers) in late 2016. We had a batch of 102 customs officers in the first batch and only 17 of them passed. Only 17 got over 75 percent,” Statia explained. He continued, “So therefore, you had a situation where it was the blind leading the blind and that was one of the reasons. I can’t understand how there are only 17 people passing… It shows then that they were not even looking and examining the records, whether purposely or not.” To address the issue of collusion, the Commissioner-General said that he had to put in place a system of staff rotation. He noted that this was implemented after the training exercise in 2016.

SUNDAY $41.6M MON REPOS WELL INCOMPLETE 5 YEARS LATER -LIVESTOCKAUTHORITY DEMANDS REFUND FROM BK INT’L OR NEW ONE DRILLED A $41.6M water well at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, that is incomplete after more 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.

JSC UNDER PRESSURE TO EXPAND SCOPE OF JUDICIAL RECRUITMENT 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, 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 entity’s 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. GRA TO INSTALL $1B FRAUD DETECTION SOFTWARE

”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,” GLDA’s 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

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will be implementing a software solution to manage Custom’s data and aid in the efficiency of tax processing, prevention and detection of fraud and the expedition of goods clearance. The software is the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)-developed Customs ESU- ASYCUDA System for Performance Measurement (ESU-ASYPM). This was announced by Minister Joseph Harmon, during the weekly post-Cabinet Press Briefing held at the Ministry of the Presidency in Georgetown on Friday. The software will be implemented via UNCTAD. The entity was also awarded the US$4.5 million (approximately $936.4M) contract to do so. The programme is expected to be launched by Janu-

ary next year. The Software accepts the submission of electronic documents and includes warehousing and risk management modules. It also has single-window capabilities. When a document or transaction is submitted to the GRA, the software gathers data from other agencies that it may require, for the processing of that transaction. It also eliminates the need for the manual retrieval of documents across agencies, Minister Harmon explained. The imminent adoption of this software would come on the heels of recent revelations that the GRA would have failed to implement critical parts of an Information Technology (IT) system – the Total Revenue Integrated Processing System (TRIPS) – for almost a decade. The consequences of the entity’s actions in this regard only contributed to billions of dollars in revenue leakages and rampant corruption. This newspaper reported a few days ago that the GRA is now scampering to implement measures geared to bring an end to these huge losses each year. The Commissioner-General of GRA, Godfrey Statia, had told Kaieteur News that 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. The system was introduced with the aim of boosting efficiency in the assessment, collection and accounting for revenue. Statia said that the Authority has been trying to implement TRIPS completely since 2007. However, despite the billions of United States dollars spent to fully implement the system, the programme is still not up to date. Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, had announced Government’s intention to replace the software during his 2017 Budget

Speech to the nation last year. ”Arising from the failure of the current TRIPS software, which has failed to provide complete solutions for effective customs administration, GRA will be moving to a more modern, customised, and proven customs solution.” MONDAY GRA ROOTING OUT CORRUPTION IN CUSTOMS DEPT…OFFICERS WERE PLACED AT WHARVES JUST TO COLLECT ‘BENEFITS’ FOR BOSSES – TAX CHIEF While it is not impossible, it could be considered a little farfetched to expect the complete eradication of corrupt practices at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). Commissioner-General Godfrey Statia is promising, however, that the existence of corrupt practices involving certain GRA staff, which has resulted in tremendous revenue leakages, has been greatly reduced. In an exclusive interview, Statia told Kaieteur News that when he assumed the post, one of the first things he did was to carry out a series of examinations of the systems he was inheriting. At the end of that exercise, the tax expert found innumerable weaknesses and instances of corruption. The tax boss noted that the Customs Department was one area which was fraught with various corrupt acts and schemes. ”When I got there, I did a few set of analyses and I found that in the area of customs, there was lots of misclassification of imports. Based on the codes, you know that they misclassified a lot of items, and this was so that (importers) either get zero rates or lower rates,” Statia disclosed. The GRA Commissioner-General said he found that the

While the Judicial Service Commission, (JSC) is empowered by law to make certain recommendations for appointments to the judiciary, the current recruitment process is being brought into question. At present, the JSC uses a process of appointment to the bench by way of invitation. The approach is “traditional,” given that it was adopted from the age of the British colonisers. This practice of invitation has since been abandoned by the British for a system that promotes transparency and open competitiveness. With recent calls by the administration towards establishing a system of transparency, the JSC has shown indications of opening up the process by encouraging candidates to apply outside of the invitation process. However, there are some who view the JSC’s belated action as coming too late, especially with the impending appointments of more Judges to satisfy crucial vacancies within the Judiciary. Legal practitioners and retired judicial officers are among those raising contentions about the procedure of invitation. Putting the issue into perspective, sources have noted that it would be impossible for the judiciary to deal fairly with those who apply. Some have opined that the invitation method “sort of prequalifies” those invited to apply for the position over those who actually apply. Furthermore, sources held that candidates are not encouraged to apply, as they will be placed at a disadvantage to those invited for the position. “If someone is invited for a job, that person’s application is automatically given priority over any other applications. The (Commission) is already programmed to accept the invited applicant over (Continued on page 33)

Sunday June 25, 2017

(From page 32) the other.” LIMITED SCOPE Additionally, sources believe that the JSC has a limited scope in terms of attracting applicants of merit. ”As it stands, it is still unclear how exactly the JSC comes up with the names of these candidates. ”The JSC cannot safely say that it has selected the best suitable candidates. Guyana has hundreds of practicing attorneys…Is the Commission able to evaluate every single lawyer practicing in and around the country? And what of those in other territories (overseas)? “How can the Commission really say it has the selected the best suitable candidates? The only way of knowing this is by putting the vacancies out there and giving people a fair shot at applying for the positions.” Moving forward, officials stressed that the current style of recruiting and selecting judicial officials can be tailored to bear similarities of regional territories in which the practice is towards upholding fairness and transparency.

Kaieteur News

MEDIA STILL HAS UPHILL TASK GETTING INFO ON NICIL – HARMON SAYS “NOTHING SPECIAL” ABOUT THE COMPANY Since last year, the media was promised an intervention. Finance Minister, Winston Jordan vowed that he would have asked the Board of the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) to be more open to the media. However, it has become clear that it is either a case where Jordan failed to make good on his promise or NICIL’s management refuses to take the advice of the Minister. While in opposition, both the Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) called for transparency at NICIL. But now these very politicians are playing a part in shrouding the company’s operations. A few weeks ago, Kaieteur News questioned Harmon about the operations of NICIL. However, he shunned inquires. Harmon told this newspaper that despite being a mem-

ber of NICIL’s Board, he would not answer the question posed, because he was wearing his Minister of State hat. So, at the last post-Cabinet press briefing, the question was phrased differently. Kaieteur News asked Harmon about the updates Cabinet has been receiving on the operations of NICIL. Again, Harmon avoided giving details. Harmon resorted to saying that there is “nothing special” about the company. Nevertheless, he said that Cabinet is up to date about operations of the company. “Cabinet is continuously updated on matters of issues in the ministerial sectors, NICIL falls under the Ministry of Finance and the Minister of Finance regularly updates Cabinet on issues within his sector,” Harmon said. He continued, “There is nothing special about NICIL, but if an issue comes up it is dealt with. For instance we had to deal with an issue about the AHI (Atlantic Hotel Inc.) with regards to Marriott. We are dealing now with the appointment of Boards

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in the hinterland under the hinterland electrification programme. Any special features will be dealt with at Cabinet as necessary, but we do not go looking beyond as to say let me have this or that.” Kaieteur News has been trying persistently, for over a year, to contact the NICIL Chairman Dr. Maurice Odle, for him to give an account of certain matters at the company which he had spoken of initially during his appointment in August 2015. He remains out of the media’s reach.

TUESDAY CONTROVERSIAL SALE OF DUKE STREETANNEXE TO GOUVEIA… NO EVIDENCE THAT BOARD MEMBER GOUVEIA RECUSED HIMSELF FROM TRANSACTION The controversial sale of a Duke Street property to businessman, Captain Gerald Gouveia, almost eight years ago is refusing to go away. There are indications that investigators, looking into the transactions of the state-owned Privisation

Unit (PU) and the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Ltd (NICIL) will attempt to determine whether any conflict of interest situation arose in the questionable sale of Lot 52 or 93B Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown. This is on top of several other burning questions about that transaction. Gouveia, who has business interests in aviation and the hotel industry, sat on the board of the Privatisation Unit as a private sector representative from 2008 to 2015, according to online records of that entity. It was never made clear whether the businessman recused himself from the deliberations of the transactions. This was even as other bidders came in higher. A report of a forensic audit into the operations of the entities, ordered by the present administration after they took office in 2015, has been handed over to the police. Already, several persons have been questioned about the Pradoville Two land sales, on the East Coast Demerara, where several persons, including former ministers, and relatives of high ranking officials allegedly benefitted from low prices for the seaside properties. The investigations into Pradoville Two are being handled by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), an arm of the police which is set to look at other transactions of NICIL/PU. According to documents seen, including minutes, sitting with Gouveia on the PU board back in 2009 were former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh; former Minister of Trade, Manniram Prashad; former Agriculture Minister, Robert Persaud; consumer advocate, Pat Dial; union official, Grantly Culbard and NICIL’s executive Director, Winston Brassington. The sale of the property, located across the road from the US embassy had made headlines, not only because of its prime location and the seemingly low price paid, but also the circumstances in which the decision was taken by Brassington and the then People’s Progressive Party/ Civic, Government. MOTP: EDUCATION MINISTRY NEVER ALLOCATED TO WPA …ROOPNARAINE’S REASSIGNMENT DUE TO COI RECOMMENDATIONS The reassignment of Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of the Presidency (MOTP) was directly due to recommendation made in a preliminary report of the Commission of Inquiry into the education sector. MOPT in a statement last evening explained that on Tuesday, June 13, it issued a release announcing the adjustments in ministerial responsibilities, which saw Minister Nicolette Henry now holding the post of Minister of Education, while Dr. Roopnaraine, who held that position (Continued on page 34)

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(From page 33) since 2015, was reassigned to the Ministry of the Presidency. ”These adjustments were made in response to the findings in the preliminary report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Education sector, which prioritised the need for reform and innovation,” the MOTP noted. The reassignment of Roopnaraine last week sparked a discomfort in the camp of Roopnaraine’s party, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), which requested a meeting with President David Granger. That meeting was held last Saturday at State House where it was stressed that the Head of State has the final say in the assignment of ministers. WPA is a member of the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU), which makes up Coalition Government with Alliance For Change (AFC). Dr. Roopnaraine, as WPA’s coleader, was made the Minister of Education, after the coalition won the 2015 general elections. Monday, the MOTP objected also to the editorial of Stabroek News on Sunday which it said had misrepresentations and obvious discrepancies. The editorial appeared “to be designed to damage the reputation of President David Granger and, by extension, the Coalition Government…” MOTP charged Monday. ”Dr. Roopnaraine had submitted that (COI) report on June 1 and the President, having reviewed that report on his return from the European Development Days (EDD) 2017 conference in Belgium, recognised that immediate action needed to be taken to address the findings of that report.” It was explained that on Monday, June 12, President Granger convened two separate meetings-— one with Dr. Roopnaraine and the other with the WPA’s Chairman, Desmond Trotman, during which the reassignment was discussed before it was taken to Cabinet the following day. ”This was confirmed by Dr. Roopnaraine himself, who is reported in the Stabroek News editorial as saying that he was personally consulted,” the ministry said. WEDNESDAY CANADIAN LAWMEN ARREST WANTED GRDB ACCOUNTANT Canadian authorities arrested Peter Ramcharran, former accountant of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Tuesday, more than two weeks after an arrest warrant was issued by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. While details were sketchy, a senior Government official last evening confirmed that the arrest happened early Tuesday. The lawmen managed to track down Ramcharran based on immigration and other records. Canadian authorities have since asked local officials here for more information, before they can start proceedings to send him back home.

Kaieteur News

Last month, charges were filed against the former accountant for falsification of accounts while he was employed at that entity. The charges were read in Ramcharran’s absence. The former accountant had been residing in Canada and was reportedly reluctant to return because he believes his life could be in danger. Special prosecutor Patrice Henry had told the court at the time that Ramcharran was aware that he should have been in court to hear the charges; however he did not present himself. The Chief Magistrate had said at the hearing on June 5, that the head of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) needed to be present in court to confirm that Ramcharran was indeed informed that he should have been at court the day the warrant was issued. That day, SOCU head, Sydney James, was present in court and confirmed that Ramcharran knew that he should have been in court to face the five charges. A police source told Kaieteur News that when an arrest warrant is issued by the court, the police are informed and the necessary steps are taken to make the arrest. With Ramcharran living in Canada the source explained that the arrest information for the charged account was passed to the International Police Organization (INTERPOL). The official explained that the arrest warrant is not an extradition request but this would be the next logical step. James had told this newspaper that the former accountant is heavily implicated in the probe with regards to the six former GRDB board members that were charged. The GRDB found itself in the spotlight after a forensic audit of that entity revealed among some of the “anomalies” found were loans without proper paperwork or prom-

issory notes. There were other instances of persons in the agency using GRDB’s money to trade in foreign currency. The losses for the government would have been significant, especially if the money was traded for less than it should have been. The Auditor General and the forensic audit reports have all pointed to severe deficiencies in the manner the monies of the state have been handled by the entities. Last month, six former GRDB officials were charged. It was alleged that between 2012 to 2015, the six officials committed the acts knowing that it was contrary to the entity’s standard operating procedures. They were not required to plead to the indictable offence. CHINA, IDB LOANS TAKE EXTERNAL DEBT TO US$1.1B Guyana’s external debt now stands at US$1.1B. External debt speaks to the amount of money owed to foreign banks and companies. The Bank of Guyana has reported, “The stock of external debt increased to US$1,174 million on account of higher disbursements by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Exim Bank of China.” The Bank of Guyana said that the external debt service ratio declined to 4.8 percent from 5.1 percent at end-March 2016, which is far below the liquidity threshold of 20 percent. The Bank of Guyana said that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Exim Bank of China disbursement increased by US$5.4 million and US$9.8 million respectively. The money was reportedly disbursed for financing of infrastructural upgrade and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport

Sunday June 25, 2017

(CJIA) expansion project. Further, the Bank of Guyana reported that the external debt service is estimated to increase in 2017 “on account of higher scheduled principal and interest payments to bilateral creditors.” Guyana and China signed an agreement for the facilitation of the US$130 million to help fund the airport expansion. The CJIA project is said to be 62 percent complete. The entire project is to be completed by year end. This project entails the construction of a new terminal building, work on which commenced a few months ago. Additionally, the existing terminal building will be modernized and used for departures only. Both ends of the runway have been extended by 710 metres to the North-East and 840 metres to the South-West, with sand filling and concrete filling to commence soon. Works are currently ongoing to relocate two cargo hangers and a Rubis filling station; these are buildings between the control tower and current departure building. The construction is complete for the new diesel generator room while construction of a new fire pump station and the implementation of a new boarding corridor with bridges are to begin shortly. However, the projected yearend deadline is challenged by delays which occurred under the previous administration. THURSDAY LIBERALISATION LOOMS AS GTT NEGOTIATIONS WIND DOWN -BRITTON VOWS TO HIT GROUND RUNNINGAS NEW CHIEFREGULATOR Government is nearing the end of negotiations with the US owner

of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) as the country prepares to allow new operators into the telecoms arena. Wednesday, to pave the way for the challenges, a new Chairperson of the all important Public Utilities Commission (PUC), the entity that regulates the industry, was sworn in with an upbeat administration insisting that things are happening. Sworn in Wednesday by President David Granger was experienced PUC director, attorney-at-law Dela Britton. She has replaced Justice (Retd.) Prem Persaud, who retired this year after heading that entity for 27 years. Close attention has been paid to the telecoms sector with both GTT and Digicel expected to remain big players. GTT, since entering in the 90s, had a monopoly on landlines and international calls. Digicel then entered and is the main competitor in the mobile market. A number of other investors have been expressing interest in entering the market but are being hindered by GTT’s licences which remains in force. The telecoms legislations passed last year were key to allowing the new players that would wish to compete in especially the multi-billion dollar data and mobile market. However, GTT and its US owner objected and insisted on negotiations before their licences could be broken. According to Minister of Public Teleommunications, Cathy Hughes, while Government is unwilling to give a deadline date to end negotiations with Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN), the US company which owns 80 percent of GTT; an end-of-July date is still being banked on. Speaking to reporters at State House, shortly after Britton was sworn in, Hughes said that following the passage of key legislations

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last year August, President Granger had granted his assent, making it law new regulations for the industry. MURDERACCUSED KILLED, BROTHER CRITICAL FOLLOWING PRISON BRAWL A brawl between five prisoners in the Solitary Confinement wing of the New Amsterdam Prison has left a murder accused dead and his brother in a critical condition at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The dead inmate has been identified as 26-year-old Neshan Jagmohan. His brother is Ramnarine Jagmohan. They were both on remand for murder. They sustained multiple stab wounds to body. The injuries were inflicted by Dillon Boucher, 25, of Haslington Village, East Coast Demerara; Ramchand Latchman, 23, of #65 Village Corentyne; and Rooplall Abrahim, 24, of Lot 4 Bath Settlement West Coast Berbice. They are all on remand for murder. According to a prison official, the Jagmohan brothers had just returned from court shortly after 14:00 hours and were entering their cell when they were attacked by three other inmates. The prison official said that one of the attackers called ‘Vijai’is currently on remand for murder of Mohamed Munir and his wife Bibi Jamila Munir, who were found, burnt to death in their Hope, East Bank Essequibo home on April 17, 2016. Another one of the attackers is on remand for the murder of Mahadeo Ramdehol, a Corentyne boat captain, who was killed during a pirate attack that occurred in May in the Corentyne River. The attackers, using improvised weapons (jukers) stabbed the brothers about their bodies rendering Neshan unconscious and leaving Ramnarine fighting for his life. When the prison authorities intervened the injured men were rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where Ramnarine was pronounced dead. Neshan was subsequently transferred to GPHC. It is unclear what sparked the incident but up until late Wednesday afternoon police were at the prison trying to ascertain what took place. MOTHER OF FIVE BLUDGEONED AND CHOPPED TO DEATH BY JEALOUS EXHUSBAND A woman is now dead after her reputed husband viciously chopped and battered her about the body at her Sheet Anchor home. The dead woman has been identified as Mintie Karamchand, 40, of Lot 19 Sheet Anchor village, East Canje. Karamchand reportedly sustained slashed wrists and ankles and was clobbered with a piece of wood on her head until she inhaled her last breath. At the home of the dead woman, neighbours were still gathered as they took in the events that quickly spiraled out of control. The woman’s daughter, Drucilla December, 21, who was present when her father, Goldburn December, aka ‘Goalie’, 47,

attacked her mother, recounted to reporters what took place leading up to the time of her mother’s death. She explained that she was in the upper flat of their two storied home tending to her infant when she overheard her parents arguing, ”I hear she ask he ‘Goalie wha do yuh?’ and then I run downstairs and I scream and see she come through the window and fall on the ground”. The devastated 21-year-old relayed that she attempted to intervene but was ordered by her father to keep away. ”I move away cuz I had the baby in my hand and then he go forward fuh the bench wood and I run out and start hollering fuh help and nobody didn’t come”. Sobbing uncontrollably, she stated that her mother didn’t deserve to die the way she did. “She didn’t do he nothing or tell he nothing. She was just moving out because we had an argument earlier and I told her I was gonna move out. When me father come he ask she what happen and she tell he she moving out. I don’t know if that get he angry”. FRIDAY GRANGER: I AM NOT MILITARISINGTHE COUNTRY -SAYS PPP STARTED TRADITION OFAPPOINTING PAST AND CURRENT ARMY OFFICIALS

The administration has denied a deliberate plan to fill key state jobs with persons with army experience. Fielding questions Thursday during a taped interview of “Public Interest”, President David Granger made it clear that his government will not discriminate when it comes to hiring. R a t h e r, t h e p e r c e p t i o n o f “militarising” is totally wrong. The government is merely continuing the “tradition” started under consecutive regimes of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), of choosing experienced persons. The Coalition Government, which charged to power in May 2015, vowing to stamp out corruption and nepotism, has been facing criticisms, from especially the Opposition, about a number of former army officials being appointed to key positions. At the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO), former army chief, Brigadier George Lewis, is now performing the duties of the CEO. Lewis was appointed as Deputy CEO a few weeks ago. At the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), the new CEO is Lt. Colonel (ret’d) Lelon Saul. There are also a number of advisors with military

background at the Ministry of the Presidency, and Commissions of Inquiries are in many cases headed by former army officials. Asked to respond on the criticisms and whether it was “jobs for the boys”, President Granger, a former army chief, stressed that he had nothing to do with Lewis’ appointment. “I have nothing to do with the appointment of the GPHC person or CH&PA’s (appointment). They are human beings; they are citizens of Guyana. I did not ask for them to be appointed. In fact, one of them was kind enough to say…”Oh I am sorry I did not notify you before I am applying for such and such a post”. So these were not my nominees.” Granger disagreed with the use of the word ‘militarise’, saying that it does not simply mean the presence of army persons. GRA BOSS PULLS IN SUPPORT OF FORMER COPS FOR INVESTIGATIVE DEPT. The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has taken the decision to implement a crucial internal affairs department which would investigate staff members who are caught in certain “suspicious” circumstances. This is according to GRA’s Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia. In an interview with Kaieteur News, Statia explained that such a department is absolutely necessary for the Authority as it seeks to restore the confidence of the public in the entity as well as improve its day to day operations. Statia said, too, that he is interested in accountability and transparency, and it is in this light that he will be seeking to not only

catch those taxpayers trying to cheat the system, but even those officials within GRA who may be working along with them. The Commissioner-General said, “We need a proper internal affairs department that properly investigates our staff to see who is living above their means and what is actually taking place. I have been in discussions with former police officers and I have been able to get the former Crime Chief Mr. Henry Chester and he would head that team.” Speaking to the importance of such a department, Statia reminded of some of the damning discoveries he made when he took over as Commissioner-General. In this regard, he cited the fact that there were corrupt practices involving certain GRA staff in the Customs Department, which has resulted in tremendous revenue leakages. The tax boss noted that the Customs Department was one area which was fraught with such schemes. ”When I got there, I did a few set of analyses and I found that in the area of customs, there was lots of misclassification of imports. Based on the codes, you know that they misclassified a lot of items, and this was so that (importers) either get zero rates or lower rates,” Statia disclosed. The GRA Commissioner-General said he found that the misclassification of imports was due to two reasons; ignorance or collusion. With respect to collusion, Statia found that there were instances where some officers were placed at the wharves just to collect benefits for their superiors. DEADLY PRISON ATTACK ON BROTHERS STEMMED FROM MURDER PLOT – PRISON OFFICIAL The New Amsterdam Prison brawl that turned deadly was allegedly fueled by an ongoing grievance. This is according to a Prison (Continued on page 36)

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(From page 35) report Neshan Jagmohan, an inmate serving time for Murder was stabbed to death while his brother, Ramnarine Jagmohan, also in for Murder, was stabbed about his body by three other inmates, leaving him in a critical condition. The attackers were identified as Dillon Boucher, 25, of Haslington Village, East Coast Demerara; Ramchand Latchman, 23, of #65 Village Corentyne, and Rooplall Abrahim, 24, of Bath Settlement West Coast Berbice. They are all on remand for murder. According to the prison official, statements were taken from the injured Jagmohan, and he reportedly told investigators that there was no issue between the trio and them. He related to investigators that it was his brother, Neshan, whom they attacked first, explaining that there was no argument or cross-talk after they returned from court and while they were in the “strong cell”. However, according to the source, investigators have received information that on Tuesday plans were being made by another inmate to purchase an improvised weapon from one of the Jagmohan brothers to allegedly eliminate Dillon Boucher. From reports gathered, Boucher got hold of the plan to execute him and allegedly thrashed the issue out with Jagmohan. The matter was never reported to prison authorities, the source said. He stated that this may have been the source of the stabbing, with Boucher believing that the Jagmohans and the other inmate were together planning to kill him, hence Boucher seeking the services of his fellow inmates to retaliate. Meanwhile, Divisional Commander Ian Amsterdam confirmed with this publication that statements were taken from the inmates who carried out the attack and will be laying the allegations before them. They are likely to face additional Murder and attempted Murder charges respectively. Additionally, Amsterdam disclosed that, “the brothers were very aggressive towards other inmates while serving and I understand that they dominated”. SATURDAY TAX EXEMPTIONS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED SINCE 2015 - GRA BOSS Over the years, the system governing tax exemptions at the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) was compromised and was not strictly monitored. Under new management, it appears that the revenue authority is changing the haphazard manner in

which it granted exemptions. This is according to the entity’s Commissioner-General, Godfrey Statia. In an interview with Kaieteur News, he said that from 2015 to now, exemptions have been reduced tremendously “simply because we have recognized that it was being abused”. Statia said that at one point, Guyana granted close to $80B in concessions in one fiscal year. The tax boss said that by 2016, this was reduced to $34B in 2016 and this year, it is not even close to $20B. Statia said, too, that most people love to talk about the need to encourage investors with exemptions. The tax chief said, however, that no one thinks about the cost to the state and taxpayers when exorbitant exemptions are granted. He said, “There are just too many exemptions being granted to certain businesses and we need to have a level playing field. If you reduce the exemptions, we would be able to reduce the rate of taxation. Thereafter, you wouldn’t have to expend so much energy trying to police some of these exemptions. Those energies can go towards finding revenue from other sources”. EARLY OBJECTIONS AS EXXON ADVERTISES FOR KEY SERVICES More than a week after receiving its production licence, paving the way for operations to begin in 2020, ExxonMobil has started advertising for key services that will pay billions of dollars annually. However, local businesses have immediately expressed concerns, pointing out yesterday that the advertisement also targets member states of the Caribbean C o m m u n i ty

(CARICOM), some of which are in the oil business, placing Guyanese companies in an unfair position to compete With Guyana receiving a two percent royalty and 50/50 deal on the profits, the actual jobs being created will not be in the thousands, officials have warned. Rather, the spin-off services that ExxonMobil will demand once production gets underway will be where significant employment and investments can come. However, with neighbouring Suriname and especially Trinidad expressing deep interest, their oil experience has been worrying to local companies who want a foot in the door to benefit from the pie. FORENSIC AUDIT REPORTS HIGHLIGHT WEAKNESSES OF GUYANA’SACCOUNTING LANDSCAPE - FINANCE MINISTER When the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) + Alliance for Change (AFC) got into office back in May 2015, several forensic audits were commissioned to determine, mainly, the financial state of the inherited government agencies and projects. Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, is now saying that the commissioning of these audits was done by the government without considering the accounting landscape in Guyana. The Minister said that the government subsequently learnt that there were not many forensic auditors locally at that time. Jordan said that even though the state contracted a range of local individual accountants and accounting firms, with specific terms of reference, the work product, in several cases, “fell far short” of what one expects from a forensic audit. The Minister’s remarks have now raised the question of whether the “forensic auditors” that were contracted, could have dug a little deeper. “Nevertheless, the findings were many, varied and revealing, with several of the reports being given to a special investigative unit to

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pursue criminal charges, where appropriate,” the Minister added. The economist also stated that the findings reflected shortcomings in the Auditor General’s systemic and human capacity. ‘SPIRITUALIST’ARRESTED AFTER PM REVEALS 8-YR-OLD WAS STRANGLED A woman who locks herself in a dilapidated house and prays all day, is the prime suspect in the death of eight-year-old Isaiah Smartt, whose body was pulled from a shallow drain on Tuesday night at ‘E’ Field, Sophia. A post mortem performed on the lad’s body Friday revealed that he died from asphyxiation due to Bronchoaspiration and compounded by compression injuries to the neck. The child’s relatives are convinced that it was a sacrificial murder and as such, investigators have arrested a spiritualist in whose yard the body was found. The woman was arrested late yesterday and taken to the Alberttown Police Station where she gave a statement and was subsequently taken into custody.

The boy’s body was found in the drain that is about two-feet deep, one day after he went missing What is strange is that the spiritualist claimed that she did not see the body although the discovery was made right next to her back door—at the side of her house. What is even more suspicious is the fact that the woman has to walk right at the side of the house to go to the bathroom and to her mother’s home where she sleeps. There are three houses in the yard—the spiritualist’s family lives in the front house, the middle and back houses are abandoned. It is in the back house that the woman reportedly carries out her sacrificial acts. While the yard is used by some residents as a short cut to get to the other street, some persons are scared to walk there. “The house is empty. It only has an altar shelf and she is in there all day praying. She locks herself in and lights candle and pray,” the lad’s mother, Joycelyn Pickett, said during an interview yesterday, while adding that the moment she spotted her son’s body in the drain, she suspected something was fishy. “My son can’t drown in 12 inches of water,” the woman maintained.

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K/News staffer bribery case…

PCA chairman finally makes recommendation, file to be sent back to CID

Harry Brijmohan and his fiancée Zena Henry in happier times Chairman of the Guyana Police Force (GPF)’s Complaints Authority, Justice Cecil Kennard has finally made his recommendation in the case involving Kaieteur News’ staffer, Harry Brijmohan, who accused five ranks of demanding $5000 bribe from him. He was stopped on August, 17, last at Red Road, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) for riding without helmet. After much back and forth in this case, a staffer at the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) recently confirmed that Kennard has made his recommendation and a rank from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will have collect the file this week. It was sent to the Chairman since March 21, last. It is unclear why the police took so long on this case, since all evidence, including video footage supporting Brijmohan’s allegation, had been presented to the investigating ranks. Kaieteur News was

informed that once the file reaches CID, ranks there will have to make contact with the complainant, Harry Brijmohan, to discuss disciplinary action but in this case, investigators will have to meet with his fiancée, Zena Henry, to talk about the outcome. Brijmohan died in an accident on the Houston, East Bank Demerara Public Road, three months after the report was made. This newspaper was informed the Police’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) had recommended criminal charges against the ranks. A source at OPR had indicated that even though Brijmohan passed away, the ranks can still be charged and placed before the court. It was only recently that the GPF came out for the first time in almost a year to say that the file had been forwarded to the Chairman of the PCA for his recommendation and submission for legal advice. The force’s response came after an article was

published in this newspaper claiming that the police was mum on this case. Giving details of the allegation, Brijmohan had indicated that the ranks searched him, demanded his documents, and then informed him that they had to charge him and place him before the court, despite his offence being one that required him being given a ticket. He was told that he could have only made a phone call after 72 hours. “One of them tell me that I should have ride away, that his gun rusty because long he ain’t use it,” Brijmohan had recounted. The Kaieteur News staffer was only allowed to continue his journey home when the policemen demanded that he give them $5000. When Brijmohan’s experience with the lawmen made the news and OPR launched an investigation, the five policemen in question all denied ever seeing or stopping the motorcyclist— although they admitted that they were indeed patrolling in the area on that day. However, video footage later surfaced, contradicting the denial by the cops. The footage showed Brijmohan sitting in the tray of an unmarked vehicle (with his motorcycle), as it drove along the road that leads to Providence New Scheme, East Bank Demerara, between 15:20 hours and 15:35 hrs. The footage was handed over to the detectives who were working on the case. Before Brijmohan died, he had made contact with ranks investigating the case almost daily, but never got any positive response.

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PAHO warns future epidemic waves of Zika virus in the C’bean remain likely WASHINGTON (CMC) – The director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, has warned that the future epidemic waves of Zika virus in the Americas, including the Caribbean, remain likely. In a new perspective article for the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, “Zika Virus Disease in the Americas: A Storm in the Making,” the Dominica-born Etienne issues the warning and details PAHO’s quick response to the virus. “The Americas had the unfortunate distinction of being a testing ground for Zika virus infections” and the disease then became “the new villain in this region, causing fear, economic losses, and most importantly, marking the lives of children and families affected by debilitating birth defects,” she wrote. Noting that more than 700,000 cases of Zika virus disease have been officially reported to PAHO from 48 countries and territories of the Americas, Etienne and coauthors Marcos A. Espinal and Thais dos Santos say that Zika tested public health capacities under the International Health Regulations, “highlighting the need for continued investment in health security” and the pressing need for innovative solutions to persistent problems. With an estimated 500 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean living in areas at risk for transmission of Zika, “the fight against Zika virus is not a 100-m race, but rather a marathon in which science and public health need to work hand in hand for the benefit of our peoples,” Etienne said. “Astute front-line healthcare workers who first realized that they were detecting something unusual” in clusters of rash illness in Northeast Brazil, increases in neurological disorders like Guillain-Barré syndrome, and then increased numbers of cases of microcephaly are credited by Etienne with sounding the alert on the spread of this formerly obscure virus. “The Zika virus experience proves once again that good clinical judgment and awareness of atypical events are crucial for the timely detection of emerging and reemerging diseases,”

PAHO Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne Etienne says. “It also points to the importance of investing in the health workforce as the first line of defense against infectious disease threats,” she adds. Etienne states that circulation of Zika in the Americas was hard to diagnose because of similarities to dengue and yellow fever, and a backdrop of immunity to other flaviviruses. “The available defenses against the mosquito responsible for the transmission of these viruses are no longer sufficient to resist its aggressive spread,” she says. “Therefore, the development of affordable new tools by the scientific community, including diagnostic tests and a vaccine against ZIKAV, as well as innovation in vector control, are urgent priorities. “Our health systems will need to be prepared to ensure such new tools are introduced and that their benefits reach everyone, not merely a few,” Etienne adds. She outline’s PAHO’s response, which coordinated more than 80 expert missions to 30 countries bringing in neurologists, neonatologists, o b s t e t r i c i a n s , epidemiologists, virologists, and specialists in research and health services organization. PAHO said training and activities covered clinical management, laboratory diagnosis, risk communication and vector control. A regional “Research Agenda” identified current gaps in knowledge to accelerate ways to mitigate the impact of the virus, according to PAHO.

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7 Common Exercise Errors

Are you sabotaging your exercise goals? Avoid these common mistakes. Mistake No. 1: Not keeping an exercise chart or journal. A record tells you how far you’ve come and when it’s time to go to the next level. Noting improvements in your heart rate will also provide motivation. Check it 15 to 60 minutes after exercising — you’ll see a decrease in this number as your heart gets stronger. Mistake No. 2: Not writing down goals. Studies show that people who chart short- and long-term goals accomplish more of them.

Mistake No. 3: Strengthtraining the same muscles on consecutive days. This prevents proper recovery and growth. Allow one to two days before working the same muscle groups. Mistake No. 4: Holding your breath. Proper breathing is almost as important as proper form. Exhale as you lift, and inhale as you lower. Mistake No. 5: Not eating enough protein. To lose weight and tone up, your plan should include cardio, strength training and a lowercalorie diet that’s high in protein — about three-quarters of a gram per pound of your

ideal body weight. More protein enhances the effects of exercise and decreases fat without muscle loss. Mistake No. 6: Being distracted during workouts. Reading or watching a complex TV show can actually slow your pace. Instead, listen to energetic music or try a sitcom (just be sure to place the screen at eye level for better performance). Mistake No. 7: Ignoring flexibility and balance training. Both are key to overall fitness. https:// medlineplus.gov/news/ fullstory_165393.html.

5 Great Diet Breakfasts When it comes to losing weight, Simon says, “Eat breakfast.” Skipping breakfast to cut calories just puts you in starvation mode midmorning, derailing your diet for the rest of the day. Eating breakfast, on the other hand, gets your metabolism going for the rest of the day. But if you’re tired of cold cereal, consider these variations on breakfast options — each clocking in at less than 250 calories. · Smoothie. Blend a cup of skim milk or no-fat yogurt with a cup of frozen fruit chunks or a banana. · Waffle. Top a wholewheat waffle with sliced fruit or a dab of peanut butter. · Eggs. Try a quick scramble with vegetables. Whisk one whole egg with two or three extra whites for more protein and volume. Add a tasty filling — like steamed spinach, sauteed red peppers and zucchini — or a fast two tablespoons of salsa. Wrap it up in a small whole-wheat tor-

Chocolate: 10 health reasons you should eat more of it Chocolate is the ultimate comfort food, a sure-fire stand-by in times of stress, a reliable source of consolation when life has let us down, and a mood-enhancer and romance-inducer in more positive circumstances. But is it at all healthy? If you scoff lots of it, obviously not. But there are a host of medically proven ways in which chocolate — good chocolate, which is to say dark chocolate, with a cocoa percentage of around seventy per cent or more — really is good for us. Research is continuing all the time, and experts have already found that chocolate is good for the heart, circulation and brain, and it has been suggested that it may be beneficial in such major heath challenges as autism, obesity and diabetes. And in fact, the very latest research suggests that eating chocolate could help keep your brain function whirring into old age. Here are ten scientifically established health benefits of good chocolate. 1. It’s good for the heart and circulation A recent study found that dark chocolate helps restore flexibility to arteries while also preventing white blood cells from sticking to the walls

of blood vessels - both common causes of artery clogging. How to tell good chocolate from 2. It reduces risk of stroke Researchers in Finland have found that chocolate consumption lowers the risk of suffering a stroke - by a staggering 17 per cent average in the group of men they tested. 3. It’s mineral rich Dark chocolate is packed with beneficial minerals such as potassium, zinc and selenium, and a 100g bar of dark (70 per cent or more) choc provides 67 per cent of the RDA of iron. 4. It reduces cholesterol Consumption of cocoa has been shown to reduce levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and raise levels of “good” cholesterol, potentially lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. 5. It’s good for your skin The flavonols in dark chocolate can protect the skin against sun damage (though you’d probably better still slap on some sun cream). 6. It can help you lose weight Chocolate can help you lose weight. Really. Neuroscientist Will Clower says a small square of good choc melted on the tongue 20 minutes before a meal triggers the

hormones in the brain that say “I’m full”, cutting the amount of food you subsequently consume. Finishing a meal with the same small trigger could reduce subsequent snacking. 7. It’s good for mothers and babies A Finnish study found that chocolate reduced stress in expectant mothers, and that the babies of such mothers smiled more often than the offspring of non-chocolateeating parents. 8. It may prevent diabetes It sounds mad, but cocoa has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. So dark chocolate - in moderation might delay or prevent the onset of diabetes. 9. Chocolate is good for the brain Flavanols are thought to reduce memory loss in older people, and the antiinflamatory qualities of dark chocolate have been found beneficial in treating brain injuries such as concussion. 10. Chocolate makes you feel better Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which is the same chemical that your brain creates when you feel like you’re falling in love. PEA encourages your brain to release feel-good endorphins.

Take Control of Your Asthma Many resources can help people with asthma manage triggers and symptoms, an allergist says. “It’s time to make people aware of useful tools to help control asthma,” said Dr. Stephen Tilles, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). People sometimes think their asthma is under control when it really isn’t, Tilles said in a college news release. The ACAAI offers the following advice: The “Rule of Twos” is a

handy gauge for patients. Signs that your asthma is not under control: You have asthma symptoms or use an inhaler more than twice a week; you wake up at night with symptoms more than twice a month; or you refill your quick-relief medication more than twice a year. These are other signs: You have unusual or hard-todiagnose symptoms; have had a life-threatening asthma attack or have been hospitalized; or have hay fever or sinus infections that complicate asthma. For people with

severe asthma who have found little relief from other treatments, biologics may be an option. This approach attacks specific cellular pathways that trigger the worst asthma symptoms, according to the ACAAI. It’s important for people with asthma to avoid secondhand smoke at home and in public places. Getting the right treatment is crucial, and an allergist can point out specific steps that may improve your symptoms, Tilles said. https://medlineplus.gov/ news/fullstory_165301.html.

Vitamin D Fails the Asthma Test

tilla for a to-go meal. · Oatmeal. For a hearty breakfast, make oatmeal with skim milk rather than water for the protein, calcium and vitamin D. Sweeten it naturally with berries or vanilla and cinnamon. · Fruit. For a fun breakfast, try a parfait.

In a tall glass, layer onehalf cup of sliced fruit with one cup of Greek yogurt and a tablespoon of slivered almonds. Bottom line: Eating a healthy, filling breakfast spells diet success. https://medlineplus.gov/ n e w s / fullstory_165354.html.

Vitamin D supplements aren’t likely to reduce the risk of asthma, allergies or the skin condition eczema in children or adults, a new study finds. Previous research had suggested that low vitamin D levels were linked with these “atopic” conditions. For the new study, Canadian researchers analyzed data from more than 100,000 people to determine if this was true. The investigators found no statistically significant differences in rates of asthma, allergies or eczema between

people with low or normal levels of vitamin D. The results were published online May 9 in the journal PLoS Medicine. “Our findings suggest that previous associations between low vitamin D and atopic disease could be due to spurious associations with other factors,” lead study author Despoina Manousaki said in a journal news release. Manousaki is a doctoral student at Lady Davis Institute, the research arm of Jewish General Hospital in

Montreal. In a previous study, the same group of researchers said it found that low vitamin D levels increase the risk of certain inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis. Vitamin D is sometimes called the sunshine vitamin, because exposure to sunlight produces it in your skin. It’s also found in certain foods, including fortified dairy products, fatty fish and egg yolks. https://medlineplus.gov/ news/fullstory_165388.html.

Sunday June 25, 2017

Ariana Grande Slated to Become First Honorary Citizen of Manchester Ariana Grande may be from the United States, but Manchester is proposing to open its arms to her permanently. The four-time Grammy nominee is set to become the first honorary citizen of Manchester after her contributions to the city following the deadly Manchester Arena attack, which killed people and left many more injured. In light of her One Love Manchester benefit concert in early June, which reportedly raised millions for the victims of the attack, Manchester town hall officials have announced plans to recognize the “great many selfless acts and demonstrations of community spirit” in the aftermath of the attack with an event and granting honorary citizenship to the star, according to The Guardian. Honoring Grande is part of a larger proposal to be able to recognize those who have contributed to Manchester in a significant way. Sir Richard Leese, the leader of the Manchester city council, said, “This seems a fitting moment to update the way we recognise those who make noteworthy contributions to the life and success of our city.” “We’ve all had cause to be incredibly proud of Manchester and the resilient and compassionate way in which the city, and all those associated with it, have re-

sponded to the terrible events of 22 May, with love and courage rather than hatred and fear,” he continued. “Ariana Grande exemplified this response. I think many people would already consider her an honorary Mancunian and we would be delighted, if the council approves the proposal, to make it official.” The proposal will go before the council on July 12. Prior to the benefit concert, which featured A-list performances from stars like Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Chris Martin, Grande also spent time visiting victims of the attack in the hospital.

“Music is something that everyone on Earth can share. Music is meant to heal us, to bring us together, to make us happy. So that is what it will continue to do for us,” Grande promised her fans in a touching message after the attack. “We will continue in honor of the ones we lost, their loved ones, my fans, and all affected by this tragedy. They will be on my mind and in my heart every day and I will think of them with everything I do for the rest of my life.” It seems Manchester will always be ready to greet her. http://www.eonline.com.

Scarlett Johansson says Rough Night Is Not a ‘’Chick Flick’’ It’s raunchy, it’s rowdy and it’s definitely not a chick flick! At the premiere of her new film, Rough Night, Scarlett Johansson met up with E! News and set the record straight to the people who are calling the wild comedy a “chick flick.” The 32-year-old told E! News, “What’s been really funny is that I have had a lot of people saying things to me as we have been doing press for this film that it’s a ‘ladies movie’ about...’four ladies’ and I am like ‘Well, not necessarily.’” The Avengers star continued, “It seems almost sort of passé that to say that is a ‘ladies movie.’ Once we can accept that women are funny and that we allow ourselves to talk about taboo subjects and take the stigma off of them, then I see it’s a lot more inclusive environment.” As for the film’s raunchy factor, she said, “It’s

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funny I don’t even think about this film as being raunchy, but I guess it’s a little salty... What really appealed to me is that the script is so damn funny and it made me laugh out loud and I don’t think that’s ever really happened to me before.” But she’s not the only actress at the premiere who was sounding off about the film’s hilarity. Kate McKinnon made sure to stop by E! News and gush about her talented costars, Johansson, Workaholics star Jillian Bell, Broad City’s Ilana Glazer and Big Little Lies actress Zoë Kravitz. “There is so much love there. I am not even sure why we just instantly had the feeling of a fourth grade sleepover. As for working with the usually dramatic actress, the SNL star said being on set with Johansson was inspiring.

“She’s hilarious. She was just instantly so funny and was so great at improvising and it was just really exciting to watch her do comedy, as well as be so grounded,” said McKinnon. “I just love being in the room watching her act. She’s a master class.” The film follows five women, who come together 10 years after graduating from college. These five friends are going to have the time of their lives—if it kills them (or someone else!) In the R-rated come d y, J e s s ( p l a y e d b y Johansson) reunites with her four college friends when they rent a beach house in Miami for her wild and raunchy bachelorette weekend, but all goes awry (aka the stripper they hired ends up dead) during this life-changing night. Get ready to have a Rough Night, when the film hits theaters on June 16.www.eonline.com

Pretty Little Liars: Somebody’s Married, But Everybody’s Probably Going to Jail

That was fast! Just an episode after Caleb (Tyler Blackburn) kinda sorta non-traditionally proposed to Hanna (Ashley Benson) before conducting an unofficial ceremony in a tent, Haleb got married for real. While they didn’t have the white dress or the diamond ring or a church full of guests, they did have Hanna’s mom, the Justice of the Peace, and a couple of rings that totally worked. So they’re married...and that’s about all the good news we can give you. In tonight’s episode, Lieutenant Tanner (Roma Maffia) took over the Rollins murder case after Furey (Nicholas Gonzalez) told her everything and basically excused himself, and Tanner really took things to the next level. All the liars had their houses raided and their belongings taken into evidence, and little bits of bad signs were quickly found, meaning it was only a matter of time before the truth started coming out.

Tanner gave all the girls the chance to tell their side of the story, but no one was talking, no matter how much we begged them to because we’re very, very tired. Meanwhile, Aria (Lucy Hale) was still working for Team AD in order to protect Ezra (Ian Harding), and thanks to Mona (Janel Parrish), the rest of the gang figured her out and to say they were pissed to find out that she chose Ezra over them is a serious understatement. She was basically kicked out of the group, though Spencer (Troian Bellisario) did visit her later to tell her that while she can’t forgive her, she would like to apologize. And then of course, Tanner showed up to say that Aria was no longer a suspect, since there’s “proof” that Aria was in New Hampshire the night Rollins/Dunhill/whatever disappeared. At the same time, the game had a timer going. By the time the timer ran out, the liars needed to choose who was going to jail or else they’d all

go to jail. At around the same time, everybody decided not to play anymore. The timer ran out, nobody chose, and just as Aria decided she would turn herself in to save everyone else, AD claimed it was too late. Aria’s car stopped, only for her to get out and find a body in the trunk right as the police arrived. And while that was happening, Caleb and Ezra found out that Mona had stolen the game, which was now sporting a little jail cell. Finally, everyone had some sex, or presumably were about to. As Caleb a n d Hanna got married, Emily and Alison lit some candles in a forest and had sex. Spencer showed up at Toby’s, acting totally weird, and then they had sex. Aria planned to tell Ezra everything, but first...sex. And weirdly, all we wanted was to watch the scene where Aria told Ezra everything. Pretty Little Liars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. on Freeform. http:// www.eonline.com.

There’s a whole lot of love between the members of Black Eyed Peas. While the group has been hard at work on a variety of projects, will.i.am continues to assure fans that the talented faces behind “Pump It” and “Let’s Get It Started” are very much together. At the same time, he’s also teasing Fergie’s next solo album. “Fergie is working on her new solo project,” will.i.am shared with E! News’ Will Marfuggi. “It’s really fresh. Double Duchess.” He shared, “Fergie’s great

and her project is amazing. I worked on it. We’re working on Black Eyed Peas. We’re a family and we’re going to continue to do our thing.” For will.i.am specifically, he’s currently supporting the new Apple Music series titled Planet of the Apps. The 10-episode series, which airs every Tuesday on Apple Music at 9 p.m. ET, celebrates the world of apps and the talented people who create them. Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow and Gary Vaynerchuk

join him as executive producers and advisers. And for those music lovers who are still curious about what’s going down with the Black Eyed Peas, will.i.am continues to tell fans that Fergie is still very much a part of the family. “Lies...@Fergie is focusing on #DoubleDutchess & @BEP is doing #MastersOfTheSun,” he previously shared on Twitter when referencing an article that confirmed Fergie’s departure.

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Sunday June 25, 2017

Sunday June 25, 2017

By Dr. Neromini Fagu Amalgam is a generic term for something that is mixed together. When the term is used in metallurgy it means: “an alloy made with Mercury.” Amalgam restorative materials have been used in dentistry for over 160 years. Dental amalgam is created by mixing elemental mercury and an alloy powder composed mainly of silver, tin, and copper. The main advantages of amalgam as a dental restorative material include: • Durability • Long Lasting • Wears well and holds up to the forces of mastication (chewing) • Relatively inexpensive as compared to other filling materials • Less technique-sensitive, and placement is generally completed in one visit • It is self-sealing with minimal to no shrinkage • Relatively resistant to leakage • Provides some resistance to secondary decay • Low frequency of repair and replacement The disadvantages of amalgam as a restorative material are as follows: • Esthetics – the grey colour is not a usually desired tooth colour • It may darken as it corrodes and may stain teeth over time • Its placement requires the removal of some healthy

Kaieteur News

AMALGAM – “SILVER” FILLING MATERIAL tooth structure • In larger amalgam fillings, the remaining tooth may weaken and fracture • Temperature sensitivity - because metal can conduct hot and cold temperatures, there may be a temporary sensitivity to hot and cold • Contact with other metals may cause occasional minute electrical flow A diversity of opinions exists regarding the safety of dental amalgams. The controversy over its use as a filling material has received much attention in the news. The topic is raised at regular intervals and as a patient you should be aware of the latest scientific literature so that you can have a better discussion with your dentist for you to make an informed decision. According to the Canadian Dental Association, the amount of mercury that is included in dental amalgams today is a very small amount. This amount is bound to the other metals in the material, which reduces the amount that is absorbed by the body, so making dental amalgams used in dental offices today relatively safe for patients. The American Dental Association (ADA), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U. S. Food and Drug Administration, FDI World Dental Federation and World Health Organization all agree that, based on extensive scientific evidence, dental

STANDARDS IN FOCUS

amalgam is a safe and effective cavity-filling material. The Alzheimer’s Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, Autism Society of America and National Multiple Sclerosis Society—all science-based organizations like the ADA—also say that amalgam poses no health risk. The Mayo Clinic has stated that dental amalgam is a safe and durable choice for dental fillings. They also note that “there are several kinds of mercury. The mercury (methyl-mercury) found in water that can build up in fish and lead to health problems if you ingest too much is not the same type of mercury used in amalgam. Mercury is ever present in our environment and we are exposed to it via air, water and food. Exposure to mercury by persons with amalgam restoration occurs during the placement or removal of dental restorations. Once the reaction is complete, less amount of mercury is released, and that is far below the current health standard. The exposure to mercury from restoration depends on the number and size of the restoration, composition, chewing habits, food texture, grinding, brushing of teeth, and many other physiological factors. As a vapour, metallic mercury could be inhaled and absorbed through the alveoli in the lungs at 80% efficiency. It is the main route of entry of mercury into the human body, whereas the absorption of metallic mercury through skin or

MORE MANUFACTURERS SHOULD TRY STANDARDS It is somewhat unfortunate that in this liberalized and highly competitive national and global business environment, many of our local manufacturers still do not appreciate the benefits to be derived from conformance to standards. Some manufacturers circumvent the use of national and international standards with the hope that local consumers will continue to accept whatever is produced, once the price is affordable. The time has come for more of our manufacturers to see standards as part of their strategies to lower the cost of production, increase quality and consistency and to find favour with a wider market. The time for cheap, inferior products has long gone. It is time for local manufacturers as well as importers to ensure that whatever products they offer for sale are conforming to standards and meet the level of quality desired by consumers. Currently, some farmers, exporters and businessmen show very little understanding and appreciation for standards and this disposition is often a significant contributor to the stagnation or even dissolution of their businesses, since in order to be competitive in today’s market, companies have to continuously strive to utilize standards and benchmark their businesses so as to adopt the best known practices which can enhance product quality and competiveness.

Today our local market is being flooded with foreign products. The ability to compete with these products can only be achieved when manufacturers employ standards to create the requisite checks and balances to improve efficiency. These internal checks and balances will allow the monitoring of every aspect of the manufacturing process to detect non-conformances and trigger improvements. The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has not only been facilitating the development of standards, but also has been promoting standards through education and sensitization of stakeholders in different fora. Those who have heeded the call to make standards the main pillar of their businesses are today reaping the fruits locally while some have expanded to foreign markets. Without coercion or compulsion, manufacturers must begin to ensure that the right standards are implemented and quality is achieved to increase and maintain the viability of their businesses. The GNBS, through its Consultancy Services Programme can support any company desirous of implementing standards. Therefore, manufacturers are encouraged to try standards now. For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 219-0062 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org

via the gastrointestinal tract is very poor. The current use of amalgam has not posed a health risk and there have not been any clinical justifications available for the removing of restorations except in patients with allergies. Amalgam is a safe and effective restorative material and the replacement of existing

restorations, for esthetic reasons, with a non-amalgam material should be strongly reconsidered. For more information contact OMNI DENTAL at 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown Tel: 227-0025, Parika Tel: 260-3133 or send emails to nerominifagu@hotmail.com.

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FOR SALE

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620

SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 6471773/660-5257

Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana p assport 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. Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigration Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496/ 662-6045 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 If you are a bush cutter operator, you can make serious cash. Give us a call: 651-1969/ 629-2881 Brian Moe @ 642-3543: Computer Technician, FB: Brian.Moe.165; Home and office visits at your comfort!!

CAR RENTAL 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

LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Bully dogs mix with pit-bull puppies. Call: 684-9994/6878320 ask for Keno AT 192 Car, Price $450,000.00 negotiable. Tel: 643-4049 6 Cows for sale @ La Penitence, G/Town. Call: 6947796/231-0597/671-0614 Paint Sale! Until supplies last! Coloured latex paint, 50% discount. Call: 265-3541/ 6954785/616-3411

VEHICLE FOR SALE 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 1 Hilux Surf 3Y Engine. Call: 626-3644 Toyota Prado Land Cruiser, year: 2014, colour: metallic bronze, mileage: 41,000km, fully loaded, excellent condition. Call: 693-7730 One R.Z and one small town ACE bus for sale. Call: 6908247/616-3288 1 Hilux extra cab, GVV series, 6L diesel, good condition. Call: 673-7876/730-3335/233-6218 Unregistered Mazda Axela 2011 -$2.7M, Corolla Fielder 2010 -$2.4M, Nissan Pickup 2000 -$2.3M. Call: 617-5536

ACCOMMODATION Journey Inn apartment rental, short term with AC & Kitchen, as low as -$15US. Call: 6421783/ 646-3011634/7182301695

Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

MASSAGE Neisha’s Massage Spa. Call: 674-8147

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

200HP Yamaha Outboard, 330 HP PR Perkins, Radiators for Diesel Engine. Whatsapp: 786-399-3109 Sale! Laptops from -$40,000, netbooks -$29,000, Dell Desktop Computers with 19" Screen - $49,000 free games, etc. Call Futuretech: 231-2206 Reduced Prices! Apple Iphone 6, 6 Plus, 7 Plus, 64GB (like new) (not 16GB), factory unlocked - $69,000, $109,000. Call: 675-3062

WANTED 1 Accounts Clerk, preferably from E.B.D – 5 subjects CXC minimum @ gtcareers592@gmail.com Hairdresser/Nail Technician apply at West Shore Plaza, 15 Public Road, Ruimzeight, W.C.D. Call: 269-1524/656-3561 Experienced caterpillar mechanic contact 223-5273/4 One cleaner to work at hotel contact 223-5273/4 Truck driver for TM and Model M trucks contact 2235273/74 Canter Driver; must have a lorry License contact 2235273/74 Experienced salesgirls @ Christine’s Variety Store, Lombard Street. Call: 227-8529 Female worker wanted that finished CXC 2017. Call: 6225518 One live in domestic, must know to cook “roti & curry” from county side, 18yrs-25yrs old. Call: 680-7402 2 Waitresses ages 18-30yrs old. Apply in person @ Flatshop, 245 Sheriff St., C/ Ville (between Pike & John Smith Sts.) Opposite Sankar’s. Call: 697-4576 One maid attractive salary offered. Call: 663-4876

TO LET 4 AC Rooms/ 1 extra room, for business/offices @ 21 Seaforth St. C/Ville, Georgetown. Call: 2261877, 624-7436, 654-9350

We are buying land anywhere in Guyana, residential house lots & others. Call: 651-1969/ 6292881

1 Bedroom bottom flat apartment -$45,000, 1 Bedroom upstairs apartment - $50,000, Garnett street, N/ town Kitty. Call: 226-2421, 652-5778

Waitress to work in Superbet Bar. Call: 628-4776 Hardworking, pleasant, physically fit, literate, team player (Plant Shop Staff) 1825 years. Tel: 646-2108, Georgetown

2 & 3 Bedrooms apartment, recently renovated, fully tiled & free Wi-Fi @ Nandy Park. Call: 641-3318 Alberttown - $50,000, $80,000, $40,000; Mandela -$80,000, ($250,000 – business), South - $100,000, Eccles, Durban Backland & many more. Call: 231-2199/ 660-7710 Furnished newly renovated self-contained room, water & electricity, 12 Sussex Street Charlestown -$30,000 monthly! $30,000 Security. Call:219-1951/689-8757

TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)

One female domestic to work in Trinidad. ages between 25 40yrs. Free accommodation. Call or whatsap: 1868- 683-1528 Experienced Handyboy @ Christine’s Variety @ Lombard Street. Call: 227-8529

PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461 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 One three bedroom concrete house for sale Contact Mala: 917-254-2909, location: Vryheid’s Lust, North. Call: 699-4111/626-2208 Aubrey Barker - $28M, Greenheart -$25M, Norton Street -$11M, ½ Mile - $16M, Atlanticville - $28M, Kitty $10M, $30M. Call: 231-7805/ 618-7483 House for sale: 1- 2 flat 3 bedrooms house located @ Belle West #2 W.B.D, asking $9.5M. Call: 604-1299

Hairdressers and nail technicians to work at Modern Hair Fashion Salon. Call: 227-8613 or 226-1931 Operator, sailor, watchman for interior. Call: 675-0587/225-9304

Office Assistant: passes in Maths and English, computer Literacy, submit CV: ifsvs@hotmail.com One female cleaner for office in Eccles call 233-2745. Immediate vacancy for 2 females to work @ Ice Factory in Blairmont, must have Maths, English. Call: 2311408/642-9191 Accounts clerk: English A (Grade 1) , Mathematics, P.O.A (Grade 2), knowledge of NIS, PAYE, VAT &QuickBooks @ Technical Services, Eccles. Call 6144358

House and land available @ La Parfaite Harmonie, Providence, Etc, We also assist with financing. Contact Pacific Development: 2236035/ 227-8274

Maid for Nandy Park. Please call 614-4358

We invest in residential house lots all across Guyana. Call: 651-1969/629-2881

Female sales representative for fashion boutique age 1830, demonstrate passion for fashion. Call: 614-2986/email a p p l i c a t i o n : warren.wintz@gmail.com

10 Minutes away from Georgetown, you can own your own home, now in construction, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, concrete house. Call: 675-1510 House for sale, 2 flat, no flooding, 6ft fence, price $18M negotiable. Call: 2335400, 218-0595

CAKES & PASTRIES 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

Middle age couple (40-50) to live and work on farm/resort at Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke Highway. Call: 643-0333/6978008 1 Handyman, ages 30-40yrs½ day, preferably in G/Town, Monday-Saturday, apply in person 21 Seaforth Street C/ Ville. Call: 624-7436/226-1877

VACANCY One experienced pharmacy assistant to work in a reputable pharmacy in G/ Town (flexible hours). Call: 227-0630

Janitor/Cleaner @ Shakoor’s Seafood, Eccles. Call: 2332546

Male salesclerk apply in person with written application 4:00-5:00pm daily. Royal Jewel House, 137 Regent Street. Nexgen Global: Now Hiring! New locations, E.B,.D, W.C.D, GT, F/T & P/T, Will train. Email CV Hrmanager.Ce@Gmail.Com Internet café attendant, RA Mobile Tech Internet Café, 19 President College Rd. E.C.D. Call:627-2020 One driver that lives on Essequibo Coast to drive distribution vehicle. Call: 623-1615 Admin officer, business associate/customer services, computer operator, brilliant & detailed oriented. Apply @ Executive office Services. Call: 623-3574 One experienced cook various types of vegetarian dishes Monday –Saturday. Call: 623-1615

WANTED One female bartender live in or out G/town, free meals and accommodation. Call: 681-1312 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665

FOR SALE/FOR RENT American Pool Table. Call: GT Express wanted contract 277-0578 cars, dispatcher, drivers. Tel: 231-0316/ 231-0002 Continued on Page 69

Sunday June 25, 2017

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CONSUMER CONCERNS

Bouquets for PUC Chairman Persaud and revitalizing GTT By PAT DIAL Within the last week two matters of particular consumer concern occurred. The first was that the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission, Justice (retd) Prem Persaud CCH, would be demitting office. The second was the issuance of PUC Order #2/ 2017 granting new landline rates to the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Co. (GTT). Justice Persaud is the third Chairman of the PUC coming in the line of succession from the great Joseph Tyndall who was the first Chairman and then Justice Mennon. Each of these three Chairmen made his own valuable contribution to the building of the PUC and to Regulation in Guyana. Justice Persaud brought to the post his wide experience as a High Court Judge which was enriched by his study of Regulation as a theoretical discipline and his intimate acquaintance with regulation activities and regulators in the Caribbean. This resulted in Justice Persaud becoming a Regulator who increased in excellence with the passing of each year. His conduct of PUC hearings and his rulings always bore the stamp of courtesy, research and learning, wisdom and fairness and all respected and accepted them. Although the GCA and others who appeared before the PUC may not have fully agreed with all his rulings all acutely realized that nothing better was possible. He was always approachable and available to members of the public and to stakeholders and in

particular officers of the Public Utilities. There are four notable achievements of Chairman Persaud over the last two years we would like to mention: The first was Order # 1 of 2015 dismissing GTT’s application for increases in landline rates. This Order was welcomed throughout Guyana and was highly commended in Caribbean Regulation circles. The second was the acquisition and remodeling of a new PUC headquarters in the prestigious Queenstown neighbourhood. This property is owned by the PUC and has met a long-felt need for the PUC to have a home of its own. The third was being able to have the Commission’s 2016 Accounts audited and published in exemplary time and being in surplus. And the fourth was the publication of the 2016 Annual Report in good time keeping the consumer-friendly style which he had pioneered many years ago. There are, of course, other notable achievements of Chairman Persaud over the years such as the institution of the very comprehensive website but our focus is only on the last two years. The Consumer community feels a sense of loss at Justice Persaud’s departure from the Commission but we are confident that he would unstintingly proffer his advice if sought by the Commission. In the same vein, the GCA welcomes the new Chairperson. The second matter is the issuance of PUC Order #2/ 2017 which is the result of GTT asking for a review of Order #1/2015. Order #2/2917 is characteristically well-written

and explicit. We could not review that Order in detail owing to the constraint of space but those interested will be able to read it on the PUC’s website. But there are a few features in this Order we would like to highlight for the benefit of consumers:(1) For years, GTT has been adamantly claiming that it was “guaranteed” a minimum of 15% profit with a maximum unlimited. In point of fact, their “monopoly” Contract of 1990 allowed them only an “entitlement” (not a guarantee) of 15% dependent on their doing certain things such as their providing universal landline services for as many residents of Guyana who required such services. They had never performed this vital contractual requirement and thousands of people still want telephones which GTT cannot or do not install. [The GCA had long advocated that GTT’s “monopoly” Contract had long been void because they breached it in vital terms and they should have ceased accessioning the benefits of monopoly such as waiver of Customs duties]. (2) By Digicel’s competition, GTT had lost a great slice of their cellular market to Digicel. GTT had sought to explain this loss of its market share by claiming that it was not allowed sufficient sums to adequately deal with the landline service. GTT’s reasoning is not logical since cellular and landline are two different services. Secondly, GTT complacent in its monopoly had long neglected the landline by not effecting repairs on time and making little effort to supply landlines to the thousands who wanted them. With the coming of the lucrative cellular business, the company further neglected

the landline to focus on the cellular. If GTT could get the landline service back to normality with timely repairs to faults and steady supply of new landline services, the Company would return to its former great profitability. Order #2/2017 opens the door to GTT to achieve this. (3) The PUC has granted an increase in landline rates subject to the following:(a) GTT must complete the end to end provisioning of the FTTX Phase 1 in La Grange, and to commence the commercial launch of services in the areas which they have identified. (b) GTT must submit quarterly detailed appraisal of progress showing the number of new services rolled out, inclusive of rural areas. This should not be less than 1000 lines per quarter, which may include 25% re-issue lines. (c) GTT has been very slow in fault repairing and they must submit a quarterly report of the average time taken to resolve consumer complaints - residential and business. (d) The Company should determine a daily compensatory credit for consumers whose fault complaints are not remedied within the time-frame for addressing such complaints. The PUC will continuously monitor GTT to ensure that the Company improves the quality of service offered the public and must demonstrate that there is an urgent and genuine effort to provide services to outstanding applicants. GTT must seize the opportunity of once again being in the initiative and in the leadership role and increasing profitability.

From Page 68

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 3 Bedrooms bottom flat apartment, fully refurbished $65,000 monthly with 2 months security.Call: 2201583 between 7am-5pm only

money to trade in foreign currency. The losses for the government would have been significant, especially if the money was traded for less than it should have been. The Auditor General and the forensic audit reports have all pointed to severe deficiencies in the manner the monies of the state have been handled by the entities. Last month, six former GRDB officials were charged. It was alleged that between 2012 and 2015, the six officials committed the acts knowing that it was contrary to the entity’s standard operating procedures. They were not required to plead to the indictable offence. That matter is now being taken summarily and is being

heard in the magistrate’s court. The six officials charged are former General Manager of the GRDB, Jagnarine Singh; General Secretary of the Rice Producers Association and former GRDB board member, Dharamkumar Seeraj; former Deputy General Manager, Madanlall Ramraj;

former Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and former GRDB Board member, Nigel Dharamlall; former General Manager of Guyana Oil Company and former GRDB board member, Badrie Persaud; and Deputy Permanent Secretary Finance Ministry of Agriculture, Prema Roopnarine.

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

2 Bedrooms bottom flat @ Happy Acres, E.C.D. Call: 220-3690 or 667-9539

Land for sale at Block “12” Lot 176, First Street, Non Pariel, E.C.D- Call: 669-5532/ 270-5302

New 2 Bedrooms house for rent with grill (low cost rental) @ Kuru Kururu. Call: 6271050/626-1027

La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.4M, Farm -$2.8M, Herstelling $4M, Uivlugt -$2.6M, Bartica -$3M. Call: 651-1969/ 629-2881

2 Bedrooms apartment including water and internet, price - $40,000, location: Diamond Scheme, E.B.D. Call: 602-7135

La Parfaite Harmonie, main road, business spot - $2M, $1.4M, $1.2M, $1M, Farm -$3.5M, Tuschen -$1.3M, Herstelling $3.5M. Call: 666-2326

Business spots to rent on Public Road, 15X15 space with A/C, PVC ceiling, 40X12 PVC Ceiling, running water. Call: 613-0448/672-8625

La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.8M, $1.4M, $1.2M, $1M, Herstelling $3.5M, Tuschen Phase II $1.2M, Eccles -$5.5M. Call: 6046724/ 686-9608

3-2 Bedroom apartment, “A” Prime land to build that dream field Sophia. Call: 219-1045/ home. Not far from Princess, 625-0940 New Thriving, Massy, HJ water world $13M neg- Call: Sawmill for rent in Linden: 669-8397 Ripsaw, portable mill, molder in excellent condition. Call: East ½ 84 David Street, back lot for sale- Contact: 673-9401 84davidstreet@gmail.com Bottom flat 2 bedrooms apartment, preferably 35 Acres located in Port working couple. Call: 691- Kaituma. Call: 619-5173 0911 One unfurnished two bedroom apartment at Eccles - $55,000 monthly. Call: 6487004

Canadian court grants bail to former GRDB... (From page 3) information for the charged accountant was passed to the International Police Organization (INTERPOL). The official explained that the arrest warrant is not an extradition request but this would be the next logical step. James had told this newspaper that the former accountant is heavily implicated in the probe with regards to the six former GRDB board members that were charged. The GRDB found itself in the spotlight after a forensic audit of that entity revealed among some of the “anomalies” uncovered were loans without proper paperwork or promissory notes. There were other instances of persons in the a g e n c y u s i n g G R D B ’s

LAND FOR SALE

EDUCATIONAL Canadian School of Arts & Science: Summer Classes 2017- Pre-K, Nursery, Primary, Secondary (July 10th – August 11th). Call: 216-6921/ 22 for registration 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).

LEARN TO DANCE Dance to keep fit, lose weight build self-esteem while having fun, variety of styles. Call: 626-2629/676-6312

I.A.E – Registered now for full-time secondary school, lessons, CXC/CSEC classes, adults, students, repeaters. Call: 683-5742/621-7365 Table Tennis Classes: play to keep fit, lose weight, build self-esteem while having fun. Call: 626-2629/676-6312

PEN PAL You deserve a relationship filled with love & excitement. Call Harmony Singles: 6262629/676-6312

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GNIC/BIT TVET alliance to target oil and gas sector By Kiana Wilburg Guyana’s educational institutions have been playing a critical role in training and preparing individuals for the industrial sector. One such institution that has been doing its part in this regard for 107 years is the Board of Industrial Training (BIT). Speaking to Kaieteur News recently, Richard Maughn, Technical Officer at BIT, said that over the years, the entity has been responsible for the certification of trainees and the accreditation of companies in certain industries to be involved in technical training. Maughn said that BIT would certify those companies as Masters and in turn, they would do the training for the students while BIT carries out the supervisory role for quality

assurance purposes. At the end of the training, the Technical Officer explained that BIT would issue the apprentice with a Certificate of Competency. The official said that some of the companies that have been certified as Masters include the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Guyana Power and Light (GPL), the Guyana National Industrial Company (GNIC), and Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) among others. Highlighting BIT’s relationship with GNIC as an example, Maughn said that the entity has been a crucial and important partner over the years. “The main training programme for BIT would have been the Apprenticeship Programme which is a four-year course. There is also a two-year

- Currently in talks with ExxonMobil training programme.” He continued, “The Apprenticeship course that runs for two or four years, is very formal and provides you with the knowledge and scope you need for recognition in your field or area. In 2006, BIT started the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE). And like other organizations, GNIC would have been taking on youths for about six months and equipping them with the entry level skills they would need for the industrial sector.” Maughn added, “But from 2006 to 2014, we realized that we were not attracting a lot of persons for the Apprenticeship system. In the review of our systems, we decided to encourage companies that are Masters to encourage trainees to at least advance or move on to the two-year training programme which is a little more formal and would make them more competent.” The Technical Officer said that GNIC was quick to accept this proposition and has had candidates who successfully moved on from the six-month programme to the two-year training course. GNIC’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Clinton Williams, who is also Chairman of BIT, related to Kaieteur News that for the years 2013 to 2016, a total of 7,568 occupational skills have been generated country-wide with an anticipated number of 1525 skills generated in 2016 by BIT. The Chairman on the Council for Technical

Vocational Education and Training (TVET) said, “This brings us to more than 22, 000 Tech-voc skills from the inception of the National Training Programme for Youth Empowerment programmes in 2006. These programmes are executed in all of the regions in Guyana.” As regards the traditional “ 1 0 6 - y e a r - o l d ” Apprenticeship programme, Williams said that 97 highly skilled craftsmen have been produced and the number of Masters (Apprenticeship Service Providers) has increased from five in 2013 to seven in 2016. He said that the main skill profiles for which training was conducted were engineering, building construction, health services, home economics, ICT and forestry. Williams noted, “We have in recent times, placed added emphasis on vulnerable groups such as school dropouts, youths from depressed communities , particularly those from the hinterland regions, single parents and the differently abled…We are convinced that that these would not only positively impact on employment generation, entrepreneurship and empowerment but also contribute to poverty alleviation and crime prevention.” BRIDGING THE GAP With the coming of Guyana’s oil and gas sector, the industrial sector will play an even greater role and much more will be asked of it. BIT says it is up to the task. Specifically making this point was, Technical Officer at BIT, Richard Maughn. Maughn cautioned that as a training organization, there are things that BIT would need to do to equip itself for the task since it does not possess the expertise as

GNIC CEO and BIT Chairman, Clinton Williams yet to train persons in this sector. “It is something we are looking at and we are collaborating with other agencies such as the Council for TVET. We are in discussions in relation to formulating programmes that will suit that sector. But before we move to that, we need to understand what will be the specific occupational areas that individuals will need training in before we make any other move for working to design standards to treat those occupational areas,” the Technical Officer expressed. Adding to that point, BIT’s Board Chairman, Clinton Williams said that BIT and the Council for TVET are working closely with US oil giant, ExxonMobil. He said that this is being done to determine what are the entry level skills required for the sector, especially for the drilling and production phase. He said that it is also being pursued to determine input in terms of the conceptualization of the curriculum as well as providing inputs with respect

BIT Technical Officer, Richard Maughn to facilities and equipment to allow relevant agencies to be able to generate the skills needed for the sector. THE WAY FORWARD With regards to charting the way forward, the Chairman indicated that BIT intends to ensure that there is continuous improvement of TECHVOC Programmes by reviewing and prioritizing the following core elements: * Alignment with Guyana’s Development Strategy * Improvement in Governance arrangements * More emphasis on employer engagements * Increased funding and incentives systems * Reconfigure curriculum design and delivery systems * Review and improve our assessment mechanisms in order to ensure quality assurance and accreditation * Ensure marketable certification and/or further progression not excluding the achievement of local National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) and/or ultimately Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) which will ensure the skills generated are sought after not only locally but Regionally and Internationally.

Sunday June 25, 2017

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Duke Lodge files, eight others sent to Police Legal Advisor From page 12 board members records the businessman as sitting as a private sector representative and director on PU’s board since 2008. He reportedly remained after the Coalition Government took office in 2015. Reports by Kaieteur News last week suggested that the businessman, who has interests in the aviation and tourism sector, did not recuse himself from the board meetings that considered the land sale. There were immediate questions last week about a possible conflict of interest situation. Based on NICIL/PU online records of properties sold by that state entity, not one, but two properties were sold during the first two years of Gouveia’s stint as a director. Gouveia’s stint as a director is confirmed by online records of the NICIL/PU’s website: http:// www.privatisation.gov.gy/ During that first year, as a director of PU, his board approved a sale of the iconic Duke Lodge, located on 94 Duke Street. It was sold to Roraima Airways Inc., Captain Gouveia’s company, for $140M, according to a publication titled “Privatisation In Tables”-Phase 11- 1993-2011. The report was prepared by

Winston Brassington, Executive Secretary of PU, in 2012. While the property was advertised between May and June 2007, it was not until October 2008 that the board approved the sale. That same month, the Cabinet of Ministers under former President Bharrat Jagdeo, green-lighted the transaction. The sale was completed in March 2009. The same report by Brassington said that three months later, in June 2009, PU advertised for the sale of the next door property, Lot 93 Duke Street. Gouveia was again a member of the board when it approved the sale in July 2009 to his company. He had reportedly placed a bid in for $43M. By December 2009, the transaction was completed. The investigations by SOCU stemmed from the findings of a forensic audit report ordered by the administration into the operations of NICIL/ PU. Alarm The sale of the second property raised alarm and brought more attention to NICIL/PU, the state agency which has been handling the privatization and investments for Government. With regards to the transactions to Gouveia, sitting

with him on the PU board back in 2009 were former Minister of Finance, Dr. A s h n i Singh; former Minister of Trade, Manniram Prashad; former Agricult u r e M i n i s t e r, R o b e r t Persaud; consumer advocate, Pat Dial; union official, Grantley Culbard a n d N I C I L’s e x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r, Wi n s t o n Brassington. Brassington, who investigators want to question in Guyana, has moved to Florida. The sale of the second property to Gouveia, located across the road f r o m t h e U S e m b a s s y, made headlines, not only because of its prime location and the seemingly low price paid, but also the circumstances in which the decision was taken by Brassington a n d t h e t h e n P e o p l e ’s Progressive Party/Civic, Government. In July 2009, Cabinet approved the sale of the said property to the late real estate broker, Anthony Reid, for the sum of $63M plus VAT. According to news report, a notice of bid approval was sent to Reid in July notifying him of the decision. However, Reid

Granger commits to reuniting girls... From page 8 institution to which we should confine young girls. We need to look again at the so called offence of wandering because most of the girls there are for wandering.” The President said that from his visit, he has learnt that two things ought to be done to address the issue. “These are not violent criminals so those are two lessons that I’ve brought away: one, I am going to reunite some of them with their families and two; I’m going to look at the law so that persons who are caught wandering, we look at the circumstances which drove those girls on the street. “There may be a problem at home; they may have fallen under the influence of some adult male but that is what filled me with dismay. And most of the interaction took place in the absence of the staff.

The staff was asked to leave the room so it was a free interaction. Some sang songs and they spoke from their heart but these are young people who I would like to see getting back into school; getting jobs and establishing their own households.” President Granger said. Last Sunday, President David Granger indicated that he has commenced a process to look at the early release of girls and boys housed at the NOC. He had stated that as part of an overall plan to ensure improvements to the physical conditions and the programmes offered at the NOC, 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 also stated that Government, as it enters deliberations for

the development of the 2018 National Budget, will be 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 reintegration into society. 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.

Former Executive Secretary, Winston Brassington on August 10, 2009, withdrew his bid, which left another company, El Dorado Trading, with the next highest bid of $49.5M. However, the property, despite protests from the El Dorado, was sold to Gouveia, who was a board member, and had reportedly placed a bid for $43M. Kaieteur News was told that lawyers for other bidders filed protests with NICIL/PU but in vain. The matter had engaged the attention of several critics, including former PPP executive and H o u s e S p e a k e r, R a l p h Ramkarran. The blogger noted that the Procurement Act has made it clear that: “There shall be no negotiation between the procuring entity and any of the bidders.” There had been indications that NICIL/PU conducted negotiations with Gouveia, in breach of strict

procurement rules. Ye s t e r d a y, G o u v e i a issued a statement via h i s c o m p a n y, R o r a i m a Airways, responding to the Kaieteur News articles last week. Gouveia’s response This is what he had to say: Roraima Airways Chief Executive Officer Capt. Gerry Gouveia and the company as a whole have noted with interest two articles published in the Tuesday June 20 issue (“headlined “Controversial sale of Duke street annexe to Gouviea…No evidence that Board member Gouveia recused himself f r o m t r a n s action) and Wednesday June 21 (headlined Questionable transactions by privatization unit….Gouviea gets two state properties during his first year as Director”). Both articles contain profound inaccuracies and innuendos With respect to the conflict of interest assertion contained in the June 20 and June 21st Kaieteur news article, we wanted to firmly state the following: -Captain Gouviea was not a member of the Privatization Board during the period covering the transactions associated with the purchase of the property located at 94 Duke Street, housing what is now the Roraima Duke Lodge -It is also important to state that there were nine other bidders and Roraima Airways Bid was the highest. -The bids were opened in the presence of all of the other bidders and officials of the Accountant General’s office. -Capt. Gouveia himself

was never present nor was he part of any discussion with the Board of the Privatization Unit during all of the proceedings associated with the sale of the property situated at Lot 93 Duke Street, Kingston. -The processes associated with the sale of the aforementioned properties were certainly not handled expeditiously. In fact, it took approximately two years in the first instance and one year, in the second instance, to fully conclude the transactions. -Roraima Airways won the public bid/Tender for the second building on the merit of its business plan proposal and the final price that was paid of 50,000,000 GYD plus VAT of 8,000,000 GYD. Today approximately one decade since the properties were acquired, both buildings were renovated and today house hotel rooms, conference facilities, a restaurant and bar and other facilities which contribute to enhancing Guyana’s tourism product. Most important, the two buildings which today make up Duke Lodge account for some 100 direct jobs and hundreds more indirect jobs which have been created on the basis of fair hiring practices and without any regard to race, gender, religion or political affiliation. Today, the integrated services of the Roraima Group of Companies account for almost 300 direct jobs. The Roraima Group of Companies remains committed to contributing to the development of Guyana and to maintaining its track record of being among the best corporate citizens of Guyana. (SIC)

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China, U.S. agree on aim of ‘complete, irreversible’ Korean denuclearization Reuters - China and the United States agreed that efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula should be “complete, verifiable and irreversible”, Chinese state media said yesterday, reporting

the results of high level talks in Washington this week. “Both sides reaffirm that they will strive for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula,” a consen-

sus document released by the official Xinhua news agency said. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had said on Thursday that the United States pressed China to ramp up

economic and political pressure on North Korea, during his meeting with top Chinese diplomats and defence chiefs. China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi and General Fang Fenghui met Tillerson and

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis during the talks. Yang later met with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House, where they also discussed North Korea, Xinhua reported. The consensus document also highlighted the need to fully and strictly hold to U.N. Security Council resolutions and push for dialogue and negotiation, which has long been China’s position on the issue. Military-to-military exchanges should also be upgraded and mechanisms of notification established in order to cut the risks of “judgement errors” between the Chinese and U.S. militaries, the statement also said. Chinese state media described the talks, the first of their kind with the Trump administration, as an upgrade in dialogue mechanisms between China and the United States, following on from President Xi Jinping’s meeting with Trump in Florida in April.

Xi and Trump are next expected to meet again in Hamburg during the G20 Summit next month. A day last week’s talks, President Donald Trump said China’s efforts to use its leverage with North Korea had failed, raising fresh doubts about his administration’s strategy for countering the threat from North Korea. The death of American university student Otto Warmbier earlier this week, after his release from 17 months of imprisonment in Pyongyang, further complicated Trump’s approach to North Korea. China, North Korea’s main trading partner, has been accused of not fully enforcing existing U.N. sanctions on its neighbour, and has resisted some tougher measures. Washington has considered further “secondary sanctions” against Chinese banks and other firms doing business with North Korea, which China opposes.

Sunday June 25, 2017

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Billions pumped into Caribbean Airlines since 2011 – T&T Govt. PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - (CMC) – The state-owned Caribbean Airlines (CAL) has received an estimated TT$3 billion (One TT dollar =US$0.16 cents) in subsidies since 2011, Finance Minister Colm Imbert has said. Responding to a question posed by Opposition Chief Whip Dr David Lee in Parliament on Friday, Imbert said that the government gives a subsidy of TT$50 per adult seat for CAL’s Tobago airbridge. He said the airline had benefited from subsidies in recent years from both the former People’s Partnership government and the present Keith Rowley administration. He said the subsidies also applied to other routes operated by CAL. According to Imbert in 2011, CAL received TT$243

Colm Imbert million comprising TT$136 million in subsidies and TT$106 million in transfers, while in 2012, the airline benefitted from TT$1.139 billion, made up of TT$412 million in loan guarantees and TT$726 million in subsidies.

Imbert said that in 2013, CAL got TT$860 million, comprising TT$413 million in loan guarantees and TT$477 million in subsidies, while in the following year, it received one billion dollars consisting of TT$140 million in subsidies and TT$859 million in transfers. The finance minister told legislators that for 2015, the state-owned airline was given TT$655 million and last year it received TT$481 million. Imbert said that steps are now being taken to make CAL self-sufficient with the implementation of cost-relevant strategies, revenue enhancement aimed at a break-even position, developing a strong brand for CAL and building the necessary corporate culture.

Thanks but No Thanks: Belize Prime Minister Rejects IMF Recommendations BELMOPAN, Belize – Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow has turned his back on International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommendations to fix his country’s nagging economic woes, insisting that his Government will stick to its own programme. A team from the Washington-based financial body recently wrapped up Article IV consultations with the Barrow administration, warning that public debt remains too high and further fiscal consolidation is needed. It proposed a series of corrective measures, including a hike in the General Sales Tax (GST) from 12.5 to 15 percent and the removal of tax exemptions, among other measures. However, Barrow flatly rejected the advice, insisting it was not in the best interest of his country. “With respect to the recommendations as to raising the GST and as to doing away with exemptions and the recommendations having to do with

Dean Barrow pensions and public officers, we absolutely reject those a s w e h a v e m a d e clear repeatedly,” he told Channel 5 Belize. ”The Article IV Consultation is a prescribed, as it were, feature of membership and we will always…be respectful and treat the IMF team with extreme courtesy. But we absolutely will not follow any of the prescriptions which, in our view, would result, if followed, in a fracturing of the social com-

pact,” Barrow added. The Prime Minister made it clear the Belize is quite capable of writing its own prescriptions and suggested that its current efforts were working. Barrow said the local economy “is already on the rebound and I am absolutely certain that we can in fact find our way out of these temporary difficulties relatively easily and, certainly, most successfully”. On March 15, this year, Belize reached a restructuring agreement with private external bondholders on the debt estimated at US$526 million, or about 30 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). The agreement reduced the interest rate on the bond to 4.9375 per cent – the rate was set to step up from 5 to 6.767 percent in August 2017, and amended the amortization schedule by pushing back principal repayments to 2030-34 instead of starting semi-annual i n s t allments in August 2019. (Caribbean360)

Marooned: Flood as high as 8 feet ...residents waiting for emergency responders Trinidad Express - As more rain fell and floodwaters rose on Friday night, not a single house was spared along Kent Street in Williamsville. Residents said the water rose to eight feet in some areas. Fire services responded to distress calls at around midnight, the Express was told, but officers were unable to enter the village. The families were still reeling from Tuesday’s flooding

brought by Tropical Storm Bret, when the rains returned. Furniture, appliances and clothes were washed away in the floodwaters which ravaged their homes. Residents said the Guaracara River broke its banks and water began gushing into their homes at around 11pm. When the Express visited at around 8.30am, the floodwaters had receded. But slush had covered homes and the

roadway. By 11am, the Express was told that neither the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) nor any State agencies had responded to assist residents. Residents of Union Park East, Marabella, were also affected by flooding yesterday. The floodwaters claimed the main roadway and connecting streets leaving residents marooned in their homes.

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Sunday June 25, 2017

Sunday June 25, 2017

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OAS head rejects Venezuela offer to return to group if he resigns Washington (AFP) - The head of the Organisation of American States dug in his heels yesterday in a war of words with Venezuela, brusquely rejecting its demand that he resign in exchange for the country’s continued membership in the regional body. Luis Almagro, the OAS secretary-general, has been at the centre of an angry tiff between the organisation and the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro, which in April initiated the two-year process of withdrawing from the group. Venezuela has grown increasingly irritated by Almagro’s pointed criticisms. He has accused the government of violating human rights, interfering in elections and detaining political prisoners. A political and economic

Luis Almagro crisis in the oil-producing country has spawned often violent demonstrations by protesters demanding Maduro’s resignation and new elections. The unrest has left 75 people dead since April 1. While Venezuela has begun the process of withdrawal from the OAS,

Almagro yesterday flatly rejected Maduro’s suggestion that he step aside in exchange for the country’s return to the group. “We will never give up until we have the freedom of Venezuela in our hands,” Almagro, who is Uruguayan, said in a video. He said he would resign only “when free and transparent national elections are held ... (and) when all political prisoners are released and exiles are given amnesty.” He set a further condition: the prosecution of “the murderers of each of the protesters, as well as of their chain of command.” Despite Almagro’s efforts, the OAS General Assembly, meeting last week in the Mexican resort of Cancun, was unable to reach agreement on a plan to deal with the instability in Venezuela.

U.S. lawmakers urge Trump to press India’s Modi on trade, investment Reuters - Leading U.S. congressmen have called on President Donald Trump to press Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove barriers to U.S. trade and investment when they meet for the first time tomorrow. The lawmakers, from the Republican and Democratic parties, said in a letter to Trump that high-level engagement with India had failed to eliminate major trade and investment barriers and had not deterred India from imposing new ones. “Many sectors of the Indian economy remain highly and unjustifiably protected, and India continues to be a difficult place for American companies to do business,” they wrote, noting that a 2017 World Bank report ranked India 130th out of 190 countries for ease of doing business. The lawmakers Republican House Ways and

Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady and Ranking Member Richard Neal, and Republican Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and Ranking Member Ron Wyden - said the bilateral economic relationship “severely underperforms” as a result of India’s failure to enact market-based reforms. They said the barriers covered multiple sectors and included high tariffs, inadequate protection of intellectual property rights, and inconsistent and non-transparent licensing and regulatory practices. Among U.S. goods affected were solar and information technology products, telecommunications equipment and biotechnology products, they said. The lawmakers also pointed to limitations on foreign participation in professional services, restrictive

foreign equity caps for financial, retail, and other major services sectors and barriers to digital trade and Internet services. “The list is long and growing,” they said. Modi is due to meet with about 20 leading U.S. CEOs in Washington on Sunday before his first meeting with Trump on Monday at the White House, when he will seek to revitalize ties that have appeared to drift, in spite of the priority they were afforded under former President Barack Obama. While progress is expected in defense trade and cooperation, Trump, who campaigned on an “America First” platform has been irritated by the growing U.S. trade deficit with India and has called for reform of the H1B visa system that has benefited Indian tech firms.

Iraqi forces free hundreds of civilians in Mosul Old City battles as death toll mounts Reuters - Iraqi forces opened exit routes for hundreds of civilians to flee the Old City of Mosul yesterday as they battled to retake the quarter from Islamic State militants mounting a last stand in what was the de facto capital of their self-declared caliphate.U.S.-trained urban warfare units were channelling their onslaught along two perpendicular streets that converge in the heart of the Old City, aiming to isolate the jihadist insurgents in four pockets. The week-old battle in the Old City is turning into the deadliest of the eightmonth U.S.-backed campaign to take back the northern city,

which fell to the militants in June 2014. A Reuters correspondent saw a young girl with facial injuries walking dazed and shocked across the frontline out of heavily-populated district with a group of neighbours. All her family was killed when their house collapsed, they said. The United Nations voiced alarm yesterday at the rising death toll among civilians in the fighting, saying as many as 12 were killed and hundreds injured on Friday. “Fighting is very intense in the Old City and civilians are at extreme, almost unimaginable risk. There are reports that thousands, maybe even

tens of thousands, of people are being held as human shields (by Islamic State),” Lise Grande, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, said in a statement. “Hundreds of civilians, including children, are being shot.” Iraqi authorities are hoping to declare victory in the northern Iraqi city in the Muslim Eid holiday, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, during the next few days. Helicopter gunships were assisting the ground thrust, firing at insurgent emplacements in the Old City, a Reuters correspondent reported from a location near the frontlines.

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Sunday June 25, 2017

Hamilton pips Bottas to take 66th pole in Azerbaijan (Reuters) Lewis Hamilton surpassed Ayrton Senna’s career haul of 65 pole positions in Formula One as he edged Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas in a final lap shootout to secure top spot for today’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Hamilton banished memories of a dismal qualifying session in Baku last year, when he clipped the barrier and had to settle for 10th place on the starting grid, to grab pole with a time of 1:40.593 despite running wide at Turn 16. He will be joined in an allMercedes front row by Bottas, who was pipped at the death when Hamilton outpaced him in the final lap after

the session had been paused by a red flag. “That was one of the most exciting laps that I’ve had all year,” he told Sky Sports. “A lot of pressure. “The first lap I had the time but I made a mistake,” he added. “(There was) a lot of pressure because of getting temperature in the tire but the lap just got better and better. Coming out of the last corner I was just ‘thinking please be enough’.” The British driver is now just two behind Michael Schumacher’s overall record of 68 poles in Formula One. Sebastian Vettel had his championship lead cut to 12 points when Hamilton won in

Canada earlier this month, and now faces an uphill struggle to fend off his rival again after qualifying fourth. Vettel was beaten to third by team mate Kimi Raikkonen in an all-Ferrari second row. Max Verstappen dominated Friday practice but Red Bull failed to have the anticipated impact as he qualified fifth and his team mate Daniel Ricciardo was down in 10th after hitting a wall, prompting the red flag which led to the last-lap shootout. Canadian youngster Lance Stroll, in eighth, outqualified his fellow Williams driver Felipe Massa, who was ninth. Force India duo Sergio

C/ville, Almanac Kings and River... (From page 76) regulation time, before the former escaped with a 2-1 win in the penalty shootout. The game that followed ended in similar fashion after regulation time failed to separate a 2-2 stalemate, before Campbellville won 21 via sudden death penalty kicks. Action was set to resume last evening at the same venue with the semi-finals and final slated for tonight. The night’s full results: Game -1 Almanac King -2 vs Times Square -2

Almanac Kings Won 2-1 via Penalty Kicks Almanac Scorers Don Lam 3rd Min Ricardo Perreira 5th Min Time Square Scorers Cyprian Collison 12th Min Rondell Calender 23rd Min Game- 2 Campbellville-2 vs Street Kings -2 Campbellville won 2-1 via Sudden Death Penalty Kicks Street King Scorers Elijah Fraser 5th Min Shameer Mentore 15th Min Campbellville Scorers

Kelvin Isaacs 20th Marvin Bamfield 26th Game -3 River-View -3 vs Lotto Arcade 1 River View Scorers Romario Lake 7th Min Steven Edwards 15th Andel Norton 30th Lotto Arcade Mclean Pickett 25th Game -4 Police-2 vs Beacon One Love -1 Police Scorers Roderick Hamilton 18th Min Mark Boyce 33rd Min Beacon One Love Scorer Randy Adams 6th Min Game -5 Young Guns -0 vs Plantain Slice -1 Plantain Slice Scorer Shawn Dash 8th Min Game -6 All Stars-1 vs Beacon Die Hard-0 All Stars Scorer Ryan Scott 28th Min

BRANDERZ Guyana... (From page 78) support for Guyana’s strongmen and women in their quest to bring further glory to the Land of Many Waters. He noted that the exciting group of athletes has shown encouraging commitment, dedication and discipline over months of tedious preparations for next month’s championships and his company is more than happy to lend support to the cause. Spencer, on behalf of the federation expressed gratitude to Mr. Brock for his entity’s commitment, noting that the athletes will endeavor to give of their best to make themselves and the nation proud from July 3-8, next.

Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen of Finland, Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton of Britain and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas of Finland wave to the media after the qualifying session. (REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili) Perez and Esteban Ocon finished sixth and seventh respectively. Fernando Alonso, already

Palmer did not take part in qualifying after a fire in his car during yesterday morning’s practice.

hit with a 40-point grid penalty, failed to advance past Q1 for the first time this season, while Jolyon

Sunday June 18, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Fitness or weight loss programs will help your self esteem. Update and review your personal investments. You should be getting into self-improvement projects. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Do your best, but don't make too many promises or you may exhaust yourself. Make sure that you get legal matters checked out thoroughly. Plan events like camping or white water rafting. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Health problems may prevail if you haven't been getting enough rest. The experience will be good. Use your creative talent in order to accomplish your goals. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Be aggressive and colorful, and you will get your way. Pleasure trips should be on your agenda. You need a day to rest and relax with the ones you love. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You may blow situations out of proportion when dealing with the one you love. You may find that doing odd jobs around the house will be successful and appreciated by loved ones. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Try not to hurt your partner's feelings. If you can mix business with pleasure much can be accomplished. Tempers may flare if you haven't been completely honest about your

intentions or your whereabouts. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Be cautious while traveling to foreign countries. Listening can be more valuable than being a chatterbox. Think twice before you speak. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You can make money through solid investment plans. Difficulties with older females in your family may turn out to be quite trivial after all. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Do things with your children and avoid situations that make you feel as if you've neglected the ones you love. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Work quietly at your own goals and forget about situations that you can do little about. Depression may put a damper on your day. Your intellectual charm will win hearts and bring opportunities that you least expect. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You must use discretion when it comes to lending money or making donations. Learn some new skills that will increase your income. You are best not to nag or criticize. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Make residential changes that will lift your spirits. Don't overextend your self in order to add luxury items to your entertainment center. Curb any jealous fits if your partner has been flirting with someone else.

Sunday June 25, 2017

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Combined Team triumph at STSC softball Elaine Thompson The Combined Team B a t t i n g f i r s t t h e Team 2-1 in the football were presented to the defeated the Rest Team Combined Team managed final, while Desmond winners were donated by and Kendra Harrison when the South Turkeyen 89-6 in six overs, while Rest M c K e n z i e w o n t h e N S C , M S C , P a n d P Sports Committee hosted its Team responded with 71-8. dominoes competition that Insurance, Tent City, Trophy run world leads at softball competition T h e R e s t T e a m was played at Bechie’s Bar. Stall, Zaman Ali, Kien recently at D’urban Park. overcame the Combined Trophies and medals that Phillips and Roysdale Forde. national champs Athletics Weekly - Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson was among the winners at the Jamaican Championships and world trials in Kingston on Friday, while Kendra Harrison was another with a world-leading performance over at the US Championships in Sacramento. Thompson clocked the quickest 100m time in the world so far this year with 10.71 to secure her second national title over the distance. In the men’s race, 2011 world champion Yohan Blake retained his title with 9.90 ahead of Julian Forte’s 10.04. Forte had earlier gone sub-10 seconds for the first time with a 9.99 PB in his semi-final.

CARICOM Day ‘ Cuff Out’ Boxing Tournament

GDF’s Markemder Pierre will be hard to beat

Markemder Pierre - GDF Gym Exactly one week away from what would be an historic evening of fistic fury put on by Slingerz Entertainment and the Vergenoegen Boxing Gym, dubbed CARICOM Day ‘Cuff Out’ Boxing at the Vergenoegen Tarmac, West Coast Demerara, the various boxers are all confident of taking out each other. One such pugilist is the Guyana Defence Force Light Heavyweight Markemder Pierre, who is promising to demolish whoever steps in front of him in the ring come fight night, next Sunday. Pierre’s gym mates are also exuding confidence that they too will be just as demolishing on the night which will mark the first such activity under the night sky on the West Side; the GDF will be sending a strong team o f 1 2 . But it will not be a night of

smooth sailing for the soldiers as they will be up against equally confident fighters from the following gyms; Vergenoegen, Harpy Eagle, Republican, Pocket Rocket Gym of Linden, Rose Hall Town Jammers, Guyana Police Force, Wakenaam, Forgotten Youth Foundation a n d Yo u n g A c h i e v e r s . The organisers have stated that the event is being put together to assist in developing a positive mindset among the young boxers on show as well as the many who will be coming out to absorb the entertainment that is promised. A total of 18-Fights will be served up on the night and is supported by the following sponsors, Courts Guyana, Ansa McAl, Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports, Two Brothers Pure Ice, Star Party Rentals and HJTV and Radio.

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Kaieteur Sports Week in Review (June 18 – 24) Kaieteur Sports Department presents Week in Review, a column that highlights the happenings on the local scene. Sunday BOXING - AGARD CREATES HISTORY FOR GUYANA WITH ANOTHER APPOINTMENT Guyana’s One Star boxing referee/judge Ramona Agard 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. 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 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. GCF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017 JEFFREY & FRASER-GREEN REPEAT; DEY & NUNES ARE JUNIOR AND VETERAN WINNERS The Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) national championships pedaled off on Saturday 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 6-mile course saw the cyclists starting at Hairuni, proceeded to the Long Creek Primary School sign before returning to the starting line for the finish.

another entertaining encounter. The diminutive Lenox Cort was again the star of the show, slamming in a hat-trick in the 3rd, 10th and 20th minutes to lead them to victory. Roy Cassou in the 9th and Sherwin Fordyce’s 14th minute strike completed their tally.

Monday CLAIRE FRASER-GREEN IN FIVE-PEAT BRITON JOHN, DAVID HICKS, WARREN MCKAY & ANDREW SPENCER ARE NEW CHAMPS Claire Fraser-Green further cemented her name in the cycling history books of Guyana when she rode to victory for the fifth consecutive year to win the National championships, the longest route ever ridden. The United Kingdom based cyclist rode over the line unchallenged to win the 53-mile race in Two Hours 29 Minutes 49 Seconds way ahead of the only other female to participate, Berbician, Shemika Teixeira. A new junior champion was crowned when Briton John crossed the line to win the 70-mile clash in Two Hours 58 Minutes 40 Seconds and in the process, John, who had to settle for the third place behind Christopher Cornelius, last year’s winner, turned the tables this time around with Cornelius having to settle for third. Nigel Duguid took the second place (silver) behind John. A new juvenile winner was crowned in the battle of the 13year-olds with David Hicks outpowering Jonathan Ramsuchit to take the gold medal. The bronze was taken by Raj Seenarine. In the veterans class, Under-45 category Lear Nunes and Steve Ramsuchit, who were knocked out of the race last year on the East Coast of Demerara after not being at the line for the start, ensured that they did not make the same mistake again and proved their worth by ending 2nd and 3rd respectively to new winner, Warren ‘Forty’ McKay. Three more new faces were on the podium for the Over-45 class with Andrew Spencer, who did not place last year, storming to the top spot this time around to ensure his name is inked into the history books as the 2017 winner. Ian ‘Deaf Boy’ Jackson took the silver and Oliver Younge, the bronze. EXCELLENT TEAM TACTICS ENSURES MING WINS NACAM FIA 2016-2017 CHAMPIONSHIP Team tactics is crucial to any sport, especially in motorsport, and Guyanese Calvin Ming and Team Ram Racing made the right calculations and call despite being faced with adversity to ensure Calvin Ming was crowned NACAM FIA 2016-2017 F4 Champion driver last Saturday in Mexico. Ming started off the weekend activities of the 8th and final round of the Mexican NACAM FIA Formula 4 championship series by turning in the fastest times during the first practice session and went

Tuesday COUGARS ARE CHAMPS; NA UNITED TAKE 3RD

Claire Fraser-Green on to qualify and start race #1 in 2nd position. However, he encountered some problems with the engine’s performance, after leading the race for several laps, losing power. Having carefully calculated the various permutations, and being aware of his 55 points lead in the championship, the young Ming nursed the car to a 4th place finish, knowing that in this position, he would emerge as the champion of the series, irrespective of whether or not he participated in the two other races. Well the youngster put the icing on the cake the next day, storming to a victory in one of the races, further cementing his championship point’s status. He started in 4th place and took the lead from lap #1 and never looked back, winning from Alexis Carreno in P2 by 11.85 secs, with Alexandra Mohnhaupt in third. RICHARDSON’S FOURGOAL SPREE HELPS PRESERVE SPARTA’S REPUTATION -ALBOUYSTOWN BEAT SOPHIA FOR THIRD PLACE He is nicknamed after famous Kung Fu star Jackie Chan, who thrilled moviegoers with his funny, but skilful maneuvers and while former national striker Gregory Richardson’s display was far removed from such similarities, he did entertain his supporters with a stirring performance during a fourgoal spree that set up another title for Sparta Boss. Playing in the final of the Xtreme Clean & Maintenance Co. / GT Beer ‘Gold Rush’ Futsal Tournament on Saturday night at the National Gymnasium, Richardson fired in four spectacular goals to help his team outlast a steely Tucville unit by a score line of 7-4 to remove all doubt as to which is the best team in the shorter format. In the playoff for third place, Albouystown, who fell to Sparta Boss in the semi-finals recovered from that defeat to beat Sophia in

Cougars Football Club pulled out all the stops to cart off championship honours via kicks from the penalty mark in the Berbice Football Association (BFA) organised J’s Golden Arrow Under-20 competition at the All Saints (Scotts School) ground, New Amsterdam. Coming up against the previously unbeaten Paradise Invaders, Cougars lifted themselves from an early 0-1 deficit in the 6th minute, owing to a Shaqueel De Harte goal to equalize then take the lead, thanks to goals from Xavier Johnson in the 43rd minute and Reagan Reece in the 57th minute. Paradise Invaders then drew level at 2-2 in the 59th minute through Captain Nimrod August. The scores remained locked at 2–2 at the end of the 80 minutes of regulation time and kicks from the penalty mark were required to decide the winner. Cougars prevailed 3–2 to lift the inaugural Golden Arrow U20 first place trophy and medals. In the third place match between New Amsterdam United and Hopetown United Rangers, the former hammered the latter, 4-0. The goal scorers were Orin Glen in the 40th, Stephen Rigby

46th, Quinn Hazel 60th and Jamal Butts in the 74th minute. Shaqueel De Harte ended as the tournament’s highest goal scorer with four goals followed by Butts with three. Cougars’ Trivette Edwards was voted the best goalkeeper with Paradise’ Aubrey Joseph declared the most valuable player of the competition. GUYANA COURTING FOREIGN ‘SUPER-PLAYER’ FOR CENTROBASKET A well-placed source confirmed that Guyana’s Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) has been using all its overseas-based resources to search for a ‘superplayer’, who will be a major asset for the biggest basketball challenge to ever face the country. Guyana will compete for the first time at the CENTROBASKET Under-17 Championship, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 26-30 after qualifying last year with a second place finish at the Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) U-16 Championships in Guyana. C E N T R O B A S K E T, t h e Central American Championships, and because of the magnitude of the occasion with Guyana being placed in Group ‘A’ with Mexico, Puerto Rico and Bahamas, which had beaten them in the CBC U-16 Final, it was clear from the start that Guyana had to shop super talented players to be in any contention in the Dominican Republic. Manager and appointed Head of the Guyana Delegation to C E N T R O B A S K E T, A n d r e w Hercules was not optimistic that the process will yield the desired (Continued on page 75) Calvin Ming celebrates his performance.

Sunday June 25, 2017

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Kaieteur Sports Week in Review (From page 74) result. “We would love to have some more ‘bigs’ (centre) and some solid guards based on our weaknesses from CBC, but we are just hearing about some players in the US,” Hercules said. Two players, who were part of the CBC team and are now based in the US, will be returning to join the 14 players they have shortlisted from the initial list of 28 players. Wednesday NEWTON RECEIVES WKU HALL OF FAME AWARD Following his double gold medal haul at the recently concluded North American Federation for Martial Arts championships (NAFMA) In New Jersey, Guyanese Sensei Garfield Newton of the Black Hawks Martial Arts Management Network Association received his second World Karate Union hall of fame award. The event was held on June 11 at Chato Resort in Pokinoes Mountain of Pennsylvania, USA. He was nominated and won the second highest award at the World Karate Union (WKU) Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Awards; a WKU pin and the WKU gold ring. Newton was the only Guyanese and the only athlete to represent the Caribbean at the prestigious event of legendary martial artists and actors. GUYANA’S ‘GREEN MACHINE’ NOW NINTH IN AMERICAS - TOP THE CARIBBEAN Guyana’s national men’s rugby team, commonly referred to as the ‘Green Machine’ has moved up one spot to ninth in the Americas rankings following their Rugby Americas North (RAN) South Zone 15s win over rivals Trinidad and Tobago. By virtue of their improved ranking they are now the highest ranked team in the Caribbean followed by Trinidad and Tobago one place shy of the Guyanese in tenth, while Cayman Islands that defeated North Zone champions Mexico recently moved up to eleventh. CONFUSION SURROUNDS DISAPPEARANCE OF EQUIPMENT FROM NATIONAL TRACK AND FIELD CENTRE

Aubrey Hutson Confusion surrounds who should accept the responsibility for the disappearance of equipment that included a Seiko Track and Field Electronic System and Start Gun RG valued at US$2, 985 and US$159 respectively from the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora. The revelation of the disappearance of the items was only brought to the fore on Monday at the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) following a 2015 report from the Audit Office that there is no evidence that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCY&S) received the equipment. A police report on the missing items was presented to the Audit Office in April this year. PAC Chairman, Irfaan Ali sought to ascertain whether the Ministry received the items and as such Permanent Secretary, Melissa Tucker was asked for confirmation. However, Tucker indicated that she was not in possession of the necessary documentation, which could have been as a result of the fact that she was not the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry at the time of the Audit Report. Alfred King was the Permanent Secretary then. But PAC member, Juan Edghill questioned why the items, if received, were never entered into an assets register. King reportedly blamed his subordinates. “At this time I can only say it was some level of delinquency,” King indicated. FIH COACH CONDUCTS HOCKEY CLINIC IN GUYANA FIH hockey Coach Shiv Jagday was in Guyana to

conduct two weeks of training for coaches, senior nationals and junior players. Jagday, who is originally from India, a powerhouse in the sport from the inception of international competition, has been mostly residing in Canada for the past 40 years. Fifty boys and girls between the ages of 13 and 19 years attended the junior sessions, while thirty five coaches attended the coaching sessions. Among the topics covered during his stay were core basic skills like Stance, Footwork and First touch in addition to Passing and Receiving, Running with the ball, Triangle play, Team concepts and using mini hockey as a tool to develop the game in segments.

world. She placed third in the first Fitness Challenge held in Guyana last year and prior to this she has won multiple titles in bodybuilding, Physique Best Legs and Bikini included. Based on preliminary nominations as of May 8, 2 0 1 7 , Ta h a r a l l y w i l l compete against 8 other opponents from Trinidad and Tobago (2), Puerto Rico (3), Canada and Ecuador in the Raw Classic division. In the Masters 1 40+ Raw Classic, it will be a straight battle against a Puerto Rican with the Guyanese strongwoman ahead in each of the lifts and total based on their respective best lifts.

THURSDAY

ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION BANKRUPT AFTER HOSTING SOUTH AMERICAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

MULTI-TALENTED POWERLIFTING MOTHER AIMING TO SET INTERNATIONAL STAGE ALIGHT Dawn Barker and Kimberly Mars are two of the well known athletes in Guyana’s powerlifting annals, but silently powering her way to similar splendour is the multitalented Nadina Taharally who has also excelled in bodybuilding. The Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) Senior Nationals Un-equipped Overall champion, Intermediate Overall champ and Masters Overall winner, 2016 is presently getting into tip top shape ahead of next month’s 1 6 t h A n n u a l NAPF/FESUPO PanAmerican Powerlifting Championships; 15th Annual NAPF North American Regional P o w e r l i f t i n g Championships and 32nd Annual FESUPO South American Powerlifting Championships in Orlando, Florida, USA. A mere three years experience in the sport has already seen encouraging dividends for the 44-yearold mother of two who will make her international debut next month and is confident of medaling in the 72kg Masters 1 (40+) and Open divisions. Taharally has shown that age is just a number as she is committed to following a healthy lifestyle whilst training hard in order to enjoy the best of health and life even in a competitive

Friday

If you are an avid sport enthusiast, you will know of the deplorable state of facilities and then the inevitable bankruptcy in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil after that city hosted the 2016 Olympic Games. It seems to be the recurring theme of countries, which seek to host major sport events outside of the developed, capitalist and industrial world. The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has been exposed to

Nadina Taharally

this type of insolvency after it hosted the South American Junior Championships here, June 3-4, at the National Track and Field Centre at L e o n o r a , We s t C o a s t Demerara. The association faces a mountain of bills with the service providers and even some officials, who worked at the international meet, still to be paid. But most regrettably, the burden of AAG debt is resting on the shoulders of Guyana’s senior national athletes. Most of those athletes had to miss the South American Senior Championships last weekend in Paraguay because the association claimed to be too broke to send them. Because of that poor financial standing, athletes who could have afforded to pay their own way represented Guyana at the meet. Those athletes included United States-based, Winston George (200m, 400m), Jenea McCammon (100m, 400m hurdles) and Owen Adonis (100m, 200m). The AAG had indicated before that it is sending six athletes to the Championship, but was forced to renege on that decision, allowing the athletes who are willing to stand their expenses to compete. The situation has prompted stern rejections of the association from the senior athletes, who were

aiming to use the competition as a means of qualification for the World Championship in August in London, England. The athletes vented their frustrations on social media. Saturday DOWNES DEFENDS MEN’S SINGLES IN DOMINANT FASHION FOR 7TH SUCCESSIVE TITLE Once again Anthony Downes proved that he is one of the best players to come out of Guyana by notching his 7th consecutive GBTI Men’s Open title with a dominating win over Daniel Lopes in straight sets. The result was a repeat of last year’s finals which had a similar scoreline. Lopes had teamed up with Leyland Leacock the night before to upset Downes and Jason Andrews in the Men’s Doubles and revenge would have certainly been on Downes’ mind as he wrapped up the match in less than one hour dropping just one game. Downes has been prominent on the local scene, participating in his first Men’s singles final when he was 14-years-old and has battled with other top players such as Phillip Squires and Jeremy Miller over the years. Other outstanding performers in the tournament were 16-yearold Ladies Champion Afruica Gentle who once again carted off the three open titles, Ladies Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Leyland Leacock who won the Men’s 35 Singles and Men’s Open Doubles title, Godfrey Lowden with the Men’s 45 Singles and Doubles title and 35 Doubles runner-up and Andre Lopes who won the Men’s 35 doubles and was runner-up in the Men’s 35 Singles. Daniel Lopes also medalled twice taking the runner-up position in the M e n ’s s i n g l e s a n d w i n n i n g t h e M e n ’s Doubles title. In the Junior categories, Jordan Beaton was the winner of the Boy’s Singles title, whilst Kalyca Fraser won the Girl’s Singles. There was also a win for newcomer Delon Fraser who edged Surendra Khayyam to win the Developmental Novice Medley category.

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Garnett supports Chase Academy goalkeeper Norville

GT Motorsports-organised Endurance Rental Cup

Team Nexus & Gizmos & Gadgets dominate -Mendonca, Ray Rahaman also impress

Chase Academy goalkeeper Sase Norville accepts the footwear from Dexter Garnett in the presence of Henry Chase. In order for athletes to perform to the best of their ability consistently, suitable equipment are needed, that is the primary reason Manager of the sports section of Colours Boutique, Dexter Garnett, has decided to assist young goalkeeper Sase Norville of Chase Academy. Garnett presented a pair of football shoes to Norville at a simple ceremony held yesterday at Colours

Boutique at 70 Robb Street, Lacytown. Garnett, who was newly appointed in the said position with the entity, said that he is always eager to support sports and wants to encourage the youths to balance their sporting careers with their education because there is a life after sports. Henry Chase, the principal of Chase Academy, said he is elated to see the

entity give back to the society and called on other businesses to support the school programme. He added that such a gesture is important for the development of an athlete and the game itself. Both Chase and Norville, who is a member of the Chase Academy football team, expressed gratitude to Garnett for the gesture. Chase Academy are the defending champions of the

Annual GOA Olympic Day Cycling Meet

Duguid, Canterbury, Ramsuchit, Harrison and Singh take top honours By Franklin Wilson On a rainy day in the capital city, the National Park’s inner circuit was warmed with the competitive spirit of a group of young riders who braved the weather to make the annual Olympic Day Cycling programme, another success. This event which forms part of the celebration of Olympic Day worldwide, was included in the Olympic Charter in 1978 encouraging all National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to organise activities which promote the Olympic Movement. Yesterday’s activity, which saw Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) Vice President Dr. Karen Pilgrim delivering remarks to the cyclists following the presentation of trophies, saw five races contested. Coming out winner in the junior/juvenile 10-lap contest was Nigel Duguid who won the event in 24 Minutes 36.11 Seconds; second was Curtis Dey with Jason Cameron, third. The 12-14 race, another 10-lap showdown, was won by 13-year-old Jonathan Ramshchit also in the same

time as junior/juvenile race. He crossed the finish line in front of fellow Berbicians Kenwyn Collins and Jomar Holigar. The lone mountain bike p a r t i c i p a n t w a s Ry a n Canterbury, who, despite not having opposition rode the Mountain Bike Course at the National Park in excellent fashion despite its soggy nature. Jeremiah Harrison was the top 9-12 BMX rider as he won the 3-lap contest outsprinting Jared Barrington in 10 Minutes 52 Seconds. Shay Sue Hang came third. Lumesh Singh won the 6-9 BMX race from Alpha Harrison and Tylor Goring. O rg a n i s e r, H a s s a n Mohamed, Racing Secretary of the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF), thanked the participants and parents, especially those from Berbice who braved the rain in making this year’s event another success. GOA VP Dr. Pilgrim in her remarks also expressed gratitude to the participants for taking part in the programme noting that Olympic Day is celebrated on June 23rd, each year by the affiliates of the International Olympic

Committee. She reminded the cyclists that on this day, it is important to remember the basic principles of Olympism, one of the main ones being, Fair Play. ”Some of you may know that cycling at the moment in Guyana doesn’t have a very good reputation because one of your top members is presently banned for a doping offence. So the one thing I want to say to all of you here as you think about olympism, as you think about fair play, as you think about continuing your career in cycling and representing Guyana, is, please learn about anti-dpoing.” Dr. Pilgrim encouraged the riders to ensure they attend Anti Doping Education programmes which are held by the GOA and to guard against falling into the trap doping, pointing out that it is an international challenge. Meanwhile, Mohamed’s Teach Them Young Summer Programme which is sponsored by the National Sports Commission is set to pedal off from July 10 – September 1, 2017. It is the 41st year for the programme.

Defending 600lbs champions made a successful defence of their title when the fourth Endurance Rental Cup, which was organised by GT Motorsports, was held on Friday, at the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club. Also returning to winners’ row was Gizmos and Gadgets / iRide that swept the 500lbs category who relinquished their title at the previous Meet. Team Nexus with Steven Nobrega, Matthew Phang and Gregory Haniff Mohamed, recorded 58 laps at the conclusion of the allotted 45 minutes of racing to relegate Team Speed comprising GMR&SC President Rameez Mohamed, Kamal Seebarran and Raymond Seebarran into second place after they registered 57 laps, while Team E-Racing’s Denzel Hopkinson, Marcel Profitt and Jason Gonsalves ended third, also with 57 laps. Debutants Team Unruly of Phillip Paruag, Michael Khan and Timothy Jadubal turned in a laudable

performance, finishing fourth with 56 laps. In the 500lb Class, Gizmos and Gadgets/iRide underlined their class, making it three wins from four attempts. The team of Nobrega, Matthew and John Phang registered a staggering 60 laps to beat Team CDR with Clint Seebarran, Dharmendra Dharmo and Raymond Seebarran into second place followed by the Vieiras, Mark, Matthew and Emma sponsored by Team Palm Court. Team GFX Racing, with the likes of Luis Antonio Kumar, Rohindra Mahase and Sean Charles, had an impressive start on the first leg, but lost valuable time through a mishap involving Kumar. They eventually finished fourth. There were also four sprint races on the night, with the winners being determined by the fastest lap times. Below are the results. Race 1– Matthew Phang (43.061s); Matthew Vieira (43.136s); Steven Nobrega (43.615s)

Race 2– Rohindra Mahase (43.636s); Raymond Seebarran (44.171s); Gregory Haniff Mohamed (44.183s) Race 3– Emma Vieira (43.396s); Mark Vieira (43.427s); Jason Gonsalves (44.339s) Race 4– Timothy Jadubal (44.452s); Sunil Persaud (45.039s); Delmar Rogers (45.178s) The All Girls race, which was held for the first time, attracted eight competitors with nine-year-old Paige Mendonca, the youngest of the lot, racing to an impressive win. Macalie Rahaman and Alexandra Phang took second and third spots respectively. Veteran Ray Rahaman won the Hall of Fame race, which was being staged for the first time, ahead of Jad Rahaman, Harold Hopkinson and Terrence Clarke in that order. The event was sponsored by Secure Innovations and Concepts (Harold Hopkinson), Karcher, E-Networks and the Track Bar.

Bartica Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Competition

C/ville, Almanac Kings and River View among early winners

-semis, final set for tonight Action in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Competition last Friday evening in Bartica. The Bartica Community Centre was abuzz with excitement as play in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Competition opened on Friday evening before a large crowd.

Among those present was Guinness Brand Manager Lee Baptiste who witnessed some entertaining matches as teams battled for the sole spot to represent the community at the National

Playoffs set for early next month. Eventual winners Almanac Kings and Times Square set the tone for the night when they battled to a 2-2 draw in (Continued on page 72)

Sunday June 25, 2017

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PAGE 81

Regal Sports backs Miss Upper Demerara Berbice -after paying expenses to represent Guyana contestant Nitifah Thompson

George races to South American 400m gold medal Guyana’s national 400m record holder, Winston George got the best reward after being forced to pay his own way to represent Guyana at the South American Senior Championships in Paraguay this weekend. George landed his first major international gold medal in the 400m in 45.42 seconds with a superb performance out of lane nine. The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) had indicated to the athletes hoping to represent Guyana that they would have to pay their own airfare etc. to compete at the meet.

Winston George

The situation prompted stern rejections of the association from the senior athletes, who were aiming to use the competition as a

means of qualification for the World Championship in August in London, England. The athletes vented their frustrations on social media, especially Facebook. Those athletes included United States-based, Winston George (200m, 400m), Jenea McCammon (100m, 400m hurdles) and Owen Adonis (100m, 200m). The AAG had indicated before that it is sending six athletes to the Championship, but was forced to renege on that decision, allowing the athletes who are willing to stand their expenses to compete in Paraguay.

Miss Upper Demerara Berbice Nitifah Thompson (left) collects the cheque from Regal’s office manager Telesha Ousman.

Top Brandz Distributors sponsors Corona Invitational Football

Top Brandz Sales and Marketing Manager Pratima Prashnajeet and Petra Co-Director Troy Mendonca hold a replica of the championship trophy in the presence of GFF President Wayne Forde (far left), GFA Vice-President Aron Fraser (3rd from right) and other representatives. Top Brandz Distributors under the Corona Beer brand confirmed its partnership with the Petra Organisation to host the inaugural Corona Invitational Football To u r n a m e n t i n v o l v i n g twelve of the top teams in Georgetown. This disclosure was made on Friday, during a simple ceremony that was conducted at the company’s Head Office on Broad Street. In attendance at the occasion were Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca, VicePresident of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Aron Fraser, President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde, Top Brandz Sales and Marketing Manager Pratima Prashnajeet and Brand Ambassador Jean-Paul Bonse. Mendonca in his remarks

said the Organisation is delighted to have the support of the company and promised that the tournament will align with their objectives of promoting the beer. In giving a outline of the format of the tournament he disclosed it will be played on a round-robin knock-out basis where there will be two groups of six teams from which the top four from the respective groups will advance to the knock-out phase. The Director further stated that on the first day of the tournament admission will be free for all patrons and this feature he added will continue for women only throughout the duration of the tournament. Prashnajeet said the objective of the tournament is to sensitise the public about the theme for the beer

which is, ‘This is living’. Bonse informed that they are seeking to promote the community teams and build a fan base by having additional entertainment packages at the venues. Fraser applauded Petra for helping the GFA to fill a void given the difficulties they experienced which led to a delay in the commencement of their competitions. He praise Top Brandz, who he termed a nontraditional sponsor for football, for lending support in spite of the “turbulent economic” situation in the country. Forde in his brief comments revealed that the GFF will continue to support the work of the Organisation since their programmes line up with the Federation’s developmental plan for the sport.

Meanwhile, the winning team will receive $1million and the championship trophy, while second to fourth take home $400,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively. Because of the ongoing inclement weather, the tournament has a tentative start date of July 7 with the final set for September 9. The playing days will be Fridays and Sundays at three venues, namely the Georgetown Football Club, B o u r d a a n d Tu c v i l l e Ground. The tournament will feature Guyana Police Force FC, Campton FC, Santos FC, Pele FC, Georgetown Football Club, Beacons FC, Northern Rangers, Western Tigers, Riddim Squad, Flamingo FC, Black Pearl and East Ville FC.

Regal Sports has thrown its support behind Miss Upper Demerara Berbice contestant Nitifah Thompson who will be competing in the Miss World Guyana 2017 tonight at the Marriott Hotel from 19:00hrs. The entity on Friday presented a cheque to the contestant at their location 69 Seaforth Street, Campbellville. Thompson, 21, expressed gratitude to Regal Sport for their support and expressed confidence of doing well, adding that the journey would not have been possible without their support. Thompson, who attended the New Silver City Secondary School, is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Biology at the University of Guyana. She aspires to become a Biologist. Office Manager of Regal Sports Telesha Ousman said they are happy to lend support and more so give back to the community in which they would often transact business.

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Mark ‘Jumbie’ Wiltshire and Gold for Money to host a 12-team Domino Competition Mark ‘Jumbie’ Wiltshire and Gold for Money have teamed up to host a 12-team Domino Competition which will be staged today, at Seeram’s Bar of First Street, Alexander Village. According to Wiltshire,

Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

the teams identified to compete are Mix Up, Thunder, Spartans, Assassins, Phantom, Gold For Money, PNT, C-7, Masters, Strikers, All Seasons, Gangsters and Turning Point.

The entrance fee is $15,000 per team and the prize monies will be known shortly before the start of competition. The first twelve teams to register will be those vying for top honours.

NAPF/Caribbean and NAPF/FESUPO Powerlifting

BRANDERZ Guyana sponsors’ competition and travelling attire for Team Guyana

President’s College tops three categories in Schools’ Basketball Regional Playoffs President’s College’s Analisa Barclay splits the defence in the paint for layup on Friday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in the NSBF Regional Playoffs.

Mr. Martin Brock of Branderz Guyana (left) hands over sponsorship cheque to GAPF Vice President, Edwin Spencer. BRANDERZ Guyana has maintained its tradition of outfitting Guyana’s powerlifters when they acquiesced to the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) request for sponsorship again. Owner of the printing

establishment, Mr. Martin Brock handed over a cheque to cover the travelling and competition attire for Team Guyana which is set to compete at the upcoming NAPF/Caribbean and N A P F / F E S U P O P o w e r l i f t i n g

Championships in Orlando Florida, next month. Brock, in brief remarks at the presentation ceremony, reminded GAPF Vice President Edwin Spencer that they are happy to continue the tradition of (Continued on page 72)

National Novices Tournament

GDF, Republican war to continue P r e s i d e n t ’s C o l l e g e clinched a spot in the Under14 Finals with an easy win over St. Joseph’s High School on Friday in the Georgetown/East Coast Regional Semi-Final Playoffs of the 2017 National Schools Basketball Festival at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. President’s College won 32-18 with Gabriel Lin top scoring with 20 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Joshua Butts had 10 points and 6 rebounds to support Lin. For St. Joseph, Shaqeem Wilson scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Jaheim Jardine added four points. President’s College Girls will also head to the Regionals’ Finals in the women’s division, eliminating The Bishops’ High School with a 22-14 win in a low-scoring affair. Analisa Barclay top scored with 11 points and Saffiya Green added six points before fouling out for

P r e s i d e n t ’s C o l l e g e . Demelza Nicholas was the lone ranger for Bishops’ High with 10 points and five rebounds. Marian Academy’s U- 14 boys breezed pass The Bishops’ High 32-11 to join President’s College in the first final of the 2017 Regionals. Ethan Fernandes led Marian Academy with 10 points and four steals, while Meshal Allicock had six points. Shamar Light had four points, seven rebounds and four steals and Keon Bacchus added four points for Bishops’ High. P r e s i d e n t ’s C o l l e g e needed overtime to outlast The Bishops’ High 34-32 in the Boys U-16 semis, giving them a perfect three wins from three games for the night. Lanon Friday scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds and Akinyele Darrell added 10 points for PC. Royden Glasgow scored 10 points and Nkose Branche

contributed six points and 11 rebounds for Bishops’ High. St. Roses High proved once again that they may be the best U-16 unit when they defeated Marian Academy 38-26 to set up a rematch with PC in the Finals. Anthony Yansen scored 18 points and had six steals and Kwesi Roberts 10 points, seven rebounds and seven steals proved too much for the Marian Defence. Jether Harris scored nine points with eight rebounds in the losing effort. The Regionals will continue today with the second Girls’ semi-final between Marian Academy and St. Roses at 4pm, followed by the four under 19 quarterfinals. The Georgetown/ East Coast Regional Finals is set for Friday. The tournament is sponsored by Edward B Beharry Group of Companies Ltd and the National Sports Commission.

In 48 hours the National Gymnasium is expected to be transformed into a war zone when the Andrew Lewis National Novices tournament punches off on Tuesday evening. The three-day event has attracted the best Novice fighters in the country and GBA president Steve Ninvalle is confident that this year’s activity would not be a walk in the park for reigning champion Guyana Defence Force. “It is no secret that the Republican Gym has been hard at training. They have given the Army its toughest challenge in recent times and just three years ago was able to take the coveted Champion Gym title. It is quite clear that from the amount of work put in that they are looking to emulate the 2014 feat,” Ninvalle said. Clashes between the two top gyms have always brought out the best in action inside and outside of the ring. Within the ropes fighters from Republican and GDF have intense rivalry, while on the outside supporters of the

Steve Ninvalle two gyms frequently engage in battles to see who is loudest at beating drums. According to Ninvalle, the army has on its side the service of veteran coach Terrence Poole, Guyana’s first to be certified AIBA Three Star. However, the GBA boss added that Adrian Thomas, coach of the Republicans, is capable and hungry for success. “This has been passed on to his charges so what has become the norm is for the gym to turn out victoryseeking, battle- ready

Terrence Poole boxers,” Ninvalle disclosed. Over 75 boxers representing 10 gyms will participate in the tournament which has been named after G u y a n a ’s f i r s t w o r l d champion. Action commences at 7 pm on Tuesday and concludes on Thursday evening. The GBA has partnered with The National Sport Commission, Courts, Guyana Olympic Association, Trustee’s Pawn Shop and Delmur Shipping in order to make the tournament a reality.

Sunday June 25, 2017

Kaieteur News

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Minister Henry engages Sports Federations/ Associations on National Sports Policy Draft

Assistant Director of Sport, listens as a member of the sports organisations make a point as other pay keen attention. As part of the Guyana Government’s plan to complete a much needed National Sports Policy to ensure that sports develop positively, the first in a series of consultations with Sports Federation and Associations was conducted on Friday last at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. A draft document would be issued shortly but in the meantime, the Ministry of Education Department of Sport, as the lead Ministry responsible for Sport, hosted the interface with the objective of meeting with a view to provoke feedback into what would ultimately become the National Sports Policy, a release informed. The consultations that are scheduled for hosting in

the various administrative regions over time is a primary Government initiative that has been high on Hon. Nicolette Henry’s agenda since 2016. Amidst her preamble, the Minister noted that “at the end of the day (the overall consultations) we want a policy that will work for Guyana.” Noting that her expectation was that more representatives of Federations and Associations would have been in attendance, Minister Henry posited that there are more than 43 groups that were invited to the consultation. However, there are other opportunities to be had as more consultations are planned to ensure wide

Education and Sports Minister Nicolette Henry (left) and Melissa Dow-Richardson

participation in the process that will lead to an allinclusive Sports Policy. Minister Henry informed too that “a paper on culture was laid in Cabinet and will become a full policy in Guyana by year end and it is hoped that the same could be done for Sports.” Further, she encouraged participants to “connect the dots of the announcement that there is a focus on teacher’s intake at the Cyril Potter College of Education which is giving priority to those who are interested in Physical Education.” Melissa DowRichardson, Assistant Director of Sport, who is the lead coordinator on the project, said the aim of the consultations is to focus on

the fundamental principles of sports in addition to examining critical policy issues in sports. Other areas of focus of the public consultation were: governance, accountability, on ensuring a safe and secure environment, discrimination, harassment and athlete development. Also addressed were subjects such as sports administration, coaching and training, sports financing, tourism and intellectual property rights. With regards to the media, specific focus was on their roles and responsibilities in addition to its rights. The role of the diaspora as well as the future of sports in Guyana with a focus on garnering suggestions towards a development

pathway for ultimate implementation, compliance, monitoring and evaluation as part of the National Sports Policy. Dow-Richardson addressing those gathered said “when we look at sports we are not operating in isolation. There are over 28 Olympic sports disciplines and in Guyana most have representation and our aim is to develop a policy that takes us to another level.” She noted that the National Sport of Circle Tennis, created by Guyana, should be projected as one like the road tennis in Barbados that could become an Olympic sport. “Sport is a living functionality that can be taken to the next level for local, regional and

International acclaim and this policy gives us the opportunity to ensure that it happens in Guyana for Guyanese. From the consultation she advised that her team will take shared values of sports that go beyond gender, age or ethnicity to encourage respect, competition, fair play and discipline as hallmarks of the National Sports Policy. R a j S i n g h a representative of the GCB expressed gratitude for the Minister ’s efforts and announced plans to hopefully have the policy for sports completed and tabled and passed in Parliament by year end. (Mondale Smith and Tekia Hanover)

Hamilton Green Cup Football set to kick of July 9 Coordinator Lennox Arthur has announced the start of the Hamilton Green Cup Knockout Football tournament has been fixed for July 9 with a double header at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) Ground in Linden starting from 7:00pm. A r t h u r, t h e f o r m e r national footballer and Coach, has been staging this tournament for over 23 years now, which was named in honour of former Prime Minister of Guyana and Mayor of Georgetown, Hamilton Green who has supported sports tremendously over the years. Some 31 teams have been invited from the

Lennox Arthur various area associations to participate in the tournament. Those teams are: Western Tigers, Police,

Santos, Pele, GFC, Riddim Squad, Beacon, Flamingo, Black Pearl and Camptown from Georgetown; Federal Wi n n e r s C o n n e c t i o n , Eagles, Silver Shattas and Milerock of Linden; Den Amstel, Uitvlugt, Pouderoyen, Eagles FC, Yo u n g A c h i e v e r s a n d Golden Warriors of West Demerara; Ann’s Grove, Mahaica, Golden Grove, Buxton Bakewell and Plaisance of the East Coast; Grove Hi Tech, Agricola, Herstelling, Soesdyke and Kuru Kururu of the East Bank; and New Amsterdam United of Berbice. The teams will be

battling for cash prizes of $700,000 for the winner, $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 for the other top three finishers. Only clubs and players affiliated to their respective associations will be allowed to participate in the knockout tournament. Matches will be the usual 90 minutes with 20 minutes (two halves of 10) extra time being used to separate a deadlock; failing which, penalty kicks and if necessary sudden death kicks will be employed. Players receiving two yellow cards will be suspended for one match. Serious offences will be dealt with by the

Hamilton Green Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Disciplinary Committee. Matches are fixed for

July 9, 16, 19, 23, 29, 30, August 1, 6, 14, 16, 19, 20, 25, 27, September 3 and 10 when the final will be contested. The opening fixtures will see Milerock facing Riddim Squad and Silver Shattas battling Police at the MSC ground on Sunday July 9. Match venues include the GFC, Victoria, Den Amstel and Leonora Sports Facility grounds. The tournament was previously staged under the Mayor ’s Cup KO tournament, but has been changed from this edition to the Hamilton Green C u p K n o c k o u t tournament.

t r o Sp Annual GOA Olympic Day Cycling Meet

Duguid, Canterbury, Ramsuchit, Harrison and Singh take top honours

GOA VP Dr. Karen Pilgrim (seated on BMX 2nd left) take time out for a photo with the winners and other top performers at yesterday’s Annual GOA Olympic Day Cycling Meet at the National Park.

GT Motorsports-organised Endurance Rental Cup

Week in Review

Team Nexus & Gizmos & Gadgets dominate

A new feature, the Sports Week In Review, has begun to appear in the Sunday Edition. It will highlight the main sporting event during the past week.

-Mendonca, Ray Rahaman also impress

Event sponsor Harold Hopkinson (second left) poses with Team Nexus drivers. From left: Gregory Haniff Mohamed, Steven Nobrega and Matthew Phang.

Minister Henry engages Federations/ Associations on National Sports Policy Draft

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