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Kaieteur News
Wednesday June 01, 2016
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
Financial reform There has been a growing consensus that, worldwide, the existing financial arrangements need extensive reforms. It is posited that this will enable the international economy to generate and sustain growth at a reasonable rate in a stable environment. There is also a greater appreciation about improving the quality of growth. Since the late 1980s when this country signed onto the IMF/World Bank Economic Recovery Programme, we have been constantly cautioned about maintaining monetary stability, macro-economic discipline and efficiently working market mechanisms. These, we were told, were essential for survival and growth in the new world of globalisation. We have discovered, to our chagrin, however, that while those goals might have been necessary, they are insufficient. They have to be buttressed by sound policies that promote equity. In many countries, the quantum and quality of growth after the initial spurt as the economy was unshackled, produced severe distributional inequalities, high unemployment/underemployment, and stagnating wages for both skilled and unskilled workers. Also, the issues of poor governance, corruption and crime, has not helped, even though the International Financial Institutions have of recent, begun to take cognisance of these drags on economic performance. However, they have neglected the kinks in the global financial markets that cry out for reform. Overall, the key issues in global financial reform can be broadly categorised as the management of the global capital market, development finance for low-income countries, the exchange rate system and the role of special drawing rights. There are several factors which have great effect on our efforts to engender growth. In the management of the global capital market, this has been revolutionised by the elimination of capital controls by industrial countries and many developing countries, as well as the revolution in information and computer technologies. The management of private capital flows is one of the critical issues of the international financial system. Paradoxically, due to the fact that we never attracted any of the “hot money”, we have been spared the ravages that flowed from ultra-liberalisation. But since we have created one of the most open economies around, policy makers should be forewarned of the constraints on their autonomy in such an environment: they are reduced to the role of spectators, as external funds surge in and out overnight. In view of the fact that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pushed liberalisation of markets in the first place, some have suggested that the resources available to it should be sufficiently increased to enable it to help affected countries overcome speculative pressures on their balance of payments position. Because of its own misguided over-exuberance during the seventies in intermediating the oil windfall funds, the IMF-World Bank threw out the baby with the bathwater on development funding. In recent years, official development assistance has only achieved a negligible fraction of the stated target percentage of GNP of rich industrial countries. Then, of course, there are the inevitable political strings attached in so many instances. Additionally, the funds provided by the IMF, World Bank and regional development banks have their famous attached “conditionalities” which, when implemented, often have the effect of creating social upheavals. In Guyana, for instance, it had been a standing demand since the Hoyte administration, that the public services be downsized. In the circumstance of our polarised politics, this has been assessed as “political or racial victimization”. Those arguments will continue ad infinitum. With good reason, developing countries also hold that they should be more involved in the decision-making process of the Bretton Woods institutions. The presence of developing countries in these councils would lend a greater appreciation for the need for flexibility in the imposition of conditionalities so that trade, employment generation and development efforts are not sacrificed at the altar of “macrofundamentals”.
Is the Bank of Nova Scotia unreasonable? DEAR EDITOR; About two weeks ago I visited a certain branch of Scotia Bank to change a cheque issued to me by my employer who has an account with said Bank. The Clerk undertaking the transaction queried whether I had an account with the Bank and in the absence of me not having one I was required to pay a charge of G$500. Of course, this was very upsetting and seemed unfair, I queried from the Clerk the basis for the charge but she was unable to provide any basis. She was able to advise however, that the charge was effective about two weeks
before my visit and that there was a notice of the wall about the new charge. I have a number of queries with respect to the reasoning behind the imposition of this charge the most important being whether it is consistent with Banking and Financial laws. While I am no such expert, I find that the charge seems not only arbitrary and a penalty but it appears unreasonable. It seems unreasonable for a number of reasons. It is basically forcing Guyanese to join that Bank in order to avoid paying the charge- otherwise we face a penalty which is
this charge; it is forcing employers and entrepreneurs to have an account at each Bank or at some other Bank in Guyana so as to avoid employees or business partners having to pay the charge when personal cheques are issued to them- this cannot be good for small businesses. The very nature of the charge seems to be a money making mechanism and not genuinely rooted in the provision of service. I also envisage a number of spin-off effects one such being the negative impact on business transactions as the issuer of the cheque may be tasked w i t h
including this charge in the value of the cheque as it seems unfair to have a business partner or em ployee pay a penalty because that person does not have an account at Scotia Bank. It may also cause persons to move their accounts to other Banks which do not apply such a charge as in effect the charge will be transferred to the Scotiabank account holder. I am thinking that the latter should have been a priority consideration of the Bank while considering the imposition of this charge. Disgusted citizen (name supplied)
Please stop this mistreatment of teachers DEAR EDITOR; On 29th January 2016,something magnificent took place in Guyana that made me feel overjoyed. It was something that never happened in recent years. We had an early Budget Presentation! This proved that the APNU-AFC Government was competent and would fulfill all the promises made to the nation. Mr. Editor, as months started to elapse I became disappointed with the Government specifically the Education Ministry. It’s almost half of the new year, yet teachers have not received their increase in salaries. I wrote several letters to the editor of Kaieteur News
captioned “ This country has to treat teachers with a better pay system “, “Why are teachers being treated in this way?” and “Minister of Educations admits teachers need more but….”, yet all seemed to be ignored or as the old saying goes “throw water on duck’s back”. Minister Winston Jordan mentioned in his budget presentation and I quote “Mr. Speaker, an announcement on salary increases for public servants, for 2016, has to await the conclusion of discussions with the relevant unions”. (End of quote) This was very considerate and reasonable of our Finance Minister. In my opinion, there isn’t any
progress in these “discussions”. It has been months now since these discussions began and we are still awaiting the conclusion. When will these discussions conclude? The Guyana Teacher ’s Union bargained for a 40% salary increase for all teachers which is very much reasonable hence, there isn’t a need for such prolonged discussions. Even our Honorable President would agree to this since he said “I have always been saying that, at t h i s p o i n t i n G u y a n a ’s development, teachers should be the best paid public servants”. (End of quote).So why this delay? What is there to be
discussed? I fear that this government will soon follow the trend of the previous administration of being overwhelmed with power and forget the promises made to public servants particularly our teachers. I, therefore, urge our Minister of Education to speedily conclude the ‘discussion process’ with t h e G u y a n a Te a c h e r ’s Union and give our teachers what they deserve, so that they will continue to mould the nation’s children and do so with a motivated spirit. Mr. Editor, these children can very well be our future Ministers. Primary School Teacher. (Name supplied)
Guyanese must stop their inhuman attitudes DEAR EDITOR; I refer to Marilyn E Trotz’s letter, “We missed the opportunity to make the jubilee celebration an allinclusive event” (SN, May 29). Ms Trotz spotlighted that Indo-Guyanese attendance at the flag raising ceremony was scant. This was highly predictable for many reasons including those mapped by Ms Trotz. However, I would like to take this opportunity to point out and dwell on one obvious culprit – the crime situation – which was not considered by Ms Trotz but was largely responsible for robbing us of a chance to celebrate our country’s history. The fact remains that as Indo-Guyanese we face the brunt of the crime situation and a blind eye is largely turned by the APNU/PNC/ AFC Government thus causing its escalation, particularly within recent
months. This invokes a natural feeling of fear and concerns for our safety. As a member of the Indo-Guyanese community I know all too well the pain and suffering (physical and mental) criminals create for us. We live a life in fear and approach every aspect of it with trepidation because of criminals. The fear of criminals robs us of a “normal life” in multiple ways which might explain the scant attendance as pointed out by Ms Trotz. When criminals murder us we leave behind families whose lives are forever destroyed. Criminals even have the hubris to kick down our doors and kill us? Society offers us nothing. We are left to suffer alone. Those in power remain silent as if to endorse crime. Every member of the Indo-
Guyanese community knows our lives are in danger then thus how could we bring ourselves to attend the flag raising ceremony? We the IndoGuyanese in the Diaspora are even scared to enter the country and holiday for a few days. These are the sacrifices we silently make so as to survive. This is inhumane. Even animals in the wild resort to similar survival tactics: utilizing the escape avoidance response to evade and elude predators. U n a rg u a b l y, c r i m e s along with a severe lack of inclusivity as pointed out by Ms Trotz were major obstacles hampering our participation. This is unfortunate for our country. We yearn to celebrate this event but our fellow countrymen deprive us. It is hard not to conclude that criminals selectively target
Indo-Guyanese through racial stereotyping for the most part given our daily brutalization and is a sign post of ignorance. Ignorance breeds hate, cruelty, insensitivity and disunity. Indeed, the flag raising ceremony was a once in a life time opportunity to unite all Guyanese but unfortunately ignorance frustrates this. For the benefit of humanity and in the spirit of unity, my fellow Guyanese need to recoil from its inhumane stance. Every Guyanese need to speak against injustice, so as to allow every life a fair chance irrespective of what one look like. Until we act with such principle, our society will continue on a racially fractured trajectory to which it can ill afford. Sheila Matura Singh Diaspora Member (New York)
Wednesday June 01, 2016
Alexei Ramotar takes issue with Kaieteur News DEAR EDITOR; I read with some interest the Kaieteur News Article dated May 30th, headlined “Ramotar’s son paid over $32M, for ‘poor supervision’ of E-Governance Project.” It is a known fact that rambunctious headlines are what get newspapers sold. A quick look at the top 5 selling newspapers in the UK, for example, will show that all are tabloids. Unsurprisingly this is the path that has been taken by KN. Like all tabloids the headlines and articles are usually devoid of facts. Although I have not received a copy of the forensic audit report, which in itself is highly irregular, it was quite satisfying that KN deemed it worthy to highlight my remuneration. It points to the obvious fact that like many other forensic audits conducted by the new administration, there has been absolutely no evidence of fraud, embezzlement or corruption. After all that is the purpose of a forensic audit. I will, however, admit that a headline stating “No Fraud discovered at E-Governance Project” is not sexy. Regrettably, the modus operandi of KN throughout its reporting on the forensic audits has been a crass disinterest in reporting the facts; that there has been no evidence that any entity or
individual has committed fraud, embezzlement or has been involved in corrupt practices. Therefore KN has instead had to write about remunerations as in the cases of Mr. Valmikki Singh, the accounting department at OLPF and me or who’s the father of whom as in the cases of Messrs. Azariah Assim, Abdallah Hamilton and again me. The article tries to further obfuscate facts by making a claim that the E-Governance Project was a failure. The EGovernance Project was in fact completed in August of 2014. The project was completed within its scheduled timeline and budget. In fact the technical scope of the project was expanded without incurring either any financial or time scheduling penalties. The credit for this goes to the hardworking team that from mid 2009 worked on all aspects of the project from design, budgeting, scheduling and implementation. To denigrate the efforts of my team is to do a disservice to dedicated Guyanese in a rather sad attempt at politicking. Alexei Ramotar EDITOR’S NOTE; All that the Kaieteur News did was to report on the forensic report
THIS BILLBOARD IS OFFENSIVE DEAR EDITOR; My attention was drawn to a large advertisement board, which was recently erected in the city by a prominent local company. The billboard displayed a smiling and obviously elated youth with a 4G cell phone in his hand, and the caption read “GOODBYE LIBRARY, HELLO WORLD”. Now, I readily acknowledge the versatility and also note the cost of these advanced models of cell phones. The fact is that Guyana happens to be a poor country and most youths cannot afford the luxury of these devices. How then, can we say goodbye to libraries when these institutions offer their books and even their computer services at no cost. A library can be the free friendly hand which introduces our youths to a whole new experience of the joys and benefits of reading. At this particular time in
our history, when we reflect on our country’s progress over the last fifty years, I contend that we should embark on a Crusade For Reading, primarily for our youths, in order to improve their literacy, stimulate their intellectual development and enhance their reasoning powers. Libraries can play a pivotal role in this e n d e a v o u r. E a r l i e r t h i s month, I had the opportunity of visiting the New York Public Library in Manhattan, and I was amazed at the large number of persons from all strata of society who were in that building either engrossed in reading or selecting books of their choice and preference. Especially in our economic situation, I think that this billboard is inappropriate. counter-productive and out of sync with reality. We should not teach our youths to live above their means. Lloyd H. Marshall
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Sheik Baksh puts his side to the GWI audit DEAR EDITOR; This is a response to the Forensic Audit Report for the Guyana Water Authority Inc. which was carried by your newspaper. Importantly, the Auditor did not seek an explanation from me on the various matters listed under the item “Chief Executive Officer”. This is a clear breach of professional and international auditing standards and procedures. Further, the Auditor intentionally excluded my detailed explanation to the Board of Directors in June 2015 since a hearing was conducted on these same matters and a decision taken by the then Board and communicated to me by way of a letter dated June 17,2015. In that letter the Board stated that having reviewed my response to the various queries raised by the Internal Auditor, it was dissatisfied with the explanation provided with respect to the accident involving Motor Vehicle PPP 9050. The Board requested
that I repay the assessed valuation of the vehicle in the sum of four and a half million dollars ($4,500,000). I agreed and repayment commenced in July 2015 and will end in June 2016. I tendered my resignation from GWI which the Board accepted by waiving the required three (3) months’ notice and paying me all the benefits. The question to be asked is why did the Forensic Auditor intentionally reproduced the Internal Auditor’s report to the Board and did not include my responses to each of the matters? It seems that the clear objective was to suppress information which would have miniaturized and obliterated his frivolous findings. On the matter of advances for site visits, these were all cleared by me and approved by the Director of Finance and never was any query raised. All these site visits were made in furtherance of the Hinterland Water Strategy and in keeping with the advances
taken. The relevant regional officers, village councils and communities in the various regions would be able to attest to this. The Contract of Employment was drawn up by the relevant authorities (which I accepted) in terms of remunerations and conditions of service. In the case of payment of gratuity, this was based on good leadership and management provided by me. The many managerial initiatives, innovation, systems improvements and strategies implemented can easily be found in GWI’s documentation. All of these were designed to turn the Utility around having regard to the state of the company when I took over as Chief Executive. The then Board and top management especially the Chairman, and the Directors of Finance and Human Resources were aware of the above contributions and it can be implied that they by their non-objection approved of the payment of the gratuity
and programmed it in the payroll without any solicitation by me. The initiation of an investigation against the CEO was the result of external directives to the Chairman of the Board after the May 11th, 2015 Elections and is meant to embarrass and witch hunt top executives and replace them with persons affiliated to the new regime. Finally, GWI was under good management under my tenure and for each of three (3) years, received unqualified audit opinions from the external auditors after failing to achieve this important objective for several years. In this regard, there is no surprise whatsoever that no financial irregularities had been unearthed by the Forensic Auditor in the multibillion dollar Utility except that spurious and speculative observations were made of clearing of advances taken by the Chief Executive to further the community outreach of GWI in the Hinterland. Shaik Baksh
THE ROAD CARNAGE CONTINUES DEAR EDITOR; The current speed limits on the highways in Guyana are intended to reduce accidents and deaths and make the roadways safer, but the recent accident on the Essequibo Coast which claimed four lives has proved otherwise. Police statistics have shown that most of the traffic fatalities are caused by speeding which suggests that more traffic police, speed radars and road blocks are needed to reduce the carnage on the roads. These devices are useful tools for the police to enforce compliance with the law. Most would agree that speed radars and road blocks are needed as speed and drunk driving are major causes of accidents which have taken over 50 lives in the last four and a half months, which is 32 percent higher than the same period last year. Speed determines the outcome of a crash, whether one lives or dies. It is estimated that most drivers have violated the legal speed limit daily on the highways, but only a few are caught and prosecuted. Drunk driving also remains a problem on the roads and despite tougher laws and higher fines, many continue to drink and drive recklessly with no regard for the safety of others. The death of 10 year old Devon Sealey of Sisters Village, West Bank Demarara allegedly by a drunk police officer is a case in point. It is sad. However, speeding and drunk driving are symptomatic of a wider social
problem in society of the value people place on each other’s lives. And although the Minister of Public Security has not done enough to reduce traffic accidents and deaths, he cannot supervise each and every driver. Neither can he legislate attitudes and behavior nor cater for thrill seekers. No matter what, there will always be errant drivers. But the government has to impose stiffer fines and penalties for drunk drivers, provide more speed radars to be used; widen the scope of road safety policing measures and implement stricter standards when determining who gets drivers’ permits. Also it has to employ measures such as breathalyzer tests, road blocks, and make sure the laws are enforced. But there will always be some unlawful
drivers on the roads. The government has to do its part, but there is no doubt that the carnage on the roads will continue to bring untold human suffering. The problem is the attitude of some drivers, especially the youths who speed. Data has shown that 55 percent of all road fatalities resulted from speeding, 30 percent from alcohol impairment; 10 percent from not using seatbelts; and five percent for running red lights/stop signs or jay walking by pedestrians. Improving safety and reducing speeding and drunk driving on the roads should be done on a 24-hour basis and not just during daylight hours. It is true that an increase in the use of speed guns and road blocks on the highways will lead toa reduction of accidents and fatalities on the
roads but it will not eliminate them. Enforcement of the other rules such as improper lane use, breach of traffic signals, illegal use of shoulders and turning lanes and overtaking on solid yellow/white lines are also required for a safer and a calmer driving experience. These breaches have contributed to unsafe driving conditions, indiscipline and reckless use of the roads. Injuries and deaths caused by traffic accidents are so prevalent globally that the United Nations has declared a World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Traffic accidents and deaths could be prevented with the use of commonsense and proper road etiquette. They have identified the need for the Continued on page 23
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UK MP to hand over proposal for Security Sector Reform - other issues up for discussion
UK Member of Parliament, James Duddridge Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State in the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office with specific responsibility for Caribbean relations, James Duddridge will soon be handing over UK’s proposal for security sector reform to the Guyana government. This is to be done during Duddridge’s brief visit here. At a press briefing yesterday, Duddridge said that the government will be given an unspecified time to consider the content of the proposal and decide on the way forward. Last year, the new government approached the UK High Commissioner James Quinn, seeking to access the Security Sector Reform Action Plan (SSRAP) that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government turned its back on. COMPLETELY BASELESS Back in 2009, the UK had offered a hefty sum for the SSRAP, but the previous government refused it on the grounds that the British law enforcement had too much of a big role in the implementation of the plan. Last October, Quinn opined that the complaints by the previous government about the plan were completely baseless. He pointed out that the UK already does work with the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) “which you can argue
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Kaieteur News
is part of that 2009 programme.” The British High Commissioner had indicated that a team would have looked at the Guyana Police Force to see what is lacking, identified the gaps, and then strategized as to what could be done to address those gaps. As for allocations for the project, Quinn had said “there will certainly be some British money involved.” Yesterday, Quinn told the media that the entire document cannot be released to the media as some “sensitive information” is included. The original plan was developed in 2006 and was to be implemented in 2009; together with a three-year capacity building plan for a National Security Committee in the National Assembly between 2007 and 2009. Parliamentary Oversight was described by the plan as being at the core of democratic governance and management of the security sector, and key to the success of the programme. Security Sector Reform was seen as a critical component for the attainment of good and democratic governance and was twinned with the Commonwealth Secretariat’s sponsorship of the needs assessment of the National Assembly conducted by Sir Michael Davies and the recommendations which flowed there from 2005. The inextricable link between governance and security was recognized, assessed, and addressed through the recommendations made. The SSRAP had highlighted that “Guyana remains dangerously close to tipping point. The consequences of failure – of the various stakeholders to seize the moment, to engage and initiate decisive action – may well be the transformation of Guyana into a failed state and/or haven for international criminality, with Continued on page 21
FEMALE SECURITY GUARD MURDERED IN CRANE Police are investigating the murder of a female security officer, who was found dead in her home early yesterday morning. The dead woman was identified as 49-year-old Latchmin Shivpujan called ‘Radika,’ of 3233 Crane Old Road, West Coast Demerara. The victim was a security guard attached to the Kalibur Investigative and Security Services. Information reaching this publication is that screams were heard coming from Shivpujan’s tiny onebedroom apartment sometime around midnight on Monday. Although details of the incident remain sketchy, Kaieteur News has learnt that the woman lived alone; she occupied the lower flat of a two-storey house but was frequently visited by male friends; one of whom is currently in police custody assisting with investigations. A resident living a short distance from where the incident occurred recalled that the police were called in during the night, but they only responded “at day clean.” “You know how long the police get call, but dem only come till around (6:00 am) the next morning. By then she (Shivpujan) done stiff,” the resident stated. The mother of two was found lying in a pool of blood. The victim bore several injuries including three stab
- SUSPECT HELD
wounds about her body. Shortly after the police arrived, Shivpujan’s body was removed from the apartment and transported to a nearby funeral parlour. When Kaieteur News visited the scene of the crime, neighbours were reluctant to speak of the incident. However, a few residents described Shivpujan as ‘a friendly guard lady” who worked a short distance from where she lived. “I can’t tell you anything much about what happened to her last night, but I know she used to work security at the Lands and Surveys Office on the Public Road,” one woman stated. When contacted, Shivpujan’s former co-workers expressed shock at the news. They described the woman as an easy-going, chatty and friendly person, but noted she hardly spoke of her relatives. “She only said that she has one sister who lives at Hague, (West Coast Demerara) and two children living outside (overseas).” At the sister’s Hague, West Coast Demerara residence, relatives noted that they only learnt of the murder via the media. Mahadai Singh, the woman‘s sister, told this
The two-storey house located at Crane Old Road in which the body of the murdered security guard was found yesterday.
publication that she had not spoken to Shivpujan for nearly two decades. Singh said that she and her sister were estranged because she did not agree with her (Shivpujan’s) lifestyle. The woman claimed that several years ago, her sister had been living in Venezuela, but returned to Guyana with her two children. “She come from Venezuela wid de two children and was staying by me, then she suddenly pick up sheself up and lef’ de children behind and never look back.” Singh said that she cared for the children for two months before she came to the realization that her sister was not coming back to get her children, hence she sent them back to Venezuela to live with their father. Singh said that since then her sister had shut her out of her life. She said Shivpujan refused to have anything to do with her eight siblings and other family members. “Me had to send dem (children) back, but she been vex and seh that me tell people that she abandon she children, but me had no choice, she want to live she life and me can’t stop she, but me couldn’t look at the children. Me had me own children to look after.”
MURDERED: Latchmin Shivpujan called ‘Radika’ “She does keep away from everybody. She doesn’t even come around (us) because she always causing a problem …. The last thing I heard about she is that she was working at a security service and living in Crane. I can’t even tell you what she house look like, ‘cause me never been at she,” Singh added. But although she did not share a close relationship with her sister, the woman noted that she is still curious about the circumstances surrounding her death. Last evening, a police source confirmed that a male suspect, also a security officer, has been taken into custody for the murder. The suspect is said to have shared an intimate relationship with the woman prior to the incident.
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Kaieteur News
In rare compromise, Nigerian emerges as frontrunner for OPEC boss Reuters - A Nigerian oil technocrat has emerged as frontrunner to take the top job at OPEC, with members seeing Mohammed Barkindo as what would be a rare compromise candidate to lead the group amid rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Barkindo has been a key face of the Nigerian oil industry for the past decade, during which various governments tried and effectively failed to reform national oil company NNPC. Today, Nigeria has alongside Venezuela become one of the main victims of oil’s price collapse, with the country’s output declining sharply due to militant attacks on pipelines and infrastructure. OPEC is likely to choose Barkindo, a former head of NNPC, as the next secretarygeneral of the producer group, three sources with knowledge of the matter said. The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has since 2012 been looking for a replacement for Libya’s Abdullah al-Badri, who was elected acting secretary-general in December until the end of July after serving full terms. However, Barkindo’s appointment was by no means certain and Badri’s tenure could yet be extended by another six months, some sources said. Rivalries between OPEC heavyweights Saudi Arabia,
Mohammed Barkindo Iran and Iraq have so far prevented the group from choosing candidates proposed by those countries. OPEC oil ministers meet tomorrow in Vienna. The consensus of all members which in the past has sometimes been elusive - is required for the appointment of a new secretary-general. Barkindo led the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation from 2009 to 2010 and served as acting secretarygeneral of OPEC in 2006 after the original Nigerian nominee, junior oil minister Edmund Daukouro, took over the rotating OPEC presidency. Barkindo also served on OPEC’s economic commission and held various highranking positions during a career at NNPC that spanned over two decades. He was deputy managing director of the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Company,
a joint venture between NNPC, Shell Gas BV, Total (TOTF.PA) and Eni (ENI.MI). He was also head of NNPC’s London office, managing director of NNPC’s oil and gas trading division, and an NNPC group executive director. “He’s a reasonably safe pair of hands and good for a more administrative role like secretary-general. He also knows the ropes at OPEC from when he was Lukman’s (right-hand man),” a senior industry source with close ties to Nigeria said. Rilwanu Lukman was influential in Nigeria’s oil industry for many years. He served as oil minister during military rule and later as secretarygeneral to OPEC and special adviser on oil to former president Olusegun Obasanjo. “Don’t expect any fireworks, either positive or negative,” the industry source said.
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The tribulations of a registered barbershop Opening a barbershop is not as straightforward as one might think. It is a regulated business and the regulations governing the operations of barbershops in Guyana impose a great deal of requirements on tonsorial artists. If you have the skill to cut hair, it does not mean that you can simply begin to cut other people’s hair for a few dollars. There are requirements. You first must have a place to cut the hair. Most barbers have to rent somewhere. This costs money. Rentals are very expensive, not because landlords and landladies are greedy. They are expensive because the decision to rent carries a high risk. Many people do not pay their rent or pay it on time, with the result that landlords often lose out. Then the electricity meter has to be transferred in your name. This takes time, and time is money lost. Quick service is not one of the known traits of the Guyana Power and Light.
The barbershop has to be inspected and certified by the public health authorities. This is where the delays can extend for a long period. Then the barber, believe it or not, has to go for a medical examination. Yes, the barber has to undergo a medical test to ensure he does not have certain diseases, including tuberculosis. In fact, every year, before the barber’s licence is renewed he has to take this test. This costs money also. Then the barber has to take out a permit at the Guyana Revenue Authority. They too will ask for documents, including tenancy agreements. The barbershop is likely to be examined at any time by the public health authorities. It can be closed down for insanitary and unhygienic conditions. This is why some barbers are charging as much as $1000 to cut your hair. There are expenses to be paid and there are tests to be passed and licences to be paid. There are other things which have to be done just to get the shop going which cannot be
Dem boys seh...
Another man want extension pun he wuk Just because you don’t take an interest in politics don’t mean politics wouldn’t take an interest in you. See-all tell dem boys suh. He tell dem that de only interest he had in politics was Rohee. He tell de whole of Guyana that crime solving fast because people got confidence and trust in Soulja Bai administration. In short, he saying that de administration before was a bunch of crooks. But dem boys seh that he forget to tell de nation that he was part of de same administration. He going pun leave, but dem boys seh that if he had he own way he woulda stay pun de wuk. He tell he friends he hoping if he say nice things bout Soulja Bai and bad talk Rohee, de administration gun extend him for another five years, same way how de other one extend Lewis, Greene and others. He ask Soulja Bai and Rum Jattan to pay him fuh de leave he never tek in he lifetime. Soulja Bai tell him don’t let two cent full yuh eye. Go pun leave; lef de people money; and give yuh deputy a chance to get a feel of de chair. Dem boys hear he vex that he got to go pun leave so long. De hard part fuh him is to hand over de baton to de second in command. Is a trend Henry de Yellow develop and he pick up. It got to be that dem got something hiding in de office or lock up in dem draw. Dem boys ain’t know is wha, but when See-all gone pun leave dem gun find out. Dem boys hear he plan to lef Guyana, but wid this here, he might remain in Guyana to peep dem boys cards, just like how dem boys dem boys peeping this upcoming GPL contract. Dem boys hear this contract done sign months ago wid a Chinese company and big money pass. Dem boys hear dem got local businessmen and contractors who are de powerbrokers behind de new de new kids on de block. One of de Chinese company already crying foul. It cuss up de Waterfalls paper and actually seh it get de contract although de evaluation ain’t done yet. BaiShan cousin, Joe, quiet. Nobody hearing nutten bout him. Dem boys want to know if he deh pun sick leave or Soulja Bai send him somewhere far. Talk half and watch more people get send pun long leave.
mentioned here. Given all the things which barbers have to do just to establish and keep their businesses going, it was surprising to learn that some the unregistered barbers who were operating near to Stabroek Square have been relocated to the Merriman Mall. Are these relocated barbers registered? Did they undergo a medical examination to see whether they are healthy enough to cut people’s hair? Have their new locations been certified by the relevant authorities? Have they been registered by
the Guyana Revenue Authority? Do they pay income tax? The issue of ensuring a level playing field is not likely to go away, unless the authorities take steps to ensure fairness. Registered barbershops are required to meet the regulations, but those who used to cut hair on the pavements were allowed to go free not just of any law, but public health laws. The health of this nation was placed at risk because unregistered barbershops were operating outside of the law. Some of these shops were
operating on the pavements where people had to walk, and where there was the risk of follicles from the cut hair flying all around and getting into your ice cream cone, etc. This is what was allowed to happen, because those who were supposed to do their jobs either were not doing it properly or did not know about these illegal shops. The reader will decide which was which. No unregistered barbershop should be allowed to operate. No barbershop should be
allowed to operate unless the full requirements under the regulations governing such shops are met. There must be a level playing field. Those who are paying minimal rentals for stalls and are unregistered should at the minimum be subject to inspection and certification by the public health authorities. They must operate in an enclosed environment and must, like all registered barbershops, have certain conveniences in place for customers.
Woman dies after jumping from Mackenzie/Wismar bridge
Shock waves rippled through the mining town as news spread of a young woman who jumped off the Mackenzie/ Wismar Bridge to her death, in the murky Demerara River. Several persons reportedly witnessed the gruesome incident. The woman, 24-year-old Tabitha Small, of South Amelia’s Ward, was reportedly diagnosed with tuberculosis about two years ago. On Monday last, Small had gone to the Linden Hospital Complex for treatment for her condition, according to reports. She had reportedly suffered a fainting spell while there, and was subsequently admitted to the institution. However sources revealed that Small took her own
discharge early yesterday morning, and proceeded to the Mackenzie/Wismar Bridge. According to one eyewitness, she was ‘barefoot’ at the time. The woman subsequently climbed onto the rails of the bridge and jumped overboard, as she neared the Wismar end of the structure, eyewitnesses reported. At the time, a few vehicles were in the process of crossing. Unfortunately, however, no one was close enough to the woman, to save her. A search was immediately launched for the woman’s body, but so far efforts to retrieve same have proven futile. Police sources claimed that investigators were called to the scene following a report of the incident.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday June 01, 2016
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN...
We never should have celebrated the 50th in such a big way I challenge anyone in the PPP leadership or the current government to question my commitment to this country. I never sought citizenship in another country. The same applies for my wife and daughter. All the years of my youth were given to this country, working for the public sector. I completed twenty-six consecutive years at UG before my contract was terminated in January 2012. Two of the finest legal minds this country
produced, submitted their report at the request of the Ombudsman that my contract was illegally ended. I haven’t had even a word of communication from UG about compensation. Yet the very university has agreed to increase by ten percent, the salary of four of its top officials, except the new ViceChancellor. All four currently receive income based on international market rates. When my contract was removed, my salary was $181,000 after twenty-six consecutive
years of service. No one at UG even hinted at compensation for me. I think I am competent in assessing the dynamics and dialectics of my country. So those in the past PPP Government and those in the APNU-AFC had better be careful how they question my sacrifice for this country. I want to tell them, each one of them, that I will not take it lightly. Dr. David Hinds told me that the Coalition Government had some public words to say about my columns. I will ignore the incident. If it happens again, then we will have to look at who makes sacrifices for whom for Guyana. I am warning the Coalition – don’t question my commitment to Guyana. If they are doing nonsense, performing nonsense and talking nonsense, they will find their way into my columns. It is against this background that I did eight columns on different dimensions of the Coalition’s grand desire to celebrate the Golden Jubilee in a big way. Frederick Several of those columns took the theoretical position that the country should not go out in any huge way to celebrate the 50th anniversary. I will repeat my reasons here briefly. But look what happened at the flagraising ceremony and the jubilee dinner. The negative comments are pouring into the media. None of these opinions and observations is from people who dislike the Coalition Government. First, I argued that given the state of our economy, infrastructure and low human resource base, we will embarrass ourselves in front of the Guyana Diaspora, because these people will see how dysfunctional Guyana is. Why would we want them to see that? So we went in a colossal way to usher in the 50th anniversary. And do a survey of those who have returned to the US and Europe and CARICOM states and hear what they have to say. Look at the semi-civilized descent at
the Banks DIH-sponsored live show. As we write, superstar Rihanna is on a world tour, and there is not even a tussle in any country as compared to the pandemonium that broke out at the Stadium. In 2016, patrons go into a show bypassing the metal detector. Fights break out and the police are nowhere in sight Secondly, I contested the money the State will spend when our economy is not in elegant shape. Those funds could go elsewhere, where they are more needed. We were told it was private money that architectured the D’Urban Park ambience. If it was private money, then suggest to the patrons that they use it for other public purposes. Why use that huge space on Homestretch Avenue to build another structure when we have similarities – the National Park and Providence Stadium? What happens to that erection after the party is over? Will its function help the economy? Given all the constraints Kissoon Guyana has had to endure over such a long time, it would have been best just to have a normal celebration that could easily have been memorable and ethereal. It just depends on the vision and ideas you bring to the planning table. But in the end, post-colonial Guyana and its leaders did not and do not know better. We like the pomp and splendour of spectacular celebrations. And in the morning after, we take the begging bowl to the white man. As the British Ambassador to Kenya said a few years back when the post-colonial world comes begging, that they even, “vomit on our shoes.” I really love the music and lyrics of Bob Marley and my favourite Marley line is below. How sad that the post-colonial fool will always be thirsty. “Don’t forget your history Know your destiny In the abundance of water The fool is thirsty.”
Wednesday June 01, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Forensic Audit report finds…
NFMU hired special officer to deal with OLPF, E-Governance transactions
NFMU Head, Valmiki Singh As if footing the majority of the expenses for two PPP projects was not enough, forensic auditors found that the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) hired a special staffer to deal only with the transactions of the said projects. In its detailed report, the auditors attached to Ram and McRae, Chartered Accountants, said that the Unit has two staffers who have completed the professional examinations of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA). The forensic auditing team said that one of these persons was employed
mainly in connection with the transactions of the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) Project and E-Governance Initiative. The forensic auditors said that the necessity to retain this position will have to be reviewed in the reorganization of and integration of the NFMU into the Telecommunications Agency. Additionally, given that the NFMU illegitimately funded the two PPP-inspired projects - One Laptop per Family and the E-Governance Projects – the auditors are recommending that over $1B in repayment be sought from the relevant agencies. They said that expenditure in connection with the two initiatives has distorted the operating results of the NFMU for the years 2012-2014. The auditors said that this was due to the fact that the significant sums expended on the two projects were incorrectly included in the budgetary expenses of the
NFMU. Their analysis revealed that total disbursements made to cover operational expenses of the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) and EGovernance projects amounted to $1,029,958,779 and $278,169,461 respectively. As such, the auditors recommend that repayment be sought immediately from the entities that received the moneys for the projects. The auditing team made reference to Section 33 of the Public Corporations Act which states that “A Corporation from its funds makes payments to meet all such expenses as are properly incurred by it for the purpose of the exercise or discharge of its function.” In this regard, they said that the application of this provision would preclude the NFMU from continuing to meet the expenses of other bodies. They said that NFMU Head, Valmiki Singh has sought to justify these payments under Section 34
(d) of the said Act which allows the utilization of the net profits of a corporation for purposes specified by the Minister. The auditors noted however that this represents a grave misunderstanding of the concept of profits as well as the simple meaning of “specified”. Additionally, the auditors were able to expose just how “cunningly” officials there were able to hide the fact that they were secretly funding the two PPP-inspired projects. The auditing team noted that the NFMU appears in Guyana’s National Budget as a statutory body under the formerly named Office of the President. The expenditure that NFMU would need to carry out its operations for the year is also listed in the National Budget. The auditors however found it strange that the single largest line item in the NFMU’s budget is “Rates and Taxes and Subvention to Local Authorities”. In fact, the auditors
Visiting British soldier robbed of priceless possessions Former British soldier Edward John Constant was enjoying the famous Guyanese hospitality, but this all came to an end on Monday when a known thief shattered his historic holiday. Seventy-year-old Constant was robbed of his cherished gold chain and a symbolic ring by a man known as “Quarter,” and although the soldier tried valiantly to retrieve the items, his younger assailant managed to escape. And although police investigators have been able to ascertain the identity of the thief, up to press time there was no word of him being apprehended. Constant, who is in Guyana to celebrate the country’s Golden Independence anniversary in keeping with a pledge he made 50 years ago, said that on Monday morning, he left the city hotel he was staying at, to go down to a bank to exchange some foreign currency. He did not get to complete the transaction, so he decided to go sightseeing around the Stabroek Market area, where he began taking photographs. “The next thing I knew was that someone had grabbed my shirt from behind and pulled it, he said demonstrating the action while speaking to this newspaper. In the process, the thief had grabbed his gold chain to which was attached a diamond-crested ring. “As he pulled it, he came towards me and I hit him….it was more out of temper, because I saw his face for about a second and I just punched him to the side of the head and he was gone,” the former British soldier related. He ran after the fleeing man, shouting “Stop! Thief!” while chasing him towards the Stabroek Market.
Former British soldier Edward Constant demonstrates how the thief grabbed him and snatched off his jewellery. Constant gave up the chase after running over some wooden planks and being barefooted, the task was onerous. He was sure that if the odds were a little better he would have caught the thief, who disappeared into the crowded Stabroek Market. “I thought, I’ve still got my iPad, I’ve got my money, I thought it’s not worth it.” Fighting to hold back tears, Constant said that the stolen items mean a lot to him. “My wife bought me the gold chain….she bought me a gold chain before she died and I put her wedding ring and her engagement ring on it and it’s gone,” the former soldier lamented. Although he spoke of one man, Constant said that he was told by the police that the perpetrators were two youths. He said that “a very nice taxi driver” came up and identified one of the
thieves. “He said ‘I know that man.” ….he said his (the thief’s) name was Quarter,” the British National recalled. He said that he eventually picked up his slippers that he left behind while chasing after the thief, and after putting them back on, he made his way to the Brickdam Police Station where he reported the matter. Constant told Kaieteur News that after speaking to the relevant officer; he was taken back to the Stabroek Market where the information was passed on to some plainclothes ranks who were already there. A few minutes later, the investigators sought to obtain footage from a surveillance camera located in the vicinity where Constant was robbed. He was then taken back to the station where he gave a detailed statement. “My chain was thick round gold, British gold, nine carat. But it’s the rings, my wife’s engagement ring was a ruby diamond cluster,” Constant said. Monday’s experience is a stark contrast to some experiences that Constant had a few days earlier. He spoke of being shepherded back to his hotel with all his medals by a man he befriended and who even bought him a few beers. But despite his loss, Constant insisted that he will spend out the rest of his holiday and hopes that by the time it is done, the police would have captured the thief. A senior police official, when contacted vowed that the Force will leave no stone unturned to capture the thief, who he said would pay a huge price for bringing Guyana into disrepute.
observed, too, that NFMU is the only statutory body whose budget is included in the National Budget that has such an item. Upon analysis, the forensic auditors were able to discover that this item, “Rates and Taxes and Subvention to Local Authorities” is nothing but a disguise to make payments from public funds to the E-Governance initiative and the One Laptop Per Family project. They stressed that there is no way that a project can by any definition be classified as a Local Authority. The auditors said that this represents a violation of Article 217 of the Constitution of Guyana. The team also found it interesting that this violation does not appear to have engaged the attention of the country’s Auditor General, who is expected to be a diligent observer of how funds are used by state agencies.
Forensic auditor, Chris Ram What was also surprising to the auditors was that a review of the 2015 National Budget exposed that the APNU+AFC administration continued the common practice of including the expenditure of other entities under Rates and Taxes and Subventions to other entities within the budget of the NFMU. In fact, the auditors discovered that a total of $538 million was included in the 2015 Budget for the NFMU under the category in discussion, as compared to Continued on page 21
From 1994 to May 2015...
Over 17,500 UG students defaulted on loans – Audit reveals A forensic audit into the University of Guyana’s Student Loan Agency (SLA) has revealed that from the year 1994 to May 2015, some 17,567 or 69.4% of 25,335 student loans were deemed delinquent because students were not honouring their indebtedness. The report stated that during that period, the Government approved $9,489,453,973 through the National Budget or US$45.5M using the current rate of exchange of G$210 to US$1. During the period – April 2011 to December 2014, $1,800,000,000 (US$8,571,429) was received through a process whereby the Agency Head is informed by the Budget Department that funds have been approved to be released to the Agency. Loans issued during the audit period (academic years 2011-2012 to 2014-2015) amounted to $1,581,422,277 of which $1,432,669,005 was issued to students at Turkeyen Campus and $148,753,272 was issued to students at the Tain Campus. The total number of students who would have obtained loans up to December 31, 2014 was 25,335 and the total value of the loans was $9,159,644,463. Of the total number of students who have received loans (25,335): 4,713 or 18.6% are recent graduates or are still students, 1,776 or 7% were able to repay their loans totalling $679,918,794 including principal and interest. Five students had their loans written off while 1,278 or 5 percent have been paying. However, they have not been up-to-date, the report showed. It was stated that this is a clear indication that the then Ministry of Finance and by extension, the Agency, did not pursue the defaulters with a view to recover their indebtedness. The Head of the Agency at the time when the report was conducted, Rawle Sue-Ho, advised the auditors that he was never instructed to operate the Student Loan Fund as a “revolving one.” Sue-Ho further explained to the auditors that “Several attempts to have the Ministry of Finance/Government of Guyana address the high level of delinquency did not result in action. In addition, the Agency was/is not suitably staffed to pursue defaulting students. On the other hand, in excess of $12M is repaid monthly through deduction orders, the vast majority of which were implemented after action was taken by the Agency”.
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Wednesday June 01, 2016
Kaieteur News
Confidence in new Govt. breeds $16B UK grant The confidence that the United Kingdom (UK) has in Guyana and its new Administration has allowed the country to benefit from a £52M ($16B) grant. This was noted yesterday by United Kingdom High Commissioner to Guyana, James Quinn. The envoy hosted a media briefing at his official residence. At that forum, the press was introduced to James Duddridge MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Duddridge has specific responsibility for Caribbean relations. Duddridge mentioned the grant as he spoke extensively about the renewed relationship between the UK and the Caribbean. He reminded that UK Prime Minister David Cameron visited Jamaica and announced that his government will invest £300 million for vital new infrastructure in the Caribbean. These include roads, bridges and ports to help drive economic growth and development across the region. The £300M allocated converts to about US$550M. This has made the UK the single largest bilateral donor to the region. Duddridge said yesterday this is a start to a reinvigorated relationship between the UK and Caribbean countries. These countries are Jamaica, Guyana, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda and St.
James Duddridge MP (left) and High Commissioner, James Quinn
Vincent & the Grenadines. Of the £300 million, £52M has been set aside for Guyana which is ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world. Questioned about UK’s level of skepticism that the money might be misspent or siphoned off, High Commissioner Quinn said that the fact that Guyana has been named one of the Caribbean jurisdictions to benefit from the grant shows that the UK is comfortable putting its money here.
“If we had any concerns then the money would not have been coming to Guyana,” said Quinn. He said this as he avoided directly answering whether he is of the opinion that the new government is doing enough to stamp out corruption. Duddridge also declined to answer that question. Instead, the politician turned his attention to how the international community is dealing with corruption. He said that internationally, more can be done to
address corruption. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has been designated by the UK government to design, develop and implement the programme in collaboration with the government of Guyana. CDB is still examining Guyana’s proposals. In April, Guyana identified and submitted project proposals for six major infrastructure development programmes to be funded by the grant.
These projects fall under waterfront development, water supply improvement and solid waste management. The grant was given under the newly established United Kingdom Caribbean Infrastructure Fund (UKCIF). High Commissioner Quinn recently told Kaieteur News that the Bank has been mandated to examine all aspects of each proposal which makes it difficult to give a specific time as to when word should be expected. Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan along with Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson and Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan met with Quinn and representatives of the CDB and the Department for International Fund (DFID) back in April to discuss the proposals. Quinn told Kaieteur News that these discussions went well. (Abena Rockcliffe)
Wednesday June 01, 2016
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Kaieteur News
E-governance project… Suspect in goldsmith robbery nabbed in N/A raid Ramotar refunds Dax $7M unknown to Technical Advisor
Other men held in the raid.
Wanted man, Joel Grannum In what has been described by Commander Assistant Commissioner Ian Amsterdam as more policecommunity partnership, the police seem to be getting more cooperation from the public, coupled with widening
intelligence-gathering mechanisms. On Monday the cops received information that a wanted man was hiding in a tenement yard at the junction of Ferry Street and Princess Elizabeth Road in New Amsterdam. The lawmen responded immediately and held a number of persons, male and female, including a man wanted for a number of criminal activities. The man, Joel Grannum, gave a number of addresses including Samaroo Dam, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara and Edinburgh, East Bank Berbice, among others. He is wanted for armed robbery and attempted murder committed on a goldsmith and his 16-year-old son at Rosignol on April 2. Grannum was allegedly in company with another man on
UK MP to hand over... From page 6 all the regional and international implications that this may entail. This is a development that should be avoided at all costs and will entail some give and take and flexibility on all sides, in the interests of the long suffering people of Guyana.” TIGHTENINGLEGISLATION During his visit, Duddridge will also be discussing with the government the need to “tidy” up its legislation that allows for hanging. Guyana remains the only Caribbean jurisdiction with legislation that prescribes the death penalty. Duddridge said that the UK views the death penalty as “highly inappropriate.” The British politician also wishes to speak to the government about outstanding Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender (LGBT) legislation. Talk about oil and business will also be on the agenda. Duddridge said that all oil-processing nations need to be wary of the popular thought that oil is a single key to a country’s transformation—”it certainly is not.” With regards to business, Duddridge pointed out Guyana is ranking rather low on the business index and has found itself in the company of countries like Pakistan. Duddridge said that the UK will be looking to help Guyana move itself out of such company. In this regard, he will be looking to have a meeting with Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin. (Abena Rockcliffe- Campbell)
motorcycles when they committed the act. Another man, Bharat Madray ,27, of Shieldstown, West Coast Berbice, who was said to be the brain behind the act has already been charged. Grannum will be grilled on the abovementioned and a number of other misdemeanors in Berbice and Demerara. Two men who were also in the tenement yard when the police raided, were found with marijuana in their possession.
While auditors have credited poor management and lack of relevant project outlines as the main reasons for the sad state of the $7.9B E-Governance project, Fazil Mohamed of Dax Engineering blamed errant contractors. But what Mohamed did not tell the auditors was that he was one of the contractors that erred. The forensic audit into the affairs of the E-Governance project was conducted by Ram and McRae, Chartered Accountants. Auditors reported, “Mohamed also shared his views and reasons for the Project’s failure due to damaged cables. He affirmed that the primary reason for the Project’s failure is due to poor installation of the fibre optic cables mainly by two other named contractors” of another company. The report stated that Mohamed volunteered information to the effect that one of the contractors did not have the appropriate equipment to install fibre optic cables and sought to do so manually. He also indicated that some of the cables installed in Linden were laid on the ground and covered with sand, instead of installing the cables 1.5 metres below the ground. The audit report however indicated that Dax Engineering has its fair share of the blame to take. The auditors said that the
NFMU hired special... From page 11 $443 million that was included in the 2014 Budget which was presented under the PPP administration. The forensic auditors recommended that no additional funds be budgeted under the above stated category. The fibre optic cable, the heart of the E-Governance Project, which was started in 2011 under former President Bharrat Jagdeo, was intended to bring another source of internet connectivity to Guyana. It should have been completed by 2013, but turned out to be a major embarrassment for the previous administration, after it faced delays due to damage and other technical issues. It was part of a bigger initiative to advance Guyana’s egovernance drive and equip 90,000 poor families with laptops and link state agencies into an efficient internet site. The One Laptop Per Family and the E-Governance projects along with the Brazilian fibre optic cable initiative, reportedly cost taxpayers in excess of US$70M.
Telecommunications Agency... (From page 18) the telecommunications sector; it is expected to result in greater choice, better quality of service and lower prices for consumers. This will provide for an open, liberalised sector that will attract new markets and investors. The Telecommunications Bill was introduced in 2011 and revised in 2013 in the 10th parliament. Last year, Cabinet approved for two legal consultants to be hired to finetune and make adjustments to the Bill. Minister Hughes also presented the Public Utilities Commission Bill - a bill intituled an Act to provide for the establishment and functions and procedures of the public utilities commission and for matters connected. Both, the Telecommunications and Public Utilities Commission Bills are expected to be debated at the next sitting of the National Assembly.
company was made to pay a penalty for inadequate works. Dax Engineering was required to perform remedial works on the fibre optic cable which was not properly installed. Documents seen by the auditors indicated that his failure to perform the job required resulted in $20.4M in payment being withheld. This was made up of over $12.7M as retention and over $7.6M as penalty. On March 7, 2012 Walter Willis, the project’s Technical Advisor approved the payment of $6,378,966 - being 50 percent leaving an equivalent sum outstanding as retention. However, Auditors reported that “On June 10, 2013 the Deputy Project Manager, Mr. Anil Singh wrote a letter to the Project Manager, Alexei Ramotar, indicating that the remedial work had been completed and requesting the release of the balance of the retention
Project Manager, Alexei Ramotar ($6,378,966) as well as refund of the penalty ($7,644,910).” Ram and McRae indicated that Ramotar approved this and the money was paid to Dax by way of a bank instruction. “Our understanding is that the payment was made without the approval of Mr. Willis. In our view, Dax was not entitled to a refund of the penalty.”
PAGE 22
Wednesday June 01, 2016
Kaieteur News
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FOR SALE/RENT American pool table - Call: 277-0578
Female domestic to work in Trinidad, must be educated and know to cook. Between 25-55 years. Call 1868- 683-1528 General sales assistant/ porter, must be able to handle multi-tasking working. Apply @ Sparkle Trading, MetenMeer-Zorg. Delivery clerk between ages 25-30 years must have driver’s license & police clearance. Call: 223-0090
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807 Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up rental- Call: 690-6494
FOR RENT
Responsible hire car Drivers and Contract Cars. Call: 2317200 Kitchen assistant, male/ female between ages 20-35 @ Courbane Park, Annandale, ECD next to Modern Grafix. Call Abdul: 687-3640 Male Live-in Caretaker for G/ town Location Age 45-50. Call 624-1737 M-F 9AM-4PM LEARN TO DRIVE Soman, Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj BuildingTel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997
EDUCATIONAL $20,000 Discount For CXC 2016 Student, 9 Course Diploma in Computers @ MicroGraphics; Vreed-EnHoop/Parika. Call: 264-3057 Computerized Accounting 4 Courses $35,000.00, PCRepairs $35,000, Graphics Courses $35,000@ MicroGraphics, Vreed-EnHoop/Parika. Call: 264-3057
Supervisor to work at Xenon Hotel Charity Essequibo email rtilak@adamantium holdings.com
FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Toyota Hilux Vigo, ex cab 4WD, gas, 2700cc, 2TRAuto cc, 2006. Call: 616-5595; 674- 0434 Rotweiler pups - 622-6646/ 652-8511 One dump truck GMM series, reasonably price. Call: 220-3044 1 Houselot @ Crane Housing Scheme; 1 two storey house @ La Parfaite Harmonie. Call: 626-4841 or 683-6674
RA Soda Factory Rosignol, Berbice: bond & billing clerks, experienced accountants, machine operator with mechanical ideas. Call: 330-2399/623-5920
Wooden pens & craft - Call: 223-0654 Six hole- 20” mag rims for Tundra/Tacoma, steering rock for tundra-Call: 6381829; 220-1630
VACANCY Cashiers for supermarketCall: 624-0033. 1 Cook & 1 maid. Call: 624-0033. Security In store (daytime) –Call: 6803863.Driver for water truck. Call: 680-3863 Cook/baker for the Interior location, applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020 I.T Network Technician, Email CV to jobs@awngy.com Handyman between 30 to 45 years old contact 223-5274
Hopetown Gas Station (Guyoil): Pump attendants for night and day shifts. Call: 330-2399 Nail technician, Must know to do airbrush @ Nalline’s Beauty Salon @ Vreed-enHoop Junction. Call: 2640034; 625-3899 One driver Expediter must have a lorry license contact # 223-5273 Accounts Clerk 5 CXC, Maths, English & Accounting. Apply rtilak@ adamantiumholdings.com
Two experienced pastries maker, apply at Humphrey’s Bakery & Farm Products Ltd, 38 Ketley & Sussex Streets Charlestown. Call: 225-7864; 227-8607 Full time pharmacist for two weeks & part time pharmacist for evenings @ Pharma Choice Pharmacy @ Durban & Lousia Rowe. Call: 6613124
Vreed-en-Hoop Junction: church, office, lessons place, storage bond, private school, others -$20,000- Call: 603-6400
Site Engineer- experienced needed; safety engineerexperienced need, age 25-45, very good salary and conditions. Call: 261-2280; 261-2280; 668-7104
Apartments for rent @ ‘B’ Field Sophia, Denise Street Entrance, the street after King of King store. Call: 6020261
Operator (bulldozer) experienced needed, age 2545, very good working conditions. Call: 261-2280; 261-2280; 668-7104
2 Bedrooms apartment @ 154 Middle Road La Penitence Upper flat. Call: 614-4697
Mechanic for TM and model M trucks contact 223-5274
House for rent @ Eccles, E.B.D-Call: 655-0700
Large 6 bedrooms house with Self contained rooms, great for expats & overseas/ retirees, Soesdyke, Highway -$3,000USD monthly. Call: 652-6894; 667-7670
VACANCY Sales Representative (with license), Security Guards (with valid police clearance). Apply to: jkeshwani.alesi@gmail.com
1-45 Leyland DAF (White)$2.2M?? Call: 260-4988 \260 -4018 Lovely terrier pups for sale. Call: 696-7467 anytime. Husky Pup. Tel: 699-7077/ 619-6086 Canecorso Pup. Tel: Tel: 699-7077/619-6086
Experienced cleaner bartenders. Call: 225-8572 between 7:00-9:00AM
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
TO LET
Bedford Model M Truck with Winch GRR Series, 1 Complete 6" dredge with extra engine & generator. Call: 655-2385; 600-3518 One arch-welding set for sale. Call: 618-9010
Efficiency Taxi Service: vacancy for drivers and dispatchers. Call: 226-9500/ 226-9700 Security officers wanted by security company-Contact: 689-6225, between 8:00am5:00pm
PROPERTY FOR SALE Transported property @ Grove $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461 Property @ Enmore – Hope West: building overlooking Foulis. Call: 602-2818; 649-1434 Corner property in Grove, 1 block from Main Road- Flat House, price negotiable. Call: 1905-626-2572 House & Land @ Uitvlugt $4.5M. Call: 642-1252 La Parfaite Harmonie -$6.5M, $20M, Tuschen -$10M, V/ Hoop -$16M. Call: 604-6724 4 Bedrooms house, Bel-Air Park needs repairs, asking price $45M. Call: 645-6498 Newly built property for sale, Block 8 MonRepos, E.C.D $14.8M. Call: 654-4312; 6575530 House & land for sale @ Kuru Kururu. Call: 664-2576 TO LET Restaurant & Bar, Great location on Soesdyke, Linden Highway -$60,000 monthly. Call: 652-6894; 667-7670
Wednesday June 01, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Do the gold and diamond miners find life to be cheap?
Performance of the Coalition not encouraging
DEAR EDITOR; The Board of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, (GGMC), as currently constituted, includes two representatives of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA). The GGMC board deliberates on and decides on the allocation of mining properties to all miners, including members of the GGDMA. There is no record, in the public domain, of any member of the GGDMA recusing themselves from deliberations related to granting of mining rights to their members. I am consequently perplexed by the GGDMA’s claim that Minister Simona Broomes’ position reflects a conflict of interest. The GGDMA failure to recuse itself from deliberations related to the granting of mineral rights to its members is of significantly greater national concern than Ms. Broomes’ right to pass her property, acquired before she became Minister of Government of Guyana, on to her children. There are issues related to the mining sector in Guyana which are of much greater concern to the GGDMA. The record will demonstrate that there have been in excess of twenty deaths in the gold mining industry in the last year. The GGDMA, which claims to represent the interest of gold and diamond miners, has never conducted a technical assessment to determine measures which should be developed and implemented to reduce incidences related to loss of life in the gold mining industry. Life is apparently cheap to the GGDMA. The Mining Amendment Regulations
DEAR EDITOR; Now that the independence celebrations are over, the administration should get down in a serious way to implement the promises made by President Granger to create that ‘good life in a green economy.’ So far the performance of the administration in terms of delivering on its Manifesto promises are not encouraging. The promise of significant salary increases for public servants is still to be realised, more particularly with respect to our hard working nurses and teachers. There should be a new minimum for professional nurses and teachers to the equivalent of 500 US dollars or roughly one hundred thousand Guyana dollars per month. For too
2005 defines a large scale mine as “a mine which is the subject of a Mining License and from which a minimum volume in excess of 1000 m3 of material, inclusive of any overburden, is excavated or processed as an aggregate in any continuous twenty-four hour period”. This definition, except for its reference to a Mining License, qualifies all members of the GGDMA as large scale miners. Part XXIV of those amendments imposes obligations on large and medium scale miners. These include adherence to several engineering and environmental compliance requirements. The national interest of Guyana would be best served if the GGDMA focus is on ensuring adherence by its members to these mandatory requirements. The costs of technically and environmentally non-compliant gold mining operations, coupled with the loss of life in the sector, have greater long term consequences and is of significantly greater national importance than Ms. Broomes passing her property on to her children. The Government of Guyana has identified gold smuggling as an issue of major national concern. The GGDMA has, commendably, issued a public statement in support of the Government. Several members of the GGDMA are holders of Prospecting Licenses. Smuggling can be easily addressed by these members adhering to the mandates of Prospecting Licenses as enunciated by the Mining Act 1989. Chapter 2 Section 32 of that Mining Act “confers on the licensee ……. The exclusive right to explore for any mineral…” Exploration, by GGDMA members who are
holders of Prospecting Licenses, is performed only after these licenses are farmed out, after payment of huge amounts, to international mining companies. Quantification of mineral resource leaves no room for smuggling as demonstrated by the former Omai Gold Mines and now so effectively proven by international companies such as Guyana Goldfields, Troy Resources and Sandspring Resources. The GGDMA should use its presence on the GGMC board to agitate for exploration of all Prospecting Licenses to curtail gold smuggling from Guyana. Failure to do any less would call into question the stance of the GGDMA on gold smuggling. In the interim, the GGDMA would better serve the national good by convincing it members to undertake exploration activities prior to their commencement of mining operations. This will result in significantly lower environmental consequences that the “wildcatting” now performed by members of the GGDMA. The President should be commended for his stand on the GGDMA concerns related to Ms. Broomes. I have no intent to be presumptuous, however, I am firmly of the belief that the national interest would be better served if the GGDMA, given the green thrust of economy, is advised to request that its members adhere to sound mineral exploration and mining practices to ensure an undue burden is not placed upon the economy to correct environmental and health impacts of GGDMA members operations Charles Ceres
MINISTER HENRY IS NOT THE ONLY ONE TO BE BLAMED DEAR EDITOR; I have been following the discussion in the media on the apparent breakdown of arrangements at the recent Flag-raising ceremony. Although this is not a direct political matter, in our charged political environment it has quickly become a political firestorm. Unfortunately, the government has been put on the back-foot. Compared to previous governments, the Coalition is doing fine and this may explain the relative lack of intensity on most matters. But I have constantly argued that this government has to quickly realise that given the circumstances under which it came to office, it would be held to a higher standard than previous administrations. The real reason for my letter, however, is to speak out against what appears to be somewhat harsh commentaries directed at Minister Nicolette Henry and the seeming
abandonment by her colleagues— she is left to face the fire all on her own. I do not normally defend politicians. Criticisms are in order but the image that is being painted of the incompetent woman whose organizing skills are being questioned is a bit harsh on the Minister. There is something that does not feel right about a scenario where the failings of a mainly male government are blamed on a woman and she gets little support from her male colleagues. Yes, Minister Henry was in charge of the event, but clearly the breakdown of arrangements could not be solely her responsibility. I am not asking for the government to deny what evidently went wrong. But if collective responsibility is acknowledged, the blow to the Minister would be softened. David Hinds
long our professionals in the teaching and nursing profession have subsidised these two vital sectors by working for salaries that are way below the level and quality of service they provide to our society. I also believe that there is need for a return to the old system which rewards those with experience and length of service. It is unfair for someone who just joined the profession to be earning at the same level as those who have been on the job for years. I think the time is long overdue for this situation to be corrected. Health and education are two of the most important ingredients of any successful nation and should therefore be adequately provided for in our budgetary allocations.
The income gap in the public service needed to be reviewed as well. I am still to understand why some people who earn at the maximum level from the public purse still enjoy income tax exemptions even though they also benefit from all manner of other allowances. No citizen regardless of rank or status should be exempted from the payment of their share of taxes. I believe strongly in the virtues of a just and egalitarian society. What is sauce for the goose is certainly sauce for the gander and every effort should be made to ensure that all Guyanese benefit from the fruits of our collective labour. There should be no privileged category beyond what is considered fair and acceptable. Hydar Ally
Nuff nuff more may be sent to jail DEAR EDITOR, Do you know if stealing from the state treasury is still a crime? I am wondering because in a recent publication, it seems that crime is reported, yet no arrests occur. In fact, what appears as wanted posters for one individual from E-Networks and another from Quark Inc (Movie Star) were published by the newspaper that claims to beacon truth, which many informed citizens appreciate. Together, these two individuals may be responsible for keeping from the treasury approximately $89 million. I am no lawyer, but as a citizen, my concern focuses on whether high crimes and misdemeanors took place, and if so, why these crimes remain unreported. As a result, the crime statistics in Guyana confuses me. Speaking of confusion, bhai, I see godfather Bai writing to uncle Moon about mistreatment. Is it too late to amend the correspondence and send the balance sheets? Can the amendments also include crimes against humanity? Here, I am
wondering how come when a remittance gets sent from overseas, there is a charge to send it, but when it is uplifted the conversion is significantly below the published, official money exchange rate? Maybe making profit and reaping rewards from the poor are mutually exclusive. Maybe when de cow jump over de moon ah gwan get an answers to my questions. On another note, I am glad the Camp street prison population continues to decrease; however, in the near future there may be no statistical difference in the population. Hopefully there are still a few cots around since nuff nuff more prisoners may be on the way. In fact, should I see the individuals on wanted posters, I will make a citizen’s arrest and take the accused directly to Eve Leary or Brickdam, depending on which is closer. These individuals will have their day in court, and given the outcome, living on the auspices of the state should not be too difficult an adjustment. Enough said. Omowale Odinga
What about the Senior Counsel announcement? DEAR EDITOR; As predicted President Granger announced a long list of awardees including three Orders of Roraima (the second highest) and not surprisingly most of the nominees are party supporters. This is understandable, but my concern is why no announcement is made of the elevation of Senior Counsel. I am aware that the list of new senior counsel is not made with national awards, but I am at a loss what is the delay. A year ago Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh invited lawyers to apply for silk. I am not sure if eligible lawyers applied, butI have not read of any appointment. The last batch of senior counsel was appointed nearly two decades ago and those were Ian Chang former DPP, Ralph Ramkaran, Charles Ramson, Moen Mc Doom, Richard Fields and Samuel Brotherson. My learned Berbician friend, Mortimer Codette has written about the inordinate delay and suggested that it was time that female lawyers be elevated to the inner bar. I totally agree with him providing that the elevation is on its merits. Guyana is the only jurisdiction in the region where lawyers who merit silk are
not being elevated on a regular basis. I recall there were only a few appointments in the Forbes Burnham era including Bhairo Prasad who was elevated to Queens’ Counsel. It was only after Desmond Hoyte took over as Head of State there were several appointments including Clarence Hughes, George Jackman, Julian Nurse, Doodnauth Singh and former Solicitors Eric Clarke and Sase Narain. In the PPP administration between 1992 to 2015 there was only a handful of elevation. In Belize there are more than 25 Senior Counsel from a Bar with less than a hundred members. Oscar Ramjeet
THE ROAD CARNAGE... From page 5 government to strengthen legislation for the institutional agencies that enforce the traffic laws and develop a national road safety strategy aimed at reducing accidents and fatalities. In the past, the system has vindicated too many speeding and drunk drivers and this has made a mockery of those advocating for safety and discipline on the nation’s roadways. Remember, one road fatality is one too many. Observer (name supplied)
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday June 01, 2016
THE VOICE OF THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS...
Why is the Public Procurement Commission not in place? By Sase Singh INTRODUCTION The Procurement Act of 2003 is the legislative framework that establishes the rights, obligations and responsibilities of all parties in public procurement procedures. It sets out the process that can ensure that public funds are used in the most costeffective manner. The core tenet of the procurement laws on paper in Guyana is to encourage and stimulate competition to offer the best value for money spent, but that does not necessarily happen in reality. Unfortunately, Guyana is still to benefit fully from the letter and spirit of the procurement laws, even after a decade of its passage. WHAT THE COALITION PLAYERS SAID THEN Reuters News Agency quoted the then Leader of the Opposition and now President of Guyana as saying in 2015 that “...one of the first tasks of the new 65-seat legislature is the appointment of a Public Procurement Commission.” Both the Cummingsburg Accord and the Coalition Manifesto have language with firm deadlines to reinforce the President’s commitment. This was no political gimmick from the President because, on Page 23 of the APNU+AFC Manifesto, that document clearly states that if the Coalition gets into government one of its first acts shall be the “early appointment of Public Procurement Commission equipped with the appropriate institutional capacity”. If that was not clarity enough, the Cummingsburg Accord between the AFC and APNU clearly stated that one of the priority areas would be “the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission….” and recommitted to such a programme of action within the first 100 days of the formation of the new government. The Leader of the AFC, now Minister,
Khemraj Ramjattan, was even richer in his PPP has blatantly failed to deliver on this language than President Granger. On promise, and the National Assembly is yet to February 14, 2014, he said in the press that obtain the nominations for consideration to “to uphold the Constitution is not a serve on the Procurement Commission. compromise, but rather a sworn duty.” He Why have these names not been further went on to state in that article in the submitted to the National Assembly? Every Kaieteur News that “every day the (then) PPP day that passes, induces a system that government refuses to establish the provides the platform for continued Procurement Commission, is another day for corruption. Let us not be fooled, there is still corrupt officials and contractors mass corruption today. to continue to siphon off tax But what is even more dollars”. duplicitous is that the coalition Minister Ramjattan said government, which that “the Constitution is the has lambasted the PPP in the supreme law of the land, and to past for using the cabinet forum not establish the Procurement to grant no objection on big C o m m i s s i o n contracts, is happily is reprehensible”. He also said, continuing this non“the Guyanese people should transparent and corrupt not be relegated to bargaining process. The situation is so for an agency that our bad that the cabinet has even Constitution clearly states shall granted exclusive nonbe established”. competitive awards to The Minister then stated contractors when there is no that the AFC shall hold out that ground for doing so, on several “we would like to see the occasions. Cabinet’s role in the When will the PPP and Sase Singh procurement process phased APNU+AFC put Guyana first out immediately”. and get those names approved WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY in the National Assembly? It is nothing but an ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT intellectual criminality from both the PPP and Since 2003, no serious effort was made to APNU+AFC, in that they collectively cannot enhance the efficient use of scarce public allow for Article 212W of the Guyana funds, and such a situation has directly Constitution to be given life, vis–à–vis the contributed to increased levels of poverty. establishment of the Procurement Our politicians on both sides of the House, Commission. The fact of the matter is that the remain generally uncommitted in substance, appointment of the Procurement Commission starts to good governance, and therefore we as a with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). people remain castrated, as we cannot receive I was advised when I was in Guyana in the best value for money spent, even today February 2016, that the process of submitting in 2016. names to the PAC was completed, and the As a general principle, people’s access to nation was promised that the qualifying names economic and social opportunities remains would be brought to the National Assembly closely linked to the level of progress in by April 1, 2016. governance. More than 20 percent of The PAC under the Chairmanship of the APNU+AFC’s term has now elapsed, but we
still are stuck in a mode on the public procurement front that is not grounded in transparency; a brought-forward from the PPP days. Certainly in the year 2016, there is much room for improvement in the public procurement systems. The spirit and intent of the law were designed to leave the procurement decisions to procurement professionals; not politicians. However in 2016, politicians are having the final say on “who gets what” and this deeply compromises the system of securing the best value for every dollar spent in the name of the people. CONCLUSION It is time for the APNU+AFC government to allow good governance to take front seats in their decisions, and more pressure ought to be brought to the relevant individual(s) in order to facilitate the established Public Procurement Commission. This is the coalition’s promise and this can be their legacy. It is nothing but public misconduct to not allow the relevant procurement capacity to be in place and in a very timely manner. Such policy neglect will diminish Guyana’s chances at economic success and will have an adverse long-term impact, by engendering a culture of corruption, which has now transcended two different administrations. I wonder what Minister Ramjattan must be thinking today, as he sits in a Cabinet that not only grants no-objection to procurement contracts in total violation of the Constitution, but worst of all, has issued several solesourcing awards that do not meet the true criteria for single source procurement? The absence of the Procurement Commission under the Granger administration has resulted in the continuation of a system that is not fully open to an arms-length, transparent and competitive tendering process. When will the charade end? Please feel free to share your feedback at sasesin1@yahoo.com
Wednesday June 01, 2016
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Kaieteur News
U.S. warns of possible Europe Fear for civilians as IS halts Iraqi army at gates of Falluja attacks, no specific threat Reuters - The United States warned its citizens yesterday of possible summer terrorist attacks in Europe, saying targets could include the European football championship in France, although a State Department official said there was no specific threat information.Concern about security in Europe has increased since the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead as well as the March 22 attacks in which two suicide bombers struck Brussels airport and a third the city’s metro, killing 32. “We are alerting U.S. citizens to the risk of potential terrorist attacks throughout Europe, targeting major events, tourist sites, restaurants, commercial centres and transportation,” the U.S. State Department said in a travel alert that extends through Aug. 31. The department routinely issues such warnings for individual countries and, at times, for an entire continent even when it does not have specific threat information about particular targets. The last U.S. warning for Europe was issued on March 22 following the Brussels attacks and was due to expire
John Kirby in late June. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the new warning amounted to an early extension of the previous one. “We took the opportunity, because it’s the beginning of summer, to make our concerns known,” he told a press briefing, noting several high-profile events in Europe in June and July. “I’m not aware of any specific, credible, terrorist event around these events or in any particular place in Europe. This was issued ... based on an accumulation of information,” Kirby said. Responding to the U.S. alert, the head of Italy’s anti-
terrorism police unit, Lamberto Giannini, said there were “no specific warnings or particular evidence.” But he told Italian media the situation across Europe “requires maximum attention.” The British Foreign Office declined to comment but pointed to its own guidance advising of a “high threat” of terrorism in some European countries. The State Department alert noted France will host the June 10-July 10 UEFA Euro 2106 football championship and had extended its state of emergency, imposed after the Nov. 13 Paris attacks, through July 26 to cover the July 2-24 Tour de France race. “Euro Cup stadiums, fan zones, and unaffiliated entertainment venues broadcasting the tournaments in France and across Europe represent potential targets for terrorists, as do other large-scale sporting events and public gathering places throughout Europe,” the department said. It also said the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day event was expected to draw up to 2.5 million visitors to Krakow, Poland, from July 26 to 31.
OAS head moves to suspend Venezuela from regional group Reuters - The head of the Organisation of American States (OAS) has called an urgent meeting to discuss whether Venezuela is violating basic democratic principles, paving the way for a vote that could suspend it from the regional diplomatic body. Luis Almagro, a former Uruguayan foreign minister, also threw his weight behind calls for a recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro, who he has called a “petty dictator.” He has accused the president of disrupting democracy by blocking the opposition-controlled Congress and putting loyalists in the Supreme Court. “In Venezuela, the purpose of politics has been lost,” Almagro said in a hardhitting letter published on Tuesday requesting a permanent council meeting in midJune to judge Venezuela’s performance vis-a-vis the
body’s Inter-American Democratic Charter. “They have forgotten to defend the general and collective long-term good, over short-term individual gain ... Immoral politics loses this vision because its only interest is staying in power.” Venezuela views the OAS as a pawn of hostile U.S. policy, and Maduro has often dismissed Almagro as a turncoat working for its ideological adversaries in Washington. “I suggest you put this democratic charter in a very thin tube and find a better use for it, Mr. Almagro,” said Maduro in a speech to supporters on Tuesday. “You can shove that demo-
cratic charter wherever it fits.” He accused the opposition-controlled National Assembly of planning to request the intervention of a foreign power in Venezuela, and said he planned to sue the legislature’s leadership for treason and usurping presidential powers.
Shi’ite fighters take a selfie while firing artillery towards Islamic State militants near Falluja, Iraq. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani Reuters - Islamic State fighters halted an Iraqi army assault on the city of Falluja with a counter-attack at its southern gates yesterday, while the United Nations warned of peril for civilians trapped in the city and used by militants as human shields. The Iraqi army’s assault on Falluja has begun what is expected to be one of the biggest battles ever fought against Islamic State, with the government backed by world powers including the United States and Iran, and determined to win back the first major Iraqi city that fell to the group in 2014. A week after Baghdad announced the start of the assault, its troops advanced in large numbers into the city limits for the first time on Monday, pouring into rural territory on its southern outskirts but stopping short of the main built-up area.
Baghdad describes the assault to retake the city as a potential turning point in its U.S.-backed campaign to defeat the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim militants who rule a self-proclaimed caliphate across much of Iraq and Syria. Falluja, where U.S. troops fought the biggest battles of their own 2003-2011 occupation against Islamic State’s precursors, is the militants’ closest bastion to Baghdad, believed to be the base from which they have waged a campaign of suicide bombings on the capital less than an hour’s drive away. Retaking it would give the government control of the main population centres in the fertile Euphrates River valley west of the capital for the first time in more than two years. But the assault is also a test of the army’s ability to capture territory while protecting civilians. Although most of Falluja’s population is be-
lieved to have fled during six months of siege, 50,000 people are still thought to be trapped inside with limited access to food, water or healthcare. “A human catastrophe is unfolding in Falluja. Families are caught in the crossfire with no safe way out,” said Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, one of the organisations helping families displaced form the city. “Warring parties must guarantee civilians safe exit now, before it’s too late and more lives are lost,” he said. The United Nations said there were reports that the militants were using several hundred families as human shields in the city centre, a tactic they have employed in other locations in Iraq. It said 3,700 people had managed to escape the city in the past week.
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Grenada ready to bring home students from crisis-torn Venezuela ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – The Grenada government says it’s ready and willing to bring home Grenadian students from Venezuela as that South American nation continues to face financial and other challenges. In a statement issued Monday, the Keith Mitchell administration said it has communicated to the students, its readiness to facilitate their return home. However, it noted, “the majority of students, for now…have indicated a willingness to complete their studies, in spite of those challenges”. The government said the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs are in constant contact with the students and Grenada’s Ambassador to Venezuela, Ambassador Hassan Hadeed, continues to visit them and provide the needed material and other support. The parents of the students have also been fully engaged and kept abreast of the situation. Last Monday, a meeting was convened by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs
Keith Mitchell and Education to brief the parents and guardians of the students and to assure them that the Government of Grenada is prepared to take necessary action, at any given time, to ensure the wellbeing of the students, the government said. “The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela remains a friend and ally of the Government of
Grenada and its people. In this regard, we are hopeful that there will be a peaceful resolution to the current political challenges,” the statement ended. Oil-rich Venezuela is in the midst of a crisis that has stemmed from the fall in global oil prices. There have been reported shortages of food and other basic supplies. (Caribbean360)
Maduro calls ‘rebellion,’ tells OAS to ‘shove it’ Caracas (AFP) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for a “national rebellion” against alleged in-
Wednesday June 01, 2016
Kaieteur News
ternational threats yesterday and told the head of the Organisation of American States (OAS) to “shove it” in
an escalating war of words. The verbal barrage came after OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro called for an urgent meeting on the Venezuelan crisis, warning democracy was at risk in the country. In a 132-page letter to the president of the OAS Permanent Council, Almagro requested a meeting of the Wa s h i n g t o n - b a s e d organisation’s 34 member states from June 10 to 20. “The institutional crisis in Venezuela demands immediate changes in the actions of the executive branch,” Almagro wrote, adding that the socialist nation is “at risk of falling immediately into a situation of illegitimacy.” Venezuela’s oppositioncontrolled legislature had requested that Almagro invoke the Inter-American Democratic Charter — which regulates government behaviour — to assess whether the Maduro government violated standards. “Mr Almagro, you can take your Democratic Charter... put it in a skinny little tube and shove it wherever it fits,” Maduro fired back at a rally of thousands of his supporters in Caracas.
PJ Patterson To Speak In UK On Uniting The Caribbean The Gleaner - Former Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson, will be the keynote speaker at two events in the UK starting on June 7 in Great Barr, Birmingham. His second talk will take place on June 9 in Camden, London. The events, titled Caribbean Diaspora Borderless Possibilities, is part of a drive across 16 Caribbean countries considering building a united region, so that economically and politically, they can become stronger and less dependant on other countries for support. The vision is that by helping each of the islands in the region to build positive partnerships, this will stimulate growth and long-term stability. With support from Grace Kennedy Ltd and Western Union Ltd, the project management team in the Caribbean have organised and delivered five town hall events across the USA in 2015 to engage people who have an interest in the Caribbean. The response to the meet-
P.J. Patterson ings in Miami, New York and other states, which attracted an average of 1,500 people per event, were overwhelmingly positive. The UK leg of the tour will kick off on June 7 at the Badshah Palace Conference Centre, Walsall Road, Great Barr, Birmingham B42 1LR at 7pm. At 6pm will be a Caribbean style welcome reception. The second leg of the tour will be on June 9 at Camden Town Hall, Judd Street, London WC1H 9JE also starting
at 7 p.m. A welcome reception will get underway at 6 p.m. Patterson will supported on the panel by executives from Grace Kennedy Ltd and Western Union and one local speaker from Birmingham and one from London. The Local Speaker in Birmingham is Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council Councillor Ian Lord and the local speaker in London will be Mr Ansell Wong of the Windrush Foundation and a Carnival Arts pioneer. The event will be blessed by Bishop Derek Webley in Birmingham and by Mrs Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Chaplin to the Queen in London. Entrance to the events is free, but early arrival will guarantee the seating, which will be available. The organisers are keen to ensure people from all sections of the community, including churches, are able to engage with this event and are encouraging the sharing of this information with Caribbean organisations, friends and family who are welcome to attend.
Police group backs PM on Minister…
Dillon not at fault for escalating crime Trinidad Guardian - The Police Service Social and Welfare Association has applauded Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley for his declaration that National Security Minister Edmund Dillon will not be dismissed. President Insp Anand Ramesar said Dillon was not at fault for the escalating crime situation in the country. He said Government is responsible for implementation of policies and had no part to play in the operational aspects of crime fighting which is solely the responsibility of the Police Service. “The call for the removal of the National Security Minister appears to be a bit premature. There are many other considerations that must be factored in before such a decision is even considered,” he said. In fact, Ramesar commended the minister for keeping his promise to absorb some 1500 special reserve police officers (SRPs) into the Police Service. He said the association is due to meet with Dillon in the first week of June to set the criteria for the selection of the SRPs into the Police Service.
The rebranding of the service, including new uniforms for officers, is on-stream, Ramesar said, and a committee, including two representatives from the association, has already been put in place. Ramesar who also commended the minister for initiating a manpower audit into the Police Service added: “We are aware that the ministry will involve personnel from the UK and that in recent times those persons would have come to Trinidad to have preliminary considerations on the issue. “These particular initiatives triggered under Dillon need to be allowed to have an impact before any call for his removal.” There have been calls for Dillon to be fired because of the country’s abysmally low crime detection rate and high homicide rate. However, speaking to members of the media over the weekend during the People’s National Movement (PNM) sports and family day at Mt Pleasant ground, Tobago, Rowley expressed confidence in Dillon, who has held the post since the PNM took office last September. “I have absolutely no
such thought to dismiss Minister Dillon. As a matter of fact, the National Security Minister is working very, very effectively in ensuring that we put the country in a position to respond to the crime challenges. “It is not just a question of changing a minister,” Rowley had said. Ramesar has expressed concern over the “very delayed” process for the selection of a permanent Police Commissioner. With the latest six months extension granted to acting Police Commissioner Stephen Williams expiring at the end of June, Ramesar lamented the lack of proper stakeholder participation in the process. “In the first instance one needs to look at the performance of the Police Service Commission in relation to national security. The selection process for a police commissioner must be expedited and the public must be informed every step of the way.” Ramesar said he would also be applying for the post of Commission but could only do so when the position was advertised. To date there has been no advertisement for the post.
Wednesday June 01, 2016
Kaieteur News
As Beijing flexes muscles in South China Sea, Malaysia eyes harder response Reuters - Spotting a large vessel off the coast of Sarawak state in March, officers on a Malaysian patrol boat were shocked when it steamed towards them at high speed, blaring its horn before veering off to reveal “Chinese Coast Guard” emblazoned on its side. According to an officer from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), Chinese Coast Guard vessels have been sighted several times before around the South Luconia Shoals, off the oil-rich town of Miri. But such an aggressive encounter was a first.”To us, it looked like an attempt to charge at our boat, possibly to intimidate,” said the officer, who was not authorised to speak publicly but showed Reuters a video of the previously unreported incident. Spurred by the incident and the appearance of some 100 Chinese fishing vessels
in the area around the time, some in Malaysia are hardening the nation’s previously muted responses towards their powerful neighbour China. One senior minister said Malaysia must now stand up against such maritime incursions as China flexes its muscles along dozens of disputed reefs and islands in the South China Sea. China’s growing assertiveness has already alarmed the Philippines, Vietnam and other claimants. It has also increased U.S.China tensions, with the two heavyweights trading accusations of militarising the vi-
tal waterways through which some $5 trillion (£3.45 trillion) in trade passes each year. But heralding its “special relationship” with China, and heavily reliant on trade and investment, Malaysia’s previous responses to China’s activity in the region have been described by Western diplomats as “low-key”. It downplayed two naval exercises conducted by China in 2013 and 2014 at James Shoal, less than 50 nautical miles off Sarawak. And in 2015, concerns raised by Malaysian fishermen in Miri about alleged bullying by armed men aboard Chinese Coast Guard vessels were largely ignored.
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Wednesday June 01, 2016
Mayor’s Cup action continues Sunday at Victoria as tournament reaches last 16 stage Competition in the Annual Mayor’s Cup football tournament continues Sunday with a triple header card at the Victoria Ground on The East Coast of Demerara as the tournament has reached its last 16 teams. Sunday’s action will see BV Triumph taking on Police from 5:00pm in the curtain raiser, while in game number 2 from 7:00pm, A n n ’s G r o v e c h a l l e n g e Grove Hi Tech. The nightcap from 9:00pm will feature a clash between homsters Victoria kings against Federal Winners Connection of Linden in a meeting of the respective area champions.
The tournament is down to its last 16 teams following latest competition. Those through are Camptown, Santos, Pouderoyen, beavers, Cougars, Riddim Squad, Western Tigers, Den Amstel, Uitvlugt and Eagles of Linden. Last Sunday’s action saw BV Triumph overcoming Mahaica on penalty kicks 4-2 after their contest ended 1-1 after regulation and extra time. The other game stayed true to form as it took penalties to separate Cougars and Golden Grove after the game ended 2-2. Cougars won 5-3 on kicks. The teams are competing
for the Mayor’s Cup and a first prize of $700,000 donated by Aruwai Resort, second $300 , 0 0 0 a n d t h e A n s a McAl t r o p h y, third $200,000 and the John Fernandes trophy and fourth $100,000 and the Ministry of State trophy. Ricks and Sari has also donated hampers which will go to the winning team. The tournament’s top goal scorer will get a three piece suite compliments of AH&L Kissoon Furniture Store. The event is coordinated by Lennox Arthur, former National footballer and later Coach, who has been behind this tournament for 22 years.
Wednesday June 01, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Relatives may play an important role in your personal life. You can make major accomplishments while on short trips. You can help them more than they can help you. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Do your own thing. You may find that your anger stems from lending or borrowing money. Red tape could be impossible to clear up today. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Problems with ear, nose, or the throat are likely. Acceptance will be necessary. You will be too quick to point your finger at your mate. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Uncertainties regarding your love life will surface if you have neglected your mate. Don't reveal anything about your personal life to those who may use such information against you. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You can make money if you're willing to push your ideas on those in a position to support your efforts. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You should get into programs that will enhance your appearance and help you to be the best that you can. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Travel will promote new romantic encounters. Keep your mind on your work and stay away from situations that could ruin your reputa-
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tion. Romantic opportunities are evident if you get involved in large groups or organizations. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Encourage the youngsters in your family. Empty promises are evident and deception probable. Balance is required if you want stability. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You will not be able to contain your emotions today. Finish off old projects before starting something new. Today is not the day to try to comer people by giving them ultimatums. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Your sensitivity toward those you love will capture their hearts Your irritability will lead to family squabbles. Emotional deception is evident. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Prove your worth; concentrate on getting the job done and steer clear of office politics and gossip. Opportunities to go out with clients or colleagues will be in your best interest. Be careful not to lead someone on if you truly have no interest. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Be diplomatic but stem when it comes to giving of yourself. Rewards, gifts, or money from investments or taxes can be expected. You can clear up important legalities and sign contracts today.
Cavs, LeBron find same title hope obstacle in Golden State (Reuters) LeBron James and the Cavaliers rested up and waited through a tumultuous Western Conference finals before finding themselves right back where they were last year, going against the Warriors for the NBA title. James, on a stated mission to bring to Cleveland the city’s first major professional sports team title in 52 years, and the Cavs hit the road to open the best-of-seven against sharpshooter Stephen Curry and Golden State at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, on Thursday. Cleveland fell in six games in last year’s NBA Finals, but that was an undermanned Cavaliers crew. They were without injured power forward Kevin Love and lost point guard Kyrie Irving after one game of the Finals. This year they are at full strength and looking a different team under new coach Tyronn Lue, who has them running and gunning threepointers as an Eastern Conference version of the Warriors. James is now surrounded by potent shooters including Irving, Love, J.R. Smith and Channing Frye, who helped Cleveland set threepoint records during their 122 charge through the playoffs that began with a pair of four-game sweeps. Despite all this, the Warriors are heavy favorite, according to the early betting markets. A high octane Finals could be in the offing as they match their shooting prowess against Curry and AllStar backcourt mate Klay Thompson, Golden State’s “Splash Brothers”. Cleveland should be the fresher of the clubs. “Feeling good right now,” coach Lue said. “Focusing on trying to get better, using each practice, all the time we have to get better.” It has been a much tougher return trip for the Warriors, who despite their NBA record 73-9 regular season mark, had to endure Curry’s knee injury earlier in the playoffs before a huge challenge from the Thunder. Oklahoma City not only had a 3-1 lead in their bestof-seven, but also doubledigit cushions in both Game Six and Seven. “We weren’t just down 31, but we’d been blown out two straight games,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said
LeBron James (Photo: Dan HamiltonUSA TODAY Sports) after Game Seven. “It’s a pretty remarkable
comeback. It shows a lot about our guys and their will and their grit.” James, a four-time league MVP, has of course shown his grit over the years as best allaround player, with defensive skills to match his offensive prowess. This is his sixth NBA Finals in a row and seventh overall. Curry, a unanimous choice in repeating as NBA MVP, is gunning to join Boston Celtics great Bill Russell, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and James as the NBA’s only back-to-back MVP, NBA title winners.
Barnwell dominoes set for today Johnny Barnwell in collaboration with Shem Waddell and Grey Nicholas will be hosting a domin o e s c o m p e t ition today, June 1, at Shem Hide Out, Vryheid’s Lust Housing
Schem e s t a r t ing at 19:00hrs. Entrance fee is $1,000 and at stake are trophies and medals which will be donated by the organisers and Trophy Stall.
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Wednesday June 01, 2016
Zimbabwe sack Rio giving away 500,000 Paralympics tickets Masakadza, Whatmore to boost support
The tickets for the 2016 Rio Olympics are presented in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, May 20, 2016. (REUTERS/RICARDO MORAES) (Reuters) Organizers of the 2016 Paralympic Games are giving away half a million tickets 100 days before the start of competition in a bid to boost support for September’s events, officials said on Monday. Sales have lagged and Rio de Janeiro said it was buying 500,000 tickets to give to city employees, students and the
handicapped. B e f o r e t h e announcement, only 720,000 out of the total 3.3 million tickets had been sold, Donovan Ferreti, director of ticketing, told reporters. Ferreti said that number was disappointing but hoped Monday’s announcement would boost interest in the 23 Paralympic events that will take place between Sept. 7 and 18.
“We are delighted that these students are coming to be part of this unique experience,” said Ferreti. Some 392,000 of the free tickets will go to children who get good grades in school, he said. Another 47,000 tickets will be given away by the city of Rio for the Olympics, which will be held in South America for the first time between Aug. 5 and 21.
Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation makes clarification on Daniel Sooklall article The Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) has written to clarify their position following an article posted in the Kaieteur News on May 27th last. The article on powerlifter Daniel Sooklall’s quest to represent Guyana at an upcoming event, cited some issues in relation to sponsorship and donations for the travel of the athletes that the GAPLF was at odds with. The federation has written to Kaieteur Sport on the matter and we have decided to carry their letter in its entirety and offer an apology to the GAPLF for any undue discomfort this article may have caused and would look to cooperate and support the federation in their quest of outstanding representation of this country. (Here is the full text of that letter (officials contact info has been removed)
Dear Sir, The Guyana Amateur Powerlifting federation wishes to clarify an article posted in your newspaper dated May/27/16 captioned “Sooklall eyes C’bean Powerlifting C/Ship in St Croix… Sponsorship could biggest weight on his shoulders”. The GAPLF wishes to inform you that we have (NOT) solicited, collected or negotiated ANY sponsorship from the Government of Guyana or ANY Government Agencies. Furthermore, Mr. Sooklall has never represented Guyana or the GAPLF in the capacity of a Powerlifter and has recently been SHORTLISTED to compete at the 14th Annual IPF/NAPF North American Regional Powerlifting Championships and the 9th IPF/NAPF Caribbean Regional Championships
will take place on August 1419, 2016 at the Renaissance Hotel Carambola Beach Resort in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. It was also noticed that Mr. Sooklall declared that he was the 59kg Champion for 2016 which is not the case. According to the GAPLF’s Senior National Powerlifting Championship results, Mr. Sooklall was awarded Second (2nd) Position behind Navendra Tamessar of Berbice. We look forward to this article being corrected and would also request that the reporter contact Martin Webster or Paul Adams to clarify if this was indeed the information provided by the athlete as such behavior would be termed a breach of the GAPLF’s Code of Conduct. We look forward to your cooperation. Yours respectfully, Ed Caesar President
ESPNCRICINFO Zimbabwe have sacked captain Hamilton Masakadza and head coach Dav Whatmore, following the board’s review of the team’s performance at the World T20 in March. ZC has given Graeme Cremer and Makhaya Ntini the interim roles of captain and head coach, respectively, while appointing Lance Klusener as batting coach on a twoyear contract. The board has also restructured the selection panel, which will now consist of a convener, the head coach, and the assistant coach. Tatenda Taibu, the former Zimbabwe captain, has been appointed convener, and, according to a ZC release, “will have additional responsibilities in development and high performance, and will also assist ZC in bringing former Zimbabwe players back into local cricket.” The loss of captaincy completes a strange few months for Masakadza: he was dropped in October 2015, then came back, scored heavily and took over the captaincy in all three formats following Elton Chigumbura’s resignation in January. He had a modest World T20, scoring 20, 12 and 11, and was run-out twice, exemplifying an error-prone Zimbabwe side that failed to reach the Super 10 stage of the tournament. The
Hamilton Masakadza has been sacked as Zimbabwe captain, four months after taking over the role © IDI/Getty Images legspinner Cremer, one of Zimbabwe’s most consistent performers leading up to the World T20, missed the tournament with a fractured left forearm. The former Australia batsman Whatmore, who has previously coached Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, took over as Zimbabwe’s head coach in December 2014, after Steve M a n g o n g o ’s s a c k i n g following a fractious fivemonth reign. Ntini, the former South Africa fast bowler, was appointed as his assistant in January 2016. ESPNcricinfo understands Mangongo is the frontrunner to take over again as head coach in the coming months. Klusener, the former South Africa allrounder, has prior involvement with Zimbabwe cricket. He played for the Mutare-based
Mountaineers franchise in 2010. Klusener was one of the big-name signings for the Stanbic T20. Like many of the internationals who played in that event, Klusener was not paid in full and was understood to still be owed money by ZC several years after the tournament. His latest coaching assignment came to an end in February, when he was sacked by the South African domestic franchise Dolphins. Before that, he served a short stint as a lower-order batting consultant to South Africa’s Test side ahead of their home series against England. Ta i b u r e t u r n s t o Zimbabwe cricket after four years, having retired at the age of 29 to pursue a career as a pastor. He has recently been playing club cricket in the UK.
Shaminda Eranga: Sri Lanka bowler reported for suspect action BBC Sport Sri Lanka seamer Shaminda Eranga was reported for a suspect bowling action in the second-Test d e f e a t b y England at Chester-le-Street. T h e International Cricket Council said the 29-year-old is “required to u n d e rg o t e s t i n g within 14 days”. Eranga, who has taken 53 wickets at an average of 37.47 in 18 Tests, can bowl until the results are known.
Shaminda Eranga made his Test debut in 2011. (AP) He had match figures of 0-104 as England won by
nine wickets to take a 2-0 lead in the three-Test series.
The final match at Lord’s starts on 9 June.
Wednesday June 01, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Radwanska suffers Paris meltdown in defeat by Pironkova PARIS (Reuters) Fans were left wet and miserable at a soggy Roland Garros on Tuesday — but not as drenched or depressed as Agnieszka Radwanska after the world number two’s French Open hopes fizzled out following a monumental meltdown against Tsvetana Pironkova. Leading her Bulgarian rival 6-2 3-0 when rain halted play on Sunday, Radwanska appeared to have one foot in the quarter-finals. However, when the fourth-round tussle resumed more than 40 hours later following Monday’s washout, the Polish second seed seemed all at sea as the players were forced to play through misty rain. She lost 10 games in a row as she fell to a 2-6 6-3 63 defeat by an opponent ranked 100 places below her. “I’m just so surprised and angry that we have to play in the rain,” Radwanska told reporters. “I mean, it’s not a $10,000 tournament. It’s a
grand slam. How can you allow players to play in the rain? I cannot play in that conditions.” While Radwanska became the highest-ranked player to exit this year’s French Open tournament, her defeat also meant that at least five of the top eight women’s seeds failed to make their allotted quarterfinal spots. Radwanska, playing with a full-sleeved white top over her sleeveless pink dress, struggled to handle the heavy conditions and the sodden balls on Court Suzanne Lenglen and lost six games in a row to surrender the second set with a forehand error. A further two hour 45 minute rain disruption failed to improve Radwanska’s mood or her fortunes as she fell 4-0 behind in the third set. The 27-year-old, who called on the trainer to get treatment on her right hand midway through the decider, eventually halted Pironkova’s run by breaking
Agnieszka Radwanska returns the ball during her match against Tsvetana Pironkova at the French Open, May 31, 2016. (REUTERS/PASCAL ROSSIGNOL) the Bulgarian in the fifth game. But Radwanska could not avoid the embarrassment of being beaten by a player ranked outside the top 100 for the first time in more than seven years when she netted a forehand on Pironkova’s
second match point. “I had hand surgery few years ago and I couldn’t really play in that conditions. End of story,” a fuming Radwanska added. “For me, playing with those balls in that kind of
Tsvetana Pironkova celebrates beating Agnieszka Radwanska at the French Open, May 31, 2016. (REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol)
court is pretty much impossible.” A match that lasted just two hours and 12 minutes on court finally finished at 4.18 pm local time on Monday, almost 46 hours after it had started on Sunday. “It was very difficult
with all the rain as we were waiting almost two days to finish the match,” a beaming Pironkova said after becoming the first Bulgarian woman to reach the quarterfinals since Sesil Karantantcheva in 2005. “But I can’t complain.”
A Brief History of Philip Daniels Former Guyana international basketball player 1973-1979 Thomas United International Footballer 1976-1978 Philip Daniels playing for Ravens Club, made his international debut in basketball in 1973 in Paramaribo, Suriname for a Goodwill four team series involving host Suriname, Guyana, Holland All Stars and the Suriname under-19 team. After the Suriname outing Daniels’ next international engagements were to Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados for two international warm up
matches against those two countries. His next assignment in national colours was the prestigious Central American Championship in Puerto Rico. There he had matches against the host Puerto Rico, Mexico, the mighty Cuba, El Salvador, Panama, Venezuela and the US Virgin I s l a n d s . The following year 1974 M a y, D a n i e l s w a s outstanding against
Barbados at home, a series that Guyana won. His next overseas assignment was May 1975 at the Central Championship in the Dominican Republic and again he was superb against opponents Puerto Rico, Cuba, El Salvador, Venezuela, Suriname, the Bahamas and Haiti. He still talks about Guyana’s only victory at that tournament a g a i n s t H a i t i . After the Central American
Championship in the Dominican Republic, Daniels and the national team faced the mighty Chinese team in October 1975 at the National Sports Hall. Daniels remembered this series like yesterday because it was the first international basketball series played at the National S p o r t s H a l l . His international career continued the following year in 1976 February when Guyana hosted Suriname and Barbados in a Goodwill International Series at the National Sports Hall. Suriname won that championship. According to Daniels, the next series following the Suriname and Barbados clashes was against the American professional team: Buffalo All Stars. Although the Americans outplayed Guyana in both games, Daniels was the leading Guyanese scorer and
according to Daniels that was the toughest series in his international career. His international programme continued in 1976 July, but this time he was representing Thomas United Football Club in the CFU Club C h a m p i o n s h i p . The following year 1977 he returned to national basketball duty against the mighty Cuba at the National Sports Hall, Guyana lost that series 3-nil. 1978, Daniels was outstanding for Guyana against Suriname champion club: Caribbean Little Devils and against Canada WYMC Montrell. His international duties in 1978 concluded when Guyana visited Barbados and participated in that Guyana Independence International Triangular Tournament in Bridgetown. That tournament was won by Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o . Daniels also represented Thomas United Football Club at the Caribbean
F o o t b a l l U n i o n Championship in July 1978. In 1979 Daniels played four international matches against Trinidad at the National Sports Hall, Trinidad won that series 3-1. This was Daniels last outing in national colours.
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Wednesday June 01, 2016
Warriors cap comeback, KO Thunder in Game 7
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) held by a screen by Warriors forward Draymond Green (23). (Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots for a three point basket against Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12). (Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports) Reuters (The Sports Xchange) - The Golden State Warriors beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 96-88 in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on Monday to set up a rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the NBA Championship. Stephen Curry hit five second-half 3-pointers and scored 36 points in all for Golden State, who will host the opener of the best-ofseven NBA Finals on Thursday in Oakland. The defending NBA champions, who rallied from a 3-1 series deficits, were
down by 13 in the first half and eight early in the third quarter before gunning their way to a shot at becoming the NBA’s first repeat winner since Miami in 2012 and ’13. Golden State, who made seven 3-pointers in the first half, got 10 over the final 24 minutes to catch and pass the Thunder, the thirdseeded team in the Western playoffs. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green bombed in consecutive threes to give the Warriors an 88-77 lead with 4:44 to go, but the Thunder would not go
quietly. R u s s e l l We s t b r o o k scored on a drive and Kevin Durant scored seven consecutive points, and all of a sudden Oklahoma City were back within 90-86 with 1:40 to play. However, Curry, fouled on a desperation 3-point attempt, cashed in three free throws, then iced Golden State’s comeback with one final 3-pointer with 26.8 seconds left, opening a 10point lead. Curry finished 13-for-24 from the field and 7-for-12 from 3-point range on a night when the Warriors shot
better from beyond the arc (45.9 percent) than overall (43.5 percent). Curry also found time for eight assists. Thompson hit six 3pointers to account for almost all of his 21 points, helping Golden State outscore Oklahoma City 5121 on long-distance shots. Green added 11 points and a team-high nine rebounds for the Warriors, who became just the 10th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Durant led the Thunder with 27 points, hitting 10 of
his 19 shots and three of his seven 3-point attempts. He also had seven rebounds. Westbrook recorded a 19-point, 13-assist doubledouble, but he shot just 7-for21. Oklahoma City shot just 38.2 percent from the field and made only seven of its 27 3-point attempts. Serge Ibaka added 16 points for the Thunder, who were seeking to become first team in NBA history to beat two 65-win teams in the same playoffs. Oklahoma City eliminated the West’s second
seed, the San Antonio Spurs, in the second round. While the Warriors were holding the Thunder to five field goals in the third quarter, Curry was heating up at the other end of the court. Golden State trailed 4842 at the half before using a 15-6 spurt to open the third quarter and go up 57-54, their first lead since the second minute of the game. The 15 points were the result of five 3-pointers, including three by Curry, who had made only two the entire first half.
Antigua and Barbuda government to make additional investment in West Indies cricket St John’s, ANTIGUA – Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Hon Gaston Browne, who is also Chairman of CARICOM’s sub-committee on Cricket,
has said that “West Indies Cricket can become the most exciting and most valuable cricket product in the world.” In an address yesterday
(May 31), to mark the W I C B ’s 9 0 y e a r o f recognition by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister also stated, “I categorically reject the call for the dissolution of the West Indies Cricket Board, and I do so in my capacity as Chairman of the Committee governing West Indies Cricket. I believe firmly that to dissolve the board, would be to plunge West Indies Cricket into further chaos and confusion.” Asserting that governance could be an issue, the PM also asked that the board and other stakeholders take the necessary and appropriate actions to ensure that the governance framework is strengthened; that there is t h
greater transparency and accountability; and the disputes/differences that will arise from time to time be managed much better than they are now. He believes when the disputes end up in the public domain, it damages the image of the cricket product. He therefore urged the board to “create a more suitable dispute resolution mechanism in resolving the issues between the board and players going forward. The Prime Minister in acknowledging and congratulating the various teams on the wins in the u n d e r 1 9 , m e n ’s a n d women’s categories so far this year, said these victories “should serve as a platform for greater unity for the board and players and for all
stakeholders.” Additionally, the Prime Minster announced that his government is in negotiation with the Stanford liquidator receiver to acquire the Stanford Cricket Ground, Sticky Wicket and other amenities in partnership with the WICB. “The value of the investment is estimated at US$6million and the government will underwrite up to 50 per cent of that amount,” noted the PM. The milestone was also recognized by the Governor General, His Excellency, Sir Rodney Williams, who stated that cricket has created an evolution and revolution for the people of the region. He noted the radical changes in the game which took place and highlighted that the format changes were imminent and
“there was more to come.” The President, Dave Cameron was brief in his comments and provided a scorecard of the last month, hailing the renewal of the Digicel deal for another four years as an indication of the value of West Indies cricket to its sponsor partners. The event culminated in a symbolic flag-raising with the flags of the region representing the six regions, the WICB and the national flag of Antigua and Barbuda. The WICB is now in full swing for the start of the 2016 Tri-Nation one-day international which bowls off in Guyana on Friday, June 3. The teams along with the West Indies are Australia and South Africa and all ten matches are day/night.
Kaieteur News
Wednesday June 01, 2016
Djokovic left hanging as rain cuts short day 10 of French Open (Reuters) Play was called off for the day at Roland Garros at 1650 GMT on Tuesday as rain frustrated players and fans alike for the second successive day at the claycourt major. A day after the tournament suffered its first total washout for 16 years, only two hours of play was possible on day 10 of the championships as players such as world number one Novak Djokovic and holder Serena Williams remain stranded in the fourth round. Djokovic was 3-6 6-4 4-1 up against Roberto Bautista Agut in their fourth-round match. The Serbian top seed lost the opening set to the 14thseeded Spaniard on Court Philippe Chatrier when play was halted at 12:47 pm local time for the first time. After an interruption lasting two hours and 45 minutes, the players resumed and Djokovic
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Paradise/Bachelor’s Adventure Cricket Club convenes special meeting The executive members of the Paradise/Bachelor’s Adventure Cricket Club have convened a special meeting among its membership slated for Saturday June 4 at the Paradise Playfield Pavilion starting at 17:00hrs. Secretary of the club, Aaron Blackman, said that
they will be discussing the planned programmes for the remainder of the year as well as their engagement in future cricket programmes planned in their jurisdiction for the corresponding period. Members are asked to make an extra special effort to be there and to do so at the stipulated time.
St. Lawrence, Blake primary successful Djokovic holds an umbrella as he arrives on the court. (REUTERS/GONZALO FUENTES) wasted no time in regaining the lead, only for the match to be stopped again. Second seed Agnieszka Radwanska lost 2-6 6-3 6-3 to Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova and Australian
Samantha Stosur beat Romanian sixth seed Simona Halep 7-6(0) 6-3. Play started an hour late as rain continued to fall on Paris. Holders Serena Williams
and Stan Wawrinka and British second seed Andy Murray, who takes on local favorite Richard Gasquet in the quarter-finals, did not even get a chance to get on court.
St. Lawrence defeated Blake primary in the female category, while Blake overcame St. Lawrence to capture the male prize when the Lionel Seepersaud organised six-over softball tournament was held recently at Edward Matthews’ community centre. Chandroutie Chan of St. Lawrence won the
female MVP while Micky Subraj took the male MVP. The competition was played in observance of the 50 independence anniversary and sponsored by Doobay Domestic and Industrial Gas Supplies, Rosanna Lackhan of Align Arts, Bissoon Sawmill and Zaman Wharf and gas station. t h
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday June 01, 2016
“Narine important to team”- Simmons Head Coach says Australia start as favorites By Sean Devers West Indies Head Coach Trinidadian Phil Simmons says that number one ranked ODI side Australia will start as favorites in the Tri-Nation series that starts on Friday at the Guyana National Stadium from 13:00hrs. The series also features host West Indies and number three ranked team South Africa who face off in the opening match. West Indies battle Australia on Sunday in another day night encounter before the Guyana leg ends on Tuesday when South Africa go Head-to-Head with Australia in a series in which every game will be played under lights. The 53-year old Simmons, who played 26 Tests and 143 ODIs for the West Indies between 1987 and 1999, said the batsmen batted well in the nets before playing poorly in the two practice games against Barbados. “I would not be too concerned about that since five of our top players were
Sunil Narine is watched by Umpire Greg Braithwaite, Sulieman Benn and nonstriker Kieron Pollard as he bowls during yesterday’s practice session at Providence. missing and I thought we had good sessions in Barbados. I am confident that if we play our best cricket we will be successful since we were not the favorites in the t20 World Cup and ended up winning,” Simmons said. The big hitting former opening batsman who scored a Test ton and five ODI centuries said there is a reason why Australia and South Africa are the number
one and the number three teams in the world, adding that this was what West Indies, ranked number eight, were aiming for. “There has not been International cricket here (Providence) in a long time so we are not sure what type of pitch to expect. But my best track for our bowling attack would be one with a little bit of grass and bounce. That would give our bowlers
something to work with and once there is bounce then it should also good for our batsmen to bat on,” Simmons explained. Simmons said that offspinner Sunil Narine who has remodeled his bowling action is just as important to the West Indies team as he was to his IPL team in India. Simmons disclosed if the track is low and slow then he
Andre Fletcher bats in the nets yesterday at Providence. expects his spinners Narine, Ashley Nurse and Suleiman Benn to be successful. A lot is also expected from senior batsman Darren Bravo and Marlon Samuels along with Denish Ramdin and all rounders Skipper Jason Holder, World Cup hero Carlos Braithwaite and Kieron Pollard. Narine and Pollard return to the side after not being selected for the t20 World
Cup. Friday will be the first time that South Africa will face West Indies in an ODI in Guyana. West Indies who arrived in South America on Monday had their first practice session in here yesterday afternoon, while South Africa are scheduled to have a ‘net’ today at Providence from 09:30hrs.
Ministry of Health (MoH) under the ‘Stop Gender-based Violence’
Champs not required to break sweat as Soft Shoe Football opens -Queen Street, Tucville, Old Ballers and Globe Yard also win By Rawle Welch Defending champion Sparta Boss were not required to break a sweat on Monday night of the 2016 Petra Organisationorganised Soft Shoe Football Competition which is being sponsored by the Ministry of Health (MoH) under the ‘Stop Gender-based Violence’ theme. Scheduled to play in the final game of six, at the Ministry of Health ground on Brickdam & Vlissingen Road, the reigning champs gained a walkover from California Square and in the process secured full points, while Sophia enjoyed a similar result following the non-appearance of Holmes Street of Tiger Bay. Played in front of a
sprinkling of fans that braved the inclement weather, Old School Ballers and Cross Street were the first teams to take to the pitch shortly after meeting Ministry of Health representative Joy Gravesande and the former escaped with a narrow 1-0 win with Leon Grumble’s fourth minute strike separating the two teams. Next up was the clash between Queen Street of Tiger Bay and Broad Street a n d t h e N o r t h Cummingsburg team eased to a comfortable 2-0 win over Broad Street with Darren Harris (9th) and Deon Alfred (20th), being the players on target. Harris gave Queen Street the ideal start when his powerful strike from the left
flank proved too hot for the opposing goalkeeper to handle and it eluded his grasp and ended over the goalline. Broad Street attempted several sporadic counterattacks, but the finishing was poor and Alfred put the game out of reach on the stroke of full time when he fired through the keeper’s legs to seal the victory. After a short break, Tucville thumped Young Ballers 3-0 with Tefon Daly netting as early as the third minute with a clinical finish from the left side. Nine minutes later, Dennis Edwards tapped in from close range to make it 2-0, before Kareem Knights entered the scoresheet two minutes later past a transfixed custodian to seal
the deal. In what was definitely the most entertaining game of the night, Globe Yard nipped Bent Street by a 2-1 margin. Globe Yard snatched the lead two minutes after the break when national player Andrew Murray scored from the penalty spot after a deliberate hand ball was called on an opposing defender. Murray then returned to complete a brace in the 14th minute with a well placed shot that beat the keeper to his left. Bent Street despite falling behind 2-0 kept fighting and were rewarded in the 17th minute when Cassmus DeSantos struck a well placed missile into the right side of the goal.
However, Globe Yard held on bravely for the positive result. Action resumes next Monday, at the same venue with another six matches planned. The competition which is scheduled to conclude on June 18 features 24 community-based teams competing in a group stage format with the top two from each group automatically qualifying for the next stage. Matches will be played at Tucville, West Ruimveldt and Santos grounds, while entrance to the venues is free. The competing teams are: Sparta Boss, Back Circle, Campbellville, West Back Road, Charlestown, Bent Street, Old School
Ballers, Cross Street WerkEn-Rust, Stevedore Housing Scheme, Sophia, Holmes Street- Tiger Bay, California Square, West Front Road, Queen Street Tiger Bay, Broad Street, Upsetters, East Front Road, North Ruimveldt, Alexander Village, Leopold Street, Channel 9, North East La Penitence, Albouystown and Globe Yard. The winning team will receive $300,000 and the Championship trophy, while the second, third and fourth placed teams will take home $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 respectively. Among the other sponsors on board are GTT, L u c k y D o l l a r, N i g e l S u p e r m a r k e t , J u n i o r ’s Jewellery, Star Party Rentals and 2-J’s General Store.
Wednesday June 01, 2016
Kaieteur News
Guyanese cyclists perform outstanding in Tour of Somerville event in US Husbands, Eastman and Savory impressive
Hamza Eastman (left) and Scott Savory (centre) along with Carlos Andres Brenes Mata celebrate on the podium after the race in the US last weekend. Guyanese cyclists travelled to the United States and participated in last w e e k e n d ’s To u r o f Somerville where they graced the podium following impressive performances in the races. The Tour of Somerville Cycling Series is an exciting two-day event of competitive cycling for professionals and amateurs over Memorial Day
weekend in New Jersey. Scott Savory (Crca/lupus Racing Team) powered to v i c t o r y i n t h e M e n ’s Category 1 event in 1:51:38, beating countryman, the multi-talented Hamza Eastman (Team Cocos) into second place, while Carlos Andres Brenes Mata was third. Geron Williams, another Guyanese, finished seventh in that event. Stepano Husbands of
Guyana and Team Cocos finished third in the Category 2-3 event. He was beaten by winner Euri Madera and second placed Lynn Murray. Husbands was also second in another Category 3 event, while James Joseph followed in third. Geron Williams finished in sixth place in a Category 1-2 event, while Eastman placed 10th in the same race.
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Sookdeo, Deonarine shine in TTCB division one league Guyanese Jeetendra Sookdeo and Narsingh Deonarine turned in commendable performances for their club Merry Boys in the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board division one league which continued recently. Sookdeo slammed an unbeaten 103 and 56 not out, helping his team to a one wicket victory over Victoria who scored 251 all out, batting first, with another Guyanese Rangana Latchana scoring 72; Lincoln Roberts made 84. Sookdeo’s innings led his team to 277 in reply. Victoria were bowled out for 171, batting a second time. Andrew Bryce got 51 as Aniel Kanhai claimed 5-65. Set 145 to win, Merry Boys suffered some nervous moments before achieving victory as they finished on 148-9. Sookdeo was the main stay of his team innings scoring 56, while Ameer Jangoo made 55. Deonarine stroked an unbeaten 126, but Merry
Narsingh Deonarine
Jeetendra Sookdeo
Boys conceded first innings to Clark Road United in a rain affected game. D e o n a r i n e ’s i n n i n g s propelled his team to 289, batting first. Sookdeo managed 24. Clark Road United responded with 291 with Jet Gullein scoring 68. The Guyanese were again among the runs in their fixture against Alescon Comets which was also affected by rain. In reply to Comets first innings 276 of which Richard Primas made
68, Merry Boys got to 271. Deonarine scored 58 and Sookdeo 47. Comets were 110-8 in their second turn at the crease when the rain came. Sookdeo, who plays locally for the Georgetown Cricket Club, got consecutive half centuries against top of the table Queens Park CC- a fixture which the latter won. He has notched up 434 runs at an average of 61. (Zaheer Mohamed)
t r o Sp Warriors cap comeback, “Narine important to team”- Simmons KO Thunder in Game 7 Head Coach says Australia start as favorites
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates during the fourth quarter in game seven of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Oracle Arena. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
West Indies think tank, Head Coach Phill Simmons, Roddy Estwick & Stuart Williams at Providence yesterday.
Ministry of Health (MoH) under the ‘Stop Gender-based Violence’
Champs not required to break sweat as Soft Shoe Football opens -Queen Street, Tucville, Old Ballers and Globe Yard also win
Part of the action between Old School Ballers and Cross Street on Monday.
A player from Globe Yard (backing camera) on the attack in their clash against Bent Street.
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