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Sunday May 13, 2018

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Paul’s letter to Mothers of the World No offence in SOCU’s expanded role DEAR EDITOR, After a pattern set by Dr. Martin Luther King, here is a letter from Paul the Apostle. It is captioned: “Paul’s Letter to Mothers of the World”. It may seem strange to you today, that I, Saint Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, would be writing a letter to you- the mothers of the world. You would notice that this letter is not addressed to the mothers of any particular group alone, but instead it is addressed to every mother in every society throughout the entire world. I know that you know that I have written several other letters also which appear in the Holy Bible but I must let you know that I wrote this one especially to you. I say to you, do not worry yourselves about the exact date that it was written- just meditate on the words. Mothers! I greet you in the name of our coming King and Lord, Jesus Christ. Today is not just another ordinary day. It is the day that the Lord has made and you need to rejoice and be glad in it. It is called Mother’s Day because it is set aside to give loved ones the opportunity to recognize, appreciate and demonstrate their love for you. Your loved ones usually include your own husband, your children your grandchildren, other relatives, friends and well-wishers. In my time, we did not have a Mother’s Day but we still loved and respected our Mothers and Grandmothers too, and so I congratulate and bless you and I release a

special anointing over your lives today. Mothers! As you join in the celebration with those who celebrate you, I beseech you, not to forget that you owe everything to our Blessed Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Mothers! You are indeed special. In fact, you are so special that your title appears a total of 292 times in the Holy Book. I myself have written about mothers in some of my earlier letters. In my letter to the Ephesians, I advised your children to honour you so that they may be blessed with long life. You see, mothers? You are so divinely important that by just honouring you your children can be blessed with long life. Mothers! I am so concerned with you that on the second occasion when I wrote to Timothy I reminded him of the outstanding work that his mother and grandmother did in nurturing and training him up. Today I ask you, I entreat you, I beg of you to try your best to become just like Timothy’s mother and grandmother. They are excellent examples to follow... train up your children just like they trained up Timothy so that when they are old enough they will not depart from the training but they will attend Sunday School, they will attend young people fellowship, they will attend prayer meetings, they will

attend Bible study they will attend church every Sunday and give their hearts to the Lord while they are young and while the Lord can still be found. Today, I beg of you to copy the attitudes and behaviours of the outstanding mothers mentioned in your Bible. I have never met him because he was before my time, but I understand that the wisest man who ever lived was one King Solomon who wrote a book called the Proverbs. It is a book, which is filled with many wise words and in the last chapter, which is Chapter 31, he records all the good and nice things of a woman and mother. It has come to my attention that you describe such a woman as the Proverbs 31 woman and I can only ask you to try to be just like her and even better than her. Mothers! Even though you are fearfully and wonderfully made and even though you are blessed and highly favoured, I still grieve for you. In my time, there was no radio, no television, no newspapers, no cell phone and no social media like you have these days, but whenever I stand in heaven and look at your newspapers and television I grieve (Continued on page 7)

DEAR EDITOR, Reference is being made to the letters of Neil Kumar (“Lincoln Lewis is either genuinely confused or attempting to skew facts and reality about SOCU- KN, May 11, 2018) and Robin Singh (Lincoln Lewis’ criticism of RUSAL was unjustified- KN May 8, 2018). The matter before the society on the charge of Ashni Singh and Winston Brassington stems from the work of the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) not that of the Integrity Commission. Kumar would do his party a favour sticking to the issue, not looking for red herring, which further serves in justifying concerns that the laws are only made for some, not all. Guyana is not a monarchy neither is any person above the law, according to our Laws. He is being reminded that my position on the nonestablishment of Constitutional Commissions and disregard for the rule of law during the PPP/C Administration and the APNU+AFC, were, are, and will consistently be made known. None had nor will escape accountability by me. Calling me supporter of the government is nothing new. I’ve also been called a supporter of the Opposition.

The accusation always flies depending on my point of view and whether it offends Government or Opposition. I’m being guided by universally acceptable principles, the rule of law, universal declarations, international charters and conventions. Where I’m constant in my outlook, it will offend those who vacillate or believe in blind loyalty. Let me advise, my vote and citizenship do not come with silence to matters that impact my welfare, the development of this society, and those whom I represent. In principle, there is support for the functions of the SOCU, for unhindered it stands to play meaningful role in governance by holding public officials accountable. This is long past time and pivotal to bringing about and ensuring good governance. SOCU must be allowed to do its work. It is instructive Kumar finds objection to its legitimacy hiding being the pretext that in its present formation it departs from what the PPP/C Administration established it for. For argument stake, let’s accept that SOCU’s formation was only to address money laundering and the financing of terrorism which are crimes against the state and the people.

There is no offense extending SOCU’s mandate to include addressing crimes against the state and citizenry committed by public officials. This society must take note of the political double standards hindering our development and the selective application or desire for enforcement of the law. In the case of Brassington and Singh, SOCU is not operating outside of its mandate. However, if Kumar feels, he can pursue avenues to have it challenged in the court. That is what the judiciary is made for, equally as the law so subject all. Those who take objection to SOCU’s work, in the instance matter, are the very ones when the people’s power was entrusted to them enforced the repressive and outmoded Sedition Clause on Mark Benschop, Oliver Hinckson, et al, saying that it was the law. This offensive clause is today being rightly objected to by these same persons now that they are in the Opposition, though, unfortunately, they didn’t so find it worthy to excise when in the seat of Government and with the Parliamentary Majority. With regard to Singh, I stand by every word in my (Continued on page 7)

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Kaieteur News

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Injured after falling through NAREI bridge

The truth about the multi-million$ ...

DEAR EDITOR, On Friday, May 11, 2018, I visited the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) plant nursery at Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, to purchase plants. I am a regular visitor to this facility over the past few years and enjoy a very cordial relationship with the staffers. I drove south on to the bridge and, as per normal, stepped out of the vehicle on the eastern side to open the gate. I closed the door to give myself space to walk and the portion of the bridge I was standing on broke off and fell into the trench. My legs slipped through

the bridge up to my knees and I fell backwards hitting my head, neck and back against my vehicle. I stayed down for about 10 seconds then pulled myself out. Staffers witnessed this horrific incident and one indicated that I should call headquarters immediately and notify them. I did. She also took my information and made some notes. I spoke to a senior person at NAREI headquarters who took my name and telephone number and promised to get back with me. I was told that the boss wasn’t around and she would have to find out what to do.

That was at 12:30 pm on Friday. I have not heard anything back from anyone at NAREI regarding this incident. It’s safe to assume that this is not a priority matter for them. I spent the rest of Friday sorting out doctor, painkillers and treatment. Yesterday, Saturday, I had an appointment to see another doctor regarding my injuries and not working. I earn my daily bread as a farmer. I have young men working with me as well. For the next few days, I will be unable to work. Who is taking notes? Who is responsible? Who cares? What systems are in place for other citizens of this country who endure all manner of suffering and injuries just going about their daily lives? Are they working? Some Guyanese get upset when these matters are pointed out. But that is not a concern of mine. These things must be spoken about and changes implemented. I have an order of classification in which I place incidents like these, “Statesponsored violence.” For my entire adult lifetime, citizens of this country have been brutalized physically, mentally and psychologically by various arms of the state. May 2015 was a watershed moment. Is it time or isn’t it? I patiently await a response from NAREI channeling Frantz Fanon, a Martinican psychiatrist, philosopher, revolutionary and much much more. “When we revolt it’s not for a particular culture. We revolt simply because, for many reasons, we can no longer breathe.” Mark Jacobs

From page 4 same regime of taxes as DDL, has sued this government, claiming a write-off of the taxes they paid which were written-off for DDL under their settlement. This case, if Banks DIH Limited succeeds, will cost the Treasury, a further tens of billions of dollars. How am I to be blamed for this disaster? I, as Attorney General, terminated B.K. International Limited contract in respect of the Haags Bosch project for multiple breaches of the contract. B.K. International Limited challenged the termination. After I left office, a High Court Judge ruled that the termination of the contract was unlawful. The Judge made no order to pay B.K. International any compensation. Any lawyer worth his salt would have appealed the decision of that judge because B.K. was guilty of flagrant breaches of the contract. The Attorney General refused to appeal. B.K. International then sends a letter demanding compensation and indicated that if he's not paid, he will sue. Any competent lawyer, armed with the facts of this matter, would have either ignored that letter or responded by challenging the company to sue. Instead, the Attorney General settles the case by the payment of US$5.7M!!! How can I be blamed for such punctilious incompetence? The case filed by H.N Sugrim, which the state settled recently for $226M is yet another of the many cases which the state should not have lost. The case was filed in June, 2015 (after I left office), it was

concluded in April, 2017. In this case, the contract required that a performance bond be lodged by the contractor to the tune of 15% of the contract price within a specified timeframe. The contract further provided that a failure to lodge the said performance bond shall be a basis to terminate the contract. The contractor never lodged the performance bond within the time specified, or at all, despite being informed in writing to do so. The contract was duly and lawfully terminated on this specific ground. This should have been an unassailable defence.Yet the Attorney General lost. On two different occasions, he wrote to the Learned Trial Judge in the matter, indicating that he would personal assume conduct of the matter. He requested specific dates for the matter to be fixed so as to be present. T he Judge accommodated him on all the dates he requested. He copied one of his letters to the Judge, to President Granger. Only he can explain the reason for so doing. Yet he failed to appear on the dates he requested. When he lost the case, he blamed Prithima Kissoon, the former Deputy Solicitor General. He then files an appeal. Rather than proceed with the appeal, he settles the case. How can I be blamed for this? In the TPL case in which $1.7B in compensation were awarded against the state, the case was filed in 2008, against the Attorney General and NICIL (3 years before I was appointed). Eminent Senior Counsel from the private bar was retained to represent the Attorney General. When I assumed office, the case was ongoing.

Unsolicited, the Senior Counsel visited me and updated me on the matter. Knowing that gentleman, I have no doubt that he extended similar courtesies to Mr. Williams. Staffers of the Attorney General's chambers have informed me that Mr. Toolsie Persaud visited Mr. Williams on more than one occasion at the Chambers, while the case was pending. Yet when the judgment was handed down, Mr. Williams is quoted in the Stabroek News as saying, that not only was he unware of the case, but that the Attorney General was not a party to the proceedings. How can I be blamed for such levels of ignorance? In the case filed by Dipcon Engineering Limited, the Attorney Generalclaimed that he became aware of the High Court decision three months after it was delivered. He took another three months before he filed an application to appeal out of time. He provided no good reason for the delay. The Court of Appeal dismissed his application. Again, he blamed Prithima Kissoon . He then personally drafted an appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice, which that Court threw out on the ground that it was procedurally wrong. The Attorney General's signature appears on those documents. As a result, the State was left with a $450M judgment. How can I be blamed? I was long out of government. I can go on to list and detail many more cases, but space and time will not permit me. I hope I have disseminated sufficient facts to set the public record straight. Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP Former Attorney General

Sunday May 13, 2018

Kaieteur M@ilbox No offence in SOCU’s expanded .. From page 5 article, “Bharrat Jagdeo and the Russian Connection” (KN, May 6, 2018). The money-laundering allegation of Oleg Deripaska is internationally known, equally as the several sanctions and legal issues he faces with the United States Government, inclusive of visa denial. That he is the principal owner of RUSAL, and the company is identified for sanction as the US addresses what is said to be Russian interference in its 2016 elections, this decision was not made in isolation of his longstanding ties to questionable conduct, which remains under the US’ radar. On the matter of land d e f e r r e d , d e n i e d and ownership of a piece of Guyana by Guyanese, this is

a vexatious issue. Deripaska reportedly acquired prime land within less than a year of application, below market value, and the sum not paid at the time of sale. Born and bred Guyanese who continue to live here are awaiting, in excess of 12 years, approval of their application for house lots being sold by the state. And when you don’t build on the land within the stipulated period, you lose it. This cannot be right. Guyanese are within their right to question or be upset with this disparity in treatment. It is the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act (1997) that vests responsibility in the employer to pay termination benefit, not the union. Consistent with the said law, Singh can join the

workers and the union (GB&GWU) in calling on the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) to pay those who are yet to receive the benefit. I’m not against foreign investment. I’m strongly against any investor who thinks that business can be conducted without regards for a country’s laws and the rights of its citizens/workers. My position is consistent with internationally acceptable principles that guide society. This principle holds whether a company makes a profit or not, though the discerning knows where any profit driven business fails to have continuously positive returns, over prolonged periods, it will close its door unless being used to front something else. Lincoln Lewis

PAUL’S LETTER TO MOTHERS OF THE ... From page 5 because of how you are treated. I see stories which tell me that you have been beaten, you have been brutalized, you have been abused, you have been raped, you have been murdered, and you have been violated in so many unspeakable ways that it is a miracle that you still remain standing. All those things have happened to you because of that thing which is called domestic violence. You have no right to suffer the way you have suffered. I look at your eyes and notice that they are swollen from years of tears and your knees are blackened from kneeling praying, and you continually ask yourselves, “How much more can I take?” You ask also, “Where is my deliverance?” Well, I, Paul the Apostle, wish to tell you that your deliverance is on its way.

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Remain steadfast in Christ Jesus. Pray without ceasing. Continue to lean upon the word of God and not upon your own understanding. I know that sometimes you feel like if God has abandoned you, but that is not true. He is always by your side. He promised never to leave you alone. Mothers! My final request is for you to teach your sons to respect their sisters so that when they grow up they will know how to respect and treat women and will know to respect and treat their wives and not cause them to suffer domestic violence. Remember that God will not allow you to be tested beyond your ability and beyond your faith and like I have said to Tim o t h y, you must be able to say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, and I have kept the faith.” Keep the faith my

brethrens, keep the faith. If you do these things, I can assure you that one day we will all meet face to face in that place which Christ has gone to prepare for us. A Happy and Blessed Mothers’ Day to you all. Francis Carryl For Paul the Apostle

Kaieteur M@ilbox Sedition Clause a clear attempt to shut down criticisms DEAR EDITOR, With each passing day, the APNU+AFC’s arrogance and contempt for the people of this country becomes more apparent. The latest assault on our dignity and fundamental rights by these neocolonial political elites is their Cybercrime Bill and its obnoxious “law of sedition” clause. The Sedition Clause states that “a person can commit an offence of sedition if the person, whether in or out of Guyana, intentionally publishes, transmits or circulates by use of a computer system, a statement or words, either spoken or written, a text, video, image, sign, visible representation, or other thing, that – brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in Guyana.” The penalty for persons charged under this law ranges from four months to a life sentence. This is nothing short of a fascist piece of legislation. It is a clear attempt by the Granger Administration to shut down effectively all criticism of the regime and its policies. It begs the question, what exactly do they have in store for this country that would require them to have

such a draconian piece of legislation in place to control us when we oppose them? Granger has demonstrated a tendency towards zero tolerance for criticism and opposition from day one. However, it has intensified during APNU+AFC’s time in office. Recently, we witnessed the shocking dismissal of columnists Lincoln Lewis and David Hinds from the Chronicle, and now this “law of sedition” clause takes us to a whole new level by equating any expression of ideas, including by email or even a conversation, that “excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government’ with sedition. According to this piece of legislation, this letter could be seen as sedition. Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP) will resist this bill and its “law of

sedition” and any form of lawlessness that passes itself as “law”. It is interesting that the representatives of the ABC countries, who never miss an opportunity to bleat on about their love for freedom of speech, despite the fact that in reality, they oppose it at every turn in both their own countries and internationally, are silent on this bill. Beware of what our government and their imperial masters have in store for Guyana. The signs are ominous. This legislation represents a very worrying and repressive trend. History has taught us that fascism is something that creeps up on you until one day you wake up and it is too late. Gerald A. Perreira Organization for the Victory of the People (OVP)

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Kaieteur News

Guyana-ExxonMobil contract makes no provision for proper disposal of Associated Gas

he GuyanaExxonMobil agree ment makes provisions for the discovery of Associated Gas, a form of natural gas which is found with deposits of petroleum. But if it is not found in commercial quantities, then the contractor and its partners may dispose of it in “the most economic manner.” This finding has not only worried several local and regional environmentalists but also Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram. Ram in his recent writings said that indeed, the Contrac-

tor may dispose of the associated gas in a manner that is consistent with good international petroleum industry practices, but “the contract emphasizes that this is provided that there is no impediment to normal production of Crude Oil.” Ram, who does a weekly analysis of the GuyanaExxonMobil contract, said that the absence of any specific language and requirement concerning environmental standards must be a cause for concern. One “economic” means oil companies use to get rid

of unwanted gas is gas flaring. This is a combustion device that is used to burn associated or excess gases and liquids. Gas flaring is a significant source of greenhouse gases emissions. If this process is used, it would go against the very grain of Government’s “green”. Also of significance is the fact that Guyana, unlike many other countries, is without a no-flaring policy. But Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman has already announced that there will be no

flaring. Ram also said that all costs and expenses incurred by the Contractor in the production, use and/or disposal of the Associated Gas of an Oil Field and those incurred in carryi n g o u t a n y f e asibility study on the utilization of the excess Associated Gas shall be charged to the Development Cost of the Oil Field and shall be Recoverable Contract Costs. All costs incurred by the

Government for the infrastructure and handling of excess Assoc i a t e d G a s which are not included in an approved Development Plan shall be at the sole risk and expense of the Government and will not affect the amount of Cost Oil and Profit Oil due to Contractor, he said. The Chartered Accountant said that once again, the provisions of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) favour the com-

Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram pany, leaving Guyana with little to no protection for its environment.

Nevis man remains in custody for death of female Guyanese hotel worker

he man taken in for questioning in the death of 34-year-old Guyanese national Petronella Hinds in Nevis on Thursday, remains in police custody, WINN FM in St. Kitts and Nevis is reporting. WINN F M c o n f i r m e d t h i s w i t h Deputy Commissioner of Police Hilroy B r a n d y o n S a t u r d a y. H i n d s , a h o t e l employee who lived in Cane Garden w i t h h e r h u s b a nd, was found unresponsive in a house in Farms Estate Thursday afternoon. Police said that at about 3:45 p.m. the Charlestown Police Station received a report from the Emergency Medical Services that after having responded to an emergency call, they found the hotel employee dead. Winn FM reported that there were no obvious signs of violence on the hotel employee’s body, and police are still trying to piece together what lead to Hinds demise. Deputy Commissioner Brandy said: “We still don’t know what happened but a woman is dead so we have to determine the circumstances of how she died.”

Dead: Petronella Hinds Hinds lived with her family in Nevis and was said to have attended the Covent Garden Secondary School, hailing from Soesdyke, before moving years ago to St. Kitts and Nevis, which is located in the Eastern Caribbean area.

Sunday May 13, 2018

Government moves to heighten counter-piracy efforts - in light of recent attack in Surinamese waters

One of the arrested men, in the custody of Suriname authorities. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, has said that Government will be heightening its counterpiracy activities in Guyana, in light of the recent deadly piracy attack, which occurred in Surinamese waters on Sunday, April 27, last. The Minister also assured local fisher folk of Government’s commitment to ensuring that they continue to ply their trade and earn their livelihood in an environment of safety and security. Speaking at this week’s post-Cabinet press briefing, Minister Harmon explained that when the Administration took Office in 2015, piracy attacks were a regular occurrence. However, coordinated efforts by the Government resulted in a significant reduction in the number of attacks, but added that it is clear that a significant threat remains as the crime had become entrenched over time and ensuring safety remains a top priority for the Administration. “This is a result of a consistent approach by the Government. The first thing we did was to activate the

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Anti-Piracy Task Force, which met at least once per month to review matters of this nature… “The Minister of Public Security and several Ministers also engaged the local fisher folk with respect to protection of their vessels when they are out at sea. This combined effort on the part of the State, in our view, forced those who had that criminal intent to have to operate outside of the Guyana waters. “But certainly this is something that we have to continue to look at because it seems as if this kind of criminal intent ran very deep and it is something which the security forces will have to pay greater attention to as we move forward,” the Minister of State said. Speaking on the report provided by the Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, to Cabinet following his engagements with Surinamese authorities and relatives of the victims, Minister Harmon said that the Government of Suriname has agreed to assist the families of the deceased, not only by resuming the search but with financial and psychological

support as well. On Thursday, the Surinamese Parliament unanimously passed a Motion in this regard. In addition, the Surinamese authorities have agreed to the implementation of a number of regulatory measures aimed at ensuring the safety of fisher folks and their vessels. Minister Harmon added, “The collaboration between the security forces of Guyana and Suriname will continue until the perpetrators of these dastardly acts, are arrested and placed before the courts.” When asked by the media about the possibility of a recapitalisation of the Guyana Coast Guard and deployment of additional resources, the Minister, who is also a member of the National Security Committee, responded in the affirmative. He said that this situation along Guyana’s waters will be closely monitored and resources will be made available as the need arises. On April 27, about 20 fishermen, aboard two boats were attacked by pirates, some of whom has since been positively identified. Eleven persons are still missing.

Dem boys seh...

Ashni and Brazzy is nuff people bank vault Brazzy and Ashni come to Guyana because dem suspect dat de magistrate woulda issue an arrest warrant fuh dem. And when dat happen then Guyana woulda seek to have dem deported. Dat is when de story would start because once dem get deported is straight to jail—no bail. Suh dem come and de next thing you know is dem get handcuff till somebody pay de bail. But dem boys notice something. As soon as Ashni and Brazzy tun up at de court, de whole PPP tun up. Dem boys see Sam, Donald, Anil, Priya, Edghill and couple others. Dem didn’t see Clement and Robeson. And dem didn’t see Luncheon but dem had a reason why Luncheon couldn’t go. Bharrat was out of de

country or else he and all woulda been outside de court. People look on and seh, “Dat is solidarity within de party.” Dem didn’t realize was a case of self interest. Ashni was de one who move all of de money and Brazzy was de planner. De two of dem know every transaction. Dem boys seh anything anybody want to know all dem got to do was ask de fat crook and de shart scamp. If Donald and Sam and de rest of dem did lef de two of dem without support; if dem two did come out de court and didn’t see people, by now SOCU did done arrest more people. De two of dem woulda open dem mouth and talk all dem know. Dat’s why dem boys seh don’t tek everything fuh

granted. Dat crowd outside de court had nutten to do wid solidarity. De next time dem two—de fat crook and de shart scamp, going back to court, watch and see if de same crowd gon tun up. Dem got to do dat every day when is court day. Dat is why dem walk wid three bag money because dem didn’t want de two to spend one minute in de lock ups. Donald, Bharrat and de crowd gon stay foot to foot behind de two of dem. Dem have to protect dem at all cost because is all de money wha dem boys believe come out de treasury gon end up back wid de government. Talk half and watch de support wha Ashni and Brazzy getting!

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Sunday May 13, 2018

Kaieteur News

Value of concessions by far exceeds taxes from foreign mining companies-Tax Chief

By Kiana Wilburg n an annual basis, Guyana gives away billions of dollars worth in concessions to foreign mining companies. But based on the statistical data examined by Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Godfrey Statia, Guyana is not getting value for its concessions, especially when one considers the taxes collected. Recently, Statia said that there are some glaring disparities which exist in the system

governing concessions. He noted that foreign mining companies have not paid more than $2B “in the last few years.” Meanwhile, the “concessions given in the last three years exceed that figure by miles.” The Tax Chief said, “The amount of concessions we give to the gold and diamond mining industry, you don’t get it back. The only thing that you get back, trust me, is the foreign exchange, nothing else…

…Statia, Ram, Hinds agree with calls to review system The only gain we are getting from the concessions we give to foreign mining companies is through foreign exchange. But while you are considering the concessions on machinery and equipment, remember that they get millions of dollars in concessions on fuel…” Statia continued, “It’s the big, foreign miners who are actually benefitting. It is the big miners who are getting rich…Indeed, there is a distortion in the concessions system, big miners versus small miners; because those who produce less than 1000 ounces gold get no concessions but big miners producing above 5000 ounces get a lot of concessions.” The GRA Commissioner General also noted that foreign companies need to employ more locals to provide services for them in the supply of consumable items, spares and equipment. ECONOMIC DISPARITY When concessions begin to create or exacerbate economic disparities, then a comprehensive review of the system is warranted. This is according to Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-law, Chris Ram. He made this comment upon reflection of the fact that locals are not able to benefit from the same concessions as foreign companies. Ram stated that concessions should be incentives to meet particular developmental objectives, one of which

WPA Executive Member, Dr. David Hinds will be growth. The Chartered Accountant said that when one considers the value of concessions given to the mining sector, several factors must be brought into the mix. He said, “We should ask ourselves if these concessions translate to growth, are they translating into employment generation, into tax revenues, into the development of certain areas in the regions? All these have to be considered.” The Chartered Accountant added, “But concessions ought to be able to level people up because of the disadvantageous circumstances they have to start from…But they should not be used to create or exacerbate economic disparity. It should do the opposite and perhaps, we need to have a whole rethink of the objective and basis of concessions.”

GRA Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia

Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram

On the question of transparency, Ram told Kaieteur News that under the Investment Act, the Auditor General is required to conduct an audit of certain types of incentives. Ram said that this report is supposed to be tabled in the National Assembly. “…It is important that we have transparency, clearly defined objectives, criteria and procedures where concessions are concerned. It should not be discretionary. If you meet certain conditions, then you should get concessions and this should be across the board,” the anticorruption advocate noted. Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr. David Hinds is also of the firm belief that there should be a review of the concessions that are granted to the mining sector as well as a comprehensive policy that has a 50/50 matrix or approach to it. Dr. Hinds commented, “We need a matrix that ensures balance. We cannot make it so attractive to foreign

companies that we ignore the interest of local companies. In the absence of a policy, we have chaos taking place.” The University Professor also pointed to the fact that an excavator is one of the most fundamental instruments to local miners. Yet, they are made to pay the full tax on this piece of machinery while foreign companies enjoy uncapped concessions. He said that Government must move towards bringing an end to this type of inequality. The WPA Executive Member also called for the Government to move in the direction of transparency and publish all of the concessions granted to the mining industry, among others. Dr. Hinds said, “We have to move in the direction of transparency. It is important economically and politically. In fact, there can be no economic development without transparency. So the government must make public, all concessions and agreements it is signing…”

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Kaieteur News

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NURSES ARE CRITICAL — says Chief Nursing Officer “Nurses are key and critical; their vital role is to give service and support the health sector,” reminded Chief Nursing Officer, Tarramattie Barker, as she addressed nurses at the Georgetown

Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday. In observance of International Nurses’ Day, nurses from (GPHC), joined by nurses from the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, all braved the

weather to march as they wrapped up the Nursing Week celebrations. Barker said that the roles of nurses are important and must be acknowledged by their employer.

Nurses march in observance of International Nurse’s Day. She told those gathered at the GPHC, East Street parking lot, that it is time to give nurses, midwives and other nursing personnel who are part of the nursing team greater recognition. In her address, Barker stated that nurses are the largest group of healthcare professionals who serve at all levels in the ten Administrative Regions. “They are our frontline workers, our best assets, and we need to invest in them and equip them to provide high quality patient-centred care,” she said. She reminded the nurses that their roles are integral to lead. She encouraged them to let their voices be heard at the policy and decisionmaking levels to bring about change in the hospital and health sector. “The role of nurses has

become expansive; it is more than just knowing how to perform health tasks and procedures; it is about being a more effective member of the healthcare team: to lead, to manage, to communicate, so as to ensure that care is delivered effectively, efficiently and with great compassion to the individuals who are hospitalised, their families and others without groups and community settings,” Barker told the nurses. “Health is a human right, no matter the setting or the location, health care should be made accessible to everyone,” she added. Barker said that the theme, “A voice to leadHealth is a human right,” reminds nurses and nursing professionals of the right of each and every individual to the highest attainable

standard of health care. “We are reminded of our professional responsibility to care and to enable access to health care service so that all individuals regardless of their age, geographic location, racial or religious background and financial status, have a right to safe, respectful and compassionate care. “No one should be left behind without access to health care,” Barker added. The Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Brig. George Lewis said that without nurses the health care system will fail. “The health care system is a chain and each one of us has our role. The nurses have a critical role to perform…A chain is as strong as its weakest link, and it therefore means that the nurses must work and perform in such a way that the nurse link is as strong and it contributes to the development of the health care system,” Lewis said. “I believe that it is only through your love for what you’re doing that you make such great contribution,” he told the nurses. On a daily bases, nurses would come into contact with persons they would have never met before. “…There is no link between you and that person, and you work hard day in and day out to provide health care for those persons…I think it is a wonderful act of love.” He advised them to look at ways in which they can improve their duties and performance. It can improve the way they care for persons, he said. “If you observe another nurse not performing his/her duty properly, you have a responsibility to speak to that nurse because whenever people criticise us, or whenever something goes wrong, they do not say Continued on page 13

Sunday May 13, 2018

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Kaieteur News

‘Justice delayed is not justice denied’

– says Lindo Creek Commissioner A team from the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the Lindo Creek Massacre, travelled to the site last week. The members then held a public outreach in Linden on Wednesday. Commissioner of the COI, Ret’d Justice Donald Trotman, told Lindeners, that justice will be served despite the 10-year delay. He told the residents that it was crucial to host the Outreach since they may have pertinent information that can assist the case greatly. “You members of the community of Linden are part of this inquiry. Without your support, this Commission will be worthless. We cannot do it alone; we want your help and your support,” he urged. Justice Trotman made the damning revelation that 10 years ago, a cell phone belonging to one of the miners was found in the streets of Linden. “One of the deceased miners had a cell phone and this cell phone was found on the streets in Linden, picked up by a small boy who took it home to his mother. His mother then somehow knew that the cell phone was in the possession of a soldier. If you put two and two together, then that soldier very likely got it from the miner who had it in his possession…The only way that this soldier could have gotten it is if he went to Lindo Creek and got it from the miner; dead or alive,” Trotman revealed. Revelations were also made by the Commissioner that a bus travelling to Linden from Aroaima, was hijacked by a group of individuals when the massacre occurred and the passengers, as well as drivers, may have firsthand information of what occurred. One resident of Linden at the Outreach told the Commission that a woman would have relayed to him

NURSES ARE... From page 12 ‘Nurse Jones’ or ‘Nurse Lewis,’ they say ‘the nurses’,” Lewis explained. Kesaundra Alves, Chairman of the Board of Director at the Georgetown Public Hospital, who was also at the march, said that the nursing leadership should look for opportunities for nurses to elevate themselves. She said that nurses should not be stagnant explaining that there is more to do in the nursing field. International Nurses’ Day is celebrated around the world on May 12.

what she saw, but because of the number of persons who hijacked the bus, it was felt nothing could have been done to save the miners. Members of the Commission also utilised the radio and television station in Linden, to make a public announcement, calling on residents who may have information relevant to the matter, to share it with the Commission. “If you know something wrong and who did it, tell us now; now is the time. You have waited ten years; you can wait no longer. The families of the persons can wait no longer. This government can wait no longer, the people of the country, this nation, can wait no longer. They have waited long enough to know the truth,” Trotman appealed. Region Ten officials who were present at the Outreach pledged their support to assist the Commission in appealing to Lindeners. Municipal Councillor Lennox Gasper said that, “the tragedy is close to our hearts and occurred right in our backyard.”

He urged residents to take full opportunity of the Commission’s presence in the region over and share what they know. PNCR Chairman Deron Adams said, “We are in full support of President David Granger’s appointment in the COI of the Lindo Creek massacre and we ask all persons that would have information to cooperate with the Commission that participated in the process.” The Commission, Justice Trotman said, will bring justice to the deceased and the minors and applauded President David Granger and his Administration for returning justice to Guyana. “In the past, it was not only elusive but invisible…For the past three years, there is an utmost consistent return to justice and much of it that was lost in the past has been regained…This Commission will make sure that not only their memories will live on but that justice will be given to the cruel death that they have met.” The team is currently on its way to Lindo Creek. A

Public Outreach will also be held in Kwakwani. “We are going with an open mind, at this place, we are not condemning anybody, we are not accusing anybody, and we are not

setting out to convict anybody. We will make our findings as we see them; we will make our recommendations as we formulate them and we will lead it to the appropriate

authorities to do the rest and will expect that our findings and our recommendations will be helpful to those authorities to do what is necessary,” Commissioner Trotman said.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 13, 2018

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Kaieteur News

Bulkan, GWI clash over single sourcing of filtration units A senior government Minister and the head of a government company are at odds with one threatening actions. At the centre of the matter is the purchase of filtration units by the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) for indigenous communities in the hinterlands. However, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, has warned that proper procedures for procurement of the units must be followed. Bulkan, as part of his portfolio, oversees water and housing. He is also responsible for representing matters of GWI to the Cabinet of Ministers, which includes President David Granger. Insiders said that Bulkan has been fighting GWI to ensure procurement rules are followed. GWI, on the other hand, is insisting that it does follow those rules. Based on a request for approval for the purchase of those units, Bulkan on April 25, last, wrote to GWI’s Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles. According to copies of the fiery correspondence between the two officials, Bulkan noted that application for the approval for the filtration units would have followed two letters, warning of the integrity of the procurement process at GWI. The proposal was issued by his Ministry in June last year. “This proposal is a feeble

Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan

GWI’s Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles

attempt at repackaging a process that was tainted from its inception with not only the suspected procedural misstep of management seeking and astonishingly receiving the GWI Board’s approval retroactively for single sourcing but is reek with impropriety.” Bulkan was also critical of GWI’s Board, which seemed “relatively unconcerned with its belated endorsement of such a flagrant violation”, the Minister said in his response to the Managing Director. GWI’s Board is headed by Georgetown Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green. The correspondence was copied to Finance Minister, Winston Jordan and Berkley Wickham, Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). Bulkan noted that GWI could also face a possible con-

flict of interest situation with the Lifesaver C2 filter, since management adopted the role of “salesman” for a product, which allegedly has no alternative. Bulkan, nevertheless, in the letter to Van-West Charles, stressed that the project would benefit the residents of the communities in keeping with the government policy of equitable services to coastlands and hinterland regions. He recommended the procurement of the units be done through open tendering to ensure transparency and accountability. However, it appears that GWI was not too happy with Bulkan and his letter. On May 2, Van West Charles in response, made it clear that the April 25 letter was tantamount to “unwarranted and unsubstantiated

attacks” on his character and that of the Board and the Management of GWI. He accused Bulkan of continuing to level allegations of “misconduct and impropriety” against the Board and its members which are of a very “serious nature”. “These allegations you continue to make against the board and myself have serious legal implications. I call upon you to withdraw your statement or produce proof of your allegations. If you do not, then I will be forced to take such steps, as I am advised to do, to safeguard my character and integrity,” the Managing Director warned. He also told the Minister that the senior management of GWI is “quite frankly tired” of the “harassment and abuse” which has a severe negative impact on important expansion works of the company. “As always, your letter will be put to the board for its consideration. You are respectfully reminded the procurement is a matter of law. As with all our undertakings and projects, GWI intends to ob-

serve proper procurement procedures as set out by law.” Yesterday, when contacted, Minister Bulkan refused to confirm or deny receipt of the “threat” of actions by the Managing Director. When pressed, he said, “Firstly, I wish to be clear that I am not casting aspersions against anyone or in this case the Managing Director of GWI. I expect that investigations will reveal if there is any misconduct in public office, whether by me or by Dr. Van West Charles.” Bulkan made it clear that unchecked; the issue could have dire implications for the Coalition Government. “I will say this at this time, however, and it is that as an Administration, we do not

have the luxury of being ambivalent on the issue of corruption; that would be terminal to our tenure. The President has stated publicly that corruption will not go away if ignored. Taking this one step further, I would say that we have to determine where we stand. Will we confront corruption, sweep it under the rug or condone it? Imminent oil revenues make this matter even more important for us as a nation.” Bulkan said that he would not be “pleased” if his integrity was impugned. “Same for Dr. Van-West Charles; I am sure he considers himself an honourable man.” The two had clashed in the past over procurement.

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Sunday May 13, 2018

Kaieteur News

Local agro-exporters forming partnerships in CARICOM Guyana’s ‘food secure’ status is not just a title but a brand that is becoming increasingly popular in CARICOM and further afield. Local agro-exporters are rightfully taking advantage of this high brand equity driven by a productive other crops sector, supported by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI). The abundant supply of quality fresh fruits and vegetables has allowed local agroexporters to secure, supply and maintain external markets. One such exporter is Wyette Amsterdam, President of the recently resuscitated Agricultural Non-Traditional Exporters Association. On Wednesday, the association held its first meeting for executive members. Amsterdam, who is enthusiastic about his current business engagements, emphasized the importance of this body. Interestingly, while the name of the association projects its target members as exporters membership includes farmers. He explained that farmers have a crucial role to play in the export market since they are responsible for the timely production of quality crops. According to Dr. Oudho Homenauth, Chief Executive Officer of NAREI, the resus-

citation of this association is a welcome development. It will ensure that market demands are satisfied and provide the necessary bargaining power to members. He stated that fresh produce is exported to Barbados, Antigua and the St. Kitts & Nevis. These are from farms certified by NAREI. Furthermore, the Institute certifies all commodities exported to ensure that they meet the requisite standard for export. Amsterdam knows too well the importance of meeting the demands of clients with quality produce. He has been involved in the agricultural sector for over 20 years. That timeline is chequered with good and bad experiences that resulted in profits and losses respectively. The losses resulted in him taking time off from exporting and venturing into mining. However, in November 2017, Amsterdam was approached by the Guyana Marketing Corporation to partner with a company in the St. Kitts. Even though, the Agricultural Non-Traditional Exporters Association was dormant at the time his number was in a database maintained by the agency. “After the hurricane destroyed many Caribbean Islands last year, farming opera-

tions in those parts were decimated. This resulted in the instant demand for food. Thankfully, Guyana was not affected and we could have responded to that need,” the exporter said. Getting back into the agroexport business was not difficult for Amsterdam, especially since his counterparts in St. Kitts have proven to be reliable. They are looking to establish partnerships with other Caribbean Islands. This would mean that Amsterdam would be busier than usual negotiating with farmers for quality produce at affordable prices. The interactions, bargaining and quest to the find the right produce have captivated Amsterdam once more. “Recently, I needed 20,000 seedless limes to supply my client and it was a challenge I enjoyed…trying to find the limes with the right size and a farmer who had the amount was what I enjoyed. I did succeed; that transaction resulted in me meeting new farmers on the highway and in Canal Polder,” he said. Though he is cognizant of the various mishaps that could occur the exporter is more confident about his venture this time around. In fact, he is ready to get into farming himself to tap into the growing demand for various crops.

Remote for dental boat mysteriously goes missing

Lady J, dental boat

Investigations are underway so as to determine the circumstances under which the remote control was stolen from off the Lady J, a dental boat. The dental boat, which is owned by the Region Two Democratic Council, is utilized by the Health Department for dental outreaches in the Pomeroon. The remote, which was stolen from off the Lady J Boat, however, is believed to be the only device capable of controlling the vessel. Reports of the disappearance of the remote first surfaced at the RDC statutory meetings on last Tuesday, as Chairman of the Health and Sanitation Committee, Arnold Adams presented his report. “This remote is the only device that can control the dental boat, without it the boat cannot work. The remote steers and puts the boat in gear and starts.”

At the moment, it remains unclear when the remote was stolen from the vessel. According to reports, however, the dental boat was out of operation for some eight years. It was recently repaired and sent on a trial run by a team from the RDC in January. Since the remote was most likely used to initiate the test drive, sources are claiming that the remote control went missing during the course of this year following the repair of the vessel. Since the dental boat is still not utilized because of the missing remote, affordable dental health continues to pose as a major challenge to residents in the Pomeroon. Instead of taking the service to residents, many would now have to endure the high costs of travelling to and from Coastal for dental health service.

Sunday May 13, 2018

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Kaieteur News

---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---

The APNU+AFC Govt. and African Guyanese

After three years, no major Policy Initiative that targets Black Empowerment

s was expected, my column last week, which sought to remind Guyana of the PPP’s attitude to African Guyanese while in office, drew negative responses from PPP supporters, many of whom continue to live in denial about the ethnic biases inherent in the PPP’s praxis. On the other hand, those government supporters who have been frustrated by my critique of the government welcomed the column and urged me to write similar ones in the future. For a brief moment, I was embraced by the family. Brief, because I have no intention of confirming to the mindless one-sided politics that characterizes our political discourse and culture. Many African Guyanese believe that any criticism of this government, especially by one of their own, is sinful. This is the very attitude that was exhibited by many Indian Guyanese when the PPP held office and which African Guyanese found revolting. But now, with their government in power, African Guyanese are behaving in the same manner. This hypocrisy by our ethnic communities is at the root of Guyana’s failure to move from the backward politics of colonial domination to a more enlightened politics that embrace equality of opportunity and national consensus as guiding principles. And this failure has impeded economic liberation from poverty and want, and kept us a poor, underdeveloped country. While African Guyanese approve of my enumeration of the PPP’s sins against their community, they choose to ignore the failings of the current government when it comes to African Guyanese empowerment. I say ignore, because the average African Guyanese knows full well that after three years in office, this government has not implemented a

single policy initiative aimed at addressing the structural socio-economic problems of that community. Yes, the government has made available some resources to the community as part of the International Decade of Peoples of African Descent. But at the level of policy, which is the primary source of transition from socio-economic underdevelopment to empowerment, the government has been found wanting. After three years, the government has not afforded the Black-dominated Public Service, including teachers, a living wage. This is an age-old problem that dates to the first PPP government of 1957-64. Since then all governments, including the Burnhamist PNC regime, have refused to settle this vexing issue. This government had vowed to break this cycle, but, alas, once it got into power, it broke its promise. Only recently at the 2018 May Day observances, we had the uncomfortable sight of the president, after being given a rousing welcome by teachers, having to give them the bad news that there would be no wage increases. When you add to the public servants’ and teachers’ plight, the poor wages that policemen and women receive, you understand why the collective African Guyanese community, who work mostly in the public sector, remains economically poor. The president correctly advises African Guyanese to get into the business sector, but his government is yet to unveil a policy to facilitate that transition. You don’t move from the public service to the business sector without access to start-up capital. Most African Guyanese live in the urban areas and in ancestral villages. But these spaces are hardly hubs of economic opportunities. Three years after its assumption of

office, there is still no comprehensive Urban and Village renewal initiative. Many African Guyanese villages and communities don’t have markets, for example. Hence, there is little money circulation in those communities. I know there are many who would say that Village and Urban Renewal are not government business. I beg to disagree. The poor state of those communities is a direct result of government policies, so the repair job must be initiated by government policy. Successive PPP governments from 1957 to 2015 have failed to make Black Empowerment a priority and I am very certain that that attitude will not change anytime soon. So, if there is going to be any movement in that regard, it must be launched by a Black-led government. And this government cannot boast of a passing grade in that regard. Yet many African Guyanese feel that their primary responsibility is to defend the government even when it is wrong, while ignoring the fact that they would not get any favourable policy out of the government without agitation. When the PPP was in office, African Guyanese organizations were very vocal in their condemnation of that government’s aggression against their community. But since 2015, we have not heard a squeak from these organizations about the failings of the government, including its failure to address African Guyanese concerns. Yes, this government has not ordered the police to shoot down innocent African Guyanese or Guyanese in general. Yes, this government has shown more empathy towards African Guyanese than its predecessor. Yes, the presence of this government gives African Guyanese something symbolic to hold on to. But at the end of the day, the presence of this gov-

The Baccoo Speaks One amazing thing about Guyanese is the way they see things. One day they see something in one light and the next they see the same thing in a different light. One of the criticisms at this time is the decision by the law officers at the courts to handcuff two prominent citizens. Indeed the law says that everyone faced with a criminal charge, once before the courts must be removed

in handcuffs. Therefore Guyanese are advocating two applications of the same law. **

When it rains water accumulates in a number of waterways. At the same time drivers do not change, with the result that a speeding car would end up in a flooded waterway. Public-spirited citizens would race to save the people trapped inside, but there would be some tragedy. ** Guns are pervasive to the extent that a routine stop by the police would unearth

ernment has not led to any qualitative change in the condition of the collective African Guyanese community. African Guyanese and their organizations ignore that reality at their peril. Are we doomed forever to be uncritical cheerleaders of Black governments with nothing lasting to show when those governments leave office? History must be a great teacher. The Burnham government implemented some initiatives that benefitted African Guyanese, but by the time the PNC left office, many of those benefits had dwindled, mostly by policy decisions of the very PNC.

African Guyanese must learn how to defend Black governments simultaneously while holding them accountable. The love for Black leaders must be a tough love that gives solidarity to dignified governance and oppose undignified rulership. African Guyanese must not continue to trade Black Empowerment for the mere presence in office of a Black Government. That has been a recipe for the continued disempowerment of that ethnic group. More of Dr. Hinds ‘writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr.

Dr David Hinds David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his w e b s i t e www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com

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By Michael Jordan They were both in their late teens. They both lived in a squalid little street in the city. And within a year, they were both dead. It was around 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 15, 1994, that the phone rang at the East La Penitence Police Station and an anonymous caller said: “The body of a woman on the ‘dump’ (playground) at the Multilateral School” The caller then hung up. On receiving the message, a detective from the station hurried to the school, which was a short distance from the station. He summoned the school’s caretaker, and the two men began to scour the playground, which was overrun with tall grass. Within minutes, they had found the nude body of a girl, lying among a clump of bushes. Word quickly got around about the discovery, and the playground was soon crammed with people, eager to get a glimpse of the body.

Sunday May 13, 2018

Kaieteur News

Unfortunately, the detective was unable to control the crowd, which trampled any forensic evidence that might have been there. What lay on the ground was not a sight for the squeamish. The body of a teenage girl of mixed ancestry was lying face down on the grass. Her hands and feet were tightly bound. The victim’s tongue protruded and a sock was knotted around her face in the vicinity of her nostrils. A Ziploc bag, containing some clothing, was near the corpse. An autopsy conducted the next day by forensic pathologist Dr. Leslie Mootoo confirmed that the girl had been subjected to a slow and painful death. Not only had she been raped and sodomised, but the teen’s attackers had also stuffed a plastic bag down her throat while she was still alive. She had been struck in the face with a blunt instrument and there were abrasions on her breasts and back. Detectives surmised that she had been slain the previous night while walking through the playfield which served as a shortcut to Stevedore Housing Scheme and Tucville. A squatter living on a dam

near the school recalled hearing screams coming from the vicinity of the playground at around 9.00 p.m. on December 14. Usually, when a corpse is found, wailing relatives would turn up at the scene or at the mortuary to claim the body. But although persons from as far away as Buxton and Linden came to view the corpse at the mortuary, no one came forward to claim the ‘mystery girl.’ Acting on information, detectives detained two cobblers from Bourda Market, but found nothing to link them to the killing. On Saturday, December 17, 1994, the still-unidentified victim was given a pauper’s burial. One week later, on December 24, in a desperate attempt to have her identified, police, led by Crime Chief Winston Felix, allowed an artist to sketch a likeness of the victim from a photo that was taken of her distorted face. The photograph was published in the Guyana Chronicle, but Christmas came and went without anyone identifying the ‘mystery girl’. However, while the case appeared to be all but forgotten, the staff from a small fortnightly newspaper, the Guyana Guardian, was quietly

working on the case. Finally, on Thursday, February 2, 1995, the Guardian, run by journalist Nills Campbell, revealed that they had identified the victim. She was Beatrice Bobb, a 14-yearold who had lived in one of the small shacks that a group of squatters had set up behind what is now the Vendors Arcade on Water Street. Beatrice had lived with her mother and stepfather in a plywood and plastic structure that barely had enough sleeping space for the three. Her mother, Joan Davis, would later tell me that Beatrice began using drugs at the age of 12 and would often beg in the streets. According to her, someone had informed her that Beatrice was the murdered ‘mystery girl.’ But she said that police had already buried the corpse by the time that she was preparing to come forward to identity it. However, police had kept the clothing found near the body and Ms. Davis managed to identify a brown skirt as one that a friend had given her daughter. According to the Guardian’s story, Beatrice and another girl were walking along Mandela Avenue one night when they were attacked by a group of young men. There are reports that the girls had just left a ‘bubble session’ when they were attacked. The friend barely managed to escape. Beatrice was not so fortunate. The Guardian reported that the girls were familiar with their attackers. Mr. Campbell alleged that after receiving the information, he contacted a very se-

nior police official, indicating that he had information that would help the police to solve the crime. However, he said that the official never attempted to contact him. Detectives visited the home of the now-identified victim and questioned her mother. They also took two young men and a woman into custody. But by then the trail had gone cold and the persons who had killed Beatrice Bobb were never caught. Again, interest in the murder waned. But then on Saturday, October 28, 1995, the body of another young woman was found in the area of the Lamaha Conservancy near North Ruimveldt Housing Scheme. The victim had been strangled with her own dress. The day after the body was discovered, a young woman visited Le Repentir mortuary to view the corpse. She identified the victim as her friend, 19-year-old Joy Douglas. She recalled that Joy had followed a young man to the backdam to pick jamoon, but had not returned. A police inspector who headed the investigation became intrigued when he learnt that Joy Douglas had lived in the same squatting area as Beatrice Bobb. He had also investigated the Beatrice Bobb murder, and he wondered if the two were connected. Joy Douglas had run

5*3

away from home at the age of 16. At one point, she had lived in an abandoned house with other runaway girls. She had eventually moved to the squatting community. By 17, she was a mother and lived in a shipping container with her baby daughter who eventually died. A few days after Douglas’ body was identified, police took four young men, including a former soldier, into custody.The former soldier was eventually charged with Douglas’ murder. But the case never made it past the preliminary inquiry stage. There was just too little evidence to incriminate the accused, and he was eventually released. Today, if you pass the area where Beatrice Bobb and Joy Douglas lived, you will find no trace of those tiny plywood and plastic shacks. Nobody around there remembers the two girls. It is as if the two victims, and the ‘ghetto’ they once called home, had never, ever existed. If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office. Our numbers are 592225-8458, 592-225-8465, 592-225-8482 and 592-2258491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan.

Sunday May 13, 2018

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Kaieteur News

==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

The historian’s only loyalty is to country

very admirable ac tivist that I have had a profound tête-à-tête with; from those who fought the Burnham, Hoyte, Jagan and Jagdeo administrations to those who see danger ahead with the Granger government, I have said that my task is to write about power and politics so that after this generation goes, the subsequent ones will know what their county was like I have no reason and will have no motive to obfuscate historical knowledge that subsequent generations are entitled to know about Guyana. From the time you take that step to enter a university classroom to become a historian, you have the obligation to record history without fear or feeling, without sacred cows or sacred secrets. I have tried to do just that after thirty years of newspaper commentary and over twenty-six years of academic teaching. I have always mentioned to those activists whenever we have lunch or just a coffee, that unlike the great ones in the PPP, PNC, WPA, AFC, and other organizations, I do not have sentiments of struggle that deter me from writing about the facts of history (truth is another matter altogether; really, What is truth?). What I have are

memories of struggle. The names of places and events are too plentiful to mention. My time as a radical, wayward, politically-driven UG student between 1974 and 1978; my time with the WPA; my time as a UG lecturer and the struggle to change UG from a cemetery to what an academic institution should always be like; my friendship with some nice AFC people since the birth of the AFC until its acquisition of power in May 2015; my time as an activist against the horrendous regimes of Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar. Those memories are philosophically enthralling for me, and I will always reflect on them when I am alone, wherever. But sentiments I do not have. Sentiments are the enemy of the historian. When a painter sits before a canvas, the thought is to create an everlasting image. The historian does the same thing with his/her pen. The image is called the recording of history. When the historian picks up the pen, the thought is never far away that secrets must be prized open. The historian wants to open up cloistered cupboards, because the knowledge it generates subsequent generations are entitled to know about.

Memories and sentiments must never clash when one writes history. They must never be confused or be substituted; one for the other. That is why history is best written by trained minds and not partisan activists. The activist should be confined to memoirs and autobiographies. It is for this reason; we cannot expect historical accuracies from the leaders’ beneficiaries and the leaders’ admirers. People like President Granger and Vincent Alexander are never, and I emphasize never, going to offer subsequent Guyanese generations both sides of the coin that Forbes Burnham minted in Guyana. The ageing PPP leaders who so passionately loved Cheddi and Janet Jagan, are not going to juxtapose their faults with their achievements. They are only going to serenade the next generation with the angelic interpretation of the Jagans. It is the same with all other organizations including the WPA etc. It is for this reason, I devoted an entire column recently to the confession of Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, when he is quoted in a book on Walter Rodney as admitting that the WPA was going to attack the State under President Burnham, and was accumu-

lating arms for that purpose. Many WPA persons put sentiments in front of historical recording and were disapproving of that piece on Roopnaraine. To preserve sentiments, they even denied what Roopnaraine wrote, even though Roopnaraine was recording history. I am not an admirer of Roopnaraine’s politics, but I am a huge admirer of the way he engaged history in that book. It is a pity no more Roopnaraines are coming for-

ward to enable the historian to record history. But the historian should not be deterred. The historian has a job to do like the policeman, the banker, the soldier, the doctor, the lawyer. One of the great things about the older and more developed nations of this world is that the importance of recording history is a precious value in society. Of course it has to do with age and experience. The older a country, the richer is the experience, and over time, people come to see how seri-

Frederick Kissoon ous it is to write about history. Here in Guyana, we are still to learn about the precious art of passing on the facts of Guyana’s history to those who will inherit this land.

PAGE 28

ay 11, 2018 marked three years of the APNU+AFC Coalition in government following the historic elections of 2015, which were triggered by the AFCpiloted No Confidence Motion in the former PPP government. There has been a considerable amount of achievement by the Coalition Government during this period. Guyan a i s u nd e r g oing transformation and a development revolution. Following are some of the areas which the AFC has led or has been integrally involved with while in Government. 1. Training opportunities for GuySuCo workers. 2. Micro financing for startup projects. 3. New agricultural lands opened. 4. Massive drainage and irrigation work nationwide. 5. Multimillion-dollar pumps installed in the main agricultural regions. 6. Rehabilitation of major farm-to-market roads. 7. Water harvesting

Sunday May 13, 2018

Kaieteur News

projects. 8. Turmeric factory in Hosororo 9. New Rice markets 174,000 tonnes rice sold to Mexico 10. Sugar industry rightsized through diversification 11. New agriculture centre and reservoir for Region Nine. 12. Business registration hubs in Regions Eight and Nine. 13. $100M Revolving Fund to help entrepreneurs. 14. Industrial sites at Belvedere and Lethem. 15. Issued over 2,727 loans and grants 16. Created mining syndicates 17. Hundreds of mining blocks handed out to small miners 18. Resuscitated mining in Matthews Ridge 19. Mining policy and regulation being reviewed 20. Commitment to eliminate the use of mercury in mining 21. Revision of the National Forest Policy and Plan completed 22. Legislation to safeguard oil and gas sector 23. Merge of NFMU, Na-

tional Data Management Authority and E-Government Unit 24. Telecommunication Bill passed 25. Launch of 4G internet 26. Free internet for schools and government institutions 27. Over 100 building connected to the national network. 28. 9000 laptop computers distributed to teachers. 29. Over 100 ICT hubs established across the country 30. Internet and Government’s e-Services to the Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities 31. Expansion of the national e Government fibre optic network 32. Commencing a National Broadband Expansion project. 33. Successfully hosted Hackathons+CodeSprint 34. ‘Guyanese Girl Code’ teaching Coding/Programming to girls 35. Arthur Chung Convention Centre rehabilitated 36. GPO Online Mailbox services launched 37. Rehabilitation of post

offices 38. Iwokrama aerodrome lengthened 39. More than 30 hinterland aerodromes rehabilitated 40. US$138M expansion of the CJIA 41. Bartica Town stelling upgraded 42. Lady Northcote and MV Kimbia renovated 43. New ferry for NorthWest district 44. Studies and plans for new Demerara Harbour Bridge completed 45. Plans to bridge Essequibo River completed 46. Berbice Bridge toll reduced 47. Four-lane extension of the EBD Public Road completed 48. Work on the Sheriff Street-Mandela Avenue, the ECD, the Canal Polder roads commenced 49. Village, urban and new towns’ roads constructed or repaired. 50. Four pedestrian overpasses installed 51. Kitty Roundabout completed 52. East Bank Berbice Road surfaced

53. Agreement signed with Brazil on construction of Linden-Lethem road 54. Lower electricity rates 55. New power-generation sets 56. Solar energy systems installed at various locations 57. Government buildings outfitted with solar photovoltaic panels 58. Smart Energy Street and Traffic Lights being installed 59. Special Organised Crime Unit became operational 60. Public Procurement Commission established 61. Local Government Elections reinstated after 22 years. 62. Sundried tomato project in Paramakatoi 63. Unprecedented levels of drug busts 64. Prisons are being rehabilitated and expanded 65. Police Force being retooled and expanded 66. Emergency Response System rehabilitated and expanded 67. Police stations are being rehabilitated 68. Billions of dollars in equipment for police 69. Juvenile Justice Bill

passed 70. Major criminal gangs smashed, members prosecuted 71. Cold cases solved 72. Piracy quashed 73. $118M prison boat commissioned 74. First fire boat being constructed 75. Successful Gun Amnesty Programme 76. Restriction on Styrofoam products 77. Strengthened disaster risk preparedness 78. Draft national oil spill response plan 79. Conducting training on oil spill response 80. Freedom of the Press restored 81. New radio community stations commissioned 82. New community broadcasters trained 83. New radio licences distributed 84. Steering Committee on Constitutional Reform report completed 85. Constitutional Reform process initiated 86. Code of conduct for public official completed More to come! Stay strong Guyana.

Sunday May 13, 2018

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Kaieteur News

My column

he buzz is about the Cyber Crime Bill which was tabled in the National Assembly and then withdrawn in the face of some objections. The Bill in itself appears to threaten freedom of expression over the internet where many things happen these days. Indeed, globally the internet is playing an important role. It brings information from every corner of the globe at an astonishing rate. Things that governments want to hide are readily exposed. People have been able to see the cruelty exacted against populations. Of course, some governments have the power to shut down the internet, but these days that is easier said than done. Even North Korea, a closed society, cannot prevent images leaking out by enterprising people who know to get around firewalls erected by Governments. But there is another side to all this. Some people use the internet for nefarious purposes. In Guyana where some people have set up chat sites, there have been some irresponsible comments, especially by people who are full of hate. People distort facts, superimpose images and even incite violence for whatever reason. For example, there was the case of a prominent person posting that President David Granger, in the twinkling of an eye, acquired a large property far removed from the humble domicile in

which he lived before the presidency. Nothing could have been further from the truth, but the damage was done. President Granger was held out as a corrupt individual. The truth came out that the home was actually his now dead brother’s. Instead of the person running a correction and perhaps an apology, he simply moved on to another topic. David Granger is not a man to run to the press to explain his private life, so there was no public response to the falsehood posted on the internet. The incidences of people posting threats to the President have been manifold. Some have escaped punishment by the law as it now stands. I can only imagine the government seeking to prevent a disaster, as was the case when a solitary radio broadcaster took to the airwaves in Rwanda and sparked a massacre, the likes of which was unprecedented. Nearly a million people were slaughtered by cutlasses and hatchets in that country. The Arab Spring uprising was started by social media using the internet. Governments fell and people died. One leader, Muammar Gaddafi was killed by his people even as he tried to escape. The Syrian leader, Bashar Hafez al-Assad, survived, but he continues to face violent opposition in his country. I would suppose in the light of these things, especially the untruths, the gov-

ernment would want to extend the sedition laws to the internet. Indeed, the statutes have laws for sedition. The previous administration used these laws. Oliver Hinckson was charged with sedition, as was Mark Benschop. The latter spent five years in jail on a treason charge, even though the law said that he should be free. Now members want to see sedition off the statutes. Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall said to me that it is time for Guyana to stop looking back. The fact that the law was used relatively recently does not mean that the country should revisit those days. I agree with him. Sedition has no place in the modern world, especially since governments have so many means to deal with errant members of the population. Such a law, as in the case of Mark Benschop, can allow governments to shut down any opposition, no matter how harmless. Many people are vocal and if they get under the skin of the government, then they could be silenced with a single command. However, at present, the noise is not about the sedition laws, so I can only assume that these would remain on the statutes for some time yet. It is the proposed Bill. One clause in the Bill talks of imprisoning anyone who does something to cause harm to another. The Bill does not have to detail harm. Harm could be emotional, physical or mental. So, if a man is a thief

5*3

and this information is circulated on the internet to the extent that the community rises up against the person, the individual making the posting could head to jail. In the case of libel, the defence is the truth. If something is true, then saying that someone is a thief does not attract any punitive damages. In this case, Clause 17 of the Bill offers no such safeguard. But up until recently, the focus was on Clause 18 (i), which in itself threatens so many things. There is a column in this newspaper called “Dem Boys Seh”. It is satire, but it contains many truthful things about people, including the leaders. It is widely circulated. According to this proposed Bill, someone incensed by the column could move to the courts for a penalty more draconian than applies at this time. People have gone to court over the column and some have won judgments, but nobody has gone to jail. The newspaper simply paid whatever was demanded and life went on. What is required is responsible reporting. People should be held accountable for what they report and there

are enough laws to bring them to book. There was a time when the view was that the internet had no borders, that unlike a newspaper that is printed within the confines of the country, one could not claim the same for the internet. That has since been debunked. All the authorities need is the Internet Protocol of the phone or the computer. Every computer or phone leaves a footprint. Each computer has its unique Internet Protocol address, as does a phone. What is more is that the server used can be easily traced. People have been convicted because of this fact. What is more, the service provider, on application by the courts, must provide the information. The result is that an individual can be easily and readily charged under the existing laws. It is this fact that is causing the opposition to the Bill. Already there are people on both sides of the political divide who are opposed, and they have said as much. This is something worth noting. It suggests that the Bill is dead in the water. What is surprising is that

Adam Harris the political opposition had supported the Bill in its current form. Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo at a Press Conference stated that his colleagues had dropped the ball. He too had dropped the ball, because nothing decided on by the party can be made known without his knowledge. Perhaps the opposition looked at the Bill and concluded that it suited them should they get back into power. The fear of living outside of Government forced them to take another look, hence the current opposition. I am involved in disseminating information using the internet, and I don’t want to go to jail for some objection someone may raise, no matter how trivial.

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(Remarks by His E xcellency Brigadier David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, on the occasion of Indian Arrival Day, May 5, 2018)

ndian Arrival Day - the 180th anniversary of Indian immigrants’ landing at Pln. Highbury in Berbice on 5th May 1838 - is an auspicious, national celebration. Portuguese Arrival Day was observed two days ago to mark the 183rd anniversary of the landing of Portuguese immigrants at Pln. Thomas in Demerara on 3rd May 1835. Chinese Arrival Day was

Sunday May 13, 2018

Kaieteur News

observed in January marking the 165th anniversary of the landing of Chinese immigrants at Pln. Windsor Forest in West Demerara on 12th January 1853. Arrival Day, therefore, is an important national holiday. It commemorates the greatest population surge in our history. It was the start of an era of the demographic transition. The emancipation of over 80, 000 Africans from enslavement in 1838 and the migration of over 340,000 Africans, Chinese, Indians, Europeans (including Portuguese) and West Indians over the next eighty years started the process of transforming a string of planta-

tions into a single nation. Annual pilgrimages to Highbury, Windsor Forest and Thomas Lands remind us not only from whence we came but, also, to where we are going. We have been told: “We may have all come in different ships but we are in the same boat now!” Our destinies are intertwined forever in our nation’s future. We must swim together or sink separately. Indian Arrival Day recognises, not only the historical event of arrival but, also of the survival of Indian indentured immigrants and their descendants. The immigrants’ resilience allowed them to overcome adversity

and to change challenges into opportunities in four important ways. ECONOMIC EXPANSION India, the Indian homeland, is a complex country of over 2,000 ethnic groups and 650,000 villages. Over 70 per cent of Indians still live in rural areas and, 180 years ago, the percentage was higher. Indian resourcefulness and their agrarian roots in rural India and agrarian life were transplanted in Guyana. Indian skills in paddyand vegetable-farming, coconut-cultivation and cattlerearing; and their skills as boatmen; charcoal-burners; goldsmiths; fishermen; hucksters; milk-and sweetmeatvendors; shopkeepers and tailors enriched the entire economy. Migrants, coming from India’s rural regions, helped to diversify and expand Guyana’s rural economy. Many migrants traded their entitlement to a return passage to India for land in Guyana; they turned their indentureship into citizenship. Indians resisted the abuse, brutality, confinement, and domination of plantation life. Their resistance included riots and strikes. Our coastland is littered with memorials to the martyrs

of riots – at Devonshire Castle, Enmore and Rose Hall and yet unmarked sites at Leonora, Non-Pareil, Nooten Zuil and Ruimveldt where labourers were killed. Indian entry into politics and trade unionism was inevitable in such circumstances. Dr. Joseph Latchmansingh established the Guiana Industrial Workers Union (GIWU) and Ayube Edun established the Manpower Citizens Association, mainly in the sugar industry. Joseph Luckhoo was the first Indian elected to the Combined Court. He was followed by E.A. Luckhoo, A.E Seeram and J.B. Singh, Peer Bacchus, C. R. Jacob, A.M. Edun and, later, Dr. Cheddi Jagan and others. This year marks the 100th birth anniversary of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, the son of Indian indentured immigrants whose contribution to the struggle for national liberation assures him of national respect. Immigrants, enduring the arduous voyage across the Kala Pani consoled each other. They became each other’s ‘mati’ – a concept in which people doing similar work are treated as equals. ‘Mati’ signifies solidarity, sharing and mutual respect. Cultural retention played

a role in Indian resilience. Indians, finding themselves in an unfamiliar land, recreated familiar situations in their new homeland. They forged a stronger sense of solidarity by retaining their beliefs, dance, dress, food, language, music and traditions. Mandirs, Masjids and Churches were erected to reinforce religious beliefs, retain rituals and strengthen communal ties. Social Cohesion recognises that Guyana is now and always will be, multiethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious. It recognises these differences between various social groups and fosters respect for each other. Social Cohesion acknowledges, however, that if left unattended, those differences could threaten trust and thwart the unity we have forged for 180 years. Our diversity is an asset, not a liability. We are proud of the variegated tapestry of ethnicity. We are proud of our shared past as we plan for our common future. Guyana, on this Indian Arrival Day, pays homage to the Indian indentured immigrants and their descendants. Indian-Guyanese can be proud of their contribution to the nation. We applaud their continuing role in nationbuilding.

Sunday May 13, 2018

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Kaieteur News

Living with “Head Cold”, or is it seasonal allergies? By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

am sometimes told by persons of this “head cold” that they have had for most of their life. They often complain of sneezing, coughing and “bringing–up lots of cold” and it has times when it acts up. Once I get into a more detailed discussion and examination of these patients, most of the times the “head cold” is actually a seasonal allergy. Today we will discuss seasonal allergies and show why persons tend to mistake one such condition for a “head cold”. WHATARE SEASONALALLERGIES? Seasonal allergies, also called “hay fever,” are a

group of conditions that can cause sneezing, a stuffy nose, or a runny nose. Symptoms occur only at certain times of the year. Most seasonal allergies are caused by: *Pollens from trees, grasses, or weeds *Mold spores, which grow when the weather is humid, wet, or damp Normally, people breathe in these substances without a problem. When a person has a seasonal allergy, his or her immune system acts as if the substance is harmful to the body. This causes symptoms. Many people first get seasonal allergies when they are children or young adults. Seasonal allergies are life-long, but symptoms can get better or worse over time. Seasonal allergies sometimes run in families.

Some people have symptoms like those of seasonal allergies, but their symptoms last all year. Year-round symptoms are usually caused by: * Insects, such as dust mites and cockroaches * Animals, such as cats and dogs *Mold spores WHATARE THE SYMPTOMS OF SEASONALALLERGIES? Symptoms of seasonal allergies can include: * Stuffy nose, runny nose, or sneezing a lot People tend to complain of persistent cold/mucus that they have coming out of their nose or they cough up. * Itchy or red eyes * Sore throat or itching of the throat or ears *Waking up at night or trouble sleeping from a blocked nose, which can lead

to feeling tired during the day. * Persistent dry cough HOWARE SEASONAL ALLERGIES TREATED? Each person has a different presentation and will need a different combination of treatment. Your doctor should be able to discuss with you the benefits and downsides of the different treatments. The right treatment for you will depend a lot on your symptoms and other health problems. Most of the times you will be placed on an allergy medication and your doctor may examine you to ensure that are no abnormalities in your breathing organs (nasal passage) that may be causing you to have allergies. Treating those abnormalities may be the cure for your allergies rather than being on medication all your life. Adherence

to your treatment is very vital, since poor compliance can lead to worsening or persistence of your symptoms. CAN SEASONAL ALLERGY SYMPTOMS BE PREVENTED? Yes. If you get symptoms at the same time every year, talk with your doctor. Some people can prevent symptoms by starting their medicine a week or two before that time of the year. You can also help prevent symptoms by avoiding the things you are allergic to. For example, people who are allergic to pollen can: *Stay inside during the times of the year when they have symptoms * Keep car and house windows closed, and use air conditioning instead * Take a shower before bed to rinse pollen off their

Dr. Zulfikar Bux hair and skin * Wear a dust mask if they need to be outside So the next time you hear someone complain of their persistent head cold, let them see a doctor, it may most likely be a seasonal allergy which can be treated.

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Sunday May 13, 2018

Kaieteur News

One man being whisked away while angry shouts were coming from fishermen in Suriname SUNDAY Three years, billions of dollars later, Attorney General tries to get a handle on outsourced state cases The Office of the Attorney General (AG) is looking to do house cleaning. Three years after assuming Office, Attorney General Basil Williams has now made the critical decisions to get a handle on all the existing court cases against the State. It has been reported that under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic government, several litigations that were brought against the state were outsourced to various private lawyers. This is while Anil Nandlall was Attorney General. The present regime knows not much of what transpired as regard the outsourcing. Williams spoke of this “trav-

esty” many times before. However, it was only last week that he decided to issue a call to all attorneys who may have been contracted to make representation on behalf of the Chambers to report any such case. An advertisement to this effect was published. The Advertisement read, “The Attorney General’s Chambers hereby requests that all Attorneys-at-law in receipt/ possession and/or making representations on or behalf of the Chambers not authorized by the current Attorney General do immediately notify the Chambers of the said matters. You are asked to give a written report to the Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Senior Counsel Basil Williams S.C M.P regarding the status of each case for which you have conducted…” Under Williams’ current stint, the State paid several billions of dollars out as a re-

sult of in, and out of court settlements. Most of these cases were inherited from the previous administration. Deadly high seas attack…Ramjattan leads high-level security team to Suriname Minister of Public Security, Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan, has led a team to Suriname, for a three-day visit, amid last week’s horrifying attack which saw 20 fishermen thrown overboard during a four-boat rampage by pirates. Three bodies have been recovered and 12 are missing, said to be Guyanese-born fishermen with a major search ongoing by Surinamese authorities. Desperately worried families have travelled to Suriname or are in Guyana awaiting word about loved ones.

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman (left) and ExxonMobil Vice President Erik Oswald

Minister Khemraj Ramjattan According to the Guyana Police Force Saturday, collaboration is continuing between various authorities in both countries. The police said that Ramjattan and three senior officers departed for Suriname, following the flow of information between police and other authorities. MONDAY IMF report reveals… Govt. agrees to pay ExxonMobil’s tax out of nation’s share of profit oil While government continues to give the nation the impression as if it will be benefitting from an equal share of profit oil, the truth is, Guyana will be getting much less. The nation will be made to pay ExxonMobil’s Corporate Income Tax (CIT) to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). This money will come from Guyana’s share of profit oil. In a technical assistance report that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) handed to the Government of Guyana last year, the regulatory body noted that according to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission’s published minimum terms, the contractor’s CIT liability is paid out of the government share (also known as pay-onbehalf system). In other words, the government share of profit oil/gas is inclusive of CIT and, therefore, the contractor (ExxonMobil) does not have to make separate CIT payments. IMF said that since the CIT is included in the government share of profit oil, “this implies a ring-fence around the contract area for CIT purposes.” The IMF said that while this arrangement is not

unique to Guyana, 50 percent is a low share to be given to a government that still has to pay taxes on behalf of the company. ”This type of arrangement is also called post-tax production sharing, as the profit oil sharing is inclusive of CIT. An advantage of this approach is that it provides a measure of fiscal stability for companies, while protecting the government from abusive CIT planning as companies do not gain from engaging in such activities.” However, the IMF said that “When this type of production sharing is used, usually the government share of profit oil/gas is higher than what the share would be if the contractor were separately liable for CIT. In the case of Guyana, this implies that the fixed 50 percent share is relatively low.” That type of “pay on behalf” arrangement is employed in countries such as Egypt, Qatar, Sudan, Libya and Trinidad and Tobago. The Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) signed in 2016 between Guyana, ExxonMobil and its partners says, “The Contractor shall provide the Minister with the Contractor’s Income Tax returns to be submitted by the Minister to the Commissioner General, Guyana Revenue Authority so the Minister can pay income tax on behalf of the Contractor as provided under Article 15.4 (a).” It continued, “On such returns, the Minister shall note that he is paying the income taxes on behalf of the Contractor, so that the Commissioner General, Guyana Revenue Authority can properly prepare the receipts required under this Article 15.5. Within one hundred and eighty (I80) days following the end of each year of assessment, the Minister shall furnish to the Contractor

proper tax certificates in Contractor’s name from the Commissioner General, Guyana Revenue Authority evidencing the payment of the Contractor’s income tax.” Guyana loses billions $$$ worth in concessions to Troy Resources, Aurora Gold Mine annually – While companies fail to live up to local content obligations Guyana’s looming oil industry has given birth to a profound opportunity for reflection on the extractive industry. On an annual basis, foreign companies are given billions of dollars in tax breaks while locals are made to pay the full cost of duties charged on equipment, vehicles and fuel needed to support their operations. For example, a 4×4 four door Toyota Land Cruiser costs $14M. It attracts duty of $32M. Foreign entities like Aurora Gold Mine and Troy Resources Limited would only pay $14M. But local mining companies must pay $14M plus the $32M duty. Furthermore, if the owner of a small mining company hopes to get at least one duty free concession, he or she must satisfy 13 benchmarks, one of which is the production of over 5000 ounces of gold which is worth more than U$5M. Only five Guyanese have the potential to do this. Significantly, while billions of dollars worth in concessions are given to these foreign entities, little is known about how many indigenous companies are used to provide them with goods and services in contrast to the foreign conglomerates contracted to provide same. In an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News Sunday, (Continued on page 33)

Sunday May 13, 2018

Commissioner General of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Newell Dennison said that there is an imbalance between the concessions granted to foreign companies and those granted to locals. Dennison was asked if there has been any monitoring of local content in the mining sector by the Commission, he responded in the negative. The Commissioner General said, “In their (Troy Resources and Aurora) reporting, there is a section that speaks to employment; how many are Guyanese etc. But I don’t recall seeing that for this quarter, the company has expended x dollars using local companies versus foreign companies. Part of the reason I suppose, is that in the context of the mining sector, it has been considered easier to integrate one’s self into the value chain…” He added, “But I agree with the point that you are making. There is no evaluation in this regard. I would have to check back with the reporting format again to see if this is done at the level you are speaking of…I don’t recall ever seeing Troy or Aurora saying that they used about 40 companies for the year to provide so and so but it is worth investigating. I am sure that is something that can be evaluated. And I do agree that this is something we should be doing on a more immediate basis…” Auditors probe payment for unfinished health centre The construction of a concrete health centre and living quarters at Wiruni, Berbice River has attracted the attention of state auditors following reports of major financial discrepancies. Kaieteur News understands that Region Ten Regional Democratic Council (RDC) contracted JPM General Contracting Services to build the centre at a cost of $14.3M. Reports are that the region paid the contractor $5.9M in 2016 then $3.27M in July 2017. The latter payment

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attracted the attention of auditors since the construction bond, which is usually utilized when contractors default, expired on June 11, 2017. The bond expired a month before the contractor received the $3.27M payment. Regional engineer, Clive Peters, was recently questioned on the project by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament. The Committee had concerns about the region’s decision to offer a contract extension for three months in December 2016.Peters related to the PAC that he did not approve the extension. He said that 70 percent of the work on the building was completed. The Acting Regional Executive Officer at the time, Maylene Stephen, claimed to have written the contractor to offer the three-month extension without a written approval from the Region’s Public Works Department. When regional officials learned that the bond had expired they moved to terminate the contract. While there are concerns about the project, residents continue to await the opening of the much-needed health centre. The building should have been completed since December 2016. TUESDAY Ashni Singh, Brassington no-shows in court …Prosecutor to submit evidence of summons Three weeks after charges were instituted against former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh and Ex-Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington, the two men are still to make an appearance in court for the charges to be read to them. Brassington and Singh were charged months after the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) completed its Pradoville Two investigation. The two were jointly slapped with three charges of misconduct in public office as

it relate to three plots of state land in Pradoville Two housing scheme. Monday when the matter was called before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, SOCU prosecutor Trenton Lake, told the court that it was only recently that efforts were made to serve summons at the accused local addresses, adding that the two former government officials no longer reside in Guyana. The Magistrate after listening to the prosecutor told him that he has to return the original copies of the summons to the court this morning, so as to satisfy her that efforts were made to serve the summons at their last known addresses. The Magistrate however told the court that there is sufficient evidence that counsel representing the duo are in contact with them. She expressed her dissatisfaction with the efforts made by the prosecution to locate Singh and Brassington. The Chief Magistrate has the authority to issue arrest warrants for them, pending the return of summons to the court by the prosecution. The first charge alleged that Dr. Ashni Singh, being and performing duties of Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited, a company owned by the Government of Guyana; and Brassington being and performing duties as the Chief Executive of NICIL, on May 14, 2011 at Lot 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, sold a tract of land being 10.002 acres of Plantation Turkeyen, East Coast of Demerara, property of the State of Guyana for the sum of $185,037,000, without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer. Fallout from deadly high seas attack…Suriname detains 13; deports several undocumented Guyanese PARAMARIBO – Police

Heavy duty equipment used in mining authorities here confirmed Monday that they have detained 13 suspects in the ongoing investigation into the recent armed attacks on several fishing boats offshore Suriname. At a press conference together with Guyana’s Home Affairs Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan, Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Police, Stuart Getrouw, said that over the past couple of days, 30 individuals have been brought in for questioning. Several individuals were captured by fishermen but many of the suspects, all Guyanese fishermen, were arrested over the weekend at several locations by police, Coast Guard and the Bureau for National Security (BNV). Minister Getrouw noted that there is no clear picture yet as to what really transpired two Fridays ago and if it was just a common act of piracy or something else. Authorities are also trying to figure out if on that fateful day there were indeed 20 fishermen at sea who came under attack. While the 13 suspects are now being questioned about their possible involvement in the recent attacks, several other individuals who were also arrested without proper

Table showing a sample of the heavy duty machinery aquired by Aurora Gold Mines this year, and the worth of the tax breaks given to this company. Locals do not enjoy these benefits

immigration status were deported to Guyana.

Fire officials are investigating the incident.

Cotton Tree family jumps from burning home

WEDNESDAY

The home of a family of Lot 28 Cotton Tree Village, West Coast Berbice was completely ravaged Monday after a fire ripped through the building destroying whatever was in its path. Sharon Persaud, her husband Jairam and their four children ages ranging from 18 to 2, managed to escape after scaling a window and landing on a shed attached to the lower flat of the house. Persaud, her husband and their 18-year-old, 11-year-old and 10-year-old received burns on their feet. According to the sister of the victims, Sunita Baichan, she heard her sibling call out to shut off the main switch sometime around 00:30hrs Monday. “I just hear that dem seh cut off the main switch and when I watch through me window I see fire and at the same time meh sister and she whole family jump through a window fuh go on the shed but when they jump on the shed it was hot so it burn dem foot”. She, however, confirmed that the two year did not receive any burns. Baichan stated that the blaze scorched a section of her house which stands in the same lot as her sister’s home. Meanwhile, Clive McDonald, Officer-in-Charge of Operations, Guyana Fire Service, Berbice explained that the occupants of the building were asleep when the fire started. One building was destroyed with two others slightly damaged. He added that five persons received first degree burns to their hands and feet while two remain hospitalized for observation..

ExxonMobil bypasses locals, awards brokerage services to Trinidadian firm There are more than 20 firms in Guyana that have been providing sterling logistical and customs brokerage services for more than 40 years. Yet, these locals were all bypassed by USA oil company, ExxonMobil, which requires such services. The American firm has given its logistical work to a Trinidadian firm, Ramps Logistics. According to its website, Ramps Logistics was founded in 1985 in Trinidad and Tobago by Ramnarine Rampersad offering solely customs brokerage services until it expanded its operations later on. Several persons from the local shipping industry, who spoke with Kaieteur News, all agreed that a Trinidadian firm being given the hog of the logistical work needed in the oil and gas industry is a “national insult” and a “slap in the face of local content”. One experienced official said, “We have more than 20 companies here which can more than satisfy the needs of ExxonMobil in the area of customs brokerage and logistical service operations. ”There is no way that a Guyanese company would have been able to do the same in Trinidad and Tobago. Ramps Logistics has been dominating the area since the beginning.” He continued, “It appears that the process for evaluation to get such a job has been carefully crafted by ExxonMobil. It certainly does not take local content into the (Continued on page 34)

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Sunday May 13, 2018

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From page 33 mix.”This industry belongs to Guyana. Logistical work is but one of the many low hanging fruits in the oil and gas sector. Even this, ExxonMobil is taking away from locals. It is not fair and the locals with the experience will be made to suffer.” Ashni Singh, Winston Brassington handcuffed, granted bail Two of the highest ranking officials of the previous People Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government were on Tuesday slapped with charges for Misconduct in Public Office. They were each granted $6M bail. Former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh and former head of National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington, who were both said to be out of the country, were facing possible arrest warrants. However, they flew in and made their appearances before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Shortly after 13:00 hrs the two made their way into the Court compound. In the courtroom, the men, one dressed in a suit and the other in a shirt jack, were told by the court orderly to stand in the prisoners’ dock. The Magistrate read three charges to each of them. Among the lawyers representing the men is former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, who himself is facing a larceny charge which was brought against him by the Special Organized Crime unit (SOCU) for the alleged theft of 15 Lexis Nexis Law Reports

The 11-year-old who sustained burns to his feet of the Commonwealth. The other lawyers representing the duo are Stanley Moore, Ronald Burch-Smith, Mark Waldron, Sase Gunraj, Priya Manickchand, Marcia Nadir Sharma and Euclin Gomes. The courtroom was filled with supporters, among them former President Donald Ramotar and former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds. There were several other officials of the PPP/C government. The two men were not required to plead to the indictable charges. The first charge alleged that Dr. Ashni Singh, being and performing duties of Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited, a company owned by the Government of Guyana; and Brassington being and performing duties as the Chief Executive of NICIL, on May

14, 2011 at Lot 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, sold a tract of land being 10.002 acres of Plantation Turkeyen, East Coast of Demerara, property of the State of Guyana for the sum of $185,037,000, without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer. It is further alleged that Dr. Ashni Singh, and Winston Brassington on December 30, 2008 at Lot 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, by way of Agreement of Sale and Purchase without due diligence, sold to Scady Business Corporation, a 4.7 acres tract portion of Plantation Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, for $150M knowing that the said property was valued at $340M by Rodrigues Architects Associate, a competent valuation officer.

Minister Ramjattan with senior Government officials in Suriname

The remains of the structure Oil and mining companies enjoy double tax exemptions Oil and mining companies are not required to pay Capital Gains Tax in Guyana. This benefit is secured in the various existing mining agreements and Production Sharing Agreements (PSA). The International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that this is the case in Guyana while most other countries ensure that tax on capital gains are paid by all companies. Also, IMF noted that the provisions of these contracts go against what is stipulated in Guyana’s Capital Gains Tax Act (CGTA) The IMF made these observations in a technical assistance report it submitted to Government last year. The report titled, “A Reform Agenda for Petroleum Taxation and Revenue Management,” covered a detailed review of Guyana’s preparation for first oil. It also includes an assessment of the PSA Guyana has with US oil giant, ExxonMobil. Capital gains refer to the money secured from the sale of the assets of a business. The profit realized from such a transaction is usually taxed. IMF said, in Guyana, the Capital Gains Tax Act (CGTA) levies a tax of 20 percent on gains realized from any change of ownership of “movable or immovable property, rights of any kind, whether absolute, conditional, or contingent and effect of any kind, situate or having their seat in Guyana or elsewhere”. The Fund noted that while the CGTA does not explicitly refer to the sale of petroleum and mineral interests, these appear to be covered by “rights of any kind”. However, the IMF mission said that its understanding is that most mining agreements and PSAs exempt contractors

from capital gains tax. Going forward as the sector continues to mature this policy should be carefully reviewed. It is also necessary to establish if there are limitations from existing double tax treaties on the right to tax gains on assets in Guyana.” Almost all taxes are being waived for oil companies operating in Guyana. Government pre-approved uncapped importation for ExxonMobil. The oil giant can import unlimited numbers of items totalling more than 250. These items include All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), Trailers, computers, other vehicles, bulldozers, cement, gravel, hammer wrenches, lights, drums, water tanks and waste bins. The items that are considered pre-approved are outlined in Annex D of the 2016 PSA. THURSDAY US$425M lost to court settlements under Coalition – Jagdeo…warns of possible conduit for Govt. corruption Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Wednesday estimated that the treasury has lost $85 billion (US$425M) through the decisions of the Attorney General Chambers to settle ‘winnable’ court cases brought against the state, some of which have been pending for several years. ”By now they would have settled cases that could potentially lead to about $85 billion of liabilities to the treasury. Already we are paying all of that,” Jagdeo told a press conference. Under the current Attorney General, Basil Williams, the State paid several billions of dollars out as a result of in,

and out of court settlements. Most of these cases were inherited from the previous People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) administration. But in most instances, it is either that the government loses the case or decides to settle even before it goes to court. The most recent case that surfaced publicly was the out of court settlement with Guyana Tractor Equipment (Guytrac), causing the State to pay $226M. Jagdeo cited the settlement with Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) which he said cost the state about $80B. Last month the court ordered Government to pay Toolsie Persaud Limited (TPL) $1.7B in damages. Jagdeo noted that in the 23 years of the PPP administration all the settlements amounted to about $2B. ”I wonder if people are benefiting financially from all of these settlements by claiming lack of knowledge? I am just saying I wonder. I probably should say I am confident, but I am saying I wonder now that it is a conduit for corrupt activities; these big judgments,” Jagdeo stated. Although the cases continue to cost the state billions, it wasn’t until recently that the Attorney General Chambers made the critical decisions to take control of all the existing court cases against the State by placing an advertisement in the local newspaper. The Advertisement read, “The Attorney General’s Chambers hereby requests that all Attorneys-at-law in receipt/possession and/or making representations on or behalf of the Chambers not authorized by the current Attorney General do immediately notify the Chambers of (Continued on page 35)

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From page 34 the said matters. You are asked to give a written report to the Honourable Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Senior Counsel Basil Williams S.C M.P regarding the status of each case for which you have conducted…” Jagdeo criticised Williams for only now seeking information on the cases against the State. Govt. has nothing in place to ensure Guyanese come first- Opposition …following ExxonMobil’s move to contract T&T brokerage company The continued absence of a framework for the oil and gas sector is cause for concern, according to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). The opposition concerns follow reports published in the Wednesday edition of the Kaieteur News that U.S oil giant ExxonMobil had bypassed several local companies by hiring Trinidadian firm, Ramps Logistics to provide logistical and customs brokerage services. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo pointed out that there has been no movement on the generic issues such as the framework for the predictable oil sector that would include an independent Petroleum Commission, a Sovereign Wealth Fund, auctioning of future oil blocks and also Local Content Legislation. ”So that all the issues like we saw today [KN article] about the brokerage service given to a Trinidad company; those issues would have been resolved in the context of strong Local Content Legislation and also what pack-

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age of incentives that anyone who invests in the oil sector will get and what they will not get. We need clarity on this,” Jagdeo stated. He highlighted that if the framework was in place one could have highlighted that the company was operating outside of the framework established. ”Establishing the framework itself would have given great confidence,” Jagdeo stated. Several persons from the local shipping industry, who spoke with Kaieteur News, all agreed that a Trinidadian firm being given the hog of the logistical work needed in the oil and gas industry is a “national insult” and a “slap in the face of local content”. Jagdeo maintained that the PPP remains unhappy with Government’s approach to the signing of the Petroleum Sharing Agreement (PSA) with the company, highlighting that they are provisions in the agreement that they are very unhappy with because they were departures from the 1999 agreement signed by former President Janet Jagan. Deadly high seas attack…Investigators draw noose around pirate crew-tougher Suriname border crossing, fishing regulations coming More than a week after a deadly pirate rampage on Suriname waters that left 12 Guyanese fishermen missing and three dead, authorities in both country believe that they have a clearer idea what transpired. The pieces of the puzzle are starting to fall into place with two men believed to be part of the gang of attackers,

Charged: Former Finance Minister, Ashni Singh captured in Suriname. On Wednesday, security officials in Guyana, including Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, and Police Commissioner (ag), David Ramnarine, who hosted a press conference on the Friday, April 27, 2018 attack, indicated that a total of 15 persons remain in police custody in Suriname. Among them are ‘Crack Head’ and ‘Dick’ and a close family member of Somnauth Manohar. Manohar, a Guyanese who is living in Suriname and the owner of several fishing boats there, was killed at the end of March, following the death of a fisherman. The drive-by shooting of Manohar was said to be an ongoing battle for control of fishing grounds by mainly Guyanese fishermen who operate in Suriname.

Following the death of Manohar, it was believed that a revenge plan was hatched by fishermen who worked with him. Police in Guyana last week picked up Manohar’s brother, Nakool Manohar, from Corentyne, Berbice who is said to have knowledge and played a role in engineering the April 27 attack. He and two others are in custody in Guyana for the attack. On Wednesday, both Ramjattan and Ramnarine were tightlipped on investigations only admitting that it is continuing and that the attack stemmed from the killing of the Suriname-based boat owner. The missing fishermen were said to be living in both Guyana and Suriname. FRIDAY Jordan “dead sure” data on all concessions granted to companies can be made available to public…Promises to make intervention at GRA

As Exxonmobil prepares to start commercial oil production in 2020 offshore Guyana there are growing concerns about the company’s local content plans

Information on concessions is not private business. It is not a state secret. As such, there is no reason why it should not be made public. That was the position of Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. He acknowledged that the media, and any citizen for that matter, has a right to know about the concessions being granted to various sectors. His comment came in response to a report that the media has been trying to access information on all the concessions granted to two of the largest foreign gold mining companies in Guyana—Troy Resources

Charged Ex-NICIL head, Winston Brassington and Aurora Gold Mine— since they came to these shores. The Finance Minister did not object to this. In fact, he said that he would make contact with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for this information to be made public. ”I don’t believe this information is private. In any case, back in the 90s, we were under obligation to publish all concessions granted to companies. Remember, we used to publish them in the newspapers… ”But concessions are not a secret. GRA should be able to grant it. In fact, in their annual report, they should have a section showing the value of the concessions which were granted to companies…” There is no breakdown of the concessions in GRA’s report. The concessions are not shown. Which sectors received what, and which companies are not known. The Finance Minister said, “ I am dead sure the information is available. I am going to ask the Commissioner General of GRA, (Godfrey Statia) that if this information is not available, to have his Tax Department compile it. ”And if you know the company by name, then you can also get to have it by sector. I will ask him to do that. This information is not a secret.” GRA boss Statia gets basket to fetch water… All variables in favour of oil companies – Ram notes Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Godfrey Statia, is willing to protect Guyana from oil companies that may have

intentions to cheat the nation of its revenue. But will he be able to so? Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram thinks that it will be no easy task. He says the odds are against Statia. Ram said that Statia’s “good intention” is not enough to save Guyana. He added that with little or no rules, regulations and laws in place to aid his work, the Tax Chief may have an uphill task keeping oil companies in check. Ram, also an Attorney-atlaw expressed concerns about the low equity injection and high borrowings (thin capitalization) being pursued by the three contractors operating in the Stabroek Block—Hess, CNOOC/Nexen and Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (ExxonMobil’s subsidiary). His concerns really stem from the fact that Guyana has agreed to stand the cost of the interest on all loans secured by the three companies. The annual returns of two of the three companies operating the Stabroek Block showed that their exploration costs were financed by loans from their parent companies. Since one of those companies – Hess Guyana Exploration Guyana Limited (Hess) – had not filed annual returns since its registration in 2014, it is not possible to determine the source of its financing. Still, Ram said that it would be a safe bet that Hess was financed by inter-company borrowings. The total intercompany debt of Esso in 2016 alone was $76.9B of which approximately $60B was incurred in 2016. Ram said, “An obvious question is whether the (Continued on page 36)

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From page 35 Guyana branch is being charged interest on massive debt. An equally obvious answer is that we do not and cannot know because of the sparse information offered in the financial statements.” Fisherman’s decomposed body washes up at Number 63 beach The badly decomposed body of one of the murdered sailors washed up on the Number 63 Village foreshore, Thursday. He was identified by the tattoo on his chest as Gavin Outar, one of the missing fishermen from the April 27 attack in Suriname. According to senior police sources, they received an anonymous call around noon that a body was discovered along the beach, entangled in shrubs. Police arrived at the scene shortly after. The upper and lower limbs have rotted leaving bones visible.The body was clad in a pair of cut off jeans. The face was left with its skeletal structure. What was

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even more conspicuous was a tattoo on the left side upper chest that resembles an upside down axe and cross with a red ‘X’ above it. Some say that the tattoo is an anchor. The corpse was photographed by authorities and taken away to the Skeldon Hospital Mortuary. It is being reported that a few days ago, information was filtered to the Divisional Commander Lyndon Alves of a possible sighting of a body at the Number 36 Village shore. A relative of a missing fisherman who was beaten, shot at and dumped overboard in the second pirate attack in Suriname waters had reported that he overheard some fishermen talking that they supposedly saw a body on the shore. His information was given to the Commander along with a contact number for the relative.It is unclear whether the information given was acted upon. It is believed that the very body that was found

Thursday at 63 Village shore could have possibly been the same body reportedly spotted at Number 36 Village shore. Additionally, the ‘B’ Division’s Commander said that because of the extent of decomposition, it is difficult to perform an autopsy. SATURDAY ExxonMobil-Guyana agreement provides for renegotiation of terms for gas …Ram says provision flies in the face of those who said it can’t be done Members of the coalition administration have said time and again, that the ExxonMobil-Guyana contract cannot be renegotiated; that there must be respect for the “sanctity” of contracts. But there is a provision of that same contract which flies in the face of this viewpoint. The Production Sharing Agreement that Guyana has

with ExxonMobil actually makes way for renegotiation of terms pertaining to excess Associated Gas. This was recently pointed out by Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Chris Ram. In this writings, the lawyer referenced Article 12.1 (c) of the oil contract to support his contention. Ram said, “Article 12.1 (c) provides that where the Contractor believes that excess Associated Gas of an Oil Field has commercial value, the Contractor is entitled, but not required, to make further investment to utilize such excess Associated Gas subject to terms at least as attractive as those established for Crude Oil in Article 11 dealing with Recoverable Contract Costs.” “In any case in which the Contractor believes improved terms are necessary for the development of excess Associated Gas, the Agreement requires the Government and the three oil companies to “carry out friendly negotiations in a timely manner to find a new solution to the utilization of said excess Associated Gas and reach an agreement in writing.” While conceding that such renegotiation is provided for in the Petroleum Agreement, the Chartered Accountant said that this provision flies in the face of those who insist that there can be no renegotiation. Ram opined that those who keep repeating such banality are doing the country a great disservice. Suspect in recent deadly pirate attack remanded …over robbing fishing vessels in 2015, 2016 A suspect in the recent deadly pirate attack on 20 Guyanese fishermen in Suriname was on Friday charged and remanded for allegedly robbing two fishing vessels - one in 2015 and the other in 2016. Nakool Manohar, called ‘Fyah’, 39, of Number 43 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. He was not required to plead to the indictable charges of robbery underarms that were filed under Section Three of the Hijacking and Piracy Act Chapter 10:08. Particulars of the first charge against him alleged that between April 1 and April 30, 2015, in the territorial waters of Guyana in the Corentyne Magisterial District, while in the company of others and armed with guns and cutlasses, he robbed fishing vessel ‘Sir Navin. A 248 horsepower engine valued at $2.8M was stolen, property of

Nakool Manohar called ‘Fyah’ Daneshwar Reddy called ‘Smallie’. It was further alleged that between August 1 and August 30, 2016, in the territorial waters of Guyana in the Corentyne Magisterial District, while in the company of others and armed with guns and cutlasses, he robbed fishing vessel ‘Captain Vickesh’ owned by Vickesh Balkissoon. The fishing vessel is valued at $2.3M. Manohar will make his next court appearance on May 30 at the Springlands Magistrate’s Court. US$425M Govt. court settlements… Former AG Nandlall failed miserably to prosecute State cases – Harmon Minister of State Joseph Harmon on Friday defended the decision by the coalition government to settle several court cases against the State as necessary, because of the failure of the former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, to prosecute. Harmon told a press conference that the cases were so badly handled by the previous People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration that the State could not have them reversed at the appeal stage. The Cabinet spokesman explained that the cases were brought to Cabinet which then gave approval for the Attorney General, Basil Williams, to pursue with settlement. “The root cause of these problems started in the ad-

ministration of the PPP. Mr. Nandlall as the Attorney General failed miserably to prosecute these matters on behalf of the state,” Harmon explained. The State paid several billions of dollars out as a result of in and out-of-court settlements. Most of these cases were inherited from the previous People’s Progressive Party (PPP) administration. But in most instances, it is either that the government loses the case or decides to settle even before it goes to court. The most recent case that surfaced publicly was the outof-court settlement with Guyana Tractor Equipment, causing the State to pay $226M. Last month the court ordered Government to pay Toolsie Persaud Limited (TPL) $1.7B in damages. Harmon stated that the cases which were settled were decided by the court. “I believe that at the appropriate time, when the Attorney General makes a full statement of these matters, we will recognize the deep hole the PPP has put us in this country. We are doing our best to keep this country on a level keel, but every single day you are faced with some ignorance or some nonsense done by the previous administration that you have to deal with now,” Harmon expressed. He said that when the court makes a decision the Government abides by the rule of law, and as such cannot deny the payments.

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“Man was made to mourn”

From page 38 murdered and many others would find abhorrent. Not surprisingly, this recent atrocity has stirred strong emotions among Guyanese, and once again there is a call for the return of the 'cat' and the gallows in the execution of certain convicted killers. How far this will go in curbing the sadistic impulses of others and the innate instincts of the reptilian brain relative to murder, remains to be seen. Past evidence isn't that compelling. History, as just noted, presents us with a number of examples that suggest human beings are generally more inclined to selfishness and aggression than altruism. For example, data from something called the Polynational War Memorial, shows that some 237 wars were fought between 1900 and the present, from the Boxer Rebellion in China to the current war in Afghanistan, making the 20th century one of bloodiest ever. We are reminded of the innate violence of our huntergatherer ancestors, the socalled 'warrior' gene passed down to more than one-third of Earth's population, entertainment violence, (Mixed martial arts fighting is dubbed the fastest-growing sport in the world) and similarities between our guerilla warfare and the vicious organized ambushes, (including cannibalism) launched by chimpanzees, our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. It continues with a disclosure on how early in life these aggressive and selfish instincts manifest themselves, partly negating the presumption that babies, for example, naturally lean towards goodness. Although a Yale University researcher believed his studies proved that was so, it was shown in related experiments that infants can be easily 'bribed to do wrong' if the price was high enough. At first it was noted that toddlers would go out of their way to help others even when it offered no incentive to them. But when crackers entered the picture they would quickly

side with a 'bad guy' or become unhelpful if it meant getting three crackers instead of one. Now this revelation based on a video made at London's Centre for Fetal Care: “Our instincts to stay alive and compete for resources start ... really early. Recently high-clarity MRIs have shown twins fighting for space in the womb by kicking and pushing their sibling out of the way. Doctors initially used the MRIs to study twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome where one identical twin siphons blood away from the other.” And in cases of vanishing twin syndrome, a fetus absorbs its weaker companion until it miscarries or simply 'vanishes' – described as 'a legitimate survival of the fittest situation.' Food for thought! So what does this journey into the past tell us about the state of humanity today relative to violence? I'm not sure, but it does seem that over a very long time humans, in this respect, have not come a very long way – we are more often than not, still selfish and savage at heart. Fear and intolerance complicate things further, and in some instances the distinction between perpetrator and victim is blurred so that confusion is added to the picture. It's a dilemma which to me is eerily captured in that iconic set of paintings by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch titled 'The Scream' – a collective and unending exhaling of human agony echoing through the ages. Yes, there are millions of decent, empathetic people around the world, but just pause, and reflect on this stanza from the Robbie Burns' dirge referred to at the beginning of this article: “Many and sharp the numerous ills/ Inwoven with our frame; More pointed still, we make ourselves/ Regret, remorse and shame; And man, whose

heaven-erected face/ The smiles of love adorn; Man's inhumanity to man/ Makes countless thousands mourn.” I'll try to end on a more optimistic note to blot from my

mind the description of the recent pirate attacks, and other equally heartless atrocities in our country and elsewhere – The sun bathes our planet in radiant light, and sil-

ver linings still emerge from behind the darkest clouds. Even in Burns' pessimistic poem, he lightens his lament with an acknowledgment of man's 'heaven-erected face'

adorned with 'smiles of love' and at the end, welcomes the relief of death. It may sound paradoxical, but it's a hint that in the final say, humanity will (hopefully) defeat its nemesis.

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Suriname lawmakers get tough in wake of deadly piracy attacks Two weeks after the deadly attack on Suriname waters that left three Guyanese fishermen dead and 12 missing, lawmakers in that country have started to debate tough regulations to manage the fishing industry. Any decisions will likely to impact fishermen - the majority of them Guyanese who are either living there or travel back and forth from Guyana to ply their trade in Suriname waters. Last Thursday, Suriname’s online news, De Ware Tijd, reported that the country’s National Assembly discussed the issue of safety and licensing during a sitting. The Government faced numerous questions and proposals on how to guarantee safety at sea in the future and to secure the fishing industry. The Government side, it is being reported, wants internal consultations within its ministers and other decision makers to prepare to answer questions. Facing questions were Minister of Justice, Stuart Getrouw; Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Lekhram Soerdjan; Home Affairs Minister, Stephen Tsang and Minister of Defence, Ronni Benschop. They were asked about the status of fishermen, who are mainly illegal Guyanese. Questions were also raised about the involvement of the Government of Guyana in helping to resolve the movements of fishermen without proper documents. The newspaper reported that there is a proposal to with-

draw all fishing licences and re-issue them after a process. The Surinamese coast guard was also accused of being corrupt. In the National Assembly sitting, questions were asked and proposals have been made about safety mechanisms such as the Vessel Monitoring System that should have functioned during the drama or should have been purchased long ago. There were also questions about help for the wounded and relatives of affected fishermen. Meanwhile, the National Assembly of Suriname agreed to the adoption of a proposal from members of the coalition. In the agreement, the Government has to inform the members of the National Assembly about safety at sea for stakeholders and the further development of the fish sector. It is also being reported that families of the Guyanese fishermen are very concerned. According to the coalition, the incident puts a damper on the many positive initiatives the government has taken to develop the fishing industry. The opposition, however, thinks that the government should be blamed for negligence, as it took hours after for the matter to become known. The opposition and coalition are both of the opinion that the fishing sector is important for the Surinamese economy and employment; it provides more than 6,000 jobs. The attack on boats with 20 fishermen on April 27 was said a planned one in retalia-

Suriname’s National Assembly is cracking down on the fishing industry after disclosures that it was poorly monitored and regulated.

tion to the killing of a Guyanaborn man. The individual, who owned several boats in Suriname, was gunned down at his home. It is believed that the killing stemmed from a fight for control of fishing grounds in Suriname. The attack on the four boats targeted specific persons, with one man tied up and weighted down with a battery before being dumped overboard. Other crewmen were chopped and shot at after be-

ing flung into the water. The incident saw several persons arrested in Suriname, in several raids, with two persons believed to be part of the attackers. Last weekend, Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan journeyed to Suriname to assess the situation, meeting with relatives of the missing men and authorities there. He signaled that there will be more checks on fishermen to ensure proper records and a proper system to allow for all crewmembers

Three years later and some concrete... From page 44 number of key areas, like smuggling and corruption on the wharves. I see crimes are being solved. Some files on cold cases have been closed. The police are more civil, though still quick to slyly ask for a raise. There are more announcements of training for public servants, the police and the procurement folks. At the level of the constitutional bodies, we have given them a shot in the arm with naming new members. I like this. For years we had people sitting who did little to fulfill the constitutional mandates they were given charge of. A number of them grew old with little to show. The PUC is one that I decried. I am deeply unhappy over the governing of especially GPL, and the telephone sector. We have been

“shafted”. The appointment of new boards that are given mandates to operate independently is a good start. Local Government elections have started the process of injecting new energy into our communities. There are some deeply unfortunate things, though, that need fixing. The operations of our minibuses need to be addressed. It is getting worse daily on the roadways. Our NDCs and Town Councils still have not come to grips with their newfound powers as a result of new regulations that give them more independence to make decisions. They have to lead the way. I think more work has to be done here. I believe also that the years of abuse, with granting excessive concessions to our investors, and the lack of monitoring, have caused us

untold damage. People are upset over the operations of Rusal, and what transpired with BaiShanLin. I see now that gold miners are agitating for concessions on par with foreign operators. We have to ensure that our investors are given incentives that will allow them to make their profits. But, at the end of the day, we must ensure that Guyana gets the best deal. The eternal question when we are signing our agreements with investors should always be: what are we gaining? It has to go beyond mere jobs. We cannot waste our finite resources. Companies like Rusal have to respect us more. We welcome investors, but it has to be in keeping with our laws. There are so many things to reflect on for last three years that we can go on and on. Perhaps the biggest issue

for me is with the leaders of this country - from both sides of the divide - they could have found some common ground to work. Surely, surely, there is something that can benefit Guyana on which both the Coalition Government and the Opposition can collaborate. The Opposition has stayed away from taking up the board positions on State corporations and agencies. Not good. The Opposition represents almost half of the country. We want them to work. We have oil coming. The work is now starting. The interest in Guyana is intense. Investors are knocking. They see opportunities. As policy makers, we have to be strong, and seek advice that is sound and ultimately to the benefit of this country. We now hold all the aces at the negotiating table.

to be listed and identified before departing their homeland. The attacks have been described by both governments as a massacre, with some likening it to terrorism. Following the arrests of several Guyanese fishermen in recent days, it was reported

that Suriname has sent back a number of them who were undocumented. There are thousands of Guyanese living in Suriname, with crossing the border between the two countries, at Corentyne, almost an informal affair.

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Piracy cases have plunged since 2015 - Harmon - Coast Guard conducting more patrols in fishing waters

The army’s Coast Guard is increasing its patrols following the recent piracy attack in Suriname which left several Guyanese fishermen dead. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard will be given resources, once available, to increase its presence and protect local fishing grounds. This was reported by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon at Friday’s post-Cabinet press conference. The GDF Unit, he explained, has increased its security posture following the piracy attack in Surinamese waters that to date has left 4 dead and 11 missing. He reminded that when the coalition government took office, piracy was at a high. “In fact, in 2011, there were 10 reports of piracy. In 2012, there were 22. In 2013 three. In 2014 - eight. In 2015 four. In 2016 – one. In 2017 nine and for 2018, up to this last incident, there was none. This basically was not some-

thing that occurred by magic, but as a result of a consistency which the government took when dealing with these piracy matters.” Minister Harmon pointed to the reactivation of the antipiracy task force and the engagement by the Public Security Minister and his officials with fisherfolk to discuss ways and means to protect their lives and vessels while at sea. “You’d recall we examined the use of transponders to be attached to the fishing vessels so they can give off a signal if they were in distress. All of these things were happening. In addition to which we were flying fortnightly aerial sorties around the coast by our GDF aircraft.” It was this combined effort, the Minister of State

added, that “forced those with criminal intent outside of Guyana’s waters” and is an issue that will need greater attention by the security forces. Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan led a highlevel delegation to Guyana’s eastern neighbour to liaise with his Surinamese counterparts as investigations into the attacks. It is believed that the attack was revenge for the March 30th killing of a well known Guyanese boat owner, in Suriname, where he lived. Cabinet was briefed on May 8, about the measures being taken by that country to bring the perpetrators to justice and modalities of closer collaboration between the countries’ security services.

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To Boost Your Fertility, You May Want to Give Up Fast Food Women with a fast food craving could be hurting their fertility for a burger and fries fix. According to a new study, eating too much fast food may prolong the time it takes to become pregnant. When researchers looked at the diets of about 5,600 women from Australia, the

U.K., Ireland, and New Zealand, they found that consuming fast food extended the time it took to conceive — but eating extra fruit appeared to speed up the process. The study was conducted by a team at the University of Adelaide’s

Robinson Research Institute in Australia. The data was collected between 2004 and 2011. Of all the couples, 8 percent were infertile, which was classified as taking longer than one year to conceive. Of the women, 39 percent became pregnant within one month.

Compared with women who consumed fruit three or more times a day, women who ate fruit less than one to three times a month took a half a month longer to become pregnant. Eating less fruit increased their infertility risk from 8 percent to 12 percent. Women who consumed fast food four or more times a week took about a month longer to get pregnant compared with those who never or rarely ate fast food. Those who ate more fast food boosted their infertility risk from 8 percent to 16 percent. Women under 35 are advised to see a doctor if they haven’t conceived after a year. But if fast food intake prolongs the time it takes to conceive, those women could undertake fertility treatments needlessly, in theory. (Women over 35 should have a fertility evaluation and consider treatment after six months of trying unsuccessfully.)Dr. Serena Chen, a fertility specialist with Saint Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey, said the study complements recent researched published in The

Lancet that emphasized the importance of preconception health — something that’s a “completely new way of thinking for modern western medicine.”Men and women

need to focus on better eating in general — especially prior to conception.

While eating fast food may impact the time it takes a woman to become pregnant, it also puts the mother in poorer health, she said. “This type of care [preconception health] is discouraged and often not covered by our current healthcare system,” she said. “We are paying the price in higher rates of childhood obesity and increased risks for maternal morbidity and mortality.” Sharon Palmer, RDN, a dietitian from California, agreed

with Chen. “Previous research has suggested that to optimize fertility one should have a nutritionally balanced diet with limited refined foods, plenty of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and healthy protein sources. This is pretty much opposite of the Western diet, which is high in fast foods, processed foods, unhealthful protein choices, and refined carbohydrates.” Palmer said the study out of Australia is another recent one that hopefully will start to get doctors and couples thinking about a new approach to healthy eating for optimal fertility. https:// www.healthline.com/healthnews/boost-your-fertilitygive-up-fast-food#3.

Vegetarian Diets May Be Even Better for Us Than We Thought There has long been consensus that vegetarian diets are healthier than diets that rely heavily on meat. But we may only be starting to learn just how much healthier they can be. New research suggests that if we all ate a vegetarian diet, one-third of early deaths could be avoided. Experts say, in fact, we may be underestimating the benefits of eating plant-based foods.“We have just been doing some calculations looking at the question of how much could we reduce mortality [by] shifting toward a healthy, more plant-based diet — not necessarily totally vegan — and our estimates are [that] about one-third of early deaths could be prevented,” Dr. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard Medical School, said during a medical conference in Vatican City late last month. “That’s not even talking about physical activity or not smoking, and that’s all deaths — not just cancer deaths,” he added. “That’s probably an underestimate, as well as that doesn’t take into account the fact that obesity is important and we control for obesity.” The announcement wasn’t surprising to nutritionists who spoke to Healthline. “Absolutely not,” said

Melissa Halas-Liang, a dietitian and spokeswoman for the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “We literally are what we eat.” “I’m actually not surprised at all,” added Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD, a licensed, registered dietitian and wellness manager at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. “I think that when people hear ‘one in three deaths could be prevented,’ that it’s hard to believe the magnitude of this,” noted Ginger Hultin, a dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “But, in fact, there is good evidence on the health benefits of a vegetarian diet.”Hultin’s organization concluded in 2009 that “appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.” Specifically, these diets are tied to a lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, cancer, and chronic diseases.Halas-Liang told

Healthline she’s also seen patients with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis “just completely get control” of the disease through eating more plants.“Leaning

more toward a vegetarian diet has a positive impact on autoimmune issues,” she said. A study in 2013 funded in part by the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) concluded that vegetarians had a nearly 10 percent lower risk of developing cancer than non-vegetarians. Overall, the AICR has stated that more than a third of U.S. cancer cases could be prevented by eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight. SWITCHING ISN’T ALL THAT SIMPLE With all those potential benefits, shouldn’t we all go vegetarian? It’s not that simple. Hultin said she does often recommend people who are trying to manage or prevent chronic conditions, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes, “reduce meat intake while increasing plant foods.” But it can be tricky to switch to a healthier diet without facing unintended drawbacks, perhaps with health impacts of their own. “For some people, it can be incredibly hard to give up cheese, or a Friday night burger. https:// www.healthline.com/healthnews/vegetarian-diets-maybe-better-than-wethought#3.

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“E-NETWORKS & KES THE BAND TO HOST TUESDAY ON THE ROCKS” Guyana’s leading Cable TV service provider recently announced that it is teaming up with Trinidadian Soca performers, Kes the Band, as the title sponsor of the first ever “Tuesday on the Rocks” in Guyana. One of the most highly anticipated events in the Guyana Carnival calendar,”Tuesday on the Rocks” is guaranteed to be a must-do event for Guyanese, young and old. It will ultimately kick start Carnival week and will be held at the Marriott Parking Lot on May 22nd from 8pm onwards. Artists include Ravi B, Sekon Sta, and DJ Ana. Local artistes include Timeka Marshal, Jumo Primo, Big Red, Lil Red and Trevon Vibez. Early bird general admission tickets are $4000. There will also be a limited VIP section available for $20,000 which is all inclusive of food and drinks. The food menu will consist of items such as shrimp cocktails, doubles, corn soup, chicken kebabs, beef sliders, wings and much more! Drinks will include Eldorado Rum, Heineken beer, Absolut Vodka among other items. Tickets can be purchased at Exclusive Styles, Bistro Cafe, That Look Boutique,

King’s Jewellery, Church’s Outlets, Gizmos and Gadgets and Nigel’s Supermarket. E-Networks said it is proud to support the inaugural “Guyana Carnival” as a new type of entertainment tourism, which will attract persons from the Diaspora and the Caribbean. Management said, “We are elated to align our brand with this event, which we will use to launch our newest service, DreamTV Satellite –

which takes our Cable TV service countrywide - as well as our upgradedDreamTV Wireless HD service, which will soon be offering high definition quality at the same, affordable price-point. These two services join our DreamTV Fiber and DreamTV Mobile app, offering different ways for our customers to enjoy our content, which include HBO, ESPN, BBC, ZeeTV, TBS, exclusively authorized on ENetworks.”

Once Upon a Time Kicks Off Its Series Finale by Putting Everyone in Danger We knew Wish Rumple wouldn’t be easily defeated, but we had no idea it would be this intense. In the first part of Once Upon a Time’s two-part series finale, our Hyperion Heights heroes, finally woke to their true identities, were forced into action once Wish Rumple (Robert Carlyle, clearly relishing playing the glittery trickster for the last time) popped up, demanding daggers and deals. But the bigger surprise came once Henry (Andrew J. West), Regina (Lana Parrilla), Hook (Colin O’Donoghue), and Gold followed Rumple into the Wish Realm to rescue Ella (Dania Ramirez) and Lucy (Alison Fernandez) from their snow globe prison, where, after running into Cruella De Vil (Victoria Smurfit), Peter Pan (Robbie Kay) and Ariel (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), they learned that Wish Rumple was working with none other than Wish Henry (still young and in the form of Jared Gilmore). Remember last season when Wish Henry was revealed to be something of a villain? Well, he still is. And after Rumple tricked our Henry into retrieving the

author’s pen, he used it to make the Guardian’s powers non-existent, meaning that Gold will never get back to Belle (Emilie De Ravin) or get his happy ending. It turns out the seer’s prophesy for Gold all those years ago—”The boy will be your undoing”— was true after all. Damn. However, not all hope is lost. After Wish Rumple banishes Hook, Gold and Henry to the same prison as Ella and Lucy, while leaving Regina to Wish Henry for the kid to exact his revenge, Alice (Rose Reynolds) sensed something was wrong all the way back in Hyperion Heights, leading her and Robin (Tiera

Skovbye) to find a way to rescue them. But they had a stop to make on the way. You guessed it: Storybrooke. Now we must wait a week before we can see Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin), Charming (Josh Dallas), Emma (Jennifer Morrison) and the rest of our Storybrooke faves join forces with the Hyperion Heights crew to stop Wish Rumple once and for all. And after that, it’s all over. Will everyone get their “happily ever after”? Stay tuned. https://www.eonline.com/ news/934735/once-upon-atime-kicks-off-its-series-finale-by-putting-everyone-indanger.

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Hundreds of firearm licence applications pending More than four months after the names were announced, the new members of the Firearms Licensing Board have finally been Gazetted. This will now pave the way for hundreds of firearm applications to now be considered. According to the Official Gazette dated May 12, 2018, Bert Sukhai will return as Chairman with Dr. Bhiro Harry, Kim Kyte-John, Dr. Yonnette Roach and Christina Jagmohan making up the rest of the Board. Reportedly, during the last few months, there was a buildup of the applications, pending the appointment of a new Board. The old one expired last year. The new Board is for the period of February 1, 2018 to January 31, 2019. With accusations that gun licences were being sold by officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, under the previous administration, the Coalition Government has been making statements of

Reappointed as Chairman of the Firearms Licensing Board, Bert Sukhai clamping down. Persons of questionable characters ended up with licences. In February 2016, the National Assembly passed the Firearms Amendment Bill, increasing a range of fees in relation to shotguns, pistols, revolvers and rifles. The fee for a shotgun licence moved from $2,000 to $5000; the cost for pistol and

revolver licences jumped from $5,000 to $25,000; rifle fees increased from $7,500 to $40,000 and dealer’s licences up to $150,000, up, from $20,000. There is a three-stage process for licensing. The process starts with the application letter being sent to the Commander of the Division who assigns a rank to go check on the applicant’s character in his or her community. The application is then sent to the Commissioner’s Office to ensure that the applicant’s antecedents are positive in the sense that there were no previous convictions. The application then goes to the Firearm Licensing Board. It is then decided, at that stage, whether the applicant is fit. If so, the application is sent to the Minister for the final stamp of approval. There are more than 4,500 registered pistols, 3,000 registered shotguns and 3,047 registered rifles by the Guyanese public.

- Board finally Gazetted to tackle backlog There are no more than five dealers. The administration had warned last year that scores

of gun licences were about to be revoked, in keeping with a decision by the government to weed out those that had

been wrongfully issued. Government had announced a gun amnesty period last year.

The Firearms Licensing Board has been appointed and is expected to tackle a backlog of applications.

STANDARDS IN FOCUS

Prolong the use of your tyres through care The care and use of tyres should be of paramount concern to drivers and vehicle owners so as to ensure safety and prolonged usage. Generally, the cost of tyre care is negligible when compared to what it costs for repair or replacement of a new tyre. The way tyres are used on vehicles directly demonstrates care or a lack of it. For many years, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has been monitoring tyres under its Standards Compliance programme to ensure that they meet the requirements of national standards. However, monitoring by the Bureau is not enough to ensure safe tyre use on our roadways. Frequent examination and care by users go a far way to guarantee that your tyres take you a far way, safely. Simple actions such as checking the pressure of your tyres to make sure that they are properly inflated can make a real difference in how long they last. Under or over-inflated tyres do not wear evenly and won’t last as long. For example, a tyre that is constantly 20% underinflated can last 20% less in use. That means, a new tyre that could last approximately 95,000km would be worn out by 75,000 km. In addition, since the front and rare axles and the right and left side of vehicles wear down tyres differently, rotating your tyres regularly between the different positions will ensure they wear evenly and last longer. There is no need for you to visit the experts to determine the ideal requirements for optimal performance of your tyres. Usually tyres are adequately labelled with such information to guide users as to their size, pressure and load requirements, which must be complied with to ensure safety and to avoid the loss of lives due to road accidents. The following are some tips, which will help in the care and use of tyres: TYRE PRESSURE a. Check the air pressure of each tyre at least fortnightly. Incorrect tyre pressure can lead to the inside of the tyre being damaged, resulting in tyre problems or even a blowout. b. Tyres must be inflated to specified

pressures. The pressure inside warm tyres is naturally higher and must be reduced, and on cooling, can fall below the minimum tyre pressure. (Driving, especially at high speeds, causes heat build-up in tyres). c. Incorrect tyre pressure causes premature and uneven tyre wear. Under-inflated tyres have a higher rolling resistance, which means higher fuel consumption. TYRE DAMAGE a. If a tyre is visibly damaged (that is, it has a fracture or a cut that exposes the carcass) or has an unusual wear pattern, the tyre must be taken off and examined as quickly as possible by a tyre specialist. b. Driving over curbstones or over potholed roads may cause internal damage to tyres, leading to failure at high speeds. c. Check tyres regularly for damage as sharp stones, nails etc. can penetrate the tyre thread. These need to be removed. Check also if there are bulges or cuts on the sidewall. d. For virtually all vehicles, rotating the tyres from one axle to the other is permitted. In certain cases, changing them crosswise/ diagonally can also be advantageous. This does not apply to directional tyres. It is also advisable to have the alignment checked at 10,000 km intervals. e. Harsh acceleration, braking with locked wheels and fast steering movements shorten the service life of tyres. TYRE REPAIR a. Thread damage or cuts that extend to the breaker, belt or beyond must be repaired by the hot vulcanization process. Repairs using cold temporary repair measures, such as plugging, are used as emergency means to take you home and should be rectified immediately without any delay. Proper care and use will extend the life of tyres and reduce the incidence of accidents due to tyre damage or “blowout”, so drivers are urged to monitor and properly use their tyres to ensure safety on the road. For further information, kindly contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 592-2190065, 592-219-0066 or 592-219-0069 or visit the website: www.gnbsgy.org.

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Rice exports bags US$10M more in bumper first crop

GRDB’S General Manager, Nizam Hassan

As of May 7, the rice industry has harvested 86 percent of its 2018 first crop production and it is a bumper crop. The harvesting is 75,137 hectares of the 87,538 hectares sown. This is a significant increase in production from 310,748 tonnes earlier in the year to 448,926 tonnes. General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Nizam Hassan, highlighted the areas that have improved. He said that the first crop was a success and the performance

will continue growing from 2017. “What we have seen in the first crop; generally, there have been improved productivity issues. Pests and disease were managed; farmers were being paid faster than previous crops; prices paid were improved from previous crops to $3000 per bag of paddy.” With a bumper first crop, GRDB is highly optimistic going into the second crop. With the increase of this production from January to April 2018, there has also been an increase in exports with

The first crop has been one of the best in year, authorities are disclosing, with more monies earned than the same period last year. The updated harvest as of May 7, 2018 is as follows: Region Paddy Production (M/T) Percentage of hectares harvested Region 2 76,836.8 96.3% Region 3 43,422.8 97.8% Region 4 366,126.5 96.7% Region 5 3,069,376.5 82.7% Region 6 1,724,427.0 79.1% Region 9 14,227.2 100.0%

sales increasing by over US$10 million. Hassan compared the current production to that of 2017, noting that the increase is credited to the exploration of new markets.

“For the period January to April 2018, we exported 139,501 tonnes valued at US$57.7 million compared to 120,811 tonnes valued at US$47 million for the corresponding period last

year. So, I’m talking about the first four months of 2018 compared with the first four months of 2017, in terms of the volume, that’s about 15 percent more we’ve exported. Continued on page 69

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CONSUMER CONCERNS by PAT DIAL The caption of this offering appears too nationalistic, but it is not. It is very much a consumer position. Consumer

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SUPPORT LOCAL INDUSTRY

advocates have always enjoined that consumers must never depart from the rule of having “the best value for their money.” That injunction simply means that they should

purchase goods and services of the best quality at the best price when compared with similar goods and services, irrespective of their origin. If therefore, a foreign product offers a better price and

quality than a local one, the foreign product should be purchased since this is of better value than the local one. The obverse of this position is however difficult to convey to Guyanese and Caribbean consumers since there is a deep prejudice that products from abroad are superior to the locally produced. Social historians have traced this prejudice to a variety of factors: During the period of slavery and indentureship, all goods were imported from abroad. For example, the wood to build the logies for the slaves and indentures were imported from America and so were the other building materials. Much of the food to feed the slaves such as salted fish were imported. And so were the clothes to the extent where clothes more suited for the temperate zone rather than the tropics had become the norm. In addition, the Planter class felt that food from abroad was superior and necessary. Thus during the American War of Independence when food imports were cut off, the Planter class bitterly complained of food shortages though there was an abundance of local foods

available. Another reason proffered was that attitude was due to cultural imperialism. It is not surprising, therefore, that Guyanese and West Indians after 200 years of indoctrination could not easily exorcise this deep prejudice. Of recent years, however, much progress has been made in getting Guyanese to be more realistic in their purchases. With the advent of Independence, Guyana and most West Indian territories have become more nationalistic. The leaders have clearly seen the value of supporting and encouraging local industry for nation building and development but their campaigns have not met with the expected success. Thus, there is still room to educate the consumer. We think it appropriate at this point to bring to readers attention a number of illogical ways in which consumers have ignored the consumer injunction “value for your money”. We do this in some detail as we think it could be more educative: If we visit the bigger supermarkets and look in their freezers, we are almost certain to see a number of local fruits and vegetables, which are imported from abroad. These

fruits and vegetables are the same, which can be obtained at the municipal markets or elsewhere. The only difference is that the local product is fresher and cheaper. The better value for money would be to buy the local product. The rums and other alcoholic products as well as its beers produced by Banks DIH can compare with the best produced in other parts of the Caribbean and Puerto Rico. And its crackers are world-class and sold at cheaper prices when compared with foreign imports. Indeed, if one travels over the developed world and try their crackers, none is superior to Banks DIH’s. This is a clear case of value for money. Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL) produces the best rums in the world and this is known worldwide. And their liqueurs, especially their cream liqueurs are equally good. DDL rums are served in many of the top or exclusive bars in the developed countries and could be found at all the major international airports. Yet, in Guyana, one is sometimes served inferior imported rums and Guyanese buy more expensive lower quality rums abroad and bring them here. Rum is a clear case where buying local is in the consumer’s interest. In confections, spices, pasta and curry powders E.B. Beharry produces products, which are excellent. Their sweets, for example, have been formulated by the best European expertise and their wrappings are the highest class available. Yet consumers buy less wholesome Colombian and other foreign sweets, though for quality and price, the local product is far superior. Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC) succeeded Bookers, which was one of the main pharmaceutical companies in the Caribbean and has maintained the high traditions. GPC products are of the highest international quality and are so recognised in the pharmaceutical industry worldwide. Flagship products such as Limacol and Ferrol are household names throughout the Caribbean and give Guyana a good image. GPC is the biggest pharmaceutical company in the Caribbean and gives Guyana a drug-security not enjoyed by most countries. There are many new products, which GPC intends to produce such as antibiotics but cannot do so as yet until the hospital system commits itself to buying the local products. In Engineering, also, Guyana has gone further afield than many are aware. Continued on page 69

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From page 68 On the East Bank Demerara, for example, there are a few companies that could fabricate any machine part or set up factories and in the Construction Industry. There are companies that could build most of the buildings required in Guyana and maintain and build seadefences. In the recent past, such works were done by foreign companies. Almost all the companies mentioned have achieved ISO-International Standards Organization ratings which is an imprimatur of quality. When consumers go shopping, therefore, they should buy local goods and services of equal or better quality and price than the foreign both for their own benefit and for the benefit of their country.

Rice exports bags US$10M more in... From page 67 “The increases in the exports have primarily come of course from new markets that we’ve been exporting to.” One such new market is Mexico, which Guyana began exporting to in 2017, ending that year with 113,525 tonnes of paddy shipped. For this year up until May, 61,350 tonnes have been exported. The aforementioned combined with 2017’s amount saw 174,875 tonnes valued at US$51.4 million being exported so far. Most regions have harvested over 78 percent of their cultivation so far. Recently, the Rice Board released its “GRDB 15”, a new paddy variety that is promising higher yields. Rice millers had been tagging one of the best yields in recent years for the performance of rice. Guyana would need the good news as the majority of the sectors had underperformed with the exception of gold. The average yield was about 37 bags per acre, it is being reported.

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Extradition proceeding for US murder suspects...

State granted more time to file arguments

rincipal Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus was forced yet again to grant another adjournment in the matter of Troy Anthony Thomas, who is wanted for murder in the United States. On Friday, when the matter was called in the Providence Magistrates’ Courts the lawyers representing Thomas told the court that Justice Jo-Ann Barlow has granted the State more time to submit arguments in the matter. The State was granted 14 days to submit arguments but when the matter was called, Solicitor General, Kim Kyte, from the Attorney General Chambers did not submit the arguments. More time was granted to her. The lawyers – Nigel Hughes, Bernard DaSilva and Darren Wade, filed a fixed date application to have the Magistrates’ Courts barred from hearing the extradition proceedings. Justice Jo-Ann Barlow is set to rule on the application on May 25. The lawyers fixed date application stated that a declaration that the United States of America (extradition) order in council 1935 does not form part of the domestic laws of Guyana, hence the declaration that the provisions of the United States of America (extradition) order in council 1935 No. 574 cannot be enforced by a Magistrate. They added that the provisions of section 8 (3) (3B) (B) of the Fugitive

Offenders Act 1988 insofar as it purports to direct a Magistrate, High Court, Full Court and Court of Appeal on the interpretation of the law of a commonwealth county, a treaty territory or a treaty relating to the extradition of fugitive offenders act is unconstitutional. The lawyers are contending that Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus possesses no authority at law or otherwise to enforce the provisions of the Treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States of America for the mutual extradition of fugitive criminals signed on December 22, 1931. They added that the provisions are unconstitutional, null and void or have no legal effect. The lawyers are contending that their client is a citizen of Guyana and he is entitled to the protection of the provision of the Constitution

of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. They say the provisions of the treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States were never incorporated into the domestic laws of Guyana, and remained at all material times a treaty between sovereign states. The lawyers also emphasised that there was no provision in the aforesaid Treaty which restricted the requesting state from extraditing a fugitive offender to a third state without the permission of the Minister of Public Security in Guyana. In the absence of any provision in the treaty between the United Kingdom and the United States preventing the extradition of the applicant to third state by the requesting state, the Minister of Public Security is not empowered to consider and/or grant an authority to

proceed to the Chief Magistrate for extradition of the applicant from Guyana to the United States of America. Section 8 of the Fugitive Offenders Act cannot purport to change and/or direct a court to interpret as changing the terms and articles of the Treaty between the United States and the United Kingdom as succeeded by the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. On the last court appearance in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, the lawyers stated that the rights of their client are being infringed upon because the matter is being heard in the lower court. As such, they moved to the High Court where they say the matter will be fully ventilated and addressed. The lawyers said that the Magistrate is sitting without power when such matters cannot be dealt with.

Troy Anthony Thomas Attorney-at-law Stacy Goodings, is representing the Government of United States. The lawyer said that she is of the opinion that the

Magistrates’ Courts has the jurisdiction to continue the extradition proceedings, and that the State is ready to proceed with the matter.

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Sunday May 13, 2018

45 hauled before the court for not using overpasses

Persons being processed for charges at Providence Police Station.(Guyanese Critics) Over the past week, the Guyana Police Force Traffic Department has been on a campaign that has seen some 45 persons being charged for avoiding the use of the newly constructed overpasses. The charge instituted against the people was that they failed to use the overpasses recently built across the East Bank Public Road. Many pedestrians traversing the East Bank Public Road have no idea that not using the overpasses constitutes a charge, and as such, a great many of them learnt the

hard way in the past week. Persons who have been found not using the overpasses have been arrested, made aware of the offence committed and placed on $5,000 station bail. On Thursday morning, there was an overflow of individuals at the Providence Police Station. They would have been arrested and were being processed for charges in relation to the offence of Crossing. Many of these individuals claimed ignorance of the laws. When the Traffic Corpo-

ral was asked about the police decision to charge persons before a rigorous sensitization campaign, this publication was informed that the police have been stopping and warning individuals of the unsafe practice of Crossing on the roads where overpasses have been created for their safety.This publication has since learnt that most of the individuals who were charged, were reprimanded and had their cases discharged, but the inconvenience created has left a bad taste with them.

Persons in the process of breaching the law.(Guyanese Critics)

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GDF approved to spend $484M on purchase of 1970s aircraft …Harmon defends decision, says they are like Rolls Royce

he Government has secured Parliamen tary approval for an additional $484M representing final payment towards the purchase of four fixed-wing aircraft – two Islanders and two Skyvans – for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF). Faced with numerous questions about the purchase from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Friday, in the National Assembly, Minister of State Joseph Harmon disclosed that the Islanders were first manufactured in 1976 while Skyvans were first manufactured in 1977. Both models are no longer being manufactured. The Minister disclosed that the Skyvans, which were being used for troop transport and parachuting are being brought from Belgium through Liberty Aviation, an American company that operates from North Carolina. The Islanders, according to Harmon, are being purchased from Brazil who utilized the planes for passenger and cargo services. “The Sky vans and Islanders are aircraft; people, who have them don’t sell them. It’s like having a Rolls-Royce,”

Harmon stated to justify the purchase of the aircraft. PPP Parliamentarian, Clement Rohee, pressed Harmon on the availability of spare parts for the aircraft given that they are out of production. Harmon pointed out that while they are not being produced; there are many countries around the world that operate these aircraft and therefore spares are not an issue; training is not an issue. “They are sought after aircraft because of the capability. They allow for short take off and landing. They allow for the use of the type of airstrips, which we have in Guyana; 90% of which are short type of airstrips. Therefore, these two types of aircraft are specifically suited for those circumstances,” Harmon explained. The Minister stated that there are seven fully trained and certified engineers for the aircraft. Some of the senior engineers have about 25 years of service while the junior one has 12 years. Training, according to Harmon, was done by the original aircraft and engine

A GDF Skyvan

manufacturers. He explained that while the aircraft will be assigned to the GDF, other joint services agencies will have access specifically on matters of aerial surveillance. According to Harmon, the decision for the purchase was made at the level of the Defence Board “They are being pur-

chased with a national plan in mind and not just the GDF so most of our aerial surveillance are done jointly by the police and the army as well as other elements of the state, but certainly these aircraft were purchased with a national character,” Harmon pointed out. He assured that the air-

craft will not be used for commercial purposes and will not compete with private service providers. An initial payment of $213M was made by the GDF to the companies. Some $73M was budgeted for the military’s transportation-related expenditure. Harmon explained that to fill the gap

to the initial payment, monies were diverted from capital projects, which saw government deciding to scale back on buildings and water supply projects. To cover the full purchase, Government moved to Parliament to secure approval for supplemental expenditure.

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Chanderpaul falls cheaply BCB files... SportsMax Digicel... again but Lancashire flourish NOTTINGHAM, England, CMC – Shiv Chanderpaul’s struggles continued with the bat on Friday when he was dismissed cheaply on the opening day of Lancashire’s Division One encounter against Nottinghamshire. The veteran former West Indies left-hander managed just 23 as the visitors ended on 157 for four in reply to Notts’ 133 in their first innings at Trent Bridge. Chanderpaul has scored one half-century this season – 65 against Surrey at Old Trafford last month. All told, he has scraped together a mere 114 runs from seven innings. Last season, he smashed

Veteran former West Indies left-hander, Shiv Chanderpaul. 831 runs at an average of 51 to be one of the Championship’s leading rungetters.

Batting first on Friday, Notts were 80 for three at one stage but then lost their last seven wickets for 53 runs in a shocking collapse. Opener Jake Libby topscored with 34 while Samit Patel got 27 but they were the only two to really get starts as Graham Onions (3-22) and Tom Bailey (3-28) destroyed the innings with three-wicket hauls. In reply, Keaton Jennings (52 not out) and Alex Davies (50) stroked half-centuries in an opening stand of 77 before three wickets tumbled for 19 runs. Chanderpaul then joined Jennings in a crucial 47-run, fourth wicket stand, stroking five fours in a 42-ball knock, to help revive the innings.

From page 80 Guyana Cricket Board. 4. T h e o t h e r f u n c tions of the Ombudsman and the rules of office shall be prescribed by regulations. When contacted, Mr. Anand Sanasie, Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board, confirmed that the GCB was made aware of the matter filed against the Ombudsman and their lawyer has been informed to make representation as an interested party. There is a general belief that the entire purpose of the Ombudsman was inserted into the Cricket Administration Act to ensure that all cricket playing clubs across the country should be verified before the county boards or the GCB can have elections.

Cadogan upset... Sunday May 13, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) News of a possible raise could come your way today, Aries, possibly through some enterprise that you've been working on. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) A group might invite you to participate in a creative project of some kind today, Taurus. Whatever you do is likely to be stimulating and exciting. GEMINI(May 21–June 20) You might be planning to host a social event in your home tonight or perhaps in a few days. It could have you doing a lot of cleaning, rearranging CANCER (June 21–July 22) Today you might want to spend time visiting friends in your neighborhood, Cancer. Small purchases might be necessary, perhaps new clothes LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A chance to earn a small amount of money, perhaps by doing a little extra work at home, could come your way today, Leo. You could hear about it through a friend or colleague. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Expect a lot of intellectual stimulation to come your way t o d a y, Vi rg o . Important news could come on the phone, necessitating action on your part in order to bring about a desired end.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your creative talents should be operating at an all-time high today, Libra. You might be offered an opportunity to earn some money putting them to use. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Getting out and working with groups could seem especially appealing today, particularly groups involving athletics or other physical activities. This is an excellent day to go out for team sports or attend a yoga SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) An exciting new project or opportunity could be presented to you today, Sagittarius. It could involve a new love or at least a new friend. CAPRI (Dec.22–Jan.19) Contact with friends who live or work far away could bring a string of new opportunities your way. You might also be thinking of taking a trip, perhaps to another country or by boat. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) New investment possibilities could present themselves to you today, Aquarius. This could involve an investment of time, money, or other resources. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) An opportunity to travel with a partner or colleague could come your way, perhaps for business.

From page 81 commence at 09:00hrs after the semi-finals were expected to be played yesterday. Results: U-11 Boys Shiloh Asregado beat Breno DaSilva 11/1, 11/0, 11/ 1. Joshua Verwey beat Grant Fernandes 13/11, 11/8, 11/5 U-13 Girls Beau Fernandes beat Christiana Fernandes 11/6, 11/ 6, 11/2 U-13 Boys Demetrius DeAbreu beat Lucas Persaud 11/2, 11/1, 11/ 1. Mohryan Baksh beat James Mekdeci 11/5, 4/11, 11/ 6, 11/7. Ethan Jonas beat Nicholas Verwey 11/9, 11/5, 11/7. U-15 Girls Kirsten Gomes beat Madison Fernandes 11/6, 11/6, 11/ 7 Abosaide Cadogan beat Aliyah Persaud 11/8, 11/3 , 11/ 1. U-15 Boys Samuel Ince-Carvalhal beat Gianni Carpenter 11/8, 11/ 4, 12/10 Demetrius DeAbreu beat Zachary Persaud 11/5, 11/9, 11/3. U-17 girls Abosaide Cadogan beat Makeda Harding 14/12, 11/8, 11/5. U-17 Boys Shomari Wiltshire beat Osmond Mack 11/3, 11/1, 11/ 1 Daniel Islam beat Lucas Persaud 11/0, 11/3, 11/2. U-19 Girls Sarah Lewis beat Aliyah Persaud 11/7, 11/8, 11/5 (Sean Devers)

From page 76 support their team,” said Olly McIntosh, CEO of IMC and SportsMax. In the weeks counting down to the games, SportsMax and Digicel will be unveiling special offers for customers to access the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Digicel countries that will benefit and are included in the rights agreement are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Turks and Caicos. The SportsMax countries include the abovementioned as well as The Bahamas, Belize, Dominican Republic and the US

Virgin Islands. SportsMax is the leader in the Caribbean for worldclass sporting events, having acquired rights and previously brought to viewers the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup; 2009 and 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup; multiple FIFA Youth World Cups; Copa Americas; the London 2012 Summer Olympics and the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics; as well as the Olympic Winter Games Va n c o u v e r 2 0 1 0 , S o c h i 2014, and Pyeonchang 2018. The 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia will be the 21st staging of the event, slated for 12 venues and featuring 32 powerhouses in football including defending champions Germany and other tournament favourites Brazil, Spain, France, Argentina, Belgium and Portugal.

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16 schools from Region four Success Enforcers makes to do battle as Inter-secondary dream start in GSL Unity Cup - Two matches only played as Lower east makes a start competition launched - Play set for Enmore and Lusignan grounds The inaugural staging of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC)/DEVCON/ Lloyd Britton/Regional Executive Officer (REO) Inter Secondary School Cricket competition that will see 16 schools from Region four battling in double innings, 35 overs per side action, was launched last Friday at the Region Four ’s RDC head office with play scheduled to begin tomorrow. Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) Territorial Development Officer (TDO); Colin Stuart, Director of Sport (DoS); Christopher Jones, Banks D.I.H Powerade and Rainforest Water brands Manager; Clive Pellew and Nolan Lancaster; representative of sponsors, Devcon Construction, were present at the launch at the Triumph, East Coast Demerara location. Christopher Jones noted that this is an opportunity for the players to promote themselves and he told the lads present at the launch that the sport of Cricket can lead to a very lucrative career which can be formed through the foundation gained from this

competition. According to the GCB’s TDO Colin Stuart, the competition will see each team having a maximum of 35 overs per innings and the option of declaring after 20 overs have been bowled with two innings per side. Also, interestingly is the condition of points system which will become handy in the event of a washed out or abandoned match. This will see a toss determining the winner; however, if the team with the lesser points loses the toss, it will be a one off toss, while the team with the most points losing the first toss will have a best out of three option. Stuart posited that the project is a praiseworthy one and praised the RDC Region Four for what he said is their ‘insightful investment’ into the sport. Banks Brand Manager, Clive Pellew, explained that his company had scouted two players who went on to play for Guyana and West Indies and it is likely that a youth from this tournament can emerge to be one of the company’s next brand ambassadors with ex-

ceptional performance. Pellew pledged the company’s support at a larger scale in the tournament’s following edition. Regional Executive Officer, Pauline Lucas who is a former cricketer, said this will bring about more cohesion amongst the schools as it promotes unity, especially as Guyana prepares for their 52nd Independence. Nolan Lancaster on behalf of sponsors, Devcon Construction encouraged the young talents to be disciplined and build friendships during the tournament. The competition will see eight days of play at two venues on the East Coast of Demerara, namely the Enmore and Lugisnan Community Center grounds with the finals set for May 24th at Enmore. The competition will have ten special prizes including, Most Valuable Player (MVP), most runs in the competition, the highest score, most wickets, best bowling figures, best all-round performance, most disciplined team and most catches.

Jamal John (senior), Ajay Gopilall (junior), Niles & Choo-Wee-Nam... From page 77 Walter Grant-Stuart just back from Canada and Quincy Punch. All along Gopilall was riding a calculated race and when he made his move on lap 18 to connect with the leaders, he fatigued their legs for a few laps before turning on the heat, pulled away from them and never looked back to record the most exciting win of his still emerging career to date. Gopilall won the stage in 2:22:41 ahead of club mate Dey and Ambrose. Gopilall also took the junior category and with it the leaders green Jersey from Briton John (5:05:06) who was the leader

after stage one; Adealie Hodge (5:06:55) is third overall. The Masters category has joint leaders in Choo-WeeNam and Niles, the former maintaining his hold after stage one but now has company going into the final stage today around the Outer Circuit of the National Park where all categories would be doing 20 laps.The first stage yesterday morning from Ocean View International Hotel to Mahaicony and return to the starting line was contested in drenching rain and heavy winds. John took this stage in a threeway sprint to the line from De Nobrega and Dey.

John was timed at 2:31:22, De Nobrega 2:31:25 and Dey, 2:31:28. Briton John emerged as the top junior in a time of 2:36:02 from Gopilall (2:37:15) and Hodge 2:37:51. Choo-Wee-Nam took the masters division in 2:37:51 just ahead of Niles 2:37:52 and Warren ‘Forty’ Mc Kay with a similar time. Cyclists were refreshed by Sueria Manufacturing Ltd’s Activade Sports Drink. Other sponsors on board are Shameer Baksh of Universal Cycle & Auto Spares, Mr. Cleon Melville and Mr. Oliver Young. Race time today is 09:30hrs.

Success Enforcers destroyed Good Hope by 92 runs in the Male Open category of The Unity Cup Softball Cricket Tournament for the national championship organized by the Guyana Softball League. Enforcers batted first and rattled up a huge 174-5 in 10 overs then restricted Good Hope to a meager 82 in 8 overs as the bowlers enjoyed a good day on their home ground in front of a small crowd. In the other match played before the ground became waterlogged, Success Warriors showed off their all round ability by hammering Hope Warriors by 113 runs in another good day for the Success boys. Warriors batted first and made a strong message to the others by making a good score of 165-7 in their 10 overs. In reply Hope Warriors were dismissed for 52 in 9.3 overs as their batsmen struggled to come to grips with the Warriors bowlers. Meanwhile, the others areas were unable to make a start as the rains made the grounds unplayable and the reps are waiting for some ease in order to have a start. The fixtures are as follow: Lower East Coast/ Georgetown/ East Bank zone: Rafman Ally – 654- 2233: Under-15: 9:00am Enterprise versus Success U-15 11:30 Durban Quarry versus Strikers 1:00 pm Enterprise Youths versus Better Hope XI 3.30pm: Accomplishment Youths versus Farm XI

Action in the one ball competition at one of the venues last weekend. Additionally the quarter finals of the tournament will have special prizes for teams making it that far. The registration will continue in each area as the tournament hopes to have participation from each area. Prizes being offered are as follows: Male open Champion - $50,000 and one of the Unity Cups as well as championship rings; Female Open champion - $25,000 and one Unity Cups; Masters Champion $20,000 and one Unity Cup; MVP- Trophies and one package which includes electronic accessories. A special prize is also on the cards for the representative who garners the most teams. Other promotional items will also be given on the spot

to sport fans as the teams goes to various grounds. Grounds to be used are Success; Better Hope; Mahaica; Leonora Primary; Uitvlugt, Parika, Scott Field, Port Mourant so far. More details are forthcoming on the grounds. Meanwhile, to get more details on the tournament persons can contact the following representatives: West Demerara – Ravendra Ramgobin – 276-1381; Premnauth Bimchan (Pampalam)– 670-9982; Rawle Higgins – 667-6374; East Bank Demerara/ Georgetown – Nadir Baksh (Gas)– 672-0378;Lower East Coast Demerara – up to Enmore as well as East Bank/ Linden – Rafman Ally – 6542233/ Darmin Ramnarine – 6423165; Upper East Coast Herman Persaud – 643-3033.

SportsMax Digicel acquire 2018 FIFA World Cup rights Jamaica Observer SportsMax and Digicel announced recently that they have secured the broadcast rights for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, in 22 countries, through an agreement signed with DIRECTV. Following the successful carriage of the FIFA World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2014, as well as the upcoming exclusive coverage of the 2020 Summer Olympics, SportsMax and Digicel have acquired the English and Spanish language media rights for all 64 matches in the 2018 FIFA World Cup running from June 14 to July 15. The

action from Russia will be broadcast throughout the region using a combination of free-to-air TV, broadband, pay TV, radio and, significantly, streaming via mobile. In addition to the FIFA World Cup being broadcast via Digicel and free-to-air TV (in select countries) to reach the widest possible Caribbean audience. SportsMax will have a dedicated FIFA World Cup channel available online with over 700 hours of live programming and analysis, so that fans in the broadcast territories can enjoy the action in Russia on various platforms, whenever they

want. “It’s an exciting time for SportsMax as we countdown to the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Our partnership with DIRECTV has allowed us to take the game of football to the people who love it most, whether they are at home watching TV, in the car listening to the radio, or on the go with their smartphones and mobile devices via PlayGo. Broadcast rights vary in each of the countries, but altogether include free-to-air, broadband, play Tv, radio and mobile platforms — offering more people more options to {Continued on page 75)

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Linden Synthetic Track on target for Oct. 2018 completion DPI, Guyana - The Department of Sport is on target with its October 2018 deadline for the laying of a state-of-theart synthetic track in the mining town of Linden in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). This is according to Minister of Social Cohesion, with responsibility for Sport, Dr. George Norton who has responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport. The minister relayed this information to the residents of Linden during a visit to the community on May 9. Accompanied by a delegation of sports officials, Minister Norton informed Lindeners on the completion of the first two phases and the commencement of the third phase of the construction of the synthetic track. Residents were given a first-hand glimpse of the works completed for the first two phases which included a thorough evaluation of the site and completion of the design by the German company BSW. “I am happy to be able to share phases one and two

with you, this is work completed this is work done, these are indications of progress that have been made,” Assistant Director of Sport, Melissa Richards-Dow said. According to her, all bills of quantities have been prepared and submitted for evaluation. Following the completion of the procurement process and awarding of a contractor, construction of an eight-lane, 400-metre track will commence. The laying of the track is expected to take between 14 to 21 days. The technicalities involved in constructing such a facility require clear planning before implementation. The initial construction will see the laying of the synthetic track, the completion of security fencing and the development of a world-class football field in the centre. The facility will possess all the necessary amenities for field events. “This was designed with the intention of having everybody involved to have everybody included in the air of social cohesion,” Minister Norton said. The develop-

Minister of Social Cohesion, with responsibility for Sport, Dr. George Norton addressing the residents of Linden. ment of the pavilion and the additional space surrounding is a project that will be scheduled for a later time. Several communities to benefit While the main beneficia-

UWSCC/Independence Three-Stage Cycle Road Race

Jamal John (senior), Ajay Gopilall (junior), Niles & Choo-Wee-Nam (masters) lead

Ajay Gopilall caught cruising to the most memorable win of his career in stage two yesterday’s race on Homestretch Avenue. The third and final stage of this year’s United We Stand Cycle Club/Independence Three-Stage Cycle Road Race, today, is anticipated to be fiercely contested as the nation’s best jostle for the attractive cash prizes and trophies on offer. At the end of two eagerly contested stages yesterday, Team Coco’s Jamal John (4:56:22) leads the senior category overall by a mere second over Trojan/PSL Cortis Dey followed by Team

Evolution’s Paul De Nobrega (4:56:23), Ajay Gopilall – Trojan/PSL (4:59:36), Team Alanis’ Alonzo Ambrose (5:00:36), Junior Niles – Team Coco’s and Team Alanis’ Paul Choo-Wee-Nam who are both credited with 5:02:52 to close out the top seven positions. Seventeen-year-old Gopilall is also the leading junior and rode a tactically brilliant second-stage around the Homestretch Avenue/ Hadfield Street circuit yesterday afternoon to obliterate his

more senior and experienced counterparts in style. The cyclists were required to traverse the circuit which was used many, many years ago 30 times; this was the first time in this era of cycling that this route would have been used. Andrew Hicks (United We Stand CC) looked very promising early on in the race as he led from lap three until lap 13 before he was hauled in by the chasing pack of ChooWee-Nam, Ambrose, Niles, (Continued on page 76)

ries of the track will be the athletes and members of Linden’s sporting arena, a plethora of benefits will be derived from the entire community. Employment will be garnered by residents during the construction phase, and the prop-

erty value of residences surrounding the track will increase. “It is an opportunity for employment and an opportunity for skill-set development,” Dow related. “No homes will be affected, additional facilitation will be put in place for roadways and it is expected that the general aesthetics of Wismar, Linden will be improved.” Linden is special Minister Norton, in his presentation, reiterated that “Linden is special” and its athletes are outstanding. He emphasised that it was a conscious decision to construct such a facility in the town of Linden. He agreed with the adage that Linden is the hub of sports and athletics in Guyana and encouraged those in the sporting arena to not get complacent and lose this title. “That hub can become a hole if we don’t be careful and we could all fall into it, we cannot afford at the national level to allow that to happen, it is therefore on all of us to take whatever steps that are nec-

essary for us to nip whatever is going to come against us,” he said. The officials were charged to single out sporting talent in the outlying communities in Region 10, rather than to centralising their efforts in Linden. The minister reminded Lindeners that his ministry has an open-door policy and will always support sport development in their community. Residents lauded the government for making this dream a reality for Linden. “It is indeed a great day for Linden and we have to say thanks to this administration for bringing us to this point,” one resident said. Member of Parliament (MP), Jermaine Figueira reminded the residents that the facility is owned by the community and management will be chosen by the community. “We will put the structure in place with the residents it must be an inclusive process.” A synthetic track will also be built in Region Six, East Berbice-Corentyne.

Hamilton ends Vettel’s pole run in Spain

BARCELONA (Reuters) Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton seized pole position at the Spanish Grand Prix yesterday in a Mercedes one-two that ended Sebastian Vettel’s bid for a fourth in a row. The Briton, leading his Ferrari rival by four points after four races, put in two blistering final laps at an overcast Circuit de Catalunya to take the top slot in a track record one minute 16.173 seconds. Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas was second, in 1:16.213, with Vettel third and 0.132 off the pace. “I needed this pole, I haven’t had a pole for a while. It’s a Mercedes one-two,” said Hamilton, whose last pole was in the Australian seasonopener in March. The four times world champion’s time, on a track that has been smoothed and resurfaced since last year, was nearly three seconds quicker than his 2017 time of 1:19.149. The Briton has now been on pole in Spain for three years in a row and four of the last five. Yesterday’s was the record 74th of his career and came at a track that has historically favoured the top qualifier. Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen qualified fourth with the Red Bull pairing of Max

Lewis Hamilton (right) and Valtteri Bottas reacts after their Spanish Grand Prix Mercedes lockout. Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo lining up fifth and sixth for their first race since they collided in Azerbaijan two weekends ago. Vettel said: “I was happy with the lap... I was feeling good. I looked at the tower and I saw my name didn’t go up, but we expected Mercedes to be strong so we will see what happens tomorrow.”Danish driver Kevin Magnussen qualified seventh for Haas, ahead of Spaniards Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz for McLaren and Renault respectively. That marked the first time Sainz had outqualified his German team mate Nico Hulkenberg this season and left Alonso as the only driver

on the grid with a 5-0 record over his team mate, Stoffel Vandoorne. It was also the first time a McLaren, now with Renault engines and with an eyecatching new nose and front wing, had reached the decisive final session this season. Frenchman Romain Grosjean rounded out the top 10 for Haas. New Zealand’s Brendon Hartley did not take part in qualifying for Toro Rosso after crashing heavily in final practice. His absence saved former champions Williams the embarrassment of filling the back row of the grid with Russian Sergey Sirotkin and Canadian Lance Stroll in 18th and 19th.

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2018 GFF Awards Ceremony and Dinner

Sherwyn Caesar and Tiandi Smith awarded male and female players of the year - Effervescent EBFA rightfully named association of the year

EBFA head, Franklin Wilson (right), receiving the award for most outstanding member association for the year 2017 from assistant director of sports, Brian Smith. The current Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Executive Committee (Exco) led by President, Wayne Forde, successfully resuscitated the entity’s Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner with a grand affair on Friday evening at the Sleepin International Hotel and Casino on Church Street. The awards ceremony had been dormant for nine years and after the hiatus, the 2018 edition; in the 116th year of the GFF, was well organised with melodious live steel pan music, a tassa band and a performance by local artiste Vanilla which all preceded a cocktail hour as the contributions of key stakeholders to the development of football in Guyana were recognized. Guyana Defence Force Football Club’s (GDF FC) Sherwyn Caesar, the leading goal scorer in season two of the GFF Elite League, which his club won, was awarded Male Footballer of the Year. Meanwhile, talented ‘Lady Jag’ Tiandi Smith, who captained Guyana’s under-17 girls during their CONCACAF Under-17 World

Cup qualifying bid last august at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC) and has since moved on to be a key player in the senior ladies side, received the Female player of the year accolade. Prodigies, Jelade Trim (female) of Kwakwani, along with Orville Daniels (male) of Rupununi were announced as the youth players of the year. Officiating is an important facet of the game and the GFF recognized top referees Maurees Skeete (female) and Gladwyn Johnson (male), while the most outstanding assistant referees for the year 2017 were also awarded in Marineika Welcome (female) and Kevin Stephens (male). Franklin Wilson, President of the East Bank Football Association (EBFA) which is the only association that has active programmes from the under-13 to senior levels, received the Member Association (MA) of the year accolade on behalf of his entity. Former coach of the senior men’s team; the Golden Jaguars, Jamal Shabazz was recognized for being the most successful national team

coach. Among the other awardees were Gordon Braithwaithe who was bestowed with the Presidential Merit award and the Rupununi Football Association (RFA) that won the most improved MA of the year. During the GFF President’s key address, he posited that with the 2018 FIFA World Cup just over a month away, it is very fitting that the current Exco have already began laying the building blocks for Guyana’s 2026 World Cup qualification campaign. Forde explained that in order for Guyana to qualify for the next World Cup, “We need a national alliance of all stakeholders to invest the time and resources necessary to prepare the Nation’s team. We need each citizen, every business and every member of our fraternity, the Government of Guyana, (and) the international community to all come together to be part of the exciting journey.” The football boss noted that the GFF will direct its investments towards eight key development pillars for the

GDF FC’s Sherwyn Caesar (right), male footballer of the year 2017.

Tiandi Smith, GFF female footballer of the year 2017, receiving her accolade from Wayne Forde. growth of the game. Those pillars are coaching education, ground & facilities,

grassroots football, school football, club football, international matches, elite acad-

emy training centres and growing the football brand. (Calvin Chapman)

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 13, 2018

PAGE 79

RHTY&SC and DVT-8 honour three outstanding T Mothers under Patron’s Fund

hree outstanding Mothers from the ancient county of Berbice were on Saturday honoured as Mothers of the Year by the ten cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS and Daves Television Station. The Programme was the eleventh of its kind by the club and DTV-8 as part of their joint effort to recognise and honour outstanding parents. Those honoured were Adele Minty, Ranita Permaul and Dawn Da Silva. Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that the Mothers of the Year Award is one of the twelve awards programmes organised by the Club every year under its Tribute to Heroes Campaign. The main objectives of the Mothers Award are to recognise and honour outstanding parents, to identify role model parents for others to emulate and to learn from their experience. The long serving Secretary/CEO stated that children below the age of fifteen years were encouraged to submit essays on the topic “Why I love my Mother and why she is my Role Model”. The Management of DTV-8 then selected the winners. Each of the three mothers received a trophy, Medal of Excellence, Framed Certificate and collection of gifts compliments of the Rose

Mothers of the Year and children pose with RHTYSC and DTV-8 Representatives. Hall Town Youth & Sports Club Patron’s Fund. The Patron’s Fund is funded by an annual donation of $1M from the RHTY&SC’s Patron His Excellency President David Granger. Foster congratulated the Awardees on being selected as the 2018 Mothers of the Year and urged them to uphold the high standard they have set themselves as parents. Parenthood, he stated is a special gift from God, so that we can look

after his children on earth. He spoke widely on the importance of parents and for them to be examples for children to emulate. The current generation, he stated, faces more temptation from Satan and his evil world of crime, alcohol, pre-marital sex, u n w a n t e d p r e g n a n c y, suicide and drugs. He cautioned the parents to have some form of control over the usage of social media as it does have some negative

influence. Parents across Berbice were also urged to make sure that they inspire their children to Say Yes to Education, Religion, Life, Culture and Sports. Foster advised the parents that the best gift they can give to their children apart from unconditional love is an educational background. Education, he stated is the foundation of success and it is the only asset that remain with you for life. He expressed gratitude to the

Management and Staff of DTV-8 for their continued support of Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club activities. Managing Director of DTV-8 Anita Rambarran stated that the Television Station was pleased to join hands with its long term partner to honour the Mothers. DTV-8 is a family station; she stated and as such promotes the values of good parenting. She congratulated the Rose Hall

Town Youth & Sports Club for the outstanding work it was doing to make positive differences in the lives of Berbicians. The Club and D T V- 8 a l s o d o n a t e d educational materials to the children who nominated their mothers. The Mother of the Year Programme is the 375th activity to be successfully completed by the Club for 2018, out of the 700 it has planned.

Lusignan Golf Club hosts Miss World Guyana Sports and Fitness competition today The Executive and Members of the Lusignan Golf Club will join all to celebrate with all mothers in Guyana, and to wish them a wonderful and positively memorable Mothers’ Day experience this year. This Mother’s Day celebration will be of special significance in the history of the Lusignan Golf Club as the ten (10) finalists of the Miss World Guyana 2018 pageant will compete for better scores in a specially designed Sports and Fitness competition. Scheduled to take place between 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (14:00 hours – 16:00 hours), the competition is intended to show out the graceful physical prowess and mental attitude in sports as competitors. The Finalists are Ambika

The ten Miss World Guyana finalists that will be involved in today’s competition. Ramraj, Andrea Marslowe, Breeanka West, Dianna

Persaud, Donnette Linton, Joylyn Conway, Lalita

Baliram, Lateifha Goodluck, Nichola Munroe, and Tracy

Smith and they are likely teeming with excitement and

expectation as they show off their skills today.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 80

Sunday May 13, 2018

BCB files court action against GuyanaNRA fund raising raffle drawn Holder of ticket #0013050 wins 125CC Jialing Motorcycle new cricket Ombudsman

he saga in Guyana’s cricket continues as Secretary of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Rabindranauth Saywack is seeking to stop the newly

appointed Cricket Ombudsman Steven Lewis from functioning regarding verification of cricket clubs eligible to vote at elections of the County Boards. The new Ombudsman may seek to

verify the eligibility of clubs that voted in previous elections. Justice Navindra Singh, in the absence of an Ombudsman, had ruled in another matter filed by Mr. Saywack and others, on the eligibility of Clubs to vote in the BCB Elections. The judge had also fixed the date for that election, while taking over the responsibility of the Ombudsman to verify the clubs that had voting rights. Kaieteur Sports was reliably informed that three clubs in Berbice have since appealed that decision through their lawyer Nigel Hughes. In this new matter Mr. Saywack, in his capacity as secretary of the BCB, is contending that the appointment of the new Ombudsman is illegal and an injunction should be granted to stop him from functioning until the matter is fully herd and determined. The judge has since given time to Mr. Lewis, the newly appointed Cricket Ombudsman, to respond. Court documents, filed by Mr. Saywack, revealed that the Berbice Cricket Board was invited to attend the Extraordinary Meeting held to appoint the Cricket Ombudsman but chose not to attend as they are contending that the GCB does not exist. Article 10 of the Guyana Cricket Administration Act states: 1. There shall be an authority known as the Cricket Ombudsman who shall hold office for a period of three years after the Ombudsman has been elected by a two-third majority of the members present and voting at an extraordinary meeting of the Guyana Cricket Board. 2. Where there are two or more candidates vying for the post of cricket ombudsman and no candidate receives a two third majority, there shall be a run off between the two candidates with the highest number of votes in which the Ombudsman shall be chosen by a majority vote. 3. The primary task of the Cricket Ombudsman for the duration of his appointment shall be the responsibility for the verification of the Register of Clubs and for performing the functions of Returning Officer for the elections of the membership of the (Continued on page 75)

The GuyanaNRA Fundraising Raffle prizes on display yesterday.

he Guyana National Rifle Association (GuyanaNRA) fundraising raffle was drawn yesterday in the compound of Industrial Safety Supplies Inc., 226 Camp Street. The holder of ticket #0013050 (E. Brazilio) won the first place prize of One Jialing 125CC Motorcycle which has been sponsored by Jialing. The second place prize of one 8HP Outboard Engine sponsored by Crown Mining Supplies was won by the holder of ticket #0006301. Holder of ticket #0009178 won the third place prize of one 50" TV compliments of Industrial Safety Supplies Inc., while the fourth place prize of one

Refrigerator compliments of Queensway was won by the holder of ticket #0005416. The winners of the 10 consolations prizes sponsored by Mr. Andre De Abreu are: 1. One Fan ticket #0040501; 2. One Fan ticket #0040847; 3. One Non Stick Cooker ticket #0007265; 4. One Coffee Maker ticket #0040805; 5. One Rice Cooker ticket #0035279; 6. One Rice Cooker ticket #0018799; 7. One Six Speed Mixer ticket #0039055; 8. Two Burner Gas Cooker ticket #0016718; 9. Non Stick Pot ticket #0013348; 10. Ten Piece Non Stick Cookware Set ticket #0043688. Winners of the above prizes can uplift them from Mr. Hemant Narine at

Industrial Safety Supplies Inc., 226 Camp Street. They are also required to walk with a valid ID and have three months in which they can uplift their prizes. The GuyanaNRA is extending gratitude to all the persons who would have purchased tickets noting that the funds raised would assist in offsetting expenses for the Guyana team which will be defending both their Long and Short Range titles at the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Championships set for Barbados from May 20. Today the team would be engaged in their final Team Practice session before leaving for the Land of the Flying Fish on Saturday.

GCB Female T20 InterCounty tourney called off 24-member squad to be shortlisted

t looks like the MayJune rain is here and is affecting outdoor sports in Guyana with cricket included with the washed out GCB Female Senior Inter-County T20 tournament not escaping the adverse weather. After Friday’s opening game between Demerara and Essequibo was washed out at Everest, the venue was waterlogged yesterday

for the match-up between three-day champions Berbice and Essequibo it was decided to cancel the tournament. The National selectors led by former Guyana pacer Rayon Griffith, will now sit to pick a 24-member squad to prepare for Cricket West I n d i e s ’ Wo m e n ’s Championship scheduled for Jamaica, June 10 – 24. The Championship

forms part of the defending World Tw enty20 champions, West Indies’, preparation for the November 2018 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana and St Lucia. Not having the opportunity to see much action in the 50-over format due to rain the selectors will have to depend on players with experience.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 13, 2018

Woodpecker Products Junior Nat tourney

Cadogan upset Harding in match of the night Wilshire to face-off with Daniel Islam in today’s U-17 final

atched by large turn-out a t t h e Georgetown Club on a wet and windy Friday night, Abosaide Cadogan and Makeda Harding set the place on fire with high quality Squash as they demonstrated plenty of grit and determination when action on Night Four of the 2018 Woodpecker Products Junior National Squash Championships continued. In a riveting match highlighted by long and excellently executed rallies, neither of the of teenagers showed any inclination of letting up in a high energy contest which saw the 14year-old Cadogan eventually winning in three straight games. The opening game began with the physically bigger Harding looking to stamp her authority early; ending on the right side of lengthy rallies to take a 7/2 lead. But Cadogan, liked a wounded Tigress, clawed her way back and registered four unanswered points as the tempo picked up. Harding launched a concerted fight back and the pendulum was beginning to swing in her favour as she levelled the score at 11-all. A clinical drop shot give Harding the lead before the feisty Cadogan responded by winning the next point to leave the score 12/12. Cadogan survived, winning the next couple of points to win a very competitive game 14/12.

The second stanza was again action packed as the girls traded shot for shot, much to delight of the spectators who lustily cheered every point. When Harding drove a powerful shot a few inches too low with Cadogan in no position to receive the ball, her cry of anguish could be heard all way down Camp Street. Harding missed a drive and loudly reprimanded herself. Emotions were getting the better of her as she threw away some free points as the calmer Cadogan stormed to an 11-8 win in the second game. Mentally, Cadogan was back in control at the start of the third game as Harding failed to take the match into a fourth game. The defending U-17 Champion seemed to buckle under the sustained pressure from Cadogan who romped to an emphatic 11-5 win to take the match 3-0. Harding tossed her Racket into air at the end of the match in disgust but the three games were so entertaining that those present rose to give both Girls a standing ovation. In another exciting match, the bespectacled Mohryan Baksh sporting a sign on his T-shirt saying ‘I make the rules’ showed great improvement to defeat James Mekdeci 3-1. Sarah Lewis beat Aliyah Persaud three-love in a U-19 match-up, while Gianni Carpenter lost to fellow

Mohryan Baksh (foreground) beat James Mekdeci at GT Club on Friday Night.

south paw Samuel InceCarvalhal three-love. Daniel Islam and 14year-old Caribbean U-15 Champion Shomari Wiltshire made light work of their opponents and will face each other in today’s U-17 finals. Today action will (Continued on page 75)

The smaller Abosaide Cadogan and Mekada Harding faced off in a pulsating battle which Cadogan won 3-love.

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rt o p S 2018 GFF Awards Ceremony and Dinner

P. 78

Sherwyn Caesar and Tiandi Smith awarded male and Effervescent EBFA rightfully female players of the year named association of the year

The awardees pose with their accolades for a group photo at the conclusion of the ceremony on Friday night at Sleepin Hotel.

UWSCC/Independence Three-Stage Cycle Road Race

Jamal John (senior), Ajay Gopilall (junior), Niles & Choo-Wee-Nam (masters) lead P. 77

Leaders sporting their jerseys after yesterdayâ€™s first stage from right, Briton John, Jamal John and Paul Choo-Wee-Nam.

Jamal John takes the first stage yesterday in a 3-way sprint with Paul De Nobrega and Cortis Dey.

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