Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Human trafficking is real in Guyana Up until a year ago Guyana prided itself on being clean of any accusation that it supported human trafficking. A decade ago when this issue reared its ugly head Guyana was angry that the United States had actually identified it as a country that protected human traffickers. During parliamentary sessions held at the Ocean View Convention Centre because the Public Buildings was under repairs, there were heated arguments by the opposing sides. Government Ministers said that the United States, which had many more human traffickers than lowly Guyana, was seeking to pass judgement on a country where it had been proven that human trafficking was nonexistent. The reality was that we never paid any attention to this phenomenon. As is the case today, parents often reported that their daughters had gone missing but the nation hardly paid any attention. When the girls returned home the deed had been done. The girl had been trafficked and was able to return home. Her parents were ashamed at the fate of the girl that they kept their mouth shut. The cycle continued until international pressure forced Guyana to take a closer look at human trafficking. It was only then that we realized that girls, in particular, were lured from their homes with the promise of high paying jobs and actually forced into prostitution. But even then, our administrators were angry because as far as they were concerned, we were being blamed for not doing what the world wanted us to do even as we had no reason to do anything. We were wrong. The world wanted us to prosecute the traffickers but we could not find them simply because we were not looking for them. At the same time many young women were only too keen to earn money and for them, there was no easier way than to use their God-given proclivities and their natural endowment. Indeed, most of them came from households where parental supervision was at a minimum, where they were allowed to face peer pressure without the needed guidance. Those who have travelled to the various remote locations in Guyana cannot help but notice young women working in bars and at the same time, offering their bodies for a fee. Many of them came from hinterland regions and having been faced with the harsh reality simply went with the flow. Sadly, they do not last too long but the wisdom they develop allow them to return home and to recruit younger girls. Then there are those who understand young uneducated people. They fuel the resent these people feel toward their parents and before one knows it the young person is led away. A few who found the going too harsh begged to be freed and actually managed to escape from what is nothing but modern day slavery. One of the criticisms of Guyana is that there is hardly any prosecution. Within the past year people who have been found to be exploiting the young women have been able to escape prosecution. Some say that the young women refuse to testify so a case cannot be laid. However, the victim does not necessarily need to testify when there is overwhelming evidence of the situation. A man gets killed and his assailant is charged with murder. The victim by no stretch of imagination can be called to testify. Similarly, there is no need for the victim in the trafficking case to be called as a witness but then again, there have been some strange definitions of the law. We have also heard that law enforcers facilitate human trafficking and the trade in underage girls. During a recent bust, we learnt that the traffickers would pay the police to turn the other way while the victims are escorted into the hinterland. We can only wish that there is a more studied effort on the part of law enforcement. Gateways to the hinterland should be properly staffed. And above all, the rangers who patrol the mining areas should be decent and honest enough to halt illegalities. However, the dollar is mighty and Guyana stands to suffer on the world stage.

Tuesday May 20, 2014

Letters... Where your views make the news

Those contentious Berbice River Bridge toll charges DEAR EDITOR, Another brouhaha has broken out in Parliament, and this time it’s an attempt by the opposition majority to get the tolls charged by the Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI) reduced for vehicular and other crossings. The Berbice River Bridge was not an economically/financially viable project to start with, as no feasibility study was carried out, and therefore the apparently high tolls now being charged is necessary for its operation, maintenance and debt service obligations. I was unable to get any financial information, but based on my intuition and observations of the traffic using the bridge it seems that BBCI is having a negative return on its investment. If this is so, then for the tolls to be reduced the Government will have to either provide a subsidy or nationalize the entity if it is to remain solvent. The Govt. is already heavily subsidizing the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Guysuco, etc., and therefore under the Berbice River Bridge Act, Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn has the authority to lower the tolls, but he has stated in no uncertain terms that the Government has no such

intention. Under the administration of former President Jagdeo - during which period the bridge was design and built – Winston Brassington from NICIL was able to include in the BBCI agreement a crafty clause which allows financial and other information considered confidential to be kept secret. Therefore no one except the Government and BBCI shareholders have access to information, financial or otherwise, which would indicate whether BBCI is making or losing money, and it is this information which the opposition needs before it can make any meaningful claim that the tolls are excessive and therefore a reduction is necessary. Unfortunately, the opposition is unlikely to obtain this or any other information considered confidential by the Government anytime soon, for several reasons. The Constitution of Guyana is so framed that any legislation passed in the National Assembly has to have the President’s assent before it becomes law. Simply put, no one gets anything unless the President says so, law or no law. Therefore unless Messrs. Granger and Harmon get the necessary changes made to the Constitution, much of their efforts in Parliament will achieve

nothing and the minority Government will continue to spend public funds, award contracts, etc. with impunity and answerable to no one. Because no feasibility was carried out for BBCI, alternative modes to provide cheaper and efficient transportation across the Berbice River were never considered and Berbicians were led to believe by the Jagdeo administration that BBCI would provide a cheaper and more efficient means than the ferry to cross the Berbice River, although no financial analysis was given at the time to support this claim. Now that the high tolls have become a reality and are likely to persist for years to come, there is apprehension and financial dismay by users. Minister Benn could ease the pain on Berbicians by cross subsidization. He should increase the toll (very low) on the Demerara Harbour Bridge crossing and use the money to lower that of BBCI to the extent that its distribution is fair and equitable. This is not a novel idea. New York has used it for years, earmarking revenues from its Bridge and Tunnel Authority to subsidize the deficits of the Long Island Railroad, since these entities are part of an integrated transportation system. Charles Sohan

All Guyanese are ready for these long overdue elections DEAR EDITOR, This beautiful country is in dire need of a shake-up, change, a new image. Government, charged with this trusted and sacred responsibility, and mandate given to them by the people to lead and present Guyana as a striving developing democracy, has convincingly failed. Constant utterances in large gatherings, on state television and print, of bringing back democracy to Guyana with the PPP’s ascension to power is nothing more than rhetoric and sweet nothings. How can one have the audacity to chant those words after denying its people and a generation for twenty years from participating inLocal Government Elections? President Ramotar ’s interesting response to a question put to him at last Wednesday’s Europe Day, as to why local government elections have not been held, and I quote “as far as local government elections is concerned I cannot be oblivious to the political situation that exists in this country and further I say not”. What can be interpreted from this cryptic answer? Is it the plausible inference of

the President and his government’s desire NOT to call the two-decades-long awaited local government elections? What “political situation” is his Excellency referring to? Is it the minority control his government has? Is it that the majority of the electorate supported the opposition parties in the last general elections? To w h a t p o l i t i c a l situation would he refer (if I do interpret his response correctly), that wants him to

deny a generation of young people, his people, from participating in an election, the last of which took place twenty years ago. Why would our President not want to properly address or say anything else on this most important issue that is attracting the interest of the international community but m o s t i m p o r t a n t l y, t h e citizens of this country he pledged to serve, This sort of inaction and unwelcome approaches to this election bring into

question if the unsatisfying desire and irrefutable obsession for power, to control and maintain the executive arm of government, are greater than the interest of the people’s constitutional right to participate and contribute to the shaping of this country’s destiny? There is undeniably no justifiable or credible reason, no sensible excuse that government can concoct due to whatever “political situation” that exists, for not holding local government (Continued on page 23)

The other normalcy DEAR EDITOR, We have all browsed the media ads on academic opportunity as guides to the current requirements for jobs and the possibility for higher Education. I have never before read an ad that stipulated that the criteria for participation resides in the applicants ethnicity - that is until Thursday May 15, 2014 in both of the leading Independent Newspapers. This ad was placed by the local arm of the Indian Government in Guyana. This raises the question of the psychological perception of sovereign identity of the recipients and more specifically the host country, and holds several considerations to question. Had any ad preceded this in the same vein

from another nation, then that nation should also be held in similar scrutiny. The Indian High Commission must understand that India stands out as the host nation of the origins of the infamous Bramanic Aryan cult with its bizarre ideologies of racist oppression. Though in India serious domestic resistances to this three thousand-year practice are ongoing and are commendable, yet, its vestiges remain rooted over there, and have troubled this country’s modern history significantly for too long - thus the need for the attention given through this letter. It does demonstrate though, that what is the other normalcy in that venue signals the aware to pause and to question. Barrington Braithwaite

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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

Volunteers clean Manatee pond DEAR EDITOR, Approximately 13 years ago animal lover Melinda Janki asked several volunteers to help clean up the Manatee pond in the Botanical Gardens. It was a rewarding feeling to see something so filthy transformed into a cleaner and healthier environment for our Manatees. Back then we enlisted the help of street kids and every Saturday morning, for several months, groups of volunteers cleaned the Manatee ponds at the Botanical Garden and National Park. In April 2014, Georgetown International Academy Student, Samuel Chandool, became engaged in a community work study programme and chose to help animals. He called me and asked for ideas. I told him about the sad conditions the Manatees lived in and he decided to help them. We got approval from the Protected Areas Commission and on April 13th, with 3 volunteers (Samuel, his cousin Ashley and me), 2 extra-large bags of garbage in and around the Manatee Pond were picked up. The following week, Samuel’s initiative produced 5 volunteers and we picked up 6 large bags of garbage. Two Sundays ago (Mother’s day) Samuel’s initiative had grown to 11 volunteers and

10 large bags of garbage were picked up from in and around the Manatee Pond. It was inspiring to see how hard the volunteers worked; they did not miss a plastic bottle, twine, straws, and even bottle caps (all things that should never have been in the Manatee Pond or its environs in the first place). The volunteers assembled around 2:30 pm and got a chance to educate visitors to the Botanical Gardens on the negative effects of littering and how everyone benefits from a clean environment. Visitors generally agreed and some even passed the message to others when they saw them littering. I was most impressed with a young boy, son of a vendor, named Andrew (could not be more than 7 years old). Andrew came to us saying he wanted to help. We gave him some gloves and he started working and did not want to stop. When we finished he wanted to know when we would be returning. We have learned several things from the above experiences: 1. A lot of waste material gets thrown on the ground and into the Manatee Pond every week by visitors to the Botanical Gardens and Zoo. 2. Picking up after visitors is an inefficient use of scarce resources.

3. There is an urgent need to educate visitors to deposit waste in appropriate bins. 4. Appropriate waste bins must be placed at key points. 5. Waste bins must be cleared and disposed of properly on a daily basis. 6. There are persons of all ages willing to volunteer their time for productive activities. Thanks are given to the following students for helping to make a difference in the lives of our birds, manatees and other wildlife residing in the Zoo and Botanical Gardens: Students like Mel Rodrigues, Queenstown Secondary School; Samuel Chandool, GIA; Reynard Ramsaroop, Queen’s College; Ransell Ramsaroop, Marian’s Academy; Colin and Maria Wong (private schools). Thanks are also due to the many adults who are doing their part to spread awareness and the Protected Areas Commission and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for their efforts to improve conditions for our voiceless urban animals. “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope”Barack Obama. Syeada Manbodh

A watch for our brother we must keep…civic pride is not asleep DEAR EDITOR, I am daily trying to come to grips with the seemingly obvious, while racking my cranium in an endeavour to firstly visualize my Guyana Eldorado, my native land, where a sound mind in a sound body (mens sana in corpore sano) and a sense of civic duty was once the norm, and at the selfsame time wondering what genre of the human species currently occupies the land. I refer to the article of Friday May, 16, 2014 captioned “Man fights for life after vicious hacking”. The more I read about the dastardly act that was perpetrated, the more it highlighted the apathy bordering on sheer stupidity of some of the locals. According to the newspaper report, the victim was attacked when he refused to get up and take his attackers to the urinal. A strange request in itself, as from all evidence they were capable of walking to the urinal, and carrying out unassisted, all requirements for the act that takes place when man, genital and urinal meet.

The victim was drinking, and the eyewitness who requested anonymity was able to give a very detailed description of the attack. He should remain anonymous in view of his pusillanimous behaviour. Was he also one of the imbibers? The report does not state, nor does it give any account of anyone confronting the attackers during the onslaught. Was he just a fearful bystander, a recorder of sorts? No mention is made of what helpful part he played beyond his reporting ability and expressed anonymity. Did he not fear for his own life? So why stick around to see when there is a clear need to flee? Two of the assailants held the victim on the ground, while they cut off his nose, later throwing it on the ground. The nose is made of cartilage and despite its short size takes some time and effort to effect removal. I am pleading for help in ascertaining or at best figuring out, what were the others doing while the surgery was taking place. Where was the owner for the home where the attack took

place? What was he doing or saying while intruders were brutally assaulting someone on his property? The men took out knives and started stabbing the security guard, and no one was able to intervene. Again the enigmatic question is posed - Why Not? There were four assailants, so let‘s get more to overcome the four. They even held him up when he fell, in order to continue the carnage. One of the assailants threw a brick at the wife; the very selfsame object could have been used to throw at the assailants during the attack. Confessedly even to the most moronic or myopic, there is something more than meets the eye. I mean far beyond the absence of Good Samaritan display, and carrying out of duty to rescue. Res ipsa loquitur (the thing speaks for itself). The police are looking for the suspects, but should also painstakingly look at other aspects. If a watch for our brothers we must keep, then we cannot afford to sleep. Let us restore civic pride. Yvonne Sam

We are playing games with spirit of our people DEAR EDITOR, There should be no debate about the need for or importance of local government elections. We have a new generation of voters who have been preoccupied with just general elections and the constant stand-off between the government and the opposition and most recently, the Mayor and City Council. If the Minister of Local Government believes that people need to be educated before they proceed with these constitutionally due elections, then I believe he needs to move swiftly on an education campaign. Take elections from the people and you take away your legitimacy to govern them. It makes absolutely no sense to postpone elections because of the lack of voter education and at the same time, not develop a plan of action and implement an educational programme. It seems to me that from every angle, our peoples are being held at ransom. I spoke about the issue surrounding the frivolous actions of the government to bring to a halt the democracy project in a democracy. Who are we deceiving? There is great need for local government elections as well to be preceded by a project that helps Guyanese to

understand how to exercise their franchise. It is too long, it is overdue, and I find it disturbing that we are playing games with spirit of our people, of our communities and the nation. I have lost confidence in my leaders to rebound and I am certain that I echo the sentiments of thousands of Guyanese youth. Though I feel this way, I believe in the need for our leaders to conduct themselves in a manner that their offices require; in a manner that says you work for the people and finish the work they are paying you to do. They are exhausting the spirits of our people and are throwing humanity out the window. I feel as though this is becoming a Hobbesian state; life is incrementally becoming short, nasty and brutish. It is a cause for concern when the machine of this nation, of any nation, the youth, are not moving at a pace that is normal everywhere else in the world that is developing. Our youths are becoming passive; a 15-year-old is reportedly shot and our youths are afraid to mobilise or they simply do not understand that this should concern them. Children in state care are reportedly being abused and

we try to paint them as criminals and defiant elements. I daresay our youths are reacting to their environments. Leaders lead and we follow, yet we refuse to become so bitter and regressive. We are beginning to pick up the slacks of our leaders and are carrying the burdens of this nation and for many, they are not prepared but are willing and someone has to do the work. You might ask what does all of this have to do with local government elections the truth is, everything. When power is decentralized, it encourages accountability and those who are making decisions are constantly reminded that they are working for those who put them there, the people. They would not have been working to pay favours but to maintain a state of law and order. It also helps those who are passive in our communities to see the need to dream again, to stand up and to speak out, knowing well that this democracy that we live in was built by them and will protect and celebrate them. Let us start with understanding that life will go on and we have an opportunity to blaze a new trail. Ryan Hoppie

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Tuesday May 20, 2014

Berbice Bridge toll reduction…

Opposition will chase away investors … says Rohee “The action of the opposition with regard to the Berbice River Bridge is political and intended to chase away investors. Without such partnerships the bridge would not have been realized in the first place.” This is the contention of General Secretary (GS) of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), Clement Rohee, who during his weekly press briefing at Freedom House, posited that “the attempts by the opposition to impose itself on the Berbice River Bridge will have a negative impact on investors’ confidence and their willingness to conduct business in this country. “This action by the opposition is a direct intrusion on a private investment in an attempt to scare the investors off.” Rohee said that the Berbice River Bridge is a

Tacama shooting…

government/private sector, international investors’ project with specific arrangements which were agreed upon. This arrangement, he said, is not unique to Guyana and is a norm to many other countries. Rohee contended that the action of the opposition is “déjà vu” for Guyanese. “When the opposition formed the dictatorial government for almost three decades, during their reign of terror in government, investors were forced out. “Today under the guise of a new name the opposition finds it challenging to curb its propensity to deprive Guyanese of benefits through development.” Speaking to the structure undertaken to build the bridge Rohee said, “Our own resources would not have been adequate to meet the demands for development; as such these

Public Private sector Partnerships became critical and crucial to help deliver the services our people are entitled to.” According to Rohee, without investors “jobs would be lost and the economy would contract. All Guyanese would stand to lose. We believe that Guyanese, especially Berbicians, are aware of the circumstances regarding the fare structure of the Berbice Bridge, but are also equally aware of the tremendous transformation through time saving travel which the bridge has facilitated.” He said the fare structure is no different for a family crossing in a vehicle when they used the ferries. Rohee said that the investors themselves must have looked at the levels “of poverty, the level of affordability, a reasonable rate of return on their financial and economic investments and came

Lieutenant accidentally shot self, recruit

As army officials continue to investigate Sunday’s shooting of Lieutenant Othneil Hope and recruit, Vernon Harding, at Tacama, Berbice, army sources and relatives of the wounded recruit are alleging that both men were shot when Lieutenant Hope accidentally discharged his firearm. The shooting allegedly occurred around 14.30 hrs in a barrack room. Harding, who underwent surgery, was reportedly shot in the left side, while Lieutenant Hope was shot in the left leg. Up to late yesterday Harding was still in the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Recovery Room. Harding’s wife, Tasleema Harding, said that her husband told her that Lieutenant Hope accidentally discharged his firearm and shot himself in the leg. According to Ms. Harding,

- relative, army sources

Vernon Harding the recruit said that he was going to the injured lieutenant’s aid when the officer accidentally discharged two more rounds, which struck the recruit. His mother, Vanitta

Harding, had said on Sunday that she overheard ranks at the GPHC saying that Lieutenant Hope was cleaning his firearm and accidentally shot himself and her son. However, up to late yesterday, relatives said that they are still to receive an official comment on how he was shot. Harding has a oneyear-old daughter and reportedly enlisted in the army last month. In a statement issued o Sunday, the GDF said that approximately 4:30 PM, two ranks stationed at the Colonel John Clarke Military School at Tacama were injured when two rounds were accidentally discharged from a firearm. It stated that the Guyana Defence Force has initiated an investigation and that further details will be released as they are made available.

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee up with a number or figure which in their view should be considered reasonable.” “I am positive that if they had calculated a rate that was much lower than what it is today, they would have reduced it, I don’t see the Berbice River Company and the group of people who invested as a group of tyrants who just invested to rip off Guyanese, to get as much as

they could as fast as they could off this bridge” said Rohee. “They came forward with their financial resources to invest; they didn’t have to.” The PPP reportedly forced a reduced toll for its 2013 congress in Berbice. Asked about this, Rohee said “that’s a highly inaccurate, irresponsible and wild statement aimed at creating mischief and at misleading people. Let them provide the evidence that it was indeed so.” “This thing about the Berbice River Bridge for the opposition, and to a large extent the Kaieteur News is political. It’s clear that it’s to put Berbicians against the PPP… to put the PPP as a heartless bunch of ogres… that we don’t care about Berbicians’ and therefore we are not what we profess to be.” When pressed if the PPP did seek a waiver of the bridge toll for a PPP congress that was held there he said, “I can’t recall that.” When pressed further, he said that he is exercising his options to not respond. “As the Chairman of the congress committee and the General

Secretary of the party I do not recall and I am being honest.” When asked about the 12 percent rate of return that the investors are receiving contrasted against Guyana’s poor economy and the investors getting a higher rate of return than any other investment that could be undertaken locally, Rohee said that he doesn’t give much “credence to the economic and financial argument, I give more credence to the political argument.” The opposition coalition APNU recently brought a resolution to the National Assembly seeking to reduce the toll of the Bridge which they said commuters (especially Berbicians) had complained as being very costly to travel. The resolution was passed in the National Assembly but was rejected by the PPP led Government who through its Minister for Public works and Transportation Robeson Benn said that “I will not reduce the toll for any person in Guyana until we have determined economically that it will be a benefit.”

GPL rations power as two Wartsila engines go down With consumers' patience wearing thin over an increase in outages in recent weeks, the state's power company yesterday disclosed that it was forced to cut electricity to a number of communities when two engines went down over the weekend. The load-shedding was expected to end yesterday. The Guyana Power and Light (GPL), disclosed that on Sunday, two of its Wartsila engines – one at Garden of Eden and the other at Kingston, experienced mechanical difficulties. "The loss of this 11 MW capacity has occurred while planned overhaul of the No 2 unit (6.9 MW) at the new Kingston Plant is being done as scheduled. It resulted in a shortage of capacity to meet

demand in the Demerara System. Therefore, emergency load shedding has been instituted throughout the Demerara System from (Sunday) last night, and is expected to continue until 1:00 pm yesterday when repairs to one of the units will be completed. On Sunday night, villages stretching from Versailles to La Retraite were without power from 18:29hrs to 20:20hrs; Windsor Forest to Edinburg from 19:06hrs to 21:10hrs and the Sophia area from 18:35hrs to 21:05hrs. Yesterday, consumers from Good Hope to Industry and in South and North Ruimveldt, Guyhoc Park, Tucville and Shirley Field Ridley Scheme were without power from after 08:00hrs as

GPL carried out the load-shedding exercise. Repairs to the second engine were expected to be completed by midnight yesterday. GPL is currently carrying out a US$40M program to build new transmission lines on the coastlands along with seven sub-stations to manage the distribution. Another US$26M is being spent to construct a new power station at Vreed-enHoop, West Bank Demerara to help boost power generation. Yesterday, even the Parliament's work was affected. Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Carl Greenidge, was forced to adjourn a sitting after workers were unable to start the generator.

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U.S. accuses China of cyber spying on American companies (Reuters) - A U.S. grand jury has indicted five Chinese military officers on charges of hacking into American companies for information on nuclear plant design, solar manufacturing and other secrets in the toughest action taken by Washington to address cyber spying. China denied the charges, saying they were “made up” and would damage trust between the two nations. The Chinese foreign ministry said it would suspend the activities of a Sino-U.S. Internet working group. Officials in Washington have argued for years that cyber espionage is one of the nation’s top national security concerns because foreign hackers have stolen secrets from defense contractors and technology secrets that could pose a threat to U.S. prosperity. Yet the indictments mark the first time the United States has filed charges against specific officials of foreign governments, accusing them of corporate

cyber spying. “When a foreign nation uses military or intelligence resources and tools against an American executive or corporation to obtain trade secrets or sensitive business information for the benefit of its state-owned companies, we must say, ‘enough is enough,’” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said at a press conference. Washington announced the charges as new claims emerged last week about the scope of overseas spying by the United States. Cisco Systems Inc responded by asking President Barack Obama to curtail government surveillance programs. Federal prosecutors said the suspects targeted companies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the nuclear power, metal and solar energy industries. Targets included Alcoa Inc, Allegheny Technologies Inc, United States Steel Corp, Westinghouse Electric Co, U.S. subsidiaries of SolarWorld AG and a steel

workers’ union, Department of Justice officials said. Officials declined to estimate the size of the losses to the U.S. companies at issue, but said they were “significant.” Some of the companies gave their response to the indictments. “We are happy that the American government is taking the initiative now and we support the U.S. authorities’ investigations to investigate this under criminal law,” SolarWorld CEO Frank Asbeck said in a statement. Alcoa spokeswoman Monica Orbe said: “To our knowledge, no material informationwas compromised.” U.S. Steel declined to comment. ‘SMOKING KEYBOARDS’ The move “indicates that DOJ has ‘smoking keyboards’ and (is) willing to bring the evidence to a court of law and be more transparent,” said Frank Cilluffo, head of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at the George

Washington University. American businesses have long urged the government to act against cyber espionage from abroad, particularly by China. Secret U.S. State Department cables obtained by WikiLeaks traced major systems breaches to China, Reuters reported in 2011. One 2009 cable pinpointed attacks to a specific unit of China’s People’s Liberation Army. Skeptics said U.S. authorities wouldn’t be able to arrest those indicted as Beijing would not hand them over. Still, the move would prevent the individuals from traveling to the United States or other countries that have an extradition agreement with the United States. “It won’t slow China down,” said Eric Johnson, dean of the business school at Vanderbilt University and an expert on cyber security issues. Experts said the indictments would have some impact on those accused of hacking U.S. companies. Stewart Baker, a former

A map of China is seen through a magnifying glass on a computer screen showing binary digits in Singapore. (CREDIT: REUTERS/EDGAR SU) NSA attorney, said the hackers named in the indictments might have trouble getting jobs in

China’s private sector when they move on from employment with the People’s Liberation Army.

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Nation of crooks - Pastor blasts Jamaicans as morally weak (Jamaica Gleaner) A senior member of the clergy has called for the society to fess up to the reality that Jamaicans are not honest people. The Reverend Rennard White, vicepresident of the Jamaica Evangelical Alliance and president of the Missionary Church Association, said it was no secret that, for a very long time now, dishonesty has permeated all facets of the society. Delivering the sermon during Sunday’s National Workers’ Week and Labour Day Thanksgiving Service at the Covenant Moravian Church in Kingston, White said: “This is a country that has made a way of life out of dishonesty.” He said it might be difficult for many to face this harsh fact, but if the country must progress, it must admit to this inconvenient truth. NOT OUR STRONG POINT “In Jamaica, we are not a people who are very strong morally and ethically...This is not our strong point. We are good athletes; we are great in some other stuff, but that’s our weak area,” he told the congregation. “Dishonesty has gone into all our institutions,” he added. Relating recent reports of widespread electricity theft across the country, White said this was only one of the many areas in which Jamaicans have demonstrated their dishonest behaviour. He also lambasted the many businesses and persons that have been evading the tax net over the years. “We are told that only five per cent of all businesses are paying their taxes, and look at the hoops that people jump through to avoid paying their income tax. You must feel for our minister of finance as he deals with the IMF (International Monetary Fund).” White said tax reform would not help the country until the Jamaican people got rid of

Reverend Rennard White their dishonesty and started honouring their commitments. RESPECT EACH OTHER Politicians were not let off the hook either. However, the reverend went beyond making the perennial call for them to be more honest, and demanded that they begin demonstrating a level of respect that is beyond reproach for each other and the wider society. At the top of the list of changes White said he would like to see was adults taking responsibility for the state of the country and recognising that they were to blame for the plight of the nation’s youth. He added that real change would only come when greater value was placed on life, and if the agents of socialisation - families, schools and churches - created the framework in which Jamaica could grow.

Con man posing as my manager in T’dad, Buju warns (Jamaica Observer) Incarcerated reggae star Buju Banton is warning concert promoters in Trinidad to be wary of an unscrupulous individual who has been attempting to scam them out of cash under the guise that he is an authorised agent for the artiste. In a joint press release, the Buju Banton Defence Support Committee and his attorney Professor Charles Ogletree warned against anyone handing over money to the unnamed individual. “A certain individual in Trinidad has approached promoters with the false claim that he is the local agent for renowned reggae musician Buju Banton. He has further sought to swindle monies by stating he is authorised to collect funds for a concert being held for Buju Banton in Trinidad during this year. We wish to warn the public that it is totally untrue. Buju Banton has not given such rights to anyone in Trinidad. Nor is a concert being organised at this time,” the release stated. The artiste’s interests warned of legal action if the alleged scammer is caught. “Anyone seeking to do this would suffer legal consequences. We urge that you immediately inform the authorities of anyone who solicits monies from you for that purpose,” the release stated. Buju Banton is currently serving a 10-year sentence on drug-related charges. He was arrested at his South Florida home in December 2009 and charged with conspiracy to distribute five or more kilogrammes of cocaine.

Buju Banton is currently serving a 10-year sentence in the US on drug-related charges His arrest came on the heels of a sting operation at a Drug Enforcement Agencycontrolled warehouse in Tampa, which also resulted in the arrest of James Mack and Ian Thomas, who were attempting to purchase cocaine from undercover agents. After two trials he was sentenced in a Tampa, Florida court. However, Ogletree has filed a second appeal in the 11th US Circuit Court on February 4 claiming his client was denied a fair trial due to juror misconduct.

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THE NATIONAL GRADE SIX ASSESSMENT One of the good news emerging last week concerned the release of the results of the National Grade Six Assessment. This exam which is written in April is the main examination that determines how students are streamed into secondary schools. The NGSA accounts for about 85% of the total marks by students with the other 15% coming from assessments done in Grades 2 and Grades 4. As such, it is the NGSA that is the main determinant as to the streaming of primary-school leavers. The results of the NGSA are usually out towards the latter half of June of each year, just prior to the end of the school year. The Ministry of Education announced last week that marking of the examination scripts for the 2014 examinations is already completed and the tabulations are being done. It is anticipated, according to

reports that the results will be out by the last week of June. That in itself is not an achievement because the results are usually out towards the end of June which is just before the close of the school year in July. Therefore, what the Ministry of Education has announced will not mean an earlier release date for the results. All it means is that the results will not be late this year. But then again they never are. The release of the results before the end of the academic year has its benefits. It allows for the various schools to put measures in place to have a smooth process of admitting the new students. It also allows time for parents to have uniforms sewed and books procured. In this regard, the Ministry must be complimented for maintaining an early date for the release of the results. Parents will not be rushed in having their children ready for September nor will the

schools be under pressure to register the new entrants. Nonetheless the Ministry of Education should pat itself on the back in relation to the release date of the examination results. But it should now focus on how best it can release the results one month later without affecting the smooth admission of students for the new academic year beginning in September 2014. There is no reason why the results cannot be released towards the end of July and the necessary arrangements made within one month for the smooth admission of students into their new schools. This is the ultimate challenge that the Ministry of Education should be addressing.

This extra month of studying will be extremely helpful for the students. They can write the exams in May instead of April. The marking of the scripts can be completed in June and the results ready for release by July. The Ministry of Education should therefore aim to h a v e a l a t e r examination and to ensure that steps are in place to sort out all administrative hiccups in time for the September opening of schools. For teachers, shifting the NGSA to May will be greatly appreciated because it will give them more time to prepare their students. It will also ease the pressure on the children since they will have an extra month for the

examinations. The Ministry of Education stands to benefit also. If children are allowed one additional month of tuition before having to sit their examinations, it is likely that they will do better because they would have had four extra weeks of preparation. The overall results are therefore likely to improve and the children should do better, thus allowing the Ministry of Education to boast about improved performances.

GPHC Emergency Medical Services deemed a success

Dem boys seh ...

By Romila Boodram

A man give Jagdeo he wife fuh free

The recently launched Emergency Medical Services (EMS) programme by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has been described as a blessing by Wendy Gill, a woman who delivered a healthy baby boy in an ambulance three Saturdays ago. Gill, a Linden resident, was at the time staying by a friend in Lodge when she started experiencing severe abdominal pain. Realizing that the baby was on its way, an ambulance was immediately summoned. Ron Morris, a trained Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and also a shift supervisor said when he and his team reached the location he realized that something had to be done and very soon too. “We put her on the ambulance and while the driver was heading to the hospital, I delivered the baby because his head was already protruding.” He explained that while delivering the child, his team radioed into the hospital and informed them about the emergency so that they can be prepared. The baby is now

There is an old saying. “Life isn’t about how you survive the storm but how you dance in the rain.” De Pee Pee Pee dancing under tent and tarpaulin but high breeze gun blow way that tent and expose dem. Three weeks after one officer shoot a kid in he mouth while playing Russian roulette, Rohee, head of de police, and head of de Pee-ing party (Pee Pee Pee) telling de nation that de Top Cop nah brief he yet bout de shooting. Dem boys seh that he damn eyes pass de people of this country. Almost every day de story deh in de papers but it got to be that Rohee nah know fuh read. Is not Rohee alone nah know fuh read. It look like Clintie Bai Shan Lin can’t read too. Fuh two days de newspaper carry a story wid de Waterfalls boss man talking how Jagdeo and Gajraj block he from opening a factory. Dem refuse to give visa fuh de engineer from India to come and set up de factory and train de people. Bai Shan Lin brother, Clintie de Willie, tell a reporter when she ask him fuh a comment on Jagdeo’s vindictiveness he seh that de Waterfalls boss man didn’t report de matter to he suh he can’t comment. He then gone into hiding. He refuse to answer he phone. A man on his deathbed panting fuh breath pitifully tun to he wife next to he, “Give me one last request, dear,” he said. “Of course, darling,” his wife said softly. “Six months after I die,” de man seh, “I want you to marry Jagdeo.” “But I thought you hated Jagdeo,” she said. With his last breath de man said, “I do! I know you gun torment he till he dead, like wha you do me.” Talk half and watch how disrespectful some people in de Pee-ing party can get.

It places a great deal of pressure on teachers and students alike when the NGSA has to be written in April. It means that the students lose an entire term preparing for these examinations. It is possible for the Ministry to complete marking the scripts in one month with another month for collating the results. This is what is happening at the moment. Thus if it takes two months for the Ministry to mark the scripts and to tabulate the results, it means that if the examinations are written in May instead of April, the results can be ready by the end of July giving administrators and parents one month to be in a state of readiness for the new academic year.

Morris and his team, Julina Adams and Khemlataa Shewram taking a patient to GPHC from the Kitty Health Centre at home resting with his parents and siblings. Emergency Medical Services are basic medical care offered to patients before they reach the hospital by trained EMT. EMTs or Ambulance Technicians are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services. EMTs are clinicians, trained to respond quickly to

emergency situations regarding medical issues, trauma injuries and accidents scenes. They are trained to assess a patient’s condition, and to perform emergency medical

procedures as needed to maintain a patient’s airway with adequate breathing and cardiovascular circulation until the patient can be transferred to an appropriate (continued on page 24)

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 20, 2014

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

The usual suspects: An apology to the PPP I received an e-mail from the PPP that stated that the contents of my Thursday column were “totally inaccurate.” After providing me with a plethora of details I was asked to “make the record outlined here the centre of your next column just as your mistakes were.” Of course this was not true but if it were then the rest of the story would have gone like this. The e-mail was signed by Mr Clement Rohee. For those who missed the May 15 column, it was a ridicule of the New Year’s message of the PPP seeking an accommodation with LEFT forces to form an alliance in government. The centre-piece of my

polemic was that the PPP is not a leftist organization. On the contrary it is semi-fascist and pro-business. Therefore left-wing organizations will laugh at and repudiate the advocacy. The e-mail went on that since February, the government has been a coalition with several leftist organizations. After enumerating the members of the alliance, I was offered even more information. “Do not think you are the only one privileged with this insight? This has been in the media circles for some time now but for reasons the media knows best, was never printed.” An apology is offered to the PPP. I did not know that there was in fact a national left

alliance in government. But the apology must be a qualified one. The alliance consists of the usual suspects and makes a mockery of leftist politics. Nevertheless if the PPP says it in a coalition with left-wing allies then it has a right to say so. The e-mail stated that the Civic Component is being expanded and names were offered. I was instructed to mention these names and their appointments. Rickey Singh from Barbados will take up the portfolio of Minister of Information with Vishnu Bisram as his Permanent Secretary. Carol Sooba will be the Minister of State within the Ministry of Local

Government. Clinton Urling will be the Minister of Trade and Tourism (tourists will be trained on how to drink soup). The signatory let me know that this change is not related to the recent observation by the US Ambassador that the President of a country should not be the Minister of Information. David Dabydeen, our ambassador to China, will be the new Foreign Minister. I was informed that the Cabinet reshuffle will be done shortly and Kwame McCoy will be kicked upstairs. A number of PPP stalwarts will re-enter the Cabinet. The list include “Killaman,” Ganga Persaud, the lady with the Italian marbled house in Pradoville One, plus the former Minister who told the nation that he “is a maan dat like fuh do illegal things” The “erection man” is being reassigned to the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Culture.

I find this one shocking since he will be in charge of those young girls at the New Opportunity Corps. If this guy could do what he did to a journalist from one of the most powerful media houses in Guyana, then God help those little girls (and the little boys too) who have no one to defend them. Here is the list of the organizational members of the left-wing government in Guyana - PPP; the Guyana Youth Parliament headed by Kwame Mc Coy; GAWU; NAACIE, Rice Producers’ Association; Mc Neal Enterprise headed by Odinga Lumumba; CIOG; Guyana Dharmic Sabha; Muslim Youth Organization; Guyana Times; Kashif and Shanghai; Hits and Jams; Private Sector Commission; NACTA polling organization headed by Vishnu Bisram (who together with Bharrat Jagdeo, according to Dem Boys Seh should be world experts in

Frederick Kissoon polling by now); TUF headed by Manzoor Nadir; National Hardware Ltd; Inter-Religious Organization chaired by Juan Edghill. There is absolutely no need to comment on this motley group. These are the usual suspects. They are all tied up with the PPP long before February 2014. It meant that we have had a left national alliance in government long ago. In fact, around the time when Clement Rohee as Minister of International Trade had both his diplomatic and non-immigrant visas suspended. There is only one curious comment to be made about this alliance and it is about those who haven’t joined as yet and the Civic members who are not called to serve. How about Ravi Dev, retired Chancellor, Cecil Kennard, Rear Admiral, Gary Best? Ah ha! What about the judicial official that Roger K h a n ’s l a w y e r, R o b e r t Simels, nicknamed “The Oracle?” I am off to see Circo Ramano on the lawns of the man who don’t know what the “poetic essence of history” means but insists he believes in moral politics.

Tuesday May 20, 2014

Kaieteur News

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GT&T delays EBD four-lane highway - BK Int’l By Latoya Giles BK International loses approximately US$10,000 daily due to a delay caused by the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company. BK International was awarded a contract to complete Lot Three of the East Bank Road Project. The multi-milliondollar project was expected to have been completed almost two years ago, but has been stalled. However, according to Julian Archer, BK International’s Chief Engineer, the blame for the delay must be placed solely at the feet of GT&T. Archer and several other executives from the company took the

media on a tour yesterday to explain the situation. Archer said that the company is faced with two problems, poles and cables from the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company. There are also some obstacles from Guyana Water Inc. According to Archer, they have dispatched numerous letters to these companies. He said that BK International has had a favourable response from the water company. “GWI has complied, but GT&T has not. This hinders the critical activity such as construction of bridges.” Archer maintained that the company would have to wait until GT&T removes the

cables and poles. When pushed further about the “worst case scenario” Archer said that if GT&T does not move its utilities the project would have to be extended. That extension would in turn cost government and taxpayers millions of dollars. Archer was questioned whether BK International would have to pay any contractor penalty clauses. He replied that once there is a justification with the cables they would not have to pay. When asked about the reality of BK International seeking the intervention of the court in the matter, Archer said that BK International has not gone down that route since Government has been

GTC/GT&T pensioners plight to engage Parliament The plight of several pensioners in a struggle to receive their benefits from the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) will be engaging the attention of Parliament when it meets tomorrow. A petition is being brought to the House by Alliance for Change’s (AFC) Trevor Williams, on behalf of the retired employees of the Guyana Telecommunications Corporation and active servants of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company and the Guyana Postal and Telecommunications Workers Union (GPWU). The petition is requesting that the former employees of the Guyana Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n Corporation who continued in service with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company and retired, be paid their just and due pension in accordance with the Pensions Act as enshrined in the

Constitution of Guyana. The petition is also for the Minister of Finance to state the reason preventing the responsible agency from affecting payment of the correct pension that is just and due to pensioners, and when the payment to the pensioners will be effected. NICIL is the responsible agency given that prior to the sale of the shares in assets the Government’s holding company was responsible for oversight of the Government’s interests. In December last the pensioners began staging picketing exercises at the Office of the President. They were seeking to bring attention to the dilemma of their unpaid pensions. The seniors braved the sun to express their discontent with the manner in which the current Administration is treating their due payments. The pensioners are owed millions of dollars in unpaid retirement fees over a 20-year period and

have argued that the current government is making no meaningful attempt to address the issue. Former GT&T maintenance manager, Lennox Skeete, at the time had old Kaieteur News that the pensioners are further advancing their cause, and are seeking redress to the present situation. Skeete said that while the pensioners would not have chosen to protest, they were pushed in this direction because of the lack of acknowledgement of their plight. “This is the only option we have now; to picket, we have been pushed, not that we wanted a confrontation, but this is the way we have to go.” It was noted further that on average, more than 30 years of service have been given to the telecoms industry. “Some of us have a maximum of 47 years, receiving a measly pension of (continued on page 12)

trying to deal with it. The person of contact in the government he says is Geoffrey Vaughn. Archer said that based on information he said that the company is waiting on the government for the signing of a contract between them and GT&T to have the poles removed. When asked about the fact that the poles and cables were there before construction started, but that BK International went ahead, Archer told the media that his company was working around both the GWI and GT&T lines. He said that some of these lines were damaged. Archer explained that prior to the start of the road construction; Government was in talks with GT&T. He said that BK International knew there was a problem but that it was working along with the anticipation that GT&T would have removed the cable. However, GT&T never promised to remove the cables. The telephone company has since said that it will respond to the charges by BK International today. Lot Two of the road expansion was awarded to Gaico Construction to the tune of US$5,802,640. However, with the adjustments to the design, the contract may cost an additional US$800,000. In this section the contractor had to transform cane-fields into roadway. The layout for the roadway has been completed. The contractor has begun works to the existing East Bank Demerara Public Road. Meanwhile, BK International is executing works in Lot Three of the road project. The original contract sum for this section is US$3,444,060. The modifications in this section are costing Government approximately US$800,000. The cost for the modifications in Lot One is currently unknown.

These utility poles blocks construction in front of the Demerara Distillers Limited EBD.

Several utility poles from GT&T have caused the delay in the project

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 20, 2014

Millions committed to expand Guyana firm about jurisdiction East Coast Dialysis Centre of New River Triangle - various health services to be offered A pledge of $100 million has been made to the Doobay Medical Centre to facilitate expansion of the Annandale East Coast Demerara dialysis facility. This development was confirmed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Centre, Mr Vickram Oditt. Oditt, during an interview with this publication recently, said that the commitment was made by a prominent local business family who are keen on assisting the not-for-profit Centre in its expansion plans. “At the right time the announcement will be made of who this family is; perhaps when the funds are being handed over,” said the CEO. With forthcoming financial backing it is anticipated that the existing Dialysis Centre will be expanded into a cardiovascular and renal centre. The vision, according to Oditt, is to have a two-storey medical facility. “It should be quite large, perhaps the largest among the private hospitals in Guyana and we will be able to cater to an increased number of renal patients and offer an expanded renal service, among other services,” said Oditt. The introduction of yet another privately-owned hospital, according to President of the Dialysis Centre, Dr. Budhendra Doobay, is intended to offer services that are affordable even to the less fortunate. Moreover, he noted that the expanded facility will operate on the same principal as the Dialysis Centre whereby persons will not be refused attention even if they are unable to pay. “I have heard that if a person doesn’t have around $2 million he/she

Dr. Budhendra Doobay

Mr. Vickram Oditt

cannot have certain operations here in Guyana...certain heart operations, for instance, are very expensive for poor people; if you have the money your family can pay it and of course you can get it done but if you don’t have it, it can’t be done,” Dr. Doobay observed. He noted that in light of the fact that many persons’ lives were prolonged because of the establishment of the Dialysis Centre it is expected that even more will be spared an early demise too with the institution of a full-fledge hospital. “I’m hoping that with the colleagues and friends I have in Canada that I can coerce them to come and work here for a week or two to do things like open-heart surgeries...This would be strictly non-profit business; none of us will be paid but all patients will be attended to because we would like an opportunity for them to get better,” said Dr. Doobay. Dr. Doobay, a Guyanese by birth, is a Cardiovascular Surgeon who has been residing in Canada for a number of years. He is the founder of the Dialysis Centre

which has been endorsed by the local Ministry of Health. In addition to providing heart operations and continued dialysis, Dr. Doobay said that once implemented, the expanded facility will also cater to persons with strokes and even offer rehabilitation services. With rehab services being offered, patients, such as those inflicted with strokes, can have a chance of being restored through intensive physiotherapy. “Some young people get stroke; it is not only old people who get it anymore...but it is the young people who are the ones we will concentrate more on to help them get back to some level of normalcy,” said Dr. Doobay. According to him a rehab centre of sorts is important in any country, not only for patients suffering from strokes but also for those who would have suffered other complications such as heart attacks. Already some equipment for the proposed expanded Centre has been accumulated. The centre is expected to be completed by the beginning of 2016.

Guyana’s position with regards to the New River Triangle is very clear; the area is part of Guyana’s territory, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has stated. She said that in 1936, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Dutch Government at the time and British Guiana decided where the tri-junction point will be. The Minister was at the time responding to the issue of Suriname’s claim that the area belongs to that country and to statements attributed to Suriname’s Foreign Minister Winston Lackin who restated his country’s claim last week. “If what is attributed to my Surinamese colleague is correct, then that is regrettable. Our two Border Commissions…on border matters between the two countries have been meeting and those meetings are progressing very well. “We look forward to a

… but committed to finding peaceful solution - Foreign Affairs Minister favourable outcome in the not so distant future,” Minister Rodrigues-Birkett stated. She added that while border issues are not resolved overnight, both commissions have been working. She said that what is necessary is for all Guyanese citizens to be aware of the history of the matter, “to be aware of Guyana’s borders, to be aware of Guyana’s size and shape and I think most of them are; and in this case we are very clear. But we are a peace loving country, as well, and we have always adhered to the principle of resolving borders in a peaceful manner,” she insisted. “We went to the Commission on the Laws of the Sea to resolve our maritime border with Suriname. Our bilateral discussions with Suriname

through the border commission are aimed at resolving the matter consistent with international law. This is the approach we will take,” the Foreign Minister said. Meanwhile on the Venezuela border issue, Minister Rodrigues-Birkett stated that an approach has to be made to the United Nations Secretary General regarding the process of selecting a Good Officer. It is hoped that this will result in the selection of someone approved by both countries and that the process will end in the not so distant future. The previous Good Officer Professor Norman Girvan died recently. She also expressed the hope that discussions will soon re-commence on this issue. (GINA)

NCN gets new CEO The National Communications Network Incorporated (NCN) has announced that Ms. Molly Rampersaud-Hassan is its newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Ms. Hassan commenced duties yesterday. Ms. Hassan is the first female Chief Executive Officer of NCN. The 35-year Hassan worked for several years at the Demerara Distillers Limited, before being appointed Marketing Director of Unicomer, at its Courts and Lucky Dollar franchises in Guyana. Ms. Hassan is a graduate of the University of Guyana in the field of marketing. She completed a number of courses in Business Development, including Harvard Manage Mentor . She is also trained in the area of financial management and is currently pursuing Business Studies (major in Marketing) at a Londonbased University. She brings to NCN Company over 12 years experience in Marketing Management and Finance. The new CEO met with the

Ms. Molly RampersaudHassan

Management and Staff of the Company yesterday to outline her vision for taking NCN forward. She said that her foremost priority is to ensure NCN takes its rightful place at the

top of the media pyramid in Guyana. She identified staff welfare, effective resource management and improving profitability as her top priorities.

GTC/GT&T pensioners plight to ... From page 11 $18,000 per month.” Former GT&T personnel manager Clifford Blackett at the time had said that yesterday’s event will go down in history. The pensioner said, “Let it be a lesson to the young workers of Guyana that they take this as a living example that when they become of

age, they do not have to stand in a picket line to fight for what is constitutionally theirs.” From cleaners to managers are receiving $18,000 monthly when, “a technician should have been receiving a monthly pension of at least $50,000, while a former manager should have

been the recipient of way over $100,000 per month.” The pensioners said their unpaid pension is an issue from the early 90’s and charged that the matter is showing more than ever a case of discriminated. Over two dozen pensioners have died without ever receiving their due pensions.

Tuesday May 20, 2014

Kaieteur News

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Teen shot in mouth… Drugs in local agro-products concerns Canadian buyers Three weeks later Home Affairs Minister Canadian agro buyers are concerned about the prevalence of drug finds inside shipments of Guyanese food products. In fact, this has limited the numbers of Canadian buyers who participated in a fourday Buyers Mission from Canada to Guyana. The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA), in a press statement, said that the team of Buyers and Distributors from Toronto and Montreal, was led by veteran trade expert, Bertrand Walle, attached to the Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada. Walle reportedly said that the group of Canadian buyers would have been bigger had it not been for pervasive concerns in business circles in Canada about the prevalence of drug finds inside shipments of Guyanese food products. S o m e w h a t acknowledging the problem, Yonette Heyliger, a Senior Manager of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) explained that the surreptitious export of narcotics is the biggest challenge faced by the authority. The agency constantly has to find new ways and means to combat this scourge. She referred to the two container scanners GRA invested in, and the methods employed by the Goods and Drugs Examination Units, including total manual examinations for profiled containers. Players in the narcotics trade have become creative, she said. Walle questioned whether there was an explanation for

reports that drugs were inserted into containers after they had passed through the Customs Department’s verification procedures. He noted that there is a significant amount of interest abroad among importers about the likelihood of their containers being breached while on the wharves in Guyana and elsewhere as well. This was one of a few safety and other fundamental issues that still need to be addressed, he said. These exchanges were made at the four-day event which closed on May1at GMSA’s boardroom. It saw the participation of all the main players in Guyana’s agricultural, manufacturing and exporting milieu. The forum allowed discussions and analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats faced by local small to medium scale growers and processors. The Canadian Executive Services Organisation (CESO) along with representatives of the Guyana office of the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, the Food and Drugs Department, and the Trade and Development Office in the Canadian High Commission also participated. The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), though absent from the review, played a significant role throughout the life of the project, the release said. Walle told the gathering that the Mission to Guyana was short but challenging and interesting. It outlined

the areas which the local growers and agro-processors still need to perfect in order to improve their readiness to sell their products in the Canadian market. Nevertheless, most of the buyers managed to establish business ties with several local producers, some of whom were involved in this TFO’s Trade Capacity Building pilot project from its inception in 2009. The release said that one remigrant Guyanese Customs agent/facilitator spoke about the absence of the “CaribCan” stamp on Guyanese products, which usually attract a five percent tariff discount at Canada’s ports of entry. The GMSA’s Trade and Investment Committee Chairman, Clement Duncan, gave a commitment to pursue this. The group also discussed the absence of transportation facilities direct to Canada. Duncan said that Caribbean Airlines has “opened a window of opportunity”, but noted that currently, agro-cargo destined for Canada still has to be offloaded in Miami then trucked to Toronto. This is time consuming and costly, and could affect the quality of the products reaching the intended market. This issue is being addressed by the GMSA and at the level of the National Competitiveness Council, the release said. “On a more positive note, the team of Canadian Importers and Distributors stated that their site visits indicated that Guyana’s products met the criteria for quality, price and taste,” GMSA said. It was noted that the (continued on page 24)

still waiting for briefing from Top Cop

It’s been almost one month since teenager Alex Griffith was shot in his mouth by a police Cadet Officer but Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee says he is not too familiar with the case. The Minister was specifically asked for his comment on the length of time the investigation into the shooting incident involving the teenager and the cadet officer is being conducted. “I have to confess that I’m not so much up to date on that because I was out for a while and I’m still to get a briefing from Mr. Persaud,” Rohee told this newspaper following the weekly People’s Progressive Party press conference at Freedom House yesterday. Fifteen-year-old Alex Griffith, of East La Penitence, was hauled from his mother’s house shortly before midnight on April 30, last, by a party of policemen, headed by Cadet Officer Franz Paul. Paul had accused him of being a witness to a robbery committed on a relative of the officer. Investigators were told that the Cadet Officer placed a gun into the teenager’s mouth and in what was described as a game of Russian roulette, pulled the trigger twice, sending a bullet through the back of Griffith’s right ear. Fortunately, the bullet narrowly missed his brain and he lives to tell his tale and to identify the officer who almost killed him. Since then there has been public outrage over the incident with many protests in several parts of the city. But despite this, the Home

President commissions $7M bleacher at ... From page 18 will upgrade the other volleyball court in the other areas in New Amsterdam, because we believe the youths in New Amsterdam deserve the same kind of facilities that the youths all across Guyana deserve.” More developmental works in sports will come on stream in the coming months as “more monies are pumped into the sports field.” Sports brings our people together and brings out the best in people, he added. In another few days, he noted, it will be advertised in the newspapers, for persons, sports clubs and groups to apply for Government's $1M grant, “and so, all the sports people within the region who are interested can apply.” Criteria set out for such applica-

tions demand that the groups have Committees of Management and the clubs are fully functioning. That project will unfold in another few weeks. President Ramotar told the gathering that over the years the government has been building and rebuilding physical infrastructure, “so necessary and so indispensable for further social and economic development.” While the physical infrastructure is important, President Ramotar said that the government also sees the importance of investing in people, “because in the final analysis, the most important aspect is in fact, people, and we want to enhance the capacity of people.” “We want to invest in sports, because we believe that investing in sports has a

lot of indirect and direct benefits for the society—it teaches our young people…sports can make a contribution—we need to have other methods and we believe sports can make a greater contribution” in fighting crime. Sports, he noted, has rules, “and if you violate them (the rules), you will be punished.” Sports, too, benefits young people in the area of health and fighting against different kinds of diseases, “and it encourages a healthy way of life to battle against some drug abuses, alcohol abuse.” The Burnham Park Management Committee has erected posts around the ground which will soon have lamps on them to illuminate the area. President Ramotar

praised this initiative. The park which was named after the late founder leader Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, sits on approximately 10 acres of land on the outskirt of the New Amsterdam. The famous ground, which is one of the few that holds a 400M athletic track comfortably, was where a number of famous Berbice and Guyana national players honed their skills, among them the Alphonsos, the Humphreys, the Fords, the Samuels, the Innisses and many others. Athletics, cycling, motorcycle, car and a number of other sporting and cultural activities were also held at the venue. Famous groups like Third World also performed at the venue.

Alex Griffith Affairs Minister is claiming that he is still awaiting a briefing from the Commissioner of Police on the incident. “It is baffling and surprising that the Minister could say that he is not up to date. The teenager, his mother and several other persons were in front of the Minister’s office protesting. His security came out and took notes of what was written on placards. We were also in front of State House protesting,” said Social Activist Mark Benschop, who has been

actively assisting the teenager and his relatives to get justice. “For the Minister to say that he is not up to date on the issue is an indictment of the highest order on him as the political oversight for law enforcement in this country. Is the Minister saying that he has to meet one on one with the commissioner to know what transpired?” another observer noted. The observer who was also a part of the protest actions calling for justice for Alex Griffith noted that i n t h i s d a y a n d age of technology, the Minister ought to have familiarized himself with the issue which occurred three weeks ago and which has been the subject of widespread media coverage. “This shows that Minister Rohee is not concerned about justice. But now that he will seek the information that he needs from the Commissioner of Police, let’s see how swift justice will be,” Benschop stated. The file on the matter is with the Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority, Justice Cecil Kennard, who has assured that he will complete his review by Friday before handing it over to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Court regular charged with rape An East Bank Berbice man has been charged again for a sexual offences matter. This time he is charged with rape. Sheldon Edwards, a cane harvester of Pepper Street, Heathburn Village, East Bank Berbice, appeared before Magistrate Shurdell Isaacs-Marcus on Friday in the New Amsterdam Magistrate court charged with sexual penetration of a 13-year-old girl. He was not required to

plead to the indictable charge and was granted bail in the sum of $200,000. The court was told that the alleged offence occurred on April 1, 2013, at Pepper Street, Heathburn. The court was told that it was the second time that Edwards would have been accused of such an offence. On the first occasion he was granted pre trial liberty in the sum of $75,000. His next court date is set for July 22.

GPHC training second ... From page 14 will reconsider accrediting it.” In addition to introducing the Critical Care Nursing Programme, John noted that the GPHC has also been answering calls to have specialist trained nurses by embracing a Neonatal Nursing Specialist Programme. A number of other nurses, he said, have also been specially trained to function in the Burn Care Unit, the Accident and Emergency Unit and are very capable to help care for

trauma cases. Added to this, John noted that “we are currently thinking about running a special programme for nurses to be trained to deal with spinal cord injuries...We want to run a short programme perhaps three or four months long.” “We are looking to do a number of things but it calls for a lot of planning and you have to really sell these programmes because there is always a bit of resistance,” John confided.

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Kaieteur News

PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale.Call:627-5416 Double lot with house at East Bank Demerara, one block away from Public Road Call: 621-1766 FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.

FOR SALE Toyota Forklift - Excellent condition, 4,000lbs capacity, 117" Lift, Solid Wheels, Automatic Transmission, 4 Cylinder LPG Motor. Call: 604-6108.

Pure bred Rottweiler puppies, 8 weeks old – Call:682-2148 or 618-2903 ($80,000), 250GB XBOX360 WITH 6 CONTROLLERS AND 9 GAMES – CALL: 601-7152 OR 223-9987 Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, pumps, etc call: 225-9032, 647-2943 PORK WHOLE SALE, WHOLE, HALF & QUARTER CARCASS. NO HEAD! NO TROTTERS! – CALL:2662711, 609-4594 Clean garden earth, also Bobcat & Excavator rentals. Tel: 626-7127

LAND FOR SALE

Chowmein/noodle equipment, including five roller machines. One mixing machine. 2 steamers, drying system. Call 661-3878 Pit-bull pups - Call:619-6086 or 699-7077 2 Perkins Marine Engine, 4 Cylinder – Contact: 621-6251 Zmodo Surveillance camera system, 4&8 channels only. All necessary accessories included – Tel:609-2815 Nine & seven months old female German shepherd for sale – Contact: 263-5755, 683-4832 One smoothie machine and ice machine – Call:231-0655 or 683-8734 Pure Rottweiler pups, parents are imported pedigree dogs Call: 2642870 or 672-6402 after 6pm 665-9140 or 639-1431

Prime Business. Established Business, Three storey building 220 South Road Lacytown Georgetown – Tele: 227-1042, 601-3369. Serious callers only! 2 Storey concrete property in Parfaite Harmonie, size 24’X57’, Price: $16M – Call:622-1782/658-5803 1-3 storey business property @ Middle St. G/Town, 2 business properties @ Whim Public Road, price negotiable Call: 619-7134, 225-6481

House lots in Friendship - Tel 692-8513 or 223-0733

Nandy Park - $24M, AA Eccles - $55M, Lamaha Garden -$35M, West Bank $21M – Contact Diana:2272256, 626-9382

Two storey house at Retrieve Linden. Price $11MCall: 641-7979

1-2storey wooden & concrete 5-bedroom house; upper & lower flat 4 apartments located@ Shell Road, kitty $38.9M - Tel: 642-7898

PVC Ceiling Panels, PVC Mouldings, Medallions. American Standard!!! – Call:614-8564, 680-0862

Ten 5000 Gallon Fuel Tanks, fifteen 12 feet satellite dish, 10 houselots Riverview Call: 266-2076, 266-2207, 601-3194,email:rnetram@ yahoo.com

Prime Business property, huge land space, 200’X50', next to Police Outpost @ Mc Doom. 233-0570

At Eccles Housing Scheme price $6.5M - negotiable Call: 616-6000 Parfaite Harmonie (100ft X 50ft) -$2.2M &$1.2M, Grove (new) with foundation & column -$3.2M Herstelling 110ft X 60ft. Call: 675-7292

Pure bred pit bull, 6 weeks old – Call: 661-1601

Cold Storage Facility: freezing & cold storage facilities. Affordable price @ BM Enterprise Inc., Houston GFL Wharf Call: 227-8176/77.

House on 7 Acres of Land @ Canal No 2 - $15M. Call: 6899379, 686-4994 or 225-3070

One newly built 2 storey concrete house, 2 bedroom for short or long term Bartica Call:685-2707

Furnished executive one or two-bedroom suite in Diamond. Ideal for foreigners. Call 609-2466 Furnished and unfurnished two bedrooms apartment in Eccles, for short or long term Tel: 643-1131 Kitty - $US700, Ogle $60,000- US750, AA Eccles house-US1200, Subryanville -US800 – Contact Diana:2272256, 626-9382 1 - Four bedrooms house with all modern conveniences, semifurnished - $300,000 monthly, Happy Acres – Tel: 231-7839 (working hours) Three bedroom apartment & studio @ Eccles – Call: 6447000, 233-3133 or 233-2369 2 bedrooms apartments @ Factory Road Paradise, ECD. Large living, dining, etc. One month’s security - $38,500 monthly – Call: 625-9939, 672-2677

FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 One barber shop / salon with 5 stations at David & Queen Streets Kitty – Call Alana: 646-0268 G.T TOOLS RENTAL: CONCRETE SAW, RANDSOM & MORE. EVERYDAY SPECIALS – CALL:675-0767 OR 6275098

LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj Building. Tel 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 B & C Driving School: Lot 5 Hadfield Street Lodge- call: 225-0150, 229-7258, 680-6826

One bottom flat (30x42) Carmichael Street; ideal for business/office. Contact Vishnu: 680-6946, 618-9771 One bedroom semifurnished apartment @ Diamond, preferably single working / studying female $28,000. Contact Vishnu: 6806946, 618-9771 Secured Concrete bond 87’X32’, Public Road McDoom, next to Police Outpost. Suitable for storage/ factory, etc. Tel 233-0570 House in Diamond/Grove Tel:692-8513 or 223-0733 Prashad Nagar: Self contained studio (fully Furnished)-US$100.00 weekly. Tel: 612-3194, 223-8258

Aidan’s Car Rental, Canter & Pickup - Call: 645-7981/ 698-7807 Progressive Auto Rental: Cars & SUV for rental- $4,000 & up per day- Call: 643-5122, 628-2284 , E m a i l : p r o _ autorental @yahoo.com Wings Car Rental- Call:6431131 Dolly’s Car Rental - Call: 225-7126/ 226-3693 dollys autorental@yahoo.com/ www.dolly sautorental.com

VEHICLE FOR SALE

Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773

Toyota Land Cruiser 105 series, 2000 model enclosed, 5 door, 7 seats, mint condition – Tel: 668-3581

Natural beauty salon & spa: Grove Market Street EBD Tele: 265-4138, 652-5800. We specialized in everything for women. Earn a certificate in cosmetology, wig designs or nails alone, limited spaces – Call Abby: 619-7603, 666-5241

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.–CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620 Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. COOL TECH : Repairs Services & Installation of all types if homes appliances: Air Condition & Refrigeration units - Tel: 233-2008; 675-4959

Jean is offering courses in dressmaking, curtains, floral & cake decoration @ 153 Barr Street Kitty – Call: 6702653, 618-1706

Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call: 225-9032, 647-2943

CATERING Roxy’s Catering: We cater for any special occasion, also available daily breakfast, lunch & snacks – call: 2230092, 223-0095

Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 662-6045

Unregistered Spacio, TV Flair Kit, Noah mini buses BSS series – Call: 697-0294 One Toyota Land cruiser Prado, PMM Series Call: 2250188, 223-7500, Mon-Fri 8:154:15pm, Sat – 8:15-1:15PM

Toyota Spacio - TV/DVD/ CD, body kit, reverse camera. Never registered $2.1M. Call:617-2891

Seinta and Noah with Body Kits – unregistered and top notch condition with terms available – Call:641-8647

DRESSMAKING

Cactus Auto Sales: Reduced prices, Premio, Spacio, Allex, AT212, etc. Call 681-4208, 220-6262 Cheapest Hilux - 3RZ engine, VVTI and 1RZ stick gear buses, super GL buses & Noah buses – Call: 616-7635

Smart Choice Auto Sales: Unregistered: Premio, Spacio, Allion, Allex, IST, 2 1 2 , F i e l d e r, Vo x y – Call:652-3820; 665-4529

2006 Toyota Tacoma fully loaded - $3.5M - Tel:6857659, 622-0445

We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer Call Omar:2310655,683-8734 House plan drafting from$10,000 electrical works and estimates services available. Tel: 667-2189, 646-6572, 6298750

VEHICLE FOR SALE CAR RENTAL

SALON

One upper flat @ 6th Street Cummings Lodge ECD – Call:622-3580

One complete dredge and one three bed top flat to rent Call: 687-0835

TO LET

TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT in Charity Housing Scheme – Contact: 771-4180, 687-5814

Tuesday May 20, 2014

For the Cheapest House plans, engineering, architectural drawings & estimates Contact T.Boodhoo: 625-9883 HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING AND ESTIMATES FOR ONLY $10,000- CALL:6949843/227-2766

EDUCATIONAL Balloon Decorating Classes – 31st May 2014 – Call: 2253133 or 613-7513 for more information and to register. VACANCY One General Domestic – Call: 667-5717 or 650-4761

New Model Hilux Surf and RX8 – Very clean vehicles. Terms available – Call:6418647 Stick gear and automatic Pitbull and RZ buses at the best prices around – Tel:641-8647 2008 Blue Bird - $3.0M, 2005 Spacio - $2.1M, 2006 Premio - $2.3M. ALL VEHICLES FULLY LOADED & UNREGISTEREDCall:642-7295 RZ Minibus BLL Series – price negotiable – excellent condition – call: 673-7934 Toyota L-Touring & Fielder Wagon, At192, AT212, AE110 Corolla Raum, Fun cargo, RZ minibus, IST –Tel: 644-5096, 697-1453 STAR CARS AUTO SALE: Premio, Spacio, Allion, IST, Feilder, Altezza, new Raum, Axela, Carina 212 – Call: 679-3140, 615-1199 First Class Auto: Allion, Premio, Spacio, IST, 212, Fielder, Raum, Allex, Runx, Bluebird, Axela - Tel:6098188, 638-3045 Toyota Raum, 1 new model Toyota Raum, 1 Feilder Wagon, PPP & PSS Series – Call:614-4614, 223-9329 1 Allion rear bumper $40,000, 1 AT192 PKK series $800,000 negotiable, 1 metallic red Ipsum $1.6M negotiable Call : 611-7034 1 AE100 Toyota Corolla, excellent condition - AC, Mag rims, alarm, DVD player, etc. Price $825,000. Call 612-9625, 225-3217,695-6461 Unregistered Toyota Raum: year – 2004; black interior, HID lights, power door, TV navigation. Tel 617-5536 DAF 55-210 sand truck, GMM series; $2.8M negotiable.Call 623-8302 Unregistered Toyota Noah, with TV, Rims, Camera - Tel: 629-2619 or 663-2700 (Continued on page 23)

Tuesday May 20, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 23

Letters... Where your views make the news

The PPP’s position on this toll is flawed and must be rejected in its entirety DEAR EDITOR, In 2009, the joint Chambers of Commerce in Berbice met representative members of the Berbice Bridge Company, namely Mr. Cheong and Mr. Carter, to discuss the toll charges. The Berbice businessmen left that meeting stating that they were, “optimistic from the conversation that there would be adjustments to the current toll structure”. They have now received their answer from the Minister of Public Works, Mr. Robeson Benn - “I will not reduce the toll for any reason…” Road/bridge transport has been the dominant form of transport in Guyana and thus offers great opportunity for cross subsidization. This toll definitely needs not be at these extortionate levels. But to find the right level of toll charges, there must be an awareness of the plight of the poor and the working class. This remains the core issue. Since 2009, the Ramotar administration, which controls more than 70 percent of the assets of this bridge along with a golden share, has refused to conduct the “Options Analysis” to ascertain the economic feasibility of reducing this toll. It has chosen instead to take the slothful path and issue silly statements in spite of the miseries of the travelling poor who have to cross that Bridge, be they school children, teachers, nurses or public servants. This is reason enough for the commencement of a different form of struggle against this anti-human, antinational and anti-patriotic behaviour by this PPP regime. I call on the AFC and APNU, especially all those Parliamentarians with roots in Berbice, to use this act of oppression from the PPP, as provocation enough to start a peaceful and non-violent public protest once a week, on Cabinet day. I humbly suggest

Vlissengen Road in front of the mecca of oppression, until the demands of the people are met. Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power”. Power was given to APNU and the AFC some 2 ½ years ago as a collective, but what have they really done with that power? Name one concession they have gotten for the people from the oppressive PPP? Their majority rule has been rendered into an epic of ineffective outcomes, by the minority regime. This Berbice Bridge toll issue is just the latest addition to that list of proposals for the benefit of the people, all undermined by the PPP. The people are not stupid; overwhelmingly the majority supports a reduction of this toll, save and except for a handful in the Jagdeo/ Ramotar cabal and their bootlickers. For his remarkable act in piloting this bill, Mr. Joseph Harmon must be applauded for holding the line in very turbulent waters with much resistance from vested interest in the private sector who have milked hundreds of millions in profits off of the sweat of the traveling poor. History will always remember Mr. Harmon and I raise my hat to him. Mr. Harmon, you have done your part; let us see what the rest of the MPs on the west side will do going forward? OPTIONS No one is asking the Berbice Bridge Company to take a loss, after all in 2011 they made a profit of some $216 million and I was reliably informed that they made a profit of some $252 million in 2012 from a revenue stream of some $1.3 billion. The 2013 number remains a state secret but the profits were good enough to grant free crossing during the PPP 30th Congress in August 2013. Prior to the bridge, the unsatisfied demand for this

All Guyanese are... From page 4 elections. The citizens after two decades are ready, the Guyana Elections Commission is ready, the towns, municipalities, RDCs and NDCs are more than ready. The only people who are not are a handful of people with selfish interests who are holding the Guyanese people, and most importantly, a generation of young people hostage from most critical elections. The government’s cir-

cumlocution around the issue of local government elections is nothing more than a calculated and most callous abrogation of the rule of law and a blatant and very unfortunate assault on our constitutional rights as Guyanese. In the same breath it touts how democratic it is. All Guyanese, irrespective of race, religion, political affiliation or geographical location, are ready for these long overdue elections. Jermaine Figueira

service (crossing the river more efficiently) was tremendous as a result of a broken ferry system. Therefore, out of desperation, people did say they would pay anything. But the volume of traffic today has surpassed all benchmarks in the feasibility study at conception. In business when volume increases, unit price goes down, but not for the greedy owners and their political masters. In an environment where approximately 666,000 vehicles traversed the bridge in 2013, Mr. Harmon’s proposal is expected to produce a loss of revenue of some $365 million for the Bridge. With a subsidy from Treasury of some $300 million every year, the company with $252 million profit can easily eat the residual $65 million. This is very possible for people and country. After all, the State subsidized the operations of the Demerara Harbour Bridge in 2013 by some $300 million. But the PPP has calculated that it can push the boundaries of rationality

because it has its racial cast net to haul-in the Berbicians at election time. But it is so wrong since that cast net has many holes today. In an environment of social media and TV; the absence of judicious, fair and transparent governance will be punished severely. We only have to reflect on how Mr. Modi in India broke down the “caste silos” as the people rebelled against the misrule of the Gandhi dynasty. In Guyana, with an everyouthful population, and with so much economic oppression, the “racial silos” have started to break down. No amount of propaganda on NCN can erase Mr. Benn’s pronouncements. Unless the PPP adheres to the instructions of Parliament with respect to this bridge, the poor and the working class in Berbice will be very unkind to the party at the ballot box. In the final analysis, the PPP’s position on this toll is flawed and must be rejected in its entirety. The tolls must come down; over to you Mr. Granger! Sase Singh

Thanks to the Surinamese envoy DEAR EDITOR, About two weeks ago, members of the Environmental Community Health Organization (ECHO) visited Suriname. The objectives were to raise environmental consciousness of members and to see and discuss approaches used by the Suriname authorities to manage environmental challenges, including solid waste and water. ECHO believes that these visits and exchanges are vital to enhancing the understanding of existing and emerging environmental challenges. This would facilitate appropriate actions,

in local communities, to preserve and protect the natural environment. The group visited sites of environmental interest and exchanged information with similar nature teams in Suriname. The feedback was very positive as members were able to build new relationships with members of similar nature groups in Suriname. ECHO is grateful to the Suriname Ambassador to Guyana Ms. Mehroen Nisa Kurban-Baboe, who assisted in arranging the visit. ECHO plans to conduct another tour to Suriname, later this year. Royston King

From Page 22

WANTED Live-in domestic to work in Mahaicony River, age 18-40 years. Call 613-6613 or 225-6571 Eperienced cashier to work @ Western Union Mon Repos / 38 Ketley St Charlestwon, over 18yrs send application @ Humprey Bakery 38 Ketley St. Carpenter - $6,000, Mason $6,000, Porter-$4,000, to work in Tuschen Scheme. Call: 684-8231 One Honest counter clerk, 3yrs experienced selling Japanese Spare Parts – Contact Ray’s Motor Spares & Auto Sales: 231-7839 (working hours) One AB Dick Operator – Call: 269-0044, 269-1274 One shop attendant & one handy boy to work in the interior Call: 681-6044 One daytime security, 1 gardener/farm worker, also one house & land @ Covent Garden Island for sale – Call: 265-3586

WANTED Barbers and tattoo artist opposite Kitty Police Station – Call: 621-8812 Cars to work at GR Taxi Service – New Base at Sheriff St, Opposite Survival Supermarket. Base Fee $6,500 – Contact:614-6202 Urgently needed, live-in waitresses to work in Bar. Reasonable salary offer – Tel: 259-0574 Republic Park Family needs live-in aid/domestic. Alternate week off - $12,000. Police clearance needed – Call:627-5098, 675-0767 Work from home earn $5,000 -$20,000 - Contact: jobfairworldwide. com - Call: 622-1957, 9 AM-5 PM (Mon–Fri) Two handymen to work in interior Call : 684-7516 Urgently needed 2 plots of land to buy in La Parfaite Harmonie. All legal fees paid – Call: 675-7292 Model ‘M’ Truck Driver to driver into interior must be sober headed & ability to service truck & trustworthy Call: 226-9492

VACANCY Drivers, Porters, checkers, accountant. Apply R.A Soda Factory @ Good Hope Bond. Driver & salesperson @ #7 Bakery. Call 330-2399 Accounts Clerk & Cashier. Apply with written application & passport size picture to Survival @ 173 Sheriff St., Campbellville. Call 227-5286/9 Exist for Pharmacist: Apply with written application at Survival Shopping Complex @ 173 Sheriff St. Campbellville - Tel: 227-5286/9 MANAGER/SUPERVISORS at Xenon Hotel Charity / EBo. A C C O M O D AT I O N PROVIDED. Attractive Salary is offered – Contact: 223-5273/4 DRIVER and SALESMAN for Gas Trucks on East Coast, West Coast and East Bank Demerara. 266 4427 One female clerk – Call: 2315171 Mature, friendly driver with Lorry license needed for water delivery company – Call: 610-8282, 671-9614 One Trainee refrigeration A/ C Technician – Tel:231-0655, Call between Monday-Friday (8:00am-4:30pm)

Female Cleaner for Yard work, 2 references are required – Call: 226-9492 Pacific Development Inc – Looking to buy empty lands in all areas. Contact 2278274, 223-6035 General domestic maid at Lot 8A Eccles Public Road, E.B.D - 233-2408 or 233-2631 One experienced welder; must have knowledge about grill work & able to work with limited supervision. Call 613-3879 Handyman messenger, must know to ride motorcycle and have sound education walk with two reference – Call: 226-9492 Male and Female – 18-25yrs to work in a Window Factory. Applicant from the East Bank only.Telephone #600-5253 Live out domestic babysitter and live in babysitter –Call: 225-0188, 223-7500 (Monday to Saturday) (8:15am-4:15pm) Roti/Puri Cook, pastry maker, counter servers, handy boy- Apply @ Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce St. Full time care giver for elderly person, light housekeeping and meals on W.C.D - Call Natasha 269-0287

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 20, 2014

GPHC Emergency Medical Letters... Where your views make the news AG responds to Vincent Alexander Services deemed...

The baby boy who was delivered by the EMTs From page 9 destination for advanced medical care. Interventions include cardiopulmonary resuscitation, destination, controlling severe external bleeding, preventing shock, body immobilization to prevent spinal damage, and splinting of bone fractures. Last January, after three weeks of intense training, 22 persons graduated as fully qualified EMTs. Eleven of them were placed at the GPHC to offer their services. GPHC is the only medical institution in Guyana to offer this type of service, according to Morris, who added that once the service at GPHC is fully developed, it

will be extended to other hospitals. “We work an eighthour shift. We have shifts from 07:00hrs to 15:00hrs, from 15:00hrs to 23:00hrs and from 23:00hrs to 07:00 hrs the next morning and we use two ambulances with at least two trained EMTs on each ambulance,” Morris explained. HOW THE EMS WORKS? When someone calls and requests an ambulance, the dispatcher would ask a few basic questions. “First the dispatcher would ask for a call back number because sometimes we get dropped calls or private calls. Secondly, she (dispatcher) would ask for a location, how many patients

and what is the emergency,” Morris said. He further explained that once the dispatcher collects the basic information from the caller, she would dispatch a team to the location. “When we are there, we load and if the patient is very critical we first try to stabilize him. We would check their vital signs; if they need oxygen we would gave them. We would also call the emergency room and inform them about the emergency so that they would be prepared when we get there,” the EMT supervisor explained. He added that although there are some loose ends, the EMS programme is running smoothly.

Drugs in local agro-products... From page 21 Canadian buyers believe the high freight costs were prohibitive, and that there was too much uncertainty with respect to timely delivery. The release said that the Canadian buyers agreed that the visit to Guyana was worthwhile and that it helped to improve their understanding of and appreciation for this market. The products they were most interested in included sauces (pepper, seasoning, etc.), noodles, beverages, spices, preserves (jams and jellies), coconuts and coconut products, cassareep, fresh and frozen fruits, fresh fish, edible oil, peas and pickles. Dr. Maxine Parris of IICA, who was the point person for this Buyers Mission, outlined the purposes and expected outcomes. She noted that the Mission concluded a very

involved trade-related Capacity Building Project for Guyanese growers and agrofood manufacturers, and was preceded by two Sellers Missions. The initial grouping of SME’s was established in 2009 when the project was conceived by the Trade Facilitation Office of Canada in collaboration with the GMSA, CESO and IICA with funding from the Canadian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD), formerly CIDA. Ten Guyanese producers have been participating in this project. They include the Kuru Kururu Growers Cooperative Association, Tandy’s Manufacturing, Prestige Bottling Enterprise and Jet’s Enterprise in Demerara, and Original Juices, Henvil Farms, Pomeroon Oil Mills and Ramotar Investments in the

Essequibo. Mohan’s Fruits & Vegetables, Banks DIH and Nand Persaud Company in Berbice also participated in this Buyers Mission. During the process, the operations in each producer’s facilities were subjected to rigorous examinations. The primary objectives were to improve the export capacity of their products, to boost their post-harvest handling techniques, and to encourage them to implement Product Traceability systems. Ultimately, they would qualify for international certification, especially the Organic Product Certificate and the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) certificate. The GMSA fully intends to extend this project, follow up on new initiatives, and increase the catchment grouping of potential agroproduct exporters to Canada.

DEAR EDITOR, I refer to a letter written by Mr. Vincent Alexander published in the letter columns of the daily newspapers. In that letter, Mr. Alexander referred to statements which I made in my 2014 Budget presentation in the National Assembly, regarding the reasons advanced by His Excellency, President Donald Ramotar, for his withholding assent from the Local Government Amendment Bill. In my presentation, I adumbrated a number of reasons, including, but not limited to the following: 1. the deletion from the Bill, of several clauses by the Opposition with no corresponding amendments inserted to fill the deficiencies created by those deletions;in the consequence, there are several structural and institutional deficiencies in the architecture ofthe local government structure which the Bill purports to create; 2. the conferment by the Bill upon the Local Government Commission, created by Article 78 (A) of the Constitution, with more functional responsibilities than the Constitution itself confers upon this Commission, thereby making those provisions of the Bill ultra-vires the Constitution. Mr. Alexander, however,omits to make reference to the aforementioned reasons and indeed, cites another ground advanced by me which I will address hereunder, unfortunately, conveying the impression that it is the singular reason proffered by me for the President’s withholding of his assent. Perhaps, it is convenient that I quote from Mr. Alexander’s letter: “I am referring to the pronouncement of the Attorney General on May 15 in a local newspaper that there is dissatisfaction with, and consequentially nonassent to, the Local Government (Amendment) Bill, by President Ramotar because it gives “Executive power to anon-executive body”; and “the Commission by its very nature is not an executive agency but it is a Constitutional autonomous body like the other Constitutional Commissions and cannot be charged with executive responsibilities”.

Mr. Alexander next seeks to justify the conferment upon the Local Government Commission of functionalresponsibilities, which are executive in nature. To buttress his contention he invokes article 99 (1) of the Constitution. In his words “What was the intention of the Constitution when in Article 99(1) it states that “The Executive authority of Guyana shall be vested in the President….” but immediately goes on to state in Article 99(2) that “Nothing in the article shall prevent Parliament from conferring functions on other persons or authorities other than the President.” Herein liesthe gravamen of Mr. Alexander’s faux pas. He commits the most elementary blunder by confusing “Parliament” with “National Assembly”, thereby, completely ignoring article 55 of the Constitution which provides that “there shall be a Parliament of Guyana, which shall consist of the President and the National Assembly.” It is the National Assembly, (not Parliament but a constituent part thereof) by a majority vote, that is desirous of transferring executive power from the fountain-head of all executive power, the Executive President and residing same in another agency. The constitutional truth, however, is that same can only be done if the President, (the other constituent part of Parliament) is ready and willing to cede his executive powers to that agency, by affixing to the Bill his imprimatur, that is, his assent thereof. By exercising his constitutional powers of withholding assent, the President has, in essence, signalled his refusal to cede his executive powers to the agency in question. Article 99(2) therefore, is wholly inapplicable in this polemical matrix. There is yet another dimension. Even if the President was prepared to cede executive power, the next issue to consider is, what impact, if any, such cessation will have on the doctrine of separation of powers, a concept to whichMr. Alexander makes reference in his missive and with which, I presume, he is familiar. Perhaps the point can be

best exemplified by reference toa decided case. In 1974 Jamaica’s Parliament enacted a Gun Court Act. This statute establisheda court to hear and determine, exclusively,firearms related offences. Upon conviction, there was a mandatory sentence of hard labour at the Governor- General ‘s pleasure and was not to be discharged, except at the direction of the Governor-General, acting in accordance with the advice of a Review Board, consisting of 5 (five) persons appointed by the Governor-General. A legal challenge was launched against the constitutionality of the legislation, on the grounds, inter-aliathat the provisions of the Act relating to mandatory sentence to hard labour during the GovernorGeneral’s pleasure, acting upon the advice of the Review Board, were unconstitutional. The case went all the way to Her Majesty’s Privy Council. The Privy Council ruled, inter-alia,that while no express provision of the Constitution was violated, the conferment of the judicial power to impose a sentence after conviction upon an executive agency, the Governor-General and the Review Board, was an abrogation of the doctrine of separation of powers, the foundation upon which Jamaica’s constitutional edifice was constructed. The Act was, accordingly, declared, unconstitutional. Extrapolating and applying the principles enunciated in that case to the situation at hand, it is demonstrably clear that Presidential assent will not cure the mischief of a violation of the doctrine of separation of powers. The anxieties expressed by Mr. Alexander,therefore, that he may naively conclude that I misled the President and that the President has overruled the National Assembly, are indeed well founded. While I never professed to enjoy monopolistic knowledge of the law and constitution, I am assured in my belief that my legal arguments and rationale are sound. I have often challenged those who disagree to test them in the courts. I reiterate that challenge. Lastly, I wish to assure Mr. Alexander that whenever the President withholds his assent from a Bill, His Excellency is not “overruling” the National Assembly but is merely exercising a constitutional power which he enjoys and which must necessarily be invoked in appropriate circumstances. Mohabir Anil Nandlall Attorney General

Tuesday May 20, 2014

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 20, 2014

India’s defeated Congress party rejects Gandhi resignation offer

Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi (R) and her son and vice-president of Congress Rahul Gandhi attend the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in New Delhi yesterday. CREDIT: REUTERS/ADNAN ABIDI (Reuters) - Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul yesterday offered to step down as leaders of India’s Congress party after it suffered its worst ever election defeat, but in a bid to snuff out dissent against the country’s leading political dynasty, party bosses declined. Congress, which has ruled India for most of its 67 years of independence including the last decade, is reeling from a humiliating reverse to bitter rival Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But rather than single out the Gandhis, who led a lacklustre campaign in the face of Modi’s barnstorming performance, Congress leaders facing at least five years in opposition rallied around the family. “Sonia and Rahul offered to resign but the CWC rejected it unanimously,” said Amrinder Singh, a senior party leader from the northern state of Punjab, referring to the elite Congress Working Committee which met at party headquarters in New Delhi. Congress leaders adopted a resolution authorising Sonia to take steps to revamp the party. Television channels showed grim-faced party leaders led by Sonia, the Italian-born widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Next to her was Rahul, who has been singled out as failing to check Modi’s

meteoric rise to power. He admitted at the meeting he failed to meet expectations, party spokesman Janardan Dwivedi told reporters at a briefing. The scale of defeat was devastating. Congress won 44 seats in the 545-member lower house of parliament less than the one-tenth required to be recognised as the main opposition group. The BJP’s tally was 282. Sonia and her son won their seats in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, although Rahul did so with a vastly reduced majority. A source in the Congress said that Sonia offered her resignation as soon as the meeting began. “But the CWC said that we need you very much. We need a strong opposition to take on the BJP, we need a strong party to keep a check on the government,” said the source, who attended the meeting but declined to be named. The reaction suggests that Congress is not about to break its historic bond with the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, which has towered over Indian politics for the best part of a century. Over the years, party members who have raised the spectre of revolt against the Gandhis have been hounded out. SISTER TO THE RESCUE? Outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also spoke up at the meeting, saying

resignations of the two leaders was not a solution to the crisis facing the Congress, arguably its most serious in decades. The Congress rout has deepened doubts about the leadership qualities of Rahul, who failed to connect with voters, particularly the young. During the election, Modi challenged Rahul to name 10 villages in his home constituency of Amethi. He also repeatedly played on his humble roots as the son of a tea-seller, contrasting those with the Gandhis’ privileged upbringing. Rahul also appeared cut off from the party rank-andfile, choosing to operate through a clique of mostly unelected advisers who are now under pressure following election defeat. Ahead of the CWC meeting, Congress leaders sought to shift the blame on to Rahul’s advisers. “It was a complete failure of our communication strategy, our media strategy,” said Ashwani Kumar, a former federal minister. While party bosses were closing ranks behind Rahul, some Congress members lower down the chain of command revived calls for a greater role for his sister Priyanka, seen as a more natural politician. Priyanka, a year younger than her brother, campaigned in the family’s home districts, mounting an aggressive challenge to Modi’s highdecibel show that took the country by storm. But the mother-of-two, who bears a resemblance to grandmother Indira Gandhi, has confined herself to family bastions in each election. The party says it is up to her to decide on what political role, if any, she wants. That hands-off approach is what many independent observers believe has been the party’s undoing.

Tuesday May 20, 2014

Kaieteur News

Four foreigners among 35 arrested in light theft raids

A fleet of JPS vehicles which transported their crew on an anti-theft drive in Norwood, St James last Friday. (Jamaica Observer) MONTEGO BAY, St James — Four foreigners were among 35 persons arrested on the weekend in Western Jamaica as the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) continued its crackdown on electricity theft that it insists is robbing it of millions of dollars annually and posing a threat to its viability. A usually reliable source told the Jamaica Observer that the four foreigners are from the Dominican Republic. They are reportedly working here and living in a rented house in Lilliput, St James

where most of the arrests were made on Friday. Marvin Campbell, JPS parish manager for St James and Trelawny, could not confirm the four men’s nationality. But he verified that they were among the 35 persons arrested on day one of the operation, which, in addition to Lilliput, saw JPS and police personnel going into Norwood and Whitehouse. Campbell said that four built-in meter bypasses and a number of throw-ups were discovered during the first day of the operation. “JPS is once again trying to take back

the electricity that is being stolen by consumers,” Campbell said. On Saturday, as the crackdown spread to the upscale Fairview community of St James, a man was arrested after the JPS and police team found a meter bypass during a search of premises he occupies. Campbell disclosed that the team also found several illegal connections running from Westgate Hills - another swanky St James neighbourhood - into the nearby Mount Salem community.

Another major airline suspends flights to Venezuela CARACAS, Venezuela Italian airline Alitalia has announced that it is suspending all flights to Venezuela “due to the ongoing critical currency situation” in the country,” which is “no longer economically sustainable.” The decision by Alitalia follows a similar suspension in late March of all flights to Venezuela by Air Canada. The latest pull out follows Venezuela’s failure to honour a commitment made in March to permit the repatriation of $3.9 billion of airline funds at fair exchange rates. The funds are from sales of airline tickets in Venezuela and are being held in contravention of international treaties. “The situation is unacceptable. In March the Venezuelan government promised airlines that it would release their money for repatriation at fair exchange rates. Since then there has been very little progress. Airlines are committed to serving the Venezuelan market but they cannot sustain operations indefinitely if they

can’t get paid,” said Tony Tyler, director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA has continued its call for the immediate release of the blocked funds for repatriation at the exchange rates in place at the time the funds were generated. In most cases this was 6.3 Bolivars to the US dollar. Throughout the month of April, the Venezuelan government made various offers to release some of the airlines’ funds, but at inferior exchange rates or with arbitrary discounts. These actions contradicted prior commitments to enable the airlines to repatriate the full amount they are owed and were rejected by the airlines. Through IATA, the carriers are calling on the government to release the full amounts at the exchange rates applicable when the funds were generated. IATA cautioned that that failure to release the airline monies puts at risk a major contributor to the well-being of the Venezuelan economy -

sustainable air connectivity. In the last year, a number of other airlines have reduced flights to and from Venezuela for this reason. This year, Colombia’s Avianca has reduced itineraries by more than two-thirds. Other airlines represented by the International Air Transport Association are considering suspending all flights to Venezuela. However, addressing the issue in late March, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said, “Airlines have no excuse to reduce flights to Venezuela. I will take severe measures against any airline that does so. If an airline chooses to leave the country, it won’t come back as long as we’re the government. They will have to overthrow us. They won’t return. I’m telling this to the owners of international airlines.” In March, the Curacao government was called on to bail out local airline Insel Air after it found itself in a dire financial situation as a result of the nonpayment of some $80 million owed to the airline by Venezuela.

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Sports club executives cite discrimination as Better Hope NDC accused... From page 34 to practice shortly after receiving permission and was accosted by one of the councillors who wanted to know if we belonged to a certain (political) party,” lamented Ms Gobin. She said that she was informed that unless they were members of that political party, they could not use the ground. Consequently, Ms Gobin said that she complained to the overseer, Vishal Tickapersaud, who promised to address the issue. Subsequently, the executive of the Eletra Sports Club received confirmation after attending a meeting of councillors of the NDC and those

placed in the public domain and subsequently approached Kaieteur Sport for intervention and possible mediation. Kaieteur Sport visited the venue last Wednesday to engage the principals of the NDC. But even before doing so, this journalist ventured onto the field which was occupied by a group out of the Beterverwagting community. One of the individuals assumed the role of spokesman but refused to divulge his name. However, he said that his group utilizes the ground from Monday to Wednesday and they have every right to do so since the ground serves

officials issued permission for the ESC to use the facility, uninhibited, for cricket and football practice on Thursdays. Notwithstanding this directive, Ms Gobin complained that when the members of the ESC arrived for practice sessions on the stipulated day, they were denied permission to use the facility by a group that occupied the ground and claimed that they have all rights to do so. The issue occurred approximately two years ago and after deciding that she was not receiving justice, an aggrieved Ms. Gobin decided that apparently the issue could only be rectified when

Tuesday May 20, 2014 ARIES (MAR. 21- APRIL 20) A friendship might suffer if money becomes an issue. Your ability to get the job done will result in added responsibility and possible promotion. Pleasure trips will induce exciting and passionate encounters with those of foreign extraction. TAURUS (Apr. 21- may 21) Unexpected bills may set you back. You will be viewed as a sensitive, compassionate individual and others will ask you for advice. You should put a little extra effort in at work. GEMINI (MAY 22-JUNE 21) You might have a problem juggling your time. Your need to use emotional blackmail will only cause more conflict. Don't expect new acquaintances to be completely honest about themselves. CANCER (JUNE 22JULY 22) Get together with friends and do something entertaining but not too expensive. You can make money through your creative efforts. Organizations may cost you more than you can afford. LEO (JULY 23-AUG 22) Make alternate plans just in case you need to make a career shift. You can accomplish a lot if you direct your thoughts toward starting your own small business on the side. You will be inclined to make unwise investment choices. VIRGO (AUG. 23 -SEPT. 23) Your self esteem will benefit. Friends will be loyal and caring. Don't bang your head against a wall. You'll be angry if those you live with aren't pulling their weight.

LIBRA (SEPT. 24 -OCT. 23) Get busy. Don't be shy; if you want to spend more time with a special person, make a commitment. You have to let go of your past if you wish to get out of any sentimental mood that might be hanging over your head. SCORPIO (OCT. 24 NOV. 22) You will do well in social settings, and new and interesting individuals may spark a romantic curiosity. You should visit a friend or relative who hasn't been feeling up to par. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 -DEC. 21) Refrain from arguing with your mate. Your main concern will be to spend as little as possible of your own cash in the process. Let your lover know what your personal intentions are. CAPRICORN (DEC 22.JAN. 20) If possible, rely on coworkers to back your objectives, and talk to superiors in order to get approval. Opportunities to make advancements through good business sense are evident. Work quietly behind the scenes. AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 FEB. 19) You might find that a coworker has been two faced. You must take care not to overexert yourself if involved in sports. Be cautious and use your head wisely in situations that deal with the use of machinery or vehicles. PISCES (FEB. 20-MAR. 20) Plan to do things with your faithful pet or with youngsters who have interesting hobbies. Uncertainties are still prevailing. Short trips to visit others will do the whole family a world of good.

the surrounding communities on the East Coast and not residents from the East Bank. He was then informed that those utilizing the facility were also East Coast residents but he remained adamant that his boys were not vacating the field. The man then suggested to the ESC executives that they could have utilized the hard court situated in the western corner of the field since they were just a small inconsequential group. Ms Gobin said that the area indicated was inadequate and she even reminded the

man that they had sought and received permission to utilize the ground, all to no avail. Subsequently, Kaieteur Sport re-engaged Mr Tickapersaud who admitted that the ESC was given written permission to utilize the facilities. However, when told of the dispute between the complaining group and the Beterverwagting team, he said that there was nothing that he could have done about it. He suggested that this reporter engage the chairman of the NDC, Jagnarine Singh.

The latter individual was contacted by phone and he said that he was in Georgetown. He also confirmed that the ESC was given permission to utilize the ground. He then suggested that this reporter meet with him the following day so that he (Mr Singh) could clear up the issue. Since then his phone has been going to voice mail. Meanwhile, the members of the ESC are contemplating their next move while their young charges remain idle, prime candidates for immoral and illicit activities.

Everest, GYO capture first innings... From page 35 Perry slammed 89 not out and Hemraj 77; Antonell Atwell grabbed 5-32. At MSC, GYO posted 233 before they were bowled out in 52 overs batting first. Garfield De Roche slammed 68, while Anthony Ifill made 48, Divesh Ramjattan 32 and Abdool Raheem 25. Steven Jacobs bagged 5-60. MSC replied with 209 all out in 40.2 overs. Shemroy Barrington scored 51, Kareem Naughton 45 and Nickosie

Blake plans... From page 31 “If I break the world record, it’s my time. Usain’s had his time, and is still having it. Whatever I do this season I just want to give a surprise to the world. My potential is far greater than what I’m running now.” Compatriot Bolt established the world record of 9.58 seconds five years ago at the World Championships in Berlin - but Blake is unfazed by challenging his Racers Track Club teammate. “I wouldn’t say Usain’s record is untouchable,” said Blake. “Scientists have proven that the human body couldn’t go faster than 9.7 secs, but we have raised the bar. I think it’s touchable.” In recent weeks, the sport has been rocked by a number of leading athletes from Jamaica including former world 100 record holder Asafa Powell, as well as American star Tyson Gay being suspended for the use of banned substances. Blake, who served a threemonth ban five years ago after testing positive for methylxanthine, a substance that was not initially on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s banned list, brushed aside concerns about the impact the use of performanceenhancing drugs could have on the sport. “It’s bad, but I close my mind from it because I don’t want to hear nothing about it,” he said.

Barker 31. Off spinner Ramjattan was the main wicket taker with 5-43. Leading by 24, GYO scored 222 all out in their second turn at the crease. Ifill led with 65, Surendra Hiralall made 45 and Kwame Crosse 31. Jacobs claimed 3-41 while Benedict Prince, Cordell Mars and 11 year old debutant Wayne Bowlers Jnr took two apiece. Needing 246 to win from a minimum of 33 overs, MSC were 180-6 when stumps were

drawn. Barrington, who led with 64 and Nickosie Barker (54) put their team on course with a first wicket stand of 113, but when they were separated, GYO bowlers made inroads into the MSC batting with only Kareem Naughton (27) of the other batsmen reaching double figures. Ramjattan snared 4-67 to finish with figures of 9-110 while Crosse had two wickets. (Zaheer Mohamed).

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Forte blasts 10.03secs at George sparks Pacers to 2nd JAAA All Comers Meet Game One win over Heat

UTech’s Julian Forte (left) speeding away to victory in the men’s 100m in 10.03 seconds at the JAAA All Comers Meet at the National Stadium on Saturday. At right is second-placed Oshane Bailey with 10.20 seconds. Ramone McKenzie (second right) was eighth in 10.54secs.

Jamaica Observer - THE promising Julian Forte of UTech became the fastest Jamaican over 100 metres this season with an impressive 10.03 seconds win at the second Jamaica Administrative Athletics Association (JAAA) All Comers Meet at the National Stadium on Saturday. Forte’s time has made him the sixth fastest in the world behind American Justin Gatlin, who clocked 9.92 seconds at the Shanghai Diamond League yesterday. Simon Magakwe of South Africa with 9.98 seconds is the only other man under 10 seconds so far. Forte, who left the block like a bullet, had a brief battle with Andrew Fisher before smoothly accelerating away from the field to win easily ahead of Oshane Bailey of AKAN in 10.20 seconds. Fisher, who, until Saturday, was the fastest Jamaican, basically stopped at the end and finished sixth in 10.39 seconds. AKAN’s Jason Livermore was third in

(Reuters) - The Indiana Pacers delivered one of their most balanced performances in a shaky post-season to beat the visiting Miami Heat 10796 on Sunday in Game One of the Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers have not always been at their best in escaping the first two rounds of the playoffs, but against the defending champion Heat they again looked like the conference’s top seeds to start the best-of-seven series. Paul George scored a team-high 24 points and had seven assists as Indiana had six players in double-figures on their home floor. “This is a fun matchup – the one we’ve been waiting for all year,” George told reporters. “(We wanted) the chance to battle this team once again. I’m happy we were able to get the win.” The Pacers have been eliminated from the playoffs by Miami the past two seasons, including in last year’s Eastern Conference finals that went all seven games. On Sunday, Indiana scored the game’s first seven

From page 33 defeating Canje Secondary School (CSS) 25-4. The Female category was won by JCCSS who defeated CSS 15-11. The first place winners in both categories each received a trophy, compliments of the National Sports Commission and a Mikasa MVA 330 ball, compliments of the BVA. Second place UCITC received a ball and a FIVB net, while JCCSS received a MVA 330 ball for placing third.

The BVA also presented two Mikasa Kids balls to Mr. Carl Vanier, the Physical Education teacher of the Corentyne Comprehensive Sec. School to assist in that school’s volleyball development programme. Allicock was assisted by senior players Quacy Matheson, Jason Seelochan and Javed Motiepersaud. The BVA will be holding another School Competition as soon as the CSEC examinations are completed.

points and led by 10 at halftime. The advantage swelled to 19 in the second half and the Heat never found their footing. Dwyane Wade led Miami with 27 points and LeBron James put up 25 and 10 rebounds. The Heat began the game with a small lineup, featuring James and Shane Battier at the forwards. After halftime, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra started the bigger Udonis Haslem instead of Battier, but the move provided little help. “They have a very physical front line. It’s going to have to be a collective effort,” James said. “We’ll figure it out in Game Two.” Indiana big men David

West and Roy Hibbert each scored 19 points. The Pacers have had an unsettling last couple of months, stumbling to end the regular season and playing inconsistently during the playoffs. They needed the full seven games to overcome the eighth seed Atlanta Hawks in the opening round, and were also challenged throughout six games with the underdog Washington Wizards. Against Miami, though, they found their form and forced the Heat to regroup. “They drew first blood,” Wade said. “This series has so much basketball left. We believe we can figure it out.”

Speed XI beat Mischievous Boys by 4 wkts Speed XI overcame Mischievous Boys by four wickets to claim the Pitamber Auto Spares over 40 softball title recently at the Georgetown Cricket Club. Batting first after winning the toss, Mischievous Boys scored 160 all out in 22.3 overs. Chatham Narayan scored 39, Yussuf Yunnis 28 and Nigel Dindyal 26.

Randolph Perreira captured 319, Kamal Seebarran 2-18 and Rahaman Khan 2-26. Speed XI replied with 1626 in 19.1 overs. Perreira led with 55 not out and Solomon Ghanie 46. Satesh Persaud snared 2-10, Yunnis 2-12 and Arjune Persaud 2-13. Perreira was named Man of the Match while Chatham Narayan and Persaud received prizes for efforts.

Results of YBG Winners of BVA Inter... Regional Conference Enmore to host 4-team B/Ball last Saturday Regional Conference Tournament play continued last Saturday with 6 games in the Georgetown & East Coast Conferences at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The Regional Conference Tournament is the qualifying rounds for teams hoping to play in the National Schools Basketball Festival from July 6-13, 2014. The Regionals and NSBF are sponsored by Digicel Guyana, Edward B. Beharry and Company Ltd and Banks DIH. Conference games will continue on Saturday 31 May, at the same venue with 7 games scheduled from 15:00hrs. ‘Game Day Saturday’ results are as follows:

softball on Sunday Enmore Cricket Club will be hosting a male and female softball tournament on Sunday. Floodlight XI, Mike’s Wellman, Parika Defenders, Superstars XI, Enmore and Success are the teams expected to battle in the male division, while Regal Champs, Mike’s

Wellwoman, Trophy Stall Angels and Lady Jags will compete in the female segment. Action starts at 09:30hrs and trophies and cash prizes will be up for grabs. There will also be other entertainment for fans and bar-b-cue will be on sale.

Response to Neil Kumar, MP - IGG Basketball... From page 32 age threshold training with the U19 team will benefit the U19 players. Neil Kumar: The NSBF provides a fair and open process for all eligible student basketball players. It is a proven and tested process. Case in point: Guyana females are IGG defending champions. Nigel Hinds: Guyana has won the IGG Basketball Tourney for several years prior to 2006. Back in 1979 and several years before and after - Guyana won the Male Basketball IGG competition. Mark Agard was the MVP of the IGG Basketball Tournament in 1979. Also, note my earlier reference to the limited number of schools that participate in NSBF. For the 1979 team -

coaches were Mike Brusche and Orin Cumberbatch both employed by the Ministry of Sports and they were tasked with conducting basketball coaching in Schools. The failure of the Ministry of Sports to employ school basketball coaches should not be used as rationale to undermine the GABF. Neil Kumar: Funds are never budgeted for individual sports of the IGG. Actually an IGG budget is prepared for approval under the following heads: Accommodation, Transportation, Refreshment and meals, Field Materials and Supplies, Other Administrative Changes. Nigel Hinds: Lump sum budgeting is retrograde. We need to know how much is budgeted for each sport discipline and the sub-

categories. Can you imagine if the Honourable Finance Minister sending a Lump Sum Budget to the National Assembly? How much is the overall budget for IGG? How much of the IGG budget goes to Basketball Activities? What specific monies were paid to individuals or companies as it relates to IGG Basketball? We of the GABF look forward to working with the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports and the Director of Youth and Sports to develop basketball in Guyana. We ask the Minister to ensure that the GABF is provided with the requisite funds for accommodation, transportation, meals, materials and supplies for IGG Basketball. The senior functionaries

in the Ministry of Sports should state publicly that the GABF is responsible for training, selecting coaches and selecting players for the IGG Basketball Games. As an aside and clarification to Mr. Kumar: Linden, Georgetown and Berbice Basketball Associations are assigned to different zones across Guyana and these Associations fall under the auspices of the GABF. Thus, the associations’ mandates, agreements, bookings and principles fall under the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation. Thus, we have access to all bookings made by our Associations. Nigel Hinds President Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation

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The next Generation Annual T&G Outreach U13 InterSQUASH CHAMPS school football underway in Berbice The Guyana Squash Association (GSA), in collaboration with its corporate sponsor Digicel Guyana, held its 2014 National Junior Squash Championships sponsored by Woodpecker Products Ltd at the Georgetown Club last week. Several exciting contests were witnessed as most of the top players were vying to be crowned National Champions for 2014. RESULTS OF THE TOURNAMENT ARE AS FOLLOWS. Boys Under 11 Novices James Mekdeci Winner Kamir Khan Second Liam Carpenter Third Boys Under 11 Shomari Wiltshire Winner Gianni Carpenter Second Demetrius De Abrue Third Michael Alphonso Fourth Dominic Collins Fifth Girls Under 11 Madison Fernandes Winner Kirsten Gomes second Halley Carpenter Third Paige Fernandes Fourth Boys Under 13 Shomari Wiltshire Winner Daniel Islam Second Anthony Islam Third Gianni Carpenter Fourth

Girls Under 13 Makeda Harding Winner Maya Collins Second Boys Under 15 Shemane Griffith Winner Shomari Wiltshire Second Alex Cheeks Third Girls Under 15 Rebecca Low Winner Makeda Harding Second Sarah Lewis Third Savannah Mendes Fourth Boys Under 17 Ben Mekdeci Winner Shemane Griffith Second Alec Melville Third Matthew Phang Fourth Girls Under 17 Larissa Wiltshire Winner Taylor Fernandes Second Rebecca Low Third Makeda Harding Fourt Boys Under 19 Nyron Joseph Winner Ben Mekdeci Second Alec Melville Third Matthew Phang Fourth Girls Under 19 Akeila Wiltshire Winner Larissa Wiltshire Second Taylor Fernandes Third Most Improved Boy Ben Mekdeci Most Improved Girl Makeda Harding Most Outstanding Boy Shomari Wiltshire Most Outstanding Girl Makeda Harding

Play in the fifth edition of the annual Trinidad and Guyana Sports Club and Outreach Programme (TGSCOP) U13 Inter Secondary School football competition for schools in the NA/ Canje district began last week Monday with one game and continued during the week. The tournament, which is being held at the All Saints Scott Church ground in New Amsterdam, is being played in collaboration with the Hearts of Oak Masters Football club. The tournament started with a shocker with Berbice Educational Institute (BEI) hammering Berbice High School 11-0 in a lopsided

contest. Scoring for BEI were Troy Munroe, Dwaine Alleyne and Neil Humphrey with three each, while Shaquan Durant and Avion Kendall netted one a piece. In another game played on Tuesday, BHS bounced back to edge past Canje Secondary School (CSS) 2-1. Scoring for BHS were Edron Stephens and Rawle Bourne while Alade Conway scored for CSS. In the second game of the double header, Vryman’s Erven Secondary School (VESS) whipped New Amsterdam Multilateral School (NAMS) 6-0 with Drevaun Pyle and Alex Ogleton scoring two each, while Osafo McDonald and

Dexter Williams scored one apiece. Eight schools are slated to take part in the tournament with the others being Tutorial Academy Secondary (TASS), School of The Nations (SOTN) and for the first time Fort Ordnance from East Canje. The top school in the competition will be presented with the Trinidad and Guyana (T&G) Sports Club and Outreach Programme trophy and 15 gold medals while the runner up will collect a trophy and 15 silver medals. Trophies and other incentives will also be given to the other participating teams. A number of individual

prizes will also be presented including the Most Valuable Player, best striker, best defender, best midfielder, best goalkeeper, most promising player(s), and most goal scorer. Players will also be presented with jerseys, trunks, shin pads, hoses, boots and balls among other things. The competition is sponsored by Isaac Daniel, a resident of Trinidad and a regular visitor to Guyana who started to organize activities some 10 years ago. President of TGSCOP is June Britton. The tournament is being coordinated by former national player Neil “Grizzly” Humphrey. (Samuel Whyte)

Inaugural Independence 10\10 Day\Night Softball Cricket Festival plans moving apace Plans for the staging of the inaugural Independence 10\10 Day\Night Softball Cricket Festival is moving apace as organizers are putting things in place for the May 25th, 2014 Festival at the No. 5 Sports Ground, West Coast Berbice. According to Star Sports Entertainment, several top softball teams in Guyana have already indicated their participation in the festival.

Teams will be coming from as far as Parika on the East Bank Essequibo and Crabwood Creek on the Corentyne. Several top teams in Georgetown have already given their commitment of taking part. The Festival will be played on a knock out basis with round arm bowling being the format of the day. There will be over $200,000 in cash and trophies up for grabs and

the competition starts at 9:00am. According to the coordinators, spectators will be treated to lots of side attractions which are being put in place presently so as to make it a grand family entertainment. A few local businesses have already thrown their support behind the festival such as CellPhonix, Blair Computer Solutions, S. Deonarine Real Estate and

Valuation Services and Bhagwan’s Optical Services. Teams that are interested in participation are asked to make contact with the organizers on 684-3293, 6938217 or 625-1534 or via email at starsportsent478@ gmail.com, as early as possible because a limited amount of teams will be accepted and closing date for registration is May 22nd, 2014.

Member of the Guyana and West Indies Fullbore Shooting team, USA based Sigmund Douglas donated the Amazon Trophy to the top female shooter of the just concluded West Indies Fullbore Shooting Championships (WIFSC) held at the Twickenham Ranges, Jamaica.

Karen Anderson of Jamaica was presented with the trophy by Douglas during the WIFSC presentation ceremony in Jamaica. The Guyanese marksman noted that while he has been donating trophies since 1992, the idea behind the female trophy came from him competing at

Bisely in England. “At Bisley there are many trophies that only female shooters can win so I said we need to have one in the West Indies to encourage and recognize our female shooters.” Among the other trophies that Douglas has donated is the Grand Aggregate for

Guyana Nationals and the Over-50. He is planning to donate a few more; V Bull, Challenge Cup, Magpie and the Tyro trophy (for beginners) and this will be in time for the 2017 championships which will be hosted in Guyana. Trinidad and Tobago will host next year.

GSCL Inc says thanks to sponsors and teams Guyanese marksman Sigmund Douglas donates trophy for top Caribbean Female shooter

Following the successful hosting of their inaugural Independence Cup, which was held in collaboration with the National Sports Commission, the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. wishes to thank their sponsors and teams who made the event a success story. Regal XI, Regal Masters and Trophy Stall Angels and Mike’s Wellwoman, were crowned the Open, Masters and joint female champions respectively, when the tournament culminated at the Everest Cricket Club ground on Monday 5th May. “Amidst several hiccups, the three day tournament was a huge success for us. Yes we had some on the field problems that were minor and dealt with and I wish to assure those teams that in the future, such matters of concern would not occur again, as we seek to give them tournaments that are conducive and in good keeping with the rules and regulations of the GSCL Inc.,” said Public Relations Officer

Calvin Roberts. Roberts thanked Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, Romaine’s Car Wash, Star Party Rentals, Trophy Stall of Bourda Market and Hadi’s City Mall, Agri Parts, GuyTrac and Agri Parts, Goodwood Racing Service, Puran Brothers Topmix, Jialing and Digimax for support. Teams such as Memorex, Regal Champs, Floodlight Masters, Trophy Stall, Wolf Warriors, Farm XI, Speedboat-for whom Greg Singh struck a double ton, Parika Defenders, Smith XI, Industry Super Kings and Karibee Girls, were some of the teams who competed in the tournament. “The sponsors and teams, made it a success story for us, but most importantly, I wish to say thanks from the depths of my heart to Director of Sport Neil Kumar who in February had challenged us to involve female teams in our tournaments and at the launching, promised his unflinching support to the GSCL Inc.”

BLAKE… my potential is far greater than what I’m running now. (PHOTO: AFP)

Blake plans career change, EYES 100 WORLD RECORD LONDON, England (CMC) — Yohan Blake said he plans to make a career change when he retires from the track in another six years. The former world 100 metres champion from Jamaica said English county side Yorkshire has offered him a chance to fulfil a childhood dream of playing cricket at a high level. “Cricket is my first love,” said Blake in an interview with the BBC. “I’ve wanted to play for Yorkshire or in England for a long time.” Blake said he wants to follow in the footsteps of legendary West Indies captain and current manager Richie Richardson and play for the club in the north of England. The 24-year-old Blake is a decent fast-medium bowler and

decent middle to lower order batsman and has turned out regularly for Kingston Cricket Club in Jamaican club championship. Getting down to business, Blake said he has overcome the hamstring injury that prevented him from defending his world 100m crown at last year’s World Championships in Russia. He said his eyes are also firmly set on establishing a new mark for the 100 and toppling compatriot Usain Bolt from the top of the pedestal. “This is a good year to return to top form,” he said. “When I came on the scene in 2009, I’ve been leaving personal bests every end of the year, so you might see one this year. (Continued on page 29)

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 20, 2014

Metro continues support of BCB/Berbice >>Letter to the Sports Editor<< Chambers Independence T20 Cup 2014 Response to Neil The largest Computer and Office Supplies establishment in Berbice, Metro for the third time join hands with the BCB/ BCC&DA to host Independence T20 Cup 2014 to be held on Sunday May 25, 2014 at the Albion Cricket Ground. This edition promises to be the biggest ever. It is expected to be played under international quality floodlights for the first time. There will be two semifinals with Berbice ‘A’ taking on Berbice ‘B’ from 11:00am followed three hours later by Georgetown Cricket Association vs East Coast Jaguars. The winners will battle in the finals from 7:00pm under lights for bragging rights, trophies and cash incentives. Preceding the final will be a feature softball match between archrivals Memorex and Universal DVD. As usual, proceeds from this event will go to several charitable organisations. The two cricket clubs identified for assistance this year are Blairmont Cricket Club and Upper Corentyne Cricket Association. Three orphanages, two schools and the host venue Albion Cricket Ground are also earmarked to gain from this year’s mega event. The recently opened shelter for homeless and abused kids at Babu John, Bal Nivas, will also be assisted as it prepares to serve the people of the county from July 2014. The BCB and BCC&DA will share the balance equally to fulfill their respective mandates. This gala event will form part of the Region’s celebration for Independence and will surely boast local tourism in the County as many fans from Suriname are expected. At a simple ceremony held recently at the New Amsterdam Branch of Metro, Mr Chetram Sookra, Marketing Representative handed over sponsorship cheque to Cosmatia Lindee, the tournament’s Secretary. He said that his company was very happy with what they saw for the first two years and readily renewed their sponsorship for 2014. He indicated that his company is happy to give back to Berbice. He added that Metro Computer and Office Supplies receives overwhelming support from Berbicians. Mr Sookra wished the tournament a success and was happy to learn that so many charitable organisations will benefit from this event. He said that

Metro’s Mr Chetram Sookra, Sales Representative, hands over the sponsorship cheque to Cosmatia Lindee, the tournament’s Secretary. the addition of the new shelter for abused and homeless kids at Babu John to the list of organisations to benefit is timely. Receiving the cheque on behalf of the tournament, Cosmatia Lindee, thanked Metro for their sterling contribution to the tournament and charity as a whole in Berbice and Guyana. She thanked Metro for coming onboard once again and assured them that they will be satisfied with the mileage and the way the tournament will be conducted. Special mention was made of CEO Avia Lindie who always extends a helping hand and is a good friend of both BCB and BCC&DA. Transparency and accountability have been the hallmark of the first two tournaments and this year will be no different. Other sponsors onboard so far are: Courts Guyana Inc, Demerara Bank Limited, Hand In Hand Insurance Company, Raffik and Sons Construction, Bissoondyal Singh of Elizabeth Style, Sunshine Supermarket, Danzies Clothing and Auto Sale, Geddes Grant, Nand Persaud of Karibee Rice, A Ally and Sons, Ishmael Poultry, Sentinel Security, Universal DVD, New Building Society Ltd, Furniture World, Poonai Pharmacy, Sewnarine Zai Auto Paint, Balram Shane and Jayzee of the USA. The tournament is set for

May 25, 2014, the Sunday before Independence Day. Incentives close to one million dollars will go to the players. The patrons will have the opportunity to win fabulous gate prizes. Meanwhile, the BCB senior selectors have named the two Berbice teams to take

part. This follows the East Coast Board. The teams are: Berbice ‘A’ Sewnarine Chattergoon Capt Shimron Hetymer Assad Fudadin Narsingh Deonarine Jonathan Foo Devon Clements Kandasammy Surujnarine Rajiv Ivan Gudakesh Motie Anthony Bramble Devindra Bishoo Keon Joseph Raun Johnson Nial Smith Krishendat Ramoo Vishal Mohabir Vedesh Singh Eugene LaFleur Berbice ‘B’ Anthony D’Andrade Devindra Thakurdeen Balchan Baldeo Dominique Rikhi Rafael Estriado Sharaz Ramcharran Keith Fraser Eon Hooper Kevin Ramdeen Suresh Dhanai Jason Sinclair Clinton Pestano Shaun Perreira Romario Shepherd Yugendra Harrinarine Steven Latcha Joemal LaFleur Seon Hetmyer Standby: Zaheer Hussain Joshua Ramsammy David Latchaya Akshay Homraj Verendra Gooniah

Kumar, MP - IGG Basketball Games

DEAR EDITOR, Kindly permit me to make a few points in response Mr. Neil Kumar’s letter to the editor of Stabroek News on the Inter Guiana Games dated May 17, 2014. Neil Kumar: “If the GABF is serious about our students’ development, it will first develop a system to foster such development at the schools level. Until then the current process will remain in place.” Nigel Hinds: Less than 20% of the schools in Guyana participate in YBG school basketball tournaments. Who are the coaches that YBG employs to coach the 111 public secondary schools as listed on the website of the Ministry of Education website: http://www. e d u c a t i o n . g o v. g y / w e b / index.php/who-we-are/ schools/secondary ? Using the U19 players from clubs affiliated to the GABF and working with sports administrators in schools to identify eligible U19 players across Guyana is the process being used by the GABF to select the Guyana U19 team. The implication of keeping the current process in place is the nonparticipation by officials, coaches, referees and players

locally, as the IGG would not be favourably sanctioned by GABF. Further, French Guiana and Suriname are very unlikely to have their representatives participate in an event not approved by FIBA or a FIBA representative. Neil Kumar: “The NSC condemns this imposition by the GABF of randomly hand picking players who may not be eligible according to the IGG protocol on the grounds of age and/or academic status of students.” Nigel Hinds: The players named in the Interim Guyana U19 Basketball Presidential Team were recommended by Club Coaches; the U19 squad will be expanded to include players from other regions and districts using the same approach, along with reaching out to sports administrators in schools across Guyana to recommend talented basketball players who are not in basketball clubs to participation in U19 training. We intend to name the full male and female squads in training during June 2014. The training sessions are open to eligible players. Age and academic requirements will be adhered to for team selection. Having talented players just over the (Continued on page 26)

Cricket Bill will bring transparency says Roger Harper & Bissoon Singh By Sean Devers The Cricket Bill was passed last week in Parliament and will become Law when President Donald Ramotar signs the document but already President of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Roger Harper and Head of the East Coast Cricket Board Bissoon Singh are hailing the Bill as a victory for cricketing Democracy and transparency. According the Harper, a former West Indies Test offspinner, the Bill is a way of streamlining the whole cricket structure and organization in Guyana. “It will help to ensure that Associations and Boards are all on the same page and the election processes for the bodies are better structured and also all are accountable,” Harper opined.

Roger Harper

Bissoon Singh

“We (GCA) are hoping that this (Bill) will mean that more of the right people with genuine interest in the development and advancement of the game at heart will be involved in the running of the sport,” The former Guyana Captain said. He added that no one has a problem with the Guyana Cricket Board per se but the

manner in which the current executives attained office because there will always be a Guyana Cricket Board. Harper said he is hoping that the Bill with help to clean up all the chaos in Guyana’s cricket. Singh agreed with Harper and added that the Bill will bring transparency and Democracy at all levels which

did not happen in the last four years. “The most productive cricket sectors in Guyana are the GCA, the East Coast Board and the Berbice Cricket Board. We have produced all of the National players and yet have not received a single cent from the purported GCB,” Singh, a former Vice President of the GCB noted. “We are unaware of the amount of money Guyana gets from the WICB, but we know that at least US$100,000 comes here annually but we don’t know what else is coming here,” Singh added. Singh said that the ECCB would like to thank Corporate Guyana and all others for their support during the turbulent times. “We also want to thank those who have seen it fit in the National Assembly to address this situation,” Singh concluded.

Tuesday May 20, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 33

California Strike returns to winning ways at KENNARD MEMORIAL meet

Representatives of the Shariff stable receive their accolades for California Strike’s win in the feature D and lower event.

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alifornia Strike o f t h e Mohammed Shariff Racing Stable and ridden by Colin Ross struck its opponents hard, returning to winning ways to take the feature D class event and the coveted $400,000 winner’s prize and the Vibert trophy for a gate to pole win. The occasion was the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club annual Pre Independence one day horserace meet which was held on Sunday last at the Club’s Bush Lot Farm entity. The animals were off to a good start in the one mile

event with California Strike, classified D1 and running with a top weight of 126 pounds, striking the lead early as the others played catch up. Along the back stretch and the battle was on as the momentum picked up with the horses hitting top speed. Into the home stretch the challenge was still on, but Ross atop California Strike called on his charge and it responded for the easy win to spark celebrations among the Shariff entourage. Run Nana Run ran in second ahead of Monsoon and Red Cloud.

H o w e v e r, d e s p ite California Strike winning the feature event, the top horse on show was Famous Pride of the C Washington Stable of Cottage Mahaicony with two wins for the day in capturing the J1 and lower event and the J3 and lower handicap races. Tr a i n e d b y K e l v i n Gingoree, the animal ridden by new boy Russell Chichester first took care of business in the J3 and lower 5 furlongs event as it won the $150,000 first prize ahead of Sugar Boy, Road is Mine and Princess Stallion. It then returned with Chichester

Champion horse, Famous Pride ridden by Russell Chichester blazes to victory in the J class event. again in a blistering finish to take care of business in the J3 handicap race to take home the $150,000 first prize over 6 furlongs from Road is Mine, Speed Vision and Princess Stallion. Work Force of the Vibert stable and ridden by Paul Delph returned to track after a lengthy lay off to take the $300,000 winners money and trophy in the G1 and lower 6 furlong race. Occupying the other positions were Monsoon, Another Jet and Flying Baby. The I1 and Lower 7 furlong race saw jockey

Winston Appadhu piloting Savion of The Crawford stable to victory ahead of Mary Ann, Party Time and Royal Cash. The winner collected $250,000 and trophy. P a r t y Ti m e o f t h e Parmanand stable with Rad Drepaul on board won the J1 and lower 6 furlongs race from Smarty Light, Little and Lady Secret. It took away the $200,000 and trophy up for grabs. Apprentice Jockey Russell Chichester in his first major outing was adjudged the top jockey with

Paul Delph the runner up. The Washington Stable with its two wins ran away with the top stable award. They were presented with accolades compliments of Ramesh Sunich of the Trophy Stall, Bourda Market and the organizers. The day’s events were incident free and chief organizer, Retired Chancellor, Justice Cecil Kennard expressed thanks to all for their wonderful and unstinted support. Close to $4 M were at stake while over 60 horses took part in the day’s activities.

Winners of BVA Inter School Volleyball Competition receive prizes

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he respective winners of the B e r b i c e Volleyball Association ( B VA ) I n t e r S c h o o l (Secondary and Primary) Volleyball competition, which was played on April 9th last at the Port Mourant Training Centre Courts, received their prizes at a simple ceremony held last Tu e s d a y a t t h e J . C . Chandisingh Secondary School. The prizes were handed over by Competition C o o r d i n a t o r, G o d w y n Allicock who congratulated the teams and encouraged them to continue to practice for participation in the

National Schools Competition scheduled for later this year. Allicock expressed his disappointment that only one Primary School turned up for the Primary School segment of the competition. He was however pleased with the response from the Secondary Schools, although he had some reservations that only two sent female teams. The Male category was won by PMTC Red who defeated the Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre (UCITC) in the final-30-28. JC Chandisingh Secondary (JCCSS) placed third by (Continued on page 30)

At extreme right is Godwyn Allicock & fourth from right BVA President, Gregory Rambarran.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday May 20, 2014

Royals fall behind in top-two race

Michael Hussey made a half-century on his comeback. (BCCI) Lendl Simmons taps the ball down the ground. (BCCI)

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SPNcricinfo - Faced with a must-win situation on a dry pitch, Michael Hussey and Lendl Simmons produced a century stand for the first wicket - Mumbai Indians’ best in 40 games - that helped them prevail over thirdplaced Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad. Both batsmen scored half-centuries before Rohit Sharma used the platform as a springboard for a 19-ball 40 that lifted his team to 178. Their three spinners then shared two wickets each to give Mumbai Indians a comfortable win that took them level with Sunrisers Hyderabad on points. However, one has to question the number of changes made by Royals ahead of an important match, given they were still not assured of a place in the playoffs. Kane Richardson, the Royals

seamer, had even mentioned on the eve of the match that they were in no mood for experimentation, but there were four changes when Shane Watson came for the toss. They swapped Ajinkya Rahane, easily their best batsman for such conditions, for Unmukt Chand, who hadn’t played a game this season, while also benching their best bowler, Pravin Tambe. With this loss, they have not only kept Mumbai Indians’ dreams alive, but also got stuck on seven wins from 12 games with two difficult away matches to go against Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians. Unlike Royals, Mumbai Indians’ changes didn’t need an explanation. Corey Anderson had come to the end of the long rope he had got from the management, CM Gautam hadn’t set the scene on fire

Kieron Pollard took a blinder on the boundary to dismiss Kevon Cooper. (BCCI)

with his batting and Lasith Malinga had left for England to join his national team. In came, Hussey, Krishmar Santokie and the young Karnataka allrounder Shreyas Gopal, all of whom played their parts. Hussey had been dropped after only 30 runs in his first four matches for Mumbai Indians but on a slow pitch in Ahmedabad, he showed the quality that the team had been missing at the top of the order. He remained busy in the first half of the innings, manoeuvring the ball with ease, while his partner, Simmons, mainly looked for the big shots. At the end of five overs, Mumbai Indians were on 34, and more importantly, without the loss of any wicket, nine more than their previous best opening stand this season. Simmons wasn’t comfortable with the deliveries that stopped on him but used powerful cuts and

lofted shots whenever offered with the right length. He had six boundaries to Hussey’s one as the partnership reached 50 in the seventh over. Hussey, the more fluent of the two, just got better with the day. He crisply timed a length ball from Stuart Binny through covers for his second boundary before deftly punching a slower delivery from Rajat Bhatia through point for his third. Off the first ball of the 11th over, he hammered a slower bouncer from James Faulkner over deep midwicket. He smashed another six in the next over, before nudging the next ball for a single to reach his half-century off 32 balls, easily beating Simmons to the landmark. Both batsmen were dismissed in the 15th over, allowing Rohit just enough time to cut loose. Even

though Kieron Pollard struggled for timing with the ball reversing, Rohit clobbered three sixes and a four in the last two overs that cost Royals 29 runs. Mumbai Indians introduced spin early in the chase and Pragyan Ojha, who had just one wicket this season till then, struck twice in his first two overs to remove Chand and Watson. Karun Nair played a free-flowing innings of 48 from 24 balls, but with batsmen offering catches at the other end, the Royals innings came off tracks early. Brad Hodge and James Faulkner, coming in at Nos 8 and 9, landed some parting blows but the match had long slipped out of Royals’ hands. Scores: Mumbai Indians 178 for 3 (Simmons 62, Hussey 56) beat Rajasthan Royals 153 for 8 (Nair 48, Harbhajan 2-13, Gopal 2-25) by 25 runs.

Sports club executives cite discrimination as Better Hope NDC accused of impartiality

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ubscribing to the long held belief that sport has the ability to productively engage young people and therefore is the catalyst to their development, several residents of the Diamond EBD community convened approximately three years ago and formed the Eletra Sports Club (ESC) aimed at creating opportunities for the youths in that community. Headed by Club Coordinator, Devika Gobin, the group organized several events in that East Bank

community and those executives were so heartened by the results of the Diamond entity that they decided to expand to other communities. Subsequently, one year after coming into existence, the ESC ventured onto the East Coast Demerara and formed a similar club in the Better Hope area, utilizing the community centre ground to engage in football and cricket matches as well as other wholesome extracurricular activities. Things were going fine

until recently when Ms Gobin said she encountered several problems with officials from the Better Hope Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) that is currently hindering them from playing on the ground. Ms Gobin claimed that in attempting to resolve the issue, she has been verbally abused by members of the National Democratic Council (NDC) and other groups and was also the victim of racial slurs. “We went to the ground (Continued on page 29)

Devika Gobin (backing camera) attempts to convince this gentleman (flop hat), who claimed to have the authority to deny them the privilege of utilizing the ground, in the presence of some of the displaced youths

Tuesday May 20, 2014

Kaieteur News

Page 35

GTTA/NSC Independence Table Tennis Tournament...

Ninvalle boys, Sukhu, Edghill, Greaves impressive

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ising table tennis star, Kaysan Ninvalle, endorsed the view of the experts that he has special talent when he defeated Colin Wong in three straight sets, 11-1,11-1,11-8, to capture the honours in the U-9 category when the curtains came down on the 2014 edition of the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) Independence Table Tennis Tournament staged in conjunction with the National Sports Commission at the National Gymnasium. Mandela Avenue, May 16-18 last. Dhanesh Persaud occupied the third place. Cieara Sukhu was also in winners’ row and firstly defeated Thuraia Thomas 11-8, 11-3, 11-8 before taking care of Chelsea Hutson 11-2,11-6,11-9 to prevail in the Girls 9 years and under category, while Thomas defeated Hutson 11-5,5-11,9-11,11-4,11-8 to finish second with Hutson finishing third. Keshon Reese prevailed over Samuel Woodroffe to take the novice title, winning their encounter 11-8, 11-13, 11-8; 11-5, while Ashesh Shivraj and Denel Inniss jointly occupied the third place. The Boys’ U-11 title went to Niron Bissu who defeated Kaysan Ninvalle, who moved up in age category to take the bigger boys, in a fiercely competitive match that was decided after a thrilling fiveset encounter 14-12,7-11, 11-5,811,12-10 (3-2). Joint third place went to Colin Wong and Joshua Khan. Nevaeh Clarkston then won

Khalil Ninvalle the Girls’ U-11 category after defeating Abigale Martin 11-8,119,11-8 and Cieara Sukhu 11-7,112,11-6; the latter two finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. Selenas Jackman had a fairly easy win in the girls’ under-13 final against Nevaeh Clarkston, winning the encounter 3-1 at 11-8, 8-11, 116 and 11-9, while Aneka Phillips and Brittney Bunbury were joint third place finishers. Selenas Jackman enjoyed a fairly easy win in the girls’ under13 final against Nevaeh Clarkston, taking their encounter 3-1 (11-8, 811, 11-6 and 11-9) while joint third place went to Aneka Phillips and Brittney Bunbury. In the semifinals clash Clarkston defeated Phillips 118,11-9,4-11,11-7 while Jackman defeated Bunbury 14-12,11-4,11-3. The Boy’s 13 years and under duel between Khalil Ninvalle and Tyriq Saunders was won by the former player 12-10,14-12,11-9,

Chelsea Edghill

Priscilla Greaves

Kaysan Ninvalle

while Saunders closed off the second slot. Kaysan Ninvalle and Jeremy Singh were the joint third place winners. Saunders had defeated Kaysan Ninvalle 9-11,113 , 6 - 11 , 1 2 - 1 0 , 11 - 9 i n t h e semifinals, while Ninvalle defeated Singh 9-11,13-11,11-3,11-5. In the quarterfinal encounter, Kaysan Ninvalle defeated Terrence Rausch 3-11,11-3,11-8,11-8 and Saunders defeated Amit Mookram 8-11,115,11-7,8-11,11-8. Khalil Ninvalle beat Nickolas Romain 11-4,114,11-9, while Singh defeated Niran Bissu 11-4,11-3,11-3. Priscilla Greaves defeated Kristie Lopes at 11-3,11-4,11-5 to take the Girl’s 15 years and under title, while the joint third place winners are Selenas Jackman and Jamaali Homer. In the semifinals Greaves defeated Jackman 118,12-10,11-4, while Lopes beat Homer 11-4 11-8, 11-8. Other results read: Girls’ 15 years and under: Priscilla Greaves

defeated Kristie Lopes (11-3,114,11-5) with Selenas Jackman and Jamaali Homer jointly occupying the third place, while in the semifinals Greaves defeated Jackman 11-8,1210,11-4 and Lopes defeated Homer 11-4 11-8, 11-8. The 15 years and under finals: Kyle Edghill defeated Elishaba Johnson 11-5,11-8,11-9, while joint third place went to Khalil Ninvalle and Miguel Wong. 18 years girls’ finals: Chelsea Edghill defeated Priscilla Greaves 11-8,11-5,11-9 while joint third place went to Kristie Lopes and Jamaali Homer. Shemar Britton defeated Elishaba Johnson in the finals of the Boy’s U-18 category, while joint third place went to Stefan Corlette and Sheldon Atherly. In the semifinals Britton defeated Corlette 11-7,11-6,11-7, while Johnson defeated Atherly 119,11-6,8-11,11-5. In the quarterfinals Britton defeated Jeremy Singh 11-6,11-3,11-4,

while Corlette defeated Kristoff Sukhu 11-7,11-9,11-7. Atherly defeated Alec Hopkinson 11-2,611,12-10,11-9, while Johnson defeated Kevon Corbin 11-6,118,11-7. The Junior girls’ doubles finals was won by Chelsea Edghill/Kristie Lopes over Selenas Jackman/ Nevaeh Clarkston at 118,11-5,11-9, while third place was jointly shared by Simran Bissu/Brittney Bunbury and Jamaali Homer/Priscilla Greaves. Activities continue on Friday 23rd with the match between the 21 years and under in the open category from 16:00 hours and on Saturday 24th with the Boys’ and Mixed Doubles from 10:00 hrs and Men and Women’s Singles from 13:00 hours. On Sunday 25, the finals of the Men and Women Singles would be contested from 10:00 hours, while the presentation of prizes gets underway from 17:00hrs.

GCA/Hadi’s World Inc first division 2-day tourney...

Everest, GYO capture first innings points E

verest and Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) grabbed first innings points from Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) and Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC), respectively, when the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA)/Hadi’s World City Mall Inc first division 2-day tournament continued last weekend. At DCC, the home team batted first and were bowled out for 142 in 53 overs with Tevin Imlach scoring 33. Troy Gonsalves grabbed 440, Harri Narine 3-36 and Christopher Surat 3-45. Everest replied with 168 all out in 58 overs. Joseph Perry cracked 57 not out, Darshan Persaud and Chanderpaul Hemraj 31 each. Left arm spinner Totaram Bishun

Barnwell slams century, 5-wkt hauls for Atwell, Ramjattan and Jacobs

FROM LEFT: Divesh Ramjattan, Gefield De Roche, Anthony Ifill and Surendra Hiralall. claimed 4-46 and Christopher Barnwell 2-39. Trailing by 26 runs, DCC rattled up 300-9 declared off 45 overs, batting a second time. Barnwell stroked ten

fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 105, while Jahon Byron supported with 74 and Trevon Griffith 52. Hemraj picked up 4-49 and Gonsalves 4-150 off 21 overs to finish

the game with 8-190. Set 276 to win, the visitors managed to hold on for a draw ending on 199-9 in 55 overs on the final day. (Continued on page 29)

Christopher Barnwell

t r o Sp George sparks Pacers to Sigmund Douglas Game One win over Heat donates trophy for top Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;bean Female shooter

Indiana Pacers forward David West (21) dunks against Miami Heat guard Ray Allen (34) and center Chris Bosh (1) in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. (Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports)

Sigmund Douglas presents the Amazon trophy to Karen Anderson.

The next Generation Squash champs

FIFA World Cup Countdown Tournament starts in:

23 DAYS

The respective prize winners and officials following the completion of the tournament take time out for a photo.

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