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: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210

Editorial

The twists and turns The world of politics is full of twists and turns but most of all, it is full of politicians making one utterance then doing the exact opposite a short while later. Of course, we have seen this change among governments. For example, before he died, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced to Guyana and to the rest of the world that his country has no design on Guyana. He also said that as friends, this country had nothing to fear in terms of military expansion and the threat of any invasion. Guyana felt that it really had a friend in Venezuela and so it entered into agreements that were designed to help the country along its path of development. There was the Petro Caribe arrangement that saw Guyana paying a fraction of what it would have cost for its fuel. At the same time, Venezuela provided Guyana with its largest rice market. Now all that has changed. For one, Venezuela is once again making moves to deny Guyana its right to some twothirds of its territory. It has also revoked its rice agreement, choosing to join with Suriname, a neighbor to the east that also has designs on a portion of Guyana. Even at home there have been numerous cases of vacillation. Back in the late 1970s, the late President Forbes Burnham stood on the political stage and adumbrated a three-phased programme of salary increases for the public servants. The people responded with rousing cheers but the day came when Burnham reneged. The largest of the increases were never paid. Burnham then placed his volte face in the corner of the hydroelectric construction. Those old enough would recall the question, “Do you want the pay increase or do you want the hydro?” Those are major reversals. There are others that come in the form of elections promise. Some political parties promise the moon and the stars once out of power. But from the moment they accede to office the promises fall by the wayside. There was Bharrat Jagdeo, the former president of Guyana. During his tenure as President he signed the constitutional amendment that limits the terms of office of the President. Having done that, he demitted office in keeping with the constitutional requirement. Some say that the lure of power is a great thing. Three years had barely passed before Jagdeo signaled that he was prepared to challenge the decision that limited his term. That issue went to the court which has since ruled that the decision to limit the terms of the president is unconstitutional. It was the same just a few days after the May 11, 2015 elections. At one of the few press conferences he ever held, Jagdeo said that he was done with life in politics. He said that he had no intention to seek political office or to return to the National Assembly. The nation has since seen that one must not believe everything that comes from the mouth of the politician. Jagdeo has not only entered the National Assembly, he is also the Opposition Leader. The new government is also being accused of reneging on some of the promises it made. People point to the promise of a hefty pay rise for public servants. This has not yet been forthcoming although the government says that it is examining the issue. At issue here, is the fact that political leaders would develop ideas away from the reality. They then turn to the people with explanations. The reality is that the very politicians are not as forgiving when the shoe is on the other foot.

Sunday April 10, 2016

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

I would like an explanation for this land-grabbing action DEAR EDITOR; I repeat here a letter I published in the Kaieteur News of Sunday, November 8, 2015 (“Why the silence on this land-grabbing incident.”) . I have had no response from Kaieteur News columnist, Freddie Kissoon. I will give Mr. Kissoon the benefit of the doubt; he may not have seen my letter or he may not have known about it. I hope this second try gets the attention of Mr. Kissoon. The reproduction below in the exact letter as when I first wrote it “I bring to your attention an unacceptable situation. I stand corrected

but I am describing what I know on the surface. There is a very wealthy gentleman with huge property holdings who has occupied a squatter lot on the Railway Embankment next to Caricom and directly opposite where Freddie Kissoon lives. Mr. Editor, I have no objection to poor people squatting on Government land. This county is big enough for all the poor in our county to get a piece of land to put a shelter above their heads It is right for this wealthy man to occupy a squatter land in competition with poor people? Do wealthy business folks, wealthy investors, wealthy citizens take

over public land for personal gain? Why would a rich man squat on the Government land? The neighbours of this man have been on that land long ago and they have no electricity and water supply. This man has built a neat flat house that stands out. That is why I cannot see how Freddie Kissoon could have missed it. If anyone I expect to expose this is Freddie Kissoon. He has a legacy of fighting against injustice. How did he miss this one? Did he really miss it or is it he couldn’t be bothered? This construction went on right (Continued on page 6)

Sunday May 01, 2016

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Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox From 1905 to 2016; workers’ exploitation remains DEAR EDITOR; Labour Day 2016 is occurring 90 years after the Caribbean Labour Leaders met in Georgetown (March 1926), where they put in place a strategy which included among other things, the struggle for 8-hour work day, 40-hour work week, right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, internal self-government, and one-man-onevote. All of the mentioned were achieved by the trade union movement. Today workers- past, present and potential, unionised and nonunionised- must not only reflect on the sterling contributions they have made to the development of Guyana but also take stock of the present state of affairs they are made to work and live under. Workers/citizens have been witnessing a rolling back of the gains made by the trade union. The sustained violation of laws and transgressing of rights emerged during the Bharrat Jagdeo presidency as a matter of policy. This has seen contempt shown for the right to collective bargaining and freedom of association. Workers have also been subjected to work 10 and 12-hour work day imposed by the management. Labour Officers who are supposed to be enforcing the Labour Laws have been advised by the politicians to turn a blind eye to the numerous transgressions of workers’ rights and violation of laws. There remains the more than six years unresolved grievances with the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI), a company owned by the Government of Guyana and RUSAL. The workers/citizens of this country continue to witness the most egregious attacks on

them in post-independent Guyana by their government in cahoots with foreign management. The refusal to attend to grievances as prescribed under the laws happened during the stewardship of Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir. Nadir’s misconduct could not have continued without the instruction or support from Jagdeo. It is instructive to note during Donald Ramotar presidency Minister of Labour Nanda Gopaul ordered the matters relating to BCGI be placed before an arbitration panel in accordance with the law. While BCGI chal-

lenged the decision and the court ruled for the reissuing of arbitration letters to commence the process, the Jagdeo cabal in the Ramotar cabinet undermined the course of justice. The APNU and AFC in opposition condemned the Jagdeo government for disregarding the law that would bring resolution to the BCGI matter. They condemned the Ramotar government for not respecting the court’s decision. A year into the APNU+AFC administration President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo stand in con-

tempt of the court’s ruling. While Jagdeo was contemptuous of the rule of law and the rights of citizens and Ramotar was hindered by the Jagdeo cabal to enforce the court’s ruling, every worker and citizen must ask the question: ‘What is responsible for Granger and Nagamootoo continuous contempt for the court’s decision, the Rule of Law, rights of workers, and the Oath of Office they sworn to?’ The non-resolution of the BCGI matter rests squarely at the feet of the President of Guyana, who by virtue of being the nation’s chief execu-

tive officer is expected to give leadership to the Executive in obeying the 2012 decision of the Judiciary. Until the decision of the judiciary is respected, the Granger/ Nagamootoo executive has no moral authority to tell citizens about respecting laws when they themselves are engaging in lawless conduct. Further, the Executive cannot convince the citizenry that they are serious about fighting crime when they themselves are conducting a criminal act

against workers/citizens. 2016 finds workers in similar mode at they were in 1905, when Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow had cause to lead dockworkers in public protest against the atrocities of the colonial authority and merchant class. When workers march today, they carry the burden that their gains have eroded under the Jagdeo government and continue today under the Granger/ Nagamootoo administration. Lincoln Lewis.

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Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Yarrowkabra Housing Group Time has come to make Appeals for Electricity Again the NIS a competent body

DEAR EDITOR; I write to vent my frustration about the lack of responsiveness from the Government to the appeals of a relatively small group of persons who comprise our Housing Group in Yarrowkabra. To provide some context as to the reason of our frustration, a summarized background is as follows: I and my Group members were given houselots in Yarrowkabra since 2002. We spent a lot of money to clean the land and have built three complete houses, and four partially completed. There are also six laid foundations. We have been appealing to the past Administration for several years now, for electricity in the area, but all we ever got, was a lot of unfulfilled promises. If we were given electricity, I am confident that we would have completed most of the houses by now, if not all. When the new government took office, the Group members (myself included) felt a surge of • hope that we would finally make some headway with our request for electricity in the area. I wrote a letter to Mr. Moses Nagamootoo, the Honourable Prime Minister who replied to my letter referring me to the Honourable Minister of Public Infrastructure - Mr. David Patterson. Unfortunately Minister Patterson never got back to me. However, one Mr. Ryan Ross of Guyana Power & Light contacted me and

agreed to go into Yarrowkabra to get an estimate of the cost to install electricity in the area; that was in November 2015, but I never heard from Mr. Ross again. I have since written to the Honourable Prime Minister again, thanking him for his reply and providing an update regarding the status of the Group’s request (this letter was copied to Honourable Minister of Public Infrastructure - Mr. David Patterson, Mr. Joseph Harmon-Honourable Minister of Ministry of the Presidency and the Honourable Junior Minister of Communities Ms. Valerie Sharpe-Patterson. I also wrote to President Granger separately, but got no reply from any of them. I am therefore left to conclude that my Group and I have been thrown in a corner by the APNU-AFC Administration, pretty much the same way the PPP Administration did. We are sorely disappointed that we are getting the same treatment we received under the previous Administration, from the APNU-AFC Government. We appreciate that the new Government has a lot of mess to clean up from the previous Administration, and we have seen positive changes in our society, but we are appealing that some attention be given to the ‘small man’ in society who is trying to move forward? One of the things we find very interesting is that an area relatively close to ours in Yarrowkabra, has electricity,

so we cannot understand why it seems to be such a complicated issue for us to be given electricity as well. We have not asked for infrastructure (roads, running water, etc.), which we also need, but our intention is to do as much as we possibly can do with self-help, but there is not much more we can do without electricity, because our homes are vulnerable to bandits an unsavory elements. I would like to make it clear that I am a very open, impartial person and I have a lot of respect and admiration for the APNU-AFC Government. I especially would like to mention that Mr. Nagamootoo and Mr. Ramjattan has earned my respect even before they became a part of the coalition government, because they left the PPP Party and government when they could not stand its corruption and wrong doings anymore. I consider them men of integrity and they did the honourable thing to walked away. That being said, regardless of my respect and admiration for the new Government, I will call a ‘spade’, a ‘spade’. The APNU-AFC Government must seek to put things in place so that the concerns of the ‘small man’ in this country could be taken care of as well. Could someone in the Government please listen to our appeals and grant us the electricity we seek? Concerned Residents

I would like an explanation for this land-grabbing... From page 4 opposite where Freddie Kissoon lives. Could someone as well connected as this gentleman construct a building next to a settlement of squatters and Freddie Kissoon didn’t see that. Is Kissoon telling me that not even for one day he didn’t see what this fellow was doing? This man’s dwelling stands out like a light on the

ocean right in the middle of the squatters’ houses and right in front of Freddie Kissoon’s home. He had to use a large sum of to build that kind of house. He drives an expensive SUV. He was connected to the PPP Government. He is well connected to the APNU-AFC Government. I know Mr. Kissoon is a supporter of the present government. His says that openly. He wrote more times than we can count that he was an energetic campaigner in the May elections for APNUAFC. Could this be the reason why he has turned a blind eye? This is not the Freddie Kissoon we know, admire and respect. I would hope Mr. Kissoon takes time from his busy schedule and read this letter and act on it. Shouldn’t the Minister of Housing offer an explanation? If the land

was sold to this gentleman, could NICIL say why and how much he paid? Would the squatters next to him be allowed to purchase their land and at what cost” I don’t want Mr. Kissoon to feel that I have singled him out. But this land-grabbing incident took place right next to where he lives. And Mr. Kissoon has built up a respected tradition of having no sacred cows. My curiosity is with Mr. Kissoon because if he has turned a blind eye to this kind of injustice then it begs the question of what he has become. Can we still rely on him to confront social evil in our country? I personally don’t think Mr. Kissoon has changed and for this reason I am pursuing this matter. I hope Freddie Kissoon does not disappoint me and Guyana Shakur Abbas Khan

DEAR EDITOR, Guyana today marks the first May Day under the APNU+AFC Government. It also marks the first joint Labour Day rally of the labour movement for decades. On this day I have one simple prayer: that the NIS will be cleansed of its callousness and insensitivity to those who have contributed to the NIS for years only to be told when they reach pensionable age that the records of the NIS do not reflect those contributions. I am currently assisting two persons who applied for their NIS pension promptly on qualifying for their pensions on March 13, 2010 and April 14, 2011 respectively. Both persons

maintained excellent record of their employment and contributions and made their claims promptly. Yet, as long as six years after, one of them is yet to receive his statutory benefits despite providing all kinds of information requested by the NIS and numerous visits to the NIS. Editor, there can be absolutely no just reason for these persons to be denied their just rights because of failure of the NIS to pursue employers and to maintain proper records as the law requires them to. Ironically, some of the employers of both persons were state entities. Recordkeeping problems go way back but the NIS is a continuing entity and, difficult as it may seem, it is the duty

of the current Board and management to fix the problems. Their inheritance of bad enforcement and recordkeeping may seem to them unfair, but measure that against the plight of contributors for whom the NIS pension is their lifeline. The new Board was appointed nearly one year ago. They can no longer use the fault of the NIS to maintain records as the basis for delaying and denying statutory benefits to persons who contributed to the Scheme from their sometimes meagre earnings. Hopefully, labour which is adequately represented on the Board, will make this an issue at today’s Rally. Christopher Ram

DEMTOCO will assert and defend its rights DEAR EDITOR; There has been in recent times a lot of discussion regarding the governments stated intention to institute legislation in the form of a Tobacco Bill. Let me from the outset state that Demtoco is not opposed to Tobacco Control Regulations. I want to specifically address the notion, particularly to all parliamentarians in relation to the erroneous view being advanced by the Minister of Health that Tobacco companies based on the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to which Guyana is a signatory, should be excluded from the consultation process. We would also like to state, that contrary to the Ministers remarks, the FCTC does not advocate industry exclusion from the regulatory process or from engagement with those authorities tasked with regulating the tobacco industry. Moreover, such exclusion is contrary to the better regulation principles of the

United Nations that recommend the inclusion of all stakeholders in any regulatory process. Additionally, we need to also make it very clear that the WHO Guidelines for the implementation of Article 5.3 are not binding. The truth is, these Guidelines do not mandate a complete exclusion of the legitimate tobacco industry. Demtoco believes that good regulatory practice (and resulting sensible tobacco control policy) is achieved when industry, other key stakeholders, and government collaborate in a transparent manner. We therefore support regulation that mandates transparency and accountability, of all meetings and interaction between governments and stakeholders. This process we believe, will serve to protect all parties from allegations of impropriety, and ensure the integrity of the regulatory process. We wish to therefore reiterate that the company will continue to vigorously de-

fend our right to freedom of expression, to petition governments on policy matters, to protection of intellectual property, and to due process. We maintain that the rule of law and the principles of necessity and proportionality serve the public interest and should apply to all industries and government measures alike. As such, we will continue to engage openly and transparently with the Government on new and upcoming legislation, and seek to inform all relevant stakeholders on our legitimately held views in relation to corporate and regulatory issues. We are committed to continue to protect the right as a company to engage with key policy makers in ensuring that policy decisions are taken in a balanced way. We also take this opportunity to urge all Parliamentarians to properly review the proposed legislation and to ensure that your views are heard in ultimately passing a law that is balanced and fair. Maurlaine Argyle Kirton, Managing Director

Regional Chairman says Carol Joseph is untruthful DEAR EDITOR, Please grant me a space in your newspaper to respond to a letter published in the daily newspaper of the Stabroek News and Kaieteur News on the 26 and 27th April 2016, written by Carol Joseph, Region 5 Councillor. Councillor Joseph stated in her letter that the Regional Chairman disrespected the president of the cooperative Republic of Guyana by referring to him as a “Jackass” at a public meeting held on the 5th may, 2016, at Foulis West Coast Berbice. I will like to make it very clear that I never

attend any public meeting at Foulis, West Coast Berbice and secondly i did not utter those words. Those statements by Councillor Joseph are false and totally misleading. I consider myself a respectful individual and there is no need for me to disrespect anyone. This is a blatant attempt by Councillor Joseph to tarnish my character as the Regional Chairman of Region 5 and also it’s my belief that she does not want to allow the Region to move forward. Vickchand Ramphal Regional Chairman, RDC # 5

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

Pressure intensifies on Imbert...

‘NEW’ CLICO GROUP DEMANDS ANSWERS Trinidad Guardian - More pressure is being brought to bear on the Government and the Central Bank concerning Clico/CL Financial. Following CL Financial’s majority shareholder Lawrence Duprey’s threat of legal action against the Government to try to regain control of his company, the United Policyholders Group (UPG) is now threatening similar action if it does not get answers on certain issues affecting those policyholders. The UPG, comprising persons who had held policies with Clico, Friday issued a statement saying it was unhappy with the manner in which the Central Bank and Government have been treating with affected policyholders. The UPG stated it wrote to the Central Bank Governor and the Inspector of Financial Institutions early last week. “We feel that the questions and matters raised on behalf of policyholders are a matter of public interest and should be publicly answered. Should there not be a timely response, we have considered our options, including judicial review.“We also call on ATTIC and its executive to break its silence on the treatment of Clico and British American policyholders by the Central Bank and the GORTT over the

last seven years and to raise their collective voice towards the protection of all policyholders, since the purpose of the Insurance Act is to protect policyholders above all others in the event of the company’s failure and it would apply to all the companies represented in ATTIC.” UPG’s move came after the disclosure that former CL Financial executive chairman Lawrence Duprey and a new group called the Clico Stakeholders’ Alliance, which involves Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC, were formulating legal action to block any planned Government sale of CL Financial assets. In his mid-year budget review on April 8, Finance Minister Colm Imbert signaled the disposal of certain Clico assets to recoup the $20 billion used for the group’s bailout in 2009. But Imbert said these proposals only relate to Clico and in “due course” he would report on plans to monetise other assets held directly by the group. Duprey’s moves follow a failed bid to elicit feedback from Government to discuss a plan he has to recover his former companies and repay the outstanding debt owed to Government from the bailout. He sent the plans to the Central Bank and Government in March. Imbert said Friday he has not yet decided to meet with Duprey’s representatives.

Caribbean leaders to discuss banking concerns with Biden GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Caribbean leaders say they’ll ask US Vice President Joe Biden to ensure that regulations don’t force American banks to restrict vital relations with their institutions. The 15-member Caribbean Community and Common Market says some US banks are cutting ties with Caribbean banks because they fear increased federal oversight of money laundering in the region could lead to big fines or higher costs. They say such moves threaten to harm their economies and say they already comply with efforts to halt money-laundering. U.S. regulators have described the Caribbean as a high-risk area for suspicious transactions. A regional delegation will make a May 3-4 trip to Washington to meet with Biden. It’s led by Trinidad Prime Minister Keith Rowley, Guyana President David Granger and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

Joe Biden

PSOJ Explores Bringing Claim Against T&T Over Fuel Subsidy Matter The Gleaner - The President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) is looking to bring a claim against Trinidad and Tobago for giving fuel subsidies to Trinidadian manufacturers, which the PSOJ says put Jamaican producers at a disadvantage. PSOJ president William Mahfood says the central issue is the matter of fair trading. The Trinidadian government recently admitted that over the years it had been subsidising the fuel sold in

the country and it has benefited the manufacturing industry. The subsidies, which amount to millions of dollars, allow Trinidadian manufacturers to produce goods at a lower cost. However, Trinidad sells its fuel products to Jamaica and its other CARICOM partners at higher prices. The PSOJ president says over the years Jamaican manufacturers have been complaining about the issue and the recent admission by Trinidad provides the right

opportunity to seek compensation for those who have been affected. In an interview on Power 106 FM this Friday, Mahfood said the association believes there is a basis for bringing a claim. The PSOJ president argues that Jamaica as a country has been affected by Trinidad’s fuel regime. According to Mahfood, the money used to pay higher fuel costs could have been used by Jamaica to address some of its financial, social and developmental needs.

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Sunday May 01, 2016

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Ashni Singh should be sanctioned for ‘crass’ Dem boys seh... investment agreement with BaiShanLin Bandit shoot dumb

man, not Donald

-- GOOLSARRAN

Former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh Forensic auditor, Anand Goolsarran, is convinced that former Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, did not have Guyana’s best interest at heart when he signed various concession and investment agreements with controversial Chinese logging company, BaiShanLin. Goolsarran said that during his audit of the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), it was noted that BaiShanLin received an extreme amount of concessions on equipment and vehicles under the pretence that it was for the establishment of a state-ofthe-art wood processing factory. The Chartered Accountant said, too, that the excessive amount of concessions would, beyond the shadow of a doubt, indicate that the company was using the said materials and vehicles it brought in for its interests in the mining sector. He said that the investment agreement between the former administration and the Chinese logging company should not only be made public but that Dr. Singh should be made to face some form of disciplining for “his negligence and literally signing Guyana’s resources away.” Goolsarran said that BaiShanLin’s actions since its incorporation in 2006, clearly show that it never had any good intentions for Guyana. “I believe that the former Finance Minister should be sanctioned for the premium

concession packages he approved for BaiShanLin to receive because that company only abused the country’s laws and systems and failed on several occasions to live up to its obligations. “It was a crass investment agreement and Dr. Singh cannot deny these findings. BaiShanLin promised since 2006 that it would have established a wood processing facility and to date, not a single effort has been made in this regard. BaiShanLin has been making lots of excuses while being able to benefit like a king in the forestry sector,” Goolsarran lamented. “The concessions granted in 2006 should have been monitored carefully to ensure that the company was in compliance with the conditions under which they were granted in the first place. If they failed then the former Finance Minister had an obligation as an upright citizen, as a protector of the treasury, as a defender of the people against financial abuses, to end the investment agreement. But he did not do so. The wanton abuse was continued and the former administration literally gave BaiShanLin incentives or rewards in the form of concessions for doing so.” The Chartered Accountant recalled that his report had data which were provided by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). The data show that during the period 2012 to 2015, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration granted BaiShanLin fiscal concessions on a variety of machinery, equipment and construction materials. These items carried a value of $7.5 billion (US$37.3 million). The total value of concessions granted amounted to $1.827 billion. The report noted that GRA indicated that it was unable to provide information relating to the earlier years because of computer problems. The report clearly says that the concessions for the

equipment and other machinery was based on investment agreements entered into between the former Government of Guyana and BaiShanLin for the construction of a wood processing facility in Region Ten. Goolsarran said, “A review of the list of items of machinery, equipment and construction materials for which fiscal concessions were granted indicates that many of the items were either unrelated to, or were significantly in excess of the requirements for the construction of wood processing facility.” The forensic auditor said that indeed, the evidence suggests that the fiscal concessions granted were substantially in relation to BaiShanLin’s ownership and or control of five logging companies which had Timber Sales Agreements (TSAs) as well as its proposed investment at Providence, East Bank Demerara. The Chartered Accountant noted that up to the time of reporting, BaiShanLin had not fulfilled its obligations under the investment agreements. Instead, it was requesting an additional two years to construct the long awaited wood-processing facility. The APNU+AFC administration is yet to say whether it will grant the Chinese company a two- year extension. Goolsarran said it is important for one to remember that the company in a letter to the former Prime Minister, Sam Hinds, promised that the wood processing facility would have been completed

Forensic Auditor, Anand Goolsarran since 2007. A further assurance was given in July 2012 in a letter to the former Minister of Trade, Industry and Commerce that the facility would be ready by the end of 2013. The forensic auditor said that the investment agreements specifically provide for termination where there has been a failure to undertake the business proposal without providing a reasonable explanation. He said that when this happens, BaiShanLin is required to repay the value of all fiscal concessions granted. Goolsarran said that despite the persistent failure by the Chinese company to honour its obligations under these agreements, and without reasonable explanations, no action has been taken to terminate the agreements under the previous regime. In addition to this, the Chartered Accountant said that the Guyana Revenue Authority and/or Go-Invest was/were required to visit the business premises and inspect assets that benefitted from the fiscal concessions. However, there was no evidence that this was done.

Fuh years Guyana depending pun foreign aid. Wha dem politicians never tell Guyanese de meaning of foreign aid. Dem boys seh dem read how foreign aid is transferring of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries. Guyana know good about that. How else Jagdeo coulda build that mansion he live in wid a $100 million chandelier inside. And everybody know de rest of de Pee Pee Pee boys and girls. This new set wha gone in here testing de waters fuh build mansion just like that scamp Jagdeo. Dem boys want to believe that Joe ShanLin is one of dem. Is either Soulja Bai getting con or he know wha playing out. That China visit still got more question than answer. Dem boys don’t believe Joe ShanLin been deh to collect any US$5 million GTT money. Dem boys hear through de grapevine that he been deh wid BK, BaiShan and others fuh tell de banks that Guyana intends to keep de same promise wha Jagdeo give dem. Joe Shan been in person to shore up that promise. Truth be told, Guyana need de foreign aid but not at all cost. A man might need money but nuff wouldn’t sell he wife, he daughter or he tail. And that is why dem boys watching dem politicians. Dem was de first set of people to rob de poor, de blind, de dumb and de deaf. That trend trickle down in de society. Just Friday night a gunman go to a house that got three dumb brothers. He rob dem and shoot one. When dem boys report de story, dem guh fuh put as de headline ‘Bandit shoot dumb man.’ De whole office laugh and seh you can’t do that, because de whole country gun think is Donald get shoot. Then dem boys seh you got another set of bandits that mek de office staff laugh. Dem is de set wha been and rob de casino and one get ketch. He tell de police that de security guard draw out a plan and tell dem when to attack. He tell de police he reckey (recce) de place earlier in de night but he didn’t know de backdoor was a tricky door. Is when he run fuh go through de backdoor he realize de backdoor can only open from outside. He now lie down in a cell telling de police how he think he dumb like Donald. Talk half and is not Donald Trump.

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Sunday May 01, 2016

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Hire Indian consultant for $50M road loan - India tells Guyana

Providence, EBD: Government of Guyana is hoping to run the new highway through Providence to East Coast of Demerara. India has proposed to extend a US$50M line of credit to the Guyana Government for the East Bank/East Coast Road linkage project, but the condition is that the latter would engage an Indian consultant in consultation with New Delhi to develop technical and financial parameters of the project. The Indian Government, according to a report of the Financial Times, is also supposed to assist the Guyana Government in the selection of an executing agency. Sources in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) said that the ministry could not find a suitable public sector road project consultant. The ministry would now have to look for one from the private sector to carry out the job in Guyana, the sources added. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had in August last year requested MoRTH to give it a list of PSUs under its jurisdiction

which may have the capability to undertake the task. However, in response, MoRTH had conveyed that there were no PSUs under its jurisdiction which are capable of undertaking the job. MEA has written to the MoRTH again on April 6, requesting it to “kindly” convey a list of empanelled public or private sector consultants who may be suitable for the purpose. The sources said, following MEA’s letter, MoRTH has already started working on the matter and soon float a tender seeking letters of intent from the interested parties belonging to the private sector for carrying out the task. Vinayak Chatterjee, Chairman, Feedback Infrastructure Services, said there is a wealth of talent in India from the private sector for the job and companies engaged in the job. “These are doing a commendable job in various parts of the world including South-East Asia and Africa

and thus, it would not be much of a problem for MoRTH to select one from them,” he said. MoRTH has six associate offices under its jurisdiction, with National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) being the biggest of them. However, NHAI often gives away the consultation part of a highway project to private parties. Guyana wants the project to solve some of the congestion woes along the East Bank and East Coast Demerara corridors. Traffic from the Timehri airport, Linden, and West Demerara area all converge at the East Bank Demerara highway, leading to frustrations by drivers and commuters alike. A four-lane highway extension is delayed but even when completed will not be enough. It is the idea to run a new road behind the new housing schemes along the East Bank Demerara area and link it to the East Coast of Demerara, via Ogle or the other communities.

Sunday May 01, 2016

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My biggest concern is to make Guyana safe for you and your children - Granger tells PNCR General Council meeting The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) General Council meeting, yesterday, examined the crime situation. The venue for the forum was Congress Place, the party headquarters in Sophia. President David Granger was the main speaker to address party executives and members who travelled from all over the country. The PNCR is the major party in A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), itself a part of the coalition government. The meeting comes at a time when the coalition government is facing mounting pressure from several quarters, over the high crime rate. On Friday, gunmen stormed the Ramada Princess Hotel Casino, relieving patrons and staff of an undisclosed sum of local and foreign currency. The incident came on the heels of a string of armed robberies and has caused groups such as the Corentyne Chambers of Commerce to rap the government for not doing enough. Granger, who is the leader of the PNCR, touched on crime during his address. He told the General Council that “my biggest concern is to

General Council in progress

make Guyana safe for you and for your children.” Granger also congratulated the newly elected Mayors and Councillors. He stated that the March 18 Local Government Elections (LGE) was a step forward into the future, and he called on members of the party to be leaders in building strong village economies. WALTER RODNEY

REPORT Meanwhile, PNCR General Secretary Oscar Clarke presented his report, which is intended to inform the assembly about the party’s status both local and overseas. In his address, Clarke related that the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (COI) report was received and discussed by the party’s Central Executive Committee. According to Clarke, an

official statement would soon be made on the report. However, he reiterated that in the party’s opinion the “intellectual authors of the COI were never interested in the search for truth.” He stated that the COI was

intended to “embarrass the PNCR.” The COI was completed but never officially released, though sections have been leaked to the media. The Justice for Walter Rodney Committee has been calling

on Government to release the report. It is understood that the report has been sent to his family. The General Secretary also reported to the Council that the Party was strong, poised and preparing for its 19 th Biennial Congress scheduled for August 2016. Clarke also congratulated the newly elected Mayors and Councillors. Under the Constitution of the PNCR, the locally elected officials are now members of the General Council of the Party. Meanwhile, Granger also gave a brief review of the importance of former President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham to the Independence movement. He said that in observance of the Party’s 60th anniversary in 2017, the newly established Forbes Burnham Research and Reference Library would be producing and publishing all the major speeches delivered by the Founder Leader of the PNC.

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Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

Police Association says Berbice Chambers of Commerce are ungrateful

The Police Association (PA) of the Guyana Police Force has lashed out at the Central Corentyne and Berbice Chambers of Commerce, calling them ungrateful and irresponsible bodies. The Association, which represents the largest number of ranks in the Guyana Police Force, from Chief Inspector to Constable, said that it takes umbrage to aspects of a press release made by the Central Corentyne and Berbice Chambers of Commerce on Thursday. The two Chambers of Commerce in a joint press statement criticized the current government’s approach to the spike in criminal activities, describing the government as powerless, ineffectual, and out of its league. The Chambers also said that the ranks of the Guyana Police Force lacked the full support and motivation of their political boss, Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, who they say operates in a very highhanded and arrogant manner, by fighting with and

The police say contrary to reports, morale is high among its ranks. demoralizing the police. “ (He is) publicly chiding them for damaged vehicles, threatening to charge them for murder in shooting incidents, and then having them fund their own defence,” the Chambers of Commerce of Berbice and Upper Corentyne charged. They claimed that now the police are so uncertain and

scared to shoot that recently a policeman was almost killed by a bandit in Rose Hall in the presence of his armed colleagues. “Taken in context with President Granger’s insistence on pardoning criminals, it is no surprise that gun crimes have spiraled out of control. Bandits have become more emboldened by

the Government’s approach,” the two business bodies stated. But the Police Association is calling on the Central Corentyne and Berbice Chambers of Commerce not to drag the Force into any political conflict. It said that the Chambers should seek to give it meaningful support in its continuing efforts in the carrying out of its mandate to maintain public safety and security. According to the Association, while there was a negative perception of the Force in the past, and members of the Force did not feel proud to wear their uniforms in public any longer, things have changed significantly for the better. “Today, this has all changed in a very positive way and certainly the Honourable Minister Khemraj Ramjattan’s initiatives have

contributed significantly to this current development. “Policemen and women are now proud to wear their uniforms. This is reflected in their prompt response to crime. They are building public trust to the extent that serious crimes in the country have been reduced by 16%. “Gun related robberies in Berbice, specifically, have been reduced by nine per cent, while robberies using other instruments have been reduced by 40% and robberies with violence by 60%,” the police association countered. The association said that the Chambers need to answer how the Guyana Police Force with low morale still responds and confronts all criminal activities in society; how they are able to solve the many high profile crimes within two to three days of occurrence; and how it is involved in so

many partnership programmes with civil society across Guyana. The police association lashed out by noting that while several contributions were made by the Private Sector and civil society organisations towards social and security arrangements all across Guyana, over the last five years the Central Corentyne and Berbice Chambers of Commerce have contributed nothing at all. “In trying to answer these questions one would see how ungrateful the members of the Berbice Chambers of Commerce are. The fact is that the Guyana Police Force is now highly motivated and carries out its mandate in a professional manner. Our members see their role in tackling crime as an effort towards crime prevention and the detection of crime as well as the prosecution of criminals in a more efficient way. “Our job is not to shoot down people but we are trained to defend ourselves by using force that is necessary,” the police association declared.

Sunday May 01, 2016

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Kaieteur News

Audit Report recommends Gold Board discontinue buying, selling

A recently released audit report of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) has recommended that Government consider exiting the trade of metal. The report, prepared by Ram and McRae, was released this week by the Ministry of Finance. During the period 2012-2014 which was reviewed, it was found that GGB under a different management and Government, had managed to accumulate almost $10B in losses because of falling world prices and that fact that the entity held on to its purchased gold in hopes that prices would improve. Prices had risen to a high of US$1,900 per ounce a few years ago. They fell to around US$1,240 this week. The metal has been responsible for bringing in the biggest block of foreign currency earnings for the economy in recent years despite the falling prices. However, the gains to the country would be overshadowed by the GGB losses. Ram and McRae’s report warned that the risks of continuing the existing model where GGB buys gold from dealers and miners and later resell to its overseas market as being one fraught with dangers. Two of the biggest reasons to get out of the trade are that the trade remains vulnerable on the purchase side to collusion and overstatement of the purity of the metal it buys, and on the sale side, on price swings. “To reduce the potential for losses on purchases, the Board would have to implement measures of controls and redundancies that would be costly and which have no revenue potential other than the protection of such revenues.” The result for GGB, the report zeroed in, would be an increase in cost. “To reduce the potential for losses on the sale side, since the price of gold is determined by the international market, the only option is as far as possible to match the quantity sold with the quantity purchased on a daily basis. Result: smaller gain, if any.” DISCONTINUE PURCHASES! In exiting the trade, the Gold Board must discontinue all purchases and sales of gold thus avoiding any risk of trading losses, or gains. “Under this model all the costs of trading, including the purchase, holding and price risks are eliminated.” Under this model, the Gold Board would then only be responsible for licensing traders and producers with direct export rights; publishing daily the recommended price for the purchase of gold and the exchange rate with some allowance for the location of the purchase; ensuring that licensees operate within the terms and conditions of their licence, including overseeing the export of gold; the accurate collection of royalties and taxes; and performing the function of the supervisory authority for purposes of the Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act.

This model was recommended in Guyana’s draft National Development Strategy released in 1997. In fact, the document states that “it has been decided to replace the mechanism of that board with a system of licenced and bonded buyers of gold.” The reasons advanced include the high transportation costs and royalties. The recommendations included submission of financial statements; provision of bonds against liabilities for royalty remittances; demonstration of a programme that involves a physical presence in the interior at least part of each year; preparation of invoices for all purchases and sales of gold; tight supervision by the GGMC; formation of cooperatives to buy gold by independent gold miners; determination of maximum number of buyers by Government, subject to a minimum of 10 and reduction in royalty rate to two per cent, phased in over two years, along with 11 other changes in the fiscal regime. In Suriname, the Central Bank of is responsible for the registration of gold that is exported and for making gold available to jewellers. Royalties are collected by the CBvS and gold for goldsmiths is refined by the Royal Canadian Mint (Canada). From 1994 to 2002, the CBvS was the only authorised buyer of unrefined gold. From 1996, several entities were licensed to purchase gold on behalf of CBvS. Since 2002, the buying and export of gold has been delegated to licensed entities. The number of licences issued has been kept at a minimum to aid in the supervision of these entities – in 2010 there were five gold buying entities with export licences and two without export licences. In Ghana, like in Guyana, gold companies export their gold production while the Precious Minerals Marketing Company Limited (PMMC), a company owned by the Government, buys and sells gold from small miners, appoints licensed buyers and has other responsibilities in the sector. The company also operates several jewellery retail shops. The report explained that for exports, gold is delivered to PMMC for assaying and an Assay Invoice is issued indicating the weight and purity of the gold. The gold is then sealed and secured, customs documents are prepared, and the gold is transported and delivered to the airline. Fees and commissions are received by the PMMC. According to the report, the review revealed a number of issues, primarily in the areas of procurement and management of gold stocks. LARGE INVENTORY “In our view, the losses incurred by the Board were due to the maintenance of high stocks of gold, presumably based on speculation by the Board as to the expected price movements. The Board has also failed Continued on page 14

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Kaieteur News

PRISON OFFICER RECOUNTS procedural difficulties during riot Prison Officers testifying at the Commission of Inquiry, (COI) into the March 2 and 3, Camp Street Prison riot have revealed that there were a number of technical difficulties on the day of the deadly incident. The COI was established following one of the deadliest riots that took place within the prisons in recent years; 17 inmates perished in the riot. Another died of a heart attack. According to the rules of procedure, the Commission was expected to render its report, findings and recommendations to the Minister of Public Security. Stakeholders whose views are being considered by the Commission so far, include staff of the Prisons and their representative unions, members of the Judiciary, prisoners accommodated within the Camp Street facility, functionaries in the Ministries of Public Health and Social Protection and any other stakeholder whose input would be deemed appropriate. The Inquiry is being conducted in the Conference Room of the Department of Public Service, Ministry of the Presidency, 164 Waterloo Street, South Cummingsburg. Last week, Chief Prison officers, Roddy Denhart, Patricia Anderson and Prison officer/Trainer, Owen Charles, gave similar accounts of the event and recounted to the Commission, the courage it took to endure the threats and eventually remove the burnt corpse of prisoners, who perished in the fire. Denhart had told the Commission that there was difficulty sounding the alarm at the first sight of the fire on March 3, last. He noted that this is contrary to the standard operating procedure of the prison.

The officer told the Commission that he was made aware of the fire by the wardens but the siren did not immediately go off. He said that when the alarm eventually sounded and the Guyana Fire Department was alerted the fire had already consumed sections of Capital ‘B’ and Capital ‘A ‘of the dormitories. The witness recounted that the fire destroyed the dorms quickly even as joint forces officers fought to open the doors and release the inmates trapped inside the buildings. Denhart said that efforts to release the prisoners trapped inside Capital ‘A’ proved especially difficult since the door was jammed. According to Denhart, by the time the fire service arrived on the scene the building were significantly engulfed in flames and thick black smoke was already emanating from those areas. He said that at one point inmates were heard cursing and threatening the wardens. Denhart told the tribunal, however that several prisoners came out of the Capital B unharmed. The witness said that shortly after the fire was contained, dead bodies were taken from the burnt dormitories. Speaking about the most recent riots at the prisons, the officer revealed that officers were choked, robbed and even threatened with knives within the walls of the Georgetown Prison. On Tuesday, Prison Officer, Dekanna Benjamin, testified before the Commission of Inquiry, (COI)

into the deadly March 3, incident. She noted the need for increased security, staff members and the implementation of cameras and monitors at the Camp Street Prison facility, are among the things needed to secure the loopholes in the prison system. Director of Prisons, Carl Graham, told the Commission that overcrowding, prison gangs and a shortage of staff are among the root causes of riots within the prisons. He explained that together with the extreme overcrowding, inmates often form gangs and create rivalry among each other. He said that some prisoners are known for forming gangs and for being ring leaders. Graham disclosed that efforts to break up the gangs prove difficult for officers of the prisons because the prison accommodation is limited. Under cross examination from the Commission’s Counsel, Excellence Dazzell, Graham explained that there were plans to construct a larger prison facility outside of the city, but the plan had been averted. Graham revealed that the plans were on the table for some time now but the Government opted to build a Marriott Hotel instead. He told the Commission that had the government not been reluctant to build the new prison, instead of giving the project the attention and support to the Marriott, the current problem of overcrowding would have been significantly alleviated.

Sunday May 01, 2016

MAN SHOT DEAD IN ‘FRIENDLY SCUFFLE’

Police are questioning three friends as they investigate the fatal shooting of their colleague under suspicious circumstances on Friday afternoon. Dead is 39-year-old gold miner Nafasie Edghill, who succumbed while receiving treatment at a private city hospital for a gunshot wound to his abdomen, which he sustained hours earlier. Police were told that he was shot while he and a friend were playfully scuffling outside the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara. According to a police press release, around 15:00h Friday, Nafasie Edghill, 39, of Castello Housing Scheme, Georgetown, was at Mon Repos, ECD, when he became involved in a playful scuffle with a friend, who is a licensed firearm holder and had the firearm in his hand at the time, when a round is reported to have been accidentally discharged. The bullet struck Edghill to his abdomen. The licensed firearm holder and two other men who were in his company at the time have been arrested and are in police custody assisting with the investigations. This newspaper was told that the Edghill and three other men were together in a car. They went to the NARI compound to locate another man who owed one of them some money.

Two of the men went into the compound while Edghill and the shooter remained in the back seat of the car. According to a source, Edghill and his friend began tantalizing each other and this turned into a playful scuffle. It is alleged that Edghill subsequently grew impatient at the two other men who went into the NARI compound and took a while to return. He came out of the car and was going after them, when it is alleged that his friend tried the restrain him. It was during this scuffle that a round went off and Edghill fell to the ground, clutching his abdomen. According to an eyewitness, the two other men who had gone into the NARI compound, heard the shot and rushed out to investigate. They found Edghill lying on the ground with his friend standing next to him with his .32 pistol in his hand. “He (Edghill) turn to one ah dem and say, ‘Buck, I get shoot bai!’” the eyewitness told this newspaper. He said that the wounded man was placed in the car which sped off. “I hear he tellin dem he can’t mek it and they must take care of he family,” the eyewitness said. Kaieteur News understands that all the men, including Edghill, are licensed firearm holders. Investigators are examining all the weapons as they rigorously probe the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Audit Report recommends Gold... From page 13 to carry out its duties of monitoring dealers and making efforts to curb possible smuggling,” the report said. The report also said that by its own admission, the Gold Board does not have the resources to carry out its statutory duties. And in its commercial operations the absence of a sufficiently cautious trading policy has caused it to suffer accumulated losses of over $10B from 2012 to 2014. “Even if the gold price was to pick up in the short term the prospects of recouping the losses from existing stock are slim to impossible. The chances are reduced even further as the Gold Board is set to deal in reduced quantities even as its costs increase.

Losses then are likely to be c o m e a n i n c r e a s i n g f e a t u r e o f t h e B o a r d ’s operations. This poses the question to the Government as to the role the Gold Board should play and whether it should come out of trading altogether.” The report said that in its view, such consideration should include the role of the Bank of Guyana in the purchase and holding of gold as part of its reserves held as long term assets and as an inflation hedge. “Indeed, the Gold Board and the Bank of Guyana may wish to engage in immediate negotiations for the Bank of Guyana to take over some of the gold currently held by the Gold Board and apply the proceeds to the overdraft held at the Bank of Guyana.”

Sunday May 01, 2016

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Kaieteur News

National Toshaos Council refutes Worker shot as bandits rob Rose Hall poultry farmer $4M in cash, jewel claims of Govt’s interference The National Toshaos Council (NTC) has condemned the act by one of its members, who issued a statement to the press suggesting that Government is interfering with the workings of the council. According to Secretary of the NTC, Eyon Boyal, the reports that appeared in sections of the media are false, and did not get the blessings of the 20-member executive body. Boyal noted that every statement by the council has to go through him; however he did not receive any such report. “It was only the one person who took the responsibility on himself and did the release. Immediately after I saw the article I shared it on my Facebook page, condemning this act and explained that the NTC had no knowledge of such release,” Boyal told the Government Information Agency (GINA). He pointed out that the NTC is satisfied with the level of support it has been receiving from Government, as the council endeavours to carry out its mandate of supporting the development of the Indigenous peoples. The report also suggested that an official member of Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs summoned the members of the council to a meeting. Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, who is an ex-officio member of the council, was invited to the council’s March meeting, and the minutes will prove that there was no interference, Boyal clarified.

Meanwhile, Advisor to the Minister, Mervyn Williams, explained that the meeting which was requested by the NTC Chairman, Joel Fredericks, dealt with the need for additional information and more clarity on the issue of the Amerindian Land Titling and Demarcation project. “That information was provided at the meeting so to see a statement that persons were summoned to a meeting is very discouraging, and the Ministry finds it extremely strange that a member of the executive would have made such statement,” Williams added. He said that the Ministry has seen willingness by the NTC to do its part for the development of the Indigenous peoples, and that it is alarming that one individual is speaking on issues purporting to be a representative of the NTC. He however, noted that the Ministry has no doubt that the Chairman and the members will address the issue. During the NTC conference in 2015, Minister Allicock had asked the council to consult independently with the villages across the country

with a view to obtaining recommendations for strengthening the Amerindian Act of 2006. “The Ministry in its engagement in villages when going on outreach visits is noting the representation from the villagers all across Guyana, what they perceive to be weaknesses in the Amerindian Act, so there is going to be a broad-based consultation on the agenda shortly which will seek to get the input from a wide crosssection of Indigenous peoples and organisations with a view to strengthening the Amerindian Act,” Williams emphasised. The Ministry in collaboration with the council is also conducting training in communities on governance, the Amerindian Act, Trafficking in Persons (TIP), labour laws, and environmental protection. The NTC was established, in accordance with the Amerindian Act of 2006 as an autonomous body comprising Toshaos representing 212 Amerindian villages and communities. The body’s executive is elected in sub-regional elections every three years.

One man is now nursing a gunshot wound to his shoulder after walking in on a robbery at Rose Hall early Saturday morning. According to reports, at around 04:45 hrs on Saturday, Vanisha Shrikissoon, and four other persons were preparing to venture to the Port Mourant Market when they were held at gunpoint by three armed and masked men. Recalling the 45-minute ordeal, Vanisha Shrikissoon, stated that as she was about to open the door of her car, when two men sporting guns approached her. “Dem stick me up and seh wheh de money and de gold deh. I just seh leh we go upstairs. When we reach dem

holla wheh de key and before me even find de key, dem start cuff me in meh head”. The still traumatized woman said that after retrieving the keys, they ventured upstairs where the bandits then proceeded to ransack the bedrooms. “Dem went in me room first and tek out all meh money and gold and suh. Then dem go to me mother room wah did lock and go in de wardrobe and tek out all deh money and gold she had.” The woman added that another bandit had tied up her brother, sister-in-law and two (continued on page 19)

Shot: Samuel Fernandes

The robbed home at Rose Hall, East Berbice.

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Heavy rainfall expected this weekend The Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown are collaborating to clean drains and canals in city areas that are likely to flood. The Hydrometeorological Service of the Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday advised that a significant amount of rainfall was expected over the next four days. Rainfall values are expected to exceed 100 millimetres, with the highest intensities to be expected over the weekend, the Hydromet Service said in a weather brief. The service is urging residents of low-lying areas, and areas where there is poor drainage to take precautionary measures to prevent flooding.

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, said works are currently ongoing in several areas. “Most of the drains in the Subryanville area were cleaned and cleared, but we have to repair the culverts and that’s ongoing at the moment,” said Minister Patterson. The Ministry and the M&CC started cleaning drains and outfalls in areas that are flood prone since last year. Many of the main canals and sluices in the city and other areas across the country which were neglected were also targeted. “The overall objective obviously is to ensure that the water recedes off the land as quickly as possible,” Minister Patterson explained.

Government is warning of heavy rainfall over the weekend

When the government took office in May 2015 during the height of Guyana’s rainy season, immediate interventions were made to

alleviate flooding and to ensure that water was drained off the land quickly. The areas identified as basin areas where residents are mostly affected are Alberttown, Queenstown and Subryanville. The Minister explained that Quamina Street was flooded recently due to lack of coordination between the Ministry and the M&CC, but assured that, “(Ministry of Public Infrastructure) will address that soon.” The Minister pointed out that that it is difficult to “stop flooding in Georgetown”. However, it is possible to minimise the length of time the water stays on the land. Other flood prone areas to be addressed soon include South Ruimveldt in Georgetown and other low lying areas across the

country, Minister Patterson explained. The city’s drainage system can only take off 1.5 inches of rainfall in 24 hours.

In recent years flooding had occurred in the capital city resulting in damage to livestock, property and other infrastructure.

Man succumbs to stab wounds at GPHC In the wee hours of Saturday morning a group of people on their way home from the White Castle fish shop found an unconscious man who appeared to be the victim of an assault. The man was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment. He was later identified as Gordon Ross, 26. The now deceased was found lying on John Street a stone’s throw from the White Castle Fish Shop on Hadfield Street at around 2:00am. He was reportedly stabbed multiple times and had several lacerations about his body. He also is said to have lost some teeth which indicates that he was severely assaulted. Kaieteur News understands that up to noon yesterday no one has claimed his body. Investigations are ongoing.

Sunday May 01, 2016

A warm welcome awaits all and sundry

Water flows for the first time in Karrau

Guyana’s Golden Jubilee and GWI’s expanded water distribution plan By Sharmain Grainger Residents of Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara were without running water for a few weeks earlier this year. It was reportedly caused by issues with the well there, and it wasn’t at all surprising that the experience was rather upsetting to residents; after all they have long grown accustomed to water flowing from their taps. But can you imagine living in an area where no attempts were ever made to install a water distribution network to facilitate running water in the home or even anywhere in the community for that matter? Many of us on the coastland will never be able to relate to such a state of affairs, which interestingly enough, exists in some Amerindian communities and possibly quite a few others. Nestled in my coastland existence, I rarely give a thought about how people in

far flung areas live. So understandably I was taken aback when a friend of mine told me that some of our first people, who live in hinterland locations, are subjected to a very primitive existence. Primitive, in a relative sense, translates to these residents having to access water from a creek to drink, cook, clean and do other chores. The conversation was spurred by recent disclosures that the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is working swiftly towards providing a water distribution network for the first time to Karrau – an Amerindian community. This small community in Region Seven is situated about 15 minutes away - by speed boat - from Bartica. The way I heard the story, though, is that the Toshao (community leader) of Karrau, Mr. Bertille Thomas, was one of the key advocates for the water development initiative. But his advocacy was not

The Baccoo Speaks There will be some more daring robberies on easy targets. The fact that it would be broad daylight and many people in the vicinity would not stop the bandits from carrying out their plan. The police would be kept busy. They may also revert to the plan they had developed during the Christmas season. ** Accusations will be flowing fast and furious. Shoppers, hoping to get benefits as the independence jubilee approaches, will cry foul. They would seek the bargains in the many Chinese stores that dot the city, only to find that they would be buying substandard goods.

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Kaieteur News

Sad that the Guyana National Bureau of Standards is not doing a good job monitoring. ** The fraud has been uncovered but suddenly the authorities would find another, even as the country is confused about money owed by a Chinese company that bought the shares in the local telephone company. The matter is not going to be resolved anytime soon.

instigated because residents in the community were tired of accessing water from a creek and wanted a modernday change. Rather, it became imperative after someone from outside of the community started mining activities that resulted in the lone source of “potable” water becoming contaminated. The contamination situation, I was told, was brought to the attention of Dr. Richard Van West-Charles, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GWI, earlier this year when he visited Bartica to meet with residents. While there he spoke of an ambitious plan to ensure that all of Guyana has water security, characterized by people being able to access potable water 24 hours per day. Some residents of Karrau were there to hear the promise of the CEO, including the Toshao, and he (the Toshao) reportedly wasted no time in highlighting the situation that existed in his community. The GWI CEO, enlightened about the contamination situation, was swift in issuing a directive for remedial measures to be engaged. Based on information I was able to solicit from GWI last week, a water distribution network for Karrau is not only moving apace, but it is slated for completion well before May 26, 2016 – Independence Day. What was especially notable about this project, aside from the fact that it is being realized 50 years after Guyana gained its independence, was that GWI did not have to undertake it independently. At least this is according to GWI’s Head of Technical Services, Mr. Dwayne Shako. He related to me that based on the CEO’s directive, a technical team visited Karrau and it was found that the creek’s contamination was alarming. This, of course, was

confirmed by tests that deduced that the turbidity of the creek water was very high. Shako described the water as “very muddy” and “really not fit for human consumption.” Following the assessment, a meeting was convened between GWI and Region Seven regional officials, including the Toshao of Karrau. The outcome was a decision for the parties involved to work in collaboration to realize the goal of a new potable water source for the village. Indeed a partnership was forged, as the residents didn’t merely relax and wait on GWI to get things going. According to Shako, the Toshao of Karrau advanced the sum of about $200,000 to a contractor to get the work of digging a well going. The digging process was completed just over a week ago, and currently “we are assessing its productivity, complete with a pump test, to see if it will be able to have the yield to supply the community,” Shako informed.

Part of the well-drilling process He, however, noted that if the well doesn’t meet the anticipated expectation “we will move ahead with a second well.” Once the water distribution system is in place, about 25-30 households will for the first time be able to source potable water from it. It is estimated that by the time the well is completed, a total of $1.3 million would have been expended, according to Shako. However, GWI, he disclosed, will have to expend additional funds to install a pump, storage facility, and the pipe network to allow water to be distributed to the homes of Karrau residents. While in the initial stages GWI will provide technical assistance to manage and monitor the new water distribution system in Karrau, Shako noted that the long term plan is to train identified members of the community to eventually take on the task. Even as he stressed the national water security intent of Dr. Van West-Charles, Shako underscored that Karrau is not

the only area outside of the coastland that GWI has been focusing attention. “The dry weather that we experienced over a month ago really hit home to us, and we have realised that we have other Guyanese living in the hinterland and sometimes their source of water is a creek and/or a shallow well that is around 40 or 50 feet,” he related, as he added “once there is an extended dry season they really feel the brunt of it.” Wells along the coast usually have a depth of about 800 -900 feet, unlike what is obtained in hinterland regions. But according to Shako, GWI in its water security effort is aiming to ensure that the communities across the country not only have water, but have adequate backup in case of long dry seasons. It turns out that the year of our golden jubilee is allowing for all sorts of realizations, including the need for tremendous efforts to be plugged into providing potable water in a land of many waters – a great deal of which is contaminated.

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Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

NOC benefits from visit by UG social work students

The UG Tain Berbice students during their trip to NOC The roosters had not yet began to crow when 26 Social Work students from the University of Guyana (UG)’s Tain Campus and their lecturer Egla October left Berbice to share their knowledge and skills with students at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) in Region Two last Tuesday. After crossing three rivers on their way to the Essequibo Coast, the tired but enthusiastic group arrived at the correctional facility just after 07:00 hrs and were welcomed by NOC

Administrators Mr. Mark Dover, Parasram Singh and Senior Training Officers at the facility. The seventy well uniformed NOC students (34 males and 36 females) were delighted to receive training in survival skills and other aspects of social etiquette. Under the guidance of their Lecturer and her students, the NOC students were taught how to recycle things from around the house such as tissue paper rolls, old newspapers, plastic bottles, pieces of cloth, ‘salt’ bags, and damaged clothing that

would otherwise be thrown away as garbage. The youngsters were taught to make craft items that could be personally used, given as gifts or sold. The Social Etiquette training segment commenced after lunch and the students were taught the skills in social graces, courtesy rules and table etiquette. Lectures in self esteem and self confidence were also part of the sessions. In addition to the skills taught, the Social Work students presented undergarments to the

students. Items were also presented to the institution on behalf of Guyana-born, Wanetta Phillips MBA, who is a former employee of AT&T, USA. Philips is a Community Advocate and volunteer with Organizing for Action (OFA) a non-profit, non partisan Organisation and the Issue Leader for the Affordable Care Act/Obamacare for the New Jersey State, USA. During the sharing of the Appreciation, a ‘Success Story’ was disclosed by one of the University students to the students of the NOC. The student shared her experiences of once being in NOC and later, a student of the University of Guyana. She encouraged the NOC students to transcend the

expectations of others and the negative forces of society to become respectable, productive citizens. They were also told that “NOC is not the end of the road”. The hope was expressed by many in attendance that this student’s journey would serve as a positive influence and motivator. The UG Social Work students were treated to lovely music as “Not a blade of Grass” among other renditions was played on steel pans by the NOC students. NOC is a truly place of new opportunity, as students are exposed to vocational skills such as: electrical installation, Catering, Agriculture, Hand craft, Welding, Joinery, Information Technology and Garment Construction. Some of the

students are even privileged to attend regular school It was noted by one of the Training Officers that when they learnt that UG Students wanted to visit, in what was the first trip of its kind, they never envisaged that it would have such a huge positive impact on the students. He pointed to the eagerness of the students to participate and learn, while commending the method used to disseminate information. Requests were made by the Senior Training Officer and other Management staff for the UG students to conduct more such visits. It was noted that there is a dire need for social workers at NOC. Presently there is only one social worker, a retiree, who practices there.

Sunday May 01, 2016

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Kaieteur News

== THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN ==

How can any country be so shambolic and chaotic?

A quality we must at all times respect a human for is, “frankness.” One may not accept the character make-up of another person, but if that person is always inclined to speak their mind and offer you their unrestrained, candid attitude, then that is a quality that should attract recognition. If a CEO wants to be regaled with sycophancy, he/she will never be a competent, visionary CEO, because they are not in receipt of honest suggestions that could help the company become better. Give me a frank person any day to the soft, spoken, well-mannered human that would ruthlessly deceive you without ever giving you even an inkling of their deceptive personality. You know where you stand with a person who is brutally frank. I came back at the beginning of 1984 from studies abroad and after a short stint in Grenada. One day I was jogging on the seawall in the vicinity of Liliendaal when I met a highlevel UG official I didn’t get

along with when I was a student at UG. At that time, most of the University staff and student population were antigovernment or pro-Walter Rodney. This man stood out at that time as a person who openly said he was not interested in politics. For his stance, he earned a lot of detractors at UG. Many felt he was secretly a supporter of the Burnham Government. I knew he was. We didn’t see each other for years, since I was out of Guyana. As we chatted on the wall, I saw the change in his political stance from when I knew him in the late seventies at UG. He opened up to me. His problem with the Burnham Government was not politics but service. He told me didn’t care about rigged elections, Walter Rodney’s murder, Hamilton Green’s politics, mass games etc. He just wanted to live his life with the necessities and amenities, and their absence was his grouse with President Burnham – no electricity, no

water through the taps, no telephone service etc. This was nothing new he was telling me. People are like that; many humans are not political animals, they don’t want to get involved in politics, they just want to live in peace and expect their government to provide them with the services that should be present in the 21st century. That seawall conversation took place in 1984. Long after then, I became a father and my daughter was brought up from cradle to perfume with blackouts. My daughter is a UG graduate and from cradle to UG, she lived with blackouts. My daughter in 2016 is living with blackouts. We got electricity disruption under Jagdeo and Ramotar four times a week at Turkeyen. Since the new government came to power, the disruption is almost daily. We get blackouts where I live six days a week. It is simply unbearable. Internet service is erratic where I live. The experts came to my home and after testing, identified the fault at the supply end, that

is, GTT. I called GTT. They gave me a reference number and said after three working days, I would be tended to. I never heard back from GTT and my complaint was made two weeks ago. Imagine I have to use the internet to send a daily column to Kaieteur News from Monday to Sunday. Does anything work in Guyana? Does logic operate in Guyana? On Thursday afternoon, I made a western turn from Sheriff Street into Homestretch Avenue where the National Cultural Centre is located. The road was blocked off, with a traffic rank manning the barricade. I suspected it was the construction work taking place on the D’Urban Park project. The next choice was natural – Hadfield Street. So I

turned into Hadfield Street. Halfway down Hadfield Street, that roadway too was blocked off. All vehicles then had to turn back in an eastern direction to get out. It was pandemonium. Couldn’t the police and the Ministry of Public Infrastructure put the barricades at the top of Hadfield Street as they did at Homestretch Avenue? The next pathway to go west would be D’Urban Street or as it is legally known; Joseph Pollydore Street. Now because of the blockade of Homestretch Avenue and Hadfield Street, drivers jampacked Joseph Pollydore

Frederick Kissoon Street. When we reached Chapel Street, Sandy’s Funeral Parlour had a large funeral, so there was vehicular madness. Cars and minibuses were just touching each other, going nowhere of course. I simply gave up and waited when it was my turn for my bumper to get hit. This is Guyana weeks before we celebrate 50 years of nihilism.

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On Thursday 28th April, the CARICOM Secretariat spearheaded the 2016 “Girls in ICT” symposium held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre for specifically for female secondary school students. CARICOM worked in close collaboration with the E-Government Department of the Ministry of Public Telecommunications to facilitate an engrossing programme that attracted large groups of students from schools in Georgetown and its environs, and from some administrative regions. Minister of Public

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

“GIRLS IN ICT”

Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, delivered the feature address at the start of the programme. Below are excerpts from her address. “Knowledge is power! No one can doubt that we live in a digitized age where information is the main driver in our lives – at home, at work, at school, at play, at church … in every aspect of living. Information gives you power. With it comes

knowledge and ultimately understanding, education, and a means to improve your standard of living. It is also a given that knowledge comes with great socio-economic benefits. It is a fact that Guyana is still a male-dominated society, but this is changing slowly but surely. Today, as opposed to 15 years ago, you will find at least one woman among the executive

management of most private sector businesses and public sector corporations and agencies. We still have a ways to go in order to claim real equality of the sexes, but the good part is this:With more women in government, with more women sitting at the head of businesses, and with nongovernmental organizations focused on the rights of women, the pressure is on! The call is getting louder for us to devise more programmes and more learning tools for girls and women. We hear the call, and this government is even more committed to giving our women the tools and the knowledge to better their future prospects. This programme, Girls in ICT, is not new, but it is beginning to attract more attention and support to:* Reach as many young women as possible * To teach them about Information Technology * To show them the way to acquiring tertiary education in ICT and related disciplines, and * To help them create their own bright, lucrative futures. There is one problem that turns out to be the biggest obstacle. It is the fact that the majority of girls who take courses in Information Technology at high school do not continue with it into university. The actual number of girls graduating from the Technology Faculty is decreasing. The general belief is that our girls do not like Mathematics. Ladies, Maths is one of the main courses in the Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Bachelor’s programmes. But I have new information. It says that the Computer Science

Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes Department at UG will introduce several new programmes in the next academic year. These programmes will offer wider choices and greater flexibility. Our hope is that this ‘flexibility’ will attract more female students. We are all determined to break that proverbial “glass ceiling”. As I said earlier, we live in a world where almost every aspect of life is digitized. Nearly every month a faster, more advanced versions of the equipment and instruments we use come on the market, and we are able to purchase them online on the same day! Everything is instant, everything happens right now. You have to react right away to new information or you get left out! Unfortunately in Guyana females are underrepresented in this sector. That’s not the case in the USA, for example. The ICT sector there was maledominated from the time it came into being in the mid1900s. You do know about Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak of the Apple Company; about Bill Gates - the multi-billionaire who created Microsoft; you know the young Mark Zuckerburg whose brainchild is Facebook. All men! Here’s what we also know. Inside of these same

companies there are thousands of female engineers, software designers, webmasters, programmers and women who specialize in developing and upgrading the programmes that allow us to communicate in real time either on screen, by voice, and through facetime with voice and video. The number of women who are making serious waves in this field is huge. And this is not only happening in the USA. It’s the same in Canada, Germany, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Jamaica, Trinidad, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Russia, and in South Korea. The point is that in every single developed and developing country around the world, women are making serious contributions to business, to their economies, and to their own lives. It has been our misfortune that ambitious young women have had to go overseas to further their education. Many of them return to apply the knowledge and skills and post graduate qualifications including doctoral degrees. These are the people who are the examples of the benefits you can derive from qualifications in Computer Studies, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Technology, and more. WALKINGTHE TALK President Granger is very committed to taking Guyana up on par with other countries in this part of the world at the very least. He is as conscious as we all are of the need for our young people to become highly skilled in ICT disciplines. Along the way we are making sure that every citizen becomes computer literate. We have started the process, and very soon our plans for internet hubs and ICT Parks will become reality. In the meantime, we want to encourage you to start to learn about the technologies that bring information to your smartphones and phablets. Female ICT engineers are present in this room. Ask them questions, especially Dr. Samantha Scotland of the EGovernment Department. Ask her how it feels to be able to work shoulder to shoulder, and even a step ahead of some of our brightest male ICT engineers. The Ministry of Public Telecommunications pledges to continue to encourage our young women (and men) to see ICT as only a short hill to conquer. All that is required is your time and some effort. The ultimate pay off will be financial comfort in a fastgrowing country.”

Sunday May 01, 2016

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Kaieteur News

My column

Fifty years later and a lot has changed Fifty years ago I was a schoolboy. I had grown up in colonial Guyana. News of independence was met with mixed reactions. After all, change is not something that people readily accept. The older folk had grown accustomed to having the colonial masters making every decision of meaning. But the thing that the older folk concentrated on most was food on the table. Most of the food was imported, so the older folk saw the move to independence as cutting off their food supplies. The idea of Guyana producing almost all its food was not in their mind. It was a different story for the young people. They were excited; they wanted to call the shots, see their own as head of the country and getting rid of the system that seemed to favour the lightskinned people. At school, many who looked like me believed that the deck was stacked against them. They had to be the best students if they were to survive. So it was that when Independence Day approached the air was full of excitement. The decorations went up and the entire place

was transformed. Never had Guyana seen so many red, green and yellow flags. The Queen had come and gone. I remember the BGCC ground. There was a fair there and all of Guyana seemed to descend on that ground. For those who may be wondering where I am talking about, it was the ground east of the Queen’s College ground. It was later used as a solid waste disposal site because the plan was to develop an athletic ground. It is still the most built-up location in that part of the city. David Granger was a boy also, but he had gone to join the army having been a member of the Queen’s College Cadet Corps. I suppose he liked the idea of wearing big boots and marching. He was on the then Queen Elizabeth Park when the Golden Arrowhead went up. That place is now the National Park, the third name because it started off as the golf ground. People practiced archery there, way back then. Today, fifty years later there is that excitement again. Once more David Granger would be in the thick of things. It is as if his life is

centered on Guyana’s independence. There would be steelband tramping on the streets of Georgetown, because steelbands are as popular as they were back then. In fact, many things have changed. I remember that fifty years ago there were not so many tall concrete buildings. In fact I can’t remember any. Houses did not have grills across doors and windows, and people walked instead of taking taxis to where they wanted to go. There were no more than two taxi services back then. Bicycles were ubiquitous; everyone had one because that was the most convenient means of going places. Fifty years ago Roger Luncheon, Deryck Harris, Leyland Grant, Leon Clarke and so many others would jump on their bicycles and ride from Georgetown to my home in Beterverwagting. George McDonald was a chubby lad who lived at Hague and who never touched alcohol. Gunmen were unheard of. Today David Granger has his hands full dealing with what seems to be a burgeoning crime wave. A few

months ago, I suggested to Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud that whenever a big event comes around, there is escalating crime. The view is that the young men want money so that they could be in the thick of things. They want their girls to look special; bottom line, they want to be the centre of attention. The other night gunmen invaded the Ramada Princess casino. This was one of the places where no one expected a robbery. It just goes to show that nowhere is sacrosanct. That the police have been able to make an arrest is testimony to the level of security that exists at this time. I saw some videos of that robbery and I saw people who were so shell-shocked that they have vowed to stop gambling. The bandits did what no priest or pastor could have done under normal circumstances. Then I learnt of another gunpoint robbery, this time on

Regent Street, even when the streets were full of people. Fifty years ago there were not so many Guyanese living overseas; there was no big preparation for this anticipated influx. And what people like me remember was the absence of electricity five miles outside Georgetown. So we are more developed than we were fifty years ago, but nowhere near where Singapore is, although we started off almost at the same time. It must be that with development comes violent crime. And there is growing illiteracy. Fifty years later we have lost the art of teaching; we have lost self-pride because we are only concentrating on the pay we get. Back then teachers were not only people who stood before the class, they were the disciplinarians. There was a focus on industrial arts for those who were not academically inclined. The result was that we had contractors and

Adam Harris builders who produced excellent work. We have no shortage of food, because our farmers are the best in the region. Instead of sardines and potatoes on the table this time around for the holidays there will be a host of foods grown right here. But there are going to be the nervous moments because of the crime. I expect to see even more gunmen parading in the run-up to the independence jubilee, but this is one thing that I would not be disappointed to see a reversal.

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Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

Community Development Organisations and Local Democracy (Part 2) By Hon. Joseph Harmon, Minister of State THEFAMILY The family is the basic building block of a healthy community. It is a social unit that facilitates social intercourse and establishes and strengthens social relations. Strengthening the family unit therefore, is a fundamental objective of community development. This cannot be overemphasised as problems such as school drop outs, single parents (mostly mothers) and teenage pregnancies can all be attributed to weak or dysfunctional families. Enhancing family values is critical in promoting strong communities hence a strong nation. Community development councils should be encouraged and assisted in initiating programmes aimed at promoting strong family values and enhancing family life. ADOPTION OF COMMUNITIES Adoption of Communities is a concept that is proposed to link resources to help

communities to meet sustainable levels of development. The business community, individuals, associations and other groups should be encouraged to adopt communities to help address issues affecting them and promote their development. In these efforts sponsors can also draw inspiration from several models around the world and engage communities to: 1. Establish community business enterprises as individuals, co-operative societies or corporations 2. Assist with entrepreneurial training 3. Manage and monitor projects and their deliverables. 4. Facilitate training in contract bidding and government procurement procedures 5. Introduce information and communication technology tools for modernization of communities. 6. Promote establishment of local radio and television media outlets 7. Promote art and literature through writing village/community histories

as an exciting pastime and as a business.

the equipment necessary to facilitate these interactions.

ICT IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Information and communication technology is a vital tool in promoting community development and makes available knowledge across the globe. Community groups can access information on virtually any subject matter. Through social media they can promote exchanges on experiences and share lessons learnt on any project or give online advice in an instantaneous interaction with groups involved in similar projects. With ICT, leaders at all levels can interact with communities directly through virtual conferences, live presentations and meetings. Community ICT affords the sharing of knowledge to bring resolution to many problems within communities as well as to common problems in different regions. The Community Development Council becomes the means through which these virtual interactions take place. The councils will be provided with

COMMUNITY CONCERNS - DATABASE AND HOTLINE There are going to be problems which Community Development Councils will encounter along the developmental road. There should therefore be some mechanism to allow community groups that have their concerns and issues addressed. They should be given an opportunity to register those concerns in an atmosphere of respect and confidentiality and have them addressed by properly trained professionals. Community groups can report via telephone, email, social media, news-media or directly via an established community development website. A database of these issues should be established with a schedule of actions to be taken and a monitoring mechanism for reporting progress and follow up. The results of all interventions should then be tabulated and kept in the records for further reference if necessary, or to be used as

social issues research materials for students and organisations. I have highlighted some of the issues we face in addressing the development of communities across our country and to suggest some ideas - thematic areas, if you will, that should be considered and/or applied to improve the state of those communities. This is by no means a comprehensive analysis, nor does it provide a panacea for the ills that exist in our communities. Rather, it is intended to provoke thought, invite analysis and encourage debate of the issues raised. I must point out, however, that our government’s approach to community development represents a different philosophical approach; a change in orientation and organisation. This change is best illustrated by the re-naming of the Ministry of Local Government to the Ministry of Communities. This emphasises a change from imposing government to building communities, and includes an inclusionary and participatory process of extensive and exhaustive consultation. It is based on partnership between the government and the communities. I would consider myself

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon successful here today if you have begun to appreciate if not embrace this new approach to community development, and it is my fervent hope and wish that you would become engaged in taking the process forward. In conclusion, I must say that my primary purpose is to serve the people of Guyana. We in government have a definite interest in seeing all Guyanese prosper. We must all put our shoulders to the wheel and not be distracted. Human development must be at the forefront of our thinking. It should shape our policies and interventions. It should be the focus of our energies. To this our government commits. To this we will stand firm.

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

Absent or irregular periods: Knowing when it’s not right

By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Absent or irregular periods are periods that do not happen at all or that happen less that six to eight times a year. If a woman does not get her period for a while, it might be because she is pregnant. In some cases, it might be that she has a medical condition that affects her brain or reproductive system. WHAT CAUSES ABSENT OR IRREGULAR PERIODS? Absent or irregular periods can be caused by: * Pregnancy * PCOS (which stands for “polycystic ovary syndrome”). In women with this condition, the ovaries make too much male hormone. This can disrupt a woman’s periods and cause excess facial hair, acne, and problems with weight. PCOS is the most common cause of absent or irregular periods. * Being too thin or having

too little body fat * Exercising too much * Too much prolactin – Prolactin is a hormone made in the “pituitary gland”, which is a small organ at the base of the brain. * Early menopause – Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when she naturally stops having periods. Menopause usually occurs between the ages of 45 and 55. But in some women, menopause comes early – before the age of 40. Early menopause happens when the ovaries run out of eggs earlier than normal. * Some medicines, including birth control pills SHOULD I SEE A DOCTOR? See your doctor if: * You are older than 15 and still have not had your period * You used to get periods, but you have not had a period for more than three months * Your periods happen more than 45 days apart

WHAT OTHER SYMPTOMS SHOULD I WATCH FOR? Make sure to tell your doctor if you: * Think you might be pregnant * Have family members with irregular periods * Have bad acne or hair on your chest or face * Have gained weight and are having trouble losing it * Have hot flashes, which feel like a wave of heat that starts in your chest and face and then moves through your body * Have night sweats, which are hot flashes that happen when you are asleep * Have new headaches or trouble seeing * Notice milky fluid coming out of your breasts * Are under lots of stress * Have recently lost weight * Are exercising more than you used to * Have changed how much you eat or what kinds of foods you eat * Are taking any medicines, herbs, or vitamins

ARE THERE TESTS I SHOULD HAVE? Your doctor will decide which tests you should have based on your age, other symptoms, and individual situation. Here are the most common tests doctors use to find the cause of absent or irregular periods: * Pregnancy test – Pregnancy is a common cause of missed periods. Your doctor will want to find out if you are pregnant before doing any other tests. * Blood tests – These measure hormones that affect the reproductive system. * Thyroid Function Test – Your thyroid gland controls your metabolism and can cause irregular periods if its malfunctioning. * Pelvic ultrasound – This test uses sound waves to make a picture of your uterus, cervix, and vagina.

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The picture can show if there is something wrong with these organs. HOWARE ABSENT AND IRREGULAR PERIODS TREATED? That depends on what is causing your missed periods, and on whether you want to get pregnant. Possible treatments include: * Birth control pills to make periods regular * Losing weight if you are overweight * Medicines to help you get pregnant if you are having trouble getting pregnant on your own * Changing the way you eat and exercise, such as: • Eating more calories • Gaining weight if you weigh too little • Easing up on exercise, if you exercise a lot •Reducing stress

Dr. Zulfikar Bux * Hormones to treat hot flashes (if you are going through early menopause) * Medicines to lower prolactin levels (if your pituitary gland is making too much prolactin) CAN ABSENT AND IRREGULAR PERIODS BE PREVENTED? You can reduce your chances of missing periods by eating well and staying at a healthy weight. Being too thin or too heavy can cause irregular periods. Of course avoiding stress is always a helpful option.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 01, 2016

SUNDAY SPECIAL

sequently released a statement affirming that his administration did not collect all the money. He said that the company still has US$5M outstanding. However, he said that the company which bought the shares was Hong Kong Golden Telecom. This caused another mixup. Nandlall told Kaieteur News that Datang and Hong Kong Golden Telecom are two of the same.

THE RADIO LICENCES FIASCO….PRES. GRANGER SAYS YOU CANNOT CORRECT THE WRONGS BY MULTIPLYING THE CASES The Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) seems to be undecided on whether it should revoke licences which were awarded by former President Bharrat Jagdeo to a select few or to issue new licences first. President David Granger was asked on the show, “The Public Interest” whether he believes the promise by the administration to correct such irregularities has proven too hard to keep. The Head of State said that he does not believe such a promise was difficult to keep. ”We need to adopt a policy or principle. The principle is, if something is wrong, it is wrong and it has to be corrected.” Granger said that the wrongs in the broadcast sector cannot be corrected by multiplying the cases “hoping that they will even out.” The President gave the assurance that “things which are wrong or outside of the law will be rectified.” PPP GOVT. ALLOWED MAHDIA GOLD FREE-FOR-ALLWITH LUCRATIVE OMAI PROPERTIES – GGMC DEMANDS OUTSTANDING US$10M In early 2011, Canada-owned exploration company, Mahdia Gold Corp. acquired what was once Guyana’s biggest gold mine - the Omai gold mines property in Region Eight. Approved via a Cabinet decision by the Bharrat Jagdeo administration, the Canadian company was supposed to develop the area,

BAISHANLIN’S NEW OWNER HAS A HISTORY OF UNSUSTAINABLE LOGGING IN CHINA – FOREST EXPERTS President David Granger and pay the Government of Guyana a total of US$11.5M ($2.3B) over a two-year period. However, despite being given extensions until February 2015, the company has not only defaulted on its commitments, but it appears that nothing was done by the then Government of Guyana to monitor the activities of the company to ensure compliance. In the last fortnight, the company sacked its Managing Director, Sheik Alan Zaakir. Donald Gordon, the Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a Director of Mahdia Gold Corp, tendered his resignation. New management has since been announced. The company, from all indications, was given a free rein to operate the Omai property, an area that is over 28,000 acres. It would tell the story of how one company was left unregulated with a huge piece of mining property and took advantage. Mahdia Gold, according to GGMC and Government officials, instead of finding financing on the stock exchange where it is listed, concentrated on renting out parts of the property to small local operations.

Bharrat Jagdeo SALE OF GT&T SHARES… DATANGAND HONG KONG TELECOM ARE RELATED COMPANIES - NANDLALL CLARIFIES – SAYS NEW GOVT. HIDING AND TRYING TO CONFUSE THE NATION Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall has sought to bring some kind of clarity to the recent mix-up surrounding the controversial sale of government’s 20 percent share in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) company. There was some amount of confusion as to which company government sold its shares to and whether or not the company has paid the full agreed sale price of US$30M. The National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) managed government shares in GT&T and it was the company that presided over the sale. NICIL’s former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Winston Brassington had told the media that the shares were sold to Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group. This was the same company the new government spoke about and the same company Minister of State, Joseph Harmon reportedly visited during his recent trip to China. At the most recent post-Cabinet press briefing, government’s spokesperson Minister Raphael Trotman said that Harmon found out that the Datang paid the full US$30 and not just US$25 as was reported before. However, Trotman said that the money could not be traced and the government has no idea who the money was paid to. Former President, Donald Ramotar sub-

A Chinese logging company in Guyana, BaiShanLin Forest Development Inc and another in China, China Longjiang Forest Industry (Group), share one special quality. They both have a notable history of unsustainable logging. BaiShanLin, on numerous occasions, has been heavily criticized by the local authorities for its wanton abuse of Guyana’s forests. Forensic auditor, Anand Goolsarran, in a recent interview with Kaieteur News said that this company has literally “fooled the nation” while enjoying millions of dollars worth in concessions and the grant of two exploratory permit without meeting the criteria. The company has also benefited from “premium” privileges under the guise that it would establish a state-of-the-art wood processing facility here. Ten years later and this promise is unfulfilled. Interestingly, China Longjiang which operates in China has a 55 percent hold in BaiShanLin. It has expressed to the Government of Guyana that it plans to fully take of the company by year end. It has given the coalition administration that it means well. It wants to breathe new life into BaiShanLin. But this very company has “skeletons in its closet.” Several Forestry experts have found that China Longjiang, which is owned by the Government of China, has “a track record of unsustainable logging.” The state-owned company operates in the Heilongjiang Province. That area holds some of China’s prime and lush temperate forests. But after noting the exploitation of the forests in that area by state firms, one of the most powerful being China Longjiang, the (Continued on page 33)

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

(From page 32) Government there was forced to halt commercial logging. China’s forestry experts have hailed the ban as a major step forward, predicting it will enable timber supplies to recover and shift the industry’s focus towards improved forestry management.

me hear seh he dead.” TUESDAY EDITION LEGAL WRANGLING AT OMAI MINES …FORMER CEO SLAMS CANADIAN DIRECTORS

MONDAY EDITION BAISHANLIN NEVER HADANY GOOD INTENTIONS FOR GUYANA – FORENSIC AUDITOR Given the actions of Chinese logging company, BaiShanLin over the years, Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran said that the firm has clearly demonstrated that it never had any good intentions for Guyana. During an interview, Goolsarran, one of the Forensic Auditors contracted by the new coalition administration to audit several government agencies, said that the company has, according to records, called upon the nation’s leaders for leniency when it was not entitled t o i t a n d r e c e i v e d p r e mium benefits for which it did not q u a l i f y. Goolsarran said that the Chinese company has with its right hand, dangled the idea of a wood processing facility while grabbing with its left hand, the riches to be had from Guyana’s Forestry Sector. The Chartered Accountant said that it was clear to see from BaiShanLin’s actions over the years that it was only interested in filling its treasure chests and then shipping them to their home country. ”It appeared that they were only interested in filling their pockets regardless of the consequences to be had by the nation. They mercilessly robbed and tricked us,” he said. BEATEN REPUTED WIFE LEADS COPS TO SPOUSE WHO BUTCHERED MOM AND SONS – NEIGHBOUR SLAUGHTERED FAMILY AFTER THEY WOKE WHILE HE WAS PICKING UP LOOT Jennifer Persaud woke in late September 21, 2012, to find a robber in her bedroom. When she grabbed the intruder, he slashed her throat, before slaughtering her six and one year-old sons. For close to four years, the identity of the killer of the Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara family remained unknown. But all that changed last Saturday, when the reputed wife of a Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo barber complained to police that he had assaulted her. Then she dropped the bombshell: She claimed that her spouse had also slaughtered the Persaud household back in September 2012, while he was their neighbour. The suspect, identified as Abishai Caesar, 31, of Tuschen Squatting Area, was arrested shortly after the woman made the complaint to the police. He reportedly told investigators that he had merely intended to rob the family, but killed them when they awoke, since they knew him. CENSORSHIP MUST STOP – RAMKARRAN ”Having regard to the Chronicle’s confusion about its role, about journalistic

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BaiShanLin’s Managing Director, Chu Hongbo principles…the time has come for the Government to establish a truly independent Commission of respected citizens with the relevant experience to advise on the Editorial policies of the State-owned media.” So said Former Speaker of the Nationa l A s s e m b l y, R a l p h R a m k a r r a n i n his most recent column published online. In that column, the veteran politician zeroed in on the recently publicized issue of censorship in the State newspaper—The Guyana Chronicle. The issue came to the fore when news broke that the newspaper refused to carry a column done by David Hinds which was critical of the government’s handling of the report of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry. Ramkarran is saying that this is unacceptable and that the State newspaper has experienced censorship for way too long. This should not be allowed to continue, said Ramkarran. He wrote that it takes a certain mindset for a person to believe that he or she has the right to determine what information citizens of Guyana should receive. Ramkarran said that state-owned media has long been seen as a party asset to be utilized for the benefit of the Government and

Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran Party in office. C’TYNE CARPENTER DIESAFTER FALLING FROM ROOF The family of a 29-year-old carpenter is in deep mourning after he succumbed to injuries he sustained after falling several feet from the roof of a house he was working on last Sunday. Yuvraj Sewlall, a father of two of Number Naught Village, Corentyne, lost his life after falling from a 20 ft. house he was working on in Corriverton. Reports revealed that Sewlall called “Carpenter chip” fell from the roof of the house and hit his head on the concrete steps below. A worker who was at the scene but wished to remain anonymous pointed out that Sewlall was on the roof laying blocks. The man stated that there was a Guyana Power and Light Inc. wire overhead and he would constantly remind persons working on the roof to be careful. “We always tell am seh ‘remember dem wire up deh’, but for some strange reason like he raise up and get into contact with one of de wire.” The man stressed that Sewlall then fell onto the steps, head first. “When me hear de sound, me run and tek he and rush he to the hospital and next

Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Mahdia Gold Guyana, Sheik ‘Allan’ Zaakir, has broken his silence over the troubles at the Omai mines, in Region Eight. Zaakir was reported sacked over a week ago by Canadian-owned gold exploration company Mahdia Gold, a company he founded. Mahdia Gold Corp., through its Guyana subsidiary, Mahdia Gold Guyana, had acquired the rights to develop the Omai mines, following the departure of its operator a few years before. However, the site, known for being gold rich, has not been developed as yet, with the company owing the Government of Guyana US$10M. It has only paid US$1.5M of the US$11.5M that the previous Government had asked for. Last week, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), as the regulator, wrote to the company for the fourth time demanding the US$10M. It was also alleged that the company, in breach of its prospecting permit, was allowing local miners to operate. Zaakir, along with his lawyer, James Bond, told this newspaper that he is preparing to take legal action against that company he helped found. He is suing for libel, slander, conspiracy to commit murder and fraud. The official explained that after acquiring the licence in the 2011-2012 periods, he was engaged in finding investors. He was responsible for remitting over US$1.5M. He left the company in 2013, but came on back in 2014. During that period of his absence, it appears that no monies were raised and little activities took place at the Omai concession. By then, GGMC started demanding its monies. The company was given, sometimes one month, and other times, two weeks, to pay up. However, the company could not find the (Continued on page 34)

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Sunday May 01, 2016

(From page 33) monies. TAXI DRIVER REMANDED FOR ‘MAID OF HONOUR’ MURDER The taxi driver who transported Simone Hackett’s alleged killer to Mahdia was on Monday remanded to prison, after he was charged with the woman’s murder when he appeared in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court. Ranachal Singh, 31, of Lot 7 Good Hope, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara is alleged to have killed Hackett between April 16 and April 19 at Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara. Hackett’s ‘child father’ Cleavaughn Hamilton also known as ‘Quarters’ was already charged and remanded to prison for her murder. The 30-year-old father of two reportedly confessed to the crime. According to reports, the partially decomposed body of the 25-year-old mother of one of “C” Field, Sophia was discovered in a trench parallel to the University of Guyana (UG) road, at Fourth Field, Cummings Lodge on April 19. It was reported that her throat was slit and there was what appeared to be two stab wounds to the back of her neck. Attorney Jerome Khan, who represented Singh, told the court that his client is innocent of the charge. The lawyer added that he is confident that the charge will be “worn out” at the conclusion of the preliminary inquiry. Khan said that his client is a father of two and a taxi driver by profession. PRISON DEATH COI … OVERCROWDING, PRISON GANGS AND STAFF SHORTAGE ROOT CAUSES OF RIOTS — DIRECTOR OF PRISONS On Monday, Director of Prisons Carl Gra-

Simone Hackett ham told the Commission of Inquiry, (COI) into the disastrous Camp Street Prison fire that overcrowding, prison gangs and a shortage of staff are among the root causes of riots within the prisons. Graham testified that the prison has a ratio of two prison officers to seven prisoners. He explained that together with the extreme overcrowding, inmates often form gangs and create rivalry among each other. He said some prisoners are known for forming gangs and being ring leaders. In light of this, Graham disclosed that prison wardens are constantly separating the men in an effort to break up gangs and avert conflict. But whenever, there is an uprising, he explained that prisoners are usually transferred from one section of the jail to another as the officers work to keep the situation under control.

Ranachal Singh with his Attorney Jerome Khan According to the Director, jail gangs are difficult to separate since followers are very supportive and loyal to their individual ring leaders. These ring leaders, he explained, often have followers in the other sections of the prison as well, are very influential or would have a reputation known to others due to their lifestyle prior to the period of incarceration. The separation, he added, is also difficult because the prison accommodation is limited. WEDNESDAY EDITION NICIL SUPPORTS SITHE GLOBAL’S $$M AMAILA EXPENSE The forensic audit report into the operations of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) has revealed that its Chief Executive Officer, Winston Brassington, established an account in the name of Sithe Global and charged all expenditure it incurred for the project to that account. Sithe Global is the company that had become both developer and investor in the Amaila Falls Hydro Electricity Project. The company bought its developing licence from Makeshwar ’Fip’ Motilall, who was granted his by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government. Sithe Global officially withdrew as an investor in the project back in 2013 citing a lack of national consensus on the part of the Parliamentary opposition. By the time Sithe walked, NICIL has already incurred huge expenses on its behalf. In an undocumented agreement, NICIL and Sithe had decided that NICIL would incur initial expenses for the Amaila project and Sithe would have refunded the money. When departing, the company had owed NICIL $303M. However NICIL made provision for the write-off of $151.6M or 50 percent of Sithe Global’s debt. In his report, Goolsarran said that Brassington indicated that amounts expended on the project were treated as receivable from Sithe Global. He further stated that since the project had been aborted, the receivable amount from Sithe Global would have to be written off as “bad debt.” Goolsarran said that in the NICIL draft finan-

cial statements for 2014 the sum of $151.6M indeed reflected the write-off as “bad debt”. TELECOMS BILL TO BE TABLED “BEFORE END OF MAY” After months of consultations with a number of stakeholders, the Telecommunications Bill is expected to be tabled in the National Assembly by the end of May 2016. Once assented to, the bill will allow new players and a host of new telecoms services to enter Guyana. This was disclosed by Minister of Public Telecommunications, Catherine Hughes during a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA). The Minister explained that, “there were extensive discussions so what we want to do is to bring the legislation to the Parliament as soon as we can, and we are working on that. I do not have a date yet, but I would envision it would be probably before the end of May.” Once passed, the Bill will specifically address the expansion of telecommunications services into remote areas, GINA reported. Minister Hughes pointed out that final adjustments were being made to the bill by way of consultations between the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) and Digicel Guyana. GOVT. KEEN ON PURSUING SECRET COMPANIES HERE – PRES. GRANGER Within the framework of Guyana’s commitment to prevent money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, President David Granger says that his Government is keen on combing through the country for secret companies. In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, Granger said that any matter that is unlawful, such as the smuggling of gold, the removal of large sums of monies – whether they are being brought into Guyana by plane or removed; or overseas/offshore banking, which is in breach of the laws of Guyana, would be investigated. While media reports signal that there is a Guyanese connection to the Panama Papers saga, Granger said at the moment, he is not (Continued on page 35)

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Kaieteur News

aware of this. He has indicated however that he will continue to follow developments in this regard.

in the yellow metal. Ram & McRae was appointed by the Ministry of Finance to carry out a special investigation into the financial operations and functioning of the Guyana Gold Board. According to the report prepared by auditing firm, Ram and McRae, between the years 2012-2014, which were reviewed, GGB racked up losses $10.1B from its trading. Of this, GGB recorded a gross loss of $9.7B (96.4%) in 2013 compared with a gross loss of $281.4M in 2012 and $79.6M in 2014. The main reasons for the losses, officials say, is because GGB held onto gold it bought hoping that world prices would go up back. It would have brought much of the gold in 2013 when the prices fell from US$1,900. It is just around US$1,240 per ounce now.

TAXI DRIVER CHARGED FOR MURDER OF WAKENAAM BUSINESSMAN The taxi driver who is alleged to have run over the body of Wakenaam businessman Mahendra Persaud, after he was fatally shot by bandits, was on Tuesday charged and remanded to prison for murder. Rawle Vieira appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he was not required to plead to the indictable charge. Particulars of the charge alleged that on April 19, at Georgetown, Vieira murdered Persaud during the course of a robbery. The unrepresented accused was remanded to prison until May 16. According to reports, the businessman who hailed from Good Success, Wakenaam, was shot by a gunman as he exited his canter on Alexander Street, Georgetown. Persaud fell and was subsequently run over by a car allegedly driven by the accused. It was reported that the police after reviewing CCTV footage from the area saw motor vehicle PVV 3157 trailing Persaud’s truck, shortly before a pillion rider on a CG motorcycle shot the businessman. The accused reportedly transported Persaud to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The charge against the accused comes following advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions. WOMAN PLACE ON BAIL FOR THREATENINGPRESIDENT ON FACEBOOK The police are ready to proceed with the trial of a 52-year-old Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo woman who allegedly posted threats to President David Granger and made racially-inciting comments about African Guyanese via her Facebook and WhatsApp accounts. This information was revealed Tuesday by Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers, when Bibi Salim appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Salim, a mother of three, was slapped with two charges that were filed under the Racial Hostility Act – for attempting to incite excitement, hostility or ill-will on the grounds of race. One of the charges alleged that during the period of March 1 and 31, the woman attempted to incite hostility or ill-will against the President by posting on Facebook “Granger want a bullet in he head” among others. She was also accused of sending derogatory remarks about the President from her cell phone to her son’s cell phone via WhatsApp. Salim who was represented by Attorney Euclin Gomes pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted $200,000 bail.

ted the businessman’s death to get her hands on his assets. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said that the woman turned herself in to police, in the company of an attorney at around noon Tuesday. Also detained are Terry Lewton, 38, of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, who was previously charged for Mr. Habiboodean’s murder, and Robert Parris, said to be Lewton’s relative. Police said that one of the suspects was nabbed in Bartica. Police are also trying to locate Michael London, who allegedly hired his nephew, Linden Lewis, to kill Mr. Habiboondean. London is said to be a brother of notorious gunman and ex-soldier Linden ‘Blackie’ London, who was slain in 2009 by joint services ranks, during an estimated 11-hour standoff in an Eccles, East Bank Demerara hotel. THURSDAY EDITION $9.7B LOSS IN 2013…GOLD BOARD FACES PRESSURE TO REVIEW TRADING PRACTICES The report of a special investigation into the financial operations and functioning of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) has been released, and it is urging major changes in the manner which country is conducting its trade

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pliance and even copies of their birth certificates. In one instance an applicant, Jinfu Zhu, had produced a sworn affidavit which stated that since he arrived in Guyana, he had not worked or earned any income. This was debunked; however, as it was revealed that he had applied for an extension of his work permit and had also produced a job letter from his employer. In another strange instance the report detailed one a p p l i c a n t , A m e c h i F r i d a y Chiawa, receiving a Guyana identification card four years before his citizenship was approved. Other documents which were omitted by applicants who were still granted citizenship were police clearance, copies of spouses’ passport and spouses’ birth certificate and marriage certificate.

FORENSICAUDIT REPORT…CITIZENSHIP GRANTED TO FOREIGNERS WHO DIDN’T MEET REQUIREMENTS

2011 ASSAULT ON MARK BENSCHOP…KWAME MCCOY RELEASED ON $275,000 BAIL

The forensic audit into Guyana’s Passport Office has revealed cases where internal controls and government systems were flouted in some cases when citizenship was granted to foreign nationals. According to the report, applicants have not been meeting the full requirements, but have been granted citizenship. The report, which was compiled by Maurice Solomon and Company, Chartered Accountants and Management Consultants, was released Wednesday. The audit is one of several announced by the present Government soon after coming into office last year. Maurice Solomon had been given the job for the stated sum of $5.5M. It details that between May 1, 2011 and June 30, 2014; Citizenship was granted to 271 applicants from 41 countries. In 2011, 36 foreign nationals were approved for citizenship. In 2012 the number was 139. In 2013 it dropped to 69 and by 2014 it had plummeted to 27. The top seven countries featuring in that number were Cuba (38), China (21), Britain (20), Brazil (19), United States of America (18), St. Lucia (18) and Trinidad (17). These applicants, 151 in total, represent 56 percent of total seeking naturalization. However, the report documents cases where those granted citizenship would have omitted vital documents such as recommendations, income tax liability statements, NIS com-

Social activist Mark Benschop told the media that it appears he will get justice, after all. His comments came mere minutes after exiting the Providence Magistrate’s Court, where former PPP Information Liaison Kwame McCoy faced three charges related to an alleged March 2011 attack. McCoy appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly on Wednesday and was released on a total of $275,000 bail after pleading not guilty to charges of Damage to Property, Unlawful Assault and Simple Larceny. The first charge alleged that on March 5, 2011 at Diamond New Scheme, East Bank Demerara McCoy damaged a motor vehicle belonging to Benschop. It was further alleged that on March 5, 2011 at the same location, he stole an Acer laptop valued $120,000, property of Benschop. And the final charge alleged that on the same day at the said location McCoy unlawfully assaulted the social activist. The incident allegedly occurred outside McCoy’s home while Benschop was attempting to take photographs of McCoy’s residence. It was reported that at the time of the attack Benschop was running an online radio and a website. He was investigating reports that McCoy was building a house worth $100M. Benschop had alleged that while he was

FEMALE RELATIVEAMONGFIVE HELD FOR 2008 MURDER OF BUSINESSMAN -DISGRUNTLED ‘HIT-MAN’ IS ‘BLACKIE’ LONDON’S NEPHEW With disgruntled ‘hit-man’ Linden Lewis now spilling his secrets, police on Tuesday rounded up four more suspects for the February 2008 murder of 76-year-old businessman Habiboodean. Among them is a 50-year-old female bloodrelative of Habiboodean, who allegedly plot-

Mark Benchop standing near his damaged vehicle (file photo) Kwame Mc Coy

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(From page 35) taking the photographs, McCoy and two other individuals assaulted him. He said that the defendant was one of the individuals who smashed his vehicle window and made off with his computer and other valuables from the vehicle. The defendant who resides at Lot 336 Section ‘A’ Diamond, East Bank Demerara was ordered to post bail in the sum of $200,000 on the first charge. On the simple larceny charge, bail was set at $50,000 while $25,000 bail was given on the unlawful assault charge.

Sunday May 01, 2016

The impounded truck

FRIDAY EDITION SALE OF GTT SHARES…BUYER CLAIMS SIDE DEAL DONE TO WAIVE REMAINING US$5M The controversy surrounding the sale of government’s 20 percent shares in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) continues to grow. National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited is now claiming that Guyana’s former Ambassador to China, David Dabydeen, facilitated a US$5M debt write-off to the company that bought Government’s shares in GTT. However, the company said that it is still to confirm this information. NICIL made this known via a statement it released to the media Thursday. The company said that it issued the statement with an aim to bring clarity to the status of its attempts to secure the payment of the outstanding US$5M from Hong Kong Golden Telecom Company (HKGT). The statement indicated that on August 24, 2012, NICIL and Hong Kong Golden Telecom Company Limited (HKGT) executed a Share Sale and Purchase Agreement (SSPA) for the sale of NICIL’s 20 per cent shareholding in GTT, as approved by the former Cabinet. The SSPA provided for the Purchase Price of US$30M. The agreement was for US$25M to be paid on the closing date and the balance of US$5M to be paid on the completion date, which was defined as the second anniversary of the closing date. NICIL sought to clarify conflicting reports regarding the identity of the contractual party to the SSPA. It said that HKGT was the contractual party to the SSPA. HKGT is a subsidiary of Datang Telecom International Technology (Hong Kong) Company Limited, which is wholly owned by Datang Telecom International Technology Co., Ltd., PR China. Datang Telecom International Technology Co, Ltd. is listed as a second tier subsidiary in

Dead: Five -month- old Randy Williams the Datang Group of Companies, said NICIL. The company said that on November 8, 2012, US$25M was wired to NICIL’s foreign currency account held at Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited. The balance of US$5M became due and payable to NICIL on October 22, 2014 and, despite several written requests by NICIL, HKGT has still failed to pay the balance. BABY DIES AS TRUCK SLAMS INTO STROLLER The death of a five-month-old baby boy, hours after he was struck in his stroller by a sand truck on Wednesday afternoon, has rocked the East Coast Demerara community of Belmont, Mahaica. The baby, Randy Williams, was being taken for his usual afternoon push in his stroller along Market Dam by his nine-yearold cousin when the truck, driven by a neighbour, slammed into them a few metres from their home. While the cousin escaped unhurt, a part of the truck hit the baby, inflicting severe injuries that subsequently resulted in his death. Williams was pronounced dead on arrival at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), while the driver of the motor lorry, GJJ 4896, was taken into police custody to assist with investigations. PRISONERS THROW FECES AT RANKS, SET FIRES IN LOCKUPS Heavily armed ranks and firefighters were summoned to the Golden Grove Police Station on Thursday after three prisoners set fires and hurled feces at policemen shortly after

being taken out of their cells. Superintendent of Police Anthony Vanderhyden identified two of the prisoners as Godfrey Lynch and Travis Alexander, who were recently detained in connection with a robbery at Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara. Two doors were scorched and a CCTV camera was burnt. According to a police statement, at about 06.30hrs on Thursday, prisoners at the Golden Grove Police Station, East Bank Demerara, were taken out of their cells by the police for ablution purposes. “At the conclusion, three of them demanded cigarettes and refused to return to their cells after their request was denied. “The three prisoners began throwing feces at the police ranks during efforts to get them back into the cells and remained in the passageway behind the main door leading to the cells, which was locked. “Later, at about 13.30hrs, smoke was seen coming from the lockups and the three prisoners were seen with lit newspapers which they placed in the passageway at the main door. The blaze which scorched two wooden doors and damaged a CCTV camera was extinguished and the three prisoners were subsequently replaced in their cells in the lockups.” Superintendant Vanderhyden told reporters that 13 prisoners were being housed at the station at the time. They have been detained for offences ranging from break-andenter, robbery and murder. NORWAY TEAM HERE TO ASSESS FOREST DEAL PROJECTS Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, on Thursday received a courtesy call from a vis-

iting Norwegian delegation which was scheduled to meet with their counterpart agencies to discuss Guyana’s REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) projects. The meeting took place at the Minister’s office at the Ministry of the Presidency. Guyana’s Office of Climate Change and the Project Management Office for the GRIF Project both fall within the Minister’s purview. The team was led by Hege Ragnhildstveit, Senior Adviser, Government of Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative and included Tron L o v d a l , S e n i o r A d v i s e r, N o r w e g i a n Agency for Development Cooperation, Department for Climate, Energy and Environment and Ane Marit Lid, Adviser and Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation. Minister Harmon was joined by Presidential Advisor on the Environment, Rear Admiral (ret’d) Gary Best and Nikolaus Oudkerk, from the Project Management Office, Ministry of the Presidency. The delegation also met with other connected agencies, including the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the United Nations Development Programme, the Inter-American Development Bank and civil society. The GRIF Projects are at different stages of implementation across Guyana. The technical team from Norway came specifically to assess how the country is progressing with the US$250M forest deal. The historic deal, inked five years ago between the two countries, expired last year but there are ongoing talks to have a new one... (Continued on page 49)

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Cabinet to soon discuss final constitutional reform report The final report on proposed constitutional reform that will guide a new political culture in Guyana has been completed. The report was handed over to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo yesterday morning by the steering committee which was established to define the scope of the actual reform process, and formulate the terms of reference and mechanisms for consultation to establish a Constitution Reform Commission. Convenor of the steering committee, prominent attorney at law Nigel Hughes, in handing over the document to the Prime Minister, paid tribute to two members that the committee lost along the way, as a result of their sudden deaths - Professor Sheldon McDonald and Haslyn Parris. “Both of their contribution has been invaluable, and I want to salute them and thank them for it, as well as to acknowledge their contribution,” Hughes said. As it relates to the final report, itself, though, Hughes explained that he was not at liberty to disclose its actual content. He, however, said that the committee has submitted to the Prime Minister what he considers to be “the framework of the pathway for the constitutional reform commission,” which, he hopes will be established shortly. Meanwhile, in receiving the report, in addition to expressing his profound gratitude to the steering committee, Prime Minister

Nagamootoo also paid tribute to the members of the committee, who passed. “This remit was to be able to give us a direction, the scope within which the constitutional reform process should take place,” the PM said, re-stating the goal of the establishment of the committee and completion of the report. He reminded that the coalition government had placed high on its agenda the issue of constitutional reform, and expressed the hope that the guidance contained in the final report would be able to give the government “enough time and space” in which it can achieve the areas identified as those for reform and changing in the constitution. “Today, I am going to try to read this (the report) and see what I would be able to do to take it forward; first to the Cabinet and then we would announce the further stages in the process,” the PM said. A six–member Steering Committee on Constitutional Reform (SCCR) was established by the Prime Minister in August 2015, with Hughes as the Convenor. The SCCR began work on September 1, with a view to completing its work on December 31. The committee met the deadline by presenting to the Prime Minister the interim report. A final report should have been presented at the end of March; however, this was delayed as a result of the sudden death of the Committee member, Mr. Parris in March.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo receives the final report from Convenor of the Steering Committee on Constitutional Reform, Nigel Hughes. Also in photo are the other committee members.

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Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

The Dept. of Culture… Determined to protect

Guyana’s cultural heritage and property By Jarryl Bryan Guyana is a bedrock of

culture and home to several distinct ethnicities, spread out along the length and

breadth of the country. The ancestors of modern Guyanese people have all

come and left their mark on the landscape. However, it has been shown that they also left behind artifacts things they may have used in everyday life which are of priceless historical value now. It is the historical value of both tangible and intangible legacies that Cultural Policy Advisor Ruel Johnson will be spearheading efforts to protect. Johnson, a longtime cultural policy advocate, noted that for too long an ad hoc system of regulations has existed for a country as rich in culture and history as Guyana. According to Johnson, much of what a country distinguishes itself with, has to do with culture. In light of this, he made it clear, during a recent interview, that preserving cultural heritage will be a critical component of the range of policies being formulated by his office, the Department of Culture. ”We have had a lot of ad hoc action,” Johnson reflected. “What we haven’t had, since the 1970s, is a policy framework and adherent heritage plan. So I’m currently working on a plan for heritage.” Two key components of this plan will be developing mechanisms for Guyana to recognize, map and maintain its existing cultural heritage, and to counter the illicit trade in heritage artifacts. Trafficking in cultural property is an epidemic, as widespread as human trafficking. There have been agreements and legislation by bodies such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to curb the trade. However, the issue has in some cases not received the appropriate recognition. “This is something that we (population at large) are unaware of. Indigenous artifacts and other tangible cultural heritage have extremely high value on the world market,” Johnson pointed out. “An authentic indigenous arrow head, thousands of years old, in itself has value that we don’t even know about. Indigenous knowledge has (also) always had tremendous value.” Another example he gave, which might be under recognised by most, is the value of indigenous knowledge ranging from medicine to other areas. The lack of knowledge, Johnson said, can be attributed to there being no monitoring mechanism. “Let’s say I’m leaving here, we have no system for Customs officers to tell

whether I’m taking out a diya or I’m taking out tremendously valuable ancient earthenware.” He noted that one step which will be taken, will be to go into indigenous communities and to map and identify what is there, in order to formulate mechanisms and strong solutions to preserve existing heritage. However, Johnson acknowledged that while artifacts are being found in indigenous communities, the requisite authorities are somewhat hampered at present. “The problem is we don’t have the system and the funding. People seeking to map this (area) are doing it off their own strength. Some is being done through private universities. We have no system of documenting, tracking and facilitating these ventures.” It is not all gloom, however, as Johnson made the point that Guyana is not alone. The advisor noted that this is where technical cooperation with other countries becomes important. He referenced Brazil, noting that Guyana’s Portuguese-speaking neighbour has a central coordinating mechanism with their Ministry of Culture, internal security, tourism and other agencies that enforce regulations against the heritage black market. According to Johnson, the government of Guyana is coming up with a framework that will link the Ministries of Indigenous Peoples Affairs, Citizenship, Tourism,

Louisa Daggers

Ruel Johnson Education and Culture, with the National Trust of Guyana. He gave a few examples of how this will change the way Guyana does business. “If it is that someone comes in and hits the border, there is a form which you have to fill out stating what you are here, for example, for cultural research. On the one hand it makes it easier for study like archaeology. On the other hand it allows the state to monitor and track.” Another initiative he spoke about is one for government to work with tourism agencies that can get a sense of what tourists have come for. He noted that as of now there is little mechanism in place to monitor anthropological or archaeological work. He noted one exception, that is, if a tourist wanted access to an archaeological site under the domain of an Amerindian community, an overture would have to be made to the village leaders. It is generally believed and documented that the Amerindians originally entered the territory of what is now known as Guyana about 11,000 years ago. Initially they lived on the (Continued on page 47)

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

Determined to protect... From page 46 low, swampy coastland region. Research done by the local anthropologist, Dennis Williams, has shown that while the earliest Guyanese were hunters, about 7,000 years ago they adapted to become hunter-gatherers. Archaeological studies indicate that a group of these hunter-gatherers occupied Barabina Hill near to Mabaruma around that period. There, settlements were more permanent in the North-West District and the Pomeroon where they were firmly established as fish, turtle, snail and crab catchers, but in the interior areas they were nomadic at times. Some of these settlements were located in the Mazaruni basin, the Pakaraima highlands, the Rupununi and the Berbice River. Some of the tools of the hunter-gatherers were made from bedrock-grinding surfaces. They used polished stone tools, bark beaters of chipped stone (used for extracting bark cloth), projectile points, chisels, axes, and adzes. Kaieteur News spoke to Louisa B. Daggers, Anthropologist and Archaeologist Coordinator and Researcher at the Amerindian Research Unit (ARU). She stated that contemporary discovery of artifacts have been made in communities such as Aishalton, Region Nine. According to Daggers, the most common cases are public-spirited persons or miners finding such artifacts during mining operations. She stated that these cases often go unreported, either because the historical value is not recognised or because of fear that the operation may have to be halted for research purposes at the location. The 29-year-old Anthropologist stated that this is why partnerships will often be forged by the ARU with mining companies, so that priceless pieces of heritage can be preserved. However, Daggers emphasised that without set policy the illicit trade of artifacts would continue. UCH REPORT ON GUYANA

The Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH) is a treaty that was adopted in November, 2001 by the General Conference of UNESCO and ratified by Guyana in 2014. UCH has been bringing awareness to cultural property left behind by our ancestors (many times found underwater after hundreds of years) and it reports its findings on policies adopted in countries around the world. In a 2015 report compiled by UNESCO on UCH in Latin America and the Caribbean, it was noted that the 2001 convention was a timely initiative taken by the government of Guyana to systematically include in its 2015 agenda. It noted that while there are several parliamentary and draft legislation in Guyana that cater for the protection and management of UCH sites to an extent, most of the existing legislation overlap each other. The report documented that the majority of Guyana’s known qualified UCH sites are those of Prehistoric origin including petroglyphs, grinding groves, habitation sites and shell middens. It stated that others such as wreck sites and structures linked to the colonial past are all submerged and threatened by mining and illicit trade in artifacts. “(It) has compromised the integrity of several UCH sites within Guyana’s internal waters. This coupled with a lack of public awareness, has created a dichotomy resulting either in the destruction of both terrestrial and underwater cultural property or the illicit trade of these very cultural materials by locals as a means of satisfying their financial needs.” The report went on to add that underwater cultural heritage can contribute to Guyana’s historic records and to the scientific community. It can also develop the tourism industry by creating new avenues for underwater archaeology. According to the report, submerged heritage can be considered in the promotion of cultural heritage and dive tourism, and may even attract glass bottom boats.

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Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

Guyana to participate in AML/CFT forum, workshop Government has granted its approval for Lancelot Wills, Manager (ag), Legal Services, Division, Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to attend the KAW Management Services Limited’s Eighth Annual Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT), Anti-Fraud and Financial Crimes Conference and Post Conference Workshop, both set for July. Cabinet gave its go-ahead following a proposal submitted by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan in which he stated that the GRA stands to lose the benefits associated with the forum and workshop if it fails to participate, a Ministry of the Presidency statement said. The Minister’s proposal was made after the GRA re-

quested to send one participant to the forum scheduled for July 11-12, 2016 and the workshop planned for the following day, July 13, in Antigua. The key agenda items include addressing money laundering, terrorism financing, fraud and other financial crimes, the risk of ignoring financial crimes and failure to sanction and preparing effective Suspicious Activity Report (SARs) from investigations and analysis of crime. The expected impacts of the forum are to build capacity for effective execution of the Revenue Authority AML/ CFT supervisory function and to establish a network and/or linkages of experts in the field of AML/CFT. Funding for the workshop is being provided by the Inter-American Development Bank.

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

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(From page 36) SATURDAY EDITION FIVE SHOT AS GUNMEN STORM CASINO AT RAMADA PRINCESS HOTEL -ONE CAPTURED, COPS HUNT THREE OTHERS A policeman and four casino staffers were shot after masked gunmen stormed the Ramada Princess Hotel casino at Providence, East Bank Demerara at around 03.30 hours Friday. Three of the bandits escaped with an undisclosed sum of local and foreign currency they took from the casino as well as money and valuables they took from patrons during the half-hour ordeal. But police captured a fourth bandit as he was trying to escape through a back door when the ranks arrived. They also impounded a car that the attackers left behind. Police retrieved a shotgun that the gunmen had taken from a security guard and another firearm that one of the bandits had disposed of before escaping. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum disclosed that the detained gunman, known as ‘Dougla’, has been cooperating with investigators. The suspects are believed to be from Onderneeming, Essequibo; Independence Boulevard, and a third from Kitty and South Ruimveldt. “The police have information about who the people are. The homes of the suspects were searched and wet clothing was found at two locations. The occupants were questioned, and they indicated to the police that the individuals did not sleep there last night (Thursday); they (the suspects) went there early today, (Friday) changed and left. “We also have video footage of the entire incident and in reviewing we saw one suspect conceal a weapon (at the scene) and we retrieved that weapon, as well as the shotgun from the suspect we have in custody.” Among those wounded are Police Lance Corporal Andrew Richardson of Impact Base, who was shot to his abdomen; Eon Garraway was shot in his left hand: James Gregory sustained a gunshot wound to his left foot; Orlando Knights was shot in the left hand and Udairan Sookraj sustained injuries to his right hand. Melissa Ferguson, Jermaine Mason and Roshel Fraser were assaulted during the ordeal. There are indications that Lance Corporal Richardson and staffer, James Gregory, may have accidentally shot each other. The wounded policeman was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), while the staffers who were shot were treated at Dr. Balwant Singh Hospital. GNBA SEEKS FOOLPROOF METHOD TO NULLIFY JAGDEO-ISSUED RADIO LICENCES The Board of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) has explicitly and unanimously decided that former President Bharrat Jagdeo illegally distributed resources “belonging to the people of Guyana” when he granted radio licences to his friends and family in 2011. On the grounds of such a consensus, the Board has decided that it must and will make moves to make those licences null and void. The Board held its first press conference on Friday at GNBA’s Kingston office. Members present at that forum were the Chairman, Leonard Craig, and Directors Anthony Vieira, Vic Insanally, Jocelyn Josiah, Abiola WongInniss and Ameena Gafoor. Craig said that the Board is cognizant that the issue regarding the licences issued by

Jagdeo, shortly before demitting office and prior to the coming into force of the current Broadcasting Act No. 17 of 2011 has attracted the greatest interest, relative to the Board’s function. He said that the Board, at all of its statutory meetings, to date has discussed this issue and decided that the said licences appear to have been issued contrary to and in violation of good administrative practices. He pointed out that the licences have been arbitrarily issued to persons and entities with close ties to decision maker and without regard to prior existing applications. Craig said that Jagdeo’s decision would have pre-empted the application of the Broadcasting Act which was already assented to, but was awaiting a date to come into operation. He said that the operationalisation of the Act was entirely within the authority of Jagdeo who held the portfolio of Minister of Information as provided for by Section 1 of the Broadcast Act. Craig told the media that the issues relating to licences pose difficult questions “which ought only to be determined after deliberate consideration of the legal options available which includes but is not limited to litigation.” The Chairman added that the Board has been in consultation with Senior Legal Practitioners on the issue. He also said that that it is the Boards intention—in keeping with its mandate to regulate, supervise and develop the National Broadcasting Systems—to make a decision “as soonest.” BUSINESSMAN’S DAUGHTER, ‘HIT MAN’TO FACE MURDER CHARGE The daughter of 76-year-old businessman Habiboodean, and the ‘hit-man’ that was allegedly hired at her behest, are to be charged next week for the murder of her father in Feb-

ruary 2008. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said that the police legal advisor recommended charges against the woman, 50-year-old Bibi Habiboodean, and alleged hired killer, Linden Lewis. The development came this week after Bibi Habiboodean allegedly provided investigators with a statement that was consistent with that given by her father’s alleged killer. Kaieteur News understands that the woman has said that “severe financial difficulties” caused her to plot her father’s demise. She has also reportedly stated that her elderly father was heavily indebted. “She knew that if he went to the ‘great beyond’ she would inherit his assets,” a source said. Mrs. Habiboodean was detained earlier this week after turning herself in to police with an attorney. Police had also arrested Terry Lewton, a former employee of the murdered man, and Robert Parris, a relative of the alleged hired killer. However, there are indications that the two

men will be witnesses for the state. Meanwhile, police are still to locate Michael London, who allegedly hired his nephew, Linden Lewis, to kill Mr. Habiboodean. Habiboodean, 76, of Ruby, East Bank Essequibo, was attacked and badly beaten in his home on February 15, 2008. He succumbed at a hospital. Police had charged Lewton and Bibi Habiboodean, for Mr. Habiboodean murder. The matter was discharged due to insufficient evidence. But the case broke after police detained the alleged ‘hit-man’ and four others, for the murder of Mohamed Munir, 75, and his wife Bibi Jamila Munir, 69, who were burnt to death in their Good Hope, East Bank Essequibo home. It was while he was in custody that someone tipped off investigators that Lewis had vital information about Habiboodean’s death. Police said that while being interrogated on Monday, Lewis admitted to killing Habiboodean, while complaining that he had never received full payment for the job.

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Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

Surprising Reasons to Get 10 great tips to help beat More Sleep the common cold and flu

(http://www.webmd.com:) What difference could an extra hour of sleep make in your life? Maybe quite a lot, experts say. Studies show that the gap between getting just enough sleep and getting too little sleep may affect your health,

your mood, your weight, and even your sex life. If you’re getting less than the recommended seven or eight hours of sleep a night, here are nine reasons that you should shut down your computer, turn off the lights, and

Bell peppers add incredible value to your diet

The appeal of bell peppers goes way beyond their stunning good looks. Here’s a short list of the good things they can do for your health: · Bell peppers are low in calories! So, even if you eat one full cup of them, you get just about 45 calories. Bonus: that one cup will give you more than your daily quota of Vitamin A and C! · They contain plenty of vitamin C, which powers up your immune system and keeps skin youthful. The highest amount of Vitamin C in a bell pepper is concentrated in the red variety. · Red bell peppers contain several phytochemicals and carotenoids, particularly beta-carotene, which lavish you with antioxidant and antiinflammatory benefits. · The capsaicin in bell peppers has multiple health benefits. Studies show that it reduces ‘bad’ cholesterol, controls diabetes, brings relief from pain and eases in-

flammation. · If cooked for a short period on low heat, bell peppers retain most of their sweet, almost fruity flavor and flavonoid content, which is a powerful nutrient. · The sulfur content in bell peppers makes them play a protective role in certain types of cancers. · The bell pepper is a good source of Vitamin E, which is known to play a key role in keeping skin and hair looking youthful. · Bell peppers also contain vitamin B6, which is essential for the health of the nervous system and helps renew cells. · Certain enzymes in bell peppers, such as lutein, protect the eyes from cataracts and macular degeneration later in life. So, pop some bell peppers into your shopping basket, and start reaping their rich health benefits! (http:// www.care2.com )

go to bed an hour early tonight. 1. Better health. Getting a good night’s sleep won’t grant you immunity from disease. But study after study has found a link between insufficient sleep and some serious health problems, such as heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes, and obesity. In most cases, the health risks from sleep loss only become serious after years. That might not always be true, however. One study simulated the effects of the disturbed sleep patterns of shift workers on 10 young healthy adults. After a mere four days, three of them had blood glucose levels that qualified as pre-diabetic. 2. Better sex life. According to a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, up to 26% of people say that their sex lives tend to suffer because they’re just too tired. There’s evidence that in men, impaired sleep can be associated with lower testosterone levels - although the exact nature of the link isn’t clear. Of course, not getting enough sleep can affect your love life in less direct ways too. “If you’re a 28-year-old who’s so exhausted you’re falling asleep during a date at the movies, that’s not good,” says Ronald Kramer, MD, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and a specialist at the Colorado Sleep Disorders Center in Englewood, Colo. 3. Less pain. If you have chronic pain - or acute pain from a recent injury - getting enough sleep may actually make you hurt less. Many studies have shown a link between sleep loss and lower pain threshold. Unfortunately, being in pain can make it hard to sleep. Researchers have found that getting good sleep can supplement medication for pain. If pain is keeping you up at night, there are also medications available that combine a pain reliever with a sleep aid.

No. 1: Drink Up! Get plenty of fluids. It helps break up your congestion, makes your throat moist, and keeps you from getting dehydrated. Most people should drink at least eight to 10 8-ounce glasses of fluid every day. Need ideas for something to drink? Try water, sports drinks, herbal teas, fruit drinks, or ginger ale. Your mother’s chicken soup might help, too! No. 2: Make It Steamy! You can loosen up your stuffy nose if you breathe in some steam. Hold your head over a pot of boiling water and breathe slowly through your nose. But be careful. Don’t let the heat burn your nose. You can also get some relief with a humidifier in your bedroom. Also try to take in some moisture from a hot shower with the door closed. No. 3: Blow Your Nose It’s better than sniffling mucus back into your head. But make sure you do it the right way. If you blow hard, you’ll send germ-carrying phlegm back into your ear passages, which can lead to an earache. The best technique? Press a finger over one nostril while you blow gently to clear the other. No. 4: Use Saline Spray or Salt-Water Rinse Both can help break up the congestion in your nose. If you go the rinsing route, try this recipe: · Mix 3 teaspoons of iodide-free salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda. · Place in an airtight container. · Add 1 teaspoon of this mixture to 8 ounces of lukewarm boiled or distilled water. Next, fill a bulb syringe with this solution (or use a Neti pot.) Lean your head over a basin and gently squirt the salt water into your nose. Hold one nostril closed by applying light finger pressure while squirting the mixture into the other nostril. Let it drain. Then treat the other nostril. Always use distilled, sterile, or previous boiled water when you make this solution. Otherwise you might get an infection. Also, rinse the bulb or Neti pot after each use and leave open to air dry. No. 5: Stay Warm and Rested It’s especially important to get rest when you first come down with a cold or the flu. It helps your body direct its energy to fighting off your infection. This battle taxes your body. So give it a little help by lying down under a blanket to stay warm if nec-

essary. No. 6: Gargle With Warm Salt Water It moistens your sore or scratchy throat and brings temporary relief. Try a half teaspoon of salt dissolved in

8 ounces of warm water four times a day. To calm the tickle in your throat, try a gargle made from tea. Or use one that’s got honey in it. (http://www.webmd.com. )

Is coffee really good for you? (http://www. telegraph .co.uk) : Put the kettle on - a new study from Harvard University has declared that drinking three cups of coffee a day (even decaf) could help you live longer. It’s the latest in a slew of reports about the supposed health benefits of the brew. From type 2 diabetes through to Parkinson’s disease, the headlines would suggest that coffee is a magic elixir for all sorts of ills. But is it? Here, we have scooped up some of the latest coffee research to try to sort the beans from the granules when it comes to health claims. It’s not an easy task. According to Harvard School of Public Health, coffee contains hundreds of different compounds: some are good for human health; others aren’t. This complexity accounts for the fact that scientific opinion about coffee has ‘flipflopped’ in the past. The good news is that your coffee addiction probably is not bad for you (apart from the impact

on your wallet) – but it falls a long way short of being a health drink. HEART DISEASE A Korean study published in the journal Heart last month showed that drinking 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day (what they called “moderate consumption”) was associated with less calcium buildup in the arteries. But headlines declaring that coffee “prevents heart attacks” were wrong, because the study did not find that coffee drinking confers actual benefits. (The British Heart Foundation also urged caution about interpreting results from a survey carried out in South Korea, where people enjoy a different diet and lifestyle to those in the UK) The new Harvard study suggests moderate coffee consumption reduces the risk of dying prematurely from heart disease. But some other studies actually link coffee to risk factors like raised blood pressure and cholesterol, so more research is needed in this area.

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Kaieteur News

Rob Kardashian Defends Proposing Drake’s ‘Views’ Shows the to Girlfriend in New Rapper Is ‘Still Learning ‘Keeping Up With and Growing’ the Kardashians’ Clip

http://abcnews.go.com: Rob Kardashian’s proposal to his girlfriend Blac Chyna was a bit dramatic. In a new preview clip of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” which returns to E! for its 12th season on Sunday night, the Kardashian clan’s lone son defends his decision to propose to Blac Chyna, whose real name is Angela White, after months of dating. “Listen to the hostility in your voice,” Rob, 29, says to his older sisters — Kourtney, Kim and Khloe — in the video. “That’s exactly why I don’t say anything. It’s the first time I ever proposed to someone in my life. Don’t come at my with some bulls***.” It appears the sisters weren’t aware he had planned to propose to Chyna in front of her family. They found out during a family trip to Vail, Colorado. Khloe calls the act “so f***** up” in the preview clip. Rob and Chyna’s road to love has been a bumpy one since the two came out as a couple earlier this year. The two

run in similar circles and have mutual friends and exes. Chyna dated rapper Tyga starting back in 2011. The two have a son, King Cairo, whom she had in October 2012. The rapper has since dated Kylie Jenner, Rob’s sister. Rob warns his sisters “I don’t want no fighting” in the video. His sister Kim replies in a separate scene, saying, “You make sure that your girlfriend doesn’t publicly blast your sisters.”In a separate scene, Khloe says, “The fact that now he wants to be so public blows my mind.” She may be addressing Rob’s return to the public eye after taking a break from the spotlight. “He’s had a year where he kind of wanted to chill,” his mother, Kris Jenner, told E! News back in January. “He hasn’t been feeling well and we didn’t know why. He was just diagnosed with diabetes, so we’re taking care of that. But he’s always around.” Jenner added Rob was “depressed” and was focused on his recovery.

http://abcnews.go.com: Drake’s new album “Views” is here. It’s an album he’s been hyping since 2014. One listen to the dramatically symphonic opening track, “Keep The Family Close,” and you know immediately that this is going to be a radically different effort than last year’s “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.” It is evident that this is also a better — and more dynamic — album. Drake’s best gift has always been setting moods. He’s a performer who puts style over substance. Admittedly the substance level is a bit higher on this set and he’s obviously put much more effort in maintaining a flow. It used to be that he dropped a line. He took a breath. He dropped another line that rhymed with that previous rhyme in the simplest of ways. He’s noticeably upped his game, but as a lyricist, he still doesn’t earn the level of hype he often receives. Still a track like “9” shows some growth, in spite of his occasionally delusional declarations. “Key chain go jingleling. / I want to do major things. / MJ in every way. / I just don’t fade away.” It’s good to have dreams. Still, there is nice warmth to this record

Calvin Harris And Rihanna Drop New Summer Bop, “This Is What You Came For” (http://www.newnownext.com): Hitmakers Calvin Harris and Rihanna have teamed up once again for a new dance track that’s going to rule your summer like, well, every other freaking Calvin Harris song that drops in spring. Harris previewed the track on YouTube last night, and within a matter of hours, the full version was available for download. It’s the pair’s third collaboration behind 2011’s “We Found Love” and “Where Have You Been.” There’s not much to the song, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, according to music experts. Idolator’s Robbie Daw writes: “The song is pretty decent Euro-centric dance floor fodder. It’s just a bit subdued — which might have been the correct decision; why attempt to top a pop classic and fail when you can zig left, aiming for other territory altogether?” If you’re wondering why Rihanna is dropping a new single just months after the release of her last album, Anti, it’s most likely because she’s jonesing to become the singer with the most No. 1 hit singles in the Billboard chart’s history.

and he gets some decent lyrical energy going on “U With Me?” and he works a smooth groove with “Feel No Ways.” That being said, the write-up in the iTunes store (currently an Apple Music exclusive) talks up this album’s “immaculate vocal turns.” (Do vocals count as being “immaculate” when they are noticeably auto-tuned? Not in my book.) I will say this. No one else sounds quite like Drake. His verse style may be occasionally clunky, but he has effectively cut out his own unique niche. While “Hype” has an almost Kanye-like sense of self-satisfaction even as it denounces the fleeting flash, “Redemption” is all about finding peace with past relationships and “With You” is a fun, reggae-infused party groove. “Weston Road Flows,” again finds him working a strong R&B groove. On the latter he brags that he plans to retire at 35. I’m sure in six years he will change his mind. (Also, didn’t he just say that he won’t “fade away?” Keep it consistent, man!) On “Faithful,” he takes a few too many spaces in his lyrics, reverting back to his old, minimalist style. Overall, it is evident that Drake is out to make semi-ambient, chilled party music with some emo edges. The emphasis on both “Still Here” and “Controlla” is on making catchy chants. Admittedly the latter at the one-minute mark kind of sounds like it is revving up to quote Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long,” even though it is working a subtle dancehall vibe that comes to fruition with a mid-track momentary interruption. Drake has his eyes more on being a pop star than on being a great hip-hop artist. Any true hip-hop head will tell you that this is more of a pop and R&B record than a hip-hop set. “One Dance” works the same kind of retroeighties, post-disco club vibe that Moby was working on his 2008 album, “Last Night.” It brings to mind that album’s “I Love To Move In Here.” Future’s rambling mars the skeletal “Grammys,” while “Childs Play” sounds like it trying to become a low-key club hit with its background hand-clapping and its repeated chorus of “bounce that s— like whoa!” “Pop Style” has some ear-catching eeriness to its beat and Drake’s frequent collaborator, Rihanna, drops by to sing on “Too Good.” This builds the growing R&B momentum that continues the “Summers Over (Interlude)” and “Fire & Desire.” At the point where it feels like Drake is singing far more than he is rapping, he drops the album’s title track which finds him flowing over the set’s most authoritative beat.

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Accused child killer denies giving Mahdia shopkeeper held for 2007 murder of customer statement to police Earlier this week, Ryan Bobb Semple, who is accused of sodomizing and murdering a nine-year-old boy, has denied providing police with a caution statement but admitted that he signed the said statement after it was shown to him in court. This was revealed to the court after Semple was questioned by a City Magistrate in relation to a caution statement and oral statement he allegedly gave police. Bob Semple is currently on remand for the murder of South Ruimveldt resident, Shaquan Gittens, whose partially decomposed and bloated body was found in a trench in the Houston Backlands on April 4, last. When asked by the Magistrate if he had told police that he sodomized the boy and dumped his body in a trench, the accused replied in the negative but later told the court that he took the little boy and buggered him. The accused also denied speaking with police throughout investigations and said that he did not carry them to the spot where the boy’s body was found. Semple went missing on April 1, 2015 after he left home to fly kites in his neighbourhood with some friends. According to reports, Semple saw the little boy walking at night on Caneview Avenue,

Murdered: Shaquan Gittens South Ruimveldt. He reportedly admitted to police that he ‘tripped’ the boy, causing him to fall to the ground before dragging him under a tree. It was under the tree, that Semple reportedly told police he tied Gittens hands and sodomized him. It was reported that the accused also severed Gittens’ private parts. The Magistrate will make a ruling on the admissibility of the statements on Tuesday.

Book Review…The supernatural ... (From page 42) provocative: “We will make ourselves visible to all and sundry…Every person who got killed on this island since the beginning of the first injustice to the present-day victims of robberies and drug-related and poverty-related, greed-related and envy- and jealously and power-related crimes…You think the dead don’t bleed? Wait! You’ll see!” It is a mystical arrangement made in hell. And we are moved to ask: Can good come from evil? ý And in ‘Travelling’, an inscrutable offering by writer Patricia Powell, the indissoluble bond between the living and the dead is spelled

out. The ancestors are ever present, guiding, consoling, instructing. They forgive our transgression, serving as a reservoir of psychic and spiritual development. It is an intense journey into consciousness and all its possibilities. And equally engaging are ‘Anansi’, ‘The Wedding Photograph’, ‘The Voyage of the Centipede’, ‘Fantom’, and in truth, just about every tale that appears in this captivating delivery. ‘The Haunted Tropics’ is demonstrative of collective genius; that rare ability to coalesce different occult fantasies around a definitive worldly theme. Editor Martin Munro is proficient in ensur-

ing that every contribution adds to the contextual framework of this unique undertaking. Straddling the phantasmagoria are enduring, ethical admonitions on the environment, violence, human dignity, and ancestral veneration. Therein is an inviting philosophical menu so eclectic that we return for more long after the final tale is served. The Haunted Tropics: Caribbean Ghost Stories Edited by Martin Munro (@) 2015 Publisher: University of the West Indies Press, Jamaica ISBN: 978-976-640-551-9 Available at Amazon Ratings: Recommended

The hunt for a shopkeeper who allegedly murdered a miner nine years ago ended this week, after police apprehended the suspect at an East Bank Demerara location. Police said that Alvin Calder, called “Cheebu’ or ‘Compact Disc,’ was arrested after detectives were tipped off about his whereabouts. Calder, 44, allegedly killed Joseph Willie, a miner, on April 12, 2007, during a dispute at White Water, Mahdia. While police were initially told that the killing stemmed from a drug dispute, Calder reportedly stated that the miner owed him money and was refusing to honour his debt. It is alleged that Calder had loaned Willie $160,000, but Willie would repeatedly say that he didn’t have the cash whenever he was asked about the loan.

On April 12, 2007, the shopkeeper reportedly saw Willie’s wife spending money and drinking at a Mahdia location. He reportedly told the woman: “You drinking and your husband can’t pay me.” An altercation ensued between the two, and the woman reportedly told her husband, Willie. The suspect alleged that the miner, who was carrying a cutlass, eventually arrived and approached him. The shopkeeper said that he feared for his safety and discharged two rounds from an unlicensed firearm at the miner. He then fled from the interior. While he was in Georgetown, he learnt that Willie had died. Police are to take the suspect back to the scene of the shooting.

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PEOPLE’S PROGRESSIVE PARTY (PPP) The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) salutes the workers of Guyana on the occasion of International Workers’ Day which is celebrated on May 1. This is a good time for workers to reflect on the long and difficult road the working people have traversed over the decades especially during the dark days of colonial and authoritarian rule when there were no organised labour union nor mass-based political parties to represent the cause of the working people. From its very inception as a political party, the PPP championed the cause of the working people. Indeed, the PPP emerged, as it were, out of the bossom of the working class struggle. It remains until this day the only genuine working class party in the country having consistently defended the cause of workers both in and out of power. The PPP takes this

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

opportunity to call on all workers to stand up in defence of their rights and not to allow themselves to be used as political pawns by those who glibly speak of workers’ rights but in actual fact only seek to feather their own political nest. The refusal of the current APNU-AFC regime to honour its promises to the workers for substantial salary increases certainly does not auger well for the working people especially when seen against the background of hefty salary increases for those in the corridors of power. Already there are indications of a slowing down of the economy which will most certainly impact adversely on job creation and economic stability. The economic and social gains made by the PPP/C administration over the past two decades are already being systematically eroded. The PPP is proud of its working class credentials and

wishes to assure the Guyanese people that it remains fully committed to the cause of a strong and united labour movement. In this regard the PPP is pleased with the decision taken by the two main umbrella labour organisations, namely FITUG and GTUC to have a joint May Day Parade in Georgetown. This is a significant development in the labour movement and augers well for a strong and robust labour movement. The PPP takes this opportunity to pledge its solidarity with workers globally, a significant number of whom are now put on the breadline in several capitalist countries which are experiencing severe economic and financial crisis. May the unity of the trade union movement continue to grow since in unity there is strength. Long live the workers of Guyana! Long live proletarian internationalism!

GOVERNMENT OF THE COOPERATIVE REPUBLIC OF GUYANA The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana salutes all workers on this historic Labour Day, 2016. It is the work of the people of Guyana that “safeguard[s] and build[s] on the rich heritage, won through tireless struggle, bequeathed to us by our forebears” as stated in the preamble of our Constitution. It is the people of Guyana’s earnest and constantly renewed commitment to tireless and unstinting work which realizes the development, growth and progress of our beloved, beautiful land. The Coalition Government is pleased and indeed proud that this May Day is being celebrated in a spirit of unity, cooperation and mutual respect. It is how, as an independent and sovereign people, this celebration must always be. Labour Day 2016 represents a new beginning after too many years of

workers and government being ensnared in an environment of hostility and disrespect. The spirits of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, the pioneer of the fight for labour rights in Guyana, and the other vanguard fighters who have passed, will be pleased that this new day has dawned. Relentless attacks on the GTUC and other labour unions and annual disrespect for the collective bargaining process is no more. The Coalition Government is proud that in less than one year in office, the annual subvention to the Critchlow Labour College has been restored, the income tax threshold has been twice increased and the minimum wage has been increased to $50,000. Workers in Guyana, are undoubtedly better off today than they were a year ago. There is more work to be undertaken at all levels to allow for improved

conditions, enhanced salaries, more comprehensive and thorough negotiations and establishing collective bargaining is the permanent standard. The Government remains resolute in standing in solidarity with the workers of Guyana for the realization of a good life for all and in protecting the right to work as enshrined in the constitution. “No person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his or her right to work, that is to say, the right to free choice of employment.” – Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Chapter 12, Part 2, Article 194A. Finally, the Coalition Government reiterates the call for all workers to once again rededicate their efforts and commitment in building a cohesive, progressive and inclusive Guyana for all our people, now and for future generations.

GUYANA AGRICULTURAL AND GENERAL WORKERS UNION (GAWU) As we celebrate Labour Day 2016, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) is pleased to extend militant greetings to all our workers, indeed, to all Guyanese. May Day is one of the few holidays observed internationally and is always a reminder of those of the working-class who have made invaluable contributions to better workers lives. It is also the occasion for the working-class to acknowledge its common objectives and recognize the need for solidarity in their ever-sharpening struggles for a peaceful world and a better life. Our Union is pleased to take part in this year’s activities which are being held unitedly by the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) after many years. The main rally in the city is one of the several activities which have resulted from the

improved collaboration and co-operation between the two workers’ bodies. We are optimistic that this positive development in the relations between FITUG and the GTUC will be strengthened in the period ahead. Labour Day offers another appropriate occasion to express our concerns over some policies being pursued of recent and their effects on the working people of the country. Here we refer to the uncalled cessation of the Education Grant to school children; the removal of subsidies from Old Aged Pensioners; the significant increases in licences and other fees; the increase in certain taxes as well as the introduction of new taxes. These and other things should be reviewed with a view to restore those benefits and rescind those measures which will certainly further raise the cost-of-living. In recent months hundreds of workers have lost their jobs both in the public and private sector. We must recognize their plight and cannot ignore the fact that many from the public sector lost their jobs unwantedly or due to political considerations. It is timely to recall that not too long ago the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) advised that youth unemployment was as

high as 40 per cent. These new hundreds will swell the jobless ranks and certainly raise the percentage statistic. It is opportune also to again draw attention to the threats of more unemployment and possible ruin that await numerous cane farmers and self-employed persons with the planned closure of Wales Estate and the cessation of operations at LBI Estate. We believe that at this stage and level of our development these are illconsidered measures. Those who will be directly hit are primarily workers and farmers. This must be of concern not only to GAWU but to the united Trade Union movement which, hopefully, will be taking up in earnest these matters after the May Day celebrations. The Trade Union movement, indeed, the working-class and other working people have a number of matters to reflect on, discuss and to seek to resolve. With the unity being forced, we are optimistic that we can give, in a principled way, the necessary leadership to meet the challenges before us. The GAWU is sure, that together, in our unity, we can overcome obstacles in our way and the Trade Unions can make a major contribution towards a new day and a better society for our people.

Sunday May 01, 2016

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Kaieteur News

CONSUMER CONCERNS....

Rediscovering ways individuals could protect themselves from criminals BY PAT DIAL For the last 50 years at least, crime and the personal safety and security of individual citizens and their families have been a very major concern to Guyanese people. There were times during those years when real fear for life and limb overwhelmed the Society. When that fear receded, people seemed to immediately turn their minds away from the problem, becoming complacent until the problem again resurged and they were again overtaken by fear. Crime has had a serious negative effect on the economy of the country. Investors are put off when they know that a country or even district is insecure and this fact has prevented many foreign and local investors from attempting to invest or do business here. Tourism, as an industry requires a secure environment since tourists would never come if they have the slightest

feeling that a destination is unsafe. Indeed, at the moment, Canada has an advisory to its citizens regarding Guyana’s security. The safety and security of the country from crime lie in the hands of Guyana Police Force (GPF), the several thousands of security guards belonging to the several security companies, and thirdly the private citizens when they take measures of their own to protect themselves. The GPF is of course by far the most important of these groupings. Government, Opposition and the Force itself are aware that its inadequacies have prevented the Force from being the effective organization it aspires to be and that these inadequacies are correctable. It is urgent that these groupings meet together and work out a plan and strategy for the GPF as with the 50th anniversary celebrations in the offing, the country needs the highest levels of security.

The rest of this article will however be devoted to how the ordinary citizens and their families could protect themselves. Two generations ago, the ordinary Guyanese family knew that the members had to protect themselves and they could not rely on others to protect them. This mental and emotional attitude of selfprotection was in itself a deterrent to criminals. Today, we put our personal safety and security wholly in the hands of the Police. If we are attacked by criminals, we are psychologically

unprepared to defend ourselves. There are occasional examples where the victims resist the criminals with determination and manage to protect themselves. A few days ago, it was reported in the media that in a village on the East Bank Demerara, an armed bandit attacked a family birthday party. He corralled the guests and family and proceeded to rob them. A small child attempted to run away and when her father tried to hold her back, the bandit thought he was trying

to escape and shot him on the arms. The man’s brother, with resolution, attacked the bandit and in the ensuing struggle the bandit’s gun fell out of his hand. The victim quickly picked up and shot the bandit dead. Full psychological commitment to defend one’s self is winning 50% of any struggle with bandits. For either the bandits will be deterred from attacking or they will be half-demoralized if they do try to attack. Bandits are normally cowards and are at a disadvantage if the victim resolutely attacks them; they may even flee. A next way of defending one’s self is by having dogs.

The large aggressive foreign breeds are effective defense against bandits but it is very expensive to keep such dogs and only the well-to-do could afford to keep them. Ordinary households could all afford to keep mongrels but at least two should be kept since mongrels do not seriously attack except in a pack of more than one. In any case, mongrels are very useful in informing householders of any intruders. Also, having fences around a house does provide a line of defence. In Biblical and other ancient writings there are Continued on page 71

STANDARDS IN FOCUS....

Addressing workplace safety with standards Worldwide, it is estimated that every 15 seconds a worker dies from a work related accident or disease, and 153 people experience a work related injury. These statistics represent an enormous burden for organisations and society as a whole, resulting in over 2.3 million deaths per year, not to mention the more than 300 million non-fatal accidents. The ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Standard is considered one of the key standards which can guide organisations towards the implementation of an effective process which reduces accidents and incidents in workplaces. The standard is

designed to help organisations of all sizes and industries put in place a safe work environment for their employees. According to David Smith, Chairperson of the Committee the formulated standard, the ISO 45001 follows a simple Plan-DoCheck-Act (PDCA) model, which provides the framework for organisations to plan what they need to put in place in order to minimize the risk of harm. These measures should address concerns that can lead to long-term health issues and absence from work, as well as those that give rise to accidents. For example, many suffer from psychological risk such as stress, which is believed to be one of the biggest problems of the modern age and, apart from the misery caused to workers and their families, is a huge cost to

society. The ISO 45001 requires that top management take ownership and demonstrate commitment through leadership to ensure that workers have the appropriate skills and that effective controls are put in place. The standard also recognizes the value of worker involvement and worker consultations to develop and apply better OSH practices. In addition, Checks to identify all the elements that should be addressed in order to ensure the system is working are address by the standard. With much experience in this field, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has provided input on those aspects of their standards that are relevant and essential for effective OSH management. These aspects include the importance of top management’s involvement

and the essential role of workers in participating in the OSH management system’s development and operation. Worldwide adoption of the standard should reduce the horror stories presented in the local and international media regarding poor OSH practices that have led to the loss of life, injury and large scale disasters as the building collapse of a factory building in Bangladesh, the chemical explosion in China or even the loss of the lives of our gold miners annually, right here in Guyana. Such events emphasize the need to consider the workers and those, including the community, who might be affected by the organization’s activities. For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 2190065, 219-0066 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org

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Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

Attack on Ramada Princess Hotel....

CASINO GUARD SET UP ROBBERY - TOLD GANG “LESS SECURITY AND MORE MONEY AFTER 2.00 A.M” The gang behind last Friday’s brazen attack at the Ramada Princess Hotel had help from a casino guard, who provided the gunmen with intricate details of the hotel’s operations, including the ideal time to strike. The security guard, who is a former national athlete, was detained yesterday after Wayne Griffith, the gunman who was captured at the scene, provided police with the identities of the rest of the gang.

Prior to carrying out the attack, Wayne Griffith, the captured gunman, did surveillance of the casino. The plan was for the robbers would split up the loot at an Albouystown residence. On Thursday night, the ‘inside man’ came off duty an hour before midnight. He then met with the rest of the gang and they rehearsed the attack. When it was close to 03.00 hrs,

CAPTURED GUNMAN: Wayne Griffith Four of the five gunmen were still at large yesterday. The suspects are reportedly from Onderneeming, Essequibo, Independence Boulevard and a third from Kitty and South Ruimveldt. Police had retrieved wet clothing from two homes that they searched on Friday. Kaieteur News understands that the detained guard has stated that the heist was planned some two weeks ago. “LESS SECURITYAND MORE MONEYAFTER 2.00 A.M” It was around that time that one of the gunmen asked the security guard to provide him with the details about the security operation at the casino. The guard reportedly told the gang that there were “fewer people, less security and more money” at the casino after 02.00 hrs. He also informed his associates that only two armed guards would be at the gate after midnight.

the guard indicated that that was the ideal time to “hit” the casino. He reportedly then went home. The heist, carried out by four masked men, apparently went as planned, except for the fact that the same gunman who had done the surveillance on the business place got trapped at the back of the premises. A police release stated that the attack began at around 03.30 hrs, when four men with firearms entered the casino and discharged several rounds into the air. After relieving a security guard of his shotgun and ammunition, the gunmen ordered patrons and staff to lie on the ground. They then took the security guard to the cashier’s cage where the cashier was also held at gunpoint and relieved of an undisclosed sum of foreign and local currency. The men arrived at the hotel in a white vehicle bearing a fake number plate, PRR 2545 and three of them managed to escape on foot. Police were able to apprehend Wayne

Griffith, who was nabbed while trying to escape through a back door. Police also impounded the car, which was left at the scene. They also retrieved a shotgun that the bandits had taken from one of the guards, and another firearm that the gunmen disposed of after the robbery. A policeman and five hotel staffers were wounded during the ordeal. Lance Corporal Andrew Richardson of Impact Base, was shot to his abdomen; Eon Garraway was shot in hi s l e f t h a n d , J a m e s Gregory sustained a gunshot wound to his left foot; Orlando Knights was shot in the left hand and Udairan Sookraj sustained injuries to his right hand. The gunmen also assaulted staffers Melissa Ferguson, Jermaine Mason and Roshel Fraser. There are indications that Lance Corporal Richardson and staffer, James Gregory, may have accidentally shot each other. The Video footage taken after the attack showed patrons still on the ground and one terrified woman weeping as she hid under a table, as police ranks, including ‘A’ Division Commander, Clifton Hicken scoured the casino for the gunmen. The ranks are also shown lifting a barman who was shot in the hand. They are later seen with captured gunman Wayne Griffith. A security guard who was relieved of his shotgun had said that “about five of them” come up to him and told him not to move. “Dem man seh pass de shotgun, (and) dem man tek away the shotgun and tell me sit down. “If I did shoot, dead sure I woudda deh pon de ground, but I woudda kill one of dem,” the guard said. Another guard said that he was attacked while he was at a guard hut. One patron said that he was inside the casino playing on one of the machines when the men stormed the building. “All I hear was ‘everybody go down on the floor’ and I thought it was a mad man run in but when I watch, I see a man with a gun,” the man said. He added that everyone in the casino followed the men’s instructions. I turn and see everybody lying on the ground and I decide to lie on the ground, too. “I was on the floor and I was hurrying to take out my money to put it in my boots and same time the guy pass and say ‘fat man what you doing there? Pass your phone,’ and he asked what else I got and when I said nothing, he go away,” the man recalled. The patron and some others have vowed not to go back into a casino. A woman also said that she had just won some $20,000 when the gunmen entered the premises. According to one of the hotel’s taxi drivers, the men pulled up alongside his vehicle and four men exited with guns. “This vehicle rolled up and these men exited. All of them had guns in their hands. They stick us up and put us to walk in front of them to go

into the casino. They walk to the door and take away the security guards gun.” He said that once they were inside, the men started to open fire before ordering everyone to lie on the floor.

“They robbed the casino and everyone who was in there. After some time, the one who was guarding everyone shouted ‘time up’ and two of them followed him, while one of them was still at the back,” the taxi driver said.

$297M in contracts approved for supply of drugs, infrastructural development Cabinet has granted its approval for the award of contracts to the tune of $297,940,140 in the areas of health and infrastructural development. Four agencies were awarded contracts for the supply of Tuberculosis medication for the Ministry of Public Health while a contract for the construction of Rip Rap sea defences at Orangestein,

East Bank Essequibo, Essequibo Islands, West Demerara (Region Three) has been awarded to A and S General Contractors Incorporated. Contracts were also awarded for the installation of Highway Lighting in Corentyne (Adventure Arch to Philippi (No. 31 Canal) and the Urban renewal on Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown. The contracts awarded:

Sunday May 01, 2016

By Dr. Neromini Fagu Last week we spoke about what is involved in preparing a tooth for a filling. We will continue this week with putting in the filling material in the prepared cavity. There are a number of choices when it comes to filling materials. These include amalgam (silver), composite (tooth coloured), gold, ceramic, and glass ionomer, to name a few. We will focus this week on the two most commonly used materials, amalgam and composite. Amalgam filling has been a staple in dentistry for over a hundred and fifty years. It is a reliable material that can withstand the forces of chewing.Amalgam has come a long way from dentists manually mixing the alloy and mercury in a mortar and

Kaieteur News

Demystifying Dental Filling Procedure pestle, to pre-mixed capsules that are mixed by an amalgamator. The traditional amalgam does not bond with your tooth, but is instead held in place in the tooth by mechanical retention. As such, more tooth structure has to be removed for placing this type of material. The amalgam is placed in small amounts in the prepared tooth and special instruments are used to pack it down. Pressure is used to adapt the material to the walls of the tooth and to prevent voids. After amalgam is condensed in the cavity, it is carved to reproduce the proper tooth anatomy. This is done when the amalgam is hard enough to offer resistance to the carving. Final shaping and contouring of the filling is done with various instruments.

- FILLING THE TOOTH Dr. Neromini Fagu

Seventy-five percent of the amalgam hardens after one hour, and it takes twenty four hours to completely set, thus, no chewing should be done on the filling during this time. Composite fillings are more time consuming and also require a very dry area of work. This dry field isolation is best achieved using a rubber dam, but your dentist may also use cotton rolls and other materials to keep saliva away from the tooth. Tooth isolation is critical for composite fillings because it prevents

Human rights activist appointed youth advisor for PANCAP

From left: PANCAP’s Youth Advisor Dr. Collins with Guyana’s Caribbean Youth Ambassadors Jewel Collier-Swan and Adrian Alfred Guyanese speaker and human rights activist, Dr. Astell Collins, has been appointed Youth Advisor for the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) Coordinating Unit. PANCAP is the PanCaribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS. It is a regional partnership of national, regional and international state and non-state actors, which was established on February 14, 2001 to re-

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spond to the HIV and AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean. Collins in a statement to the press on Friday said that his relentless pursuit to transform followers into leaders and leaders into agents of change via his BD1 Leadership seminars and other inspirational speaking engagements, through which he continues to honour the legacy of his mentor the late Dr. Myles Munroe with every seminar.

moisture from interfering with the bonding process. The first step in the process is to etch the tooth which is done with a gel that is left in place on the tooth for thirty seconds. The gel is then washed off and the tooth surface is lightly dried. Next, a bonding agent is applied and thinned with short bursts of air. Your dentist will use a special machine that emits a blue light to “cure” (harden) the bonding agent. Depending on the materials your dentist is using, sometimes the etching and bonding are combined into one step. Then the composite is placed in small incremental

layers into the cavity, which helps to strengthen the filling. Each layer is hardened with the curing light. For the final layer, your dentist will sculpt the proper tooth anatomy before hardening the material. The dental drill along with different types of burs may also be used to carve the proper tooth anatomy in the hardened composite. Once this has been achieved, the restoration is polished and sealed with a protective coating. Because the bonded filling is fully hardened after it is put in place, there is no need to wait before using it. After restoring your tooth, your dentist will check

the “bite” of the filling using a special carbon paper. You will be asked to mimic chewing motions and high points on the amalgam or composite fillings will be highlighted. These high points will be reduced by your dentist to ensure comfort. You may experience some sensitivity in your tooth for a few days but this should go away. As fillings don’t usually last forever, you should have your dentist check them periodically to ensure that they are still sound. For more information contact OMNI DENTAL at 295 Quamina Street, Georgetown Tel: 227-0025, Parika Tel: 260-3133 or send emails to nerominifagu@hotmail.com.

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SERVICES

WANTED PLANNING AN EVENT? One experienced salesgirl for BIRTHDAY PARTY, snackette. Call: 666-3569/ 698GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, 4288 ANNIVERSARY,ETC.–CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216- Joiners- Call: 619-9966; 6999671 1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. Eastside Animal Care & Clinic @ Grove E.B.D: providing quality animal health care services @ affordable prices. Call: 6211865; 681-7215 INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Repairs to LED, Plasma, LCD and all other electronic equipment. Ordering of circuit boards. Abdul Electronic- Call: 225-0391 Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezers- Call:6294946 or 225-4822 We repair fridge, freezer, AC, washer, dryer-Call: 231-0655; 683-8734. Omar Stunning designs with largest variety of plants by experienced landscapers! Call: 219-0468 / 648-1821 Professional US/Canadian visa services by appointments only. Call: 6645153/weekend bookings: canadavisaprogram@yahoo. com HOUSE PLAN DRAFTING OF “ANY PLAN” $15,000CALL: 694-9843/225-1972

Male and female to work interior shop assistant, salary -$80,000 monthly. Call: 6741767; 664-5199; 685-8780

PROPERTY FOR SALE

- Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257

Flat house in Grove, (corner property) 1 Block from main road, price negotiable. Call: 1905-6262572

Earn certificate in: cosmetology, nails, wig designs or hair cutting, etc. Register Now! Call Abby: 666-5241; 619-7603 Earn a certificate in cosmetology; enroll now at Artee’s Beauty Salon & School of cosmetology. Call: 275-0267; 680-0156

Janitors/Porters -$2,000 per day. Call: 225-2618 between 10am to 3pm General Domesticrequirements: (1) age 25 to 45years; (2) cooking experience. Call: 226-1100; 226-5380 We seriously pay cash for land; we clean & pay legal fees, ten years, no problem. Call: 611-7223; 604-2207

WANTED One maid. Should be good in cooking & house care. One helper/maid needed for beauty spa. Call: 231-0734, 653-4537. One Arc welder must know to do grill work with limited supervision. Call: 613-3879

FOOD DISTRIBUTOR COMPANYLOOKINGFOR SALES PERSON WITH CAR FOR BERBICE, ESSEQUIBO, BARTICA & GEORGETOWN. CALL: 231-8529 OR 231-8344

Kitchen Cleaner to work in the interior, ages 23-40. Call: 670-8182

Experienced cashier, counter servers, roti/puri cook, curry cook, waiter boys. Apply at Hack’s Halaal, 5 Commerce St.

1 Cleaner to work in snackette & bar. Must know to cookbetween ages 20-35 -Call: 6477432/ 223-5798 House Lot to buy in Leguan by the Seashore. Call 6241737 Driver with minibus + taxi license living in G/Town. Call: 664-0802 Republic Park family needs an experienced caregiver, age 42-55; live in, 1 week on 1 week off-$13,000 ag. Call: 6672535 Nanny (age 25 to 40 ) for a 5 year old, contact 223-5273 Girls to model, ladies clothing will train ages 18-35. Call: 6262629; 676-6312 Girls to sew experienced with heavy duty sewing machine. Call: 626-2629; 676-6312 Domestic needed to work from 8am to 3pm, attractive salary –contact: 685-1403 between 12pm & 4pm

1 Truck Driver/ Forklift Operator, I Supervisor @ Boodhoo’s General Store, Parika. Contact# 650-0402/ 260-4988 One live in domestic, age 2240yrs, serious person onlyCall: 225-6571; 644-6905 Assistant to work in kitchen (both male & female), age 2535 @ Annadale E.C.D, next to modern graphics. Call: 6873640 One tractor operator must know about rice to work in Mahaicony River. Call: 2256571; 644-6905

One Field supervisor for night shift, road sweeping work & basic mechanical experienced & license is an asset. Call: 227-1717 NANNY for 20 month old baby boy. Relevant experienced & police clearance mandatory; handsome salary & incentives. Call: 655-6766

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

SALON

Carpenters & Masons – Call: 615-7526; 668-9863

One welder to do gas welding @ Broad Street. Call: 2235595; 643-9125 FOR SALE/RENT A complete hair dressing salon located in Alexander Street Kitty (Opposite Seepaul’s Bar). Call: 623-5960

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

One live in female housekeeper, over 35years old and from outside of Georgetown. Call: 223-0654

Caregivers wantedCall: 690-2832/www.myangel homecareagency.com

Transported property @ Grove $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461 Newly built @ Craig E.B.Dland size 91X50 feet; house 40X28 – 3 rooms- 1 self contained. Call: 718-2136496; 617-7691 Brand-new flat house @ Republic Gardens: 3 bedrooms self-contained, selling as is -$22M negotiable, owner migrating, quick sale. Call: 639-8182 Transported property, prime, furnished liquor restaurant & bar, 2 freezers, 1 pools table, double lot @ E.C.D- $24.5M neg. Call: 600-7228 Brand new 2 storey concrete building in 5th Avenue, Diamond, E.B.D, all modern amenities –Call: 662-9335; 612-3244 Property for sale/rent @ Better Hope, Line-top, also separately: furniture & a car for sale. Call: 685-1556 2 Bedrooms upstairs and downstairs house for sale @ 7 Public Road La Grange – W.B.D. Call: 689-7002; 6920999 for more information. Haslington, E.C.D: Building ‘A’, concrete/timber modern 2 storeys, 7 bedrooms, grilled & fenced. Building ‘B’, 3 apartments, fenced -$18M negotiable. Call: 255-3437; 694-4473 4 Bedroom property @ Enterprise, 3 bathrooms, 2 garage, pressurized system, overhead tanker, generator, etc. Call: 600-6195

VACANCY Hair, nail, barber stations for rental; (experienced persons & clients) all rounder hairdressing – Glam & Go Beauty Salon. Call: 638-1106 Driver & porter to deliver water- apply @ Nimbus Water 79 Albert & Lamaha Street. Call: 231-7002; 6220445; 685-7659 Popular East Coast Gas Station Day/Night: pump attendants, sales clerk & office assistant. Contact: 6719570; 695-9880,Non-Pareil

Property @ Yarrowkabra: 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2 storey, concrete fence, 1 Acre lots of fruit trees. Call: 682-5212 or 0011- 305-232-5843

TOURS Suriname Tours: Labour Day Weekend April 29, 2016- May, 2nd 2016 & Indian Arrival Weekend May 5th-8th, 2016. Call: 663-5171; 692-7270; 6392663; 223-0056

Spacious 3 bedroom, top flat at Mon Repos, E.C.D. Bank, Mall, Market access. $45,000 monthly. 645-2395 / 629-5300.

One Toyota 212 Motor Car, excellent condition, alarm, remote start, mags. Call: 6162309 Unregistered Allion: 2004, fog, dark interior, TV DVD, CD. Price: $2M- Call: 617-5536 Mazda RX8 in immaculate condition-Call: 602-6024 Toyota Hilux Surf, 3Y engine 1998 cc 4wd, power windows, sunroof, AC, AM/FM/USB Stereo. Call: 678-9536

One Trainee A.C, Refrigerator, Technician - Call: 231-0655

Toyota Fun Cargo, AT212, AT192, AT170, Tundra, LTouring, Wagon, VVTZ, 4X4 Solid DEF pick up & Nissan Pickup unregistered. Call: 644-5096; 697-1453

PRODUCTIONASSISTANT, GTI or GITC graduates preferred. Resident of E.B.D. Tel. 676 6700 1 Female cleaner apply @ Technical Service 18-23 Industrial Site, Eccles. Housekeeping staff, male desk staff and male security guard- Call: 225-0198 or visit 233 South Road, Lacytown Driver/Sales person needed must possess driver’s license, familiar with supermarkets and shops. Call: 592-231-6256 Cook needed at Aracari Resort, experience is necessary. Call: 264-2946 Cook/baker for the Interior location, applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020 Cashier 6am-3pm & 3pm12pm. Submit application to Shell Station Providence E B D , shellramsburg@gmail.com Poolside supervisor at Aracari Resort. Call: 264-2946 for more information

One Toyota Spacio 2002$1.2M. Call: 668-7988 One Toyota AE100 for sale“as is, where is” -$275,000. Call 640-4787 (viewing weekend) 1- Backhoe, JCB-Call: 6631372 Toyota Hilux Surf 3Y fuel injected automatic transmission. Call: 6006195 Nissan X-Trail 2013 model, fully loaded, 2500 cc cut 31000KM -$8.9M negotiable, serious enquiries only. Call:685-3069; 644-9141 1 Nissan Titan for sale; fully powered, 4 wheel drive- price negotiable- Call: 643-7195; 220-9883 1 Mitsubishi Pajero (7 seats), automatic, fully loaded, immaculate condition price $2.7M contact Rocky 6215902 1 Toyota AE110 Sprinter (Private), automatic, fully powered, CD player, hardly used, price $950,000 contact Rocky 225-1400 or 621-5902

LEARN TO DRIVE So m a n S o n & O u t a r Driving School at Maraj Building- Tel:644-5166; 6222872; 615-0964; 689-5997

1 Isuzu open back canter (short base), manual, diesel engine, double wheel steel tray, excellent condition, price $1.2M contact Rocky 621-5902 1 Toyota 212 Carina (Private New Model), automatic, fully powered, AC, mags, alarm, excellent condition price $1,350,000 contact Rocky 225-1400 or 621-9502

Transported Property @ Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo. Call: 639-7903 TO LET 4 Bedrooms upper flat at Grove, E.B.D-Call: 693-4075

Very low prices on unregistered cars: Allions, Bluebird, Mazda, Fielder, used Rav4. Call: 626-7478; 676-8876

Food Distribution Company looking for salesperson with driver’s licence, experience & police clearance. Call: 2318344 or 231-8529

Property @ Block 8 Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara -$16M. Call: 654-4312; 6575330 55 Hadfield St. Stabroek: top & bottom flat, 2 bedrooms each, concrete bottom, wood top. Call: 218-2192; 651-8151

VEHICLE FOR SALE

EDUCATIONAL I.A.E Classes for CSEC January/June 2017: Mathematics, English A, Business & Science Subject for Students, Adults & repeaters. Call: 683-5742

1 Toyota Double Cab Hilux 4x4, automatic, fully loaded, diesel engine, excellent condition price $3.2M contact Rocky 621-5902 or 225-1400 (Continued on page 71)

Sunday May 01, 2016

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Kaieteur News

The Art Williams and Harry Wendt Engineering School at Ogle Airport.

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From page 70

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Battle erupts over Art Williams and Harry Wendt Engineering School A war has erupted at the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana (AOAG) over a recent decision to transfer a not-forprofit engineering school there and to convert it into a company. At least two disgruntled members of AOAG are preparing to mount a legal challenge, claiming the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Engineering School has been hijacked by the association. Even though it is owned and run by that association whose address is at Ogle International Airport for the past twenty years, it was only recently that the disgruntled members discovered a 2010 document where the address of the school was the residential address of Anthony Mekdeci. Mekdeci is listed as the sole director and is also the Chief Executive Officer of Ogle Airport. The school, located at Ogle International Airport, fell into trouble with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), which recently assessed it as a for-profit company, subject to the payment of Corporation Tax. According to the disgruntled members, a decision was then taken by a faction of the association comprised of members who did not own

nor operate aircraft to separate the school from the association and operate it as a company. Earlier this month, it was renamed Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineeering School Inc. with three directors —- Michael O. Correia, Malcolm Chan-ASue and Anthony A. Mekdeci. On April 25, the aircraft association held a meeting to discuss the new company but members were not too happy about the timing of that meeting claiming that it breached the notice rules. A lawyer’s letter issued by Sievewright, Stoby and Company on behalf of Roraima Airways Inc., Wings Aviation and Air Services Limited, warned that the aircraft owners were only given a week’s notice which was inadequate. The letter warned that any attempt to remove the school from the association’s asset would be a grave prejudice. It urged that the association postponed the meeting which was being held on Monday last. However, despite the letter being delivered, the association went ahead and held the meeting and decided on the flight school being removed. The lawyer’s letter had warned of legal proceedings

Rediscovering ways.... From page 67 suggestions of defensive weapons which are well within the Law to have. Such weapons are like the one David used on Goliath or a small hatchet which could be thrown at a good distance which Parshuram used so effectively. Hatchets, incidentally, were usual household equipment when wood fires were used to cook. Often, a bandit or bandits could be seen approaching, but householders have nothing, not even a stone or brick to throw at them to indicate that they have been seen and they would have no walkover. Indeed, a bandit may just desist from realizing that he had been under surveillance. Sometimes, some of these primitive weapons could seriously disable a bandit. A fourth way in which individuals, families and communities could protect themselves is by Community policing and vigilante groups. These groups should be given basic regular police training and should have at least one motor vehicle for every group. At least one firearm should be given to a member of the group. The State may not be able to provide vehicles for every group. Accordingly, suitable vehicles could be hired from

if this should happen. According to two of the disgruntled and aggrieved members, it was shocking to see that the school, which belongs to the AOAG and which was run under the Presidency of Michael Correia and his associates, Anthony Mekdeci and Captain Malcolm Chan-A-Sue, and who should be blamed therefore for the GRA problems in the first place, would nevertheless go ahead and incorporate a company with themselves being the sole directors. The disgruntled members said that some of them were even written to after last Monday’s meeting by President of the AOAG, Michael Correia, who disclosed that the association has decided that based on the corporate taxes owed to GRA that the school had a value of $16.1M and that under its new structure as a company it will be offering $18M of shares. The three disgruntled members made it clear that they were not part of the decision to change the school from a not-for-profit entity to a company. “This school has been around for over twenty years and was always part of the Aircraft Owners Association of Guyana,” an official from the disgruntled members said. This association was formed in 1995 by owners of aircraft alone, but this was changed over the years with Correia left in charge. NOTICE Be careful of those who say they buy land! We truly pay cash for lands. Call: 611-7223; 604-2207

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 01, 2016

Cuban National fined for overstaying Two fined for bird smuggling A Cuban National was fined $30,000 on Friday after she was found guilty of overstaying her time in Guyana. The charge against Elizabeth Rodriguez, 33, stated that between Saturday April 23, and Wednesday April 27 at Georgetown, she failed to comply with the conditions under which permission was granted for her to stay. The woman, with the aid of a translator, pleaded guilty when the charge was read to her by Magistrate Judy Latchman. She had visited Guyana via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport where she was granted permission to stay for one week. Prosecutor Bostwick said police officers who were conducting a road block saw the woman on a motor vehicle and asked her to produce identification of herself. However she indicated that she had her passport in a hotel where she was currently staying. When police officers escorted her to obtain the travel document, it was discovered that she overstayed her journey based on the date stamped in her passport. She was then taken to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters where she was subsequently charged. According to the defendant who said she came to Guyana as a tourist, she was confused about the date on her passport, she indicated that she was unsure when she was to return. The Magistrate then ordered her to pay a

Elizabeth Rodriguez $30,000 fine or she will serve two weeks in jail and with the commission of either one of the alternatives she will be immediately deported.

Two persons appeared in the City’s Court on Friday charged with attempting to smuggle protected birds out of Guyana without a legal permit to do so. Dhanwattie Persaud, 52, and Plant Manager Kayun Mohammed were both fined $140,000 when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where they pleaded guilty to their individual charges. Police said Persaud on April 27, and Mohamed of Lot 12 Enterprise, on April 28, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, were without the necessary permit, when they attempted to smuggle out of Guyana two Twa Twa birds (finches) among other species without being the holders of export/ import licences. The court heard that on the day in question, the woman was an outgoing passenger on a Caribbean Airlines flight, destined for the JFK International Airport, New York and Mohamed was an outgoing passenger destined for Canada on a Fly Jamaica Flight the following day. According to prosecutor Inspector Jeffers the man and the woman were passing their carry-on luggage through a security screen, when ranks at the luggage department observed peculiar images displayed. After carting their luggage aside, a further search was conducted where Officers observed hidden inside hair curlers, the state birds and other species of birds, concealed within their luggage. The Chief Magistrate eventually fined the two accused each with a default of a sixmonth prison sentence.

Kayun Mohammed

Sunday May 01, 2016

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Kaieteur News

CH&PA Director threatens resignation over Govt. soft stance on corruption

A Board Member of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) charged with investigating suspicious transactions to the tune of billions of dollars has threatened to resign over what he believes to be the reluctance by the administration to deal with corruption. The Board Member, Mark Jacobs, reportedly wrote Chairman, Hamilton Green, recently saying that he disagrees with suggestions to keep a number of CH&PA’s management, despite a number of worrying questions raised about transactions. The administration had promised in the lead up to May 11 elections last year to rid the country of corruption. Jacobs, who declined to confirm yesterday, is the Chairman of the Land Allocation Committee of the Board that Green chairs. That committee has been investigating several projects and transactions, including the 1,000-homes project and the housing schemes along the East Bank Demerara, especially. Also being investigated is several hundreds of acres of lands between Eccles to Grove that have been sold under questionable arrangements to private developers. A Ministry of Communities official said that Jacobs’ committee reported that it had stumbled upon billions of dollars in fraud, mismanagement and corruption at CH&PA. “The little that we’ve found is only the tip of the iceberg as we are not privy to information and details on many important transactions and dealings of CHPA and we are (yet) not in receipt of an

audit report,” Jacobs wrote in his letter to Green. ”We have recommended at Committee level that a number of persons be sent on administrative leave and that legal advice be sought for recovering stolen assets and instituting criminal charges against officers and others within the agency responsible for these known illegal activities.” The Board Member said while he respected the stance of the Chairman “to work in peace and give management another chance,” he is not in agreement given what has been uncovered so far in my short sojourn. ”I am at odds with the APNU+AFC Government position of appeasement and redemption for persons who have flagrantly violated their Oath of Office and the laws of Guyana.” He said he will be forced to resign if no actions are taken. Jacobs and his Board have been complaining of little cooperation from the CH&PA’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer, Myrna Pitt, and her deputy, Denise King-Tudor. Both had reportedly written to President David Granger complaining that the Board had been hostile toward them. There are several questions over the lands to the private developers. A few of them has illegally resold the lands, reportedly breaching the conditions of the sale. There was little evidence of monitoring of those lands by CH&PA as most of the lands have remained in bushes and not developed.

CH&PA’s Director, Mark Jacobs With regard to the 1,000 homes, Jacobs’ committee reportedly poor construction and management, and losses of millions of dollars in materials bought by CH&PA for those turn-key homes. Most of the theft of the materials was never reported to the police. Not too far away from that project is another one called the Remigrant Scheme. There are several questions over this one especially with the monies spent on infrastructure and exactly who benefitted from the house lots. There were questions also about what criteria CH&PA used to determine prices. CH&PA is charged with handling billions of dollars annually for the development of housing in Guyana and is facing a huge problem on how to find lands for almost 25,000 applications on file.

CH&PA’s Chairman, Hamilton Green

CH&PA’s CEO, Myrna Pitt

CH&PA’s Deputy CEO, Denise King-Tudor

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Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

Germany’s Merkel under attack…

Anti-immigration rally marred by left-wing clashes

Frauke Petry, chairwoman of the anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD), applauds during the AfD congress in Stuttgart, Germany, yesterday. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay Reuters - German leftwing demonstrators clashed with police yesterday as they tried to break up the first full conference of the anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany where Chancellor Angela Merkel’s policies came under attack. Police counted up to 2,000 left-wing protesters, some of whom burnt tyres and hurled stones and fireworks to try to stop the AfD’s congress going ahead in Stuttgart. Some 500 were detained, police said. Two policemen were slightly injured, but there were no reports of injured among the protesters, police spokesman Lambert Maute said. Buoyed by the migrant crisis, which saw the arrival of more than one million migrants in Germany last year, the AfD has upended German party politics. After the congress started late, more than 2,000 AfD members listened

to their party leaders’ call for an end to Merkel’s refugeefriendly politics and a return to Christian values. “We always wondered when the brave child will finally appear to voice the thoughts of the silent majority and declare that the ‘Chancellor of no alternatives’ is nothing but naked,” said party leader Frauke Petry, 40, in her opening speech. “And I think, this brave child is us,” Petry added. The violence began around dawn and clashes continued for several hours. Police used pepper spray and threatened to use water cannons to stop protesters, some of whom were masked, from getting onto the grounds of the conference. Some demonstrators still managed to assault several party members, they said. The AfD has mainly run on an anti-migrant and Islam-

critical agenda, but now struggles to unite its various fractions under one party programme that could put it on a broader footing. It currently has representatives in half of Germany’s sixteen federal state parliaments and the party has its eyes set on next year’s federal elections. Opinion polls see the party coming in at between 10 and 14 percent, a serious challenge to established party politics, though these have ruled out forming any coalition with the AfD. The AfD however considers itself in good company on a European level, following election gains by far-right parties across the continent. Petry used her oratorical skills to denounce what she termed the hypocrisy of the ruling elite whose policies, she said, were directed against the interest of ordinary German citizens.

Aleppo bombed as Syrian army begins ‘calm’ plan elsewhere Reuters - Nearly 30 air strikes hit rebelheld areas of Aleppo yesterday as a temporary “calm” declared by Syria’s military took effect around Damascus and in the northwest. It was the ninth day of deadly bombardments in Aleppo, which has borne the brunt of increased fighting that has all but destroyed a February ceasefire and killed nearly 250 people in the northern city since April 22, a monitoring group said. It also contributed to the break-up of peace talks in Geneva, which the main opposition walked out of last week. The Syrian army announced a “regime of calm”, or lull in fighting, late on Friday, which Damascus said was designed to salvage the wider ceasefire. While that appeared to mostly hold in and around the capital and parts of northwest coastal province Latakia, the bombing con-

tinued in Aleppo which was excluded from the plan. Anas Al Abde, president of the Turkey-based opposition Syrian National Coalition, accused the government of violating the February truce “daily”. The opposition was ready to reinstate the wider truce, but reserved the right to respond with force to attacks, he said. All sides have accused each other of truce violations. The Syrian army did not explain in any detail what military or non-military action the “regime of calm” would entail. It said it would last for 24 hours in the capital Damascus and its suburb Eastern Ghouta and for 72 hours in rural areas around the northern city of Latakia. At least five people were killed in Aleppo early yesterday in air strikes believed to have been carried out by Syrian government warplanes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Sadr followers dig in inside Baghdad’s Green Zone, political crisis deepens Reuters - Hundreds of supporters of Shi’ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stormed parliament inside Baghdad’s Green Zone yesterday and camped out nearby after Sadr denounced politicians’ failure to reform a political quota system blamed for rampant corruption. The protesters, who had gathered outside the heavily fortified central district housing government buildings and many foreign embassies, crossed a bridge over the Tigris River chanting: “The cowards ran away!” in apparent reference to departing lawmakers.The initial breach was mostly peaceful, but around sunset security forces fired teargas and bullets into the air in an effort to stop more protesters from entering. Around a dozen people were wounded, police sources said. A United Nations spokesman and Western diplomats said their compounds inside the Green Zone were locked down. A U.S. embassy spokesman denied reports of evacuation. Iraqi security personnel and Sadr’s militiamen formed a joint force to control crowds of protesters, most of whom had left parliament, a source in Sadr’s office told Reuters. All entrances of Baghdad were temporarily shut “as a precautionary measure to maintain the capital’s security,” another security official said. As night fell, demonstrators set up tents at a nearby parade ground under triumphal arches made from crossed swords held by hands modelled on those of Saddam Hussein, who was toppled by the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has warned that the monthslong political crisis prompted by his efforts to overhaul the cabinet could hamper the war against Islamic State, which controls vast swathes of northern and western Iraq. Earlier in the day, the ultra-hardline Sunni militants claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack against Shi’ite pilgrims in the southeastern Baghdad suburb of Nahrawan, killing 19 people and wounding 48 others.

Followers of Iraq’s Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr are seen in the parliament building as they storm Baghdad’s Green Zone after lawmakers failed to convene for a vote on overhauling the government, in Iraq yesterday.REUTERS/AHMED SAAD

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Obama announces new steps to curb gun violence WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama announced new steps Friday to help curb gun violence, including by identifying the requirements that “smart guns” would have to meet for law enforcement agencies to buy and use them as well as sharing mental health records with the federal background check system. Smart guns use various technologies to prevent an accidental shooting or help track down a missing gun. “These common-sense steps are not going to prevent every tragedy, but what if they prevented even one?” Obama wrote in a Facebook post. “We should be doing everything we can to save lives and spare families the pain and unimaginable loss too many Americans have endured.” As Obama unveiled a plan last January to expand federal background checks for gun purchases, he directed the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Justice to conduct or sponsor research into smart-gun technology. Obama also instructed the agencies to regularly review the availability of such technology and to promote its use. In response, the National Rifle Association said Obama should focus on fighting terrorist threats. “President Obama’s obsession with gun control knows no boundaries,” said Jennifer Baker, director of NRA-ILA Public Affairs. “At a time when we are actively fighting terrorists at home and abroad, this administration would

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

rather focus the military’s efforts on the president’s gun control agenda.” In a report released Friday, the Justice and Homeland Security departments said they expect to complete the work of identifying the smart-gun requirements by October. The Defense Department will continue to help manufacturers test smart firearms under real-world conditions at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center in Maryland. Gun makers could also be eligible to win cash prizes through the program. The federal government will also continue to help state and local governments as smart-gun technology develops, the report said. “Many gun injuries and deaths are the result of legal guns that were stolen, misused, or discharged accidentally,” Obama said. “As long as we’ve got the technology to prevent a criminal from stealing and using your smartphone, then we should be able to prevent the wrong person from pulling a trigger on a gun.” The president also called for more attention to be paid to the mentally ill. The Social Security Administration will publish a proposed rule to help ensure that mental health records about people who are prohibited from buying a gun are reported to the background check system. The public will have 60 days to comment after the proposed rule is published in the Federal Register. Obama also said the White House will hold a conference in May on preventing gun violence.

Firebrand Malema rallies South Africa’s poor pledging land, jobs, wifi Reuters - The firebrand leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters yesterday launched his party’s campaign for what are expected to be closely-fought local elections, promising to rescue voters from poverty, unemployment and corrupt government. EFF president Julius Malema chose the highlysymbolic backdrop of Soweto, Africa’s most famous township outside Johannesburg and just a stone’s throw from Nelson Mandela’s last home before his arrest, to lay down his challenge to the ruling African National Congress whose youth wing he once headed. With the ANC’s vast majority now straining under the weight of President Jacob Zuma’s scandal-plagued leadership and high unemployment as the economy stutters, opposition parties have made inroads into the liberation party’s strongholds. Formed just three years ago the EFF won 6 percent of the vote at national polls in 2014 to become the third largest party and the second largest in opposition. The radical left party has collected large chunks of support in working class areas, and is seen likely to gain further ground in forthcoming

Julius Malema polls after scoring several political victories and championing economic causes such as mine nationalisation and redistribution of land. The EFF last month pushed the Constitutional Court to deliver a ruling that Zuma had violated his oath of office and was liable for a portion of the $16 million spent on renovations to his rural home in Nkandla. “I am happy to report to you that we have stopped the Nkandla corruption,” Malema said to roaring cheers, just days after police said they were investigating him for “inflammatory speech” after he said the EFF was willing to take power by “the barrel of a gun” in a TV interview. Lashing the ANC for its

patchy record in providing basic services and accusing it of pandering to the middleclass, Malema pledged that the EFF would give the poor land, water and electricity, as well as free internet access. “The EFF will not build bicycle lanes (for the affluent) as long as the people still stay in the shacks,” said Malema, donning his trademark red, Che Guevara-style beret that has become a popular symbol of militant politics among young South Africans. Some analysts expect another court ruling, to be handed down on Friday and ordering a review of a 2009 decision to drop 783 corruption charges against Zuma, to hurt the ANC at the ballot box. “I’m not sure it’s going to benefit the EFF in the elections, because the issues they are claiming credit for are not really grass roots issues,” said political analyst at NKC African Economics Gary van Staden. But rubbish collector and former ANC supporter Raymond Ngwana, 40, said it was because of Malema’s EFF that corruption in national government and local municipalities was being exposed. “I remember some years back Archbishop (Desmond) Tutu said if you put in Zuma as president the world will laugh at us. Look now that’s exactly what’s happening.”

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

PAGE 77

2016 Dalchand Rambharose Inter-Secondary RHTYSC, MS invites School Under-15, Two-innings Cricket nominations for two awards Jason Leitch of Central Corentyne scores century and half century in same game

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS is inviting members of the Berbice public to submit nominations for two of its major awards. The Club in Mid-July would be hosting the fourth edition of the Ansa McalAward of Excellence and the Gregory Gaskin Memorial Berbice Sports Awards. The Awards are administered by the Educational and Public Relations Committee of the RHTYSC, MS and the final awardees are chosen by a panel of judges headed by Veteran journalist Gregory Rambarran. Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that the Ansa Mcal Award of Excellence honours four outstanding Berbicians of service of the highest standard in the fields of Sports Administration, Education, health and Community Development. All of the nomi-

nees shall have to be Berbicians, be positive role models to youths, have completed over 20-30 years of dedicated and outstanding service in the four fields listed above. The Club would like to inform the general public that functioning as a member of Parents/TeacherAssociations does not count as dedicated service in the field of education. The Gregory Gaskin Memorial Berbice Sports Award would see a total of four major awards being shared out. Nominations are invited for the Berbice Sportsman of the Year 2015, Berbice Sportswoman of the Year 2015, Berbice Sports Personality of the Year 2015 and the Berbice Sports Association of the Year 2015. The two individual sports award would be selected based on outstanding performances during 2015 while

representing Berbice, Guyana or the West Indies while the Sports Personality award would be given to the individual who worked beyond the call of duty to promote their sports throughout the ancient county, while the Sports Associated Award would honour the Association that organise tournaments and training programmes to promote their sporting discipline the most. Foster is encouraging Berbicians to submit their nominations before the 15th of June and could be done via registered mail to the RHTYSC, MS Office, Area ‘H’ Ground, Rose Hall Town or email to foster_hilbert@yahoo.com. The name of the nominator, address, telephone number and email address must be included along with a detailed reason why the nomination was made.

Sunday May 01, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You will get upset over trivial matters. Don't be too hard on yourself. You can make money if you pursue your own business. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Your diplomacy will be of utmost importance today. Your family may be feeling neglected and unloved. You need time to make things better. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Don't let your family put demands on you. Sudden disruptions will cause upset and a change of routine in your home environment. Keep your mind on your work and stay away from situations that could ruin your reputation. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Try not to hesitate; act on your initial instincts. You will have no problem getting your point across to those in a position to help you. Your need to use emotional blackmail will only cause more conflict.

like your choices. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your ability to add a sophisticated touch will help you capture the look you're after. Get busy making those changes to your home. Don't say things that could be damaging later on. Cut loose. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your mind will be on matters that deal with secret affairs. Do whatever your mate wants; it really doesn't matter as long as you're together. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) A quiet restful day just staying in bed or catching up on reading will be your best bet. Your diplomatic nature will help you in straightening out unsavory situations. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Pushy people must be kept at arm's length. Offers of joint ventures are likely. Be cautious and use your head wisely in situations that deal with the use of machinery or vehicles.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Problems with colleagues are likely. Take a break; you can finally mend any disputes on the home front. Think before you act.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Don't push your luck with authority. Your ability to deal with others will help you in getting the support you need. Today will be rather hectic on the domestic scene.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your romantic inclination should lead to a committed relationship. Overindulgence could lead to problems with digestion. Old friends may not

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Try to avoid serious discussions with loved ones. Financial affairs do not look too favorable today.

Magnificent batting display by Jason Leitch led Central Corentyne Secondary School to first innings victory over Winifred Gaskin Secondary School in the Dalchand Rambharose Inter-Secondary School Under-15, Two-innings Cricket Competition in Berbice. In their match played at the Bush Lot Farm ground in the Central Corentyne area, Leitch in the first innings scored a magnificent 114 and

then followed up with an even unbeaten fifty in the second innings. In the match which ended in a draw, Central Corentyne won the toss, took first strike and made a respectable 197 for 5 wickets before they declared. Leitch got support from Cris Bownauth with 26. Bowling for Winifred Gaskin, Ravi Persaud and Beres Downer took two wickets a piece for 59 and 45 runs respectively.

Winifred Gaskin in their reply made 124 in their only innings. Only Isaiah Munroe with 24 offered a n y r e s i s t a n c e . Chad Johnson took 3 for 15 bowling for Central Corentyne. In their second turn at the crease, Central Corentyne raced to 104 for 4 off only 9 overs when the game was called off. Leitch was 50 n.o and Hiteshwar Sudhar 25. Downer was again amongst the wickets with 2 for 23.

FOUR TEAMS RECORD WIN IN LATEST GOLYN 10/10 MATCHES (From page 74) required run rate to climb beyond 9 runs per over but with the fall of the first wicket, Feroze Rohoman started to play shots to all parts with 46 (7x6) off 17 balls to put them back on track with the lower half being shepherded by Skipper Imran Hack with 13 not out that took them to victory in scoring 90-5 in 10 overs. Arif Hussain tried his best to limit them with 2-14 from 2 overs but it was the rest of bowlers who let them down. Speedboat SC defeated West Coast Blazers XI by 4 wkts: West Coast Blazers won the toss and batted, scoring a challenging 105 -8 in 9 overs with Richard Burnette scoring a brisk 48 (7x6;1x4) off 20 balls to take the fight to Speedboat SC. Kishore Smith took 2-8 and Imran Hamid 2-11 off their

Mayors Cup football... (From page 79) of the tournament. At 6:00pm Mahaica of the East Coast clash with Eagles United of Linden in the curtain raiser, followed by Victoria Kings colliding with another Linden outfit in Milerock from 8:00pm in the nightcap. The matches on Friday will see Golden Grove battling Grove Hi Tech of the East Bank Demerara, while Ann’s Grove go up against fellow East Coast team Buxton Bakewell. The teams are battling for the Mayor’s Cup and cash prizes, with the top four set to claim respective $700,000, $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000.

two overs, were the best bowlers. In their turn, Speedboat SC were struggling somewhat until Wazir Hussain entered the fray and clobbered 55 not out (8x6; 1x4) off 17 balls to achieve victory for his team.

Sri Krishna Murti took 2-24 off 2 overs. Meanwhile, the upper East Coast zone will begin next week and teams can contact Herman Persaud on tel number 643-3033 and 2236535.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 01, 2016

British Guiana ran away winners of 1959 West Indies track and field championship Statistician Charwayne Walker this week takes a look back at the 1959 athletics championship held here in Guyana, then British Guiana. British Guiana in true host country tradition emerged champions at Bourda in the third West Indies track and field championship after Jamaica and Trinidad had done the same in their backyards in the preceding years. Nine records were rubbed off and one equaled as the homesters grabbed a gunny hack of medals including fourteen gold and totaling a hundred and seventeen points in a runaway victory from Jamaica who had compiled ninety one points and Trinidad eighty one points. Antigua with ten points, Barbados with seven points and Grenada with three points were the only other territories to registered. St. Lucia and Dominica with their one man

teams failed to get off the mark. Five records were broken on the opening day. The first was eclipsed in the long jump pit in Providence when the lanky broad shouldered Antiguan Lester Bird carried his limbs over a distance of twenty four feet, seven and a half inches, six inches further than Jamaican Paul Foremans 1957 mark. Lester Bird later became Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. British Guiana policeman shattered the shot put mark when he heaved the ton ball forty four feet eleven inches, eclipsing Trinidadian C. Derrick’s 1958 mark of forty two feet eight and a quarter inch. Another British Guiana policeman Ralph Gomes eclipsed Trinidad’s P. Bonair fifteen hundred meters record of three minutes fifty six point 2 seconds. Gomes time was three minutes fifty four point

seven seconds. Jamaican George Kerr set the fifth record of the opening day in the four hundred meters with a time of forty six point eight seconds. Mel Spence and Cliff Bertrand shared the home record of forty seven point three seconds. Fellow Jamaicans twin brothers Mel and Malcolm Spence finished second and third to Kerr. British Guiana had a clean sweep in the women two hundred meters. Myrna Fawcett winning from compatriots Evan Smith and Wilma Parris. The time was twenty five point two seconds. In the ten thousand meters, George Depeana out ran his compatriots Harry Prowell and Moses Dawarka. Men two hundred finals: Wilton Jackson gold for Trinidad, Keith Gardner, Jamaica silver and Mike Agostine, the time was twenty one point four sec-

Bakewell partners with GFF for Guyana/Canada international friendly

onds. Women hundred meter finals- Myrna Fawcett British Guiana gold, the time was twelve point two seconds. Silver was Evan Smith for British Guiana, Claudette Masdammer bronze for British Guiana. Half marathon time: thirty two point two seconds Moses Dawarka gold British Guiana, Joe Davis silver British Guiana, Clem Fields bronze British Guiana. Fifteen hundred meters final: gold, Ralph Gomes British Guiana, three minutes fifty four point seven seconds; silver Malcolm Perry British Guiana, bronze R. Thomas Trinidad. Hundred meters men finals- Mike Agostine, gold, Trinidad at ten point four seconds; silver D. Johnson Jamaica, bronze, Keith Gardner Jamaica. Five thousand meters – George Depeana gold British Guiana, time was fifteen minutes two seconds; silver Harry Prowell British Guiana, bronze, Glendon Charles Trinidad. Eight hundred meters hurdles women: Wilma Parris, gold British Guiana, time thirteen seconds; silver P. Joseph Trinidad, bronze E. Davis Antigua. Long jump women: gold, Y. Laidlow Jamaica; silver, Claudette Masdammer British Guiana, bronze Wilma Parris British Guiana. Long jump men: gold, Lester Bird Antigua; silver, D. Taylor Jamaica, bronze,

Clayton Jamaica. Five thousand meters steeple chase: gold, Clem Fields British Guiana; silver, R. Williams British Guiana, bronze, Glendon Charles Trinidad. Ten thousand meters: George Depeana, gold, British Guiana, silver, Harry Prowel British Guiana, bronze, Moses Dawarka British Guiana. Four hundred meters final: George Kerr, gold, Jamaica, silver, Malcolm Spence Jamaica, bronze, Mel Spence Jamaica. Shot Put: Carl Fraser, gold, British Guiana, distance forty four feet eleven inches, silver, M. Bernard Jamaica, bronze, T. Summers Jamaica. Women high jump: gold, Brenda Archer British Guiana, distance was four feet ten inches, silver, S. Burgess Jamaica, bronze E. Davis Antigua. Pole Vault: gold, R Morris Jamaica, time eleven feet eleven and a half inches, silver, Gregory Hinckson Trinidad, a Jamaican won the bronze medal. How the medals went: British Guiana – 14 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze. Jamaica- 15 gold, 6 silver and 13 bronze Trinidad – 5 gold, 20 silver, 5 bronze Antigua – 1 gold, 2 bronze Barbados – 1 gold, 1 bronze Grenada – 1 bronze The 1959 victorious British Guiana track and field team: George Depeana - Captain Harry Prowel Moses Dawarka

Lester Bird former Antigua and Barbuda PM won a gold medal in that event. Clem Fields Cliff Fields Derrick Bull Burnett Claudette Masdammer Wilma Parris Myrna Fawcette Brenda Archer Ralph Gomes Carl Fraser Malcolm Perry Rocky McPherson H Griffith L Cummings H. A Hope R. Dash Douglas Oliver Niles P. C Greene E. Solomon G. Mars T. Seth Joe Davis U. Williams P. C Fraser O. Simon G. Wilson I. Steele H. A. McAllister W. Ferrel C. Murray P.C Francois R. Spellen Dr. E Gorr Manager Victor Li

FOUR TEAMS RECORD WINS IN LATEST GOLYN 10/10 MATCHES Bakewell General Manager Mr. Rajin Ganga presents the tickets GFF President Mr. Wayne Forde in the picture of GFF Marketing and Sponsorship Director, Dario Mc Klmon. In preparation for the international friendly between Guyana’s Golden Jaguars and the Canadian Olympic team on May 15, local bread giants, Bakewell has partnered with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) to enable one hundred school-aged children to attend the match. The company, which operates one of the largest bakeries in Guyana, purchased the tickets and these were presented on Friday, 29th April, 2016 to the students of the North

Ruimveldt Multilateral School during the launch of the GFF-NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 IntraAssociation Football League. GFF President, Wayne Forde, has lauded Bakewell’s contribution and has issued a call for other corporate entities to partner with the GFF to enable young people to engage in a worthwhile activity. Companies are encouraged to purchase youth tickets in bulk for

distribution to schools and other youth-oriented organizations. The GFF’s Youth Ticket Initiative was launched in April 2016 and aims to, among other things, create and build interest among the youth for the game of football and allows those 12 – 17 years entry to football games at half price. Youth tickets are being sold at five hundred dollars ($500) and are available at the GFF’s office, Dadanawa Street, Section K Campbelville.

Last weekend’s round in the Golyn 10/10 softball cricket tournament organized by the Guyana Softball League and sponsored by Golyn and Sons, Trophy Stall and Miss Love Trading saw some scintillating cricket and some results that shocked the spectators and renewed their interest in the tournament. The results are as follows: OMESH XI POUNDED CROSSBREED WARRIORS INTO SUBMISSION BY 8 WICKETS: Crossbreed Warriors took first strike and rattled up a challenging 107 all out in 10 overs with Mark Grant looking in good touch being the only one to offer some resistance with 20 (1x6;2x4) off 7 balls. He was going at a good run rate but seemed to

lose concentration and was caught on the long off boundary going for another big shot. Travis Drakes with 4-12 rattled the batting. He was supported by Avinash Persaud with 2-20 from 2 overs. Crossbreed Warriors, knowing their strength is their bowling, got a breakthrough early, but Travis Drakes who looked solid and positive in his stroke-play and putting in a good all round performance took the fight out of them with a blistering 47 not out laced with 5 sixes and 3 fours and in an unbroken partnership with Quincy Jones 46 not out (6x6;) worth 83 runs, ensured victory for Omesh XI. RUIMZEIGHT XI GOT BACK INTO WINNING WAYS BY DEFEATING MIGHTY LIONS BY 6 WICKETS:

Mighty Lions XI batted first and scored 92-2 in 10 overs with Skipper Manoj Persaud continuing his rich form with 46 (5x6) off 30 balls to anchor the innings. Ruimzeight XI replied with 974 in 9 overs to clinch victory. Chaitram Nauth clobbered 40 not out (3x6; 4x4) off 23 balls and with Support from Indar Dhukie 20 (1x6; 1x4) saw his team through. UNDERDOGSAMAZON WARRIORS XI SHOCKED VIPERS XI BY 5 WKTS: The over confident Vipers XI took first strike and scored 89 all out in 9.2 overs with Riaz Mohamed taking 3-9 in 1.2 overs and Sham Singh supporting with 3-23 from 2 overs. In reply Amazon Warriors XI started very circumspect and allowed the (Continued on page 73)

Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

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QC rebound to capture DVA organised Schools V/ball tournament

Queen’s College (QC) defeated Marian Academy 5-15, 16-14, 15-12 to win the final of the Demerara Volleyball Association (DVA) organised Schools Championship which ended yesterday, at the National Gymnasium. Played before a fair-sized crowd, QC first disposed of pre-tournament favourites St. Rose’s 15-13, 8-15, 15-9 in their semi-final matchup, while Marian Academy scrapedpast Linden Foundation 17-15, 16-14 to set up the pulsating final. In attendance were President of the Guyana Volleyball Federation John Flores and President of the DVA Trevor Williams, who both delivered key addresses following the conclusion of the final.

Flores in his remarks said he was pleased with the standard of play exhibited by the young players, but cautioned that the upcoming engagement against a Berbice Select team will be even more competitive and urged the players to continue to train hard since Berbice has a vibrant volleyball following and the game is amongst the paramount sports played in the region. Williams in his presentation thanked all the teams that participated in the tournament and urged the players to continue to stay involved in the sport. He said that it is his wish that volleyball stay in the schools and get bigger and better.

Letter to the Sports Editor

Can the GFF explain the Advertisement! Dear Sports Editor, Reference is hereby made to the above caption as it relates an advertisement appearing in KN 24. 04. 16. Pg 24: subheaded, “CALL FOR ADVERTISERS-Guyana/Canada INTERNATIONAL Friendly”! Wherein among other disclosures made that have me befuddled are: i) “The game will have international coverage streaming live throughout the CONCACAF region and beyond” ii) “one-in-a-lifetime-opportunity” In relation to (i), defending local clubs champions Alpha United, as a participant in the CONCACAF Club Championship, as recent as last year, against Portland Timbers, had live coverage throughout the CONCACAF region and beyond. Local Sports Journalist and TV Commentator, Allan La Rose, as part of the commentary panel. Editor, in relation to (ii) does it have to do with the visit of an Olympic Qualifying international team? For public dissemination, Central American side Costa Rica, which had more exposure on the international scene than Canada played our local counterparts at Blairmont, 2003, in an under-23 Olympic Qualifier that the visitors won 3-1. Historically, that year Guyana was the only country within CFU to have scored against the Costa Ricans. The locals’ captain Shawn “Bubbly” Beveney was the goal scorer, a Western Tigers Player at the time. What would be more prudent for Guyana, as a nation would be Canada, being the first North American English speaking country to grace our shores, while not foregoing in 1992 a Mexican under-23 lineup played a local side at GCC, in an International Friendly, that the visitors won 4-0. The visit by the Canadians being sincerely welcomed, which would assess the “strengths and weaknesses” of the Senior National Team. Nevertheless, I wish the GFF the best of success in the ensuing endeavor, and would urge all and sundry numbering 15,000 to fill the National Stadium to capacity May, 15th 2016. At the end of 90 minutes, envisage where our football is and how far more we have to go, to match our Regional counterparts in the Caribbean, and further afield. By the way Editor, when the Mexican under-23 was here, a powerful Mexican figurehead was campaigning for the presidency of CONCACAF. With the presidency of CONCACAF, up for grabs, is the same applicable with the Canadians visit, since a Canadian and a Bermudian are the two Presidential Candidates. By the way is the Canadians visit self-funded, with all expenses paid? Respectfully Yours, Lester Sealey.

GVF President John Flores (left) hands over the winning trophy to Queen’s College Captain Omari Joseph in the presence of DVA President Trevor Willams (right) and teammates yesterday. The DVA Head thanked the parents who he recognised as main pillar of encouragement to the students and asked that they

maintain their suport to them in their aspirations to develop their individual skills. He paid recognition to all the schools that participated

in the tournament and showered praise on the teachers for their efforts in helping to prepare the teams. Meanwhile, the DVA has

shortlisted a squad to prepare for the Under-19 and 23 South American competitions which are scheduled to be played in Colombia in June.

May 22 Guyana 50th Independence Anniversary Horserace meet gets bigger Overseas sponsors, Government of Guyana to make major investment Systems are beginning to fall in place for the 50th Independence Anniversary Horserace meet which is one of the biggest sporting events on the Independence Anniversary calendar and one of the biggest horseracing events for the year. The Four Horse Men Promotion group organised event is set for Sunday 22 May at the Port Mourant Turf Club, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice. The meet is already attracting serious attention with most of the major stables and sponsors getting on board. A number of overseas donors have already chipped in and has donated most of the trophies for the meet which has already been sourced. Among t h e l o c a l b u s i nesses touting their support are Peter Lewis and Sons Associated Construction Limited, Banks DIH Limited, Trophy Stall, Delmur Company Limited, South Land Company Limited, P and P Investments Limited, Latchman Mohabir and Attorney at Law R.N Poonai. The Government of Guyana is also expected to play a major part which will definitely make the event huge. The feature event will be for horses classified A’ and lower with a lucrative first prize of $1.5M and the 50th Independence Anniversary Cup from a total package of close to $2.8M over a grueling 1900M.

The other events listed are the 1400M event for D3 Maiden and E and Lower horses for the $750,000 and trophy. The F and lower 1200M race fetches the winner $320,000 and trophy. The three year old event for West Indies Bred and G3 and lower horses is for a winners take of $350,000 and trophy over 1200M. The H3 Maiden and I and Lower 1000M race has a winning pocket of $250,000 and trophy. There is an event for three

year old Guyana bred horses for a first prize of $200,000 and trophy over 1200M. The horses classified J and Lower will now have an opportunity to compete for a $200,000 purse and trophy with the distance being 1200M. The final event is for horses classified K and L and Lower over 1200M and has a pole position taking of $170,000 and trophy. The top Jockey along with the runner up, the top stable and champion trainer will all be presented with tro-

phies and other incentives compliments of the Trophy Stall and the organizers. The event will be held under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority Interested persons can make contact with Bobby Vaughn 624-6788, 2235097, 227-7061, 333-0290, 333-0301. Fazal 657-7010, Ramnauth 337-5311 or Campton Sancho on 6900569 The coordinator is Colin Elcock. Race time will be 12:30 hrs. (Samuel Whyte)

Harmony ‘B’ and Agricola reign supreme at GT Beer-4-Aside Football semi-finals

When six talented football teams faced off just recently at the Aracari Resort, it was quite evident that Harmony ‘B’ and Team Agricola were bent on putting on a show of a lifetime. First to take the field were Team Agricola and Team Pouderoyen and the battle was steamy as they both unleashed on field prowess and versatility as they sought to demolish the other. In the end it was the ferocious Team Agricola who soared to victory clinching a 3-1 victory against their aggressors in the second half of the game. When King Street and Harmony ‘B’ took to the field, the crowd whopped in excitement as both steams un-

leashed a steamy showcase in their efforts to dethrone the other. With great finesse, masterminds Harmony ‘B’ scored their first goal just ten minutes before halftime. The battle was fierce and the attack intensified as the clock ticked on. Just minutes before the close Harmony ‘B’ scored their second goal, delivering a 2-0

whipping to Team King Street who retreated in remorse. The finals is slated for May 15 at Aracari Resort, and the teams competing at that leg are Crane Under 15 team vs Pourderoyen Under 15, while Evergreen Champs will take on King Street Ballers. Team Crane will take on Comfort Ballers, with Agricola battling Team Harmony.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday May 01, 2016

Tri-Nation Goodwill Schoolboy/Junior/Youth and Female boxing championships

President presents populist Action packed duels as Caribbean model for development of sports

teams match skills and aggression Kareem Boyce (St Lucia) depicted a true demonstration of patience, after being on the wrong end of an early, vicious two fisted assault, to retaliate with a counter-attack that forced the referee to halt his bout against Guyanese pugilist, Deshon Elcock in their 60kgs affair when the curtains went up on the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) TriNation Goodwill Schoolboy/ Junior/Youth and Female boxing tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) last Friday evening. Boyce and Elcock started their bout at a fast clip and shortly after the first bell the Guyanese managed to steer his opponent into one of the neutral corners and rocked him with a vicious combination. Unfazed, Boyce took his punishment, regrouped just before the end of the round when he evened up the situation with several combinations of his own. Elcock regained control in the second round with several long ranged punches that pushed his man on the back foot. The Guyanese then landed a sharp uppercut and followed up with a straight right for good measure that clearly gave him the round and left the bout wide open going into the 3rd stanza. The fight took a surprising turn when Boyce rushed out in the final round and unleashed a wicked combination that connected to Elcock’s temple and sent him to the canvass where he remained for the full count at 43secs into the final round. The St Lucians enjoyed additional success when Boyce’s countryman, Nathan Ferirre, steamrolled another local representative, Joshua Corbin, and forced the referee to call a halt of their 64kgs bout midway into the 3rd stanza. The local boxers refused to say die and Christopher Moore responded with a determined display against Jamaican, Daniel Hylton, in the 60kgs category and earned a majority decision. Hylton, a lanky boxer, utilized his advantage and scored during the early stages with long jabs and right crosses. When Moore came to life he connected with several telling punches that pushed his man onto the ropes. Undaunted, the Jamaican picked his shots and an especially wicked right uppercut connected to Moore’s midriff and slowed him down a bit.

Quincy Boyce (left) in an exchange with Jerome Ennis of Jamaica. Boyce surrendered his 64kgs bout to the Jamaican. Moore turned up the heat at the start of the third round and Hylton, in an attempt to evade the onslaught, ducked a mite too low and was penalized after the referee twice deducted a point from his score. The third round was a gem as the Guyanese attempted to widen his advantage with the Jamaican hustling to close the gap. A vicious toe to toe battle ensued, but while Hylton demonstrated remarkable pluck and determination, he found the aggression displayed by his Guyanese counterpart too much to handle and eventually surrendered a unanimous verdict. Guyana suffered another loss after local boxer, Quincy Boyce, surrendered his 64kgs bout to Jerome Ennis (Jamaica) in a keenly contested duel while another Guyanese, Joshua Corbin, suffered an ignominious defeat after the referee was f o r c e d t o s top his bout against Nathan Ferirre (St Lucia) to save him from further punishment. Akiel Mounter also kept the Golden Arrowhead flying high when he decisively outpointed St Lucian, Taj Brown one fight before his countryman, Michael Edwards, had his hands lifted after his opponent, Joshua Forest Davidson, was disqualified for persistently delivering slapping blows. The smattering of supporters was also treated to several bouts between local boxers. In the 65-69lbs category, Deron Williams outpointed Dwayne Baptiste, while in the 95-99lbs category, Kevin Mullin had an easy night against Sherman Hutson and won unanimously. Also in this division, Shakiem Jones won from Matthew Mitchell moments before Isaiah Moore

rocked Junior Hyman with a wicked combination that forced the referee to call a halt in 52secs of the 2nd round of their 101-104lbs bout. Delroy Elcock was also in winners’ row and prevailed over Joel Allicock on points, also in the 101-104lbs category. In the junior category (4649kgs), Joshua Ross proved too good for Omar Pollard and punched his way to a unanimous decision verdict,while female pugilist, Rianna Rogers prevailed over Rondesa Bagot. The boxers were at it again last night when the curtains came down on the tournament.

By Edison Jefford

President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, David Granger lobbied for a “fresh” approach to the development of sports here Friday night when he delivered the feature address at Guyana’s Olympic Association (GOA) Awards and Appreciation Ceremony. Granger, a trained historian, informed the sports community present at the Georgetown Club that in 68 years of Guyana’s participation at the Olympic Games, the country only managed a bronze medal that Michael Parris won in 1980 in boxing. It is against that background that the President called for a new look at sports development. “So why do we do so poorly? What we need to do is take the model that we are using and take a fresh look at sports,” the President said. His Excellency suggested the introduction of the ‘Populist Model’. “The populist model in sport is essential to provide our athletes with a greater chance of development. Populists allowed latent potential in sport to develop,” Granger believes. The concept of populism in sport is basically to make sports appealing to the general population. The ‘Sports

For All’ programme in Trinidad and Tobago, for instance, uses the populist structure to support and advance its programmes. Granger was basically calling for the development of sport from the grassroots level. “We need to look at the way we have been producing our athletes over those years to see if we need further change to produce better athletes,” the President observed. “We need to see a new way of producing younger sports men and women,” he stated, adding that Guyanese athletes have the potential to be world class performers. He indicated that there is need for the “acceleration” of sports in schools. Once these recommendations are followed, Granger believes that sports has an exciting future in Guyana. Earlier, President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), K. A. Juman-Yassin had called for the implementation of the Sports Policy. “With the Sports Policy, the criteria and standard is set, for instance that if standard is made there will be funding,” Yassin noted, adding that a lot of sport associations and administrations need the financial assistance that the Policy will guarantee. He said that the Olympic association will start a

programme that will assist with the nourishment of athletes. In addition, Yassin informed that the GOA will fully fund all those athletes, who had qualified for the August 5-21 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil. Minister with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sports, Dr. Nicolette Henry, who also spoke at the occasion, indicated that there will be no more neglect for the development of sports since it plays an important role in human capacity development. “I am pleased that the Ministry of Education is supported. Human capacity development is key to any country’s development. Education and sports should go hand in hand,” Henry noted, making it clear that her ministry will continue the developmental thrust. Some of the Awardees include: Sean Devers (Sports Journalist of the Year); Godfrey Wray (Contribution to the Development of Sport); Carl Ince (Support to Youth Development in Sport); Taylor Fernandes and Larissa Wiltshire (Outstanding Performance in Sport – Squash); Charles Corbin (GOA Council Member of the Year 2015); Buxton Youth Developers (IOC Trophy 2015 ‘Sport and Innovation’).

NSC clears air on support for athletes from Fort Wellington The National Sports Commission (NSC) wishes to clarify (mis)information in the public domain as it relates to support for the 18 athletes and their coaches from the Fort Wellington Secondary School in Berbice to participate at the Penn State relay meet in the United States. On April 1st 2016, two of the athletes came to the Office of the Director of Sports with a letter dated the same day that they have been invited to participate in the University of Pennsylvania Penn Relays slated for April 28 to the 30th 2016. With a budget in hand that totalled 4.2 million GYD to cover visas, airfare (return), accommodation (overseas), meals, uniforms, travel (overseas) and miscellaneous for 18 persons (15 athletes, 2 coaches and 1 manager) they requested assistance from the NSC. It is important to note that when queried of the sums garnered by the said

group thus far to offset their expenses they indicated that 0 dollars were raised. It was pointed out to the two persons that the NSC and by extension the line Ministry, the Ministry of Education, does not provide money to acquire visas but rather assists athletes in travel and subsistence. On the 21st of April 2016, the two individuals returned to the Director of Sports and indicated that the team were granted US visas and asked what assistance can be given to offset their airfare. At the said meeting the Director of Sports indicated that the NSC can assist two persons to travel noting the limited time presented to and available resources of the NSC. The actions of the Director of Sports was genuine to support the athletes noting policy guidelines on sports governance and administration and a budget that has to

be managed and distributed with much equity to all sport sectors. Essentially, the Fort Wellington Secondary School athletic team request was short notice and the NSC and the relevant sport associate body were not fully knowledgeable of the team and their endeavour before. The NSC wishes to take this opportunity to outline some procedures and policy guidelines that informs the office of the Director of Sports in support to athletes and sports bodies. The NSC relays with National Associations and Federations that are recognized as the authority in their discipline. Currently, what obtains are over 40 listed associations which have the legitimate authority in their respective disciplines. Upon assumption of office one of the first requests made by the NSC by the Director of Sports was that the listed and registered associa-

tions should submit their calendar of activities and an updated list of executives in order to inform the database of the sports commission. This allows the NSC to make representation to the Ministry of Finance to release funding for grants and to the National Assembly to increase funding to the Commission to facilitate the support of our athletes. It is desirable for the Guyanese public and athletes and sports bodies in particular that engages and may potentially engage the NSC to be cognizant of the above. ‘The NSC will not shy away from supporting Guyanese youths and sportsmen and woman’s ambitions and careers. We will continue to exercise an open door policy and listen to the needs of the sporting community and work diligently to better our national sport environment.’

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 01, 2016

PAGE 81

Guyana / Canada clash on May 15 promises to be enthralling

Christopher Nurse

By Franklin Wilson With just over two weeks to game day, fans and supporters of the world’s greatest sport, football, are in for a treat when Guyana’s Golden Jaguars host Canada’s Olympic Under-23 team at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. This historic match forms part of the Government of Guyana’s calendar of events in observance of this nation’s 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations and will be the first time Guyana will be playing Canada. The significance of this highly anticipated match-up is further emphasized given the fact that the match will also mark the celebration of 50-years of diplomatic relations between the two countries as was announced by Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana Mr. Pierre Giroux when the match was launched at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF). Qualifying for the Olympic Games which is only second to the FIFA World Cup is no ordinary feat so the fact that Canada has agreed to send this team to play Guyana is huge for Guyana and fans are being encouraged to be a part of history. The Government of Guyana is playing a major role in facilitating this match along with the GFF and its International Ambassador Alex Bunbury who made the initial link with Canada to pull off the engagement. Head Coach of the GFF

Jamaal Shabazz has disclosed that a number of exciting young players would afforded the opportunity to showcase their talent against the Canadians including the likes of Trayon Bobb who has been enjoying a good season in the Stag Elite League Finale, Eon Alleyne, USA based Brandon Beresford and the Trinidad based duo of Pernel Schultz and Akeem Knights. A few of the more senior players including Captain Chris Nurse and Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson will compliment the younger exciting players which makes this match a potentially mouth watering affair. This game will also serve as a warm up for Guyana’s continuing campaign in the ScotiaBank CFU Men’s Caribbean Cup 2016, Round 2 Group 3. The Golden Jaguars had qualified as the First Best Team from Round 1 qualifying and will play Curacao, the 5th Best Runner-Up team from Round 1 on June 1st in Curacao at Ergilio Hato Stadium. The Golden Jaguars will then close out qualifying with the aim of advancing to the next stage when they oppose the United States Virgin Islands, the 3rd Best Runner-Up team from Round 1 on June 4 at Adelita Cancryn Playing Field in the USVI. The GFF has announced that tickets for the May 15, Guyana/Canada match will cost $1,000 with tickets for School children cost $500. Children Under-12 will be admitted free.

Brandon Beresford

Trayon Bobb

Eon Alleyne

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Sunday May 01, 2016

Kaieteur News

CBC, GABF officially sign host treaty for U-16 Championships -Guyanese teams to be named next month By Edison Jefford

It’s Official! GABF President, Nigel Hinds (third, right) shakes hand with CBC President, Glyne Clarke at Cara Lodge yesterday to officially confirm the hosting of CBC U-16 Championships in Guyana. From left, Chris Bowman, Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, CBC VP, Patrick Haynes and Kirk Jardine share the moment.

The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) and Caribbean Basketball Confederation (CBC) officially signed the host treaty for the Caribbean U-16 Championships yesterday at Cara Lodge to confirm Guyana’s hosting of the event in July. GABF President, Nigel Hinds and CBC President, Barbadian, Glyne Clarke attributed signatures to the paperwork and shook hands before stakeholders and the media to signal the coming of the region’s foremost youth basketball Championships to Guyana. Director of Sport, Christopher Jones said that all facilities “will be on fleek”, using the parlance of youth, ahead of the Championships. Jones said that washroom facilities and other works will ensure Guyana leaves a lasting impression. He believes that the upgrades to the facilities will not serve for a short term. He restated that the Government is committed to hosting a successful event. Government on Thursday last gave the GABF its commitment to pour in $20 million for the Championships. Hinds said yesterday that another $20 million will come from the participating countries through the CBC per diem system, while corporate Guyana is expected to come on board to offset a major undertaking that will cost in excess of $70 million overall. CBC President, Clarke noted that he was happy that the CBC Championships is being held in Guyana stressing that the event will rejuvenate the sport here, which happens to be one of

the original pioneers of basketball in the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Hinds said that the Guyana team to c o m p e t e a t t h e Championships will be named a month before the event. The National Schools Basketball Festival (NSBF) Regional Conferences is currently in progress. Hinds had noted that the organisers of the NSBF, Youth Basketball Guyana through its Director, Chris Bowman will play a major role in organising Guyana’s team. “We will name the squad three weeks to month before the Championships from the youth tournament that is going on. We don’t want them distracted from what we will be doing during that period they are together,” Hinds stated. Bowman has been organising schools’ basketball for 11 years. He said that he knows who are the players and is confident that Guyana will put its best team on the court in July when several Caribbean countries descend here. “We have a nucleolus of players to look at from Linden, Berbice and Georgetown and it is just to bring them out in time so that they can get accustomed to playing with each other, but important to know that our core athletes are constantly playing basketball and that I think will aid in how good both the male and female teams are,” Bowman said. Hinds pointed out that there is a possibility that overseas-based players can be added to the team based on the need. The male competition of the Caribbean U-16 Championships begins on July 3, while the female contest starts on July 12 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Impressors and Golden Masters dominoes tournament will commence today at R and R Sports Club, Meadowbrook starting at 15:00hrs. Entrance fee is $10,000. The winning team will take home a trophy and $130,000, runner up a trophy and $75,000 and third place a trophy and $30,000. The finals will be played tomorrow at Dynasty SC at 15:00 hrs. Among the teams set to battle are Rage, TNT, Specialist, Mix Up, Thunder, Transport SC, Spartons and F and H. For more information teams can contact Mark Wiltshire on 665-5855.

Kaieteur News

Sunday May 01, 2016

PAGE 83

All All set set for for two two in in oneone- Labour Labour Day, Day, Pre Pre Independence Independence Horserace Horserace treat treat Preparations have been completed and all is set for the Labour Day and Pre Independence horserace meet today at the Bush Lot United Turf Club, Sea View Park, West Coast, Berbice. The event which is organised by The Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and Racing stables in collaboration with the Bush Lot United Turf Club has six races carded for the day with over $4M in cash and trophies and other incentives up for grabs. Over 60 horses have entered for the day’s meet and an exciting day of racing is on the cards. The feature D and lower 1-mile event has a winning purse of $800,000 and trophy available for the winner with the best horses

Another close finish is anticipated when Princess She Not of the Shariff stable with Jockey Colin Ross as she edged pass Strom Bird with Kizan Razzack aboard of the Inshan Bacchus stable in a nail biter previously. in that division set to participate. The event has attracted

some of the top true-breds in the business in action, while some old stagers have also

retuned. Among the top notch field expected to feature are Princess She Not, Plum- Plum, Climate Change, Red and Lovely, California Strike and Keep on Swinging among others will be looking to swing into top gear as they compete for the coveted prize. She is in Control and Golden Sand are among the entries that will be looking for the gold in the event for three year old West Indies bred horses that never earned and Guyana Bred horses for a winning prize of $350,000 and trophy over 1400M. The G1 and lower event will see a clash between top runners such as Release the Best, Strom Bird, Captain Crook and Settling Star among others compete in

the1200M even for the winner’s take of $350,000 and trophy. Cat Messiah, She So Special, Mary Ann and Anfield will be looking for a special performances in the H3 and lower 1400M race which has a winning pocket of $250,000 and trophy. Animals classified K and J and lower will be racing for a purse of $200,000 and trophy over 1200M. The animals classified L and lower will be galloping over 1000M for $150,000 and trophy. Animals such as, Liquid Lion, Blue Lightning, Red Jet, Red Region, Plane Land, Royal Cash, Turn About, Royal Stallion, 3 P Prince, Q u i n c y, L i t t l e , R o y a l Progressive, Progressive

Kid, Seven Dust, Confusion and Strike again among others have been entered for those events. A keen day of racing is in store and as is customary with events promoted by the Jumbo Jet businesses a number of other attractions and give-a-ways will be a part of the day’s proceedings. Special prizes will be awarded to the top jockeys, trainers and stables compliments of Ramesh Sunich of the Trophy Stall. The event will be held under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. The coordinator is Nazrudeen Jumbo Jet Mohammed Jr. Race time is 12:30. (Samuel Whyte)

Corona Beer Beach Soccer League

Endurance Meet on $540,000 in cash handed today at South Dakota out at presentation

The Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) as part of its ‘Golden Jubilee’ celebrations will be hosting its Endurance Race Meet today, at the South Dakota Circuit, starting from 12:00 hrs. A number of the c o u n t r y ’s t o p t e a m s including Team Ramchand headed by Anand will be

aiming to stop the charge of t e a m s s u c h a s Te a m Fullworks and several other combinations. Endurance racing has been gaining popularity over thenpast two years and today’s action will be a test of endurance, dexterity and reliability as teams and machines try to outlast each other. Teams such as the Brian

Te n - P o w a n d S h a w n Seejattan combination have shown that they are a formidable pair, but they will have to repel the efforts of teams such as Shiraz and Shahab Roshandin, the Ali brothers, Anand Ramchand and Adrian Fernandes are all experienced and formidable drivers.

Top Brandz Marketing Rep. Ms Lise Lewis hands over the winner’s cheque to Denzil Pryce of Royal Youths. By Franklin Wilson The top four teams in the inaugural Corona Beer / Guyana Beach Football Association (GBFA), Beach Soccer League which concluded on April 17th last, were on Friday afternoon rewarded for their hard work over a few months. M a r k e t i n g Representative of Top Brandz, local distributors of Corona Beer, Ms Lise Lewis in congratulating the teams for exhibiting a high degree of skills during the competition said that her company was very proud to have been sponsors of this initial league. ”We were happy to have

been associated with the GBFA in this inaugural league which showcased what Guyana can achieve in this version of the sport. We would like to applaud the players for their commitment and discipline which resulted in the successful completion of the tournament.” GBFA President Rollin Tappin expressed gratitude to Ms Lewis and Top Brandz for their partnering with them for the league highlighting that a number of new and exciting players have come to the fore. T a p p i n a l s o complimented the top four clubs for their commitment throughout the league.

He also extended thanks to the fans who would have attended the matches which were played at the Bayrock Beach Soccer Park, Bayrock, Linden and the Kuru Kururu Beach Soccer facility. Ms Lewis handed over a cheque for $250,000 to the first placed team Royal Yo u t h s ; K u r u K u r u r u Warriors received $150,000 for placing second, while Cool Runnings collected $100,000 as the third place finisher with the fourth place attracting $40,000, this went to Silver Bullets. Other teams which competed in the league included Hi Stars, Attention Family and Buxton Youths.

(Flashback) - Drivers lie up at the start line for the commencement of an Endurance race.

Mayors Cup football kick-off now shifted to Thursday Due to the current weather pattern, and with the weatherman predicting a few more days of rain, Lennox Arthur and the Mayor’s Cup committee have decided to reschedule the start of the Annual Mayor ’s Cup Football tournament at the Victoria

Ground on the East Coast to Thursday from today. Heavy rainfall over the past few days has left the ground water logged and while it was playable, with more rain forecast over the next two days, they decided to shift the action back by a few days to Thursday to

protect the ground. Play will continue on Friday at the same venue. The fixtures remain the same with a doubleheader which will see the Lindeners invading the East Coast as they hunt championship glory in this the 22nd edition (Continued on page 73)

t r o Sp

President presents populist model for development of sports

President David Granger, (third, left), Minister Nicolette Henry (second, left) and GOA President K. A. Juman Yassin (fourth, left) join other GOA Executives and recipients of Awards for a photo moment Friday night at Georgetown Club.

Tri-Nation Goodwill Schoolboy/Junior/Youth and Female boxing championships

Action packed duels as Caribbean teams match skills and aggression

Michael Edwards (left) delivers a stiff left jab to Joshua Forest Davidson’s head during their bout at the Sport Hall Friday.

Rianna Rogers (right) trades punches with Rondesa Bagot during their contest which Rogers won.

All All set set for for two two in in oneone- Labour Labour Day, Day, Pre Pre Independence Independence Horserace Horserace treat treat Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210