Wednesday May 18, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Is there tender nepotism at Parliament Mall reminds me of slavery DEAR EDITOR; senior administrators of the Council since he removed the vendors. He the Cheddi Jagan Airport? When I pass along the area the who are vendors, the Council built is quoted as saying crime was high DEAR EDITOR; Please permit me a space in your paper to draw to the attention of the President, Mr. Granger, the National Procurement and Tender Board, the Minister of Infrastructure and the C.E.O of the Cheddie Jagan International Airport, a matter that is of concern for a few janitorial companies. 2014 In 2014 there was an advertisement for companies to submit bids to provide cleaning and janitorial services to the airport. After all bids were submitted and opened and after a long wait up to this day the companies that submitted bids were never informed of who the contract was awarded to. Surprisingly, a certain company, which was providing this service prior to 2014 remained up there, despite they did not have the lowest bid and despite the fact that other companies that bid, had the relevant experience to provide this service. There was no-retender. 2015 The CJIA once again advertised for companies to submit bids to provide janitorial services to the airport which were opened in November 2015. Almost 7 months after those bids were opened
no word has been given yet as to who this contract has been awarded to. Records would show that the company that is still up there providing this service did not have the lowest bid and neither are they the only experienced company to provide this service again. I am calling on this government and the Minister of Infrastructure to order an investigation into this matter since something doesn’t seem right. Why is this particular company still providing janitorial services to the airport despite there was a tendering process almost 7 months now and from all indications it was fair since there has been no re-tender. Persons would have invested time and money to part take in this tendering process and it is unfair for person’s rights to be trampled upon to please a few. Many other contracts in other areas that were advertised after this tender, have already been awarded. Why the stall? Why the hold up? Is there a plan to retain this company despite they did not win this tender? Under the previous administration we had to put up with nonsense like this so please look into this matter urgently. Lydia Smith
The dog and pony show has failed DEAR EDITOR; The Public Security Minister mentioned that “Crime will not be reduced drastically overnight” and that a lot of things have to be done as per Guyana Chronicle, May 6th, 2016. The said Minister and some of his colleagues whilst in opposition were quick to blame the then Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Clement Rohee for the crime situation during his tenure. If I recall there were repeated calls for his removal on that basis as well. It is also important to note that while the PPP/C administration was criticized on many levels, including crime and perceived corruption, those who were once vocal have now adopted a strange silence. It seems as if they are now burying their heads in the sand like an ostrich. These folks should speak out against this government’s poor management of the country in all areas. The Minister and various law enforcement authorities should not comfort themselves by pointing to reduced crime statistics when there are everyday murders and robberies
taking place. If this continues Guyana will not be a place where nationals from other countries would want to visit. Saying a lot of things need to be done is just not good enough at this time. We need to hear of a workable crime fighting plan as the gun amnesty, 2 am curfew and dog and pony show have all failed miserably. It is my belief that this administration lacks the knowledge to come up with a workable plan to bring the current crime situation under control. This is especially disappointing due to the number of key, ex-military and police personnel that currently hold major positions within it. My suggestion is that the government of President David Granger look at the theory of ‘Broken Window’ used by the New York Police Department in an effort to reduce crime. In closing I wish to urge the Public Security Minister to stop blaming the former administration and focus on formulating a workable crime fighting strategy or risk going down as the worst HomeAffairs Minister this country has ever produced. Gopaul Singh
Georgetown City Council has the nerve to call ‘the Parliament View Mall’ which should really be called ‘Parliament View Tent City’ as a mall is a is a modern, complex of shops representing merchandisers and not rows of tents, I shed a tear for my brothers and sisters who are forced to vend there. It reminds me of what my history teacher told me about how the captains used to load their boats with slaves with one system called loose packing to deliver slaves whilst the other was called tight packing. Of course the Parliament Mall is tight packing with two persons made to share a small 10’X10’ tent with all of their goods. It is the discrimination of the vendors by the Council that bothers me. For friends and relatives of
sturdy weather proof and attractive booths all along Orange Walk and in other areas and housed them there safely. Whilst for vendors who have no pals in the Council, they are accommodated under small flimsy tents and are exposed to the elements. City Council’s treatment of the vendors is comparable to George Orwell’s allegorical and dystopian novel called Animal Farm, particularly as it relates to the quote that says ‘ ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL,BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS’. Worse than that, the Town Clerk in his continued justification for the brutish removal of the vendors has said that crimes around the Stabroek Market have significantly decreased
in the area, with the council receiving reports of at least 10 robberies being committed daily outside Demico House alone and that ever since the area was cleared, there has been no such report. Further he is quoted as saying that some vendors also conspired with the criminals in the execution of robberies. To make it simple he is saying that some vendors are criminals, a most hurtful and tactless statement that he should be made to withdraw and apologize for. If the City Constabulary knows these vendors who are criminals then they should arrest and charge them just as the very Town Clerk was arrested by the Fraud Division of the Guyana Police Force last year and hauled before the Courts. Jermain Johnson
President Granger’s social cohesion plan needs more vision DEAR EDITOR; The actions to foster Social Cohesion cannot be piecemealed! We are either in or out! I listened in horror last Wednesday night as I sat in the National Cultural Center and heard the person doing the welcome made the biggest blunder of the night. She proceed to welcome all the attendees, then said that it is a year now since we had the change “we ALL were waiting for”. This she said at the event titled “One”, which was attended by members and constituents of the opposing parties and on the occasion pegged to highlight the inaugural Social Cohesion Day. Does that young lady not know that 49% of the country did NOT vote for the change we now have? Why would she presume that only supporters of the current administration were present? Let me congratulate the organizers and performers of the night’s event. It was obvious that a lot of thought went into the concept of the event. It is also obvious that the constraint of time negatively affected the outcome. While I am at it I would also like to add that the finale could have been more Social Cohesively scripted. It came across as awkward to see the Afro dancers taking up 3/4 of the stage, while the Amerindian and Indian dancers were left to jostle for the other 1/4. I am of the strong opinion that the planners of many of these national events and activities are not paying enough attention to the equal and needed inclusivity of all
the races in Guyana. There seems to be some level of a racial or political scotoma (blind spot), affecting those in the upper echelons of this current administration. I am deliberately being tough on this administration because it is this administration that has established a Social Cohesion Ministry. I said in another letter that there are some whose desire is to kill this social cohesion movement. However, until they have the final say, those under the purview of President Granger, should do all they can to make an indelible impression both on the supporters and the on the haters of nationally unity. Editor, additionally, I could not help but extract for scrutiny, a few excerpts from President Granger’s address to the Parliament. I missed his live presentation, however, I read the transcript of his speech. One part that jumped out at me is when the President spoke of the public infrastructure that stretched from Skeldon to Mahaica. He said this, “…A new international airport, at Atkinson Field (now Timehri) [today called the Cheddi Jagan International Airport]”. Now which is it? Timehri International Airport or Cheddi Jagan International Airport? Or put another way. Is it (now Ogle) [today call the Eugene F. Correia International Airport?], or is it the Eugene F. Correia International Airport? I also noticed that President Granger in his sweeping address to the Parliamentary Chambers spoke of the developments that
immediately followed our independence (which was mostly dominated by PNC governance) but he said absolutely nothing about the development that followed the PNC rule. How could we speak of 50 years in such simplistic, selected, pockets of time? Or is it that the President will speak more specifically and ineptly on these realities come the 26th? He then said, “The absence of national unity has impaired national development. It has triggered a continuous trickle of migration. It has led to political and economic fatigue.” I like this! However, I think the President needs to go further. He needs to say why this is so? What caused it? And how we can end it? Like a sociological auditor, the President must reveal the culprit/s of these “fatigues”, so that it never happens again. The President must reveal the perpetrators of Guyana’s ethnic and sociology ills, much like today he is revealing the perpetrators of our financial ills. Audit our history, Mr. President, so that we never repeat it. It is said that “He who forgets history is destined to repeat it”. The President bemoaning our racial tangles after 50 long years provides proof enough that because we fear to deal with the root cause of the problem, we continue to live with its vestures. As an avowed historian, the President needs to call upon his academic expertise and educate this Continued on page 27
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Wednesday May 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
GuySuCo in need of another bailout - Chairman The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is expected to approach Finance Minister Winston Jordan for another direct cash transfer to the sector. This is in spite of the fact that the industry was awarded a whopping $9B in early January to aid its recovery and modernization as the industry was threatened by weakening prices, aged machinery and high production costs. Kaieteur News understands that more than 60 percent of the funds have already been expended. In a brief interview with Kaieteur News yesterday, GuySuCo Chairman, Dr. Clive Thomas said that based on the number of mechanization projects that have been embarked on, a large portion of the monies have been expended. He said, too, that
even though there has been a shortfall of 30,000 tonnes in sugar production, it is only for the first crop, and the second crop is expected to do much better. Dr. Thomas said that based on GuySuCo’s expenses it cannot help but turn to the Treasury again for assistance. The GuySuCo head maintains, however, that even in the face of El Nino weather patterns, sugar projections for the industry this year remain high. As for the “extreme” recommendations noted in the report on the Commission of Inquiry into the sugar industry, Dr. Thomas cautioned that those working in the sector should not be worried for one bit whether the sector would be closing shop. “Indeed the changes that
…More than 60% of $9B budgetary allocation already “gobbled up” are coming will be radical, but it is necessary, because you cannot expect to be doing the same thing every year and getting different results. But we aren’t closing shop. We are concerned about the survival of this industry, but more importantly, bringing it to good health. We are trying to move towards value added products coming out of the sugar assets. We are trying to use the assets of the industry in a more creative way.” Dr. Thomas said that he is working towards recovering Skeldon’s cogeneration plant which was sold to Skeldon Energy Inc. (SEI). He said that the former CEO of GuySuCo, Rajendra
Singh sold the company’s generation facilities to Skeldon Energy Inc—a Special Purpose Company jointly owned by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), for US$30m, only to have it buy back power to run the factory. To date the sugar company has also only been paid US$19M of the agreed US$30M and SEI has since indicated that it could revise the outstanding US$11M amount. Dr. Thomas told Kaieteur News that it is imperative that the plant be recovered, as it is a major supplier of power and basically the lifeline of the factory.
“It is such a major producer of power that it supplies 90,000 households in Berbice. We are in discussions with having that sale being reversed from being the property of GPL. It is an important pillar for GuySuCo. We are hoping to get it for next year. We want to be able to sell GPL power. We are getting ripped off with the plant being in the possession of another company.” The GuySuCo Chairman explained that high on the entity’s list of priorities is moving towards the diversification of the sugar industry especially as it regards refined sugar. He noted that GuySuCo is still working to achieve a breakthrough with a new upgraded sugar called, “Enmore Crystals.” “This product will help to
give us some leverage to sell our sugar for more. This packaged sugar is only being done in small quantities for the markets in Canada, USA and Britain.” The GuySuCo Chairman said that the Board and Management believe that the packaged sugar will do better than “the ordinary sugar sold in the transparent plastic bag.” He noted that samples are already being taken to the three markets he outlined, among other places where contacts are made. Dr. Thomas said, “We are trying to penetrate the market with small quantities and build up as time goes. We are basically doing this to see how we can get a higher price for our sugar. And so far, it has been receiving favourable reviews from our international contacts, so we are looking to see how this works out, but there are other plans in the pipeline for the diversification of this product and bringing the industry back to good health.”
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
Major powers fail to agree new date for Syria peace talk
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L), U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (C) and United Nations special envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura (R) attend the ministerial meeting on Syria in Vienna, Austria, yesterday. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger Reuters - Major power foreign ministers failed to agree a new date to resume Syrian peace talks at a meeting yesterday, and the opposition said it would not come back to Geneva negotiations unless cond i t i o n s improved on the ground. A pessimistic atmosphere pervaded the meeting in Vienna between countries that support President Bashar alAssad and his enemies, all of which have committed to reviving a ceasefire and peace process that have been unravelling since last month. In a joint statement after the meeting attended by the United States, European and Middle East powers that oppose Assad as well as Russia and Iran which support him, the powers called for a full cessation of hostilities and access for aid. In stronger language than in the past, they
warned the warring factions that if they repeatedly broke the truce they risked forgoing the protection of the Feb. 27 cessation of hostilities agreement sponsored by Washington and Moscow. They also directed the U.N.’s World Food Programme to air drop food, medicine and water to besieged communities starting on June 1 if humanitarian access was denied by either side. But they did not agree on a date for peace talks to resume. The Geneva talks broke up last month after the opposition delegation quit, accusing the government of ignoring the ceasefire, and recent weeks saw an intensification of fighting, particularly near Aleppo, Syria’s largest city before the war. U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura told a news conference there was still a strong
desire to keep the peace process moving. “We want to keep the momentum. The exact date, I am not at the moment revealing it because it will depend also on other facts,” he said. He noted that the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins in early June, was coming soon. The main opposition High Negotiations Committee said it was not willing to return to negotiations without a full ceasefire and access for humanitarian aid. “I don’t think there will be results, and if there are any results they will not be sufficient for the Syrian people,” HNC chief negotiator Asaad al-Zoubi told Reuters ahead of Tuesday’s Vienna meeting. “The HNC has said that if aid does not reach everybody, if the sieges aren’t lifted and if a full truce does not happen, there will be no negotiations.”
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Dem boys seh...
BaiShan can write to who he want —
SOULJA BAI
BaiShanLin accustom to getting dem own way wid Jagdeo, that scamp. Dem never live up to what they agreed to. Jagdeo and Donald Dumb didn’t do nutten to dem. The coalition been watching dem. Even Joe ShanLin, dem newfound cousin, use to cuss dem nasty. Is de family reunion wha mek dem know that BaiShan and JoeShan is blood cousin. Dem is two sissy pickney. One mudda name Chu Ling and de other name Dar Ling. Dem boys hear in de grapevine that Joe Shan was adopting a hands off approach till Soulja Bai pull him up. That pulling up was like drawing a rope round BaiShan neck, suh he holler and write several letters to he second cousin, Ban Ki de Moon who mudda did name Full Moon. He complaining how Soulja Bai not respecting or abiding by de agreement signed with that scamp Jagdeo. But in de letter he send to Ban Ki de Moon he never tell de man how he, BaiShan, together wid de other Shans did not live up to dem own clause dem sign in de agreement. Dem never build nutten, dem never employ no Guyanese, dem never pay no taxes nor NIS. And dem got more company than friends in Guyana. Dem also never tell Ban Ki that dem ship out hundreds of thousands containers of Guyana’s most expensive wood to China and elsewhere. Dem never tell de man how much gold dem dig out and carry way. But dem tell him how Soulja Bai tek two out of 200-plus vehicles that dem bring in under duty-free concessions. Dem tell de man if Soulja Bai don’t return de vehicle it gun strain de relationship. Wha kind a strain dem boys don’t know and dem don’t care. When Soulja Bai read de letter he and all seh he don’t care who they complain to and wha strain dem putting demself under. All he know he too old to tek strain. Dem boys hear when he tell Sandra Gyal last night that he believe cousin Joe Shan had a hand in that letter. He keeping he eye open and he ears to de ground. He know he got to deal wid BaiShan, de spirogyra. Talk half and wait till BaiShan second cousin respond.
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Kaieteur News
Problems with the economy Disappointment and disgust are just some of the words that can be used to describe the analysis that the reason why disposable income is on the decline, is because of the reduction in the drug trade in Guyana. That sort of jazz may be passable to some of the diehard supporters of the ruling party who are not prepared to accept that their government is not perfect and is experiencing some serious challenges in managing an economy which is in fairly good condition, and which has enjoyed ten straight years of economic growth. If ‘dirty’ money was driving the economy, economic growth would have contracted. The reduction of dirty money does not explain the growth in 2015 or the projected growth for 2016. It is an insult to the captains of industry to be making such assertions at this time when business has clearly slumped and investor confidence needs to be boosted, not be speculation, but by measures that would promote greater private sector credit. It is an insult to intelligent Guyanese to be claiming that the decline in business can be traced to the falloff from ‘dirty’ money. Perhaps, the government believes that. Perhaps the government lacks the answers. Perhaps the government is experimenting too much with a small economy.
If dirty money was being reduced, one would have expected to see a decline in drug interdictions overseas for shipments coming from Guyana. That is not the case. Just recently, there was a major haul in the United States. Nothing spectacular has happened on the antinarcotics front, and therefore it is hard to accept that less dirty money is in the system. An important indicator as to what is happening in the economy will be the growth of the rate of credit and not simply the growth of credit. It would be very surprising to learn that the rate of growth of credit has increased. Credit will increase, but the rate of growth is likely to decrease, and that will be a sure sign that it is investor confidence rather than dirty money that is causing the problems with business turnover. Another important indicator to examine would be imports. Capital imports would give an idea of how new investment or reinvestment is increasing. Consumer imports attest to the purchases of consumers. All things being fixed, the inflation rate would suggest that purchasing power need not decline once the same levels of income are being earned. A decline in consumer imports could mean that inventories were running high, but it most likely would mean that consumers are not purchasing as much as
before. This seems to be the source of the problem, according to many private sector businesses. They are complaining that people are not buying. The greatest disturbing sign has been the decline in the profits of two indigenous banks in Guyana. This is worrying because even in the hard times in Guyana, and the present government would have some memory of that, banks always were increasing their profits. When commercial banks begin to show a reduction in profits, it is a disturbing sign, because in any healthy economy this often does not happen. What is the answer? The answer has to depend on the diagnosis, and that must include improvements in the release of statistical information on the performance of the economy. We were promised changes in the way in which statistics were collected. The numbers would give a fuller picture, but if consumers are holding in on spending, it could be that they are simply following the cue of investors who may be holding back on investments to see how government policies will shape. A great many people out there are worried about the economy. They want some certainty. They want assurances of fairness in the awards of contracts and in the protection for their investments. A number of
persons have lost their jobs with the change of government. They may not be spending as much. A major logging company has begun to lay off workers. This will have a ripple effect. The previous government would have recognized the danger and would have worked out some plan to save those jobs. GuySuCo is downsizing. Workers from Wales will go home this year. Others at LBI will be affected with the changes that will take place. Those developments are not good for spending in the economy. A major hardware store has been destroyed by fire. Billions have been lost. An electronic store in the city has a closing-down sale. And guess what? They are still getting less customers than the Passport Office. Housing developers who can turn the economy around overnight are cautious, because they do not know whether the deals they made with the previous administration are going to be respected. There is that uncertainty all around, and therefore people are holding back on spending. And that is most likely affecting business. People need answers not talk about dirty money.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 18, 2016
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN...
I am taking my outside children to see the Georgetown clean-up hypocrisy I have one daughter in my marriage and three outside daughters – Gypsy, Dusty and Princess. The first two are cats. The other is my dog. Believe me; you can come to love your pet with equal emotions and have deep sentiments about them just as you do for a loved one. I am going to drive my three pets around Georgetown and show them how the city has become clean. Then I will put them on the bonnet of the car and ask them to take a very close look at the workers to see the conditions under which
they slave to restore the physical ambience of the capital. What is the point? That many humans would not let their pets dwell in the dirty surroundings that the Georgetown cleaners are forced to work in. Since the new government came into being, in partnership with the City Council, there has been a stupendous effort to remove the unspeakable dirtiness that literally overran the capital under the PPP. I think if there was anything stupid and nauseating about the United Nation’s role in
the world, that would be its award of the title of Champion of the Earth to the then Guyana President, Bharrat Jagdeo. Mr. Jagdeo presided over a country where rubbish was as perennial as the grass; in fact it supplanted the grass. I honestly thought it was Georgetown only but my eyes were opened up during the 2015 election campaign. Every village I went to, the streets were littered with rubbish. I saw in Region three trenches filled with garbage preventing the flow of water. At Enmore, it was disgraceful. At Rosignol, it was abominable. In the midst of this uncivilized ubiquity of filth, the UN declared Guyana’s President, Champion of the Earth. No wonder President Reagan wanted to remove the UN from the United States. There is a galaxy of political administrators of the central and local governments occupying Georgetown since Frederick the new regime took office a year ago (look out for my analysis of the Coalition’s one year in office; obviously I will call it as I see it; this column may be the first in the series) dreaming of city restoration but it’s a galaxy of exploiters who put workers in oceans of miasma to fumigate a city and leave them without protective gears that even 16th century workers were given at the time. By now every Georgetowner must have seen in the district where he/she lives the semicivilized conditions under which these people work. Very few of them have long boots. I am
saying without fear of contradiction that fewer than five percent of all cleaning groups, collectively speaking, that I have seen throughout the city of Georgetown wore and are wearing boots designed for such unclean, physical tasks. I live in Turkeyen within the border of Georgetown but still not in the heart of the city itself. I go to Kaieteur News every day. I shop at the food outlets almost daily. So I see most of the cleaning crews at work. At Shiv Chanderpaul Drive and Robb Street, outside Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, a cleaning crew stopped me to complain about the heartless attitude of this galaxy of politicians who are more concerned with appearances than workers’ health. The complaint was that gloves and d i s i n f e c t a n t s were never given to them. This is why I am going to Kissoon take my three daughters to show them the hypocrisy of the APNU+AFC Government and the APNU+AFC City Council. The appearance of the city is more important than the health of thousands of poor people. Reminds me of President Granger’s words that we should be careful what we copy from the developed world. Well here is one cultural practice that we should copy from the developed world – humane treatment of workers who have to labour in poisonous environments. Thank God we are a piss poor country that does not have nuclear power plants. If we did, we should have sent technicians into those plants without protective gear. I remember the J a g d e o Government’s h e a r t l e s s mistreatment of workers who were removing asbestos from UG. They took it out from the walls with their hands without gloves and masks and were dumping it onto open back trucks. So the nation is looking forward to the Golden Jubilee where a coruscating and shiny capital city awaits the arrival of its guests. A superlative fashion built on the back of slavery in 2016. Sad to say but my three pets are treated better than the way restoration project directors treated their workers. Nietzsche’s Ûbermensch has to save Guyana. But I doubt he would ever want to.
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Gafoor’s multi-billion $$ settlement will be comfortably covered - P&P Insurance It has been little more than a week since a catastrophic fire struck at the Gafoor’s Houston Complex. CEO Gafoor had estimated his losses to be in excess of $12 billion. The fire is believed to have been accidental, with possible electrical problems cited as the cause. Gafoor’s business is insured with P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Ltd. In a brief interview with this newspaper, Managing Director of P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Limted, Mr. Bish Panday, stated that while the insurance coverage on the Gafoor’s Houston complex is well in the multi-billion range, it will be “comfortably covered”. When asked about the stability of the insurance business in Guyana, he indicated that there has been a recent influx of several insurance companies in Guyana which has brought a notable level of stability in the market. The Houston Complex fire had left some fivehundred plus workers pondering their future. Gafoor’s has since relocated twenty-five percent of its employees to different branches across the country, while fifty percent has remained at the part of the Houston complex that remained untouched after the fire. The CEO had told this newspaper that the remaining twenty-five percent of workers would be paid 75% of their respective salaries to “tide” them over until they resumed their jobs. The business tycoon had emphasised that his workers are his “greatest assets’’. On another note, an official from the insurance community noted that the Gafoor’s fire should be a wake-up call to other business people that at any time fire could strike. The official also indicated that a vast majority of business places lack proper fire prevention systems and firefighting equipment, as well as the fact that they stock combustible materials and goods in risky conditions.
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Wednesday May 18, 2016
HINTERLAND ELECTRIFICATION COMPANY TO GET MILLIONS WORTH OF LINE EQUIPMENT During the opening of bids at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), yesterday, several companies vied for a contract to supply hardware for the Lethem Power Company’s distribution network line. The bidding was done in lots. The Lethem Power Company is one of six companies held by the Hinterland Electrification Company Incorporated (HECI). HECI was established to implement, maintain and even develop electricity supply systems across the hinterland. The other companies that HECI serves as a holding company for are the Linden Electricity Company, Mahdia Power and Light Inc., Port Kaituma Power and Light Inc., Matthew’s Ridge Power and Light Inc. and Kwakwani Utilities Inc. Under the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for region one, There were several projects that tenders were put out for. One was a multi-million-dollar project for the provision of security services.
Another important project was for the construction of a secondary school at Waramouri, Region One. The engineer’s estimate was $17.9M.
In addition, there was a contract for the construction of the DBST road. The engineer’s estimate was $16M.
Another project under the RDC was for the construction of a reinforced concrete bridge at Arocuro, Mabaruma. The engineer’s estimate was $17.1M.
The RDC also put out a contract for the procurement of an ambulance.
And finally, there was a contract for the rehabilitation of a timber bridge at Papaya, Matarkai. The engineer’s estimate was $14.9M.
COPS NAB SUSPECT IN FATAL STABBING Police have detained a suspect in last Saturday’s fatal stabbing of Gordon Ross, 26, in Hadfield Street. The suspect was taken into custody yesterday. Ross was found lying in what appeared to be an unconscious state Saturday morning a short distance from the White Castle Fish Shop. He was reportedly stabbed multiple times and had several lacerations about his body. He also is said to have lost some teeth. Ross succumbed at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday May 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
Govt. to examine options for $5.2B NIS investment frozen in CLICO debacle …LITIGATION WOULD JUST BE A “LONG DRAWN-OUT PROCESS” – FINANCE MINISTER
BY KIANA WILBURG Taking the course of litigation may not be on the table at the moment when it comes to Government recouping the $5.2B investment made by the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) some years ago into Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO) Limited. This is according to Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. In an interview with this newspaper recently, Jordan said that the sad reality is that the CLICO situation might very well turn out to be a long drawn-out process, as Guyana is not even on the radar when it comes to the settlement process in the Caribbean as yet. “So Government is going to have to step up to the plate and find another way of recouping the losses for NIS in this regard. Government gave a commitment in this regard, and it will have to make good on its promise to find a resolution on getting back the money. And this is yet another mess that we inherited from the past administration that we are saddled with fixing with money that could have been put to better use,” the Minister expressed. Jordan noted that NIS is beset with a number of problems. He said that the $5.2 billion that remains caught in the CLICO debacle represents more than 20 percent of its assets that is not earning income. He said that actuaries have projected that the Scheme is in trouble and something has to be done urgently to address the problem. He recalled that in the National Assembly, there was the passage of
Resolution No. 82 of 2009 “calling upon the Government to take all possible actions to secure the investments made in CLICO (Guyana) by the NIS on behalf of contributors and beneficiaries of the Scheme to prevent any consequential loss in benefits to them.” The Finance Minister said that sadly, the PPP/C Government did nothing on that Resolution, resulting in a persistent deterioration in the Scheme’s financial position. He reminded that a new Board of Directors has been appointed and it has been charged the responsibility to come up with solutions to address the underlying problems of the Scheme. The Finance Minister said, too, that the National Insurance Scheme has faced several challenges over the years, such as the lack of compliance by both employers and employees, combined with unprofitable investments. Jordan maintained that Government intends to examine options for the expedient repayment of $5.24 billion owed by CLICO. To this end, the Finance Minister said that the Government will start discussions on the modality of an arrangement that will see NIS recovering this money over the long term. Additionally, he said that the management of NIS will work diligently to ensure greater compliance through the enforcement of the laws. This year, the Finance Minister stated that management will be targeting delinquent businesses and employers, in order to recover the $1.3 billion in arrears owed to the Scheme. He said that the NIS will also be
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan examining an appropriate investment policy to guide its investments to ensure that future investments are profitable. It was on January 2, 1994, that CLICO International Life Insurance Limited opened its doors taking over the life insurance operations in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean of Colonial Life Insurance Company (Trinidad) Limited. CLICO served the Caribbean for over 60 years. Its mission was to become the company of choice among life insurance buyers in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. At the helm was Leroy Parris, former chairman of CLICO Holdings Barbados Ltd., which included services such as CLICO International Life Insurance Ltd. With 60 years of service under its belt, the company became one of the largest local conglomerates in the region, encompassing over 65 companies in 32 countries worldwide, with total assets exceeding US$100 billion. By the turn of the century, rumblings of fraud and money laundering at CLICO were felt. By 2005, there was talk of naive and greedy managers. There was talk of failure of government, regulators and Continued on page 15
NEW INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD APPOINTED With Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, at its helm, a new Institutional Review Board has been put in place. This is according to the Official Gazette dated May 5, 2016 which notes that Cabinet approved the appointment of Directors of the Board which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Public Health. The Board became active on September 1, 2015 and will continue for a two-year period ending August 31, 2017. While Dr. Persaud functions as the Chairman, the other members of the Board include: Dr. Reeta Gobin (UG Representative), Ms. Sylvia Conway (Social Worker), Ms. Zaheeda Hack (Faith Based Organisation Representative), Ms. Pauline Welch, Ms. Nirmal Persaud, Ms. Dawn Lyken and Ms. Michelle Smith, the administrator. Institutional Review Board is tasked with reviewing research proposals that can affect, in some way, human subjects. These proposals are presented by organisations,
including, universities, both local and overseas, and individuals. Once reviewed, the Board could grant approval for commencement of the proposed research projects or simply disapprove. If the Board is not in favour of the proposal it is expected to state what measures must be remedied in order for a proposal to be redone and allow for another review to be undertaken. “There are certain requirements that we look for,” said a member of the Board who also pointed out that potential researchers are given advice on how to improve their proposals if disapproved. The Board, which meets the second Saturday of each month, is usually tasked with reviewing as much as 25 research proposals monthly, the member disclosed. With funding from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Board was brought into being in the early 2000s. CDC has also been providing training to the members.
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Guyana formally inducted into Islamic Development Bank Guyana has been recently welcomed into the membership of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) with a grand, formal ceremony that was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, expressed Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. In an interview with Kaieteur News, Jordan explained that the occasion marked a remarkable step for Guyana. The Finance Minister said that he is expected to meet with the President of the Bank tomorrow to ascertain how quickly a mission could be sent to Guyana to develop a strategy paper on the way forward for both parties. The Ministry of Finance was initially informed that the country’s application for membership to the bank was accepted via an official correspondence to the Government of Guyana on March 22, last. The Finance Minister said, “This is a signal development as Guyana has been attempting to join the bank ever since it became a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1998, as this is a prerequisite to joining
the membership of the Islamic Development Bank.” He said that at a time when access to concessionary resources is becoming more difficult, membership to the bank will afford Guyana an alternative source of financing to highly concessional resources including grants and interest free loans. “This will greatly assist in financing the Government’s development agenda; redounding to the ‘good life’ for all citizens. The areas of intervention of the IDB include human development, rural development and food safety, infrastructural development, trade among member countries and private sector development, research and development in Islamic economies and banking and finance,” expressed the Finance Minister. The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) was established in December 1973 and officially opened its doors for business on October 20, 1975, with headquarters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It also operates through regional offices in Kazakhstan, Senegal, Malaysia and
Cops link Stafrei Alexander to two more killings, robbery spree
Robin Maxwell Thomas Stafrei Alexander Recently-captured murder suspect Stafrei Alexander is now being implicated in two more killings at Linden and a spate of robberies at Berbice. Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum disclosed yesterday that police are questioning Alexander, who was detained last week, about the murder of 43-year-old Richard Remington, as well as the killing of Alexander’s alleged accomplice, Robin Maxwell Thomas. Remington’s bulletriddled body was found in a clump of bushes in the Christianburg/ Cholmondeley Hill area at Wismar on February 12, 2015, a few days after residents reported hearing gunshots. Police subsequently revealed that Remington, a Linden resident, was a suspect in several armed robberies and burglaries. These included the chopping of a woman at Mahdia and a brutal attack on a Kara Kara family. Winston Hinds, 23, called “Town Man,” of Lot 28 Blueberry Hill, Wismar, Linden, and Owen Belfield, 27, of Lot 59 Victory Valley, Linden, were charged last January with Remington’s murder. At the time, police
had indicated that they were hunting for three other suspects. Kaieteur News understands that two of the suspects have implicated Alexander in Remington’s murder. And police have now fingered Alexander in the murder of his alleged accomplice Robin Maxwell Thomas, whose body was found in the Demerara River last December.
Alexander and Thomas, along with Aiden Bowen, of Blueberry Hill, Wismar, were charged with the April 4, 2015 murder of businesswoman Shevon Gordon, who was shot near her One Mile, Linden home. But Alexander and Thomas broke out of the Mackenzie Police Station lockups last December. Thomas’s decomposing body was found in the Demerara River, in the vicinity of West Watooka, some weeks later. A post mortem revealed that he had sustained head injuries. Police have received information that Alexander, who was captured last week while travelling in a bus in the Rupununi, clubbed Thomas in the head and pushed the body overboard. It is believed that Thomas had implicated Alexander in the killing of Shevon Gordon. Police said that Alexander is also being questioned in connection with a spate of armed robberies in Berbice.
Govt. to examine... From page 14 auditors; of incompetence and failures at every level and at the highest levels within the company; and finally, fear and talk of CLICO needing taxpayers’ bailout. Understanding the situation from his bird’s-eye view within the company, the Chairman decided to protect his interest and before the mess hit the fan, CLICO was presumably being looted. By 2007 to 2008, there was no hiding the fact that CLICO was limping financially as well as its branches in other Caribbean territories, including Guyana. CLICO Guyana had approximately $6.9B invested in the Regional Insurance Company.
the Kingdom of Morocco. The bank was established with the purpose of fostering economic development and social progress in member countries and Muslim communities. The IDB currently has a membership of 56 countries in Latin America (1); African (27); Europe (2) and Asia (26).
Guyana joins as the 57th member. Suriname is the other CARICOM Member State that is a member. Guyana has largely been dependent as a country on financing from China, India, the Inter-American Development Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank.
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Brazilian company to boost agri diversification Guyana’s efforts to diversify its agricultural sector are set to receive a major boost from a Brazilian company, New Frontier Agriculture Guyana Incorporated. The company is prepared to cultivate its first crops of soya and corn on a model farm in the country’s intermediate savannahs in a matter of days. New Frontier Agriculture Guyana Inc. has successfully conducted trial of the commodities on 25 acres of land owned by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI). The company is currently
working to develop the approximately 10,000 acres of land in the intermediate savannahs in Ebini in the Berbice River. This farm will be used as a model demonstration station for development of the entire savannahs, a Government statement said yesterday. Improved pastures for cattle, sheep, goats and horses are also planned. New Frontier is controlled by Brazilian businessman, Yucatan Reis. He reportedly has links with Excel Minerals. He became known after a company to which he was linked, Muri Brasil Ventures
- 10,000 acres to be put under cultivation in Berbice Incorporated, pulled out after it became known that the previous administration had granted permission for Geographical and Geophysical Surveys (PGGS) for the New River Triangle area, in the Corentyne River area. According to Government yesterday, it is currently pursuing development of the intermediate savannahs for the introduction of new crops and livestock. Guyana’s coastland lies
approximately six feet below sea level, and with the prevailing change in climate, the country needs to move its agriculture base inward, to minimise crop loss, according to Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder. The government’s thrust for development in the agricultural sector for the next five years is hinged on the drive to diversify and expand production in nontraditional areas. Minister Holder told GINA that, “Government’s
policy is centered not only on improving the drainage system and rationalising production on the coast, but also in developing these new areas of activity. The drive to expand and diversify the country’s agriculture is a policy direction that has gained the attention and support of Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan. “We are not going to grow seven percent if we continue to do the same things we were doing 50 years ago… It is unbelievable that 50 years ago we talked about the economy sitting on a tripod, sugar, rice and bauxite, which contributed the bulk of the productive activity of the country’s foreign exchange earnings and employment.” Minister Jordan stated that, “with proper maintenance, modernisation and proper use of technology and so on, these industries
Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder can still be good for a number of years in the future. Importantly two of them are agriculture-based, and agriculture can absorb labour faster than any other industry.” Rice and sugar are Guyana’s main agricultural exports, and with the decline in prices for these commodities on the world market, it is important that new foreign exchange earners be identified.
Wednesday May 18, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Linden records zero maternal deaths Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings paid a visit to Linden for one of the scheduled activities for ‘Linden Town Week’, the Annual Health fair which was held at the MacKenzie car park, yesterday. The minister was accompanied by a team of health officials, as well as the United States Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway; Mayor Carwyn Holland; Deputy Mayor Waneka Arrindell; Regional Chairman, Renis Morian; and other officials. Touching on ‘Health at 50’, in keeping with the Jubilee Independence celebrations, the Minister applauded the Linden Hospital complex for its record of zero maternal deaths. In addition, the control of the zika and chikungunya viruses in the region has been impressive, and health care officials in the region were encouraged to maintain this level of excellence. “Over the last 50 years, the health sector in Guyana has worked tirelessly with very limited resources to ensure it delivered health care services to Guyanese. The
(From left to right) Linden’s Mayor Carwyn Holland, United States Ambassador Perry Holloway, Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings, Region Ten Chairman, Renis Morian and a staff of the Ministry of the Presidency at the Health fair in Linden. achievements of the Guyanese health sector have been modest, but substantial,” Dr. Cummings stated. Minister Cummings touched on the issue of NonCommunicable Diseases
(NCDs) that are still not receiving the attention they deserve even though they are prevalent in Guyana. She noted that cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes are some of the main
NCDs. “According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are a number of modifiable health risk factors that are attributed to the presence and prevalence of NCDs. They are tobacco use,
BaiShanLin asks UN boss to “remind”... (From page 3) in Guyana in the development of forest products. “The new administration has embarked upon a course of activities designed to cause a forfeiture of the company investment and to cripple its business in Guyana,” the letter charged. The lawyers noted that the Government actions seek to dismantle the concessionary structure granted to the company. “In pursuance of its tax liability, which the company claims to be unlawful, the government through its Revenue Authority has embarked upon seizures to enforce the tax liability which is denied and is strongly contested.” As a matter of fact, the investment agreement under which the concessions were granted has not expired. The lawyers also have issues with moves by Government to take back forestry concessions of BaiShanLin. Lawful procedures under the domestic law were not been followed and would be subjected to the 2003 agreement between Guyana and China, which has been filed with the United Nations. “The intent of the agreement is that disputes, if any, when they arise, are to be settled by diplomatic efforts, and if no resolution is reached within six months, the dispute can be referred to arbitration. The Revenue Au-
thority in complete disregard of the agreement has commenced to seize the Company’s property and to cripple its business.” The law firm said that this is a matter of concern not only to the company, but to all investors who wish to undertake investment in Guyana. BaiShanLin is particularly concerned, as it says it has invested heavily in Guyana on reliance on the agreement, which in the absence of diplomatic resolution, allows the disputes to be settled by an arbitral tribunal. The Chinese company now wants the diplomatic channels to be opened to allow for consultation, in the hope that a resolution of the
dispute between Guyana and the company may be resolved within six months. The letter was also copied to President Granger. RELATIONS THREATENED In the third letter to the United Nations SecretaryGeneral, the company complained that in breach of the agreement with China, the Government of Guyana has commenced operations, beginning with the seizure of property and the threatened loss to forfeit the company’s investments, and to cripple its business in Guyana. “Under the agreement, disputes are to be settled after consultations through diplomatic channels and in the
event of failure by arbitration. The company was established as a Chinese investment with funds from China.” BaiShanLin wants the United Nations to “remind” the government of Guyana and China of their obligations in this regard. “The matter is causing severe losses to the company I represent, but it may extend to create impediments to foreign investment in Guyana to the prejudice of the national interest when it becomes known that treaty obligations are not honoured here. The company represents Chinese investments in Guyana and Guyana’s relationship with China is threatened by these events.”
physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and the harmful use of alcohol,” she stated. She added that these NCDs carry a huge cost in terms of caring for the persons who have been diagnosed with them; hence prevention is better than cure. The Ministry of Public Health has put in place a number of strategic initiatives to curb the increasing number of NCD cases, as well as prevent new ones from emerging. “These initiatives will effectively address the future burden of disease, promote healthy lifestyles, and increase the potential benefit of a healthier population, thus contributing to economic development.”
One major contribution to a significant number of NCD cases is smoking. The Ministry of Public Health will be introducing stringent legislation in parliament, aimed at reducing tobacco use. Regional Chairman Morian asserted that Linden is on its way to being a fully developed town, and can be seen as a link to all other regions and major towns. In addition, the Regional Health Officer saluted the Public Health Ministry for its contributions made towards the growth and improvement of the health sector in Region Ten, but stressed the need for more collaborative efforts with the town council and other stakeholders to achieve a healthier population. Ambassador Holloway congratulated the people of the small mining town on a number of achievements that are being celebrated in this period. Some of these are 46 years as a town, 100 years of bauxite mining and 50 years of US/Guyana diplomatic ties. The latter has seen the building of the SoesdykeLinden Highway which remains the main access road to the small mining town. The Health fair which attracted a large number of residents from the Mining town, focused on educating the population on moving towards a healthier lifestyle. Minister Cummings and her team then attended a scheduled activity that was showcased in line with ‘a healthy lifestyle’; the ‘Skip to My Lou’ competition that accommodated the participation of a number of primary and secondary schools in Linden.
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Wednesday May 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
Linden Town Week kicks off The much anticipated Linden Town Week was officially launched at the Linden/ Georgetown bus park on Sunday evening. A sizeable crowd turned up to witness the event that was declared open by Linden Mayor, Carwyn Holland. Providing an evening of entertainment, the Town Week launch also saw several students being honoured and awarded for their achievement at both the Grade Six and CXC levels. Those awarded included best graduating student for Grade Six, Earnesta Gordon, Tony Frances and Duquan Hercules for CAPE and Shantoba Bright, who was adjudged sports personality of the year. Former IMC Chairman of the Linden Town Council, Orrin Gordon, was also honoured, for his contribution to the Town. Among those gracing the occasion were Minister within the Ministry of Communities Valerie Adams-Patterson; MP Jermaine Figueira; former Chief Executive Officer of Linmine Secretariat, Horace James; and Deputy Mayor Wanika Arrindel. CEO of Vybz Entertainment Devin Sears, who holds the Town Week franchise, in his welcoming address, reflected on the 20 years since the Linden Town Day was launched, and of its transition to Linden Town Week. Former Chief Executive
Officer of the Linmine Secretariat, and a former senior executive of the bauxite company Horace James, gave an overview of the sterling contributions of Bauxite to the Guyanese economy, and the world at large. James reflected that in October 1916, the first spadeful of bauxite was mined at Three Friends mine up the Demerara River. Reminiscing on the great role that Guyana’s bauxite played, James pointed out that bauxite from these shores helped in a major way in winning both world wars. James said that forty percent of the planes used in those two wars were made using Guyana’s bauxite. He also pointed out that the Independence arch was also fashioned out of the alumina that was made from the bauxite that was processed in Linden. The arch was presented to the then Government on Guyana’s attainment of Independence, James said. Mayor Holland in his remarks exhorted for a shift in thinking, “Our vision must be broad and not miniscule. The Bible says, ‘As a man in his heart thinketh so is he’ if we propagate small-mindedness and divisiveness we will stifle ourselves and every opportunity to advance as a town. Make no mistake about it, if we fail to cooperate in our
A section of the audience at the Linden Town Week launch. developmental trajectory, we will fail. Holland reflected on the Prophet Nehemiah of biblical times and how he set up groups of families around the wall that was being built to secure the lands for his people. Their duty, he noted, was to protect the city’s most vulnerable ‘spots’. “As we rebuild Linden, I call for us to collaborate in every corner and every sector, to shore up the most vulnerable parts of
our Town. We need collective efforts to promote a secure environment, where businesses can thrive and investors flock.” Holland added that together a development agenda could be fostered, that would improve the quality of life for all Lindeners and promote prosperity and prestige. “We cannot gain success with an old lawless and chaotic system. It is time to embrace order and
discipline, as engines that would preserve our efforts towards development. Our foundation for development, therefore, must be solid- must be strong. If you can dream it, you can achieve it. Don’t allow complacency to define your efforts.” The Linden Town Week this year coincides with the fiftieth anniversary celebrations of Guyana’s Independence.
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Millie, the Guyanese macaw in Canada in 1967 DEAR EDITOR; Canada celebrated its 100th independence anniversary in 1967 with a grand world fair, Expo 67 held in French-speaking Montreal, Quebec. Guyana’s contingent to Expo67 included Millie, the Macaw (parrot). Millie arrived early for Expo 67 and she was kept on the exhibition grounds, as construction workers added the finishing touches to the pavilions. And Millie listened attentively as the workers were chatting and swearing. When Expo 67 opened on April27, 1967, and when visitors arrived at the Guyana booth, Millie let out so many cusswords in both English and French which she apparently learned from the construction workers. This forced the authorities to ask that she be banned from Expo 67 and be deported. So Millie was banned from Expo 67, and for the Christmas season that year special postage stamps were issued in Guyana featuring bilingual Millie. In some quarters there were protests against putting a cussing parrot on a Christmas stamp. One member of the clergy asked why the Blessed Virgin Mary was not included, while another clergy member suggested in his news outlet that maybe the Guyana Post Office headquarters was overtaken by the Devil. Well, I suspect that the venerable clergy member might not have fully realized it then, that the Devil had already left, and replaced by that good, proud feeling of independence. Wayne Jones Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
The killing fields of Guyana DEAR EDITOR; Oh dear what can the matter be. On the verge of our 50th independence anniversary we are being consumed by a monster; the pervasive crime that stalk the land and rule the waves. In the midst of putting together this letter I read the thoughts of one Loria-mae Heywood and fully endorsed her sentiments: “we have lost all sense of humanity as a Nation” S.N April 26th. I have to agree that our humanity has indeed sunk abysmally low, a pervasive and callous madness stalking our land as a result of unfettered violent crime that defies reason. It’s the season of crime galore and bloodletting, its every day, not a single day papers come without it, all the dailies can well go by a single label: “Crime News”. Has the devil’s army been set loose upon us, not a day goes by without some sort of heinous, gruesome occurrence committed by the young the old and the not so old, a carnival of violence spreading like a plague aided and abetted by the road carnage that continues to laugh at us. · 75 year old woman battered to death – son confesses to crime · Elderly couple beaten burned in house · Mother of three stabbed to death 17 times · Body of new born found ravaged by dogs · Pregnant teen body found in shallow grave · Body of missing woman found in septic tank · Man chopped to death
in front of children · Three dead in drive-by shooting · Woman disfigured in acid attack by jealous woman. The list is horrendous and bottomless but it has got to be crazy sick madness when female octogenarians are raped and killed in their homes. From whence cometh such barbarity, are we at war with ourselves, people are being killed like flies for any and everything, without rhyme or reason it matters not! Is this what 50 years has to offer, making “Eldorado” into a killing field? God I’m lost in a spin just what are we becoming, who are we? Killing in broad daylight, killing on credit, dismembering and disemboweling one another as if there is no tomorrow. Incidentally as I write I can hear the song by Blazing Fire “Lord help my Guyana to love again”. It’s crazy sick indeed. How could you in cold blood sit and plan the death of someone you have never seen face to face, have his grave dug and on the very first encounter have him killed and buried for a few dollars. “Stepfather claws out teen’s eye with hammer”. A mother and her lover battered her own teenage daughter to death, put the body in a suitcase and disposed of it in a creek. An 18 year old have her boyfriend bludgeoned her father’s head with an axe. “Child tied up left in house to die”. Two teenagers strangled their 17 years old friend and neighbour after making a deal to sell his car. While the wanton Continued on page 29
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Kaieteur News
Donald Ramotar is nothing but a hypocrite DEAR EDITOR; ‘Comrade’ Ramotar continues to “open his mouth” in yet another feeble attempt to convince Guyanese that our suspicions about his capacity for cogent formulations were sound. The former president is obviously in a lonely world, and is suffering from the latter stage of self-inflicted selective amnesia. Now here is a man who accidentally became President of Guyana has suddenly, seemingly, experienced an epiphany of consciousness about discrimination against African Guyanese. What makes his hypocrisy even more insidious, and bordering insanity, is just over a year ago he was President of a Government that spent 23 years discriminating against, and marginalizing African Guyanese. Mr. Editor, let me not waste the public’s time recounting the evidence of ‘Comrade’ Ramotar, his party
and Government’s discriminatory practices against Guyanese. If this issue was serious, I suspect that most Guyanese reading his last letter would have burst out laughing over the absurdity it represented. Or, maybe a well deserved segment in ‘Nothing to Laugh About’ or a quick laugh in a rumshop setting over a few bottles of High Wine. Let me, instead, reference one poignant example of the kind of racial antipathy against African Guyanese, that emanated from the PPP under the failed Presidency of ‘Comrade’ Ramotar. Under his short lived Presidency, an editorial appeared in the Chronicle, the state owned newspaper controlled by the PPP and Government, in which it was stated that the parents of African Guyanese train their children to rob Indian Guyanese. Despite the furor that erupted over the use of a state owned media entity to
cast such racist aspersions upon the reputation of the African Guyanese collective, there was not one word of condemnation of that article, or censure of the sources behind its authorship and publication from ‘Comrade’ Ramotar, his pathetic and antipoor Government or party of atheists. Their silence, beyond a shadow of doubt, loudly informed all and sundry that they shared the sentiments expressed in that article. I am not here to defend the actions of the coalition Government (hopefully those in government today will come around to defending themselves against the PPP, instead of attacking those who are largely responsible for standing up against the infidels) so I refuse to pronounce on the issues involving Juan Edghill who likes to be called a ‘Bishop’ and who shamelessly proclaimed that Jesus Christ would have voted for an anti-Christ party,
and the other person he identified as an African Guyanese. African Guyanese are quite familiar with, and we are of course, a population group uniquely armed with centuries of experience with identifying and recognizing racial discrimination. And there is no face, no character, no persona in Guyana that is more representative of the source of that experience than the last two PPP Presidents and their Governance. There are hundreds of African Guyanese who now lie in repose as direct or collateral casualties of the PPP’s institutionalized racist policies in Guyana. I call on ‘Comrade’ Ramotar to take a backseat in his dark and lonely office, and to desist from parading a few dirty character ‘negroes’ as being victimized by this current regime. Mark A. Benschop A victim under the PPP Regime
President Granger’s social cohesion plan... From page 5 youthful generation of our past. He also needs to cast a vision away from the ills of the past. The latent foundations of our racists past are still alive and well and the President must lead the charge by laying the axe to its root. The history books are replete with the atrocities of America’s founding fathers. I believe it is time for us to take a page from their books and write our own horror story. President Granger spoke of the country being “…liberated from the paralyzing failure to conduct Local Government Elections (LGE)”. However, I was surprised that the President did not mentioned that the Local Government Elections were steeped in racial, straight party-line, voting. As it pertains to his desire for Social Cohesion, the LGE were a blatant failure!
The next time the President speaks about the LGE he should use it to note how divided the country remains, 50 years removed from Massa’s rule. Editor, as I read the President’s speech today, it looks as if he has basically outsourced the work of Social Cohesion to the Parliament. As leader of the Executive Branch, I did not see sufficient vision casting. I did not hear him say what the Executive arm of the country plans to do. 1. He could have said that the reason he has not operationalised the culpability of the financial audits is because it would further jeopardize his call for social cohesion. 2. Or he could have said that he has settled on which members of the PPP he will add to his cabinet. 3. Or he could have said that the areas
in which the LGE were evenly divided, his govern will relinquish half to the opposition leadership. Editor, we have come to the one year marker of this new administration, we have also come to the year of our jubilee. Social Cohesion is the President’s baby. He should use this opportunity to do something big. So far, all the national issues which began partisan have remained partisan. However, as much as the President goes big to pardon women and youth, I think he should go big and do something remarkable in support of his Social Cohesion baby. For I honestly believe that actions to foster Social Cohesion cannot be piecemealed. We are either in or out. Pastor Wendell Jeffrey Practical Christianity Ministries
Arjoon and Gouveia have dishonoured... From page 4 public on the matter of the European Union funding for the airport, especially as her brother, Mazahar Ally, is a Member of the Board and is fully aware of the facts. In 2007, the EU, as part of a Caricom/ Caribbean Airport Development Programme, granted Euro$1.5M, about US$2M for the extension of the Airport runway to 4000 x 100 ft. to achieve ICAO 2C status to accommodate Liat and CAL aircraft. OAI then spent an additional US$1.2M to further lengthen the runway and increase the terminal taxiways and international apron to satisfy LIAT’s operational requirements. Instead, however of the EU/Caricom money benefitting OAI, the previous Government reasoned that they could not allow a privately owned Airport to benefit from Grant Aid and converted the Grant into an interest free loan to Ogle Airport Inc. But Ms. Arjoon Martins deceptively wants the public to believe that the
Government is the owner of the Airport, and that OAI, who has just made a small profit of G$31M last year, for the first time in ‘15 years, has benefitted from generous terms. It is therefore perhaps worth noting that Air Services Ltd. which has contributed just 14.11 percent of the total investment which has built the airport, are the largest beneficiary, flying, last year, just under 55% of the total domestic flights, making a mockery of anticompetitiveness claims. In yet another letter to the media over the weekend, Arjoon Martins, in yet another effort to prejudice the government review and pending case in the Court, accuses OAI of approving dishonest and predatory practices by a Land Use Committee chaired by Mr. Marcel Gaskin and established with Terms of Reference approved by two NATA members, Air Services Limited and Wings Aviation, on the OAI Board. The Board of OAI has also approved the land lease rates. The Land Use
Committee and the Board of OAI, as the Minutes and correspondence from OAI will show, have bent over backwards to accommodate ASL’s and other land lessees’ concerns. We have no wish to prejudice the outcome of the review being conducted by the Ministry of Public Infrastructure. We more than welcome it. Ogle Airport Inc., from the very beginning, with the previous government and now with the present, has urged the appointment of the Airport Review Panel the main purpose of which is to review the lease obligations of the GOG and OAI. We do not wish to prejudice the ongoing case before the court brought against the Airport. We will, therefore, refrain from further comment on what we consider to be the utterly unfounded claims of anti-competitiveness and oppression being speciously promoted by Ms. Arjoon-Martins. OGLE AIRPORT INC. Anthony Mekdeci, AA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257 SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. INNOVATIVEMARKETING& PUBLISHINGINC–TEL:6004212: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. 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 Building Construction: house plans & estimates, floor sanding, lacquering & painting, boat for Santa Mission –Call: 650-4362 Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigrant Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496; 662-6045 Repairs to any type of television, amplifiers, etc at home. Call: 675-5831 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Building Construction needs? Contact Pacific Development Inc. We do from start to finish. Call: 2236035
TAXI SERVICES GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS) PEN-PAL Good looking, tall, God fearing female interested in dating handsome Canadian Bachelor for friendship/ marriage/migration. Call: 6145652
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
WANTED Wamara Logs, fresh cut Call: 648-1619; 664-5150
Signature Sensation Beauty Salon: 50/50 special on services for $1000. Call: 2258701; 622-2643
Dispatchers. Call: 622-0622; 680-2181;226-8055 between 9am-6pm Experienced cashiers, counter servers, waiters, roti/puri cook, pastry maker/.Apply at Hack’s Halaal Restaurant, 5 Commerce St. Experienced Mechanic preferably on East Bank-Call: 666-8121; 265-3424 Cashiers/salesperson to work in general store on East Coast. Call Nalinie: 625-8662; 699-0143 Salesgirls, Porters & Watchman. Apply with written application @ Best Buys Food Supplies, 1E Dennis & Middleton Streets, Campbellville. One boy to assist in a shop in the Interior. Call: 678-0565 Gasoline and light diesel mechanic needed. Call: 623-0318 General Manager, jet-man, m a r a c k M e n , b a h e i r, operator, service men. Call: 685-9028 Female to work in the interior as Shop Assistant – salary $80,000 monthly –Call: 6741767; 685-8720
WANTED Carpenters. Call: 602-9469; 668-9863 One domestic must know to cook, 1 cleaner and 1 experienced waitress $70,000-$80,000 monthly. Call: 610-5043 (all live in) Experienced bartender, chef, live in or out, waitress, bouncers needed at Eden Bar & Lounge (East Bank). Call: 652-0074 Care for elderly Saturday & Sunday, 40yrs-50yrs, must live on West Coast or West Bank. Call: 623-7914 FAST GROWING FOOD DISTRIBUTON COMPANY LOOKING FOR DRIVER/ SALESPERSON & CANTER DRIVER WITH POLICE CLEARANCE & EXPERIENCED - CALL: 231-8529/ 231-8344
Land to buy in La Parfaite Harmonie, Uitvlugt, Zeelugt and Tuschen, Best Price offer. Call: 642-1252 Experienced general domestic to work in G/town. Must know to prepare Indian dishes, honest & pleasant. Call: 656-6388 Land to buy at Mocho, Second Bridge, two at Farm & 2 at Herstelling. Call: 2660693; 611-3398 Land to buy @ La Parfaite Harmonie, Providence, Eccles, Tuschen, Uitvlugt. Best price & cash. Call: 604-6724 Drivers & Domestic workers. Apply to GEB Security Services Inc., 10 Providence E.B.D with police clearance & 2 character references.
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM
One experienced hairdresser. Apply at Magic Touch Salon. Call: 225-6492
FOR SALE
FOR RENT
Toyota WILL VS-low mileage, 2010 Kawasaki Ninja 250r- imported from the USA, low mileage. Call: 674-9002 AT192 -$400,000 cash-Call: 695-3709
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754.
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
Toyota Fun Cargo, AT212, AT192, RZ, 4 Door Canter, Wagon (Suzuki Viatara 4WD) Nissan pickup 2008 unregistered. Call: 644-5096; 697-1453 One 212 -$1.1M, one long base canter-$2.3M, One RZ minibus long base -$1M. Call: 604-6724
Toyota Hilux Vigo, ex cab 4WD, gas, 2700cc, 2TR Auto cc, 2006. Call: 616-5595; 6740434
1 Business to rent, 1-2 bedrooms new houses to rent immediately @ W.C.D. Call: 276-0818
Wholesale Pork for sale @ $230 per lbs. Call: 644-8396
Vreed-en-Hoop Junction: church, office, lessons place, storage bond, private school, others -$20,000- Call: 603-6400
Tractor Massey Ferguson from Canada: MF165-$1.7M, MF135-$1.1M, MF265$2.1M, Loader 165 -$2.4M. Call: 682-5230; 628-9596 Pickup from Canada, 4 door loaded 2005, Toyota Tacoma -$2.3M. Call: 682-5230; 6289596
Aidan’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up, cheapest rate, low security- Call: 698-7807 Wing’s Car & 4WD Vigo pick up rental- Call: 690-6494
FOR SALE/RENT American pool table - Call: 277-0578
One 125CC XR for sale $270,000 –Call: 699-7870; 6988503 Mouldings, spindles, hand rails, pine cupboard doors 16X27 -$3200 (knot free)Call: 621-1278 1 Complete high volume 3 stage water purification system, UV light, water tanks, reasonably price, owner migrating. Call: 649-8430
Prominent business premises for rent @ 106 Smyth Street, Georgetown. Call:226-3560 Shop for rent in Lethem 2850sqft front line- Call: 6257171 Prime Business spot @ Anna Catherina, Public Road. Call: 667-2536; 628-0016
Ford Ranger -$1.5M, Ford F150 Sport -$1.5M. Call: 6825230; 628-9596
YAMAHA 600CC BIKE 2013 FULLY REGISTERED. CALL ELIAS: 628-3003; 667-4845; 610-0068
Bottom flat for business situated in prime business area @ Robb Street Bourda. Call: 226-1647
Golden Jubilee Sale: Reduced Prices!! 2004 Toyota IST$2.0M, 2007 Toyota Auris $2.5M. Call: 609-3650; 2268953; 226-1973
Muscovy Ducklings-Call: 254-1768 or 602-7203
2 Bedrooms bottom apartment @ 396 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme. Call: 603-8357; 223-2761
Golden Jubilee Sale: Reduced Prices!! 2007 Nissan BlueBird -$2.4M, 2007 Toyota Rush $2.9M, 2003 Toyota Verossa -$3.3M. Call: 609-3650; 2268953; 226-1973 Golden Jubilee Sale: Reduced Prices!! 2005 Toyota Raum $2.3M, 2006 Mazda Axela $2.3M, 2008 Toyota Hiace $3.3M. Call: 609-3650; 2268953; 226-1973 Golden Jubilee Sale: Reduced Prices!! 2005 Toyota Premio $2.5M, 2005 Toyota Allion $2.4M, 2007 Toyota Rav4 $6M. Call: 609-3650; 2268953; 226-1973 Toyota Hilux 5L Diesel Engine, stick gear 18" mag rims. Call: 692-9577; 229-2379
PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM
Driver/Salesman: experienced is an asset - i n t e r e s t e d persons call: 226-9800 One lorry driver with water work experienced. Call: 6781234
VEHICLE FOR SALE
TO LET One three bedrooms flat concrete housefor rent-Call: 678-9413 3 Bedrooms: 1 bathroom, unfurnished house @ Diamond Housing Scheme $50,000 monthly (available immediately). Call: 216-2995; 693-6610 Newly constructed 2 bedrooms apartment and 3 bedrooms house in safe & healthy environment- Call: 698-6496; 622-6512
One Red RX8 Motor Car, fully loaded music set, new tyres & mags- hardly usedexcellent condition- Call: 6802095; 261-5401 Rotweiler pups - 622-6646/ 652-8511 1 New model IST, PTT $1.7M negotiable, 1 new model Allion PSS -$2.5M negotiable, 1R6 Yamaha CD $600,000 negotiable. Call: 622-7201 Brand New: 1-21 gal air compressor, 2- 12 ton press,220 ton press, 2-3 ton floor jack, 3- 10" miter saw. Call: 2641538; 667-7405 Brand New: 3- 12" Miter saw, 5- air hose (50ft), 2-hand truck, 2 Toyota Tundra. Call: 2641538; 667-7405
LAND FOR SALE Land @ La Grange Public Road to Sea Dam 4 Acres for commercial or Housing Scheme-Call: 625-1514 Tuschen -$1.2M, Zeelugt $1.2M, La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.2M, Herstelling –$5M. (All prices negotiable). Call: 642-1252 La Parfaite Harmonie-$1M, $1.3M, $1.6M, Providence$4M, $4.5M, Eccles -$5M, New Road- $15M, Tuschen -$1.3M, $2M. Call: 604-6724
One Isuzu trooper diesel engine and transmission 4JG2 turbo intercooler, foreign used. Call: 669-2290
High value transported land, Greater Diamond, E.B.D $7.5M negotiable. Call: 6847234
One front house and one 2 storey back house for sale @ 180 Charlotte Street Bourda. Call: 226-5183; 227-6817; 6247341
Bartica (corner lot) $2.8M; Eccles -$5.5M, Herstelling (corner lot) -$3M, La Parfaite$1.3M & $2M. Call: 611-7223; 604-2207
Stamps! Valuable Stamp collection -12,000 and over for sale. Call: 624-7341; 227-6817 33.6 Acres Farm Land @ Kuru Kuru Linden Soesdyke Highway, one garden tiller. Call: 225-7794; 679-1151 1 AT192 Carina car for parts, 1 TD 27 Engine complete with transmission turbo intercool. Call: 6692290
PROPERTY FOR SALE Need help acquiring a home then contact Pacific Development Inc. “Making Dreams Realty”. Call: 223-6035 (Continued on page 29)
Wednesday May 18, 2016
PAGE 29
Kaieteur News
Police get laminating machine to facilitate ID card production Police ranks will now be able to flash a proper identification card whenever they have to, thanks to Canada-based businessman Dr. Roberto Jacgobin. Yesterday Dr. Jacgobin, who has a working relationship with the police Cops and Faith Community Network, presented the force with a professional document laminator. In brief remarks during the presentation which was made in the office of the Assistant Commissioner “Administration” at Police Headquarters, Dr. Jacgobin said that it was a pleasure for him to be of some help to the Guyana Police Force, and expressed his readiness to be of further assistance with other initiatives. Assistant Commissioner “Administration” David Ramnarine, who is performing the duties of Commissioner of Police in the absence of Seelall Persaud, received the laminating machine on the force’s behalf. He expressed sincere appreciation for the piece of equipment that will assist in the production of identification cards for members of the Force. A few years ago the force was the recipient of another
From page 28
Dr. Roberto Jacgobin (left) hands over the document laminator to Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine, while Senior Superintendent Maxine Graham, Assistant Commissioner “Operations” Christopher Griffith and Force Chaplain Pastor Patrick Doolichand (partly hidden) look on. piece of equipment that facilitated the production of identification cards. However that equipment has been malfunctioning for a while
now. Members of the public have always had issues with the lack of proper police identification, and this has led
to several confrontations, both physical and verbal. Production of police ID cards is expected to commence soon.
Taxing sugary beverages could be on the horizon – Health Minister Government, through the Ministry of Public Health, could soon be looking to implement tax on sugary beverages. Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton noted that this move, if followed through, would in fact mirror what has been done by legislators in Barbados. Last year the island territory announced a 10 per cent tax on sugary beverages in the quest to have its citizens reduce their consumption of sugar which is seen as a major threat to health gains globally. According to Minister Norton, the possibility of incorporating this move would be for similar reasons. This is in light of the fact, he noted, that everyone has a role to play if Guyana is to reach the ambitious goal of having its citizens become the healthiest within the Caribbean and the Americas. He reminded that the coalition A Partnership of National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) in its 2015 manifesto, stressed the objective of reaching the healthy goal by 2020. Realising this goal, the Minister said, would require that citizens adopt healthy lifestyles
Minister of Health, Dr. George Norton and behaviour. He was at the time speaking at the commissioning of a new state-of-the-art Catherisation Laboratory at the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI) last Saturday. During his deliberations he linked the prevalence of cardiovascular disease to behavioural risk factors such as unhealthy diets. “I can assure you...we might be following shortly in the footsteps of Barbados,” said Minister Norton. But according to him, based on his understanding, the only recognised shortcoming with Barbados’ undertaking is that what is gained through the taxation does not go directly to
the budget of public health. But Guyana is in a position to make a difference in this regard. In achieving the healthy goal, the Minister noted, the health sector will have to not only look at the associated challenges of sugar but also salt. “We tend to use too much sugar and salt, and these are things we need to take into consideration,” said the Minister as he also pointed to the challenge linked to obesity, physical inactivity and tobacco use. These, according to him, can all help to increase the cardiovascular situation. Directing attention to the use of tobacco, Minister Norton noted that “very soon, probably in the next two sittings, we will be tabling the Anti-Tobacco Bill in Parliament. I want to say that if there is any legacy I would leave in my term in office, is to get that Bill through the House successfully.” The Minister also highlighted the harmful use of alcohol, and noted that while an accurate study might not have been realised as yet, it can be easily deduced that alcohol has played a part in many road deaths. “We owe it to ourselves to take the best care of our bodies. The Government of
Guyana is committed to providing a conducive environment for making healthy lifestyles a choice that is available,” said the Minister. Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death globally with an estimated 17.5 million people dying in 2012. This state of affairs, the Minister noted, represents 31 per cent of all global deaths. And according to him, over three quarters of cardiovascular diseases occur in low and middle income countries.
VACANCY PROPERTY FOR SALE Popular East Coast Gas Station Day/Night: pump Brand new 2 storey concrete attendants, sales clerk & building in 5th Avenue, office assistant. Contact: 671- Diamond, E.B.D, all modern 9570; 695-9880,Non-Pareil amenities -$41M –Call: 662Exist at Confidential Cabs for 9335; 612-3244 one experienced dispatcher. Property @ 32 Princess St., Call: 231-5784 Wortmanville, GeorgetownCook/baker for the Interior Call: 621-8767 location, applicants must be Transported property @ experienced. Call: 618-2020 Grove $16M negotiable. Call: Need a job? Call JFWW (local 625-5461 & international) earn -$5,000$20,000 daily –#233-6517; Vreed-en-Hoop -$45M, Anna 638-0595; 622-1957 Monday- Catherina -$9.5M, $12.5, Friday 9am-5pm/ Boreseree -$6.5M, Uitvlugt $4.5M, Tuschen -$4.5M. Call: www.jobfairworldwide.com 642-1252 Female secretary must be 2535yrs, computer literate & at Prime Business spot @ Anna least Grade 2 in English. Call: Catherina, Public Road. Call: 667-2536; 628-0016 643-4049 Sales Representative (with valid license); Labourers & Driver (with valid license)Apply: jkeshwani.alesie @gmail.com Call: 269-0026/ 269-0058 Evening cashiers, porters. Apply at Survival, 16 Vlissengen Road & Duncan St., with application and passport size photo. Office clerk (senior/junior) with CXC English/ Mathematics & computer knowledge an asset. Call: 2237500
Property @ Cummings Street; 4 storey building, club, 8 self contain rooms. Call: 628-0016; 667-2536 Transported property in Regent Street between Wellington & Camp. Call: 625-1514 La Parfaite Harmonie: $6M, $5M, $20M, New Road -$17M, $15M, C.I -$6M, Pouderoyen $45M. Terms available on lands. Call: 604-6724 House for sale: 2 storey wood & concrete in Enterprise, owner leaving. For more information call: 692-0335; 229-6078
One caterpillar mechanic to work in the interior-Call: 223- House and land @ Diamond, 5273/4 La Parfaite Harmonie, Tuschen etc. Contact Pacific For caregiver ages 30-35 at Development Inc: 223-6035 Daycare to look after babies Call: 649-0564 Real Estate staff must be able to ride. Contact GME Realty: gmerealestate@outlook.com
The killing fields of... From page 27 outrageous killing of women have reached epidemic proportion. “Born in the land of the mighty Roriama…… till at length each of us will see what Guyana sons and daughters can be”. These beastly attributes which we are exhibiting to our fellow men and the world, are they our treasure find after 50 years? This violent trend has forced me to say that compared with the beast of the jungle we aren’t doing so well, makes these lesser primates stand tall above, their killing instincts and ferocious nature are beginning to look like child’s play, paling into insignificance considering that’s the way they were designed. But still like the song says: “no matter what we say or do Guyana we love you” and that’s reality at the end of the day it’s our home. But like I’m won’t of saying and as empirical evidence would show, this behaviour has its origin; it didn’t just pop up over night. “Even when we don’t see the root of a tree it is there for the tree couldn’t stand without it”. Frank Fyffe
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Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 18, 2016
THE VOICE OF THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS...
WHY IS THE ECONOMY SO SLUGGISH? By Sase Singh INTRODUCTION Is the government losing control over the productive sector or is the economy being mismanaged? What is causing this economy to be so sluggish? The data from 2015 clearly illustrated a slowdown in the economy. We can attribute some of this unfortunate performance to the economic disruption of an election year, but this situation was compounded by poor implementation of the public sector investment programme, very low investor confidence, continued low commodities prices for our main exports and a dire shortage of new ideas and policies backed by a skilled team of project managers to implement them. In 2015, the economy grew at its slowest pace in seven years with bauxite, forestry, fishing and construction adversely affecting growth. Luckily for Guyana, our main imports (OIL), saw a persistent decline in its price over 2015 which brought great relief to the balance of payments. What has gone wrong over the last few years, and why should the business class and the working class be very worried? This and some other questions will be answered in this week’s column. THE PRODUCTIVE SECTOR If one looks at various sectors of the economy today, one can see an awful amount of incoming pain. Observing the rice and sugar sectors in 2016, one can see a decline in production over the first crop. Last year when the rice and sugar sectors did better, all the credit was given to the management of the respective sectors, with no recognition of the fact that sugar workers and rice farmers went beyond the call of duty to make the impossible – very possible. Today, as the sugar and rice industries miss their first crop targets by 29 percent and 20 percent respectively, the senior management at GuySuCo and the GRDB are absolved and the weather had to saddle the blame. But Jock Campbell had the same
Emergency safety plan... (From page 23) because it is important that there is no traffic congestion.” In relation to security, Bacchus explained that there will be ranks around the perimeter of D’Urban Park and the entrances leading to the venue to ensure everyone’s safety and security. According to Bacchus, at the Park, police will be in the stands and there will be barriers to ensure that persons do not encroach on the activities that will be happening on the tarmac. “Generally the Police Force is prepared for the flag raising ceremony, and the float parade, and the ranks will receive briefing as to how to operate on the day to keep citizens safe.” Meanwhile, Compton Sparman, Divisional Officer for Guyana Fire Service told GINA that systems are already in place, and that, “We know exactly what must be done, for this event. We will ensure that persons trained by the CDC will have refresher training.” He explained that because there are mostly wooden structures in the Park, there will be a fire service crew to deal with any fire outbreaks. There will also be a rescue crew to respond quickly to emergencies and assist the CDC and other agencies to take persons to the rescue point located at Castellani House. “We will have three alarms activated for casualties which will aid us in our work,” Sparman said. Help and Shelter, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and Davis Memorial Hospital are among other stakeholders on board.
weather challenges we have today, back in banks, which is a litmus test as to the state of the Bookers days. Yet under his leadership, the economy. the sugar industry consistently produced an The key issues continue to not get annual production of over 300,000 per year. enough policy attentions in Guyana. We have In 2016, if we secure a production of too many Ministers spending an inordinate 205,000 tonnes, it is hooray! amount of time on airplanes rather than at their On the national books, gold remains the desk driving the reform agenda. All that sector that earned the largest amount of matters today is the state of our productivity, foreign currency in 2015 and is set to continue the number of jobs created and the size of the this lead role in 2016. However, deposits into the foreign ask anyone who understands reserves, the level of new how the Guyanese economy innovation being introduced works and they will tell you that and most importantly, the level most of these gold earnings end of new investment in our up in countries like Canada, and future. This is what will make remain mostly inaccessible to a real difference in the lives of the Guyanese authorities. the man-in-the-street, not how It is all a book transaction many international conferences and nothing else. On the other a Minister attends. hand, the proceeds from the WHY IS THE ECONOMY rice and the sugar export sales EXPANDING BELOW truly return to Guyana and are POTENTIAL? mostly accessible to the Guyana’s potential growth Guyanese authorities, from can be defined as the maximum which they use portions of it to annual increase in output that pay for our foreign the economy can sustain commitments. If rice and sugar without creating get a cold, Guyana will macroeconomic imbalances Sase Singh definitely catch the flu. such as runaway inflation and The economic outlook for Guyana so on. From my understanding of our illustrates that it will be flu season in 2016 and economy, an expected optimal annual increase 2017 and maybe beyond, if we continue with in the current economy should run around 6 these gross levels of incompetence at how percent under current conditions. we are managing the Agriculture Sector. We are right now running at some 50 THE TRADINGAND percent of our normal potential. All I am CONSTRUCTION SECTORS hearing from the new rulers is one excuse after Two of the largest contributors to another rather than a menu of new public economic growth in 2015 were the trading and policy measures to combat economic the construction sectors and both of these underperformance. We are doing all the sectors contracted in that year. I am all for wrong things for the wrong reasons. Our change, but I cannot support change when priorities are all mixed up; jubilee vs. jobs, the evidence illustrates gross incompetence ministers’ salaries vs. workers’ salaries, care and mismanagement. for the exclusive welfare of the new rulers vs. Under former Minister Irfaan Ali, the nation compassion for the plight of the working poor, distributed an average of 7,000 house lots per parades and fetes vs. productivity, and the year, but in its first year in office, the coalition list goes on. Can you image the Parliament government distributes less than 1,500 house was shut down for 56 days because Ministers lots. This situation has fed right into the were unavailable? declining performance of the commercial We cannot deny numbers so let us look at
real numbers. The export sector in 2015 expanded by an insignificant 0.2 percent and was principally driven by the increase in export revenue from gold. In spite of record production in the rice and sugar sectors, export revenue dropped collectively in these sectors by some US$36 million. This is a clear reflection that the world has no appetite for raw sugar or raw rice, but yet over the last eleven months, we have done very little at the executive level to move Guyana away from it pre-colonial product portfolio of raw rice and raw sugar. I did an entire column last year on the urgent need to ramp up the production of packaged sugar. The research is already available that clearly establishes that we can earn as much as US$0.91 per pound of packaged sugar when it is parceled into those 1 teaspoon sachets vs. US$0.18 per pound of raw sugar. We have a new Board, but they do very little to better position GuySuCo to fulfill its mandate. What we get instead is more of the same old regressive attitude of not focusing enough on the demands of the market place. Therefore, no one should be surprised if the foreign income from rice and sugar fall even further in 2016. Of course, we will hear more lame excuses, but the fundamental issue remains – lack of adaptive leadership. So what does the future hold for Guyana if we cannot evolve the productive sector away from the pre-colonial product portfolio? CONCLUSION The year 2016 is shaping up to be another year of slaughter for the business class as the crime wave takes on a new life. But to compound that reality, we are faced with an environment of uncertainty in the private sector as the public sector fails to engineer enough public policies for the betterment of the people. Better cannot come with this level of performance. I expect in 2016, that aggregate demand and business confidence will continue to be subdued unless something is done urgently in high places. Please feel free to share your feedback at sasesin1@yahoo.com.
“THREE POUND OF WEED” GETS MAN FOUR YEARS JAIL ...and $30,000 fine
JAILED: Lloyd Sadloo
City Magistrate Judy Latchman yesterday sentenced a father of two to four years imprisonment after she found him guilty on a drug trafficking charge. Lloyd Sadloo, 34, of Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, was held by police with 1.452kg (3.2 lbs) of cannabis sativa (marijuana) in his possession for the purpose of trafficking on October 20, 2015 at Eccles, East Bank Demerara.
According to court facts, police ranks attached to the Narcotics Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), were on patrol when they noticed Sadloo and others acting in a suspicious manner while in a car. The ranks ordered the men to stop, but they sped away, which led to a chase by the police along the East Bank Demerara thoroughfare. A mobile MMC Security Service patrol also pursued the men, but the driver lost control causing that vehicle to overturn. Police fired warning shots at the men, who stopped the vehicle they were travelling in. When the police searched the vehicle the illicit drug was found in a bag on the floor next to where Sadloo was sitting. The men were apprehended and the vehicle impounded. At a court hearing yesterday, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, Sadloo was called on to lead his defence. He elected to give an unsworn testimony and denied ownership of the drug. He also denied telling police “officer is three pound of weed I just buy”. At this point, Police Prosecutor, Vishnu Hunt submitted that a prima facie case had been made out against Sadloo. Hunt argued that all elements of the offence were proven,
after relying on evidence given by police officers. Hunt pointed out that the prosecution’s evidence was never challenged by the defence. The prosecutor asked the court to rely on the oral statement Sadloo made at the time police busted him with the prohibited substance. At the conclusion of the prosecutor’s submission, the Magistrate adjourned the court for a short while to make her decision. The Magistrate told the court that after revision of the evidence throughout the trial, she was satisfied that Sadloo had knowledge of the drug. She said that she was also satisfied that he was in control of the drug and that he possessed it for the purpose of trafficking. As such, she underscored that the court found him guilty as charged for the offence. Having considered all mitigating factors, the quantum of the drug and the need to prevent others from contemplating the offence, Sadloo was sentenced to four years in jail. In mitigation, he told the court that he has two girl children. He also disclosed that he was convicted before for illegal firearm and ammunition possession. Earlier on during the hearing, Sadloo had begged the Magistrate to make a decision in the case after the jubilee independence celebration. He told Magistrate Latchman that he wanted to experience and be a part of the milestone. (Feona Morrison)
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Ashni Singh “shielded” NICIL’s books from external auditors - Goolsarran By Abena RockcliffeCampbell Former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh went to great lengths to ensure that the financial statements of the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) were protected from certain exposures. At the time, Dr. Singh was also the Chairman of NICIL. This was revealed in the NICIL forensic audit report done by Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran. Goolsarran noted that during the period August 2006 to 15 May 2015, Dr. Singh was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of NICIL. “His spouse was an Audit Director in the Audit Office with overall responsibility for the audit of public enterprises which includes the audit of NICIL.” Goolsarran said that this “arrangement” presented a “serious conflict of interest.” The Auditor indicated that Dr. Singh was however adamant that NICIL’s audit must be done by the Audit Office. Goolsarran reported that the minutes of a NICIL board meeting recorded the then Minister as having stated that he “supports outsourcing of the audits of the subsidiaries, but NICIL accounts need to be audited by the Auditor General”. He further noted, “Given the state of affairs to have existed in the Audit Office, it would have been more appropriate for the audit of NICIL to have been outsourced.” There were several other
Former Finance Minister and NICIL Chairman, Dr. Ashni Singh
Forensic Auditor, Anand Goolsarran
issues with NICIL’s auditing. There was a case where the Auditor General’s Office approved NICIL’s Consolidated Accounts before offering an opinion on the accounts of NICIL as a single company. Basically, the Audit Office approved the accounts of NICIL and all its subsidiaries before reviewing the accounts of NICIL Goolsarran said that NICIL produced consolidated accounts of itself and its “subsidiaries” from 2002 to 2006. Goolsarran said that an examination of these Consolidated Financial Statements for 2002 showed that the Board approved the accounts on 12 March 2010 while the Auditor General issued his opinion on them on 15 June 2010. However, the Auditor General’s opinion on the accounts of NICIL as an individual company was issued on 27 September 2012, that is, 15 months later. “It should be emphasized that the audited consolidated
financial statements could not have existed before the date when the accounts of NICIL, as an individual company, were certified by the Auditor General… A similar observation was made in relation to the consolidated accounts of NICIL for 2003, 2004 and 2005,” said Goolsarran. Goolsarran reported that the Auditor General acknowledged that he issued his opinions on the consolidated financial statements of NICIL before his opinions on the financial statements of NICIL as an individual company. “He, however, did not provide a satisfactory explanation why he had done so. NICIL’s board was also complicit in the violation of this fundamental principle regarding the preparation of group accounts when it approved the above consolidated financial statements without ensuring that NICIL as an individual company was audited first.”
GTU hopeful of favourable court ruling ...but prepared for adverse outcome Although a ruling in the matter involving the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) is still pending, the latter body is already prepared for any possible outcome. Once the ruling is in favour of the GTU it is expected that the TSC will be required to review its 2015 list of senior teachers’ promotion. But according to GTU President, Mr. Mark Lyte, the Union at its fifth biennial conference in March discussed some actions that could be
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taken against the TSC if the court ruling is not favourable. “If it doesn’t go in our favour, we know exactly what course of action we will take to make sure that the TSC is addressed. We have already stated what course of action will be taken,” Lyte asserted. When asked to divulge the possible course of action, Lyte said that he was not in a position to do so since it will (Continued on page 08)
Five teens remanded for murder of retired professor Drama unfolded at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts yesterday following a court hearing for five teenagers charged with the murder of retired professor Pairadeau Mars. Relatives of the accused behaved in a disorderly manner and started wailing loudly when they were informed that the teenagers were remanded to prison. There were heated exchange of words and scuffles between relatives which resulted in police officers ordering them to exit the court compound. The teenagers, who ranged from ages 14 to 18 years, were jointly charged. The accused hid their faces with clothing to conceal their identities while entering and leaving the compound. They were not required to enter pleas after the allegation was read to them by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan. Court proceedings for this matter were held in- camera due to the fact that juveniles were indicted. According to reports, Mr. Mars, a remigrant from the
Murdered: Professor Pairadeau Mars United States of America, was found slumped in a chair in the study room of his Lot 395 Bissessar Street, Prashad Nagar home, last Thursday. The hands and feet of the 75-year-old man were bound together with duct-tape, while duct-tape was also wrapped around his mouth. It was reported that the teenagers confessed to killing Mars and also admitted to robbing him. Kaieteur News understands that a 17-yearold female accused was
allegedly known to the professor since she would usually visit his home. The teenage girl reportedly told police that she contacted her 16-year-old boyfriend and told him that they could have robbed the pensioner since he was home alone. Professor Mars studied History at the University of Guyana. He had specialized in African Studies at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, USA. (Feona Morrison)
The accused hid their faces as police escorted them to the prison van after a court hearing
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Caribbean islands warned as Venezuela collapses CARACAS, Venezuela — The mayor of Chacao in Venezuela’s capital Caracas has warned that Caribbean islands and Colombia may suffer an influx of refugees from Venezuela if food shortages continue in the country. Español Ramón Muchacho said that people have been reduced to hunting cats, dogs and pigeons for food. “As hunger deepens, we could see more Venezuelans fleeing by land or sea to an island,” Muchacho said. Venezuela saw a new wave of looting last week that resulted in at least two deaths, countless wounded, and millions of dollars in losses and damages, as desperation sets in among hungry residents and the country appears to be on the verge of complete collapse and chaos. Panampost reported that last Wednesday morning a crowd ransacked a supermarket in the central region of Venezuela. “They took milk, pasta, flour, oil, and milk powder. There were 5,000 people,” one witness told Venezuela outlet El Estímulo. People from across the entire state came to the supermarket because there were rumours that some products
A looted supermarket in Venezuela not found anywhere else would be sold there. Authorities were unable to control the massive crowd. “There were 250 people for each National Guard officer… lots of people and few soldiers. At least one officer was beat up because he tried to stop the crowd,” another source told El Estímulo. Other food outlets run by the government were also looted by the people. Over the last two weeks, several provinces have seen looting in pharmacies, shopping malls, supermarkets, and food delivery trucks. In several markets, shouts of “we are hungry!” were heard. On April 27, the Venezuelan Chamber of Food (Cavidea) reported that the country’s food producers only had 15 days left of inventory. Oscar Meza, director of the Documentation Center for
Social Analysis (CendasFVM), said that measurements of scarcity and inflation in May are going to be the worst to date. “We are officially declaring May as the month that [widespread] hunger began in Venezuela,” he told Web Noticias Venezuela. “As for March, there was an increase in yearly prices due to inflation — a 582.9 percent increase for food, while the level of scarcity of basic products remains at 41.37 percent.” Meza said the trigger for the crisis is the shortage of bread and other foods derived from wheat. Meanwhile, as protests rocked Caracas on Saturday and civil war appeared all but inevitable, opposition factions are vying to oust President Nicolas Maduro, who has blamed the United States for the unrest in his country. (Caribbean News)
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Montague commits to fighting transnational crime
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Security Minister Robert Montague, says the Government is committed to working with regional and international partners in fighting transnational crime and protecting citizens. He said Jamaica and other island states have shorelines which are difficult to monitor and secure, thus making them vulnerable to sophisticated and resourced criminal organsations, which breach countries’ borders with illegal weapons, drugs and counter-
feit products. Speaking at the opening of the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council’s (CCLEC) 38th annual conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, yesterday Montague said his ministry welcomes and supports the conference and the effort being made to find effective solutions to securing borders. The five-day conference
will last until May 20. He said the theme of the conference: ‘Leveraging Customs Information Systems to Optimise Our Role in Border Security’, promises to “open our eyes to new and better ways of making greater use of the huge investments being made in advanced information systems to secure our borders and to fight crime in the digital age”. (Jamaica Observer)
GTU hopeful of favourable... (From page 07) have to first be sanctioned at a Special General Council meeting. “When the time comes we will be happy to inform precisely what will be done,” said the GTU President. This publication understands a ruling into the matter will be soon handed down. The TSC is a body task with appointing, promoting and disciplining the majority of teachers in the public education system. The Union has a representative on the Commission and it was through this representation it was able to deduce that the promotion process for 2015
and perhaps for years prior was flawed. Because of the existing rift between the TSC and GTU, communication between the two became virtually non-existent. “I cannot say there is any relationship,” said Lyte as he pointed out that “normally at our conferences we invite the Ministry of Education and the TSC to make presentations...the fact that the TSC did not show up there is no relationship.” The Union in July 2015 filed an injunction in order to have the final list of senior teachers’ promotion for that year be reviewed. This, according to Lyte, was based on the fact that the Union was reliably informed that teachers were not treated fairly during the promotion process. According to Lyte, although discussions were held with the Ministry of Education and the TSC to see how the matter could have been resolved outside of court, the TSC decided to follow through on court action. “Unfortunately, the Teaching Service Commission refused to negotiate and preferred that the matter be stretched out before the court,” said Lyte. He added, “we have waited for many months and now the decision is in the hands of the Chief Justice who will be making her ruling
very shortly...so we are at the decision stage, and we would like to say to those teachers who have been waiting for almost one year to be a little more patient, because the ruling will be given very shortly.” The prolonged court matter has essentially stalled teachers’ promotions for 2015 and this year as well. The GTU had for seven consecutive weeks, earlier this year, protested outside the Brickdam, Georgetown office of the TSC to emphasize its frustration with its operation. The union had even called on Government to dissolve the Leila Ramsonled Commission. “We have had no response coming from either the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of the Presidency or in fact any Minister who have seen the plight of our teachers,” said Lyte. The union had even threatened to take its action to another level with strike action. This, however, did not materialise. In fact following its biennial conference there were no more protest action since according to Lyte, “having realised that the court matter was nearing completion we decided to wait on the outcome of the court matter rather than continue our protest action.”
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday May 18, 2016
After bombings in Baghdad kill 77, Sadr’s forces deploy in some areas
People gather at the site of a car bomb attack in Baghdad’s mainly Shi’ite district of Sadr City, Iraq, yesterday. REUTERS/Khalid al Mousily Reuters - At least 77 people were killed and more than 140 wounded by three bombings in Baghdad yesterday, extending the deadliest spate of attacks in the Iraqi capital so far this year and driving Shi’ite fighters into the streets to defend some areas. Powerful cleric Moqtada al-Sadr blamed the government for failing to provide security and hundreds of militiamen loyal to him deployed in Sadr City and five other mainly Shi’ite areas where the worst of the recent violence has been centred. Islamic State claimed a suicide bombing which killed 41 people and wounded more than 70 in the northern district of al-Shaab as well as a car bomb in nearby Sadr City that left at least 30 dead and 57 wounded, police and medical sources said.
Another car blew up in alRasheed, south of the capital, killing six and wounding 21, the sources said. Prime Minister Haider alAbadi ordered the arrest of the official in charge of alShaab’s security, his office said in a statement, without giving a reason. Attacks claimed by Islamic State in and around Baghdad last week killed more than 100 people, the highest death toll in the capital in so few days so far this year. Security had improved in recent years as sectarian tensions waned and the city’s perimeter was fortified. Islamic State, the ultra-hardline Sunni militants who control parts of northern and western Iraq, have not tried to take the capital but carry out increasingly regular suicide bombings there, hitting Shi’ite areas and government
targets. With the latest death tolls, fears are growing that Baghdad could relapse into the bloodletting of a decade ago when sectarian-motivated suicide bombings killed scores of people every week and set off revenge attacks against Sunnis. This has cranked up pressure on Abadi who is struggling to solve a political crisis or risk losing control of parts of Baghdad to Islamic State militants. Away from Baghdad, Iraq’s military is waging a counter-offensive against Islamic State. Abadi has said a political crisis in Baghdad, sparked by his attempt to reshuffle the cabinet in a drive to tackle graft, is hampering the fight against Islamic State and creating space for more insurgent attacks on the civilian population.
Senate passes bill allowing 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia Reuters - The U.S. Senate passed legislation yesterday that would allow families of Sept. 11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia’s government for damages, setting up a potential showdown with the White House, which has threatened a veto. The Saudis, who deny responsibility for the 2001 attacks, strongly object to the bill. They had said they might sell up to $750 billion (£518.6 billion) in U.S. securities and other American assets in retaliation if it became law. The “Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act,” or JASTA, passed the Senate by unanimous voice vote. It must next be taken up by the
U.S. House of Representatives, where the Judiciary Committee intends to hold a hearing on the measure in the near future, a committee aide said. If it became law, JASTA would remove the sovereign immunity, preventing lawsuits against governments, for countries found to be involved in terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. It would allow survivors of the attacks, and relatives of those killed in the attacks, to seek damages from other countries. In this case, it would allow lawsuits to proceed in federal court in New York as lawyers try to prove that the Saudis were involved in the attacks on the World Trade
Center and Pentagon. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed al-Jubeir has said his country’s objection to the bill is based on principles of international relations. “What (Congress is) doing is stripping the principle of sovereign immunities which would turn the world for international law into the law of the jungle,” he said in a statement yesterday. James Kreindler, a prominent trial lawyer who represents 9/11 families and won large payouts for the victims of the 1988 bombing of Pan American Airways Flight 103 over Scotland, said he expected the bill to pass the House and become law.
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Manchester United ease past Bournemouth to seal fifth spot (Reuters) Wayne Rooney and Marcus Rashford scored to lift Manchester United to a comfortable 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Tuesday that secured fifth place in the Premier League table. The game was hastily rearranged after the match on Sunday was abandoned due to a bomb scare and the first half was very low key in front of a sparse Old Trafford crowd. The one moment of quality produced a fine goal, however, just before the interval when United’s French forward Anthony Martial injected pace down the left and Rashford stepped over his cross to leave Rooney with a simple finish. The 18-year-old Rashford provided another example of his burgeoning talent with a clinical finish, his eighth goal since making his debut in
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CDS Col. Sir Trevor... (From page 32) which is being represented by Canada. He said that the next time the competition comes to the island; persons can expect improved facilities at the Crabbs Range noting that monies are needed to improve same and he is constantly lobbying to see improvements. WIFBSC President Norris Gomez of Trinidad
and Tobago also extend a warm welcome to the shooters, stating that he is looking forward to a high level of competition for the remainder of the week at the individual and team levels. Competition got underway with the Individual Shoot with two sighting shots and 10 rounds to count at the 300 yards range. Thereafter, the marksmen and
women took on each other at 500 yards (2x15) and 600 yards (2x7). Today and tomorrow, rivalry will be from the same ranges, today will be 2x15, 2x7 and 2x10 at 300, 500 and 600, while tomorrow’s final day will be 2x7 @ 300, 2x10 @ 500 and 2x15 at 600 yards. Antigua and Barbuda are hosting as a result of Trinidad and Tobago’s inability.
DC Jammers basketball tour... Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and son Kai during a lap of honour after the game. (Reuters / Andrew Yates) February, in the 74th minute and Ashley Young added United’s third before de-
fender Chris Smalling’s stoppage-time own goal gave Bournemouth a consolation.
Wednesday May 18, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You will enjoy interacting with those who come from different backgrounds. Your intellectual wit will bring greater popularity with your peers.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You can look around for the right place and enlist some of your friends to help you move. Be careful if a friend asks you for advice.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You can accomplish a lot if you deal with other people's money or possessions today.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You haven't been totally honest with yourself and it's time to review your motives. Group endeavors will provide you with entertainment.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Yo u mustn't make promises that you won't be able to keep. Be careful not to come on too strongly. Try to channel your energy into physical work. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You could overreact to emotional situations regarding your relationship. You must not make unnecessary changes today. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Partnerships may be strained if one of you has been erratic and hard to deal with. You should try to elaborate on an idea you have regarding a product or service for the home. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Travel will be to your advantage; however, it might be expensive. Go out with friends and avoid the situation on the home front.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Sudden romantic connections may be short lived. Your personal situation is fluctuating. Take care that arrangements to spend quality time together are made in advance. CAPRI (Dec.22–Jan.19) Interaction with colleagues will only be upsetting. Children will be of major concern if you haven't kept the lines of communication open. Make amends if you can. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) This will not be the best day to initiate change. You can make a difference if you offer your help at f u n c t i o n s that involve children. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You are best to stick to basics. Work on getting ahead by picking up added skills.
(From page 40) President’s College battle Marian Academy in the undercard. YBG informed that the school games are all Under19 games, but will feature some of the best U-16 prospects as Guyana continues to prepare to host the Caribbean
Basketball Confederation (CBC) U-16 Championships in July. A release from the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) said that games start at 6:30 pm each night with admission being $1000 for Adults and children 12 and under
free; the GABF said that Entertainment will also be a feature of each night. Nigel Hinds is GABF President, while Chris Bowman is coordinating the youth basketball aspect while Clarence Wallerson manages the Washington DC Jammers.
Berbice Cricket Board says... (From page 38) by the WICB. A statement from the BCB said that from a very tender age Motie, another player coming out of the mighty Albion Cricket Club, was Identified as a future West Indies product. Today he is not far from that and that is after only his first season at the senior level, the release continued. The BCB takes this opportunity to congratulate Motie on his call up and wish
Toucan Industries latest to support...
(From page 39) along Hadfield Street into Mandela Avenue, before turning into Homestretch Avenue for the finish at the place of origin. Among the other entities on board are: Banks DIH, GTT, Real Value, BK International, Star Party Rentals, S&L Electrical, Toucan Industries, Antartic Maintenance, Payless Variety Store, Brans Security, Kevin Jeffrey, Ming’s Products, Corona Beer, Cummings Electrical, Wartsila, Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and Office of the President. Meanwhile, interested person s c a n r e g i s t e r a t the Michael Parris Gym in the National Park, ENetworks on Camp Street and Fitness Express on Sheriff Street.
him well. He is advised to keep his feet grounded. Best wishes also to the entire team.
The BCB would like to thank all our sponsors for their continued support.
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Kaieteur News
CARICOM youth reparations CDS Col. Sir Trevor Thomas relay and rally set for Friday WIFBSC Individual C/ships
opens 2016 edition
Chief of Defence Staff of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Col. Sir Trevor Thomas (2nd right) being applauded by participants after officially declaring the WIFBSC 2016 championships, open. By Franklin Wilson In Antigua with the compliments of Crown Mining Supply, Fitness Express, Safeway Security Service and Industrial Safety Supply Encouraging shooters to be competitive with the under-
standing that everyone cannot win, Chief of Defence Staff of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Col. Sir Trevor Thomas yesterday opened the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council (WIFBSC) 2016 Championships at the Crabbs Rifle
Range, Antigua. Col. Thomas who also fired the first shot from the 600 yards range and declared the competition open, extended salutations to each nation represented from the Caribbean and North America (Continued on page 31)
The Guyana Reparations Committee will hold the main event of its month-long activities, the CARICOM International and Regional Youth Reparations Relay and Rally at the Parade Ground (Independence Park) on Friday. This CARICOM Initiative began in Barbados on April 16 when Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart, Chairman of the CARICOM Heads of State Subcommittee on Reparations launched the event. President Granger is a sitting Member of that Subcommittee. According to press release from Guyana Reparations Committee, a reparations Baton, created in Barbados and made of Mahogany wood was passed on to Guyana at the Event by Chairman of Barbados’ Task Force on Reparations, Professor Dr. Pedro Welch, to Acting Consul General of Guyana to Barbados, Monique Jackman. It arrived in Guyana on April 19, 2016. The CARICOM Relay and Rally is part of a wider effort to spread the reparations message around the Caribbean, through public education and other initiatives focused on Youth. The CARICOM International and Regional Youth Reparations Relay and Rally sit in the middle of a large number of activities all across Guyana. Earlier this month, the Reparations Baton was sent to Essequibo where it
The Reparations Baton that was passed to Guyana to mark the staging of the event here. was first taken by boat to Hackney, Liberty, Marlboro and Lillidale in the Pomeroon to Charity. From Charity runners re-
layed the Baton to Dartmouth where a ceremony was held. Runners then took the Baton to Anna Regina where a ceremony was held at Damon Square. Runners continued to Queenstown where a ceremony was held and finally the Baton was driven to Hopetown back to the ‘Stelling’. At each ceremony, the Moringa Tree (‘The Tree of Life “) was planted. On Friday last, beginning at Calcutta (Mahaicony) Belladrum, Litchfield, Hopetown, Lovely Lass/ Golden Grove and Ithaca. At each stop, there was a Ceremony and a planting of a Moringa Tree. Drummers, outriders, runners and speeches were all part of the process for this seven-hour journey of the Baton through Region Five, Berbice. Yesterday, beginning with the historical heritage Village of Sandvoort, the Baton was relayed through Winkel (an historical Village of free African technologists) to the Esplanade in New Amsterdam where representatives from Skeldon, Kildonian Manchester, Lancaster and other African Villages were waiting for a grand Ceremony, which was significantly facilitated by the Mayor of New Amsterdam and several other individuals. Libations, drumming, singing, speeches and tree planting, as well as a Message from the Guyana Reparations Committee constituted the Programme. Friday’s event at Parade Ground begins at 4pm with young runners leaving with the Baton at Stabroek where slaves were undocked through several historical stops (Parliament Building, Cuffy Square, the Sea Walls) to the Parade Ground for the 6pm Programme. Sir Hilary Beckles, Danny Glover and Don Rojas of the African American Reparations Committee have been invited to the Parade Ground Event. The Baton will then be sent to the next CARICOM country after Guyana’s activities are over in May. It will tour all 15 CARICOM reparations countries this year. Guyana has produced 3 replicas of the Baton, in beautiful Mahogany, one for each of the three original Counties of Essequibo, Berbice and Demerara. The Guyana Reparations Committee is inviting all groups and individuals who are interested to participate in the activity.
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
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WIFBSC Individual Championships
Defending champ Braithwaite trails T&T’s Gomez after two ranges by 2 points Defending West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council (WIFBSC) Individual champion, Guyanese Lennox Braithwaite is trailing WIFBSC President, Trinidadian Norris Gomez by two points after two of three rounds that should have been contested on yesterday’s opening day of the 2016 championships being contested at the Crabbs Fullbore Range in Antigua. Gomez ended a flawless day by achieving two possibles at the 300 and 500 yards ranges, the 600 yards range shoot did not come off due to some technical glitches which the organizing nation was able to sort out. The 600 yards range will be contested today and will see the 53 shooters matching shots at 4-ranges including 2 at 600. Gomez won the 300 yards shoots with a score of 50.6 from Jamaica’s Jose Nunez who also achieved a similar score but lost to Gomez on the count back with the Vs.
Lennox Braithwaite after achieving a possible at 500 yards. Guyana’s Fullbore Captain Mahendra Persaud was third dropping a single point along with 6 Vs, while Braithwaite was 9th down with a score of 48.2 underscoring the fierceness of the competition to date. Guyana’s 11 shooters have turned in good performances so far as the table below will show, two more days still remains. Yesterday’s opening day
of action saw the wind blowing at a consistent high pace for the entire day and as some of the seasoned shooters described, “It was not hard to predict despite its consistent and constant pace.” With four ranges scheduled for today’s penultimate day of action, competitive rivalry is anticipated with the first shot expected to fire at 09:00hrs.
National Paralympic Committee holds General Assembly The National Paralympic Committee of Guyana, NPCG, held its General Assembly on May 11, 2016 at the Cliff Anderson Sport Hall. The following members were elected to offices by nineteen affiliates President: Wilton Spencer Vice President: Debra Bial Atu Secretary General: Beverly Pile Treasurer: Joan Butcher Athletes’ Representative: William France Members at Large (3)
- Shellon Swaving - Arthur Lewis - Zoya Crandon The NPCG has as its pri-
ority the completion of the application process with the International Paralympic Committee, IPC.
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Kaieteur News
Record three tons in an innings for Guyana in first match under Golden Arrow Head By Sean Devers As we celebrate our Golden Jubilee 50th Anniverary as an Independent nation it is important to understand history and those who made life easier for us in all aspects of nation building since May 26, 1966. The younger generation seems not to understand the value of those pioneers who paved the way for our present success and those to come. In our first cricket game under the Golden Arrow Head and playing as Guyana as opposed to British Guiana in the 1967 Shell Shield FirstClass tournament, Guyana registered their highest ever total when they made 641-5 declared at Bourda. Only once, in 1951 playing as British Guiana has this country made more runs in a First-Class innings when they amassed 692-9 against Barbados at Bourda in a five-
day game. Berbicians Roy Fredericks, who made his first century, Rohan Kanhai and Basil Butcher all made hundreds in the same innings. Fredericks then became the only post Independence Guyanese batman to make two centuries in the same Regional First-Class game when he scored 115 in the second innings. Fredericks achieved the feat on two more occasions for Guyana against Australia at Bourda (1973) and MCC (1974). Clive Lloyd against New Zealand (1972) and Solomon against T&T (1964) are the only others to score hundreds in both innings of a FirstClass match for this Country. Fredericks, a pugnacious left-hander from West Bank Berbice made a shot filled 127 and dominated a 292-run opening stand with fellow Berbician Joe Soloman (68) who passed 5,000 First-Class
Basil Butcher
Roy Fredericks
runs before Fredericks was removed by left-arm pacer John Bethell. Kanhai, arguable Guyana’s best batsman, joined Solomon who batting sedately and together they added 101 runs before Solomon was run out at 393-2. Kanhai reportedly continued to play several audacious shots but on reaching 144 he was forced to retire hurt to bring Butcher to the crease. The right hander from Port Mourant was especially severe on Richard Edwards who finished with 0-102 from 23 overs. Butcher played like a Surgeon, carving the ball to the
Rohan Kanhai
boundary 19 times while clearing it just once as he batted for 297 minutes in his unbeaten on 183. Ovid Glasgow, who later served as Assistant Commissioner of the Guyana Police Force, made 29, Vincent Mayers (31) and Randolph Ramnaresh, who was bowled by Patrick Lashley for 51, all chipped in. Ramnaresh’s demise saw the declaration being made with Butcher 17 short of a double century. Lashley scored 204 and Sir Garry Sobers made 165 as the Bajans fell for 552 as pacer Winton English capturing 4111. Guyana were 244-5 when the game ended in a draw. Guyana repeated the feat
of three batsmen getting hundreds in the same innings twice after gaining Independence and both times were against Trinidad &Tobago. In 1973 at Skeldon, Steven Camacho (144), Leonard Baichan (134) and Lloyd (100*) all got tons as Guyana made 474-4 declared. The only other occasion that this feat was achieved was in 1998 at Enmore when Clayton Lambert (106), Shiv Chanderpaul (111) and Carl Hooper (104) rallied Guyana to 450-8 in their first innings. In the last 50 years of Regional first-Class cricket Guyana has won the FirstClass title eight times (1973, 1975, 1983, 1987, 1993, 1998,
2014 & 2015). In our Jubilee year the stands at the Stadium should be named after our outstanding contributors to the game of cricket. Rohan Kanhai’s name could replace the Orange Stand, Roy Fredericks (Green Stand), Clive Lloyd (Red stand), Carl Hooper & Ramnaresh Sarwan (Grass Mound), Chanderpaul (Player’s Pavilion), Lance Gibbs (Northern end), Colin Croft (Southern end) Joe Soloman (Practice nets), Basil Butcher (Main Gate), Ron Legall (Scoreboard) and Reds Perreira (Media Centre). Fredericks and Legall are both dead.
Transport & Harbours win Jubilee Tapeball cricket tourney Transport & Harbours Department won the Trophy Stall Work place eight-over Tapeball knockout cricket tournament which was organised by James ‘Kool’ Lewis and formed a part of Guyana’s Golden Jubilee celebrations which was held last Sunday at the Natio nal Culture Centre Tarmac. In the Final of the eightteam competition, Transport defeated Namilco by 10 wickets after reaching 75 from 7.4 overs without loss replying to Namilco’s 73-5 off their eight overs. Man-of-the-Finals Sheldon Chapman (39) and Damon Whitney (36) batted without any worries to cruise to a commanding victory with two balls to spare. In the semis, Transport advanced to the final after
The outstanding performers take time out for a photo following the presentation. reaching 51-6 off six overs in reply to the 48 made by Demerara Bank Ltd, while Namilco beat the Felix Austin Training College by five wickets.
Felix Austin’s Jason McCalmont made the highest score in the playoff stage with a confident 38 in a losing cause. In the preliminary rounds
Demerara Bank got the better of GuyOil, Transport got past Guyana Energy Authority, Namilco defeated EPA and Felix Austin beat Forestry Commission.
Wednesday May 18, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Four Horseman Promotion / Port Mourant Turf Club ‘Golden Jubilee Meet
Dem A Watch Me, She’s Royal to battle in L& Lower Class Dem A Watch Me out of the Rocky Stables and owned by R. Ramsammy is among a number of horses listed to compete in this weekend’s Four Horsem a n P r o m o t i o n i n collaboration with Port Mourant Turf Club ‘Golden J u b i l e e ’ O n e - D ay Race Meet which will be staged in Berbice. Organising Committee member Compton Sancho who spoke to Kaieteur Sport recently confirmed that apart from Dem A Watch Me, some of the other horses set to participate in the L& Lower Class include She’s Royal trained by M. Sancho and owned by Ajai, while Progressive Kid and Replace the Heat who’re owned and trained by L. Gray have also been earmarked to compete in the same category. The feature event the ‘A’ and Lower Class which will be run over 1900 metres carries total prize monies in the vicinity of $3million with the winner set to receive $1,750,000; runner-up
$750,000, 3rd place $375,000 and 4th place $187,000. The co-feature, the D3& Lower for horses that have earned over $100,000 within the last six months, will also include horses classified E&F Lower over a distance of 1400 metres with the winner guaranteed $750,000, 2nd place $375,000, 3rd place $182,000 and 4th place $90,000. The G & Lower for West Indian bred horses will be run over 1200 metres with the winner to collect $350,000, 2nd place $175,000, 3rd place $85,000 and 4th place $42,000. The H2 & Lower is the next race up over 1000 metres with a first prize of $300,000, 2nd place $150,000, 3rd place $75,000 and 4th place $37,000. The Guyana and West Indian bred three year-olds that have not won a total of $100,000 will battle over 1000 metres for a top prize of $250,000, runner-up $125,000, 3rd place $62,000 and 4th place $31,000. The J3 & Lower over 1200
(Flashback)-A packed house watches as horses are being paraded shortly before the start of a race.
metres will see the victor cart off $ 200,000, 2nd place $100,000, 3rd place $50,000 and 4th place $25,000. The J3 and K Class will be battled over 1200 metres with the winner to receive $175,000,
Khemraj Pooranmall takes double crown in Trophy Stall Sponsored Jubilee Draughts The Guyana Draughts Association concluded its Jubilee Tournament on Sunday last at the National Gymnasium. The games were keenly contested on both days. In the open competition on Saturday, Khemraj Pooranmall took a narrow edge over his rivals. Jiaram and Steve Bacchus had the lead going into the sixth and final round with 12 and 13 points respectively. However, an upset saw Pooranmall moving from 11 points to 15 and tied with Steve Bacchus and Navin Megbarran who got the bye earning himself 4 free points. The trio had a tie-breaker playoff from which Pooranmall emerged winner with Navin in second and Bacchus in third. Another tiebreaker for the fourth place saw Jiaram defeating both Francis and Yearwood whom all ended the sixth round on 13 points each. On Sunday, the games were played on the International 100 square boards. Both Jiaram and Pooranmall went into the final round with 9 points each. A loss to Jiaram in the final round and a win for Pooranmall gave him a double crown in the competition. Jiaram placed second, while Steve Bacchus and Ulric
The outstanding Draughts performers of the Trophy Stall Jubilee tournament: (sitting; right) Ulric Braithwaite and Khemraj Pooranmall; (back; from right) Jiaram, Steve Bacchus and Navin Megbarran. Braithwaite placed third and fourth respectively. All four players had competed in International competitions in top Draughts playing Nation Suriname. Trophies donated by Trophy Stall and the National Sports Commission were awarded to the top players. At the opening of the games, President of the Association, Mr. Jiaram welcomed the players and con-
gratulated them for their involvement in this aspect of the Jubilee celebrations. He also commended the Association for supporting National Activities such as this. The Association expressed its gratitude to Mr. Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall Bourda Market, executives of the National Sports Commission, Mr. Lalta Gainda of Rubis Bel Air and Southland International.
2nd place $87,000, 3rd place $43,000 and 4th place $19,000. The final race will be contested in the L Class over 1000 metres with the winner to collect $150,000, 2nd place
$75,000, 3rd place $37,000 and 4th place $18,000. Meanwhile, Sancho assured that horses from some of the biggest stables in the country including the Elcock Stables, Jumbo Jet, Shariff
Stables, Kris Jagdeo, Samsundar Stables, Karibee Rice Stables, Shockings Stables, Lenny Singh Stables and Bacchus Stables have signaled their interest in being part of the Meet.
Heavyweight champion Fury apologizes for offensive remarks (Reuters) World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has apologized for offensive remarks he made in an online video last week, insisting he is ‘not a bigot or a racist’. The outspoken Briton, preparing for a re-match with Wladimir Klitschko who he surprisingly dethroned in Dusseldorf in November to win the WBA, WBO and IBF belts, caused controversy with homo phobic, sexist and anti-Semitic comments during an Q and A session with his uncle and trainer Peter Fury. “I apologize to anyone who may have taken offense at any of my comments,” Fury said in a statement. “I said some things, which may have hurt some people, which as a Christian man is not something I would ever want to do.” “I mean no harm or disrespect to anyone and I know more is expected of me as an ambassador of British boxing and I promise in future to hold myself up to the highest possible standard.” Fury has made almost as many headlines with his behavior outside the ring as with his performances in it.
Vladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury at a news conference. (REUTERS/WOLFGANG RATTAY) In January, the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) reminded him of his responsibilities after he made derogatory remarks about women and criticized homosexuality and abortion. Last year 130,000 signed a petition calling for the BBC to remove Fury from its
shortlist for Sports Personality of the Year, prompting another apology from the fighter. Fury faces Klitschko for the WBA and WBO belts in Manchester on July 9, having rescinded the IBF belt because of a contractual dispute.
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Wednesday May 18, 2016
Kaieteur News
National Junior Men Hockey team arrives in Toronto for Jnr Pan Am Championships The Guyana National Junior Men’s Hockey Team arrived in Toronto, Canada on Monday evening to take part in the Pan American Junior Championships, scheduled for May 20th to 28th. The team settled into their accommodation at the University of Toronto grounds and had a taste of the 6C temperature on their early morning jog and stretching session on Tuesday, under the guidance of physical trainer Barrington Browne. The team had their first practice session on one of the University’s two artificial turfs, at 3:30pm yesterday, Tuesday. The team is also scheduled to play a practice match today against a selection of senior Toronto club players, before their final practice session tomorrow, with the tournament scheduled to start on Friday. Three of the team’s most experienced players, Hilton Chester, Kareem McKenzie and Daniel Hooper will join the team on Thursday evening, after completing some of their CXC and CAPE exams. The team is schedule to take on the tournament’s third seed on Friday at 3:00pm, then Mexico on Saturday at the
From Left: Standing: Barrington Browne (Physical Trainer), Robert Fernandes (Head Coach), Nyron Joseph, Andrew Stewart, Leon Bacchus, Shaquille Leung, Ato Greene, Keon McKenzie, Medroy Scotland (GK), Paramanand Dindial, Mark Sargeant (Cap), Aroydy Branford & Hubert Forrester (Manager). Stooping: Kareem McKenzie, Omar Hopkinson, Meshach Sargeant, Daniel Hooper, Rosario Ramsammy, Michael Hing (GK) and Jael Gaskin. Absent from photo is Hilton Chester. same time before playing second seed Canada on Monday at 5:30pm. According to head coach Robert Fernandes, “We will use these first few days to get the boys comfortable with their surroundings, acclimatized to the conditions and adjusted
to playing on the turf. We usually get better as tournaments wear on and we adjust to the faster pace of play that the turf allows. So hopefully by arriving here early and having three sessions on the surface we will be firing on all cylin-
Berbice Jubilee Titans name strong 13-man squad for 50th Jubilee T20 game In preparation for the 50th Jubilee Anniversary T20 competition, the Berbice Jubilee Titans, which is made up of players from the Upper Corentyne and Port Mourant areas, has named their 13-man squad that is expected to participate in this grand event. Two trial matches were held and supervised by Chairman of Selectors, Mr. D. Somwaru, and training has commenced. The 13 man squad reads: Chandrapaul Hemraj (Captain) Troy Gonsalves, Andy Mohan, Arif Chan (Vice Captain) Totaram Rajaram, Omesh Mathura, Avishkar Sewkarran, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Shurfene Rutherford, Demetri Cameron, Yudendra Harrinarine, Parmeshwar
Chatterrpaul and Samuel Kishnasammy. The Team’s coach is Michael Franco Hyles. Training sessions will be held on 18th and 19th at the Port Mourant Community Center. The game is slated to be played on Saturday May 21st at The Albion Community Centre ground. The other
teams expected to participate are the Rose Hall Town/ Albion-Victoria Royals, Canje Pheasant- New Amsterdam/Canje and the West Berbice Jaguars. Match time is 09:00hrs. The competition is expected to be a fierce one, and the Titans will rely on their young, aggressive players to take them forward.
Forde wins Telesur 10km Road Race -Gardner first in Over 55 category Guyana’s distance running ace, Cleveland Forde w o n t h e Te l e s u r 1 0 k m Road Race in Suriname last
weekend as Guyana made a clean sweep in the race with Cleveland Thomas finishing second and Winston Missenger third in the race. Meanwhile, in the 55-andover category, Llwellyn Gardner clocked 42:44 to win. Gardner told Kaieteur Sport that he is currently preparing for the Independence 10km Road Race which is set for Sunday at Durban Park.
ders by Friday.” Local fans will be able to stream the matches live on the www.panamhockey.org website. National Junior Men’s Hockey Team Mark Sargeant (Cap), Medroy Scotland (GK),
Michael Hing (GK), Kareem McKenzie, Keon McKenzie, Daniel Hooper, Shaquille Leung, Meshach Sargeant, Rosario R a m s a m m y, Aroydy Branford, Andrew Stewart, Leon Bacchus, Jael G a s k in, Omar Hopkinson, Hilton Chester,
Ato Greene, Paramanand Dindial, and Nyron Joseph. Manager – Hubert Forrester Coaches – Robert Fernandes, Dwayne Alleyne and Marvin Dannett Physical Trainer – Barrington Browne
Brazil’s Temer tells Olympic committee Rio will be ready BRASILIA (Reuters) Interim President Michel Temer told the International Olympic Committee that Brazil’s change of government has not interrupted preparations for the Rio 2016 Games, newly appointed Sports Minister Leonardo Picciani said on Monday. Temer spoke to IOC president Thomas Bach by telephone and assured him the games will take place as planned, Picciani told reporters after a meeting with Brazil’s new president, who replaced suspended President Dilma Rousseff on Thursday. Picciani, a young politician from Rio, said preparations for the global sports event were on schedule and security for the games was guaranteed, playing down differences with the new Defense Minister Raul Jungmann. Jungmann told the Estado de S.Paulo newspaper over the weekend he was worried
Brazil’s interim President Michel Temer (REUTERS/UESLEI MARCELINO) about security provisions for foreign dignitaries and the failure of foreign intelligence agencies to cooperated with Brazil on potential terrorist attacks. Picciani said the differences were overcome in the meeting with Temer. “There are issues that have to be resolved, but they are provided for within the government plan,” Picciani said.
The Defense Ministry will deploy 38,000 troops for security during the Olympics to back 47,000 police and civil defense personnel in Rio de Janeiro. Political turmoil over Rousseff’s impeachment, the risk of crime and an outbreak of the Zika virus have threatened to keep visitors away from the games that kick off on August 5.
Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 18, 2016
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Profiles for the Washington DC Jammers The Washington D.C Jammers will tour Guyana, May 21-27 where they will play the top four clubs from the recently concluded Road to Mecca National Club Championships at Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Below are the profiles of the Washington D.C Jammers team. Basketball League; Berry Farm Goodman Pro Basketball Showcase; Washington, D.C. Nike Pro City Summer Basketball League.
Athletic Achievement: Te m p l e U n i v e r s i t y basketball team (NCAA Div. 1) 1st team all league; 1st team all imports; defensive teams; numerous all star appearances Professional Basketball: N e w J e r s e y T h u n d e r, American Professional Basketball League; Denmark; Iceland; Czech Republic; Costa Rica; Canada
Basketball (NCAA Div. II) team; Lone Star Conference defensive player of the year; Lone Star Conference all-defensive team
Winston Robinson Moutain State University 6'5 Combo Guard
Glenn Stokes (captain) American University 5'7 Guard Athletic achievements: Finnish league player of the year and scoring champ (Finland); first team all import team Sweden; 2 time Cibane league champion and 2 time MVP (Mexico); 2nd team Mexican all-league LNBP (Mexico); Mexican assist leader LNBP (Mexico); Dutch League scoring champ (Holland); American University basketball team (Div. 1), AllPatriot League 2nd team. Professional Basketball: Mexico-Gigantes; HollandBweert; MexicoMineros/Barreteros; Dominican Republic-Leonos SD; Finland-Korihait.
Mouktar Fawehinmi Montgomery College, Germantown 6'1 Guard
Kevan Creppy Bethune-Cookman University 6'4 Guard/Forward Athletic Achievements: Guyana senior men's national basketball team; NorthAmerican all-stars (basketball exposure tour, china). Nike Pro City Summer Basketball League; Bethune-Cookman University's men's basketball team, Co-captain (NCAA Div. 1). Professional Basketball: Maryland-Rockville Victors, American Professional
Rodney Mickens Notre Dame College 6'1 Combo Guard
Steffon Farley Adelphi University 6'8 Forward Athletic Achievements: Adelphi University men's basketball team; D.C. Jammers basketball team. Professional Basketball: Colombia; Chile
Dexter Martin Goucher College 6'4 Guard/Forward
Lancelot Loncke Dillard University 6'9 Center Athletic Achievements: Dillard University basketball team (NAIA Division 1); 1st team All-American (3 years); Louisiana Small College player of the year; GCAC player of the year; GCAC 1st team allconference; Guyana senior men's national basketball team. Professional Basketball: D.C. Jammers basketball team (Guyana, Dominican Republic and Trinidad)
Athletic Achievements: Montgomery College basketball team (JUCO) defensive player of the year; Junior College All-American Professional Basketball: Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . Funkhouse, American Professional Basketball League
Athletic Achievements: Goucher College basketball team (NCAA Div. III); leading scorer; 1st team allconference; Guyana men's senior national team. Professional Basketball: D.C. Jammers basketball team
Keron McKenzie Armstrong Atlantic State University 6'4 Shooting Guard
Christian Rycourt Macauley Texas A&M UniversityCommerce 6'9 Forward/Center Semaj Inge Temple University 6'6 Combo Guard
Basketball Association; Guyana national basketball
Athletic Ahievements: Texas A&M University
Athletic Achievements: Armstrong Atlantic State University basketball team (NCAA Div. II); NCAA tournament appearance; Peach Belt Conference player of the week; holds Peach Belt Conference record for 3 pointers made in one tournament; ranked in top 100 in NCAA in 3 pointers made and 3 point percentage; Guyana men's national team. Professional Basketball: 2010 Gwinnett Majic, World
Athletic Achievement: Notre Dame basketball team (Div. II); Polk State College (JUCO) 2nd team honorable mention, National JUCO player of the year. Professional Basketball: Maryland-Rockville Victors, American Professional Basketball League
Athletic Achievements: Moutain State University basketball team (Div. II); los angeles pro league allstar and top ten scorer; MVP in west virginia tech tournament; second team all-conference at mountain state university; MVP of Rio Hondo tournament; Chaffrey College 1st team all-conference. Professional Basketball: Italy; New Jersey– New Jersey Thunder, American Professional Basketball League; Australia.
Coaching Staff: Michael Creppy Coach, D.C. Jammers Clarence Wallerson Asst. Coach, D.C. Jammers Kenneth Avent Asst. Coach, D.C. Jammers Dennis Baird Team Manager, D.C. Jammers James Shepard Team Asst. Manager, D.C. Jammers
Kaieteur News
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Wednesday May 18, 2016
Mayor’s Cup football tourney shifted for Friday start at Victoria East Coast, Demerara football fans will get the chance to witness action in
the Mayor’s Cup football tournament, which was rescheduled on a few
occasions, on at the Victoria Ground from 6:30pm when the tournament kicks off.
Coordinator Lennox Arthur informed that things are set for Friday’s start at Victoria.
The opening encounter at 6:30pm will pit Buxton Bakewell of the East Coast against Grove Hi Tech of the East Bank Demerara, while at 8:30pm in the nightcap, home side, Victoria Kings challenge Agricola in another East Coast versus East Bank meeting. The tournament is set to continue on Saturday at the Victoria Ground at the same times with BV Triumph facing Eagles, while Golden Grove tangle with Herstelling. More play is set for Sunday, this time at the Den Amstel ground on the Westside with another double header. Pouderoyen challenge Soesdyke in the opening game at 6:30pm, while Den Amstel take on Kuru Kururu at 8:30pm. The teams are battling for the Mayor’s Cup and a first prize of $700,000, second $300,000, third $200,000 and fourth $100,000. Arthur, a former National footballer and Coach, has coordinated this event for all of its 22 years. This year’s tournament is part of the 50th Anniversary
Lennox Arthur Jubilee celebrations. He expressed gratitude to the fans, teams and sponsors who have been patient as they wait for the start of the event. Arthur was also grateful to the sponsors who have assisted so far. The top four prizes have been put up by Aruwai Resorts, Ansa McAl, John Fernandes and G e r m a n ’s R e s t a u r a n t respectively. Others to have thrown their support include the Government of Guyana, Macorp, Busta, Cummings Electrical, Bakewell, IPA, China Trading, E Networks, Namilco and BK International.
Berbice Cricket Board says congratulations and good luck to Gudakesh Motie Gudakesh Motie
Another cricketer from Berbice is in line for West Indies Cricket team senior selection. Former West Indies under-19 left arm spinner Gudakesh Motie was
included in the West Indies senior team training squad with the possibility of selection for the upcoming tri nation series to be hosted (Continued on page 31)
Kaieteur News
Wednesday May 18, 2016
PAGE 43
GCB/HIH U-19 50-Overs to recommence this weekend The GCB/HIH Under-19 50Overs Competition, which was put on hold due to consistent inclement weather, is all set to recommence this weekend at the Guyana national Stadium. The rain came and prevented the third round and final that was initially slated for April 29 and May 1 respectively. The rescheduled fixture has the third round to be played on Friday 20th May between Demerara and the Under-17s, and on Saturday 21st May between Berbice and Essequibo. The winner of the two matches would contest the final on Sunday 22nd May. All matches would start at 9:30 hours. The squads are as follows: Demerara: Travis Persaud (captain), Ronaldo Alimohamed (vice-captain), Ronaldo Renee, Raymond Perez, Sherfane R u t h e r f o r d , Vi s h w a n a u t h Ramlakhan, Malcom Hubbard, Ramnarine Chatura, Kelvin Shewpersaud, Romain Muniram, Darshan Persaud, Ershad Ali, Samuel McKenzie,
Keshram Shabodan, and Gavin Boodwah. The Coach is Clive Grimmond and the Manager is Omar Hussain. Essequibo: Keemo Paul (captain), Sachin Persaud (vicecaptain), Akinie Adams, Looknauth Chinkoo, Siddiq Mohamed, Leslie Allen, Nathan Persaud, Jonathan Fernandes, Travay Wolfe, Dwayne Thomas, Satesh Lachana, Mark Williams, Reaz Khan, and Miguel Jones. The Coach is Nandkishure Andrews and the Manager is Forbes Daniels. Selected U-17: B h a s k a r Ya d r a m (Captain), Kelvin Sinclair (Vice Captain), Joshua Persaud, Ashmead Nedd, Kurt Lovell, Rayon Venture, Javed Karim, Sagar Hathiramani, Steve Deonarine, Collin Barlow, Joshua Jones, Kelvin U m r o a , Ta m e s h w a r Motiram, Kevlon Anderson, Alphius Bookie, Joel Fortune, and Sachin Singh. The Manager is Nazeer
Toucan Industries supports Golden Jubilee 5 and 10K Run, Health & Fitness Walk
Toucan Industries representative Elke Rodrigues (left) hands over the cheque to Avril Black recently. As athletes and fitness enthusiasts continue to confirm their participation in the May 22 ‘Golden Jubilee’ 5 and 10K Run and Health & Fitness Walk, business entities are following suit and the latest to add its support is Toucan Industries. R e c e n t l y, d u r i n g a simple presentation ceremony that was conducted at the entity’s location in Kingston, Representative Elke Rodrigues handed over a cheque for an undisclosed sum to Organising
Committee member Avril Black. The event is being organised by Rising Star Track Club in collaboration with the Office of the President as part of Guyana’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. The event, which is being co-ordinated by former Guyana track star Lorrieann Adams and Coach Leslie Black, will see athletes and fitness enthusiasts take to the starting line at the Square of the Revolution proceed (Continued on page 31)
Mohamed and the Coach is Garvin Nedd. Berbice: Brandon Prashad (captain), Adrian Sukwah (vicecaptain), Sasenarine Sookhoo, Tr e v o n C e a s a r, J o s h u a Harrichand, Ritesh Omroa, Matthew Hardial, Randy Wade, Joel Seitaram, Vevekanand Jagit, Asif Ally, Nicholas Seenarine, Raymond Vankenic, and Sylus Tyndall. The Coach is Delbert Hicks and the Manager is Julian Cambridge.
t r o Sp WIFBSC Individual C/ships
CDS Col. Sir Trevor Thomas opens 2016 edition
Chief of Defence Staff of the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, Col. Sir Trevor Thomas has the undivided attention of all as he is about to fire the first shot from 600 yards range at the WIFBSC 2016 C/ships.
USAIN BOLT visits Germany for hamstring, set to race Blake, Powell
DC Jammers basketball tour bounces off Saturday -features Youth Basketball games each night
Nigel Hinds The Washington DC Jammers tour will bounce off Saturday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with the United States of America-based team taking on Dyna’s Ravens in the f e a t u r e g a m e . Yo u t h Basketball Guyana (YBG) games will open game nights. Ravens finished fourth in the National Club
Clarence Wallerson Championships: Road to Mecca III. The schedule of the DC Jammers tour is below: Saturday, May 21 - DC Jammers vs. Ravens (Fourth Place: National Club Championships). The first game will bring together Bishops’ High School against Government Technical Institute (GTI). Sunday, May 22 - DC
Jammers vs. Raiders (Runner-Up: National Club Championships). Tutorial High Takes on Plaisance Secondary in the first game. Tuesday, May 24 - DC Jammers vs. Pacesetters (Third Place: National Club Championships) Friday, May 27 - DC Jammers vs. Colts (National Club Champions) (Continued on page 31)
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