Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News

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Thursday November 29, 2018

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

EDITORIAL

A NUMBERS BUDGET: TOUGH DEBATE AHEAD In his speech that lasted for about five hours, Finance Minister Winston Jordan presented the 2019 budget to the nation on Monday, under the theme, “Transforming the Economy Empowering People, Building Sustainable Communities for the Good Life.” The $300.7 billion, 99-page budget is 12.6 percent higher than last year’s $267.1 billion. It is the largest in the country’s history and the fifth presented by the current government in three and a half years. While many, including the leader of the Opposition, are opposed to it, some, especially supporters of the government, are encouraged. The budget addresses the complex issues facing the country, including the revamping of the tax system, the creation of jobs and the development of a robust and resilient economy, among others. It projects a real economic growth rate of 4.6 percent in 2019, amid steady growth in the global economy, lower oil prices and stable commodity prices. Meanwhile, the real economic growth rate for 2018 has been revised once again to 3.8 percent. According to the Finance Minister, all the major sectors of the economy will expand in 2019. Agriculture, Fishing and Forestry are expected to grow by 3.9 percent, sugar production is expected to rise by 15.6 percent, despite the closure of several sugar estates, rice by 2.7 percent, gold declaration by 2.7 percent and bauxite will continue to grow by 8.6 percent. Meanwhile, the mining and quarrying sector is expected to expand by 3.7 percent, manufacturing by 4.2 percent, construction by 10.5 percent and services by 3.7 percent. Overall, the Budget projects a 9.9 percent increase in revenue in fiscal year 2019. The growth rates along with the increase in revenue, if materialized, will bode well for the economy and hence the country. However, similar predictions were made by the Minister in his previous four budgets and none was achieved. Lest we forget, when the Minister presented his budget last year, he predicted that the economy would grow by 3.8 percent and there would be significant increases in all of the major sectors. This did not happen. By mid-2017, the Minister realized that the anticipated 3.8 percent growth rate was not achievable, and as expected, it was adjusted downward to 3.1 percent, which was not achieved either. Even though there was little mention about oil in the budget, there are many good things in it. There are several provisions in support of Education, Healthcare, Infrastructure, upgrading of roads and the water supply system, waste disposal, prison system, and major tax breaks for companies and public servants. Corporate tax has been lowered to 20 percent over a tenyear period; the amount for old age pensioners has increased by $1,000, from $19,500 to $20,500 and the income tax threshold from $60,000 to $65,000. While there are tax reductions in the budget for businesses, homeowners and farmers have also benefited from the exemption of VAT on some construction materials and on pesticides, limestone, and some farming equipment, among others. While many, including businesses, have commended the Minister of Finance on the budget, the leader of the Opposition has labelled it “tone-deaf,” visionless and filled with platitudes and condescending attitudes. Mr. Jagdeo claims that the budget has no provision for crime fighting and job creation and that the proposed tax exemptions in the budget are cosmetic and would wreak havoc on the economy and the people, especially the poor and lower working class. Not only did he condemn the budget, but has stated that the government has failed to deliver on its promises. The public has every right to acknowledge the benefits of the budget in the same way the leader of the Opposition has the right to criticize it as one of the worst in the history of the country. If this is a sign of what is to come, then the nation should brace itself for an explosive and ferocious debate on the budget in the House.

Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.

A tertiary institution or a detention centre? Dear Editor, Please permit us to highlight our concern as students at the Guyana School of Agriculture based upon a series of mistreatment that has been going on since the new school year started. Students are being called to the Director of Administration, Dr. Dexter Allen’s office, to be told that they are being seen too often talking to specific females more than once. However, although we accept that the school has certain rules and regulations governing students’ conduct regarding g e n d e r, i t i s r e a l l y discriminating to us as students where we are being told who we should associate with and who not to associate with. In one instance, a student was called to the office and asked if he knows what he w a s c a l l e d f o r. U p o n responding in the negative, he was told that he was disrespectful and asked to determine his punishment; if he wanted to go to the livestock farm for two weeks or go to Winkle (New

Amsterdam place of residence) or weed some bushes at the school’s crop museum. This was because he was seen talking to a female more than once. He was also asked to state the relationship between him and the female student in question. In another case, another male student was summoned to the said office for a similar matter after he was seen talking to a female student on several occasions. He was told that there are photographs to show that he and the said female student were seen more than once or too often together. My point here is that regarding the school’s code of conduct for students, we should not be victimized or singled out because of us being seen with one individual more than once unless we are been caught in a compromising position that is contrary to the code of conduct that has been given to us. We would like the Director of Administration to know that there is a Ministry

of Social Cohesion and it is our right to communicate with persons of any gender as often as we wish provided that, we were not in any compromising position. We would like our voices to be heard since we are being treated like young kids. We are at a tertiary educational institution and not in a juvenile prison or something of the sort. We would also like for the Ministry of Agriculture to look into this matter as we are being targeted as student where some of us are being told by the Director of Administration that “people like us don’t graduate” because we are seen talking to one person more than once. In one instance where the Director of Administration was addressing a group of students from the Certificate in Agriculture Year 2, during the Research Conference held at the school’s plant science building, he paused because a student was scratching her head. He told her that he will wait until she had finished

scratching her head. He then apologised to that student after she stood up to him concerning the issue. We would like to know whether the Ministry of Agriculture is running a military base or an institution of higher learning. There are many issues faced by students that this administration failed to rectify yet they find time to victimize students. There are instances where students were required to visit the hospital and the said Director of Administration failed to take them to the hospital but rather told them to go into their bed, that they would feel better. However, there was an instance where a student had to be rushed to the hospital for urgent medical attention. There was one incident where a student was stung by bees. She had her entire face swollen. She did not get to go to the hospital. Eventually, her grandmother had to come to the school to take her to the hospital. Justin Rodrigues

A flawed conclusion from flawed information Dear Editor, R e s p e c t f u l l y, t h e Stabroek News editorial on Sunday about the Lisa Phase 2 d e v e l o p m e n t misrepresented several important financial aspects of oil development. It ignored journalistic ethics by including Jan Mangal’s unsubstantiated and unsourced claims about costs. The editorial repeatedly questions why the government did not “test” the US$4.4 billion budget associated with the Liza Phase 1 development plan. What was left out of the editorial is that this number was simply the ESTIMATED budget for the project. Worley Parsons, the international oil consultancy, scrutinized the technical aspects of this budget estimate before the government approved it. No matter how it was evaluated the project; the budget was always an estimate of the costs. No amount of enhanced evaluation would make that number any more certain. It is, and always will be, the best guess at the time. Think of it from the perspective of a homebuilder—he can

estimate what he thinks it might cost to construct a home and explain what he expects to spend on materials, subcontractors, etc. But until the job is finished, he can’t tell you for certain what it did cost. Stabroek News suggests there is something unethical at play here, but the government can, and will, audit the actual costs of the project after it is completed. The government has a clear responsibility to ensure accuracy once costs are fully known.The editorial board also cites Jan Mangal’s often-repeated claims that Exxon could be inflating

costs by as much as 20 percent. But he has never provided a source for these claims and they continue to defy common sense. This isn’t about blind faith in the morality of Exxon or its partners. It’s a simple question of who would gain from this kind of deception. And the answer is no one. Exxon, its consortium partners, and the government are all incentivized to keep costs as low as possible. Why? Because this will maximize profit for all of them.Mr. Mangal seems to think that “cost recovery” is Exxon writing a cheque to itself.

But this is the opposite of how major energy development projects actually work. Looking at the “big ticket” items already known to the public reveals Mangal’s claims to be foolish.The drill ships off the coast charge hundreds of thousands of US dollars per day for their services, forming a large part of the estimated $4.4 billion in costs. But Exxon doesn’t own the Stena Carron and the Noble Bob Douglas. They’re owned by Noble Corporation and Stena Drilling, independent companies that (Continued on page 6)

Did Irfaan Ali undersell state property? Dear Editor In SALES, a contract is not made until the Buyer agrees on the price of the goods or services then parts with his or her money. Many Guyanese seem to believe that it is the Seller that determines prices, which is erroneous thinking. A Seller can certainly advertise his/her prices at a higher price. But if there are no buyers at the higher price then there is no Sale. This brings us on to the topic at hand. Did Irfaan Ali undersell State Land to his friends and colleagues? The State will have to prove “fair market value”, which is not determined by the State but by the Seller AND Buyer. Let’s rewind the clock to come to an understanding of what was happening. We

had the infamous crime waves unleashed on the unsuspecting Guyanese people. There was great social and political unrest at the time. In its aftermath, many Guyanese did not want to live in Guyana, which means that property prices were not rising as there was not a great demand for Guyanese land/property. Even today, with so many Guyanese wanting to migrate overseas, it is a surprise that land/property costs so much. In fact, land/property prices should not be rising in Guyana but should be falling unless there is higher inflation than has been announced. When demand is low, prices tend to fall not rise. Yours faithfully Sean Ori

Thursday November 29, 2018

RALPH RAMKARRAN’S ARTICLE WAS A MISCHIEVOUS FALSE ALARM DEAR EDITOR, “Tied vote on budget bill would see gov’t fall.” This was the screeching headline of an article by former PPP Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, which Stabroek newspapers published on November 27, 2018. Commenting on the PPP no confidence motion that was recently filed in Parliament against the APNU+AFC government, and the 2019 Budget Appropriation Bill, Ramkarran stated, inter alia, “The PPP needs two votes. One would only neutralize the advantage but the other will see them winning the motion unlike in the passage of the Appropriation Bill. “If there is a tie when the no-confidence motion goes to the floor then the Standing Orders state that the motion doesn’t pass. And by the same logic, if the Appropriation (bill) is put to the House and there is a tie then that doesn’t pass or it is defeated. That is very serious because what that means is that the government will fall”. Mr. Ramkarran’s contention that if a government Member of Parliament (MP) votes against the Budget and the overall vote is tied, the

budget Bill will be defeated, and the Coalition government will automatically fall is utterly false. It has no constitutional basis. Clearly, Mr. Ramkarran and Stabroek News are on a mission. Stabroek News has transformed itself into the official public relations arm of the PPP and has been trafficking in all sorts of nonfactual and ridiculous PPP claims and theories. Suffice to say, that it is irresponsible to publish such wild and tenuous speculation on the front page of a national newspaper as if it were fact. Everyone should by now surmise that Stabroek News’ overt hostility towards the Coalition government and its relentless pursuit of a dangerously subversive agenda is meant to engender instability, trepidation and uncertainty in the nation. Here is why Mr. Ramkarran’s claim, albeit subversive, is ridiculously and inherently dishonest. Mr. Ramkarran knows that if any Coalition MP votes against the government, the government can, prior to the declaration of the vote by the Clerk, seek an adjournment and instantly recall and replace said member on the spot, then resume the vote when the body reconvenes - a vote which the

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government will win. Article 156 3(c) of the Guyana constitution grants the power of the Representative of the Coalition’s list of parliamentary candidates to at any time issue a written notice of recall to a Member of Parliament in whom the Coalition has lost confidence, and that such notice shall be forwarded to the Speaker. The Representative of the List will, concomitant with the recall notice to the Speaker, extract a replacement to fill the vacancy created by the recall.” This provision may also be invoked to recall a MP who is absent. In accordance with Article 156 4(b), upon receipt of said notice, the Speaker shall declare that member’s seat vacant, and pursuant to the request, administer the oath of office to the newly extracted member who will immediately assume duties and vote for the motion. Consequently, any Coalition MP who attempts to or votes against the government in this manner will fail and instantly destroy and end his/ her parliamentary and political career. Readers must therefore dismiss the referenced article as a deception. Rickford Burke

Analysing GBTI’s 2017 Financial Report DEAR EDITOR, I would be grateful if you publish this letter, as I am sure that it would be of interest to all parties concerned but in particular, to certain shareholders of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry, GBTI. I say this in light of the revelations made in a published analysis of GBTI’s Financial Report for 2017. On June 19, 2018 Kaieteur News, a certain Banking and Economic Analyst made a scathing critique of GBTI’s financial performance for 2017. He highlighted, among other things, some worrying trends in the bank’s financial performance and corporate governance. What I find most alarming relates to the bank’s loan portfolio, which stood at $48.5 billion. Of this amount, $11.8 billion or 24.5% was deemed as non-performing loans. Furthermore, this $11.8 billion was under provided for by a huge $4.4 billion. Providing for bad loans, “loan-provisioning,” allows for the declaration of less profits and hence, the payment of less corporate taxes according to the analyst. On this point, it should also be noted that according to the Bank of Guyana Supervisory Guidelines No. 5, banks can provision for non-performing loans classified as Substandard, Doubtful and Loss and be allowed 20%, 50% and 100% respectively as debt

write-off. Once the BOG approves this, the bank pays less taxes. So why is this massive under-providing of $4.4 billion for bad loans in 2017 by GBTI? This is a reasonable and legitimate question that leads to even more questions. Why would any organization want to pay more taxes than necessary on profits that are not real? Could one reason be, for paying less dividends to shareholders because of paying more taxes to government? Or could it be that GBTI sold off assets that collateralized these bad loans to favoured parties at below book values? If this is so, did the majority shareholder and the bank’s Board of Directors sanction this? Was the majority shareholder a recipient of any of these assets? I ask because they must have sanctioned not making the necessary allowable provision for debt write-offs of portions of these bad debts. Now this situation must be of concern to the minority shareholders who I learn, number 1779 and hold 39% of shares with voting rights. Bad loans management by the bank can jeopardize their investment and returns. Who is securing their interests? I would like to think the Bank of Guyana (BOG) should exercise its mandated role in this affair. According to the Bank of

Guyana Act, Chapter 85:02 No. 36, BOG is authorized to supervise and regulate all banks under this Act. In addition, BOG under Chapter 85:02 No. 43 has “authority to examine the accounts, records … of any licensed financial institution” and also request a “report of its condition or operation as may be necessary.”It seems, to date, that Governor Gobin Ganga of BOG is adrift on this matter. He is either tardy or willfully abdicating his lawful responsibilities. If the minority of shareholders have not done so, I suggest that they engage an accountant and write to BOG demanding an investigation into GBTI’s management of its loan portfolio. Yours faithfully, Rustum Bulkan

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NDC workers deserve some semblance of “the good life” too. DEAR EDITOR, Recent announcement of a 7% tax free, retroactive salary increase for public servants earning less than $100,000 may offer some relief to workers earning over $60,000. What about those earning less than $60,000? This category should have been offered at least 12% to help alleviate the huge disparity in salary in the public service. Like the higher income workers, these low income workers have families to take care of and shop their groceries at the same supermarkets like the higher income workers. Had there been a consumer index kept by the consumer protection agency, it would have shown that the Coalition’s budget of 2017, having taxed previously zero rated goods, had completely obliterated this class of worker wages on food alone. This class of workers needed a higher percentage increase

to put food on their tables. A KN article on Nov 25th stated that the proposed salary increase covers, “those employed in Ministries, departments not under ministerial control, regional administrators and public service related agencies, commission secretariats and those who are engaged on contract positions reflected on the inventory of authorized positions of the traditional public services and persons on contract outside on the inventoried positions. “ This is definitely unclear to the people involved in the cleanup of my country the NDC and council workers. Last year when the government gave a similar increase, some NDC passed it on to their workers. Some did not, at least that did not occur at the Eccles/ Ramsburg NDC. It is rumoured that PPP controlled NDCs are in the habit of stymieing benefits intended by the government to

ease hardship in the communities as a deliberate ploy to induce people to blame the Government - all for political mileage. The NDC workers on a salary of $45,000 per month are controlled indirectly by the government, thereby making us public servants too. In addition, this group of workers is tasked with doing the lowest level of work that by all means is not ‘smell-friendly’, that is by practically shoveling the faeces out of the environment to make it clean so that the elite politicians can enjoy “the good life”. The NDC workers deserve a little semblance of the good life too. In this regard, they would like to implore the Minister of Finance, the President or whosoever is responsible to include them in this 7% tax-free retroactive increase for this Christmas season. Yours truly Drainer Rat.

A flawed conclusion from flawed... From page 4 are currently billing Exxon for their services. When Exxon “recovers” these costs, it won’t be paying itself, it will be paying the bills sent by these sub-contractors and other companies. Another item, the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel that will produce oil from the Liza field will cost more than one billion US dollars to build and outfit. Mr. Mangal seems to imply that Exxon has an incen-

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Kaieteur News

tive to inflate these costs and “overbill” Guyana. But Exxon isn’t the one building the FPSO. It’s being built in Singapore by a Dutch multinational shipbuilder called SBM.The list goes on and on. Seismic studies were done by the French engineering firm Technip FMC. The undersea control systems will be done by Italy’s Saipem. Why would Exxon inflate these costs when it wouldn’t be the one benefitting? Mr. Mangal has a respon-

sibility to the Guyanese people to either cite real sources for his claims or admit that by accident or choice he is misleading readers. Stabroek News has every reason to encourage a full and accurate accounting of costs. But it also has an obligation to correct these errors and give the Guyanese people accurate information with context and free of innuendo and fear mongering. Sincerely, Clement Smith

EDO ALLOWS FOR EMPLOYEES TO DISCLOSE INFORMATION DEAR EDITOR, On Friday November 16, an article was published in the Demerara Waves online newspaper titled “El Dorado Offshore - hired seafarers could be fired for disclosing wages”. This headline stemmed from a clause in El Dorado Offshore’s (EDO) employment contract which states that an employee may be terminated for disclosing confidential company information inclusive of information on wages and salaries. Demerara Waves, however, failed to mention that EDO’s contract allows any employee to disclose any company information UNDER LEGAL PROCESS. Every employee in Guyana has a LEGAL right to engage directly with their Trade Union, Ministry or any other legal entity that represents employees’ rights. No employee of EDO can suffer any repercussion if they were to do so. EDO has and will continue to open our organisation to any entity working to promote workers’ rights in Guyana. We note that some quarters of the press have attempted to portray EDO as a Trinidadian company. EDO was founded in Guyana and is 100% managed and operated by Guyanese. EDO’s leadership team is wholly young, vibrant individuals below the age of 35 - products of a sound Guyanese

education system and background. All of us at EDO are familiar of the struggles and scarcity of opportunity for young and educated persons in Guyana even when they have bright ideas and are willing to work hard. Where does an ordinary young Guyanese get capital to start a business in Guyana? Have you ever tried to get a loan from a bank in Guyana without collateral? A Trinidadian Company, Ramps Logistics, saw the potential in our EDO team and provided the capital to get EDO started. Not only did they provide capital, they also provided coaching and mentoring. We were able to access their management systems and most importantly their network of Oil and Gas contacts internationally. In just three years EDO now employs more than 140 Guyanese in the Oil and Gas Sector. In fact, we have already begun to export our locally trained personnel to work in places such as Suriname. These are well-paid jobs. Even at the lowest levels, for 28 days work EDO employees earn more than five to six times the average wage in Guyana. Today, EDO counts as its clients, Edison Chouest, Seacor Marine, Halliburton, Tenaris, Schlumberger Stena Offshore, SBM Offshore, among other global multinationals.

We are proud of the company we are building. Our team consists of Africans, Indians, Portuguese, Chinese, Amerindians and every shade in between. We have Hindus, Muslims and Christians. Your political affiliation makes no difference to us. No one at EDO will ever be discriminated against based on sexual orientation. We are committed to play our part in building a prosperous Guyana for ALL. This new energy industry provides an opportunity to those who have not traditionally been involved in business in Guyana. There is a new generation of youthful entrepreneurs in Guyana and we deserve to be part of this sector as much as anyone else. For the first time in a long time we feel we can stay right here in Guyana and make a great life for ourselves and our families. If you have a great business idea, if you are smart, if you are ambitious and if you are willing to work hard then come see us. We would be happy to share our knowledge with you. We can help you raise capital for your new business and introduce you to our growing networks of Oil and Gas customers. The future is bright for Guyana. We will do everything possible to ensure that this light shines on ALL. Regards EDO

The new tax threshold the Guyanese people for

DEAR EDITOR, The government has no intentions to help poor and low -income citizens. They are only interested in making a good life for themselves. Here is another example. In the presentation of this budget, they mentioned that the threshold would be increased from $720,000 to $780,000 a year or 1/3 of your salary, whichever is greater. This means that for

persons who are earning over $2,340,234 a year, the threshold would be higher. So, if a person is making $5,000,000 a year then that threshold would be $1,666,500 (instead of $780,000) which they would not pay on. This means, the more you earn the less you pay and the only persons earning those kinds of pay are the big wigs, Ministers and others, not the poor and low-income. This government takes

fools and thinks that they can pass anything and justify anything because the citizens are ignorant. The threshold was not increased last year . This year, we were looking forward for it to increase to at least $80,000, taking into consideration the extremely high cost of living; or at least reduce the PAYE. The government is living in an alternate universe where every citizen is their subject with great admiration for them, no matter what they do. They have no intention of making a better life for the ordinary man, much less a good one like for the majority of folks of Guyana. Concerned Citizen Editor’s note: Income tax is paid on the difference between the threshold and the difference in earning. If an individual earns $100,000 a month, then he pays tax on $35,000. The person earning $5 million would pay tax on $3,340,000. Just do the Maths!

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18 years for man who raped girl, 15 After claiming that he was unaware that the teenager he developed a relationship with was under the age of consent, 38year-old Dhanraj Persaud was yesterday sentenced to 18 years in jail for raping the minor. About two weeks ago, a jury convicted Persaud, a caretaker, of engaging in sexual penetration with the 15-year-old girl. The offence occurred on October 23, 2013, in the county of Demerara. According to a probation officer, Persaud admitted to being sexually involved with the underage girl. The probation officer said that Persaud claimed he was misled by the minor

who told him she was 17. The probation officer said that Persaud dropped out of school in Grade Six and gained employment as a labourer to assist with supporting his grandmother who became bedridden because of a stroke. She said that up until his incarceration, Persaud worked as a caretaker. Based on investigations in Persaud’s community, it was revealed that residents described him as a respectable person. The Probation Officer revealed that several attempts made to contact the victim’s relatives proved futile. It was revealed in the probation report, that the father of the victim threat-

Cyclist dies after being run over by container truck at Houston Sixty-four year-old Seeram Seecharran of 16 Herstelling, East Bank Demerara (EBD), is now dead after being hit by a container truck yesterday morning at Rahaman Park, Houston, EBD, just in the vicinity of where the Christmas tree is erected on a yearly basis. The accident occurred around 08:45hrs. Seecharran was said to have ridden his bicycle into the path of the container truck, which was being driven by a 24-year-old man from Hope West, Enmore, East Coast Demerara. In an attempt to avoid a collision with Seecharran, the driver reportedly applied brakes, causing the truck that was pulling a

trailer with a container at the time, to run off the road and crash through the protective fence that surrounds the aforementioned Christmas tree. When the truck came to a halt, Seecharran was laying semi-conscious under the trailer and his bicycle was crushed under two of the truck’s wheels. Video footage of what transpired just after the accident shows a number of people at the scene and even a few who wanted to render assistance, but were told by others to leave Seecharran until the ambulance came. On the recording, two individuals could also be heard (Continued on page 12)

ened a probation officer via phone when he was contacted. A report was lodged with the police. Through a statement which was read out in court by Counsellor Celeste Mullin, the victim expressed that she feels sad about what happened to her. The counsellor said that the victim told her she is still in a state of shock and disbelief, and would sometimes think about killing herself to get away from the nightmare. “All of my dreams have been shattered. I always wanted to leave home as a virgin bride,” the victim told the counsellor. She further told the counsellor t h a t s h e wants Persaud to be punished for what he had done to her. And t h a t h e m u s t n o t get another chance to violate another young girl. During a plea in mitigation, Attorneyat-Law Maxwell McKay asked the court to consider the findings of the probation report. H e p o i n t e d o u t t h a t his client had admitted to being sexually involved

Dhanraj Persaud with the young girl. He also asked the court to consider that his client is a respectable person and cared for his grandmother until her demise. Justice Barlow urged Persaud to use his time of incarceration to reflect on what he did. She also advised him to utilize programs available in the prison system for sexual offenders. The case for the State was presented by Prosecutors Tiffini Lyken, Seeta Bishundial and Abigail Gibbs.

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Thursday November 29, 2018

Govt. agencies still unprepared for early New PC Dental Centre to augment delivery budgets – Former Auditor General Chartered Accountant and former Auditor General, Anand Goolsarran has pointed out that while the government must be lauded for bringing early budgets, many of its agencies continue to be unprepared when one considers that there is yet to be significant improvement in the implementation rate of the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP) in the last three years. In his recent writings, Goolsarran said, “The year 2019 would mark the fourth year for which the national budget is presented to and approved by the National Assembly before the year begins. Prior to 2016, the budget was presented around the deadline set by Article 218 (1) the Constitution, except for the year 1976.” The Chartered Accountant continued, “That deadline is not later than 90 days of the commencement of the year. An early budget avoids the Minister of Finance authorizing withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund in the first four months of the year pending the approval of the budget, but more importantly, it allows heads of budget agencies to plan their expenditures in greater detail before the year commences, especially in the area of procurement.” The former Auditor General added, “However, considering

Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran that the majority of government expenditure relates to public procurement, significant progress is yet to be achieved to ensure that budgetary allocations are fully supported by detailed procurement plans.” HIGHESTRATE After months of issues, the Government was able to improve the implementation rate of its Public Sector Investment

Programme in the first half of this year. The Finance Ministry had said that for the first half of 2018, the PSIP expended $19.0 billion, reflecting a 20.0 percent increase, over the comparable period, in 2017. This represents an overall implementation rate of 31.8 percent of the budgeted allocation of $59.7 billion, the highest halfyear implementation rate in the last five years.

While challenges persist within the tender process, the Ministry said that evidence suggests that sensitization clinics, held with Budget Agencies, during 2018, to mainstream procurement planning and assist agencies with the preparation of procurement plans, have positively impacted this half year performance. The Ministry said, too, that there has been a 30.0 percent improvement in the performance of the locally-funded portfolio, compared to similar period in 2017. Further, the general improvement in turnaround times in the tender process has contributed to improved implementation. As at the half year, more than $23.8 billion of the local PSIP projects were awarded. Further to this, the Finance Ministry said that the implementation rate of the foreign funded portfolio of investments was 25.3 percent of the budgeted sum of $27.3 billion, an improved performance when compared to the $6.5 billion spent in the comparable period, in 2017. Government said that it remains committed to delivering the PSIP, of $59.7 billion, supported by rigorous monitoring of all PSIP projects. In the second half, the Finance Ministry said that greater emphasis will be placed on accelerated implementation of the foreign funded portfolio of projects.

of related health care As part of the ongoing observance of Oral Health Month the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with the Dental School, President’s College and Region Four will be launching the PC Dental Centre. The event set for tomorrow, [Friday, November 30, 2018] will mark the culmination of Oral Health month, but will cater to the sustained oral health care of students and teachers of the secondary school as well as persons within proximity. But the move to introduce such a facility at the school was not by chance as according to Dentex attached to the Ministry of Public Health, Ms. Holly Adridge Prince, “we are trying to focus a lot on having the children being given better care as often as possible.” According to the Dentex, among the crucial information disseminated to students is the need for them to preserve their teeth instead of having extraction done. Moreover the intent, Adridge Prince said, is to help persons learn from an early age how to care for their teeth. “Many people don’t understand that you don’t have to take out a tooth because of a toothache,” said the Dentex. Moreover, the main emphasis throughout the month was focused on the upholding the theme for Oral Health month – ‘Improving Oral Health through preventative and restorative measures.’ The key tactics that can be employed to preserve one’s teeth are: brushing at least twice daily and visits to the dentist twice yearly or as prescribed by the dentist, Adridge Prince said. “If you have a case where the teeth are infected or if you have cavities, instead of extracting you can visit the dentists so you can have restorative methods done such as filling,” she related. Among the particular issues that are seen among children, who have been the main

Ms. Holly Adridge Prince who will manage the PC Dental Centre. target, during the course of the month, are: tooth decay and gum infection such as gingivitis and juvenile periodontitis. “The most common gum disease you can find in teenagers is juvenile periodontitis,” said Adridge Prince as she revealed that this condition is one where the gum is inflamed and if left untreated can develop into other complications even the loss of teeth. The intent of targeting youths at the level of the school is strategic, since it is expected that they will be able to filter the information they learn to their families and the wider environment, Adridge Prince said. To help raise awareness too, the month of Oral Health activities in Region Four included dental care outreaches at a number of schools across the East Coast of Demerara. However, the most outstanding activity, she noted, was a dental fair which was held at the Ebenezer Church at Anns Grove, East Coast Demerara. “That was a big fair and we saw about 104 patients...we did a number of extractions and cleaning, and we were able to educate people about the importance of oral health,” Adridge (Continued on page 12)

Thursday November 29, 2018

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Kaieteur News

The PNCR is a lost cause When Desmond Hoyte lost the 1992 general elections, he summoned his distraught supporters to a rally in the south of Georgetown. There he told them not to despair; that the PPPC would soon discover how difficult it would be to govern. Those distraught supporters sure had a long wait. The PPPC may have made that discovery, but they ruled for an unbroken 23 years afterwards. When a party loses an election, it tries to placate and comfort its supporters by telling them that all is not lost; that their fortunes will change and change soon. The PNCR is once again singing a familiar melody. Still

smarting from its cut-tail at the 2018 local government elections, it is now telling its supporters to be ready to take back, legally, but before 2020, the constituency seats it lost to the PPPC. The PNCR should be holding an inquisition as to why it performed so poorly in this month’s local government elections, rather than trying to offer unrealizable promises to its membership. The PNCR is a lost cause. It could not between 2016 and 2018 narrow the gap in the popular vote between itself and the PPPC. The PPPC, in fact, almost doubled that gap in 2018. There was a low turnout and

that turnout will almost double in 2020. But it is hard to see how the PNCR will be able to do two years onwards, what it could not do over the past two years. And all the PNCR can offer its supporters are false expectations, rather than holding its campaign team’s feet to the fire. Do the supporters of the PNCR really believe that those seats lost to the Opposition are somehow going to be regained before the next local government elections? Those supporters should have been questioning what went wrong, and who should be held accountable for the PNCR’s performance on November 12,

Dem boys seh ...

Lead pencil land Irfaat in trouble wid SOCU Every dog got ee day is one saying. Anodda one is moon does run till day ketch am. Yesterday, de man who use to run de Ministry of Housing accounts department and keep record wid lead pencil, end up in front a magistrate. Wha he was to write, he forget to write. He share out state land like if was he mudda and fadda own it. SOCU charge him fuh selling land wha didn’t belong to him or de Ministry of Housing. Dem boys hear nowhere in de govt—not de Cabinet, not de Ministry, or he house— got any record of de Pradoville2 transaction. Dem can’t even find a receipt to show wha anybody pay. Dem boys want to believe dat he record all dem things wid lead pencil and before de coalition come in, he rub out everything. Dem boys also believe dat he sign he marrid certificate wid lead pencil. He wife betta check because problem start now and he can rub out he name and do exactly like Jagdeo, he padna in crime. Jagdeo seh he never marrid but dem boys been to both he and Irfaat wedding. Is de same lead pencil land him in hot water and de man who should have been walking up de court step side by side wid him is

Jagdeo. Jagdeo hatch de land sale, and he demand de biggest portion of land. Dem boys still remember de plan to split Plaisance playground to build a road at de western end leading straight into Jagdeo yard. If dem boys didn’t skin up de plan, Jagdeo woulda have he own private road plus a private runway fuh he plane wha he use to keep in de Crash Jet hangar at Timehri. Dem boys also remember GPL spend couple hundred million dollars to buy and fly in underground cable to carry power to all dem house in Pradoville2. Dat is de only location dat have underground power line like Europe and parts of Uncle Sam. Dem boys want SOCU fuh know dat if dem dig a little more and call, dem gon learn dat Pradoville 2 is only de tip of de iceberg dat Irfaat give away. SOCU gon find dat he give away plenty state lands to he friends and family. Only a fool does give way and don’t tek fuh heself. Dem boys believe dat he tek fuh heself to. One thing though, he got nuff lawyers and liars by he side. Dem boys want to know if dem gon help share dat cell wid him. Talk half and hope he enjoy Christmas. It could be his last fuh some time.

2018. The performance of the PNCR at the November 12th local government elections was calamitous. The results of those elections have already been analyzed. It is no use asking supporters to go and see the margins by which they lost. The PNCR lost in areas where they should not have lost, and the turnout in their strongholds was woeful, especially considering that they needed to steal the popular vote from the PPPC. They did not, and the party leadership and campaign team must be asked to answer for this performance. If this is the same leadership and campaign team

that will pilot the PNCR into the 2020 elections, then they can again expect a sound thrashing. The future of the PNCR looks bleak. The present crop of PNCR leaders cannot turn things around. They lack the political experience and the grassroots appeal to avoid the inevitable. In the meantime, the party faithful will be fed a great deal of diversions and distractions to take their minds off mission impossible: retaining its incumbency in 2020. If you read carefully between the lines of what the supporters are being told, you will realize that they are being fed excuses about

divisions contributing to the party’s loss and threatening the party’s ability to retain power in 2020. The writing is on the wall for the PNCR. It will not be able to reverse its present fortunes. Time is not on its side and not even oil will save it from the ignominious and inglorious defeat which awaits it and its coalition partners in free and fair elections in 2020.

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Thursday November 29, 2018

Kaieteur News

=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

GPL versus the police force: What a sick country Below is the description of an incident I witnessed involving a high-level employee of the GPL and ranks of the police force. It is one of the reasons young people are leaving Guyana. With the kind of society that Guyana is, young people are not going to stay. This country has to be more modern and commonsensical and uproot the rut that has buried it. Yesterday morning at nine o’clock, I was jogging in the National Park. On Carifesta Avenue, traffic ranks were conducting an exercise. I know as night follows day, these ranks abuse their authority. So I am always inclined to stop and make discreet enquiries of drivers as to why they were stopped. I know the police have to give a reason, but they don’t. Of course they didn’t as usual yesterday. Then they pulled over Mrs. Shevion Murray, the Public Relations Officer for GPL. I asked Mrs. Murray why she was intercepted. She was told her licence plate does not conform to the prevailing standard. Mrs. Murray’s numbers were large and graphically clear. So I enquired. The ser-

geant explained. Murray’s number is PVV. Now take a look at the capital letters here “VV.” As you will see V is a two-pronged letter. The sergeant showed me that one prong is thinner than the other. By this time, the four other ranks were annoyed that I intervened. Murray asked to go and get a new licence plate. I told the ranks, there is a shop two minutes drive away. They said she committed a violation. I then asked if the offence is ticketable. They said no. I advised Murray to retrieve her documents. They returned them minus her fitness certificate which they immediately revoked and kept. She was instructed to drive to traffic headquarters. I have in front of me the police schedule of ticketable offences. My schedule is six years old. It has 35 ticketable offences. I cannot enumerate all of them because there isn’t space. What I will do is show you those that are a million times more serious than a licence plate whose numbers or letters are not compatible with the standard ones. Here is a sample; 1- Driving uncertified motor vehicle

2- Speeding 3- No driver’s licence 4- No helmet 5- Failing to exhibit fitness certificate 6- Failing to exhibit road licence 7- Unlighted vehicle 8- No reflecting mirror 9- Leaving motor in a dangerous position 10- Refusal to give place of address 11- Defective windscreen wiper 12- Defective speedometer Four hours after, I called Mrs. Murray for an update, she said a new set of plates were made to conform with what the police required, but her fitness certificate which was revoked cannot be returned to her. Guess why? The rank that took it was not at the station when she returned with her new plates. The station didn’t know where he was. She secured his number and texted him to return her fitness, but at the time of writing, he had not made contact. This country does not belong to the civilized world. This country operates without commonsense. When the woman drove to the station and was instructed to get new

plates, there and then the officer at the desk should have been advised that upon compliance, her fitness certificate should be returned. What an asinine country! What an asinine police force! What an asinine government! The police give you a ticket for speeding. The police give you a ticket for driving without a driver’s licence, but the police revoke your fitness certificate and haul you into the station for a licence plate whose numbers are hugely visible, but is not the standard the police require. And then there is the horror story. The officer has disappeared with your fitness

document. I asked Mrs. Murray if she would like me to include any comments for this article. She wanted to speak on the mystery of it not being a ticketable offence, but said as the PRO of a state company, she thinks it is not wise to make public comments on the police force. But she was pellucid – she is glad that the entire episode has been described in this column. So what will come out of this situation? Come tomorrow, traffic ranks will stop drivers without telling them why, greeting them with the word, “papers.” The President will not act. The Prime

Frederick Kissoon Minister will not act. The Minister of Home Affairs (oops, sorry, Public Security) will not act, the Police Commissioner will not act. But why? They should. They are all actors anyway.

$3.6B injected into Judicial Reform for 2019 Minister of Finance Winston Jordan has said that Government will be injecting $3.6 billion into the justice sector, in 2019. In his recent budget presentation, the Finance Minister noted that the money will be used to maintain as well as improve the legal system of Guyana To this end, Jordan noted that the Government will be injecting the monies represent an increase of 15.8 percent over Budget 2018. He stated that in 2019, the Government will be among other things expanding legal aid access, including legal assistance in the defence of minor, non-violent offenders, as well as increasing the use

of restorative justice. “With regard to the latter, a draft restorative justice bill has already been submitted to the Attorney General’s Chambers for review, which emphasises alternative dispute resolution mechanisms which seek to repair the harm caused by criminal behaviour by facilitating constructive mediation between stakeholders.” “In 2019, we will endeavour to establish a restorative justice office, as well as train around 1,200 persons across the justice sector on restorative justice. With respect to alternative sentencing measures, the Government will be developing judicial policies

for non-custodial measures,” the Finance Minister added. According to Jordan, the State is looking to reduce the pre-trial detention by 5 percent and recidivism by at least 2 percent by 2021. As such, he explained that the Government is moving to continuously to improve dispensation of justice, with provision being made to add another courthouse in Region One, in addition to the four new courthouses set up in 2018 in Grove/Diamond, Bartica, Mahdia and Kwakwani. “Additionally, we will support the judiciary as they seek to expand their complement (Continued on page 12)

Thursday November 29, 2018

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Thursday November 29, 2018

Failure to disclose Resource Fund info attracts jail time, $$$M fine By Kiana Wilburg The draft Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill sees the coalition administration submitting to a level of transparency and accountability that has been long recommended by several international donors and anti-corruption bodies. According to the document which was laid in the National Assembly by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, the government is committing to regular reporting on the Natural Resource Fund, the failure of which would attract jail time and a substantial fine. The draft legislation notes that the Minister shall publish on the website of the Ministry and make available

to the public: the annual report, audited financial statements and external auditor’s report on the Fund within three working days after they are laid before the National assembly; the quarterly reports and financial statements of the Fund within 30 working days after they have been submitted to him by Central Bank; the monthly reports within seven working days after they have been submitted to the Minister by Bank of Guyana; the operational agreement within seven working days after it has been executed; and the Investment Instructions for the Fund within 30 days after they have been submitted to the Minister by the Bank. The Bill explicitly states

that a person who fails to comply with any obligation to publish information or leads someone else to fail to comply with, or hinders, or leads someone else to hinder compliance with the reporting obligation, commits an offence and is liable to a fine of $5M and three years’ imprisonment. OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE The Bill also paves the way for the creation of a “Public Accountability and Oversight Committee.” This body which will see representatives from the Media, the Guyana Bar Association and Transparency Institute Guyana Inc. (TIGI), will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the compliance of the

Guyana to host UN Meeting on Land Degradation

World Governments will be meeting in Guyana in January 2019 to discuss the impact of land degradation on people and ecosystems. The meeting will take place from January 2830 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, during the Seventeenth Session of the Committee for the review of Implementation of the Convention (CRIC 17). The convention in question is the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (UNCCD). The convention was signed in 1994 to mitigate the effects of drought,

through national action programs that incorporate longterm strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements. This meeting will be the first of its kind since the adoption of the UNCCD convention. In 2009, scientists recommended, and governments agreed on, 11 indicators to use to measure land degradation. Mandatory to these discussions is the proportion of the population living above the poverty line, which measures the impact on people, and the change in land cover, which measures the impact on land. The indicator on land cover was refined in 2014, and now

measures land cover, soil organic content and net primary productivity. It was made one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators of Life on Land in 2015 because achieving it – land degradation neutrality – will ensure that there is stability in the amount and quality of land resources necessary to support life on Earth by 2030, and onwards. CRIC will consider, in depth, this and other emerging issues such as drought management, halting forced migration in degraded areas negatively impacted by climate change and progress promoting gender equality.

Cyclist dies after being run over by... From page 7 saying, “the man ride over the road just so budday.” Police in a statement issued, claimed that have been unable to get any witnesses to come forward so far. Seecharran could be seen breathing heavily as he lay stretched out under the truck.

He was then taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead after being examined by a doctor. According to the police statement, “the accident occurred around 08:45 hours, and about 08:47 hours it was reported. Traffic ranks visited

the scene and statements were taken. A breathalyzer test was also conducted on the driver of the motor lorry, which revealed a Blood Alcohol Concentration of .000 %.” The driver is in custody assisting with investigation, and further enquiries are ongoing.

New PC Dental Centre to augment... From page 8 Prince. She is convinced that through education more young people are beginning to adhere to proper dental health. “There has been a great improvement where dental health is concerned,” said Adridge Prince who noted that persons are urged to visit the dentist in order to ensure that necessary measures can be

implemented to help preserve or restore any issues with their teeth. “It is only after visiting the dentist that you will know how often you should return for professional dental care...once you visit the dentist you may not need to come back until the following year, but then you might have to return sooner, but it is up to the dentist to advise,”

Adridge Prince said. But through the PC Dental Centre it is expected that persons will be able to have regular access to dental health care starting from as early as 08:00 hours [8am] each weekday. “This is a new thing and we are inviting the members of the community to come in and access this free service,” Adridge Prince urged.

government and other relevant persons when it comes to the principles of transparency; good governance; and international best practices, including the Santiago Principles, when using the Natural Resource Fund. It will also be tasked with providing independent assessments on the management of the Fund and the utilization for withdrawals from the Fund. According to the Bill, the Committee is expected to consist of 22 members who are nominated in accordance with Part Three of the Bill and appointed by the President. The Committee will include a representative from civil society organizations and community-based organizations, a nominee to represent women, with the said person being nominated by civil society organizations, a nominee of the Bar Association of Guyana, a representative of the Guyana Consumer ’s Association, a nominee of the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a nominee of TIGI, a nominee of the Guyana Press Association, a nominee of most representative associations of trade unions, a nominee of the Private Sector Commission, one nominee from each of the 10 Regional Democratic Councils and a nominee from academia who is nominated by the governing council of the University of Guyana. The Bill is silent, however, on their being a seat at the Oversight table for a member of the political opposition. Furthermore, the Bill points out that a person shall not be eligible for appointment if he or she is a Parliamentarian, an e m ployee of the Ministry, an employee or owner of an organization who is engaged by the Minister or Governor of the Bank to assist with the management of the Fund, is a mem ber of the Invest-

ment Committee established under Section 13 of the Bill or the Macroeconomic Committee that is established under Section 20 of the Bill. One is also not eligible to be on the committee if he or she is insolvent or is, or has been declared bankrupt, is of unsound mind or otherwise medically unfit, or has been convicted of any offence not minor in nature. The draft legislation notes that the President may terminate the services of any Committee member for a number of reasons, two of which include incompetence and misconduct. Additionally, the Government has paved the way for the Committee to have financial resources to carry out its functions. It is also expected to publish bi-annual reports of its activities on its website and that of Parliament’s. These reports will also be provided to the National Assembly as well as the President. CRUCIAL ROLE OF OVERSIGHT BODIES Whether or not rules are in place, independent oversight bodies have important roles to play in holding governments to account for the management of Natural Resource Funds. This was recently endorsed by Chatham House, a non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyze and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. Chatham House explained that in many countries, the courts are explicitly mandated to determine the constitutionality of legislation and ensure government compliance with laws, including those governing natural resource fund management. Where the courts are free from political interference, Chatham House said that judicial review is a strong form of independent oversight insofar as courts are able to enforce their decisions on the

government. Chatham House said, “Some countries are not brave enough to embrace this type of independent oversight. But the evidence is overwhelming to prove that this is an extremely powerful form of ensuring transparency and accountability in the operations of the NRF. In 2008, the Timor-Leste Appeals Court found that a $290.7 million withdrawal from the Petroleum Fund by the Government was illegal. The rationale was that it violated the 2005 Petroleum Fund Law requirements that the government provides a detailed explanation for the withdrawal and that petroleum revenues be managed for the benefit of current and future generations. The Court was able to order that the money be returned to the Fund.” Turning its attention to the importance of MultiStakeholder Groups, Chatham House said that some countries have established formal forms of these oversight bodies to reinforce and support the work of traditional bodies such as Parliament and the Judiciary or to provide an additional source of regulation. Chatham House said that in Chad, Ghana, and Timor-Leste, civil society persons such as Chartered Accountants, trade unionists, traditional leaders, and central bankers, form formal oversight committees for their country’s NRFs. The transparency body said, “Ghana’s Public Interest and Accountability Committee, for example, is mandated by law to monitor the management of petroleum revenues as outlined in the Petroleum Revenue Management Act. Timor-Leste’s Petroleum Fund Consultative Council, which consists of various civil society persons, is mandated to advise Parliament on how the country views the operations of the fund as well as recommendations for improvement…”

$3.6B injected into Judicial Reform for... From page 10 of magistrates and judges, in 2019, and beyond, in support of our collective efforts to reduce the backlog of cases in the courts. In addition, the Commissioners of the Law Reform Commission are being identified and once fully constituted and operational, the Commission is anticipated to commence its critical role in the updating the laws of Guyana in 2019.” Alluding to steps taken to reform the judicial system, Minister Jordan noted that within the past year, the

unanimous passage of the Juvenile Justice Bill signaled a collective commitment to reform the approach to dealing with the youth citizenry. The Act updates Guyana’s juvenile justice system to be consistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with the aim of guaranteeing juveniles access to legal assistance, re-insertion and diversion programmes, and providing children and adolescents to be accountable for their violations of the law. The new law incorporates

diversionary measures, court appearances, sentencing, a Juvenile Justice Committee and support facilities such as a halfway house. As such, Jordan said that modern options and alternative measures are being explored prior to committing a child to a detention facility. “A costing of the implementation of this Act indicates that key cost drivers include training and the establishment of a halfway house, for which we will seek to identify suitable land in 2019,” he added.

Thursday November 29, 2018

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Kaieteur News

Antigua will not give approval for Scotiabank sale – PM Browne

Antigua and Barbuda PM, Gaston Browne The shock announcement that Canadian-owned Scotiabank has signed agreements with Republic Bank, for the latter to buy nine of its operations in the Caribbean, is not going down well. One day after the Government of Guyana warned about the implications, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, has advised the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) that his government will not be issuing a vesting order to facilitate the Bank of Nova Scotia’s divestment of its Antigua holdings, as there was no consultation. The Prime Minister yesterday wrote to Timothy Antoine, the Governor of the ECCB, the entity which has regulatory responsibility for banks operating in Antigua and Barbuda’s banks. In the letter, Prime Minister Browne told the ECCB Governor that: “At no stage was the Government of Antigua and Barbuda consulted by the Bank of Nova Scotia nor was its agreement sought in this matter. The people of Antigua and Barbuda, including many persons holding deposits and other investment instruments with the Bank, learned of this divestment scheme through a media release.” He said that the matter has implications for the integrity of the banking system in Antigua and Barbuda and, indeed, for the stability of the Eastern Caribbean Currency. The PM made it clear th at “the Government of Antigua and Barbuda has concluded that the divestment announced by the Bank of Nova Scotia is not in the overall interest of our country and our people”. Copying his letter to colleague Heads of Government of ECCB member countries, some of which are similarly affected, the Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister advised the Central Bank Governor that “until other options for divestment are explored, particularly providing a consortium of local banks the right of first refusal to acquire the Antigua and Barbuda op-

erations, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda will not issue a vesting order”. FORMALAPPLICATION The letter came hours after the PM wrote Suzan Snaggs-Wilson, the General Manager of Scotiabank in Antigua. The PM’s office said that the Bank of Nova Scotia has been stopped from proceeding with any sale of its operations in Antigua and Barbuda until application is made to the Government and approval given. “Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne also wants assurances that local banks will be given priority to purchase the Scotiabank’s operations in Antigua, and that local persons’ investments and saving will be protected,” a statement from the PM’s office indicated. Browne lamented the fact that “the authorities of the Bank of Nova Scotia would decide to sell its operations in Antigua and Barbuda without any form of consultation with the regulators or the Finance Minister whose agreement and authority for such a sale are required by law”. In his letter, the Prime Minister declared: “I hereby inform the authorities of the Bank of Nova Scotia that their decision to sell the operations in Antigua and Barbuda, without the requisite consultation and agreement of the regulators and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, is unacceptable”. Prime Minister Browne stated that his government “now expects a formal application by the authorities of the Bank of Nova Scotia for the terms of any divestment, including a reasonable time to identify new local owners, and assurances of the safety of the assets and investments of local clients”. CAUGHT BY SURPRISE The announcement by Scotiabank not only caught the Government of Guyana by surprise but also scores of staffers who were reportedly told hours before. A number of them learnt of it from the news. There is deep worry about

their future with Scotiabank, which boasts five locations in Guyana. The Canadian bank has been here for 50 years - since 1968. Scotiabank announced Tuesday that the owners of Trinidad-owned Republic Bank are to take over its local operations. It disclosed that it has entered into an agreement to sell its banking operations in nine non-core markets in the Caribbean (Anguilla, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent & the Grenadines) to Republic Financial Holdings Limited (‘RFHL’). Scotiabank insisted that the agreements are subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. RFHL is a leading financial group based in Trinidad & Tobago with operations across the Caribbean and Ghana. As part of the proposed agreements, impacted employees of Scotiabank in the nine countries will join the

Republic Group and employees of Scotia Jamaica Life Insurance Company and ScotiaLife Trinidad and Tobago Limited will join Sagicor, or a new licensed insurance sales entity that will be created as a result of this transaction, Scotiabank says. Sagicor is a leading financial services provider in the Caribbean, with operations in 22 countries in the Caribbean, Latin America, the United Kingdom and the United States. 51 % CONTROL The Finance Ministry of Guyana, hours after the announcement, noted that the move by Scotiabank is not Guyana-specific and is part of a region-wide refocussing by the bank. “The Ministry of Finance notes the statement by Republic Bank that the agreement is “subject to all regulatory approvals” It explained that the Financial Institutions Act (FIA) has clear stipulations regarding “acquisition of control” and requires approval of the Bank of Guyana following the sub-

mission of an application and due diligence being conducted. According to the ministry, “the agreement raises a number of issues for the banking sector in Guyana, and for the public, which the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Guyana and the Government of Guyana will need to carefully consider.” The issues, the ministry said, include the fact that Republic Bank currently holds 35.4% of the banking systems assets and 36.8% of deposits. The acquisition will up this to 51% of both assets and deposits. “This raises concerns about an over-concentration of banking services, market domination and the ‘too big to fail’ risks.” According to the Finance Ministry, it will have to consider the effect on competition and the potential for Republic Bank to have too much influence on pricing of banking products and rates. Also to be considered are the burning issues related to

correspondent banking options. The Finance Minister also expressed worry over the loss of jobs with Republic Bank with the likely consolidation of branches. The ministry also questioned the timing of the decision. With Guyana about to enter into oil production, the sale has been perplexing to all and sundry. At stake are the millions of dollars of foreign currency that will be at stake in Guyana. The ministry itself was puzzled and made this known Tuesday. “The Scotiabank decision, which is made when Guyana’s economy is on the cusp of financial transformation with the onset of a massive new oil and gas sector raises concerns, and is regretted. The Ministry of Finance wishes to assure that it will continue to stay abreast of this matter, will act in the best interest of the Guyanese people, and will issue subsequent updates as necessary.”

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Thursday November 29, 2018

Kaieteur News

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Parfaite Harmonie, Eccles, Farm/Providence, Herstelling, Uivlugt, Tuschen, Diamond, Best price pay. Call: 666-2326 Demerara Bakery Inc. is looking for Distributors, Wholesalers & Retailers. Call us on 266-5847 or email: sales@demerarabakery.com Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic- Call: 223-7500 Monday to Saturday 8:15am4:15pm Office clerk, Senior/Junior CXC English/Mathematics, Computer knowledge an asset. Call: 223-7500 We buy land in Eccles, Herstelling, Farm, Parfaite Harmonie, Uivlugt, Zeelugt, Providence & Dairy Tel# 6117223/651-1969 1 Professional cook, 1 Professional Domestic worker for small family, Ages 30-45 for more info contact #687-1880/ 227-8614

35 acres land at Yarrowkabra, situated next to the Soesdyke Linden Highway. Tel#2612553

One experienced soup cook. Mon-Sat.Good pay Tel#2256927. Ask for Tonya, serious enquiries only.

3 storey commercial building. Location- Lot 1486 Plot B Herstelling (2 Bridge) EBD. Suitable for school/ apartments. Contact #6093777/686-0522

Farm (East Bank) $3.2M Eccles $7M Herstelling $4M & $5M Schnoord $2.8M Dairy $1.6M & $2.6M Tel#656-0701/6481635

One Nanny, must be able to speak Spanish & English. Please make contact with Paul @ 227-8682/227-3681/2253682 Monday-Friday 9am-4pm VACANCY

Unfinished Property for sale, Eccles #682-8236

Transported land 11.6 acres. Lot 15 public road. #2 Village W.C.B. Price $18M. Contact 686-4818, 648-7109

2005 Toyota Tacoma Ext cab 4x4 $2.6 Negotiable Tel#6901894 PROPERTY FOR SALE

PEN PAL Indian Male from England seeks female Age 29/32 with good personality. Call or Text #690-6639

HEALTH HERBAL REMEDIES: Diabetes, Hypertension, Infertility, Menstrual disorders, Enlarged prostate, Kidney,Gall stones & Arthritis etc. Call Sparman #676-5924

Atlas Security Service IncNow Hiring: Armed Officers, Unarmed Officers, Salary $85,000-$100,000 monthly. Call: 231-4960/653-1265 One female accounts clerk, apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bourda 1 Experienced cook wanted. #623-8654

WANTED

Newly constructed 2 bedroom apt in a safe and healthy environment. Call: 698-6496/ 622-6512

American Pool table. Tel#2770578

1 Apt for rent- Bottom flat for rent, for business. Contact Radica Kassim #264-2639 Lot 7-8 Plantain Walk WBD

Wanted 1 new model Allion or Premio motorcar urgently to work and keep. Contact #6813418

One handyman & one watchman to work in Georgetown. Please call: 2310363 between Mon-Fri 8:30am4:30pm

TO LET

FOR SALE/RENT

Salon for rental, New Market St, Georgetown, also hair/ nails/barber/massage. Makeup stations for rental #638-1106

Manager to work at 704 Sport bar, must have experience. Contact #223-5273 /2235274

Parfaite $1.2M $2.2M $2.3M Farm $5.5M Providence $4M $3.5M Herstelling (3rd Bridge) Double Lot $$5.5M (2nd Bridge) $3.5M Call: 666-2326

Toyota Spacio. Tel#639-9553

CAR RENTAL

Fully furnished luxury 2&3 Bedroom apartments to rent, long & short term. Tel#6667028/691-1432

1 Two bedroom bottom flat, space to rent. Hadfield Lodge. Tel#608-0430

Have your yard, fence, mat to pressure wash? Yard to weed? Call: 666-2326 Repairs at low cost: fridges, air conditioners, washing machines, freezers,sale of ac’s tel:6294946,225-4822

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

WANTED

TAXI SERVICE

1 Female domestic worker, preferably live-in, honest and reliable from age 40 and up. Tel#227-2321

GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)

Need Male and Female to work in the interior $80,000 #674-1767

Hick’s Ville HotelReceptionist. #231-0951/2277 7 1 4 / 2 2 3 - 3 4 4 8 info@vgiworld.com Vegetarian Garden- Driver/ salesman # 227-7714/223-3448 info@vgiworld.com

Women account for more than half of the global workforce, and about 70 percent of the global consumption demand. With a female population of over 380,000, the women workforce in Guyana is currently at 35 percent. However, here, as well as the global community, women have continually lagged behind men in very high numbers in terms of economic participation and opportunities. In a recent panel discussion, the implementing of gender disparity-free policies within the workplace was seen as a major factor in the bolstering of an inclusionary society within this country. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in a strategic plan has stated that the fifth goal of the plan is to end all forms of discrimination against women and girls, and to ensure that the work atmospheres within Guyana are not charged with gender disparities. In doing this, UNDP hopes to achieve its sustainable development goal. Women’s Rights advocate Hazel Haley-Burnett amplified this at the recent EU panel discussion. The UNDP in its sustainable development agenda sees gender equality as a core tenet of human rights. UNDP believes that gender inequalities can be eradicated through targeted educational programmes that will take into consideration the experiences, needs and contributions of women in a particular

VACANCY Driver, must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles. #2332745 General Domestic, must know to cook. Apply KeyFood McDoom EBD. Female Cleaner office & home, age 25 to 50 #233-2745 Waiter/Waitress and a Chef, preferably carnegie trained. Call: 225-7933, or visit 173 Sheriff Street. Office Clerk for office in Eccles. English -1, Mathematics-2, Computer Literate. #233-2745 Vacancy exist for Experienced Pharmacy assistants to work @ reputable pharmacy in Georgetown. Call: 696-5098/ 628-8811 between 8am-4pm

society. The organization stresses the importance of removing structural barriers that once barred women from having a say in decisions that will directly affect their lives. Women in Guyana, as well as in the global community are continually facing exclusion, and dismissing responses when it comes to serious issues within political climates. UNDP is hoping that this culture of indifference towards women will change not only in Guyana, but in the global community as well. Burnett in her presentation stated that while Guyana has made strides in gender equality, the country still has a long way to go. She commented on the first Domestic Violence Act to be passed in Guyana and its recent Sexual Violence Act, which was passed in 2010. In addition to this, the United Nations strategy sets targets to monitor areas such as leadership and accountability, recruitment and retention, creating an enabling environment and mission settings. The plan aims to achieve a fair balance between individual accountability and incentives, recognizing different starting points and challenges and providing positive tools to empower persons on every tier in the workplace. The goal of the plan is to improve geographic diversity, particularly for underrepresented groups, and to ensure that parallel goals of gender equality and diversity are seen as complementary rather than competing. UNDP has conveyed that the meaningful inclusion of women in decision-making processes will bolster productivity, bring new perspectives and strengthen efforts and resources in countries like Guyana as well as the global Diaspora.

Thursday November 29, 2018

Kaieteur News

PAGE 23

Canal One burglars nabbed at Demerara Bridge checkpoint Three men have been held after an early morning breakin at Canal One that left two teachers with thousands of dollars in losses. According to the police yesterday, the regular presence of the police on the western end of the Demerara Harbour Bridge, has been very successful since its inception and a number of persons have been arrested and charged with guns and ammunition possession, and other offences. There has also been a decrease in serious crimes in the West Demerara/East Bank Essequibo Region as a result of the exercises. Yesterday morning, about 03:30hrs, a police team commanded by a sergeant, while conducting a stop and search exercise on the Meer-Zorgen Public Road, West Bank

Demerara, at the western end of the bridge, stopped and searched a yellow wagon motorcar, its driver and two male occupants. In it, the police found a laptop, ear-pieces, four cellular phones, an Amazon tablet, an assortment of jewels, a Guyana passport, local and foreign currencies and other items. The vehicle and suspects were escorted to the La Grange Police Station. By that time, there were two reports of breakages in the Canal One Polder, West Bank Demerara. The victims, both female educators, positively identified all of the items as their property, the police said. The suspects, who have all given several addresses each, are assisting with the investigations.

The stolen items that were claimed by the teachers.

Public Procurement Commission hosts training session

One of the sessions at the “Procurement Planning” Training Workshop In keeping with its mandate to provide training, on November 13 and November 14, 2018, the Public Procurement Commission hosted a successful two-day “Procurement Planning” Training Workshop at the Roraima Duke Lodge. The forum catered for staff of procuring entities. There were 36 participants

from 17 Ministries and Agencies. The objectives of the training workshop were to reinforce understanding and compliance with applicable legislation; introduce the PPC’s Procurement Plan template; establish the linkage among work plans, budgeting and acquisition of resources; establish the value of Procurement Expenditure Report-

ing and Introduce Procurement Control Concepts. The training was deemed by the participants to be timely and beneficial since there was meaningful interaction and active participation during the sessions. At the conclusion of the training, the participants were issued with Certificates of Participation.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday November 29, 2018

Thursday November 29, 2018

Kaieteur News

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NBA roundup: Raptors rally for sixth straight win Kyle Lowry scored 24 points, including 15 in the second half, and the visiting Toronto Raptors overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-114 Tuesday night. Kawhi Leonard added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who won their sixth game in a row.Fred VanVleet was 6-for-6 from the field for 18 points off the bench — 14 in the second half — for the Raptors. Serge Ibaka contributed 16 points. Marc Gasol led Memphis with 27 points, and Mike Conley added 20 points. Nuggets 117, Lakers 85 Paul Millsap had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Jamal Murray scored 20, and host Denver routed Los Angeles. Malik Beasley also had 20

points to establish a career high, and Nikola Jokic had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Nuggets. Denver has won four straight after dropping six of its previous seven.The Lakers were 5 of 35 from behind the 3-point arc and shot just 39.1 percent overall. Kyle Kuzma, who led Los Angeles with 21 points, was 1-for-7 from long range, and LeBron James missed all four of his 3-point attempts. James finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Pacers 109, Suns 104 Domantas Sabonis scored 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead Indiana to a win at Phoenix. With the game tied at 104 with under a minute to play, Bojan Bogdanovic, the league’s top 3-point shooter,

cashed in from the corner to give the Pacers a 107-104 lead. After Devin Booker just missed a 3-point try, Darren Collison was fouled and made two free throws to clinch the game for Indiana with 12 seconds left.Six players scored in double figures for the Pacers, who also got 21 points from Doug McDermott. T.J. Warren paced the Suns with 25 points, and rookie Deandre Ayton recorded his 12th double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Hawks 115, Heat 113 Rookie Trae Young had a double-double with 17 points and 10 assists as Atlanta edged host Miami. Trailing by two points, the Heat had the ball after a timeout with 14.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter. How-

Thursday November 29, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may feel a bit stodgy today, Aries, but things are going to pick up tonight. There will be a great deal of air to fuel your fire, and you're ready to burn! TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Get things taken care of in the morning so you can be carefree and laid back in the evening. It's important for you to square things away in your head so you can communicate important information to others later. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your usual lazy attitude is apt to receive a burst of energy tonight, Gemini. It's in your nature not to want to lift a finger, but for some reason you may be compelled to get up and get moving. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You may find your emotions difficult to deal with, Cancer, especially later in the day. Consider taking an intellectual instead of emotional approach. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Communication with others could be extremely rewarding, Leo, especially later in the day. Project more of your energy outward and join others in projects that you might otherwise try to tackle on your own. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Make sure you solidify your affairs early in the day, Virgo, because the sparks are going to fly after sunset.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Things are looking up for you, Libra, especially later in the day. Pieces should be coming together and things flowing into place naturally. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) The energy is apt to pick up in your life today, Scorpio. You may be asked to report to duty. Don't make promises you can't keep. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) There's extra aggression in your world today, Sagittarius. Realize that this is probably due more to your reaction to a situation than to the situation itself. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Your mood may take a bizarre twist today, Capricorn, as you calm your desire to fight for something. You're probably more interested in enjoying the beauty of something rather than trying to keep it for yourself. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Things are going to get better and better for you as the day progresses, Aquarius. Try to get your grounded, practical, and logical self collected during the day so you have the evening to socialize and commune with close friends. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) There may be a bit of aggravation in a part of your life that's urging you to get up and do something, Pisces. It could be that you're getting overly emotional about a certain issue, and that you need to consider more of the cold,

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives against Memphis Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson (1) as Grizzlies center Marc Gasol (33) and Raptors forward Serge Ibaka (9) look on. (Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports) ever, Dwyane Wade, coming off a 35-point game, passed up an open jumper on the left wing and got the ball to Josh Richardson, whose 3-point attempt missed off the front rim to end the game. Miami, which has lost six consecutive home games, was led by Richardson, who scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. Atlanta won its second straight game overall and also snapped a seven-game road losing skid. Pistons 115, Knicks 108 Blake Griffin scored 30 points, and Detroit continued its success at home at New York’s expense. Griffin produced his sixth 30-point game of the season as Detroit shot 47.5 percent, controlled the paint by a 5638 margin and posted its fourth straight home win. Reserve Stanley Johnson and starter Reggie Jackson contributed 21 points apiece as the Pistons also won for the seventh time in their past nine games overall.Rookie Allonzo Trier led the Knicks with 24 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, but New York saw a three-game winning streak end. (Field Level Media)

Space Gym’s... From page 29 Sponsors are Buddy’s Gym, Fitness Express, Trophy Stall and Dyna’s Embroidery. Meanwhile, participating athletes for Flight ‘A’ are required to be at the venue for 08:00hrs for the weigh-in which will last until 09:30hrs for this Flight. Athletes competing in Flight B will be weighed in from 11:30 hrs. Tickets cost $1,000 and can be purchased directly from GAPLF Executive Members, or Buddy’s Gym. The entrance fee at the gate for this event will be $1,500.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday November 29, 2018

Opening day of 2nd three-day practice affected by Rain Jaguars face Volcanoes in St Lucia from Dec 6-9 Robin Bacchus pulls Andre Stoll yesterday at Providence.

Robin Bacchus was dropped at gully off Clinton Pestano at Providence yesterday. (Sean Devers photo)

By Sean Devers Overnight and morning showers at Providence affected the opening day of the second and last three-day practice match for four times defending Guyana Jaguars who will play the Windwards Volcanoes in in St Lucia as they begin their Regional First-Class cricket campaign

from December 6-9. While the ground, rated as one of the fastest drying International Cricket ground in the world, took a pounding from heavy rain, it remained in a playable condition but the problem was the pitch which had to covered with preparation moisture due to yesterday morning showers.

Despite the sun appearing intermittently from behind the grey cloud cover over the East Bank Demerara Venue, the first two sessions were lost and the Umpires eventually called play just after 14:00hrs in sunny conditions before rain stopped play in the second over with Vishaul Singh’s X1 batting against

CWI releases Regional Four-Day Championship Fixtures ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Fixtures for the 201819 Regional Four-Day Championship announced by Cricket West IndiesTuesday. Action starts December 6 with two games in St Lucia and Barbados. Guyana Jaguars first game is from December 6 in that St Lucia encounter. SCHEDULE OF MATCHES (All matches start at 10 am daily, except where indicated) ROUND 1 Thursday, December 6 to Sunday, December 9 Volcanoes vs Jaguars – Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St. Lucia (2 pm start daily) Pride vs Hurricanes – Three Ws Oval, Barbados (2 pm start daily) Thursday, March 14 to Sunday, March 17 Red Force vs Scorpions – Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad ROUND 2 Thursday, December 13 to Sunday, December 16 Pride vs Scorpions – Three Ws Oval Hurricanes vs Jaguars – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua Red Force vs Volcanoes – Brian Lara Cricket Academy ROUND 3

Friday, January 4 to Monday, January 7 Scorpions vs Volcanoes – Sabina Park, Jamaica (2 pm start daily) Red Force vs Hurricanes – Brian Lara Cricket Academy Pride vs Jaguars – Kensington Oval, Barbados ROUND 4 Thursday, January 10 to Sunday, January 13 Scorpions vs Red Force – Sabina Park Jaguars vs Volcanoes – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana (9:30 am start daily) Thursday, March 14 to Sunday, March 17 Hurricanes vs Pride – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground ROUND 5 Thursday, January 17 to Sunday, January 20 Jaguars vs Hurricanes – Guyana National Stadium (9:30 am start daily) Red Force vs Pride – Brian Lara Cricket Academy (2 pm start daily) Volcanoes vs Scorpions – National Cricket Stadium, Grenada ROUND 6 Thursday, January 31 to Sunday, February 3 Hurricanes vs Scorpions – Warner Park, St. Kitts (2 pm start daily) Red Force vs Jaguars – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad

Pride vs Volcanoes – Kensington Oval ROUND 7 Thursday, February 7 to Sunday, February 10 Jaguars vs Scorpions – Guyana National Stadium Pride vs Red Force – Kensington Oval Volcanoes vs Hurricanes – Arnos Vale Sports Complex, St. Vincent ROUND 8 Thursday, February 21 to Sunday, February 24 Hurricanes vs Red Force – Warner Park Scorpions vs Jaguars – Sabina Park Volcanoes vs Pride – Arnos Vale Sports Complex ROUND 9 Thursday, February 28 to Sunday, March 3 Scorpions vs Hurricanes – Sabina Park Jaguars vs Pride – Guyana National Stadium Volcanoes vs Red Force – Windsor Park, Dominica ROUND 10 Thursday, March 7 to Sunday, March 10 Scorpions vs Pride – Sabina Park Jaguars vs Red Force – Guyana National Stadium (2 pm start daily) Hurricanes vs Volcanoes – Vivian Richards Cricket Ground

Leon Johnson’s X1. Play resumed after a 15minute delay and the lefthanded Robin Bacchus pivoted on one leg and pulled left-arm seamer Andre Stoll, while Windies Test opener Rajendra Chandrika began in watchman like fashion on a slow track with a tinge of green. Bacchus was dropped at gully by Tagenarine Chanderpaul off lively Berbician pacer Clinton Pestano before steering Guyana’s only bowler with a hat-trick in Regional 50-over cricket, all along the ground past gully for his second boundary which took him into double figures on the still fast outfield. However, with the score on 12 in eight overs and

Bacchus on 11 and the 29year-old Chandrika, who played the last of his five Tests in August 2016, on one, another shower sent the players scurrying off the field. Just when it seemed that play would restart, a third shower, which lasted for the rest of the afternoon, washed out the rest of the day’s play. Weather permitting, the second day is scheduled to start at 09:00hrs today. Manager of the Guyana Jaguars Rayon Griffith expressed disappointment with the adverse weather, but said there nothing he nor the teams could do about it since it was God’s work.“Both of our practice games were affected by rain but I am fairly satisfied with our preparations so far since

the batters got some runs in the first game at Everest,” informed the former pacer who took 54 wickets from 22 First-Class matches in a career which spanned between 1999-2007. Griffith will celebrate his 40th birthday in Barbados on the penultimate day of Guyana’s third game and first for 2019 which runs from January 4-7 and added that the day was not wasted since the players did some light training and fielding drills yesterday morning. Guyana play the Leewards Hurricanes in their second game from December 13-16 in Antigua before the tournament breaks for the Christmas holidays. The Jaguars will play five games at Providence and five on the road.

Golf: Lee becomes first woman to win Australia’s Greg Norman Medal (Reuters) - Minjee Lee has become the first woman to win Greg Norman Medal as the best Australian golfer on the international stage after a brilliant year that saw her break into the top 10 of the world rankings. The 22-year-old, who rose to number six in the world in 2018, joins twice-winner Jason Day and Marc Leishman in the list of winners of Australian golf’s most prestigious individual honor. “I’m humbled to have won such a prestigious award alongside two amazing golfers already in Marc and Jason,” said Lee. “I’ve had a great 2018 season and this is a really nice way to be acknowledged for that ... hopefully (I) can have a bigger and better one next year.”

Australia’s Minjee Lee in action recently. (Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff)

Thursday November 29, 2018

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Kaieteur News

National Schools’ track and field C/ships

District five Porter sets new record in boys U20 highjump; Haynes, Rollins strike gold Story and photos by Zaheer Mohamed Okemi Porter of District Five West Coast Berbice produced an awesome display to set a new record and take gold in boys U20 high jump when the National Schools Track and Field championships continued yesterday at Leonora. The lanky Porter had the crowd on its feet as he leaped 1.79m to take gold, erasing the old record of 1.74m which was held by Yannick Walcott of District Three West Demerara Essequibo Islands. Dejaun Grant of District four East Coast Demerara jumped 1.41m to take gold in the boys U12 high jump breaking the previous record of 1.39m which was held by

Steve Semple of District One North West. Another record in the high jump was set by Jada La Cruz of District One who erased her previous best of 1.15m as she leaped 1.17m. Melon Lowenfield of District six Corentyne took the top podium spot in the long jump boys U16 as he cleared 6.47m to set a new record in the process, erasing the previous best of 6.14m. In the track events, Shane Haynes of District 10 Upper Demerara/ Kwakwani blazed the track to win the boys U20 100m final, while Alwyn Prince of District four East Coast Demerara placed second and Anthony Griffith of District 11 North Georgetown was third. The 100m girls U20 was taken by Tonya Rollins of

Shane Haynes of District 10 (1043) sprints to gold in the boys U20 100m ahead of Alwyn Prince of District four and Anthony Griffith of District 11. District three ahead of Tiea Lowe of District 12 and Aaliyah Reid of District 14 respectively. Derron Roberts of District 13 South Georgetown won the boys U18 100m while Akeem Cae-

Budhan Memorial Turf Club race Meet set for December 9

The Budhan Memorial Turf Club and Sports Facility of Branch Road, Mahaica, will hold a grand one day horserace Meet on Sunday December 9th at their race track starting from 1:00pm. Six races are carded for the programme and over two million dollars in prize money along with trophies are up for grabs by the outstanding performers. The main event is for racehorses classified 2years and L/1 Open and keen competi-

tion is expected among the leading 2 year olds. Other races will see animals battling in the Unclassified Division one and Division two, the L/2 and lower along with the L/3 and lower. This will be the first time the Turf Club will stage a Meet along with live entertainment at the same time. Chutney competition 2018 runner-up Sase Narine will rock the house and fans are in for a treat. A well stocked bar and popular sound system will add to the day’s entertainment.

Bangladesh loses Imrul for crucial Windies second Test DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – Bangladesh have made a forced change to their squad for the second Test against West Indies starting here tomorrow (11:30 pm tonight, Eastern Caribbean time), after opener Imrul Kayes was ruled out with injury. In the 13-man squad announced Tuesday,all-rounder Ariful Haque was the only new face from the side which trounced West Indies by 64 runs in the opening Test Chittagong last weekend. However, Shadman Islam, a 23-year-old left-hander who was already in the squad, is likely to step in for his Test debut and partner the inexperienced Soumya Sarkar at the top of the order. “Imrul Kayes is having pain on his shoulder and that is the reason we opted to rest him,’’ said chief selector Minhajul Abedin. ”We are looking forward to see how Shadman responds to the international cricket. He has been scoring runs quite

Bangladesh opener Imrul Kayes. consistently in the domestic tournament and was the highest scorer in NCL. We are quite hopeful about him.” Bangladesh have already lost their most experienced opener, Tamim Iqbal, for the series after he picked up a side strain and was ruled out of the first Test. The hosts are eyeing their first-ever series victory over

West Indies on home soil in the contest set for the Shere Bangla National Stadium. In six previous Tests here, Bangladesh had lost five of six, with the other one drawn. The last time Bangladesh beat West Indies in a Test series was nine years ago in the Caribbean when a players strike robbed the hosts of their first choice squad.

sar of District 10 placed second and Mark Solomon of District three third. Deshana Skeete of District 10 captured the 100m girls U18; Binka Joseph of District three West Demerara Essequibo Islands placed second and Aaliyah Kelman of District 14 East Bank Demerara was third. Ronnel Newton of District 10 took gold in the 800m boys U20 while Okemi Porter took second and Jamal Scott of District 14 East Bank Demerara was third. Serena Williams of District

10 won the girls U20 800m ahead of Leyona Charles of District 13 South Georgetown and Donell Mathieson of District five in that order. Courtley Bobb of District five grabbed the boys U18 800m title, while Murphy Nash of District six placed second and Darel Davis of District 10 was third. The girls U18 800m was taken by Tia Azore of District 10, while Jasmine Assanah of District 12 finished second and Alyiah Headley of District four placed third. Cordel Charles of Dis-

trict 12 East Georgetown won the boys U16 800m; Matthew Gordon of District five was second and Ogle Benel of District 11 North Georgetown thirdAdriel Austin of District 11 carted off the girls U16 800m while Keliza Smith of District three and Shaquka Tyrell of District 10 placed second and third respectively. The 800m boys U14 was won by Samuel Henry of District five; Jonathan Seedath of District four was second and Akeem Henry of District 11 third.

Bravo, Faulkner back T10 to become a global phenomenon ESPNcricinfo - Dwayne Bravo, the Maratha Arabians captain, and teammate James Faulkner have backed T10 cricket to become a global phenomenon. Organisers this week told ESPNcricinfo of plans to hold two tournaments in 2019, with one outside of the league’s current base in UAE. Chairman Shaji Ul Mulk confirmed talks are underway with three international boards over taking T10 abroad. Two of the league’s star names backing these ambitions will delight the league’s owner. “I think it will grow. I think other countries and leagues around the world will buy into it because it’s just like T20 cricket,” said Bravo, who has experienced both T10 editions. “No-one really trusted T20 when it first came about and it’s the hottest topic now. T10 has the potential to do the same. I think it’s just a matter of time before it reaches different countries around the world.” Faulkner agrees with his captain, and believes the league has reached a take-off point. “It’ll be interesting to see where it is in three years” he said. “I think it’s going to take off, that’s my personal

Chris Gayle chats with Dwayne Bravo. (BCCI) opinion on it. Speaking to other players I think it will. It’s short, it’s exciting for the fans and the players as well. I think you’ll see it developing all around the world pretty soon, pretty quickly.” Faulkner also believes T10 becoming the fourth format internationally is still a while away, but expects to see leagues pop up all over the world in the coming years. “I think that’s where it will go [T10 leagues around the world]. Players obviously love the format so far and also the spectators as well,” he said.

“You want something quick like T20 that fans can come and watch. With T10, you can play a couple of double-headers like we have here and really engage the crowds and also four different teams and their fans as well. “I wouldn’t be surprised [if T10 became an international sport]. I don’t think it’s going to happen too quickly but I think you’ll see other leagues in the next couple of years. I think we’re all interested to see where it is in five, ten or fifteen years.”

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Kaieteur News

Brathwaite slides, Dowrich rises in ICC rankings LONDON, CMC – Standin West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has taken a heavy blow in the latest ICC Test rankings announced yesterday. The right-hander slipped eight places in the batting charts and is currently ranked 26th. He is, however, the highest ranked West Indies batsman.Brathwaite made 13 and eight in the Chittagong first Test against Bangladesh last week, which West Indies lost by 64 runs, to fall behind 0-1 in the two-match series. The 25-year-old has suffered a dip in form of late, managing just 26 runs from four innings on last month’s tour of India, which West Indies lost 2-0.Teammate Roston Chase also slipped in the rankings to 37th while Shai Hope slid to 47th, after making one and three in Chittagong. They are the only three Windies players in the top 50 of the batting charts.

West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite. However, there was some good news as wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich, who hit an unbeaten 63 in the first Test, jumped seven spots to 58th. There was no change to the top five in the rankings headed by India captain Virat Kohli.In the bowling rankings, fast bowler Shannon Gabriel inched up one place to 11th, following his five-wicket haul and leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo also moved in the right direction, climbing two spots to 32nd after also picking up a fivewicket haul in Chittagong.

There was no good news, however, for veteran seamer Kemar Roach who dropped four places to 24th after claiming a single wicket in that Test.Regular captain Jason Holder, who is out of the Bangladesh series with injury, remains the highest-ranked West Indies player at ninth. He is also unmoved in the all-rounders rankings at number three.South Africa seamer Kagiso Rabada tops the bowling rankings while Bangladesh captain Shakibal-Hasan remains the leading all-rounder.

Former Barbados skipper Edwards to lead Volcanoes KINGSTON, St Vincent, CMC – Former West Indies vice-captain Kirk Edwards has been handed the captaincy of Windward Islands Volcanoes for the first class championship which starts next week. The 34-year-old, a former Barbados captain who played 17 Tests and 16 One-Day Internationals for West Indies, represented Volcanoes in the Regional Four-Day season for the first time during the last campaign, scoring 313 runs, including three halfcenturies. Edwards was did not feature for a franchise during the 2016-17 season and had turned out for Jamaica Scorpions in the previous campaign. He has not represented Barbados since the 2014-15 season when he scraped 59 runs in four matches for the traditional regional powerhouses. Edwards was once tipped as a future great West Indies batsman after hitting two hundreds and a half-century in his first six Test innings. But his career declined following a poor run of form on the 2012 tour of England and he never rediscovered the touch which had gained him his quick rise in West Indies cricket. Edwards averages 33 with nine hundreds, and is on the brink of 5 000 first class runs.

Batsman Kirk Edwards … set to lead Windward Islands Volcanoes. He will lead a squad which will be missing marquee opener Devon Smith for the day/night first round match against four-time reigning champions Guyana Jaguars at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground next week Thursday. Smith is unavailable due to “personal reasons”, a Windwards board release said. The squad will also be missing several other key players as batsman Sunil Ambris and fast bowler Sherman Lewis are on West Indies duty in Bangladesh, while the trio of Obed McCoy, Kesrick Williams and Kyle Mayers are all injured. Batsman Tyrone

Theophile, who led Volcanoes last season, has been included in the 13-man squad along with former West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford and 21-year-old batsman Roland Cato, who will be Edwards’s vice-captain. Volcanoes finished one from bottom of the six-team championship last season and have not won the first class title in the modern era. SQUAD – Kirk Edwards (captain), Roland Cato (vicecaptain), Tyrone Theophile, Tarryck Gabriel, Kavem Hodge, Alick Athanaze, Denis Smith (wicketkeeper), Shane Shillingford, Audy Alexander, Ryan John, Delorn Johnson, Ray Jordan, Josh Thomas.

Thursday November 29, 2018

Brathwaite fireworks helps Rajputs to easy win SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates, CMC – West Indies Twenty20 skipper, Carlos Brathwaite turned in a decent all-round performance to help lift Rajputs to a 12-run win over Evin Lewis’s Punjabi Legends in the T10 League here yesterday. Brathwaite smashed an unbeaten, nine-ball 23 with a couple of fours and sixes as Rajputs, sent in at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, rallied to 117 for five off their 10 overs. Captain Brendon McCullum top-scored with 28 from 15 balls while South African Rilee Roussouw chipped in with 26 and Afghan opening partner Mohammad Shahzad, 24. Barbados-born England all-rounder, Chris Jordan, claimed two for 16. In reply, Lewis’s wretched run of form continued as Legends were restricted to 105 for six off their allotted overs. The left-handed Lewis departed lbw to the fourth ball of the run chase from Brathwaite, who ended with one for 18 from his two overs. In six innings in the tourna-

West Indies T20 skipper Carlos Brathwaite. ment, Lewis has notched scores of 0, 10, 0, 6 and 4. Philip Salt struck an unbeaten 34 from 17 balls and opener Umar Akmal, 34 from 19, but Legends still came up short.

In the other match of the doubleheader, captain Dwayne Bravo had little impact as his Maratha Arabians went down by eight wickets to Andre Fletcher’s Pakhtoons.

Eddings made permanent Cricket Australia chairman SYDNEY (Reuters) - Earl Eddings was named the new permanent chairman of Cricket Australia (CA) by the board yesterday, four weeks after taking up the post on a temporary basis when David Peever was forced to resign. A director on the board for the 10 years, Eddings would serve until next October’s annual general meeting when the post would be filled by a candidate nominated after consultation with the state associations, Cricket Australia said. Eddings takes on the role at a difficult time for the game in Australia after last year’s bitter pay dispute with the players was followed by a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March that rocked the sport. Peever resigned a little

more than a week after being re-elected for a second threeyear term, bowing to public pressure in the wake of a scathing review of the board’s governance and culture. “There’s no question this year has been a challenging one for cricket and for Cricket Australia. Our aim is to ensure management are empowered to rebuild trust and strengthen the game,” CA director Jacquie Hey said in a statement, “Earl’s involvement over the past decade provides continuity in a time of change and enables the board to maintain strong relations with the ICC (cricket’s governing body), other member countries and our valued partners. ”The Longstaff report, which was not released until after Peever’s second term

FIFA ethics committee member resigns following investigation ZURICH (Reuters) - FIFA’s ethics committee member Sundra Rajoo resigned yesterday, one week after being suspended from his post following an investigation by an anticorruption unit in his native Malaysia, the global soccer body said.FIFA said in a statement that it had “taken note of the resignation with immediate effect of Mr Sundra Rajoo as a deputy chairman of its adjudicatory chamber.” It did not give further details of the investigation or of the accusations against Rajoo, who could not immediately be reached for comment.

Earl Eddings (Cricket Australia) was secured, found the board partially culpable for the events in Cape Town which led to bans for Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. The report also said CA was perceived as “arrogant” and “controlling” by stakeholders and had nurtured a culture of “winning without counting the costs”.“Cricket is only what it is in Australia because of the commitment of our people, the fans and the thousands of volunteers around the country,” Eddings said.“I am honoured to serve in this position and am committed to making cricket stronger and a game that we can all be proud of.”

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 29, 2018

GAPLF Senior Nationals By Franklin Wilson The most anticipated event on the powerlifting calendar, the Senior championships is to be contested on Sunday at the Saints Stanislaus College Auditorium, Brickdam from 10:00hrs; this would also be the year ending competition for the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF). The nation’s best athletes in both the male and female categories will be on show as they not only seek to out lift each other but will also be staking claim to be part of the national team for overseas competitions in 2019. Former bodybuilding (Miss Bikini 2015) contestant turn powerlifter, Ms Junica Pluck whose first competition in her new sport was back in February of this year, will be one to watch this Sunday as she not only aims to win the 63kg Class but has her sights set on

Space Gym’s Junica Pluck going for Overall glory

Junica Pluck in competitive mode. taking the top female accolade. Having passed through the ranks so to speak, Novices in February them the Intermediate segment of the federation’s calendar in May where she ruled the

roost in the 63kg category with a Best Squat of 135kg; Bench Pressed 67.5kg and a Deadlift of 132.5kg; Ms Pluck believes that the time is opportune for her to step up to the marquee stage and make it big in her still young

58th Nationals Schools Swimming Championship

Amy Grant captures 4 Gold medals in Girls U-18 Class

A

my Grant, now a student studying A Levels at School of the Nations, has surfaced after her last race in December, 2017 at ASATT in Trinidad & Tobago where she won Gold in the 1500m Freestyle and placed 4th in the 50m B u t t e r f l y . Since then, it has been school work and exams for Grant who had stopped all training as she focused on the 2018 CSEC Exams. The multi talented Grant resumed training in the last week of August this year but an old injury which she had gotten while swimming the Qualifying Meet for 2016 School Nationals at the Colgrain Pool, came back. She was swimming the 50m Freestyle when her foot got caught in the gutter of the pool as she flip turned. Everyone present thought she had hit her head. She had to stop training due to the pain. After consulting with the orthopedic surgeon, he r e c o m m e n d e d physiotherapy with Dr. Paula Alexander, which Grant started from early October to early this month to see how the injury responds to that treatment. Grant was planning to come back for the GASA Short Course Nationals held

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career. ”I’ve been training for this senior powerlifting competition for the past six m o n t h s . Wo r k i n g a n d training sometimes can be a bit exhausting as everyone knows, working from 08:30hrs to 16:30hrs then training after daily. I’m self motivated and this is a sport that I love so I get to the gym regardless of how I’m feeling. A wise friend once told me, “just put it on the back burner J and get

training out of the way,” and ever since, that thought is in m y h e a d e v e r y d a y. ” It is not yet known if there would be other females contesting Pluck’s category but there would certainly be other females suiting up for the platform including the likes of Natoya Robinson and Runita White who are set to make history as they both would be contesting the 84+kg category. The Babb sisters, Grace and Blossom are also expected to be in the

l i m e l i g h t . White was the Best Lifter at this year’s Intermediate Championships with Robinson taking the similar title at this year’s Raw N a t i o n a l s . Pluck said she is looking f o r w a r d t o S u n d a y ’s challenge and has some words of encouragement for other females contemplating of joining the sport: “Lifting weights will not make you look manly. Weights will just enhance your femininity in every regard including toning your legs and arms. I encourage all the females out there to get involved in any form of sporting activity because it is also a healthy lifestyle and it doesn’t have to be Powerlifting; you don’t have to compete.” Among the male athletes set to add more fire to the day’s proceedings which is anticipated to be fierce are 2018 NAPF Overall Champion Carlos Petterson, Vijai Rahim, 93kg junior sensation Bishen Sasenarine and 2018 Novices Overall champ Timothy Bagla and Noel Cummings the nation’s oldest competing athlete. (Continued on page 25)

AEK, Ajax charged by UEFA over Champions League crowd trouble

Guyanese International Superstar Eddy Grant with his niece Amy Grant displaying her four gold medals at the Championship. earlier this month but she caught a terrible respiratory infection and was instructed by her doctor to stop all swimming just two weeks before GASA’s Meet and was only able to swim two days before the 58th School National Swimming C h a m p i o n s h i p . Grant, who also sings and plays musical instruments, won all the races she had qualified for; the 50m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly and 100m Freestyle in the Girls Under-18 as well as Gold, anchoring her team from

District 11 (North Georgetown) in the 4x50 Freestyle Relay. Amber Degoeas started the first leg; Monique Watson continued the pace from the second with Patrice Mahaica handing over to Grant who completed the Gold medal swim. Grant then moved on to track and field at Leonora for the 800m, Shot Putt and Javelin. Grant will be unable to p a r t i c i p a t e i n A S AT T thisyear because she had no preparation for that level of competition.

Ajax’s Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in action with AEK Athens’ Giorgos Giakoumakis. (REUTERS/Costas Baltas) (Reuters) - AEK Athens and Ajax Amsterdam have been charged by UEFA over the crowd trouble that marred their Champions League Group E match in Athens on Tuesday, European soccer’s governing body has said. Riot police clashed with Ajax fans in the Olympic Stadium before the match and some supporters had blood pouring down their faces, while flares were also thrown inside the stadium. The UEFA charges facing AEK include a pitch invasion by their fans, the throwing of

objects, setting off of fireworks, insufficient organisation and the display of an illicit banner. Ajax have been charged with setting off fireworks and the throwing of objects by their supporters.The governing body’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body will deal with the case on Dec. 13. Former European champions Ajax beat AEK 2-0 to reach the knockout rounds of the continent’s elite club competition, while AEK were eliminated from Europe after a fifth straight defeat.

Kaieteur News

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Thursday November 29, 2018

DMW Hockey festival launched GCC and Old Fort off to winning start The 14th annual Diamond Mineral Water (DMW) Indoor Hockey Festival was officially launched yesterday afternoon while action in the tournament hit off last night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH). Five matches were scheduled to take place last evening while another ten matches are lined up on the cards for today, at the same venue. The competition, which is has been sponsored by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) since the initial edition in 2004, now has seen the backing of ExxonMobil and Ansa McAl through their Stag Beer brand added to the tournament. DDL remains the title sponsors but will also support the Open men category, while the oil and gas giants will sponsor the Open women’s category and Stag will be on hand for the over-35 division. President of the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB), Philip Fernandes, posited during the launch that this year they anticipate the participation of the top players from last year’s M e n ’s P a n A m e r i c a n

Champions, Trinidad and To b a g o ( T & T ) . T h e Queens Park Hockey Club (QPHC) from T&T, who were finalists in 2013 and 2016, are defending champions in both the Men’s and Stag Over-35 Divisions. The side boasts several Tr i n i d a d i a n n a t i o n a l players, including Jordan Reynos, Aiden DeGannes and Jordan Vieira along with several former nationals. The ExxonMobil Women’s Competition sees the return of the inaugural champions, Magnolias from Trinidad who will be joined by Ventures, also making an appearance after many years.Meanwhile, the GTT National Champions, the Woodpecker Hikers, will be looking to lead the challenge from Guyana, as will seventime champions, GBTI GCC along with Old Fort and Saints.Seven overseas teams will be gracing the competition in this year’s festival, along with the local squad which accumulates a total of 18 teams.Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded to the winners and runnersup in the male and female and veteran categories. The

Sitting from left, ExxonMobil’s Nicholas Fraser, Larry Wills of DDL , GHB head Philip Fernandes, Ansa Mcal’s Nigel Worrel and GHB’s Adrian Hooper during the launch yesterday afternoon at CASH. winning teams in both male and female tournament will each receive USD$1000, while the runners-up will cart off with USD$500. In last night’s opening action, GBTI GCC began their campaign in a positive note after beating Saints 6-0. Meanwhile, GCC Vintage pulled off a come from behind win against Old Fort 5-2 in the over-35 veterans category. However, Old Fort women, who lost to Hikers in the GTT National Championships earlier in the month, defeated their rivals 3-1 in a very commanding display of hockey.The results of the remaining matches will be featured in a subsequent article.

Hikers’ goalscorer Nicole Eastman drives into the Old Fort’s area to create a play during last night’s play in the DMW festival.

Resuscitated Edinburgh Warriors CC receives gear from West Indian Sports Complex

Bahamas Karate Association to host WUKO Referee workshop The Bahamas Karate Association (BKA) together with USA Karate International (USAKI) will be hosting a referee course under the rules of the World United Karate Organization (WUKO). It will take place on Saturday December 8th at White Trim Blue Plaza. For more information call 242467-5590. Thanks were expressed to the BKA President and WUKO representative in the Bahamas Sensei Julian Rolle and his team for all their work and time in promoting this event. Master Basil Rolle (Julian’s father and a member of the famous Tong Dojo -USA) is known as the father of Bahamas Karate. WUKO Referee Coordinator, Sensei Darryl Williams will be conducting the course. Candidates will be introduced to the theory and practice of the rules. Sensei conducted a similar course in July 2013. All will receive certificates of participation on completion of workshop.

Mr Lyken Edwrads receives the cricket gear from Ms Ghanie as some members of the club pose with some of the gear.

Sensei Julian Rolle (left) and Sensei Darryl Williams. All candidates are reminded to walk with WUKO rule book,

notebook, pen and whistle. Dress code is martial arts uniform.

The recently resuscitated Edinburgh Warriors Cricket Club of Edinburgh East Bank Berbice was recently the beneficiary of a set of cricket gear. The club was recently resuscitated by overseas based Guyanese Mr. Egbert Lyken-Edwards and his wife Maureen Lyken-Edwards who received the donation from The West Indian Sports Complex of Robb Street, Lacytown Georgetown. Among the items received were two pairs of batting pads, two pairs of batting gloves, two cricket balls (1 red and 1 white) and two bat faces.Apart from the items donated, the club got reduced prices on: two cricket bats, one helmet, three medals and a quantity of bat oil.The presentation was made by Miss Rafeena Ganie on behalf of the West Indian Sports Complex. She expressed delight that the company has been given the opportunity to work with and continued to support the Edinburgh Warriors Cricket Club.In expressing his appreciation Mr. Lyken Edwards thanked the principals of the WI

Sports Complex for their kind gesture in coming to the aid of the club.The move to resuscitate the club began on the 9th September 2018 with eight members. Now it has over 70 members registered. The club has grown rapidly and now has an under 15’s under 17’s an under 19’s and a 2nd Division team. Efforts are being made to restart a first division team in the area.The executives of the club are President- Egbert LykenEdwards, Vice President- Denoraine Seeparsaud, Secretary-Maureen LykenEdwards, Treasurer-Jennifer Mahadeo, Assistant Treasurer- Maureen Le, Fixture secretary is Denoraine. In charge of fundraising are Mrs Sanicharn assisted by Steve Seeparsaud.The player representatives are Raymond Ituaru and Totaram Sanicharn. Mr. Lyken-Edwards was accompanied to the presentation by the Club Secretary Maureen Lyken-Edwards, Club members Raymond Itwaru, Jerome Andrews and Lomar Shan Sanichara. (Samuel Whyte)