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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 14, 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 US-CHINA TRADE WAR ESCALATES On September 13, 2018, President Trump imposed tariffs of US$200 billion on Chinese goods entering the United States. It was no surprise. During the 2016 presidential election campaign, Trump had made it clear that he would impose tariffs to punish China for its unfair trade practices. Although he made good on his threat, trade wars, especially between two major powers have always affected stock markets around the world, including the Wall Street, which has fallen by almost eight percent in the last few days. The US first imposed US$50 million tariffs on imports from China earlier in the year and China retaliated. President Trump upped the ante with an additional $200 billion of tariffs on China’s goods, and China responded with tariffs of US$60 billion on American goods. However, economists have opined that China cannot win a trade war with the U.S. It has only US$20 billion in tariffs left to impose on American goods, while the Trump administration has a further US$267 billion in tariffs to impose on Chinese imports. Although China has only a few tariff options left, it could still make it difficult for the U.S. It currently holds US$1.3 trillion of US Government bonds, which makes it America’s largest single creditor. But it would be unwise for China to get rid of some of these bonds, because it would have a negative impact not only on the US economy but also its own and the international financial markets. Trump’s unorthodox approach is inconsistent to the international system. Since the creation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1948, countries have used tariffs only as a last resort when all efforts to resolve trade disputes through negotiation failed. The elaborate dispute settlement mechanism of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was created precisely to avoid tariff wars. But President Trump has shown disdain for the WTO and has threatened withdraw the U.S. from it unless it improves. It takes an average of two years for the WTO to resolve a dispute and longer if the decision is appealed. The high-profile meeting between President Trump and China’s president, Xi Jinping, in April last year yielded little. Mr. Trump has grown impatient with China. He blamed his predecessors for not confronting China, which he claims was unrealistic because China’s problem is real. Whatever some may think of Mr. Trump’s unorthodox management style, his undiplomatic posturing or his belief in putting America first, his insistence on a level playing field with China and the European countries is not without merit. China is the world’s largest exporter of goods, with a total of US$2.3 trillion in 2017. However, his assertion that China imposes extremely high tariffs on imported American products to China is not true. China’s weighted tariff on imported American goods is 5.4 percent compared with US weighted tariff of 3.0 percent on imports from China. China has restricted foreign access to its financial markets and other critical segments of its economy. It has deliberately suppressed the value of its currency in order to make imports more expensive and exports more profitable. Unlike the U.S., China does not have an open, market-driven economy. State-owned enterprises account for more than 35 percent of its production and they receive direct and indirect subsidies and other commercial benefits from the government that allow them to compete advantageously with global competitors. It is difficult to predict how this trade war between the U.S and China war will play out. But trade wars are usually injurious to its combatants. Trade wars have restricted trade which, in turn, has hurt the investments and jobs that produced the traded goods.
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.
Wake up Linden, ignore the loud noise and focus on the issues! Dear Editor; With just about four weeks to go before Local Government Elections; campaigning from all parties continues to grow aggressively in the mining town of Linden. Posters and fancy banners are being mounted; all of a sudden, we have more newspapers than the town has ever seen in years, old friends are finally being reunited since boyhood days as door to door visits give competition to Jehovah Witnesses. Oh how disappointed, “Auntie Myrtle” looked seeing a Councillor who seeks re-election for the first time in three years; “teacher gyal wuh happen to the lights you promise, the potholes turning lake, de other day meh kill two labaria snakes, de mosquitoes sucking meh dry, oh man nothing ain’t change; just the lil grey hair on yuh head”. It seems you have to be the relative of a “big bai” to
get “proppa” roads that lead directly to your gate; in the coming weeks a lot of patching will be done to plaster the disappointing performance of those who are now claiming to put “family first.” This is the perfect opportunity for Lindeners to make demands, somebody said if you ask for land, house and car you could get it during elections; sadly if the current trend continues, after elections should they prevail, the critical issues that affect residents will be
catching dust until the next election. Editor, currently some senior executives are claiming success of the coalition government APNU + AFC ‘s work as their party’s own. Stop lying to the people; all government spending must be passed in parliament; building of roads and commissioning of buildings, appreciate that it currently takes two to tango at the National level (don’t mix matters). What grade would you
give a majority at the Linden Mayor and Town Council; 13 to 2 and one not so independent? I am encouraging Lindeners to look past the carnival of facades and drowning of loud music, which seems to be the trend days before every ‘E’-Day. We must not be afraid to embrace change, especially if you go to sleep on shattered dreams and wake up to a sunrise of false hopes and broken promises. Sincerely, Devin Sears
A professional overseer DEAR EDITOR, It is a fact that we sometimes dwell on the negatives without highlighting the many strides in our country. As a resident and businessman of the Grove/Diamond community, on the East Coast Demerara, I have had to deal with the Neighbourhood Democratic Council ever so often. My engagements would have involved meeting with officials of the NDC. Mr. Editor, in my dealings with Mr.
Richard Mohabir, the Overseer, has been very respectful, and strikes me as a hardworking man whose professionalism should be emulated.This is even more commendable, given the numerous examples of public corruption in our country of late. Mr. Mohabir is a rare example of a public official who is focused in conducting his responsibilities in accordance with his mandate. A dedicated Community Support Member
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur M@ilbox Is this how the PPP does things? DEAR EDITOR, As a businessman who has supported the PPP and the Vergenoegen NDC, which overlooks the social matters of my village, I wish to bring to attention to those in authority of this blatant act that was committed by the NDC. Prior to nomination day, the PPP councillors and party representative visited each home seeking our signatures in support of the nomination of Ms Latchmi, who is the present councillor (i.e., until the local Government election on Nov 9 2018. They collected the minimum of 30 signatures in support of this individual’s nomination for PPP village councillor. All of us who signed saw her name as the PPP nominee for the village. We signed in support for her as she has been an outstanding councillor over the years. We all know that she is an honest and out spoken individual who has the village’s best interest at heart.
Lo and behold, we were made to understand that there was a secret change of the nominee. Checks made on
the list posted by the said NDC proved that this was true. The person who was (Continued on page 6)
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Mr. Lincoln Lewis’ misleading representations This is the final part of a letter by former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds. DEAR EDITOR, Mr. Lewis charges us with breaking up the Guyana Bauxite Workers Pension Plan, “the single largest pool of money owned by African workers”. There had been extensive discussions about what was to be done in preparation for and on privatization. First, the Government had to find the monies to bring up to date a workers’ savings scheme, outstanding PAYE and NIS submissions and an estimated fund to pay enhanced retrenchment benefits, promptly. Preference was to close the old companies completely, provide all benefits promptly to workers and start afresh with the new private companies. For a number of reasons, we took the decision to bring the pension scheme to an end and return their entitlements directly to each worker: a)as Guyana had experienced an inflation of 500 to 1000 over the time from its inception, the monthly pension payments would have been very small – even less than 20% of the (also small) NIS pension; b)charges for a commercial manager of this closed, non-receiving pension scheme may have quickly eaten up the principal. Mr. Lewis has been upset that the PPP/C administration did not hand over “this single largest pool of money owned by African workers, “I would
guess that there would have been up to about 10% other peoples] to some self-proclaimed “African Leaders group”. We felt that our legal and moral responsibility was to provide whatever money was to their credit to the individual workers. We provided information on available commercial schemes to the workers and the schemes and invited Mr. Lewis to sell his “fund” ideas directly to the workers. This was not a cynical move – for success and satisfaction of whatever was their alternative “fund” plan, a direct, earnest, deep, trusting relationship needed to be developed between the expected fund managers and the fund investors – the workers. Mr. Lewis again seeks to justify the continuing about 90% subsidized electricity prices across Linden as being “deferred wages/salaries” in a 1976 labour agreement; an arrangement whose roots go back to the 1940s and through the beginning of the ending of the isolation of that 100% company town, towards the end of the 1960s with the opening of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. Up to about that time upwards of 80% of homes would have had one or more persons working directly with the bauxite company. Today, forty plus years later, not more than 20% of homes would have one member working with the new bauxite company of today. It was with a sense of a long overdue need for reform (first signaled in 1976 by then Presi-
dent Burnham) that we, PPP/ C, during the GovernmentOpposition talks following the reading of our 2012 budget, developed an understanding for a phased merger of the electricity supply in Linden/ Region 10 into GPL. The reduction of subsidies over the transition period would have provided additional financing for the development of the people and the Region. We all know how that turned out – a reform still to be faced up to someday. Mr. Lewis raises again the event of the dismissal of some workers at Aroaima in 2009. I don’t know what assurances the then Opposition and now Coalition Government would have given then to Mr. Lewis and the Union, explicitly and/ or implicitly. My position was clear – whilst I understood the two different positions and recognized that the union expected Government support, I could not find that the behaviour of the fired workers was acceptable; therefore, I could not call on the Company to reverse its decision. I certainly wanted and remained alert to opportunities for reconciliation. As I have remarked before, it has been unfortunate that in the circumstances of the racial and social separation in the bauxite company towns, the black-white struggles internationally of the times, and in the run up to Independence and nationalization, behaviour of workers was tolerated and even instigated, which otherwise would have been unacceptable. The dis-
Kudos to Guyana DEAR EDITOR, The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG) wishes to extend congratulations to the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) for scoring the Lowest Dforestation rate of 0.0489. This is another major achievement in the sustainable management of Guyana’s forests and the GFC ought to be complimented, particularly its management and safe in Guyana’s Redd+ process and the monitoring reporting and verification system
(MRVS). TAAMOG takes this opportunity to appeal to the government of Guyana (GOG) to quickly formulate a new agreement with the Republic of Norway so as to bring about Guyana’s Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) which in TAAMOG’s opinion has suffered from an abortion. It is time that Guyana stop paying lip service to a green economy and climate change. Yours Sincerely, Peter Persaud
appointments with each other, which one could anticipate soon became evident in the gap which early appeared between bauxite workers and the Party and Government which they supported, made evident in the RILA protests which preceded nationalization. This disappointment and ensuing rancour could be readily sensed in then Prime Minister Burnham’s speech in Linden on the 5th anniversary of nationalization (in 1976), a speech in which he spoke about being the Prime Minister for all of Guyana and not just for Linden, and of the decision to merge the electricity system of Linden into the national GEC. We can see as recently as in 2012 the misguiding of then PNC MP, Ms. Vanessa Kissoon, and then PNC Regional Chairman, Sharma Solomon, in the lauding and encouragement showered on them as they organized and led those unfortunate protests, which ended so tragically; but subsequently, not long after, they were quietly dropped from the political front line. Editor, as I close allow me to address one more emotional charge of Mr. Lewis. He charges that, “One of the first acts of the PPP/C on its accession to office in October 1992, was the targeting of sugar and bauxite. Sugar was removed from privatization attention, which allowed it to remain as a state-owned company, as mechanism was put in place to privatize bauxite. Hinds invited the Guyana Mines Workers Union (GMWU) and the Guyana Bauxite Supervisors Union
(GBSU) to break the news of his government plan”. How distorted, how misleading, how insidious, how harmful a narrative on the privatization of bauxite! We, PPP/C, did not set out to privatize bauxite. The declaration of Minproc and the covenant entered into by the PNC administration before it left office shoved closure forthwith of Linmine in our face: we veered away from closure and eventually privatized to what we considered competent and capable partners who brought greater value to what we had. Editor, let me not leave our then publicly expressed position on sugar hanging. Sometime after entering Office, we began working on, developing and in time published our Privatization Policy Paper. Along with statements on procedures, we declared that we would not be privatizing five named companies, one of which was GuySuCo. Why should we be privatizing GuySuCo, which was clearly returning to profits and had good future prospects, admittedly riding on the back of preferential sugar prices? There were also a number of serious questions for us Guyanese to chew on and arrive at some consensus. Who should be considered to have ownership of the benefit of the preferential sugar price – our country Guyana as a whole? Or the enterprises (owners)? Or the sugar workers? What parcels of land if any should be sold freehold, be provided on lease, of what length and with what restrictions. Could the privatized
land be converted to real-estate development? Ownership and availability of land always matter a lot. In proceeding with our regularizing of the extensive squatting in the Sophia area, and our extensive house-lot housing programme, our Cabinet recognized that our hands would have been tied if privatization of GuySuCo and its sugar lands had been completed. We spoke about the adverse situation in many Latin American countries where essentially all the land was in the hands of a few historically powerful families. On acceding to Office, with little or no money in our national coffers we depended on the ready availability of GuySuCo land at no charge, to provide the almost free house-lot land grants to warm the hearts of our peoples, about 100,000 families embracing about half of our population, all across our coastland, motivating them to make the sacrifices to build the best houses they could arrange for themselves. Thinking of our (PPP and PPP/C) actions during this period from about 1990, there could well arise a “Lewis” from amongst sugar workers who would, like Lincoln, but from the other side, represent and argue that we PPP and PPP/C removed GuySuCo from privatization so that we could plunder it in the name of “the national good”... If that were to happen, I would be ready to argue and ground with him too.. Yours respectfully Samuel A.A. Hinds Former Prime Minister and Former President.
Is this how the PPP does things? From page 5 thrust upon us as the PPP nominee is a known AFC supporter, who we were made to understand did a declaration in a hush hush ceremony at the NDC office proclaiming to no longer being an AFC supporter. Absolutely no one from the NDC office came to notify the villagers that there was a change of nominee. The NDC used our signatures to appoint this individual without first consulting us about this person or
any other person who we see fit to replace the initial councillor nominee. No reason was given by the NDC for the change of the initial nominee. No one from the NDC office saw it fit to consult the residents of the village, particularly those who signed the nomination form nominating Ms. Latchmi that there will be a change and who would we like to see as the new village councillor. Instead, this new individual has illegally replaced Ms. Latchmi as the
nominee, whether it’s by the latter’s choice, we don’t know. All we know is that our signatures have been used. I believe that this new individual does not and will not have this village interest at heart. Is there a secret and disturbing motive or benefit in nominating this person? Again as an ardent supporter of the PPP, is this how we are supposed to shut up and tolerate? There are educated farmers, Government officials who have senior positions, religious leaders, legitimate business persons, etc who reside in this village, but yet the NDC saw it proper to personally select someone else to represent the village. When the NDC needed our support, they came with their nomination document begging for our signatures and now that we have questions, none can be seen? Yours respectfully, Concerned Businessman
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Guyana’s approach to budget preparation is disharmonious with a modern, people-centered approach DEAR EDITOR, My attention was drawn to an article, which recently appeared in the local press under a headline stating; ‘Guyana’s budget process has limited public engagement, insufficient transparency and weak oversight - IDB’The article is timely and spot on in the sense that we are now in the saison preparatoire for budget 2019. In this regard, the Minister of Finance has already held consultations with the Guyanese business community.Consultations with the business community is unavoidable since budgets include expenditures as well as revenues.And it is the business class that will be taxed to fund expenditures not to mention the hauling in of additional revenues as a result of taxation burdens that government has imposed on the working people due to the regime’s broadening of the tax base.Over the years, the IDB has no doubt, witnessed the annual pilgrimage, wish list in hand, to the Ministry of Finance and has concluded that the practice is inadequate and ineffective. In other words, Guyana’s approach to budget preparation is disharmonious with a modern, people-centered and inclusive approach.Budget consultations at the Ministry of Finance have become routine exercises. And rather than proving to be meaningful, they are in effect meaningless. The minister listens but he does not hear. As the saying goes, what he is told by stakeholders passes through from one ear to the other.It is to be recalled that prior to the presentation of the 2017 budget, the PPP/ C wrote to the Minister requesting answers to a number of questions about the impending closure of a number of sugar estates. The Party requested certain basic information about future plans for the sugar industry. The minister never responded.Why the IDB chose at this time to chide the government for its archaic, anti- modernistic approach to budget preparation and post approbation monitoring in respect to implementation is quite obvious. Every budget has included in it large sums of money invested either by way of loans or grants by the donor community and by the IDB itself. These international financial and development institutions want to see their money spent more effectively and efficiently. They want value for money, more transparency, tighter oversight and
rapid disbursement of resources.A case in point is the GOG/IDB sponsored Citizen Security Programme, which is being woefully administered and poorly implemented by the Ministry of Public Security.Without referring to this programme or any other, the IDB hit the nail on the head.The Citizen Security Programme is anaemic when it comes to public engagement, it trails far behind insofar as transparency is concerned and is miserably weak in respect to oversight by the Ministry of Public Security. But in a much wider context, apart from monies committed for the executing of donor funded programmes, the question is, will the Granger Administration change from the conventional modus operandi of budget preparation to a more meaningful participatory and propoor budgeting? It would not be surprising if the Minister of Finance or another of his cabinet colleagues were to pose the challenge, as they are prone to do asking; ‘but why you’ meaning the PPP/C ‘didn’t do that when you were in office?’ Naturally, that would be beside the point. It shouldn’t be because the PPP/C didn’t do something that the Granger Administration shouldn’t do it.After all, the PPP/C didn’t paint State House nor the Office of the President in the colour green nor did the PPP/ C hike ministers’ salaries by 50 percent, but the APNU+AFC did it. So where’s the beef?
Tons of newsprint has been rolled out and hours of speeches made extolling the virtues and the efficacy of greater citizen participation and pro-poor budgeting and its relevance to Guyana. This has assumed greater urgency in Guyana’s presentday context whereby thousands of sugar workers, Rusal bauxite workers, teachers, nurses, law enforcement officers, vendors, thousands of shop assistants and many others either do not see any light at the end of the tunnel or receive starvation wages and salaries.The army of the poor and powerless is increasing in numbers on a daily basis and government seems clueless about the way out of the socio-economic morass. Compounding the situation is the lack of engaged governance, an off-shoot of good governance meaning; responsiveness, inclusiveness, participation, integrity, accountability, fairness and above all, rule of law. Regrettably, these key components of good governance are lacking in government’s actions and by extension, in every sphere of Guyanese life.Increasingly, the poor lack political space to express their objective response and to influence the decision-making process in respect to the quality of pubic goods and services rendered to them by government. In contradistinction, it is to be recalled that in the mid1990’s during negotiations with the trade unions, President Cheddi Jagan issued instructions to the then Finance Minister to ‘open the books’
at the treasury for examination by the unions in order for them to establish how much money government had in its coffers and at its disposal to enable it to pay an increase in salaries and allowances to public servants.When the exercise was completed the union leaders left the Ministry of Finance convinced that government could do little or nothing.Nowadays, even the meagre sums allocated in the budget to the social sector do not reach the poorest of the poor whose priorities are survival issues such as income generation and jobs. Because of rampant corruption, favouritism and discrimination, monies approved by parliament for social projects related for example to health and education, are whimsically frittered away because of incompetence and mismanagement with millions finding their way into the pockets of those favoured by the ruling coalition administration.The general perception common among most Guyanese is that technocrats and the bureaucracy
monopolize the entire process of budget formulation and implementation. The ordinary working man and woman and youths have absolutely no say in the process. In fact, they are given the Oliver Twist treatment when they ask questions or request more.Public budgeting has long been considered the exclusive preserve of the Executive and very few would argue against that. But does that mean budget formulation must resemble a Masonic lodge-type process shrouded in secrecy and that there should be little or no public engagement, insufficient transparency and weak oversight?If Government fears that openness in budget preparation would upset financial markets, jeopardize the integrity of the measures, or taken advantage of by certain groups to advance the interests of their constituents, then by all means, find a way to manage potential negative implications that may arise from proceeding in the new innovative direction. This social deficiency is
national in character, and brings into bold relief the urgent necessity for government to embrace participatory budgeting. Such an approach must be inclusive and should include the political opposition, trade unions, indigenous communities, as well as women’s and youth organizations.The 2019 budget therefore should reflect a renewed and revitalized poverty reduction strategic approach in light of present day socio-economic realities obtaining in Guyana where the poor is becoming poorer and the gap between rich and to Red poor is growing even wider.While Citizen participation and pro-poor budgeting is not a panacea it is surely an alternative to the failed and outdated approach which envisages limited public engagement, insufficient transparency and weak oversight in the pre and post budget process.Time for change; time to refocus on lifting the poor and powerless out of grinding poverty. Yours truly, Clement J. Rohee
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Robust cost recovery programme, penalties for oil spills being examined –EPA Head By Kiana Wilburg
D
r. Vincent Adams has a vision for the transformation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). His vision is one that entails introducing a robust cost recovery programme at the entity as well as evaluating penalties to be assigned to possible oil spills. During an exclusive interview with this publication, the EPA Head said that the cost recovery programme will be tailored to ensure that there is an upfront cost for every barrel of oil that is produced. He said, “For every single barrel of oil that is produced, there is an environmental component; you can’t produce oil without having an environmental component. So there is a cost and that is where that programme is coming in. We are looking at revising the fee structure and this is not just for permits…” The EPA Head was also asked if the organization would be looking into a review for penalties for oil spills. He answered in the affirmative. “Absolutely! These are things we have to look at and not just for oil but for other sectors...Hopefully, we can be able to evaluate and put a number to those costs. Without environmental, health and safety standards, those
things can happen. And you can either ensure that there is a payment made upfront or later.” The EPA Head added, “And if you ensure that there are some costs being paid upfront then you don’t have to end up in the position of some nations where the oil companies claimed bankruptcy due to the level of compensation. “If you don’t invest cost upfront to ensure safety then you may end up paying a price. And then there are fatalities. You can put a price on clean up but not on fatalities. This is absolutely important to note.” EXXON DISASTERS USA Oil and Gas giant, ExxonMobil, has told Guyana on several occasions that it is more than equipped to deal with the eventuality of an oil spill. In fact, Exxon’s Country Manager, Rod Henson went on record earlier this year, stating that all systems are in place to prevent any occurrence of an oil spill off Guyana’s shores. He said that if one were to take place, then ExxonMobil would be able to respond within hours. But in the face of Henson’s words, there continues to be a shadow of doubt on ExxonMobil’s guarantees to the citizenry. This is especially when one takes into consideration, the num-
EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams ber of lawsuits the company has faced with regard to environmental degradation. Below are just a few of those cases. 1.NEW YORK CITY LAWSUIT In 2009, ExxonMobil was found liable for its role in groundwater contamination in New York City. A federal jury awarded US$104.7 million to the city for compensation. The city had five wells located in Queens. (The wells) had been contaminated with M.T.B.E., a water soluble, but a highly potential carcinogen. The lawsuit presented by the
Exxon’s Country Manager, Rod Henson
city was one of 23, which held oil companies responsible for M.T.B.E., which was contained in fuel, which had leaked from gas station storage tanks. All of the companies, except Exxon, had settled with the city. The compensation was welcomed as money, which would be used to install and upgrade water treatment stations to remove M.T.B.E. from the drinking water supply. 2.MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL LAWSUIT In 2006, an underground gasoline leak in Maryland
contaminated the water supply and required residents to medically monitor their health for years. The problem was concealed for some time because ExxonMobil put up a sign indicating that the gas station, which caused the problem was closed for upgrading. The public was not immediately warned about the spill. But in 2011, a Maryland jury awarded compensatory damages in the amount of US$500 million to the families and businesses which were affected by the Exxon spill. 3. ARKANSAS TAR SANDS SPILL In March 2013, the Pegasus Pipeline belonging to ExxonMobil ruptured. The 67year-old pipeline was filled with diluted bitumen when the 22-foot-long breach appeared, and more than 200,000 gallons rushed through the streets past homes, and a shopping plaza, to end in Lake Conway. Though ExxonMobil motioned to dismiss, U.S. District Arkansas Federal Judge Kristine Baker refused, indicating that the company had committed numerous violations of water, air, and hazardous materials regulations in Arkansas and the Clean Water Act. Both Arkansas and federal governments brought the lawsuit, which stated that ExxonMobil should pay approximately US$4,300 per oil barrel spilled, with a cap of $21.5 million. The suit also indicated that the company should pay civil penalties of up to US$45,000 per day, post spill. Mayflower residents struggled to retain their homes and town, but the chemicals in the crude oil caused multiple cases of nausea, vomiting, dizziness and headaches. The stench lingered and was so overwhelming that Exxon tore down a few houses, bought 20, and of-
fered to buy out 62 area homes. 4.TEXAS AIR POLLUTION SUIT In 2010, Sierra Club and Environment Texas filed a lawsuit claiming that the Exxon oil refinery operating on the Gulf Coast, the largest in the United States, violated federal air pollution laws by emitting over eight million pounds of air pollution during five years of time. It was the third lawsuit filed by the environmental groups. The lawsuit sought to get a court order, which required ExxonMobil to end violations against the Clean Air Act. The company faces penalties of $37,000 per day for each Clean Air act violation. The Texas Sierra Club members, approximately 24,000, had joined together with the approximately 5,000 state members of Environment Texas to file the suit against ExxonMobil. 5.POLLUTION CASE IN NEW JERSEY The Bayway refinery became another environmental legal hotspot when the State Department of Environmental Protection in New Jersey filed suit against Exxon Mobil for the loss of, and contamination of, 1,500 or more acres of marshes, wetlands, waters and meadows in the northern area of the state. The lawsuits were filed in 2004, and had been litigated since then. The suit had spanned the administrations of four governors before coming to trial. At that point, nobody was disputing Exxon’s liability, leaving the issue remaining of how much money could be recovered for damages. There had been decades of petrochemical refining and operations at the site, and the staggering amount of pollution and contamination encompassed not only the Linden and Bayonne refineries, but the land and water surrounding them. The damage had begun in the 1870s at the Bayonne site and in the 1900s at the Linden site, continuing until the present day, when the collective area became known as Bayway. Pipeline ruptures, tank overflows and failures, spills and explosions had spread petroleum waste into sediment, soil and groundwater, leaving widespread contamination. The state originally set the amount of US$8.9 billion for damages, which ExxonMobil contested vigorously. Ultimately, settlement talks ensued, and the state settled quietly for the sum of about $250 million. (SEE FULL MORE DETAILS AT : https:// moneyinc.com/exxon-mobillawsuits-you-should-knowabout/)
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Govt continues to undermine local content even with work to audit pre-contract cost – Ram Chartered Accountant and Attorney at Law, Christopher Ram has said that just when he thought the APNU+AFC government has reached its limit of absurdities; it is proving that is capable of exhibiting more. His comments were made as he examined recent occurrences in the nation’s oil and gas industry. Ram said that he entertained genuine hope that Dr. Mark Bynoe, who was appointed Head of the Department of Energy on August 1, would have brought some clarity and sanity to “this Government’s total confusion and ineptitude in its management of the sector.” However, Ram said that his optimism took a hit when
he saw the advertisement that government put out to attract a person or firm to undertake an audit of the pre-contract cost that ExxonMobil submitted to Government. Ram said that he was saddened to view the “conceptually and constructionally flawed advertisement and proposed engagement.” Ram noted that based on the scope of the work as outlined in the ad, Guyana will be receiving a deficient work. His comments on that can be https:// read here: www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2018/10/13/auditadvertisement-suggeststhat-guyana-will-receivedeficient-work-ram/ Ram noted that government seemed to want
Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram to exclude locals based on what is stated in the ad. Ram said, “Local content has been a major concern for
Orealla-Siparuta gets long awaited ‘River Ambulance’ The commissioning of long awaited ‘River Ambulance’ for Orealla-Siparuta is just the beginning of a series of health sector upgrades for villages. The water ambulance that is equipped with an engine and all accessories was handed over to the Orealla-Siparuta Village Council on Thursday.The acquisition of the ambulance, which cost $22.4M is a major achievement for the Region Six Health Administration (RHA) since residents have been anticipating its arrival and use for two communities for some time.The village councillor, George Penuex, recorded the acquisition of the water ambulance, which is a boat used for emergency medical care as “history in the making”. He also recalled that Orealla was not one of the villages to be considered for the stateof-the-art ‘River Ambulance’. “We have never had this in 23 years, of the previous government.” The water ambulance will become essential, transporting emergency cases from Siparuta to Orealla and from Orealla to
Skeldon, for further medical treatment if required. According to the Regional Biomedical Technician (RBT), Tewanna Adonis, the ambulance is well equipped with a stretcher, multiparameter patient monitor and pulse oximeter, echocardiogram leads, blood pressure monitor, thermometer, suction pump with cylinders and tubes, glucose monitor, test strips, among other pieces of essential equipments. Before commissioning the vessel, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, told residents that it is just the beginning of a continuous series of upgrades to the communities’ health sector. “The river ambulance is just about one of the services that we would like to provide to not only Siparuta and Orealla, but also to all the hinterland communities. “We are currently reviewing all of the health facilities to see what upgrade they need to provide to these health facilities, so we can offer more services.”She even explained that it is more than (Continued on page 11)
DEM BOYS SEH
Soulja Bai should fix ee foot fuh run again Mohamad Mahathir ruled Malaysia fuh 20 years. He bring de country from a Third World poor ass country and mek it one of de leaders in de world. He resign when he was 75 and hand over to he right hand man eighteen years ago. He sat on the outskirt and watch how de Prime Minister corrupt de whole country and thief billions. When he couldn’t tek it, he contest de elections and won. He promise de people dat he gon clean up in two years and resign again. Then he start to clean up. He ketch de Prime Minister wid almost $800 million in he bank account. De man, wife and son live better than Donald Trump. Plenty of dem in jail already. Soulja Bai and Ramjattan did promise to clean up de corruption dat Jagdeo cultivate. Everybody see wha clean up tek place. Dem boys seh if he lef people like Statia to do dem wuk unhindered, de place gon surely clean up. Yesterday, after giving long notice bout smuggled alcohol, dem boys hear he visit res-
taurant, hotels, etc. De amount of top shelf liquor he find could raise dem old people pension.Statia people did not have enough vehicle to fetch out de smuggled liquor. Dem boys been to two odda place last night and drink up dem belly full because de likker was cheap. When dem boys ask why de likker suh cheap, de man seh he nah able suffer losses. Is things like dis should mek Soulja Bai run again and he should hire more men like Statia. He should kick some of dem Minister because some of dem wuss than Jagdeo. De set wha he got to fire, copy all Jagdeo bad habits and de Baccoo is one. Dem boys seh Soulja Bai foot mightn’t be good fuh running but dat is something dat can fix. Dem boys know nuff doctors dat can do joint replacement and even if he get li’l pain, dem boys don’t care if he sit down and pass orders. Dem boys believe he and couple of dem wha he got surrounding him can really tek out Guyana from wha Jagdeo create. Talk half and go after Jagdeo billions.
Guyanese and you might think that the Government would become more sensitive to this concern. The advertisement, at best, further undermines such a policy. “It notes that only firms with a wide geographic spread will be shortlisted, which raises the question whether a single applicant must have a wide geographic spread, i.e. operate internationally, or that, overall, the applicants must be drawn from that wide geographic spread, though whether this means by continent, hemisphere or region is anyone’s guess. “The advertisement does limit the number of eligible bidders to two from any country! Just when you think
that we have exhausted all absurdities!” Ram’s utterances come even as other businessmen and organizations continue to lament the lack of local content in the oil and gas sector. Meanwhile, Government remains adamant that there will be no moves now, or in the near future, to make it law that oil companies utilize domestic goods and services. This is the government’s position despite the fact that it announced, on several occasions, that it is now looking to adopt best practices that are employed by other oil producing countries. In most oil producing countries around the world, the law dictates that the oil companies must utilize a certain percent of local goods and services. In fact, Guyana’s neighbour, Brazil, mandates oil companies to use no less than 50 percent local content exploration and production. Earlier this year, Brazil’s National Petroleum Agency (ANP) approved new local content rules for the country’s oil industry. Under the revised system, developers were permitted to migrate their contracts as, under previous provisions, 70 percent local content was demanded. Very recently, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI)
had a meeting with the Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin and Head of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe. According to Attorney at Law, Charles Ramson, who is a member of the GCCI, local content was a focal topic discussed at that forum, “Where I was present.” Ramson told Kaieteur News that instead of advocating for measures to protect local businesses, the government representatives at that meeting were speaking against local content legislation. “Imagine they were offering reasons why we should not have local content legislation. They were arguing against it.” In addition to the expressions that Ramson said were made at the meeting, Government said, on many occasion, that Local Content legislation is not a priority. For instance, in the “foreword” of the draft Local Content Policy, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, said, “The Local Content Policy (LCP) will be developed over time and in tandem with the growth of the industry. “At present, Regulations will not be promulgated, but may become necessary as the industry unfolds and expands, and impetus is needed to steer the process or to solidify gains.”
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Wildlife Commission hosts nationwide management workshops
T
he Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission, has been holding workshops and consultations with residents across the various regions to sensitize and educate the public on how to better deal with wild animals in their environment. Within the past year, workshops were held at a number of conflict areas including St. Cuthbert, Mocha Arcadia, White Water, Moleson Creek, Aliki, Parika, Bartica, Surama, Matthew’s Ridge, and Hog Island. During the sessions, local conservationists have been warning locals against killing, capturing jaguars, and other ‘wild’ creatures. These animals are being viewed as a potential threat in areas that they alone once inhabited. In a recent interview with this newspaper, an official attached to the Commissions noted wild animals belong to the wild and the reason that humans are finding themselves in conflicts with these animals is because humans continue to invade the animals’ territories as they move closer and closer into hinterland and forested areas,” Conservationists have
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Kaieteur News
therefore warned against venturing into the animals’ territory. However, the officials noted that there are no defined boundaries stipulating how far humans are allowed to venture in these forested areas. A study is still underway to determine the boundary lines. In the interim, staff attached to the conservation bodies have recommended that regardless of all the dangers posed by wild animals on human livestock or territory, killing or trapping of these animals is prohibited. The conservationists explained that the reason they urge people against capturing these animals (especially the jaguars) is because the animals are “territorial.” “It is the same concept as if you kill it; you’re still opening up territory and how it works is that if you kill one jaguar in essence, all you do is open the space for another jaguar to come.” When asked if there is an option of removing the animal from one area and relocating it somewhere else, the conservationists ex-
plained, “If you relocate the animal, you might put it into another animal’s territory and it’s not going to end well for one or both animals.” “It is like I decide I want to come and live in your house, and you go home and I’m there; ultimately, we’re going to have a fight to see who now can live in the house.” The officials noted, “Instead of someone just trapping or shooting the animal, they should report the matter to the relevant authorities such as the Guyana Wildlife Conservation and Management Commission. Once a report is made to the Commission, officials said that a response is given with one or two days. We send a team in “as soon as humanly possible.” The officials explained that the team usually makes an assessment before taking any action in the conflict area. Just a few weeks ago, some residents posed with a monstrous anaconda they had killed at Mahaica. Farmers in the backlands of Mocha, East Bank Demerara, have also lamented that jaguars were slaughtering their cattle.
Bilateral treaties may be used by oil companies to rob Guyana- Ramson warns “The treaties that Guyana signs can have a negative effect on our ability to capture as much tax as possible from international oil companies,” Attorney-at-law, Charles Ramson said recently. Ramson said that international oil companies are known to go “country shopping” based on the treaties that countries have signed. He said that this is true especially as it relates to bilateral treaties where there is that tax provision allowing them tax in another country but that tax is effectively zero. “In such cases, Guyana is robbing itself of the opportunity to capture a large share of its rightful taxes these companies are supposed to be paying.” Ramson’s utterances are in keeping with the findings of several organizations. For instance, in a study by an international organization called Publish What You Pay (PWYP), it was noted that these companies seek such territories in order to engage in devious tax avoidance schemes. In fact, the anticorruption agency stressed that the main purpose of these subsidiaries being planted in Caribbean countries is to secure “treaty benefits” that would otherwise be unavailable to them. PWYP explained that the CARICOM Treaty allows the “free movement” of money, goods and services. International oil companies in the is-
Attorney-at-Law, Charles Ramson lands make billions of dollars in profits and are able to transfer their moneys from the island that it is earned in, to its subsidiary in another, before making its way to the oil company’s international headquarters. By doing so, the oil company avoids paying taxes on its profits to the host country. PWYP noted that Trinidad and Tobago provides a clear example of the challenges in this regard. It said, “Petroleum companies producing in Trinidad and Tobago with headquarters in the United States and Canada have established subsidiaries in neighbouring countries covered by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Tax Treaty (e.g. Barbados, Saint Kitts and Nevis), thereby avoiding withholding tax on both dividends and interest. As a result,
Trinidad loses an estimated $200 million per year.” The organization noted that there are other nations, which are also aware of the risks such treaties bring. In this regard, it noted that Indonesia cancelled a treaty with Mauritius in 2004 over allegations of abuse and tax avoidance. India is currently in the process of renegotiating its tax treaty with Mauritius for similar reasons.The anticorruption agency emphasized that it seems obvious that oil companies create subsidiaries with the sole intent of securing treaty benefits that would otherwise be unavailable to them.ExxonMobil is represented by three other oil companies in its Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with Guyana; these are Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, Hess Guyana Exploration Limited and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited. These companies are registered at the same office here: Lot 62 Hadfield and Cross Streets, but they are incorporated in different parts of the Caribbean.Esso is incorporated in the Bahamas, CNOCC in Barbados and Hess in the Cayman Islands. The Bahamas, Barbados and Cayman Islands are notorious for being tax havens; territories with an extremely low rate of tax or sometimes none at all while offering some degree of secrecy.
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There can be no greater act of patriotism than to have a COI into oil and gas – Chris Ram By Kiana Wilburg Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram is of the firm view that a Commission of Inquiry (COI) is urgently needed into the burgeoning oil and gas sector. He said that this is crucial especially when one considers the level of ambiguity that surrounds a number of fundamental oil related matters as well as the “amateurish” approach of the coalition administration to the sector. In his most recent writings, the Oil and Gas Academic noted that among the witnesses who should be summoned to give evidence and to assist the Commission and therefore the country should be Newel Dennison, Commissioner (ag) of the Guyana Geology and Mines
Commission (GGMC); Robert Persaud, Minister of Natural Resources in the last Administration; Donald Ramotar, former President; Raphael Trotman, Minister of Natural Resources; Joseph Harmon, Minister of State in the Ministry of the Presidency; Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge; Dr. Mark Bynoe, newly-appointed Head of the Department of Energy in the Ministry of the Presidency; Dr. Vincent Adams, an expert in the petroleum sector; and Civil Society Activists Mrs. Annette Arjoon-Martins, Mr. Ramon Gaskin, Mr. Nigel Hinds, Ms. Melinda Janki, Mr. G.H.K. Lall andDr.DavidSingh. Ram opined, “Also to be called would be representatives of the oil companies, which hold prospecting li-
cences and some of our own other Guyanese who have expertise, which they can share. Ideally, I would like to see a seven-person Commission headed by a Norwegian and comprising experts from Botswana, Chile, Canada and Trinidad and Tobago and two Guyanese.” He said, too, that some of the matters, which the COI should address are the origin and source of the Model Agreement used for the June 1999 Petroleum Agreement signed by President Janet Jagan and Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited; factors influencing the decision to grant to ESSO (now referred to as ExxonMobil) a significantly greater number of blocks than were ordinarily permitted in the petroleum legislation; the
Orealla-Siparuta gets long awaited ... From page 9 the handing over and commissioning of a water ambulance. Rather, she considers it as a lifesaving investment from taxpayers in the riverine communities in the Corentyne River. While this is the case, the Minister added that the ministry and the Regional Health Authority of Region Six plan to upgrade Orealla’s Health Centre to effectively deal with emergency cases.
Lynley Herman, a resident and a village official said, “I am really glad about it. This says a lot about what more the government can do for us.” Deputy Toshao, Randy Herman, noted that this is the first of its kind for the village and he urged residents to claim ownership of the vessel. “You people must have a watchful eye over this vessel. It must be treated with care at all times because on any day, any of us may
have to use it. So please my people, take care of it, and be proud of it.”
circumstances and negotiations leading up to the 2008 Addendum; and the circumstances and the negotiations leading up to the signing of new Petroleum Agreement in 2016. Ram also suggested that this might be the right time to review the question of a refinery, the development and use of gas from the oil blocks, the proposed Sovereign Wealth Fund and preventing the Dutch Disease afflicting Guyana. The Oil and Gas Academic said he is unable at this stage, having observed the unpredictability of President David Granger, to guess whether he will respond favourably to a call for him to use his prerogative power to set up such a COI.
Be that as it may, Ram commented, “I sincerely hope that the private sector, civil society, individuals, the parliamentary opposition and even the member parties of the coalition Government will recognize the necessity for such an Inquiry. I do not believe that there is anyone in Guyana who has all the answers to the issues and questions raised above, and those which have not been raised.” The lawyer added, “Whatever information and whatever knowledge those in authority possess, they obtained as representatives and trustees of Guyana. They, therefore, owe a duty not only to answer questions but to become better informed about oil and gas and to manage what will soon be the domi-
Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram nant sector of the Guyana economy in the interest of current and future generations.” In Ram’s view, there can be no greater act of patriotism than to participate fully in such an exercise.
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Sunday October 14, 2018
Kaieteur News
Balwant Singh Hospital moves for contempt against Food and Drugs Chief
Dr. Balwant Singh Hospital is asking for the Food and Drugs head to be jailed. A city hospital is battling the Government Analyst – Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) over pharmaceuticals being imported. Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital is seeking jail time for GA-FDD’s head, Marlan Cole. The hospital claimed that the official refused to cooperate with supplying a list of drugs imported and the suppliers. The list is critical to treatment of the hospital’s patients, the hospital’s administrator, Dr. Madhu Singh is contending.
The hospital is seeking “an order that the Respondent do stand committed to the Georgetown Prison or such place of confinement or such place of confinement as the Court may direct for a period of one month”. Cole, as head of GA-FDD, failed to comply with the order of Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire, to provide a current list of all new drugs, as defined by Section 46 of the Food and Drug Regulations, which are currently licensed for import or sale by the department.
Dr. Singh said that Cole failed also to provide a list of corresponding suppliers licensed to import and/or resell those new drugs. Dr. Singh is represented by Attorney-at-law Devindra Kissoon of the London House Chambers. In an affidavit dated May 14, 2018, Dr. Singh alleged that as of the date of that affidavit, Cole had not complied with the court’s order. She complained that as of that date Cole “has failed to provide the Applicant with an accurate, up to date and
Dr. Madhu Singh
Attorney-at-Law, Devindra Kissoon
GA-FDD’s head, Marlan Cole
comprehensive list of registered drugs containing the identities of the licensed importers of drugs, the dates of registration and the manufacturer of those drugs.” She stated that, “without knowing the identity of the registered importers of the drugs available in Guyana, the Applicant is unable to effectively render treatment to its patients. For example, drug Naloxone, which is on page 5 of the provided list, has no name of a local supplier, we being unable to know where to obtain this drug. “Naloxone is used to save the lives of babies, which are born with little or no vitals. To be unable to know where to obtain that drug in Guyana
is simply absurd.” Dr. Singh had previously complained that the FDD has not provided transparent information as to who has been issued drug import permits, and who has been issued drug import waivers. Cole had previously stated that he had complied with the court’s order by providing a comprehensive list to the hospital and had lamented to the Court that to the extent there was missing information, such information was unavailable due to staffing problems. But the hospital acting on permission from the court, personally inspected the Food and Drugs records and over the last few days submitted a supplemental affidavit to the Court stating
that after inspection “to my surprise, contrary to Mr. Cole’s representations to this Court, the FDD has meticulously maintained an accurate record of new registered drugs, but also recorded the corresponding licensees, and has done so continuously since at least 1995… It is clear that Mr. Cole is impeding with the administration of justice and must be held in contempt.” The department has indeed submitted records to the hospital and its counsel, which are being reviewed to ensure their integrity. In a scathing ruling issued on January 30, 2018, the Chief Justice deemed Cole’s refusal to grant registration of several lifeContinued on page 66
Sunday October 14, 2018
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HUNDREDS OF CASES UNCUSTOMED LIQUOR SEIZED FROM CITY HOTELS, RESTAURANTS paid, it is released and the importers will have the job to affix the stamps on the sealed
Hundreds of cases of expensive, uncustomed liquor were seized from prominent city hotels and restaurants this past week. Despite warnings and crackdowns, it appears that the illegal trade in cigarettes and liquor is continuing unabated. In the past week alone, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) seized hundreds of cases of liquor which had none of the special security-featured revenue stamps on them. The sudden raids are targeting major hotels and restaurants. In all, more than 750 cases were seized, Kaieteur News was told. According to wellplaced sources, surprise visits occurred at the Pegasus Hotel and the Sleepin Int’l locations and reportedly at the Kanuku Suites, Campbellville, among other places. Both of the Sleepin locations- on Church Street and Brickdam- were said to have been visited. Several hundred cases of high-end liquor were seized in total at various facilities, Kaieteur News was told. The establishments were unable to explain why the special excise stamps were not on the bottles. The visits reportedly involved several officials of GRA’s Law Enforcement and Investigation Division (LEID). The clampdowns will be continuing in the coming weeks with GRA indicating that raids will be carried out routinely. The clampdown would come after importers and retailers were given a March cut-off time to get rid of their old stocks. After then, they were supposed to purchase the special stamps which are affixed to the cork area. Smuggling of cigarettes and alcohol is big business in Guyana. It is worth almost $2B annually. GRA wants its taxes. However, smuggling and a ready market have been
presenting an uphill battle for GRA. In fact, big names like Absolut, Grey Goose and Ciroc Vodkas, Johnny Walker, Hennessy cognac, Jose Cuervo tequila and the Yellow Tail wines and even beers are being smuggled. Under regulations, GRA can slap guilty drinking spots with fines up to three times the value of the seized liquor with charges and seizure after three occasions. GRA would be battling a country-wide problem with a ready supply from neighbouring Suriname. Many of the night-spots with a thirsty clientele have a ready market for especially whisky and the vodkas. GRA is now setting to deal also with cigarette smuggling. All packets have to be affixed with stamps after November 1, following notification by GRA earlier this year. GRA has been increasing its controls with several seizures recorded for the year, netting the agency millions of dollars in what otherwise would have been lost taxes. Using a mobile scanner, enforcement officers could determine right away whether the taxes have been paid or attempts were made to forge the stamps on alcohol and cigarettes. GRA says it has internal controls that can tell which batch of stamps has been affixed to which imported liquor. After careful assessment, recognizing the impact of smuggling on taxes, GRA said it had decided to engage Canadian Bank Note (CBN), the company, which has been working on the security on Guyana’s bank notes, to come up with a programme to ensure that import liquor can be tracked. Once liquor lands legally in Guyana and the taxes are
covers. The cost for stamps on imported alcohol is $16, with the one for tobacco
being $8. This is on top of the taxes and duties, and will have a recovery cost. GRA is
estimating that smuggled alcohol is about 60-70 percent of what is imported annually.
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Sunday October 14, 2018
GUYDA donates US$2,000 to Communities Arise’s Sophia Literacy Project The work of Communities Arise in the education of children in the Sophia Community continues to be recognized by organisations and individuals who wish to contribute to the development of Guyana’s children.
On Monday, the United States-based Guyana United Youth Development Association donated US$2,000 to Communities Arise in support of its work. The Guyana United Youth Development Association of
New York Inc. (GUYDA) is a 501 (c)(3) Not for Profit Organization, whose mission is to support the academic, physical and social development of youths in Guyana. GUYDA has collaborated with Communities Arise over
the years. It is very supportive of its Literacy Project. During the school term, sessions providing a sound foundation in reading are conducted on Saturdays, from 10 a.m-12 noon. Approximately 140 Grades 3 to 11 students,
from Sophia and other neighboring communities, are enrolled at the Project’s three Centres in Sophia, C Field and D Field. GUYDA’s Secretary, Ms. Beryl James, said that her organisation will continue to help in any way possible to ensure that the youths involved in the programme receive the necessary assistance. Speaking on behalf of Communities Arise, Ms. Glenyss James expressed her deep appreciation to GUYDA for their consistent and gen-
erous contributions to the Project over the years. Communities Arise, a Non-Governmental Organisation Registered under the Friendly Societies Act Chapter 36:04 (No. 1116, 2008), is led by professionals who are passionate about helping vulnerable students maximise their potential. It facilitates, as far as possible, the attainment of life skills, functional literacy and readiness for the National Grade 6, Technical / Vocational and CSEC Examinations.
GUYDA’S Secretary Ms. Beryl James (right) presenting the cheque to Communities Arise’s President Ms. Glenyss James
Sunday October 14, 2018
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Kaieteur News
THE NEED FOR CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR INTERNAL AUDITORS The Institute of Internal Auditors – Guyana Chapter (IIAGC)— which is affiliated to the Global IIA and headquartered in the USA, has as a major goal to promote the gro w t h a n d d e v e l o p ment of the internal audit profession. In so doing, the IIAGC is required to be involved in continuing professional development of i t s i n t e r n a l a u ditors in order to enhance their knowledge, skills, and other competencies by having, among others, seminars/ workshops over a two to three-day period. Such seminars have been ongoing since 2000; the most recent one was held in the last week of September. With the focus on continuing professional development, the Local Chapter will facilitate such seminars on pertinent auditing activities, and in so doing, will share with the auditors the current best practices in existence globally.
Hence, extensive research is always being done on auditing activities so that the auditors are given the opportunity to update their knowledge, skills, etc. At the recent IIAGC’s seminar/workshop, the focus was on the IIA’s Code of Ethics and on its International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing on the opening day. On Day 2, it was on Audit Reports – Communicating Assurance Results, and on Risk Management. The Facilitators for this Seminar were well qualified and experienced practitioners. They were Messrs. John Seeram, Chair of IIAGC’s Board on Day 1, and Ramesh Persaud of the Private Sector Commission, and Mandy Mickle of the IIAGC on Day 2. It should be mentioned that the Global IIA requires, among others, that the presentation of these seminars must meet the required quality assurance standards,
and indeed they were attained, judging from the responses of the participants. Before the sessions began, as is customary, there were opening remarks given by Devi Kaladeen, President of the IIAGC, John Seeram, Chair of the IIAGC’s Board, and the feature address by the Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue A u t h o r i t y, G o d f r e y St a t i a , w h o a l l spoke on aspects on the growth, development, and constraints of the internal auditing profession. The emphasis of the IIAGC is for its seminars to attract a minimum of 30 Organisations. On this occasion, 37 Organisations were in attendance of which there were 60 participants on Day 1 and 72 on Day 2. Representation was from the private, public, which included central government agencies, sectors. The numbers were – private sector 16, public sector 14, and central government agencies 7. This representation indeed met one of the seminar
goals. It is evident that a wide crosssection of organisations sees the great need for its staff to benefit from the IIAGC’s continuing professional development programme. More so, with irregularities, noncompliance with laws, regulations, etc presently on the rise, the need for this form of quality assurance training is of a major priority. That being said, although the IIAGC has been delivering seminars over the past eighteen years, it major goal, among others, is to develop the growth and development of the internal audit profession in Guyana, which must be an ongoing exercise. However, it is imperative that the IIAGC cannot do it alone; it has to be in partnership with both the private and public sectors’ organisations. And this partnership is in existence and is still growing for the benefit of the internal auditing profession. (John Seeram)
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Sunday October 14, 2018
Kaieteur News
38 arrested, stolen bikes, items seized in police raids on East Coast Nearly 40 persons have been arrested, and a plethora of items seized during the Guyana Police Force’s operation, “Restore Order”. Reports indicate that ranks of GPF conducted this operation between 3:30hrs and 8:30hrs yesterday. Ranks operated in the East La Penitence Station District, which includes Guyhoc Park and parts of Sophia, Greater Georgetown (‘A’ Division), and in Beterverwagting and Sophia (‘C’ Division). Sources indicate that in the A division, ranks seized two motorcycles with licence plate numbers CG 8319 and CJ570; 10 laptops, 42 cellular phones, a tablet, two play sta-
Some of the seized items
tions, a digital timer, an XBox, some computer and phone accessories, and 72 grams of cannabis. From this division, seven persons, including a woman, were arrested for a series of offences, including theft and possession of illicit drugs. As for the ‘C’ Division, seized items include three motorcycles with licence plate numbers CH8675, CG3395 and CH8917, a car bumper, two car doors, a vacuum, a power washer, a grass-cutting machine, three cellular phones,
40
a television set, a music set with three speakers and some small Ziploc bags. Ranks arrested thirty-one persons from ‘C’ Division for offences including robbery under arms, possession of stolen articles, trafficking and possession of illicit narcotics, and arson. Of the ‘C’ Division detainees, Desmond Junior Lewis, 36, was profiled to have been sentenced in absentia, for six years on two counts of armed robbery committed in ‘A’ Division.
Sunday October 14, 2018
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Kaieteur News
---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---
Masking Reality: The Coalition does not have a shared vision
M
y attention was drawn to an ob servation by President Granger in his recent interview in the Guyana Review. When asked about managing the coalition, the President said that the coalition parties have a shared vision and that they work well together. Anyone who does not follow our politics closely would get the impression that all is well in the coalition. But nothing could be further from the truth. What holds the coalition together is the raw exercise of power. Beyond that, we have a coalition in name only. That is why the president’s assertions need further examination. The President is the Head of Government, the Head of State, the Chairman of APNU, the head of the APNU+AFC coalition and the political leader of African Guyanese. He is a powerful man because he is the leader of many constituencies. His words will become sources of historical documentation; they will help shape our perception of our national politics and society. I am contending in this column that the President’s rhetoric is a mask for a coalition that functions as anything but a coalition. The president was pronouncing on an important aspect of Guyanese politics. Some of us have been arguing for a long time that one of the big barriers to political and economic advance in Guyana and other ethnically divided countries is one-party rule. Given the acute ethnic divide and the ethnic voting patterns that arise from that condition, one-party government invariably governs in the interest of its ethnic constituency or is perceived in that way by both its supporters and detractors. The argument is that a power-sharing government that includes elected representatives from the competing ethnic groups and their parties would avoid the pitfalls of one-party government. This thesis was first advanced from a Caribbean per-
spective by St. Lucian Arthur Lewis in his analysis of ethnicity in Africa and our own Eusi Kwayana who in 1961 put it forward as a practical solution to the gathering difficulties in Guyana on the eve of independence. The problem with power sharing is that while it is philosophically grounded in the collectivist cultural traditions of the society, it runs counter to the political culture of majoritarianism and winner versus loser, which was developed during our entanglement with European colonial rule. In other words, that which is native to our culture runs counter to our adopted worldview. The spirit and culture of cooperation were central to our overcoming enslavement and colonization, but they do not find their way into our practice of governance. Consequently, our leaders have adopted an opportunistic attitude to power-sharing. They embrace power sharing when they are in opposition and the other side is entrenched in power, but once they assume power they find convenient reasons to reject it. This has now become part of our elite political culture. After rejecting Kwayana’s joint-premiership proposal in 1961 on the eve of the PPP’s imminent victory of that year, Dr. Jagan eventually embraced it when it became obvious that local and international forces were threatening his hold on power. Similarly, after rejecting overtures by Dr. Jagan, Mr. Burnham eventually embraced the idea when the Cold War was coming to an end and his political cover was being blown off. Dr Jagan, once in power 1992-97, would then turn his back on the very power- sharing he strenuously advanced while in opposition. Desmond Hoyte would eventually embrace the idea only after it became clear that the PPP was entrenched in power and that the PNC could not win a free and fair election on its own. Now to Mr. Granger and the APNU+AFC coalition. APNU adopted power-shar-
ing as a platform battle cry in 2011— the first time a major political formation was bold enough to do so. This development reflected the joint thinking of Robert Corbin, Clive Thomas and Rupert Roopnarine—the principal architects of APNU. Significantly, President Granger was not part of that process, as he was not then formally into party politics. I am arguing that power sharing was perhaps the most appealing thing about the partnership, as African Guyanese, tired of being marginalized from power for two decades, saw it as a democratic route to power. The electoral success of the APNU partnership— principally between the PNC and the WPA—created a new dynamic in Guyanese politics and reinvigorated the African Guyanese electorate, while opening new space for independent politics. It is this new dynamic that made the APNU+AFC coalition possible. For the cynics, it should be said that the WPA’s credibility on power sharing was critical in placing the idea at the centre of the early praxis of APNU. It needs to be said that it was the coalition that produced a slight majority in 2015—not any single party. It was the APNU partnership that raised the PNC vote from 34% in 2006 to 42% by APNU in 2011. Political parties enter coalitions to achieve what they cannot do on their own. The PNC concluded after three attempts that it could not win an election on its own. Give thanks to Corbin for leading the party towards what he initially called the “big tent.” Coalitions are partnerships—they are not singleparties. Coalition members usually have an immediate objective—achieving political power. In the case of the APNU+AFC coalition, the member parties found common ground on one thing— the electoral removal of the PPP from power. All the parties felt that the PPP had taken Guyana too far to the edge. The President is correct in
The Baccoo Speaks News is going to emerge that one member of the Guyana Teachers’ Union was not prepared to accept any offer the government made. This was because that member of the executive was a close friend and supporter of Bharrat Jagdeo. That is why even when the teachers were prepared to accept the offer and the union was happy news came out that another strike was in the offing.
** Berbice is the hotbed of crime because while the police have been able to put a lid on the city criminal elements in Berbice are
roaming almost free. The good news is that the police are only one step behind the criminals and are catching them. The bad news is that prosecution is weak. ** Another case of child rape is going to shock the nation. A community will rise up against the rapist in a most violent manner. This will cause the police to react in a manner that will spark public outrage and demonstrations.
making that observation that “the second thing is, within the coalition itself, people have not only a negative view of what took place of 23 years under the PPP…” That is what drove the parties and what drove their supporters to the polls. The President then went on to say that the parties have a shared vision for Guyana. According to him, “I think within my partnership, we have shared that vision… a very positive view of where we are going and in this regard, I see our commitment to democratic ideals, our commitment to regular elections both at local government and general levels and seeing a vision of a good life for our children, in terms of education, in term equality, in term of empowerment, in terms of eradication of unemployment. These are shared views within the coalition and this is what keeps us going. It is a self-managing mechanism.” With all due respect to His Excellency, that is a misleading statement. The three principal parties in the coalition— PNC, AFC and WPA—have little or nothing in common ideologically. They come from diametrically opposed political traditions. They have to, for they emerged at different points in our history to serve different needs in the society. It means therefore that any shared vision would have to emerge from a shared praxis while governing. But this is where I think the top leadership of the coalition has messed up badly and the President, as leader, must bear full responsibility for this failure. The coalition as an example of power-sharing governance has been a complete failure—it has been a very anti-coalition partnership. The very principles and practices of coalition building such as respect for internal dissent, mutual respect, compromise and consensus in decision making and consultation have been stifled. Apart from the manifesto, there is no manifestation of shared vision from the coalition. There is no council within APNU and the larger coalition that facilitates the evolution of any shared vision. Therefore, the coalition is lacking in vision—it gov-
erns based on presidential edicts and Cabinet compliance. And you can’t build or sustain shared vision in such limited circumstances. It is no accident that the issues from which vision flows or which reflect vision have not been collectively articulated. Where is the shared vision on what to do with oil and gas revenues? Where is the shared vision on industrial relations? Where is the shared vision on poverty alleviation? Where is the shared vision for an ethnically cohesive society? Where is the shared vision on the future of sugar? I think the president is confusing a shared commitment to the autocratic exercise of power with shared vision. What binds the AFC, PNC and WPA members of the cabinet together is what Allan Fenty describes as “group-think, self-preservation, new loyalties” and what I call the logic of power. As readers would know, I am not coming at this as an outside observer—I belong to one of the parties in the coalition. There is little to no consultation and cooperation within the coalition outside of Cabinet. APNU hardly meets and when it does, it does not discuss policy or vision. As we have said on numerous occasions, the WPA, as a party, has not been consulted on any big government initiative or decision, save for the appointment of the GECOM commissioner to replace Ms. Sandra Jones. Not the appointment of the GECOM chair or the Cabinet wage hike or the Oil and Gas contract or the teachers’ wage impasse or the sugar problem or the audits or the Venezuela situation or Local Government reform or constitutional reform. So, I am at a loss as to the “high degree of cooperation both in the partnership and in the coalition” that the president speaks about. The president lets the cat out of the bag when he says: “I feel the senior members of my cabinet know where we are heading and there is a great deal of cohesion. That is one of the reasons why no member of the Cabinet has left the Cabinet in three years. We understand each other.” For him, the Coalition is
Dr David Hinds the Cabinet—a small group of 15 people. If the coalition is an example of “commitment to democratic ideals”, how can decision-making be confined to a small group of people. I submit that that is the kind of limited democracy that has frustrated democratic advance in our country. Finally, the Coalition has been anti-coalition, because the PNC governmental leadership wants it both ways. It admits it cannot win an election on its own when it formed partnerships with others, but then turns around and says these parties bring nothing to the table. So, it treats partners as window dressing. Look at the upcoming local government elections. The AFC has been pushed out of the big tent to go fend for itself. This party which sacrificed its constituency in the interests of the collective is now being told to go test its strength on its own. They know fully well that the AFC support was “soft” and hinged on the expectation that the party would not allow itself to be conned by the PNC. Some may say the AFC has only itself to blame for that outcome. The WPA has been kicked to the curb from the first day of the new government. The PNC praxis has been exposed by its behaviour—use the WPA and AFC to get the power which the PNC could not get on its own, and then once in power, govern as PNC while employing the rhetoric of “cooperation” and “shared vision.” The PPP, some AFC supporters and many WPA members will justifiably say, “we told you so.” More of Dr. Hinds ‘writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 14, 2018
The ffish ish e xpor ter’ s e xecution expor xporter’ ter’s ex
– Why did a professional hit-man kill ‘Motie’ Sonilall? By Michael Jordan
A
t around 19:30 hrs on April 9, 2010, a female resident of Second Street, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, was standing outside her house when she saw a man, who was wearing a toque, walking east along the roadway. She didn’t pay much attention to the stranger – after all, there was nothing unusual about a man with a toque. She also observed that Rajendra Sonilall, called ‘Moti’, who processed and exported salted fish, was sitting outside his business premises, which was closed for the day.
And she still didn’t realise that death was seconds away when the man, who had walked past 43-year-old Sonilall, suddenly turned and headed back in the direction from which he had come. It was then that three loud explosions startled her. She then saw the stranger upper body. He was dead by the time residents got him to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Police who examined the body ascertained that someone had shot the businessman at close range in the back of the head and in the chest. Two .32 shells were found at the scene.
Rajendra Sonilall Rajendra Sonilall had been killed by a professional gunman. Eyewitness accounts led police to believe that the stranger with the toque had carried out the execution. To many of Sonilall’s friends, the killing made no
sense. All the residents along Second Street, Mon Repos, said that he was a generous individual with apparently no enemies. Sonilall, a father of five, had been operating his business for some 25 years without any conflict. He had left home at around 06:00 hrs on that fateful day. He returned home at around 17:15 hrs to bathe and eat before heading back to his business place, which is located a few buildings from his home A possible motive began to emerge when detectives began to question his close relatives. They revealed that in the months leading up to his death, Sonilall had repeatedly complained that some of his associates owed him large amounts of cash and had not indicated when he would be repaid. One associate allegedly owed him $15M, another $9M, and a third $5M. The investi-
gators learned that one of the debtors had been questioned in connection with a cocaine bust. But detectives also found out that Sonilall himself had reportedly owed an associate a substantial sum of cash. This left them with two theories. One was that someone decided to wipe out Sonilall rather than pay off the debt. The other was that Sonilall was killed because he was unable to repay his debt, due to the fact that persons owed him substantial sums of money.A few days after receiving this information, detectives detained two of the business associates. However, they were unable to implicate them in Sonilall’s murder. They also took possession of two of the slain man’s mobile phones in
an effort to check on his last phone calls. According to relatives, investigators are still to return the phones, and it is unclear whether they unearthed any leads.As for the gunman who calmly walked into Second Street, Mon Repos, and shot Sonilall at close range, police say he is yet to be identified. If you have any information about this case please contact the police. You can also contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown offices. Our numbers are 2258465, 22-58458 and 22-58491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s mjdragon@hotmail.com
Sunday October 14, 2018
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Kaieteur News
==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
The bird that flew away from the sky’s wild noise You are bound to accuse me of chauvinism if I was to cite the number of times I have faced vitriolic condemnation by important players in Guyana because of my critical outlook on their public lives only to be proven right. This has been my experience since I was a columnist with the Catholic Standard and the Stabroek News from the late eighties. I have long regarded this society as so bitterly class riveted that there is hardly a place for courageous independent thinking and the more you are iconoclastic and revisionist, the more the class elitists will denounce and ostracize you. In the annals of Caribbean politics and in global academia, the struggle against the autocracy of President Forbes Burnham is regarded one of the high points in working class rebellion in the post-colonial era. No doubt Walter Rodney constitutes the essence of that period. But the flaws of that moment are yet to be analyzed. Intellectuals associated with the PNC and those who admire Forbes Burnham are yet to put their side to that zero sum battle with Rodney. I suspect two reasons deter them. First, it is difficult to rescue Burnham and these analysts are afraid they would be accused of sugar-coating Burnham’s deep authoritarian output. Second, they are confused about how to analyze Rodney’s death. If they identify the wrongs Rodney and the WPA perpetuated against the government of Burnham, they are fearful of
exonerating Burnham from the circumstance of his demise. They don’t want to criticize Burnham or Rodney. But there are nuances of that high point in Caribbean’s working class rebellion against post-colonial betrayal that needs to be written about. The only attempt so far to discuss one of those nuances has been Cheddi Jagan’s reaction to Rodney’s death. Jagan regarded Rodney’s activities against Burnham as adventurous and not embedded in working class socialization. Jagan’s thinking on this kind of politics would have predated Rodney’s arrival in Guyana (see Cheddi Jagan, “Guyana: A new stage.” Thunder, Vol. 3, No. 3, July –December 1971). Vincent Alexander has a good analysis of the pitfalls of the politics of the WPA in the seventies but for some esoteric reason chooses not to write on the subject. I am not at liberty to disclose snippets of his thoughts in episodic conversations with me. We now have an important confession by Dr. David Hinds that should lead scholars to probe with an iconoclastic pen the nature of the WPA’s politics of the seventies. Hinds observes; “I have known Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine as a close colleague and brother for 41 years. Had anyone told me that he would sit in a Cabinet that presides over the current treatment of teachers and not publicly register his disapproval and disassociate himself from that scenario, I would not have listened to them.”Hinds thought he
knew Roopnaraine over those 41 years. His admission should trigger a stream of critical thoughts on just what the WPA was doing in the seventies. I knew Roopnaraine one year longer than Hinds (42 to be exact). I was not impressed then and was never enchanted with his commitment to the liberation of the masses. My most candid assessment of Roopnaraine was back in 2013.I quote from my column captioned; “The Sky’s Wild Noise drowned me with pessimism” of Wednesday, May 1, 2013; “Equally amazing is
Rupert Roopnaraine. No one in the Third World has the ability to do what he has done. He has lived out more than thirty-five years in radical politics, yet for me, Roopnaraine is one of the most elitist, upper middle class politicians that the Caribbean has produced. From the time the WPA magic died, Roopnaraine has remained the darling of Guyana’s middle class and its upper strata. He moves with mesmerizing ease in the company of the Georgetown elites and they view him as their favourite politician. Yet para-
doxically, he moves with equal ease among the radical wings of working class politics in this land.”There is much that turned out to be unsavoury about those who once belonged to the WPA. David Hinds is shocked. Not me. I saw it 42 years ago. I end with the repetition of the last few lines of that May 1, 2013 column on Roopnaraine; “I read “The Sky’s Wild Noise” on my landing that overlooks my garden. I am beginning to resent my garden, because the birds have literally taken over… after I was finished reading, I did
Frederick Kissoon make a noise to get the birds to fly. And they did . The noise was pleasant but as they flew and I looked toward the sky, I saw a country that I gave so much of my life to, but perhaps will never understand.”
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 14, 2018
AFC has confidence in its chances at LGE
The past week was an interesting one for the Alliance For Change (AFC) and its candidates contesting next month’s Local Government Elections.The Party is ramping up our campaign to promote the more than 600 candidates we are fielding countrywide, contesting in 38 of the 80 local authorities. We’re doing what we can to bring our young candidates to the public’s attention, but as usual we have succeeded in provoking the ire of the opposition party’s General Secretary, Bharrat
Jagdeo. Instead of informing the public of his party’s plans to raise the standard of living in towns and inland communities, Jagdeo spent a lot of time at a recent press conference fuming at the AFC’s leaders for “holding back” information from him, not telling him which areas or districts that we would not contest this year. So, our Leaders with tongue in cheek started enquiring from each other when the dictum was passed compelling them to report to Jagdeo, to reveal their tacti-
cal moves to him, or to be instructed on what to do by a man who ought to be before criminal courts.Last week, we announced that we will compete for Council and NDC seats in 38 districts, 15 less than we had originally planned. The reasons for this reduction are a somewhat complicated, and most are for tactical reasons.Little things that are entirely the AFC’s business are again causing the opposition leader to become incensed. Campaign Manager and Public Infrastructure Minister, David
Patterson told the public that “we are fielding more than 160 candidates, with the majority being under the age of 40”. Even this apparently innocuous informative statement seemed to invoke the wrath of Jagdeo. So, he chose to go on the offensive against the AFC in his usual ‘buse down” fashion, declaring that he finds it “unbelievable that someone would come to a press conference and can’t tell you where we are pulling out from”. The man is a seasoned politician and is expected to
be a little astute, enough to deduce that the AFC is most unwilling to play into his hands. In this political arena, information is currency and we do reserve the right to release our own data to the public when it is advantageous to do so, not when Jagdeo wants the information. That is not how it works here or anywhere. In many people’s opinion, the AFC is the Party that is capable of digging into his support base as we did in the General Elections of 2011 when the PPP was relegated to Parliamentary minority status. It happened again in 2015 when voters decided that there was enough stealing and playing fast and loose with their taxes and revenue. So they expressed their opinions in the voting booths. They came out loud and clearly said that they were not going to stand for any more institutionalized racism, malignant corruption and its married partner, the narcotics underworld and their children killing, drug busts, guns, computerized spying, and hard, cold green cash. People have had enough and many have vowed that under no circumstances would they allow the PPP anywhere near the revenue they expect to come into the national treasury after 2020 from the Oil and Gas Industry, money that the people rightfully expect to enhance their lives and their children’s education. So, Campaign Manager and Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, has said that the AFC party has confidence in its chances at winning council seats in this year’s Local Government Elections, even though we are contesting separate from our Coalition partner. This too
was a tactic that we do not intend to unduly influence the strong governmental partnership we share with APNU. Mr. Patterson says the Party is satisfied with the progress and the preparations made for the LGE. “The campaign now moves into the next stage. Over the next four weeks, there will be different activities countrywide,” he said, with candidates involved in television and radio debates, interviews and call-in programmes to let the public know exactly what they have planned for their respective constituencies. Actually, the AFC looks forward to a series of public debates among the candidates representing the different parties, particularly in the larger constituencies like Georgetown, Linden, Bartica, New Amsterdam and Rose Hall. This we think, is going to be excellent proving fields for the Guyana Press Association. The AFC is ready to roll out our brigade of young candidates who are almost all under 40 years old. Perhaps the youngest is 2018 high school graduate, Brittany Eversley, who will contest the Constituency Number 10 seat for the sprawling Charlestown/ Albousytown District. This youth is very determined to improve the lot of people in her area and work with the appropriate authorities to address the social ills, which her predecessor had spent a lot of time on the ground addressing with the folks. The Alliance For Change is moving forward with a “fired up” campaign showcasing our “fit and proppa” candidates who are determined to avoid any conflicts with other candidates.
Sunday October 14, 2018
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Kaieteur News
My column
Seeking value for money at the CJIA construction
T
he buck always stops at the gov ernment. When contractors do shoddy work the government is blamed and it matters not that these contractors are international recruits. For example, if Guyana secures a loan from the InterAmerican Development Bank invariably the Bank provides the contractor. It is the same with loans from India and China. The loan providers insist on their contractor for a successful completion of the project. However, the international contractors are not always the best and they use money that Guyana has to repay. A classic case was the construction of the Skeldon Modernisation Plant that was Guyana’s largest single investment. The contractor was Chinese and there were complaints about the quality of work. To this day the Skeldon Sugar Factory is nothing more than a white elephant. It failed to work to its expectations. The offshoot was that some Guyanese actually collected bribes from the contractor and feathered their nests. It mattered not that the project was a dud because some politicians were happy. They became rich and they did not have to account for the loan. That is why the Cheddi Jagan International Expansion project has been under the spotlight. The Chinese Government through the Export Import Bank loaned Guyana US$138 million to construct a new terminal building and to expand the runway. Guyana was required to add US$12 million in matching financing. The project attracted criticisms from the outset although Guyana had recognized that the terminal build-
ing had outgrown its capacity. People travelling overseas found out that if there were three flights there was not enough space for the travelers to book in. It was the same when two or more flights landed. For one, the reason given was that Guyana would serve as a hub for people travelling from Africa to other parts of the world. Another reason was that a Chinese Vice President was passing through on his way to Jamaica waving money. Guyana, recognising that it needed an airport project jumped at the money. As a result, the expansion of the terminal was more welcome. But there were queries about some of the costs. A change in Government caused a change in the contract to make it more feasible. But even before that, there had to be a change in the contract specification. The runway was supposed to be extended in one direction. If there was a feasibility study then it was lacking. After the project got underway the contractor reported that he would need to expand both ends of the runway because of a serious problem at the intended end. Recently, a local contractor decided to take a close look at the work. He found that although the airport was supposed to have eight gates for arriving and departing aircraft, aircraft operated by Fly Jamaica cannot use these gates. It would be the same when American Airlines comes. The contention is that these aircraft are too big. Already the construction is proving problematic. One could be tempted to conclude that the airport has already outlived its usefulness even before it is commissioned. One must wonder whether the contractors recognized
the types of aircraft that would use the terminal and so build the necessary gates. But there are even more shortcomings. The local contractor exposed the quality of material being used on the airport. Indeed, the contract does not have specifications about the quality of material to be used in the construction process. The tiles on the walkway are said to be cheap and not in line with tiles used for heavy pedestrian traffic. The glass paneling on the airport is said to be very cheap and cannot withstand a human body colliding with it. It would be interesting to see the cost attached to the tiling and the glass paneling. One view is that Guyana is being asked to pay more for the work it is getting. If indeed this is the case then repairs would be undertaken earlier than any repair should, thus adding to the cost of the airport. It was the same with the Marriott Hotel which a mere three years after it opened its doors needs repairs. The Arthur Chung Conference Centre was a beauty but ten years after it opened its doors it had to undergo repairs to the tune of more than it took the contractor to build—some US$8 million. I am not certain about the extent of local input into the airport project but there should be. A local engineer should be on site to inspect the material that is being used to construct the airport and where necessary, demand that the necessary changes are made before it is too late. Indeed the airport looks good at first glance. It goes without saying that it has an international appearance but appearances could change with the passage of time. We know that the contractor was
given some seventy per cent of the cost even before he had completed forty per cent of the work. And this was before the new government came into office. One reason is that there were immense kickbacks. There have been audits into many things. There should be an audit of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport terminal. Taking reporters on a tour is not enough because the reporters do not know what they are seeing. For the sake of Guyana one can only hope that the local contractor is wrong be-
cause no one wants to pay for something substandard. Traffic has increased to Guyana and the discovery of oil certainly had something to do with this. When oil begins to flow even more people are going to be coming into the country through the airport. The tiled floor is going to take a beating. If indeed the tiling is substandard one can see the need for floor repairs sooner rather than later. There are questions to be answered and one hopes that these answers would be forthcoming in the coming weeks.
Adam Harris After all, the airport is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. There may be an extension but the completion date cannot be far away.
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J
udging from the weekly posturing and self-serving rhetoric coming from Bharrat Jagdeo and Freedom House, it is clear that they are hoping and praying that people will forget what transpired during their time in office. Jagdeo, I am sure, is hoping that Guyanese have forgotten that during his Presidency, the Peoples Progressive Party- PPP- persistently failed to address the people’s basic needs for public services and embarked instead on a series of expensive but misconceived mega-projects such as the Fibre Optic Cable Project, the Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project, the
Kaieteur News
Specialty Surgical Hospital and the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project road. Jagdeo’s successor, President Donald Ramotar, was obliged to cancel contracts for all of those projects after the loss of billions of tax-payer dollars. The newly cleansed, want us to forget the pattern of discrimination and poor governance that was rampant during their 23 years in office. The PPP ignored the issues of crime, poor infrastructure, sanitation, water-supply, electricity, and lack of recreational facilities in certain neighbourhoods, municipalities and regions. Individuals were victimised for speaking
out against the PPP’s improprieties. Persons had their jobs taken away for blowing the whistle on government corruption. Citizens were physically attacked and injured for daring to voice their opposition to the regime’s heavy-handed oppression. In fact, entire communities were targeted by the dictators in the ironically named Freedom House. Central Georgetown especially, experienced the anger of the regime, because the PPP believed that most of the Capital’s residents did not support their Party. Agricola, Linden, parts of New Amsterdam and other areas,
also experienced the regime’s wrath. The PPP dictatorship ruled in a manner which benefited only its closest friends, while those who opposed its discriminatory policies were deliberately punished. As President both Jagdeo and Ramotar failed to address the country’s most pressing problem – the public security crisis. The PPP has never accepted its responsibility for the high rate of armed robberies, the murderous maritime piracy, the rampant gun-running and contraband smuggling and other violent crimes that raged along the coastland during its time in office. The entire nation was
Sunday October 14, 2018
alarmed at the rising homicide rate. There were more than 2,100 murders during the two deadly Jagdeo and Ramotar presidencies. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime listed Guyana’s 2010 homicide rate as the fourth highest murder rate in South America. Guyana’s murder rate under the PPP was three times higher than that of the United States. Mr. Jagdeo and his new side-kick Anil Nandlall are of the opinion that the era of the Phantom Squad is forgotten and there is no memory of the fear that gripped this nation during their time in office. They want to us forget that among the victims of the Phantom Gang were Stephen Lesniak, an American Diplomat; Satyadeow Sawh, a Minister of Agriculture; Ronald Waddell, a famous TV talk show host; George Bacchus, a former member of the Phantom Gang, who was shot to death on the night before he was to implicate a very senior member of that gang. It is ironic that the newly converted think that we have forgotten how they trampled on the Judiciary and the Legislature . Guyanese will never forget that the PPP government during its time in office orchestrated a pattern of obstruction of justice by protecting cabinet ministers and other function a r i e s w h o were involved in criminal activities. Between 2000 and 2004, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) refused to file criminal charges against Ronald Gajraj, the Minister of Home Affairs, even though there was overwhelming evidence that he had colluded with Roger K h a n ’s P h a n t o m G a n g . President Jagde o f o r c e d b y p u b l i c o u t c r y, r e warded Gajraj with a late r a l t r a n s f e r f r om the Cabinet to a diplomatic post, appointing him High Commissioner to India. There was no commission of inquiry into the death of a sitting Cabinet Minister Satyadeo Sawh; no Coroner’s Inquest, nothing. Similarly, there was no i n v e s t i g a t i o n i n t o D r. Leslie Ramsammy ( J a g d e o ’s M i n s t e r o f Health) alleged involvement in assisting a Drug Lord to obtain high tech electronic equipment that was restricted to members of the security forces. The now penitent and very vocal former Attorney General Anil Nandlall would like for us to forget or dismiss what happened on October
27, 2014 when the so-called Kshatriya warrior uttered terroristic threats against a media house. No changes were filed against the sitting Attorney General. President Ramotar, following Jagdeo’s precedent, refused to fire Nandlall for “conduct unbecoming of a Minister of Government.” It was instructive that Jagdeo and the PPP did not take part in the recently held anti-corruption march. For who could forget that it was under Jagdeo’s watch, Guyana became one of the most corrupt countries in the world. The Transparency International Corruption Perception Index of 2013 (TICPI) ranked Guyana 136th out of 177 countries – 121 places behind Barbados, the least corrupt country in the Caribbean. We will not forget that under the PPP, Guyana accumulated one of the worst human rights records in the world. Between 2001 and 2010, Amnesty International reported about the torture and maltreatment of prisoners by the Guyana Police Force and the fatal police shootings in disputed circumstances. Those of us who lived through those troublesome times can never forget that under the PPP, the use of deadly force against unarmed civilians was common place. On July 18, 2013, members of the Guyana Police Force, under the control of the Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, opened fire on a group of unarmed protestors in the town of Linden, resulting in the deaths of Allan Lewis, Ron Summerset, and Chemroy Bouyea, and injuries to several other individuals. The Linden Commission of Inquiry found that the police had used excessive force and awarded compensation to the victims of the deadly police shooting. During its 23 years in office, the PPP Government established an unenviable record of criminality, corruption, human rights abuse, abuse of power, obstruction of justice and incompetence. Jagdeo would now like for all of us to pretend that none of this happened. The PPP is banking that we will forget the lessons of the recent past and judge them by their new posturing and self-righteous rhetoric. George Santayana philosopher and essayist famously said- those who forget the lessons of the past are condemned to repeat it.
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Human Bites: There can be serious consequences By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Bites from humans are either intentional in a fight, or accidental, again most often during a fight - for example, when a clenched fist comes into contact with another person’s teeth. Accidental contact with another person’s teeth may also occur during some sports, or playground games. Bites can also be inflicted during sexual activity, either on purpose or as a result of getting accidentally carried away. In either case, there are risky consequences associated with human bites that you should take care to avoid. Today, we expand a little on them. What should I do if I am bitten? There are many germs/ bacteria in human mouths. Cleaning will reduce the chance of infection. If the wound is small, you can clean it yourself, using ordinary tap water.
Wounds that are large, deep, or dirty are best cleaned by a nurse or doctor. Allow the wound to bleed. However, if the wound is bleeding heavily, a clean dressing or sterile pad should be used to apply pressure until you can get medical help. After cleaning, cover the wound with a sterile, nonsticky dressing. Should I seek medical advice for a human bite? It is usually wise to get bite wounds checked out, however small they seem. Always seek medical advice in the following situations: · The bite does not stop bleeding. · The bite was on the knuckles of your hand, your fingers, your face or your ears. · The bite is deep and appears to involve other tissues other than your skin. · You do not know the person who bit you. · The person who bit you has, or is at risk of having hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV. · You think the bite wound
has become infected. If the skin around the wound is becoming more red and hot and painful, this may be the case. Also if you develop a high temperature (fever), or sweats and/or chills. · A small child or baby has a bite to the head. · You have not completed a course of tetanus vaccinations with boosters. Or if you are not sure about your tetanus vaccinations. · Your immune system is not as effective as it should be. This might be due to not having a spleen, or due to medication, or chemotherapy, or an illness such as AIDS. Diabetes also makes you more prone to infections. Are there specific treatments for human bites? This depends on the bite itself. The following are possible treatment options: Wound care- Your wound may need stitching or cleaning and dressing. This will depend on what your doctor finds when he/she assesses it. Antibiotic medicines-A
short course of antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent infection developing in the bite wounds. Tetanus- If you are not up to date with your tetanus immunisations, you may need a booster dose. HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C If you are bitten by a person who has one of these viral infections, there is a very small risk that the infection can pass on to you. Your doctor may want to put you on preventative medications to minimize your risk of acquiring these infections. Are there any tests I should have if I have a human bite? For most bites, tests are not needed. In some circumstances, your doctor may check for infections such as HIV or hepatitis. She/he may also swab your wound to see
if there are any dangerous bacteria present. What are the complications of a human bite? Infection is the most common complication and it occurs in 9-50 out of every 100 human bites. The usual type of infection is with a type of germ called bacteria. This can be infection of the surrounding skin. It may also spread to tissues close to the skin in particular, bones or tendons. Occasionally, the infection can spread further, causing infection around the brain, or the heart or throughout the body. Other infections, which may be transmitted through human bites include: · Tetanus · Syphilis · Hepatitis B · Hepatitis C · HIV
Dr. Zulfikar Bux Hepatitis C and HIV are very unlikely to be spread from a bite. In order to get one of these infections from a bite, there usually has to be blood in the saliva of an infected person biting. As you can see, there are quite a few complications that can result from a human bite. Some can even be deadly. If you are bitten, visit your doctor to ensure you are on the safe side.
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SUNDAY China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Cui Jianchun (left) and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, signing the MoU.
Administrator inflates GPL bills, pockets millions The Audit Office of Guyana had cause to carry out a forensic investigation into the affairs of the Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre (UCITC). Several allegations of fraud and corruption were made against the school’s Administrator, Azad Sugrim, who remains on the job. The audit confirmed some of the allegations and even unearthed issues that were not reported before. One of the damning findings was that, on many occasions, UCITC collected monies from the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) but did not put the money towards the use for which it was requested. Kaieteur News understands that this has been going on for years. Specifically, it has been found that Sugrim inflated the cost of the electricity bills for the institution which is funded by Government. The audit was executed despite the fact that payment vouchers requested were not submitted for audit scrutiny; financial reports of the audit scrutiny training centre and Board minutes were not presented either. BIT is focused on intensifying the delivery of relevant occupational, technical and vocational skills training with a view to addressing entry level occupational skills demand for current and emerging Industries/Scrvices that is both the public and private sector. Emphasis is placed on vulnerable groups such as school dropouts, youths from depressed communities. The annual budget for BIT is approved by the National Assembly and incorporated into the estimates of Expenditure under Subsidies and Contributions to Local Organizations under the Ministry of Social Protection. Any institution that requires funding for training from BIT would submit a proposal. The CEO would take the proposal to the Board Meeting for discussion and approval. Once approved, a contract is prepared and signed between BIT and the beneficiary. The institution, in this case UCITC, would then send invoices showing amounts that are required to offset expenditures for the month. Govt. appoints environmentalist to Energy Dept. and energy expert to head EPA, they are clearly confused- Ramson With almost every deci-
sion it makes, the APNU+AFC, Government demonstrates that it is woefully confused and is still not ready to handle the business of the nation, said Attorney at Law, Charles Ramson, Saturday to Kaieteur News. Ramson said that he can point to many decisions made by the government that highlight its confusion but wanted to speak specifically to the recent “appointment blunder”. The lawyer, who has a Masters’ degree in Oil and Gas management, noted that Government appointed Dr. Vincent Adams, a Guyanese oil and gas expert, to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after appointing an environmentalist to head the Department of Energy. Ramson said that he cannot understand why Government would choose to put a square peg in a round hole as important as the Energy Department when someone at Dr. Adams’s level is available. Ramson said that Dr. Adams should have been the one heading the Department of Energy. The Attorney noted that Dr. Adams held very senior positions during his employment with the United States Government. ”Dr. Adams served the United States Department of Energy for decades so his expertise in oil and gas is second to none in Guyana. He comes with world class knowledge in the sector and is highly respected; why not him for Guyana’s Energy Department?” Ramson said that international oil companies would not have liked to see someone of Dr. Adams’s caliber, expertise and experience sitting on the other side of the negotiation table. Ramson pointed that, on the other hand, Dr. Bynoe has no experience in oil and gas.
“The things he has to go and learn Dr. Adams has known for decades. President David Granger had said that Dr. Bynoe will get the guidance he needs to run the department from world class experts that he will hire. Responding to that Saturday, Ramson said, “Information and the advice Dr. Bynoe receives from any consultant has to then be processed or filtered through your own understanding knowledge and expertise. Belt & Road MoU with China should be made public – Finance Minister There is nothing to hide in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Guyana and China to execute loan-financed projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) – a scheme used globally by China to provide financial support for infrastructural projects. This is the view expressed by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, when questioned by Kaieteur News about the MoU being made public. In fact, he thought it was already released to the public. ”I don’t know there is anything to hide in the Belt and Road initiative. I thought it was made public. I am sure next time you meet the President [David Granger] you can ask for it,” Jordan told Kaieteur News. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is yet to release the MoU which was signed between Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, and Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Cui Jainchun, on July 27. In contrast, the energy MoU signed between Guyana and Trinidad was released on September 19, the same day it was signed by President David Granger and the Prime
Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr. Keith Rowley. Government appears to be speeding towards executing projects under the (BRI) and is said to be currently searching for projects. Jordan stated that the MoU also does not identify any projects. ”You still have to go the route of feasibility studies,” Jordan noted. The BRI is increasingly causing concerns. It is seen globally as a debt trap for countries like Ghana and Sri Lanka where China in some cases ended up owning the infrastructure, including major ports. President David Granger had said that the government “must go into these agreement with its eyes wide open”. He said that Government recognises that Guyana needs infrastructure in order to develop and this is the main reason Guyana is courting China’s BRI. MONDAY Rape accused still to be tried after 19 years, another sitting in jail 11 years– as sexual offence cases for Demerara assizes It appears as though Roy Rahaman has been languishing in jail since 2007 on charges of buggery and carnal knowledge of a girl under 15. Documents obtained from the High Court in Georgetown reveal that Rahaman was charged on March 10, 2007 for the offences he allegedly committed on September 24, 2007. Magistrate Mrs. H. O. Hamilton committed him to stand trial for the offence in July 2009. But according to court documents, the man is still in custody. The offences for which he has been charged are all bailable. In another instance, one
Colin Smith who allegedly raped a girl under the age of 12 on February 22, 1999 is still to stand trial. His case is 19 years old, and court records show that he posted bail. He was arraigned before Magistrate R. Rooplall a month after the crime was allegedly committed. About four months later, he was committed to stand trial. Information shows that in some instances, persons were committed to stand trial for various sexual offences since 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. However, they are still waiting to face a judge and jury. Hopefully, they will get the chance to do so at the ongoing session of the Demerara Assizes, which opened last week Tuesday at the High Court in Georgetown. Over 200 cases have been listed for trial at this session. Of the cases, sexual offences have dominated with a staggering 158. Over the past years, there has been a high volume of these cases. The sexual offences include carnal knowledge of a girl under 15 years, carnal knowledge of a girl under 12 years, buggery, rape, indecent assault of a male, sexual activity with a child family member, sexual activity with a child by abusing a position of trust, sexual assault and incest by male. A vast majority of the alleged victims are children, with most of the perpetrators being males. Chanderpaul, called Leonard Paul has been indicted for nine counts of rape of a child under 16 years. Guyanese lost US$440M in absence of Local Content Law – Ramson There are several issues in the oil and gas industry that are technical or can be deemed intricate. Therefore, Attorney-at-law, Charles
Ramson said that most can understand the hard time being experienced by the APNU+AFC Government in addressing some oil related issues. In fact, Ramson said that the measures that government needs to take to secure local content for its people are fairly simple, “but they are still failing with even that.” The Oil and Gas Consultant said that there is no reason why Guyana should have found itself a year and a half away from oil production but is still without Local Content legislation, or a policy at the very least. He maintains that that is one of the government’s biggest failures thus far. Ramson, who has a Masters’ Degree in Oil and Gas Management, noted that most oil producing countries across the world have Local Content Legislation. He said that there are quite a few countries that are still gearing for oil production years down the line but already have such legislation in place. Further, Ramson, who recently returned from an oil and gas course at the University of Oxford, pointed out that many countries have ring-fenced particular goods and services to be procured by oil companies operating there, “meaning those companies can only buy the items from locals.” Ramson said that such measures allow for the direct injection of money into the local economy. Also, the Oil and Gas Consultant said that it forces foreign business to partner with locals “because where we are lacking the expertise, which may be certification or the transfer of knowledge and technology—it forces foreign supply companies to come on board.” Ramson said that in countries that have ring-fenced (Continued on page 33)
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From page 32 goods and services, services like security is secured for locals and food stuff are bought locally. Finance Minister accuses Auditor General of ‘pussyfooting’ in some probes– says audits ordered by Govt. uncovered discrepancies Sharma should have found Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan has questioned the ‘pussyfooting’ by Auditor General Deodat Sharma to pursue the unaccounted hundreds of millions from the PetroCaribe fund and other projects. In an interview with Kaieteur News, Jordan said that the forensic audits, which were carried out after the Coalition administration was elected in 2015 have revealed questionable transactions, which should have been unearthed by the Auditor General’s Office. ”I mean bank accounts not kept…these are things that should have been easily picked up by an Auditor General’s office,” Jordan noted. He said that the Minister of Finance has responsibilities, the Financial Secretary has responsibilities; the Auditor General also has responsibilities. “He is a constitutional agency. You can’t tell him how to do his work, but at the same time not because you can’t tell him how to do is work means you don’t have public oversight of the work itself that he is doing and that is an area that he has been spared overtime,” the Minister said. ”When you would have gone through those forensic audits, the question has been raised how is it if those audits were being performed,
why a simple thing like keeping two accounts was not found.” Apart from the PetroCaribe fund, the Finance Minister asked ‘why the pussyfooting’ by the Auditor General on audits into Guyana’s hosting of CARIFESTA, the 2005 flood relief and the 2007 Cricket World Cup. TUESDAY Salary increase for public school teachers… Govt. finally revises offer – proposes 10 percent salary hike for 2016; further 8 percent for 2018 – $350 million debunching payout With government moving
to revise its salary offer to teachers, the Guyana Teachers’ Union [GTU] is reportedly now entirely dependent on its membership to decide the way forward. According to a well placed source, on Friday the Ministry of Education invited the GTU to a meeting where the revised offer was proposed. This publication was informed that the Ministry has now put on the table a 10 percent increase for 2016, and an additional eight percent for this year. Further, the Ministry proposed a $350 million payout for the period 2011 to 2018 with teachers receiving a lump sum payout. The Ministry has also reportedly proposed that from 2019, the teachers will be placed on suitable scales and
The meeting in session
paid in that regard onwards. At that meeting, this publication was told that the union did not accept the offer but rather indicated that it will have to consult with its membership. Guyana rejects Local Content Law while Brazil demands that no less than 50% oil investments go to its people Local entrepreneurs continue to call for legislative protection to ensure that they are not shut out from business opportunities in the oil industry. However, the Government of Guyana is adamant that there will be no moves now, or in the near future, to make it law that oil companies uti-
lize domestic good and services. This is the government’s position despite the fact that it announced, on several occasions, that it is now looking to adopt best practices that are employed by other oil producing countries. In most oil producing countries around the world, the law dictates that the oil companies must utilize a certain percent of local goods and services. In fact, Guyana’s neighbour, Brazil, mandates oil companies to use no less than 50 percent local content exploration and production. Earlier this year, Brazil’s National Petroleum Agency (ANP) approved new local content rules for the country’s oil industry.
Under the revised system, developers were permitted to migrate their contracts as, under previous provisions, 70 percent local content was demanded. The ANP’s decision came after the new rules were approved by the National Council for Energy Policy (CNPE). Companies had over 120 days to ask the ANP for the revised rules to be applied to their contracts. In a breakdown of the percentages, the ANP said that oil companies would be obliged to use 50 percent local content during the Exploration and Production stage of onshore projects. In terms of offshore development, the local content requirement for exploration has been set at 18 percent with offshore production split into 25 percent for well construction, 40 percent for subsea systems and 40 percent for stationary production units. Sale of $30M property to Town Clerk… Lawyer confirms transport being processed While there have been inquiries about the purchase of a property located at Happy Acres, East Coast Demerara, (ECD) by Town Clerk, Royston King, officials attached to the Registry of Deeds and King’s lawyer, Andrew Pollard, SC, have confirmed that the transport for the said property is being processed as part of the sale. The property is currently in the name of two Nadia Ramdin, 6 Glen Grove Drive, Rock Port, Maine, 04856, United States of America, and Helen Tedeschi of 2020 Walnut Street, Apartment 23B (Continued on page 34)
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From page 33 Philadelphia, Pennysylvania 19103, United Sates of America. According to an advertisements publicized by the Deeds Registry, the overseasbased owners were represented by Power of Attorney, Chunilall Williams. The documents were drafted on their behalf by Attorney- at-Law, Andrew Pollard SC and sworn by Commissioner of Oaths, Ramesh Persaud. King reportedly moved to purchase the property on January 7, 2017. The documents further outlined that “the property lot numbered 47 being a portion of Block lettered “T” known as Happy Acres, is part of Montrose and Felicity, in the La Bonne Intention-Better Hope Village District, East Coast of Demerara, in which there is a building and erections valued and priced at $30 M.” According to an agreement of sale, King whose address was given as Lot 3279 Canal Place, South Ruimveldt Park, Georgetown, Demerara, purchased the property from its original owners through a Power of Attorney held by Chunilall Williams. The information also outlined that some documents were drafted on King‘s behalf by Attorney- at-Law, Roger Yearwood, who is also the lawyer for the Georgetown M&CC. Attorney Pollard confirmed that King made a down payment by way of agreement of sale towards the purchase of the house and land being sold for $30M. This agreement was signed by Pollard. WEDNESDAY SOCU fails to defend court case, Magistrate dismisses charges Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman was left with no choice but to dismiss the charges against former Guyana Rice Development Board (GRBD) executives after citing a number of failures by the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) to defend its case. The case surrounds allegations of fraud leveled against former General Manager, Jagnarine Singh, and his deputy, Madanlall Ramraj, for failing to enter true entries of over $4.2 M into the company’s ledger, knowing that it was contrary to standard operation procedures. The incidents are said to have occurred between 2011 and 2012, at the company’s Lot 16-17 Cowan Street, Kingston head office. The duo was facing 16
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charges in relation to the matter. Their case which was ongoing before Magistrate Latchman was scheduled for peremptory hearing at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court Tuesday. The hearing was scheduled for the continuation of evidence by prosecution witness, Keshwanand Seetaram, for whom an arrest warrant was issued. Seetaram was however not present when the matter was called Tuesday. Special Prosecutors, Hewley Griffith and Lawrence Harris, indicated to the court that they had no other witnesses available and requested adjournment to facilitate the testimony of Special Superintendent of Police attached to SOCU, Sheronie James. James was also not present Tuesday. Given the obvious unpreparedness of SOCU to proceed with the trial, Attorney for the former GRBD officials, Glenn Hanoman, made an application for the prosecution to close their case. He pointed out that it looks as if SOCU did not know what they were doing. BIT wants Administrator to repay embezzled funds The Board of Industrial Training (BIT) is looking to recover millions of dollars that has reportedly been embezzled by officials of the Upper Corentyne Industrial Training Centre (UCITC). This newspaper is in possession of a letter that BIT sent to UCIT C’s Administrator, Azad Sugrim, after a re-
cent audit which proved that millions of dollars went unaccounted for. Earlier this year, the audit was requested by the Chairman and the Board of Directors of BIT, Clinton Williams. The Audit was conducted by the office of the Auditor General. BIT, in its letter, said that the audit “resulted from the culmination of allegations of financial mismanagement and misuse of the BIT’s funds made against of the Administration of the UCITC.” The letter continued, “As a consequence of these allegations, a forensic audit was conducted by the Audit Office of Guyana and the findings are very troubling and a cause for grave concern. Among the findings cited in the Audit, is the non-use of monies that BIT would have paid to the UCITC for the delivery of the BIT’s programmes at that institution.” The letter said that in some instances, it was found that the BIT funds were never fully utilized “to finance certain aspects of our programmes. BIT said, “It is our opinion that the UCITC is obligated to reimburse the BIT for the monies which it never spent on our training programmes.” BIT forwarded a copy of the audit and demanded a response. One of the damning findings of the audit was that, on many occasions, UCITC collected monies from BIT but did not put the money towards the use for which it was
requested. Kaieteur News understands that this has been going on for years. Specifically, it has been found that Sugrim inflated the cost of the electricity bills for the institution which is funded by Government. How did my C/ville property end up in Jagdeo nephew’s hands?–overseasbased Guyanese asks He is 70 years old and still working at a major airport in New York. Like many Guyanese, he too owns or maintains family properties here. It was supposed to serve as a getaway in his retirement. However, for Victor Sukhai, his property seems to be no more his. He claims it has been sold illegally without his knowledge. Since 2009, it passed from a number of hands, including the nephew of former President Bharrat Jagdeo. It is now deemed to be owned by a radio station reportedly belonging to Ansa McAl, a Trinidadian company. Sukhai is contemplating his legal options, in a battle to take back a property that was bequeathed to him by his mother in her will. Sukhai’s case would be but one of many property cases said to be involving fraud with deeds and other property documents. There have been an increasing number of complaints filed about property frauds involving personnel from the courts, staff from the Registry and officials of the legal fraternity. For the victims, finding
resolutions can take years because of a muddled court system. Many of the victims live abroad and sometimes only discover years later that their properties were sold, sometimes by real estate companies, and at other times by fraudsters. According to Sukhai, his mother, Etwarie Sukhai, in her Last Will and Testament on September 17, 1976, left him the property at 30 Garnett Street, Campbellville. The will left $25 for the older brother, Kissoon Lall, with the second son, Bholan Nauth Sukhai, to receive $2,000. The rest of the estate was left to Sukhai, the third son. On June 10, 1977, the mother died and less than a year later, on April 10, 1978, the property was transferred via a Transport into Sukhai’s name. THURSDAY The saga of doing business in Guyana… City Council leases land, Lands and Survey sells it, CH&PA halts construction A project to construct a gas station and fast food outlet on a piece of land on Mandela Avenue is now in limbo. The land was first leased by the Mayor of City Councillors of Georgetown. That same land was later leased to the same businessman by the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission. A few days ago, another state agency, the Central Housing and Planning Au-
thority (CH&PA) ordered that works be halted on the land because the construction works contravened the Town and Country Planning Act. Wednesday, the businessman, Shamnarine Narine, made it clear that it is becoming more and more difficult to do business in Guyana. He was supposed to spend at least $65M to develop his project on the quarter of acre plot located at Shirley Field Ridley Square. It was explained that in 2016, the M&CC approved a commercial lease agreement for the land to be developed to the businessman with the fee to be $432,000 annually. However, it appears that the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission insisted that land was not M&CC’s. On the 29th March, 2017, Commissioner Trevor Benn granted permission for the developer to occupy that piece of Government land which is located on a portion of the industrial reserve, in Ruimveldt. It was agreed that the annual rent of $250,000 per annum would be charged. It appeared in August that the Lands and Survey decided to sell. The developer paid over $4.5M to the Lands and Survey Commission. On October 5th, 2018, CH&PA officials served notice on workers at the site, to halt construction. The same day, Lands and Surveys’ Commissioner Trevor Benn notified Narine in a separate correspondence of an intention to repossess (Continued on page 35)
Sunday October 14, 2018
From page 34 the land.The Commission said it intends to refund the businessman any monies he may have paid. SOCU begins probe into Panama rice fiasco The police probe into how thousands of bags of the wrong rice ended up in Panama has begun. Wednesday, two officials of the Guyana Rice Producers Association Action Committee met with investigators of the police’s Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) at the Camp Road headquarters. According to spokesperson of the committee, Dr.
Turhane Doerga, the meeting meant that an official probe has begun in earnest. “We just came from SOCU offices where we met investigators and other senior officials. You will recall, as you reported, that the committee filed a complaint with the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leslie James, recently. You will recall that it was sent to the Crime Chief to determine the merits of the complaint. Well, we are here now,” Doerga disclosed. He was accompanied by another committee official, Jinnah Rahman. Both are outspoken activists in the rice industry. Doerga himself is a retired miller, and former chief of Alesie Rice Mills.
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“We briefed the officials on what happened and made it clear that it is a serious situation.” SOCU’s investigators will now be awaiting the arrival of 20 containers of the rice which was rejected by Panama’s port authorities because the grains did not meet specifications according to the contract signed between the Guyana Rice Development Board and the government of Panama. “We want to assist the investigators and offered to lend advice. We stressed that from indications there was fraudulent use of labels belonging to another miller on the rice. That miller as you know had denied he gave au-
thorization for GRDB or others to use their labels.” Pressed, Doerga said that from indications, investigators will be looking closely at the roles played by the various actors, including from the Guyana Revenue Authority and GRDB. Businessman beaten, son shot in the mouth during Berbice home invasion – three held Bandits shot a businessman’s son in the mouth and beat his 52-yearold father during a brazen robbery at the family’s Cromarty Farm, Berbice residence at around 18.00 hrs Wednesday. Balram Kumar, 24, was
shot to the face and battered by one of three masked intruders, while his father, Deeraj Kumar, was broadsided in his head and about his body by another bandit armed with a cutlass. They have been admitted to the Anamayah Memorial Hospital. The robbers escaped with a bag containing some $200,000 and a further $80,000. Police in B’ Division confirmed that three persons are presently in police custody. The family operates a grocery and the businessman’s wife, Asha Kumar, 48, stated that she was preparing dinner for her son when she heard her husband moaning and yelling “ow, ow, ayuh na
beat meh”. She immediately ran to the back door. ”When me run to the back door me see the men dem ah run in so me talk in me mind this is bandit so me run to me back yard and hide and while me ah hide me hear. Dem go in the kitchen and ask meh son if he belly full and then me hear how dem start beat meh son and a next one got me husband outside and a broadside he with the cutlass.” Mrs. Kumar said that her son was shot to the mouth during the ordeal while the men, who were masked, demanded cash and jewellery. They ransacked the shop and home and found a bag containing $200,000 and also pocketed the day’s sales of $80,000 along with hand band her son had on. The men eventually fled through a nearby mud track. Meanwhile, an eyewitness said he noticed three men entering the business attired in dark clothing and armed with cutlasses and a gun. FRIDAY Jagdeo admits to failing to declare assets to Integrity Commission Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, is among the large group of public officers, including Members of Parliament, who have not declared their assets to the Integrity Commission as mandated by law. Jagdeo was questioned by Kaieteur News Thursday about whether he and other MPs of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had made their declaration which was past due. Jagdeo admitted that he had not filed with the Commission. ”We will get it done because it is something that we believe in. When we were in office, we made sure that every Minister did up to 2014,” (Continued on page 36)
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From page 35 Jagdeo stated.Jagdeo fixated his response on whether the Government members had declared their assets. ”You just ask the other side if they have done. They have not done so for three years so I hope that the Integrity Commission goes back to the starting point,” Jagdeo stated. Last week, the Commission disclosed that 1296 letters were sent to public officers who are mandated to file their declarations with the Commission on or before June 30, each year. To date, the Commission has received 248 responses and only some MPs have responded. The response rate at the time was 19%. Jagdeo expressed the view that the Commission should also examine previous years, including the three years dating back to 2015 when the Coalition Government came to power. The Commission’s Chairman, Kumar Doraisami, has indicated that the Commissioners favour moving forward. He said that there is a legal debate surrounding the existence of the Commission prior to the life of the current one, which was sworn in by President David Granger in February after a decade without a chairperson. Under the law, any public officer who fails to comply with the Commission is liable upon summary conviction, to a fine of $25,000 and to imprisonment for a period of not less than six months or more than one year. With all these loans, Guyana heading towards ‘pre-source curse’ – Ramson Attorney at Law Charles Ramson is worried that Guyana is headed swiftly towards the pre-source curse. He said this at a recent press conference. There, Ramson explained that the pre-source curse refers to occurrences where “before you actually start production, you end up having worst macro-economic fundamentals than when you hadn’t discovered oil in the first place.” Ramson said that Ghana is a perfect example. He said that that country, which discovered oil in 2010, found itself in worst debt positions even before it started producing oil. He said that the debt position further increased, even though after they started to produce oil and gained extra revenue. Ramson said that he was further edified about the presource curse during his recent training at the Oxford University. He said that on
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that programme, he met the expert who coined the term pre-source curse—James Cust. Ramson said that he knows the government is at least aware of the term presource curse as it was mentioned in the Green Paper. However, he said that he thinks the government needs to buckle and do more to prevent Guyana from experiencing full-blown pre-source curse. Ramson said, “Recently, especially within the last six to eight months, we have seen quite a number of loans being taken by the government. Many of the times, we are not quite sure what those loans are for, what are their interest rates, the pay back and maturity period or how it is being structured; we just know that the loans are being taken.” Ramson continued, “So that in itself, increases our debt position, so effectively, we are already moving into the pre-source curse type of position. GGMC working to build capacity in petroleum, but not at expense of mining sector – Dennison The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) sees the need to build capacity in the nascent oil and gas sector. However, Commissioner Newell Dennison said that he is not willing to go down the road of starving one sector for another. He said that the GGMC is still cognizant of its responsibility to other sectors like bauxite, gold and diamond. Dennison said this during an interview with Kaieteur News. He said that the Commission continues to receive payments from oil companies for the purpose of capacity building. Dennison said, “The companies continue to make their obligatory payments for capacity building, rentals and otherwise.” However, even though the money is being collected from oil companies, Dennison said that all is not going towards building the oil sector. Dennison told Kaieteur News, “I continue to say that we are not going to discriminate and say that this specifically will be for oil or for whatever else.” ”As is said before, if we are training geologists, we are training geologists and they will be available to serve the country, every sector, whether it is oil or mining. Dennison said that there are currently a number of citizens studying at the University of Guyana (UG). He said that there are also persons studying mining engineering.
The Commissioner said that the GGMC is currently in budget mode and is busy trying to figure how to treat with all of those issues going forward. ”We cannot put our entire budget to petroleum when we still have a paucity of resources (human and otherwise) needed for other sectors, it has to be balanced.” Sierra Leone cancels US$300M airport deal with China …officials say project not feasible Guyana is bent on completing the controversial expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport utilising Chinese financing, but other countries have rejected Chinese funds. According to reports published by CNN yesterday, Sierra Leone has nixed plans to build a controversial, $318 million airport outside the capital of Freetown with a Chinese company and funded by Chinese loans. The mega project, which was due to be completed in 2022, had been commissioned by the previous president, Ernest Bai Koroma, last March. Its cancellation comes amid cooling enthusiasm in both Pakistan and Malaysia for Chinese loans backing large-scale infrastructure projects in recent months. But Sierra Leone’s decision is one of a kind, since this is the first time an African government has cancelled an already announced, major China-backed deal. ”After serious consideration and diligence, it is the Government’s view that (it) is uneconomical to proceed with the construction of the new airport when the existing one is grossly under utilised,” said a letter from the country’s Minister of Transport and Aviation to the project’s director, published in local media. Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, Sierra Leone’s Aviation Minister, Kabineh Kallon, said the current airport would be renovated instead. Sierra Leone is one of Africa’s poorest nations, and is rated by the International Monetary Fund as being at moderate risk of debt distress. Under former president Koroma, who was in office from September 2007 until April this year, the country took on $224 million of Chinese debt – $161 million of which was racked up in 2016 alone, according to the Johns Hopkins SAIS China-Africa Research Initiative. “China has become a major investor in our continent. As we look to expand Chinese investment in Africa, we need to encourage more local partnerships between Chinese and African entrepreneurs,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said at the opening of FOCAC in September. Despite global fears about China’s debt trap diplomacy, the
GTU officials and Minister Nicolette Henry after the meeting. A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government has continued the CJIA project, which has estimated to have racked up US$180M thus far. Further, the Coalition in July signed on to the China’s troubling Belt & Road Initiative. So far, Government has refused to release the agreement to the public. See CNN report: https:// edition.cnn.com/2018/10/11/ africa/china-africa-sierra-leoneairport-intl/index.html SATURDAY Teachers’ salary issue resolved -to receive retroactive pay in two tranches Not only has strike action been called off but there is no longer any need for arbitration to decide on a suitable salary package for public school teachers. This is in light of the fact that following a seven-hour long meeting between representatives of the Guyana Teachers Union [GTU] and the Ministry of Education an agreement was derived. According to a joint statement, “having considered the new information provided which included salary benefits for all scales of teachers ranging from TS1 – TS19 and Special and nonsalary benefits, the two parties concluded discussions and have committed to the implementation of the agreement,” said Lyte. The two sides have agreed for teachers to be paid a 12 percent increase for 2016 and a further eight percent for 2018. The government has also offered teachers a $350 million debunching payout for the period 2016 – 2018. Although the union had started the negotiation by proposing a 40 percent salary increase for 2016 and an additional five percent for each of the following four years [2017 – 2020], the final outcome saw the Ministry being able to significantly beat down the union’s proposal. Added to this, the Ministry was able to reduce the number of
years being negotiated for [from five to three years]. But teachers are not likely to be perturbed by this development. ”We are walking away a lot happier than initially,” said GTU President, Mr. Mark Lyte, as he added, “we have brokered an agreement with the Ministry of Education that will bring a lot of satisfaction to our members and I think that was the ultimate objective of this whole process to ensure that every teacher benefits significantly; that has been achieved through our discussions and deliberations.” Lye disclosed that the union was able to accept a suitable package based on the outcome of consultations that were had earlier this week. But according to Lyte, although the union went into the meeting with a clear idea of what percentage its membership would be willing to accept, deciding on the non-salary aspect resulted in the meeting being lengthy. Audit advertisement suggests thatGuyana will receive deficient work – Ram “As a Guyanese accountant and auditor for more than forty years, it is painful to witness the mediocrity of the advertisement which excludes some of the most fundamental issues that an audit of this nature should address.” This is what Chartered Accountant and Attorney at Law; Christopher Ram had to say after viewing government’s advertisement for firms to audit the pre-contact cost that ExxonMobil is claiming.Ram noted that the advertisement sets out a scope that is obviously deficient to him. Ram said, “It is elementary that if the Terms of Reference or the scope of the Engagement is deficient, then the work will be deficient and the objectives not met. With these Terms of Reference as poor as they are, Guyanese must sadly and inevitably brace themselves for the oversight and regulation of the sector to be as bad, if not worse, than Trotman’s negotiation of
the Petroleum Agreement.” The Attorney said that the “most polite words to describe this advertisement and proposed engagement are uninformed, amateurish and short of knowledge and understanding of what an audit of a contractual arrangement is and how it is carried out.” Ram noted that there is a requirement for the successful person or firm to provide on-the-job training to the staff of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) on cost recovery auditing, “with a particular focus on value for money.” The advertisement sets out the scope of the consultancy to include: Determining: If the Contract Costs have been properly assigned to the correct cost category, in the correct amount and with adequate transparency level; If Contract costs are eligible for cost recovery (including determining the fiscal year of incurred expenses and consequences for potential future uplift); and If, in the opinion of the Consultant, costs submitted by the Contractor have been incorrectly categorised and/or should be disqualified from Cost Recovery. The ad states that the firm or person will have to assist the relevant authorities in communicating the findings of the audit to the Contractor and, if requested, represent or accompany the relevant authorities in meetings with the Contractor. According to Ram, the writer of the advertisement does not appear to have any familiarity with the constitutional nature of the Office of the Auditor General; the statutory powers, functions and duties of the Revenue Authority; and the relevant provisions of the Petroleum Agreements issued under the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act, and in particular Article 9 – Records, Reports and Information, Article 11 – Cost Recovery, Article 13 – Valuation of Crude Oil or Natural Gas, Article 14 – Disposal of Production, Article 15 Taxation and Royalty and Annex C – Accounting Procedure.
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Region Four recognises teachers for World Teachers Day After a specially arranged interfaith service and brunch, over 300 teachers were treated as part of the Department of Education Region Four, World Teachers Day observance. The function which was held at the Multipurpose Hall at Bladen Hall Multilateral school catered for teachers from as far as Mahaica to Soesdyke Highway. Among those that graced the event were Regional Executive Officer (REO) Ms Pauline Lucas; Ms Jillian Frank representing the Ministry of the Presidency; Chairperson of the Regional Education Committee (REC), Mr Ryan Belgrave; Representative of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), Mr Collis Nicholson; Acting Regional Education Officer (REDO), Ms. Tiffany FavouriteHarvey, and scores of head teachers and teachers. The event was held to commend and thank the teachers for what the REDO dubbed as ‘their invaluable support and assistance in moulding the nation’s children.” She declared that the teachers within her region continues to give selflessly, thus she urged them to remain committed, disciplined and steadfast to their profession warning them that they would be rewarded in due course. “Today’s occasion is specially organised to thank God for you our teachers and to show respect and to pay reverend and gratitude to you for your selfless efforts while enriching the education system in the process,” she said. The REDO reminded the teachers that whenever they enter into the classroom they are scientists, doctors, lawyers, parents, explorers, counsellors and so much more, noting that her department is fully aware of the teachers’ efforts and the many sacrifices that they make. She said that irrespective of how or what the views that some may have she loves her
teachers as they are extremely important, thus the reason for such an auspicious occasion. She stressed that she and the entire Department of Education Region Four are extremely grateful because whenever they teach the students they treat them as their own. “You have inspired our children to pursue further and to prepare them to withstand obstacles that may confront their lives. However, it is expected that our teachers would continue to strive for perfection as to your students you are their hero,” REDO Harvey stressed. The REDO appeal to teachers to ignite the hidden fires that are within their students, noting that they can play a meaningful role in helping them towards their dreams. “I am very happy to God because as the REDO acting I know that I have the best teachers within Guyana and in this Region,” she boasted. Nicholson, the GTU representative, told those gathered that to ensure that all children are prepared to learn and take their place in society, teachers must receive effective training and support that equip them to respond to the needs of all students, including the most marginalised. He stressed that teachers’shortages are hampering efforts to achieve equitable, inclusive quality education for all. This, he noted is particularly in countries beset by widespread poverty and protracted crises, and in regions where the youth population is growing rapidly. “To meet the demand for new teacher, education authorities often employ individuals with little or no training or by lowering qualification requirements. Some teachers are asked to teach subjects for which they have no pedagogical training,” Nicholson argued. The GTU senior official disclosed that it is his union’s
Sir Wilburg Williams and Ms Eleanor Hopkinson sticking the 2018 World Teachers Day cake for DoE Region Four.
The four honoured teachers - Towanna Connely, Wilburg Williams, Colleen Henry and Eleanor Hopkinson – flank REDO Ms. Tiffany Favourite-Harvey. view that the most marginalised and excluded children tend to be taught by the least experienced teachers, who may be on temporary contracts and receive no pre-service or in-service training. “Despite widespread recognition that teachers are key to achieving quality education for all, teaching is still not widely regarded as a valued profession. Its low prestige impedes efforts to recruit and retain teachers in rich and poor areas alike.” The Senior Region Four GTU official declared that teachers must receive quality initial teacher education, effective induction into the profession, and have opportunities for high-quality professional development to hone their skills through-
out their careers. “They must demonstrate to the public that teaching is a valued profession by providing decent salaries and improving working conditions for educators at all levels of education,” Nicholson said. Meanwhile, REO Lucas said that she salutes all teachers in Region Four and throughout Guyana noting that they are a very special set of people because of their unbelievable love. She confessed that she can never become a teacher as it certainly requires a lot of patience, tolerance, faith and the ability to go beyond as it relates to helping the children. She declared that if she had the power and will s h e w o uld certainly pay teachers whatever they want
as a symbol that she respects their service to the country. The REO reaffirmed her commitment to lending whatever support that she and her office can provide declaring that teachers are critically important to the holistic development of any country and as such, she remains steadfast supporter. Several teachers were recognised and honoured with the REDO declaring that at the annual Awards ceremony, slated for December 5, 2018, will see a long list of awards being issued to teachers for various categories of services. However, she honoured the youngest and oldest teachers in both the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara. Copping the award for the
Youngest Teacher on East Bank was St Cuthbert’s nursery school teacher, Miss Colleen Henry, while the youngest for the East Coast was Beterverwagting Secondary, Miss Towanna Connely. The oldest teacher award for the East Bank was Covent Garden Secondary, Miss Eleanor Hopkinson, while Bladen Hall Multilateral, Sir Wilburg Williams, who is expected to retire at the end of this month coped that award for the East Coast. The teachers were serenaded to performances of some of their colleagues: Miss Pearl Freeman, Mark Luke-Edwards and Ossie Nedd. Nedd’s superb performance resulted in several teachers expressing their open appreciation for the selected oldies renditions that he performed.
Dancers from President’s College performs for the teachers.
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South Rupununi Safari makes inaugural trip into Brazil The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is collaborating with Rainforest Tours to host the first ever South Rupununi Safari: Brazil Edition. The safari was launched Friday at the Ministry’s Takuba Lodge, boardroom. Director of the Department of the Americas at the M i n i s t r y, A m b a s s a d o r Charlene Phoenix, said the partnership is in celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Guyana and Brazil. “There’s quite a lot to celebrate and so what we want to do with this occasion is to ensure that the public is aware of what is happening. This is the kind of activity that brings your public onboard because it’s linking our peoples,” Ambassador Phoenix said. Guyana and Brazil celebrated their jubilee anniversary in August, but several activities are scheduled to mark the observance for the remainder of the year. Diplomatic relations between the two countries was forged on August 26, 1968. The two countries have since signed a number of agreements in the areas of culture, education, health and agriculture. More recently, Brazil has been assisting Guyana with the drilling of artisanal water wells in South Rupununi, Region Nine. Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Brazil, Minister Paulo Borda Silos,
noted the two countries shared “50 wonderful years”. Silos added, “I think that this initiative is one of the finest that we have developed because it gives people access, in an indirect way, to diplomacy and they see that diplomacy has practical and fun aspects.” Managing Director of Rainforest Tours, Frank Singh, noted it is the first time the Safari will cross the border since it began 16 years ago. “This is considered the biggest safari of the year,” Singh added. “The important objective of this safari is to promote domestic/international tourism giving Guyanese and foreigners an opportunity to experience the culture, learn about the heritage and history while indulging the unique cuisine offered by destinations visited.” Some 10 countries are participating in the safari which will have a 30-vehicle convoy. The South Rupununi Safari: Brazil Edition will be held from November 2025. The safari will spend a day touring the capital of the state of Roraima, Boa Vista in Brazil before continuing onto the South Rupununi. Director General of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA), Donald Sinclair said the safari is important to strengthening tourism links between the two countries. Persons interested in participating in the safari can contact Rainforest Tours or the GTA. [DPI]
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Regions One, Four, Nine CHWs undergoing Midwifery training ” ministry working to acquire equipment to deal with postpartum haemorrhage Twenty-five Community Health Workers (CHWs) from Regions One, Four and Nine have begun training in Midwifery. This is the third phase of an $8M InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) funded project for the improvement of the quality of reproductive healthcare delivery in Guyana. The first phase saw 20 persons from Region Nine being trained as CHWs and the second phase equipped those new CHWs with the requisite tool kits to improve antenatal care. Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that her ministry began working with Regions One, Four and Nine since it was discovered that they have the highest number of maternal deaths. She added that several specialists have already been sent to Region One, while efforts have begun to bolster the human resources in Region Four. However, more emphasis has been placed on Region Nine since the region is furthest from tertiary health care institutions and the villages are sporadic. It was, therefore, decided to pilot the IDB project in
the region. “We jump started the third phase to have more midwives in the region. So, we have 25 CHWs from various communities in Regions One, Four and Nine, but more from Region Nine so that we can reach our target of zero maternal deaths,” Minister Lawrence said. Through close collaboration with the region, the Ministry of Public health already has CHWs stationed in each community, with four riverain villages outstanding. Those communities will soon have a CHW, Minister Lawrence assured. In the interim, the ministry is in the process of acquiring equipment to deal with postpartum haemorrhage (excessive bleeding following the birth of the baby) which is the leading cause of maternal deaths, and other medications for all health facilities across Guyana. “Should an issue arise the midwives will utilise the equipment along with the tool kits to save lives. We have confidence in the regions, they are with us and showed interest in addressing the issue of maternal and child death,” the Public Health Minister explained.
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How to Get Rid of Belly Fat in a Week You’re fed up with your belly fat, and you want it gone — now. Your abdomen didn’t expand in one week, so you can’t expect it to slim down in that short time either. Use a week to introduce measures to help you lose belly fat over time and reduce bloating. You might feel a little lighter after seven days, but true loss of fat will take several weeks or months.Belly fat is a metabolically active type of fat that sits deep inside the abdominal cavity. It surrounds internal organs and releases compounds that make you vulnerable to metabolic disturbances, heart disease and inflammation. Belly fat may be dangerous, but it’s also responsive to traditional weight-loss strategies of diet and exercise. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories; thus, to lose a pound, you must consume 3,500 calories fewer than you burn. In a week, you can’t afford much more than a 3,500- or 7,000calorie deficit without se-
verely depriving yourself of nutrients and solid food. This deficit means you’ll lose 1 or 2 pounds per week.Some people can lose more than two pounds in a week with a dedicated fitness program and serious dietary restrictions. The time and effort required to lose weight that quickly is grueling and usually unsustainable, though. Even if you can lose a notable amount of weight in a week, a lot of it will be water weight — not true belly fat. Weight you lose quickly is likely to be regained quickly too. Belly fat is usually the first weight lost when you start an exercise program, explains Rush University Medical Center. If you are new to exercise or coming back from a long hiatus, you can’t expect to hit the gym for hours at a time to burn off fat that first week. This only increases your risk of injury and burn out. Instead, build up to at least 150 minutes per week of moder-
ate-intensity cardio, such as swimming, jogging or hiking. A duration of 250 minutes per week will lead to more signifi-
you can participate in a fullbody strength-training program that addresses all the major muscle groups. Do this
cant weight loss, explains the American College of Sports Medicine. This means 250 minutes a week for several weeks or months, though; you’re unlikely to see dramatic results after one week.Strength training is another critical component in belly fat loss. You can’t crunch your tummy away, but
at least twice a week to build muscle, which helps boost your metabolism. The results of strength-training are gradual, however. One week of strength training won’t induce the changes in your body necessary to improve your metabolism, but over the long haul you’ll see improvements.
Belly fat also responds to a lower-calorie diet that’s full of healthy, unprocessed foods. Go for lean protein, fresh produce and whole grains at meals. When you have just a week to lose as much as possible, ban all sweetened drinks — including soda and juice — bakery treats and ice cream. Also avoid refined grains, such as pizza and white bread, as well as alcohol. Keep your portion sizes to just 2 to 4 ounces for meats and other proteins and about 1/2 cup for grains. Over the long term, these dietary revisions help you drop belly fat. Resist the urge to use a diet that promises quick results. Often they don’t work, or they’re so restrictive you can’t handle them for more than a couple of days — let alone a week. If you do stick to the plan, you may very well see a drop in pounds — but it’s not from a substantial amount of fat; it’s mostly from water. A quick-fix diet teaches you nothing about sensible
eating that will help you manage your belly fat and health forever. You’ll likely gain all the weight back as soon as you resume your normal eating habits. Although you can’t lose substantial fat in a week, you can jump start the weight-loss process. Also make a few dietary and lifestyle changes to reduce bloating so your tummy feels flatter. Avoid over stuffing yourself at meals; eat small meals throughout the day. Chewing gum and drinking with a straw can cause excess air to gather in the digestive tract. Carbonated beverages, spicy foods, large servings of beans or cruciferous vegetables, dried fruits and fruit juice often induce gas and bloating. If you’re lactose intolerant, avoid dairy products to help reduce belly swelling; make sure you obtain important nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, from milk alternatives or other fortified foods. http://www.livestrong.com.
10 Foods That Detox The Body Chocolate: 10 health reasons When it comes to detoxing your body, there are many techniques you can follow and supplements you can take. One plan in particular is to eat detoxifying foods. Here is a list of detox foods that are a great addition to everybody’s diet. 1. Fruits Fruits are high in liquidcontent which helps the body wash out toxins. They are also very easy to digest and are high in antioxidants, nutrients, fiber, and important vitamins. 2. Green Foods Fill your refrigerator with blue green algae, barley, wheatgrass, kale, spinach, spirulina, alfalfa, chard, arugula, or other organic leafy greens. These plants will help give a chlorophyll-boost to your digestive tract. Chlorophyll rids the body of harmful environmental toxins from toxic metals, herbicides, cleaning products andpesticides. They also aid the liver in detoxification. 3. Lemons, Oranges, and Limes Citrus fruit aids the body by flushing out toxins and jump-starting the digestive tract with enzymatic processes. Lemon juice supports the liver in its cleansing processes. To increase detoxification, start each morning with a warm glass of lemon water. Remember, vitamin C is one of the best detox vitamins around, as it transforms toxins into digestible material. Eat vitamin c foods often to
help get more of these benefits. 4. Garlic This pungent little bulb is one of the best detoxing foods out there. It helps stimulate the liver into producing detoxification enzymes that help filter toxic residues from the digestive system. I recommend adding sliced or cooked garlic to a suitable dish, as this will help any detox diet. 5. Broccoli Sprouts Extremely high in antioxidants, the ability for broccoli sprouts to stimulate the detoxification enzymes in the digestive tract is unparalleled. The sprouts are actually more effective than the fully-grown vegetable. 6. Green Tea Packed full of antioxidants, green teawashes toxins from the system via its liquid content, but also contains a special type of antioxidant called catechins, which are known to increase liver function. 7. Mung Beans The mighty mung bean has been used by Ayurvedic doctors for thousands of years. It is incredibly easy to digest, and absorbs toxic residue from the intestinal walls. 8. Raw Vegetables Best juiced or eaten raw: Onions, carrots, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, kale, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, garlic, beet, turmeric, and oregano. The combination of these foods will help your liver purge toxins during the cleansing process. These are high in naturally
occurring sulphur and glutathione. Sulphur helps the liver detoxify harmful chemicals. 9. Seeds and Nuts Incorporate more of the easily digestible seeds andnuts into your diet. Flax seed, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, Siberian cedar nuts, and sunflower seeds are all excellent options. While detoxing, avoid nut butters. 10. Omega-3 Oils Use hemp, avocado, olive, or flax seed oil while detoxing. This will help lubricate the intestinal walls, allowing the toxins to be absorbed by the oil, and eliminated by the body. Performing a periodic body cleanse may also be beneficial. I also recommend following my Body Cleanse Diet. Do you have any suggestions for foods that detox the body? If so, please drop them in the comment section below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Global Healing Center does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Global Healing Center are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician. http:// www.globalhealingcenter.com.
you should eat more of it Chocolate is the ultimate comfort food, a sure-fire stand-by in times of stress, a reliable source of consolation when life has let us down, and a mood-enhancer and romance-inducer in more positive circumstances. But is it at all healthy? If you scoff lots of it, obviously not. But there are a host of medically proven ways in which chocolate — good chocolate, which is to say dark chocolate, with a cocoa percentage of around seventy per cent or more — really is good for us. Research is continuing all the time, and experts have already found that chocolate is good for the heart, circulation and brain, and it has been suggested that it may be beneficial in such major heath challenges as autism, obesity and diabetes. And in fact, the very latest research suggests that eating chocolate could help keep your brain function whirring into old age. Here are ten scientifically established health benefits of good chocolate. 1. It’s good for the heart and circulation A recent study found that dark chocolate helps restore flexibility to arteries while also preventing white blood cells from sticking to the walls of blood vessels - both common causes of artery clogging. How to tell good choco-
late from 2. It reduces risk of stroke Researchers in Finland have found that chocolate consumption lowers the risk of suffering a stroke - by a staggering 17 per cent average in the group of men they tested. 3. It’s mineral rich Dark chocolate is packed with beneficial minerals such as potassium, zinc and selenium, and a 100g bar of dark (70 per cent or more) choc provides 67 per cent of the RDA of iron. 4. It reduces cholesterol Consumption of cocoa has been shown to reduce levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and raise levels of “good” cholesterol, potentially lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. 5. It’s good for your skin The flavonols in dark chocolate can protect the skin against sun damage (though you’d probably better still slap on some sun cream). 6. It can help you lose weightChocolate can help you lose weight. Really. Neuroscientist Will Clower says a small square of good choc melted on the tongue 20 minutes before a meal triggers the hormones in the brain that say “I’m full”, cutting the amount of food you subsequently consume. Finishing a meal with the same small trigger could reduce subsequent
smiled more often than the offspring of non-chocolateeating parents. 8. It may prevent diabetes It sounds mad, but cocoa has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. So dark chocolate - in moderation might delay or prevent the onset of diabetes. 9. Chocolate is good for the brain Flavanols are thought to reduce memory loss in older people, and the antiinflamatory qualities of dark chocolate have been found beneficial in treating brain injuries such as concussion. 10. Chocolate makes you feel better Chocolate contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which is the same chemical that your brain creates when you feel like you’re falling in love. PEA encourages your brain to release feel-good endorphins. As a chocolate lover I would also add that certain kinds of chocolate can be good for the soul: this is chocolate for which the raw materials have been grown with care by farmers who are properly rewarded for their work; then processed by people who take time and care in their work, and finished by chocolatiers who love what they do. It will not be massproduced, and it may not be cheap. But it will be good for you, heart and soul. http:// www.telegraph.co.uk.
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Kaieteur News
Ansa McAL on board with GTT’s Pinktober Event After several rounds of negotiation, ANSA McAL Trading Limited and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) have sealed a partnership for GTT’s highly anticipated Pinktober event. The occasion is one which will see a month-long awareness campaign with the main goal of raising funds for the fight against Breast Cancer.Delivering brief remarks at a simple ceremony that was held today was Errol Nelson, Head of ANSA McAL’s Non-Alcoholic Portfolio. Nelson expressed that his company is proud to be the official beverage sponsor for an event which has become synonymous with good corporate responsibility. Nelson shared, “GTT’s fantastic Pinktober as we all know, is geared towards raising funds for the fight against breast cancer and cancer on a whole…I would like to officially extend appreciation to GTT for having ANSA McAL as the official beverage sponsor of the GTT Pinktober 5K, 10K and 21 Walk/Run/Cycle
Event…Additionally, ANSA McAL has been known over the years for distributing brands that are of the highest quality and iCool water is one of these brands. In fact, iCool water will be responsible for rehydrating all the participants at the event and along the route.” The ANSA McAl official said that special mention should be made of Mr. Jason Lewis, Ms. Devi Sookhdeo and Ms. Samantha Gooden of GTT; and Mr. Kelvin Singh, Nigel Worrell, Fharis Mohamed and Ms. Gabriel Lopes of ANSA McAL. Nelson stressed that these individuals over the past week and a half, worked from the wee hours in the morning to the very late hours at nights, holding discussions via various mediums to broker this partnership. The official said, “It should be noted that for this deal to get done, we all walked a tightrope like some of the performers in the Squares brothers’ circus and even to the very end of the limb. But in the end, we all came out
(From Left: ) ANSA McAL Beverage Divisional Head, Kelvin Singh, GTT Director for Marketing, Devi Sukdeo, GTT PR & Corporate Communications Manager, Jasmin Harris, ANSA McAL Non-Alcoholic Portfolio Business Unit Head, Errol Nelson and ANSA McAL Non-Alcoholic Portfolio Marketing Assistant, Gabriell Lopes winners because we had one common goal and that was to fight against cancer, a disease that is plaguing our society.” Public Relations and Corporate Communications Manager for GTT, Jasmin Harris noted that her company is delighted to partner with ANSA McAL for Pinktober 2018 to help raise cancer awareness is Guyana. She said, “Together we can make a difference and continue to champion this cause
to ensure all Guyanese are healthy and that our women have regular pap smears and mammograms and our men have their PSAs.” Kelvin Singh, Beverage Divisional Head for Ansa McAL Trading Limited was also keen to express thanks
for the opportunity provided by GTT. He said, “We are very proud to partner with GTT and the other companies to raise funds that will be used to aid persons with breast cancer and fund research. To the persons that are fighting breast cancer…please con-
tinue the fight, and their family and friends…please continue to support. This will serve as an inspiration to persons now being diagnosed.” The Divisional Head assured that this partnership will continue to grow stronger in the coming years.
Ansa McAL is official beverage sponsor for Guyana Soft Ball Cup 8
Channing Tatum and Jessie J Are Dating: Go Inside Their Private Romance We have ourselves a new H o l l y w o o d couple!According to a source, Channing Tatum and Jessie J are dating.“They’ve been hanging out a lot lately and he’s excited about seeing her. She’s on the road, but he is very interested in getting to know her and doesn’t mind tagging along,” a source shared with us. “He’s making a lot of effort and wants to spend as much time with her as he can. He’s having fun with it and seeing where it goes. He’s known her for awhile and always thought she was very talented.” While the pair has yet to be photographed together, E! News has learned the Hollywood stars were spotted at Henry’s Tavern in Seattle over the weekend. “They didn’t kiss or have much PDA in person, but it definitely looked like they were a couple,” an eyewitness shared about their visit. “They were both smiling at one another. Overall, they were both trying to keep to themselves and were very polite to the wait staff.” While it’s unclear who introduced who to who, fans couldn’t help but remember when the pair shared the same stage together at the MTV Movie Awards in 2015. The former Voice UK judge and Mark Wahlberg presented Channing with the award for Best Comedic Per-
formance thanks to his role in Logan Lucky. Perhaps the new relationship shouldn’t come as a complete surprise to pop culture fans.Just last month, a source shared with E! News that Channing and his ex Jenna Dewan are both “casually dating.”Our insider revealed that Channing is “just interested in meeting people and dating.” He’s also focusing a lot of his attention on the Las Vegas Magic Mike show. As for Jenna, she is “feeling ready to move on and to get back out there.” The pair was married for nearly nine years before announcing their separation in April.“We have lovingly chosen to separate as a couple. We fell deeply in love so many
years ago and have had a magical journey together,” the couple shared in their statement. “Absolutely nothing has changed about how much we love one another, but love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us on different paths for now.”Currently, Jessie J is traveling across the country as part of The R.O.S.E Tour with special guest Ro James. As for Channing—who reportedly attended one of Jessie J’s concerts in recent months—he recently celebrated the release of Smallfoot. He is expected to lend his voice to The Lego Movie 2 next. (https:// www.eonline.com/news/ 975889/channing-tatum-andjessie-j-are-dating-go-insidetheir-private-romance)
(From left): Vice President ( Jailall Deodass ), Executive Member ( Ricky Deonarine ), Ansa McAL’s Marketing Assistant ( Gabriell Lopes ), Marketing Assistant ( Olivia Chin ) & Beverage Divisional Head ( Kelvin Singh ). Ansa McAL Trading Limited, one of the largest distribution companies in Guyana, is the official beverage sponsor for the Guyana Soft Ball Cup 8. This was revealed on Friday by ANSA McAL’s NonAlcoholic Portfolio Business Unit Head, Errol Nelson. At a simple ceremony at the company’s head office, Nelson thanked the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association for having ANSA McAL’s Stag Beer, Lucozade and iCool juice
drink on board as the official beverage sponsor of the Guyana Softball Cricket Cup Eight (8). Nelson said, “Just to let you know, this is the seventh year that ANSA McAL has been involved in this competition. When we were first approached with respect to sponsoring the competition we signed onto it in fulfillment of our mandate in supporting the development of sports in Guyana and by extension, softball cricket.” The Ansa McAL official
urged all the fans and supporters of softball cricket to come out and support the games and of course, the ANSA McAL beverage bars. He added, “Once again, we at ANSA McAL would like to take the opportunity to thank the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association for approaching us on this initiative in partnering to host this competition and we look forward to our continued partnership in supporting and promoting the development of softball.”
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1.Why is it unwise to share your secrets with a clock? Time will tell. 2.Today I learned that the writer Stephen King has a son named Joe. I'm not joking, but he is. 3.If you upload 1,000 pictures on Instagram… Is it like uploading one picture in Instakilogram? 4.My earliest childhood memory is visiting the eye doctor and getting my glasses. Life before that was a blur. 5.I just got over my addiction to chocolate, marshmallows and nuts. I won't lie, it was a Rocky Road. 6.There's a new reality show where flat-earthers are trying to find the edge of the world. They'll be so disappointed when the finale is not a cliffhanger. 7.My wife is furious at me for throwing a snowball at my son. On top of that, I'm also banned from the maternity ward. 8.I said to the judge, “60% of my parking tickets are bogus!” He said, “Repeat infractions?” I said, “Okay, 3/5 of my parking tickets are bogus!” 9 In the middle of the battle, I decided to use a knife to preserve my ammo. All the other paintball players started freaking out though. 10.How are dog catchers paid? By the pound. 11. What do you call Nikki Minaj's butt crack? Silicon Valley. 12.Why did Karl Marx write in lowercase? He hated capitalism. 13.My Dad used to get shot from a cannon at the circus. When he retired they had to close the show. They couldn't find another man of his caliber. 14.I bought a blindfold yesterday… I'm not sure why, I can't see myself wearing it. 15.My mailman got a sex change. I guess you'd call him a post-man now. 16.What did one tectonic plate say when he bumped into another tectonic plate? Sorry, my fault. 17.I've started using garlic in my magic act. First I start by crushing it, adding basil and some pine nuts and then I blend them altogether with some Parmesan and olive oil. Then… hey… pesto! 18.Doctor, I keep thinking I'm a supermarket. How long have you felt like this? Ever since I was Lidl. 19.What do you call Iron Man without his suit? Stark naked. 20.Why did Thor lose his lightning powers? Because his father grounded him. 21.A murderer is about to be executed by electric chair and the priests asks if he has any last request. The man asks for the priest to hold his hand. Needless to say, the priest was shocked. 22. Did you hear about the man with the same first and last name? It was a Nguyen, Nguyen situation. 23.My author friend claims that he “accidentally” glued himself to his autobiography, but I don't believe him. Still, that's his story and he's sticking to it. 24. Driving a golf buggy isn't as easy as it looks… But I've finally got it down to a tee. 25.I prefer cold weather… But only to a certain degree. 26. Where do you learn to make ice cream? Sunday school. 27. What do you call a melancholy robot? A sigh-borg. 28.Why are good thieves so relaxed? Because they take things easy.
Kaieteur News
Sunday October 14, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 14, 2018
Sunday October 14, 2018
Kaieteur News
PAGE 65
Ansa McAL on board with GTT’s Pinktober Event After several rounds of negotiation, ANSA McAL Trading Limited and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) have sealed a partnership for GTT’s highly anticipated Pinktober event. The occasion is one which will see a month-long awareness campaign with the main goal of raising funds for the fight against Breast Cancer. Delivering brief remarks at a simple ceremony that was held Friday was Errol Nelson, Head of ANSA McAL’s NonAlcoholic Portfolio. Nelson expressed that his company is proud to be the official beverage sponsor for an event which has become synonymous with good corporate responsibility. Nelson shared, “GTT’s fantastic Pinktober as we all know, is geared towards raising funds for the fight against breast cancer and cancer on a whole…I would like to officially extend appreciation to GTT for having ANSA McAL as the official beverage sponsor of the GTT Pinktober 5K, 10K and 21 Walk/Run/Cycle Event…Additionally, ANSA McAL has been known over the years for distributing brands that are of the highest
quality and iCool water is one of these brands. In fact, iCool water will be responsible for rehydrating all the participants at the event and along the route.” The ANSA McAl official said that special mention should be made of Mr. Jason Lewis, Ms. Devi Sookhdeo and Ms. Samantha Gooden of GTT; and Mr. Kelvin Singh, Nigel Worrell, Fharis Mohamed and Ms. Gabriel Lopes of ANSA McAL. Nelson stressed that these individuals over the past week and a half, worked from the wee hours in the morning to the very late hours at nights, holding discussions via various mediums to broker this partnership. The official said, “It should be noted that for this deal to get done, we all walked a tight-rope like some of the performers in the Squarez brothers’ circus and even to the very end of the limb. But in the end, we all came out winners because we had one common goal and that was to fight against cancer, a disease that is plaguing our society.” Public Relations and Corporate Communications Manager for GTT, Jasmin Harris, noted that her company is delighted to partner with ANSA McAL for
From Left: ANSA McAL Beverage Divisional Head, Kelvin Singh, GTT Director for Marketing, Devi Sukdeo, GTT PR & Corporate Communications Manager, Jasmin Harris, ANSA McAL Non-Alcoholic Portfolio Business Unit Head, Errol Nelson and ANSA McAL Non-Alcoholic Portfolio Marketing Assistant, Gabriell Lopes. Pinktober 2018 to help raise cancer awareness in Guyana. She said, “Together we can make a difference and continue to champion this cause to ensure all Guyanese are healthy and that our women have regular pap smears and mammograms and our men have their PSAs.” Kelvin Singh, Beverage Divisional Head for Ansa (Continued on page 70)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday October 14, 2018
Balwant Singh Hospital moves for contempt... From page 12 saving drugs to the hospital arbitrary and unlawful. This was after an application was filed to quash Cole’s refusal to issue an import licence for 18 lifesaving drugs. The application was also to compel the regulator to reconsider those licence applications and for him to provide a list of all new drugs currently being sold in Guyana along with the names of those persons authorised to sell those drugs. Cole, according to court documents filed by the hospital last August, refused to register the drugs. The director, the court documents said, indicated he would not register any drugs manufactured in India. He had also initially failed to provide the hospital with the requested list of drugs. Kissoon had argued that Cole’s failure to approve the licences or provide the applicant (the hospital) with the list, created an untenable situation. This is because as a major public health provider, it is unable to import drugs necessary for the treatment of its patients. Worse yet, by its refusal of a list that may be available for sale by licensed importers, the Food and Drug Analyst endangered the well-being of its patients and the applicant’s business operation. Cole had argued that the Food and Drug Administration entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), which implemented a new Caribbean Regulatory System in Guyana, and since those drugs for which applications were submitted were not registered with CARPHA, licences could not be issued. Cole also argued that he was concerned about consumer safety and stated that he had provided the hospital with the requested list of drugs. However, in response, Kissoon argued that Cole was deliberately misleading the Court, stating that the “list supplied by Mr. Cole is woefully incomplete, in not containing the name of the local suppliers, registration numbers, date of registration, and manufacturer of the registered drugs.” Kissoon demonstrated to the court not only that the drugs sought, to be registered manufactured by two of India’s largest and well established pharmaceutical companies (Bharat Serums and VHB Medisciences Limited, and Merck Serono, a multinational company established in 1668 and headquartered in Germany focused on bio pharmaceuticals), but all of the applications contained evidence of safety to human beings and evidence that certification was issued only after documentation was produced about bio availability, bio equivalence and stability. Kissoon argued that, “the Applicant is simply applying for registration of drugs that have already been developed and approved in other various countries. Clinical trials of these drugs have already been completed and approved in the development stage, which may take up to 12 to 15 years for development. The contempt matter is currently scheduled to be heard again on October 29, 2018 where the hospital said it will ask for Cole to be committed. Pharmaceuticals and its importation and supply to hospitals, health centres and pharmacies are big business involving billions of dollars annually for Guyana. There has been a battle for control with the previous government, under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic accused of manipulating supplies to a few companies that were closed to them.
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Kaieteur News
Region 9 health workers receive antenatal tool kits Community Health Workers (CHW) from various communities in Region Nine, received tool kits for improved antenatal care as the Ministry of Public Health continues its fight against maternal and child death.
The kits worth more than $2M were made possible through an $8M InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) loan to the Government of Guyana, in February 2017. The loan caters for the improvement of the quality of
reproductive healthcare delivery in Guyana. At a handing over ceremony Friday at the Lethem Regional Hospital, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence said that there has been enough maternal mortality, hence the
STANDARDS IN FOCUS WORLD STANDARDS DAY 2018
A message from the Guyana National Bureau of Standards Today October 14, 2018, we celebrate World Standards Day, and as the national standards agency, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is part and parcel of this annual celebration. The theme for this year is: ‘International Standards and the Fourth Industrial Revolution’; and this theme sends a direct message as it infers the role of standards in emerging technologies globally. With emerging technologies, which encompass the use of robotics and other advance intelligence, resultantly, measures must be implemented to maintain the required quality and safety of products and services. As our nation engages in the celebrations for Agriculture Month, it is important to recognise that the industrial revolution has begun within the agriculture sector and the supporting manufacturing and services sectors. Advance agriculturalbased nations continue to embark on the use of newer farming techniques to improve the quality, safety and consistency of agricultural products. Some of these farming techniques include the use of smart power systems, precision agriculture tools, management software, which are specific to sustainable farming practices and ecommerce, and sensors, which are also within the reach of the smallest farmers of today. These technologies are necessary for achieving the long-term objectives of efficient farm management and resource efficiency, traceability and supply chain efficiency. As we continue to make evolutionary advances in this global village, standards have also evolved to support the design, manufacture, monitoring and use of these new technologies. It has become quite common in the productive sectors for robots to work alongside humans. In 2013, there were 1.2 million robots
in factories and warehouses. Japan leads the way in use of industrial robots with over 306,000 robots in use, compared to 237,000 in North America, 182,000 in China, and 175,000 in South Korea and Germany each. The use of automation, robotics and advanced manufacturing techniques has resulted in a record increase in production and efficiency when compared to 20 years ago. Likewise in the transportation sector, there are driverless and hybrid cars. The convergence of these developments means that robots are helping to increase overall output and save money, but not helping to add jobs. In looking at data from 2010 to 2016, manufacturing has seen 10 to 20 percent increases in output, but only a two to five percent increase in jobs. This industrial revolution requires that in order for us to become competitive, developing countries like Guyana have to be equipped to compete at the global levels. Innovators rely on international standards, like those produced by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and I n t e r n a t i o n a l Telecommunication Union (ITU) to ensure compatibility and interoperability. This revolution calls for changing in the traditional ways of farming, manufacturing and service delivery to be competitive on the local, regional and international markets. New technologies have an initial cost, which may be perceived as prohibitive, but in the long term, the costs are insignificant. To be competitive, schools, technical institutions and universities need to restructure their curricula so that students get better training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. There is a great need for workers with STEM skills as systems analysts, software developers, and biomedical engineers, among other
professions. In Guyana, we can use our existing STEM programmes to develop the science, technology, engineering and mathematical fields so that we can revolutionize our manufacturing and service sectors to be competitive on the global market. At the same time, we can use standards to ensure that the technologies we embrace can stand scrutiny at the international level. The GNBS is a correspondent member of international standards bodies such as ISO and ITU and affiliate member of IEC, which provides a link to our local businesses, educators, regulators and consumers, which can have access to standards to allow Guyana to actively participate in the industrial revolution. Happy World Standards Day to all Guyana!!!
government is taking the necessary steps to end it. “A woman dying during childbirth is not good for a community or country at large. We must take this giant step to ensure that our women do not die. We want zero maternal deaths in Region Nine, immediately,” Minister Lawrence said. Reducing maternal deaths is no easy task and also requires the necessary expertise. Recognising this, the ministry has already trained several persons from Region Nine to become CHWs and deliver improved maternal and child health services in their region. The CHWs who have returned to serve their communities and work closely with the midwives, hail from Nappi, Kumu, Annai
and Moco Moco villages among others. This training will bridge the gap between the coastland and hinterland and ensure that all citizens benefit from quality health care, Minister Lawrence said. “Irrespective of where you are, we want you to enjoy the best health care, this is the next phase where we equip you with the necessary tools to address the situation that you will confront from time to time,” Minister Lawrence underscored. She encouraged the CHWs to soar higher and pursue the imminent midwifery training. She also committed to making the necessary resources available. Regional Executive Officer, Kerwin Ward
expressed gratitude to the government for intervening to improve the health care situation in Region Nine. He stated that the kits will definitely improve health care in the region and enable the CHWs to properly care for pregnant mothers. The REO implored the CHWs to put the kits into good use, they work assiduously to eliminate maternal deaths in Region Nine. On her visit to the region, Minister Lawrence was accompanied by Director of the Maternal and Child health Programme of MoPH, Dr. Ertenesia Hamilton, Member of Parliament, John Adams and Regional Health Officer (AG), Dr. Alex D’Aguiar along with other officials from the MoPH.
Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence (centre) and the CHWs who collected their tool kits on Friday.
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SERVICES
FOR SALE
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
Generac Pressure Wash for sale 3100 PSI. Tel#654-5267/ 652-2244/220-4203
Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Guyana passport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. Installations, Repairs and parts for AC, Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc call Nick 627-3206, 630-1600 Repairs at low cost: fridges, air conditioners, washing machines, freezers,sale of ac’s tel:6294946,225-4822 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158
9-Wheel pneumatic roller. Mack concrete mixer truck - 8 cu. yds. 450 - Honda ATV Bike. 650 - Gals. Spray Kettle. 275-0367, 683-7225 Cat 215 Excavator. Cat 215Excavator spares. Cat 428 Back-Hoe. Double steel wheeled 8-tons roller. Tel# 275-0367, 683-7225 Leatherette in many colors @ R. Sookraj & Sons (Regent St) Special prices for wholesalers. Tel# 226-4173/ 223-6147 1 Mitsubishi canter old model GGG series, hydraulic backdoor, working condition $1.2M Negotiable. Contact #661-3525 /610-6886 One pure breed White German Shepherd pup eight (8) weeks old. Tele No 626-0953/6509998 Cat 320 DL Excavator, MWM 6 cylinder turbo, Stihl Fogging machine, 2 Stihl weeding machine, 1 Oxygen bottle. Call: 613-5062 25 Yamaha HP, stone separator ( Wash plant for gold), Diamond Lavrador. Metal Detector 30x50, Rubberized Tarpaulin. Call: 613-5062
September Cosmetology SALON Courses $40,000 Nail Technology $25,000 Advance Make-up $15,000, All products provided. Abby #614-6749
Toyota IST. 1.1 Million. Excellent condition. Mostly garage parked. Owner leaving country. Price Neg. Serious inquiries only.Tel 667-5698 1-250 KVA Onan Gen set powered by Cummins Engine. Contact numbers 662-2508, 677-9625
TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS) LEARN TO DRIVE N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way. Affordable package. Call: 644-5166/691-2561 TOLET
Sunday October 14, 2018
Kaieteur News
2007 Toyota Hilux Double Cab PKK5129, 2012 Toyota Avenis PPP3653. Call: 691-0241/6006566 to inspect & make an offer
FOR RENT
WANTED
VACANCY
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
1 Air compressor 5HP 3 Phase 230/220 volts. Call: 628-1486/ 698-1134
One experienced male sale attendant with stocktaking knowledge. One porter. Apply with hand written application Keyfood McDoom Village
1 Three bedroom bottom flat apartment. Fully refurbished @ Back St Better Hope. Prime location. Tel# 220-1583. 7:00am-5:00pm 1 Three (3) Bedroom upstairs flat in Atlantic Gardens E.C.D Tel# 227-4377, 227-0613, 6246013,645-7248 1 Downstairs for business at Vreed-en-Hoop W.C.D Tel# 227-4377, 227-0613, 6246013,645-7248 One bedroom self contained, semi furnished apartment, 5 Avenue Diamond EBD. Tel# 628-5226 1 & 2 bedroom apartments. Nandy Park EBD. Recently renovated, free Wifi, 60k monthly #641-3318 1 bedroom furnished apartment US $25 a day, monthly package available #225-1418/ 601-1585 fully secured, Charlestown Salon for rental & Hair/ Stations makeup for rental, New Market Street Tel#6381106/699-6505 2 bedroom apartment for rent 4 Ave Diamond Scheme EBD #695-0251 2 bedroom apartment to rent on ECD. Tel#684-8906 2 & 3 bedrooms apartment for rent, First floor 3 bedrooms & second floor 2 bedrooms 186 Waterloo Street, South Cummingsburg. Call Jenny #698-4440
1 Toyota Raum Car. #264-2242
Modern Air conditioned two bedroom bottom flat, First Phase in South Riumveldt Gardens. Call: 618-8436
Nighthawk Black Pearl Honda Accord 2400cc American Automatic For Sale at $4.5M. Contact 346-818-0822.
Wanted to buy, 200ml bottles (duck curry) Plastic or glass, good price paid. Contact# 6225643/666-2061
Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665
Transported land 11.6 acres. Lot 15 public road. #2 Village W.C.B. Price $18M. Contact 686-4818, 648-7109
Welder/Fabricator for interior location. Applicants must be experienced with verifiable references. Call: 618-2020
Receptionist age 25-45, visit 233 South Road Lacytown. Tel#225-0198
Herstelling (110ftx60ft) $4.8M Farm (East Bank) $2.8M Dairy (100ftx50ft) $2.5M Eccles $5M House $5M Tel#611-7223
Mason/Contractor. Call: 2615401 Cell: 680-2098
PROPERTY FOR SALE
Steel erectors to work in the Mazaruni area. Please make contact with Paul Tel# 2278682/227-3681/225-3682
Commercial Property 40w X 230L East Bank Public RoadNext to Harbour Bridge Transported 233-6997/6221957 600K USD Negotiable
Waitress to work in bar, preferably from WBD. Tel# 679-2612 Mechanics wanted, preferably from the WBD. Tel# 660-1269 Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic- Call: 223-7500 Monday to Saturday 8:15am4:15pm Qualified & Experienced teachers for a well established Primary School. Apply to: davidsukhdeo@gmail.com before 22nd October, 2018
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 & UP, SUV’S PER DAY- CALL:643-5122/ 6 5 6 - 0 0 8 7 , ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL:225-7126/ 2263 6 9 3 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM/ WWW.D OLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807
1 cook. Call: 624-4633
WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494
1 Driver. Call:624-4633
FOR SALE/RENT
Cane cutters needed- Uivlugt #661-2828
Nissan Laurel executive car, Toyota Ipsum 7 seater car, Nissan Pathfinder Jeep. Hot bargains! Call: 660-3415/6097766
1 Experienced Diesel Mechanic. Call: 223-5273/ 223-5274
Sophia A Field 5.5 Million. 5 Streets in. 693-2447, 225-7026, 622-0036, 614-0864
Antonio’s Grille night supervisor with chef experience. Tel#225-7933 or visit 172 Sheriff Street
Contract cars, drivers & dispatchers. Tel# 231-0002/ 231-0316
Wanted experienced hire car taxi driver at Ramada Princess Hotel. Tel# 616-5419/265-7075
Allion, Primo, Fielder Wagon, Spacio, Bluebird, 212 Carina, RZ,Pit-bull, Allex, 192 & Canter – Call: 650-7501
Taxi Drivers, Minibus driver for Route 42 Bus. #646-8748
House and land for sale Mon Repos ECD 2 in 1 land transported. Tel#658-1874
Vacancy for a Skillful cosmetologist. Call: 2310734
Self contained rooms to rent in Prashad Nagar. Tel#2272993
VEHICLE FOR SALE
Vacancy for Driver, Civil Engineer, Security. Contact #223-5273, 223-5274/2275003
Sarah Johanna Road to road $8M Farm Land, Wharf Land 21/2 acres East Coast $200M Tel#231-2199, 618-7483
Prime land to build that dream home. Not far from Princess, New Thriving, Massy, HJ water world $13M neg- Call: 669-8397
Security supervisor, must have own car. Call: 629-9450
Labourers for wood concession $5000 for per day. Call 618-0487
Toyota Rav 4. PKK series, great condition, very attractive prices. Tel#218-1376
(1)- 3 bedroom flat, Lot 2 Paradise ECD $80,000 monthly. Tel#648-7621
1 experienced mechanic to work in the interior, must know about Cummings engine #6994718
Store to rent. 1st Street Bartica. 4000 sq ft. Tel # 6644663 / 650-0402
VEHICLE FOR SALE
1 BMW 320I car for sale. PTT series. Owner leaving country. Price Neg. Contact 697-4726, 259-0288, 259-0227
Manager to work @ 704. Contact : 223-5273/74, 2275003
LAND FOR SALE Land for sale @ 17 ‘B’ Helena #1 Burial road, Mahaica 0.21 acres. Contact #650-4431
Mature Live-in coupleGeorgetown area. HusbandDriver Mechanic, WifeDomestic. Tel#227-1830 Canter driver/ sales man with secondary education. Tel# 618-9186 or 226-0772 Land dredge workers marack and jetman. Tel: 226-0772, 6750587
American Pool Tel#277-0578
table.
House Lots for Sale Private Scheme 3 Million GYD Down Payment 500K 20K Monthly 10 years no interest Transported.233-6997/ 6221957 Norton Street $15M Diamond $13M, $12M & 3.5M Aubre Barker $40M DaSilva Street, Agricola $7.5M #231-2199, 618-7483 Better Hope Back St. 2 Story building. Extra land. Well built. Prime location. Call between 7:00am - 5:00pm. 220-1583 House lot @ 2637 Paraite Harmony located on the main road. Nice spot for business. Contact 611-8993/614-8026 3 bedrooms spacious colonial house @ Versailles Public Road. Huge yard with fruit trees, all amenities intact. Call: 660-3415/609-7766 Lot 22 Railway line, Uivlugt, West Coast Demerara $14 Million negotiable. Contact #277-3520, 688-4263
Sunday October 14, 2018
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Kaieteur News
CONSUMER CONCERNS
Complaints against car dealers can be corrected by PAT DIAL In Guyana, the overwhelming majority of motorcars now imported are either second-hand, reconditioned or sold as is from a previous owner. Until the last three or four decades, only new cars were imported and the firms, which sold such cars were the most reputable companies in the country. Complaints were rarely ever heard and if there was a manufacturer’s fault, this was quickly and discreetly addressed by the agents who sold such cars. Though Japanese cars were beginning to capture the market, American, German and British cars were still seen on the roads of Guyana. This post-colonial fairly stable milieu steadily metamorphosed into the present: The country suffered severe shortages of foreign exchange and this affected the importation of cars. Indeed, Russia accommodated Guyana by barter arrangements and some Russian cars were imported. Then there were currency devaluations and cars became even scarcer. Finding spare parts was an arduous and difficult exercise. Almost all the companies, which used to be agents for new cars were nationalized or closed. Under Mr. Desmond Hoyte’s Presidency, the Free Market was re-introduced and the economy of the country began to improve. It became possible to import cars again. But there was no return to the post colonial milieu mentioned above; a number of one-man car dealers established themselves and took over the market. This trend coincided with the aggressive marketing by Japanese second-hand car dealers from whom these newly-established local dealers imported. And since there was a car famine for such a long period, these newly-established car dealers enjoyed a good market. Later, the commercial banks entered the second-hand car business by offering loans at discount interest rates to purchase cars. We thought it useful for readers to have a background understanding of the second hand car industry. Today, the market has become more equilibrial, or some may perceive it as over supplied. The dealers seem to have become less careful of the quality of the second hand cars they import with the result that most purchasers seem to have serious complaints with the vehicles they would have bought. Warranties are for six months only and even for these six
months, the warranty does not cover all the faults, which may arise in the car. And in many cases, the warranties are not honoured under one subterfuge or another. The situation where buying a second hand car from one of these local dealers is now a high-risk operation. Surmounting these difficulties and the “jhanjat” to employ a very apt Creolese word as mentioned in Prof Richard Allsopp’s Creolese dictionary, could easily be achieved once the governmental authorities and the purchasers have the will. The Chairman of the Competition and Consumers Commission, Attorney-atLaw Ronald Burch-Smith, as recently reported in the press, feels that the fundamental problem in affording protection to the consumer is reform of the Hire-purchase Laws and also standardizing contracts between car dealers and purchasers. These contracts are often unfair to the purchaser. Mr. Burch-Smith pointed out that his Commission does not have the authority to reform or strengthen the Law since that is the province of the Attorney General’s office on request from the Ministry of Business. To provide immediate first aid in this matter, it would seem to us that the CCAC, the Consumer Association and the Bar Association should devise a suitable contract and circulate it and not await the reform of the Laws. At the same time, the warranties should be strengthened and may identify parts of the car. It would seem to us that two other approaches could be employed in achieving a more equilibrial relationship between dealers and customers and removing bases of conflict and confrontation: The first is that the purchaser should engage a good mechanic to examine all parts of the car. For example, the use of plastic parts in the engine when metal parts would be safer and longer lasting could be challenged. Such a mechanic must be armed with appropriate equipment, especially, to be able to test electronic parts and their functionality. Today’s cars are highly electronic in their functions since that is now the usage in the developed world where cars are manufactured and are most used. In this regard, Guyanese technical teaching institutions have to keep abreast with technical changes and mechanics and repair shops have to do likewise. The Beharry Auto Agencies is a leader and
example in this field as they are able to acquire advanced repair tools such as the car equivalent of an MRI scan
machine. Such equipment would be able to effectuate repairs quickly and efficiently and would be happily less
costly to the consumer. The various iniquities of the car dealers about which the purchasers regularly
complain could be rectified in a fairly short time if stakeholders have the will and determination to address them.
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Full Court orders GBTI to hand over documents to SOCU The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) was on Friday, ordered by Full Court judges Fidela Corbin-Lincoln and Nareshwar Harnanan, to hand over outstanding banking documents, in relation to one of the biggest fraud investigations, to the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU). The Court also ruled that Section 24 of the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act does not prohibit the production of c o p i e s o f t h e b a n k e r ’s books. The Court ordered GBTI to comply with an earlier ruling to hand over the documents, which were made by the court presided over by Justice Franklyn Holder. The Full Court has ordered the bank to hand over the documents by November 12 at 4:30 pm. The bank also has to pay SOCU costs of $150,000. SOCU has been asking the bank for the documents, which are part of investigations into the alleged falsification, forgery and larceny with respect to 28 transactions, involving in excess of
$20M at the Guyana Gold Board. The probe has led to the arrest of Deborah A. Forbes, Rosanna Ramnarine-Mangal and Keith Dyer. Forbes and Rosanna RamnarineMangal have since been charged for the said offences. Justices Corbin-Lincoln and Harnanan essentially ruled that the bank should comply with an earlier ruling made by Justice F r a n k l y n H o l d e r, w h o , acted in accordance with the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Financial Act. Justice Holder had granted a Production Order direction GBTI to produce specific records of transactions, documents, which are relevant to identifying, locating or quantifying property (or tainted property as the case may be) or locating a document necessary for the transfer of such property (or tainted property), where a person is being investigated for a serious offence, money laundering. GBTI, through its lawyer, Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran, appealed Justice Holder’s ruling to the
Top ranking officials of GBTI who are embroiled in a court case Full Court. In its appeal, among other things, the bank argued that Justice Holder erred in ordering documents to be produced, which are banker’s book, the production of which Section 24(2) of the AntiMoney Laundering and Counter the Financing of Terrorism Act’s prohibits. According to the Act, the banker’s book is any l e d g e r, d a y b o o k , c a s h book, account book, and any other book used in the
ordinary business of a bank, and any electronic equipment or object on which particulars of any transaction made by the bank are stored. H o w e v e r, SOCU, through its lawyer, Leslyn Noble submitted that the bank has not established any basis on which it has contended that this court ought to interfere with the finding of fact. That is, the banking institution failed to satisfy Justice Holder that there
are sufficient grounds to grant the said production order as the appellant’s grounds of appeal are mis-
conceived and without merit. Commenting on the favourable ruling, Noble said that GBTI and other banks are not entitled to the information presented to the court outlining SOCU’s reasons for investigating any person or entity. She added that Production Order merely compels the Bank to deliver up certified copies of documents that it may possess in respect of its customer. “In Fact, the Banking Institutions should be cooperating with the Law Enforcement Agencies (SOCU) to combat financial crimes. In fact, the Banks have an important role in ensuring the promotion of high ethical and professional standards in the financial sector,” Noble noted.
Bartica’s new generators arrive on site:
For years, Barticians in Region Seven have been struggling with poor power supply. Its power plant was aging with the engines slowly dying. Yesterday, Gaico Construction Inc. transported and placed three new generators, said to be 1.1 megawatts each, at the new site of the town area known to be home of several prominent miners. Gaico, which is the contractor, is expected to complete the plant installation in December, bringing relief to Bartica.
Ansa McAL on board... From page 65 McAL Trading Limited, was also keen to express thanks for the opportunity provided by GTT. He said, “We are very proud to partner with GTT and the other companies to raise funds that will be used to aid persons with breast cancer and fund research. To the persons that are fighting
breast cancer…please continue the fight, and their family and friends…please continue to support. This will serve as an inspiration to persons now being diagnosed.” The Divisional Head assured that this partnership will continue to grow stronger in the coming years.
Sunday October 14, 2018
Kaieteur News
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Sunday October 14, 2018
U.N. says 833 children released by Nigerian militia group GENEVA (Reuters) - A militia fighting against the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in northeast Nigeria has released 833 children from its own ranks, some as young as 11, the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF said weekend. UNICEF spokesman Christophe Boulierac said the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) was formed in 2013 by vigilante groups in Borno state to fight Boko Haram which itself gained international notoriety for kidnapping schoolgirls in the town of Chibok.The CJTF signed an action plan in September 2017 to end child recruitment, and the release of the children, 40 percent of whom were 15 or younger, was its first formal release.“This is a significant milestone in ending the recruitment and use of children, but many more children remain in the ranks of other armed groups in either combat or support roles,” UNICEF Nigeria Deputy Representative Pernille Ironside said in a statement.The released children were among 1,175 boys and 294 girls who had been identified as being associated with the CJTF in the city of Maiduguri, UNICEF said, although the total has yet to be verified and could include another 2,200 or more children.It said that it had supported the social and economic reintegration of more than 8,700 children released from armed groups since 2017, helping trace their families, returning them to their communities and offering them psychosocial support, education, vocational training and informalapprenticeships.Boulierac said that the CJTF included children who were “pursuing military objectives” but also many in support roles, so their reintegration into society might be easier than those released from an armed group like Boko Haram.
An Ode to ... From page 64 Kingdom. She also said that, from Monday to Friday, she is a teacher in Manhattan.Punch is set to star in an upcoming television series called 'Growing Up Caribbean', alongside renowned actress and producer, Terri Ann Peters, who is also the show's creator. The show is currently awaiting approval to go on air, and is likely to be carried by Netflix or Amazon Prime. Punch says that 'Growing Up Caribbean' will be similar to Blackish; a popular television show, which tackles a range of social issues related to the experiences of African Americans.
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Kaieteur News
Coric stuns Federer in... Entries for KMTC Pre Diwali race meet close today The Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) will be hosting its annual Pre-Diwali race meet on October 21 at Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice and entries for the event will close today. The races will be run under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority and no late entries will be accepted. Horses can be entered through Ivan Dipnarine on 331-0316, Mr. Cecil Kennard on 623-7609 or 225-4818, Fazal Habibulla on 657 7010, Dennis De Roop on 640-6396 or Compton Sancho on 6021567. Six races are carded for the day with the feature attraction being the H1 and lower race which goes for six furlongs and carries a top prize of $250,000. The runner up will take home
$125,000, third place $62,000 and fourth place $31,000. Other races listed are Lnon earner which covers a distance of five furlongs and fetches a top prize of $100,000, while the runner up will take home $50,000; Lopen for five furlongs and includes a top purse of $140,000 and a second prize of $70,000. Two years Guyana bred that covers a distance of five furlongs, carries a top prize of $200,000 and the runner up will be given $100,000; L-non winning maidens will run for five furlongs with the winner pocketing $120,000 and second place $60,000 and J 3 and K class will run for five furlongs in which the winner will receive $160,000 and runner up $80,000.
From page 74 Federer, having beaten the Swiss to lift the Halle title in June. Coric, world-ranked 19th, will face one of his toughest tests of the season against Djokovic in Sunday’s showpiece. Three-time Shanghai Open winner Djokovic stormed past German Alexander Zverev 6-2 6-1 in Saturday’s earlier semi and claimed the world number two ranking from Federer. Djokovic did not face a break point en route to a 59minute victory as he extended his winning streak to 17 ATP matches. Second seed Djokovic, who has returned to his brutal best this season with Grand Slam wins at Wimbledon and the U.S Open, will surpass Federer as world number two when the next edition of the ATP rankings are released on Monday. “I did everything I in-
Sunday October 14, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today you might pinch yourself to see if what you're experiencing is real. Success and good fortune are coming thick and fast
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A huge get-together of some kind could take place today either at your home or the home of someone close to you, Libra.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Career and financial success might have paved the way for you to fulfill some of your fondest dreams, Taurus. Perhaps you've wanted to return to college.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Expect many advantageous changes to take place in your community. New businesses could open their doors and interesting neighbors could move in
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) ow that you feel more secure regarding your business and financial situations, you might be looking for ways to feed your spiritual and metaphysical interests.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You've probably had few periods when business and finance have gone well for you.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) Just about every department of life should be going very well for you now, Cancer. Business, finances, and partnerships are likely on their way to success
CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You tend to be practical and businesslike by nature, Capricorn, but the tremendous growth you've experienced may increase your desire to be as sensible and efficient as possible
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Whatever you're working on at the moment, Leo, whether business related, personal projects, or volunteer work, focus on that
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You probably think of yourself as a curious intellectual, Aquarius, but a recent expansion in career and finance has brought out talents for business
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) It's likely that your personal and creative horizons are expanding. Your or another's artistic enterprises might pay off big today. You could be introduced to people who prove to be valuable contacts
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your natural warmth is enhanced by a new sense of self-confidence. Group activities and social events might bring you into touch with people who prove to be valuable business contacts.
tended to do on my end,” the 31-year-old Serb, chasing his 32nd Masters title, said. “It’s all working and it’s been a couple of perfect matches. There’s a lot of positives to take from my matches this week.”
Pestano’s hat-trick... From page 77 38, Leon Johnson 35; Ravi Rampaul 3-56). RED FORCE 216 all out in 47.1 overs (Lendl Simmons 70, Darren Bravo 43; Ralmaal Lewis 3-33, Clinton Pestano 347). Meanwhile, Canada defeated the Windward Islands Volcanoes by 18 runs in their Group B match in the Regional Super50 at the Queen’s Park Oval here yesterday. Scores: CANADA 206 for nine off 50 overs (Navneet Dhaliwal 35, Srimantha Wijeyeratne 35, David Jacobs 32, Bhavindu A d h i h e t t y 2 9 ; Ty r o n e Theophile 3-22, Kavem Hodge 2-25, Kesrick Williams 2-49). VOLCANOES 188 all out in 49.2 overs (Roland Cato 50, Alick Athanaze 42, Shane Shillingford 27; Romesh Don 6-21). (CMC)
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COURTS Peewee 2018 Golden Jaguars maul Turks & St. Agnes, Mae’s, St. Pius and Golden Caicos on account of hat-tricks Grove end round-robin on high from Holder and Welshman In their first ever international meeting, Guyana Golden Jaguars inflicted an 80 whipping on the home team at the TCIFA National Academy Providenciales yesterday afternoon as region wide rivalry in the inaugural Concacaf National League (CNL) continued. Caledonia AIA (Trinidad and Tobago) based forward Sheldon Holder headed in Guyana‘s first goal in the 7th minute on an assist from Trayon Bobb, the first of three for him as he featured in the first three goals, another commanding performance form the 1st Dezembro (Portugal) based player. On 20 minutes another well calculated play resulted
in Emery Welshman, who is based at FC Cincinnati in the USA tucking in the first of his three goals. Holder was back in the scoring groove in the 37th and 45th minutes to increase the lead to 4-0 before Bobb helped himself to one in the 45+2 (47) to end the half with the Golden Jaguars large and in charge, 5-0 up. The opening period of the second half saw some spirited resistance from the home team but their fight eventually waned when Welshman scored his second and Guyana’s sixth of the match in the 69th minute. Midfielder Daniel Cadel, who plays for Dover Athletic in England, got into the act of
scoring inking his name on the score sheet in the 77th minute after which Welshman, who was brought down in the box stepped up to take the resulting penalty and buried his shot in the 81st minute past the 17 year-old Turks and Caicos Islands goalkeeper, Pendieno Brooks; completing his hat-trick in the process. This was a good display for the team as three forwards combined for seven of the eight goals scored, the other coming from a midfielder. Following a few weeks break, attention will then turn to Guyana’s next match which will be away to French Guiana on Tuesday, November 20th at the Stade Municipal Dr. Edmard Lama in Cayenne.
Coric stuns Federer in Shanghai, faces Djokovic in final (Reuters) - Croatia’s Borna Coric produced a masterful display of power-hitting to stun holder Roger Federer 6-4 6-4 in the Shanghai Masters yesterday and will face Novak Djokovic in the final. Coric was quick out of the
blocks at the Qi Zhong Stadium as he broke in the opening game against the top seed and only lost five points on serve to clinch the first set in 34 minutes. Federer, competing in his first ATP tournament since a
shock last-16 exit at the U.S. Open, struggled for control against Coric’s bludgeoning returns as the 13th seeded Croat clinched another early break to reach his first ATP Masters final. The 21-year-old got his second straight win over (Continued on page 73)
The round-robin stage of the 2018 COURTS under11 peewee football tournament, which is being part sponsored by Banks DIH, concluded yesterday at the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground on CARIFESTA Avenue. St. Pius scored the most goals of the day’s play after making light work of Victoria Primary 5-1 led by a hat-trick from Chance Niles. Among the biggest wins of the day was Golden Grove Primary who brushed aside its East Coast Demerara counterpart Beterverwagting Primary 41 with striker Bryan Wharton scoring the only other hat-trick of the day during the win. Mike Holder bagged a brace as Mae’s fired four unanswered goals past Ann’s Grove Primary. Former champions, St. Agnes’ look to be one of the better teams in the t o u r n a m ent and they could’ve easily fired more goals past a stubborn St. Ambrose unit during their 2-0 win. Justin Alcindor was a constant threat to St. Ambrose defence before and after scoring the
St. Agnes’ goal scorers Shawn Murray (left) and Justin Alcindor pose for a photo after helping their team defeat St. Ambrose. Agnes’ opening goal before his teammate Shawn Murray doubled the lead to take his tally to seven goals. Other results of the day saw Colaaco beating F.E. Pollard 1-0, Mocha Arcadia 2-1 Tucville, J.E. Burnham 2-1 Den Amstel. Marian Academy
needled Smith’s Memorial while North Georgetown got past Soesdyke 2-0 and Plaisance finished their group stage campaign on a high with a 2-0 victory over Clonbrook. The tournament will continue next Saturday with the knockouts, fixtures to be published soon.
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Kaieteur News
No ODI for Windies at Wankhede after fixture change MUMBAI, India, CMC – Brabourne Stadium will be prepared to host the fourth One-Day International bet w e e n I n d i a a n d We s t Indies, despite the short notice of the change in venue from the choice Wankhede Stadium. Kapil Malhotra, vicechairman of the Cricket Club of India which manages the stadium, confirmed officials would be ready for the match on October 29. “We are very happy to get the match. We are always match ready and we are ready to host the match. Brabourne Stadium is a historic venue,” Malhotra said. Brabourne Stadium and the Wankhede are both located in Mumbai, one mile apart. According to Indian media, there was doubt over CCI’s ability to host the match since their voting rights under the new BCCI constitution had been
suspended. But a CCI spokesman said this was not expected to be a hurdle. “There was no issue at all. We were only asked if we were ready to host the game and we said we are ready.” The BCCI shifted the game from the Wankhede after the Mumbai Cricket Association, which oversees the venue, indicated it was unable to issue tenders to vendors for the O D I . West Indies will bowl off the five-match series in Guwahati on October 21 before travelling to Visakhapatnam for the second ODI, three days later. The third match will be played in Pune on October 27 with the fifth match set for Thiruvananthapuram on November 1. West Indies are on a full tour of India which involves two Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals.
The Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Jamaica take lead over England in Sunshine Netball series Jamaica Observer - Jamaica put in a commanding display to brush aside Commonwealth Games Netball champions England 55-43 Friday evening at the National Indoor Sports Centre to take a one-nil lead in the three-Test LASCO Sunshine series. The Sunshine Girls, led by captain and goalshooter supreme Jhaniele FowlerReid, led 16-11 at the end of the first quarter; 35-21 at halftime; and 46-32 at the close of the third. Fowler-Reid was immaculate on the night to sink 34 goals from her 35 attempts. Goal attack Shanice Beckford was 12 from 17 for the Commonwealth Games bronze medallists, while substitute shooter Shantal Slater was perfect from seven tries. Goalshooter Helen Housby was 27 from 35 for England, while Eleanor Cardwell was 10 from 14. Jamaica Head Coach Marvette Anderson was pleased with the all-round display. “[The team was good] from both ends. The shooters were super, we were shooting at 90-odd per cent, and the defenders were really grinding it out. I just think it was an overall good effort from the team,” Anderson told journalists during a post-game interview. Tracey Neville, the En-
gland coach, noted her team’s lacklustre first-half performance which she felt allowed Jamaica to build a comfortable lead. “We knew it was going to be [tough]. We’ve obviously got an inexperienced squad out here… basic errors tonight. We were not good enough, and I was really disappointed with the first half. For me, I think we were a little bit lazy and casual on some of our plays,” Neville said. At the start, the Jamaicans, in contrast to the wet and gloomy weather conditions across sections of the island Friday, were energetic and sparkling as they overran the Englishwomen. England were quick with the release of their passes, but were not always accurate early on. Jamaica’s goalkeeper
Shamera Sterling was a standout, anticipating well to intercept and deflect passes. Stacian Facey, marshalling proceedings from goal defence, was Sterling’s major ally, generally unsettling the visitors with her robust play, while centre Adean Thomas was effectively the engine room for the Girls. After snatching the first-quarter lead, the hosts’ bright play continued in the second quarter and they tightened the defensive screws to stretch their advantage to 14 goals at the half-time break. England had more success late on, and managed to narrow the gap in the second half, as Jamaica, though arguably not matching their firsthalf intensity, were still good enough to coast to victory.
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Pant, Rahane deflate Windies after Chase hundred HYDERABAD, India, CMC – West Indies released the pressure in the final session as wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and Ajinkya Rahane struck enterprising half-centuries to give India control of the second and final Test here yesterday. At the close of the second day at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, India were motoring along at 308 for four in their first innings, with Pant eyeing his second Test hundred on an unbeaten 85 and Rahane closing in on his tenth, on 75 not out. West Indies picked up three wickets in the second session to leave India on 162 for four, about 20 minutes before tea, but Pant and Rahane put on 146 in an unbroken fifth wicket partnership, to keep the tourists wicket-less in the last session. Teenaged opener Prithvi Shaw once again whetted the appetite with a scintillating 70 off 53 balls while captain Virat Kohli got a start with 45, before becoming the second of captain Jason Holder’s two victims. Roston Chase had earlier completed his fourth Test hundred to finish on 106 as the Windies were dismissed for 311 inside half hour of the start, with pacer Umesh Yadav taking all three wickets to post career-best figures of six for 88.Resuming on 98 with the Windies on 295 for seven, the right-handed Chase reached his landmark in the second over of the day with a single to mid-wicket off Kuldeep Yadav (2-85). He lost overnight partner Devendra Bishoo (2) to the last ball of the first over, dragging on to Umesh and spectacularly losing his off-
Virat Kohli is caught on the crease as Jason Holder traps him lbw ©Associated Press stump. Chase failed to build, however, and was one of two wickets to fall in successive deliveries in the seventh over of the morning to bring an end to the Windies innings, when he played around a full length delivery and was bowled. Chase faced 189 deliveries and struck eight fours and a six. Last man Shannon Gabriel nicked a drive at the very next delivery and was caught at the wicket.The 18-year-old Shaw then picked up from where he left off in the Rajkot Test, attacking from the outset to dominate a 61-run stand off 52 balls with the out-ofsorts Lokesh Rahul who made just four. Shaw played with typical aggression, striking 11 fours and a six in an entertaining knock which saw India to lunch on 80 for one. In contrast, Rahul’s struggles continued and he was finally put out of his misery after facing 25 balls, play-
Wiltshire, Joseph to host three-hand dominoes today Senior Organising Secretary of the Georgetown Dominoes Association Mark Wiltshire and President of the Guyana National Federation Faye Joseph will be hosting a three-hand tournament today at 1223 Gaulding Place, South Ruimveldt. Entrance fee is $10,000 and the winning team will take
home $100,000, runner up $50,000 and third place $30,000. Teams from the USA, Antigua, Barbados, Anguilla and St. Lucia will battle with their Guyanese counterparts from 12:30hrs. Teams can contact Wiltshire on 665-5855 for registration.
ing on to Holder, about 35 minutes before the interval. West Indies enjoyed their best period after lunch, prising out three wickets for 64 runs, to haul themselves back into the contest. Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican, playing his first Test in nearly three years, claimed Shaw to a catch at cover by Shimron Hetmyer in the third following the resumption, as the right-hander drove uppishly. Chesteshwar Pujara followed in the next over after adding just one to his nine at the break, pushing at one from Gabriel which held its line and nicking a catch to substitute wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton. The Windies then had their progress stalled, however, as Rahane and Kohli combined in a 60-run, stand for the fourth wicket. Rahane stroked six fours
in a 174-ball innings while Kohli looked on course to follow up his hundred in the first Test with another, in a knock which consumed 78 balls and included five fours. With tea approaching, Holder gained an lbw verdict against Kohli as the righthander played across, giving the Windies new energy at tea with the hosts on 173 for four. But that momentum disappeared after the interval, however, as Pant and Rahane asserted India’s authority with accomplished half-centuries. Pant took the attack to the Windies in an innings requiring 120 balls and comprising 10 fours and two sixes – successive blows off Warrican which sailed over the ropes at long on. He suffered a huge let-off on 24 with India on 196 for four when he slashed at Gabriel and watched as
Hamilton muffed the chance moving high to his left. Windies were left to rue Hamilton’s mistake, toiling
without reward for the remainder of the session as both batsmen cruised effortlessly to their landmarks.
Ninvalle overcomes AIBA Executive... From page 78 consultation with Mr. Ninvalle. It is alleged that the top brass of theAIBA EC were of the belief that Mr. Steve Ninvalle would have been a walk over and a yes man when he was elected in 2014. However, during the debacle that lead to the “over throw/forced resignation” of former AIBA President and IOC member Dr. C.K. Wu by the AIBA EC, Ninvalle proved his worth as a level headed independent thinking member. He was able to walk the straight and narrow and remained natural despite the pressures from all fronts. “The fact is the Dr. Wu/ AIBA EC matter was before the Courts in Switzerland and Steve’s position on the matter was honorable. It was simple, that is, the region should await a decision of the Court and not take sides. It was the decent and ethical position to adapt, but, evidently his stance angered some
members of the AIBA EC. The Guyana Boxing Association and the people of the Guyana ought to be proud of their countryman and his attorney. This is a sweet but sobering victory not just for Mr. Ninvalle but the region. We must now galvanize all the support we can to ensure that he is re-elected to the AIBA EC come November 3.” President of the Trinidad Boxing Association Cecil Forde while applauding the suspension insisted that those responsible for undermining Caribbean Unity must be dealt with. “The Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Association congratulates Mr. Ninvalle for the hard won battle in having his good name cleared. AIBA at the end showed good faith and must be commended for doing the right thing. Those among us who sought to undermine Mr. Ninvalle and the Caribbean as a whole must be dealt with appro-
priately. The Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Association has all confidence in Mr. Ninvalle’s leadership and he has our full support in making sure our beloved sport of boxing continues to develop in the region,” Forde said. Outspoken President of the St Lucia Boxing Association, David ‘Shakes’ Christopher believes the charges brought against the Guyanese were part of a plan to silence the region’s most vocal voice. “It is clear that within the last year Mr. Ninvalle has been a marked man. He is not a yes man and has stood up for the Caribbean. We are proud of that, and we see the lifting of this suspension as a significant victory not only for the Caribbean but also for Steve, the creator of Nuff Cuff. Steve has shown us that we must stop running scared and bowing, and rather stand firm and be counted,” Christopher stated. David Pinea of the Angola
Boxing Federation conveyed his association’s satifaction with the throwing out of the suspension. “We are very happy to know that your provisional suspension has been lifted and dismissed. As you know, the EC decision was motivated by the fact that you did not accept to be a puppet so you had to pay with the biased suspension,” Pinea wrote in a release. AIBA heads to its most turbulent elections next month in Moscow. Already one presidential candidate Kazakhstan’s Serik Konakbayev has filed an urgent appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) against his expulsion as a presidential candidate. The International Olympic Committee has warned that boxing could face the axe at the 2020 Olympics if current interim AIBA president Gafur Rakhimov is elected in Moscow to run AIBA.
Kaieteur News
Sunday October 14, 2018
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WDFA Senior Qualifying KO Tourney
Golden Warriors secure a semi final berth; triple header on today Anthony Harding (right) and Shalon Williams - Golden Warriors FC
G
olden Warriors have booked a semi final date against the winner o f t o d a y ’s c l a s h b e t w e e n Pouderoyen and Crane following their 2-1 win over Wales United yesterday when action in the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) qualifying knock-out tournament for the GFF year-end
championship continued at the Den Amstel Ground. The Warriors, fresh off their 7-2 triumph over Zeelugt on the weekend before, took the lead against Wales when veteran Anthony Harding, following up on his helmet-trick in their previous win, netted his fifth of the tournament in the
Shalon Williams (#10) scores the winning goal for Golden Warriors against Wales yesterday.
22nd minute. It was a lead they enjoyed until the 65th minute when Wales United found the equaliser off the boot of Teffon Fraser. But just when it seemed like the
match was headed for penalty kicks, a golden like goal was manufactured by Shalon Williams on an assist from Harding in the 72nd minute. Today’s other matches apart
from the opening encounter between Pouderoyen and Crane at 12:00hrs pits De Kendren and Stewartville at 14:00hrs with the main attraction between Beavers and Jetty Gunners at 16:00hrs.
Pestano’s hat-trick leaves Red force a spent force - Fifties for Griffith, Reifer as Jaguars jump to top with 19 points By Sean Devers in Trinidad In association with Vnet, Regal, Noble House Seafoods & Cascadia Hotel In a top of the table clash at the Brian Lara Academy, Guyana Jaguars led by fifties from Trevon Griffith and Raymon Reifer and the fifth hat-trick in the Regional Super50 tournament from Clinton Pestano, beat Trinidad Red Force by 75 runs yesterday to move to the top of the points table with 19 points, while Red Force remain on 18. Griffith hit seven fours and a six in his 80-ball 70 to register his fifth fifty and second in a row and added 89 from 106 balls with Skipper Leon Johnson whose 35 lasted 53 balls and included five fours and a six. Reifer blasted two fours and four sixes in an explosive seventh half-century, scoring 66 from 55 balls and along with Ricardo Adams, who made cameo 18, shared in a 57-run stand from 44 balls as the Jaguars reached 291-8 when their 50 overs expired. Ravi Rampaul took 3-56 for the Red Force who made 216 in reply as Lendl Simmons who made 70 from 73 ball with six fours and three sixes and Darren Bravo who scored 43 from 72 balls with four fours where the only batsmen to offer resistance. Pestano (3-47) and Ramaal
Raymon Reifer powers Ravi Rampaul for six yesterday as Jaguars beat Red Force. Lewis (3-33) were the main wicket takers for the Jaguars. Jaguars elected to bat in steaming heat on a flat track and lightning fast outfield and Griffith hit the game’s first boundary in the third over when he whacked DJ Bravo over mid-off four before Rutherford slapped him behind point, flicked him to fine-leg and hit a one-handed shot over extra cover for boundaries off the last three balls of his next over. Rutherford (15) pulled a short ball from Rampaul to deep mid-wicket in the sixth over with the score on 31, while Griffith executed a gorgeous back cut which raced to the point boundary in an eventful over. Johnson joined Griffith with cotton-wool like clouds drifting over the lush green sward as Griffith deftly
steered Reyad Emrit to third man for four. Rampaul, back from English County Cricket, peppered Johnson with a couple of bouncers and Johnson got off the mark with a contemptuous hook off the last one for six. Watched by Windies selector Travis Dowlin, the students of the Samuel Badree Academy and the biggest crowd of the tournament so far, Johnson pulled Rampaul viciously for four and after 10 overs the Jaguars were 53-1. Sunil Narine was introduced and Griffith reverse swept him four before an orthodox sweep raced to the long-leg boundary and Johnson slog-swept the offspinner for another boundary. Johnson caressed Emrit immaculately for four, while
Griffith who seemed to be batting with a broom, revere swept left-arm spinner Khary Pierre for fours and then scampered a single to bring up his 50 from 54 balls with six fours and a six. The 100 was came up in the 16th over as the partnership flourished under the sunshine but when Johnson (35) edged Jason Mohammed to wicket-keeper Denish Ramdin at 120-2 a crowd of close to 3,000 blew horns as they roared their approval. Johnson’s demise brought Barnwell, Guyana’s leading run scorer to the crease and he was soon into his stride. Barnwell hit Mohammed back over his head for a scorching boundary before smashing Pierre for four and clobbering him for six to bring up the 150 in the
28thover and celebrated the land-mark with an even bigger six two balls later. With the score on 120 Griffith cut Rampaul for DJ Bravo at point to dive to his right to hold a stupendous one-handed catch. Reifer joined Barnwell who was trapped LBW for 38 at 182-4 in the 35th over and clipped Emrit for four. Bramble deposited Pierre for six but looking repeat the shot off the next delivery, skied the ball ‘miles’ into the air for Ramdin from behind the stumps to take the catch at short mid-wicket at 219-5. Reifer launched into Emrit and dumped over his head for consecutive sixes to post his 50 from 47 balls with two fours and three sixes before Adams smashed Rampaul for four before being brilliantly caught by a diving Nicholas Pooran at deep mid-wicket at 276-6. Reifer smashed the next ball into the stand before Romario Shepherd finished off the over with gigantic six. At 287-6 with six balls to go it looked as if the Jaguars would reach 300 but a fantastic last over from Bravo limited them to the 291-9. Reifer slashed Bravo to third man off the first ball and Clinton Pestano was run out by the Keeper in an over which cost just three runs. Red Force began their run chase with consecutive
boundaries by Simmons off the first two balls off Pestano, while Ramdin played a glorious straight drive when Reifer pitched up but Ramdin (7) was bowled by Reifer at 16-1. Simmons elegantly cover drove Reifer for four and flicked Pestano for six before driving the pacer past his ankles for four more and soon reached his 24th List ‘A’ fifty before steering Barnwell for four. Darren Bravo pivoted and pulled Shepherd, who insisted in bowling short for consecutive boundaries, while Simmons went after Lewis and pounded him for four behind point. But when the total was 133-3 in the 28th over Simmons (70), Pollard (0) and DJ Bravo (0) were dismissed off successive balls by Pestano who captured the first ever hat-trick in Super50 cricket to sink the Red Force to 133-5. The leading run scorer Pooran (18) pulled Ramaal Lewis for four before he was bowled by the same bowler to level the score on 159-6 and when Darren Bravo was LBW to Lewis at 180-8 and Emrit (24) departed at 212-9 it was all over. Scores: JAGUARS 291 for eight off 50 overs (Trevon Griffith 70, Raymon Reifer 66, Christopher Barnwell (Continued on page 73)
Kaieteur News
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Sunday October 14, 2018
Ninvalle overcomes AIBA Executive BCB/New Building Society 2nd Committee storm to thwart suspension Division Tourney underway The New Building Society 40-Overs Round Robin Second Division Tournament organised by the Berbice Cricket Board bowled off on Sunday last with over thirty five matches across the Ancient County. Several matches were postponed due to the Berbice Cricket Board hosting of the One Day Nasir Memorial 5/5 Cricket Tournament. The Tournament involves over 80 teams in both Regions 5 and 6. The Teams have been divided into seventeen zones, with the winner of each zone advancing to the playoff stage. Results of some of the matches played are: 1) At No. 59 Ground No. 64 Fighting Marines Cricket Club defeated No. 59 Youths Cricket Club by six wickets. No 59 Youths 275 all out in 39.3 Overs. Totaram Loutawan 106, Jaglall Chand 33, Jason Itwaru 3 for 55. Sean Persaud 2 for 45. No. 64 Fighting Marines 280 for 4 in 26.2 Overs. Ramzan Subjan 100 not out, Davendra Budhoo 53. P. Ramsaroop 2 for 70. 2) At Cumberland: Young Warriors Cricket Club defeated Tucber Park Cricket Club by one run. Young Warriors 181 all out in 40-Overs. Vishal M o h a b i r 2 8 , Tr e v l o n Stanislaus 32, Alex Algoo 23,
Gevon Schultz 2 for 17, Quacy Mickle 2 for 24. Tucber Park 180 for 8 in 40-overs. Steve Deonarine 48, Garfield Benjamin 41, C. Lindie 27, Devendra Ramoutar 2 for 22, Vishal Mohabir 2 for 84 and J. Henry 2 for 26. 3) A t E d i n b u r g h : Edinburgh Cricket Club defeated Mount Sinai Cricket Club by 62 runs. Edinburgh 182 in 30-Overs, J. Andrews 38, J. Degees 30. K Garnt 4 for 35 and R. Barrington 3 for 33. Mount Sinai 130 all out in 33.5 Overs. S. Daniels 36, J. Amsterdam 20. Z. Hussain 4 for 25. 4) At Sisters: Sisters Cricket Club defeated Flying Star Cricket Club by five wickets. Flying Star Cricket Club 114 in 15. G. Barrow 20, Mark Sampson 18, Clifford Fraser 14. Colvis Sam 6 for 39. Osmond Gilead 3 for 26. 5) A t S c o t t s b u r g : Scottsburg United Cricket Club defeated No. 71 Cricket Club by 4 wickets. No. 71 Cricket Club 130 all out in 23 Overs. Roger Craig 2, Aktar Narine 15. Mohan Raghwraj 3 for 25. Antonio Morgan 2 for 13. Scottsburg 132 for 6 in 32 Overs. Raymond Lawfield 33, Akram Ally 18. Wazir Khan 3 for 30. Aktar Narine 2 for 17. 6) A t C h e s n e y : Chesney Cricket Club won
their match versus Kilcoy Cricket Club after the latter failed to replace the lost ball. Kilcoy Cricket Club 175 runs in 36 Overs. S. Mohabir 44, Delroy Cort 31, J. Kamaladin 21, Narine Deonarine 5 for 27 Ravindra Somwaru 2 for 18 and Michael Subahar 2 for 42. Chesney Cricket Club 151 for 7 in 16.4 Overs. Michael Subahar 68 not out. Ravindra Somwaru 26, M. Mohabir 2 for 47 and H. Mohamed 3 for 38. 7) At No. 48: No. 48 Challengers Cricket Club defeated No. 43 Scorpions Cricket Club by two wickets. No. 43 Scorpions 2015 all out in 34.3 Overs. S. Dharam 67, M. Harvey 29, A. Grant 50. Devin Baldeo 3 for 12, Jaipaul Seenauth 3 for 39. No. 48 Challengers 2016 for 8 in 33.1 Overs. Munesh Lalu 94, Terrence Budhu 31, Balram Persaud 30. A. Lensankar 3 for 33, M. Drepaul 2 for 21. 8) At Kendall’s Union: Kendall’s Union Sports Star defeated Mental Hospital Cricket Club by two runs. Kendall’s Union Sports Star 160 in 27.5 Overs. Samuel Baker 31, Jevaughn Stephen 4 for 26, Steve Latcha 2 for 13 and W. Edoo 2 for 23. Mental Hospital 158 all out in 26 Overs. Steve Latcha 52, W. Edoo 24 and D. Latchana 13. S. Baker 3 for 35, S. Totaram 5 for 29.
The second edition of the GT Beer/Candy Boss Eight-a-side Football set for Berbice
T
he launching ceremony of the second edition of the GT Beer/Candy Boss & Antics Promotion invitational 8-a-side football tournament is set for Friday 26th October at a venue to be decided shortly. Some 32 team from across the country are expected to participate in this year’s competition and all matches will be played at the All Saints Scott’s Church Ground, Princess Elizabeth and Vryheid Road, New Amsterdam, Berbice. Games will be played on Fridays and Sundays and will be of one hour duration each. The competition will get started on Friday 2nd November and conclude on 1st January with the grand final and will also expect to include added attractions. The teams will be battling for lucrative cash prizes, trophies and other
memorabilia. Georgetown Police are the defending champion and will be going all out to defend the title. According to coordinator
Tito “Candy Boss” Sancho the first edition was successfully held and this year the event is expected to b e b i g g e r a n d b e t t e r. (Samuel Whyte)
Steve Ninvalle at the AIBA Congress in South Korea. President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Steve Ninvalle has come out unscratched after a battle with the Executive Committee of AIBA. Ninvalle took on the rest of the Executive Committee of AIBA and recently won a disciplinary case as the EC sought to have him suspended as a member of the important body. The Guyanese was represented by Senior Council K. Juman Yassin and Te n i H o u s t y w h o successfully argued that their client was innocent of the charges brought against him by the Executive Committee in July. The charges stem from heated email and WhatsApp exchanges in June and early July between Caribbean administrators in relation to the hand-picking of three persons from the region to present a proposal on the Year of the Caribbean to the Executive Committee in Abu Dhabi last July. Some of the exchanges were leaked to the American Boxing Confederation (AMBC) and AIBA by two named Caribbean administrators. Ninvalle was provisionally suspended as an Executive Committee Member on July 12 pending a decision by the AIBA Disciplinary Committee. “We do not believe however, that Mr. Ninvalle’s intentions were with malice towards AIBA,” Barry Jones, AIBA Disciplinary Panel Chair wrote on October 9th. “Accordingly, Mr. Ninvalle’s provisional suspension is hereby lifted and he is reinstated as an EC member with all attendant rights, duties and responsibilities,” Jones added. Contacted yesterday Ninvalle declared that he was never in doubt that the charges brought against him were frivolous at best. “I
honestly expected much better. The charges had no merit, no foundation, no substance and taking all the aforementioned into consideration it would be prudent to ponder if there were/are other motives.” “The entire scenario has made the Caribbean a tighter bunch as we now know, without any measure of uncertainty, who in our group can be trusted,” Ninvalle said. “You must be aware that it takes years to build trust and it can be gone in a second. This episode was brought on us by us. We have no one else to blame. But, the Bible says out of evil cometh good. The good is that we are now a stronger and much wiser region with a bond that is stronger than any association. Of course I expect, and am prepared for many more battles as I don’t have the same choir sheet as others,” the GBA boss added. “I wish to thank some of my Caribbean colleagues for sticking by my side while I was in the line of fire and also Mr. Juman Yassin and Teni Housty for their expert legal work which allowed vindicatio n ,” N invalle concluded. Meanwhile, several Caribbean administrators and some in Africa applauded the lifting of the suspension. So what was the “SIN” committed by Steve Ninvalle?” asked former President of the Caribbean Boxing Association Grenadian Ralph James. “The claim by the AIBA Executive Committee was that Mr. Ninvalle violated certain provisions of the AIBA Disciplinary Code based on the content of various e-mail messages among Caribbean colleagues. Note, this was a case of exchanges among Caribbean colleagues, a
totally internal matter with no malice just strong views,” James said. “While I do not wish to name those who leaked those emails at this time, it was always my opinion which I expressed publicly that the charge against Mr. Ninvalle was mischievous, downright laughable and just “fake”. “One has to recall that those of us from the region who attended the 2014 AIBA Congress in Jeju, South Korea, presented a united front to ensure “our guy” Steve Ninvalle was elected to the AIBA EC as the regions representative. He was our choice, the Caribbean’s choice. From that time to the present, President Ninvalle has consistently sought the views and opinions of his Caribbean colleagues for consensus on matters of critical importance and far reaching implications for the Caribbean. He pontificated the “One Caribbean One Voice” concept as the only way to influence positive change for the region,” James declared. “It is conceivable that the high command within AIBA who were focused on solidifying their positions were cognizant that this “One Caribbean One Voice” concept had the potential to shift the balance of power in an upcoming elections as was the case in 2006, and, that to the “conceptual Goliaths” of Boxing had to land a preemptive strike against “David” (Steve Ninvalle) hence his ill conceived suspension.” To d a y t h e b o x i n g fraternity is still searching for answers as to why would the Americas Boxing Confederation AMBCAIBA covertly hand-pick a group of three individuals in the Caribbean to deliver a presentation on the needs of the region without (Continued on page 76)
Kaieteur News
Sunday October 14, 2018
PAGE 79
Annual Heritage KO Football – Region 9
Titans United topple Guyana Rush Saints to take male title The Annual Heritage Football knockout Tournament under the auspices of the Rupununi Football Association (RFA) and the Heritage Committee which concluded recently saw a new male champion being crowned, Titans United steamrollered the defending champions, Guyana Rush Saints 7-2 in the championship match. Playing at the St. Ignatius Village, Rush Saints FC ground, the home team, Guyana Rush Saints FC had signaled their intentions to retain the title when they took the lead in just the 4th minute through a Terry Parks goal but the visiting Titans United showed that it would not have been business as usual as they rushed to a 4-1 lead by the end of the first half. Regis James (11, 41) and Peters Lynch (21, 37) netted a double each to not only see titans equalising but pulling comfortably ahead, 4-1 at the half way stage. In the second half, James completed a helmet-trick (four goals) with efforts again in the 55th and 90th minute; Abijah tucked in one in the 49th to complete a huge win for the Titans. In the female championship match, Paiwomak Warriors made light work of Gladiators FC defeating them 4-1 in a one sided affair. A total of six male and female clubs contested the Heritage championships.
- Paiwomak Warriors are female champs Titans United - Male champs of the 2018 Heritage Football Championships. Region 9
‘CGI League provided perfect preparation for hectic schedule’
ANSA McAL is official beverage sponsor for Guyana Softball Cup 8
- Say Jaguars’ Manager/Asst Coach Griffith By Sean Devers in Trinidad In association with Vnet, Regal,Noble House Seafoods & Cascadia Hotel The schedule for the Regional Super50 in a hectic event for all the teams, especially for Guyana who drew the bye in the opening round and had games every other day with little time to recover and have nets sessions.Added to that, the Jaguars have four consecutive games at the Brian Lara Academy which takes the team bus over an hour from their hotel in Portof-Spain to the Venue in South Trinidad. Guyana had three consecutive day-night games which could finish at late as 22:30hrs but Rayon Griffith, the 39-year-old Manager and Assistant Coach says, the CGI 50-over Franchise League was the perfect preparation for this situation. “Because of the rain the CGI League had to be compressed and was played every other day with teams
Rayon Griffith (left) make a point to head Coach Esuan Crandon. sometimes travelling from Georgetown to Berbice. We played one day and rest one day so we were mentally and physically prepared for the work load here. The boys’ bodies got accustomed to what they had to do,” explained Griffith who also coached the West Indies ‘A’ and the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL. Griffith said that while it was a busy schedule what is important is that the players are getting cricket to play and it was all about managing t h e m . “ We h a v e b e e n managing their workload, especially in the net sessions
but all in all we have been doing pretty well in managing them and we are fine with the schedule,” said the former and West Indies ‘B’ team pacer.Griffith informed that Sherfane Rutherford, who scored an explosive 69 in his new role as opener, could maybe be available for most of if not all of it since he does not know as yet when he leaves for the T20 series in India.Asked if the Jaguars planned to do anything different in their last game Griffith said they would be no drastic changes in the way his charges went about their work.
From left: (GFSCA) Vice President, Jailall Deodass, GFSCA Executive Member Ricky Deonarine, Ansa McAL’s Marketing Assistant, Gabriell Lopes, Marketing Assistant Olivia Chin and Beverage Divisional Head, Kelvin Singh. Ansa McAL Trading Limited, one of the largest distribution companies in Guyana, is the official beverage sponsor for the Guyana Softball Cup 8. This was revealed yesterday by ANSA McAL’s Beverage Divisional Head, Kelvin Singh.At a simple ceremony at the company’s head office, Singh thanked the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association for having ANSA McAL’s Stag Beer, Lucozade and iCool juice drink on board as the official beverage sponsor of the Guyana Softball Cricket Cup Eight (8). Singh said, “Just to let you know, this is the seventh year that ANSA McAL has been involved in this competition. When we were first approached with respect to sponsoring
the competition we signed onto it in fulfillment of our mandate in supporting the development of sports in Guyana and by extension, softball cricket.” The Ansa McAL official urged all the fans and supporters of softball cricket to come out and support the games and of course, the ANSA McAL beverage bars. He added, “Once again, we at ANSA McAL would like to take the opportunity to thank the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association for approaching us on this initiative in partnering to host this competition and we look forward to our continued partnership in supporting and promoting the development of softball.”
t r o Sp
Golden Jaguars celebrate with fans after their win.
Golden Jaguars maul Turks & Caicos on account of hat-tricks from Holder and Welshman Regional Super50 cricket
Pestano’s hat-trick leaves Red force a spent force
Clinton Pestano captured the fifth hat-trick in Regional Super50 cricket. (Sean Devers photos)
- Fifties for Griffith, Reifer as Jaguars jump to top with 19 points
Pant, Rahane deflate Windies after Chase hundred Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.