Kaieteur News
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Friday October 28, 2016
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 TACKLING NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES As Guyana observed World Occupational Therapy Day yesterday, under the theme “Making it together,” health officials once again advised citizens to eat healthy and exercise regularly in order to reduce the number of deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). World Occupational Therapy Day was first celebrated on October 27, 2010, to promote the importance of healthy living. In Guyana, the media entities always report on crime, especially murders and armed robbery, as well as traffic deaths, the economy and scandals, among other issues. It must be admitted that not enough attention is paid to the deaths caused by, or consequences of NDCs. It is difficult to get NCDs in the headlines or in the minds of people, that such diseases are a major cause of deaths among young and old in the country.It has been a struggle for health officials who, in spite of educating the people on the causes of NCDs, continue to see a high human toll from these preventable illnesses. Hypertension, cancer, diabetes, heart problems and other ailments are the major killers in Guyana, more than murders or traffic fatalities. However, the prevalence of these deaths are not having much impact on society. There are many persons, both young and old, who are at risk of dying from NDCs, but are walking around unaware of the existence of their conditions. Between January and June this year, more than 90 persons died from NCDs such as heart attack, stroke, brain hemorrhage, and clotting in the lungs, but most of the incidents went unreported. The problem of noncommunicable diseases is a serious one. Excluding productivity losses which are estimated at $3.8 billion annually, it costs the taxpayers about $6 billion per year to treat NCDs. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and lung disease more often than not kill slowly. Bad quality of life is often responsible. Tackling NCDs requires mature and open discussion. In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that approximately between 12 and 15 percent of Guyanese between 35 and 65 years will probably die from NCDs, but neither society nor the media has taken note of the high number of deaths of persons in their active years. Deaths from NCDs are still seen as prevalent in the older generation, but this is not necessarily the complete picture. It is estimated that almost 30 percent of the total deaths caused by NCDs are young people. However, for some unexplained reasons, many still mistakenly believe that young people do not die from heart attacks or stroke. The only way the nation is going to relate to the fact that young people are at risk of dying from NCDs is if it is given prominence. NCDs are not only occurring in Guyana or the Caribbean, they are a worldwide occurrence, and the death rates are just as high for the young as they are for the old. The WHO has stated that the four major risk factors that contribute to NCD deaths are unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol and the excessive use of tobacco. In Guyana, overweight and obesity in adults are quite high. It is estimated that one-third of men and three-fifths of women are overweight. The incidence of obesity for men is 9 percent and 13 percent for women. In spite of these overwhelming facts, NCDs very seldom make the news. Similar trends exist in most Caribbean countries. In fact, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition, whose task is to reduce obesity and NCD deaths, has stated that the Caribbean is the region of the Americas that is most affected by the epidemic of chronic diseases. We all must take these observations seriously.
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.
Quantifying the level of greening in Bartica Dear Editor, I felt compelled to speak on the issue of blackouts in Bartica, not specifically because of the letter you received from one ‘Niranjan’ as published in your letter dated October 23rd, 2016. But more specifically because it seems that even us, the beautiful members of my township have allowed a blurring of facts again on account of political stirring. I am the least to add judgment, but I beg of you to allow me the function to not add blame but instead to propose that GPL has added so much frustration that we don’t even know how to assign reason. Indeed, it seemingly has ‘become’ a heavy burden on the township, but one must also be able to define become. I would agree to ‘become’ except I recollect
that it “became” quite a long time ago. Of course, I would only ask reasonable citizens, those not shadowed by the need to prove that our Mayor and councilors aren’t serving to the best of their ability. Even greater, I can only ask level minded citizens to view the progress seen as an indication that sooner as opposed to later, this problem that has existed for decades (irrespective of central government leadership), will soon be rendered not as an issue. Those of us who are spirited, who utilize our time to become informed of all that is being done, would have already known the level of lobbying, proposing and conversations being had between local leadership and GPL. But as I have said before; such citizens cannot be found guilty of having
hidden political agendas. I wish to also point out dear Editor, that the measure of our progress towards establishing ourselves as the “model green town,” cannot simply be in view of the ‘woes of GPL’. Frankly, to do so would again point to an inability to clearly reason. Conversely, one can say that tackling head on a garbage disposal giant of a problem, addressing inherited drainage infrastructure that was problematic to say the least, are better measures of quantifying the level of greening. Balance given, I must at this time point out that the Mayor and Deputy Mayor must have only been available for a few photo ops, because they were either at our newly transformed dumpsite, or overseeing projects including but not
limited to building parks and green spaces, overseeing cleaning efforts across constituencies, managing road rehabilitation works, meeting needs for resident consultations of new projects, engaging investors both local and foreign, sourcing funding, supplying water to areas like 5 Miles Housing Scheme and Byderabo road and beautifying the burial grounds. Again, I would only ask citizens who are level minded to concur that over the short time of being in office, much has been done. Do I think that GPL must do better? Yes Do I think the leadership here is to be blamed? No. Do we still need a solution? Yes. My question to all citizens then is; What do we do next? Devon Nedd- Fordyce
Parenting determines the nature of the next generation Dear Editor, The URP has penned a letter in your newspaper concerning suicide in Guyana. Again stakeholders on the matter of suicide are far from suggesting solution to this situation. I wish to share my views with your permission. If you ask any stakeholder or representative regarding suicide they will come up with a million reasons to suggest the causes, causes is termed as situations. It has never happened before and will never happen in the future that human beings can curtail any situation around
them 100% or will have any situation happen 100% in their favour. What need to be curtailed are human beings. You cannot transform a situation but you can transform human beings. I must commend the Vice Chairman, Dennis Deroop for inviting me to sharing my views with other stakeholders in the Region 6 district. The Region has a slogan that says to “CHOOSE LIFE” a perfect wording but it is only words. Isn’t it absurd to tell someone to choose life? You can share all the necessary literature, philosophy
and religious beliefs, but soon as you leave the individual they still have the entire situation to face all over again. Boyfriend, girlfriend, parents, spouses, drugs, alcohol, financial, political and I must mention the religious situations. It is sad to say that from your kindergarten to your PhD has anyone teaches you about life or what it means to be human? When I say life I am speaking about an inward dimension. It is a way to control your mind and your emotions. When someone says (Continued on page 5)
Friday October 28, 2016
The Auditor General’s Office is completely autonomous DEAR EDITOR; There seems to be a disturbing trend in which the findings of the Auditor General are coming under increasing attacks from Heads of Government Agencies. The most recent attack came from the Mayor of Georgetown who reportedly took strong objections to the AG’s Report regarding financial mismanagement at the City Council. Similar attacks were made by no other than the Finance Minister who even went further to insinu-
ate that the AG’s Report ought to have been cleared by him before being presented to the Speaker of the National Assembly. Such utterances do not bode well for accountability and transparency in Guyana and can only serve to undermine integrity and confidence in the Office of the Auditor General. The Office of the Auditor General is completely autonomous from the Government and for good reason. It is accountable only to Parliament
through the Public Accounts Committee before which all accounting officers of Government agencies are required to appear annually to explain any apparent breaches or infractions in the financial management of their respective agencies. The days when the Auditor General’s Report had to be cleared by the Finance Minister is long over and the Finance Minister of all persons ought to be perfectly aware of this new dispensation. Hydar Ally
Wedding destination tourism is a huge industry DEAR EDITOR, I read in one of the on-line newspapers that President Granger has announced that the Guyana Government will reduce the length of time it takes to get a marriage license in Guyana. This is great news. I am a Preston Bailey certified wedding destination planner and was part of a trade and investment mission which visited Guyana from the United States this past May. During my visit, which was to explore opportunities for developing Guyana as a wedding and special events destination, I raised the issue of the length of time it takes to get a marriage license with several officials including then Tourism Minister Cathy Hughes, Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Public
Security Minister Kemraj Ramjattan. I pointed out to these a n d other officials that Guyana has great potential to become a wedding, honeymoon and special events destination given several of its attributes including its rich and diverse ethnic, religious and cultural mosaic; its exotic flora and fauna; its interesting heritage sites including Kaieteur Falls and St. George’s Cathedral and its overall uniqueness as a country. This aspect of the tourism industry could be a major contributor to the Guyanese economy and to the sustained profitability of several private businesses. It will also assist in sustainable job creation. Wedding and special events destination tourism
is a multi-billion-dollar industry. The destination wedding market accounts for $300 billion annual spending. Worldwide, twenty four percent (24%) of couples will have a combined hous e h o l d i n come of $120,000 or more and sixteen (16) percent of marriages are destination weddings. Usually, guests visiting for weddings stay an average of four days and the couple for seven. I have been involved in the industry for over 27 years and look forward to pursuing my plans for making Guyana a first class wedding destination. Thanks to the Government of Guyana for having the foresight to amend the laws to accommodate the development Joy Agnes President/CEO Joy Agnes Events
Parenting determines the nature of... From page 4 something to you, your body releases c h e m i c a l s t h a t cause disturbances in your system. In other words what happens within you is 100% yours, so when you think that agitations, anger, hatred, anxiety and sadness is cause by outside forces you must know it is all yours. As there are tools and technologies to create comforts and conveniences for human beings to enjoy, there are tools and technologies to create inner well-being. If you learn to control your mind and emotions would you give permission
to anyone to create disturbance in your system? I am working with small groups and changes are happening but not fast enough. I wish for government’s intervention in formulating policies to effect this change. It is much work and explanation as to how to start. The tools and technology are in compliant with the United Nation 17 SDG, which is why I am offering my service on a vol-
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untary basis in creating well-being. I have a well structured idea as to how to implement this way of well-being. I can be reach a t vishnu.bhagwandin@yahoo.com for groups that may need my assistance. Please note that youths are humanity in the making, the kind of parents we have today determine the kind of generation we will have tomorrow. Vishnu Bhagwandin
Our continued commitment to the patients of Linden Hospital DEAR EDITOR; At the Linden Hospital Complex, our mission is to achieve the highest standards in the practice of medicine and to promote public health and safety. As such, the Administration is continuously working to ensure that all patients are provided with exceptional healthcare that meets their needs and the communities we serve. We strive to maintain the dignity and respect of our patients, staff and visitors at all times. Our Quality Assurance Department (QAD) is tasked with enhancing your experience by fostering an environment that is welcom-
ing and patient-centre. We encourage you to participate in improving our services by sharing your experiences with our QA Officer. All claims will be treated as a priority. Over the years we have made several strides by placing emphasis on experienced and focused medical staff. In light of a recent article that was published on October 5, 2016 to the editor of Kaieteur Newspaper titled “Serious Allegations against Linden Hospital Complex” a citizen stated several concerns. The Management of the Linden Hospital Complex takes these allegations very seriously and is working tire-
lessly to rectify such violations if or when they may have occurred. We would like to emphasize that all claims will be treated with utmost importance. We will continue to promote quality service which is top on the agenda for our patients. The hard working administration is dedicated to continuing the quality of our services to meet the health care needs of our patients through committed leadership, qualified staff and state of the art medical technology. Public Relations Dept. Linden Hospital Complex
Time to turn the tide on teen homicide DEAR EDITOR, The daily news in Guyana has finally earned Number 1 position on my list of life-reducing agents. Nary has a day passed by that I am not horrified mystified and succinctly stupefied on reading the disquieting headlines involving the denizens of formerly beautiful El Dorado. With stunning frequency, reports appear about one of the most perplexing of all crimes homicide committed by children. This brings me to my topic in question, which addresses not only a recent killing, but also the age and comportment of the perpetrator. Children are not born to kill, so along the way what has happened? Many will want to avoid discussion of this painful topic, for no one wants to believe that their child or any child for that matter at such a young age is capable of killing. As we all have an idealized version of childhood, we find child murderers so disturbing because we cannot possibly believe that children are so desperate that they would kill.
I vicariously experienced the awe and frustration of the interviewing law agents as they tried to extract the truth from the 14 year old, accused of being the mastermind behind the murder of Mahaicony business woman, Bibi Shairoon Ali. According to detectives involving in the investigation, the 14 year old was behaving like a hard core criminal. To quote one cop, “ “I could have sworn that he would have been the one to first confess but this banna holding out”. The barely youth, - a teenager - was certainly playing hard ball, and playing it well too, further implicating a 25 year old as his accomplice. In fact on account of his hardened if not brazen display of denial, the ranks were forced to seek additional time to interrogate him. While the obvious age disparity comes into immediate question, of equal and of more serious concern is an ascertainment of the level of mental functioning of a 25 year old who would not only develop a friendship with a fourteen year old, but in addition at the urgings of this minor allow himself to go on a “work” that allegedly re-
sulted in the senseless loss of human life. According to him he was home when the “little boy” came and called him. Granted the boy may have been little in size or age but demonstrably large in influence. One disturbing aspect of this alleged crime was that it was pre-planned. Surely, this criminal-type thinking and planning suits the profile of an adult, but hardly seems possible if not totally impossible to be executed by a 14 year old, assuming that he was involved. I will observe protocol and not comment on guilt since the case is yet to begin. Yet a murder took place. In April, 64 year old, Roger Manikam of Non Pareil was axed to death in a plot allegedly hatched by his 12 year old adopted daughter, his 18 year old biological daughter and carried out by her 18 year old boyfriend. Is there a cause for such horrific happenings? Is Guyana breeding a new generation of adolescent killers behaving like skilled predators? Is there a rational answer for these irrational acts? Incidentally, there has been a blatant omission regarding (Continued on page 6)
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17, 000 sugar workers cannot be abandoned by the State DEAR EDITOR; While it is good news for Guysuco that $5.4 billion dollars have been received from the EU’s Accompanying Measures Programme which will be utilized under the Action Programme, the average sugar worker is yet to understand how these monies are being spent in ways which will propel the Corporation on the road to profitability. It must be recalled that the Corporation achieved an unprecedented target going back to 11 years. It achieved 231,145 tonnes of sugar- exceeding the target by 3,702 tonnes. Despite this great achievement the sugar worker got a measly 3 day pay as bonus-no increase in wages and salaries. They produced and perished. The CEO had said that this achievement came about mainly because of motivated management, workers’ efforts and non-interference from politicians of the Government. What he failed to mention is the fact that the Corporation was reaping the
rewards of improvements done under the PPP/C Government. The bailout and the EU funds were well spent by that Government. It must be recalled also that the Corporation would normally be bringing forward canes to keep the mills grinding. This did not happen in 2015; there was adequate supply of canes to the mills and the crop husbandry methods had improved tremendously and this did not happen in 2015 only, it went back to the preceding years. Therefore, to simply attribute the Corporation’s improvement in 2015 to a change of the Board of Directors just defies simple logical deductions, especially when one looks at the huge increase in the bailout amounts. It has moved from an annual amount of $6 billion under the PPP/C to $12 billion in 2015 to $12.5 billion in 2016. This is so despite unconscionable closing of the Wales Sugar Estates. The fact is that
the billions are now being spent on building roads and nonsensical diversification programmes. It is commonsense that a company must never diverse in an area in which it lacks the necessary skills and knowledge. Why not stay with sugar and make the necessary investments? Stick with what you know more about and for which you are better suited. Why not use the Wales Estate to produce cane juice which can be bottled or canned for the local and export markets? There is a huge demand for this and the price is far greater than sugar while the production cost will be far lesser. This Board will eventually sound the death knell of the sugar industry. In addition, I have been reliably informed that Guysuco is exporting sugar to a Trinidadian firm which in turn exports it to the USA and other countries for a lucrative price of $700 US dollars per tonne. Why not Guysuco embarking on supplying this
Time to turn the tide on teen... From page 5 the parent(s) of the teen. Was he living an independent life, fending for himself, receiving victuals for labour expended and extended? If this is the case then the finger of blame may need to have another digit added. All the talking, incentives, seminars, youth movements, programmes, etc. etc. have been relegated to mere rhetoric as the problem continues to plague our land. Without the risk of evoking any form of ire, could the question be asked; “Who or what is to blame? One of the very rarely discussed or accepted reasons why there may be more homicidal behavior among such young children is the cutback in mental health facilities. As a result of such an occurrence there are more and more extremely disturbed
people who are trying to raise children with very few supports.’’ Currently there appears to be an apparent deficit in moral teaching. No longer does the society believe in the existence of absolute right and wrong. The line between right and wrong is nebulous. Politicians and those in office past and present have also created their own kind of moral relativism. Relativity should not be confused with relativism as is sometimes done mistakenly but perhaps inevitably. Plainly expressed relativism is the belief that there are no absolutes, in values, morality, government, law or justice. Even Albert Einstein, the scientist believed that there was a God who created absolute law and order. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet Act 1 Scene 5, Hamlet sadly observes, “the time (state of
affairs) is out of joint”. How applicable to present day Guyana. Education entails much more than reading, writing, arithmetic and science. It must also focus, to a significant extent on morals, virtues and values, and show adolescents how to live. The current behavior of our teens may be somewhat attributable to our failure to teach our young people right from wrong. In a ricochet- type response, the cold hard reality is that children are no longer being taught right from wrong because the adults no longer know or display what is right and wrong. Our moral compass has malfunctioned, and the society has become fragmented with no consensus on absolute moral values. Bitter pill to swallow, but the truth will set us all free. Effective moral teaching and discipline begins at home. Child abuse is not being advocated, but parents must love and lovingly discipline their children. To properly raise a child requires great love and a lot of time. Sadly, today many are unwilling to put in the time necessary to raise a law-abiding citizen. Broken families are another contributing factor to the rise in youth crime. It has been statistically proven that the majority of teens implicated in criminal activities came from divorced or singleparent families. Yvonne Sam.
market? This Trinidad Company is actually making a profit of $300 US dollars per tonne. These quotas are given to cronies who give handsome kickbacks. This is another type of corruption which affects the profitability of the industry. Moreover, with increased bailouts, a motivated management, no political interference and a new Board the sugar production for the first crop has fallen by 30%. The Corporation has only achieved 56,645 tons of the budgeted 80,269 tonnes- a massive decline of 23,624 tonnes. Many factors were suggested ranging from the adverse El Nino conditions, delays in tillage, planting and crop husbandry operations, however, many of these factors if not all are controllable and should have been addressed by a proactive Board and management. Are we to believe that the annual target was set at 241,000 tonnes without due consideration to these fac-
tors? Even in an El Nino situation fields can be irrigated to alleviate the negative effects on the sugar canes. The decline of 12.25 tonnes of canes per hectare could have been lower if proper crop husbandry was done. What was the Chairman of the Board doing? What were the CEO and his management team doing? How can efficiency and productivity be increased when the workers’ wages are declining and their standard of living is being eroded with each passing day? Will this motivate 17,000 workers to be committed to work? Will this boost their morale? This will initiate a vicious circle much to the detriment of the sugar industry but I guess this is the aim of this Government since the Commission of Inquiry has stated in no uncertain terms that Guysuco will be privatized within the next couple of years. In conclusion, the Government must give some assistance to the sugar workers
by even subsidizing their electricity and water bills. This can lessen the impact of the current wage freeze situation which has no solution in sight. This is being done in Linden where an annual electricity subsidy of $3 billion dollars is being given by the Government. Sugar workers gave more than $100 billion dollars as sugar levy from 1974 to 2003 yet today they are being treated most unfairly. This punitive measure resulted in the decline of the sugar industry or else today it would have been more competitive. Therefore, it is the duty of this Government to do that if they are truly interested to save the sugar industry. The 17,000 workers are the life blood of the industry and they must be assisted to stem their increased cost of living in order to resuscitate the industry and initiate its survival. Workers must not be penalized for the current state of Guysuco Haseef Yusuf
The parking meter thing is not a contract but a deal DEAR EDITOR, The recent attempt via the letters column of the Kaieteur News newspaper by the Town Clerk of Georgetown, Mr. Royston King to respond to the concerns expressed by the Deputy Mayor of Georgetown Mr. Sherod Duncan, only serves to show further, what a narrow-minded person Royston King is. Let us be clear, all of King’s actions in depriving the Deputy Mayor of the trappings that go along with the Office of the Mayor when Duncan was carrying out those duties, and which necessitated the intervention of the Minister of Communities, have nothing to do with any attempt by King to subscribe to the rule of law or to do what is just or right, it is vindictiveness because Mr. Duncan has been highlighting the incompetence and unsuitability of King for the job of Chief Administrative Officer of the Georgetown Municipality. King’s endless interpretations and references to the law is laughable, as first of all he is no lawyer nor does he have any legal training, a prerequisite qualification for the Job of Town Clerk which he only got because of his friends in the old Council, whist Duncan whom he accuses of being ignorant of the law and duties of office bearers has a Bachelor’s of Law Degree. But more importantly, every citizen of Georgetown knows that the Mayor and Councillors of the City of
Georgetown, as a body, is the most lawless entity in the country, and therefore King could not be serious in what he is saying. First, King talks about the Gala Bash that he held at the Guyana Pegasus Hotel under the guise that he was holding it for the hard working nurses of the City Council, an occasion that he used to fete his friends, cohorts and colleagues at a significant cost to the ratepayers of the city. The point that he is missing that the Deputy Mayor made was that such an event could have been held at one of facilities of the Council or the Government at a considerably lower cost but equally enjoyable to the participants. After not paying that hotel for a substantial period subsequent to the event, he, King served to bring the Council into further disrepute. But of course we all know that King has a Champagne taste whilst the Council has a “Mauby” budget. Secondly, I can’t believe that Royston King has the gall to refer again to the odious parking meter contract. He seems not to realize that it is only the ‘Gang of Four’ and Smart City Solutions think it is a wonderful contract. The Ministry of Finance, the Attorney General’s Office, the GCCI, the PSC, TIGI, religious bodies, civil society and just about everyone else, expressed grave concern about the lack of transparency and other appalling aspects of
this deal. And a deal it is. But he only jumps at the Deputy Mayor. It is of little importance whether the contract was negotiated in 1995 or 2016, what is important is that it is a terrible contract that will fill the pockets of a few whilst bringing considerable hardship on all motorists and which will eventually kill commerce in our capital. Now about the Auditor General’s report; if things are as honky dory at City Hall as King is trying to make it appear in his letter, then why does he not get private competent, forensic auditors to examine the Council’s books from the time when rubber cheques were tendered and encashed years ago by a senior officer at a cashier at the City Treasurer’s Department and nothing was done about it, up to now. But of course King would never do that because he and Guyana knows why. The questions I would like Mr. Duncan to ask at the next Statutory Meeting of the Council, is why Royston King refuses to proceed on his accumulated vacation leave, which has piled up over years now and which is in clear violation of the rules of the Council, the very rules he likes to quote so very much?. Is he sitting on something that would blow, the minute he is away from his desk? And when will Council’s workers receive their October salaries? In time for Christmas? Sean Moniz
Friday October 28, 2016
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2017 budget estimates approved for Constitutional agencies, commissions By Kiana Wilburg The 2017 current and capital estimates for constitutional agencies and commissions were passed in the National Assembly yesterday. The motion for consideration of the estimates was moved by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. The House subsequently resolved itself into the Committee of Supply to facilitate this process. House Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland guided the members on how the proceedings would take place. He noted that given an agreement made in the Business Subcommittee, there would be no debate on the budget proposals. He said that the Finance Minister would give his remarks and recommendations on the proposed estimates for the constitutional agencies and commissions. The House Speaker said that Members of the House would be allowed to reply to Jordan’s comments. PARLIAMENTOFFICE The first agency up for consideration was the Parliament. The budget request for this office for the year 2017 was $1,723,483,000. However, the Finance Minister said that in keeping with the law, his recommendation for this agency would be $1,519,506,000. He said that his recommendation was based on Government’s fiscal profile which it has been able to develop for 2017, as well as assumptions made for revenue expenditure and borrowing. Perhaps in anticipation of
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan
PPP Chief Whip Gail Teixeira
Opposition MP Irfaan Ali
the questions and comments that would come from the Opposition, Jordan sought to make it clear that budget proposals by any agency, constitutional or not, are just that – proposals. He said that those proposals have to be subjected to scrutiny, whether it is by the National Assembly, ultimately; by the agency itself (in the case of the Constitutional agencies) or by the Ministry of Finance, as it relates to the nonconstitutional agencies. Jordan said that at the end of the day, all the budgetary requests made by the agencies have to be matched against the revenue profile that the Government would have developed, as well as the nation’s capacity to borrow. The Finance Minister reminded too that once the sum is approved, the budgets of constitutional agencies cannot be varied downwards, only upwards, unlike the case with other agencies. Jordan said that if there is a crisis, the budgets of other agencies could be varied downwards. This cannot occur in the case of a Constitutional agency. The
Finance Minister stressed that his views in this regard will be the same for the other agencies as they appear for consideration by the Committee of Supply. First on the floor from the Opposition People’s Progressive Party was its Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira. She said that her side of the House differed strongly with the comments made by the Finance Minister regarding his interpretation of what he can and cannot do with the constitutional bodies. Teixeira reminded the House, that Parliament’s proposed budget estimate was cut in 2016 and Jordan’s amendment was approved. Yesterday was essentially déjà vu for the Opposition member, as she pointed out that the Parliament office has presented a proposal of $1,723,483,000 and Jordan has cut it to $1,519,506,000. She then challenged Jordan to say why he was cutting some $200M from the proposed estimates of the Parliament. “The citizens are watching us. I am therefore asking him (Finance Minister) to enlighten us and the citizens. Why are you cutting $200M from the Parliament?”
In defence of the Finance Minister, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge said that there has been no time where the Parliament Office or any of the other offices made proposals which have been approved without scrutiny. Greenidge also emphasised that there is no cut, and objected to use of the term. He stressed too, that the request from the agency does not constitute a requirement. Despite Greenidge’s contention, Teixeira held fast to her opinion. “I know the word ‘cut’ hurts…But the fact remains that the agencies proposed one sum and it has been amended,” the Chief Whip said. Jordan did not answer Teixeira’s question. Instead, he stated that he has conformed to the law in presenting his remarks and recommendations, and did not wish to go beyond. Opposition Member Irfaan Ali was not satisfied with this. Ali said that the Finance Minister has a duty and a responsibility to respond to the questions of the Opposition. He said that the Opposition’s questions are merely based on Jordan’s
remarks and assumptions. “All we want is for the nation to understand what are the assumptions used to cut the proposed budget for the Parliament,” Ali stated. In spite of the Opposition’s call for answers in this regard, the recommended $1.5B for the Parliament Office was passed. OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL The proposed estimate for this agency was $771,215,000. The Finance Minister maintained his opening remarks and recommended for the Audit Office, the sum of $754,910,000. Ali, as head of the Public Accounts Committee, sought to justify the reasons why the Audit Office had proposed that sum. He was, however, stopped in his tracks by the Speaker of the House, who reminded Ali that his actions were not in keeping with the agreed order in which the Committee of Supply would operate. There were repeated questions from the Opposition seeking for Jordan to justify why the proposed sum for the Office was reduced. The Finance Minister however, maintained what he stated in his opening remarks that the sums recommended were in keeping with the revenue profile of the nation. The sum of $754.9M was subsequently put to a vote and passed by the House. OTHERAGENCIES The Opposition’s questions surrounding the amendments to the proposed 2017 budget estimates of other constitutional agencies were also given the same answer by the Finance Minister. The Public and Police
Service Commission requested $95M, but Jordan’s recommended sum was $91M. The latter was subsequently approved. The Teaching Service Commission requested $150M, but it was Jordan’s suggested $123,952,000 that was passed by the National Assembly. The proposed budget for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was $5,822,974,000. However, this was amended to $2,029, 932,000 and was approved for passage by the House. Jordan said that at first glance, there seems to be a significant reduction compared to allocations in 2015 and 2016. He said, however, that those were election seasons. The Finance Minister said that since there is no election for 2017, the sum was amended. In the case of the Supreme Court, there was a proposed budget request of $2,033,313,000. Granted by the House, however, was the sum of $1,766,079,000. The Finance Minister noted that should there be a need for additional funds, a supplementary financial paper would be brought before the House once the money is available and necessary. The Public Prosecutions Office requested $206,258,000. Approved by the majority in the House was $168,357,000. The Office of the Ombudsman for 2017 was given $48,311,000. The House also approved the sum of $12,499,000 for the Public Service Appellate Tribunal. The Ethnic Relations Commission and the Judicial Service Commission received $84,982,000 and $10,020,000 (Continued on page 16)
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AG’s findings at Education Ministry…
Contractor still to supply $10M in equipment eight years later Eight years on and a contractor is yet to supply the Ministry of Education with over $10 million in equipment. This situation has been highlighted in the 2015 Auditor General Report. Although the Report does not name the defaulting contractor it did reveal that in 2008, the Ministry entered into a contract in the sum of $18.470 million for the supply of equipment for Technical/ Vocational Projects. However, the contractor failed to honour the terms of the agreement, even though the Ministry had paid over the full contract sum. According to the Report, “at the time of reporting in September 2016, equipment valued at $10.545 million had not been received, even though eight years have elapsed since the signing of the agreement and payment of the contract price.” The Ministry, in respond-
ing to the findings, disclosed that it has engaged the Ministry of Legal Affairs for guidance on the way forward. The Audit Office has urged that the Ministry continue to monitor the proceedings in this matter. The Auditor General has over the years been repeating this predicament annually, but there has been no reported attempt by the contractor to honour the agreed upon commitment. In 2013, this publication had reported that failure to supply millions of dollars worth of equipment for Technical/Vocational Projects to the Ministry of Education had landed a contractor in court. The report was in reference to this aforementioned defaulting contractor. It was reported that the Ministry had taken the supplier to court for a total refund of the remaining sum of $10.545 million, but evidently
this did not materialise. Meanwhile, this year’s Audit Report has highlighted that the Ministry was still to recover overpayments made to contractors totalling $1.485 million, with respect to schools, for the years 2010 and 2012, which remained outstanding. According to the Audit Report, a sum of $398,000 was overpaid for works carried out on the Information Technology Laboratory at Charity Secondary school, while the sum of $202,000 was overpaid for works at the Central Corentyne Secondary School. An additional sum of $885,000 was overpaid for works on the New Wing of the Patentia Secondary School. The Report has pointed out that the Head of Budget Agency has indicated that the Ministry continues to seek guidance from the Finance Secretary on the way forward. The Audit Office has however, recommended that the Ministry “follow-up these matters to ensure that the overpayments are recovered and the matters brought to closure”.
IDB approves US$8M to help reduce maternal, infant mortality rates
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved an US$8 million loan for a programme to help reduce maternal, perinatal and neonatal deaths in Guyana. This programme, according to information disseminated by the IDB, seeks to improve the quality of care at 140 health facilities and in 88 communities, benefitting at least 140,000 women and 9,000 newborns per year. Despite progress achieved during the last decade, Guyana continues to experience one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a maternal
mortality rate estimated at 121 per 1,000 live births and an infant mortality rate at 22 per 1,000 live births. Given that about 93 percent of deaths in children less than one year of age occurred in the neonatal period, the programme will support and improve maternal and child health care with a focus on improving access to quality neonatal health services and providing a better path to and quality of reproductive and maternal health services. This operation draws from the IDB’s experiences with the Mesoamerican Health Initiative and incorporates lessons learned on evidence-
based biomedical and operational interventions. It will closely monitor results to ensure that those interventions can contribute to the success of the programme. The total cost of the project is US$8 million to be financed as follows: US$4 million from the IDB’s ordinary capital resources and US$4 million from the Fund for Special Operations (FSO) of the Bank. The loan from the Bank’s ordinary capital has a six-year grace period and a 30year term. The FSO funding has a term of 40 years with a 40-year grace period and a fixed annual rate of 0.25 percent.
Bauxite sector instrumental in Guyana’s economy - Minister Raphael Trotman The bauxite centenary committee on Wednesday held its symposium at the Linmine constabulary hall under the theme “Is bauxite going to be an economic pillar for Guyana for the next century?” Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman in reflecting on the theme said that it was apt and timely, as the Bauxite sector has been and will continue to be instrumental in the development of Guyana’s economy. In alluding to the hundreds of years of bauxite reserves left in the region, Trotman noted that the calculation is positive for the residents of Region Ten, as well as Guyana as a whole. He added that there has been an increase in bauxite production by some thirty eight thousand tonnes as of September 30th 2016 in comparison to the same period last year. For 2016 the current total college mined is 1,138,182 tonnes, Trotman said. “However for us to continue to benefit from the industry we must reflect on its successes and failures and implement measures to transform the industry by utilizing new technology, thus in-
creasing production figures and value added products.” The Minister reflected on the genesis of bauxite mining in 1916, and its evolution over the years. He alluded too, to the period when bauxite was much in demand, during World War Two, and expressed optimism that those days of demand would return, with the industry’s ability to respond to such a demand. Trotman detailed that today, the industry has transitioned from being nationalized to becoming completely privatized. “Our bauxite industry has benefitted from more than US$180 million of capital investments for the period 2005 to 2014. Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc has investments of US$92 million while Bosai Minerals has investments of US$88 million. “Meanwhile First Bauxite Operation, a Canadian company, has been granted a fiftyyear land lease through its local subsidiary Guyana Industrial Minerals Inc, and they have completed and submitted a technical report and feasibility study for the Bonasika project, which we are still considering.” Those engaged in the
panel discussions were Mr. Newell Dennison, acting commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission; Dr. Samuel Hinds, former Prime Minister; Mr. Sylvester Carmichael former marketing manager of BIDCO; Major General (retired) Norman Mc Lean; Company Secretary Victor Wright, board member of the SET foundation, and member of the bauxite century committee Cassey Singh, a RUSAL representative. Among those attending the event were Regional Chairman Renis Morian, Mayor Carwyn Holland, as well as secondary school students and teachers. After the panelists had made their presentations on whether or not the theme could be supported, the floor was open to members of the audience for questions and suggestions. Among those asking questions and offering suggestions were trade unionist Lincoln Lewis, former bauxite employees Steve Bovell and Charles Sampson, and Rusal employee Emmanuel Barkoi. Bauxite centennial activities continued yesterday with the unveiling of four centennial stamps by the Guyana Post Office Corporation at Three Friends Mines, where bauxite was first mined.
Friday October 28, 2016
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Kaieteur News
The division within the Hindu community For the second year running, there is division over the date for the annual Diwali celebrations. The main Hindu Organization in Guyana says Diwali should be celebrated on a particular day. The government, claiming that it has been advised by Hindu organizations, says that Diwali should be celebrated one day earlier. This was the same masquerade that played out last year. The majority of Guyanese ignored the government-declared holiday and celebrated Diwali in accordance with the date that the Dharmic Sabha had prescribed. However, it did cause consternation within the Hindu community. The government has once again gone ahead and declared a holiday for Diwali this year which is not in accordance with the wishes of the major Hindu organization in the country. The government
seems to not be very interested in trying to achieve consensus on this issue. It opens itself to criticism that it is encouraging division within the Hindu community. How is it that under the PPPC, there was never such a division? Why now? Why suddenly when there is a new APNU+AFC government in place there is division on one of the most important festivals on the Hindu calendar? The PNCR, which is part of APNU, likes to boast that Burnham was the architect of social cohesion. It claims that it was Burnham who made Diwali a national holiday. It therefore lays claim to forging respect for all the major religions of Guyana. So why now is it not making more strenuous efforts to stop this division over the date when Diwali should be observed? Is it part of a political strategy to divide the Hindu community? If this is
so, then all the talk about social cohesion is mere wishwash. The government is clearly leaning towards the opinions of certain Hindu leaders, however miniscule their support base, who are of the opinion that Diwali should be held one day earlier than the date declared by the Dharmic Sabha. The government is being disingenuous, and perhaps naughty, in ignoring the submission of the major Hindu organization in Guyana. The actions of the government are divisive. The government is making a mockery of its own objective of social cohesion. It is creating discontent and confusion within the Hindu community in Guyana. The division over the date of Diwali should not have occurred again this year. The government is shooting itself in the foot. The coalition won the elections because it en-
Region Eight fuel records highlight countless irregularities
For years, the Office of the Auditor General has been experiencing difficulties tracking Region Eight’s procurement of fuel, as the region has not been engaging in proper record keeping. With no evident sign of improvement, Auditor General Deodat Sharma, in his 2015 report, has yet again highlighted the anomaly. Sharma reported that the Regional Administration expended $27.422M on the procurement of fuel and lubricants for 2015. This was done on a credit basis from a local representative of the Guyana Oil Company in the Region. However, reconciliations of payments made against fuel and lubricants received by the Region were not done. As a result, Sharma said that it was difficult to determine if the Region received all fuel and lubricants paid for. Sharma reported that “similar observations were made in previous year’s re-
ports.” Sharma said that the Regional Administration indicated that it is currently putting systems in place to ensure proper reconciliations are being done. He once again recommended that the Regional Administration take action to introduce measures for strict control over acquisitions of fuel, while implementing a process of monthly reconciliation with the supplier. Another issue Sharma pointed to was the fact that the Regional Administration was still to recover overpayments to the tune of $4.710M made to contractors during
the years 2011 and 2012. Overpayments were made to contractors who did repairs to Kanapang Teacher’s Quarters, Hand Rail Bridge at Mahdia, Revetment at Mahdia Dorms, Kato Cottage Hospital Fence Repairs, Micobie Bridge and Kato Bridge. The Region explained that the overpayments were investigated and the contractors were written to. However, to date no repayment was made. The Regional Administration said that it will now engage the Ministry of Communities on the way forward.
joyed sufficient support from Indo-Guyanese to narrowly pip the PPPC. The AFC was seen as the party which brought that support over to the coalition. The AFC is now embroiled in this division over the date of Diwali. It is alienating the very supporters which it needs to ensure a victory for the coalition the second time around. The Hindu community has not yet protested over what is happening. But it would be dishonest for anyone to claim that there is not major discontent over this decision. The government should have made strenuous efforts
to end this division. There was no need for the problem from last year to reoccur. The government will be blamed for this state of affairs. The public will point to the fact that under the PPPC, there was never a voice raised in protest over the date of Diwali. So how come suddenly the government is being advised by sections of the Hindu community to keep Diwali on a date not shared by the major Hindu organization in Guyana? One possible explanation could be that it is the major Hindu organization that is the source of the problem? But what can be the motivation of
the organization on such an issue? And would such a decision not alienate its own membership? The government, in the final analysis, will have to take the blame for not trying hard enough to resolve this problem, which may have been of its own creation.
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Friday October 28, 2016
Kaieteur News
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
Why do we remain so backward? I was shopping downtown yesterday for a scratching post for my cat. Christmas music was playing in some of the stores. It jolted me into the conscious awareness that the year which has just “begun” is ending. It seems to me that 2016 just started. As I walked out of one of the stores, suddenly I started to think about how life is quickly moving and people of my age do not have many more years to do all the things we would have liked to do. Then an incident occurred right in front of me. As I moved toward my car, I saw a traffic cop and a driver
in an argument. The policeman had the driver’s documents in his hands and words were being exchanged. There and then the compelling thought resurfaced; that time is moving too quickly and I will not live long enough to see a post-modern Guyana. There and then I felt a touch of sadness, not for me but for Guyana. I didn’t stop to listen to the exchange but I thought about how backward my country is. I will do a column (maybe tomorrow or the next day or next week) on the things I have regrets about. And certainly Guyana’s back-
wardness will be all over the article. I am simply pained that I did not enjoy a modern Guyana when I spent 26 years teaching at UG. I recall an incident in Canada in 1980. A group of graduate students from the University of Toronto were stopped by a traffic cop. The driver was Jamaican. I was the only Guyanese in the car. What you are about to read will live in my mind until I die, once I remain in Guyana. It was a culture shock to me. The cop took the documents from the driver and went to his squad car. On his return, he handed the driver his stuff and waved us on. Poor me; an unexposed Guyanese from a poor country hadn’t a clue about what went on. I asked. The cop radioed in the name, the driver’s licence number and the licence plate of the car, to ascertain if they corresponded with what he had in his hand. There is a central office where there is a database that would give traffic cops who call in, the information they want on a driver’s licence. Now, just a tiny digression that you will find hard to believe. One of the persons in that car had a brother who actually worked at the time in that office, and
he would relay back the details to the traffic cops who call in. It was an amazing coincidence for me. This incident took place 36 years ago. I returned to Guyana in 1984 and lived here since. And since 1984, there is absolutely no way a traffic cop on the road could find out if a licence in front of him is bogus, and that he has stopped one of the most dangerous killers in Guyana. The killer talks nicely, begs for a chance, the cop lets him go and the killer lives to kill on another day. It is this kind of backwardness I regret and deeply so; it is the angst it brings that has tempted me to do a column on the things I regret in my life now that I am over sixty years of age. Why is this land so un-mod-
ern and we are in the year 2016 which is sixteen years beyond the 20th century? Nigel McKenzie, the deputy editor of this newspaper, told me that the street lights have gone out in large areas on the main highways on the East Bank and West Coast Demerara. This should come as no surprise to any citizen. I am in total confusion as a non-technical person as to why the lamps go out and remain like that for years. Electrical engineering is no big science. In a technical school on the same level with a high school, students are taught the science electrical engineering in most countries. What is so complicated with an electrical system of a country that the lights of the main highways cannot remain
Frederick Kissoon alight for three or four or five consecutive years? To see the primitive nature of Guyana, come to Turkeyen where I live. The GPL technicians come once each month and the technicians fix the lights on the UG Road from the Atlantic highway right to the entrance of Cyril Potter’s College. Two nights later, the lights go out. This happens all the time.
Dem boys seh...
De World Bank gun now see de tender board Is a long time people realize that when dem hear bout tender, dem hear bout dishonesty. A company would submit a tender and wait fuh de results. When de tender box open de man find out that he had de lowest bid but he still don’t get de contract. He gun grumble as was de case when dem had a bid fuh that hotel next door to de Gouveia place across de road from de US embassy. A man put in a bid but somebody did done cook-up de situation. When dem open de tender, de man had de second highest bid because de man who offer de most money was mekking joke. De next thing you know is de man get a call telling him to back off.
When he talk, he nearly lose everything. Jagdeo and Brazzy tell him if he only open he mouth he would not even get to collect anything from he project. Of course, this is a man who can’t read and write good, but de letter he send to Brazzy explaining how he never tell de Waterfalls paper nutten bout de bid, was in perfect English. But de tender board continue wid this stupidness till dem meet up wid a man name Ceres. He put in a bid, but some people did done know who dem want to give de contract. De bid people tell him how he ain’t qualify. Ceres open he mouth one time and de next thing de people tell him is that he qualify. He didn’t tek that, be-
cause he done know that dem would mek he feel he important even as dem ignore he bid. He complain to de people who got control and all of a sudden de tender people get nervous. Ceres ain’t stop there; he write to de World Bank to complain. Is now all de dutty linen gun get expose. Now de tender deh pun hold because de people who dem want give de contract done mess up plenty things in Guyana. De Hope Canal Bridge bruck up. Is now dem boys understand why de government did always want to have a say. Talk half and watch how de good people gun win de contracts.
Friday October 28, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Swimming Pool Company accuses City Council of bribery - City Hall says claims “utterly false and malicious” Four large swimming pools lodged on the city’s parapets along Sheriff Street were removed by City Council yesterday, as the entity took steps to get rid of encumbrances on the municipality’s reserve, in the Section ‘K’ Campbellville area. However, Amazonia Swimming Pool Company Guyana, the company that owns the pools said City Hall’s actions were premature. A representative of the company, Shelliza Allie, said a City Council employee contacted her on Monday October 17 at 7:30pm. The individual identified himself as Colvern Venture, Chief City Engineer. Allie said she was informed that the company was in breach of the law, by displaying swimming pools on the outside of the building. She added that she was invited to a meeting to discuss the issue in order to meet an amicable solution. However Allie did not attend the meeting. Allie added that the company could not understand what amicable solution would arise from the company breaking the law. Moreover, Allie said the company felt as if they were being asked indi-
rectly to offer bribes to officials to turn a blind eye to this situation. It was added that the council, through Venture, was informed that the company would comply and remove the swimming pools. However the company representative noted that her entity was never served with a notice. Allie said Venture informed her on Monday October 24, last, via whatsapp messages, that if he served the notice the company would have 48 hours to comply before action is taken by the council. The woman said she told Chief Engineer that the company is in process of moving the pools, but needed the notice for their records and for the landlord of the premises. Allie said she asked for up to tomorrow (Saturday October 29), to remove the pools, and was granted such time by Venture, who informed her that council was aware of the time granted and that the issue was being discussed by the committee at the time. The woman said the company proceeded to move the pools, but the truck they were using experienced mechanical failure. Allie added that she
was called by a colleague who informed her that the Town Clerk, Royston King, was undertaking an exercise to destroy and dump the swimming pools. “When our workmen and security arrived, two pools valued over 17 million dollars were already removed from the premises. Mr. Langevine ,who was in charge of the operation, refused to speak with me to explain the situation. He told the security that he ‘will not speak to no f…ing body on the phone.’” Allie said. However City Hall is telling an entirely different story. Debra Lewis, Public Relations Officer (PRO) at City Hall, when informed of the claims made by the company, deemed the statements as “utterly false and malicious”. Lewis said that last week Thursday, the City Engineer, Superintendent Langevine and herself, conducted site visits at two locations where encumbrances were identified - Amazonia Swimming Pool Company Guyana, was one of them. The PRO added that several residents in the area had complained to City Hall about the location of the pools. Lewis said that while complaints were made, the
The pools belonging to Amazonia Swimming Pool Company Guyana are seen here at the City Council’s Princes Street facility council was already monitoring the situation. The official added that via a telephone number displayed on the fence of the premises, contact was made with a female individual. Lewis said at the time of her visit there were only two pools displayed outside, the pools, she noted, were blocking the drains and were a traffic hazard to anyone trying to manoeuvre in the area. This, she said, prompted the council to take action. Lewis said that Amazonia Swimming Pool Company Guyana is not the only com-
pany being looked at. She noted that a Campbellville businessman, who used to place cold storage containers on the roadway was also asked to remove them. She said that the businessman complied almost immediately. Lewis noted that the businessman attended the meet-
ing as requested by City Hall, resulting in an amicable solution. City Mayor Patricia Chase-Green said that the owners of the pool can uplift them, once they pay the removal fees. T he pools are currently lodged at the municipality’s Stone Depot.
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Friday October 28, 2016
Kaieteur News
House green lights $2B subsidy for GuySuCo …to meet billion-dollar wage bill, pay creditors By Kiana Wilburg Despite benefitting from $9B at the start of the year, only to deliver a disappointing performance in less than eight months, the sugar industry is poised to receive yet another billion-dollar bailout. Last night, members of the National Assembly approved some $2B for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). The state-owned entity had initially stated that it desperately needed $3.5B. Kaieteur News understands that the approved subsidy is what the Government can afford at this time. The bailout was supported during the consideration of Financial Paper No. 3/2016 – Supplementary Estimates (Current and Capital) totaling $9,518,122,347. This paper was presented to the House by Finance Minister, Winston Jordan. Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder fielded questions
on the sugar sector from the PPP. He was asked by Opposition Member, Irfaan Ali what provision was made in the said subsidy for wage increases and incentives for the sugar workers. Ali also asked if subsequent to the El Niño effect on the sugar industry, if the production target for the sector was revised. Holder said that the target was indeed amended. He said that the target came down by 194,000 tonnes, which it is still hoping to achieve by the end of the year. The Parliamentarian said that this $2B subsidy is to help meet routine expenditure and it is in relation to the second crop for the sector. The Agriculture Minister said that these sums are required to pay wages in the sum of $1.2B; fuel costing $160M, fertilizers pegged at $464M and $176M for creditors. Holder was also asked by the Opposition to give a breakdown of the monies go-
ing towards wages. He said that the $1.2B is going to workers in both the factories and field. He undertook to provide further information in this regard in a week’s time. The Opposition accepted this. The allocated sum subsequently received the support of the members of the House. According to statistics from the Ministry of Finance for the first half of the year, the Guyana Sugar Corporation recorded an operating surplus of $2.9 billion, down from an operating surplus of $3.0 billion for the same period last year. This surplus, it said, was inflated by a $9 billion transfer from the Central Government to finance operations. Without this transfer, the Ministry of Finance noted that GuySuCo’s true position would be a deficit of $6 billion. In the future, the Finance Ministry said that all Central Government transfers will be shown as financing, instead of being included as part of revenues. Furthermore, it was noted that by the end of the first half of this year, GuySuCo’s pro-
duction was 56,645 tonnes. This was recorded as a reduction of 23,624 tonnes from the budgeted 80,269 tonnes and also down from 2015’s halfyear production of 81,143 tonnes. The Ministry of Finance said that this shortfall was reflected in a decline in export sales, from a budgeted amount of 58,272 tonnes to an actual of 49,278 tonnes, compared with 77,000 tonnes realized in the same period last year. It noted that the El Niño weather phenomenon, which resulted in stunted cane growth and a decline in cane yields from 57.45 tonnes cane per hectare (tc/ha) in the first crop of 2015 to 45.2 tc/ha in 2016, as well as delays in tillage, planting, and crop husbandry operations, were some of the factors that contributed to this state of affairs. Significantly, the Ministry of Finance said that sales to Caricom and the European Union (EU), of bagged sugar, as well as sales to Caricom of Packaged Gold sugar, were the most affected. It said that the industry continues to be plagued by many problems, including an increase in the prices of several inputs such as fertilizers, and these have had a nega-
Agriculture Minister, Noel Holder tive effect on the company’s ability to realize sufficient cash to cover its operating costs. The Ministry stated, “GuySuCo has taken several steps to address some of its challenges, including negotiating with Tate and Lyle for better prices for sales to the EU market; pursuing studies to inform diversification into areas such as other crops, fruits, aquaculture, rice, dairy and livestock to reduce dependence on sugar; and rationalizing its operations for increased efficiency and productivity.” Additionally, various stakeholders within the industry recently gathered for
an important meeting which saw discussions on the worrying financial future of the sugar industry. The stakeholders included a high level team from GuySuCo as well as representatives from the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union, the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees and the Guyana Labour Union. Kaieteur News understands that a comprehensive presentation was done by the GuySuCo team, where the 47 representatives were provided with production and financial data from 2010 to year 2025. The information presented indicated a very discouraging future for the sugar industry, where the Corporation is projecting losses of approximately $14.195 Billion in 2016 and further losses of $13.758 Billion in 2017. The Unions’ representatives were encouraged to submit their thoughts on how the industry could secure the future well-being of the approximately 17,000 employees and their families, as well as ensuring the profitability of the business. It was subsequently agreed that a team comprising representatives from the three Unions would meet with a team from GuySuCo to get a deeper appreciation of the financial and other data which were provided.
Friday October 28, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Speaker again urges MPs to conduct House matters with decorum, dignity By Kiana Wilburg The need for Members of Parliament (MPs) to conduct the business of the House with a sense of decorum and dignity was once again underscored by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr. Barton Scotland, yesterday. The Speaker said that the nation has been observing the activities of the house a n d h a s s i n c e been disapproving of the conduct of some MPs. Dr. Scotland told the House that he felt obliged to bring the matter to their attention. “During the recess, I have been paying close attention to our daily publications, especially the letter columns. In reading the relevant pieces, I have sought to pay more attention to the message rather than the messenger. The messenger, of course,
comes from that vast body of persons who are our fellow citizens; our fellow Guyanese on whose behalf we all swore to act in this House for a better Guyana.” Dr. Scotland reminded that in his announcements in the House on August 17, 2015, he had pointed out to the Members of Parliament that they bear an obligation to conduct the business of the National Assembly, in the sight of our citizens, with stateliness and respectability, with reverence for each other, whether in debates or in other exchanges in the Assembly. “Since that time honourable members, I must tell you that many of our fellow citizens have been paying attention to all of our activities and as I indicated, some hold themselves in a position to comment on our proceedings. I must tell you that some comments made by
our fellow citizens have been disapproving of certain honourable members of this House,” Dr. Scotland asserted. The House Speaker said that some correspondents felt that the language of interaction used by Members of Parliament is oftentimes spoken in a tone that is lacking in politeness, designed to embarrass, and sometimes filled with acrimony. “Our citizens are our judges and I invite you work towards a change,” Dr. Scotland emphasised. The Speaker has quite often found himself appealing to Members of Parliament to engage “in a clean debate.” At times, he was even forced to slam his gavel to call the House to order, given the harsh trading of insults. Often he implored, “Members, I am certain we can use better
House Speaker, Dr. Barton Scotland language, we can do better than that in this Honourable House.” But it is usually like throwing the proverbial water on duck’s back. In fact, members during the last budget debates were so caught up in their trading of insults that they often
forgot to extend the courtesy of being silent when the Speaker was addressing the House. Several Parliamentarians throughout the debates expressed that they felt the National Assembly was being transformed into a fish market, given the behaviour of some members. Speaking to the issue, Prime Minister and Leader of the House, Moses Nagamootoo had said that he believes that members on both sides could have done a better job in showing respect for the Parliament. “I sincerely believe that we could have conducted ourselves in the House with decorum and respect for each other, in spite of the fact that we have a political divide, and the fact that we belong to two different political blocs. Additionally, there are members of the
House who just recently held positions in high offices such as Advisor to the President and ministers,” Nagamootoo expressed. He added, “But while one might forgiv e the Opposition backbenchers who are new to certain parliamentary codes of conduct. I cannot say the same for those who know what they are saying and intend to say what they are saying, and the intention is to disrespect, demean and degrade members of the government.” Nagamootoo believes that because he tabled the NoConfidence motion which ultimately led to the PPP administration being removed from office following the last elections, he and other members have been targets of abusive remarks from those in the Opposition benches.
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Kaieteur News
Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry fails to account for over $111M - presents no proof some CSOs were paid By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell The Office of the Auditor General has found quite some amount of malpractice, and has cited numerous cases of irregularities, at the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs and also its predecessor, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs Looking only at what Auditor General, Deodat Sharma had to say about the sums expended for the Community Support Officers (CSOs) programme and the sums utilized from the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF), Kaieteur News noted that the Ministry has failed to account for over $111M. This represents $44.7M utilized in the payment of stipends to CSOs and $66.5M expended from the ADF. In his 2015 report, Sharma stated that the Ministry spent $161.150M to pay out
stipends to the CSOs. However, he observed that five payments to the tune of $27.470M did not have any supporting documentation attached to verify that the amounts were fully accounted for. “Also, payments relating to the sum of $17.344M were made without any supporting documents attached to the payment vouchers.” The Ministry had no explanation for this. It responded to Sharma’s findings by saying that efforts are being made to locate the supporting documents and have same presented for audit examination. This anomaly would have occurred during the tenure of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration. Over 2000 persons from Amerindian communities were attached to the Community Support Officer (CSO) programme.
Each officer was given $30,000 monthly stipend. This was a major issue amoung the politicians. Former Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai had advocated heavily for the programme. But, Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, said that the CSOs were recruited under a political scheme called Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP). While the new government was not too keen on going ahead with the programme, it said that it had proof that the PPP had no plans to continue the programme after the 2015 elections. Allicock said that the PPP/C had made no financial allocation for CSOs beyond April 2015, effectively shutting down the programme. He said, “It appeared that the PPP Government had shut down
the programme and left the CSOs exposed, after using them as political activists in the so-called ‘Red Shirt Brigade’ to join picket lines and campaign for the PPP.” WHERE IS THE $66M? Another issue highlighted by the Office of the Auditor General was the fact that the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs has not accounted for over $66M that it spent from the ADF. Sharma pointed out that $287.400M was budgeted for Amerindian Development and includes construction of village offices and woodworking centres, subvention to Bina Hill Institute, purchase of sports gear, musical instruments, cassava mills, fogging machines, tractors and implements as well as support to other projects and programmes including ecotourism and language revival. Sharma said that as at the end of 2015, $270.818M was expended. However, payment vouchers representing only $204.244M were presented, leaving expenditure to the tune of $66.574M still to be verified. Further, some red flags were raised even with regards to the sums that have been accounted for. The Ministry obtained approval from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board and procured six John Deere tractors and trailers along with six disc ploughs and harrows valued $52.080M. Sharma said that those
Former Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai assets were received, registered and brought to account in the records of the Ministry - three were distributed to Santa Arataka Mission, Region No.3, Wikki/ Calcuni, Region No. 10 and Kwaimatta, Region No.9. The remaining tractors and trailers, ploughs and harrows were identified for the villages of Yarakita, Sebai and Karrau. In relation to the construction of projects in Amerindian villages, $39.1M was issued to 20 village councils for various developmental projects such as construction of village office, meat bird rearing facility, woodworking centre, sewing and catering projects and construction of a duck pen. Audit checks revealed that all of the amounts were paid out in 2015 and 2016. However, up to the time when the Audit report was prepared in September 2016, the Ministry did not provide evidence that these projects
were completed. With regards to the amount of $10.821M expended for musical instruments, audit checks revealed that $4.822M was expended by the Ministry to procure keyboards, drums, guitars and flutes. The difference of $6M was paid over to six village councils to purchase musical instruments identified by the villages. Sharma said that these amounts were collected by the villages between January and March 2016, and up to the time of reporting in September 2016, no evidence was seen that the amounts disbursed were fully expended for the purposes intended. Another $4.499M was disbursed to three Amerindian villages to purchase cassava mills and construct facilities for cassava processing. However, the Office of the Auditor General has not received proof that the cassava mills were procured and the facilities constructed. In response to these findings, the Ministry told the Auditor General that corrective action, with a major focus on monitoring, will be carried out by its Community Development Officers (CDOs) based in Regions One to 10. Also, the Ministry is now in the process of employing an additional 10 CDOs to aid in this work. The Ministry said that village councils were “notified of this situation at (Continued on page 27)
Friday October 28, 2016
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Kaieteur News
No guarantee scrap metal trade will be resuscitated by November It had been announced in August, last, that the scrap metal trade would have been reopened in November 2016. However, yesterday Minister of Business Dominic Gaskin said that he cannot guarantee that that will indeed happen. Responding to a question about the resuscitation of the trade following a presentation of the Ministry’s 2020 strategic plan, Gaskin said, “We are working to try to get it to happen. It is still a long way from being concluded, so I can’t guarantee that it will indeed happen.” The Minister said that he would be able to give a better answer on the matter sometime next week, because the required legislation and regulations still need to be concluded. Additionally, he said that one of the problems which need to be addressed, is that there is no scrap metal unit to regulate the trade. He said, “That (unit) has to be budgeted for and put in place. That requires cabinet approval as well as a supplementary financial appropriation. So there are a number of things that have to happen.” The Business Minister said that ultimately the government cannot allow an unregulated trade to carry on
Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin business, more so with the kind of past the scrap metal industry has. “It was proven in the past to be detrimental to a lot of businesses operating as well as private individuals. People are stealing manhole covers, people are stealing grill work. Everything is getting stolen and exported as scrap metal, so the trade needs to be regulated.” The trade was closed on June 15, 2015 to facilitate a forensic audit which was completed in December of that year. Chartered Accountants Ram and McRae, who conducted the audit, had recommended that the legislation governing the local industry is in need of an update.
It was highlighted that in the old Metal Dealers Act 91:08, there was no provision for the collection of export fees. Despite this, the auditors found within financial statements, records of the unit’s income, described as export fees. In February 2013 there was an accumulated sum of $142.8M which had been transferred from an account in the name of the then Ministry of Trade, Industry and Commerce at the Bank of Guyana to a Republic Bank account in the name of the Scrap Metal Unit. According to the auditors, this sum was incorrectly recorded as export fees. Moreover, the auditors said that there needed to be a complete revamp of the trade, after consulting relevant stakeholders. In response to the temporary ban on the trade, the Guyana Metal Recyclers Association had asked the government to curb an alleged illegal trade of the metals. The organisation had said that before the closure, the industry was second to none, but since closing, it had developed into a lawless exercise, with claims that material was being collected and smuggled abroad
Govt. wants the scrap metal trade to be completely regulated
through a number of ports, including to neighbouring Suriname. Yesterday, Minister Gaskin said that with the right legislation, regulations and a regulatory body in place, the industry can be transformed into a world class process. Two of the biggest markets for exported scrap metal from
Guyana are China and Vietnam. “Scrap metal doesn’t have to be some underworld dirty operation. It is something that is a very useful industry. It removes unsightly scrap metal from the environment. It creates jobs; it creates employment for a lot of people. It also
brings in export earnings, so we certainly want to support the industry, but we can only support the industry with proper legislation and proper regulation. That is what we are working towards. If it takes a little longer than we thought just to get it right, I believe that it is worth it.”
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Friday October 28, 2016
Kaieteur News
Late diagnosis of breast cancer linked to painless early stages The most common presentation of breast cancer is a painless lump or dimpling of a section of the breast. It is perhaps for this reason that the majority of patients who are diagnosed with this disease seek medical attention when it is well advanced and often very painful. This state of affairs was amplified yesterday by Oncology Surgeon, Dr. Theophilus Lewis. Dr. Lewis was the main presenter at a breast cancer sensitisation seminar held in the conference room of the Church Street, Georgetown National Library. The seminar was spearheaded by the Ministry of Social Protection in collaboration with United States-based Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) – Organisation for Social and Health Advancement in Guyana (OSHAG), the Ministry of Public Health, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association and the Cancer Institute of Guyana. Speaking at the forum, which attracted a capacity audience, Dr. Lewis said that many of the cancer patients
Oncology Surgeon, Dr. Theophilus Lewis, delivers his presentation.
Some of the attendees at yesterday’s seminar
that he has seen have attributed seeking medical attention late due to the fact that they felt no pain. “The reason why they never came early is because it never hurt, but if they had felt pain they would be in the doctor’s office the next day. So they (patients) would watch these (cancerous) lumps grow and grow because it never hurts,” Dr. Lewis related. According to the Surgeon - who spoke of having to remove many breasts in order to prevent the spread of
cancer - while one in eight women will become inflicted with breast cancer, only one in 35 will actually die from this disease. In fact, he related that there is a much greater chance that a breast cancer victim will die from hypertension, heart disease or stroke. “This has been an ongoing trend now from since about the 1950s,” said Dr. Lewis, as he pointed out that statistics have revealed that since about 1980 and onward, the death rate from breast cancer has dropped tremendously. At the time he
was making reference to cases in the United States. He disclosed that from 2000 to 2003, the cases of breast cancer dropped by about seven percent. But this development is one that could be explained. “There are a lot of reasons for that; people think for one that there is better surveillance...also up until 2002, a lot of women that had hot flashes or postmenopausal symptoms were getting hormonal replacement therapy,” Dr. Lewis disclosed. He referenced a study that came out in 2002 that showed that while replacement therapy had in fact helped to decrease heart disease, it increased the rate of breast cancer, thus a number of doctors decided to not offer their patients this option. Consequently there was a huge drop in deaths linked to breast cancer. Drawing attention to slide presentations, Dr. Lewis reiterated that “the survival rate for breast cancer has tremendously increased...it has been increased because we are finding them at a earlier stage, increasingly because we have more ways of treating it...because we have some idea what the genetics of breast cancers are like ...it has been a real boom in terms of the survival for breast cancer”.
While cancer of the lung is deemed the leading cause of cancer death among women, globally, with breast cancer representing a close second, here in Guyana breast cancer is known as the leading cause of cancer death. Guyana has reportedly detected more than 300 new cases between 2010 and this year, and according to reports out of the Oncology Unit of the GPHC, about 92 cases were detected for this year alone. Continuing with his presentation, Dr. Lewis made reference to a situation that also obtains here in Guyana. He disclosed yesterday that while a small percentage of men also become inflicted with breast cancer, the situation is yet very worrying. This is due to the fact that these cases are also usually detected very late. According to him, one percent of the breast cancer cases that he has seen have been male patients. He spoke of and shared photos of a male patient who, because he was a construction worker, attributed a lesion on his nipple to constantly hitting himself while at work. The lesion was painless. For weeks he (the construction worker) administered treatment which he thought could help, but the lesion did not heal. It wasn’t until a lump
appeared under his arm that he decided to seek medical attention. By this time, Dr. Lewis said that the man was a victim of locally advanced breast cancer. “He never thought that he could have breast cancer...so the idea of a man having breast cancer never entered his mind...His was considered locally advanced, because by then the cancer was eating through his skin, which makes it a high stage,” Dr. Lewis noted. And this is the case for most cases of breast cancer detected in men, as there is usually not a lot of tissue for the cancer to grow as in the case of most women, the Oncology Surgeon explained. He moreover urged that men as well as women, who observe any abnormality with their breasts, seek medical attention. Yesterday’s seminar also saw President of OSHAG, Ms. Carol Bagot, amplifying the support that her organisation has been lending to the local cancer fight, which includes helping to sensitise people about cancer with a view of encouraging more people to seek early medical attention, thereby reducing cancerrelated deaths The forum yesterday was graced with the presence of First Lady Ms. Sandra Granger.
2017 budget estimates approved... (From page 7) respectively. In the case of the Indigenous People’s Commission, the National Assembly approved the Government’s recommended sum of $24,424,000. The Human Rights Commission in 2017 will
benefit from $34,110,000 while the Rights of the Child Commission and the Women and Gender Equality Commission will receive $41,581,000 and $42,000,000 respectively. In the case of the Public Procurement Commission
that is soon to be formerly established, Government has set aside $76,200,000. This proposed budget estimate was also approved by the House. The Finance Minister said at the time of the budget preparation, the Commission was not operational and so no budget was sent to the Ministry of Finance. In recognition of the fact that it will be up and running by next year, Jordan said that the Commission would already have some funds to start with.
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Friday October 28, 2016
Kaieteur News
Top justice officials experience workings of Canadian courts A number of local judges and other court officials were earlier this month in Vancouver, Canada, studying how the justice system works there. According to the British High Commission, the team was led by Chancellor of the Judiciary, Carl Singh, O.R. C.C., and included High Court judge, Justice Brassington Reynolds, Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, and Director of Public Prosecutions, Bibi Shalimar Ali-Hack. The justice officials were able to see first-hand how the British Columbia (BC) Provincial Court handles cases, and the use of technology, system performance measures, as well as trial scheduling, early resolution, and case management strategies. “This study programme was part of the Justice Education Society (JES) of BC project funded by the Canadian government to help Guyana strengthen its criminal justice system,” the Canadian High Commission explained. This two-year project aims to develop the technical capacity of the local police, prosecutors and magistrates to work with criminal evidence. The
venture includes training in criminal investigations, case preparation, evidence handling, and trial advocacy. The recent study tour in Vancouver focused on court administration concepts and design, highlighting the initiatives the BC Provincial Court has undertaken to maximize the effective, equitable and efficient use of its resources, and minimize wait times for trials. It was explained that the justice officials benefitted from presentations, courtroom visits, and opportunities for discussion with those involved in the BC initiatives they were studying. “Daily debriefing sessions allowed the delegates to discuss possible applications of what they had learned that day to their own system and to identify related issues.” According to the High Commission, Chancellor Singh “expressed particular interest” in BC’s community and drug treatment courts, and in the Digital Audio Recording System (DARS) used by BC’s Court Services branch to record court proceedings. He explained that Canadian Provincial Court Chief Judge Thomas Crabtree
From left: JES Guyana Country Representative Rolinda Kirton, Project Manager Evelyn Neaman, Justice Brassington Reynolds, Chief Judge Crabtree, Chancellor Carl Singh, Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, Director of Public Prosecutions Bibi Shalimar Ali-Hack, Vancouver lawyer Chris Johnson, and Judge Michael Hicks (retired) had, following a previous visit to Guyana, prepared “an extremely valuable report” with suggestions for consideration, and that actually seeing the suggested measures in action helped tremendously. The Chancellor added that he is determined the study tour will yield results, and hopes to implement some measures, within resources, without delay. Chancellor Singh also stressed his appreciation for
the welcome the delegation received. With the help of Project Manager, Evelyn Neaman, Country Representative Rolinda Kirton, and retired judge Michael Hicks, the Court presented an intensive programme to acquaint the officials with a number of administrative initiatives in the criminal justice field that could be adapted for use in Guyana. JES is a Canadian non–
profit organization with an impressive record of improving the effectiveness of justice systems in Canada and around the world. The Guyana project is being implemented in collaboration with the Ministries of Public Security and Legal Affairs, as well as the Office of the Chancellor of the Judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Guyana Police Force.
Canada’s Anti-Crime Capacity Building Programme (ACCBP) funds a number of regional security projects which benefit Guyana, including the recently launched INTERPOL project to combat human trafficking in the Caribbean, and a project to strengthen the anti-money laundering systems in Central America and the Caribbean. Canada is also working to strengthen national justice systems in the region.
Friday October 28, 2016
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Kaieteur News
GITC hosts exhibition as part of its 50th anniversary celebration GITC Administrator, Dexter Cornette and a student at the event
A booth at the exhibition
Under the theme: “Development and Transformation for the 21st Century Workforce”, and in celebration of its 50th year of existence, the Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC) yesterday held an informative exposition at its Albert Street and Woolford Avenue location. The celebratory event was conducted in collaboration with the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, Government Technical Institute (GTI), Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Guyana Police Force (GPF), Ministry of Social Protection and Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. All the aforementioned organizations set up booths with information and displays about what goes on at the institution. It was highlighted that GITC is celebrating halfcentury of providing opportunities, through training, for many Guyanese.
The institute was officially opened on December 14, 1966. It started off by offering a six months training course, but this has since developed to a year-long period. It is a private, non-governmental institute that collaborated with the American government, and was moulded by the Critchlow Labour College, that is located just opposite the building. The institution would have trained over ten thousand persons so far. Dexter Cornette, administrator of GITC since 2009, stated during his address to the audience that, “as we know skills training is always needed, not just for Guyana, but for the Caribbean”. He informed the gathering that GITC trains persons for the GDF and GPF, as well as for other important entities. Students acquire Level 1 training and skills when they would have graduated. Company owners and engineers would acquire
some of the products coming out of GITC. The Administrator further went on to address the issue about technical and vocational institutes that only caters for persons who cannot work in school. He stated that all students must be at a certain comprehension level, and that all students have to pass their theory exams in order to pass their practical. According to Executive Director of Omego’s Educational Institute, Critchlow Labour College, Rhickki Alexander, “this institution caters for those individuals that would not have acquired any Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) certificate, also those persons with nothing to do and nowhere to go. In an era of globalization we need to position ourselves for critical labour force”. He also made mention of when a qualified and certified individual has to build his house, he would have to rely
on these same persons that would have been technically trained and skilled for the job. “GITC is the starting ground and the building block to developing the young minds of today. The target is to recognize that many young people are the future, productive section of our population,” Alexander said. “We must create an opportunity where we have secure and productive citizens of our society, so that their energies can be channeled in a positive way”, he further stated. An example of the creativity of the students from GITC and GTI was showcased through the assembly of a 22W amplifier, made from scratch via copper plating; where a layer of copper is deposited on the item by using an electrical current; as well as an
indicator circuit, and an LED illusion mirror to name a few. Tools for the work environment and safety measures for hazardous environment were also on display. The GDF displayed their survival mode kit, as well as their medics section, bomb unit and communication
means, whereas GPF displayed the different levels of badges and ranks, clothing and placards with information regarding their numerous pursuits. Different schools and organisations have recognised GITC for its 50th anniversary.
Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs... (From page 14) the National Toshaos Conference held in August 2016 and were requested to submit acknowledgements of assets and all projects financed by the Ministry”. The Audit Office recommended that the Ministry engage the Finance Secretary, the Director, Office of the Budget and the Accountant General on the challenges it is encountering in the implementation and completion of projects in the villages.
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
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Friday October 28, 2016
Kaieteur News
Obama shortens jail ISIS uses human shield sentences for 98 in defence of Mosul
U.S. President Barack Obama shortened the prison sentences for 98 convicts serving time for drug-related
offenses in his latest round of commutations, including for 42 people serving life sentences, the White House said
on Thursday. Obama has granted 688 commutations this year, for a total so far of 872 during his presidency, which ends on January 20. “These are individuals many of whom made mistakes at a young age - who have diligently worked to rehabilitate themselves while incarcerated,” White House Counsel Neil Eggleston said in a statement. The commutations are part of Obama’s push to reform the criminal justice system to reduce the number of people serving long sentences for non-violent drug offenses. Obama and a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the U.S. Congress had tried to work on legislation to reduce mandatory minimum sentences, but those efforts stalled ahead of the November 8 presidential election.
Lawyer says U.S. Supreme Justice Thomas groped her in 1999 A woman who works as a corporate lawyer with an Alaska energy company has accused U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of groping her in 1999, a charge he called “preposterous” and untrue. The woman, Moira Smith, said Thomas grabbed and squeezed her buttocks several times during a dinner party when she was 23 years old in the F a l l s C h u r c h , Vi rg i n i a home of her boss at the time, the National Law Journal reported on Thursday. Thomas, 68, joined the high court in 1991 after contentious Senate confirmation hearings involving sexual harassment allegations against him made by another female lawyer, Anita Hill. Smith, currently vice
president and general counsel at Enstar Natural Gas Co in Alaska, released a statement in which she said Thomas “touched me inappropriately and without my consent.” Laura Fink, a political consultant in San Diego acting as S m i t h ’s s p o k e s w o m a n , said the National Law Journal’s account of the allegations was accurate. Thomas, in a statement to the National Law Journal, said, “The claim is preposterous and it never happened.” A Supreme Court spokesman declined to comment on Thomas’ behalf. Reuters was not able to independently verify Smith’s accusations. The National Law Journal reported that Smith’s allegations came to light when she posted an ac-
count of the incident on Facebook on Oct. 7 after news broke about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s explicit comments recorded in 2005 about groping women. Several women have since accused Trump of groping and kissing them without their consent. He has denied the claims. Smith was working at the time of the alleged incident for the Truman Foundation, which provides scholarships to people who hope to pursue public service careers. “As the mother of a young daughter and son, I am coming forward to show that it is important to stand up for yourself and tell the truth. When powerful men commit sexual assault, they count on their victims keeping it a secret,” Smith said in her statement. The National Law Journal said three of Smith’s housemates at the time of the incident recalled her describing Thomas’ actions on the night of or the morning after the alleged incident. Beth Frerking, the National Law Journal’s editor-in-chief, said the publication stood by the story. This week marked Thomas’ 25th anniversary on the high court after being selected by Republican President George H.W. Bush.
By Stephen Kalin and Maher Chmaytelli SOUTH OF MOSUL, Iraq: The Iraqi army was trying on Thursday to reach a town south of Mosul where Islamic State has reportedly executed dozens to deter the population against any attempt to support the U.S.-led offensive on the jihadists’ last major city stronghold in Iraq. Eleven days into what is expected to be the biggest ground offensive in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003, army and federal police units were fighting off sniper fire and suicide car bombs south of Hammam al-Alil, the site of the reported executions, an Iraqi military spokesman said. The militants shot dead dozens of prisoners there, most of them former members of the Iraqi police and army, taken from villages the group has been forced to abandon
as the troops advanced, officials in the region said on Wednesday. The executions were meant “to terrorize the others, those who are in Mosul in particular”, and also to get rid of the prisoners, said Abdul Rahman al-Waggaa, a member of the Nineveh provincial council. Some of the families of those executed are also held in Hammam al-Alil, he said. U.N. human rights spokesman Rupert Colville on Tuesday said Islamic State fighters had reportedly killed scores of people around Mosul in the last week. A Reuters correspondent met relatives of hostages south of Mosul. One of them was a police officer who had returned to see the family that he had left behind when his village fell under the militants’ control two years ago. “I’m afraid they will keep pulling them back from village
to village until they get to Mosul. And then they will disappear,” he said, asking not be identified to protect family members still in the hands of the fighters. Reuters also spoke to a woman and an elderly man who were part of group of families forced to march two to three days to reach Mosul from the villages of Safiya and Ellezaga, about 30 km (nearly 20 miles) and 50 km (30 miles) to the south. Children and the elderly were released when they arrived in Mosul, on Tuesday, and told to stay with relatives, they said, speaking on the phone from one of the few places where there is still telephone coverage, on the city’s edges. A resident of Mosul, Rayyan, said he saw the families when they arrived in the city, “their bare feet bleeding and covered with dust as if coming from under the rubble.”
Trump gains on Clinton Donald Trump
Donald Trump gained on Hillary Clinton among American voters this week, cutting her lead nearly in half despite a string of women accusing him of unwanted sexual advances and the furor over his disputed claims that the election process is rigged, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday. The survey also showed that 63 percent of Americans, including a third of Republicans, believe the New York real estate mogul has committed sexual assault in the past, though the Republican presidential candidate has denied
the recent accusations. Clinton, the Democratic former secretary of state, led Trump 44 percent to 40 percent, according to the Oct. 1420 poll, a four-point lead, with the Nov. 8 election fast approaching. That compared with 44 percent for Clinton and 37 percent for Trump in the Oct. 713 poll released last week. Clinton’s lead also shrank in a separate four-way poll that included alternative party candidates: 43 percent supported her, while 39 percent supported Trump, six percent supported Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, and 2 per-
cent supported Jill Stein of the Green Party. Support for Clinton had been mostly rising in the seven-day tracking poll since the last week of August, when the candidates were about tied. The latest reading showed that Trump’s deficit narrowed to what it was before a video surfaced on Oct. 7 featuring him bragging about groping and kissing women. Several women have since accused him of making unwanted sexual advances in separate incidents from the early 1980s to 2007.
Friday October 28, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Guard is a suspect in jailbreak Patients left in limbo as more doctors flee Puerto Rico
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti,– A guard at a Haiti prison is suspected of helping 173 inmates escape from a prison over the weekend. The breakout from the Arcahaie prison occurred on Saturday, and the inmates killed the head prison guard and wounded two other guards in the process. The Associated Press said a preliminary investigation indicated that a guard
“forgot” to lock a door as the inmates were eating. The prisoners then left the cafeteria and armed themselves with police weapons, it quoted as source as saying. It appears the inmates stripped the prison guards — all National Police agents — of their weapons. Some of those who escaped were considered armed and dangerous and around 20 of them were serving more
than 10 years. While some of the inmates at the prison were awaiting trial, all those who escaped from Arcahaie had been found guilty and were serving sentences. Police have so far recaptured 10 of the escapees. Arcahaie will remain empty while the investigation continues, with all remaining inmates moved to a different prison.
High crime rate scares entrepreneurs The State needs to aggressively tackle the high crime rate as it is deterring entrepreneurs from starting their businesses, The University of the West Indies economist Dr Roger Hosein has said. “From an institutional level, the State needs to place efforts to bring down this murder rate or else a lot of our entrepreneurs will not be able to express themselves as they would like because of the fear of crime,” he noted. Addressing the launch of the Glo-bal Entrepreneurship Week on Tues-day, at the TSTT Box, Queen’s Park
Oval, Port of Spain, Hosein said he too operates a small business and is fearful to keep it open past 6 p.m. “I would never even come to Port of Spain after 6 p.m. That’s my perception of crime. Now, you’ll probably live here, you’ll probably know it (Port of Spain) better than I do, but my perception is that it is bad. I would not take that risk. I see it as an unnecessary risk,” he said. Hosein expressed concern that by year’s end, the murder toll could reach to 500. He said the onus is on the Government to intervene and bring the problem under control. “I am an economist. I am not sure how they will approach it,
but certainly, we need to find a mechanism to bring this down to manageable proportions. Five hundred is way too much. And in the process of 500 people being murdered, we are losing valuable pools of talent. “We are instituting fear into the entrepreneur so that their cost of production is rising. Anybody in business would know that, as a consequence, they would need to put up more burglar proof and so their average fixed cost of production i n c r e a s e s , w h i ch increases their average total cost,” Hosein stated.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Wanda Serrano arrived at Puerto Rico’s largest public hospital before dawn to take her 17-year-old son to an appointment. Six hours later, they were still in the packed waiting room hoping to see a doctor. They had gone to San Juan’s Centro Medico to see one of the many kinds of specialists
the teen needs for treatment of a genetic disease called tuberous sclerosis, which can cause tumors to grow on his brain, kidneys and other organs. But specialized medical expertise is increasingly difficult to find in the economically troubled U.S. island territory. Six hours in a waiting room is no longer the exception, but
the norm. A pediatric neurologist recently told Serrano that her son, Cedrik, needed to wait 10 months for an appointment. “I live terrified every single day,” Serrano said one recent morning as she clutched his medical records and peered anxiously down a fluorescentlit hallway for a nurse or doctor. “You feel powerless.
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One transported 2 flat 6 bedrooms concrete building in Strathspey, large land space -$14M. Call: 689-5103/ 231-0631
1244 Block ‘Y’ Grove, EBD, house 45X26, $15M negotiable, owner migrating. Call: 660-1353
Fully furnished two bedrooms house @ South Ruimveldt Park Georgetown $80,000- Call: 691-1521 Lot 109 3 Key Drive, Enterprise Gardens, one 3 bedrooms upper flat - $65, 000 monthly. Call: 648-7621 2 Bedrooms bottom flat, semifurnished on W.B.D. Call: 609-2182 or 675-8787
LEARN TO DRIVE C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj BuildingCall: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 (affordable packages).
2009 Raum- $2.4M, 2009 Sienta -$2.4M, 2009 Axio $2.8M, 2009 Fielder -$2.6M. Call: 617-2891 Yamaha R1 CG609, Toyota AT212, AT192, L-Touring Wagon, Tundra, Tacoma, Nissan Pickup. Call: 6445096; 697-1453 1 New unregistered Toyota Allion 2004 Model, low mileage, TV, navigation, music, remote start with alarm system, etc. Call: 649-0956 1 Toyota Verossa, excellent condition, PTT series. Call: 618-1395/ 220-6380 Auto pitbull bus in good working condition, BTT series, fully alarm, -$2.7M negotiable. Call: 609-2159/ 612-3456/691-8272 1 Landcruiser Prado, excellent condition. Call: 625-4196 or 656-0565 Toyota Vigo pickup, Nissan Pathfinder, Jeep. Immaculate Condition. Call: 609-7766 PRR Series, Toyota IST, PMM series Toyota Carina, TL Bedford 330, Bedford 330, 330 Space parts. Call: 2563405/ 663-2450 One Truck, excellent working condition, worked for one year, Model M. Call Lawerence: 615-7506 2007 Toyota Premio, new shape, press start, first owner, mileage 7,000 KM, PSS series, price $2.175M negotiable . Call: 622-5469 1 Toyota Fielder Wagon, in excellent condition, PPP series. Call: 630-9455
FOR RENT
Model M truck GTT series $3.9M negotiable- Call: 6667380, 603-7090
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
1 RD5 Honda CRV, immaculate condition, TV, reverse camera, CD, mags, alarm, etc, price -$2.850M. Call: 626-2884
One bedroom bottom flat, fully furnished house $65,000. Call: 641-0959 2 Bedroom fully furnished house with hot & cold shower, Wi-Fi, security cameras, A/C, all amenities $850USD. Call: 641-0959
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM
Property at South Ruimveldt Park -$39.5M, 6 Bedrooms & 2 & half bathrooms. Call: 6162871/699-6161 Stanford Soloman.
Property @ Lot 153 New Rd Vreed-en-Hoop, 3 Houses on lot 50ftX300ft, asking $55M. Call Sunil: (310) 982-8199; Cecil: 630-9455
Self-contained rooms in Prashad Nagar. Tel: 227-2993
CAR RENTAL PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM
Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461
Receptionist Male 25-40yrs, room attendant. Call: 225-0198 or visit 233 South Rd, Lacytown
Apartments for rent @ Nandy Park, Free Wi-Fi, recently renovated. Call: 227-5194
La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.3M negotiable. Call: 690-9645
House & Land available for sale. Contact Pacific Development Inc: 223-6035/ 227-8274
2 Storey concrete house @ 55 Section B, Non Pariel (first street from main road)- $14M negotiable. Call: 657-8561 immediately.
FOR RENT
LAND FOR SALE
1 Church building in front and 2 story building at the back (W30X6120) @ 180 Charolotte Street Bourda. Call:624-7341/ 227-6817/2265183
Cashier/salesgirls, apply in person with written application @ Nirva Supermarket, 49 Sheriff & Craig Street. Call: 227-5771
IAE – CXC Jan/June 2017 – full time school; lessons/ classes for students, adults, repeaters & beginners. Call Mr. Roberts: 683-5742
Austin Powers Repairs & Services: repairs done on all domestic appliances, house wiring, etc, located in Bagotstown. Call: 685-2588/ 613-1711 Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezers- Call:629-4946 or 225-4822
Friday October 28, 2016
Kaieteur News
Space for rent at Ashmin’s Building- Ideal for commercial and office useCall: 683-7954 One bedroom apartment for rent @ Soesdyke, water, electricity, internet -$25,000. Call: 625-1177
Almera Nissan Car- $875,000 negotiable, very good working condition, was imported brand new – PHH series. Call: 616-15989
HEALTH Avoid Side Effects, use herbal supplements. Call Hazel Herbal Store: 226-9136
WANTED Sales Clerk, must be able bodied ages 18-30yrs. Call: 643-7193 1 Male or female shop assistant to work in the Interior, salary depends on experienced. Call: 678-0565 1 Male to work on vehicle in the interior. Call: 678-0565 Live in waitress. Call: 6439007 Salesgirls & porters, apply with written application @ 1E Dennis & Middleton Street, Campbellvile (Best Buy Food Supplies) One domestic to work in Trinidad. Call 1868- 683-1528 One maid needed. Call: 6399449 Live in domestic, must know to cook, boarding & lodging free, salary $80,000 monthly. Call: 610-3974 Live in waitress with secondary education, boarding & lodging free, salary $70,000 monthly. Call: 610-5043 One live in housekeeper. Call: 223-0654/ 225-0605 Female bartender, live in/out, attractive waitresses needed at Eden’s Bar (East Bank). Call: 678-3616 Straight Stitch & over edge machine operators, porters. Call: 222-2541 8:00am-4:00pm Mon-Fri Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic-Call: 223-7500 Monday-Saturday 8:15am4:15pm Live in general cleaner, salary $70,000-$80,000, boarding & lodging free (18-35yrs old). Call: 2224890 One experienced Driver apply @ Hack’s Halaal with Handwritten application, 5 Commerce Street. One general domestic for East Bank, must know to prepare proper meals. Call: 669-2067 Waitress between 20-30yrs, apply with written application and photo to Chilly’s Bar. Call: 665-6162 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665 Male workers between 2035yrs to work at Ice factory on Meadowbank Wharf. Call: 231-1408/ 642-9191 8am2pm Continued on page 31
Friday October 28, 2016
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Kaieteur News
Female prison officer on ganja charge granted bail A 35-year-old female prison officer of Fort Ordinance, East Canje, Berbice, appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court yesterday, accused of attempting to smuggle ganja into the prison. Johanna Erskine, who is attached to the New Amsterdam Prison, appeared before Magistrate Alex Moore where the charge was read to her. She was represented by Attorney-at-law, Tonia
Clements. Erskine pleaded not guilty to the charge and was placed on $150,000 bail. Bail was initially set at $200,000. However, Erskine’s attorney pleaded for leniency and it was eventually reduced. The Magistrate had initially refused bail after the prosecution had stressed the nature and prevalence of the matter and the fact that the narcotic was allegedly found in Erskine’s handbag.
Man dies after beaten with bat… Ye s t e r d a y, t w o d a y s after a 40-year-old man died after being beaten with a bat, the 18-yearold suspect surrendered to the cops, in the company of a pastor. Ramesh Manbodh of 6 5 5 B e s t Vi l l a g e , We s t Coast Demerara, was reportedly attacked by the suspect two Thursdays ago after he had stopped his niece from speaking
to the young man. Reports are that the suspect followed Manbodh home and attacked him in front of his yard with a cricket bat. The victim was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he later succumbed. He died from a fractured skull and bleeding in the brain. Kaieteur News was re-
However, it was pointed out by the prosecution that the Forensic Analyst in Georgetown is presently not in the country and would return in another month. The Magistrate took this into consideration, stating that the length of time that the test would take would be too long to have Erskine on remand. He then granted bail. Erskine is to return to court on December 15th. According to the facts of
the case, Erskine, on October 23, last, at the New Amsterdam Prison, was allegedly busted by another prison officer trying to smuggle 298 grams of seed, stems and leaves believed to be marijuana into the prison. She allegedly put up a scuffle with the officer in her attempts to retrieve the bag, but was unsuccessful. She was arrested and subsequently taken into custody.
Suspect surrenders liably informed that the suspect, who knew Ezekiel Thomas, the Pastor of the Faith and Grace Church in La Parfaite Harmonie, went to him and pleaded that he accompany him to the police. The pastor took the suspect to the Leonora Police Station where the young man gave a statement after which he was taken into custody. Divisional Commander (ag) Leslie James confirmed that the suspect has surrendered.
ministries, because their priority is to develop the particular projects rather than to be too concerned about business development.” According to the Minister, it is necessary to find a mechanism for businesses and investors to be able to have their input into the kind of infrastructure to be developed and have an understanding of what the government is proposing. The strategic plan was developed with assistance from an international consultant, funded by the United Nations Development Programme. The process began in February of this year and received contributions both from public stakeholders and the private sector. The Ministry developed a number of strategic objectives influenced by its overarching vision of “increased living standards for all Guyanese in a diverse and green economy.” The intention is to create an environment that will propagate innovation, competitiveness, growth and diverse employment opportunities. It was highlighted during the presentation that further tapping into the tourism sector can improve competiveness for the country. The Ministry also plans to delve into harnessing renewable energy, noting that Guyana is endowed with a lot of natural resources.
The Ministry’s plan has four main objectives - to increase sustainability of the private sector through implementation of a national investment strategy; to improve doing business; to improve value added production and export through development of a national export strategy; and lastly, to promote small business development by effectively implementing the provisions under the Small Businesses Act. In order to increase sustainability of the private sector, the Ministry will address critical factors of investment, which are infrastructure, access to finance, workforce skills and logistics. There will also be a “Doing Business Action Plan” to enhance business innovation which will come through the work of the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commis-
Johanna Erskine FOR SALE LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. 1 45" Complete cabin Cruiser, trout seine, excellent condition. Call: 654-2817/ 657-0044/625-8522 Organic Potting Soil -$900, Lawn Grass -$1,400, Ficus 4 @$1,000, Exora 4 @ $1,000, also Palms & Flowers. Call: 626-1044
Dead: Ramesh Manbodh
Business Ministry to develop Public Private dialogue to improve competitiveness In order to facilitate competitive growth within the private sector and the country at large, the Ministry of Business will be developing a Public-Private dialogue body to address competitiveness issues. This initiative was presented as part of the Ministry’s 2016 to 2020 strategic plan yesterday at the Cara Lodge, Woodbine Room. Explaining how the initiative will work, subject Minister Dominic Gaskin said that the body will allow his Ministry to engage the private sector as well as the public sector on competiveness issues. “I can give you an example, for instance, in order to improve our competitiveness we have to improve our infrastructure; Energy infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, telecommunications infrastructure.” He said all these matters in their own way contribute to a more competitive economy. However, Gaskin said that his Ministry is not responsible for the building of these structures, so to encourage the needed infrastructural development, there needs to be communication between the Ministry of Business and the ministries so responsible. “It is not in our purview, but because we need to promote it, that is our priority as a Ministry and not necessarily the priority of the other
From page 30
sion (CCAC). To transform Guyana into an easy place to do business, the Ministry plans to implement a single window trade transaction, public private dialogue and the provision of statistics for analysis by businesses. Increasing value added exports will require the design and implementation of a national value added export strategy through collaboration between public and private sectors. To do this, the Ministry will strengthen the use of the nation’s industrial estates and improve quality standards. To support small businesses, the plan aims to achieve the facilitation of small business access to public and private markets. Additionally, there will be the enabling of procurement by small businesses.
1- CAT 320 BL Excavators, 1 CAT 930 Front End Loader. 1-55 Leyland DAF Truck, 1 CAT D4H Bulldozer. Call: 275-0538/ 683-7225 Cheap! Cheap! CCTV Security Surveillance Kit, 8 Channels DVR with built in Hard Drive, 8 bullet cameras – Tel: 621-4740 Double Steel Wheeled Roller, 1 Mack Concrete mixer truck. Call: 275-0538/ 683-7225 Mixed Breed puppies, eight (8) weeks old. Breed: Pekingese and Dachshund. Call: 644-1972 Land @ Zeelugt -$1.8M, La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.5M, $1.2M & (1) 2 Bedrooms flat concrete house located @ Tuschen -$3.5M. Call: 6421252 1-5HP Yamaha Engine, like new. Call: 670-3912 Spare for washing machine, microwaves,fridges, stoves, timers, gearbox, motors, etc. Call:225-9032;647-2943;6045198 2 Storey house, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths @ 87 Daisy Street, South Ruimveldt Park -$18M. Call: 232-3244/ 697-5018 Pools table cloth, balls, cue stick, coins, coinshute, pocket, rubber, chalk, springs, tips, spots. Call:669-9927 75 Yamaha Outboard engine, very good condition. Call: 662-1928
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Kaieteur News
Friday October 28, 2016
Friday October 28, 2016
Kaieteur News
PAGE 33
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Friday October 28, 2016
Kaieteur News
I do not underestimate Vargas... Marques, Gordon bowl Lodge to... (From page 33) my boxing career.” The 27-year-old Vargas (27-1) beat fellow American Sadam Ali in March to claim the WBO welterweight crown and has won 10 of his bouts via a knockout or stoppage, with his only defeat coming via a points loss to Bradley in June 2015. ”I need to win convincingly,” said Pacquiao. “We have three different plans for Jessie Vargas, but my first concern is for the fans; that the people who are going to
watch the fight will be happy and satisfied.” Pacquiao, an eight-division world champion, is excited by the prospect of adding another title to his bulging career resume, and his first since he was elected to the Philippines’ senate in May. ”I am fighting for history,” said the Filipino, who is renowned for his lightning hand and foot speed and has compiled a 58-6-2 career record in the ring. “I was the first sitting congressman to win a world title.
”For this one, it is not enough to be the first sitting senator to fight for a world title. I want to be the first senator to become world champion. For me, that would be quite an accomplishment. ”I want to prove that I am still one of the best poundfor-pound fighters. I am not done with boxing. I will continue to keep fighting as long as I love boxing and boxing still loves me. I do not feel old. I feel like I am still 27.” (Reuters)
Sinclair’s ton leads RHT Pepsi to... (From page 39) the 3rd over. Jaron France (1) and Kristoff Bahadur (00) both fell early to leave their team in early trouble at 30 for 3 in the 6th over. However national junior player Alex Algoo stroked an attractive 73 (9x4) while an aggressive Sase Sukhoo blasted 71 (6x4 3x6) to revive their team. Trevon Stamslans chipped in with a quiet 21 as Young Warriors was bowled out for 196 in 46 of their allotted 50 overs in their first innings.
Bowling for Rose Hall Town Pepsi, Junior Sinclair claimed 5 for 33 with support from Sylus Tyndall 2 for 40 and Kevlon Anderson 2 for 30. In response, Rose Hall Pepsi openers Kevin and Junior Sinclair took the visitors bowling apart in adding 163 for the first wicket off just 29 overs before Junior Sinclair was caught off A. Ramsammy for a composed 63 with five boundaries. National player Kevlon Anderson joined Kevin Sinclair and they took their team to
victory by adding an unbeaten 38 for the second wicket. Sinclair was unbeaten with a classy 116 off 96 balls decorated with 15 boundaries. A. Ramsammy was the only successful bowler for Young Warriors with 1 for 51. The final between Albion and Rose Hall Town Pepsi promises to be an exciting event with two evenly matched teams. Albion would depend heavily on home advantage on a pitch tailor made for spin bowling. The home teams’ effort would be spearheaded by Adrian Sukwah, Joshua Harrichan, Kelvin Umroa, RiteshUmroa, Matthew Haridyal, Josiah Dhanai, Stephen Kelimudeen and Karan Arpaul. Rose Hall Town Pepsi would be spearheaded by B. Yadram, Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Brandon Prashad, Junior Sinclair, Brandon Corlette, Keith Simpson, Sylus Tyndall, Revoldo Williams, Surendra Budhoo, David Prahalad, Simon Naidu and Joel Pike. Umpires for the match which bowls off at 10:00hrs are ZaheerMoakan, Imran Moakan and Joseph Simon. The winning team would take home $100,000 and a trophy while the runner up would receive $50,000 along with a runner-up trophy. The man-of-the-final along with the Best Bowler would each receive $10,000 and trophies. Each teams in the final would also receive tee-shirts from the New York Business Group. The tournament has been organised by the Berbice Cricket Board with sponsorship through the Albion Cricket Club from a group of Guyanese businessmen residing in the New York area.
(From page 38) providing East Ruimveldt with a firm foundation. But once the correct looking Bamfield was LBW to Gordon for 15 at 37-1 and Gordon disturbed the stumps of Pollard (12) nine runs later, no other batsman reached double figures. When Gordon bowled Melville Blackman for two to leave the score at 47-3, Marques and Dover went to work to snatch six wickets between them as East Ruimveldt lost eight wickets for nine runs in a dramatic collapse. Five batsmen made ducks, two made singles and Khan remained undefeated on two while five batsmen were adjudged LBW. Lodge Secondary lost their first wicket at 14 but Smith who clobbered two boundaries, got the run chase
on track although the East Ruimveldt bowlers gave their opponents a dose of their own medicine of ‘pelting’ before Smith was bowled by Khan. Khan picked up two other quick wickets but Williams (12*) and Shaquan Fraser (9*) saw their team to victory. The Umpires have the authority to remove bowlers who ‘pelts’ from the attack but they informed that if they did that many of the matches would not be played. ”We are here to start careers not end them. You can’t blame the kids, the GCB should have sent Coaches to train the teachers and work with the kids before this tournament started” said the Umpires at Bourda yesterday. Meanwhile, at Zeeburg, Uitvlugt Secondary squeezed
past Leonara Secondary by two wickets. Leonara Secondary were bowled out for 107 in 20.2 overs. Kevin Christian top scored with 31. Salman Khan and Reaz Khan had figures of 3-10 and 2-29 respectively. Uitvulgt in reply, limped to 108-8 in 20.4 overs. Lachlan Seeram led the run chase with 38 while Reaz Khan supported with 36. Kevin Christian had 4-23 bowling for Leonora. The competition continues today with the East Bank zone final between Friendship Secondary and Diamond Secondary at Everest from 10:00hrs. The ‘find’ of the tournament, Movindra Dindyal, who turned 12 this month and has a century and 97 in his two innings so far, will be on show for Diamond.
Friday October 28,2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You can make amends by taking them somewhere special. Take the time to close deals that have been up in the air. Avoid any petty ego confrontations; they could lead to estrangement if you aren't careful. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Camping, swimming, and biking expeditions should all be considered. You will meet some interesting people if you attend promotional functions. You will have a problem with your boss if you haven't done your job. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You will benefit by taking care of other people's concerns. Avoid confrontations with coworkers who aren't pulling their weight. Opportunities for partnerships are present; but get every detail in writing. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You may find that your boss is not delighted with your work lately. Hidden assets can be doubled if you play your cards correctly. You may have the day off but your thoughts will be on your work and your cash situation. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Entertainment could be pleasing if it is of an energetic nature. Get busy making those changes to your home. You need to focus on yourself, not on others. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Don't be too eager to dismiss someone who works under you. Involvement in groups
will be favorable. Business partnerships will prove lucrative. Try not to get involved in other people's problems. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your lover will be annoyed with your participation. Your temper may get the better of you if a colleague has tried to ruin your reputation. Relatives will want to get together. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Be careful not to show your temper when dealing with the boss. Short trips may be tiring but rewarding. Your partner could also use some time alone with you. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Talk to peers who you trust in order to get sound advice. This may not be the day to get involved in risky joint financial ventures. You need to get out and be an observer. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Relatives may play an important role in your personal life. Love and romance are evident. Don't put limitations on yourself. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Someone you care about may not be too pleased with you. Avoid letting family get involved in your personal life. You need to do something energetic and different. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your lover will cost you dearly if you let them. You are best not to say too much to colleagues. Be tactful if you see flaws in someone else's work.
Kaieteur News
Friday October 28, 2016
Andy Murray fights back to beat Gilles Simon at Vienna Erste Bank Open Andy Murray
Britain’s Andy Murray won a gruelling encounter against France’s Gilles Simon to reach the quarterfinals at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna. Murray, the top seed and world number two, won 4-6 6-2 6-2 and will face American John Isner in the last eight. The Scot, 29, could be within sight of the world
number one ranking if he wins the title in Austria on Sunday. Another victory at next week’s Paris Masters would mean Novak Djokovic must have made the semis to retain top spot. Murray has now won his last 12 matches, taking in titles in Beijing and Shanghai as he tries to capitalise on a chance to finally top the
rankings. That winning run looked to be coming to an end when Simon took the first set, after Murray managed just five winners to 24 errors, and then broke early in the second. Murray looked weary on the slow Vienna surface but dug deep, saving six break points in a 14-minute game on his way to clinching the second set. Simon then required heavy taping over a large blister on his foot and Murray took the third to win in two hours and 41 minutes. In the doubles, top seeds Jamie Murray and Brazilian Bruno Soares beat Guillermo Duran and Marius Fyrstenberg 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to reach the semi-finals. (BBCsport)
‘Serious failings’ in Rio anti-doping programme: WADA
The anti-doping programme at the 2016 Rio Olympics included “some impressive advances” but was also marred by “a number of serious failings”, according to a report released yesterday by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). In a 55-page report by its Independent Observer team, WADA said several athletes earmarked for testing in Rio “simply could not be found” while there was “little or no in-competition blood testing in many high-risk sports” at the Games. Many of the problems stemmed from staffing issues, resource constraints and other logistical difficulties, and there was also “an apparent breakdown in the transfer of knowledge from previous Games”, WADA said. ” U l t i m a t e l y, m a n y athletes targeted for testing in the Athletes Village simply could not be found and the mission had to be aborted,” the Independent Observer team wrote. “On some days, up to 50 percent
of planned target tests were aborted. ”Some of the athletes in question were then put on mission orders for out-ofcompetition testing the following day, or targeted for in-competition testing on subsequent days, but due to the logistical issues ... it was often the case that those tests could not be conducted either.” The IO team also expressed surprise that there was no out-of-competition testing conducted in soccer, and little or no incompetition blood testing in many high risk sports and disciplines, including w e i g h t l i f t i n g . ”The WADA IO Team noted that some IF delegates and even athletes and athlete support personnel were surprised that only urine samples and not blood samples were being collected incompetition,” the report co n t i n u e d . A d d i t i o n a l concerns were expressed over inadequate support for and training of the chaperones employed to
notify athletes of drug tests, with many of them failing to turn up at all at the designated time. ”On many occasions, those chaperones that did arrive were generally entirely new to the role and had received little to no adequate training or other preparation; and often spoke little or no English,” read the report. ”Untrained and inexperienced chaperones should not be working at the Games,” WADA said in one of its many recommendations. ”It undermines respect and trust among athletes in the anti-doping program, and provides opportunities for experienced and unscrupulous athletes who would want to abuse the system to manipulate the doping control process.” Overall, though, IO team chair Jonathan Taylor said that the anti-doping program in Rio, which was implemented and overseen by the IOC, was able to achieve a number of positive outcomes in the face of very challenging circumstances. ”Despite staffing issues, resource constraints and other logistical difficulties, those tasked with implementation of the program, and in particular the volunteers, deserve immense credit for ensuring that the rights of clean athletes were safeguarded,” Taylor said in a statement. (Reuters)
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Perfect Kerber helps Cibulkova adv. in Singapore Angelique Kerber eased into the last four of the WTA Finals with an unbeaten record when the world number one thrashed Madison Keys 6-3 6-3 in the Red Group finale at the Singapore Indoor Stadium yesterday. The 28-year-old German won all three of her round robin matches and her straight sets triumph over Keys ensured Dominika Cibulkova would join her in the semi-finals after the Slovak had earlier ground out a 6-3 7-6(5) victory over Simona Halep. Kerber has enjoyed a breakout season with grand slam victories at the Australian and U.S. Opens, and her baseline hustling and resilient defence proved far too strong for an erratic Keys, who was broken six times in nine s e r v i c e g a m e s . ”It’s always tough to play against Madison so I was focused on playing my best and going for it when I had the chance,” Kerber said. “I moved and returned well and it feels incredible to be in the semi-finals for a first time.” The first set featured five consecutive service breaks before the German took control by neutralising Keys’s powerful forehand. Kerber staved off another break point in eighth game to edge 5-3 ahead and the German claimed the first set when Keys was unable to hold serve for a fourth straight time. The American’s highrisk aggressive game is vulnerable against a
Angelique Kerber (R) is congratulated by Madison Keys. REUTERS/Edgar Su defensive master like Kerber but after hitting too many unforced errors in the first set, Keys found her range at the start of the second to open a 2-0 lead with an early break. DETERMINED CIBULKOVA Her revival was shortlived, however, as the tenacious Kerber stepped up another level to reel off five straight games and set up an ultimately routine victory. Kerber will face either defending champion Agnieszka Radwanska or Karolina Pliskova, a rematch of last month’s U.S. Open final, in Saturday’s semi-finals while Cibulkova is set for a showdown against White Group winner Svetlana Kuznetsova. After losing round robin matches to Kerber and Keys, the Slovak needed a straightsets win to have any chance of advancing. She stayed alive with a determined display before the German world number one completed a perfect day for Cibulkova. In the early match, the
busy Cibulkova came out all guns blazing, looking far more composed than her opponent, harrying Halep on every point and breaking to love at the first opportunity as she raced to a 3-0 lead in less than 10 minutes. Halep, whose left knee was heavily taped, was struggling to get a foothold in the contest and Cibulkova rode the confidence of a 13point streak to build a 5-2 lead before sealing the opening set with a big serve that her opponent returned long. The world number eight started the second set as she had the first but Halep stood firm and recovered an early break to prevent her opponent from running away with the match. Cibulkova, however, was still on the front foot and calling the shots but after breaking her opponent twice in a row towards the end of the set, the hobbling Halep came storming back but was unable to contain the hyperactive Slovak in the tiebreak. (Reuters)
I do not underestimate Vargas, says Pacquiao Manny Pacquiao is regarded as one of the greatest boxers ever but says he will not be taking his opponent lightly when he f a c e s Wo r l d B o x i n g Organization welterweight champion Jessie Vargas next week. Seven months after defeating Timothy Bradley in his much trumpeted farewell to the sport, the Filipino southpaw will return to the ring on Nov. 5 when he faces American Vargas at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. ”I do not underestimate Jessie Vargas,” Pacquiao, 37, told reporters after beginning his training camp
Manny Pacquiao during a work out on October 26. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson in Los Angeles this week under the watchful eye of his Hall of Famer trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club. ”He is a good strong champion. Every opponent
gets my full attention and respect. I respect Jessie and that is why I trained hard. This is the most important fight because it will determine the direction of (Continued on page 32)
Kaieteur News
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GTM Health and Fitness Expo set for next weekend at CASH Organisers promising fun-filled activities By Franklin Wilson Reminding that the National Sports Commission (NSC) recognizes the importance of sports and exercise in developing a nation, Director of Sport Mr. Christopher Jones on Wednesday night conveyed his commitment to the organizers of the 2nd annual GTM Health and Fitness Expo which took place at Club 704 Sports Bar. In delivering the feature remarks at the launching ceremony for this year’s two-day activity that will be held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on November5-6, 2016, Jones also expressed satisfaction that the event is well thought out and put together. ”We hope that all and sundry come out next weekend and be part of the activity. Take something home with you and thereafter you continue at least 30-minutes per day and continue some exercise. Rest assured that the National Sports Commission and by extension the Government of Guyana will be there to support you in your e n d e a v o u r s , congratulations.” Also attending the launching and offering remarks in support of the event on behalf of their companies were Mr. Errol Nelson (Banks DIH Powerade Brand Manager), Ms Roberta Ferguson (Courts Marketing Representative), Ms Kathy Schuffler (Owner – Axe Apparel), Jamie Mc Donald (Owner – Fitness Express), Ms Noshavyah King (Owner - Genesis Fitness Express), Ms Angelina D e A b r e u ( G T M
Director of Sport Christopher Jones during his presentation. Representative). All the sponsors were collective in commending the organizers for an event that is important in showcasing the significance of health and fitness. Nelson noted that Banks has aligned two of its marquee brands with the event, Powerade (a Coca Cola brand) and Vita Malt. Ferguson stated that Courts, whilst being proud to be associated with the event, also views their partnership as fulfilling their corporate and social responsibility while Schuffler underscored the importance of exercise and fitness in our daily lives. Expounding on the details of t h e a c t i v i t y, E v e n t Organiser, Ms Jordana Ramsay-Gonsalves informed that on Saturday November 5th, there would be a Cancer Awareness Glow Walk commencing at 18:00hrs which would be followed by a Cancer Awareness Glow Zumba Party at the CASH with Ms Noshavyah King of Genesis
Fitness Express leading proceedings. The route for the walk is as follows: starting outside Courts (Main Street), proceeding to Church Street, on to Vlissengin Road to end at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Registration for the walk will commence at 15:00hrs at the starting point where participants would receive a tee-shirt and glow stick. On Sunday, activities will get underway at 14:00hrs with a volleyball match featuring Castrol Strikers and Club Ball Strikers. This would be followed by a Mixed Martial Arts display at 15:30hrs for 30 minutes. Basketball will then take center stage when Qualfon takes on a surprise team according to RamsayGonsalves who also said that the 2015 activity was good but they have, in reviewing same, made a few changes to ensure that this year it is even better. One such improvement she said was centralizing all activities at the Sports Hall which has been recently refurbished to the tune of millions for the CBC Under16 Basketball Championships and the just concluded, Inter Guiana Games between Guyana and Suriname. Admission: Day Pass are on sale at $1500 while a Weekend Pass will cost $2000 and can be obtained from Fitness Express, Genesis Fitness E x p r e s s , A x e Apparel, Space Gym and Top End Gym.
Friday October 28, 2016
Hope leads run-spree as Windies A rout hosts to win series Karunegala, Sri Lanka, CMC – Opener Kyle Hope stroked a sublime hundred and Chadwick Walton, Assad Fudadin and Rovman Powell all chimed in with half-centuries as West Indies A ran riot against Sri Lanka A to post a crushing 109-run victory in the second unofficial One-Day International and clinch the three-match series here yesterday. Opting for first knock at the Welagedara Stadium, the Caribbean side savaged the Sri Lankan bowling to pile up 347 for nine off their allotted 50 overs. Hope carved out 109 off 110 deliveries, opening partner Walton smashed 70 from 57 balls, Fudadin chipped in with 57 from 70 balls while Powell produced a sensational late blitz with 52 off a mere 22 deliveries. Only off-spinner Shehan Jayasuriya survived the carnage to emerge with four for 54 from his nine overs. In reply, Sri Lanka A were powered by Jayasuriya’s better than run-a-ball 119 but never properly recovered from a shaky start and were dismissed for 238 in the 43rd over. Charith Asalanka struck 44 and Dasun Shanaka, 32, as Powell completed a fine all-round performance when he picked up three for 44 to limit the visitors. Fellow seamers Ronsford Beaton (2-41) and Kyle Mayers (254) finished with two wickets apiece. Energised from their 165-run victory in the opening game on Tu e s d a y, We s t I n d i e s produced a magnificent start when Hope and Walton put on 111 off 109 deliveries for the first wicket. Both righthanders, Hope counted ten fours and four sixes while Walton bludgeoned 11 fours and two sixes in a rapid innings. Walton belted three fours in the second over of the day bowled by seamer Keshan Wijerathne and he and Hope then combined to take 18 from the next over from the rightarmer, the fourth of the innings. Jamaican Walton raised his half-century off 47 deliveries before celebrating with three back-to-back boundaries off off-spinner Danushka Gunathilaka, in the bowler’s second over which leaked 12 runs. When Walton perished in the 19th over, bowled by Test
left-arm spinner Milinda Siriwardana, two key partnerships served to further galvanise the innings. Hope added 109 for the second wicket with Fudadin before Powell joined the left-handed Fudadin to put on a frenetic 66 for the fourth wicket. The 28-year-old Hope reached his second successive half-century off 64 deliveries when he struck seamer Dasun Shanaka for four and then motored to triple figures off 41 balls. He reached the landmark in style, clearing the ropes with Shanaka in the 35th over. Hope and Andre Fletcher (3) fell in the space of 18 deliveries to leave Windies A on 228 for three but Fudadin and especially Powell, then got stuck into Sri Lanka A’s bowling. While Fudadin struck a four and two sixes in a measured knock, Powell batted with gay abandon to lash two fours and six sixes en route to his second successive half-century. In left-arm seamer Binura Fernando’s seventh
over – the 42nd of the innings – which cost 24 runs, Powell clobbered three sixes and a four, and a six in each of the next two overs saw him to his fifty off just 20 balls. All told, West Indies gathered 113 runs off the last ten overs of the innings. Facing a massive task, Sri Lanka A stumbled early when Beaton bowled Sandun Weerakkody with the second ball of the innings without a run on the board, and then had Gunathilaka caught at the wicket for one in his next over with the score on ten. Jayasuriya, who counted 11 fours and two sixes in a 113-ball innings, put on 88 for the third wicket with Asalanka to steady the innings. But once Asalanka was run out in the 21st over, Sri Lanka A lost four wickets for 61 runs to decline to 159 for six in the 30th over, and Jayasuirya’s 70-run, seventh wicket partnership with Shanaka proved in vain. The third and final game starts Sunday.
Kaieteur News
Friday October 28, 2016
WDFA / STAG Senior League
As competition in the STAG sponsored West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) Senior league continues, recording victories in the latest round of matches last weekend at the Den Amstel Community Center ground were Pouderoyen, Beavers, G o l d e n Wa r r i o r s a n d U i t v l u g t Wa r r i o r s . Pouderoyen clipped the wings of Eagles United 3-0; Beavers git past Vegae Boys 3-1; Golden Warriors were
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Pouderoyen, Beavers, Uitvlugt, Golden Warriors thump their opponents
Uitvlugt Warriors marksmen from right Jermaine Acra, Leron Jacobs and Daniel Floyd. flawless in their 2-0 triumph over Jetty Gunners while Uitvlugt trounced Wales United, 4-0. Eagles did enjoy some good moments against Pouderoyenbut were never allowed to be effective in the final third. Pouderoyen on the other hand, breached the Eagles defense in the 33rd minute on account of Marvin Frank’s goal. Eagles kept a tight
Three Kazakhstan weightlifters stripped of London 2012 golds
defense thereafter up until the 55th minute when Pouderoyen again scored, this time it was Dwayne St. Kitts who inked his name on the score sheet before teammate Jermaine Mc Donald hammered home the sealer in the 75th minute. Ve a g e B o y s h a d equalized in the first minute of the second half when Shemar Marcus responded to Beavers’ opening goal that
From right, Jermaine Mc Donald, Dwayne St. Kitts and Marvin Frank - Pouderoyen FC came off the boot of Jumaal Holder in the 34th minute. But on the day, Beavers was not in any mood to share points as they blasted two unanswered goals in the 57th minute (Gavin Anderson) and 61st through Lenroy Semple to walk away, 3-1 winners. Goals from Linden Gill in the 8th minute from the penalty spot and another from Shaquelle Baptiste was
enough to guide Golden Warriors past a cold Jetty Gunners. Uitvlugt Warriors were too good for their rivals from Wales (reduced to 10 when Nigel Bowman was red carded for using indecent language) and was led by a brace from Daniel Floyd who converted in the 50th and 59th minute. His efforts were complimented with goals from Jermaine Accra
in the 25th minute and Leron Jacobs on 68 minutes. Matches are scheduled to continue this weekend at the same venue. Tomorrow, the lone match will bring together Eagles FC and Beavers while in the lone encounter on Sunday, it will be the clash of the old rivals when Uitvlugt Warriors throws down the gauntlet to home team Den Amstel.
US businessman snaps up Zouks franchise
Svetlana Podobedova set three Olympic records on her way to gold in London Three weightlifters from Kazakhstan have been stripped of Olympic gold medals won at London 2012 after new tests found them guilty of doping. Zulfiya Chinshanlo, Maiya Maneza and Svetlana Podobedova were all caught when samples from 2012 and the 2008 Games in Beijing were retested. Chinshanlo won at 53kg, Maneza at -63kg and Podobedova at -75kg and all tested positive for steroid stanozolol. It has not been confirmed if their golds will now be re-assigned. Eight athletes were sanctioned yesterday, with Marina Shkermankova of Belarus losing her London 2012
bronze medal in the -69kg class. All Kazakh and Belarusian weightlifters could now be banned for a year from all international weightlifting competitions. Under International Weightlifting Federation rules, automatic bans come into effect if at least three of a country’s athletes fail Olympic retests. The International Olympic Committee has reported a total of 98 positive cases from recent retests of samples from the Beijing and London Games. At least six of those cases came in one weightlifting event, the men’s -94kg category in 2012. (BBCsport)
St Lucia Zouks … have been purchased by United States-based businessman Jignesh ‘Jay’ Pandya. London, CMC – United States-based real estate businessman, Jignesh ‘Jay’ Pandya, has bought the Caribbean Premier League franchise St Lucia Zouks, tournament principals announced yesterday. Pandya is the founder of the Rohan Group of companies and also serves as Chairman of Global Sports Ventures, LLC and Royal Sports Club, LLC. Damien O’Donohoe, chief executive of the CPL, said the partnership had been the result of extended discussions with Pandya’s representatives. ”Discussions have been ongoing with Mr. Pandya and his representatives for many months and they have a clear vision for the Zouks to elevate them even higher for
the seasons to come in terms of recruitment and in building all aspects of the franchise, from root to branch,” O’Donohoe said. ”Their passion for the Hero CPL is obvious, with their values being closely aligned to our own to strive to be an innovative marketleader, and I have no doubt that these are exciting times to be a Zouks fan.” Zouks is one of six franchises that comprise the four-year-old CPL, branded by organisers as the ‘biggest party in sport.’ Reigning champions J a m a i c a Ta l l a w a h s , Barbados Tridents, Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel, Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are the other five
franchises involved in the Twenty20 venture. Zouks, however, have been one of the worseperforming sides in the tournament but Pandya said he hoped his investment would turn around the franchise’s fortunes. ”Our aim is to help drive the Zouks forward to become the dominant team in the CPL by producing consistent results that will enable us to be title contenders in every edition of CPL going forward,” the Philadelphia businessman said. He added: “We are extremely happy that the management team, with Stuart Williams as our head coach and Darren Sammy as our captain, have committed
to remain with the franchise and will continue to lead it. Darren is a passionate St. Lucian who leads the side with great skill and charisma and is hugely respected internationally, especially after guiding the West Indies to their second ICC World T20 title in India earlier this year. ”Our executive directors are working closely with both Stuart and Darren in terms of player recruitment, the goal being to become champions of the CPL after missing out last year in the playoffs.” Zouks enjoyed their bestever season in this year’s campaign when they finished third following the preliminaries before being knocked out on the playoffs.
Kaieteur News
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Friday October 28, 2016
GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt
NSC prepares to unveil Flour Power Nat. U-17 League national database of athletes UDFA set to restart with three matches Milerock, currently joint tomorrow see third with Topp XX on 7 Action in the Upper Demerara leg of the G F F / N A M I L C O Thunderbolt Flour Power National U-17 Intra Association League is set to re-commence tomorrow at the Wisburg Secondary School ground with three matches. The feature match will
points apiece taking on bottom of the table Hi Stars on a single point, that match is set to commence at 16:00hrs. Match number 2 pits top of the table, Eagles United on 8 points coming up against Botofago which is on 5 points while the day’s opener brings together
Netrockers (3 points) and \Silver Shattas, one point l e s s . A m e l i a ’s Wa r d Panthers is the other team in the competition and they are on 3 points.
Director of Sport, Christopher Jones (second left), IntellectStorm’s, Rowen Willabus, Assistant Director of Sport, Melissa Robertson (right) and Commissioner, Edison Jefford (left) display the interactive Home Page for the NSC Database on sport and athletes. The National Sports Commission (NSC) yesterday exposed a database that is under construction with a Home Page and information already inputted to media in a historic move to bring into one location all of Guyana’s sports information since 1955. The NSC updated the media yesterday on the progress of the start-up project that IntellectStorm secured in a bid to the value of 2.8 million. The database will feature information on athletes and associations comprising every sport discipline in Guyana. The aim is to track athletes’ progress and development from the schools’ level where necessary to the national senior level. Director of Sport, Christopher Jones said that the database will form part of a criterion on how athletes, and
associations, are able to access support from Government since performance-based information will be accessible. “It’s a work in progress, but we’re building something beautiful. It will be mandatory for athletes and associations (to have information inputted) since it is the only way they will receive support, which will be meritocracy,” Jones said. He said that when the NSC requested, the Guyana Table Tennis Association ( G T TA ) h a d t h e i r information “at their finger tips”, hence theirs was uploaded to the site. According to Jones, the process is awaiting similar information from other associations. The database features the executive of associations and information such as the goals and plans of a s s o c i a t i o n s ;
implementation of long and short term goals etc. According to Jones, this data is accessible to Government as a matter of policy. O n e o f t h e Commissioners on the NSC, Edison Jefford said that they are attempting to correct a major anomaly in local sport, which is the absence of information on athletes. He said that there is no one place that exists currently where someone can research Guyanese athletes. Jefford believed that the database will “fix” that problem. He said that journalists and the public will be able to tap into a credible source of information when the website is fully updated, which according to Jones is an extensive process of research. “The challenge is to access information and confirm its accuracy through cross referencing,” Jones said, adding that getting accurate information on athletes from 1955 to present is not an ordinary task. IntellectStorm’s, Rowen Willabus gave a demonstration of how indepth is the database while he commended the NSC for “great initiative”. “It’s a good move to see Government agency moving in this direction,” Willabus said. The E-Governance Unit is providing the technical guidance to the project. Also present at the Head Table yesterday was the new Assistant Director of Sport, Melissa Robertson.
Eagles and Netrockers going head to head on August 23rd last at the Wisburg Sec. Sch. ground.
Player tensions with WICB reaching breaking point: Sir Viv St John’s, Antigua, CMC – Legendary West Indies captain Sir Viv Richards believes the poor run of results in the current series against Pakistan could be a sign that tensions between players and the West Indies Cricket Board may be reaching breaking point. The 64-year-old former batting star, who is covering the series as a television analyst, said the Windies players appeared out of sorts and this may be stemming from a strained relationship with the current administration. ”Everyone seems to be of the belief that the administration in some way has become totally dictatorial, and is not a process that I believe some of the individuals feel totally comfortable playing under,” Sir Viv told Observer Radio’s sports show here in a telephone interview from the United Arab Emirates. ”I don’t know whether this can go on for much longer,
but it was just sad, to a degree, to see some of the guys who were not quite in it.” West Indies are yet to win on the tour taking place in the United Arab Emirates, and have lost all eight games against Pakistan across all three formats. They opened with a humbling 3-0 whitewash in the Twenty20 series – a format in which they are reigning World champions – and suffered a similar drubbing in the One-Day International series. Currently, they trail 2-0 in the three-Test series, with the final game slated for Sharjah starting Sunday. On the same day the squad departed the Caribbean for the tour last month, the WICB fired head coach Phil Simmons – a decision allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard said demoralised the side and led to the dismal performances. Sir Viv, who has been critical of the board’s handling of cricket matters in the past,
said it was evident during the limited overs series that players were disillusioned. “I felt like what took place in the T20 [series] and the ODIs is that the guys were not here, meaning they were here [physically] but still not here [mentally],” he continued. ”There is a whole lot still going on in terms of administration, and it’s getting a little much in my view.” He added: “For the success that we would have achieved in [the recent past] and the three ways in which we would have won in terms of the [Under-19 World Cup] and the ladies (Women’s T20 World Cup) as well, plus the men, we should have at least looked to push on a little bit.” In an interview in Kingston last week, WICB president Dave Cameron doubled down on the firing of Simmons, contending no time would have been the ideal time to make the decision.
Kaieteur News
Friday October 28, 2016
Elite League Clubs calling for arbitration to resolve ongoing impasse with GFF
Following is a press release issued by the Guyana Football Federation Elite League Clubs calling for arbitration to settle the ongoing impasse with its parent body which has stalled the start of the second year of the Stag Elite League: Alpha United FC, Slingerz FC, Pele FC and Georgetown Football Club, all voting members of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) unequivocally call for the initiation of an arbitration process, as laid out in the statutes of the GFF to resolve the current impasse between the Elite League Members and the GFF Executive Committee. We are of the firm view that arbitration is necessary since repeated efforts by both the Elite League Clubs and the GFF to arrive at consensus that would allow for the commencement of the Stag Elite League (SEL) have all proved unsuccessful, hence the reason we choose to follow the mechanism put in place via the rules and regulations of the GFF to resolve all matters of concern. The Elite League Clubs are maintaining that fairness prevails and the current executive honour and respect the GFF constitution and contract
guiding the formulation and operations of the SEL that was agreed upon in September 2015 between the Clubs and the FIFA installed Normalisation Committee. We are hopeful that this arbitration process would result in an agreement suitable to all parties so that our players and fans and by extension all, are winners and the beautiful game is returned on a path that will see Guyana really taking its place in the world sport. It therefore means that whatever we do as stakeholders must be in keeping with the vision of placing the sport and the interest of players, first. This current situation that is ongoing does not benefit anyone, what it is really achieving is long term damage to the image of the sport as a result of poor judgement on the part of a few who do not really understand the implication (s) of this infringement that has been perpetrated against the Clubs and by extension all the affiliates of the GFF. Once again, the Elite League Clubs are making a clarion call for arbitration to bring an end to the ongoing impasse which has already been affecting the players and their families in a huge way.
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Kaieteur News
Friday October 28, 2016
GCB/MOE National Secondary School’s Cricket
Marques, Gordon bowl Lodge to 6-wkt win By Sean Devers In steaming heat at Bourda, Lodge Secondary School beat East Ruimveldt Secondary School by six wickets to advance to the next round in the South GT Zone of the GCB/MOE National Secondary School’s 30 overs cricket competition. In a game which saw everyone except East R u i m v e l d t ’s S k i p p e r Dequan Bamfield, operating with actions that far exceeded the 15 degrees bending and straightening of the elbow law, Akeem Marques (4-1), Torston Gordon (4-3) and Shamar Dover (2-6) bundled out East Ruimveldt for 55 in 13.3 overs on a flat pitch and fast outfield. Lodge reached 56-4
Torston Gordon (left) & Akeemo Marques took 4 wickets each at Bourda yesterday. despite figures of the 3-16 from Manowar Khan as Shamar Smith (14) who made 73 in his last game against South Ruimveldt at GNIC, and Akeem Williams (12*) got into double figures for the winners.
East Ruimveldt batted first and Bamfield, who plays for DCC, swept Smith like a bullet behind square for four; together with Carlos Pollard who stroked Smith forcefully down the ground for a boundary, were (Continued on page 32)
Kaieteur News
Friday October 28, 2016
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Courts Pee Wee Schools Football Competition
Enthralling battles anticipated as KO Phase starts Title holders St. Angela’s will look to advance further in defence of their crown when they face Mae’s tomorrow as play in the knockout phase of this year’s Courts Pee Wee Schools Football Competition resumes at the Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park. Antwoine Vincent, Seon Cato, Omari Nelson and Antonio McArthur should form the core of the champs attacking threat, while Joshua Bentick has been the bright spark for Mae’s. In the opening fixture, Marian Academy takes on Winfer Gardens and right away one would have to favour the former who has looked a formidable unit since the commencement of the competition. Nicholas Verwey and Malik Darker displayed impressive skills in their previous encounters and how well they perform should determine whether Marian Academy has any chance of winning. On the other hand, Winfer Gardens Calvin Bowling solitary strike against former champions
St. Pius helped them earn a creditable draw in a tough match, while Orlando Dickie and Makhaya Munroe have shown admirable form since the competition began. The St. Agnes versus South Ruimvedt clash should provide fireworks from the first whistle and predicting the outcome is causing headaches for the pundits. Antonio Lietch, J o h n S i m o n , Tr e y v o n Duncan and Saleem Rameshwar will most likely lead South Ruimveldt’s attack for goals, while Amos Bayley, Nikhail Carter, David Xavier and Antawn McKay are the likely choice of protagonists for St. Agnes in their quest for victory. St. Pius and Redeemer’s engagement should be an easy progression for the former who’re coming off an impressive showing in their last game. Deshale Humphrey, Kaden Wellington and Dwayne Baptistewere were instrumental in their large margin of victory against Mae’s and they are the likely trio who will be called upon to engineer
BCB/New York Business Group U-19 Tourney
Sinclair’s ton leads RHT Pepsi to crushing 9-wkts win over Young Warriors A brilliant century from national Under-17 player Kevin Sinclair and an outstanding all-round display from junior national, Junior Sinclair powered Rose Hall Town Pepsi into the final of BCB/New York Business Group Under-19 Cricket tournament. Kevin Sinclair blasted an unbeaten 116 while Junior Sinclair took 5 wickets and returned with the bat to score 63 as Rose Hall Town Pepsi defeated a shell shocked Young Warriors by 9wickets at the Albion ground
in the second semi-final of the competition. Albion had earlier in the week defeated Blairmont to advance to the final which would be played today and tomorrow at the Albion ground. Young Warriors won the toss in blazing sunshine and elected to take first strike. Openers Alex Algoo and Ricardo Ramdehol added ten runs before Ramdehol was caught behind by Revoldo Williams off pacer Sylus Tyndall for nought in (Continued on page 32)
another win. Redeemer scored an upset win against St. Agnes earlier in the competition, before earning a draw and losing one in their other engagements, but might find the going real tough against an opponent that has grown accustomed to being in the latter stages of the event. Another team that has looked in good form is West Ruimveldt, their marquee players being Kevin Mentis, Tyrese John, Jermaine Park, Tafrel McAllister and Kenneth G o r d o n w h o s e responsibility it will be to secure a place in the next round at the expense of St. Gabriel’s. St. Gabriel’s have not looked as sturdy as previous years and could find the going real tough once again unless Tyrese Hart can produce some heroics. The other games are anticipated to provide similar excitement for the fans.
Players battle for possession of the ball in a previous game in this year’s competition.
t r o Sp
Hope leads run-spree as Windies A rout hosts to win series
Assad Fudadin ©WICB Media/Randy Brooks Photo
Kyle Hope during his maiden List A fifty in the Nagico Super50 2016. ©WICB Media/Ashley Allen
Chadwick Walton during the CPL 2016 season. ©Getty Images
GTM Health and Fitness Expo set for Organisers promising next weekend at CASH fun-filled activities
Director of Sport Christopher Jones (centre) is joined by representatives of sponsors for a photo following the launch at the Club 704 Sports Bar on Wednesday night.
NSC prepares to Elite League Clubs calling for arbitration to resolve unveil national database of athletes ongoing impasse with GFF Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210