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Kaieteur News
Saturday September 01, 2018
KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
THIS IS NO T NOT GOOD NEWS
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undreds of teachers throughout the country took to the streets last Monday as part of their pre-term strike action to protest the government’s refusal to grant them salary increases and better working conditions. Even though conciliation talks between the union and the government ended in deadlock, the union has indicated its willingness to relinquish its 40% demand for “a reasonable offer”, but the government is not on the same page. It is now more than likely that the strike will continue into the new school year which begins Monday. Although many parents would obviously prefer to have their children in school, there is a growing belief among them that teachers are being treated unfairly. Lest we forget, this government increased the salaries of its ministers by 50 percent in their first three months in office. Today, it is refusing to grant a meaningful increase to teachers. It is regrettable that the government is essentially juggling with the welfare of the individuals who are the backbone of our education system. Teachers, though inadequately remunerated, continue tirelessly to provide expert guidance and mould the minds of our children. A teacher’s job is full of responsibilities and challenges, because not every student is the same, thus the teacher has to be dynamic and creative, and employ varying teaching patterns. Not only do teachers nurture our children, but they also act as de facto parents in disciplining them and establishing guidelines for them to follow. Instead of honouring the noble profession and preventing the strike, the Ministry of Education and by extension the government has taken a high-handed approach, by stating that the striking teachers will be replaced with about three hundred trainees from the Cyril Potter College. The sufferers in this mess are the students. According to the president of the Guyana Teachers’ Union, Mark Lyte, the union will settle for arbitration, but the government wants the conciliation process to precede arbitration. Maybe it is fearful that a similar conclusion will be reached as the one by the High-Level Task Force established by President Granger. Lyte has insisted that the Union has absolutely no confidence in the Ministry of Social Protection to mediate in an impartial manner, because the Chief Labour Officer, and the Ministry of Social Protection, which has responsibility for Labour and Industrial Relations, have in the union’s opinion, compromised their positions by clearly being on the side of the Education ministry. That said, for its apparent indifference, the government has to be blamed for the strike and the impending inconvenience of thousands of parents and students. Following the breakdown of negotiations between the union and the Ministry of Education last year, President Granger established the aforementioned High-Level panel to consider each proposal by the union and make appropriate recommendations to resolve the dispute. The high level committee’s report, according to the president, was brought before Cabinet and it was felt that there were certain deficiencies in the report, and it was because of those deficiencies that there was a delay in engaging with the union. Some critical questions were not answered. The president said they have to go back to the drawing board and rectify some of the missing information, and correct some of the deficiencies. He said although they are working toward a solution to the crisis, the existing report should not be regarded as a sound basis for proceeding, because of the deficiencies of information. Critical information, he said, was not supplied to the high level committee, thus it is impossible to arrive at certain figures or conclusions without that information being included. If this is the case, it seems as though the two sides, Union and Government, are worlds apart. This is not good news.
THE TRUE NATURE AND CAUSALITY OF THE POWER OUTAGE ON THE PEOPLE OF REGION TWO DEAR EDITOR, I believe you are unaware of the true nature and causality of the power outage, and consequences thereof on the people of Region # 2. It’s now two weeks into the nightmare that has engulfed our potential. The nightmare that allows for less than two hours of electricity per 24 hours that GPL has attached a wonderful term of ‘load shedding’ To begin with, Minister David Patterson will never be forgiven for this catastrophe, his incompetent decisions that have led to this nasty state of affairs. Aside from the constant
drug shortages, President David Granger’s willful refusal to support the backbone of Guyana (Rice) and all other Ministers of Government ignoring the plight of Essequibans. We now have no electricity!!What is worse is the fact that the PPP/C while responsive, has been a toothless poodle. Where is your bite? When will you stand up and fight? Prove to your stronghold that you still have might! But do you? Or is it for political gain that you wish for us all to suffer at this administration? What the APNU needs to understand is that this government has done so poorly that
nobody wants them to serve another term (I use the word serve lightly because they have only served their own wants and not the needs of the people). But why would we vote for the PPP/C? Exactly, so we will end-up in a position where all educated individuals will refuse to vote.Back to the electrical woes, the people are suffering. The pump stations do not have back-up generators, which means that we have no electricity or potable water! Imagine a population in excess of 50,000 individuals plus a significant amount of Venezuelan refugees without access to electricity, potable
water or proper healthcare. What should be mentioned however, is that we Essequibans are resilient, we are calm and steadfast, we are not going to be like the Lindiners that burnt down a school, but we will not be as numb as the Berbicians that stood by while the government took the food out of their mouth. This is a promise to the APNU government, no longer will Region # 2 stand idle as this government destroys our lives in the name of the government’s plan: “a good life for themselves.” Yours truly, An anguished resident
The views of these two agencies are not at odds DEAR EDITOR, The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) wishes to respond to a letter by Mr. Robin Singh titled “Questions for government policy making keep piling up.” The letter writer insinuates that the positions of the GRA and that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the granting of concessions for re-migrants, is the “source of much confusion.” He made reference to the recent views expressed in the press by the Honourable Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Commissioner-General of the GRA. The Authority wishes to state categorically that the views of the two Agencies are in no way at odds. The Agencies are tasked with differing roles and responsibilities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs ensures that the remigrant meets the criteria set out in the said scheme for being a remigrant,
while the Ministry of Finance through the GRA is responsible for administering the tax concessions. This administration allows the GRA to withhold, suspend or cancel the concessions when the remigrant is in breach of the conditions of the scheme. In the case of motor vehicles, the exemption of duties on motor vehicles is granted on conditions pursuant to section 23 and 36 of the Customs Act Chapter 82:01. These clearly state that the remigrant must: • Maintain legal residence in Guyana, in accordance with Section 2 the Income Tax Act Chapter 81:01 for five (5) years from the date of registration of the vehicle • Report to the GRA in person every six (6) months with the motor vehicle certification of road worthiness/fitness, insurance and registration of inspection
• Reside at least 183 days for each year until the fiveyear period has expired • Uses the vehicle as a primary mode of transportation and ensure that it remains in his/her possession within the five (5) years without being leased, transferred or sold. The CommissionerGeneral’s remarks of the breaches are factual. There have been blatant breaches in the remigrant conditions specified. The statement that “one in every three” of the concessions are breached can be borne out by the figures and visits to remigrant residences where the “high end” vehicles cannot be found and the remigrant cannot be located. Investigations have revealed that funds are provided to prospective remigrants who buy the said high end vehicles and transfer possession by means of power of attorney, then return overseas during the stipu-
lated period that they are required to remain in Guyana. Some of these high end vehicles include Roll Royces, Hummers, Range Rovers, and Ferraris. To curb this practice, the GRA has been requesting the source of funds for these applicants. These acts constitute serious offenses that warrant the Commissioner-General under Section 36 of the Customs Act to imposing penalties, inclusive of forfeiture or fines in lieu of forfeiture. In December 31, 2017 alone over $50M in fines penalties and duties were recouped from these individuals. Lastly, the Commissioner General views on tax credits versus exemptions are well known. These views are in keeping with international norms and those of the Tax Reform Committee of which he was a member. Yours Sincerely, Godfrey Statia Commissioner-General
Are we really addressing the operations and viability of the National Insurance Scheme? DEAR EDITOR, Recently the media carried an article on the operations of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) arising from a bi-partisan Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services meeting with the senior officials of the NIS. Having read the following: “NIS recorded successive deficits since 2015-GM “(General Manager),” “the current fund stands at $31.9B,” “this year, NIS is expected to pay out $23.6B with contributions projected to reach $23.2B.” As a Financial Analyst, what was reported was basically confusing to me. Hence I will give my assessment of the operations and future viability of the NIS. 1. I have neither in re-
cent times seen the audited nor unaudited Financial Statements (FSs) in the news media. As a public entity, I am appalled that FSs are not published. Certainly, citizens like myself will be interested in calculating and analyzing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in order to assess among others, NIS’s financial position, its performance, its liquidity balance, and its future viability. Some KPIs which an analyst will need in order to determine the viability of this Scheme are: its net loss/income margin, its return on investment, its debt to equity ratio, its accumulated surplus, its investment portfolio and income (if any) accruing from those investments, and last
but by no means least, its funding of the asset deficit to meet future obligations. 2. I am of the view that since the NIS commenced its operations in September 1969, the composition of its Board of Directors leaves much to be desired. Based on published information over the years, this Board is and continues to lack the appointment of a director(s) with experience on Actuarial Valuation of pension schemes. 3. What should have been discussed at length at that meeting (not reported by the media) is/are the Report(s) of the Actuary. If the Actuary is Bacon Woodrow & de Souza Limited from Trinidad, that firm is known to be doing high quality work on evaluating
pension schemes in Guyana. What has been disclosed by the GM and I quote “based on the last actuarial report, the life of the scheme should come to an end in 2021/22. I am w o r r i e d and confused by that revelation by the GM. It seems to me that NIS may not exist after 2022, which is most unlikely. Surely the Actuarial Reports (normally every five years) over the past two decades have been repeating the same issues, and no serious action is apparently being taken on those pertinent issues. 4. What is an Actuarial Valuation? It is a type of appraisal of the NIS’s assets and liabilities of which investment, economic and (Continued on page 6)
Saturday September 01, 2018
Impeaching is politically risky DEAR EDITOR, Impeaching is politically risky at best. America should avoid such a test. On November 8, 2016 Americans were taught a lesson that would not easily be forgotten by all and sundry—— the seemingly unexpected victory of the least likely to be elected candidateDonald Trump. Yes, when all eyes were focused, all hearts a-beat, and minds fully convinced that the White House would be once more white with the anticipated re-occupancy of Hilary Clinton, in stepped billionaire, real estate mogul and former reality television personality Donald J Trump to become the 45thPresident of the United States in one of the most staggering upsets in the history of western democracy. In 2012 he unceremoniously dropped out of the presidential race, as he knew he did not stand a chance of success. However in 2016, Trump was fully prepared, aided by a weak Republican field. From the outset he was grossly underrated by everyone, few political commentators took his campaign seriously and there were many who suggested that he was in it merely for the publicity it afforded him. However, following the most unprecedented of presidential campaigns a stunning victory was his in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Florida and Wisconsin, where he put Democratic states into the Republican column. Donald Trump is driven
to do what others say cannot be done, and while he is contentious and combative, contrary to popular belief he is no buffoon. Day after day, incident by incident, Twitter by Twitter he is teaching the American populace, especially the antiTrumpites that according to German physicist Albert Einstein, problems cannot be solved with the same thinking, or the same level of consciousness that was used when they were created. He said that he would teach Republicans how to beat their nemesis- Hilary Clinton and he succeeded. Now everyone from economists, celebrities, media personalities, Democrats, Deep State, the entire D.C swamp –including the GOP establishment are rooting for Trump to fail and be impeached. His interaction with the American populace and his many speeches clearly confirmed the distance between the president and the residents. Even during the election campaign, from rally to rally the rhetoric was largely consistent, for by virtue of his non-political qualities, Trump positioned himself as being the one able to reach Americans and restore what America had lost. Now not a day goes by in a Donald Trump’s news cycle without a certain subject popping up—impeachment. Every jack and jack rabbit is calling for his premature political demise. What started on the fringes, at least among the politically engaged is now on everybody’s lips. Yes, there
Cameras on city streets will put a dent in the crime DEAR EDITOR, The President said he was not interested in a “foreigner” as head of the Police force. Hope he is right about the choice(s) and the citizens expect that these appointed will not fail them. The Police cannot depend on private CCTVs in some areas to effectively do police work. They need to monitor and manage this aspect by themselves with equipment. With the oil revenues looming, it is time for the new Police Chief to start looking into “body cams” and Police vehicles being installed with cameras that must be activated with all stop & search, arrests, shootings etc. These
cameras will be an asset in the transparency that the President and the PC expect. Cameras on city streets installed by or paid for by the State will put a dent in the crime that continues to affect daily lives of the citizens for the past decades. Cutting the extravagant food and alcohol bill at the Assembly to “tea and sandwich”, the savings could help in funding street cameras. Of course, the cameras will be of no use without a reliable electricity supply. Now, the question: Are these appointments “ registered members of the PNC and carry their membership cards ?” Habeeb Bacchus
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is no need for a reiteration of the President’s iniquities, the fact that America would be better off without him as a president, and that his departure would be good news for the rest of the world. While his removal might be momentous in a larger endeavor – the restoration of confidence in the world’s democracies. Notwithstanding, it would be a mistake to impeach him. In Trump’s case impeachment would necessitate the Democrats taking control of the House in the November midterm elections. Impeachment is the political off ramp encapsulated in the Constitution that allows the House of Representatives to articulate crimes against a sitting president (articles of impeachment) and vote on them ( being impeached), following which the Senate converts into a court for trial (two-thirds of which is needed to convict). There are instances when the threat of impeachment is enough to force a resignation (Nixon). Additionally, waiting to impeach also has its accompanying risks for while Congress meanders, a president might continue to practice dangerous behavior that puts the nation in danger. Conversely a president enshrouded in a cloud of investigation might even start a war in order to boost his popularity. Seemingly forgotten on the impeachment trail is the fact that impeachment does not remove a president from office, which makes the “why” as blurred as the “how”. There is a clear and present danger in advancing the impeachment issue now, for adversaries of the president would have their work cut out for them if impeachment is the ultimate end game. Impeachment is a political process. It is a trial by politicians. A failed impeachment is more likely to invigorate the president and strengthen his chances of winning re-election in 2020. The stakes are far too high, so there’s need to try. To impeach would teach us all a lesson. If America should once again be great, and avert historical fate, it should be clear that what needs defeating is not Trump but Trumpism. Whoever is careless with truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters. Albert Einstein. Yvonne Sam
A SERIOUS ISSUE AT CITY HALL DEAR EDITOR, It is well known that nepotism, cronyism and favouritism have had adverse effects on an organization’s atmosphere wherever it exists, and at the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown it is no different. It is well known that there are scores of relatives, friends, church pals and paramours of senior officers and senior officials who are either employees of, or contractors to the Council. The situation has gotten so bad, that there are now employees who either threaten violence, have a history of antisocial behaviour,
carry a grudge or whose general tendency is to react angrily to most situations, yet nothing is done to correct these unacceptable circumstances, because these persons are either friends or relatives of the ‘big ones.’ There is an urgent need for the Council’s Human Resource Department to develop structures that allow for threatening behaviour to be stopped quickly and effectively. The policy should articulate the consequences for related behaviours, such as verbal threats, bullying, harassment, and other
behaviours that could make an employee feel unsafe. It is indeed sad to note that violent behaviour in our society is increasing, just look at the recent episode of a three year old child being stabbed to death. In workplaces where there is a fear-based regime, there are secrets. The same goes for City Hall where everyone is walking on eggshells, where employee concerns are buried deep under the surface and where you see some form of schizophrenia existing in several departments. Sincerely Modi Sankar
Deserving honour for Chanderpaul DEAR EDITOR, The University of West Indies has done right in honouring cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul with a (honorary) doctorate for his achivements and contributions in the game and for making the region stand out in matches when he was a member of the team. He played extremely well. It is a deserving honour for a son of the region. The doctorate should have been conferred a long time ago. Chanderpaul was unceremoniously dropped from the West Indies team in 2015 although he performed better than most of the batsmen at the time. When he was forced out of the team, he was just 86 runs sh o r t o f e q u a l i n g Brian Lara’s test record for the most runs scored by a West Indian. Chanderpaul was the most consistent batsman in the history of West Indies cricket. He could be depended upon to save a match, and he
did so countless times for whichever team he played for in first class cricket. People everywhere labelled him “dependable” or “Mr consistent”. Chanderpaul, though now 44 (as of last August 16) has been sadly missed by the West Indies test team since 2015. The team has performed terribly over the last three years without his presence. Through Chanderpaul, Guyana and/or West Indies have accrued widespread recognition. Chanderpaul is known worldwide and people admire him for his contributions to the game of cricket. I tend to travel extensively and whenever I did so, especially in faraway places like South Asia, Australia, New Zealand, England, Singapore, Malaysia and Fiji, to associ-
ate my home country, Chanderpaul’s name pops up. Guyana and the West Indies are better known through the name of this legendary son Shivnarine Chanderpaul. And when I am traveling within the West Indies region, when the names of great cricketers are mentioned, Chanderpaul is among them. Many call him “Tiger”. No one has been given greater admiration for his patience in batting, for he hardly ever threw awa y h i s wicket. With our leading university honouring Chanderpaul, the government of Guyana and West Indies cricket board should also consider honouring this iconic son for his 25 years of service to the region. Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram
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ERC urges all to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Heritage month 2018 DEAR EDITOR, September, 2018 ushers in another milestone for Guyana’s indigenous peoples as they observe Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month. The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) takes this opportunity to send warmest greetings to the entire indigenous community and extends its hand of friendship to all Guyanese at home and abroad as the month-long observances get underway. During the celebrations many aspects of the indigenous culture and traditions will be brought to the fore in thismulti-ethnic society of ours. The ERC therefore
urges all Guyanese to get involved in anyway possible in the planned country-wide celebrations. The prevailing religious and cultural freedoms are attributes which make a multiethnic and multifaceted country like Guyana, one of the most tolerant societies in the world today having evolved after a long history of struggle and commitment to nation building. During September all will be exposed to the rich culture of the indigenous peoples ,many with which we are familiar. The ERC, as it seeks to promote harmony and good
relations among all, is reminding every Guyanese to make a valiant effort to remember the origins of our diverse Guyana as we celebrate another milestone that builds bridges for our peoples. On this occasion, the ERC calls on Guyanese to recognize and embrace our diversity and be guided by this year’s Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month’s theme: “Proud of Our Indigenous Identity, Celebrating in Unity”. Best wishes for a successful Heritage month celebration to our indigenous community. Yours Sincerely, Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC)
Saturday September 01, 2018
It is time that we demand democracy in the PPP and let the members choose DEAR EDITOR, It may be a bit late for me to observe - the PNC held their free and fair party elections where party leaders were elected at a Congress of several hundred members. But, in contrast, Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo has announced that the PPP presidential candidate would be chosen by the party’s central committee of a mere 35 members only. Further, Mr. Jagdeo said that the chosen candidate would win over 50% of the votes, which is at least 18 of
the 35 persons. Is this to be interpreted as an enlargement of the “gang of 8” into the “gang of 18”? It would be far better to have the person who is desirous of being the next president to be selected/elected at a special Congress of party members, like the PNC did in 2018 with their chair and chairpersons, and in 2010/2011 with their presidential candidate. The cards are already well stacked in the central committee, it seems as if this ‘election/selection’ has been fixed
and will be forced upon the general membership to accept. Tell me, if Mr. Frank Anthony, who came in second at the 2008 Congress, was not elected by the central committee to be on the 15members executive committee, why should I believe that he could be selected to be the party’s presidential candidate? It is time that we demand democracy in the PPP. Let the members choose! Sincerely, C. Rutherford
Are we really addressing the operations ... From page 4 demographic assumptions are used in order to determine the funded status of this pension scheme. Many variables have to be taken into account in this valuation. On the asset side, the actuary is required to make assumption(s) about the employer’s contribution rates and investment growth rate of the portfolio of stocks and bonds. On the liabilities side, the calculation of such payments are much more complex. The actuary must make assumptions regarding, but not limited to among others, the discount rate which is the rate used to convert future cash flows to its present value, employees’ contribution rates, w a g e s / s a l a r i e s growth rates, inflation rates, mortality rates, and maximizing the dividend yields on investments in stocks and bonds.If all the long term assumptions are reasonable, then a realistic funding ratio can be derived. The ultimate funding ratio equals assets over liabilities. The solvency of the
pension scheme is when there is a ratio of over 1.0 or 100 percent, which will indicate that pension assets are adequate to cover its liabilities in the foreseeable future (approximately 10 years down the road). My understanding is that the NIS funding ratio is under 1.0 over at the last two decades.If my understanding is correct, then what positive action is being addressed to have sufficient assets to pay the future benefits. Mention has been made of GuySuco owing in excess of $1.5B as well as other businesses. The management at that Parliamentary Meeting had indicated that it has been taking action to recover contributions owing which is a positive effort. However, as m e n tioned above, it is imperative that the authorities need to determine the required contributions needed to fund future benefits over time and in so doing will eventually eliminate the Scheme’s deficit. Persistent underfunding, as it appears to be, will ultimately jeopardize NIS’s sustainability. 5. Besides the actuarially valuation the efficiency level of the staff needs to be address and b e improved. For example, why the payment of a benefit has to take 2, 3, 4-months to be made after the documentation has been accepted. Yours truly and I
know of many others, who have had this experience. That being said, the financial position, performance and the ability to pay future benefits are cause of major concern of NIS’s current operations. Our emphasis, among others, has to be on the Actuarial Reports which information is indeed complex and can be difficult to understand for those who are not accustomed to working with this kind of information. It is my view that the authorities, have to reveal financial information such as the extent of the Scheme’s asset deficit, the required contributions percent to clear this deficit, the period of time it will take to clear this deficit, who are to make these contributions, will i t b e t h e employers, the employees, the Government or all three parties. These are not easy decisions to make, hence it is imperative that the decision makers have a full understanding of the schemes’ operations and its implications in both the short-and longterm. I do not see the life of NIS ending in 2021/22. Let’s address the pertinent issues in a prompt and efficient manner, and we will need the involvement of the actuarial firm, and perhaps other financial specialists on the way forward towards this Scheme’s viability. Yours sincerely, John Seeram
Saturday September 01, 2018
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Challenge to legality of charges against Singh, Brassington…
Lawyers to make further arguments
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awyers for former Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh and former head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington, are expected to make further oral arguments in the High Court action which seeks to challenge the legality of ‘misconduct in public office’ charges filed against the duo. The arguments are to be made on September 28, when the hearing continues at the High Court in Georgetown. The arguments were supposed to be presented to the court on Tuesday by Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall who is among the battery of lawyers representing the duo. However, Nandlall was unavailable, and the matter was put off to the aforementioned date by Chief Justice (ag) Roxanne George before whom the challenge is being heard. In May, the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU), an
arm of the Guyana Police Force, filed charges for ‘Misconduct in Public Office’, against the two former high ranking government officials over the sale of three tracts of lands on the East Coast of Demerara without or without due regard for valuation. A month later, a similar charge was filed against the men. Together, they are facing four joint charges. According to the first charge, Dr. Ashni Singh in his then capacity of Minister of Finance and Chairman of NICIL—is accused of selling on May 14, 2011 at Lot 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown—a tract of land being 10.002 acres of Plantation Turkeyen, East Coast of Demerara, property of the State of Guyana for the sum of $185,037,000, without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer. It is further alleged that Dr. Ashni Singh and Brassington on December 30, 2008 at Lot
Former Minister of Finance Dr. Ashni Singh 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, by way of Agreement of Sale and Purchase without due diligence, sold to Scady Business Corporation, a 4.7 acres tract portion of Plantation Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, for $150M, knowing that the said property was valued at
CI-Guyana, NAREI sign MoU to fill research gaps on Guyana’s mangroves
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n a collaborative effort to generate baseline knowledge and technical assessment as inputs towards a coordinated well informed management of system for mangrove systems, Conservation InternationalGuyana (CI-Guyana) and the National Agricultural Research & Extension Institute (NAREI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Friday last, for the implementation of a project entitled “Setting the foundations for zero net loss of mangroves that underpin human wellbeing in the North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem”. Vice President of CIGuyana, David Singh, articulated the importance of the project in filling knowledge gaps on Guyana’s mangroves and that CI-Guyana is pleased to collaborate with NAREI to successfully implement this one-year project. Dr. Singh indicated that CI-Guyana has a proven track record in Guyana with re-
gards to terrestrial ecosystems; however, there is a need to also focus on the marine ecosystems environment particularly with regards to the development of the oil and gas industry and the increased environmental risks as a result of development of the sector. The implementation will involve collaboration among Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil (Amapa) and will result in an updated mangrove forest cover and change estimates, valuation of mangrove ecosystem goods and services, threat assessment and the establishment of a national and regional coordination body. CEO of NAREI, Oudho Homenauth, in his remarks indicated that the project fits into NAREI’s long-term plans to seek collaboration with partner agencies and organizations to increase knowledge and the efficient management of mangrove resources. As such the Institute recognizes the importance of regional planning and knowledge shar-
ing with regards to efficient management of mangrove ecosystems. NAREI has had an ongoing mangrove restoration program since 2010 and continues to implement restoration interventions as part of its annual programs. Currently, the Institute is implementing restoration initiatives along the Essequibo Coast with the planting of 15,000 mangrove seedlings at Walton Hall and the construction of sediment t r a p s ( B a m b o o b rushwood-dams) at Aberdeen and Columbia. Signing the MoU on behalf of NAREI was Dr. Ohdho Homenauth, Chief Executive Officer and Dr. David Singh, Vice President on behalf of Conversation InternationalGuyana.
Winston Brassington
$340M by Rodrigues Architects Associate, a competent valuation officer. A similar charge alleged that the two on December 28, 2009 at 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, by way of Agreement of Sale and Purchase, acted recklessly when they sold to National Hardware Guyana Limited a tract of land at Plantation Liliendaal, Pattensen and Turkeyen, situated on the East Coast of Demerara, being 103 acres, being property of the State of Guyana for the sum of $598,659,398 (VAT exclusive) without first having procured a valuation of the said property from a competent valuation officer. The last charge against the duo states that, “Dr. Ashni Singh, being and performing duties of Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited, a company owned by the Government of Guyana; and Brassington, being and performing duties as the Chief Executive of NICIL, a company owned by the Government of Guyana, between October 26, 2010 and December 20, 2010 at Lot 126 Barrack Street, Kingston, Georgetown, by way of Agreement of Sale and Purchase, acted recklessly when they sold to Queens Atlantic Investment Inc, Sanata Tex-
tiles Complex, with building and erections thereon, that is to say, Parcel 4702, Part of Plantation Ruimveldt, situated on the East Bank Demerara, being 18.871 acres, being $697,864,800.00 plus VAT, knowing that the said property was valued at the sum of $1,042,403,500.00, and was therefore being sold at a price that was grossly undervalued, thereby creating a breach of their duties”. In relation to the first three charges, the men have been each released on $6M bond. Dr. Singh and Brassington are still to answer to the last charge. Following the charges being laid, lawyers for Singh and Brassington moved to the High Court contesting that the charges were unconstitutional. Chief Justice Roxanne George and Justice Franklin Holder have granted interim stays on the magistrates’ courts proceedings pending
the hearing and determination of the application to throw out the charges. During a court hearing in July, the Chief Justice consolidated the four charges into one substantive challenge since they are all of a similar nature. Among other arguments, the lawyers are contending that to charge the men for the offence of ‘Misconduct in Public Office’ contrary to common law is an abuse of process, malicious, biased, capricious, arbitrary, and without proper evidential basis. Further, the lawyers are arguing that the charges are made in bad faith, unreasonable, discriminatory, unlawful, and influenced by irrelevant and improper considerations and motives, null, void, and of no effect. However, Solicitor General Kim Kyte-Thomas maintained that the application to have the charges quashed has no realistic prospect of success, and that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack was within her power to institute the charges against Dr. Singh and Brassington. The Solicitor General is contending that lawyers for the defendants cannot establish any malfeasance, or that the DPP acted in bad faith or any exceptional circumstances or that the charges are bad in law. According to the Solicitor General, “The charge (Misconduct in Public Office) is a very good charge. It is a common law charge. It is provided for under the laws of Guyana.”
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Saturday September 01, 2018
Ramnarine calls it a day - says will contemplate his options
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ne day after not even being considered, in a high level shakeup of the Guyana Police Force, former Top Cop (ag) David Ramnarine has called it a day. Ramnarine, known for bluntness, calling out rogue cops ever so often, said he is proceeding on a muchdeserved annual leave, and will be contemplating his options. His options in the police force were made clear Thursday after the Ministry of the Presidency announced that Commander of ‘D’ Division, Leslie James, was chosen to be the new commissioner. James is also a former head of the Special Branch, the intelligence division of the police force, and the Criminal Investigations Department. Also approved to assist James, were four Deputy Commissioners - Lyndon Alves, Maxine Graham, Nigel Hoppie and Paul Williams. Ramnarine was among several persons interviewed and given ‘Grade Six-type’ tests. However, he was not shortlisted in the final list that was sent to Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo recently. F o l l o w i n g “consultations” Thursday at State House, the Ministry of the Presidency named James
New top cop, Leslie James (centre), following a meeting with his senior officers yesterday as the new police chief. He was sworn that afternoon. Ramnarine was not there at the State House ceremony. It is unclear if he was invited. Jagdeo later said that President, during the consultations, did not immediately give details for his decision, but said there were “specific reasons” for not choosing Ramnarine. Yesterday, Ramnarine would not delve too much into what has transpired, as “what is done is done”. He said that he has extended congratulations to the new commissioner and three deputies, and he will be doing the same with the fourth one shortly. He said that he has some well-deserved annual leave due and will be proceeding on same. While he did not immediately say whether he has resigned, he had this to say: “Whatever has happened is not the end of my life and the world…” Ramnarine also said that decision was not totally unexpected and he had been preparing for it since last year. He hinted of certain matters that arose that affected his possibilities, but did not want to talk about it. He insisted that serving the police force and Guyana
President David Granger has indeed been “very satisfactory” and it was a “pleasure”.Ramnarine is confident that the opportunities to continue in new areas will open up and he will be “contemplating” these options. Jagdeo had disclosed Thursday that he was told by the President that Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Paul Slowe, had recused himself when it came to the recommendation of certain names. Jagdeo himself did not offer his thoughts on his feelings about Ramnarine, but made it clear that he knows nothing “adverse” about the new top cop.
Indeed, his party, the People’s Progressive Party, issued a statement, offering support. During his first press conference for the year yesterday, President Granger, explained the selection process. The search for a police chief is regulated by the Constitution of Guyana and would stem from the appointment of a functioning Public Service Commission, and a member of that body, who is also part of the Police Service Commission. The latter is which meets and deliberates on the candidates. According to Granger, he
Proceeding on leave: Former Top Cop, David Ramnarine found the recommendations about the new top cop from the Police Service Commission to be “reasonable”. Making it clear that he was not about to disclose what the recommendations were, the president noted that the Commission would have had access to files of the police officers, going back decades. He said that the PSC conducted the interviews. Granger said he relied heavily on the recommendations in making his choice and felt justified. He believed that the Chairman of the PSC, Slowe, would likely feel justified too. Yesterday, the new top cop met with officers of the force’s Performance Group and outlined several key areas, aimed at improving better relationships with both members of the Police Force and the general public.
The meeting which was held in the Commissioner’s Conference Room, “was very much informative and everyone having extended congratulatory remarks to the Top Cop and his Deputies, gave assurance of their continued support and commitment,” the police said in a social media post. The new commissioner said Thursday that he is clear about his mandate and will be pursuing a stronger, intelligence-driven police force.Sources said that the selection process for a new top cop involved the President, Attorney General Basil Williams and Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan. The president reportedly even was present during the tests, involving several subject areas, that were administered to the candidates.
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Saturday September 01, 2018
National Sports Policy and crossing a red line Government is ubiquitous, but there are certain realms where its participation should be limited to that of providing support. The less governments involve themselves in sport, the better. Based on this
philosophy, there is really no need for a national sports policy. There is no need either for a national cultural policy. Governments should limit its roles in these two areas, because there is the danger of intrusion into sports administration, as is now
evident by the call for government to move from having a national sports policy to having a National Sports Act. Government interference in sport in Guyana has led to sinister plots as seen in the attempt by the PPPC
‘Peacemaker’ gets 18 months for chopping man who told him about his mother “He was beating his wife and I tried to save her. He got upset and he told me about my mother so I dealt him several chops about his body.” Those were the words of a miner before he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by a City Magistrate. Troy Williams, 23, of Arakaka, North West District, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Williams pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on August 27, last, at Four Miles Arakaka, in the North West Magisterial District, he unlawfully and maliciously inflicted grievous bodily harm to Ravie Wells. Facts presented by Police Prosecutor, Gordon Mansfield stated that on August 27, last, Williams along with a group of friends, including Wells and his wife, were at a shop drinking alcohol. The Prosecutor added that while at the shop, Wells and his wife got into an argument over her dancing with another man. The court heard that Williams intervened and Wells in return told him about his mother. It was reported that Williams became annoyed and pulled out a cutlass from his waist and dealt Wells several chops about his face and hands. He then made good his escape in some nearby bushes. The matter was reported, an investigation was carried out, and Williams was arrested and taken into custody. Prosecutor Mansfield stated that Wells is still at the Georgetown Public Hospital receiving treatment. Williams, when asked by the Magistrate why he committed the offence, stated “I asked he why he beating he wife, and he turned and
Troy Williams tell me to rake my “mother s***t, so I got upset and I decided to chop him.” The Magistrate after listening Williams told the court that she took into consideration his early guilty plea and the fact that he did not waste the court’s time. She added that he should learn to control his temper and to not use excessive force. She then sentenced him.
administration to seize control of the Guyana Cricket Board, as part of a wider plot to take control of West Indies cricket as an investment source. That plot has been resisted by the Guyana Cricket Board, but a great deal of damage was done in the process including government seizing assets, via a court order, of the Board. The end product of the PPPC’s attempt to control cricket was the enactment of a Cricket Bill, a Bill which allows for government interference in sports administration. This is one of the dangers of having a National Sports Bill. This will subject the sports associations to government control and regulation. This goes against the policy of international sporting associations which prohibit government regulation of sporting associations. FIFA, the governing body for football, has very stringent rules against political interference in sporting associations. FIFA has suspended membership and sounded warnings to governments over what FIFA deemed political meddling in the work of football associations. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has similar provisions in is Charter and
has found itself having to take action when governments have tried to flex their muscles against cricket associations. A few years ago, there was a problem which emerged when the South African government tried to block sporting associations from bidding for international tournaments. At present, there are problems in Sri Lankan cricket and the ICC has expressed concern over political interference in cricket in that country. Guyana is going to face sanctions should the government try to regulate sport. Instead of helping our athletes, this will lead to them being barred from international sporting participation. Sport, like the media, must be self-regulated. The media will never allow itself to be regulated by any media law. Sports associations should be the same. There is no need for governments to regulate sport. This is not how international sports federations operate. The APNU+AFC government has not indicated any intention to pass a Sports Bill. It has prepared a draft National Sports Policy which does not call for a Sports Bill, but the danger has
always been that governments get too ambitious when they try to involve themselves too much in sport administration. The draft National Sports Policy is a poorly written, poorly articulated document which is difficult on the eye. When you reach the end of the document, you really do not know where you started. The government has a great deal of tidying up to do with this document. A sports policy is not bad. It can inform government’s spending priorities in the sector. It should restrict government regulation and interference in sport. There is no role for government in regulating sport. The President should lay to rest the debate about a National Sports Bill. It is not needed. Government may need a policy to help it push sport in schools or to determine a formula for providing support to national teams and associations. But to move towards a Bill, as is being suggested in certain quarters, is crossing the red line.
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Saturday September 01, 2018
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
My advice to Minister Jaipaul Sharma In a conversation with Minister Jaipaul Sharma, he was outraged at a vicious attack on him by the WPA over his rejection of Clive Thomas’ advocacy of cash incentives to citizens from oil revenues. The WPA’s confrontation came in a published letter in the newspapers twelve days ago.There were tones that were personally directed against the minister, of which the following two stand out; (1) – “WPA will resist the temptation to pronounce on that minster’s performance in his portfolio for fear of being unable to find anything substantive to evaluate.” (2) – “We wonder which party or coalition of parties he thinks will benefit from this so-called gimmick. If you have nothing fit and proper to say, then say nothing.”
After a long chat, my advice to him was to reply to the WPA’s denunciation of him and let the Guyanese people judge for themselves who is hypocritical, who practices anti-working class politics, who supports neo-liberal economics, who should be the last persons to speak on the politics of morality and decency. Sharma kept telling me that he doesn’t want to reply, and I kept insisting to him that it was his obligation as a minister of government to so do. I pointed out several areas in the letter and in the conduct of the WPA since it went into power in 2015, where he can expose the unadulterated degeneracy and political crassness of the WPA, and expose that party for the world to see its graphic depravity.
Here are my suggestions and guidance to Sharma when we spoke, and I urged him to put these questions directly to the WPA’s leadership. If they refuse to respond, keep banging away in the newspapers and the Guyanese people will see and understand. First, the WPA at its press conference indicated that it will put its cash transfer adumbration to the government and if it is not accepted, it will organize support in the wider society for its cause. Sharma should enquire two things after hearing this. One is; has the WPA spoken to its representative in the Cabinet, Dr. Roopnaraine, to formally table the WPA’s proposal and if it has, what is Roopnaraine’s attitude? This should be interesting
in the light of Roopnaraine’s complete distance from the PPP for over two years now. At the lunch table at German’s Restaurant, Dr. David Hinds told me and Leonard Craig of the AFC that it is his opinion that Roopnaraine no longer represents the WPA. The other thing Sharma must ask is which Guyanese people the WPA intends to organize, and with what. How many souls are in the WPA’s leadership? Which part of Guyana can one find a WPA group? What form will this organizing will take? Secondly, I put it to Sharma that he must ask the WPA why after three years as part of the government, only the cash transfer idea it has publicly come up with. Why no other idea after three years? Thirdly, I strongly urged Sharma to ask the WPA if it has been happy or comfortable with many policies of the APNU+AFC government against the background of this quote in the WPA’s let-
ter; “… every WPA policy statement from the birth of our party in 1974, every WPA election manifesto from 1985 and the two manifestos of the APNU and APNU+AFC with which the WPA was integrally involved in crafting, and they will see that our party has long made spending on social programmes central planks of national development.” I indicated to Sharma that the party that wrote that statement could only be a hypocritical outfit when one thinks about the countless moves against the interests of the working people that the WPA voted for in Parliament since May 2015. The list is too long, but it included a mere two percent reduction of VAT and the placement of VAT on goods and services that didn’t carry it including tuition fees of private schools. I urged Sharma to get the Hansard and see what the WPA representative in Parliament had to say on
Frederick Kissoon these anti-working class measures in all the budgets since 2016.Jaipaul Sharma intoned that he is not interested in replying to the WPA, because he knows the party is just playing to the gallery. But that was exactly my point to him. Since it is playing to the gallery, then the WPA is opportunistic and not sincere, and he should publish his response to expose them. I ended my conversation with the Junior Minister of Finance with the advice that in this country when you do not defend yourself, it will come back to haunt you.
GAWU convenes one-day conference on sugar industry The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) together with Canada’s largest private sector union – UNIFOR – will convene a special one day conference titled “Sugar – too big to fail” on Tuesday at the Grand Coastal Hotel, Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara. The one-day event will bring together decisionmakers, present and former sugar workers, executives of the Gu y a n a Sugar Corporation, trade unionists, politicians, among others who will consider the consequences and the ramifications of the decisions that have been taken with regard to the industry in recent times. Moreover, the one-day activity will reflect on the situation which now confronts thousands of Guyanese in the sugar belt. The conference will also seek to examine, rationally, the current state of the sugar industry and the avenues available to put the industry on the road to sustainability and viability. “The conference will receive presentations from a number of prominent personalities. Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo is also slated to provide the Opposition’s thoughts and concerns about the industry,” according to GAWU. NICIL-SPU Head, Colvin Heath-London is also expected to inform participants about plans and programmes that will be
implemented to safeguard the minimized GuySuCo using funding from the recently secured $30B bond. Former GuySuCo General Manager, Vishnu Panday will deliver a presentation to point to the importance of proper agronomic practices towards improving production and productivity. Also attending will be Vice President of the University and Allied Workers Union ( U AW U ) o f J a m a i c a , Clifton Grant, who will give a presentation on the Jamaican workers’ experience following the privatization of t h a t industry. Previously, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon had indicated he would provide a p r esentation on the Government’s behalf. However, on Thursday, he advised he could no longer attend the conference. According to the union, it has written the Government seeking that a suitable replacement be identified.“The conference will also hear from some of the former sugar workers who were employed at the closed estates. From them we expect to learn about how their lives have changed since the estates have been closed and how to manage to face up to life’s responsibilities in an era of nearly no income. This for us is an important element of the conference and will serve to remind those present of the real impact of the decisions related to the industry and the strong need to meaningfully address
them.” Addressing the conference also will be GAWU’s President, Komal Chand who will reiterate, among other things, the union’s position with regard to the decisions on the sugar industry. UNIFOR’s President, Jerry Dias will also address the conference and share his union’s thoughts and concerns regarding the sugar industry and, from his own experiences, offer advice on what could be done on the painful road ahead. Dias, who is Guyanese by birth, was elected as UNIFORs first National President at the union’s F o u nding Convention during the Labour Day weekend of 2013. He is an experienced and trusted negotiator and organizer, taking on corporate giants from General Motors to Boeing to Coca-Cola. Dias, GAWU noted, “is a committed trade unionist, focused on the needs of local union leaders and rankand-file members. His dedication has earned him the trust of members and shop floor bargaining committees right across Canada”. “GAWU is grateful for UNIFOR’S sponsorship of the timeliest attempt to really deal with the toll that past decisions have taken on the lives of sugar workers and we are particularly glad that a Guyana-born leader of Canada’s biggest private sector union will lead the charge – Sugar is too big to fail.”
Saturday September 01, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Judge rules in favour of former SWAT head sent home by Felix The decision by former Commissioner of Police (ag), David Ramnarine, to send former head of the SWAT unit, Motie Dookie, home on special leave, has been overturned by the High Court. Yesterday, Justice Fidela Corbin-Lincoln granted orders quashing the decision of Ramnarine, made on the 21st day of May. The decision saw Dookie being sent on “Special Leave in the Public Interest”. Dookie fought the decision on the grounds that it was unconstitutional, contrary to the rules of natural justice, unreasonable, unlawful, null, void, and of no effect, among other things. On June 15th, 2018, Dookie through his attorneys - Anil Nandlall, Manoj Narayan, Rajendra Jaigobin and Anuradha Deodasingh filed an application against Ramnarine and the Attorney General challenging the decision of the police chief to send him on special leave in the public interest. Ramnarine was represented by the Attorney General. The judge yesterday also ordered Ramnarine and the
Attorney General to pay to the applicant $100,000 within 21 days. The Deputy Superintendent of Police reportedly landed himself in trouble late last year after he was found in a minibus in Berbice with several cases of Johnny Walker whisky believed to have been smuggled. He was first removed from the position, then transferred to a ward of the city, in the police ‘A’ Division. However, Citizenship Minister Winston Felix, who was performing the duties of Minister of Public Security, in the absence of the substantive minister, Khemraj Ramjattan who was overseas, sent Dookie on “Special Leave in the Public Interest”.In the court case, Dookie argued that the Police Commissioner (Ag) had no authority. Rather, the authority lay in the Police Service Commission. At the time there was no constituted c o m m i s s i o n . Dookie asked for a Writ of Certiorari quashing the decision of Ramnarine. In his sworn affidavit, he had said that prior to receiving the letter dated 21st
Motie Dookie
day of May 2018 to send him on special leave, he was not offered an opportunity to provide any explanation, or reason or show cause why he should not be sent on leave. It was stated that the Constitution vests in the Police Service Commission, in accordance with Article 212(1) of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the sole and exclusive jurisdiction and authority to exercise disciplinary control in respect of a police officer of his rank, in the Police Service Commission. Dookie said that
his legal advice indicates, therefore, that the decision was contrary to the rules of natural justice, unreasonable, unlawful, and null and void. Minister Felix had reportedly instructed the Permanent Secretary of the Public Service ministry, Danielle McCalmon, to take the necessary action.Felix later told this newspaper that having Dookie around while the issue was hanging over his head, and him being in a position of authority, sends the wrong message to the junior ranks whom he (Dookie) had to preside over.
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Saturday September 01, 2018
Kaieteur News
With deadline looming…
Granger convinced GRA able to audit Exxon’s US$900M pre-contract costs By Kiana Wilburg President David Granger is convinced that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) will be able to audit Exxon’s US$900M pre-contract costs. His confidence is predicated on statements made by GRA’s Commissioner General, Godfrey Statia. A few weeks ago, Statia had said that GRA has individuals who are capable of doing the audit. Granger also noted that GRA has been involved in a series of capacity building exercises. At a press conference held yesterday at the Ministry of the Presidency, the Head of State said, “The Commissioner General has indicated that he has capacity. He feels he can undertake those audits… As of 2015, we did not have the requisite personnel in place to conduct reviews or audits of such a large industry and this is happening now. He (Statia) is training persons and recruiting people with the talent and
I am convinced he is building capacity and we will be able to conduct that audit…” Earlier this month, Statia had said that indeed, GRA has four individuals who can conduct the required audit. He said however, that it might be at the expense of other industries. Challenged to say if he is also capable of getting the job done, the Commissioner General and Chartered Accountant answered in the affirmative. Further to this, the tax chief was asked to say if the government has, at any time, approached his entity to carry out the audit, since the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) lacks the technical know-how and resources to do same. Statia said, “We don’t have to be approached. We have already asked Exxon for certain information. They have so far been compliant in supplying information we have asked for...”
In May last, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) held a workshop with government ministers and other officials, warning them that one matter of priority is for GRA to move forward with preparations to effectively carry out cost audits. The Fund said that this is time-sensitive since the PSA introduces a “relatively short” two-year limit on the audit period. Speaking to the Government’s deadline to carry out audits, ExxonMobil’s new head of Public Relations and Government Affairs, Deedra Moe, said, “The contract states that the government does have two years to audit costs incurred from the end of a year. We view Guyana as a partner, and we will work with the Government on timing on this and other reviews or audits.” Government has less than two months to audit the controversial US$900M pre-contract costs.
Two charged for murder of Bourda cheese vendor Two men who are accused of killing popular market vendor, Troy Ramalho, were yesterday charged jointly with the murder when they appeared before a City Magistrate. Akeem Morris, 26, a miner, of 40 Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, and George Paton, 34, a taxi driver, of 177 BB Eccles, East Bank Demerara, were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. They were not required to plead to the charge which stated that on August 15, last, at Robb Street, Bourda, Lacytown, they murdered Troy Ramalho during the course of a robbery. Police Prosecutor, Gordon Mansfield stated that on the day in question, Ramalho was shot and killed while plying his trade at Bourda Market where he sold cheese and eggs. It was reported that two bandits, one of whom was armed with a gun, pounced upon Ramalho. The court heard that it was only recently that Paton was arrested and taken into custody after police received
George Paton
Akeem Morris
information that he was the one transporting the bandits responsible for killing the market vendor. While in custody, Paton allegedly admitted to transporting the bandits. The Prosecutor added that the jewellery the deceased was wearing on the night he was shot is missing. According to information, Ramalho was sitting on a
bench at his business place, and had just finished selling a customer when the men walked up to him and shot him. Ramalho fell to the ground and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Both men will make their next court appearance on September 21.
‘Carter formula’ for GECOM has outlived usefulness – Pres. Granger … Says political consensus needed on electoral reforms President David Granger plans to hold bilateral talks with Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo on national issues this month, declaring that there needs to be political consensus on campaign finance legislation and the revision of the ‘Carter formula’ used for appointments to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). At his third press conference held yesterday since the 2015 General Elections, Granger was questioned about electoral reforms. He acknowledged that it is possible to have these implemented before the next elections, but a lot depends on the agreements of the two political sides. “We are still working under the Carter formula which we generally agreed to have exhausted its usefulness. It’s like having a cricket match with one umpire from each team. It is not a formula for consensus,” Granger noted. The Carter-Price formula was created by former United States of America President, Jimmy Carter and former Prime Minister of Belize, George Price. The formula allows for the Opposition and Government to nominate three Commissioners each, with a Chairman
appointed by the President, following consultations with the Opposition Leader. The formula was a response to the contentious 1992 elections and was first applied in the General Elections of 1997. Granger had faced criticisms when he appointed Justice James Patterson as Chairman of GECOM in October, last, without consensus from Jagdeo. This has sparked a legal challenge from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). “It’s almost a formula for gridlock. There needs to be a change and like other provisions we need to establish new rules,” said Granger. He noted that no proposal has been made as yet for the reform of GECOM. He highlighted that the process always come back to the situation where the main parties would, either through convention or through constitutional change, be required to make nominations. According to Granger, o n c e t h o s e nominations come from political parties you can anticipate certain consequences. “I am in favour of reform, but we must adopt the architecture. We must adopt the procedures which are in place
for the other constitutional commissions,” Granger noted. He told reporters that it is too late for power sharing with the opposition given the Cabinet configuration, but pointed out that the Coalition Government is opened to ‘sharing of ideas’. “We have no problem with engaging the opposition and all of my meetings with the Leader of the Opposition have been quite cordial. I expect that once we reengage next month, things will go much more quickly and much more smoothly,” the President noted. I n J u l y, C a r t e r h a d reached out to Jagdeo and Granger in an effort to get the Government and Opposition to hold discussions on critical issues of national importance. Plans for the intended political discussions appeared to have been stalled because the Opposition was opposed to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo leading the Government’s delegation. The President has since agreed to lead the talks himself, paving the way for the two sides to resume meetings. There are ongoing discussions on what topics will be placed on the table.
Saturday September 01, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Kitty man accused of holding Brazilian girlfriend captive The courtroom of Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan yesterday heard that 24-yearold Romel Sahadeo held his Brazilian girlfriend captive at his Austin Street, Campbellville, Georgetown home.
Following a brief arraignment hearing in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, the defendant was released on $50,000 bail, after Police Prosecutor Inspector Gordon Mansfield made no objections.
Sahadeo denied that charge which alleged that between June 1, 2017 and August 27, 2017 at Austin Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, he wrongfully restrained Amanda Silva, preventing her from
proceeding beyond certain circumscribed limits in his yard located at Lot 10 Austin Street, Campbellville. According to Prosecutor Mansfield, Silva, a Brazilian National, travelled to Guyana after developing a
relationship with Sahadeo. The prosecutor related that Sahadeo told the woman that she could come to Guyana and work at his mother’s roti and fast food shop. The court was told by the prosecutor that Silva travelled
to Lethem from Brazil and met with Sahadeo who escorted her into a minibus and took her to his Campbellville home. The court was told that while at the Sahadeo’s home, Silva requested to go back to (Continued on page 19)
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Saturday September 01, 2018
Power restored on Essequibo Coast - Four generating sets in operation After more than two weeks of unrelenting power outages on the Essequibo Coast, the Guyana Power and Light [GPL] yesterday indicated that four generating sets are back online at the Anna Regina Power station. This announcement was made by the Divisional Director of Operations of GPL, Bharat Harjohn during a multi-stakeholder meeting at the company’s Anna Regina Office yesterday. The meeting included a few protestors, representatives of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce, RDC councilor Arnold Adams and the Acting Vice Chairperson, Ms. Nandranie Coonjah. Harjohn yesterday promised that a stable flow of electricity will be returned to the region, now that the state-owned company has brought four of the standby generators back online. He further assured residents that the generators are running at full capacity, which is capable of fulfilling the region’s peak demand. Harjohn then pointed out that the company is presently working on repairing the other sets, which he claims will be utilized as standby sets, in addition to another which will arrive in the region today.
Six of the generating sets at the Anna Regina Power Plant Kaieteur News understands that a total of eight sets will be utilized so as to ensure a stable flow of electricity, until the commissioning of the new power plant in December. After the first week of prolonged power outages, Essequibians, in an effort to seek out answers, joined in a week protest against the power company. Now that GPL has sent an official to the coast, many are
satisfied that the power company came forward and provided answers to the people of Region Two. Ms. Coonjah said that she hopes that the assurance given by GPL will be adhered to.Arnold Adams, who represents the Good Hope/Supenaam area, said that he is also pleased that GPL was able to restore electricity to the communities. During the power outages, many had suffered
Despite forensic audit recommendation…
GO-Invest yet to implement Internal Audit Unit In 2016, forensic auditors reviewed the operations of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) and found that there was no Internal Audit Department or Audit Charter. The forensic auditors recommended in a detailed report that such a Unit be established. But Executives of GOInvest did not follow through with this suggestion. The entity’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Owen Verwey on Thursday explained that for small organizations like GO-Invest (which only has 20 employees), there is no need for an internal audit unit. He said, “But what you do is you contract that service out for an internal audit review. We have a private accounting firm that will be doing that internal audit review on a three to six months basis.” Verwey was reminded that forensic auditors insisted that this be done. He noted however that while this may be the case, there are some practical issues with funding. The CEO said that there are lots of other internal procedures in place. In this regard, he said that the
GO-Invest CEO, Owen Verwey Business Ministry’s Internal Audit Division overlooks the work of GO-Invest. He said that there is also a subcommittee of Board of Directors which looks into audit and finance. “So this matter has been addressed,” Verwey said. FORENSIC AUDITOR’S VIEWPOINT While Verwey holds the aforementioned view, forensic auditors attached to Nigel Hinds Financial Services noted that as a con-
sequence of not having an Internal Audit Unit, GO-Invest would not be prepared to improve the agency’s governance, risk management, provide checks and balances, and monitor and implement internal controls. It said that this is a very serious shortcoming, as GO-Invest has critical data that highlights potential investments in Guyana and recommends billions of dollars in concessions to be approved by the Finance Minister.
equipment damage as a result of fluctuating voltage. This publication was informed that
individuals who desire compensation are advised to visit the GPL Office in Anna
Regina, where they can fill out the compensation form. [Romario Blair.]
New Amsterdam man jailed 25 years for raping disabled teen A 26-year-old man was on Wednesday sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in the Berbice High Court for the rape of a disabled teen girl in 2015. Wazir Ali, an electrician of New Amsterdam, raped the then 17-year-old girl, in April 2015. The jury found him guilty of the crime by a majority of 11 to 1. Ali’s relatives at the court seemed shocked after the sentence was handed down by Justice Jo Ann Barlow, they broke down crying and told media operatives that the sentence was unjust and they believe that he is innocent. Prosecutor Tuanna Hardy called a total of five witnesses, while Ali’s attorney, Charandass Persaud, called two witnesses. Persaud, in defence of his client, stated that Ali was at work during the month of April 2015, and it was impossible for him to have committed the act, but his employer had testified that Ali began working the second week in April while the incident occurred earlier in the month. A probation report was presented and read before the court. His attorney requested from the Judge to take into consideration that Ali has never had any prior brushes with the law and although his client maintains his innocence, he is concerned about the victim. He pleaded for Ali to be given an opportunity to redeem himself. Barlow before giving the sentence explained that “actions have consequences” and what must be taken into consideration is that the victim attempted suicide and became aggressive towards her
Ali clutching his Bible , covered his face as he walked out of the courtroom mother and peers as a result of the incident. She told Ali that he was responsible for taking the victim home after church, but instead of doing so, he took advantage of the fact that they were alone. Additionally, the judge highlighted that media entities reporting that the teen is of unsound mind was unacceptable and went on to
clarify that the teen suffers from a speech impediment and slow learning. She called on reporters to provide accurate information to the public when dealing with court matters. Ali who was tasked with transporting church members, among whom was the disabled teen, raped the young woman after dropping off all the other passengers.
Saturday September 01, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Trinidad and Tobago observes 56th anniversary of independence PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Trinidad and Tobago observed its 56th anniversary of political independence from Britain yesterday with the traditional military parade and differing statements from the politicians regarding the socio-economic development of the oil-rich twin island republic. While President Paula Mae Weekes noted that independence is a work in progress she urged citizens to continue ensuring the development of the country. “Fellow citizens, on 31 August 1962, Trinidad and Tobago shook off the reins of colonialism and dared to go it alone. To the tolling of bells, the Union Jack was lowered for the final time and the red, white and black hoisted to signal the birth of our nation.”
She said since that time Trinidad and Tobago has enjoyed a relatively stable democracy, significant economic transformation and general improvement in the quality of life of its citizens. But she said considering the current challenges of crime and the economy, plus the island’s use of the London-based Privy Council as its final court, the world economy and global climate change, she asked how independent Trinidad and Tobago is. “Political separation from the United Kingdom was only the first step of our long journey of self-discovery. “Independence has never been a static notion. It implies the constant working-out of identity and purpose, sovereignty over one’s decisions and taking
responsibility for one’s actions.” In his message Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley said the anniversary of independence provides citizens with another opportunity to reflect on the meaning of citizenship and the value of its national identity. “The world has brought us news of nations gripped by civil war, anarchy and terror. In many countries people do not enjoy the freedoms we may be tempted to take for granted. That our democracy has remained intact these 56 years is no small feat. “This deserves celebration given our status as one of the most multicultural societies in the western world. We have largely used our diversity as a bridge to make connections
Brazil electoral court bars Lula from presidential race BRASILIA (Reuters) Brazil’s top electoral court ruled yesterday that jailed former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva cannot run in this year’s presidential election due to a corruption conviction. The ruling by a 4-1 majority of the seven-member court removes some doubt about Brazil’s most uncertain election in decades t h o u g h L u l a ’s l a w y e r s have said they would appeal any adverse decision to the Supreme Court.
Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
Kitty man accused of holding... From page 13 her homeland. However, Sahadeo refused to let the woman leave after telling her he still owed her, and that if she went to the police, she w o u l d b e arrested, because she had come to Guyana illegally. The prosecutor said that as time elapsed, the woman made further requests to leave but was assaulted by Sahadeo. A relative of Sahadeo’s assisted Silva with accessing the internet, which she used t o g e t h e lp from her mother and brother in Brazil. A report was subsequently made to the
Romel Sahadeo police and officials at the Ministry of Social Protection rescued Silva. Investigations were carried
out and police went after Sahadeo who was arrested and charged. Prosecutor Mansfield made no objections to bail being granted to the defendant. He however requested that certain conditions be attached. A total of 10 witnesses are expected to testify when the trial commences on September 4. The Chief Magistrate fixed the early trial date after taking into consideration that the virtual complainant is a foreign national. Silva remains in the custody of the Ministry of Social Protection.
with each other. We’ve enjoyed a deep harmony that is intrinsic to our identity as nationals of this beloved country. We must guard our unity zealously. This defence is especially needed in turbulent times,” he said. Rowley said that it is times of difficulty that the urge to retreat to narrow interests and partisan lines can become the strongest. “But we must resist this and seek instead an agreeable guidepost. But how do we find common ground in an often polarising environment?,” he asked, suggesting that the country remember the words of the first prime minister Dr. Eric Williams who said “whatever the challenge that faces you, from whatever quarter, place always first that national interest and the national cause”. Rowley said he has no doubt that “we will do what is needed to create sustainable growth and national development. It is our responsibility as loyal citizens to ensure that our children can be proud of the decisions that we must make today”. However, Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad Bissessar said the independence anniversary provides an opportunity “to
undertake a sober, piercing assessment of our progress and the difficulties that still lie ahead. “The question must be asked: Have we achieved the Trinidad and Tobago which the leaders of our fight for independence envisioned more than half a century ago? In answering this question, we must decide whether we wish to maintain the status quo, or determine the future that we want for our children and grandchildren. “There is no question that our country today faces significant issues, and there appear to be no moves by the current administration to deal frontally with the problems affecting people, including escalating crime, inadequate health care, reduced opportunities for education of our young people, job losses, high cost of living, and a declining economy,” she said. She was critical of the government’s “silence” over the decision to shut down the oil refinery at the state-owned oil company, PETROTRIN, saying that the government had “failed to articulate a plan to address the issue of the state-owned company’s debt, and the long-term impact of the restructuring exercise on
Trinidad and Tobago’s economy”. Meanwhile, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General, Irwin LaRocque has in a congratulatory message paid tribute to the creativity and dynamism of the people of Trinidad and Tobago as well as recognising the “significant contributions” that the country has made to the regional integration process. “Additionally, Trinidad and Tobago, as a founding member of the Community and lead Member State on regional security and energy issues, continues to make significant contributions to Caribbean integration and to the promotion and attainment of citizen and energy security,” he said. United States Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, said that Washington and Port of Spain “have always enjoyed rich cross-cultural exchange, friendship, and the shared goal of building a more safe and secure region as underscored in the Caribbean 2020 strategy. “We are grateful for the continued strong partnership as our countries work to deepen cooperation on trade, energy, and opportunity for all,” he said.
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SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK;Guyanapassport application. G r a p h i c s design, advertisement. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, busi ness cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.
FOR SALE Generac Pressure Wash for sale 3100 PSI. Tel#654-5267/ 652-2244/220-4203 Pure breed German Shepherd pups for sale. Contact Tel# 612-6672, 697-1141 Just arrived from UK New Perkins & Kubota engines3,4 & 6 cylinder. Contact#220-2034/623-8078 Transported Property, Hilux Pickup, Farm land, Music equipment, Pressure washer. Call: 265-3586
HOUSE PLAN TO BE DRAWN OR YOU JUST NEED AN ESTIMATE. CALL: 216-0671/6928464/622-0267
LAND FOR SALE 5 acres of Vacant Transported land @ Brahn, West Coast Berbice. $10M Negotiable. Call: 601-5739/ 718-444-1944/917-628-9492
PROPERTY FOR SALE Lot 15 Public road #2 Vill. WCB 3 House Lots. Rice Cultivation 49ftx10,314ft length. Price $18M. Contact# 648-7109/686-4818
Herstelling (110ft x 60ft) $5M Farm $2.6M Schnoord $2.4M Uivlugt $2.5M Parfaite Harmonie $1.1M Eccles $7.5M. Tel# 648-1635
Lot 89 Robb Street, Lacytown, Georgetown. Next door to Mike’s Pharmacy. Phone: 617-5323, 666-8052
Prime land to build that dream home. Not far from Princess, New Thriving, Massy, HJ water world $13M neg- Call: 669-8397
3 storey commercial building. Location- Lot 1486 Plot B Herstelling (2 Bridge) EBD. Suitable for school/ apartments. Contact #6093777/686-0522
Parafaite Harmonie, Eccles, Uivlugt, Tuschen, Covent Garden, Herstelling, Diamond, Providence, Zeelugt. Tel# 686-9608
Super newly renovated property, 2 storey house with 2 washrooms, one with bathtub, Lowland ECD Price $10.5M Nego. Cell: 647-0655
One hundred (100) acres agricultural land, right bank, Barima River, NWD, Essequibo. 668-7687/ 6779638 LEARN TO DRIVE N. Outar Driving School. Learn to Drive the right way. Affordable package. Call: 644-5166/691-2561
September Cosmetology Courses $40,000 Nail Technology $25,000 Advance Make-up $15,000, All products provided. Abby #614-6749
WANTED
EDUCATION
PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620
1 Air compressor 5HP 3 Phase 230/220 volts. Call: 628-1486/698-1134.
IAE- Register for full time school (Grade 7-11) Lessons, Day & Evening CSEC adult classes. Call/Whatsapp #683-5742
2 bedroom apartment to rent in Pouderoyen. #642-6079 2 bedroom for working couple/single person $35,000 & $32,000 monthly light & water included. Lodge. Call: 623-0076 Newly constructed 2 bedroom apt in a safe and healthy environment. Call: 698-6496/622-6512 Two bedroom Apt upstairs, 1st Street Lot 56 Alexander Village. Tel#688-9132
1 & 2 Bedroom apartments, 3 bedroom apartments. Can be used for storage also ECD. Contact Mr. Khan #675-2550/ 656-9319
Phase (2) Tuschen $1.3M Uitvlugt $2.9M Zeelugt $2.3M Tel#697-6311
SALON
FOR RENT
Salon Station Rental #6673771
Installations, Repairs and parts for AC, Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc call Nick 627-3206, 630-1600 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158
Saturday September 01, 2018
Kaieteur News
HEALTH Herbal remedies: Diabetes, Hypertension, Infertility, Menstrual disorders, Enlarged prostate, Kidney,Gall stones & Arthritis etc. Call Sparman #676-5924
Short term only, September to March 2019, 2 bed small house in Eccles, parking available. Tel#650-4273
Contract cars: Contact City Taxi Service, 8 Vlissengen Rd. Phone : 696-0404/226-1081 Back to Eden 85 David Street GT. Bakers, Pastry, Puri makers, General. Apply in Person, Food Handlers’ Certificate. Driver/Porter must have valid lorry license and recent police clearance. Call: Telles Steel #231-3265/226-6771
DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL:225-7126/ 2263 6 9 3 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL @YAHOO.COM/ WWW.D OLLYSAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 & UP, SUV’S PER DAY- CALL:643-5122/ 6 5 6 - 0 0 8 7 , ,EMAIL:PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 WING’S CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP RATES,SPECIALOFFERS! . CALL: 690-6494 ACCOMMODATION Secret Villa & Harmony Inn, Ideal for local & overseas guest. Tel#225-6337, 2181400/ 694-7817/668-0306
Obtain a certificate in Chinese Mandarin Language. Call/Whatsapp #670-5267/ Email: chineseclasses@yahoo.com for more information.
Brokerage/Logistics Officer. Requirements: Secondary Education, Must have a valid drivers’ license. Contact#665-3676/ sales@tradelinc.com Wanted land to buy in Parfaite Harmonie or anywhere on the West Coast. Tel#642-1252 Urgently need one land in Parfaite Harmonie & Eccles. We buy with Title & Irrevocable #658-5897 Driver wanted. Ages 25-50 Mc/Mv/Ml. Call: 231-8737 1 Guard for Private Residence. Contact # 628-9268 1 Diesel Mechanic to work with mining company in interior. Knowledge of Perkins & Doosan equipment required. 226-9768/500-5923
CAR RENTAL
Register your child for after school classes for slow learners in Phonics, Reading, Maths etc, #6754379
Security personnel to work with private security firm in interior. Must have military/ police background. 500-5923/ 226-9768 1 Domestic worker, must know to cook, work time 7am3pm Monday - Saturday. Please call: 626-8880 Live in or live out babysitter/ domestic- Call: 223-7500 Monday to Saturday 8:15am4:15pm Land to buy in Parafaite Harmonie, Eccles, Uitvlugt, Tuschen,Covent Garden, Herstelling, Diamond, Providence & Zeelugt. Tel#686-9608 Able bodied Porters to work on Bedford truck, serious enquiries only. Call: 625-2685/ 226-1716 Hire & Private Car Drivers #225-3234/225-9223 Qualified & Experienced teachers for NGSA & CSEC classes at IPE Mon Repos & Grove. Call: 220-0538,2653996,629-5300,643-0777
VEHICLE FOR SALE 2006 Suzuki Escado (White) Excellent condition. Price $3.5M Neg. Contact #6093777/697-4557 White Toyota Axio 2010 Unregistered Vehicle with low mileage and reverse camera $2.6 Neg #220-9514/645-6469 1 Toyota Raum Car, Four Milage PPP 3927 #264-2242 1- 620 DAF EngineLeylandDAF Flatbed lorry, Tray 30ft 10- Guysuco Lorries 1 DAF engine. owner migrating #228-5655, 6498449 TOLET Lodge apartments (Vlissengen/Durban): Unfurnished 1 bedroom $50,000, 2 bedroom $60,000. Furnished (for visitors) US$600-1000. Tel: 668-7687/ 677-9638/ 697-6421 LEGALNOTICE 2018-HC-DEM-CIV-FD-371 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION PETITION NO. FD-371 BETWEEN (AJIBOSHO) JULIE ANN NEE RICHMOND Petitioner -V- (AJIBOSHO) SEGUN SHELDON Respondent TO: SEGUN SHELDON AJIBOSHO Address Unknown TAKE NOTICE that on the 14th day of March, 2018 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by JULIE ANN AJIBOSHO NEE RICHMOND the Petitioner in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.
LEGAL NOTICE cont’d AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an order made on the 28th day of March, 2018 the Petitioner was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by Publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News Newspaper, a daily newspaper printed published and of General circulation in and around the Republic of Guyana. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of The High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 28 (twentyeight) days from the second and final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Monday the 1st of October, 2018 at 9:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Sandra Kurtzious in the Direction Hearing Room of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The Office is open to the public between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00 am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed Dated the 8th day of August, 2018
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CSME meetings next week A number of issues will be on the agenda next week when CARICOM heads meet in Barbados for the Ninth Meeting of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on the CARICOM Single Market and the Economy (CSME) on Wednesday These were discussed during a national preparatory meeting with high level Government officials chaired by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC) on Monday. Issues relating to the contingent rights of citizens, such as health care, education, the single registration of international businesses, and the approval of automatic sixmonth stays to CARICOM nationals, were among the areas discussed. The Prime Minister indicated that there were a number of issues that required follow-up action which could
Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and Irwin LaRocque, CARICOM Secretary General. (GP) not be treated in a vacuum. “The global market has to be our market,” she stressed. She called on those present to identify policy issues within their areas and
come up with suggestions for how they could be addressed. “I need for each of you to tell me what it will take to transform each Ministry you have so that we can turn
things around,” Mottley stated. The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Dr Jerome Walcott;
Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic; Minister of Home Affairs, Edmund Hinkson; Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn; Minister in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Investment, Marsha Caddle; Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Trade, Sandra Husbands; Permanent Secretaries and other senior public servants. Prior to next week’s CSME meeting, Mottley will join Ministers of Finance from around the region for the Sixth Special Meeting of the Council for Finance and Planning (COFAP) on Tuesday. Both meetings will be held at the LESC. The COFAP is responsible for economic policy coordination, financial and monetary integration of Member States. That meeting will be chaired by Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne. (BGIS)
Government-re-states position as India makes another request for extradition ST. JOHN’S, Antigua CMC – The Antigua and Barbuda government has reiterated its position that any request for extradition of an Indian national, Mehul Choksi, wanted on alleged fraud charges in the Asian country, will only be dealt with through the appropriate channel. A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister, said that the Guyana-based Indian High Commissioner Venkatachalam Mahalingam, who is accredited to Antigua and Barbuda, had held “extensive discussions” earlier this week on the issue with Prime Minister Gaston Browne.
It noted that Mahalingam formally submitted another extradition application from Indian authorities, with modified charges and was assured by the Attorney-General, Steadroy ‘Cutie’ Benjamin that the documents would be given to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who is currently overseas. The statement noted that Prime Minister Browne and the Indian diplomat also engaged in general discussions on the nature of the alleged crimes Choksi is said to have committed and the media frenzy in India surrounding the case. It said Browne restated the government’s full coop-
eration with the Indian authorities in this extradition case, but highlighted that due process would have to be followed. Benjamin told reporters that he intends to meet with the DPP, Anthony Armstrong, who is out of the country, next week to discuss the possible extradition of Choksi. “We expect the DPP back shortly, if not by tomorrow, then certainly by Monday and as soon as he returns I intend to meet with him so we can [discuss] this extradition matter,” Benjamin said. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Browne said that while the government is prepared to cooperate fully with the Indian authorities regard-
Mehul Choksi ing the arrest of Choksi, it will only do so in conformity with the laws of the island.
He said that the authorities here will not be forced into arresting Choksi, who has received citizenship here under the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP), on the request of New Delhi. Antigua and Barbuda is one of several Caribbean countries providing citizenship to foreign nationals who make a substantial investment in the socio-economic development of the islands. Choksi, an Indian billionaire businessman, is wanted for the alleged fraud in India. He was granted Antigua and Barbuda citizenship in November 2017. The diamond tycoon is the owner of the Gitanjali Group, a retail jewellery company with 4,000 stores in India.
Finance Minister optimistic EU announces 35mn about economic growth euro aid package for Venezuela crisis
KINGSTON, Jamaica CMC – Finance and Public Service Minister, Dr. Nigel Clarke, says he remains optimistic that Jamaica is on the path to attaining higher levels of sustainable economic growth. He told a Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) media sensitisation seminar that there has been an “increasing trend” in this regard based on the gross domestic product (GDP) out-turns in the last four fiscal/calendar year quarters. Clarke said official figures from STATIN show that GDP moved from 0.9 per cent to 1.4 per cent over the initial three quarters, between July 2017 and March 2018, adding that if the Planning Institute of Jamaica’s (PIOJ) 1.8 per cent
estimate for the June 2018 quarter is taken into consideration, subject to STATIN’s confirmation, “we have seen an increasing trend… so that’s [encouraging]”. However, the Finance Minister said that this development does not necessarily guarantee a transition into higher levels of growth, as “we have had increasing trends before that have not continued”. He told the seminar that based on factors and indicators, such as the growth in loans and credit extended to the private sector by financial institutions and the absence, to date, of severe weather, which had adversely impacted sectors, such as agriculture, “there is reason to be
optimistic”. Clarke said that there is a strong correlation between the performances of agriculture and the economy, “in that when it [agriculture] does well, the economy tends to do well”, as evidenced in the June 2018 quarter. “The strongest growth in two years, as predicted by the PIOJ, was the last quarter of 1.8 per cent… [and this] happened in a quarter where agriculture grew by 10 per cent.” He said the weather is also an influencing factor in that context, noting that growth contractions in recent years have been linked to the effects of extreme weather conditions, whether drought or flooding, on the sector.
Vienna (AFP) - The EU announced a 35 million euro ($41mn) aid package yesterday to counter the effect of Venezuela’s economic crisis, which has sparked one of the biggest exoduses in Latin American history. “I can announce today that the European Union just adopted a package of humanitarian aid of 35 million euros to support Venezuelans both inside Venezuela but also in the neighbouring countries and the host communities,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Vienna. Mogherini said the money would go to activities “focusing in particular on nutrition, water,
health and the support to the most vulnerable people”. Venezuela’s economy has collapsed into chaos under President Nicolas Maduro since 2013, with falling oil prices leading to chronic shortages of food and medicine and hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the country. “We’re extremely worried for the humanitarian situation in the country but also the effect on the neighbouring countries that are receiving massive waves of Venezuelans in their territory,” Mogherini said. TAXI SERVICE GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 225-7878 (24HRS)
VACANCY Vacancy for assistant manager & shop manager at Wencai Trading. Phone 6179513 Experienced Handyman with 2 yrs experience. Apply @ Christine’s Variety, Lombard St. Contact: 227-8529 Vacancy for experienced female accounts clerk. Apply at Alabama Trading. 65 Robb Street. Vacancy for porters. Apply at Alabama Trading. 65 Robb Street Driver/Porter must have valid lorry license and recent police clearance. Call: Telles Steel #231-3265/226-6771 Data Entry Processing clerk, with knowledge of QuickBooks, Apply in person with application. Wieter & Richter, Water St Tel#226-6150 Female cleaner office & home age 25 to 50. Call: 233-2745 Maid for East Bank area to cook & clean age 25 to 50. Call: 614-4358 Cook/Baker for interior location. Must know to cook & bake a wide variety. Call R&V Mining 618-2020 Vacancies exist for Cashiers/ Supermarket helpers, apply in person with written application at Nirva Supermarket 49 Sheriff & Craig St. Tel# 227-5771 Carpenter & Mason to do Maintenance work at Adamantium Holdings. Call: 223-5273/74 One experienced driver, apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street, Bourda Manager to work at Xenon Hotel in Charity. Call#2235273/74 Driver/Expediter. Call: 2235273/74 Office Assistant: 5 subjects CXC (Mathematics & English), Computer Literate. Submit application to P.O box 16005 Georgetown, Guyana / jobapp9051@gmail.com One Tutor/Nanny to teach a 3 year old boy from 7:3012:30pm Pay $70,000 monthly. Call: 623-1615 One welder, Apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street, Bourda 1 Grillman (Driver, license a plus) 1 Kitchen Assistant, 1 live in help from Berbice/ Essequibo. Contact X’s Grill & Cuisine. 675-2550/656-9313
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Saturday September 01, 2018
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Coleman sets season’s best to win Diamond League sprint Brussels (Reuters) American Christian Coleman proved he is this year’s king of the sprinters when he set a season’s best 9.79 seconds in the 100 meters yesterday to take the Diamond League title in Brussels. Following his world record and World Indoor championship victory at 60m earlier in 2018, Coleman flew out of the blocks on Friday and kept up the momentum to clock a personal best time. Compatriot Ronnie Baker, who had set the previous fastest 100m of the year nine days ago, was second in 9.93 seconds, with Jamaica’s Yohan Blake third a further hundredth of a second back. Coleman, silver medalist at last year’s World Championships in London, suffered
Christian Coleman (left) of the U.S. beats Britain’s Reece Prescott, Ronnie Baker of the U.S. and South Africa’s Akani Simbine to win the men’s 100m. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir
Saturday September 01, 2018 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your self-confidence may be a bit low and you could doubt your abilities right now, Aries. Don't get depressed or disheartened. Your skills are excellent. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Today you may feel bored and frustrated with your life's direction. You feel buried under responsibilities, with no time left to do what you really want to do. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You're less optimistic and energetic than usual. Your mind feels sluggish - your whole body does, in fact. You're either coming down with the flu or completely and thoroughly disheartened. CANCER (June 21–July 22) You may be discouraged about money matters today, Cancer. Perhaps a raise you'd been hoping for didn't come through. Perhaps a professional project didn't work out as you expected. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) If work is beginning to feel more like a burden than a joy, it may be time to rethink your job, Leo. Your personality is such that you need lots of room to stretch and grow. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You're especially in tune with the environment and the people around you today, Virgo. Such sensitivity is new to you, and you aren't exactly sure what to do with the myriad messages that come into your head.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You're drawn to public service, Libra. This desire propels you to volunteer your services with a group of some kind. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Don't take everything at face value today, Scorpio. Information you receive might not be accurate. Someone could be repeating gossip or even creating it just to have something to talk about. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You may be feeling a bit on edge today, Sagittarius. Your self-confidence is shaky and you may feel in need of new challenges. The tedious tasks you have in front of you don't inspire your imagination or creativity. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You and your mate may be experiencing some differences of opinion. It seems you each have definite ideas about some of life's fundamental values and they aren't completely in sync. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) It isn't exactly all lightness and harmony at home today. There's tension in the air and it manifests in silly family arguments. Try to arrange separate activities for siblings PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) This could be a particularly stressful day, Pisces. Your workload is heavier than ever, thanks to the increased responsibility you've taken on. The day seems endless
hamstring injuries for much of the outdoor season, but said he arrived in Brussels finally fit and with scores to settle. ”I feel really good. I came into the whole week with a chip on my shoulder that people had stopped talking about me. They forgot everything I did last year and at the indoors. I mean you can’t blame them,” he said. Asked whether he was now the “boss of the sprint”, he replied: “I guess so”. “I guess I’m at the top of the leader board right now, but a lot of guys are shooting for the top spot. You’ve got to stay healthy, be on my A game and keep getting better,” he said. Brussels was hosting the second part of the Diamond League finals, a day after the first part in Zurich, with all event winners securing $50,000. Colombia’s Caterine Ibarguen proved the week’s biggest winner, following triple jump success in Zurich by a centimeter on Thursday with long jump victory in Brussels yesterday. Ibarguen said she left her hotel in Switzerland at 5 am to reach Brussels in time for her event, adding she planned to share some of her winnings with her family and on a holiday. Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega also set a personal and season’s best time in the men’s 5,000m, sprinting into the lead in the final half lap to win in 12 minutes 43.02 seconds. He celebrated the win with a victory dance. In other highlights, neutral athlete Timur Morgunov won a closely fought men’s pole vault by clearing 5.93m. European champion Armand Duplantis finished a disappointing seventh with his best effort being 5.68m. On the track, Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech led from halfway through the women’s 3,000m steeplechase to set a meet record 8:55.10. In the women’s 100m
hurdles, there has been little to separate Olympic champion Brianna McNeal from fellow American and world record holder Kendra Harrison all season. On Friday McNeal took the title in 12.61 seconds, beating her rival by just two hundredths of a second.
Rafael Nadal beats Karen Khachanov to reach fourth round BBCsport - Defending champion Rafael Nadal dug deep to outmanoeuvre powerful Russian Karen Khachanov and win their thrilling US Open third-round match in four sets. Nadal, 32, was a set and a break down before fighting back to win 57 7-5 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-3). The Spanish top seed failed to serve out the match at 5-4 in the fourth, but recovered to take the tie-break. World number one Nadal will play Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili in the last 16. The 17time Grand Slam champion, aiming for a fourth US Open title, needed all of his enormous willto-win and tactical nous to see off Khachanov, who hit 22 aces and 66 winners. The match ebbed and flowed throughout as it became one of the matches of the tournament so far. It was Nadal’s first real test after not dropping a set in his previous two matches at Flushing Meadows.
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Kaieteur News
House of Howlers
Sheldon Cottrell appeals for a wicket CPL via Getty Images A raft of glaring umpiring decisions in the 2018 CPL has sparked the DRS debate again. ESPNcricinfo lists the top-ten bloopers from the season. David Warner: lbw b Imran Tahir for 11 The St Lucia Stars opener fell victim to arguably one of the worst lbw decisions ever, when he was hit outside the line of off stump, while gloving a reverse-sweep. Instead of supporting Imran Tahir’s appeal, wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi set off after the ball that trickled behind point. Perhaps he knew it would be missing the stumps, but umpire Nigel Duguid raised his finger to leave Warner stunned and Tahir wheeling away in celebration. Luke Ronchi: lbw b Mark Chapman for 42 In that same game at Providence, Guyana Amazon Warriors wicketkeeper-batsman Luke Ronchi was also adjudged lbw, when umpire Duguid erred again. Ronchi missed a pull against a short arm ball from left-arm spinner Mark Chapman, and copped it on the thigh. Though the ball seemed to be heading down leg, Duguid thought otherwise, and Ronchi was on his way. Darren Bravo: reprieved on 36 Just as Darren Bravo and Colin Munro were taking charge of Trinbago Knight Riders’ chase of 183, Jamaica Tallawahs’ Adam Zampa let rip a non-turner that fizzed past Bravo’s sweep and pinned him in front of middle. The ball would have crashed into middle and leg, but the umpire shot down the appeal. Bravo went onto cart a pair of sixes, which helped TKR secure a last-gasp chase. Glenn Phillips: lbw
b Ben Cutting for 41 Ben Cutting first hit the front pad of Glenn Phillips with a swinging yorker and then had it ricocheting onto his back pad. Replays indicated the ball had pitched outside leg, but Cutting’s appeal was upheld. Glenn Phillips: c Nicholas Pooran b Steven Smith for 36 The Tallawahs opener was left fuming again, when he was given out caught-behind even though he did not nick a sharp legbreak from Barbados Tridents’ Steven Smith. When Phillips saw a short ball turn and bounce outside off, he went on the back foot to work it away towards the leg side but missed by a long way. Umpire Shaun George, though, did not spot it, and raised his finger. Andre Fletcher: reprieved on 18 Trinbago Knight Riders’ new-ball fast bowler Ali Khan had been giving fits to St Lucia Stars opener Andre Fletcher in the opening match of the season. Having been dropped in the first over, Fletcher received another let-off when a yorker struck him flush on the toe in front of middle stump but was given erroneously as a run after the ball ricocheted through the slips. It wound up not costing much, as Fletcher fell to a slower ball later in the over, and TKR cantered to a resounding win. Chris Gayle: reprieved on 5 The Universe Boss scored 86 out of a total of 146 for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the second match of the season against Guyana Amazon Warriors, but his innings really should have been done in the second over. Attempting to
sweep the offspin of Chris Green, Gayle missed and was struck plumb in front. But umpire Duguid saw it differently. Replays showed the ball was crashing into the stumps. Amazon Warriors prevailed in the end despite Gayle’s fortuitous innings. Chris Lynn: lbw b Rahkeem Cornwall for 4 As part of a trend of poor decisions involving the sweep, Lynn’s inside edge onto the pads went undetected by umpire Gregory Brathwaite. The error didn’t matter much in the end, thanks to a mind-boggling assault by Darren Bravo that helped take TKR home. Brandon King: lbw b Kavem Hodge for 17 Even before Stars left-arm spinner Kavem Hodge had sent a full ball outside off, Patriots batsman King jumped a fair way across his stumps, lost his balance, and did not connect with a slogsweep. Despite being struck outside the line, King was given out lbw. Another sweep. Another poor umpiring decision. Kavem Hodge: c Devon Thomas b Carlos Brathwaite for 0 The clash between St Lucia Stars and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Gros Islet was the shortest-ever 20overs-a-side CPL match, but it still had room for another umpiring blunder. And this time, Hodge was the victim. When Carlos Brathwaite found extra bounce and got a length ball to zip away outside off, Hodge reached out for the ball with his feet pinned to the crease and was beaten. Still, he was given out caught behind - a bizarre decision, which left the Stars captain Kieron Pollard flinging his hands in utter shock.
Saturday September 01, 2018
England v India: Moeen Ali’s 5-63 inspires England fightback in fourth Test BBCsport - Moeen Ali’s 563 led England’s fightback on the second day of the fourth Test against India in Southampton. The off-spinner ran through the India lower order as they lost six wickets for 53 runs to slip from 142-2 to 195-8. However, the tourists were hauled to 273 by an unbeaten 132 from Cheteshwar Pujara, who added 78 for the final two wickets with Ishant Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. That gave them a first-innings lead of 27 after England were bowled out for 246 on day one. Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings came through four overs at the end of the day as England closed on 6-0, 21 behind. It left the match and the series tantilisingly poised. England lead 2-1 and can seal the series with victory on the south coast, while a win for India would keep alive their own hopes of winning the series going into the final match at The Oval. To add to the intrigue, the Southampton pitch is showing signs of sharp turn, potentially aiding India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin as well as England pair Moeen and Adil Rashid in the fourth innings. Moeen is playing in his first Test since March and,
Moeen Ali took 6-67 in his previous Test at Southampton against India in 2014. (GettyImagez.com) like Sam Curran on day one, has justified his recall. He was dropped after a poor winter in which he took five wickets at an average of 126.80. However, in contrast to his struggles abroad, he has a fine record at home. Indeed, on this ground and against the same opponents four years ago, he returned match figures of 8-129. Having made 40 in England’s first-innings 246, he bowled beautifully, fizzing the ball into the footholes to take all his five wickets in a 10-over spell either side of tea. Rishabh Pant was lbw for a curious 29-ball duck and Hardik Pandya tamely
chipped to short mid-wicket. Ashwin thoughtlessly bottom-edged a reverse sweep on to his stumps, Mohammed Shami was bowled first ball and, after surviving for 40 minutes, Ishant inside-edged to a juggling Cook at short leg. Pujara was left out of India’s defeat in the first Test, but returned to form with 72 in the second innings of their third Test win at Trent Bridge. For a while on Friday, he was the support act in a stand of 92 with captain Virat Kohli, who edged to first slip off Curran for 46 to begin India’s slide.
Bermuda squad of 22 named for first Nations League qualifier Hamilton, Bermuda, CMC - The Bermuda Football Association (BFA) on Thursday named four Europe-based players in a 22-man national team squad for their opening CONCACAF Nations League qualifier against Aruba this month. The squad, captained by Reggie Lambe, includes Danté Leverock, a defender who has already scored seven goals this season for his Swedish club Narva Trans, William White, who plays in Finland, Willie Clemons, who plays in Sweden, and Iceland-based Zeiko Lewis, as well as Jonté Smith, who plays for English nonleague club Lewes. Newcomers in the squad include Aaron Spencer, Liam Evans, Jahkari Furbert, Razir Smith-Jones and London Steede-Jackson. The match on September 9 has been moved to the Stadion Ergilio Hato in Curacao because Aruba’s home venue is un-
available, the BFA said. The team will take part in a two-day training camp in Miami before flying to Curacao. Bermuda face Saint Maarten and El Salvador at the National Stadium here on October 12 and November 16 respectively, before finishing the qualifying phase with an away match against the Dominican Republic on March 24, 2019. Striker Nahki Wells, who has moved to London club Queens Park Rangers on a season-long loan from Premier League side Burnley, will miss the Aruba game but has made himself available for the other Nations League qualifiers after a three-year break from international duty. His availability has delighted Lambe, a forward who plays for English League Two club Cambridge United. “He allows me to have more of a free role because he gives us that extra threat up top. His presence alone brings confi-
dence to the team and gives everyone that extra boost,” Lambe said. ”He also brings experience and leadership, not to mention his ability and his instincts to turn the slightest chances into goals. He has been a big miss in recent games and to have him return will give us the best possible chance to do well. ”The support we get in Bermuda is outstanding, but I’m sure his return will get more people out to support us at home.” he added. Bermuda squad: Reggie Lambe (captain), Danté Leverock, Jahquil Hill, Dale Eve, William White, Jaylon Bather, Daren Usher, Donte Brangman, Liam Evans, Osagi Bascome, Willie Clemons, London Steede-Jackson, Zeiko Lewis, Tre Ming, Lejaun Simmons, Cecoy Robinson, Jonté Smith, Tevahn Tyrell, Roger Lee, Aaron Spencer, Jahkari Furbert and Razir Smith-Jones.
Saturday September 01, 2018
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Kaieteur News
Concacaf announces updated September ranking - Guyana 22 of 41 MAs and Gold Cup seeded nation’s Miami – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) made public yesterday the Concacaf Ranking for the month of September. The updated ranking, as of August 31, 2018 confirms the top four ranked teams - Mexico (#1), United States (#2), Costa Rica (#3), and Honduras (#4) as the seeded nations for the 2019 Gold Cup. The Concacaf Ranking is a modern indexing system for the Men’s senior national teams in the region. As previously announced, the ranking plays a key role in determining qualification and seeding for regional and international championships, such as the Gold Cup, and will be updated on a monthly basis. The stadium assignments for the seeded nations, as well as dates and venues for the group phase and knockout round
matches will be announced in the coming weeks. The complete groups and the full schedule will be announced early next year, once all nations have qualified for the Gold Cup via the Concacaf Nations League Qualifier, to be played in September, October, and November of 2018, and March of 2019. Next summer’s tournament will be the first to feature an expanded version, with 16 countries vying for
continental glory in what is set to be the largest Gold C u p i n h i s t o r y. Ta k i n g place every two years, the Concacaf Gold Cup is the official national team championship of the region, which includes North and Central America and the Caribbean. Drawing large crowds and millions of television viewers across the region, the Gold Cup is a celebration of soccer, sportsmanship, and culture. The 2019
Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Member Association Points Mexico 2,042 United States 1,872 Costa Rica 1,798 Honduras 1,632 Panama 1,596 Jamaica 1,525 Canada 1,467 Guatemala 1,425 El Salvador 1,372 Haiti 1,347 Trinidad & Tobago 1,342 Martinique 1,269 Cuba 1,123 French Guiana 1,108 Guadeloupe 1,074 Curaçao 1,057 Nicaragua 1,047 St. Kitts & Nevis 997 Suriname 991 Antigua and Barbuda 953 Dominican Republic 947
Concacaf Gold Cup is sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company, Cerveza Modelo, Nike, Scotiabank, and Toyota. The tournament will be broadcast nationally on the Univision and FOX family of networks and
Rank 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
transmitted on radio in Spanish by Fútbol de Primera Radio Network, and broadcast by television partners in countries around the world. Exclusive Presale Offering - Fans can now visit www.GoldCup.org to sign up for an exclusive pre-sale of-
Member Association Pts Guyana 914 Bermuda 910 Belize 864 Bonaire 799 St. Vincent 793 Grenada 790 St. Lucia 773 Barbados 721 Puerto Rico 693 Bahamas 627 Dominica 575 Aruba 559 Cayman Islands 543 Turks & Caicos Is. 478 Montserrat 435 US Virgin Islands 401 Saint Martin 352 Sint Maarten 336 Anguilla 261 British Virgin Is. 261 fering for any Gold Cup game day in 2019, before seats go on sale to the general public. Tickets for the 2019 Gold Cup will go on sale at a later date. The LOC encourages fans to purchase their tickets early in order to secure the best seats for a great fan experience.
England’s 2019 tour of the US Open 2018: Sloane Stephens beats Caribbean to be one of the biggest Victoria Azarenka to reach third round St John’s, Antigua, CMC – England’s tour of the Caribbean next year will be its biggest tour of the region in a decade, comprising of three Test matches, five One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20Is. During the two-month tour which will begin in January, Barbados, Antigua and St. Lucia will host the three-match Test Series; Barbados, Grenada and St Lucia will share the ODIs and St. Lucia and St. Kitts will host the T20Is. With the recently announced ICC Future Tours Programme for 2019-2023, this will be the last three-format England Tour to the Caribbean for the foreseeable future. The teams will once again contest the Wisden Trophy, with England having won the last series 2-1 last year in England, while the Windies will also be seeking to overcome a 12-year series losing streak against England in the ODI series. Chief Executive Officer of Cricket West Indies, Johnny Grave said every effort was being made to ensure the series was a successful one. ”England coming to the region is always a special occasion for cricket fans and we are pulling out all the stops for a successful series on and off the field. ”West Indies fans create a unique spectator atmosphere and not only do England fans add to this, they bring in a significant tourism boost to the region as thousands will travel here to enjoy the cricket and experience the unique Caribbean culture and hospitality,” Grave said. CWI President Dave Cameron also thanked the Governments that invested their resources, saying that they “recognize the economic impact the tour will have on their respective countries.”
BBCsport - Defending champion Sloane Stephens beat two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka 63 6-4 to reach the third round of the US Open in New York. The American third seed broke twice in the first set and three times in the second at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Both players battled hard in the second set and Azarenka came from 3-1 down to lead 4-3 before the roof was closed. The 25-year-old French Open finalist will face Belgian 15th seed Elise Mertens in the next round. It was Belarusian Azarenka’s first appearance at the US Open for three years. Stephens, 25, said: “I just hung in there and battled as hard as I could to keep fighting. I was playing a former Grand Slam champion. She raised her level so I just had to stay in it. “It felt like a night match with the lights on. I have never played under this roof before but it is super cool. It was unlucky for her but I was thankful for the break. ”I played Elise Mertens last week in the Cincinnati Masters so I will do my best and hopefully keep going.” Seventh seed Elina Svitolina easily dispatched China’s Wang Qiang 6-4 64 to reach the fourth round yesterday. The Ukrainian won 70 percent of her first
Sloane Stephens was a French Open finalist this year. serve points and converted all five of her break point opportunities to see off world number 52 Wang, who committed 27 unforced errors and three double faults on a cloudy day at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Next up for Svitolina is a fourth-round clash with 19thseeded Latvian Anastasija Sevastova tomorrow. And, Maria Sharapova battled past unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-2 7-5 to
set up a third round clash with Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko. Sharapova, who is seeded 22nd on her first appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2016, carved out a 3-0 first set lead despite making several mistakes early on and finished strongly with a dominant performance from the baseline. Sharapova will resume her quest for a sixth Grand Slam crown against 10th seed Ostapenko, who beat American Taylor Townsend 4-6 6-3 6-4 earlier in the day.
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Wiltshire two-day tournament starts tomorrow
Tournament Organiser Mark ‘Jumbie’ Wiltshire (left) receives the sponsorship from All Seasons Racing Service staffer Shunile Haniff recently. Turning Point Sports Club and Dynasty Sports Bar will be buzzing with activity when Senior Organising Secretary of the Georgetown Domino Association Mark ‘Jumbie’ Wiltshire stages a two-day competition commencing tomorrow and concluding Monday, at the two above mentioned venues respectively. The event which is being sponsored by All Seasons Racing Service on Robb Street will see over $200,000
Saturday September 01, 2018
Kaieteur News
in cash prizes and trophies up for grabs. The winning team will take home $130,000, runner-up $60,000 and third place $20,000 and according to Wiltshire all prizes are guaranteed. The tournament will be run on a points system with the winning team in each round allotted five points, while second and third placed finishers receive three points and one respectively. Teams are expected from Bartica,
Essequibo, Linden, Berbice and Demerara and double-six time is 14:30hrs. According to Wiltshire entrance fee is $12,000 per team and interested teams can contact Wiltshire on tele#665 5855 for more information. Food and drinks will be on sale throughout the day, while all Guyana National Domino Federation rules will be in effect.Each team is being asked to walk with a pack of dominoes.
Windies women draw practice series against Antigua Under-17s
GBBC/Young Guns-The Proving Ground Card set for September 22 Boxing fans will be in for a treat when The Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) hosts it much anticipated card dubbed ‘Young Guns-The Proving Ground’ on September 22 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. Speaking at the signing ceremony yesterday at Abdool and Abdool Insurance Office, Avenue of the Republic, President of the GBBC Peter Abdool said that this Card will give the young fighters much needed exposure for the first time. He added that it is an opportunity for the Guyanese public to have a look at the talent that is here and a chance for the boxers to further develop. Abdool stated that they are hoping to keep this series specifically for young people to make sure they are being given the opportunity adding that similar bouts are planned
for October, November and December. Abdool noted that boxing is not producing money and he hopes that this will bring on young promoters and help to resuscitate the sport. “We have two promoters in Clive Atwell and Dexter Marks, so the input is on this generation”, he added. The Card pits Anson Green against Joel Williamson who will make his debut in professional boxing in a fourround Junior Welterweight contest; Delon Charles another debutant versus Terrence Adams in a fourround Featherweight bout; Rewinna David matching gloves with Ansilla Norville in the lone female contest which is a Bantamweight four-round duel; James Moore facing Romeo Norville in a four-round Cruiserweight battle and Derick Richmond challenging Keithland King
of Barbados in a Middleweight six-round affair. All of the boxers expressed confidence of doing well. Adams said that his duel with Charles is going to be exciting and he do appreciates it while Ansilla Norville added that she is training very hard and will give it her best shot and hopefully go from strength to strength. Her opponent David expressed gratitude to the promoters and sounded a warning to her rival. Richmond who will take on the only overseas fighter on the card, King, of Barbados said he will knockout his opponent and urged the fans to come out and support the card while King on the other hand indicated that he will defeat any middleweight fighter in Guyana. Admission to the venue is $1000 and $2000 for ringside.
Sports Policy Draft Bill a work in progress – President Granger During H.E. President David Granger’s press conference yesterday in the Rupununi Room at the Ministry of the Presidency, he noted that the National Sports Policy is still in the ‘Green Paper’ phase which indicates that the draft policy is some way off from being presented to Parliament. ”What we have done in several areas is to put forward green papers and this green paper gives the wider community an opportunity to make suggestions. A green paper is not a bill, it is meant to be discussed and (after) having those discussions we could
consider having a bill to be debated in the national assembly”, the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana noted. In June this year, the Ministry of the Presidency had released a draft of the National Sports Policy and a release from that entity had stated that further feedback was invited on the draft which was generated between November 2016 – June 2018, based on research, reviews, consultations and analysis as was chronicled in the document. Notable areas of the draft’s focus include histori-
cal and philosophical narratives; vision & mission; fundamental and guiding principles; national, regional and internationally applicable laws; collaboration among national agencies on sports programmes and projects; sports governance, administration, management, organisation, education and educational institutions, medicine, financing (funding, sponsorship, incentives), tourism, manufacturing, intellectual property rights; elite athlete development, the media, overseas offices, Diaspora support, and antidoping.
GFF pre-season transfer window – GFA tops transfers Merissa Aguilleira
Hayley Matthews
St John’s, Antigua, CMC – The West Indies women were held to a 1-1 draw by the Antigua and Barbuda Under-17 team in their two-match practice T20 series at the Sir Vivian Cricket Ground here on Tuesday. In the first game, the Windies women could only muster 101 for four off their 20 overs, with Hayley Matthews top scoring with 31 and Chedean Nation scoring 23. Kadeem Henry then led the Under-17s to victory, scoring 33 to help his team to 103 for three in 18.5 overs, while Jaheim Africa contributed 31. However, the Windies got their revenge in the second game in the afternoon session,
thumping their opponents by nine wickets. Batting first, the Under-17s were limited to 111 runs for four wickets from their 20 overs, with Kenny Sutton leading the way with an unbeaten knock of 23. Hayley Matthews was the most impressive bowler, finishing with figures of 2-16 from her three overs. At their turn at the crease, the West Indies women easily surpassed the target in 19. 2 overs, losing only five wickets, as Trinidadian Merissa Aguilleira led her side to victory with an unbeaten knock of 34. Glen Williams and Demetri Lucas each took two wickets for the Under-17s.
A total of 73 transfers were facilitated during the pre-season transfer period, including 11 by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), which ended on July 31, with all of them seeking transfers to Elite Clubs. During the period, the highest number of transfers was recorded by the Georgetown Football Association with 30, followed by the Berbice Football Association - 15, Upper Demerara Football Association - 09, West Demerara Football Association - 04, East Demerara Football Association - 02 and one each by the East Bank Football Association and the Rupununi Football Association respectively. Fruta Conquerors Football Club received the highest number of transfers with 12 players, followed by Milerock FC - 11, Cougars 10, Western Tigers and New Amsterdam United with eight players a piece, Den Amstel - 07, Ann’s Grove United - 05, Victoria Kings -
04, Buxton United and GDF with three players each; Campton FC and GFC with one player each. The next transfer window is scheduled from the 1st – 31st January, 2019.
Saturday September 01, 2018
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Kaieteur News
GHB Outdoor Developmental Leagues resume this weekend The Guyana Hockey Board’s (GHB) Outdoor 7-ASide Developmental Leagues will resume this weekend with six matches today from 15:00hrs at the St. Stanislaus College Ground, Carifesta Avenue while there would also be six matches tomorrow from the same time. The leagues were postponed on the 22nd of April this year at approximately the halfway stage after seasonal rains had flooded the venue, making it unplayable. In the Solo Under-19 segment, GCC Day Sat
Date 1-Sep
Pitbulls and Bingo Spartans lead the Boy’s and Girl’s categories respectively. In the Bounty Paper Towels sponsored Second Division competitions, its Pizza Hut GCC who lead the Women’s category while in the Men’s competition, Old Fort and GCC The Sequel are tied on 12 points each with Old Fort holding a one goal advantage on goal difference. These 7-A-Side Leagues are the second and third steps in the GHB’s player develop-
Time Category 15:00hrs U19 Boys 15:50hrs 2D Women 16:40hrs 2D Men
Sun
2-Sep
15:00hrs U19 - Boys 15:50hrs U19 Girls 16:40hrs 2D Men
ment strategy, helping the graduates from the Smalta/ ICool Water Under-14 Indoor League to make the transition to the outdoor game. Clubs also use these Leagues to identify new talent to draft into their First Division teams which will compete in the Farfan & Mendes and Woodpecker Products sponsored Leagues scheduled to commence as soon as venues become available. This Weekend’s Match Schedule:
PITCH # 1 GCC Pitbulls Hikers Bingo Spartans
vs vs vs
PITCH # 2 Saints Splinters Saints Sonics Woodpecker Hikers
Old Fort Hikers Cadets GCC Hikers Old Fort Bingo Spartans St. Joseph Hikers Cadets Old Fort
vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs vs
Saints Old Fort Bounty GCC The Sequel NR Multilateral Joseph Warriors GCC Her-ricanes Saints Saints U19s Senior Saints
Samuel Woordoffe (left) and Hilmar Chester cross swords in the Bounty Paper Towels Men’s Second Division League.
Legendary Dave Martin to headline Cricket Development concert for BCB The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), as part of its efforts to raise funds for the development of the sport in the Ancient County would be teaming up with Legendary International Guyanese Singer Dave Martin. The BCB would be hosting a concert with the popular singer on Saturday November 3rd, 2018, this was disclosed by Board President Hilbert Foster on Friday last when he met with Martin at his East Coast Demerara home to finalise plans for the historic concert, which most likely would be held in the compound of the New Amsterdam Technical Institute. Foster expressed delight that the concert would take place and says that he is confident that it would be used for the cricket development programme and also for the Board’s administrative expenses. The BCB does not receive any subvention from either the Guyana Cricket Board or the West Indies Board and as such depends entirely on sponsorship and fundraising activities. Foster disclosed that he took over the BCB six months ago with a meager $42,000 and since then the Board has raised over $7M in cash and kind to host a record twenty-two tournaments at the Under-15, 17, 19, 21, Female, Second Division, Inter Zone, Intermediate, Double Wicket and First Division levels.
programmes. The President has travelled across the entire county of meet with every stakeholder and club, ninety four clubs benefitted from the distribution of $1M worth of cricket balls while another 23 benefitted from $1.3 worth of cricket gears, stumps and scorebooks. The hard working and dynamic President also has plans to assist clubs with white cricket shirts while great efforts would also be made to obtain at least two proper cricket covers to be used across Berbice with Coaching Kits for all eleven First Division Teams. Great effort is also being made to obtain a long term sponsor for a Threeday First Division Tourna-
ment. Foster recently met with top officials of ExxonMobil and invited them to visit the Berbice Cricket Board for more discussion as he strives to return the sport to its former glory days. The Board is encouraging sponsors to support the historic “Dave Martin in Concert” and interested Companies can contact Hilbert Foster on 337 4562, Angela Haniff on 333 3905, 333 2375 and Robby Saywack on 660 0049 for more information. Foster expressed thanks to International Cricket Commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira for his assistance in arranging the Concert and stated that Perreira’s visit to Berbice in July is bearing lots of fruits for Berbice Cricket.
Parika Defenders overcome Success Masters by 71 runs
BCB President Hilbert Foster and Dave Martin. Over this same period, they have also hosted dozens of off the field programmes that has played a major role in transforming the state of the game; among the, Cricket A c a d e m y, E d u c a t i o n a l
Posters, Award Ceremony, Brian Ramphal Training of Coaches, Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh Coaching Programme, Batting Clinic, Bowling Clinic, Wicket Keeping Clinic, Television Programmes, handed out sti-
pends to Junior Cricketers, Tribute to Heroes, Upper Corentyne Awards, InterCounty Cap, Inter-County MVP, Rewarding of InterCounty Champions, Father of the Year, Mother of the Year and Dare to Dream
Parika Defenders defeated Success Masters by 71 runs when the Back to Eden, Permaul’s Trading and Trophy Stall 20-over softball tournament continued on Sunday last at Parika Salem ground, East Bank Essequibo. Batting first, Parika Defenders managed 168-7 with Moneshwar Balgobin and Devanan Kanan scoring 27 each; Raymond Karim claimed 2-19. Success Masters in reply were bowled out for 97 in 16 overs. Mark Fung made 25 as
Kanan took 3-12 and Kabesh Persaud 3-16. The second game between Parika Defenders and Narine Masters was rained out. The competition continues tomorrow with Narine Masters playing Regal Masters at 10:00hrs, 4R Lioness facing Trophy Stall Angels at 13:00hrs and Tropical Spring versus Mike’s Wellman at 14:00hrs at Malteenoes Sports Club. At DCC, Floodlights will play Parika Defenders from 19:00 hrs.
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Kaieteur News
Saturday September 01, 2018
National Skipper Leon Johnson hosts cricket clinic for youths
Johnson (standing middle) with Coaches and participants at the cricket camp at Bourda. Guyana and Windies lefthander Leon Johnson held a successful one-day ‘Leon Johnson cricket Clinic’ on Thursday at his home ground Bourda for youths between the ages of 13-18 including six players who had played U-15 and U-17 cricket for Guyana.
The 46 participants were taught drills in batting, bowling and fielding in the morning session while a net session on the pitch was conducted in the afternoon to test what they had learned. The 31-year-old Johnson, who has two fifties from nine
Tests and one half-century from six ODIs said this was something he always wanted to do before but it was not an opportune time then. ”I always wanted to give back and hopefully this could be an annual event even when my playing days are
over” said Johnson, who made his First-Class debut against the Leewards at Enmore in 2014. Johnson who has played 99 First-Class matches noted that there are very talented layers around and saw it necessary to hold the clinic even
though it was only for one day. ”When I was the age of those who are here I had many people to help including some of the Coaches here today.” Some of the Coaches were Mark and Roger Harper, Clyde
Butts and Reon King. The Guyana Captain, who is still hoping to regain his Test place despite not even being selected for Windies ‘B’ teams, described the clinic as a success and thanked all of those who contributed in anyway.(Sean Devers)
Golden Grove cricket clinic conclude; club lament lack of support from GCB & NSC The 10-day Golden Grove Cricket Club’s cricket clinic concluded yesterday at the East Coast Demerara ground. The clinic attracted 26 students and was described as successful despite the lack of support from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and National Sports Commission (NSC). The clinic focused on the skills of cricket, discipline & respect, healthy Life Style among other topics and ended with a cricket match when Golden Grove made 120 and bowled Buxton for 100 runs. President of Golden Grove CC Allister Haywood spoke about what he described as the unfair treatment of some clubs on the East Coast by the East Coast Cricket Committee. ”We have written to the GCB and NSC for help but we have not back from them” Haywood stated. Director of Culture Ms. Jillian Frank told the gathering that being proud of who you are is very important and urged them to be
The participants of the Golden Grove Cricket Clinic.
confident and respect each other. Vice-President of the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) Ray Barton said
that former National U-19 player Clive Andries is one of the best all-rounders on the East Coast being ignored by those who pick
the East Coast Franchise for the GCB Franchise League. Barton said he was fed up with the cricket politics
and courts cases which continue to stifle cricket on the East Coast which has two factions organising the game. Barton con-
cluded by asking those in authority to solve the problems affecting Guyana’s cricket by holding proper elections.
Kaieteur News
Saturday September 01, 2018
PAGE 31
Limacol Football Tournament
Mahaica needle Police; Pele and Rangers draw on opening night
Northern Rangers’ Stephen Reynolds (on the ball) being marked closely by Pele’s Lloyd Anderson. (Calvin Chapman photo) Thursday night’s kickoff of the third Limacol Football Tournament was delayed by over an hour but when the first whistle blew, the fans which included members of Guyana’s Under-19 cricket team that recently won the Regional 50-over tournament for the 5th successive time were thrilled by a close opening encounter of the double header between an experienced Northern Rangers Football Club (NRFC) and the young
and talented Pele FC, which ended 1-1. At the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground on Carifesta Avenue under lights, both Pele and Northern Rangers created many chances in the first half but both goals weren’t scored until the second half of play. Sixteen-year-old Stephan Reynolds thumped in a powerful, close range header for Northern Rangers in the 53rd minute after
meeting a well placed cross to give his side the lead. However, that lead was short-lived as 15 minutes after Pele’s Skipper Stephan Reynolds kept cool and buried a penalty kick in the 68th minute following a hand ball the box by Rangers. Pele looked very dangerous after equalising but resolute defending kept the score locked at 1-1 until the final whistle. Meanwhile, in the second
GFF/Pele Alumini Frank Watson U15 League – GFA
Matches continue today at GNS Ground, Carifesta Avenue
Play in the Tavel Foundation and Masters Academy match.
Action in the GFF/Pele Alumini Frank Watson U15 Intra Association League under the auspices of the GFA-IMC will continue today at the GNS Ground, Carifesta Avenue with play commencing at 09:30hrs. Meanwhile, when play continued on Thursday last at the Tucville Ground, wins were registered by Eastveldt, Black Pearl and Masters Academy FC. Eastveldt got past Pele 2-1 on account of goals from
Akeem Adams in the 20th minute and Brandon Solomon in the 33rd minute. Pele didn’t give up though with a second-half goal from Keron Dazzel in the 52nd minute.The second match saw a lone goal from Black
Tavel Foundation Black Pearl FC Beacon FC Masters FC Beacon FC
Pearl’s Arron Latchminarine in the 45th minute sealing their win over Beacon’s FC while it was the same result for Master’s FC with a goal from Ezekeil Goppy in the 12th minute against Tavel Foundation.
Today’s matches vs Eastveldt FC vs Santos FC vs Pele FC vs Riddim Squad FC vs Fruta Conquerors FC
Action in the Mahaica Determinators (black) and Police FC on Thursday night at the MOE ground. match, last year’s runners’ up, Police Football Club had a horrible start to their campaign after being threaded by East Coast’s Mahaica Determinators 1-0. Police has been one of the most consistent second division clubs in the country for the past two years, reaching a total of seven finals and they will certainly
be looking to bounce back from the disappointing loss that Mahaica’s Cordell Haywood subjected them to when he scored in the 21st minute. The tournament continues Monday with two more group matches featuring Pouderoyen versus Beacons at 18:00hrs while the main event will see
Police looking to bounce back when they play Northern Rangers in the feature game at 20:00hrs. The champions will walk away with $600,000 while the runners up in the tourney will pocket $300,000, third place $150,000 and fourth, $75,000. All group matches for fans would be free of cost. (Calvin Chapman)
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GBBC/Young Guns-The Proving Ground Card set for September 22
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The young boxers with Peter Abdool (center) and promoters Dexter Marques (right) and Clive Atwell.
Sports Policy Draft Bill a work in progress – President Granger P. 28
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GHB Outdoor Developmental Leagues resume this weekend
President David Granger
Tahrea Garnett (left) and Nandlall Persaud battle for possession in the Solo Boys under-19 League.
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