Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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

The wheels of Justice grind slowly but exceedingly fine The Suriname government’s claim that the arrest of Dino Bouterse was politically motivated has been turned on its head with his confession to facilitating movements of a terrorist; conspiracy to smuggle cocaine into the US; and his guilty to firearms trafficking charges. As one senior police official in neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago said, the Americans know how to conduct an investigation which nets from captain to cook. These people are famous for their patience in setting up sting operations which sometimes last for years. Bouterse’s revelations come days after the release of Hugo Carvajal, a retired Venezuelan general by officials of the Netherlands-administered island of Aruba after the Dutch government who recognized his diplomatic immunity. Carvajal who ran his country’s military intelligence from 2004 to 2008 is wanted in the US for his involvement in protecting the illegal drug trade from interdiction by anti-narcotics authorities. Ironically the former army officer has accused the Aruban judge and prosecutor of corruption for their handling of his case. The similarity between the Carvajal and Bouterse issues is that they were both intimately involved in their respective country’s efforts to apprehend wrongdoers of the very things of which they are accused. Interestingly perhaps is that those two are not the first nor will they be the last to use their positions to line their pockets. What should be of concern to all those persons similarly inclined, and who might be operating among us, is that the wheels of the US Justice Department grind slowly but exceedingly fine, and none is spared. But that is only one side of the coin because some have argued that the war on drugs is selective, and the energy expended on the producing and transit countries is disproportionate to their size and native resources compared to anything waged in the end user countries. Allegations are rife about official complicity in the drug business so much so that it is a widely held belief that it is not in the major agencies interest to eliminate the drug scourge, but rather pulls out all the stops to manage and control it. The rationale is that the war on drugs provides their raison d’être which - if removed, diminishes their utility value. Among the more credible and prominent sources associated with this view is former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief Robert Bonner who in an interview with CBS accused the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of unlawfully importing a ton of cocaine into the US in collaboration with (of all people) the Venezuelan government during 1990. In alluding to the crucial role external forces have played in the spread of drugs in foreign nations President Vladimir Putin is reported as saying that Russia and Europe had been victims of “narco aggression” and called his country’s drug abuse problem a national calamity. Also in what must rank as the supreme irony, former U.S.Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke made the startling (for some) allegation that government officials are protecting the drug trade and profiting from it. He went so far as to describe the counter-narcotics programme in Afghanistan as the single most ineffective programme in the history of American foreign policy. Denial has also played a significant part in fostering the illegal drug trade and Guyana at least up to the mid to late 2000s was not unique in that regard. The rise of Roger Khan and the incapacitation to the point of emasculation of law enforcement bodies are testimony to the consequences of turning a blind eye to what was obvious to everyone else. The late President Saparmurat Niyazov once claimed that Turkmenistan which had reported no major drug seizures since 2000, had no drug problem. Yet in 2002 his country’s Prosecutor-General was arrested for operating a drug-trafficking ring. What ought to wake up the people who operate on the wrong side of the law is the prospect of being forced to limit their travel options to places that have no extradition treaty with the U.S. The requirement that passenger manifests should be forwarded to destination countries will assist in that area. However, Guyanese being who they are, will always find ways to circumvent this demand up and including possession of genuine passports with bogus names.

Thursday September 04, 2014

Letters... Where your views make the news Moving on to higher levels demands that we get out of this rot DEAR EDITOR, People from time immemorial have been doing wrong, it appears to be part of life’s refrain- a relentless occurrence where some just blindly follow in the act, unconsciously going along with the flow, like a tradition; while smarter and more ambition ones have consciously done so because o f g r e a t expectations/rewards as was promised, thus all morals, decency, principles, reason etc. are jettisoned in the quest to fulfil their ambitious. Over time, some have come to see the light through various revelations and epiphanies, new experiences, some have had a change of heart, ceased following blindly and instead began examining and analysing things with a more keen and critically eye. Still other ambitious ones become weary of the scheme of things - the game w h e t h e r t h a t ambition/promise was/has been realised or not because of a pricking of conscience

that is a kind of torture to the soul, a weight too heavy to bear. Whatever it was that caused the awakening and change in thought is not so much important as the gnawing of the conscience and the urge to atone, for not until they have done so, then and only then can they be at peace with themselves repentance! The nonsense continues unabated about the place and we are getting accustomed to it, though irritating, but sadly the most unfortunate thing is that the majority of our young people are following and swallowing with ease, the danger they can’t see, their minds not being so nurtured, and so we are poorer, and so will be our future unless something strange plays out -maybe divine intervention. The present Rodney Commission of Inquiry will be over and done, it most likely will cause some bruises, but once politicians exhibit political maturity we will get past it and whatever damage is caused, those

affected will eventually have to settle down to reshaping, reconstructing, retooling, whatever needs to be done as dictated by past events. But the real danger in my view depends on how petty and inept we remain or become in failing to rise beyond the “divide and rule”, “don’t split votes”, “rat race election strategy” and such like, which cannot last forever, those things cannot win out over the reality conditions which is generally the main determinant. Our political landscape for over some 40 years has not been smooth sailing, at times the sea was turbulent, as a people we have suffered, and still bear scars to show even as we try to mend wounds moving on. What was done was done and that no one can change, not even God. The PNC during their reign practised paramountcy, were in total control of the status quo. The party’s flag flew high side by side our national flag over some

public buildings; the party card was trump, it held sway; policemen in uniform sold “New Nation” on duty; those considered enemies of the state were denied jobs; many a ff i l i a t e d t o d i ff e r e n t political parties were harassed and sometimes locked-up for carrying out their party/organisation activities considered inimical to the government; union leaders were intimidated; scabs were introduced; the police force didn’t function impartially/professionally. There was much uneasiness and fear, the party was in control - “we run things”. Come on! These were not fairy tales or folklore, these were things that happened, what people actually experienced. Are we now saying what was, never was, that it was all an illusion? A figment of our imagination!? Is this the way we expect to bury the past and chart a new course? Just where will this silly, disgusting, unyielding denial (Continued on page 24)

President Ramotar should take note of Minister Ramsammy’s misleading assurances to the Guyanese people DEAR EDITOR, The Guyana National Industrial Company (GNIC) announced on August 29 that it had completed, under contract to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), construction of eight stainless steel (SS) rectangular gates with accompanying guides for the Hope Canal Project (HCP) on the East Coast of Demerara. Fabrication was stated to have been completed since early August but delivery to site is yet to be made. The supply and installation of these gates were part of the contract awarded to Courtney Benn Construction (CBC) but the fabrication was apparently taken away from the Contractor by NDIA and given to GNIC, while CBC retained its contractual responsibility for installation. The unilateral termination of contract works by a Client during contract execution could have complex and messy outcomes, particularly so since this contract already has large time and cost overruns and the underlying problems relating to the settlement of these issues with respect to impending

penalties (if imposed) could be time consuming and costly. It was expected that the Govt. would have used its experience of contractually dealing with ‘Fip’ Motilall, the failed contractor for the Amaila Falls road, but it seems no lesson was learned and at the end of it all, costly slug-fests resolving Govt. contract disputes will continue at the expense of the Guyanese people. The SS rectangular gates to be electrically operated by power from GPL and a standby power plant will take considerable time to install, provided all the components are on site and ready to be fitted. Experience has shown that components for remotely operated gates tend to be missing/broken at time of site delivery and therefore an unusually long lead time would be necessary for assembly and test runs to get this sluice operational, and hence these procedures cannot be completed come Sept. 30, as GPL is still to bring power to the site to operate the gates. Agriculture Minister Dr. Ramsammy stated last July that the HCP will eventually be completed at the end of this month after several

completion deadlines during the past year had failed to materialize. It is the understanding given to Guyanese that project completion means that flood waters from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) could be safely discharged at its designed capacity into the Atlantic Ocean via the head regulator, 11 km canal and sluice, come Sept. 30. Unfortunately, construction progress suggests otherwise. There is no way the HCP could be completed during the next four weeks as many of its components are yet to arrive on site, be fitted and tested before the sluice becomes functional. Also, segments of the canal are yet to be dug and its embankments and berms shaped and raised to design elevations. Stabilizing the canal’s embankments from the Crown Dam to the EDWC Dam and clearing the Canal and its embankments of weeds and bushes are still in the works. Then there are ancillary works not part of the HCP which will require additional funding for completion before flood water could be discharged by the Hope Canal. These works are a stable

channel to be dug northwards from the sluice to the Ocean through a shoal of sling mud on the foreshore, tie-ins of the sea dam and canal embankments to the abutments of the sluice and tie-ins of the EDWC dam and canal embankments to the abutments of the head regulator. President Ramotar should take note as to the number of times Minister Ramsammy has been bluffing and giving misleading assurances to the Guyanese people as to when the HCP will be functionally completed and that its final cost will be within budget. He should be given one more opportunity to state definitively as to when the HCP will be completed and at what cost, failing which his assignment as Minister of Agriculture should be terminated for his consistent failure to perform whether its completion of the HCP within the specified time and cost, GuySuCo’s yearly production target shortfalls and large debt accumulation, complete installation at selected locations of the drainage pumps bought from India, the timely payments to farmers for their paddy and the list just goes on and on. Charles Sohan

Thursday September 04, 2014

Kaieteur News

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Letters... Where your views make the news Letters... Where your views make the news

The Pope is absolutely correct Mr. Kissoon has underscored DEAREDITOR, A n a r t i c l e caught my attention. It is about a billionaire in the United States who threatened to discontinue charity donations if the Pope continues his support for the poor. A c c o r d i n g to the article, billionaire Ken Langone, the founder of Home Depot, issued a warning to Pope Francis during an interview with CNBC in which he said that wealthy people are feeling ostracized by the Pope’s messages in support of the poor and he may stop giving charity if the Pope continues

to make statements criticizing capitalism and income inequality. T h e P o p e is absolutely correct when he called for a new global dispensation in which people are placed ahead of profits. he truth is that there is a widening gap between the rich and the poor which is fuelled by a culture of greed and accumulation, in which a person is judged not by the quality of his contribution to society, but by the size of his bank account. B e c a u s e o f the stance taken by the Pope in favour

of the poor and the oppressed, he has been accused in some quarters of promoting a ‘Marxist’ or ‘communist’ agenda. History will record that the PPP during the 1960s was also accused of being communistic for advocating a pro-working class approach to development. P e o p l e a r e poor not because they are lazy or choose to remain poor but because of a system of production and distribution which continues the favour the rich at the expense of the poor. Hydar Ally

A statistical impossibility and electoral absurdity D E A R E D I T O R, T h e G u y a n a Elections Commission (GECOM) has registered 78,000 new electors in the present registration cycle and the majority of these new electors have been placed in three or four of the Regions. S u c h a v a s t number of new electors and their concentration in three or four Regions is a statistical impossibility and the PPP has been bitterly complaining of this. Very strangely, none of the various persons

who readily pronounce on such matters has said one word about this electoral absurdity, and no member of the investigative journalist fraternity has taken up the challenge of explaining the conundrum. I n s o l v i n g the problem, I would suggest: (1) GECOM does a 10% sample census in the most affected areas with d i ff e r e n t e n u m e r a t o r s than the ones who did it in the first place. (2) The political parties urgently invoke the assistance of

the various international organizations whose remit is to uphold Democracy and to investigate such matters. I n i t i a l l y, such organizations do not have to visit Guyana, but should be merely sent the last two electoral lists, the last Census Report and other relevant information. The ABC countries who are committed to cultivating democracy worldwide and in Guyana may also be of some assistance. P.I. Peters

Talks about National Unity with the PPP Dear Editor, The APNU and AFC have to go into any talks on a Government of National Unity with eyes wide open, because on this issue the PPP has a record which does not lend much credibility to this process. G u y a n ese National

Unity talks can’t be openended and fundamental matters to be addressed have to be constitutional change to embed inclusive governance in Guyana; Presidential assent to bills passed by the Guyanese Parliament since 2012; and a credible schedule for local

government elections to be held as soon as possible. Gerry Yaw Canada

some of the PPP’s dirty tactics DEAR EDITOR, I just came across a column in the Kaieteur News’ online edition, written by Mr. Frederick Kissoon, under the caption “Avoid the Rodney King road over Royston King’. This was published on August 29, 2014. In that column, the author wrote “APNU and the AFC are prepared to go into an early general election. One anticipates the PPP will put up serious roadblocks to remain in office if the no-confidence motion is passed. It will be passed, inevitably, as day passes into night”. He made a strong p ublic suggestion, specifically to the PNC, to stay away from public demonstrations to avoid the race trap of the PPP. “ S i n c e t h e a n n o u n c ement of the noconfidence vote, the PPP has unleashed its provocation strategy. It has begun with the recent arrest and charge of the Public Relations Officer of the Georgetown City Council for forgery. Any fool knows that this is a political ploy to anger the PNC. The Royston King c harge is as politically odious as any in the history of this country.” I wish to say c a t e gorically that Mr. K i s s o o n ’s l e t t e r h a s underscored some of the dirty tactics the PPP/C government used for political gains in the face of general elections over the past years, since winning the 1992 elections.

Of course, one of them is to get the PNC on the streets by violating the constitutional rights of some sections of people in society that can lead to public demonstrations where the PPP will get the chance to create political violence, destruction and ethnic division in the midst of the protest for justice for our people. We h a v e s e e n i t a l ready in 2011 when former president Bharrat Jagdeo took CNS Sharma Television Channel 6 off the air for four months at that critical period, just before the holding of the 2011 General and Regional Elections for no reason, which was in my mind set out to anger the PNC so that they could call for a public demonstration in support of CN Sharma for them (PPP) to accomplish their mission of making the PNC look bad when they are on the streets. We m u s t n o t b e f o o ls; the PPP’s strategy at every election in Guyana is to get the PNC onto the streets for public demonstrations where a set of folks in high place in society will hire a group of black youths to attack, beat, stick up, kill and burn down a few business places of a certain ethnic group of people in our society in the midst of the PNC’s public

demonstrations to make the party look bad. The PPP lost a s u b stantial amount of Indian middle class voters in 2011 and that is likely to increase in 2015 and the party will do anything wicked and unscrupulous to regain power by driving fear in the minds of IndoG u y a n e s e v o t e r s w ho represent 47 percent of the population and once voted en masse for the PPP in the past. T h e r e f o r e , l e t u s to stay away from public demonstrations to avoid another race trap of the PPP that Mr. Kissoon suggested, that is the only way Indo- Guyanese may break the barrel of ethnic voting the result of which the PPP/C stands a big change to lose the next general elections. In conclusion, I w ish to tell my AfroGuyanese brothers and sisters throughout this country that they should not allow themselves to be hired and used to do any dirty work for any political party during and after the next election season. Rayvon n e P. Bou r n e

Thursday September 04, 2014

Kaieteur News

Obama says will ‘degrade and destroy’ Islamic State TALLINN (Reuters) - The United States plans to fight Islamic State until it is no longer a force in the Middle East and will seek justice for the killing of American journalist Steven Sotloff, President Barack Obama said yesterday. He added that destroying the militant group will take time because of the power vacuum in Syria, the abundance of battlehardened fighters that grew out of al Qaeda during the Iraq war, and the need to build coalitions, including with local Sunni communities. Islamic State released a video on Tuesday showing the beheading of the U.S. journalist, the second American hostage to be killed within weeks, in retaliation for U.S. air strikes in Iraq. “The bottom line is this, our objective is clear and that is to degrade and destroy (Islamic State) so that it’s no longer a threat not just to Iraq but also the region and to the United States,” Obama told a news conference. “Whatever these murderers think they will achieve with killing innocent Americans like Steven, they have already failed,” Obama said. “They failed because, like people around the world, Americans are repulsed by their barbarism. We will not be intimidated.” U.S and British officials both examined the video,

Barack Obama showing the same Britishaccented executioner who appeared in an Aug. 19 video of the killing of U.S. journalist James Foley, concluding it was authentic. The United States resumed air strikes in Iraq in August for the first time since the pullout of U.S. troops in 2011, and Obama said the strikes are already proving effective. “Those that make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget and that our reach is long and that justice will be served,” said Obama, who authorized the strike in Pakistan that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden 10 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. At home, top Obama administration officials punctuated Obama’s warnings to the Islamic State.

“They should know we will follow them to the gates of hell until they are brought to justice. Because hell is where they will reside, hell is where they will reside,” Vice President Joe Biden said during an appearance in New Hampshire. In Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry called Sotloff’s execution a “punch to the gut” and said the United States has used every military, diplomatic and intelligence tool it has to free hostages in Syria. Kerry said Sotloff was “brutally taken from us in an act of medieval savagery by a coward hiding behind a mask.” “We have taken the fight to this kind of savagery and evil before and, believe me, we will take it again,” he said. “When terrorists anywhere around the world have murdered our citizens, the United States held them accountable no matter how long it took.”Obama is sending Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and counterterrorism adviser Lisa Monaco to the Middle East to work with regional partners on ways to battle Islamic State. “This is not going to be a one-week or one-month or sixmonth proposition because of what’s happened in the vacuum of Syria,” Obama said. “It’s going to take time for us to be able to roll them back.”

U.N. says $600 million needed to tackle Ebola as deaths top 1,900 (Reuters) - The United Nations said $600 million (364.8 million British pounds) in supplies would be needed to fight West Africa’s Ebola outbreak, as the death toll from the worst ever epidemic of the virus topped 1,900 and Guinea warned it had penetrated a new part of the country. The pace of the infection has accelerated, and there were close to 400 deaths in the past week, officials said yesterday. It was first detected deep in the forests

of southeastern Guinea in March. The hemorrhagic fever has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria, and Senegal, and has killed more people than all outbreaks since Ebola was first uncovered in 1976. There are no approved Ebola vaccines or treatments. An experimental Ebola vaccine that Canada said it would give to the World Health Organization for use in Africa was as of yesterday still in the lab that developed it as officials

are puzzled over how to transport it. Ottawa said on Aug. 12 that it would donate between 800 and 1,000 doses of the vaccine, being held at Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.

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THE PROPOSED FENCING OF THE 1763 MONUMENT GARDENS A series of advertisements in one of yesterday’s dailies caught my attention. They raise more questions than they provide answers. First, there was the amusing advertisement placed by the Ministry of Finance advertising for the position of a driver. Now it is not hard for anyone to contemplate what are the duties and responsibilities of a driver. Yet the Ministry of Finance’s ad indicates that details of job description/ job specification for the above position may be obtained from the Ministry’s Personnel Department. Beats me as to why anyone would want to have details of the job description/ job specification of a driver! But perhaps those who placed the ad know better. Next, were Invitations for Bids by the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, for the construction of Call Centres at Enmore, East Coast of Demerara and at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo. Now, why is the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce building Call Centres? Is the government going back into commercial businesses like it did during the period when Guyana Stores, Guyana National Trading Corporation etc. were owned and operated by the State? Who is going to run these Call Centres? If the running is going to be undertaken by a private

company, why not let that company or those companies build or rent its/their own facilities? Beats me! What also beats me is why is it that the same Ministry is inviting Expressions of Interest for a feasibility study for the establishment of a bottle manufacturing plant. What nonsense is this? Unless this plant is going to be run by the State, the government should not be financing any feasibility study to benefit the private sector. Those who want to establish a bottle plant should undertake their own feasibility study. Why is the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, undertaking such a study? Well, according to the advertisements, it is part of the policy of the Ministry to aid packing of agricultural products? What are we talking here? Pepper sauce? Achar? We need a bottling plant for these products? The 1763 monument lies on a large expanse of ground. This area has always been an open, unfenced area. Now the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has sent out an Invitation for Bids to fence that area. Why? Why fence the monument grounds? Come on, where in the world is that done? I do not see the monument on the Georgetown Sea Wall being fenced. What is going on here? In the meantime, the National Library is launching

the Gillian Thompson Reading Challenge. This competition encourages persons in two age categories to read four books selected by the library. The challenge runs for two months. I hope none of the four books are like War and Peace because it would take the average reader more than two months to read and digest four books of that length. The notice of this competition does not state what one is supposed to do after reading these four books. More importantly, it provides no reason why persons should enter this competition or what are the prizes, if any, for those who succeed in this challenge. With Chikungunya cases being detected in Guyana, a great many persons are reading under their mosquito nets. In the meantime, the Ministry of Health has released a schedule of fogging for vector control. The schedule released is for Georgetown. The city has the largest population density in Guyana and it ought to be one of the areas that fogging takes place. But has the Ministry done any mapping of the areas in which the Chikungunya outbreak has been the highest? And is East Canje not one of those areas? Is any fogging being done there? Just asking! How effective will be this fogging exercise? Previous fogging exercises have failed to reduce the mosquito population. Back in the day, health inspectors used to go

Dem boys seh...

Thiefing people running mad or dying A long time now dem boys was watching things at Customs. At de time de boss man was a man name Lambert Marks. He was a soldier then he go away. Jagdeo bring he back and he was de man at Customs. Dem boys see some things and dem decide to talk. Marks get vex and he sue. Well everybody know wha happen after then. He think bout dem boys all de time till something snap in he head. He try fuh set he house on fire; he family had to tek extra precaution wid he and in de end he can’t even think bout dem boys. De people see another man tekking on dem boys and dem know that he is a man who does lose he head. But dem boys decide that he

got good qualities suh dem ain’t gun fight he down. Dem know that de Creatah don’t sleep; that he deh pun dem boys side suh. Yet dem boys can’t help thinking how everybody believe that dem can thief. Somebody decide that dem want wood suh rather than buy, dem decide fuh thief. De funny thing bout all this is that de man who sell de wood in good faith get lock up because he try fuh cash de bogus cheque that de thiefing people give he. De Creatah don’t like ugly suh he mek de poor man father drive down de road and he happen to see de wood wha he son sell de thiefing people. Now dem thiefin people get ketch and dem got to face de law.

Well dem boys seh that dem hope that all who thiefing see wha happening these days. Some of dem who tek de money out of de Treasury and do wha dem think is dem own should tek note. Some of dem road people who believe that dem can be like de thieves in de government finding out that life ain’t no cakewalk. Some of dem dying too. It reach de stage wheh dem boys want all of dem wicked people to know that all de thieves and wicked does either die or run mad. De Hana Rebel already start fuh pee in he wardrobe and pun he window. That could be a sign of something bad. Talk half and watch how dem secret deals get uncover.

around with their spray cans spraying the drains, alleys and other areas where stagnant water could be found. It was far more effective, because it directly targeted the breeding sites for mosquitoes. These health

officers are no longer around. Instead of fogging, should the Ministry not identify for each village one person to go around daily with a spray can and spray the drains, alleyways and breeding sites for mosquitoes? Just asking!

Seems to me this would do more good than these irregular fogging exercises that hardly seem to bother the biting insects.

Woman in trouble after young jaguar found in pickup tray

The pickup that EPA says was used to transport the young jaguar. A woman caught transporting a young jaguar in her pickup is likely to appear in court shortly, authorities said yesterday. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the animal, an endangered species, was found with others in the tray of the pickup. There were reportedly a number of boxes there. Shonette Takurdeen will soon be charged under new Wildlife Management and Conservation Regulations for being in possession of an illegally captured young Jaguar. A report of the woman transporting the animal was received by EPAvia Iwokrama, a

conservation facility in the hinterlands. Iwokrama was alerted by its ranger station and this was in turn relayed to the Guyana Revenue Authority outpost located at Kurupukari. According to EPA, the woman was not in possession of any permit to capture or transport the animal. “As such, the woman has been instructed to report at every police outpost/ station en-route from Kurupukari to Georgetown and finally to take the animal to the Guyana Zoo.” According to EPA, this recent crackdown reiterated calls by the Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud for continued

collaboration with the various agencies for similar operations to protect endangered wildlife and indigenous communities that depend on hunting for a livelihood. To this effect the Minister submitted to the National Assembly and signed the Wild Management and Conservation Regulations of 2013 which is now being enforced by EPA. Officers of the EPA were on standby at the Zoological Park of the Protected Areas Commission to receive the animal and to escort the woman to the Brickdam Police Station for processing and institution of the charge.

Police crack Lusignan cosmetologist’s murder…

Getaway driver leads investigators to shooter After almost two months of painstaking investigations, detectives on the East Coast of Demerara have managed to secure confessions from two men who were responsible for the murder of 19-year-old Ashmini Harriram at Lusignan in early July. They yesterday arrested the shooter and the driver of the car that he fled in after shooting Harriram and taking her cellular phone. Harriram, a cosmetologist, was about six houses away from her Lot 9, Lusignan Railway Embankment home when the killer emerged from what eyewitnesses described as a burgundy-coloured vehicle and shot her at close range to the right side of the head. According to reports reaching this newspaper,

detectives managed to locate the driver with the burgundycoloured car in the city and he admitted that he was there when Harriram was shot. He told investigators that he had picked up the shooter whose name was given as Lennox Wayne called ‘two colours’in the city and was asked to take him to see his girlfriend on the East Coast of Demerara. The driver claimed that while they were in Lusignan, his passenger Wayne, saw two females and asked him to stop the vehicle. One of the women was Harriram. The driver said that Wayne approached the two women and a few seconds later he heard a gunshot and Wayne hurriedly reentered the car and ordered him to drive. They headed back to

the city where Wayne exited the car. Kaieteur News was unable to ascertain why the driver did not report the matter to the police. However, yesterday he led investigators to Wayne, a resident of Leopold Street, Charlestown, who was promptly arrested. “We never gave up on this case. We knew that we would solve it,” a police source told this newspaper. The source said that Wayne admitted that he was the shooter and he and the driver are expected to be placed before the courts. Questions were raised as to the motive of the killing which did not initially appear to be a robbery. The slain teen was wearing a gold chain at the time, but the gunman reportedly made no attempt to relieve her of the jewellery.

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=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===

Can the combined opposition win a sixty percent majority? In no other Caricom country except Guyana, (and Haiti which is understandable given its history) is there such a volcanic divide between the rich strata and the working classes. The drastic decline in the living standards of the masses has reached a boiling point. In a country where elections can result i n change of government, there is no explanation as to why Indian constituencies stayed with the PPP in the 2011 elections when there was an AFC challenge. The PPP’s record of service to the working classes under Mr. Jagdeo’s leadership has been shamelessly cruel. In Guyana today, the poor classes have never been poorer. Look around this country you see t h e k i n d o f capitalism that perhaps only the United States would tolerate. Scholars have argued that the critiques against capitalism

are misplaced, because the model that is always used is the United States, and the US has a type of capitalism that is not capitalism but something devilish. Leonard Craig, fellow s o cial activist, who is a student in Germany, told me that for all of Merkel’s procapitalist i d e o l o g y, G e r m a n y ’s capitalist system and in Europe itself have no resemblance to the system in the US. According to Craig, there are satisfactory levels of welfare delivery in Europe. Craig went on to explain that some of the entitlements Germans get would be unimaginable in the US, like free university education. When you see the Scandinavian model of capitalism then the argument has to be tempered, because capitalism in the Scandinavian states may not be capitalism after all.

The lower classes enjoy a handsome life. I lived in Canada and though it is right next door to the US, Canadian capitalism is essentially patterned after the European tradition. The election next year in the UK is a straight fight between the Conservatives and a Labour Party that wants to reshape British capitalism so it can offer more to the working classes. In Trinidad, Barbados and Jamaica, there are higher levels of income for working people compared to Guyana. In fact, university education is free. What an irony. In Guyana, where the ruling party has a constitution that proclaims socialism, the children of working people have to pay for a tenth rate university degree, and the fees went up last month. Thousands of working people bite the bullet and send their children to

private schools and private hospitals. Last year I went to Balwant Singh Hospital for an eye operation. One could just look around and see who the hundreds of patients waiting for treatment were. A substantial percentage of them were not from the upper middle class and the richer strata. They know that free medical services from the state are unreliable and unsatisfactory. They know that the public school infrastructure has broken down. The education system in this country is bestial. Results for the past decades show that outside of Region 4, the schools from the other nine regions do not do well. There has never been at least one prosecution of a business place that exploits young girls through the violation of the labour laws. At one Sheriff Street supermarket,

employees are not given a weekly day off. President Ramotar recently announced that miners will be given more concessions. But not a word about duty free cars and house lots and pay hikes for nurses, UG lecturers, teachers, and middle ranks of the security forces. Under President Burnham, there were two state-owned banks to nurture and guide small entrepreneurs. Our race divide has put an end to that since the PPP came to power. In today’s Guyana, the contrast between the wealthy and the poor is graphically sickening. Yet in the upcoming general elections, poorer folks are going to walk into that polling station and vote for politicians who don’t care if they and their children have to eat mud for lunch. On the campaign trail, the leaders from the incumbent party are going

Frederick Kissoon to spend hours on the platform every night telling their audience of their working class credentials. These audiences can just look around their village, not even having to go to another village, and they will see that those working class credentials are actually barefaced lies. Guyana’s poverty and the misery of the working people are so sad that it takes a deranged mind to go into that polling booth and vote for people who after twenty-two years have done nothing for them. Maybe if the combined opposition gets into the groove they may pull off a sixty percent majority.

Controversial Bai Shan Lin-built parking lot ready for use - GRA The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) yesterday announced that a portion of the railway embankment line earmarked for a parking lot, at the corner of Lamaha and Camp Streets, has been completed and will be put in use shortly. The area for 400 parking lots was developed by Chinese logging company, Bai Shan Lin, as part of its “civic” duty but there has been questions as that investor has been under scrutiny for its arrangements with Government and the scores of vehicles and equipment it brought down to Guyana under duty free concessions. GRA has refused to disclose details of the concessions and how it granted permission for several high-end vehicles like a Lexus and an Infiniti Q series. The company has not yet been granted permission to start logging in its two concessions in Upper Berbice, Region 10, and in

Region Nine but has entered joint venture arrangements with a number of local operators and associations. GRA’s involvement with Bai Shan Lin, especially at a time when the company is under the spotlight, has been heavily criticised because of the obvious role played by the company in granting and overseeing the concessions. Yesterday, GRA’s Commissioner-General, Khurshid Sattaur, said the organisation will shortly occupy the railway embankment for parking by its staffers and members of the public who would be willing to walk over two blocks to conduct business at the tax agency. Sattaur brushed aside criticisms of Bai Shan Lin’s involvement, saying that as its civic duty, the company “willingly engaged in the works to have in excess of 400 parking lots made available to the GRA staffers and the public.” Since moving its

The parking lots along the Lamaha Street railway embankment line. headquarters and several of its scattered departments to the former CLICO building on Camp Street, the area has

been known for its traffic congestion. To further ease the traffic obstruction in the vicinity of the agency, Sattaur said that the organisation also plans to make available the location adjacent to the St. Margaret’s Primary School, which is currently being used for parking by staff, for a fee to persons conducting business with the GRA. “I am very optimistic that this new development will resolve the very unsatisfactory state of affairs

encountered everyday and which is becoming even more aggravating as new businesses sprout up every day around the location.” GRA also said, that while it is keen on providing p a r k i n g f o r staff and customers, the organisation is encouraging taxpayers to t a k e advantage of t h e internet and other payment o p tions that have been provided through partnership with Demerara Bank Limited, Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry,

Republic Bank (telebanker), Bill Express and Mobile Money Guyana to pay taxes and purchase motor vehicle licence, as this would further ease congestion at the GRA and hence in the Camp Street area. “To date a number of taxpayers have been using the payment options provided and the numbers are increasing weekly, however, it is hoped that the rate of increase will be even more rapid,” GRA said in its statement yesterday.

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Kaieteur News

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$10,000 cash grant for October disbursement - misuse will attract prosecution –Ed. Min The Ministry of Education could be ready to disburse the $10,000 grant promised to public school students by October 6, 2014. At least this is according to a statement issued by the Ministry yesterday which stated that all processes are on schedule to meet the proposed disbursement date. Many parents and guardians of public school children have been anxiously awaiting the financial support which is expected to go towards the schooling needs of children at nursery, primary and secondary levels. Moreover, the Ministry in its statement outlined that “anyone found to be engaging in any form of malpractice, fraudulent or corrupt activity regarding the disbursement of this $10,000 per child grant will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” The financial grant was first announced by Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, when he presented the 2014 national budget earlier this year. Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, had informed that while the Ministry would have been happy to have the money afforded to parents before the start of the new school year, it was delayed in order to ensure that new entrants could benefit as well. B a s e d o n t h e l a w, children are only recognised as students until they commence attending school. The Ministry, in its quest to raise awareness about the grant, had hosted a number of public stakeholder

consultations across the country which saw the attendance of a wide cross section of parents and guardians of children in the public school system. At those fora the Education Minister herself addressed the stakeholders and even sought to clarify that the $10,000 grant will be afforded to each school child and not merely per household. According to the M i n i s t r y ’s s t a t e m e n t , following the completion of the countrywide consultation, moves were made to embark on a transparent verification process which this publication understands saw the names of students being entered into a database. Moreover, the past two months saw Head teachers from across the country meeting with their respective Regional Education Officers to commence the lengthy verification process. The Head teachers were tasked with authenticating the number of students currently enrolled in their respective schools who are on the schools’ registers. According to the Deputy Chief Education Officer (Administration), Ms. Donna Chapman, the process is moving along smoothly as the Ministry now awaits the final lists of names of children which will include those who commenced Nursery School, Grade One (Primary) and Grade Seven (Secondary) for the first time this week. These lists, she expects, will be submitted to her

Minister Priya Manickchand (centre) addressing a gathering of stakeholders during a recent public consultation. office and that of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Olato Sam, within the coming week, so as to facilitate the completion of a ‘master list’ of students who will be eligible to receive the $10,000 cash grant. The Ministry is therefore urging parents and guardians to register their children immediately so that the final verification process can be completed. Moreover, the statement outlined that “with the administrative processes currently running on schedule, the Ministry is set to commence disbursement of the cash grant by Monday October 6, 2014.” It was pointed out too that based on feedback from the public consultations, the Ministry was able to deduce that the preferred method of disbursing the cash grant is through money transfer services.

Looming general elections…

Any APNU official involved in corrupt practices will be sacked- Granger Exuding great confidence in gaining a majority if snap elections are realized, Leader of the political Opposition, David Granger made it pellucid that in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), there will be no place for corrupt officials. During an interview with this publication, Granger was reminded of how critical he and his team have been of the government, particularly as it relates to President Donald Ramotar’s apparent refusal to sack or punish officials who have allegedly abused the law. Granger emphatically

Opposition Leader, David Granger stated that there will be no place for officials who want to be corrupt, disregard the laws or abuse their positions were his party to assume government. In short, any

member of his team who goes against the principle he upholds, transparency and accountability, will have to “hit the road” according to him. “The important matter here is that the APNU in general will be committed to good governance and if a person at any level of this coalition is found to be behaving in a corrupt manner, it is better that, that person be separated from the administration. If any official in the APNU administration is involved in the type of corrupt transactions that we see (Continued on page 14)

This therefore means that parents will be able to receive cash instead of a voucher as is obtained with the uniform support offered

by the Ministry. According to the Ministry, further information on the grant will be forthcoming through the

press which will inform parents and guardians of the date, places and times when they will be able to uplift the cash grants for their children.

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Thursday September 04, 2014

Ramroop internet company launches hi-speed service without telecoms licence … Company rolls out high speed internet as questions loom over its licence Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, seems set to earn even millions of dollars more as Global Te c h n o l o g y ’s i N e t Communications has rolled out its high speed internet service using satellites. The company in making its announcement that was reported in the Wall Street Journal said, “Through its l i c e n s e d telecommunications p r o v i d e r, i N e t Communications, Global Technology is now offering Internet connectivity with download speeds ranging from 512 Kbps to 10 Mbps.” It is however, unclear how iNet was able to roll out the service at this point in time since from all indications it is yet to receive its Telecommunications Licence. Three companies, Quark

Communications Inc., Global Technology’s iNet Communications and ENetworks were identified to receive Telecommunications Licences under the proposed c h a n g e s t o t h e Telecommunications Law. The amendments to that law are still being engaged by a Special Select Parliamentary Committee which is yet to conclude its work. G l o b a l Te c h n o l o g y directors include Ramroop, his Secretary Valerie Khan, his Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII) D i r e c t o r, R o o p n a r i n e R a m c h a r i t a r, G e o rg e Melville, Jude Phillipneri and Orson Smith. Ramroop shares a close friendship with former President Bharrat Jagdeo. The friendship, many believe, led to Ramroop’s

Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo companies under the rubric of QAII, benefiting immensely from government contracts. Ramroop was also awarded five radio frequencies by former

Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop President Bharrat Jagdeo days before the latter left office in 2011. Melville was quoted as saying: “We are now the only telecommunications provider with this capability, and we are growing the

network with several installations per day.” Global Technology said that iNet has already deployed the IP Easy satellite solution for several key users, including government and defence, mining, small businesses and residential consumers. Head of the EGovernance Project, Alexei Ramotar, in a brief interview with this publication yesterday said, that when that project comes on stream, it will not be a case of providing government with access to the internet. As such, he surmised that the arrangement between iNet and Government might continue in future. According to Ramotar, the E-Governance project is meant to give access to the public, to government services, as well as interconnect the agencies. He stressed that the interconnected network will link government services to allow persons to access

them. It is not a case where the e-governance project will be providing internet access to Government. Ramotar said, too, that the fiber optic cable being strung from Brazil did not fall under the E-governance project and as such he could not pronounce on its use. According to the Wall Street Journal Report “The Global Technology Group is a privately held technology solutions provider that is the combination of three companies: iNet Communications (acquired in 2013), Global Technology Inc. and Global Services Inc. iNet communications is a l i c e n s e d telecommunications provider in Guyana, specializing in designing, installing and actively managing large data networking solutions for government agencies. iNet has recently (sic) started to offer similar networking solutions to corporations.”

Any APNU official involved in... From page 13 going on right now, then he or she will have to go. Have no doubt about that.” “…. any person working with me would know that they would have to demit office if they are found culpable in any corrupt practice. My vision for Guyana is clear and I do not believe that given where Guyana is at presently and where we want to go, that there will be any place for corrupt persons. I am serious about that and I would like to assure the people of Guyana t h a t t h e A P N U administration will be much different from the PPP administration. We will maintain our moral compass. We will lead by example and with integrity.” Taking performance in and out of the National A s s e m b l y i n t o consideration, Granger was asked whether he still believes that his team is a high performing one. But the Opposition leader, in spite of having attracted harsh c r i t i c i s m s r e c e n t l y, expressed undying support for his party, noting that it has done commendable work since its formation three years ago. Granger said that all the members of his team are supported by “expert groups” which advise them on all matters. Be that as it may, Financial Analyst, Ramon Gaskin is of the firm belief

that the Opposition has done a poor job since the 2011 elections. Gaskin in an interview with this publication last year had stated that while the Opposition which consists of ; the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), worked together and were successful in placing a halt on the controversial Amaila Falls Hydro Project, the Anti Money Laundering Bill and have made notable cuts to the 2013 budget which is still before the court, they have missed a few critical issues that require immediate attention. He made reference to the fact that the corrupt acts of NICIL still continue without consistent resistance from the Opposition. “In fact, other persons within our society have been more aggressive and steady in the fight against corruption. Our Opposition has to do more and with the gift of being in the majority, their work for the past two years is sorely unsatisfactory,” Gaskin had said. Gaskin claims that the biggest failure of APNU and the AFC is its inability to mobilize the people. He said, “This is not struggle today and rest tomorrow. The behavior of the Opposition is one that reflects laziness. One of the greatest leaders of South Africa, Mr. Nelson Mandela has proved to us that nothing can be

accomplished without struggle. But while the Opposition speaks of how corrupt the government is, they don’t prepare to fight the battle. They have to understand that the people put them there to fight for their cause and not go on vacation. In fact, the Opposition goes on vacation more than the school children.” “The fact that the Opposition has to be spoon fed on certain topics shows that they have not been doing enough research. They are not vigilant enough. They need to do more union work, more research and more work in the Parliament.” Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman had also voiced his disappointment with certain Parliamentary Sectoral Committees, in that they have not been vibrant enough on bringing certain issues to the fore. As for the Leader of the APNU, Gaskin opined that Granger is not doing anything, “but talking.” He said, “Granger is not sufficiently militant for the people of Guyana. When there are protests, we hardly see him and this is something he needs to change.” D e s p i t e G a s k i n ’s affirmations, the APNU is of the firm belief that it has been successful in its attempts to hold the PPP regime accountable for its actions.

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Guyana Goldfields secures full financing for Aurora mine The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has completed a US$185M financing package for the construction and development of Guyana Goldfield’s Aurora gold mine, located 170 kilometers west of Georgetown. The project, according to the company yesterday, is expected to become one of the largest contributors to Guyana’s tax base and generate up to 900 jobs during peak construction. It will also be the country’s next large scale producer, following the departure of Omai Gold Mines a few years ago. Since becoming a shareholder in the company in 2006, IFC has helped Guyana Goldfields establish an integrated environmental, health, safety, and social management system in line with international best

practices. The financing package consists of a US$45M loan from IFC’s account and a US$33.6M loan from IFC’s Managed Co-Lending Portfolio Programme, a new syndications platform that offers institutional investors the ability to passively participate in IFC’s future senior loan portfolio. In addition, IFC coordinated US$106.4 million in loans from Export Development Canada, Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, ING Capital LLC, and the Bank of Nova Scotia. “IFC has been a strong partner to Guyana Goldfields for the last eight years. Their financing and global experience on environmental and social management has been invaluable as our project has evolved. This financing package demonstrates their

President Donald Ramotar during a recent visit to the Region Seven facility. strong commitment to the p r o j e c t ’s s u s t a i n a b l e development and to Guyana”, said Scott A. Caldwell, President & CEO

Revise laws catering for tax concessions-Ram The problems which arise from government handing out concessions could be solved if the Administration scraps the current method altogether. This is the view of Chartered Accountant and Lawyer, Christopher Ram. Ram told Kaieteur News recently that “tax holidays” are only given for a c t i v i t i e s o f a developmental nature. He gave the example of a company going into farming and setting up a 200 acre pilot project. He said such a project should attract exemptions. However, he said that as it relates to commercial schemes, the companies should pay taxes in keeping with the law. This he said isn’t being applied. Further, Ram believes that government should abolish the duty free concessions. “There is no accountability in this scheme...and we should remove these tax concessions because they are overpowering us” Ram told Kaieteur News. “If you want to talk about Low Carbon Development Strategy ….then we could restrict the importation of gas guzzlers” Ram noted. Over the last two decades billions of dollars in concessions have been granted but very few mechanisms are in place by the various agencies and ministries to gauge how the

country has been benefitting. In a recent interview with this publication Keith Burrowes, Head of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) admitted that the entity is guilty of failing to document and analyze the direct and indirect benefits of the concessions. He assured that steps are now being taken to rectify this situation. Burrowes had stressed that it is important for investment agencies to go beyond the basic tracing of taxes paid to examine how companies, both foreign and local, contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) when contrasted against the concessions and tax breaks given. He had explained that a concession is a preferential

allowance or rate given by an organization. While various ministries would grant concessions, the government investment agency acts as the entity w h i c h m a k e s recommendation on the part of the interested company for certain tax breaks and other concessions that would be needed for the business to start. He said that it is important to keep in mind that GO-Invest would normally examine the company’s proposal and ensure that it is economically viable before m a k i n g t h e recommendation. Moreover, Burrowes said, that GO-Invest have started the process to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the concessions granted and the benefits received.

of Guyana Goldfields. “Guyana Goldfields will be one of the first project financings in Guyana, setting a precedent and positive example for investors across sectors,” said Jean Philippe Prosper, IFC Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa. “ We a r e e x c i t e d t o demonstrate that with strong partners and the patience of long-term investors we can help bring tangible benefits to the Guyanese people.” The Canadian company said that the Government of Guyana is actively promoting the development of commercial mining projects, such as Aurora, that follow international standards for safety and environmental and social management. IFC is currently working with the company and its contractors on a strategy to continue and enhance its sourcing of supplies and services from local companies.

Guyana Goldfields Inc. is a Canadian based company, focused on the exploration and development of gold deposits in Guyana, South America. GGI is focused on the construction and development of the Aurora Gold Project scheduled for commercial production in mid-2015. The Aurora Gold Project has a total gold resource of 6.54 million ounces in the measured and indicated categories. With the completion of the Facility, the development of the Project is now fully financed, subject to the terms and conditions of the Facility. The company quoted Robert Persaud, Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment for Guyana, as saying that the “Government of Guyana congratulates Guyana Goldfields Inc. in securing full financing for the wholly owned Aurora Gold Project. This level of investment from a large

scale mining operation is important to the growth and development of the Guyanese economy.” Persaud said that the benefits for Guyana from this project such as local employment, contribution to national wealth, training and community development cannot be over-emphasized. “In addition, Guyana’s level of gold declaration is expected to double with the anticipated output from the Aurora project.” Scott A. Caldwell, President and CEO, said that the Aurora Gold Project remains on schedule to achieve commercial production in mid-2015. Gold mining has seen a rush as price rose to record levels in recent years to over US$1,800. Though it has dipped now, interest has still remained high with significant investments by both local and foreign entities. Last year, gold production reached record levels

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Eleven vessels to participate in Nereid’s Yachting Rally The second Nereid’s Yachting Rally will be hosted by Guyana, Suriname and Saint Laurent, French Guiana, with yachts departing from Trinidad & Tobago and arriving in the Essequibo River tomorrow, Friday 5th September. This was disclosed during a Press Conference hosted yesterday at the M i n i s t r y o f To u r i s m Boardroom. Present were Tourism Authority representatives and two senior members of the Police Force. Proprietor of Hurakabra Resort and To u r i s m H o s p i t a l i t y Association of Guyana (THAG) representative Kit Nascimento explained that the yachts will be anchored off Hurakabra River Resort, Essequibo River - where a “Welcome Reception” will be hosted by the Minister of Tourism (ag), Industry & Commerce, Irfaan Ali, next Thursday, 11th September and will depart Guyana for Suriname on the following We d n e s d a y, 1 7 t h September. He further explained that eleven yachts

(Second from right) Kit Nascimento with other representatives at the Ministry of Tourism Nereid’s Yachting Rally press conference. are participating in the Rally. The first two, Wind Whisper and Whistler, sailed from Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday last, and are expected to arrive and clear in Customs and Immigration at Bartica tomorrow, and then anchor off the Hurakabra River Resort. The other yachts will begin sailing from Trinidad & Tobago during the week and are all expected to be at anchor by next Wednesday, 10th

September. “A number of feature hospitality events have been organized while the Rally is in Guyana, including the hosting of a “Beach Party” by Hurakabra River Resort in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Guyana Tourism Authority on Sunday, 14th September, and visits to Karao Village and Marshall Falls, hosted by the Regional Administration.” Nascimento also disclosed

that “The visiting yacht crews will also be afforded

the opportunity to visit Kaieteur Falls and other

tourist destinations while in Guyana.”

Rastafari Council calls for Nat’l Marijuana Commission By Zena Henry Among several issues of concern for the local Rastafari community, is the establishment of a National Marijuana Commission as decided upon by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The organization said that a number of issues are now engaging the attention of the Rastafari community through the representation of the Guyana Rastafari Council. “Among the resolutions passed at the Council’s last General Meeting held at the F.E. Pollard Primary School on August 24, was a call on the Government of Guyana to immediately implement the mandate of the last CARICOM Heads of Government meeting, that each CARICOM member state sets up a National Marijuana Commission to complement the Regional Marijuana Commission to look at decriminalizing marijuana for medical, religious and recreational purposes.” Another resolution, the body said, is the endorsement of the work of the Guyana Reparations Committee in coming up with the correct historical narrative for Guyana, among other things, as part of the CARICOM Reparations Claim to Europe. The members also expressed concern over the general allocation of land in Guyana, and are calling on members of the Rastafari community to utilize the land in more organic agricultural pursuits for food security. It was discussed that in light of recent concerns being raised about

genetically-modified seeds and food entering the Guyana food chain, it is becoming increasingly necessary for the development of programmes t h a t p r o m o t e o rg a n i c produces. “The Guyana Rastafari Council is about to embark on the process of building its headquarters in Georgetown, and developing an agricultural project on the outskirts of Linden.” The pioneering community organization will be holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of new office bearers come December 21. The new executive will be responsible for coordinating a Regional Rastafari Conference on Reparations and Repatriation in the first half of 2015, as part of the CARICOM Reparations Commission’s agenda, which is also a part of the mandate of the United Nations’ International Decade for Peoples of African Descent. CARICOM Heads, earlier this year, agreed on

the establishment of a “regional commission” to ascertain the effects of legalising marijuana for medical purposes. The body is seeking to determine whether the 15 million plus residents in the Caribbean bloc should be allowed to use the drug and what legal ramifications should accompany the possession of small amounts. Acknowledging that the legalisation of the herb raises the issue of social and criminal implications, Caribbean leaders made the announcement when discussions on the matter were conducted on the second day of the ThirtyFifth Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in Antigua. Some Caribbean countries have already started to address the matter while others are still skeptical about the issue. Jamaica, for instance, has moved ahead by endorsing the establishment of a marijuana laboratory and relaxing its laws to accommodate the possession of the herb in small amounts.

Thursday September 04, 2014

Kaieteur News

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IAE (Secondary Educational) 194 Camp Street, register for Forms 1-5, Lessons, CXC Adult Classes for repeaters & beginners - Tel: 223-0604; 683-5742

Houses & Apartments Located @ Princess Street $160,000, Bel - Air Park $2500 USD, Cambellville $120,000 - Contact: 223-8479 / 647-3768 /www.space seek. gy One 40X30 lower flat @ Agriculture Road, Block ‘8’ with 3 bedrooms, toilet & bath - $60,000 – Tel:687-1050 LEARN TO DRIVE Soman Son & Outar Driving School at Maraj Building- Tel: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997

Maths Lessons Form 2,3,4 &5 also private CXC $2500 & $3,000 monthly - Contact Sir Narothan Dass 654-3159/ 44 Delph St. Campbellville, G/Town. Course: Facials, pedicure, manicure and basic make up application – Call: 667-7211 Institute of Academic Supremacy Forms 1-5, CXC Adults Classes for repeaters/ beginners $1200, Grade 6, 9 Lessons - Call: 2315678, 690-5008 FOR SALE/FOR RENT American pool table – 2770578

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WANTED Receptionist with computer and cosmetology experience (age30-40). Hairstylist with haircutting and barbering experience- Call 2264573

SALON Make Up Courses, Artist Trained & Certified in Trinidad. Call: 660-5257, 647-1773

Urgently needed live in waitress, affordable salary – Tel: 259-0574. Mason, Carpenter, experienced welder, clerk, secretary, farm workers - Contact: 265-3586 One mechanic to work in interior must know about RZ & pickup etc – Call: 681-6044 One live in maid to work in home in Georgetown - Tel: 669-6030 One male/female to work in a shop in the Interior - Tel: 6816044. One live in cook / maid between age 40-45 preferably out of Georgetown - Tel: 226-4942 Handy boys to work 16years and older, live in accommodation and fee meals Tel: 228-5655, 628-1756. Experienced salesperson/ cashiers & delivery clerk @ cosmetics & general store, E.C.D, 30-45yrs, (salary + Commission) – Tel: 601-3679 Ice Cream van driver, age 4050yrs –Tel: 218-3021 1 Makeup artist/Beauty attendant, send application to snow198390@hotmail.com One attractive waitress, apply in person Mambo’s Bar at Lot 93 Barr Street Kitty. One excavator & bobcat must have at least 1 year experienced, attractive salary - Tel:265-3024, 2654454 Urgently needed 1 house lot in Parfaite Harmonie, Schoonard, Herstelling & Providence - Tel:675-7292 Experienced hire car driver & dispatcher @ Princess Hotel Providence - Tel:265-7076, 616-5419 Sewing machine operator wanted in Trinidad & Tobago - Call: 1868-223-1506 or 1868-780-3204 Live in waitresses & cooks Tel: 643-9007, 664-1804 Attractive live in waitressCall: 327-0252/674-4665 Responsible hire car drivers – Tel:226-0775 Attractive Hostesses/ servers, bartenders and cooks to work at Bar in Kitty – Call: 623-9645 or 610-8269

MASSAGE Happy Touch Day Spa: Come & Experienced heavens touch, visit us today! – 668-4554

VEHICLE FOR SALE Unregistered: 2003 Premio $2.450M Neg, 2004 Spacio $2.150M, 2002 Spacio - $2.150 Neg. Tel: 616-3001, 270-5042 Special sale on new model Spacio, with Back & front Camera, TV/DVD/CD, Spoiler - $2M – Tel: 617-2891 Unregistered Premio, fully loaded- $2.3M, negotiable Contact: 226-5473 1 Bedford Model M bush truck with winch on V-Good working condition PP series (all documents) – Call: 2180109, 662-8105, 623-9860 One Toyota G- Touring Wagon Silver Grey, one million, one black Adely Scooter - $60,000- Tel:6537166, 681-1821 Toyota Fun cargo, Raum, AT212, AT192, EP71 Starlet, Hilux Surf, 4 Runner & Vigo, Nissan Titan – Tel:644-5096, 697-1453 One Toyota Raum, 4 wheel drive, excellent condition – Call: 693-6779 We buy & sell vehicles for cash, also parts available & 30 seater buses; Extra Cab pickups; 2006 TacomaCall:680-3154 AT192, 212, Allion, unregistered Premio, Hilux Surf, BNN, RZ & Pit-bull, 7 seater super custom. Cash / terms- Call: 680-3154 SALE! SALE! SALE! New model 212 - $1.9M, fully loaded & unregistered – Call: 642-7295

SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. – CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Permanent & Visitors Visa Applications, Professional Immigration Consultant Room D5 Maraj Building Call Sabita: 225-6496, 662-6045 Guyana Passport & Visa Forms Application, USA, Canada and England. Tel: 626-7040; 265-4535. Repairs & spare, fridge, freezer, A/C, washers, stoves. Contact Nick: 6831312, 627-3206 Repairs, sales & spares air conditioning, microwaves, washer, fridges & stoves. Ultra Cool, call:2259032,647-2943 For the best in landscaping, the most reliable & trustworthy landscapers call us @ 648-1821 Design Team Neher. Newly opened taxi service N2N located at 70 Louisa Row, also cars needed - Tel: 226-0076, 226-0077, 2316300 Eternity Investment Construction Company – Planning to Building or renovate your property? Call: 6155315/ 687-6072 For low cost: Repairs to fridge, freezer, A/C unit, microwaves, TV & washing machine - Call: 629-4946 or 225-4822 School Bus Service from West Bank to Swami School West Coast Demerara - Tel: 624-0622, 614-5639 Caring for elderly person, professionally trained health care worker- Call Vanessa on 219-2444 or 679-5543

One Toyota Voxy, recently registered, G-Series, price: $2.2M, mint condition – Call Anil: 643-0266

TO LET One bottom flat one bedroom @ Diamond Scheme, 14th Avenue, third corner left Contact:265-4867 CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTAL - CALL: 225-7126/ 2263693 DOLLYSAUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM/ WWW.DOLLYSAUTO RENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE AUTO RENTAL:CARS&SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 2193900, EMAIL: PRO_AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO.COM

Three bedroom house to let in Diamond Housing Scheme Call: 667-9499 Furnished 2 bedroom apartment in Linden for local & overseas guest short term rental – Call: 6144415/ 444-4704 One bedroom flat at 53 Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara, Near Raj Yoga Centre. (Continued on page 24)

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Thursday September 04, 2014

AFC Councillor on self-bail for Mechanic remanded for protesting awful Mahdia roads snatching Smartphone (From page 23)

LAND FOR SALE 1500 Acres Transported Land near Bartica Essequibo River Front to Potaro Road – Contact Mark Hack: 6031266 or 704-465-2222 At Eccles Housing Scheme - price $5.5M - negotiable Call: 616-6000 One residential land at Herstelling - $5.5M negotiable – Contact: 6013469, 600-1062 Two plot of land ¼ Acre or 3X25 Rod each @ Lot 15 & 16 Doctor Dam, La-Grange WBD, $2.4M Each – Tel:697-5009 Prime residential house lot (100ftX50Ft) Dairy Bridge, Land fill & clean, Parfaite Harmonie -$2.2M – Call: 6757292 Large residential land West Bank -$5.9M, Gold & Diamond Ekereou – Call: 600-0036, 223-1273

PROPERTY FOR SALE 1- 2storey wooden & Concrete house with 5 bedrooms upper flat & lower flat 4 apartments located@ Shell Road, kitty - $34M - Tel: 642-7898 Property at Good-Hoop, E.C.D – Tel: 621-1722 Business property @ lot 6 Unity Street – Contact: 6657022 Houses Located; Ogle $65M, Cummings Street $20M Republic Gardens $45M Parfaite Harmony $18M Contact: 223-8479 / 6473768 www.spaceseek.gy Wooden & concrete property for sale, land 150-50ft in D’Aguiar’s Park – Tel: 686-1368 Houses located @ Diamond - $32 Million Nandy Park - $45 Million Kitty - $35 Million Contact: 223-8479 / 647-3768 www.spaceseek.gy 1 Flat concrete house with 5 bedrooms, 2 toilets, 2 bathrooms, concrete fence, fully completed @ Diamond 19th Avenue- Contact: 6412593/ 662-7732 MASSAGE The Gent’s Spa: Be pampered by beautiful masseuses, new attendant Candy, four hands massages, drinks available – Tel: 657-5979

Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor for Region Eight, Naieem Mohammed Gafoor, said to be the leader of the community protest against the deplorable roads in Mahdia, was released on self-bail when he appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman yesterday. Gafoor presented himself, in the company of Attorneyat-Law Khemraj Ramjattan, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer to the charge of Holding Procession. The police claimed that on August 4, last, at 111 Miles, Mahdia, Gafoor held a procession along the Mahdia Compound and Airstrip Road without first obtaining the permission in writing from the Police. He pleaded not guilty and was released shortly after a bail application by Ramjattan. Ramjattan told the court that Gafoor resides with his wife and four children at 111 Miles Mahdia in Region Eight. He said that the 48year-old man operates a shop in the community which sells spare parts. The lawyer said too that the Regional District Councillor was heading a protest for better roads in Mahdia and had notified the police of it. Ramjattan explained that the letter is filed, but the police are claiming that they did not give permission for the

Naieem Gafoor (R) in the company of his attorney Khemraj Ramjattan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday demonstration. Ramjattan revealed that they will be contesting that. The court heard that Gafoor was placed on $18,000 station bail, but since there was no court session held in Mahdia, he had to travel to the city to face the charge. Ramjattan asked the court to place Gafoor on self-bail and said that he is “a fine citizen who was only doing what he felt was constitutional”. The application was objected to by Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant. The Prosecution’s request for bail to be set in any sum was

overruled, however, and Gafoor was sent on his own recognizance (self-bail). That Monday (August 4), about 150 residents of the Potaro/Siparuni community took to the streets to vent their frustration after repeated calls to the Government for improvements in the road, water and regional health care system proved futile. For two days, the demonstrators marched near the headquarters of the Regional Administration and even placed a barrier along the airstrip access road, demanding development in the Region. The next day, Gafoor was arrested.

CXC collaborating... From page 21 programme are teenage parents, individuals seeking life and work skills, those with limited or no academic certification, those with literacy and numeracy gaps and unemployed individuals. Alleyne disclosed too that the programme is even tailored to cater to persons prone to be vio-

lent, persons with behavioural challenges, those who may be victims of violence or abuse and even those persons with criminal records. Moreover, she pointed out that CXC introduced the 'Second Chance' programme as one that seeks to put atrisk youths on a path of learning that will provide them with

the life and work skills necessary to positively transform their lives. Alleyne said that CXC is making available the programme to serve as a foundation for life-long learning. Those desirous of accessing the programme can visit the Carmichael Street, Georgetown, office of AEA to learn more about the 'Second Chance' programme.

Moving on to higher levels... From page 04 take us? Just what do we gain from being steadfast in falsehood? Is this an asset? I think it rather more decent and wiser to remain silent, allowing them to fade and be forgotten with time rather than putting up a defence, it just doesn’t help. And while I can understand the reason why some faithful don’t want to be reminded, the truth must be faced, uncomfortable and hurting as it may be. It is one reason why we are having difficulty in resolving the past and putting it to rest. What then are we doing in setting the stage for a precedent which is not healthy for posterity to follow? It is sort of like cheating a good future, and we are doing these things

barefaced, without shame. Why? Party consideration? Is the party more important than the nation? It’s funny how we self-destruct and the saddest part being that it is all coming from elders, leaders, the so-called gentry who are supposed to be our moral compass. Lord have mercy! Hooked on blind denial of almost everything that was, some are even making cheap, simple statements selling the party short, like one defence lawyer who after hearing the poem “Rock-a¬-bye Rodney now lives in the past/dispatched to his master so quick and so fast....” responded “for me it has to be an author who probably trained in English Literature or arts... to

come up with something overnight like that. We will now have to examine the ranks of the PNC to see if they had such great poets”. What great poets! When will we get real? You know one would have had to be daring and even considered an eye pass to even remotely entertain much less project the thought that among that cluster of legally trained minds within the ranks of the PNC, none possessed the artistic ability to craft that poem/ditty. But that’s a reality of life, to conveniently employ what suits us, matters not how laughable. Moving on to higher levels demands that we get out of this rot, the cycle must be broken. Frank Fyffe

A 21-year-old, who was allegedly found hiding in a clump of bushes with the cellular phone he snatched from a woman, was remanded to prison when he appeared in court yesterday. Cordell Stanley of Good Intent, West Bank Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to respond to a Larceny From the Person charge. Stanley initially pleaded guilty to the charge, which alleged that on Sunday, August 31 at Kwakwani Park, Upper Berbice River, he stole one HTC cellular phone valued $100,000 from Beverley Captain. Addressing the court, Stanley said that Captain had recovered her cellular phone. The man claimed that the situation arose from a misunderstanding. He explained that he was working for someone and was owed $15,000 but when he approached them for his payment, he was cursed out instead. The defendant said he went to Kwakwani Park and consumed alcohol after which he saw Captain with her husband at the shop. Stanley related that he saw the phone on a counter and picked it up which led the couple to chasing after him. “When we went at the station I told them that I’m sorry,” he claimed. Based on the explanation, a not guilty

Accused: Cordell Stanley plea was entered on his behalf. Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant requested that he be remanded. Grant cited the nature, gravity and prevalence of the offence and said that the phone was found on Stanley after he ran away from the couple and sought refuge in a clump of bushes. The Magistrate upheld the Prosecution’s request and the case is set to be called again on September 8 before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.

Civilian charged for having GDF haversack A civilian, allegedly found with a haversack belonging to the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), was released on $100,000 bail when he appeared in court yesterday. Thirty-nine-year-old Bertie Stoll of Kuru Kururu Soesdyke, Linden Highway, charged with Unlawfully Acquiring Military Store, appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The police claimed that on Tuesday (September 2) at Amelia’s Ward Public Road, Linden, Stoll unlawfully acquired the military haversack. Stoll, who identified himself as a labourer, denied the charge and stated that he had never been charged before. Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant, did not outline the details of the alleged crime. Kaieteur News understands, however, that the man was seen with the haversack by GDF members around 14:30 on Tuesday. When asked about the haversack, he could not have

Accused: Bertie Stoll accounted for it. The matter was reported to the police and he was arrested. Further investigations led to him being charged. After the short hearing, Stoll was granted bail. He is slated to make his next court appearance on September 8.

Thursday September 04, 2014

Kaieteur News

Putin unveils Ukraine ceasefire plan, France halts warship KIEV/ULAN BATOR (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin outlined plans for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine yesterday but Ukraine’s prime minister dismissed the proposal, while France expressed its disapproval of Moscow’s support for separatist forces by halting delivery of a warship. After speaking to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko by phone, Putin said he believed Kiev and proRussian separatists could reach agreement at planned talks in Minsk tomorrow. “Our views on the way to resolve the conflict, as it seemed to me, are very close,” Putin told reporters during a visit to the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator, describing the seven steps he had put forward to secure a resolution to the crisis. They included separatists halting offensive operations, Ukrainian forces pulling back, an end to Ukrainian air strikes, the creation of humanitarian aid corridors, the rebuilding of damaged infrastructure and prisoner exchanges. Poroshenko indicated the conversation with Putin had injected some momentum into efforts to end a conflict that has killed more than 2,600 people since April, saying he hoped the “peace process will finally begin” at tomorrow’s talks and that he and Putin had a “mutual understanding” on steps towards peace. But Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk dismissed the plan as a “deception” on the eve of a NATO summit that will discuss Ukraine, adding in a harshly worded statement: “The real plan of Putin is to destroy Ukraine

Vladimir Putin

Petro Poroshenko and to restore the Soviet Union.” U.S. President Barack

Obama also voiced caution, saying the conflict could end only if Russia stopped supplying the rebels with weapons and soldiers, a charge Moscow has denied. Visiting the former Soviet republic of Estonia, now in NATO and the European Union, Obama said previous ceasefires had not worked “either because Russia has not been serious about it or it’s pretended that it’s not controlling the separatists”. In a further sign of the West’s growing mistrust and disapproval of Moscow over its conduct in Ukraine, France said it would not go ahead with the planned delivery of the first of two Mistral helicopter carriers to Russia. Moscow has said scrapping the 1.2 billioneuro ($1.7 billion) deal would harm France more than Russia and the Defence Ministry described the decision as “no tragedy”, but the move is likely to anger the Kremlin and underlines Russia’s growing isolation over events in Ukraine.

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Caribbean must brace for “full Opposition Security spokesman impact” of Chikungunya - CARPHA wants answers on disbanding BRIDGETOWN, been sufficient and the Barbados - CMC – The increase of dengue that we of police training unit Trinidad-based Caribbean have seen in the last years is Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is warning the Caribbean to be prepared for the “full impact” of the mosquitoborne chikungunya virus eight months after the first case was detected. CARPHA executive director Dr. James Hospedales told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that almost all Caribbean Community (CARICCOM) countries have now reported cases of the virus. “There are a total of over 9,000 confirmed cases. There is an estimate in excess of 600,000 cases in total, most of those being from the bigger countries like the Dominican Republic and Haiti with 37 deaths in total. “So it continues to spread, we will have an expert consultation next month to look at all the

Dr. James Hospedales plans and also to see how we better inform and protect people and protect the economy of the region,” Dr. Hospedales told CMC. He said Caribbean governments were making a “valiant effort” in dealing with the virus, adding “what we have been doing has not

a marker that what we are doing is not working as well as it ought to work. “That’s partly why we are having this experts meeting next month to look at what’s new in terms of the science and how can we better educate people and how can we deal with the mosquitoes that are so prevalent,” he added. Chikungunya is a viral disease, carried mainly by the aedes aegypti mosquito and causes a dengue-like sickness. Symptoms include a sudden high fever, severe pain in the wrists, ankles or knuckles, muscle pain, headache, nausea, and rash. Joint pain and stiffness are more common with chikungunya than with dengue.

Venezuelan Socialist Party swaps God for Chavez in new prayer CARACAS (Reuters) - A member of Venezuela’s Socialist Party has rolled out a variation of the classic Christian “Lord’s Prayer” to implore beloved late leader Hugo Chavez for protection

from the evils of capitalism. “Our Chavez who art in heaven, the earth, the sea and we delegates,” red-shirted delegate Maria Estrella Uribe recited on Monday at the PSUV party Congress.

Over 19 000 on breadline Barbados Nation - Four thousand, one hundred Barbadians became unemployed in the last year. That, essentially, is what the 13.2 per cent unemployment rate at the end of June means with 19 100 people now on the breadline. This compares with the unemployment rate at the end of June last year when 10.5 per cent of the labour force or 15 000 people were without jobs. And Tuesday night, analysts contended the announcement by the

Economic Affairs Division of an increase in unemployment in the second quarter, April to June, mirrored what was happening in the wider economy with Government revenues under-performing. “According to these numbers the rise in the unemployment rate from 10.5 to 13.2 over the course of the year suggests the economy is not recovering; it appears to be worsening,” said economist Dr Clyde Mascoll of the Opposition Barbados Labour Party.

“Hallowed be your name, may your legacy come to us so we can spread it to people here and elsewhere. Give us your light to guide us every day,” she said in front of an image of Chavez. “Lead us not into the temptation of capitalism, deliver us from the evil of the oligarchy, like the crime of contraband, because ours is the homeland, the peace and life forever and ever. Amen. Viva Chavez!” she exclaimed to applause. Though Chavez died of cancer in March 2013, he remains omnipresent in Venezuela. His photo is plastered all over capital Caracas, state TV frequently airs excerpts of his famously lengthy speeches and supporters sometimes don earrings or pendants with an artistic black-and-white rendition of his eyes.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) Spokesman on National Security, Derrick Smith, has called on Security Minister Peter Bunting to explain recent developments affecting the future of the Firearm and Tactical Training Unit (FTTU) at the Jamaica Police Academy at Twickenham Park, St Catherine. Smith said that the Opposition is concerned about issues at the FTTU, which provides training in the efficient use of firearms by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF). According to Smith his information is that the unit may have been “blacklisted” under United States’ Leahy Amendment, which prohibits the US Department of State and Department of Defence from providing assistance to foreign military units “that violate human rights with impunity”. The JLP Security Spokesman said that he has also been informed that the unit is being

disbanded, and that the approximately 34 members are awaiting transfers to other sections of the JCF which are expected to be announced in the Force Orders this weekend.Smith in a statement Wednesday said that he was advised that the members of the unit have been warned that they cannot utilize equipment provided by the US government for firearm and tactical training, including the firearms training simulation machine – which simulates real life situations, and thereby trains the police to use their weapons more efficiently. He added that given the circumstances, it is important that Bunting clarifies the matter by confirming whether or not the unit is being disbanded; and if so, why it is being disbanded? Smith also questioned if the matter is connected to the unit’s engagement in the May 2010 Tivoli Gardens incursion.

DIVERSIFICATION IS KEY Bartlett: Place more emphasis on manufacturing sector... Trinidad Express - The Government should pay attention to diversification and the manufacturing sector more than the energy sector when Finance Minister Larry Howai presents the national budget next Monday. Daphne Bartlett, president of the San Fernando Business Association, said Tuesday diversification was the key factor in ensuring a stable economy in the years ahead. She said: “We have to diversify. The Government has to get busy and really realise that we should definitely become less dependent on oil and put money in areas where people would employ other people. “Entrepreneurs not only employ themselves but employ other people who become less dependent on the Government for employment.” Bartlett said, “Diversification from now and for the next ten years

should be priority. Our manufacturing sector is poised to take off but we have to be given incentives. Everything must be geared towards a manufacturer’s life being easier. Manufacturing can really be a good way to diversify the economy and we have a good manufacturing sector base already.” She suggested having infrastructure already in place for manufacturers and allowing them to make their own changes according to proper regulation. The Evolving Tecnologies and Enterprise Development Company Ltd (e TecK) parks are supposed to provide the physical infrastructure necessary for local businesses in the nonenergy sector to grow and expand their operations in Trinidad and Tobago. Bartlett’s statements were similar to those of Dr Roger Hosein, economist and senior lecturer at The University of

the West Indies (UWI). Hosein has said previously the manufacturing sector should be the budget’s main issue since it has “deep rooted economic development benefits”. Bartlett said, for San Fernando specifically, the association would like to have a car park at Penitence Street and an administrative building to house all Government offices. She suggested using State land near the proposed Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba for that building as well as to house vendors. She also said some development should be done on the waterfront such as having a breakfast shed and beautification works near the water taxi terminal at King’s Wharf. And the implementation of closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) needs to be completed as well as proper deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) legislation to fight crime, she added.

NUPW FED UP Barbados Nation - The National Union Public Workers says it’s so fed up with the length of time the Employment Rights Tribunal is taking to hear a wrongful dismissal case that it is considering giving it an ultimatum. NUPW general secretary Dennis Clarke told reporters the case brought after nearly 200 workers were retrenched at the National Conservation Commission had been at a standstill for months. Unless there was some progress soon, the union would have no alternative but to protest, Clarke said, but declined to elaborate. Clarke said it was obvious the tribunal had started the case before it was ready to proceed. He made the comments during a Press conference at the union’s Dalkeith Road, St Michael headquarters.

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Golden Masters are Shew’s General... DI MARIA DISHES... From page 30 Wills of Strikers Sports Club. After two rounds of play, Golden Masters were on 150 games, Strikers Sports Club 147 and Phantom 140, heading into the finals that saw Phantom amassing 81 games while Strikers Sports Club who after the third sitting seemed totally out of the match made 75 games and Golden Masters three games back on 72. The final overall scores, Golden Masters 222 games, Strikers Sports Club 222 Games and Phantom 221 games saw the statisticians heading to the archives to

determine the winners of the match. Strikers Sports Club and Golden Masters both recorded 17 sixes each. Golden Masters were declared winners by virtue of recording more 5’s, they had ten compared to Strikers Sports Club’s nine. Gavin Gibbons marked 17 games at the third and final leg and was supported by Jermaine Jackson and Terrence Wills with 14 apiece for Strikers Sports Club while Clive Anderson and Dillon Griffith made 16 and 15 games respectively for Golden Masters. Skipper Rawle Cameron had 17 while Colin Downs and

Charles Hooper contributed 15 each with Trevor Ambrose chipping in with 14 for Phanthom. David Patterson of Strikers Sports Club was taken down lover’s lane, involuntarily so, by Rawle Cameron of Phantom. First and Second placed trophies were awarded to the respective teams while there were incentives for the top players in each team; Dillon Griffith for the winners collected for his 42 games overall while Gavin Gibbons of Strikers Sports Club (40 games) and Frank Solomon (42 games) of Phantom were also rewarded.

Thursday September 04, 2014 ARIES (MAR. 21APRIL 20) Your leadership ability will enhance your reputation. You can make money if you’re willing to push your ideas on those in a position to support your efforts. TAURUS (APR. 21MAY 21) You’re likely to encounter new partners if you take short trips. Avoid scandals of any sort. You may have more to do with children today; keep an open mind. GEMINI (MAY22-JUNE 21) You can meet a new romantic partner or secure the love connection you already have by going out and entertaining yourself. Take your time and try not to overload yourself. Your diplomacy will be of utmost importance today. CANCER (JUNE 22JULY 22) You will enjoy physical activities more than you think. Take time to look at any outdated papers or possible investments. You are best to put your efforts into redecorating or inviting friends over. LEO (JULY 23-AUG 22) You can help other people with their financial problems by setting up a budget for them. Don’t back down but don’t ignite the situation. You must take care of health problems that have been lingering. VIRGO (AUG. 23 SEPT. 23) Not everything you hear will be legitimate. Direct your energy into physical entertainment. You can make excellent investments if you are in the right place at the right time.

LIBRA (SEPT. 24 OCT. 23) Problems with fire, gas, or oil may cause disruptions and annoyances. You will find it easy finalizing personal papers if you make an effort. Try to be reasonable. SCORPIO (OCT. 24 NOV. 22) Investments may not be as lucrative as you thought. Get busy. Conflicts over joint finances are likely. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 -DEC. 21) The answers can only come from within. Be precise in your communications to avoid any misunderstandings and arguments. You have a lot to offer. CAPRICORN (DEC 22- JAN. 20) Your contributions will be valued and helpful. Your determination and sheer desire to do your own thing will be successful. Trips should be your choice. AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 FEB. 19) You can make some money if you get involved in a conservative financial prospect that is presented to you. This is a great day to mingle with people you would like to impress. Communication will be the source of your knowledge and you must be sure to spend time with those who have more experience. PISCES (FEB. 20MAR. 20) You will have to face each issue separately and in person. You really can’t do anything to change matters today. Pamper yourself; you deserve it.

From page 29 serving the ball on a plate for Aguero to lift into the roof of the net from point-blank range. Ten minutes later, Di Maria terrorised the Germany defence once more, choosing to shoot this time but placing his effort straight at Manuel Neuer. Five minutes before the break, Di Maria got to the by-line and lifted the ball back for Tottenham’s Lamela to place perfectly into the top left-hand corner with a sidefooted volley. It became 3-0 for Argentina almost immediately in the second half when Swansea’s Fernandez arrived to head Di Maria’s cross past Germany’s replacement goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller with the aid of the far post. Three minutes later, Di Maria crowned his excellent personal performance with a goal, racing in

from the right before dinking the ball delicately past the onrushing Weidenfeller. Germany grabbed a consolation just moments later when Schurrle was left in space in the centre to volley at Romero. The ball came back to the Chelsea forward off the Argentina goalkeeper and he converted at the second attempt. Marco Reus hit the post as Germany attempted a comeback with Gotze’s wayward effort deflected into his own goal by Fernandez to bring the hosts back to within two goals. There was not to be a dramatic comeback, though, as Argentina gained the merest modicum of revenge for defeat in Brazil, taking their chances in a way which will give them even more regret for the ones they wasted at the Maracana, when it really mattered.

Rooney to the... From page 26 Omar Elabdellaoui into a mistimed lunge, Rooney fired England ahead from the spot. Moments later Rooney gave way for Welbeck, now his former United team-mate following his deadline-day move to Arsenal. The 23-year-old was

quickly involved, testing Norway goalkeeper Orjan Haskjold Nyland with a fierce drive and flashing a cross across goal. Delph and Chambers also entered the fray, the latter in place of Everton’s John Stones, who looked sure-footed on his first international start.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday September 04, 2014

Serena sails through, Nishikori Rooney to the rescue as England edge Norway blazes trail for Japan Reuters - Serena Williams and Ekaterina Makarova sprinted into the semi-finals of the U.S. Open yesterday but marathon man Kei Nishikori had to go the distance to upset Stan Wawrinka and become the first Japanese man into the last four of a grand slam in 81 years. On a sultry evening, Williams sleepwalked through the start of her quarter-final with Flavia Pennetta as the 12th seeded Italian broke twice on the way to a shock 3-0 lead. But the world number one, bidding for a sixth U.S. Open title and third in succession, woke from her slumber, storming through the next six games and romping to a 6-3 6-2 win. Determined to make up for a disappointing season in which she failed to reach the quarter-finals in any of the three previous majors, Williams broke her fellow 32year-old in the fifth and seventh games to advance in 63 minutes. Russian left-hander Makarova made her best mark in grand slam singles by outslugging Victoria Azarenka, the U.S. Open runner-up the last two years, 6-4 6-2 in a snappy 87 minutes. Tenth-seeded Nishikori registered his second consecutive upset by edging Australian Open champion Wawrinka 3-6 7-5 7-6 (7) 6-7 (5) 6-4 and was again made to work hard. Having already played the longest match of the tournament in the fourth round, a bruising four-hour 19-minute battle with Canadian Milos Raonic, Nishikori had enough left in the tank to get past the Swiss third seed in a four-hour 15minute test of wills. Nishikori will meet the winner of last evening session’s quarter-final between top seed and

Wayne Rooney moved to fourth on the all-time England goalscorers list with his penalty.

Wayne Rooney marked his first game as captain with a goal as England overcame Norway 1-0 in an international friendly at Wembley Stadium yesterday. The Manchester United striker smashed home a 68th-minute penalty won by the impressive Raheem Sterling to give England victory in their first game since they exited the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ at the group stage. It was his 41st goal for his country, taking him above Michael Owen in the all-time scorers’ list, and saw England end a run of five games without victory ahead of Monday’s opening UEFA EURO 2016 qualifier in Switzerland. England

Serena Williams

Ekaterina Makarova Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic and eighth seed Andy Murray, the 2012 U.S. Open winner. Seventeenth seed Makarova proved steadier and more explosive with her ground strokes in dismissing Azarenka and reached the last four of a major for the first time after four losses at the quarter-finals. Boldly going for winners at every opportunity against the former world number one, Makarova pressured Azarenka to a dozen break

points and cashed in twice in each set for her victory. Makarova has hoisted major trophies but always as part of a partnership, as winner of the French Open doubles in 2013 with Elena Vesnina and in mixed doubles at the 2012 U.S. Open with Brazilian Bruno Soares. The Russian, however, has thrived on her own racket at Flushing Meadows, advancing without the loss of a set and dumping seventh seed Eugenie Bouchard in the process.

FIFA threatens to suspend Nigeria over Chris Giwa’s Presidency Nigeria will be suspended from world football on Monday at 07:00 GMT if Chris Giwa does not give up his claim to be football federation President. World governing body FIFA issued the ultimatum, reiterating that it does not recognise his election on August 26. The ban will only be lifted when the NFF board as it stood on August 25, with Aminu Maigari as President, are allowed back to their offices to work. Fresh elections for a new NFF committee must then be held as soon as possible. The final deadline was decided by FIFA’s Emergency Committee yesterday after an initial date of September 1 passed without

Giwa stepping aside. If the ban comes into force on Monday it means the African champions would not be able to play their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on September 10 in South Africa. Nigeria were banned from global football for nine days in July for government interference in the running of the football federation when Maigari was forced out of his post by a court ruling. After his reinstatement, he was voted out of office by the NFF’s Executive Committee a few days later. However, FIFA did not accept this and Maigari was once again back as president in August. (BBCsport)

manager Roy Hodgson also gave debuts to Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph and Arsenal defender Calum Chambers, whose new teammate Danny Welbeck caught the eye as a second-half substitute. Sterling provided a spark in an otherwise lacklustre evening at Wembley. His raking 40-yard ball set up a chance for Liverpool teammate Daniel Sturridge, who could only lob over the bar. Sterling set up Sturridge again and then Leighton Baines later on, but both saw their shots blocked. In response, Tarik Elyounoussi warmed Joe Hart’s palms with a 25-yard drive. Hart almost fumbled a

cross into his own net shortly before half-time, but he showed his class early in the second period with a brilliant flying save to repel a header from Blackburn Rovers forward Joshua King. The same player, a former Manchester United trainee, then forced Hart to block at his near post after Gary Cahill undercooked a back-pass wide on the England right. There was a blow for Norway when Cardiff City midfielder Mats Moeller Daehli had to be stretchered off after injuring his knee in an attempt to tackle Sterling. Sterling continued to torment the Norwegian defence and after he lured (Continued on page 25)

FEDERER HOPES TO SEE OFF maturing Monfils and reach semis Reuters - Roger Federer will have to forget his longstanding admiration for Gael Monfils today when the two go head-to-head with a berth in the U.S. Open semi-finals on the line. Federer owns a 6-2 lifetime record versus Monfils, most recently a three-set win at last month’s U.S. Open tune-up event in Cincinnati, but is well aware of the Frenchman’s ability. For all his undoubted talent, Monfils is into the quarter-finals of a grand slam for only the sixth time and his only semi-final came at the French Open in 2008. Prone to losing his focus at crucial times during matches, Monfils, 28, has shown rare maturity so far in New York, beating Richard Gasquet and Grigor Dimitrov in impressive

Roger Federer

fashion. Monfils, who has not dropped a set in his four matches here, described Federer as a “legend” of the game but the 20th seed believes he is playing well

enough to cause the 33-yearold Swiss problems. Czech sixth seed Tomas Berdych takes on Marin Cilic, the 14th seed from Croatia, in the day’s early quarter-final.

Stephney, Stephenson successful at GCUC preliminary exam Former Essequibo middle order batsman Elroy Stephney and University of Guyana second-division Captain Melroy Stephenson were both successful at the

Guyana Cricket Umpires Council (GCUC) preliminary examination which was held on August 24 at Demerara Cricket Club. Stephney gained 75

percent and Stephenson 61. The GCUC has expressed gratitude to both individuals and wished them well as they prepare for the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association (WICUA) final written examination in 2015.

Thursday September 04, 2014

Kaieteur News

Brazil back in training ahead of Colombia friendly after World Cup exit humiliation Brazil have returned to training as they look to put their nightmare World Cup exit behind them against Colombia in a friendly tomorrow. Dunga, who is returning for his second spell as Brazil Manager, leads the Selecao into their first game since the semi-final 7-1 humiliation to Germany and 3-0 drubbing in the thirdplace play-off against Holland, which ended their home World Cup campaign back in July. The five-time World Cup champions are training in Miami with talisman Neymar back in the fold following his severe back injury picked up against Colombia in their quarterfinal World Cup clash in the summer. The 22-year-old missed Barcelona’s opening game of the season after picking up an ankle knock in training but returned to La Liga action on Sunday as a second half substitute as Barca won 1-0 at Villarreal. In the United States Dunga has started the revolution of the Brazil side by only recalling 10 of the 23 players picked by Luiz Felipe Scolari at the World Cup. Goalkeeper Julio

Brazil superstars Neymar and Robinho show off their skills as the squad train in Miami

Cesar, Barcelona right-back Dani Alves, Real Madrid’s Marcelo and Tottenham midfielder Paulinho are amongst the biggest omissions from the squad, while Captain Thiago Silva misses out through injury. The 1994 World Cup winning Captain believes the 10 players recalled can shake off the psychological blow inflicted by the Germany capitulation. ‘The important thing is the person. What happened on the pitch was without intention,’ Zuniga told globoesporte.com. ‘It’s important now to think about the game

between Colombia and Brazil.’ The Colombians, with Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez and Manchester United’s latest recruit Radamel Falcao in their ranks, will test Brazil’s resolve in Miami. Colombia can exact revenge for the 2-1 quarterfinal loss in Brazil however both sides will be looking to score psychological points before the South Amercian qualifiers for Russia 2018, which begin next year. Dunga’s new squad will also take on fellow South Americans Ecuador in New Jersey in another friendly on Tuesday. (Mailonline)

DI MARIA DISHES OUT DUSSELDORF REVENGE Action in the Argentina v Germany game. Roman Weidenfeller (left) fails to save as Federico Fernandez (top) scores Argentina’s third.

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ngel di Maria i n s p i r e d Argentina on a Dusseldorf mission over their 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ Final conquerors Germany as the Manchester United new boy scored once and set up three goals in a 4-2 victory. Only four members of the Germany team which

started the biggest match in world football on 13 July were selected, and the transformation from the Rio de Janeiro showpiece was dramatic. Di Maria set up the first three goals for Sergio Aguero, Erik Lamela and Federico Fernandez before adding the fourth in a game filled with chances at both

ends. Argentina led 4-0 early in the second half but Andre Schurrle pulled a goal back for Germany before Fernandez turned a Mario Gotze effort into his own goal, on a night when only players from the English Premier League found the back of the net. Mario Gomez had the first real chance of the game in the sixth minute, but his shot struck Sergio Romero in the face. It was the first of three excellent chances wasted by the Fiorentina forward, who received some boos from the home fans when his best opportunity on the stroke of half-time went begging. By then, Germany were already two goals down due to the vision and precision of Di Maria. In the 20th minute, he curled a cross in behind the Germany defence with the outside of his left boot, (Continued on page 27)

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Cricket For Unity players getting in shape Sanjeev Datadin hard at work in the nets for Saturday’s ‘Unity’ match at DCC.

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layers from the respective teams that will be facing off in this Saturday’s Cricket For Unity T20 game were going through their paces yesterday at the DCC ground, Queenstown and GNIC ground, Woolford Avenue and Albert Street. The players will be at it again today at the respective venues as they seek to be in tip top shape for Saturday’s highly anticipated celebrity clash.

Charles Ramson Jr. bowls in practice at GNIC.

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Kaieteur News

Thursday September 04, 2014

Prasad Memorial T20 cricket - Wakenaam...

Golden Masters are Shew’s General Good Success, Maria’s Store Aggregate Dominoes champs Pleasure record victories

Chandrika Ragnauth

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ood Success and Maria’s Pleasure r e c o r d e d victories when the Badri P r as ad M emo r ial T2 0 tournament commenced on Sunday last on the island of Wakenaam. A t t h e Wa k e n a a m Community Centre ground, Good Success overcame Sans Souci Jaguars by six wickets. The Jaguars batted first and scored 136-7 from their allotted overs. Zameer Zaman slammed three sixes in a top score of 35 while

Nazeer Mohamed Satrohan Shiwnandan cracked 33 inclusive of two maximums and Rashaad Rasheed 19. Off spinner Nazeer Mohamed grabbed 2-19. Good Success replied with 141-4 in 19. 2overs. Mohamed hit an unbeaten 36 while Chandrika Ragnauth stroked 35 not out. The pair came together after their team was reduced to 67-4 and featured in an unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 74. Mohamed hit three fours and one six while Ragnauth

cleared the boundary on three occasions. Siddiq Mohamed snared 2-20. Sans Souci Jaguars went down to Maria’s Pleasure by two wickets in their encounter at the said venue. Jaguars were sent packing for 64 in 11.1 overs, batting first. Siddiq Mohamed scored 18 and Satnarine Sahadeo 16. Ryan Gordon grabbed 3-11, Bernard Lewis 3-18 and Kennard Lewis 2-18. In response, Maria’s Pleasure encountered some nervous moments before they eventually won the match in 16 overs, ending on 65-8. Extras contributed 24; Sahadeo captured 3-15 and Moin Khan 2-11. The other matches that were scheduled for Zeelandia were postponed due a waterlogged outfield. The competition will continue on Sunday with Sans Souci facing Noitgedacht from 09:00hrs and Zeelandia at 13:00hrs respectively at the community centre ground.

Claire Benjamin hands over the winning trophy on behalf of Shew’s General Store to Captain of Golden Masters Dillon Griffith as his teammates looks on approvingly.

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n what was indeed a finals to behold on Monday last at Dynasty Sports Club, Aubrey Barker Road, an epic battle ensued between Phantom, Strikers Sports Club and Golden Masters in the battle for supremacy for the Shew’s General Store of Leopold Street three-way sponsored aggregate dominoes tourney. The games which started at South View Tavern, Aubrey Barker Road on Tuesday last, saw Phantom coming out on top with 77 games followed by hosts Golden Masters 73 and Strikers Sports Club in the cellar with 63 games. For the winners, Frank Soloman made the maximum 18 games while Paul Persaud and Rodwell Phillips chalked up 15 and 14 respectively for Golden Masters.

David Patterson led with 17 games and Roderick Harry 14, in a losing cause. On Thursday the second round was contested at Strikers Sports Club, Meadow Brook Gardens where the hosts came out tops in a nail biting finish tallying 78 games, just one more than Golden Masters with Phantom brining up the rear on 63 games. Sydney James and Roderick Harry made 15 games apiece and were supported by Lyndon Boston and Neville Cadogan with 14 games each. Rodwell Phillips who was picked to play through marked 30 games while Paul Persaud and Dillon Griffith contributed 15 and 14 games respectively. Colin Downs’ 14 games was not enough for Phantom. Trekking down lovers lane was Terrence (Continued on page 25)

VVR KO BASKETBALL SEMIS ON TOMORROW

Kings add Alonzo for clash against Bulls; Royals and Jets to collide

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fter piping fourth ranked Retrieve Raiders 63-62, Half Mile Bulls are one win away from reaching the final of this year’s Victory Valley Royals 20th anniversary knockout basketball tournament. Tomorrow night, the fifth seed Bulls will take on number one ranked Kings, the Linden champions, in one of two semi final matches slated for the Mackenzie Sports Club, Hard Court. The Bulls will hope for another good night at the office against the Kings and will likely unleash the likes of youth nationals Teron Welch and Travin Dryden along with centre Shane Lewis and Kevin Easton in their bid for victory. However, the Kings are serious about adding another trophy to their already

Steve Neils Jr. bulging collection and have recalled the services of former national centre Jason Alonzo to strengthen their lineup which should include former national players Steve Neils (Jr.), Abdulla Hamid, Tahquille Johnson and Quincy Easton. This game, the feature of the night will be preceded by

a clash between the second ranked Amelia’s Ward Jets and the third rated Victory Valley Royals at 19:00hrs. The Jets will start as favourites and have in their lineup the likes of Allister Webster who will be a force inside, shooting guards Amanikki Archibald and Rodwell Pellew. The absence of national Shane Webster could be a setback for the Jest but they will hope to turn that into a positive for them. The running Royals offense will be centered on the fast rising Chris Williams and Orlando Glasgow with back up from Shane Carmichael and Selwyn Henry. At stake are two places in the final set for Saturday night at the same venue where a top prize of $70,000 is up for the taking with $30,000 set aside for the losing finalist.

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Kaieteur News

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Turkey edge WOMEN’S ROUND-UP: Finland in thriller AUG. 2014 Basketball World Cup

Finland's Erik Murphy (#5) is blocked out by these Turkey players in their epic yesterday.

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ilbao - Turkey forward Cenk Akyol came up with what might go on to become the most understated expression of a glorious achievement in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. The 27-year-old capped Turkey’s brilliant second half resurgence with a stunning corner threepointer that tied the score at 68 against Finland with four seconds left to play. The game went into overtime where the 2010 FIBA World Championship runners-up did enough to clinch a 77-73 win. “My job was simple. My teammates had done all the work of getting the ball to me. All I had to do was to put it in. I did nothing else,” the Galatasaray player shrugged the praise on him. “We had to change our strategy completely after the first half. We had a very bad first half. Things were just not happening. And I think they played at a very high level,” said Omer Asik who led Turkey’s scoring with a game-high 22 points along with 8 rebounds. Turkey coach Ergin Ataman explained more: “I think we played two different games in each half. We were much slower than our normal tempo in the first half. “I don’t think anybody believed that we could win this game, at half-time,” he went on, recalling that Turkey trailed by 14 points going into the locker room break. “There was no choice but to take risk after that. I think Cedi Osman and Sinan Guller came good for us in

this. “We are happy the risk of playing full court continuously paid off. “I think it’s a miracle with the kind of statistics we had. It’s over now thankfully. We now have a job to finish tomorrow. We need to win (against Dominican Republic).” NEW ZEALAND 73 UKRAINE 61 Coach Nenad Vucinic of New Zealand is not new to challenging his team to come out and play the way he wants them to. The Tall Blacks themselves are not new to responding to the coach’s call, and play the way they are capable of. And the result: a 73-61 win over Ukraine which keeps the 2002 FIBA World Championship SemiFinalists in the hunt for a place in the top four of Group C, and a ticket to the Round of 16 in Barcelona. Kirk Penney, who had a game-high 17 points along with seven rebounds and two assists, shared what the team’s approach was going into the game. The Kiwis have a win under their belt now, but for Vucinic there is still a lot to do. Casey Frank, who has played for New Zealand since the 2006 FIBA World Championship, praised youngsters Isaac Fotu and Tai Webster for stepping up when the team needed them to.Frank looks forward to playing against the Finland, who will ride high on fan power. PUERTO RICO 77 PHILIPPINES 73 Puerto Rico came into the 2014 FIBA Basketball

World Cup thinking they had good chances of reaching the knockout stage from Group B with a solid all-around team, including a great and experienced back court. But after a series of injuries, JJ Barea was like a soldier carrying an entire battalion of wounded warriors on his back in leading Puerto Rico to their first victory of the tournament against Philippines. Barea scored 30 points including 10 in the final four minutes of play in Puerto Rico’s 77-73 victory over Philippines to improve to 1-3 in Group B and stay alive for a shot at the Round of 16. He made three threepointers and 11-of-12 from the free-throw line, including 5-of-6 in the final 52 seconds. Barea shouldered a big load in the game as star Carlos Arroyo and fellow starter Angel Vassallo missed their second straight games with injuries. Arroyo went to local hospital during the first half of the game for an MRI on his right ankle. The team did not know the results of the examination after the game. In addition, Renaldo Balkman was fighting a sore left Achilles tendon and sat much of the game until the final five minutes - to give Barea and the others who stepped up a bit more help. Puerto Rico will take on Croatia in their final Group B contest today and know they absolutely need a victory to have any chance of reaching the knockout stage. But first, Olmos said his team needs to rest.

It was yet another busy month in women’s football capped by the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada. Elsewhere, FIFA Women’s World Cup™ qualifying continues to build momentum, while the second season of the USA’s national league proved a success on and off the field. FIFA.com reviews all this and more in our look back at August in the women’s game. International football Canada 2015 field grows The month saw England become the latest to join a growing list of nations to book a spot at next year’s newly expanded 24-team Women’s World Cup. England eased to a 4-0 win over nearest rivals Wales in Cardiff to establish an unassailable lead at the top of their group. The Three Lionesses follow in the footsteps of holders Japan, Australia, China PR, Korea Republic, Thailand and Switzerland who have already qualified to claim a place alongside hosts Canada. The upcoming month will see more nations claim their ticket with the likes of Germany, France and Norway all within touching distance of their goal. Two guaranteed berths will also be up for grabs in South America at the upcoming Copa America Femenina. Germany reclaim crown After a narrow miss two years ago, Germany won back the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup with a typically resilient performance in Canada. They outlasted an impressive Nigeria in the final, having taken the hard route to the top in a run that included victories over France and USA. It follows previous wins for the Europeans in 2004 and 2010; the latter on home soil. The tournament also proved a success both on and off the field, paving the way for a mouthwatering senior event next year. Kessler heads Euro poll Germany and Wolfsburg midfielder Nadine Kessler kept up the nation’s run of success during the month by winning the UEFA Best Women’s Player in Europe Award, following in the footsteps of compatriot Nadine Angerer who won the inaugural award in 2013. Wolfsburg team-mates Nilla Fischer of Sweden, and German Martina Muller finished second and third respectively. Kessler captained Wolfsburg as they won both the UEFA Women’s Champions League and domestic league for the second year running. T&T top the region

Trinidad & Tobago won the inaugural CFU Women’s Caribbean Cup with a 1-0 victory over Jamaica in the final on home soil, thanks to an early goal from Mariah Shade. The two finalists, as well as Haiti and Martinique, won through to October’s CONCACAF championship where Canada 2015 qualification will be on the line. Club football Kansas flying high FC Kansas City made up for 2013 heartbreak by winning the NWSL with a surprise 2-1 win over Seattle Reign in the season decider. Goals in each half from Amy Rodriguez meant Kansas were never headed, despite facing a team that finished top of the league ladder in a canter losing just two games during the regular season. Last year Kansas led the competition table for lengthy periods only to miss silverware with a late-season slump. Meanwhile, Seattle scooped the pool when it came to individual honours with their Scottish striker Kim Little named the competition’s best player for her league-high 16 goals. Englishwoman Laura Harvey won the coach’s award after helping the Reign to the NWSL Shield. Big names on the move Spain star Veronica Boquete headlines a host of key players making the move to Germany’s Frauen Bundesliga. Boquete will link up with 1.FFC Frankfurt as will highly regarded Wales captain Jess Fishlock. Exiting the German financial capital is poster girl Fatmire Alushi who signed for the ambitious Paris Saint-Germain earlier in the off-season. Development August proved an extremely busy period for FIFA’s development programmes, which is set to continue over the coming months. St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea all enjoyed girls festivals, while there were Live Your Goals events in Canada – coinciding with the U-20 Women’s World Cup - Wales, Costa Rica, Armenia, Estonia, Japan, Republic of Ireland and, over the weekend, Curacao and Panama. The stat 19,123 – A record NWSL crowd turned out to see Portland Thorns host Houston Dash in another sign of the league’s ongoing growth in just its second season. The quote “We have a talented group of players, a group that want to play for the team and each other. We will continue and build on this momentum.” England coach Mark Sampson following his team’s successful Canada 2015 qualifying campaign.

FLASHBACK! Guyana’s Lady Jags taking on Anguilla in November 2011.

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What should we expect from Windies and Tigers, seek Test improvement the next coach? By Professor Rudi Webster The West Indies Cricket Board and coach Ottis Gibson recently parted company and the Board is now searching for a new coach to revive the team. Let’s hope that it chooses wisely this time and not repeat its mistakes of the last decade. M.S. Dhoni once told me that the main difference between good organizations and the others is the interval between mistakes. Good organizations make mistakes, learn from them and hardly ever repeat them. Lesser ones keep repeating them. Performance is not only influenced by history and past experiences but also by goals and visions formulating the future. Our last three coaches seemed to have a limited and fuzzy picture of what they wanted the team to achieve and become and acted as if our cricket did not have a rich and successful history. Why did the Worrell/Sobers and Lloyd/Richards teams play so well? Why is Lloyd’s team universally regarded as one of the best teams in the history of sport? What worked for these teams and why do we have so little of it now? Good coaches create environments in which players learn, grow and play to the best of their ability. In the last decade our players did not learn enough from their coaches to improve performance or change the fortunes of the team. Were the coaches poor teachers? Did they focus on the wrong things? Were their teaching methods out of sync with the learning style of the players? Did they understand the beliefs, values, culture and motivational profiles of the players? And did they truly comprehend the role of the coach? Sir Garfield Sobers once told me that if he were a coach he would initially devote most of his time teaching the basics of the game – physical and mental - but would then spend an equal amount of time teaching the players how to identify and deal with the many situations they will face in the game. He feels that this combination gives the player the best chance of doing well. In schools, why do some teachers succeed in getting ‘average’ students to learn while other teachers fail to do so? Successful teachers begin with the belief that all children can learn if properly taught. It is amazing to see what can really happen when teachers believe – and make their children believe – that they can learn whatever they put their mind to. Expectation and belief are extremely powerful. When athletes are made to believe that they can truly make a difference to the performance of the team they bring with them a level of motivation and discipline which when correctly directed satisfy a major requirement for success. Shouldn’t this then be a major priority of the coach? In an excellent Frank Worrell memorial lecture in Trinidad recently, Sir George Alleyne quoted Sir Wesley Hall as saying that Frank Worrell was a great man-manager who spent a lot of time getting to know and understand his players. He never denigrated them publicly. And Cammie Smith is quoted as saying that Worrell spent as much time speaking about life and living in personal interaction as he spent in discussing cricket. Such was the rapport and respect that there

Professor Rudi Webster was ready compliance with his instructions on and off the field, because one did not want to disappoint the skipper. The importance of man-management cannot be overstated. According to US General Omar Bradley, the greatest leader in the world could never win a campaign unless he understood the men he had to lead. Good coaches know that plans and goal charts do not accomplish performance and that strategies are worthless if they are not well executed. It is the players who get things done. Players breathe life into the team’s goals and strategies. At the end of the day it is competent, well trained, highly disciplined and highly motivated players that are the key to the team’s success. Coaches who can outline plays on a blackboard are dime a dozen. The ones who win get into their players and motivate them. Clive Lloyd built his leadership on three strong pillars. The first was an agenda for change that included a clear and detailed vision of what he wanted his team to achieve and become, as well as an intelligent strategy to achieve that vision. And he made sure that the players bought into that vision and strategy. Second he selected a group of competent and highly motivated players who were committed to implementing his strategy. Third he got rid of the insularity, indiscipline, bad habits and weak excuses that were harming the team. Playing better is often more about unlearning or removing bad habits, fears, indiscipline and outmoded traditions than about learning or adding new ones. Good coaches focus strongly on execution and spend a lot of time motivating, communicating, facilitating and monitoring. They motivate by coaxing, praising, kicking, correcting, and inspiring. They communicate by telling and listening, informing each member about his role and place in the team, and by giving and accepting feedback. They facilitate by linking players’ aspirations to the common vision and by building good relationships with them. And they monitor by putting people and systems in place to oversee the process. Fitness and technique are important parts of coaching but should be servants not the master. The new coach will do well if he understands this, broadens his agenda, concentrates on improving the players’ strategic and mental skills and pays attention to the wise words and examples of our great players.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - The West Indies will take on Bangladesh in the first match of the twoTest series starting tomorrow in Kingstown, St Vincent. The two teams are currently ranked eighth and 10th respectively on the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings Table. The West Indies, which is currently sitting on 74 ratings points, leads Bangladesh (21) by 53 ratings points. And because the rankings are weighted to reflect this difference, the West Indies will drop points if it doesn’t win the series convincingly. A 1-0 series win will earn Bangladesh 13 ratings points and will cost the West Indies eight ratings points, while a 2-0 series win will help Mushfiqur Rahim’s side gain 15 ratings points with the West Indies losing 10 ratings points. In the event of a drawn series, Bangladesh will benefit by gaining seven ratings points, while the West Indies will drop four ratings points. In contrast, the West Indies can earn a maximum of one ratings point if it wins both the Tests. In this scenario, Bangladesh will drop two ratings points. The Test rankings table, unlike the ODI and T20I rankings tables, is updated after the conclusion of a series. Meanwhile, Shivnarine Chanderpaul will

Shiv Chanderpaul

go into the series as the highest-ranked batsman from either side, in sixth place on the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen. Other batsmen to feature inside the top 50 and likely to appear during the series are Darren Bravo (22nd), Chris Gayle (29th), Mominul Haque (33rd), Tamim Iqbal (42nd), Nasir Hossain (46th) and Denesh Ramdin (49th). In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers, Kemar Roach in 11th position is the highestranked bowler from either

side. Shane Shillingford (21st), Sulieman Benn (30th), Narsingh Deonarine (47th), Jerome Taylor (49th), Mahmudullah (61st), Robiul Islam (62nd) and Shannon Gabriel (66th) are some of the other bowlers who may feature in the series. (ICC) Series schedule: 5-9 September – First Test, Kingstown, St Vincent 13-17 September – Second Test, Gros Islet, St Lucia Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings table (as on 3 September, before the start of West Indies-Bangladesh series)

GCA tournaments continue this weekend

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he Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Hadi’s World City Mall Inc. first-division and Noble House Sea Foods second-division 2day tournaments will continue this weekend. Guyana Defense Force will tackle GNIC at Malteenoes Sports Club from 09:30 hrs in the lone first division game with Edward Bowen and Hortence Isaacs, umpiring.

In the second division, Police will face Everest at Gandhi Youth Organisation with Deon Faessal and Heuvel Cunha calling play and GNIC will host Transport Sports Club under the watchful eyes of Ryan Banwarie and Randolph Rose. The first division game commences at 09:30hrs while second division matches bowl off at 10:30hrs on Saturday.

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Kaieteur News

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Digicel laid the Amerindian Heritage Sports foundation, but no set for Everest on Sept. 20 & 21 one is building Sports Coordinator of the event satisfied with preparations By Edison Jefford Digicel Guyana Inc. has laid a formidable foundation with its annual nationwide schools football championships, investing millions of dollars in administrative and practical efficacy to venture in otherwise unchartered territory for local sport holistically. The Digicel Schools Football Championships is a perfect example of how broad-based vision for the development of local sport should be implemented. With millions spent on a programme that engages schools and players across these 83,000 square miles, Guyana Football Federation (GFF) could not have asked for a better pilot-project to develop football. The competition concluded its fourth year last month and one would think that following such an extensive programme, with Digicel having done its part to fund, administrate, market and deliver the final product, a transition development plan would emerge. But for four years there has not been a deliberate effort from the body that governs all football in Guyana, to use the Digicel Schools Football Championships as a yardstick for an extensive youth development programme that isolates talent nationally. In essence, the GFF is allowing a priceless gift to garner so much dust that it is barely noticeable. Digicel is no doubt making an indelible mark with the football programme, but the transition from school to a national programme is undermining that effort. The GFF may be handicapped from its current imbroglio and thus hamstrung in financing and/or sourcing funding for such youth programmes. However, there cannot be enough emphasis on the importance of a structured nursery that is fully complimented. There should have been Coaches within the employ of the federation seeking out the best talents from across Guyana during the competition to eventually bring together for consistent

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nil Roberts, coordinator of Sports for the Amerindian Heritage Month activities has expressed satisfaction with preparations for the sporting segment of the celebrations of Guyana’s Indigenous people which is

Gregory Deen

Golden Jaguars draw 0-0 with Dominica in opener Steffon Ramsay red carded

Christopher Mathias instruction in the game. The federation may have missed this opportunity. The fact that such an extensive progamme is proliferated without postcompetition development plans is cause for concern. It means that the best football talents within the schools system across Guyana are generally forgotten after the Digicel tournament, when the event could be used as the main springboard for future advancement of the sport. The tenets of a Transition Development Plan could be easily worked out with the right expertise, but its absence for four years is watering down an otherwise excellent programme and eventually will discourage a corporate giant from what is a lucrative investment.

G u y a n a ’s r e t u r n t o competitive action after a lengthy hiatus saw the Golden Jaguars drawing with Dominica in the opening game of Group 6 action of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Caribbean Cup at Warner Park, St. Kitts & Nevis last evening. The Guyanese matched their opponents in the first half as both goalkeepers were tested. The forwards also muffed chances at both ends. Dominica had the chance to take the lead in the final 10 minutes from the penalty spot when defender Steffon Ramsay was red carded. The ensuing kick by Kenny Jean Baptise went wide of the goal and into the stands. Guyana will now turn attention to St. Lucia tomorrow at the same venue. Last evenings feature game also ended in a 0-0 stalemate between the home team St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Lucia. Antigua & Barbuda hammered Anguilla 6-0 in their Group 5 encounter.

BMTC to host Horse Race Meet this Sunday

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fixed for the Everest ground on September 20-21. Roberts, who hails from Rupertee Village North Rupununi Region 9, explained that because the two-day sports event, under the theme ‘Sports, Games and Family Fun Day, is slated for ‘way down in the

he Budhan Memorial Turf Club (BMTC) of Number 66 village Corentyne, Berbice will be hosting a grand one-day Horse Race Meet this Sunday, September 7 at the above named club. Six races are carded for the day with the feature event for I and Lower animals. Among the horses expected to be on show are Cattle King, Red Jet, Quancy, Million Dollar Man, Regena, Set Going, Mosquito, Natural Mistic, Little Tip Top, Country Girl, Royal Cash and Lady Secret. Gallop time is 13:00hrs.

month’ there was enough time to properly plan these activities. Starting time each day would be 09:00hrs and games include Cricket, Football and Volleyball in addition to several novelty events like Archery, Arrow Making, Fire-lighting competition, Paiwari Drinking competition, Tuga-War and Tuma Pot eating competition. Entrance fee is $300. The second day of event will see the finals in both the Male and Female categories being played under floodlights. “Heritage Month activates began close to 20 years ago and we have improved in every aspect of our lives as Indigenous people. Our only problem is that we don’t have enough sponsorship for our Sports events but Digicel has been

Anil Roberts on board in a major as our main sponsor” Roberts noted. Twelve teams from Regions one, two, four, six, seven, eight and nine, will battle for supremacy with Central Rupununi the defending football champions.

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Amerindian Heritage Sports Digicel laid the set for Everest on Sept. 20 & 21 foundation, but no Sports Coordinator of the event satisfied with preparations one is building

Defending Amerindian Heritage Football Champions, Rupununi

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Golden Jaguars draw 0-0 What should we expect with Dominica in opener STEFFON RAMSAY RED CARDED

from the next coach?

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