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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 08, 2019
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
Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.
BILLIONS OF US DOLLARS COULD EDITORIAL BE LOST BY FAILING TO DEFINE The pivotal proving “MARKET RATE” IN THE OIL CONTRACTS
ground of CSEC The KN September 2nd caption said much: “Extra lessons at ‘Sir Morgan’s pay off -Third and Fourth formers shine at CSEC.” There are several sides to that underlying story: the brightening, the worrying, and the cautioning, too. A closer look should shed some light on this astounding, but troubling, development. The article was very specific: there were these “Third and fourth formers, who have earned Grade One and Straight ‘A’ profiles (distinction) passes at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate, (CSEC). The students, who sat the exams via Morgan’s Learning Centre, (MLC)…” From this paper, commendations are extended to these hardworking students and the school for overachieving and delivering. Sets an inspiring example for peers to follow. This industriousness and sustained application was confirmed through their sharing that, “We had to wake up early in the mornings, go to lessons at the Centre, then got to school then back to lessons in the evening. So it was hard work.” Limiting to clock management only, that translates to somewhere in the vicinity of twelve hours in the classrooms, with another two serving as bookends in accounting for round trip travel. To this, there is the reasonable adding of a couple of hours for the ‘unwinding’ of food, hygiene and the rest. Study time only adds to the demands of being a student in these circumstances. No approximations are offered as to how long is the daily personal study timetable; or what is the quantity of rest. Now, all the while, this is happening daily, and often seven days weekly. Again, there can be only recognition of and congratulation for such herculean dedication by these young, but hardy, souls; and their sturdy supporting cast of committed teachers and parents. Together, this takes some doing. This is the part that brings brightening. Now for the worrying aspect of this laudable report. The Fourth formers, who undertook the challenge of CSEC and succeeded, are bypassed. It is the Third formers, who emphasize where this is leading. Because if Third formers can dare to think of sitting for the CSEC during that school year, actually read for and take the examinations, and triumph, then some questions and points - hard, unflinching, and rational - must be tabled. First, if the CSEC educational bar (so far in the Business subjects mainly) is taken successfully a full two years before the normal time, as done by these students, then this says so much. Second, it is not only that these intrepid (and undoubtedly dedicated) students passed, but quite a few passed with very high marks, including distinction ‘profiles.’ To reiterate: it is not one or two, but quite a few students who did exceptionally well. This is incredible at Third form and the accolades remain in place for so many gifted. Third, and for the first question: what does this say about the standard of the CSEC level? How demanding and challenging can it really be? What separates it from the very ordinary, if not the simplistic, when it can be mastered so early by not so few? To be sure, and in the same vein, it could be posited that it is only a matter of time before some similarly heavyweight highfliers from Second form decide that this thing is doable and succeed in acing (to a distinctive degree) the CSEC offerings at that junior level. It should not come as a surprise to hear of students, teachers, and parents combining to take that plunge. Then, as this becomes reality, a fair question is this: given the state of the CSEC examination regime, is the year of Fifth form really needed? Or what does this say about many of the local and regional students, who still struggle with five subjects (full five years secondary schooling involved)? If the now worrying academic yardstick of (Continued on page 7)
Dear Editor On August 27th, 2019 the Kaieteur News published an article which reported that Guyana would be responsible for paying the interest on the oil companies’ loans. This fact is buried in the Production Sharing Agreements (PSA). (Stabroek Block PSA, Annex C Section 3.1 part (l). This flaw may cost Guyana billions of US dollars. It takes just over a billion US dollars to run the country every year.We cannot afford this mistake. Why would Guyana agree to pay interest on loans that the oil companies negotiated with their bankers is puzzling? Guyana was not at the table when the loans were negotiated. Here is the more egregious flaw (if not a violation of business ethics): Guyana has to pay the interest on these loans at “market rate’. This opens up Guyana to
various exploitation schemes, one of which is discussed below. If one searches the Stabroek PSA that was released to the public (a searchable copy can be found here h t t p : / / w w w. o g g n . w e b s i t e / w p content/uploads/2019/08/Oct2016Petroleum-Agreement.docx), for terminology related to interest expense there are a few observations Government of Guyana (GoG) must take note of: At the start of the PSA, page 3, there is a definition of “Agreed Interest Rate”. It gives a precise definition on how it should be calculated. This “Agree Interest Rate” definition is referred to several times in the PSA. However, where this definition is not used is in Annex C Section 3.1, a section titled “Costs Recoverable Without Further Approval of the Minister”. In
Annex C, a section not released to the public, the use of ‘market rate’ seems deliberate to favor the oil companies given the term “Agree Interest Rate” is referenced several times before one would scroll down to Annex C. Why would the oil companies want to avoid giving a precise meaning to “market rate”? One has to take note that the interest expense on oil company loans are part of cost recovery. (Up to 75% of oil revenue is set aside for Cost Recovery). If you scan the Exxon Mobil Financial Reports, you would notice that Exxon has a credit rating of AA+. The credit rating gives you an indication of how safe it is to loan money to a company. Exxon has gold standard credit rating, on par with that of U.S. govt. That is if you loan Exxon money (Continued on page 6)
Sunday September 08, 2019
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The Venezuelan threat against oil-rich Guyana intensifies while we squabble over politics DEAR EDITOR, There was this sharp intensity of hard passions, as I absorbed two news developments from late last week. In view of the harsh, unforgiving tones and postures anyone could easily have mistaken the news reports as being about Guyana and its ugly political squabbles. In those two instances, they were not. For it was about powerful Venezuelan political figures, locked in their life-and-death struggles, confronting each other. What should gravely concern all Guyanese is that those deep-seated confrontations are about Guyana. It has been a while since I have written anything about the Venezuelan factor in Guyana’s oil discoveries; or related internal political clashes over them. The endless local disputes have been about percentages, comparisons to other places, and the associated litany of giveaways. I say no more (and no differently) than what I had shared before: it is low and cheap; it is the best that could have been achieved. This is reiterated by the once again surging sinister Venezuelan component. I stand inflexibly
by those positions, as I did years ago, and in recent months. Last week, this nation was reminded, in the most jarring terms, of that Venezuelan presence and posture, as to how Guyana and its land and oil wealth feature in Venezuelan thinking and Venezuelan visions. From what I always understood, those visions are nonnegotiable. Fanatical is the more appropriate word. Unfortunately, that neighborly fanaticism, over a lot of land and a whole lot of oil is directed at Guyana. That means us, as in me and you. And this is regardless of where any of us stand relative to the so-called ExxonMobil giveaway. The anger and virulence in Venezuela are real; so real as to be palpable all the way over here. Both are so real and piercing and driving that no lesser a (potential) leadership figure than Juan Guaido is faced with a charge of high treason; high treason sounds like a death penalty situation. That is how agitated and committed and unrelenting Venezuelans are about Guyanese territory and Guyanese resource bounties.
What is Senor Guaido’s crime? This treachery of the gravest sort of which he now stands accused? The media inform us that this national figure was alleged to be willing to relinquish the land and oil. For emphasis: willingness to relinquish the long-standing claims amounts to blasphemy against sacred Venezuelan beliefs, heresy to voice such a readiness, and the ultimate national betrayal. Throughout history, people have lost their heads over less than this; they are those, standing in opposition, who are enraged enough to help with the involuntary parting of such wayward heads. Tape or no tape about what was said by whom to the Britons over Guyana, Senor Guaido may not be able to live that one down; or beyond it. And if that could have been the unsparing, unequivocal reaction to the mere mention of Essequibo and the oil and letting go of it by one of their own, then Guyanese need to look at themselves and get real, real quickly. Because any sober reflection should convey the perils involved and what would be the menacing
fate of poor, undeveloped, defenceless (somewhat) Guyana should it have the audacity to stand for that land and that oil. Because to stand in the way of Venezuelan visionaries, or to flex muscle, or to wield a single shovel to explore one inch of that land and liquid (by us) is tantamount to high treason, too. Guyanese who live inside of a vacuum, perfected the great art of mental suppression, or are so limited (purposely) have rendered themselves unable to grasp the whole mineral resources canvas of Guyana and the associated implications. Therefore, only ignorance prevails as to the stark threats, which come with those rich resources. The oil simply raised the stakes and confirmed existential perils. The source of those is in the neighbourhood. As I have articulated repeatedly, this is where ExxonMobil and 2% and America and the rest come into play. Any other way and all Guyana run the risk of being charged with high treason and treated accordingly. I suggest thinking militarily and not otherwise. As an aside, I
submit that all those other societies with their more rewarding deals do not have an equivalent set of border circumstances; and the dangers that they represent for Guyana. The huge claim, the overpowering imbalance of power, and the now proven oil reality combine to cut out Guyana’s heart of its claims and its rights. Thus, I reassert that percentage (and the rest) looks like the price of a protection blanket, part of a costly package of aces in the rapacious realm that is of the oil rackets. I challenge anyone to counter that gunboats are going to venture near those mighty capitalist ships. Similarly, I challenge anyone to question if any production could be prohibited from moving out with such a partner at the helm. Guyanese better get some sense. This is what we are paying through the nose today. If not, local citizens could end up like Juan Guaido.
And that’s for harbouring thought of ownership and access. Thus, I have always been publicly scornful of all the wasted energy and time over the nonsense (it is that to me) over elections, while an adversary-an oil fundamentalist, no less-makes their own position, visions, and intentions clear. Absolutely clear. The local political foolishness which consumes so many so much should be categorized as high treason here. Because we unsheathe the daggers at each other, while bystanders and outsiders make ready a grave for us. Last, the word from an official and authoritative source is that thousands of Venezuelans are congregated on our Western border. I wish that the peoples and leaders-every one of them-in this country will wake up and appreciate what we have and what interferes with us tasting its fruits. Sincerely, G H K Lall
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The harassment of Justice Claudette Singh is malicious, misguided Government and Opposition and racial animosity is further forging a unified nation down of supporters, the and un-necessary exercising an equal right to tearing the nation apart committed to defence of this absence of political will, and any future nation’s vital interests. And the discharging of civic pursue legal justice which is leaving DEAR EDITOR, I am on record advising Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo to call for an end of the parliamentary recess. Now that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has advised the Commission it will not be ready for an election before March 2020, it is even more imp o r t a n t f o r t h e Opposition to return to the N a t i o n a l Assembly and work. The CEO is the technical officer and it is upon his expert advice the Commission will be making their decision on the readiness for election. The harassment of Justice Claudette Singh S.C is malicious, misguided and un-necessary. It must stop. Whereas Justice Singh is the Chair of GECOM with oversight responsibility for elections, neither she nor the Commissioners have the technical ‘competencies’ to execute the election processes on their own. They are dependent on such ‘competencies’ and advice of others in order to arrive at a clear decision. The bureaucratic process allows for the CEO who is responsible for the day to day management of National Registration Centre and ultimately the electoral process, in turn, to be dependent on similar ‘competencies’ of its various departmental heads and functioning officers. The National Registration Centre is responsible for
registration, executing the preparatory work for elections. GECOM is responsible for the management and execution of the election. The “shortest possible” time is dependent on the Centre fulfilling its obligations to satisfy all the requirements in executing a credible election. What GECOM has to do is strike a balance between credible election and the shortest possible time. It is not just achieving one at the expense of the other. This argument is not unknown to Mr. Jagdeo who was president and charged the responsibility for announcing a date for election based on the advice of GECOM as to its readiness. The point to note that while GECOM is doing its job, maybe not to the liking of some, the National Assembly is not doing their job even as its Members continue to receive pay. As a trade union leader steep in the concerns of labour, fair work for fair pay and just conditions it is bothersome to see the abuse of taxpayers’ money. Nowhere else in our labour l a n d s c a p e i s e arning without pay possible or condoned. What aggravates the situation is the fact that we the hard-working taxpayers, with no such privilege, are the employers. When Government took the question of the noconfidence vote to the court, this nation witnessed both
upheld in the constitution. In the exercise of this the matter was taken all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice which delivered its verdict on 18th June. As a consequence, the “within three months” period which an election could have been held was exhausted, bringing into focus the other proviso “or such longer period,” which requires at least two-third votes of all the elected members of the National Assembly as per Article 106(7). It is a stretch of credulity to give the impression that that three month period would have started from June. Parliament only functions effectively when both sides are seated and deliberating. That’s why the Opposition receives pay from government Treasury to work in the Assembly and function always as a government in waiting not like a guerrilla warlord with no knowledge of civilised politics and meaningful constructive on-going negotiations only willing to create mayhem. There are pressing matters of national import deserving of parliamentary attention such as oil and gas and giving meaning to Article 13. The issue of a resigned Government whilst constitutional is mere technicality and a matter of ego drive which is a pity because our nation suffers. The constitution is clear as the courts will rule. What remains unclear and can be mutually agreed to is the continued and realistic functioning of an interim government. In the absence of the interim Government and interim Opposition working out such a plan then precedents are being set, good and bad for which both parties are responsible. The whirlpool of chaos, confusion, half-truths, lies
government the task of rebuilding our exhausted tolerance with each other, our camaraderie and cohesion as One People, One Nation with One Destiny. The self-inflicting injuries we continue to create over elections and the passions invoked through partisan politics distracts and hinders
for this we must hold the interim Opposition and particularly its chief proponent accountable along with the interim Government. This is no monopoly game where one can get a ‘free pass’. What this nation is still witnessing is continuous effort at political dumbing
responsibility to ensure the political process work for all. Towards this end it means ensuring the operatives come together and chart a way forward consistent with the law and time-honoured principles. The politicians must do their work. Lincoln Lewis.
BILLIONS OF US DOLLARS COULD... From page 4 you are guaranteed to get your money back with all interest owed. Exxon’s credit rating is the best among large oil companies in the world. This credit rating would mean that Exxon would be able to take out loans at lower cost than its peers. If we have a company like Exxon that is able to borrow money at low rates then the ‘market rate’ charged to Guyana should be low? Here is the catch. PSA was not signed with the AA+ rated Exxon but with Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (Esso). Esso is a company with negative equity, as depicted in a table by Chris Ram in 2018, see http:// www.chrisram.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ 2018.05.18_Table1.png. Negative equity means if you liquidate all your assets you still won’t be able to pay-off your current loans. Since no oil has yet been produced since Chris Ram created the table, then one can safely assume Esso’s negative equity has only increased further. Thus ‘market rate’ (market interest rate for loans) that Guyana would be paying is not what would be charged for Exxon’s loans but Esso’s. Exxon would be classified as low risk to lend money. But Esso would be classified as high risk. If one checks the market rates of bonds issued by Exxon you can find the yields of around 2%. But
what rate would Esso — a company with negative net worth — be charged for its loan? Earlier this year, it was reported by CNN that because of the plunge in oil prices investors have lost their appetite for risky companies. CNN quoted Mark Howard, a senior analyst at a major bank, as saying, “The high-yield market went into a tailspin. It just wasn’t a good time for oil companies to issue debt, even if they wanted to.” It may be highly unlikely Esso, a company registered in Bahamas and with negative equity, would be able to receive a loan in the market. This is where Exxon can leverage its low borrowing rate to its advantage. In a typical scenario with the big oil companies, Exxon can loan Esso the money. But what would be “market rate” charged to Esso? Well, we should look at some of the small and risky oil companies to get an idea. One such company is California Resources, its debt currently pays a market rate of 30%. nother is Weatherford International, its debt currently pays a market rate of 18%. That is a big difference from 2% market rate on Exxon debt. Liza Phase 1 has a projected gross capital cost of US$3.7 billion and Liza Phase 2 has a gross capital cost of US$6 billion - with total combined production estimated at 1.05 billion barrels of oil. One should observe that going from 450 million barrels in Phase 1 to 600 million barrels in Phase 2 increased the capital cost per barrel by 20%. However, one would expect, given the lessons learned
from the first project, the cost per barrel for the second project should be less than the first. Instead, the difference in cost adds up to an additional US$1 billion! Let’s scale up the capital cost up to the currently confirmed 6 billion barrels: That would mean the projected capital cost could be US$55 billion or more given the anomaly noted in the previous paragraph. If we used ‘Agreed Interest Rate’ at present that would be about 3% higher than Exxon’s market. That would mean an extra US$1.7 billion going to Exxon instead of Guyana. But ‘Agreed Interest Rate’ was not use in Annex C. Would Exxon argue Guyana needs to pay the rate similar to that of small and risky oil companies? What would a 15% difference in market rate mean on US$55 billion? That would be an extra US$8 billion going to the oil companies instead of to Guyana. What about a 30% difference? That would be US$16 billion going to the oil companies instead of to Guyana. Now, that sleight of hand not to use the ‘Agreed Interest Rate’ in a section titled “Costs Recoverable Without Further Approval of the Minister” - doesn’t seem accidental but carefully planned by the oil companies. Bottom Line: Guyana is stuck not just with paying loans negotiated by the Oil Companies – but at gouging market interest rates. Could this be an US$8 or $16 billion mistake buried in the contract that officials of GoG overlooked or never read. Darshanand Khusial on behalf of OGGN
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GECOM should abide by electoral deadlines, not set them DEAR EDITOR, It is very unfortunate that a date for general elections hasn’t been called yet. Just recently GECOM’s Secretariat proposed a timeframe within the month of March in the year 2020, which is an absurd period long after the three-month constitutional mandate of Article 106 (7) of the Constitution of Guyana. Given the successful passing and legitimacy of the noconfidence vote of December 21st, 2018, any date that further prolongs the holding of general elections outside of three months would stifle the Constitution. There would be serious political and legal repercussions if political agents do not uphold constitutional law. However, there is a mass confusion in effect that is contributing to political instability and a series of misunderstandings. This mass confusion we are referring to is being encouraged by some of the politicians with their partisan rhetoric. One such confusion being propagated has to do with who is responsible for setting a date for elections. Another confusion has to do with what exactly is the Guyana Elections Commission’s role in meeting the date for an election. We wish to add some clarity with the following points. 1. Only the President can call a date for election within three months after Parliament has dissolved.
Article 61 of the Constitution of Guyana grants exclusive authority and responsibility to the President to call a day “appropriate.” 2. If a date cannot be met within three months, for whatever reason, only Parliament can extend the timeframe for an election. It is important to note that Article 106 (7) does not allow nor grant privilege to Parliament to set a date for an election; Parliament can only deliberate on extending the timeframe. 3. GECOM cannot set a date for an election after the successful passing of a noconfidence motion, only the President can. Moreover, GECOM cannot deliberate on an election timeframe, only Parliament can. Back in February of this year, while speaking to reporters, Mr. Vincent Alexander, GECOM’s Commissioner, said, “the President has to give a date for elections and that is what GECOM has to work with.” GECOM must be in a perpetual state of readiness for any election, a view shared by the Caribbean Court of Justice and supported by the laws governing GECOM’s operations. The role of GECOM is to be “responsible for the administration and conduct of elections in Guyana.” (See GECOM’s official website). At the Caribbean Court of Justice, GECOM’s lawyer, Mr. Stanley Marcus, told the courtroom that, based on the institution’s feedback, GECOM would be plausibly
ready for an early general election on December 25th, 2019, with a prepared voter’s list, thereby placing the holding of the general election in the year 2020—the year general election is originally scheduled to be held. Justice Adrian Saunders of the CCJ found this to be “disappointing” given government’s defeat in December 2018, and the three month timeframe set by the Constitution. The issue of deciding a date for general election should not be so elongated as it currently is since compliance with the Constitution is of utmost concern. A date should’ve been fixed long now to keep the Constitution in motion. Covering the 2006 general election, the Electoral Assistance Bureau in their 2007 report stated “the fixing of election dates will assist in the institutionalization of the electoral process and move Guyana one step closer towards genuine democracy. Arguably, flexible election dates work to the advantage of the incumbent party, with little benefit to opposition parties or the country as a whole. Therefore, the EAB is of the view that there is a strong argument, for fixed dates for the Elections at the General, Regional and the Local Government levels, especially the potential for a more stable and conducive pre-election political environment.” Under ideal
The pivotal proving ground of CSEC From page 4 CSEC is less than a fullblooded cerebral interrogation, then where does this leave them, in terms of basic academic capacity? How can this sensitively-placed academic pathway prepare the nation’s young for the harder ones ahead? Moreover, there is a cautioning tale in this; several of them, in fact. CSEC currently does not enjoy respectful standing in many demanding foreign institutions of higher learning. Truth be told, it is not accepted: not five subjects, nor twenty-five of them. CAPE is the first filtering ground, with a tiny fraction measuring up. These are the first wakeup calls. The next is that, in the rushing world of globalization, and its intense competitions, this does not leave local students in either a satisfying or authoritative place. There is the high probability that even the above average ones could be unable to challenge or compete; and only possessing the volume of bottom feeders,
wherever they may be. The third and last warning is that, with this country perched where it is relative to its enormous oil assets, the bulk of its local content instructed and handed over are not going to be ready for what lies ahead. Not ready to excel at the tertiary level; not ready to register recognizable presences in Guyana’s oil empire; and not ready to make their way in life in most places. The recent tussle between the American plenipotentiary and the Georgetown Chamber over local content highlighted areas that require much work, at least in the minds of outsiders. Local content must measure up in both quantity and quality, as well as reputation. As if to confirm all of this, the Minister of Education kicked off this year’s Education Month through asserting and emphasizing the telling theme finalized: “Education is the Key to National Development.” In many respects, that is reminding and retelling the children and adults of Guyana
that this is the cornerstone of and launch pad toward the near future; that future is now. And as if to underscore the unquestioned importance of a quality and recognizable education, the minister noted that, “if education fails, the nation fails” (KN September 4). It is an ancient narrative well worth repeating. The fact that so many junior students (Third formers) can sit for the academic rite of passage of CSEC and succeed conveys a praiseworthy but, as said, alarming story. There are unconfirmed reports that, some time ago, a student from an even lower form recorded that honour, too. Clearly, the pivotal proving ground of CSEC must be revisited; or at least looked at very hard as to its continuing role in being one of the first keys (if not main one) to this nation’s development. That is, either through offering a more robust and rigorous standard; or with an attractive alternative that is explored and introduced early.
circumstances, what, then, should happen? Prima-facie, the President calls a date within three months, a timeframe constitutionally set. If a date cannot be set within three months, the President can consult with Parliament and debate for an extended timeframe, which in turn, if successful, extends the pool of possible dates for election within that extended timeframe. If the President does not call a date within three months (or within the extended timeframe), constitutional provisions would be subject to uncertainty. Ongoing political strife and an uncompromising attitude among political leaders would be a great
disservice to both the Constitution and democracy itself. Furthermore, if political agents do not comply with the Constitution, thereby “stepping outside” of constitutional borders, then the only democratic agency left to reconcile certainty is GECOM as constitutionally provided for in Article 162 (2).However, GECOM needs a date to work with. Whether or not GECOM would be ready by this date does not matter. What matters is that the Constitution does allow the agency to further negotiations for a more realistic date to hold an election. Even then, as recursive as it may sound,
GECOM would need bipartisan support from each side of the political aisle to succeed on setting a viable date. Nevertheless, even under such a circumstance, GECOM doesn’t set the timeframe or date for an election. GECOM would merely act as a facilitator to allow for further negotiations. Ideally, GECOM should abide by electoral deadlines, not set them. Because of political impasse, protocols are being subjected to ambiguity. But to remedy the current political predicament, rules must be followed. Yours faithfully, Ferlin F. Pedro Don Singh
JORDAN AND THE NRF DEAR EDITOR, The reply by Caretaker Minister Winston Jordon to my concerns about the management structure of the Natural Resource Fund has not diminished my fears, indeed, they have grown tenfold. Jordan states “However, many of the most highly regarded SWFs, including those of Chile and Norway, follow a “Manager Model,” whereby the Ministry of Finance is responsible for overall management, and the Central Bank is responsible for the operational management, of the SWF” let me be blunt so as to leave no room for doubt, Mr. Jordon’s words and deeds as Minister of Finance, with regard to the $18 Million USD signing bonus make this the worst possible model Guyanese could accept. When asked if Guyana had received a signing bonus, Jordan stated that such a claim is ‘a figment of the imagination’ and that there is ‘no agreement for any bonus’. Further, he noted that the Government did not request such a bonus. All three of these statements are baldfaced lies. I maintain that any fund that has a ‘Manager’ such as Jordan, who cannot be trusted, has to be structured differently. Jordan states “in preparing the legislation for the NRF, the Government considered best practices, which included ensuring that the NRF would comply with the Santiago Principles” this coming from a member of the Granger administration that refuses to comply with the basic principle of Rule of Law is laughable. I have no confidence that any ‘principle’ would ever be complied with by Granger and his ‘Cabinet’. Guyana’s Chief Justice ruled “Cabinet stood resigned immediately upon passage of
the No-confidence motion” for a short time Jordan et al. shamefacedly called themselves a ‘plenary’ but soon returned to the title of ‘Cabinet’. The best principles in the world are useless without integrity. No one who sits in Granger’s ‘cabinet’ can lay claim to public trust ever again. Jordan says “the Government is pursuing membership of the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds, in 2019, and will be attending its upcoming Annual Meeting in Alaska, USA, in October. These actions send strong signals of our commitment to ensure that we hold ourselves to the highest internationally recognized standards for SWFs.” Again, Mr. Jordan is talking about standards while ironically talking about attending a meeting in October, which is well past even the most generous date when he or any member of the Granger administration could claim to represent Guyana at any forum. Mr. Jordan will not be recognized by any country, person or forum as a representative of Guyana after 18th September 2019, He (Jordan) and his ilk may hide behind GECOM’s skirts locally, however, there is no such institution to give you succor internationally. Editor, I believe I have provided enough reasons above to dismiss the claim that the “manager model’ will serve the people of Guyana, however, even the other provisions such as “the inclusion of a Public Accountability and Oversight Committee which comprises representatives from a broad cross-section of society” gives no comfort, for who chooses what sections of society are represented? Will it be the ‘Man-
ager’? Will Caretaker President Granger weigh in with a few unilateral appointments? Will we have a situation such as has emerged at GECOM where a single illegal unilateral appointment rendered a constitutional body impotent and dysfunctional? Given the track record of Granger, I have no confidence in any committee he or Jordan set up now or in the future. Jordan goes to great lengths to point out that “withdrawals from the NRF, Section 28 of the NRF Act states that the National Assembly, and not the Minister of Finance, shall be responsible for approving the withdrawal from the NRF that shall be included in the annual budget…The maximum withdrawal is known as the Economically and Fiscally Sustainable Amount, which is bound by the smaller of an Economically Sustainable Amount (ESA) and a Fiscally Sustainable Amount (FSA)” and that “A Macroeconomic Committee, comprising representatives of the Government, Bank of Guyana, Private Sector Commission and Opposition, is responsible for providing the Minister with a recommendation on the ESA, taking into account the effects of additional spending on Guyana’s economic competitiveness.” As with the signing bonus, Winston Jordan is engaging in sophistry, here is the section of the act that says “in the opinion of the Minister” 25. (1) The Economically Sustainable Amount is the maximum amount that can, in the opinion of the Minister after taking into account the recommendations of the Macroeconomic Committee established under section 20, be withdrawn from the Fund for the next ensuing fiscal (Continued on page 71 )
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Guyana, other Amazon countries sign pact to better protect the rainforest Leticia, Colombia (Al Jazeera)- Leaders of countries home to the vast Amazon signed a pact on Friday aimed at sharing resources and taking greater steps to protect the world’s largest tropical rainforest. The talks, led by Colombian President Ivan Duque, took place in Leticia, the Colombian region home to part of the Amazon rainforest. According to the “Leticia Amazon pact”, the Amazonian countries will “strengthen coordinated action”, “establish [a] regional cooperation mechanism”, “increase efforts associated with monitoring forest cover”, and “strengthen the capacities and participation of indigenous and tribal peoples”, among other actions. The pact was thin on specifics, however. Among those in attendance at Friday’s meeting were Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra, Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno and Bo-
livian President Evo Morales, as well as the Suriname Vice President Michael Adhin, Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo and Guyana Natural Resource Minister Raphael Trotman. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who said he was unable to travel due to his health, joined via video conference. Venezuela was not invited to the meeting. The meeting came against a backdrop of growing international outrage over the surge in wildfires raging in parts of the Amazon. Environmentalists blame the policies and weakened restrictions of Brazil’s Bolsonaro for the increased deforestation. Bolsonaro wants to open up the rainforest for commercial exploration. Fires have also broken out in Bolivia. “We understand the urgency to protect this region, we understand that there are threats in the region, and that they are basically all the same in the countries meeting here
today,” Duque said. “It’s no surprise to anyone that in recent decades we’ve lost thousands of hectares of tropical rainforest because of the illegal expansion of the agricultural frontier as well as illegal extraction of minerals and the planting of illicit crops,” he added. Duque called on all the leaders present to work together to combat deforestation and share timely information on the protection of the Amazon. “When a brother country needs help, we should all do our best to help in these emergencies,” Duque said. Peru’s Vizcarra agreed, saying, “If we look back at what’s been done over the past 40 years, it isn’t satisfactory. As a result we’ll change the strategy.” Peru has the fourth-largest amount of tropical forest in the world and second in Latin America, after Brazil. Bolsonaro via video said that the pact affirmed each
Minister Raphael Trotman and advisor, Clayton Hall were part of the delegation to Colombia.
country’s sovereignty. The presidents were joined by indigenous leaders whose communities were most affected by deforestation and the fires in the Amazon. Nelly Kuiru, coordinator of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, expressed doubts over the leaders’ commitment to protecting the rainforest. “It’s a critical moment for the Amazon in terms of the environment and social issues with indigenous villagers that live in this territory,” she told Al Jazeera in Leticia. “I think it is important the presidents took the time to come to one of the Amazon’s regions, in Colombia, and sign the pact. But I have doubts
about it,” she added. “I doubt the pact will be fulfilled, because to make a pact there first of all has to be an analysis of what is happening.” She added that the pact itself was “very vague”. It is “very abstract and the Amazon region is not abstract, it is a lot more than just rainforest. There is a lot of biodiversity and cultural diversity and of the 102 indigenous villages that exist in Colombia, 69 are found in the Colombian Amazon,” she said. Sergio Guzman, Director of Colombia Risk Analysis, said, “There is this impotence for action in the international community and these presidents want to show that they
care and that they’re doing something. “A meeting in the Amazon is all fair and good, a great photo opportunity, but it doesn’t give me a lot of hope for swift change,” he added, via phone. Ricardo Lozano, Colombia’s environment minister, told reporters in Leticia strengthening cooperation was key. He said to do this, he hopes the region can build an Amazon network to work in a “more accelerated” way to have better forecasts, share information on illegal activities in the region and also educate themselves and each other about the communities of the region.
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PPP not closing door on giving Opposition ministerial positions The Opposition said it is not ruling out anything when it comes to a more inclusive government. Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo, appearing Wednesday on Kaieteur Radios inaugural Political Show, was grilled as to what extent he would consider as part of the reforms. His party, the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), of which he is also the General Secretary, is preparing for general and regional elections thanks to a successful December 21 no-confidence motion that was tabled. The vote was taken right up to the Caribbean Court of Justice which deemed the vote carried and thus the need for fresh elections in keeping
with the Constitution of Guyana.For a number of years now with the country voting along race lines and PPP taking almost half of the votes, there have been increasing calls for a different type of government…one that will also include the Opposition more in the decision-making process. There have been different models touted. According to Jagdeo, who served 12 years as president before his term ended in 2011, the door will not be shut on even offering a few ministerial positions. However, Jagdeo noted that over the years, his administrations have been working on more inclusivity on a number of fronts.
It was disclosed that back in the early 2000s, the PPP government launched a paper - “Working Together For Inclusive Governance”, which focused on building trust. Hinting the offering ministerial positions may be challenging as it is all about trust at the Cabinet level, Jagdeo stressed that there were changes, also at the Constitutional level which increased the voice of the opposition on a number of fora. At the Parliament level, there were four standing committees established with agreements reached to rotate the chairpersons. Parliament was given powers so that ministers could be summoned to answer for their policies.
Charity vendors to remove structures from drainage trench by Thursday The stalls [left of the main road] which are said to be illegally built over the drainage trench
The Neighbourhood Democratic Council in Charity on the Essequibo Coast recently issued a notice dated September 5th, advising the removal of persons vending over a silted trench. The trench that has been identified by the council stretches almost 200 meters from the Xenon hotel, to a newly constructed sluice that was recently constructed. The notice read: “All persons who have structure over the roadside trench between the Xenon Hotel and the newly constructed sluice, Charity/Amazon are given seven days to remove, so as to facilitate drainage works for residents and the road side drainage. Failing to comply legal action would be taken against defaulters.” This publication understands that the stretch of trench has not been desilted in over 10 years, due to the obstructing structures placed over it. Earlier last year, the NDC
had engaged a number of stall holders who extended their business ov e r t h e t r e nch. Following that meeting, both parties agreed that vendors will clean the trench below their business. The reality was far from what was promise, since many of the vendors carried on with their b u s i n e s s , l e a v i n g the
drainage trench exactly as it was. Today, according to NDC officials, the effects of the silted trench continue to affect the lives of residents. This publication understands that there was a major flood just last month, which is believed to have been as a result of the trench being clogged up.
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, is not ruling out offering any ministerial positions to the Opposition, if his party gets elected
There were also a number of rights commission established including the Ethnic Relations Commission which consists of representatives of a wide cross-section of civil society.Also established were service commissions which took the power out the hands of the President. According to Jagdeo, before those Parliamentary changes, the party in power was almost in total control.
At the Audit Office, it was decided that the reporting would be done to the Public Accounts Committee and not to the Ministry of Finance. “We are still open. I said at Babu Jaan we are working more at inclusiveness.” Looking forward, Jagdeo whose party lost the 2015 elections after 23 years in power, is pushing for the emerging oil and gas sector to be tackled in a non-politi-
cal and non-partisan way. While Jagdeo is barred constitutionally for running for president, he is not blocked from being a candidate for his party. While Jagdeo is not saying what he has in mind, he is clear on one thing…he wants to be able to make decisions. He had retired in 2011 but came back to take over his party in 2016 after that elections loss.
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Fake GRA Officer jailed for car scam A
man, who pre tended to be a Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) officer and tried to sell a seized motorcar that was being held by GRA, was sentenced to jail when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Clive Nurse. Tw e n t y - s i x - y e a r- o l d Kevin Campbell, Thursday last, appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates Court to answer to two fraud charges and an escaping from lawful custody charge. Campbell pleaded guilty to all three and offered to give an explanation. The first charge alleged that on March 7, 2019, at GRA
head office at Camp Street, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, Campbell obtained $150,000 in cash from Jairam Rampersaud, while pretending to be a GRA employee. The second charge stated that on March 8, 2019, at the same location, with intent to defraud, he obtained $300, 000, cash from Melanie Persaud while pretending to be a GRA employee. The final charge alleged that on July 3, 2019, at Robb and King Street, while in lawful custody of the police, he escaped from custody. Police prosecutor Gordon
Mansfield released the facts of the charge to the court, which stated that during January, Jairam made contact with Campbell and told him he was interested in purchasing a motorcar. According to reports, Campbell told Jairam that he was in charge of GRA and that he was in a position to sell him a Toyota Premio motorcar. On March 7, 2019, Jairam met with Campbell at GRA and handed over the sum of $150,000, cash as part payment for the vehicle. The following day Campbell met with Persaud at GRAs Camp Street branch, and she also handed over
money to him as part payment for a motorcar. After receiving the two part payment from the two victims, Campbell went into hiding. After trying to make contact with Campbell for the car, each virtual complainant made a police report. On July 3, 2019, Campbell was arrested by ranks of a neighbourhood police group. On the same date, while Campbell was being escorted to the Criminal Investigation Department at Eve Leary, when the vehicle stopped at the traffic light, between Robb and King Street, he (Campbell) took the opportunity to jump out of the vehicle and made good his escape. However, on August 30, 2019, Campbell was apprehended by the police and an investigation was l a u n c hed, he was subsequently charged for the offence and later brought before the court.
Jailed: Kevin Campbell
“I was working but after I lost my job I couldnt find anything to do but I tried getting
Watchman dies after overturning front-end loader on Ituni trail A 17-year-old is dead after being crushed by a heavy duty equipment in Region 10 yesterday afternoon. Police sources say that the teen, whose name was given as John Narine of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, was discovered by persons passing who found the front-end loader on its side. The incident happened about four miles from Linden, along the trail to Ituni. From investigations, the teen who was on security duty, decided to take the loader for a drive. He was not authorized to do so. The incident is said to have occurred about 4pm. The police are said to be investigating.
a job,� Campbell told the court when asked by Senior Magistrate Nurse what he has to say for himself. In handing down the sentences, Senior Magistrate Nurse explained to the defendant that based on the fact that he didnt waste the courts time, he would take that into consideration, but the fact that he showed no remorse and escaped from the police that would also be taken into consideration. Campbell was sentenced to two years imprisonment for each of the fraud charges and one year for escaping from lawful custody, the sentences are slated to run concurrently thus he will only serve two years. (By Renay Sambach)
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65M La Parfaite Harmonie Police Station commissioned -Improved security expected
The newly commissioned La Parfaite Harmonie Police Station
Minister Khemraj Ramjattan assists a student of the La Parfaite Harmonie Primary School in cutting the ribbon to officially open the facility as police ranks look on.
Residents of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara were in high praise Friday as a spanking new police station valued some $65M was commissioned with the intent to beef up security in that area and others within close proximity. Delivering the opening remarks at a short ceremony, Deputy Commissioner (Administration), Paul Williams (DSM), said the commissioning of the facility will see security for the area being heightened. He urged ranks who will be utilizing the facility to do so with care, and be diligent and professional
in executing their duties. Guest Speaker, Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, in his presentation said he responded to the cries for better security measures in the crime targeted La Parfaite Harmonie area and wrote to Government requesting that a police station be built in the community. He said that the commissioning ceremony served as a forum where Government has delivered on its promise to heighten security for residents, noting that once again, Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, has lived up to expectations and has
demonstrated his ministry’s readiness to deal with the serious issue of crime. Delivering the feature address, the Public Security Minister reiterated that with the existence of the new police station the community will be better protected, and officers stationed at the facility will now be better able to serve in their various capacities. He said that while Government is very concerned about maintaining proper security systems at community levels, it acknowledges that it’s not all (Continued on page 68)
Jagdeo: We will never accept March 2020 timelines -countrywide protests to resume The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) commissioners from both of the countrys leading parties on Friday announced that March 2020 would be the earliest possible time for General and Regional Elections. But Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo said that the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) “will never accept the March 2020 timelines.” The Opposition has been constantly calling for President David Granger to name an early date for the elections, following the July 18th ruling from the Caribbean Court of Justice(CCJ), which deemed the December 21, 2018 no-confidence vote (NCV) as valid. Jagdeo strongly believes that the general elections can be held before year end by extracting from the National Register of Registrants
(NNR) Preliminary List of Elections (PLE), and then to a claims and objections period. But he claims that the government is delaying the elections. “Those who are not on the old voters list can be registered; people can do their transfers, then they compile the revised voters list; they have the fingerprinting sent abroad for cross-matching and see we dont have any duplicates, and then produce the official list of electors.” He said that the government is mortally afraid of electionsthey are terrified. “The secretariat of GECOM seems to find a happy coexistence with the APNU commissioners at GECOM. It is uncanny how the documents they prepare for discussion at the commission level, how closely they reflect the position of Congress
Place and the three APNU commissioners,” the Opposition Leader said. Jagdeo related that a proposal was submitted some two weeks ago, by the PPP commissioners to GECOM, which stated that the elections could be held before the year was complete. However, he complained, the APNUs commissioners are “meeting to argue” and this has caused further delays. He noted that following the appointment of the GECOM Chairman, Justice Claudette Singh, the party ceased all protests, with the aim of allowing the chair to “familiarize herself with her office and whats going on.” However, he said that after the CJs ruling on September 18, the party will continue their widespread protests as the Coalition Government only understands that language.
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Pregnant woman hospitalized Repairs started, supplies distributed after Mahdia’s freak storm after Mahdia freak storm A pregnant woman and her 18-month-old son are patients at the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC) following Friday’s freak storm in Mahdia, Region Eight. The woman, 27-year-old Shavani Boodoo, is said to be in a critical condition, while her 18-month old son is said to be stable. According to family members, the woman who is seven months pregnant was in her home completing her daily chores when the storm hit the community. Her young son was also at home at the time. Heavy winds caused the structure to collapse trapping both the woman and her child inside until they were assisted out by family members. Reports suggest that the
woman was complaining of severe pains about her body after the incident. In an interview, the woman’s husband, who works as a carpenter, said that he was on his way home from work when the storm hit the community. Heavy winds uprooted several trees blocking his path home. According to the man, “when I reach home it was my neighbour who told me that I should go to the hospital cause the house fall pon Shavani and the lil boy. When I reach at the hospital the nurses told me that dem don send she to Georgetown.” At the city public hospital the woman was unable to communicate with anyone as she was undergoing treatment that required that a tube be inserted down her
throat. This publication understands that the woman’s left foot appears to be broken. Meanwhile, family members said that the toddler is recovering well. According to reports, around 16:00 hrs Friday, residents were alarmed by sudden heavy winds which left a trail of destruction. There were reports about several homes crashing down and also main access ways in the community being blocked due to fallen trees. Power lines were also damaged causing a temporary power outage. In an interview, Director of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Colonel Kester Craig said that officials from the CDC were in the area monitoring the situation.
Remnants of the destructions
Officials meeting, during the assessments of the damage
The collapsed house
Repairs underway at the Mahdia school which lost a major part of its roof on Friday due to a freak storm Less than 24 hours after a freak storm accompanied by heavy rainfall ravaged through the town of Mahdia, Potaro-Siparuni (Region 8), residents and officials are receiving help. According to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the state’s emergency assistance agency, the first set of zinc sheets have been reinstalled to the roof of the Mahdia Primary School.‘ A team from the Commission remains on the ground to conduct further assessment and give support. Roofs of several homes were whisked away within minutes of the strong winds.
Approximately 45% of the zinc sheet roof of the Mahdia Primary School was ripped off, CDC reported. The CDC, through the regional mechanism which was set up to provide first response during emergencies, has provided cleaning supplies, zinc sheets and other construction materials to facilitate urgent repairs to the structures. Additionally, ranks from the Guyana People’s Militia (GPM) were also deployed to assist. Pupils and teachers were not injured when the storm passed. However, a woman was sent out on a medical
emergency flight to Georgetown for treatment. CDC said that all efforts are underway to ensure the primary school is back in operation for school on Monday. Yesterday, CDC officials and Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, were on the ground assessing the damage. It was reported that at approximately 16:00hours on Friday, a sudden gust of wind which lasted for about two minutes swept through the new township. It also brought sudden rain as citizens watched in shocked.
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Drastic increase of amputees in Region Four - Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre The Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre
There has been a drastic increase in the number of persons living with amputations in Region Four. This increase has been recorded over the past three years according to statistics from the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC). But the possibility of there being more is not unheard of as the PRRC can only account for those within its register. PRRC situated at Carmichael Street, Georgetown, is a non-profit organization providing rehabilitation services for children and adults with physical/developmental disabilities, those with amputated limbs and persons with hearing impairment. The organization offers a rehabilitation programme, special education through its Harold B. Davis Special School, vocational training for adolescents and young adults with disabilities and daycare services for children with special needs. It also provides dormitory/part-time residency for children with special needs, audiology and
manufactures orthotic devices and prosthetic limbs. PRRC is the sole facility in Guyana capable of manufacturing these appliances. In 2017, the centre recorded 32 newcomers. The following year this number increased to 58. So far for 2019, it has recorded 39 individuals. According to the head of the rehab services department, Dexter George, “The numbers are not reflecting a good number because every year we are seeing a dramatic increase of persons.” He went on to say that, “For our centre it will be best to see less numbers because it will mean that persons are exposed to a better health care system (where) identification and prevention is offered.” However, with the increase in numbers, it can mean that treatment is not effective enough. Persons do not receive adequate medication and health care. Also individuals are not following health care orders or diet.
What is more worrying is that there seems to be an increase in amputations among persons with chronic non communicable diseases such as diabetes. George said
Living with an amputation can be tough - but immense A visit to the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC) can offer anyone a wealth of information. A walk through its corridors on any given day of the week, one can see the several persons living with amputations who meet there for weekly therapy. PRRC is a non-profit organization providing rehabilitation services for children and adults with physical/developmental disabilities, amputees and persons with hearing impairment. Kaieteur News was able to sit with Colin Holder, a 62year-old individual who resides at lot 19 D’ Urban Street Lodge. Holder has been living with part of his foot amputated since 2017. According to Holder, “I can remember that day like it was only yesterday. My leg was amputated on December 17, 2017. This was because I am a diabetic.” With a smile on his face Holder related his experience from simply walking on the road to lying in a hospital bed with one foot severed. Holder stated that he had an abscess on his right foot and remembered while walking down Regent Street one day he stumped his toe on the very foot. “I took it for nothing and the abscess was treated but two days later I found blood
support is available
Colin Holder displaying his prosthetic limb beneath my foot and I was right back at the doctor. The doctor told me that the foot was infected and it was spreading so they have to amputate.” Holder highlighted that he was fearful however, because he is a religious person he prayed for strength and courage. “The courage and strength came so much that I was actually looking forward to the amputation,” he said. “I was patiently waiting on the doctors to take me in the theater and at one point I was like wait man they forget me or what. I keep telling myself that it was better my foot to go rather than my life.” Coming home to family
and friends was hard time. Holder indicated that in the few days after his amputation it was very difficult since he now had to wait for someone to bring an item for him or to be able to move around. “It was very difficult but my wife was there with me through it all even to a day like today. Her nephew usually comes over to give her any male assistance needed. I know it was not easy but she was there always.” A week after his amputation, Holder joined the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC). “Coming here was like the best thing that could have happened to me after my amputation.” “I started off with therapy and I’ve seen a lot of improvement since. The nurses are very good. There is always someone to give a helping hand and while going through the therapy sessions they are very caring and patient with you.” Holder was very eager to speak of his appreciation for the service received from the nurses as he observed that he has never seen a nurse tired of a patient. “I never heard any bad feedback or anybody talking about the nurses because I can personally say they treat (Continued on page 16)
that data in this regard is still being compiled by the centre and should be released to the public by this year end. The data will also capture the other reasons for amputations. “We are still working towards compiling this data because the persons who come to us, some are reluctant to relate the information about their amputations,” George said. PRRC offers counseling to their members as persons living with amputation may feel depressed. The head of department said, “We provide counselling and training as to how they can continue living
because it is better to live with an amputation rather than losing one’s life.” Although there have been persons who left the center because they believe they cannot cope with their amputation, PRRC strongly advises against such behaviours through generous support service, George informed. Battling the rising figures in amputations the workers at PRRC look at every situation so as to find an alternative. Moreover, George said, “There is a situation where a health centre may not have a doctor or some may not have adequate medication, while some may not have any nurses. These varying factors
all come from an administrative level. Saying diabetes is new in Guyana is a lie. Everyone knows about diabetes but how it is managed is where the problem is.” PRRC also works with its members in providing prosthetic limb once they are eligible. If one cannot fully finance these limbs, the organization works with them to negotiate a workable way to pay. There are also organizations which assist in this regard. Most of the materials used for the prosthetic limbs are imported from as far as Germany, Columbia, United States and China. (By Trishan Craig)
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Parents repeat call for word on daughter in Germany By Feona Morrison The family of 31-year-old Christine Erulin has not heard from her since April 2015. Fourteen years ago, Christine who was just 14 migrated to Germany to live with her father Stephane and his wife. But in 2015, Christine stopped calling her mother and countless calls to her phone went unanswered. Worst yet, her mother is unable to find her Facebook account; it also appears as though Christine has stopped chatting with her friends here in Guyana. Christine’s mother, Farida Mohamed and her stepfather Rudolph Fanfair are extremely worried about her. In fact, they find it strange that the young woman would want to cut ties with her family. They believe that something is seriously wrong with her and say that they
are depending on the media and the public for assistance with locating their loved one. Christine w ho was born in French Guiana grew up here. According to her mother, “I had one phone number for her. But every time I call it, nobody would answer. I even wrote letters and sent them to her father’s address, but they all came back. Her Facebook account has also been deleted.” The mother recalled that her daughter would usually call her to send greetings for her birthday day, Mother’s Day, Christmas and New Years and other special occasions. She added that her daughter had promised to send her photographs of herself, but never did. Mohamed is depressed at the situation and can’t think of a reason as to why her daughter would stop
communicating with her. She and her daughter shared a good bond, Mohamed expressed. “I have never had any strange conversations with her. From time to time I would call her stepmother and she would tell me that Christine is stressed out and that she was moving out to go and live on her own since she had turned 18.” Asked if the stepmother disclosed why Christine was stressed, Mohamed replied “no”, adding that the woman told her to enquire of her daughter about the problem. The woman said that she recalled having a conversation with her daughter who told her that she was undergoing training to become a waitress at a restaurant in Germany. “I want her father to make contact with me. I want Christine to make contact with me. I k e e p g e t t i n g b a d
Living with an amputation... From page 15 you like family. They work with you until you get through your therapy sessions and even after. They even go over and over and over with you so as to give you that support to manage life as an amputee.” After what seemed like 10 long months, Holder became eligible for a prosthetic limb. He related that he was very much overwhelmed to hear that he was eligible. The cost of his limb which had to be joined just below the knee came at $210,000. However, because of his National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions which covered 80 percent of the cost, he only paid $42,000.
Although living a life of an amputee is difficult, Holder is pleased that systems are in place for such individuals. “I feel great knowing that jobs and educational courses are offered for persons living with an amputation or disabilities and the Government is looking out for us.” According to Holder, having a prosthetic leg is 95 percent like a human leg and even though it is a substitute, the prosthetic leg is better than not having any at all. He went on to say that being at the centre has helped him to greatly accept his amputation. He added that after finishing their rehab process persons can leave.
However, the majority choose to stay and give the support to newcomers. “If you take a look around here we are like a family. Sometimes because of our family members at home having to attend work or other basic life necessities, we don’t have much to do at home. Therefore you would find persons are here every day and all day,” said Holder. He added, “I don’t believe I will leave the center, I look at it as a long term process because daily you can come here and reach your brothers and sisters so why should you turn away from a place like this.” (By Trishan Craig)
dreams about her. The last time I dreamt that she was dressed in all black, chained and unconscious.” According to Mohamed, she has made attempts to contact her daughter’s father who runs a blooming construction business in Cologne, Germany, but to no avail. She said that she has sent emails to the father’s business as w e l l a s messages to his Facebook and Instagram accounts, but has gotten no response. She said that she has also reached out to her daughter’s stepmother, Angie on Facebook and has not gotten a reply. Mohamed has described her daughter as a very kindhearted individual who kept her loved ones close. For this reason, she is finding it hard to accept that her daughter would stop communicating with her family in Guyana, and believes that something is
This is the only photo Christine’s mother has of her genuinely amiss with her. “Christine, your mother wants you to know that she and your brothers miss you very much and love you more than words can say. Your family wants to hear from you to know for certain that you are doing okay,” the woman cried. This publication had tried reaching out to Christine’s father and step mother via their Facebook page since February. To date, there has been no
response. Efforts were made by this reporter to contact Christine, the call however, was forwarded to the answering machine. This publication also sent a message to her father’s business email but has not received a reply. Christine’s mother and stepfather have since pleaded with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or someone in authority to intervene. According to the mother, she has reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for help and is still waiting for a phone call. Mohamed also claimed that she reached out to a representative of the German Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago, but was told that nothing can be done since her daughter was an adult. Anyone with information that may help with contacting Christine is asked to call or message her mother on 592-6129754, or her stepfather on 592-649-0874.
GRA acquires state lands to prepare monitoring facilities for oil sector The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has acquired 2.75 acres of State land in Eccles for the construction of wharf facilities to monitor onshore and offshore oil and gas activities. Kaieteur News understands that GRA will, however, not be the only entity holding an interest in the property. The Demerara Oxygen Company has transported interest in the approved area. Last week, Commissioner of GRA, Godfrey Statia, wrote a letter to the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission (GLSC) outlining the Revenue authority’s acceptance of the terms and conditions of occupying the land. In the letter to the Land Commissioner, Trevor Benn, Statia noted that “the Revenue Authority recognizes and acknowledges that the Demerara Oxygen Company should maintain an interest as estate proprietor in part of the approved defined area. Statia stressed however that pursuant to the terms and condition, the State is deemed as the property proprietor and shall have rights to use the foreshore adjacent to the property to inter alia, erect gates on the river dam and construct mooring or other facilities as acquired. He simplified further that in view of the foregoing, the Revenue Authority being a State Agency is privileged to enjoy those rights to construct its mooring facility which was approved for
GRA Commissioner Godfrey Statia construction in May 30, 2019. “Notwithstanding same, the Revenue Authority having recognized the rights of the Demerara Oxygen Company will give full effect to those rights and construct its mooring facility in a manner which will allow the estate proprietor, (Demerara Oxygen Company) to have inter alia easement in accordance with the terms and conditions of the stated property, transport number, 679,” Statia said in the letter In addition to acquiring the land at Eccles, GRA has advertised for a tender for eligible and prequalified bidders for Construction of office Area Oil and Gas Division Phase 2. According to the advertisement, interested bidders are required to submit a bid security of (G$500,000.00) to be considered eligible for the project.” The ad further stipulated that “A complete set of Bidding Documents in English can be obtained by interested bidders at Guyana
Revenue Authority upon payment of a non-refundable fee of G$3,000.00…” “The Bidding Documents will be uplifted from the office of Procurement Office, Guyana Revenue Authority, 200 -201 Camp Street, Georgetown, Guyana. Bids must be delivered to the Chairman, National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, Ministry of Finance, Main and Urquhart Streets on or before 09:00 hours on Tuesday, September 24, 2019.” The tax body is said to be prudent about the management of revenues garnered from oil industry, which is currently in its developmental stages. Last year, GRA had announced that it received aid from the British, and International Monetary Fund (IMF) with regards to building staff capacity on how to monitor the new sector. The Authority had to nonetheless consider exactly where the new monitoring unit will be established.
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---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---
Cash Transfer to the Poor: I’d rather Clive Thomas’ economics than economics grounded in Social Prejudice
S
ince Clive Thomas and the WPA an nounced their policy proposal for direct disbursement of a tiny fraction of the coming oil resources to the citizens of Guyana in the form of annual Cash Transfers, some members of the ruling class and others in the chattering classes have gone berserk. Some immediately reached for their economic textbooks while others grabbed their Capitalism Handbook and other Anti-Socialist literature. Then there have been those who climbed into the dustbin of history and resuscitated the narrative of the “lazy African” and to some extent the “lazy Indian and Amerindian” whose purpose in life is to “sport, drink and smoke.” They have responded to the proposal as if someone has committed heresy. Clive Thomas has been portrayed as a mad man. Some in the APNU leadership instantly dismissed it as an alien policy that is not even worth considering. The outcome is that they are all opposed to giving cash to the people. For them, it is a combination of bad economics and bad practice to give poor people money. This almost instinctive reaction from the privileged
sections of the society tells us a great deal about the extent to which social-class prejudices still haunt our country. They are always there. But given the salience of our ethnic problems, they have been hidden. These prejudices are partly traditional insofar as they come from the old Black and Brown middle classes from the colonial times—the Afro and Indo Saxons. It is also partly a function of the very uplifting of poor people—a case of those who made it believing that they are better than those left behind. I grew up in a largely poor village. I know the pangs of poverty, but above all I know the social stigma that accompanies poverty. I know what better-off people think about the capacity of poor people. I know how they laugh at the way poor people talk, walk, dress and eat. I know how some of them feel pity for the poor. I know how they see poor people as merely voters to be used to get them into power. I know how they believe that all you have to do is ring the bell of ethnic fear and poor people will fall in line. So, no matter how they wrap their opposition to cash-transfers in economic theory, at the
core of it are conscious and unconscious class-prejudice. I can smell it from afar. The contempt for poor people by even some “betteroff poor people” is alive and well in Guyana. This aspect of class prejudice arises partly out of the limited opportunities for social mobility that have been made available to poor people—only a small fraction of us have made it out of that dread situation. So, we have come to believe that our upward mobility resulted from some special individual talent on our part. We made it because we worked hard and those who remain at the social bottom are there because they didn’t work hard. In other words, we have come to believe that poor people are poor because they choose to be poor. So, if the government gives them money, they would squander it on foolishness—the poor have no sense of how to spend money properly. Only the government and other social and political elites can spend money properly. So, let the government spend the money for them on education, roads, health care and other necessities. They, the poor, are children who
The Baccoo Speaks Berbice is the hotspot for crime. People will find another body at the side of a road. At first people would believe it is a case of a road accident. Closer inspection would reveal otherwise. ** A fire would destroy a home that housed seven people. A faulty electrical connection would be the cause.
Quick action by neighbours would fail because ready sources of
water were just not available. ** A father would attempt to collect his child from school when he has no right. He is separated from the family and the courts have determined that the children remain with their mother for now. The incensed father would attempt to violate the law.
cannot take care of themselves. If we give them the money, they will not work— they would throwback and wait for the cash-transfers. The fact that they are currently unemployed is because they choose to — work is available, but they don’t want to work. I know this is so because I asked this young man to come and clean my mess for a thousand dollars and he refused. That is the nonsense that is implied by some of our elites and even some who are themselves poor. When people get drunk by their success, they forget that it was government policy that lifted them from the bottom and not a thousand dollars to clean somebody’s mess. They forget that those policies could only lift a few of us at any given time—only a few of us could make it to Bishops’ and Queen’s and UG. Only a few of us could get the scholarships to study abroad. Imagine if Burnham had listened to those who had said don’t let poor people’s children into UG and Bishops’ and Queen’s because they would skip school and gamble. Where would many of us be today? So, don’t matter how they dress it up, the stiff opposition to the WPA’s CashTransfer proposal is directly and indirectly grounded in social prejudice. The danger of this is that many of those who are poised to take power after the next election are steeped in this prejudice. In other words, they can turn their prejudice
into policy or use it to oppose policy—they will have the power to do so. And they would be presiding over a lot of money. Clive Thomas and the WPA have put this policy on the table as one approach on a menu of approaches. We support spending on social services, public infrastructure and other necessities. We support saving some of the money for rainy days, but caution that saving for the future without taking care of the current structural problems may in the long run be counterproductive. But we feel that there are aspects of people’s day to day miseries that government’s indirect spending cannot effectively address — Stone deh a bottom river, he nah know how sun hot. We are a party that feels very strongly about the condition of the poor and the powerless in the society. But above all, we respect poor people as equal human beings with the same human capacity as other social classes. We continue to believe that the collective problems of the poor are structural in nature and are a function of the historical evolution of the country’s political economy. We believe that government policy is key to unlocking the potential of the poor and helping them to break out of their socio-economic prisons. WPA still believes that government must be a vehicle for uplifting the poor. It is from that perspective
Dr David Hinds that the Cash Transfer proposal comes. To all those who say it is bad economics, I say Clive Thomas read the same Economics books which you read and maybe some more. I’d rather Clive Thomas’ economics than economics that is grounded in social prejudice. I also trust the judgement of the people on this policy. I have been going from village to village with the WPA and this subject has been part of the discussion. We are learning from the people about what they want—they want Cash Transfer among other things. They know what they would do with the money. If the people can trust political parties not to squander their votes, then the parties must similarly trust the people not to squander the Cash Transfers. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his w e b s i t e www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 08, 2019
Two ‘Jane Does’, a boy in a bag, and a headless man By Michael Jordan
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here are quite a few murder cases that stick in my head; some, because of the brutality of the crime, others because they are so bizarre. Four such cases come readily to mind. Two of them happened in South Ruimveldt. The third happened in Saffon Street, and the fourth at Vreed-enHoop. Back in the late eighties, a South Ruimveldt resident was grazing his cows near Cane View Avenue, when he spotted something unusual in a nearby canal. It eventually dawned on the resident that he was gazing at the nude and decomposing body of a woman. He immediately called the police. On examination, the victim appeared to be a woman of Amerindian ancestry. Because of the state of the corpse, pathologist Dr. Leslie Mootoo was unable to say how the victim had died. Police waited for someone to come forward to identify the victim. No one ever did, and the woman was buried as an unknown. About a week later, residents of Cane View Avenue got a second shock. There, in the same canal, was the decomposing corpse of another young woman. Like the first victim, she also appeared to be of Amerindian ancestry. Again, the pathologist was unable to say how she had met her death. Again, also, no one came forward to claim her remains. Detectives were convinced that the two murders
– How do you solve a murder when you don’t even know who the victim is? The headless corpse being removed from an abandoned section of the Vreed-enHoop wharf in March 2014 (File photo).
were connected. But with no information on the victims, they were stumped from the outset. One theory was that the women had travelled to the city from some remote hinterland community. The other theory was that someone was killing impressionable young women after luring them from night clubs and parties. Back in the day, South Ruimveldt was known for its ‘bubble sessions’. Maybe the women had been picked up there. Detectives began to
stake out night clubs and brothels, but this yielded nothing. I had written an article on the two ‘Jane Does’ in 1996, and shortly after, someone called me at my home to say that they knew who the killer might be. Identifying the suspect by name, the caller said that the man was someone he worked with briefly. He claimed that the killer had a military background, and ran a business. He also pointed me to where the man lived. I eventually met the caller.
After speaking to him, I surmised that he was attempting to get back at the business personality because of a falling out they had. Around 1997, city constables on duty at La Penitence Market stumbled on a jute bag containing a mysterious object. The ‘object’ inside was a young boy of African ancestry. Someone had beaten him in the head, and had apparently tried to treat the injuries. A drug addict who traversed the area claimed that a
woman in a car had dumped the bag near one of the market stalls. If the ‘junkie’ was right, the people who killed that boy may have come from affluent backgrounds. There was no form of identification on the lad, so I set out to find out who he might be. I walked all along Saffon Street. I checked in the Ruimveldt and other areas. I came up blank. He was never identified. Years later, when a child from an orphanage was beaten to death, and the case went unsolved, I began to wonder if this unidentified boy, too, had suffered a similar fate and then been dumped into the streets. And if you think those cases are strange, just listen to what happened five years ago. In March 2014, someone spotted a man’s corpse near an abandoned section of the Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara wharf. The victim was lying face down and was wearing a pair of three-quarter trousers and a white jersey. The fingers and feet were missing and so was the head. Police eventually found the skull nearby. A pathologist surmised that someone had used a sharp instrument to sever the victim’s head. Although investigators were unable to determine the slain man’s race, they estimated that he was in his late thirties or early forties. What appeared to be
a name was tattooed on the dead man’s right arm. “What is puzzling is that the head was so badly damaged while the rest of the body was not,” a police source said. “A lot of things go on at the waterfront.” That statement, and the faint tattoo, made me think of another tattooed man. In late December 2013, the body of 39-year-old Rafeek Mohamed of Drysdale Street, Charlestown, was found at the Atlantic foreshore at Ruby Backdam, East Bank Essequibo. He had been shot in the face with a shotgun. The name ‘Rebecca’ was tattooed on one of his arms. Although Mohamed’s reputed wife insisted that he was a clothes vendor, police believe that Mohamed was a member of a gang that was involved in robberies and burglaries. His murder remains unsolved. Had the man at the Vreeden-Hoop wharf died under similar circumstances? If you have any information about these unusual cases, please contact us by phone or at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location. We can be reached on telephone numbers 22-58458, 22-58465, 22-58473 and 2258491. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : kamarangnight@gmail.com.
Sunday September 08, 2019
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Kaieteur News
==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
Philip Lee and Charrandass
A
very good friend re turned to Guyana and we had lunch. He asked, “Freddie, you really think Charran didn’t take a bribe?” There have been many such curiosities put to me by friends, colleagues, well-wishers and acquaintances since I supported Charran’s yes in the no-confidence motion (NCM) and revealed he has been a close family friend. Below I offer my reason why they harbour this curiosity Marlon Williams, while he was General-Secretary of the AFC, nearly caused me to break my friendship with Charran. He told me there is proof that Charran was bribed and everything would soon be revealed. When he said so, my heart sunk. I assumed he, as third in charge of a major party in government, knew what he was talking about. Marlon told me that about four months ago. Khemraj Ramjattan, who initiated the police probe after he was informed of Charran’s interest in buying gold, is yet to tell us what he knows about the bribery scandal. The Police Commissioner is not partially but completely silent, since he told the nation earlier this year that Charran is being investigated and there are angles of national security involved. When Clifford Krauss, the New York Times journalist, came to Guyana in July last year and wrote a terribly unflattering portrait of Guyana, this columnist knew he exaggerated and was dishonest and bigoted (see my two articles on Krauss - July 25 and 29, 2018). I stand by those views. But what if Krauss was to hear what Ramjattan and the Police Commissioner said, yet since December 2018 when Charran voted and ran out of the country, neither Ramjattan, the Minister of Public Security and the Police Commissioner have explained at what stage the inquiry is at? The Commissioner said
national security is involved, then, he needs to assure the nation. So why do friends of mine ask about the accusation of bribery? Because Guyanese allowed that narrative to take over their imagination after APNU, the AFC, WPA, Facebook monsters, social media monsters, the Chronicle, and those in support of the government, invented the narrative and saturated us with it. What happened then was that Guyanese came to accept that Guyanese do not have character, integrity and patriotism, and so Charran had to be a villain to do what he did, because money was involved (for a philosophical defence of Charran see the following two columns - Sunday, April 21, 2019, “Charrandass and the Mueller Report: Is Guyana a shit-hole country?” and Tuesday, August 13, 2019, “Dead meat, Charrandass and deconstructing “betrayal” . Without exception, all of those who condemn Charrandass as a vile, dishonest person are people who have made serious pronouncements in psychology using methodologies that the world’s most learned psychiatrists would not dare say even one word about, because the perspectives are asinine and nonsensical. All the condemners of Charran have used a certain approach. It goes like this. Charran is essentially a dishonest and depraved man who took a bribe because his pre-December 2018 politics does not gel with his action on the night that he voted yes in the NCM. They go on to argue that be-
fore December, Charran never uttered one word of dissent that made government parliamentarians and leaders of his party, the AFC, feel he was a dissatisfied person. They point to a plethora of facts. He always spoke strongly for the government’s policies. He made a strong delivery of the budget just days before the NCM. They contend that if he had a legitimate grievance, he should have made his position known. He could have at least voted against the budget. But he waited for the
NCM. These foolish people go on to argue that the man was so deceitful that he knew what he was up to, he knew he was paid-off, but he deceived everyone with his prior, positive support for the government. What is asinine about such an approach? Last week in the British Parliament, while the Prime Minister, whose party had a one-seat majority, was addressing the House, a Parliamentarian from the PM’s party, walked over to the section where the Opposition Lib-Dem MPs sit,
and took his seat. The Parliament was in an uproar. Philip Lee crossed the floor without telling his party leadership about his intention, thus causing his party to become a minority in the House. Did he take money? Yes he did. Karl Marx rose from his grave and bribed Lee, so Boris Johnson could fall in a no-confidence vote and communism can take over the UK. Nuff people in Guyana are not only dangerous but comical. Their clownish acrobatics keep the circus alive.
Frederick Kissoon (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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Sunday September 08, 2019
The loudest voice in our ear stokes fear! We are paying attention to the expressions of fear and skepticism about the efficacy of our new Surveillance System with the network of CCTV Cameras installed in the city. We are told that the cam-
eras are being installed in known ‘hot spots’ both in the heart of the city and in peripheral communities. The systems of crime detection traditionally used in Guyana have been mainly
manual, backed up by a database of known criminals. Lately policing has been boosted by several new initiatives, including vastly improved community relationships between residents and
district police officers. This is nothing to scoff at. Those relations used to be very contentious, very hateful and unhelpful, and criminal activities thrived. The police now participate in community sports, cultural events and even ICT and Robotics training programmes. Crime statistics in Guyana had reached its highest in the decade following the infamous 2002 jailbreak, and many police officers fell in the spree that followed. That John King ballad became a ‘wail’ of an anthem for Guyanese in those years. One verse says: Rose up early this morning To the sound of crying Another mother shedding her tears, oh Jah Why all the pain and suffering? Why all the senseless killing? Could it be that nobody cares? Oh no So many sons lost in the slaughter Blood running in the streets like water A gun in hand knows no friend (oh no) Warmongers selling death in my land Getting rich off the souls of we children Can you tell me when will it end? How many more, Jah ... It was a sad time. Crime statistics have dropped considerably since then, but not all the way down. Citizens are still sus-
ceptible to major and petty crimes, but the Guyana Police Force (GPF) is going global, implementing many initiatives at once, all with the same overriding objectives:(1) To dissuade criminals and would-be criminals from acting 2) To create a city in which citizens, the business community and services providers feel safe. This means that the GPF and all arms of the Joint Services are now working together as an inter-connected whole to keep the peace, nab/ deter the criminals, to protect and serve. It also acknowledges that random crimes will occur in random places, at random times, even under the eyes of the surveillance cameras. No one wants to see even a hint of evidence that Guyana could sink down into the black hole of base criminality and rampant extra-judicial killing that had taken over the city in the early years of the millennium – 2002-2009 – while the PPP ruled the land. Since the whole world has gone digital, and every option to identify, fight and deter crimes is computerized, Guyana went for a Surveillance System complete with a Command Centre to complement the Safe City initiative. This high-tech system has many benefits for law enforcement and for citizens, and it is just one component of the National Broadband Expansion Programme which is funded by a Concessionary Loan of $37.6M from the
China EXIM Bank. The main deliverables of this nationwide Broadband Expansion project are:· The Safe City Surveillance System which will enable law enforcement to access critical information in real time, and improve response times to emergencies · Expanding the national ICT networks (LTE, fibre optic, V-SAT) into the hinterland to ensure that our citizens, wherever they live, have equal access to information, education, healthcare, business, etc. Sometimes, it could become difficult to watch our people ridicule any new development that they could only benefit from. Some folks hear only the conspiracy theories. The loudest voices in their ears only stoke their deepest fears of the unspeakable things that have been whispered to them in their bottom houses, things that are coloured by politics. Some folks have taken to the media to express their fear that the contractor, Huawei Technologies, could pull information on Guyanese citizens, e.g. dates of birth, photographs, email addresses and other personal data, from the Surveillance System and make it available to China. They say they fear that the facial recognition software would invade their privacy, and that the data bank would be subject to ‘abuse’. Sometimes those fears are expressions of the PPP’s fears and theories. One newspaper contributor expressed his fear last week that the ‘cluster of cameras in front of PPP’s headquarters’ could be used for political purposes. But we will wait for the responsible authority, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, to explain the surveillance system, the policies and standard operating procedures. This Network Expansion Programme (in progress) expands cross-country and involves installation of V-Satellite dishes in inland and riverain communities, e.g. the Pomeroon and hinterland regions where telephone/cellular service and adequate power supply are absent or insufficient. The Broadband project supplies all of these needs - Internet connectivity through re-purposed LTE towers and Satellite dishes; and provision of green electrical power via solar panels. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
Sunday September 08, 2019
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Kaieteur News
My column
Guyana’s exclusion from a local content policy seems to be growing
O
il is coming and with it some seri ous questions. There are comments back and forth, and the truth often lies between these comments. Political considerations have also impacted some of what is being said about Guyana’s preparation for oil. I have been following most of the comments. Sometimes I see responses and challenges then I see a repeat of the same accusations like a hamster on a treadmill— running and going nowhere. But there are some issues of my own, and one of these pertains to local content. Indeed, if President David Granger had not made the oil contract with ExxonMobil known, we might never be having the queries and discussions. Trinidad, which has been in the oil industry, still has its oil contract wrapped in secrecy. There was a time when Guyana was declining to release contracts, citing confidentiality clauses. That has changed with the stroke of a pen and the desire for transparency. One of the things that became clear when the oil contracts were released was the fact that Guyana was not
ready for oil, because of its lack of knowledge of things pertaining to oil. Some of these things were to ensure that Guyana got the best for the discovery. I remember when Trinidadians began coming to invest in Guyana’s oil sector. They knew what was needed and they brought their skills. They set up facilities while Guyanese could only sit and look, getting angry at times that the Trinidadians were undertaking jobs that should have been undertaken by Guyanese. There was therefore a rush by us to get involved, but for the greater part we did not know what we needed to do. ExxonMobil began training programmes, even as other foreign organisations began funding training programmes, some at the University of Guyana. Local content dictates that the oil company should seek its needs from Guyana once these are available at competitive rates. For starters, the oil company needed accommodation. There was a search for such accommodation, but according to reports, people suddenly sought to make money by hiking the prices.
Investors are not fools. They have the money, so ExxonMobil sought land at Ogle and decided to build its headquarters. But even this move was not without controversy. The oil company secured ten acres of airstrip land. Immediately it came to the fore that locals who also sought land were denied. This matter was examined and has led to a lawsuit filed by Ogle Airport Incorporated. On Wednesday, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo said that Guyana should have provided the headquarters. There have been three drafts of a local content policy. The first had gaps that were highlighted and exposed. It was the same with the second draft, both prepared by the local content expert, Anthony Paul. The third draft was prepared by Oil Consultant, Dr. Michael Warner, who was hired to complete the policy. The cost of that was $22M. But it is not definitive on what Guyana could enjoy. Instead, it seems to give all the benefits to the foreign companies. As reported by Kaieteur News there are vital shortcom-
ings. The newspaper reported last week, “(it) makes no recommendation for local companies to enjoy the same tax breaks that are granted to the subcontractors and affiliated companies of the oil majors operating offshore Guyana. “Secondly, the draft policy makes no demand for oil companies and their subcontractors to increase their use of local labour and services over time. “Thirdly, foreign companies will not be mandated to partner with local firms, despite a report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) calling for same. “In fact, the draft policy states, “…it is the policy of the Government of Guyana to not mandate local-foreign joint ventures as a requirement for market access in the upstream petroleum sector, but instead to encourage such alliances…” This seems patently unfair to Guyana. For example, if there is a joint partnership effort that demands imports, the Guyanese would not be entitled to the same tax breaks granted to the foreigner. If they both have to import a product, then the Guyanese
could be asked to pay value added tax and other taxes. The foreign company is exempt from such taxes. The argument could be made that if the local company is a sub-contractor then it would be exempt from the taxes, but the policy should make it pellucid. The third draft demands precious little, and it is here that we have to consider the involvement of the foreign diplomats. Over in Venezuela, there are reports that Juan Guaido was approached by the Americans to drop the claim to Essequibo. The report continued that Venezuela should hand over the claimed property to Exxon. That property is Guyana’s and Venezuela cannot hand it over to a foreign company. “Any Local Content Policy Guyana pursues should ensure all international oil subcontractors are made to have a local partner…it is in Guyana’s best interest to have a policy which demands that such foreign companies collaborate with locals to get maximum local content impact.” When the public pressed for a declaration of ExxonMobil’s efforts, it got a
Adam Harris long list of treks to the marketplace, transportation systems, and even entertainment spots. Guyana deserves more. Employment must be guaranteed once the Guyanese are skilled, and over the years many have qualified themselves. I have seen photographs and reports of some Guyanese working on the oil rig. Some Guyanese are scrambling to establish shorebased facilities. Will Exxon be compelled to use them or will the oil company seek to hide behind the draft local content policy which dictates no firm place for local companies? (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 08, 2019
Education for the next generation (Excerpts from an address by HE David Granger) Indigenous Heritage Month celebrates not only the history of Guyana’s indigenous peoples but, also, their destiny. History is important but no one could change what is past. Destiny, however, is in our hands and it is for this generation to make the correct choices to ensure that the next generation could enjoy a future that is more pleasant than the past. Development taking place in indigenous communities is cause for hope. Development is about long-term progress, not a short-term process. It involves integrated planning and implementation – for education, the economy, society and security – to achieve change everywhere. Education, next to food, clothing and shelter, is essential to nurturing the next generation. Measurable progress
is evident in the field of public education. Plans are on stream to continue improving hinterland education over the next ten years in what I have dubbed the ‘Decade of development’, from 2020 to 2029. The path and pattern of public education in the hinterland were set in the immediate post-Independence period, fifty years ago. Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, addressing the Amerindian Leaders’ Conference in 1969, promulgated a policy aimed at ensuring the efficient delivery of public services to the indigenous population. Education is the main instrument towards ensuring that objective. Hinterland education was dominated by the churches at the time. They had performed commendably during the colonial era but were limited in resources, capabilities and vision. There was need for
more modern schools and trained teachers, particularly for secondary, technical and vocational education. A drive was launched to expand access to education for hinterland students. New primary schools were built, some by self-help, at Aranaputa and Monkey Mountain. Eleven new government-aided all-age schools were erected at Maruranau, Sand Creek, St Ignatius and Yakarinta, in the Rupununi; Kamarang in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni; Matthew’s Ridge, Port Kaituma and Warmuri in the Barima-Waini and Orealla in East Berbice-Corentyne Regions. Residential schools were established, first at St. Ignatius in the Rupununi and Hosororo and Mabaruma in the Barima-Waini. A modern multilateral school was built in Pomeroon-Supenaam. Edu-
cational access was facilitated further by the award of scholarships which allowed students free education, at government’s expense, in Georgetown. Teacher-training, including the training of indigenous teachers, was intensified. Houses were built to accommodate teachers and to encourage coast-landers to take up hinterland teaching appointments. Investments were made to strengthen hinterland education in the early post-Independence years in other fields. Hinterland education, indeed, did receive its first great boost fifty years ago and the task continues today. Education is the cornerstone of government’s plans to ensure greater equality between the hinterland and the coastland, to reduce poverty and to provide greater economic opportunities for indigenous communities and peoples. Hinterland education is being repositioned to help to eliminate inequalities and to ensure that ‘every child goes to school and that no child is left behind. Educational policy aims at ensuring that every child has access to education, attends school, and achieves the level that allows her or him to graduate from school with the knowledge, skills and values to become a happy citizen. The government inherited a public educational system with many problems. Some hinterland schools and dormitories were in a deplorable state; substance abuse had penetrated a few schools; allegations of physical violence and sexual abuse were being made and, sadly, students had lost their lives. No government could be happy with so many, so frequent and such serious, reports. Hinterland education, still, is far from perfect, but we have come a long way from those grim, grisly days, and progress has been made. Parents and residents no longer need to protest against the conditions at hinterland dormitories and schools. Students now feel safer and are more comfortable, because of the interventions and improvements which have been made over the past fifty months. Hinterland educational infrastructure is being renovated, repaired and rehabilitated. Hinterland schools are among more than 100 educa-
tional institutions which have been built and upgraded. Investments in infrastructure and information technology, the expansion of the school-feeding scheme and the provision of transportation and scholarships have helped to reduce the number of hinterland school dropouts from 10 primary school students per week in 2014 to an average of 3 students per week in 2017. An average of 17 secondary school students dropped out weekly from hinterland schools in 2014; this has declined to an average of 5 per week in 2017. Hinterland education will be prioritised over the next ten years – 2020-2029 – which have been designated, the Decade of Development. Education will be a cornerstone of the ‘Decade’ which will continue the task of repositioning education which commenced four years ago. Education is now moving on the correct path. More than G$170B have been expended on education over the past four years. Expenditure on the public education sector moved from 14.8 per cent of the national budget in 2014 to 17.0 per cent in 2017. The ‘Decade’ will protect citizens’ right to universal primary, secondary and tertiary education. Guyana’s petroleum profits will be deployed, in part, to improve education, including and especially hinterland education. Primary education is a basic entitlement of all children. It is the foundation for advanced learning. The ‘Decade’ will restore free education as an entitlement. Free education is mandated by the Constitution [at Article 27] which states: “Every citizen has the right to free education from nursery to university as well as at non-formal places where opportunities are provided for education and training.” The ‘Decade’ will help to eliminate the educational inequalities between the hinterland and coastland by devoting more resources to hinterland education. It will allow the training of a greater number of hinterland teachers; offer improved student accommodation and transportation; and establish more hinterland schools and other educational institutions. Indigenous people can be assured that: · they will not be left be-
hind when petroleum production commences next year;· the national, natural resources wealth will be developed in a manner to ensure greater equality between the hinterland and the coastland; and· there will be adequate provision to strengthen hinterland development, particularly through greater educational investments, interventions and improvements. Government’s creation of four ‘capital towns’ – at Bartica, Lethem, Mabaruma and Mahdia, which administer three-quarters of our territory – will ensure the establishment of a first-class secondary school in each capital town. A student no longer will need to leave his/her region of residence. Hinterland residents should not think that they have fallen behind the rest of the country, in terms of access to public educational opportunities. Education is the great equalizer. It is the key to reversing hinterland underdevelopment. It will unlock opportunities for all and help to provide the skills for development. Hinterland students have demonstrated, that once provided with educational opportunities, they are capable of the best performance, as proven by one of the country’s top performers at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate examinations. Hinterland students are being given the best that Guyana has to offer. They have been provided with buses, boats and bicycles to help them to get to school. The construction and renovation of hostels is encouraging them to stay in school. Students’ performance is being boosted by investments in better classrooms and laboratories and through information communications technology. Hinterland students are being offered more scholarships, including tertiary education. Hinterland education is on the right path. This is a good reason to celebrate Indigenous Heritage Month 2019. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
Sunday September 08, 2019
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Cognitive behavioral therapy: It stabilizes your mind By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave. It’s most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can be useful for other mental and physical health problems. CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle. It aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts. Unlike some other talking treatments, it deals with your current problems, rather than focusing on issues from your past. It looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis. Studies have proven its worth and
today I will introduce you to it so that you may help yourself or others that need this form of support. WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM CBT? CBT has been shown to be an effective way of treating a number of different mental health conditions. In addition to depression or anxiety disorders, CBT can also help people with: · bipolar disorder · borderline personality disorder · eating disorders – such as anorexia and bulimia · obsessive compulsive disorder · panic disorder · phobias · post-traumatic stress disorder · psychosis · schizophrenia · sleep problems – such as insomnia · problems related to alcohol misuse CBT is also sometimes used to treat people with longterm health conditions, such as: · irritable bowel syndrome
· chronic fatigue syndrome · fibromyalgia Although CBT cannot cure the physical symptoms of these conditions, it can help people cope better with their symptoms. WHAT HAPPENS DURING CBT SESSIONS? If CBT is recommended, you’ll usually have a session with a therapist once a week or once every 2 weeks. The course of treatment usually lasts for between 5 and 20 sessions, with each session lasting 30 to 60 minutes. During the sessions, you’ll work with your therapist to break down your problems into their separate parts, such as your thoughts, physical feelings and actions. You and your therapist will analyze these areas to work out if they’re unrealistic or unhelpful, and to determine the effect they have on each other and on you. Your therapist will then be able to help you work out how to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. After working out what you can
change, your therapist will ask you to practice these changes in your daily life and you’ll discuss how you got on during the next session. The eventual aim of therapy is to teach you to apply the skills you have learnt during treatment to your daily life. This should help you manage your problems and stop them having a negative impact on your life, even after your course of treatment finishes. WHATARE THE BENEFITS OF CBT? Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be as effective as medicine in treating some mental health prob-
lems. Some of the benefits of CBT include: · It may be helpful in cases where medicine alone has not worked · It can be completed in a relatively short period of time compared with other talking therapies · The highly structured nature of CBT means it can be provided in different formats, including in groups, self-help books and apps. · It teaches you useful and practical strategies that can be used in everyday life, even after the treatment has finished While this form of therapy may not cure your condition
Dr Zulfikar Bux or make an unpleasant situation go away, it can give you the power to cope with your situation in a healthy way and to feel better about yourself and your life. Ask your doctor if CBT is right for you and for a therapist who can deliver it to you.
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SUNDAY DIFFICULT TO RENEGOTIATE ORINDUIK CONTRACT IF EXXON DEAL REMAINS UNCHANGED – UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON INSTRUCTOR Since the revelation by this newspaper that the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) covering the Orinduik Block allows the operator, Tullow Oil, to recover a measly one percent royalty which would be paid to the government, renegotiation calls have surfaced. But University of Houston Instructor, Tom Mitro, categorically states that Guyana will have a difficult time pursuing the renegotiation of the Orinduik PSA if the lopsided deal with ExxonMobil and its partners for the Stabroek Block remains unchanged. The official said that having an unfavourable deal for ExxonMobil will mean that operators of other blocks will also try to insist on a similar deal. The Oil Consultant with over 30 years experience in the field said, “It gets harder to push for better terms in other blocks if the Exxon terms are allowed to remain unchanged. Not impossible, but definitely more difficult. The converse would also hold true.” Mitro added, “If Exxon were forced to renegotiate then consistency and fairness would dictate that the Tullow Block operator should be forced to be renegotiated also. And the model PSA might also have to be redesigned in order to be consistent, so one change will create a domino effect.” The University of Houston Instructor said that this
can be a good thing, but it would require a lot of time and resources and planning. Ideally, Mitro commented that the government should develop a detailed strategy for how it would do this and still remain consistent. He commented that such a strategy would also require ensuring they have the personnel and expertise available to carry out such an undertaking before leaping in to it. Further to this, Mitro said, too, that developing the message the government wants to give to industry investors will be important. “No country wants to be known as one that is constantly changing contractual terms. Most typically, it would want to do what it can to assure current and potential investors that this is a special circumstance and not a continuing threat or something that is done without valid reasons,” the official noted. US$720M LIZA DESTINY TO BE LEASED TO GUYANA SBM Offshore, a Dutch global group of companies selling systems and services to the oil and gas industry, was able to put together the Liza Destiny, Guyana’s first Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO), at a cost of US$720M. The contract was awarded to the firm in 2017 by ExxonMobil. According to SBM, project financing was secured by a consortium of 12 international banks. Kaieteur News understands that FPSO Liza Destiny is owned and will be operated by SBM Offshore for a couple of years. In fact, the lease and operate contract, which it has with ExxonMobil’s subsidiary Esso Exploration and Produc-
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University of Houston Instructor, Tom Mitro tion Guyana Limited (EEPGL) includes an initial period of 10 years with extension options up to an additional 10 years. There are discussions however between the two regarding a potential accelerated transfer of ownership using the purchase option in the 10 year lease contract. The outcomes of these discussions are expected to lead to a transfer of the FPSO ownership and operation to EEPGL. Kaieteur News understands that the FPSO, which is designed to produce up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day, will have associated gas treatment capacity of circa 170 million cubic feet per day and water injection capacity of circa 200,000 barrels per day. The converted Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) FPSO will be spread moored at the Liza field located in the Stabroek block circa 200 kilometers offshore Guyana, in water depth of 1,525 meters and will be able to store 1.6
million barrels of crude oil. SBM also won the contract from Exxon to build perform Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) for a second Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO) for the Liza development located in the Stabroek block in Guyana. Following FEED and subject to requisite government approvals, project sanction and an authorisation to proceed with the next phase, SBM Offshore will construct, install and then lease and operate the FPSO for a period of up to two years, after which the FPSO ownership and operation will transfer to EEPGL. The second Liza FPSO design is based on SBM Offshore’s industry leading Fast4WardTM programme as it incorporates the company’s new build, multi-purpose hull combined with several standardised topsides modules. The FPSO will be designed to produce 220,000
barrels of oil per day, will have associated gas treatment capacity of 400 million cubic feet per day and water injection capacity of 250,000 barrels per day. Furthermore, the FPSO will be moored in water depth of about 1,600 meters and will be able to store around two million barrels of crude oil. All costs being handled by ExxonMobil’s subsidiary for the FPSO will be recovered. THREE CAPTURED DURING BOTCHED ROBBERYAT REPUBLIC PARK HOME – cop relieving himself in bushes hears wounded suspect groaning nearby Quick response by police ranks led to the shooting and capture of one bandit and the arrest of two others, following a botched attack at the home of a Republic Park, East Bank Demerara businessman. The robbery attempt occurred at around 07:45 hrs Saturday. Sources said that Edward Hodge, 40, of Grove, East Bank Demerara, was shot in the upper left thigh, when he opened fire at police ranks who had confronted him at the scene. He has been admitted under guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). One of the other suspects is a 26year-old Grove, East Bank Demerara man, while the third is reportedly from Kaneville, East Bank Demerara. Police said that the Republic Park resident, Brian Perreira, was in his yard disposing of refuse, when he saw a man scale his back fence, while two others stood nearby.Perreira immediately ran back into his house, and alerted the police. A mobile patrol responded quickly and, with the help of residents,
managed to corner the trio in a bushy area at the back of Republic Park. It is alleged that Hodge, who was armed, shot at the ranks. One policeman returned fire, shooting Hodge in the upper thigh. However, he managed to flee into the bushes, while the two others were taken into custody. The ranks continued to stake out the area. As luck would have it, at around 09:30 hrs, one of the policemen went into the bushes to answer a call of nature. MONDAY TULLOW OIL, ITS AFFILIATED COMPANIES, SUB-CONTRACTORS, GET TAX FREE RIDE FOR ORINDUIK BLOCK UK based Tullow Oil and its partners, French multinational Total and Eco Atlantic headquartered in Toronto, Canada, are not the only beneficiaries of a tax free ride for the oil rich Orinduik Block. According to the contract signed with the Granger administration in January 2016, Tullow, Eco Atlantic, Total and all their sub-contractors, non-resident or otherwise, shall be permitted to import all equipment and supplies free of duty, Value Added Tax (VAT) or all or any other duties, taxes, levies or imposts. It also has a pre-approved list of over 330 items which is with the authorities. In addition to this, the companies are free to export these items as they deem fit without any tax or fee being applied. Joining them on this tax free ride are all the expatriate employees of the oil companies and their sub-contractors. The expats of affiliated companies and their subcontractors will benefit too. They all shall be able to import into Guyana free of duty and taxes. They will also enjoy the right to export from Guyana, free of all duties and taxes and at any time. Taking all this into account, Local Content Expert, Anthony Paul has said that such exemptions for foreign subcontractors can only be viewed as discriminatory to locals and should be addressed whether by law or the review of contracts. Paul emphatically outlined these concerns in a report he wrote on the request of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). That international organization had commissioned this report for the Government and it was handed over in 2016. In that document, Paul stressed that such exemptions could actually undermine Guyana’s local content efforts. The Local Content Expert recommended that the concessions which are granted (Continued on page 34)
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From page 33 to the oil sector, be reviewed to ensure that Guyana is not giving away more than it should. Paul suggested that a special Negotiating Task Force be established to handle that particular issue. The Chatham House Advisor also cautioned that oil companies often engage local accounting firms to help them find the country’s fiscal loopholes. He said that to safeguard itself, Guyana would be wise to consider doing same, that is to say, hiring the right firms to help identify and plug the foregoing loopholes, among others, which can be used to keep significant revenue away from the national purse. CDC WANTS SPECIAL FUND TO COVER OIL SPILL RESPONSE OTHER DISASTERS – ALSO PUSHING TO BECOME LEGISLATIVEAGENCY The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is working to complete a Disaster Risk Management Bill that will give it legislative status, and also provide a special fund that covers expenses associated with oil spill response and relief for other disasters. During an exclusive interview with this newspaper, CDC Head, Colonel Kester Craig, said that the draft legislation supports sustainable development in Guyana through the development and implementation of a comprehensive system of disaster risk management. Colonel Craig said it ensures that disaster risk management procedures and measures are put in place in Guyana, including procedures and measures aimed at disaster risk reduction, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery and resilience building. He said, too, that it enables the State through all its resources to assess and manage disaster risk; mitigate or reduce the impact of hazards; and effectively respond to, and recover from, a disaster or an emergency situation. To this end, Colonel Craig said that the draft legislation will allow for the establishment of a long-term institutional, governance and risk management framework at different levels of government to promote Guyana’s resilience to hazards, emergencies and disasters. Colonel Craig also noted that the Bill paves the way for the establishment of a National Disaster Risk Management Fund which would be used to promote and support the development and implementation of disaster risk reduction actions; serve as a contingency fund in the case of disasters and emergencies;
Kaieteur News
CDC Head, Colonel Kester Craig and support the adoption of comprehensive disaster risk management in Guyana. Colonel also noted that the National Disaster Risk Management Fund will operate in a complementary manner to the Contingencies Fund which the Commission usually has access to support disaster relief efforts. Furthermore, Colonel Craig also noted that the National Disaster Risk Management Fund would consist of monies appropriated by the National Assembly for the purposes of the Fund; monies received from partnerships with donor organizations, stakeholders and development partners, including in the form of loans, grants or donations. He said that it will also consists of interest and dividends derived from the investment of monies made on behalf of the Fund; and such other monies which are provided to the Commission as may be raised through or as a result of activities organized by or on its behalf. TUESDAY THOUSANDS OF MOTORISTS STRANDED; MARINE, VEHICULAR TRAFFIC HALTED AS… HARBOUR BRIDGE SLAMMED BY RUNAWAY TUGAND BARGE -CREWMENARRESTED Thousands of motorists were left stranded Monday morning on the West Bank of Demerara after a barge and tug, helped by a strong current, drifted down the river and slammed into the Demerara Harbour Bridge, just after midnight. The bridge, which was shifted out of alignment, was closed for emergency repairs, with vehicular and marine traffic halted. It will take a number of days before normalcy to resume, with light traffic, barring any unforeseen circumstances, expected to be allowed by tomorrow, authorities said.
It is estimated that more than 100,000 persons who either work or conduct business in the city, are living in the West Demerara area. Emergency measures involving the police and other law enforcement officials were put into place to deal with the crowds who rushed to the aging speedboat stelling at Vreed-en-Hoop. Compounding the situation was that Monday was the start of the new school year. Monday afternoon, the
crowds had swelled, with children caught in the confusion. There was a frustrating backup for hours on the West Bank public road with drivers blaring their horns in frustration in the morning. Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, during a midday press conference at the Peter’s Hall headquarters of the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation, disclosed that the crewmen and captain who sent out ‘May Day’ calls were all taken into custody and are being questioned. The crewmen initially claimed that the barge and tug broke loose of their anchor and drifted from the Diamond area. Pulled by the tide, it slammed into the floating bridge at two different points, breaking critical suspensions. A section of the bridge immediately separated leaving a lone car, driven by a woman, in the opening that was created. Fortunately, the woman was able to exit, badly shaken with the car suffering significant damage. Minister Patterson said that there will be emergency measures and temporary river lights to allow speedboats to operate beyond the normal time until 10pm.
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Four vessels have been placed on standby to transport passengers for emergency situations. The situation has brought into sharp focus the critical importance of that one bridge which has been in existence for 41 years. REPSOLTARGETS 200M BARRELS OF OIL WITH FIRST WELL IN KANUKU BLOCK Repsol Exploration Guyana Monday kicked off its drilling campaign at the Carapa-1 well site within the Kanuku Block of the Guyana Maritime Zone. According to the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), this exercise is scheduled to conclude on November 30, 2019, and will incorporate the use of the MODU Rowan EXL-II and the OSV Bourbon Calm vessels, which will be displaying the international signal for vessels engaged in such activities. The department notes that the survey area is approximately 72 nautical miles from the coast of Guyana, and covers an area of 2 square kilometres. Kanuku is a block covering 1,937 km2 in the Atlantic Ocean. Repsol holds a 37.5% stake and operates the
Project, while Tullow Oil holds 37.5% and Total 25%. The Carapa prospect is a 200-million-barrel Cretaceous target located in 70 metres of water and will be drilled using a jack-up rig. ORINDUIK PSA VERY UNUSUALBYANY STANDARD – ENERGY CONSULTANT When one examines the fiscal provisions of the Orinduik Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), it is very unusual by any standard says Partner and Lead Consultant at Global Energy Advisory Services, Randall Mohammed. In one of his recent commentaries on the Guyana oil industry, the Trinidadian who is working in the United Arab Emirates, said he found the provision that allows for a measly one percent royalty to the State to be recovered, troubling. The Lead Consultant at Global Energy Advisory Services said, “… A one percent royalty is very low… This is one of the disadvantages with frontier plays, it’s risky for investors and they require a greater level of financial incentives to de-risk the prospect, more so in territories where governments don’t (Continued on page 35)
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From page 34 have the experience or financial strength.” Mohammed noted, however, that there are cases where governments, aware of their inabilities, took the time to learn what is necessary before going to the negotiation table with experienced oil majors. In this regard, the Trinidadian said, “I recall the scenario in Tanzania whereby the government hired experts on a three-year contract to train and impart knowledge to the Government’s Negotiating Team before going to the negotiation table with investors in a planned LNG project.” Mohammed alluded to the fact that this is the type of cautious approach governments new to the oil industry need to take a note of. In addition to this, Mohammed cited the recent revelation by Kaieteur News that Guyana is being billed $64M by Tullow Oil and its partners for costs incurred prior to the deal being signed in 2016 with the Granger administration. The Consultant noted that recoverable costs by the oil company may include exploration and development cost or be limited to development cost. He asserted that usually, oil companies want to recover all the costs incurred to bring the resources to the surface. Mohammed added, “At times, it appears to be a one-sided game, as governments new to oil and gas have little expertise and experience to identify costs that are applicable.” Considering this, Mohammed stressed that training of government officials on these matters is essential. IMFADVISES The International Monetary Fund (IMF) which is providing technical assistance to Guyana on the oil sector has made it clear that it is only the development costs that are supposed to be recovered by the operator. In its report called, Selected Petroleum Fiscal Issues, the IMF explained that in a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), an oil company agrees to cover all the costs required to explore for and produce oil in return for a share of production. In the event that the exploration does not lead to the exploitation of a commercial discovery, the Fund said that the oil company has no right to be reimbursed for the costs it had incurred. WEDNESDAY OWNERS OF TUG AND BARGE THAT RAMMED HARBOR BRIDGE TO PAY FOR DAMAGE, REPAIRS -AS STRUCTURE RE-
OPENED TO LIGHT TRAFFICAHEAD OF SCHEDULE Almost 36 hours after a packed runaway barge slammed into the Demerara Harbour Bridge, breaking anchors and throwing the structure out-of-line, vehicles were allowed Tuesday to start recrossing. The emergency repairs, which involved almost 60 persons working in shifts, would cause millions of dollars in damage with the final bill to be handed to the owners of barge and tug to pay, bridge officials said. Up to Tuesday morning, according to General Manager, Rawlston Adams, the timeline for opening to cars and minibuses (light vehicles) was set for 6pm. However, critical repairs were completed before midday Tuesday with the bridge reopening to light traffic at 2pm. Heavier vehicles, including Canters, without loads, would be allowed after 6pm. The news would bring a huge sigh of relief and underscore the critical importance of the bridge. While Government is moving to build another bridge that would link the West Bank to East Bank at Houston, that project is a few years away. At the moment, the bid documents that will be used to invite contractors are being prepared. In the meantime, the Demerara Harbour Bridge remains the main link between the city, Timehri airport and West Demerara, which links up with Essequibo too. In all, almost 100,000 persons would have been affected with Sunday night’s collision. On Monday, the situation was compounded by the fact that the new school year had begun. Parents, drivers and others who had not paid attention to the notices, were caught in the early morning traffic to Vreed-en-Hoop where a dilapidated stelling, which serviced the ferries faithfully its heydays, was tested to the limits under the watchful eyes of police who were called to maintain order. Water taxis were allowed to work until 22.00 hrs on Monday, with emergency boats on the standby. STALEMATE CONTINUES… GECOM NO CLOSER TO ELECTION DATE “We have not arrived at any final decisions.” “There’s nothing. We’re no nearer to elections…” ”A lot of our time was spent on generalizations rather than moving to the spe-
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cifics…” ”Another wasted day, wasted discussions. We are nowhere closer to decisions of holding elections.” Those are some of the comments coming from Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) after Tuesday’s weekly statutory meeting at the Kingston Headquarters. Hot on the agenda for many Guyanese is the subject of the merger announced by GECOM of the data garnered from the suspended Houseto-House exercise and the National Register of Registrants (NRR). Commissioner Sase Gunraj said Tuesday that the proposals that were made, relative to the merger, make for a very lengthy processes. He said that data from House-to-House is unverified data, “and we have to be very careful how we treat that data.” Commissioner Vincent Alexander said that the Commissioner discussed cross-
matching of the data, and how that would be done. The political opposition had indicated its opposition to the merger, citing concerns that thousands of names could be duplicated, and that it would take way too long to sanitize the list. The conversation about the cross-matching process was a “holdover”, according to Commissioner Charles Corbin. ”We needed to get a report from the team we sent out to Jamaica to do an assessment of the issue of crossmatching… The team is back. We did get a report and there were also some developments with respect to the original supplier of the service.” The Commission also discussed the production of ID cards. Gunraj provided that the shortest possible period being looked at for the production of ID cards, for instance, is 92 days. The longer limit, he provided, would be 140 days. WE HAVE TO DO WHAT
IS BEST FOR GUYANA , US AMBASSADOR PROTECTING AMERICA’S INTEREST - SAYS GCCI IN RESPONSE TO SENIOR DIPLOMAT’S COMMENTS ON GUYANA’S LOCAL CONTENT PUSH The US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, who is also co-Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce of Guyana (AmCham Guyana), is not too enthusiastic about recent calls for local content policy and legislation. During the first Annual General Meeting for AmCham Guyana at the Marriott Hotel on Saturday, she said “At a time of increasing integration, especially in a globalised energy sector, focusing on who owns a firm is counterproductive.” Her comments come after a recent Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) forum at The Duke Lodge, where the speakers
stressed the importance of local content to ensure Guyanese directly benefit from the proceeds of First Oil. During a press brief Tuesday at its boardroom, as the GCCI announced its Business Development Forum to be held later this month, the question was posed how it contends with Lynch’s statement, given that the Chamber has been on the forefront of local content advocacy. Senior Vice President of GCCI, Timothy Tucker, said that Lynch is doing her job as a public servant of the United States. ”[Lynch] is a public servant in her country and she has to do what is best for her country and her country’s businesses.” OKTucker explained He said “I understand she has to protect her investors and the companies [coming] from that country…” ”After all, we all see that her President [Donald Trump] is very pro Local Content for (Continued on page 36)
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From page 35 his country.” ”We are the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and we have to do what is best for Guyanese businesses. And that’s why the Chamber has always been supportive of local content because it is what is best for Guyanese businesses.” Tucker added. Lynch had also said that the emphasis should be placed, instead on whether firms follow international best practices on matters of environmental protection and financial transparency. The Ambassador’s words contrast with a statement by AmCham President, Zulfikar Ally, who, at the GCCI Local Content Roundtable, urged Government to focus more on Guyanese rather than international companies, “because they will come here regardless.” He had noted Guyana’s history of granting exorbitant concessions to foreigners to lure them to Guyana’s shores. ”The country,” the AmCham President said, “no longer has to be overly generous with this policy, but to now ensure that the local private sector, Guyanese, especially small-sized enterprises, all benefit from these conces-
Kaieteur News
sions and duty-free [concessions], in order to build their capacity to enter this new sector.” For that, he said that Government must allow its outlook on business and the attraction of investment, to undergo a major shift. THURSDAY STAKEHOLDERS’CALLS BEING IGNORED… DRAFT LOCAL CONTENT POLICY PLAN IS ESSENTIALLY FOR FOREIGNERS – DEMANDS NO INCREASED USE OF GUYANESE LABOUR FORCE – MAKES NO CALL FOR TAX BREAKS FOR LOCAL COMPANIES –DOES NOT MANDATE FOREIGN/LOCAL PARTNERSHIP Absent from the third, and supposedly final draft of Guyana’s Local Content Policy, are three key things which stakeholders have long called for. Firstly, the draft policy (a copy of which Kaieteur News has perused) makes no recommendation for local companies to enjoy the same tax breaks that are granted to the subcontractors and affiliated companies of the oil majors operating offshore Guyana. Secondly, the draft policy
makes no demand for oil companies and their subcontractors to increase their use of local labour and services overtime. Thirdly, foreign companies will not be mandated to partner with local firms, despite a report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) calling for same. In fact, the draft policy states, “…it is the policy of the Government of Guyana to not mandate localforeign joint ventures as a requirement for market access in the upstream petroleum sector, but instead to encourage such alliances…” With respect to tax breaks, Kaieteur News would have reported on several occasions the oil companies, their affiliated firms, and all their subcontractors enjoy a range of tax exemptions. They are not required to pay Value Added Tax (VAT) or import duties on equipment and supplies. In fact, the only tax that these foreign subcontractors are required to pay is Excise Tax on fuel imports at a rate of 10 percent; meanwhile, locals have to pay 50 percent. Taking this into account, Local Content Expert, Anthony Paul has said that such
exemptions for foreign subcontractors can only be viewed as discriminatory to locals and should be addressed, whether by law or through the review of contracts. Paul emphatically outlined same in a report that he wrote on the request of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). That international organisation had commissioned this report for the Government and it was handed over in 2016. In that document, Paul stressed that such exemptions undermine Guyana’s local content efforts. Further to this, the Trinidadian said in the same report that any Local Content Policy Guyana pursues should ensure all international oil subcontractors are made to have a local partner. In fact, the Chatham House Advisor said that it is in Guyana’s best interest to have a policy, which demands that such foreign companies collaborate with locals to get maximum local content impact. FIRED TOWN CLERK ROYSTON KING TO KNOW FATE TODAY -AS JUDGE SET TO RULE IN UNLAWFUL DISMISSAL CASE
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Randall Mohammed, Partner and Lead Consultant at Global Energy Advisory Services Justice Simone MorrisRamlall is expected to hand down a ruling this morning in an application filed by Former Town Clerk Royston King who has taken the Local Government Commission (LGC) to court for unlawfully firing him. King was fired in January following recommendations made by a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into operations of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC). The CoI, which was headed by retired Judge Cecil Kennard, had recommended that King be charged criminally since he was cited for gross misconduct, abuse of office, recklessness, dishonesty, conspiracy, and misappropriation of funds. As a result of the CoI’s findings, King and several other council officials were sent on administrative leave, and subsequently King had his services terminated. However, a few weeks after he was sacked, King moved to the court asking for a judicial review of the LGC’s decision. By way of a Fixed Date Application (FDA), King (the Applicant) through his lawyers Maxwell McKay and Patrice Henry, is seeking an Order of Certiorari quashing the decision of the LGC (the Respondent) to summarily dismiss him from the post of Town Clerk for gross misconduct effective on January 23, this year. The former Town Clerk is also asking the court to grant an Order of Mandamus compelling the LGC to re-instate him and/or immediately pay him all his superannuation benefits, inclusive of pension, gratuity, payments in lieu of annual leave up until he attains the statutory age of retirement on January 20,
2020. King is also asking the court for an order that he be paid his superannuation benefits, cost and aggravated/exemplary damages for the deprivation of his benefits while on administrative leave, and pension rights under Article 149B of the Constitution, the right to work under Article 149A, which are properties under Article 142 of the Constitution and compensation for public embarrassment and humiliation. Added to that, the Applicant is also seeking an order and/or declaration that the alleged charge of gross misconduct, and/or any other charge (s) is null, void and of no legal effect, and as a consequence the offences are not encoded in any schedule of offences under the LGC Act, or Section 14 thereto, and ought to have been reported to the police for an investigation and criminal charges, if necessary, instituted. MORE THAN 60% OF ‘BELT AND ROAD’ PROJECTS ALLOCATED TO CHINESE COMPANIES – LITTLE KNOWN ABOUT THE PROCESSES FOR SELECTING THEM – WORLD BANK China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was introduced in 2013 to build massive infrastructural projects in various countries. The move was intended to improve trade relations. But a number of signatories to the initiative have deemed it to be a debt trap cloaked with good intentions. In an effort to help countries thinking of (Continued on page 45)
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Wine of the week The Antigal 1 (Uno) Red Blend is one of Argentinas most exotic blends. It features dark berry aromas while carrying sweet to tangy berry flavors, some charred oak notes, and finishes with grabby tannins.This gorgeous masterpiece was birthed in the historic winery called Bodega Antigal which is located in Maipú, Mendoza Argentina. Its origins date back to 1897. With a completed remodeling in the 2000s, the Bodega Antigal was able to achieve the very best in high-tech functionality and houses a state-of-the-art facility whose gravity-flow platform system allows for a largely “hands off” approach to winemaking thereby eliminating the need for forceful pumps and crushers.Since 2007, the company started the exports of its mouth-watering treasure mainly to the US market, and quickly became a statewide recognized quality brand from Argentina, with its signature UNO Malbec. In fact, UNO
Malbec, received its first recognition by the prestigious US Magazine Wine Enthusiast. Additionally, Antigal has been recognized worldwide for its quality, with a strong presence in America, Europe and Asia. But thats enough history for you. Lets get down to the more interesting part: taste and what to pair it with. This wine undoubtedly showcases the optimally ripe grapes of Argentinas vineyards. It has an intense, almost blood red colour and carries a powerhouse taste of red fruit, cedar, and vanilla spice. But this boldness is beautifully tapered off by smooth firm tannins. It is perfect for pairing with pasta and red meats. This Argentine masterpiece can be found at the Wine Vault located at the Marriott Hotel for $6800 VAT inclusive. You can also find it at the Hibiscus Restaurant, Nice Restaurant and Bar, Palm Court and other leading hotels and bars.
Sunday September 08, 2019
Enetworks to air all CPL matches The Caribbean Premier League kicked off at the Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain in Trinidad on September 4, last. That match and all the others to come will be aired on Enetworks. Below is a list of the dates and the respective matches. September 08, Sunday Match 5- Trinbago Knight Riders vs St Lucia Zouks (Trinidad) Local Time- 12:00, IST21:30 (Same Day) Match 6- Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Barbados Tridents (Guyana) Local Time- 17:00, IST- 2:30 (September 9)-September 10, Tuesday Match 7- St Kitts and Nevis Patriots vs Jamaica Tallawahs (St Kitts) Local Time- 18:00, IST- 3:30 (September 11).September 11, Wednesday-Match 8- St Kitts and Nevis Patriots vs Barbados Tridents (St Kitts) Local Time- 18:00, IST- 3:30 (September 12) September 12, Thursday .Match 9- Jamaica Tallawahs vs St Lucia Zouks (Jamaica) Local Time- 18:00, IST- 4:30 (September 13) September 13, Friday-Match 10- Jamaica Tallawahs vs Trinbago Knight Riders (Jamaica) Local Time- 19:00, IST- 5:30 (September 14) September 14, Saturday-Match 11- St Kitts and Nevis Patriots vs Guyana Amazon Warriors (St Kitts) Local Time- 20:00, IST- 5:30 (September 15) September 15, Sunday-Match 12- Jamaica Tallawahs vs Barbados Tridents (Jamaica) Local Time- 12:00, IST- 22:30 (Same Day) .Match 13- St Kitts and Nevis Patriots vs St Lucia Zouks (St Kitts) Local Time- 17:00, IST2:30 (September 16) September 17, Tuesday.-Match 14- St Kitts and Nevis Patriots vs Trinbago Knight Riders (St Kitts) Local Time- 18:00, IST- 3:30 (September 18) September 18, Wednesday-Match 15- Jamaica Tallawahs vs Guyana Amazon Warriors (Jamaica) Local Time- 19:00, IST- 5:30 (September 19) September 19, Thursday-Match 16- Jamaica Tallawahs vs St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (Jamaica) Local Time- 19:00, IST- 5:30 (September 20) September 20, Friday-Match 17- St Lucia Zouks vs Barbados Tridents (St Lucia) Local Time- 20:00, IST- 5:30 (September 21) September 21, Saturday-Match 18- St Lucia Zouks vs Trinbago Knight Riders (St Lucia) Local Time- 20:00, IST- 5:30 (September 22) September 22, Sunday -Match 19- Barbados Tridents vs Guyana Amazon Warriors (Barbados) Local Time- 18:00, IST- 3:30 (September 23)
September 23, Monday -Match 20- Barbados Tridents vs Jamaica Tallawahs (Barbados) Local Time- 18:00, IST- 3:30 (September 24) September 24, Tuesday Match 21- St Lucia Zouks vs St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (St Lucia) Local Time- 18:00, IST- 3:30 (September 25) September 25, WednesdayMatch 22- St Lucia Zouks vs Guyana Amazon Warriors (St Lucia) Local Time- 18:00, IST- 3:30 (September 26) September 26, Thursday Match 23- Barbados Tridents vs Trinbago Knight Riders (Barbados) Local Time- 18:00, IST- 3:30 (September 27)September 27, FridayMatch 24- St Lucia Zouks vs Jamaica Tallawahs (St Lucia ) Local Time- 20:00, IST5:30 (September 28)-September 28, Saturday Match 25- Barbados Tridents vs St Kitts and Nevis Patriots (Barbados) Local Time20:00, IST- 5:30 (September 29) September 29, Sunday-Match 26- Barbados Tridents vs St Lucia Zouks (Barbados) Local Time- 18:00, IST- 3:30 (September 30) September 30, Monday-Match 27Trinbago Knight Riders vs Guyana Amazon Warriors (Trinidad) Local Time- 19:00, IST4:30 (October 1) October 02, Wednesday-Match 28Trinbago Knight Riders vs Barbados Tridents (Trinidad) Local Time- 19:00, IST- 4:30 (October 3) October 03, Thursday-Match 29- Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Jamaica Tallawahs (Guyana) Local Time- 18:00, IST- 3:30 (October 4) October 04, Friday-Match 30- Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders (Guyana) Local Time- 20:00, IST- 5:30 (October 5) October 06, Sunday-Qualifier 1 1st v 2nd Eliminator 3rd v 4th October 10, Thursday-Qualifier 2- Winner of Eliminator v Loser of Qualifier 1 (Trinidad) Local Time- 19:00, IST- 4:30 (October 11)October 12, Saturday Final- Winner of Qualifier 1 v Winner of Qualifier 2 (Trinidad) Local Time- 17:00, IST2:30 (October 13)(The Caribbean Premier League is an annual Twenty20 cricket tournament held in the Caribbean. It was created in 2013 and replaced the Caribbean Twenty20 as the premier Twenty20 competition in the Caribbean. It is currently sponsored by Hero MotoCorp and consequently officially named the Hero CPL. The inaugural tournament was won by the Jamaica Tallawahs who defeated the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the final.)
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Kaieteur News
Everything You Need to Know About Avocados The avocado is an evergreen, tropical tree with green, pear-shaped, nutrientdense fruit. The term avocado refers to both the tree and the fruit. Avocados come in hundreds of different varieties. And the tree is a member of the flowering plant family, Lauraceae. The fruit itself is technically a berry containing one large seed. But keep in mind that the scientific definition of a berry (a fruit derived from the ovary of a single flower) varies from common usage. Botanists will tell you that eggplant is a berry and a strawberry is not. So I wouldnt jump at a berry cobbler made by a botanist! While they arent sweet, avocados are a satisfying and versatile food with a creamy, buttery texture. And they have a rich flavor from the high-fat content. Avocado health benefits are extensive and include:
1.Avocado eaters tend to be healthier. A 2013 study published in the Nutrition Journal found that avocado consumers tend to have higher nutrient intake and lower rates of metabolic syndrome. They also have lower weight, lower BMI, less belly fat, and higher levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein, or “good”cholesterol). 2.Avocados can help you better absorb antioxidants. Some nutrients are fat-soluble. That means you should consume them with fats so your body can properly absorb them. A 2005 study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that eating carotenoids (antioxidants including lycopene and beta-carotene) with avocado or avocado oil increased their absorption. 3.Avocados may help prevent and treat cancer. A 2015 study published in Cancer Research found that avocatin B, a compound derived from
avocado, can help kill leukemia cells. A 2015 research review published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that phytochemicals (plant compounds) in avocados make them potentially beneficial for preventing cancer. 4. Avocados can re-
eating one avocado per day as part of a moderatefat, cholesterollowering diet reduced LDL (low-density lipoprotein, or “bad”cholesterol). 5.Avocados may aid in weight loss. A 2013 study published in the Nutrition Journal found that people eating avocado
duce your risk of heart disease. A 2015 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that
with a meal felt 23% more satisfied. And they had a 28% lower desire to eat in the next five hours versus people who didnt eat an avocado. 6.Avocados may boost brain health and memory. The fruit is rich in oleic acid (or OEA), an omega9 fatty acid thats linked to improved cognition. A 2009 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America found that these types of acids can enhance memory. 7.Avocados may help lower the risk of depression. Eating monounsaturated fats have been shown to reduce depression. (And balancing fat intake may help control depression.) And the high amount of folate has been shown to help maintain your brains feelgood chemicals, dopamine and serotonin. 8. Avocados can help prevent neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons. A 2016 study published in Advances
Marijuana: Could it slow Parkinson’s disease progression? Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurological illness in the United States, causing tremors, slowness of movement, postural instability, and impaired balance and coordination. But findings from a new review suggest symptoms of the condition could be improved with marijuana. The researchers note that medical marijuana has been approved in various U.S. states to treat symptoms of cancer, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma, chronic pain, seizures, cachexia, and multiple sclerosis. Recently, another study suggested that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) - the active compound in marijuana - reduced beta-amyloid levels in nerve cells, a protein considered a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. In the U.S., Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects about 1 million people. It is progressive, which means it gets worse over time, and it occurs when a person’s brain stops producing dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in movement as well as in cognitive and psychological functions. There is currently no cure for the disease; treatments carry with them several limitations and do not slow progression of PD. The researchers from this latest study say recent research has indicated that the endocannabinoid system
plays an important role in PD. In detail, components of this system “are highly expressed in the neural circuit of basal ganglia, which is part of a complex neuronal system,” they say. The neuronal system they mention organizes activities from certain cortical regions that are active in movement control. “When we started doing this review,” says Prof. Loewy, “the therapies out there were basically for motor symptoms, but Parkinson’s also has nonmotor symptoms that greatly impact the quality of a person’s life.” To dig deeper, he and his team conducted a thorough literature review on studies of marijuana. The most compelling finding was that chemical components of marijuana yield benefits in the wake of different PD symptoms. For example, Prof. Loewy notes that marijuana has been found to relieve pain in other diseases, adding that it should be studied for pain relief in people with PD. Pain affects nearly 50 percent of people with the condition, the researchers note. But why is marijuana specifically promising for PD? According to the team, the cannabinoid compounds in marijuana bind to dopamine receptors to reduce the effects of reduced dopamine in the brain. “Essentially, the compounds replace the normal
compounds that are adversely affected by Parkinson’s,” Prof. Loewy says. But the big finding from their review centers around the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of marijuana, which may prevent neuron damage. The researchers say inflammation can damage neurons that produce dopamine the lack of which contributes to movement problems in Parkinson’s. As such, they say preventing neuron damage could slow PD progression. They note that there is a need for safer drugs to treat PD, adding that cannabis “may provide a viable alternative or addition to the current treatment of Parkinson’s disease.” However, as with any substance, there are risks to take into account. Recent research has uncovered some downsides to marijuana use, including memory loss, increased osteoporosis risk, and impaired blood vessel function. Furthermore, a study published in April of this year suggested marijuana use may reduce dopamine in the brain, so how this could affect PD should be taken into account. The researchers from this latest study conclude that “further studies are needed to provide more data on efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and interactions of cannabi n o i d s . ” www.medicalnewstoday.com
in Neurobiology found that the “diverse array of bioactive nutrients” present in avocados play a key role in the prevention and cure of these types of diseases. 9.Avocados can keep your eyes healthy as you age. The fruit is rich in the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which can help protect and maintain healthy cells in your eyes. According to a 2017 study published in the journal Nutrients, avocado can help boost macular pigment with age. 10.Avocados can help prevent gum disease. A 2006 study published in the Journal of Periodontology found that key ingredients in avocados may enhance protective effects against periodontal disease. 11.Avocados can help ease osteoarthritis. A 2010 review published in the journal The Physician and Sportsmedicine found that key ingredients in avocados can help patients with arthritis of the hip or knee. 12. Avocados can combat metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is an assortment of linked issues including high blood sugar, high serum cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high body mass index, which lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A 2017 study published in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that the “lipidlowering, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antithrombotic, antiatherosclerotic, and cardioprotective effects of avocado” can help protect against this syndrome. 13. Avocados can help prevent food poisoning. A 2013 study published in the journal BioMed Research International found that the antibacterial activity of avo-
cados can help protect against e. Coli and other foodborne pathogens. 14. Avocados can help reduce liver damage. A 2000 study presented by the American Chemical Society found that avocados contain chemicals that can protect against liver toxins. And avocados may be able to lessen the liver damage caused by the hepatitis C virus. 15.Avocados can be great for pregnant women. A 2016 study published in the journal Nutrients concluded that avocados are high in folate and potassium (typically under-consumed in maternal diets) as well as fiber, monounsaturated fats, and lipid-soluble antioxidants all of which are tied to improvements in maternal health, birth outcomes, and quality of breast milk. Any Down Sides to Avocados? Avocados are high in fat and calories. So if excess weight is a concern, you may want to create some limits on how many you eat. A small amount can go a long way. And if youre prone to migraines or are allergic to latex, avocados might not be the fruit for you. For those who suffer from migraines, certain foods, circumstances, or environmental factors can trigger episodes. Avocados sometimes appear on lists of such foods due to the high levels of tyramine (a substance formed when proteins break down) they contain when overripe. In addition, avocado contains some of the same allergens found in latex. So if you have a latex allergy, you may want to watch out to see if avocados trigger any of the same symptoms. (https:// foodrevolution.org/blog/ avocado-health-benefits/)
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THE HUMMING BIRDS By Sharon Krager My Grandma had two bushes just outside her kitchen window. They were beautiful. The bushes were called Rose of Sharon, with lots of light purple blossoms all over. They stayed on the bushes from July to early October, and we loved to watch the hummingbirds swarm around them every year. In and out of the blossoms they would go. They fluttered from one bush to another back and forth with the sound of tiny wings going as fast as they could.. Grandma and I would sit in the swing on the porch. We would be very quiet and try not to move too much. The hummingbirds would not notice us sitting there watching them. Some of them were yellow and some of t h e m w e r e b l u e . We sometimes saw three or four of them at a time. How beautiful they were. On my tenth birthday, my Grandma bought me a ceramic hummingbird. I was so very proud of that bird. I placed in high upon a shelf in my bedroom where no one would be able to bother it. That was the safest place I could find to keep it. When I was lying in my bed, I would watch that ceramic bird and think of the summertime when we watched the real ones flying round and round. Grandma
was a camera buff, and one quiet summer evening we were sitting in our usual spot on the porch. She had her camera with her and she took a picture of one of the hummingbirds in flight. It was the most beautiful picture that I had ever seen. She let me have it to put in my scrapbook and keep forever. That was a good keepsake for
me. I always liked to spend time at Grandmas house. We did lots of things together. I helped her water flowers and cut weeds in the yard. She always told me that if a hummingbird flies at you and looks you right in the eye it was good luck. Well that is just what happened to me one day when I was helping her do things in the yard. I bent over to pick up some broken branches and when I stood up, there it was. One of those wonderful birds flew up and stayed in the air looking me right in the eye. Its little wings were fluttering to beat the band. They were faster than I could ever see them. It was like magic to me. My heart skipped a beat and I watched
it as it went on about its business looking for more blossoms. I dont know what kind of good luck I had after that day, but I will always remember that beautiful little bird caught in the air like a statue looking at me with those tiny black eyes and long pointy beak. Summers came and went and as a young girl, going to Grandmas and watching those hummingbirds was the highlight of my visits with her. I still have the statue she gave me up on my shelf. Even though I am a little older now, we still like to sit on the porch swing and watch them flutter back and forth from one bush to another. I never grow tired of watching the hummingbirds. Each year when they come back I am anxious to see them. That is when I always know that spring has arrived again. When I am older and have grandchildren of my own, we
will do the same thing that I did with my grandma. We will watch the hummingbirds flutter around from blossom to blossom and flower to flower. They might come and feed at my little red feeders and stay around long enough for us to get a fleeting glimpse of the mystery of the precious hummingbird.
Sunday September 08, 2019
Junior page How to Make a Unicorn with paper rolls What you need: -toilet paper rolls or kitchen paper towel paper rolls -acrylic yarn (preferably in rainbow color) -craft paints (white, pink, blue…) or colored paper -glue -black marker -scissors -cardstock or craft foam for horn -cardstock for ears
Step by Step Tutorial You can either paint the paper rolls or wrap them with colored paper. If wrapping with paper, cut a strip of paper as wide as the paper roll and glue it around the paper roll. Time to make the mane and the tail. Put 2-3 fingers together (2 for mane, 3 for tail), depending on size you are working with and wrap yarn around them over and over until you have a thick “circle” of yarn.Pull the yarn off your fingers, gently (you should see a “ring” or a “circle”. Tie the yarn up, still keeping the circle shape (think of ring on a necklace). Cut the circle of yarn, close to the knot you tied. Trim the shape if
Glue the yarn mane inside the top of the toilet paper tube, leaving some of it hang out and over the toilet paper roll. Glue the larger tail yard on the middle of the toilet paper tube in the back. Cut a horn shape and stick it on the mane. Cut ears from cardstock, stick them on the mane or paper roll. Draw the eyes with black marker (you can also use googly eyes). Dip your finger into pink paint or dip the eraser (from a pencil with an eraser) in paint and dab on the roll to make pink
cheeks. necessary.Repeat for the tail (using 3-4 fingers).
All done! Youve made a Unicorn Toilet Paper Roll Craft.
FUN WITH POETRY
Back to School Another school year is about to start, You'll learn new things and become very smart; You'll learn about the stars and the moon, I know you can't wait, it will happen real soon. You'll meet new friends and have so much fun, School will feel like something you have won; Your teachers will help, you'll learn so much, So always remember to keep in touch. You'll also learn about your own country, Among others of the world in Geography; I just have one more back-to-school suggestion, Remember to always give your full attention.
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 08, 2019
Prepare yourself to make the most of the new school year Take the time to organise your school supplies. By now you must have procured your required supplies. This will include the list of materials the school provided, and what you feel that you will need apart from these. You will then need to plan ahead to be ready for each days work. Pack your school bag the night before so that you will have a chance to double check that you have everything. Use the sections of your backpack to make all of your supplies easily accessible. Make sure you have folders to collect loose papers and assignments, and extra containers for essential items. Pack a special place in your bag for items that you may need in emergencies, for example, a pack of tissues can be ready in case you get a runny nose in class, and a bandage can help if you get a papercut while reaching into your bag. Keep these items separate from your books or they may break in your bag and leak and ruin your books. Make sure that you have enough space for the items you plan on carrying with you daily. You will want to keep necessities like your phone and keys nearby for safe keeping, so that you don’t have to spend too much time hunting for them when needed. If you have front pockets in your bag, you can use them for small items that could get lost in a bigger pouch. Establish a routine
Organise the items you will need in advance
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School School is something we must all embrace, Knowledge we need to seek out and chase; Subjects and topics are plentiful and vary, Just like the backpacks we all need to carry. Sports, lessons and other activities at every turn, So much to do, to study and learn; To get the most from school we should always attend, This will guarantee that we will learn without end. Remember that our teachers are friendly and kind, Their passion in their job is to expand every mind; School is something we must all embrace, Just remember you will learn at your own pace.
1.Start a sleep schedule. To function at your best, you will need to be well rested and alert at the start of the school day. If you have kept late hours during summer vacation, you may find it difficult to adjust to the earlier schedule. Since the amount and quality of your sleep impact your academic success, it is important to start this adjustment before classes begin. Regular sleeping patterns lead to higher quality sleep. Establish a routine of preparation for sleep and a consistent schedule. 2. Study at set times. If you can, study at regular times. Once a pattern is set, you will find it easier to get started and use your time efficiently. On days that you dont have homework or tests to prepare for, keep the routine by practising a skill or reading about a topic that interests you beyond class assignments.
Your schedule will likely vary somewhat from day to day, especially if you are involved in sports, clubs, or housework. Even if you cannot study on the same day every week, try to develop consistent hours or weekly patterns; for example, if your work schedule changes each week, try to reserve one night early in the week and one night late in the week to complete your assignments. 3. Time your morning preparations. Morning routines are often hurried as you rush to make it to class on time. Before the year begins, make sure you know how much time you will need to get ready in the mornings and prepare to wake up early enough to do so properly. Plan what you will wear the night before, and prepare these in advance. This will simplify the hurried morning routine and reduce stress.
Suguru Puzzle The heavy lines indicate areas, called cages, from one to five squares in size.Fill each cage with unique digits, counting up from 1. So for example, a 2-square cage contains the numbers 1 and 2; and a 5-square cage contains the numbers from 1 to 5. Adjacent (touching) squares, even ones that touch diagonally, may never contain the same number.
Like everything else we are involved in, we willbenefit in school just as much as we make the effort to THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK do our best. Solutions to last week’s
Legalese Across 1. Take someone into custody and hold them in custody - ARREST 3. Argument in support of someone or something - DEFENSE 4. Used as proof - EVIDENCE 7. Formal statement declaring guilt or innocence - PLEA 10. Deliberately giving false testimony while under oath - PERJURY 11. Group of people sworn to render an impartial verdict - JURY 12. Declaration that someone has done something wrong or illegal although it has not yet been proved - ALLEGATION Down 2. Formal statement made after swearing to tell the truth - TESTIMONY 5. Enticing someone into committing a crime that the person would not otherwise perpetrate - ENTRAPMENT 6. Second hand statement that may or may not be true - HEARSAY 8. To clear someone of criminal charges - ACQUIT 9. When a prisoner is released before the official e nd of a sentence and promises not to break the law - PAROLE
CROSSWORD
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Hair Care Tips for Natural Curly Hair 1. Embrace the Pre-Shampoo Treatment for Curly Hair Many curly girls with delicate locks swear by the pre-shampoo routine. Pre-shampooing is exactly what it says—a step performed before shampooing. Pre-shampooing softens, conditions and detangles the hair prior to shampooing. It prevents unnecessary roughness and damage during the shampooing process, especially if hair is extremely tangled or snarled. Use a conditioner or conditioning oil to pre-shampoo, and apply it to dry hair. Divide your hair into sections and work the conditioner into your hair thoroughly, using your fingers to separate your curls and work the product in. Leave it on for at least 20 minutes and if your hair is super snarled, pop on a plastic cap or towel to help heat up your head, which will open up the cuticle of your hair and invite the conditioner to penetrate more deeply. You may be saying to yourself, “I don’t have time to add another step to my hair care regimen.” But this step may actually save you time in the long run because your hair will be much easier to detangle post-shampoo. 2. Skip Daily Shampoos Curly hair doesn’t need to be shampooed as frequently as straight hair. Frequent shampooing can stretch and stress out fragile strands, and dry out thirsty curls. However, conditioner is your friend. Welcome that friend into the shower with you frequently, applying conditioner even if you don’t shampoo your hair. 3. Choose Your Shampoo for Curly Hair Wisely Think of your curly hair as fine cashmere. You wouldn’t wash your cashmere sweater with a harsh detergent, and you shouldn’t cleanse your curls with a harsh shampoo. Use a mild shampoo or a low-lather cleansing conditioner that will refresh your hair and scalp without stripping away too much of its natural moisture and oils. Many curly girls even go a step further and dilute their shampoos or cleansing conditioners with distilled water. 4. Section Your Hair For Tangle-Free Washing Rubbing, scrubbing, swirling or piling your hair on top of your head while shampooing can be disastrous for curls. This type of manipulation leads to the type of tangles you don’t even want to think about. Instead, break it down. Divide your hair into four sections—more if it’s super thick. Twist or clip away all but the first section. Apply a small amount of shampoo or cleansing conditioner to your scalp and work it in thoroughly. Then gently squeeze it down along the lengths. Repeat on each of the sections. Then rinse in the same sequence—section by section, starting at the scalp and squeezing the suds out of the lengths from top to bottom. 5. Turn Down the Hot Water Yes, a cold water shampoo and/or rinse doesn’t make for the most luxurious hair washing experience. But cold water will snap those cuticles shut, which in turn will lock in moisture, make your hair shinier and reduce frizz. 6. Use Deep Hair Conditioner. A Lot. After shampooing, apply a deep conditioner. Choose a formula that answers the needs of your hair. Is it dry? Pick a moisturizing formula that contains humectants like glycol, glycerin or good quality oils. Is it weak? You’ll need a protein reconstructor with silk amino acids or keratin to restore strength.
7. Comb Correctly Comb with care and use seamless, snag-free combs. Invest in the best possible quality comb. Don’t pull or rake. When detangling your hair after shampooing, use a very wide-tooth comb and detangle gently, section by section. Always detangle your hair when it’s wet, preferably when it’s protected with a coat of conditioner. As far as brushing goes? Just don’t. It will wreak havoc on your curl pattern by breaking up the hair strands and creating a frothy, frizzy mess. You also risk yanking the hair out at the root or breaking it midshaft or creating split ends with a brush. 8. Lay Off the Heat Blow dryers, flat irons, curling irons—all of these thermal tools lead to breakage. If you’re a hot tool addict, try to wean yourself off of the heat. Opt for air drying on the weekends or at night. Set your hair in twists or on foam rollers and let it dry naturally. When you do use tools, invest in the highest quality you can afford. Look for tools containing ionic properties, made with tourmaline or ceramic. Always apply a heat protection product prior to styling. If you must style with heat, consider switching to a diffuser. It minimizes frizz by evenly distributing heat, and it’s much gentler than direct heat from a blow dryer. To diffuse, start at the roots using circular motions, moving in the same direction. Continue drying, keeping the dryer at a 90-degree angle to your scalp. Finally diffuse the ends. Finally, when your hair is just about dry, hit the cool button on your dryer to lock in shine.
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 08, 2019
Sunday September 08, 2019
1.Trump invited Putin to Washington because it’s customary to take a tour of your new home before you move in. 2.Trump won’t get re-elected if we just stop fixing our grandparents’ WiFi. 3.What do you call a Russian procrastinator? Putinoff. 4.There was an outbreak of food poisoning among the world leaders at the recent summit. During the food preparation, they feared what the Russians Putin May Merkel Trump. 5.A liberal is a conservative who’s been arrested. A conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged. 6.Why do Republicans spend so much money on bathroom fixtures? They really love the Grand Old Potty! 7.If our president decides to get rid of all the retarded people in the U.S., you will be the first one to go! 8.Without going to jail, you cannot be a big politician. 9.In politics, absurdity is not a handicap. 10.An honest politician is one who, when he is bought, will stay bought. 11.What do politicians and porn stars have most in common? They’re experts at switching positions in front of camera. 12.If our president decides to get rid of all the retarded people in the U.S., you will be the first one to go! 13.What’s the difference between a politician and a flying pig? The letter F. 14.I don’t approve of political jokes...I’ve seen too many of them get elected. 15.What’s the difference between Bill Clinton and a carpenter? A carpenter can cover up the holes he screws. 16.I asked my North Korean friend how it was there, he said he couldn’t complain. 17.A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well. 18.Why do Americans choose from just two people to run for president and 50 for Miss America? 19.Q: Have you heard about McDonald’s new Obama Value Meal? A: Order anything you like and the guy behind you has to pay for it. 20.The NSA: a government organization that actually listens to you! 21.The government shutdown has officially lasted longer than any of Taylor Swift’s relationships. 22.Politicians and diapers have one thing in common: they should both be changed regularly… and for the same reason. 23.If Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are in a boat and it capsizes. Who survives? America. 24.Q: Did you hear that the White House isn’t displaying it’s Nativity scene this year? A: They couldn’t find the three wise men! 25.Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly, and for the same reason. 26.What’s the difference between Trump becoming president and a soldier dying in combat? The soldier knew what he signed up for. 27.I once meet an honest, caring, politician that listened when I spoke and tried to help the country. Then I woke up. 28.You must be from Pearl Harbor, ‘cause baby, you’re the bomb. 29.Why did Osama Bin Laden kill his wife? When she spread her legs he saw bush. 30.Congress does some strange things. They put a high tax on liquor and then raises the other taxes that drive people to drink. 31.The November 5th Gunpowder Plot has been described as the 9/11 of its day. 32.Staged by the government to discredit an entire religion. 33.Why did Osama Bin Laden kill his wife? When she spread her legs he saw bush. 34.The buzzword of this election is “CHANGE.” Candidates toss it around without saying what they want to change to. 35.Just that we need CHANGE! This brings to mind the following illustration... 36.Three boys walk through the woods and suddenly hear cries for help. 37.Q: Have you heard about McDonald’s new Obama Value Meal? A: Order anything you like and the guy behind you has to pay for it. If Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are in a boat and it capsizes. Who survives? America.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 08, 2019
Sunday September 08, 2019
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Kaieteur News
Canada-based Guyanese artiste chalking up notable points on the int’l scene By Alex Wayne Canada based Guyanese artiste, ‘Negus’, can sometimes be mistaken for a Jamaican mainly because of his raunchy, energetic showmanship and of course his impressive style and dialect. Negus, whose real name is Alwyn Nurse, is a natural lyricist with luring vocals and he certainly has a captivating stage presence which always leaves his fans riveted and wanting for more. This singer, with the fire of music broiling in his blood from a very tender age, catapulted on to the musical charts bringing recognition to his name. He is indeed a force to be reckoned with. Although he lives in Canada there is high demand for him right here in Guyana. As such Negus who visited recently is slated to return soon for the much anticipated ‘Revelation Sound Clash’ event at which he is expect to blaze his customary
Negus in the company of Jamaican artiste Popcaan and local businessman, Rajiv Singh scorching vocal trail. The event is billed for September 28, 2019 at the National Stadium and will feature international act, Tommy Lee
Sparta and other top notch acts. One may wonder just how a Guyanese could have broken down barriers to
NRGI’s criticisms of natural resource fund act are ill-informed – Finance Minister
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan, has come out against certain criticisms made by the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) in its report on Government’s Natural Resource Fund Act. That Bill was subject to zero scrutiny by the political opposition in the National Assembly, and was passed in January in the opposition’s absence, after the Government was defeated by a vote of No Confidence. In a recent letter to Kaieteur News, Minister Jordan, while responding to criticisms of the Natural Resource Fund, noted that those criticisms were heavily based on the opinions offered by NRGI on the Green Paper titled ‘Managing Future Petroleum Revenues and Establishment of a Fiscal Rule and a Sovereign Wealth Fund’. That Green Paper is held by the Ministry of Finance. He said that Government met with NRGI towards the end of October 2018 and discussed “inadequacies” of its draft report. The Institute had been urged to peruse the draft Natural Resource Fund Bill to obtain more clarity on the relevant issues, according to
the Minister, and it did not heed that advice. He concluded that having refused to peruse the draft Bill, NRGI’s report was deficient. NRGI had advised that Guyana should be clear in law, how the oil money will be used to invest in certain assets. It said that while the draft legislation states what assets are eligible for the government to invest in, “it is not explicit about which assets the Fund may not (be used to) purchase.” NRGI said that from an oversight and governance perspective, the decision of which assets are eligible and prohibited requires careful consideration of whether the Fund has the systems in place to adopt complex or risky investment practices. In response to this comment, Jordan stated that Section 31 of the Act clearly identifies eligible asset classes in which funds can be invested, and that funds can’t be invested in asset classes outside of that list. “… The only commodity that can be invested in is gold, and the amount that can be invested in this commodity is limited to 10 percent of the NRF. Similarly, the only derivatives that can be
Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan invested in are those that reduce the risk of losses associated with assets held by the NRF,” Minister Jordan added. He admitted, however, that a factual criticism made against the NRF Act is that there is no limit on borrowing. He further provided that Government is currently finalising the draft of a Public Debt Management Bill (PDMB) which is intended to complement the NRF Act and other fiscal legislation, to ensure fiscally sustainable debt management. But he complained that the current Caretaker status of Government does not permit it to advance legislation. “This notwithstanding, the record clearly shows that this Government has done very well to avoid excessive borrowing against future oil revenues, thereby avoiding the pre-source curse, that is, spending based on projected revenues before actual revenues from petroleum are realised.”
become a dancehall/reggae sensation in Canada, a country where such genres of music must be presented with absolute finesse, charisma, and captivating aura to be well received. But according to Negus, “I love a challenge, since I think challenges bring out the best in anyone. For me, the difference in music taste did not frighten me. I was in a land where people were accustomed to their own sound, but a real singer breaks into an area to make a difference. He wants to bring a new sound and to have it accepted and kept alive in the hearts of the people. An entertainer has to be smart, thoughtful and creative, and also have to study the style of the people and create a ‘multi-mix’ of his own that would bring the people into his world, and keep them mystified. For me it was quite a task, but perseverance always brings eventual success…” he added. But even before this, Negus was already making notable exploits in the musical world in Guyana. Gravitating to music from a very tender age, he was entertaining large groups who were clamoring for his talent. One may want to affirm that his talent is hereditary since he is the offspring of famous musician, Kenneth Nurse aka Small Man, who was the manager of the Mingles Sound Machine, a band which created tremors from all angles in Guyana during its time. As a teenager, it was music, music and more music for Negus, and his melodious tones have been said to soothe the minds of the troubled, fearful, chastised and ill-fated. The messages of his song have been known to bring relief to the sorrowful, and those almost buried in
Always staying true to his Guyanese roots the underground of life’s troubles. “My music is not just songs made up of pulsating beats and catchy rhythms, my songs carry various messages behind them. My music is geared to bring solace, comfort and encouragement to the troubled minds of our time, giving them hope, and motivating them in a manner that brings peace to their very souls. The lyrics of my songs are always important to me, so I take time with my songs before releasing the final product. My intention is to bring about positive change with my music and take a lot of effort and concentration,” Negus said. He grew up in the underprivileged location of Albouystown, Georgetown, and, according to him, that made me tough and gave me enough experience to work musically. Negus as he prefers to be called grew up in Middle Road, Albouystown, Georgetown, and attended the St. Pius Primary School. At the tender age of seven he was already travelling between Trinidad and Guyana because of his family’s situation. Over a decade ago he decided to become a resident of Canada, but has been returning regularly to make an impact in Guyana owing to the fact that he has passion for the land of his birth. The fame he has achieved has certainly not changed him in any way. He remains the same approachable and simple individual he always was. His most stirring selections includes: ‘Believe in Yourself’ which, he said, is a ballad fashion to give hope and confidence; Rat Race, Love You Forever, Act Crazy and others have sent him skyrocketing up the ladder of
fame. To date he has penned over 60 songs, some of which were produced in Guyana. And his collaborations with top Jamaican artistes have certainly helped him to develop into the powerhouse he is today. He has grazed shoulders with iconic artistes the likes of Beenie Man, Buju Banton and even ‘Red Rat’. His collaboration with Jamaican artiste, Konshens, in 2013 was also a definite hit when they performed ‘Dah whine Deh’. Although he is often mistaken for a Jamaican artiste, he made it clear that he always jumps to the forefront to let people know of his Guyanese origin. Negus has been featured on many occasions in the press, both here and abroad. In fact he might have gotten the most media attention, from his video for his hit song ‘Nuzzle-Up’ which many have pulsated to. His airplay around the Caribbean and the Diaspora has been rapidly increasing. Despite his soaring popularity, Negus takes pride in the fact that he is able to write his own songs, most of which are based on current affairs and personal experiences. He also has the ability to do graphic designs and video editing, talents which are motivational highpoints for a musician. Negus also works closely with top Guyanese artistes including Timeka Marshall and Natural Blacks and what many may not know in this part of the world is that he is a very proficient tattoo artist too.
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Family of dead Rose Hall superintendent files $50M lawsuit against truck driver The family of the Berbice sugar estate field superintendent who was killed by a canter truck that reversed and struck him off of his motor cycle on September 21st, 2018, has filed a $50M lawsuit against the driver. Rajendranauth Singh Haralsingh called ‘Jerry’, 52 o f L o t 2 8 S e c t i o n G, Reliance Abandon, East Canje, Berbice, was killed on September 21, 2018 when Mohandass Meenkum called “Marvin” reversed motor canter GWW 1831 out of his yard onto the Betsy Ground Public Road. In the process he crashed into Haralsingh, thus causing his death. Meenkum has since been found guilty in the Magistrate Court by Magistrate Renita Singh and sentenced to seven months in jail. The magistrate in her ruling had told the accused that it was his actions on the day that caused a dangerous situation by reversing on to the main road. A post mortem examination conducted on the body gave the cause of
Sunday September 08, 2019
Kaieteur News
The Canter driver, Mohandass Meenkum
Rajendranauth Haralsingh
death as shock and haemorrhage due to multiple injuries. Attorneyat-law Mursalene Bacchus has filed the lawsuit on behalf o f H a r a l s i n g h ’s w i f e , Zandra Haralsingh, and other relatives. They are claiming from the defendant damages and/or compensation in the sum of $50M dollars for negligence, among other things. It was claimed that on the day in question, the driver who is the owner of motor canter, GWW-1831, negligently drove the
vehicle on the Betsy Ground Village Main Public road, East Canje, Berbice. The claimant and the deceased were married and lived together as husband and wife until he died. Prior to his death, the claim said, the deceased was a strong and healthy person who worked at various places including as a superintendent at the Rose Hall Estate. At the time of his death, he was employed as a field superintendent with Anderson Enterprise located at Rose Hall Estate, Canje, Berbice.
Accident in front of school Minibus, BHH 4609 and hirecar HB 8566 were part of a three-vehicle smashup that occurred on Friday morning on the East Canje Public Road, in the vicinity of the Rose Hall Estate Primary School.
Residents say that the smashup occurred around 09:00hrs and it’s a miracle that no one especially school children were not seriously hurt. The accident took place almost on the pedestrian crossing in front of the school.
National budget activities on hold - Harmon The preparations of the 2020 National Budget have
been placed on hold as of now.
The disclosures were made Friday by Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon. He disclosed that engagements by the Ministry of Finance with stakeholders would have been completed. However, to move to the next stage where there is budget presentation, that will have to wait until after elections. As part of the preparations, the ministry would meet different government departments and civil society to hear from them about projects they would be interested in being implemented and funded. According to Harmon, there is significant information already gathered. The Director General was also questioned about the costs of the ongoing outreaches by government ministers to the different regions. He said that the monies were budgeted under the various ministries with no additional funds being secured elsewhere. According to Harmon, unlike the previous government of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic which did what it wanted for 23 years, this Coalition is not afraid of the scrutiny.
Sunday September 08, 2019
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Kaieteur News
NAMILCO prepares local bakers for expected niche market With the oil and gas on the verge of take off in Guyana, the National Milling Company of Guyana Inc. (NAMILCO) is preparing local bakeries to be ready for competition, and be able to target a certain niche market. Just recently the company hosted a one-day theory and practical workshop at the Marriott International Hotel, Georgetown to educate bakers in that regard. Using specialists from the Germany Company D e u t s c h e B a c k , representatives from bakeries around Guyana were given theory and practical training surrounding ‘Trends in the Global Baking Industry’. According to NAMLCO’s Managing Director, Bert Sukhai, oil in Guyana will bring a very sophisticated influx of visitors and business officials to Guyana. He said that with such a calibre of visitors coming, will certainly bring trending and varying tastes in cuisines and baking products, hence the workshop on Friday geared at introducing new cakes, breads, rolls and pastries. Addressing the gathering, Sukhai said that the spotlight is on Guyana and its investors from every part of the world will be looking for opportunities here. He said that this can impact on businesses in both a negative and positive manner. He said that since investors may be looking at the baking and catering industry, the livelihood of local bakers can be threatened. He said in the need to protect their market, they need to re-engineer their businesses, and a complete change in the way they trade. He said businesses will need
to practice first world techniques or be left behind. He said that he is aware of larger bakeries that are looking to enter Guyana, citing that our local bakers will have to be on guard and be able to find a niche market to be able to remain in business. He admonished bakers to make their premises more inviting to customers, improve on packaging, and also to engage in strategic marketing. He also advised to focus on wider variety and coming up with ways of enhancing and making customary products more enticing. He advised bakers to work diligently on acquiring international certification, observe good food manufacturing practices, and to acquire the new Food Safety Act that was recently passed and examine how it affects their businesses. Sukahi also urged representatives to practice compliance. He suggested that businesses learn to differentiate products, since this creates value, builds brand loyalty, makes competition irrelevant, gets them popular and gives consumers good reason to buy. At the event bakers were taught on the proper preparation of puff pastry dough and the variety of products it can be used for. There was also a ‘Hands in Dough’ segment which was the practical aspect of the initiative. Presenters at the event also included DeutscheBack’s Regional Sales Manager, Marc Duncker; the Private Sector Commission’s Captain Gerald
NAMILCO’s Bert Sukhai as he addressed the gathering. Gouveia; NAMILCO’s Regional Sales Manager, Marc Duncker, and DeutscheBack Research and Development’s, Tania Monsivais.
Bakers as they engaged in mixing exercise at the event
Kaieteur News
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Sunday September 08, 2019
Kimbia FOCUS By Alex Wayne I cannot help but marvel how people residing in remote, almost isolated areas can come to grips with what’s lacking in life and yet bask in sweet contentment. How is it that they can live, minus the luxuries and amenities we are lucky to have in the urban areas? It always leaves me dumbstruck to see their satisfying smiles, listen to their mirthful laughter which tug at my heart strings. Just to see how they cooperate with each other, live in humbleness and embrace whatever little fortunes life may have blessed them with, or derive methods to cope without those they have not been lucky to receive, warms my heart. We fret in the city when there are challenges in relation to potable water, garbage disposal, and electricity, and not having a few food items, yet the people of Kimbia nestled in the Berbice River live a life of fulfillment. They live free of worry of what they have to drink, bathe, wash and even cook with river water in some cases. The inhabitants of this small community are indeed a happy people who
e x u d e g r e a t patience, a n d tolerance, and somehow seem to keep a countenance of great contentment and humility, although robbed of modern deserving luxuries. Not every household in Kimbia, can afford to have their homes solar powered, and can purchase a generator, and those who can’t are quite okay to use gas lamps, and in some cases the flambeau (lamps made with bottles in which kerosene is poured to soak a fabric wick). Women beating clothing by the Riverside with large wooden paddles seemed to be a usual sight, with bare back men huddling close by, whispering about the masculine conquest of the female species in hushed tones. Naked youths plunge fearlessly into the murky, dark waters of the Berbice River, yelping in surprise from the impact of the sometimes, almost ice cold water. Kimbia is certainly a remote community where happiness and laughter abounds. It’s home to the very first training center to the Guyana National Service. The Pioneer Corps was started in 1974, with the establishment of the Kimbia
laughter and contentment abound Center on the Berbice River. Kimbia is located in the Ebini Area, very close to the Ebini Agriculture Station, some miles up the Berbice R i v e r. I t i s l o c a t e d approximately some 158 km from the city of Georgetown. Having the opportunity of visiting this very pristine and attractive area was indeed a pleasurable experience. The Ride on the River My fear of water was not going to stop me from going on this trip, especially since I have never been to Kimbia before. I was certainly impressed with the speedboat that was going to take me on the two hour drive up the Berbice River. It was quite sophisticated and had the luxury of music boxes, a radio set, among other amenities. So I settled in nicely with the other passengers intent on giving my friends a blow by blow account of the journey from my cellular phone as I travelled. Everything was going fine in this regard until I had travelled a few miles up the river, and my cell phone just would not respond. It was then that I learnt that one could not get cellular phone signal after travelling a few miles up the Berbice River. Our boat captain was young but seemed to be an expert as he manned the craft with great skill. The speedboat sped forward, riding the waves like a proud swan. The steady humming of the twin engines settling around us like a soothing blanket soon had a few passengers dozing off. This of course was not an easy task for me who always found it difficult to relax while on water.
Our young boat captain prepares his vessel for the journey up the Berbice River
: A remote community where
The River was calm in most places and it was quite refreshing to watch large expanse of black water churn by as we got closer, and closer to our destination. The beauty of Guyana was vivid all around in the lush greenery that flew by in a hazy blur, or in the quaint little cottage houses erected on the banks of the River. The wind came swirling in
Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, and party arrive on a recent outreach to the village refreshing puffs and I breathed in my fill, treating my lungs to air that was fresh and unpolluted. Large birds squawked in the skies above us, darting down like rockets at intervals to pounce on unsuspecting fishes frolicking in the water. It was a sight to watch them at their best as they hurried to nearby trees to devour the sometimes large silver scaled fish struggling desperately to elude the grasp of their beaks. Quite soon we were gliding into the wharf just outside the Kimbia Primary School, and I was very alarmed at the level of soil erosion just outside the school compound, as the river had already eaten up the land just within inches of the school perimeter fence. In one area residents had placed bags of stones to slow the process but from all accounts it would need speedy works before the erosion, reaches inside the school compound. Quite lucky to be visiting in an entourage headed by two ministers of Government, I was also the recipient of welcoming smiles and applause from eager, smiling residents. They lined the walkway with garlands to put on the necks of visitors, and guys, I must admit, I really felt special with such a reception from the people. Chatting with the residents Quite soon I was mingling with residents who
were enjoying some fast food selections at a food stall just outside the school compound. And Selena English, a housewife certainly did not need much encouragement to share her thoughts with me. “Our little community is indeed a very quiet and a really beautiful place. We are accustomed to existing without the finer things in life like persons in other locations. But as a people we try to make things work, with our little farming, catching of fish and selling our home cooked meals. But we are desperately in need of an infrastructural upgrade here.
As you can see we need better washroom facilities at our school, and the land just outside the school yard will break away and soon get into the compound if nothing is done. Today we are thankful that through the efforts of a son of the soil, our school now has a new library and an ICT Office, which will better the education here for students of the village,” she said. A f a r m e r, O s w a l d Jacobs, commented on the need for electricity and potable water in the village. “We are a contented set of people, but we would like Continued on page 67
Villagers have placed sandbags at a section outside the Kimbia Primary School compound where water has badly eroded the soil
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 08, 2019
Kimbia
PAGE 67
Speedboats are the main form of transport for villagers
villagers enjoy snacks from a food stall just outside the school compound. From page 66 to enjoy potable water in our homes like other areas, and have electricity too. It’s not every family that can afford to have solar power, and some cannot afford to purchase generators. We long to have internet in our homes and a better way of living for villagers. I know it will take a look of work to get electricity and good drinking water to villages along the Berbice River. But Rome was not built in a day…If the authorities start to generate work plans in this area, at least it will eventually bear fruit in the future. We are glad that our primary school is now powered, and has internet, but our welfare much always be the focal point of the relevant authorities. We too are Guyanese; we must not be forgotten in these remote areas. We want to be connected with the remainder of Guyana,” he said. Gertude Williams, a seamstress in the small community was beaming with smiles when she was approached for a short interview. “This is a nice place, but we just need a little Government assistance from time to time to get things going. The new Government is helping in many areas, but we need them to focus more in the areas of infrastructure, entertainment and sports. Our youths here are very talented, but they need more support so that they can excel in their choice of
sports. Farming is a big thing in Kimbia, but we would want to see more Government intervention in providing assistance to farmers to upgrade their lands, improve drainage, and thus improving their harvest,” Williams intimated. Phillip Lopes a pensioner was appreciative of the efforts by Government that are directed at the village. But according to him, much needs to be done in the areas of recreation, sports and entertainment. “Kimbia is nice but is in need of more recreational facilities for the youths. You see…we have very talented persons here in the field of drama, sports, and art and craft. But our village is still underdeveloped and allows not much scope for them to further develop their skills and talents. As it is we are very contented and are glad with the peace we enjoy here but we are hoping that authorities can look into our welfare a little more as time goes by. We also need Government support to sustain a traditional cultural group in the village that is slowly going out of operation because of financial support,” Lopes said. Kimbia is indeed a very arresting and almost pristine location that oozes laughter and countryside joys that many can only hope for. Come bask in the smiles and great hospitality of its cheery people. Throw a cast net and rake
in some “good ole countryside bush fish”. If not, come prance in the sand, or cool off by plunging into the soothing waters of the Berbice River. Rotaract clubs comes to the aid of villagers Residents of Kimbia Community, Berbice River benefited greatly recently when several Rotaract Clubs organized a humanitarian drive that saw them enjoying a medical outreach initiative. Students of the Kimbia Primary School also received back to school support that included back packs, books and other items. The Kimbia School was also afforded a new library space and new ICT hub that will cater to better connectivity with the outside world. The event was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Rotaract Club of Georgetown Central and the Rotary Clubs of West Demerara, Stabroek and New Amsterdam. The medical outreach aspect of the event was made possible by the Demerara Rotaract contingent. The initiative was spearheaded by Central Georgetown Rotary Club President, William Andrew Boyle, who actually has deep origins from the Kimbia, Berbice Rive location. Being a past student of the Kimbia Primary School, Boyle has decided to solicit support to give back to his alma mater. Boyle, who was awarded the Anthony Sabga Award last year, said he made a
commitment to give back. He particularly applauded the efforts of the Government for ensuring that there is an internet connection at the school, and commended the Caribbean Winds and Sun entity for powering the institution. During his presentation, h e p a r t i c u l a r l y u rg e d students of Kimbia to remember always to be humble, stick to their roots, keep promises, and try to surpass expectations. To officially commission the ICT Centre and Library was Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry, who noted that the new venture will boost technology for students and residents. She said too that it will also assist her ministry in bridging gaps created mainly by the difference in geographical locations. According to the Minister, the Library aligns nicely with Government’s intention to ensure that Guyanese can access a better quality of life through the use of information and C o m m u n i c a t i o n Technologies (ICT). The school’s top student for this year’s National Grade Six Assessment examinations, Corwin Agard, was awarded a scholarship and a bursary which was sponsored by Rotary Club Georgetown Central, and will span his entire secondary school years. He will receive a sum of $25, 000 each month, providing he continues to excel academically. Ve r y s t i r r i n g camaraderie
If one is looking for a village that oozes rich camaraderie and ethnic unity that stirs the soul, then Kimbia is that location. From the lustrous laughter of the children as they prance about in the sandy pastures, to the loud bellows of men fishing by the riverside, or the girlish chatter of young ladies contemplating whom to wed, Kimbia has brewed and emits a certain aura where one feels at ease and always welcomed. Those of various ethnicities rub shoulders, each partaking of and appreciating whatever little life has to offer. Some go out of their way to meet and
satisfy each other’s needs while others make it their duty to ensure every visitor feel appreciated by extending mind-boggling degrees of hospitality. There is always a giggle or encouraging word from a housewife, farmer, or boat captain, or touching pleasantries from youths as they hover around curiously.. Beaming smiles and pleasant service in the very few business is more than just a custom. Kimbia is indeed a very arresting and almost pristine location. Take time out some time to visit and bask in the smiles and great hospitality of its cheery people.
Central Georgetown Rotary Club President, William Andrew Boyle (a villager) receives a token of appreciation from a village teacher for his humanitarian efforts in the location.
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Sunday September 08, 2019
Kaieteur News
65M La Parfaite Harmonie...
FOR RENT
WANTED
VACANCY
Seamstress. Contact: 6911918. Monday to Saturday 9am to 4pm
2 Experienced Pastry Maker, 1 Experienced Driver/Salesman, 1 Vehicle Porter @ Humphrey38 Ketley Street Charlestown. #225-7864/227-8607
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PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION, W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620
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Available for sale- Used zinc sheets, black tanks: 450 gal $14,000, 610 gal $20,000, Different types of wood. Contact#697-0471
Up Scale 2 bedroom apartment semi furnished. Located in Charlestown.Students or Overseas visitor.Contact 2251418/601-1585
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4 bedroom newly built house 5th Avenue Diamond EBD. Fully grilled, hot & cold water system $210,000 Neg. #6963915 LAND FOR SALE Soesdyke/Linden Highway Front 33.25 acres.Contact 6479498 Parfaite Harmonie 1.5M,2M Schoonard Main road ,2.3M Schoonard with foundation 5.5M Tuschen Phase (2) 1.6M Farm,Providence.Call:6662326 Transported land 11.6 acres, Lot 15 Public road #2 Village W.C. B/ce 5 mins from B/ce Bridge. Contact# 686-4818/ 648-7109
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2 acre V/Hoop WCD Housing #621-6918/697-7731 PEN PAL Mature man (54) Loving and Generous, desires a special friend. Whatsapp with picture today # +1-246-835-6908 TO LET 2 Bedroom B/Flat apartment @ 39 Ujwana H/S LBI E.C.D.Price $50,000 per month.Preferably working couples Contact:694-2398 1 bedroom apartment to rent with electricity & all water facility at Independence Boulvard. Single/couple needed. Call Faye : 613-0296 NOTICE Do you owe Housing? Call Randy to help pay it off.Call:656-0701. WANTED
Truck Driver. Call: 227-1717 Gasoline Mechanic and Trained Mechanic needed.Please Call:623-0318 Labourers for wood concession - $5000 per day Call: 618-0487 Wanted Driver.Age 2555.Must have Car,Van and Lorry License.Tel#616-6988 One experience Driver, apply Hack’s Halaal with handwritten application 5 Commerce Str. Wanted land to buy- Eccles, Parfaite Harmonie, Farm,Providence,Tuschen, Uitvlugt,Diamond,Covent Garden. Best Price pay. Call: 666-2326
Salesgirl & Porters. Apply to Best Buy Food Supplies, Lot 1E Middleton & Dennis St, Campbellville with written application Kitchen Assistant for interior location. Job entails cleaning and assisting cooks. Call 6182020. Waitress for bar. Age 18-28 #612-2522 1 experienced driver, must have license for car/van/ minibus & motorbus, residing in G/town between ages 2450 yrs old. #225-1429/641-5075 Driver,Bond Clerk, Factory worker, must have CSEC, for more information. Please call: 223-0090
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Experienced cooks, Kitchen assistant, grill man, cashier and servers needed with Jamaican experience.UG Road.Call#608-7452
Deputy chef, Fisheries Management. Call: 223-5180 for further details
Do you owe Housing? Call Randy to help pay it off.Call:656-0701. Cashier with POS experience. Apply or email eric@whypaymoretrading.com, Why Pay More Trading, 7 Public road, Houston Ablebodied Porters. Apply in Person, Why Pay More Trading, 7 Public Road Houston Experience Salesperson, Apply in person or email: eric@whypaymoretrading.com, Why Pay More Trading, 7 Public Road Houston VACANCY Experienced Cashier & Handyman apply with written application:American Variety Store 140 Regent & Light Street.
Female worker, Just write CXC, 3 subject or sound secondary school, ECD. Call: 622-5518
One male cleaner. Call: 6429823
Black Kakaralli Piles 65 ft long #223-5273/4
Land dredge workers and 1 cook to work in interior. Tel# 629-8280
Project Management - Mining Sector. Call: 223-5180 for futher details Male Sales Clerk for West Demerara Store.Call:264-2524 between 8AM-4:30PM One shop assistant between 20-25 Yrs to work for 3 weeks.Call:226-2320.193 Charlotte St. Female cleaner Office & Home. Call: 642-9823 General Domestic to cook and cleaner for East Bank. Call: 614-4358 Clerk & Domestic live-in Facilities for Berbicians and Essequibians 219-5354. Office Asst/Accounts Clerk, 5 subjects, quickbooks, NIS, PAYE. Teamplayer, Customer Service experience. #2270176/227-0186. mimadecor12@gmail.com Lorry Driver with sales experience, submit application to Fernandes Guyana Ent,VVB Durban Backlands.#624-0092/2231773.
From page 13 about training police officers but also about providing the necessary assets to ensure their training is put to the best use. He went on to admonish police officers that it’s important that they gain the confidence of the community in which they function, noting that it is important for them to be courteous and ethical when executing their duties. The Minister explained that the construction of the outpost was done in two phases, one being the land filling project, building of an access bridge, and completing of the perimeter fence which was amounted to $12.3M. He said the completion of the structure, was completed to the tune of $53M, and includes a two storey facility with male and female dormitories for junior and supervisory ranks. He added that the structure also includes an ID Parade Room, a Confidentiality Room for investigation of Domestic Abuse cases, a waiting area for citizens, Enquiries Office, CID Offices, internal and external washrooms and areas for cooking as well. According to the Minister, he is optimistic that the community will cooperate with officers in the execution of their duties, support them, and provide information that can lead to the speedy solving of crimes in the area.
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STANDARDS IN FOCUS
TIPS FOR IMPORTERS OF PRODUCTS MONITORED BY THE GNBS This is usually the time of the year when importers engage in the purchase of a wide variety of products for sale in Guyana during the swiftly approaching Christmas Season. The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is cognizant of this and takes this opportunity to remind all importers of products it monitors to ensure that they acquire products meeting the requirements of the relevant Guyana Standards. The GNBS monitors Domestic Electrical/Electronic Appliances, Weighing and Measuring Devices, Textiles, Garments, Footwear, Safety Helmets, Safety Matches, New and Used Tyres, Gas Stoves, Cigarettes, PVC Pipes, Furniture, Christmas Trees and Decorative Lighting Outfits and Cellular Phones. The GNBS therefore reminds importers of the following: To registered with the GNBS for the current year by completing and submitting to the Bureau the prescribed application form along with a copy of the business registration form and registration fee. To acquire the relevant National Standards from the GNBS for products imported, in order to ensure the importation of standard compliant goods. To submit samples of new products to GNBS for ap-
proval, prior to the importation to avoid sub-standard products and rejection. To have consignments of commodities examined by Inspectors of the GNBS at the Ports-of-entry or Warehouses, before clearance and sale in the country. To make timely arrangements with the GNBS to facilitate the examination of products at the Ports-of-entry simultaneously with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). To ensure that products imported are for the purpose intended and are safe for use. Importers should purchase from sources that issue warranties which could be easily passed on to consumers. To ensure that any brochure, instruction manual, leaflet, etc., which are associated with products, are in English Language and accompany the product at the time of sale. To facilitate periodic inspections by GNBS Inspectors at their premises including warehouses and workshops. Records relating to the operation of the premises should also be available for checks by Inspectors of the Bureau. All records such as copies of invoices, customs documentation, bills of sale, etc. must be properly kept and should be easily retrievable. To ensure, where necessary, that imported products bear a national or international
certification mark from a Regulatory Body in the country of origin, or a certificate of quality compliance should be submitted to the GNBS to verify the quality of the product imported. Compliance certificates should be obtained from an independent Certification Body, a National Standards Body or the relevant Regulatory Body. Importers are urged to check their products received to ensure conformance to the quality specification and to detect any deterioration in quality or other damage during storage and transportation. In addition, importers should address complaints received from customers regarding products purchased. Finally, importers must desist from using the name of the GNBS in any advertisement or promotional material in relation to the sale of any product and ensure that all products imported are in metric (SI) units.
For further information, visit the Guyana National Bureau of Standards at Exhibition Site, Sophia or
its website: www.gnbsgy.org or call: 219-0062, 219-0065, 219-0066. (The views expressed in
this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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AFC wants early elections but insists on public confidence A team from the Alliance For Change (AFC) on Friday met with executive members of the Private Sector Commission (PSC). The AFC team described the meeting as cordial and encouraging with a broad range of topics discussed. “The primary purpose of the meeting was to seek the PSC’s input on a range of initiatives which the AFC is committed to further developing and pursuing,” AFC said in a statement. At the meeting, AFC said it reiterated its commitment to private sector development as means of creating jobs and opportunities for Guyanese people, and its willingness to work collaboratively with the Private Sector Commission for the achievement of common objectives.
The AFC and private sector officials after the meeting. “The meeting also discussed the current political situation in Guyana with the AFC repeating its
stated position that it wished to see elections held as early as possible, while emphasizing the importance
of maintaining public confidence in the process.” The AFC also acknowledged in the meeting
that a prolonged delay in the holding of elections would negatively impact business and investment in Guyana.
Both organizations, according to the statement, agreed to continue their engagement.
West Berbice granny hits 101 It was quite a grand occasion as relatives, friends, as well as well-wishers who on Thursday last, gathered with the children of Virginia Euphemia-Watts to celebrate her birth anniversary at her residence in Number 28 Village, West Coast Berbice. She is now 101. In her own words: “One hundred and two will be
better.” Watts nee Benjamin, also known as ‘Cousin Baby’ and ‘Granny’, was born on September 5, 1918 to Evan Emanuel Benjamin and Elvira Benjamin nee Carmichael at Trafalgar/Number 28 Village, West Coast Berbice. She was the first of five siblings…all the others have passed away.
Watts recalled attending the St. Gabriel Anglican School, Number 28 Village, West Coast Berbice; St. Paul’s Primary, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara; and Queenstown Primary School on the Essequibo Coast. She ended up in Essequibo as her father was a policeman who worked at various stations throughout
the then British Guyana. In her teen years, she was able to master the art of sewing, and eventually ended up teaching the skill to females in the community. It helped her to earn an income. The union between Watts and her husband, the late Joseph Burchell Watts, bore six children one who has since passed away. Watts was well travelled. She said that after her marriage, she settled with her husband in Tumatumari, Region Seven where he worked as Sick-Nurse/ Dispenser with a mining company. She lived there for a brief period until her children were old enough to attend public school. She remembers opening her doors to many villagers who travelled to the hinterland seeking employment in those parts. One quite memorable experience for the centenarian back then was travelling into the interior by aircraft which landed in the river, and passengers had to embark on a boat to complete their journey. She also recalls travelling from Berbice to Georgetown by train and joining the vessel, R.H. Car, to travel up
Mrs. Virginia Watts celebrates 101 the Demerara River to get to McKenzie- now Lindenwhere her husband spent some time working with the Demerara Bauxite Company, DEMBA, after the gold and diamond mining company ceased operations at Tumatumari. Watts said that life was not all rosy for her. She recalls working hard in support of her husband who at one time cultivated rice and reared livestocks in order to afford their children quality education. She is thankful to the Almighty that all of her children have done well. A devout Christian, Watts said she instilled Christian
Members of St Gabriel Mothers Union of Number 28. MP Jennifer Wade is also in picture with Mrs Watts.
values in her children. She has been a member of the St Gabriel Mothers Union having joined from its inception in 1962. She would have served the organization as secretary at one time as well as treasurer at another time. Now housebound, Mrs. Watts is frequently visited by lay preachers, relatives and friends, as well as special church groups. She has advice for them too and would even sing. Watts was a founder member of the Golden Grove Union Cooperative Society at the time when cooperatives were considered the engine of growth for the economy.
Sunday September 08, 2019
JORDAN AND THE NRF From page 7 year without diminishing the competitiveness of Guyanas economy. The FSA and the ESA are essentially determined by the Minister of Finance and taken to a National Assembly of which the Minister’s government would enjoy a majority of 33 or more of the votes. I suspect that Jordan can and will pack the committee with pliant cronies a la James Patterson and run roughshod over the other representatives. The NRF is littered with mathematical formulas and loopholes that can easily be exploited by an unscrupulous administration, was it not Jordan and his colleagues who attempted to hoodwink a nation that 34 votes were needed for a majority of 65? Jordan did not correct his colleagues on such simple math but expects the nation to trust him with complicated formulas and/or respect for rules and laws? I prefer to err on the side
of caution where our nation’s future is concerned. Editor, let me close by saying that even after elections I will not be in favor of any Sovereign Wealth Fund model that concentrates the decision-making power in one hand. An SWF must be set up to withstand the vagaries of democracy, which we know can lead to periods of poor stewardship and even dictatorship. The Granger NRF is designed to be the opposite of a good SWF, which essentially, must be free of political control. I can assure you that when (not if) the administration changes hands, Jordan will be among those making profuse denouncements of the structural flaw and loopholes in the Natural Resource Fund. The NRF as legislated relies on the integrity of actors, the CCJ also did in its consequential orders of July 12th and yet ‘cabinet’ sits every Tuesday since. Respectfully Robin Singh
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Living conditions ‘rapidly deteriorating’ after storm in Bahamas: aid group NASSAU, Bahamas (Reuters) - Thousands of displaced people are living in “rapidly deteriorating” condi-
tions in the worst-hit parts of the Bahamas six days after Hurricane Dorian made landfall, the United Nations World
Food Programme warned yesterday. The warning came as aid groups rushed emergency
help to the storm-ravaged islands and officials warned a death toll of 43 was likely to spike higher as the number of missing among the archipelago nations 400,000 residents becomes clear. Even as the aid ships and aircraft headed in, thousands fled the devastation, some abandoning hard-hit Great Abaco Island to seek safety in the capital, Nassau, and others heading to Florida for shelter, supplies and perhaps jobs. Some 90 percent of the homes, buildings and infrastructure in Marsh Harbour, where Dorian rampaged for almost two full days as one of the strongest Caribbean hurricanes on record, were damaged, the World Food Programme said. It noted that thousands of people were living in a government building, a medical center and an Anglican church that survived the storms, but had little to no access to water, power and sanitary facilities. “The needs remain enormous,” WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel said in an email Saturday. “Evacuations are slowly taking place by ferry, as hundreds of residents reportedly flee daily.” One of those who fled Abaco was 19-year-old Isaiah Johnson, who was staying in a hotel in Nassau with his mother and three sisters after the storms 200 mile per hour (320 kph) winds destroyed their homes. A wealthy friend had paid for a two-week stay, but after that it was unclear where they would go. His mother was already searching for work in the United States, Johnson said, reckoning that jobs would be hard to find in Nassau. “Two weeks might be enough time for me to figure things out,” Johnson said on Saturday. “For my mom, Im
not so sure.” A cruise ship with more than 1,000 evacuees arrived in south Florida yesterday. Some had small children or aging relatives who they hoped to find safe lodging for before returning to try to repair or rebuild their island homes. The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy were shipping in relief supplies and had already rescued some 290 people from isolated areas in the islands. The U.S. Agency for International Development said it raised its allocation of aid to the Bahamas by $1 million, to $2.8 million in total and had moved enough emergency supplies for 44,000 people to the islands. Some 70,000 people were in need of food and shelter, the WFP estimated, and private forecasters estimated that some $3 billion in insured property was destroyed or damaged in the Caribbean. Dorian pounded parts of North Carolina s Outer Banks Islands on Friday. On Saturday, Sue Jones, a 22-year resident of the town of Frisco on the islands, said a storm surge sent 14 to 16 inches (36 to 40 cm) of water into the lowest level of her home, and she spent the day cutting sheetrock from the walls and clearing out water. By 5 p.m. ET (2100 GMT), Dorian was a still-powerful post-tropical cyclone with 100 mile per hour (160 kph) winds, equivalent to the wind speed of a Category 2 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said. It was located about 50 miles (80 km) south-southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, at that time and due to make landfall in the next few hours, the NHC said. Dorian hit the Bahamas earlier in the week with Category 5 winds, with some gusts topping 200 miles per hour (320 kph).
LARGE NUMBER OF DEAD FEARED The medical chief of staff at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, Dr. Caroline Burnett-Garraway, said two refrigerated, 40-foot trucks would be needed to hold the “staggering” number of bodies that were expected to be found. The American Red Cross said it had committed an initial $2 million to help the Bahamas recover from the hurricane, with food, water and shelter and other necessities. “Our relief operation is growing, but we are also facing serious challenges in terms of delivering aid,” Red Cross spokeswoman Jennifer Eli said. “Even search-andrescue choppers havent been able to reach some people because theres no place to land.” Near an area called The Mudd in Marsh Harbour, a commercial hub, a Reuters witness reported most houses leveled, the body of a man lying near a main street and dead dogs floating in water. The risk of outbreaks of diarrhea and waterborne diseases is high as drinking water may be tainted with sewage, according to the Pan American Health Organization. Travis Newton, a 32year-old carpenter who survived the storm in Marsh Harbour, said he arrived in Nassau on Saturday morning with his family, trying to find a safe place to live. He said residents of the town foraged for food and water in the wreckage of damaged stores after the storm passed. “We had to survive, we had to make it happen, we had to find food, water, where we were aid couldnt get to us, we had to find what we could from the damaged stores,” Newton said.
IMF says Barbados making good progress on economic reform programme BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - CMC – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Barbados continues to make good progress in implementing its ambitious and comprehensive economic reform programme. An IMF delegation, headed by Bert van Selm ended a four-day visit to Bridgetown to discuss implementation of Barbados’ Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) plan, supported by the IMF under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF). The delegation also met with Prime Minister Mottley and the IMF official said all indicative targets for endJune under the EFF have been met.
He said the target for the government’s primary surplus was met with a wide margin, with the government running a primary surplus of 2.5 per cent of annual gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter of the financial year 2019-20.“This bodes well for achieving the government’s primary surplus target of six per cent of GDP for financial year 2019/20. International reserves were also well over program targets at end-June.” van Selm said that good progress has been made in implementing end-June and July 2019 structural benchmarks under the EFF. “The authorities have completed a review of the tax system and the Governor
General has proclaimed the recently enacted Financial Management and Audit Act. “Progress being made by the authorities in furthering good-faith discussions with external creditors is welcome. Continuing open dialogue and sharing of information will remain important in concluding an orderly debt restructuring process,” van Selm said, adding that the delegation is looking forward to return to Barbados in November to conduct the discussions for the Article IV and second review under the EFF.In 2018, Barbados signed a US$290 million 48-month EFF as the Mottley administration sought to revive an ailing economy.
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Govt. Consultant changes draft Local Content Policy to suit foreign companies By KianaWilburg When Trinidadian Consultant, Anthony Paul had completed the second draft of Guyanas Local Content Policy back in May 2018, several provisions were included to ensure preferential treatment of locals. According to Paul, those provisions were inserted, taking into account, some of the mistakes his country would have made on the issue of local content. But when time came for the final draft to be completed, the coalition administration selected British Local Content Consultant, Dr. Michael Warner for the task. For $22M, Dr. Warner not only removed key provisions that put Guyanese first, but also excluded from it, any recommendations for sanctions against foreign suppliers if non-compliance is discovered. Kaieteur News was able to identify same after comparing the second draft with the one that Dr. Warner did. In Pauls draft, a strong case was made for ensuring foreign suppliers partner with locals. The Trinidadian said that partnership is crucial in ensuring the transfer of knowledge and technology. The International Energy and Strategy Advisor called for minimum requirements to be set for ownership through equity participation in joint ventures. But in the final draft that was done by Dr. Warner who has connections to ExxonMobil, foreign companies will not be mandated to partner with local firms. In fact, the draft policy states, “…it is the policy of the Government of Guyana to not mandate local-foreign joint ventures as a requirement for market access in the upstream petroleum sector, but instead to encourage such alliances…” TAX BREAKS In Pauls second draft, the Trinidadian noted that there needs to be a leveled playing field when it comes to the payment of taxes, hence his recommendation that foreign suppliers should be made to pay their fair share. Paul went as far as to outline a mechanism by which Guyana could capture taxes
from the foreign suppliers. He said that the foreign companies doing business as agents, contractors, or subcontractors to operators should be required to register a local company and pay taxes in Guyana. In Guyana s third draft however, Dr. Warner removed this provision. In fact, not a single suggestion was made for locals to get the same tax breaks as the foreign suppliers so that they can have a fair shot at being competitive. CONFIDENTIAL In addition to removing provisions that level the playing field for tax payments, Dr. Warner went a step further by proposing that the local content plans of foreign companies be protected by confidentiality provisions. Dr. Warner specifically stated that the Business Minister shall only disclose to the general public, whether or not; operators have submitted yearly Local Content Plans and half-year and endyear Local Content Reports. Other than that, the Business Minister must keep the contents of plans under wraps. In Pauls second draft however, no such call was made. In fact, the Trinidadians draft policy is the only one that is in conformity with a report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which called for tax breaks for local companies and joint ventures between locals and foreign suppliers, among other things. Dr. Warners draft policy is essentially, in complete defiance of the UNDPs recommendations. HIDDEN FROM PUBLIC When it was time for consultation, the first two drafts of the Local Content Policy which were done by Paul, were made public. The drafts were posted to various government websites and commentary from citizens was invited. In the case of the third draft that was done by Exxons former employee, it was only sent to a handful of stakeholders for their input by the Energy Department. Up to the time of publication, that document was not on the website of the Ministry of the Presidency or the
- Energy Dept. hides document from general public, only sends it to select few to peruse
Provisions of the Second Draft of Guyanas Local Content Policy by Trinidadian Expert, Anthony Paul
Provisions of the Final Draft of Guyanas Local Content Policy by British Consultant, Dr. Michael Warner
1) Foreign suppliers must 1)Foreign companies will not partner with partner with locals locals 2)Foreign companies doing business as agents, 2)PROVISION WAS contractors, or REMOVED sub-contractors to operators should be required to register a local company 3)PROPOSES LOCAL and pay taxes CONTENT REPORTS OF FOREIGN 3)NO MENTION OF KEEPING ANYTHING COMPANIES REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL Business Ministry for citizens to access. AWARD TO WARNER It was in February, last, that Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, had announced that Oil Consultant,
Dr. Warner, was hired to complete the policy. He was given the contract even though he has no track record of independently producing a local content policy for a country. Subsequent to that announcement, Kaieteur News
had confirmed with former Business Minister, Dominic Gaskin, that this contract was never advertised. Kaieteur News had also raised several questions about Dr. Warners connection to ExxonMobil; the firm which
brought him to Guyana in the first place to train local businesses trying to access the supply chain. Dr. Warner was actually a fixture at Exxons Centre for Local Business Development on South Road for this matter.
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Nadal battles past Berrettini to reach U.S. Open final
Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates match point against Matteo Berrettini of Italy in a semifinal match on day twelve of the 2019 U.S. Open tennis tournament. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)
NEW YORK (Reuters) Rafa Nadal moved to the brink of a 19th career Grand Slam title on Friday by beating Matteo Berrettini 7-6(6) 6-4 61 to reach the U.S. Open final. Nadal put pressure on the underdog Italian’s serve from the start but Berrettini saved six break points to set up a first set tie breaker. Berrettini raced out to a 40 lead thanks to some uncharacteristically sloppy play from the Spaniard and the 23-year-old had two set points at 4-6. But Berrettini suddenly got tight and Nadal took advantage, wearing him down in the extended baseline rallies and capturing the set when the Italian sent a forehand long for his 20th unforced error, leading Nadal to let out a roar. Nadal broke Berrettini on
Sunday September 08, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A surge of passion could dominate your day unless you find an outlet for it, Aries. Romantic passion is high, so an intimate evening with a lover is a good idea. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) A romantic evening at home with your partner could bring you two closer together, Taurus. Your emotions are intense right now. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Information received from far away could compel you to learn more about the subject, Gemini. You might be inspired to use your new knowledge in a project that includes a partner. CANCER(June21–July22) Money matters may be advanced through using your intuition and inner power today. You might have a hunch that your idea for making extra money might just work. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) A surge of inner power could make you feel like you can move mountains, Leo. If you've been contemplating actions that others believe impossible, this is the day to get them going. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Memories from your distant past could resurface today, Virgo. You may wonder why you're suddenly thinking about them, but they probably represent a release of old emotional hang-ups that have been holding you back.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today represents a new beginning in many ways. An old friend could reappear in your life and bring up memories that are both pleasant and disconcerting. Don't worry too much about this. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Emotions could be running high, Scorpio. Someone in your entourage may have a problem with an authority figure and political issues could come up. You're likely to feel especially powerful now. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Heightened mental powers might make you spend a lot of time reading or doing research of some kind, Sagittarius. Your curiosity is especially sharp right now. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Your intuition might increase today to the point where you feel like you could deduce the thoughts and motives of people you've never met before. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You should be feeling especially passionate now, especially regarding partnerships. Romantic partnerships definitely call for an evening alone together. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) If you haven't been feeling like yourself lately, a surge of inner power could push you over the top and make you feel strong and healthy again.
his 10th opportunity to take a 4-3 lead in the second set and cruised to the finish, absorbing Berrettini’s powerful forehands and redirecting them to his weaker backhand side to see off the first time slam semi-finalist. “The first set was a little bit frustrating because I had a lot of break points and you don’t want to be in a tiebreak against a player like Matteo,” Nadal said. “I survived that moment and finally I had the break ... I think I started to play with more calm and was more aggressive. “I just tried to stay focused on the next point.” Nadal tipped his hat to the 24th seeded Berrettini, who came through several epic battles to reach the semis in New York. “He’s young and he has everything,” he said. “He’s already one of the best players in the world.” Next up for Nadal is a
showdown with big-serving Russian Medvedev, who was a straight sets winner over Grigor Dimitrov earlier in the day. The pair’s only previous meeting took place in the final of last month’s Rogers Cup in Montreal, where Nadal was a 6-3 6-0 winner. “He’s one of the more solid players on tour,” Nadal said of the 23-year-old, who will be appearing in his fourth
consecutive final and first at a Grand Slam. “He’s taking steps forward every single week, having an amazing summer. I need to be playing at my best. “As always in a Grand Slam final you can’t expect an easy opponent.” Victory in today’s final would leave Nadal just one Grand Slam shy of Roger Federer’s men’s record of 20.
Hero CPL and Republic Bank... From page 76 much destruction caused by Dorian as it has made its way across the region. We are delighted that Republic Bank have been so generous in donating funds and supplies. We hope that this goes some way towards easing the burden of those who have been so badly affected by the hurricane.” Michelle Palmer-Keizer, General Manager, Group Marketing and Communications for Republic Bank Limited said: “Everyone at Republic Bank and all around the Caribbean is deeply moved by devastation caused by Dorian, and we wholeheartedly share CPL’s
commitment to do whatever it takes to support our friends in the Bahamas in such difficult times. “On Wednesday morning, ‘6 for 6’ was a germ of an idea. By Wednesday night thanks to the collaboration between CPL and Republic Bank - and the six-hitting expertise of Kieron Pollard and co - we had raised our first $8,400 to support the Hurricane Dorian relief efforts. I have one message to all CPL players: hit more sixes and help us help the Bahamas.” Further initiatives to support those affected by Dorian will be announced over the coming weeks.
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Ferrari’s Leclerc takes Monza pole in qualifying farce MONZA, Italy (Reuters) Charles Leclerc put Ferrari on pole position for their home Italian Formula One Grand Prix yesterday in a qualifying session that ended in farce and with drivers under investigation. Five times world champion Lewis Hamilton joined the 21-year-old Monegasque on the front row for Mercedes, with Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas third and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel fourth. The last lap saw nine drivers cruising around, weaving and braking but with nobody willing to take the lead, and only McLaren’s Carlos Sainz making it to the line in time for a final fast lap. He ended up seventh. “That was worse than a junior formula,” a fuming Toto Wolff, team principal of world champions Mercedes, told Sky Sports television. “The problem was everyone wants a slipstream and nobody wants to go first...and then everyone looks like idiots.” Stewards said in a note on the timing screens that the last lap was under investigation.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc poses as he celebrates qualifying in pole position alongside second placed Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and third placed Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas. (REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini) Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen, the other driver through to the final phase of qualifying and last year’s pole sitter for Ferrari, had earlier crashed at Parabolica — halting the session for 11 minutes. When the session restarted, with Leclerc on provisional pole after setting
the pace before the red flag, there were minutes of inaction. That was followed by a sudden flurry, with cars streaming out of the pitlane and jostling for position in a closely-grouped pack. The irony of the slowest of qualifying laps at the fastest of tracks, a circuit
where slipstreaming can be a huge benefit to lap times, was not lost on Hamilton, who has taken more poles than any driver in history. “They basically timed us out,” said Hamilton. “It’s interesting. Get pole position in the first run and then just time everyone out. “It’s dangerous for us all.
There’s people slowing down and you don’t know who’s alongside you and that,” he continued. “It’s definitely risky business out there.” Ferrari’s army of fans were left celebrating anyway in grandstands strewn with banners from all over Italy declaring their passion and loyalty. BIG MESS The pole was Leclerc’s fourth of the season and second in a row. The Monegasque will be chasing his second successive victory on Sunday after winning for the first time in Belgium last weekend. “I’m happy with the pole but it’s a shame at the end there was a big mess and I hoped our last lap was enough,” said the youngster. “I think the pace was quite good actually during the race simulations,” he said of Ferrari’s hopes of ending a win drought at Monza dating back to 2010, when Spaniard Fernando Alonso was triumphant. “It’s looking positive, better than in Spa.” Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg, who qualified a provisional sixth and behind Australian team mate Daniel
Ricciardo in fifth, took much of the heat afterwards for running off track after being first out of the pits. “We’re all looking for a tow,” he told reporters before being summoned to the stewards for “leaving the track without a justifiable reason.” “When you drive on your own you lose on the straights and you can’t make up that time. Hence, we ended up with this situation. Of course it was a bit weird and strange. “That’s what happens when everyone starts slowing down and nobody wants to be first in the train.” Red Bull’s British-born Thai driver Alex Albon qualified eighth, and blamed Hulkenberg for what had happened, while Canadian Lance Stroll will line up ninth for Racing Point. Stroll has always gone well at Monza and qualified on the front row with Williams in 2017. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, winner of two races this season, will start at the back of the grid due to engine penalties, along with Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly and McLaren’s teenage rookie Lando Norris.
Australia smell victory as England left needing another miracle MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Australia took a giant step towards retaining the Ashes in the fourth test at Old Trafford yesterday after they left England needing 365 runs to win with eight wickets remaining heading into the final day. After declaring their second innings on 186-6, with a lead of 382, thanks to yet another outstanding innings from Steve Smith, who made 82, Australia heaped the pressure on England with two wickets late in the day. Pat Cummins grabbed two wickets in two balls to leave Joe Root’s side reeling, before the hosts regained some composure to reach 18-2 at the close. Australia were the better side in all three departments with Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all troubling England and benefiting from sharp catching, but it was once again Smith’s batting that proved a class apart. On a day in which every other batsman struggled to
England’s Jason Roy and Joe Denly leave the pitch at stumps. (Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff) cope with good length pace bowling, Smith, who has now compiled nine straight halfcenturies against England, looked utterly unfazed. “None of us expected the innings Smithy went out with, he was incredible. We’d have been happy to get though the
night but Smithy was unbelievable,” said Cummins. Victory for Australia, who bowled England out for 301 early in the day, would ensure they retain the urn, taking a 2-1 series lead into the final test at The Oval next week. Although England’s
astounding comeback win in the third test at Headingley will give them some hope, the winning target looks well out of reach for the hosts who must hope they can somehow bat through the day. “I think we can do it. We’ve had a chat in the changing room, we’re certainly not going out thinking it’s all over. There’s no use playing at this level (if you don’t),” said England coach Trevor Bayliss.
“They believe they are good enough to bat for 98 overs and save the game.” Australia had half an hour at the end of the day to attack England’s top order and paceman Cummins had instant success. With the third ball, Rory Burns found a leading edge and looped his shot to Travis Head at mid-off and then, with the next ball, he clean bowled England captain Root. Jason Roy kept out the hat-trick ball and England made it to stumps with no further casualties. EARLY INROADS Though Australia had a first innings lead of 196, Stuart Broad again caused them early concern, trapping David Warner lbw for a duck — the third successive time he has dismissed the left-hander without scoring. Marcus Harris was also leg before to Broad, failing with his review attempt, and when Marnus Labuschagne was trapped in front by Archer, Australia were wobbling at 243. There was no debate about Travis Head’s departure, as Jofra Archer sent his middle stump flying but, once again, first innings double centurion Smith took charge. Matthew Wade made 34 in support and then captain Tim
Paine added 23, while Smith moved within sight of becoming the first batsman to score a double century and a ton in an Ashes encounter and only the eighth to do so in any test. Yet he mis-timed a big shot off spinner Jack Leach, which was pocketed by Ben Stokes in the deep, to depart for 82 off 92 balls, another superb innings decorated with 11 boundaries. Earlier England narrowly avoided the follow-on after they were bowled out for 301, leaving Australia with an imposing lead. Their innings crumbled thanks to a fine combined effort from Australia’s pace attack with Hazlewood ending with four wickets while Starc and Cummins picked up three each. Starc amply justified his inclusion for this test with the key breakthrough wickets after England resumed on 200 for five, removing Jonny Bairstow (17) and Ben Stokes (26). Jos Buttler offered some resistance with his 41 before he was bowled by Cummins. Scores: England 301 (Burns 81, Root 71, Hazlewood 4-57) and 18 for 2 trail Australia 497 for 8 (Smith 211, Labuschagne 67) and 186 for 6 dec (Smith 82) by 365 runs.
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Webster, Narine take down Tallawahs despite Russell fireworks PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Opener Tion Webster struck his maiden Twenty20 half-century while Sunil Narine fashioned a strong all-rounder performance as reigning champions Trinbago Knight Riders won their second match in as many outings with a 22-run victory over Jamaica Tallawahs here Friday night. Sent in at Queen’s Park Oval, TKR rallied to 191 for four with We b s t e r anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 66 off 49 balls
while Narine lashed a whirlwind 46 from 22 deliveries. Captain Kieron Pollard came late to stroke 33 not out off 21 balls as the hosts gathered 47 from the last five overs without surrendering a wicket. In reply, New Zealander George Worker struck an unbeaten 46 off 33 balls but it was West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell who lit up the venue with 44 off just 24 deliveries. Captain Chris Gayle and Chadwick Walton chipped in
with 28 apiece but off-spinner Narine (2-23) and New Zealand seamer Jimmy Neesham (2-27) stifled Jamaica’s run chase, leaving the visitors with defeat in their opener. For the second game in a row, TKR were off to a weak start when Lendl Simmons played down the wrong line to left-arm spinner Christopher Lamont and was bowled for 11 with as many on the board in the second over. However, Narine then launched a punishing
Medvedev contains demons to beat Dimitrov and reach U.S. Open final NEW YORK (Reuters) Love him or hate him, Daniil Medvedev will play for a first Grand Slam title after grinding out a 7-6(5) 6-4 6-3 win over Grigor Dimitrov at the U.S. Open on Friday. Medvedev has a complicated relationship with the Flushing Meadows crowds, who have cast him as a U.S. Open bad boy due to his on-court antics, but the fifth seeded Russian has been as good as gold where it matters — on the scoreboard. “I will not say that I’m a kind person or a good person, I can only say I’m a really calm person in life,” said Medvedev, who has incurred $19,000 in fines for an assortment of offences including smashing racquets and giving the crowd the middle finger. “I actually have no idea why the demons go out when I play tennis. “I’m not proud of what I did. I’m working to never do it again.” Medvedev may not be winning many friends but he is winning matches. Lots of them. His semi-final victory on Friday sends the 23-year-old through to his fourth straight final and stretches his win streak to 12 matches. The first Russian man to reach a Grand Slam final since Marat Safin at the 2005 Australian Open, Medvedev will play Rafa Nadal for the title after the three-time champion ended Italian Matteo Berrettini’s surprise run. After spending much of the U.S. Open playing the role of villain, the lanky Medvedev has tried to cast himself as a more fan-friendly figure, distancing himself from the gestures that turned the New York crowds against him. He tried to put the bad blood behind him with an apology to the crowd after beating former champion
counter-attack, crunching four fours and three sixes in a 74-run, second wicket stand with Webster who counted seven fours and a couple of sixes. The left-handed Narine was racing towards his seventh T20 half-century when he was deceived by a slower ball from seamer Shamar Springer and holed out in the deep in the ninth over. And when Neesham (6) pushed a return catch to offspinner Steven Jacobs in the next over at 93 for three, TKR were beginning to stumble but two healthy partnerships allowed them to regain their momentum. First, Webster put on 47 for the fourth wicket with Denesh Ramdin whose 21 required only 16 balls, before adding a further 51 in an unbroken fifth wicket stand with Pollard who hit four fours in his knock. Narine then set back Tallawahs early in their run chase when he bowled New Zealander Glenn Phillips for six in the third over with 15 on the board Gayle attempted a counterattack, blasting three sixes in his 20-ball stay at the crease but perished in the sixth over when he skied pacer
Off-spinner Sunil Narine celebrates one of his two wickets against Jamaica Tallawahs on Friday night. Ali Khan to deep mid-wicket. Rovman Powell also fell cheaply for one, two overs later, before Worker and Walton added 49 for the fourth wicket to prop up the innings. However, by the time Walton found Neesham at long on trying to dispatch Narine at the end of the 13th over, Tallawahs were in dire straits at 93 for four and in need of something special to get the 99 required from 42 balls. Russell then teed off,
bludgeoning four fours and as many sixes as he dominated a 67-run, fifth wicket stand with Worker. However, his charge came too late as Neesham made telling blows at the death. Scores: TKR 191 for four off 20 overs (Tion Webster 66 not out, Sunil Narine 46, Kieron Pollard 33 not out). TALLAWAHS 169 for six off 20 overs (George Worker 46 not out, Andre Russell 44, Chris Gayle 28, Chadwick Walton 28; Sunil Narine 223, Jimmy Neesham 2-27).
UCCA annual Inter Secondary School U17 hardball cricket to commence Tuesday
Daniil Medvedev of Russia salutes the crowd after his match against Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria (not pictured) in a semifinal match on day twelve of the 2019 US Open. (Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports) Stan Wawrinka in the quarters, but fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium let him know he still had some fences to mend on Friday, ‘welcoming’ him with a round of jeers as he walked onto the court. ‘CRAZY MATCHES’ Medvedev and Dimitrov arrived at Flushing Meadows in wildly contrasting form. The 78th ranked Bulgarian’s play was trending downwards, winning just one of his last eight matches, while Medvedev was riding the momentum from reaching three straight finals, including a win in his last U.S. Open tune-up in Cincinnati. With both men fighting for a spot in their first Grand Slam final, every point was contested as if a trophy were riding on it, particularly in a tense opening set that stretched to an hour before Medvedev snatched
it in a tie-break. The second set produced more long, grinding rallies as the Russian and Bulgarian traded a pair of breaks before Medvedev landed the decisive blow to break Dimitrov and go 2-1 up. Now in command, Medvedev continued to relentlessly wear down the tiring Dimitrov in a third set that saw him earn a break at 3-1 to take a lead he would not surrender. “I think the confidence means a lot,” said Medvedev. “I do think he was better player in first set. I was kind of lucky to win it. “I think after I was playing better than him. “Talking about first set, these crucial points, this moment in my game, there is something strong that makes me win these crazy sets and crazy matches, which maybe two months ago I would have lost.”
After being postponed due to the prolong inclement weather the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association (UCCA) U17 cricket competition for schools in the Upper Corentyne and Black Bush areas is set to bowl off on Tuesday 10th September. The final is set for Friday 27th Septemb e r a t t h e Crabwood Creek Ground. The competition which is known as the Bharat and Family Inter Secondary Competition is being sponsored by the businessman and Family of Upper Corentyne. Five schools are set to compete, namely, Skeldon Line Path Secondary (SLPS), Skeldon High School (SHS), formerly (Skeldon Lutheran High), Ta g o r e Memorial Secondary School (TMSS), Central Corentyne Secondary School (CCSS) and Black
Bush Secondary School (BBSS). The competition will be played on a one day two innings format and will be a round robin affair. Play will begin at 10:30 hrs and end at 17:00rs. The two teams with the most points at the end of the preliminary rounds will clash in the finals. Round one fixture will see CCSS taking on BBPS on Tuesday at No 48 Ground. Wednesday 11th will see SLPS playing TMSS at No72 Cut and Load ground with SHS drawing the bye. Round Two matches set for Friday 13th September will see two matches with CCSS taking on TMSS at the No48 ground and SLPS playing SHS at Scottsburg with BBPS drawing the bye. Round two, three games will be played over two days. On Tuesday 17th BBPS and SLPS will match skills at the No48 Ground. On Wednesday 18th TMSC and SHS are set
to play at No 72 ground, while CCSS drew the bye. Fourth round games are set for Friday 20th with SHS and CCSS playing at Scottsburg and BBPS tangling with TMSC at the No 48 ground as SLPS drew the bye. The final round of matches are w i t h S H S versus CCSS on Tuesday 24th at the NO48 ground and on Wednesday 25th with SLPS and SCCC clashing at the No 72 ground with TMSS drawing the bye. Incentives will be awarded to the top teams and outstanding individual players. The competition has the blessings of the Ministry of Education and will be coordinated by the UCCA Competitions Committee. This committee is headed by former national Wicket Keeper batsman Sydney Jackman. (Samuel Whyte)
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Sunday September 08, 2019
GSCL Inc launches 3rd Prime Minister’s T20 Cup By Zaheer Mohamed The Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) Inc, on Friday last, launched the third edition of its Prime Minister’s T20 Cup at the GNIC SC, Woolford Avenue. The tournament which is being held in collaboration with the National Sports Commission and The Ministry of the Presidency Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sports, will commence on November 1 at several venues in the city. For the first time, matches will be played in the over-50 category; the other categories that will be contested are the open and over-45. Teams from Orlando, New York and Canada will battle with their Guyanese counterparts in the three divisions. Speaking at the launching ceremony, Prime Minister, Hon. Moses Nagamootoo, noted that the tournament has grown from strength to strength and made reference to the attractive prizes at stake. He lauded the GSCL Inc for including an over-50 category. “It is very innovative that we should see a role for older people in sports. Sports of this nature are intended to create a space for all and we can return to the glory days of Guyana when our athletes excel internationally. We can achieve through our players in the field and I hope that one day the best players can come together and form a national team so that Guyana can be represented by its best players in international tournaments.” He wished the teams well and said that the office of the Prime Minister will continue to be proudly associated with this competition. Minister of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. George Norton said softball cricket has made tremendous growth over the past few years and he is quiet
pleased that it has served as an extra curricula activity for the youths. “As Guyana stands on the prestige of good fortune, the Government has begun investing heavily on the all-round development of the youths. While Education remains paramount on the agenda, it is also important that we keep the youths engage in sports and other activities that will showcase their talent. Softball cricket has provided an avenue for the players to exercise discipline as they remain constructively occupied.” “The game has a large following and I would like to commend the GSCL Inc for its continued support towards the youths, however I would like to see the inclusion of a female component in the tournament for they too deserve an opportunity to showcase their talent.” GSCL Inc President Ian John said this year’s tournament will be bigger and better with the addition of the over-50 category. He indicated that 24 teams will be participating in the three divisions and they will accommodate three players at the age of 49 in the each team for the over-50 category and two players at the age of 43 in the playing XI in the over 45 category. John added that matches will be played at Police SC, YMCA, ECC, GYO, GNIC SC, MSC and DCC; however they are looking at the possibility of staging a game at Enmore. John informed that round arm and flick bowling will be allowed, adding that there will be lots of giveaways for the fans during the finals, while lighted bails will be used. He stated that additional entertainment will be provided by cheerleaders, artistes and cross over band and expressed gratitude to the sponsors, Prime Minister Nagamootoo and other stake holders. Both Ritisha Persaud of
Prime Minister Hon Moses Nagamootoo (2nd from left front row), Minister Dr. George Norton (2nd from right front row) and GSCL Inc President Ian John (left front row) with representatives of the sponsors and organisers at the launching ceremony. Rose Ramdehol and Banks Beer brand manager Rawle Nedd said they are pleased to be associated with the tournament once again, adding that they are looking forward to a successful and exciting competition. The winning team in the open segment will take home a trophy and $500,000 while the runner up will receive a trophy and $100,000. The man-of-the-match in the final will receive a trophy and $10,000 and the MVP will be given one Hero Honda Motorcycle. The champions in the over-45 segment will pocket a trophy and $500,000 and the runner up a trophy and $100,000. The man-of-thematch in the final will take home a trophy and $10,000 and the MVP one 55"smart TV. The over-50 division dubbed the legends category; the winners will be given a trophy and $300,000 and the runner up a trophy and $50,000. The man-of-the-
Hero CPL and Republic Bank to raise funds for hurricane Dorian relief efforts The Hero Caribbean Premier League will be working with Republic Bank to raise funds to support those who have been affected by Hurricane Dorian. This will be known as the “6 for 6” campaign with every six hit during the 2019 tournament generating funds and supplies for those in need of support in their efforts to recover from the damage caused by Dorian. To launch the initiative
with a bang, during the first match of the tournament, which saw Trinbago Knight Riders take on St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, each six raised US$600 meaning a total of US$8,400 was raised, with Kieron Pollard clearing the fence most often. In game two of the tournament the Guyana Amazon Warriors took on St Lucia Zouks. For that match Republic Bank donated US$60 for every six hit. Future “6 for 6”
campaigns will see each maximum generating other critical supplies in the relief effort including fresh water, medical packs or food packs as Republic Bank and Hero CPL work together to help the rebuilding efforts across the region. These will be announced prior to each match. Pete Russell, COO of Hero CPL, said: “We have been devastated to see so (Continued on page 73)
match will collect a trophy and $10,000 and the MVP one gold bracelet. Members of the finalists in each segment will also receive medals. Among the sponsors are Banks DIH, Regal Stationery and
Computer Centre and Regal Sports, Crown Mining, Rajiv Gandhi University, Green Heart University, Star Party Rentals, Supreme Venture, Elegance Jewellery, Cyber Sports Pakistan, Ink Plus the computer store, Dyna’s
Embroidery, USA Cricket Zone, Krsna and Balram Printery and Hero Motorcycle- Rose Ramdehol. The competition will culminate on November 3 under lights at the Everest Cricket Club.
Kings of Studies 2 expected to exceed expectations It will be football fever when the second semester of the University of Guyana (UoG) commences as the second annual edition of the ‘Kings of Studies’ one-day football competition is schedule to kickoff on January 25th next year. According to the organiser, Jafar Gibbons, “All the footballers are already hyped as the second edition of the tournament is schedule to kick start on the first Saturday of the new semester.” Gibbons, who is a second year International Relations student, in a correspondence to Kaieteur Sport, confirmed that the ‘Kings of Studies 2’ is a oneday tournament and all prizes will be handed over on the same day. The first edition, which was delayed by two weeks due to a bomb scare, was eventually won by Hard Knocks. The eventual MVP walked away with One Signature Moov sneakers along with a gold ring, sponsored by Antonio Fredericks. However, this year, the champions are set to pocket $100,000, runners up $50,000 and third place $25,000. In the second edition, the tournament will facilitate 10 teams that will comprise strictly
Jamaine Samuels of Hard Knocks; eventual MVP and top goal scorer from the first edition of the tournament. UoG students and there is no entry/registration fee attached to participating in the tournament. When quizzed via social media on the uniqueness of this tournament, Gibbons shared that, “What the tournament does is that it moves away from the traditional inter-faculty set up and gives players the chance to organise with players from other faculities. What this does also do is foster
cohesion among the faculties and by extension all the students.” The organiser further noted that the champions will be asked to contribute 10% of their winnings towards a project of their choice that will impact the university positively and he expressed his gratitude to the University of Guyana hierarchy in granting the permission needed to run off the tournament.
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GISE, Star Party Rental & Trophy Stall cricket
Johnson’s ton highlights GCA’s div 1 resumption By Sean Devers On a day blessed with glorious sunshine, Guyana Jaguars Captain Leon Johnson lit up Bourda with a masterful unbeaten century to put GCC in a commanding position against UG on the opening day of the GCA’s GISE, Star Party Rental & Trophy Stall first division two-day cricket competition yesterday. The team from the University of Guyana (UG) are handicapped by unusable condition of their ground and showed in their performance yesterday after they won the toss and were bowled out for a disappointing 47 from just 21 overs. Pravindralall Persaud (10) was the only batsman to reach double figures as offspinners Darrius Andrews had 4-12, while Renaldo AliMohamed (3-7) and Stephan Wilson (2-5) supported for GCC who reached 357-8 by the end of the day, enjoying a
lead of 310. John, the Region’s most successful Captain with five consecutive First-Class titles for the Jaguars, was unbeaten on a commanding 153 from 130 balls with 12 fours and five sixes. Robin Bacchus reached the ropes six times and cleared it thrice in his 86, while Jeetendra Sookdeo made 44, six fours and a six and together shared in an opening stand worth 126 runs. Stylish 14-year-old West Indies U-19 right-hander Mavindra Dindyal then stroked an elegant 46 with a four and three sixes to further enhance his reputation as one for the future. Omesh Danram has so far picked up four wickets for UG, who most of the day chased leather in sweltering conditions on a heavy outfield. Dwain Dodson has two wickets so far. UG elected to bat, but once Godfrey Thaduredin (2)
was bowled by Ali-Mohamed, who trapped Keon Roberts (7) and Omesh Danram, who was squared-up by one that left him as he nicked a catch to Johnson at first slip it was 15-3 and Ali-Mohamed on a hat-trick. Carlos LaRose produced an in swinging yorker which sent Melroy Stephens’ (2) legstumped cartwheeling, UG were 15-4. Persaud resisted but missed a big swing at Wilson was bowled at 31-5. Andrews then removed Dwain Dodson (2), Linden Austin (8) and Devon Paul (0) in quick succession as UG slumped to 39-8 to eventually be all out well inside the opening session. When GCC began their reply the left-handed pair of the burly Sookdeo and Bacchus attacked the bowling with an array of pugnacious shots in their century stand. Watched by a small
Kriskal Persaud wins Inaugural A. Ally and Sons, Berbice Rapid Chess Open
Linden Austin fends at a short ball from Renaldo Ali-Mohamed who had 3-7 for GCC yesterday. gathering which included on GCA officials, Sookdeo pulled Yekini Favourite for six and clobbered Linden Austin onto Regent Road before Bacchus hit Favourite for two delightful boundaries in three balls as they began like a house on fire. Sookdeo played a tired looking shot and was caught at point at 126-1 to Danram the first of his four wickets. Bacchus dumped Devon Paul over mid-wicket for six before launching into Danram and blasted him for back-toback sixes into the Rohan Kanhai stand before he
missed a big swing and was LBW to Dodson. Dindyal, whose batting reminds many of Ramnaresh Sarwan, looked positive from the inception hitting three sixes before playing a majestic cover driven boundary off Danram. He added 69 with his Skipper Johnson who was quick to pivot and pull Danram brutally for four like a bullet despite the sluggish outfield before the youngster was taken at cover as Danram struck 214-3. Ali-Mohamed (1) fell a run later when he threw his wicket away; lobbing a catch to
short-mid wicket off Lloyd George before Danram removed Deonarine Seegobin (4) and LaRose for a duck as the hosts slipped to 233-6. Johnson reached his century with his eighth boundary, a commanding extra-cover drive off Persuad. He also hit three sixes and his ton took 100 balls. Phillips (4) was dismissed by Dodson and Wilson (16) was run out towards the end of the day and Johnson might think off getting a double century or declare overnight. Play on today’s final day is scheduled to commence at 09:00hrs.
From left: Frankie Farley, Darwin London, Kriskal Persaud, Chandradat Ramnarain, Loris Nathoo, and Jacob Nauth after the presentation. Berbician Kriskal Persaud made full use of home advantage to win the first ever A. Ally and Sons Berbice Rapid Chess Open 2019 Competition, organised by the Berbice Chess Association (BCA). Persaud, a Former Junior and two-times Senior National open Chess Champion, won the competition which was played recently at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus, Tain, Corentyne, Berbice. The tournament, which was sponsored by A. Ally &Sons Company, saw Persaud winning from a competitive field. The former champion was at home as he pitted skills and used his experience to outwit a top notch field that included Shiv Nandalall, veteran chess columnist Errol Tiwari, Frankie Farley, Professor
Gonathinayagam Subramanian Director of the UGBC, Loris Nathoo, and Steve Leung. The competition was played using the Swiss Format for seven rounds and was coordinated by Rashad Hussain and Krishnanand Raghunandan. Following Persaud in the winners roll call were Loris Nathoo second, Frankie Farley third, Jacob Nauth fourth (he was also the best Berbician apart from Kriskal Persaud) and Darwin London fifth, he was also the top junior on show. A number of other players of note that took part in the competition include Uddhav Bagwandeen a South African medical student at the Texila American University, Lottia Williamson, an English Student at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus, Marley London, brother of
Darwin London and John London, father of the London brothers. The trophies and other incentives were presented by Chandradat Ramnarine of the A. Ally and Sons Business Company. K r i s h n a n a n d Raghunandan, President of the BCA, welcomed the players and expressed the Association’s gratitude to the A. Ally and Sons Company for sponsoring the competition. He also thanked the University of Guyana Berbice Campus for making the venue available and the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) for all their support and for providing the chess sets and clocks used in the competition. Raghunandan expressed the hope that this competition will become an annual affair. (Samuel Whyte)
Jeetendra Sookdeo lofts one for six during his 126-run opening stand yesterday.
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Holder goal holds up for Guyana against Aruba Willemstad, Curacao – Guyana picked up a 1-0 win over Aruba to kick off action in Group C of League B in the Concacaf Nations League group stage on Friday night at the Ergilio Hato Stadium in Willemstad, Curacao. Aruba began the match with the better offensive opportunities, but Guyanese goalkeeper Akel Clarke had an answer for every attempt. The visitors would open the scoring after Kelsey Benjamin found space on the right flank before eventually finding Sheldon Holder inside the box in the 22nd minute. Holder’s score marked his eighth international goal for the Guyana national team. Aruba’s best opportunity in the second half came off a corner in the 74th minute as Nickenson Paul’s header would be denied by the top post. Paul would make a defensive stop minutes later to deny Neil Danns from extending Guyana’s lead.
Sunday September 08, 2019
Kaieteur News
Danns would generate another good opportunity in the 82nd minute, but his feet would let him down as he tripped inside the box and Aruba goalkeeper Matthew Lentink collected the ball. Aruba earned a free kick opportunity in stoppage time, but Gregor Breinburg shot was punched away by Clarke, securing the three points for Guyana which will host Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz tomorrow at the Leonora National Track and Field Centre from 19:00hrs. The Reggae Boyz will come to these shores on the back of being the leader in the group on goals following their huge 6-0 win over Antigua and Barbuda on Friday night at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Antigua and Barbuda had a great opportunity early but Carl Osbourne was denied by Jamaican GK Andre Blake. A Blake goal kick would then be headed on by Leon Bailey to find Shamar Nicholson in the
box for the opening goal in the ninth minute of the match. Bailey would set up the second goal for the Reggae Boyz, flying through the right flank then driving inside the box to find Bobby Reid in the 31st minute, for Reid’s first Jamaica senior team goal. Nicholson would find the back of the net for a second time in the 51st minute to extend Jamaica’s lead to 3-0. Brian Brown joined the scoresheet for the fourth Jamaica goal in the 67th minute. Bailey then would go from provider to finisher, adding a fifth goal for the home side in the 77th minute. Continuing with an attacking mindset, Peter Vassell contributed to the result with the sixth Jamaica goal in the 81st minute. Meanwhile, Antigua and Barbuda would be at home to Aruba tomorrow (Monday) from 15:00hrs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. (Concacaf)
Andreescu beats Williams to win U.S. Open
Corporate Guyana roars with ‘Golden Jaguars’
CIDI’s Marketing Director Vanessa Adamson-Carr (left), Randy Goodett (Operations Director) and GFF’s Keeran Williams. With one day before Guyana plays its first of three home matches of the Concacaf Nations League (CNL) against Jamaica at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora, corporate Guyana has noted the significance of the match and are roaring with the Golden Jaguars. Caribbean International Distributors Inc. (CIDI) under their Blue Life Water brand, Extra Beer and Extra Energy Drink, Grill Kings, the National Communications N e t w o r k a n d To u r i s m Guyana have all come on board in various forms and committed to the success of the event.
Marketing Director of CIDI, Vanessa Adamson-Carr noted that her company is pleased to s u p p o r t t h e Golden Jaguars “in their quest for glory as they compete in the Concacaf Nations League. CIDI will stand in support of our national team and the Blue Life Brand will support this t e a m a 1 00% in their endeavors.” Fresh off a 1-0 win in their first match of this campaign against Aruba on Friday in Curacao, the Golden Jaguars will be hoping to capitalise on another three points with the home advantage before facing Antigua and Barbuda in Antigua on October 11.
However, the Reggae Boyz will be no easy opponent having won their first match against Antigua by a 6-0 margin and leading the group. The match against the Reggae Boyz is scheduled for 19:00hrs with a two-thousand dollar ($2,000) admission fee. Tickets will be available at the gate and gates will be opened from 17:00hrs. Guyana’s others matches in the tournament are as follows: October 14 – Guyana vs Antigua & Barbuda in Guyana; November 15 – Guyana vs Aruba in Guyana. November 18: Jamaica vs Guyana in Jamaica.
Wiltshire Dominoes tourney on today at MMZ Senior Organising Secretary of the Georgetown Dominoes Association Mark Wiltshire will be hosting a tournament today at Ravo Shop, Masjid Street, Met-en-
Meer Zorg, West Coast Demerara. The entrance fee is $12,000 and action gets underway at 14:30hrs. The winning team will take home
a trophy and $200,000, runner up a trophy and $100,000 and third prize a trophy and $50,000. The MVP in the final will pocket $5,000.
Bianca Andreescu of Canada (left) greets Serena Williams of the United States after the women’s singles final on day thirteen of the 2019 US Open tennis tournament. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports) NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu beat Serena Williams 6-3 75 in the U.S. Open final yesterday to claim her first Grand Slam title and stop the American’s bid to equal the all-time record. The hard-hitting Andreescu matched Williams’ power throughout the slugfest and fended off a late comeback from the six-times U.S. Open champion to claim victory.
The 19-year-old dropped her racket after hitting a winner on match point to seal victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium and collapsed on her back after embracing her defeated opponent. Andreescu, who becomes the first Canadian woman to win a major in the professional era, prevented Williams from equalling Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
Mark Wiltshire (left) accepts one of the prizes from Raymond Alli of All Season’s Racing Service.
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 08, 2019
PAGE 83
Limacol football tournament
Buxton and Conquerors secure round 1 wins Buxton Stars (on the ball) edged GFC 2-1 on Friday night.
Play between Fruta Conquerors and Northern Rangers (on the ball) on Friday night.
T
he fourth annual Limacol Football tournament continued on Friday evening at the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground on Carifesta Avenue with two more matches in the group round-robin phase. Both matches were first round clashes and at the end of the night Buxton Stars of the East Coast of Demerara and city side Fruta Conquerors FC under-20 both left with wins under their belt.
In the feature clash that was scheduled for 21:00hrs, Conquerors’ under-20 made light work of their opponents Northern Rangers with a convincing 4-1 drubbing. By halftime, Conquerors were cruising 3-0 after Ravon Bailey had got the ball rolling as early as the 5th minute, Deshawn Rich doubled the youths’ advantage with a well taken strike in the 10th minute before Nicholas McArthur added the first of his brace in the
24th minute. The second half was quieter for Fruta that had a comfortable threegoal cushion before Travis Martin got on the score sheet for Rangers, but MacArthur restored the threegoal advantage just one minute before stoppage time to complete his brace. Meanwhile, in the opening clash, Georgetown Football Club (GFC) got off their campaign with a poor start after losing out 2-1 to Buxton Stars.
One day four teams cricket Competition on today at Rose Hall Town
A
four-team one day cricket competition organised by a number of concerned groups in the Lower Corentyne area is set for today at the Area H Ground Rose Hall Town. This competition will be a 10/10 overs’ affair in its preliminary rounds. The final which will feature the top two teams will
however be a 20/20 overs’ encounter. First ball is expected to be bowled at 9:00 hours. Teams desirous of participating are required to pay an entrance fee of $5000. The winning team will walk away with $40,000 plus a trophy, while there will be incentives for other outstanding performers. Admission to the venue is free.
The heroes for the Stars were Dennis Fordyce who netted in the 33rd minute and Shemar McPherson (79th minute) who cancelled out GFC’s Michael Stewart’s 40th minute equaliser. Play in the tournament continues tonight at the MOE ground with Riddim Squad versus GT Panthers in the first game at 19:00hrs, while Camptown will be pitted against Timehri Panthers in the feature clash at 21:00hrs.
There are four groups of four teams contesting the group roundrobin stage, the top two sides in each group will advance to the quarterfinals. The winners of this edition will pocket $400,000, second $200,000, third $100,000 and the losers of the third place playoff will walk away with $50,000. The tournament’s flagship sponsor is New GPC Inc. with support from W.J. Enterprise. (Calvin Chapman)
Holder goal holds up for Guyana against Aruba
t r o Sp Andreescu beats Williams to win U.S. Open
Golden Jaguar Neil Danns (#16) in control for Guyana against Aruba on Friday night.
Bianca Andreescu holds aloft the US Open trophy after winning her maiden Grand Slam title. (AFP / Timothy A. Clary)
GISE, Star Party Rental & Trophy Stall cricket
Johnson’s ton highlights GCA’s div 1 resumption
Leon Johnson pulls for four in his entertaining unbeaten 154 at Bourda yesterday.
Robin Bacchus charged to bowlers during his 86 yesterday at Bourda.
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