Friday September 23, 2016
PAGE 5
Kaieteur News
The Guysuco Board is a failure Something is wrong with this stone deal
DEAR EDITOR; With all the subsidy from Govt. to the tune of tens of billions of dollars per crop, and with no end in sight to these and other atrocities committed by this State owned, or people-owned corporation, Guysuco and the Board of Directors continue to operate as if they are on a run-away train, destined for destruction when the track runs out. Put in clear Guyanese language this group of faceless, talentless, no-vision people who comprise the Board and other management structures “deh pun s.......t.” How many of these people are citizens of other countries. When our poor people emigrate in search of the better life that eludes us here; these fat cats who are honoured citizens will live in New York enjoying their huge pensions. We will continue to hope for the better life the President of Guyana envisions for us. We want the better life now, not in the next life; we deserve to live as ordinary folks, knowing the origin of the next meal. KN has reported sufficiently on all the high salaried personnel, perks of office, other benefits that the colonial masters used to enjoy, yet this group of people behave as if they have been placed on the Board to destroy this flagship of our patrimony, sugar. In missives contributed earlier, we feel that no one is listening to us, the people of Guyana, who are the owners of Guysuco, Hello people at Guysuco, we are watching you, and we will be on your case, on your back. What if Guysuco was a private corporation, do many of you think you would have been brought out of retirement to continue the same old
ways of doing business? There must be evidence in Corporate Law of a line of jurisprudence that can bring to justice those who have brought sugar to beggary. Can we get some help here from decent attorneys at law? Planting rice at Wales is the last straw that this drowning person can grasp. To prepare 435 acres of cane fields for flat land cultivation will cost tremendous sums of money, and look they are hoping to do so with laser equipment. All the lands in rice all over this Guyana; have been cleared of jungle to make rice fields. Our fathers used the most primitive means to prepare lands for rice. We are not suggesting that present day agriculture must revert to primitive means to prepare lands for farming. We abhor the thought of converting well laid out bed and drains of the cane fields for a crop like rice, which in this age require state of the art equipment for land preparation. Editor, the issue here is why would a bankrupt entity wish to embark on the cultivation of a crop that will require enormous cost not only for land preparation, but other machinery for crop husbandry, harvesting, drying and storage and perhaps milling of the grain? The next humongous question is; where do they plan to sell the rice. With the loss of the Venezuelan market with all its perks, where will Guyana sell these extra few hundred acres of production? It is a fact that Guyana has to diversify its rice industry to other crops. Dr. Jagan had advised rice farmers: “do not put all your eggs in one basket” We do not listen to proper advice that is why we are in a hole. To save the rice indus-
try we have to cut back on production, the State has a role to play in rice’s future. Wales’ future has been discussed by RURAL PEOPLE in previous articles. We plan more discussion on this issue of land for the tiller, not land for the failures. Wales is our prime target. It is known to all rice farmers that the cost to produce a bag of rice is almost as high as the selling price of rice. That the rice farmer exists up to now is a mystery of economics, and perhaps collectively they should be awarded the Nobel Prize, for either being human or economic wizards. It is now time for the Granger Administration to take heed of the path where Guysuco is taking this nation. Yes sugar is too big to fail. Sugar must save sugar through sugar. There is abundant evidence and information on the viability of this sweet product. Valuable resources are available, both human and, innovation on what sugar can do for itself. Those in the leadership are spent. The Bakra left us with a good thing. Must we trample it underfoot? We need new blood to pilot sugar forward in these turbulent times, not through other crops.Sugar must no bec ontaminated with false i
d
e
a
s
.
If Guysuco Board is the Jonah, let Guysuco Board go. Failure begets failure. There are others who can resolve Guysuco’s dilemma. Our cane harvesters and shovel men also have ideas to save Guysuco, but not by engaging in failure after failure. All previous investigations on our property (Guysuco) have been shrouded in secrecy; the decisions have been (Continued on page 6)
I have heard consistent criticism... From page 4 mentioned generations are inadequate. Whereas management could have expected boomers and to a lesser extent Xers; with all their alleged radicalism; to accept the status quo (managers’and politicians’ inherent right to the good life to the exclusion of workers), generations Y and more so Millenniums would have none of this. For members of these two generations while management is expected to have a bet-
ter salary and overall package than the rank and file worker, what is offered to the common worker must not be outlandishly different. So for generation Y and Millenniums while the children of management staff can have company cars take them to school, they expect the company to provide a bus to take their children to school Claudius Prince Editor’s note; because of length, this letter will be continued.
DEAR EDITOR; I read with disbelief about the CJIA Contractor’s purchase of stone, in neighbouring Suriname. We cannot even supply local stone? This country is in a downward economic spiral and contracts of this nature are badly needed to reverse this. Why can’t the Guyanese people and its
companies get any economic benefits from the Chinese companies? One only has to think about the Marriott Hotel, Bai Shai Lin trucking contracts and numerous instances where the Chinese shut out Guyanese. Is there some reason why they would do business in neighbouring Suriname maybe quid pro quo? I cannot see how Suriname would be cheaper
given transportation costs and the remoteness of their quarries? Our quarries produce an equivalent if not better product and employ thousands of people, directly and indirectly. The Government of Guyana needs to put the Guyanese people and companies first, if not, the grand 50th Anniversary celebrations, this year, would have been a big farce Hari N. Singh
We need to take a strong line against human trafficking DEAR EDITOR; America’s writers are its conscience. William Faulkner, one of America’s greatest writers, states that the American Civil War was the price it had to pay for the sin of slavery. Toni Morrison, in Beloved, writes how a mother murders her child because living the life of a slave is worse than death. Next to war, man’s most abhorrent creation is the institution of slavery with its horror, degradation, cruelty
and inhumanity. To think that Guyana is complicit in slavery betrays our past. If a slave steps onto our land, then Guyana is not free. We know this, yet we have tainted our heritage and our country by facilitating human trafficking as was reported in Kaiteur News September 4, 2016. The PPP needs to examine this issue that occurred during their latter years in power. This crime should be addressed or it will continue
to fester and grow like that damned spot on our nation and country that is the result of the sex u a l a b u s e o f women who were fulfilling their patriotic duties during the PNC era (KN June 18, 2006 and SN – June 24, 2006). Just as South Africa had to confront and address the atrocities that occurred during apartheid, we too should confront and address the sins of our past or forever be a nation, divided. Stanley Niamatali
Hadfeild Street has been taken over by mini-buses DEAR EDITOR; Upper Hadfield Street, between Vlissingen Road and Mandela Avenue, was recently repaired and resurfaced after being in a deplorable state for several months. The road had deteriorated rapidly due to its overuse, particularly by heavy-duty equipment and machinery that were employed for construction of Jubilee (former D’Urban) Park. Credibly, the Minister of Works kept his promise to fix the road after the grand 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations. The road’s upgrade is a welcome relief to Hadfield Street residents and other users who access other nearby communities using it as a route. Hadfield Street’s up-
grade, however, has been attracting a frightening nuance. Several route 41 and 48 minibuses have opted, out of their prescribed Road Service itinerary, to make Hadfield Street their new race course. Invariably minibuses from those zones can be seen filled with passengers accelerating along this undesignated carriageway at alarming speed. This seems to be a spinoff of the practice by many route 41 and 47 minibus operators who violate the route 46 zone by traversing and collecting passengers
at liberty along Joseph Pollydore Street, creating unfair competition for the hapless Lodge minibus operators. I trust that Mr. Dion Moore and someone from the East LaPenitence Police Traffic unit will take cognizance of this article and deploy the relevant units in an effort to curb this growing malpractice. Orette Cutting
PAGE 6
Kaieteur News
Friday September 23, 2016
The woeful plight of a teacher You, Me and Suicide Prevention who didn’t get his salary DEAR EDITOR; I tell you, there are people and there are people. I have learnt ages ago that it is within the very nature of Man to help one another, but why some folks do not beats me. Here is a somewhat disturbing state of affairs as relates to a trained teacher who is assigned to a school in another region away from where he lives. This teacher has time and again been experiencing difficulties in maintaining the full required level of professionalism and upstanding as is demanded by duty. While this is a failing that cannot be condoned, I’m certain that there are ways and means once played by the rules, in which management has recourse to address this matter. And of course, the authority it appears did, but the course of action that was taken just doesn’t seem right. For three months – June, July and August - when this teacher went to the bank to uplift his salary . . . there was none! Upon inquiry from the head of his school, they claimed no such knowledge. He further inquired from the Education Officer who also said that he was unaware of any such thing. Nothing was ever said to him, no letter given to him informing him of anything. So then, how was it that for three consecutive months his salary was not
posted? How did it happen? If this is not the way of or the fault of the Ministry of Education, then someone should explain. Don’t people have consideration for the wellbeing of others? This is most callous; what must he do? How will he be able to prepare for this new school term? I recall a similar story some years ago as highlighted by one Geralda Dennison in a letter; “What an unfair world we live in”, about the plight of a teacher who was a victim of bureaucratic lethargy and unconscionable judgement. This teacher, a father of three and who had been teaching for seventeen years was owed three months’ salary by the state totaling $180,000.00. With children to feed and upkeep and rent to pay, he stole from his place of employment which he admitted to, explained his circumstances and begged for mercy. But his plea fell on deaf ears and he was sentenced to twelve months in jail. Mind you dear reader, what he stole was far below what they owed him. Dear reader, please take note that in spite of him not receiving his three months’ pay he continued teaching - two CXC classes; two third form classes and three second form classes, but that didn’t matter– 12 months jail. It is such situations that
trip people off and provide fertile soil for rebellion. Now as if the above scenario wasn’t enough agony, here comes the bone breaker, rubbing salt to the wound. This very teacher took some items from COURTS for his mother whom he supports; she is diabetic and depends heavily on him. He has been paying his installments on time and never had a lapse until the above scenario occurred. He respectfully went in to them and informed them about his plight, hoping that they would exercise tolerance thus “flexing” the rules for his predicament. But the company would have none of it; they went to his home and took away every piece of item – business is business. As can be seen dear reader he defaulted because of not being paid for three consecutive months. I maintain and repeat: poor folks cannot live by all the rules that were made for them; his installments all gone down the drain. This to me is worse than what the brothers who play three cards do. And I’m not in anyway defending those naughty customers one bit but without the human factor being a key element we are doomed. No wonder folks hide, lie, move things out, jump through windows and what’s not. Maybe it doesn’t always pay to be decent. Frank Fyffe
I have heard consistent ... From page 4 Today a number of writers and researchers who are experts in the areas of management and communication have turned their attention to studying persons they term as the Y generation and the
Millenniums. Over all, these two generations comprise of persons born between 1970 and 1980 and those born after 1980 respectively. These experts in management and communication seek this understanding since they realize that the old ways for managing the parents (baby boomers and generation X, persons born between 1940s and 1960s) of the beforementioned generations are inadequate. Whereas management could have expected boomers and to a lesser extent Xers; with all their alleged radicalism; to accept the status quo (managers’and politicians’ inherent right to the good life
to the exclusion of workers), generations Y and more so Millenniums would have none of this. For members of these two generations while management is expected to have a better salary and overall package than the rank and file worker, what is offered to the common worker must not be outlandishly different. So for generation Y and Millenniums while the children of management staff can have company cars take them to school, they expect the company to provide a bus to take their children to school Claudius Prince Editor’s note; because of length, this letter will be continued.
DEAR EDITOR; Choosing to kill one’s self can happen to anyone: young or old, poor or rich, educated or illiterate, doctors and dock workers, IndianBlack- Amerindian, male or female. It can happen in a flash or over a long time. The Guyanese statistics show that death from suicide shows no favourites; they give some clues as to who is more likely. This is done by looking back, not looking forward. It seems to me that there is really no good way to predict who will actually kill themselves. If one listens to survivors, friends and family of the deceased, a major theme is one of surprise, “I never thought they would kill themselves.” So what is the average person supposed to do? Talk to everyone? Care about everyone? My easy answer would be, “Yes.” There are many persons who are depressed, live in abusive relationships, have the love of our life dump us, live a lonely existence, have had a long season in their lives where nothing is going right, experience an unwanted pregnancy, lose all one’s savings by gambling… and they do not go on to kill themselves or even attempt to kill themselves.
If we knew they were going to kill themselves, we would connect, communicate and care. The difficulty is that we don’t know who will go on and kill themselves… as not everyone who says they may kill themselves goes on to do it. We need to start the story of suicide prevention when it really hasn’t even begun. So do we care about “everyone”? No, there are not too many Mother Theresas around and even she stayed in one city. I might suggest everyone we see, everyone we come in contact with daily or weekly. It is no good waiting for those who are sad or depressed to reach out to us; it is one more burden that is just too much for them. It is a continuation of blaming the victim: “they are responsible for not reaching out and connecting and communicating and caring”. No, it is up to us who feel pretty good most days to reach out to the others we see having a more difficult day, week or month than we. Even this would not necessarily work because we are not that good at observing others. Those contemplating suicide hide well behind “fake smiles” or just plain hiding. So we might want to act “as
if” everyone we encounter might be suicidal. But where is the glamour or prestige in saving someone’s life. We would all love to be a hero, but those star situations don’t come by often. Our world needs a lot more just “nice” people who have a friendly word or a thoughtful deed for someone else. Everyone needs these connecting gestures whether we are suicidal or not… And maybe if more of us did those communicating actions more often, then those who might have let sadness and loneliness and disappointment lead to suicidal thoughts would never get that far down the path to self-destruction. I once knew a pretty wise woman who did pretty good raising her children. She would constantly say, “Be kind; be kind. And you will be a saint.” As I remember it was probably while there was a fight of some description going on. Life is way too complicated to have any one slogan cover everything, but kindness is a good place to start. I agree with M. Jane Cahill. John O’Connor Visiting Faculty, School of Nursing St Joseph Mercy Hospital
Without justice there can be no peace DEAR EDITOR; As the world observed International Day of Peace (last Wednesday), let us not lose sight that without justice there can be no peace. As the United Nations General Assembly declared this day, 21st Sept e m b e r, devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and
among all nations and peoples, let us look within ourselves and country to make this possible. Peace in a global place requires all being held to the same standards and operating by the same rules. The United Nations has so outlined these rules. As the first prerequisite for harmony and peaceful co-existence, it requires us doing unto oth-
ers as we would like to be done unto us. For instance, if we desire to live then we should not kill; if we desire to be treated with dignity and enjoy the protection of the laws, then it behooves extending similar treatment to others. As we mark this day, let there be Peace. It begins with each and every one of us. Sharma Solomon.
We have to move beyond the PPP Humpty Dumpty. Once he thing. We need to stop givand PNC like fell of the wall there was no ing these two parties anyDEAR EDITOR; Everyday you and other letter writers complain about the governing system in Guyana to no avail. This comes because we are trying to fix things that cannot be fixed
hope for him. The parallel is the PPP and PNC. They are broken beyond repair and cannot be fixed as we are now seeing with this coalition government, which the PNC is in control of - the same old
more of our energies, move past them and start something totally different. That’s the only way out of the nightmare that is Guyana. Stop complaining let’s start a new thing. Rafeek Feroze
Friday September 23, 2016
PAGE 7
Kaieteur News
All is above board with Japanese cement deal - Minister Gaskin It appears that all is above board with a cement importation deal into the country via a Japanese grant aid. On Wednesday, representatives from Trinidad-owned TCL Guyana Inc. and KSM Investments Inc. met with Minister of Business, Dominic Gaskin, following a letter they sent him recently seeking clarity. Speaking with Kaieteur News following the meeting at his South Road office, Minister Gaskin, explained that importers were assured that all was well with the arrangements. The two importers had expressed concerns in the letter that cement was being advertised and sold by National Hardware and other suppliers but the bags had questionable wordings on them that
The front of the sack: “From The People Of Japan” suggested it was provided by Japan under concessional terms. The cement sack had the word “From the People Of Japan” and “FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN
UNDER NON-PROJECT GRANT AID FY 2013. The two importers contended that it appears that the cheap cement, granted under concessional terms, was unfairly competing with theirs.
Clothes vendor freed on fraud charge A case of fraudulent conversion was dismissed against Dexter Bentick, after his niece refused to give evidence, when the matter was called yesterday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. It was alleged that between, December 18, 2015 and February 19, last, at Georgetown, Dexter Bentick, being solely entrusted by Nekeisha Niles with a quantity of clothing valued $1.3M, to sell and to return the proceeds to
Niles, fraudulently converted the proceeds to his own use and benefit. Initially Bentick, 39, of Bartica, pleaded g u i l t y. H o w e v e r, b a s e d on an explanation he offered to the court, the Magistrate entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. Niles asked that the matter be dismissed since she and her uncle had made a deal (payment plan) outside of the court. Niles said that at the time of the incident, she was unaware of her
uncle’s financial status. Police Prosecutor Sophia Sardinha had objected to bail for Bentick on the ground that he provided investigators and the court with different addresses. It was disclosed in court that some of the articles mentioned in the charge were recovered.
The back of the cement sack says: “FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN UNDER NON-PROJECT GRANT AID FY 2013.” The importers had complained that such labelling is applicable only when a commodity is provided as aid to a country. And such aid should be distributed freely and not sold. They wanted Government to explain the deal. Yesterday, the minister disclosed that indeed that Guyana has an arrangement for grant aid from Japan. Some time ago, it was agreed that Japan would source cement for Guyana with the proceeds for the sale to be remitted to the coffers of Government. The sale of the cement would be placed in the hands of local businesses. The transactions were
open to tender. According to the Minister, National Hardware and number of companies, including Gafoors, submitted tenders. National Hardware and Gafoors were two of the companies that remained. The necessary taxes and shipping charges were borne by the hardware companies, it was disclosed. Gaskin said that he is continuing to monitor the deal. This was similar to what the Ministry of Finance had said earlier this week. Checks with the Guyana Revenue Authority found that the necessary taxes were paid. Director of National Hardware, Nicholas Boyer, insisted
that his company has followed procedures and tendered and was subsequently a p p r o v e d . ”We have helped brought down the price of cement. The question that must be asked is why are some importers keeping the cement price so high?” According to Government officials, the importers are complaining that such labelling is applicable only when a commodity is provided as aid to a country. And such aid should be distributed freely and not sold. Among the information contained in the labelling at the back of the bag is the following: “FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN UNDER NON-PROJECT GRANT AID FY 2013.” TCL Guyana Ltd imports from Trinidad while KSM Investments Inc is the exclusive importer of Domicem brand cement from the Dominican Republic. The importers are reportedly contending that the Japanese government is likely to have paid all the shipping costs for the cement while the Government of Guyana would have waived all duties and taxes payable on the shipments since these shipments would have arrived as aid.
PAGE 8
Kaieteur News
Friday September 23, 2016
Commonwealth Magistrates Relatives call for speedy DNA and Judges Conference Better Hope murder…
test to ID pensioner’s killer
The relatives of 76-yearold David Ramkissoon are worried that by the time the police get the go-ahead to conduct DNA tests on samples taken from the suspected killer, he might flee the jurisdiction, making it impossible to get justice. Ramkissoon’s body was discovered in his living room with his throat slit around 19:30 hrs on August 21, last. He was the only one at home at the time of the murder. Investigators probing the case are convinced that they have their killer in sight but need a DNA match to confirm their suspicions, however this proving to be difficult. DNA tests will cost taxpayers approximately $1M, and getting Cabinet’s blessing to access this cash can be challenging at times. Kaieteur News understands that investigators found blood under the suspect’s nail and traces of blood in his home. If the blood matches that of the victim, then detectives will know for sure that they have the correct man. Apart from the blood, the suspect reportedly gave different
Dead: David Ramkissoon versions of his movements on the day the pensioner was killed. He was arrested after detectives traced footprints from the victim’s backyard straight to the shack he lived. This newspaper was told that the suspect was aware that Ramkissoon relatives would not be at home on that particular day. It is believed that he decided to raid the home when the pensioner went to a nearby shop to purchase alcohol, leaving his door open. One of the theories the
cops are looking at is that the pensioner returned and caught the suspect in his house which led to him killing the 76-year-old man. Yesterday, the victim’s daughter-in-law, Gayatree Ramkissoon, said they are worried that by the time the police got cabinet’s blessing to do DNA testing, the suspect might be long gone. “We really want to know what is going on with this case because (the suspect) is roaming this place all day,” the younger Ramkissoon said. She explained that a week ago, the suspect threatened her husband and told him that he was next on his list. “We want closure. We want the killer to be put away for this.” According to Ramkissoon, the pensioner’s death has taken a toll on her seven-year-old son who would ask her if his grandfather’s killer would return for them. “The night when he was killed, after I run in and started hollering, my son ran in and he saw everything so it is always on his mind. The children in his class would talk about it too so when he comes home, he always asking me about it,” the woman said. She is calling for the DNA test to be done before it is too late.
Use of optional protocol in balancing the anti – terrorism legislation with human rights highlighted While efforts are underway to combat terrorism globally, Kenyan Justice of Appeal Patrick Kiage has highlighted the importance of balancing Anti-terrorism legislation with the tenets of human rights. Speaking with Kaieteur News following a presentation before the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges’ Conference Association, (CMJA), held at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Justice Kiage noted that while there is a move globally towards the abolition of the death penalty; a key component of the anti- terrorism legislation, countries have been increasingly signing on to optional protocols regarding the death penalty. “The death penalty is also related to all capital offences such as murder, treason and so forth but there is no absolute requirement on international law that the death penalty be abolished. “What we have is an optional protocol which deals with the death penalty. The number of countries that have been signing on to the optional protocol has been increasing over time and we also have some countries even though they not have signed the optional protocol, the court has strongly as-
Kenyan Justice of Appeal, Patrick Kiage serted that the death penalty is not constitutional. “For example, the case of Makwanyane versus South Africa.” Justice Kiage said, too, that while the views on the matter may differ from country to country, “In the end, society must be convinced that anti -terrorism legislation does not trump human rights.” “I think it is important to maintain security; that our society and communities are generally safe; that we protect society from the evil and murderous acts of terrorism. “But even as, we prevent and punish terrorism, we must do so being careful to maintain the essential dignity of
individuals and the values, we hold dear such as, a fair trial and maintaining the dignity of all human kind.” “We have to remain a free and democratic society, where the rule of law is what operates, so we should operate in dealing with terrorism, within the law and not break the law, in the name of trying to pursue terrorism,” the judge further emphasized. In recent times, Guyana has been facing consistent pressure from human rights bodies and international organisations towards having the death penalty removed from its statue books. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, had explained that even with the call from the European Union (EU) to have Guyana abolish the death penalty, the government is in no hurry to do so, since the laws dealing with the countering of terrorism require the existence of the penalty. However, President David Granger has asserted that the option of a referendum remains open. The President had reassured representatives of the United Nation that he does not have any intention of assenting to the death penalty, even though it remains on the books. President Granger said that he is willing to be guided by public opinion. “…If there was a deadlock, we could go (Continued on page 12)
Friday September 23, 2016
The government is wellintentioned in demanding that persons enjoying concessions under agreements with the government should be in good standing with the tax authorities. However, the experience in the past would suggest that it may be best to separate the function of granting tax concessions from ensuing that recipients pay their fair share of taxes. There was a time in Guyana when persons wanting to leave the country had to apply to the tax authorities for a certificate which would indicate that they were in good standing with the tax authorities or had made arrangements to settle their indebtedness to the tax authorities. It is not hard to imagine the sort of corruption that such a requirement led to. Also, it constituted a breach of the right to freedom of movement but no one ever challenged. There is still in existence a system in which persons who are tendering for government contracts are required to obtain compliance certificates from the tax authorities and the NIS before they can qualify for the award of a government contract. This requirement constitutes a hindrance on person competing for Government contracts. The government should keep things simple. It should try
to impose conditions which can have the effect of disqualifying persons from tendering for Government contracts. It should also separate tax considerations from administrative requirements. The tax man must do his work and the evaluators must evaluate based on the criteria before them. The purpose in the past of having persons obtain compliance before travelling or tendering for contracts was not about the integrity of contractors or travellers. It was a means to support the tax authorities. A great many persons migrated without being in good standing. The government was desperate for increased taxes and therefore implemented measures that they presumed would help the tax authorities collect more taxes. It was ineffective. The PNC government did eventually abolish the requirement of the need for a travel exit certificate as part of measures to liberalize the economy. The thinking behind that liberalization was in keeping with best practices around the world in which tax functions are separated from other aspects of government work. In other words, it was intended to ease the use of the tax weapon against citizens and to ensure that government stranglehold on government is
PAGE 9
Kaieteur News
eased. The tax system has also changed. There is a system called VAT which effectively encouraged compliance. The tax authorities do not need administrative red tape to help them collect taxes. There is no reason for government to be now demanding that persons be in good standing with the Guyana Revenue Authority before they can be granted concession. This is yet another layer of bureaucratic red tape that is being added. It also means that we are going backwards rather than forwards because instead of liberalizing the
system we are imposing further administrative bottlenecks on investors. You do not improve the collection of tax agencies by tying concessions to persons paying their taxes. You do not promote investments by doing this. You do not ensure fair competition by adding red tape. The new measure benefits new companies which may not yet be due to pay taxes. If there is a legal dispute between a company and the GRA – and there are always such disputes – the GRA may refuse to grant that company a ‘good standing’ certificate on the grounds of its po-
sition on the tax dispute. This effectively disqualifies a bidder who may well be in the right. The system of government has to be simplified. Investors need a predictable and simplified system. You will not encourage investment unless there is predictability and simplicity. Investors should not have to be seeking incentive agreements with the government through GOINVEST. Such agreements should only be for massive and major investments in which there is a need for special conces-
sions. The government should have a predictable system of tax concessions that should be fair and applied equally to all those qualifying. Make the system less dependent on political or administrative approval. Separate tax collection measures from incentives offered to businesses.
PAGE 10
Friday September 23, 2016
Kaieteur News
=== The Freddie Kissoon column ===
The Raphael Lindo story is a Guyanese curse Raphael Lindo asked me not to name the international organization he works for because of the nature of his job. But he works for one of the most powerful, respected and prestigious international organizations in the world. Mr. Lindo chose to be named and if the media wants to pursue his story I am available to provide his e-mail address. A former Queen’s College student, Mr. Lindo comes back to Guyana often when his vacation is due, to do voluntary work at his alma mater and in the field of education. He is very active in diaspora
functions. Here is Mr. Lindo’s account of his fate at the Timehri airport as he was leaving for home in New York. A Fly Jamaica agent came up to him, requested to see his passport and do a search. As she was going through his luggage, she asked that he check in his carry-on piece as luggage. He told her it has two small items inside, his IPOD and some mittai (the Hindu confectionary). She insisted. He refused. Just then, a young man came up, the Fly Jamaica agent stepped aside and he announced, “Narcotics
Agent.” He had no name tag. He asked for the passport which was left by the Fly Jamaica agent on the counter. The drug agent took his passport and asked where he worked. He directed him to the passport. He picked it up, read the words, “international civil” servant, then said; “Ya’ll must get plenty vacation cause like you does travel often.” An exchange resulted in the drug agent insulting Mr. Lindo about his international status. Back in New York, Lindo wrote a complaint to Fly Jamaica. CEO (ag), Aneka
Edwards, replied regretting the incident and requested a description of the clothes Lindo was wearing that day. Photographs to that effect were sent to Ms. Edwards. In a subsequent letter to Lindo, Edwards informed him that the video Fly Jamaica received was inadequate to allow them to identify who the drug agent was. But Lindo is not satisfied. He insisted that Fly Jamaica must know his identity. He wrote to me to say that he doesn’t accept the video explanation but even if the video didn’t identify the drug agent then the Fly Jamaica personnel had to know who he was because she moved aside and let him take over. Is Fly Jamaica telling us that a man could come up to its employee, say he is a narcotics agent, take over a search and the Fly Jamaica official does not know if in fact he is an agent? This man had to be an authorized person because he was in a security section of the airport conducting a search. The video footage situation has become a dangerous game at the Timehri Airport.
First, a woman gave an immigration officer her passport as she was clearing immigration to leave. The officer claimed he lost it. The surveillance camera did not capture the movement of the officer. It had to pick up his movements because the cameras cover the entire immigration area. The cameras had to pick up Mr. Lindo in conversation with the drug agent as his passport was being examined. Nothing ever came out of that missing passport incident. That woman may never come back. And she was probably resigned to the reality that if she sued she will die before the case is heard. The Ministers under whose jurisdiction security falls never uttered a word of explanation to the nation about this dreadful incident. I feel deep down in my heart that even if a country is in a civil war, a departing person of no interest to state security would not lose his passport in such a manner. This was no accident. This was no mistake. That woman’s passport was stolen. The Raphael Lindo drama is important. This man holds
Frederick Kissoon an important job as an international civil servant. And look how he was treated. Would they have done that to a White man dressed up in suit and tie holding the same position in an international organization like Lindo’s? Fly Jamaica has told Mr. Lindo that he was their passenger and therefore they are concerned about how he was treated. But the man was insulted by a Guyanese security official. Why should Fly Jamaica take it any further? In any case, the video footage was not given in its entirety to Fly Jamaica. Fifty, forty, thirty, twenty, ten, five, two years ago we heard awful stories similar to what Lindo recounted. It will never stop because this land is cursed.
Dem boys seh...
GECOM and Vieira in de same boat Guyana got some new wheeler and dealer. De country got people who can dance between de raindrops. Dem can talk through two sides of dem mouth. Tony sit pun de broadcast board and when he mek a proposal and everybody tun it down he does go to de people who got radio and TV and tell dem that wha he seh is de new law. Is de same thing mek he run into trouble de other day. He go pun de Essequibo Coast and approach a man to get him to change he operation from Essequibo to West Berbice. De big problem was that de man didn’t got nobody at West Berbice and he did spend all he money pun de Essequibo
Coast. Dem boys seh is a good thing de man had a tongue in he head and he run to Moses who part de Red Sea and nearly part Vieira head. Now Vieira vex and he thinking bout going to de courts but a lady seh she tek notes and wha de man seh is true. De only thing wha de man seh that hard to prove is that he must move out and leh de gold man who got de TV station to tek over. GECOM also got some proving to do. It spend $14 million to buy pliers and nippers. At de market price it coulda buy 24,000 of dem things. But dem did only need 2,400 suh dem boys want to know wha dem do wid de rest. One man suggest that
dem clip de Chairman family jewels and wid de rest. But de chairman done seh that dem didn’t buy 24,000 pliers. Dem boys seh that may be true just like how he spend $14 million which is also true. People who wukking inside GECOM seh dem buy just about 2,400 pliers. If that is de case then dem pay $6,000 fuh a $600 pliers at retail. Is either somebody rob GECOM or GECOM rob de people and dem boys want to know. Just like how Vieira go to de court is de same way GECOM going to court. Talk half and watch how GECOM trying to explain how bulk shipment more expensive than retail.
Friday September 23, 2016
PAGE 11
Kaieteur News
‘Operation Safeway’ nets over 1000 traffic offences in a week One week since the launch of Operation Safeway, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has made over 1000 cases against motorists breaching the traffic laws. Two Wednesdays ago, the Police Traffic Department embarked on a campaign to reduce the carnage on the country’s roadways. As a result of this undertaking, a number of exercises were put in place to educate citizens about the necessity of heeding road laws. The police continued to drop the heavy hand of the law on traffic offenders resulting in road users being prosecuted for traffic offences. Driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding are the most prevalent of traffic offences. Fifty seven persons have since been arrested for driving above the prescribed alcohol limit while over 400 persons for speeding. Operation Safeway was launched in an attempt to clamp down on drunk, speeding and reckless drivers as it intends to counter the mounting road accidents that have resulted in fatalities. As part of the operation, traffic ranks can be seen on the road conducting rigid exercises throughout the coun-
try with the main areas of focus being in Georgetown, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and East Coast Demerara (ECD). There has been an increase in patrols during the day and night, random breathalyzer testing and in the use of radar guns. For the year already, 98 persons have lost their lives as a result of road carnage. Traffic Chief, Dion Moore said that majority of the arrests were made in A Division. There has only been one case of road fatality which resulted in two deaths at Unity, Mahaicony. The driver involved in that accident, has been charged. While there is no cut-off date for Operation Safeway, the Traffic Chief indicated that the aim is to have more road safety consciousness, to promote better driving attitudes and road safety practices. Meanwhile, Acting Commissioner of Police, David Ramnarine recently commented that the rates at which people are killed on the road-
ways is unacceptable, disturbing and of grave concern especially since Guyana is a small developing country.
“It is clear to us that while we in the force are continuing to do so much, there is a need for the driving popula-
tion to have their own concerns awakened in this respect. As we see it, there is a very high degree of callous-
ness regarding the attitude towards other road users, pedestrians in particular,” Ramnarine said.
PAGE 12
Friday September 23, 2016
Kaieteur News
Vieira takes “abusive, obstructionist” approach to membership of GNBA- Chairman Chairman of the Board of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA), Leonard Craig, has sought to clear his name as one of the members contributing to discord and non-productivity that currently characterizes the Board. He said that while there is indeed discord on the Board, he has not contributed to it in any way. There have been several reports that Craig and Anthony Vieira find it hard to see eye to eye and often, cannot agree on anything at the Board level. The reports were that Anthony Vieira thinks that Craig is incompetent and should not be Chairman of the Board. Craig dispatched a press release in which he stated, “Despite his (Vieira’s) abusive and obstructionist approach to my tenure as Chairman of the GNBA, I have displayed extreme restraint and immeasurable patience.” Further, Craig said that he has “continually pledged to work with him and all other members of the Board to achieve the best objectives and ensure Public Interest is
GNBA Board Member, Tony Vieira served.” But Vieira continues to act irresponsibly and “abusive.” Kaieteur News has reported that the discord on the Board has led to the delay of important work. In fact, GNBA is rated the least productive among the state Boards. But Craig tends to partially dis-
GNBA Chairman, Leonard Craig
agree. The Chairman said, “On the question of the slothfulness of the Board I wish to admit that our work is not as advanced as I had envisaged it should have been at this juncture.” He said, however, that this is attributable to the fact that
when the new Board was installed, “the Authority was a far cry from what a regulator of this nature should be. As much as there was a regula-
tor in place the Broadcasting landscape remained largely unregulated. Weak administrative and compliance structures existed. As such, through its various committees we set out to build an Authority literally from scratch.” Craig said that the Board has since developed rules of procedures for the operation and functioning of the Board; commissioned a Website (located at www.gnba.gov.gy) and established social media presence and drafted guidelines which include a code of practice for the Monitoring of Broadcasting. The Chairman also boasted that the Board has conducted a limited Broadcasting Survey to be apprised of the realities of the sector which will help to shape policies. Craig further stated that the Board has drafted new regulations for the management of the Broadcasting landscape including the establish-
ment of zones and new and more manageable fee structures and review; established new financial structures and procurement policies; adopted program rating regime to ensure that broadcasting in Guyana falls in line with internationally accepted moral practice and drafted guidelines for the evaluation of new applications. Craig said, “All of these are necessary and unavoidable forerunners to the development of a well-managed, transparent and level broadcasting landscape.” However, critical works remain outstanding. Broadcasting fees remain high even though the Board has promised to reduce it; there has been no implemention of regulations to guarantee local content on television and radio stations; zoning still has to be applied and, among other things, the illegal radio licences granted by former President Bharrat Jagdeo continue to stand.
Major probe at GECOM…
We never considered radios, pliers purchase – PPP Commissioner As the details concerning the controversial purchase of radio sets, pliers and office supplies by the Guyana Elections Commission continue to unravel, the People’s Progressive Party Civic commissioners have made it clear that the issues never came up at any statutory meeting during their tenure. This was disclosed during a special press conference held yesterday by the three PPP/C commissioners, Robeson Benn, Bibi Shadick and Sase Gunraj at party headquarters. Shadick and Gunraj are lawyers. The purpose of the forum was to address several matters presently attracting public scrutiny at GECOM. Asked to clarify whether they had any oversight on the procurement of the radio sets for the May 2015 elections, Gunraj said that he has been a commissioner since February 3, 2015 and at no time was there a discussion on the pro-
Election’s Officer, Keith Lowenfield curement of radios for the May 2015 elections at the level of the Commission. “I have never been absent from any meeting so it cannot be said that I missed that discussion. At not one single meeting was any discussion raised in relation to the pro-
curement, use or any other matter whatsoever touching and concerning the radios.” Gunraj said that he was also present at all special meetings. The commissioner said that even when the issue of communication was tangentially dealt with at Commission meetings, prior to the May 2015 elections, the matter was still not raised. He said, “It did not even become apparent to me, sitting on that commission, that we had procured radios, that radios were intended for use, or any such thing, there was no report whatsoever.” Gunraj raised the issue that the secretariat has not submitted a report on the 2015 General and Regional Elections or the 2016 Local Government Elections to the commission. “I can say this without fear of contradiction that from the third of February 2015 to (Continued on page 13)
Commonwealth Magistrates... From page 8 to a referendum. Let the people say what they want to occur in this jurisdiction; in the state of Guyana.” He also pointed to the fact that such consultation reflects openness and transparency. “I am aware of the advice which has been given. I have my personal views, which I have stated publicly; but I would say (that) in a
final analysis, the democratic course of action should be to rely on the expressed intention of the National Assembly and, in the final analysis, the people themselves. “If the people want to go to a referendum, it is something that is very expensive, but let the people speak,” the Head of State asserted.
Friday September 23, 2016
PAGE 13
Kaieteur News
Region Six RDC in No Man’s Land ... contractors fail to deliver school furniture Region Six (East Berbice/ Corentyne) Democratic Council (RDC) has once again found its hands tied after several contractors have failed to deliver the required quantity of furniture to some schools in the district. The Council is now examining the option of procuring “ready-made” furniture which is likely going to cost more. Earlier this month, the Chairman of the RDC, David Armogan, expressed frustration after schools in the region opened their doors for the new academic year only to find that the full complement of furniture was yet to be delivered. Armogan was convinced that the contractors were “pussyfooting” since the contracts were awarded to several suppliers three months prior to schools reopening their doors. The furniture, according to
reports, consists of benches and desks for students, cupboards, as well as furniture for teachers and play-park items for several nursery schools. Efforts to contact Armogan for an update yesterday were futile. However, the Vice Chairman of the RDC, Dennis DeRoop, when contacted, said that to date, the situation has not changed despite the contractors being given a delivery extension – which expired two days ago. DeRoop added that the RDC will be meeting next week to discuss the way forward with the high possibility of terminating contracts. Asked if any advanced payments were made to these contractors, he responded in the affirmative. He explained that the contractors would have received a mobilisation fee of 15 to 20 percent of the contract sum, however, he pointed out that since some of the contractors
would have already delivered a substantial amount of furniture, it would have exceeded the mobilisation fee. DeRoop said that Council will be taking decisive measures to deal with contractors who are yet to begin their delivery. Reports have indicated that the contract to supply furniture including benches and desks was awarded to Berbician, S.Ramsarran. A source told this publication that Ramsarran has already delivered the full quota but upon inspection, it was revealed that some of the items were not up to standard. Ramsarran was advised that corrective works needed to be done immediately. First-time suppliers, brothers M. Ramnarine and N. Ramnarine, have so far delivered 40 percent of the required amount of furniture whilst Contractor, Sheik Mohammed, who was tasked
We never considered radios, pliers... From page 12 date the commission has not received from the secretariat a report on the 2015 elections nor the 2016 local government elections, another issue which we have raised almost at nausea.” Gunraj also said that the recent revelation about the purchase of $14M worth of pliers was not raised in any meeting of the commission. Addressing the issue too, was Commissioner Shadick. She said that prior to the 2016 budget GECOM was not a self-financing entity. It was a schedule three agency which is a Constitutional entity empowered to take care of its own budget and therefore approve its expenditure. She said, “Now, the commission has to give approval to spend. Prior to that, approval was given outside of the commission because it was an agency that took money from the regular budget. I think much of that approval was given by the Head of the Presidential Secretariat.” Shadick said that since the Chairmanship of the commission is a full time position, then supervision had to be led by the chairman so that when the commission meets, he can update the six other members of the board. According to her, when she contacted Dr Surujbally on the many issues being revealed by the current investigation at GECOM, he reportedly told her that he tried to insulate himself and the commission from such matters, inclusive of procurement. Shadick said that she
found Surujbally’s response appalling since the constitution empowers GECOM to ensure the smooth running of the secretariat. The Commissioners also raised the issue about the presence of Dr. Surujbally and Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield in their offices despite being on leave. According to the commissioners, the behaviour of the duo is reason for concern since there is an on-going investigation by state auditors into the entity’s operations. Commissioner Benn said that there is a perception that there is on-going corruption in procurement at GECOM. He said, “The rot starts at the top, and that is where the problem is, and I don’t think that if there is a proper inves-
tigation conducted that there will be any room to hide for those who are involved in the various procurements and the on-going allowance at various levels of that commission.” The radios in question were procured by GECOM from Mobile Authority, a company owned by Water Street businessman Michael Brasse at a cost of $100M. Brasse also owns two separate companies, Mibra Trading and MTech Business Solutions which were contracted to supply a variety of products to the commission. The contracts have attracted the attention of authorities due to the procurement practices utilized, even being described as “sole sourcing in disguise.”
hairman of the Region Six RDC, David Armogan.
Vice Chairman of the Region Six RDC, Dennis DeRoop.
to supply cupboards, had only delivered a fraction of the required amount. Brian Beepat was awarded the contract to supply the teachers’ chair and to date, has only delivered approximately 100.
Contracting company, Memorex, has delivered 75 percent of their quota with the remainder up for inspection, a source said. Meanwhile, another contractor is yet to deliver playpark items for some nursery
schools in the district. Previous reports would show that matters relating to the shortage of furniture in Region Six on the first day of the new academic year are nothing new. Back in 2011, students returning to school were welcomed with a furniture shortage, which had evolved into a controversy where one Education Ministry official was accused of “covering up” the matter after the media had cracked it wide open following numerous complaints by parents. In 2012, there was a recurrence which was due mainly to wanton destruction coupled with the insufficient allocation of sums by the Ministry of Education to purchase furniture. The year 2013 was no different. An inspection by the Regional Administration had found that contractors had failed to deliver the required furniture on time which had resulted in hiccups at both the Primary and Secondary School level.
PAGE 14
Kaieteur News
Friday September 23, 2016
Guyana crafts new policy to prevent workplace injuries, fatalities
Guyana is crafting a new policy on Occupational Safety and Health to ensure greater emphasis on preventing injuries and fatalities in the workplace. The architects say that too often the issue is on the periphery. The document, drafted with support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), was presented to stakeholders for feedback when the Ministry of Social Protection hosted a consultation session earlier this week. Among the stakeholders consulted were the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC); the Federation of Independent Trade Unions (FITUG); the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industries (CAGI); and the National Advisory Council on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH). The current OSH Policy was first introduced in 1993 and subsequently revised in 1996. It sets guidelines for compliance to ensure safety is prioritized in the working environment. That policy had outlined specific roles for the then
A section of the gathering yesterday.
Regional Director of the ILO, Claudia Coenjaerts Ministries of Labour and Health; the NACOSH; and social partners such as the trades Union and CAGI, which represents the private sector. The new policy seeks to build on the existing one taking into account modern workplace practices. According to the Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, “It is necessary now more than ever to ensure that the health and safety of workers and I dare add, management also, be elevated
to “Boardroom Status”. “I have decided to invoke the concept of the boardroom status, simply because much too often, safety is treated as an appendage to management systems and is therefore relegated to the periphery of the strategic Plans, Programmes and Budgets, of many organizations.” The Minister added that it is against that backdrop that a safety policy and by extension, safety itself,
becomes a casualty rather than a valued instrument. This he believes must be eliminated from the thought processes and practices. The Minister charged those gathered to review the draft document that will be finalized as the new policy on OSH. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Protection, Mrs. Lorene Baird, thanked the ILO for its consistent contribution to Guyana’s development, and expressed hope that at the end of the consultation, Guyana would have a new OSH policy that reflects its needs. Advocating greater OSH in the workplace, General Secretary of FITUG, Kenneth Joseph, took to the popular maxim “accidents don’t just happen, they are caused” to stress the impact workplace accidents can have on the country’s productivity and workers’ well being. “It therefore, behoves all management structures to put Occupational Safety at the top, the core and the bottom of their policy from conception to daily operationalizing of their enterprises whether Field, Factory, Office or otherwise,” he said. Joseph noted that in spite
Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, delivering remarks at the consultation exercise yesterday. of the provisions of the OSH Act and Guyana signing the ILO Convention No.155, there are still some errant employers whose level of compliance leaves much to be desired. One way of ensuring greater OSH compliance, according to Advisor to CAGI, Mr. Samuel Goolsarran, is frequent inspections by Labour and Occupational Safety and Health Officers.
“The Labour Ministry must be commended for this initiative to conduct labour inspections in a revitalized way…it is generally accepted that the best way of ensuring compliance is to prevent any violations of labour regulations through a prevention oriented inspection system guided by international labour standards.” On the other hand, employers are obligated to do all that is reasonably practical to prevent personal injury and damage to property and to protect everyone from foreseeable work hazards and risks, while employees should exercise reasonable skill and care in their duties, he added. Meanwhile, Vice President of GTUC, Mr. Norris Whitter noted that the OSH Policy is framed in the Decent Work Country Programme for Guyana, which was coined with support from the ILO. A new Decent Work Country Programme is also being crafted simultaneously. However, Whitter noted that to date many of the initiatives have not been implemented.
Friday September 23, 2016
PAGE 15
Kaieteur News
GFC failed the forest sector
By: Kiana Wilburg The Central Bank of Guyana, which monitors the performance of the nation’s major productive sectors shows that the output from the forestry sector was slower than expected for the first half of the year. Disappointment in this performance was also noted by the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan. The ‘slower-thanexpected’ output of the sector has awakened a conversation among many local analysts about the value added performance of the forest sector and its overall contributions to the economy. In this regard, numerous questions arise, one of which includes, whether the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) has failed to ensure the effective management of the sector in this regard. Forest expert, Janette Bulkan, has written numerous columns on Guyana’s forests and the action that needs to be taken to protect it. She made it clear to Kaieteur News that GFC has a legal mandate when it comes to the management of the State Forests of Guyana, under Section 5 of the GFC Act 2007. She said that it also has a responsibility ‘to provide an inspection, certification and accreditation service for quality control of forest produce’ (section 5 (g)) which is inherited from the earlier Guyana Timber Export Board. Bulkan said that this grading service gives it some status in recording and approving exports, although the legal authority is not clear because of the usual confused drafting of law. She said, too, that the de facto authority of the GFC to sign off export documents
- Commission’s failure to apply due diligence audits on eligibility of applicants for large-scale concessions is “regrettable” - Bulkan
GFC Commissioner, James Singh makes it collusive in the Customs fraud practised on a large scale by some Asian log traders. Additionally, Bulkan noted that the GFC does not have formal legal authority for the processing of forest products, other than licensing of mills under the Forests Act and Forest Regulations. She asserted that the GFC has produced a technically good code of conduct for lumber yards, a code that it could enforce under its licensing authority. But as with the codes of practice for forest harvesting and management, Bulkan noted that the GFC has failed to implement the section of the Forests Act 2009 to consult and gazette and hence make obligatory, the application of these codes of practice. The forest expert said, “Considering the international selling price (Cost, Insurance and FreightCIF) for forest produce from Guyana, the small contribution to the national economy of forest management and forest product processing is disappointing. This was one major reason for creating the Forest Department in 1925.
One major, perhaps the major, problem is that the processing companies (mostly lumber yards) are small family-owned businesses whose objectives are a comfortable life for the family.” She continued, “These companies are not conventional businesses like DDL. They do not aspire for market dominance. They are absolutely resistant to dilution of ownership through public s h a r e h o l d i n g s . Consequently, they have little or no saved capital for investment in modern processing or modern marketing or continuous staff training.”
Bulkan said that indeed, most of them do no conventional marketing at all, and it is not in the GFC’s legal mandate to intervene directly. She said that is more of a role for the Ministry of Business or the Guyana Office for Investment (GOInvest). “What the GFC should do, and what the GFC concession policy of 1993 requires (but it is not applied), is to link forest concession area and forest quality to product processing capacity and quality. This has never been done so far. There are several good-quality and relevant consultancy reports since 1995, waiting to be
updated and implemented,” expressed Bulkan. The forest expert said that the GFC’s consistent failure to implement due diligence audits and checks on the eligibility of applicants for forest logging concessions is of course “regrettable”. She said that there is a non-refundable application fee of US$ 20,000 for State Forest Exploratory Permits. Bulkan said that it was set at this level in 1997 precisely to enable the GFC to contract international specialists in due diligence checks. The civil society member said that these fees have not been used for the intended purposes. She noted that if
the application fees had been properly used, companies such as Bai Shan Lin and Vaitarna Holding Private Incorporated (VHPI) would not have been able to obtain forest concessions because they did not have the prescribed skills or experience. Bulkan said that whether it would have been possible for the GFC to coordinate and work with the Ministry of Finance and GO-Invest to develop and implement the forest industry policy and strategy set out in the forest policy (1997/2011) and forest plan (2001/2011) is an open question. She stated that it is arguable that the democratic centralism of the PPP/C would not have allowed such interagency coordination, at least not while some concessions and FDI arrangements were determined substantially by corrupt deals.
GECOM paid $6,000 for... (From page 3) for a $100M purchase of high frequency communications radio sets for the May 11 elections. The sets, from all indications, were never used and there are questions about the urgent reasons advanced by GECOM for those radios in the first place. The radio probe by the Audit Office of Guyana has brought intense focus on GECOM’s spending. A number of alarming things have been unearthed. According to official figures seen by Kaieteur News, Standard Distributors received over $31M in contracts last year. GECOM, tasked with running elections in Guyana, has refused to respond to the
charges of irregularities, saying that there is an active investigation by state auditors. The revelations would continue to rock GECOM which until now has been doing well to keep a tight rein on its inner workings. Already, the Opposition has called for the findings of the current probe by state auditors to be made public. With regards to the radios ordered last year, it appeared that the urgent reasons advanced by GECOM to buy 50 HF radios may not have been so urgent after all. Despite the $100M expended, the radios were never put into use, according to officials. The radios were delivered just a few days before elections making it impossible for
it to be deployed to outlying areas in time for the elections. State auditors are also looking to verify reports that GECOM had enough of those HF radios on hand, but yet went ahead and ordered more…those “more” were never used. It is the belief that those radios, bought since 2006, were dumped on GECOM in a
deal involving officials there. The model was discontinued since 2009, leaving GECOM facing questions over warranties and spare parts. Several purchases of toners— for printers and copiers— by GECOM last year, supplied by Brasse are also said to also be under the radar of state auditors.
PAGE 16
Kaieteur News
Friday September 23, 2016
Miners demand concessions similar to large operators
The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners’ Association will be intensifying efforts to decrease the number of existing stumbling blocks to ensure that small and medium miners get a bigger bite into several operational concessions as being given to larger companies. This announcement was made yesterday when the Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held at the entity’s Headquarters, North Road,
Georgetown. Vice President of the GGDMA, Andron Alphonso, stated that for the year thus far, gold declarations have surpassed 420,000 ounces – a significant increase in comparison to this same period last year. He added that the increase in declarations can be partially attributed to the largescale companies, many of whom would have commenced operations within recent months. However, he
posited that the larger share of the declarations came from the small and medium scale miners. The Vice President said that this has been the norm for many years despite small and medium contractors not getting the level of concessions being given out to larger companies. Alphonso said that it should not be misconstrued that the GGDMA does not appreciate larger firms. In fact,
the association welcomes these companies and recognises their contributions to the country’s development as significant. However, the association will be intensifying its mission to ensure that there is a level playing field within the industry as it relates to concessions. He added that over the last year, the government would have offered local miners concessions on several items including fuel, mining spares and vehicles. He continued that while the Association is aware of a few miners who would have benefitted from the concessions on some of these items, it is not aware of a beneficiary of fuel and mining spares concessions. Alphonso made it clear that as it relates to fuel, no blame can be placed on the Ministry of Natural Resources, nor the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). The blockade avoiding the local small and medium miners to access this particular concession, he explained, is as a result of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA)’s “unrealistic and difficult” requirements. He added that while the Government has provided an option for local miners to obtain items including mining spares at reduced prices, the additional “burden” – the payment of Value Added Tax (VAT) – on all heavy-duty mining equipment, is a terrible hindrance to the progress of miners in the industry.
Vice President of the GGDMA, Andron Alphonso (right) and immediate past President of the Association, Patrick Harding. He expounded that with the introduction of VAT, the cost of upgrading operations has increased to over $6.5M – which he added, “is a hard pill for many miners to swallow.” Alphonso said that with the 2017 National Budget on the horizon, the GGDMA is urging the Minister of Finance to consider the removal of VAT on these items – which will be integral to the development of the level of mining in Guyana. The development of roads in the interior and the identification of additional roadways, were also amongst some of the calls made by the
Association yesterday. Meanwhile, miners who were present at the meeting also raised concerns regarding security and GGMC’s will to resolve some of the pressing issues. One miner, who spoke during the Open Discussion Segment, and who later informed media operatives that he wished not to be named, said that small and medium scale miners are always the pillars that support Guyana’s economy. He therefore questioned why they are being treated this way and why some of their ills and concerns are being placed on the backburner.
“Bridges’ to conduct orthopedic surgeries in Linden today.
More than a dozen persons were yesterday screened for possible orthopedic surgery at the Linden Hospital Complex yesterday, thanks to the intervention of the “Bridges” Medical mission. The visiting mission is working in collaboration with
the orthopedic department of the Hospital. The medical mission was reportedly coordinated by the Guyana Medical Relief Council. Bridges, out of California USA, is headed by Guyanese born Doctor of orthopedics
Omar Bayne. Bayne said it is the team’s “hope to come as often as possible and donate equipment” to completely modernize the orthopedic department at the Local Hospital. This, he posited, will help (Continued on page 29)
PAGE 26
Friday September 23, 2016
Kaieteur News
Woman jailed for robbery after sex act Bypass channels available for vessels A mother of five was sentenced to prison for 18 months for allegedly stealing $280,000 in cash from one Kurt Steel, when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. It is alleged that on September 5, last, at Independence Boulevard, Malinda Beaton, 31, of 45 ‘A Field’, Sophia stole $280,000 cash from Steel after she had engaged him in sexual intercourse. She was not required to plead to the indictable offence. The Police Prosecutor
said the virtual complainant (VC) and the defendant are known to each other since September 4, and the defendant removed the said money from the tenants’ apartment, after she spent the night at his house at 237 Independence Boulevard. Steel claimed that he had the money in his pants pocket, but when he checked for the money it had disappeared. He then made a report to the police station. Beaton was later contacted and admitted to stealing the money which was never recovered.
to pass sunken Mazaruni dredge - MARAD assures
Malinda Beaton Beaton, stated that on the day in question she and Steel went for a walk and on returning to his apartment, she told him she had a cellular phone to sell for $6000. Steel said that he told Beaton he would give her the money in exchanged for sex to which she agreed. He told me “All my girls does have to give me bamzie.’’ When the virtual complaint fell asleep “I took the money and leave because I have my five children to feed.”
Efforts being made recently to remove the sunken dredge in the Mazaruni River. Officials from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) met with officers from Crown Mining on Monday last to discuss efforts to remove the sunken dredge at Perimap Falls in the Mazaruni River, Region Seven. According to MARAD, over the past few months, Crown Mining “assiduously commenced efforts to remove the dredge from its current position.” MARAD said that unfortunately, the high tide and the location of the dredge between rocks in the
waterfalls made it impossible to maneuver special equipment to the site. A team from MARAD visited the site to ensure navigation was safe for passenger and cargo vessels. MARAD said that a professional salvager who was acquired by Crown Mining, assessed the site to see which measures could be taken to have the dredge recovered and removed. “Additionally, it was confirmed by the MARAD officers, that passenger and cargo vessels can traverse the
area where the dredge is located, and bypass channels are available for the smooth maneuvering of vessels,” the department said. “Meanwhile, Crown Mining will continue with efforts to remove the sunken dredge with the use of excavators and operators.” Residents of Bartica and other surrounding areas have been complaining of the problems posed by the sunken dredge which they say are blocking river traffic and affecting trade, students and miners from traversing the waterway.
Friday September 23, 2016
PAGE 27
Kaieteur News
Fourth man remanded for Berbice triple-murder A fourth man was yesterday charged in connection with the Berbice triple-murder in which the bullet riddled bodies of Pawan Chandradeo, Naresh Rooplall and Jaikarran Chandradeo were found in the Cookrite Backdam at Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder, Corentyne. Rakesh Karramchan, 40, of Lot 2 Sheet Anchor, New Amsterdam, Berbice, was not required to plead to the indictable offence of murder, after he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. It is alleged that between July 21 and July 22, at Mibicuri Black Bush Polder, Corentyne, Berbice, he murder Pawan Chandradeo; his son Jaikarran Chandradeo and Rooplall. An unrepresented Karramchan told the Magistrate, “Me ain’t murder nobody.” Last month, Carlton Chetram, 38; his son Jairam Chetram, 18; along with Tameshwar Jagmohan, 26, all farmers of Mahaicony were remanded to prison for the same offence. Karramchan, a cousin of
Carlton Chetram, was captured last Sunday, after almost two months on the run. Undercover work from ranks attached to the Major Crimes Investigation Unit led to the arrest of the accused on a farmland at Duck Creek. Karramchan was remanded to prison and will make his next appearance on October 4, in the Mibicuri Magistrate’s Court. According to reports, the bullet riddled bodies of Pawan Chandradeo, 37; his son Jaikarran Chandradeo, 15; both of Mibicuri Creek, North and Naresh Rooplall, 33; of Number 70 Village, Corentyne Berbice were found on July 22. It was reported that the slain teen still had a bag with fish slug around his shoulder. The corpses reportedly bore gaping shotgun wounds to the head and upper bodies. Reports indicate that the 18year-old accused used his father’s shotgun to kill the three family members after he was instructed by his father to do so. A relative of the deceased had told this publication that the men went into the
Linden rally calls for... (From page 17) many people are not bold enough, strong enough or concerned enough to break the silence. Lawrence alluded to the song “Daddy don’t touch me there”. She said that a little boy or little girl can only repeat those words if they know that they have a strong adult standing with them. The Minister also drew attention to many of the reasons why mothers are silent in the face of the abuse of their children. Many cited economic and financial constraints and of having being abused themselves. “Let us help our children to fly without wings!” Other speakers at the rally included Regional Vice Chairman Adolf , Deputy Mayor Wannika Arrindell and heads of various religious organizations. Dennis Mohamed of the Muslim organization was one of the most vocal, stressing that until women are no longer abused, children will be abused. Mohamed said that abuse of the child is directly related to the abuse of women. “If we don’t fix the abuse of our women, we can never fix the abuse of our children.” Pastor Alfred Julien said that the Christian community stood firmly in solidarity with all efforts to help eradicate Child Sexual abuse. The event saw many youths entertaining the gathering in poetry song and dance. The poems, which spoke candidly of the horrors of being abused, drew thunderous applause from the crowd. (Enid Joaquin)
A mini health check is the first step to donating blood
MURDER ACCUSED: Carlton Chetram Backdam to catch fish. Based on reports, the victims were found by a rice farmer of Black Bush Polder and his workmen. It was reported that 13-year-old Alvin Chandradeo, who accompanied his father Pawan and brother Jaikarran was left at a pump station on a dam, as the others went further into the Savannah to fish. The lad stayed at the pump station from where he reportedly heard gunshots.
MURDER ACCUSED: Jairam Chetram
MURDER ACCUSED: Tameshwar Jagmohan
MURDER ACCUSED: Rakesh Karramchan
From left: Pawan Chandradeo, Jaikarran Chandradeo and Naresh Rooplall
PAGE 28
Kaieteur News
Japanese PM in Cuba to ‘open new page’ in ties
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (Centre) is welcomed by Cuban vice president Salvador Valdes Mesa (Left) at the Jose Marti International airport in Havana yesterday. (Photo: AFP) HAVANA, Cuba (AFP) – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Cuba yesterday for the first-ever visit to the country by a Japanese premier, saying he wants to “open a new page” in relations. Abe is due to meet Cuban President Raul Castro this morning, in a visit that comes after Tokyo’s close ally Washington restored ties with the
communist island last year. “I sincerely hope my stay here becomes an opportunity to open a new page in the relationship of friendship between both nations,” Abe said in an interview published in the Cuban communist party’s official newspaper, Granma. He called for “open dialogue” to stimulate trade and investment, development cooperation and tourism.
Trade between the two countries has been on a long decline since 1985. It totalled about $35 million in 2014. Abe said he also wanted to discuss nuclear disarmament. Cuba is one of the few countries that maintains relationships with North Korea, whose nuclear weapons are considered one of Japan’s biggest security threats.
Brazil police arrest former finance minister in Petrobras probe
SAO PAULO (Reuters) Brazilian police arrested former Finance Minister Guido Mantega yesterday as a sweeping corruption investigation further struck at the heart of the Workers Party (PT) that ran the country for 13 years. Police investigators told a news conference they took Mantega, long a close confidant of recently impeached former President Dilma Rousseff and an early member of the PT, into custody at the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo. He was there accompanying his wife as she prepared for surgery. Quoting witness testimony, they said Mantega in 2012 had requested a payment of 5 million reais, or about $2.5 million at the time, to benefit the PT. Brazil’s longest-serving finance minister of the past 70 years, Mantega in 2012 also served as chairman of Petroleo Brasiliero, or Petrobras, the state-run oil company at the centre of a sprawling political kickback scheme A few hours after his arrest, federal judge Sergio
Guido Mantega Moro ordered that Mantega be released from custody. It was not clear if he had yet been freed. He ruled that Mantega’s cooperation with authorities, the fact they had already searched his home, and that he was supporting his wife as she fights cancer all indicated the former minister was unlikely to be a threat of interfering with the investigation. His arrest came just two days after Moro decided to put former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on trial for allegedly accepting more
than $1 million in bribes from an engineering firm in the Petrobras scandal. Mantega, 67, served as finance minister for almost nine years under Rousseff and Lula, a close friend whom he helped to get elected president in 2002. Attorneys for Mantega did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but his political allies excoriated the decision to arrest him. Workers Party President Rui Falcao called the arrest “arbitrary, inhuman and unnecessary” and questioned the timing of the operation just over a week before municipal elections throughout the country. Police executed warrants for eight arrests and 32 search and seizure operations in five states and the capital Brasilia yesterday, according to prosecutors. Police named the latest phase of the sweeping twoyear-old Petrobras probe “Operation X Files” in a reference to the letter X that Batista included in the name of his oil drilling, mining, shipbuilding and logistics companies.
Friday September 23, 2016
Rowley on Opposition’s stand on FATCA: UNC putting gun to head of T&T Trinidad Guardian The Government has been bending over backwards to get the Opposition to support the Foreign Account Ta x C o m p l i a n c e A c t (FATCA). While the Opposition recently refused to vote on the Bill unless Government agrees to establish a Joint Select Committee (JSC), Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley sounded a warning that whether the Government got support or not on the Bill, a day of reckoning would come. Rowley was speaking a t a P e o p l e ’s N a t i o n a l Movement public meeting, which was attended by Attorney General Faris AlRawi and Finance Minister Colm Imbert at the Mt D’Or Community Centre, Champ Fleurs, on Tuesday. T&T was given until September 30 by the US to come in line with FATCA. In giving the latest details on FATCA, Al-Rawi said of September 20 “the Treasury Department of the US had told the T&T Government “nothing with respect to our request for an extension of time.” If we failed to comply with FATCA, Imbert said the United States revenue authority would deduct 30 per cent from every payment made to an entity in the US. Imbert said under FAT C A , a l l t h e c o r r e spondence banks in the US would stop doing business with T&T. He said T&T could end up like Belize which was deemed uncompliant and could no longer engage in transactions with companies and individuals in the US. Imbert produced two Cabinet minutes which confirmed that the then People’s Partnership government agreed in 2013 that T&T
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley greets supporters on his arrival on Tuesday night at the party’s public meeting in Champ Fleurs. PHOTO: ABRAHAM DIAZ would “adopt the model one option of the inter-governmental agreement with the US” which enabled compliance with the requirements of FATCA. Even though the agreement was initialled by then finance minister Larry Howai, Imbert said it was not signed. Weighing in on the issue, Rowley said if the Opposition refused to vote on the Bill T&T would be faced with a calamity and grave consequences, which Opposition Leader Kamla PersadBissessar was aware of. He said the UNC was putting a gun to the head of T&T. “Our country is not in a position to bargain with the US. We have no option. We will do everything possible to get them (Opposition) to do what has to be done,” he added. Rowley said if the JSC could meet on Parliament “they will meet” to facilitate the UNC with the hopes of getting its vote. “So as of now the deadline may not be attainable. So
we are at the mercy of the United States to do with us as they will... like Belize... or they may listen to us an give us an extension which we have no control over. And an extension is not guaranteed.”Rowley questioned what fear the UNC had with FATCA. “This will wreck our economy and destroy our country. They believe by not voting for it nothing will happen. I want to put them on notice tonight whether you vote for it or you don’t vote for it a day of reckoning will come,” he added. Rowley said the Opposition wanted to see the B ill fail and if that had happened, it would have taken six months to come back to Parliament for debate. The PM said the Opposition was concerned that the Government was giving the US information to help their authorities find tax dollars.
Mexico investigates Veracruz governor for embezzlement MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican federal prosecutors have taken over two local investigations that include embezzlement charges against the governor of the Gulf state of Veracruz, an official said. Javier Duarte, from the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, is being investigated for diverting public funds, among other charges, federal prosecu-
tor Jose Guadalupe Medina told reporters late Wednesday. President Enrique Pena Nieto’s PRI fared poorly in state elections earlier this year, including losing the governorship of Veracruz. Duarte, who has been blamed for driving up the state’s debt and failing to contain a spike in drug gang crime, remains in office through the end of No-
vember. In July, Pena Nieto’s office filed a suit with the Supreme Court alleging that new state anti-corruption offices set up in Veracruz and the tourist hub Quintana Roo were unconstitutional. The s t a t e - l e v e l o f fices were perceived by critics to be aimed at shielding their govern o r s f r o m n e w federal anti-corruption laws.
Friday September 23, 2016
Syria announces new offensive, diplomats fail to renew truce
Syrian rebels and their families carry their luggage into a bus to evacuate the besieged Waer district in the central Syrian city of Homs, after a local agreement reached between rebels and Syria’s army, Syria yesterday. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki Reuters - Syria announced a new offensive against rebel-held areas of Aleppo yesterday while diplomats failed to find a way in New York to revive a U.S. and Russian-brokered ceasefire that collapsed this week. Warplanes mounted the heaviest air strikes in months against rebel-held districts of Syria’s commercial hub and largest city, dealing a fresh blow to efforts to end Syrian civil war that has raged since 2011. Rebel officials and rescue workers said incendiary bombs were among the weapons that rained down on Aleppo. Hamza al-Khatib, the director of a hospital in the rebel-held east, told Reuters 45 people were killed. “It’s as if the planes are trying to compensate for all the days they didn’t drop bombs” during the ceasefire, Ammar al-Selmo, the head of
the civil defence rescue service in opposition-held eastern Aleppo told Reuters. Moscow and Washington announced the ceasefire with fanfare on Sept. 9. But the agreement, possibly the final bid for a breakthrough on Syria before President Barack Obama leaves office in January, collapsed like all previous peace efforts in a 5-1/2-year-old war that has killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and made half the nation homeless. Syrian state media announced the new offensive and quoted the army’s military headquarters in Aleppo urging civilians in eastern parts of the city to avoid areas where “terrorists” were located and said it had prepared exit points for those who want to flee, including rebels. The Syrian army announcement did not say
whether the campaign would also include a ground incursion. The aerial assault, by aircraft from the Syrian government, its Russian allies or both, signalled Moscow and Damascus had rejected a plea by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to halt flights so that aid could be delivered and the ceasefire salvaged. In a tense televised exchange with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the United Nations on Wednesday, Kerry said stopping the bombardment was the last chance to find a way “out of the carnage”. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad indicated he saw no quick end to the war, telling the Associated Press it would “drag on” as long as it is part of a global conflict in which terrorists are backed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and the United States.
U.S. lawmakers accuse Russia of seeking to influence U.S. election Reuters - The top Democrats on the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives intelligence committees accused Russia yesterday of trying to influence the Nov. 8 U.S. election via computer hacking, and called on President Vladimir Putin to order a halt. “Based on briefings we have received, we have concluded that the Russian intelligence agencies are making a serious and concerted effort to influence the U.S. election,” Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Adam Schiff said in an unusually strongly worded joint statement.
Officials in the administration of President Barack Obama have said they concluded that Russia or its proxies were responsible for hacking political party organisations. The government has not publicly blamed Russia. Russia has denied it sponsors or encourages any hacking activity. The lawmakers said the Russian effort was intended to sow doubt about the security of the U.S. election, and that the orders for intelligence agencies to conduct such actions could come only from “very senior levels” of the Moscow government.
PAGE 29
Kaieteur News
“We call on President Putin to immediately order a halt to this activity. Americans will not stand for any foreign government trying to influence our election. We hope all Americans will stand together and reject the Russian effort,” the statement said. U.S. relations with Russia have had a high profile in campaigning for the Nov. 8 election, in which the White House, one third of the Senate seats and all the House seats are up for grabs. Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, has been criticized by Democrats - and some Republicans - for his praise of Putin.
Jordan’s Islamists gain foothold in parliament after long absence Reuters - Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood has gained a foothold in parliament after ending a decade-long boycott and returning to the fray as the mainstay of a broad civic alliance, according to preliminary results released yesterday. The Islamists, easily Jordan’s biggest organised political grouping, had shunned previous elections in protest at a system that skews representation towards thinly populated rural areas dominated by tribal politics, rather than the cities, where the Brotherhood is strong. But under pressure from a government crackdown that followed Islamist-led protests in the wake of the Arab Spring, the Brotherhood’s political arm, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), ditched its “Islam is the Solution” slogan and joined Christians and prominent national figures to create the
National Coalition for Reform (NCR). Preliminary results from Tuesday’s election indicated that the NCR had won at least 16 of the 130 seats. Zaki Bani Rusheid, a prominent Brotherhood leader, said the NCR would seek alliances with others to try to form an effective opposition. Although Jordan has no ruling party, its government, appointed by King Abdullah, has for years faced little or no opposition from a parliament dominated by progovernment tribal leaders, businessmen and ex-security officials, often elected on promises to address local rather than national concerns. Although the NCR will not be able to block legislation or cabinet appointments, it should nevertheless bring livelier debate to what has been almost a rubber-stamp assembly whose passivity
Zaki Bani Rusheid has allowed successive governments to enact draconian temporary laws restricting public freedoms. The alliance won at least one seat in nearly every major multi-member constituency, according to initial results. In the capital’s affluent third district, home to many government agencies as well as much of the business and political elite, the alliance won three of seven seats.
German anti-immigrant AfD party gets 16 percent, highest ever, in new poll Reuters - The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party would capture 16 percent of the vote if a federal election were held now, according to an opinion poll yesterday which showed it drawing more support than ever before. The poll released by public broadcaster ARD said Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives would get 32 percent of the vote, while the Social Democrats, junior partner in the ruling coalition, would get 22 percent. Together they would have 54 percent, enough for the ruling “grand coalition” to continue. The AfD made huge gains in two regional elections this month and will now have seats in 10 of 16 state assemblies, benefiting from a backlash against Merkel’s opendoor refugee policy and the arrival of nearly a million migrants last year. The next federal election is a year from now. The party’s latest score of 16 percent is more than three times the 5 percent it would need to win seats in the Bundestag or parliament for the first time. Founded in 2013 as a an antieuro party, it has previously been strongest in eastern Germany, but has now broadened its appeal. It scored 14 percent of the vote in the previous ARD poll, carried out on Sept. 1. A rueful Merkel on Monday took the blame for the regional election defeats and said she would turn back time
if she could to better prepare Germany for last year’s migrant influx. The widespread backlash against her migrant policy has raised questions about whether Europe’s most powerful leader will seek a fourth term next year. Given a dearth of options in her party, however, she is still the most likely candidate. The latest ARD poll means that the AfD could become the third largest party
in Germany, overtaking the pro-environment Green party on 12 percent. The radical Left party would capture 8 percent of the vote, while the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) would win 6 percent, allowing them to move back into parliament, the poll showed. The FDP is not currently represented in the Bundestag, but could be a potential ally for Merkel’s conservatives.
“Bridges’ to conduct... From page 16 to eliminate unnecessary travel to Georgetown by Lindeners to access orthopedic services. Other members of the team include Dr. Joseph Bayne, Internal Medicine and Cardiology; Dr. David Bayne, Urology; Dr. Shani Isaacs, Psychology; Dr. Kathy Flower, Pediatrics; and Tracy Bayne, Pharmaceuticals. Bridges is working along with local counterparts Dr. Terence Joseph and Cuban Dr. Jesus Mesa Hechavarria, to treat patients of the orthopedic clinic. Yesterday a selected list of 18 special cases was screened. However other persons with orthopedic issues turned up to access the services being offered and were also screened. Those screened will make
up the list of patients for possible surgery today. Patients would also be provided with free after surgery medications, Bayne said. According to Bayne the team is conducting general orthopedic and specialty treatment. He added “Patients were happy to meet with us and have us help them as much as we can.” Dr. Jesus Mesa Hechavarria in an invited comment said that the collaboration is welcomed and the exchange of experience is a positive thing. Speaking about some of the problems faced by the patients Hechavarria said, “Some patients have injuries for years and are now receiving surgeries.” He added that most of the cases in Linden are due to trauma from accidents, falls and other incidents.
PAGE 30
FOR RENT PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 SERVICES PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, GRADUATION,WEDDINGS, ANNIVERSARY,ETC.-CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 2161043; 677-6620
SALON - Make-up Courses with Mac, Bare Minerals, etc. - Cosmetology Courses: $120,000 - Technician Course: $45,000. Call: 647-1773/660-5257
Visa Application: U.S.A, C a n a da & UK; Guyana p assport application. Graphics design, advertisement. Tel: 6267040; 265-4535. INNOVATIVEMARKETING & PUBLISHING INC –TEL: 600-4212: We create A/ works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included. RAMDASS VISA APPLICATION & immigration services, room A-4, Maraj Building, Georgetown. Call Samantha: 227-0295; 615-9295 Passport, permanent & visitor visa application, Professional Immigrant Consultant – Sabita Immigration Services. Call: 225-6496; 662-6045 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezerCall: 610-5846 or 661-8158 Guytec Repairs Services & Spares to washing machines, pressure washer, dryer, stoves, refrigerator, treadmill, vacuum, etc –Call: 680-2377
Hair station for rental, convenient location, discounted price for new customers. Call: 638-1106 Upper flat for rent: furnished or unfurnished located in Eccles- Call: 602-8703 House for rent in Golden Grove, EBD - $65,000. Call:692-8513/ 617-0465
TO LET Furnished apartments & rooms for long term and short rental. Call: 668-0306/2181400/694-7817 3 Bedrooms Luxury apartments fully furnished long term and short term rental- Call: 665-3505 Apartment in Eccles 2 bedrooms, furnished & unfurnished short & long term-$60,000 per month-Call: 225-3234
Bottom flat supermarket located @ First Bridge Diamond E.B.D- Call: 6017749; 216-3069; 626-7064; 691-4808 Vacant lot @ Duke Street, Kingston- Call: 663-4304/ 616-3094 Fully furnished apartment in South & 2 bedrooms unfurnished apartment in Ben Street. Call: 689-5877 Upper flat for rent 3 bedrooms in Atlantic Gardens- Call: 227-4377/2270613/624-6013 Business bottom flat for rent in New Road, Vreed-enHoop. Call: 227-4377/ 2270613/ 624-6013
EDUCATIONAL IAE – CXC Jan/June 2017 – full time school; lessons/ classes for students, adults, repeaters & beginners. Call Mr. Roberts: 683-5742
Repairs at low cost: Fridges, air- conditioners, washing machines, TVs, microwaves, freezers- Call:629-4946 or 225-4822 LEARN TO DRIVE
American Standard Diploma Course: HRM; Customer Service Relations. Call DTI on 616-5204 & save big in September!! TAXI SERVICE
C. Persaud & N. Outar Driving School formerly Soman & Sons Driving School @ Maraj BuildingCall: 644-5166; 622-2872; 6150964; 689-5997 (affordable packages)
GR TAXI SERVICE. CALL: 219-5000; 227-1982 & 2257878 (24HRS)
Improved your health through iridology- Contact Hazel’s Herbal Store- Call: 226-9136
PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS& SUV FOR RENTAL- $4,000 & UP PER DAY- CALL: 643-5122, 6560087 , EMAIL: PRO_ AUTO RENTAL@YAHOO. COM WINGS CAR & PICKUP RENTAL: LOW DOWN PAYMENT, CHEAP REATES,SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE SUMMER. CALL: 690-6494
VEHICLE FOR SALE
PROPERTY FOR SALE
3 TON CANTER ENCLOSE AND OPEN BACK WITH 4D ENGINE, PRICE -$3.6M, NEVER REGISTERED – CALL: 617-2891
Transported property @ Grove and Diamond $16M negotiable. Call: 625-5461
Mitsubishi Colt plus –Call: 610- 3746/ 603-5367 A4 Audi -$3.9M, IST-$2.1M, 318i BMW-$2.9M, Fielder$2.1M, Spacio-$2.1M, Forklift-$1.2M. Contact#6500402 Toyota Sienta: AC, 17" Mags, sound system, remote start alarm, never work hire, in excellent condition -$1.450M. Call: 619-1047
Rooms to rent @ South Ruimveldt Gardens, working couples or single- Call: 623-0076
CAR RENTAL DOLLY’S CAR RENTALCALL: 225-7126/226-3693 DOLLYSAUTORENTAL@ YA H O O . C O M / W W W. DOLLYSAUTORENTAL. COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL: 4WD PICKUP, CHEAPEST RATE & SPECIAL RATE FOR LONG TERM. CALL: 698-7807
LARGE QUANTITIES OF HIGH PURITY MERCURY (QUICK SILVER) 99.99995% PURITY$19,000 PER POUND CALL: 592-227-4754. Cargo Trawler. Call: 682-8724; 616-5954 Gas/stove range GEAmerican made, stand up freezer, hot dog machine, supermarket mirror. Call: 680-3863
2 (2) Story house in Tuschen (front) - 1 for $23M negotiable, the other one for $20M negotiable. Call: 642-1252
One “45” feet comp l e t e cabin cruiser, trout seines, excellent condition. Call: 654-2817/648-6815
1 Toyota Noah BSS seriesCall: 653-8791
One 2 Storey house at Non Pariel-$50M – Call: 642-1252
One Chevrolet car, in excellent condition and body 5 speed gear box manual price negotiable- Call: 6499876/642-3385/225-4147
One house and land in La Parfaite Harmonie -$3M. Call: 642-1252
1 55ft Fishing boat, 2 Engines, GPS, Compass & 2000 lb seine, price -$4.5M. Call: 676-1363/ 652-5184
One Toyota Hilux E/Cab, Gasoline, M/T, 4WD, ACCall: 676-0931 Oswin J’s Auto Imports; New Arrivals: Premio, Allion, Fielder, Axio, Rush, X-Trail. Free full coverage insurance. Call: 609-2815 3 Toyota Raum, 1 Toyota Vios- Call: 270-5059
Sale & Removal: 1 conventional 1 storey bungalow roof @ Plantation Walk, Vreed-en-Hoop, W.B.D (810.00 sq.ft)- $3M negotiable. Call: 617-1034 Transported 2 storey newly renovated building @ 12 Sussex Street Charlestown – Call: 219-1951/659-3597 Transported property @ Grove Public Road, serious inquiries – price $25M. Call:265-3120/770-401-4777 One Roadside, 2 storey building @ V/Hoop (ideally business/residence). Call: 614-0107
1 Empty land at Zeeburg (transported) -$4M, 1 empty land in La Parfaite Harmonie -$1.3M- Call: 642-1252
5 Acres coconut and other fruit bearing, no chemical, lease or sale – Demerara River across Timehri docks. Call: 261-2988 Land at Tuschen Housing Scheme, near school, 3 minutes away from main road. Call: 261-2988 La Parfaite Harmonie - $1.2M & $1.6M, size 80ftX45ft (title available). Call: 658-5897/6732692
Water tanks, used clothing, living room suites, wares & doors. Please call for any inquiry on: 231-1284 Elevator (good condition), Diesel Generator (23KVA, 110/220V). Call: 231-1284; 223-9719 1 Perkins V8 Turbo Charge 170KVa Generator in working condition, Call 223-7380 20 Acres sandpit with creek at Loo Creek -$15M negotiable. Call: 600-1509 Dairy cows and goats, etcCall Ramsadeen: 226-1322/ 679-9770 Terrazzo Machine and discCall: 616-3094 25 Acres transported land, main road to Mahaicony River, suitable 800 – 18 months coconut plants. Call: 221-2075
LAND FOR SALE
Land at Friendship, E.B.D $2.5M per lot. Call: 692-8513/ 617-0465 DRESSMAKING Jean offers courses in dre s s m a k i n g , c u r t a i n s , floral, cake decoration @ 153 Barr Street Kitty- Call: 6702653/ 638-8449
High value transported land and 2 bedrooms newly built house, Greater Diamond E.B.D -$14M negotiable. Call: 265-4338
FOR SALE
La Parfaite Harmonie, 124 Recht Door Zee, WBD: 2 storey house, 3 bedroom upstairs, toilet & bath upstairs & downstairs & a guess room. Call: 623-5566
2 Bedroom Apartment in exclusive residential Airport, close to Ogle Airport , with all modern amenities. Call for appointment 622-5725.
CAR RENTAL HEALTH Stop suffering from Diabetes, Hypertension and other sickness, follow me sexual enhancers for men. Call: 6459528
Friday September 23, 2016
Kaieteur News
VACANCY Cashiers for supermarketCall: 624-0033, salesgirls – Call: 624-0033, Pump attendants –Call: 680-3863 Site, safety & electrical engineer- experienced need, age 25-45, very good salary & conditions. Call: 261-2280; 261-2280; 697-4344 Cook/baker for the Interior location, applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020 Salesgirl/cashier @ New Market Street- Call: 638-1106
VACANCY
One Driver expediter wanted urgently contact 223-5273/4
One experienced Accounts clerk, apply in person to Alabama Trading Georgetown, Ferry Stelling, Stabroek.
Ramnarine Mining Enterprise: welders, operators & labourers –Call: 679-0550/ 624-0501
Receptionist, desk staff, security guards (males). Call: 225-0198 or visit 233 South Road, Lacytown.
Truck driver to travel in and out of the interior, applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020
Ashley 3X2X1 suite, microwave, gas stove, bed, AC unit, kitchen cupboard, washer, dryer, wardrobe etc. Call:658-5897/673-2692 3 Dish Plough –Call: 661-6343 One flat tray Nissan pickup, very good condition. Call: 662-3997/610-4879 VACANCY One female office/sale clerk to work in Vreed-en-Hoop (W.B.D), email application to roytechgt@gmail.com Captains: Valid Certificate of competence as Master of a Power Driven Vessel – Call: 226-1100/ 226-5380 Female sales clerk, hand written application: Perfumes Dazzle 137 Regent Street. FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Table. Call: 277-0578 Continue page 31
Friday September 23, 2016
PAGE 31
Kaieteur News
Photos, firearm components tendered as evidence in Berbice businessman murder PI Photos and components of a firearm allegedly recovered from the scene of the murder of Berbice businessman Shameer Ali -Mursalin have been tendered as evidence in the Preliminary Inquiry, (PI) which continued at Springlands Magistrate’s Court, yesterday. Mursalin, called ‘Kazac,’ a trader, of Grant 1805 Weld Tank Dam, Crabwood Creek, Berbice Corentyne, in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), was fatally shot to the head following a longstanding dispute with a fellow businessman, on October 24, 2015. Berbice businessman Dennis Veerasammy called “Giggles” and two of his employees, Basheer Harrinauth and Delroy Fraser, called “Bully Boy “were later arrested and charged with the murder. The trio is currently before the court for the murder. The case attracted media attention after it was reported that Magistrate
Shameer – Ali Mursalin Rabindranauth Singh had allowed the main witness, (Rocky Profitt), to testify without permitting him to review the evidence or sign his d e p o s i t i o n . This took place in mid-August. Kaieteur News has been following the matter ever since. Yesterday, the photos and firearm components were ten-
dered by Police Constable Chris Herber, who was among the witnesses to appear. He took the stand to continue his evidence in the PI which was conducted at the Regional Democratic Council, (RDC) building at Springlands, East Corentyne Berbice. The police officer and the sister of the deceased, Tameshwarie Kishore know as “Sunita”, were called to testify before Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh yesterday. Kishore was later cross examined by Attorney Chandra Sohan, who is representing the number one accused, Dennis Veerasammy. The witness was asked to return court for further cross examination by Mr. Sohan and an attorney who is yet to enter an appearance on behalf of the other two accused. Jagdeo Ramdass, another witness was also scheduled to continue giving evidence yesterday. The matter was however adjourned until October 6.
On a previous occasion, the main witness, Rocky Profitt was also ordered to return to court for further cross-examination in the matt e r . However, when he and the other witnesses turned up, they were informed that the court proceeding would be postponed because of concerns raised by Magistrate Singh over the physical conditions of the Springlands Magistrate’s Court. The building has allegedly been infested with bats for some time. Therefore the court proceedings were transferred to the RDC building, located a few doors away from the Springlands court. Profitt is also scheduled to be cross examined by the attorney representing the two other accused persons, Basheer Harrinauth and Delroy Fraser yesterday. But neither the witness (Profitt) nor the attorney showed up to the hearing.
PI into KNews grenade attack…
Getaway car photos tendered in court Photographs of the motorcar from which a grenade was allegedly thrown at a Lexus SUV belonging to Glenn Lall, owner of Kaieteur News, was yesterday tendered and marked. This was done when the preliminary inquiry (PI) into the offence-causing explosion by way of grenade-- for which three men are charged— continued before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. Janeil Howard, 20, of 322 Section ‘C’ Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara; Alfie Garraway, 36, of Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown; and Leroy Williams, 25, of 11 Durban Backlands, are accused of conspiring together with other persons to cause an explosion by way of grenade, likely to endanger lives and cause damage to property. The offence occurred on June 4, at Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Garraway is currently out on $300,000 High Court bail. The other accused remain on remand. Police Constable Leslie Williams, who is stationed at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headq u a r t e r s , E v e L e a r y, Georgetown, gave testimony in relation to the photographic exposures of the vehicle that were taken by him. Constable Williams is also a fingerprint technician and crime scene exam-
From page 30
WANTED Experienced salesgirl & 1 experienced porter@ Christine’s Fashion, 23 Lambard Street. Call:2278529/233-7356 Handyman for G/T & Interior location- Call 231-0363 between Mon- Fri 8:30-11:30 & 1:30-4:30 Female shop worker for Interior. Call 231-0363 between Mon- Fri 8:30-11:30 & 1:30-4:30 Mature experienced couple to live in and work at a Resort at Parika. Call 231-0363 between Mon- Fri 8:30-11:30 & 1:30-4:30 Couple to live in: husband – driving duties. Cal: 227-1830 One experienced Chief Security Officer to manage a security concern. Attractive salary and benefits. Apply by sending message or WhatsApp to 644-4284 One masseur or masseuse to function four times a week. Text message to 6969386
We buy land in La Parfaite Harmonie, Eccles, Providence, Herstelling & Farm. (title only). Call: 6585897/673-2692 Female worker wanted sound secondary education, computer literateTel: 622-5518 1 Entertainment manager to work at Hotel in Charity, experience will be asset- Call: 226-9768/ 698-7083 1 Bartender, 1 waitress, 1 maid, 1 snackette attendant to work at Hotel in Charity, preferably from Essequibo – Call: 226-9768/ 698-7083 Driver/ expeditor to work with mining firm in Georgetown, must have car/van and lorry license- Call: 226-9768/6987083 Driver & Porter must have lorry license to deliver water at Nimbus Water System. Tel # 231-7002/ 622-0445 Land to buy in Uitvlugt, Zeelugt, Tuschen and La Parfaite Harmonie. Best price offered! Call: 642-1252 One domestic worker and one cashier to work in Trinidad. Call or text 1868683 1528 1 Female cleaner for offices in Eccles. Call: 233-2745
Alfie Garraway
Leroy Williams
Janeil Howard
iner. Also testifying yesterday was Sergeant Jomo Williams, who is stationed at the East La Penitence Police Station. He gave evidence pertaining to a statement he witnessed Detective Sergeant Rodwell Sarrabo, taking from Garraway at the Ruimveldt Police Station. Sergeant Sarrabo, the Subordinate Officer in charge of the CID Brickdam Police Station and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kevin Das were cross-examined by Stanley Moore, attorney for Garraway. Under cross examination Sergeant Sarrabo identified the statement he obtained from Garraway. William is being represented by Attorney Neil Bollers. Attorney Bollers along with Howard, who is unrepresented, declined to cross-examine Sergeant
Sarrabo. At a September 15, court hearing Sergeant Sarrabo was called as a witness in the Voir Dire (trial within a trial) which is being conducted to inquire into the circumstances under which a statement was given to Detective Sergeant Hubert Henry by Howard at the Ruimveldt Police Station. The Voir Dire was ordered by the Chief Magistrate after Howard denied giving Sergeant Henry what was written on the third page of the statement. H o w e v e r, d e s p i t e t h e accused’s denial the statement was tendered for identification purposes by the Magistrate. Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers has since indicated that he has 10 more witnesses to call. This PI has been adjourned until next Wednesday, September 28.
According to reports, on the day in question, a security staffer heard an unusual sound coming from near Lall’s vehicle PRR 8398, which was parked on the western side of Saffon Street. On checking the front of the vehicle, the staffer spotted a grenade lying near one of the front tyres. Video footage from the company’s CCTV cameras showed a grey-coloured vehicle, slowing as it approached Lall’s vehicle. The driver accelerated after the explosive device was thrown. S h e m a r Wilson also known as ‘Abdue’ is still wanted by the police for questioning in relation to the grenade attack. He is 20 years of age and his last known addresses have been given as 43 North Sophia and 51 West La Penitence, Georgetown.
Ladies to work in Suriname. Call: +597-875-4660 1 Male janitor, apply in person at Alabama Trading, Georgetown, Ferry Stelling Stabroek. Experienced male salesperson must be able to multitask, communicate well & have computer skills @ KeyFood Trading McDoom. One live in babysitter between ages 35-55, preferably out of town persons. Call: 664-3918/ 670-7881 Welder to work in workshop on the West Coast on a percentage basis. Call: 684-1247 Waitress to work in bar, ages 18-25, walk with ID cardCall: 256-4096 Live in waitress with sound secondary education$70,000 monthly, boarding & lodging free. Call: 610-3974 One AB Dick Machine Operator, one printer helper. Call: 233-2439/233-2725
PAGE 32
Kaieteur News
Friday September 23, 2016
Friday September 23, 2016
Kaieteur News
Billion Dollar Loan Facility For Tourism Enterprises The Gleaner - Jamaica’s Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) now have access to a $1 billion revolving-loan facility funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF). “Operators of SMTEs will be able to access up to $25 million at five per cent interest over five years,” says Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett. The TEF and the National Export-Import Bank of Jamaica (EXIM Bank) signed a memorandum of understanding at the Hilton Rose Hall in Montego Bay Wednesday afternoon, formalising the framework of the agreement. “Providing access to capital is one of the keys to unlocking the true potential of our small businesses, which will enable them to upgrade and become more productive,” Bartlett told the gathering, which included the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association; chairman of the TEF Godfrey Dyer; and the organisation’s executive director, Clyde Harrison. According to the tourism minister, with the right support, SMTEs could be a source of innovation and help shape destination development. Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association president Omar Robinson lauded the initiative, stating that by making financial resources available at cheaper interest rates, these entrepreneurs could
Edmund Bartlett purchase raw materials, equipment, and spare parts for their businesses. “The small and mediumsized entrepreneurs have always been at the heart of commerce within the country,” Robinson pointed out, urging the commercial banks to extend this same level of flexibility in extending loans. Medium-term facilities will enjoy up to a 12-month moratorium on the repayment of principal where necessary, says the EXIM Bank’s managing director, Lisa Bell. She said the loan programme would be structured in keeping with the priorities and needs outlined by the five tourism linkage networks and two sector programmes. These are gas-
tronomy, spa and wellness, knowledge, shopping, and the sports and entertainment networks. In addition, a special allocation will be made to support the agriculture sector, which she stated, holds significant potential as a tourism-linkage sector. Elated about the prospects, chairman of the Tourism Linkages Council Adam Stewart described the facility as a shot in the arm. “For some, this will be a real lifeline for the sustainability of their businesses,” he said. As of today, the TEF will allocate $500 million to the bank, kick-starting what the tourism sector is calling the stimulus for growth and development of the country.
PAGE 33
PAGE 34
Friday September 23, 2016
Kaieteur News
Venezuela opposition fumes as door slams on 2016 Maduro vote CARACAS (Reuters) Foes of President Nicolas Maduro vowed protests and accused Venezuela’s election authority yesterday of ignoring voters by dashing hopes for a referendum this year on recalling the unpopular socialist leader. The election board says a potential plebiscite could only happen in early 2017, meaning should Maduro lose, as polls suggest he would, his vice president would take over according to the constitution. That would keep the Socialist Party in power at least until the next presidential election in late 2018. The opposition, who blame Maduro for a deep economic crisis, had wanted a plebiscite this year as that would trigger a new presidential election. “They are violating the constitution,” said Jesus Torrealba, head of the Democratic Unity coalition, promising massive street demonstrations. “The country is ready to fight.” Opposition leaders were
Nicolas Maduro
meeting yesterday to prepare their response. Some hardliners might now push for an abandonment of the referendum in favour of civil disobedience tactics, while others will probably argue removing Maduro next year is still worth it because of the damage to the government’s legitimacy. “The moderate faction is more likely to prevail, but keeping hopes alive that a referendum can lead to genuine change will be an uphill struggle, and opposition di-
visions risk coming to the surface, exactly as the government intended,” said Nicholas Watson, an analyst with Teneo Intelligence. Venezuela’s state-led economy is suffering a third year of recession, with shortages of basics from bread to painkillers, vast shopping lines and triple-digit inflation. The government has blamed the opposition for the delay because the coalition’s 30 diverse groups took three months to reach a consensus on a push for the referendum.
Friday September 23, 2016
Kaieteur News
Guatemala denounces corruption at U.N. while scandal brews at home Reuters - Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales gave a fiery speech against corruption at the United Nations General Assembly yesterday, a week after a judge barred his son and brother from leaving the country due to a pending fraud investigation. Morales, who rose to fame as a TV comedian, won office last year on a platform of fighting the corruption that has battered confidence in Guatemala and its Central American neighbours Honduras and El Salvador. But Samuel “Sammy” Morales, an older brother and a close adviser to the president, and Jose Manuel Morales, one of the president’s four sons, have been questioned in a case over suspicious business dealings. “The rule of law is now unmistakably more vigorous than it was a year ago,” said the president, whose 2015 campaign slogan was “Neither Corrupt, nor a Thief”. The scandal may dent Morales’ image, which is based on setting himself apart from previous leader Otto Perez, who is in jail for fraud. “2015 changed the course of history in Guatemala,” Morales told the assembly. “There was a rejection of the
Jimmy Morales perverse system of corruption that had undermined our development potential.” The current case involves payments linked to the mother of Jose Manuel’s then-girlfriend in 2013. The mother, who has not been identified, agreed to supply Christmas hampers to the national property registry, which is being investigated for suspected corruption, according to testimony given during a public hearing about the registry. She instead sent the registry a $12,000 (9,170.11 pounds) bill made out in the name of a local restaurant for 564 breakfasts, according to the attorney general. The
breakfasts were never delivered, according to statements given by a witness in a public hearing. Sammy Morales told local newspaper Prensa Libre last week that he got involved in the transaction as “a favour” to his nephew, but he denied it was part of a fraud scheme. No formal charges have been filed against Sammy Morales or Jose Manuel. The president’s landslide victory was attributed to popular discontent with Guatemala’s political class and compounded by a U.N.backed investigation into a multi-million dollar customs racket that reached deep into the previous administration.
PAGE 35
PAGE 36
Friday September 23, 2016
Kaieteur News
Anthony Crolla is ‘full of confidence’ against Jorge Linares Anthony Crolla is looking forward to a ‘special night’ tomorrow but knows he will have to be at the peak of his powers if he is to beat Jorge Linares and unify the lightweight division. Crolla will walk out in front of thousands of adoring supporters and fellow Mancunians at the Manchester Arena and is confident of defending his WBA world lightweight title against Linares, who currently holds the WBC diamond belt. But the 29-year-old, who defeated Darleys Perez last November to win the WBA title before defending it against Ismael Barroso in May, knows he will have to ‘improve and show
something else’ if he is to get the better of the 31-year-old. ’I’m so full of confidence now. I know I’m going to have to improve and show something else to beat Jorge Linares. That’s what I’ve got to do.’ Crolla said at the press conference ahead of the fight. ’The support I get is crazy from around the city. There are people from all over Britain coming to this fight because they know how big it is. ‘I am a proud Mancunian and I am proud to fight in front of thousands of fans on Saturday (tomorrow).’ Linares will be hoping to dampen Crolla’s spirits during the world unification bout tomorrow, and while he was keen to point out the respect he has for his opponent, the
Venezuelan stressed that everything changes once the pair enter the ring. ’There is a lot of respect for Crolla but once we get in the ring, it’s on.’ said Linares. ‘This is the most important fight of my career but I am ready. On Saturday I’m taking all of the belts.’ Linares spoke in confident mood but Crolla’s trainer Joe Gallagher believes his fighter will be the one celebrating tomorrow and thinks it is his ‘Ricky Hatton moment.’ ’This is Crolla’s Ricky Hatton moment. I feel Crolla has great momentum and is hugely confident.’ said Gallagher. ‘We are expecting the best Linares but the best Crolla beats the best Linares.’ (MailOnline)
Venezuelan Linares said the world unification bout ‘is the most important fight of my career’
Den Amstel aiming to beat... (From page 37) first of a brace for him also but it was not going to be enough to unsettle Den Amstel. Duncan was again on the score sheets in the 47th minute to further reduce the scoreline; and even with a 57th minute
strike from Ronaldo Macey which added to the excitement of the match, Slingerz still found themselves one goal short by the end of full time which handed Den Amstel the win and full points. Saturday’s encounter
which should have brought together Wales United and Beavers resulted in the former gaining full points without breaking a sweat as the latter side failed to show up.
Guyanese born... (From page 34) Arts. Movies like ‘Bazodee’ are testimony of its cultural diversity and it gives me a great pride and joy to play for Trinidad and Tobago” said the little boy from Guyana who grew into a man in Trinidad. He says Jacques Kallis has to be his favorite cricketer. “He is pure class. I had the privilege of seeing him in action in the 2015 CPL and I now understand the phrase, “form is temporary but class is permanent”. I consider myself an allrounder and Jacques Kallis is the definition of the best all-rounder in the modern era” Richards, who is not yet married or a father, concluded. (Sean Devers)
Friday September 23, 2016 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Don't be too eager to give a piece of your mind or even your opinion today. Keep your ears open, especially to those who care about you. Onesided relationships are likely. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You will have to check your cash flow before you decide to indulge in hobbies or entertainment that may be beyond your budget. Your suggestions for fund raising events will be well received. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Try to curb overindulgence today. Be prepared to make changes to your personal documents. You will have some problems with children, but if you are patient you will win their favor. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Offer good conversation and a nice soothing lunch. There could be opposition or temper tantrums on the home front. Think twice before you speak. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Take a look at yourself and prepare to make those changes you've been contemplating. Try to be patient and understanding. Don't count on getting any help from those you live with. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Someone you least expect could be trying to make you look bad. If you can mix business with pleasure much can be accomplished. You may have ignored or neglected your mate lately.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A lack of support and negativity have been the main problems. Do the necessary chores and then do things that please you. You should consider getting into self improvement endeavors. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You may find yourself in a heated dispute with a friend if you try to change your mind. You may find yourself caught in a triangle. Reevaluate your position and make decisions about your future goals. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Try to include friends and relatives in your activities. Changes regarding your image will bring you greater confidence. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You are best to avoid joint ventures, and whatever you do, don't lend to friends or relatives. Travel and family gatherings should be in order. You can expect your mate to get fed up and make the choices for you or back off completely. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Your ability to do detailed work will dazzle those who are less creative. Opportunities to make financial gains through investments look promising. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You can enjoy entertainment if you join in and follow the crowd for a change. Don't trust others with private information that could be used against you. Help elders get their personal papers in order.
Kaieteur News
Friday September 23, 2016
PAGE 37
Paralympian Perales WICB to spend has Phelps’ record US$600,000 boosting haul in her sights Teresa Perales of Spain reacts. REUTERS/ Sergio Moraes
Spanish swimmer Teresa Perales is determined to eclipse Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, by surpassing the American greats haul of 28 medals as she sets her sight on competing in the Tokyo Paralympics at the age of 4 4 . Perales, confined to a wheelchair since 1995 with neuropathy - a disease affecting the nervous system - won gold in the 50 meters backstroke plus three silvers
at her fifth Paralympic Games in Rio this month to take her total medal tally to 2 6 . Unlike the 31-year-old Phelps, who retired after Rio, the Zaragoza native aims to take part in the 2020 Games in Japan. “I didn’t get all the medals I wanted but I’m still happy with the final outcome,” Perales told reporters on arriving in Madrid from Rio. ”I’m two medals short of Phelps. Now I have a good
excuse to continue. Now Tokyo is on the horizon. “I hope I can make Phelps tremble but, for the time being, I’m just going to continue to train and see what happens. One step at a time.” Perales, the most decorated Paralympian of all time, took up swimming soon after losing mobility in her legs. She also suffered the loss of her father at 15 when he died of leukemia. ”You understand that nothing is more important than getting every ounce out of each day of your life,” Perales said. Her hopes of equaling Phelps’ medal haul in Rio ended when the Spaniard finished fifth in the 50m butterfly final, which was followed by fourth place in the 200 freestyle final. (Reuters)
Caribbean U-17
Cuba, Curacao and Suriname qualify for CONCACAF
Suriname will be one of five Caribbean sides to play in the 2017 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship. (Photo: CA-Images) Couva, Trinidad & Tobago – Cuba, (3W-0D0L, 9 points), Curacao (1-11, 4) and Suriname (1-0-2, 3) sealed spots in the 2017 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship (CU17) as Group B play in the final round of Caribbean concluded on Wednesday at Hasely Crawford Stadium. The Cubans – along with Curacao — will also move on to the semifinals after capturing first place and maintaining their unblemished record with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Suriname. Brian Savigne struck for the game-winner with nine minutes remaining in normal
time, breaking a 1-1 deadlock with his third goal of the competition. Remarkably, each of his tallies have been scored after the 80th minute. Jenairo Eenig put the Surinamese ahead in the 45th minute, but Ronaldo Rosette leveled just before the half-time whistle. S u r iname claimed the Caribbean’s last berth to the CONCACAF event as the best third-place team, edging Group A’s Trinidad & Tobago on goal difference (-1 to -2). Curacao opened the evening with a 0-0 draw against Guadeloupe (0-1-2, 1), a result that proved to be good enough to keep it in
second place. Shurendric Fransinet went goalless for the first time in three games for the Curacaoans, who will be making their first-ever CU17 appearance. The semifinals will be contested today at Ato Boldon Stadium, with Haiti squaring off against Curacao in the opener, followed by a meeting between Cuba and Jamaica. The CONCACAF Under-17 Championship is scheduled to be played in Panama from April 21-May 7, 2017. The field will also include the host nation, Canada, Mexico, the United States and three CentralAmerican sides. (CONCACF)
players’ fees, retainers
West Indies Women … set for big boost in compensation. This story was inadvertently left out of yesterday’s edition. St John’s, Antigua, CMC - The West Indies Cricket Board said Wednesday it planned to pump more than half-million United States dollars into the women’s game, in a move that will see an increase in player retainer contracts and fees starting next month. In a media release, the regional governing body for the sport said it would move the number of player retainer contracts from 11 to 15, and would also augment sponsorship payments, match fees and captains’ allowances. The increases are set to cost the board US$600 000, an injection of cash which chief executive Michael Muirhead believes will stimulate the women’s game. ”We are hoping this new package will serve as an additional incentive for the current set of women, but will serve as a drawing card to more women to be attracted to cricket,” said the Jamaican, who leaves the post next month. The deal was hammered out along with the West Indies Players Association and according to the WICB, will also benefit nonretained players as well. Former West Indies batsman Wavell Hinds, the current WIPA president and CEO, said the new compensation
package for the women was “well deserved.” ”Our women senior team has been a solid elite performing group over the last decade, as such, the improvement and security in their compensation package is well deserved. We wish the team well for their upcoming home assignment.” The new development comes just weeks ahead of West Indies Women’s fivem a t c h O n e - D a y Internatio n a l s e r i e s against England in Jamaica next month. Tr e l a w n y ’s M u l t i Purpose Stadium will host the first two games on October 8 and 10, with the historic Sabina Park in the capital, Kingston, the venue for the remaining three games from October 14-19 which will count towards the ICC Women’s Championship. Captain Stafanie Taylor was pleased with the move,
noting it would be instrumental in bringing West Indies on par with the major cricket forces. “I believe we are stepping in the right direction,” she said. ”England and Australia are the two top teams where Wo m e n ’ s c r i c k e t i s concerned and I think we can mirror what they are doing and get on their level. “It’s good that the retainers and match fees have been increased and the girls love it. We hope that, as time goes by, more things will be improved.” West Indies Women are the reigning T20 World Cup champions and currently lie second on 20 points in the I C C W o m e n ’ s Championship, which is headed by Australia. The top four sides will qualify automatically for next year’s Women’s World Cup, which will be staged in England from June 26 to July 23.
Kaieteur News
PAGE 38
Friday September 23, 2016
Guyanese born pacer taking wickets for T&T ‘English Cricket develops Professionalism’ says Marlon Richards In hot Trinidad sun, Guyanese Marlon Kevin Alexander Richards is working with T&T’s Red Force Head Coach Kelvin Williams to be more effective in swinging the old ball. The T&T squad has not started preparations for the next PCL season but Richards, who was born in the Mining Town of Linden 27 years ago believes this will help improve his wicket-tally during the new season which bowls off on November 11. ”I am very good at getting the new ball to swing, so if I can get older ball to move both ways that would help me to get more wickets when the team really needs it” explained the lively pacer. Richards was an important member of the Red Force line-up last season, finishing with 15 wickets in a spin-based attack where legspinner Imran Khan had 44 wickets and offspinner Jon-Russ Jaggesar took 23. “There are a few things I need to do and slight adjustments to make and I need to continue practicing. It is a work in progress. My stock ball is OK but there is room for improvement and that is what I am doing now. That is the point of doing it now because I will have enough time and practice games to use everything I have learnt in the pre-season” he said. Richards never played competitive cricket in Guyana, just under-hand-softball cricket and later tape ball at the Mackenzie High School in Retrieve. He left Guyana at 12 when his father got a job in Trinidad and his immediate family migrated to Trinidad in J u l y o f 2 0 0 1 . ”I was heavily involved in track and field for District 10 between 1996 and 2001. I broke the U-11 Long jump record in 1998 when Nationals were held in Georgetown and CTU U-11 record in St. Vincent and the Grenadines that same year. But cricket was my first love” said Richards, who has two fifties and 67 FirstClass wickets from 27 matches. After entering the Tunapuna Government
Secondary School he made the school’s cricket team and his father enrolled him at the Mico Cricket Club in 2003. His cricket progressed and he played for T&T and in the 2007 Under-19 series in St Kitts and Nevis. In 2009, at the age of 20, Richards was enrolled at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) under a scholarship programme and seven years later he is eying another successful PCL and a West Indies selection. ”I don’t think I am far away, like everyone else I am in with a very good chance. For the upcoming season I am working on my consistency and aim to get a lot more wickets and also a few more runs with the bat” said Richards, who has best figures of 5-36 from nine Regional 50-over games. Richards knew he wanted to make cricket a serious career when he went to play in the English Leagues in 2012. “Playing in England changed my life not just my outlook on cricket. As a professional you are totally on your own when you go overseas to play. These clubs depend on you to perform day in day out, you have to be the Coach, Manager, Trainer and at times Captain. There is no one you can turn to for assistance, so that helps you to challenge your skills, your mental strength and who you are as a person.” s a i d R i c h a r d s He feels it’s the best path for a player to take if they are serious about becoming a professional and one year later he was making his First-Class debut for T&T against CCC on March 23, 2013 in Port of Spain. The next month he was playing in the Regional 50-over for the first time when T&T opposed Barbados. His most memorable moment in cricket was getting 8-65 and the Man-of-the-Match Award against Jamaica in the Regional fourday semi finals in 2013 in Jamaica. ”Outside of cricket I’m an entrepreneur,
Marlon Richards scoring a First Class 50 for T&T
you really need to keep yourself occupied and plan for your days after cricket. I visited Guyana last Christmas with my family… every year I come back,” disclosed Richards, whose favorite food is calallo cook-up with salt beef and plantain. Richards, who lives in Arima and plays for Merry Boys in domestic cricket, stated that if he was not a cricketer he would have liked to be a Pilot. He noted that it’s an amazing feeling to
represent T&T since the Twin Island Nation has won many 50-over and T20 titles and has produced lots of world class Athletes who are house hold names. ”Trinidad and Tobago has also done well in other avenues such as Music and Cultural (Continued on page 32)
SS Jaguars capture Kelly Dan-Jou T20 title in Wakenaam
NBS 40-over 2nd Div. Tourney
Tucber Park through to final Tucber Park CC of New Amsterdam have cemented their place in the final of the 2015 Berbice Cricket Board, New Building Society Limited forty-over second division cricket competition after defeating Courtland CC of the Lower Corentyne area by seven wickets with 1.5 overs to spare. In the match played recently at the Cumberland Ground, Tucber Park won the toss and inserted Courtland CC who made 132 for 9. Jamal Cort top scored with 26, while Travis Williams got 25 and Troy
Keon DeJesus Mathieson 13. Bowling for Tucber Park, young pacer Omar Weatherspoon took 2
for 18, Leon Swammy, Niall Smith, Joel Seitaram and Keon DeJesus took a wicket each. In reply, Keon DeJesus and former national youth wicketkeeper/batsman Hakeem Hinds made 37 not out and 36 not out respectively, while Steve Deonarine made 16. Bowling for Courtland CC, skipper John Percival and Timothy McDonald took a wicket apiece. Tucber Park will now play Rose Hall Town in the final at Albion Sports Complex on a date to be announced.
The victorious Sans Souci Jaguars team with their hardware. WCC secretary Nazeer Mohamed is at left. Sans Souci Jaguars defeated G Square Cavaliers Sports Club by 17 runs to win the Kelly Dan-Jou T20 tournament which was contested on Sunday last at the Wakenaam Community Centre ground. Led by an attacking half century from Zameer Zaman who slammed 61 (8x4 3x6), Sans Souci Jaguars posted 172-8, batting first. Zaman shared an opening stand of 75 with Safraz Mohamed
who scored 30 (5x4) while all-rounder Nokta Moses slammed three fours and four maximums in a rapid 46. Dayawant Shiwnandan picked up 3-22. G Square Cavaliers were limited to 155-9 in reply. Kamal Khan made 45 (3x4 6x4) while Jaggernauth Manbodh got 28; Moses returned to take 3-18 and pacer Olwin Paton 3-19. Jaguars were presented with a trophy and $50,000 for
their winning effort while Cavaliers took home a trophy and $20,000. Moses received $10,000 for being adjudged man-of-thematch. In his brief remarks at the presentation ceremony, Secretary of the Wakenaam Cricket Committee (WCC) Nazeer Mohamed congratulated the winners whilst expressing gratitude to the sponsor, Kelly DanJou.
Friday September 23, 2016
Kaieteur News
PAGE 39
NAMILCO Thunderbolt U-17 leagues setting the foundation for long term success By Franklin Wilson The historical G F F / N A M I L C O Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 Intra Association league is definitely setting the stage for Guyana’s success and hopeful dominance of the sport at the Caribbean level and further afield in a few short years to come, once m a n a g e d e f f i c i e n t l y. This league which has been supported for the next fiveyears by the National Milling Company of Guyana under its marquee brand, Thunderbolt Flour is historic in nature, the first for any tournament being played in all the associations affiliated to the Guyana Football Federation. For a tournament and any competition for that matter to take on such significance and be perched in the top of the finances of any company is worth complimenting to say the least. Just a few companies in Guyana can be placed in such a bracket and without reservation, DIGICEL will hold down its place there for the School’s championship they have been investing in over the past six years. This tournament has come at a time when most of the associations have been
finding it difficult to attract sponsorship to ensure that the young players at this crucial age are consistently playing. Just a few have been consistently playing junior tournaments so the advent of the NAMILCO leagues which will support the D I G I C E L S c h o o l ’s Championship is welcome. Deriving the required benefits in terms of seeing the holistic development of players in the technical and tactical rudiments of the sport is therefore critical. This is where the administration of the associations needs to get serious. This is where the coaches attached to the various teams need to become serious as well as the GFF’s scouts. The respective stakeholders need to place a high premium on the way these leagues are managed in order for all to get the maximum benefits. The Referees also need to take their officiating in the matches seriously. They would be tested to the hilt even in finding officials to do matches if all the associations are playing at the same time on weekends. It is also an opportunity for the senior Referees to be present in guiding the younger officials in order for
Some of the main players, NAMILCO’s Managing Director Mr Bert Sukhai (2nd left) along with GFF President Mr Wayne Forde (2nd right), and other NAMILCO Officials Mr Fitzroy McLeod – Finance at left and Affeeze Khan (Marketing). them to become the best they can be while ensuring that the players are playing within the confines of the Laws of the game. Parents/Guardians, fans and all must also see these leagues as playing a vital part in the development of our players whose dreams would be to one day represent their country. Some of the associations have been finding it difficult over the past two months to
have grounds that they have access to be in an acceptable playable condition owing to consistent rainfall. We all know that associations are not wealthy entities and depend on the custodians of these grounds in order to play and have our young people active in a meaningful way. There is need for the various NDC’s and RDC’s to understand their role (s) in ensuring that grounds in
their respective areas should be kept in a playing condition for use by the youths of those areas. The National Sports Commission and its officers through the Ministry of Sports must lend whatever support from a political standpoint to the various associations to ensure access to these grounds are unhindered. Sponsors, and in this instance NAMILCO would
be very pleased that all and sundry are playing their part in ensuring that the youths are not denied opportunities to showcase their talent by having unhindered access to grounds in the associations where matches are being played. The associations are Rupununi, Bartica, Essequibo, West Demerara, Upper Demerara, Berbice, East Demerara, East Bank and Georgetown.
Estwick wants Windies improvement in all areas Dubai, United Arab Emirates, CMC - Bowling coach, Roddy Estwick, says West Indies are still not pleased with their execution in all departments and will be working to improve these areas in the build up to today’s opening Twenty20 International against Pakistan. The Windies easily beat an Emirates Cricket Board XI by 22 runs in their only tour game on Tuesday and Estwick said this outing had highlighted deficiencies which needed to be corrected. ”[The game] was a good work out for us because it was the first time we’ve been out in the middle since we’ve been here so we’re happy with that,” Estwick told reporters here. ”But there are areas to improve and we’re going to try and make sure that over
the next few days we try and utilise all the facilities and get it absolutely right.” One area of concern would have been the Windies’ batting. Over the first half of their innings, they struggled against the left-arm spin of Ahmed Raza and were meandering at 74 for four in the 11th over. The Caribbean side were bailed out by the uncapped pair of Nicholas Pooran (47) and Rovman Powell (38) and eventually got up to 166 for seven. But despite their struggle against Raza, Estwick said the Windies would target all-round improvement in their preparation and not just slow bowling. ”We need to improve in all areas, not just in the spin area. We need to adjust mentally and tactically as well,” the Barbadian pointed out. “We felt we were 30 or
West Indies’ T20 captain Carlos Brathwaite at a training session in Dubai ahead of the first T20I against Pakistan. © WICB 40 runs short. There are areas we have to try and work on, there are areas we have to improve. It’s just not focussing on the spin alone,
we’ve got to focus on our allround game and make sure we get it right.” The left-handed Pooran extended his good showing
from the Caribbean Premier League by lashing four fours and three sixes in an exhilarating 23-ball knock while Powell struck a four and three sixes in a 31-ball innings. Both players, on their maiden senior West Indies tour, earned plaudits from Estwick. ”I’ve seen [Pooran] play from the Under-19 level and I probably saw him make one of the best hundreds I’ve ever seen here in the UAE when he got 148 against Australia in a quarter-final game about three years ago so you know the talent he’s got,” Estwick explained. ”The conditions aren’t new to him because he has been out here [before] but we’re happy to see he has come in at the higher level and made that adjustment already.” He continued: “[Powell is] a very exciting young
Roddy Estwick player. I thought he played well. I thought he played the spin very well. But like I said, there are areas we can improve. “We’re not totally happy with the performance but it’s also a good start for him so once he keeps working hard — he’s a very hard working individual — I’m sure he’ll reap the rewards.”
Kaieteur News
PAGE 40
Friday September 23, 2016
Argentine Rugby Coach is the fruition of three-year talks-Amb.Martino Minister believes Sport could reduce impact of ethnic faultlines
Minister of Education, Sport & Culture Dr. Rupert Roopnarine (3rd left) makes his presentation during the media briefing that Argentine Ambassador Luis Alberto Martino (4th left) held at the Embassy to introduce Coach Diego Giannantonio yesterday.
By Rawle Welch Argentine Ambassador Luis Alberto Martino speaking at a Press Conference to officially announce the arrival of Rugby Coach Diego Giannantonio yesterday, referred to the occasion as the fruition of talks that started three years ago between the two countries. Martino was speaking in the presence of Minister of Education, Sports & Culture Dr Rupert Roopnarine, Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) President Peter Green, Patron of the GRFU Christopher ‘Kit’ Nascimento, Giannantonio, Head Coach Laurie Adonis, Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) representative Charles Corbin and Interpreter Nicholas Fraser at the Argentine Embassy. The Argentine diplomat in his opening remarks presented the credentials of Giannantonio, informing that he had been a senior member of the Argentine national team commonly referred to as the Pumas and who has developed into an outstanding coach retained specifically to improve Guyana’s ‘Green Machine in
several areas of weakness like the scrum department and line-outs. ” We r e c e i v e d a n invitation from the Minister asking our assistance to find a Coach to assist the national team and here we are today. This is a good sign for future cooperation between the two countries,” Martino said. He added that since 2013 the two countries had commenced discussions on how best they could cooperate in various areas with Sport being one of them and further disclosed that there is a Declaration of Intent that is in the draft stages as work on it continues. ” We a r e c u r r e n t l y exchanging ideas which will eventually be put on a Paper with the aim of having a possible agreement.” Green in his presentation gave a background to the request which according to him had started three years ago, but was not favourably received by the previous Administration. Green, who was returned as President for a second term, told the media that the only way Guyana’s rugby can go forward is to be playing teams at a higher level consistently.
The Union Head lamented the present state of affairs as it relates to the conditions that the team is always faced with leading up to international competitions, citing the facility at the National Park which is not exclusively used by them, but rather is a public space for anyone’s use and urged that the status quo change. He took full advantage of the Minister’s presence to highlight the difficulty the Union faces in getting teams well prepared to compete at international competitions. Nascimento said the presence of Giannantonio is the beginning of a dream come through, adding that despite the success reaped in the Sevens format they (Union) always recognised that there is a vast difference when they play at the highest level. He pointed out that Guyana’s Sevens team has had more success in many ways more than any other sport played in this country. “The Sevens team has played at the highest level including the Hong Kong Sevens, we played against New Zealand and drew with France and we’ve always been competitive,”
Nascimento noted. In signifying the importance of Giannantonio, Nascimento said the only way to raise the level of play is to improve the level of coaching. He was adamant that if they do it right Guyana could then compete against many of the top nations in the sport. ”Sevens is played at the Olympics and there is where we can compete because it is difficult for us to contend at 15s where real rugby is played. We are in the final against Mexico, but how far we go beyond that is highly debatable” Nascimento declared. He mentioned the many attempts made to bring higher level coaches, but because of financial constraints, the efforts were just one-stop situations instead of the ideal long term need. He senses that Guyana’s rugby could grow if there is a long term relationship with Argentina, a country that is ranked in the Top 10 in the world. Nascimento spoke of the genesis of the coach coming here which according to him was the result of discussions between Martino, himself and Minister Rooparine. According to Nascimento it
was also agreed between the parties that the development of the sport must start in the school, an attempt that was made during the last administration, but struggled to gain traction. GOA’s Corbin, whose entity has undertaken the financial burden of Giannantonio stint said for the project to be sustained it has to be anchored in schools and this will entail the involvement of the Guyana Teachers Union. Corbin disclosed that there is an agreement in principle that exists between the GOA, Ministry of Sport and Argentina to construct a National Athlete Development Programme. Giannantonio made a passionate plea to the sport’s administrators to ensure that the facility that they train on is e n h a n c e d , c i t i n g poor lighting and a less than desirable pitch as examples of the difficulty that the players and coaching staff endure daily. He, however, said he was willing to impart his knowledge in the short time he is here to improve the team’s chances of winning the important fixture against Mexico on October 1. He
urged the players to continue to work hard and play as a unified team or else they would be giving the opposing team a window of opportunity to win. The Argentine echoed earlier sentiments by stating that education of the sport should begin at an early stage. Roopnarine was stinging in his assessment about the absence of a more robust sports policy on the s c h o o l ’s c u r r i c u l u m , advocating the need to widen and deepen the experiences of children in schools. My own feeling has been that we should not measure our education by the number of subjects our children pass. I am no stranger to sport I played a lot in my younger days. Sport is an area that we could do a great deal,” the Minister opined. He said that because of our ethnic faultlines, sport is an area that he believes could help reduce the impact of the insecurity that exists between the cultural groups. Meanwhile, Director of Sport Christopher Jones handed over a cheque for in excess of $2million on behalf of the Government of Guyana to Green, during the briefing.
Friday September 23, 2016
Kaieteur News
PAGE 41
Victor Macedo GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Nat. U-17 League Mem. Cycle Race Den Amstel aiming to beat Stewartville on Sunday on Sunday When competition in the West Demerara leg of the G F F / N A M I L C O Thunderbolt Flour Power National Intra Association Under-17 League c o n t i n u e s o n S u n d a y, home team Den Amstel will be seeking to record yet another win. The red hot side will be seeking to add Stewartville to their list of casualties when the two collide at the
Some of the cyclists expected to compete on Sunday. The nation’s riders will once again be locked in battle on Sunday when the 14th annual Victor Macedo Memorial Cycle Road Race, organized by the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC), is contested. Open category competitors including seniors and juniors, juveniles, veterans and mountain bikers will all be subjected to the rolling start at 07:30hrs from 224 Peter Rose Street, Queenstown. The official start of the race will be on Homestretch
Avenue where the race will also conclude. Seniors and Juniors will ride all the way to Long Creek Bus Shed (after the tall antenna) while juveniles, veterans and mountain bikers will turn back at the hill after Splashmin’s Fun Park also on the Linden Soesdyke Highway. The top eight finishers overall, first four juniors and first three juveniles, veterans and mountain bikers will all be rewarded by sponsors, Macedo Transportation Services and Floyd Macedo.
Den Amstel Community Center ground from 12:00hrs. In their latest match contested on Sunday last, Den Amtsel edged Slingerz FC 4-3 in an exciting clash. The home team wasted little time in sending a clear message to Slingerz, the reigning Elite League Champions of Guyana. A brace each from
Ruben Dainty and Keswin Fraser was a clear enough message to Slingerz and the rest of the teams in the competition of what Den Amstel’s overall aim is. Dainty hit the back of the nets in the 2nd and 35th minute while Fraser followed suit in the 3rd and 70th. Slingerz struck back in the 6th minute when Odel Duncan slammed in the (Continued on page 32)
Keswin Fraser
Kaieteur News
PAGE 42
Friday September 23, 2016
Beach Soccer Association shortlists 17 for WCQ Following trials the Guyana Beach Football A s s o c i a t i o n ( G B FA ) Technical Staff led by Head Coach, Abdullah Hamid has shortlisted a squad of 17 players that will commence preparations in earnest for the Beach S o c c e r Wo r l d C u p Qualifiers 2017. We e k l y t r a i n i n g sessions will take place on Sundays for the competition which is scheduled for the January 29 to February 5, 2017 in Miami, USA. Hamid will have as his Assistant Coach,
Dillon Roberts; a Team Manager is to be announced. This squad, which will be further trimmed to 15 by the end of October, was drawn from the recentlyconcluded National Beach Soccer League that was held from January – April, 2016 in Linden and the village of Kuru Kururu on the and Linden Soesdyke Highway. According to GBFA President Rollin Tappin, this is a great opportunity to raise the profile of Beach soccer in Guyana and he expects Guyana to
do well. ”We’re using some players who have already had international exposure. Once we roll out preparations according to plan, Guyana will be m a k i n g a g o o d representation for itself; it augurs well for Beach soccer. It will give Beach soccer the boost it needs as it’s no longer a parttime sport. With G u y a n a ’s g e o g r a p h y and sand, it will definitely give us a boost going forward in our development.” Two officials from
Cordell Johnson Guyana – Rollin Tappin and Abdullah Hamid – will
Rodwyn Fraser partic i p a t e i n a workshop in Miami, October 17-18 next which is aimed at sen s i tizing participating member associations of the tournament; the officials will also participate in the official draw. The trials were conducted at B ayrock Beach Soccer Facility, Linden over a two-week period from September 11,
2016 and saw players from various clubs including High Star s , A t t e n t i o n Family, Cool Runnings, Kuru Kururu Warriors, R o y a l Yo u t h s , S i l v e r Bullets, Sparta Boss and Alexander Village FC. Guyana is one of 16 countries vying for two s p o t s i n t h e competition within CONCACAF; only three will qualify and this is the country’s first time participating in this tournament. Players selected are: Travis Bess (GK), Deon Tyrell (GK), Kellon Major (GK), E t h a n S p a r t a n (GK), Jermaine Grandison, Marvin Sullivan, Kenard Simon, Tshekederi Whitehead, Gishawn Moore, Trevorn Archibald, Deshawn Joseph, Cordell Johnson, Rodwyn Fraser, Michael Wi l s o n , K e o n S e a r s , J a m a l H a y n e s , To n y Gilbert.
Kaieteur News
Friday September 23, 2016
PAGE 43
Seasoned campaigners to lead athletics team to IGG Goodwill Games
Kenisha Phillips The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has named Guyana’s representative team ahead of the October 20-24 InterGuiana ‘Goodwill’ Games, which Guyana will host at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora. The team is a combination of some experienced campaigners on the national and regional
Compton Caesar junior circuit and some newcomers. Double CARIFTA Games silver medalist, Chantoba Bright among Commonwealth Games junior finalist, Compton Caesar, female sprint phenoms, Kenisha Phillips and Avon Samuels are expected to lead the team. Caesar and Tyrell Peters were identified for the male
Chantoba Bright 100m and 200m events with Phillips and Onasha Rogers in the female 100m and Phillips and Deshawna Skeete in the 200m. Newcomers to the national scene, Laurindo Prince and Stayon Wilson will compete in the male 400m while Skeete returns with Samuels in the female 400m race. Prince and Anfernee Headecker were identified
Avon Samuels
for the 800m with Headecker coming back for the 1500m along with Odwin Tudor, who will also run the 5000m with Delroy Leitch. The lanky Joanna Archer competes in the Girls 800m and 1500m for Guyana with Kezra Murray in the 800m and Shaka Tyrell in the 1500m. Tyrell and Tbitha Bowman will team up for battle in the Girls 3000m.
Meanwhile, in the field events, Bright will be looking to extend her dominance in the Long and Triple Jump contests. Khalni Griffith will join her in both events. Lloyd McCurdy and Tr a m a i n e B r o w n w i l l compete in the Boys’ Long and Triple Jumps. The duo was also identified for Boys’ Javelin Throw. Jamacia Scott and
Daniel Williams Andriska Mickle were named for the Shot Put, Discus and Javelin Throws for Girls while Alvin George and Jermaine Simmons will compete in the Boys’ Shot Put and Discus. Daniel Williams and Osafa Profit got the nod for the High Jump with Irie Cadogan and Tatyanna Blair competing in the Girls’ version.
t r o Sp
Argentine Rugby Coach is the fruition of three-year talks-Amb.Martino Minister believes Sport could reduce impact of ethnic faultlines
Director of Sport Christopher Jones (left) presents Government’s contribution to Union President Peter Green during the briefing yesterday, at the Argentine Embassy.
Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Limited, 24 Saffon St.Charlestown, Georgetown.Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/ 226-8210