Kaieteur News

Kaieteur News

PAGE 04

Monday September 12, 2016

Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

The scandal that refuses to die This government has had several scandals of its own doing, but none is worse than the drug bond scandal. The government had believed that as time passes by, the scandal would have gone away just like the one involving a trip to China or contacts with Bai Shan Lin by a senior official, but it did not. So the government made the right decision to rescind the contract. Even though the Minister of Health had apologized and has asked for forgiveness, the opposition continued its attacks against him and has called for his resignation. The sole sourcing of the contract to Linden Holdings Inc. has violated the Procurement Act. It is known that the principal owner of Linden Holdings is an associate of the government which examined the contract, but found nothing wrong and approved it. That being the case, how can the people trust the government to handle their affairs when no one in the cabinet did the arithmetic to know the monthly rental cost per square foot. Our calculations show that the monthly rental cost of $12.5 million for 10,000 square feet charged by Linden Holdings amounts to $1200.00 per square foot, compared to $242.00 a square foot for the monthly rental fee of $19.2 million for 70,000 square foot as charged by New GPC. As pressure mounted on the government, the President ordered a sub-committee of three ministers to investigate the bond contract. Although the sub-committee members have conceded that the government bond at Diamond is large enough to store all the drugs, yet they insisted that a second bond is needed in case of fire or that traffic could prevent the drugs at Diamond from reaching the hospitals on time. This suggests that the average citizen should have two houses in case one is destroyed by fire or two cars in case one breaks down. It seems that the government has fallen into a state of coma and has become oblivious to wrongdoings. The government is behaving as if it does not care about the misconduct of ministers, and it seems that it is not embarrassed to be lectured by the leader of the opposition. It has shattered its own promise of good governance it made to the people prior to the last election. In accepting full responsibility for the bond deal, the Minister promised that it will not happen again under his watch. He admitted that he misled the nation in his answers to Parliament some of which he claimed were based on his personal knowledge and others were based on the information and advice presented to him. In support of the Minister, the Minister of Public Security has defended the sole sourcing of the contract to Linden Holdings, but while in opposition, he had criticized the PPP for doing the same thing. One can only surmise that power changes the character of people. While it is true that they are humans, not a Cabinet of Angels; and will make mistakes, the Minister of Public Security comparison of the drug bond scandal to a dropped catch in a cricket match is outrageous. The comparison is not only revolting, but is an atrocious attack on the intelligence of the citizens. It is a new low reached by the Minister which could probably erode his little credibility that remains. The fact is there are many reasons why a player could drop a catch in a cricket match. It could be that the player misjudged the speed and angle of the ball due to the wind or that the sun could have blinded his sight. But Minister of Public Health who is experienced in medicine is expected to be competent and make decisions based on facts. This clearly was not the case and for his colleague to claim that it was a mistake is an insult to all Guyanese.

Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.

Rawle Welch must identify his challenger to Yassin DEAR EDITOR, Rawle Welch’s KN report ‘Time for change at GOA (Guyana Olympic Association)’ dated Sept.5, caught my attention and with your permission, I will pen an independent correspondence with absolutely no affiliation to the GOA or any other government office. I will state for the record that the GOA in 2015 extended a plaque to me for my independent photographic coverages over the years for sports development of/in Guyana. I have never met Mr. K.J. Yassin in person, never spoke to him directly. I didn’t attend the awards ceremony due to other commitments and only a couple of weeks ago I found out he has a FB account and I sent a request to be included on his contact list which he responded in the affirmative... I respect R. Welch’s viewpoints but Guyana’s failure to medal at the just concluded Rio 2016 Olympic Games is

no fault of the GOA...The world knows that it’s lack of preparation, major funding for the sports sector in Guyana and Guyana’s best qualification (I think) was a ‘B’ standard time by the 400m athlete. Did we expect to qualify for the finals at the Olympic Games with a ‘B’ standard timing? This is with the exception of overseas based Guyanese, Troy Doris. Isn’t it common sense that if no one challenges the current President of any sports fraternity that the individual remains the President or re-elected? Can R. Welch say for the public’s consumption who is the person in question he has in mind to head the GOA, challenge the current President and take sports to the elite level? Respectfully Mr. R.Welch, the current President of the GOA is the only person to date to publicly announce via the press that his office’s annual financial audit reports are up to date.No

one else to date has made such an announcement from any other sports fraternity in/of Guyana since he made that announcement. I also hope he continues to have the records in tact since that publication. Perhaps you and other journalists can consider embarking on some investigative journalism on updated financial record keeping with every other sports fraternity that exists in Guyana...That would be of great interest for me with the results. Perhaps a start should be with the Guyana Teacher’s Union who I understand rakes in millions of dollars annually and we hardly ever hear from them about their input with sports development after the annual National School Championships ends...I never forgot the Amerindian/ Indigenous athlete “WILSON GIRL’ from Lethem who created a storm when she ran bare feet and killed her competition...They had plans for her but after she was posted back to her home village, the plans died for her. T. Pemberton

The future looks bleak under the coalition Govt. DEAR EDITOR; Contrary to what is being peddled in some quarters, the current APNU-AFC administration inherited an economy that was robust and dynamic and which had been generating employment for Guyanese mainly in the construction, mining and agriculture sectors. The Bank of Guyana reserves were fairly healthy and all the macroindicators were pointing in the direction of an economy that was on the verge of economic take-off. This was quite in contrast to what obtained when the PPP came to power on October 1992 after some twentyeight years of authoritarian rule. The PPP/C government inherited a bankrupt economy and a physical and social infrastructure that was in an advanced state of decay. We were rated

as one of the poorest country in the western hemisphere with a per capita income of just over $300 US. The country was declared “uncreditworthy” by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and there was an unwillingness on the part of the international funding agencies to do business with the country because of its inability to honour its debt obligations. One consequence of above deformation was a loss of hope and confidence among the Guyanese people in the then PNC regime to provide them with a satisfactory quality of life. Many who can afford flee the shores of Guyana in search for a better life. This explains the high migration rate particularly to North America but also to the neighbouring countries in particular Suriname which until this day has a

large Guyanese population. The first task of the new PPP/C administration was to restore hope and confidence among the Guyanese people. This was done through a peopleoriented approach to development which had as its main plank a development strategy which took as its point of departure economic development but with a human face. Development with a human face became the mantra which guided the government’s policies and programmes and which found expression in the reconfiguration of budgetary priorities in favour of the social sectors particularly in the areas of education, health, housing and water. There could be no doubt that the PPP/C administration, despite having inherited a battered economy, did an extraordinarily good job in rebuilding the economy and creating an enabling (Continued on page 6)

Notes on Guyana’s Diplomatic appointments DEAR EDITOR, Given the recent utterances of various Government spokesmen, in the light of the revelations in the media about the appointment of an alleged legal defaulter as an Ambassador, it looks as if the “diligence” that was “due” in relation to such appointment s was “less than”, or “insufficiently” or “inadequately” due. I notice that the gentleman’s political sponsor, the AFC arm of the coalition, through its leader Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan, is reflecting on whether or not His Excellency’s

wrongdoing caused him to lose his voting rights. What the dickens could we the Guyanese people care two hoots about whether or not this man can vote in “farrin”, the so-called land of milk and honey!? In fact, we should be glad if any of our Ambassadors can no longer vote in America, though not under these circumstances. Your newspaper reports that the Foreign Minister says that diplomatic appointees ‘must possess the special skill needed for the intended territory such as a language skill and that person must be a trusted individual, possessing the adequate repertoire [sic.] with the

Head of State of their home country’. Respectfully, when you look at the recent appointment of diplomats, the sufficiency or adequacy of due diligence or compliance with the criteria raise questions. Those appointed consist of political has-beens, retirees, and persons who don’t know anything about diplomacy. Their average age is 60+, pushed to that height by octogenarians like Messrs Hamley Case and Bhiswaishwar “Cammie” Ramsaroop. The Oxbridge and Harvard man Dr. Riyad Insanally is an exception. Does High Commissioner Case, a big PNC financier, have the energy to argue Guyana’s case in the (Continued on page 6)

Monday September 12, 2016

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Kaieteur News

What does Wai Wai culture have to offer Guyana? DEAR EDITOR, Fourteen years ago, on Thursday June 13, 2002, I attended an event at the Park Tower Hotel on a presentation on the Wai Wai culture and wrote some notes and reflections which I forgot about and only found again recently. I did only some minor correctional editing, added an updated final paragraph and a title and now proffer it as my contribution to Amerindian Heritage Month. IS OUR HUMANITY PIECES OF PAPER OR MORE THAN THAT? Wai Wai culture is another way of being human. What does Wai Wai culture have to offer Guyana and modern Westernized culture? Wai Wai and other Native American cultures are not paper or text-based but are based on oral and other nontext facets. Their culture is as fully legitimate, expressive, contemporary and valid as any other culture and is another way of

being human, that is, another valid expression of what it means to be human. To be human, or of humanity, means to be involved in reciprocity - give and take exchange - sacrifice - interdependence. Native American cultures are community-based. The people generally believe that they belong to the land and not the land to them as modern societies believe. Modern cultures have a concept of ownership of land and property in which the individual believes that he/she owns things and that those things belong to him/her exclusively. Native American cultures believe that things are community-owned and are for the benefit of all and all must care for those things. The Earth is our Mother, we belong to HER, so we must respect and care for her as she nurtures us. Let us question the use of the term ‘modern’. What is modern? What is being mod-

ern? It begs the question of what is primitive. Should we use the terms ‘modern’ and ‘primitive’? The former means a higher stage of development, whereas the latter means a lower stage of development. What is development? What does it mean to be developed? Is Wai Wai culture at a lower stage and so-called modern cultures at a higher stage? Or is it the other way around? Wai Wai culture is another was of being human and is no more modern or primitive or inferior or superior than European Western culture. We separate the sacred from the secular, but they do not. The Wai Wai does not have our notion of separation of church and state, the physical from the spiritual. For them all is spiritual; the physical and spiritual intertwine and are inseparable, and this gives them meaning. Even our culture depends on the sacred or divine or something outside of our-

selves to give our lives meaning. In our society, the State is that something outside of ourselves. The State gives us a birth certificate that we belong to it and we give the State its existence. Women give birth to children and the State replicates the birth process in the registration process of birth by giving you a name, place, time of birth, race, region, district, country and sequence number. The State gives you the birth registration process making you a part of itself and in so doing giving itself existence. In today’s world, everybody MUST belong to the State and have a passport or travel documents to travel from state to state. The State is frightened of people it cannot control or those whom it has no influence over, although they might be within the State’s territory. But some states ignore native people until elections time to get their votes. In Guyana the State demands

a birth certificate but gives Amerindians a hard time to get birth certificates! A contradiction! A text-based society seeks to reduce our humanity to pieces of paper with text printed or written on them. When we were born the State gave us a piece of paper based on an original birth registration book to certify our birth. Without a birth certificate, in the eyes of the State we do not exist! We then go to school to learn to make marks on pieces of paper. These marks represent oral sounds, ideas, concepts, beliefs, words, letters and numbers. We soon learn that if we make the right marks we meet our teachers’, parents’ and society’s approval. Upon writing various texts in examinations we try to make the right marks and if we have made enough of them, we are given more pieces of paper with more markings on them certifying that we are able to make the right marks on pa-

per. The examination certificates open doors for us to gain employment, careers and acceptance where we live and work. At the end of the day or week or month, we are given pieces of paper with special markings representing the value of our labour. With these pieces of paper we go into shops and stores and exchange them (the value of our sweat) for things we really need – food, clothing, shelter, medicines, water, basic services – and things we want – luxuries. As proof of the exchange we sometimes demand or are given pieces of paper certifying that the exchange took place that we did indeed handed over pieces of paper and got goods and services in return. Michael Xiu Quan Balgobind Hackett Editor’s note; because of its length, this letter will conclude in tomorrow’s edition

What has changed in Guyana since May 2015? DEAR EDITOR; For far too many high school graduates, the chances they have is very dependent on is how much their parents have in the bank or who their parents know. The issues raised by young Renata Burnette, the young lady who has posted a video on Facebook, is just the latest representation of this systemic oppression against the poor and the working class. No matter how many subjects she has or which high school she attended or how many applications she put in, or how much she does to prepare herself for the working world, she just cannot confidently say that in Guyana she has a fair deal; she does not. And why not? But what is even more painful from her message, is that it has brought out the issues that I have heard from ordinary public servants for years in their struggle to make ends meet. One woman in one of the Ministry said she has to sell her body on a part time basis to ensure her kids are insu-

lated from the cruelty of the harsh economic life in Guyana. But even after doing what it took to get her children through high school, these school leavers do not have a fighting chance at joining the workforce because they have no experience. So how will someone like Renata Burnette get experience unless the society gives her a break? What are her choices? From day one, the expectation from the youths was that the Granger administration would have taken the bull by the horn and rolls out a menu of comprehensive reforms. These reforms would have ensured that the system, both in the private and public sector, can provide more opportunity for every high school graduate with a view of transitioning them into a job. I remember doing a detailed project proposal of such a strategy during the 2011 elections campaign which can easily be updated. But such a project requires political vision and execution, key ingredients that

are clearly missing in the Granger administration. If you observe the Granger administration, just like its predecessor, the Ramotar administration, everything they do caters to the individual and collective needs of a privileged few and those with the deep pockets that control corrupt politicians. It is clear for all to see that the Granger administration has lost its way after just 15 short months because they disconnected from the ordinary, working class people. This lack of empathy for the poor and the working class by the ruling elite in the Granger administration is making life harder for those at the bottom of the economic ladder and something will have to give very soon. As you would notice, in the main, the poor and the working class are a people who get on with their business in their own little way and do not complain much unless it gets really overbearing. We may never have heard from such youthful talent like Ms. Burnette unless there is a real

sense of desperation. Her demands are very elementary, she just needs a job, so she can pay for her education and realize her ambitions. And there is nothing wrong with that, youths all over the world are realising their ambitions every day. The poor and the working class have families to feed, bills to pay in spite of the facts that they have not been dealt a fair hand by the political FAT CATS over the last decade from both sides of the house. The latest act of transgression is that the new political elite took 50% increases for themselves to prevent them from being corrupt but have not launched one policy that has comprehensively changed the opportunities environment in Guyana for the poor and the working class. Rather they are playing games with the people at the bottom. But even in all this struggle, and being aware that the politicians are fooling them, the poor and the working class continues to

get on with their lives quietly, going out to work (if they are lucky enough to have one), raising their families, doing their thing. The poor and the working class never asked for much. All they want is a fair deal from the people they elected into executive office. What will bring great comfort to them is that the people in power are on their side and working for them and not squandering their money on family and political friends in financially compromised transactions. You see Ms. Burnette and others of her social status want to believe that everyone

plays by the same rules and that everyone has a fair chance to the top. But more importantly, the poor and the working class want to believe that if they uphold their end of the bargain by following the rule of law, paying their taxes, then the BIG BOYS will build the framework which ensures that their tomorrow will be better than their today. This has not been the case under the Ramotar administration and this is certainly not the case under the Granger administration. So what really has changed in Guyana in May 2015? Sase Singh

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Kaieteur News

Selling off sugar lands must The future looks bleak... be a transparent process DEAR EDITOR, In a news media letter of Sept. 7 on Wales Estate, the writer expressed the view that instead of closing Wales Sugar Estate, GuySuCo should distribute the sugar lands to the laid-off workers and let them continue to cultivate the lands and supply the factory with purportedly profitably grown canes since in his opinion,” private cane farming has been relatively productive and profitable compared to the high cost of GuySuCo’s cultivation”. It is apparent that the writer and some other observers are under the illusion that sugar cane can once again be grown profitably in Guyana despite the many factors and circumstances which suggest otherwise. GuySuCo is a wholly owned corporation of the APNU-AFC Govt. which ultimately has to approve all its major policy decisions. Unfortunately since nationalization, GuySuCo became a ‘football’ for the politicians of the day who have used Guyana’s largest employer for cronyism with the appointment of un-qualified and incompetent personnel in every segment of the industry. These hapless employees eventually ran GuySuCo into the ground making it impossible for the industry to return to profitability without large capital investment and complete re-organisation of its operations. The Govt. does not have the management, technical and financial capacity to make the necessary changes to improve productivity and return GuySuCo to profitability. Further, it will be unable to get funding from the capital markets and development banks for any anticipated improvement of GuySuCo which is not a viable entity and hence to attract investors to bankroll the needed upgrade and changes would be hard to find. The APNU-AFC Govt. had appointed a commission to examine the operations of GuySuCo and make recommendations for its viability. The findings of the commission were never made public and they are still under cover apparently to keep sugar workers in the dark until such time that their eventual demise is announced as the Govt. is fully aware that

the findings of the commission spells domesday for GuySuCo and any workers’ agitation on receipt of bad news regarding their employment can adversely impact their performance and the precarious partnership between the APNU and the AFC. Therefore, it’s in no one’s interest to scuttle the boat at this time since some of the politicians and public employees are benefitting handsomely as they enrich themselves from the spoils of a relatively corrupt society. Sadly there is no accountability for performance among the politicians and as such the coalition members will continue to go along to get along glossing over their political differences and approve the subsidies for GuySuCo since the loss of power could hurt their earnings and lucrative benefits as well as do considerable damage to their inflated egos. GuySuCo is heavily indebted and is absorbing Govt. subsidies at an alarming rate to avoid bankruptcy as the industry contracts and its overhead expenses escalate. The current management is apparently aware of this and has started to explore ways and means to dispose of abandoned sugar lands and decrepit factories to reduce the debt load and subsidies. Disposal of state properties has to be open and transparent since some current politicians and public em-

ployees have shown a penchant for corruption and back door deals. Much real estate knowledge on the disposal of sugar lands such as parceling for optimum price and location valuation could be obtained from the Vieiras who have acquired considerable knowledge disposing of their sugar lands at Houston on the East Bank and Versailles on the West Bank of Demerara for many years now with great success and huge profits. GuySuCo cannot be resurrected to its former glory and therefore it has to wind down its operations and liquidate as quickly as is possible since the subsidies it receives are not infinite and can only continue to damage the other sectors of the Guyanese economy for lack of needed investment. Finally, GuySuCo has an obligation to compensate sugar workers for the termination of their services. It should also explore means and methods to retrain them to acquire the skills which will enable them to obtain gainful employment on the open market. Unfortunately the APNUAFC Govt. has no development plan in place to grow the Guyanese economy to provide jobs for the displaced sugar workers and all those people with skills waiting to enter the workplace for the first time. Charles Sohan

From page 4 environment for the private sector to grow and expand. The growth of the banking sector and the expansion of the business sector resulted in job creation and a more robust and dynamic economy. The PPP/C government declared that the private sector would be the engine of growth and a business friendly climate was created to incentivize local and foreign investment. The net result of all the above interventions was a growing and dynamic economy which saw an uninterrupted period of growth for ten years in a row averaging some five per cent per annum prior to the departure of the PPP/C government from office. The systemic and sustained levels of growth under the PPP led to a period of relative prosperity which saw a steady and incremental improvement in the quality of life of the Guyanese people. After just over a year in office, there are already indications that the economy is contracting. With the exception of the mining sector, the rest of the economy is flattening out due to misguided policies especially with respect to the agricultural sector which saw the closure of the Wales Estate and the impending closure of the LBI Estate. The reason given was the need to rationalize production by the merging of estates without due regard to the socio-economic and cultural impact such a decision could have on those who have invested the most, and that is the sugar workers whose entire life and livelihoods depended on the industry. A not dissimilar situation obtains in the rice sector which is currently reeling from the impact of the loss of the Venezuelan market. Despite manifesto promises to increase the price of paddy substantially, the APNU-AFC administration has been unable to find new markets for rice at competitive prices. The administration seems oblivious to the fact that the good life it has promised the people of Guyana can only be realized through increased production and productivity. Reduced production in sugar and rice and by implication reduced foreign exchange is inconsistent with the creation of wealth which is a necessary condition for economic pros-

perity. Dependence on a narrow range of export commodities more particularly gold is fraught with dangers given the high fluctuation in world market price. With depressed market prices for rice and sugar, the impact of the economy could be severe which could lead to further contraction of the economy. The forestry sector is also experiencing problems with the scaling down of the Baishanlin operations and the threat by the Guyana Forestry Commission to withdraw state concessions granted to that company. This would further compound an already bad situation and could have negative repercussions on job creation and foreign exchange inflows. The government seems to be adopting a compensatory strategy by recourse to widening the tax net and increased taxation but this will only place additional burden on the working people. While on the one hand it has given generous tax concessions to a few select big companies by way of out of court settlements of unpaid taxes amounting to billions of dollars, it has on the other hand refused to honour several of its manifesto promises such as reducing the Value Added Tax (VAT) and substantial increases in public servants salary. This raises some questions as to whether there is once again a return to bureaucratic and parasitic state capitalism as under the previous PNC regime. My contention is that the current administration appeared incapable to come up with bold and innovative strategies to sustain and accelerate the growth dynamic which was set in motion by the previous PPP/C administration. The only sure way to create a better life is to grow the economy through enhanced production and productivity and greater foreign exchange earnings. Failing to do so, would result in inflation of the currency and a consequential erosion in the purchasing power of the working people. The economic outlook does not look good and there appeared to be no workable strategy to change the mood of pessimism which seems to permeate the psyche of the Guyanese people. Hydar Ally

Notes on Guyana’s Diplomatic appointments From page 4 uncertainty of post-Brexit UK, to preserve Guyana’s market access bilaterally or in the context of the EPA? Can he keep up with the demands of a hectic diplomatic/social circuit and that of an active and expectant Diaspora? Does “Cammie” have what it takes to rush off to Piarco in the wee hours of the morning to look about the free movement rights of Guyanese, Cephill Hodge and others? Or will he send the younger number two to do all the “heavy lifting” and confine himself to the diplomatic functions, or at least those that don’t run too late into the night? Similarly, the Government has chosen to send as its Ambassador to the UN, a former staff member of the Ministry, whose separation

from the Public Service in the 1980’s was less than straightforward (has this been forgotten/ forgiven/overlooked in the process of “due” diligence?), and who spent his years at the UN since then as a translator While in what could be considered self-imposed exile in the US, His Excellency failed over the decades to rise to the heights of distinguished Guyanese the likes of Mr. Stoby , Dr. Bertie Ramchand (lawyer) Dr. Bertram Collins, Ms. Hazel Fetherstone or her replacement Mr. Anand Goolasarran (Director), or Ms. Katherine Pollard, currently in charge of the General Assembly. This new Ambassador has never spoken officially on behalf of Guyana in any UN meeting prior to his new appointment. In other words, he

is an unknown quantity, an untried representative, who will have a steep learning curve since his days in the Ministry dating back to the fourth quarter of the 20th century. Much has changed since then and his infrequent visits to Guyana since the 1980’s, which he should be able to count on one hand, leaves him out of touch with the local conditions in the country that he now represents. Just like Ambassador Bayney Karran, a political appointee of the PPP era who was unsuccessful in his bid to jump ship to the OAS and who still managed to survive the change of government. This was so even though the Foreign Minister had said that political appointees had to go. He has lived abroad close to two decades now.

And one of the criteria listed for appointments is their rapport with the Head of State. Right now, Guyana’s greatest foreign policy challenge is once again the threat to its territory by Venezuela. It is not free movement within Caricom or selling rice and rum and plantain chips abroad, or attracting investment from overseas. That would not come in any case if there is no stable political environment, functioning judiciary for investors to go to, and the removal of the threat from aggressive neighbours. I cannot remember Venezuela claiming water, only the Essequibo. This must have to do with the offshore oil found recently. And to lead our fight against Venezuela, the Government has placed retirees in Venezuela and at the UN, the

latter never having functioned at that level. In both cases however, there knowledge of languages will serve them well. So maybe the “diligence” that was “due” to be carried out at the Ministry, by the Advisory Committee, or wherever these names came from, might not have been met in other cases besides our man in Kuwait. These other appointees are APNU candidates. I make these comments in light of the clear views expressed by the Government on Thursday to ‘respect public opinion at all times’, to take account of ‘the interest of the people of Guyana’ and Cabinet’s acknowledgement and respect for ‘true participatory and inclusionary democracy’. Equally, i pray that those who are ‘humans and not angels’ have it within their nature to recognise and assimilate constructive criticism for what it is, the greater good, the Good Life for all Guyanese. Informed citizen

Monday September 12, 2016

Despite all the regulations in place… Guyana still plagued by lack of accountability for corrupt behaviour Despite the possession of perhaps the best legislative and regulatory frameworks, anti-corruption advocate, Anand Goolsarran believes that the country remains weighed down by a lack of accountability for corrupt behaviour. Goolsarran said that the nation has all the laws, rules, regulations and policy directives but they are not being followed. He noted that the Fiscal Management and Accountability (FMA) Act of 2003 is a powerful piece to legislation. If implemented in its entirety and with a serious commitment, he believes that it can assure the highest standards of public accountability. The Chartered Accountant said that this Act outlines all the procedures from budget preparation to the incurrence of expenditure to financial reporting and audit, including the role of accounting officers, as well as sanctions for any violation. The former Auditor General said that the FMA Act also deals with how both the Consolidated Fund and the Contingencies Fund are to be used. Furthermore, Goolsarran said that the Audit Office Act of 2004 picks up from where the FMA Act left off. He said that this Act outlines the detailed procedures to be followed in the auditing of the Public Accounts, enhances the independence of the Audit Office, and insulates the Auditor General from political pressures. He noted that when the Act was drafted during his tenure as Auditor General, the Association of Chartered

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Kaieteur News

Tuschen, Paradise squatters urged to move A squatter in Tuschen, W.C.D.

- Goolsarran

Anti corruption advocate, Anand Goolsarran Certified Accountants (ACCA) considered it a model legislation for Supreme Audit Institutions worldwide. Goolsarran said, too, that legislation governing public procurement is about the best one can have. He said that this is in the form of the Procurement Act of 2003 and the constitutional amendment of 2001 relating to the establishment of the Procurement Commission. The Chartered Accountant also mentioned the Integrity Commission Act of 1997 which he said is also a model legislation. In addition to this, the anticorruption advocate said that Guyana is a signatory to both the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and the InterAmerican Convention against Corruption. With those facts in mind, Goolsarran said that his assessment leaves him to conclude that despite the possession of perhaps the best legislative and regulatory frameworks as well as policy directives to assure the highest standards of

public accountability, the country remains plagued by a significant degree of lack of accountability for corrupt behaviour. “This also leads me to conclude that a crisis of leadership exists at all levels in government.” Goolsarran stressed that good and effective leadership will demand adherence without compromise to all of the nation’s legislative, regulatory and policy directives, and the slightest deviation is met with the full force of sanctions and disciplinary actions provided for under these frameworks. Goolsarran said that where corrupt behaviour and mismanagement of public resources are concerned, good and effective leaders are indifferent to the violators. He stressed that the only consideration is the public’s interest and the public’s interest alone. “Those who wo r k e d under the late President Desmond Hoyte know this to be true.”

A number of squatters in Paradise, East Coast Demerara and Tuschen, West Coast Demerara were urged to discontinue squatting following a visit to the communities by Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valerie Adams Patterson and officials of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) including members of its enforcement arms. During the visit, the Minister and her team observed that a number of persons in the two communities who were warned against squatting on state reserves had again taken possession of the lands. Earlier last week, representatives from the two communities had visited the minister to complain about the poor state of the road and bad drainage caused by persons living on the state reserves. Equipment used to carry our drainage and road works would usually use the reserves, but because of the presence of squatters, drainage work was held up. “CH&PA had written them, telling them to stop squatting on the reserves. Some of them moved and have now moved back. That is

defiant,” Minister Adams-Patterson noted. Further, she explained that a number of these persons were issued with house lots. Reaffirming the government’s commitment of offering an alternative solution to those who will be removed from the squatting area, the Minister said that these persons will either be issued a house lot or benefit from easy access to low-cost/affordable apartments or condominiums that the government will soon build. “We are going to give them first preference and we are going to make it affordable,” the Minister advised. She further advised that the CH&PA will again write the persons who are squatting on the reserve. “If they do not want to move the hammer will fall,” she cautioned. “We are going to warn them again, and if they do not move we are going to break the structures,” the Minister said, adding that, “I believe that you can only give people a chance if they are willing.” “We have to bring order to this country, and if bringing order means that we have to remove some of these people, then we have to.”

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Monday September 12, 2016

Goolsarran calls for campaign financing legislation before 2020 elections By: Kiana Wilburg

Policy makers of the day continue to congratulate themselves on the “fine job” they are doing regarding the fight against money laundering and ensuring the return of transparency and accountability. But what has become of campaign financing? When will this bull be taken by the proverbial horns? The issue of campaign financing recently raised its head again during Christopher Ram’s show called Plain Talk. His guest at the time was Chartered Accountant, Anand Goolsarran. Ram asked Goolsarran to state his views on whether political parties are really serious about fighting money laundering when they are still to address the worrying fact that one can give any amount of money they want to a campaigning party and no one ever knows who these persons are or how the said donation was obtained. Ram did comment that none of the political parties seem to want anything to do with accountability in this regard. Goolsarran in supporting comments said, “They don’t want to because they need

the money and they don’t want to disclose the persons. The whole idea of having campaign financing regulation is to ensure that there is a level playing field.” Ram, the host of the show, expressed the view that “if these parties don’t practice and don’t have a culture of accountability from the start then when they get into government it would not be a different scenario.” Elaborating on his points in an interview with Kaieteur News, Goolsarran said that a lot of what is happening now can be traced right back to the implications which stem from the absence of campaign financing legislation. The former Auditor General opined that if political parties benefit substantially from campaign contributions, they would do everything possible to frustrate any effort to have legislation in place. He stressed that politicians must understand that there is no free lunch involved and those who make campaign contributions businessmen, government contractors etc. - invariably do so with the high expectation that there will be preferential treatment. Goolsarran said, “I recall being asked that if parties

cannot practice this level of accountability, that is, revealing who their donors are, before getting into office then how they can be trusted to act differently in office? I think that’s the million dollar question. We need campaign financing legislation badly before the 2020 elections.” In this way, the Chartered Accountant said that the nation will know who the contributors are. He said that whichever political party gets into power, the nation would have a basis for determining if any of these contributors received preferential treatment in terms of fiscal and other concessions as well or in the award of government contracts, among any other special benefits. Giving his take on the issue as well was Executive Member of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr. David Hinds. The political activist said that the government has not done a sterling job of articulating the positive things it has done since taking office. He believes that this is largely because it has left that work to Public Relations specialists who generally have little understanding of politics and of Guyanese political

WPA Executive Member, Dr. David Hinds

Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram

Former Attorney General, Anand Goolsarran

instincts. Be that as it may, Dr. Hinds said that the government’s good work is also hampered by the scandals that seem to be more frequent than is normal. He said, too, that hampering the government’s good works thus far is its failure to make good on its campaign promise to prosecute those found culpable of corruption under the previous regime. Dr. Hinds said, “I believe that this government is serious about fighting money laundering. The fact that they have moved relatively quickly to enact legislation to that effect and have set up institutions such as the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) and have sought to strengthen SOCU represent a clear intention of where they intend to go in this regard.” He added, “The fact that Professor Clive Thomas has been at the forefront of this fight is another clear indication of the government’s seriousness. Thomas is known as a principled and fearless fighter for the democratization of the country’s political economy and one who has in his academic and political work agitated against the criminalization of the State and politics.” But like all governments in post-colonial Guyana and the Caribbean, the University

professor said that this one is a walking contradiction. He opined that on the one hand, the Government moves towards formalizing anticorruption institutions. But at the same time he stressed that it appears to be in the business of rewarding campaign contributions with state patronage. Dr. Hinds said that this is an old problem which has become chronic in the contemporary era of the super wealthy Private Sector coupled with the “marketization of election campaigning.” The Executive Member of the WPA said that when one adds this to the fact that the Private Sector has developed a monopoly on social and other services, then one sees how this practice of government favours to a small group of favoured business is inevitable. “I certainly would support legislation that compels political parties to disclose their donors and in that regard limit the amount that can be donated. But we have to find a way to make election campaigns less expensive so that political parties are less dependent on big donors. That is part of the problem at hand. If there is demand for big donations then there would be a ready supply big donors.” The activist said that political parties by their very

nature, are not democratic institutions. He said that they are socialized as institutions which care less about political morality and more about doing what is necessary to gain power. “So it is very difficult to get them to pivot to democratic governance when they get into office; more often than not they take their bad habits into government where those habits benefit from the legitimacy of the State. Therefore, one can conclude that bad habits buttressed by State Power constitute a recipe for unaccountable and reckless government.” While he does not believe that the government has reached that point, Dr. Hinds stressed that it has however failed to sufficiently curb its instincts for party paramountcy and has not drawn on its strength as a plural government. More significantly, Dr. Hinds opined that if the Ministers do not sober up quickly and start to act more responsibly as servantleaders, if parties such as the WPA do not fight against their marginalization and assert their voices more, and if the Coalition supporters do not lift their voices and demand a higher quality of governance, then the Coalition could easily go the way as the two previous governments.

Monday September 12, 2016

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Kaieteur News

The party has manacled the Gov’t There have been calls for the removal of the Minister of Health because of his Ministry’s involvement in the controversial rental of a bond. There have been criticisms of the President for his failure to remove the Minister. But has anyone stopped to think that it was the PNCR which at its last Congress rewarded the said Minister with reelection as Chairman of the party. The party was clearly in no mood to sanction the Minister and by its actions was effectively expressing a vote of confidence in the Minister of Health. How in this context can the general public expect the President to move against his Minister when the party with the greatest representation in the government has effectively expressed its support for the Minister? Not only did the ruling party give its thumbs up to the Minister of Health, it even had as either a delegate or an invitee to the opening of the Congress, the person who owns the bond that has been rented. In political lexicon, this represents either the support by the party for the deal or a signal to the President that he should not attempt to sanction the Minister or to annul the deal. The deal has been described as undesirable from within the government but given the position taken by the PNCR, the hands of the

President is tied even if he wanted to do anything about it. When a ruling party can throw it support, as was done at the last Congress, behind an embattled Minister, its show how difficult a balancing act the President has on his hands. How can he be expected to act against the clear wishes of the ruling party? In theory he should not be bound by a decision – written or unwritten – of his party but in practice, any leader has to practice “real politics” which obligates that person to consider the interests of major constituencies. So long as the President is leader of the PNCR, so long as the government draws the bulk of its support from the PNCR, then there is very little likelihood that the President will make a decision which is contrary to what the party wants. And it was clear at the just concluded Congress of the PNCR that the delegates were saying that the Minister of Health is a stalwart and cannot be touched. The President’s hands are tied. There is nothing he can do even if he wanted to do anything. There was never any indication that the President planned to sanction the Minister. When on top of this, the ruling party at its highest decision-making level expresses a vote of confidence as was done in the case of the Minister of Health, the President

cannot ignore something like that. What this shows is the difficulty is effecting change in Guyana. It shows that unless the ruling party is prepared to take action against its leaders, then the public should not expect the government to do the same. In other words, the President is powerless to take action if such action does not find support within the ruling party. This is the reality of politics in Guyana. Some will say it is a rotten reality. The fact remains that none of the ruling parties have at any Congress taken a decision to sanction any of its Ministers. And once this is the reality, then it is hard to expect any President to act contrary to the wishes of his party. To do so would be to commit political suicide. Those who therefore believed that they were voting for change have gotten a

wake-up call. The reality is that change has to take place at three levels. The first level is at the level of society where people tend to condone certain acts depending on interests rather than principles. Once certain interests are served certain measures are approved. When people criticize the lack of principles, they are attacked by supporters of the ruling coalition on the grounds that the persons never criticized the PPP for doing the same. In other words, “Shut Up! This is our government and it can do as it pleases. You have no moral authority to question them.” The second level of change has to come at the level of the party. But we have seen how difficult and near impossible this is to achieve. Both of the main mass-based political parties in Guyana, the PNCR and

the PPPC, are effectively controlled by a small cabal. Effecting change in such an environment is near impossible. At the last Congress of the PPPC, leaders were placed to supervise discussions at the group level. This effectively intimidated delegates. It should not escape notice that there were not many new faces within the executive of the PNCR. Come December, the same result will happen at the PPP congress. The third level of change is at the level of government. This has been a big disap-

pointment because there has been a closing of ranks every time there has been a controversy involving Ministers of the government. Change will not come unless government becomes less important to the fortunes of citizens. This is why having a small and less government is the only true recipe for change.

Monday September 12, 2016

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Manufacturer says GECOM inexplicably cancelled its tender $100M spent on of 50 radio sets…

- contract awarded to “non-compliant” supplier

The radios currently being investigated by State auditors. The manufacturer of a number of radios supplied to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is complaining that his company was rejected when it tendered for a multimillion dollar contract last year. According to BARRETT Communications, an Australian-headquartered firm, it tendered for the supply of new radio equipment for the 2015 General and Regional Elections last year, but the order was strangely cancelled. Instead, the contract was awarded to Mobile Authority, a Water Street-registered business owned by Michael Brasse, which was not the official local dealer. BARRETT has a local partner in Guyana Advanced Office Systems, which it used to tender for the contract. Those radio purchases are now the subject of a major investigation by the Audit Office of Guyana. The manufacturer’s European office wrote Kaieteur News over the weekend clarifying the role it played in tender. “With respect to the procurement for the 2015 election, we did indeed tender through the Advanced Office Systems for the supply of new radio equipment for the 2015 Guyana elections.” According to Andrew Burt, General Manager of BARRETT’s European office, GECOM cancelled the order.

Businessman, Michael Brasse The manufacturer made it clear it was not involved in the supply of the radios. The delivery would have happened days if not hours before elections. As far as BARRETT is concerned, the supply of the radios, which were to be used by GECOM to communicate with outlying areas during the elections period, were given to a business that not compliant with the specifications. “We had subsequently been informed that another OEM (original equipment manufacture), non-compliant with the tender specification, was inexplicably selected and purchased.” BARRETT’s claims over the weekend would not only raise questions as to where Mobile Authority sourced the radios from, but whether GECOM officials, including its accountant and procurement personnel, conducted due diligence. Not ordering from an authorized supplier or agent has implications on warranties and even spare parts, among other things. GECOM is supposed to ensure that the equipment comes with the necessary warranties and even security of spare parts. Investigators from the Audit Office of Guyana are currently probing the radio purchases which were delivered shortly before the elections, but apparently were never put to use. GECOM has declined to comment,

saying that the probe is ongoing. There are questions on whether the radios are even working. Last year, Brasse’s businesses collected around $290M in payments for supplying items to GECOM, sparking suspicions of sole sourcing, a form of public procurement which has been heavily frowned on in recent times because of the possibilities of corruption involved in the process. The Audit Office of Guyana started an investigation two weeks ago to determine the procurement procedures used and whether the radios can be accounted for. The audit is also to determine whether the equipment is working. Shortly before the elections, on April 5th, 2015, Mobile Authority was paid $99,560,000. This was for HF radios. From indications and GECOM’s insiders, Mobile Authority and its sister companies, M-Tech Business Solutions, and to an extent, Mibra Trading, received the hog’s share of contracts from GECOM for the May 11th, 2015 election – some $290M. Payment records from Government

suggest that some amount of contract-splitting was involved, so as not to alert auditors and others who would have been watching. In addition to supplying things like photo paper, stationery and office furniture, Brasse even ventured to delivering electrical items. His transactions eased to a trickle after the elections when a new Government, under President David Granger, took office. With regards to the radios that were delivered, there are indications that while GECOM had asked for 50 HF radios, it received 20 of those obsolete Barrett radios and 30 of what is known as ICOM radios. Assuming that each Barrett radio that was delivered last year cost $2M each, it appeared that GECOM paid at least seven times the purchase price for each ICOM radio. The ICOM radio is available on the local market for around $300,000 each. A list of questions had been sent to GECOM’s public relations department, but the entity had said the state audit was ongoing and it would not comment.

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Kaieteur News

Monday September 12, 2016

Sunken dredge shifts to centre of river… Maternal deaths, infant mortality down by 50 percent Residents struggle to get supplies, - Junior Health children unable to attend school

Neonatal and maternal deaths in Guyana have been on a steady decline. This is according to Junior Minister of Health Dr Karen Cummings. Dr Cummings said the Ministry of Public Health, ( MoPH) has compiled information which indicates that Maternal and Child Mortality and Morbidity have decreased by half its amount when compared to the deaths recorded in the previous year. “If we had 100 deaths by this time last year, that figure has decreased by half,” Dr. Cummings told Kaieteur News. The Minister said that the MoPH has been working to improve the maternal neonatal health facilities and capabilities across the country. According to Dr Cummings, the MoPH is working to ensure that all citizens can access adequate maternal and child health services. Last year, Senior Public Health Minister, George Norton had promised that the Ministry would continue with efforts to meet the

Minister

Junior Health Minister, Dr Karen Cummings millennium goal, and bring maternity mortality rates down to the lowest in the Caribbean. “We made a commitment in our campaign trail to have maternity mortality rates reduced and we uphold that,” he said, adding that the majority of maternal death cases were pointing directly to the negligence of health care professionals. “We have recognized that we have a real problem on our hands and we have decided to tackle it by taking a multisectoral approach,” he said,

A photo taken aboard the sunken vessel

noting that the ministry plans to improve the physical conditions of maternity facilities, especially at the Georgetown Public Hospital. He stated that he was not satisfied with the response of the health care practitioners, highlighting that it was brought to his attention that some doctors were more “concerned about changing over shift than tending to mothers”. ‘I want the doctors to be more involved. They are negligent and I will not hide that fact. I’m hearing talks that I’m micro-managing everything, but if that’s what it will take to stop mothers from dying and dropping the maternal mortality rate, so be it,” he added. He said that he is aiming to have doctors in the delivery room at all times, instead of just the midwives and nurses. He noted further that he will hold every nurse or doctor accountable once they are found being slack. As of December 30 2015, (Continued on page 24)

The sunken dredge as it sits in the river

The mining dredge which sunk in the Mazaruni River in the vicinity of Piereemap Falls over three months ago has now shifted to the centre of the river, thereby preventing food supplies from being transported to residents and miners in the Mid-Mazaruni area. On Saturday, Kaieteur News made contact with the Red River Transportation Service which operates in the area and it was explained that the dredge’s new position has stopped all forms of river transport from passing. A representative from the company said that in addition to the dredge shifting, the situation has worsened further as the water level continues to drop. He said that in light of this, nothing at all can navigate past the structure. The dredge or “Dragga” as it is commonly called is blocking the main route used by jet and fuel boats to

transport goods and passengers. Both miners and residents in the region are now forced to utilize the services of aeroplanes or trucks in order to get their stocks in. He said that this has created an added economic burden on residents in the Region. According to the representative, not only have the land miners been affected but also miners operating other water dredges along the river. Work has since stalled due to the difficulty of getting much needed supplies. And if things could not get any worse, since the new school term began last Monday, children of the Isseneru Village and other communities in MidMazaruni who are enrolled at schools in Bartica have not been able to attend classes. According to reports the dredge sank while on its way to Potaro when its base was struck by the rocks. It was left

hanging on its side despite complaints by boat operators. The vessel is owned by Crown Mining Company and bears registration number SD 3398. After this newspaper made the issue public, Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, Simona Broomes initiated a meeting to address the problem. Broomes had made the point that the vessel could cost the lives of people using the river. It was expected that the dredge would have been removed within two days. Prior to this publication reporting on the matter, the dredge had been in that area for over a month. On August 14, 2016, the Ministry had said that it was working with a mining company to remove the dredge. However, based on information received, currently nothing is being done.

Monday September 12, 2016

Kaieteur News

Taxi driver gunned down after delivering meal in Albouystown Gunmen on a motorcycle executed a 007 Taxi Service driver at around 21.30 hrs last night in King Edward Street, Albouystown, minutes after a resident called him out to do a delivery in the area. Oswald Rambarran, 37, known as ‘Downs’, of Middle Road, La Penitence, was shot in the head while drinking with the resident and two other men, who fled the scene unharmed. According to reports, a resident of Lot 139 King Edward Street, Albouystown, called Rambarran, a father of four, at around 21.30 hrs, requesting that the taxi driver drop off a meal at his home. It is alleged that after dropping off the meal, Rambarran sat at a table outside the house with the resident and two others. They were reportedly drinking with two men rode up on a motorcycles, drew guns and opened fire, hitting Rambarran in the head. Rambarran’s companions fled and when they returned, they found him lying on the ground. He died shortly after at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Dolly Yarde, his reputed wife, said that she last heard from him Saturday, when he brought some money for one of their children. She said that she received a call from someone who said that Rambarran was shot and was at the Georgetown Hospital. On arriving

Dead: Oswald Rambarran there she went to the Accident and Emergency Unit where she saw her reputed husband, who was bleeding from a head wound. Yarde said that she left her husband for a few minutes to get the money for the CT scan, and when she returned she was told that he had succumbed. The killing comes just a few days after 22year-old Mark Anthony, called ‘Q Q,’ was executed in North Ruimveldt.

Driver, passenger did after crashing into horse at C’tyne In another accident that may have been caused by alcohol, a driver and one of his passengers perished at around 20.40 hrs yesterday at Number 49 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, after their vehicle struck a horse and overturned in a trench. Police identified the dead as Richard Ramnarine, 45, the driver, of Number 46 Village, Corentyne, and Ramesh Rampat, 23, also of Number 46 Village, Corentyne. Rescued but hospitalized are Prakash Gangaram, 24, of Number 47 Village, Corentyne, Rameshwar Manger, and Mahendra

Ramprakash, 24, also of Number 47 Village. They were pulled to safety from a trench by Mr. John Butcher, who lives nearby and was one of the first people on the scene. There are reports that the men were drinking earlier in the evening. According to reports, the driver was heading in the direction of New Amsterdam, while it was raining, when he struck a horse at a turn on the roadway, near Number 49 Village. The vehicle then overturned in a nearby trench. It is believed that Ramnarine and Rampat were trapped in

the vehicle. John Butcher, who saved three lives yesterday, said that he was at home when he heard “a loud crash outside.” An acquaintance in the house then informed him that a car was in the trench. “When I went to the scene people were milling around but nobody was doing anything,” Mr. Butcher recalled. “I jumped into the trench and pulled out three people. Then the police came and took them to the hospital.” Mr. Butcher said that he later saw two bodies, which were covered, at the roadside.

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Monday September 12, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Monday September 12, 2016

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

GUNS DRAWN IN SHOWDOWN between GRA and BaiShanLin

From page 22

- as officials move to seize machinery, other assets over breached agreements The rift between Government and BaiShan Lin over the company’s breached agreements escalated yesterday into an ugly showdown in which guns were reportedly drawn, as Guyana Revenue Authority officials swooped down on the Chinese firm’s Coomacka, Linden concessions to seize its assets. Kaieteur News understands that the drama began early in the day when the GRA team visited the area to confiscate the company’s equipment. A staffer at BaiShanLin contacted Kaieteur News by phone to claim that the GRA operatives had stormed their Linden operations and seized billions in duty-free equipment. The staffer also alleged that the officers also made off with laptops, cash and other personal items. According to sources at Linden, both sides filed complaints at the Mackenzie Police Station. The BaiShan Lin officials allegedly stated that they were robbed, while the GRA officers said that they met with resistance while carrying out the operation. The GRA officers, according to a source, also claimed that some of the Bai ShanLin employees were heavily armed, and that the weaponry on the site included sub-machine guns. A senior police official also confirmed that both GRA and staffers from the Chinese logging firm had filed complaints at the Mackenzie Police Station. Kaieteur News understands that GRA officials had visited the company’s Cacique Palace offices last Friday and had notified officials of its intention to visit Coomacka. Sources within the GRA said that officers took possession of some building material, while refuting the claims that “billions in equipment” and other items were seized. Yesterday’s clash came just five days after the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) announced that it was moving to repossess over 600,000 hectares from BaiShanLin International Forest Development Inc., which has been under fire for its operations here. The GFC statement, made on Tuesday, came hours after Cabinet met and gave it blessings to the commission for actions to be taken against BaiShanLin. According to GFC, the decision was taken after the cash-strapped BaiShanLin failed to deliver on agreed actions to introduce investors

to the commission and failing despite being given time to prove that it had an acceptable plan to clear an approximately $80M debt. It owes the government of Guyana hundreds of millions of dollars for properties it bought, including the Cacique Banquet Hall behind Ramada Princess Casino, in Providence. It was taken to court by BK International, a local contractor for hundreds of millions of dollars owed for housing lands at Providence. Exports Halted Last year, Government halted log exports for the company after it became clear that a US$70M wood processing facility in Linden was not going to happen. That plant was key to BaiShanLin being granted billions of dollars in duty free concessions from since 2006 when it first appeared on the Guyana scene. GFC, in explaining its decision to repossess the 618,000 hectares which BaiShanLin has managed to snap up, some under questionable means, made it clear that it has been engaging the company since April 8, 2016 to provide an update on its plans to clear the $80M debts. ”During the meeting, representatives noted that the BIFDI had suffered financial

constraints which affected the establishing of the wood processing facility and that the company was engaging a new partner that would contribute significantly to the investment in Guyana.” GFC said its board was assured of the financial strength of the new partner who had committed to pay off the debt owed by BaiShanLin to GFC. ”The BIFDI was requested to submit information about its operations in Guyana, settle its arrears and submit a letter of commitment from the new partner.” However, it seemed that even at the 11th hour, BaiShanLin was not willing to, or in position to comply with the orders of the regulators. ”To date, the BIFDI has failed to fulfill any of its commitments to the Government of Guyana; effectively failing on the obligations it made, which were accepted in good faith,” the statement explained. GFC said that in keeping with Forest Governance Practices, it will be formally repossessing the concessions owned by the company and accelerating efforts to recover the debt owed. BIFDI was incorporated in September 2006 under the Guyana Companies Act 1991 with the main objective of timber harvesting and establish-

ing downstream wood processing operations in Linden, GFC explained. Troubled Presence BaiShanLin’s presence in Guyana had been an extremely uncomfortable one for especially the last administration of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), under President Donald Ramotar, after it became known that the company was virtually given a blank cheque to carry out operations here. It was allowed to bring in hundreds of Chinese workers without much attention paid by local authorities to ensure that they returned home after their contract ended. The situation was so bad that British and German immigration authorities were convinced that BaiShanLin had stretched its tentacles to human trafficking. The company even attempted to bring women in on flights from China but a number of them were detained, with immigration authorities saying they did not fit the profile of being logging workers. There are indications, too, from correspondence to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that certain officials of the Clement Rohee-led Ministry of Home Affairs may have been bribed to facilitate visas for BaiShanLin.

The Guyana Embassy in China had over time warned BaiShanLin that it was not complying with visa requirements which called for reports to be filed with the embassy when the workers returned to China. In Guyana, BaiShanLin is the third largest holder of state forests behind Barama Company Limited, a Malaysian company, and the Indianowned Vaitarna Holdings. In 2011, it was granted 52,896 hectares up the Berbice River through a company named Haimorakabra Logging Company Inc. Through a number of questionable transactions called joint ventures, the Chinese logger acquired Puruni Woods- 107,671 hectares; Kwebanna Wood Products Inc.-87,361 hectares; Sherwood Forest Inc.167,075 hectares; Woods Association Industries Co Limited- 26,076 hectares and other concessions- all totally over 600,000 hectares. The concessions are located in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine and Ten. But BaiShanLin was not only involved in logging and export. It had also branched off to gold mining, housing, river transportation, ship building and even property acquisition.

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Monday September 12, 2016

Kaieteur News

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Monday September 12, 2016

Kaieteur News

Diagnosed with pneumonia, Clinton falls ill at 9/11 memorial

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton leaves ceremonies marking the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks at the National 9/11 Memorial in New York, New York, United States yesterday. REUTERS/Brian Snyder Reuters - Hillary Clinton’s personal doctor yesterday said she was suffering from pneumonia after the Democratic presidential candidate fell ill at a Sept. 11 memorial, in an episode that renewed focus on her health less than two months before the general election. Clinton was diagnosed on Friday, but her condition only came to light several hours after a video on social media appeared to show her swaying and her knees buckling before she is helped into a motorcade as she left the memorial early yesterday. Clinton had a medical examination when she got back to her home in Chappaqua, New York, according to a campaign aide. Her doctor, Lisa Bardack, said in a statement that she has been experiencing a cough related to allergies and that an examination on Friday showed it was pneumonia. “She was put on antibiotics and advised to rest and modify her schedule. While at this morning’s event, she became overheated and dehydrated. I have just examined her and she is now re-hydrated and recovering nicely,” Bardack said.

It was not yet clear whether Clinton would stick to a hectic schedule that has her travelling to California today for several campaign and fundraising events. Regardless of how much the illness curtails her campaigning, the diagnosis comes at a crucial time in the White House race against Republican rival Donald Trump. The first of three debates is on Sept. 26 and the election is on Nov. 8. The 68-year-old Clinton abruptly departed the high-profile, televised event at Ground Zero and was taken to her daughter Chelsea’s home in Manhattan. She emerged around two hours later on a warm and muggy morning, wearing sunglasses and telling reporters that she was “feeling great.” The video that showed her swaying and buckling with aides holding her up came from an unverified Twitter account under the name Zdenek Gazda, who did not respond to a request for comment. The Clinton campaign did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the authenticity of the video.

France’s premier warns of new attacks, 15,000 people on police radar Reuters - French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said yesterday there would be new attacks in France but proposals by former president Nicolas Sarkozy to boost security was not the right way to deal with threats. The French capital was put on high alert last week when French officials said they dismantled a “terrorist cell” that planned to attack a Paris railway station under the direction of Islamic State. “This week at least two attacks were foiled,” Manuel Valls said in an interview with Europe 1 radio and Itele television yesterday. Valls said there were

Manuel Valls 15,000 people on the radar of police and intelligent services who were in the process of

being radicalised. “There will be new attacks, there will be innocent victims...this is also my role to tell this truth to the French people,” Valls said. In an interview newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), Sarkozy said France needed to get tough on militants by creating special courts and detention facilities to boost security. “He is wrong about trying to wring the neck of the rule of law,” Valls said. Sarkozy proposed to systematically place French citizens suspected of having militant links in special detention facilities.

Monday September 12, 2016

Kaieteur News

Xerox announces 2,500 new jobs for Jamaicans

Prime Minister Andrew Holness (second right) greets a team member at the Xerox customer care centre during a recent visit to the company’s facility at Barnett Tech Park in Montego Bay. Also pictured are Lynda Langford, vicepresident — operations support at Xerox (right), and Minister Horace Chang, (third right). Jamaica Observer - Xerox will be recruiting 2,500 Jamaicans in its customer care and business process centres in Montego Bay, Kingston and Portmore to support the company’s expanding list of global clients. Xerox is recruiting the new employees via a series of open houses and recruitment fairs throughout September and October. The company intends to hire 1,000 people in Kingston and 1,500 in Montego Bay. “Xerox is expanding its market-leading presence in Jamaica,” said Leroy Reid, vice president and country leader for Xerox in Jamaica via a news release. “We are serving new clients and expanding the services we provide to many of our existing clients.” Xerox is the largest diversified business process services company worldwide.

The company provides business services, technology and expertise that enables workplaces, ranging from small businesses to large global enterprises to simplify the way work gets done. From its 11 locations in Jamaica, the Xerox team provides support for corporations operating in industries such as health care, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, retail, transportation, and high-tech. “The minimum requirements for employment are a school- leaving certificate at the secondary level or HEART Level II certificate,” said Reid in the news release, who added there are additional career opportunities for people with advanced qualifications.

“The type of work performed by the team members in Jamaica also includes technical support, administrative assistance, insurance claim processing, finance & accounting, payroll services, and transaction processing,” he said. Xerox employs 6,500 people in Jamaica, the company say, making the Jamaica team the fourth-largest concentration among the company’s 130,000 workforce, following the US, India and the Philippines, the release said. “We have a team of welltrained and highly qualified and exceptionally motivated Jamaicans who deliver superior service for a wide range of global brands across multiple industries,” said Reid.

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Monday September 12, 2016

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Venezuela’s troubles overshadow Non-Aligned Summit

Nicolas Maduro CARACAS (Reuters) Worries over political protests, poor attendance and food have dominated the buildup to a Non-Aligned Summit in Venezuela instead of geopolitical issues the Cold War-era bloc was created to address. President Nicolas Maduro’s socialist government hopes to use the event, from Tuesday to Sunday on Margarita Island in the Caribbean, to burnish its international legitimacy and counter U.S. “imperialist” power. But opponents, campaigning to have Maduro removed this year, want to spoil the party and highlight an unprecedented economic crisis that is leaving many in the OPEC nation hungry. “The country is going through the worst crisis in its history, and the government wastes resources like this,” complained opposition leader

Henrique Capriles. Set up in 1961, the NonAligned Movement provided an alternative for nations who did not back either the United States or Soviet Union during the Cold War. But its relevance has declined since the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall. The government is stationing 14,000 security personnel on the island, about 23 km (14 miles) north of the mainland, to protect delegates coming from 120 nations. According to local media, it has flown in special shipments of food to avoid any hiccups due to local shortages. Venezuela is suffering a third year of recession, tripledigit inflation, shortages of basics and long shopping lines. The government blames the oil price fall and an “economic war” by foes, while crit-

ics say 17 years of failed socialist policies and corruption are the causes. The opposition-led National Assembly was intending to meet in Margarita at the same time, but its head says authorities have blocked legislators from flying in or going by boat. Political demonstrations are likely, however, especially given a pots-and-pans protest in Maduro’s face earlier this month in Margarita. The government has not published a list of attendees, though local media have said few heads of state are expected beyond regional leftist allies like Bolivia, Ecuador and Cuba. At the summit, Venezuela is to assume the group’s presidency from Iran, whose President Hassan Rouhani was also coming, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.

Kamla, Moonilal: Results encouraging Trinidad Guardian - Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal say the results of the Guardian poll are encouraging as the UNC continues the fight against bad governance. “The results of your poll is most encouraging and inspiring for us to continue to improve in our performance,” Persad-Bissessar told the Guardian last night. However, she believes the perception of division within the UNC was a spillover from the party’s internal elections last December when she was challenged for the leadership by Moonilal and former Trade, Industry, Investment and Communications minister Vasant Bharath. “We must note this, that it is a perception and the reality is that the majority of the party is united and unified in the fight against the bad governance of the Keith Rowley administration. We have come a long way with respect to that and the arty is united.”

Kamla Persad-Bissessar Moonilal told the Sunday Guardian the Opposition’s first year was challenging but the poll results suggest that they did a good job. He said they were “not yet firing on all cylinders” but will grow from strength to strength. He said in politics perceptions are realities that they deal with. He said the party should consider it but they were building a good harmony inside and outside of the Parliament. He said the Opposition was now in a position to form a Cabinet if a general election is called in five weeks.

Monday September 12, 2016

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Army dominates second night action but Republicans still in with a chance

National Intermediate Boxing C/ships...

By Michael Benjamin As the battle for the coveted tab as the top local boxing institution continues, the Guyana Defence Force stamped its authority over its archrivals, the Republican Boxing Gym (REP), carting off the lion’s share of victories when the semi-finals of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) National Intermediate Boxing Championships concluded at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, last Saturday evening. In all, there were 9 fights among the two gyms and the soldiers clinched 7 victories, while the Republicans won the other two. While it may seem as though the GDF has already clinched the overall championship honours, the Republicans still stand a realistic chance with several of their boxers scheduled to do battle last night. GDF Elite flyweight boxer, Don Cummerbatch, set the tone for the soldiers when he opposed Ewart Cobis (REP) in a thriller that kept the crowd animated for its duration. The taller of the two, Cumberbatch attempted to keep his man at bay with sharp jabs and long crosses but Cobis nullified the ploy with aggressive advances characterized by several roundhouse punches. The action intensified in the second stanza after Cumberbatch found his rhythm and employed long ranged shots that stalled Cobis’ advances. The latter boxer then launched a two fisted attack much to the delight of screaming fans who loudly applauded the effort at the bell. The two boxers went after each other in the final round but only this time Cumberbatch became the aggressor. He peppered Cobis with sharp jabs and the Republican could find no answer to stem the onslaught. A few clouts to Cobis’ temple infuriated him and he launched a wild attack which pushed his man to the ropes.

However, Cumberbatch used his legs to stay out of trouble even as he pumped left jabs and right crosses into the defenceless face of Cobis. The large crowd was convinced that the soldier had done enough to clinch the verdict and the judges concurred. Republican, Eon Archer then faced GDF bantamweight boxer, Courtney Lynch and the former pugilist was all bluster as he attempted to hustle his man out of the ring. In his anxiety to hurt his man the Republican got careless and walked smack into a wicked straight right that sent him to the canvass. He bravely attempted to get back on his feet midway into the mandatory 8 count, but while he verbally indicated his intention to continue, his legs refused to cooperate and the referee rightfully called a halt at exactly one minute of the first stanza. Another soldier, Rhondel Douglas, engaged in a fiery exchange with Republican, Quami Cumberbatch and subjected his opponent to an early 8 count following a crunching right cross. Douglas appeared to be spent but still stayed in contention with jabs and crosses. The tide suddenly changed as Douglas lashed out with a sucker punch that connected to Cumberbatch’s defenceless chin and gravity took over. The referee dutifully tolled away the count but it was merely a gesture in futility since Cumberbatch showed no indication of reentering the fray and the referee subsequently waved the contest off at 1:38secs of the first round. The Republicans pulled back a victory under strange, and to some fans, humorous circumstances. It was the welterweight bout between Joshua Joseph and Lorex Cummings which started at a frenetic pace. During one of the exchanges Cummings’ groin protector became dislodged forcing a temporary stoppage

for his handlers to replace. Less than ten seconds later the equipment fell to the canvass again while Joseph was in attacking mode and once more the bout was halted to repair the damage. Upon resumption, in what appeared to be a strategic ploy, the equipment was once again dislodged and landed on the canvass. Only this time, a disgusted referee resorted to the rules and disqualified the soldier for, not losing his head but, for allowing the important equipment to become dislodged once too often. GDF middleweight boxer, Joshua Fraser, made amends

for that loss when he employed a vicious two fisted attack that left Republican, Alvin Gounga in a dazed state for the referee to halt the proceedings at 1:22secs of the first round. One bout later, also in the middleweight division, Darren McPherson (GDF) carved out a unanimous verdict over Republican, Geraldo Phillips while heavyweight, Ryan Roberts (GDF) prevailed over his GDF counterpart, Jermaine Williams on points. The Republicans closed off the night on a successful note when Bryan Leitch forced Renaldo Niles (GDF) to quit at 2:38secs of the first

round following a spirited punching display. Earlier in the night, two GDF pugilists, Trison Browne and Jason Trotman opposed each other in the lightweight division and the latter boxer prevailed, while Rosehall Jammers (RHJ) representative, Julius Kesney punched his way to a unanimous points decision over Republican, Anthony Patterson. Lightweight, Jemel Brisport (GDF), was also in winners’ row with a lopsided victory over William DeAbreu (REP) moments before REP, Delroy Nero was scheduled to face his gym mate, Dennis Holligan. For reasons yet to

be explained Nero chose not to turn up and the latter boxer was gifted a walkover. Omar Nauth Sukdeo (FYF) turned in a determined display that had Orlando Northon (GDF) on the receiving end for most of the bout and while the former boxer gained the wide approval of the crowd, he failed to impress the judges who ruled against him. The finals were scheduled for last night at the same venue where the respective champions would be crowned while the champion gym and best boxer award among others would have been established.

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Monday September 12, 2016

Kaieteur News

Wawrinka beats Djokovic in WICB forecasts surplus for four sets to win U.S. Open end of current financial year NEW YORK (Reuters) Third seed Stan Wawrinka rose to the occasion once again to beat topseeded defending champion Novak Djokovic 6-7(1) 6-4 7-5 6-3 and win the U.S. Open on Sunday for the third grand slam title of his career. The 31-year-old Swiss, who defeated Djokovic on his way to winning the 2014 Australian Open and 2015 French Open, denied the world number one a third grand slam title this year following the Serb’s wins in Australia and France. Wawrinka trailed Djokovic 194 in their career head-to-head, but the hard-working Swiss saves his best for the big matches and he came through again with a superlative performance to win his 11th tour final in a row. The Swiss was better on the most important points of the nearly four-hour final that featured long rallies and brilliant shot-making from both players. Wawrinka cashed in on six of 10 break point opportunities against Djokovic and frustrated the Serb by saving 14 of 17 break points against him. The victory was worth $3.5 million for Wawrinka, who is only missing a Wimbledon victory to complete the coveted career grand slam.

Press Briefing following the Board of Directors meeting in Roseau, Dominica – President Dave Cameron (center) is supported by VP HE Emmanuel Nanthan (left) and head of Cricket Committee, Julian Charles.

Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after beating Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the men’s singles final on day fourteen of the 2016 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)

Space Gym flexes with Mr. Guyana for CAC C/ships

Space Gym Manager Lucas Matos (right) hands over cheque to Mr. Guyana Kerwyn Clarke.

Mr. Guyana Kerwyn Clarke’s ambition of topping the field at the Central American and Caribbean Body Building and Fitness Championships has received the support of Space Gym which made a monetary contribution towards his attendance at the upcoming championships. The 44th annual CACBBFF sanctioned by IFBB is set to be held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from September 30 to October 1st, 2016 and Clarke said he would be pulling out all the stops to go all the way this time around. Space Gym Manager Lucas Matos in presenting his entity’s contribution to Clarke wished him all the best while stating that all the members of the Gym will be rallying behind him in his endeavours to make himself and Guyana proud come this month end. Clarke in return expressed gratitude to Matos and Space Gym for their tangible support.

Roseau, DOMINICA – The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is reporting that it is forecasting a surplus for the financial year ending September 30, 2016. Additionally, it is projecting to spend an estimated US$40 million on its development programmes for the year October 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017. President, Dave Cameron has indicated that the spending for the upcoming financial year, will include focus on Two A Team Tours Age group tours and under the under 19s preparation to defend the World Championship title in 2018 Women’s team qualification and participation in the World Cup in June 2017 in England and series to include ODI vs England in Jamaica, October 8 - 19 India (away series) in November The President also added that the number of days for cricket has almost doubled “and all the teams will be busy in the upcoming year.” Among a number of committee reports which were presented at the regularly scheduled quarterly Board of Directors meeting in Dominica on Saturday was from the Audit and Risk Compliance Committee, headed by Don

Wehby. That committee reported that all financial statements for the Board have been prepared within the times allotted and have been done in conjunction with its internal and external auditors, Price Waterhouse and KPMG respectively. The ARC Committee also identified a number of risks; chief among them is the two-year old Professional Cricket League. Subsequently, an internal team has been mandated to assess the PCL with a detailed look at Technical, structural and marketing support for the franchises. That review should be available in six months to coincide with the end of the 2016/2017 season, due to be completed in March next year. The Chief Executive Officer, Michael Muirhead also announced at the meeting that “discussed at the Chief Executives meeting this past week in Dubai, that there is a recommendation on the table for some ICC members to pool their commercial and overseas broadcast rights.” The discussion he noted will continue at the ICC members’ meeting in South Africa next month. A full report from the meeting held in Dominica will be published in other news releases.

Regal Sports Softball..

Herstelling Rangers, Speed Boat victorious Herstelling Rangers and Speed Boat recorded victories when the Regal Sports softball tournament commenced yesterday at Gandhi Youth Organisation ground. Herstelling Rangers defeated Speed Boat by five wickets. Batting first, Speed Boat managed 107-9 off their allocation of 15 overs. R. Esau and Shazim Hussain made 14 each as Michael Alexander and Amir Khan claimed three wickets apiece. Herstelling Rangers responded with 112-5 in 13 overs. Zameer Hassan got 27 and Rawl Reid 18. Herstelling Rangers overcame Ariel by six wickets. Ariel took first strike and were bowled out for 77 with Ariel Persaud getting 20 and Dharam Persaud 17; Reid and Kishore Ramsarran snared three wickets apiece. Rangers replied with 78-4. Shameer Fazal cracked 22 and Vijay Persaud 20. Speed Boat beat

Michael Alexander

Ariel by 10 wickets in their encounter. Ariel mustered 119 all out, batting first. Shazim Hussain took three wickets for Speed Boat who responded with 120 with out lost in five overs. Anand Bharat struck 61 while Beepaul Bandhoo made an even half century. (Zaheer Mohamed).

Monday September 12, 2016

GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Nat. U-17 League...

Victoria Kings and Buxton United post wins; Plaisance hold Ann’s Grove

dise / Bachelor’s Adventure Sports Club with a 3-0 triumph which was orchestrated by goals from Shemar Fredericks in the 14th minute, Kobe Durant in the 30th and Leondray Brown in the 80th minute. In yesterday’s feature clash between BVTU and Victoria Kings in drenching sunshine, the Kings opened proceedings with fluent play and had the young BV boys on the back foot. But as the game progressed, the BV players gradually found their footing and fluency which resulted in them drawing first blood. The dapper and fleet footed Omari Glasgow, who was a constant threat to the young Kings, finally weaved his way into the attacking third and unleashed a well directed right foot shot that beat Kings goalie Dylan Blair at the near post to hand BV the lead in the 22nd minute. Momen-

tum was now with the boys from BV as they kept possession and created a few more opportunities which were not capitalized on. As the BVTU side’s dominance declined, the lads from Victoria eased back into contention and were able to tuck in the equalizer five minutes to the half time break. Kareem Josiah, towering above the rest of the players, fired the Kings on even terms in the 40th minute during a period of play when the BV boys were not enjoying the best of possession. The ball inadvertently hit the standing Referee and rebounded into the path of Kings and they gleefully accepted as it brought the equalizer. In the second half of play, Kings enjoyed the bulk of possession which frustrated the BV side as their first half flow was not evident. In the 59th minute,

Victoria Kings nosed ahead thanks to a well taken goal by Jeremiah Bowman. It was a lead that the young Kings were able to defend despite being reduced to 10-players with one minute to full time when Simon Jones was red carded for a dangerous foul. The opening match which commenced late due to heavy rain was played in a light drizzle for almost the entire match. Ann’s Grove it was that took the lead on 23 minutes through an Antwain Thomas goal. They would enjoy the advantage until the third minute of the second half when Plasiance finally drew level. Jaheem Hinds was able to dribble his way past a couple of opposing players before letting off his shot which sailed into the back of the nets to the joy of the Plasiance players. Matches will continue this weekend.

Suriname’s B/ball Club champs, Caribbean Little Devils drew 3-match series here in 1978 Statistician Charwayne Walker notes that Guyanese basketball fans were thrilled by the skills displayed by Suriname’s basketball club champions Caribbean Little Devils during their 1978 (March) tour of Guyana. The Surinamese line up included five national players: Reggie Chelius, Joseph Chelius, Marcel Henar, Victor Sibilo and Roy Eudoxie. Guyana, who were led by the legendary Mike Brusche and coached by Cuban, George Nelson and Guyanese icon Hewley Henry, won game one 84 to 75 at the National Sports Hall. Merton Fitzalbert

top scored with 19 pts, Aubrey Chalmers 13 pts, Compton ‘Lofty’ Hinds 12 pts, Phillip Daniels 10 pts. For Caribbean Little Devils: Ronald Wezer had a game high 20 pts, Reggie Chelius 13 pts, John Chelius 10pts. In Game Two, played at the National Sports Hall, Caribbean Little Devils levelled the series with a blowout 96 to 67 points victory. Victor Sibilo led all scorers with 22 pts, Marcel Henar 19 pts, Roy Eudoxie 17 pts, John Chelius 15 pts. For Guyana: Compton Hinds top scored with 15 pts, Orin Cumberbatch 12 pts,

Pedrosa denies Rossi a home win at Misano

Honda MotoGP rider Dani Pedrosa of Spain races during the third free practice ahead of the Valencia Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Ricardo Tormo racetrack in Cheste, near Valencia, Spain, November 7, 2015. (REUTERS/Heino Kalis)

Plasiance FC Jaheem Hinds (2nd left) scores the neutralising goal against Ann’s Grove United FC yesterday at the Melanie ground. (Franklin Wilson photo) The East Demerara Football Association (EDFA) leg of the GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 Intra Association football made a welcome return on the weekend following weeks of inactivity due to consistent rain which rendered grounds unplayable. Players were eager to get back in the football flow and showed this with a high level of intensity on the field of play at the Melanie ground over this past weekend. Yesterday, Victoria Kings clawed their way back from being a goal down to beat BV Triumph United (BVTU) 2-1, while Plasaince also rebounded from being a goal down to earn an even share of the points against Ann’s Grove in yesterday’s opening match. On Saturday at the same venue, the lone match saw Buxton United stamping their authority against Para-

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Kaieteur News

Merton Fitzalbert 8 pts. Guyana clinched series Game Three played at the National Sports Hall. The Guyanese won 71 to 63. Merton Fitzalbert scored a game high 20 pts, Aubrey Chalmers 18 pts, Hewley Harry 10 pts, Orin Cumberbatch 10 pts. For Caribbean Little Devils, Marcel Henar 15 pts, Reggie Chelius 13 pts, Roy Eudoxie 12 pts, John Chelius 10 pts. The 1978 Guyana 23 Man Squad Mike Brusche Compton Hinds Aubrey Chalmers

Merton Fitzalbert Phillip Daniels Eon Andrews Herbert Adams EwartPadmore Aubrey Williams Phillip Young Winston Osborne Stanislaus Hadmon Keith Alexander Lennox Jones Edrich Watson Orin Cumberbatch Keith Hinds Compton Hinds Terrence Nedd James Brushe R. James R. Duke G. Alberts

(Reuters) Honda’s Dani Pedrosa became the eighth different MotoGP winner in eight races on Sunday to deny Italian great Valentino Rossi a home victory in front of 100,000 flag-waving fans at the San Marino Grand Prix. Rossi, 37, finished second ahead of Yamaha team mate and reigning champion Jorge Lorenzo at the Misano circuit in eastern Italy. Honda’s championship leader Marc Marquez was fourth with his overall championship lead cut to 43 points with five races remaining. Spaniard Marquez has 223 points to Rossi’s 180 and Lorenzo’s 162. It was the first time since the motorcycling world championship began in 1949 that eight different riders had won eight successive races in the same season in the top category. “The feeling was good, except yesterday in qualifying,” said Pedrosa, who had started in the middle of the third row of the grid and was one of just two riders to opt for the softest front tire compound. “Today I focused on the rhythm, I knew this was the key. And then I just tried to do my race. Fortunately my

pace was very consistent,” added the Spaniard. Rossi had led from the start, when he got ahead of pole-sitter Lorenzo, but could not fend off Pedrosa once the Honda rider had passed Marquez and Lorenzo by lowering the race lap record. Pedrosa took the lead seven laps from the end and stayed ahead, finishing 2.837 seconds clear of Rossi for his first win since Malaysia last October. “Pedrosa was too fast. I tried the maximum but no way, he had the better pace,” said Rossi, speaking as a wave of his yellow-shirted fans invaded the track after the finish. “Anyway, it’s a second place. It’s a shame here in Misano because it was a special race I wanted to try to win but today was impossible.” Lorenzo said he had expected to fight for victory but the others were faster than him and he congratulated his compatriot. The winners of the previous seven races were Spaniard Maverick Vinales, Britain’s Cal Crutchlow, Italian Andrea Iannone, Marquez, Australian Jack Miller, Rossi and Lorenzo.

Pouderoyen needle Golden Warriors; Eagles soar to... From page 31 Devon Stuart surprisingly came off the field of play mid way of the second half which prompted their Coach to enter the field of play but his presence could not stem the flow of goals. In all the onslaught though, Vegae Boys goalkeeper Jermaine Cumberbatch stood out and were it not for his focus in the face of adversity, even saving a penalty, the scoreline

could have been much more. Vegae pulled one back for good measure in the 73rd minute through a Shamar Marcus goal; Eagles’ goalie Alex Alexander finally beaten.

PAGE 32

Monday September 12, 2016

Kaieteur News

GBTI Diamond Tennis Camp concludes

Gripping excitement anticipated for final Int’l Drag Meet of year

Participants at the recently concluded Diamond GBTI Tennis camp. The partnership between the Guyana Tennis Association (GLTA) and Guyana Bank for Trade & Industry (GBTI) has resulted in another successful tennis camp. Despite the rainy last weekend, the camp ended with excitement at the GBTI Tennis Courts in Diamond. In an opening statement, the President of GLTA, Mr. Jamal Goodluck, praised GBTI for their collaborative efforts. He expressed his gratitude to the scores of tennis enthusiasts for their zeal

and willingness to participate in the camp. The association will be working on maintaining a programme in the community. Parents were encouraged to continue to make tennis a key part of their children’s development, while the adults were congratulated for their endurance throughout the camp, with fun-filled competitions. Mr. Surendra Samdass, Manager of GBI Diamond Branch, conveyed the commitment the financial institution has in supporting the

development of tennis in Guyana and the community. He upheld that GBTI will continue to foster a relationship with GLTA, by not just sponsoring the annual GBTI Tennis Tournament, but through the Diamond Tennis Camp as well. He encouraged the participants of the camp to take advantage of the opportunities available to utilize the bank’s tennis courts, so that they can develop their skills learnt over the pass few weekends. Immediately following his address, the Bank

Manager presented the players with certificates of participation in the three-weekend tennis camp. Outstanding players won trophies in their respective categories. Those categories were: Adults Winner: Saeed Gopie Runner-up: Andy Jafer Intermediate Winner: Donnie Anderson Runner-up: Renaldo Alexander Juniors Winner: Johnny Dick Runner-up: Kevon Aaron Beginners Winner: Noah Persaud Runner-up: Paul McKenzie

Anthony Sokromo

Following the successful staging of the ‘Golden Jubilee’Drag Race Meet to commemorate Guyana’s Independence Anniversary earlier this year, drag racing fans could now set their focus on the final international Drag Meet of the year scheduled to be held on October 2, at the South Dakota Circuit. Hosted by the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) it is expected that a large contingent of dragsters from neighbouring Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago will descend on these shores to battle the locals in what is anticipated to provide gripping excitement for motor racing fans. President of the GMR&SC Raj Boodhoo speaking with Kaieteur Sport recently said that due to Guyana’s outstanding performance in Suriname just over a forthnight ago, he expects the day’s proceedings to resemble a dogfight as the countries battle for individual and overall supremacy. Boodhoo disclosed that the Dutch territory, which has been the strongest regional supporter of drag racing in Guyana, will no doubt be sending some of its best dragsters to wrest the title from Guyana, but is predicting that the locals are brimming with confidence and he expects nothing less than victory. Guyana will have as its spearhead the lightning fast Toyota Supra of Rondel Daby, while his sibling Peter

and Anand Ramchand’s Mitsubishi Evos are capable of recording stunning times. Just to add more potency to the Guyana line-up will be Sanjay Persaud, while female driver Sharima Khan is always a joy to watch when tussling with the male opposition. The Dutch who came here for the ‘Golden Jubilee’ Meet will no doubt be led by the experience Hans Ijzer in his powerful GMC Typhoon along with backup from Ashton Ceyaram in his Toyota Chaser, Ruifan Chen in his Honda Integra, Prakash Lachman (Toyota Supra), Micheal Namchand (RX7) among others. It is difficult to see anyone upstaging Charlie Henry in the 1000cc Superbike category, but the presence of Surinamese Tom Gumperts Suzuki GSX R, Anthony Sokromo and Giovanni Slagveer astride a similar machine could offer a formidable challenge for him. There seems to be lots of excitement in store in every division so the best advice is to be at the Circuit and feel the thrill of excitement as the daredevils battle each other for supremacy on the quarter mile dragstrip with their speed monsters. The Porta Tree Timing device with specialized starting lights will be operational throughout the day. Starting time is 09:00 hrs and admission is adults $1000, children $500, while those under the age of 12 years and vehicles are free.

Monday September 12, 2016

Kaieteur News

PAGE 33

Rose Hall Town 46th anniversary celebrations to kicks off on Wednesday Work starts on H.D. Hoyte Memorial Family Park The 46th Anniversary celebrations of Guyana’s smallest township, Rose Hall Town, would kick off on Wednesday 14th of September with a massive Parade and Opening Ceremony. Organised by Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports C l u b , M S , t h e To w n Anniversary celebration promises to be the most colourful and best organised in the history of Guyana. President David Granger is expected to deliver the Feature Address and take the salute at the March Past from members of the RHTY&SC, Police Officers, GDF, Firemen, Prison Officers, Students from seven schools, Churches and members of at least three constabularies drawn from a c r o s s t h e C o u n t r y. President David Granger would also unveil the refurnished Rose Hall Town Monument and lay a wreath to honour the fifty seven former slaves who bought the village of Rose Hall in 1842 from British Planter, John Henry Baird. Secretary/CEO of the RHTY&SC Hilbert Foster stated that all plans are in place for a successful Opening Ceremony and issued an invitation to the Berbice public to attend, what he described as a historic event for the township. Several residents of Rose H a l l To w n w o u l d b e honoured by the RHTY&SC, MS and its eight cricket teams during the Ceremony. The top Grade 6 and CSEC student for 2016 would receive a trip to the Arrow Point Resort compliments of Roraima Airways, while a resident of Rose Hall Town who topped the University of Guyana at Computer Science in 2015 would receive an airline ticket to the USA compliments of Travel Span. The Club would also be handing over financial assistance to a National Junior Cyclist and a less fortunate mother of seven

children. The oldest resident of Rose Hall would also receive a Television Set and a year supply of Cable Television. A Television Documentary on the history of Rose Hall Town would also be unveiled after the ceremony along with a Tourist Poster of the town. Meanwhile, the cricket teams of the Club have started construction of the H.D. Hoyte Memorial Recreational Family Park. The Park is scheduled to be opened on Friday 23rd of September and would consist if a large benab, swings, slides, seesaws, flower garden among others. The main objectives of the Family Recreational Park are to promote social cohesion among residents, to provide clean and safe entertainment for children, to allow families to share time together and to promote the Club’s Say No and Yes programme. The Playfield is a joint effort of the RHTY&SC, and the ‘B’ Division of the Guyana Police Force under their highly successful Say No to Crime, Suicide and Drugs Campaign. The Park would bear the name of the Club’s first Patron, the late Hugh Desmond Hoyte, former Executive President of Guyana who inspired the RHTY&SC to transformed itself from a mere cricket Club to an NGO, dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of others. Today, the Club is widely considered Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation and undertakes a record 300 activities/ programmes. The sponsors of the playfield are the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Protection, Commissioner of Police (ag) David Ramnarine, Nand Persaud Co. ltd, Kris Jagdeo Construction Firm, JR. Engineering Solutions, Amerally Sawmills, the Regional Democratic Council of Region 6 and the Toronto West/East Group of Canada.

Workers busy constructing the benab at the playfield.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 34

Monday September 12, 2016

WDFA/Stag Senior League Pouderoyen needle Golden

Warriors; Eagles soar to biggest win ever

Eagles FC marksmen from right, Colin Henry, Daniel Clarke, Stephon Griffith, Oraldo Henry and Chris Macey. By Franklin Wilson It rained goals on Saturday last at the Den Amstel ground when competition in the Stag sponsored West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) Senior League continued with two more matches. In the feature match, Pouderoyen eased to their fourth win in five matches whilst

keeping their unbeaten record intact via a nerve racking 1-0 margin over Golden Warriors. Full points were sealed when the encounter was a mere 8 minutes old. Quessey Alleyne’s shot squeezed in at the near post to beat the surprised Golden Warriors custodian who was down on his knees. Pouderoyen, once a dominant force on the West side and seeking to regain that

Quessey Alleyne (inset) scores Pouderoyen’s lone and winning goal against Golden Warriors. (Franklin Wilson photo) momentum dominated their opponents even as many chances went by the way side. Golden Warriors, one of the newer WDFA sides, tried to keep up momentum with the seasoned Pouderoyen team but were outhustled by the winners who now move into second position on 13 points ahead of Uitvlugt Warriors and two points behind leaders, Den Amstel; the top three sides are all unbeaten to date. But the match of the day turned out to be the Eagles vs Vegae Boys affair with the former recording their biggest margin of victory ever, a 10-1 mauling of their rivals from Vergenoegen which commenced the

match with just eight players. Also a new addition to the club list on the West side, Vegae Boys found that the going would have been tough against the red hot Eagles. Two of their players recorded hattricks with one netting a brace as the rampant Eagles ran riot. Oraldo Henry blasted the nets in the 4th, 59th and 68th minute; Chris Macey was on target in the 21st, 55th and 71st minute; Colin Henry flicked in his two goals in the 25th and 29th minute, while there was one apiece for Daniel Clarke in the 30th minute and Stephon Griffith in the 50th minute. Vegae Boys’ (Continued on page 31)

Monday September 12, 2016

Apostle Ragnauth carts of Household Plus, Regent Household Electronics Golf tournament

F

ormer sprint champion, now Apostle of Life Spring Ministries and playing golf for under three years, Balgobin Ragnauth golfed in fine style to be the clear winner of the tournament from Household Plus and Regent Household Electronics that lived up to its expectations. Teeing off at 1:00pm the golfers were eager to perform excellently having had a tournament practice the previous Saturday where the top 10 were close leaving persons eager to emerge champs. Managers Nasser Hamid and Shaheed Hamid of Household Plus (Lot 131 Regent Road, Bourda, between Cummings St and Orange Walk, Tel:226-3786) and Regent Household Electronics (Lot 143 Regent Road, Bourda - between Light & Albert Streets, Tel:231-7684, 227-4402) represented at the prizegiving ceremony by PastPresident Brian Hackett, indicated their happiness at being involved and their willingness to continue sponsoring tournaments at the Lusignan Golf Club. Mr Hackett reminded members that between the two stores – both in business for over 20 years - there is a wide variety of Household, Electronics, Clothing and Cosmetics available. Winners of the tournament were Net

Scores:- 1st Balgobin Ramnauth – 63/91; 2nd Patanjalee ‘Pur’ “I love that winning feeling” Persaud; 3rd – Pandit Ravi Persaud 70/ ; 4th Brian Hackett 71/91 who on the back 9 edged out Grounds Superintendent M. Gayadin 71/84. Best Gross was won by Imran Khan and Nearest (10ft) To the Pin by Ian Gouveia – who both won the same prizes at the p r e v i o u s S a t u r d a y ’s tournament. Other golfers in contention in the day’s top 12 were (Pope Emmanuel) Dr P. London 72/98; A. Shaw 72/90; S. Webster 73/92; F. Haniff 73/87; I. Khan 74/81; M. Bhagwandin 75/97; I. Gouveia 75/92; A. Hussain 75/92; Max Persaud 75/89 and R. Rajkumar 75/83. Vice President Patrick Prashad, acting as the day’s Captain, requested that Club members observe a 1minute’s silence to observe the passing of Dr Samuel Bera who, as the President informed subsequently, had been a member of the Club for several years and had been very active prior to 2000. President Ramroop extended deepest condolences to the late Dr Bera’s family and friends, on behalf of the LGC and himself. President welcomed back Roger Rajkumar & Prem Ramnauth and expressed gratitude for the satisfactory press releases by the PRO.

Kaieteur News

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All smiles!! In the winners’ photo from left are: I. Khan, B. Hackett, B. Ragnauth, R. Persaud, P. Persaud, I. Gouveia, Vice President P. Prashad and President O. Ramroop.

t r o Sp

Gripping excitement anticipated for final Int’l Drag Meet of year Two local dragsters line up in one of the reaces at a previous Drag Meet.

GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power Nat. U-17 League...

Victoria Kings and Buxton United post wins; Plaisance hold Ann’s Grove

Victoria Kings (green and white) and BV Triumph United engaged in battle yesterday at the Melanie ground, ECD.

National Intermediate Boxing Championships...

Bryan Leitch

Army dominates second night action but Republicans still in with a chance

Julius Kesney

Wawrinka beats Djokovic in four sets to win U.S. Open 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