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Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 3031 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

November 6, 2016

PRICE

APNU/AFC perpetrating brazen heist of Guyana’s Treasury – Jagdeo

$120 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Govt working to up policing of porous borders – Granger P12

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GWI sacks Chief Auditor Berbice in wake of investigations businessman launched robbed, beaten Page 7

Page 14

P15 Digicel shortlisted for ‘Best Caribbean Wholesaler’

... attempted to investigate senior official

OOPS!

P8 1 in 4 Amerindian children considered stunted – UNICEF

8 children nabbed in Essequibo P18 truancy campaign

As the city of Georgetown gets ready to introduce parking meters, the driver of this Land Rover tested the alternative option of parking, as seen here, by suspending the vehicle on the shoulders of a bridge on Middleton Street, Campbellville, Georgetown

Speaker evicts Nandlall from parliamentary debate

GuySuCo struggles to recapture Caribbean market P9

Page 11

…PPP walks out in condemnation

P10 Govt considering rent increases for lease lands

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NEWS

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Demerara – Sunday, November 6 – 09:00h-10:30h and Monday, November 7 – 10:00h-11:30h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Sunday, November 6 – 07:50h-09:20h and Monday, November 7 – 08:55h-10:25h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

APNU/AFC perpetrating brazen heist of Guyana’s Treasury – Jagdeo

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily.

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, while partly cloudy skies can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North Easterly between 0.89 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 08:26h and 20:44h reaching maximum heights of 2.26 metres and 2.30 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 01:53h and 14:15h reaching minimum heights of 0.81 metre and 1.01 metres respectively.

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

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Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo as he made his presentation in Parliament on Friday

he coalition A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Government, despite its complaints of finding an empty coffer, is in fact perpetrating a brazen heist of the Treasury through acts of cronyism and its doling out of large contracts without an competitive process.

This was the declaration made by Former President Bharrat Jagdeo, as he led an Opposition charge in a marathon debate in the National Assembly on Friday last.

The House was at the time debating a motion calling on the members to adopt the policies that had been set out by Head of State, David Granger, when he addressed Parliament on October 13 last.

The President during his address had accused the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration of cronyism in its presiding over numerous failed projects and had pointed to the $1 billion Kato Secondary School, among others.

Public bidding

Jagdeo in taking umbrage with the President’s remarks sought to point out that what the President did not say is that each of the projects given out under the past administration was in

fact done so using a public bidding process.

“Every single one of the projects that he mentioned has problems with quality and underperformance but one thing I can say is that every single one of these contracts was publicly tendered,” said Jagdeo.

He spoke of the use of public contractors and supervision from the public pool on all of the projects but sought to draw a contrast to the approach of the APNU/AFC administration.

“Contrast this to the approach to rent the bond,” said Jagdeo in reference to a recent Cabinet decision to rent a Sussex Street property for the storage of drugs and medical supplies at a cost of $14.5 million per month.

Jagdeo was adamant that there was absolutely no public tender for this contract which works out to $174 million per year or in excess of half a billion dollars over the three years.

He pointed out too that “we know where the office (is) located for this company” in reference Linden Holdings Inc located in a Middle Street building, formerly the Sidewalk Café, owned by Government Minister Cathy Hughes.

Jagdeo said that, “assuming Kato school has amortisation (repayment) of 10 years at $174 million a year

we would have spent $1.7 billion.”

“You complain about corruption and cronyism and you don’t see it,” Jagdeo quipped.

Jagdeo also responded to President Granger’s assertion that the APNU/AFC Government had in fact inherited huge liabilities in the form of legal settlements.

He was adamant however that this was not true in that Government did not inherit any such.

He rubbished the well documented arguments regarding the Rudisa beverages settlement which he said pales in comparison to the out-of-court settlement involving Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL).

Jagdeo is of the view that

this transaction was done surreptitiously outside the view of the public and will in fact expose the Treasury to as much as $80 bilion in liabilities.

Outlining his case that Government is in fact perpetrating a ‘brazen heist on the Treasury,’ Jagdeo pointed to the more than $400 million spent on the D’Urban Park Project, again undertaken by handpicked contractors, and called the transaction malodorous.

“You pontificating and have these brazen acts of heist of the Treasury…. Do the comparatives, how can you stand with a straight face and talk about projects that we tendered,” Jagdeo charged.

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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544 223-7230,223-7231,231-0544, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Tallest Hanuman Murti in Guyana at Leguan

Editorial

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oday, the tallest murti (Hindu sacred image) in Guyana will be unveiled (shtaapan) at the Blenheim Mandir on the island of Leguan, in the Essequibo River.

The murti of Lord Hanuman stands 52 feet and was created by a local Leguan sculptor Jainarine Prahalad. The murti was built completely from private donations. The ceremony will begin at 07:00h.

Illiberal democratic shift

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ack in 1991, the influential Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington observed the increasing number of autocracies that were turning to democracy as their mode of governance in the prior decade and dubbed it as the "Third Wave" of democratisation. The first one had occurred in the 19th century, following the American and French Revolutions but ebbed with the rise of fascism after the 1920s.

WWII opened up the floodgates to the "second wave" with the decolonisation movement that saw countries like Guyana obtain independence and constitutions that were based on the "liberal" democracy of the "mother country", such as Britain.

This variant of democracy, while insisting on the procedural aspect to elect governments by a majority of the populace, also included substantive conditions as the right of private property ownership, individual civil rights and the protection of political rights of minorities.

Unfortunately, for any number of reasons which included an impatience at the slow improvement or fall in economic performance, soon precipitated another decline in the number of practicing democracies. In Guyana we experienced the logic and degradations of "cooperative socialism" which was supposed to overcome the limitations of what was now dubbed "bourgeois democracy". That experiment, and most of the others, failed miserably.

And we arrived at Prof Huntington's "Third Wave" with the fall of the Soviet Union. The very next year after his book was published, the PPP was elected in the first "free and fair" elections in 28 years. But the decade had not even ended when Huntington's former student Fareed Zakaria (1997) observed developments in many of the new democracies and concluded they had become "illiberal". In his words these were: “democratically elected regimes often re-elected or reinforced by referendums that ignore the constitutional limits of their power and deprive their citizens of basic rights and liberties.” They had become autocratic.

In Guyana, the PPP administration never had the opportunity to complete the substantive transition of liberal democracy to give meaning to the value of "the people" choosing their own government. First of all, it inherited a "Structural Adjustment Programme" (SAP) that shaped their economic policies which obviously impacted on social programmes. More pertinently, the PNC opposition launched a strident campaign to delegitimise the government by claiming "ethnic cleansing" informed the PPP administration's moves to rationalise its staffing needs.

Actual violent protests were launched following the 1997 elections and these were not brought under control until 2008, with the elimination of the last members of the criminal gang that saw mayhem, murder, robberies, rape, and kidnapping almost becoming a norm. But very credibly, the PPP saw through a plethora of reforms that were intended to reinstitute liberal democracy here.

In terms of liberal democracy's insistence on the civil rights of the citizenry, these included constitutional bodies such as an Ethnic Relations Committee, several "Rights Bodies" - Women, Indigenous Peoples, Children, etc. Just as crucial, they formed four Sectorial Committees" in Parliament which covered the full spectrum of governmental operations and through which, the Opposition was offered the opportunity to scrutinise in real time. While not perfected, Liberal Democracy was well and truly being established in Guyana.

Sadly, even though many persons, including some who were sympathetic to the PPP, felt that democracy needed the regular "alteration" of governments, they have become alarmed at the actions of this government which signal they are moving Guyana firmly into the "illiberal democracy" camp.

One move which both create and reinforce illiberal thinking in governmental circles has been the mass recruitment of retired Army and Police officers, who have been indoctrinated to make decisions in an undemocratic fashion.

Another sign has been the government's refusal to observe the independence of constitutional bodies that were all explicitly given such powers to protect them and their mandate to ensure political and civil rights of citizens from Executive overreach.

Citizens must be vigilant to ensure that our liberal democratic gains are not further eroded and in fact, be expanded.

Still have faith in the justice system Dear Editor, The recent decision by a city magistrate in the Carvil Duncan case gives me strong reason to have faith in the justice system. The magistrate in question is a nononsense dispenser of justice who is concerned with the law and the law only, political and other extraneous distractions are furthest from his court. I commend Magistrate Daly.

In Guyana today where backwardness, mediocrity and the bullying tactics of an overbearing political culture, it would take grit, determination and guts to stand up and be counted. So, once again I commend the magistrate.

In the same vein I castigate persons of the ilk of

Tacuma Ogunseye who immediately reacted with his usual negative comments,.

In that letter he makes a direct appeal to the present administration to strong arm the justice system to get the desired result of a conviction, even if it means subverting the rule of law.

Pay strict attention to his assertions “that decision was nothing but an act of legal/judicial indiscretion which opens the authorities to the charge it was designed to support a politically wellconnected operative.”

He further asserts “for justice to prevail...there is urgent need for some form of oversight at the judicial level to ensure that these situations do not occur.” What “ur-

gent need” for some form of oversight of the judicial level is he talking about? That was a rhetorical question because we are all well aware as to what Ogungseye wants, and that is, a return of the days when the judiciary was just a rubber-stamp of the political whims and fancies of a dictator.

He wants us to return to those days of slavery under Burnham’s PNC. He wants us to go full circle back into those dark days. Should there be a realisation of what Ogunseye is asking, then heaven help us all here in Guyana. Things take precedence in our country.

What I find most appalling is the fact that here we have a man who from the po-

litical history of Guyana suffered immensely under the very same regime he is soliciting favours. Therefore, it defies intelligence that Ogunseye should be fostering such illegalities.

We the right thinking people of this country, would like to keep society stable and progressive, and in this regard, we sincerely ask that politics stay well clear of the judiciary.

I close by saying let us keep politics and other forms of illegal manipulations of the law out of the judiciary.

Let the two entities be separate.

Let freedom reign!

Dear Editor, The Executive and Management of Ogle Airport Inc (OAI) welcome the announcement published in the Guyana Chronicle, Friday, November 4, 2016, from Minister of State Joseph Harmon, that Cabinet has approved the recommendation of Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, to establish the “Airport Review Panel” in accordance with the lease agreement between Government and Ogle Airport Inc for the management and operation of the Airport.

The purpose of the Airport Review Panel is precisely “to review progress on the obligations of both parties”, that is the Government and the company, “to identify at an early stage any difficulty perceived by either

party in the performance of the obligations of both parties under this agreement and to make recommendations related to the performance of those obligations.”

It has always been the position of the Executive and Management of Ogle Airport Inc that many of the alleged and often self serving and frequently specious allegations against the performance of the Airport would have long ago been settled, had the Airport Review Panel been appointed at an early stage.

It was since November last year when the Minister convened a meeting with OAI to address the opposition to the renaming of the Airport – the Eugene F Correia International Airport – that a widespread media campaign was

mounted against the management of the Airport by the NATA group and that these complaints could and should have been properly addressed by the Airport Review Panel provided for in the Lease Agreement.

An example of the complaints mounted against the Airport’s management, is the allegation made by NATA to the GCAA and reported in the Chronicle, that there is “congestion” at the Airport with the majority of operators forced to use a single taxiway access to the main runway, causing them to have to wait while one operator with separate access has privileged access.

The fact is that all operators requiring access to the main runway file their request with the GCAA operated Control Tower and take

their turn according to assignment by the Tower, it having nothing to do with taxiway access to the runway. OAI maintains Air Traffic control does a good job of minimising delays of departures and the Eugene F Correia International Airport has a good record in this area, given the fact that it is one of the busiest international airports in terms of movements in the region.

OAI therefore looks forward to the appointment of the review panel as specified by our agreement with Government of Guyana, where complaints of this kind could be professionally addressed and settled quickly.

Sincerely, Neil Adams

OAI welcomes Airport Review Panel

Sincerely, Ogle Airport Inc

guyanatimesgy.com

SunDAY, november 6, 2016

News

PAHO releases new guide for mammogram testing T he Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), following a call to improve the quality of mammograms offered to women to ensure early and precise breast cancer diagnosis, has introduced a new guide which establishes the rules necessary to ensure the quality of mammography examinations in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The new guide comes at the end of breast cancer awareness month.

According to PAHO, the manual provides practical information to ensure highquality services, for both mammography screening of the breast and for diagnosis of disease and/or cancer, and also seeks to provide guidance to ensure access to mammography services and early detection of breast cancer.

According to PAHO, breast cancer is most common among women and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. In 2012, 408,000 cases were diagnosed in the region of the Americas, with 92,000 women losing their lives to the disease. If the current trends remain unchanged, it is estimated that by 2030, diagnosis and deaths combined will increase by 46 per cent.

In Guyana, the Oncology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) diagnosed 314 patients, with one of 39 different types of cancer in 2015.

Of that number, the largest percentage, 39.8 per cent, or some 125 persons, were diagnosed with breast cancer.

According to the Health Organisation, mammography is a diagnostic imaging technique that can detect breast cancer in its early stages. Its effectiveness for screening for this cancer is proven, its usefulness as a diagnostic tool to examine symptomatic or an abnormal screening in women as vital. However, to be effective, mammography requires a quality control ranging from the application of basic standards in training the personnel operating the system/ equipment, making processes of the image, and reading and communicating the results to the patient.

The PAHO publication "Quality Assurance Mammography Services: Basic standards for Latin America and the Caribbean",

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seeks to contribute to the improvement of the quality of mammograms, reduce mortality, while providing relevant technical information to organise services in Latin America and the Caribbean and make effective quality control.

It is aimed at public health professionals, health authorities and radiology staff working in all stages of this type of service and is designed specifically for use in those health systems where mammography services are already established or are in the process of being established. The guide has been designed to complement the World Health Organisation’s position paper on screening mammography.

“Early detection, coupled with timely and appropriate treatment is key to significantly reduce deaths from this disease,” PAHO said.

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Foundation

"No matter what name we give it or how we judge it, a candidate's character is central to political reporting because it is central to a citizen's decision in voting." - Roger Mudd, US political journalist

ith only two days to go for the US Presidential elections, you would think we'd be pretty certain by now as to which of the two contestants will come out with the prize. But according to the pundits

and pollsters, even though Hillary Clinton is slightly ahead, it's still a toss-up. And this means that over social media and among my friends in med school, the character of the candidates will still ignite fierce debates.

I never fail to be amassed at how the American media can suck us into their obsessions, crazes and current events. They just bombard you from so many angles that you get caught up - sometimes even against your

best judgement. Like right now when I'm supposed to be studying for my obstetrics finals!! We know more about the most arcane details of the candidates’ lives than their stand on policies - because that's what the media focus on.

I used to think that such an approach was a trivialisation of politics, but with the quote above in mind, ultimately the actions of the politician when in office will come down to their character, won't it? While we may knock our politicians and their politics in the Caribbean, maybe we do need to examine more, to paraphrase Martin Luther King, the content of their character and not the colour or the texture their hair.

Not to neglect their stance

on the issues, of course!

To listen to Donald Trump, your first thought is, he's a buffoon. But he did build a real estate empire that made him a billionaire and we cannot just airily dismiss this. And he did this in New York, where Jay Z, referencing Frank Sinatra, assures us that "if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere." But when you look at his character, especially after his views on women were exposed, you realise that in the system in New York and maybe by extension, the US, you don't need character to be "successful". As to whether that is a commentary on capitalism, I'm not qualified to say.

And that leads us to his opponent, Hillary Rodham Clinton and her character.

Even her most fervent supporters concede she's an

Anu Dev inveterate liar...but she's been Secretary of State of the US and is now a hairbreadth away from being the President of the United States! She's also seen as so ambitious for the rungs of power, that she was able to bear the stench of her husband's infidelities just to be within the system. I found it more than ironic that the revelations of her possibly compromising US national security by keeping her emails on a private server, came out of the comput-

er of her closest aide Huma Abedin - who stuck to an even sleazier politician husband. And when your basis of comparison is Bill Clinton, that's some sleaze!

So as Guyanese what's in it for us? We learnt from the two terms of Barrack Obama that presidents can only do so much. They enter a system and by and large they have to follow the rules of the US game.

Whether it's Trump or Clinton, they'll take actions to further America's interests and will do what they feel they have to do - especially when it concerns an inconsequential country like ours.

So it's six of one, half a dozen of the other. A plague on both houses for "forcing" me to spend so much time on them! Back to the books!

7 Govt sets sights on US$282M owed by GuySuCo, GPL T news

he Guyana Sugar C o r p o r a t i o n (GuySuCo) and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) together owes Government a whopping US$282 million and the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) Government has indicated its intention to begin recovering this money from

the two cash-strapped State Owned Entities (SOE).

This information is contained in the recently released Public Debt Report for 2015 which was prepared by the Debt Management Division (DMD) of the Ministry of Finance and made public on Friday last

by Substantive Minister, Winston Jordan.

Government has been struggling over the years to recover the monies it had loaned the two state entities.

At end-2015, GPL and GuySuCo had repaid less than one per cent of their debt payable to Government.

According to Minister Jordan in his Public Debt Report, two entities have over the years been billed for the debt service payments falling due but have not made payments to the

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Government.

Jordan concedes that while many SOEs do not appear to have the resources to service their debt obligations to the Government, “The process of reconciling the debt outstanding by SOEs to the Government commenced in 2015.”

He noted too that at end-2015, this process was still in progress but at “the

end of the exercise, the Government will make arrangements to recover the debt from the SOEs.”

On-lending

The two entities became indebted to the State through loans handed to it by government through what is referred to as an ‘onlending arrangement.’

Such an arrangement obtains where the Government obtains a loan, usually concessional financing from an international financial institution such as the World Bank or Caribbean Development Bank, and then passes on the loan principal to another entity, usually a SOE. The two beneficiaries of on-lend loans from Government are GPL and GuySuCo and “At end-2015,

the Government had on-lent some US$282M to these two entities.”

Of that amount, 54.8 per cent was on-lent to the GPL. There are a total of 11 such loan agreements, seven of which are between the Government and the GPL, and four with GuySuCo. Of the 11 agreements, six were financed directly from the PetroCaribe Fund.

According to information in the report over the review period, all new on-lending agreements were contracted with the GPL in the amount of US$80.1 million with the source of funding being the PetroCaribe Fund.

GPL, according to the Report has been the only SOE that benefitted from the PetroCaribe Fund in addition to another China Exim loan to the tune of US$39.6 million.

The report documents also that of the beneficiaries of the on-lend loans, GuySuCo was the only SOE covered by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was specifically for loans on-lent in relation to the Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project.

The MoU states the all payments due within three years after 2008 will be deferred but that MoU came to an end on December 31, 2011.

GuySuCo has not however resumed repayment of its obligations to the Government.

Strategically important

On-lending is said to be a means by which

Government can support strategically important projects that aid national development.

The Government enters an on-lending arrangement given that the primary loan proceeds are earmarked to fund capital expenditure for the SOEs. The terms and conditions of the primary loan agreements differ typically from those included in subsidiary loan agreements.

Interest rates are usually higher in subsidiary loan agreements than in primary loan agreements, but the rate is generally lower than the rate that the beneficiary could otherwise negotiate from commercial lenders.

According to the Report, by improving their financial viability, on-lending can facilitate the delivery of development projects that are expected to provide broader economic benefits to Guyana.

Berbice businessman robbed, beaten

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wo armed men on Friday robbed and terrorised a Yakusari North, Black Bush Polder, Berbice, businessman after which they escaped with cash and other valuables.

The businessman Jhodan, 71, who operates a service station, drinking spot and general store was severely beaten and left in his shop after the ordeal. He reportedly lives alone.

The man was reportedly found lying in a pool of blood with his hands bound and mouth gagged by a resident who went to

the general store to make a purchase.

The bandits were armed with cutlass and a knife. The Police were contacted but no arrests were made.

This newspaper understands that the bandits are said to be teenagers.

Only on Thursday evening last bandits stormed the Hing Fa Chinese Restaurant in Newtown, Kitty, Georgetown, and carted off an undisclosed sum of money. The robbery reportedly occurred at about 23:30h.

Based on reports, the men confronted the own-

er as he stood outside and held him at gunpoint. They dragged him into the restaurant and demanded that he hand over the money. He was severely beaten and subsequently handed over an undisclosed sum of cash and other values.

These robberies were executed even as police reported that serious crimes had dipped by 17 per cent.

The Police also noted that there were decreases in gun-related robberies and others where instruments other than guns were used.

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Shameless...

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...Singing for supper

hameless!! Yes, “shameless” is all we can say about the behaviour of Moses Nagamootoo (after all, this is a family newspaper!) and he played the role of Judas in betraying the tenets of democracy he goes on about. Says he imbibed them at the feet of Cheddi Jagan.

It is clear now that Nagamootoo wouldn’t recognise democracy if it crept up and bit him on his backside! All he’ll probably exclaim is “D’a wha’?!”

But then one had to sing for one’s supper, no? And when the supper comes on a platter marked “Prime Minister” then you just don’t sing, you’ll even yodel like you’ve been caponed since short pants! Now right off the bat...after complaining for 28 years about Jagan and the PPP being treated like “Christmas blow-blow” by Forbes Burnham in Parliament, how can he look at himself in the mirror to have his party renege on its prior agreement to the PPP’s “Private Members’ Day”?

As a new lawyer who presumably actually did some studies, he’d know that due process in law, and in politics insist “Auditer et alterem pars” - the “other side” - here the Opposition must be heard. To only allow the PPP to speak FOUR times since the APNU/AFC slid into government is obscene. The rules of the House specify that one out of four sittings must be given over to Member’s business. And this week was it.

And what motion did Nagamootoo move to move aside the PPP’s motions on the Public Service CoI, the D’Urban Park boondoggle, and the Parking Meter rape of Georgetown? To commend President Granger’s last speech to parliament!!! And how did he justify this? Well, said the PM in his carefully modulated oleaginous voice (to hide his class origins?) the six times the President came to explain his business to the National Assembly was “historic”.

Really? Well did Nagamootoo ever think that by THE CONSTITUTION, the Prime Minister is the Executive President’s representative in the National Assembly?

And that apart from the ceremonial opening speech, the previous Executive Presidents had confidence in their PMs to REPRESENT them!! Does Nagamootoo realise that Prezzie has just stripped him of another “power”??

What’s left now? Bossing his shill?

But Nagamootoo outdid himself with his Uriah Heep’s performance. (Remember him from David Copperfield? ...notable for his cloying humility, obsequiousness, and insincerity, making frequent references to his own “humbleness”. Nagamootoo’s name will now become synonymous with being a sycophant.)

After all his fulminations as a PPP executive during the violent excesses by the Buxton Gang in what Prezzie called “The Troubles”, how could he now blame it all on the PPP? Yodeling for his supper?

...extortioners

How can we Guyanese allow this eyepass to pass?

This most shameless episode in our history proves we are invertebrates - a people without backbone. Your Eyewitness is, of course, kvetching about the City Hall Gang of Four and their partners in crime proceeding blithely ahead to rape us whenever we visit Georgetown.

We’re now told that the meters will be installed by “midDecember”.

Obviously this is to shake down the biggest shopping period of the year - Christmas - when folks as far away as Crabwood Creek come into Georgetown for some shopping. These carpetbaggers obviously want to recoup their investment before New Year’s Day! And after all the govt’s posturing all the City’s getting is a measly 20% of the revenues. We know mucho dinero passed under tables as far afield as Panama City and Bogota... so the Smart City fellas have to recoup more than their investment in equipment!!

What to do? Hire the winners of the Hackaton to crash the Parking Meter system!!

...party paramountcy

Minister of State in the Presidency valiantly tried to head off condemnations of party paramountcy redux, by denying folks would meet ministers at Congress Place.

But Oscar put him in his place. He bit him “right dey!!”

And there followed Minister Norton, taking supplications in PNC Headquarters!!

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

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SunDAY, november 6, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

GuySuCo struggles to recapture 1 in 4 Amerindian children considered stunted – UNICEF Caribbean market

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he Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySyuCo) Marketing Department is aiming to recover the Caribbean market, given indications that sales rose from 2014, the Corporation’s 2015 annual report said.

The report stated that the Corporation believes it has the ability to do this, “particularly as a manufacturer who places price, service and value at the core of its marketing effort.”

It indicated that bagged sales to the Caribbean Community (Caricom) market – at prices well above that of the EU market – showed progression since sales totalled 19,863 tonnes as opposed to 16,976.00 metric tonnes in 2014. This consisted mainly of sales to Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Barbados, Antigua and Grenada.

Meanwhile, it noted that the Corporation vows to strategically focus its will in the regional market for value-added sugars.

In 2015, 138 metric tonnes of sugar was shipped to the regional market; these included Anguilla, St Croix, British Virgin Islands and St Maarten.

However, there was a sustained supply of sugar to the local market in 2015 with sugar sales totalling 21,112 tonnes – of which 2974 metric tonnes was in retail packaged form.

“The Marketing Department continues to execute its Customer Service Charter under the accreditation of the upgraded ISO 9001/2008 Management System,” the report added, noting that the Corporation’s total sales in the value-added category for all markets totaled 8042 tonnes.

It added that GuySuCo continued trade in the markets that it has been historically supplying with bulk raw brown sugar and direct consumption (value added) sugar in 2015, while highlighting that the Corporation’s Marketing Department continues to work with the marketing agent Czarnikow Group Limited to seek out new opportunities and

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markets worldwide.

This effort, it said, has led to the Corporation being able to enter into a new market within Europe namely, Italy by supplying the customer with Demerara specials, packed in one tonne sacks. “This effort also enabled the Corporation to penetrate the Canadian marketplace with its direct consumption sugar. Also, during the year under review the Corporation was able to re-enter the United States of America (USA) market with its branded sugar ‘Enmore Crystals’.”

However, it indicated that the persistence of low production levels and the Corporation’s commitment under its long-term sales agreement with Tate and Lyle resulted in limited sugar being available for supply to the direct consumption market in Europe once again. Nevertheless, it emphasised that an improvement over 2014 was recorded, since a total 638 tonnes was exported during the review period.

With sales of direct consumption sugar to the USA resuming in 2015, the Corporation was able to export a total of 41 tonnes of packaged and bagged sugars into this market in the last quarter of 2015 and 25 tonnes of packaged sugar into the Canadian market.

he United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that one in every four Amerindian children is considered as suffering from stunted growth.

According to a recently released report, children living in poor families and those living in the interior of the country have double the chances of being stunted than the national average.

The nutritional status of children and women are determined by immediate, underlying and structural causes that involve, among others low birth weight; inadequate dietary intake – which should start from breastfeeding; constant diseases that weakens the children; and household food insecurity – determined by the economic conditions that family has, among others.

The report said while Guyana has met the Millennium Development Goal target of halving the proportion of people suffering from hunger, a considerable percentage of children still suffer nutritional problems in the country.

Therefore, it indicated that the challenge presently is to reach the new targets set by the Sustainable Development Goals, which

claims for ensuring access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food and to end all forms of malnutrition, including stunted growth, while addressing the needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women.

So far, Government has been revising the 2002 Foodbased Dietary Guidelines,

focusing on reducing the impact of iron deficiency anaemia, emphasising the importance of breastfeeding and addressing the emerging treat of non-communicable diseases, among others.

“Around nine per cent of children under the age of five in Guyana are moderately or severely underweight and two per cent are classified as severely underweight. Twelve per cent of the children are stunted (too short for their age), and 3.4

per cent are severely stunted. Some 6.4 per cent are considered to be wasted, or too thin for their height, being 1.7 per cent considered severely wasted,” the report noted, pressing that stunted growth should be seen as a major concern for Guyana.

It stated that a child who is stunted often appears to be normally proportioned but is actually shorter than normal for his/her age. Stunting usually begins before birth and is caused by poor maternal nutrition, poor feeding practices, poor food quality and frequent infections that can slow down growth.

Notably, it is irreversible after a certain age; hence, the report said to have an impact on stunting levels, nutrition interventions need to be targeted to women during pregnancy and to children from birth to 18 months of age.

“At short-term, stunting increases the chances of death among children between the ages of zero and five; and decreases his/her cognitive, motor and language developments. At long-term, stunting is related to obesity, low school performance and low learning capacity, and, consequently, low work skills and productivity.”

Turn to page 15

10 news Govt considering rent increases for leased lands SunDAY, november 6, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

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hief Executive Officer of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), Trevor Benn, has announced that Government is considering the option of increasing the rent for leased lands as another method of garnering revenue.

Benn indicated that the Commission has undertaken a number of initiatives aimed at generating revenue to make its services more efficient and stake-

holder-friendly. This announcement was made during a press briefing at the D’Urban Backlands office.

One of the initiatives that are to be undertaken by the commission is a lease portfolio that will determine the amount of leases that have been granted and their incomes.

Benn stated that lease increases have not been initiated for some years and have led to persons paying

Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Trevor Benn

meagre fees.

He noted that although the Commission still does most of its work manually, it is in the process of digitising its records, a process expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

He further added that GLSC is currently working on a project funded through the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) that will help to provide the resources to speed-up its computerisation process.

Meanwhile, the Commission is urging the public to desist from building structures on Government reserves: “It is illegal to occupy Government or State property without permission of the State agency…however, there has been a lapse

and people were allowed, wittingly or unwittingly, to occupy Government reserves. What we have found though is that it has become a real hindrance to the developmental works that the Government would like to pursue…. Therefore, the call that was made recently, one, is to remind people that it is illegal to do that, and secondly, to tell people that going forward, it will not be encouraged.”

While some persons living on the reserves have been served notices to desist, the GLSC is hampered from taking further action as some of them have been granted licence to occupy some portions of land.

“We’re saying to them that we’re not prepared to perpetually grant licence to them to be on the reserve.

In fact the licence is very clear that whenever government is ready for use of the reserve that they will have to vacate. So it is very clear to anyone, who may have had a licence in the past… some people have begun to believe that this is a right and so without even getting approval from Lands and Surveys, they go on to the parapets, they go on to the reserves and so we’re trying to discontinue that practice,” Benn said.

Smart flies

S

atiricus meandered his way to the Back Street Bar slowly. He’d stayed clear of the joint for a couple of weeks after his old drinking pal Cappo had “gone foreign”. But there were always one or more of the usual gang frequenting the watering spot, so he knew he wouldn’t be drinking alone. Which he hated.

“Hey Sato ole buddy...old friend!” exclaimed Hari when he spotted Satiricus. He was already chugging a beer with Bungi, Cappo’s former cane-cutting partner.

“Yuh hear fram da bai?” said Bungi as Satiricus sidled into a seat. He was referring to Cappo.

“The man working already,” he informed them, as he signalled for a beer. “In his brother-in-law construction crew.” “’E betta sen’ somet’ing quick!” grinned Bungi.

“Facktry grine aff an’ abee na get none back pay!!”

“Boy, from what I hear, your factory didn’t only “grind off”” said Hari. “They mightn’t even open all of them back to grind again.”

“Yeh...me hear dem guh tell abee in time fuh Chrissmuss,” said Bungi dolefully. “Chrissmuss present.”

“How come you so quiet, Sato,” asked Hari. “Didn’t you say you voted for Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat because they would change things for the better?”

“Well, they don’t have all that power, you know,” Satiricus said sheepishly.

“Suh tell me wha’ pawah dem gat, na Sato,” rasped Bungi angrily as he finished off his beer. “Even waan pawah!”

“Take it easy on Sato, Bungi,” said Hari placatingly.

“His best friend gone...and now his leaders are betraying him.”

“Listen chaps,” started out Satiricus. “Nagga and Rum Jhaat were too trusting. They didn’t realise they would be outsmarted.” “”Too trusting! Ha!!” Hari snorted so vigorously he almost inhaled his beer. “They were so greedy to get power, they would’ve walked over their mothers’ grave to just get their Minister work!”

“And now they have to show up and do whatever they’re told,” said Satiricus sadly. “Like in Parliament Friday night. I’m embarrassed for them.”

“All smart fly does end up in cow backside!!” advised Bungi. “Buy some beer Sato!”

guyanatimesgy.com

SunDAY, november 6, 2016

11

News Speaker evicts Nandlall from parliamentary debate …PPP walks out in condemnation

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peaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland in the wee hours of Saturday morning evicted former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, from the Chambers of the House, bringing an end to the Opposition participation in a rancorous, marathon debate related to the President’s speech to Parliament in October last.

Nandlall was at the time making his presentation on the debate which had begun the previous day.

He was routinely interrupted throughout his presentation as government ministers challenged his assertions on numerous occasions.

It was on one such occasion, as Nandlall was making reference to a US$5.7 million settlement entered into between Government and BK International in relation to the Haags Bosch Landfill.

Nandlall suggested that Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan had in fact made that disclosure in the press.

Having already had to withdraw his statements to the debate on several occasions, Nandlall was this time challenged by Minister Bulkan who denied making the assertion.

At this point Nandlall sought to vociferously defend his stance, saying that Minister Bulkan has never denied making statements to the press to the effect that Government had made the payout to BK International on the basis of a threatening letter.

The Speaker at this point demanded that Nandlall substantiate his claims by providing the source of his information.

Nandlall sought to counter by saying he did not have

the newspapers he referred to on hand, but granted an hour’s leave, he would be able to produce it.

The former Attorney General lamented that the opposition had not prepared to debate a motion on the President’s speech since they had in fact prepared for separate motions.

His request was however not granted and Nandlall was again asked to withdraw his accusation against the Minister to which he defiantly refused.

Dr Scotland at this point informed the former Attorney General that should be not comply, then he would not be able to continue making his presentation to the debate.

Former Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland

Nandlall instead opted to withdraw from the debate at which point Dr

Scotland ordered him out of the Chambers – a move that angered his colleague PPP/C

members of parliament all of whom opted to leave the Chambers in solidarity.

Nandlall has since taken to social media decrying the actions of Dr Scotland saying, “The Speaker committed a travesty…There is not even an effort to conceal the bias anymore.”

Nandlall has since in a public missive, insisted that he was muzzled by Dr Scotland.

According to Nandlall: “We were discussing the President's address to the Parliament delivered on the 13th October, 2016…

My presentation was robust and heavily critical of the President's speech.”

Nandlall contends that his presentation pointed to

the length and “how skewed and vacuous the speech was by citing examples and illustrating its deficiencies…I further identified the various constitutional interferences and violations of which the Executive was guilty.”

According to Nandlall, “As usual, not being able to endure the criticisms and like true authoritarians, the Ministers started to object to every reference I made.”

Among other speakers to the debate which finally came to a close at 01:00h on Saturday – having begun shortly after 14:30h the previous day – were Irfaan Ally, Ganga Persaud and ministers Amna Ally, Raphael Trotman and Basil Williams.

12 news Govt working to up policing of porous borders – Granger SunDAY, november 6, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

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resident David Granger has outlined that the Administration is looking to strengthen and equip the Guyana Police Force, so that there can be tight security in communities along the country’s borders.

Speaking on this week’s televised programme ‘The Public Interest’, which aired on Friday, the Head of State explained that there are some necessary “organisational changes” taking place within the Force; especially as it relates to adequately equipping the Force to police the borders.

“We cannot control 3000, 4000 kilometers of border on foot. We have to give the Police better boats, we have to give them All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), we have to give them aircraft and so on. We have provided some horses but the horses cannot cover the distance,” the President noted, while adding that the Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper TakatuUpper Essequibo) alone is bigger than all of Costa Rica.

Furthermore, Granger underscored the need to have more manpower stationed along the porous borders, but in this vain, rec-

ognised that the country’s premier law enforcement agency is under strength.

“We want to recruit more people into the Mounted Branch, particularly in the Rupununi and we want to have local residents who could participate in the mounted branch patrols operations there,” he remarked.

Only on Thursday last, Minister of State Joseph Harmon told reporters at the post-Cabinet press briefing that Government is exploring various ways on how to further strengthen security at the borders and will accept assistance from any international partner willing to lend a hand.

He pointed out that there are a range of opportunities from which Guyana enjoys such partnership. These include the US-funded Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) as well as bilateral arrangements between Guyana and neighbouring Brazil.

According to the Minister of State, the latter option has seen Guyana benefiting from shared information on both sides of its border with

President David Granger

that neighbour.

Harmon stated that the Administration will spare no effort to ensure the safety of its citizens, so that the country could to develop its resources in an atmosphere and an environment of peace.

On the issue of seeking international help, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, just over a week ago, disclosed that during a recent visit to Washington, DC, requests were made for assistance in strengthening security at the coun-

try’s borders in order to curb gun-smuggling, particularly from Brazil, where there is a very long porous border too.

Only recently, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) called on Government to adequately equip local law enforcement agencies and personnel to better police the country’s borders in order to arrest gun-smuggling from the Portuguesespeaking nation.

According to PSC Chairman, Eddie Boyer, citizens are concerned about the inability of the State to

generally protect them from widespread gun inspired crime, threatening their wellbeing and safety To this end, the PSC Chairman is calling on President David Granger, who is also Commander-inChief of the armed forces, to publicly order the men and women in uniform to bring some order and control as it relates to criminal gangs and individuals terrorising the Guyanese community.

“This is not the good life.

It is time that our President intervenes… We believe that each and every one of our ordinary citizens feel threatened, regardless of where they happen to be, whether in the street, their workplace or in their homes, are under threat each day from violent gun related crime,” the Chairman posited.

Meanwhile, during ‘The Public Interest’ programme, President Granger also expressed concern over illegal weapons entering Guyana from Brazil and signalled intentions to up border control to get these guns off the streets.

“Our biggest problem is the fact that we have a border with Brazil which is the border’s largest producer

and exporter of small arms.

Many illegal weapons are traced to Brazil…,” he noted.

Criticisms

Moreover, the Head of State also expressed concern over the fact that private firearm holders may be renting weapons to criminals. As such, he noted that Government is considering clamping down on the issuance of gun licences to civilians. He noted that in the fullness of time, his Administration would like to see firearms in the hands of primarily law enforcement officers.

This statement did not go down well with the public, as criticisms mounted against the President since many believe that having personalised weapons is an avenue of protection against criminals who are now perceived to be emboldened.

In fact, just last Wednesday, a 20-year-old Albouystown, Georgetown, youth was shot and killed by a miner after he (the 20-yearold youth) and an accomplice attempted to invade the businessman’s home at Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara.

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SunDAY, november 6, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

President Hillary Clinton?

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p until a week ago, the US elections looked like a relatively easy win for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Then the FBI threw a spanner in the works which seem intended to favour the candidacy of her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.

Clinton’s campaign continues to be dogged by her email controversy and the race has tightened considerably.

Americans are faced with the dilemma of choosing between two evils and deciding on whether a possibly corrupt Clinton is the lesser evil Ryhaan Shah compared to the temperamental business tycoon, Trump.

America has always been proud of its claim that anyone can grow up to be president. This campaign cycle, Trump has put that claim to the test with his unorthodox campaign style which arises from personality traits that include demagoguery, narcissism, sexism, and racism.

As his rhetoric grew to dangerous levels, the establishment, including many media corporations and Republican leaders, closed ranks around Clinton to support her candidacy. They felt that Trump’s rhetoric and poor grasp of international politics could make for unwanted volatility with their economic and political partners.

That the Russian Government is said to be hacking into the Democrats’ campaign headquarters’ emails and publicising embarrassing correspondence via Wikileaks also appears to be a pro-Trump move as are their attempts to interfere with the elections machinery and databases.

But any alarm over a foreign government’s attempt to influence the outcome of the elections has been overshadowed

by Clinton’s email scandals and the public perception that she is untrustworthy.

Foreign interference in a general election is not the only factor in the US presidential race that resonates with us in Guyana. Ironically, it was the American Government who were the meddlers and rather infamously for nearly three decades as they kept President Forbes Burnham in power to serve their own interests.

That they forged the APNU/AFC coalition is no secret and the public perception prevails that they had a hand in ensuring a victory for their creation.

Trump’s insistence that the US elections system is rigged is also familiar territory in that such rigging actually occurred here – again, with the blessings of the American Government – as well as the fears of what could happen if he refuses to accept the results, should he lose.

The 1992 elections were followed by the looting of Regent Street shops by PNC supporters when their party lost that first free and fair elections since 1964 and, from 1997 onwards, the PNC was always in post-elections protest mode that was bolstered by the same Trump-like accusations of electoral fraud.

Before his presidential bid, Trump had been embraced as a billionaire playboy by the very establishment that now shuns him. It seemed they had viewed him as a somewhat entertaining buffoon who had literally bought his way into the company of the elite.

He now finds himself the leader of mainly white, noncollege-educated America, not the company that Trump had ever embraced. Much of his rage could have come out of a sense of betrayal from those he believed had accepted him as an equal.

Trump has given voice to his supporters’ prejudices and frustrations, and one American political commentator said their faith in him is unshakeable because for them “he walks on water”.

He has fed on their fears and suspicions of the establishment as being the cause of their inability to take advantage of social and economic policies that could have lifted them into the middle class.

That rhetoric of “marginalisation” also resonates here and even as many Republican leaders distanced themselves from Trump and his rhetoric, they have to acknowledge that their party has long tolerated the right-wing views that he espouses and represents.

Moderate Republicans might never use his extremist language but they had tolerated and even delighted in surrogates like Trump who had led the attacks on Democrats’ positions.

In every sense, they created Trump and how the GOP rebuilds after Tuesday is yet to be seen since he has managed to alienate women, Mexicans, Muslims, POWs, the differently abled, and US Gold Star families, among others.

As for his message of change, every one of us, from our current experience, can advise Americans to be very wary of that campaign promise. It’s also familiar territory for us to elect politicians who are dogged by scandals and controversies even worse than Clinton’s. America’s dilemma of voting for the lesser of two evils has been our only electoral choice for decades.

With the polls continuing to give Clinton a slight edge, will America choose to elect the first woman president of the United States?

Will it be President Hillary Clinton?

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to shah@guyanatimesgy.com

National Day of Villages to be observed on Monday T

he National Day of Villages will be observed on Monday (tomorrow), along with the launch of the 177th Anniversary commemorative stamp.

Several villages across the country are in preparation for the inaugural National Day of Villages in commemoration of the establishment of the first village and the contributions of freed slaves to the village movement.

The observance will be held at Sendall Park, Victoria, East Coast Demerara, and will see in attendance President David Granger and Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan, among other officials.

Representative of the Victoria Reconstruction Trust (VRT) Abraham

Boys walking home from school in the village

Poole said that the event will also feature a village tramp and various culinary competitions as well as a discourse on modernising family life.

He stated that the National Village Day observances began Wednesday last with a medical out-

reach and the opening of Indaba (a village conference of elders) on Thursday.

The indaba continued on Friday with an Agriculture Fair and Exhibition, and on Saturday with workshops on climate change and revitalising of farming in Victoria.

Today the villagers will gather for a family fun day which will conclude with a dramatic piece depicting the legend of Victoria Village. The celebrations will culminate on Monday when other villages will also gather to observe the inaugural National Village Day. This event will be commemorated yearly following a motion proffered

by President Granger in his capacity then as Leader of the Opposition.

Victoria is Guyana’s first village and the purchase is significant to local folklore, literature and history: On November 7, 1839, 83 men and women collected their coins and brought them in bags in a wheelbarrow 30 kilometres from what was then Plantation Northbrook to Georgetown to buy land.

14 news

SunDAY, november 6, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

GWI sacks Chief Auditor in wake of investigations launched … attempted to investigate senior official

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he Chief Internal Auditor of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has been fired three months after he was appointed to the post, and according to reliable sources within the utility company, the decision was taken after the Chief Internal Auditor attempted to investigate a senior official at the entity.

Guyana Times understands that Anand Bharat, the GWI Chief Internal Auditor, had his appointment approved by Chairman of the Finance/Audit Committee in light of the circumstances which prevailed at the company at that time.

Bharat in his dismissal letter was told that his appointment would be rescinded since correct procedure had not been followed.

This publication further understands that Bharat was subsequently told that his appointment was supposed to have been endorsed by the Managing Director – the very official against whom he had launched an investigation.

According to internal GWI correspondences seen

by Guyana Times Bharat insists that procedure had been followed and in fact considers the revoking of his appointment as a personal attack.

Bharat, who headed the GWI internal department, had proposed a new structure to the Chairman of the Board, which included the creation of the position of the Chief Internal Auditor.

The Board subsequently took a decision to advertise for the position and Bharat’s application was found to be more responsive of the two persons that had applied for the position, and as such, was recommended for the appointment.

This newspaper reported last month that GWI’s Managing Director was in fact being accused at the time of employing extraordinary measures to force out Bharat after he would have launched a series of investigations directed against him.

Bharat had been functioning in that department as the most senior functionary for just under seven years and was appointed in August last.

He was subsequently employed substantively, based on the recommendation of GWI’s Human Resources Director.

This newspaper understands that subsequently a senior official at the entity contended that the employment has in fact breached the entity’s procedures and

should be rescinded and the position re-advertised since he did not approve of the appointment.

This position is however being met with staunch opposition, since it was pointed out that senior official was merely seeking retribution against the Chief Auditor who had been conducting a series of investigations with regard to decisions made by that official, specifically related to the procurement of a number of services and other contracts.

One such contract that attracted the attention of the Chief Auditor is for the construction of a well on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

Guyana Times understands that a perturbed senior official lodged complaints with GWI’s Human Resources sub-committee, complaining that the auditors are investigating him.

The senior official during a recent meeting of the sub-committee also sought to query who was the other persons engaged in the audit directed against him, specifically with regard to the issuance of a cheque.

He was reportedly informed that such action would be considered as impeding the auditor’s investigation.

The senior official was

also previously accused of seeking to undermine the functioning of the audit department. According to the correspondence seen by Guyana Times, “The environment… found to be very hostile most of the times but we tried as much as possible to suppress and work around it.”

The Internal Auditors have since recommended an urgent review of GWI’s policies and procedures at all operational areas to reflect modern practices and the structural changes recently made.

The internal auditors were also reportedly subjected to constant abuse by the senior official, which essentially led to an adverse effect on staff morale. The verbal confrontations reportedly stemmed from queries and findings they would have raised relating to debt recovery, commercial services areas and Human Resources audit checks. The uproar which has erupted in the entity within recent weeks has already led to the resignation of the entity’s Chairman of the Board of Directors, who in his resignation to the substantive Minister with responsibility for the sector said he could not serve in the capacity of a ‘rubber stamp Chairman.”

Younge’s Take Making Guyana safe again

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resident David Granger recently announced that his administration will be taking steps to reduce the amount of firearms and other weapons that are issued to private citizens by the State.

He reasoned that such a step is necessary, given the growing concern over the rising levels of crime and criminality in our society and his Government’s recent ‘discovery’ that some licenced firearm holders were “renting” their weapons to criminals to commit crimes.

President Granger said that the firearm holders were engaging their unscrupulous acts in order to earn part of the “booty” that is oftentimes taken from citizens by criminals after the robberies and crimes.

He went further to express Michael Younge concern too that an increasing number of illegal weapons and small arms were finding their way into the hands of private citizens and criminals as a result of the illicit trade occurring across the country’s border with Brazil.

It is clear therefore he believes that the reduction of the issuance of firearms to private citizens is an integral part of the crime fighting plan being devised by his Government.

Since making the statement, the President and his Government have again faced a slew of criticisms from both ordinary and key stakeholders in the fight against crime. While some were bold enough to express their concerns about the statement on social media and in various parts of the mass media, others chose to express their worry about the move in private.

The truth is, the President’s statement on the subject of the issuance of gun licences was not well thought out. It sent the wrong message to private citizens who are already being forced to pursue vigilante justice and other forms of self-protection against criminals who appear to roam this country with an emboldened posture and political immunity in some cases.

By further attempting to disarm law abiding private citizens, the Government is playing right into the hands of criminals.

Surely, President Granger must know that public confidence in the country’s law enforcement agencies is very low. He must know that Guyana would plunge into chaos if citizens were just to sit in their homes and depend on the Police Force to protect them without investing millions in private security gadgets and alarms.

If citizens are no longer able to fully protect themselves against those who come not only in the middle of the night to steal and destroy but now in the bright daylight, then the President might as well declare a State of Emergency.

One would have hoped that the President would have been a tad wiser and announce a plan aimed at further investigating the high-powered weapons and AK47 riffles that went missing from the army many years ago and ended up in the hands of the criminals who wreaked havoc in this country. He could have even asked for an audit of the weapons stock of the Police Force and the amount of firearm licences issued to private citizens, businesses and other agencies with a view to understanding the entire picture.

Maybe it would have been wise for President Granger to share the statistics which he has either from the Public Security Ministry, the Police Force or some survey that led him to the conclusion that guns in the hands of private citizens were partially responsible for the crime wave. It would have been even wiser for the President to announce new measures, apart from the wardens he spoke of, to tackle the illicit inflow and trade of weapons between Brazil and Guyana.

He could have even chosen to announce parts of a robust plan to fight the criminal elements wreaking havoc on private citizens and sucking the blood out of innocent families as of late.

President Granger and his heavily protected ministerial pool can never understand the pain, anguish and emotional trauma faced by ordinary and sometimes very hard working Guyanese families when they become victims of robberies, murders, break and enter as well as larceny and other forms of gun-related crimes.

Unless he gets on the ground and does more than public courtesy calls, he is not helping the situation. After all he is the brain child of one of the most ineffective and dangers policies that sees convicted criminals being released from jail almost regularly now under the guise of giving first-time offenders a second chance.

Until the public knows who they are and what crimes they committed, no one will feel safe. That aside, President Granger refuses to fire one of the most ineffective, arrogant and boastful Public Security Ministers this country has ever seen since the early 2000’s.

The public must demand better from this Government that is saddled with ex-police and military officers at every tier. It is time for Granger to leave the army headquarters where he keeps his cabinet meetings in secrecy and State House. Maybe a walk along some area of the country without security will prove interesting for those who wield executive power.

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SunDAY, november 6, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

Digicel shortlisted for ‘Best Caribbean Wholesaler’

Head of Digicel for the Caribbean and Central America, Garrett Quinn

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igicel has been shortlisted as one of three finalists in the Global Carrier Awards 2016 for the “Best Caribbean Wholesaler” category for its Best Regional and Global Wholesale Carrier application.

The Global Carrier Awards celebrate innovation, excellence and vision, and set the benchmark for performance throughout the global wholesale telecoms marketplace.

Digicel was selected based on its innovation in network services and commitment to doing things differently - always challenging the status quo in the Caribbean and providing world-class service to the carrier community.

In the past year, Digicel has invested heavily in new services and technologies across the Caribbean, with one of its major achievements being the completion of Digicel Global Connect – a fully managed private network that offers Managed Ethernet, VPLS and MPLS technology across twenty

three of its 26 Caribbean markets.

Combined with a strong in-market network, Digicel Global Connect delivers the best network experience in the Caribbean today by giving its partners access to state-of-the-art Ciscopowered network with an extensive reach of over 150 countries.

“We are delighted to have been shortlisted for the distinguished Global Carrier Awards in our first year of entering. We are committed to changing how the market buys connectivity, so to be shortlisted for this award is a testament to the great work that the team is doing’, said Garrett Quinn, head of Digicel Business for the Caribbean and Central America.

Quinn further stated that business is global, and Digicel is delighted to offer the solutions that make it easier for its partners to do business in the Caribbean.

Now in its 11th year, the Global Carrier Awards will be held on November 8 in Paris.

1 in 4 Amerindian...

from page 9

It also emphasised that greater proportions of children in Regions Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) are found to be moderately or severely underweight (12 per cent) and moderately or severely stunted (27-28 per cent). It added that Regions Seven and Eight also have the highest proportions of children who are severely underweight, with five per cent; as well as severely stunted, with 11 per cent.

In contrast, the percentage wasted is highest in Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) with nine per cent), the report noted, stating that while the differences are relatively small for underweight and wasting prevalence between the areas of residence for both urban-rural and interiorcoastal disaggregation, as it relates to stunting, children

in interior areas are twice as likely as those in coastal areas – 10 per cent.

The Government has a National School Feeding Programme that seeks to fight issues of nutrition and stunting, specifically in the hinterland region. The programme supplies biscuits and fruit drinks – for Region Nine, it also supplies peanut butter and cassava bread – and targets all nursery and primary school age children (up to Grade Two).

As of April 2016, more than 45,000 boys and girls were beneficiaries of the programme.

However, the report stated that household wealth is clearly associated with the nutritional status of children relative to underweight, stunting, and wasting since as household wealth and mother’s education increase, the likelihood of the children to be moderately or severely underweight, stunted, and wasted decreases.

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SunDAY, november 6, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

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SunDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Anna's

Dentists urged to be up-todate with latest technology

Mining, pollution, T who’s responsible?

Y

esterday, the 3-G conference held at the Université Paul Valérie in Montpellier, hosted a round table, during which young French Guyanese discussed some of the deficiencies of their region with which they are faced. When mention was made of the issue of mining, I grasped the opportunity to enquire what the situation was like for Amerindians in French Guyana.

Anna Correia Surprisingly, it was French handball player and elected Quester for youth/sports for the Languedoc Rousillon Regional Council Joel Abati, then present among the audience, who provided an informative response.

According to Abati, Amerindians in French Guyana are suffering increasingly from cancers due to the mercury pollution resulting from mining. He immediately caught my attention. Knowing that in comparison to Guyana, the French Guyanese would dispose of more means to obtain reliable data on environmental pollution, I asked Abati to refer me to his source.

The “Bulletin Epidemologique Hebdomadaire no. 13” of April 2010, concluded that French Guyanese Amerindians located in zones where mining was conducted, are exposed to levels of mercury above that which is scientifically accepted, due particularly to their high consumption of fish. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable up to their second trimester, and can present a risk of congenital diseases, malformations and neurological handicap for unborn children.

Only last week, a headline raised the alarm when the number of children diagnosed with cancers in Guyana accounted for 50% Amerindians, an unprecedented phenomena insofar as we know.

The possibility that the pollution of waterways by mercury and other chemicals used in the mining sector, is responsible for this, cannot be excluded.

Rivers and waterways in Guyana are as intrinsic to the Amerindian way of life as is land. Amerindians across Guyana still depend on these for their livelihood, consumption, hygiene and other everyday chores. People who live in regions where mining is actively conducted are the first victims of an environmental pollution from which they can hardly escape. The people of Regions 7 and 1, for whom fish is an integral part of their diet, should be especially concerned.

Those who do not live close to mines however, are far from exempt from the effects of pollution, as connecting waterways transport chemicals to different parts of the country, infecting the flora and fauna as they go. Even if river-bed mining is avoided, the threat posed by land-mining subsides long after mines are abandoned, leaving chemicals to impregnate the soil, contaminate the surrounding environment and the rivers when the torrential rains erode the lands.

A common problem is that water pollution in Guyana is often measured in terms of turbidity, which only indicates signs of contamination but not the composition of particles present in the water. Additionally, many Amerindians interpret turbidity to mean the presence of sand and mud due to illegal river mining, and would therefore request this test when they suspect this is occurring on their lands. Most are unaware that turbidity can be used for any source of water regardless of if it is being mined or not.

This begs the question of who is responsible for raising awareness on mining in Amerindian communities. At first, one is prompted to respond that this responsibility befalls the Natural Resources Ministry, but while this is partly true, mining pollution is a multi-stakeholder concern. In fact, the Indigenous Peoples Affairs Ministry, the Health Ministry and the Protected Areas Commission should be held equally responsible for minimizing environmental pollution.

So should the Government of Norway, especially since it has provisioned for indigenous rights in the LCDS, from which derived the Amerindian Land Titling Project partnered by the UNDP and guided by a multi-stakeholder Project Board, including the Natural Resources Ministry and all its agencies.

Unfortunately, the attitude of the Natural Resources Ministry towards indigenous land rights today, is hardly different, if not worse, than what is was two years ago. While one of its own Ministers mines on Tasserene’s proposed title and refuses to move, the Ministry has doled out hundreds of acres to newcomers, fencing in Amerindian homes in some villages (including Tasserene) as they hijack their livelihoods.

The future will remain bleak if Amerindian leaders do not call on their representatives, including the NTC and the IPC, to raise awareness, especially in their communities, and to act on policies which will monitor the mining sector, sanction those who desecrate the environment, and sustainably curb pollution, sparing the next generations of Guyanese children. Send comments to sundayarrow@gmail.com

he Annual Dental Convention 2016 kicked-off on Saturday under the theme “Promoting Dentistry Through Education” and will run for two days.

Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings, in delivering the feature address at the event, which is being held at the Pegasus Hotel, said she hopes that at the end of the convention “there would have been a comprehensive exchange of contemporary scientific knowledge among participants resulting in various degrees of learning taking place.”

Dr Cummings said the Convention will provide the opportunity for the delegates to bring new ideas to the people of Guyana. She noted that persons must be aware that effective oral health is essential to overall health; noting that good oral health improves a person’s ability to speak, to smile, to taste, among others. The

Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings

convention is in keeping with the observance of Oral Health Month.

“The availability of new tools is enabling researchers to understand oral biology and disease. Further, these tools are helping to change profoundly the treatment – oral, dental, cranial, and facial diseases and disorders.

The Minister also noted that better collaboration between dental and medical professionals can be a means of ensuring that all Guyanese understand that oral health is essential to their overall health,” Dr Cummings is

quoted by the Government Information Agency (GINA) as saying.

President of the Guyana Dental Association, Dr Uon Sandiford said the Convention is a platform where all participants will learn, as well as exchange ideas which are geared at strengthening the dental profession.

Dr Sandiford added that dentistry in itself is an evolving science that plays an integral part in general health. He noted that experts in the profession must keep up with the evolution

of dentistry through collaboration with international and local guest educating dentists from all regions of Guyana.

“We, as dentists, will be better able to serve the community at large by providing up-to-date skills and knowledge that will put our patients at comfort,” Dr Sandiford said The Convention will see a number of guest speakers; one of which is Dr William AJ Smith who is currently the Acting Director of his alma mater, the University of the West Indies School of Dentistry.

Dr Nancy Boodho who is a Dentist and a Medical Legal Advisor and is based in the United Kingdom stated that her presentation to those attending the convention will be based on education processes.

Oral Health Month is being observed under the theme “Promoting Oral Health Through Education”.

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SunDAY, november 6, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

“The sky can be the limit” – First Lady tells budding entrepreneurs F irst Lady Sandra Granger said “the sky can be the limit” for young entrepreneurs, in her address at the Rotary Club of Georgetown Central’s ‘The CEO in You: Young entrepreneurs in a changing global economy 2016’ workshop,

held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

The Club planned and executed the workshop as part of its professional development programme and the First Lady delivered the charge on Saturday.

“The beauty of being young, I think, is that you are not as cautious as older folks like me.

The sky can be the limit for you. And you will have the opportunity, today, to listen to wise women and men share their ideas and their expertise with you as they point the

First Lady Sandra Granger speaking at the workshop

way towards success in your chosen areas of business,” the First Lady said.

She noted that the title of the workshop identifies three areas of focus – the Chief Executive Officer, the entrepreneur and the environment in which the entrepreneur will operate – and advised participants about the importance

of researching their markets, knowing the rules and regulations applicable to the diverse business environment, knowing their competition and learning how to protect themselves.

President of the Rotary Club of Georgetown Central, Kneka Franklin, who chaired the event, told the group the

First Lady articulated for them the crucial first steps they must take in order to become successful entrepreneurs. “One of the things I want to second is the …use of [ICT]. I think that is one of the areas that we should really focus on and develop in Guyana, especially since we’re hoping to go ‘green’, we can do away with a lot of paper,” she said.

The six-hour long workshop aims to provide small businesses with insight into the regulatory and legal environment, opportunities and support mechanisms that exist for doing business in Guyana. Its agenda includes sessions on writing business plans and other topics related to business creation, business ventures, decision-making, support options, and relatable testimonials of successful entrepreneurs.

8 children nabbed in Essequibo truancy campaign

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ight children who were loitering in a street at Lima Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast, were nabbed by officers of the Welfare Unit in Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam).

According to Senior Welfare Officer, Haimraj Hamandeo, the exercise was one of several that focused on ensuring that every school child is in school.

Hamandeo said that during the exercise on Thursday at Lima Housing Scheme, it was revealed that many children were in the streets instead of being

Region Two Senior Welfare Officer Haimraj Hamandep

in school. He said based on interviews with parents of the children picked up, it

was revealed that the parents were experiencing financial difficulties and as such are unable to send their children to school.

He said that parents were encouraged to send their children to school despite the challenges and called on parents facing problems to visit the department of education anytime. He assured that welfare officers will do everything to ensure that every child remains in school. Hamandeo did not provide any details of how this would be done.

(Indrawattie Natram)

SunDAY, NOVEMber 6, 2016

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GCB/National Secondary School Cricket League 2016

Vergenoegen book place in EBE Zone final ... LBI, Number 8 Secondary record victories

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s competition in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) National Secondary School Cricket League (NSSCL) intensify Vergenoegen defeated Everest Academy to book a place in the final of the East Bank Essequibo Zone. Played at Tuschen ground, Everest Academy who was asked to take first strike scored their runs at a brisk pace; however, they were dismissed for 123, losing wickets at regular interval. Travis Nedd struck an attacking 53 for the Everest Boys. Bowling for Vergenoegen,

Kennard Paul starred with the ball as he finished with superb figures of 5/8. Vergenoegen in response, wasted no time in getting to their target, reaching 124/3 in just 12 overs. Vickram Mangra top scored with 25, Joel Gill made 24, and Kennard Paul chipped in with 21 while Renaldo Adams was not out on 20. Bowling for Everest Academy, Darrine Wright 2/30.

In a West Berbice Zone fixture, Number Eight Secondary walloped Fort Wellington Secondary by 224 runs after they amassed 279/2 in their 30 overs. Dedinauth Persaud

Persaud’s knock was decorated with 15 fours and four huge sixes while Inshan’s innings included 12 boundaries.

Fort Wellington was restricted to just 55 runs in their turn at the crease. National under 15 player and captain of Number Eight Secondary, Nigel Deodat bagged 5/13 in five overs.

Kennard Paul

cracked 132 and Wazim Inshan struck 117 as they punished all the Fort Wellington bowlers.

Meanwhile, at Enterprise ground, LBI trounced Anne’s Grove Secondary after they dismissed Anne’s Grove for a paltry 38 off 9.2 overs. Bowling for LBI, Denman DeAbreau had 3/3, Asif Mohamed claimed 3/7, Bharat Deoran took 2/11 and Rakesh Persaud had 2/17.

LBI needed just 3.5 overs to knock off their target for the loss

of one wicket. Reaz Mohamed and Brian Jagmohan both finished on 11 not out. Shaqueal Meredith took the only wicket to fall for LBI. The NSSCL will continue on Monday November 7, 2016 with Novar Secondary playing Mahaicony Secondary at Fairfield ground while Hope Secondary will battle President College at Enterprise ground.

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sundAY, NOVEMber 6, 2016

Without a title Guyana was outstanding at Tennis IGG

lthough the national tennis team performance at the recently concluded Tennis Inter Guiana Games (IGG) may seem subliminal to those who were not present at the event, it was absolutely the opposite as fortune was not on the Guyanese side, and besides, they found themselves in an unfamiliar territory to the latter stage of the tournament.

The lads from the Land of Many Waters were at their best for the first two

days after a trip from their homeland for the better half of two days which also included an overnight stop in Suriname. Nevertheless, the initial display from the Guyanese was ruthless as they remained competitive on the first two days.

However, in an unfamiliar territory the Guyanese were shattered on the final day (the third day) as they surrendered 13 of their eighteen matches to eventual champions Martinique. That was after they draw with Suriname

9-9 on the opening day and lost to the host 8-10 on the second day and was still in contention of winning their first IGG title heading into the ultimate day.

The Guyanese usually play most of their tennis in extended periods, but playing singles and doubles matches on three successive days was always going to be tough. And it was evident on the third day as most of them seem fatigued. However, they were not alone as several players from the other

The Guyana tennis team that participated in Tennis IGG 2016 in French Guiana

teams seem exhausted as well.

Overall the Guyanese performance should receive an 80% rating for their effort. First they went there with little preparation due to the unavailability of facilities to train. Then they took almost two days travelling, before the opening ceremony and games started less than 20 hours after their arrival (this was in keeping with the GLTA’s budget). Next they had to adapt quickly to a bouncier surface in an enclosed playing area which in most parts is different to the facilities in Guyana.

Each players also had two matches per day and a short time to rest before the next day. The 20% they missed were due to their personal lapses and inability to analyze their game.

Withstanding the challenges Guyana had proud moments to cherish. Nicola Ramdyhan in her final year of IGG was outstanding, winning all her singles and doubles matches to finish on six wins from as many matches and was the best Guyanese player on show. 16 year old Afruica Gentle was also in ripping form but surrendered one match to her French Guiana counterpart in the girls’ under-18 singles.

Ramdyhan and Gentle led the girls’ charge as they went on to win the girls’ under 18 without dropping a set.

Apart from Ramdyhan and Gentle, Sarah Klautky was level with her peers from the other countries until her last single match where she showed fatigue and frustration. There are room for improvement for Akilah Jones, Ciara Pooran and Kalyca Fraser and it is simple, if they could manage to win matches without utilizing the area of the court then if they are mobile they will be forces to reckon with.

Meanwhile the boys’ in each category for Guyana were younger than their opponents thus lacked experience and tactics. Within years they all are expected to grow into top players but need to do the necessaries for this to be manifested. They were very

competitive on the first day but lost momentum on the following days. I do believe they should have won more matches especially in the doubles division.

The tournament was well organized by the French authorities, occurring in a timely manner between 8:30 hours and 20:00 hours. There were no disruptions and the French Tennis League would have been boosted by several business entities including Air France to make the tournament possible.

The Guyanese contingent was also intact from the time they assemble at the parking lot of the Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel until they returned to the said spot. Kudos to the executives of the Guyana Lawn Tennis Association, which is headed by Jamal Goodluck, for their internal preparations and organising.

Coaches Shelly Daly Ramdyhan and Orande Dainty must be commended for their hard work and the level of competition shown by the players. They certainly made good use of the little resources that were available.

Judging from the Guyanese performance at the Tennis IGG it adds to my opinion that we are a talented set of people whose talents are not nurtured due to the lack of external support. The Boards, Federations or Associations could only do what they can afford but there are needs for Government and corporate Guyana’s intervention or else we will forever be at the bottom of the ladder in terms of sport.

Through tennis the GLTA contributes to the growth of Guyana as it charge itself to at least gets scholarships for the players under its umbrella.

Imagine what more they can do with Government and corporate Guyana’s support.

Guyana will host the Tennis IGG next year, I am hopeful by that time there are facilities available for the national team to train as well as better playing facilities to host competition.

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Caribbean Motor Racing Championship…

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Matt Truelove (left) stands with his Yamaha R6 alongside Team Mohammed’s Champion Drag Car, the Nissan GTR and the other motor bike

he days are swiftly approaching for the final leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship (CMRC) final leg at South Dakota Circuit on November 13 and Mohammed’s Enterprise has fueled the expected action pack event by bringing two riders.

English based Rider Matt Truelove, who arrived in Guyana on Friday, spoke to the media operatives yesterday stating that he is looking to be top rider on Sunday.

“I’m not coming here to finish second, I’m coming here to win so that’s what I am going to do,” Truelove stated.

The semi- professional rider, who will be riding a Yamaha R6 believes that it will not be ‘smooth sailing’ come race day but is prepared for the battle that will come.

Asked about the track, he responded, “, it looks like quite a lot of breaking, and accelerating and trying to get the bike in the right place on the exit. So we’ll probably try today to get my head around the track a bit and see what times I can do and build from there.”

“It’s quite wide so it’s not what I was expecting but it should be good. (In terms of difference) In the UK, the tracks are looked after better, with a few more corners and quite bigger, normally a lot longer but the corners are the same, quite flowing and leading into each other.”

While the rider expressed confidence of doing, we he is cognizant of the heat factor but stated, he will find a way to still be competitive.

American Bryce Prince is the other rider on the team and is expecting to arrive in Guyana today.

Both riders will be at the track today doing their test drives and the public is invited to the crack.

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sundAY, NOVEMber 6, 2016

GFSCA/ Guyana Softball Cup 6

Regal reign ends, Floodlights back to winning ways - Speed Boat, Regal All-Stars battle for Open title

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egal Masters will not defend their Guyana Softball Cup title after they were knocked out at the semi-final stage of Guyana Softball Cup 6 yesterday at the Eve Leary ground.

After playing unbeaten in Group A, Regal Masters were dismissed for an inadequate 84 to which Fisherman’s XI replied with 86/6 from 12 overs to qualify for their first final with a four wicket victory. Jagdish Persaud who scored two centuries on the opening day picked up 3 for 10 and Stanley Mohabir 2 for 4 to flatten the champs. Baldeo Persaud then blast 47 to guide the first time finalist home. Laurie Singh tried his utmost with 3 for 15 bowling for Regal Champs.

The unbeaten Fisherman’s XI will now

Richard Latiff and Navin Singh began the run chase in a positive fashion to set up the victory

meet former champions and last year losing finalist, Floodlights Masters in the final today at 12:00h at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) ground.

Floodlights beat New York President’s XI (NYPXI) by nine wickets after being set 137 to win at DCC. Floodlights were lead by Ramesh Narine

and Rickey Deonarain with 59 not out and 46 not out respectively after losing Uniss Yusuf early in the run chase.

NYPXI were restricted to 136 for 6 from their 20 overs with Danny Persaud making 31 and Devendra Mohabir 22.

Clyde Canterbury took 1 for 17 from his four overs.

In the Open category, Speed Boat rocked to a convincing nine victory over Ariel XI in the first semifinal. Ariel XI took first strike and were limited to 113 for 8 from 15 overs with Devendra Narine scraping 14. Shazim Hussein (2 for 7) and Travis Drakes (2 for 31) were the chief wreckers. In the run chase, Speed Boat sped away to 114 for 1 from 9.2 overs. Lennox Marks powered his way to 57 while Sarfraz Karim chippe din with 33. Devendra Narine came back with the ball to claim 1 for 28.

In the final semifinal of the day, defending champions Regal All-Stars hardly worked up a sweat in dumping last year’s finalist New York Enforcers by eight wickets under the lights at DCC. Enforcers batted first

and were bowled out for 104 with Azad Azeez and Andrew Gonsalves making 14 each.

The champions bowled very good with Martin Dutchin picking up 4 for 29, Delroy Perreira 2 for 17, Tyrone Sanasie 2 for 21 and Sewchand Budhu 2 for 23 delivering the goods.

Budhu came back with the bat to score a quick 27 not out to see his team to their second consecutive final. Navin Singh, who opened the innings with Richard Latiff steadied the innings with a busy half century to end on 57 not out.

The defending champs will take on Speed Boat whom they beat in the re-

cent Wolf Challenge Cup a few w e e k s ago at the same venue.

The winning team will get a whopping $800,000 and a trophy.

The Most Valuable Player in both categories will get a diamond studded gold pendant shaped like a cricket bat from Steve’s Jewellery while the Masters finalists will be competing for $600,000.

The finals day will begin with four female teams in two semifinals from 10:00h. that will be followed by the Masters final then the female final while the Open final will bring the curtains down on the annual tournament.

Digicel Guyana Golf Classic 2016

Reigning champions Persaud, Webster on course for repeat

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igicel Guyana Golf Classic was off to a successful start yesterday at the Lusignan Golf Course and it was last year’s male and female champions Avinash Persaud and Shaunella Webster, who ended the opening day in the lead of the historic event.

Persaud finished with a gross of 74 to lead the 0-9 flight and the overall field of 76 males on a closely contested day. While Webster ended the day with the leading gross (83) and leading net (65) to close the day as the leader out of a group of eight competing in the female category.

The reigning male champion net was not among the top nine at the end of the day but he still has an entire day to improve on that as he will start the day on course to win a second successive title in Guyana’s premier golf tournament.

However, it is not expected to be an easy task for the leader, who is closely trailed by Kris Jadoenath and Munaf Arjune (79g 71n) in second and third respectively. Both Jadoenath (76g 71n) and Arjune returned outstanding performance in their gross and net scores.

Closing off the top five are Imran Khan and Ravi Ramjit, who are tied in third with Arjune on a 79 gross.

Meanwhile in the female category, following Webster are Joaan Deo and Kim Myung Ja, who are level with a net of 71. Michelle Berry (75n) and Christine Sukhram (77n) are the other females in the top five.

Webster is in a comfortable position to win but need to continue along a similar

path today if she is to regain her title.

The day was filled with thrills, excitement and was very competitive but what could not have gone unnoticed, was the 13 year old St. Rose’s high school golfer, Laksmana Ramroop, who hit the longest drive. The petite teenager is playing with a 19-28 handicap and is currently placed third with his handicap with a gross of 96 and a net of 73.

Roy Cummings and Mike Gayadin are leading the 10-18 handicap group with a gross of 80 while Sam Harry (82g) is in third.

The 19-28 handicap is led

by Haresh Tiwari (87g) and Shivraj Mahesh (94g) in second and third respectively while Ramroop is in third.

On a 93 gross Brij Bissesar and Jerome Khan are tied in first for the seniors while Mo Kwang Chung is in third with a 94 gross.The tournament continues today from 5:00h.

Laksmana Ramroop Tees the longest drive on the opening day of Digicel Guyana Golf Classic

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sundAY, NOVEMber 6, 2016

GCF/NSC 3-stage cycling…

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Agard, Williams on top, Greaves returns! − "Obeah man", Leal out

By Romario Samaroo

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challenging first day to the Guyana Cycling Federation, National Sports Commission’s 3-Stage cycling challenge saw Linden Bauxite Flyers’ Shaquille Agard and Continental’s Geron ‘Lone Rider’ Williams rode to the top of the table after the first two stages and Alanzo Greaves making his return on Saturday.

Agard, who now leads the pack with a total time of 2 hours 47 minutes and 23 seconds (2:47:23) finished the first stage in third while Williams (2:47:33), currently second tied for the top position with Greaves in the first stage.

With the first stage pedaling off from the Carifesta Avenue starting line, the sheep were quickly separated from the wolves as only 28 riders finished the 75 mile road race that sent riders up to Mahaicony and back to the starting line for the finish.

Williams and the returning Greaves matched pedal for pedal in a photo finish as both riders crossed the line joint first. However,

Williams received a bonus 10 seconds and Greave gained seven, putting the lone rider at the top. Agard finished third, with a five second difference behind the top man, Williams while team Cocos Hamza Eastman clocked in seven seconds behind, Team Gillette Evolution’s Michael Anthony trailing by eight seconds, Christopher Cornelius and Andrew Hicks nine and 10 seconds short of the leader at the end of the road race.

To the disappointment of the crowd, favourites, Evolution’s Raul Leal and Cocos Raynauth "Obeah Man" Jeffrey were both out of contention as Leal complained of sickness forcing him to drop out the race on his way up to Mahicony and Jeffrey facing frustrating mechanical problems around the Lusignan area.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, Williams said that it was a good feeling to come into the first stage as a favourite but to win the race with the talent of Team Cocos and Team Evolution was huge for him.

In the second stage,

GHB/GTT National Indoor Hockey Championships...

GCC 1st, 2nd Divisions, Hikers 8-1 opponents

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fter the fifth day of competition in the Guyana Hockey Board GTT National Indoor Hockey Championships, experience is making the difference. At the National Gymnasium, tournament favourites, Pizza Hut GCC extended their undefeated streak in the tournament with another crushing victory, this time Woodpecker Hikers facing the sword. The contest ended 4-2 with GCC seeming dominant from the outset of the match.

The second half proved more entertaining to the supportive crowd as striker; Kerensa Fernandes pushed the score to 2-0 five minutes after resumption. The 4-2 victory places Pizza Hut GCC at the top of the pool and will face the Old Fort ladybugs in the first semi-final on Saturday while the Woodpecker Hikers take on Spartans in the other. Bounty GCC and the Pepsi Hikers both outclassed their opponents on the evening by 8-1 in their men’s first division clashes. GCC was led by a hat trick from midfielder, Peter DeGroot against Team 2020 while junior national captain Mark Sargeant chipped in a double and Stephen Xavier, Eric Hing and Kevin Spencer added singles. Young Meshach Sargeant scored a penalty stroke for Team 2020 as their lone goal of the match. Aroydy Branford of Pepsi Hikers managed a hat trick on the night against Saints while teammates, Robert France and Randy Hope added a pair each. Yonnick Peters managed the lone response for Saints in their defeat. The men’s second division competition saw GCC with yet another 8-1 victory, this time over Hikers while Old Fort defeated Saints by 3-0 and Phoenix edged past Saint Stanislaus College by 2-1. Hickers thumped Old Fort by 4-2 in the lone veterans’ fixture of the evening.

Pizza Hut GCC faced their toughest competition to date in the tournament

a time trial from Carifesta Avenue to Plaisance, Agard was adjudged the winner, finishing

two and moved up to third overall while Williams remained in contention, clocking in 00:08:57 to secure

Cornelius moved up to fourth overall (-00:00:25), while Hicks sits in fifth (-00:00:56), Eastman sixth

Shaquel Agard (Blue) caught up with Hamza Eastman in the time trial to win stage two and take the lead heading into the final stage

in a time of 00:08:42, taking the top position on the table overall. Anthony sprinted to second in the stage

third in stage two and second overall, trailing Agard by 10 seconds (-00:00:10) heading into the final stage.

(-00:01:11) and Greaves seventh (-00:01:12).

Williams said that he was not performing to his

best in recent times but attributed it to ill health but now to recover and win was a plus for him. “Over the past week it has been difficult for me because at the Digicel race, I wasn’t feeling 100 percent or in racing condition.” Williams said, adding “I had a rough two weeks after the ounce of gold race and it has been a long recovery period for me and after last week I had to evaluate what I was doing and try my best to monitor my body and make sure I would be in good shape for this weekend and I was able to do so.”

Williams went on to say that even at the beginning of the day, he was not feeling well but after an hour he started to feel better and “get in the groove”.

The third and final stage will be hosted today with a 30-lap race around the outer circuit of the National Park beginning at 13:00h.

SUNDAY,NOVEMBER 6, 2016

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

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