Guyana Times Daily

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 2837

Monday, April 25, 2016

PRICE

Sale of GTT shares

Transaction audit of NICIL commences – Auditor General Page 3

... questions on ‘missing’ US$5M could be answered – Goolsarran

Fire destroys Parika Dharmic Mandir – arson suspected Page 2

Man drowns at Kitty Seawall

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

CCCC urges Govt not to “trigger panic” in depressed business P17 environment – calls for expedition of deepwater harbour

P9 Former Ogle Estate compound to house Public Service Staff College

Page 7

Fatal Corriverton industrial accident

Carpenter hit live electrical P11 wire

Caribbean P17 Tourism Market needs to get better – ITC Executive Director

In this composite photo, Guyana Trades Union Congress and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana on Sunday held a wreath-laying ceremony in honour of Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow at the forecourt of the Public Building. The event was hosted under the theme, "Unity of the Working Class – Essential and Necessary". Among at the event were Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence; Coretta McDonald, General Secretary of GTU; Norwell Hinds; Seepaul Naraine, Treasurer of FITUG & General Secretary of GAWU, and Norris Witter, President of the GWU and Vice President of GTUC

Norway funds to be utilised for more strategic projects – President Page 17

State-of-the-art pharmaceutical storage facility faces closure

Page 9

East La Penitence P7 man sobs uncontrollably as jail sentence is handed down

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news

monDAY, APRIL 25, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Fire destroys Parika “Soda tax is a health tax” – former Health Minister urges implementation Dharmic Mandir

By Devina Samaroo

J

ust as increasing taxation on tobacco products is aimed at reducing smoking among a population in order to promote healthier lifestyles, so too will be the result by increasing taxes on soda.

Since soda and other sugary beverages are a major contributor to poor diets across the world, former Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy is urging all governments to implement a soda tax to encourage healthier diets among its citizenry.

Just as the tobacco industry did with cigarettes, soda companies go to great lengths to target vulnerable populations. Research show that a great amount of soda advertising is aimed at children and teenagers as well as low-income communities.

Soda is one of the most consumed beverages in the United States, second only to water.

Soda’s connection to the obesity epidemic is so intertwined, Harvard researchers have calculated each additional soda consumed increases the risk of obesity 1.6 times.

Incessant soda consumption eventually leads to increased risk of diabetes, osteoporosis, reproductive issues, heart diseases, kid-

Former Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy

ney issues, among other negative health dangers.

Dr Ramsammy in a statement pointed out that poor diets today is a bigger problem than hunger.

He said while less than 800 million people go hungry every day, more than 2 billion people consume diets that are making them sick.

“More than 2 billion people around the world are overweight and obese. For the first time in human history there are more overweight people than underweight people in the world,” he remarked, noting that Guyana is no exception from the growing number of people slipping into that category.

Dr Ramsammy noted that for years he has been talking about the need to implement heavy taxation on soda but despite his sound rationale, very few paid attention to the call.

Charging heavy taxes on soda will pressure distributors to pass the cost along to

businesses and consumers.

Should they increase the price of their products – and this is the straightforward effect – the additional cost could reduce soda consumption by encouraging people to select healthier, cheaper options.

Additionally, a taxed industry will act as an “anti-soda” public health campaign since people tend to understand that productspecific taxes are only levied when a substance can cause harm.

Observers noted that such a shift occurred with tobacco when countries around the world implemented the tobacco tax.

The spotlight of soda taxes is heightened today because it has become the newest policy disagreement between the two Democratic Party candidates for the US Presidency. Hilary Clinton has endorsed a soda tax while Bernie Sanders contends it is anti-poor.

Dr Ramsammy said that Sanders’ anti-poor argument in rejecting the implementation of a soda tax is shocking because poor diet is contributing to an explosion of chronic non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, among all people, but particularly poor people.

The former Health Minister said Sanders’ argument that the soda tax will make soda less affordable for poor people is exactly the argument Big Food uses to resist any effort to implement a soda tax, whether it is in America or in any other part of the world. Big Food sacrifices people’s health at the altar of Big Profit. In rejecting the soda tax, Sanders is protecting Big Food’s Big Profit agenda.

“The latest controversy over the soda tax is because Ms Clinton supports the Mayor of Philadelphia who has piloted a bill to increase soda tax in his city and use

the revenues to support preschool and kindergarten programmes. This seems like a programme designed to benefit poor people, not an assault on poor people,” he counter-argued.

He noted that there are many good examples of soda taxation around the world that demonstrate the effectiveness of its implementation and the benefits accrued to poor communities.

“Take the California city, Berkeley which passed a soda tax in November 2014.

It was a victory for health, for communities of colour and their kids, and for people-powered democracy against one of the biggest global industries - Big Soda expended $US2.5 million to fight the tax. Berkeley took on the soda tax campaign because of a serious health crisis: 40 per cent of the children were on track to become diabetic in their lifetime unless something changed. The link between soda and diabetes is undeniable. Berkeley’s soda tax is a penny-per-ounce tax paid by distributors of sugary drinks, like soda, energy drinks, and sugary coffee syrups. As of March, 2016, Berkeley’s soda tax has generated $1.5 million for community nutrition & health efforts, including school garden programmes,” he pointed out.

Dr Ramsammy further explained that all nations can learn from the Mexico soda tax case whereby its implementation resulted in the purchase of soda decreasing by an incredible 12 per cent within a year.

Dr Ramsammy asserted that by introducing soda taxes, governments will ultimately be helping poor communities who can least afford the healthcare that will be demanded by the diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

He posited that any objection against soda tax is an assault against poor people.

– arson suspected

Some members of the mandir standing inside the damaged building

Another section that was damaged at the Parika Radha Krishna Mandir

A

fire of unknown origin erupted at the Shree Krishna Dharmic Mandir in Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBD) resulting in major damages to the building’s interior.

Dismissing the likelihood that the fire could have been electrical in origin, devotees strongly suspect it was an act of arson because of several threats that were recently received.

Guyana Times understands this is the second time the House of Worship has been vandalised.

The Guyana Hindu

Dharmic Sabha has since expressed outrage over the incident, which the Body deemed as “horrific” and “heartless”.

“A beautiful and welcoming Mandir now lies destroyed and the devotees are heartbroken.

Our prayers are with them. We pray that the Mandir could be repaired in the shortest possible time and that any perpetrator of this act should be dealt with by the justice system swiftly,” the Sabha said in a brief statement to the media.

Investigations are ongoing into the matter.

news

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, April 25 – 05:00h-06:30h and Tuesday, April 26 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, April 25 – 05:45h-07:15h and Tuesday, April 26 – 06:15h-07:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions can be expected throughout the day with light rain showers in the late morning to early afternoon hours. Cloudy conditions can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-easterly between 3.12 metres and 4.47 metres per second.

High Tide: 06:05h and 18:30h reaching maximum heights of 2.69 metres and 2.57 metres respectively.

Sale of GTT shares

Transaction audit of NICIL commences – Auditor General

… questions on ‘missing’ US$5M could be answered – Goolsarran

By Edward Layne

A

nswers as to whether or not Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group, the Chinese company which bought the Government’s 20 per cent share in the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT), actually paid over the US$5 million it had outstanding on the 2011 buyout could be found when the current “transaction audit” into the operations of the National Industrial and Auditor General Deodat Sharma

Low Tide: 12:04h reaching a minimum height of 0.52 metre.

Former President Donald Ramotar

Saturday, April 23, 2016

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monDAY, APRIL 25, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) is complete.

Auditor General Deodat Sharma confirmed Sunday that the audit under his office has commenced, but declined to divulge any information.

“Yes! The audit has commenced … I cannot divulge any details of the assignment …it is my policy not to speak about assignments,” Sharma told Guyana Times.

Former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran who conducted the first phase of the forensic audit into NICIL had said that the audit he conducted only examined the general operations of NICIL and did look at the sale of the GTT shares; however, that was limited to the acknowledgement that the US$30 million transac-

tion was conducted and as at December 31, 2015, US$5 million was still unpaid.

He said this was corroborated in the Management Response from former Executive Director of NICIL, Winston Brassington.

However, he noted that the transaction audit could provide key answers to the entire fiasco, including exactly when the monies were actually paid over.

In 2011, Datang purchased Government’s shares in GTT at the cost of US$30 million; based on the agreement with the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration, the company paid off US$25 million and had two years to make the outstanding payment.

The PPP/C had long maintained that the outstanding monies were not paid and after assuming office last year, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition undertook to recoup the monies; hence, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon’s recent trip to China.

But, Government spokesman, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman told a post-Cabinet news conference Wednesday that based on documentation in the Government’s possession, the monies were paid long before the May

2015 General and Regional Elections.

“What I can say is that Mr Harmon has been able to retrieve some documents which tell a different story.

That story being, of course, that the five million was paid so we are trying to track down to whom, how, where and when,” Trotman revealed to reporters.

Former President Donald Ramotar, under whose Government the deal was struck and executed, has since denied that the mon-

Former Executive Director of NICIL, Winston Brassington

ies were paid, saying that the Government’s claim was “a lie”.

“I challenge the Government to present the “documents” it has received (under suspicious and questionable circumstances) so that the veracity of the evidence can be tested and authenticated,” Ramotar stated.

The former President had reasoned that if indeed the monies were paid, that would not be hard to prove since there must be documentation to that effect, adding that NICIL was the sole entity authorised to receive the payments.

“One would assume that had NICIL received this money, then there would be a receipt or some form of banking documentation to show its payments. Any

Former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran

claim that some other entity or person received this money would also be easy to prove or disprove,” he reasoned.

Brassington, in an invited comment, also denied having any knowledge of the payment, as at December 31, 2015.

“If it was paid, then the seller can easily produce evidence showing this. Payments of this nature are transferred via the banking system (wire transfer) from one bank to another and easy to check and validate. Given that the first payment was wired directly to NICIL’s US dollar bank account in Guyana, I would expect the remaining US$5 million to have followed the same course,” he said.

Brassington’s contract came to an end last year and was not renewed.

Minister Trotman had indicated that after Cabinet and the Board of Directors of NICIL completed their examination of the document, it would be made public.

Efforts to contact the current acting head of NICIL, Horace James proved futile, as officers at NICIL advised he was out of the country on vacation.

Similarly, Guyana Times was told that the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr Morris Odle could not be reached since he was “travelling”.

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guyana-times.com

monDAY, APRIL 25, 2016

Views General Editor: Michael Younge News Hotliine: 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

Editorial

Education Reform

E

ducation has been receiving the largest chunk of the National Budget for decades. This year $40.3 billion will be spent in this sector, representing 17 per cent of the Budget but very few citizens would venture to say they are satisfied with the results produced by the education system.

This dissatisfaction in not new and over the past decades there have been a slew of inquiries and investigations out of which copious reports were produced and presented to the authorities. To be fair, several programmes emanated from these inquiries and were deployed to rectify the identified shortcomings so it is obvious there are factors missed either in the analyses and/or implementations.

During its campaign for office, the APNU/AFC coalition placed great emphasis on the need for “educational reform” and pledged to place this imperative on the front burner if they were to attain office. When this was achieved, the new Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, reaffirmed his ministry’s commitment to educational reform, but insisted an “audit” of the sector was needed to form a baseline for reform.

This audit took two months and was completed in early August 2015, when the Minister then said a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) was now necessary and the results of the audits would be filtered into that body. This CoI would last four months and would “refresh the Education Sector Strategic Plan” after looking at the functioning of education between 2010 and 2014.

The hearings of this CoI were finally launched last Friday and the public turnout could only be described as “paltry”. One possible reason is that Guyanese are becoming quite cynical about the money and time expended on “audits” and “CoIs” by the government from which very little concrete action emanates.

Citizens see the proliferation of these type of activities as efforts to show that “something” is being done in areas of national life that face challenges and which are the responsibility of government. Very little is expected out of this CoI even though most citizens would agree with the statement of the Minister when he launched it, “Nothing is more important than getting the education system right.”

There have not been too many complaints about the nature of the curriculum with the exception of the need for addition of a solid “civics” component. In general, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the present education strategic plan but the problem lies with its implementation.

This can be illustrated by examining the “Assessments” introduced into the Primary Schools. It was rather disheartening that the ministry was very critical of the Assessments given at Grade 2 and Grade 4 and decided to remove their contributions to the final NGSA score at Grade 6 without waiting for its promised CoI to even begin its hearings.

The assessments at three points of the child’s progress through the Primary levels were intended to provide teachers with hard, empirical data on his/her strengths and weaknesses which would then guide those teachers in succeeding levels to work more effectively with particular children.

Who would complain there is no merit in this approach? Is not the present “cookie-cutter”, “one-sizefits-all”’ approach at the heart of the failure of the NGSA that 15,000 children write annually? 80 per cent of them effectively fail to score 50 per cent but are yet promoted to secondary school, where the teachers are not even provided with their assessments in the four areas tested?

This crucial aspect of the Assessment programme was never implemented for the simple reason there was never enough teachers deployed in the system to provide the more individualised delivery of the curriculum. It is our position that the Ministry of Education’s focus ought to be on motivating and facilitating teachers to execute programmes already present in the current Strategic Plan.

The ongoing negotiations with the Guyana Teachers Union are therefore much more crucial to greater success in the delivery of our curricula as any CoI.

This young lad displays his catch after a day of fishing with his father at Wales, West Bank Demerara

The fear of further discrimination Dear Editor, The government is now moving to have students put their names on the National Grade Six Assessment examination papers without any explanation as to the reasons for this move. No public consultations and/or meeting with the schools’ PTA have been held.

No attempts have been made to get the views/opinions of stakeholders. As former Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said in a letter to the media, the practice of putting only the candidate’s number has been in place for a number of years and no problem ever developed from this.

Indeed, this is a practice that is in effect throughout the Caribbean and is acceptable worldwide.

This method helps with objectivity, since the markers

would not know who the students are, their names, ethnicity, religion, etc.

The big concern in Guyana is that Indo-Guyanese are being subjected to blatant discrimination in almost every area of life.

Since the APNU+AFC assumed office, they have been carrying out massive discrimination campaigns against this particular ethnicity.

Hundreds of Indo-Guyanese have been purged from the public service and this continues to happen every day.

Indian managers at GuySuCo and other semi-autonomous agencies are being fired or are awaiting their time to come.

Many Indians are being threatened to have their house lots (which were legally allocated to them) withdrawn and many are being threat-

ened to be evicted from core homes, which they obtained during the PPP/C administration.

Now the long arm of the government seems to be focused on the students.

This is a take-up from where the PNC left off during 1964 – 1992.

When they wanted to purge the University of Guyana of Indo-Guyanese, they put National Service in place. This system got rid of hundreds of students from that institution.

Those who stayed were subjected to harsh treatment.

Some even died in the camps at Papaya and other locations due to the mistreatments they received.

Reports of rape and/or other forms of forced sex on women were not infrequent during

the National Service era.

In this context, insisting that students put their names on exam papers must give rise to great suspicions.

None of the actions of the regime has given any confidence that Indo-Guyanese students would not be discriminated against. The feeling that they would be marked down or made to fail is not without basis.

This is a real concern and genuine fear.

If the regime does not plan to discriminate against these students, they must immediately scrap this new policy. It makes no sense at all to foster more suspicions in this society of ours.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar Former President

GHRA welcomes signing of Paris Agreement and ban on river mining Dear Editor, The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) welcomes the announcement by President Granger of the signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change and his stated intention that Guyana will ratify this Agreement before the end of the year. ‘Signature’ indicates agreement and support of the content, ‘ratification’ on the other hand indicates acceptance of an international legal responsibility to implement the substance of the Agreement.

The event in New York represented the launch of the document agreed upon at COP21 in Paris in December 2015. Only 15 States were prepared to ratify the new Treaty and requires a further 40 before it comes into effect. The Agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to limit global warming to 1.7°C - 2°C. The President’s action on climate change comes hard on the heels of the welcome news earlier in the week from the Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, on the re-introduction of the ban on river mining.

The fact that the announcement was followed by TV notices drawing the attention of miners to the ban suggests a stronger determination to implement the ban than was the case with a similar ban in 2012.

On that occasion, the weaker restriction – a suspension of new licenses for river mining – was withdrawn after a month following an uproar from the mining community. The new ban makes clear that all mining on buffer zones, that is, land within thirty feet of the river bank, is closed to mining.

Without effective regulation, pollution of headwaters of many rivers coming off the Guyana Shield by mining activity will simply destroy this asset, unless adequate regulation is seriously enforced.

Moreover, enforcement of the real costs of land and river reclamation is urgently needed, and failure to face up to this reality is another form of climate denial.

Environmental advocates, both indigenous and coastal, looking for more aggressive rights-related protection of Guyana’s fresh water sourc-

es will welcome this signal that the Government is conscious of its global responsibilities for the 30% of the world’s fresh water generated from the Amazon Basin.

As with the Congo basin in Africa, the world’s other major source of fresh water, protection of the Amazon has been a low priority for most Amazonian countries.

In contrast to protecting water, the other major area of strategic thinking urgently needed in Guyana relates to fresh water as opportunity. At a time when Trinidad, Barbados and the French Caribbean territories are considering rationing or at a minimum feel the need to assure its citizens they possess adequate reserves, it is not rocket science to foresee how valuable fresh water will become in the nottoo-distant future.

We have seen wars fought for oil in the past decade and, according to UN estimates, wars over freshwater resources will soon be a reality. Desertification of parts of the Middle East have directly impacted on the instability in Syria.

According to the “2013 National Land Use Survey”, Guyana’s water resources are adequate for a population of 142 million people, an abundance no doubt fuelling our complacency which stretches to pumping billions of gallons of fresh-water into the Atlantic Ocean, an unheard of mitigation scenario.

Simply raising these questions indicates the need for a new understanding of the society’s relationship with water, the need for an ethics of water, the need to learn to live differently with water and the need for a lot more learning about this problem. How do we adapt?

How do we empower those who do not have the means to change livelihoods? How do we educate the society in a socially transformative way, linking the science to the governance of water? What kind of trade-off is acceptable between preserving Guyana’s magnificent natural beauty and mining?

Sincerely, Executive Committee, Guyana Human Rights Association

guyana-times.com

monDAY, APRIL 25, 2016

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Observing Hanuman Jayanti Ramjattan in NY, Holland and Guyana must apologise

Dear Editor, Hanuman Jayanti (appearance or birthday of Lord Hanuman) was celebrated last Thursday and Friday evening with great enthusiasm in a cultural and traditional way by Guyanese Americans and other Hindus in the US and worldwide. There were issues with the day with some pandits contending it was Thursday evening and others saying Friday evening. Hanuman Jayanti is a holiday (Friday) in India and is usually celebrated in the Spring on the night of the full moon in the month of April. I celebrated the festival in Holland.

Hanuman is worshipped to obtain strength, valour, wisdom and knowledge.

Worshipping Hanuman also provides control over mind and soul and provides power of self-control.

Guyanese thronged to the mandirs in the US as was similarly observed at mandirs in Holland on Friday evening.

Surinamese and nationals from India have their own mandirs similar to how Indian nationals and Indo-Caribbeans have their own mandirs in the US and UK. The small (Hindu) Guyanese population in Holland does not have their own mandirs but patronise Surinamese mandirs; they are integrated as a community somewhat similar to how Indo-Trinis and IndoGuyanese are integrated in the US. Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated in much the same way in New York, Guyana and Holland. In the latter, discourse was in Hindi (or Bhojouri) and some explanation given in Dutch whereas in Guyana and NY discourse is read in Hindi and translated

into English or Creolese.

In India, the discourse is in Hindi and the language of the community.

Hanuman Jayanti is very auspicious for Hindus as Hanuman is a most important deity, and the festival is observed by virtually every Hindu regardless of state of origin in India.

Lord Hanuman is a dedicated disciple of the Hindu God Rama, who is worshipped all over India by Hindus with deep devotion. Hanuman is an ardent devotee of Lord Rama and is worshipped for his unflinching devotion to that god.

Because of his faithfulness to Lord Rama, the Lord urged Hindus to worship Hanuman before they pray to him. My experience celebrating Hanuman Jayanti in India was temples were richly decorated with red flowers and

colourful (mostly red) flickering lights. Mandirs were crowded with worshippers.

The Hanuman murthi was decorated in sweet-smelling ornate red malas. As in Guyana, in India puja was conducted early morning after a holy bath; service was conducted throughout the day. In NY and the Western advanced countries, Hanuman Jayanti was celebrated in the evening as people had to attend to their jobs. It is believed that Shiva wanted to worship Rama and so incarnated as Hanuman to be with Rama. In the Ramayana, Hanuman is presented as a figure with great devotion, strength, knowledge, divine power, bravery, intelligence, spirit and one who performed selfless service. He devoted his life only to his Lord Rama and Goddess Sita.

He never showed his brav-

ery and intelligence without any purpose. The devotees of the Lord Hanuman always pray him for getting blessed with the same for their bright future.

Hanuman was a great warrior and army general who commandeered the forces for Rama against Ravan to liberate Sita who was kidnapped by Ravan’s army.

Hanuman also procured the herbs (from a long distance) to restore the life of Rama’s brother, Lakshman, who was fatally wounded in battle. Hanuman saved the planets from destruction by evil forces. He was a celibate who wanted to serve humanity. He is usually worshipped on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

But Hanuman Jayanti can fall on any day which is good for Hanuman puja.

Lord Krishna also has faith in him and flew a Hanuman flag on his chariot when he fought in battles. People worship Lord Hanuman because he is a symbol of devotion and loyalty to Lord Rama. Hanuman had magical mystical powers, and is a symbol of strength and energy.

People read Hanuman Chalisa as it is about one’s ability to conquer evil spirits and provide peace to the mind. Hanuman loves red.

And so the offerings to him are the same everywhere – red flowers, red cloth, rote (fried sweet roti), ladoo, and other sweets. At the mandir, people chanted mantras and sang Aarti songs, and performed oblations and many other ritualistic aspects of worshipping.

Prasad was distributed to the gathering and bhojan served.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Dear Editor, I write in relation to Khemraj Ramjatan’s recent ranting in the press in response to a statement made by former Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee. It is with great disgust that citizens of Guyana and the international community at large had to witness Ramjattan responding to Rohee by stating that he can “haul his ***”. I sat at my desk wondering if Ramjattan was inebriated as he appeared or just plain crazy.

Behaviour of this nature from a Minister of Government and a VicePresident is despicable and unacceptable. It reflects badly on the people of Guyana and sets a terrible example for the children and youths of this great country. What is more alarming is that Ramjattan had no reservations in uttering these words in the presence of a female. I shudder to think what his home and personal surroundings are like.

It is quite unfortunate that Ramjattan has not

been reprimand as it relates to his recent ranting. No statement has been forthcoming from the Office of the President or the Ministry of Presidency.

I recall Former Minister Bheri Ramsarran being fired over making similarly derogatory statements. Why is Ramjattan still being able to act as a Minister?

It is time the President and people of Guyana take a stand against this type of behaviour. It should not be allowed and the people should not settle for it. As a Minister of Government and VicePresident, Ramjattan should be held to the highest standard.

Where is the infamous Code of Conduct as it relates to Government Officials on this? Why are we settling for nonsense?

As a citizen of this country, I do not want to be represented by a man like Ramjattan. It is time for him to apologise to the people or go.

Regards, Tiana King-David

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guyana-times.com

MondAY, april 25, 2016

Page Foundation The upside of adolescence

The value of complaining

– preparing ourselves for successful parenting during the teen years

By Kenneth Ginsburg, MD, MSEd

P

arenting a teenager can bring some of the greatest joys of parent-

ing.

Haven’t heard that too often, have you? That’s part of the problem. Too many parents are warned they should hold onto their children while they can because adolescence will turn them into people they don’t know and may not like. In turn, the fear and low expectations of teens imposed on parents are subtly (and not so subtly!!) transmitted to their developing children. Because older children and tweens are searching for clues of how they should behave and which personas they should try on, the worst thing we can do is poison their environment with poor expectations.

Adolescence is a wondrous time filled with growth and discovery. It’s when we begin to see who our children will be as adults and envision how they will make their mark on the world. It’s a time to enjoy their more highly developed senses of humour. It is a time when idealism and righteous indignation reign. Because it is each generation’s job to imagine and build a better future, our children’s teen years is our opportunity to see the hypocrisies and inconsistencies we have grown blind to, but to which their eyes are wide open.

Adolescence is quite simply the time to see your boy grow to be a man and your girl to become a woman. This

itself is a miracle to which we are blessed to bear witness.

Changing the lens through which you view adolescence will undoubtedly enhance your relationship with your teen and likely create a much better foundation upon which your child will answer the fundamental developmental question of adolescence, “Who am I?”

worth is equated to a bumper sticker you might place on your car. Instead, know who your child really is.

Really is. You have known it from the time he was three or four years old. Always remember his passion, creativity, humour, commitment to fairness – whatever it was that amazed you as his values unfolded before your

mance standards as expectations. A focus on grades, scores, and awards can make a young person feel as if they are not acceptable unless they meet those standards. This unstable footing can undermine the key ingredients needed for success, and even for healthy moral development. We certainly can, however, expect and demand effort.

We should hold our children to the highest expectations in terms of character.

In fact, by doing so we help them remain stable, centred, and self-aware as they navigate life’s waves. The knowledge of who they really are, the same knowledge that makes our love unconditional, is what positions us to hold them to the high standards that match their character.

Notice the continued miracles of development

But adolescence will bring challenges. It will. It must.

Here are a few key points that will help your relationship with your child continue to strengthen during the teen years and position you to better navigate those occasional challenges:

Unconditional love lasts a lifetime

Your unwavering, loving presence is the root of your child’s lifelong security. It must have no conditions attached, neither performance nor behaviour. You never want your child to think his

eyes. The most protective force in your child’s life is your loving him. Love is seeing someone as they deserve to be seen, as they really are, not based on the behaviours they might be displaying.

No matter the temporary behaviour, it is your continuing to see your child as he really is that will bring him back to his best self.

Maintain high expectations

It is critical to bear in mind that teens live up or down to our expectations of them. But, we must be very careful when we use perfor-

We went out of our way to catch our children being good when they were two years old. They delighted in our pride and kept doing what it took to earn our praise. Teens would be no different, but we forget to notice the continued miracles of normal development.

We focus our energies and attention on the problems that arise. Your teens want your attention as badly now as when they were three or four years old, and will do whatever it takes to gain it.

If you focus on the negative, they’ll produce those worrisome behaviours that will earn your focused attention.

(Excerpt from pyschologytoday.com)

To be continued

By Hank Davis

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ou think this is an odd title? I don’t. I believe there’s plenty of value in complaining.

Maybe even some virtue.

My pedigree is strong: I’m a complainer. A kvetch, in the words of my grandmother.

Nobody in my family ever said, “Say nothing if you have nothing nice to say.” Like most of my forebears I complain freely and proudly. I try to be discerning in what I complain about, of course.

I wouldn’t just walk into your home and complain about the wallpaper. But I might if I’ve just spent US$150 a night for a room at the Holiday Inn. Not everybody agrees about complaining (or about wallpaper).

Some disagree with my view quite strongly. One friend said, “If I had to write an essay called “The Value of Complaining”, I’d just leave the whole page blank.

That’d summarise how I feel about complaining. All you do is rile yourself up and make everybody around you miserable.”

Before I turn this article over to commentary from noncomplainers (who often complain about us complainers, by the way), let me explain why I see value in complaining.

Two reasons, actually. First, it feels good. It gives me some sense of power or (dare I hope?) community in situations where I already feel powerless and alone.

I hate that sense of wearing a muzzle when I want to express a judgment about the people or conditions around me.

Second, if I can’t do anything about these idiots, at least I’ll be vocal about them and maybe I’ll get some social support from those around me. Maybe

somebody will join me. At least nobody will confuse me with one of them or one who tolerates them.

Just look at the benefits accumulating right there: (1) The joy of speaking out against something you judge to be wrong; (2) the joy of possibly finding a community which shares your judgment; and (3) the possibility that like-minded people will find each other and act in concert to make changes. What a thought that is! The social media seem to agree. Have you seen websites like change.org? Complainers acting together can make things happen.

Before this becomes too grand in scope, let me be honest. I’m not talking about social protesting against massive wrong-doing. This isn’t about protesting against that idiot dentist in New Jersey who shot a tame lion in Africa so he could fly home with his trophy and brag to his wife and kids. I grew up in the ‘60s and I did my share of grand style protesting, whether it was the Vietnam war or civil rights. I am talking about something on a much smaller scale here, and I readily admit it.

Here’s an example. I use the highway system a lot where I live in southern Ontario. The major highways around here have become parking lots. It used to take me less than an hour to zip into Toronto. Now it can easily take up to two. Much of that is truck traffic. I don’t want to digress into why the number of semis has just about doubled in the past decade or so, and I know truckers have to make a living too. But 18-wheelers are big, and often they move slowly.

I feel better after I complain.

My partner doesn’t. Something she doesn’t get is that for me complaining is an alternative to road rage, not a stepping stone toward it. That doesn’t seem to matter. Complaining upsets her. And because I get thwarted in my good-natured kvetching, it creates conflict between us, which isn’t so good either.

I don’t expect her to co-author legislation with me banning use of the left lane by 18-wheelers and cement trucks, but I would like at least a simple “Yeah, that’s really frustrating” (it is) or “Wow, that’s kind of dangerous” (it is). That minimal support is all I’m looking for. You don’t have to share my views. Just give me some garden variety reflective listening. (“You seem really frustrated by that.”)

That’s all most people need.

The point is: We complain to stay in balance. Obviously, we must pick our battles, but we’ve got to speak out sometimes (not scream out. There are reasonable limits). What if it’s a case of complain or explode? As choices go, isn’t that a no-brainer? There’s a physical and psychological limit to how much we can bottle up. I’d never counsel anyone to swallow all that frustration. Would you? If the alternative is a little harmless kvetching, why get in the way of it? Bottom line: Self-expression, and that includes occasional complaining, can be a matter of both self-respect and sanity. (Excerpt

from pyschologytoday.com)

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monDAY, APRIL 25, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Norway funds to be utilised for more strategic projects – President

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hile acknowledging the strides made under the previous Administration with respect to climate change, President David Granger said his Government planned to double those efforts and utilise the remaining Norway funds for more strategic projects.

“The previous Administration was concerned about Low Carbon Development Strategy and was concerned with the direction of some of the funds to projects which were Amerindian retitling of lands and also regeneration of energy through the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project. We would like to look at climate change more broadly,” Granger stated during a recent broadcast of “The Public Interest”.

He noted that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration intended to tackle reforestation in mined-out areas, generation of energy apart from hydropower, coastal zone management, and the impacts of El Niño.

On reforestation, President Granger explained that the most severely damaged areas were located in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); and Region One (BarimaWaini).

In this regard, he said those areas would be given priority in any plan that would be crafted to promote reforestation in the country.

Additionally, he said, the vision for renewable energy should not be limited to Amaila Falls and a few handouts of solar panels, but rather huge solar farms that can power an entire

Man drowns at Kitty foreshore

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n afternoon swim turned deadly for a man who plunged to his death off the Kitty Seawall on Sunday.

Reports are sometime around 12:30h, the lifeless body of Ramesh Ramdeen, 52, also called “Rabbi” of Lot 106 Shell Road, Kitty, Georgetown, was fished out of the Atlantic Ocean moments after he was seen getting into the water.

The dead man’s brother speaking with Guyana Times at the scene said he received a call sometime after 12:00h and was informed of his older brother’s death.

According to younger Ramdeen, his brother, who had neither wife nor children, would usually spend time at the Kitty Seawall doing odd jobs. He could not say what he was doing there at the time. “Years ago he was a very good swimmer,

The lifeless body of Ramesh Ramdeen before it was removed

but for the past ten years he has not been swimming,” the brother said.

He said he was told by an eyewitness, who was also a close friend of the dead man, that Ramesh had passed him on the seawall going to swim. He said a few young boys who also went to swim informed him that “a man drowning out deh”.

The friend went to investigate and found his friend’s body “floating with froth coming out his

mouth”. According to younger Ramdeen, the man would usually consume alcohol, and had been allegedly drinking prior to going into the water.

When Guyana Times arrived on the scene, a small crowd had gathered around the man’s body which was covered with his clothes.

Porters from the Lyken’s Funeral Home later took the body away. A post-mortem is expected to be performed on the man’s body today.

East La Penitence man sobs uncontrollably as jail sentence is handed down

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President David Granger

community.

The President noted too that the previous Administration did not include any measures to deal with coastal zone management, something he intended to correct since sea defence was an area of vulnerability for Guyana.

Given that El Niño is a cyclical weather pattern that affects certain parts of the country, President Granger said he wanted to develop a plan to deal with the impacts of the weather phenomenon.

While nothing concrete has been crafted, the aim is to have reservoirs for water in areas that are gravely affected by the drought, particularly the Rupununi areas, he said.

“The problem of ener-

gy and environment are much beyond the plans or programmes implemented by the previous Administration. We have a wider view, a longer view, a strategic view,” he stated.

He posited, “It’s not just about land titling, it’s not just about Amaila Falls, it is about making sustainable energy available to a wider part of the population not just handing out a few solar panels but having whole communities powered by solar energy.”

Government has to make a final decision by the end of June on the future of the project or Guyana risks losing the remaining of the US$250 million in funds provided by Norway under the landmark LCDS climate migration deal.

n East La Penitence, Georgetown, man was in tears when he was found guilty by City Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty on Friday last for assault and threatening language.

Turquin Brand, 34, of East La Penitence had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on 20 April at East La Penitence he unlawfully assaulted Lashana Gentle with intent to cause actual bodily harm.

He also denied the charge which said that on the same day at the same location he made use of threatening behaviour to the same person.

The defendant is said to be the boyfriend of Gentle, the virtual complaint, with whom he lives and is also the father of her children.

According to Police Prosecutor Ceon Blackman’s facts, Brand showed up at a party that Gentle was at and they started to argue for nearly one hour.

The woman tried to leave the argument upon realising a crowd had gathered, but the defendant restricted her by pulling on her arm.

It was during this time he brandished a knife at her, and started to make threats.

Brand, who was suspected to be in a drunken state at the time of the incident, denied having the knife.

When given a chance to speak, the man broke down in tears while apologising to the Magistrate.

He said he loves his girlfriend and he would never do what he did again and he

is very sorry for what transpired that night.

Blackman told Court the defendant would say anything for the Magistrate to ‘feel sorry’ for him but he should be punished for his actions.

Taking these sentiments into consideration Brand was sentenced to two months in jail and was told by the Magistrate to use that time to think about his actions and change his ways. He was also fined $10,000 with failure to pay will result in an additional 21 days in jail.

Magistrate McGusty stressed the seriousness of the offences and made the point that the defendant being drunk does not lessen the offences committed, rather it adds.

8 news

monDAY, APRIL 25, 2016 | guyana-times.com

WCD man confesses to killing businesswoman, sons

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he man who brutally murdered 41-yearold businesswoman and her two young sons in September 2012 at Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, on Sunday reportedly confessed to the killings.

Reports are that the man was arrested on Saturday after his present paramour went to a West Coast Demerara Police Station to make a domestic violence report.

Whilst making the report the woman allegedly told Police that her spouse is a ‘killer’ noting that the Police should question him about the 2012 murder of the businesswoman and her sons. As such the man was arrested.

On Sunday morning in an unexpected turn of events the man allegedly confessed

Where’s...

W

Dead: Afridi Bacchus

Dead: Jennifer Persaud

Dead: Jadon Persaud

to the murders of Jennifer Persaud, who was the owner of a liquor store and bar at Anna Catherina and her sons Afridi Bacchus, 6, and Jadon Persaud who was 18 months old at the time.

This newspaper was told the suspect confessed that

he broke into the businesswoman’s house in an attempt to rob her but she woke up and confronted him. He admitted he killed her and then her children, since she knew him and would have been able to identify him.

The bodies of Persaud also called “Jenny” and her two sons were found on September 23, 2012 at about 20:10h at her Lot 67 Sea View, Anna Catherina, WCD with their throats slit in a bedroom of their twostorey house.

Cattle farmer’s death

Police hunting main suspect

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olice are on the hunt for an East Canje man following the death of Omesh Seelall, 21, also called ‘Rovin’ who was hit on his head.

The man of Betsy Ground Village, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice/

Eyew tness

Corentyne), was hit on the head by a fellow villager on April 17.

Following the incident, he was taken to New Amsterdam Hospital in an unconsciousness state and later transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital but never regained

consciousness up to the time of his death.

Speaking with this publication, several villagers said that shortly after the incident the alleged perpetrator went into hiding. As police hunt for him, a close relative of the suspect has been taken

Dead: Omesh Seelall

into custody.

According to the dead man’s father, his son’s attacker is known to the family.

“Dem boys does come right here and borrow me bicycle to go an distribute milk; me son and them is not really any friend. But still I can’t understand what went wrong; dem boys know one another,” the father said.

Eyewitnesses recalled that Seelall was imbibing with friends at a local shop and after parting company went across the road and was lots from a wedding house when he was attacked. At the time there were scores of persons in the vicinity. “He (attacker) just run across the road and pull out a piece of wood from the donkey cart and clap one lash on the boy; the boy ent do he nothing.

One lash straight at the back of he head,” one eyewitness related.

Another person said the incident took place about one minute after ‘Rovin’ walked out of the rum shop. “I can’t say if he and the man had any mouth talk [disagreement], but is like one minute after he walk out I hear the noise and when I run out I see he lying on the ground an we pic he up an carry he to the hospital.”

A post-mortem is to be performed today.

...the gold?

ho woulda thought the economy would be on life support now, after this Government took over. After all, Clive Thomas, the fella now heading SARU (that’s “State Asset Recovery Unit”, thank you!) swore the PPP was siphoning off $300M annually into its pockets. But that was said when the PPP was in office. Right after the APNU/AFC coalition took over, a government spokesman said the figure was actually $500B!!

And then a few months later, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman said THAT was only the MONEY stolen by the PPP. Oodles of gold were also being smuggled from the country and he announced a “Task Force” to coordinate efforts to staunch this yellow bleeding. In January of this new year, he put a figure to his smuggling claim – 15,000 ozs a week!! Now this is real money you’re talking about here. At even US$1000/oz, $3 billion was leaving the country EVERY WEEK!! That’s $156B annually.

Now with Trotman’s Task Force, SARU and SOCU (Special Organised Crime Unit) and various and sundry law agencies, dozens of audits, just as many COIs on the money and gold trail, you’d think by now the bleeding would’ve been stopped and the country be flooded with funds. Stopping the $500M the PPP was “siphoning” and the $156B from the gold smugglers, the Government would have three times its annual budget to spend!

Happy times should be here again, no?

No! Apart from charging poor Jenny Westford and her assistant, not a penny has been found of the $500M the PPP was supposed to be “siphoning”. And we still don’t know what’ll happen with Jenny’s case when it goes to trial. On the gold smuggling front, Trotman just revealed that the “Task Force” he established last year hasn’t met since then. But they’re working on the problem! We wonder if they’re still collecting salaries, since Trotman assured us the Task Force hasn’t been disbanded.

The Resources Minister (or is it the “resourceful” Minister, seeing as to how he hedged his bets at Nassau a decade ago?) also revealed that SOCU and SARU are taking the lead nowadays on the gold smuggling. Now it’s been nine months (40 weeks) since Trotman noted they were hot on the trail of the gold smugglers. By his figures some 600,000 ozs of gold worth US$600,000,000 or $120B have been smuggled.

And what has SARU and SOCU done during all this time? Well, they did pull off that goldsmith Ramjit from a plane with 19 ozs of gold bling!

Hey! Don’t knock them. Nineteen ozs out of 600,000 ozs is a start, no?

...the crime fighter?

They say “cometh the hour, cometh the leader”.

Well, after a slight blip, we seem to be heading into another “crime spiral”. And as happens with spirals, it’s never the same as before. The crimes committed in this round are eerily reminiscent of what went down at the beginning of the millennium.

Do folks remember Douglas and several others had protested prison conditions on the roof of the Camp Street Jail before their “Mashramani Five” breakout?

Do folks remember just like today, when contraband smuggled into the prison became so common, it was only a notch higher when guns became available?

And do folks remember business people targeted for robberies? And then kidnappings? So where’s the leader to head off the barbarians at the pass? All eyes pan left to Minister of NATIONAL Security Khemraj Ramjattan, please!

He’s just put all our minds at rest by announcing he’s open to being persuaded to relax his 2 am curfew, come the Big Jubilee Bash!

What crime spiral?

...the drugs

So who’s fibbing? The staff of the GPHC, hospitals and clinics all across Guyana or the officials? The former, who’re treating and prescribing drugs to sick patients, say the commonest drugs are not available.

“Not so!” say the officials. So who’s fibbing – and why?

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

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monDAY, APRIL 25, 2016 | guyana-times.com

State-of-the-art pharmaceutical storage facility faces closure – employees to be laid off

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EW GPC’s 70,000 square foot stateof-the-art pharmaceutical storage facility at Ruimveldt, Georgetown is facing closure unless the Public Health Ministry or Georgetown Public Hospital chose to lease it to continue storage of their medicines and medical supplies. If a decision is taken to close the facility, over 40 employees will face the breadline.

According to the company, NEW GPC has been allowing the Public Health Ministry and Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to utilise storage facilities owned by the company free of cost. This has been the practice for many years and such an arrangement was made possible under the WHO-guided prequalification system which also saw NEW GPC performing quality control services, providing logistical support to both agencies in addition to providing a regulated and certified en-

NEW GPC's storage facility at Ruimveldt, Georgetown

vironment for pharmaceuticals and other sensitive inventory.

The warehouse facilities which were specially designed comprise of cold/cool room with 24/7 back-up generators and controlled temperature room and secure/ isolated storage for other controlled substances and hazardous items. At the

moment the MPH/GPHC is utilising two warehouses at Ruimveldt and one at Farm within NEW GPC Complex on East Bank Demerara.

With the Government terminating the Prequalification System and the simultaneous introduction of open public international tendering, NEW GPC is no longer re-

quired to extend warehousing and support services of this magnitude. Besides that, such facilities and services are very expensive to operate and maintain.

In light of the above NEW GPC has given the MPH/GPHC the option to either vacate the premises or alternatively continue occupation under a tenancy

agreement.

In March a small number of employees were laid off with full payment of all their benefits. This was a result of loss of business and an apparent Government preference for dealing with importers, who by the nature of their business do not need too many employees.

Even in instances when NEW GPC have won tender awards, as the case of the HIV diagnostic supplies, a reason was found to award the business to another company.

The NEW GPC pharmaceutical storage facility which is arguably the best of its kind in the entire Caribbean, was designed in accordance with WHO standards for pharmaceutical storage and it is approved by the Government Analyst Food and Drug Department. The facility has (a) furnished offices, (b) heavy-duty storage racks, (c) conveyor, (d) furniture, (e) sprinkler sys-

tem, (f) security cameras, (g) biometric clock, (h) permanent pallets, (i) fire extinguishers, (j) separate receiving and dispatch area, (k) cold, cool and room temperature storage, (l) separate secure storage for high value/risk items, (m) quarantine zone and (n) special storage for controlled substances/DDA, Hyster electrical lifts and other auxiliary equipment.

The layout provides wide aisles and storage racks with three tiers to facilitate quick access and easy stacking of three pallet placements. With a ceiling height of 17 ft in the central warehouse total volume is approximately 868,000 cubic feet.

There is also an open yard area within the perimeter fence measuring 415 x 75 ft or 31,125 sq ft to accommodate temporary storage of containers or parking of Canter trucks and other vehicles.

Former Ogle Estate compound to house Public Service Staff College vants must possess expert knowledge and high standards to improve the sector’s efficiency and increase the satisfaction of the people of Guyana.

Therefore, the establishment of the Public Service College for those desirous of a career in the public service sector is deemed by the Granger Administration as “a step in the right direc-

The former GuySuCo Headquarters located at Ogle, East Coast Demerara

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he former Ogle Estate compound will soon house the Public Service Staff College, according to President David Granger.

The establishment of the institution is part of government’s efforts to rein in corruption and improve efficiency in the Public Sector.

The proposed Public

Service College will have four faculties that will produce graduates with university level qualifications.

The faculties are: International Relations (Foreign Service), Defence, Public Administration, and Information Technology.

Shortly after taking office in 2015, President Granger had announced that the

Public Service College will be established.

He made the announcement during a conference with various Permanent Secretaries and heads of state agencies at the Guyana International Conference Centre where he declared the entire public service was in dire need of reform.

He noted that public ser-

tion”.

Further, the President noted that the public service should be established firmly on the basis of an effective merit system and not on the basis of political partiality.

As such, he anticipates the functioning of the college would assist in ensuring the merit system is reinforced.

Earlier this year, the Head of State had toured the

Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo) Headquarters located at Ogle, East Coast Demerara, as a possible area for the college.

During the visit, GuySuCo head Errol Hanoman had said the premises will be vacant as a result of plans to relocate the company’s restructuring.

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guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, april 25, 2016

News

Nandlall corrects AG’s misrepresentation of Rudisa case

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Former AG Anil Nandlall

n an attempt to correct what he deemed a misrepresentation of the proceedings of the Rudisa Beverages case, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall emphasised that there was no need to lead evidence to show that the environmental tax was passed down to consumers as was recently suggested by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams.

In announcing that another beverage company has sued the Government at a news conference, Williams took a swing at the former Administration for not presenting evidence to show that the environmental tax charged was transferred to consumers.

The Attorney General insinuated that Government’s

AG Basil Williams

defence against Rudisa Beverages would have been stronger had this route been taken.

“Noteworthy is the fact in the Rudisa matter, it was noted that the Government of Guyana did not lead evidence to show that the tax was transferred (to consumers). We intend to lead such evidence in this case,” he stated, noting that Government would have a stronger case against the beverage company – Trinidadian firm SM Jaleel & Company Limited and its local subsidiary, Guyana Beverages Inc. However, Nandlall is arguing that there was no need to present such evidence.

“It was never a disputed issue whether Rudisa passed

on the environmental tax included in their selling price to the consumer. That not being a fact in issue, there was no need for evidence to be led on that matter,” he stated.

Nandlall explained that Rudisa’s case was that because of the imposition of the environmental tax on its products and the said tax not being levied on similar products of local manufacturers, Rudisa’s products suffered a competitive disadvantage.

“Therefore, in order for Rudisa’s products to compete fairly with locally manufactured beverages, Rudisa contends that it was forced to lower the price of its product destined for the Guyana market below their market value to offset the environmental

tax. In other words, Rudisa absorbed the losses or the equivalent of the environment tax in Suriname before the product arrived in Guyana. They led evidence to establish that they sold similar products in other territories in the Caribbean at a price higher than they sold those same products for to their Guyanese distributor,” the former Attorney General pointed out.

In this regard, he posited that the Attorney General either did not study the Rudisa case or having done so, he was still unappreciative of its gravamen.

Commenting on the new lawsuit against the Government, Nandlall said he was unsure if leading evidence to prove that the tax was transferred to consumers would be effective since he was unaware of the arguments being advanced in the current case.

However, he noted that to compare the two cases and deride the previous Administration for not leading evidence in this regard was a clear misrepresentation of the facts.

The current Attorney General disclosed that the company was relying on the judgment in the Rudisa Beverages matter to win the case against Guyana, in which they have alleged a breach of the principles of trade liberalisation and free movement of goods as envisioned by the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Single Market and Economy (CSME). The company is claiming millions of dollars in refund for the environmental tax imposed prior to the repeal of the Customs Act in 2015.

President Granger meets Commonwealth Secretary General

President Granger during the meeting with Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland in New York

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resident David Granger met with Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland.

The meeting took place at the United Nations Headquarters on Friday where both the President and the Commonwealth Secretary General were attending the signing ceremony of the historic Paris Agreement.

During the meeting with Baroness Scotland, the President spoke of the significance of her appointment, coming as she dose from a Small-Island Developing State, since the Commonwealth itself is made up of mainly small states.

He noted, also, the coincidence of their meeting on the margins of the signing of the Paris Agreement, which is a global response to climate change, a phenomenon that is of great concern to all countries of the world, but particularly to Small-Island Developing States (SIDS).

SIDS is particularly prone to the threat of rising sea levels caused by climate change.

Deodat Maharaj, Deputy

Secretary General of the Commonwealth and Ram Venuprasad, Deputy Head of the Office of the Secretary General accompanied the Baroness to the meeting.

Meanwhile, President Granger also met with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Friday at the UN Headquarters in New York. The meeting of the two leaders also took place on the margins of the Signing Agreement.

The President of Guyana shared with the Italian Prime Minister his Government’s plans to promote a Green Economy. The President also took the opportunity to raise the possibility of Italian support for the Iwokrama Centre for International Rainforest Conservation and Development.

The Centre was established as a partnership between Guyana and the Commonwealth Secretariat to manage the Iwokrama, a unique reserve of 371,000 hectares of rainforest located in Guyana, “in a manner that will lead to lasting ecological, economic and social benefits to the people of Guyana and to the world in general.”

Over 140 youths graduate from NTPYE programme

The graduates of the training programme along with Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence and other officials

O

ver 140 youths from Region 3 successfully completed six months of training through the National Training Programme for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE).

The completion of the programme was possible through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) which fosters youth development by offering various skills training programmes.

Over the six-month training, the graduates were engaged in theoretical and practical training in various

technical levels including motor vehicle servicing, electrical installation, plumbing, welding, carpentry, heavyduty operation, general office administrations, and metal works.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony, Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence congratulated the students for taking the step in registering for the programme, citing that this decision was for the better of not only themselves but their homes and communities.

The minister added that

despite challenges, which were encountered throughout the half year of training, the graduates were persistent in their goal of completing it and for this she lauded them and shared a word of encouragement for future endeavours.

“Don’t ever allow negativity to override your thoughts and keep you stagnant. Failure to act, to acquire a skill means one step deeper into the mire of dependence and impoverishment. Bravo to you for persevering.” Lawrence applauded. turn to page 12

monDay, APRIL 25, 2016

guyana-times.com

11

News

In face of El Niño

Wakenaam, Leguan farmers express frustration over non-assistance

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n the face of the tremendous challenges that rice farmers countrywide have experienced as a result of the El Niño conditions which have resulted in them suffering major losses, they are yet to receive assistance from Government.

This information was revealed to Guyana Times by rice farmers who are yet again calling for assistance.

Farmers related to this publication that the General Manager of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and representatives from the Rice Producers Association (RPA) visited a number of rice farmers in Leguan and Wakenaam (Essequibo) and promised compensation and assistance for the new crop.

However, since that meeting, farmers have not heard anything from the GRDB and the RPA. Speaking with this publication, a Wakenaam rice farmer disclosed that most of the farmers were considering not planting rice for the new crop as they were in dire financial constraints.

“Most of these farmers don’t know what to do for the new crop, because, first of all, because of the losses that we faced, we do not

Islands-West Demerara), Julius Faerber had announced that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) would be petitioning the Government to compensate the Leguan and Wakenaam rice farmers.

Faerber told this publication that the Government needed to ensure that the rice farmers have funds when the drought period is over to replant their crop.

In Wakenaam, the last

A rice field which is very dry due to the lack of water

even have money to plant for the new crop,” the famer explained.

According to another Wakenaam rice farmer, the GRDB visited them and explained that the Board has taken note of the significant losses that the farmers have incurred, noting that discussions were ongoing to provide assistance in order for the rice farmers to restart cultivation.

“They told us that they would provide paddy and so forth for us in the meeting, but it is time for us to cultivate and we are not hearing back anything so we don’t

know what to do,” the frustrated farmer explained.

A Leguan rice farmer told Guyana Times that they have not received any word at all which would suggest that they would be compensated.

“We did not hear anything about any compensation. We need compensation because we are really struggling. I hope that the Government can really look into this, because it’s long we have been pleading for assistance, it’s really hard.”

Early last month, the Regional Chairman of Region Three (Essequibo

Fatal Corriverton industrial accident

Carpenter hit live electrical wire

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he carpenter who died when he fell off the roof of a house at Corriverton on Saturday may have been electrocuted. That is according to one of his workmates who told Guyana Times the dead man came into contact with a live electrical wire as he fell.

On Saturday Youraj Sewlall, 29, of Number Naught Village, Corentyne, fell off the roof of a house at Corriverton and landed on a concrete step. He died while receiving medical attention at Skeldon Hospital.

According to a colleague, Sewlall was the only person on the roof at the time as he was placing blocks at the side of a section of the roof specifically constructed to hold water tanks.

“The top is concrete so he was at the edge laying some small blocks and right overhead there is their GPL wire… For some strange reason this time, when he raise up he come into contact with the wire because police find the hat and the hat bun.

So apparently he get shock and when he get shock he did not fall that way where the concrete is,

Dead: Youraj Sewlall

he fall this way and land on the concrete step,” the colleague recalled.

Sewlall landed about

and then transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Meanwhile, his wife Devika Tejnarine, 27, said he had been a carpenter for 12 years. According to her on Saturday, she received a phone call informing her that there was an accident and her husband was at the hospital in a critical state. She said she initially was not allowed to see him.

“Blood was coming through his mouth and his ears but the lower part of his body was okay. No damage just the face from the neck up.”

The couple had two chil-

The mourning widow, Devika Tejnarine with the couple’s children

half way up the step and rolled to the bottom.

The injured man was rushed to Skeldon Hospital

dren, Ashley, 8, and Daniel 18-months. Police are investigating.

report received revealed that 300 acres of rice had been lost and some 2000 were at risk.

In Leguan, the situation had become so dire that 3840 acres of rice were planted instead of the usual 4000 acres.

Also in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), thousands of acres of rice have been lost because of

drought.

Despite the struggle, rice farmers of Region Two early last month began harvesting their fields. Rice harvesting has commenced in the north and south of the Essequibo Coast in villages such as Perseverance, Airy Hall, Golden Fleece and Lima.

The farmers are hoping that as the rainy season begins, they can work towards getting back what was lost.

12 news

monDay, APRIL 25, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Censorship of State media – PM Nagamootoo, Imran Khan direct State media on “propaganda to be dispensed” …Press Association complains to President Granger

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

L

ess than two weeks after the United States Department of State scolded Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo for his attempts to censor the State media, he is again in the spotlight for similar reasons.

This time, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) is expressing concern that the Prime Minister and his Director of Public Information, Imran Khan, continue to dictate the content being disseminated by the State media entities – the Guyana Chronicle, the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Government Information Agency (GINA).

The local media is reporting that the GPA has written to President David Granger, expressing concern over the actions of the Prime Minister and Khan.

When contacted on Sunday evening, GPA President Neil Marks confirmed that “the GPA did write the President”, but declined to state the contents of the letter.

When asked, Marks neither confirmed nor denied the media reports on the contents of the letter.

Based on reports published by at least two local media entities, the GPA in its letter informed President Granger that the Prime Minister himself issues directives to the Managers of the State media entities on a weekly basis.

“It is our understanding that the Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, hosts a weekly meeting at which clear directives are given to the State media (also the Government Information Agency) regarding propaganda to be dispensed by these agencies. This, Mr President, clearly demonstrates the Executive’s penchant for directing the work of the State media, despite public utterances that these agencies would be allowed to function independent of the political directorate,” the GPA letter stated.

“It is our considered view that such meetings not only bear the hallmarks of Government interference in the work of the State media, but also constitute a grave act of intimidation into slavishly following the dictates of the executive Government,” it added.

Regarding Khan’s role, the GPA said that there have been “numerous” instances where Khan “has either sought to dictate content of NCN and the Guyana Chronicle”, and in some cases even had content removed. “On other occasions, there are reports that Mr Khan has criticised and even berated workers of the State media. This clearly amounts to acts of intimidation and causes these State media workers to practise selfcensorship.”

The GPA, in its missive, also cited instances where other Government Ministers and officials have been interfering in the work of the State media entities.

“There are several accounts of Ministers of Government calling the Guyana Chronicle and NCN, complaining of either not being covered or the way they are being covered,” it said.

It cited an occasion where a Junior Minister sought to reproach a senior reporter of NCN for not covering an assignment, despite the fact that decisions regarding the coverage of assignments were done

Censorship or Content Restrictions, the Report pointed to an attempt by Prime Minister Nagamootoo to restrict and control the content of the State-owned Guyana Chronicle.

“In August (2015), the Prime Minister issued a directive that all headlines in the State-owned print media be first scrutinised and approved by his office before they are published. The directive was a response to a headline crit-

Director of Public Information, Imran Khan

at the editorial level.

“There are other instances where Ministers have complained to editors of the Guyana Chronicle about the approach of journalists in the execution of their duties. In one case, Sir, even your Liaison Officer called the Guyana Chronicle to complain about the way a reporter executed her duties at an assignment of a Minister of Government,” the letter added.

The GPA also complained that the Board of Directors of NCN and the Guyana Chronicle were “deeply involved” in making editorial decisions, including deciding who should attend overseas training programmes and assignments.

Both Boards are loaded with party officials of the APNU/AFC, including Khan.

Only recently, the US Department of State 2015 Country Report on Human Rights Practices cited attempts at State media censorship by the coalition Government, singling out PM Nagamootoo.

The Report, which was recently released, said while the Government “generally respects the laws which provide for freedom of speech and press, there have been attempts by the Administration to suppress freedom of the press”.

Under the heading

icising the Government,” the Report noted.

Also Guyana Chronicle columnist Dr David Hinds in his April 9, 2016 ‘Hinds’ Sight and the April 17 edition of the Freddie Kissoon column accused the Government of censorship of the State media.

The PM office subsequently denied the accusations in these two columns, but never commented on the State Department’s Report.

The A Partnership for

National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), while in Opposition, chastised the then People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government for abuse of the State media and on at least two occasions, cut the budgetary allocations to NCN and GINA on the grounds that they (the Opposition) was being shut out of these entities.

Critics now say the current Administration is doing exactly what it once condemned.

A mother’s sad experience at NA Hospital

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West Berbice woman is accusing senior medical staff at New Amsterdam Hospital of incompetence but is happy she and her baby are both alive after being attended to at a private institution.

Amanda Arjune, 29, of Woodlands, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica/ Berbice), said she attended the Woodlands Health Centre from October last year during her pregnancy and when she was ready for delivery she visited the Fort Wellington Hospital where she was advised to hurriedly get to New Amsterdam Hospital since there were some complications with her pregnancy.

It was on 1 April last that she arrived at NA Hospital.

“Before that, we went to a private doctor and his ultrasound show that the baby is transverse (lying sideways). So he say let us go to New Amsterdam and they will do a C-section, otherwise the baby will go into distress… At New Amsterdam hospital they tell me that the baby head is down and it is in the position it is supposed to be.”

According to Arjune she spent one week at that hospital after being admitted. “Then they discharge me and say to come back when you getting serious pain or more signs.”

It was one week later that Arjune went back to New Amsterdam Hospital hoping to have her baby but was told that she was not in labour. “I was only 3cm and they admit me there again and had me for five days then they discharge me and I went to another private doctor and do another ultrasound to see really how the baby position and it show that the baby is still transverse.”

Arjune, who was having her fourth child, was advised by that doctor to go to a private hospital on the Corentyne to have her baby delivered before she loses it and her own life.

A few hours later Arjune got her baby girl.

“I knew that the baby was crossway and they keep telling me that they waiting for me to get pain although the two ultrasound that I do showing how the baby position but the

Amanda Arjune and her baby

Cuban doctor all she telling me is that I got to wait on time. On Sunday gone the baby was only 37-weeks for she and the baby was 41-weeks and days.

Lambasting the hospital for what he described as inefficient service, which could have led to her child’s death, the mother of four pointed out that more trained and professional medical personnel are needed at the institution.

“They need to get more professional doctors at the New Amsterdam Hospital so when you go there and they examine you they must know what to do, what step to take to save the life of a mother and the baby. So much people in there getting pain and they telling them wait your time ain’t reach yet…” she added.

Anjune is appealing for the maternity unit of NA Hospital to be investigated.

However, despite her bad experience she is happy she was able to hold her newborn safely in her arms.

Over 140 youths graduate...

With the receipt of the competency-based skill training certificate, the minister further charged the graduates with using this as a constant motivation and stepping stone to achieve higher levels of education, skills and experience.

“Take a look at the strides you have made over the past six months and let this be your frame of reference for today and the future. The past is your foundation block on which you will construct the columns and pillars of today and tomorrow. So the next maxim is live for today, seize every opportunity and broaden your horizons,” she advised.

In congratulating the graduates, she encouraged other youths to take example and make the decision to join the

next batch of the training programmes. Lawrence assured that this would change their lives and secure their future as productive citizens.

“This is the approach and the right course of action that is necessary for your survival in today’s world. You live in a competitive world and in order to avoid an impoverished life, you have to be skill-oriented, you need to be aggressive in your pursuit of educating yourself so that you are marketable and can generate an income for your livelihood and your family.”

This period of training had commenced in September, 2015 and ended in February, 2016.

This batch has been recorded as the largest of the ad-

from page 10

ministrative regions for this training course. Since the initiation of the programme, this has been the second batch of trainees graduating.

Of the best graduating students for each area of study were students Shaneeza Khan (General Office Administration), Howana Samuels (Data Operation), Lakeram Singh (Welding), Dellon Cummings (Electrical Installation), Rabindra Persaud (Plumbing), Shamar Younge (Carpentry), Kevin Dundas (Motor Vehicles Servicing Class I), Deonarine Chirao (Motor Vehicle Servicing Class II), Junior Hinds (Metal Work Engineering), and Gavin Cameron (Heady Duty Equipment Operation).

News

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monDay, APRIL 25, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Linden’s Golden Years Club celebrates 19 years

– need for resuscitation of senior citizens’ home highlighted

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Some members of the Golden Years Club

he Golden Years Club of Linden last week celebrated 19 years of being in existence, with much thanksgiving and ceremony, as a number of senior citizens congregated and uttered praises for being afforded the opportunity to live to see another day.

The Club, which operates from within the confines of the abandoned Dorfolk Senior Citizen’s Home in Retrieve, Mackenzie now has about 32 dependents, consisting of seniors who engage in activities such as “keep fit” exercises, craftwork, health talks and cookery.

Last week’s celebration saw entertaining perfor-

the Golden Years Club, however activities are not held during school holidays, since some of the seniors would assist with their grandchildren, Melville explained.

“We plan from week to week what we’re going to do for the quarter”, she noted.

“This building is the Dorfolk Home and just to save it from going to rot again I decided that we should keep a Club… We got nobody giving us finances so we beg… and I beg for things we need… but I’m getting tired, I’m old now,” Melville related humorously.

Melville mused that an out-of-town trip is planned once a year, which provides added excitement. She said

washroom facility is situated too far from the hall and there is an opening in the building that leaves it exposed to the elements.

Regardless of the issues, she said she refuses to be deterred and tries to remain happy. The woman said a church has promised to assist with paint and other materials to enhance the building which was once an active home for senior citizens in Linden. Presently the building is in a substandard state, with a number of abandoned rooms, apart from that occupied by the Golden Years Club.

The son of one of the members of the Club related that there is need for prop-

The abandoned Dorfolk Home in Linden

mances by the seniors in the areas of drama and song.

Pastor Selwyn Sills also delivered words of encouragement and upliftment.

President of the Club Pauline Melville told the media the activities provided by the Club provides a social, learning and informative environment for some, especially the older folks who often are ably assisted by the younger ones.

But while the Club has an active kitchen, affording the supplies for upkeep is no easy sailing, explained Melville, who said they are obtained through charitable means. Many seniors look forward to Wednesdays at

a lunch is shared every Wednesday when the seniors meet.

Presently, there is only one senior citizen, a gentleman in his 90s residing in the upper flat of the premises, who is tasked with looking over the premises.

“Nobody is here to look over this place. It’s just my Club keeping the building up and things like that…

There’s so many things wrong here,” she said.

Outlining several issues regarding the infrastructure of the building, Melville indicated that it was not constructed in a senior citizen-friendly fashion. For instance, she noted that the

er care of senior citizens in Linden. The man related that presently he cares for his elderly mother, however, he believes that more needs to be done on the part of the Region’s leading administrators.

In an invited comment, Head of the Linden Mayor and Town Council Social Committee Keeran Williams said there is need for strengthening various Committees, which are responsible for such issues, which he is presently working on. He said only then can there be any improvement in the infrastructure and other areas.

A flair for the arts: Young female artist handpaints 50th Anniversary Logo

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beautiful mind with the creative skills to match, Christina Bianchini’s artistic talent is one that she considers instinctive since it was during her formative years she realised she had this ability.

Though it started as a hobby, she explains, one of her greatest motivations was her art teacher at the Bishops’ High School who recognised her abilities. But more importantly, she recalls her class teacher in Grade Five who was an initial source of inspiration when he drew a beautiful mountain in her notebook.

Her being mesmerised and inspired by that drawing developed a love for art.

With the country on the verge of celebrating its 50th Independence anniversary, Christina was inspired by her superiors to handpaint the ever so popular 50th Anniversary Logo. It was a job she executed with excellence and dexterity since the infinite details of the logo are especially stunning.

The piece of work represents Guyana’s 50th Independence anniversary and jubilee, Christina’s work now stands at the forefront of the GNBA Secretariat in Kingston, Georgetown.

Christina describes drawing as “therapeutic”, a way to relax and embrace her innermost creative imaginations. She particularly noted that during the morning hours around ten o’clock and late at nights, she usually have the greatest urge to embrace her artistic abilities.

As an ambitious young woman, she wishes to have her own personal gallery in the near future - one that gives her the scope to express herself and simultaneously inspire others through pieces that are random and spontaneous, art she believes, is usually subjective.

Apart from her love

Artist Christina Bianchini painting Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary Logo

for art, this 22-year-old is academically inclined.

Christina holds a Bachelor of Social Science Degree in Sociology from the University of Guyana, an accomplishment she views as a stepping stone for greater academic pursuits in the near future.

While reflecting on her journey to this point in her life, she described her childhood very fondly as she recalls exciting moments with her many cousins and friendly peers.

Christina describes herself as an ambivert, someone who occasionally would spend time in her room “abusing the internet”, watching a variety of American TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The

Fosters, Supernatural and others similar in genre. The extroverted side, she explains, would involve socialising with her friends and close relatives.

Christina is currently a Senior Broadcast & Compliance Officer attached to the Monitoring Department of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA).

When asked about her motto in life, Christina exclaimed “it is never too late to do anything, never give up on your dreams”. She believes that what makes life meaningful is living with passion and purpose, something she continuously strives to accomplish in addition to her many aspirations in life.

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guyana-times.com

monDay, april 25, 2016

Regional

TT prison officers brace for another jail break

T

he Port-of-Spain Prison is now on high alert in response to word of a planned “violent breakout” involving a man charged with murder in a high-profile case.

Prisons Commissioner Sterling Stewart said security has been stepped up and they are liaising with their “national security counterparts to compare intelligence”.

Prisons officers who spoke to the GML Enterprise Desk on condition of anonymity are alleging that a member of a well-known group came into the prison last Thursday around 14:00h and “scoped out the security in the place and left without visiting anyone”. They said that to their amazement, “nothing was picked up on camera”.

The officers said when the man came into the prison, he was approached by prisons officers who de-

The prison on Frederick Street, Port of Spain, was cordoned off last Sunday

manded answers from him.

The officers said this was fruitless as they were told by a senior (name called) that they should leave him alone.

The prisons officers subsequently took the man’s phone, checked it, and deleted photos which he took inside the jail.

Prisons officers said the prison was still on lockdown and more officers were being called out. According to the prisons officers, the prisoner “has been laughing and talk-

ing about how he has the entire nation on panic”, but they continue to be on standby for anything untoward.

They have also been heightening security when prisoners are taken to court.

Only last Thursday, when the accused in the murder of Senior Counsel Dana Seetahal was taken to court, the Criminal Gang Intelligence Unit heightened security around the Port-of-Spain Magistrates Court. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Experts say Mexico hampered probe into apparent student massacre

A

panel of international experts on Sunday accused Mexico's Government of failing to fully cooperate with their probe into the fate of 43 trainee teachers apparently massacred in 2014, the most notorious human rights case in Mexico in recent years.

The independent panel of experts said the Government's stonewalling stopped them from reaching the truth as they wrap up their work and prepare to leave Mexico.

The Attorney General's office, they said, did not let

them re-interview detainees accused of the crime or obtain other information in a timely fashion. Prosecutors, meanwhile, did not pursue investigative angles that the experts had suggested.

"The delays in obtaining evidence that could be used to figure out possible lines of investigation translates into a decision (to allow) impunity," the report by the experts, commissioned by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), said.

A spokesman for the Attorney General's office

said the office would probably comment after the experts concluded a news conference.

The grisly case underscored the deep impunity that reigns in many hyper violent parts of Mexico, and tarnished President Enrique Pena Nieto's reputation.

Mexico's Government says that corrupt Police handed the students over to drug gang henchmen in late 2014, who then incinerated them at a garbage dump in the south-western Mexican state of Guerrero. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

Jamaica Ponzi scheme may impact US charity linked to royal family

O

n the eve of the 35th charity gala put on by the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) in Miami, whose patron of honour in previous years has been The Prince of Wales, it has come to light that a former Director and Treasurer of AFJ is Mark Jones, who was arrested last month on charges of operating a US$10 million Jamaican “Bridge Loan Fund” Ponzi scheme.

While all references to Jones have since been removed from the AFJ website, printed material still exists confirming that he previously functioned as Director, Vice President and Treasurer of the US not-forprofit 501 (c)(3) organisation dedicated to supporting Jamaican charitable organisations and social initiatives working to improve the lives of Jamaicans through systemic development in the

From left: Mark Jones, VP and Treasurer, American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ); George Duncan, Chairman of the Cornwall Regional Board; Everton Anderson, CEO, Cornwall Regional Hospital and Caron Chung, AFJ's Executive Director, examine medical supplies which were presented to Cornwall Regional Hospital by the AFJ [Jamaica Observer photo]

areas of education, health care and economic development.

Specifically, a promotional booklet for Saturday’s gala states that Jones is (or was) Director, Vice President and Treasurer of the AFJ. Numerous efforts by Caribbean News Now to reach AFJ board members

and this year’s awardees, namely, Marlon Hill for the Lignum Vitae Vanguard Awards and Robert Runcie of South Florida, by telephone and email have been unsuccessful. Similar requests for comment or reaction from Prince Charles’ press secretary have so far failed to elicit any response.

(Excerpt from Caribbean News Now!)

20,000-plus “illegal” Jamaicans costing Trinidad millions — former Minister

T

rinidad and Tobago’s former National Security Minister, Gary Griffith is claiming that there are over 20,000 undocumented Jamaicans in the twin-island republic who are a burden on the country and causing Government to lose out on half billion dollars every year.

Griffith said the Keith Rowley Administration must not be intimidated by “any foreign political party” in its efforts to safeguard its security and economic resources.

His comments came on the heels of criticism in Jamaica and calls for a boycott of Trinidadian products,

after Immigration Officers at the Piarco International Airport in Trinidad refused entry to 12 Jamaicans last month. Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses had explained that the Jamaicans who tried to enter the country on March 21 were sent back home because they were likely to become a charge on the public purse.

However, Jamaica’s Opposition spokesman on foreign affairs, Anthony Hylton, called on the Andrew Holness-led Government to take the matter before the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

Griffith contended that many Jamaicans refuse to leave the country after gaining entry under the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) free movement regime, and end up benefiting from State resources and getting jobs, or contributing to Trinidad and Tobago’s crime problem.

“It is indeed alarming that the Jamaican Opposition would question the legitimate actions by our Immigration Officers as they attempt daily to do their jobs, after being abused constantly by a few Jamaican nationals who attempt to enter our country without the appropriate requirements.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Haiti misses deadline for presidential runoff H aiti has again missed the deadline for an election that was scheduled to be held on Sunday.

Although an election was scheduled for April 24 as stipulated in the February 5 political accord to transfer power from the caretaker Government to an elected one, provisional President Jocelerme Privert told the Miami Herald that he expects an election calendar to be published by the end of May. His acknowledgment that an election would not be taking place comes amidst mounting pressure from the international community for Haiti to resume the electoral process and have an elected President in office by May 14.

Last week, there was widespread speculation that the polls would not be held and spokesman for the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) Richardson Dumel said the body would not create “a new crisis” in Haiti by rushing ahead to

stage the elections.

“There is no electoral environment favourable in

representatives of political parties that signed and approved the terms of refer-

The two main candidates who were expected to contest the presidential elections did not sign a document outlining the terms of reference of the Independent Commission of Electoral Evaluation and Verification

Haiti at this time and for the third time, the second round is postponed indefinitely,” Dumel then said.

The two main candidates who were expected to contest the presidential elections did not sign a document outlining the terms of reference of the Independent Commission of Electoral Evaluation and Verification.

Jovenel Moïse and Jude Célestin were not among

ence late last week.

No reasons have been given for their absence, but Celestin has in the past expressed deep concerns about vote-rigging and a lack of transparency by the CEP and is leading an Opposition alliance alleging widespread fraud in favour of Moïse, who has been viewed as the chosen successor to former President Michel Martelly.

(Excerpt from CMC)

Bermuda hailed for turtle conservation role G

reen turtles have been removed from the endangered species list in Florida, with a researcher saying Bermuda played an important role.

American officials formally announced that the species had been moved from the endangered species list in both Florida and off the Pacific coast of Mexico, meaning that the species no longer faces the imminent threat of extinction in the region.

However, the turtles are

still classified as “threatened” and will continue to be protected.

Peter Meylan, the principal investigator for the Bermuda Turtle Project, said a remarkable increase in females nesting in Floridian beaches was being credited for the change, but conservation efforts in Bermuda had also likely played a role.

“It is difficult to say exactly why the numbers of nesting females in Florida have increased so rapidly in

the last few years, but we do know that conservation of larger size classes of turtles is very important for population stability and growth,” he said.

“It is very likely that Bermuda has played a role in the recovery of Florida green turtles. The Bermuda Turtle Project has shown that small green turtles grow up in Bermuda waters and then move on to adult foraging ranges elsewhere before they mature. (Excerpt from

Antigua Observer)

monDAY, april 25, 2016

guyana-times.com

Around the world

Yemen peace talks in Kuwait stall over differences

T

he United Nationsbrokered Yemen peace talks are continuing on the fourth day in Kuwait, but with Government and Houthi rebel delegations far from reaching an agreement to end the conflict.

The delegations resumed the negotiations on Sunday, but an hour into the talks, "it was obvious for the UN special envoy [Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed] that the talks were going nowhere", said Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Kuwait City.

"There has been no progress here because of huge differences. The envoy had to suspend the session.

"The Houthis later said they are in consultation with their leaders in Yemen about whether to return to the talks or pack up and leave."

The Houthis and the forces loyal to President AbdRabbu Mansour Hadi have observed a fragile ceasefire

The UN envoy suspended the session as representatives of rival Houthi and Government delegations failed to make progress

since April 11.

However, the two sides differ on how to move forward.

"The Houthis say that they are willing to negotiate a settlement, but they are the ones who have the upper hand; therefore, they have to have a bigger say in the Government," our correspondent said.

"The Government says the Houthis used force to

seize power so they are the ones who should be held responsible.

"They have to hand over their weapons and pull out from the main cities. Then the talks can start."

The Houthis are demanding an immediate halt to air strikes that the Arab coalition has been carrying out since March last year in support of Hadi. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Migrants seek new routes into Balkans after formal borders sealed

A

fter weeks stranded at a closed border in northern Greece, migrants and refugees are seeking out new, irregular routes to get into Macedonia, clambering through forests and over hills under the cover of darkness.

As dusk fell on Saturday evening, a Reuters witness saw a group of up to 70 people crossing into Macedonia from Greece, at a point where there is no razor wire fence between the two countries. They darted in and out

of a forest, hiding from authorities.

It was roughly a 20 kilometre (12 mile), or fourhour walk from Idomeni, a sprawling tent city hosting thousands of refugees and migrants stranded by a cascade of border shutdowns throughout the Balkans in February.

Others at the campsite were also mulling their options to leave Idomeni and find vulnerable points along the border to cross into the Balkans, the preferred route to Western Europe.

"There is no other solution," said Moutaz, a Syrian from Aleppo.

Human rights organisations say the living conditions at Idomeni are appalling.

Fellow Syrian Eyas from Damascus said he would attempt to cross the Albanian border further west. "There is a chance you will get there through the Macedonia route, but the Macedonian military will send you back," he told Reuters. Some people chance the trek on their own. Others use traffickers.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Solar-powered plane completes Pacific Ocean flight

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solar-powered plane has landed in California, completing a risky, three-day flight across the Pacific Ocean as part of its journey around the world.

Pilot Bertrand Piccard landed the Solar Impulse 2 in Mountain View, in the Silicon Valley south of San Francisco, on Sunday, following a 62-hour, nonstop solo flight without fuel.

The plane taxied into a huge tent erected on Moffett Airfield where Piccard was greeted by the project's team.

The landing came several hours after Piccard performed a flyby over the Golden Gate Bridge as spectators watched the narrow aircraft with extra wide wings from below.

"I crossed the bridge. I am officially in America," he declared as he took in spectacular views of San

15

The trans-Pacific leg was the riskiest part of the plane's global travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites [AP]

Francisco Bay. Piccard and fellow Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg have been taking turns flying the plane on an aroundthe-world trip since taking off from Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, in March 2015.

It made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China, Japan and Hawaii.

The trans-Pacific leg was the riskiest part of the plane's global travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites.

"The idea here is not so much that solar planes can

immediately replace jet planes powered by fossil fuel," said Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds, reporting from Mountain View.

"It is rather to give the pioneers of the technology inspiration for other uses of solar power."

The plane's ideal flight speed is about 28 mph, though that can double during the day when the sun's rays are strongest. The carbon-fibre aircraft weighs more than 2268kg, or about as much as a mid-size truck.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

India: Chief Justice in plea for more judges

I

ndia's top Judge has made an emotional plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to recruit more Judges to handle an "avalanche" of backlogged cases.

Chief Justice TS Thakur appeared close to tears as he asked how the country's current 21,000 Judges could cope with tens of millions of pending cases.

He said a Judge at India's Supreme Court dealt with about 2600 cases a year, compared with just 81

in the US. Modi said the Government would try to solve the problem.

Speaking at a conference in Delhi, Chief Justice Thakur said: "It is for development of this country, that I beseech you to rise the occasion.

"You cannot shift the entire burden to the judiciary... There is a limit to judges' capacity."

He said the Government should raise the number of judges to at least 40,000.

Nearly 30 years ago, a commission recommended a fivefold increase in the proportion of judges to people –but this has not happened, the BBC's Charles Haviland says.

India has a notoriously slow legal system, and court hearings can go for years or even decades.

At the rate they are currently being handled, it would take about 30 years to clear only the criminal cases, experts say. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

Africa's longest serving leader seeks new 7-year term

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itizens of Equatorial Guinea are heading to the polls in a vote expected to hand Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the incumbent President and Africa's longest serving leader, another seven-year term in office.

The country's Opposition Leaders and international civil society groups have already dismissed Sunday's vote as "not credible".

Obiang, 73, faces six mostly unknown opponents, with most of the Opposition boycotting the poll.

Election results will start to come in after the polls close at 21:00h local time and final results are expected today.

Obiang, who has ruled Equatorial Guinea for nearly 37 years after overthrowing his uncle in a coup, is ac-

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo is expected to win Equatorial Guinea's poll, which is boycotted by much of the Opposition

cused of presiding over one of the world's most corrupt and repressive Governments.

Critics accuse Obiang of failing to distribute the country's oil wealth to the population of about 700,000.

According to the UN 2014 Human Development Report, the country has the highest per capita gross domestic product of any African country – about US$37,000.

But it ranks 144 out of 187 countries in the Human Development Index that measures social and economic development.

As a result, Equatorial Guinea has by far the world's largest gap of all countries between its per capita wealth and its human development score. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

16 news

monDAY, april 25, 2016 | guyana-times.com

VOX POPULI

What the people say

I SAY...

Guyanese share their opinions on the high crime rate in Guyana

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Premie Sharma (Essequibo Coast) “I am very concerned and peeved about the spiralling crime rates across Guyana. In my view, the Government and the Minister responsible need to take strong, comprehensive and urgent action to protect the citizens of Guyana against the many crimes. There need to be more Police patrolling and Police need to act promptly when reports are made; in addition, Police need to have the necessary resources to fight crime – more vehicles and outposts.”

Nallini Browne (Georgetown) “I think the Government needs to be a little more effective in whatever methods they are putting forth against the rising crime rates. I also think the Police need to be a little more on time.

Recently, there had been a robbery and the Police went long after, and I think that is not good enough. I believe the Government is really trying, but we need to get a little more Police patrol."

Patrick Forde (Georgetown) “I think the Police system needs upgrading. When somebody commits a crime, Police are going too late on the scene – when everything is finished, likewise when there is a murder. They need to respond quicker so that they can put a stop to the crime in the country. There’s really need to put a stop to this; too many crimes are happening.”

Rico Doobay (Spring Garden, Essequibo Coast) “Every day persons are being murdered, robbed or harassed; young innocent people are losing their lives. The situation is disgusting and I strongly believe that the Government, as well as the Minister responsible, can do more to combat the high crime rate. Police need to act promptly when reports are made, there need to be follow-ups, more outposts at strategic areas, more Police patrolling especially on weekends, more police outreach programmes and more working telephone numbers, with these things being implemented I am of the view that Guyana can be a safer country.”

Lloyd Douglas (No 54 Village, Corentyne) “[Public Security Minister Khemraj] Ramjattan don’t have a plan. The Minister don’t have a strategy to fight crime. They promised when they get into Government they would change things; it is worse now. In Essequibo, a well-grilled house yet they get in and set it ablaze and kill the people.

The Government has nothing to lose. The Police should have intelligence to know when and where these things will happen; they need to set up cameras so they could see what people are doing and monitor the criminals.

When these things happen, there is no compensation and relatives are the ones that suffer. Government is not dealing with the real issues, now they saying that the GTT shares money was paid and somebody collect it; all they are doing is trying to divert attention from the real issue.

They spend resources going after the people with little matters and not focusing on the big matters; I think that is what they should be focusing on.”

Nalini Persaud (Spring Garden, Essequibo Coast) “The Government needs to get the Police more active in the communities and people need to be given justice whenever reports are made; every day things getting worse and it’s not good for a developing country like Guyana. The Police need to be more vigilant and conduct more Police patrols in the streets; there should be more Police presence in crime-ridden areas through Police outposts or huts with alert and well-trained ranks.

Police outposts should be more functional and equipped with the necessary resources to offer protection to communities. There is need for working emergency numbers and working telephones at Police Stations as well as vehicles to get Police to areas of crime."

Parbati Anjune (Number 70 Village, Corentyne) “I don’t find crime as a problem, because at No 70 Village we don’t get no crime. In Guyana, crime is a serious thing. They acting now to reduce the crime and let us hope that it reduce, but I don’t like to listen to the news because I am hypertensive and I always get problem if I listen to it.

One day I listen to the TV and what they talking about what happen and I fall, so I don’t want to know what happening, because I can’t take it.”

Zhenyuan Li (Corentyne, Berbice) “The Guyana Government needs to do something because you can’t even open a business after it get dark and now you have to pay more tax, but the Government not providing security so you could make the money, so what are you paying so much tax for?

When they catch a thief man, he supposed to get jail for life or cut off he one hand, so he can’t thief no more. And you don’t see how the crime gon stop.”

WOMI visits girls' home

omen of Mission International Guyana as part of its quarterly schedule recently visited the Hauraruni Girls Home, situated along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway, where they made donations of clothing, books and provided other much needed assistance. The Girls Home presently provides a haven for 14 females in special circumstances between the ages of 5 and 14.

Members of the group which included Chairperson Camille Cummings, Monica Higgins and Wanda Richmond, amongst others, also engaged in an interactive session with the girls, including craft lessons and other fun activities.

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news

monDAY, april 25, 2016 | guyana-times.com

CCCC urges Govt not to “trigger panic” in depressed business environment – calls for expedition of deepwater harbour

Caribbean tourism market needs to get better – ITC Executive Director

E

Director of the International Trade Centre Arancha Gonzalez The new executive of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce

T

he newly elected executive of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC) is urging all selfemployed persons and businesses to file their tax returns. President of the CCCC Mohamed Raffik noted that self-employeds and businesses must pay their fair share of taxes as this is part of their civic responsibility.

While citizens are encouraged to assist with the smooth running of the economy, government has a bigger responsibility, Raffik said, adding, “at the same time, we are calling on the government to tread carefully on enforcement of laws in this regard and not to trigger panic and alarm in an al-

ready depressed business environment, with reckless searches of business premises without doing proper investigations and getting evidence that can stand.”

The Chamber president said government also has to ensure businesses in Berbice that are collecting Valued Added Tax (VAT) are registered to do so and to remit same to government, so there can be a level playing field.

He noted that new administration of the CCCC is hoping to work in collaboration with the new Mayor and Councillors of Rose Hall Town, and the various Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) in the area to better the lives of citizens in

the region.

“We will also be looking at the current precarious security situation in Berbice and will interact with the government on improving the situation,” Raffik said on the Chambers’ agenda is to have discussions with government on ways to increase employment opportunities in Berbice.

“Another important issue for Berbice is the deep water harbour that was in the works for a long time... Let’s get the discussion back on the table with the Brazilians on this and also the road to Lethem.”

He noted that efforts will also be made to see the opening up of the telecommunications sector

and the long-pending legislation tabled and passed in parliament before the end of June. “We are calling on the government to urgently get moving, as this was another campaign promise that was not fulfilled,” Raffik pinpointed.

Two weeks ago Raffik was elected President of the CCCC. The other elected executive members are: Imran Hamid – Vice-president; Harry Ghaness - Treasurer; Poonai Bhigroog Secretary; former CCCC president Tajpaul Adjodhea – Assistanttreasurer; Krishnanand Raghunandan – Assistant-secretary and Surendra Ganesh – Public Relations Officer.

Thieves hit another Diamond home

P

olice are currently probing an incident which occurred at Sixth Avenue, Diamond, East Bank Demerara, where another home was broken into and valuables taken.

The home of Chandra Doobay was broken into for the second by thieves. The

breakage was only discovered recently by the caretaker, who went over to check on the building.

According to the caretaker, the house was broken into less than two years ago.

She said the estimated loss in valuables amount to some $400,000 and include

a television, DVD players, among other items. The caretaker told this publication it would appear the intruders wore gloves during the raid since, although the place was heavily ransacked, police could not find any fingerprint.

Doobay’s home was first

broken into in December, 2014.

However, during that time the victim, who lives alone, was at home. She reportedly lost close to $1 million in cash and valuables, including all of her Jewellery.

Police are investigating.

xecutive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC) Arancha Gonzalez said the tourism markets in the Caribbean need to be improved, if they are going help boost economies.

She was at the time addressing representatives of nine Caribbean countries including Guyana on Friday at the Princess Ramada International Hotel, during the closing session of a twoday European Union (EU)/ Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI)/ ITC project, dubbed “Coconut Industry Development for the Caribbean”.

The €3.5 million project is aimed at reviving the coconut industry in Caribbean countries including Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, St Vincent, Dominica, Jamaica, Belize and the Dominican Republic, so that it could make significant contributions to the respective economies.

Gonzalez said the markets within the region are not leveraged enough for tourism: “This is a market that needs to be leveraged better. This market in this region has a deep regional dimension, beyond national borders and at some point, this regional dimension will also be considered to be an expansion of your national borders. In this regional dimension, there is a concept where in the region; it will be aggregators of regional dimensions.”

Gonzalez said it is about organising the value chain, which sees movements from markets to farmer and from farmers back to markets.

The value chain begins with the understanding that the markets are demanding and it is working backwards so that the farmers could supply that particular market.

“This is a continuum. If any part of this value chain is not working, it will hamper the ability to enter the market. So we have to orga-

nise the chain.”

She said farmers need to understand the importance of standards as they move to trade their goods and services. It is not just their public standards or that of SPS, its private standards, especially for agricultural products, where more attention has to be paid. We have a tune called standard maps, which maps private standards, where persons can assess themselves to business standards and gives persons a path to compliance to the business standards.

Another area she said, is trade facilitation and logistics. “We could start by making sure that the WTO Trade facilitation agreement is implemented in each member of Caricom.

That is the first step at lowering the cost of doing business and improving logistics.

Non-tariff measures

According to Gonzalez, non-tariff measures are today the main obstacles to trade.

“Today tariffs are below five per cent on average worldwide. Non-tariff measures are between 15 and 30 per-cent and that is what is needed.”

She added that it is important that the benefits of trade percolate to everyone.

“It is important that we connect women, youth and the poor through this process; because when we connect them we will have greater impact on poverty reduction.”

The ITC executive said the organisation will continue to support Caricom countries: “We need to take this coconut to the market, make sure we don’t stop here, we bring this work to implementation phase. We have to attract investment into the sector; it has to be turned into an investment attractiveness package so that investors can be interested in the benefits they see in terms of returns.”

18

guyana-timesgy.com

monday, April 25, 2016

ARCHIE

Don’t hesitate to bring about change. Wheel and deal (March 21- until you are in a position to April 19) advance. Don’t be afraid to do things differently. Rely on yourself, not someone else.

ARIES

You are best off speaking TAURUS out if you want to avoid being (April 20- poorly represented. Protect May 20) your money and possessions against loss or theft. Avoid joint ventures.

dilbert

You may be questioned if GEMINI (May 21- you are inconsistent about June 20) the way you feel or what your expectations are. Don’t take on too much or let indulgence tempt you.

CANCER

Peanuts

(June 21July 22)

Stick to your plan, regardless of how others react. It’s important to show consistency and strength of character if you want to be first.

Partnerships and home improvements are favoured.

Personal changes will LEO make you happy and encour(July 23age you to socialise more with Aug. 22) valuable people. Interaction with children or elders will prove challenging and insightful.

Speak on your own beVIRGO half.

Someone will misinter(Aug. 23pret what you want to porSept. 22) tray. Personal disagreements are best dealt with cautiously if you want to avoid regret. A trip will prove insightful.

Calvin and Hobbes

Getting together with peoLIBRA (Sept. 23- ple you adore will encourage Oct. 23) you to plan a trip or night out on the town. An aggressive approach to love will bring you closer to someone special.

SUDOKU TODAY’S WORD – CONICAL (CONICAL: KON-ih-kul: Of, relating to, or shaped like a cone.)

Average mark 14 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 21 or more words in CONICAL? The list will be published tomorrow.

SATURDAY’S WORD – AILERON

aeon alien aloe alone anil anile anole aril iron lain lair lane lean learn

leno liane liar lien line linear liner lion lira lire loan loaner loin lone

loner loran lore lorn earl earn elan enrol eolian rail rain rale rani real

rein renal rile roan roil role oiler oral oriel nail near noel noil

Put more thought into SCORPIO cutting costs and using your (Oct. 24space at home more efficientNov. 22) ly. A partnership will influence an important decision regarding an investment or pending settlement.

Get the facts before you SAGITTARIUS make a decision or challenge (Nov. 23- someone in a position to make Dec. 21) you look bad. Act on the personal changes you want to make. Romance will improve your life.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Don’t worry about what CAPRICORN others are up to. Focus on (Dec. 22- home and family, and do your Jan. 19) best to bring about a warm environment conducive to family fun and entertainment.

Refuse to let anyone AQUARIUS stand between you and your (Jan. 20dreams.

Make personal or Feb. 19) physical changes that encourage a career move. Let your emotional energy be the force that drives you.

Observe the way people rePISCES (Feb. 20- act to you before you respond.

March 20) Personal progress will bring much better results than trying to change others. Offer encouragement, not criticism.

monDAY, aPRIL 25, 2016

19

Kolkata Knight Riders V Rising Pune Supergiants, IPL 2016, Pune...

Kolkata Knight Riders batting depth delivers last-over win

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efore Sunday, Kolkata Knight Riders had won three games out of three while bowling first.

On Sunday, they chased again, won again, and went top of the table in a tournament where chasing teams had won 17 out of 20 matches. Chasing 161, they were coasting at 111 for 3 before they slumped dramatically; losing five wickets in 30 balls, and only sealed victory when Umesh Yadav struck a meaty straight six with five runs needed off the last four balls.

Knight Riders' slump began in the 15th over, when Rajat Bhatia's stump-tostump line, and Yusuf Pathan's across-the-line response, ended a 51-run stand for the fourth wicket with Suryakumar Yadav.

That partnership, coming on the back of Suryakumar's stands of 31 and 29 with Gautam Gambhir and Shakib Al Hasan, had taken Knight Riders to a position where they needed 50 off the last 34 balls, with six wickets in hand.

But when M Ashwin struck in the next over, defeating Suryakumar with a ripping googly, and particularly when Andre Russell who struck two big sixes off Ankit Sharma in the 17th

over - holed out to a slower ball from Thisara Perera, a one-sided contest turned into a thriller. Knight Riders kept in touch with the required rate with a boundary whenever they needed it, but they also kept losing wickets. In the end, they had Nos. 9 and 10 at the crease when Umesh slogged Perera high over long-on.

In his post-match interview, MS Dhoni said he was happy with Supergiants' total of 160, and thought his spinners had given the match away by bowling too full on a slow pitch offering plenty of turn. There were six sixes hit off the Supergiants spinners, and all six came off balls that were in the slot for lofted hits.

It was a definite contrast to the way the Knight Riders spinners had operated, largely bowling just short of a good length, and extracting generous turn that made it hard to hit down the ground or against the break.

Ajinkya Rahane came into the match with two half-centuries in his last four innings, and demonstrated his silky form with an effortless flicked six off Morne Morkel in the third over of the Supergiants in-

nings, and two fours off the next six balls he faced.

The introduction of Shakib Al Hasan, in the fourth over, revealed the extent of turn available, as he straightened one from wide of the crease to clip Faf du Plessis' off stump. With Shakib bowling three overs by the end of the eighth over, and Gambhir introducing Piyush Chawla early as well, Rahane and Steven Smith spent a fair amount of time negotiating balls turning away from them, and sharply at that. They were busy in this period, working the ball into gaps and running frantically, and had put on 56 in 8.2 overs when Smith was needlessly run out, backing up too far down the pitch.

Dhoni sent in the lefthanded Perera and Albie Morkel ahead of him, and they both made cameos, hitting three sixes between them to lift the run rate alongside Rahane, who hit a couple of sixes as well, off Chawla and Umesh in the 16th and 17th over.

Rahane's dismissal at the start of the 18th over brought in Dhoni, and the Supergiants captain punished a wayward Morne Morkel in the final over, pulling him for six and four

either side of a whipped boundary manufactured off a leg-stump yorker.

Supergiants had taken 17 off the last over, and 70 off the last six.

Albie, playing his first match for Supergiants, showed he had a fair idea of how to bowl on this pitch when he struck with his first ball, a slower offcutter that clanged into Robin Uthappa's front pad in front of off stump. But his brother Morne's tendency to bowl short also rubbed off on him, and Gambhir and Suryakumar hit him for three fours over the remainder of an eventful first over.

When Albie overcompensated and fed Suryakumar two overpitched balls in the third over, Knight Riders were racing along at 29 for 1. But they lost Gambhir against the run of play, when he turned for a non-existent second run, and Supergiants were back in the contest.

With M Ashwin and Ankit forming an inexperienced two-thirds of Supergiants' spin attack, Dhoni needed R Ashwin to be at his best. But it wasn't his day. Introduced in the fourth over, he struggled to find the right line, length and pace to bowl on this pitch. He bowled three leg-

side wides that spun from outside off stump, fed two balls in Suryakumar's sixhitting slot, went around the wicket to try and change his luck, and did all of this in the space of two overs.

Two overs was all he would bowl. Dhoni ignored

opportunities to use him outside the Powerplay, perhaps unwilling to use him against a succession of right-handed Knight Riders batsmen, but it showed, not for the first time in recent months, a lack of trust in a proven, experienced spinner.(Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Rising Pune Supergiants innings (20 overs maximum) AM Rahane c & b Narine 67 F du Plessis b Shakib Al Hasan 4 SPD Smith run out (Sathish) 31 NLTC Perera b Sathish 12 JA Morkel b UT Yadav 16 MS Dhoni*† not out 23 R Bhatia not out 1 Extras: (b 4, lb 2) 6 Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 160 Did not bat: SS Tiwary, R Ashwin, Ankit Sharma, M Ashwin Fall of wickets: 1-24 (du Plessis, 3.6 ov), 2-80 (Smith, 12.2 ov), 3-99 (Perera, 14.5 ov), 4-119 (Rahane, 17.1 ov), 5-133 (Morkel, 18.1 ov) Bowling: M Morkel 3 -0 -30 -0 , AD Russell 2-0 -16 -0 , Shakib Al Hasan 3 -0-14 -1 SP Narine 4- 0-32-1 , PP Chawla 3 -0 -26 -0 , R Sathish 3 -0 -20 -1, UT Yadav 2 -0 -16 -1

Kolkata Knight Riders innings (target: 161 runs from 20 overs) RV Uthappa† lbw b Morkel 0 G Gambhir* run out (Tiwary/†Dh oni) 11 SA Yadav lbw b M Ashwin 60 Shakib Al Hasan b Bhatia 3 YK Pathan lbw b Bhatia 36 AD Russell c du Plessis b Perera 17 R Sathish b Morkel 10 PP Chawla c Smith b Perera 8 UT Yadav not out 7 SP Narine not out 0 10 Extras: (w 10) Total:(8 wickets; 19.3 overs) 162 Did not bat: M Morkel Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Uthappa, 0.1 ov), 2-31 (Gambhir, 2.5 ov), 3-60 (Shakib Al Hasan, 6.3 ov), 4-111 (Pathan, 14.2 ov), 5-119 (SA Yadav, 15.5 ov), 6-139 (Russell, 17.5 ov), 7-151 (Sathish, 18.4 ov), 8-156 (Chawla, 19.2 ov) Bowling: JA Morkel 3 -0 -36 -2, NLTC Perera 3.3 0 - 28 - 2 , R Ashwin 2 -0 -21 -0, R Bhatia 4-0 -19-2, Ankit Sharma 3-0 -26-0, M Ashwin 4 -0-32 -1

Arsene Wenger: Top four Leicester City forward named PFA Player of the Year a ‘‘worry” for Arsenal

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A

rsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the prospect of failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 19 years is a "worry".

The Gunners missed the chance to climb from fourth to third after Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Sunderland.

"We care about that and we worry about it as well because it's a fight," said Wenger of their top-four ambitions.

"It is frustrating because we play to win the title and the fact that we do not win it is of course frustrating."

Arsenal, who have not finished outside the top four in the Premier League since the 1995-96 campaign, are 12 points behind leaders Leicester with three games left to play.

They are also just five points above fifth-placed Manchester United, who

Arsene Wenger

have a game in hand, with the top four qualifying for the Champions League.

Arsenal found it difficult to create chances against a committed Sunderland side, who moved out of the relegation zone with the point.

And Wenger said it is the time of the season when some clubs will face easier fixtures.

"There are two leagues at

the moment," he said. "The teams who are taking it a little bit easier - you see some games and you think you would like to play them now, the teams who are safe and are not going for Europe.

"And then you have the teams who are going for something at the front and the teams who are fighting not to go down, and they are different games." (BBC Sport)

eicester City forward Riyad Mahrez has won the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year award.

Mahrez has scored 17 goals and made 11 assists in 34 league games to take Leicester to the cusp of the title.

The award was voted for by the Algeria international's fellow professionals.

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, 20, was named PFA Young Player of the Year, while Manchester City forward Izzy Christiansen won the Women's Player of the Year award.

Sunderland striker Beth Mead, 20, was named Women's Young Player of the Year Mahrez, 25, held off competition from Tottenham forward Harry Kane, Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, West Ham United midfielder and fellow Leicester men Jamie Vardy and N'Golo Kante to

Riyad Mahrez

win the award.

"All the credit is for them, seriously," Mahrez, who joined Leicester from French second-tier side Le Harvre in January 2014, said.

"And for my manager and the staff. Without them I wouldn't receive this

award and I wouldn't score.

It's the team spirit, and I want to dedicate it to them.

"It's extra special because if the players vote for me it's because they've seen I've been great this year so I'm happy.

"Without my team-mates I wouldn't get this award."

(BBC Sport)

20

guyana-times.com

monDAY, APRIL 25, 2016

Gujarat Lions v Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2016, Rajkot...

Lions win despite Kohli's maiden T20 ton

Virat Kohli struck his maiden T20 century but was unable to prevent his side from losing by six wickets

V

irat Kohli is a calculating batsman. It shows in the way he plays pure cricketing shots and maximises their impact by picking gaps. He was furious at himself after scoring 80 in Royal Challengers Bangalore's victory two days ago because he thought he should have used 10 balls fewer. A man so in tune with his game insisted he never thought he would score a hundred today. But he did; his first in T20 cricket, achieved by hitting a wide yorker for four off the final ball of the innings.

Thereafter, he wouldn't have thought his team would lose. But they did, after putting up 180 - a total Kohli thought was 25 runs above par.

There are not many batsmen who can go toe-to-toe with the Royal Challengers captain. He averages 110 and strikes at 141 in Twenty20s this year. So Gujarat Lions had to work together, and work as perfectly as possible. The Rajkot pitch

was slow and stroke-play wasn't particularly easy.

With the new ball, however, you can always bank on runs. Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith who replaced Dale Steyn belted 72 in the Power play - a record for this season - to provide a fine start to the chase.

Suresh Raina and Dinesh Kartik built a sensible halfcentury stand - using the long boundaries at the SCA stadium to scamper twos to keep the asking rate in check. Karthik, who was 28 off 26 when that partnership was broken in the 16th over, accelerated to 50 off 39 and was unbeaten when the winning runs were struck with three balls to spare.

Royal Challengers had a chance to remove Karthik in the 18th over, Kane Richardson deceived the him with a slower ball but was unable to hold on to the return catch. An equation of 26 off 16 balls could have been taxing on a new batsman. As such, the set batsman Karthk kept finding

the gaps, a fresh Ravindra Jadeja made sure the twos kept coming and the chasing team won for a 16th time in 19 IPL matches this year.

After opting to bat, Royal Challengers lost Shane Watson early when he skied an off-cutter from Dhawal Kulkarni to Jadeja running in from sweeper cover. But Kohli and de Villiers put up their fifth fifty-plus stand in as many innings to regain the advantage.

Kohli was sublime on the drive, especially through the covers where he found 30 runs. He was equally adept with the flick through midwicket - 37 runs came from that region. De Villiers, much like the sell-out crowd, was quite content to watch.

The duo put on 51 off 36, but the show came to a premature end when de Villiers chipped an innocuous deliv-

he trains so that fitness issues do not affect his performance. At the World T20, after a phenomenal innings to beat Australia in the league stage he said, "I like to play for when I'm tired, I should be able to run as fast as when I'm on zero." Today after an innings of 100 not out off only 63 balls on an injured leg, he said "that was where fitness counts, the other muscles took over."

The last five overs yielded 65 runs for Royal Challengers, as Rahul recovered to post 51 off 35 balls, with three sixes. Kohli slapped Bravo for six, four and four off the last three legal deliveries to push the total to 180.

Smith responded with 32 off 21, including three fours and two sixes, McCullum pillaged 25 runs off the sixth over and Lions had

SCOREBOARD

Royal Challengers Bangalore innings (20 overs maximum) V Kohli* not out 100 SR Watson c Jadeja b Kulkarni 6 AB de Villiers c Raina b Tambe 20 KL Rahul† not out 51 Extras: (b 1, w 2) 3 Total: (2 wickets; 20 overs) 180 Did not bat: SN Khan, KM Jadhav, STR Binny, Iqbal Abdulla, YS Chahal, KW Richardson, T Shamsi Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Watson, 1.4 ov), 2-59 (de Villiers, 7.4 ov) Bowling: P Kumar 3 -0 -28 -0, DS Kulkarni 4 -0 -39 -1, PV Tambe 3 -0 -24 -1, SB Jakati 3 -0 -28 -0, RA Jadeja 3- 0 – 17-0 , DJ Bravo 4 -0 -43 -0

ery from legs-pinner Pravin Tambe to short cover.

The tempo of the innings began to falter. KL Rahul struggled for timing and his captain had sprained his ankle while turning for a second run. But Kohli has said

Gujarat Lions innings (target: 181 runs from 20 overs) DR Smith c de Villiers b Richardson 32 BB McCullum c & b Shamsi 42 SK Raina* c Iqbal Abdulla b Chahal 28 KD Karthik† not out 50 RA Jadeja c †Rahul b Watson 12 DJ Bravo not out 4 Extras: (lb 3, w 9, nb 2) 14 Total: (4 wickets; 19.3 overs) 182 Did not bat: AJ Finch, P Kumar, DS Kulkarni, SB Jakati, PV Tambe Fall of wickets: 1-47 (Smith, 5.2 ov), 2-87 (McCullum, 8.2 ov), 3-140 (Raina, 15.4 ov), 4-178 (Jadeja, 19.2 ov) Bowling: YS Chahal 4 -0 -33 -1, KW Richardson 4 -0 -53 -1, Iqbal Abdulla 4 -0 -41 -0, SR Watson 3.3-0-31 -1, T Shamsi 4 -0 -21 -1

dragged the required rate down to 7.78. South Africa's chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi did well to keep Royal Challengers' hopes up with his 4-0-21-1, but the his team-mates leaked158 runs in 16 overs. (Cricinfo)

Leicester City beat Swansea to move closer to Premier League title

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eicester City needs just five points to complete a fairytale Premier League title triumph after Leonardo Ulloa scored twice in a 4-0 home victory over Swansea City.

With top scorer Jamie Vardy suspended, his standin Ulloa stepped up with a brace of goals at the King Power Stadium, either side of goals by Riyad Mahrez and substitute Marc Albrighton.

It lifted Claudio Ranieri's side eight points clear of second-place Tottenham Hotspur, which hosts

West Bromwich Albion on Monday, and means that it can claim the title by winning at Manchester United next Sunday if Spurs fail to beat West Brom.

Leicester's victory had the added effect of ending the title bids of both thirdplace Manchester City and fourth-place Arsenal, which was held to a 0-0 draw at struggling Sunderland.

Vardy's dismissal, after he was shown a second yellow card for diving, had been the chief talking point of Leicester's 2-2 draw with

West Ham United last weekend, which had raised the possibility of nerves getting the better of Ranieri's miracle men.

But they made an ideal start against Francesco Guidolin's Swansea as Ashley Williams's careless clearance struck Mahrez, who calmly stroked his 17th goal of the season past visiting goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Ulloa made it 2-0 on the half-hour by heading in Danny Drinkwater's freekick and killed the game

off in the 61st minute when he toed in a cross from Jeff Schlupp, who had sprinted into the box from halfway.

The fourth goal, in the 85th minute, was the work of Leicester's substitutes, with Demarai Gray sparking the move by sprinting to the byline on the right and sending a cross into the box.

From Andy King's backpost header, Gray saw a close-range volley parried by Fabianski, but Albrighton followed in to lift the rebound into the roof of the net. (ABC)

A small but significant step

By Avenash Ramzan

L

ast Thursday, I was invited to attend the closing ceremony of a foundation coaching course on cricket for primary and secondary school teachers at the Lusignan Community Centre Ground.

Conducted by the expeAvenash Ramzan rienced coaches Latchman Yadram and Daniel Richmond, the three-day workshop sought to gave the 25 teachers drawn from Plaisance to Hope on the East Coast of Demerara a fundamental idea of the intricacies of the game from a coaching standpoint.

It was an eager bunch of male and female teachers, who were clearly determined to add to their knowledge base and repertoire of skills. According to the two coaches, the idea of the workshop, which entailed both theoretical and practical sessions, was to instil in the participants the foundation of coaching.

The teachers in turn would now take their newfound knowledge back to their respective schools with the aim of moulding budding cricketers and equipping them with the requisite skills to make a smooth transition to the club level.

The workshop, hosted by the Ministry of Education’s Department of Culture, Youth and Sport in collaboration with the National Sports Commission, struck me as a simple yet effective means by which prospective cricketers can be properly nurtured from an early age.

Given Guyana’s landscape, it is practically impossible to have a qualified coach attached to every school, making the initiative by the Ministry all the more worthwhile. With cricket now not only a mainstream sport but a massive global business, it is imperative countries change with the times and implement systems to ensure a vibrant local programme remains in operation.

For decades, Guyana, and the Region by extension, has heavily relied on natural talent. As the decline of West Indies cricket had proven over the years, talent alone wouldn’t make the cut at the highest level. The sport has become highly scientific, and the need for qualified coaches from the bottom up rather than the other way around is even more pronounced in today’s sporting landscape.

It is a void that teachers within the education system can fill, and the fulfilment of that role could also open up avenues for them to pursue a post-retirement career in coaching. More coaches would mean more competition in the fraternity for self-development and upgrade, thereby ultimately exposing the athlete to a higher level of training.

Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine has unequivocally stated the Administration’s desire to have a more active sports programme in schools; last week’s workshop is undoubtedly a step in that direction.

But it must not be restricted to cricket, as there are students who would obviously have an inclination to other disciplines. It is imperative that those in authority to ensure similar programmes are rolled out across the country so that students are given a real opportunity to hone their skills from an early age.

While the foundation coaching course is commendable, the need would inevitably arise for a higher level of training, bringing into sharp focus the national sport associations/ federations/boards, which could provide resource personnel to further enhance the functional capacity of those in the education system.

The foundation coaching course should become mandatory at the primary and secondary level. It is a small but significant step to producing better sportsmen and women for the country. (aramzan@guyanatimesgy.com)

21

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Demerara clash with Essequibo today at Wales – Berbice tackle Under-17s at Enterprise

T

hree-day champions Demerara will play Essequibo at the Wales Community Centre Ground while Berbice will come against a spirited Select Under-17 team at Enterprise Cricket Club in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Hand-In-Hand Under-19 Inter-county 50over Tournament.

The pulsating match should be between Demerara and Essequibo as both teams have in their armoury some of the top young talent in the country.

Demerara will certainly be buoyed by their victory in the three-day segment and Captain Travis Persaud will want to complete the double.

Demerara’s strength lies in their batting and the inform opener, Ronaldo Renee will want to show the selectors he can adapt to the shorter version of the game.

Renee, who also does the duties of wicketkeeper, was in sublime form in the threeday matches, with three scores over fifty, including 165 not out and 99.

Fellow opener Raymond Perez, who also notched a century in the three-day matches, along with Renee, could pose a serious challenge for the Essequibo bowlers.

The attacking Sherfene Rutherford will certainly want to get a big score under his belt and is well-suited to this format of the game, since he has an appetite for playing the big shots.

Ronlado Ali-Mohammed and Captain Persaud are certainly no mugs with the bat and can aid in posting formidable totals.

On the flip side, Essequibo also have powerful batting strength as Captain and West Indies Under-19 Champion, Keemo

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Ronaldo Renee

Paul has already shown a glimpse of his pugnacious batting.

Against the Under-17s, Paul made a belligerent 96 from just 43 balls, decorated with nine fours and five six-

es. His crafty medium pace will also come in handy.

Opener Mark Williams is another attacking player for

Adrian Sukwah

the boys from the Cinderella County as he generally looks to go after the bowlers, but will need to have better shot selection if he is going to kick-on to bigger scores.

All-rounder Looknauth Chinkoo and Jonathan Fernandes give Essequibo some lower-order batting power, while the canny leftarm spin of Akini Adams could restrict the big-hitting Demerara batsmen.

Over at Enterprise, the Under-17s will start as favourites considering Berbice’s below-par performances, especially with the bat.

Under-17s Captain Bhaskar Yadram will be fresh off his 177 against the same opponents on Saturday in a three-day match and will want to mirror that performance today.

Opener Joshua Persaud has looked in good touch in the tournament, along with all-rounder Kelvin Sinclair; as such, Coach Garvin Nedd will be banking on the youngsters continuing in the good vein.

Experienced left-arm spinner Ashemad Nedd will lead the Under-17s’ bowling along with seamer Joshua Jones.

Berbice, on the other hand, will need their batsmen to step up and post more challenging totals to give their bowlers a chance to put pressure on the opposition.

After today’s play, Round Two will commence on Wednesday when Berbice play Demerara at Wales and Essequibo face the Select U-17s at Everest.

Round Three will be played on Friday, as Demerara face the Select U-17s at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) and Berbice play Essequibo at

the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC).

The final, which is slated for Sunday at GCC, will be contested by the top two teams.

Demerara: Travis Persaud (Captain); Ronaldo Alimohamed (Vice Captain); Ronaldo Renee; Raymond Perez; Sherfane Rutherford; Vishwanauth Ramlakhan; Malcom Hubbard; Ramnarine Chatura; Kelvin Shewpersaud; Romain Muniram; Darshan Persaud; Ershad Ali; Samuel McKenzie; Keshram Shabodan and Gavin Boodwah. The Coach is Clive Grimmond and the Manager is Omar Hussain.

Berbice: Brandon Prashad (Captain); Adrian Sukwah (Vice Captain); Sasenarine Sookhoo; Trevon Caesar; Joshua Harrichand; Ritesh Omroa; Matthew Hardial; Randy Wade; Joel Seitaram; Vevekanand Jagit; Asif Ally; Nicholas Seenarine; Raymond Vankenic and Sylus Tyndall.

The Manager is Julian

Baskar Yadram

Cambridge and the Coach is Delbert Hicks.

Essequibo: Keemo Paul (Captain); Sachin Persaud (Vice Captain); Akini Adams; Looknauth Chinkoo; Siddiq Mohamed; Leslie Allen; Nathan Persaud; Jonathan Fernandes; Travay Wolfe; Dwayne Thomas; Stesh Lachanana; Mark Williams; Reaz Khan and Miguel Jones. The Manager is Nandkishure Andrews and the Coach is Forbes Daniels.

Selects U-17s: Bhaskar Yadram (Captain); Kelvin Sinclair (Vice Captain); Joshua Persaud; Ashmead Nedd; Kurt Lovell; Rayon Venture; Javed Karim; Sagar Hathiramani; Steve Deonarine; Collin Barlow; Joshua Jones; Kelvin Umroa; Tameshwar Motiram; Kevlon Anderson; Alphius Bookie; Joel Fortune and Sachin Singh. The Manager is Nazeer Mohamned and the Coach is Garvin Nedd.

22

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

monDAY, APRIL 25, 2016

Beaton eager to showcase Boyce and Jefford Relay Festival a success his talent at Hero CPL T - “Any cricket I get to play, I see it as a big stepping stone”

By Akeem Greene

R

onsford Rodwick Beaton is eagerly anticipating playing in this year’s Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as he believes this could be the major jolt his career needs if he is to one day represent the senior West Indies team.

Beaton, who was once labelled “a future fast bowler for West Indies Cricket” by Indian star batsman Yuvraj Singh, said in an interview with Guyana Times Sport that any cricket he suited up to play, he gave it his best.

“Any cricket I get to play, I see it as a big stepping stone for me, going out there knowing that West Indies is so close but yet so far; I try to give my all and leave everything on the field, because you don’t know if it could be your last game,” Beaton revealed.

The lanky right-arm fast bowler, who was born in Montserrat but spent most of his years in the village of Reliance on the Essequibo Coast of Guyana, will not be suiting up for the Guyana Amazon Warriors since he was bought by the Trinbago Knight Riders for US$10,000 at the draft in February.

“I will be playing in a different franchise this year and I’m looking forward for the experience and exposure; being the only outright fast bowler in the team means that when I get my opportunities to perform, I do it to the best of my ability,” the 23 year-old said.

With two stints in the “Biggest Party in Sport”, the fast bowler has a decent economy rate of 8.9, having played 17 matches, for which he picked up 18 wickets.

One of his triumphant

moments in the gala tournament dates back to the 2014 edition when he handed the Guyana Amazon Warriors a seven-run win over Barbados Tridents at the Kensington Oval by defending 11 runs in the final over.

Now playing for a team many locals consid-

Ronsford Beaton

er Guyana’s “arch rivals”, Beaton explained that he had a job to do to the best of his ability despite not being in Guyanese colours.

“Despite I won’t be playing for my country, I still have a job to do at the end of the day, and I’m excited and hoping to do well in the tournament,” the former West Indies Under-19 player said.

The fast-paced version of the game sees bowlers constantly having expensive outings, but the player revealed that the key was being able to keep your composure to return from a bad start with the ball.

“Sometimes you have

a bad start with the ball, but also you have a second chance to come back and do well; some games I started badly for the Warriors, but knowing I have a second chance, I just look to come back and bowl hard lengths, work with the Captain, set the field accordingly and bowl to my field.”

He added, “Many games it paid off for me, coming back and getting wickets and keeping the runs down, but coming back in the death over is always a hard task, but I’m always up for the challenge.”

A great component of tournaments of this nature is that it allows the young talents of the Caribbean to interact with the experienced international players, and Beaton is banking on making good use of those opportunities.

“A lot of Test players will be playing this year in my team, so I just look to feed off of their knowledge; basically it’s about getting as much experience from them to move my game forward,” the player said.

Beaton’s height, combined with his ability to extract bounce from the predominately flat wickets of the Caribbean, makes him a great addition to any team.

Beaton, along with fellow Guyanese Ramnaresh Sarwan, will play alongside Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, Kevon Copper, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Javon Searles, William Perkins, Yannic Cariah, Brendon McCullum, Hashim Amla, Umar Akmal, Colin Munro, Anton Devcich, Anderson Phillip and Hamza Tariq.

Trinbago Knight Riders will look to defend their title when the Hero CPL bowls off on June 29.

he inaugural Boyce and Jefford Relay Festival and fun day, held at the Police Ground, saw Guyana’s top athletes compete for cash prizes.

The event sought to give the sports fans a taste of what is to come – that is, the grand Boyce and Jefford athletics meet slated for Linden later this year.

During the athletics portion of the day, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Sports Club dominated their fellow national club opponents, mainly Police and Super Upcoming Runners (SUR) which seemed competitive, but most times were relegated to either second or third place. The mighty GDF came in first in the distance medley race (males), 4x200m (males) and the 4x100m. Coming in a close second was the Police Sports Club, which also won the sprint medley (males) which comprised the 400, 200 and 100 meters. Coming in third were Super Upcoming Runners, a team fans called the underdogs, but their name will be remembered, as on that day they marked their spot in the top three

numerous times.

Apart from the main attraction – athletics, sport fans, along with their families, were treated to sports clubs battling on the football

Indies player, falling for a duck as he tried to send the ball over the boundary and exposed his stumps.

However, the 26 runs posted by Lennox Cush, a for-

Part of the action during the day’s proceedings

and cricket field.

On the cricket side of things, which saw Boyce/ Jefford XI vs Trophy Stall, with Boyce/Jefford setting a meagre target of 60 from their 10 overs for their opponents to chase. During the Boyce/Jefford’s innings, wickets tumbled with Christopher Barnwell, a national and former West

mer national player, gave the side some hope of reaching a fightable total. But, in the end, Trophy Stall had the best of them. Chasing 61 from 10 overs was a ‘walk in the park’, as Trophy Stall quickly made it with 3.3 overs to spare and eight wickets in hand. S Budoo topscored with 35*.

NBA Play-offs...

Stephen Curry sprains knee in Game 4

S

tephen Curry, who returned to action Sunday after missing the past two games with a sprained right ankle, will undergo an MRI on Monday after spraining his knee midway through Golden State’s 121-94 Game 4 win over Huston.

"I just feel so bad for him," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the game.

Curry slipped while guarding Houston's Trevor Ariza at the first-half buzzer and banged his right knee on the floor. The reigning league MVP grabbed the knee and limped off to the locker room.

Curry returned to the court after halftime and moved laterally in a test of the joint, but he stopped and shook his head toward the bench. Shortly thereafter, he headed back to the locker room and was ruled out just after the second half began, with Shaun Livingston taking his spot in the starting lineup.

"He was standing there crying, you know, and like, 'Dog, just get out of here, we'll hold you down.' We gotta support him, you know, and be there for him," Warriors forward Draymond Green told ESPN Radio's Kevin Calabro and Jon Barry postgame. "I mean, he came out and obviously gave it a go, wasn't 100 percent, and he gave it a go, and it's unfortunate that that happened.

"But at the end of the day, one thing we've always talked about is our depth, and we've gotta use that to win games, and so, we used

that tonight."

Curry had six points on 2-of-9 shooting, including 1-of-7 from the 3-point line.

It appeared that Curry slipped on a wet spot, start-

about the Rockets, citing last season's Western Conference semifinal series between Houston and the Los Angeles Clippers "If I'm not mistaken, the

Stephen Curry

ed when Houston's Dontas slid across the court for a few yards near the 3-point circle.

Asked about pundits picking against the Warriors without Curry, Green told ESPN Radio, "If Steph Curry's out, I'd probably write us off, too. That's human nature [because] the guy's the MVP of the league.

But, we've got a team full of competitors.

"We're not gonna bow down or lay down against anyone. We're gonna continue to play our game, continue to try to win basketball games no matter who's out there."

Green said the same

Clippers were up 3-1 [on the Rockets before Houston rallied to win three straight].

They ain't laying down," he said. "It's not going to be easy. We know they are a very talented ballclub when they get it going. They get hot from 3, they can do anything on the floor. We have to come out and take the game, knowing that it's not going to be easy, knowing Steph probably won't be playing."

The Rockets had their own issues at point guard.

Patrick Beverley strained his right leg, and the team announced before the start of the second half that he would not return.

guyana-times.com

monDAY, APRIL 25, 2016

23

Colts outplay Retrieve Raiders Calypso Ruggers thrash Jamaica in WC qualifiers opener to win Road to Mecca III

T

he Colts produced a stunning comefrom-behind performance to defeat the Retrieve Raiders 75-55 in the final of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Road to Mecca Championship on Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The final had to be replayed after controversial calls by the referees saw a walkout at the initial game. Saturday’s final was officiated over by three International Basketball Federation (FIBA) officials, two of whom were from Barbados.

At half time, the Colts were trailing 32-29, but some exceptional teamwork saw them net an important 21 points to change

Shelroy Thomas

the score in their favour to 50-37, heading into the final quarter.

The Georgetown unit upped their defensive tactics, while creating a series of offensive plays, which effectively shut the Linden

side out of the contest.

Shelroy Thomas led the way for the Colts with a game-high 25 points, while Kurt English and Shane Webster netted 12 and 11 points apiece. Assisting with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds was Stanton Rose.

For the losing team, Jason Alonzo topscored with 11 points, while Keon Cameron, Dwayne Roberts and Neil Marks chipped in with 10, nine and eight points respectively.

The emphatic win saw the Colts pocket $500,000 and the championship trophy, while the runners-up received $250,000 and a trophy as well.

All the team and individual presentations will occur on April 30.

AAG to host Day of Athletics on May 22

The Athletics Association Complex and end at the action at the GDF Ground.

They will compete in the of Guyana (AAG) and for- same venue; the organisers mer athletes based in North have not named an official 4x100m and the 4x400m relay races along with America will team up to host route as yet. a Day of Athletics on May 22 Five hours after the the 100m, 200m, 800m to commemorate the Golden 06:00h start, the youth, ju- and 1500m and long jump Jubilee. nior and senior track and events; 60m and 80m events The organising commit- field athletes will swing into will also be contested by athletes 12 and under. tee explained that a While the top 5km, a 10km and trackand-field events will be three finishers in staged four days prior the Under-16 and Under-20 events will to Independence Day. take home bicycles, The GNS Sports the top five seniors Complex, Carifesta will pocket $40,000, Avenue, and the GDF Ground will be hives $30,000, $20,000, of activity on the day. $15,000 and $10,000 respectively.

Lots of cash prizes and The top three trophies will be up for Master’s male and fegrabs. male finishers will be The 5km race will be for athletes aged 14rewarded with cash 16 and the 10km will be prizes of $20,000, $15,000 and $10,000 open to all ages.

The events are respectively.

Admission is free. scheduled to start at Some of Guyana’s top long-distance runners 06:00h at the Sports and sprinters are expected to be on show

Forde sheds light on changes to Stag Elite League fixtures

G

uyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde has revealed the reason why there have been frequent changes to the fixtures for the Stag Elite League, which have been cited as one of the major factors behind the decline in attendance for League matches, with stands half empty for some games.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport, Forde explained that during the Genesis phase, football was usually played on Friday and Sunday without disruption; however, during this half in addition to the Stag Elite League, players now have to participate in international tournaments representing the national team, the Guyana Golden Jaguars and the League had to compensate for this.

“There are some unique challenges with the League this year; last year, we were not involved in any international campaign conflicting

with the League. This year, we have had a few international engagements such as the Suriname friendly, the

GFF President Wayne Forde

Caribbean Football (CFU) tournament and now the engagement with the Guyana national team and the Canadian national team.

What has happened as a consequence of that, we’ve had to make some adjustments

to the fixtures. Whenever you change a fixture date or the format, you can lose momentum because the fans will now have to readjust their own personal schedule to be at the games,” the GFF President said.

Forde also explained the fact that the national team comprise mostly players from two of the clubs participating in the Stag Elite League made it unfair for those clubs to compete while their players were missing.

“When we put these players into training camp for the national team, we simply can’t ask those clubs to continue to participate because they will not be competitive.

Because of this, we’ll now have to defer those engagements with the teams until those players have returned to their respective clubs.”

Nonetheless, Forde is hoping fans will turn out in their numbers in support of their team during the closing stages of the Stage Elite League.

T

he Trinidad and Tobago rugby team recorded an emphatic 34-14 win over its Jamaican counterparts as the 2019 World Cup qualifiers kicked off at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva on Saturday.

Trinidad took full advantage of a furious opening spell to lead the game 22-0 by half-time. Vice vicecaptain Joseph Quashie got the scoring under way for T&T in the 16th minute and Omari Doyle scored T&T's second try two minutes later, when he used his speed to good measure, on the right flank.

Team captain Adam Frederick increased the damage in the 22nd minute to take the score to 15-0.

T&T increased the score up to 22-0 at the interval, when fly half Leon Pantor was released after an interpassing move which started after a ruck in the centre.

Moments later, scrum half

Action between the Calypso Ruggers and Jamaica

Johnasson Alleyne scored a conversion to bring the score to 22-0 at the break.

The visitors, though, started the second half aggressively, breaching the TT defense and scoring two

quick tries. However, the national rugger men capitalised on errors made by the Jamaicans, bouncing back nicely to score two tries and secure the win. (Sportsmax)

Windies Women deserve more money, respect

W

est Indies batting star Deandra Dottin has slammed the wage disparity between female cricketers and their male counterparts.

Fresh off World Cup winning success for both the men and women’s teams Dottin used the example of the startling difference between the unit’s earnings as an example.

The Windies men’s team made US$1.6 million after beating England, while their women counterparts won a mere US$100 000.

“We women need to be treated way better than we are being treated – moneywise and respect. Regional male cricketers make more money than West Indies women in cricket,” Dottin said.

“In order for cricket to be better, you need to treat

Deandra Dottin

everybody as one. You can’t treat the men at a high level and the women at a much lower level. You [women] only have the fame and the name.”

Dottin is one of 11 women’s team players on retainer contracts for the West Indies, with 15 men’s play-

ers on central retainer contracts.

The West Indies Women retainer contracts range from US$1,500 and $3,000 per month. In contrast, the men’s contracts are worth anywhere from US$100,000 up to nearly $150,000.(Sportsmax)

Gay joins line-up for Jamaica Invitational

U

nited States sprinter Tyson Gay has been added to a quality 100m field ahead of next month’s Jamaica International Invitational.

Gay the 2007 World Champion and second fastest man in the world over 100m will line up beside compatriots Mike Rodgers, and Ryan Bailey.

The American will join a number of other big name sprinters booked for the meet so far among them Canadian World bronze medallist Andre De Grasse, Jeffrey Gibson and Cassandra Tate.

World and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann FraserPryce, former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell, World Championships 100m hurdles gold medallist

Tyson Gay

Danielle Williams, World Championships 200m silver medallist Elaine Thompson and Commonwealth Games

200m champion Rasheed Dwyer will lead a strong local contingent. (Sportsmax)

monDAY, APRIL 25, 2016

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

Beaton eager to showcase his talent at Hero CPL

Pg 22

— “Any cricket I get to play, I see it as a big stepping stone”

Ronsford Beaton will hope he can continue jumping for joy in this year’s CPL.

Kolkata Knight Riders V Rising Pune Supergiants, IPL 2016, Pune...

GCB/Hand-In-Hand U-19 Inter-county 50-over Cricket

Kolkata Knight Riders batting depth delivers last-over win

Demerara clash with Essequibo today at Wales

Pg 19

– Berbice tackle Under-17s at Enterprise Pg 21

Andre Russell struck two sixes in his quick 17 to bring the contest back in Knight Riders’ favour

Sherfane Rutherford

Keemo Paul

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