Guyana Times Daily

monday, august 3, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Border controversy Venezuela demands Guyana corrects gazetted maritime boundary

As tension continues to rise between Guyana and Venezuela over the border controversy, the neighbouring country has demanded that Guyana immediately correct the recently gazetted maritime boundary law that enacted to demarcate the country’s internal waters.

In a statement published on Venezuela’s Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Affairs website, it was outlined that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejected the content of the maritime regulations that were gazetted on July 23.

“However, the regulation places the Point 1, which aims to establish the western end of the straight baseline corresponding to the mouth of the Essequibo River in Venezuelan territory under dispute under the 1966 Geneva Agreement.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has sent today, through the Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign

Affairs, a note of protest to the Guyanese Government demanding immediate correction of that Point 1,” the Spanish-speaking country stated.

Guyana has long held that it was not in any dispute over territory with its western neighbour, pointing out the 1899 Arbitration Award,

which Venezuela and Great Britain agreed to accept as a final settlement of the border set out the current boundary. This country has stressed that it only agreed to address Venezuela’s contentions in the 1966 Geneva Agreement.

However, in its most recent salvo, Venezuela went on to condemn what it called “recurring provocations and aggressions” by the Guyana Government which was “stoking the conflict between the brother countries”. In addition, the neighbouring country accused Guyana of legitimating “imperialist pretensions against peace within the Latin American and Caribbean Region”.

Guyana’s action to delimit its internal waters comes in the face of renewed claims by Venezuela on more than half of Guyana’s Atlantic waters. The neighbouring country has remained resolute in its claims that the area which was recently found to have a very rich

oil reserve belongs to it, and that the United States based oil drill ship operated by ExxonMobil was operating illegally.

President Nicolás Maduro had even issued a decree to this effect, but later withdrew it after it attracted much attention and pressure from the international community. Nevertheless, the Spanish-speaking country subsequently issued another decree, which purports to set all constitutional, legal and doctrinal elements, create the zone of integral defence and establish the Armed Forces’ tasks in all maritime areas of the country due and legally established.

Internal waters

On Thursday last, Second Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge informed the National Assembly that Government has enacted the Maritime Laws in compliance with United Nations

Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Maritime Zones Act 2010 of Guyana.

The Maritime Zones (internal Waters and River Closing Baselines) Regulation prescribes closing lines across the mouths of the three largest navigable rivers of Guyana – the Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice Rivers. Greenidge explained that the enactment of this legislation allows Guyana to “properly” safeguard its rights over the zones of jurisdiction through baselines.

He went on to say that the baseline establishes the area where national jurisdiction was to be exercised.

“Baselines constitute a fundamental aspect of the regime of zones of jurisdiction established by UNCLOS, since the breadth of the maritime zones under national jurisdiction is to be measured from the baselines. The baseline is also the line which establishes the outer limit of internal waters in which the State exercises its full sovereignty,” the Minister stated.

According to the Second Vice President, Section 7 of Maritime Zones Act of 2010 enables the drawing of the baselines to delimit the internal waters of Guyana. Furthermore, he pointed to Section 8, which provides for Guyana’s sovereignty to extend beyond its land territory to the internal waters, the seabed, the subsoil and airspace over the internal waters.

“Guyana has exclusive jurisdiction over its internal waters. Such authority encompasses complete access to and control of our resources, as well as full jurisdiction over all activities of both nationals and foreigners, and for all purposes including enforcement of its national laws and protection of the environment unless distributed by internal laws,” he remarked.

In addition, Greenidge outlined that Section 9 of the Act empowers him as the Foreign Affairs Minister to prescribe by regulation closing lines to delimit our internal waters. “It is in this regard that the Maritime Zones (Internal Waters and River Closing Baselines) Regulations of 2015 were enacted on July 23, 2015,” he stated.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

Second Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

monday, august 3, 2015 |

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, August 3 – 05:00h-06:30h and Tuesday, August 4 – 08:30h-10:00h

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Berbice – Monday, August 3 – 06:15h-07:45h and Tuesday, August 4 – 07:05h-08:35h

ExxonMobil’s rig left Guyana early June ...news

broken by Venezuelan media ...to return early 2016 – ExxonMobil

s reports surfaced that US oil giant

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the morning, with overcast skies and heavy rain showers expected in the afternoon. Partly cloudy skies with the chances of thunder storms can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East to East South-easterly between 1.78 metre and 4.91 metres per second.

High Tide: 05:00h and 17:26h reaching maximum heights of 2.84 metres and 2.77 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 00:03h and 12:28h reaching minimum heights of 0.41 metre and 0.40 metre respectively.

ExxonMobil has removed its oil drilling ship, the Deepwater Champion, from offshore Essequibo, officials are insisting that the relentless aggression from Venezuela did not influence this decision.

Government, however, had failed to inform the Guyanese public of this development which occurred in early June. Reports in the

Deepwater Champion oil drilling rig/ship that had precipitated Venezuela’s latest revival of its controversy over our western border.

ExxonMobil Country Manager Jeff Simons told Guyana Times on Sunday during a telephone interview that the vessel had left Guyana’s waters since June and was now anchored in the Gulf of Mexico. He, however, quickly pointed out that this was not an unusual practice

is drilling) did not pressure the Company into removing the vessel.

He explained that at this stage, the company would be analysing its findings and planning for another period of drilling which should commence early in 2016.

“We are planning to return early next year or maybe sooner but we will return,” the Country Manager assured, noting that ExxonMobil is ecstatic about its discovery of

media that the oil company decided to withdraw from its operations, Minister of Governance and Patrimony, Raphael Trotman told another section of the media that the company’s action was “not irregular”.

That media outlet reported that the removal of the drilling vessel follows an “increase in activity in the Stabroek Block where seismic vessels were conducting exploratory works to determine if there are other commercially viable oil reserves in the immediate areas”. Trotman also confirmed the seismic works currently being done in the Stabroek block in the vicinity of the Liza-1 well, which has been capped, it was reported.

According to Venezuelan media, the President of the Venezuelan Chapter of the Latin American Parliament, Ángel Rodríguez, said that the Venezuelan Government “welcomed” this decision.

In early March, the oil and gas company, one of the largest in the world, was warned by the Spanish-speaking nation to refrain from going ahead with its planned exploratory drilling activity, on a concession awarded by Guyana offshore its Essequibo Coast.

Venezuelan media suggested that the Venezuelans understood that the drilling rig only left Guyana’s waters in the past few days. It would have been following the departure of ExxonMobil’s rig that, for instance, Venezuela confirmed the cancellation of the PetroCaribe rice deal with Guyana.

Guyana Times tried to make contact with Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman to find out why the public was not informed of this development when it had happened, but all calls made to his phone went unanswered. It was the arrival of ExxonMobil

for the company.

“The vessel had completed the works it was doing on the Liza-1 well … it was always planned for the vessel to go there…we are planning for future drilling. We have collected enough information and data and we just in a planning stage right now,” he explained.

Simons stressed that the Deepwater Champion had completed its course of operation and the ongoing border controversy between Venezuela and Guyana regarding ownership of the Essequibo and the waters off its shore (where ExxonMobil

hydrocarbons and oil-bearing rocks in the Stabroek Block.

In May, ExxonMobil announced its findings of more than 295 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs.

Recent reports predict that this find could see Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) escalating to 12 times its current figure, which is transformational for any developing country.

Guyana’s GDP stands at around US$3.23 billion.

Venezuela is happy

In light of the reports emanating from the Venezuelan

Venezuela has repeatedly laid claim to the area being explored, ignoring an 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award, which was declared as the full and final settlement of the boundary between the two South American nations. Following the discovery of oil-bearing rocks in the area, Venezuela’s aggression grew stronger.

However, ExxonMobil assured that it will not be intimidated by the country’s claims and will continue its work in Guyana’s offshore waters. The multibillion-dollar oil exploration project, which is expected to be executed over 10 years, got underway in early March.

Haruni man shot during argument

AHaruni, Soesdyke/ Linden Highway man was on Sunday afternoon shot twice during an argument with another man in the village. The incident occurred about 15:30h.

Injured is Ganesh Henry, 30, of Haruni Creek, Soesdyke/Linden Highway. According to information received, the injured man and the suspect were involved in an argument which turned into a scuffle.

Guyana Times understands that the suspect reportedly left the scene and returned with a gun. He then discharged two rounds at Henry hitting him in his abdomen and chest before fleeing the scene.

Henry was rushed the hospital where he was admitted. His condition is said to be stable but serious.

The Police have launched an investigation into the shooting incident.

The Deepwater Champion now anchored in the Gulf of Mexico

Editor: Nigel Williams

Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134

Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

Hiding Oil Rig Info

One of the fundamental tenets of democratic governance is the right of the people to have access to information that would enable them to make informed decisions on the performance of their Government. In a startling report in the Sunday Chronicle, Minister of Governance and National Patrimony Raphael Trotman, conceded that a report in a Latin American news agency El Universal stating that the ExxonMobil Drilling ship/rig Deepwater Champion had departed Guyanese waters, was accurate.

To make matters worse, Trotman claimed the report incorrectly declared that the ExxonMobil rig had only departed a few days ago: it had actually done so since the beginning of June. In one of the biggest non sequiturs ever uttered, Trotman actually said there was "nothing irregular about removal of ExxonMobil vessel from Guyana’s waters". But what does that have to do with the right of the Guyanese people to be informed about that "regular" action.

After all, ExxonMobil had been given a contract/license to prospect for oil in our waters off our Essequibo Coast by the Government of Guyana. In a continuation of the controversy Venezuela precipitated in 1962, when it claimed the 1899 Arbitral Award that demarcated our boundaries was "void", Venezuela lodged a protest in early March with ExxonMobil, which of course, was responded to by our Government in a strongly worded note verbale.

The Guyana Government requested “that the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela desist from taking any actions that could only result in the stymieing of the development of Guyana and its people and that would be in contravention of international law.” ExxonMobil, for their part, insisted they were operating offshore “under license from the Government of Guyana.”

Tensions between Guyana and Venezuela continued to rise when Exxon declared just before the May elections that their exploratory week determined that the field was "significant". On May 27 the Government of Venezuela issued a "Decree 1787" which claimed all of Guyana’s waters and in effect extending its original revanchist border claims into the ocean.

All Guyanese, including the PPP which is now in Opposition, rallied behind the APNU/AFC since this was a matter that affected all Guyana. On July 3, U.S.$100M of Guyanese debt with PetroCaribefor oil shipped by Venezuela in exchange of rice shipped up to that date, was cancelled. On July 4, at the CariCom Summit, President Granger exhorted its Caribbean neighbors to condemn the Venezuelan action to extend its border controversy. Several Guyanese commentators expressed dismay over what they thought was a tepid response by CariCom.

And five days later, Venezuela announced that the ricefor-oil deal under PetroCaribewas cancelled. This plunged our rice industry into a deep crisis since the Venezuelan market had absorbed some 200,000 tonnes of rice amounting to 1/3 of our production. Our Government subsequently announced that being a private industry, the stakeholders in rice would have to look for new markets.

So the question of whether the Government should have informed the nation that the ExxonOil rig - which was the proximate cause of the new tensions with Venezuela - goes beyond academic discussions of the people's "right to know". A company under contract with the Government to provide a service to the country cannot depart "voluntarily" without informing its principal. Trotman concedes the Government knew that the ExxonMobil rig had departed since he pointed out this was done in "early June" - before the rice contract was broken by Venezuela.

Now it is quite possible that Venezuela would have done what it did regardless, but that is not the issue. It would appear that the Venezuelans only knew that the rig departed in the last few days because according to the Chronicle "the Venezuelan Government welcomed the decision by Exxon Mobil". Trotman said the Government is awaiting the next move by ExxonMobil.

Should the next move not lie with the Government to inform the Guyanese people about what exactly is going on in our waters?

What record is your Government forging President Granger?

Imust not be the only Guyanese who is still under shock after having read the Guyana Times article captioned “Ministers/VPs pay hike pegged at over $245M annually”, published on August 2.

There has been a deep felt sentiment of revolt and injustice among parents, especially single parents in rural areas, regarding the abolishment of the “Because We Care” vouchers, along with the firing of almost two thousand CSOs and a significant number of employees in the public sector. Yet, we now are informed that the Government is actually considering a major pay hike for Ministers and Vice Presidents.

The stipend of a CSO amounted to a mere $ 30 000 per month but the average Amerindian Village employed approximately ten CSOs, resulting in a monthly increase of village income of + $300 000. Now Amerindian leaders are dumbfounded that the increase in salary and other entitlements of Ministers and Vice Presidents who will each be earning more than twice the combined stipends of ten CSOs in one village per month. $ 245 million represent 24 500 vouchers and 8 100 CSO stipends. How could the Government defend even considering such an initiative in the face of the newly unemployed and disenfranchised Guyanese citizens, many of whom are young people under the age of 25 and single mothers?

The rice industry is literally collapsing due to the unfortunate elections re-

sults which served as a catalyzer for Maduro’s exaggerated controversial move to worsen the Venezuela Guyana land and maritime border controversy. It was to be anticipated that Madurowould not lightly accept the installation of a pro US Government in Guyana, and his deliberate attack on our national sovereignty is specifically directed to the pro US Granger Government for whom he seems to have little or no respect. Unfortunately for Guyanese, in particular Guyanese rice farmers, the coalition Government appears to be deprived of the much needed skills in diplomacy required to handle the diplomatic crisis. Instead, it has swollen its chest with arrogance, in full knowledge of the grave it is slowly digging for itself and our rice farmers.

The Government should abstain from projecting aggressive messages toward its neighbours, as this is not patriotism but only a display of a false sense of pride, which as it has proven, has born no fruit and served only to worsen the situation and degrade the image of our country in South America. Guyana has yet to forge its legitimacy and credibility in MERCUSUL, and perhaps the first lesson to be learnt by the Granger Government, is that respect has to be earned, not commanded.

So while our rice industry collapses, our social welfare benefits are being dissolved and there is hardly any progress in implementing the 100 Day Action Plan promised by the APNU/ AFC Government, it is rather curious to know that

Finance Minister Jordan is shamelessly considering a dramatic pay hike which extends for the time being only to Ministers and Vice Presidents.

The rhetoric piped by Government and their partisans will continueto defend that the rice industry was failing under the PPP/C Administration and that pay hikes were granted to Government officials during its 23 year leadership. However, the rice industry was revived and maintained as best as it could considering the international market practices and prices of primary goods. There was no indication under the previous administration that the Venezuelan Government intended to halt bilateral Agreements nor that our access to the rice market was compromised. While pay hikes would have been granted under the previous Administration, it wasn’t to the detriment of social benefits, employment, failing agroindustries and an economy on the verge of recession. It didn’t involve a 100 per cent increase each of the five times the PPP/C was elected to govern us.

For those who argue that prior to 1992 there would have been no such pay hikes and benefits, and that these were much inferior to what was earned by the previous Administration, it is important to note that under the PNC dictatorship the country was literally bankrupt, while the cost of living was drastically lower than what it is today.

Maybe, if the PNC led APNU/AFC Government actually showed signs of investing in the promo-

tion of a healthy economy and the social well-being of at least its electorate, then one could attempt to justify such a pay hike. Instead, it has only shown Guyanese its resolution to engage in finger pointing and witch hunting, ethnic discrimination instead of unity, self-interest instead of social welfare and lavish Government spending instead of economic strategising.

Maybe those soidisant benefactors who allegedly financed a multimillion inauguration and a lavish birthday party for the President, while Guyana was covered in waters, vouchers were scrapped and people were being fired from their jobs, would like to contribute to the cheap vouchers and CSO stipends? Must one remind the APNU/AFC coalition that some of those very CSOs accused of being “political” were engaged in the Government’s very own campaign trail across the country, even in Regions Seven and Eight?

Once the Budget is announced on August 10, the Government would no longer be able to use the previous Administration as an excuse for its failure to live up to its promises. Coalition gurus and partisans should remember that while the PPP/C Administration rightfully blames the PNC dictatorship for destroying this country, it has forged a solid record of progress to show for its many sustainable contributions.

What record is your Government penning President Granger?

Sincerely De

Sά

A cyclist rides his mountain bike as a full moon, known as the Blue Moon, rises in a park in Rome, July 31, 2015. The Blue Moon refers to the second full moon in a calendar month (Reuters/Max Rossi)

Op-Ed: Trafficking in Persons: A Global Challenge

Dear Editor, It is time to be frank. The world has a human trafficking problem. The United States has a human trafficking problem. Guyana has a human trafficking problem. This problem needs to be addressed. And we all have to fight it – together. We are all humans. We are all connected, and we have to look out for the common human interest. Not only can we each make a difference, but we each must make a difference by taking the responsibility to protect each other from modern-day slavery.

The U.S. Department of State’s 2015 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report was released on July 27. Guyana was placed on the Tier 2 Watch List for the third year in a row. While the report concludes that Guyana does not yet fully meet the minimum international standards for the elimination of trafficking, it recognizes that the country is making significant efforts to do so.

One area of grave concern is the failure to hold convicted human traffickers accountable. Despite

the pervasiveness of the problem, only eight individuals have ever been convicted for trafficking in persons in Guyana – three in 2012, one in 2013, one in 2014, and two in 2015. Of those eight people, every single one of them (including this year’s convictions) has been released on bail, pending appeal. None of these alleged traffickers are currently being punished for their crimes. Not only does this put their victims at risk for reprisal or re-trafficking, such treatment is unlikely to provide any deterring effect on potential traffickers.

Understandably, then, the 2015 Report suggests that Guyana vigorously investigate and prosecute sex and labor trafficking cases and hold convicted traffickers accountable with time in prison that is commensurate with the severity of the crime.

The United States prepares the annual TIP Report not to criticize but rather to call attention to a serious global threat. By calling attention to the problem, we seek to stimulate discussion, attention, and most importantly ac-

tion. I say again: we have a global human trafficking problem. We believe that only a concerted global effort can bring this human tragedy from the shadows into the light.

The new Government of Guyana campaigned on, and has since repeated, a pledge to attack the trafficking in persons problem. I am both hopeful and optimistic that progress will be made this year. To help make this progress, the United States Government stands ready to assist by increasing the capacity of law enforcement personnel and other relevant ministries. For example, we recently funded the travel of six Guyanese officials to the Trafficking in Persons and Child Exploitation Course at the International Law Enforcement Academy in El Salvador. We also are procuring funding to work with several local NGOs to help increase their ability to help fight trafficking and assist victims.

Although more than 20 million people today are trapped in the modern-day slavery, oftentimes it is difficult to recognize the signs of a trafficking victim. So

what does a victim of trafficking look like? A victim can look like the cook at a mining camp near Mahdia, the victim may be the storehand on Regent Street in Georgetown, the boy working in the cane fields of Region 6, the barmaid in Baramita, the logger in Region 10, the girls working in kaimus in the Rupununi. They look like your sister. They look like your brother. They look like us. They look like what they are –the sons and daughters of Guyana. The sons and daughters of Suriname, Venezuela, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and our neighbors across the globe. And they may have come from any background. What makes someone a trafficking victim? The technical legal definition is explained in the full 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report (http://www.state. gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/). The principle underpinning trafficking is the exploitation of someone – either in forced labor or forced prostitution. Any child under 18 years of age subjected to prostitution is also a trafficking victim by definition. At the heart of this phe-

We must vote sensibly and with confidence at

Dear Editor, I read with great delight and utmost happiness in your newspaper dated July 31, 2015 that Local Government Election will be held sooner rather than later (December was touted as the tentative month). This as many have said before is long overdue and should have been called as early as yesteryear.

Having read the article I must congratulate the Honourable Communities Minister, Mr. Ronald Bulkan for not just fighting for LGE while in opposition but for ensuring the early holding of LGE under his watch as the shadow Minister. This shows honesty and trustworthiness on the part of the Minister and largely on the Granger - led Government. What is even more delightful, is the fact that the real power will be in the hands of the local bodies which would be elected by the people for the people. The passage of the most recent Local Government bill in the national

LGE

assembly shows that this Granger - led administration is not about absolute or maximum power but rather to give the people power.

In addition to the above, now that the people have been given the authority and power to elect local representatives of their choice to manage the affairs of their community without central Government's interference, they must chose competent and well educated persons who are driven by success through hard work and determined to champion development. Voters must screen the prospective candidates to ensure that they are more than capable to do the job and do it right. Two good traits to look for are their level of activism in the community and how much they have been fighting for good governance with honesty during the previous PPP administration tainted with corruption.

In conclusion, I say without any fear of contradiction, let us be cognizant of the fact that this is a

more serious election that the one recently held. It is more serious because we would be electing people to be servants who would be controlling resources that would have a direct impact on our lives. We must elect the blood that supports change and not just change but change for the better. Vote for community leaders that are honest, reliable and willing to go beyond the call of duty to serve your interest.

Sincerely Ganesh Mahipaul

Editor’s note Calls for Guyanese to be disqualified from contesting elections just because they belong to a particular political party cannot be published. The Constitution is clear on what is considered a disqualification for exercising the franchise.

Concern for citizens aged 65 and over

Dear Editor, The annual pension, whenever announced, is never ever retroactive to January 1. How is it, therefore, annual? Pension for 2015 will be scandalous due to this.

The annual subsidies for Guyana Power and Light and Guyana Water Incorporated are only given to those with their own meters. Of the 42,000 or so seniors, how many receive this benefit, while paying each month as tenants or family residents?

nomenon is the traffickers’ goal of exploiting and enslaving their victims and the coercive and deceptive practices they use to do so.

One of the most terrifying aspects of trafficking in persons is that many people are tricked into becoming victims. Their stories often begin with aspirations for a better life and a lack of options to fulfill them. Traffickers exploit these ambitions. A young woman from the Coastland who is offered a job as a barmaid in the Hinterland might arrive to find that she is being forced into sex work. An agricultural worker could be promised a lucrative job, but his employer forces him into debt bondage by charging the employee exorbitant prices for necessary goods or services like housing, food, or transportation. In such cases, such people find that they are unable to leave jobs in mines, factories, and agricultural fields, on construction sites and fishing boats, or escape the commercial sex trade, which often flourishes alongside these industries.

Each of us can make a difference, so let us all commit or recommit ourselves

to the eradication of trafficking in persons. Much like the scourge of domestic violence, human trafficking thrives in the shadows. It flourishes when good people do and say nothing. Please do not turn a blind eye to your sister behind the bar, to your brother working the fields. The saying goes that sunlight is the best disinfectant. So let us shine a piercing and illuminating light on the plague of trafficking in persons by speaking out. If you see something suspicious or out of the ordinary, report it to the authorities. If a friend or family member is in a vulnerable situation, ask them if they are okay. Ask if they are trapped. It bears repeating: each of us can make a difference. Each of us must make a difference. And together we can protect our sisters and brothers, our sons and daughters, and ourselves. Let us do our part.

D

James Bjorkman, Political and Economic Counselor United States of America Embassy Georgetown

From what or whom have we emancipated?

Dear Editor,

Because I have detected a marked reluctance by some Editors to carry letters even remotely critical of the present Administration, I am sending this letter to all the major print media houses to prove my point.

I am not politically aligned; never was, never will be. But I am politically conscious. What is truly happening in Guyana is taking all Guyanese down the precipice. For now, the supporters of the present Government are gloating. Over what?

gate how some people got firearm licenses, I would advise that he starts with the mining community. Remember, two Firearm Licence books went missing from the Police Force? One wonders if these would have been used to issue bogus licenses. One licence was allegedly being sold for $800,000. It is also alleged that $300,000 went to one who is now pretending to be holier than a Saint and $500,000 would have gone to a now deceased top Policeman. Minister Ramjattan should probe these allegations. The change in Government seems to be just a change of who will now dip into corruption, with no interest in this country’s development. People of this dear land, wake up from your ethnic biased slumber. Corruption existed in both the previous Administrations and the current Government.

The Low Vision (Eye) Clinic subsidy of $8000 has long been suspended. When will it be restored for our seniors who previously paid $2000 for an eye test and a complete pair of spectacles?

Submitted by a 77-year-old concerned citizen

That Ministers of the previous Government are being hauled before the courts? That is nothing new. Even Presidents of several countries have been impeached. What should bother us all is that the previous Government did not prosecute any People’s National Congress Government Ministers when it got into power. And please do not suggest that there was no corruption under the Burnham regime. The Granger regime is still to probe into the involvement of some at its own top echelons. If Minister Ramjattan were to carry out his idle threat to investi-

August 1 was Emancipation Day but the question is, have we truly been emancipated; and from whom or what?

Faithfully,

Charles Selman

Page Foundation

The best ways to teach your child safety around strangers How to prevent eating disorders in children

Eating disorders are developed in children due to poor and unhealthy eating habits. Such disorders can cause health issues in children. Therefore, it is essential to prevent eating disorders in children before it is too late. Find tips for preventing eating disorders in children right here.

In most of the situations indulgence is a common practice. Over indulgence in food is quite commonly seen in functions and parties. Anorexia, binge eating are problems which people generally experience when they over indulge with food. Children also face this problem, as they generally cannot understand or assess their food requirement. They get confused or generally misled with too much food around them. Generally, children either do not eat at all or over eat. Both ways they tend to spoil their routine and disturb their health.

So, it is very important to prevent eating disorders in children when they are still tender in their age. Else, it results into a major problem, as they grow in life.

How to discourage eating disorders in children

Severing small quantity with time intervals

Children fail to recognise that they are hungry. So it is very important to maintain food timings and give them small quantities with time intervals. Slowly, a child should be trained to maintain his or her food timings and develop proper routine in daily life.

Serve more of fruits

When a child wants to eat junk foods, it is important to replace it with fruits or any other healthy snack. Mostly, we fail to identify many good foods around us, as you go by the popularity of the food and not by its taste. So, slowly, if right foods are included into your routine, junk foods can be largely avoided in the diet.

Serving right quantity of food at the right time

Generally, parents do not leave the child to eat the quantity of food he or she wants to eat. The child is always forced to eat more food. This way, a child develops aversion towards food and never enjoys food even after he or she grows up in life.

It is always said that appetite comes with eating. Also the food tastes very yummy, when we are really hungry. So you should allow the child to eat the quantity of food by his or her own judgement. This way, we can avoid eating disorders and help him to identify his hunger and satisfy his food requirements.

help him or her remain healthy and active. Everyone needs to drink at least two glasses of water before every meal. This will help the child to eat less and his water intake helps in proper digestion of food.

Along with all the above, eating fibre foods, green and leafy vegetables, seasonal foods, including few herbal foods which are also medicinal in nature like cinnamon, mint and ginger helps in regularising the body and cleaning up the system on regular basis.

Along with having proper breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is a must for the children to consume milk in their daily diet. If the sleep habits are rhythmic,

Encourage regular small exercises

Mothers worry if the child is skinny or even when they are putting lot of weight.

If you try to exercise the child and put him or her in regular play habits, both these situations can be avoided. A child when plays for a while can eat proper food. He or she also can maintain body without getting chubby or obese.

Encourage to drinking plenty of water all day

A child needs lots of water. This will

food is absorbed by the body. School children need to be very systematic in their daily routine. This will help them in concentration, gaining proper knowledge, and excel in their studies. At the same time, parents should never link performance with the food and punish the child by denying them their food. This will hurt the child both physically and morally. Overall body health can be maintained if you maintain proper diet timings and avoid eating disorders. (Indiaparenting.com)

Want to know the worst way to teach children about stranger danger? Earlier this month, a mother in Missouri set out to teach her six-yearold boy a lesson in talking to strangers with the help of the boy’s aunt and grandmother. A co-worker in on the act allegedly kidnapped the boy, told him he’d never see his mother again, showed him a handgun to stop him from crying and then locked him in a basement, hands and feet tied with plastic bags. When he was finally released, the boy got a lecture about talking to people he doesn’t know. Every adult involved in the “lesson” was later arrested. So, that’s definitely how not to do things.

Child-safety experts from across Canada provide their advice on how to do it the right way.

When to start

“Parents should start teaching their children about safety as soon as they’re able to understand simple concepts. Simple concepts make safe children,” says Tracey Warren, National Director of Injury Prevention and Aducation at Child Safe Canada, a non-profit childsafety education organisation.

Start with the concept of crossing the street safely, and move up to introducing the concept of not going anywhere with someone you don’t know without permission, she says. “Teaching safety isn’t an event,

it’s a process.”

Don’t freak children out

“Sometimes as parents we feel we have to instill fear in our children because that’s the only way the message will get across, but that’s the worst thing we can do,” says Pina Arcamone, Director General of the Missing Children’s Network, a Montreal-based organisation. Talk to your children the same way you would about fire safety at home or why it’s important to wear a helmet on a bicycle, Arcamone says. “Adopt a very natural and reassuring tone,” she says.

Move beyond ‘stranger danger’

“If we teach our children to fear strangers we’ve really misguided them,” Warren says. “The majority of sexual abuse and abductions is by people known to the children.” Besides, there may be many situations where a child needs to talk to a stranger, Arcamone says. Instead, we should teach children to trust their instincts and to not go anywhere with anyone unless they have permission – what Child Safety Canada calls “the golden rule of safety.”

Info every child should know Every child should know his or her address, mom and dad’s complete names and phone numbers. It’s also important for children to know safe places or adults to go to when they are in trouble, whether it’s a corner store or a neighbour’s house, Arcamone says. “We’re empowering children by helping them make safe and wise decisions by teaching them who are the safe adults they can approach and where are these safe places they can wait for help,” she says.

Use the buddy system

“It’s just safety in numbers,” says Noni Classen, Director of Education at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. The vast majority of children who have been abducted or gone missing were by themselves, Classen says. A “buddy” has to be someone who can look after the child, whether it’s an aunt or a babysitter, Classen says. Make a list with your child of who buddies are, she says.

Practice, practice, practice Play what-if scenarios, Arcamone says. What would you do if you’re waiting outside school to go home when a neighbour offers you a ride home? What would you do if a stranger asks for directions? If someone invited you into his home? “That gives them the opportunity to problem-solve and provide you with what they would do in a situation,” Arcamone says. The more you practice scenarios with children, the more empowered they will become, Classen says. “We want to build up children’s competence and their confidence,” she says. (www. theglobeandmail.com)

DAVE MCGINN

SWAT Unit feels exposed

...wants Govt to honour pledges

Members of the Special Weapons And Tactics Unit (SWAT) of the Guyana Police Force have complained of receiving threats to their lives and that of their family members, and are calling on Government to honour the promises made to them during their training, so that they could at least feel secure.

A few members of the 25-member Unit on Sunday spoke with this publication, expressing fear that their lives could be at risk, following their participation in a recent operation, where a bandit was killed.

After long months of being dormant,in mid July the team was deployed in an operation which left East Bank Demerara (EBD) resident Rolston Morrison dead.

On July 15, the SWAT Unit kicked into action at Craig, EBD, along with a number of regular Police ranks, killing Morrison and rounding up seven others. During the operation one rank was shot and another bandit seriously wounded.

The gunmen – reportedly linked to the murders of businessman Ganesh Ramlall of La Jalousie West Coast Demerara (WCD) and alleged fellow gang member Travis Rudder and also to the vicious attack on Justice Nicole Pierre and her husband on the East Coast –were holed up in an apartment building in the quiet EBD community when Police received a tip that the wanted men were there.

Speaking to Guyana Times on Sunday, the SWAT members said since that operation; the first since they were trained last year, they, along with their family members have been receiving threats. They are fearful, particularly because they do not have any personal weapons to protect themselves.

“Everybody knows the SWAT team. We were in a shootout just the other day. They see our face. The guy that was shot (SWAT member), his family got threatened,” one team member, who asked not to be named,

told Guyana Times. He related that the information was passed on to the Assistant Police Commissioner David Ramnarine, seeking out a meeting with him and relevant authority, but so far nothing has happened.

“We have been asking for the Assistant Commissioner to come see us. He or anybody in authority to come and speak to us, so we could at least know what is happening. Since we told them of these concerns, no one has come to see us, no one,” another team member told Guyana Times

“We have no firearm to take care of ourselves. A lot of us have our families to take care of. We at least want to know that if we go out on such an operation and something happens to us, that our families will be ok. We are not hearing anything, because no one comes to us.”

The team members said their routine, when not in operation, is to “eat, sleep, train and sit down and skin we teeth”. They said too that Government has

Almost 4000 cases of child abuse reported in 2012

By Kristen MacKlingaM

In its continued efforts to provide social and welfare services, the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) during the year of 2012 attended to 3689 cases of child abuse which were reported via the then Human Services and Social Security Ministry and “walk-ins” to the Agency.

The CCPA in a report to the National Assembly recently stated that it was able to give a 100 per cent response to all of these cases where it provided safe places for recovery and rehabilitation for each victim. Of the total, 503 victims who needed protection.

Guyana Times understands that psychosocial support and other assistance were provided to about 10,000 at-risk children and their families and the Agency attended to more than 16,000 cases that year.

The CCPA stated that while it had successes, there were insufficient resources and services to make lasting changes in the lives of its clients.

The Agency had difficulties in reaching its target to facilitate the re-unification of 250 children living in institutions with their families or family substitutes and receiving financial and psychosocial support for their continued well-being.

The combined total of children placed in foster care and children re-integrated with their own fami-

lies was 173. This is 69 per cent of the target.

It was noted that the shortfall in the target was due to the inadequate number of foster families available and insufficient financial assistance for families to have the children return to the family homes.

In spite of constraints, the CCPA was able to host 12 training workshops for persons who provide child protection services, including Police Officers and caregivers at children’s homes and orphanages.

Overpopulated children’s homes

Meanwhile, children’s homes and orphanages were visited and monitored to ensure the implementation of the minimum standards of operations and 200 vulnerable children were provided with alternative care (outof-home care) at the three State Care Centres located at Mahaica, Sophia and Georgetown.

The CCPA explained that these centres were overpopulated throughout the year as a result of the demand for these services, the severity of emerging cases and the vigilance and responsiveness of staff.

“The three Governmentowned Care Centres (safe houses) for children in need of protective care continued to be overpopulated due to an increased number of children being made vulnerable by inadequate parental care and child abuse. Apart from the

Government Care Centres, the 20 private children’s homes and orphanages also had issues of overcrowding.

..There were 805 children in institutional care at the end of 2012, with 220 at the Government-managed Care Centres in Sophia, the Drop-in-Centre and the Mahaica Children’s Home.”

Unfortunately, seven per cent of the target 3000 parents and other primary caregivers were equipped with techniques and skills for effective parenting.

“The low level of achievement occurred as a result of insufficient resources. More resources, both human and financial, are needed to conduct this activity country-wide,” the Agency reported.

However, the CCPA was able to facilitate the Adoption Board where 12 meetings were held throughout the year and families were found for 109 children through the adoption process.

The Agency also reported that one of its targets set for the said year was to conduct public awareness programmes via the media on “Child Rights” and other issues affecting the wellbeing of children as well as to encourage community members to foster a child.

“Work was done, but not enough to make an impact. This was due to inadequate resources…A national public awareness campaign is needed to ensure the desired result,” the CCPA added.

failed to honour the promises made, when the team began training in January 2014. According to the SWAT team, they were promised “proper equipment, proper vests and personal fire-

them into further distress. Their contention is that even if the Force does not want to give them the firearm, they could at least allow them to be licensed, so that they could themselves purchase

The members of the local SWAT

their age,

arms to move around with”. According to them, none of these promises have been honoured, which plunged

their own weapon for their safety.

“They should be paying attention to us; they chose

us, although we were already Police Officers. We did not have a choice. They chose us,” another team member told Guyana Times, continuing that “we are well trained and are capable of using a personal firearm”.

They said since their training, the Commissioner of Police has not “set foot” in the base, where they spend most of their time.

The SWAT Unit was established through collaboration between the Government of Guyana and the US-based security and justice reform consultancy firm, The Emergency Group (TEG).

In October 2013, a US$796,987 contract was signed between the then Home Affairs Ministry and US-based high-level team to train the 25-member elite unit.

The members of the local SWAT Unit were chosen based on their age, health, mindset, years of service, experience and their overall conduct. The objective behind the establishment of the Unit was to create additional crime-fighting strategies to deal with serious crimes in the country, which the Police would not be able to handle competently.

Unit were chosen based on

health, mindset, years of service, experience and their overall conduct

monday, august 3, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

Suspects in male sex worker’s murder still on run

One week after the Guyana Police Force issued wanted bulletins for the two suspects implicated in the murder of Nephi Luthers who was gunned down at Carmichael and Quamina Streets, Georgetown, the two men have failed to turn themselves in.

The men, 42-year-old Ron Forde called “Andel” of Lot 19 Meadow Bank, East Bank Demerara and of Lot 31 Rahaman’s Park, EBD and 24-year-old Kanand Ojha of Lot 2 First Street, Meadow Bank, were caught on video, which has since gone viral.

A Police source at Brickdam told Guyana Times that ever since the wanted bulletins were issued, neither of the men has showed up thus, leading them to believe that they might have absconded. Nevertheless, the Police are reiterating their call for the two men to surrender and relate their side of the story.

Guyana Times understands that the Police had gone to the homes of both men. Ojha’s wife who resides in Diamond Housing Scheme was also contacted in an effort to find the men.

Police said they would continue to hunt for the two men. Luthers, 20, of ZZ Durban Street, Wortmanville, was shot once to his chest during a confrontation with Ojha and Forde.

It is believed that on the night of the shooting, Ojha left the Guyana National Stadium and went in the vicinity of the St George’s Cathedral, where he paid a sex worker $5000 to perform a sex act.

During the act, he was reportedly relieved of his personal belongings. After the act was completed, he left in his motor car, but

subsequently realised that his phone and cash were missing. Ojha, from reports received, collected Forde and went back to the location where they confronted Luthers, but he denied doing business with the man, which resulted in an argument.

During the argument, Ojha reportedly told Luther, “You have to give back the thing”, but in response, the commercial sex worker said: “Me ain’t been with you”. At

this time, Forde pulled out the gun and pulled the trigger, shooting Luthers to his

The sex worker fell to the roadway and the two men fled the scene. Luthers’ colleagues picked him up and rushed him to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. From all indications, Luthers was mistaken for someone else.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Forde and Ojha is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 225-6411, 225-8196, 226-7065, 2271149, 911 or at the nearest Police Station. All information will be treated with strict confidence.

Labour Department records successes in 2012

... despite staffing constraints

By Kristen MacKlingaM

Several workplace accidents occurred during the year 2012, mainly at the sugar estates, Banks DIH Ltd, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and the mining sector. This is according to a report released by the Department of Labour, within the Social Protection Ministry.

Among those were five fatalities which had occurred in the mining and construction sectors, and officers of the Ministry were identified to conduct investigations into these fatalities. Reports were prepared and submitted.

In total, the Ministry investigated 750 accidents which were reported; however, only 120 cases (16 per cent) were resolved.

According to its report, the investigations into the workplace accidents and fatalities were significantly hampered due to a reduced number in staffing at the Labour Department.

It was also stated that of 3500 labour inspections that were targeted for the said year, there was only a success rate of 31.9 per cent (1117) due to unavailability of funds as well as

shortage of staff.

However, despite the constraints of the Labour Department, it was able to recover $52,673,474 from 978 complaints of outstanding emoluments for employees from defaulting employers.

The employers identified complied with officers’ recommendations during the investigation of complaints, since they did not want the various matters to become court issues.

GuyanaTimes under-

stands that 34 employers were also prosecuted for breaching labour laws of the country.

“Employers had to be prosecuted for failing to comply with the labour laws. This was achieved as a result of the competence of staff, as well as the monitoring system which is in place over such policies,” the Labour Department reported.

Only 60 matters were conciliated because of the fact that the department

New Sheriff...

...in Guyana

They say that "to a hammer, everything's a nail". To be hammered down. What else can a hammer do?

It may even know that, say, a piece of wood gotta be cut. But what's the hammer to do?? Hammer away!! And we see this bit of folk wisdom playing out in Guyana every day since APNU/AFC squeezed into office. The new Government was made so top heavy with military brass that folks had to be excused when they forced to squint in their presence. The human eye can only deal with so much glinting and glitter!

The fears expressed about a militarized Government weren't that they would soon have everyone goosestepping in jackboots and throwing straight-armed salutes. The fear was that they would go about the business of the country in the only way they know how: fellas at the top give orders, girls and boys at the bottom follow those orders. To question those orders, especially in the "heat of battle" is to risk being shot by a firing squad.

And from the rhetoric of the new leaders, make no bones about it: we are not just in a battle, we are in so many battles that we are in a full out war. A war against corruption. A war against theft. A war against fifth columnists left behind in Ministries and agencies who have to be rooted out. A war against poverty. It's all one big war which our new militarized top brass will wage with all the resources at their disposal. A war against crime. Every day, the cheerleading squad over at the Muckraker gloats about who "SoldiaBai" will gun down next. So sappers were recruited to enter the newly captured terrain, not just to clear the mines that might've been left behind (why else you think you're seeing all those mass firings? Those assets that might just blow up the administration later.) Look for where the bodies might've been buried. The so called "auditors" are actually on a "recky" mission - to quote Prime Minister Nagamootoo who's desperately trying to "get with the programme". But it ain't easy with that Dhall Belly!!

received fewer requests than initially anticipated.

“This is indication of how well the Department’s inspections and interventions are working,” the report said.

Meanwhile, 203 strikes occurred during the year. However, the respective unions and management were able to resolve most of them.

The School Retention and Child Labour Prevention Programme, which commenced in August 2011, continued in 2013 with ongoing financial support by the “InFocus Programme on Child Labour (ILO/IPEC). This programme was implemented in Regions Four and 10, and was aimed at reducing the rates of truancy and child labour activities.

It was also noted in the report that one of the major constraints by the department and the Ministry overall was the inadequate technological infrastructure as well as connectivity, necessary to propel its work processes to the “next level” consistent with the benefits and expectations associated with 21st century innovations.

Some folks might wonder (as your Eyewitness has done) as to why the aforementioned Nagamootoo - and his nominal leader Ramjattan - have been given rooms with no windows in that war.Civilians have to understand that they have to leave the fighting to trained personnel. And now you should understand why Ramjattan - who has the title "Minister of National Security" - has to allow Lt Colonel (rtd) Joseph Harmon to make announcements on the "war on crime".

Civilians can be trusted to enforce 2am curfews on the civilian populace.

...on Social Cohesion

Confused citizens are slowly beginning to understand what this new Ministry of Social Cohesion is all about. And in the best pedagogical tradition of "show don't tell" we had Minister Simona "I is" Broomes explaining it over the weekend. "Social cohesion" will come about if we wage a war against "Trafficking in Persons" (TIP). While she doesn't have formal military training, Broomes was given a Sheriff's Badge because she has so much practical experience in the terrain.

Referring to the latest U.S. TIP Report which panned Guyana once again, "I is" Broomes educated us as to the finer points of fighting TIP. “It is not like you are going out there and targeting persons or you are going out there and targeting a brothel… I know what is trafficking and Guyana should know that I understand what is trafficking.”

And those working girls from Bartica know it too!! To a hammer....

...and culture

This Eyewitness supports the Government for supporting Emancipation activities to the tune of $13.9 million.

But couldn't they get someone from the Culture Ministry, rather than a SouljaBai, to hand out the cheques?

Rupert for Sheriff?

chest.

Wanted, Ron Forde

Wanted, Kanand Ojha

Slain sex worker, Nephi Luthers

Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle

Henrietta businessman shot during robbery – gunmen cart off cash, phone

cards, laptop

By IndrawattIe natram

Police of G Division (Essequibo Coast and Islands) have questioned several persons in connection with the burglary committed on Mark Warner of Henrietta Village, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Saturday. However, no one has yet been arrested.

Warner, 47, the owner of Anil’s Cool Bar\Barrat Rum Shop, told Guyana Times from his bed in the Suddie Public Hospital, that he was closing up his business around 22:30h on Saturday when he was approached from behind by three masked gunmen.

The still traumatised father of nine related that he was shot three times – to his left leg, head and forehead and gun-butted by the men

none of whom he could identify.

He received 15 stitches to his left foot and at least six stitches to his head and forehead.

The perpetrators reportedly took $150,000 in cash, a quantity of phone cards and a laptop. The businessman said the bandits were equipped with huge hand guns.

“After they approached me, I shouted for my wife and daughter to hear so they can hide, I shouted “Run! Run!” But by then, the men started to hit me with the gun, They put me to lie down on the floor, beat me with the gun and shot me three times, they also kick me in my belly,” the businessman related.

Warner said that the bandits kept asking for money, but he told them that he

just had whatever he made from selling during the day. Warner then went for his wife’s purse and handed it to the bandits,” the purse had about $150,000”.

After the bandits received the money they then asked for the businessman’s wife. He said that by then his wife, Roxanne, managed to hide herself and her daughter in the kitchen.

It was further related that the armed men began to search for the businessman’s wife and after they did not find her, fired a shot to Warner’s left leg. They then fired two more shots

before escaping through the back door of the premises.

After the entire ordeal, the businessman said, he drove to the Anna Regina Police Station where he reported the robbery. He was then rushed to the Suddie Public Hospital by a Police Officer.

According to police, about 23:00h on Saturday, Warner was shot and robbed by the armed men at gunpoint. Police promptly visited the scene.

In 2012, the businessman’s father, Victor Warner, was brutally shot dead during a robbery.

Cuban national shot on Regent Street during robbery

ACuban national is now nursing a gunshot wound to the chest at a private medical institution following a robbery on Regent Street, Georgetown on Sunday.

monday, august 3, 2015

Enmore businessman robbed at gunpoint in Linden –

perpetrators arrested at road block

Hours after relieving an Enmore, East Coast Demerara businessman of $1 million and a firearm during a robbery at Coomacka Mines, Linden, three men were arrested during a road block at Nottinghamshire, Linden on Saturday.

Naresh Pooran, 43, of Lot 2 Enmore, in a phone interview with Guyana Times on Sunday morning disclosed that he operated a lumber yard at Enmore and a sawmill at Coomacka, Linden. He explained that on Saturday about 13:00h, he travelled up to Linden in order to pay his workers and as he exited his car, two men approached him enquiring about doing business.

The businessman went on to say that owing to the slowdown in business, he informed them that he was not buying wood at the time and asked them to check back with him in a month’s time.

“I see them men left and as I turn me back to walk towards my workers, I feel a cold object behind me ears,” he stated. As he turned around, he saw the same two men with one of them holding a gun to his head. The other took away his licensed pistol and demanded money.

In fear for his life, he told them that the money was in a bag, which was in his car. One of the men reportedly

collected the keys to the car, opened the door, and took out the money before they made good their escape on foot. Pooran and his workers went in pursuit of the men and saw them running up the Coomacka Mines Road.

The Police were contacted and upon instruction of the commander, road blocks were erected at strategic points.

Pooran explained that during the operation, Police stopped and searched a motor car bearing registration number, HB 4064 that was occupied by three men. The businessman’s firearm and an unlicensed .38 pistol with three matching rounds were discovered.

The Police said they also found some of the money –$859,000 of the $1 million that was stolen. The three men, including the taxi driver, are in custody assisting with investigations.

Pooran praised the members of the Guyana Police Force for their quick action that led to the arrest of the three men. He noted that he has since positively identified the men as well as his firearm.

This is not the first time the businessman was robbed. He recalled in September 2010, he was shot during a robbery at his lumber yard and exactly one month later his business was again attacked and robbed.

Pedestrian killed on East Coast highway

Apedestrian has become the latest road

Information reaching Guyana Times revealed that the two perpetrators exited a car and confronted Cardenos demanding that he hand over all his person-

Thirty-five-year-old Mirko Cardenos was reportedly walking along Regent Street when he was attacked by two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun.

al belongings. The Cuban national reportedly put up a fight and it was then one of the men discharged a round, hitting him in his chest.

A source told Guyana Times that after receiving the gunshot injury, Cardenos fell to the roadway, and the bandits went

into his pocket and collected the money he had in his possession – some $9000. The men made good their escape in a waiting motor car.

The Police have since launched an investigation into the robbery. No arrest has been made.

fatality after he was struck down by a motor vehicle while attempting to cross the Montrose Public Road, East Coast Demerara on Saturday about 20:45h.

The dead man has been identified as 46-year-old Byron Persaud of Vryheid’s Lust North, ECD.

According to information

received, Persaud received severe injuries about his body and might have died on the spot.

He was subsequently picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The driver of the vehicle, according to the Police, was taken into custody to assist with investigations.

Mark Warner in his hospital bed

African Business Expo postponed

Unemployment, underemployment still

a major

issue despite Govt’s interventions

...ACDA to launch when economy picks up

The first African Business Exposition aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among Afro-Guyanese, which was slated to be held in Guyana this month, has been postponed. This is according to Director of the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA), Dr Eric Phillips.

He told Guyana Times in an interview on Sunday that after elections in May and the uncertainty in the economy over the last few months, the Association thought it best to put off the event for a while.

The inaugural African Business Exposition, part of the Emancipation calendar of activities, is geared towards promoting newer forms of entrepreneurship among Afro-Guyanese through more aggressive and modern marketing, and refocusing Afro-Guyanese youth on the importance of entrepreneurship to socioeconomic development and sustained independence.

Dr Phillips had said the Exposition would see the launch of 10 new AfroGuyanese businesses as well as the rebranding of others, and the honouring of the pioneers of various areas of business.

Additionally, many different businesses from throughout the Caribbean were invited to come on board, in conjunction with members of the National Reparations Committee from the Caribbean and North America. Dr Phillips shared that with these dignitaries present, the group had hoped to use the opportunity to showcase Guyanese entrepreneurship and also establish a trading depot.

“We are still pushing entrepreneurship for young people all across Guyana,” Dr Phillips explained, noting ACDA’s Emancipation theme this year was “Rekindling Our Past Glory through Youth Innovation”, with the sub theme, “Building Strong Families through Entrepreneurship”.

The ACDA head said the Association’s work to get young Afro-Guyanese involved in entrepreneurship was far from over.

He shared that after a one-day workshop held last year, many participants made contact with the Small Business Bureau, via which they can access funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). ACDA has also worked with farming groups to form associations for more efficient production.

The Exposition will be an opportunity to build the capacity of Guyanese to compete on a larger scale by partnering with firms in Trinidad, Jamaica and other islands to build knowledge, expertise and contacts.

Dr Phillips added that although much has happened to delay the Exposition, the event, which was also intended as a prelude to GuyExpo, was inevitable.

Unemployment of youths and young adults continues to be a pressing issue in the country, with many persons lamenting over the lack of the availability of jobs while others are complaining of being underemployed.

As such, steps were taken to alleviate the issue of unemployment; the main one being the establishment of the Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA) which is a division of the then Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, now renamed the Social Protection Ministry.

The CRMA’s main objective is to place individuals seeking jobs in suitable employment and provide career guidance along with counselling. In 2012, the recruitment agency set out to register all unemployed persons seeking employment through the division with a target figure of 3600.

However, the success was only 79 per cent, with 2912 of the target being registered. According to the CRMA’s report, the shortfall in the target set is due to staff shortage in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

It was also aiming to register 100 youths for the standard apprenticeship programme but the target achieved was 76 per cent. This was as a result of the

quantity of applications received because programmes were undersubscribed in some instances.

However, the agency had a target of 3600 unemployed persons to be placed in active employment and recorded a success of 101 per cent with 3,623 persons submitted for employment.

They were all found to be suitable to fill the advertised vacant position, the CRMA noted.

Meanwhile 2945 unemployed persons were placed in suitable jobs.

“Some job seekers sent to employers were placed into employment while others were employed via employers’ advertisement in the print media. Success emerged from the careful matching by CRMA staff of job requirements to applicants’ profiles,” the recruitment and manpower agency reported.

Board of Industrial Training (BIT)

The role of the BIT is to promote Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to satisfy the ends of the labour force in the industrial sector and to perform the regulatory functions for all apprenticeship schemes.

It is also tasked with issuing certificates of competency for apprentices and trainees from other industrial training programmes

on successful completion of their training.

Among the key objectives also is to ensure that the industrial sector has a highly trained and competent workforce.

During 2012, in preparation for the execution of the year’s phase of the National Training Project for Youth Empowerment (NTPYE), placements within the industrial and commercial sectors throughout eight of the 10 administrative regions were secured for early school leavers.

In the task of registering 1500 persons for the NTPYE in Regions One through Seven and in Region 10 to pursue training in various occupations there was not 100 per cent success.

This shortfall was due to the non-availability of applicants and as a result only 83 per cent of success was recorded then.

The agriculture, mining, engineering, building construction, hospitality, health and clerical sectors were identified for training. A new traineeship programme also commenced in September with the Barama Company.

It should be noted that 400 persons were to be registered under the single parent training in Regions One through Seven and Region 10 to pursue training in various occupations.

TURN TO PAGE 12

Ruimzigt resident up in arms over noisy neighbour

– where is the 2am curfew?

Imagine having loud, obnoxious ringing in your ears every weekend, every holiday, all the way past 02:00h. Imagine having two young children, ages five and 10, who constantly complain to you about the noise. There is only so much you can do to put an end to it, but to no avail. Imagine having regulations in place to prevent these problems and you are following all procedures on your end but the justice system keeps failing you.

That is the life of Mark Chung, a resident of Ruimzigt, West Coast Demerara (WCD) who lives with his wife and two young children next to the popular “Ruimzigt Seaview Liquor Restaurant and Stag Bar”. Chung has been complaining to the relevant authorities, at the Den Amstel Police Station, Leonora Police Station and the now Public Security Ministry for over five years about this problem, but all efforts proved futile as officials kept making empty promises.

“That’s all you are hearing, ‘yes we will look into it’ but nothing. You keep going back and they looking at you like you are annoying them but they are not doing anything and me and my family are living in hell,” he vented.

Chung, who operates as a joiner from his home, said every weekend he would have to gather his children, flee his home and return sometimes until 03:00h when he would have estimated the music to have been cut off.

But sometimes, this approach is often useless because, according to him, when the Bar shuts down the music, customers often would crank up the sounds from their vehicles.

“It’s just as loud and annoying as the Bar’s sound system,” he helplessly related.

What’s even worse is that the vibration from the sound waves sometimes causes wares and ornament to fall to the ground and shatter,

much to his dismay.

“How can anyone continue to live like this,” he pondered, as he called on the authorities to urgently look into the matter as it is not just him who is being affected but other nearby residents as well.

Compounding the situation, patrons at the Bar would always dump garbage into his yard, most which are broken bottles. “I have two children, I have a wife who will have to clean it up, I have my business, and then you have all this garbage that does not even belong to us,” he explained.

Chung believes the reason nothing has been done about this incident is because his neighbour may be in cahoots with the Police. He also stated that Police Officers themselves would indulge at the Bar, indirectly contributing and encouraging such lawlessness.

“I am fed up. I do not know what else to do. Where is the 2am curfew?” the exasperated father said.

ACDA Director, Dr Eric Phillips

Is the rice industry crisis Government mismanagement or reckless punishment of farmers?

In 2012, David Granger, Carl Greenidge, Khemraj Ramjattan, Moses Nagamootoo and other leaders of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) declared that the rice industry was in crisis and would collapse under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Their pronouncement came after the industry had posted a record production of over 400,000 tonnes of rice for the first time in Guyana's history. In 2013 and 2014, far from collapsing, the rice industry broke several records for yield, acreage of cultivation, production and export. But the same leaders of APNU and AFC continued their efforts to persuade the Guyanese people that the rice industry was in dire crisis of imminent collapse.

Now the coalition is in Government and has changed its tune sung so robustly when it was in Opposition. The Government one week ago held a Rice Conference and during the Conference several of the APNU/AFC senior representatives, including President David Granger, declared that the rice industry is not in any crisis.

The fact is that the rice industry now faces a major crisis, far different from what it was in 2012, 2013 and 2014 when the industry created even more production and performance records. If the industry was in crisis in 2012, 2013 and 2014, as APNU/AFC leaders belligerently pronounced throughout the 10th Parliament, then the industry today was in a far less positive position and faced an ugly, uncertain and frightening future.

The major basis for APNU/AFC declaring that the rice industry was in crisis in 2012, 2013 and 2014 was that there was not enough market to support the record production. APNU/AFC chided the PPP/C for supporting the industry to increase production and not ensuring support to expand markets.

This claim is without merit since Guyana exported more than 300,000 tonnes in 2012 and exported nearly 400,000 tonnes for the first time ever in 2013. In 2014, Guyana surpassed rice export of 500,000 tonnes, a first in history, and way beyond what anyone ever thought was possible.

But in 2015, now that it is in Government, APNU/ AFC has declared that the crisis it complained about in 2012, 2013 and 2014 is over. There is no rice crisis. David Granger himself took to the stage to inform all the world that rice is doing well and not in crisis. From this pronouncement, we must, therefore, assume APNU/

AFC will ensure every paddy grain is exported or consumed locally and that better prices are guaranteed. Recall they promised to pay $9000 per bag of paddy during the election campaign.

Yet, no paddy or rice has been exported to Venezuela since early May this year.

The PPP/C Government signed a contract for Venezuela to purchase 200,000 tonnes of paddy and rice from Guyana in 2015 at prices that remained the most lucrative among all market destinations and among the most lucrative anywhere in the world. Shipment was proceeding in accordance with the schedule agreed between the Governments. More than 40,000 tonnes were shipped by mid-May.

But now stocks of paddy and rice have been waiting to be shipped to Venezuela. The Venezuelans have not given permission for shipment to resume and this will have an impact on the rice industry.

We must all be worried that 2015 is a situation we have not been in since before 1991. Our biggest and most lucrative market seems to be in dire trouble and for the first time since the PNC days, we are faced with a market problem with no reasonable solution in the horizon.

Not only has Guyana virtually squandered the Venezuelan market, we seem to have lost the Panama Government-to-Government rice market. In 2014, the PPP/C Government had signed an agreement for and shipped about 50,000 tonnes of rice at above world market price to Panama.

It was expected that the Panama market could have grown to more than 100,000 tonnes in 2015. But as far as we know no shipment has been made on the Government-to-Government arrangement for 2015.

Between the Venezuelan and Panamanian markets, approximately 250,000 to 300,000 tonnes of rice at excellent prices were guaranteed. In 2015, these markets seemed to have halted. Can the millers serving as marketers make up this loss of market destinations?

Can any other market guarantee the lucrative nature of the Venezuelan and Panama markets? The PPP/C worked with stakeholders to build markets that grew with rice production in Guyana. Now APNU/ AFC in its initial months in Government has ensured the restriction of the market and a downward trajectory of the prices.

Is the rice industry in crisis? Clearly the loss of markets of between 250,000 to 300,000 tonnes of rice is a herculean mountain to overcome in the five months

ahead of us for 2015. Worse yet, without the higher than any other prices that the Venezuelan market guaranteed, the millers would not be able to sustain a price anywhere near a minimum of $3000 per bag of paddy.

What would this mean?

For one, the industry will end the year with a large amount of paddy and rice on hand, assuming the production for the year is sustained at over 630,000 tonnes and even maybe the 700,000

tonnes that were anticipated based on first crop production. In all the years that APNU/AFC in Opposition cried there was a crisis in the rice industry, the Government succeeded in ensuring that all carryover paddy and rice were sold before the end of March. It is now a great possibility that the 2015 carryover will not be profitably disposed of before March 2016.

This would further escalate the issue as millers will not be able to buy as much paddy because of cash flow and storage problems. This would result in lower prices for farmers and also farmers not being able to sell their paddy.

Acreage under cultivation will suffer and land will be abandoned. Unless we recover markets, rice production, employment and

wealth generation for about 100,000 people will be negatively impacted. The national economy will constrict. While in Opposition, the APNU/AFC tried through its acolytes to disrupt smooth progress in the rice industry but the industry progressed and reached unthinkable heights. It had criticised the PPP/C Government for giving support to the rice industry, claiming it was giving support to PPP/C supporters.

Now less than three months in Government, APNU/AFC has led the industry into a calamitous crisis. Is the impending rice crisis simply a matter of mismanagement by the APNU/AFC Government or a deliberate and reckless payback for farmers overwhelmingly supporting the PPP/C Government?

monday, august 3, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com

PPP/C MPs Collin Croal, Harry Gill ready to develop Guyana

Collin Croal and Harry Gill, yet another two new faces on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) List of Members of Parliament (MPs) say they are overwhelmed with ideas which can be used to advance Guyana with regards to security, tourism, regional development and youth representation.

Guyana Times interviewed the individuals, both of whom were excited to take up their roles as MPs in the National Assembly and to be the voice for the people of Guyana.

Croal, who was the Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Local Government, is the MP representing Region One (BarimaWaini), therefore, he noted that his main focus would be concerning the welfare of the people of that district.

“I am representing Region One so at every opportunity available I will use to represent issues, concerns, the interests, programmes and policies on behalf of the people of Region One,” he said.

In terms of his personal interests, Croal said he was always passionate about youth issues. “I have always been in the area of youth work, from a young age I started in the PYO (Progressive Youth Organisation) for a number of years for the PPP. So I have no hesitation in representing and advocating youth issues,” he expressed.

In addition, because of his background within the Ministry of Local Government and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Croal said he is positive of his ability to make meaningful contributions in those areas when the PPP/C makes way to Parliament. Croal noted too, that he is

willing to serve in whatever way the PPP/C requires of him as it would be an honour for him to represent Guyanese in any way he can.

“I accepted the offer to be MP for the PPP/C because I accept it as an honour to be offered, it therefore means that the leadership of the Party sees that I can contribute in some meaningful way… and I always enjoy anything that allows me to serve the wellbeing of our people and to be able to advance their cause and this is something that I love to do and therefore I had no hesitation when my name was proposed and I was offered to accept,” he related.

Similarly, Harry Gill is eager to take up his role as MP for the PPP/C as it has always been his passion to serve the Guyanese people.

“I have been living in the United States for 23 years and I came home to make a meaningful contribution to the development of Guyana,” he said, noting

that it was always his passion to pursue a political career but his obligations to his then young children prevented him from doing so.

Gill said he has a wealth of knowledge in areas of crime fighting and tourism and as such, cannot wait to make his ideas known in Parliament.

“I want to focus on the ‘bread and butter’ issues. Too many politicians focus too much on the bigger picture. We need to be more concerned about those voiceless Guyanese who need representation,” he posited.

Gill said in the past, he had made recommendations to Police Commissioner Henry Greene to help with getting illegal weapons off the streets but none of his proposals were implement-

ed.

Gill’s daughter is a Detective and his son-inlaw is a Police Officer attached to the New York Police Department (NYPD), and as such, he believes he has gained much knowledge from them about strategies which American officials implement to tackle crime.

One approach which he believes can get illegal weapons off the streets is to establish a committee tasked with “buying” illegal weapons. Another is to provide monetary incentives directly to the officers whenever he/she unearths an illegal weapon.

Meanwhile, Gill said he can significantly contribute to developing Guyana’s tourism. “There are lots we can do to boost tourism. But we need to be prepared for tourism before we go all out,” he related.

Gill said he will push to have measures in place to ensure there is better customer service, not only in tourism related establishments but in simply places like utility companies.

Also, he noted that the roads need to be properly marked with reflective paints to ensure tourists are safe whenever they travel around the country.

“The first thing most tourists do is rent a car so now you can’t have them travelling up Berbice or on the East Bank and the roads are not properly done. Imagine the impact it would have if a tourist lost their life this way. So this is why we need to prepare Guyana for tourism,” he said.

Another suggestion he has in mind is to promote Guyana on the international market through innovative means. “We should offer prizes on game shows like the ‘Price is Right’ and this will market our product, our tourism,” he said, noting that it will not cost officials much to offer a ticket for two to travel to the Kaieteur Falls, all expenses paid for, especially when compared to the cost it will incur to run advertisements on foreign televisions channels.

More importantly also, Gill said he will push to make tourism more affordable to the Guyanese public whether through subsidies or other means.

FROM PAGE 10

Unemployment, underemployment...

There was a 102 per cent success rate recorded because of the overwhelming responses as a result of the advertising of the programme in these communities.

Underemployment

Meanwhile, a number of persons are still concerned about the rate of underemployment in Guyana. Underemployment has been attributed to adverse economic conditions and is also caused when the supply of

workers is greater than the demand.

This often results in layoffs, or when there is a technological change when a worker is replaced by machinery or technology.

In cases of recession in a country, unequal supply and demand, layoffs, or technological changes, workers are displaced and usually have to find different jobs or take the fastest available job.

More often than not, this leads to persons initially accepting low paying, low

Holder urges PPP to responsibly take up GuySuCo board spot

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder is calling on the Opposition’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP) to take up the available spot on the new Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Board that was awarded to them by Government.

According to the Minister, this decision is reflective of his Administration’s commitment to have an “inclusionary Government”. He told Guyana Times on Saturday that Government decided that give the PPP an opportunity to have an input in one of the country’s most important industries.

Holder pointed out that the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) that is ongoing into the sector has been mandated with certain functions, including making recommendations based on the findings of the probe, as such, they want the Opposition to be a part of the way forward for sugar.

“The CoI will say what we have to do – whether we should privatise the sector or whatever else they come up with – and the GuySuCo board will see that through, so we want them to be a part of this process,” he remarked. The Minister added that Government wants to know the way forward for sugar in 2016 because they do not want to be supplementing the sector as the previous Administration, did hence it is important to have all stakeholders to be included in consultations on the future of the sugar industry.

Asked whether there is any criteria in place for the PPP member to sit on the board, the Agriculture Minister outlined that they will not dictate who the Opposition should select; however, he noted that he hopes they are responsible enough to appoint someone who is knowledgeable of the sector and will be able to

make a contribution.

Previously, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration in its quest to revamp the various State Boards had stated that they are trying to remove politics from the boards. Commenting on this, Holder declared that politics and sugar are intertwined.

“We cannot fool ourselves that politics and sugar are separate, they are connected… we are not happy about it but that’s the reality,” the Minister posited.

Last week, Government gazetted the names of the new board members that were approved by the Cabinet, naming renowned economist Professor Clive Thomas the Chairman. He is joined by noted sugar experts Earl John, former Human Resources Director of GuySuCo and Anthony Vieira, the former shareholder of Houston/Versailles estates and a Manager in the industry.

The other named members include General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) Seepaul Narine; Adrian Anamayah; Louise Bouyea and Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture Ministry

George Jervis. In addition to the representative from the Opposition, the Board will also have a representative from the Attorney General’s (AG) Chambers, as well as the GuySuCo’s Corporate Secretary.

Following the disclosure of the board members, PPP Executive Member and former President Donald Ramotar had told Guyana Times that it is unclear whether the Party will accept the seats that were offered to them on various State Boards, including GuySuCo.

He explained that there are several issues that need to be ventilated before the Opposition can make a decision. Some of the matters raised by the former President include the lack of consultations for the appointments and the limited number of Boards that the PPP is being offered membership on.

“When I was the President, we had offered them seats on more Boards in comparison to what they are offering us. There were no consultations this time about the seats being offered to us. We had given them a lot of membership and it is not being reciprocated,” Ramotar stated.

Visually impaired Guyanese cricketer dies in St Lucia

Avisually impaired cricketer who was in St Lucia participating in a blind cricket tournament died during an outing on Friday last at a beach on the Caribbean island.

skilled, or part-time jobs to cover their expenses.

Some citizens in Guyana stated that they would prefer to be underemployed than to not have a job.

However, many who are highly skilled say that they will not settle for underemployment as a means of survival.

They would migrate and this would lead to a much higher rate of the braindrain phenomenon which has plagued Guyana for many years.

Gordon Sandiford, 28, a member of the Guyana team, died en route to a hospital moments after he was pulled from the water. According to information received, the team was due to play a cricket game on Friday but owing to the inclement weather, the game was called off for the day. Since the games were off for the day, the team officials decided to take the team on an outing. It was while Sandiford was in the water he encountered difficulties and attempted to reach shore. His team members assisted him to get out of the water, but by the time

they got him out, he was unconscious. They attempted CPR and soon after an ambulance arrived and he was rushed to the hospital, but died on the way.

The circumstances surrounding the death of the cricketer are yet to be determined. An autopsy is expected to be performed shortly.

His teammates and team officials are devastated at the passing of Sandiford who they said was an excellent player.

It was reported that cricketers and officials in St Lucia have expressed shock at the death, describing Sandiford as a very outgoing individual. The remaining team members attended a debriefing session on Saturday conducted by Clinical Psychologist Dr Franklin Bray.

The Guyana team, follow-

ing the death of

due

Harry Gill

Collin Croal

Sandiford, was

to play Jamaica and Barbados over the weekend. Guyana Times is yet to confirm if they were able to play the matches since they were still mourning the death of their team member.

Dead: Gordon Sandiford

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder

Former President Donald Ramotar

GWI alarmed over abuse of staff by customers

– as D’Edward man charged for threatening meter reader

The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has expressed concern over an increase in incidents whereby customers are verbally abusing and violently threatening meter readers, disconnection teams and Water Service Inspectors.

According to a release from the utility company, a customer from D’Edward Village, on the West Coast of Berbice (WCB), is currently before the court for verbally abusing and issuing threats to a GWI meter reader attached to the Fort Wellington, WCB facility. The incident reportedly occurred in early July, when the GWI meter reader requested access to the customer’s premises in order to gain an accurate reading from his water meter.

The GWI employee was then verbally abused by the customer upon entering the premises. The employee claimed that she was made to endure a barrage of offensive language and threats to her well-being.

Upon reporting the incident to the GWI Customer Services Manager responsible for the Fort Wellington Office, the Guyana Police Force was contacted and a full report on the incident was provided. This resulted in the subsequent arrest of the D’Edward Village customer who was charged with indecent conduct and verbal abuse. The incident was brought before

the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court in July.

During these proceedings, the accused pleaded not guilty and the matter was sent to the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court where it was set to be heard on July 29. The GWI meter reader involved in the incident has been asked to appear and is willing to testify.

According to the water agency, this incident is reflective of an overarching problem affecting GWI’s field employees who are experiencing heightened abuse by customers. Acting GWI Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigel Niles, has mandated that Customer Service Managers make contact with the Guyana Police Force regarding any incident in which customers threaten bodily harm or engage in excessive verbal abuse of any GWI employee.

“The safety of our em-

ployees is of utmost importance,” the CEO pointed out while adding, “we will not tolerate any threats of violence towards our field operatives or Customer Service Representatives stationed at our offices. The company will seek prosecution of any customer who attempts to verbally abuse or physically attack any GWI employee”.

Niles went on to say that GWI has implemented a ‘no tolerance policy’ for excessive verbal abuse or any form of physical abuse by customers. He further advised that customers who are disgruntled must seek assistance through the normal channels provided by the company’s Customer Services Department.

Additionally, the acting CEO advised that customers must be cognisant of the fact that they are legally obligated to allow GWI meter readers access to their water service meters as stipulated in the Water and Sewerage Act, 2002. He further indicated that it is an offence to obstruct any GWI employee from gaining access to GWI’s apparatus. Acts such, an attempt to do such can result in prosecution, Niles added.

For more information on GWI’s Customer Service policies, customers can call GWI’s Public Relations Department on 225-04715; visit the company’s website www.gwiguyana.com or send an email to pro@gwi. gy.

Housing Ministry allocated 72 properties in 2013

In the recently published 2013 annual report of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, it was noted that the Ministry of Housing had commenced the construction of 120 turnkey houses in 2012 at the Providence Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, which was completed in December 2013.

Sixty-nine properties were allocated and payments received from the bank for 38 houses. Three additional houses were sold at the Good Hope, Leonora and Zeelugt housing schemes which were constructed in 2011/2012. The total properties allocated during 2013 were 72.

The report stated that the interest expressed for the previous phase of the turn-key project resulted in the expansion of this type of housing solution and in June 2013, the Ministry launched a 1000 homes pro-

ject at Perseverance, East Bank Demerara. This project is to see the construction of 1000 houses beginning at Perseverance.

For the reporting period, the department received 4326 applications from interested applicants for this project, and 1693 applicants were forwarded to the New Building Society to be prequalified for mortgages.

Schemes established In addition to the turnkey homes that were allocated, the report also stated that seven new areas were developed during 2013 for the establishing of housing schemes.

The areas produced a total of 4907 lots, inclusive of residential and commercial lots, making available 363 lots in one scheme in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), 2016 lots in two areas of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West

Demerara) and 2528 lots in two areas in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica). The seven areas identified for the establishment of schemes were Onderneeming (Phase III), Essequibo; Zeelugt Phases II and III, East Bank Essequibo; Lust-En-Rust, West Bank Demerara; Farm Phase II, East Bank Demerara; Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara and Enmore, East Coast Demerara.

Altogether, the areas which were developed catered for low, moderate and middle income earners in all of the regions, while in some schemes, there were moderate to high income house lots. It was also mentioned that although the Ministry was successful in establishing the housing schemes in three regions, there still exists a large demand, especially in Region Four.

“Visit Rupununi” initiative to boost tourism sector

Rupununi-based stakeholders in the tourism sector on Thursday agreed to collaborate to establish an organisation to coordinate the further development of the industry in the region.

The “Visit Rupununi” Organisation will establish tourism as a central part of the region’s economy by increasing the number of visitors and improving visitor satisfaction.

At a one-day working session in the Regional Democratic Council’s office in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), 35 representatives from the communities, Private Sector, and regional government and Non-Governmental Organisations decided to set the new body as they aired their concerns about the future of the industry. This is according to Conservation International (CI)-Guyana, which facilitated the session.

They collectively decided on the mandate and functioning of the new organisation, agreeing that the main areas of focus would be increasing marketing and

promotion of the region as a whole internationally and domestically; developing capacity to raise the standard of the region’s tourism products, improving effective management of the sector; and partnering with the relevant national and other agencies to ensure enabling conditions for growth of the sector.

CI also stated in its press release that participants expressed the impor-

tance of urgently engaging the Ministries of Tourism, Business, and Indigenous People’s Affairs for their support. They also emphasised the necessity of collaboration among themselves and with the national Private Sector and Government agencies responsible for the sector, especially the Guyana Tourism Authority and the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana.

Ensuring a properly planned and operated nature-based tourism sector is one of the most effective ways to raise the standard of living of Rupununi residents while increasing the value of its natural and cultural assets. This working session was a critical point for regional stakeholders to agree on how to turn this much spoken-about potential into reality. The Rupununi is one of Guyana’s most visit-

ed regions and currently has some of the best examples of community-owned and operated tourism facilities in the country.

Participants also agreed to implement some actions immediately, including the establishment of a Tourist Information Centre in Lethem, and the formal establishment of the organisation. The Centre is intended to be an information hub for visitors to the Region. These

efforts are being coordinated by Ms. Candace Phillips, a former educator and community project management professional.

The event was facilitated by CI under its “Leveraging Natural Capital in Guyana’s Rupununi” project. This project is funded by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), and the Swift Family Foundation.

CI is an international not-for-profit NonGovernmental Organisation and has been working in Guyana through the locally registered Conservation International Foundation (Guyana) for over 20 years, linking human development with conservation of the earth’s living natural heritage; including supporting the development of the country’s tourism sector.

“Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership and field demonstration, CI empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity, for the well-being of humanity”.

A section of one of the housing schemes along the EBD

Acting GWI CEO Nigel Niles

Participants during the working session

Human trafficking curriculum for Jamaican secondary schools from September

Human trafficking is considered a modern-day form of slavery involving victims being forced, defrauded or coerced into exploitative circumstances

So serious is the Jamaica Government about ridding the country of the scourge of human trafficking that the topic will be integrated into subjects taught in secondary schools across the island from the upcoming academic year. Teachers are being trained through the Education Ministry of, in preparation for the introduction at Grade Seven to Grade Nine levels in pilot schools next month.

The curriculum, which was developed by the National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons, is geared towards helping schoolchildren see the issue as a global crime, as well as getting them to identify means of preventing it and helping to reduce the vulnerability of people, especially children and young people.

Human trafficking is considered a modern-day form of slavery involving victims being forced, defrauded or

coerced into exploitative circumstances.

Statistics from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) show that nearly half of the 1.2 million children trafficked worldwide each year are from Latin America and the Caribbean. The National Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons in the Ministry of Justice says trafficking victims in Jamaica are predominantly females (79.3 per cent) between the ages of 18 and 24 years, have secondary education (89.7 per cent), and are from the working-class or a poor background (86.2 per cent).

The efforts being made to increase awareness about the crime, from secondary school level, comes against the background of United States (US) authorities maintaining a Tier 2 Watch List ranking for Jamaica in its 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report which was released last Monday. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Venezuela supermarket looting leaves one dead, dozens detained

One person was killed and dozens were detained following looting of supermarkets in Venezuela’s South-eastern city of Ciudad Guayana on Friday morning, according to Venezuelan authorities.

Shoppers seeking scarce consumer staples including milk, rice and flour broke into a supermarket warehouse on Friday morning, leading businesses in the area to shut their doors, local newspaper Correo del Caroni reported.

President Nicolás Maduro said the violence was premeditated and blamed the United States

as being behind it. Maduro said US General John Kelly, Marine Corps commander of the Southern Command, predicted in February that there would be a “social implosion” in Venezuela in July.

“You all know that a military general of the United States doesn’t predict,” Maduro said on state television. “He orders and the battered Venezuelan right-wing executes.”

Speaking at the Pentagon in March, Kelly said that Venezuela might see some change of leadership in the coming months. “I certainly am not involved in any

way, shape or form with coup planning. I don’t know anyone that is. And I probably would know if someone was,” he added, according to a Pentagon transcript.

Shops in the area surrounding the warehouse were either shuttered or protected by national guard and Police on Friday. The Venezuelan Government has long blamed Opposition leaders and businesses for the country’s ills, saying they are waging an “economic war” against the Government with backing from the United States.(Excerpt from Reuters)

Trinidad PM faces corruption probe

Allegations made by Jack Warner, who is himself under indictment in the US on multiple counts of racketeering, corruption and money laundering, that he witnessed Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar accepting TT$8.3 million (US$1.3 million) from local businessmen Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson in exchange for legislative protection against extradition, has been referred to the AntiCorruption Bureau of the Police Service.

Confirmation that an investigation has been

launched came on Thursday from head of corporate communications at the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Ellen Lewis.

“I can confirm that the Commissioner of Police did in fact receive correspondence from Mr Jack Warner on July 29 and the matter has been referred to the Anti-Corruption Bureau for investigation,” Lewis told local media in a text message.

Galbaransingh and Ferguson were indicted in the US for conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering and bid-rigging in relation to the construction of the Piarco International Airport

project between 1996 and 2001.

In 2011, their extradition request by the US was denied by the local courts and they were ordered to be tried in Trinidad.

Subsequently, the Administration of Justice (Indictable Proceedings) Act was passed in August 2012 to abolish preliminary inquiries and replace them with documentary reviews. Section 34 of the Act allowed those people who had matters before the court that were 10 years or older to apply to a judge to have their cases dismissed, once the trials had not begun.

Colombian military air crash kills 11

AColombian Air Force plane has crashed in the North of the country, killing all 11 of those on board. The twin-engined CN235 transport plane came down in a rural area near the town of Codazzi, in Cesar province, having reported engine difficulties.

Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos described the victims as heroes. An investigation into the cause of the crash has been ordered, says the commander of Colombia’s air force, Gen Carlos Bueno. Colombian media reported (in Spanish) that local residents said the plane had been struck by lightning. All of those killed were members of the Colombian air force.

The CN235 is manufactured by Airbus, who said in a statement that the plane concerned was produced in 1998 in Seville. (BBC News)

Mexican photojournalist Ruben Espinosa found dead

AMexican photojournalist has been found dead along with four other people in a flat in Mexico City.

Ruben Espinosa, who worked for the investigative magazine Proceso, had recently moved to the city from the eastern state of Veracruz where he said he had been threatened and harassed.

Veracruz is considered one of the most dangerous

Mexican states for journalists to work in.

They are often the targets of organised crime linked to drugs gangs.

Proceso said the killings were discovered in the Narvarte neighbourhood of Mexico City a day after Mr Espinosa’s family lost contact with him.

The other four victims were all women. Three of them had lived in the apart-

ment and the fourth was a domestic employee, the city prosecutor’s office said. Officials said identifications and cause of death were still being verified. However, Proceso said Mr Espinosa had suffered two gunshot wounds.

Many journalists under threat in Mexican states have taken refuge in the capital and the government has set up an agency to help protect them.

Free speech advocacy group Article 19 said Mr Espinosa was the first journalist to be killed while in exile in Mexico City. It said his death marked a new level of violence against journalists in Mexico.

Earlier this year, the National Commission on Human Rights said 97 journalists had been killed in Mexico in connection with their work since 2010. (BBC News)

MoBay Chamber, UWI partner on crime study

In the wake of the recent surge of murders reported in St James, the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) has reached out to the University of the West Indies (UWI) to assist with conducting a study with a view to pinpointing the best suited Police strategies to be employed in some of the crime plagued, inner-city communities in the parish.

“The Chamber has already requested the assistance of the University of the West Indies in developing a research proposal to provide credible em-

pirical data and support to the Ministry (of National Security) and the JCF to better inform policing strategy,” President of the MBCCI Gloria Henry revealed.

“The problems seem to be recurrent and so an empirical study of these communities is urgently needed so that the right prescription can be applied.

“We have to understand the life experience and thereafter take a holistic approach to addressing the problem rather than responding; we have to delve deep into the roots of some

of these communities affected.”

Since the start of the year, about 200 additional cops have been deployed to St James which has recorded over 120 murders over the same period.

But, speaking during a Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) stakeholders meeting with Minister of Security Peter Bunting in Montego Bay last week, Henry insisted that that tactic has been proven to be a band aid treatment to the problem in the past. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

The plane crashed in a rural area in northern Colombia on Friday

Ruben Espinosa had fled from the eastern state of Veracruz

Around the world

US resumes strategic dialogue with Egypt

The United States has resumed formal security talks with Egypt that were last held six years ago and kept on hold until now amid the political unrest that swept the country in the wake of the Arab Spring.

John Kerry, US Secretary of State, restarted the socalled strategic dialogue with Egyptian officials in Cairo on Sunday.

The US and Egypt are returning to a “stronger base” in bilateral ties despite tensions and human rights concerns, he said after talks with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry.

“Egypt remains vital ... to engagement and stability in the region as a whole,” said Kerry, who held the first strategic dialogue between the two countries since 2009.

The development comes two days after the US delivered eight F-16 fighter jets to Egypt as part of a mili-

tary support package that the Obama Administration is boosting to help Egypt counter an increasing terrorist threat.

The strategic dialogue was last held in 2009 and did not occur in subsequent years due to the Arab Spring and turmoil following the over-

Israel approves jailing Jewish militants without trial to resolve lethal arson

Israel’s Security Cabinet approved on Sunday the detention of citizens suspected of waging violence against Palestinians without trial in a crackdown aimed at capturing the perpetrators of a lethal West Bank arson attack blamed on Jewish militants.

The extension to Israelis of so-called “administration detention”, a practice commonly applied to Palestinian militant suspects and condemned internationally, laid bare authorities’ frustration at failing to curb Jewish ultra-nationalist attacks.

Friday’s torching of a Palestinian home killed a toddler and seriously injured his parents and brother, causing an outcry abroad and vows by Israeli

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to crack down on what he deemed “terrorism” by “criminals in our nation”. There was no claim of responsibility for the arson at Duma village, in the occupied West Bank. Graffiti in Hebrew reading “revenge” daubed at the site was consistent with past vandalism and other hate crimes by bands of young Jewish zealots targeting Arabs, Christians, peace activists or Israeli army property.

With no arrests yet made for the arson, some Israeli commentators on Sunday questioned the resolve of security services which, when responding to Palestinian attacks, often round up suspects en masse as part of accelerated investigations.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

UN fears humanitarian disaster in CAR

The Central African Republic is staring at one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time if immediate action is not taken to increase aid to the country, according to the United Nations.

Aurelien Agbenonci, Humanitarian Coordinator in CAR, told Al Jazeera on Sunday that if the shortfall for aid was not met, the UN “won’t be able to continue humanitarian activities till the end of the year”.

Only 31 per cent of the UN humanitarian appeal for the CAR has been secured, the UN said.

tion mission MINUSCA, when fighting broke out in a northern neighbourhood of the capital Bangui.

“The mission launched an operation to arrest a person wanted by the judicial services for various crimes. Our forces came under heavy fire. One MINUSCA peacekeeper was killed and several others were wounded,” Reuters quoted the unnamed spokesperson as saying.

About a million people have been displaced since Seleka fighters took control of Bangui in March 2013.

throw of Egypt’s leader Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

US-Egyptian relations cooled after President Mohamed Morsi was removed in 2013 by the military amid protests against his rule.

Kerry said the Administration was committed to working with Egypt to enhance its military capabilities as it confronts growing threats from extremists, particularly in the Sinai Peninsula.

That aid had been on hold until earlier this year due to human rights and democracy concerns in the wake of the coup against Morsi. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

“This is an extremely trying time for everyone, but it would be a critical mistake for the international community to be lulled into thinking that stability has returned to the country,” Agbenonci said.

The comments came as one UN soldier was killed, according to a spokesperson for the UN stabilisa-

Around 2.7 million people, more than half the population, are still in need of aid, while 1.5 million people were affected by food insecurity.

“Putting an end to impunity by bringing perpetrators of human right violations and grave violations against children to justice should be a priority,” Agbenonci said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

MH370: Malaysia urges debris vigilance after wing part found

Malaysia is asking other Indian Ocean islands near French-owned Reunion to be on the lookout for more possible debris after a wing part suspected of being from missing flight MH370 came ashore.

The Malaysia Airlines plane, carrying 239 people, vanished in March 2014.

The Boeing-777 was travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The wing part discovered on Wednesday has been taken to mainland France for tests. But other items found at the weekend were not from an aircraft.

The BBC’s Karen Allen, on Reunion, says one of the pieces was found on a rocky beach just north of where the suspected plane wing part was spotted.

Some locals on Reunion have been scouring the beach for more possible wreckage

A team of Police and Police photographers was called and the object was taken away.

However, Malaysia’s Director General of Civil

Hong Kong ‘breast walk’ held over court ruling

Wearing a rainbow of patterned bras over their shirts, dozens of protesters gathered outside Hong Kong’s Police headquarters to protest against the conviction of Ng Lai-ying, who was deemed guilty of assaulting a Police Officer with her breast during a protest.

Lai-ying was sentenced to three-and-a-half months in prison on July 30, for bumping her chest against the policeman’s arm.

Thirty-year-old Lai-ying had accused the officer of molesting her after he attempted to grab her bag strap and missed, touching her chest.

About 100 people gath-

ered for the “breast walk” in the city’s Wan Chai district, once a hub for the Occupy Central movement, with politicians Leung Kwok-hung and Claudia Mo joining participants.

In solidarity with Laiying, men wore bras over their shirts, as the crowd chanted “Breasts are not weapons”.

Speaking to Al Jazeera,

Kit Ling, a spokesperson for the “breast walk,” said the Police had put forth an unproductive narrative of the incident.

Ling said dismissing Lai-ying’s claims of assault implies that women are wrong to voice their concerns when they feel harassed.

“We think it’s very problematic,” said Ling, who is also the chairperson of the Association for the Advancement of Feminism in Hong Kong.

“We have a common understanding that women should feel comfortable to speak out if they feel they’re being attacked.”

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Aviation Azharuddin Abdul Rahman told Associated

Press: “I read all over media [the new debris] was part of a door. But I checked with the Civil Aviation Authority, and people on the ground in Reunion, and it was just a domestic ladder.”

The Agence FrancePresse news agency said on Sunday that one of its photographers had also seen a mangled piece of metal inscribed with two Chinese characters, attached to a leather-covered handle and measuring 100 sq cm being placed into an iron case and carried away. But some social media commentators suggested it might be a kettle. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Girl stabbed at Israeli Gay Pride march dies of wounds

Ateenage girl stabbed along with five other people at a Jerusalem Gay Pride parade by a suspect identified as an UltraOrthodox Jew has died, according to a hospital statement.

Hadar Elboim of the city’s Hadassah Medical Centre said the 16-year-old succumbed to her wounds on Sunday and that her organs would be donated.

Shira Banki had been in critical condition since being stabbed in the back during Thursday’s march. The five other victims suffered various degrees of injuries.

The suspect, Yishai Shlissel, was arrested at the scene. He carried out the attack just weeks after being released from a 10-year prison sentence for stabbing

participants of the 2005 Gay Pride march in Jerusalem, wounding three people. Police have come under criticism for not keeping him under surveillance.

Authorities said on Sunday they had formed a committee to examine the “background and circumstances” that allowed the latest attack to take place. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his condolences to the family in a statement on Sunday. “We won’t permit the terrible murderer to challenge the basic values on which Israeli society is built,” he said. “We reject with disgust any attempt to impose hatred and violence among us and will bring the murderer to justice.” (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

US Secretary of State John Kerry says the US is committed to working with Egypt to enhance its military capabilities [Reuters]

Protesters wear bras over their shirts during a demonstration in support of local female protester Ng Lai-ying [Reuters]

More scenes from Emancipation 2015 celebrations

The libation ceremony at the Square of the Revolution

African inspired art on display at the National Park

Glimpses of the past carried by the future

Having fun at the National Park during the Emancipation activities

Face art enhances this family’s tribal look

Another cultural performance at the National Park

Majorettes on show at the Park

Another stylish family at the celebrations

Amerindian youths now jobless, without direction

– leaders urge Government to replace or reinstate programme

Desmond Patricio, a young Amerindian of Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), says he now feels lost and without purpose now that the Community Support Officers (CSOs) programme has been discontinued, and since that was his sole source of income, now in his lonely moments, he ponders what opportunities would

nities, is pleading with the Government to reinstate the CSO programme or if not, quickly create new job opportunities for Amerindian youths.

The CSO initiative provided job opportunities and capacity building programmes for Amerindian youths.

Basically, CSOs assisted Amerindian Village

support of the CSOs.

“The CSO programme was very good. Looking at the young people in particular, where there are no employment opportunities available for these children who have completed ... secondary school, as they would have nothing meaningful to do during that period until such time they get a job elsewhere. And I will now

be made available for him to secure another job.

“I once was a CSO and I know that it was benefiting me though it was little, I was in the CSO programme and it was drawing my potential,” he told Guyana Times during an interview. CSOs were given a stipend of only $30,000.

Patricio, who is positive that he represents the voice of all Amerindians residing in hinterland commu-

Councils in executing their work in various areas such as health, education, governance, leadership, infrastructure, sports and community development.

Newly-elected Toshao of Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) Douglas Casimero also lamented the fact that young people in the region were now jobless and the Village Council which he was now charged to manage would no longer have the

be handicapped without such support that was given to the previous Village Council,” he related.

Casimero is urging the Government to reconsider its decision and reinstate the programme. He pointed out that if the Government considered certain aspects of the programme to be flawed, it should implement measures to improve the initiative rather than having it scrapped.

“If there are deficiencies, then let’s improve it. These young people are now disadvantaged and they will be idle and have nothing to do,” he noted.

Region Two Councillor Beatrice Mittelholzer said she did not understand why any Government would want to put the country’s youths at a disadvantage, noting that if the Administration was not pleased with the initiative, it should have created an alternative before ending the CSO programme.

“These Amerindian youths are well educated and they have no other forms of getting a job and it is always better for them to be in their communities where they can serve and help develop their community. Most of these youths now will not know what to do. They will eventually come out on the coastland looking for jobs and then the development of Amerindian communities will be neglected,” she reasoned.

The A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration fired 1972 CSOs in the hinterland regions across the country because it was believed that their operations were political.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said it was always found that the programme, which has been in existence for over five years, was being used by the previous Administration for political purposes. This being the case, he said, their sacking was justified.

Marijuana is more dangerous for men than women, experts warn

Anew British study has revealed that smoking marijuana is more dangerous for men than women, with men four times as likely to experience cannabis psychosis.

Previous research has examined the relationship between marijuana and psychosis, but the role of gender in relation to the drug’s mental health effects is less well understood.

Psychosis is a mental health disorder that causes people to perceive things differently from those around them, whether it manifests as a loss of contact with reality in the form of delusions or hallucinations, and/or difficulty performing simple tasks.

But it remains unclear why the male brain appears to be more susceptible to cannabis induced

psychosis.

In pursuit of answers, Ian Hamilton of Britain’s University of York drew on past literature and National Health Service (NHS) admission records to compile the study.

“Male cannabis users outnumber female users by 2:1,” Hamilton observed. “However, this ratio increases significantly for those admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of cannabis psychosis, with males outnumbering females by 4:1.”

There is nevertheless no definitive scientific data to explain these statistics.

While Hamilton’s study, published in the Journal of Advances in Dual Diagnosis, may support previous research suggesting that oestrogen forms a defensive barrier against the effects of cannabis, there is as much evidence that this

predominantly female hormone actually accentuates the drug’s effects.

“The marked gender differences in rates of cannabis psychosis is puzzling,” Hamilton said.

“It is possible that mental health and specialist drug treatment services, which have a disproportionate number of men, are identifying and treating more males with combined mental health and cannabis problems.

“However, it is also possible that women with cannabis psychosis are not being identified and offered treatment for the problems they develop.

“When it comes to cannabis psychosis gender does matter,” he added.

Hamilton concedes that the NHS admission records, which were his primary source of data, may have

PM urged Guyanese to be conscious of new threat to Guyana’s freedom – as they celebrate Emancipation Day

As Guyanese observed Emancipation Day (Freedom Day,) Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo called on citizens to be conscious of the new challenge to them and the nation freedom.

Speaking with reporters at the Emancipation observation at the National Park on Saturday, the Prime Minister noted that the challenge “to conquer us, to enslave us, once again”. He was referring to the challenge from Venezuela to our territory and people.

To this end, the Prime Minister pointed out that

European powers, there is resistance for the recognition of that fact, even for a moral debt to be paid. The new Administration fully supports this resistance for repatriation, the PM said. Guyanese from all walks of life turned out at the National Park to join the annual Emancipation celebrations, hosted by the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA.) This year, the ACDA’s event was commemorated under the theme “Rekindling our past glory through youth innovation”. They were joined by several Government

been corrupted by social factors. He proposes that fewer women resort to admitting themselves to hospital for drug related problems than men, even if their psychosis is severe. With twice as many men frequently using cannabis as women, the chances of more male admissions to hospital are doubled from the outset, moreover.

“This research follows a tradition of asking one question only to find by the end you have created many more. All we can say for certain is that when cannabis and psychosis collide, gender does matter,” Hamilton said.

The University of York researchers said their focus on gender differences is important to help improve understanding and the provision of gender sensitive services. (Caribbean360)

the spirit of our African ancestors, to resist and fight against oppression and domination, “is still a live fight”, the Government Information Agency (GINA)

“We cannot separate the struggle of African people for liberation, the struggle for a nation state of all of our Guyanese people with this new challenge to take away what we have, that is our nationality, our identity and what we are-a Guyanese people,” the PM said.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo noted that Freedom Day is an event for all races, for the reason that all have drawn inspiration from the African struggle, the core of which has been resistance. He pointed out that resistance has been at the heart of the many struggles against injustices and wrongs.

He noted that the African fight is not over, because there is still a debt that is owed. For the reason that slavery benefited

Ministers.

The grand celebrations at the National Park featured a number of songs, dances and other cultural displays by both local and overseas performers. Performers included the Djoniba Dancers out of the USA, Blakk Rasta out of Ghana’s and from Guyana recently-crowned Miss World Guyana Lisa Punch, Natural Black, Mystic Dance Group, Devine Star, X Factor, Charmaine Blackman, Junior Calypso, Shantel Gittens and former Chutney King Roger “Young Bill Roger” Hinds. Apart from the live performances, there was a fashion display, activities for the children and a number of food and beverage booths. Freedom Day or Emancipation Day is celebrated in Guyana on August 1. Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, as it was earlier called, marks the abolition of slavery in 1834.

Leaders urge Government to replace or reinstate CSO programme

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and wife Seeta Nagamootoo with Minister of Business and Investment Dominic Gaskin were among the crowd at the ACDA Emancipation Day celebrations at the National Park

A section of the crowd at the 2015 ACDA Emancipation Day celebrations at the National Park

SUDOKU

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Strive to present an upbeat attitude to the world. If a change is required, do something about it. You have the ability and savvy necessary to turn a negative situation into something positive.

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

Don’t sit on the sidelines. You’re not likely to make important connections by hiding your skills. You will gain crucial allies if you exhibit confidence and knowledge.

(May 21June 20)

Gossiping will backfire on you. Instead of making someone else look bad, you will tarnish your reputation. Keep negative comments to yourself and offer positive suggestions to turn things around.

CANCER

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)

CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)

When assisting an elderly relative, you should keep your opinions to yourself. Go over your personal papers to find a way to free up cash and ease your financial stress.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

PISCES

(Feb. 20March 20)

It’s up to you to make the most of a situation. Bring about the changes required to improve your life. Take a different approach and consider how to use your skills to your advantage.

Be honest about what you want. Airing your thoughts and sharing plans will help you flush out any potential problems so that you can move forward without delay.

If you find you are confused by what you are being told, ask questions. The people who stick by you through thick and thin will make sure you are treated fairly. There are many ways to get ahead. The more people you involve in your quest, the better off you will be. Keep plugging away and you will gain the support you need.

You will face resistance if you try to get your own way today. If you agree to meet family members halfway, everyone will be satisfied with the results you get.

Have faith in your abilities. A new position is in the offing. Your ideas are sound, but someone will steal your thunder if you are too generous with them.

Don’t impose your will on others. Direct your attention to a cause you believe in. You will feel fulfilled if you make a difference and bring about change. Love is in the air. Be free with your feelings and share your intentions. Make the first move when it comes to romance if you want to attract the attention and affection you desire.

GEMINI

Peanuts

Calvin and hobbes

dilbert

arChie

The CPL’s commercial reality check

While the tournament’s popularity is beyond doubt, local governments haven’t been satisfied with their returns on investment.

Given the Caribbean passion for cricket and its penchant for revelry, there is no more appropriate location for a T20 tournament than the region.

It was a combination that influenced Digicel, the Irish mobile-phone company long established in the region and in its cricket, to sign a 50-year agreement with the West Indies Cricket Board, originally through Barbados-based merchant bank Verus International, for the ownership of the Caribbean Premier League.

The league comprises six franchised teams, along the lines of the high-profile IPL, and the “Greatest Party in Sport” was an obvious slogan for it. The CPL has been an unqualified success on the field through its three seasons, the third of which ended in Port-of-Spain last weekend, with Trinidad Red Steel defeating the 2014 champions, Barbados Tridents, in the final.

Two Trinidadian icons of T20 cricket were rival captains, Dwayne Bravo leading Red Steel, Kieron Pollard headed Tridents. The new champions included in their ranks three South Africans and a Pakistani (the limit for overseas players for each team), along with a Bajan and six Trinidadians.

Hours before the first ball, stands were packed with an estimated 20,000there might have been more; there certainly weren’t less. They partied as only Trinidadians can, while their franchise team, partowned for the first time by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who also owns Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, took the title.

The red and black Trinidad and Tobago colours were everywhere. A sea of national flags waved nonstop, dozens of “sport’s hottest cheerleaders” gyrated as soca and calypso blared from deafening speakers and drums beat a constant rhythm. The mayhem intensified with every Red Steel run or wicket.

At the end, Bravo, an IPL star, became surely the first captain in any format to take the mike and sing and dance

to the latest hit in front of one of the stands. The irony of his choice as Player of the Tournament was not lost on those affronted by his dismissal from the West Indies team last January.

There were similar scenes wherever the other 32 matches were contested over the six weeksBarbados, St Lucia, St Kitts, Jamaica, Guyana. It was an antidote to the fans’ further despair at the simultaneous confirmation that West Indies had dropped below Bangladesh and Pakistan to ninth in the ODI rankings and so failed to qualify for the 2017 Champions Trophy.

Such triumphs on the field were counterbalanced by stark economic and political realities off it. Damien O’Donohoe, the CPL chief executive, acknowledged that the West Indies is “a small economic region going through hard times”, and that the CPL would “never be worth even a tiny fraction of the likes of the IPL”.

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, he predicted “a move into profitable territory from next year”. Even then, he said US$2-3 million annually was “a realistic goal”.

He spoke of other lucrative possibilities - some matches in Florida in CPL4 that would be a foot in the door of a sizeable, untapped market, and increased investment from India to follow Khan and the earlier takeover of the overall spon-

sorship by Hero Motocorp.

A group of wealthy Indian businessmen out of Dallas already owned the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise; the first-time St Kitts and Nevis Patriots were sold prior to the season to Uday Nayak, chairman and cofounder of Veling, an aircraft leasing company based in Mauritius and St Kitts.

Chief financial officer Barrie Corcoran put the cost of staging the tournament at $25 million a season and revealed that the organisation was “in debt in some parts”. To offset it, investment from the relevant governments and private sectors was important, he said.

The point was pressed earlier by O’Donohoe and chief operations officer Pete Russell, a former English minor counties player. They complained to the media that Barbados was “a commercial disaster” since the government and private sector had “failed to come on board”, adding that they were prepared to pull out if they received a good offer from “people knocking on our doors”.

There was a strong and quick reaction. The region still has memories of a similar strategy by the ICC leading into the 2007 World Cup.

In an editorial, the Nation newspaper said it was “surprised, even taken aback” by the comments.

“The reality is that, apart from certain concessions, most Caribbean countries cannot put the financing of

the CPL ahead of the long list of national necessities already seeking a piece of the economic pie,” it wrote.

Tony Becca, the widely respected veteran cricket writer, made the same point in his weekly column in the Jamaica Gleaner.

Yet on the surface, statistics supplied by the CPL, through an independent report by SMG-Insight, the sports and sponsorship researchers, made a strong case for Barbados and other governments putting up money. The CPL claimed that the report showed they had pumped “a massive” $166 million into the various economies in 2014.

Yet Antigua and Barbuda had the plug pulled from the its Hawksbills franchise team after two years when the government baulked at the CPL’s requirements in spite of the stated return of $13.8 million from three matches in 2014. It was moved to nearby St Kitts as the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

Grenada put up $500,000 to stage the opening matches in 2014; its government didn’t bid again in spite of the $13.3 million CPL said the island gained from the venture.

The Barbados government seemed unimpressed with the figure of $23.7 million given as input into the economy for 2014. The change of governments in St Kitts and Nevis and Guyana just before the 2015 tournament complicated the issue

The Minister of Sports in the new St Kitts and Nevis government, Shawn Richards, charged the previous administration with leaving no budgetary support to host Patriots matches. Even so, the contract, costing $7.25 million, will be honoured in five installments for 2015-19.

The clincher seemed the realisation of the likely fallout from a public excited at having its own franchise team rather than the overall benefits listed by the CPL.

A few weeks later, a new government also came to office in Guyana.

Presented with an invoice of $500,000 from the CPL for its input over the previous two years, finance minister Winston Jordan said it would not be paid until his office saw contracts and other official documents concerning the matter.

Minister of state Joseph Harmon regretted “the ad hoc manner” of the previous government’s dealings with the CPL. He reportedly told O’Donohoe, “This time round, things will be done differently.” In other words, negotiations would be opened with the CPL

only after what he termed a structured, legally sound, cabinet-approved agreement was in place.

The moment had come for damage limitation.

After the CPL committee met with the Guyana government, Russell said their differences had been sorted out. Stating that the government had done “the right thing” by carrying out due diligence, he was confident the CPL would be “a major factor in Guyana… for years ahead”. Time will tell.

After Red Steel had collected its trophy and champions’ cheque following the final, the Trinidad and Tobago prime minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, pledged ongoing support to the tournament.

The president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board, Azim Bassarath, responded with a plea for her government to fund a $5 million development plan involving all aspects of the game.

“If there are no cricketers who we develop and cultivate day in and day out, there would be no finished product to sell to the CPL,” Bassarath argued. It was a reasonable point.

Rudisha suffers 1st loss in Kenya

Kfered a shock defeat at home for the first time as a senior runner.

Rudisha, 26, is the world record holder over 800m but came second to 25-year-old Ferguson Rotich in Nairobi. His finish was still enough to make the team for the World Championships in Beijing later this month.

“I am shocked by the defeat but I am happy to have made the team,” said Rudisha, who put the loss down to a lack of fitness.

Rudisha won the 800m world title in Daegu in 2011 but missed the 2013 Moscow World Championships through injury.

“I have not done enough speed work, though I am 90% fit with no injury at the moment. I have three weeks to fix it,” he added.

The Trinidad and Tobago government has pledged its support for the tournament

enya’s Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha suf -

David Rudisha

Ervine ton lifts Zimbabwe to stirring win

Coming into their first ODI against New Zealand in over three years, Zimbabwe had won two of their previous 25 completed one-dayers. At the halfway stage in Harare, after Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson had helped pile up 303, it looked like they might add to that list of losses, but they came out fighting and it paid off. Hamilton Masakadza laid the foundation with 84, before Craig Ervine counterpunched with an unbeaten innings of 130 off 108 that allowed the hosts to gun down the target with relative ease. Victory was sealed in rather anti-climatic fashion, Nathan McCullum delivering a wide with Zimbabwe needing one off six balls.

That the chase came down to such a canter was courtesy some superb hitting from Ervine. With 34 required off 18 balls, he cracked Matt Henry for a brace of fours and a six to bring the margin down to 16 off 12, and then all but secured victory by hitting James Neesham for an outrageous four - dragged from well outside off to deep square leg with a cross between a sweep and a flick - and a six in the penultimate over. Zimbabwe’s innings was marked by sturdy partnerships right from the start. Their openers,

run stand after a Nathan McCullum delivery turned sharply to elude his drive. New Zealand might have hoped that the breakthrough would slow things down, but Ervine’s arrival only strengthened the home side’s response.

Masakadza and Ervine were involved in a quality tussle with the spinners, offspinner McCullum and debutant legspinner Ish Sodhi. They swept compulsively and effectively, forcing Williamson’s hand on more than one occasion.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand innings (50 overs maximum)

MJ Guptill c Masakadza b Panyangara 11 TWM Latham b Chibhabha 14 KS Williamson* b Panyangara 97 LRPL Taylor not out 112

GD Elliott run out (William s/†Chakabva) 43 JDS Neesham not out 14

Extras: (lb 4, w 7, nb 1) 12

Total: (4 wickets; 50 overs) 303

Did not bat: L Ronchi†, NL McCullum, MJ Henry, MJ McClenaghan, IS Sodhi Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-39, 3-176, 4-255

Bowling: CB Mpofu 10-0-840, T Panyangara 10-0-50-2, CJ Chibhabha 7-2-32-1, P Utseya 7-0-43-0, AG Cremer

10-0-48-0, SC Williams 4-0-27-0, Sikandar Raza 2-0-15-0.

Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha, not only gave them a strong base but also displayed some positive batsmanship. Both batsmen produced crisp drives on either side of the wicket, mostly off the front foot. It wasn’t until the 15th over - Williamson had deployed five of his bowlers by then - that they were separated. Chibhabha was out for 42 off 48 balls to end the 74-

Zimbabwe innings (target: 304 runs from 50 overs) H Masakadza c †Ronchi b McCullum 84 CJ Chibhabha b McCullum 42 CR Ervine not out 130 E Chigumbura* c Guptill b McCullum 26 SC Williams not out 7

Extras: (lb 1, w 13, nb 1) 15

Total:(3 wickets; 49 overs) 304

Did not bat: RW Chakabva†, Sikandar Raza, AG Cremer, P Utseya, T Panyangara, CB Mpofu Fall of wickets: 1-74, 2-194, 3-260 Bowling: MJ Henry 9-0-580, MJ McClenaghan 9-0-470, JDS Neesham 7-0-44-0, NL McCullum 9-0-62-3, IS Sodhi 101-65-0, GD Elliott 3-0-17-0, KS Williamson 2-0-10-0.

He went back to Mitchell McClenaghan and Henry, and also Grant Elliott, but on a largely placid surface the batsmen had the answers. While Masakadza used brute force to pull the spinners, Ervine was getting better at his paddlesweeps. They would swap strokes as well to further frustrate the visitors.

But McCullum struck again to dismiss

Masakadza for a 99ball 84 in the 35th over. The Masakadza-Ervine stand had produced 120 runs in 121 balls. Once again New Zealand sensed an opening. Once again Zimbabwe blunted their hopes through a 66-run partnership between Ervine and captain Elton Chigumbura - this one at just over a run a ball. Chigumbura became McCullum’s third victim, but Ervine ensured there would be no slip ups.

Zimbabwe’s icy-calm pursuit laid waste to some fine batsmanship from New Zealand - playing as Aotearoa to mark Maori languages week. Taylor, who scored an unbeaten century, and Williamson led the visitors’ charge. Their 137-run partnership in 27.4 overs for the third wicket was a demonstration of measured rungathering sprinkled with cleverly-timed bursts after New Zealand, having been sent in, lost two early wickets. New Zealand also benefited from a late burst from Elliott, whose 32-ball 43 helped the visitors ransack 115 runs in the last 10 overs and push the score past 300.

Williamson, who began slowly, went on to register his fifth consecutive fifty-plus score. His 102-ball effort ended in the 37th over when he inside-edged Tinashe PanyangaraZimbabwe’s best bowler on the day whose figures of 2 for 50 could have been a lot better had he received greater support from his fielders - onto the stumps three runs short of his eighth hundred.

Taylor, though, hung on, and notched up his 15th ODI hundred - his fourth this year - in an in-

Woods’s hopes dashed at Quicken Loans National

Tnings of two distinct parts. He began by methodically working out the Zimbabwe bowlers, barely giving in to his indulgences, before unleashing some muscular fury in the end. When Taylor reached his halfcentury in 89 balls, he had only two fours. By the time New Zealand’s innings ended, he had hit five fours and three sixes.

The Williamson-Taylor combination now has an aggregate of 2193 runs in 38 innings at an average of 60.91, but by the end of the day those imposing numbers ceded centre stage to Ervine & Co. (Cricinfo)

iger Woods’s hopes of a first PGA Tour victory for two years dwindled as he shot a three-overpar 74 at the Quicken Loans National in Virginia.

The former world number one - 266th in the rankings - was three off the lead after two rounds, but made three bogeys and a double bogey on the third day.

He is on five under, with leaders Troy Merritt and Kevin Chappell on 14 under.

American Merritt shot a 10-under 61 and Chappell carded a 67, while England’s Justin Rose is 11 under after a 65.

Rose, the world number seven, managed seven birdies in his round.

Merritt, ranked 180,

birdied 11 holes, including the first five, and only dropped one stroke.

“The big thing is we put ourselves in contention and that was the goal,” Merritt, 29, said.

“I hit the ball really well and got a lot out of it. I think we’re going to have a decent chance.”

The biggest threat to Merritt and Chappell could come from world number eight Rickie Fowler, who shot 68 to move to 13 under.

Woods, 39, had shot a 68 and 66 in the opening two rounds.

“Basically it was a fight all day,” he said. “I was hitting the ball left on the range warming up. I fought through it the best I could.” (BBC Sport)

Nadal beats Fabio Fognini to win Hamburg Open title

Rafael Nadal defeated Italian Fabio Fognini 7-5 7-5 to win the Hamburg Open and clinch his third title of the year.

Nadal, playing in his first tournament since Wimbledon, had already lost to Fognini twice on clay this year.

But he won a tight final that saw 12 breaks of serve to extend his run of having won a European clay-court tournament every year since 2004.

It is the 67th singles title of the 29-year-old’s career and his third in Hamburg, where he last won in 2008.

“It was a very tough final, it is an important title for me” said Nadal, who suffered cramp as he tried to conduct a post-match interview on the court.

Nadal, who has suffered from injuries this season, had not competed

since he was knocked out of Wimbledon in the second round by qualifier Dustin Brown.

The Spaniard squandered a 3-1 lead in the final set but saved two set points before finally defeating the eighth seed in two hours 34 minutes.

“It was a great match, many great points, many breaks, we fought hard,” added Nadal, who now has 47 titles on clay and will move up to ninth in the world rankings on Monday. (BBC Sport)

Tiger Woods

Rafael Nadal

Craig Ervine hit 11 fours and five sixes in his unbeaten 130

YELLOW PAGES

Car rentals

Need a car to rent? Then call 6111018 for the best cars at great prices.

SHALOM ENTERPRISE 2 CROAL STREET, STABROEK. INQUIRE ABOUT OUR DRIVING PACKAGE & INTERNATIONAL DRIVER'S PERMIT (JOIN US ON FACEBOOK) 2273869/622-8162/644-7052

PRIVATE CUSTOMS BROKERAGE TRAINING CERTIFICATE COURSE. 29 JUNE 2015; REGISTER

Two bedroom upstairs apartment.

$60,000 monthly with parking. Couples preferable. Tel 233-2607 / 644-7089

Three Storey 75ft’x 30ft’ bldg, open floors, 2 offices, 2 washrooms, driveway. 25B Princess St, Charlestown. Tel : 223-0654, 225-0605

Two Self contained single bedroom furnished apartments for rental. Self contained 7 bedroom bungalow idea for family/ guests/ students local or overseas long/ short term rental. Contact # 622-7097 / 624-7111

eduCatIon One property Ogle, One property Anna Catherina, One property Good Hope. Contact: 222-3060/6735546/622-6448/679-0987

Property for Sale, big price drop at Leonora housing scheme. New house , 2 storey, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, double garage, tiled yard. From 30 m-25m. Tel: 651-3601/268-2277

(for three weeks). Classes from 2:00-4:00 pm and 5:007:00 pm (optional). For more information call:694-8322 or 223-1506. Register early and save$$$

Available: Fresh long-stemmed roses, fresh dried and silk floral arrangements, gift items, bridal boutiques and wreaths. Nesha’s Flowerland. 78 Church Street (opposite St George’s Cathedral). Tel: 227-3553/225-3315

and

FOR SALE

done. Call 6279977

sale by lot: Lot (1): 2 bath tubs, bathroom fittings and fixtures & toi-

shower fittings - $150,000 and Lot (2): 1 Dell desktop computer and HP scanner - $25,000. Call 225-2676 or 601-5285.

& Visa Services We handle all Canadian, USA and UK immigration and visa matters. Self sponsorships, holiday/visitor’s visas, work permits, students visas, family, class, immigration forms, embassy enquiries, appeals for refused cases, US green card lottery, business class waivers, pardons, etc. Get your visa approved. High success rate. Balwant Persaud & Associates. Certified Immigration Consultants, 68 Sixth Street, Alberttown, Georgetown (Between Cummings & Lights Sts) Tel: 225-1540, 622-8308, 655-3105. Email: balwantpersaud@yahoo.ca

House plans & estimates, weeding of grass and spraying done within 48hrs. Call: 216-0671; 622-0267; 692-8464

Khemraj & Son -landscaping & plant nursery. Lot 77 Independence Street, La Grange, West Bank Demerara. Landscaping, planting grass, weeding, killing wood ants, killing roaches, rats & mealy bug, treat plants, coconut trees and flowers, cleaning ceiling, grafting coconut plants: 18 months bearing period, treating land, grass & spraying grass, grafted papaya plants: 6 months bearing, grafted cherry plant, sour sop & sapodilla, cutting big trees & removing, treated mould for sale & flower plants for sale. Tel 627-5969/ 603-1134

Arsenal top Chelsea to win Community Shield

FA Cup holders Arsenal won the Community Shield for a second season in a row as they beat Premier League champions Chelsea at Wembley.

Alex OxladeChamberlain scored the winner with a powerful drive into the top corner with his weaker left foot.

Ramires headed wide unmarked from Loic Remy’s cross as Chelsea failed to hit the target before the break.

Eden Hazard skied a chance over the bar before Oscar’s free-kick was parried wide by Arsenal debutant Petr Cech.

It was the first time the former Chelsea goalkeeper had been called into action - after 68 minutes of playand soon after he comfortably held on to Kurt Zouma’s header.

Arsenal went close late on through Santi Cazorla and Kieran Gibbs in a match where both sides looked rusty a week before their Premier League opener.

Wenger finally beats the ‘Special One’

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger finally had reason to celebrate against Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea having failed to win in any of his previous 13 attempts.

In February 2014 the

Chelsea boss called his opposite number a “specialist in failure”, and then in October the Gunners boss shoved his rival during a heated touchline quarrel.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s stunning strike was Arsenal’s first goal against Chelsea for 506 minutes, a run that stretched back to 2007, as the Gunners ended the Blues’ eight-match unbeaten run against them.

Chelsea though can argue they are a week behind Arsenal in terms of preparation, with Italian side Fiorentina visiting Stamford Bridge in their final pre-sea-

son match in midweek. Who is ready for the Premier League?

Arsenal ended last season with 20 wins from 27 matches in all competitions, a win ratio of 74% compared to Chelsea’s 58%, and continued where they left off on Sunday.

The Gunners, who have already won two pre-season tournaments, have only added goalkeeper Petr Cech to their ranks this summer but his calm defensive presence will boost hopes of ending their 11-year wait for the title.

Both sides struggled to

create a lot going forward at Wembley, although Olivier Giroud’s introduction for Theo Walcott in attack after the break saw Arsenal look more of a threat offensively. Chelsea, without last season’s top scorer Diego Costa due to injury, were also toothless before the break with Loic Remy not threatening as the lone striker. Last season’s Premier League champions have not won a match in pre-season but will believe second-half substitute Radamel Falcao, making his debut, and Costa will improve their attacking threat.

(BBC Sport)

Bach says ioc must uphold ethical standards

TSurinamese spiritualist. Resolving all problems. Money, love, blockage etc. Call 223-6834/600-7719

Suriname’s Astrology, Palmist and Hindustani Spiritual Healer, solve all purpose problems, 100% confidential guaranteed. Phone: 602-8997 HEPHZIBAH MINISTRIES 24 hrs Prayer Line 322-5081,337-4510,3374259,337-4583,337-3070,337-5103. For healing, deliverance, financial difficulties, marriage issues call now. Jesus Cares.

Dutch spiritual healing in removing evil spirit, bad luck, evil sickness, spells, reuniting lovers and prosperity to business Call 612-6417, 6875653, 220-0708 Clean Garden earth. Also excavating,

Da Silva’s Optical. For Your Eyes Only, Look Better See Better. Phillip A Da Silva OD, Shannon L Da Silva OD, Natalie Da Silva OD. 248 South Road, Bourda. Phone: 227-3529, Linden: 444-6376, Corriverton: 339-3536, Meten-Meer-Zorg: 275-0322, Grand Cayman Islands: (345) 943-1515 for the perfect trendy touch.

he International Olympic Committee needs to show it is serious about maintaining ethical credibility and staying free of corruption, IOC president Thomas Bach said Thursday.

“We need to demonstrate that we are indeed walking the walk and not just talking the talk,” Bach said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the IOC’s 128th session in Kuala Lumpur.

In a clear reference to the scandal that has rocked FIFA, Bach said, “These are difficult times in sport, as recent events in other sports organizations have all too clearly shown.”

“People today demand more transparency and want to see concrete steps

on how we are living up to our values and our responsibility,” he said.

Bach also referred to the Salt Lake City bidding scandal 15 years ago that led to the expulsion or resignation of 10 members. The IOC adopted a series of reforms to clean up the organization, including a ban on member visits to bid cities, creation

of an ethics commission and establishment of age and term limits.

“We know from our own history how long it takes to rebuild credibility and that implementing best practices with regards to good governance and transparency cannot happen overnight,” Bach said. “Putting these changes in place has not been an easy process.

But we see very clearly today just how these reforms have been for our organization.”

The IOC has sought to distance itself from the problems at FIFA, which is the target of separate U.S. and Swiss investigations.

Fourteen soccer and marketing officials were indicted in May on widespread corruption charges.

Embattled FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who is an IOC member, is not attending the IOC assembly in Malaysia.

Bach spoke a day before the IOC votes on the host city for the 2022 Winter Olympics, choosing between Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan.

In his speech, Bach said the Olympic Channel that the IOC is setting up to promote Olympic sports 365 days a year will help the committee keep up with the digital revolution.

“The only question is: Will it happen with us or without us?” he said. “The changing media landscape is a true game-changer. The Olympic Channel is our game changer to stay ahead of the curve.” (ESPN)

Guyana crowned champions of... FROM

BACK PAGE

GR Taxi, 24 hours. Phone: 2257878, 219-5000 or 227-2100

JUST ARRIVED: TOP QUALITY RECONDITIONED VEHICLES; TOYOTA NOAH; TOYOTA VOXY; TOYOTA IST (NEW SHAPE); SUZUKI SWIFT; DAIHATSU MOVE (660CC); MERCEDES BENZ C200 KOMPRESSOR; COROLLA AE100 WAGON; TOYOTA HIACE MINIBUS RZ; PITBULL-STYLE FREEZER VAN; LAND CRUISER (FULLY LOADED); MAZDA PROCEED 4WD EXTRACAB PICK-UP; TOYOTA HILUX 4WD EXTRA CAB PICKUPS - 3RZ, 5L, 3L SOLID DEFFERNTIAL; MITSUBISHI CANTER TRUCKS 4 TONS FREEZER; 3 TONS OPEN TRAY; 2 TONS 4WD; NISSAN ATLAS 2 TONS OPEN TRAY TRUCK. PRE-ORDER YOUR UNITS EARLY AND GET THE BEST PRICES. FULL AFTER SALES SERVICES AND FINANCING AVAILABLE. DEO MARAJ AUTO SALES, 2 CHIMNEY ROAD, CHATEAU MARGOT, ECD. 624-0762, 220-5177. A NAME AND SERVICE YOU CAN TRUST

Spence’s near century came off 140 balls and included nine fours and two sixes. He also shared in key partnerships with Ramone Francis (31), Leonardo Friginette (40), Michael Frew (61) and Barnes (66).

Barnes’ half century came off 38 balls and he was left unbeaten with Odean Smith (13) at the end of the innings.

Akeenie Adams took two for 33 and Keemo Paul also took two for 39….

Guyana got off to a brilliant start in chasing Jamaica’s total with Hetmyer and Imlach frustrating their bowlers to reach 59 for the first

wicket. Another 29 runs were added for the second wicket when Hetmyer was run out for 55. Jamaica made some inroads by removing Balchan Baldeo for 15 but then Rutherford and Khan piled on the runs, scoring 69 for sixth wicket. Rutherford was eventually removed after being caught by Frew off Miguel Smith for 45.

At 218 for six, Guyana were sensing victory and Khan (43) and Parmanand Ramchand (6) led their side to a comfortable win.

Barnes (1-42), Smith (1-43) and Frew (1-44) were the wicket takers for Jamaica.

It was sweet revenge for the Guyanese who lost to Jamaica by five wickets in the first round of the tournament.

It was also the second regional title for Guyana after retaining the Under-15 tournament last week.

Scores: JAMAICA 245 for six off 50.0 overs (Jevoy Spence 92, Brad Barnes 51 not out, Michael Frew 30; Akenie Adams 2-33, Keemo Paul 2-39) GUYANA 250 for six 46.0 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 55, Sherfane Rutherford 45, Kassem Khan 43 not out; Brad Barnes 1-42, Miguel Smith 1-43, Michael Frew 1-44). (CMC)

Arsenal celebrate with the Community Shield

Thomas Bach

Regan Rodrigues memorial road race... Anthony snaps Persaud's 3-year streak

Linden's Michael Anthony broke the three-year winning streak of Robin Persaud on Sunday by winning the 11th annual Regan Rodrigues Memorial 50mile Road Race on the West Demerara roadways.

The Team Gillette Evolution's rider also shaved 16 seconds off Persaud's winning time last year by clocking one hour, 56 minutes, 34.69 seconds (01:56:34.69). Defending champion Persaud, who won the event three years on the trot, failed to place in the top six.

Anthony outsprinted Team Coco's Jamal John in a two-man breakaway to the finish line, with both of them claiming an equal share of the eight prime prizes.

Akeem Wilkinson took third, while Stephano Husbands, Alonzo Ambrose and Kravitz Jeffrey round-

Members of the Rodrigues family, as well as staffers of Ricks and Sari Agro Industries and national coach Hassan Mohamed share a moment with the top performers of Sunday's race

ed off the top six finishers in that sequence.

Jeffrey, the winner of the Junior category last year, could not defend his

title by virtue of moving up to Seniors, hence a new winner was crowned in John.

The fast-improv-

Indiscipline caused sub-par performances at Pan American juniors

Two false starts by two of Guyana’s top juniors caused Guyana to leave the 2015 Junior Pan American Games, which was held in Edmonton, Canada with downed heads.

American-based Guyanese sprinter Brenessa Thompson false started in her main event, disqualify-

ing her from the 100-metre race. Local 400-metre ace and South American Youth 400 metres record holder Jason Yaw also false started in his event to continue the disappointing trend for the Guyanese athletes. Thompson however returned to clock 24.31 sec-

onds in the female 200 metres but failed to make the finals.

The lone athlete to participate in a final was Carifta bronze medalist Andrea Foster who finished eighth in the women’s 800 metres in a time of 2:24.314s. USA athlete Raevyn Rogers won the event in a time of 2:04.62s.

D’Andrade wins Emancipation 5k in Trinidad

Trinidad-based Guyanese Lionel D’Andrade ran away with the 13th annual Emancipation Freedom Run 5K event which was held on August 1 in Trinidad and Tobago.

D'Andrade won the event in 15 minutes, 26 seconds (15m:26s) while Trinidadians Kriston Charles placed second in 15 minutes, 23 seconds (15:53s) and Shakerm Noel in third with a time of 16 minutes, 49 seconds (16:49s).

The road race had a turnout of 117 participants running for freedom as they celebrated Emancipation Day. D'Andrade noted, "I felt good this morning in the race and I am using it in preparation for a half marathon.”

D’Andrade will participate in the Banker's Insurance Half Marathon which is scheduled for next month.

ing Raphael Leung came in second, followed by Christopher Griffith. Junior Niles, Warren McKay and Lear Nunes

were 1-2-3 in the Veterans category, while Keon Budhan won from Nicholas Alphonso and Seon Budhan in the Mountain Bikes divi-

sion.

Walter Isaacs was the top Over-60 rider, while Whitney Poyer was the lone female.

Rodrigues, who died in August 2004, was the founder of Ricks and Sari Agro Industries, and that company has been sponsoring the annual race in his honour every year. This year was no different.

The race was coordinated by national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed, who remembered Rodrigues as an avid sportsman and supporter of the disciplines, especially cycling.

Rodrigues was a former President of the Guyana Cycling Federation and the CWCC. He was also a motor racing champion.

Members of the Rodrigues' family, as well as staffers of Ricks and Sari Agro Industries witnessed the race and assisted in the presentation of prizes.

Bolt not on questionable doping list

World’s fastest man Usain Bolt leads a list of only a handful of athletes who show no irregularities on returned doping tests, reports published by UK media outlets The Sunday Times and German broadcaster ARD/ WDR have claimed.

The source of the information that seems set to give the IAAF another black eye, with only a few weeks to go to the World Championships, reportedly stems from leaked information obtained that shows the results of 12,359 blood tests given by more than 5,000 athletes over 11 years.

The results analysed by top anti-doping experts show that more than 800 athletes returned samples that were “highly suggestive” of doping or “abnormal. Putting the report further in context, the BBC who also claims to have seen the documents assert that 10 med-

als won at the London 2012 Olympics were won by athletes who have returned questionable test results. In fact in some finals every single athlete on the medal podium returned suspicious blood tests.

The distance races were particularly doubtful with 146 of the medals won dur-

ing the period raising questions.

Another athlete joining Bolt on the clean list is British athlete Mo Farah who recently faced questions surrounding his coach Alberto Salazar, who was recently accused of using doping in some of his training programs. (Digicel Sportsmax)

Fraser-Pryce wants out of World Champs 200m

Aday after Jamaican sprinting ace ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce said her coach had hinted that she would be defending her 200-metre World Championships title when the event rolls around in August, she has come out to say she doesn’t want to.

“In Beijing, I’m not running the 200m. I’m telling my coach he has to change my mind,” she said.

Fraser-Pryce’s comments came after she was made to

work mid-race of a 100-metre meeting with the United States Towrie Bowie.

Fraser-Pryce, usually a bullet starter, was even keel with the rest of the field for the 30 metres of the race but then dug in to separate herself from Bowie (11.05) and the rest of the pack, eventually winning comfortably in 10.93.

“The 200m is too far and I’m set up for the 100m. Next I will go to Venice to prepare for Beijing.” (Digicel Sportsmax)

Brenessa Thompson Jason Yaw

Andrea Foster

Usain Bolt

Lionel D’Andrade

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Get more Caribbean people onboard CPL

he 2015 Hero

TCaribbean Premier League (CPL) was a success overall but I think that there are many areas that the organisers need to look at in order to improve moving forward.

Firstly, I must say congratulations to the T&T Red Steel who won their first title on their third attempt. Dwayne Bravo’s men got past the Barbados Tridents in front of a packed Queen’s Park Oval.

The team battled against all odds and came back from last position to the very top at the end of a month of fierce battle. I thought that the Red Steel, in particular, had to fight against tremendous odds given their sched-

Then the T&T Red Steel played one game in St Kitts and then flew out to Jamaica for a game two days after. One of the players on the team had to fly to Antigua, then to St Maarten, over to Curaçao then to Barbados, across to Grenada and then to Trinidad. He then had to leave Trinidad and make a few more stops and then get into Jamaica.

that far more Caribbean officials could have been used, as CPL, although owned by the Irish telecommunications firm Digicel, is a Caribbean tournament. Governments of the region are spending taxpayers’ dollars to help fund this tournament and the Caribbean people must benefit.

job. CNC3 used West Indies spinner Anisa Mohammed and her sister Alisa. Even to run the tournament they brought in foreign hands.

One of the legacies of the 2007 ICC World Cup in the Caribbean was that the people rose to the occasion and a number of good administrators came through.

The last thing I would like to touch on is the conduct of the cheerleaders at the finals of the tournament held at the Queen’s Park Oval. What they were doing jumping among the players when they were collecting their trophy and awards?

Journalists in the press box were furious because it

We need to be professional in our dealing because when events like these come around the world focuses on us. This is the time to make or break and we have to try for the former.

Apart from the shortfalls I have pointed out, I would like to commend the CPL for hosting yet another success-

Can the CPL explain why they flew Scott Styris and Murali Karthick halfway around the world to commentate on these matches?

I could understand Danny Morrison and the entertainment value, but what did the other two bring to the CPL? Couldn’t Jeff Dujon, Philo Wallace or Fazeer Mohammed do a much better job?

uling. After playing their first two games of the tengame preliminaries, the Red Steel had an eight-day wait before their next game. They went to St Kitts where they were idle for the most part and even had time to stage a mini-camp while other teams were playing. This could not have been an ideal situation for the team in the midst of a tournament.

After the game in Jamaica, Red Steel had to go back to St Kitts to play another game. They arrived around 8 pm on the Friday and then had to play at noon the next day. One of their players could not find a place on the flight to St Kitts and had to come home. This cannot be right. Something has to be done concerning the scheduling. During the tournament there were many days when players were inactive. I think that the organisers should look critically at the fixtures and tighten up, so that the players are put under less pressure and they themselves will save money.

Another area of concern in my opinion was the fact

Why was Isa Guha, the former female English cricketer, flown in? The road to Moruga was blocked off, probably, and West Indies women captain Merissa Aguilliera couldn’t come out her home.

I want to thank Andrew Mason for using Caribbean talent on the radio, and yes, he did have Aguilliera at times and she did a good

Just as players would benefit from the CPL, so too should administrators and people working around the cricket. Imagine they brought in a guy all the way from India to do the stats. Let me state again that I have no problems with foreigners but when they have tournaments our people cannot really get in.

would have been a nightmare to caption the photos with the players celebrating. Someone needed to tell them find their place and move over. They were totally out of place and whoever allowed this embarrassing position should be spoken to. Or should they not be spoken to because this is Trinidad and anything goes?

ful tournament but, as I said before, there is always room for improvement and I hope my comments fall on intelligent, mature ears? The 2015 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) was a success overall but I think that there are many areas that the organisers need to look at in order to improve moving forward. (Trinidad

Guardian)

A section of the crowd at the recently concluded CPL 2015 games

The Guyana Amazon Warriors celebrated a Trinidad wicket

Chris Gayle was one of the Caribbean stars featured (CPL photos)

Digicel Nationwide Schools Football Tournament…

Christianburg/Wismar are 4-time consecutive champions

BY TREISTON JOSEPH

The Christianburg/ Wismar Secondary School is now the fourtime champion of the Digicel Nationwide Schools Football Tournament which concluded on Sunday evening at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Christianburg/Wismar was all business on Sunday evening with a 2-1 win against Georgetown’s top team, Chase Academy, to continue their unprecedented run of dominance in the tournament.

After meeting the likes of Christopher Jones, Director of Sport; Minister within the Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry; Digicel’s CEO Kevin Kelly; Marketing Manager of Digicel Jacqueline James and Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Normalisation

Committee Member Eric Phillips, both sides seemed energised for the final encounter.

The Linden-based side, while not playing to their usual standards, capitalised on the few chances that were allowed to score twice, with Amar Jones nailing a perfect header into the back of the goal in the fourth minute, much to the amusement of the Linden friendly crowd that packed the red and green stands of the stadium.

The early goal by Christianburg/Wismar was clearly a stunner as the Georgetown side was seemingly deflated during the early moments of the game.

However, despite much more possession and a clear chance in the 19th minute, Chase never really threatened to score as the first half ended 1-0.

With brimming confi-

Guyana crowned champions of Regional U19 Tournament

Led by a half century opening partnership Guyana defeated Jamaica to retain the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional Under-19 50-over tournament here on Sunday.

Openers Tevin Imlach and Shimron Hetmyer produced a 59-run first wicket partnership to help Guyana beat the hosts by four wickets to lift the 2015 championship trophy.

Chasing 246 for victory, Guyana reached 250 for six off 46 overs with Hetmyer scoring 55 and Sherfane

Rutherford and Kassem Khan making 45 and 43 not out respectively. Earlier, Jamaica won the toss and elected to bat with wicketkeeper-batsman Jevoy Spence topscoring with 92 and Brad Barnes hitting 51 not out in their total of 245 for six in the allotted 50 overs.

dence and a much improved fluidity, Christianburg/ Wismar secured their fourth title with a well placed leftfooted strike from Omar

Brewley in the 58th minute of the game to spark wild celebrations.

Kelsey Benjamin would score a consolation goal in

the 76th minute of the game to give the Georgetown side a chance but would prove to be too little too late. With the win,

Christianburg/Wismar won themselves one million dollars and a trophy while Chase Academy received $600,000.

Digicel Nationwide Schools Football Tournament… Annai beat Waramadong on penalties for third time

BY AVENASH RAMZAN

Three-time losing finalist of the Digicel Schools Football championship Waramadong Secondary had to settle for fourth this time around as Annai Secondary won the third playoff on penalties on Sunday afternoon at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.

A large and vocal crowd cheered both teams to the final whistle as regulation time ended with both schools sitting on three goals apiece.

It represented a remarkable comeback from Waramadong, which contested the last three finals against Christianburg/ Wismar, but it was Annai's time to shine, as they won the shootout 4-3.

Annai had a dream start to their quest to emerge victorious, with Sherai Daniels breaching the defence of the goalkeeper as early as the 2nd minute to spark wild celebrations among the

players and supporters, and dampening the spirits of the Waramadong players.

Twenty-six minutes later, Daniels was again in the mix, scoring to put his team up by two.

With a firm foot on the game, the Annai lads were controlling proceedings, but the Waramadong boys were awarded a penalty in the dying stages of the first half and Deon Rodrigues duly converted to reduce the margin heading into the break.

Upon resumption, Waramadong equalised in the first minute of play through Aznal Medina, and later surged ahead when Medina netted his second goal in the 64th minute.

Annai then pulled one back eight minutes from regulation time to force the game to penalties.

The game set the tone for a great evening of football, as Christianburg/Wismar went on to defeat Chase Academy 2-1 in the final to cop the title for the fourth successive year.

Shimron Hetmyer

Annai’s Captain Granville Daniels receives the third place trophy