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Guyanese to participate P17 in President Obama’s youth programme Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyana-times.com

Issue No. 2965

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Thursday, September 1, 2016

PRICE

Businesswoman shot in face during foiled robbery Page 14

Heritage Month Interfaith Service marred by controversial presentation Father of 1 killed in 4 drowns Pomeroon during boat collision fishing trip Guyanese robbed of opportunity to study at Leeds University Page 12

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE: Regent Street crash

Police P2 ranks can moonlight – Ramnarine … permission must be granted

GCCI wants P9 more consultations with Govt

Bosai moves to grant taxfree overtime for workers P10

…amid market share loss, other challenges

Page 14

Page 3

… blames ineptitude of UG admin

Page 7

AG hints P17 at plans to split SOCU from Police – observers question “ulterior motive”

Brazil’s President removed from office P14

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NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Haags Bosch settlement

Release so-called ‘PPP/C-BK agreement’ – Nandlall challenges Williams

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s the controversy over who exactly initiated a multimillion US dollar settlement with BK International over the Haags Bosch landfill site continues to rage, former Attorney General (AG) Anil Nandlall on Wednesday rubbished claims by his successor, Basil Williams, that the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government had agreed to compensate the contractor, who threatened legal action after his contract was terminated for shoddy work.

Earlier this year, the current Administration agreed to pay BK International US$5.7 million as an out-ofcourt settlement for the terminated contract and works completed “satisfactorily”.

At that time, Williams had argued that the settlement was necessary, since the

Attorney General Basil Williams

Former AG Anil Nandlall

Government was fearful of losing a US$10 million lawsuit filed by the contractor.

However, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan subsequently rubbished the AG’s claims and stated that there was no legal

action taken and the payout was done on the basis of a mere letter from BK International threatening to sue the Government for US$10 million.

Williams has since sought to cast blame on the

former Government, which he said, had already agreed to pay BK. But, in a statement on Wednesday, Nandlall challenged Williams to make public the agreement he claimed the PPP/C Government had signed with BK, stating that it was impossible since no such agreement existed.

He described the AG’s claim as “an utterly new and incredulous explanation which the nation is now being fed”.

“It will be noted that he did not provide a copy of this alleged agreement of the previous Administration to pay BK International. He cannot do so. There is none; unless of course, one is now being concocted. If such an agreement existed, I have no doubt, it would have been produced, publicly, months ago,” Nandlall said.

The former AG said he hoped the submission of invoices for payment by the contractor was not interpreted as an agreement by the Government to pay.

He added that even though the matter has been in the public domain since earlier this year, such an explanation was never proffered by the Government.

In fact, Nandlall recalled that the AG spoke at length on the BK settlement in the Committee of Supply during the consideration of a supplementary budget on August 8, 2016, but this excuse was not provided.

“The truth of the matter is if there was an agreement to pay, the payment would have been made and the contract would not have been terminated by the PPP/C Administration.

The sole reason for contention was precisely because of the Government’s refusal to pay,” Nandlall explained.

He declared that “no amount of interrogating the contract” by the Attorney General would change these facts.

Efforts to contact the Attorney General proved futile, as calls to his mobile phone went unanswered.

Regent Street crash

Police ranks can moonlight – Ramnarine

…permission must be granted

Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine

Dead: Dillon Linton

cting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine has noted that Police ranks are not prevented from working outside the Guyana Police Force while off-duty, but stressed that permission must be sought before doing so.

The comments came in light of the horrific accident at Regent Street involving a minibus driven by an off-duty Policeman.

The acting Commissioner opined that such second jobs must be lawful.

“For a Policeman to engage in lawful activities with a view to earn other than that salary which he is receiving officially, he’s got to have permission from the Commissioner of Police and prior to that permission, there is a process by which he has to engage,” Ramnarine expressed.

The acting Police Chief added that the Force can refuse such requests.

“Because of the nature of law enforcement… we have never given wholesale permission for members of the Force to be engaged in other activities other than law enforcement, it has to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis,” he observed.

He further explained that a Policeman was on duty 24 hours a day and pointed out officers engaging in second-

ary employment could result in a conflict of interest.

“We don’t want to deny any member of the Force who wants to [supplement] his salary by legitimate means, but where minibus driving is concerned, we have had ugly instances of Policemen breaching the rules of the road and people are complaining,” he noted.

The acting Police Commissioner explained that the Force has been increasing the number of minibuses in its complement. In this regard, he pointed out that ranks would need a regular minibus licence before operating such vehicles, which predicated the increase of Police Officers driving the buses during their off-duty periods.

Policeman Timothy Horatio, 26, was recently remanded to prison on a causing death by dangerous driving charge. It is alleged that on August 27, at Regent Street, Horatio drove minibus BTT 7994 in a dangerous manner, thereby causing the death of 21-year-old Campbellville resident Dillon Linton.

Reports are that Horatio was allegedly “drag racing” with the ill-fated minibus and was attempting to overtake another minibus when he collided with a motorcycle, causing his vehicle to topple several times before it crashed into a utility pole. (Shemuel Fanfair)

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news

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thursDAY, september 1, 2016 | guyana-times.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, September 1 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, September 2 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, September 1 – 16:40h-18:10h and Friday, September 2 – 17:00h-18:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions will prevail with heavy rain showers in the late morning and early afternoon hours. Clear skies can be expected in the evening, with temperatures ranging between 25 degrees and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East South-easterly to East North-easterly between 2.68 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 16:38h reaching maximum heights of 2.63 metres respectively Low Tide: 10:14h and 22:29h reaching minimum heights of 0.57 metre and 0.56 metre respectively.

wednesday, august 31, 2016

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Twofold approach touted to encourage budgetary spending – President

W

ith only half of the allocations in Budget 2016 spent just three months before the presentation of a new budget, steps are being taken to encourage more rapid regional spending.

Government is considering the establishment of planning units and broadening the scope of the National Tender and Procurement Administration (NPTA) in order to help accelerate the level of regional spending.

President David Granger told media operatives on Wednesday evening that there needed to be a better approach to encourage spending within the administrative regions.

His comments came in light of the revelation made by Finance Minister Winston Jordan that only half of the 2016 National Budget was spent some nine months into the fiscal year.

Granger said he was aware of the issue and plans were in place to solve the problem.

“We are solving the problem in two ways…planning units and broadening the National Tender and Procurement Administration,” he said.

The President explained that “there needs to be more careful planning so that the budgetary allocations can be spent in a timely manner”. “It is a question of planning; there are no incompetence or inefficiencies and we are looking at the need to have a strong National Tender and Procurement

President David Granger speaking with the media on Wednesday evening

Administration because all of the 15 Ministries use a single Board and the Board obviously needs to be expanded and given the capability to do more work.”

He noted too that Government was moving ahead with the Procurement Commission, which would also be useful in this regard.

The Finance Minister, according to reports in another section of the media, indicated that the slothfulness of the spending could be attributed to political personality issues within regional administrations.

He also suggested that the slowness

could be because some agencies were caught off-guard with an early budget.

He was quoted as saying that some agencies were “so accustomed to being relaxed and lackadaisical (in their approach to getting things done) that they were surprised by the early budget and were unable to get their footing.”

Nonetheless, it is the hope of the Administration that these problems would be addressed in time for next year’s spending activities.

Budget 2017 will be presented by the Finance Minister in the National Assembly on December 5. (Devina Samaroo)

Father of 4 drowns during fishing trip

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father of four of Airy Hall Village, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) was discovered Wednesday afternoon floating in a trench.

Reports are 53-yearold Latchman Persaud,

called Lall, left home about 13:00h to go fishing. This publication was told that family members became worried after Persaud did not return home some four hours later. As such, relatives and close friends began searching for him. His

family’s worst fears were confirmed when the man’s body was spotted floating about 17:00h in a trench in the backdam.

An alarm was raised and the Police was informed.

They visited the scene and the body were examined.

No marks of violence were noticed. The body was taken to the Suddie Public Hospital. An autopsy will be conducted shortly. Only recently, Persaud’s nephew drowned during a picnic at the Aurora Village seawall.

(Indrawattie Natram)

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guyana-times.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Views Back to School shopping Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

The Oil Conundrum

T

he shocked reactions at the announcement by ExxonMobil officials that at best only a hundred jobs may be available to Guyanese in our emerging "petroleum industry" indicate there was an expectation that possibly thousands of jobs would have opened up to solve our unemployment problem. The Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman should have done a better job of explaining what lies ahead in this area.

Exxon had never even hinted they would be processing any of the petroleum or natural gas from the Stabroek Field and, as was confirmed, this meant the only "technical" manpower needed was to operate two "Floating Production, Storage and Offloading" (FPSO) facilities.

Basically, an FPSO is a converted oil tanker hull that has been equipped with hydrocarbon processing equipment for separation and treatment of crude oil, water and gases, sourced from sub-sea oil wells via flexible pipelines.

The treated oil is transferred to cargo tanks in the FPSO ship’s hull where it is stored. Treated gas is used as fuel for on-board power generation, and excess gas is either re-injected back into the subsea reservoirs or exported via a pipeline to shore. Its "offloading" component then transfers the treated oil to tankers that transport it to refineries. FPSOs are highly automated, requiring few trained personnel: in the case of Exxon the official indicated that only fifty of the latter are needed per FPSO. In terms of employment to produce the projected 100,000 barrels per day, all that is needed are 100 workers who will not be Guyanese in the beginning. What the Minister should negotiate is increasing the local content in this specialised area along a specified timeline. The 75 per cent "local content" employment mentioned at this time – numbering 300 – are all in mundane peripheral areas such as security, food supplies etc.

The Exxon official took pains to emphasise it is the responsibility of the Government to use its revenues from oil production to create industries and other means of creating jobs for Guyanese citizens. While this may be true, there should be a definitive statement by the Government on its intentions towards downstream processing of the oil and natural gas that will be produced.

A refinery, which will cost at least US$2 billion, is certainly out of the question at this time. Because of the US shale oil boom, their refineries are working at up to 94 per cent capacity, while Trinidad, for instance, is below 50 per cent.

Two refineries have closed down in the Caribbean and at least a dozen in Europe.

However, it may be feasible to construct a bulk Liquefied Petroleum Gas facility to utilise the gas that would be re-injected back into the undersea reservoirs

by Exxon. This would enable our present electricity generating equipment – with some modifications to utilise the equivalent of the 10,000 barrels of oil per day we presently consume. Additionally, it would also create employment for hundreds of Guyanese and even open up the possibility of manufacturing fertilisers for later. The Government should at least conduct a feasibility study to explore this option.

But the advice of the Exxon official on the Government's responsibility to utilise the revenues from the 100,000 bpd oil flow to create employment should be taken in good stead. There have already been discussions on the creation of a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) that will ensure the revenues generate interest. But beyond that, it should be clear to the Government that the country needs an economic plan that incorporates a strategic industrialisation component that will sustainably diversify our economy and soak up our high rate of unemployment.

As others, in addition to this newspaper, have warned, we have to avoid the temptation of simply using oil revenues to fund our consumption. In addition to ensuring that even our present productive capacity will wither, we will be denying future generations their national patrimony. The Government must engage the Opposition to craft a truly national plan.

A parent checks out exercise books for sale on Regent Street as the countdown to the new school term winds down (Marceano Narine photo)

PPP should have embraced freedom fighters Dear Editor, A letter in Guyana Times (August 26, 2016 edition) penned by the leader, Paul Nehru Tennassee, of the now defunct DLM; provides evidence of the collaboration and cooperation of the PNC and PPP to emasculate and demolish independent minded thinkers during the struggle for the liberation of the country from the PNC dictatorship during the 1980s.

It appears that both parties saw independent movements and organisations and thinkers, like Mr Tennassee, and even others like myself, as a direct threat to the domination, if not existence, of both major parties.

Editor, those of us who were involved in the liberation struggle abroad were also opposed by groups affiliated with the PPP. Rather than collaborate with us or cooperate to fight the PNC, the enemy of democracy, the PPP often fought those not under its control who were involved in the struggle to restore democratic rule in our nation.

The Tennassee letter makes reference to recorded minutes of a UG Board meeting in 1982 in which only one independent person, former Justice KA Juman-Yassin, was the only one to vote against a motion to terminate the employment of Mr Tennassee.

The Board, of some 29 members, was largely dominated

by PNC appointees, including several of its Members of Parliament. Tennassee

was denied the principles of natural justice when he was fired from UG. Rex McKay and other illustrious lawyers were PNC appointees on the board; they did not vote against the measure under which Tennassee was not given a hearing - a violation of an oath to be a lawyer. Two PPP appointees, Navin Chanderpaul and Feroze Mohammed, a MP, also did not vote against the motion and that was most disturbing.

This action of PPP stalwarts took place right after Dr Walter Rodney and Father Darke and other activists were murdered. So many of us were beaten and threatened that we had to run away from Guyana.

The referendum was rigged and the new Burnham constitution was foisted on a nation without its approval.

Jobs were difficult to obtain.

People were being employed based on political affiliation and ethnicity; Indians were hardly employed in government jobs. And yet the PPP did not see it fit to instruct its two appointees to vote against the job termination of Tennassee. Ironically, both Chanderpaul and Mohammed were themselves victims of termination from their appointments at UG. One would have thought the Vice Chancellor and the Dean of Social Sciences, both supposed professionals, would have voted against the motion especially that they raised objections in the manner Tennassee was being suddenly fired

and without a hearing and without any knowledge of fabricated charges against him. Hamilton Green and Viola Burnham were members of the Board and present at the meeting.

The DLM leader was not an imposing threat against the PPP in its Indian base. One, therefore, cannot fathom why the two PPPites - Chanderpaul and Mohammed - would be silent on a motion against this illustrious son of the soil putting him on the bread line.

One cannot understand why the PPP did not oppose the firing of a freedom fighter like Tennassee, even if there are ideological differences.

This PPP’s action betrayed the spirit of those of us involved in the resistance struggle against the PNC ethnic dictatorship. As Tennassee stated, this only strengthened the resolve of Tennassee to continue the struggle for justice and restoration of democratic rule in Guyana, and it further motivated the handful of us in the US in our resolve to champion human rights causes and the resistance against the PNC dictatorship.

As Tennassee wrote, Juman-Yassin was an inspiration to him because he stood up for justice, unlike the others on the UG Board – “soup drinkers”.

Tennassee claimed he “was kidnapped, blindfolded, interrogated and terrorised on February 9-14, 1984” because of his activism against Burnhamism.

Tennassee said there is

no bitterness in his heart against those PPPites and PNCites who violated his work rights. But he did note “It is sad that these individuals have been provided rewards, accolades and pensions for hurting so many Guyanese”.

Editor, the behaviour of some figures in the PPP and PNC reveal we are very far from building a decent society free from hate and the principles of natural justice.

As an aside, Ravi Dev was treated like an enemy among PPP activists when he tried to advocate for equality for Indians - the leadership saw him as a threat and attacked him in the most debasing way, worse than how the PPP attacked PNC. But Ravi has no hatred in his heart for PPP figures. Given what transpired under Burnhamism, PPP should not have seen us as enemies but as allies in the fight against a common enemy that brutalised the nation.

Others like Tennassee, and myself are willing to forget and forgive for being victimised and attacked by the PPP leadership. When will those characters who hurt Guyanese of all ethnicities express remorse for their evil ways? They should come forward and say sorry to the many of us who were and still are being ill-treated.

PPP should have embraced freedom, independent freedom fighters and not see them as competitors.

Yours faithfully, Vishnu Bisram

guyana-times.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

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

GWI investigating well ownership

Dear Editor, The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), the Nation’s supplier of Water and Sanitation Services, wishes to state that it has launched an investigation to ascertain in whose name the well located in the compound of Sanata Textile, Ruimveldt was registered.

This investigation by GWI comes on the heels of reports that Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII), which owns the complex, has not been paying for water services supplied by the well in question.

However, during a recent meeting between Head of Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII) Dr Ranjisinghi “Bobby” Ramroop and GWI,

it was agreed that GWI will continue to service the well, which also supplies water to residents within its environs.

Dr Ramroop indicated that he had bought the entire complex which included the well but inherited the daily checks of the well by GWI. He assured GWI that he will not interfere with this arrangement.

Based on information received internally, the well was maintained by GS&WC and when the merger occurred in 2002, the practice continued.

Meantime, GWI is pleased to report that all outstanding monies owed to this utility by QAII have been settled amicably.

QAII owns the building at 238 Camp and Quamina Streets, which housed two media outfits (Guyana Times and Television Guyana ch 28) and was willing to settle any outstanding rates for that property.

It should also be noted that the monies have already been paid to settle the account of the above address.

GWI hopes to continue this relationship of mutual understanding with QAII, where bills are paid up to date for all of its commercial offices that utilize our services.

Sincerely, Leana Bradshaw Public Relations Officer

Privileges given to former Mayor Dear Editor, The motion by Mayor Patricia Chase-Green and seconded by Councillor Heston Bostwick, at the Georgetown City Council’s most recent statutory meeting to have the services of the City Constabulary Department extended to former Mayor, Hamilton Green with the provision of security guards at his residence is deceptive, disingenuous and self-serving at best, but more importantly, it contributes to a gross impropriety.

This motion seeks to mislead persons into believing that this service will now be provided to this gentleman when in fact Mr Green never stopped enjoying them after demitting office as Mayor five months ago, the benefits of round the clock City Policemen posted at his

residence for static security, along with 24 hour body guard protection, a chauffeur, gardening staff, etc; all paid for by the citizens of Georgetown.

So why the motion now?

Why did the current Mayor decide to move this motion?

Is she hoping in the next seven months when her term of Mayor comes to an end that she too will be provided with these benefits? And why did the motion not include the entire battery of staff that he is being provided by the Council? Are they afraid that the citizenry will cry out about this financial burden that has been foisted upon them? These facilities that are being provided to a former Mayor are unprecedented and exceeds those given to former Presidents of this country. How shameful.

But what the Council needs to know is that passing a motion to commit an illegal act does not make it legal. This expenditure was not budgeted for, which makes it more illegitimate.

The hypocrisy is that this Mayor told the Deputy Mayor that he is not entitled to any such facilities, and then turns around and flippantly awards them to a former Mayor.

This is exactly the reason why persons are reluctant to pay their property rates, because they know that City Hall will unlawfully squander it. No former Mayor is entitled, nor benefited, from such perks, but the Council could care less, it is just perks for their pals.

Sincerely, Sean Moniz

Hassling travellers is bad for tourism, Mr Traffic Police

Dear Editor, It is with utter dismay that I pen this letter about the harassment of drivers by traffic ranks heading to the Timehri Airport, although there are many calls from the Traffic Chief and the Commissioner of Police denouncing this behaviour.

Recently I was a passenger in a vehicle heading to the airport to drop off my sister and as the vehicle turned onto the turn in Timehri heading towards the airport a traffic rank stopped the vehicle.

It appears as if the traffic ranks are out to target all the passengers heading to the airport to catch their flight because I have noticed a pattern.

The driver of the vehicle was told that he was speeding and was above the speed limit for the zone. The rank further told the driver that the speed limit is listed at the Soesdyke Junction and

he was above that limited.

This is although I was noticing minibuses and other vehicle flying around the turn at a fast rate of speed to which the Police ignored because it appears as though these drivers are known to him. The driver was subsequently charged and issued a ticket because he was going over the 60KMH speed limit. He was travelling at 62KMH. The Police was right in doing his work; however, on multiple occasions when I visit the airport, I notice these ranks out pulling vehicles over because they have their own aims that I’m sure the senior Police Officers of the Guyana Police Force already acknowledge. I would like the Traffic Chief and the Commissioner of Police to reiterate to the traffic ranks that hassling travellers minutes away from the airport isn’t right since the real reason the rank pulled

the vehicle over because of the rush is well known to all and sundry. Citizens are not to be taken for granted when you’re serving the public and representing an image of Guyana.

Yours truly, Haleem Khan

SARA’s greatest weapon will be fear Dear Editor, Our country is on the cusp of dramatic national security upheavals. These upheavals have ominous characteristics.

The contours of this impending ominous development are becoming more and more pronounced with every passing day. The unmitigated and relentless militarisation of the State and Government has brought the impending upheavals into bold relief.

This situation must not be seen in isolation, it is part and parcel of a strategy aimed at strengthening and expanding the influence of military doctrine and its dominance within the state and Government structures.

Recently, two organisations have risen to prominence – one has already been established, the other is in the making. I refer to SOCU and SARA. SOCU is now a branch of the Guyana Police Force, an organisation that takes general orders and directions from the Minister of Public Security. It is vested with enormous powers, but SOCU has since been eclipsed by the much more powerful State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA).

A close examination of SARA’s powers will show that it is fundamentally anti-people and reactionary in nature. Some mistakenly believe that SARA was setup solely to target the PPP, but it is not.

The Granger-led coalition has created a Frankenstein monster. The powers vested in SARA are so enormous, they are absolute, and we know what absolute power does; it corrupts absolutely. Never in the history of Guyana has such an organisation existed. The victims of SARA will be not only from the PPP, but the citizenry in general. Make no mistake about it. SARA operatives will be immune from prosecution, particularly its director, whose rule will be tyrannical. In other words, SARA’s staff will be above the law, they will not be outfitted in dashikis, but will be neatly dressed thugs.

By moving to establish SARA, the Granger administration has signalled once again, its deep seated distrust for the ranks of the

Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) and staff members of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).

This instinctive distrust of these entities and semi-civilian institutions is a hallmark of military doctrine but above all, it is a reflection of the political insecurity tormenting the Granger administration with every passing day, particularly regarding its future electoral fortunes.

The power enjoyed by SARA will clearly and unequivocally result in the emasculation, usurpation and silencing of civilian institutions who, in one way or another, will gradually but inexorably be absorbed into an ever-expanding militarised state.

Guyanese will witness all the powers of the GPF, GRA, DPP and the Judiciary centralised into a single organisation called SARA. SARA will have the authority to impound, eventually seize and sell off private property, to criminally prosecute and to put before its own court, with its own judges, persons who are suspected to have illegally accumulated state assets. In this way, SARA will assume the role of judge, jury and prosecutor. It will come as no surprise if power struggles and turf wars develop between the Heads of Constitutional bodies and SARA to whom they will provide succour.

SARA operatives will target suspects who show signs of self-sufficiency and wealth, even though they have no criminal record but are suspected to have accumulated their wealth under the PPP/C administration due to perceived unlawful acts and alleged misconduct while holding public office.

SARA’s agents will rely on hundreds of snitches to

carry out their dirty work.

SARA’s greatest weapon will be fear and the fear it will generate amongst the populace.

And like the part US House un-American Activities Committee, SARA will compile lists of persons suspected of committing unlawful acts while holding public office and they will be directed to hunt them down and to finish them off politically.

Given the mandate which it has been assigned, SARA will inevitably evolve into a criminal organisation using its powers to trample on citizens constitutional, civil, political and human rights.

SARA will fail to recognise the characteristics that distinguish the law abiding individual from the potential suspect.

The call to setup Special Courts to try persons suspected of “unlawful acts” while holding public office and to amend the Constitution to give the rite of passage to SARA must be viewed with deep suspicion and rejected.

SARA will be the embryo for the creation of Guyana’s first ever State Secret Police, whose task will be to ruthlessly go after the political opposition, mainly the PPP. Others will not be spared its wrath. SARA will be the vehicle the APNU/AFC will use to consolidate political power and entrench itself in office.

At the end of the day, it is Guyanese who will suffer at the hands of SARA. Guyanese must open their eyes and recognise the danger unfolding before them and take a stand before it is too late.

Sincerely, Clement Rohee General Secretary People’s Progressive Party (PPP)

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

Page

BY ROHIA MUNAVAR

I

magine, you started your class with an interesting question for y o u r students and immediately, a student stands up and answers the question. Later on, as you continue with your lesson, you pose another question, which is again answered by the same student!

It might be because of the student’s excitement to participate, but the student is also monopolising the whole class with his enthusiasm to participate. Participation is always a good thing.

However, it only becomes bad when it prevents other students from participating when few others are monopolising the discussion in the classroom.

Here are five ways to deal with overzealous students and even out participation in the classroom.

1. Talk to the overzealous student personally If you find the participation of any student monopolising the whole class, talk to them personally about it.

First thank the student for his enthusiasm in learning, then talk to the student

guyana-times.com

Foundation about t h e problem faced b y other students in the class because of his overzealous behaviour. You can also ask the student to suggest ideas how to make other quiet children in the class participate.

makes the overzealous students wait for and answer the question competing with other students in the class.

3. Let the students know the type of participation you encourage Make sure that your students know the type of par-

students to help the quiet children participate in classroom, by assigning a group of quiet children to them.

This helps the under-participated children participate more in classroom and it eventually leads to uniform participation of all students in the classroom.

D

read it or love it, you gotta go to school.

Here are ways to make the transition from summer to school a little easier.

First-Day Mania

2. Provide participation time Wait longer after you have posed a question, this gives students time to think and answer. Tell your students not to answer the question before 30 seconds.

This gives the other students in the class opportunity to think and answer the question. This also

ticipation you encourage in class. Insist upon the uniform participation of all the students rather than participation from a single student.

This helps all the students participate accordingly and reduces over participation from any single student. You may also reward students who follow uniform participation to prevent over participation in your classroom.

4. Encourage quiet students Talk to the quiet students in your classroom and encourage them to participate. Ask the overzealous

5. Use turn taking techniques Use turn taking techniques for participation in the classroom. Assign students from roll number one to 15 to answer the first question asked in the class, students with roll numbers 15 to 30 answer the second question etc.

Use different turn taking techniques so that the overzealous students get to answer only when they are asked to. This helps all students in the class get equal opportunity to participate in the class. (theteachersdigest.com)

There’s no escaping the fact that the first day of school can be crazy. New kids wander around in circles. Lockers won’t open.

The school nurse needs your medical records. You forgot your PE clothes. Freshmen are running in all directions, looking for their homerooms.

How can you combat firstday chaos? If you’re headed to a new school, try to arrange a visit before classes begin. Explore any areas that are of particular interest, such as the gymnasium, library, or science labs.

Some schools offer maps.

Get one and give it a read before school starts — then keep it in your backpack until you’re familiar with your new surroundings.

Your first day is also the time to bring in school supplies and paperwork. It can help to pack your backpack the night before school starts so you’re not scrambling around at the last minute looking for what you need. In addition to packing basic supplies (such as notebooks, pens, pencils, and a calculator), hunt down any of the school forms that were mailed to your family over the summer: immunisation (shot) records, permission slips, and class schedules.

Did you try on eight different outfits before deciding what to wear? Lots of people check out who’s wearing what on the first day of school. The key is to wear what makes you feel good.

Each school has a different opening-day drill.

Most start with an assembly. You’ll meet your new teachers, and they’ll prob-

ably give you an overview of the course syllabus, class rules, what the semester will be like, what supplies you’ll need, and expectations of your performance and behaviour. Some teachers will jump right into their first lesson, while others may have non-coursework activities planned. It all depends on the class and teacher.

Emotions

Here’s a simple equation: new place = new emotions. Lots of people feel anxious, scared, or excited about school. Although students who are coming back as seniors may be happy they’re in their final year and can’t wait to visit with friends, most new kids are likely to be tense or worried.

It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous on the first day of school. Getting back to the school routine and adjusting to new workloads takes some getting used to after a long summer break. If you’re having a mental meltdown, think back to some previous “first days.” Everything probably settled down pretty quickly once you got into the routine.

Meeting new people or getting reacquainted with classmates can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re the shy or reserved type. Start small: If large groups make you nervous, try saying hello to one or two new people a day — the kid at the desk next to yours is a good place to start. Or ask new people to sit with you in the cafeteria.

If you still feel uncomfortable after a few days, talk to the school guidance counsellor, a favourite teacher, or someone else you trust about how you’re feeling and what you can do. But give yourself time – most problems adjusting to school are only temporary. (Excerpt from kidshealth)

NEWS

7

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Guyanese robbed of opportunity to study at Leeds University – blames ineptitude of UG admin

UG Registrar Nigel Gravesande

By Devina Samaroo

A

n outgoing student of the University of Guyana (UG) is currently in a state of despair after missing the opportunity of a lifetime to further her studies at an internationally recognised university, owing to the failure of the UG administrative department to present the necessary documents in time for submission.

Renita Chanderballi,

23, majored in Biology and would be graduating with distinction in November.

She had applied to do her postgraduate degree at Leeds University in England in biotechnology with specific focus on agricultural crops in Third World countries and finding innovative biotechnological ways to combat the effects of climate change on local crops.

It was a dream come true when she was accepted into the programme in the first week of June. She was also awarded a partial scholarship.

Overcome with excitement, Chanderballi wasted no time in informing her lecturers and approaching the UG administration for her necessary documents.

But then it all went south from there; the obstacles kept rolling into a huge ball of complications that was rapidly tumbling downhill.

After losing her placement at the University, Chanderballi plunged into great depression; she cried for days, overwhelmed with a thousand emotions knowing that something so avoid-

able resulted in her missing a chance to pursue her dreams.

In a Facebook post that is going viral, the UG student expressed utter disappointment in the series of events that led to this immense heartbreak.

“I'm extremely disappointed and I feel cheated out of something I worked really hard for. But, of course, I must thank the admin staff at UG for robbing me of this opportunity.

I'm not sure how this might help anyone but it's a painful experience for me, because I had planned everything out and sacrificed a lot (especially financially) to get it all done,” she posted on Facebook.

Royal run-around

Chanderballi told Guyana Times on Wednesday that she was yet to complete her final year project at the time she received the offer from Leeds.

However, under the direction of her supervisors, she worked expeditiously to complete it.

“The faculty was extremely helpful, they set a

day specifically for me to present my project and up to that point, and everything was done in a timely manner. However, the problem began where the Admin was concerned. Leeds needed to see all my grades and UG was refusing to give me the grade,” she stated.

Chanderballi said she approached the office since June, requesting her transcript and informing them of her situation.

The first problem was getting her grades and then it was getting her transcript and to be awarded her degree – all documents Leeds initially required.

She said eventually, after explaining her quandary to the University, Leeds was willing to accept just her transcript and proof of graduation.

N o n e t h e l e s s , Chanderballi spent over two weeks on a royal run-around trying to receive these documents but to no avail.

“The sectors I dealt with during this time were the Faculty, the Assistant Registrar of Exams, Assistant Registrar of Student Welfare and the

Deputy Registrar. The Dean of my faculty was so helpful; I don't know how I can thank him. He was in his office some days at 5 and 6 in the evening making calls for me and at any point where the Administration was giving me a hard time, I called him and he tried his best,” she stated.

“The Assistant Registrar of Student Welfare was very helpful when she learned of my situation. She provided documents efficiently. However, her staff was very reluctant. If she was not there, they would tell me what I'm requesting could not be done or something or the other.”

She added that the Deputy Registrar and Assistant Registrar of the exams departments were her “biggest” obstacles.

“One of the most frustrating things I dealt with was getting confirmation from AR Exams staff. If I needed something to be done, they said the process takes two weeks and if I asked if it can be done sooner, they would say I have to check back or come back in or call; which meant that instead of giving

Renita Chanderballi

me a definite date or even a time period to work with, I was forced to come to campus almost every day,” she explained.

The student understands there are protocols to be observed, but she strongly believes more could have been done.

“I understood there was a process involved and I tried hard to respect their rules, but everyone was just dragging their feet. I was sent from one office to another.

TURN TO PAGE 10

8 NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Thomas Street man jailed for gun possession

D

arryl John of Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg was sentenced to 48 months in prison when he appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

He was found guilty of having a .38 revolver in his possession along with six matching rounds of .38 ammunition, four rounds of 9mm ammunition and two rounds of .32 ammunition in his possession on September 27, 2015.

On the day of the inci-

dent, the defendant also took out a firearm and threatened to kill several Police Officers.

On Wednesday, Magistrate Latchman in handing down her decision told John that as a result of the prevalence of the crime, she would sentence him to 48 months for each offence; however, the sentences would run concurrently.

At a previous hearing, John’s lawyer, Charles Ramson Jr requested that a probation report be presented on his client’s behalf before he was sentenced.

Linden teen faces rape charge

Lindener on bail for causing death of motorcyclist

A

16-year-old Lindener, who appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, charged with the offence of rape was granted $100,000 bail.

The teen appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse. It is alleged that the teenager, who hails from Half Mile, Wismar, Linden engaged in the sexual penetration of a 13-year-old female on July 9 at Half Mile. The case will continue on September 29.

Jailed: Darryl John

The defendant was remanded until the report was submitted. Following the submission of the report,

A

Deceased: Michael Fox

2 0 - y e a r - o l d Lindener was placed on $400,000 bail when he appeared at the Linden Magistrate’s Court to answer to a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Cleon Nicholas, of Lot 1568 Central Amelia's Ward, Mackenzie, Linden, appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse. The prosecution is contending that on June 3, Nicholas drove the

Ramson told the court that the case made out by the prosecution against his client was weak, adding that the prosecution had failed to prove the key elements of the offence – whether his client had physical control, knowledge and custody of the arms and ammunition.

However, in handing down her sentence, Magistrate Latchman said that the court was satisfied with the evidence presented by the prosecution.

John was also fined $60,000 for each offence.

motor car bearing licence plate number PTT 2372 along the Amelia's Ward Public Road in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of Michael Fox. Nicholas has, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Fox was killed when the unregistered CBR motorcycle he was riding at the time slammed into the right end of the car’s trunk.

Eyew tness

Going SOLO… A

…with SOCU

fter hemming and hawing for a year about the patent (and blatant) misnomer (let's be kind, now!) about SOCU (Special Organised Crime Unit) being a part of the Police Force, the government now suggests (!!) that maybe the unit should be "independent and autonomous"!

Jeez! How obvious can these guys be?

From the very beginning it's been clear the government isn't just interested in staffing the government with scads of military types. With at least ten high ranking officers - all the way to general - advising Pressie, they have to wear dark shades because of the glitter of all those brass medals!

The real goal is to MILITARISE the coercive operations of government - free of civilian control. So Immigration was hived off from the GPF and placed into the hands of exCommissioner of Police, Winston Felix. The same one who had a very interesting conversation with PNC's Chairman, Basil Williams after the Agricola Massacre - when he was still the COP! And now he's come out of the PNC's closet, he has the power to determine who remains in Guyana or not.

Then we had SARU (State Asset Recovery Unit) that is now SARA; that was just transmuted into an autonomous "AGENCY". And no one's controlling it - with its Director, in fact, having the power to demand of all other heads of Security or the GRA or Banks, confidential information to use as he sees fit. No need to ask approval from a judicial officer! And not to mention insisting that contrary to what the CONSTITUTION mandates - sees its enabling legislation as operating ex post facto!

And now is SOCU - which might just mean "sock it to you!" - formed by the PPP to follow up on the AML/CFT legislation - to be untethered from the Police Force? Well the one operation it was involved in, the army commander gave instructions to one of HIS men in SOCU to monitor, intercept and interdict two civilians. And we still don't if the army fella officially in command of SOCU knew anything! We KNOW the Minister didn't.

Well with all this diminution of the remit of the Police Force, a fella might be excused for thinking the plan is to emasculate not only the official head of that body - the COP - , but more to the point, the civilian Minister of Public Security. Imagine a postage stamp sized country like Guyana - now having more than half a dozen agencies, forces, and units that have the authority to terminate any citizen of life, liberty and property.

Oh!! But the now resuscitated ideology of the Founder Leader did give us the highest military to civilian ratio in the world, nuh?

...on spending

"Money, money everywhere, but not a dollar to spend!"

That's the cry of so many groups of Guyanese when they heard that even though the government presented a budget, a record budget of $320Billion - earlier than anyone the PPP ever did - with two-thirds of the year has finished, they haven't even spent half of it!

The business class has to be apoplectic - since they'd been screaming for a "stimulus" via government spending to get the economy back in its feet. The public servants have to be jumping up and down and screaming since they were told the government didn't have money to pay them a living wage. Don't even get them going by mentioning a "significant" raise!

And the excuse by the Finance Minister is one that should make the entire Guyanese citizenry snort in derision - that being early caught the agencies off guard and they couldn't react in time!

This whopper's almost - almost - reminiscent of the one about a warehouse being rented in case a fire guts the original one!

...against betrayal

One has to salute Taxuma Ogunseye for calling out his erstwhile comrade, Rupert Roopnarine for betraying the principles of the WPA. He doesn't buy the idea that the disavowal of a living wage for Public Servants is WPA kosher!

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

news

9

thursday, september 1, 2016 | guyana-times.com

GCCI wants more consultations with Govt I

n order to make the business climate more conducive, there needs to be regular consultations between Government and the various Private Sector representative bodies.

This is according to the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GGCI), which is calling for more meetings with its various Government counterparts to have discussions on issues affecting the local investment climate.

GCCI President Vishnu Doerga, during a press conference on Tuesday, underscored that one meeting

ahead of the presentation of the National Budget every year was not going to prove effective in making the environment welcoming for investments.

“A lot of what is needed now is us sitting at the table on a regular basis with our respective Government counterparts so that we can let them know on an ongoing basis what is needed. The budget is an annual event which really funds these activities we were talking about; so it’s very tough to just have a consultation on it when it’s about to be launched,” he explained.

GCCI President Vishnu Doerga

Doerga expanded by pointing out that many challenges affecting businesses were caused by red tape and regulations, rather than the Government’s funding.

“A lot of the things that need to be done aren’t finance intensive. You need to meet to change regulations and amend procedure so the (business) process can happen much smoother,” he noted.

He added, “We do say Guyana means business.

But in order to mean business, you need to have a process to make business flow smoothly; if not, it’s not 20

years ago, the Private Sector that has money to invest can invest it elsewhere where it is easier and there is a better investment climate.”

The GCCI President expressed pleasure that the Foreign Affairs Ministry already reinstituted the quarterly meeting with the Private Sector where issues were addressed, and he was now hoping that the other relevant Ministries and agencies would follow suit very soon.

In fact, he disclosed that the Business Ministry was currently working on improving its system to allow

the exchange of information between the Private Sector and Government to occur in a more structured manner.

Meanwhile, Doerga indicated that the consultations on Budget 2017 were productive and the GCCI was looking forward to making its presentation.

He emphasised that there was need for a development plan for Guyana and expressed hopes of seeing this in the budget.

Budget 2017 is slated to be presented in the National Assembly on December 5 by Finance Minister Winston Jordan.

NAACIE protests sidelining of Bauxite Union T

he National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) has registered concerns over the fact that the interests and welfare of local bauxite workers are now being increasingly dependent on the priorities of expatriate owners and management.

The union’s position was stated days after the Social Protection Ministry held a high-level meeting with the mining firm, Russia Aluminium (RUSAL), on Thursday last. This meeting had sounded alarms with the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GB&GWU) even saying that it was aimed at securing votes for a particular candidate at last weekend’s Congress of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).

“NAACIE also notes with trepidation, the sidelining of the legal and constitutional representation of one union in the bauxite sector, the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union seemingly in preference of a company (RUSAL)/ Government’s relationship,” a release from the

union on Wednesday detailed.

According to NAACIE, such a position is wholly reprehensible as it undermines trade union democracy, whereby, bauxite workers are now shrewdly being denied representation by the Union of their choice.

The release reminded that trade union representation was a constitutional guarantee for citizens and workers of Guyana, according to Article 147 of Guyana’s Constitution. It further noted that this article was a legitimate right which must be embraced by employers, employees and the entire Labour Movement.

“For whilst a Ministry or Department of Labour is there to conciliate on technical matters relevant to non-agreement or statements between employers and unions, never should any Government seek to usurp the status and role of a union elected by workers,” NAACIE posited.

In fact, as one of the unions in the bauxite Industry, representing workers employed by Bosai Guyana, NAACIE said it viewed the infringements

by RUSAL with mighty concern.

To this end, the union questioned what would become of Guyana’s emerging oil and gas sector, which would obviously be managed by other expatriates.

“NAACIE views the ongoing saga, whereby RUSAL is refusing to recognise GB&GWU, which is in keeping with the laws of Guyana, with disquiet. It seems to suggest that trade union representation in the burgeoning oil and gas sector will be a non-starter,” the release noted.

According to the union, this is not what the coalition Government promised. NAACIE went on to declare that it supported GB&GWU’s representation for RUSAL workers in keeping with the laws while offering unstinted solidarity.

“All workers of Guyana respect the right to be unionised,” the union posited.

Over the years, workers at Bosai and RUSAL have been crying out against the treatment meted out to them by management of the companies as they advocate for better pay and union representation.

10 NEWS Bosai moves to grant tax-free overtime for workers THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

– amid market share loss, other challenges

BMGGI officials meeting with Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman and regional officials

By Utamu Belle

T

he management of Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated (BMGGI) has announced a move to grant its employees tax-free overtime, on the heels of a similar move

by Aroaima-based Russian Aluminium (RUSAL).

The move was announced

by Company Secretary, retired Major General Norman McLean on Tuesday, during a tour of the company's plant operations by Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman. Following the tour, officials of the company and regional officials had a meeting with the Minister.

Those in attendance included BMGGI General Manager (ag) Eric Hue, Region 10 Chairman Renis Morian, and BMGGI Personnel Manager Trudell Marks. McLean said the company, in like fashion, would have adopted what RUSAL was recently advised to do in granting tax-free overtime, further explaining that it was a burning issue, which the company tried to settle for a long time and

workers were expected to take strike action over. He said the workers welcomed the decision, while stressing that Finance Minister Winston Jordan has rejected almost everything the company asked for, and as such, he was very happy to see that the workers would be receiving tax-free overtime.

Challenges

During the discourse, McLean also outlined various challenges being faced by the company, highlighting that one of the major problems was the issue of property tax. He explained to the Minister that the company has been seeking a five-year break from paying property tax. The Company Secretary said it was his hope that the issue of property tax would be dealt with in a similar vein as the issue of taxfree overtime, given the fact that Government was a 30 per cent shareholder in the company. He stressed that having the two dust collectors set up only compounds the situation, as it has increased the property tax

costs. McLean added that he was very surprised to hear of complaints regarding dust in the environment when there were two dust collectors at the company which captures dust. On that note, he said the company was facing serious challenges, but it has always been one which was respectable and bent on finding new avenues.

McLean further cited frequent blackouts in the community as another issue, and pointed out that the company, which is tasked with providing electricity has eight "old" Wärtsilä generators, while noting concerns in the past.

Market loss

"What you see here today is a manifestation of some of the problems we are facing. There is overproduction, we've lost market share ... so things are very difficult for us ... I keep reminding your Minister of Finance that the Government is the 30 per cent shareholder in this company, so whatever we do, Government enjoys the fruit of that. So, I do want to re-

mind them that we do have problems," McLean went on to state.

He added that the company was currently looking at metal grade bauxite and moving 500,000 tonnes since it has built a plant in China, which will need 500,000 tonnes of manganese ore; however, there were challenges surrounding this task. Another challenge which McLean pointed out was that trucks took approximately seven hours to travel from Matthews Ridge to Port Kaituma. He explained that hauling them also posed a real challenge.

Hence, the company is looking at a different route and establishing its own port.

Government awareness

Minister Trotman in response said Government was aware of the challenges faced by the company, including that of property tax, and promised to try his best to partner with the company to assist. He added that a Committee would be put together to assess the state of bauxite in the country, noting that he believed that it was a timely endeavour, in light of the nation observing a hundred years of bauxite mining.

"So, we'll have a review of where things are and where we see it with regard to the future and what role your company will be playing," he said. Trotman also urged that workers be treated with

respect and the highest level of safety be undertaken at the company. He further praised BMGGI for taking the step to grant tax-free overtime for workers.

The Minister added that he was very happy with the project at Matthews Ridge and promised to visit the location next week, but expressed concern over discarded materials which he noted were being put "everywhere" in the bauxite plant. He was quickly assured by officials that the plant was in the process of being cleaned up.

Regional Chairman Renis Morian also noted that he was pleased with the support shown to the workers with the granting of tax-free overtime.

Guyanese robbed of opportunity...

I was on campus almost every day. I even spent five hours sitting outside of the DR's office; I was there until 6pm waiting. It was really, really frustrating,” she expressed.

In fact, Chanderballi noted that Leeds confirmed receipt of the transcript on August 22.

However, the University received no indication that she would be graduating and because of this outstanding document, she could not be granted the necessary British documentation.

Awarding degrees

After this experience, Chanderballi said she recognised that the problem was that UG awarded degrees to students too late.

“I wrote my last exam in May; however, the University doesn't award degrees until October or November, which is an ob-

vious setback because almost all courses start in September. That's almost five or more months from my last exam and three months from completing my project.

Even if they have to wait on all students to complete the courses, some consideration should be made for those of us who urgently need our degrees to be awarded,” she explained.

Chanderballi expressed hope that in moving forward, some system would be put in place to help students who face similar situations.

Accommodating

She also expressed gratitude to Leeds University for being so accommodating to her throughout all her problems with UG. “Leeds was so compassionate about all of this, they kept apologising to me!

Can you believe that? The University to which I in-

FROM PAGE 7

vested four years of my life doesn't care what happens to their students and here a foreign University was apologising for what UG had caused,” she related.

According to Chanderballi, Leeds was willing to allow her to register in October although the registration period ended in September.

But, because of the visa process, she still would not have been up to date.

Hope

UG Registrar Nigel Gravesande, when contacted, said he was unaware of the situation.

However, he maintained that his staff was student friendly and he was surprised that such events would transpire.

He pledged to meet with the student and investigate the matter with the hopes of providing some assistance.

news

11

thursday, september 1, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Annandale Secondary School fails to submit SBAs

… Education Ministry, CXC resolving matter – CEO ... students’ 6th Form, UG hopes in limbo By: Lorraine Ince-Carvalhal

Take a new outlook; get a new outcome

T

here are many people who unfortunately seem to thrive on thinking the worst, seeing the bad in situations and people, then waiting for the awful outcomes they “know” are coming. What thoughts go through their minds as they lay in bed at night or during quiet thinking time are probably not any that fill them with contentment.

This type of thinking is unlikely to breed any positivity for the person themselves or those around them.

There are other people who unconsciously or unwittingly find themselves always worrying about the worst that can happen, who find it hard to see the bright side of any situation, cannot seem to distance themselves from bad environments and feel powerless to change the negativity that appears to surround them. They do not revel in disappointment, but they expect it and accept it as the norm.

Either of these ways of thinking can be altered. People often do seek help in an effort to change, but in a day and age where we are bombarded by self-help strategies and books claiming to ‘fix your life in seven days’, websites offering a few miraculous steps to ‘thinking your way to a better future’, or other such instant implausible claims, you can be forgiven for being sceptical when you hear the words “positive thinking” and doubtful about how effective a thinking model can actually be.

The thing is, if a person seriously wants to evoke a positive change, positive thinking when utilised correctly has some amazing short- and long-term benefits. It is certainly true that it leads to noticing and creating opportunities, which in turn allows those to be made use of, culminating in more positive outcomes. Likewise, being negative focuses the mind on the bad events and reinforces irrational beliefs ending in more negative outcomes.So yes, the old adage of positivity breeding positivity and negativity breeding negativity has more than an underlying grain of truth running through.

One of the major reasons positive thinking fails to be of any genuine help or change is when people use it as a form of suppressing deeper negative beliefs. Pretending to be happy and jubilant on the outside while feeling pain or negativity on the inside is merely suppression and resolves very little.

The idea behind positive thinking does not negate the reality and experiences that we have which are negative. It allows us to accept them, but then to find a different way of thinking about things, a more positive thought process that directs us to a better outcome.

It is useful to remember that feelings, fears, and emotions all pass with time, especially if we refuse to dwell on them unnecessarily. Worrying about being worried, for example, only serves to maintain the state of worry. Accepting the worry, deciding on an appropriate time to resolve the issue when it can be looked at objectively, then letting it go for now until the more appropriate time, dissipates the worry.

Getting into the right mindset and away from woeful lamenting, avoiding idealistic wishes and being proactive with thoughts are key. Instead of the negative thought “I will never be successful”, and the unrealistic positive thought “All I have to do is think about being successful and it will come”, try thinking about the kind of success you want, a realistic way to get there and work towards achieving it with belief in yourself. A positive thought alone cannot bring success, but a realistic thought followed up by positive action can lead to real positive outcomes.

If we adopt this attitude and can maintain this outlook, we can end up having an encouraging effect on those around us. It can act as a powerful model for others when they experience the refreshing approach, especially for the younger generations.

Positive thinking for the future of what seems to be a greatly unmotivated youth population is vital. We do see stories of young people going out there and achieving great things despite the obstacles they face. Many times, it is a positive attitude and a belief in themselves that sets them apart and gives them the impetus to succeed. If we can foster this attitude in more of our children through coaching, teaching and parenting, we can help to support the next generation of happier, healthier, more effective people.

A

s many of the nation’s students who attained success at the 2016 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations are advancing their studies, others are at standstill.

Guyana Times was told of a situation at the Annandale Secondary School where several students were unable to obtain passes in certain subjects due to the school’s nonsubmission of School-Based Assessments (SBAs).

Parents of the affected students related to this publication that their children are especially disappointed since many were desirous of furthering their studies in Sixth Form and others at the University of Guyana (UG). Guyana Times was told that the school’s teachers had received the requisite training in sending the SBA grades online to the

Outgoing Chief Education Officer Olato Sam

Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), but nonetheless did not adhere to the deadline.

According to information reaching this publication, parents requested advocacy to end their children’s plight, but noted that the school’s management,

through its Headteacher, reportedly showed an unwillingness to write a letter to the Education Ministry at the said time.

Meanwhile, the parents had expressed hope that the situation would have been resolved in time for the students to attend classes at the higher level.

Outgoing Chief Education Officer Olato Sam on Wednesday confirmed the report of the school’s error, but related that the Education Ministry was currently working to have the matter sorted.

“The matter is being resolved; we are in direct contact with CXC trying to get it sorted,” Sam noted.

The CEO then declined to comment on the exact number of students who have been affected or if other schools had similar issues. He, however, stressed

that the Ministry was, at this point in time, unable to correct the matter as it fell within the preview of CXC. “We have to await CXC’s decision in the matter, it is not something that we alone can address,” Sam observed.

When the CSEC results were announced earlier this month, it was revealed that there was an overall pass rate of 64 percent between Grades One and Three across the Caribbean.

With regard to Guyana’s results, Chief Executive Officer (Nursery) Ingrid Trotman had disclosed that a significant improvement in English A was recorded, moving from a pass rate of 49.36 per cent in 2015 to 59.3 per cent. She had also noted that for Mathematics, a decline was registered with a 38.37 per cent pass rate compared to last year’s 45.07 per cent.

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Heritage Month Interfaith Service marred by controversial presentation

I

t was high drama on Wednesday evening when a Pandit made some startling remarks at the Heritage Month Interfaith Service, prompting the Adviser to the Indigenous Affairs Minister, Mervyn Williams to walk out, completely offended.

The Interfaith Prayer Service, which was held at the Amerindian Heritage Village in Sophia, is an annual event that ushers in the celebrations of Amerindian Heritage Month.

But this year’s event was far from traditional after Pandit Deodatt Tillack of the Shri Samayapuram Mariamma Temple took to the stage to offer his contributions to the service.

In examining this year’s theme “Our Culture, Earth’s Future – Save the Environment, Live the Indigenous Way”, Pandit Tillack declared to the amusement of sections of the audience that US oil giant ExxonMobil was here to rob the environment and that persons must beware.

Most shocking, however, was when he declared that the indigenous way is characterised by paedophilia.

“I was reliably informed that in Amerindians’ tradition and culture, and please I stand to be correct, that a girl as soon as she enters puberty, she must be equipped with these fundamental knowledge: she must know how to make the pepper-

is common that we are one people and that we should understand each other better. But in the particular matter that you refer to, I would prefer that the indigenous people speak for themselves,” the President stated.

Generally, Granger also urged that individuals should broaden their knowledge and learn to understand and appreciate the country’s diverse cultures, especially before speaking definitively on them.

“I think it was perhaps misinformation and perhaps the absence of some clarification led to this inappropriateness. I believe if one is going to speak to an issue, I believe it is in one’s best interest to seek clarification on all the details one requires before making the presentation,” he stated.

Moreover, Williams indicated that he strongly disagreed that the culture to which the Pandit alluded did not exist.

By Devina Samaroo

Respecting opinions

Pandit Deodatt Tillack

pot, the cassava bread and she must also know how to warm the bed…,” he stated.

At this point, a visibly upset Williams rose from his seat up in front and walked out of the benab.

Perhaps oblivious to the alarmed expressions on the faces of the audience, the Pandit went on to highlight that these practices were against the laws of the country.

“While they seem it is okay for you to get married at 12, or a 17-year-old boy to marry a 12-year-old girl; our Constitution speaks against that…and according to the criterion that meets the criteria of paedophilia is that the person has to be five years older than the victim,” he stated.

In wrapping up his speech, the Pandit charged that good qualities were the best garment, and urged everyone to decorate themselves with them.

Inappropriate

The Ministerial Adviser was standing outside the benab trying to comprehend what had just transpired when the media exited.

Approached for a comment on the matter, he told media operatives that the presentation was utterly inappropriate for the prayer service.

“I was extremely uncomfortable, because I believe this to be a very sacred occasion. It is invoking the blessings of God Almighty under whatever name you call him on this activity and I think there was a misconception of some issues, and I believe that those issues, having been misconceived, lead to an inappropriate presentation,” Williams explained.

He posited that the Pandit should have sought clarity ahead of the presentation.

Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock, when approached for a comment on the situation, simply noted that everyone has their own opinions.

“Everybody has an opinion and that’s their opinion.

For me personally, these things do happen. It’s a multiracial society and this is just one of those things to encourage dialogue,” he stated.

President’s take

Prompted for his position on the situation, President David Granger expressed that the indigenous people should speak

Prayers

Ministerial Adviser Mervyn Williams standing outside as the controversial presentation continued

for themselves regarding their cultural practices.

“I think every ethnic group has its own cultural and religious customs and rituals. It is my view that the best people to speak about their own cultures are the people themselves. Sometimes when we go outside of our cultural boundaries there be some practices which we won’t comprehend. I agree that it

The controversy aside, the Interfaith Service was marked by prayers and cultural presentations from a number of Amerindian groups and religious organisations.

Prayers were offered by the Hallejuah Group Tasserene, the Baha’i community, the Anglican Church, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, the Muslim community, and the Guyana Rastafarian Council.

Various groups also presented Arecuna, Akawaio, Patamona, Makushi, Wapishana and WaiWai prayers.

Taxi driver charged with careless driving

A

s Police seek to clamp down on drivers who are careless on the roadways, a taxi driver was on Wednesday charged with careless driving and appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Justin Court, 32, of Georgetown, pleaded guilty after the charge was read to him by Magistrate Judy Latchman.

The charge stated

that on August 26, 2016 at Thomas and Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Court drove his motor car without due care and attention thereby causing damage to another vehicle.

He explained that on the day in question, he was given the go-ahead by another driver to pass and while doing so another vehicle emerged from the opposite side, causing the collision.

The prosecution had no objection to bail; however, it noted that the defendant failed to stop thereby causing the other vehicle involved in the accident to suffer extensive damage.

A not-guilty plea was entered after his explanation to the court.

He was granted $60,000 bail and was scheduled to next appear on September 27, 2016.

NEWS

13

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Lack of reading, reasoning skills contributes to uptick in crime – Ramnarine

A

s the Police, through community relations initiatives, continue to work to reduce youth inactivity and crime, 71 students are now certified in technical areas by the Leonora Technical and Vocational Skill Training Centre.

This year’s batch received certificates in a number of areas, namely: data operations, general office administration, motor vehicle works, carpentry, electrical installation, welding and fabrication, metal work engineering and Information Technology.

At the award ceremony at the Vocational Centre on Tuesday, acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine praised the students for their outstanding achievements, cautioning that a lack of reading and reasoning skills has contributed to an uptick in crime.

He posited that one’s youth was the prime peri-

od during which one should capitalise on opportunities.

“If you can’t make the best of your opportunity and make the best of your youth, you will simply pass through life [as] a basin of water,” the acting Police Commissioner expressed.

He also appealed to parents, stating that they have “every responsibility” to ensure that their children attain an adequate education.

In his closing remarks, Ramnarine told the students that they should embrace a “positive attitude” in moving to their future paths.

“To become someone, that one in a million; to stand out [and] be a good example in your community, to your family and the country, you have to have a positive attitude… you will be on the path of becoming a better person [in] equipping yourself to make a better contribution [to society],” the Acting Commissioner

Local orchestras to benefit from expertise of 2 maestros

M

embers of the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force, the National Steel Orchestra and various choir directors will be able to improve their techniques and skills in the field of music.

In addition, band members of a number of national orchestras are set to benefit from a 10-day workshop aimed at developing their level of musical productions and performances.

This announcement was made by the administra-

Steel Orchestra, Guyana Defence Force, various drumming groups, string quartet and the Woodside Choir.”

Maestro Robert, in briefing the press after his introduction, said: “I think it will be interesting just to look back at the genesis of this project and how this came about. I got a phone call in January last year from the head of the EU Delegation here. I know him from a project that I was involved in Mexico where he worked at the Irish Embassy and

Maestros Houlihan Robert (left) and Adelino Mota share a light moment with National School of Music Administrator Andrew Tyndall

tor for the National School of Music, Andrew Tyndall as he introduced Maestros Houlihan Robert and Adelino Mota of Portugal, who will be facilitating the workshop.

The two experts will be conducting sessions focusing on orchestral conducting and directing music bands among other areas of music.

Tyndall explained, “What we will be having over the next 10 days is a combination of workshops which will culminate with a concert on the 10th of September.”

The concert will be held at the National Cultural Centre and the group that will be working with the two maestros will showcase some of their new skills.

Tyndall added, “We will be playing a repertoire of music, including Guyanese music, as well as music from other parts of the world, (which) include performances from the Guyana Police Force Band and from a mixed orchestra comprising members of the National

we put together a concert of only Irish music. Since then we stayed in contact, but this idea came up when he was talking with Yvonne Cole about it and said I think I know the person who will be able to put something like this together.”

This workshop is the fulfilment of a commitment by the European Union to make a contribution to Guyana’s 50th Golden Jubilee Anniversary.

“We are very grateful to the European Union. This would not have been possible without their support. This is their contribution to Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary, so we are very thankful for that,” Tyndall added.

It is expected that at the end of the workshop, local conductors will be better able to execute the duties of their position which will result in better performances.

The two maestros have been to several countries, facilitating orchestral conducting sessions.

Metal Work Engineering student Annette Sumbir receives the Best Graduating Student Prize from Acting Police Commissioner David Ramnarine (Dexter Ceres photo)

encouraged.

Meanwhile, Commander Stephen Mansell, who initiated the technical and vocational programme in the region, noted that it was part of the Community Relations Programme that enlisted

requisite stakeholders to reduce crime. These stakeholders include the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), the business community and members of the public.

“Our intention is to transform Region Three

through community relations,” he stated, and observed that Amerindian communities, like Bonasika, and others should continue to benefit from the initiatives. Mansell also expressed the view that the work of the Leonora institute has aided in reducing the number of youth “hanging out on the street”.

Principal of the Training Centre, Eon Nickelson, posited that the programme, which started in 2015, was established to give youths in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) the necessary training to “add to Guyana”. Although the number of graduates this year declined from last year’s figure of 94 to 71, the Principal pointed that enrolment for the next aca-

demic year was encouraging.

This year’s outstanding students included Rannie Martin in the motor vehicle works programme, Tyrese Trats in carpentry and Kerry Sookra in welding and fabrication. Annette Sumbir was adjudged Best Graduating Student, as well as Best Performing Metal Work Engineering Student.

The centre caters to students in the Region Three area, and the programme is collaboration between the Education Ministry and Guyana Police Force D Division (West DemeraraEast Bank Essequibo). This year’s graduating class ranged from ages 16-21.

Additionally, mature students also enrolled in some programmes.

14

guyana-times.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

News

Brazil’s President removed from office Businesswoman shot in face during foiled robbery B

B

andits opened fire on a Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) businesswoman on Wednesday evening during a foiled robbery.

Reports are that 56-yearold Gomattie Ramrattan was shot to the face by two masked gunmen. This newspaper was told that the gunmen attempted to force their way into the woman’s Seventh Street, Diamond, EBD home, but their efforts were thwarted after she managed to close a grill door leading to the premises.

Guyana Times was

Shot businesswoman: Gomattie Ramrattan

told that before falling unconscious at the hospital, Ramrattan disclosed to her sister that she was about to close her back door when the men jumped the fence. She related that she managed to close the grill door and one of the men shot her after realising that they could not enter the house.

The mother of two, who owns a shop in the area, was rushed to Diamond Diagnostic Centre and later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Police have since launched an investigation.

1 killed in Pomeroon boat collision

O

ne man is dead while two others are severely injured following a two-boat collision in the vicinity of Grant, Lower Pomeroon River, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

Dead is Ryan DeFreitas, 28, of Lower Pomeroon, who suffered the brunt of the impact.

The two injured persons were identified as Kenneth Garraway, called "Scar Face", 52, of Charity New Housing Scheme, Essequibo and Civil Abdul, 55, of Mabaruma, North West District.

According to information received, Garraway was captaining a wooden boat powered by a 200 hp Yamaha outboard engine and was heading to Port Kaituma,

Dead: Ryan DeFreitas

while Abdul was steering a similar boat powered by a similar type of engine and was heading to Charity, Essequibo Coast.

While information remains sketchy, Essequibo Divisional Commander

Ravindradat Budhram confirmed that the boat accident did occur, but he was not in possession of any information about it being fatal. He noted that the two injured men were rushed to the Suddie Hospital where they were admitted and are being treated for several bodily injuries.

However, a close friend of the deceased told Guyana Times that he was a passenger in one of the boats that were involved in the collision and was tossed out of the boat following the collision.

DeFreitas’ body was later recovered and taken to the Suddie Hospital Mortuary to await a post-mortem examination. The Police have launched an investigation.

Landmark US commercial flight lands in Cuba A US commercial flight has arrived in Cuba for the first time in more than half a century.

JetBlue Flight 387 had 150 passengers, including US Transport Secretary Anthony Foxx.

The plane took off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at 09:45 EDT (13:45 GMT) and landed in Santa Clara in central Cuba about an hour later.

The flight marks the latest development between US and Cuba since they restored diplomatic ties in December 2014.

The last time an American airline flew scheduled service to Cuba was more than 50 years ago on a propeller plane, according to Marty St George, the Executive Vice President of JetBlue.

To commemorate the occasion, the plane received a water cannon salute, which traditionally marks a special occasion for a ship or aircraft.

Since the US thawed relations with Cuba,

razil’s Senate has voted to remove President Dilma Rousseff from office for manipulating the budget.

It puts an end to the 13 years in power of her left-wing Workers’ Party. Rousseff had denied the charges.

Sixty-one senators voted in favour of her impeachment and 20 against, meeting the two-thirds majority needed to remove her from the presidency.

Michel Temer has been sworn in as President and will serve out Rousseff’s term until January 1, 2019.

The centre-right PMDB party politician had been serving as acting President during the impeachment proceedings.

Rousseff did win one battle on Wednesday – a Senate vote on banning her from public office for eight years failed to pass, meaning she could in theory return to politics.

Pledging to appeal against her impeachment, she told her supporters: “Right now, I will not say goodbye to you. I am certain I can say: ‘See you soon.’”

She added: “They have convicted an innocent person and carried out a parliamentary coup.” Venezuela’s leftist Government reacted to the vote by removing its Ambassador and freezing relations with Brazil.

Rousseff was suspended in May after the Senate voted to go ahead with the impeachment process. She was accused of moving funds between Government budgets, which is illegal under Brazilian law.

Her critics said she was trying to plug deficit holes in popular social programmes to boost her chances of being re-elected for a second term in October 2014.

Rousseff fought the allegations, arguing that her right-wing political rivals had been trying to remove her from office ever since she was re-elected.

Pledging to appeal against her impeachment, Dilma Rousseff told her supporters: “Right now, I will not say goodbye to you. I am certain I can say: ‘See you soon’

She said that she was being ousted because she had allowed a wide-ranging corruption investigation to go ahead, which resulted in many high-profile politicians being charged. But Senators who voted in favour of her impeachment said it was Rousseff and the Workers’ Party who were corrupt and needed to go.

Brazilians have been divided on the issue, with many expressing their support and loyalty to Rousseff while others have taken part in large demonstrations demanding that she stand down.

But there have also been marches by critics of Rousseff, who claim her Government is dead. Temer has promised to boost Brazil’s economy, which is going through its longest and deepest recession in the past quarter of a century. His critics have already warned that he plans to cut many of the popular social programmes introduced by the Workers’ Party. (BBC News)

Antigua: Opposition Leader convinces PM to delay CCJ referendum

W

ill Antigua and Barbuda ditch the UK Privy Council and replace it with Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the country’s final criminal and civil appeals court? That question won’t be answered until early next year – months after Prime Minister Gaston Browne wanted it to be.

After initially announcing in Parliament Monday that October 27 this year would be the date for a referendum on the issue, Browne heeded an appeal from Opposition Leader Baldwin Spencer to

push back the vote. It will now be held by March 2017.

Spencer, who preceded Browne as Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister, had argued that more time was needed to convince citizens that the Trinidad-based CCJ was the better option for the twin-island nation.

He warned that if the vote was rushed, the answer might not be what Government was hoping for, and insisted that a public education campaign which began in March should continue a bit longer.

A two-thirds majority

“yes” vote in the referendum is required for the switch to the CCJ. “I would like to move to the CCJ tomorrow,” said Spencer, who reaffirmed his support for the move. “But you have to have the people with you, and if you’re setting mechanisms in place, consulting, and getting the people on board, you need time,” he added, warning that if the public’s perception was that the Government was “pushing the question down the throat of the people” those opposed to the CCJ would only “harden their positions”.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Trinidad and Tobago celebrates 54th Anniversary of Independence

T Destination Cuba: Tourists board the first scheduled flight from the US in decades

Embassies have been reopened in Washington and Havana, President Barack Obama visited the country and a US cruise ship sailed to the island nation in May. The Obama Administration has approved 10 US-based airlines for regular passenger jet service to Cuba, offering as many as 110 daily flights.

The approved airlines include: American Airlines,

Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country and United Airlines.

Tourism to Cuba is still banned in the US, but the Obama Administration eased rules last year to make it easier for Americans to access the long-isolated nation under 12 categories of “authorised travel.” (BBC News)

he oil-rich Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago celebrated its 54th Anniversary of Independence Wednesday.

And in a congratulatory message to the Government and people of the twin-island republic, Caricom Secretary General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque thanked the country for its economic success that has benefited the entire Region.

“Having been a founding member of the Community, Trinidad and Tobago has made and continues to make significant contributions to the promotion of regional integration. Caricom benefits from the leadership on energy and security issues for

which you, Prime Minister, have portfolio responsibilities in the Quasi Cabinet of the Conference of Heads of Government,” he said.

“The Community looks forward to Trinidad and Tobago’s continued support for and commitment to the integration process as your country and the Region progress on the path to sustainable development.”

Ambassador LaRocque added that the country’s achievements in various fields, including sports and culture, have served to make its people “justly proud”.

Meantime, in his first Independence message since becoming Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley said he was con-

vinced Trinidad and Tobago’s future was bright, despite the current economic challenges.

“We are all aware of the fall in oil and gas prices, the resources upon which our country is heavily dependent for needed revenue. We find ourselves at a crucial point in our development when we are being asked to make some tough choices,” he said.

However, he added: “Our capacity for innovation, our understanding of international events, our creativity and our characteristic sense of humour will triumph over any adversity we may face.

I have faith in our ability to rise to the task of building a better Trinidad and Tobago.”(Caribbean360)

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

guyana-times.com

Around the World

Gabon's President Bongo re-elected, Parliament set on fire

G

abon's President Bongo re-elected, Parliament set on

fire Demonstrators in Gabon clashed with Police and set part of the Parliament building on fire on Wednesday amid anger among Opposition supporters over President Ali Bongo's re-election in polls that his main rival, Jean Ping, claimed to have won.

Opposition members of the Central African oil producer's electoral commission rejected Saturday's firstpast-the-post election result, which would see the Bongo family's nearly half-century in power extended another seven years.

France, the United States, and the European Union all urged calm on Wednesday and called upon Gabonese authorities to release the results of individual polling stations for greater transparency.

Bongo won 49.80 per cent of votes, compared to

Cabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba

48.23 per cent for Ping, with a turnout of 59.46 per cent, according to results announced region by region by Interior Minister Pacome Moubelet Boubeya.

"This victory by such a tight score obliges ... each of us to respect the verdict of

the ballot box and our institutions," Bongo said in the text of a victory speech distributed to reporters.

"Our country is advancing and that advance must take place with the unity and peace so dear to the Gabonese people."

Soon after the result was announced on Stateowned television, riot Police fired teargas in clashes with around 100 Opposition supporters in one neighbourhood in the capital Libreville, according to a Reuters witness.

Police and soldiers, meanwhile, were stationed at most crossroads and petrol stations.

Several Libreville residents said social media, including Facebook and Twitter, were no longer functioning.

Gabon's main cities had been on edge since Tuesday, with residents stockpiling food ahead of the expected announcement, which was later postponed by one day.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Alzheimer's drug study gives “tantalising” results

A

drug that destroys the characteristic protein plaques that build up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's is showing "tantalising" promise, scientists say.

Experts are cautious because the drug, Aducanumab, is still in the early stages of development.

But a study in Nature has shown it is safe and hinted that it halts memory decline.

Larger studies are now under way to fully evaluate the drug's effects.

The build-up of amyloid in the brain has been a treatment target for many

years.

This study, of 165 patients, was designed to test Aducanumab was safe to take.

After a year of treatment, it also showed the higher the dose the stronger the effect on amyloid plaques.

The researchers then carried out tests on memory and found "positive effects".

However, 40 people dropped out of the study, half because of side effects they experienced, such as headaches. These too were much more common with a higher dosage.

The next phase of research – phase 3 – involves

two separate studies. These are recruiting 2700 patients with very early stage Alzheimer's across North America, Europe and Asia in order to fully test the drug's effect on cognitive decline.

Dr Alfred Sandrock of the biotech company Biogen, which worked with the University of Zurich on the research, said: "Phase 3 really needs to be done and I hope it will confirm what we have seen in this study.

"One day I could envisage treating people who have no symptoms because if you have amyloid in the brain it's likely you'll develop Alzheimer's one day."

US election 2016: Trump starts Mexico visit

U

S Republican candidate Donald Trump has arrived in Mexico to meet President Enrique Pena Nieto.

The trip is contentious as during his campaign Trump has branded Mexican migrants "rapists" and "murderers", and vowed to build a wall along the border.

He will face protests on his visit, with ex-President Vicente Fox among those saying he was not welcome.

Trump will later fly to Phoenix, Arizona, to deliver a key speech on measures to tackle illegal immigration.

The Republican has seen his poll ratings slip since the party conventions last

month.

Both nationally and in key states, he trails Hillary Clinton, who enjoys particularly strong support among minorities.

Trump tweeted that he was looking forward to meeting President Pena Nieto.

Pena Nieto has invited both US candidates to visit, but has faced criticism at home over Trump.

Vicente Fox told CNN: "We don't like him. We don't want him. We reject his visit."

Former First Lady Margarita Zavala tweeted: "We Mexicans have dignity, and we reject your hate speech."

T

Usual protocol in the House of Representatives in Canberra was relaxed to allow a woman from Burney's Wiradjuri clan to sing a welcome from the public gallery.

Referring to her people, she promised to bring the Wiradjuri fighting spirit into federal parliament.

"I was born at a time when the Australian Government knew how many sheep there were but not how many Aboriginal people," the former schoolteacher told the House.

"I was 10 years old before the '67 referendum fixed that. The first decade of my

A

n American woman held in China since last year has been charged with espionage, according to China's Foreign Ministry.

Sandy Phan-Gillis, 56, was first detained in March 2015 while in China as part of a US trade delegation.

Her husband, Jeff Gillis, said the charges were "absolutely false" and called for her release.

The news comes ahead of President Barack Obama's visit to China for a G20 summit in Hangzhou.

The President is scheduled to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Saturday amid heightened tensions between the US

and China over Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea as well as cyber hacking.

Phan-Gillis, a Texan businesswoman who is of Chinese ancestry and is a naturalised US citizen, travelled to China to promote business opportunities in her hometown of Houston.

She was detained while trying to travel to Macau from the southern city of Zhuhai.

In June, a UN panel ruled that China had violated international human rights by denying her access to legal assistance and holding her without bringing her before judicial authorities.

A State Department offi-

from BBC News)

(Excerpt from BBC News)

cial told Reuters the US remains "deeply concerned" about Phan-Gillis and has "repeatedly pressed" Chinese authorities to provide more information on the case.

The US consulate in Guangzhou has provided consular assistance to Phan-Gillis, which includes monthly visits, according to the State Department official.

Gillis said his wife was accused of travelling to China on a spy mission in 1996, but her passport shows that she did not make a trip to the country during that period of time. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

Rajoy denied second term as Spanish Prime Minister

(Excerpt from BBC News)

life was spent as a non-citizen."

A Labour MP, Burney will represent the New South Wales seat of Barton.

She said that calls by some Senators to amend the Racial Discrimination Act showed a lack of sincerity that was "hurtful".

Ms Burney made history in 2003 when she became the first indigenous MP elected to the Parliament of New South Wales, Australia's most populous state.

She said at the time that she hoped her election was part of a trend towards greater inclusion in Australian political life. (Excerpt

At least two demonstrations are planned in Mexico City.

But Pena Nieto said: "I believe in dialogue to protect Mexican interests in the world and, principally, to protect Mexicans wherever they are."

Pena Nieto has previously accused Trump of hurting US-Mexico relations and compared the Republican's rhetoric to that of German Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Trump has threatened to stop cash sent home by Mexicans based in the US until the country pays for the wall he intends to build.

US woman charged with spying in China

Australia’s 1st Aboriginal MP vows to fight for change

he first Aboriginal woman elected to Australia's lower House of Parliament has promised to bring the "fighting spirit of her clan" to political life.

In her maiden speech, Linda Burney wore a traditional kangaroo-skin cloak with her personal totem, the white cockatoo, known as the noisy messenger bird.

She lambasted calls for the Racial Discrimination Act to be watered down.

She warned that indigenous Australians still suffered disproportionately high rates of poverty and illhealth.

15

The failure by Mariano Rajoy to secure a second term paves the way for a third election within a year

S

pain's acting Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, has lost a parliamentary bid for a second term in office.

The failure to secure the position deepens the country's political crisis after two inconclusive elections.

Rajoy, leader of the conservative Popular Party (PP), secured the backing of

170 representatives in the 350-strong assembly after failing to win support from the Opposition.

The loss increases the likelihood of a third election within a year.

Rajoy, 61, needed a majority of at least 176 votes in Parliament, but secured only the votes of the PP's 137 lawmakers with the

backing of 33 others.

Those who voted in favour of a second term for Rajoy include the anti-corruption Ciudadanos (Citizens) party and a small party from the Canary Islands.

The Socialists, antiausterity alliance Unidos Podemos, and regional parties from the Basque Country and Catalonia voted against him.

Rajoy could still become Prime Minister in a second vote on Friday, in which a simple majority is needed.

But this would require one or more of the other parties to abstain.

Rajoy came to power in 2011 and is credited with steering Spain back from the brink of economic meltdown with harsh doses of austerity.

But unemployment remained stubbornly high and the PP got mired in a corruption scandal. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

16

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

Iris Calistro: The Real Thing

H

appiness that’s how cultural entrepreneur Iris Elise Calistro defines success and it permeates her voice. “I’m a happy lady,” she laughs.

Calistro, who hails from Macaseema, a satellite village of Kabakaburi in the Upper Pomeroon, started The Real Thing – which sells indigenous crafts and food she and her family produce, as well as source from other persons – in 2011 after receiving an invitation to the Heritage Exhibition. “I gathered the craft from the young people and brought it to Georgetown,” she recalled.

A woman of many talents, Calistro said she turned to the craft business after things got hard at the 20-acre farming cooperative she and 13 other women operated that Viola Burnham, her dream mentor, helped get started. “We started with corn,” she reminisced, and then planted blackeyed peas, watermelon, etc.

Calistro, who was always set on being her own boss, in her quest for self-sufficiency also owned a grocery shop, but the proud AmerindianGuyanese has always been creative. A skilled seamstress, she has to her cred-

it, among numerous outfits, many costumes and three wedding dresses. With maternal pride spilling over, she recounted how she made three beautiful costumes, including one of knitted cotton twine, for her youngest who was selected to represent the village at the Miss Amerindian Heritage competition.

“Even now, she quarrel with me since I sold her cotton costume and tell me I have to make it again,” she chuckles ruefully. Nonetheless, her children have all been very supportive of their mom and the business, assisting her in making some of the items.

Calistro, who divides her time between her home village and her residence in Supply, East Bank Demerara, collects most of the raw materials she uses to make her hammocks, clay figures, tibisri and coconut fibre crafts much as her ancestors did – in the Pomeroon, with the help of her grandchildren. The evocative designs come from her rich imagination. “Like a dream… I see it [the completed item] in front of me…

Sometimes when I travel in the bus, I see it in front of me and when I get home, I

draw the design.” Fashion designer Sonia Noel has also been a big influence on her.

As for the products she sources from other persons, after some members of the youth group died and others moved away, Calistro decided to change her business model and purchase the craft items, paying producers for their work up front and taking all of the risk herself. “And if I fail, I fail.”

“Go 100 per cent, not half and half,” she urged persons who want to open their own businesses. The most important trait of entrepreneurs is knowing what you want, added Calistro, who has persevered in her entrepreneurial dreams through married life and raising nine children. “Business is 50-50, sometimes up, sometimes down.” That is particularly true for ventures like The Real Thing; problems obtaining some raw materials compound the issue.

September, Heritage Month, is Calistro’s best month as demand for her products is at its highest.

After stressing the importance of bookkeeping to business survival, she said loans and technical training were needed to help entrepreneurs succeed. The ultimate goal for the jovial indigenous craft and food maven, who enjoys working in many mediums, is sustainability.

She hopes her story inspires indigenous persons to be independent and chase after their dreams.

The Real Thing will be at the Heritage Village, Sophia Exhibition Site, with its products on show, including the bestselling cassava bread and cassareep.

Contact: Macaseema Kabakaburi, Upper Pomeroon River/17 Public Road, Supply, East Bank Demerara I 266-5828/6100335/674-3606

Market statistics Cambio Rates

Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Bank of Guyana Cur

Buying

Selling

GBP

$ 270.52

$273.95

CAN

$157.23

$159.05

USD

$205.98

$208.44

EURO

$ 229.22

$232.16

Calculated at 94% purity, August 31, 2016

USD

$1314.45

Gross

$253,813

Net

$236,047

Indicators as on August 31, 2016 Indicators Crude Oil

Price

US$ per barrel $47.04

USD

Change % -2.83

Change %

Rough Rice

$204.71/ton

+0.11

London Sugar

$537.50/ton

0.00

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1310.10

$1311.10

Low/High

$1303.70

$1316.90

Change

+1.60

+0.12%

Business Concept – Business Support Organisations Business Support Organisations (BSO) are those entities dedicated to supporting the creation and growth of businesses. BSOs come in many shapes and sizes and include: business incubators, innovation centres, accelerators, coworking spaces, living labs, chambers of commerce and industry, and business centres. (ebn.eu.com)

GCCI: Be part of Guyana’s oldest and most recognisable business network!

T

he Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) says it is often asked by businesses “Why is it important to become a member of the GCCI?” The answer is, you will have instant Chamber credibility, which is an effective business strategy overall; effective for communicating to consumers that your company uses good business practices and for communicating that your business is reputable, a release from the Chamber’s Membership Officer Wayne Seecharan informed. If your company shows that it is highly involved in the Chamber, established in 1889, consumers are more likely to think that its products stack up better against your competition.

Furthermore, as a member you will have invaluable opportunities to network with other businesses which will allow you to meet with other business leaders, recruit new customers, and

establish your desire to help create a prosperous business community.

Seecharan added that the investment through the GCCI will leave you with no regret, so be part of Guyana’s

oldest and most recognisable business network: It will open up your business to a plethora of options.

Membership Types Ordinary Member – Large, Medium, Small and Micro Business Enterprises and individuals who are resident and carrying on business in Guyana.

Associate Member – Not for profit, business support organisations and other civil society organisations carrying on business in Guyana.

Non-Resident Member – any corporate or unincorporated body incorporated or formed in a country other than Guyana and not carrying on a business in Guyana.

Honorary Member – Persons distinguished in statesmanship, diplomacy, commerce industry or finance.

The categories of membership as an ‘Ordinary Member’ are as follows: I Category A – Corporations and firms II Category B – Large businesses III Category C – Medium-size enterprises IV Category D – Small businesses Contact info: 156 Waterloo Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown I 226-3519/2276441I Website: www.gcci.gy

Business News

Nigerian economy slips into recession

N

igeria has slipped into recession, with the latest growth figures showing the economy contracted 2.06 per cent between April and June.

The country has now seen two consecutive quarters of declining growth, the usual definition of recession.

Its vital oil indus-

try has been hit by weaker global prices, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

But the Government says there has been strong growth in other sectors.

Crude oil sales account for 70 per cent of Government income.

The price of oil has fallen from highs of about US$112

a barrel in 2014 to below US$50 at the moment.

Outside the oil industry, the figures show the fall in the Nigerian currency, the naira, has hurt the economy. It was allowed to float freely in June to help kickstart the economy, but critics argued it should have been done earlier. (BBC News)

Investors’ Guide

Energy drags Wall St lower; S&P down slightly in August

S

tocks ended lower on Wall Street on Wednesday, as energy shares tracked oil prices lower, and the S&P posted a loss for August, the first negative month for the benchmark index since February.

The Nasdaq gained one per cent in August and the S&P shed 0.1 per cent, speaking to stocks' resiliency after the S&P hit an all-time high midmonth. It ended Wednesday within one per cent of its record close.

The energy sector of the S&P 500 ended 1.4 per cent lower on Wednesday, its largest daily decline in three weeks, as US crude futures fell more than three per cent.

Data earlier showed the Private Sector created 177,000 jobs in August, in line with expectations, and contracts to buy previously owned homes surged in July, suggesting the economy was regaining sufficient momentum for the Federal Reserve to raise

interest rates this year.

The strong numbers sharpened the focus on Friday's payrolls report.

"If we get another strong number, that's going to tell you the (Fed) has to raise rates in September all things being equal," said Kim Forrest, senior equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh. "They telegraphed this in the last week, explicitly."

Strong economic data and comment from central bank officials have increased bets that the Fed will raise rates at least once before the end of the year. This has created a shift in stock market leadership, away from defensive, high-yielding sectors and into cyclicals like industrials and technology.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 53.42 points, or 0.29 per cent, to 18,400.88, the S&P 500 lost 5.17 points, or 0.24 per cent, to 2170.95 and the Nasdaq Composite

dropped 9.77 points, or 0.19 per cent, to 5213.22.

About 6.82 billion shares changed hands in US exchanges, compared with the 5.98 billion daily average over the last 20 sessions.

Palo Alto Networks dropped 7.2 per cent to US$133.17 after the cyber security firm late on Tuesday forecast current-quarter profit and revenue below analysts' estimates.

H&R Block Inc was the top percentage loser on the S&P 500, falling 10.5 per cent after the US tax preparer reported quarterly revenue that missed analysts' expectations by a large margin.

Declining issues outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by a 1.69-to-1 ratio; on the Nasdaq, a 1.73to-1 ratio favoured decliners.

The S&P 500 posted 14 new 52-week highs and two new lows; the Nasdaq Composite recorded 103 new highs and 22 new lows. (Reuters)

17

NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Jags Aviation to build Guyanese to participate in President Obama’s youth programme US$3.5M hangar

W

ith major plans in the pipeline to expand its services beyond Guyana, Jags Aviation Incorporated has invested some US$3.5 million to construct a hangar at the Eugene F Correia International Airport in Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The sod turning ceremony for the modern multimillion-dollar aircraft facility was done on Tuesday at Ogle by Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and Alana Tiwarie, Executive of BK International, the company which took over Jags Aviation in 2014.

The new hangar will be constructed at the southern end of the airport, which facilitates mainly domestic and regional flights in and out of the country. The hangar will contain state-of-the-art conveniences necessary for the maintenance and protection of the company’s fleet of five aircraft.

It was disclosed that company officials are preparing to travel to Miami to take possession of a new aircraft to add to the fleet, with the hopes of expanding Jags’ services to Caribbean destinations. At its establishment, Jags Aviation was given Cabinet’s approval to acquire as many as 15 aircraft, including a helicopter.

Owner of BK International, Brian Tiwarie, told media operatives at the sod turning ceremony that his company has been breaking new ground in the local aviation sector over the past two years and he was confident that this trend would continue.

Judason Bess

Dason Anthony

Shaunda Yarde

our young Guyanese leaders have been selected to participate in President Barack Obama’s 2016 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellows Programme in the United States later this year.

The initiative will see some 250 young leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean travelling to the United States for an exchange programme that will involve internships and skills-building workshops. The programme will begin on October 5 in Dallas, Texas, and culminate with a summit in Washington, DC, in early November. The US President launched YLAI to build linkages between young leaders across the hemisphere and to expand opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs and civil society leaders.

Over the five-week programme, the participants will learn and share their experiences in start-ups, small businesses, Non-Governmental Organisations, and similar entities in cities throughout the United States and in partnership with community groups and American universities.

The participants will further develop their business or

social venture plans through an entrepreneurship curriculum and workshops, and by working alongside their American counterparts.

The 2016 YLAI Professional Fellows selection team received nearly 4000 applications. The 250 selected business and social entrepreneurs represent 35 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean and have demonstrated the energy of this generation to build stronger, more prosperous, and more secure communities throughout the hemisphere.

Their areas of interest include agriculture, clean energy, consulting, e-commerce, education, entrepreneurship development and support, food and beverage, food security, health care, hospitality, LGBTI rights, marketing and branding, mobile applications, and women and youth empowerment.

Among the Guyanese participants are: Dason Anthony, one of the owners of 592 Dresses, founded in July of last year. 592 Dresses assists boutiques and local designers to sell, market and advertise their products through its online marketplace. Judason Bess, the co-owner and man-

ager of The Farmacy, which focuses on making agriculture and food production more sustainable.

The third person is Abbigale Loncke, who has spent most of her adult life helping those in need with the creation of Community Health Care – an agency that delivers health care for the elderly, sick, disabled and children in the comfort of their homes.

She also conducts training for women who are in need of employment and second chances to take up roles as caregivers. The final person is Shaunda Yarde, who founded Coconut Grove with her grandmother's recipe in 2013; she uses fresh local ingredients to make a culturally rooted product, Golden Crunch Coconut Biscuits.

The biscuits were part of Moray House’s 2015 Christmas Parcel and Guyana's 2016 Golden Jubilee welcome package. YLAI, one of four programmes within the Young Leaders Initiatives, is part of President Obama’s commitment to empowering young people around the world to ensure they have the tools, skills and networks to tackle our shared global challenges.

F

Owner of BK International, Brian Tiwarie; his daughter, Alana and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon at the site of Jags’ Aviation hangar “We think that we can ing with President (David) make a big input into the avi- Granger’s commitment to enation sector. We are just over sure that we have a quality a year old and we already ac- service provided to our hinterquired five aircraft,” he point- land,” he stated.

The Minister noted that ed out.

The local business tycoon traffic to the hinterland has went on to say that his com- increased significantly; hence, pany was not competing with the need for improved servicthe other operators, but was es. operating on a level of its own.

“This development here “We are buying aircraft is going to improve the qualactually, totally different ity of service provided here… from the other operators and the hinterland is the heart that’s costing us a lot more and lungs of Guyana and to because have to train people the extent to which we can more. Only last week, we just provide quality service to the had two trainers here from hinterland, it is to that exPoland,” Tiwarie stated. tent that Guyana will develop Meanwhile, Minister and develop rapidly,” Harmon Harmon welcomed the invest- stated. ment and lauded the compaJags’ Aviation is currently ny for contributing to the de- housed in the Guyana Sugar velopment of the Eugene F Corporation (GuySuCo) hanCorreia International Airport, gar. As such, the company which has undergone mas- has assured that it would sive transformation over the be returning the favour and years. would be offering space at its “We have seen a lot of de- new state-of-the-art hangar velopment taking place here to small carriers operating at at Ogle and it is in keep- the airport.

AG hints at plans to split SOCU from Police – observers question “ulterior motive”

E

yebrows are being raised over a recent indication by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams that the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) could very well be separated from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) despite his Cabinet colleague, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan’s recent announcement that the Unit would be governed by the Standing Orders of the Force and its head would report to the Police Commissioner.

Williams, during a Tuesday morning press conference at his Chambers, said that he sought to assure that Government would ensure SOCU did only what it was established to do, that is fight financial crimes in keeping with globally-established Anti-Money Laundering and Countering of Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) laws, which Guyana also enacted.

The AG said although the Unit was under the purview of the Public Security Ministry, it was a creature of the country’s AML/CFT laws and, therefore, it should not be considered to be performing Police work.

“It is important for us, because SOCU has been very

busy, very up and about and it’s very important for it to perform its core functions related to AML/CFT and not be burdened with other Police work. Because we don’t want to be accused of doing other things… or that it is an attempt for us to stymie the operations of the agency and strain any progress,” he told the press.

SOCU independent

Williams said that the idea was to have SOCU operate in a similar manner to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), as a specialised agency.

“So SOCU is a specialised agency and we have to work out – nothing has come to Cabinet yet – to determine its core. Being in the FATF [Financial Action Task Force] world, CFATF world, the impression I have is that SOCU really is to be independent, just like in the manner of CANU. Right now, it is embedded in the Police Force and we have to look at that entire arrangement,” Williams said.

SOCU was established in 2013 as a law enforcement agency to investigate, exclusively, allegations and reports relating to money laun-

SOCU

dering and terrorism as part of Guyana’s international obligations to strengthen its AML/CFT apparatus and only recently, Ramjattan declared that the protocols for SOCU were embedded in the rules of the GPF. As a matter of fact, he had stated that the protocols would be numbered 54 (a) of the Standing Orders of the GPF. Ever since its establishment, the Unit was placed under the Police Commissioner and was expected to have a strong working relationship with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

It is for these reasons observers are now questioning the real reason behind the movement of the Unit from under the GPF and whether the body will now be used to fulfil “narrow political inter-

ests”.

Witch hunting

In July 2016, the Office of the Leader of the Opposition accused the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government of using SOCU for the witch hunting of People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) members.

In a statement, it said that SOCU, which was created to investigate money laundering and the financing of terrorism under the AML/CFT Act, had been transformed into the operational arm being used to target PPP/C officials.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo noted that his office was “aware” of the existence of a “list” containing the names of political leaders of the PPP/ C and

non- PPP/C individuals who were to be targeted by SOCU. This list originated from no other than the Ministry of the Presidency.

It is important to note that $40 million was budgeted for SOCU under the Ministry of the Presidency 2016 Budget, which had already raised a number of suspicions in the National Assembly, prompting PPP/C Member of Parliament (MP) Juan Edghill to ask why SOCU, which was established under the Guyana Police Force, was funded under the Ministry of the Presidency’s Defence and National Security programme.

At the time, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, in response, told the House that it was a temporary arrangement. SOCU has been under heavy scrutiny from the political Opposition and rights groups after a botched operation on December 30, 2015, involving a high-speed chase down Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, which left three persons dead – GDF Sergeant Robert Pyle; his wife, Stacy, and the driver of a Canter truck, Linden Eastman.

Sergeant Pyle and a team from SOCU were supposed to have been con-

ducting surveillance on the home of the former Head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Winston Brassington at Cowan Street, Kingston, Georgetown. They became engaged in the highspeed chase down Carifesta Avenue with a vehicle occupied by Opposition parliamentarian Charles Ramson Jr; his wife, Alana Seebarran, and her brother.

During the chase, Pyle slammed into the truck that was travelling in the opposite direction, resulting in the deaths.

While the GDF claimed Pyle had been on an official operation, there were reports that he was never instructed to get involved in any chase.

The Government has since refused to launch a Commission of Inquiry into the incident, prompting condemnation from politicians and rights groups. SOCU has also been involved in a number of financial probes and has seized millions of dollars in cash and jewellery as part of its investigations.

However, at least one of the seizures involving jewellery at a local airport has since attracted a multimillion-dollar lawsuit.

18

guyana-times.com

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

ARCHIE

Look at change as an opportunity. Adjusting to what’s (March 21- happening around you will alApril 19) low you to see the positive aspects of the situation and take advantage of the benefits.

ARIES

Socialising with peers will

DILBERT

TAURUS be informative. You’ll pick (April 20- up interesting ideas that will May 20) play a role in some of your own plans. Collaborate and see where it takes you. Don’t commit to something too quickly.

Emotional mishaps can be GEMINI expected if you aren’t precise.

(May 21False information and empty June 20) promises are apparent, and must be dealt with tactfully.

Focus on self-improvement, not on changing others.

Concentrate on learning, CANCER staying informed and making (June 21- plans with friends and family.

July 22) A day trip will lead to an unusual encounter with someone offering a deal that’s too good to refuse.

PEANUTS

An important relationship LEO will help you achieve your (July 23goals. The support you receive Aug. 22) and the ideas that spring from discussions you have will set you on a fruitful course.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Opportunity is within your VIRGO reach.

Don’t risk missing out (Aug. 23Sept. 22) because someone is being needy or trying to make you feel guilty. Call the shots and take responsibility for your success Try to understand what LIBRA the people close to you are ex(Sept. 23periencing.

Tolerance and unOct. 23) derstanding will be necessary if you want to avoid drama.

Focus on self-improvement, not on changing others.

Put your heart and soul SCORPIO into whatever project you (Oct. 24- take on. A creative approach Nov. 22) will show any competition that you are not one to mess with. Do your own thing Deception and disillusionSAGITTARIUS ment will set in if you are (Nov. 23- gullible and you believe evDec. 21) erything you hear. Don’t worry about what others do or say. Take pride in yourself and put your best foot forward.

Keep your emotions out of CAPRICORN any financial, legal or medi(Dec. 22- cal decision that you have to Jan. 19) make. Look beyond what’s being offered and try to introduce something you discover while doing your research.

Find a way to cut corners AQUARIUS and free up some cash. Use (Jan. 20your keen awareness to seek Feb. 19) out alternative ways to make your money grow. Romance is on the rise.

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

PISCES It won’t be good enough to (Feb. 20- express your ideas; you must March 20) be prepared to take action as well. Criticism will result if you show hesitation or lack consistency.

thursDAY, september 1, 2016

19

Bailey, Finch star in Australia series clinching victory W

ho needs a worldrecord ODI total? There was plenty of breathless action in Dambulla without one. Aaron Finch smashed the equal fastest ODI fifty by an Australian. John Hastings took six wickets.

Angelo Mathews limped off with a calf injury while batting. Dhananjaya de Silva entertained with a breezy 76. And Sachith Pathirana was briefly unplayable, collecting three wickets in five balls early in Australia’s chase.

It all made George Bailey’s unbeaten 90 off 85 seem tame by comparison, although he initially joined the party by scoring his first 20 off five balls. But in the end, Bailey’s cool head - not to mention Travis Head, too - ensured an Australian victory in the series. Chasing 213, Australia raced to their goal within 31 overs, the sixwicket win meaning they would go to Pallekele for the fifth and final match with an unassailable 3-1 lead.

The contrast between the two innings of this match was stunning. After 10 overs, Sri Lanka were 32 for 3. After 10 overs, Australia were 109 for 3. Same number of wickets, but they were about as neck-and-neck as an emu and a hummingbird.

Sri Lanka laboured on and eked out 212 from their allotted overs - the final wicket fell from the last ball of the 50th over. Their total would have been good for a T20, and Finch batted like he thought it was one.

One of the most remarkable things about Australia’s innings was that it started with a maiden, as Thisara Perera tested David Warner. But next over Finch launched 17 runs off Amila Aponso, including four fours, and he added a further 18 off Thisara in the over after that, including one huge straight six. It

led to the ridiculous situation of Australia having 35 for 0, and Finch having all

Finch brought up the milestone with a fearsome six swept off Pathirana,

George Bailey (left) and Matthew Wade collect souvenirs after seeing Australia home in the fourth ODI against Sri Lanka

35 runs. Warner was still on 0 from six balls.

Warner got in on the action with a couple of boundaries of his own, but had no chance of keeping pace with Finch, who used the field re-

but next ball was adjudged lbw trying another sweep; he asked for a review, and Hawkeye showed the ball just kissing the outside of leg stump. Finch was gone for 55 off 19. Usman Khawaja,

John Hastings celebrates a wicket in his maiden 5-for

strictions to make a mockery of Sri Lanka’s attack. He got to 49 from 15 balls and thus had the perfect chance to equal AB de Villiers’ record of the fastest ODI fifty, from 16 deliveries, but Finch missed the next one, then found a fielder, and had to settle for an 18-ball half-century, equalling the Australian record shared by Simon O’Donnell and Glenn Maxwell.

dropped from the Test side earlier on this tour and now playing his first ODI of the trip, walked out and was lbw to Pathirana for a secondball duck. Hawkeye showed the ball missing leg, but Finch had used the review.

Next came Bailey, who punched two off Pathirana’s last ball and then plundered three fours and a six off the next over from Dilruwan Perera, sweeping and re-

verse sweeping with ease.

But as soon as Pathirana had the ball again in the next over, he had Warner deceived in flight and bowled for 19 off 16. Australia were flying, but were they be about to crash back down to earth? Pathirana’s next few overs were key, and while he beat the bat several times, there were no more wickets.

There should have been - Dilruwan bowled Head for 13 off a no-ball - but Bailey eased his tempo, Head assisted, and their 100-run partnership put Australia on the brink of victory. Dilruwan eventually did remove Head, lbw for 40, but by then it was too late. Australia needed only 16 more runs and got them with ease, the winning strike a Matthew Wade six over long-on off the bowling of Dilruwan. Home with 114 balls to spare.

Australia’s batting completely overshadowed the earlier achievement of Hastings, who used the slowish surface to his advantage and collected 6 for 45. In 45 years of ODI history, he was just the seventh Australian to claim at least six wickets in an innings, after Gary Gilmour, Ken MacLeay, Glenn McGrath, Andy Bichel, Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc, who has done so twice. Here, Starc had to settle for one wicket - in the first over, as usual.

Starc trapped 18-yearold debutant Avishka Fernando lbw with a quick inswinger with the fourth ball of the game, and Sri Lanka’s start went from bad to worse when their two best batsmen of the series to date - Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal - fell cheaply.

Mendis was caught behind on review off Hastings for 1 and Chandimal was caught behind for 5, beaten by a little extra bounce from Scott Boland.

Despite the wickets, de Silva remained keen to entertain, driving and flicking off his pads, and dominating the Sri Lankan scorecard. At the other end, Mathews was battling along slowly having been struck on the helmet by a Boland bouncer. But on 28, Mathews was forced to retire hurt, hobbling off after injuring his right calf while taking off for a run. Not only did it hurt Sri Lanka’s batting, but he was one of only two seamers in their attack, and could not bowl.

De Silva moved to his half-century from 62 deliveries but fell when he pulled Hastings to midwicket. He had taken risks throughout his innings and finally one had not paid off, but Sri Lanka could still be pleased that they had found an opener after the retirement of Tillakaratne Dilshan.

The rest of the innings

rather petered out. Angelo Perera and Kusal Perera gave their wickets up limply to the spin of Adam Zampa and Head respectively, and although a few lower-order contributions pushed Sri Lanka above 200, Hastings finished off the remaining four wickets. The last of them was Mathews, who had limped back to the crease at the fall of the eighth wicket in an effort to pinch a few more boundaries.

Mathews was out for 40, skying the last ball of the innings, a Hastings crossseamer. He had added 12 since retiring hurt, and it was tempting to wonder if those 12 runs might be the difference in the match. As it turned out, Finch negated them with the first three balls of his innings. From then on, the match was in Australia’s grasp.

SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka innings (50 overs maximum) DM de Silva c Finch b Hastings 76 0 WIA Fernando lbw b Starc BKG Mendis c †Wade b Hastings 1 LD Chandimal† c †Wade b Boland 5 AD Mathews* c Bailey b Hastings 40 AK Perera c †Wade b Zampa 7 MDKJ Perera c Warner b Head 6 NLTC Perera c Finch b Hastings 13 SS Pathirana c Faulkner b Hastings 24 MDK Perera c †Wade b Hastings 18 1 MA Aponso not out Extras (b-4, lb-2, w-15) 21 Total (all out; 50 overs) 212 Fall of wickets 1-1 (Fernando, 0.4 ov), 2-18 (Mendis, 5.2 ov), 3-31 (Chandimal, 8.5 ov), 3-115* (Mathews, retired not out), 4-121 (de Silva, 28.6 ov), 5-130 (AK Perera, 32.3 ov), 6-134 (MDKJ Perera, 33.4 ov), 7-165 (NLTC Perera, 42.2 ov), 8-199 (MDK Perera, 47.1 ov),

9-200 (Pathirana, 47.6 ov), 10-212 (Mathews, 49.6 ov) Bowling; MA Starc 10-1-511 (w-5), JW Hastings 10-0-456 (w-2), SM Boland 10-1-36-1 (w-2), JP Faulkner 10-0-39-0 (w-1), A Zampa 8-0-30-1 (w-1), TM Head 2-0- 5-1

Australia innings (target: 213 runs from 50 overs) DA Warner* b Pathirana 19 AJ Finch lbw b Pathirana 55 UT Khawaja lbw b Pathirana 0 90 GJ Bailey not out TM Head lbw b MDK Perera 40 MS Wade† not out 8 Extras (b-1, lb-1, w-2, nb-1) 5 Total (4 wickets; 31 overs) 217 Did not bat; JP Faulkner, JW Hastings, MA Starc, A Zampa, SM Boland Fall of wickets 1-74 (Finch, 5.3 ov), 2-74 (Khawaja, 5.5 ov), 3-97 (Warner, 7.1 ov), 4-197 (Head, 28.5 ov) Bowling; NLTC Perera 3-124-0, MA Aponso 8-0-59-0 (w-1), MDK Perera 7-0-69-1 (nb-1), SS Pathirana 8-0-373 (w-1), DM de Silva 4-0-21-0, 0-5-0 AK Perera 1-

Steyn reclaims No 1 ranking in Tests D ale Steyn has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings after picking up match figures of 8 for 99 in South Africa’s 204-run win over New Zealand in Centurion.

Steyn went up two places in the rankings, leapfrogging R Ashwin and James Anderson, to become No. 1 for the first time since December 2015, when he suffered a shoulder inju-

ry during the Durban Test against England. Stuart Broad and Rangana Herath complete the top five Test bowlers.

The other two members of South Africa’s pace attack in Centurion also climbed the rankings, with Vernon Philander going from 13th to 11th, and Kagiso Rabada from 30th to 27th. Faf du Plessis, who scored a century in South Africa’s first innings, jumped from 33rd to

Dale Steyn

Kemar Roach

24th in the Test batsmen’s rankings.

South Africa’s 1-0 series win, meanwhile, lifted them from seventh to fifth in the team rankings, which meant they swapped places with New Zealand, who now sit a place below sixthplaced Sri Lanka. Pakistan remain the top team while West Indies hold on to the number seven spot.

Australia captain Steven Smith is the high-

est ranked batsman followed by England’s Joe Root, Kane Williamson of New Zealand, Hashim Amla of South Africa with Pakistan’s Younus Khan rounding off the top five spots.

Darren Bravo is the highest ranked batsman for the West Indian batsman at 28 while fast bowler Kemar Roach at 23 is the highest ranked bowler. (ESPN

Cricinfo)

20

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

THURsDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2016

David Luiz set to return to US Open Tennis Tournament 2016…

Djokovic advances Stamford Bridge from PSG by walkover C

helsea have agreed terms with Paris StGermain for defender David Luiz’s return to Stamford Bridge for a fee of around £34m.

Luiz, 29, travelled to London for a medical as the Blues confirmed the signing of left-back Marcos Alonso from Fiorentina for a reported £23m.

Chelsea tweeted that they had reached agreement with PSG to re-sign Luiz two years after he left for Paris.

The deal is subject to Luiz agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.

Luiz joined French champions PSG on a five-year deal after appearing for Brazil at the 2014 World Cup. PSG are reported to have paid £40m for him two years

David Luiz

ago - £6m more than Chelsea have bid to re-sign him.

Luiz joined the Blues from Benfica for £21.3m in January 2011 and made 143 appearances for the club.

He had three years left on the five-year contract he

signed in September 2012 when he joined Ligue 1 club.

Meanwhile, Alonso moves to the Premier League for the third time in his career.

The uncapped Spaniard, 25, played for Bolton 46

times from 2010 to 2013 before moving to Fiorentina and had a four-month loan spell at Sunderland in 2014.

“It’s time for me to win some titles. It’s a step up in my career,” Alonso said on Chelsea’s website.

Cesar Azpilicueta is the first-choice left-back at Chelsea, who have loaned Baba Rahman to Schalke this summer.

“My family and close friends know Chelsea is the club I have dreamed about playing for,” Alonso added.

“I’m really excited about the challenge and I’m looking forward to working with my new team-mates.”

Chelsea winger Juan Cuadrado, 28, has rejoined Juventus on a three-year loan deal. (BBC)

Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts during his victory over Jerzy Janowicz of Poland on day one of the 2016 US Open tennis tournament. Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke (USA TODAY Sports)

Walsh set to become W Bangladesh bowling coach C ourtney Walsh, the former West Indies captain, is likely to become Bangladesh’s new bowling coach. Although neither the BCB nor Walsh have made any public comments, it was reported that Walsh has signed a contract that runs until the 2019 World Cup. Walsh, who is set to arrive in Bangladesh in the coming week, replaces Heath Streak, who served as bowling coach for two years until May. This will be Walsh’s first major coaching role in international cricket since retiring in 2001 as the then lead-

Courtney Walsh

ing wicket-taker in Tests.

He has since worked as a cricket administrator in various roles including West Indies selector, mentor with

Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL, and as manager of the West Indies Under-19 team.

Most recently, Walsh served as part of the West Indies

selection panel.

Walsh will be the second high-profile West Indian in a coaching role with Bangladesh. Gordon Greenidge, the former West Indies opener, was the coach who steered Bangladesh to the 1999 World Cup via victory at the 1997 ICC Trophy.

Walsh takes on the role with Bangladesh’s pace bowling on the rise. Streak oversaw Bangladesh’s best year in ODI cricket, 2015, when they won a series each against South Africa, Pakistan and India. The team also reached the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup.

orld number one Novak Djokovic received a free pass into the third round of the U.S. Open when Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic withdrew from their match on Wednesday due to a left forearm injury.

The walkover provided the top-seeded defending champion with an extended break to improve his niggling left wrist in-

jury before his next match against either Guido Pella of Argentina or Mikhail Youzhny of Russia.

The 23-year-old Vesely, ranked 49th, beat Djokovic in the second round at the ATP Masters 1000 Monte Carlo event in April in their only meeting, making him one of two top 100 players with more wins than losses against the Serbian.

Steady Kerber advances to 3rd round

Rio 2016 Paralympics…

Russian appeal against ban dismissed by Swiss court

R

ussia has failed in its final attempt to reverse the ban on its

athletes from next month’s Rio Paralympics.

The Swiss Supreme Court dismissed the Russian Paralympic Committee’s (RPC) appeal to overturn the ban.

Russia were banned from competing by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) after allegations of state-sponsored

doping.

After a failed appeal at the Court of Arbitation for Sport, the Swiss court appeal had been Russia’s last hope.

The tribunal - the only body which could overrule Cas - said the RPC had not shown it had “fulfilled its obligations to anti-doping rules”.

It also ruled that the cases of individual athletes could not be dealt with separately.

More than 100 Russian athletes wrote to the Switzerland-based International Paralympic Committee asking it to overturn the ban before the Games, which begin on 7 September. (BBC Sport)

5th seed Raonic knocked out by unseeded Harrison

W

imbledon finalist Milos Raonic of Canada made a shock exit at the hands of American qualifier Ryan Harrison in the second round of the US Open.

Raonic, the fifth seed, struggled physically as Harrison - the world number 120 - won 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 7-5 6-1.

“I started cramping midway through the second set,” said Raonic. “There was a lot of nerves and stress.”

Harrison is through to the third round in New York for the first time

Former champion Marin Cilic and French seeds Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga progressed Raonic was among the favourites for the title after reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open and the final at Wimbledon, losing to Andy Murray on both occasions.

However, the 25-year-old struggled to carry his bags by the time he left the court following defeat by Harrison.

Angelique Kerber of Germany returns a shot to Mirjana LucicBaroni of Croatia. Photo courtesy of Anthony Gruppuso (USA

S

TODAY Sports)

econd seed Angelique Kerber stayed on track in her quest to unseat Serena Williams as world number one by beating Mirjana Lucic-Baroni of Croatia 6-2 7-6(7) on Wednesday to reach the third round of the U.S. Open.

Australian Open winner Kerber rifled home an ace to finish the first set against the free swinging, 34-yearold Lucic-Baroni, then won a see-saw second set in which each player was broken three times on the way to a tiebreaker.

The Croat held two set

points during the decider before losing it 9-7.

The left-handed German was one match win away in Cincinnati from ending Williams’ long reign as number one before losing to Czech Karolina Pliskova in the final and has another chance to leapfrog the American at Flushing Meadows.

Lucic-Baroni raised her game in the second set, but could not overcome the steady Kerber as the bighitting Croat blasted 37 winners while gifting the German with 55 unforced errors. (Reuters)

YELLOW PAGES thursDAY, september 1, 2016 | www.guyana-times.com

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Erva Giddings

T

he Selection Panel of the West Indies Cricket Board have announced an 18-member West Indies Women’s squad for a training camp from September 16 to 30 in Jamaica, ahead of their One-day International Home Series against England Women.

Commenting on the squad, Chairman of the Selection Panel Courtney Browne said the squad was a mix of experience and talented, emerging players.

“The squad of 18 comprises members of our Women’s World Twenty20winning squad, along with other talented players from the recent Regional Women’s Tournament played in Guyana,” said Browne.

“The Selection Panel will reduce the squad to 13 at the end of the training camp, as we look forward to a highly competitive series against England Women.

We wish to take this opportunity to wish the team all the best in their preparations for the series.”

Of the 18 players, Erva Giddings, a 30-year-old, ambidextrous all-rounder from Guyana, and Akeira Peters, a 22-year-old, leftarm medium-paced bowler from Grenada, are the only

From left; Britney Cooper, Shemaine Campbelle, Merissa Aguilleira and Tremayne Smartt who were part of the World T20 winning squad are also included in the training squad to play against England Women in Jamaica

uncapped players. Giddings had the most wickets in the T20 Series in Guyana with nine scalps after bowling consistently throughout the tournament.

The camp will also mark the return of left-handed all-rounder Shanel Daley to the fold following a near two-year absence, due to a knee injury.

“We are happy to welcome back Shanel,” said Browne. “She was one of the top ODI and T20I bowlers in the Caribbean and was also highly rated in the ICC Women Players’ Rankings.

“Shanel brings a wealth of experience back to the squad and will highly challenge for a place in the final 13.”

The series against England Women comprises five ODIs, the last three of which will count towards the ICC Women’s Championship, to be contested between October 8 and 19 at the Trelawny Multiplex and Sabina Park in Jamaica.

The ICC Women’s Championship is a multiyear, bilateral competition

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West Indies Women vs England Women Schedule of Matches

CURRENT ICC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS Tabulated under: Post-position, M-matches, W-won, L-lost, T-tied, NR-no results, Ptspoints, Net RR-net run rate

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Post TEAM M W L T NR Pts Net RR 1.

Australia Women 15 12 3 0 0 24 +0.745 2.

West Indies Women 15 10 5 0 0 20 +0.497 3.

England Women 15 9 5 0 1 19 +0.754 4.

New Zealand Women 15 8 7 0 0 16 +0.232 5.

South Africa Women 15 7 7 0 1 15 -0.069 6.

India Women 15 6 8 0 1 13 +0.008 7.

Pakistan Women 15 4 11 0 0 8 -1.030 8.

Sri Lanka Women 15 2 12 0 1 5 -1.152

22

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

thursday, september 1, 2016

5th edition of NBS/GCA 2nd Division tournament launched

T

he Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) has once again collaborated with the New Building Society (NBS) to provide valuable cricketing opportunities for club players within the perimeter of the city.

The partnership continues to grow and is in its fifth year after four years of success has nurtured cricketers for higher levels. The event is known as the NBS Second Division 40 over tournament and competition is scheduled to bowl off on Saturday September 3.

A total of 15 teams are expected to participate in the tournament with the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), the reigning champions predicted to be the team to beat in zone A while last year’s runners up Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) are favourites to top zone B which comprises of Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) and six other teams.

The tournament was officially launched on Wednesday August 31 at the Head Office of the New Building Society at Avenue

of the Republic and North Road Georgetown. Similar to last year the competition will be played on a league

cent of the quotas overs per match and as stated in the playing regulations.

NBS Chairman Floyd

Flashback! NBS 2015 Champions Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), after winning the final against Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) at Bourda

basis where points will be allocated. There, Shawn Massiah, Chairman of GCA’s Competition Committee pointed out that once more emphasis will be on the development of fast bowlers, as they must bowl 40 per

McDonald, said his entity is elated to contribute in meaningful ways in the development of sport in Guyana, in particularly cricket. He also commended the GCA for their contribution to cricket in the country, especial-

Rose Hall Town Sports Club donates schoolbags to Police Force

― Foster honoured

T

he Cricket teams of Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) on Saturday last donated 40 school bags and a large quantity of posters, stickers, brochures and booklets to the Guyana Police Force ‘B’ Division.

The handing over took place during the ‘B’ Division historic award ceremony at the St. Francis Community Developers Training Centre.

The Club’s long serving Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster was also honoured by the Police Force for the role he is playing to make a positive difference in the ancient county.

Foster, in handing over the donation to Police Commander Ian Amsterdam stated that the RHTY&SC was passionate about the development of youths. Apart from the school bags, the cricket teams donated full coloured anti-drugs and traffic-educational posters, antispeeding traffic stickers and education brochures for drivers.

A collection of the Club’s youth information booklet was also donated to the Police.

The schoolbags would be distributed to students from crime-affected areas while the educational materials would be used by the Police Force in their outreach programmes. Commander Ian Amsterdam expressed gratitude to the RHTY&SC, M.S and its cricket team for their commitment to Community Development, for working along with the Police in a Massive Say No and Yes Campaign and a Traffic Education Programme.

Meanwhile, the ‘B’ Division honoured the RHTY&SC Secretary/ CEO during their first ever

ly the importance to develop the art of fast bowling.

The tournament will be divided into two Zones and

the teams listed to participate are: ZONE A-defending champions, Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Everest Cricket Club (ECC), Sophia, Diplomats, Police Sports Club (PSC), Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Third

Class.

Zone B-Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), Transport Sports Club (TSC), Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC), Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO), Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO), University of Guyana (UG), Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) and Ace Warriors.

St. Stanislaus College who participated in last year’s tournament is notably absent this year.

GCA President Roger Harper welcomed the NBS for their continuous support as they partner with the Association in running this tournament and investing in youths.

He explained that last year the tournament has produced 12 players who have represented Guyana at the various youth levels, and out of the 12, one (Tevin Imlach) represented the West Indies at the ICC Youth World Cup earlier this year in Bangladesh.

Harper assured that the tournament will be run at the highest standard and the GCA’s commitment to

Participants learn the basics of batting spin at Malteenoes Sports Club Summer Clinic

Wayne Bowlers prepares to play a delivery from a spinner at MSC Camp yesterday

P

Police Commander of B Division Ian Amsterdam (left) hands over the award to Hilbert Foster

Award Ceremony. Foster received an Outstanding Achievement Award for his spontaneous outreach and selfless commitment to community activities that aids social crime prevention and traffic improvement strategies. Over the last five years, the energetic Secretary/CEO has worked beyond the call of duty to oversee the numerous joint projects with the Police Force.

These includes distribution of school bags and footwear to hundreds of less fortunate students, hosting of educational and sport competitions, Edward B. Beharry’s Say No and Yes Campaign, GUYOIL Traffic Education Programme, Tribute to Law Enforcement Officers, Tribute to Mothers, Tribute to Fathers, the donation of bicycles, TV set and other equipment’s to the Rose Hall Town Police Outpost and the

Publication of stickers to inform residents of the telephone numerous of Police Stations across Berbice. A humble Foster stated that while he was honoured to be recognised for his outstanding work to make a positive difference, it was the cooperation of the entire RHTY&SC membership which played a crucial role in the success of all the programmes. He stated that he has a good working relationship with Police Commander Ian Amsterdam, a police officer whom he respects a lot and that Award would serve as a motivation to do more.

Police Commander Ian Amsterdam praised the outstanding work that the RHTY&SC Secretary/ CEO and his brother Alex, President of the St. Francis Community Developers were doing as youth leaders in Berbice.

the NBS will be fulfilled.

The core of cricket in Guyana is heavily dependent on cricket in the city, the GCA, is in charge of cricket in the city and obviously is entrusted with a hectic responsibility to ensure quality within its structure. However, with little support the GCA has somehow managed to stay alive providing an umbrella for the game to survive in the city. A great deal of the country’s youth and players emerge from GCA competition including Keemo Paul, Malcolm Hubbard, Sherfane Rutherford, Renaldo AliMohamed, Joshua Persaud, BhaskarYadram, Raymond Perez, Travis Persaud, all members of the Guyana U-19 team that won the Regional U-19 limited over tournament in St. Vincent in August, have played GCA’s competition within the last year.

It is time that corporate Guyana, in particular city businesses, partner with the GCA to ensure cricket is given the ideal support it requires.

articipants at the Malteenoes Sport Club (MSC) Summer Clinic were on Wednesday taught the fundamentals of how to bat spin bowling under the watchful eyes of facilitator and former national player and coach Mark Harper.

Each player in the over 13 category was guided through the step by step process of playing spin bowling before they were permitted several minutes to execute what they have learnt.

As a young player there are usually challenges that come with batting spin, whether it is the inability to use the feet or read the various deliveries or simply the inability to bat the turning deliveries or otherwise. Fortunately, for the crop of youngsters attending the MSC clinic the ability to bat spin should no longer be a major issue in their development as they were offered a firsthand opportunity to learn such on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, former under-19 player Kelon Carmichael, who is an assistant coach at the camp, was engaged with the u-13 players as he taught them how to execute the perfect straight

drive. From a few yards away Carmichael under armed the ball to the batsmen, who were faced with the task of driving the ball along the ground and into gaps. In another part of

tablished coaches. The objectives of the programme are: to provide a variety of fun and enjoyable activities which are expected to provide immense pleasure and satisfaction, while teaching the basic skills of the game; to develop handeye co-ordination, sharpen reflexes, agility and flexibility, balance and speed; to teach the rules of the game by stepby-step instructions; to develop life skills, such as self-confidence and self-discipline; to build and improve skills and athletic capabilities.The aspiring cricketers are also being taught the basics of the game through playing a variety of games that cover all facets of cricket. Games will be designed for small groups to

One of the fast bowlers at the MSC Clinic delivers while coach Reon King and other prospective fast bowlers pay keen attention.

the venue former West Indies fast bowler, Reon King took the fast bowlers through fast bowling drills. While in the club’s pavilion assistant coach Darian Best, taught the smallest group at the clinic the theoretical basics of the game.

Today is the penultimate day of the camp which is being facilitated by former national player and coach, Mark Harper; along with other es-

ensure that all of the children have a go, and that they can test, learn and practice skills as they go. There will also be matches during the programme to test the skills, confidence and mental capabilities of players. Apart from the coaches several national players and prominent individuals have lectured to the group of young men on their social development.

guyana-times.com

thursday, september 1, 2016

23

Caribbean Motor Racing Championships 2016...

Stephen Vieira aiming to be “top dog” at Bushy Park He explained, “we did a little test on the bike [Kawasaki ZX6-R] and one of the cylinders was dead so we replaced it, so that confidence alone is very good and I will be very competitive in Barbados; I’m actually looking to be the top dog over there”.

Vieira, who has won the championship four times in the past, is in poll position this year to cop a fifth title, leading the charts on 122 points, with is nearest challenge coming from cousin Matthew with 105 points.

By Akeem Greene

T

he third leg of the Caribbean Motor Racing Championships commences this weekend at the Bushy Park Circuit in Barbados and Guyanese ace rider Stephen Vieira is aiming to be the “top dog” at the end of the third round.

In an interview with the Guyana Times Sport on Wednesday Vieira spoke about his confidence heading into this weekend’s races and the desire to extend his lead.

Stephen Vieira

The experienced rider, who was donned the nick name of “Valentino Rossi”, expressed optimised as he heads back to track with fond memories.

“It is going to be fun, the competition is going to be very high, and the threat will be Barbadian Brook Miller, so I expect us to have a battle for first place on the podium,” the biker revealed.

The Sunburst sponsored rider in commenting on how the rivalry on the local circuit has improved, with the likes of cousins

Matthew and Eliot (defending CMRC Super stock Champion), says his experience is what gives him the edge.

“I think they are very competitive but what gives me the edge is that I have a bit more racing experience than them but they are very good,” Vieira said.

In closing he highlighted the support of his sponsors: Sunburst, Palm Court, Top End Fitness and Team Pure Racing and Uncle Paul Da Silva. Vieira is expected to leave Guyana today for the championships.

Rose Hall Town 1st Division team receives “DJ Stress” Champions T20 uniforms from Gizmos and Gadgets Cup gathering momentum ― Suriname Spartans to battle Berbice Super Squad

T

Gizmos and Gadgets Company Secretary Malicia Gomes hands over uniforms to RHTY&SC Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster in the presence of members of the Club and staff of Gizmos and Gadgets

T

op Berbice First Division team, the Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets First Division team received 25 coloured uniforms from the team’s official sponsor, Gizmos and Gadgets.

The electronic giants of Wellington Street, Georgetown handed over the uniforms valued at $200,000.00 to Secretary/ CEO of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, M.S Hilbert Foster during a simple presentation ceremony at the store’s main office in Georgetown.

Foster disclosed that the company has been sponsoring the first division team since January 2010 when it replaced the Windies Sports Bar as the official sponsor.

The team under the sponsorship has won several major Berbice tournaments including Tenelec 50 overs in 2012 and 2015, Ramcharitar Construction 40 overs in 2011, Berbice River bridge 50 overs – 2015, ABS 40 overs in 2010, Universal DVD 20/20 in 2011 and Busta Champion of Champions in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015. The team has also successfully completed a total of 417 self-development programmes under the subheadings of sports, charity, youth development, coaching, anti-crime, anti-drugs, anti-suicide, education, community development, Jobs for youths, economic development among others.

Among the programmes undertaken are the Annual Awards Ceremony, Annual Cricket Academy, Republic Bank Grade 6 Summer Camp,

Tribute to Outstanding Teachers, Tribute to Retired Teachers, Ansa Mcal Award of Excellence, Gregory Gaskin Memorial Sports Award, Beharry’s Say No and Yes Campaign, GUYOIL Traffic Education Campaign, Berbice Christmas Village and distribution of schoolbags to less fortunate students. Foster, who also serves as Cricket Manager of the team disclosed that the 2016 Berbice Cricket season would soon start with the Tenelec INC 50 overs tournament as such the uniforms were most welcomed.

The team in 2016 would be led by long standing Captain Shawn Perriera with Clinton Pestano as his deputy. Perriera is a former Guyana junior captain at the under 15, under 17 and under 19 levels while Pestano also represented Guyana at the junior level and is a contacted player with the Guyana Cricket Board.

The team which won the last three first division titles in Berbice would also have players like Test player Assad Fudadin, ODI player Royston Crandon, Eon Hooper, Collis Butts, Jason Sinclair, Rajiv Ivan, Troy Matheson, Delbert Hicks, Khemraj Mahadeo, Shemaine Campbelle, Keon Sinclair, Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Erva Giddings, Junior Sinclair, Chanderpaul Govindan, Vidal Crandon and Slyus Tyndall. Foster expressed gratitude to the Management of Gizmos and Gadgets for their continued investment in the team especially CEO Ravi Mangar, Bonita

Bissessar, Earl Gomes and Malicia Gomes. He reassured the company that the RHTGG team would continue to uphold the high standard it has set itself in the past. The RHTGG, Foster stated would continue to represent the Gizmos and Gadgets brand with pride, passion and a high level of discipline. Marketing Manager Earl Gomes in handing over the twenty-five uniforms stated that his company was proud to be associated with Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation and congratulated the RHTGG for representing the company’s brand at the highest possible level. He also expressed congrats to the RHTY&SC, M.S for its wide range of activities that are making a positive difference in the lives of youths, the elderly and less fortunate.

he much talked about DJ Stress’ Champions T20 Cup set for Sunday September 11 at the Albion Sports Complex Ground in Berbice is gathering momentum as many big names have already confirmed their participation. Additionally, a team of cricketers who are either Guyanese or Surinamese but are currently plying their trade in the Dutch speaking nation will travel from Paramaribo to battle a Berbice Super Squad XI in the day’s opening fixture from 16:00 h The main event at 20:00 h pits together a galaxy of international stars under the night sky in the ancient county. Among the big names is legendary West Indian cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul who will be sponsored by Dave’s West Indian Imports for the day’s event.

Dave’s West Indian Imports will also sponsor talented former Guyana U-19 batsman Akshay Homraj, who now resides in the USA. The 20-year-old righthander played for Guyana U-19s in 2013 & 2014 and says he is excited to return home and once again play at Albion, a club he represented when he lived in Number 48 Village, Corentyne. He now plays in New York.

Promoter Paul ‘DJ

Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Stress’ Bonar says he is amazed by the excitement stirring in Georgetown disclosed that many from Demerara are already planning their trip to the Corentyne coast to be part of the excitement.

“The drive from Georgetown to the Berbice River Bridge is just 90 minutes while it is about another 15 minutes to get to the ground. So it is a day and night of fun away from Demerara” said the Promoter.

The feature match includes Guyanese Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, the pair of former West Indies Captains who will line up alongside overseas stars including Darren Sammy, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Jason Mohamed, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell, Rayad Emrit and Kieron Pollard.

The internation-

Akshay Homraj

als will be contented with the local talents of Shimron Hetmyer, Assad Fudadin, Gajanand Singh, Veerasammy Permaul, Davendra Bishoo, Jonathon Foo, Anthony Bramble and Gudakesh Moti who will also be aiming to light up the night sky. Meanwhile, tickets will go on sale for the one day spectacular on Friday at various locations throughout Berbice and Demerara. The cost per ticket is $1,500 while the capacity at Albion Sports Complex is 15,000.

In Berbice, tickets will be on sale at Imran and Son at Rose Hall, Imran and Daughters at Rose Hall, A. Ally and Sons in New Amsterdam and at Sham Beer Garden in Cumberland Canje. In Demerara, tickets will be at Joseph’s Music Store at Regent and King Streets and at the Avon DVD Club in the City Mall and at Uitvlugt.

“Road to Portugal” campaign cancelled

T

he “Road To Portugal” fundraising campaign, launched on Friday August 19, 2016 has been halted due to the cancellation of the “1st FUTURE CUP U-17 – PORTUGAL” tournament by the organizers – ‘We Believe’ organization.

In a letter to the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), the organizers stated that they were unable to attract the intended number of participants and thus were forced to cancel. “Unfortunately, we could not achieve our objectives, European countries will participate in the qualifiers of the European Championship U-17 – 2017…the other coun-

Acting President of the Guyana Football Federation, Retired Brigadier Bruce Lovell

tries had given up due to the cost established…,” the letter read.

This information was

communicated to the parents on 30th August, 2016 by acting President, Retired Brigadier, Bruce Lovell who expressed regret but thanked the parents for their enthusiasm and support.

Following the invitation from the organizers, the GFF had engaged the Thunderbolt Flour Power National Men’s U-17 team and their parents and a fundraising drive was launched. Following their immeasurable enthusiasm, a number of projects and media appearances were planned to contribute to the overall related cost of the tournament but no actual fund raising event came off. As a group,

they were getting into work mode and were engaged in a clean-up exercise along the Georgetown seawall between Camp Street and Vlissengen Road last Saturday. And despite some business entities having expressed interest in assisting no actual funds were collected.

The “1ST FUTURE CUP U-17 – PORTUGAL” was intended to be an international developmental tournament scheduled for the city of Aveira, Portugal from the 14th – 23rd October, 2016 and with the participation of teams from Europe, North/ South and Central America and Asia.

thursday, september 1, 2016

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

5th edition of NBS/ GCA 2nd Division tournament launched

Pg 22

Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) President Roger Harper receives the sponsorship cheque from New Building Society (NBS) Chief Executive Officer Anil Kishun in the presence of members of the NBS Board of Directors and other executives of GCA

Caribbean Motor Racing Championships 2016...

Pg 23

Stephen Vieira aiming to be “top dog” at Bushy Park

Stephen Vieira is confident of gaining valuable points in Barbados to cement his bid for another CMRC title (Conrad Baird Photo)

Rose Hall Town Sports Club donates schoolbags to Police Force Pg 22

Chief Executive Officer/Secretary of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club Hilbert Foster (right) hands over the donation to Police Commander of B Division Ian Amsterdam

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