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by August – CEO P11 THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3181

Thursday, April 13, 2017

SARU investigates tax matters without authorisation

Enmore’s closure

Protest moves to GuySuCo’s Headquarters P12

Missionary in public schools

...as Thomas still denies taking over GRA function

Page 10

…smugglers escape after trying to sink vessel

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Page 3

1900 gallons of illegal fuel seized in Mahaica

PRICE

Gunmen snatch cash from paint company's employees Page 14

Day 1: Students give positive review of NGSA exam Page 13

3 school admins reprimanded following probe P5 – Ministry

1.4% increase in inflation last P7 year Policewoman injured in P17 Linden accident

Vergenoegen NDC official arrested for suspected fraud P7

LBI man killed in Montrose accident

P5

Multi million fraud Good luck! These mothers lovingly embrace their daughters as they wish them well before the commencement of the National Grade Six Assessment examination on Tuesday (Carl Croker photos)

Police record 14% increase in rape

Page 9

…decrease in murder, increase in other crimes

Govt did not negotiate VAT on education in good faith Page – Ram 9

GRA seizes vehicles as probe deepens P15

Former Toshao’s wife slapped with larceny charge P8 ...allegedly lent husband’s gun to hunters

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thursDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

3 SARU investigates tax matters without authorisation news

thursDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, April 13 – 05:00h-06:30h and Friday, April 14 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, April 13 – 05:30h-07:00h and Friday, April 14 – 05:55h-07:25h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery showers can be expected in the early morning hours followed by heavy rain showers and cloudy skies, with lightly cloudy skies in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East north-easterly between 3.57 metres and 5.81 metres.

High Tide: 05:34h and 17:55h reaching maximum heights of 2.74 metres and 2.66 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 11:30h and 23:42h reaching minimum heights of 0.46 metre and 0.59 metre respectively.

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DAILY MILLIONS 02 06 09 17

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T

he State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) has been accused of taking over the functions of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) with its ongoing moves to carry out investigations into the tax operations of businesses in the city.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Monday had said that the Unit, which was yet to have its bill passed in the National Assembly, has been acting illegally as it has sent a list of names of persons building high-rise structures in the country to the GRA. But questioned about this on Wednesday, SARU’s Head, Dr Clive Thomas denied that the Unit has been utilising the services of the GRA. He said SARU itself has been carrying out its own investigations in the city. He,

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

(CEO) Aubrey HeathRetemyer had said that SARU was seeking to have the Deeds Registry hand over records to determine the owners of lands and business registration.

“We repeatedly went to the Deeds Registry regarding a particularly mysterious high-rise building in

“We repeatedly went to the Deeds Registry regarding a particularly mysterious high-rise building in the city of Georgetown and they were pathetic, they just couldn’t tell us anything much. We had to end up using a different approach” – SARU CEO Aubrey Heath-Retemyer

wednesDAY, April 12, 2017

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...as Thomas still denies taking over GRA function

15 16 18

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however, noted that the body could not do anything until the SARU Bill was passed in the National Assembly.

“We have gone around the city to identify possible irregular activities of money laundering activities for which we might be able to recover taxes that people might not have paid because their reporting might not have indicated any income at the level to warrant the purchase of these buildings. We have not moved any further action on it, because we need a bill before the action,” he told Guyana Times in an invited comment on Wednesday.

Additionally, it was previously reported that SARU Chief Executive Officer

the city of Georgetown and they were pathetic, they just couldn’t tell us anything much. We had to end up using a different approach,” Heath-Retemyer was quoted as saying.

The Opposition Leader said the SARU was targeting the owners of the more than 100 high-rise buildings it has on record in the city.

He said a list has been sent to the GRA. “GRA is now becoming part of the apparatus to go after people. A list has been sent to GRA of the tall buildings in the city and it is our information that soon GRA will start auditing those individuals. So SARU, a unit that has no legal basis in the law that is made up of political hacks that are PPP

haters and, now it seems, national development haters, are deciding who the GRA will go after. How can you breed confidence in this manner?” he questioned.

Back in January, Professor Thomas had indicated that the agency was in the process of mapping all the high-rise buildings, with the aim of investigating their owners for tax evasion and money laundering.

Thomas reportedly wanted to ensure that the money used to construct the buildings was clean, that the buildings were not shell companies that the owners were paying their taxes, that the buildings were not being used as a conduit for corrupt activities, and even that the land was lawfully obtained.

Dr Thomas has contended that there was an underground economy in Guyana, and Government is hell-bent on identifying the individuals involved.

He said once SARU got its legal framework, it would spare no time in going after these individuals.

Jagdeo had, however, said that there was no logic for such actions by the Unit.

“What’s the logic? Let’s assume you have one five-storey building and another person have 50 one-storey building… he’s going to map the one five-storey building and you’re subjected to investigation and another person has 50 properties around the city, but you won’t be going after that person. What’s the logic?” he highlighted.

He continued, “These loose-mouthed people are damaging our economy”, referring to Dr Thomas. “The

Head of SARU, Professor Clive Thomas

business community and ordinary people operate on Government signals. If the entire Government speaks as if it hates investment and investors, and if you put up a building, you’ll be subjected to a whole range of scrutiny by the Government, then investors are just going to withdraw; no one will want to invest,” Jagdeo explained.

The ordinary man also will respond in accordance – by withholding their money.

He also contended that there was absolutely no logic in targeting high-rise buildings in trying to track down tax evaders and money launderers.

“Sometimes you can get everything right, but if the signals are wrong about your intent then people act on signals; investors do so, as well as ordinary citizens and so we, I don’t have much hope that they would listen because of the arrogance,” Jagdeo lamented.

Reports indicate that SARU already did an inventory of over 100 buildings in Guyana.

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thursDAY, april 13, 2017

Views 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

Separation of powers

W

ith a national discourse hopefully opening up on constitutional reform in Guyana, against a background of accusations of subversion of our Judiciary for political ends by the Executive, the mechanism of “separation of powers” needs to be relooked at in general, and in reference to the Judiciary, in particular.

While the doctrine was first enunciated in the middle of the 18th Century by the Frenchman Montesquieu, it was given life in the first written Constitution of a nation that of the 13 colonies that rebelled against the tyranny of British rule and established the United States of America.

The gist of the concept is simple but profound in its implications. Since the powers of the Leviathan state can be abused when it is controlled by one person or a group, Montesquieu proposed that power could be functionally divided among Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of the government. This allocation of powers would be described in the Constitution – the supreme law of the land.

The Executive would be responsible for running the government, the Legislature to enact laws and the Judiciary to ensure those laws are not transgressed by the citizenry and the Constitution not violated by the other two coequal branches. Because “men are not angels”, in the words of one of the framers of the American Constitution, incumbents always try to increase their powers especially where the lines between the branches of government are not watertight.

For instance, since the Judiciary is the arbiter of the Constitution and, therefore, the guardians of the boundaries of power in the other two branches, citizens have to be very vigilant to ensure that neither of those branches hobble or control the Judiciary when they exercise their power of judicial review. It is for this purpose that, for instance, the salaries of the Judiciary must be independent of Executive control: even judicial mouths may be muzzled by the hands that feed them.

Another way in which the Executive may try to influence judicial decisions is by ensuring the Bench is packed with individuals who they are comfortable with. To lessen this eventuality, in Guyana, Judges are supposed to be nominated by the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and then appointed by the President. If, however, the President has some concerns about the nominees, he can return the list to the JSC for reconsideration, but if it returns the list, the President has to either approve the nominees or sit on the list. In the latter case, as is presently the case in Guyana, a crisis can develop in the Judiciary since their ranks can become decimated to such an extent that justice cannot be served in the courts.

In the case of the top two judicial officers – the Chancellor and the Chief Justice, there has to be agreement between the President and the Opposition Leader. If, however, there is no such agreement – as has been the case in Guyana for more than a decade – the President can make “acting appointments” of persons who satisfy his inclinations or criteria. This situation is not very healthy for the Judiciary since citizens may see the incumbents as being compromised because their position is totally dependent on the President.

Another tack has been a growing tendency for the Executive to create administrative tribunals that are courts in all but name – but do not answer to judicial authority excepting in some instances where judicial review may be available. Even though there are several devices to strengthen independence of tribunals, in reality, the latter is rarely achieved.

Another challenge is raised when a legislature, as in Guyana, is a creature of the Executive since the party controlling the two branches are the same. A strong and independent Judiciary is even more vital here. Such legislatures may also violate the separation of powers doctrine when they enact very narrowly crafted legislation that seeks to penalise specific groups of persons. It is with good reason these are dubbed “ad hominum” laws. SARU?

As Easter approaches, these youngsters have undertaken to test their kites to ensure they fly without complications on Easter Monday when Guyanese will converge on various open spaces across the country to fly kites and have picnics

Did I hear double standards?

Dear Editor, It is ironic that the conduct of the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs in Justice Holder's Court took place during the hearing of the suspension of the holder of an independent constitutional office by the President acting on the advice of his next in command, Prime Minister Moses Nagamoottoo.

It is public knowledge that the President allegedly called in Carvil Duncan, the Chairman of the Public

Service Commission, a member of the Judicial Service Commission and the Police Service Commission. He admitted demanding his resignation from these commissions, asserting at the same time that he did not want blood spilled upon his carpet.

It is unknown if Justice Holder's Court is fitted with carpet but the accusations/ complaints made by him and the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs seem to have left

one of them with a bloodied nose.

Seeking the intervention of the President has certainly exposed the Judiciary as a whole as a cowering arm of the State in violation of the concept of the separation of powers.

The judiciary is supposed to be an independent arm of the State and the suspension of an office Holder, i.e.

Duncan, may explain justly the action of the Chancellor (ag). She may be excused for thinking that if he can be

suspended she can suffer the same fate if the judges were to sanction the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs.

The final irony is that the PPP/C Government, alleged to be guilty of executive lawlessness by the APNU/AFC in opposition, fined a senior Minister who was also an Executive Member of his party. Did I hear double standards?

Sincerely, Dr Roger Luncheon

The 14% VAT on private education saga (Pt One) Dear Editor, On February 23, we presented a petition − signed by more than 15,000 persons, representing more than two per cent of the population of Guyana − to the President and the Ministers of Education and Finance.

Part of the petition included more than 1500 detailed comments from persons from all corners of Guyana and from more than 32 countries, decrying the imposition of the 14 per cent VAT on private education. The petition was spearheaded by a group of sixth formers at Nations.

The next day, I was met by an older, wiser head that said only “boots on the ground” would gain attention. I hoped he was wrong, but one month later, there was no response to the petition. Only when persons began to protest was there any response. The cynic was therefore correct, and the youthful hope that respect would be given to the petition was dashed, and only fuelled the sense of disillusionment on the part of so many youths that they do not have a voice.

The disillusionment was, however, temporarily lifted by the announcement,

by a respected media voice, that the President had indeed heeded the petition and the VAT would be removed.

This apparently misguided or “fake news” was corrected two days later.

There followed a series of articles by one or two Government spokespersons on the rationale for the VAT. The main arguments appeared to be: • Only about 8 of the 58 private schools were fully tax compliant • Some schools were “charter schools” (but no explanation of what this meant was ever given) • Some schools paid no tax because they are “religious schools” • If you can afford private education, by definition you are wealthy and you can afford the 14 per cent increase • Private schools are making large profits, and should therefore pay the 14 per cent themselves • Parents have a choice – they can return to the free public education Many of these points were rehashed at the forum on Friday, when Ministers Cathy Hughes, Dr Rupert

Roopnaraine, and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo met with about 300 persons at the National Cultural Centre to examine the imposition of VAT on private education.

Some of the points raised to refute these points included: * If there are private schools that are indeed not paying their taxes, expose them and make them pay the taxes that we all face. There needs to be a level playing field. There is no logic in saying that because some schools are delinquent in terms of paying tax, the ones that already pay in excess of 35 per cent tax should now attract a further 14 per cent tax. * Publish the list of “charter schools” and “religious schools” and explain the loopholes they have been given not to pay tax, and let the public comment on the wisdom of these decisions * Nations held a number of meetings with parents to gauge their feelings on this issue. At the end of one meeting of 35 parents, someone put up their hand and said: “I am part of the Government. When we discussed this issue, it was

said that the people who attend your school are all rich and can easily afford the increase. Now that my child attends this school, I see that is not true, and that children in fact come from a wide variety of backgrounds.” * There are more than 1200 students at the three centres in Guyana that offer the Association of Business Executives (ABE) programme. The great majority of these students are school-leavers from humble backgrounds. There is no comparable programme to the ABE programme in Guyana. The ABE programme is internationally accredited, accessible and affordable. Now, with the imposition of the VAT, already 12 per cent of the ABE students at Nations have dropped out, and will do nothing but swell the ranks of the unemployed.

It should be noted that the private institutions in Guyana that offer the ABE course do so at a fraction of the cost charged for exactly the same programme in Trinidad.

Sincerely, Dr Brian O’Toole

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guyanatimesgy.com

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News

Missionary in public schools

3 school admins reprimanded following probe – Ministry F

ollowing a probe by the Education Ministry into the recent visit of a Faithful World Baptist Church (FWBC) missionary to several public schools, which caused widespread public outrage, the administrators of these schools have been sanctioned.

The missionary’s visit to these schools back in March was heavily criticised with Hindu organisations and temples in Guyana publishing a joint statement in the local newspapers, calling for the Government to uphold the sacred boundary of “Church and State” outlined in the country’s Constitution.

“We are extremely concerned over Pastor (Steven) Anderson’s subtle and overt attacks on Hindus and Hinduism, as we reflect on the emotional hurt and psychological damage done to Hindu students who had to endure Pastor Anderson’s tirade against their faith,” the organisations detailed, while reminding that Guyanese diverse cultures and religions are the country’s strength.

Acknowledging the outrage the visits caused, the Education Ministry in a statement on Wednesday said a thorough investigation was conducted into the scope of the incident. It was noted that the missionary’s visits to schools were brought to Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine’s attention on March 16 and he subsequently ordered Chief Education

Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine’s

Officer Marcel Hutson to look into the issue.

During the probe, the Ministry found that the missionary visited three public schools in total and in each case, permission was granted via the individual school administrators without any sanction from the Ministry.

“The Department of Education had no previous knowledge of the school visits by FWBC, nor did it in any way facilitate the visits. The church took advantage of a lack of familiarity with regard to documented external visitor policy and the misplaced goodwill of administrative staff on what they believed to be an innocuous intervention, as well as a general ignorance of

the church’s reputation,” the statement from the Ministry noted.

According to the public missive, prior to the conclusion of the investigations by the Ministry, a circular was sent out by Principal Education Officer Immanuel Bridgewater, on March 24, to all principals and head teachers of nursery, primary and secondary schools underlining the need for strict adherence to the established principle of seeking permission from the Department of Education before any external actors are allowed into the school system to conduct activities involving students.

“All administrative [officers] involved were reprimanded for the lapse” following the probe, the Ministry outlined.

Nevertheless, the Education Ministry, under which the Departments of Culture and Youth fall, pointed out that the issue brought to the fore critical concerns regarding the concept of separation of church and state in general; the constitutionally mandated right of students within the public education system to not be subject to religious instruction without consent; and the issue of cultural equity in the State machinery.

“Whatever the context, this incident was unfortunate as it was offensive. There is absolutely no place for proselytising – whether supposedly benign or overtly extremist – in the public educa-

tion sector. Moving forward, it is the commitment of the Ministry of Education to establish clear guidelines against such incidents in the future,” the statement further detailed.

To this end, the Ministry further resolved to ensure that those guidelines are based upon three key foundations; including the Constitution of Guyana, which guarantees freedom of conscience as well as freedom from religious instruction within the public education system.

Another foundation is in the form of a National Cultural Policy, which is currently in draft but will be open to public consultation within the upcoming months. This policy speaks explicitly to the issue of respect for all religions and the equitable inclusion of the concerns of the religious community into public policy formulation and implementation processes.

The final foundation is the revised Education Bill, which will also take into account constitutional stip-

LBI man killed in Montrose accident

M

Dead: Nazim Ali

inutes after the Guyana Police Force revealed that there has been a 21 per cent decrease in fatalities up to the end of March, a pe-

destrian was on Wednesday afternoon killed after he was struck down by a speeding vehicle at Montrose, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Dead is 53-year-old Nazim Ali of Lot 9 Sherry Field, La Bonne Intention, ECD. While information remains sketchy, Guyana Times understands that the now dead man was walking along the Montrose Railway Embankment when he was struck down.

Based on reports received, as a result of the impact, Ali sustained severe injuries to his body and died on the spot. He was nevertheless picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The driver of the 4×4 vehicle was taken into custody as Police continue their investigations.

Mark Ali, a nephew of the now

dead man, when contacted, told Guyana Times that he was at home when he received a call from a friend informing him that his uncle was involved in an accident.

He claimed that based on what he was told, his uncle, who is a fish vendor, was heading home when the vehicle, which was overtaking another vehicle, struck him down. He said that the driver was reportedly drunk.

He further stated that after receiving the news, he immediately rushed to the scene where he saw his uncle's mangled body on the roadway.

The grieving nephew noted that his uncle was a quiet individual, who did not get into any problems.

ulations on religion in the education system.

It was noted that the Government of Guyana as a whole, and the Education Ministry in particular, recognises and values the tremendous gift of our unique and particular diversity. In this vein, the Education Ministry said it would continue to welcome citizen feedback on issues that impact upon that diversity and condignly correct lapses whenever they occur.

The FWBC, which is based in Arizona, United States, is classified as a fundamentalist Christian group with a history of hate speech that has seen it being banned from entry in at least three different countries. American hate speech watchdog, the Southern Poverty Law Center has listed the church as a hate group.

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Foundation

Money

Harvard, Schmarvard

management skills for children

- the case against highly selective colleges and graduate schools

By Marty Nemko, PhD

R

ecently, I wrote What Colleges Don’t Tell You, an attempt to help the college- and graduate-school bound make a more eyes-open decision about whether to attend college.

Here, I assume you’ll be going to college or graduate school. I address two important, too often unasked questions: one about where to go, the other about when to go.

Should I choose the most selective institution? Most people choose the most selective college or graduate school they can get into. That’s understandable.

An institution’s selectivity signals how bright and hard working the students are. So employers are more likely to be impressed by Stanford than by Slippery Rock.

But is that advantage always dispositive? That is, should selectivity trump all other factors?

Often not. Of course, some students do thrive best in the most high-powered student body possible. But other students do better as the big fish in the less selective pond. The question is, “What about you?”

Also, the most selective institutions are the most likely to have the most challenging instruction. Are you really served by the most rigorous academic courses – reading six Shakespearean plays in-depth rather than a more moderate exploration of three? Think of the opportunity cost? If the courses aren’t so rigorous, there’s more time for extracurricular activities, which may yield greater real-world growth and, oh yeah, be more fun.

As a commenter pointed out, if you’re

a bright star among lesser lights, you’re more likely to snag student leadership positions, have a great GPA, and be mentored by a professor, which enhance your learning and your prospects for career and graduate school.

Plus, most colleges discount heavily to students they particularly want to attract, for example, students with a track record that’s above the student body’s average. By attending the most selective college you get into, you’re less likely to get a big discount.

The most extreme example of not choosing the most selective college is to opt for a community

college, sometimes called a junior college. That is the most underrated option and, ironically, often the wisest. Not only are community colleges far less expensive, instruction is often better because, unlikely at research-centric universities, faculty is hired and promoted largely on how well they teach. And a seeming minus of community colleges--they usually don’t offer dormitories--is a plus for many undergraduates. Many if not most 18-or 19-year-olds do better with another year or two under a par-

ent’s watchful eye than in a dorm, that minimally supervised group housing in which students away from parents for the first time can, if only because of peer pressure, get more involved in undesirable activities than they otherwise might. And dorms are loud—far worse places to study than at home.

Should I take a gap year before going? If you’re really into school – not just the extracurriculars – you may want to go straight from high school to college or from college to grad school. But many students could use a break, for example, for some real-world experience. In addition to re-energising the person for more academic work, that real-world experience may enable the student to get into a more selective institution that s/he could otherwise have been admitted to.

Of course, the value of a gap year depends on what you do during that time. Obviously, it’s better to find a career-relevant internship and perhaps some exploratory experiences like volunteering in a third-world orphanage than to sleep late, watch soaps, play video games, chat with friends, and get high.

The takeaway

With the possible exception of a home, higher education is the largest purchase most people ever make. It’s certainly an enormous commitment of time. Be thoughtful about whether it’s wise to opt for the fanciest brand name and whether you should defer school in favour of a real-world gap year. (psychologytoday)

– even very young children can count pennies and exchange them for purchases s parents, one of our responsibilities is to teach money management skills. Even very young children can count pennies and exchange them for “purchases” as Beth Kobliner points out. Older children can walk to the store with a 500-dollar bill, buy some milk and bread, count the change, and bring home the receipt. They are helping the family and learning about money. As Beth points out, using cash is better for kids than debit cards. Cash is concrete and finite. Young children actually believe that ATMs print money and that the flow is unlimited. They do not realise that money represents their parents’ long hours and hard work.

Like Beth, I like using cash for young children but my rationale is that they are in Piaget’s stage of concrete operations and understand tangibles better than ab-

ter care of the clothes and other items they buy on their own. Having a good part-time job is also good for learning time management skills, developing confidence, learning about the world of work, and building a resume.

Some high schools offer economics or consumer maths courses. In one class, students are given a monthly income, like $2000, and told to make a budget including housing, clothing, food, recreation, savings, and other necessities. Highs school consumer maths courses can teach about income tax, property tax, compound interest. One student project compared the list price of an automobile to the actual price paid after four years of interest. An eye-opening project!

Credit cards are the worst.

Some of the worst exploitation of young people I have seen has been by the credit card companies.

When I was teaching

stractions.

When I was in third grade, a bank came to our classroom and gave each child the opportunity to open a bank account. For one dollar, they gave each of us our own small passbook and an account number. They showed us how they entered, stamped, and dated each deposit. Then, the bank representative returned weekly and allowed us to make additional regular deposits. This was a great maths lesson and personally, I loved seeing my balance grow!

When I was 10-years-old, my accountant father would give me money and let me walk to the store to buy a comic book and a candy bar.

When I returned home, he would make me count the change and return it. At the time, I thought he was overly strict, but he forced me to learn money management skills that have lasted a lifetime.

By high school, every teenager can have a part time job, earn their own money, and open a bank account. It is interesting how teens spending habits change when it is their own money rather than their parents. They also take bet-

college, the credit card companies came on campus and offered students free phones for opening an account. The students obviously wanted the phones and started recklessly using the credit cards without keep track of their expenditures. Very soon they had debt that exceeded their ability to repay it and were paying interest on interest. Even worse, the parents of one student bullied her into getting a card and bought a large screen TV on her account. They ruined her credit history and got her into debt.

Even adult children occasionally need help with money.

Beth suggests avoiding loaning adult children money. She says there are many things to consider.

First, they may not pay it back. If this happens, it becomes a gift and other children will expect the same.

If you do decide to loan your grown children money, make sure you have a clear written agreement that is signed and dated which includes the amount and repayment terms.

Children can and should learn money management skills. They can start developing good habits at an early age. (Excerpt from psychologytoday)

By Jann Gumbiner, PhD,

A

news

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thursDAY, APRIL 13, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

1.4% increase in inflation last year T

he Urban Consumer Price Index for Georgetown increased by 1.4 per cent between December 2015 and December 2016.

This is according to the Monthly Economic Bulletin report prepared by the Economic Policy Analysis Unit (EPAU) of the Finance Ministry’s Office of the Budget which provides a monthly update on some of the important developments within Guyana’s economy.

The report said the major driver behind the inflation rate of 1.4 per cent for 2016 has been rising food prices, especially for fruits, vegetables, pulses and pulse products, and spices.

However, it noted that the prices for clothing and footwear and repairs declined by 3.1 and 2.4 per cent, respectively.

Bank of Guyana Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga told Guyana Times on Wednesday, however, that the inflation rate has been relatively stable over the past few months, despite concerns about the volatility in the foreign exchange market.

He disclosed that the inflation rate for January and February of 2017 was below one per cent.

“What is happening is that inflation is not growing fast...so inflation is under control. Many people would have pointed to inflation being higher because of the exchange rate that some people claim have depreciated,” he stated.

The report outlined that historically, inflation in Guyana has tracked inflation in the United States, so rising US inflation may put upward pressure on prices in

2016, foreign exchange market interventions by the Bank of Guyana have been minimal.

For 2017, the interventions increased as the central bank issued a circular instructing cambios, in a move that has been deemed illegal, to apply a spread of $3 in their buying and selling of foreign currency.

Imports/exports

Bank of Guyana Governor, Dr Gobind Ganga

Guyana, partly as a result of rising prices for US imports.

Dr Ganga said he did not have the figures for the inflation rates for the past two months, the period over which concerns about the foreign exchange market skyrocketed.

Several weeks ago, some city banks were charging G$230 for US$1. Many businesspersons and ordinary citizens have been complaining about being turned away by cambios and commercial banks over claims of foreign currency shortages.

This led to the exchange rate skyrocketing to an alltime high in a flourishing black market.

According to the Finance Ministry’s report, the official exchange rate for the month of December 2016 stood at G$206.50 for US$1.

Dr Ganga told this newspaper that the rate has not changed, as the Bank of Guyana was still buying foreign currency at that price.

Foreign reserves held by the Bank of Guyana fell by US$7.8 million in December to US$615.7 million. Reserve levels have been mostly stable since early 2015. For

Meanwhile, there was a fall in imports by US$14.0 million to US$116.2 million in December 2016. December 2016 imports were 8.2 per cent lower than imports in December 2015.

The drop in imports in December was due to a 17.8 per cent decline in imports of capital goods, compared with November. Agricultural and mining machinery saw the greatest declines, with drops of 43.0 and 55.4 per cent respectively.

Domestic exports rose by US$9.6 million to US$149.7 million, a 6.8 per cent increase compared with November. December 2016 exports were 15.8 per cent higher than December 2015 exports.

Gold exports remained strong in December, increasing by US$13.2 million to US$99.8 million, when compared to November. The increase was largely a result of a US$9.8 million increase in exports by the Guyana Gold Board. December 2016 exports were 33.0 per cent higher than December 2015 exports.

Shrimp and prawn exports also did creditably in December, growing by 6.7 per cent compared to November.

December 2016 exports increased by 84.1 per cent over December 2015.

Vergenoegen NDC official arrested for suspected fraud

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he Overseer attached to the Vergenoegen/ Greenwich Park Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) was taken into custody on Tuesday over an attempt on her part to allegedly defraud the entity of approximately $600,000.

Guyana Times was reliably informed that the senior official told other representatives of the NDC that there had been a break-in at the facility and the monies were stolen.

The Police were contacted and an investigation was launched.

However, this publication was informed that the Police were unable to corroborate the official’s version of the incident, as

there was no visible evidence of break and enter at the building.

“No windows, doors or any means of entrance into the office appeared to have been tampered with,” the source told this newspaper.

On this basis, the senior official of the NDC was tak-

en into custody on Tuesday afternoon, to be questioned by law enforcement officers.

Guyana Times was told that a special meeting was convened on Tuesday to discuss the matter.

The Police investigation is still ongoing.

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thursDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

Former Toshao’s wife slapped with larceny charge ...allegedly lent husband’s gun to hunters

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he wife of former Toshao of Kurupukari Village, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) was on Wednesday afternoon taken before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan charged for what her attorney deemed to be a “mistaken case” of larceny.

It is alleged that Christina Peters on April 7, 2017 at the Amerindian village of Kurupukari, stole one shotgun valued $120,000, property of Virtual Complainant (VC) Albertino Peters.

Christina Peters, who was represented by Attorney Jerome Khan, denied the charge read to her by the Magistrate.

The lawyer in a bail application related that his client was a 57-year-old mother of six and a church leader in the community. Khan added that his client was the wife of the VC and on the day in question, had lent the weapon to two men in order that they may go hunting to supply the village’s feeding programme, which she was actively involved in.

He continued that as the men proceeded across the river, they were spotted by Police in the area and were subsequently detained, and the gun with matching ammunition was found in their possession.

The court was told that Christina

Peters then reportedly confessed to lending the weapon, explaining that the village’s supply of meat was declining and she had lent the gun to the men in the hope they would return with meat to keep the programme going which the elderly and young were dependent upon.

The defence counsel argued that the weapon was never reported as stolen. He said that the VC was a licensed firearm holder, and it was never the intention of his client to “steal” the gun.

According to the lawyer, his client also has a medical condition of undisclosed nature and he requested that she be granted bail in these special circumstances; adding that one of her daughters was set to be wed on Easter Monday.

Bail was set in the sum of $15,000, and the matter was transferred to Lethem Magistrate’s Court to be continued on June 6.

Meanwhile, the court also saw the appearance of the two farmers of Kurupukari Village to whom the gun was allegedly lent.

It is alleged that Elbo Felix had in his possession two 12-gauge cartridges without being the holder of a firearm licence.

Gilbert Williams, on the other hand,

was charged for having in his possession a 12-gauge shotgun while not being a licensed firearm holder, on the same day at the said village.

Attorney Khan also represented the men. In a bail application, the lawyer told the court that his clients were 51 and 30 years old respectively. He said that both men have a permanent place of abode in the indigenous community of Kurupukari. The men’s hunting trip, he related, was aborted when they were arrested by Police Officers in relation to the shotguns and ammunition found on their person.

The Attorney, in a bail application, stated that his clients were both firsttime offenders, asserting that there was “no knowledge” on their part. He explained to the court that despite the presumption that “ignorance of the law is no excuse”, the society in which Indigenous people co-exist was somewhat special, as these communities operate in such a way persons were always willing to assist each other.

Magistrate McLennan remanded the men to the Camp Street Prison after finding no special basis on which to grant bail. The matter will continue on June 6, at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court.

Forgetting…

Y …Rodney and development

ou could’ve knocked over your Eyewitness with a feather when Ogunseye took issue with the PPP giving the Government an “F” on the economy.

It isn’t that he disagreed – hey! Everybody has an opinion, OK? But it’s the main criterion on which he constructed his rebuttal – growth. Ogunseye delivered the finding by the IMF that the economy would grow by 3.3 per cent... and concluded – so THERE!!

But it’s not as simple as that, is it? And of all the people in Guyana, Ogunseye should know better because he was taught better. Ogunseye is a selfprofessed “Rodneyite” and if there was one thing Rodney opened up the eyes of his followers on, it was the critical difference between “growth” and “development”. Surely Ogunseye hasn’t forgotten this? If not, the PPP can contend the IMF had verified ad nauseam that Guyana’s economy had grown consistently by an average of 5 per cent during the Jagdeo years.

And Ogunseye can be asked why’d he criticise the PPP (just as ad nauseam) over the course of its two decades at the helm? Well, according to him, because African Guyanese didn’t benefit proportionately in that growth. Whether true or not, Ogunseye’s contention confirms that “growth” is an omnibus term that has to be disaggregated to mean anything. Rodney had shown that there can be “growth”, but no “development” – since the latter considers improvement in real peoples’ lives rather than numbers on a national balance sheet.

So why hasn’t he done this with the present IMF claim? And your Eyewitness isn’t even going down the road of PPP’s analogous claim on ethnic differential benefits as Ogunseye’s. He’ll simply reiterate the point he’s been making ad nauseam – that it’s gold production that’s delivering the “growth” of which the IMF speaks. And while we know that quite a lot of African Guyanese are in the gold bush, surely that’s no comfort to the much vaster number of citizens who’re in the stagnating sectors dubbed the “six sisters” by Prezzie. Much less other Guyanese. So Ogunseye gets an “F” on Rodneyite, humanist economics!

But contradicting himself, Ogunseye then lists a host of factors to “explain” why the economy’s on the ropes!! Like Schrodinger’s cat, the economy’s both dead and alive – depending on who’s observing it? He mentioned the “political challenge” posed by Ramotar proroguing Parliament – but NOT the “noconfidence” motion of APNU/AFC!! He also invoked the “underground economy” that was fuelling growth under the PPP. Really? So why did Clive Thomas insist this “underground activity” wasn’t captured by PPP’s stats?? “F” up to now!

Finally, Ogunseye says there’s “sabotage”. There’s sabotage, all right.

Inflicted by the Government that keeps shooting itself in the foot!!

…what’s an SC

So what’s going on with the apology Judge Holder demanded of Slick Willie? Or, as he would have it – AG Basil Williams, SC, Minister of Justice. But he’ll never get the irony of demanding to be recognised by all those titles, while refusing to behave in a manner befitting them. Everything he did in that courtroom was to reinforce his lifelong reputation as “Slick Willie”.

You can take the hustler out of the hustle, but you can’t take the hustle out of him.

Even if your Eyewitness stretches his credulity to the max and pretends Slick Willie didn’t threaten the Judge, what kind of lawyer would tell a judge “I’ll talk to you, any which way I want!”?? A shyster lawyer, that’s who! And that’s why he’ll never apologise to the Judge. If he wasn’t such a hustler, he’d take a page out of Burnham’s book.

Walking out of Parliament in protest, Burnham still took time to genuflect to the Speaker. Slick Willie would never have this class. Disbar him!!

…forensics

One of the trenchant criticisms by APNU/AFC of Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee was he couldn’t get the high-priced Police Forensic Lab going.

Two years later, Ramjattan still hasn’t rectified matters.

A no-confidence motion on the cards?

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

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thursDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt did not negotiate VAT on Police record 14% education in good faith – Ram increase in rape …dubs recent meeting “a total waste of time”

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ocial activist and Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram has accused the Government of giving parents a raw deal on the recent Value Added Tax (VAT) on education consultation, and it was a total waste of time. Ram, who joined stakeholders in another protest held outside the Education Ministry’s Brickdam office on Wednesday, said the people who attended felt disrespected.

The outspoken lawyer told Guyana Times that he had no hope that the Government would make any changes even though it promised to review the policy in 2018.

Reflecting on what took place at the consultation held at the National Cultural Centre on Friday, April 7,

sultation. That we would be listened to and that the matter would be discussed dispassionately at Cabinet,” he opined.

Ram maintains that the Government was too quick to implement VAT on education without researching the impact and addressing the many concerns of those likely to be affected.

“This is seen as a political thing. We can’t afford to be seen as weak. That’s the test for this Government and that is regrettable. This is about children’s education. This should not be about political strength and political image,” he added.

Meanwhile, Director of Nations Incorporated, Dr Brian O’Toole told Guyana Times his institution has al-

Stakeholders has vowed to continue their protest

Ram said that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo came with a prepared speech and a final decision. “It was an abuse and an insult to the parents, and everybody who attended there and felt that…look we were invited to a genuine con-

ready seen cases where students have dropped out primarily because of the increases caused by VAT. Dr O’Toole claims that 10 per cent of students pursuing studies under the Association of Business Executives (ABE)

…decrease in murder, increase in other crimes

T Social activist and Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram and Director of Nations Incorporated, Dr Brian O’Toole holding up placards at Wednesday’s protest

programmes have dropped out because they could not afford the increase.

“And what will happen to them? They are going to add to the ranks of the unemployed of Guyana. What a wonderful victory that is. Is that a victory?” he asserted.

The Nations Director also took issue with Nagamootoo’s prepared speech. O’Toole said that was the main reason people decided to walk out during his speech, because they were convinced that a decision against their favour was already made.

A student who attends Nation’s Sixth Form College, Othneil Lewis told this publication that while he has not dropped out of school yet, he did see that becoming a reality soon. He spoke about the need for Government to reconsider their policy, because Lewis claimed that his parents may no longer be able to afford to pay the extra school fees. Lewis alluded to the fact that he was not the only one affected by this, because

many parents continued to make sacrifices to send their children to a private educational institution, where the teaching and training were of a higher standard.

Private education became subject to VAT on February 1 as a measure of the 2017 National Budget. However, there has been public outcry against the measure, including protests organised by private schools. A petition which garnered close to 2000 signatures was also sent to Government.

Opposition Leader and former President Bharrat Jagdeo has condemned this approach by the Government, noting that it was a demonstration that the Administration lacked clear vision on the education sector.

Many other people and institutions have come out criticising Government over its decision to charge VAT on education – a policy that is not practised anywhere else in the world which strives for economic betterment.

he Guyana Police Force on Wednesday revealed that at the end of March 2017, there was a reduction in serious crimes by three per cent with a whopping 43 per cent decline in murders.

However, there were increases in other crimes such as robbery under arms, robbery with violence, larceny from a person, robbery with aggravation, and burglary.

In addition, there was a 14 per cent increase in rape and an 18 per cent decrease in break and enter and larceny. In each of the categories, the Police were able to apprehend and charge the perpetrators with a solve rate of 28-87 per cent.

Up to March 31, there were 23 murders recorded, with 10 of them committed in A Division (GeorgetownEast Bank); six in F Division (Interior locations); four in B Division (Berbice) and three in D Division (West Demerara). This is in comparison with 40 murders for the same period in 2016.

The Police further stated that 37 unlicensed firearms (18 pistols, four revolvers, seven shotguns and eight rifles) were seized when compared with 16 last year.

These include.

The statistics released on Tuesday revealed that the reduction of serious crimes although not significant – coupled with the large number of illegal weapons seized and the

number of persons arrested and charged with indictable offences – were positive indicators that the Police Force is gaining the public’s trust and support in the fight against crime.

Traffic offences

With respect to traffic, the Police recorded a 21 per cent decrease in fatal accidents. Twenty-six fatalities were recorded up to the end of March, compared to 29 for the same period last year. Of the 26 road fatalities, seven were drivers, six pedestrians, five pedal cyclists, four motorcyclists and four occupants of motorcars. Speeding continues to be the major contributor to road deaths as it was the cause of 14 accidents, followed by driving under the influence of alcohol with four. The Police had instituted charges against 17,846 traffic offenders up to the end of March.

Speeding offences topped the list with 4469.

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thursDAY, april 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

1900 gallons of illegal fuel seized in Mahaica ‌smugglers escape after trying to sink vessel

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mugglers made good their escape by jumping overboard after they were caught transport-

ing some 1900 gallons of illegal fuel.

The bust was made during the course of an operation

conducted by inspectors of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) with support from the Guyana Police Force (GPF)

The smaller of the two vessels was also seized

and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the vicinity of Helena Number One, Mahaica on Monday.

Officers observed two boats linked together, with several drums on board, according to a statement from the GEA. The GEA said the occupants of the vessels refused to comply with instructions issued by the officers for them to come ashore and initially started to sail away.

However, shortly after, they abandoned the vessels and jumped into the river, making good their escape.

The GEA said efforts to pursue them proved futile.

A public-spirited citizen assisted the authorities by swimming out and pulling the boats ashore, according to the GEA. Upon retrieving the vessels, it was discovered that there were efforts by the occupants to sink the larger of the two.

Thirty-eight drums containing fuel were also dis-

covered. They were estimated to be holding 1900 gallons of fuel.

Field tests carried out by GEA’s Inspectors revealed that the fuel was illegal as the marker concentration was below the legal level.

Operation Coordinator for their diligence and commitment in managing the operation.

The Agency said it continued to monitor fuel-related activities to ensure compliance with the GEA Act and

Some of the drums of fuel seized by the GEA

As a result, all 38 drums of fuel were seized, along with both vessels, an outboard engine and a gasoline powered pump. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The GEA lauded its Inspectors and Field

Regulations. The GEA also reminded the general public that fuel smuggling affected everyone, and urged anyone with information on fuel smuggling activities to report same to the GEA on 2260394, extensions 204 or 239, or 629-3391.

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thursDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GuySuCo maintains hopes of starting Skeldon crop by August – CEO

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When is it ok to be selfish?

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o many words have negative connotations and we can so easily get caught up believing that there is only one way to look at something. Selfishness is the devotion to or caring only for ourselves or being primarily concerned with our own interests, benefits or welfare; regardless of others. I think it is the ‘regardless of others’ that Lorraine Ince-Carvalhal carries the most weight in this definition and if more of us went about our daily lives thinking only of ourselves and disregarding others, the world would be in an even worse state.

There is no argument for being predominantly selfish and disregarding the feelings of others as we make our choices from day to day, but as with most things in life, there needs to be balance. It can be just as detrimental never considering our own needs and feelings and always putting everyone else first. Apart from the responsibility we have as parents, if we are constantly putting everyone else’s needs before our own, we may be on the road to burnout.

Some of us know that “selfish” doesn’t have only negative connotations. Perhaps it is easier to digest if we interchange the word selfish with self-care.

You see, self-care is vital in a time where we take on so many roles and are constantly busy with work and family commitments with zero time to dedicate to ourselves. Tiredness, resentment and stress can take over until eventually there will be nothing left to give.

Look at it this way; how are we supposed to take care of others if we’re not taking care of ourselves?

There is no need to feel guilty if you decide to choose what you want to do, sometimes, to say no to extra work, to leave the housework for a day. No need to feel remorseful if you sleep in, choose to read a book rather than go out with a friend or don’t answer your phone.

Choosing to do exactly what suits for a short time can be the answer to survival and to some happiness. There must be time for us to just be without the weight of responsibility on our shoulders.

The point is not to never help others; the point is to give to yourself first so that you are in a better position to help others. Giving out of obligation or resentment or a forced belief of responsibility is not a healthy way to give and can often put more stress on a person. Giving from a true spirit of generosity means prioritising yourself not because you love yourself more than anyone else, but because by making sure you’re healthy and happy, you’re a better you – and can in turn treat others better.

Being authentic in your actions is what is most important, whether it appears to others that you are selfish or not. The issue to keep in mind is at what point selfishness gets in the way of being a functional, caring human being. We are relational beings and we do have a responsibility to each other, to the society we live in and the environment we share. A balance needs to be struck between caring for our own needs, and giving to others time, attention, and care.

With the constant hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is vital that we understand and listen to our own emotional and physical needs and proactively find ways to ensure that we take the time out to meet them. Some people thrive on being busy and helpful and managing to get it all done ,but those people only maintain that because they know when it’s time to take that break, say no, switch off, put themselves first. It’s not as simple as being selfish, it’s survival and at the end of the day, if you are the type of person who likes to help, who wants to give, who is happy to support; you will do a much better job if you know when it’s time to look after you.

After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup!

Giving is good and we cannot always only consider our needs, but if a time comes when we need to focus on ourselves without giving up our responsibilities, then there can be nothing wrong with doing that. There is no need to feel guilty for it. If the giving to others is coming from the right place for the right reasons, then giving to yourself is right too.

ith operations for the first sugar crop of 2017 halted at Skeldon Factory over safety concerns, Skeldon Energy Inc (SEI) is working towards an August deadline to complete enough repairs on the equipment to make it operable.

This is according to Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Chief Executive Officer Errol Hanoman.

In a recent interview with Guyana Times, Hanoman was asked about sugar production at the facility.

“SEI has indicated they are hoping to complete enough work to make it safe to operate by late August,” he said. “So we’re hoping to start Skeldon’s crop by late August.”

“We’ve had to defer the start of production at Skeldon, because SEI informed us it was unsafe to operate the co-generation plant. So we had to take their advice and once we can’t operate the cogeneration plant, we can’t operate the factory.”

When it was first revealed that grinding would be halted, concerns were raised about whether GuySuCo even had the resources to start the second crop if the repairs were completed.

In February 2017, SEI had informed GuySuCo that the co-generation plant was unsafe to operate. It had advised that the first crop of 2017 should no longer take place since approximately seven months were required to address the problem.

According to GuySuCo, the co-generation plant has been deteriorating over the years. The Corporation stated that the plant became progressively unreliable, adversely affecting the operations of the sugar factory and causing reduced sugar production.

The Corporation had said that overtures were being made to external engineers and boiler manufacturers to determine the extent and cost of repairs required to sustain the efficiency and safety of the boiler opera-

GuySuCo CEO Errol Hanoman

tions.

“Due to the above, it is with great regret that the Corporation announces that sugar production at the Skeldon Estate is suspended. Every effort will be made

by SEI to have the co-generation plant back in operation by late August.”

“The Corporation is currently examining a number of options for meaningful

engagement of the Skeldon Estate employees during the period of the first crop.

In the meanwhile, meetings have been scheduled with the Unions and cane farmers … to brief them on the situation,” GuySuCo had said.

The Estate is valued over US$200 million. The Skeldon co-generation plant is outfitted with Wärtsilä engines and a steam plant powered by bagasse.

There have been plans to sell the operations. Last year, Government, through the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with D Rampersad and Company Limited (DRCL) to undertake a feasibility study to determine the success of taking over the estate.

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder had told media operatives that Government received a number of Expressions of Interest from parties desirous of taking over the operations.

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thursDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Enmore’s closure

Protest moves to GuySuCo’s Headquarters

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number of cane planters, along with officials of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), staged a picketing exercise outside the head office of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) in another effort to dissuade management from closing the Enmore Estate.

The workers and their Union strongly believe

GuySuCo is setting the stage to shut down the Estate as it has been five weeks since cane planters have been unable to perform their traditional job following a decision by the Sugar Corporation to cease planting at the Estate.

According to the planters, GuySuCo is adamantly maintaining that they must take up cane-cutting tasks.

They also alleged that in in-

stances when cane planting was unavailable, they were offered other tasks that were currently available on the Estate.

“Such denial is not in keeping with the agreement between the Union and the company and is another disrespect meted out by the Corporation to its hardworking employees,” GAWU said in a statement to the media on Wednesday.

Some of the workers protesting outside GuySuCo’s Headquarters

As a result, the planters are calling on GuySuCo to provide them with their normal tasks or to pay them in lieu of work.

The planters are also upset that a request by GAWU to engage Agriculture Minister Noel Holder remains unanswered at this time. The Union’s request to Minister Holder followed an engagement between the planters and the Union with Minister within the Social Protection Ministry with responsibility for labour, Keith Scott on March 27.

During that engagement, Minister Scott had suggested that an audience with the Agriculture Minister be sought. The Union and the workers positively considered Minister Scott’s suggestion.

During the protest, workers held up placards with messages such as: “Closure of Enmore Estate spells disaster for workers and their families”, “Cane planters are not cane cutters – give us our normal work”, “We oppose closure of Enmore Estate”, “Closure

means more misery and suffering for us”, “We planters are demanding pay in lieu of work”.

In light of their strong belief that the halting of cane planting is an indication of plans to close the Enmore Estate, the workers are very much apprehensive about their future, especially taking note of the depression that has gripped several communities following the closure of the Wales Estate.

On April 11, Enmore workers and residents marched against the perceived closure, even though neither GuySuCo nor Government was yet to make an official pronouncement on the future of that estate.

Meanwhile, GAWU said it was informed that Government would be presenting a white paper on the sugar industry to the National Assembly today proposing that the industry be significantly minimised through further estate closures and sale, and certain services provided by the industry either be discontinued or funded by the State.

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thursDAY, APRIL 13, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Day 1: Students give positive review of NGSA exam Serial robber remanded

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ore than 20,000 primary students sat the first leg of the countrywide National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) on Wednesday.

The examination began in the morning at 09:00h and Grade Six pupils were seen assembling to commence the day with high hopes and God’s blessings.

As their optimism peaked, the pupils all entered their various classrooms at their respective schools where the exam was commenced with English Language (Paper One).

Following the completion of that paper, English (Paper Two) was written.

The pupils then broke for lunch before the afternoon session of the examination began with Science (Paper Two) followed by Science (Paper One).

Guyana Times met with a number of the students who sat the examination following the conclusion of day one, most of whom were confident.

Outside the West Ruimveldt Primary School just after the exams con-

for multiple counts of armed robbery

Pupils of the West Ruimveldt Primary School following the examination

cluded, most of the students were observed rushing to their waiting parents with broad smiles on their faces. This publication managed to speak with several of those students.

Delia Thomas said she was confident after the first sitting of the exams that she would attain the secondary school that she hoped to attend, especially since she would also be writing her favourite subject tomorrow.

“It was good; it wasn’t that hard and I am sure

that I did well. I cannot wait for the results. I am excited for tomorrow, because I get to write Social Studies, which is my favourite subject,” Thomas blurted out excitedly.

Amansa Tenent related that for her, the examination was not very difficult.

However, she could not say that it was extremely easy.

“It wasn’t hard, neither was it easy; I would say that it was in between.”

The young woman, who is hoping to attain a spot at St John’s College, was,

Policewoman injured in Linden accident

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female Police Constable was pinned between two vehicles while attempting to cross the road, after the brakes of a car driven by a priest failed.

Injured is Constable Latisha Petri, who is in stable condition at the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) following the accident at Republic Avenue, Mackenzie, Linden on Tuesday.

Guyana Times was told that the brakes of the priest’s car failed, causing it to crash into the rear of another car, which in turn crashed into a Police vehicle. The Policewoman was rushed to the LHC where she remained a patient.

Silver Hill accident

Meanwhile, the driver involved in the fatal accident along the Silver Hill Public Road, Linden-Soesdyke Highway on Monday, which caused the death of a pedal cyclist in the area is expected to be released on station bail, as investigations con-

Police Constable Latisha Petri being assisted by public-spirited citizens following the accident

tinue.

Raymond Isaacs, 21, of Silver Hill, was struck down by a hire car while riding along the Highway about 16:50h. Reports indicate that the hire car 7383, which was driven by Steven Pearson, 31, of West Watooka, Wismar, Linden, was proceeding North along the western carriageway of the Silver Hill Public Road at a fast pace, when it collided with Isaacs, who allegedly turned into its path while proceeding in the same di-

rection. The pedal cyclist was reportedly thrown onto the western parapet and sustained severe injuries.

He was then rushed to the LHC, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Pearson was taken into Police custody at Linden, where he was said to be assisting Police with investigations into the matter. A senior Police official has indicated to this newspaper that the case file is expected to be submitted for legal advice soon.

however, confident that she was on track to attain such.

Meanwhile, Subrina Seeraj was all smiles as she commented that the exam was very easy for her. “I am hoping to get Bishops’ High School, because I always wanted to go there!”

However, Tyrese Holder told this newspaper that the only part of the exam that he was confident of was English Language Paper One. He said, “I think I did really good for the paper one, but I ain’t know about the other one, but I try hard.”

All in all, the students for the most part were all hopeful that they performed excellently and were anticipating the examination today when they will sit the second and final leg, the Mathematics and Social Studies components.

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nthony Charles, a repeat offender of Werken-Rust, Georgetown, was on Wednesday morning hauled before city Magistrate Fabayo Azore on four counts of armed robbery.

The first charge stated that on March 28, 2017, at Leopold Street, Georgetown, while armed with a dangerous weapon (a knife), the defendant robbed Mohan Persaud of one cellular phone valued $40,000; some $20,000 and US$500.

Additionally, Charles was accused of robbing Bibi Nazim of $105,000 in cash at a popular clothing store on Regent Street, Georgetown on March 21, 2017, while armed with a knife and a pair of scissors. On the same day at Water Street, Georgetown, he allegedly relieved Elizabeth Narine of a cellphone and a quantity of cash, a total value of $31,000.

Finally, the defendant on January 25, 2017, while armed with a knife, stripped Janice Jordan of $179,000 in cash at North Road, Georgetown.

Defence Attorney George Thomas, in a bail application, related that Charles was a 26-year-old father of one, permanently residing in Leopold Street, Georgetown.

The court heard that the defendant was arrested over a week ago and maintained his innocence with respect to all charges.

Thomas disclosed his client’s willingness to surrender all travel documents, and comply with whatever conditions the court may impose in the event bail was granted in a reasonable sum.

Bail was refused and Charles was remanded to prison until April 26, when the case is expected to continue at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

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News

Gunmen snatch cash from paint company’s employees

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wo employees attached to Automotive Arts on Croal Street, Georgetown were on Wednesday relieved of a bag containing close to $1 million in cash by two armed men. The incident occurred just after 13:00h.

The workers, according to reports, had just returned from a commercial bank and as they exited their motor car, a black car pulled up alongside them and stopped. As the black car came to a halt, one man who was carrying a hand gun exited and grabbed the bag that contained the money.

The gunman then reportedly discharged a round into the air and hurriedly entered the waiting motor car, which fled the scene.

By this time, several per-

sons from within the building rushed out and immediately summoned the Police.

An official of the paint company told media operatives that two workers went to the bank to collect “change money” and confirmed that it was less than $1 million. A Police source told Guyana Times that they were up to late Wednesday evening reviewing the surveillance footage captured by the business place.

He noted that the man who exited the getaway car was not wearing a mask and the Police would check their database to see if there was a match.

The manager of the company was happy no one was hurt during the robbery, but related that the two employees were traumatised.

Credit Union decries hold-up of AGM –blames Social Protection Ministry for delays

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he Guyana Public Service Cooperative Credit Union (GPSCCU) has laid the blame for the delays of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the feet of the Chief Cooperatives Development Officer of the Social Protection Ministry.

At a press conference on Wednesday to clear the air on the issue, Chairperson of the Credit Union, Patricia Went, explained to reporters that GPSCCU had submitted its audited reports for the years 2011 to 2013 to be reviewed by the Chief Cooperatives Officer; however, those documents are yet to be returned in order for the Union to host its AGM. She added too that the Cooperative Department was also withholding approval for the

GPSCCU Chairperson Patricia Went along with the Credit Union’s Secretary Trevor Benn at Wednesday’s press conference

auditing of more recent financial reports.

The press conference was called to publicly inform members of the GPSCCU of the issues

causing the delays in holding the AGM, which was last held in 2013 covering financial statements up to 2010. This was in light of a letter to the editor from “disappointed and frustrated” member Kirwyn Mars, back in February.

“As a financial member I am seeking urgency in the calling of this long outstanding meeting that the Committee of Management is reluctant to call and which has to be in conflict with the laws of this country,” he had stated, while calling on the Social Protection Minister to look into this grave matter.

However, at Wednesday’s press conference, Went pointed out that the Chief Cooperatives Officer on February 20, 2014, authorised the audit of financial statements for the period January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013.

However, during the course of the audit, the Union Chair added, GPSCCU was informed by the Guyana Credit Union League – its umbrella body – that the Assistant Chief Cooperatives Officer has advised that all ongoing audits be halted until further notice.

Moreover, Went outlined that the Credit Union’s Committee of Management decided to present audited reports up to 2015, to the general membership at an Annual General Meeting that was planned for last November but never happened.

“The Committee of Management wrote the Assistant Chief Cooperatives Development Officer requesting that the Auditors be given the green light to complete the audit for the years 2014 and 2015, since it would have taken an additional two months to present to the membership an up-to-date audited report,” the GPSCCU Chair outlined. “The Assistant Chief Development Officer,

by way of letter dated September 21, 2016, did not grant the permission to have the audits for 20142015 started, stating that the said audits would only commence after holding the Annual General Meeting for the audits 2011-2013.

This would have been two meetings and delaying members to have two benefits.”

However, she noted that the planned November AGM was impossible, since the Credit Union did not receive the audited reports for 2011 to 2013, which remain in custody of the Chief Cooperatives Development Officer.

Media operatives were told that these three audited reports were still being held because the Department of Cooperatives, on checking the documents, found some “flaws” which were to be corrected by the auditor. The balances shown as "Audit and Supervision” Fund were allegedly incorrect. Efforts by Guyana Times to contact the Chief Cooperatives Officer on Wednesday were futile.

However, this newspaper was told by a staffer that the “fault” was not with the Cooperatives Department but he declined to further expound.

According to Went, there were several meetings with the Minister responsible for Cooperatives and the Department of Cooperatives, but the audited reports have still not been returned, thus preventing the Credit Union from convening an AGM to approve dividends to be paid and to continue with the audits for 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Nevertheless, the Committee of Management has agreed to have a General Members' Meeting this month-end not only to bring members up to date, but to get their views on the matter to determine the way forward.

thursDAY, april 13, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

15

News

Multimillion-dollar fraud

GRA seizes luxury vehicles as probe deepens A

s the probe against Saddiqui “Bobby” Rasul deepens, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on Wednesday swooped down on his Prashad Nagar, Georgetown property and seized a Black 4WD Hilux vehicle.

Another vehicle was found in Bartica.

Rasul is presently on $3 million bail for ripping off the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Limited’s Bartica branch for $956 million.

A source told Guyana Times that GRA’s Enforcement Officers went to Rasul’s property and removed the vehicle, which they claimed was a 2013 model, but bore a PKK registration plate that is almost 12 years old.

Based on information re-

ceived, it seems as though Rasul evaded paying taxes on the vehicle. At present, the accused fraudster of SSS Minerals Trading owes the GRA millions of dollars.

The source further stated that other vehicles belonging to the gold dealer will come under investigation. Only recently, a money laundering investigation was launched into a company with which Rasul is closely associated.

It is believed that the company, R Mining Inc, would have made several transactions with the Guyana Gold Board (GGB) that have now come under scrutiny. The investigation is being led by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU). It was reported that Rasul conducted business with the GGB using

SARU Bill 2016

Court has the final say – AG

T

he provisions of the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) Bill give the courts the final say in any proceedings that may come before it, Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General (AG) Basil Williams has said.

The Bill, which is set to be read for the second time in the National Assembly today, will not see any criminal charges being taken against any of the defaulters.

The Attorney General met with Journalists on Wednesday, along with SARU’s Head, Professor Clive Thomas and sought to dispel all misconceptions regarding the nature of the Bill.

Williams maintains that there is nothing criminal about the provisions of the Bill, as it is intended strictly to act against illegal access to property.

“It is strictly a civil recovery proceeding. It is a proceeding where no one will be arrested, charged, prosecuted nor is there any question under this Act that anyone will be given a custodial sentence.

So, there is nothing criminal about this Bill,” the AG said on Wednesday.

According to Williams, the process, though driven by the Director and staff of the Unit, requires the intervention of the High Court because it could give effect to the results of its investigations.

He explained that appeals were allowed from

decisions of the court as in any area of the law.

Meanwhile, Williams related that while stolen State property must be recovered, once the value of the property was below $10 million, legal action would not be pursued.

“In the final analysis, the court could decide in all the circumstances that it is not granting any order depending on the justice of the case.”

SARU’s Head weighed in on the position of the Attorney General, saying it is clear that mischief is being made by some factions of society, seeking to create the impression that the Bill thrusts power into the hands of SARU members.

Under Article 54 (1) of the UN Convention Against Corruption, each State Party must consider taking measures as may be necessary to allow confiscation of property without criminal conviction. In the context of the convention, civil recovery may be employed as part of the State’s national and international strategy in the fight against corruption, to mitigate the damaging effects of such conduct and to mobilise resources for sustainable development. As a mechanism in the struggles, civil recovery enables forfeiture, through civil proceedings, of proceeds of criminal activity so as to deprive persons of illicit gains, when criminal proceedings may not be possible or where prosecution fails.

two companies - R Mining Inc and SSS Minerals Trading Enterprises.

SSS Minerals Trading Enterprises is, however, licensed to buy gold from miners and sell to the Gold Board, but based on records at hand, the bulk of the gold sold was from R Mining, which was only supposed to be engaged in mining activities.

It is believed that by using R Mining Inc, Rasul was exempted from paying taxes for the months the transactions were done.

This, according to sources from the GRA, amounted to some $100 million. It was further reported that during the transaction period (September-November), Rasul’s companies sold 31,790 ounces of gold to the GGB which amounted to

The black 4WD Hilux that was seized by the GRA

$7.67 billion.

With this recent revelation, the Natural Resources Ministry has ordered an investigation into the members of the new Board of Directors of the Gold Board.

Rasul, a known fraudster, is believed to have robbed and conned several gold dealers of hundreds of millions of dollars.

He presently has several lawsuits hanging over his head from clients that he took money from to purchase gold, but instead, fraudulently converted it to his own use.

One of the biggest frauds, however, was in relation to him depositing six cheques between March 21 and 24, 2017. The cheques

carried the sums $290 million, $96 million, $138 million, $89 million, $298 million and $45 million.

The incident became public two weeks ago and within a few hours, Rasul turned himself in to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters in the company of his lawyer. Further, it was reported that the female bank manager colluded with Rasul to change the cheques before clearing them with Citizens Bank – the bank from where the cheques originated.

It is believed that the woman did not follow protocol stipulated by the Bank before clearing the amounts. She is presently being investigated by the Major Crimes Unit of the Guyana Police Force.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Creatively blessed, Jennifer Gibson

T

he uber creative Jennifer Gibson is a fount of pithy wisdom, knowledge and life experience. A creative soul who revels in upcycling arts and craft, and using them to empower women and the underprivileged, she says: “Success, for me, is not the amount of money you have in the bank, or wearing the best clothes, or driving the latest car or living in the biggest house. Success is when I have fulfilled my God-given mandate. I have done it to the best of my ability. I am not telling you that I don’t want to live comfortable, but that is not my yardstick. If I have all the riches in the world, and I don’t care for others and I don’t help. I do not see myself as successful.”

A member of the Guyana Women’s Artists Association, Gibson co-owns Sanctified Artistic Creations with three of her colleagues, and is set on seeing the shop succeed and become a focus for creativity and empowerment. It is “a dynamic experience of locally hand-made” items: upcycled jewellery accessories, pottery, soft furnishings and paintings.

A transplant from Barbados, Gibson fell in love with Guyana on a trip and came here to live, leaving behind a thriving business designing for art galleries, fashion designers, restaurants, a high-end hotel as well as the Richard Stoute teen talent contest, which has introduced Alison Hinds and other famous soca artists to the world. Gibson, who has travelled extensively throughout the Caribbean, said: “I could not explain it. I wanted to live

nowhere else but Barbados [not Antigua, St Lucia, Suriname] until I came to Guyana. But now, all I can say is it was where God wanted me to be here.”

Gibson set up shop here and returned to expressing her artistry in

hand-crafted jewellery, hand-painted textiles and soft furnishings and sharing her knowle d g e , teaching private students, including a group of Amerindian women on the East Coast , UG students and designer Karen Hughes-Braithwaite, as well as at Carnegie School of Home Economics. And was quite happy until one day in church, the proprietor of a Linden-based orphanage got up and spoke about her non-profit organisation’s mission to help vulnerable children.

Business News

Seeking competitive edge, Caribbean firms

A

s clouds of uncertainty loom over the global economy, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Caribbean companies. But these days, a different kind of cloud is creating fresh opportunities for regional businesses.

For techies, the term ‘cloud’ is just a metaphor for the Internet. And the advent of cloud computing is creating new possibilities for business-

es in the Caribbean and across the world. Where in the past, businesses would run applications from a physical computer or server in their building, cloud computing provides a simple way to access servers, storage, databases, analytics and a broad set of application services over the Internet.

Some of most recognisable names in the tech industry are among the major providers of cloud computing, including Adobe, Amazon, Google, IBM,

Microsoft and Oracle.

“As more Caribbean companies confront the reality of rising costs for technology services, cloud computing is emerging as an attractive option for those seeking to reduce routine expenditure without compromising on competitiveness or service delivery capability,” said Bevil Wooding, an internet strategist with US-based non-profit organisation Packet Clearing House. (Caribbean News Now)

Market statistics Cambio Rates

Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Bank of Guyana Cur

Buying

Calculated at 94% purity, April 12, 2017

Selling

USD

$1253.75

GBP

$257.29

$260.57

Gross

$245,227

CAN

$154.76

$156.55

$228,062

USD

$208.44

Net

$205.98 $ 218.26

$221.07

EURO

Indicators as on April 12, 2017 Indicators

US$ per barrel

Crude Oil

$55.86

Price

USD

-0.66 Change %

Rough Rice

$222.42/ton

-0.80

London Sugar

$484.20/ton

+1.13

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1286.50

$1287.50

Low/High

$1271.50

$1288.70

Change

Business Concept – Patent

Change %

-0.10

-0.01%

Limited legal monopoly granted to an individual or firm to make, use, and sell its invention, and to exclude others from doing so. An invention is patentable if it is novel, useful, and non-obvious. To receive a patent, a patent application must disclose all details of the invention so that others can use it to further advance the technology with new inventions. Patentable items fall under four classes (1) Machine: apparatus or device with interrelated parts that work together to perform the invention’s designed or intended functions, (2) Manufacture: all manufactured or fabricated items, (3) Process: chemical, mechanical, electrical or other process that produces a chemical or physical change in the condition or character of an item, and (4) Composition of matter: chemical compounds or mixtures having properties different from their constituent ingredients. (Business Dictionary)

Gibson said tears streamed down her face as s h e listened and she did not know why.

She felt God was whispering in her ears telling her to help, so she leaned over to her friend, a Pastor’s wife and said ‘I feel like God is telling me ‘this is your purpose’. Will you come with me?’, and the friend replied ‘he told you, not me’. So she got up and introduced herself to the orphanage’s director, who told her they had everything to start a crafts class for the children except for the teacher and asked if she could start tomorrow. Gibson would not, but promised she would assist.

“I kept putting her off,” she recalled.

“I was busy with the business and kept putting her off, but business started to get bad and I told my friend and she said to me, ‘Girl, you playing with God? You see what happening with your business…you better obey.’ The next day Gibson started teaching at the orphanage and over 100 children have benefited. “They have so much potential,” she said with a note of awe in her voice, proudly pulling out some pieces done by students at the orphanage. “They just need someone to help them, to show them, to be there for them…

It makes me feel very proud when I am at an exhibition and I have a student or two besides me.”

And she knows well the power of having a mentor, encouraging and motivating you.

As a third former who was kicked out of her French class for refusing to apologise, she found sanctuary with her art teacher, Ms Kirton – “my best art teacher and biggest influence”, sparking her love of art and teaching. Even when the French teacher relented, she refused to return until compelled, still wanting to go to art class.

Gibson, who says she loves to be around young people, who she feels we are sometime too hard on, is inspired by nature and her experiences. “Sometimes you are pushed to create a piece…I sit in the bus in Guyana and I am amazed.”

Despite the zen energy she exudes, Gibson, who once defied a doctor who told her that she needed to stop doing batik work, because of the pain it was causing her body, is still no pacific soul. Bold and determined, she brims with stick-to-it-ness which she says is the essential quality for business owners and life, really. “Everybody aspires to be on the mountaintop, but you have to pass through the valley. The valley is necessary to strengthen you.

Be goal-oriented, be focused.”

“In life, there is a reason and a season; if something does not work, your timing might be off.” She advised in cases like these to shelve the idea or project, but return to it later. Never give up, she declared. “Life in itself is fraught with challenges and if you are going to run and pack it in when things get difficult, you are not ready for life…Keep going, things will fall into place. You can’t solve a problem by running from it.”

The passionate child advocate says she has no regrets “God interrupted her plan for his plan”. “When you have God in your life, trust him even when you can’t trace him.”

Contact: 112 New Market Street, Georgetown (next to Republic Bank); 6179149; www.facebook.com/sanctartcreations/

Investors’ Guide

Trump jawboning drags dollar, Treasuries down, Asia stocks mixed

T

he US dollar and Treasury yields stumbled on Thursday after President Donald Trump said he preferred the Federal Reserve keep interest rates low as the dollar is getting too strong, and said he wouldn’t label China a currency manipulator.

But Asian stocks fared better than Wall Street, which declined following the comments and closed between 0.3 per cent and 0.5 per cent lower.

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.15 per cent in early trade. Most markets in the region will be closed on Friday for the Good Friday public holiday.

Japan’s Nikkei .N225 slumped one per cent.

Australian stocks fell 0.7 per cent, on track to post a 0.5 per cent gain for the week.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said the dollar is getting too strong and that would eventually hurt the economy.

“Trump’s comments came at a time when some had begun to think that perhaps the President was not as supportive of a weak dollar as initially perceived,” said Shin Kadota, senior strategist at Barclays in Tokyo.

Trump didn’t rule out the possibility of re-nominating Fed Chair Janet Yellen once her current four-year term is

up next year.

Trump also said he had decided to reverse a campaign pledge to label China a currency manipulator in a Treasury report due this week, saying it hasn’t manipulated the yuan in months.

He also said taking the step now would hurt talks with Beijing on dealing with threats from North Korea.

“The change in policy should certainly ease concerns over the protectionist stance of the Trump administration that should benefit emerging markets in general,” James Woods, global investment analyst at Rivkin in Sydney, wrote in a note.

“However it also continues to raise doubts about the administration’s ability to deliver on campaign promises, which include the all-important pledge for tax reform.”

U.S. 10-year Treasury yields US10YT=RR were trading at 2.241 per cent early on Thursday. On Wednesday, they dropped to a five-month low of 2.239, but recovered to close at 2.296.

The dollar was 0.1 lower early on Thursday at 108.86 yen JPY=, lingering near the lowest point since November 17 hit earlier in the session.

It ended Wednesday with a 0.55 per cent loss following Trump’s comments.

The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against

a basket of six trade-weighted peers, dropped 0.6 per cent to 100.11.

While US and global politics have consumed investors’ attention this week, a raft of Asian economic data may share some of the spotlight on Thursday.

Singapore’s central bank kept its exchange-rate based policy unchanged as expected on Thursday, saying a “neutral” stance will be needed for an extended period of time.

South Korea’s central bank is also expected to hold interest rates steady, at 1.25 per cent.

Other data expected includes March trade figures from China and employment from Australia, and first-quarter gross domestic product from Singapore.

In commodities, oil prices fell as concerns about rising US output continued to weigh on markets.

US crude dropped 0.3 per cent to US$52.93 a barrel, extending Wednesday’s 0.5 per cent loss that saw it break a six-session winning streak.

The dollar’s loss was gold’s gain The precious metal was fractionally higher at US$1286.84 an ounce, near its highest level in five months, after jumping almost one per cent on Wednesday. (Reuters)

news

17

thursDAY, APRIL 13, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana committed to preserving effective AML/CFT regime – Jordan G

overnment has made a commitment to maintain an effective Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime that gives priority to effective supervision and enforcement of the laws.

This view was expressed by Finance Minister Winston Jordan, who addressed participants at the opening of a threeday Financial Intelligence

Unit (FIU) National Risk Assessment workshop that commenced on Wednesday.

Jordan made a commitment to move swiftly to enact the relevant legislation to address new threats and vulnerabilities to money laundering.

“I am very cognisant of the catastrophic macroeconomic effects that ...[money laundering and financing of terrorism] can have on our country, if left unnoticed

and unattended,” he stated.

He noted that they could impair the integrity and stability of the domestic financial system, the current and capital accounts of the balance of payments, and reduce legitimate financial inflows entering the country.

But more importantly, these offences also have the potential to drastically reduce the Government’s actual revenue collection and negatively affect investment

Prison official in custody for hit-and-run accident

A

senior Prison official is now in hot water after he reportedly failed to render assistance to a young man whom he had allegedly struck down at Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice (WCB) on Tuesday afternoon.

The young man, 16-yearold Luke John of Lot 208 Waterloo, Bath Settlement, WCB later succumbed to his injuries.

Reports are the teenager had visited his sister at Cotton Tree and was standing on the roadway to get public transportation when he was struck down by motor car PMM 3802, driven by Kirt Joseph of Charlestown, Georgetown.

Joseph was attempting to overtake a vehicle and upon realising that another vehicle was coming from the opposite direction, alleged-

Dead: Luke John

ly swerved to avoid a headon collision and struck the youngster, who was standing on the road shoulder.

Upon impact, the teenager was tossed into the air and landed in a clump of bushes. After some time passed, he was picked

up and taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital and was later transferred to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he succumbed.

The driver was subsequently arrested and was assisting with the investigations. An eyewitness told this publication that the driver of the car was speeding and after hitting the young man, he stopped his vehicle some distance away, but failed to take the young man to seek medical attention.

He is expected to be charged with causing death by dangerous driving and failing to render assistance. The young man was the youngest of three siblings. His body is at the New Amsterdam Hospital Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan addressing participants at the opening of the Financial Intelligence Unit’s National Risk Assessment workshop on Wednesday

and, ultimately, distort economic growth.

“And so, it is to safeguard against these eventualities that the Government of the Guyana has been making stringent efforts to strengthen the country’s AML/CFT regime, through appropriate enactments and amendments to the relevant laws,” he added.

The Minister told participants that sharp prudential standards have caused international banking institutions to avoid reputational risks and penalties by reducing or severing their relationships with jurisdictions that are perceived to be high risk, on account of inadequate AML/CFT regimes.

He explained that many developing countries, including Guyana, were adversely affected by this de-risking practice. Some local financial institutions either have completely lost or have re-

duced relationships with their correspondent banks.

“This development creates difficulties, including higher cost for individuals and businesses involved in the trade of goods and services, including remittances. In this regard, an efficient anti-money laundering regime will protect our country from the severity of the de-risking practice and sustain the level of development in the county.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams urged participants not to take the risk-based approach for granted, but encouraged them to use it as a catalyst for positive change.

The workshop was also addressed by InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) Country Representative Sophie Makonnen and World Bank Senior Financial Sector Specialist Stuart Yikona,

who both commended Guyana for its effort to tackle money laundering.

A working group has completed a comprehensive analysis of Guyana’s money laundering and financing of terrorism risks. The National Action Plan prepared by the team will not only satisfy the international Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendation, but it will also form the basis for the efficient allocation of the country’s scarce financial resources.

The National Assembly in 2015 had passed the AntiTerrorism and Terrorist Related Activities Bill, the AML/CFT (Amendment) Bill No 1 and 2, and the AML/CFT Regulations.

Currently, a draft amendment bill to the AML/ CFT Act is being prepared to ensure that the assets and funds of terrorists or terrorist organisations are immediately frozen by the court.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

thursDAY, April 13, 2017

ARCHIE

Make strategic moves that will help you gain respect and (March 21- the support of your peers.

April 19) Choose perfection and precision over excess to help you reach your goals.

ARIES

You’ll face an emotional TAURUS dilemma if you mix business (April 20- with pleasure. A partnership May 20) will head into a stalemate if you or the person you are dealing with isn’t being authentic.

dilbert

A partnership will ofGEMINI fer surprising opportunities (May 21to get ahead. Make an unJune 20) expected change to the way you present yourself and your abilities in order to avoid undue scrutiny.

Show passion in all that you pursue. Make arrange(June 21- ments to do things with July 22) youngsters or socialize with people you haven’t seen for some time. Make romance a priority.

CANCER

Peanuts

You’ll end up being angry if LEO you let someone force you into (July 23a compromising position. Take Aug. 22) a pass and concentrate on personal improvements that will lead to your success.

Calvin and Hobbes

Emotional energy will enVIRGO courage you to push through (Aug. 23Sept. 22) what needs to be done so that you can move forward with your plans. Protect your health by eliminating stressful situations.

Don’t stifle passionate LIBRA feelings.

Speak up about past (Sept. 23regrets and actions you would Oct. 23) like to take to resolve pending matters. Your honesty will be greatly appreciated.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Give your imagination the SCORPIO boost it needs to forge into un(Oct. 24familiar territory. Discovery Nov. 22) will be the spark that allows you to turn small ideas into new possibilities. Romance is favored.

Secret plans will be ruSAGITTARIUS ined if you aren’t careful.

(Nov. 23- Don’t trust anyone to uphold Dec. 21) a promise to keep something under wraps. If you want to avoid meddling, don’t share your plans.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Turn your thoughts and CAPRICORN ideas into something tangi(Dec. 22ble.

You’ll have the chance Jan. 19) to excel if you veer from the mainstream and do your own thing. Trust in your knowledge and skills.

Look for a creative outAQUARIUS let that will allow you to put (Jan. 20your skills, talents and intelFeb. 19) ligence to work. Mapping out what you want to accomplish will help you reach your goal.

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

Move forward at a steady PISCES (Feb. 20- pace. Don’t feel pressured to March 20) jump too quickly or to present what you are working on prematurely. Stick to your game plan in order to succeed.

thursDAY, aPRIL 13, 2017

Vivo Indian Premier League 2017…

Exciting futsal finals on the horizon

Harbhajan, Bumrah hand Sunrisers 1st taste of defeat H

arbhajan Singh and Jasprit Bumrah bowled accurate and miserly spells on a typically high-scoring ground to condemn Sunrisers Hyderabad to their first defeat in six matches. Harbhajan did not find much turn, but maintained a constricting line, while Bumrah showcased his variations to limit Sunrisers to a modest 158 for 8.

Sunrisers, having Mustafizur Rahman and Rashid Khan in their ranks, might have still felt they were in with a chance, but the lack of grip and turn off a dewslicked pitch doused it.

Parthiv Patel made early headway in the chase with a slap-happy 39 off 24 balls. By the time he fell, Mumbai Indians needed 74 off 60 balls. Nitish Rana then worked his way through the middle overs with Krunal Pandya, but it was Harbhajan who fittingly sewed up the win. The chasing team has now won each of the last six IPL games at the Wankhede Stadium.

The strangle I

Harbhajan and Lasith Malinga got the ball to skid into Shikhar Dhawan and cramped him for room.

The only real loose ball to Dhawan in the Powerplay was a waist-high full toss, which he punched straight to cover point. He eked out only seven runs at strike rate of 46.66 - his second lowest in the first six overs in the IPL, when he has played at least 10 balls.

Parthiv and Rana go bang

He then manufactured his own length by jumping down the track, taking a half-volley and belting it to the cover boundary.

Warner had looked fidgety against

the new ball as well, but found fluency against the old one with four boundaries off five balls in the middle overs.

The strangle II

At 81 for 0 in 10.1 overs, Sunrisers might have set their sights on a rousing finish, but they

Kieron Pollard’s poor form with the bat continued

Sunrisers Hyderabad innings (20 overs maximum) S Dhawan b McClenaghan 48 DA Warner* c †Patel b 49 Harbhajan Singh DJ Hooda c Pollard b Harbhajan Singh 9 5 Yuvraj Singh b HH Pandya BCJ Cutting b Bumrah 20 NV Ojha† c Pollard b Bumrah 9 V Shankar c Rana b Malinga 1 Rashid Khan c & b Bumrah 2 4 B Kumar not out A Nehra not out 0 Extras (lb-5, w-5, nb-1) 11 Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 158 Did not bat Mustafizur Rahman Fall of wickets 1-81 (Warner, 10.2 ov), 2-105 (Hooda, 13.1 ov), 3-114 (Dhawan, 14.5 ov), 4-123 (Yuvraj Singh, 15.3 ov), 5-146 (Cutting, 17.4 ov), 6-147 (Shankar, 18.1 ov), 7-153 (Ojha, 19.1 ov), 8-155 (Rashid Khan, 19.4 ov) Bowling Harbhajan Singh 4-023-2, SL Malinga 4-0-30-1 (w4-0-241), JJ Bumrah 3, MJ McClenaghan 4-0-42-1,

C

o-director of the Petra Organisation, Troy Mendonca is predicting a thrilling final in the GT Beer in partnership with NAMILCO and Star Party Rentals Futsal Championship on Saturday at the National Gymnasium, Georgetown.

The colossal match pits giant killers Back Circle against inaugural finalist Sparta Boss and the buzz surrounds the match since during the group stages Back Circle inflicted a stunning come-frombehind 3-2 victory over Co-Director of Petra Sparta.

Organisation Troy Mendonca “I will be honest, I

In stark contrast to Sunrisers, Mumbai Indians held nothing back in the Powerplay.

Despite the early loss of Jos Buttler and Rohit Sharma, Parthiv scythed full balls through the covers and pulled shorter ones over midwicket. His blows at the top perhaps freed up Rana, who began with an shovelled six off Mustafizur over fine leg. Rana also smartly saw off Rashid, who conceded just 19 despite the dew. The match was all but over when Rashid was done in the 15th; Krunal made sure of things with a flurry of boundaries over the next couple of overs.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Dhawan and Warner break free

M i t c h e l l McClenaghan, introduced after the Powerplay, let Dhawan off the hook with a brace of length balls. Dhawan opened up his hips and powerfully swatted one over the midwicket boundary.

— it is going to be epic – Mendonca were in for a rude shock: they lost 7 for 72, including four in the last three overs. It was Harbhajan who set the collapse in motion, dismissing Warner for 49 and Deepak Hooda for nine in successive overs. He finished with 2 for 23 and ceded the stage to Bumrah who throttled Sunrisers further with his yorkers and slower dippers. Bumrah capped the innings with better figures of 3 for 24 but much of the strangle was down to Harbhajan’s accuracy.

Harbhajan Singh and Rohit Sharma celebrate David Warner’s dismissal

19

HH Pandya 3-0-22-1 (w-3), KH Pandya 1-0-12-0 (nb-1, w-1) Mumbai Indians innings (target: 159 runs from 20 overs) PA Patel† c Kumar b Hooda 39 14 JC Buttler b Nehra RG Sharma* lbw b Rashid Khan 4 N Rana b Kumar 45 KA Pollard c Dhawan b Kumar 11 KH Pandya c Cutting b Kumar37 HH Pandya not out 2 Harbhajan Singh not out 3 Extras (lb-3, w-1) 4 Total(6 wickets; 18.4 overs) 159 Did not bat MJ McClenaghan, SL Malinga, JJ Bumrah Fall of wickets 1-28 (Buttler, 3.1 ov), 2-41 (Sharma, 4.5 ov), 3-79 (Patel, 9.4 ov), 4-111 (Pollard, 13.4 ov), 5-149 (KH Pandya, 17.1 ov), 6-155 (Rana, 17.6 ov) Bowling B Kumar 4-0-21-3, A Nehra 4-0-46-1, Rashid Khan 4-0-19-1, Mustafizur Rahman 2.4-0-34-0 (w-1), DJ Hooda 2-018-1, BCJ Cutting 2-0-18-0

Back Circle and Sparta Boss could provide the most thrilling finish to the exciting tournament on Saturday at the National Gymnasium

think it is going to be the most epic, energetic and worthwhile final to watch,” Mendonca confidently stated.

His enthusiasm stems from the fact that both teams have in their arsenal some talented players who have the skill to produce the necessary fireworks for the massive crowd that is expected to invade the venue.

Mendonca felt that the overwhelming support for the tournament is as a result of reputation teams have built for themselves over the years and which has seen their communities responding handsomely.

The organiser also revealed that he met with the relevant stakehold-

ers to ensure that security will be in place to safeguard fans and players in the aim of providing a comfortable viewing experience for the games.

The tournament which is also sponsored by NAMILCO and Star Party rentals will see the winner pocket $400,000 and the championship trophy while the second, third and fourth place finishers will collect $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 respectively and the correspondingly accolade.

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the championship will pocket $50,000 and a trophy, while the Highest Goal Scorer and Best Goalkeeper will walkway with $25,000 each and the respective accolades.

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

thursDAY, april 13, 2017

Toucan Industries Junior Skill Level Tournament 2017

Baksh, Cadogan named MVP as tournament concludes

Anamayah Memorial sponsors RHTY&SC, MS, awards ceremony

P

lans for the successful hosting of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, M.S 27th annual awards ceremony received a major boost on Friday last when the Anamayah Memorial Hospital came on board as an official sponsor.

The Belvedere based private Hospital has agreed to sponsor the Club’s Annual tribute to retired teachers and tribute to outstanding law enforcement officers programmes.

The RHTY&SC, M.S annual award ceremony would be held on April 23 at the St. Francis Community Developers Training Centre and a total of 74 outstanding Club members, retired teachers, law enforcement officers and teachers of the year would be honoured.

Top performers of the 2017 Toucan Distributors Junior Skill level tournament

T

he curtains came down on the 2017 Toucan Distributors Junior Skill level tournament organized by the Guyana Squash Association with eight champions being crowned.

It was the first junior tournament organized for 2017 and was played at the Georgetown Club Inc. courts with Mohyryan Baksh and Abosaide Cadogan copping the prizes for most outstanding players during the tournament.

On finals day, in category A Shomari Wiltshire was matched up against Taylor Fernandes. The previous night Shomari had defeated Alex Cheeks in straight games while Taylor was looking for an upset win against Shomari having also lost earlier to Alex Cheeks. In the opening game Taylor played a couple of good points but from midway in the game she could be seen to be favoring her leg. Shomari eventually won the first game 11 – 5 and after initially asking for an injury time out Taylor decided to forfeit the rest of the match handing the victory to Shomari.

In category B Makeda Harding was playing Rebecca Low. The previous night Makeda had defeated Samuel Ince-Carvalhal while Rebecca had also lost to Samuel earlier in the tournament. This night however Rebecca would play the best squash that she has played in a long while. Makeda won the first game 11 – 8 but then Rebecca composed herself and played two clinical games winning the second game 11 – 5 and then the third game 11 – 7.

The fourth game was close throughout but from 7 all Makeda would win three of the next four points to force a deciding fifth game. Makeda won the first three points but then Rebecca won the next five to go up 5 – 3. Rebecca would then serve out and the whole momentum of the match shifted as she was definitely tired. Makeda would eventually win the match 11 – 8 and win this category.

Also in category B Samuel InceCarvalhal finished off a successful tournament with 11 – 1, 11 – 7, 11 – 4 victory over Sarah Lewis while Gianni Carpenter proved to be too good for Maya Collins winning in straight

games 11 – 6, 11 – 9, 11 – 6.

In category C Madison Fernandes had an epic battle against Kirsten Gomes. Madison won the crucial first game 13 – 11 and then easily took the second game 11 – 2. Kirsten however bounced back to win the third game 11 – 8 and the fourth 11 – 9. The fifth game went back and forth with the scores being tied at 5 all, 6 all, 7 all, 8 all, 9 all and then 10 all before Madison won the next two points to secure a hard fought victory 12 – 10.

Also in category C Abosaide Cadogan secured victory in group when she beat Jason Gomes 11 – 9, 11 – 4, 11 – 7 and Aliyah Persaud showed how much she has improved with a 12 – 10, 11 – 5, 11 – 5 win against Dominic Collins.

In category D Mohyryan Baksh showed his class with an 11 – 4, 11 – 0, 11 – 1 win against Louis Da Silva to dominate this category.

Results of all the other matches played on Saturday were as follows.

On Saturday evening in Category D-Zachary Persaud beat Nathan Rahaman 11 – 7, 11 – 6, 11 – 7.

Category E, Mikhail Persaud defeated Shiloh Asregado 11 – 9, 11 – 6 and Chad De Abreu defeated Liam

Carpenter 11 – 4, 11 – 3. Category F, Osmond Mack beat Isabella Ramjohn 11 – 1, 11 – 3 and Beau Fernandes beat Teija Edwards 11 – 8, 11 – 5. Category G, Angel Rahim beat Rayad Boyce 10 – 12, 11 – 8, 11 – 6, Aishani Persaud beat Lucas Persaud 11 – 6, 11 – 5 and Dhiren Persaud beat Rayden Persaud 11 – 6, 11 – 5. Category H, Javed Saul beat Noah Rahaman 11 – 6, 11 – 7.

Meanwhile on Saturday morning, Category B, Makeda Harding beat Gianni Carpenter 11 – 6, 11 – 7, 11 – 3. Category C, Abosaide Cadogan beat Kirsten Gomes 11 – 9, 12 – 10, 11 – 5, Lucas Jonas beat Dominic Collins 11 – 1, 10 – 12, 11 – 6, 11 – 6, Madison Fernandes beat Jason Gomes 11 – 4, 8 – 11, 11 – 7, 9 – 11, 11 – 3 and Lucas Jonas beat Jason Gomes 11 – 4, 11 – 3, 11 – 9. Category D, Nathan Rahaman defeated Haley Carpenter 11 – 9, 12 – 10, 10 – 12, 8 – 11, 11 – 6. Category E, Mikhail Persaud beat Liam Carpenter 11 – 7, 11 – 6.

The final results in each category are shown in the table attached.

The prizes were distributed by Robin Low, President of the Guyana Squash Association on behalf of the sponsors Toucan Distributors.

RESULTS Category A, Winner – Shomari Wiltshire, Second - Alex Cheeks and Third – Taylor Fernandes Category B Winner – Makeda Harding, Second Samuel Ince – Carvalhal, Third – Rebecca Low and Fourth – Gianni Carpenter.

Category C Winner – Abosaide Cadogan, Second – Madison Fernandes, Third – Kirsten Gomes Fourth – Lucas Jonas.

Category D Winner - Mohyryan Baksh, Second – Zachary Persaud and Third – Louis Da Silva Category E Winner – Mikhail Persaud, Second – Nicholas Verwey and Third – Chad De Abreu Category F Winner – Osmond Mack, Second – Beau Fernandes and Third – Teija Edwards Category G Winner – Dhiren Persaud, Second – Aishani Persaud, Third – Rayad Boyce and Fourth- Angel Rahim Category H Winner – Joshua Verwey, Second – Jared Saul and Third – Noah Rahaman Most improved girl – Aliyah Persaud, Most improved boy – Louis Da Silva, Most outstanding girl – Abosaide Cadogan, Most outstanding boy – Mohyryan Baksh.

Mark Papannah receives sponsorship from Dr Ryan Anamayah

Secretary/CEO of the RHTY&SC, Hilbert Foster who along with Vice President Mark Papannah and Assistant Secretary Simon Naidu, who are spearheading the plan for the awards ceremony, stated that a total of seven retired teachers and seven law enforcement officers would be honoured.

Originally, the plan was to honour four retired Teachers but it was increased to seven due to the large amount of nominees. The Ministry of Education Region 6 Department selected four names while the RHTY&SC members nominated the other three.

The seven awardees have a combined total of over 210 years of service to the educational sector in Guyana. The outstanding law enforcement officers were selected by the ‘B’ Division of the Guyana Police Force based on their individual performance to make Guyana a safe place for all its citizens. Foster, the long standing Secretary/CEO of Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation stated that the 2017 award ceremony would be the largest ever hosted by the RHTY&SC. Another of the main highlight would be the awarding of the club’s highest award, the Dolphin Award of Excellence to seventeen outstanding Guyanese. Club Patron, President David Granger would deliver the feature address and assist in the distribution of prizes.

Foster expressed gratitude to the management of the hospital for readily agreeing to sponsor the two sets of awards and praised the entity as a true and faithful friend of the RHTY&SC, M.S and its eight cricket teams.

Dr. Ryan Anamayah, administrator of the hospital noted that he was pleased to work along with the club to honour heroes in the educational and security sectors. He praised the outstanding work of the club and expressed confidence that the Award Ceremony would be a huge success.

Each of the fourteen awardees would receive a framed certificate, trophy, medal and a collection of gifts. They would also benefit from a range of medical tests at the Hospital at a much reduced rate than normal.

21 Taylor comes sports

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Jerome Taylor made his debut in June 2003 against Sri Lanka in St Lucia

J

erome Taylor has formally indicated to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) that he has come out of retirement and is available for selection for Test Cricket. This decision means he is now available for selection in all three formats of the game.

Last July, the 32-year-old fast bowler had announced his retirement from the longest version of the game.

“I believe I still have a lot of cricket left in me and I know I can still offer a lot to West Indies cricket in the Test arena,” said Taylor. “If selected, I will look to put my best foot forward and give my all for the team. We have some young players in the group at the moment and I believe with my experience, I can add to the team going forward.”

Taylor has played 46 Tests, taking 130 wickets at 34.46 apiece, with best figures of 6-47 against Australia in June, 2015 on home soil at Sabina Park in Jamaica. He has also scored 856 runs, with a top score of 106 against New Zealand in December, 2008 at University Oval in Dunedin.

The Jamaican last played Test cricket in January 2016 against Australia in Sydney and is currently in the Jamaica Scorpions team in the Digicel Regional Four-Day tournament where he picked up a five-wicket haul against the Hurricanes in round eight.

Chairman of the West Indies Cricket Board’s Selection Panel, Courtney Browne, welcomed Taylor’s decision to come out of retirement.

“It is good to see that Jerome has decided to come out of retirement and make himself available for Tests once again.

When you look at the volume of cricket we have this year, we will need to look at all the resources we have available, and having someone of his ability and experience adds value to our player pool,” Browne said.

West Indies are preparing to face Pakistan in a threematch Brighto Paints presents Q Mobile Cup series, later this month (April 21 – 25), starting with the historic 50th Test at Sabina Park.

Ronaldo’s 2nd half brace sinks Bayern Munich

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Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored 100 times in Uefa competitions

C

ristiano Ronaldo ended a seven-month Champions League goal drought as holders Real Madrid came from behind to beat 10-man Bayern Munich in the first leg of their quarter-final in Munich.

Ronaldo, the Champions League’s record goalscorer, scored twice in the second half to end an 11-hour wait for a goal and put the 11-times winners in charge.

Arturo Vidal had headed Bayern ahead but then wasted a chance to double their lead when he blasted a penalty over the crossbar. And Ronaldo then twice clinically converted from crosses either side of Javi Martinez’s red card to move to 97 Champions League goals.

Bayern were kept in the

game after going down to 10 men by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who saved brilliantly from Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo.

But the Germany international will feel he should have done better for Ronaldo’s winner as the Portuguese stabbed a shot through his legs from close range.

Real may also leave with regrets, as they could have taken a commanding lead into next week’s second leg at the Bernabeu. As well as Neuer’s string of saves, captain Sergio Ramos had a last-minute header correctly ruled out for offside before Ronaldo lost his footing when seemingly well placed to meet a cross when unmarked four yards out. (BBC Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

THURsdAY, april 13, 2017

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2017…

“Biggest Party in Sport” returns to USA T

The fans turned out in their numbers in Florida in 2016

Smartt to lead

Guyana in St Vincent

O

n Wednesday, national selectors have announced the 14-member Women squad that would represent Guyana in St. Vincent & the Grenadines from Sunday April 16 to Monday May 1 in the West Indies Cricket Board’s Women Regional Super50.

Guyana will clash with Windward Islands on April 20, Trinidad & Tobago on April 22, Barbados on April 24, Leeward Islands on April 26 and Jamaica on April 28. The final is slated for Sunday April 30 between the two top teams.

The experienced squad will be led by champion fast bowler, Tremayne Smartt and includes her West Indies team mates, Shemaine Campbelle as the vice-captain, Erva Giddings, Subrina Munroe and June Ogle.

Last year’s tournament which was played in Guyana and was badly affected by rain was won by Trinidad and Tobago Red Force Divas.

Guyana squad reads: Melaine Henry (wicketkeeper), June Ogle, Shemaine Campbelle (vice-captain), Katana Mentore, Shabika Gajnabi, Heema Singh, Tremayne Smartt (captain), Akaze Thompson, Plaffiana Millington, Subrina Munroe, Erva Giddings, Mandy Mangru, Lashuna Toussaint and Kaysia Shultz. The Manager is Carol Nurse while Andre Percival is the Coach.

he Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) can confirm that the biggest party in sport will return to the USA after the International Cricket Council (ICC) approved the staging of Twenty 20 fixtures in 2017.

The Hero CPL has gained approval from the ICC to stage the event, who are the approving authority whilst USACA’s membership of the ICC remains suspended. The fixtures will be played in Central Broward Stadium, Lauderhill once more.

In all, six matches were staged in 2016 which generated $12,583,246 into the local Florida economy. The Hero CPL invested $1,668,151 with the combined visitor spend of $4,751,872 being the highest in this year’s tournament overall.

With a TV audience of

12.7 million, in the region of 30,000 fans attended all six matches during the 2016 season and the CPL is confident that this number will increase even further.

Damien O’Donohoe, Chief Executive of the Hero CPL said: “On behalf of Hero CPL, I am delighted that the biggest party in sport will return to the USA later this year.

“In excess of 30,000 fans packed our American leg of matches in 2016, with over half of those attendees travelling south from New York and as far west as Texas and Los Angeles. Tourists who attended these matches also spent more than $4.75 million in the local economy.

“This indicates a huge appetite for the game across North America and we welcome the opportunity to play our part in USA crick-

et’s future plans. We have committed to a community outreach programme to ensure the impact of the Hero CPL goes beyond the field of play.

“The USA provided many highlights last year and we believe the quality of cricket on the field, coupled with the party off it, will generate even greater interest for the upcoming season.”

The Hero CPL is scheduled to take place from 4 August to 10 September.

Several fixtures are scheduled to be played in America and ticket information for the coming season, as well as all Hero CPL fixtures, will be announced in due course. (CPLT20)

Yassin aiming to take darts to another level — Easter Cup on this Saturday

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Tremayne Smartt has so far played 111 international matches since her debut in 2009

ewly elected President of the Guyana Darts Association (GDA) Sheik Yassin has charged himself and the new executive body to deliver on some illustrious goals as they seek to give more prominence to the sport.

“It has been far too long that persons in Guyana did not recognise the sport and the reason for that is because we have never taken it to different places which I am now hoping to do,” the President stated.

He added, “I promise to take the association to new heights, we have been facing financial issues so we will be embarking on funding rising activities and I [am hoping] for other assistance from the Sports Ministry and the National Sports Commission.”

Attracting financial support is not the only thing on the agenda for the new president as he is also hopeful for darts to finally get a home of its own since they are currently using the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) on Thomas Land to host their activities.

Among the plan, Yassin intends to establish local dart clubs with emphasis on youth since he has received overwhelming interest from areas near and far including Berbice, Linden and Lethem.

The president also spoke highly of Sudesh Fitzgerlad who is the reigning sin-

GDA Committee Member Victorine Chandro (left) and Marketing Manager of Roraima Group of Companies Dellon Murray at a ceremonial presentation for Saturday’s Easter competition at the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC), Thomas Lands

gles and doubles Americas/ Caribbean Cup Champion after an outstanding outing in Barbados in 2016 where he also copped the Most Valuable Player award.

The first order of business will be the hosting of Saturday’s Easter Tournament which was given a major boost by the Roraima Group of Companies who have committed to trips to the Majestic Kaietuer and the

Arrow Point Nature Resort for the outstanding players this Saturday at Malteenoes Sports Club.

Also trophies were donated by New Airport Grill and Bar, K and V Construction Company and PFI Distribution.

In May, there are plans to host an Independence Cup, inviting countries from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Suriname.

THURsDAY, april 13, 2017

CARIFTA team confident of medalling in Curaçao

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— Jones reminds athletes of elite grouping

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12-member track and field team departed these shores on Wednesday to represented Guyana at this year’s CARIFTA Games which will be held in Curacao from April 16-17 at the Ergilio Hato Stadium and team management has expressed confidence of the athletes standing on the medal podium.

Manager, Yvonne October feels the team which was encamped at the National Gymnasium have learnt how to support each other which is vital as they head into the games.

“The athletes responded very well, we encamped them because we want them to get to know each other and we want them to have that camaraderie they need to support each other and it was also used to iron out and little issues the athletes may have in their technique,” October explained.

Despite team Guyana’s numbers in comparison to Jamaica’s 84, Trinidad’s 51,

Bahamas 65 and Barbados’ 28, team manager is still buoyed by the chances of the team since they would have set high qualification standards.

“I am very confident, and reason is because we set out standards way above what they

[CARIFTA] were asking for and they all qualified for the games so they should be able to do; they are pumping and ready to go,” the Manager contended.

This year’s team comprises only athletes who qualified in at least one event at the Games. However, team coach Johnny Gravesande revealed that some of the athletes will

Scott’s Jewellery recommits to Boyce & Jefford Relay Festival

Akash Budhoo (right) hands over the sponsorship to Chairman of Boyce and Jefford Committee, Colin Boyce as Kavita Singh (left) and Savita Budhoo share the moment

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cott’s Jewellery and Variety Store continued a tradition on Wednesday with sponsorship of the annual Boyce and Jefford Relay Festival and Family Fun Day which is slated for April 30 at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary.

Scott’s Jewellery has been an established sponsor of the Boyce/Jefford Track and Field Classic and is now a sponsor of the organisation’s second signature event, which will offer athletes cash prizes as an incentive to participation.

“This contribution means that we are keeping our commitment to this organisation from last year to help them continue to organise and develop the sport,” a representative from Scott’s Jewellery, Budhoo said following the presentation.

Chairman of the Management Committee

for the Boyce and Jefford Relay Festival, Colin Boyce, thanked the entity for their contribution, indicating that plans to host this year’s event are well on track.

Boyce committed to continued growth.

The relays this year include the 4x100 (Male and Female); 4x400 (Male and Female); 4x200m Mixed Relay; 4x400m Mixed Relay; Sprint Medley Females (100m,100m, 200m, 400m); Sprint Medley Males (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m); Distance Medley Females (2400m) (400m, 600m, 600m, 800m) and the Distance Medley Males (2800m) (400m, 600m, 600m, 1200m).

Cash Prizes of $25,000; $15,000 and $10,000 will be awarded to teams finishing first to third in the relay events for total prize money of $500,000 to be handed out in 10 races.

be allowed to also participate in events that they did not qualify for.

Linden’s Chantoba Bright, who is a 2016 CARIFTA silver medallist, will be the only athlete on the team doing three events- the long, triple and high jumps.

Five athletes on the team will contest two events; namely Natricia Hooper (400 and triple jump Under-20), Anferenee Headecker (800 and 1500m Under-20), Tremaine Browne (long and triple jump Under-18), Kenisha Phillips (100 and

200 Under-18) and Daniel Williams (200 and high jump President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson (extreme Under-18).

The re- right) was also on hand to bid the team farewell maining six had an impressive outing at placed into an elite camp as will contest one event and last year’s National School’s part of the National Sports those athletes are Claudrice Championship’s is more con- Commission (NSC) Data McKoy (1500m Under-18), fident that he can reap the Base Programme.

Compton Caesar (200m necessary rewards.

Jones explained, “Based Under-20), Onasha Rogers “I’m more confident that on the results we will now re(100m Under-18), Samuel last year because last year ceive from these championLynch (800 Under-20), I did a qualifying time of ships we will be able to put Matthew McKenzie (5000m 1:57.00 and this year I did aside those that medal in a Under-20) and Tarique Boyle 1:54.00 so I know to myself I different category; we have (high jump Under-20). will be on the podium; I have started the elite programme, “I feel good; I know I’m been putting much more work which will be drawn out of well prepared, I know I’ve than last year, been training the School Nationals so when covered more distance than twice a day,” the runner stat- they go to these games anothlast year, so I’m going into the ed. er group will be drawn out of competition with confidence Meanwhile, Director of that to form an elite group of and a willingness to work Sport Christopher Jones which funding and resources harder than last year,” the who was also present to give will be given to ensure that jumper told media operatives the team well wishes told they can take Guyana even at the National Gymnasium. this publication that those further than that.”

Similarly, Lynch, who athletes who excel will be

GFC’s Kellman joins Grenades FC

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ighteen year old become a professional footCurtez Kellman, a baller.” first team club regIn addition he said; “I ular and Golden Jaguars would have to thank my squad member will be mom in Guyana and my dad playing in this season’s in Barbados, who’ve been Caribbean Football Union pushing me into working Club Championship with hard to achieve my dreams.

Antiguan-based, Grenades I also want to thank Coach Football Club as the locally Faizal Khan and Coach base Georgetown Football Vurlon Mills who’ve been Club (GFC) made another working with me for many major signing for one of its talented player.

In a press release that reached this publication, GFC said they are pleased to announce another talented graduate from the Club’s developmental model.

According to the release after discussions between the two clubs an agreement was reached for Kellman to join the Antigua based club.

“Georgetown Football Club executives after discussions with Grenades FC reached an agreement for Curtez to join up with the Antiguabased club just before the Antiguan transfer window closed late last week.

Curtez now is expected to begin preparation with his new teammates this week. “ Grenades FC are sched- Curtez Kellman (right) in action uled to participate in May’s years to become the player Caribbean Football Union I am today, thank you very Club Championship Finals. much.”

Kellman further stated Grenades FC were pooled in a Group against Central he was thankful for this opFC of T&T, as well as Cibao portunity that has been set FC of Dominican Republic, in place for him and he will with the group playing in keep working hard to make Trinidad & Tobago. the best out of this opportuIt went on to state nity in Antigua this sumwhat Kellman said when mer. asked what this opportuHe is yet another nity means to him stated, well-developed young foot“It means a lot to me. This baller that has come out of is step two of fulfilling my the GFC set up of late and dreams and this opportuni- moving overseas for highty is a boost in my career to er level football follow-

ing Kelsey Benjamin last year, who is now a starter in the T&T Pro League for Caledonia Utd after moving from GFC. General Manager of GFC, Faizal Khan said he is very proud of Curtez as a footballer who is a fantastic talent, but more importantly, for being a well-rounded young man.

“Since first working with him as a 14 year old until today, Curtez has never let me or any of the coaches or players down. He is just 18, but today Curtez is arguably the best developed young central midfield/defensive football player in Guyana with a strong technical, tactical, psychological and social football foundation. Curtez has always listened, worked hard to improve, helped his team mates on and off the field and is one of the 1st names

on our GFC head coach’s team sheet. “ “Moreover, Curtez at every step has been respectful and puts what is best for the group ahead of him when making decisions on and off the field. I must take this opportunity to congratulate his family on a job well done on raising such a great young man. I hope Curtez will join me in thanking the tireless work at GFC, men like Coach Vurlon Mills, Coach Gordon Henry, Brazilian Coach Fabiano Agrippino and also Club medic Denzil Hernandez, who has been brilliant in injury prevention and rehabilitation for young players like Curtez. These GFC staff members have also played a big part in this talented young man’s football development. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our sponsors like Desinco Trading Ltd and the others in the background for now, for their continued investment into the development of young people through football for a better tomorrow.”

“We will miss having Curtez around the club each afternoon as a 1st team player as well as an u13’s GFC coach. However, we wish him and his new club all the best for the remainder of the season in Antigua. On behalf of all at GFC we hope and pray to see Curtez playing pro in a European football league in the not too distant future, a dream I know he has the intention of chasing.”

The release concluded with best wishes from the GFC family to Kellman.

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

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The Central Broward Regional Stadium will host matches this year after a successful introduction in 2016

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CARIFTA team confident of medalling in Curacao ‒ Jones reminds athletes of elite grouping Director of Sport Christopher Jones (far right) and Guyana CARIFTA Games team prior to departure from the National Gymnasium on Wednesday

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