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Issue No. 3069

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

House approves $6B for Presidency’s spending in 2017

PRICE

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: P9 Cabinet accused of hand-picking favoured contractors

Page 3

…$100M increase for contract employees

Taxi driver dies in EBD accident Page 16

Bandits raid boutique behind Brickdam Police Station Page 7

“To Sir, With Love” author dies at 104P12

Cop of the Year!

Guyana P12 records -4% export growth rate for 2015 – IDB

Corriverton heist

11 in P16 custody – additional ranks deployed to Springlands Police Station Detective Corporal Prem Narine of the Criminal Investigation Department as he receives his award for Best Detective of 2016 from Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud at the Force’s Christmas Luncheon and Award Ceremony hosted at the Police Officers’ Mess Annexe, Eve Leary on Tuesday

Crime spirals out of control

Police claim 16% reduction Page 13

Way cleared for teachers’ promotion in 2017 Page 7

Officials mull closing Anarika P17 Nursery/ Primary School

– security threats cited

2 news

wednesDAY, december 14, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

Controversial 2017 Budget

PPP supports stakeholders’ dialogue before passage

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eople’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Clement Rohee is challenging President David Granger to pay heed to the non-political stakeholders’ request for comprehensive dialogue on the 2017 Budget ahead of its passage in the National Assembly.

He contended that the call by these stakeholders reaffirm the view that the budget measures were not exclusively about politics but about the well-being of the Guyanese people.

In what appears to be a unique move, Government

is being pressured to engage with major stakeholders on the national budget before its gets the House’s approval.

The measures and policies included in the National 2017 Budget are evidently upsetting to the general public as chief members of the labour movement and the Private Sector express concerns about the effects the Budget will have on the poor and working class.

Rohee, during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, announced his Party’s support of the call by the various stake-

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee

holders for an engagement with the Government be-

fore the Budget is passed even though the Head of State recently affirmed that Budget 2017 would not be amended.

“The PPP supports the call by the Private Sector Commission (PSC); Guyana Trade Unions

Congress (GTUC) and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) in respect to an urgent dialogue on areas of concern in the proposed 2017 National Budget before its passage in the National Assembly,” he stated.

He reiterated the Party’s demand for a withdrawal of the Budget, and noted that the concerns raised by major stakeholders in society proved that Government’s view that the measures in Budget 2017 would “put more money in the peoples’ pocket” was nothing but a lie.

The President recently justified Budget 2017 and affirmed that it would remain unchanged in response to concerns raised by the Opposition.

But Rohee asserted that the President has to now respond to the concerns raised by non-political stakeholders, whose concerns prove that the Opposition being against the Budget was more than politics.

The PSC, GTUC and FITUG, in a joint letter, wrote to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland expressing their desire to “finetune” the Budget.

One of the major concerns regarding Budget 2017 is the addition of the Value Added Tax (VAT) on water and electricity consumption exceeding $1500 and $10,000 respectively.

But President Granger defended this burdensome tax, noting that it would encourage taxpayers to conserve.

news

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wednesDAY, december 14, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, December 14 – 05:00h-06:30h and Thursday, December 15 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: December 14 – 16:15h-17:45h and Thursday, December 15 – 05:20h-06:50h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Weather: Thundery to heavy rain showers can be expected throughout most of the day, while sunny weather is expected in the later afternoon. Clear skies can be expected in the evening with temperatures ranging between 25 degrees and 29 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tides: 04:29h and 16:43h reaching maximum heights of 2.74 metres and 2.88 metres respectively.

Low Tides: 10:16h and 22:46h reaching minimum heights of 0.49 metre and 0.33 metre respectively.

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House approves $6B for Presidency’s spending in 2017 − $100M increase for contract employees

T

he National Assembly resumed its sittings on Monday to consider the estimates in the proposed 2017 Budget and approved unchanged in excess of $6 billion for the Ministry of the Presidency.

The departments considered and had their spending approved included the Ministry of the Presidency’s Policy Development and Administration, Defence and National Security, Public Service Management, Citizenship and Immigration Services, Social Cohesion and Environmental Management and Compliance.

The political Opposition used the opportunity to grill Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, who provided information with regard to the departments in the Ministry with the assistance of Ministers Winston Felix and Amna Ally.

The House heard, among other things, that the Ministry of the Presidency will in 2017 be looking to its fleet of 142 vehicles, four new cars and a Land Cruiser meant to be used for visiting Heads of State and similar dignitaries.

The Minister was at the time responding to questions posed by members of the political Opposition.

The House heard that the vehicles would be kept mothballed when not in use.

Another of the provisions that attracted a lively exchange between Government and Opposition members was an almost $200 million allocation for the General Register’s Office under the remit of Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix.

The House heard a total of $194 million was allocated to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2016 and the Budget documents showed that $191 million was spent in 2016,

with another $194 million budgeted for 2017.

Felix was at this time grilled by Opposition parliamentarians Joseph Hamilton, Juan Edghill and Irfaan Ali. He admitted that of the $194 million allocated to his Department in 2016, only $3 million was spent.

Felix noted that the monies were spent on the computerisation of records (1987-1997) at the General Register’s Office (GRO). He stated that the computerisation of records, from 1886 to 1986, has not been completed.

On the question of what happened to the $191 million left, Felix first told the House that his Ministry was “mobilising from within” to have the monies spent.

He then stressed that the $191 million has not been spent and has been rolled over to 2017. At this point, Hamilton charged that the budget documents showed that the $191 million was spent.

The members of the National Assembly heard too that the Commissioner of Information, Charles Ramson Sr and his office would no longer be administered by the Ministry of the Presidency, since this responsibility has been turned over to the Office of the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo was later grilled by Opposition Member Edghill over this Office.

The House was told that Information Commissioner Ramson was in fact employed, attracting a $36 million package, inclusive of a $1.7 million monthly salary.

Nagamootoo said the Commissioner of Information has been written to since he has given no report of his work for the past couple years of this appointment.

Nagamootoo told the

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

House the Commissioner also has no staff and no office.

As has become ritualistic during the considerations of the annual estimates, Minister Harmon was also grilled over several provisions for the payment of contract employees at the Ministry of the Presidency.

Harmon indicated to the House that the adjustments in the staffing construct included secondment and restructuring warranting an increase of $100 million for salaries to be paid.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo was also grilled on contract employees under the Prime Minister’s Secretariat since all employees were on contract.

The Prime Minister said this was an inherited situation and it was not the intention of the Office to depend solely on contract employees. He did seek to point out that there were areas and specialities that

would warrant persons being employed on contract.

The Prime Minister was grilled specifically on the employment of Director of Public Information Imran Khan and the House was told his salary topped $550,000 per month in addition to entertainment and other allowances.

Nagamootoo was also grilled over the allocations to the Government Information Agency (GINA) given that while in Opposition he was a party to cutting allocations to that unit down to $1.

The Prime Minister told the House that GINA was no longer doing partisan political propaganda and was in fact now providing a useful service to the Guyanese people hence justifying allocations for 2017.

Meanwhile, as it relates to the National Communications Network (NCN) – slated to receive a $134 million subvention in 2017 –Nagamootoo informed the House that NCN was in fact projected to run a deficit by the end of the year.

According to Nagamootoo, the total expenditure is expected to reach $443 million by the end of the year.

He said the deficit projected was in part a result of bad business practices inherited where services were rendered to clients that never paid.

A total of $882 million was approved for the Prime Minister’s Office for 2017. (Gary Eleazar)

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wednesDAY, december 14, 2016

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

Editorial

Crime: Perception vs Reality

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mid countrywide reports of home invasions and armed robberies, the Guyana Police Force has announced that serious crimes were down by 16 per cent at the end of November 2016 when compared to the same period last year.

In every corner of every region, in booming voices and even in hushed tones, the population is crying out for relief, as the bandits respect no quarter and are spreading unease, much like a contagious disease.

The Police, in the release, stated that there was a ‘break even’ in reports of murder with a ‘clear up’ rate of 64 per cent. In addition, the Police recorded a six per cent decrease in robbery under arms where firearms were used, with a 15 per cent ‘clear up’ rate. Additionally, there was a 17 per cent decrease in armed robberies where other instruments were used by the perpetrators and more so, a 25 per cent decrease was registered with respect to robberies where violence was used.

Despite the consistency with which crime is reported in the media, the statistics point to a vastly different reality.

Could it be that the public and the victims are making much ado about nothing? Is the public’s perception of crime so far off from the reality?

Even in the wake of Monday’s heist, where a Corentyne cambio dealer was robbed of millions when more than one dozen gunmen, all armed with AK-47s, invaded his property, the Police stated that the continuous monthly reduction in serious crimes was nothing but a testimony to the excellent collaboration among the many stakeholders and the public at large, coupled with the strategies employed by the Force.

Unfortunately, the Corentyne businessman did not benefit from these strategies, as the Police arrived at the scene more than one and a half hours after the 30-minute ordeal.

According to reports, the businessman called repeatedly for help, even after the bandits invaded. A neighbour also attempted unsuccessfully to get the Police on the scene.

Fortunately, the victim’s’ life was spared, this time.

It is clear that these were no ordinary bandits, as they were all armed with high-power weapons and were prepared for anything. Yet again, with respect to the seizure of firearms, the Police announced that they were able to clean the streets of 96 unlicensed weapons, including 42 pistols, 28 revolvers, 24 shotguns, and two rifles. Where then did these highpower rifles come from?

Now we need to address the elephant in the room, there has been talk that public perceptions of crime are conditioned, to some extent, by information about its incidence (absolute frequency) rather than by information about its prevalence (relative frequency, ie frequency per head of population) and that the media treatment of crime may unintentionally tend to distort the public impression of crime’s prevalence and seriousness.

Although this was not said publicly, in some quarters there are those who are blaming the media (print, broadcast, social media) and pointing to the increase in reporting of such incidents. After all, this cannot be the reality – the crime situation is not that bad. The statistics prove that. It must, therefore, be the public perception that’s off.

The existing situation is not a deliberate distortion and misrepresentation of the reality, it was not crafted. It is real and being felt by hard-working, law-abiding citizens who are collectively crying out for something to be done. At this point what is needed most is action as we all work together towards building a safer nation.

Even the Honourable Finance Minister Winston Jordan has acknowledged that there is an existing crime situation as “we continue to be bombarded on a near daily basis, about a range of criminal activities, from petty to fatal, that is occurring across our country”. He made reference to this situation during the presentation of the 2017 Budget estimates, where he proudly announced a myriad of new measures which will allow the authorities to both prevent and respond efficiently to crime. Towards this end, he announced that in 2017, the Government will expend $29.1 billion to restore public confidence in our security sector.

Whatever its root causes, the tendency among Guyanese to be fearful of serious crime should not be lightly dismissed as ‘irrational’.

Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, Assistaant Commissioner David Ramnarine, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum,other officials and this year's awardees pose for a photo as the Police Force's hosted its annual Christmas Luncheon and Award Ceremony at the Police Officers’ Mess Annexe, Eve Leary on Tuesday (Dexter Ceres photo)

GPL/IDB US$18M contract: no official word from Government

Dear Editor, I’m writing in response to a Kaieteur news article “US$18M smart meters, new transmission lines project… Cabinet approves troubled Chinese contractor for $1.1B over engineer’s estimate”, dated December 7, 2016. Editor, this project has been on the radar for a few years now, since funding was approved in early 2014. It has been 10 months since the close of the tender, with no official announcement of a winner. In this article, Kaieteur News, from whatever source, announced China Machinery Import and Export [CMC] as the winner, since cabinet gave its no objection.

It was also mentioned that the contractor, CMC, came in over the engineering estimates, who was the third

highest bidder behind Fix It Hardware/Enrique Lourido and Cummings Electrical limited.

What the tabloid article did fail to mention was how could CMC, a Chinese state-owned mega contractor with billions in projects all over the world, possibly win this tender over two local bidders, one being a domestic electrical company and the other a hardware and tools store. Part of the criteria to qualify, the bidder must have completed US$25 million in works over the last three calendar years. Based on the tender document, the two lowest bidders didn’t qualify for financial and work related experience in Guyana.

I, being privy to read this tender document, could tell you that the engineer-

ing estimates was poorly compiled, and would seem to grossly underestimate the quantities of materials and labour. This project is a turn-key one, in which the chosen contractor has to supply and build according to design and deliver a finished product in eighteen months, with severe penalties for any time over the contract duration. 10 per cent of all gross invoices submitted will be withheld until after the defects and liability period is over, to rectify any defects or any other liability that might incur by the contractors during the project. There is no way the chosen contractor can deliver a substandard job and get away with it.

Editor, this contract was in the making for sev-

eral years now with one of the bidders even setting up a factory to produce highvoltage cables in the Tiger Bay area, which is a bit dormant at the moment. I suspect this is the contractor Kaieteur News mentions in their article that will be launching a protest to the Government and the IDB. With the PPC in place, now we can get a speedy award and a judgment based on the protest that’s to come soon. The 2017 Budget pegs GPL at over $5 billion in losses, with the swift implementation of this project, we can see billions in saving on loss reduction, which is currently close to 30 per cent based on 2013 estimates.

Yours truly, Michael Persaud

Diaspora rejects wishy-washy leadership Dear Editor, It is rather unfortunate and extremely sad that the Head of State would stoop so low to viciously attack and criticise his supporters in the Diaspora at a ceremony in Buxton last Sunday. The very supporters who made sacrifices to help him get elected. This is nothing new.

As always, the Head of State is very crafty in misleading the public. He did so on numerous occasions, namely the controversial trip to China, the drug bond scandal, the D’Urban Park project, the audit reports and the several Commissions of Inquiry (CoI), among others. During the election, he promised that his Government will prosecute those found culpable of corruption, but after spending more than $250 million of the taxpayers’ money on audits and SARU, no one has

been charged.

In July, the Head of State established a CoI to investigate the deaths of Antonio and Joshua George who died in a fire at the Government Drop-in Centre for abused children on Hadfield Street. Again, he promised to discipline those found guilty of dereliction of duty. The CoI report found dereliction of duty among senior members of the Social Protection Ministry, yet no one was disciplined. Again, words were not matched with action. So rather than telling the members of the Diaspora to stop writing, the Head of State should match his words with action. He has not only abandoned the youths who voted overwhelmingly for him, but he also told them to become entrepreneurs, while he employed hundreds of pensioners and retired military per-

sonnel. The youths do not have jobs, so where will they get the money to invest.

His refusal to respond to the resolution sent to him over a month ago from several groups in Richmond Hill, Queens and in Brooklyn is not only ungrateful and callous, but is also insensitive. He has shown total contempt for the Diaspora which is a clear reflection of politically immaturity, lack of ideological foundation and the inability to communicate with the public. No mature and sensible political leader would insult his/her supporters in the Diaspora or anywhere else.

Only amateurish and elitist leaders would do such a thing. The Head of State should take a page out of the books of Forbes Burnham, Cheddi Jagan, Desmond Hoyte and even Bharat Jagdeo who have al-

ways heaped praise and respect upon their supporters in the Diaspora and elsewhere.

Not only did the Head of State launch his political campaign in the Diaspora, but he also begged the members of the Diaspora for money to finance the 2011 and 2015 election campaigns.

In light of this, the Head of State made promises which he has not fulfilled. Neither has he thanked his supporters in the Diaspora for their support. Instead, he chose to meet with a few elitist Guyanese at a US$500.00 a plate dinner at the prestigious Sheraton Hotel in mid-town Manhattan who did not raise a finger to obtain funds or mobilise support for him during the campaign. It was an elitist gathering. continues on PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, december 14, 2016

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

Still holding my breath Dear Editor, I must say that since May 2015, I have been holding my breath, waiting for that moment that I could say Guyana is on the move! Sadly, I must say this waiting is frustrating me. Here is why it’s frustrating. In 2015, the ‘Vote like a Boss’ fever was so high, I caught it. So convinced I was that I was doing the right thing, that I was on top of the world when the results came out, so hopeful, so excited!

Then it started. $221 billion to spend in less than half a year! I thought this was it, time to plain off! But I am still wondering, what happened to all the money? Why wasn’t Guyana transformed?

Never had I imagined that the Ministers of my Government would give themselves a 50 per cent pay hike! But I stayed quiet because public servants pay had not been raised as yet, when it did, I choked!

I believe any caring politi-

cian should seek to satisfy their people first before they satisfy themselves.

But this was a blatant reverse and a show of “Let’s look after ourselves first before thinking about our people”. Then came the Jubilee celebration. I must say the fanfare was exciting! I have never felt so patriotic in my life! But for me, there has to be more than just celebration. I was quietly listening to both the critics, and the Government’s attempts to justify this major activity, including the construction of the mighty D’Urban Park. I was impressed with the prospect of the boost that the economy was projected to undergo. The $150 million seemed meagre to the returns. But within the same year, I’m reading that there’s a foreign currency shortage. I was also expecting that with all the returns from Jubilee, public servants would again take home a nice bonus as they did last year, instead

it is halved.

There’s also the Commissions of Inquiry (CoI). Why hasn’t anyone been charged with the supposed crimes they have committed? Am I to conclude that SARU and SOCU are incompetent? Because I can’t see that the Government was/ is crying foul and yet no one has been prosecuted!

What about the CoI into the Public Service? Wasn’t that supposed to also influence how workers are remunerated? Instead the government imposed an increase that seemed not to take into consideration anything that came out of the CoI. Finally, there’s Budget 2017. Mr President and Mr Finance Minister, as a citizen who helped to put you there, I must say I am not impressed. I have listened to your call of not paying attention to the nay-sayers and prophets of doom on the Budget. But I must say after following the Budget

closely, it appears that someone did not get their logics correct. One example, the Minister indicated that only about 20 per cent of the users of GPL’s energy will be paying the 14 per cent VAT. How can he say such a thing? It’s the large scale farmers and manufacturers and service providers who will be mostly affected. Aren’t they the ones who provide the goods and services to the people?

Wouldn’t they have to increase their manufacturing cost? We all will be affected.

But as I said, I am still holding my breath. I will ignore, well not fully since I’ve become a sceptic, the prophets of doom.

I hope that 2017 brings great things. I hope I can stop holding my breath and breathe with ease. I will let you know in December 2017.

Sincerely, W Moore

Diaspora rejects wishy-washy...

FROM PAGE 4

Before telling the members of the Diaspora to stop writing and invest in Guyana, the Head of State should first clean up the mess at the Business Ministry which takes over a year to issue a business permit. Let it be known that no smart investor would invest in a country with constant power blackouts, frequent water shortage, high crime rate, rampant corruption and a government that is arro-

gant and highly incompetent. In the last eighteen months, conditions in the country have worsened to the point where visitors would be risking their lives visiting Guyana, much less to invest. The promise of good governance has turned out to be no governance and exchange instead of change.

Elites tend to insult and mistreat their supporters and then ask them favours, such as to invest in the

country. The Diaspora has lost confidence and trust in the Government and many have already disassociated themselves from it. They are young and therefore time is on their side.

Let it be known that members of the Diaspora are not disposable human beings who can be used and abused as was the case in the last election. They have rejected the wishywashy statement from a dishevelled, irrational and

ceremonial leader who has lost his way. Today the poor in the country are experiencing more hardship than any-time before, which is making the PPP very attractive. The shellacking of the coalition Government by the PPP in the Local Government Election is a classic example. Merry Christmas!

Sincerely, Dr Asquith Rose

Sugar industry’s failure has severe repercussions

Dear Editor, Since the election of the APNU/AFC Government, $23 billion has been provided to the sugar industry to support its operations. This is agreeably a large sum and one that expectedly would have played a big role in boosting sugar production.

Therefore, I am really disappointed that instead of going forward, the industry, it seems, is being pushed into the abyss.

It obviously raises the question about the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of the super-salaried IMC and their ‘consultants’ in turning around the industry.

Last year there was a lot of adulation showered on the chosen few over the achievement of 231,000 tonnes of sugar. Last year’s production however, was a result of work done in 2014 and inherited by the IMC. This

year we are reaping their ‘efforts’ and the proof is in the pudding, a production of 188,000 tonnes according to Minister Winston Jordan’s 2017 Budget speech. Should the latest sugar production be achieved, it would be about 40,000 tonnes lower than last year.

As a taxpayer, I cannot fail to ask whether indeed the right people are managing the sugar industry, or are they managing it to ulterior ends. As a patriotic Guyanese who recognises the industry’s importance to our people and economy, I urge the Government to carefully examine the performance of those they have put to lead the industry.

Sugar’s failure will have severe repercussions, not just to those connected, but for all Guyana.

Yours sincerely, Arnold Peters

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wednesday, december 14, 2016

Page

T

he holiday season can be a wonderful time of year.

Chances are it’s a special time for your family where you spend time together, share some great meals and even exchange gifts. Unfortunately, for many families, the holiday season can also be a very expensive time of year.

Whether you have small children, teenagers or simply a lot of nieces and nephews, the cost of gifts, decorations and food can quickly add up. If you’re concerned about debt, it’s possible to minimize your costs this year with careful planning. Here’s what you need to know.

Foundation

in August, go ahead and stock up. If you see the perfect gift for your niece on sale in October, grab it. As long as you’re willing to get organized early, you can reduce your expenses by shopping when things are on sale.

Focus on spending time together

For many families, the holiday season is a time filled with stress

er, for example, plan several games your family members can play together.

Focus on talking with one another and sharing memories. Take a walk or participate in a shared scavenger hunt around your neighbourhood. If you live in a city, you could even visit a museum or historical site together. The options are endless, as long as you’re w i l l -

Start planning early

One of the simplest ways to save money is to start planning early. Make a list of everything you’ll need for the holidays a few months before the holiday season begins. Include everything you can think of, including small items like extra toilet paper. During the holidays, these tiny expenses can quickly add up and put you over budget. If you begin planning ahead of time, you’ll reduce your overall costs. For example, if paper plates are on sale

a n d greed. Maybe the children in your family are focused on how many gifts they’ll receive. Maybe the adults are. This year, try to emphasize the importance of spending time together, rather than receiving expensive gifts. When you have a family get-togeth-

ing to spend time planning activities to do.

While you can still host a gift exchange, spending time with one another should be the focal point of the holiday.

Get creative

Sometimes thinking creatively can be a challenge, but when it comes

to the holidays, don’t be afraid to come up with new ways to celebrate inexpensively. For example, maybe you and your family usually have an expensive gift exchange. Even if you set a price limit, that limit might be higher than your family can reasonably afford. Why not suggest some different ideas this year?

You could host a kids-only gift exchange or ask family members to exchange gifts they made themselves. You could do a baked-goods only gift exchange. You could even try something like a books-only gift exchange where each family member gives and receives a new book. Another option would be to skip the gift exchange completely and instead participate in a local charity event or do some volunteer work as a family.

With careful planning, you can reduce your expenses and avoid going into debt this holiday season. Keep in mind that while it’s worthwhile to try not to spend too much money, your kids and relatives may struggle with the idea, so talk with them early and often about your plans. (childdevelopmentinfo.com)

I

t’s what many consider the most wonderful time of the year: the smell of pepperpot fills our home, as relatives from afar come to join in Christmas celebrations. Throughout Guyana decorations have sprung up, and carols can be heard at every corner; it’s officially Christmas.

The Christmas season is often reAshley Anthony ferred to as the “season of giving”, and Guyanese across the country are reminded by the Radio’s Needy Children’s Fund and Red Cross Volunteers, at every corner, of the less fortunate. Now, although it is a good thing that so many persons feel charitable around Christmas, it is truly a shame that our charity is seasonal.

It seems as though, we only remember the less fortunate around Christmas. We sit with our families, around our Christmas feasts and we think how special this is, and then we remember that there are others out there who aren’t as fortunate and we feel obliged to make their Christmas better. We see spending Christmas with our families as something valuable: a treasure. This is wonderful, no doubt, but sometimes we don’t realise how simple “everyday” things to us may also be treasures to others. I have been fortunate in that I have been privileged to be able to pursue my education; I have been afforded comforts such as a secure home; clothes and a steady supply of food. For many of us, we do not see these things as privileges. We have never lived without them, and we take them for granted. However, there are Guyanese who have never experienced any of these things.

Why is it that we only remember them around Christmas?

Yes, I know one can’t afford to constantly be donating large amounts of money to organisations, but a little consistently throughout the year can make a huge difference in a child’s life. It could help to buy them school clothes or supplies, or even help to feed them. If you can’t donate money, why not donate time and love, by volunteering?

If we all come together, we will be able to impact positively on the lives of thousands of children.

We could help enable their hopes and dreams, and give them a future to look forward to. It would truly be, for me, the best repayment I could ever receive – if a child whose life I contributed to – became something because of my assistance.

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wednesDAY, december 14, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

Way cleared for teachers’ Bandits raid boutique behind Brickdam promotion in 2017 Police Station

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fter almost two years in limbo, teachers can finally be promoted following the ruling made by acting Chief Justice Yonette CummingsEdwards.

The Teaching Service Commission (TSC), during its monthly statutory meeting on Tuesday, agreed to review the 2015/2016 Promotion List for School Administrators in the new school term.

Teachers were not promoted for the years 2015 and 2016 thus far, owing to the conflict between the TSC, the body responsible for the promotions, and the Union.

Last year, the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) filed an injunction in the courts blocking the TSC and the Education Ministry from executing the promotions.

According to the GTU, the reason for the injunction was to force the two bodies to review their process of promotion, since the Union strongly believed it was severely flawed.

The TSC was using the assessments given by education officers, head-teachers, Regional Education Officers and not the provision of the Rule Book governing the promotion of teachers.

The GTU during one of its protests against the TSC

The Union believes that the TSC’s method was defective, since those officials and headteachers could have exhibited favouritism in their assessment of teachers’ performance.

The Union also believed that some officials and headteachers deliberately skewed assessments to stymie the development of teachers with whom they had personal conflicts.

But the TSC decided to challenge the matter, contending that all of its promotions were above-board.

The acting Chief Justice finally ruled on the matter

in favour of the GTU, and the TSC has decided to not appeal the decision.

The TSC explained that it was strongly advised by three Senior Counsels to appeal the court order, but since the pursuance of the appeal would result in a long and time-consuming process, the body decided to comply with the court’s decision “on humanitarian grounds”.

“The TSC wishes to state that their decision not to appeal was primarily to avoid any further suffering of the affected teachers which would ultimately also affect

the nation's children,” the body said in a statement to the media.

The TSC explained that it would have a “Special Full Commission” meeting in January 2017 to plan the review process.

The organisation highlighted that the exercise would take a few months since a thorough examination of approximately 5000 applications would be done.

P

olice are now on the hunt for three bandits who broke into a boutique on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, a few yards away from the Brickdam Police Station, and carted off with an undisclosed number of items.

According to information received, the owner of the store received a phone call early Tuesday morning before day break, informing him that his store was broken into and robbed.

The man related that

the bandits carted off with cash and other items.

However, when the Police were called for assistance at the building, they took several hours to arrive on the scene.

It was noted that the men gained entry into the building using a crowbar after their efforts to sawoff the padlocks were unsuccessful.

It was related that one of the bandits has been identified and Police are looking for that person.

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News

wednesDAY, december 14, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

Man sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment in absentia

T

heodore King, 46, of East La Penitence, Georgetown, was on Tuesday sentenced in absentia to 18 months’ in jail on a charge of escaping lawful custody, by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

In her ruling, the Chief Magistrate stated that the prosecution had presented substantial evidence; therefore, she found the accused guilty of the offence.

Theodore King

The charge against King stated that on August 27, at the Brickdam Police Station while in lawful custody for a criminal offence, he escaped.

King is facing another charge of robbery under arms. Since he was absent, the Chief Magistrate issued an order in relation to that matter for him to attend court on December 19.

King, during his initial appearance, had denied both charges and registered

a not-guilty plea.

In King’s initial defence, he alleged that his sister paid Police Officers to arrest him so that she could have full ownership of a piece of land his deceased mother left to both of them.

He denied the allegations levelled against him.

He also explained that he did not escape from the Police Station, but simply left the premises after speaking to an officer at the Station.

Miner charged for assault, wounding

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25-year-old miner of Moruca, North West District, Region One (Barima-Waini) was granted bail in the sum of $100,000 when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on two charges.

Shane Blake pleaded not guilty to the charges which stated that on December 4, 2016, at Moruca village, he assaulted Arnold Terrence so as to cause actual bodily harm. It was also alleged that on the same day he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Armando John

with intent to maim, disfigure or disable or cause actual bodily harm.

According to Police Prosecutor Simone Pyle, on the day in question, the defendant and the Virtual Complainants (VCs), who are known to each other were engaged in a football match when a misunderstanding ensued.

The misunderstanding led to the defendant picking up a piece of wood and hitting one of the VCs which sparked the interest of the other virtual complainant, who came in for some lashes as well. One of the VCs lost

two teeth in the process.

Police Prosecutor Pyle continued that the VCs were rushed to a nearby hospital and were later transferred to the Suddie Public Hospital.

Blake was granted

$50,000 bail for each offence.

The matter was transferred to the Acquero Magistrate’s Court where the defendant is scheduled to make his next court appearance on January 4, 2017.

White knight…

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…or dark horse?

oncerns have been raised by accountant-abouttown Chris Ram, about the strange transaction announced by Banks DIH - hereafter "Guyana Banks" - in an even stranger advertisement in the papers. It was an "amended" announcement, but no one has seen head nor hair of the original. Was the ad the Guyanese public privy to, altered materially from the first? Shouldn't it have specified what the need was to "amend" the original - lost in space as it very might have been?

Anyhow, Ram was rightfully more concerned about the substance of the announcement, which was basically about Guyana Banks repurchasing the 15 per cent of its shares held by Barbados Banks. In a transaction going back to 2005, Banks Guyana also bought an equivalent amount of shares in Barbados Banks. While most Guyanese might've forgotten this, in addition to launching Banks DIH here, Peter D'Aguiar had formed a mirror Banks in Barbados that was owned by shareholders in that country and ran completely independently. But obviously they maintained fraternal links!

So what was the need for the Barbados and Guyana Banks to buy each other's shares? Well, at that time Ansa McAl was engaged in what's termed a "hostile takeover" of Barbados Banks, and Guyana Banks rushed in to play the "White Knight". In modern corporate affairs, that's done to "save" the "damsel" company that fears it may be "ravished" by the unwanted advances of the suitor - in this case the rakish Trini conglomerate Ansa.

Guyana Banks refused to sell its shares in Barbados Banks to Ansa, and the latter, unable to obtain a majority of shares, had to concede defeat and retreat to lick its wounds. Fast forward a decade later to December 2015 and we are informed by Guyana Banks that it sold its shares in Barbados Banks to a Brazilian Liquor company and allowed the latter to gain control of Barbados Banks!

So much for being a White Knight!!

We guess like most locals, Guyana Banks much preferred the "foreign" (Latin) Brazilian suitor to ravish Barbados Banks, than the Trini Ansa. So much for Caribbean solidarity - but then we've always wallowed in self-contempt, nuh? But Ram suggests there might be more in the mortar than the pestle of the Barbados Banks shares. And we now are getting a glimpse of what might've really happened.

In the recent repurchase by Guyana Banks of its shares - from what is now essentially a Brazilian Banks Guyana Banks is paying a premium of 64 per cent of the market price of its shares - a whopping $2.1 billion extra?

Why? Ram and a host of other shareholders including your humble Eyewitness - wants to know what really went down.

…for Georgetown?

If ever there was a damsel that needed saving by a White Knight from being ravished, it's the City of Georgetown. From 1994, Hamilton Green worked assiduously to build a power base in Georgetown, since he'd been kicked out from the PNC by Desmond Hoyte.

And so it was because of the machinations of Green as his political security ruled uber alles, the Garden City became the "Garbage City".

But time does move on: we had the PPP ousted and the PNC-led Government rehabilitating Green, while putting him out to a (rich) pasture. However, the successor Gang of Four - led by Green's Deputy Patricia Chase-Green, intensified the rape of our soiled city to such an extent within the space of months, that citizens realised that the female is the deadlier of the species. Any species… including the "Greens"!

What to do? Well, tomorrow if the City Council's allowed a secret ballot, Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan might just rescue the beleaguered city.

The vendors should march to insist on a secret vote!

...loses wind?

One of the highlights of Jordan's Budget was the "electricity" wind farm of AFC's financier Lloyd Singh at Hope.

And it's output's been already cut by half? Not a good portent for today's vote!

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

news

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wednesDAY, december 14, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

Cabinet accused of hand-picking favoured contractors

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he Cabinet Council of Ministers is being accused of hand-picking contractors for specific contracts even as the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) remains inoperable.

This damning allegation is being levelled by former Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Anil Nandlall, who in a recent interview with Guyana Times, revealed that from all indications and in breach of the Procurement Act, the Cabinet continued to exercise a no-objection power in relation to the award of contracts.

According to Nandlall, the PPC has been appointed over two months ago and the Procurement Act provides very clearly that when the PPC is appointed, Cabinet loses its no-objection role in

respect of the award of contracts.

He told Guyana Times that “a new trend is now developing…whenever the tender process does not deliver the desired result and produces a contractor who is not a favoured one of the Administration, the tender process is rescinded for some spurious reason, and the process is done all over again with a view to procure the desired contractor”.

The former Attorney General insists “this defeats the entire Procurement Act and indeed, is an affront to the public procurement process”.

He has since charged that the practice was also illegal and was a corrupt act which must end now.

“Significantly, it results in massive delays in getting

Former Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General Anil Nandlall

public works done and services rendered to the people of the country,” Nandlall noted.

All of the members of the Commission were sworn in

by Head of State, President David Granger in October last.

The members include Attorney-at-Law Emily Dodson; Carol Corbin, wife of former Opposition Leader Robert Corbin; Dr Nanda Gopaul, a trade unionist and former Labour Minister under the previous Administration; University of Guyana lecturer Sukrishnalall Pasha, and Ivor English, Critchlow College Principal and former head of Transport and Harbours Department.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has, in recent days, been voicing dissatisfaction over the lack of transparency surrounding numerous contracts awarded by the Administration and has signalled his intention to use his office to lodge formal complaints with the PPC. During the swearingin of the Commissioners in October last at the Ministry

of the Presidency, President Granger noted that the Constitution of Guyana mandates the establishment of the PPC. It was supposed to be established over 14 years ago, but was delayed time and again over differences between the Opposition and consecutive Administrations of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) on the members, and law changes.

Granger stressed that the Commission’s purpose was to ensure that the procurement of goods and services and execution of works were conducted in a fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective manner, according to law, and such policy guidelines as may be determined by the National Assembly.

“The Constitution of the

Cooperative Republic of Guyana is sacrosanct. Its provisions must be observed and applied scrupulously.

Its authority must never be diminished or ignored. The establishment of the Public Procurement Commission represents respect for the supreme law of the land,” the President urged.

The Head of State at the time also iterated the body’s commitment to the principles of accountability and transparency in the conduct of public business.

“The establishment of the Commission evinces the importance of ensuring equity and fairness in public procurement. I congratulate you – the members of the Public Procurement Commission – and urge you all to be faithful to the oath you have just sworn.”

Crime spirals out of control

Police claim 16% reduction

A

s crime continues to spiral out of control, the Guyana Police Force is holding out that serious crimes were down by 16 per cent as at the end of November 2016 when compared to the same period last year.

The Police, in a release, stated that there was a ‘break even’ in reports of murder with a ‘clear up’ rate of 64 per cent.

In addition, the Police recorded a six per cent decrease in robbery under arms where firearms were used, with a 15 per cent ‘clear up’ rate.

Also, there was a 17 per cent reduction in armed robberies where other instruments were used by the perpetrators and more so, a 25 per cent decrease was registered with respect to robberies where violence was used.

There was also a nine per cent decrease in robbery with aggravation and a 14 per cent

decrease in robberies where no instruments were used, while a 32 per cent decrease in larceny from the person was recorded.

Additionally, there was a 21 per cent decrease in rape; a 20 per cent decrease in break and enter and larceny, with a 20 per cent ‘clear up’ rate and finally, the Police recorded a 12 per cent reduction in burglary.

With respect to the seizure of firearms, the Police were able to clean the streets of 96

unlicensed weapons, including 42 pistols, 28 revolvers, 24 shotguns, and two rifles.

The Police stated that the continuous monthly reduction in serious crimes was nothing but a testimony to the excellent collaboration among the many stakeholders and the public at large, coupled with the strategies employed by the Force. Nevertheless, the public believes that with crime being perpetuated on a daily basis, the crime situation in Guyana is unbearable.

Only Monday morning, a Corentyne cambio dealer was robbed of millions as gunmen armed with AK-47s invaded his property. The Police arrived at the scene more than one and a half hours after the 30-minute ordeal. Several other armed robberies were recorded where the victims were severely beaten by the perpetrators.

With respect to traffic, the Police recorded an 11 per cent increase in fatal accidents.

There were 115 fatalities recorded at the end of November, compared to 112 for the same period last year.

However, there were decreases in serious and minor

accidents, but an increase in damage accidents.

Meanwhile, the Police have instituted charges against 65,357 errant drivers for several traffic offences, with 55 per cent of the total ordered to pay fines.

Of the total charges, 24,276

were for speeding; 3416 were for breach of condition of road service licence/music; 2721 for driving under the influence of alcohol; 1272 for using a cell phone while driving; 1236 for breaching traffic light signals and 1211 for tinted motor vehicles.

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, december 14, 2016

News

Bandits raid Essequibo businessman’s home − 5 suspects in Police custody

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hieves on Monday evening broke in to the home of popular businessman Kumar Ramdeo at Hoff Van Aurich Village on the Essequibo Coast, and carted off approximately $1.3 million in jewellery and other items.

The incident reportedly occurred around 16:30h on Monday while the family was out.

According to the businessman’s wife, Wendy Ramdeo, she secured her home on Monday afternoon before leaving with her family to go to the supermarket to do some shopping. She related that upon their return at around 18:30h, they noticed that their house lights were on.

The woman said she immediately knew that something was amiss and they quickly alerted the neighbourhood. Residents then flocked around the prem-

The home was completely ransacked

ises; however, by the time they entered the home, the thieves had already left.

The thieves reportedly gained entry into the Ramdeo home by using a ladder to break a part of the ceiling and using their feet to stamp the said ceiling down. When Guyana Times visited the scene, footprints were still visible. The home was ran-

sacked, but the family could not say for sure what was taken. The wife related that no cash was missing. She said the thieves also carted off groceries and the meal she had cooked earlier.

After the discovery, a report was made to the Suddie Police Station and according to relatives, the Police took three hours to

respond. Detectives visited the scene and uplifted fingerprints. Up to press time, five persons were in Police custody.

According to the distraught family, it was the second robbery for the year; during the first incident, bandits stole poultry and other equipment; however, the family never made a report. Although nothing was taken from their furniture store, a cutlass was reportedly lost.

Meanwhile, several other residents from the area are fearful for their lives, as there have been several break-ins. One resident from the area was reportedly robbed on Monday night.

Residents are, therefore, calling for Police to be more visible in the area and increased Police patrols, especially during the Christmas season.

'Tis the season S

atiricus was smirking. But then his face always had a smirk at this time of the year, with Christmas less than two weeks away.

Satiricus and his wife Caustic were discussing their plans for the holidays and Satiricus could only think about the festivities with "the boys" ahead.

"Let the good times roll!" he thought to himself.

"So how many pounds of Black Cake you baking this year, gyaal?" was Satiricus’ opening gambit.

He figured he couldn't do better than mention the things near and dear to Caustic's heart. And Black Cake was right up there!

"You blasted well know I have to cut back," Caustic snapped. "Less than half what I baked last year."

"And why is that, dear," mumbled Satiricus in alarm. This discussion wasn't starting out the way he'd envisaged.

"Is you and your KFC party raising taxes on every blasted thing," Caustic glared at Satiricus.

"And you didn't even get no bonus this year!"

"But I thought all the stuff in your Black Cake was local, darling," said Satiricus in a soothing voice. "And they weren't taxed any higher."

"Local me behind!" snarled Caustic. "Don't get me started on this "zero rated" and "exempt" business! All I know your paycheck is shrinking when you look at all our expenses!"

"So how many of the fellas I should invite over for the Christmas sport?" Satiricus asked with a wide, if forced smile.

"Sport! Sport!" Caustic's face was becoming red with rage. "You just heard me telling you I have to cut back with my Black Cake, which all my relatives expect from me every year...and you talking about SPORT??!" By this time Caustic was screaming.

"You better ask Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat to give you money to sport!"

"But, dear, the boys expect me to do something," pleaded Satiricus. "It will look bad."

"Bad?" Caustic snarled. "You better worry how YOU will look when I'm done with you , if your Government don't reduce taxes tomorrow and let me bake more Black Cake!"

11

wednesday, december 14, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

12 news Guyana records -4% export growth rate for 2015 – IDB I wednesDAY, december 14, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

n light of a contraction in sales to the United States and Canada, Guyana suffered a restrained decline in exports of negative four per cent in 2015, according to recently released InterAmerican Development Bank (IBD) report.

The report highlighted that for the six Caribbean countries for which 2015 export data were available, estimates showed an aggregate decline of 23 per cent, or nine percent when Trinidad and Tobago is excluded. While the most pronounced contraction was observed in this latter country (-27 per cent), followed by Suriname (-14 per cent), Belize (-13 per cent), Jamaica (negative seven per cent), Barbados (negative five per cent), and Guyana (negative four per cent).

The principal markets of the Caribbean – the United States (US), the European Union (EU), and the sub-region itself – all showed negative performances. The report revealed too that Guyana’s decline was attenuated by higher shipments to Panama, to Caribbean partners, and to the

EU. Guyana’s export growth rate for shipment to the US declined by negative six per cent in 2015.

Meanwhile, reduction in exports from Barbados (negative five per cent) responded mainly to the decline in intra-regional shipments, which offset the increases in sales to the US and to the EU. The European Union and Mexico are the partners that most contributed to the decline in the exports of Belize (-13 per cent).

All principal trading partners contributed to the seven per cent decline in Jamaica's exports in 2015. The most relevant, due to their weight in the total, were with the US, the EU, and the Caribbean sub-region.

The estimated reduction in exports from Suriname (-14 per cent) was due to lower pur-

chases from the United States.

On the other hand, the collapse in oil prices severely affected the exports of Trinidad and Tobago (-27 per cent), with the US and intra-regional partners being the destinations that mostly contributed to the contraction.

According to the report, in 2015 Latin American and Caribbean exports experienced their greatest decline since the international financial crisis, with an estimated reduction of 14 per cent. Although to a large degree, this rate reflected the impact of the sharp contraction in the prices of the commodities that make up the regional export basket, the report stated that weak performance of manufactured goods was also a factor.

“There was an almost immediate impact of the extra-regional decline on the levels of

intra-regional trade, evidence of the strong linkage of the economic cycle of Latin American and Caribbean countries with the performance of the external sector. Only in the case of the Mesoamerican countries is the sub-region functioning as a countercyclical outlet for exports,” the report read, adding that for 2016, the risks for Latin American and Caribbean export growth are tilted to the downside.

It noted that there are no signs of a reversal of the downward trend in commodity prices, which are approaching the levels seen at the beginning of the export boom in the early 2000s. Additionally, the modest growth of the United States and of the European Union are now combining with the deceleration of the Chinese economy and with the erosion of intra-regional demand to lower overall real export demand. Finally, the divergence in monetary policies in the United States and the Euro zone make a sustained appreciation of the dollar more likely, which could accentuate deflationary pressures on regional trade.

Therefore, the IDB stated that given the current environment, it is urgent to implement trade promotion and facilitation policies that contribute to reverse the downward trend and to support trade diversification.

So far, estimates for 2015 indicate that the merchandise exports of Latin America and the Caribbean will show a contraction of 14 per cent.

“This would mean the larg-

est drop since the international financial crisis, and a result that will take the total value of exports close to US$915 billion, barely above the 2010 level,” it said, noting that foreign sales will fall for the third con-

secutive year.

Unlike previous years, when performance was varied across sub-regional groups, in 2015 the contraction was estimated to affect nearly all countries.

"To Sir, With Love" author dies at 104

E

R Braithwaite, the Guyanese author, educator and diplomat, whose years teaching in the slums of London’s East End inspired the international bestseller "To Sir, With Love" and the popular Sidney Poitier movie of the same name, has died at age 104.

Braithwaite’s companion, Ginette Ast, said that he became ill Monday and died at the Adventist HealthCare Shady Grove Medical Center in Rockville, Maryland.

Schooled in Guyana, the US and Britain, Braithwaite wrote several fiction and nonfiction books, often focusing on racism and class and the contrast between first world and colonial cultures. He was regarded as an early and overlooked chronicler of Britain from a non-white’s perspective, his admirers including the authors Hanif Kureishi and Caryl Phillips.

He also served in the 1960s as the newly independent Guyana’s first representative at the United Nations and later was Ambassador to Venezuela. Upon his 100th birthday, he received an honorary medal from his native

The late ER Braithwaite

country for lifetime achievement.

"To Sir, With Love", his first and most famous book, was published in 1959. The autobiographical tale about how a West Indian of patrician manner scolded, encouraged and befriended a rowdy, mostly white class of East End teens, who in turn softened him, was an immediate success and a natural for film. Poitier played Braithwaite (renamed Thackeray) in the 1967 release and the pop star Lulu was featured as one of the students.

The title song, performed on screen and on record by Lulu, became a Number One hit.

news

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wednesDAY, december 14, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

CID rank wins top honours Banks DIH cops Coca at 2016 Police Awards Cola Excellence Cup

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he Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) Criminal Investigation Division (CID), on Tuesday, held its Christmas Luncheon Awards, where the Division’s top performer, Corporal Prem Narine walked away with several awards.

At the CID Christmas Luncheon and Awards Ceremony, which was held at the Mess Hall, Police Headquarters Eve Leary, Georgetown, Narine along with several other ranks were honoured for their outstanding and long hours of dedication to the GPF. In addition to being awarded the Best Cop, Narine also nabbed Best Rank from the Major Crimes Unit (MCU).

Corporal Narine’s unit also copped Best Section, which was shared with the Crime Intelligence Unit. In accepting his honours, the Corporal pointed out that these awards show family members of ranks that they have something to show for spending so many hours away from home.

“These awards are not

B

Corporal Augustus nabs Best CID Performer at the Supreme Court

stand] the pressures which confront the ordinary citizen in their everyday lives and exercise good judgment in the prosecution of your duties, using no more force than is necessary for you to achieve your mission,” Justice Reynolds noted.

He urged ranks to observe the COP acronym, reminding them to be caring, obedient and to always prepare for the eventualities that may arise.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum noted the timeliness of the awards and

Corporal Pitama of Major Crimes were also honoured for refusing a $4 million bribe from two women who allegedly attempted to cover up evidence in the murder investigation of Corentyne Carpenter Faiyaz Narinedatt.

Meanwhile, other ranks receiving honours included Constable Calvin, who nabbed second best CID performer, while Sergeant Warde of the Interpol department nabbed that unit’s top honour. Other section awardees were Constable

A section of ranks at the 2016 Police Christmas Luncheon and Awards Ceremony

just a symbol of performance at work, but it shows your family that the time [spent] away from home doesn’t go unrecognised,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Justice Brassington Reynolds, who was the featured speaker, congratulated the GPF’s administration and leadership for its initiative to recognise the work of officers. He further encouraged ranks to maintain integrity in carrying out their duties. “[Ranks need to under-

praised the Force’s efforts in solving cold cases, notably the Babita Sarjou case.

The Crime Chief highlighted many of the challenges that ranks face on a daily basis with several “sleepless nights”, time spent away from families, especially in pursuit of “high profile cases”.

Senior Superintendent Hugh Jessemy was specially honoured before he retires in a few weeks after 35 years of service.

Sergeant Benjamin and

Thomas from Fraud Squad; Constable Fraser – Registry; Constable Atherly-Ward – Criminal Records Office; Corporal Scarce – Forensic Laboratory; Corporal Blair – Crime Intelligence Unit; Lance Corporal Augustus – Supreme Court; Corporal Pitama –Trafficking in Persons; and Constable Barnes – Serious Offences Unit.

Awards were also given to best performing ranks in Divisions A to G.

PYO sympathises with Eon Caesar’s family

T

he Progressive Youth Organisation (PYO) – the youth arm of the People’s Progressive Party – has expressed deep sympathy with the wife, daughters, other relatives and friends of the late Eon Caesar, President of the GMSA. Caesar died last Friday afternoon in Trinidad after a brief but severe illness.

He was 47 years old. Private Sector Commission (PSC) Executive Member Ramesh Dookhoo had stated that Caesar died in hospital in the Twin-Island Republic where he had been on life support.

According to the PYO, Caesar epitomised what Guyana needs for rapid development. “He was a dedicated young man who lent his efforts personally and through various organisations to making Guyana a better place by, inter alia, offering constructive solutions and contributions to a number of current issues in Guyana,” the Organisation said in a statement. It added that Caesar was a devoted father and a committed son and husband. “He was a son of our soil about whom we could all be justly proud.

We encourage his daughters and other close relatives and friends to take comfort in the fact that his legacy will live on in many different ways,” it noted. Caesar was praised for his contribution and leadership in the Private Sector and Rotary.

The GMSA President fell ill several weeks ago and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a city hospital before going overseas for medical attention. It was reported that he was suffering from a lung infection. However, while in Trinidad, his kidneys failed causing him to succumb.

ank DIH Limited for the year 2016 was awarded for performance excellence in the small market in Miami, Florida, USA, when the company competed in the Latin Centre Business Unit (LCBU) competition last month.

The leading local manufacturer was able to win ahead of leading bottlers of Coca Cola within the regional LCBU. The high accolade was handed over to the heads of the company by the LCBU at a recently held meeting.

Chairman and Managing Director of Banks, Clifford Reis, in accepting the award noted that gratitude is owed to all who worked to make the success a reality.

He reminded that Banks has over the years built a quality system which today has been recognised with the award. The Chairman added that with the appreciation shown to the company by being awarded the cup, Banks will remain committed to quality in the production of Coca Cola products and all other products.

“I am also proud that we as a Guyanese company can win such an important award. It puts us on the map and says to all that world-class quality can be and is produced right here in Guyana and

by Guyanese,” Reis stated.

Bottlers in the LCBU and across the world compete in several categories of sales, health, safety and environment.

This is the second time the Excellence Cup was awarded. Banks DIH

The award prominently displayed

Limited is the local bottler

of Coca Cola since 1990.

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, deceMber 14, 2016

News

Corriverton heist

11 in custody − additional ranks deployed to Springlands Police Station

E

leven persons, including an ex-Police Officer, are assisting Police with their investigation into Monday morning’s high-profile robbery committed on a Corentyne cambio dealer.

Following the robbery, investigators arrested seven persons within the first 24 hours. Following other leads, on Tuesday four other persons were taken into custody, bringing the total in custody to 11.

In the wake of the robbery, Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Errol Watts, assured that security will be beefed up in the bordering town of Corriverton for the holiday season. According to the Commander, the additional ranks to be stationed at Springlands are highly trained and capable of dealing with any eventuality.

On Monday, a gang of 15 heavily-armed bandits hammered their way into the home of a Corriverton cambio dealer situated at Lot

The Springlands Police Station

93 Albert Street, Kingston, and carted off with $20 million in cash, and in excess of $1 million in jewellery.

The men used AK-47 rifles and shotguns in their military-styled operation, which lasted about 20 minutes. Firecrackers were also used by the bandits.

The men, who were all armed with assault rifles and a cutlass, used a sledgehammer to break open the grilled window to gain access to the house. They then hammered open the steel door leading to the bedroom in which the Cambio dealer,

Devendra Churaman, also called “Katak” was occupying.

Neighbours described the incident as terrifying.

“It sounded like a war zone,” one neighbour said, while another said her husband was at work and she was in fear that the men might target her home. More frightening, she explained, was the fact that it was possible that her husband would have come home in an attempt to ensure her safety.

According to another neighbour, Reana Sookhai, she did not hear the initial

Venezuela frees 4 jailed Maduro opponents

V

enezuela freed on Tuesday another four opponents of President Nicolás Maduro, but activists demanded the immediate liberation of more than 100 others they say are also unjustly imprisoned.

"I'm so happy after living through these storms," one of the four, bank messenger Gilberto Sojo, told Reuters ecstatically after his release overnight, surrounded by friends and family.

Sojo and the other three – Engineer Vladimir Araque, retired General Romer Mena and lawyer Leopoldo D'Alta – were arrested in 2014 and 2015 on various accusations of fomenting violence and plotting against the socialist Government.

All deny the charges.

They were among the lesser-known Maduro opponents jailed since he won an election to replace Hugo Chávez in 2013. The ruling

Socialist Party says its opponents, encouraged by the United States, want to seize power via a coup and denies the existence of political prisoners in Venezuela.

But critics say Maduro has turned the South American OPEC nation into a dictatorship, far surpassing his predecessor Chávez in political repression.

Resuming a more militant stance against Maduro after the collapse of Vaticanmediated talks over the last two months, the Oppositioncontrolled National Assembly restarted a symbolic political trial of the president on Tuesday.

Jesus Torrealba, head of the Opposition coalition, said happiness at Tuesday's release of the prisoners was mixed with anger over the continued jailing others.

"All the political prisoners are innocent; they all deserve freedom," he said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Peru’s public TV airs 1st news programme in Quechua Divisional Commander, Senior Superintendent Errol Watts

hammering sounds when the men were breaking into the building. “My dog was barking and that was when I get up to go and see, but when ah open the door to come out, is then I hear the gun shot and a didn’t worry come out. I didn’t know if was fire rocket or gunshot but then it start going off over and over…” the woman related.

The Commander stated, “that is why we are reenforcing the Police Station with ranks that can adequately deal with any eventuality.”

He explained that Corriverton is a busy town with lots of foreign currency passing through the town as a result of the town’s geographic linkage with neighbouring Suriname.

The programme is presented in Quechua by Clodomiro Landeo and Marisol Mena

P

eru's public broadcaster, TV Peru, has begun broadcasting its first ever news programme in Quechua, the ancient indigenous language spoken by some eight million people in the Andes.

The hour-long programme, entitled Nuqanchik (We), airs on weekdays at 05:30 on radio and TV. All journalists and producers working on the programme are native speakers.

Quechua was spoken by the indigenous people of

Peru before the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th Century. It was declared a national language alongside Spanish in the 1970s but Peruvians say there is still a strong social stigma attached to speaking it.

Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski has backed the new programme and sent its producers and presenters a message in Quechua: "Allinta munay, allinta yachay, allinta ruway," (Wish well, learn well, do well.) (BBC News)

CDB approves US$436.7M country strategy for T&T

T

he board of directors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved a country strategy for Trinidad and Tobago for the period 2017 to 2021. The strategy proposes financial support of US$436.7 million from CDB. “This strategy underscores CDB’s longstanding commitment to helping Trinidad and Tobago achieve its development priorities. It will provide focused support that aims to

unlock the country’s potential for economic and social development, improve competitiveness, promote good governance, and drive environmental sustainability,” said Dr Justin Ram, director of economics, CDB. The programme of assistance is designed to help Trinidad and Tobago achieve five key development outcomes – improved quality of, and access to, education and training; strengthened social protection; increased

productivity, competitiveness and economic diversification; improved evidencebased development planning and institutional development; and strengthened environmental management supported by safe and resilient infrastructure.

Gender equality, as well as energy security and citizen security considerations, will be mainstreamed in CDB’s interventions delivered under the strategy.(Excerpt

from Caribbean News Now)

wednesday, december 14, 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

Around the World

Battle of Aleppo ends after years of bloodshed with rebel withdrawal

R

ebel resistance in the Syrian city of Aleppo ended on Tuesday after years of fighting and months of bitter siege and bombardment that culminated in a bloody retreat, as insurgents agreed to withdraw in a ceasefire.

The battle of Aleppo, one of the worst of a civil war that has drawn in global and regional powers, has ended with victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his military coalition of Russia, Iran and regional Shi'ite militias.

For rebels, their expected departure with light weapons starting on Wednesday morning for opposition-held regions west of the city is a crushing blow to their hopes of ousting Assad after re-

15

People walk as they flee deeper into the remaining rebel-held areas of Aleppo, Syria, December 13, 2016

volting against him during the 2011 Arab uprisings.

However, the war will still be far from over, with insurgents retaining ma-

jor strongholds elsewhere in Syria, and the jihadist Islamic State group holding swathes of the east and recapturing the ancient city of

Palmyra this week.

"Over the last hour we have received information that the military activities in east Aleppo have stopped, it has stopped," Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told a heated U.N. Security Council meeting.

"The Syrian Government has established control over east Aleppo."

Rebel officials said fighting would end on Tuesday evening and a source in the pro-Assad military alliance said the evacuation of fighters would begin at around dawn on Wednesday. A Reuters reporter in Aleppo said late on Tuesday that the booms of the bombardment could no longer be heard. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Italy PM wins initial vote of confidence in Lower House of Parliament

I

talian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni won an initial vote of confidence in the lower house of Parliament on Tuesday after laying out a limited programme for his new Government.

The former Foreign Minister was asked by the President to form an administration after Matteo Renzi resigned as premier last week following his heavy defeat in a referendum on constitutional reform.

To take office, Gentiloni

needs to win votes of confidence in both houses of Parliament and easily won the first in the chamber of deputies by 368 to 105, with many Opposition parliamentarians not taking part in the ballot in protest.

Gentiloni faces a sterner test in the upper house Senate on Wednesday, where his majority is likely to be much smaller following a decision by a former Renzi ally not to support the new Administration. (Reuters)

CPJ: Journalist arrests in 2016 at 30-year high

Rex Tillerson named as Donald Trump's Secretary of State

D

onald Trump’s decision to name the head of the biggest oil company in the world as America’s top diplomat on Tuesday triggered widespread alarm among environmentalists and critics of Russian influence.

The President-elect named Rex Tillerson, the President and Chief Executive of ExxonMobil, as

his nominee for secretary of state after an intensive and very public search.

The pick appeared to divide Republicans and dismay Democrats, setting up an early battle of wills between Trump and Congress.

Senators from both parties have raised concerns about Tillerson’s lack of government experience and close ties to the Russian

President, Vladimir Putin.

Trump hailed Tillerson as “among the most accomplished business leaders and international deal makers in the world” in a statement released on Tuesday by his transition team. “His tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics make him an excellent choice for secretary of state. He will promote re-

gional stability and focus on the core national security interests of the United States.”

The announcement of the oil executive for the role came after a selection process, played out in front of TV cameras, that considered figures including the former presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the former CIA director David Petraeus.

(Excerpt from The Guardian)

Can jet engines clean up Delhi's foul air?

S

ometime next year, if all goes well, a retired jet engine will be mounted on a flatbed trailer and taken to a coal-fired power plant in Delhi.

With the exhaust nozzle pointed at the sky, the engine will be placed near the smokestack and turned on.

As the engine roars to life, it will generate a nozzle speed of 400 metres per second (1440km/h; 900mph), which is more or less the speed of sound.

The exhaust will create powerful updrafts that will, to put it simply, blast the emissions from the plant to higher altitudes, above

a meteorological phenomenon called temperature inversion, where a layer of cold air is held in place by a warmer "lid" trapping smog.

The jet exhaust will act as a "virtual chimney", drawing in and transporting the smog, which makes Delhi's air some of the most toxic in the world. A single jet engine can deal with emissions from a 1000 megawatt power plant.

So can jet engines help clean up Delhi's foul air? A team of researchers from the US, India and Singapore believes so. Delhi is an ideal candidate for this experiment. The widespread use of

Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world

festival fireworks, the burning of rubbish by the city's poor, plus farm waste from around the city, vehicular

emissions and construction dust, all contribute to the city's thick "pea-soup" fogs.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

US says 'one China' policy should not be used as bargaining chip

T

he White House on Monday insisted that Washington’s “one China” policy should not be used as a “bargaining chip” with Beijing after President-elect Donald Trump said the United States did not necessarily have to be bound by its long-standing position that Taiwan is part of China.

Signaling further resistance Trump will face in

Washington if he tries to overturn a principle that has underpinned more than four decades of US-China relations, Republican US Senator John McCain said he personally backed the “China policy” and no one should “leap to conclusions” that the president-elect would abandon it.

“I do not respond to every comment by the Presidentelect because it may be

reversed the next day,” McCain told Reuters when asked about Trump’s statement in an interview broadcast over the weekend.

Trump set off a diplomatic firestorm when he told Fox News: “I don’t know why we have to be bound by a ‘one China’ policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade.” This followed an

earlier protest from China over the Republican president-elect's decision to accept a telephone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ingwen on Deccember 2.

The issue is highly sensitive for China, which considers Taiwan a renegade province, and Beijing expressed "serious concern" about Trump’s latest remarks. (Excerpt from Reuters)

The Egyptian Press Syndicate has been taken to court by the State

M

ore journalists have been jailed this year by governments around the world than at any time in nearly three decades, according to a media rights watchdog. The report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a nonprofit group that works to defend press freedoms, says a total of 259 journalists have been jailed in 2016, compared with 199 at the same time last year.

That is the highest number since the group began keeping detailed records in 1990. The numbers do not include journalists who have disappeared or are held captive by nonstate groups.

After Turkey and China, Egypt, with 25 journalists incarcerated, is listed in third

place by the report – the CPJ's annual census of imprisoned journalists. This year marked the first time since 2008 that Iran was not among the top five worst offenders. The report says this is because many of those sentenced in a postelection crackdown in 2009 have served their sentences and been released. The CPJ says that at least 81 journalists were imprisoned in Turkey as of December 1, all facing antistate charges.

A state of emergency is still in force in Turkey following a July 15 coup attempt, with a resulting government action against alleged coup sympathisers landing thousands in jail and forcing tens of thousands of people from their jobs.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Gambia security forces "seize election commission HQ"

T

he Gambia's security forces have taken over the headquarters of the electoral commission, its chairman says, as the country's President refuses to accept his loss in recent elections.

Alieu Momar Njai told the BBC that staff were barred from entering.

President Yahya Jammeh initially conceded defeat to Adama Barrow in a recent poll, before changing his mind.

Visiting West African leaders have met Jammeh to try to persuade him to step down after 22 years in power. "We hope and pray that he [Jammeh] accepts their advice and leaves office," Njai said.

A senior official of regional bloc Ecowas, Marcel de Souza, would not rule out sending in troops. "We have done it in the

past," he told Radio France Internationale.

"We currently have troops in Guinea-Bissau with the Ecomib mission. We have had troops in Mali. And therefore it is a possible solution."

Jammeh's ruling APRC party filed a petition on Tuesday with the Supreme Court, asking it to annul the election results.

The President had questioned the validity of the count after the electoral commission changed some results, even though it insists the outcome was not affected. The commission said Barrow obtained 222,708 votes (43.3 per cent) compared with Jammeh's 208,487 (39.6 per cent). A third candidate, Mama Kandeh, won 89,768 votes (17.1 per cent). (Excerpt from BBC News)

16 news Taxi driver dies in EBD accident Ramsammy’s Ruminations APNU/AFC's Budget A 2017 is not bitter pill, wednesDay, december 14, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

father of three is now dead after he crashed into a utility pole at the Soesdyke-Linden Highway on Monday afternoon.

Trenton Dazzell, 29, of Lot 124 B Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was rushed to the

Diamond Diagnostic Centre in an unconscious state after he lost control of his vehicle, PRR 915, and crashed into a utility pole, a short distance from the Soesdyke bridge.

Guyana Times was told that at the time of the accident,

Dead: Trenton Dazzell

the road was wet which caused the vehicle to skid, after which it toppled twice before slamming into the pole.

The man was pulled from the wreckage and rushed to the hospital where he immediately underwent surgery, but succumbed during the process.

When this publication visited the dead man’s home, his brother Kennard Dazzell said he received a call and was told that his brother might have been involved in an accident.

After checking at the Diamond Hospital, he was told that the man had died and was at the Lyken Funeral Home awaiting identification.

“When I arrived there, I saw his feet and immediately, I knew it was him,” the grieving brother said.

He further related that he subsequently visited the Police Station, but was not given much information about the accident.

“The Police were saying that he passed them and a

couple of minutes later they received a call that there was an accident. Apparently, he lost control at the bridge and swerved into a GTT pole and flipped a few times and he was thrown from the vehicle to the parapet.”

He was picked up and rushed to the hospital but efforts to save his life were futile.

The surviving Dazzell brother used the opportunity to give caution to road users.

“That is why persons need to be careful with the current situation that we have right now and they really need to be careful.”

Dazzell was described as a very high-spirited person who would light up any room he entered.

The dead man leaves to mourn his wife and three children; ages two, three and six, along with his brother and other siblings.

This is the eighth fatal accident for the past week on Guyana’s roadways.

Two men also died tragically on Sunday last when a motorcyclist collided with a pedestrian on the Rupert Craig Highway.

The motorcyclist was reportedly speeding when he collided with the pedestrian, who was allegedly under the influence.

In a separate incident at Lima Sands on the Essequibo Coast, a 49-year-old driver was arrested after the tractor he was driving ran over a fiveyear-old girl who died instantly.

On Friday evening, a carpenter was struck down by a motor car while crossing the public road at Houston, Greater Georgetown. The carpenter, Ryan Ragubir, was walking behind two work colleagues who were also crossing the road at the time the car knocked him down.

Also on Friday, Dr Haimant Haimraj, 26, died at the Suddie Public Hospital, on the Essequibo Coast, after he reportedly lost control of the motorcycle he was riding and crashed into a fence.

According to investigations, speeding has been attributed as the cause of the accident which occurred about 17:45h on the Vilvoorden Public Road. On Thursday, an 11-year-old student, Simon Kendall, of Tagore Memorial Secondary School in Berbice, was struck down in front of his home at Number 46 Village, Corentyne, by a car driven by a driver whose licence was suspended. Also on Thursday, a young man who was en route to visit his grandmother at a city hospital collided with a minibus, whose driver was reported to be under the influence. The young man, who sustained a punctured lung, is now battling for his life.

Finally, last Tuesday, a 14-year-old boy, Mark McCoy, died instantly after he was struck down by a minibus.

Reports indicate that the child rode his bike into the path of the minibus in the vicinity of Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

Only Thursday last, President David Granger rated the Guyana Police Force’s “Operation Safeway” as a success, pointing out that it has resulted in a reduction in road accidents.

it is bad medicine

B

udget 2017 is clearly a rudderless ship. There is no comprehensive plan to grow the economy and to improve the social well-being of Guyanese, from our children, to our workers and our senior citizens. Budget 2017 is an outright assault on our workers, the youth, our women. It is egregious to all Dr Leslie Ramsammy of Guyana's main businesses - mining, sugar, rice, ICT, tourism, local manufacturing, small businesses in general.

The crafters of Budget 2017 appear infatuated with the voodoo economics and social development nightmare that destroyed Guyana in the 1970s and 1980s. The APNU/AFC cabinet chose to throw darts and see where and if they will stick. It is experimentation with spurious ideas and beliefs.

Civil society, including groups and individuals who are strongly supportive of APNU/AFC, has firmly condemned Budget 2017 as anti-people, anti-development. Christopher Ram, a strong supporter of APNU/AFC, summarizes what the majority of Guyanese are convinced of: Budget 2017 portents disaster for Guyana. In the midst of the universal uproar against Budget 2017, one expects a reasonable government, one that is sensitive to what people think, would take a step back and re-examine what they have proposed. In any case, reasonable or not, any government in a democratic state has an obligation to listen. Instead, APNU/AFC has dug in and chastised everyone, insisting that APNU/AFC knows what is best and even though the Guyanese people do not know it, the Budget is good for them. APNU/AFC demands people to stop complaining.

At no point has anyone in the Government, outside and inside of the Budget debate, sought to assure the Guyanese people that there is any rhyme or reason for the various Budget measures. Instead of addressing the fear Budget 2017 has inspired, APNU/AFC has exacerbated the fear and genuine disgust of the people. APNU/AFC insists that only the PPP and a small band of people are opposed to Budget 2017. But the truth is that the vast majority of people are opposed to Budget 2017. In part the Government's attitude is shaped by its own DNA - a blueprint of arrogance, disrespect and intolerance. But ultimately, their forceful dismissal of the criticisms more reflects their inability to defend the utter senselessness of the Budget.

Hence, they have resorted to insults, arrogance and absolute nonsense. The height of hypocrisy was when Minister Trotman, instead of addressing people's concern, arrogantly declared the private sector is just a group of complainers and whiners. Minister Broomes remonstrated miners, telling them they should trust the Government because even though the miners think they know what is best for them, they really do not. Minister Scott had the temerity to tell people that the new VAT regime is a Christmas gift. Minister Amna Ally insisted Budget 2017 will result in racial unity.

Minister Roopnarine complained it is not his responsibility to defend the expenditure in the 2017 Budget. He could only conclude the rationale for allocating $43 billion, almost 20 per cent of the 2017 Budget, to education is simply that education is in crisis. Minister Cathy Hughes declared that 14 per cent VAT on internet customers is necessary to develop communication and ICT. Minister Patterson insists VAT on medical services and items, is punishing the rich because only rich people go to private hospitals.

Minister Jordon shamefully informed us that Budget 2017 did not address the needs of public servants because they are lethargic and unproductive. He continued his shameless presentation by stating that investing in sugar is a waste of time. He explained that VAT on water and electricity is a conservation measure. In fact, he happily informed us that Budget 2017 is the "wisest" budget ever.

He reminds me of something that throws faeces on the wall and insists it is a work of exquisite art.

Clearly, APNU/AFC could not defend its budget. In the absence of growing the economy, they designed a budget to extract the maximum in taxes from people. In order to sustain APNU/AFC's squandermania Budget 2016 and 2017, they have introduced or increased 200 different taxes. APNU/AFC has taxed people's bread, their water, electricity, internet, condoms, vitamins, everything you could think of. Trotman tells us Budget 2017 is a bitter pill, packed with good for us. But Budget 2017, sadly, is nothing but bad medicine. (Send comments to docram@hotmail. com)

17

news

wednesday, december 14, 2016 | guyanatimesgy.com

Officials mull closing Anarika Nursery/Primary School – security threats cited

R

egion 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) officials are contemplating closing the school situated in the remote community of Anarika, citing security reasons.

Members of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) have expressed concern over the state of the community, which they claim has been abandoned.

Councillor Gordon Callender, during a statutory meeting of the Council last week, pointed to the serious complaints from teachers at the school that their homes were being broken in to at nights. Added to this, there are also major concerns about the incidence of statutory rape in the area.

"We would have received some information that when they're at work people break into their homes...I heard that child rape has raised up in the area," he said.

Regional Education Officer (REDO) Marcia Paddy Andrews said she was in the process of preparing a report concerning the issues, which would be forwarded to education officials.

Indigenous People's Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock

"It is not safe to have those teachers there since it's kind of a closed community. All the operations have been removed. There's a serious threat to security," she stated.

Paddy Andrews also indicated that there were discussions to close the school and have it merged with the school at Rockstone; however, she noted that the basic concern was getting the students to the school at Rockstone, which is situated approximately 10 miles away.

The REDO explained, "What is happening is that almost every week, the school is closed for two, three days. It means that we would have to put some system in place to get the children to Rockstone, so at this time we are exploring all the issues, then we will get to if it is possible to close the school down.”

Regional Chairman Renis Morian, during the meeting, also considered the possibility of either leaving the school opened or merging it with Rockstone.

"I'm wondering if we still need to have a school there. If we could merge two schools, I don't know but...

At the end of the day, every child matters," he stated, concluding that a decision has to come from the Education Ministry.

Several Councillors opined that the school at Rockstone was too far away for the students to walk from Anarika.

Paddy Andrews noted, however, that under the previous Administration many forms of transportation were provided for the communities and asked the RDC to take stock of what

Regional Education Officer Marcia Paddy Andrews

was happening since all seemed to be lost during the transitioning period. She said a bus was expected to be serving the two communities, which could be used to transport the students to Rockstone.

Councillor Vladimir Glasgow explained that to get to Rockstone from Anarika, it takes about 30 minutes in a vehicle, given the state of the road.

"All operations have been closed and it's about seven persons living there.

All the houses have been

abandoned," he said.

Meanwhile, Councillor Antonio Hackett said, according to his information, there are about eight families living in the community and the last check revealed that there were about 30 students attending the school at Anarika.

He said, however, that most of the students do not live within Anarika and Rockstone, noting that there were also reports of students seeing large animals while walking to school.

Hackett further expressed concerns about getting to the area from Linden. He said that there were a lot of issues plaguing the community, but no one seemed to be paying attention, indicating that he would have already, by way of letter, made the issues known to the Indigenous People's Affairs Ministry. He said despite this, the question remained of what the RDC was doing to address those issues.

Chairman Morian, in response, said there was specific funding for Indigenous communities; however, he promised to consult with Indigenous People's Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock,

Regional Chairman Renis Morian

as there were also socio-economic issues in the community.

Councillor Gregory Harris pleaded not to have the school closed, taking into consideration that the Linden to Lethem road would soon come on stream and suggested the commencement of a housing drive to attract people to the area instead. He speculated that there may be a shift in population when the road comes on stream and opined that it may not be wise to close things down at the moment.

CCPA responds to “half-truths” being peddled in the media

H

ead of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA), Ann Greene has expressed concern over recent reports in the media, airing criticisms from a partner agency/organisation.

According to Greene, it is of great concern that a partner agency/organisation chose to promote themselves by devaluing the work of the Agency by pushing half-truths to the media.

She explained that the Agency, recognising that partnerships in child protection were essential, has been making efforts to establish partnerships with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other local groups, including religious bodies, to help children in difficult circumstances.

She asserted that the agency alone could never be effective in meeting the protection needs of children despite the employment of more social workers and the much-needed increase in resources.

“Child protection is shared responsibility and collaboration is a must, but collaboration has proven to be elusive,” she said.

Only recently, members of Help & Shelter spoke out against the agency, pointing to the fact that the CCPA has been lagging in providing effective care for children who are vic-

Head of the Child Care and Protection Agency, Ann Greene

tims of abuse and neglect.

According to the Shelter’s Director and Project Coordinator Margaret Kertzious, the NGO has become aware of the deficiencies in the agency. She stated that the system for child protection was very ineffective and transparent.

“They are the ones responsible for monitoring cases of child abuse, but sometimes they lapse big time….their job is not being done effectively,” she stated, expounding that when the Agency would seek Help & Shelter’s assistance for emergency placement of children, it would not provide the relevant information.

Kertzious noted that the Agency and the local NGO had a close collaborative relationship, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to refer cases of child abuse to

the CCPA, but the Agency lacked the human and financial resources to adequately respond to the number of child abuse cases reported.

The Help & Shelter Director stated that while there have been many consultations and promises of collaboration between the CCPA and the Shelter, this has not materialised except for the referrals.

However, Greene, in her response, emphasised that the Agency continues to face challenges in building partnerships and effective collaboration with NGOs and other service providers. Some of these challenges, she said, include self-aggrandisement, petty jealousy, personal agendas, determined quest for heroism, rivalry, competition rather than cooperation, and the promotion of oneself by degrading others.

“The CCPA is concerned when partner agencies/organisations promote themselves by devaluing the work of the Agency and supplying half-truths to the media. Many are not in authority to comment on the work of the Agency, since there is little understanding of the work done or the laws or policy governing the operations and many are not in a position to pass judgement. These actions only serve to derail the collaboration process,” the Agency’s head asserted.

She added that the

State Agency was the primary duty bearer and must put in place effective laws, programmes, procedures, regulatory and monitoring framework to ensure children are protected, and their rights and quality of care are guaranteed, but to really make these work for children and to lessen the number of children who fall through the cracks in the

system, a collaborative approach is required.

“This entails key child protection and children agencies, including the Police and NGOs seriously working together in a form of alliance. This approach is known to have worked well in international countries to fill some of the gaps in the national system,” she noted.

As to the claims of the Agency’s inefficiency, the Head of the CCPA said, “Come on folks, if you are really concerned about children and want to make a difference, cut the criticism and putdown of the State Agency; come meet with us, bring your suggestions and let us work together to protect children in Guyana.”

18

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESday, december 14, 2016

ARCHIE

Emotional situations will flare up if you aren’t careful (March 21- about how you deal with your April 19) peers or family members. Use caution when discussing delicate matters.

ARIES

Sharing expenses with col-

dilbert

TAURUS leagues, friends or relatives will (April 20- be worthwhile. Don’t feel the May 20) need to overspend. Look for alternatives that will help you cut corners. Be budget-conscious and ease your holiday stress.

You’ll be faced with an unusuGEMINI al situation. Making a choice will (May 21be stressful if you don’t have all the June 20)

facts. A poor decision will lead to an emotional expense.

Book a trip, or discuss your plans for the upcoming year (June 21- with someone you want to July 22) spend more time with. Sign up for a course or indulge in a creative pursuit.

CANCER

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Deal with matters concerning institutions. It’s important to have everything in place before the year comes to a close. Doing something nice for children or elders will be fulfilling.

Call in favors if it will help you VIRGO clear up pressing matters before (Aug. 23- the year comes to a close. A partSept. 22) nership looks promising, and discussions regarding how to move forward are encouraged.

Calvin and Hobbes

Attend a community event LIBRA geared toward festive ideas and (Sept. 23end-of-year sales. A reunion with Oct. 23)

old friends or colleagues will be enlightening. Travel plans should be considered.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Put muscle into your doSCORPIO mestic chores and get your (Oct. 24place in tip-top shape before Nov. 22) year’s end. Moving forward without baggage will give you freedom to pursue new beginnings.

Change is good, and channelSAGITTARIUS ing your energy to make it hap(Nov. 23- pen will be satisfying. Your abiliDec. 21) ty to work hard will bring results that exceed your expectations. A celebration is warranted.

You’ll be given an unusual CAPRICORN choice that’s worth considering.

(Dec. 22- Discuss what you can contribJan. 19) ute and what you would like in return. Don’t make a move until the deal suits you.

solution for Last Published Puzzle Be

creative.

Make

fes-

AQUARIUS tive plans with youngsters.

(Jan. 20Preparing for upcoming events Feb. 19) will bring you one step closer to an organized and peaceful endof-year experience.

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

PISCES Concentrate on preparation.

(Feb. 20- Being ready for upcoming festiviMarch 20) ties or taking care of personal paperwork that will help you transition from one year to the next should take top priority.

guyanatimesgy.com

Gayle: Difficult for West Indies to regain Test glory

wednesday, DECember 14, 2016

19

Everton block Arsenal from summit

Chris Gayle

W

est Indies are two-time World T20 champions but the flamboyant Chris Gayle feels “it will be difficult” for the Caribbean islands to regain their glory days in Test cricket in the near future.

One of the most dashing batsmen of his time, Gayle has two triple hundreds in the longest format with 7214 runs in 103 games. His RCB jersey no, 333, is his highest Test score.

West Indies have lost their last two Test series against India (at home) and Pakistan (away).

“It will be difficult for West Indies to go back where they were in Test cricket,” Gayle told PTI during an interaction arranged as a part of USL Diageo ‘Road to Safety’ initiative.

Gayle terms lack of “concentration” and “consistency” as hurdles in attaining success in Test cricket.

“The structure of modern day cricket is such that it will be difficult to regain those days of glory because of the advent of the shorter format and the interest that it has generated among the youngsters. In longer formats, you need to concentrate more and have that game discipline in order to achieve consistency,” Gayle said.

“If you look at our T20 success it is because of the short duration that helps one play their attacking game. So if you ask me about a turnaround, it seems difficult as of now,” Gayle was straightforward in his assessment.

He also felt that youngsters in the West Indies could always be lured by lucrative private T20 leagues across the globe.

“You cannot rule out that possibility that Gen Next in the Caribbean will be more inclined to play T20 leagues. If you are a professional cricketer, you would want to have a good career. With so many leagues across the globe, one needs to accept it as a reality today. If a guy is a good enough player and can remain fit, one can play in T20 leagues even above 40 (Brad Hogg is a case in point),” Gayle made his point.

“At the end of the day, sport is entertainment and one can’t deny that T20 gets you good TV coverage for the duration of the game and the entertainment associated.”

The Jamaican dasher believes that for upliftment of West Indies cricket, the players as well as West Indies Cricket Board will have to join hands as it is “everyone’s responsibility”.

Did he speak to WICB president Dave Cameron on the issues leading to sour relations in the recent past between players and board, he replied: “No, I have not spoken to anybody. I believe we have a designated players’ body and they represent us. If the players need to voice any concern they tell it to the association.

“But yes, everyone has some sort of responsibility to take West Indies cricket forward. You don’t want a situation like Dwayne Bravo was in. Every player wants to play for the West Indies but there are issues that need to be addressed.”

On a personal front, Gayle is currently recuperating from injury and will not be playing in the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia.

“I am not playing in the Big Bash as I am spending time with my family and recuperating from an injury. I am eyeing a comeback during Pakistan Super League (PSL) and then the Indian Premier League,” said Gayle.

He is also hopeful that he will be donning the West Indies jersey again having last played in the ICC World T20 in India.

“If I am fit and in form, I would still like to play for the West Indies not only in T20 but in ODIs as well. If you ask me, I would like to play till the 2019 World Cup in England. That’s a target I have set for myself,” he concluded. (ptinews.com)

A

Action between Everton and Arsenal

rsenal missed the chance to go top of the Premier League as Everton came from behind to secure a first victory since October.

The Gunners, who had won their previous three games, were rewarded for an impressive start as Alexis

Sanchez’s free-kick deflected in off Ashley Williams.

Everton equalised just before half-time when Seamus Coleman glanced home Leighton Baines’ excellent cross.

The Toffees, encouraged by a vocal crowd, dominated thereafter and Williams

powered home a late header to complete the turnaround.

Home captain Phil Jagielka was sent off in the dying minutes for a second bookable offence and Arsenal had two shots cleared off the line in a frantic finale.

But they could not pre-

vent a first league defeat since their opening match of the season, leaving them three points behind leaders Chelsea, who have a game in hand.

Everton, meanwhile, are up to seventh, four points behind fifth-placed Tottenham.

Djokovic splits with Coach Boris Becker after 3 years T welve-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic has parted company with coach Boris Becker.

Djokovic, 29, has worked with the former Wimbledon, US and Australian Open winner for three years.

The Serbian world number two won six Grand Slams under Becker and held all four major titles at the same time when he won the French Open final in June.

“The goals we set when we started working together have been completely fulfilled,” he said.

“I want to thank him for the cooperation, teamwork, dedication and commitment.” Becker described the decision as “mutual” and told Sky Sports: “If somebody would have told us three years ago we are going to win six Grand Slams together, regain the number one spot in the world and

Novak Djokovic began working with Becker in December 2013

just be the most dominant player, I would have signed up for that.”

Djokovic lost his world number one spot after

122 weeks in November to Britain’s Andy Murray in November, having exited Wimbledon in the third round and lost his opening

match at the Olympics.

He talked of personal issues and also struggled with injuries in a disappointing second half of the season.

“I think the last six months have been challenging on many levels,” added Becker. “Our hands were tied a little bit because we couldn’t do the work we wanted to do.

“He didn’t spend as much time on the practice court in the last six months as he should have and he knows that.”

Djokovic, who had beaten Murray to win the French Open, did reach the US Open final in September before losing to Murray in the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals last month.

“My professional plans are now directed primarily to maintain a good level of play,” he added. “And also to make a good schedule and new goals for the next season.”

(BBC)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesday, DECember 14, 2016

Guyana cops gold at NA Table Tennis c/ships given its developmental nature. It is one of the biggest team championships in the world, with over 300 teams and 1000 participating players, the format of the competition /championships offers a wide variety of players, exposes participating players to both higher and lower ranked players with an extensive amount of matches (with an average of over 20-25 matches per player) which truly provides the environment to develop our players to the next level, In addition to allowing the association to lobby the International Federation

A

for support.

This tournam e n t is critical to the developmental thrust of the sport in Guyana given that it serves as a provide exposure and as a nurturing ground to develop and reinforce the technical and tactical advancement of our players game and is necessary and the pathway we must take if Guyana is to remain competitive internationally. Last year

US open bronze medallists

talented contingent of table tennis players flew the Golden Arrowhead high as they secured gold and bronze medals at the North American teams table tennis championships held at Gaylord National Resort, Maryland, USA recently.

The team of Thuraia Thomas, Krystian Sahadeo, Colin Wong, Dhanesh Persaud, bronze medalist at the 2016 Caribbean Pre Cadet Championships held in Jamaica August 2016 and Rolex John secured gold in division 10 which was an improvement from their bronze medal performance in 2015 at the same championships.

Guyana also secure a

bronze medal with core junior players the likes of Khalil Ninvalle who is making a comeback in the sport, Terence Rausche, Abigale Martin and Selenas Jackman, in division 8.

Guyana was represented by a 37-member delegation comprising 28 players at different age group categories parents and Coach Idi Lewis departed Guyana on November 23to compete in the prestigious championships via a fly Jamaica flight. Fly Jamaica, through its General Manger Mr. Karl Bowen contributed significantly to making the venture a reality with significant rebates on air tickets.

The other team’s mem-

bers had a great showing narrowly missing out on the medal position these included teams/players the likes of Elishaba Johnson, Miguel Wong, Sunil Logan Shavin Green-Linden as well as Maurice Cummings -Linden, Sheldon AtherleyBartica Priscillia Greaves and Navendra Persaud, the team of Kaysan Ninvalle, Isaiah Layne, Niron Bissu, Yeudistir Persaud and Ty Dixon and the team of Tyriq Saunders, Nicholas Romain, Brandon Jaikarran, and Jamal Nicholas.

The US Open team table tennis championship has become one of the signature tournaments on the GTTA’s Calendar of events

Gold medal winners pose after a job well done

Bournemouth edge Leicester City

Marc Pugh struck the ball through bodies and the power of the strike beat Leicester's goalkeeper

B

ournemouth moved to the highest league position in their history as Leicester’s miserable run away from home continued with defeat at Vitality Stadium.

The champions paid for a lacklustre first half, where they created clear openings for Jamie Vardy and Robert Huth, but surrendered the ball all too easily.

Eddie Howe’s side saw 70% of the ball before the

break and Marc Pugh scored for the hosts on his first league start of the season with a controlled drive from 18 yards out.

Leicester improved but ran into a stubborn home defence and goalkeeper Artur Boruc produced a key save to deny Leonardo Ulloa from six yards in the final minute.

Boruc’s late save followed a key block from Steve Cook to thwart substitute

Shinji Okazaki. The two interventions epitomised Bournemouth’s resilience and Howe described it as a “heroic” defensive display.

His side had conceded nine goals in three games before kick-off, prompting him to call for more solid showings and that is what he got.

Good home possession early on killed any momentum Leicester hoped to carry from Saturday’s thrill-

ing victory over Manchester City.

And Bournemouth’s reward for a fifth home win of 2016-17 is to be five points better off than they were at the same stage last season.

Pugh added to the positives with an excellent allround display, showing good technique in keeping a bouncing ball on target for the winner after Benik Afobe’s shot was saved.(BBC)

our teams exceeded expectation and won three gold medals and two bronze medals in the team events a commendable achievement given the level of competition Guyana will play host to the 2017 Caribbean Junior and cadet table tennis championships and this engagement would serve to commence our team’s/players preparations for this event among other international tournaments.

The Guyana Table Tennis Association would like to thank the parents, sponsors, Fly Jamaica and its General Manager Karl Bowen, the United States Embassy, the government of Guyana members from the diaspora, the players and coaches, Sydney Christophe, Rawle Collins the organizers of the US Open and all who played a role in ensuring that 28 of our next generation of players were able to be given much needed exposure.

The team was managed and supported by Dawn Layne, Rhonda Greaves. Kennar Sahadeo and Ramesh Persaud, Hermouna Singh, Bibi Jaffar, among other parents who travelled as part of the delegation.

WICB lauds...

continued from page 21

On this day in 1966 Lloyd stepped onto the international stage for the first time in a West Indies cap. He made scores of 82 and 78 not out as West Indies won the match by six wickets.

Half a century later he remains a true standardbearer for our great game.

In 1975 he lifted the Cricket World Cup for the first time – a signal moment that takes pride of place in the hearts of all West Indian supporters.

Lloyd made his debut at the age of 22 and retired in 1985 at the age of 40 – his last Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

He played 110 matches; scored 7,515 runs (average 46.67) with a top score of 242 not out among his 19 centuries.

He also played 87 OneDay Internationals, scoring 1,977 runs (average 39.54).

His top score of 102 came in the 1975 World Cup final against Australia at Lords and earned him the Man-ofthe-Match award.

He led the West Indies in 74 Test matches and won

36. He was at the helm when the West Indies won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1975 and 1979.

Commentators world over have described Lloyd that “during his playing days he was powerful lefthanded batsman with an awesome array of strokes.

He changed the way the game was played and totally transformed the landscape.”

“We all agree that his vision and leadership led to one of the greatest periods in West Indies cricket as he captained and bonded the regional side into one of the greatest sporting teams the world will ever see,” added Cameron.

Lloyd retired in 1985, and since then he has contributed at all levels as a coach, selectors, mentors and advisor.

“He also earned great respect as an ICC match referee and Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee. In all he did, both on and off the field, the former Captain gave all he had. He is one of the greatest cricketers of all time.” (WICB Media Release)

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Busta Champion of Champions 2016

RHTGG and Young Warriors to clash in semi

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ose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets (RHTGG) and Young Warriors set up their semifinal meeting in the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club organised Busta Champion of Champions 20/20 tournament 2016 after competitive action last Sunday.

In the first match, West Berbice won the toss and inserted Young Warriors to take first strike. Alex Algu and Wahied Edwards added 30 for the first wicket off four overs before Algu ran himself out for an attacking 26 with two massive sixes. Edwards was then dismissed for nine and when Seon Hetemyer was caught behind off Rendel Bobb for 4, Young Warriors were in trouble at 40 for 3 in the sixth over.

However, useful contribution from former national player Gajanand Singh 33, Linden Austin 24 and Vishal Mohabir 18 enabled Young Warriors to reach a respectable total of 143-7 off their allotted 20 overs. Clabius Fraser 2-6 and Rennison Mitchell 3-21 were the best bowlers for West Berbice.

In reply, West Berbice could only manage 127 all out in 19.4 overs as only Leon Andrews 34, Rennison Mitchell 20 and Raffel Estraido 18 offered any resistance to the bowling of pacer Sudesh Dhani 3-17 (4 overs) and Balram Samaroo 2-7 as Young warriors won by 16 runs.

RHTGG defeated Upper Corentyne as Delbert Hicks, Clinton Pestano and skipper Shawn Perriera enjoyed a good match. Batting first after losing the toss, the home team reached 34 without loss in the fifth over before national player Royston Crandon was bowled by medium pacer Lakeram

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Clinton Pestano (L) and Delbert Hicks

Latchman for 23 (2 sixes, 2 fours). Former national player Delbert Hicks and Jason Sinclair then added 105 for the third wicket in eleven overs before Sinclair was dismissed by Tameshwar Ramoutar for 40 which consisted of four boundaries and a six.

The attacking Hicks was finally dismissed for a majestic 85 which featured seven glorious boundaries and four massive sixes. Former Guyana junior cricket Clinton Pestano then blasted an even unbeaten fifty off just fourteen deliveries with five sixes and four boundaries as RHTGG reached 195-3 off 20 overs. Latchman, 1-29, Tameshwar Ramoutar, 1-17 and Tameshwar Kumar 1-25 were the Upper Corentyne’s wicket takers.

Needing to score at 9.75 per over to advance to the semi-finals, the visitors were bowled out for 117 in 15.4 overs. Virendra Gooniah 31, Tameshwar Kumar 24 and Naeem Yacoob 16, were the only batsmen to reach double figures as leg spinner Shawn Perriera spun webs around the batsmen to take 4-17 while left arm spinner

WICB lauds Lloyd on Golden Anniversary

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21

sports

Clive Lloyd

Keith Simpson 2-12 and medium pacer Clinton Pestano 2-23 also bowled well for the defending Champions.

The knockout tournament which is sponsored by the Guyana Beverage Company is currently in its 14th edition and involves eight teams – West Berbice, Blairmont, Tucker Park, Young Warriors, Police, Albion, Upper Corentyne and Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets (RHTGG).

Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster at the launching of the ceremony, stated that the Busta Cup is the premier Cricket Tournament of the RHTY&SC which organises at least twenty competition per year. The Busta Champion of Champions, he stated is always well organised and promoted by the Cricket Development Committee of the RHTY&SC and always receives support from the general public.

Devendra Bishoo, Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin and Royston Crandon are some of the big names that have played in the tournament to date.

T

he West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) today congratulated Clive Lloyd on the 50 years of service to the game.

The legendary former West Indies captain made his entry into international cricket on December 13, 1966 – when he played in the first Test against India at the famous Brabourne Stadium in Bombay.

President Whycliffe "Dave" Cameron, praised Lloyd for his unswerving commitment to the game of cricket in general and West Indies cricket in particular. He hailed Lloyd as a true pioneer and the man of vision; an outstanding ambassador and one of the game’s greatest leaders.

“We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Lloyd on this, his golden anniversary on the international stage. We say a whole-hearted ‘thank you’ to a man who gave all he had to the sport and to the people,” Cameron said. continued on page 20

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesday, december 14, 2016

“Reds” initiates Guyana’s 1st Memorabilia Club

By Romario Samaroo

W

ith over 300 international matches as a cricket commentator under his belt including 147 Tests, the legendary Joseph “Reds” Perreira on Tuesday embarked on a mission along with the support of the National Sports Commission (NSC) to begin Guyana’s first ever sporting memorabilia club.

The veteran commentator told the gathering at the NSC head office, Homestretch Avenue of the way he sees this going and why he his pressed on having Guyana remember it’s rich history.

Among those embracing the vision of “Reds” were Director of Sport Christopher Jones and NSC Chairman Ivan Persaud who both were adamant about its prospects.

Persaud related his first reaction after being invited to discuss the prospects of this venture was that “this is awesome” while Jones said the “recommendation to establish archives where we would feature athletes from various disciplines in the form of memorabilia we will have them on display in a strategic place from when these disciplines came to now.”

The NSC Chairman went on to compare the world to what Guyana is aiming to achieve, he mentioned “all over the world the athletes are kept on show so the younger ones coming up can know and remember them

Joseph “Reds” Perreira

and the things they did and give them some form of motivation.” Adding that “this can go well for sports tourism, when compared to Barbados who has an entire hall dedicated to their cricketers, we can do the same for all our athletes where the young ones can be a continuous part of history.”

“Reds”, whose voice is recognized in every household in the Caribbean and millions worldwide, said he has had this idea for quite some time, remembering his visits to Guyana’s sister countries Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados.

“At the Queens Park Oval (Trinidad and Tobago) there is one but there really is no access to school children, the public, and in Barbados it’s a little bit more open, I’m hoping in Guyana we can come along and learn about our history.” Reds said.

With Perreira’s desire to have the centre accessible to school children and the public, the Director of Sport

has identified the National Racquet Centre as the ideal place to have this initiative birthed because of the heavy traffic of students and a wide cross section of the public.

Meanwhile, “Reds” has decided that he will take up the mantle and become the first donor to the club.

“I thought if I started with a small donation of mine by donating the stumps from a 1994 test match at Sabina Park which was his 100th test match as a commentator and I didn’t know umpire Steve Bucknor quietly pulled the stumps and set up this quiet presentation and after gave me as a gift. I’ve had it since 1994 and I’ve kept it as best as I could in my closet not exposing it to the light.” Reds said by jokingly mention he could sell it on E-bay but rather it go in history.

However, this is only the beginning, the master of the microphone went on to say that “the hope is that

we could display a blazer, a Colin Croft boots, a bat, a jersey, a picture of Lance Gibbs, a ball he might have, the sky is the limit,” as he emphasized that Director Jones and NSC Chairman Persaud has gotten off to a running start.

Closing his presentation of a signed jersey from the last game he called, the drawn match of Guyana Jaguars and Barbados Pride at the National Stadium, Providence, the bat and a few other articles from his collection.

“We have a great history, we have produced two presidents of the West Indies Cricket Board, we have produced two secretaries of the West Indies Cricket Board, we have produced many world class, world respected cricketers, Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Alvin Khallicharan, Roy Fredericks, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and others, stated the Pomeroon-born Perreira.

Joseph Perreira began his career as a commentator in 1961 when he was sent to Rose Hall to call the game between British Guiana and Trinidad & Tobago and 55 years later has officially flicked the switch on his First Class career as a ball by ball commentator.

Over the years, the 77 year old has presented in all of the Test playing nations except Bangladesh. “Reds” will spend his retirement days with his wife, Guyanese Zandra De Florimonte in St Lucia where they reside.

GNRA Smallbore Annual Championship Shoot

Top marksmen on target in year-end shoot

Golden Grove win East Coast double-wicket competition

Sherfane Rutherford

W

hen double wicket returned to the East Coast on Sunday it was the Golden Grove pair of national youth player, Sherfane Rutherford and Terrence King, who survived all challenges to emerge as champions of the Enmore Community Cricket Club Tournament.

The Golden Grove duo defeated Enmore B by 53 runs in the final to walk away with the top prize.

Batting first Golden Grove recorded 76 runs from their allotted four overs compliments of a scintillating knock by Rutherford, who slammed 60 from 16 balls.

His partner King made 14 from eight deliveries.

In reply Enmore B scraped 23 from their four overs. Gavin Moriah made 11 and Rudolph Singh scored nine.

In the lone semifinal Rutherford and King were in hot pursuit of 49 needed for victory against Strathavon. They end up with 54 with three balls to spare after the ball flew off the middle of Rutherford’s bat to all parts of the ground as the left handed batsman raced to 47 while King assisted with seven.

When Strathavon batted, Chandrapaul Hemraj

Chandrapaul Hemraj hit 39 and his partner Gajanan Suknanan contributed just five.

Enmore B was fortunate not to play in the semifinal after they draw the bye after winning their first round match.

In their only match before the final which was also the first game of the day, Enmore B comfortably got past Paradise, who scored 27-the day’s lowest first innings total.

In the second clash of the day, Strathavon made 39 and defended it after Enterprise closed at 28.

The third preliminary match went to Golden Grove after they defeated Enmore in what was the day’s most competitive encounter. Enmore raced to 56 after taking first strike, with Amir Khan and Imran Hassan striking 29 and 21 respectively. However, Rutherford started the day in ripping form as he blasted his way to 48 in his first knock of the event.

Instead of the 10 pairs that were expected to play, six compete for glory. Each team were allowed to bat four overs. If a batsman was dismissed four runs were deducted.

The winners and runners-up received cash and trophies as their prizes.

The results of the various shoots on Sunday last: .22 Precision Pistol Seniors Top Five Juniors Top Five Name Score Name Score Gordon Richards 231 Navindranauth Puran 205 Surujbali Persaud 229 Gordon Pearson 201 Dale Hing 222 Lindsay Baird 198 Harold Hopkinson 221 Kelsey Andrews 177 Hemant Narine 217 Erwin Chapman 143

The fantastic five! The GNRA top five marksmen last Sunday from left: Dale Hing, Gordon Richards, Harold "Top Gun" Hopkinson, Surujbali Persaud and Azaad Hassan were more than happy to be awarded

T

op marksmen were on target when the Guyana National Rifle Association held their closing shoot for 2016 with the smallbore meet at the Timehri Ranges at Yarrowkara, Linden Soesdyke Highway on Sunday.

They were lead by Dale

Hing and Gordon Richards who finished one and two respectively in the Smallbore section’s marquee event, the national championships which was sponsored

by Shoe Source, Java Coffee Bar, Secure Innovation and Concepts.

Hing tallied 604 points to relegate Richards top the

second place with 594 points.

Harold ‘Top Gun’ Hopkinson had to settle for the third place with 578 points with Surujbali Persaud and Azaad Hassan in fourth and fifth place on 576 and 548 points respectively.

Sunday’s shoot saw a combination of all the sections Precision and Practical

Pistol scores being tallied to arrive at the overall top five shots in the nation.

Senior and junior shooters were on show but for the honour of being called overall champion, only the senior shooters were considered due to the fact that many of the junior shooters were first time competitors.

9mm Precision Pistol Seniors Top Five Juniors Top Five Gordon Richards 197 Kelsey Andrews 140 Surujbali Persaud 196 Lindsay Baird 135 Hemant Narine 195 Gordon Pearson 106 Harold Hopkinson 189 Erwin Chapman 97 Raval Seojattan 188 Navindranauth Puran 75 9mm Practical Pistol Combined Stages Seniors Top Five Juniors Top Five Dale Hing 197 Erwin Chapman 114 Rajiv Latchana 192 Gordon Pearson 110 Harold Hopkinson 168 Kelsey Andrew 97 Gordon Richard 166 Lindsay Baird 89 Azaad Hassan 156.7 Navindranauth Puran 58

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesday, december 14, 2016

Mike’s Wellwoman lift Dave & Celena Softball title

Red Force unchanged for Jaguars clash ― Lewis, Emrit missing

― male finals washed out

Evin Lewis

O

The victorious Mike’s Wellwoman pose with their silverware and prize money

S

cores of patrons from all walks of life and from various parts of the country flocked the McKenzie Sports Club Ground, Linden to witness the action of the 3rd annual Dave and Celena Softball Cricket Competition on Saturday night.

Four matches were billed for the night but due to the inclement weather only three were possible with the male final being abandoned after just two overs.

In the female final, city side Mike’s Wellwoman displayed their dominance on the field on their way to a 12-run victory over Aroaima Warriors.

Batting first, the Wellwoman ladies posted 76 for three wickets as the overs expired with the rains playing hide and seek. Latoya Fraser powered the innings with a composed knock of 26 as she smashed three boundaries and a massive six over long-on. She found support from Zola Telford who struck a quick fire 19 hitting a four and a six in the process.

Joanne Vansertima was also among the runs with 16. The Wellwoman team was also assisted by 10 extras as N. Rogers bagged 2/20 from her two overs.

In Reply, the Aroaima Warriors struggled to get out of the blocks as they lost M. Phillips (03), A. Caramouth (04), R. Williams (04), M. Thompson (05) and M. Daniels (04) cheaply. It was only Rogers who provided any resistance with a solid 14. Meanwhile, Haseena “Speedy” Mohamed picked up four wickets while Latoya Smith, Amanda Bob-Semple and Zola Telford bagged one wicket a piece.

The crowd was stunned to see Aroaima go down without a fight as they were expecting a victory from the region 10 side. Wellwoman carted off with the first prize of $250,000 while Aroaima pocketed $50,000.

Earlier, in the first male

semi final, Speedboat went down to Samira Warriors by five runs in their eight-over a-side contest.

Batting first the Warriors posted an imposing 102 for 6 from their allotted overs with R. Ramnauth making 30, Sarfraz Esau 16 runs and S. Budhu 11 while extras contributed a healthy 17. Greg Singh picked up two wickets.

Chasing the mammoth total, Speed boat found a savior in Shazim Hussain who struck a blistering 58 with six maximums but got no help at the other end as wickets kept tumbling.

Singh fell for 7, Lennox Mark (04), Kishore Smith (02), G. Narine (04), and W. Sundar (01). Even with the assistance of 19 extras, Speedboat fell to 97 for 6.

Vishnu Tanichandra was the pick of the bowlers with three scalps.

In the second semi final, south Stars raced to 79-1 to chase down the Hightimes family total.

Hightimes batted first and posted 75 for the loss of 6 led by D. Pearson who struck two boundaries and a six on his way to 23 and K. Samuels (21) who blasted two sixes from their eight overs. S. Jamin was the front runner of the bowling department snaring two wickets; however, the entire bowling unit leaked 17 extras.

In Reply, H. Niles took control of the match as he dispatched the bowling of Hightimes family to all parts of the MSC Ground on his way to 52. Niles struck three boundaries and four massive sixes while C. Grant was a mere spectator of the onslaught, getting himself 13 runs in the one sided affair.

However, the clash of the giants was reduced to just two overs being bowled before rain washed out the contest between Samira Warriors and South Stars with Warriors being sent in to bat and posting 30 with-

out loss from two overs.

In the end, the match officials called time on the game which resulted in the teams being declared joint champions and splitting the $500,000. However, both teams were fined $50,000 for indiscipline.

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pening batsman, Evin Lewis is not part of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force team that will face the Guyana Jaguars in Round Five of the Digcel 4-Day tournament from December 15 to 18 at Providence Stadium, Guyana.

The opening batsman has been ruled out of the match after picking up a side strain and injuring his toe.

Therefore, the Red Force has departed for Guyana with the same squad that competed in the Rounds Three and Four.

Fast bowler Rayad Emrit who has returned from the Bangladesh Premier League T20 tournament was expected to boost the bowling attack and bring much needed experience but is also missing from the squad heading to the South America mainland for the December 16 to 19 match.

However, The Red Force commenced training for the Super50 tournament at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva and Emrit was part of the opening day drills.

The R e d Force is currently at the bottom of the points table on 32.4 points after just one win from

Rayad Emrit

their opening game against the Windward Islands Volcanoes while they have suffered two defeats.

The Jaguars are on in second place on 44 points just 2.8 points behind leaders Scorpions.

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force; Yannick Ottley (Captain), Kyle Hope, Imran Khan, Yannic Cariah, Steven Katwaroo, Jason Mohammed, Sheldon Cottrell, Roshon Primus, Khary Pierre, Jyd Goolie, Isaiah Rajah, Jon Russ Jaggesar, Marlon Richards, Bryan Charles, Gus Logie – Coach, Roland Sampath – Manager.

Trophy Stall Tennis Doubles

Resaul, Fraser reach mixed doubles final after stunning upset

P

robably the biggest shocker within the tennis fraternity for 2016, Heimraj Resaul and Kalyca Fraser stunned Mark McDonald and Nicola Ramdyhan in straight sets in their mixed doubles open semifinal bout of the Trophy Stall Tennis Doubles Tournament.

The tennis fans, players, parents and officials who were present at the National Racquet Centre on Monday were in for a treat as the pairs executed skill, intensity and passion on a day that was mostly good for the sport.

Ramdyhan, who was superb for most of the year and McDonald were favourites to win the clash but instead it was the accurate serves of Resaul and the rallies of Fraser that won the latter the match. They manage the win inside two sets that ended 6-1, 7-5.

Resaul and Fraser will now have to focus on the final of the mixed doubles against powerhouse Anthony Downes and Afruica Gentle which is set for Saturday. They will once again start as underdogs.

Meanwhile, Downes and Gentle completed an easy victory in their semifinal as they defeated Jeremiah Kalekyezi and A. Chung 6-1 6-2.

Heimraj Resaul and Kalyca Fraser, first two from left, pose with Nicola Ramdyhan and Mark McDonald after their semifinal mixed doubles bout on Monday

All other matches that were scheduled for Monday were postponed due to rain late in the afternoon and the evening.

On Sunday Resaul was also in ripping form

as he and his partn e r Jordan Beaton crushed O. Coggins and S. Bailey in the semifinals of the men’s open doubles. Resaul and Beaton will meet

with Anthony Downes and Jason Andrews, who were tested in their semifinal against McDonald and Ronald Murray in a match that ended 6-4 in two sets.

National coach Shelly Daly Ramdyhan and Nicola Ramdyhan in a mother and daughter show defeated A. Chung and M. Subryan 6-0 6-3 to advance to the final of the ladies’ open doubles.

In quarterfinals on Saturday the following are the results; A. Chung/ M. Subryan defeated D. Bharat/ K. Richmond 7-5, 4-6 6-3, Andre Downes/J. Andrews defeated P. Squires/ J. DeJonge 6-1 6-1, Shauna Gentle/Fiona Bushell defeated Kalyca Fraser/Ciara Pooran 6-3 6-3, Mark McDonald/ Nicola Ramdyhan defeated R. Bostwick/Shelly DalyRamdyhan 7-6 (7-3) 7-5, Heimraj Resaul/K. Fraser defeated J. Beaton/Ciara Pooran 6-1 6-4, Afruica Gentle/C. Campbell defeated A. Roberts/D. Sandbeharry by walk over.

In upcoming fixtures for today (Wednesday) there will be action men’s over 35 doubles at Le Ressouvenir tennis court from 19:00h and Thursday the mixed doubles category will conclude with the final at Harry Panday court from 19:00h.

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

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2016

guyanatimesgy.com

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“Reds” initiates Guyana’s 1st Memorabilia Club Joseph “Reds” Perreira (green shirt) hands over the first items for the Memorabilia club to Director of Sport Christopher Jones (centre) and National Sports Commission Chairman Ivan Persaud

GNRA Smallbore Annual Championship Shoot

Top marksmen on target in year-end shoot

Outstanding marksmen have something to show for their spot-on efforts at the Timehri Ranges

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