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Road safety re-emphasised during awareness campaign

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Issue No. 3125

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

PRICE

Wales closure fallout

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Salaries for inactive Procurement Commissioners “wasteful” – Gaskin P12

Agri Ministry invokes involuntary servitude Page 2

…compels workers to break labour agreement

Husband sets EBD home on fire

Mass movement rejects VAT P9 on education

Page 10

GEA nabs suspected illegal fuel vessel Page 16

Public Health Ministry officials warned against abuse of donor P11 funds

Former AG P11 launches legal challenge against VAT amendments Officers attached to the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) in Region Two offloading suspected illegal fuel Tuesday morning at Charity

Jagdeo flays Govt on atrocious record with local Page authority bodies 7

Thief beaten to death P17

Parking meter scandal

AFC leaders belatedly back Duncan

…party’s hypocritical position criticised

Page 3

2 news

wednesDAY, february 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Wales closure fallout

Agri Ministry invokes involuntary servitude …compels workers to break labour agreement

T

he Agriculture Ministry is contending that all Wales, West Bank Demerara workers who were entitled to

ar workers who were attached to the Wales Estate on Monday outside of the Ministry of the Presidency.

The workers, who are

paid their severance and that there is no severance payment outstanding.

“The Ministry of Agriculture wishes to make

Agriculture Minister Noel Holder

Former cane harvesters of Wales Estate protesting outside the Ministry of the Presidency on Monday

their severance package have already been paid but the workers’ union is maintaining otherwise.

The Agriculture Ministry said it is surprised by the protest action taken by sug-

under the employ of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), are demanding their severance payment.

But the Agriculture Ministry contended that the workers have already been

it clear that GuySuCo has advised that all workers who had been declared redundant had accepted severance following the merging of the Wales and Uitvlugt operations and have been

paid their severance in full,” the Ministry said in a statement.

The Ministry said the organised protest actions and demands for severance is unreasonable. The Ministry explained that extensive efforts were made to ensure continued employment of the Wales workers at

Uitvlugt and this was successfully achieved.

Further, it said that transportation is being fully provided to Uitvlugt from the West Bank of Demerara and back.

“GuySuCo has stated that no worker is responsible for providing their own transportation. As a pertinent example, workers who have been previously assigned to work at the Skeldon Estate are now working at Albion, a much further distance to travel, and have been doing so without any issue,” the Ministry stated.

It went on to say that “this purported issue of not wanting to work at Uitvlugt is disingenuous. The issue previously was being unemployed following the merger of the Wales and Uitvlugt factory operations.”

“There is no option for workers who were offered alternative employment to now make demands for severance when no such offer is on the table and there is full and secure employment for them at Uitvlugt,” the Ministry stated.

Union’s take

However, President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Komal Chand posited that the workers would be “insane” to embark on a protest for their severance if they had already received it.

These workers, who are cane cutters and members of the cane transport gang, were told that they must take up work at Uitvulgt but they responded with resistance because they were not paid their severance, according to the GAWU President.

GAWU President Komal Chand

“There work has become redundant and according to the law, if your work has become redundant you have to [be paid] your severance pay for the service you have rendered to the employer,” Chand outlined.

Further, he noted that the law states that an individual is not required to work at another location that belongs to the employer if that location is more than 10 miles away – as with the case of Wales and Uitgvult.

Close to 300 cane harvesters converged at the eastern gate of the Head of State’s Office on Monday last, continuing what they started the previous Monday in the West Bank Demerara (WBD) village of Wales.

According to the protesters, it would seem as if the officials of GuySuCo are forcing them to commence working at Uitvulgt Estate located on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), which is approximately 40 miles from Wales. They say they prefer to be paid their severance and then make a decision whether or not they want to commute to Uitvulgt.

Teen remanded for assault, robbery under arms

A

17-year-old was remanded to prison

by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a charge of assault and robbery under arms.

Teon February of Wismar, Linden, denied the charge which stated that on February 8, 2017, while being armed with a firearm, he robbed Lynette Richmond at Canvas City, Linden of a quantity of jewellery valued $293,500.

The prosecution objected to bail based on the gravity of the offence and the fact that a weapon was used to commit the act. The teen was remanded to prison and the case transferred to the Linden Magistrate’s Court for February 21.

Teon February

news

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wednesDAY, february 15, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, February 15 – 08:30h-10:00h and Thursday, February 16 – 08:30h-10:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, February 15 – 07:20h-08:50h and Thursday, February 16 – 07:50h-09:20h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Light rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, while partly cloudy to clear skies can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 07:11h and 19:31h reaching maximum heights of 2.60 metres and 2.57 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 12:47h and 13:05h reaching minimum heights of 0.60 metre and 0.62 metre respectively.

saturDAY, febrUARY 11, 2017

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Parking meter scandal

AFC leaders belatedly back Duncan …party’s hypocritical position criticised

A

nother rift seems to be developing between the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) after the minor political force – on the second anniversary of the signing of the Cummingsburg Accord – lambasted the APNUaligned Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green for her attacks against AFC Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan.

The AFC declared that it would not take lightly the “unwarranted attacks” meted out by the Mayor against Duncan, noting that an attack against any member of the party was invariably an attack against the party itself.

Chase Green had accused Duncan of propagating misinformation on the parking meter project to the public and causing civil unrest.

“The party condemns, in the strongest possible terms, this unwarranted attack on Mr Duncan,” it said in a statement to the media on Tuesday.

In this regard, the AFC called on the Mayor to immediately withdraw her accusations, offer an unqualified apology and take a more conciliatory approach towards resolving the issue of the widespread rejection of the “indecent and oppressive” parking meter contract.

In deepening the rift, the AFC belatedly criticised the APNU Mayor for her part in the shady deal, which practically sold out Georgetown

Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green

to private investors.

“It is the view of the party that it is in fact the Mayor, along with the Town Clerk and those who were secretly involved in negotiating and signing off on this sordid contract, who must take responsibility rather than seek to cast blame elsewhere,” the AFC emphasised.

The party highlighted that it was unquestionably the initial and continued secrecy, lack of transparency surrounding the contract, the bad negotiating, lack of consultation with the people and poor implementation, which were the main reasons, among others, for the widespread rejection of the paid metered parking initiative.

The AFC further noted that while it remained committed to the coalition, it would not stand for the disrespect and attacks such as essayed by the APNU Mayor on its Councillors, leaders or members.

Hypocritical

However, AFC’s backing of Duncan’s position is viewed by many in the political realm and civil society as belated as the party is now attempting to make the issue a political football when it could have stood up for citizens from the inception of the project. One such person, who came out pub-

licly swinging at the AFC for its belated position is People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament (MP) Irfaan Ali, who called out the AFC over its hypocrisy as it did not support the parking meter motion which was tabled in the National Assembly.

The motion had called for a debate on the transparency of the project, method of procurement involved, terms and conditions of the contract, and the overall lack of consultation with stakeholders.

Ali, who had tabled the motion, contended that the AFC could not claim to be an innocent party, nor could it divorce itself from the collective decision by Government when the APNU-aligned Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan signed the by-laws for the project to be implemented.

“The Government, of which the AFC is a part, has the ability and power to suspend the project as the very Government has the majority of Councillors on the City Council,” the politician argued. He also noted that notwithstanding the

Georgetown Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan

To this end, Ali contended that the AFC must answer why it refused to support his motion, which was presented to the National Assembly, if it truly was concerned.

PNC-led gang

Meanwhile, the signatories of the parking meter contract, which was signed in secrecy, are Chase Green; Town Clerk Royston King; City Hall’s Finance Committee Chairman, Oscar Clarke and Clarke’s

Anti-parking meter protesters stood in solidarity before chaos ensued

many appeals from the public and the parliamentary Opposition for an urgent intervention, the Government never budged in allowing a constructive re-evaluation of the “glaringly biased and detrimental” project.

predecessor and Councillor, Junior Garrett. On the contract, which was seen by Guyana Times, three other spaces intended for Councillors to sign as witnesses were left blank.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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Metered parking revisited

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he citizens of Georgetown and other communities on Thursday last, came out in their numbers and have once again raised their voices against the Parking Meter Project; while some called for the rates to be reduced others demanded that the project to be scrapped entirely.

For many, the introduction of metered parking in the City of Georgetown was an extremely unpopular move by the Mayor and City Council (M&CC). The general consensus is that the project has been poorly conceived and implemented.

This is the first time that we have ever witnessed this level of resentment for a project of such nature. This resentment and bitterness came from almost every stakeholder in society – the business sector, political parties, NGOs, citizens, etc.

Many believe that the entire fiasco could have been avoided in the first place, had the city officials approached the issue in a transparent and democratic manner; eg, by meaningfully engaging the necessary stakeholders they would have gotten a better understanding of the concerns of citizens before they ventured into such undertaking. While many have weighed in on the issue, the Guyana Consumers Association has also provided an alternative to be considered and have suggested several ways to approach this: (1) The “amended” contract between Smart City Solutions and the Georgetown City Council must be immediately published for the citizens to know what is being placed on them for at least the next 20 years. There are many questions the citizens would like answered, for example, the quality of the technology of the meters; the updating of the technology; at the expiry of the Contract, what would be the scenario, and so on. If the contract is not published, an aura of corruption would envelop the scheme and would besmirch Government as well as City Hall.

(2) It should be emphasised that the meters should have been calibrated by a reputable company or institution and the results published. Unless calibration is done, the citizens would be distrustful of the honesty of the meters.

(3) The Feasibility Study must be published. This document will inform Government, the citizens and all stakeholders of the various projections to expect. Again, the publication of the feasibility would help to temper the deepset assumption that the scheme is enveloped in secrecy and corruption.

(4) The profitability and profit-sharing of the scheme. In this scheme the main investment inputs are (a) The Georgetown road system (b) The enforcement of the scheme (c) The parking meters (d) The accountant. All other ancillary costs are minimal. The Guyana side is providing the road system which is worth billions of dollars and is by far the overwhelming part of the investment. It also seems to be mainly responsible for the enforcement. The Smart City Solutions Company will provide the meters which are very likely second-hand or the left-overs from the company's other activities. Their accountant would mainly be to consolidate the money and send it abroad since the meters are self-accounting.

In this business plan, the Guyana side would be contributing 99 per cent of the input costs, while the company would only be contributing about 1 per cent, while collecting 80 per cent of the profits. The unfairness of these profit-sharing needs to be reviewed (5) This Scheme would therefore be patriating large sums of foreign currency without generating any wealth locally and bringing greater pressure on the Guyana dollar. In this aspect of the contract, both the Finance Ministry and the Bank of Guyana should have been involved, since the M&CC would have made a commitment on their behalf without their knowledge.

(6) Any lowering of rates would not make the scheme acceptable since there are fundamental questions to be resolved. If these fundamental questions are not resolved, the scheme must be put on hold or scrapped.

(7) The Georgetown City Council claims that it went into this unfair and unacceptable contract because it needed money. The Council needs money largely because of its inefficiency and alleged corruption and to ask the citizens to pay for such inefficiency and corruption is not right.

These are reasonable demands being made on behalf of citizens and if taken on board and treated seriously, perhaps we could see an ease on the level of resentment to the project that currently exists.

Needleless to say, we have not yet addressed the issue of the regulation governing metered parking in the city, as that is currently being challenged on the basis of its legality in the courts.

Digicel Guyana Marketing Head Jacqueline James on Tuesday with the lucky winners of Digicel’s 10th Anniversary, 10 fans,10 gifts promotion (Carl Croker photo)

Is the commitment to constitutional reform serious?

Dear Editor, In welcoming the recent interest of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in constitutional reform, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) hopes that it will serve to revitalise domestic interest on the issue. As a civic organisation that emerged in response to the infamous Referendum of 1978, which sought to legitimise the current Constitution and, as an active participant in multiple subsequent coalitions and initiatives to redress its baleful effects, the GHRA has been disturbed by the seemingly ambivalent commitment of the APNU/AFC coalition Government to constitutional reform.

The overriding challenge to a successful constitutional reform process historically, has been the lack of political will on the part of the leadership of all major parties, rather than any substantive constitutional issue.

Despite a relationship characterised for decades by disagreements of every description, one area of enduring common ground between the two major parties has been their resistance to reforms which would democratise political power.

In the context of this historical resistance, the want of purpose and lack of enthusiasm demonstrated in the APNU/AFC coalition’s

statements on constitutional reform are discouraging.

Had reform of the Constitution not been stipulated in the Herdmanston Accord in 1998 it would not have taken place. The timid reform process of 1997 had settled the matter as far as the major parties were concerned. Even with this international mandate, however, the reform process of 1999-2000 was frustrated by the major parties. A good public consultation process with strong civic involvement was subsequently decimated by the Parliamentary Oversight Committee, followed by unanimous approval of political parties too anxious to get to the next elections to even read the Bills properly. The Reynolds reforms to the electoral system were kicked into the long grass and a sensible approach to Human Rights side-lined in favour of the bizarre concoction of ‘Rights Commissions’ the country is now saddled with.

An important lesson for any future process of constitutional reform is to ensure that extra-Parliamentary influences – civic, business and faith-based - be sustained throughout the process. This recommendation is not unmindful of the need for Parliamentary approval as the final stage of the process, but is calling for imaginative ways of ring-fencing the process against any cyn-

ical party political manoeuvring.

Constitution-making in Guyana must address three issues: Nationbuilding, State-building, and Integrity-building.

Nation-building encompasses, firstly, the rights of citizens and the values by which we want the State to be governed. The second part of Nation-building seeks to make socio-economic rights justiciable.

Without this essential feature, the concept of all citizens having equal rights will always be frustrated by the limitations posed by majoritarian politics in ethnically diverse societies. Justifiability, socio-economic rights are preferable as a response to ethnic diversity, than prioritising communal units above individual citizenship.

Rather than politicising ethnicity, the GHRA recommends an intensively participatory approach that works towards acknowledging differences but accommodates them within an over-arching framework of being Guyanese. The constitutional reform process must start from the premise that, while respecting culture and language differences, we are all Guyanese who come to public affairs primarily as Guyanese citizens.

State-building needs to address institutional

mechanisms by which the values established under Nation-building are to be delivered. Each institution - Parliament, the Judiciary and the Presidency - must be constantly reminded of their responsibilities to citizens.

Promoting Integrity and accountability of all those elected to public office is vital. In the past we have never paid sufficient attention to the destructive potential of corruption and have paid a price in terms of the low esteem in which politics and politicians are held. Integrity must be emphasised to counter the ever present lure of corruption.

For this reason, a strong code against corruption is a constitutional priority. For too long politicians have been motivated by greed, rather than service and this has to be eradicated.

The GHRA is requesting the APNU/AFC coalition to clear the air on what it hopes to achieve from the current constitutional reform initiative. For our part, the GHRA strongly supports a broad-based, adequately-resourced consultative process under the management of a multi-stakeholder committee with a time-table that envisages implementation of major reforms.

Sincerely, Executive Committee Guyana Human Rights Association

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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

Minister Trotman must reconsider the Guyana Forestry Commission Board Dear Editor, I write today not as a critic of any particular person or group of persons but as a young man who has been involved in forestry since birth.

My father was involved and his father was also involved.

Over the last few months I have noticed some troubling signs which have lead me to believe that the forestry sector is heading in the direction of disrepair.

As a stakeholder, I am familiar with all the happenings and probably even privy to outside information which may not meet persons in authority. There are a few things I would like to bring to your attention. First, it is no secret that Minister Trotman is a lawyer who was, prior to his appointment as Minister, in private practice. He has little or no experience in dealing with the forestry sector. Regardless, he has been placed in more of a mana-

gerial position and therefore has to rely on the relevant qualified persons around him for advice so as to enable him to make proper and prudent decisions. This said, the Minister should be revising the composition of the Board of Directors of the Guyana Forestry Commission. The Chairperson of the Board has made no significant contributions to the forestry sector in Guyana. Even if we were to forget her lack of experience, we cannot ignore that she has made no significant contribution to the forestry sector for the period she has been Chairperson.

Another person of interest on the Board is Clayton Hall.

I am aware that Hall is also a member of a number of other boards. Clayton Hall once served as the Commissioner of the Guyana Forestry Commission and because of his failure to adequately and successfully manage

the Commission, he was removed. While Mr Hall brings qualifications to the Board, he lacks the ability to adequately and appropriately contribute to the development of the sector. On many occasions, my fellow stakeholders have indicated that he has been a failure in most of his professional and business endeavours. At the beginning of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change’s term in office, Hall was appointed as Advisor to Minister Trotman; however, I was told that he no longer holds that position and is no longer located at the Ministry. He nevertheless holds a position within the Natural Resources Ministry. I wonder if this was done because the Minister recognised that he has very little to contribute.

Janet Bulkan is another member of the Board who should not be there.

This woman does not live in

Guyana. She has been critical of the forestry sector for as long as I can remember.

She has no interest in making suggestions to fix what may be wrong with the sector.

Her interest seems to be rooted in pushing foreign investors out of Guyana .Guyana is a poor country. The people of Guyana do not have the money to make large investments like foreign companies. For the Guyanese people to benefit, Guyana needs foreign investors to assist so instead of pushing the foreign investors out, what we should be doing is encouraging them to invest.

I am quite certain with properly drafted agreements, the Guyanese people will benefit.

Editor, we heard the Finance Minister recently state that in 2015, for the first time in recent history, forestry among other industries has found itself “in various states of distress”. I believe this alone is evidence that

the people who are currently responsible for the sector are not doing a good job. Prior to the appointment of the new Board, the sector was in a better position and this is what has lead me to conclude that it is probably more the board which is responsible.

As a person whose life is deeply rooted in the forestry sector, I can say that there has been an increase in illegal activities throughout Guyana at the logging concession level. There are cases of officers turning a blind eye to illegal activity and the illegal movement of wood. This has been crippling the businesses of persons who are doing things the legal way.

I therefore urge the Minister to carefully review and reconsider the members of the board at the Guyana Forestry Commission. There are a number of persons in Guyana who are young, qualified and suitably experienced

to comprise the board. Let us not be blind to loyalty. If the Minister is truly interested in moving the sector forward, then he needs suitably qualified and experienced persons to assist. With the right people by his side, he will be able to make proper and prudent decisions. The Minister needs to remember that he is the person under the microscope, he is the one who sits in Parliament and has to be scrutinised and it will be his reputation and abilities that will be called into question when the sector does not perform and therefore he should have the best, brightest and most capable people at his side. The livelihood of a number of Guyanese, like myself, depend on the smooth running of the Guyana Forestry Commission.

Sincerely, Concerned stakeholder

Parking meter saga continues Counting chickens

Dear Editor, Well! Well! The latest revelation in the parking meter saga – that one of the key players in the entire unholy process is an ex-convict from the United States – is just about the icing on the cake of a profane situation.

What due diligence does City Hall perform before jumping head first into a situation? What background checks of contractors do they undertake? What is the purpose of the Investigations Unit of their City Police Department? Can any Tom, Dick or Harry get a contact with the City without proper character references?

But then again, one should not be too surprised when the signatory on the other side was also charged

with forgery and placed before the courts and may have suffered the same fate as the parking meter contractor had his friends at City Hall not begged for the charges to be dropped. As they say ‘Birds of a feather flock together’.

But this brings me to the point of the urgent need for all of the contracts that the Council has entered into for the last two years to be inspected and assessed for transgressions and improprieties, as it is logical to assume that if this first one that is sampled is so problematic, then the others may also not be free of complications.

For far less than this, Commissions of Enquiry have been set up, why not for this one? If the powers that be are hearing the concerns

of civil society and if they are interested in accountability and transparency, then they would send the Town Clerk on his leave, for which he has a lot accumulated and have the entire parking meter fiddle thoroughly investigated, dealt with and put to bed.

As a ‘slave’ according to Mr Cush, I would like to know if a contract was signed by a convict is a valid one, particularly if the other party was unaware that he was an offender.

Sincerely, Mateo Phelephe

before they hatch

Dear Editor, I may be wrong, but there appears to be a growing sentiment that the current Administration is counting their chickens before they hatch and borrowing money as a result. It is important to note the recent history of Venezuela, who has a larger oil reserve than most countries in the world and by some accounts their reserves are the largest in the world at over 280 billion barrels. This is over 170 times our oil find and yet today the masses in Venezuela

are impoverished and standing in long lines for their food purchases.

If our country's destiny will be dictated by outside forces due to poor economic choices that reduce financial independence, the future opportunities of the next generation will be limited.

In addition, the expenses of the populace are being increased in areas where we have been accustomed to affordability, such as parking and low taxation. It is important for all of us to be cautious about dealings with

ExxonMobil. The economics do not make long-term sense and the aggressive budgetary spending appears to be quite premature. We as a nation have benefited from our long-term approach to development; let's not let greed and impatience take us off course of achieving a sustainable vision for our future.

Best regards, Jamil Changlee Strategy Consultant

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Foundation

The working parent and too much choice Continued from tuesday

By Yael Schonbrun, PhD

Adjust your expectations

Schwartz says “we probably can do more to affect the quality of our lives by controlling our expectations than we can by doing virtually anything else.” By adjusting our expectations of what “having it all” will look like, we can increase our chances to feel a sense

of satisfaction as we navigate our choice-filled days.

Set concrete goals

Adjusting expectations begins with carefully setting our goals.

Intentionally laying out goals can help anchor choices we make in a way that shooting for a lofty and abstract goal of “having it all”

or “being excellent” cannot. For example, you can set a goal of making sure to hit four out of five meetings, or attempt to attend three school events per year. Building in the expectation that you will miss some meetings and events can allow you to take it in stride instead of concluding that you’ve committed a parent- or work-fail when the inevitable happens.

Let go of social comparisons

Sure, there will always be someone who looks to have his or her act together more than you do (thanks Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter for the constant reminders). But by keeping your pre-selected goals handy, you can hone in on choices directed by your own goals rather than getting caught up in a moving target that shifts as soon as you close in on it.

Welcome opportunity costs

No matter what you choose to do, you are choosing not to do something else; no matter where you

are, there is someplace important that you are not.

So while having kids and a job means you have it all in the grander sense, any given moment will require you to pick one role or activity.

If you can position yourself – physically, cognitively, and emotionally – to let go of where you are not, then both your satisfaction and performance wherever you have chosen to be will improve.

To be sure, being a working parent with job flexibility means learning to live with a constant pressure to make choices. It also means having your finite resources divided into many demanding worlds. Learning to see that balance with appreciation of its gifts and acceptance of its limitations can help you navigate life more effectively. And by increasing our skill in how we make choices, those of us who “have it all” can more satisfyingly and happily enjoy the all that we have. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

Y

esterday, Guyana and the rest of the world were lit afire by the flames of Valentine’s Day. As the embers of the holiday remain burning, let us examine how this day became designated the day of lovers, and explore a little bit of history.

Valentine’s Day was originally based on a Roman holiday known as Lupercalia. For those of you studying Julius Caesar Ashley Anthony for CSEC, this name might ring a bell. It was a pagan holiday in which rites were done to increase fertility. However, as Christianity gained popularity, this tradition soon became outlawed, and the date, February 14, was designated as “St Valentine’s Day” by Pope Gelasius in the fifth century.

However, the identity of Saint Valentine is not as straightforward as one would expect. There are three Saints recognised by the Catholic Church of the name Valentine, but it is widely believed that the day is the namesake of a priest from Roman times. In the legend, Roman Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage, because he believed that single men would make better soldiers. Valentine, who thought this to be an injustice, secretly continued carrying out marriage ceremonies. When he was found out, he was sentenced to death. In other versions, Valentine is sentenced to jail for aiding Christian prisoners. Whilst his body was imprisoned, his heart was too, as he became enamoured with the daughter of his jailor. It is fabled that right before his death, he sent her a love letter, signed “from your Valentine”, becoming the first of many Valentine’s Day greetings.

It is easy to see how the day has become one of a celebration of love, once we look at its history. But strangely enough, love did not become associated with the date until the Middle Ages. At that time, in France and England, it was thought that birds began their mating in mid-February, which just so happened to be coincidental with Valentine’s Day. This belief is perhaps why the day slowly became more adapted to suit “love birds”. And records of written Valentine’s begin to show up in the 1400s.

With time, romantic gestures have become more and more extravagant, with greeting cards, chocolates, flowers and even jewellery being exchanged. Today, 220 million roses are grown on average for the big day, and perhaps even more surprisingly, about six million couples are likely to get engaged. It’s interesting to see how Valentine’s Day has evolved through the years; and maybe it will continue to evolve. Whatever happens, at least we know that the day actually comes from a place of deep meaning, and the holiday isn’t as superficial as it seems to some.

7 Jagdeo flays Govt on atrocious record with local authority bodies news

wednesDAY, february 15, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

O

pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo opined that while the Government can be given credit for the holding of Local Government Elections, it cannot boast of upholding local government democracy.

“They have an atrocious record in dealing with local government bodies,” he remarked during a press conference at Freedom House on Monday.

Jagdeo was at the time responding to President David Granger’s accusation against the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for “waging civil war” at the local government level.

The President was at the time expressing disappointment in the PPP/C elected Councillors decision to “boycott” a conference that was held at the Marriott Hotel for Neighbourhood and Regional Democratic Councils.

But Jagdeo explained that the Councillors had legitimate reasons for declining to attend the conference, and they duly expressed those concerns in a corre-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

spondence to Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan.

In reading the letter the Councillors dispatched, Jagdeo showed that they had concerns over the lateness in the arrival of the invitation but more importantly, the lack of consultation before the organisation of such a meeting.

“We shall oppose the creation of any bodies which will impinge on or dilute the constitutional or legal power or authority of the elected regional democratic municipal councils,” Jagdeo said in reading an excerpt of the letter.

He explained that the

Councillors expressed the preference not to attend the conference because they did not want to convey the impression of endorsing the creation of such a body until it is properly arranged with adequate notice.

The Opposition Leader indicated that it is unreasonable that the Head of State got upset over the democratic right of the regional representatives to not attend the conference and contended that in doing so, it is not a demonstration of waging civil war.

“It’s not civil war, he has to learn to respect the elected officials and elected officials have no obligation to turn up when the President turns up. They are not employees of the State,” he emphasised.

Further, the PPP General Secretary highlighted several other instances where the Government has undermined the local government democracy.

He alluded to the instance where the Communities Minister had stepped in to install bodies of his personal liking, authorities who were not reflective of

President David Granger

the popular vote in those Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and the township of Mabaruma.

Though the court intervened and quashed Bulkan’s appointments, ordering that the proper procedure be followed, the problem is yet to be rectified.

Jagdeo also pointed to the delay in the establishment of the local government commission.

“The local government commission is an important part of the entire system of local government so the Minister, in spite of the fact that the PPP has submitted its nominees for the

AFC leaders belatedly...

FROM PAGE 3

Notably, Clarke is the General Secretary of the People’s National Congress (PNC) – the majority player in APNU. Other Councillors have repeatedly complained about the secretive nature of the contract. Up to Friday, PPP/C Councillor Bishram Kuppen had stated that while the Mayor and the Town Clerk claimed the contract was available for review, what they meant was Councillors could go to the ‘secret’ office and view the contract.

The Georgetown Parking Meter Concession Agreement between the City of Georgetown and Smart City Solutions Incorporated (SCSI) grants

sweeping concessions to the company to implement parking meters.

The parking meter project has already attracted

widespread condemnation and even mass protests in front of City Hall, on Regent Street. Among the various grievances of pro-

testers are the burdensome penalties and harsh enforcement of the city bylaws governing parking meters.

past maybe six to seven months, has refused to put the local government commission body into effect…

What effectively they are doing, they are stacking the place, hiring people who are hardcore [A Partnership for National Unity] APNU supporters so by time the local government commission is put in place, these individuals would be entrenched in the local government system,” the former President stated.

Additionally, he said there have been a number of instances where Regional Executive Officers (REOs) have been acting with impunity and in defiance of the elected representatives of their respective regions without any sanction from central government.

Another incident he highlighted is Government’s establishment of towns without widespread consultation with the people.

“One of the tenets of good governance, particularly when you are changing the system of organisation, it is to consult with people… You can’t unilaterally change their form of organisation and expect them to kiss your feet every time you go visit them,” he stated, referring to the recent establishment of townships in Bartica, Lethem and Mabaruma.

The Opposition Leader also noted with concern the Administration’s intention to establish more capital towns as well as the creation of new NDCs, once again, without proper consultations with the people who stand to be affected.

Jagdeo also drew attention to the disruption of regional meetings by APNU/ AFC aligned Councillors.

“If the President is serious about local government democracy, then he needs to wean in his thugs,” the Opposition Leader asserted.

8 news

wednesDAY, february 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS Miner slapped with attempted murder charge

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Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) miner was remanded to prison on a charge of attempted murder when he faced Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

Shawn Fillicene, 43, of Ewang Creek, Potaro, Region Eight, is accused of unlawfully and maliciously wounding Manuel Dosantos

with intent to murder him, at Ewang Backdam on February 11, 2017.

According to the prosecution’s case, the Virtual Complainant received multiple stab wounds to his neck. The court was also told that the VC was still hospitalised in a critical state. As such, Fillicene was remanded to prison. The case will continue on April 18 at the Mahdia Magistrate’s Court.

Man on bail for unlawful wounding T hirty-one-year-old Lawrence Gomes was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for unlawful wounding and released on $300,000 bail at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday.

The defendant, who hailed from Paramakatoi,

in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni), had allegedly wounded the Virtual Complainant, Rowlinson Robin on January 29, 2017 in the said village causing him actual bodily harm. The prosecution told the court that on the day in question, the parties were involved in

an argument stemming from a land dispute when Gomes inflicted injuries upon Robin.

The man was previously remanded to prison by Magistrate Leron Daly on February 2 when he first faced the courts.

Gomes was granted bail on Tuesday upon the condi-

tion that he does not come within 50 feet of the Virtual Complainant or witnesses until the completion of the trial.

The defendant will return to court on March 7, 2017 when the matter will proceed to trial.

Mout’ open…

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…on AFC’s leadership betrayal t an extraordinary meeting of the City Council - moved by the suspension of their Standing Orders - the Mayoress was livid. “Look what you have done!!!” she shrieked at the Deputy Mayor Sherod Duncan, her face was contorted with rage. Indeed… look what he’s done.

Duncan had been the AFC’s candidate for Mayor and, even though his party was in Coalition at the Central Government - he ran on a separate AFC ticket. He lost badly in that race - along with the independents like Benschop - to the PNC’s Georgetown machine; under whose tent most of the faithful had returned. But he won his seat and was awarded the Deputy Mayorship in a concession to the Coalition at the higher level, Duncan was expected to toe the line like his “leaders” Nagamootoo and Ramjattan.

And that he didn’t is the reason for the Mayoress, her PNC Gang of Four at City Hall and their handlers in Central Government, shrieking and pulling out their hair!

If one wants to be objective about it - Duncan didn’t do much: he just kept pointing out the Gang of Four for not disclosing the terms of the Meter Contract to the rest of the City Council - much less have it debated.

But in the scheme of how things are done in (political) Guyana, it was like pulling a little bit of loose thread on a sleeve and eventually having the entire garment fall apart. Leaving the wearer stark naked! And how are things done in (political) Guyana? Well, we have the party leaders of the AFC who: guaranteed” in the Coalition that they were negotiating with the PNC-led APNU, they would have the autonomy and have the power to speak their piece. Ironically, they announced their Cummingsburg Accord two “Valentine Days” ago.

So here you have the leaders of the party who’d “guaranteed” autonomy in the black and white Cummingsburg Accord - along with a mechanism for settling disputes - but yet stood mute as the country and its economy were raped and their promised powers ignominiously stripped. And this is the lesson that Guyanese should learn from the whole sordid cautionary tale still playing out at City Hall.

As the PNC Central Government leaders - all the way to the top - stood by their Mayoress (who’d been elevated to the Executive of the PNC in the meantime!)

Nagamootoo, Ramjattan and all the other AFC leaders shamefully let Duncan swing in the wind. Until, of course, the Movement Against Parking Meters sprouted and came out into the streets.

It is but a foreshadowing of what faces the AFC, for sure, come 2020! …on big job Your Eyewitness’ heart bleeds for Anand Goolsarran.

Earlier in the (political) game, he hitched his star to the APNU/AFC’s wagon. He was one of their “go to” guys if they wanted a quote in the Muckraker to drag the PPP and anyone associated with them, in the mud. Like most “born again” political acolytes, he wore his heart on his sleeve as he vouched for the purity of the new regime from his NGO platforms like Transparency International.

Corruption, he assured one and all, would disappear once those PPP types were ejected. All went well in the beginning as he was given some “forensic” audits to conduct. Goolsarran went after the PPP like a bull terrier - no subtleties here: he already KNEW the PPP was corrupt, so why even give their officials a hearing. He did mutter, however, that some who weren’t in the pack of early anti-PPP hounds were handed more audits than he.

So now he’s officially challenged why he wasn’t selected as the CEO for the Public Procurement Commission. He should know in these things, it’s not WHAT you know but WHO you know.

Poor Goolsarran isn’t a member of the Caricom club!

Ouch!! …on Caricom Echoing John Lennon, the Caricom Secretary General wondered, “Imagine if there were no Caricom.”

Would anyone notice?

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

news

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wednesDAY, february 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Mass movement rejects VAT on education G

uyanese are taking a stand against Government’s imposition of Value Added Tax (VAT) on education – a service which is a necessity to develop a country and is enshrined in the Constitution as a basic human right.

A mass online movement is taking shape where hundreds of persons have already signed a petition against Government’s decision to charge 14 per cent on private educational services.

The petition is not only protesting the imposition of VAT on the education services but also on education – related expenses because Government has always

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

taining a sound education.

“It is not presented with

issue which affects us all in Guyana,” the petition, which was launched by the School of the Nations explained.

The organised campaign argued that the imposition of the 14 per cent VAT on private schools will impact very heavily on the children and youth attending those schools.

“For some, the perception is that anyone who attends a private school must be wealthy. That perception may be true for a certain percentage but, for the majority, attendance at such schools often represents a real sacrifice by a family member,” the body explained.

courses in Guyana, with more than 1000 students, is the ABE programme with courses for school leavers, in business, management, travel and tourism and computer technology.

He said this imposition may force many students to abandon their pursuance of a sound education altogether.

According to the educator, “the only hope for Guyana moving forward is an educated, motivated pool of youth who see Guyana as theirs. This new tax does nothing to further that vision, that sense of optimism, the idea that they can rise out of poverty.”

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

Condemnation

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

President of the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Vishnu Doerga also supports the movement,

A mass online movement is taking shape where hundreds of persons have already signed a petition against Government’s decision to charge 14 per cent VAT on private educational services

paved the way for this tax to be charged on reading materials, geometry sets and other items necessary for at-

any political agenda nor is it presented as an appeal on behalf of private schools.

Rather it is presented as an

Director of the School of the Nations, Dr Brian O’Toole, highlighted that one of the most popular

Defence

But in a high handed defense however, Finance Minister Winston Jordan contended that if the parents ‘choose’ to send their children to private schools then they should afford the price as there is no VAT on public education.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

contending that VAT on education will not develop Guyana.

Additionally, many letter writers have penned powerful arguments against the tax on education.

One writer expressed that this “brain tax” appears to be not constitutional as Article 27(1) of the Constitution of Guyana enshrines access to education as a right, “and while a tax on the profits and incomes of for-profit schools and educators is fair game, a tax on the consumption of education is an infringement of that right. Further, as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Guyana committed itself to guaranteeing access to quality education.”

Miner on $300,000 bail for fraudulent conversion

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26-year-old man from Haslington, on the East Coast Demerara, was on Tuesday released on $300,000 bail when he appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a charge of fraudulent conversion.

It is alleged that Jerrol Brown, at Lethem in Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo), on February 8, 2017, was entrusted with and instructed to deliver to Roxanne Rambisham, 141 pennyweights of raw gold, valued at $1.6 million , which he converted to his own use and benefit.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and bail was set at $300,000 by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The matter will continue at the Lethem Magistrate’s Court on March 7.

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wednesDAY, February 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Husband sets EBD home on fire A n allegedly abusive husband set his house on fire on Tuesday morning.

According to reports, the fire began at around 04:00h and completely destroyed the two-storey wooden building. The man’s wife had reportedly moved out from the home two weeks prior.

The suspect, Rampersaud Seepersaud, 52, of Lot 89 Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was reportedly home alone at the time and relatives, who reside next door, told Guyana Times that after starting the fire, the man calmly stood in front of the yard and watched the building burn.

Shortly after, he began shouting for his sister-inlaw who lived in the house next door, and informed her that he had set the house on fire.

The sister-in-law, Susan Mootoo, told this publication that by that time, the blaze had already engulfed the house and the fire threatened to spread to her own house.

“When he start shout Susan! Susan! I run out and the house was already burning. It came close close to my house, see the windows break and the blinds scorch off,” Mootoo explained.

The woman said that she quickly informed the Guyana Fire Service, who responded promptly, but were still unable to save Seepersaud’s house.

Mootoo recalled that when

Developing Young Leaders

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The house was completely engulfed in flames

the Police arrived, she heard Seepersaud telling them that an appliance in the home had caused the fire, however, she was certain this was not the case.

“When the Police come, I hear he saying something ‘bout a fan blow or something like that. But I know is he set the fire,” she said, while explaining that for quite some time, Seepersaud had been threatening to burn both their houses down.

The suspect’s sisterin-law explained that her sister has been married to the suspect for 15 years, and throughout it all, Seepersaud has always been abusive, in addition to being an alcoholic.

“He does abuse her, beat her, drink, I don’t know if

he does smoke drugs all, but he threaten nuff times to bun down he own house and mine just because I does try protect her,” Mootoo disclosed.

Guyana Times was informed that two weeks prior to this incident, Seepersaud had abused his wife to the point that she attempted to take her life.

“He wake she up in the night to cook, and while she cooking, he pelt out the spoon, and start cuss and abuse her, and she drink kerosene.”

As a result of this, Seepersaud’s wife was taken under the wings of the Human Rights Association, and she moved away to live in Diamond, EBD. The couple’s two children are presently living with relatives.

Meanwhile, Mootoo stated that she had made many reports about her brother-in-law’s behaviour at the Providence Police station, but they were never taken seriously. She is contending that this fire could have been avoided if the Police had played their part.

“I mek nuff reports at the Providence Police Station, but they never come and do anything.

They never told him anything. You know, like warn him or nothing so he would get frighten or scared. But [the morning of the fire] they come out in numbers!” she said.

Seepersaud was taken into Police custody to assist with investigations.

(Ramona Luthi)

atiricus was thrown for a loop. And his friends could see it written all over his face. Even the evening out with his wife to the new, satisfyingly garish Chinese Restaurant for Valentine’s Day hadn’t cheered him up.

And for a fella who viewed the consumption of roasted Peking duck as a sacrament, his friends knew this was serious. The Back Street Bar bunch had to do something - and quick.

“Suh wha’ badda yuh, Sato?” Bungi started out carefully, “Yuh na talk wan word since yuh come in.”

“Yeah,” continued Hari, “and you already polish off six beers!”

“Fellas! I still can’t believe this Parking Contract scandal,” Satiricus offered weakly. “I suspected it was bad… but nothing as bad as this.”

“Sato, me fr’en,” replied Bungi, “why yuh t’ink dis set a palitishan woulda be diff’ren’? All a dem does t’ief!”

“I don’t know about that, Bungi,” continued Satiricus, “my leader Nagga Man sat 50 years at the feet of the Great Leader, how come he let this thing happen?”

“And Rum Jhaat sat for 20 years,” said Hari with a straight face. “Maybe they shoulda been standing at the Great leader’s side rather than sitting at his feet?”

“But yuh leadah dem na deh pan de City Council,” said Bungi in an effort to cheer up Satiricus. “Maybe dem na know ‘bout de contract.”

“But it was our KFC boy Sher-Rod who stood up to expose the Gang of Four at City Hell,” confessed Satiricus.

“And he woulda told Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat at the monthly meetings.”

“But maybe Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat trying to develop young leaders,” suggested Hari, getting with Bungi’s programme, “and so they let Sher-Rod take the lead.”

Satiricus cheered up visibly at that. “You know, fellas, you may have a point!” he exclaimed. “Another round of beers. It’s on me!”

“Leh abee drink to Nagga Man and Rum Jhaat,” said Bungi, as he polished off his beer.

“Yup!!” echoed Hari. “They really learnt how to develop young leaders at the feet of the Great leader!”

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11

wednesDAY, february 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Public Health Ministry officials Former AG launches warned against abuse of donor funds legal challenge against

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he Public Health Ministry has sent a stern warning to members of staff who are known to be underperformers and who abuse donations from international donor agencies.

The warning was issued

by Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence when she delivered the feature address at the Maternal and Child Health/Expanded Programme on Immunisation (MCH/EPI) quarterly review meeting at the Grand Coastal Hotel, East Coast Demerara, on Monday.

Minister Lawrence said she is outraged that international donations given to boost Guyana’s health sector are converted for personal use by a MOPH officials.

Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Representative Dr William Adu-Krow had earlier complained about the misuse of transportation donations to help the immunisation programme in the hinterland. Turning her attention to budgetary initiatives of her Ministry, Lawrence told participants at the two-day MCH/EPI review meeting to maximise spending on budgetary initiatives.

“Spend money on that for which it is allocated. If that doesn’t happen, somebody will be going home,” Minister Lawrence warned.

For that to happen, the

procurement system must be strengthened and the belated arrival of projects for funding from the 10 Regions has to end.

Despite the challenges, she said that as Dr Adu-Krow and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, pointed out at the opening ceremony, Guyana’s health sector has nevertheless made several notable gains.

“In the Health Situation Analysis of the CCS 20162020, it was noted that since 2010, Guyana has recorded high levels of immunisation coverage for which we are extremely happy. It means therefore, that we must always remain one step ahead, that our procurement process for supply of vaccines is efficient, and that we are prepared to effectively deal with any threat or outbreak. We must also ensure that these vaccines can easily reach our Hinterland Regions, that the monitoring process is well established and that there is ongoing training of personnel for new vaccines and for Effective Vaccine Management,” Lawrence said.

To maintain the momentum, the Public health Ministry must improve its facilities, have adequate trained personnel in all ten Administrative Regions to lessen complaints about unprofessional behaviour and attitudes, and improve the level of patient care.

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

“We must implement Standards and Best Practices for our Clinics and Health Centres. Our mandate is to reduce the incidence of maternal and child mortality, so it is extremely important that our human resource is educated and trained, so that they in turn can inform and teach the mothers who attend clinic sessions,” Lawrence told the opening ceremony.

In the short-term, there will be heightened sensitisation and awareness programmes focusing on the behaviours that can be changed to reduce incidences of non-communicable diseases.

Lawrence also wants national discourse on tobacco and alcohol use, and physical inactivity and the consequences of these on peoples’ health.

“We must strive hard-

er to lessen the number of obese children and encourage healthier eating habits and lifestyles,” Lawrence said.

Among the new target of the SDG Three is a reduction of the MMR to less 70 per 100,000 by 2030, Dr AduKrow told the gathering.

He said also that among its vision is ending preventable deaths of new-borns and children under five years of age, “with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-five mortality to as low as 25 per 1,000 live births by 2030.” Between 20-22 per cent of 15 to 19-year-olds in Guyana become pregnant according to figures quoted by Adu-Krow.

The PAHO/WHO Representative also assured Guyana of continued assistance to those bodies in several areas this year. These include the completion of the PMTCT elimination report through data collection; review the family health manual; build capacity in neonatal, maternal and adolescent health-training programmes for HCWs; procurement of needed obstetric equipment; share the findings of the recent perinatal and neonatal survey which was completed in 2016, and follow-up on certification of health workers on the training in reproductive care in collaboration with CLAP.

VAT amendments

affidavit highlighted the wide powers granted to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General in Section 45 (amended) of the Act. He noted that the Act empowers the Commissioner to stop someone from leaving Guyana if there are grounds to believe that the person is not paying the requisite taxes.

The Commissioner General can do this by merely making a request to the Chief Immigration Officer, with a

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

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legal challenge has been launched against the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act Chapter 81:05 amendments of 2017. The writ, which was filed by former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, under the new rules of court, is seeking to have the Coalition’s amendments declared null and void.

This amendment was assented to by President David Granger on January 16, 2017, and gazetted on the same day.

But according to Nandlall’s writ, which was filed in the High Court on Tuesday, it “is or is likely to be, contrary to, inconsistent with, and in violation of Articles 40 and 148 of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.”

In particular, Nandlall’s

Attorney General Basil Williams

certificate containing the details of the tax due. That person is effectively stopped from leaving the country until he or she pays in full or makes a satisfactory arrangement with the Commissioner.

TURN TO PAGE 14

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wednesDAY, february 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Salaries for inactive Procurement Commissioners “wasteful” – Gaskin C ommissioners on the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) are in receipt of their salaries despite the Commission being inactive; this development is not going down well with sections of society.

This situation was on Tuesday described by political commentator Ramon Gaskin as “wasteful”.

During an interview with Guyana Times, Gaskin decried the level of unpreparedness exhibited by the Administration, which swore in the Commissioners before the requisite staff was even in place.

According to Gaskin, Government should have been more prepared before swearing in the

Commissioners, knowing that they would need a fully staffed office.

“Wasteful! They waste the money. Hopefully they will get their act together quickly. They brought in someone from Jamaica to be the Chief Executive Officer. So we’ll have to wait and see how it works out. But they’re wasting a lot of money.”

“Because that’s what they are doing now. They are interviewing people and filling (vacancies), three months later,” Gaskin pointed out.

President David Granger swore in the Commissioners – Carol Corbin, Nanda Gopaul, Emily Dodson, Ivor English, and Sukrishnalall

Political activist Ramon Gaskin

Pasha – on October 28, 2016. Though the PPC is not functioning, they have

been collecting hefty salaries since then.

According to reports, Corbin is paid as much as $1.3 million a month, while the other Commissioners are earning as much as $900,000 monthly.

When questioned about this situation after announcing more contracts, Minister of State Joseph Harmon had stated that “Cabinet will stop granting its no-objection when the PPC is ready to work; they have been advertising for staff for the Commission (and) those matters are well advanced.”

requirements of the procurement process, with regards to suppliers, contractors and public bodies.

The responsibility to “safeguard the national interest in public procurement matters, having due regard to any international obligations” is also vested with this body.

According to the Act, the PPC also has to “monitor the performance of procurement bodies with respect to adherence to regulations and efficiency in procuring goods and services

policies and measures for compliance with the objects and matters under its purview and report the need for any legislation to the National Assembly; monitor and review the procurement procedures of the ministerial, regional, and national procurement entities as well as those of project execution units.”

The PPC is also empowered to investigate complaints from suppliers, contractors and public entities, in addition to cases of irregularity and mismanage-

Responsibilities of the Commission

At present, Chapter 73:05 of the Procurement Act 2003 grants the Cabinet the right to review all procurement matters exceeding $15 million. When the PPC came on stream, however, the legislation had catered for the phasing out of Cabinet and decentralisation of the process.

Amendment No 3 Act of 2001; 212 A (1) Constitutional amendment lists some of the PPC’s key functions as monitoring and reviewing the functioning of available procurement systems, to ensure that they are in accordance with the law and any policy guidelines that are determined by the National assembly.

It is also tasked with promoting awareness of the rules, procedures and the

The Commissioners after they were sworn in last year posed with President David Granger. From left are Carol Corbin, Sukrishnalall Pasha, President Granger, Ivor English, Nanda Gopaul and Emily Dodson

and execution of works; approve of procedures for public procurement, disseminate rules and procedures for public procurement and recommend modifications thereto to the public procurement entities.”

It also has to “monitor and review all legislation,

ment; the body then proposes remedial action.

The Commission also has the option to enlist the aid of experts to provide specialist advice if needed, in addition to consulting with and referring matters to the Guyana Police Force and the Auditor General.

News

Linden promoters concerned about new licence process

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everal promoters in Linden have found displeasure in the system of operation surrounding the process of granting of licences, as well as fees charged by Police for events. Many have also voiced their concerns, alleging that there is unwarranted Police arrogance and intimidation meted out against them during the hosting of events. As such, the concerned promoters, on Monday, requested a meeting with Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland and Councillors of the Linden Municipality.

During the meeting, promoters also complained about issues ranging from high fees, no structured payment system, change in the process of granting licences, lengthy processes and having to pay hefty taxes. In an effort to get their promotions on foot, they stressed the lengthy process of having to go all the way to Georgetown for approval, although there is a court and Fire Service in Linden.

A promoter explained that it used to be that they would go to Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara and receive approval on the same day, however he complained that the system has since been changed.

“Now, the system change

Linden promoters met with Mayor Carwyn Holland and Councillors of the municipality on Monday

up, you got to go to Vreeden-Hoop and now Vreed-enHoop sending the documents to Linden and then Linden Magistrate’s Court got to approve it. It lately change up now again. So I don’t know why you have to go til to Vreed-en-Hoop,” he noted.

It was also alleged that the Georgetown Fire Station charges a fee of $2,600, but would fail to show up to carry out checks of the event location.

“When you go to Linden, they say they don’t do it in Linden, and when you go to Georgetown, sometimes you got to wait, come back… Why we Linden Fire Chief can’t approve the letter?” one promoter indicated.

The promoters also noted that it appears as though they are being made to pay the Police based on their discretion, as they alleged that there is no structured payment system. The concerned promoters also threatened to take to the streets over the issues.

“With this current situation, it just frightens the promoters,” one promoter noted.

Meanwhile, Councillor Fern Mckoy questioned why the Police are charging large sums. Mckoy said the processes should be done in Linden, owing to the presence of the Fire Service and court in the community. In many cases, she said promoters follow through because they

may have already invested in their business or promotion.

Councillor Neola Rogers also told members of the meeting that the Municipality has already asked for decentralisation of the services.

Speaking after the meeting, Holland said the complaints are overwhelming and that the issues need to be addressed.

Speaking to this publication, E Division (Linden/ Kwakwani) Commander Fazil Karimbaksh said the money paid to Police by promoters is based on the magnitude of the event and the amount of Police sent to maintain the peace, as well as the amount of hours the event lasts. He said while the usual cost is $15,000, for large sessions at places like the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground, the Police would charge $20,000.

“It depends on the magnitude of the event and the amount of Police we have to send. The same things they’re holding here, if they go to Georgetown, it’s hundreds of thousands, we’re the cheapest, $15,000,” he said. He added that the 02:00h (2am) curfew is applicable for enclosed spaces such as discos, and not public events which can disturb the peace.

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wednesDAY, February 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Road safety reemphasised during awareness campaign

Members of the public were eager to get the information available

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he National Road Safety Council, in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the West Demerara Association hosted a road safety awareness campaign on Tuesday, in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market Square. The aim of the initiative was to sensitise the public on the importance of road safety.

The initiative, which commenced at 09:30h, lasted for most of the day. Cocoordinator of the National Road Safety Council, Ramona Doorgen, reiterated that the campaign was used to educate and remind persons of the importance of road safety.

She further explained

that the Stabroek venue was chosen because it is ideally located, as many persons are likely to traverse this area on a daily basis. When questioned about her confidence in persons actually adhering to the rules, she said that if one life can be saved, it’s worth the effort. Another member of the council explained that their purpose is to interact with the public and the campaign intends to reach across the country.

He reminded of the statistics with regards to fatal accidents and pointed to the comparison over the years.

Several persons expressed their support of the movement in light of the many road fatalities for the year thus far.

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wednesDAY, february 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Cable overlap caused recent outages – GPL

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he recent bouts of power outages over the last two days, which affected four regions in the country, were as a result of two mega voltage cables coming into contact.

Following Sunday evening’s power outage from Moleson Creek, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) all the way to Parika, Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), and including Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) , the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc was able to restore power nearly three hours later. According to acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the power company, Renford Homer, this process usually takes about an hour, but some challenges were encountered, thus causing the delay in power restoration that night.

However, the acting CEO posited that while power was restored that evening, at the time technicians were unaware of the cause of the outage. This resulted in a combing exercise on Monday morning, to ascertain the source of the previous night’s power shutdown.

During this exercise, however, another power outage was experienced, during which the power cables crossover was detected at feeders located northeast of the Vlissengen Road and Lamaha Street intersection.

“We had a situation where cables with two extreme voltages were basically coming into contact. So one cable with 13,800 volts was coming into contact with a cable – a 69,000 volts,” he explained, adding that this caused a fiery explosion that “literally disturbed the entire (distribution) network”.

The 69,000 volt conductor is the main transmission line that links Sophia to Kingston while the 13,800 volt conductor takes power from the Kingston facility to parts of Queenstown, Subyranville, Kitty, Prashad Nagar and so on.

Homer noted that immediate efforts to correct this situation saw the de-energising of not only the transmission line (F line) but also the submarine cable linking Vreed-en-Hoop to Kingston.

“So we were able to get the corrective work done, which took about two to two and a half hours, and then we basi-

The cables at the Vlissengen Road and Lamaha Street intersection which came into contact resulting in Sunday night’s power shutdown

cally re-energised the transmission lines and slowly bring the system back into a steady state,” he noted.

Furthermore, Homer pointed out that the after-effect of these two high-voltage cables coming into contact was felt on Tuesday morning.

“A disturbance of that nature can have a ripple effect, particularly the F line suffered quite a great shock and so on Tuesday morning there was another disturbance…

(Tuesday) morning, we found that the F line had become entangled with another feeder and this was as a result of a short-circuit situation...which we believed would have been an after-effect of what took place on Sunday,” he stated.

Asked what could have caused the overlapping of the two cables that led to Sunday night’s power shutdown, the acting GPL CEO asserted that there were two contributory factors. Firstly, he explained that because the utility poles made out of wood and is fixed into the ground, if there is any movement, this could result in a shift of the cables.

“Now, we haven’t established clearly that this is what it was, or whether it was work that was done sometime before that probably may not have been done to standards,” he stated. Nevertheless, Homer told this newspaper that what needed to be done going forward was a programme of remedial works not only at the Vlissengen Road intersection, but along the various corridors where there were these crossover scenarios in order to ensure that there was adequate spacing in accordance to the technical standards between conductors.

Nevertheless, the GPL offi-

cial posited that with the comprehensive check and remedial work done, there should be no similar disturbances, at least not any relating to the this particular issue.

“Having recognised and identified where that problem was and corrected it, as it is now it would probably require a major disturbance on the structure for there to be another contact between the cables.

We are pretty confident that the work we have done will not at this instance or even going into the future allow for that,” he reaffirmed.

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson explained to reporters at the briefing on Tuesday, that Sunday’s power outage was “catastrophic” to the distribution network.

To this end, Minister Patterson pointed out that steps were being put in place to have an alternative power network for situations such as Sunday night’s. In fact, he noted that tenders were recently opened for this alternative line.

“It is envisaged that we have a ring, so in the future if this transmission line (at Vlissengen Road) goes down, we can divert and have power go to the Sophia Station via another route,” he stated.

Moreover, Patterson noted that GPL would also be investing some US$31 million in expanding and upgrading its power distribution network.

In the meantime, while he believes the corrective works done would prevent a reoccurrence of what transpired over the last two days, the Public Infrastructure Minister opined that emphasis needed to be placed on the sensitive nature of these power poles. To this end, he urged motorists to be cautious on the roadways.

Former AG launches legal challenge...

FROM PAGE 11

Nandlall noted that this power is “ex-facie, exercisable at any time, without affording the person a fair or any hearing, or without serving the person a notice of demand for taxes allegedly due, or without allowing the exhaustion of any lawful recourse available to the person to challenge the taxes allegedly owed, or without an Order from the High Court or any court, and without a final assessment of taxes owed.”

During an interview with this newspaper, Nandlall acknowledged the need for the State to collect the taxes it was due. However, he emphasised the necessity of affording persons due process, including a hearing, before taking such a drastic step.

He also noted the manner in which the Value Added Tax Act, Chapter 81:05, is administered, “Permits persons registered thereunder to pay Value Added Tax at periodic

intervals; therefore at any given point in time, there is always an overwhelming likelihood that a person registered under the said Act will owe taxes.”

The Attorney-at-Law pointed out that in such circumstances, those persons who are at the mercy of the GRA Commissioner General.

The writ states that in addition to costs, the former Attorney General is seeking a declaration “that Section 45(1) of the Value Added Tax Act Chapter 81:05, as amended by Section 2 of Act No 3 of 2017, Value Added Tax (Amendment) Act 2017, (is) unconstitutional, unlawful, null, void and of no effect.”

Pursuant to Article 8 of the Constitution of Guyana, he is also seeking an order striking down Section 45(1) on the grounds of its likely unconstitutional nature. The writ also extends to “such Orders, writs and directions as the Court

may consider appropriate for the purpose of enforcing or securing the enforcement of any of the provisions of Article 138 to 151 of the Constitution.”

The writ names Nandlall’s successor, Attorney General Basil Williams, as the respondent. The matter is scheduled to be heard in the High Court on February 24.

The document states that should Williams fail to appear at the hearing “an order or judgment may be given in your absence and without further notice to you.”

It also notes that if said order is given, failure to comply can see him being held in contempt of court and he “may be liable (to) imprisonment or to have your assets confiscated.”

When the amendments were presented by Finance Minister Winston Jordan last month, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) had immediately lambasted the Government for the measures.

wednesDAY, february 15, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

15

Around the World

North Korean leader’s brother Kim 3 Indian soldiers, 4 militants Jong-nam killed at Malaysia airport dead in Kashmir gun battles

T

he half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Kim Jong-nam, has been killed in an attack in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian Police say he was waiting at the airport for a flight to Macau on Monday when a woman covered his face with a cloth which burnt his eyes.

He was using a passport in a different name at the time.

The late Kim Jong-il’s eldest son is thought to have fled North Korea after being passed over for the leadership.

Kim Jong-nam (pictured in 2010) spent much of his time outside North Korea

Malaysian Police official Fadzil Ahmat confirmed for Malaysian news agency Bernama that the victim was indeed Kim Jong-nam.

“While waiting for the flight, a woman came from behind and covered his face with a cloth laced with a liquid,” he said.

“Following this, the man was seen struggling for help and managed to obtain the assistance of a KLIA [Kuala Lumpur International Airport] receptionist as his eyes suffered burns as a result of the liquid.

“Moments later, he was sent to the Putrajaya Hospital where he was confirmed dead.”

“So far there are no suspects, but we have started investigations and are looking at a few possibilities to get leads,” Fadzil Ahmat told Reuters news agency separately.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Group of ‘extinct’ antelope released into wild in southern Sahara

A

group of scimitar-horned oryx, an antelope declared extinct in the wild, have been reintroduced to their original home on the edge of the Sahara desert.

Fourteen captive-bred animals were released in a remote area of Chad and joined a first group reintroduced in August 2016, conservationists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) said.

Scimitar-horned oryx were once widespread across the southern Sahara, but were driven to extinction during extended civil unrest in the region in the 1980s and 1990s and officially declared extinct in the wild in 2000.

A breeding programme in captivity, established in the United Arab Emirates and involving zoos around

T

hree Indian soldiers and four militants were killed on Tuesday in two separate gun battles in its Kashmir region, in the second deadly clash between security forces and separatist fighters in three days.

Five soldiers were also wounded in the shootout in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district as a joint Army and Police team mounted a search following a tipoff that up to three gunmen were in the area, a defence spokesman said.

“During the searches, militants hiding in a house opened fire, triggering off an encounter,” Lieutenant Colonel Rajesh Kalia told Reuters. He said there were no arrests, while the remaining gunmen were unaccounted for.

Separately, security forc-

Forbidden love: Valentine’s Day banned for some in Asia

V

Four of the 14 scimitar-horned oryx that were reintroduced to their home on the edge of the Sahara Desert enjoy some grazing

the world including ZSL’s Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, has kept the species alive.

Efforts by the government of Chad and Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, and backed

by organisations including ZSL, to restore the oryx to former habitat in a vast nature reserve in the African country has seen the first group of 21 animals thrive.

The project has already celebrated the first

birth of a scimitar-horned oryx in the wild for more than 20 years, conservationists said. The 14 newly released animals – six males and eight females – have been fitted with GPS collars to track their movements around the reserve, which is the size of Scotland. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

es shot dead three militants in the region’s Handwara district, a senior Police official told Reuters. An army officer also got injured in the gun battle that was still on, the official said.

India is trying to contain a low-level insurgency in its northernmost region that dates back more than a quarter century. Protests flared last year after security forces killed a popular underground separatist leader called Burhan Wani.

India accuses Pakistan of smuggling in men, equipment and counterfeit cash to back separatist fighters – a charge Islamabad denies.

The nuclear-armed neighbors have fought two of their three wars since independence over Kashmir, which both claim in full but rule only in part. (Reuters)

alentine’s Day celebrations on Tuesday were banned by authorities in parts of Indonesia and Pakistan, home to Asia’s largest Muslim populations, saying the romantic tradition encouraged casual sex and ran counter to cultural norms.

In Indonesia, officials from the country’s second largest city, Surabaya, ordered schools to prohibit students from celebrating Valentine’s Day, while in Makassar, Police raided minimarts and seized condoms in a bid to prevent teenagers from having sex.

Indonesia’s highest Islamic clerical council declared Valentine’s Day forbidden by Islamic law in 2012, saying it was contradictory to Muslim culture and teachings.

But the vast majori-

ty of Indonesia’s more than 220 million Muslims follow a moderate form of Islam in a country with sizeable Christian and Hindu minorities. Indonesia is a secular country whose state ideology enshrines religious diversity.

In Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, and other parts of the country, Valentine’s Day has grown in popularity with companies, like national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, looking to cash in by offering special discounts and promotions.

In Pakistan, an Islamic republic, a court banned public Valentine’s Day celebrations in its capital. The Islamabad High Court also ordered the media to “ensure that nothing about the celebration of Valentine’s Day and its promotion is spread”. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Duterte targets Philippine children in bid to widen drug war Michael Flynn quits as

B

efore Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs had even begun, allies of the Philippines president were quietly preparing for a wider offensive.

On June 30, as Duterte was sworn in, they introduced a bill into the Philippine Congress that could allow children as young as nine to be targeted in a crackdown that has since claimed more than 7600 lives.

The bill proposes to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 15 to nine years old to prevent what it calls “the pampering of youthful offenders who commit crimes knowing they can get away with it.”

“You can ask any Policeman or anyone connected with the law enforcement: We produce a generation of criminals,” Duterte said in a speech in Manila

National Security Adviser

M Boys undergoing drug rehabilitation attend a lesson inside a government-run drug rehabilitation centre in Bicutan, Metro Manila, in Philippines, December 12, 2016

on December 12, 2016.

Young children, he said, were becoming drug runners, thieves and rapists, and must be “taught to understand responsibility.”

The move to target children signals Duterte’s determination to intensify his drug war, which faces outrage abroad and growing unease at home. The

President’s allies say his support in Congress will ensure the bill passes the House of Representatives

by June.

The House would approve the bill “within six months,” said Fredenil Castro, who co-authored the legislation with the speaker of the House, Pantaleon Alvarez. (Excerpt from Reuters)

ichael Flynn has resigned as National Security Adviser over his contact with Russian officials before US President Donald Trump took office.

His resignation on Tuesday followed reports a day earlier that the Department of Justice warned the Trump administration weeks ago that such communications could leave him in a compromised position.

It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy. Retired General Keith Kellogg, who has been Chief-of-Staff of the White House National Security Council, was named the acting national security adviser while Trump determines

who should fill the position.

Flynn’s departure less than one month into the Trump Administration marks an extraordinarily early shake-up in the President’s senior team of advisers.

Flynn initially told Trump advisers that he did not discuss sanctions with Sergey Kislyak, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, during the transition.

Vice President Mike Pence, apparently relying on information from Flynn, publicly vouched for the national security adviser. Flynn later told White House officials that he may have discussed sanctions with the ambassador.

His conversations raise

Michael Flynn has resigned over his contact with Russian officials

questions about Trump’s friendly posture towards Russia after US intelligence agencies concluded that Moscow hacked Democratic emails during the election.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

16 news

wednesDAY, february 15, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GEA nabs suspected illegal fuel vessel Ramsammy’s Ruminations

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fficers attached to the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) nabbed a boat suspected to be smuggling illegal fuel from Venezuela, early Tuesday morning.

According to information reaching Guyana Times, after the boat was spotted in the area, concerned persons alerted the authorities, who im-

mediately launched an investigation. The boat was apprehended and after a search, a large quantity of illegal fuel was discovered.

When Guyana Times visited the scene at Charity, many persons had converged. Although it is unclear at this point to whom the fuel belongs, the authorities are continuing with their investigations.

The Procurement Commission − paying them to be quiet

I The barrels of fuel suspected to have been smuggled

Negotiations on Arrest Warrant Treaty, Assets Recovery progressing −LaRocque

W

hile there is no guarantee that the legal instruments, the Arrest Warrant Treaty and the Assets Recovery programme will be adopted anytime soon, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) is very much advanced in getting this completed.

Caricom Secretary General IrwinLaRocque on Monday told journalists that some of these legal instruments require very careful examination.

Last week, Minister of State Joseph Harmon said Guyana will present the draft Caricom Arrest Warrant Treaty for ratification at the 28th Intercessional Caricom Heads of Government meeting which will be held in Guyana on Thursday and Friday of this week.

Caricom Secretary Irwin LaRocque

General

He said the adoption of the Treaty will simplify the procedures by which fugitives from justice are returned to participating Member States to face criminal prosecution or serve judicial sentences.

The Treaty is one of the regional security instruments that was formulated to enhance cooperation between Member States in the fight against crime and to reduce the complexity, cost and delays in the existing extradition arrangements inherent in the Region.

Meanwhile,LaRocque said the Asset Recovery programme is a legal instrument that would allow for the recovery of assets that have been transferred to another country by “ill-gotten means”.

He said it will first be a legal instrument of treaty and will have to be enacted in domestic legislations. He said negotiations are moving forward and it has received the attention of the Council for Crime and Security and the Legal Affairs Committee

which comprises Attorney Generals from across the Region.

Harmon had said last week that Guyana will give its approval on the return and sharing of assets at the two-day meeting. The crime and security strategy was adopted at Caricom’s 24th Intercessional Meeting held in Haiti in October 2013. It included the utilisation of asset recovery as a tool in the fight against organised crime.

MeanwhileLaRocque, responding to questions on how soon the legal instruments would be ratified, said once it gets the clearance of the Legal Affairs Committee, a recommendation will be made to the conference of Heads of Government that it is ready for adoption and that is where the signature will take place.

Guyana will also be recommending the signing of a draft agreement to establish the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy Efficiency (CCREE) at the Heads of Government meeting. “This agreement is geared at addressing several areas including energy security, energy access for production use and climate change mitigation,” Minister Harmon said.

Guyana’s green agenda will benefit substantially from this agreement by way of technical and financial support, the Minister of State noted.

The CCREE has been established with the assistance from several agencies including the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Small Islands Developing States Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience Initiative and the Government of Austria.

Additionally, Guyana will be submitting the draft Rules of Procedures for meetings for the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom. “The draft rules were finalised by the Caricom Secretariat and have been the subject of on-going discussions. Cabinet approved the draft rules and agreed to its submission at the 28 Intercessional Meeting,” Harmon stated.

The Caricom Secretariat was mandated at the 36th Meeting of the Heads of Government, held in July 2015, to prepare the draft rules of procedure for meetings of the Conference of Heads of Government.

s the APNU/AFC Government paying the Procurement Commissioners to remain quiet? Given the enormity and frequency of corrupt deals that the APNU/AFC has burdened Guyana with, suspicion abounds that the non-functioning Procurement Commissioners have been de-fanged, kept Dr Leslie Ramsammy happily slurping a sumptuous bucket of soup, while corruption wildly germinates in every public sector in Guyana.

These honourable men and women are not intentionally splurging on Guyanese taxpayers with their approximately US$5,000 per month salary. Even as national outrage grows in a frenzy of corrupt deals, the Commissioners, who have so far received a staggering $25 million since their appointment, remain inactive because they have no staffing. APNU/AFC has been, at best, slothful in providing an enabling environment, or worse, sabotaging the work of the Procurement Commission.

Whatever the reason, the grave suspicion is that APNU/AFC is paying the commissioners, while conveniently sidelining them in order to retain Cabinet's influence on procurement.

The Procurement Commission is a statutory commission provided for by Article 212W of the Constitution and enshrined by enabling legislation in 2003. It took almost 14 years to establish the Commission because the Public Accounts Committee, which was chaired by the PNC and APNU, could not agree on the nominees. There is enough blame to go around for this. But APNU/AFC had sworn that they would have an active Procurement Commission within 100 days in Government. After swearing-in the commission into office in October 2015, the Commissioners remain inactive. Incidentally, whether the commission is allowed to do its work or not, the Commissioners alone will cost Guyana's taxpayers almost $75 million in 2017 and it is likely that the Commission will cost over $150 million annually to operate.

Under the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Guyana adopted an amended Constitution in 2000 that provided for a Procurement Commission to reduce Cabinet's role in approving contracts. By 2006, the PPP Cabinet was no longer approving contracts, having given up that role by law. Cabinet was only engaged in providing a No-Objection.

In the No-Objection arrangement, Cabinet received the recommendation of the Tender Board for contracts above $15 million and provided their No-Objection. In rare cases where the Cabinet had any concern about the Tender Board's decision, Cabinet sent it back to the Tender Board outlining its concerns. The Tender Board, having examined Cabinet's concerns, could send back its recommendation unchanged or amended, and Cabinet was bound to accept.

We should not be shocked that the APNU/AFC is actively delaying and deferring action by the Procurement Commission. This is an administration whose leader, President Granger, defended APNU/AFC in 2016 by insisting that too much attention is paid to Government corruption, while there is more private sector corruption. APNU/AFC's Goebel, Raphael Trotman, lectured to us that people who made political donations to the APNU/AFC were making a business investment and they reasonably expect rewards in the form of contracts and the Government has an obligation to meet those expectations. Joe Harmon, Granger's right hand man, defined special privileges given to the donors as honorific.

APNU/AFC has a propensity to rationalise corruption because this is their DNA. Meanwhile, there is a frenzied rush to share national assets to their friends and donors. The list of corrupt deals is frighteningly and nauseatingly long. The Parking Meter Contract may be the evil child of the Mayor and City Council, but the APNU/AFC is completely complicit in its execution.

The medical warehouse fiasco is still alive where Guyanese taxpayers are doling out more than $15 million per month for a house in which a few pills are stored while the Health Ministry's warehouse is half empty. The deal to privatise the Skeldon Factory is caught in a web of corruption. Meanwhile, secret deals are being worked out to give away the Enmore Packaging plant. More than $100 million in contracts were dished out to friends and supporters for forensic audits without any tender. Non-tendered contracts are the new norm, rather than the exception. Sweetheart deals abound in public corporations like the GWI and the CHPA. Every day, small and large secret deals are made. There is a reason why the Procurement Commission is alive, but de facto in a coma. The APNU/AFC is splurging taxpayers’ monies without restraint.

(Send comments to doc_ram@hotmasil.com)

news

17

wednesDAY, February 15, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Body of missing man found Turmeric production in Region 1 to be expanded along Berbice River – relatives suspect foul play

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he body of a man was found on the shore of the Berbice River on Tuesday morning after he went missing Monday afternoon. Relatives suspect foul play.

Dead is Ramesh Seegolam, also called “Mickey”, 30, a cane harvester attached to the Rose Hall Sugar Estate, of Pepper Street, Heatburn, East Bank Berbice.

According to information, Seegolam had gone swimming on Monday afternoon with a couple and a young child. When they returned to the community, without the man, the child and the couple allegedly gave different accounts of what happened at Heatburn.

The woman reported that Seegolam could not be found, and explained that he was last seen coming out of the water and heading into the bushes. However, when questioned, the primary school student told residents that Seegolam did not leave the water. She said the man plunged and was not seen again. The child also report-

Dead: Ramesh Seegolam

ed seeing blood in the water.

Seegolam’s mother, Usha, confirmed that the couple returned without her son about 17:00h. She explained that Seegolam had been at home consuming alcoholic beverages with his father when the couple, who live a few houses away, passed and invited her son to go fishing and swimming with them. A few hours later, the woman returned to Seegolam’s home with his clothing and said his whereabouts were unknown.

The couple were tak-

en into Police custody on Monday evening when a search for the missing man proved futile. His body was discovered on the river bank on Tuesday.

One resident, Adesia Andrews said she was told two different stories, and was of the opinion there was foul play involved. She said the man was an excellent swimmer. She also claimed that the female suspect allegedly told some residents that she was taking Seegolam as they passed on their way to the river.

There are also reports that Seegolam and the couple were involved in an argument last Saturday; that was confirmed by the dead man’s mother, although she could not say what it was about.

Villagers say Seegolam was accused of making advances to the woman. On Saturday, the male suspect accused Seegolam of having an affair with his wife.

Seegolam was not married and had no children. Police are continuing with their investigations.

Thief beaten to death

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man who snatched a young lady’s bag at Good Hope, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) was on Tuesday afternoon caught and beaten by residents. He later succumbed to his injuries. Reports are the young lady, an Alliance For Change (AFC) Councillor, was al-

legedly cornered by the thief who snatched her bag and attempted to escape. However, the woman raised an alarm and residents went in hot pursuit of the thief.

He was caught in the ruins of a house that was set alight just last year, resulting in the deaths of an elder-

ly couple.

This publication was told residents gave the man a good thrashing. Following the beating, the man was taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police have since launched an investigation.

Maternal, child health project rolled out in Region 9

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aternal and child health are being prioritised in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) as the Public Health Ministry has initiated a US$8 million project funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The project was launched on Friday in Annai.

Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock, who was present at the launch, called on villagers to embrace the project.

The Public Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Trevor Thomas pointed to the challenges Guyana has been facing with regard to the relatively high rate of maternal and neonatal deaths.

Meetings and consultations will be conducted to strengthen capacity at the community level.

Residents of Annai were urged by the Permanent

Director of Maternal and Child Health, Dr Ertenesia Hamilton

Secretary to ‘play their part’ in making the project successful.

Director of Maternal and Child Health Services, Dr Ertenesia Hamilton is quoted by the Government Information Agency (GINA) as saying, “We are not satisfied with the care we have now; we think we can do better.” Other measures include training health workers, buying medical equipment, sharing knowledge and developing care plans

within the community for every pregnant mother.

In 2016, there were 12 recorded maternal deaths, while in 2015 there were 17, according to the Public Health Ministry.

This reduction is attributed to the fact that there were more trained doctors in the public health system in the field of obstetrics, which has resulted in earlier diagnosis of complications in teenage and high-risk pregnancies.

A

s part of the spice programme expansion, the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) is preparing to expand the cultivation of turmeric tubers from 20 to 40 acres in Region One (Barima-Waini).

Hinterland regions have been recognised as the most suitable areas for spice cultivation, hence the expansion, the Government Information Agency (GINA) stated in a press release.

Based on research information obtained by NAREI, spices including black pepper and ginger are produced in Guyana on a large scale.

However, more specifically, turmeric is currently produced on a semi-commercial scale. A turmeric processing factory is expected to be commissioned in Hosororo, Region One to manufacture fresh turmeric rhizomes.

Tumeric harvested in Guyana

This project will at the same time, provide jobs for persons in the Region.

More than 50 farmers from turmeric-producing communities in Region One, namely Arukamai, Barima River, Aruka River, Hotoquai, Port Kaituma, Morawhanna, Hobodia, Yarakita, Aruau, Kobarimo, St Anselm, Kachi Kamo, Black Water, Kamwatta,

Wauna and White Water have benefitted from planting materials, technical advice and training through NAREI. The spice project was re-introduced through a pilot programme which was rolled out in nine of the 10 Administrative Regions.

Other spices are currently being explored for continued production in 2017.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, February 15, 2017

ARCHIE

Be confident about your words and actions. Mark your (March 21- territory and prove to everyApril 19) one you encounter that you know what you are doing and plan to get ahead. Love is highlighted.

ARIES

Difficulties with a colTAURUS league will set you back. Don’t (April 20- meddle or interfere in someone May 20) else’s personal affairs. Focus on making personal changes, not on trying to change others.

dilbert

Emotional misunderstandGEMINI ings will develop if you are eva(May 21sive about your feelings and June 20)

desires. Honesty will play an important role when dealing with matters that affect your reputation.

Problems will arise with some former associates. Avoid (June 21- anyone who might be a bad July 22) influence. Stick to people you can trust and who share your concerns and interests.

CANCER

Peanuts

Share information with LEO people you want to spend more (July 23time with. The friendship you Aug. 22) have will provide you with a comfortable forum to promote your skills and services.

Money matters and medVIRGO (Aug. 23- ical issues will surface if you Sept. 22) don’t take good care of your health and investments. Don’t trust anyone but yourself to look out for your interests.

Calvin and Hobbes

Disagreements will not be LIBRA in your best interest. If you (Sept. 23harbor differences, back away Oct. 23) and give yourself time to consider your options. Choose to do what’s best for you.

WORD GAME TODAY’S WORD — HEADERS

SUDOKU

Romantic relationships will SAGITTARIUS lead to a happy home environ(Nov. 23- ment and greater personal seDec. 21) curity. Working as part of a team will encourage long-term plans.

(HEADERS: HED-ers: Shots or passes in soccer using the head.)

Average mark 26 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 39 or more words in HEADERS? The list will be published tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S WORD — SYSTEMIC sect seism semi site smite stem sties stye stymie system

yeti time emit mesic mess messy metis mice miss missy

mist misty mite mystic item cist cite city cyme cyst

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

Take care of legal, contracSCORPIO tual and financial matters on (Oct. 24your own. Keeping secrets will Nov. 22) be in your best interest. Make changes at home that will allow you to live life your way.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Problems while traveling or CAPRICORN trying to relay important infor(Dec. 22mation will arise. Do your best Jan. 19) not to get upset over or overreact to others’ words or actions.

Avoid arguments and impulsive decisions.

Sign up for whatever interAQUARIUS ests you. Past friendships and (Jan. 20experiences will play a role Feb. 19) in some important decisions.

Make a commitment to someone or something you believe in. Financial gain looks likely.

PISCES You can offer to help others, (Feb. 20- but don’t let anyone take adMarch 20) vantage of you. Set reasonable expectations and only promise what you know you can deliver.

WEDNESDAY, february 15, 2017

19

Di Maria stars as PSG silence Barcelona

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ngel di Maria scored twice as Paris St-Germain stunned Barcelona to leave the Spanish side in danger of failing to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in a decade.

PSG dominated this last-16 first-leg tie throughout and took the lead through Di Maria's curled free-kick.

Julian Draxler added a second with an angled drive before Di Maria curled an effort into the top corner.

Edinson Cavani then sealed a famous win with a powerful fourth.

A lacklustre Barcelona - with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar largely anonymous did not produce an effort of note until seven minutes before the end when Samuel Umtiti headed onto the post.

The defeat leaves Luis Enrique's side with an almighty task to stay in the competition when they host PSG in the return leg on 8 March.

No side has managed to overturn a four-goal deficit in the history of the Champions League.

A brutal beating for

Barca as Messi goes missing Lionel Messi Messi, top scorer in this season's Champions League with 10 goals, never looked like scoring.

Barcelona breezed into the knockout stage by topping Group C, winning five of the six games they played.

Their one defeat was also the only time they conceded three goals in a group-stage game, when they lost 3-1 at Manchester City.

At least in that match they managed to score Messi putting them ahead at Etihad Stadium - but at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday they barely troubled Kevin Trapp in the PSG goal.

The visitors regularly squandered possession and looked lethargic throughout.

When they have not been at their best in the past, their star players have stepped

up. But on this occasion they offered nothing. Messi, so often capable of creating something from nothing, made uncharacteristic mistakes and was at fault for PSG's second when he lost the ball to Draxler, who then played a one-two with Marco Verratti to slice through a static defence and put the French side in control.

It was one of the worst Barcelona performances in recent memory but PSG were also at their absolute best and, in truth, could have won by an even bigger margin.

They finished the game with 16 shots on goal, 10 of those on target.

Barca's joint-heaviest defeat - the stats Paris St-Germain became the sixth team to score four goals in a Champions League game vs Barcelona

Jamshed arrested in alleged

PSL corruption case N

asir Jamshed, the former Pakistan opener, and one other man have been arrested* in the UK in relation to the ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

The National Crime Agency (NCA) released a statement on Tuesday saying that it was "working closely" with PCB and ICC anti-corruption units and that both men had received bail.

The NCA statement said: "Two men in their thirties have been arrested by National Crime Agency officers in connection with bribery offences as part of an ongoing investigation into international cricket match spot-fixing.

"The men were arrested on Monday 13 February and have been released on bail until April 2017 pending further enquiries.

"As part of the ongoing investigation we are working closely with the Pakistan Cricket Board and International Cricket Council's anti-corruption units. The Pakistan Cricket Board has launched its own investigation which has resulted in the suspension of three players."

Jamshed was arrested on the same day that he was provisionally suspended by the PCB, the third player to face that fate after the allegations first emerged. Pakistan openers Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif were provisionally suspended from the PSL last week over alleged breaches of the anti-corruption code. Three other players were questioned by anti-corruption officers in relation to the investigation: Mohammad Irfan, Zulfiqar Babar and Shahzaib Hasan. None was suspended and they were cleared to continue playing at the PSL. The next step for the PCB is to is-

sue show cause notices to the suspended players and initiate a disciplinary inquiry into the breaches of the code.

Any inquiry, in the shape of an independent tribunal, is likely to be headed by a retired High Court or Supreme Court judge.

"We had a lot of evidence on which we based our decision," Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, said on his talk show on Geo TV, before the announcement of the arrests. "We know what we are doing. We have all evidence. We had this for a while, we had informa-

then we decided to act on this."

Sethi said the PCB investigation into alleged corruption had begun before the PSL's second season began.

"You will know in 3-4 days what the plans were, what they were going to do, we have these players' phones in which there is more information. Who they were in touch with, what they talked about, their text messages, WhatsApp messages.

"We had an idea this was happening. We had also infiltrated into Pakistani bookies and we had some in-

Nasir Jamshed has not played for Pakistan since 2015

tion - we cannot talk about stuff right now but a charge sheet will be given to players soon. “We had definite information, and not just us, we were collecting it. We knew it was happening, we had identified a few players and then at final stages we knew the ICC had some information as well and when we compared it the information was the same,

formation from there as well before we got here. The league was huge last year and we knew it would attract bookies.

We were waiting for it and we knew some players outside the PSL would be involved in it.

"We suspended Nasir Jamshed as well, about whom we know what role he played. We nipped it in the bud."

(Cricinfo)

A

(after Milan, Dynamo Kiev, Valencia, Chelsea and Bayern Munich).

Indeed, this was Barcelona's joint-heaviest defeat in the competition (0-4 vs Milan in 1994, Dynamo Kiev in 1997 and Bayern Munich in 2013).

Angel Di Maria has scored four goals in the Champions League this season - his best return in a single campaign. Only Lionel Messi (10) has scored more goals in the Champions League this season than Edinson Cavani (seven).

No side has ever turned round a 4+ goal deficit to progress in a Champions League knockout tie.

Barca faced 10 shots on target vs PSG - their joint-highest in a Champions League match since 2003-04 (also vs Bayer Leverkusen in December 2015). (BBC.com)

Voges announces international retirement

dam Voges has indicated that his days as an international cricketer are over. A day before he is scheduled to lead the Prime Minister's XI against the visiting Sri Lankans in Canberra, Voges said it would be his last game against an international team.

"This will be it for me," Voges said. "I'm certainly looking forward to getting out there and playing this game. I've had an amazing couple of years with Australia with the Test team and I've loved every minute of it.

"I see this as a last opportunity to play against an international team and I'm certainly looking forward to that."

Voges, 37, has not played a Test match since suffering a concussion during Western Australia's Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania in November. Having failed in the first two Tests against South Africa, this game served as a chance to score runs and keep himself in the reckoning for the third Test. Peter Handscomb took Voges' spot at No. 5, scored a half-century on Test debut, and has established himself as a first-choice member of Australia's line-up.

Voges, who won his Baggy Green in 2015, aged 35, became the oldest debut centurion when he scored an unbeaten 130 against West Indies in Dominica. He struggled through the Ashes tour of England that followed but kept his place in the side and went on to enjoy a storming 2015-16 season that fetched him a century against New Zealand at the WACA, an unbeaten 269 against West Indies in Hobart and another double-hundred in Wellington.

His batting average, after the tour of New Zealand, stood at 95.50 after 15 Tests. It fell to 61.87 after sub-par series against Sri Lanka away and South Africa at home, but he ends his career, nonetheless, with the second-highest average - behind only Don Bradman - among all batsmen with a minimum of 20 Tests.

Voges' stint in the Test side was the second half of a two-part international career. Between February 2007 and November 2013, he played 38 limited-overs games, scoring 870 ODI runs at 45.78 and 139 T20I runs at 46.33.(Cricinfo)

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesDAY, february 15, 2017

DCC collaborate with GFSCA for concrete pitch

By Delvon Mc Ewan

A

s part of its development for 2017 Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) is presently laying two concrete pitches to be utilized for training during the rainy season as well as extra training for the youth players.

The initiative is that of Ricky Deonarain, Vice President of the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA), who stated at the launch of Guyana Sofball Cup six that it was the next project to be undertaken subsequent to the annual event.

The cost for the finish-

Alfred Mentore

ing product is being facilitated by GFSCA and DCC. However, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) con-

tributed at the earliest stage of the initiative.

“As you could see here this afternoon DCC is on the move to have their concrete (training) facility in place. This is an initiative that would have started some time ago with contribution from the WICB but now we have started to get it moving in collaboration with DCC and GFSCA,” said Alfred Mentore the President of the Club.

Speaking on the club’s behalf he said he is grateful for anyone, who spend their money in a corporate way for social development more so GFSCA, who have become more like

Laureus Awards 2017…

Ricky Deonarain during the launch of Guyana Softball Cup 6 at DCC last October

a household name or family to DCC and has already also contributed in a very tangible way with the erection of permanent lights at the ‘home of the legends’ as

DCC is known.

In addition, Mentore is seeking permission from the Georgetown Mayor and City Council to build a housing and storage facili-

ty adjacent to the concrete practice strip.

Meanwhile, DCC Head Coach Garvin Nedd said it was a wonderful gesture by the two entities and as coach he is very grateful. “It’s a wonderful gesture on behalf on the club and GFSCA. Definitely we know that the weather pattern is difficult throughout the course of the year so definitely this would serve me as coach in challenging season.”

The strips which are located on the eastern part of the venue will be measured at the regular pitch length with an extended cleared area for the bowlers. It will also be built above the usual flood level to accommodate training in the raining seasons.

Bolt, Biles, Rosberg, Willey out of West Atherton & Leicester Indies tour after shoulder operation among winners D

Is this the greatest ever sporting selfie? Usain Bolt takes centre stage with the camera as a host of sporting stars jostle for position around him, among them Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, Nico Rosberg, Beatrice Vio, Claudio Ranieri, Wes Morgan and members of the Olympic Refugee Team.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco are pictured on the left

U

sain Bolt and Simone Biles claimed the top accolades at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco.

Eight-time Olympic sprint champion Bolt and four-time Olympic gold gymnast Biles were named sportsman and sportswoman of the year for their 2016 achievements.

Britain’s Rachel Atherton won the action sportsperson of the year award for her downhill mountain biking feats.

Leicester City won the spirit of sport award for winning the Premier League.

Atherton, 29, became the first rider in history to complete a perfect downhill World Cup season and then won a fourth World Championship title a week later.

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri and captain Wes Morgan were in Monaco to

collect the spirit of sport prize, awarded after the Foxes, 5,000-1 outsiders, won the Premier League by 10 points last season.

Bolt won three gold medals at Rio 2016 in the 100m,200m and 4x100m relay.

That took his all-time Olympic medal tally to nine but last month he was asked to hand one back after Jamaican team-mate Nesta Carter tested positive for a banned substance.

Carter was part of the Jamaican quartet that won the 4x100m in Beijing in 2008.

Biles’ four gold medals at Rio were in the team, allaround, vault and floor exercise events.

Nico Rosberg, who quit Formula 1 in December five days after being crowned world champion, received the breakthrough of the year prize.

Other award winners

Team of the year: Chicago Cubs, who ended a 108-year wait to win Major League Baseball’s World Series.

Comeback of the year: American swimmer Michael Phelps, who won his 23rd Olympic gold in his final Games in Rio. Sportsperson of the Year with a disability: Beatrice Vio, Italian wheelchair fencer who won gold at the 2016 Paralympics.

Sport for Good Award: for Sporting Inspiration: The Refugee Olympic Team, who competed at the Rio Olympics.

Best Sporting Moment: Barcelona Under-12 team whose players consoled their distraught Japanese opponents at the end of the Junior Soccer World Challenge in a touching show of sportsmanship.

The Laureus Sport for Good Award: Waves for Change. (BBC.com)

avid Willey will miss England’s threematch one-day international series against West Indies in the Caribbean next month.

The Yorkshire allrounder had surgery on his left shoulder on Friday to further assess the injury he sustained while bowling in the third ODI against India last month. He has suffered a partial tear of a tendon and will be out of action until April.

Willey will be replaced in the England squad by Middlesex seamer Steven Finn, who is currently playing in the Pakistan Super League in the UAE. England fly to the Caribbean next Wednesday, where they play two warmup matches and three ODIs against West Indies.

Willey, lightly used throughout the one-day series against India - bowling over

David Willey is out of the West Indies tour

13 overs in three matches - was only able to manage two overs in the final ODI in Kolkata before leaving the field. He has only completed a full 10-over spell in seven of his 25 ODIs, with his captain, Eoin Morgan, seemingly reluctant to use him beyond his threat swinging the new ball.

He remained behind in Kolkata f o r

scans when the rest of the squad travelled to Kanpur for a three-match T20 series, with England Cricket tweeting that “a scan didn’t show up significant damage to his left shoulder”.

That initial diagnosis proved to be overly optimistic and he returned home for an operation, the extent of which has now been revealed.

Willey’s latest injury also threatens to disrupt his involvement at the start of Yorkshire’s season and will not help him claim a place in the Championship side for a county where Ryan Sidebottom, a fellow left-armer, shows few signs of deterioration at 39 and, at the other end of the age scale, Matt Fisher, if he can shake off the injury worries that have curtailed his involvement in the England Under-19 tour of India, is ambitious to prove himself England’s brightest fast bowling prospect. (Cricinfo)

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Combined XI G

eorgetown defeated a Combined XI as action in Demerara Inter-Association Under-15 cricket commenced yesterday with two matches.

At Everest Cricket Club Ground, Georgetown won by seven wickets over the Combined XI, who were restricted to 81 all out batting first. Chad Shivrattan (19), who was given the task of leadership top scored for the team that is made up of reserves from West Demerara, East Coast of Demerara and Georgetown

Ushandave Balgobin

and replaced East Bank Demerara team who failed to show up.

Joel Gilks was Georgetown’s best bowler with 3-21 while Travis Thomas and Negusa

From left: Georgetown’s trio of Travis Thomas, Joel Gilks and Negusa Walters

Walters captured two wickets apiece.

Georgetown’s response was led by opening batsman Ushandave Balgobin (42) top knock. Petite nine year old Stephon Sankar, the brother of former national youth leg spinner Steven Sankar, threatened the Georgetown batsmen as he collected two wickets bowling off-spin. He was responsible for the wickets of Balgobin and Georgetown skipper Brandon Jaikaran (06).

Shivrattan claimed the other wicket, that of Shamar Yearwood for 10.

Georgetown will face East Coast today at the Ogle Community Centre ground while the fate of the

Nine-year-old Stephon Sankar was the best bowler for the Combined XI

Combined XI is unknown. If East Bank Demerara fields a team today the Combined XI would be dismantled, if not, they will take on West Demerara at Everest.

GFSCA hosts Florida Cup warm-up

G

The ever improving Mike’s Wellman will be looking for more wins at Malteenoes this Sunday

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defeat

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21

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uyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association will be hosting a 10-over knockout one-day tournament on Sunday at Malteenoes Sports Club ground, Thomas Land.

The action is set to get cracking from 10:00h sharp.

Wellman Masters, Regal Masters and Ariel Masters have already confirmed their participations, and will also use the day’s event to intensify their preparations for the annual Florida Cup tournament which is billed for the following Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

For their efforts, the top two teams will be given trophies at the end of the day.

For more information and registration, teams are kindly asked to contact organizer Wayne Jones on 650-1790 or 685-6908.

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

wednesDAY, february 15, 2017

Peaking Scorpions face defending champions for final spot

By Ravi Madholall

T

rinidad and Tobago Red Force will be anxious to get closer to retaining the coveted Regional Super50 trophy when they take on Jamaica Scorpions in the first semi-final today at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua and Barbuda.

After a thorough reflection at the preliminary round stage, the Red Force produced some handsome performances winning seven of their eight allotted games, a manifestation of their tre-

mendous confidence, experience and buoyancy so far in this year’s Super50.

The other semi-final fixture will be played at the same facility tomorrow between a rampant Barbados Pride team and Leeward Islands Hurricanes, and that affair also promises to be riveting from the commencement at 13:30h.

Having lifted the trophy for the past two consecutive years and hunting their 13th regional title since its inception in 1976, the Red Force combination should

hold the psychological advantage against their nemesis, the Scorpions.

New team, English County side Kent was the only side to stop the Red Force in the double-round preliminary segment.

Kent emerged by five wickets to shake off some confidence from the Trinidadian boys in Group A. However, Red Force’s participation was characterized with seven convincing victories over Windward Islands Volcanoes, Leeward

Islands Hurricanes and the West Indies Under-19s two times each while they got the better of Kent on a solitary occasion to end with 31 points.

The margins of victory says a lot of Red Force’s dynamism to succeed again.

Jamaica, who created a good impression too in the other zone to reach this knock-out stage, may want to play with the same level commitment and no doubt a greater degree of enthusiasm. Left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, the captain, has shown good leadership qualities like his counter-part Denesh Ramdin. Both will be banking relentlessly on their experienced cogs to wheel things off nicely.

Jamaica, who emerged second with 28 points, suffered two defeats in Group B but they managed to execute their plans and strategies wonderfully. With Barbados Pride, Guyana Jaguars also in the same Group along with the lowly-rated International C r i c k e t Council Americas a n d

Nikita Miller

Combined Colleges and Campuses Marooners, Jamaica Scorpions would have been aware of the challenges but they prevailed to be in another semi-final bout as anticipated.

Their highlight was the victory over arch-rival Barbados and that should boost their confidence im-

mensely for t h i s matchup against the twin-island republic lineup which seems very formidable.

The Scorpions have won their last five games and it can be said that they are peaking at the right time.

In Antigua, both teams are unfamiliar with the conditions and to a great extent the pitch but based on what had transpired in the first phase of the tournament, the pitch is expected to be receptive more so. The defending champions have played four preliminary matches at the Coolidge Cricket G r o u n d and are slightl y

more familiar with conditions and will once again use that to their advantage.

Jamaica fast-bowlers Jerome Taylor (six wickets) and the impressive Reynard Leveridge have used the new balls effectively while rightarm leg spinner Damion Jacobs has been their best bowler with sixteen wickets and is assisted by left arm spinner Miller (eight wickets) who used his experience to great effect. They face an intriguing challenge against the batting star Evin Lewis who has been in fine form with 217 runs from 6 games, while Jason Mohammed, their leading batsman with

Denesh Ramdin

313 runs, Ramdin (202 runs from 8 matches), Kyle Hope, who also has shown excellent form with 208 runs from 7 games and the talented Kjorn Ottley among others are capable of churning out good results.

Jamaica batting will centre around the experienced Chadwick Walton (207 runs from eight games), Jermaine Blackwood, one of their seasoned campaigners with 198 runs having featured in seven games so far while franchise player Devon Thomas has been producing the goods scoring 215 runs from his eight matches in the preliminary-round stage and Rovman Powell (196 runs, 8 matches) just to name a few.

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force will be banking on the senior bowlers like quickies Ravi Rampaul, Shannon Gabriel and Reyad Emrit, slow-men Imran Khan and Khary Pierre to do the trick.

Rampaul, their most successful bowler with 17 wickets in his seven appearances while Gabriel supported well with 13 victims from six outings. Emrit is bowling decent line and length but only snared six wickets from eight matches. Offspinner Khan and left-arm orthodox Pierre have been penetrative as well.

Both captains, Ramdin of Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and Miller of Jamaica Scorpions will be looking to call correctly at the toss because teams batting first seemed to have batted more freely and compiled winning targets.

The first ball in the day/ night fixture is at 13:30h.

guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, febRuary 15, 2017

23

“Not being in the country is not a problem” GCF President Horace Burrowes

P

resident of the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF), Horace Burrowes who is based in the United States has stated clearly that his limited presence in the country is not a problem.

This was disclosed by the GCF boss shortly after the GCF held their first race of the season on Sunday.

According to the man in charge of cycling, “me not being in the country is not a problem,” comparing his situation to that of “the UCI [Union Cycliste Internationale] President, Brian Cookson who does not reside in Switzerland but runs the world body of cycling.”

Burrowes added that the way the world has evolved overtime it is now easier because of technology saying that “in this age and time technology rules the world.”

The United We Stand cy-

clist also added further evidence to his position of there being no problem, relating that “they [GCF] have been doing very well with communication from the GCF and someone that was put in place to work along with the secretary of the GCF.” But it was not the relationship with the trustworthy individual and the secretary that resulted in the problems, according to the United States businessman, persons had their own agendas.

Back in 2016, the GCF was placed in the hot seat based on numerous factors with one being the absence of Burrowes from the country for a lengthy period. As such, In November 2016, the Horace Burrowesled GCF was replaced by an Interim Management Committee (IMC) following a motion that received unanimous support at an Extraordinary General

Meeting at the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) headquarters.

The IMC comprises one member from each of the nine clubs present, and will see all members having equal rights and all access to information and decision-making. The nine clubs are Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club, Roraima Bikers Club, Flying Stars, Flying Ace, Trojan, Team Evolution, Team Alanis, Linden Bauxite Flyers and Continental.

Meanwhile, in January, 2017 the President of the UCI dispatched a letter to President of the GOA K. A Juman Yassin confirming that the Horace Burrowes led GCF is the only recognised body for the sport in Guyana.

Cockson also noted that Guyana is a full member of the UCI, the international governing body for the sport which is recognised by

the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Cockson’s letter which was copied to Burrowes and President of the Pan American Cycling Confederation (COPACI) José Manuel Peláez Rodriguez was as a result of the GCF boss reaching out to the UCI and President Cockson based on a move in December to appoint an IMC by a number of disgruntled member clubs of the federation.

Consequently, despite living and working in the USA, Burrowes said he is committed towards seeing the upliftment of the sport.

A notice by the standing members of the GCF was published informing that the GCF was still the legitimate recognised body, running the affairs of cycling in Guyana which has now been further strengthened by the UCI letter.

GCB/ National Secondary Schools Cricket League

Singh leads Chase in Georgetown playoff win

N

Ashmead Nedd

ational under-15 player Sachin Singh was superb for reigning champions Chase Academic Foundation in the first match of Georgetown District playoffs yesterday at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC).

Playing against Tutorial High School, Singh the vice-captain of his school team contributed with both bat and ball and was outstanding in the field especially on the long off boundary where he saved his team some runs and took a brilliant diving catch running in a few yards. Singh’s performance along with excellent bowling from Ashmead Nedd and Dwaine Dick, both

national players led their school to victory by 53 runs.

Batting first, Sachin top scored with 52 in his school’s total of 149 all out in 29 overs. The talented left handed batsman accounted for four fours and a six as he received support from his skipper Nedd, who struck a brisk 35 inclusive of four fours and a six.

The reigning champions suffered an early set back after being inserted as Lester Cupidore was removed lbw

the second wicket before the former departed for 17.

In came Nedd, who formed a solid third wicket union with Singh to add 57 runs.

After that partnership was broken Chase lost their remaining seven wickets for 29 runs compliments of outstanding bowling by Joel Spooner (3-12) and Devon Allen 2-15.

In pursuit of the target Tutorial was off to the worst possible start and never recovered as they were even-

Tutorial High’s best bowlers Joel Spooner (left) and Devon Allen

by Osapha Cupidore with the score on 1-1.

However, Garrick Persaud joined Singh and the pair added 62 runs for

tually dismissed for a paltry 76 from 14.4 overs, with Greene scoring 15.

West Indies under-15 and former national u-15

Sachin Singh

skipper Nedd led the winners bowling with figures of 4-4 while Dick claimed 4-18 and Singh bagged two scalps.

The second playoff will take place on Thursday between Charlestown Secondary and Tutorial High also at the DCC ground. The three teams will play one another in the playoff and the best team will go on to represent Georgetown.

Chase Academic Foundation are the Georgetown North Zone Champion while Tutorial High and Charlestown Secondary are the respective East and South Zone winners.

The final Georgetown playoff is set for Monday.

T

er a t the Caribbean Youth Development Tournament, held in Barbados is also one to watch.

Also, the GABF boss indicated that there are a number of youth boxers who will be entering the squared-circle as the Federation intends to focus on youth development.

Ninvalle indicated that this is the ideal start to the year as the Federation has a packed year of activities focusing on the youth development programme.

When asked GABF President Steve Ninvalle about the predictions of the performance of the local it will be showcase the contenders, Ninvalle ‘big guns’. said “I think we have As Guyana shared proven ourselves in the spoils of an outthe English-speaking standing 2016, the Caribbean and lookGABA president, ing back at December Ninvalle said it is the last year where we hope that they would won the Caribbean transfer those perforChampionships, we mances into this year, sent 11 fighters and especially in this first won 10 gold and one silevent which hosts ver so this is basicalSuriname and St. ly warm up for other Maarten who have exthings to come.” pressed interest in comFollowing the coning. clusion of last seaTrinidad and Tobago son’s boxing, many has also expressed a destakeholders, includsire to come but unforing Minister with retunately due to finansponsibility for Sport, cial struggle, another Nicolette Henry, sport has fall victim.

Director of Sport Nevertheless, Christopher Jones there are 15 matchand President of the es on card with a numGuyana Olympic ber of Guyanese on Association, KA Juman show at the National Yassin have all pledged Gymnasium, Mandela their full support to the Avenue. sport as they eye the Among those who are 2020 Olympics in Tokyo expected to be carded in an effort to secure a come Sunday include, medal, bearing in mind the Caribbean midthat Guyana has only dleweight Champion, secured a medal at the Desmond “dynamite” Olympics in boxing.

Amsterdam who also Admission to the went to the Olympic fights is $1,000 for the qualifiers, Jason “AKVIP section and $500 47” Barker who is for general admission. the Caribbean super The organisers will heavyweight champion place a high premium as well as the Guyana on punctuality and the heavyweight champifirst bell will be soundon. Christopher Moore, ed at 20:00h sharp. who won best youth boxhe G u y a n a Amateur Boxing Federation (GABF) boxoff is set for Sunday under the title “Nuff Cuff” as part of BrisMac Promotions and according to Steve Ninvalle

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2017

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

guyanatimesgy.com

DCC collaborate with GFSCA for concrete pitch Pg 20

Work being done to construct two concrete pitches at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC)

GCB/National Secondary Schools Cricket League

Singh leads Chase in Georgetown playoff win

Pg 22

Sachin Singh of Chase Academic Foundation breaks into his delivery stride during Tutorial High's innings at the Demerara Cricket Club Ground, Queenstown (Photo by Dexter Ceres)

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