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Issue No. 2921

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

M&CC blocks city streets

…demands $25,000 container fee

PRICE

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Trump gets GOP's stamp of approvalP16

Page 3

Feasibility of VAT P10 reduction to be assessed

by IMF “Fine Man” wanted for armed robbery P7

… business community bemoans bullyism, extortion The Mayor and City Council on Tuesday blocked several streets in the city demanding a $25,000 fee for container trucks to traverse the streets. In composite photo, a M&CC official seeks a permit from a container truck driver on Water Street, Georgetown while a City Constabulary officer stands guard. Also at Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, the streets were barricaded with City Constabulary guards in close proximity (Dexter Ceres photo)

Digicel, GTT welcome liberalisation of telecoms market Page 9

Cabinet’s ‘noobjection’ role to be phased out – Sharma

Guyanese jailed for Florida real estate scam Page 9

Siblings’ rape case

PPP continues protest at GECOM P11

Region 6 REO proceeds on leave without P7 notice

... action irresponsible, disrespectful – Vice Chairman

Page 17

Page 8

Mother charged for neglect …stepfather to be charged for sexual molestation today

Teixeira’s motion to have PM, Trotman face Privileges Committee thrown out P11

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wednesDAY, july 20, 2016 | guyana-times.com

news

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wednesDAY, july 20, 2016 | guyana-times.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, July 20 – 05:30h-07:00h and Thursday, July 21 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, July 20 – 16:50h-18:20h and Thursday, July 21 – 05:05h-06:35h.

M&CC blocks city streets …demands $25,000 container fee … business community bemoans bullyism, extortion

have a copy of the receipt to present to the relevant clerks in order to be allowed onto the streets.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

By-law

M&CC officials were also present outside the Muneshwer’s Wharf, where they also prevented container trucks from entering or leaving unless the $25,000 fee was paid. While there, Deputy Town Clerk Sherry Jerrick told media operatives that the City Council was

Light to heavy rain showers can be expected in the morning, while light rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected in the afternoon. Clear skies can be expected in the evening with temperatures ranging between 24 degrees and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North easterly to East North Easterly between 0.44 metre and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 04:36h and 17:03h reaching maximum heights of 2.68 metres and 2.60 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:36h and 22:51h reaching minimum heights of 0.52 metre and 0.60 metre respectively.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

LOTTERY NUMBERS D

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FREE TICKET

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Daily Millions

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

The blocked entrance of John Fernandes wharf

By Ramona Luthi

T

he business community was dealt a severe blow on Tuesday when the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) blocked several streets in Georgetown and its environs, demanding that a $25,000 fee be paid for each container to traverse the city streets.

The first instance of this occurrence was about 12:00h at the John Fernandes Limited Wharf, Robb and Water Streets, when City Council officials barred container trucks from leaving the wharf unless a $25,000 fee imposed on loaded containers was paid.

Speaking with Guyana Times, management staff of John Fernandes Terminal explained that they were approached by the Deputy Town Clerk, Sherry Jerrick, on behalf of the M&CC on Tuesday and were informed that all laden container trucks must pay a fee of $25,000 to traverse the city streets or be blocked at the wharves.

Terminal Operations Manager Jeremy Fernandes related that based on his understanding, the fee was not being implemented against the shipping company, but against the consignee of each container. However, since it would be a difficult task for M&CC to contact the consignees, the municipality is demanding the fee from the company expecting that it would be reimbursed by the respective consignees.

A City Constabulary officer stands guard at one of the Industrial Site, Ruimveldt roads

“They’re instituting a bylaw where all laden trucks must pay a fee for the usage of the city streets and this is not implemented against the shipping company or shipping lines per se, but really and truly against the consignee of each container, but seeing that they can’t directly reach the consignee at this point in time, they’re instituting it against us and expecting us to claim that revenue back from the consignee,” Fernandes related.

He further relayed to this newspaper that the company was given no notice nor engaged in any discussion pertaining to the container fee prior to the blockage. “We had no warning where we could have alerted the consignees and say ‘well, look this charge will be implemented, we will pay and then you send your payment,, so at this point we’re basically stuck between what we can do and what we should do,” he pointed out.

Nevertheless, the John Fernandes’ officials highlighted that they were currently seeking legal advice before making any payments to City Hall, highlighting they were ensuring that their rights were not being compromised.

“We are trying to get our lawyers at the moment to get something done,” Alan Fernandes, a Director of John Fernandes, told this publication. Guyana Times was told that the charge of $25,000 would be per container and the respective trucks must

merely invoking Numbers 273 and 274 of its by-laws with respect to the use of its roads by vehicles of a “certain weight”.

“The container is of a specific weight and it’s not just about parking or landing of the container, but it’s actually the container traversing the roadway,” she explained, noting that there were adequate provisions in the bylaws to prevent persons from driving certain vehicles along the roadways. turn to page 13

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guyana-times.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016

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

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

Editorial

Coping mechanisms I

t should come as no surprise to anyone that many persons suffer from the debilitating epidemic that is suicide. Guyana is touted as the country with the highest per capita rate of suicide in the Caribbean and around the world, Just recently, a 51-year-old father living in Berbice, the “suicide belt” as it is commonly referred to, ended his life; two days before that, a 41-year-old male in Linden took his life. It seems regardless of how hard we try to prevent this scourge, persons, regardless of their expected wisdom and age, are finding it necessary to go down this route.

Suicide, the act of intentionally taking one’s life, is attributed to many factors, including despair, mental disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and addiction among many others too numerous to mention. The World Health Organisation (WHO) posits that more than 800,000 persons commit suicide every year, equivalent to one death every 40 seconds.

According to the WHO, globally among young adults aged 1529, suicide accounts for 8.5 per cent of all deaths and is ranked as the second leading cause of death. Among adults aged 30?49, it accounts for 4.1 per cent of all deaths and is ranked the fifth leading cause of death.

Contrary to what many may think, persons who commit suicide or persons who show the signs – for example: saying that they want to die or are willing to take their lives – do not really want to kill themselves. Research has shown that people who talk about committing suicide are really reaching out for help since they might be suffering from anxiety, depression and hopelessness which might be occasioned by a multitude of factors, such as job loss, discrimination and even an unstable economic environment, among many others.

According to the health body, suicide impacts on the most vulnerable of the world’s population and is highly prevalent in already marginalised and discriminated groups of society. “It is not just a serious public health problem in developed countries; in fact, most suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries where resources and services, if they do exist, are often scarce and limited for early identification, treatment and support of people in need. These striking facts and the lack of implemented timely interventions make suicide a global public health problem that needs to be tackled imperatively.”

The WHO has identified a host of measures to be used which might mitigate the prevalence of suicide, some of which include, creating national strategies for suicide prevention; restricting access to the most common means of suicide, including pesticides, firearms and certain medicines; incorporating suicide prevention as a central component in health services; providing medical follow-ups for persons who have attempted suicide; identifying and treating mental health and substance abuse disorders as early as possible; and responsible reporting on suicide by the news media.

The Government, over the years, has instituted a host of mechanisms to deal with the epidemic, including incorporating mechanisms advanced by the WHO, but suicide still remains a predominant feature on the tapestry of Guyana’s fabric.

Some scholars have argued that the mechanisms which are being advanced will do no good for Guyana, since they are only addressing the symptoms of suicide and not the disease.

In Guyana’s case, some theorists have argued that suicide is so rampant because of “widespread illiteracy, inadequate health care, soaring joblessness, deep poverty, dysfunctional politics, bloated corruption, protracted alcoholism, high prevalence of mental health issues, abuse, turbulent ethnic/race relations, marginalisation and a succession of dysfunctional governments”.

Maybe some of the unorthodox factors listed above should be addressed and then we might start seeing a reduction in the number of suicide cases being registered.

Moreover, there is a need to change how we as Guyanese are socialised about suicide, possibly incorporating within our homes, as well as school, religious and education systems from a young age, social teachings that are often overlooked, such are building confidence, self-esteem and tolerance, etc.

By reinforcing positive behaviours and displacing negative stereotypes over a period of time, change will take place, as the populace will have more defined coping mechanisms to deal with the stresses associated with life and will be less inclined to choose the option of death.

South Africa’s guard of honour prepared on Friday for the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (BBC News)

There’s need for a Cricket Academy in Guyana

Dear Editor, I totally agree with Neaaz Subhan that there is need for a Cricket Academy in Guyana and a follow-up by John Mair, a Brit who lived for a number of years in Georgetown.

Guyana has produced 59 international cricketers starting with Maurice Fernandes in 1928 when Test cricket was introduced. Our country boasts of producing several world class players including Shivnarine Chanderpaul who played the most test matches and scored the most runs 8969, and 8648 in one-day internationals, Clive Lloyd who was the most successful captain led the West Indies on 74 occasions. Six other Guyanese served as Windies’ captain.

Lance Gibbs was at one time the leading wicket taker in test matches and Rohan Kanhai, a former captain and coach, was also rated as a world class player.

Unfortunately the calibre of our current players is not as yesteryear when we dominated international cricket.

There are several reasons for this, including poor administration due to power struggle with the Guyana Cricket Board, and its affiliates in Berbice, Essequibo, and Linden.

The newly introduced Cricket Administration Act is not being adhered to and it seems as if the Ministry responsible for Sports is not paying much attention to cricket. This is very unfortunate since Guyanese seem to be more interested in cricket more than nationals of the Caribbean islands including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and the Windward and Leeward Islands.

If the West Indies is to bounce back to be one of the leading cricketing nations of the world, much more atten-

tion will have to be paid to the pitches because they are far too slow and it is a disadvantage to both batsmen and bowlers, and the governments in the region have to be more involved in the game since cricket is part of the Caribbean culture.

In fact some time ago I had advocated that cricket should be in the school curriculum. Our youths should know more about their stars and the game as a whole hence the reason why the Academy is needed as well as a Hall of Fame for cricketers.

The Berbice Cricket Board where I served as Secretary in the 1960s took the lead and now has a Hall of Fame for outstanding cricketers and administrators.

The tiny island of Nevis which produced test cricketers Equimello Willett, Keith Arthurton, Carl Tuckett, Runako Mortom and Kieran Powell boats of a Hall of

Fame.

The Guyana Cricket Board, its affiliates, the Ministry of Sport should seek the assistance of former test cricketers, and administrators should take the initiative and seek financial assistance from large business houses and set up the Academy.

Mortimer George, former secretary of the Berbice Board who wrote two books on the history of Berbice Cricket, is willing to assist and I as a cricket writer, who covered international cricket in the region, would be only too pleased to throw in my two bits.

Hand-in-Hand and Professor Clem Seecharran are producing a three-volume history of British Guiana/ Guyana on cricket. The first volume was launched recently in Georgetown.

Sincerely, Oscar Ramjeet

Have referendum on CCJ Dear Editor, Promoting the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal for the Caribbean region, Oscar Ramjeet reminded us on July 11, 2016 that, “After ten years still only four countries accept the CCJ– Guyana, Barbados, Belize, and Dominica”. He had not explained why more countries don’t want to be under the jurisdiction of the CCJ. It is noted that no nation held a referendum on the CCJ, as the UK did for Brexit last month.

All of the territories should allow a referendum for people to decide on such a critical issue relating to justice, especially since people don’t trust Caribbean judges who tend to be influenced by self-serving corrupt Politicians.

In my travels around region, I have found that Caricom nationals feel justice has not improved under the CCJ, as compared with the Privy Council. Dissatisfaction with the CCJ’s rulings is very high and is growing. Caricom

members have been resisting the CCJ, worried that justice will not be fair because of the politicization of the judicial system, especially in multi-ethnic nations. Lawyers complained that judges in the region have been making decisions since independence to please political bosses and/or on ethnic loyalty.

Lawyers note that very little jurisprudence and the legal traditions that go into decisionmaking. Thus, lawyers have greater faith in the English Privy Council, the final court of appeal for the UK and several Commonwealth countries.

The law Lords are not subject to outside political pressures, as are judges in the Caribbean.

In addition, the Lords do thorough research and use legal precedents from rulings in advanced democracies.

In the Caribbean, the complaint is that judgments are often irrational and not supported by any logic, precedents or fair play.

Although the CCJ is locat-

ed in Trinidad, the people have been resisting its jurisdiction.

Judicial rulings are politicized in T&T, as they are in Guyana.

Lawyers complain about judicial and clerical incompetence.

Some judges don’t meet the criteria for appointment to the final courts in other jurisdictions.

Some of the judges would not meet the practice and other requirements necessary for an appointment to a first instance court in some jurisdictions.

The consequence is that the standards of adjudications are different in the CCJ from those which prevail in the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and Privy Council. Not surprisingly, most lawyers are adamantly opposed to replacing the Privy Council with the CCJ because they feel they get fair rulings from London and not from the CCJ. Also, the opposition UNC will never support the CCJ because its Indian base is opposed to it, given the history of biased or racialized rulings in

Trinidad. In Jamaica, the opinion is not dissimilar, with the majority opposing the CCJ. When in Government, parties call for the replacement of the Privy Council with the CCJ, and the Queen with a President. And when in opposition, they advocate the reverse, fearing the Government’s influence on jurisprudence. Lawyers throughout the region are unhappy with the CCJ’s rulings because its opinions lack depth and rationality.

The court has been found to deliver inconsistent judgments that are not in consonance with other courts in the region and around the Commonwealth.

Some lawyers in Barbados, Belize, Jamaica and Guyana, who appeared before the CCJ, have called for its abolition.

The territories should hold a referendum for people to decide on the fate of the CCJ since none was ever held on its ascension.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

guyana-times.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016

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

Sugar can still be a Missing school materials national saviour

Dear Editor, Almost all the commentators on our economy are noting with concern that Guyana is experiencing an economic decline. The reasons for the decline are many and would be the subject for another letter in the near future.

In light of this obvious downturn in the economy, it is my considered view that the APNU/AFC regime would do well to reconsider the closure or even the scaling down of the sugar industry. Sugar can be the national saviour to our economy if the right investments are made now.

Everyone knows that for an economy to grow, there is need for investments. No industry or for that matter no business that finds itself in difficulties can turn things around without investments.

Sugar is no different and despite the problems it faces it can surmount these with solid, sensible investments.

One of the factors that have affected the sugar industry is that it has fundamentally remained a producer of raw sugar from its inception.

From the time of its creation, it was designed to serve the refineries and markets in the UK and Europe. It is in those countries that value is added when the bulk, raw sugar is transformed into refined sugar, and become a major input to the confectionery and soft drink industries, among others.

It, therefore, makes sense for us here in Guyana to work towards the transformation of the industry into a complex that adds value to the sugar we produce, which will generate greater revenues and job creation.

That was the direction in which the PPP/C Government was going. The industry began packaging sugar and also began co-generation at

Skeldon, and the plan was to further expand the latter on other estates. A pilot project on fuel alcohol was done at Albion.

It is true that the industry ran into some major difficulties. The investment at Skeldon of the new factory was and is plagued by many technical problems, though not insurmountable.

Simultaneously, the price of raw sugar to Europe was cut by 36 per cent. Those two factors were the main reasons for the crisis in the industry.

That does not mean that we should move to close the industry. Indeed with investment now, we can make sugar very profitable in the short to medium term. We saw with some investments how well Skeldon performed in 2015. With other investments the industry can strive.

We can do this by going into a joint venture and establishing a refinery here so we can sell to the Caribbean refined sugar. The Caricom market is some 200,000 tonnes. Certainly, Guyana could get a substantial part of this market.

We can go into another joint venture to establish a distillery to use up more of our molasses. Here we can sell alcohol to the rum industry in the Caribbean as well. This would be adding more value as well. Already, GuySuCo had started to bottle molasses and it was proving to be successful.

In this regard, we have rum companies in Guyana and the Caribbean. So, clearly we can pursue this to get viable partners for GuySuCo. The programme of co-generation could be expanded.

Albion and Enmore can become generators of substantial amounts of electricity. I am sure that GPL would see this as attractive and the

two companies can establish stronger joint ventures.

The same can be done with Guyoil and GuySuCo in relation to fuel alcohol. We wrote about this before.

In areas like Uitvlugt and Wales, GuySuCo can encourage more farmers to get involved in the production of sugar cane. Already, we have seen some farmers going to Uitvlugt and doing well. This should be expanded on those two estates and wherever else necessary, since both estates have the capacity to process more canes. This model is being used in many parts of the sugar producing world with great success.

It makes good sense to invest in sugar for another very important reason. The infrastructure is already there.

The lands, the canals, the roads, bridges etc, are there.

It would be a shame to abandon these when we can find no viable alternative to sugar for these lands.

The Government should take a decision to invest in the industry now and make it public. An immediate decision would end the uncertainty among workers and managers, for it would infuse them with confidence and inspire them to work to make the industry a success.

Such a programme would create jobs and generate a great amount of economic activities which will benefit our country enormously. Sugar is not a lost cause. Its best days could still be ahead if we take the right steps now.

This will eventually put the economy on far better footing and achieve many of the goals that this regime has set, including a positive contribution to the environment.

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar Former President

Dear Editor, The construction of the much talked about Aurora Primary and Nursery Schools are rapidly progressing, and from the vantage point of passersbys it looks very good.

But there are some questions still to be answered, and at the very top of that list is what has become of the more than eighty percent, or almost twelve truckloads of the dismantled materials which consisted of both lumber and zinc sheets.

The people in authority must tell the beneficiaries, the stakeholders, the members of the Parent Teachers Association, and the residents of this community, who from time to time were asked through different ways to contribute and had contributed towards the maintenance and delivery of education through or from that demolished building.

The public has a right to know and that right must at all times be respected.

The regional officials who are expected to have a copy of the Bill of Quantity and the contract document must be more vocal in relation to this missing school materials.

This deafening silence from some quarters is a cause for concern, especially when evidence is in the public domain that a group of persons from one ethnic group had requested a small portion of materials and they were advised that a procedure has to be followed. Then, subsequently, the said materials had ended up in possession of persons from another ethnic group without that same process being observed.

It may have been particularly galling for those who would have attended the school, their children

and currently their grandchildren, to be denied what was to them a reasonable request.

Recently I visited the office of the Good hope/ Pomona Neighbourhood Democratic Council, where residents from time to time are led to believe that the Bill of Quantity for any project undertaken by the Government would be at the NDC. Office for them to see, and if necessary extract a copy, but I was told by the Overseer that none is or was ever there.

Sincerely, Archie W Cordis Concerned Resident

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wednesday, july 20, 2016

Page

Foundation

Gamifying your studies 1Up!:

Let’s talk about Maths

Levelling up Conclusion

Getting instant feedback

One of the things that make video games so addictive is that they give you instant feedback on how you’ve done. You earn points as you go along, pick up extra bonus items to help you in your journey through the imaginary world, upgrade instantly to a tougher piece of armour, that kind of thing. It’s not like an exam, where you might have to wait months for the results, or even handing in a homework assignment, which the teacher has to go away and mark. In the age of the Internet, we’re used to instant gratification, and that’s something video games offer in abundance. So how can this principle be applied to learning?

There are a few possible contexts in which this idea can fit in. In the classroom, it might involve your teacher issuing points on the spot to reward a good piece of work or an articulate comment. Sound effects could also be used in this way, such as the teacher sounding a chime for a correct answer or a ‘fail’ sound when you get a question wrong. Nobody will want to get issued with the ‘fail’ sound in front of the whole classroom, so it’s an incentive to work hard and get questions right.

You could also implement the instant feedback principle when you’re studying on your own, by giving yourself rewards in the form of edible treats each time you reach the end of a chapter or solve a problem.

This gives you an instant reward and something to work towards.

While we wouldn’t necessarily advocate this practice for every single thing you study – it might not be too healthy in the long run to eat that much! – it could be a good way of motivating

guyana-times.com

yourself to get through a topic you’re not particularly enjoying.

Another form of studying that gives instant feedback is online quizzes and tests, which work by multiple choice questions and give you a computer-calculated result as soon as you complete them. You should be able to find a variety of such tests online, particularly those that test things like grammar and foreign language vocabulary. If you can’t find one for a particular subject, you could always group together with your friends and make up quizzes to test each other, giving each other the results straightaway.

Creating a gamified study environment

By the time you get to CSEC level you’re probably going to consider yourself too old for childish games, but there are nevertheless a few things you can do to ‘gamify’ your study environment. This works particularly well when you do it with friends. One way of doing it is that each person takes on a persona, as they would in a video game. You could do this with a theme, which might be based on what you’re studying. For example, if you were studying philosophy, you could each take on the persona of a different philosopher and conduct a philosophical discussion in which each of you represents the views of the philosopher whose persona you’ve taken on. This is a bit like the narrative elements we spoke of earlier, only it involves learning in depth about a real-life character and their views, and taking on their persona when speaking aloud – just as you would if you were playing a character in a murder mystery party.

I Working in teams

We’ve already highlighted the virtues of working with your friends to gamify your studies; collaboration is a well-known study method that can be particularly beneficial to those who may experience feelings of isolation if left studying on their own for too long. With this in mind, another way of gamifying your studies is to introduce a competitive element by splitting into teams with your friends.

As we mentioned earlier, it might help to think of setting out on your learning task – a particular topic – as being like embarking on a mission, in which you must reach the goal before the other team, utilising teamwork skills by delegating learning tasks to each person.

This lessens your workload and you all work together within your team to help each other solve academic problems before the other team. This is probably not something you’ll be able to do for every task, but it is good for giving yourselves something fun and educational to do on the weekend.

Mastering a subject

One of the key components of video games is that they have levels. You complete a level and then you move up to the next one, in which you’re perhaps a slightly stronger

character presented with more difficult obstacles to overcome.

The same idea can apply to learning, as you work through increasingly difficult academic problems, and your experience is increasing – perhaps without your even realising it – all the time. It could be something you could suggest to your teacher, or work out between your friends, or even just reward yourself with. You could start out, at the beginning of the school year or at the beginning of a task, as a Level 1 Novice, and, for each topic you master, you can ‘level up’. What level will you be able to get to by the end of the year?

The challenge is on!

So, next time you’re struggling to keep yourself motivated and you’re in need of some extra impetus to help you get back on track, think about your favourite video games and see if you can make your learning a bit more like them. While many of the suggestions in this article have involved grouping together with friends, you don’t have to involve anybody else if you don’t want to (or if you’re too embarrassed to suggest playing such games!). But ‘gamifying’ your studies alters your perspective on your learning by equating it with something more enjoyable, thereby making even disliked subjects seem more of an interesting challenge. (Excerpt

nevitably as students, we’ve all at some point posed the great, seemingly unanswerable question of what was the relevance of Mathematics to our daily lives. Surely, no one really needs to know Pythagoras’ theorem or how to sketch parabolas.

However, the subject itself is as inescapable as life.

Every student being educated anywhere seems to “suffer” the classes of swirling numbers and lost x’s.

However, what we as students often times fail to miss is the beauty of the subject.

Mathematics is a language. Like any language student, we Ashley Anthony have to start at the basics. We have to learn the syntax of the language, what rules we must follow, and what rules are flexible. The unfortunate despair is that Mathematics is often not taught stimulatingly at a young age. We don’t see it as a fluid language which with practice we can become fluent in. We see it as monotonous, boring and difficult.

Here’s the thing. Mathematics at a basic high school level may not seem to make sense in the real world right now. We might not believe that any of the things we’ve learnt are useful to us practically speaking, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Mathematics has spread its roots into almost every conceivable career, making it no wonder that it’s a prerequisite for many. Yet the connection between real life and the world of mathematics seems to be neglected in teaching. Mathematics is praised for being necessary for “hard” sciences such as physics, chemistry and biology, and business subjects such as economics, but many younger students don’t seem to make a connection. For most of the years of high school, the subjects remain mostly “math free” or

from www.oxford-royale.co.uk)

utilise just the basic principles of Maths. However, have I got bad news for those who think it stays the same. For any aspiring chemist be ready to have to use logs regularly in pH calculations. Biologists? Try doing chi squared tests for independent assortment of genes. And for the physicists? Wait until calculus becomes your bread and butter, and every physical system is mapped by mathematical functions and relations.

The point is, you never know the importance of something until you truly need it. Maths presents itself in everyday life just from the simple measuring of ingredients to governing the animations of our favourite games and cartoons.

I, for one, growing up was never a fan of Maths.

I had a mental block to long division, and each time it appeared in my work books I would get an instant headache. Yet, here I am now, in the Mathematics stream for CAPE, sitting three Maths subjects next year. You don’t know where life is going to lead you, but I can assure you, having Mathematics as a friend can only be useful. And since it’s mandatory anyways, why not try to enjoy it a little?

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Man” wanted Region 6 REO proceeds on “Fine for armed robbery leave without notice …action irresponsible, disrespectful – Vice Chairman

T

he move by embattled Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) Veerasammy Ramayya to proceed on annual leave, without informing officials of the regional administration has been labelled irresponsible and disrespectful by Vice Chairman Dennis De Roop.

Ramayya, who has had several clashes with the administration since taking up the post, has reportedly taken a two-week vacation leave and has travelled to the United States of America (USA), but did not inform his superiors or colleagues at the regional office.

Speaking to Guyana Times on Tuesday, De Roop said he was only informed of Ramayya’s leave Tuesday after seeing a notice from the Communities Ministry that the REO was granted two weeks’ vacation leave.

He said the situation was abhorrent, since no proper system has been put in place to carry out the unfinished and unattended work of the REO. De Roop said over the last two weeks, Ramayya had been going to the office and spending just about over an hour each day without communicating with anyone.

“He left a lot of things unattended,” the Regional Vice Chairman said. At a press conference on Monday, De

Region Six REO Veerasammy Ramayya

Roop had told reporters in Berbice that the awarding of contracts was among the issues the REO’s absence has left unresolved. “Further, the 2016 budget is limping.

We are in the seventh month and we have only achieved 40 to 45 per cent of programmes proposed. There are salary issues, some of the sweeper/cleaners of the schools are yet to be paid for June month. They work for the minimum wage and are dependent on their monies. There is not much we can do, as the REO did not sign their contracts on time.

Hopefully, it can be resolved at the end of the week.

“I must apologise on behalf of the regional administration. In addition, several contracts were not signed for nurses, so they, too, will not be receiving salaries, because if the contracts are not renewed, salaries cannot be processed,” he stated.

The Vice Chairman add-

ed that machine operators’ monies were received from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) after they protested last month over the non-payment of salaries and wages.

But they, too, cannot be paid, as their contracts were not prepared nor signed by the REO. In addition, De Roop said

close to 300 cheques were returned on account of their ‘stale’ date. “This is gross negligence. Some were issued to small suppliers of dietary essentials while some were awarded to small contractors. The cheques were not signed, and were sitting at the sub-treasury exceeding the stipulated period, and had to be returned.”

He said he met with the two Deputy REOs, Claude Henry and Badassie Poonai, and they are working to have the issues resolved.

Meanwhile, a statement from the Communities Ministry on Tuesday afternoon stated that Ramayya “did not, in any way, abandon his post or walk off the job.

He proceeded on leave, having applied for and received the requisite approval.”

R

anks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) are on the hunt for an Albouystown, Georgetown man who is wanted for questioning in relation to a robbery under arms.

The wanted man has been identified as Mark Prince called “Fine Man”, 36, of Lot 169 James and Curtis Streets, Albouystown.

The Police are asking anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Mark Prince to contact them on telephone numbers 227-2128, 225-6411, 2252227, 225-8196, 227-1149, 226-7065, 911 or at the nearest Police Station. All information will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Prince is a known character to Police and has faced similar charges in the past.

In fact, back in January, he was slapped with an armed robbery charge, which stated that on November 23, 2015,

Wanted: Mark “Fine Man” Prince

at Bel Air Park, Georgetown while in the company of others and armed with a gun, he robbed Nicola Coats of a cellular phone valued $50,000.

And, in June last year, he was charged for possession of 1269 grams of marijuana and six live rounds of unlicensed .32 ammunition.

8 news

wednesDAY, july 20, 2016 | guyana-times.com

IN THE COURTS Siblings' rape case

Eyew tness

Mother charged for neglect Where is our... … stepfather to be charged for sexual molestation today “ T M he mother of the three young girls, who were allegedly sexually molested by their step-father last Thursday, was indicted for neglect when she appeared at the Sisters Magistrate’s Court in Berbice.

She was granted $50,000 bail, but informed the court that she will remain in prison since she cannot afford the bail.

The children; ages four, seven, and 10, were allegedly sexually molested and thrown out of the family home last week. They were picked up by a social worker who found them wandering by the seawalls. Reports

are the children were taken to the Police Station and later admitted to the New Amsterdam Hospital after it was discovered that they were sexually molested.

On Tuesday, an official

from the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) told Guyana Times that the children underwent a forensic interview on Monday by social protection authorities.

The interview was recorded

and a report was compiled and sent to the Police.

The official stated that the girls have since been released from the hospital and taken into protective care, along with their infant sibling. The official indicated that they were unable to find a suitable relative to care for the children.

Meanwhile, B Division (Berbice) Commander Ian Amsterdam on Tuesday said that the children’s stepfather, an ex-Guyana Defence Force soldier, will be charged today.

Since news broke of the alleged rape, villagers have been enraged.

Clothes thief claims Rupununi man jailed abandonment for narco trafficking

Sharif Basheer

A

man was on Tuesday granted bail in the sum of $50,000 when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts to answer to a charge of simple larceny.

Sharif Basheer appeared

before Magistrate Judy Latchman, where he pleaded guilty to stealing clothing and a pair of footwear.

It was alleged that on July 9 in Alberttown, Georgetown, Basheer stole clothing and footwear belonging to an employee of an auto spare parts store.

Basheer explained to the court that he found the clothing and the footwear in a garbage receptacle, after which he opted to dress in the attire.

Magistrate Latchman told the accused she will enter a not guilty plea for him, since he is claiming abandonment.

The prosecution’s case contended that the accused stole the clothing and footwear from an auto spare parts store and was seen wearing the items days after.

Vibert Peters

A

labourer from St Ignatius village, Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo) was jailed for three years and fined $142,000 after he plead guilty to a trafficking in narcotics charge.

Vibert Peters, 28, on Tuesday appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

It was alleged that Peters on July 17, at St Ignatius Village, had in his posses-

sion 110 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.

The prosecution contended that on the day in question, Peters was seen by Police ranks in the vicinity of Mocha Mocha at 01:00h acting in a suspicious manner while pushing a peddle cycle.

Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers told the court that Peters had a black haversack and a searched revealed that it contained stems, seeds and leaves suspected to be cannabis. The defendant was cautioned about the drugs found in his bag and he told the ranks he was taking it to a friend.

He was arrested and taken to the Police station where the cannabis was weighed in him presence and which amounted to 110 grams.

The unrepresented man told the court that on the day in question, he was on his way to his employer to collect his salary but instead he got caught with the black bag.

...Executive Mandela?

andela Day” has come and gone, but what have we gained from reflecting on the life of the great man? Did we even reflect? Our political leaders were locked in debate in Parliament – and they hardly looked “Mandela like”. It was the same ole, same ole – which was the complete opposite of what Mandela stood for in his principled quest for justice.

For instance, Gandhi was one of Mandela’s heroes and the iconic South African leader even started out as a pacifist. But as the thinking, committed-tojustice man he was, after analysing structural practices holding Apartheid in place, he concluded violence was necessary. Then. But after being freed, knowing it may be distorted during the tense post-Apartheid negotiations, in a cameo in Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X”, he refused to utter the latter’s famous “by any means necessary”.

Mandela was committed to his country and realised “tit for tat” responses aren’t conducive to sustainable peace. For decades, the Government had used “whatever means necessary” to oppress Africans and other non-whites to construct the Apartheid state. But Mandela understood he’d have to create conditions where all South Africans, including the whites, would remain committed to their country. Freedom achieved by “any means necessary” had the danger of becoming institutionalised and forming the mirror image of the Apartheid system just overthrown.

The great man, who’d spent 27 years in jail for his commitment to justice for his African people who were treated like third-class (and third-rate) citizens in their own country, understood it would take the efforts of all South Africans, especially whites, to make South Africa, first class. Taking over the reins of power after his people had been excluded from the experience of running a modern state for so long necessitated the cooperation – if not the commitment – of the whites to build a “rainbow” nation.

Guyana so much needs a Mandela-like leader at this time. It’s futile to keep on debating whether the leaders during the “28 years of the PNC” and the “23 years of the PPP” could’ve done things differently leading to a more united nation. That’s water under the bridge. Let’s stipulate they did their best. But what about going forward?

Do we really need to keep on hiring people for almost all the major jobs in Government and State institutions from one set of Guyanese? Or providing “leadership training”? Or heading Commissions of Inquiry? Or whatever? As to whether the Government “intends” to exclude half the country, is irrelevant. The effect of the optics will send its own ripples.

The hour for a Mandela-like leader has arrived.

Who’ll step up?

...Parliamentary Mandela?

Alluding above to what transpired yesterday on Mandela Day, your Eyewitness mentioned the goings on in Parliament. The Telecommunications Bill was debated and passed. Now, the need for a new dispensation had been mooted long before GTT’s 20-year exclusive rights had expired in 2010. So you’d think our political leaders would’ve sorted out matters by now, nuh? Forget it.

Looks like we need a Mandela in Parliament also.

And your Eyewitness isn’t even talking about the substance of the Bill...just the form. What bone did we have to offer GTT, since by the original contract of 1990, they had first dibs on anything new? Did we really have to pass the Bill without the regulations in place?

This was all about “regulating” the telecommunications sector, nuh? More than anything else here, the devil’s in the (regulatory) details.

So we now know there’s to be competition between the two biggies (and new entrants).

What now?

And placing so much power in the hands of the Minister isn’t Mandela like.

...Tutu?

Bishop Randolph George of the Anglican Church just passed away. He was our Bishop Tutu-like figure in the transition of 1992.

news

9

wednESday, july 20, 2016 | guyana-times.com

jailed for Digicel, GTT welcome Guyanese Florida mortgage scam liberalisation of A telecoms market

Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes

A

fter years of anticipation, Digicel Guyana is now breathing a sigh of relief, saying that it welcomes the passage of the Telecommunications Bill, which legislated the liberalisation of the sector.

“The passage of this Bill is the first step in the long overdue ending of the telephone monopoly, which is a laudable achievement and a position that Digicel supports,” Digicel Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kevin Kelly said.

He added that the communications giant would now await engagement with the Government to discuss its licence and regulations for an open competitive sector.

“We believe this will create a competitive sector and will result in many benefits in terms of new

and improved services for the people of Guyana.”

Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes was the key speaker in Parliament on Monday when the Bill was read for the second and third time.

It was first introduced in 2011 and revised in 2013, and had been at the level of a Special Select Committee in the 10th Parliament.

The Bill addresses concerns, including those of the industry’s stakeholders and will break the more-than-20-year monopoly.

In her presentation, Hughes pleaded with the House for it to recognise the importance of information and communication technology as the transformational agent for the overall improvement of citizens’ lives and the building of a 21st Century economy.

According to Hughes, the eagerly-anticipated landmark legislation will provide for an open, competitive telecommunications sector where new market entrants and investors will be attracted to invest in the country.

However, the rushing through of the Bill did not go down well with the Opposition which pointed out that certain sections of the Bill needed to be reviewed.

“We are taking all the powers and putting it monopolistically in the hands

Digicel CEO Kevin Kelly

GTT CEO Justin Nedd

of the Minister…their powers are too much and too great for the Ministers,” Opposition Member of Parliament Irfaan Ali argued, stating that the Bill was moving the monopoly from a company straight into the hands of the Minister. He further stated that the passage of the Bill in its present state would move the country backwards from a “monopolistic position to dictatorship”.

However, Hughes argued that with the passage of the Bill consumers would be given more options and access to reliable and advanced telecommunications services.

After six hours of debate with eight speakers and back and forth heckling, the Bill was passed.

GTT, formerly the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, which

had a legal monopoly on international voice and data transmissions and the domestic wireline service, has always declared that the sector was free because of the existence of other service providers.

The company, in a fullpage ad, welcomed the passage of the Bill, saying it would lead to lower international rates, faster Internet, better customer service and a wider range of products. GTT also said it would discuss the issue at a press conference today.

Guyana-born man has been jailed for more than 20 years by a Florida court, for a series of multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud schemes in the United States.

According to reports from NBC 6 news and Miami AP, 56-year-old Ravindranauth “Ravi” Roopnarine was sentenced to 262 months in jail on three counts of fraud charges – wire fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud.

In addition to the sentences which will run concurrently, the federal judge also ordered Roopnarine to pay more than $9 million in restitution to the defrauded banks and lenders.

Three other people have also been sent to prison in relation to the scheme.

According to publicly filed documents and statements made in court, on December 9, 2010, a Fort Pierce federal grand jury indicted Roopnarine, Gergawattie “Kamla” Seecharan, Bhaardwaj “Deo” Seecharan and Linda Rovetto for their participation in the multimillion-dollar Florida mortgage fraud scheme.

Gergawattie Seecharan, Bhaardwaj Seecharan and Rovetto had previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced. Roopnarine recently waived extradition and returned from Trinidad

and Tobago to the Southern District of Florida.

Federal Prosecutors said in a news release on Monday that the scam involved approximately 150 residential properties in Indian River, Orange and Miami-Dade counties in Florida.

The group recruited mainly Guyanese residents of Florida and other states to act as straw buyers on fraudulent mortgage loan applications, leading to the issuance of more than $50 million in fraudulent loans.

According to the court documents, “Roopnarine, along with Kamla Seecharan and her husband Deo Seecharan, conspired to solicit mainly Guyanese residents of Florida and other states to act as straw buyers on fraudulent mortgage loan applications. Approximately 80 individuals served as straw buyers of properties in Vero Lake Estates (VLE), in Indian River County, and other developments. This scheme resulted in the issuance of more than $50 million in fraudulent mortgage loans. The co-conspirators then used the proceeds to purchase additional properties, fund pre-existing fraudulent mortgage loans, and pay kickbacks to the straw buyers.”

Roopnarine was convicted by a jury of three fraud charges back in March.

10

guyana-times.com

wednesDAY, july 20, 2016

News

Feasibility of VAT reduction to be assessed by IMF

A

team comprising experts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is due in Guyana next month to assess the Value Added Tax (VAT) and recommendations made by the Tax Reform Committee.

This is according to Finance Minister Winston Jordan, who during an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA) said, “notwithstanding what the Tax Reform Committee said, and notwithstanding the clamour for the reduction in VAT, I have asked the IMF and they have agreed and the team

is to come in August to do an assessment of the Value Added Tax.” Minister Jordan said after they would have completed their assessment “we will take a look, and we will make a determination

what reduction is feasible and when this reduction can take place.”

The Tax Reform Committee, headed by Dr Maurice Odle, was set up late last year and mandated to examine the country’s

taxation system and make recommendations for fixing it. Among the recommendations of the Tax Reform Committee were an income tax threshold of $750,000 with progressive rates of taxation from 20 per cent to 35 per cent, reintroduction of estate duties and levies on tobacco and alcohol. Further, the Minister said the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has been approached for its input on the recommended tax reforms.

“What I have caused GRA to do is to go through the report with a fine tooth comb, split it up into the various sections and come up with recommendations of the feasibility of some of what have been recommended so that we could have a discussion in Cabinet and make a determination, whether or not they get into the 2017 budget. The Tax Reform Committee did recommendations that span two years… not just 2017.”

Among the recommendations of the Tax Reform Committee were a reduction of VAT from 16 per cent to 14 per cent, the introduction of an intermediate rate of seven per cent, a reduction of the number of items on the VAT exempt list and a widening of the tax net by reducing the minimum taxable amount from $10 million to $5 million, Minister Jordan said.

Meanwhile President David Granger on an edition of the programme “the Public’s Interest” had said it was perhaps hasty on the part of the then Opposition (APNU+AFC) to promise a reduction on the VAT rate during their first year in office when they had inadequate information on what they would find when they assumed office.

Down on working girls

S

atiricus saw the other foot had fallen. The first foot was when under direction from the Society Protection Ministry, a “house of ill repute” – or “bad house” as they were called in rural Guyana had been raided and 15 strippers arrested.

“Cappo, I wonder how the cops knew the girls had been “trafficked”?” Satiricus asked.

“Sato, dem police a wuk just like SOCU,” Cappo answered, “Dem a seize fuss and aks question afta!”

“Yes,” replied Satiricus, “Looks like if girls are working in a club, that is a prima facile case they had been “trafficked”.

“Bai, Sato,” Cappo asked, “Ah how yuh know ‘bout dis trafficking!”

Satiricus explained when he first heard about the noun “traffic” used as a verb like in “Trafficking girls into prostitution”, he had this image of nubile females being shuttled back and forth on highways in fast moving vehicles to assignations with “Johns”. But he knew better now. The girls were forcibly – or under false pretences – tricked by lecherous exploiters to enter Guyana from other countries or other neighbourhoods into “doing the dirty” for money.

Georgie was visiting from NY and buying beers at the Back Street Bar. “Last week, I heard the Society Protection Minister vowed “We have to ensure that we find these perpetrators, irrespective of who they are, rich or poor, high or low, we have to and we must bring them to justice.” And lo and behold, a week later action! Wow!!”

Suresh piped in: “The lady kinda sound like Jack the Ripper. I remember from the movie, the Ripper wrote, “I am down on whores and I shan’t quit ripping them till I do get buckled.”

Satiricus pointed out of the 15 girls arrested, four had been released immediately. “I wonder how they’d proved to the police they weren’t “trafficked” but the others couldn’t.”

Georgie piped up, “Your police have been receiving training in the matters from our American police. They knew about recognising certain “types”. You see how they pick up potential evildoers in America – just like that? Even when the evildoers are just driving!”

Satiricus explained he read six of the working girls who were from the Dominican Republic had been convicted for “overstaying their time” in Guyana. “Not a word about whether they’d been trafficked!” he exclaimed.

Cappo slapped his hand on the table: “Budday! De cansti- stu-shan seh dem gyaals gat de right fuh wuk!”

“But talking off your clothes isn’t work?” said Satiricus.

“So maybe they have no protection?”

All the fellas down their beers as they commiserated on the woes of working girls.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016

guyana-times.com

11

News

Teixeira’s motion to have PM, Trotman face Privileges Committee thrown out

PPP continues protest at O GECOM

pposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira’s motion to have Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman committed to the Parliament’s Committee of Privileges over ‘misleading statements’ made in the National Assembly was on Monday thrown out.

“I hold the test as to whether there exists a prima facie case… I have examined the letter and other relevant documents and have concluded that a prima facie case has not been made and the request disallowed,” said the Speaker of the National Assembly,

I

PPP/C supporters picketing GECOM’s office on Tuesday

t has been more than a year since the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was unseated after 23 years in Government; however, the Party was still adamant that the May 2015 Elections were rigged.

In this vein, scores of PPP members and supporters once again gathered outside the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Head Office on High Street, Kingston, reiterating calls for the removal of its Chairman, Dr Steve Surujbally and the recounting of ballots from last year’s polls.

The peaceful picketing exercise was held on Tuesday morning and saw persons holding up placards with slogans such as: “Cheated not Defeated”; “Elections 2015 was rigged” and “Recount our votes”.

The procession was led by PPP Executive Member Neil Kumar.

Since the declaration of the results of the 2015 General and Regional Elections, the PPP/C has refused to accept its 201,457 to 206,817 loss to the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition. The Party cited various inconsistencies with the electoral process including fake Statement of Polls (SoPs) and has since made several calls for Dr Surujbally to be removed.

The GECOM Chairman told this newspaper last year during the height of the protest actions that he would not be intimidated, pointing out that

it was not the first time such slurs and abuse were hurled against him.

He posits that the protest action by the PPP Opposition is “not as reprehensive and loathsome, as it is comedic”.

Dr Surujbally went on to explain that there was a menu of measures that would preclude any rigging, adding that it would take a massive conspiracy to do such and such acts could not be invisible.

Meanwhile, in furtherance of its claims, the PPP/C had filed an elections petition on June 24 last year, asking the High Court to grant a number of orders, including one for the nullification of the May 11 Elections as well as an order for new elections to be held.

Some of the grounds laid out in the Elections Petition include: valid ballots being wrongly deemed rejected; SOPs used to ascertain the results contain arithmetic errors; multiple voting by persons and impersonation of persons; PPP/C ballot attendants and polling agents being prevented from accompanying the ballot boxes, and fraudulent SOPs. At a recent press conference, Rohee had expressed his disappointment over the pace at which the election petition case was being heard. The PPP General Secretary accused the judiciary of unnecessarily delaying the setting of a date for the election petition to go to trial, noting that the delay was worrisome.

Dr Barton Scotland.

In April, Teixeira had written the Speaker of the National Assembly and lodged a complaint against the two senior Government officials. She was contending that Trotman, during his budget speech earlier this year, said when the coalition Government assumed office, it had found that 100 per cent of Guyana’s productive forests were hived off. This notion was reiterated by Prime Minister Nagamootoo.

Teixeira, thus, called on the Speaker to have Trotman and Nagamootoo withdraw their statements and apologise.

Dr Scotland explained

Dr Barton Scotland

to the Parliament that after having received Teixeira’s letter of complaint and accompanying motion, he assumed the task in the determination of whether a case had been made out

against the two officials.

He said he had determined that was insufficient evidence to commit either of the men to the Committee for breach of privileges.

Teixeira had stated that the two men could have withdrawn their erroneous statements but they proceeded to continue to hold fast to their positions in the face of “evidence to the contrary”.

Trotman had stated in the House that, “We were met with an alarming situation where we discovered that 100 per cent or all of our productive forest was allocated by the past Government.”

12 news

wednesDay, july 20, 2016 | guyana-times.com

FIU’s Deputy Director

No consensus on appointment – Teixeira

O

pposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira on Monday contended that there was no consensus on the appointment of Abiose Thomas as the Deputy Director for the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).

In her presentation on the contents of the report from the Parliamentary Committee of Appointments, Teixeira stated that “we made a decision on the Director… on the Deputy

Director we feel strongly that a grave injustice has been done. We haven’t reached a consensus.”

Chairperson, Dr George Norton requested that the report be adopted by the Parliament before moving a motion for the report’s recommendations to be approved.

The Parliamentary Committee of Appointments came to a unanimous decision to appoint Matthew

Opposition Chief Whip Gail Teixeira

Edward Hugh Langevine as the Director of the FIU within the Finance Ministry, and Legal Advisor Abiose Thomas as the Deputy Director.

Both appointments follow a recommendation of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Act 2015, Act No 1 of 2015 to select and endorse persons for the appointment as the Director, Deputy Director, Attorney and Accountant to the FIU.

The FIU functions in collaboration with the Special Organised Crime Unit, the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Finance Ministry, in identifying and trailing persons fingered in committing financial illegalities.

The Parliamentary Committee consists of Government Ministers; Chairperson, Dr George Norton, David Patterson, Amna Ally, Annette Ferguson, Cathy Hughes and PPP Members of Parliament Gail Teixeira, Dr Clive Jagan, Ganga Persaud and Juan Edghill.

According to the Committee report submitted to Parliament on Monday by Public Health Minister, Dr Norton, Thomas was shortlisted from a list of 17 candidates that applied for the position.

It was decided that she was the most suitable person for the position of the FIU Deputy Director. Her selection is subsequent to several rounds of due diligence exercises and interviews.

Keeping it real Community policing and crime-fighting

T

he Caribbean country of the Bahamas recently issued a travel warning to its citizens visiting the United States. The Government was reacting to the incidents of African Americans who were killed

by Police Officers, seemingly unjustly. America seems to be a racially divided country at this time, given the increasing number of protests against the Police Dr Baytoram Ramharack caused by the recent Police killings of African Americans.

African Americans believe that Police Officers are deliberately targeting and killing them because of systemic racial prejudice.

Police Officers deny this reality and argue that they are being hampered by resources and public support to successfully do what amounts to a dangerous job.

Perhaps this is an over-simplification of the current situation, in a country where policing is defined as a force that historically protected the propertied rich and the fact that more interactions with Police Officers today, by proportion, take place between predominantly white Police Officers and African Americans.

Defenders of Police Officers have their own perspective and African Americans share a vastly different perspective, neither of which seems to be close to each other. Thus, the racial divide.

One solution being discussed in the debate relates to the role of community policing. It is not a relatively new idea, but it is related to a movement originating in the 1960s to create racially integrated police departments around the US. Coming on the heels of the civil rights movement, it was felt that Police abuse of power and racially motivated actions against non-white individuals could be addressed by a racially integrated police force. The philosophy behind this thinking is that if the police force reflected the population of the community they patrol, it would promote better relations and give the community an appreciation for what policing entails. In turn, it was argued that greater cooperation between local community members and the Police would lead to a reduction in criminal activities.

Evidently, integration of the force is one step towards better relations between Police and the community they serve. But in reality, it is not enough to tackle the great divide between predominantly white Police Officers and the communities they patrol in the US. Today, it is widely believed that community policing can make a tremendous difference in reducing the tensions between Police and citizens, while stemming the tide against criminal activities.

In Guyana, integration of the Disciplined Forces has not been addressed by any major Government policy preference, past or present, though several commissions have called for a balancing of the Police and Army. President Granger served on one of them, and the Rodney Commission made similar recommendations. Yet, the Disciplined Forces remain African dominated. Community Policing Groups (CPGs) were officially introduced in Guyana in 1976 by Commissioner Henry Fraser, at a time when the African-dominated Disciplined Forces became highly politicised and officers pledged loyalty to Forbes Burnham. CPGs do have relevance today, ever since the first group was launched through the La Grange Police Station many years ago, but they represent a loose set of organisations with limited capabilities.

Community policing implies that the Police and community must work together to identify, prioritise and solve contemporary problems to improve the quality of life in the community. CPGs could be elevated as a frontline defence in preventing crime and lawlessness. My initial research indicates that there are about 270 CPGs, with a membership of over 5000. Given the level of crime in Guyana, this is not nearly as sufficient a number of volunteers to make a significant impact on crime reduction, particularly in the hinterland areas that have also periodically experienced violent crimes.

CPGs can function more effectively if there is greater integration of these groups into a more professional police force. This means providing more training for community police members and making available the necessary resources, training and equipment to ensure that they are adequately prepared to play an effective role in their respective communities. The policing groups are meant to relieve the professional police force of some of their responsibilities and assist with crime-fighting. A good place to start with effective policing would be to clean up the corruption that exists within the professional police force, and recruit new enlistees to create a police force that reflects the national population, followed by forging a closer working relationship with existing CPGs to address crime-related problems in Guyana.

Send comments to BRamharack60@gmail.com

news

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wednesday, july 20, 2016 | guyana-times.com

CDC establishes Disaster Risk Management System in Region 3

T

he Civil Defence Commission (CDC) continues to implement Regional Disaster Risk Management Systems (RDRMS) across Guyana, with Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) being the latest beneficiary.

The RDRMS was established on Tuesday during the first day of a twoday event, which opened at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) boardroom, Vreed-en-Hoop.

In his opening remarks, Regional Vice Chairman Sheik Inshan Ayube explained that the RDRMS was necessary since it was critical for the Region to have preparedness and response plans in place to quickly respond to disasters.

Ayube highlighted that Guyana was at risk for many disasters, but these systems are put in place to educate and inform key players to “at least minimise these disasters”.

He noted that for the Region to respond quickly and effectively to disasters, awareness and preparation were critical. He commended the implementation of the RDRMS and encouraged the participants to be aware and prepared for disasters.

“We are caught up with our daily lives, ensuring that we are safe, but we must also be aware that disasters can happen anytime so it is necessary for us to also strive to keep our country safe.”

CDC Director General, Colonel (Ret’d) Chabilall Ramsarup, while delivering brief remarks, endorsed the words of encouragement from Ayube. He added that

it affected mining, agriculture and infrastructure among other sectors.

“We all need to play our part in keeping Guyana safe from disasters,” Ramsarup urged.

CDC Preparedness and Response Unit Manager, Major Sean Welcome, and representatives from the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA); Guyana Defence

CDC Director General, Colonel (Ret’d) Chabilall Ramsarup

index disaster management was important because “we don’t want to lose our lives from disasters”.

Ramsarup explained that there were persons who were affected by heavy rainfall though it was the hottest time of the year. “Those persons in Region Five suffered great loss from the recent flood because there was not an effective RDRMS in place in the Region,” he explained.

The aim of the forum is to, therefore, have systems in place to address those issues so that all the Regions in Guyana are prepared, the CDC head explained.

“Everyone must know their roles and responsibilities since training was already done; we cannot allow a repeat of the 2005 flood,” he said.

Ramsarup believes that there is nothing better than being fully prepared when disasters strike. The CDC head pointed out that climate change was heavily responsible for most of the disasters in the country since

Force (GDF); Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC); Communities Ministry; Health Centres; National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) were all in attendance.

The participants were educated on preparedness activities and declaring a disaster, preparedness and re-

sponse functions, roles and responsibilities and emergency operations centre.

In the first week in August, the forum will be taken to Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and by the end of August, with funding from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), work will commence in Regions Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper

M&CC blocks city...

Jerrick added too that the fee was based on provisions in the Municipal and District Council Act. Additionally, several other companies faced the same fate throughout the day. Companies in the Industrial Site, Ruimveldt area found themselves in the same situation when container trucks attempted to use roadways but were prevented from doing so unless a receipt was produced as evidence that the $25,000 fee was paid.

When Guyana Times spoke to the city officers who were refusing entrance to the container trucks in the Ruimveldt area, this publication was told by the officers that they were merely informed not to allow entry to the trucks but were given no other explanation.

In an interview with Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green, it was related that the stoppage of the container trucks was done to facilitate maintenance work, since the trucks were causing severe damage to

the roads. She highlighted that the talk of a fee being imposed was merely a “rumour”.

“They block the roads because the road is going to go under repair, they close off the roads. The roads are being damaged by heavyduty vehicles which more or less utilise our streets.

There would have been some intervention by administration to prevent some heavy-duty vehicles from traversing the city streets…..I am not aware of the demand to pay the $25,000 fee so that might have been a rumour in this instance,” the Mayor said.

However, several city businessmen described the move as blatant bullyism and extortion.

City Hall’s action to levy $25,000 on each container leaving city wharves came on the heels of a City Magistrate last week dis-

Essequibo) and Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice) to establish RDRMS, after which they will head to the other administrative regions.

High-frequency radios will be installed in Orealla and Siparuni in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Moraikobai, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) as part of the strengthening of the regional mechanism to help with early warning.

from page 3

charging at least four cases of a similar nature, after lawyers defending clients accused of not paying the container tax said the law under which their clients were charged was not applicable because it referred to the discharge of goods and livestock from vessels moored alongside market stellings.

M&CC’s “road assessment”

Meanwhile, in an effort to pacify the situation, which was outrightly rejected by several prominent members of the business community, the M&CC in a statement late Tuesday evening claimed that it conducted a “road assessment” exercise that saw particular thoroughfares being closed to heavy-duty vehicles.

“Industrial Site road and Water Street are the first two areas that are being addressed. The Industrial

Site road is of particular concern to the Council since it is almost impassable.

One of the municipal daycare is located in that area and the deteriorated road is of great concern to persons who live there.

The daycare is convenient to persons who work and live at Industrial Site,” the Council stated.

It noted that sections of Water Street have also deteriorated to the point where vehicles are using single lanes. The Council sees this as an unnecessary threat to citizens and is eager to correct this issue.

Robb Street and Avenue of the Republic were also mentioned for repairs in a previous announcement regarding road works.

According to the Council, the “road assessment” work will continue in other sections of the city this weekend.

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guyana-times.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2016

News

Drop-in Centre fire Cevon’s contentions are without victims laid to rest Haags Bosch contract dispute

merit – Communities Ministry

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he Communities Ministry has come out in defence against reports made by Cevon’s Waste Management Inc, which earlier this week cried foul over the award of the contract for the development and maintenance of the controversial Haags Bosch solid waste disposal site, at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Last week, a $221 million one-year contract was inked between the Communities Ministry and Puran Brothers Inc, for that company to maintain the Eccles, EBD dump site. Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan, when questioned by Guyana Times assured that the awardee was found to be the most suitable among the four other bidders for the project.

But on Sunday, Cevon’s Waste Management came out swinging, contending that the process for the award of the contract was rather “unfair”, and had moved to file a protest with the Bid Protest Committee (BPC). Cevon’s cited low price, technical competence, operation methodology and past performance as reasons for the protest.

On Tuesday, the Communities Ministry said the contention made by Cevon’s Waste Management – of the decision to award the contract for the management of the Haags Bosch Landfill site to Puran Brothers Disposal Inc was unfair and

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan

biased – is without merit.

It said efforts to bring relief to residents of Eccles and neighbouring communities have been, over the past several months, working to ensure that the Haags Bosch Landfill facility be transformed into a site which complies with international and environmental standards.

“Due to this effort, a contract was signed on July 14, 2016 between the Ministry of Communities and Puran Brothers Disposal Inc with the aim of enhancing the aesthetics and implementing regulations that are in accordance with the relevant health standards”.

The Ministry said it remains committed to ensuring that new measures are implemented to guarantee the effective management of waste.

“The Ministry of

Communities wishes to assure the public that claims

by Cevon’s that the company was sidelined are inaccurate and reiterates that the tender process was based on the stipulated criteria as outlined in the Procurement Act”.

At the signing of the contract, Bulkan said that the signing of the new contract provides for different and improved features, including the use of a compactor unit to more efficiently manage the waste and to extend the duration and life of the landfill site.

“There will be daily cover of the waste to prevent odour and other unsanitary effects.

There will also be proper fire fighting equipment,” he said, since there have been numerous bouts of fires during the last couple of months, following the departure of the previous contractor.

The Communities Minister said it is expected that a “fresh approach” from what was said was the continuation of an intended meaningful relationship between Central and Local Government.

The Minister, along with senior officials within his Ministry and representatives of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and the contracted firm, had gathered in the boardroom of the site’s administrative building, at Eccles, to sign the contract.

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Persons at the funeral service of Antonio and Joshua George

he two children who died during a fire at the Hadfield Street Drop-in Centre earlier this month, were laid to rest at an emotional funeral service held at the New Covenant Ministries Church on Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge on Tuesday.

Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) Ann Greene, disclosed that the two brothers – Antonio George, 6; and his two-year-old brother Joshua George, along with three other siblings were taken into care at the Centre two days prior to their demise.

This was after an investigation into allegations

that they were neglected and abused by their relatives.

She relayed that as per routine, the CC&PA took the children for medical attention the following day and it was confirmed that they were victims of neglect and maltreatment.

However, on the day that the children were supposed to be given to the care of relatives, the two young brothers perished in a fire which occurred at the Dropin Centre.

It was reported that the younger brother was asleep in the dormitory when the fire started and as the elder brother was being taken out of the building by care-

givers, he rushed back in to save his brother. However, he became trapped in the building.

Greene at a press briefing following the incident stated that the Social Protection Ministry would take full responsibility for the tragic incident and bear the full cost of the funeral for the young children.

President David Granger has since ordered an inquiry into the incident.

On Tuesday, Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence, Minister within the Social Protection Ministry Keith Scott, and other Ministry officials were at the funeral to pay their respects.

wednesday, july 20, 2016

guyana-times.com

Respect for the Guru: teachers who remove darkness I

By Hindus For Selfless Service (HSS)

n Hinduism, the one who teaches through his own example, is known as Guru – one who removes the darkness from your eyes. His position is summarised by the prayer: Gurubrahma Guruvishnu Gururdevo Maheshwaraha | Guruhu sakshaat Parambrahman tasmai Shrigurave namaha | (Guru is Brahma… Guru is Vishnu…. Guru is Mahesh (Shiva).

The Guru is Parambrahman (God).

Thus respect Guru) Hindus are supposed to pay their humble homage (Guru Puja) to their respective Gurus on Guru Purnima which was observed on Tuesday, July 19.

In Hindu culture, Guru is worshipped before God, since God wouldn't have been known without Guru. An individual who is devoted to the Lord, carries no ignorance or arrogance, knows of the eternal wealth, the Vedas and lives a simple life is worthy of being called a Guru.

The Hindus for Selfless Service worship the triangular saffron flag of ancient times, called the Bhagwad Dhwaj, as their Guru. On Guru Purnima day, they perform Guru puja and offer Guru dashina which alone becomes the financial resource for the organisation's operations.

The question has been asked as to why a flag is the Guru and why not consider an individual as the Guru? The answer is there have been various sages (saints), teachers and spiritual leaders who have been teaching countless individuals. But, is there any one who can

be looked upon as the preceptor for the entire Hindu people – for all their past, present and future generations?

Obviously, no individual can play that role. A human being is after all mortal and, however great, has his own limitations. He cannot be a permanent guide for all time to come. But there is one who can be a permanent guide to all for all the time! Sacred Bhagwad Dhwaj (saffron flag)!

The sacred Bhagwad Dhwaj that represents all the Gurus, is worshipped as the Guru of the entire Hindu society.

That is why the HSS considers Bhagava Dhwaj as a Guru.

The Bhagwad Dhwaj is an ancient as the Hindu people themselves. It has flown over the hermitages of the seers and sanyaasins and also over the celestial palaces of emperors. It has flown triumphantly over the battlefields of freedom struggle and has symbolised the immortal spirit of freedom in the Hindu mind.

It is the one supreme symbol held in universal reverence by all sects and castes, and all creeds and faiths of the Hindu people. It is in fact the greatest unifying symbol of the entire Hindu world. The colour of the Bhagava Dhwaj – the saffron, depicts sacrifice and service. The flames rising from the yajna are saffron in colour and indeed reflect this spirit.

Every year on that day, Guru Purnima, members of HSS observe the day where they pay their respects and gave their offerings(dakshanas) to the flag which in turn helps the organisation itself.

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16 news

wednESday, july 20, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Trump gets GOP's stamp of approval

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hirteen months after launching an improbable bid for the White House, Donald Trump captured the 2016 Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday, having vanquished 16 party rivals, warred with much of its establishment and provoked controversy at every turn.

His eldest child, Donald Trump Jr., announced the support of New York, their home state, during a rollcall vote at the Republican National Convention, ensuring Trump had the majority of delegates - 1,237 needed to contest the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential election against presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

With three of the candidate's other children at his side, the younger Trump said: "It is my honor to be able to throw Donald Trump over the top in the delegate count tonight."

"Congratulations, Dad.

We love you," he said.

Trump's Democratic rival, Clinton, was quick to respond, tweeting after the vote: "Donald Trump just became the Republican nominee. Chip in now to make sure he never steps foot in the Oval Office."

Trump won with 1,725 delegates, followed by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas with 475 delegates, Ohio Governor John Kasich with 120 and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida with 114. Three other candidates emerged with a total of 12 delegates.

After the presidential vote, the convention by voice vote nominated Indiana Governor Mike Pence, 57, Trump's choice for his vice presidential running mate.

Speaking to the convention for the first time since winning the nomination, Trump appeared on a video screen from New York promising to win the election in November, create

Donald Trump

jobs, strengthen the military, safeguard U.S. borders and "restore law and order" in the United States.

The state-by-state vote to put Trump's name in nomination took place a day after opponents staged a failed attempt to force a vote opposing his candidacy, and after a speech by his wife, Melania, drew accusations of plagiarism.

A wealthy New York real

estate developer best known to Americans for his starring role in a long-running TV show, "The Apprentice," where his catchphrase was "You're fired," the 70-yearold Trump was a long shot when he entered the race for the Republican nomination more than a year ago, having never held elected office.

Speaker after speaker on Tuesday, the second day of the four-day convention at Cleveland's Quicken Loans basketball arena, took aim at Clinton, presenting her as out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Americans and the inheritor of President Barack Obama's "oppressive" administration.

This was on a day when, under the headline "Make America Work Again," speakers were meant to assail Obama's record on the economy during his nearly eight years in power. (Reuters)

Ramsammy’s Ruminations APNU/AFC has completely hijacked Guyana’s Parliament

B

ishop George, the former Anglican Bishop of Guyana, passed away on Monday. Guyana lost a great son that brought pride and dignity to our country and our people.

Bishop George saw that politics had brought disgrace and suffering to our people post-independence and he became a vigorous voice in demanding democracy in our country. He was a freedom fighter. I send my profound sympathies to his family, his Anglican sisters and brothers and all his comrades in Guyana. His life is worth celebrating; his name has an indelible place in the annals of Guyana’s history.

His was an authentic voice in the fight to restore democracy in the 1970s and 1980s.He must have been pleased that since October 5, Dr Leslie Ramsammy 1992, Guyana has progressed gradually. No one can deny that our economy has grown manifold since then, from about US$250 per capita to about US$4000. The economy has expanded whereas rice, sugar and bauxite still prevail, agriculture and manufacturing have grown by leaps and bounds; service, tourism and ICT are dynamic new economic sectors today. Oil is on the horizon. The private sector has resumed its role as an engine of growth and development.

Life expectancy is today 71. It had risen to 60 by 1964, but was threatening to fall under 60 again by 1992. Child and maternal mortality rates have improved dramatically, with child mortality improving from about 120 per 1000 in 1990 to under 20 today and maternal mortality improving from about 400 per 100,000 in 1990 to about 100 today. Poverty has been reduced from about 66% and 88% in 1990 to under 20% today.

Clive Thomas, one of Bishop George’s comrades at the time, wrote and spoke extensively then of the despair that existed in Guyana.

Incidentally, our children dominate at CXC today, our infrastructure is being expanded and modernised, greater than 90 per cent of Guyanese have access to potable water and electricity. The number of people living in their own homes has more than doubled and the number of people who use safe sanitation has increased several-fold. More people own their own vehicles, TV, telephones, modern cooking equipment and things like washing machines.

Bishop George dies at a time when Guyana is truly a very different country than it was in 1992. He had seen by 1992, after almost three decades of dictatorial rule, how Guyana had become a poverty-stricken country, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, with a totally dilapidated infrastructure and an economy that had hit bottom. The commanding heights of the economy were State-controlled. Sugar, rice and bauxite had collapsed. Mining and forestry were part of the parallel economy which was several times larger than the formal economy. The country’s money deteriorated from $2 to one US dollar to $125.

In 1992, Guyana was a country where people lived in utter despair, where people lived in fear and where the social welfare needs of our people were unmet. Health, education, water, housing, sanitation and other needs of people were ignored and unmet and the social sector total expenditure in the nation’s budget was under 10 per cent. These facts are confessions in the last budget presented by Carl Greenidge, the then Minister of Finance and now Minister of Foreign Affairs.

One of Bishop George’s alarms in the pre-1992 Guyana was the total disregard and emaciation of Guyana’s Parliament.

The then People’s National Congress had hijacked Guyana’s Parliament and used it to humiliate the Opposition and to rubber stamp the authoritarian rule of the PNC. The Leader of the Opposition was banned from speaking in Parliament. Bishop George insisted that Parliament was critical for good governance and for development.

The development in our Parliament since 1992 must have warmed Bishop George’s heart. It became an important part of shared governance in our country. The various sector committees, together with the Public Accounts Committee and Special Select Committees, gave the Parliament the power to hold Government accountable. All large and complex bills were referred to Special Select Committees as a rule, not the exception and not the option of Government, but imperatives.

No bill was passed with all three stages at one sitting. The ability of MPs to question Ministers was a standard feature of the Parliament. Parliament made sure that laws created avenues for shared governance, for increased participation of political and civil societies and in appointments to statutory bodies.

But at the time of his death, Bishop George must have become worried that Guyana’s Parliament – the central institution of democracy – is facing a crisis of legitimacy. APNU/AFC has rapidly destroyed these developments. Sector and Special Select Committees rarely meet now, the executive dominates the agenda, bills are rarely referred to Special Select Committees, the Speaker denies the right of MPs to ask questions and present motions, and bills are passed through all stages in the same day.

Now powers of Ministers have become extreme. Parliament is no longer a deliberative body championing democracy, but a central institution to move dictatorship forward.

Send comments to doc_ram@hotmail.com

news

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wednesDay, july 20, 2016 | guyanatimesGY.com

Cabinet’s ‘no-objection’ role to be phased out – Sharma

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he establishment of the five-member Public Procurement Commission (PPC), which is currently marred by delays before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), will see the phasing out of Cabinet’s role in giving its ‘no-objection’ to the procurement process.

This is according to Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma, who noted that before this could come into effect the Public Procurement Commission would have to be in place.

However, he pointed out that in the absence of such a Commission, then in accordance with the laws, Government would now have to increase the ceiling on contracts’ value that Cabinet is required to give its no-objection on.

As it is presently, the Procurement Act provides for Cabinet to review contacts exceeding the value of $15 million. However, the Junior Finance Minister hinted that this amount could increase to $40 million to $50 million.

According to the law, Cabinet and the Public Procurement Commission, upon its establishment, shall review annually, the

Cabinet’s threshold for review of procurement, with the objective of increasing that threshold over time so as to promote the goal of progressively phasing out Cabinet’s involvement and decentralising the procurement process.

“In the interim, if the Public Procurement Commission is not established, Cabinet should have been increasing (the ceiling) every year… The law stipulates that Cabinet’s role should be phased out and by Government increasing the limit, is an indication that we are going to phase out,” he stated.

Sharma noted that when contracts were before Cabinet for its ‘no-objection’, Ministers were very vocal and objective about their positions and this often resulted in the process being stymied.

“If a Minister objects to (a contract), the project will have to go back to the tender board and be re-evaluated and then returned back (to Cabinet) and that in itself is holding it up. So the Public Procurement Commission is needed,” he stated.

Minister Sharma was at the time speaking with reporters after the open-

Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma

ing ceremony of a one-day sensitisation workshop on public procurement hosted by CARIFORUM and the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) on Tuesday.

During his remarks to the gathering, the Junior Finance Minister outlined that the delayed establishment of the Public Procurement Commission was not preventing Government from taking appropriate steps to ensure that there was a transparent and accountable procurement process.

He noted that among the measures put in place by Government, in the interim, was increasing the limit on contracts processed at various levels, starting from the ministerial boards to the regional tender boards and then the National Tender Board.

“Increasing limits assist the various boards to process larger amounts in terms of contracts so that they don’t have to send it to the National Board for considerations. So, at their level, they can facilitate that process,” he stated.

Additionally, Sharma noted that Cabinet also looked at the proposal of

increasing the number of evaluators available to Government.

Currently, evaluators are made up of public servants such as Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Department.

The Minister explained that “by increasing the number of evaluators, you make it possible for persons to meet on a regular basis so that they can evaluate and report to the various boards on that evaluation and the award will be made. So it’s an effort to speed up the process so contracts will be awarded ...more speedily...”

The Junior Finance Minister went on to say another step taken by

Government to ensure transparency and accountability was the implementation of the ‘Bid Protest Committee’, which allows contractors who were not satisfied with the evaluation to make an objection to the process.

He pointed out that already one company has made an objection to the Committee.

That company is Cevon’s Waste Management Inc which filed objections to the award of the $221 million contract to Puran Brothers Inc for the management of the Haags-Bosch Landfill site at Eccles, East Bank Demerara.

Contractor charged for making false declaration … allegedly had more than US$10,000 at CJIA

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contractor was on Tuesday charged for knowingly making a declaration on an immigration form to be untrue when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Clairmont Reid of Lot 197 South Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara, pleaded

not guilty to the charge when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

It was alleged that on June 6, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Reid made an untrue declaration on an immigration form which stated that he was not carrying more than US$10,000, when in fact he

had TT$139,135 in his possession – the equivalent of US$20782.22.

The defence Attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat made a successful bail application, despite objections by the Prosecutor Deniro Jones.

Reid was granted bail in the sum of $100, 000. The case will continue on September 8.

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guyana-times.com

wednesday, july 20, 2016

ARCHIE

Don’t be fooled by a fast talker. Stay on top of your fi(March 21- nancial situation. The appreApril 19) ciation you get for helping others will be rewarding.

ARIES

Concentrate on negotiaTAURUS tions and situations that need (April 20- some attention. A personal May 20) or physical change will turn out better than anticipated.

Romance is encouraged.

dilbert

Taking short trips or visGEMINI iting friends or someone you (May 21can learn from will lead you June 20) on a new adventure. Soak in everything you see and hear, and incorporate what you can use into your everyday life.

Take a chance and visit a CANCER place you’ve never been be(June 21- fore or consider signing up for July 22) an event or activity that will bring out your creative talents. Reconnect with an old friend.

Peanuts

If you share your feelLEO ings, you will be able to re(July 23solve issues that concern you.

Aug. 22) A change will give you a new lease on life. Romance and personal improvements are highlighted.

Calvin and Hobbes

Seize the moment and VIRGO take advantage of a sugges(Aug. 23Sept. 22) tion someone makes. A partnership will inspire you to try something you’ve never done before. Helping others will be gratifying.

LIBRA If you look at the bright (Sept. 23- side of a situation, you will Oct. 23) come out a winner. You should be able to coax someone you enjoy being with to take part in your escapades.

WORD GAME TODAY’S WORD – MAJESTIC

SUDOKU

You will have to make a SAGITTARIUS choice. You can chase a dream (Nov. 23- or you can establish a strateDec. 21) gy that has the potential to bring greater security and stability to your life.

(MAJESTIC: muh-JES-tik: Having or showing impressive dignity or nobility.)

Average mark 28 words Time limit 40 minutes Can you find 43 or more words in MAJESTIC? The list will be published tomorrow.

YESTERDAY’S WORD – DECORUM

decor demo demur doer dome dorm dour drum ecru euro cero

code coed come comer cord core corm credo crude cued curd

cure odeum redo rode roue rude rued more moue

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

You don’t have to say yes SCORPIO to every request that comes (Oct. 24your way.

Divvy up your time Nov. 22) carefully to ensure that you take care of your own concerns first and foremost.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

If you sign a contract or CAPRICORN develop a plan that includes (Dec. 22- someone you want to collabJan. 19) orate with, you will benefit from the outcome. High energy coupled with determination will lead to success.

Don’t worry about what AQUARIUS (Jan. 20- anyone else is doing. Consider Feb. 19) what you enjoy doing most and use your skills and knowledge to develop what you want to achieve. Romance is featured.

PISCES Offer your services in order (Feb. 20- to enjoy the benefits that you March 20) will receive in return. Taking a different approach to whatever you do will distinguish you as a free thinker.

wednesDAY, july 20, 2016

19

Yasir Shah first legspinner in GCC hosting 10/10 to kick 11 years to be ranked No 1 start Bourda restoration − Smith is No 1 ranked batsman

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akistan legspinner Yasir Shah has displaced England quick James Anderson from the No. 1 spot in the ICC rankings for Test bowlers. Yasir is the first legspinner since Shane Warne in 2005 to be ranked No. 1, and the first Pakistan bowler since Mushtaq Ahmed in December 1996.

Yasir’s rise to the top came as a result of his performance in the first Test against England at Lord’s, where he took 10 for 141 to bowl Pakistan to a 75run victory. Anderson did not play the game because he was recovering from a shoulder injury.

Yasir has 86 wickets from 13 Tests - the most by any bowler after that many games - and has a chance of breaking a 120-year old record - the fastest to 100 Test wick-

Yasir Shah

James Anderson

Steven Smith

ets. George Lohmann, the England bowler, had reached the mark in 16 matches in 1896.

Yasir was ranked No. 4 before the start of the England tour, but a com-

T

pelling display on a daytwo pitch offering no turn and remarkable exploitation of a wearing pitch and worried batsmen on day four pushed him up three places. His 6 for 72 in the first innings and 4 for 69 in the second made him the first legspinner to claim a 10-for at Lord’s.

Among his wickets was a vicious legbreak that pitched a considerable distance outside the left-

handed Gary Ballance’s off stump and turned square to hit leg stump, invoking memories of Shane Warne bowling Andrew Strauss in Edgbaston in the 2005 Ashes.

The Lord’s Test was Yasir’s first outside the subcontinent and his 10 for 141 is his best bowling performance in a match.

Chris Woakes, England’s standout player in their home summer, has vaulted 28 places up the bowlers’ rankings after his 11 for 102. He is at No. 36.

Anderson, who is likely to return for the second Test at Old Trafford from July 22, dropped down to third place with Stuart

Broad at fourth. India offspinner R Aswhin, who is in the West Indies preparing for a four-Test series, is at No. 2.

Australia captain Steven Smith is the topranked Test batsman, followed by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, South Africa’s Hashim Amla.

No West Indian is in the top 20 in either category with Kemar Roach the highest ranked bowler at 21 while Darren Bravo is ranked 23 among the batsmen. (ESPN Cricinfo) ICC Test rankings Bowlers: 1 Yasir Shah, 2 R Ashwin, 3 James Anderson, 4 Stuart Broad, 5 Dale Steyn, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Trent Boult, 8 Josh Hazlewood, 9 Morne Morkel, 10 Vernon Philander; 21 Kemar Roach Batsmen: 1 Steven Smith, 2 Kane Williamson, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Joe Root, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Adam Voges, 7 Younis Khan, 8 David Warner, 9 Misbah-ul-Haq, 10 Angelo Mathews; 23 Darren Bravo

Woods to miss US PGA tour

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iger Woods has withdrawn from the US PGA, meaning he will miss all four majors in a calendar year for the first time since his Masters debut in 1995.

American Woods, 40, has not played tournament golf in almost a year and had two operations last autumn in an attempt to cure a back

Tiger Woods to miss US PGA Tour

problem.

His agent has confirmed he will not play for the rest of this season as he is not ready for “competitive golf”.

Woods has not won a major since 2008 US Open The 14-time major winner has dropped to a world ranking of 628. (BBC)

he legendary Georgetown Cricket Club ground known around the world as the Bourda Cricket Ground will be hosting a sponsored 10 overs-a-side softball cricket competition to kick start a series of fundraising events aimed primarily to the club’s infrastructural development.

The initiative is a collaborative effort with the GCC governing body and Paul’s Importer Distributor and will run from July 30-31 at the club’s ground.

The tournament will see 16 teams from across the country vying for over $500,000 in cash and prizes.

First place will walk away with $125,000 along with trophy; runner-up will collect $75,000 and a trophy while third place will receive $50,000 and a trophy However, there are also cash prizes for the best batsman, bowler and overall player.

Owner of Paul’s Import, Jaipaul Bharat, explained that not only players are winners, but fans too.

“Every supporter that owns a vehicle will receive a special Paul’s Importer/ Distributor Coupon for a 10% discount on any branded product throughout the month of August.”

Further to that, on match days, patrons may participate in a small raffle at the cost of $200 per ticket for instant prizes compliments of the various

The world famous GCC, Bourda was sometimes called the ‘billiards table ground and batting paradise’

partners on board so far.

The 132 year old ground is recognized as the oldest ground in the Caribbean, having hosted a number of international matches including 30 test matches and at one time had an estimated capacity of 25,000.

Sadly, the ground has not hosted an international match since 2006 and lost international status but remains a first class venue.

The Bourda ground has deteriorated over the years and stakeholders are now trying to restore this piece of history to its former glory.

Club Captain, Graham Alli pointed out that the club was struggling to survive but managed to do so through the efforts of former cricketers and loyal club members.

“More needs to be done and we are looking for a few big fund raisers that will help us to renovate the club and hopefully one day return it to international status.”

The organisers are looking for 16 of the best teams to battle in the two day ex-

travaganza with an eye on the bigger picture, ‘Bourda Restoration.’ The first six teams to register will be outfitted with branded teeshirts and complimentary meals. Teams are asked to pay a registration fee of $30,000 and if they can gather at least 100 supporters they will get an additional $25,000.

Bourda is used extensively for Georgetown Cricket Association matches as well as a training ground for various national teams. The Guyana Cricket Board’s Administrative Office is also at the historic venue. The majority of work has to be done beyond the boundary and the club’s executives will be installing permanent lights very shortly which will aid in the very popular Friday night matches mainly for corporate entities.

Both Alli and Bharat said that the ‘Bourda Restoration’ is opened to everyone since many persons want to see the piece of international history restored for generations to come to fully appreciate.

Blyden scores maiden century in USA

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nce more Guyanese batsman Travis Blyden has inspired Pioneer Cricket Club to victory with a brilliant unbeaten century against Big Apple Cricket Club at the weekend. The right handed batsman smashed six sixes and seven fours in his top score of 127 not out to continue his good form in the USA leagues.

Opting to take first strike, Pioneer reached 222-6 in a game reduced to 35 over per side due to a late start. Blyden was the principal scorer and was supported by Paul Biggs who made 41. Former West Indies

Travis Blyden

and Guyana U-19 player Richard Ramdeen collected two wickets for Big Apple.

In reply, Ramdeen hit a blistering cameo of 37 which included four sixes and two fours while USA former captain Steve Massiah hit 36 as their team fell for 115 in 20 overs. They loss by a huge margin of 107 runs as Chris Cleveland spearheaded Pioneer with four wickets. Blyden claimed one wicket with his leg spin bowling.

Since joining the team, Blyden has offer much with the bat and his century was his first adding to three fifties. As a result Pioneer has recorded three successive wins and is now fifth on the points table.

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guyana-times.com

wednesDAY, july 20, 2016

Rio Olympics 2016…

Russia must wait to know its fate

T

he International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it will “explore the legal options” before deciding whether to implement “a collective ban” on all Russian competitors for the global showpiece, which starts on 5 August.

In the meantime, the IOC says it plans to re-test all Russians who competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

This follows the findings of the McLaren report, which said urine samples of Russian competitors were manipulated across the “vast majority” of summer and winter

The IOC will explore the legal possibilities of banning Russia from the Rio Games

Olympic sports from late 2011 to August 2015.

The IOC also said it will: * Not organise or back any sports events or meet-

ings in Russia, including the European Games, scheduled for June 2019; * Start disciplinary action against Russian officials

named in the report compiled

by Dr Richard McLaren; * Ban Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko from the Rio Games; * Urge McLaren to continue his work and name individual Russian cheats; * Encourage individual sports federations to look for any Russian infringements of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code.

Mutko said on Tuesday there was “no state doping schemes in Russia”.

Calls for a blanket ban on Russia - from both the Olympics and Paralympics followed the publication of the McLaren report on Monday.

The IOC says it will first “take into consideration” a ruling, to be made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ) on Thursday, on the legality of banning all of Russia’s track and field athletes.

IOC president Thomas Bach said the findings of the report were a “shocking and unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport and on the Olympic Games”.

Wada president Sir Craig Reedie described the “scope and scale” of the findings as a “real horror story”.

He said his organisation wanted the IOC to “decline entries, for Rio 2016, of all athletes” submitted by the Russian Olympic and Paralympic committees. (BBC Sport)

Nadal and Federer withdraw from Roger’s Cup

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal announced their withdrawal from Roger’s Cup

A

fter Andy Murray pulled out on Monday, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have announced their withdrawals from next week’s Rogers Cup. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have pulled out of next week’s Rogers Cup, Tennis Canada confirmed on Tuesday.

World number three Federer said he needed more rest after his run to the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier this month, while Nadal has not featured since withdrawing from the French Open in May with a wrist injury.

Tuesday’s announcement follows confirmation that Wimbledon winner and reigning Rogers Cup champion Andy Murray will also not feature at the ATP 1000 event in Toronto, also citing the need for rest.

“I have made the tough decision to withdraw from the Rogers Cup,” said Federer.

“Toronto is one of my favourite events on the calendar

and I am disappointed that I won’t be able to compete in front of the great tennis fans in Canada.

“Looking ahead, it is best for me that I take more time after Wimbledon. I look forward to coming back to Canada next year and I wish [tournament director] Karl Hale and everyone at Tennis Canada a very successful tournament.”

“I am disappointed to announce I won’t be able to come to Toronto to play this year,” added Nadal.

“I only started practicing a week ago after my wrist injury and I am not ready to play such an important event.

“I am very much looking forward to playing in Toronto in a couple of years since I have always been treated great in that tournament and have a lot of great Canadian fans.”

Canada’s Vasek Pospisil will now take his place in the main draw, with the other spot to be taken by a wildcard entry. (Sportsmax)

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e m n a r i n e Chattergoon, the eldest of the Chattergoon brothers and his youngest sibling Harrinenarine Chattergoon, will compete against each other on Saturday when the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) runs off its annual Family Day Event with an All-Star 15-over competition.

The action is billed for the Ashtonbee facility in Scarborough where Hemnarine will be representing the Conference A AllStar team and Harrienarine is set to turn out for the Conference B side.

Before this encounter, the Caribbean Sensationsponsored 10-10 final will be played between top team Dant and Betterhope at the same venue. In the consolation category, East Coast will collide with Caribbean Sensation X1 commencing at 09:00 am on two separate pitches.

Hemnarine, a former Guyana and West Indies Under-19 batsman, will also be featuring for Dant. Dant has been in phenomenal form since the commencement of the OSCL season in all three versions (10, 15 and 20-overs).

Ex-West Indies opening batsman Sewnarine Chattergoon, is the second of the four brothers while Ramnarine Chattergoon, another first-class player, is the other Chattergoon

Sewnarine Chattergoon

Hemnarine Chattergoon

brother.

Apart from the Chattergoon brothers on show, several players with national status for Guyana at both the youth and senior levels will also be participating for various teams throughout the day. Those included Damodar Daesrath, Krishna Deosaran, Rovendra Mandolall, Trevon Garraway, Shaun Deonandan, Riaz Kadir, Aftab Shamsudeen (Canada International player), Eion Katchay among others.

Meanwhile, president of the OSCL, Albert Ramcharran commented that the day’s event promised to be exciting with these two games along with a Kids 5-over match.

The Canadian-based Guyanese stated that the yearly cricket matches are able to attract a large Canadian-based Guyanese to witness the traditionally entertaining softball extravaganza.

“We [are] delighted to have another Family Day Event and with these two matches in place, we can expect the same level of excitement come Saturday; we have invited representatives from the Guyana Consulate in Toronto and the wider Guyanese diaspora to be part of the event,” Ramcharran declared.

Conference A All-Star team reads: Ian Baldeo, Hemnarine Chattergoon, Pradeep Singh, Sunil Ramkissoon, Shaun Deonandan, Zakir Khan, Kumar Doodnauth, Damian Kissoon, Bobby Parasnauth, Dan Patram and Gopaulchand Beharry.

Conference B AllStars side reads: Danold Hariprashad, Robin Kanhai, Rovendra Mandolall, Vishal Balram, Rawl Scott, Harienarine Chattergoon, Dinanauth Mangru, Ashok Ramjass, Richard Rossan, Surendra Sukhram and Ron Etwaroo.

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Monty Lynch grooming young cricketers during vacation

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ead Coach of the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), Monty Lynch is welcoming young talents to join in on the training sessions while school is out which may kick start great cricketing careers.

In an interview with the Guyana Times Sport Lynch noted that there are approximately 60 youngsters already exposed to the training with a large percentage being new comers.

“The 60 students are all within the age range of 11-17 years old and we are looking forward to having a lot more aspiring cricketers joining the class, especially as young as eight years old.” The coach said.

The sessions are free and the children are exposed to the more technical aspect of the game including proper batting and bowling skills while fielding techniques, decision making and strategizing are also encouraged.

Lynch who played three One Day Internationals for England is also passionate about the reimplementation of proper cricket training in the school system having been further motivated by prospects from schools such as Queen’s College, The

Some of the youngsters at a training session

Bishops’ High School and St. John’s College.

Speaking to a few of the boys in the session, the teenagers expressed gratitude in the efforts made by the GCC and Coach Lynch.

The sessions are usually divided into two groups with the younger ones training in the first half of the day while the older bunch are guided in the afternoons. Training sessions are hosted at the club located at Regent Road and Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.

Lynch was adamant about his aim to revive the spirit of cricket in Guyana and bring back the glory of having a strong Guyanese contingent dominating the West Indies like they did in the past.

The coach is encouraging parents to bring their children out to gain the experience of a quality sport rather than to allow them to sit at home on mobile devices. He highlighted that the sport teaches discipline as well as increases fitness levels. Additionally, the sport is great for keeping young boys out of trouble and being gainfully occupied.

Lynch, who scored over 22,000 First Class runs, holds a Level 3 coaching certificate and has experience in England, Argentina and Zimbabwe.

He played for Surrey and Gloucestershire and in addition to the three international appearances for England in 1988.

22

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

wednesDAY, july 20, 2016

Zouks fans to benefit from ‘Darren Sammy Special’ for opening game

T

he St. Lucia Zouks are gearing up for the home leg of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and tournament organisers are delighted to announce that to celebrate the historic re-naming of the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, and the Johnson Charles stand on Thursday, 21 July (6pm start) against St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, fans can avail of a 50% discount on all tickets.

Fans who have already

purchased tickets can either receive an extra ticket free or a 50% refund. So you can come for the opening and stay for the cricket – all at 50% off the cost of entry!

Gates will open at 3.30pm on Thursday, with the commissioning of the newly re-named Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium set to start at 4.30pm. The St. Lucia Zouks game against the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots will then start at 6pm.

Looking ahead to the St. Lucia leg of matches, Mr. Pete Russell, Chief Operations Officer of the Hero CPL said: “We are delighted to announce details of a significant discount for Zouks fans for Thursday’s game against the Patriots which will no doubt prove very attractive for the St. Lucia public.

“I would like to thank the St. Lucia government and Digicel, who are fantastic sponsors of the Hero CPL, for making this special of-

The newly renamed Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, previously known as the Beauséjour Stadium

fer possible. Thursday’s game will be a momentous occasion for cricket across the island and we want as many fans as possible to pack out the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium and make it a real fortress as the team begins a new and exciting chapter. The message to fans is get your tickets early to avoid disappointment because you do not want to miss out.”

St. Lucia Zouks captain Darren Sammy said: “I would like to thank the St. Lucia government, the Hero CPL and Digicel for making this special opportunity for Zouks fans to be a part of history. Thursday is going to be a special day for me, my family and the entire island whom I am so proud to represent. The team are really focused on getting back to winning ways and you can rest assured that playing in front of a packed stadium can inspire us as we bid to reach the play-offs for the first time.

“I would urge everyone to get your tickets early and savour what will be a fantastic occasion for St. Lucia. I know that with your support it can help inspire us to glory in the days and weeks ahead.”

In addition to top quality cricket, as Darren Sammy’s men get set to welcome the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots (21 July), Barbados Tridents (23 July), Guyana Amazon Warriors (24 July) and Trinbago Knight Riders (26 July), there will be a number of events off the field which will have a strong Hero CPL presence at a number of Carnival events where Ms. St. Lucia Zouks will be present.

The Zouks’ opening home match against the Patriots is one not to be missed as it will mark the launch of the newly renamed 12,400 capacity Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, previously known as the Beauséjour Stadium.

Fans will also get to be a part of history for the opening of the newly-renamed Johnson Charles Stand as the island honours two of its favourite sons who both played a significant part in the West Indies ICC World T20 success earlier this year.

St. Lucia Zouks Home Fixtures (all times local): 21 July – St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots (18:00h), 23 July – Barbados Tridents (12 Midday), 24 July – Guyana Amazon Warriors (17:00h), 26 July – Trinbago Knight Riders (18:00h) St. Lucia Zouks: David Miller, Shane Watson, Darren Sammy (captain), Michael Hussey, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Morne Morkel, Jerome Taylor, Derone Davis, Grant Elliott, Kristopher Ramsaran, Shane Shillingford, Delorn Johnson, Kyle Mayers, Keddy Lesporis, Nitish Kumar, Gidron Pope

23

guyana-times.com

wednesdAY, july 20, 2016

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2016…

Visiting Tridents last threat for hosts Tallawahs

J

amaica Tallawahs’ good showing in this year’s Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) continued on Monday with a comfortable win over Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR). That victory allows the Tallawahs to start tonight’s game against Barbados Tridents as points leaders for the first time in this year’s tournament. And the way they have been executing on match days it will be a difficult task for the Tridents to win.

The Tallawahs have lost just one game and are currently enjoying a perfect home run with three wins in as many matches.

They have defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots and TKR in their home matches and during the process, knocked Warriors out of the summit to claim that spot.

Like the Warriors, the Tallawahs are playing good at home and looks the team to beat. They have managed their home success due to a combination of discipline bowling and responsible batting, excluding any spectacular from their maestro and captain Chris Gayle.

Jamaica is heavily dependent on Gayle’s batting performance like any other franchise he plays for. However, in the last two games the talismanic batsman has returned poor scores of 1 and 0.

Prior to those two lackluster innings the prolific left hander was outstanding with significant knocks of 51, 108 not out, 47 not out and 45 not out and as predicted, would like to find form in tonight’s fierce battle.

If he comes big or not tonight then the progressive batting line up which comprise of Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakarra, Shakib Al Hassan, the explosive Andre Russell and Rovman

Powell, is expected to continue on similar paths as they did in the previous two matches.

Not as aggressive as a Gayle or Powell or Russell, the overseas duo of Sangakarra and Shakib will stabilize the middle order and provide room for big hitting in the Tallawahs’ batting order. So if Gayle misfires then the big shots are provided by Powell and or Russell. Chadwick Walton is also an entertaining batsman but has been out of form recently.

Jamaica’s bowling is by no means the best in the tournament but it has standout so far under the leadership of hostile South African fast man Dale Steyn, who will be playing his last game tonight before returning home. He has marshaled an attack that has executed at almost every given opportunity and has been a tower for opposition batsmen.

Apart from Steyn, rookie fast bowler Kesrick Williams seems to be learning quickly, delivering some impressive spells to date. He continues to be destructive as well as economical in his spell and forms quality partnership with other bowlers whether opening the bowling or doing so elsewhere.

Besides the seamers Steyn and Williams, the Tallawahs could rely on spinners, namely Shakib, Gary Mathurin or Imad Wasim, all left arm spinners along with all-rounder Russell to restrict oppositions.

However, withstanding Jamaica’s current flourish, Barbados is expected to be a threat in tonight’s encounter.

Twenty year old explosive left hand batsman Nicholas Pooran, Shoaib Malik and Kieron Pollard should be of concern for the Tallawahs, since on any given day any one of those batsmen could

Mustafizur set for Sussex debut

M

ustafizur Rahman, the Bangladesh left-arm seamer, will fly to London on Wednesday morning after finally receiving his UK visa on Tuesday afternoon in Dhaka. This means he will be available for Sussex’s NatWest T20 Blast game against Essex in Chelmsford, on July 21.

Mustafizur can now play at least seven games for the county side in the T20 and one-day competition.

Mustafizur’s departure had been delayed by seven days because of visa issues, after he could not leave on July 13 as planned. During that period, he worked on his fitness in Dhaka, after returning from a triumphant IPL campaign with multiple leg injuries.

The recovery took nearly a month, after which the BCB medical staff passed him fit. Bangladesh coach

Mustafizur Rahman

Chandika Hathurusingha said that a season in England would benefit Mustafizur immensely, although he was initially reluctant about the county stint. Sussex had signed him as their second overseas player, after New Zealand’s Ross Taylor, for 2016, in March. (ESPN Cricinfo)

take a game completely away from the opposition as was shown in the Tridents last match against the St. Lucia Zouks where Pooran (81) recorded his highest T20 score.

For the first time this year the Tridents will play without marquee players AB de Villiers and Wayne Parnell, however, their replacement are expected to bring similar enthusiasm and effectiveness to the Tridents cause. The duo will be replaced by Proteas fast bowler Merchant de Lange and Pakistan top order batsman Ahmed Shehzad who will be available for tonight’s clash.

Shehzad’s inclusion could serve as a surplus to the Tridents since he formerly represented the Tallawahs and might know a trick or two of the Jamaican skipper.

David Wiese is also expected to make a return in Parnell’s position after he had an ordinary start to the tournament in the Tridents’ first four games.

Wiese and the rest of the Tridents bowlers must aim to be accurate to restrict the Tallawahs or it could be a lopsided affair for the host.

Prior to tonight’s match, the two teams met in an abandoned match in Barbados where the game finished close to the end of the first innings. Hopefully this time around the game is a completed and there is a winner.

A win for the Tallawahs would complete a perfect

Teams

home run with four wins from as many matches.

However, the Tridents are the last team standing in their way.

The game is scheduled to start at 21:00 hrs.

Barbados TridentsKieron Pollard (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Shoaib Malik, Ravi Rampaul, Nicholas Pooran, David Wiese, Robin Petersen, Raymon Reifer, Ashley Nurse, Shamar Springer, Merchant de Lange, Akeal

Hosein, Imran Khan, Kyle Hope, Navin Stewart, Kyle Corbin, Steven Taylor.

Jamaica TallawahsChris Gayle (captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Andre Russell, Kumar Sangakkara, Imad Wasim, Dale Steyn, Rovman Powell, Chadwick Walton, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Andre McCarthy, Jonathan Foo, Alex Ross, Keswick Williams, Nkrumah Bonner, Garey Mathurin, Timroy Allen and Oshane Thomas.

Mat Won Lost N/R

Pts Net RR

Jamaica Tallawahs

7

5

1

1

11

+1.414

Guyana Amazon Warriors

7

5

2

0

10

+0.246

Barbados Tridents

6

3

2

1

7

+0.342

Trinbago Knight Riders

7

3

4

0

6

-0.102

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots

7

1

6

0

2

-0.916

St Lucia Zouks

4

1

3

0

2

-1.239

wednesdAY, july 20, 2016

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

Hero Caribbean Premier League 2016…

Visiting Tridents last threat for hosts Tallawahs Pg 23 Pg 23

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