to
…Harmon says conditions “unacceptable”
Fire razes Crane home, 5 homeless
Manickchand pleads for restoration of $10,000 cash grant
Woman, toddlers homeless after man sets house ablaze
Jerries mulls selling franchise
Man jailed for 13 years for killing wife in 2009
tuesday, july 14, 2015 | guyanatimesgy.com
Afather of one is the latest road fatality after he was killed on Sunday evening when the car in which he was travelling slammed into a concrete fence at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD), taking the road fatality rate to 59 thus far for the year.
The accident which occurred at about 20:00h has left four other persons injured. Dead is Ramdass Rayan Singh, 25, of Now and Never, Mahaicony ECD, while the injured are Rawle and Trevor Chichester and Rawle and Quacy Shepherd; all of Now and Never, Mahaicony.
Information reaching Guyana Times revealed that the five men left their homes and were on their way to another village to drop off some money for a friend when the accident occurred. The driver, who was allegedly speeding at the time of the accident, reportedly lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a turn and subsequently slammed into the concrete fence.
Singh would have sustained severe head and bodily injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival at the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital. Quacy Shepherd reported sustained a broken hip and Rawle Chichester ruptured his stomach. They were both admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Trevor Chichester and Rawle Shepherd were treated and sent away. The Guyana Police Force in a statement disclosed that Singh was driving
but information gathered by Guyana Times indicates otherwise.
Vanessa Singh, wife of the dead man, told this publication that her husband who worked at a saw mill in the area left home at about 19:00h with the four other men to
ever, after time elapsed, she reported attempted to make contact with him on his cellphone but it went to voicemail. After sometime, the devastated wife stated that a resident turned up at the house and informed her that Rayan was involved in an ac-
visit another friend, claiming that they had to drop off some money. As he left, he told her that he would not be gone for more than 15 minutes; how-
cident. As she enquired further, she was told that the car in which her husband was travelling crashed into a concrete fence.
She along with other relatives rushed to the scene where they saw the motorcar on the fence but none of the occupants were in sight. She was later told that the injured men were taken to the Mahaicony Hospital.
There, she noted that she was not allowed to see her husband but later received the dreadful news of his passing. The others who seriously injured were were subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. The grieving wife also related to Guyana Timesthat she was not able to speak with the others who are hospitalised or the two who were sent home to get a clearly idea as to what occurred. This publication understands that the occupants of the car were seen drinking at a popular shop in the area earlier in the day. Singh leaves to mourn his wife, one child, his parents and siblings. The Police have launched an investigation into the accident.
Foreign Affairs
Minister Carl Greenidge will be the guest speaker at the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) midyear Business Luncheon scheduled for Monday in the Grand Savannah Suite, Guyana Pegasus Hotel, Seawall Road, Kingston, Georgetown.
Greenidge recently accompanied President David Granger to the Caricom Heads of Government Summit where the President, in his inaugural address to this august body, strongly advocated for the Region’s support for Guyana against Venezuela’s aggressive moves to subsume the entire Essequibo county (5/8 of Guyana’s land mass) and all of our maritime Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
In a statement, the GMSA said Minister Greenidge was expected to bring the local and expatriate business community and the Diplomatic Corps up to date on the measures the Government was taking to address this threat to the nation’s progress. Representatives of the political Opposition, the
People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), are also expected to attend. The GMSA’s Business Luncheons have become a staple on the business landscape in Guyana. The forum provides a platform through which business owners could receive firsthand up-to-date information on national and international developments that could impact their businesses.
tuesday, july 14, 2015 |
By Vahnu Manikchand
The Indian Government has objected to the redirection of funds approved for the construction of a Specialty Hospital here into the upgrade of primary health, insisting that the new government would have to request a new line of credit to carry those plans.
Government recently announced that it was scrapping the multimillion-dollar Specialty Hospital Project and was seeking India’s approval to redirect the remaining money towards the improvement of the local primary health care sector.
The Specialty Hospital Project has been mired in controversy from its inception. Speaking to Guyana Times on Monday, Finance Minister Winston Jordan explained that during discussions with the Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingham, it was indicated that the approach Government has taken was against the rules and procedures of the Exim Bank of India. “He (Mahalingham) said that we cannot use the funds from the Specialty Hospital Project for any other projects than what it was intended for, even if the project is in the same health sector. So now we have to close that line of credit and make a request for a new one to fund the primary health care improvements, which is of priority for
us,” the Finance Minister stated. The previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration had entered into an agreement with the Indian Government to construct the Specialty Hospital, with a line of credit granted by India to the tune of US$18 million. Some US$4 million has been already expended on certain preliminary works. According to Jordan, Government will also have to move to close this US$18 million loan, which means that the US$14 million will be returned to the Indian Government and Guyana will only have a debt of US$4 million. However, the Minister disclosed that Government was yet to close this line of credit as it was still hoping to get the remaining money to fund the improvement of the primary health sector. Nevertheless, the Finance Minister outlined that the Government has commenced designing a proposal and upon completion will formally make a request to the Indian Exim Bank for a new line of credit. “We were assured that once the request is made, it will be given utmost priority,” Jordan added.
In an interview, High Commissioner Mahalingham told Guyana Times that he had not taken a decision on the way forward as yet. The Commissioner noted that he has to consult with his Government on the way forward and has conveyed this to Minister Jordan. “I have asked the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, to tell us how we should proceed further, so I’m waiting for that response,” he told this newspaper.
The Specialty Hospital was aimed at catering for complicated surgeries, ranging from heart operations, organ transplants to cosmetic surgery. In 2012, the contract was awarded to India-based company, Surendra Engineering, who was tasked with designing and building the controversial facility.
The current Administration, which was on the Opposition side of the House during the 10th Parliament, had heavily criticised the project. The coalition had even
cut the $1.25 billion that was budgeted for the hospital in 2013. The previous Administration had got $34.4 million as supplementary funding for the hospital in the 10th Parliament, and only because in the absence of then coalition Member of Parliament (MP) Volda Lawrence a vote had been taken for the funds.
However, citing instances of alleged fraud and delays, the Donald Ramotar Administration last year announced that it had terminated the contract of Surendra Engineering and subsequently filed a lawsuit against it for failing to honour its obligations. Government is yet to recover close to $1 billion from the company. The previous Administration was also hoping that the hospital would have been a pull factor bringing tourists and overseas-based Guyanese back to Guyana, for “health tourism”. However, the new Government said with the current state of affairs in the health sector, it was better that the construction of the hospital be put on the backburner. “The current thinking is that the monies being spent on the Specialty Hospital are better spent on the primary health care system. We have hospitals that are in need of funding including at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) and the hospital at Mabaruma also,” Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.
Editor: Nigel Williams
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The Greeks of yore gave western civilisation, and hence the world, an enduring influence of poetics in our intellectual tradition – of which the eponymous "Greek Tragedy" is arguably the most famous." The other, more popular view of a "Greek Tragedy" is the inevitable fall of the hero: "he always gets it in the end".
Today there seems to be the unfolding of a new Greek Tragedy which is bound to serve as a cautionary tale in the years ahead. "Grexit" is a conflation of "Greek exit" and refers to the game of "financial chicken" presently unfolding as to whether Greece will have to exit the Eurozone currency union it joined with great fanfare on January 1, 2001.
The European Monetary Union of 1999 was the culmination of a number of initiatives of post WWII Europe to form a unified institution that would demonstrate to the rest of the world a supra-national organisation, which would address the challenges of war and peace between nations. The European Economic Community (EEC) was one such body from the early 70's that served as a way station to the monetary union.
The European experiments at "unification" such as the EEC and its precursors, had also served as the inspiration for our own movement in that direction – CARIFTA and Caricom with its CSME. Many West Indians had despaired that we did not also go the route of a unified currency which was part of the original vision of Caricom. The problems identified then by our local leaders, however, for eschewing a monetary union are the very ones that have now sunken Greece: challenges presented by attempting unification of independent countries at significantly different stages of development.
The major challenge is that the national governments insist on crafting their individual strategies and plans for their societies and economies and resist directives from the supranational coordinating body. It is significant that the latter is not seen as a "governing" body – as with our Caricom Secretariat. It is not just a matter of unwieldy coordination but also pursuing objectives that might conflict with those of other member states. However the acceptance of a common currency unleashes several structural imperatives that remove local autonomy in economic policies, especially in reference to currency stabilisation.
But the case of Greece exposes another facet of international finance in which the old maxim of "might over right" predominates. Greece entered the Eurozone during an economic boom when easy credit was extended to Greek banks – because of the need to "intermediate" record profits – by the same Northern European banks that are demanding that Greece literally gives up its "firstborn" now. The Greeks passed on the "easy money" policy domestically and saw standards of living improve dramatically in their country. It was supposed to be a win-win scenario since the northern banks raked in further unprecedented profits.
But ever since the entire financial system of the US and Europe went belly up in 2008 because their banks had gamed the system, the lending banks demanded repayment of their loans up front, which poorer countries just couldn’t service. Countries such as Greece were told to institute "austerity programmes" focusing primarily on cutting social services so that funds could be freed up for the debt repayment.
That the same banks demanding payment were complicit in the tragedy unfolding by practically throwing the money at Greece is overlooked. It is reminiscent of the IMF making the same demands on countries like Guyana in the late seventies after throwing easy OPEC money on them. The Greeks have voted to reject the austerity route much as President Burnham had done in the 1980's.
It is the supreme irony that this time around, that the IMF is exhorting the Northern European banks to not insist on "austerity" unlike what they did to the third world. Or is it racism?
Dear Editor,
Now that the political dust is beginning to clear, it is imperative that the new government gets down to doing what governments are supposed to be doing, based on the explicit social contract they made at elections: people vote them in office and elected officials are expected to implement the programs promised in their Manifesto. The latter can be summarized as basically providing public security and public welfare.
With the latest police figures on crime confirming what the local newspapers had been reporting since the new leaders took over the reigns of government - an increase in every category of “serious crimes”combined with just as consistent reports on a slowdown in the economy, the government will have to move beyond politicking to improve conditions in the two areas by which their performance will be judged at the next elections.
Within that context, I believe that there needs to be more specific plans for com-
bating crime than the mere regurgitation of “strategies” which have been outlined decades ago. The government should look beyond “one-upmanship” politics and reexamine, for example the very specific 15-point Crime Plan the former President spelled out at the last Police Officers’ Conference in early March. Why re-invent the wheel, just because “the other party” crafted one before?
On the economic front, the collapse of the rice industry is a real possibility with the Venezuelan government refusing to renew the contract with Guyana for 200,000 tonnes of rice and paddy. We already know the sugar industry is under threat. It was therefore with some relief that I read of the recent statement of Minister of the Presidency Joseph Harmon, referring to the Caribbean Premier League: “Guyana is not only a cricket loving country but a cricket crazy country so we have every reason to welcome the CPL back to Guyana. I want to reaffirm the govern-
ment’s full support for the CPL specifically, and cricket in general.”
As a Guyanese and a “cricket lover” the CPL must be commended for at long last facilitating the West Indies in reaping concrete financial benefits - in addition to the emotional ones - from our special brand of cricket. In its three years since the Tournament was launched, the crowds have grown increasingly larger - in the grounds and in front of the TV screens. In Guyana, CPL is practically the only live cricket that can be enjoyed.
With the other Caribbean Territories possessing and developing a long-standing tourism industry much longer than we have, it is obvious that they have seen the benefits of “sports tourism” better than we have. Guyanese officials and ministers don’t have to guess about these benefits. Solid studies, accepted by the other participating governments have quantified how much economic activity has been engendered in the respective countries.
One newspaper recently reported that over the 2014 Tournament, Guyana raked in approximately US$24 million out of an overall US $166 for the Caribbean. This is an impressive return for the investment this year of US$500,000 for what will surely garner an even greater return. The point that is being made is that while Minister Harmon alluded to the owner of the local Guyana Amazon Warriors as a supporter of the Opposition party, we as a country have to look at the bigger picture and appreciate that the Warriors, is first and foremost a Guyanese team. In addition to prime pumping the moribund economy by supporting the team, it will be doing more than any single event ,including, with all due respect, the President’s inauguration, to bring the country together after a most contentious and divisive political campaign.
Sincerely Dr Baytoram Ramharack
Dear Editor, I pen this letter as I remember the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter”
Our strength as a nation and our survival as a people lie in our transcendental unity, for only through unity can we truly succeed.
Guyana for years has been a peaceful nation to all of our neighbours in CariCom, South America and further borders, primarily because we are a peaceful and loving people.
That peace we have enjoyed for years with our neighbours and friends is one in which we as a nation, have always aspired to preserve and
maintain. It is most regrettable for us Guyanese, local and abroad, to recognise that this peaceful synchronicity of our existence as a nation is now being threatened by the moral confusion of the leader of our neighbouring country, Venezuela. Many have pontificated that the uncontrollable domestic socio and economic conundrum that his country is experiencing, has caused him to embark on an iniquitous political ambition which is believed to divert his people’s attention from the realities they are encountering. This diversion exercise is only succeeding in uprooting the mutual trust, friendship, respect and confidence shared for years amongst goodly
neighbours.
Guyana and several of its sister Caribbean States have become the innocent victims as they fall prey to the Venezuelan President’s moral confusion, aggression, imperialist and colonialist attempts to claim our territories and trample on our freedom, sovereignty and the future prosperity of our peoples and generations to come.
Guyana must continue to lead the charge to repudiate and disavow this unfriendly and aggressive attempt that is rooted and clothed with wicked and evil garments. Guyana must in the truest sense of the word ‘UNITY ‘, unite all of its people and rally with our President and his
government in standing as a collective, firm, resolute and valiantly, to ward off this repugnant and offensive illegal and sanctimonious claim to what rightfully belong to us.
With a united front as one people, with the needed help from our friends in CariCom, the Commonwealth, the ABC countries and others, but most importantly, the hand of Almighty GOD, we will be crowned with success and victory will be ours.
In unity there is strength and we will not remain silent on things that matter.
Long live our President; long live the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
Jermaine Figueira, MP
Dear Editor, Economic Diplomacy should replace the ongoing war of words and strident rhetoric that has become characteristic nowadays in respect of our relations with Venezuela. Soon after his swearing in as Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge was quoted saying that" Guyana is open for business" and that "economic diplomacy will be a major pillar of the Grangerled coalition government's foreign policy" He went on to add that "the realization of the administration's overall economic aspirations will depend heavily on the outcome of the diplomatic efforts.".
It is assumed that since Guyana continues to be an Associate Member of Mercosur and a full member of UNASUR, it will utilise these two multilateral theaters, one economic and the other political, to advance both its political and economic interests through economic diplomacy. Economic diplomacy is not new to Guyana. When the PPP/C came to office in 1992 it was pursued aggressively but successfully. In fact the PPP/ C government had little choice but to do so given the disastrous state of the economy it inherited from the previous PNC administration. Debt relief, foreign trade and investment were the hallmarks of the PPP/C's economic diplomacy thrust.
The Foreign Service Institute was established to train and orient Foreign Service officers and Ambassadors in matters pertaining to economic diploma-
cy. In August, 2000 a manual on economic diplomacy was published and circulated to all Guyana's diplomatic missions abroad to be used by Ambassadors and Foreign Service home- based staff.
Venezuela was no exception in this national endeavour. Historically, our economic relations with Venezuela has for some time now been pursued at both the bilateral and multilateral levels. Both have reaped positive results based on a well managed modus vivendi notwithstanding the controversy between the two countries.
Attempts by the two countries to "find satisfactory solutions for a practical settlement to the controversy" through political/diplomatic, economic, cultural and technical cooperation had their ups and downs. Rashleigh Jackson had one time suggested to his Venezuelan counterpart Zambrano Velasco that Guyana might be disposed to provide Venezuela with an 'outlet to the Atlantic' but he was rebuffed: " The idea of granting the passage of Venezuelan transport vessels... is not a proposal that might interest Venezuela. Venezuela aspires to an outlet to the Atlantic free from all foreign control and over which Venezuela exercises full Sovereignty.” was Zambrano's reply.
Such diplomatic tripwires however, did not hinder the pursuit for mutually beneficial all- round economic cooperation between the two countries. For example, the two countries entered in to an agreement in the early 1980's
which allowed for Venezuelan petroleum products to be exchanged for Guyana's bauxite. Later, an agreement was entered into, allowing for a feasibility study on the supply of electricity from the Venezuelan hydro-electric station at Guri.
Guyana and Venezuela cooperated in a malaria eradication programme. A US$28 million line of credit from the Central Bank of Venezuela to allow for the export of Venezuelan products and services to Guyana was successfully negotiated.
A Guyana/Venezuela Joint Commission providing for economic, cultural and technical cooperation was established and met on an annual basis in Caracas and Georgetown alternately.
State and/ or official working visits by the respective Heads of States of the two countries were frequent. In April 1981 President Burnham paid a visit to Caracas. President Carlos Andres Perez visited Guyana in 1978 and August 1990 respectively.
President Desmond Hotye visited Caracas in March 1987 and November 1989 while President Luschini visited Guyana in November 1987. President Cheddi Jagan visited Caracas in 1995 and President Janet Jagan visited in 1998. Bharat Jagdeo visited Caracas in July 2010 while President Chavez visited in Feb 2004 and Maduro visited Guyana in August 2013.
These visits resulted in confidence building measures between the two countries. More recently mani-
fested in the construction of aLow Income Housing Project, the construction of the national gymnasium and the Petro-Caribe cooperation programme, as well as and the construction of the Hugo Chavez Center for Rehabilitation and Reintegration.
Cooperation in the fight against narco trafficking and gun smuggling was high on the Joint Guyana/Venezuela Law enforcement cooperation agenda.
All these areas can be concentrated within the meaning of economic diplomacy which can be the platform from which a diplomatic campaign can be mounted to ensure sustained and stable growth.
Since economic diplomacy cannot be practiced in a vacuum, the government's approach to political issues must be formulated to facilitate Guyana's development. Above all, it must seek to reinforce the nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity without which development would be meaningless.
The urgent task now is to mount a well managed, quiet but focused, economic diplomatic offensive in general and on the western front in particular to win back lost or potentially lost economic gains for the benefit of our country and people.
The chant at President Granger's inauguration "can we do it? Yes we can!” is more relevant in this situation than in any other.
Clement Rohee. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs
Dear Editor, I was thrilled to witness the great event that took place on Friday at the theatre guild. The Loyola Film Festival (LFF) is the yearly event which has its motto as "if you've a camera...challenge is yours". The organisers of LFF have a specific goal in mind whilst hosting this event. They would like our young people to take part in it. The director of the Catholic Media, Reverend Justin Prabhu, strongly expressed that everyone captures real issues on their toy cameras on a regular basis and just forgets about it. It is crucial to our changing world to turn our little video footages into documentaries. He stressed the fact that our young people are glued to gadgets and technologies, hence they must be encouraged to do some serious work with their cameras and phone to produce documentaries.
The LFF intends to nurture the young budding talents, especially to do documentaries and to be the writers. The event on Friday aired about ten documentaries, both in the amateur and professional category. I was happy to see so many young people taking part in pro-
ducing these documentaries. This is a wonderful opportunity that the catholic Media initiative has given to our young people, irrespective of their religious backgrounds. I wish and hope this continues in this nation. Good works have to be acknowledged and encouraged in this beautiful country. The Catholic Media had also organized a summer program for about twenty
young persons on modern media, including social media, and its impact on the people.
A few months ago I watched a Guyanese film by Mahadeo Shivraj and wondered how many of us encourage our own artists on the big screen instead of looking at Bollywood and Hollywood productions. I think our nation has talent and potential to be a great film nation and
Mr President, what about our youths?
Dear Mr President, I am cordially inviting you and members of your cabinet to take a walk with me through the streets across Guyana that are vulnerable to crime that have grave implications on our susceptible population. Mr. President, I’m not referring to the streets of the ghettos in Guyana, in which I was born and raised, but rather the business districts of Guyana, the gated communities in which our lawmen and women live, the communities in which the businessmen and women of Guyana reside and those underdeveloped communities where the poor live. Mr. President, as a proud product of the ghetto, I sternly believe that the stereotypical thinking and stigma attached to the ghetto is vaguely misconstrued and perpetuated by onlookers who probably have no experience living in such neighbourhoods. I can’t deny that there’s no crime in our ghettos, since crime isn’t biased to age, social standing, religion or creed, it affects us all. Please permit me to stress the continuous suffering of those citizens who live in the high-risked” areas of Guyana.
we need to start investing in it. We need to encourage our young ones to make documentaries and eventually have a "jollywood".
Joy Mela
Mr President, there’s a difference between personality and reality and in this country where every morning I’m awaken by sad and cruel news, of gory details that claimed the lives of my fellow Guyanese. Personality is not important, what’s important is the reality of the crime escalation that has happened over the past few weeks here in Guyana. What is also important is the approach that us Guyanese take, in order to tackle these issues. Issues if we allow to continue without arrest will intricately and negatively affect the lives of our future generations. Mr. President, Guyanese aren’t relying solely on you to find solutions to our domestic problems. As a people, we understand that we have a role to play in assisting to find solutions, but all we request of you and our leaders, is to develop an inclusive approach when crafting plans and policies to tackle crime and other burning social matters. I certainly hope our leaders have not forgotten the power of the people.
Furthermore Mr President,
I can assure you the road of our solutions has been asphalted by the founding fathers of this great land, and preserved by the youths of Guyana. I hope that you recognise the strength in unity and producing amicable solutions to our problems. Throughout your election campaign, many youth and I believed you had a vision for our country and on your campaign trail, youthful faces with prospective leadership roles were being touted. Instead, we are now saddled with leaders who may not fully understand the intensity of our struggles. According to recent statistics, a total of 79 murders were recorded at the end of June 2015 in comparison to 69 murders at the end of June 2014, which is an increase of 14% in our country. Youth are undoubtedly the key drivers of social change, yet, proper policies focused on engaging young people in order to build a domestic constituency for national development are not on the front burner of any present national discussion. Youths should be involved in strategising to prevent violence in their communities, so that they may make positive contributions to their neighborhoods. Full participation of youth whose leadership, commitment, experience, and skills support the Government`s goals, will enable us to enhance our society.
Although I am sure that every member of Cabinet was handpicked based on their intelligence and experience, what is intelligence and experience if these don’t relate to the future of Guyana, our youth?
CCTV cameras, trained dogs, horses and even strategically placing police outposts in all communities, will work to an extent. However, what will have an everlasting effect on our society, is the paradigm shift in thinkers, and policy makers so that our young people are given a chance to lead the way. I love my government, I love our diverse melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, and without us all coming together as one while trusting God, we will never be able to create a Guyana, one that all Guyanese could be proud of.
Jamall Adams
Are you busy – perhaps so busy those looking in would say you’re over-functioning? To nearly any request that comes your way, do you say, “Yes?” Do you take care of others to the point they regularly look to you to do what they really could do themselves?
Overwhelmed and stressed, at the end of your 18-hour day you are spent, exhausted, and, too often, feel under-appreciated.
Do any of these descriptions capture the essence of your daily experience? Here are a few nuggets of advice to help you regain control.
Relax your standards, at least a little Unrealistically high expectations are, ultimately, unsustainable and can damage your physical and emotional health. Perfectionism can be a wicked trap, an ideal that is unattainable.
When your plate is too full, say “No” or negotiate. Not sure how?
Consider putting off the answer until you can form your com - fortable
“no” response. Or maybe you don’t know the right words to use to say “no” without feeling guilty. Read Simple 10 Guilt-Free Strategies for Saying No is a great place to start.
Stop doing for others what they can do for themselves. Instead, coach and encourage to build their confidence to act independently. Struggling with the notion that no one will do it as well as you? Will they do it well enough? In most cases, done is better than perfect.
If you’re busy, busy, busy, but you don’t feel productive, your real issue might be that you’re disorganised, or you’re not tackling your highest priorities when you’re at your best. Identify an organising system that works for you, one that focus on how to make sure you’re getting the important things done. So, the next time a request for your precious time and energy arrives on your threshold, before saying yes, step back and consider whether saying yes best serves you. If it doesn’t, honour yourself by kindly saying “no” or delegating to someone who will benefit from the
(ConClusion)
BY SANDRA FLEAR
• Let your feelings show. It takes a lot of energy to keep our upset feelings from spilling out. We tend to become either impulsive or remote as we try hard to keep the emotional lid on. Seeing us like this is hard on our children. So letting feelings show creates real relief! It’s best if you can let feelings show with another adult, so you’re not depending on your children to comfort you, or aiming your upset at them. If you do find yourself crying in the presence of your children, go ahead. Just don’t voice the details of how you feel. “I just need a good cry,” or, “I’m getting my feelings out. I’ll help you in a little while,” are good ways to explain what’s going on to your children. Keep the negative details for your Listening Partner. He or she will understand.
• Remember someone you love. So much of the hardship of parenting comes from feeling alone in the world. But most of us have memories of brief moments, or even days and weeks when life was good, we felt close to someone, and we were able to feel how much love we have to give. Stopping and putting our minds on one of those memories can help change our feelings. Sometimes, pulling up a good memory will bring
us to tears, because the contrast with our feelings at the present moment is so great. Those are useful, healing tears. Relax and let them come.
Head off stress before it builds This strategy involves some planning. You can involve your children in the plans, too. Identify a time of the day or a particular situation that often drives you over the edge, then, stop hoping it won’t happen to-
for you, while you take care of her child, or ask a sister or brother or neighbour to shop for you twice a month, in exchange for a home-cooked dish you like to make. It might work well for both you and the person you’ve asked.
• Use available resources. Ask around. Your church or temple may have an organised outreach programme for families with young children. There may be a local YMCA or YWCA that provides exercise, child-
day. Plan that it will happen. Plan how you’ll handle it!
• Ask for help Exchange help. For instance, when you know that grocery shopping with your twins brings all three of you to a breakdown, ask for help. Ask another mother to shop
care, and family activities that help parents build supportive relationships. That person is likely to be a parent who wants nothing more than to support you in a moment of need. So “practice” getting in touch with someone before you need to. Then, when you feel things heating
up, call before you’re ready to blow. We don’t feel ashamed to call a tow truck when we have a dead battery. We don’t feel ashamed because we can’t cut our own hair nicely. We don’t feel ashamed to need a doctor or midwife to insure a safe birth for our children. There are some jobs that do require help from others. Parenting is one of them.
• Give each child “special time”. It’s amazing how much stress can be avoided when your child can feel in her bones that she’s special. Letting your child play the way she like to play, with your attention and warmth, is what builds her sense that she is loved. Even five or 10 minutes of your undivided attention can make a big difference in your child’s behaviour! Set the timer, and tell her you’ll play whatever she wants to play for the amount of time you’ve decided on. Don’t give her any direction at all unless she’s doing something dangerous. Give your child the chance to be in charge, and in exchange, you’ll get to see what she loves to do. “Special time” helps diffuse the power struggles that drain the fun out of family life. And Special Time will allow you to see how smart and unique your child is.
***Set up regular breaks for yourself***. This is hard to do when life is so full and parenting is so demanding. But it’s essential to our sense that we are in charge of our lives. When we don’t feel in charge, we often wind up blaming our children, which creates more stress in the long run! So figure out how you can be good to yourself. Are there things you can do every day or every week that let you take care of yourself? A warm bath after the children are asleep? Twenty minutes of reading before they wake up? A walk at noontime on your lunch break at work? Turning off your phone during the afternoons, to reduce multitasking? Talking with your best friend one evening a week by phone? Listening to music? A short nap every afternoon?
We highly recommend setting up a listening partnership, so that you and a friend can take turns listening to each other, with appreciation and understanding, and without any pressure to solve anything. However stressed we may become, we are good parents. We love our children with all we’ve got. We are trying our hardest. And we deserve good support. Experiment every which way with building support for your parenting. You and the others you build support with will benefit greatly, as will your children. (handinhandparenting.org)
In light of Government’s move to scrap the “Because We Care” $10,000 per student cash grant, former Education Minister Priya Manickchand is calling on the David Granger-led Administration to revisit its decision and restore the programme which benefited thousands of families across Guyana.
Recently, the Government announced its intention to scrap the “Because We Care” $10,000 per student grant initiative which was started under the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration to assist students of the public education school system. In a post on social media, Manickchand registered her deepest dissatisfaction with the decision as she called on the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance
For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration to reinstate the programme.
Five persons are now seeking refuge with family members after a fire of unknown origin swept through a Crane, West Bank Demerara (WCD) house on Monday. The fire reported started in the upper flat of the twostorey wooden and concrete building located at Lot 370 Crane, WCD.
The house is occupied but two families. One person resided in the upper flat, while four persons resided in the two-bedroom lower flat. According to reports received, at the time of the fire, no one was in the upper flat of the building but due to the heavy winds, the flames rapidly spread.
Willman Mc Donald who occupied the lower flat of the house with his wife and two children said that he was in his yard cleaning when his neighbour informed him that smoke was coming from
“(I am) truly saddened to learn that the APNU/ AFC Government is terminating the “Because we Care” cash grant programme… The PPP/C fully intended to continue this programme and said so in its 2015 election manifesto. Here’s hoping that the new Government that promised positive change will revisit its harsh decision and reinstate this programme,” the post read.
In the post, the former Education Minister highlighted how the programme benefited all of Guyana, regardless of an individual’s political affiliation. “This was a programme started by the PPP/C Government that saw each public school
child in Guyana entitled to 10,000 dollars. The grant was meant to assist parents to send their children to school by helping to pay for transportation, etc. It was complimented by other programmes, again started by the PPP/C Government such as the uniform assistance programme where every child in the public school was entitled to assistance to purchase uniforms and/or school supplies and the school snack programme where every child in public school Guyana from nursery to Grade Two was in receipt of a snack or hot meal. Parents from all over Guyana said how beneficial (the programme was) and welcomed the “Because We Care” programme…,” she posted.
However, Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnarine explained that the termination of the programme does not mean that the APNU+AFC coalition did not care but because the Government has been against the initiative even when it was in the Opposition. Since its launch, the Government contended that the “Because We Care” cash grant was terribly administered and that it was used merely as a political gimmick to win votes for the PPP/C.
The initiative was approved in the 2014 National Budget and was set to target each child in the public education sector. More than
188,400 families were to benefit overall from the initiative. A new school term set to begin in September and for the purpose of adding emphasis, the former Education Minister is hoping on the Government, which promised positive changes and the elevation of the lives of poor people, will revisit its harsh decision and reinstate the programme. Nonetheless, the $1500 school uniform vouchers distribution will continue.
Meanwhile, parents living in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaaam); particularly those who have children attending schools, have complained bitterly over the scrapping of the programme. “That money really assist our children, it was of great help to us, I can’t understand why the Government would want to stop the grant,” Seema Persaud said. Other parents are saddened over the move and said that the assistance was of great help to their family. Another parent said her husband who is a labourer works for a meagre salary and sometimes sending the children to school is a difficult task, adding “by time you clear your monthly groceries, pay rent you left with nothing, the grant came at an opportune time... it assisted me.”
Parents are calling on the APNU/AFC Government to review the decision to stop the grant.
the upper flat of the house. He recalled the elderly man who resides in the upper flat had just left home and was not sure if he left any electrical appliances running.
The man explained that after seeing the smoke, he ran up the stairs with the intention of finding the origin of the fire to extinguish it but met the door locked.
ment and with the help of residents, managed to save several pieces of household items. After 20 minutes or more, firefighters arrived and put out the blaze.
Fire tenders unprepared When they arrived at the scene, Mc Donald explained that they had to tap into a water source which took them another few minutes.
The frantic father said he then ran to the back door and managed to get the door open. The entire upper flat, the man related, was engulfed in heavy black smoke making it extremely difficult to manoeuvre through. After he realised that he could not source the origin of the fire, he ran back to his apart-
“They come with little water and had to run with the hose to a canal at the back of the house to get water”, he stated.
He also noted that if the fire tenders had arrived in a timely manner, at least a portion of the house would have been salvaged. Mc Donald explained that the owner of the house resides overseas and he has been renting the lower flat for the past four years.
Now, he added, he has to ask relatives to take them in until they find another place to rent. His wife and two daughters were seen sitting under a tree contemplating the family’s next move. Meanwhile, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle admitted that they had some difficulties with respect to water in the tankers.
He explained that tenders from the Leonora Police Station were taken up in another fire at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, and getting the tenders from Georgetown was problematic due to the morning traffic on the East Bank Demerara highway. He confirmed that when the firefighters arrived at the scene, the entire building was in flames but it took them sometime to tap into a water source. Nevertheless, the firemen managed to contain the blaze and save nearby buildings.
AJoiner who went berserk on Monday morning set his Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) house on fire following a domestic dispute with his wife. The fire which started at about 06:15h completely destroyed the interior of the Lot 287 Zeelugt New Housing Scheme, EBE home, leaving five persons to make alternative living arrangements. The house was once occupied by Ivan Abel, his wife Tyana Abel and their three children; ages six, four and one.
According to information
received, neighbours nearby woke on Monday morning to loud screams emanating from the Abel residence. The woman was reportedly being beaten by her husband during a misunderstanding as the children screamed for him stop. The woman however managed to run out of the house with her three children and sought refuge at a neighbour’s home since she was afraid that the man was going to harm her.
When Guyana Times visited the scene, no one was at the house but the interior of the two bedroom
house, along with all of the household items were severely damaged by the fire. Neighbours told this publication that the couple was heard arguing earlier in the morning, with the man threatening to burn down the house. One woman explained that during the argument, the woman left the house with the children but he continued to verbally abuse her. Soon after, she noticed smoke coming from the house.
An alarm was raised and residents formed a bucket brigade as they attempted to put out the blaze. The suspected arsonist also helped
about five years ago.
When contacted, the man’s wife Tyana explained that the incident stemmed from a domestic dispute but could not say what started the argument. “The devil is busy… I don’t know why the argument start in the first place… is like the devil wants my husband to devour me”, she stated.
She noted that they have had issues before but this was the first time he behaved in this manner. However, Guyana Times understands that after the incident, the woman and her children were collected by a relative who lives
to contain the fire. By this time, the fire tenders arrived and managed to extinguish the blaze. The woman stated that from all indications, the man set the living room suite on fire which quickly spread to the rooms of the one storey home. “After Ivan see fire, he get frantic and start to scream and shout for help… he even help the villages to form the bucket brigade and throw water on the house”, the woman stated.
This came as a shock to residents who claimed that the family lived happily and that the man was always striving for better. He worked as a Joiner and a Mason to make ends meet.
The couple, neighbours confirmed, moved into the area
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle when contacted told this publication that they received the report of a fire just after 06:00h and tenders from the Leonora Fire Station were dispatched. By the time the firefighters arrived, the interior of the building was completely gutted.
Nevertheless, after a few minutes, the fire was contained. He confirmed that the fire was set by the male occupant of the house following a domestic dispute. The Police are investigating the incident as they look for the suspected arsonist who left the scene before they arrived.
Well, how about that walloping our Warriors inflicted on the Tallawahs! How sweet it is!! It appeared to this Eyewitness that our local boys must've been holding a grudge since that final of 2013 when Gayle and his boys stole our thunder!! The Warriors might've started slowly...but they've picked up the Big MO..."Momentum" and are now poised to make their run for the top rung.
Your humble Eyewitness must confess he's a cricket tragic...someone who so loves the game that he lives, breathe and sleeps it. At some deep, existential level he knows that cricket ain't just a game. It defines what makes us special as a people. We can't escape the fact that the British did a number on us when it comes to installing their culture on us.
But was it all bad? The irony is that even though they made us want to become "black" and "brown" Englishmen - because of their racism, they didn't really think we'd be able to measure up to their standards. "Who would be the Hottentot Newton?" they asked with a smirk. Now while they could've held back our progress in the hard sciences because they didn't build any research labs here, or ditto in manufacturing because of no factories - in cricket and "education" we didn't need much.
So in cricket we had the best cricket teams in the world for the longest continuous period in the history of the game and in "learning", we've had three Nobel Prize winners. Not bad for a population of less than five million, eh? But while 'book learning" might've been a bit too arcane for most of our folks, the rules of cricket weren't. So with a bat and a ball...made from anything that might or might not be even close facsimiles… We honed our skills to beat the master literally at his own game.
But it wasn't just a matter of hitting the ball beyond the boundary or of knocking down three stumps. The greater lesson learnt, was that there were RULES to the game. You "walked" if you knew your bat was nicked. You accepted the rules of the umpire. And you didn't sledge. Those rules percolated into our lives...whether the refusal to cheat for a living, or the willingness to obey the law or speaking politely to people. We were West Indians.
Of recent these rules have broken down, but with the new spirit of love and unity that we'll see at Providence this Wednesday, maybe we can have a reset?
Your humble Eyewitness was taken aback when, after he suggested that even in times of war, nations keep lines of communication open, he was dubbed "unpatriotic". Maybe it was because he made the statement in the context of our brouhaha with Venezuela? After they decided to extend their border controversy from land to sea? And they proceeded to cut off our rice shipments.
But hey! He's pleased as punch that the government's now conceded, maybe there should've been some communication behind the scenes. And that it mightn't be too late to save the rice deal. Maybe it's because they heard that while there were those public cussing out by the Americans against the Russians, for instance, behind the scenes they were always talking.
So maybe they'll take the next step suggested by your Eyewitness and consult the new leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo, on exactly how to speak to the Venezuelans. After all, we're all on the same side against "dem furriners", no?
And then, Jagdeo was the man who made the deal!!
Goolsarran didn't comment on whether Granger will be exempted from the capping of Presidential Benefits. But he cited the example of Cheddi Jagan to make his point. However, not all who cry "Jagan! Jagan!" shall enter into the party of Cheddie!!
ormer Home Affairs
FMinister Clement Rohee said the five components found in the draft strategy laid out by President David Granger to his Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan were initiatives that were being implemented by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) while it was in Government.
He said too that Minister Ramjattan should have been the one putting forward any such strategies as security minister, instead of President Granger. Granger is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The President, in an effort to tackle spiralling crime here, had met with Ramjattan and other members of the security sector, including Police Commissioner Seelall Persaud, where five areas were laid out as initiatives that could be used to tackle crime. But, according to Rohee, the PPP/C Administration was seeking to have similar strategies implemented.
His concern, however, was particularly focused on the security minister who, he said, while in Opposition was among those who had demonstrated that he had the solution to the crime situation here , but had failed “to put forward a progressive and comprehensive citizen secu-
rity plan like the PPP/C did”. “He should draft one, consult with the relevant stakeholders, including the National Commission on Law and Order, take it to Cabinet for consideration and if approved, have it published after sending it to law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders for implementation,” Rohee said.
The former Minister said instead of presenting a draft strategy to his boss, the President had to instead present one to Ramjattan along with instructions for him to refine and implement it. “We look forward to learning whether Ramjattan’s latest proposal will find favour with the security experts ensconced in the presidency,” Rohee stated.
Referring to an editorial published by the Stabroek News describing him as unwise over his criticism of Ramjattan’s decision to implement the law stopping the sale of alcohol and mandating the close of businesses after 02:00h, Rohee said if such was the case, then regrettably, the logic of “this warped decree is that a huge number of Guyanese is not that wise”, since his view on the matter was shared by thousands of other Guyanese. “This is an insult to those Guyanese. The editorial sought to shelter the new Government in general and Ramjattan in
particular from “facing the brunt of the PPP/C‘s caustic remarks”.”
He said whether or not Ramjattan faced the brunt of caustic remarks was not the issue. “It is not for Ramjattan to advocate the curtailment of the freedom of any Guyanese, nor to alter long held customs and mores of law-abiding Guyanese and the nation as a whole. The nation would recall that when both AFC [Alliance For Change] and APNU [A Partnership for National Unity] were in Opposition, they serenaded the people of all the brilliant assailable plans they had as solutions for the crime situation in the country.”
Security issues
He said if one were to check the manifesto of the APNU/AFC, including the Cummingsburg Accord, it would reveal the plans they have are only on paper. “They fooled the people into believing that given their military, Police and legal background, they were the Messiah to save the nation from Rohee’s and the PPP’s ineptitude at crime-fighting,” he said.
“Now that they are in Government, they are singing different tunes like “we will root out crime wherever it exists” and “we will take the oxygen out of the criminal enterprise”. The claim
that the 2 am curfew is one of the makeshift strategies is an attempt to throw dust in the eyes of the people.”
Last week, Government announced that it was moving to beef up security at the country’s borders, in what it called a strategic attempt “to significantly reduce the recent spike in criminal activities here”.
Coupled with that move is the resuscitation of the Police’s marine wing to provide Police Officers with flexibility and greater access to inland waterways along with the use of animals, including horses and dogs, to go after criminals.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon had said that apart from border security, focus
would also be placed on the Police administration itself and the requirement to identify criminal activities across all 10 regions of Guyana, to determine where the activities are being committed, and to decide on the strategy to deal with them on a national basis.
“It was felt that the high incidence of gun crimes has its genesis in the fact that we share a very long border with countries that actually produce guns and, therefore, our strategy will include border control activities as well as activities involving the Guyana Revenue Authority in relation to the way in which goods and services are imported into the country and the use to be made of the instruments that are available to the GRA,” Minister Harmon said.
The next element of the security plan has to do with Police organisation and training and the way in which the Police Force is organised, Harmon said. He said a clear directive was given by the Public Security Minister that more Police Officers needed to be put on the streets to carry out patrols and get out of the offices, where they were performing non-core functions.
“The deployment of the Police Force itself, the response time by Police to complaints by citizens, the
operation of the 911 facility… all of these are part of the strategy and will be subject to serious review over the next couple of weeks,” Harmon said
Another element of the strategy covers Police assets and equipment, Harmon said, noting that Government has given a clear undertaking to the Guyana Police Force that it would provide the assets to go after crime wherever it existed.
“These include the Police’s ability to go up in the air, to utilise aircraft and helicopter to overlook certain terrain, not only on land but on water where piracy takes place.”
“The issue of illegal firearms in the country and the way in which it is dealt with. Our zero tolerance to the use of illegal firearms is all part of the strategy.”
He added that Police communication would be improved significantly with the use of computers, the Internet, and access to the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) network.
“We have given the Police the undertaking that they will have these done. The networking of Police Stations will also be fleshed out by the Commissioner and they will have Internet access, linking the Police Stations with the CID headquarters,” Harmon had said.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) said it was still undecided whether or not it would be attending the fifth sitting of the National Assembly later this month, and would make that announcement at the appropriate time.
General Secretary Clement Rohee made the disclosure after he was pressed by journalists about the Party’s presence in the National Assembly, as it has not yet attended the 11th Parliament, which was convened on June 10.
The PPP/C’s absence in Parliament has caused it to miss the passage of crucial bills including the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Amendment (AML/ AFT) Bill, which had been the cause of gridlock in the 10th
Parliament between the then Government (PPP/C) and Opposition A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).
It is widely believed now that if the Party does not attend the National Assembly this time around, it may not be able to have an input on the budget when it is presented, as well as a say in the extension of the recess and the recent bill which seeks to restrict benefits from former Presidents.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan is expected to present the 2015 National Budget, by the latest in August of this year. If the Party does not attend Parliament, there is the possibility that it could miss out on the budget debate. Rohee assured, however, that while the Party has a position on attending Parliament,
the announcement would be made at the appropriate time.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon had said that this session of the National Assembly would most definitely have to be lengthened because of the volume of work still to be done. He said he was hoping that the Opposition when it came into Parliament would recognise that “the people’s work is priority” and would lend its support to such an activity. The Party has boycotted all three sittings of the National Assembly.
The PPP/C had said, however, that it had more pressing issues to address at the moment, including its issues with the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) given the Party’s allegations that it colluded with the governing APNU+AFC to rig the elections. The Party has filed its
petition in this regard.
Following the petition and while still not declaring when it would attend Parliament, the Party revealed that it had selected 32 individuals who would represent the PPP/C in the 65-seat legislature whenever it decided to put in an appearance.
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo has accepted the position of Chief Parliamentarian and Opposition Leader in the 11th Parliament. Additionally, former President Donald Ramotar, who was the Party’s 2015 Presidential Candidate, will not return to the Parliament to serve at that level.
While the Party has already identified its Chief Whip, it is still to identify who will represent it as the Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly.
Eighteen-month-old
Travic Rudder who was shot six times on the night his father, Travis Rudder, was executed at Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara is on the road to recovery. This was according to a release from the Georgetown Public Hospital that confirmed that he was doing well and he was eating and drinking as per normal.
Nevertheless, owing to the surgery that the toddler underwent, he was still in a bit
of pain and as a result he was creeping instead of walking.
His mother, Mawanza Gill, who was shot seven times during the executionstyle killing was optimistic that her son would eventually walk on his own since he was a fighter.
Gill praised the treatment her son received at the Georgetown Public Hospital and thanked the nurses and doctors at the Intensive Care Unit and the Paediatric Ward who took extra good care of
her son.
Gill, who was shot in both legs, is also recuperating and is still experiencing some pain. In the wee hours of June 21, the lad and his mother were injured after gunmen opened fire on them while asleep in their Lot 130 Lindley’s Avenue, Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home.
According to information received, Rudder, Gill and their son were in one of the rooms in the house while
his mother and his younger brother were in another when several men with 9mm pistols bearing extended magazines opened fire through the bedroom window.
After the shooting, a neighbour who heard the woman calling out for help rushed to the house where he saw the toddler under his father’s body and collected him since he realised that he was still alive.
The neighbour jumped into his car and drove to the Georgetown Public Hospital with the child on his chest. On his way, he phoned 911, but there was no answer, so he decided to contact Police Headquarters, Eve Leary and related the ordeal, and the person on the other end of the line promised to send ranks and an ambulance to the scene.
At the Hospital compound, he handed the baby over to nurses who immediately rushed him to the Accident and Emergency Unit where he underwent surgery. The mother was subsequently admitted to the medical institution.
On Friday, however, the Police made a breakthrough in the shooting as a man confessed to the murder and attempted murder. He is expected to make his court appearance shortly.
he
TMultilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday signalled plans to extend more than US$400 billion in financing over the next three years and vowed to work more closely with Private and Public Sector partners to help mobilise the resources needed to meet the historic challenge of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The institutions referred to as the MDBs –the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, InterAmerican Development Bank, World Bank Group – and the IMF announced their plans in the lead-up to the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, July 13-16. The SDGs are ambitious and demand equal ambition in using the “billions” of dollars in current flows of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and all available resources to attract, leverage and mobilise “trillions” in investments of all kinds—public and private, national and global.
ODA, estimated at US$135 billion a year, provides a fundamental source of financing, especially in the poorest and most fragile countries. But more is needed. Investment needs in infrastructure alone reach up to US$1.5 trillion a year in emerging and developing countries. Meeting the staggering but achievable needs of the SDG agenda requires everyone to make the best use of each dollar from every source, and draw in and increase public and private investment. The MDBs— the engines of development finance—are looking to a range of options for scaling up.
MDB development finance has grown from US$50 billion in 2001 to US$127 billion in 2015.For each dollar invested by its shareholders, MDBs are able to commit US$2-5 in new financing each year. The MDBs’ own direct Private Sector investments have increased four-
fold over this period. They mobilize an additional US$25 in private investment for every dollar they invest directly in Private Sector operations. The vow to increase their contribution to more than $400 billion over the next three years reflects in part efforts to make even better use of their balance sheets.
Additional steps to leverage more resources include the development of new approaches and tools to help developing countries play a stronger role in harnessing national resources. The MDBs and the IMF are partnering with countries on, for example, the introduction of a new toolkit to assess and improve tax policies and expanding instruments such as e-procurement to achieve better government spending. Increasing external resource flows to developing countries for investment is essential to achieving the SDG – but these flows can be expected to materialise only in circumstances where countries have coherent development strategies consistent with maintaining macroeconomic stability while also ensuring the delivery of key Public Sector services and a business environment supportive of growth.
Through their policy advice and technical assistance, the MDBs and IMF support countries in designing economic policies to achieve these objectives; through MDB policy support loans and IMF-supported programmes, these institutions provide general financial support towards meeting budgetary and balance of payments needs. The Private Sector is playing an increasing role in financing goods, services and infrastructure. The MDBs are committed to engaging differently with Private Sector partners on a wide range of interventions, including connecting investors with opportunities, helping countries make investments more attractive, and building local financial markets. The MDBs are also partnering with others to develop innovative financing approaches to support global needs, such as health and climate, building on extensive work already underway.
Harmon says conditions “unacceptable”
The new Government has promised to create a re-energised and optimal Land Registry, after accepting the recommendations made in a recent audit report and receiving complaints from various stakeholders on the level of service and efficiency which is present at the organisation.
The audit was conducted in 2013 on the Land Registry following criticism about its poor operations and functionality.
During a visit to the Land Registry on Monday, accompanied by a team from the Ministry of the Presidency, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said that the existing conditions at the Land Registry, Durban Backlands were “deplorable” and totally “unacceptable.”
The Minister said that he was quite appalled at the conditions in which the staff at the registry is forced to function, as he noted that the filing and storing system which is used by the staff,
leaves much to be desired.
According to Harmon, “that is not what a Government record office should look like,” as he noted that he believes the office should be an essential one in the way Government and the entire country are administered, and the acquisition of titles must be treated seriously.
Another shortcoming pointed out by Minister Harmon is the fact that the current office is too small to “do what needs to be done”. This observation comes as Government is getting ready to relocate the Land Registry to a new building.
To this end, he disclosed that the registry will soon be housed in what was once the New Building Society building, Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown.
The Minister of State also sought to remind the staff that Government is dedicated to ensuring that “public service is proud service” as he revealed that Government will soon ap-
point a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the Public Service.
Harmon further promised the staff improved working conditions and better wages and salaries as he urged the public servants to demonstrate seriousness, diligence and commitment in providing quality service to the public. Meanwhile, the Minister accompanied by Registrar of Deeds Azeena Baksh toured the proposed new building that will house the Land Registry; expressed satisfaction in the pace of the works there.
It was only several weeks ago that Land Registrar Juliet Sattaur was sent on leave to pave the way for a probe. As far back as 2009, lawyers, for example from Berbice, had complained of the approach which is taken in the processing of matters, noting that a large amount of time is wasted and taken by agency to produce documents.
The post-mortem examinations that were scheduled to be performed on the two decomposed bodies found in a Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) house on Friday evening are now set for Wednesday. They will be performed by Government Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh.
This was according to Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Police Force Ivelaw Whittaker during a telephone interview with Guyana Times. The Police are awaiting the reports of the post-mortem examination to determine how to treat the matter.
The decomposed bodies of Yoleana Charles, formerly of Mabaruma, North West District and of Lot 408
Section C, Block Y, Diamond, EBD and her five-month-old daughter were discovered by Police ranks who were contacted after residents detected a foul scent emanating from the home.
The name of the child was not immediately available but the child’s father, who works in the interior, is Silvon Carter of Upper Demerara River.
It was reported that the couple moved into the house in December 2014, soon after which the baby was born. Carter reportedly left for the interior a few weeks ago and the woman and the child were last seen alive on June 24.
Although living in the area, neighbours told this publication that the woman and her husband hardly spoke with anyone.
The Social Protection Ministry in collaboration with a few overseas-based Guyanese has embarked on a project that aims at promoting a better life for Guyanese girls and women. The project called “Be Good to People”, will be taken into all 10 administrative regions.
The project was officially launched on Monday at the Regency International Hotel and the opening remarks were given the Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence. The overseasbased Guyanese who are responsible for the project are Susana Nichols, Rosanna Ali and Mark Proctor Jnr.
The launch was also at-
tended by Women representatives from all administrative regions, a few Members of Parliament, the Regional Chairman for Region Four Genevieve Allen and representatives from women’s rights groups across Guyana.
Minister Lawrence in her opening statement expressed how thrilled and overjoyed she was with the collaboration between the Ministry and the “Be Good to People” team. She also said that it was her distinct pleasure to welcome the team to Guyana and looks forward to being a part of a project that will “equip women and girls with the requisite skills” needed to
contribute to their communities and the country as a whole.
Nichols then went on to give a PowerPoint presentation outlining the nature of the project and how she hopes Guyanese women will maximise the impact of the project in all of their communities.
With her tagline “Action in motion”, Nichols hopes that throughout the project, those involved will be able to change the mindset of Guyanese people. The project will get into full swing in the near future and women and girls across Guyana should look forward to more opportunities they will be able to benefit from.
Contact was made with the owner of the house who resides in New York, who told this publication that the woman lived at 18th Avenue, Diamond New Housing Scheme, but moved to his house when he left for the US in December last. At the time she and her husband moved in, she was pregnant with her child.
He, however, learnt of the incident after he received a telephone call from a neighbour seeking permission to enter the house due to the stench that was emanating from within. He noted that he gave permission since he thought that something was amiss.
After sometime, he made contact with the neighbour who told him of the gruesome discovery.
tuesday, july 14, 2015 |
…as operations set to wind down
BY DEVINA SAMAROO
Though its proprietor
Jerry Bacchus has decided that it is time for closure, there is a slight possibility that the ‘Jerries’ name will live on and its services continued for all those who enjoy it.
After 23 years of serving the Guyanese public, the Jerries Restaurant and Bar outlets across Guyana are
about to close. During an interview with Guyana Times on Monday, Bacchus disclosed that several persons have expressed interest in buying over the franchise. “If this is the end of Jerries, who knows; I am closing but people are showing interest in buying the franchise, I don’t know, I can’t stay immediately what’s in store for Jerries,” he said very cautiously as he
lamented the thought of the “Jerries” brand coming to an end.
The four branches –‘All night long’ at Waterloo Street, ‘Runway’ at Ogle, ‘Tight n Sweet’ at Robb Street and ‘Auntie Rosie’ which is located in the Courts building on Main Street – collectively with 45 staff, will soon be closing its doors.
Downturn of Jerries
The businessman explained that the downturn of Jerries began in 2013 but he was trying his best, though circumstances were against him, to keep the business alive. “It didn’t happen overnight, it was a slow ongoing fall… like any businessman with a hope, with a dream, not because you start to see a downturn you wanna close your doors, you always hoped for the best,” he stated.
Bacchus listed factors which he believed contributed to the downfall of his business. The first being the decline in the gold market which limited the spending power of individuals. The other being the increase in drug busts across the country.
“The drugs bust, some people tend to laugh and scoff that this could be a factor… Our economy thrives off of those in the drugs business and the drug money is
spent back here so the more drug bust there are, the less money is spending,” he reasoned. Bacchus also blamed his own negligence as a contributing factor of the closure of his business. The fourth factor is the rapid increase in competition which Jerries could not have kept up with.
“More competition, more bars are opening, more clubs, and more food places,” he explained. The fifth factor, he noted, is the general factor that the economy is on a downhill and that people do not spend as lavishly as they used to when the business had initially opened its doors.
2:00 AM curfew, new Government
Bacchus dismissed the perception that he is closing down his business because of the change in government or because of the recently imposed 2:00am curfew.
In fact, he said he fully supports the 2:00 am shutoff time on bars and nightclubs across the country. “I support the 2:00 am curfew as much as it affects Jerries… I support it from a moral stand ground, in that, Guyana is in moral decay… People might say it’s contradictory to what you promoted but I would be dumb to have everyone else opened and I am closed. If we’re all opened, I’ll go with
it,” he explained.
For all Guyanese
Bacchus took pride in the fact that all his establishments catered for all Guyanese.
“This is a brand that I made accessible to all Guyanese regardless of economic spending. Anybody could walk in here anytime and dressed anyhow technically. We don’t cater for rich or fancy or elaborate, anybody could come in here,” he humbly boasted.
The origin of the Jerries Restaurant and Bar dates back to the 1980’s when Bacchus used to “walk and sell pastries”. Then in September 1992, the first Jerries establishment was opened up on New Market Street.
Then in 1996, it was relocated to Camp Street. In 1999, Bacchus migrated to the United States and the business was left in the care of his cousin.
In 2007, Bacchus returned to the Camp Street location and the Bishops’ High School canteen location which was established in 1995 . Then in 2012, the franchise was at its peak, with six locations across the country.
To date, it has four locations. Asked what will be his next business venture when he gives up ownership of the Jerries franchise, Bacchus said he is not sure but indicated that if he is to start a new establishment, it most likely going to be in the food industry.
The title of thief was vehemently objected to by a robbery accused in Court Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday when he was read the charge by Magistrate Ann McLennan.
“I’m not a robber man… I don’t have to lie… I have children… I won’t rob a man when I have a 25-day-old child to take care of… my children important to me,” Paul Waterman told the court when he was brought forward to answer the charge.
The accused, 42, of 53 Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown, told the court that he did not rob the Virtual Complainant (VC) Travis Atwell of his Samsung cellphone valued $200,000, $150,000 in cash nor the US$700 the VC had in his possession on Tuesday last.
He said that earli-
er on the day in question, he was involved in an altercation with the Virtual Complainant (VC) when they were gambling, but no one lost any money. He was asked to leave the VC’s shop and he did.
The VC alleges he was robbed on July 7 while on Norton Street. Police
Prosecutor, Corporal Deniro Jones told the court that Atwell had just closed his Auto Electrician Shop around 23:00h and was heading to his car when he was choked from behind, a bag placed over his head and his money taken away. The assailant responsible for this escaped on a motorcycle. Although no evidence was presented in court linking Waterman to the crime, Police Prosecutor Jones objected to bail being granted to Waterman, stating that the nature of the charge and its gravity does not attract bail for the accused.
However, Magistrate Ann McLennan overruled this and granted the accused bail in the sum of $100,000. He is expected back in court on July 16 where Magistrate Judy Latchman had been given the task of determining the validity of his not guilty plea.
The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) said it has specially noted the move by the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) coalition Government to target Amerindian communities that are known supporters of the Opposition, calling the move “ruthless and discriminatory”.
General Secretary of the PPP/C Clement Rohee on Monday said that out of the 187 Amerindian communities, the incumbent has only selected 18 to carry out its forensic audit. “Interestingly, the chosen 18 Amerindian villages and communities are all known to be supportive of the PPP/C. It is noted therefore, that the Granger Administration, has specifically targeted these communities to be audited, because they are not supportive of the APNU/AFC and the coalition has chosen to do so in a most discriminatory, high-handed and insensitive manner”, Rohee told reporters at Freedom House on Monday.
Government had indicated last month that it was moving into holding elections for Toshaos in some 187 Amerindian communities across Guyana, but needed to carry out audits before the elections.
Cabinet had told Vice President and Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock that audits should be conducted into the use of funds in the close to 190 communities, before there are any elections for the village heads.
The move to have the audits carried out was based on the numerous reports received about the manner in which funds were being spent. Minister of State Joseph Harmon had said that the inventory was required so that residents could be satisfied that the monies were appropriately spent.
However, the PPP emphasised that while the people’s affairs would be conducted on the principles of transparency and accountability, when practiced, it should not be done in a politically and discriminatory manner. Rohee said if there are to be audits; then they must be done “across the board” and without “fear or favour, affection or ill will”. “To pick and choose is to raise suspicion” the General Secretary said.
Among the pro-PPP villages targeted in Region Nine (Upper TakatuUpper Essequibo) include Toushida in the Karasabai district, Wokenarano in the South Central District, Wowetta in North Rupununi, Kabarro in Region Eight and Maraikobai in the Mahaicony river, Region
FPPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee
Five.
“It is important to note that several other villages, because of their political leanings toward the APNU/ AFC Government have been intentionally bypassed and will not be audited. These include Maruranau in the deep South of the Rupununi and Baitoon in the South Central Rupununi, Kako and Isseneru in the Upper and Middle Mazaruni respectively.”
Harmon had said these audits will have to be completed before the July 1622 timeline set for the elections. The elections, he stressed, are part of Government’s push towards the democratic renewal of the communities.
Toshao eligibility
To be elected as a Toshao, a person must be eligible to stand as a Councillor and should not have held the position for the two terms immediately preceding his or her nomination. During a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Minister Allicock explained that the village leaders’ election was delayed to accommodate the General and Regional Elections on May 11.
Minister Allicock had said that the Ministry is currently collaborating with the Ministry of Communities to distribute letters to the various communities advising of the meetings. Immediately after the holding of the village elections, the next focus will be the National Toshaos’ Council, allowing the Ministry to get on with its work.
Allicock added that the Administration’s intention is to depoliticise the Toshaos’ Council, allowing Amerindian leaders to discuss the way forward without any sort of alliance. “We would like to have Toshaos using their imagination, their own strength, because they are the ones who have to manage their communities, and if they are linked heavily to political parties, then they would be probably intimidated and they wouldn’t be able to do their work as they should be for the communities,” Minister Allicock had explained.
orty-year-old Charles Anthony Woolford was on Monday sentenced to 13 years in prison for the killing of his wife in 2009.
Woolford, called “Tony” of Lot 2041 Humming Bird Street, Festival City, North Ruimveldt, Greater Georgetown, was indicted with the February 8, 2009 murder of his 29-year-old wife, Latoya Woolford. He was subsequently found not guilty of the capital offence, but guilty of the lesser count of manslaughter.
According to reports, the victim, a hairdresser, was getting ready to go to a friend’s house to do her hair when Woolford entered the room with his hands behind his back and asked her where she was going. He then turned her around and repeatedly stabbed her in her stomach in the presence of her 11-year-old daughter. The victim managed to escape to the upper flat of the
home where relatives were staying, and was rushed to the hospital where she underwent surgery; however, she succumbed to her injuries the following day.
Relatives claimed that the man was a jealous person who had accused his wife of having an illicit relationship with a neighbour. Woolford, who went into hiding after stabbing his
wife, consumed a poisonous substance upon hearing of her death. He was treated, released into Police custody and subsequently charged.
During the trial, State Counsels Mercedes Thompson and Michael Shahoud called several witnesses to testify against Woolford, including the deceased’s daughter who had witnessed the incident. The teenager testified that she saw her stepfather spin her mother around and then stab her in the belly during an argument almost six years ago.
However, in leading his defence from the dock, Woolford maintained that he did not kill his wife but it was “Andy”, with whom the woman was allegedly having an affair. Woolford told the court that on the day in question, he went home and found the two together.
According to him, a fight ensued between him and “Andy” who had pulled out
a knife. He went on to say that his wife intervened and was stabbed, but did not say by whom. He added that after his wife started screaming that she was stabbed, “Andy” ran out of the house. Woolford was represented by Attorney Peter Hugh.
Following the closing addresses by the State and the defence, and the subsequent summation of the evidence by the trial judge, Justice Brassington Reynolds, the 12-member jury panel deliberated and found the accused guilty of manslaughter 11 to one, on Friday.
In handing down the sentence, Justice Reynolds took into consideration the age of the accused and the six years he spent on remand for the trial. He also considered the defence attorney’s submission. As a result, the Judge reduced the initial 20-year sentence by seven years.
Armed bandits on Monday relieved a clerk who was about to make a deposit at a commercial bank in New Amsterdam of an undisclosed sum of money at gunpoint.
Reports are that about 13:50h, a manager of A Ally and Sons General Store was taking a clerk to the bank which is situated about 200 metres from the store’s Coopers Lane outlet when the incident occurred.
Speaking with this publication, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the chain of stores, Fizal Ally said the worker was making the usual daily deposit to the bank when two men who were waiting close to the bank approached the clerk as she
girl up. Well, my brother told the girl to let go and then he chased them up to a point where he could not cross,” Ally related.
Reports are that the men escaped on a CG mo-
exited the vehicle. Two shots were fired after a gun was put to the head of the clerk before she was advised to let go of the bag containing the money.
“Two Rasta guys ran over the road and stick the
torbike and went into Angoy’s Avenue using a narrow bridge next to the New Amsterdam National Library to cross into another section of the town. It was at that point that the chase had to be given up, Ally ex-
plained. “Faraz did chase them, but he got blocked on the road for a couple seconds or he would have been able to knock them over.”
Ally explained that the bag contained both cash and cheques, but could not confirm a total amount.
According to the CEO, video footage from nearby businesses is being looked at with the aim of positively identifying the perpetrators. “We were lucky that it happened in front of the bank and there are lots of cameras in that area.”
Disrupting lives and business
Meanwhile, Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development Association (BCCDA) President Ramroop Rajnauth, in an invited comment said the current crime situation in Guyana is not something to laud and called on the relevant authorities to urgently address the issue. “This is disrupting a lot of lives and many business owners have
told me that they are now contemplating migration. I don’t think this is what we want at this point in time. It is sad that crimes are being perpetrated on our citizens and there is no Police presence.”
Rajnauth also voiced his concerns that on many occasions when reports are made to the Police about criminal activity, the Police have no vehicles to respond in a timely manner. “This is not something that we wish at this point in time. Our country has passed through
a lot and I would like the relevant authorities responsible for security to come on board and address the situation. The Police need to be much more active. Their presence needs to be felt on the streets, especially in the towns and they need to have more patrols.”
The Chamber President noted that recent reports indicated that most of the robberies were being perpetrated by youths, which raises questions about the recent decision to pardon several young persons who were incarcerated for petty crimes. “That is a situation that we closely need to monitor and see what these youths are doing.”
Asked to comment on the need to utilise more security when transporting large sums of money, the Chamber President said the business community needed to do so. “Sometimes businesses are being faced with situations where there may be cash sales coming with large sums of money and in order not to have the money at their homes or place
of business for a long period they may be forced to take the chance and try to get the money to the bank at the fastest possible moment. So I would want to suggest that at sometimes businesses are being caught between a rock and a hard place.”
“All these things are things to be looked into, but what we need to look at carefully is how do we tackle crime on the street…,” the Chamber President noted.
Orpheus Johnson of Second Street, Craig, East Bank Demerara (EBD), appeared before Magistrate Ann McLennan on Monday afternoon to answer a charge of murder. It is alleged that he murdered Travis Rudder; while injuring the deceased’s son Travic Rudder and the child’s mother Mawanza Gill.
In what is being called the ‘Nandy Park Execution’, the 28-year-old was read two counts of murder charges in Court Two of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, along with several additional charges.
The charges read that on June 21, Johnson murdered Travis Rudder, while he was asleep in his Republic Road, Nandy Park, EBD residence.
No details were given in court on the shooting. Nonetheless, Guyana Times understands that Rudder, age 26, was asleep with his 31-year-old girlfriend Mawanza Gill and their son when gunmen opened fire through a bedroom window using semi-automatic pistols. Rudder, who was alleged part of a gang, was killed.
Little Travic was shot five times that night and all called it a miracle that he survived.
The second murder
charge allege that Johnson killed 32-year-old Gladstone George, of Lot 40 Brutus Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown, on April 22, while in a minibus along the East Bank Demerara route. Johnson was positively identified in an identification parade by someone who witnessed the shooting. It should be noted that passengers in the minibus at the time of the shooting refused to partake in trying to identification the shooter, stating that they saw no one as they were running from the hail of bullets.
Also, it was heard that Johnson may be guilty of armed robbery as well. He
pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged he used a gun to rob Collin Headley of $55,000 on January 22, while they were both at Kaneville, EBD.
Another VC, Miguel Benjamin, appears to have also been a victim of Johnson’s crime spree, as he pleaded not guilty on Monday to breaking into Benjamin’s home on June 20. It is alleged that $403,000 worth in semi automatic pistols and matching rounds of ammunitions were stolen from his Peter’s Hall, EBD residence.
Johnson also pleaded not guilty to being the holder of an unlicensed 9mm pistol and 18 live rounds of ammunition that was found on his person when Police apprehended him on July 5, in the vicinity of Stabroek Market, Georgetown. However, he was not required to plead to the two counts of murder charges against him. His Attorney George Thomas told the court that his client had an alibi for the day Gladstone George was murdered in the minibus. However, this was not elaborated upon.
The accused is expected back in court on July 27 and 29 for a report of the several cases against him. He was denied bail.
Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge said that the United Nations (UN) Good Officers’ process has outlived its usefulness and is not the best approach to addressing the continued controversy between this country and neighbouring Venezuela.
In fact, Greenidge has asserted that Guyana has already informed the UN that it is seeking judicial settlement of the decadesold controversy. Greenidge was asked on Monday for a comment on Venezuela’s recent request to the Secretary General of the UN Ban KImoon for the appointment of a Good Officer in ironing out the controversy between the two neighbouring countries.
“I’m not aware that the Good Offices process has any further to go. We have been on this particular line for the past 25 years and it seems to me that in that time, the actions that we thought had been captured in the Geneva Agreement – the process for the practical resolution of the controversy which is a claim that the 1899 Arbitration Award is null and void – has never been addressed in 25 years,” Greenidge declared.
The Foreign Affairs Minister went on to point out that even if the award was not properly arrived at,
then the issue that the Good Officers are supposed to address will arise from that aspect and not from new issues that have arisen, such as the passage of the decree that unilaterally claims Guyana’s maritime space. “I am not aware that it is one that the Good Officer’s process can resolve and that is because the determination and delimitation of maritime boundaries is specifically within the competence of other UN agencies such as the Convention on the Law of the Seas – the Commission dealing with the law of the Sea,” he outlined.
The Minister disclosed that his Government has indicated this position “very clearly” to the Secretary General of the UN that the
Good Officers process, which Guyana has faithfully adhered to, does not seem to offer any prospect of moving forward from the decade-old controversy between Guyana and Venezuela. Furthermore, Greenidge highlighted that this position was one that was also adopted by the previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration.
“Neither my Government nor its predecessor have seen one iota of evidence provided by the Government of Venezuela or its agents to suggest that the arbitration award was problematic in the sense not being properly arrived at,” he stated. On the other hand, commenting on President Nicolás Maduro’s decision to recall his Ambassador to Guyana, Reina Margarita Arratia Diaz, for “consultations”, Greenidge stated that the Government has no right to question such a decision. “If they feel that they have to consult with their Ambassador that is their business, if they have a message for us, they will have means of transmitting those messages to us,” he posited. According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, the two countries have been exchanging letters and have been in talks, through their respective representatives.
The Guyana-Venezuela rice agreement under the PetroCaribe deal was not in jeopardy, and there was no question of Venezuela putting a halt to rice shipments before this year’s supply contract comes to an end in November, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder told members of the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association on Monday.
The delegation, which was headed by Chairman of the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association, Dr Peter De Groot, sought an update from the Minister, as to whether the GuyanaVenezuela rice deal was in jeopardy. The Minister explained that Guyana had varied its schedule of shipments
by increasing the rate of rice shipments. This has caused problems at the receiving end in Venezuela and Guyana has been asked to revert to the agreed schedule. The total quantity under the existing contract will be accepted until the contract comes to an end in November, Government Information Agency (GINA).
The Venezuelan authorities have indicated to Guyana that they are prepared to discuss continued shipments of rice and other commodities as part of a revised agreement for 2016. A high-level team, inclusive of representatives from the Guyana Millers and Exporters Marketing Association, is expected to visit the Spanish-speaking country shortly, to discuss the way
The fire that erupted at Robb and Camp Streets, gutting two buildings and damaging several others has proved to be a grand opportunity for many persons who later gathered at the scene to plunder the debris.
When Guyana Times arrived at the scene on Monday, raiders were eagerly crawling through the rubble to see what could be salvaged and sold for personal gain. Some of the items seen emerging from the burnt buildings were screw-drivers, axes, spades, hammers, squares, steel rods and others. These items were piled into trunks of cars or at times dragged away on horse carts even as fights broke out among the raiders.
A few of these individuals even made attempts to sell these products on the street corners to passersby. Onlookers said that it looked very shameful to see persons just digging around in a person’s possession, es-
pecially at such a time and without permission. Others mentioned that since no one had tried to stop them, it may be all right.
When contacted by this publication, store owner Ridwan Khan stated that although he was not much aware of the looters, men were hired to clear away the excess rubble so that the cause of the fire could be verified and that he could look forward in his other businesses. This fire of unknown origin early Sunday morning gutted two businesses – one of them housed in the former Kissoon Furniture Store building and caused severe damage to others at Camp and Robb Streets.
The fire, which started about 02:05h, ravaged the hardware store operated by a group of Chinese nationals, but owned by Khan. It also razed the Friends Hotel in the same block that was also owned by Khan and rented to Chinese nationals.
In addition, the northern wall of the City Mall received extensive damage as a result of the inferno as well as nearby Republic Bank. The intensity of the flames shattered several glass doors and windows of Republic Bank. According to reports received, a loud explosion was heard followed by huge flames in the hardware store, but the fire might have started in another building and swiftly moved to the hardware store. When Guyana Times visited the scene on Sunday morning, firefighters were busy containing remnant small fires as they erupted. Some officials were going through the rubble to gather information as they began the investigation. There was a heavy presence of Police ranks at the scene and several persons living in the upper flat of the hardware store were grilled in connection with the fire. There is still no evidence as to how the fire had started.
forward for the supply of commodities in exchange for oil under the PetroCaribe agreement.
“Venezuela has assured us that rice shipments from Guyana have not been stopped. However, the rate of supply has to be adjusted in keeping with the agreed schedule,” Minister Holder said. Dr De Groot welcomed the announcement, alluding to the fact that the Association will be working collaboratively with the Guyana Government and Venezuela, to ensure that all avenues were looked at and that the present misconception was cleared. The meeting was also attended by Agriculture Ministry Permanent Secretary George Jervis.
tuesday, july 14, 2015| guyanatimesgy.com
By Vahnu Manikchand
The Governments of Guyana and the United States on Monday signed a multi-million agreement under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) to improve Guyana’s efforts in tackling the societal scourges of crime and illicit trafficking.
The United States committed some US$50,000 ($10.3 million) towards reducing crime in a variety of areas including illicit trafficking, advancement of public safety and security as well as promoting social justice. The CBSI Letter of Amendment, number 3.1,was signed by Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and US Chargé d’ Affaires Bryan Hunt.
According to Greenidge, the money will go towards funding three broad based projects. The first one, the “Law Enforcement Professionalisation and Support” Project, which is designed to enhance the Guyana Police Force and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) capabilities to conduct counternarcotics operations at all ports of entry, both water and land, by providing the necessary equipment and training as well as technical assistance to these agencies. The Minister stated that training will be done in areas of immigration procedures, detection of fraudulent documents, identification and handling of
suspicious persons as well as other areas targeting the illegal smuggling of aliens, narcotics and other illegal goods across the borders.
Secondly, the monies will also be used in counternarcotics control capabilities, which will enhance Guyana’s capabilities to conduct counternarcotics operations across the country, primarily by way of interagency coordination, gathering actionable intelligence on drug trafficking as well as increased interdictions, seizures and eradication exercises.
“The funds specifically will be used in the areas for training, to provide equipment, to support criminal intelligence units and other relevant entities within the Government of Guyana. These actions we hope will improve the ability of law enforcement officials to gather information on drug trafficking organisations, to conduct investigations and to interdict illicit trafficking across the country,” the Minister stated. Additionally, the final programme focuses on the rule of law and anti-corruption elements – one focuses on prisoners, the second on justice reform and the third on forensics, Greenidge pointed out. In terms of the prisons, the aim is to expand capabilities in terms of their operations and correctional facilities’ to ensure that they
are safe, secure, fair, and humane and that they conform to internationally accepted standards and norms.
“(The prison element) will enhance the skills, knowledge and abilities of correctional officials to appropriately and effectively manage a sustainable, multi-gender and multi-custody offender population so that the correctional system contributes to public safety, positively impacts on efforts to combat transnational crimes and to provide prisoners with opportunities to reform and to be rehabilitated,” the Minister outlined. Further, he disclosed that the justice reforms element deals with strengthening the judicial sector’s
ability to address narcotics trafficking and transnational crimes. According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, this programme will provide training in judicial administration, case management, case filing systems, anticorruption as well as transparency and accountability.
Additionally, he noted that there may also be projects to support training in investigations and prosecution of complex financial crimes, money laundering and asset forfeiture.
He detailed that the forensic element was intended to assist in building the local capacity to collect, analyse and present in legal proceedings, the forensic evidence to enhance criminal
investigations and prosecutions. “Forensic activities will include targeted technical assistance, training and equipment for crime scene investigations, and evidence collection. It will also enhance the functions of the forensic lab and work with the judicial system to utilise forensic evidence appropriately,” Greenidge remarked.
Meanwhile, Hunt outlined that his Government was happy to commit additional financial support to the Government of Guyana’s law enforcement efforts, as part of the CBSI programme. He stated that “President Granger’s Administration has been clear in its political commitment to taking the steps necessary to en-
sure that Guyanese law enforcement agencies are able to prevent this country from being used as a safe haven by international criminal elements.”
According to the US Embassy official, actions such as the early passage of the Anti Money Laundering legislation, continued financial commitment to the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) and steps to reform the Police Force are tangible evidence of the new Government’s commitment to tackling crime.
“These resources will play a critical role in training and equipping law enforcement agencies, to enable them to expand their cooperative efforts to combat narcotic trafficking and strengthening Police capabilities,” he added.
Hunt further remarked that the programmes that the funds would support were designed in close collaboration with Guyanese law enforcement agencies, so they aimed to achieve the goals laid out by the Guyana Government. Furthermore, Hunt stated that the CBSI has been instrumental in building collaboration within the Caribbean Region on information sharing in law enforcement matters. He specifically referred to the automated finger printing identification system, from which local enforcement and immigration officers obtain information to use in investigations.
Afire of unknown origin on Friday evening
gutted the historical West End Youth Centre building in Hope Street, Tiger Bay, Georgetown, leaving two Custom Brokers without an office to function.
The wooden building situated at Lot 34 Hope Street, surprisingly remained standing. However, the interior of the building was badly damaged with sections of the roof caved in and the glass windows shattered.
was warm in praise for the Fire Service, relating that it arrived promptly and managed to save the building, though it was badly damaged inside.
The fire, according to Fire Chief Marlon Gentle, is the fifth recorded for the Fire Service in a matter of two days and the fourth on Friday alone. It started
that it was becoming alarming that so many fires were recorded in a matter of hours.
He said that at this time, with schools being closed, camps ongoing and a buildup of activity taking place, caution must be exercised in everything done in the home, with closer attention being paid to all times.
Ramjattan showed up. In a brief conversation with A Division (Georgetown) Commander Clifton Hicken and Fire Chief Gentle, the Minister was overheard stating that he was becoming increasingly concerned with the activities taking place in the country.
Told by the Fire Chief that the fire was the fifth in a
Norma Kerr, an 80-yearold woman, who has a kitchen situated at the back of the building from where she prepares meals for sale, said that she was in the kitchen when she smelt smoke.
“Well, I was at the back there with my grandson sitting down and I smell something burning and he telling me is copper, but then I heard they saying look smoke coming out. By that time, I see the fire start at the top of the building,” the
The nearby Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Building which is located just in front of the burnt building was luckily not touched by the fire, owing to quick action from the Fire Service.
elderly woman said. She noted that while no one lived in the building, it was occupied by two individuals who were Custom Brokers. She added that the building also contained a washing machine, stove and other appliances.
Alpha Fletchman, whose mother is the community’s Secretary and through whom the building was sublet, related a similar story. He noted that smoke was seen emanating from the building before the fire took over. He said they were not able to save anything. However, the community
around 16:45h since it was around that time that the call was received. He noted that an investigation into the fire would be conducted.
The Fire Chief expressed
Around 18:00h, as the firefighters ensured that the building was not a hazard and began their investigation, Public Security Minister Khemraj
matter of hours, Ramjattan was heard stating that it was a matter of concern which should be addressed, a statement with which the Fire Chief agreed.
– President Granger tells UN conference
President David Granger on Monday further internationalised Guyana’s protest against Venezuela’s claim to this country’s maritime space at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, which is being held in Ethiopia. He told the gathering of world leaders that security is indispensable to any country, and as such, Guyana will reject any threat to it.
“Security and stability are indispensable to sustainable development and the pursuit of prosperity. We resent, reject and resist the threat or use of force or any unilateral coercive attempt by one state against another in order to frustrate the legitimate aspirations of our people to enjoy a good life,” President Granger said.
While he only made the comment in passing, the President said that the Charter of the United Nations (UN) and the tenets of international law must be guaranteed to all states and peoples in the quest for secure livelihoods and sustainable development. To this end, he said that Guyana, “on the strength of this conviction, therefore, emphasises the primacy of international cooperation even as we embrace fully our primary responsibility for national development.”
He told those gathered that they too shared in the responsibility of rejecting this threat and they must ensure that they participate in fostering international cooperation among all countries.
“This Third International Conference on Financing for Development, therefore, must make a fundamental contribution to the thrust towards greater global cooperation as we embark on an ambitious and transformative post-2015 development agenda that will seek to ensure that no country or no community is left behind,” the Head of State shared.
In the meantime, President Granger renewed Guyana’s solidarity with Africa and all other countries in what he said was their “quest for sustainable development and to provide a good life for their peoples.”
“We renew our country’s commitment to cooperation with other states in the search for solutions to the challenges that beset us. We also renew our aspirations for prosperity, equality, dignity and security for all people everywhere. Guyana has had the honour of working with Norway and our hosts, Ethiopia, as well as with the entire international community, on the preparation for this momentous conference. The draft outcome document submitted for our consideration is the result of painstaking labour to build a for-
ward-looking framework and a solid foundation for global development efforts,” said him.
The President said that the meeting was in testing times for the international community which is being overshadowed by the lowering of global growth prospects by the IMF and the rising of political and humanitarian crises affecting millions of people across the globe.
“Our efforts here today are part of a continuum. This Third International Conference on Financing for Development is more than merely a meeting to mull over the modalities of financing. It is about strengthening our confidence in the efficacy of multilateralism; it is about the collective exercise of our political will for the benefit of our peoples and our planet, now and in the future. It is about shaping the future we want for our peoples for generations to come,” the Guyanese leader told his counterparts.
Noting that Guyana is a small state that is committed to sustainable development, Granger said that the country’s growth has been a long and arduous quest to secure a good life for all with the country’s experiences reinforcing the resolve to build a more resilient economy, a more inclusionary democracy and a more cohesive society, one in which crime, disease, ignorance and poverty can be defeated.
He further told the conference that they must renew global solidarity and use collective will to resolve global problems in a timely and effective manner stating that if they were serious about sustainable development then they must be serious in the quest for mitigating the effects of climate change.
He further intoned that while Governments must exercise leadership, the requisite actions and investments cannot be executed by Governments alone and all other stakeholders must realise that their efforts will also be essential to delivering the future they envision, with the youth, women and local communities fully involved.
As he acknowledged that
Favourable worldwide conditions for cereal crops will lead to better-than-expected production this growing season at the global level, despite continuing apprehension over El Niño. But concerns are growing over a sharp shortfall in maize grown in sub-Saharan Africa as well as poor production in other food insecure hotspot areas.
the achievement of the sustainable development goals will place heavy demands upon all countries, he said that efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals can teach that the significant progress is possible when the international community works together.
“Developed countries must continue to exercise real leadership in fostering international development cooperation. Developing countries must continue to intensify their own efforts. We applaud those countries that have been unstinting in their support and encourage others to do likewise. We all must be ready to respond to the demands of our times. This requires making the investments to incentivise an irreversible paradigm shift in favour of sustainable development. It requires, also, a commitment to complete the unfinished work of the MDGs, including in education, health, water and sanitation and food security,” the President told the conference in his address.
“Guyana welcomes the emphasis of the draft outcome on these areas as well as the attention given to bridging the infrastructure gap, fostering sustainable consumption and production patterns and promoting micro-, small and mediumsized enterprises,” he added. The conference which will run from July 13-16 is being held under the theme “Time for Global Action.” The conference gathers high-level political representatives, including Heads of State and Government, and Ministers of Finance, Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation, as well as all relevant institutional stakeholders, non-governmental organisations and business sector entities.
The Conference will result in an inter-governmentally negotiated and agreed outcome, which should constitute an important contribution to and support the implementation of the post2015 development agenda. President Granger is being accompanied by Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador George Talbot and Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, Keith George.
According to the latest release of the monthly Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Food Price Index (FPI) and the new edition of the quarterly Crop Prospects and Food Situation report, both issued Thursday, world cereal production this year should amount to 2527 million tonnes. That represents a 1.1 per cent decline from the record level in 2014, but an improvement from projections made last month.
Meanwhile, the FPI declined 0.9 per cent in June compared to May. At 165.1 points, the index is now down 21 per cent compared to a year ago and at its lowest level since September 2009. The decline in the FAO FPI mainly came as a result of a drop of 6.6 per cent in the price of sugar and of 4.1 per cent in the prices of dairy products, which more than offset a rebound in palm oil and wheat quotations. Increasing worldwide demand for livestock feed, especially in Brazil, China and the United States, is supporting prices for coarse grains, including maize.
But those global price trends and favourable prospects for world cereal production mask localised hotspots of food insecurity, the report also cautioned. Some 34 countries worldwide, including 28 in Africa – many hosting large numbers of refugees – are in need of external assistance for food, it says.
In Africa, the overall 2015 production outlook points to a decline from last year’s high level, with all regions expecting reduced harvests, except Central and North Africa. In Southern Africa, aggregate cereal production is projected to decrease by 17 per cent, mainly due to irregular seasonal rains and an extended dry spell. Aggregate maize production – which accounts for the bulk of the subregion’s cereal output – is forecast at 20.6 million tonnes, 26 per cent below the bumper 2014 output.
Accounting for the bulk of the decrease, South Africa’s maize production is estimated at 10.5 million tonnes, a steep 30 per cent reduction versus the high level of last year. Zambia and Malawi’s 2015 maize harvests are estimated to be 21 and 26 per cent below 2014, and rainfall deficits have severely impacted maize production in the import-dependent countries of Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland, with declines ranging from
cent in Senegal. Large areas of Chad, Mauritania and Niger were also affected. In Central Africa, despite favourable weather conditions in the Central African Republic, continuing civil insecurity is expected to negatively affect the current cropping season. Strife in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is also cause for concern, it notes. In East Africa, late and erratic rains since the start of the cropping season in March impaired the
13 to 43 per cent. These trends are expected to negatively impact on availability of cereal exports to cereal deficit neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe, where maize output is expected to fall by half. Compared to the low level of the previous year, the number of people in need of assistance for food is set to increase. In West Africa, last year’s overall good production in the Sahel region obscures local food security issues, the report added. The latest estimates put the 2014 aggregate cereal production in the nine Sahelian countries at 21 million tonnes, about seven per cent higher than the five-year average, thanks to solid outputs in Mali and other coastal countries.
Significant drop in production
However, a significant drop in production has been recorded in large parts of the Sahel belt, notably in the countries located in western parts of the subregion, due to poor weather. Cereal production there, compared to the five?year average, is estimated to have dropped in 2014 by 83 per cent in Cabo Verde, 28 per cent in the Gambia, 33 per cent in Guinea-Bissau and 17 per
production outlook. The report in particular highlights “alarming” food security conditions in conflict-affected areas of South Sudan, where the number of severely food insecure people has almost doubled to an estimated 4.6 million since the beginning of 2015. The 2015 cereal production in the Near East is expected to recover from last year’s drought, driven by a projected 18 per cent increase in output in Turkey. But conflicts continue to “severely” impact on agriculture and Iraq, Yemen and Syria continue to face an “escalating humanitarian crisis”, according to the report. Yemen, in particular, stands out where of 12.9 million food insecure people, about 6.1 million are in “emergency” phase, while 6.8 million are in “crisis” phase, representing a 21 per cent increase over the previous year. In Asia, a record crop in China and Pakistan is expected to offset declines elsewhere – mainly in India as a result of a poor wheat harvest. Nepal has seen drops in food production due to earthquake damage, and in the Democratic Republic of Korea, a severe dry spell is expected to result in reduced cereal production in 2015.
A30-year-old man will be taking responsibility for a gun that was found in a trench after he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday to answer a charge of possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Earl David of 89 Laing Avenue, Georgetown, was refused bail by Magistrate Ann McLennan when he denied that he was found with a handgun in his possession by Police on Tuesday last.
He stated that Police on patrol stopped and searched the defendant and his ve-
hicle but found nothing. However, he said they came back two to three hours later with a gun they alleged he threw out of his vehicle window. David said this was not true. However, Police investigations indicate that the defendant did have 12 rounds of live ammunition, along with the handgun in his possession while in East Ruimveldt, Georgetown. David is not a licensed firearm holder.
Magistrate McLennan ordered that he report to court for July 20.
ARIES (March 21April 19)
TAURUS (April 20May 20)
(May 21June 20)
CANCER
A misunderstanding will cause hurt feelings. Be clear about what your intentions and expectations are so that there will be no regrettable mishaps.
Your competitive nature and sense of fun will make you a popular choice for any team. A friendly challenge with relatives or neighbors will help keep everyone’s spirits high.
If you have been pushing yourself too hard, your health will suffer. Slow down and treat yourself to a little fun with friends and family, or savor a little independent leisure time.
LEO (July 23Aug. 22)
VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)
Positive changes lie ahead. With determination, you will be able to handle emotional issues that have been holding you back. Love is in the stars, and romance will improve your personal life.
Gossip will surface if you are extravagant or flamboyant. Use your energy wisely and plan to enjoy unusual events or activities with people you know and trust.
Your contribution to a worthy cause will lead to an enlightening and stimulating encounter. Friends you make when doing things you enjoy will have a profound influence on your future.
LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)
Make sure you do your homework. Until you have all the facts in place, you are likely to overreact. Ask pertinent questions until you have no doubt about moving forward.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)
You may be bored with what’s going on around you. Take a trip or join a group that deals with historical, religious or philosophical topics and expand your knowledge.
CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)
Your intuitive insight will lead to financial gains. Invest wisely and seek the help of those in the know to help you make the right choices.
(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
Your sensitive nature will cause you to worry excessively about other people’s problems. Offer sympathy, but don’t feel that you have to pay for others’ mistakes. Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty.
AQUARIUS
PISCES
(Feb. 20March 20)
Poor diet or lack of sleep will sap your energy. If you look after your health, you will be able to rise to any challenge that comes your way.
A passionate evening will develop if you get together with someone who shares your interests. Clear any distractions so that you can devote your undivided attention to your date or partner.
Mahela Jayawardene could be joining the England coaching staff in a consultancy role. ESPNcricinfo understands that Paul Farbrace, who coached the Sri Lanka team to the World T20 title in 2014, has already spoken to the prolific former batsman but that Andrew Strauss, England’s team director, has yet to agree any deal. Trevor Bayliss, the new coach, also knows Jayawardene well from his period as Sri Lanka coach.
Jayawardene earned an outstanding record as a batsman across the formats and around the world in an 18-year international career. But it is his expertise in Asian conditions,
in particular, that interests England now. Over the next 18 months or so, England will play Pakistan in the UAE, tour India and Bangladesh, as well as host Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The 2016 World T20 is also in India.
Confirming that Jayawardene had been contacted, an ECB spokesman suggested that he was not being viewed as a potential replacement for Mark Ramprakash, who is out of contract at the end of the season. Instead he would be used as a consultant, similar to the way Mushtaq Ahmed was used as a spin bowling consultant.
The England management are also understood to be thinking of using
Paul Collingwood in a consultancy role with a specific view to limited-overs cricket. Collingwood, who is still playing for Durham, was captain of the England side that won the World T20 in 2010 and was utilised in a consultancy role when Ashley Giles was the limited-overs coach. Collingwood has also fulfilled a similar role with Scotland.
News of Jayawardene’s potential involvement with England may cause dismay in Sri Lanka. A team in transition would also no doubt benefit from his wisdom, but unless they are able to offer a longerterm deal, it may well be England that benefit from his knowledge. (Cricinfo)
Blatter to face media for first time since stepping down
Sepp Blatter is set to face the media on July 20 for the first time since he announced last month that he would step down as president of soccer’s governing body FIFA.
Blatter and secretary general Jerome Valcke will both take part in a media conference after an executive committee meeting which will set the date for the extraordinary FIFA Congress and presidential election, FIFA said on Monday.
The 79-year-old was elected for a fifth term as FIFA president on May 29 but announced four days
later that he would lay down his mandate and call a fresh election where he would not be a candidate. The announcement came with FIFA in turmoil after 14 sports marketing execu-
tives and soccer officials, including several from FIFA, were indicted in the United States in late May on bribery, money laundering and wire fraud charges involving more than $150 million in payments.
Seven of those accused were arrested by Swiss police in a dawn raid on a luxury Zurich hotel two days before the FIFA Congress where Blatter was re-elected. Since then, Blatter has given a handful of exclusive interviews to Germanspeaking media but has not spoken in public. (Reuters)
All you need to know ahead of
The Justice Lodha committee will, on Tuesday, announce the quantum of punishment for Gurunath Meiyappan, Raj Kundra and the franchises they were part ofChennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals respectively - for their involvement in the IPL 2013 corruption scandal. The committee’s report marks the beginning of the end of the IPL spotfixing case, which began in dramatic fashion more than
plicable, impose a suitable punishment on him on behalf of BCCI
* Suggest amendments to the processes followed by the BCCI with a view to preventing sporting frauds and conflict of interests, and also streamline the board’s working to make it more responsive to the expectations of the public at large.
What will the Lodha committee do on July 14?
On Tuesday, the committee will announce the
ship group. There are four scenarios for the franchises with the verdict.
* Super Kings and Royals could be suspended or banned from the IPL.
* Both the teams could be fined heavily for committing several code breaches.
* Super Kings could be suspended/banned while Royals could be fined.
* Royals could be suspended/ banned while Super Kings could be fined. Can the parties appeal?
two years ago with the arrest of Sreesanth and other players. It could end equally dramatically if the committee deems the two franchises fit for the maximum punishment. As Indian cricket holds its breath waiting for the report, here are the key issues for Tuesday.
What is the Lodha committee?
The Lodha committee was formed on January 22, 2015 by the Supreme Court after the Mudgal committee, appointed as an investigator into the IPL 2013 scandal, submitted its report. The committee, comprising retired Chief Justice of India, RM Lodha, and retired Supreme Court judges, Ashok Bhan and R Raveendran, have three main tasks to perform:
* Determine appropriate punishments for Gurunath, Kundra and their respective franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, following on from the Mudgal report.
* Examine the role of Sundar Raman, the IPL chief operating officer, in the IPL 2013 scandal and, if ap-
punishment for Gurunath, Kundra and their respective franchises. Both Gurunath, who is the son-in-law of former BCCI president N Srinivasan, and Kundra were found guilty of betting on IPL matches by the Mudgal committee. The respective franchises are also under the scanner. Super Kings, who had tried to distance themselves from Gurunath and his role in the team, have been accused of attempting to mislead the probe while Royals are in the dock due to the involvement of Kundra and the arrests of Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila for spot-fixing. The committee will first hand over its verdict to representatives of all the four entities and could then make the verdict public through a media briefing.
What is likely to happen with Super Kings and Royals?
While Super Kings distanced the franchise from Gurunath after his arrest in May 2013, Kundra recently transferred his shares and exited Royals’ owner-
While appointing the Lodha panel, the Supreme Court brief said: “The order passed by the committee shall be final and binding upon the BCCI and the parties concerned.” However, experts feel an aggrieved party may still challenge the decision, citing several ongoing criminal proceedings against some of the accused. Is this an end to the IPL 2013 corruption saga? No. The criminal cases against the three cricketers - S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila - along with Gurunath are in progress in lower courts. The cases could drag on for years. Moreover, if the Lodha committee verdict is challenged, it may take more time for closure.
Is the Lodha committee’s work done?
No. The committee still has two responsibilities to fulfil. The Lodha panel was set a deadline of six months but with time running out, the committee may seek an extension to take a decision on Sundar Raman and make recommendations to restructure the BCCI. (Cricinfo)
Novak Djokovic hopes to be fighting for Grand Slam titles for “many more years” after moving to eighth on the all-time list with a third Wimbledon victory.
The Serb, ranked number one, beat Roger Federer 7-6 (7-1) 6-7 (10-12) 6-4 6-3 on Centre Court to retain his title.
Djokovic, 28, moves above the likes of Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi on nine Grand Slam wins.
“I’m going to keep going. I feel good. I don’t feel old. I have hopefully many more years in front of me,” he said.
“I’m going to try to push my own limits and see how far I can go really with titles and with myself playing on this high level.”
Djokovic now stands one major title behind American Bill Tilden and two behind Sweden’s Bjorn Borg and Australian Rod Laver.
“To be on that list and mentioned with such an elite group of players is a privilege,” he added.
The Serb had to recover from losing the French Open final last month, and so failing to complete his set of major titles, but just five weeks later he was holding the Wimbledon trophy.
“This sport makes you recover very fast,” said Djokovic.
“Within a couple of weeks you really need to get your things together and motivate yourself to be able to play on a high level in another Grand Slam.
“You can’t think about what happened in French Open or what happened a few weeks before. You just need to look forward.
“If we don’t have Wimbledon a few weeks after French Open, maybe it would be a different situation. But it is the way it is. It’s actually
pretty good for me.”
Djokovic has matched the achievement of his coach, Boris Becker, in winning Wimbledon three times, and paid tribute to the influence of the German.
“Right now whenever you’re winning, obviously everybody feels happy and it’s easy to say positive things,” he said.
“But in the tough times, Boris was there, as was the entire team. They were encouraging me to keep going, supporting me.
“That’s a unity that keeps us together and allows us to experience these beautiful moments.”
Djokovic also thanked his wife, Jelena, on the first anniversary of their wedding.
“One year ago I won the trophy, and on this day, we got married in the church, started a new life together,” he said.
“It’s really an amazing chapter of my life that I’m trying to enjoy as much as I can.
“Ever since I got married and became a father, I haven’t lost many matches, I won many tournaments. I suggest that to every player: Get married, have kids, let’s enjoy this.” (BBC Sport)
Former world number one Tiger Woods says he can win his 15th major at this week’s Open, claiming his game is “heading in the right direction”.
Woods, 39, has not won a major since the 2008 US Open and has struggled with form and injury in recent years.
But, in an interview with BBC Sport, world number 241 Woods said he now felt more consistent.
The American also said that golf was “in good hands” with current world top two Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.
In addition, Woods revealed that he now spends less time playing golf and more time with his two children.
Woods on his game
Woods has been hampered by a back problem, for which he had surgery in 2014, and has been trying to alter his swing.
He has struggled for form throughout 2015 and has recorded three scores in the 80s in his last six tournaments. Last month, he shot the worst round of his professional career - a 13-overpar 85 at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio - and missed the cut in the US Open at Chambers Bay with his worst score in the event.
However, he carded his best round of the year - a four-under-par 66 - on the
first day of the Greenbrier Classic on 2 July.
“My body’s finally good. I’m just not as wiry and as whippy as I used to be. And being 39 versus 19 is totally different.
“If you’re making changes you have to take a couple of steps backwards before you make the giant leap forward - if you look throughout my career when I’ve made swing changes I’ve gone
take a tremendous amount of work and a lot of patience but I’ll get there eventually.”
Woods off the course
In 2009, Woods admitted cheating on his then wife Elin Nordegren and having multiple affairs. He took a five-month break from the game and has not won a major since.
In May this year, his two-year relationship with US Olympic skiing cham-
through that suffering period and I’ve come out pretty good on the other side.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve found the solution - it’s a process, an evolution, making subtle shifts, fine tuning and getting the overall pattern different, and that takes time.
“I’m starting to feel like I’m getting more consistentthe last round at Greenbrier was probably the best I’ve hit in a couple of years.
“I know I’m heading in the right direction. It’s going
pion Lindsey Vonn ended. Woods said the break-up was “brutal”.
Asked how he deals with performing below his own expectations, Woods said he now spends more time with his family.
“It’s a little bit harder now, because I just don’t have as much time to devote to practising.
“My kids are the most important things in my life. When I was younger I could practise 14 hours a day -
it didn’t matter as I didn’t have any other responsibilities.
“Now with my kids in my life and my foundation [a charity helping provide college-access opportunities for low-income students], which is so important and which we are trying to grow, I have more responsibilities.
“But my two kids are everything for me. I drop golf and everything to be with them.”
Woods on the future of golf
“A lot of kids are coming up. Golf’s in great hands with Rory and Jordan.
“The game’s changed dramatically. When I got into my teens, clubs started changing and now we have all these different technologies and balls have changed.
“But the neat thing is that golf has become much more athletic - look at the guys’ bodies now - they’re fit, they’re training, they’ve got bigger, stronger. We’re getting athletes in the game of golf.”
Woods on his own future
“I will play for as long as I can feel like I’m competitive and I can win golf tournaments. I’m not going to play forever - I’m not going be one of those guys who’s out there playing at 70.
“I mean I’m 40 in just a few months so definitely I’ll be playing in my 40s.” (BBC Sport)
American sprinter Justin Gatlin could win world championships and go undefeated for a second consecutive season but he would still not be ineligible for the sport’s athlete of the year award, the IAAF said.
Italian rider Ivan Basso has withdrawn from the Tour de France after revealing he has testicular cancer.
“We discovered this two hours ago. I have to stop,” the former Giro d’Italia winner, 37, told a shocked news conference on Monday.
Basso was set to be one of Alberto Contador’s key lieutenants in the mountains over the next two weeks.
He caught his groin in a crash on stage five and the cancer was discovered in a check-up on the race’s first rest day.
Tinkoff-Saxo team-mate Contador was in tears as he sat next to Basso during his announcement.
Basso, who will travel to Italy to undergo surgery as soon as possible, twice finished on the podium dur-
ing Lance Armstrong’s long reign at the Tour and many, including Armstrong, expected him to follow the American on to the top step when he retired in 2005.
But Basso got caught up in the Spanish Operation Puerto doping scandal and eventually admitted to the intention to cheat. He was given a two-year ban in 2007.
The Italian climber, who
owns a blueberry farm in Lombardy, has claimed five top-10 finishes in Grand Tours since his return to the sport, including a Giro win in 2010.
He is also one of the friendliest and more relaxed members of the professional peloton so this news will be greeted with considerable dismay.
His diagnosis will also increase the focus on Armstrong’s arrival in France next week to ride two stages of the Tour with ex-England footballer Geoff Thomas - a day ahead of the race - to raise money for a cancer charity.
Armstrong recovered from life-threatening testicular cancer earlier in his career to win the seven Tour titles he was eventually stripped of for his doping activities. (BBC Sport)
A change in selection criteria makes any athlete who has been sanctioned for a serious doping offence ineligible to be shortlisted for the honour, effective this year, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) spokesman Nick Davies told Reuters in an email.
Gatlin, the fastest man over 100 and 200 metres in
change at a meeting last November on the recommendation of the IAAF Athletes Commission. It came after uproar over Gatlin’s inclusion on the top 10 male athletes of the year list for 2014 under existing rules.
The American was not among the three finalists for the honour which was won by French pole vaulter
2015, was banned for four years after a 2006 positive test for testosterone.
He has returned to the sport and is favourite to dethrone Jamaican world record holder Usain Bolt in both sprints at the world championships in Beijing in August.
Davies said the IAAF Council approved the
Renaud Lavillenie.
“However, the majority of Council Members who took the floor supported this recommendation because it enhanced the credibility of the sport, it protected the rights of clean athletes and it assisted in further establishing inappropriate behaviour in the sport that would not be honoured by the IAAF in the future.”
Britain’s Sebastian Coe, running for the IAAF presidency along with fellow vice president Sergey Bubka, was among those unhappy about Gatlin’s inclusion.
“I think you’d be pretty surprised if I did sit here and was sanguine about that,” Coe said last year of Gatlin’s inclusion on the top-10 list.
“I personally have big problems with it.”
Gatlin, who earlier served a one-year suspension after testing positive in 2001 for an amphetamine contained in attention deficit disorder (ADD) medication he had taken since his youth, declined to comment on the criteria change. He was honoured by USA Track & Field as its athlete of the week after his sizzling 200 metres time of 19.57 seconds at the U.S. world championships trials last month. (Reuters)
“Several Council Members expressed concern that the IAAF could encounter legal challenges if the Athletes’ Commission’s recommendation that no athlete who has been sanctioned for a serious doping offence should be shortlisted for the Athlete of the Year award was approved,” minutes from the meeting recorded.
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our Karatekas in Berbice were on Sunday promoted when the International Karate Daigaku (IKD) held a grading examination at the New Amsterdam Town Hall, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Sixth Dan Sensei Amir Khouri held a grading examination for the four who were under the instruction of Clinton Moriah of New Amsterdam and Hazrat Ali of Albion.
The four who have been promoted are Henry Xavier
promoted to purple belt (4kyu), Rheba Muckunlall to blue belt (5kyu) while Azriel Persaud and Aaliyah Haynes graduated to yellow belts (8kyu). Ali admonished the four to continue training and to work on speed and power.
Speaking with this publication about the exercise on Sunday, Sensei Khouri noted that the IKD was trying to make it easier for young karatekas by having their grading done close to the community in which they live.
“Although they are only four in number, they do play a major role in the development of karate-do and we see it necessary to ensure that they are all promoted to a higher rank.”
“Berbice is a remote community and the IKD wants to promote the disciplined art of fighting by encouraging youngsters to work at their own pace of the ancient art, but we have developed modern strategies in conducting training sessions and practical examinations.”
Despite an offensive onslaught from St Roses’ guard Nathan Saul who dropped 32 of his team’s 65 points, Kwakwani was able to dominate the rest of the game to pull off the win in the Under-19 encounter.
Stanton Rose poured in 21 points that included five three-pointers to lead Kwakwani while Kerrol Phillips scored 13 points and Troy David 10 points as well. The win now means
that Kwakwani has now won back-to-back titles as well as five out of 10 NSBF title.
In the under-14 final, Mackenzie High routed St Rose’s High 49-30 with Yonnick Tappin scoring 19 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Isaiah Adams supported with 10 points. St Roses’ guard Kwesi Roberts had 13 points and eight rebounds in the loss.
In the Under-16 compe-
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tition, Kwakwani squeezed pass Mackenzie High School 46-41 with guard, Ronaldo Patoir pouring in 18 points, and forward, Jamal Gilkes adding 12 points, coupled with eight rebounds. Tyrese Mitchell had 19 points for Mackenzie High. Meanwhile in female competition, Kwakwani continued its dominance with a 23-4 rout of Marian Academy as Jenelle Belle scored nine points in the win.
leave homes early, say organisers
The Guyana leg of the 2015 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is finally here, with four matches to be played at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara from July 15 to 21.
Given the ongoing road works on the East Bank Demerara highway, traffic congestions have become a major challenge, but the organisers at CPL OPCO
(Guyana) Inc have taken this into consideration in their preparations.
Gates at the stadium will be open two hours before each game begins, allowing cricket fans to leave their homes early to be at the ground, so they don’t miss out on any of the action.
And just so that no one is bored, HJ Entertainment will be on hand to keep the atmosphere exciting with music and other fun items
hosted by none other than “DJ Chow Pow”.
Fans are therefore urged to be at the stadium early, otherwise they could end up being late for the games if they get caught in the afternoon and early evening traffic.
In keeping with CPL policy throughout the region, fans must be at the ground to see the games live, as local games in every host country are only allowed delayed broadcasts. On July 15, Guyana Amazon Warriors will play Jamaica Tallawahs at 18:00h; on July 17 they will come up against St Lucia Zouks at 20:00h; on July 18 they will play Barbados Tridents at 16:00h; and on July 21, they will face Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel from 18:00h.
Unlike previous years when Guyana hosted matches earlier in the tournament, it will now stage the final round before the two eliminators and grand final in Trinidad and Tobago. (CPL Release)
Berbice High School
(BHS) became the 2015 Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) football champions with a 2-1 win over Orealla Secondary.
BHS took the coveted title on Sunday at the Burnham Park when they won the regional final of the Digicel School Football Tournament. The well-attended game saw BHS Captain Derrick Taylor scoring a double as BHS won their fourth come- from-behind game in this year’s competition so far.
Taylor scored in the 45th and 62nd minute af-
ter Donnell France had put Orealla ahead in the 14th minute.
Taylor got the equaliser, scoring from the penalty spot. His second goal came off of a pass by Rawle Bourne which Taylor received inside the six-yard box which he hammered into the low left corner of the net.
At the presentation ceremony, Events and Sponsorship Manager of Digicel, Gavin Hope, speaking of the second placed team, noted the passion they have for the game. “The passion that they are exhib-
iting shows how much football means to them. It is okay to cry…” he said after several players on the losing side burst into tears as the realisation hit then that they will not be wearing the regional colours.
Hope noted the spirit of winning and losing which was displayed is something the company wanted to see countrywide.
BHS won for themselves $100,000 and were presented with red and yellow uniforms which they will wear for the remainder of this year’s competition.
Fresh off winning his first race in four months last Saturday at the National Park, Team Alanis’ Paul DeNobrega will look to successfully defend his title in the Open category of the Dr Chase in collaboration with Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc, 50-mile road race on Sunday.
The sixth annual event is billed for the West Demerara roadways, starting at 09:00h from the Wales Police Station. The race will proceed to Bushy Park, Parika, and return to Schoonord for the finish.
DeNobrega returned to the top podium spot on Saturday last at the P&P Insurance’s 35-lap School Boys and Invitational race to
chalk up only his second win of the year following victory in the ‘Dash for Cash’ 40-lap race in March.
With confidence back, DeNobrega will look for another victory on Sunday, after he won last year’s event in a time of one hour, 52 minutes, 56 seconds (01h: 52m: 56s).
Other category winners from last year are Michael Anthony (Junior); Wasim Hassnu (Veteran); Ozia McUally (Mountain Bike); Toshawna Doris (Female) and Monty Parris (Veteran Over-60).
The day’s activities are being coordinated by longserving national coach Hassan Mohamed. Officials of the sponsoring organisation, including Seven Seas Production Specialist Karen Connell, will witness the race and assist in the presentation of prizes at the conclusion.
The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) had a successful testing of the Fully Automatic Timing (FAT) System on Sunday during its Relay Championships at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.
“It’s running perfectly … I’m very impressed with the kind of details we can get out of it. We can differentiate results from 1000th of a second and the resolution of the camera that we have is
very high,” Hutson stated.
The system which records time once activated by the starter’s pistol automatically records the time of all lanes as well as any photo finish, judging that closest of finishes.
Hutson also noted that Allan Babolall travelled to Guyana from Trinidad to conduct a training clinic on the usage of the state-ofthe-art piece of equipment under which six individuals were trained who were
now capable of operating the FAT system.
“I am satisfied with the people that we trained and I am happy that they had a chance to test it on Sunday, it was admirable. All in all it performed well during the 12-race relay festival,” Hutson mentioned.
Athletes from the GDF, Running Brave, the Police Sports Club and Super Upcoming Runners competed at the relay meet.
By AvenAsh RAmzAn
After weeks of intense rivalry abroad, a pumped-up Guyana Amazon Warriors unit returned home on Monday evening to finish off the preliminary stage of the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with four home games, the first of which will bowl off on Wednesday.
Bubbling with confidence following back-to-back victories against newcomer St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and 2013 champions Jamaica Tallawahs, the Guyana Amazon Warriors are sizing up for a grand finish to the tournament, with the ultimate aim of becoming champions for the first time on July 26.
The two-time runnersup, with three victories and as many defeats in six matches, currently sit in the fifth spot in the six-team tournament. The table toppers at the end of the league phase will gain automatic entry to the final, while the next top three teams will engage in a playoff to decide the next finalist.
Guyanese have been glued to their television and radio sets following the fortunes of the Amazon Warriors, but with the South America-based fran-
chise at home for the first time this season, cricketcrazy Warriors supporters arrived in droves at the Middle Street CPL Office on Monday to purchase their tickets for the home leg.
Guyanese from all walks of life braved the searing heat to get hold of their precious tickets to watch the likes of hometown heroes Brad Hodge, Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons and Assad Fudadin and international stars like Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Mahela Jayawardene of Jamaica Tallawahs; Kevin Pietersen, Ross Taylor and Nathan McCullum of St Lucia Zouks; Kieron Pollard, Misbah ul-Haq and Dwayne Smith of Barbados Tridents; and Jacques Kallis, the Bravo brothers – Dwayne and Darren – and Kamran Akmal of Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.
One patron, who purchased as many as eight tickets for the one-week showdown at Providence, said he was excited that the Hero CPL has finally touched down in Guyana.
“Yea man, I’m going to all the games, and I want to encourage my Guyanese brothers and sisters to go the games and cheer on the Amazon Warriors,” he said.
One young lady, who is a huge fan of Narine, pointed
out her reason for going to the first game between the Amazon Warriors and the Tallawahs on Wednesday.
“Of course, I will be rooting for our boy Sunil Narine, and I’m so looking forward to him getting the wicket of Chris Gayle again,” she intimated.
Staff at the Middle Street office and other ticket locations across the country will certainly have to brace themselves for a hectic few days as fans look to cash in on the last-minute rush.
The CPL fever has indeed hit Guyana, and with four sizzling games billed over a seven-day period, excitement is buzzing in all corners of the country.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors will face Jamaica Tallawahs at 18:00h on Wednesday, St Lucia Zouks at 20:00h on Friday, reigning champions Barbados Tridents at 16:00h on Saturday, and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel at 18:00h on Tuesday. Tickets are also available at the Guyana National Stadium Ticket Office; Courts stores in Georgetown, Berbice, Parika and Linden and at Ramdhan Distribution located at 19 Princess Elizabeth Road, New Amsterdam, a few buildings from Berbice High School.
Dozens of young boys and girls from across the country on Monday morning commenced the annual swimming camp organised by the National Sports Commission (NSC), in partnership with the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA).
The six-week programme, which started with an official opening ceremony, will conclude on August 21 at the Colgrain Pool on Camp Street, Georgetown. The camp caters for youths between ages six and 16.
With places being allocated on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis, a large influx of young prospective swimmers are now engaged in the activity, which, has over the years, become the nursery of swimming in Guyana.
It is from this programme that potential swimmers are then assigned to clubs, where they can potentially begin a life in competitive swimming.
Those who impress the talent spotters will then be
afforded the opportunity to continue their training at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
Minister in the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport of the Education Ministry, Nicolette Henry, attended the opening ceremony and
she wished the participants well during the camp.
“And I trust that you would have a very productive six weeks. As you heard in the overview, this programme was initiated quite a few years ago, as far back as 2003, and it’s one that has continued over the years,” Henry noted.
Vyphuis pointed out that the usual “soft ticket” checkpoint and security search will be done before persons enter the stadium.
He warned that accreditation and tickets were the only two means that patrons can use to enter the stadium.
Further, Vyphuis urged patrons to follow the lists of prohibited and restricted items.
The Management reserves the right to refuse entry to any person carrying or wearing any other items or substances that may be deemed to be offensive, disruptive, dangerous or likely to infringe any party’s rights or any party’s safety or security or any dangerous article or substance not referred to above.
Further, the authorised (restricted) items are:
Umbrellas: collapsible personal umbrellas, 12”x 12”x12” coolers will be allowed subject to check prior to entrance into the stadium, own foodstuff (with plastic cutlery), cameras for recreational and personal non-commercial use only, balls and bats.
Banners and flags up to a maximum size of 1.5 metres by 1 metre (5’x3’) are permitted provided that, in the opinion of the management they are not vulgar, political, ra-
cial, discriminatory, sexual in nature, or display advertising which may in any way impinge or will be in conflict with the rights of the partners/sponsors/suppliers/vendors of the event (in any language) or deemed to be offensive or impact on the view of other spectators.
Any flag poles (sticks) may not protrude more than a hand’s breadth below the flag; small radios, CD/ DVD/ MP3 players. Glass containers: Perfume, prescription medication or insect repellent bottles only.
Aerosol deodorant, medication or insect repellent only. Cigarette lighters/ matches (these may be prohibited in some venues.
Any other objects or items or substances that may be deemed in the discretion of CPL to be offensive, disruptive, dangerous or likely to infringe any party’s rights or any party’s safety or security or any dangerous article or substance not referred to above.
A Division Commander Clifton Hicken, in his brief remarks, noted that special traffic arrangements would be put in place to ensure a free flow of events.
He called on patrons to act responsibly and cooperate with the police so that there would be incident-free events.
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Stadium Staff Coordinator Sabrina Panday indicated that 125 stadium staff will be divided into 12 groups to make sure all things go as planned.
Further, tickets will be sold on match days providing that they are not sold out before the actual playing days.
Also parking is available outside the stadium (between the stadium and Princess Hotel) as well as in the parking lot of the stadium. Patrons will need to pay just $500 for the outside parking and $1000 to park in the stadium.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors will play their first home game of this year’s CPL on Wednesday, when they tackle Jamaica Tallawahs at the National Stadium, starting at 18:00h.
The Amazon Warriors will be hunting for a third successive win to solidify their position as one of the tournament favourites.
They are fifth in the standings with six points from their six games and will be looking to move closer to the leaders.
After the game on Wednesday, the Amazon Warriors will play Lucia Zouks on July 17; Barbados Tridents on July 18 and Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel on July 21.
She added, “It has served us in very good stead, lots of children would have come and benefited from this programme. I suppose this year’s programme will be no different. This year, we have enrolled over 120 students.”
Henry told the gathering of parents and children that
apart from being edified on the basics of the sport, the participants would also be exposed to certain skills like teamwork and operating in a group. She promised to visit the camp during the coming weeks to gauge the progress made by the youngsters. The event is being con-
By Rajiv Bisnauth
Cso far and a huge hit with Caribbean fans, and, according to Douglas, he expect no different from the crickethungry Guyana public.
He encouraged patrons to get their tickets early since ticket sales increased tre-
execution.
Vyphuis said the support of the Guyana Police Force and private security has been critical in setting up a security network that includes traffic and stadium management.
ricket fans here will be treated to a scintillating package of cricket and entertainment over the next few days when the excitement-filled Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) takes flight at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara.
The Guyana leg of this year’s League, which begins on Wednesday, is the latest chapter to be unveiled, following action in St Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, St Lucia and Jamaica in recent weeks.
Over the last week, preparations have gone into high gear for the four matches, and Events Operations Officer of OPCO (Guyana) Inc, Kirk Douglas, has given the assurance that all systems are go for the Guyana leg.
“We are about 90 per cent
there. We have been preparing for this for a while now and we are confident of delivering what we expect to be a very successful leg of the Caribbean Premier League,” Douglas said during a media briefing on Monday.
The tournament has been an overwhelming success
mendously on Monday.
Safety and Security Manager George Vyphuis admitted that security played a very big role in the success of the leg. He pointed out that from a security perspective, all concerns were covered and it was just a matter of
The former Commander of A Division (Georgetown) pointed out that the plan can only be effective if fans adhere to the guidelines that have been set out to offer a smooth and incident-free passage to and from the stadium.
