Guyana Times Daily

Visually impaired to benefit from electronic textbooks P17

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

Issue No. 3160

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

PRICE

IPA awarded $36.5M contract without licence to import

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: Digicel vs GTT

Assessment of services to be conducted P9 – PUC

Page 7

... to determine veracity of anti-competition claim

...danger of dumping prequalification criteria exposed Parking meter burden

Govt imposes suspension Page 11

…Police ordered to protect citizens’ vehicles from SCS

2000 cases of tuna refused entry into P9 Guyana

GECOM’s chairmanship $1.8M reported stolen from hot meal feeding programme P11 Guyana risks losing out on global funding – Dr Luncheon

Granger’s criteria considered an Page 3 “imposition on the Constitution” – PPP

P10

… as civil society finds difficulty in identifying candidates Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday held consultations with a wide cross section of society including religious organisations, NGOs, trade unions, the business community, and civil groups to determine the new nominees for the post of GECOM Chairman

$605M ANSA McAL “emergency” contract

Page 2

Transparent account of taxpayers’ money being urged

EU new sugar regime

Caribbean leaders to decide on new sugar market realities P14

2 news

wednesDAY, march 22, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

$605M ANSA McAL “emergency” contract

Transparent account of taxpayers’ money being urged I n the wake of a sole sourced, supposedly "emergency" contract for $605 million of pharmaceuticals authorised by Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence, on information provided by the CEO of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, stakeholders are demanding an explanation for the fiasco that has placed taxpayers’ dollars at stake.

Preceding the "emergency drug procurement" by the Georgetown Hospital this year, several tenders were cancelled for several reasons.

The company that was handed the sole sourced $605 million contract, ANSA McAL, was one of those that were rendered disqualified during one of the cancelled tenders by the Georgetown Public Hospital in 2016. This was disclosed by a source close to the ongoing investigation into a number of the drug procurement scandals under the Public Health Ministry.

Public Health Minister

Volda Lawrence in her explanation to the nation for her extraordinary intervention said the tenders were cancelled because some suppliers declared their inability to supply the drugs and because of some evidently collusion by some the officials of the Georgetown Hospital leaking information on bids to selected suppliers. On the specific "emergency contract", Minister Lawrence explained she was not fully apprised of all the pertinent facts by the CEO of the Hospital.

In an attempt to follow the trail of the antecedent events that led to the extraordinary allocation to ANSA McAL, the chronological sequence was compiled.

Guyana Times was told that the Georgetown Hospital advertised for Procurement of Medical Supplies on October 2, 2016, with a tender deadline of November 1, 2016. Bids duly submitted on November 1, 2016 but this tender was cancelled.

According to the source,

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

the Georgetown Hospital then advertised for procurement of pharmaceuticals on November 5, 2016. The tender deadline was originally scheduled on November 22, 2016, but this was postponed to December 13, 2016. Bids were eventually submitted on December 13. The entire tender was cancelled.

Notably, ANSA McAL, the source pointed out, would have been disqualified be-

cause at the opening, it was announced that they had bid security issues.

This publication was told by a well-placed source that it was subsequent to this that the Georgetown Hospital arranged for a selective tender for ‘emergency pharmaceuticals’ on February 2, 2017. The tender was cancelled verbally on February 12 and in writing on February 14.

Additionally, the Georgetown Hospital arranged for selective tender for procurement of medical supplies on February 3, 2017.

According to the source, the tender deadline was postponed to February 14, 2017.

Bids were submitted on February 14 but no awards or pronouncements were issued as yet.

This is therefore presumably still under evaluation, more than a month later.

In light of the cancelled tenders and the worsened drug crisis at the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Minister intervened and ordered that

ANSA McAL’s Country Director Beverly Harper

shortlisted – not pre-qualified – contractors be contacted and asked to supply the pharmaceuticals in the shortest time possible.

She explained that had the normal procurement process route been taken, drugs would have arrived until several months after.

On February 12, a request was made for items in stock in the country relative to the list of pharmaceutical and medical supplies (392 items) contained in the cancelled emergency tenders above.

According to a source, one of the shortlisted contractors, NEW GPC submitted three quotes (not bids) for a total of 194 items and was subsequently asked to supply a few items to the valued $20.8 million.

When contacted on the issue Tuesday this publication was told that the company has since completely fulfilled that order.

NEW GPC also pointed out to this publication that it has already made public its position on the matter and wishes not to make any futher comments.

It is unclear what process was used to award ANSA McAL a $605 million contract to supply drugs.

When asked, the Minister

claimed ignorance. Lawrence claimed unawareness of the procurement process embarked upon after her intervention; she was also unable to pinpoint if and how the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board was involved and what method was used to determine that ANSA McAL was best suited for the $605 million contract.

Minister Lawrence had disclosed in a statement to the media that ANSA McAL donated four refrigerators to the Georgetown Hospital.

In a live press conference on Monday, the Minister saved herself from the scandal, claiming that she was surprised to see that ANSA McAL was awarded a $605 million contract.

The Minister said she had written the Chairman of the Georgetown Hospital Board, ordering an investigation into the entire situation.

Management of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation has been accused of deliberating creating an emergency situation in order to sole source drugs from its preferred supplier. Within the last four months, it has cancelled or delayed four of its five public tenders, thereby creating a situation wherein there was a massive shortage of pharmaceuticals.

In a letter dated February 28, 2017, the Hospital’s CEO, Allan Johnson, thanked the Public Health Minister for authorising the procurement of medical supplies from ANSA McAL to the tune of $605,962,200, even though local firms could have supplied the same quantity and quality of drugs at cheaper prices.

Questions are now being raised regarding what process was used to determine that ANSA McAL should receive the contract and why were local firms sidelined.

Body of unidentified man found in Woolford Avenue drain

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he body of an unidentified man was on Wednesday morning discovered in a drain on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown. The discovery was made by an employee of the Government Technical Institute (GTI) who had just parked her vehicle alongside the drain.

According to the woman, Kellana Carmichael, who only started her new job at GTI on Tuesday, she

was about to park her car when she noticed the body at around 10:00h.

The terrified woman relayed that she immediately reported to the security guard who in turn called the Police. When the Police arrived, the man’s body was removed from the drain. He is of African descent and only has one arm.

The police are investigating the circumstance surrounding his demise.

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, March 22 – 13:00h-14:30h and Thursday, March23 – a night retraction at 01:30h and a day retraction at 14:00h-15:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, March 22 – 12:05h-13:35h and Thursday, March 23 – 13:10h-14:40h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Thundery showers can be expected throughout most of the day, while light rain showers can be expected in the late afternoon. Thundery to clear weather conditions can be expected in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees to 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-easterly between 3.12 metres and 5.81 metres.

High Tide: 11:53h reaching a maximum height of 2.11 metres.

Low Tide: 05:20h and 18:07h reaching minimum heights of 1.20 metres and 1.06 metres respectively.

GECOM’s chairmanship

Granger’s criteria considered an “imposition on the Constitution” – PPP … as civil society finds difficulty in identifying candidates

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ivil society is finding much difficulty in identifying candidates to President David Granger’s likings since his criteria disqualifies any form of activists and makes demands outside of the constitutional requirement relative to the appointment of a new Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Questions are also being raised about the legality of the criteria outlined by the President.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo on March 16 received a letter from the President advising on his opinion with regard to the qualities that the candidates should possess.

The search for a new

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and members of the PPP engage members of the religious community during consultations on Tuesday

Having studied the information provided by the President, the Opposition Leader consulted with civil society bodies which had participated in the first round of consultations in December 2016.

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Some of the members of the various trade unions at the consultations with the Opposition Leader

Chairman has been a rollercoaster ride given the different interpretations between the Leader of the Opposition and the President on the relevant section of the Constitution of Guyana which outlines the selection process for a new Chairman of GECOM. President Granger had rejected Jagdeo’s first list of nominees for the post on the basis that the candidates were not “fit and proper”.

Following weeks of impasse, Jagdeo finally agreed to return to the drawing board and submit a new list of nominees.

Jagdeo, on March 21, met 55 representatives of 33 civil society organisations which included leaders of the Christian, Hindu and Muslim faiths; Private Sector, the Guyana Trades Union Congress and Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana; Amerindian organisations and the National Toshaos Council; the Indian Arrival Committee and the Justice Institute.

According to a statement from the Leader of the Opposition’s Office, President Granger’s letter was shared with the repre-

sentatives but they found it challenging to come up with candidates who would fulfil all of the criteria.

“In fact, persons doubted if the President himself could find anyone who fulfilled his own criteria. Some wondered what were the reasons for the President making the range for selection so extraordinarily restrictive,” the statement read.

According to the President’s criteria, the candidate should be qualified to be a Judge of the High Court or an Attorney for a minimum of seven years.

In the absence of those requirements, the President said any other “fit and proper person” should be deemed to have wide electoral knowledge and capable of handling electoral matters since he/she is qualified to exercise unlimited jurisdiction in civil matters.

That person should not be an activist in any form; gender, racial or religious nor should that person have any political affiliation or should not belong to any political party in any form, apparent or hidden.

That person must be able to discharge his/her functions neutrally, between the two opposing parties, as he or she would have done in court between two opposing litigants. Here, the President appears to be making it a requirement for the candidate to have practiced in a court.

Additionally, the person must be able to discharge the functions without fear or favour; will not allow any person or organisation to influence him or her to compromise his or her neutrality.

The President also said that person should have a general character of honesty, integrity, faithfulness and diligence in the discharge of their duty as Chairman of GECOM. According to the statement issued by the Opposition Leader’s Office, the criteria were considered as “an imposition on the Constitution which makes no such demands.”

The statement said most disconcerting was the stipulation that the candidate must not be an activist in any form. “(It) was thought to be discriminatory and violated the anti-discrimination articles of the Constitution,” the statement explained.

During the consultations, Jagdeo said he had grave reservations on the legality and constitutionality of these criteria outlined by the President.

In fact, he expressed his intention to bring these concerns to the attention of the Head of State.

Nonetheless, the Opposition Leader said he remains committed to submitting six more names as requested. He urged civil society bodies to respond with recommendations for the post by March 27.

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

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

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

Missing the constitutional boat

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s had been threatened after the Appellate Court’s decision against the appellant, former Speaker of the National Assembly Raphael Trotman and Attorney General Basil Williams, the former through attorney has applied to the Court of Appeal for leave to approach the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to appeal the ruling on the case originally brought by Cedrick Richardson, a citizen of Guyana.

While the application mentioned four grounds for wishing to file an appeal, and these specifically confined themselves to the constitutional issues raised, some media insisted once again on labelling the matter and its appeals as “the third term” case. This label unnecessarily misdirects attention to the more fundamental constitutional point made in the High Court decision of Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang and reaffirmed by the Appellate Court. To wit that the effect of the Amendment to the Constitution objected to by Richardson was to reduce the sovereignty of the people and in so doing altered the nature of the Constitution and this was only permitted if it were ratified by a referendum of the people. These are now being challenged by former Speaker, Raphael Trotman.

To insist on referring to the case as “third term” is to emphasise the effect rather than the cause of the claimed illegality committed by the Parliament, and brings unnecessary emotion into an issue that goes to the heart of Guyanese citizenship. What makes the label even more inappropriate is the judgement includes three other restraints that the objected-to constitutional change of 2001, placed on the republican rights of Guyanese citizens to vote for a candidate of their choice. These were succinctly spelled out as follows by Justice Chang: “The purported alteration of Article 90 by Act No 17 of 2001, in substance and effect, undoubtedly diminishes the democratic rights of the electorate in electing a person of their own choice as President, by excluding from Presidential candidature: (1) Citizens of Guyana not resident in Guyana on Nomination Day. (2) Citizens of Guyana resident in Guyana on Nomination Day but who have not been continuously resident in Guyana for 7 years prior to that date.

(3) Citizens of Guyana by registration.

(4) Citizens of Guyana who have served for two terms as President.

As such, the purported alteration by Act No 17 of 2001 purports to curtail the people’s electoral democratic choices and to offend the declaration in Article 1 that Guyana is a democratic State-in which the sovereignty resides in the people Article 9). This is precisely why, for the purpose of any alteration of Articles 1 and 9, the voice of two thirds of the elected members of the National Assembly is not the voice of the people.”

This restriction of the right to choose the individual who would be Head of State and head of Government by the Guyanese people could not be capriciously restrained because what it signals goes to the very nature of Guyanese republicanism, where sovereignty inheres in the people. Such a change, Chief Justice Chang ruled, should be ratified by the people themselves in a republic.

Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Carl Singh, declared this unequivocally, “The people are entitled, in keeping with democratic principles to freely elect their representatives.” It was an inalienable right that could not be delegated away since it would change the nature of the sovereignty that the Constitution confirms as residing in the people. It was as if the owner of a clothing store delegated the running of his establish to a set of managers who were authorised to make day to day decisions. But a decision that would alter the very nature of the business – such as changing it to a fish store – should be ratified by the owner. The people of Guyana are the “sovereign” of Guyana – its “owners” and the Caribbean Court of Justice will confirm they must give consent via a referendum on changes to fundamental aspects of the peoples’ power of choice.

Julia Lu, five, (left) and Amy Liu, five, walk through a massive spring wildflower bloom caused by a wet winter in Lake Elsinore, California (Reuters)

Cohesion in Guyana

Dear Editor, As a group committed to the increasing social cohesion in Guyana, the Hindus for Selfless Service (HSS) would like to commend Sherlina Nageer for her letter “Who gave an American missionary permission to preach in Georgetown schools?” In schools, the Education Ministry permits clubs to be organised for all religions, which can then invite representatives of their religious persuasion to preach to them. And even then while we believe they should be free to expose children to their world view, it should not be done via “hate speech”.

We note that the group

mentioned as preaching to classes at Central High School to students of all religious backgrounds, the Faith Word Baptist Church, was banned by South African authorities, In September 2016, South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister, Malusi Gigaba, announced his decision and said Pastor Steven Anderson – the group’s head and members of his church – are “undesirable persons”, as they “promote hate speech” and “advocate social violence…The promotion of equality binds the state and all persons to prevent and prohibit hate speech”.

Pastor Anderson had

praised the Orlando nightclub shooting which left about 50 people dead and said “good news,” adding that there are “50 less pedophiles in the world.”

Additionally, he defended slavery: “…are there certain situations where God did indicate slavery, or for people to beat their servants? Absolutely. Of course! But you know what?

It’s all right. And I agree with all of it. Why? Because the Bible is God’s word.

That’s why.”

In the same vein, we note the letter in the Guyana Times newspaper from a UG student complaining about a UG English lecturer, Valarie Goorasammy

Smith, who posted on her Facebook page, anti-Hindu hate speech she regularly expresses to her UG classes.

Instructing Christians not to participate in the playing of the Hindu festival of Phagwah since, she claimed, her Christian religion “said you will love one and hate the other”.

We in HSS believe that in a multi-religious society as Guyana, we must accept the right of each citizen to their own practices and not preach “hate” against others.

Sincerely, Praem N Rambharak, General Secretary Hindus for Selfless Service (HSS)

Poor service standards have adverse socio-economic effects Dear Editor, In light of deteriorated service standards, an exceptional event was captured and published on the front page of a local daily newspaper on March 20, 2017, captioned ‘Steady as she goes’.

It was the photograph of a young Policeman, in full gear, using his free hand to assist a senior citizen to cross the roadway. The scenario served as a timely reminder of what the Guyana Police Force’s motto ascribes “Service and Protection”.

The action of that Policeman is particularly commendable since it is often worrisome when some servicemen are observed turning a blind eye on matters within their mandate. Hence, his exceptional service is not just noteworthy but exemplary.

We are all too familiar with shoddy customer service even from representatives of supposedly reputable entities. Most of the

disservice is directly related to a lack of professionalism.

There are a number of factors that contribute to poor professional behaviour. The most common factor often cited as a justification by defaulters is inadequate remuneration. What I suspect though is that complacency, arrogance, incompetence and insensitivity are the main evil forces that haunt our service sectors.

Service ethics, practices, standards and recourse mechanisms seem to be at an all-time low in probably all sectors.

With regularity, one can write to an entity or enter an office and the service staff seems unreservedly reluctant to provide the relevant attention.

When and if they do, without prompting, standard courtesies or greetings are often faint to absent. The service one receives thereafter is often guided by the initial greeting, or mood of

the providers.

A troubling reality is the evident oblivion, where our society seems to be in an advanced stage of acceptance to those unsatisfactory and uncultured substandard trends of disservice. It has become so endemic across sectors that there is often stout resistance or retribution to anyone who dares object to poor quality of services and standards. Such is the situation in some minibus zones. Such is the situation with a nine-month-old report to GPL under reference # 344235 (which I shall detail in a subsequent article).

Government is urged to engage key representatives within the Public and Private Sectors to implement mechanisms that will require their agents, staff and representatives to provide good service and serve the Guyanese public with deserving courtesy and professionalism. The im-

plementation of corrective systems, whether meritorious or punitive as means of attitudinal improvement, should be considered.

Poor service standards have adverse socio-economic effects. They create discouragement, dissatisfaction and frustration. They stymie entrepreneurship and affect investors’ confidence.

The action of that captioned Policeman assisting a member of the public should serve as a societal inspiration to those of us who serve. Individual and corporate service providers should challenge themselves daily to serve with honour, despite any underlying personal or institutional challenges.

Service should be dispensed the way we would like to receive it!

With best regards, Orette Cutting

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GAWU condemns non-payment of severance

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he Guyana Sugar Corporation’s recent declaration that some 374 sugar workers attached to the now closed Wales Sugar Estate must be transferred to the Uitvlugt Estate was strongly condemned by their union, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU).

GAWU President Komal Chand, in an interview with <<<Guyana Times>>> on Tuesday, responded to GuySuCo’s clarification that for the requisite categories, it was under no legal obligation to pay the workers severance.

The GAWU President outlined that workers would not accept such a move.

“All hell will break loose across Guyana if the employer has to decide about their entitlement, that is why workers over the years have fought for their rights with trade unions,” Chand posited.

Regarding the East Demerara Estate no longer offering cane planting work to employees, Chand noted that this meant that workers’ tasks were made redundant and they should be paid severance packages.

GuySuCo on Monday

noted that the Wales sugar workers would remain on the Wales payroll and would be given a disturbance allowance to travel to Uitvlugt, adding that this situation was not peculiar under the Collective Labour Agreement (CLA).

The Sugar Corporation added that the Wales workers could become entitled to severance if their contracts were ended in keeping with sections 12 and 21 (1) of the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act (TESPA).

Chand, however, related that the law was clear, adding that the workers were entitled to their severance. He further explained that the CLA in 1976 did not foresee the closure of estates.

It was on Friday that GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Errol Hanoman told another section of the media that 389 workers had opted for severance last year when the closure was announced. He revealed that 428 staffers remained with the Sugar Corporation, and 374 of them would be transferred to Uitvlugt while the others would remain as support staff.

GuySuCo further stressed that cane harvesters and cane

GAWU President Komal Chand

transport operators could still be transferred, noting that the offer was still open.

Meanwhile, on Monday, GAWU met with more than 40 workers attached to the East Demerara Estate (Enmore/ LBI), who explained that the entity’s management had disclosed that the Estate would no longer offer cane planting work. As such, many workers called for severance pay as their traditional tasks were no longer required.

Guyana Times had been told that as per normal, in each plot, 20 per cent new canes were planted and the remainder was left for old canes to grow back. However, as the cane planting has ended

M&CC parking meter project contract Dear Editor, First, I commend the action taken by Central Government to suspend the By-laws of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) to make the contract that the M&CC has with Smart City Solutions ineffective for the next three months. For all those reasons which have been adumbrated in the press and which have been advanced by all sectors of the society, I too strongly believe that the Parking Meter Contract must be scrapped. I am of the view that the contract was prematurely entered without the prior consent or authority of Council. The Town Clerk, gets his authority from the Council. This authority derives from an affirmative motion passed by the Council at a meeting. The Town Clerk has said that he was so given – I contest that assertion.

The current Council of the M&CC came into being on April 1, 2016. The contract was signed on May 13, 2016, just under six weeks after the Council was constituted.

I have spoken to Councillors who have said to me that they never saw a motion to give the Town Clerk such power prior to the signing of the contract. In fact, the Deputy Mayor, himself the Chairman of the Legal and Contract Committee of

the Council, said he never saw the contract or heard about it prior to its signing.

Clearly, the Town Clerk must have signed the contract based on an authority of the pre-April 1, 2016 Council.

If this is so then that authority would have lapsed with the dissolution of the Council prior to the 2016 Local Government elections. Hence the contract with Smart City Solutions would be an illegal and/or unauthorised contract.

The principle that motions and decision lapse, if not executed prior to the dissolution of the body is well entrenched. For example, bills and motions passed by the National Assembly, if not assented by His Excellency nor executed by the Executive, lapse and have to be brought back when a new Assembly is elected. All the work done by parliamentary committees, if not concluded; reported to the Assembly, and assented to, must be reintroduced whenever a new Parliament is constituted. Signing a contract without the prior authority of the Council and having that unauthorised contract subsequently baptised still does not make the contract legal. As Attorney General, Basil Williams would say, ‘ab initio’ – the contract is illegal and you cannot subse-

quently make legal that which you never had the power to contract in the first place. You must seek the authority or given the authority as a priori.

Hence, I am of the view that the contract is illegal and every part of the process has to be investigated, how the Town Council came to have the authority to sign a contract on behalf of the current Council.

Yours sincerely, Manzoor Nadir

there, GAWU suggested that GuySuCo was gearing up to close down operations at the East Demerara Estate.

“The decision by the Corporation to end cane planting is testimony that the Estate is being geared for closure. Interestingly, so far, no official announcement to that end has been made either by the Government or by the GuySuCo, yet the Corporation is implementing steps indicating the Estate’s closure,”

GAWU said on Monday.

Workers attached to the defunct Wales Estate had gathered outside the factory gates on Monday, to reiterate calls for outstanding severance packages. On Friday, workers bolted from a meeting with several Government Ministers when Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan disclosed that GuySuCo could not afford to pay workers severance benefits.

The Wales workers have

been protesting over the past few months and many have noted the difficulties they were encountering with finding consistent employment.

Government closed Wales Estate as a result of the billions of dollars it accrued in losses over the years. It was at high-level sugar consultations last year with GuySuCo, the Union and the Opposition that Government disclosed that only three estates would be kept open.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

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5

Foundation

BY PAM MYERS

P

arents intuitively know that food can impact their child’s behaviour and mood. We know that sweets, for example, can cause bouts of hyperactivity. But mood-altering food isn’t limited to sugar – there are other culprits in the snacks and meals that we feed our little ones. The following five foods are the most common contributors to mood and behavioural changes in children.

Dairy

If your child is lactose intolerant or allergic to the proteins found in dairy, you may see changes in her mood and behaviour. Many children become irritable, cranky, or aggressive. Children with dairy allergies or intolerance also tend to suffer from frequent colds and ear infections. Babies may exhibit colicky symptoms, whereas toddlers and older children may become inconsolable and irritable.

Artificial colouring

guyanatimesgy.com

Many countries have banned artificial colouring due to the detrimental effects these chemicals have on children. Linked to ADHD, anxiety, hyperactivity, and headaches in children, artificial colouring can also cause sig-

nificant behavioural changes. Because artificial colouring is found in many sugary foods, parents often blame behavioural changes on sugar. Artificial colouring is also often hidden in unexpected foods like bread and yogurt. Avoid products with yellow No 5, red No 40, and blue No 1 if you’re concerned about your child’s mood swings after consuming food with artificial colouring.

World Poetry Day

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Sugar

Sugar can cause a child to be hyperactive, which is often an immediate indicator that sugar is the culprit. However, sugar is in just about everything the average child eats, unless the child is eating a whole foodsbased diet. Sugar has been shown to cause long-term health damage, and a diet high in processed foods has been linked to depression, cognitive delay, and sleep problems.

Preservatives

There are several preservatives that may cause behavioural problems in children. They include but are not

limited to nitrates, nitrites, and sodium benzoate. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavour enhancer that also causes mood and behaviour changes, including headaches and hyperactivity. Sodium benzoate is commonly found in juice products marketed toward children.

Food allergens

Common food allergens are dairy, nuts, eggs, soy, and corn. When a child has an intolerance or an allergy to a particular food, it can cause significant health and behaviour issues. However, it can be difficult to pinpoint which allergen is making your child sick without the help of an allergist. A food intolerance, for example, is often missed and a child is instead diagnosed with ADHD. If you notice behaviour changes or mood swings in your child, consider keeping a food journal. Track what they eat and when they exhibit concerning behaviour. Try eliminating suspicious foods to see if the behaviour changes. While food isn’t the cause of all behavioural issues and conditions, it’s important to make sure that your child is not suffering from something that can be easily remedied. (childdevelop-

mentinfo.com)

arch 21 is the day dedicated by UNESCO to poetry. In light of this, today’s article will focus on poetry, why I think it’s important, and a famous Guyanese poet.

Poetry, like other forms of writings such as prose and plays, has one major purpose – expression of an idea. However, poetry deviates from the latter two in that it is more fluid. Poetry plays with words that we already know. In some cases it arranges them so that they are pleasant to listen to, in others, it uses minimal words to convey profound meanings, and sometimes it puts thoughts together in a seemingly illogical way to convey a feeling about a particular theme. Even if you don’t appreciate having to analyse poetry, you can appreciate the complexity and variety of poems that exist. I personally, think poetry is freeAshley Anthony ing. It allows the writer to describe his or hers feelings with little restrictions on formatting or convention, and as a result often time produces pure, raw pieces of emotion.

Poets are, contrary to popular belief, more than just romantics. In some cases, their pieces can be used to motivate social changes, and can be considered as political activism. However, the beautiful thing about poetry is that although the poet may be describing a specific circumstance, others, generations and cultures apart can relate to the themes explored.

This makes them exceptionally powerful. Such is the case, with Guyana’s own Martin Carter. Born in 1927, to a middle-income mixed family, Carter was raised in a home that supported exploration of philosophy and poetry. He attained entry to Queen’s College where he began to pursue poetry more seriously. He published his first pieces in the magazine Kyk Over Al, and by 1951, The Hill of Fire Glows Red, his first poetry selection was published. Carter became more and more politically involved, with the formation of the People’s Progressive Party in 1950. However, after the Party won the election in 1953, they only lasted a hundred and thirty three days in Government, as the British suspended the Constitution, claiming that the country was becoming communist. Carter, who was then returning from a conference, was arrested. At this point, his work took up an even more

important role. It served as insight into the feelings of the Guyanese people during this period of oppression.

It encouraged readers to be persistent, to become independent, and in general to stand up against injustice. In one of his poems of resistance, “Letter”, Carter writes, ‘If I do not live to see that day / My son will see it. / If he does not see that day / His son will see it. / And it will come circling the world like fire’.

His poetry continued to chronicle the life of Guyanese post independence, and in the 1970’s during periods of unrest, the tone of the poems once again changed to reflect his feelings about the turbulence occurring within the country. His works have been heralded as some of the best in the Caribbean, and perhaps is amongst the best in the world.

I know there is much more that can be said about Martin Carter, and his contribution to the literary society of Guyana, but the above is my small tribute.

May you remember his words, and may you think of the importance of poetry as you do.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

IPA awarded $36.5M contract without licence to import ... danger of dumping pre qualification criteria exposed

P

ublic Health Minister Volda Lawrence has revealed that in 2016 and 2017, several firms were awarded contracts to supply pharmaceuticals to the health sector but failed to deliver. This resulted in shortages that led to her authorising an "emergency' contract for $650 million to ANSA McAL. The International Pharmaceutical Agency (IPA) was one of those companies that failed to supply all of the drugs it was awarded because it was not qualified to import some specialised pharmaceuticals.

In January 2016, IPA, which is owned by Alliance For Change (AFC) funder Lloyd Singh, was awarded two contracts to supply the Georgetown Public Hospital with pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. On one of the contracts for $36.5 million, the company only delivered 80 per cent of the pharmaceutical because it was not qualified to supply the remainder.

The remaining 20 per cent of drugs consisted of narcotics, including morphine which required special certification for importation.

IPA insiders confirmed that the company is not registered to import those categories of drugs and was therefore denied a licence

by the Government AnalystFood and Drug Department (GA-FDD). Head of the Food and Drugs Department, Marlon Cole, explained to Guyana Times that in order for a firm to import narcotic-typed pharmaceuticals, it must be registered in order to be granted a licence. Cole said in the case of IPA, the company was not registered.

Though IPA is not registered, the company attempted to import the narcotic-type drug on behalf of a registered firm, Pharmagen.

Reliable sources within IPA’s management explained that the company was hoping to secure the licence to import the drugs by acting on behalf of the registered firm.

After being denied the licence, IPA had to inform the authorities of its inability to supply the remainder of the drugs and settle the difference which amounted to some $5.5 million. This was an object lesson as to why the pre-qualification of suppliers based on objective criteria established by the World Health Organisation-World Bank had been established by the previous Administration.

This was jettisoned by the A Partnership for National Unity/AFC coalition Government.

Minister Lawrence has complained of practices

Lloyd Singh

where contracts are being awarded to suppliers unable to supply the drugs, thus resulting in drug shortages crises across the country.

During the Budget Debates in February 2016, Dr Karen Cummings, the Government’s point-person on health, alluded to the cancellation of the prequalification-based contract with the NEW GPC in October 2015, and said, “Mr Speaker: open, competitive bidding is on the horizon… This APNU/AFC Government will ensure that it does not water the hard earned taxpayers’ dollars on enriching the pockets of the undeserving.”

The Public Health Ministry claimed to have received support from USAID to develop a new standard for “an open, competitive bidding system”. A bidding document to this effect has been approved

by the National Tender Administration Board, following which a pre-bid meeting with all potential bidders was held on December 16, 2015. However, the $700 million which was allocated the following January appeared to have been given to selected suppliers, who did not deliver, and whom the Minister refuses to identify.

Both Lawrence and her predecessor, Dr George Norton, had admitted that the shortage of drugs across the country was as a result of the changes implemented

by Government to the drug procurement system.

“Some of these pharmaceuticals were overdue by as much as six months, which exacerbated the drug shortage at the hospital. These are the same suppliers who, before May 2015, were given the opportunity under the Granger Administration to become suppliers of pharmaceuticals to the public healthcare sector,” she said. But the prequalification system which was scrapped by this Government had guaranteed that reputable contractors were supplying the nation’s health sector with the requisite quantity and quality of drugs. When the prequalification system was in place, the health sector was not prone to constant shortages of drugs, which puts the lives of patients at risks.

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

Prequalification

However, one stakeholder who spoke with this publication emphasised, “Guyana should not try to re-invent the wheel. The Government promised to replace the World Bank/WHO-designed prequalification system that Guyana had because they wanted to create a “more level and decentralised playing field.” However, he has emphasised that in so doing, the Government allowed in “fly-by-night” companies and individuals who just could not handle the internationally prescribed standards and consequent supply chain demands.

Another doctor with years of experience in the public and private health sectors said, “Whatever their concerns about the old prequalification criteria favouring one company, they

have to admit it worked over the decade it was in place.

And it’s a myth that only one company benefited; the others who received a substantial amount of the business had the decade to bring their scores up to par. We can see the consequences of that now that they can’t deliver contracts they were handed.” Pressed to elaborate on NEW GPC’s record between 2005 and 2015 on the country’s pharma supplies, he rattled them off his fingers: “The proof of the pudding is (that) there were no shortages in the decade. None! They also offered 70,000 square feet of temperature-controlled, PAHO compliant cold chain storage pharma warehousing completely free of cost. And with their location at Ruimveldt, it meant almost instantaneous deliveries.

“They also added a manufacturing capacity to our national push for independence by manufacturing a substantial quantity of pharma supplies, which were FDA approved and resulted in substantial exports to bring in foreign currency. They also employed a substantial number of Guyanese, who all paid their taxes. “Finally, they made all Guyana proud when they became the first company to manufacture anti-retrovirals in our early fight against HIV/AIDS.”

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

IN THE COURTS

Drunk youth admits to larceny, fined $100,000 A

youngster of East Canje, Berbice was on Monday charged and fined for the offence of simple larceny by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after he confessed to the felony.

The charge read that Uriel Amsterdam on March 17, 2017, at Second Avenue, Bartica, stole a quantity of gold jewellery valued $268,000 from Farida Mohamed.

In court, Amsterdam admitted to the offence, relating to the court that at the time of the incident, he

Uriel Amsterdam

was under the influence of alcohol.

The Chief Magistrate ordered Amsterdam to pay a fine of $100, 000 or serve a default sentence of eight months’ imprisonment.

Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore told the court that on the day in question, Amsterdam was at a bar when he snatched the items from the bartender, that is the VC, after which he escaped.

The matter was reported to the Bartica Police Station leading to the arrest of Amsterdam at

Itaballi landing, as he was proceeding to Parika. A search carried out on the person of Amsterdam led to the discovery of the stolen articles in his possession.

The accused in his address to the court attested that the VC left the items on a counter at the bar, and he picked up the articles with the intention of selling them.

Amsterdam apologised to the Magistrate for his actions, reiterating that he was drunk at the time of the incident.

Repeat offender remanded A n alleged repeat offender of William Street, Cambelville, Georgetown was hauled before city Magistrate Judy Latchman after being charged for simply larceny.

Ryan Foula, 29, is accused of breaking and enter the home of Cidel Thom Fernandes between March 17 and 18, 2017, at William Street, Georgetown. It is alleged that the 29-year-old stole a quantity of jewelry and cash, a total of $70,000.

The unrepresented accused denied the charge brought against him.

Foula related that he has pending matters of sim-

ilar nature before another court, as well as a charge of narcotic possession when questioned by Magistrate Latchman.

The Prosecution did not hesitate to object to bail on the basis of the nature and prevalence of this offence, as well as the penalty attracted by such a felony, and the man was remanded to prison in this accord.

The matter will continue on March 27, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Teen slapped with robbery charge

A

17-year-old robbery accused of Kaneville, Grove, East Bank Demerara, was remanded to prison when he appeared before city Magistrate Judy Latchman.

It is alleged that the teen, on March 16 in Georgetown, robbed Shameer Henry of $57,000.

The prosecution contended that the teen was in the company of another named “Kumal” when he pounced on the Virtual Complainant, pushed his hand into his pocket and relieved him of his wallet.

Reports are that the teenager was caught red-handed and was subsequently arrested by Police Officers in close proximity. The prosecution added that the accomplice was still on the run as he was not apprehended with his associate, post-incident.

The teen denied the charges, contending that he was innocent in the matter.

He related that he was beaten by Police Officers and forced to sign several documents, despite indicating his illiterate status.

He was remanded to prison. The case will continue today.

Giving the unidigital salute…

A

…to Cabinet

couple of days ago, your Eyewitness referred to the Communities Minister’s recommendation to the City Council to suspend the Parking Meter Contract for three months. He pointed out this had to be a directive from the very top of the power pyramid of the PNC – forget about the AFC and those half-men outfits in APNU! And he predicted the decision by City Council would show “who had more seed than baigan”!!

Well…now we know!! And it ain’t Bulkan – but that we already knew, didn’t we? If central casting ever wanted a faceless, seedless apparatchiki, this former lumber salesman is their guy!! Now that the Councillors of City Hall – played like a violin by maestro Royston King – have given the middle finger to the suggestion, it’s clear they believe they’re more well-endowed, seedwise, than any big kahuna over in Congress Place. During the special meeting convened by the Deputy Mayor to discuss Cabinet’s recommendation, he took pains to say the wellendowed Mayor was away, and matters will have to await her return.

As to who’s the PNC leader City Hall is willing to buck… we won’t speculate save to say if the point’s even up for discussion, things aren’t what they seem! So the question is…who’s gonna blink first? That’ll give us an inkling of the of the PNC’s power topography.

In the meantime, their lawyer – from the same chambers handling Smart City’s interest!!! – advised them as to their options in a six-page memo, which the dissenters claim they need time “to study”. One “option” of course was to face the “terror clause” which the Gang of Four signed. That, of course, basically pledged the first-born of this and the next generation be handed over to Smart City as bonded labour to pay off the debt we would’ve accrued!

Evidently the question of “conflict of interest” doesn’t arise with City Hall and Smart City using the same law firm. As we know, all lawyers have “split personalities” and each personality REALLY doesn’t know of the existence of the others! Anyhow back to the matter at hand – which had to do with the testicular attributes of the City Hall Gang of Four, versus that of the PNC top honchos.

In the estimation of your bemused Eyewitness, these PNC folks are sooo deep in the mire of corruption that birthed this contract from hell…there’s no way, it will be cancelled – as the protesters are demanding. What’s most likely is there will be some further “compromises” that really won’t amount to squat in the long-term.

We’ll still be getting it in the end!

…to sugar workers

If there was any doubt where this Government stands vis a vis sugar workers, two news items on the industry in yesterday’s newspapers should’ve cleared them up.

Just as happened at Wales, the workers at East Demerara Estates have to read between the lines of anonymous decisions by GuySuCo operatives to get a glimmer of their fate. Why talk directly to them? What’d they know?

They’re only cane cutters!! So we now can figure East Demerara sugar will be shuttered in three to four years?

How’d we know that? Well… they’ve ordered no new canes be planted there – so when the standing stock are ratooned out in three to four years, it’s “sayonara time”, baby!!

The other item was the CEO – who presided over the demise of the industry as a big honcho of Booker Tate – excruciatingly parsing the labour laws to claim GuySuCo doesn’t owe severance pay to workers transferred out of their 10-mile zone!!

But not to worry…Nagamootoo says, it’s gonna be aw’right!

…the criminal law

Public Security Minister – and a (criminal!) lawyer to boot – Khemraj Ramjattan, says pharma contracts to NEW GPC under the PPP were like “kick down the door banditry”.

So, are the present rental of the Pharma warehouse and the sole sourced contracts to ANSA and others druginduced aggravated rape??

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

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2000 cases of tuna refused Assessment of services entry into Guyana Digicel vs GTT

to be conducted – PUC …to determine veracity of anti-competition claim

T

he Public Utilities Commission (PUC) held a hearing on Tuesday to determine whether one of GTT’s promotions is anti-competitive, as claimed by Digicel Guyana.

As a result of that hear-

bundle.

“A few weeks ago GTT introduced a promotion. It was in respect to overseas rates to Canada and the United States. They offered a bundle. Digicel filed (a complaint) that they should be part of the promotion.”

compare the rates and see if they were competitive, after which there would be a follow-up.

Additionally, he noted that an agreement was reached that the companies would give the PUC 48 hours’ notice before the

The hearing as it got underway in the PUC boardroom

ing, it has since been determined that an assessment of the services will be conducted.

This is according to PUC Chairman, Justice Prem Persaud. The promotion in question is the “GET MORE PAY LESS” promotion. According to Justice Persaud, it was Digicel’s contention that it could not compete with GTT because of the rates.

Persaud said that in the end it was decided that the PUC was going to monitor the service that GTT was offering to subscribers for the

“The Commission normally fixes rates and promotions to be offered to the consumers. We have to make sure that whatever they do, it does not (infringe) on the interest of another.”

“For instance, Digicel introduced what they called speak for three minutes and get the other 15 free. Digicel was saying that what GT&T was offering the public was anti-competitive.”

After the hearing, Persaud stated that it was determined that the PUC was going to assess and

roll-out of any further promotions, in order for the Commission to preemptively determine the potential for conflicting rates.

He also stressed that while Digicel had no objections to the promotion concept, its main concern was the rates.

Appearing for Digicel was Attorney-at-Law Stephen Fraser. Digicel’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kevin Kelly was also present. GT&T’s CEO, Justin Nedd, was among the officials representing TURN TO PAGE 10 GTT.

S

The fake “Buiwick” Tuna

ome 2000 cases of tuna being imported from China were refused entry into Guyana by the Government Analyst Food and Drugs Department.

According to reports, the containers were labelled “BUIWICK” instead of “BRUNSWICK” and the exact address of the manufacturer in the country of origin was not stated.

The actions were taken by the Department after they were informed by an inspector’s report of the issue.

The department refused the cartons on the basis of the Laws of Guyana Food

The real “Brunswick” Tuna

and Drugs Act, Chapter 34:03 part (2) section (6) which prohibits import if it is false, misleading, and deceptive.

In addition, the product’s label was found to be inadequate according to the Food and Drug Regulation of 1977, Regulation 18 part (2) (a) clause (3) – Labels. The Department said it has since written to the Commissioner of Customs to suspend the processing of documents of the known agency as this “third party” deliberately facilitates the importation of products into Guyana which

are substandard and/or are with inadequate labels.

However, as this is not the first incident of such, the Department will be notify the regulatory agency of the People’s Republic of China on their findings and action, because official documentation with attestation was used to facilitate the shipment of falsely labelled tuna to Guyana.

Consumers are also being warned to always take a second look at labels, to ensure the ‘country of origin’ and the exact name and address of manufacturers are clearly stated.

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

News

Guyana risks losing out on global funding – Dr Luncheon …over abuse of public procurement

G

uyana could eventually lose out on the funding it receives from regional and international donor agencies, because of its blatant disregard of the public procurement system, former Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon has warned.

Dr Luncheon sounded the warning on Monday, as he criticised the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration over the state of affairs of public procurement in Guyana.

He said the situation was taking a toll on the country’s image and could

eventually lead to a total withdrawal of funding for programmes in the country.

“We still depend on considerable inputs by donors.

And you see this crap, you see this nonsense? There are few donors who could go back to their donors and Governments and say that the funds that we provide to the Government of Guyana are used in like fashion,” Dr Luncheon stated. He said many agencies have already “pulled the plug” and many more would.

According to him, this “vile” abuse of the procurement system is “untenable” and is forcing donors to pull

their funding in the public health system and other programmes that are funded through loans.

Dr Luncheon said the public procurement system matured under the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) between 2001 and 2011, where statutes and constitutional provisions were put in place and adhered to make the system the “envy of the Caribbean and acceptable to all, including the donors”.

“Since the change in Government and particularly with the public pronouncement of spokespersons of the APNU/AFC,

Dr Roger Luncheon

and no less President David Granger himself, that financiers for the 2015 elections campaign would in essence be given political patronage at the expense of the public purse, the door was opened for the subversion of the public procurement laws and the constitutional provisions.”

He said the basis of the public procurement laws in Guyana was competi-

tive bidding, public tendering, and the lowest response bidder. However, it is obvious that none of these were being explored.

Dr Luncheon said he would challenge for the return of awards (of contracts) where public tendering has not been a feature, competitive bidding has been grossly ignored and the lowest response bidder concept has been abused. According to

him, the Guyanese people have not been attaining the best use of public funds.

He cited the most recent issue with the Public Health Ministry, noting that he could not tell if that course of abuse of the tendering system was fully exposed and brought to the public’s attention. “We have strong suspicions that it is not so,” he said.

Dr Luncheon said there was much hullaballoo at the swearing-in of the Commissioners of the Public Procurement Commission and the establishment of the body; however, the Commission has not been allowed to discharge its constitutional responsibilities. “We are told we have a Procurement Commission, but it is not functioning.”

He said what has been disclosed by the ANSA McAL and other episodes showed the intent of the drafters of the Constitution do not occur.

Assessment of services ...

According to Digicel, in its complaint to the PUC dated February 22, the promotion “GET MORE PAY LESS” lets customers use the bundle for overseas calls to Canada and the United States. Digicel estimated the call rate would be between $26.26 and $30.40.

“This is significantly below the PUC-set retail rates of $100 ($90 off peak) and $134.50 ($94.15 off peak) for the USA and Canada respectively. At present, GTT gives Digicel a discount on these PUC-set retail rates which on average is 35 per cent.”

“Therefore, Digicel’s cost per minute would be in the

region of $65 ($58.50 off peak) and $87.42 ($61.20).

This promotion is clearly anti-competitive, since GTT, which still holds a monopoly in the market for international services in Guyana, is providing Digicel with a wholesale rate which is considerably in excess of the highest possible retail rate its customers would pay.”

According to Digicel, it would be expected that GTT’s customers would utilise the data and SMS allowance. The telecoms company stated that this would significantly lower the cost of international calls below the aforementioned estimates.

“Digicel respectfully re-

FROM PAGE 9

news its call for GTT to be ordered immediately to cease this and any future promotions until the hearing and determination of this complaint. Alternatively, we request that the Commission makes an order forthwith that all present and future promotions concerning international rates be extended by GTT to Digicel to be offered as part of our bundled minutes to our customers.”

This is not the first time that Digicel has taken GTT to task for its services. Back in 2009, Digicel filed a suit to challenge the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph monopoly on international traffic to and from Guyana.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

11

News

Parking meter burden

Govt imposes suspension …Police ordered to protect citizens’ vehicles from SCS

I

n light of the Georgetown Mayor & City Council’s inability to enact the recommended three-month suspension of the parking meter project, Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan was on Tuesday directed to immediately suspend the by-laws governing the project.

The directive was given by Cabinet, which also instructed Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan to advise the Commissioner of Police to ensure that as of today, Wednesday, March 22, 2017, citizens and their vehicles would receive the protection of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to prevent them and/or their vehicles from being unduly hindered or restrained in any way, by the Council or parking meter company Smart City Solutions (SCS).

At Monday’s special statutory meeting, City Councillors could not agree on whether or not to adhere to Government’s recommendations to suspend the project for three months, to allow for a review. Town Clerk Royston King had contended that the threemonth suspension constituted a breach of contract.

Communities Minister

Bulkan, through a letter late last week, directed the Mayor and City Council to have the by-laws suspended, pending review.

As such, a special statutory meeting was convened based on the advice of the Town Clerk given the urgency to discuss Minister Bulkan’s order.

But, according to acting Mayor Sherod Duncan, Monday’s meeting covered a host of unrelated issues.

“I will not be calling another extraordinary statutory meeting…we met and we discussed nothing pertaining to the substantive item on the agenda, which was the Minister’s order,” the acting Mayor noted.

He stressed that it was now up to sitting Mayor Patricia Chase Green to preside over future meetings.

“The Mayor comes back over the weekend and we have a monthly statutory meeting on Monday and maybe it [will be] ventilated there,” he noted.

SCS clamping

Meanwhile, traversing the city streets on Tuesday afternoon, Guyana Times saw the clamped wheels of several motor vehicles.

On Monday, A

Operatives of SCS continue to clamp vehicles in the capital city

Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Councillors moved to have the decision on the Minister’s request postponed contending that the Council needed time to study the legal advice they received regarding Minister Bulkan’s order.

Also on Monday, a few of the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) protesters braved the weather and stated clearly that City Hall must revoke the contract. Additionally, High Court Judge, Justice Brassignton Reynolds, by consent, added the Mexican parking meter company as a respondent in the Mohendra Arjune legal

challenge against the legality of the contract.

Arjune’s Attorney, Kamal Ramkarran has the next several days to file an

affidavit in reply to SCS and another affidavit in defence filed by Town Clerk King.

The matter will again be heard on April 10 for re-

ports and submissions.

Signed in 2016, the parking meter contract rolled out to much controversy in January 2017.

$1.8M stolen from hot meal feeding programme

S

ome $1.8 million was reportedly stolen from the hot meal feeding programme in Karasabai, Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo).

F Division (Interior Locations) Commander Ravindradat Budhram told Guyana Times that he has

received reports of the robbery and has sent Police to the area to investigate.

Up to press time, Budhram explained that he was unable to confirm the reports since there was no means of communicating with the officers who were dispatched to Karasabai.

But Guyana Times understands the money was stolen from the Karasabai Primary School.

According to information received, local Police Officers have already begun their investigation into the matter.

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wednesDAY, march 22, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

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guyanatimesgy.com

wednesDAY, march 22, 2017

News

OF-BJP urges continued positive economic, political ties between India, US

C

hief of the Overseas Friends of the Bharatiya Janata Party (OF-BJP), Vijay Chauthaiwale of India has identified possible hiccups in the relationship between India and the United States of America following the succession of Donald Trump to the White House.

The General Secretary of OF-BJP in an interview with the Business Standard (a local newspaper in India) said that the India-US association will be more "transactional" under the current administration, as compared to when Obama was on the frontline. He indicated possible contentions on trade policy and with the issuing of H1B Visas (Work Permits), but said the party hopes for posi-

tive ties during the Trump Administration; and he noted that the Trans Pacific Partnership will provide leeway for bilateral negotiations with countries, including the US. Chauthaiwale was at the time speaking to a journalist of the Business Standard regarding several matters of diplomatic relationships between India and their geographic, economic and political ties. The member of the powerful overseas support group of the leading party also addressed the Prime Minister’s impending visit to Israel and the Party’s position regarding current international affairs.

Chauthaiwale noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been able to make significant

Vijay Chauthaiwale, President of Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party

strides in his foreign policy agenda with just the first half of his tenure completed. Given his domestic popularity, the PM has been compared to other successful leaders, such as Indira Gandhi, probing questions of his intentions to solve intractable problems with neighbour-

ing territories such as China, and the longstanding feud with Pakistan.

The Chief of International Affairs pointed out that India-China relationship remains civil, while matters with the Muslim nation rest in the hands of Islamabad and that country’s anti-terrorists measures.

The Prime Minister is set to go to Israel for an anticipated historic visit, as Vijay Chauthaiwale made mention of the good personal equation between the Prime Minister of Israel and PM Modi.

The journalist also inquired about the recent fall-out with India and West Asian territories. As questions were raised concerning a possible visit to Palestine. The party repre-

sentative stated, “It is not for me to say whether he will visit Palestine or not.”

He went on to say, “I think we need to build strong relationship with all major countries in West Asia.”

Chauthaiwale affirmed: “Even though the countries have conflicting interests with themselves, India has been deftly able to manage the equations and look out for furthering India’s interests.”

Commenting on the Brexit Situation, Vijay Chauthaiwale was noncommittal, noting that it is better to wait to see how matters unfold. However, he did mention that it may open new avenues for interactions between India and UK, but highlighted the anti-immigration trend as being one of several is-

sues that can emerge.

The politician shed light on India’s position as a nation, and indicated possible changes which the party has already taken or may possibly take. “Our nationalism is not exclusive,” Chauthaiwale said, as he explained that the leaders of the party share no particular commonality with other nationalist leaders emerging in the world.

However, he did say that the situation is evolving.

The party has embarked on advocacy initiatives pertaining to the interest of the India Diaspora in foreign countries. Efforts to protect Indians in the US and Australia were highlighted, especially given that this approach has never been taken before.

New EU regime

Caribbean leaders to decide on new sugar market realities

W

ith a looming threat to the sugar industry in the Caribbean on the horizon, regional leaders and policymakers will, over the next two days, gather to inform and facilitate an indepth discussion of how the Caribbean sugar industry now needs to adapt to the new market realities and the policy options.

The two-day meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, on March 23-24, organised by the Sugar Association of the Caribbean, Caricom and other regional and international partners, including the Caribbean Council, is primarily expected to address changes that will take place this October which will see the European Union abolish national sugar production quotas in Europe.

Analysts believe that for high-cost Caribbean producers – Guyana, Barbados, Belize and Jamaica – and almost all of the smaller cane producers in the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), this potentially spells the end of the EU market, as EU beet farmers who have previously been restrained by quotas expand production and take advantage of much improved yields and industry consolidation to sell without restriction across Europe and export.

The meeting is also expected to address the challenge that arises out of the United Kingdom’s 2016 decision to leave the EU. Britain is expected to notify

the EU formally of this later this month.

For the Region, which still exports much of its sugar to the UK for refining, the issues involved are likely to prove complicated to address. This is because Europe’s new sugar regime will apply to the UK until

ed by trade barriers and Government support”. He said the prospect of the exit of the UK from the EU further added to “the uncertainty ahead”.

Convened with the advice and support of the Caribbean Council, the Caricom Secretariat and

2019 when it is expected to separate formally.

The EU’s quota management for sugar will end on September 30, 2017 and is expected to lead to a fall in prices towards the international sugar price and a decrease in sugar imports from the ACP, with particular impact on Caribbean producers.

Sugar Association of the Caribbean Chairman Karl James commented “with our exports still focused on EU markets, the Caribbean sugar industry faces a period of instability and change, and must urgently adapt in order to meet the challenge of competing with other sugar-producing nations worldwide which have lower production costs in a global market heavily distort-

JAMPRO, the regional workshop has been funded by the EU, the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, ASR Group, and the InterAmerican Development Bank.

“The focus must be on identifying the practical next steps that we, the industry, and our Governments can take as priority measures to reinvigorate our sugar sector and provide it with the means to prosper and grow in the 21st Century,” he said.

The recommendations of the industry workshop will be presented to the Sixth Meeting of Caricom stakeholders on sugar, which will be convened by the Caricom Secretariat and take place on March 24 immediately after the workshop.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

15

Around the World

North Korea has no fear of US sanctions 2016 killing of Hezbollah move, will pursue nuclear arms – envoy commander inside job

N

orth Korea has nothing to fear from any US move to broaden sanctions aimed at cutting it off from the global financial system and will pursue "acceleration" of its nuclear and missile programs, a Pyongyang envoy told Reuters on Tuesday.

This includes developing a "pre-emptive first strike capability" and an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), said Choe Myong Nam, deputy ambassador at the DPRK (North Korean) mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

Reuters, quoting a senior US official in Washington, reported on Monday that the Trump administration is considering sweeping sanctions as part of a broad review of

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watched the ground jet test of a Korean-style high-thrust engine newly developed by the Academy of the National Defence Science in this undated picture provided

by KCNA in Pyongyang on March 19

measures to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threat.

He called existing sanc-

tions "heinous and inhumane".

North Korea has been under sanctions for "half a cen-

tury" but the communist state survives by placing an emphasis on juche or "self-sufficiency", he said. His country wants a forum set up to examine the "legality and legitimacy of the sanctions regime".

He denounced joint annual military exercises currently being carried out by the United States and South Korea on the divided peninsula and criticized remarks

by Tillerson during his talks with regional allies last week.

North Korea rejects claims

by Washington and Seoul that the military drills are defensive. They involve strategic nuclear bombers and a nuclear submarine Columbus that recently entered South Korean ports, he said. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

Child labourers exposed to toxic chemicals dying before 50, WHO says

C

hildren as young as eight, working in the tanneries of Bangladesh producing leather that is in demand across Europe and the USA, are exposed to toxic chemical cocktails that are likely to shorten their lives, according to a new report.

Approximately 90 per cent of those who live and work in the overcrowded urban slums of Hazaribagh

and Kamrangirchar, where hazardous chemicals are discharged into the air, streets and river, die before they reach 50, according to the World Health Organisation.

Their plight spurred the volunteer doctors of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to set up clinics in the area to diagnose and treat those who are the victims of their workplace.

It is, says a paper published in BMJ Case Reports, “the first

time they have intervened in an area for reasons other than natural disasters or war”.

MSF’s intervention was triggered by “the widespread industrial negligence and apathy of owners of tanneries and other hazardous material factories” towards the more than 600,000 largely migrant population who have no access to government-funded healthcare.

MSF set up and ran four

main clinics for 5000 workers in 2015, located in the centre of communities involved in four different manufacturing processes at factories for tanning, plastics recycling, garment-making and metals.

The hazards of the 250 or so tanneries in Hazaribagh – which are 30 to 35 years old and discharge 6000 cubic metres of toxic effluent and 10 tonnes of solid waste every day – are best known. (Excerpt from

T

he chief of Israel's armed forces has claimed that the death last year of a top Hezbollah commander in Syria was an assassination by the Iranian-backed Lebanese group itself.

Hezbollah maintains that Mustafa Badreddine was killed near Damascus by artillery fire from rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. But a war monitoring group said no rebel shelling occurred in the area at that time.

Israeli LieutenantGeneral Gadi Eisenkot told an academic conference on Tuesday that Badreddine's death last May illustrated "the depth of the internal crisis of Hezbollah".

He said Israel "believes that he was killed by his own officers". Hezbollah has deployed thousands of fighters in Syria, where Badreddine had led its intervention in support of President Bashar

al-Assad's forces, which are also backed by Russia and Iran.

Israeli intelligence claims Badreddine had been feuding with Iranian military commanders in Syria over the heavy losses his group had suffered on the battlefield. In Beirut, Mohammed Afif, a Hezbollah spokesman, said Israel's allegations were "lies that do not deserve comment".

The US Government has said Badreddine, 55, was in charge of Hezbollah's military operations in Syria. He was one of five Hezbollah members indicted by the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon in the 2005 in connection to the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 others.

Hezbollah denied any involvement in Hariri's killing and said the charges were politically motivated. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

US and UK ban cabin laptops on some inbound flights

The Guardian)

Thousands of Mumbai doctors strike after assaults on hospital staff

T

housands of doctors have gone on strike in Mumbai to protest against violence in hospitals, after three medics were attacked on wards in the last week. At least 2000 junior doctors at 17 Government hospitals have taken unpaid leave for the second day in a row, claiming emotional distress and fear of assault.

The protests started after an attack on Rohith Kumar, a junior doctor who was beaten by relatives of a patient on Sunday evening. According to witnesses about 15 people attacked Kumar after the death of a woman he was treat-

ing, who was suffering from chronic kidney failure.

News of the assault on Kumar, the third of its kind in a week, spread through WhatsApp and Facebook over the weekend, and shocked India’s medical community.

On Monday morning, hospitals erupted in chaos as hundreds of junior doctors failed to turn up for work, forcing senior doctors to turn away queues of angry patients.

At Azad Maidan, a central sports field in Mumbai, hundreds of doctors from around the city gathered holding picket signs that read “Save the saviours” and chanting

Doctors went on strike in Mumbai after three medics were attacked on wards in the past week

“we want safety”.

Ajay Kumar, a second-year junior doctor, said doctors in Mumbai’s staterun hospitals work an average of 14-18 hours a day, and

at least one 36-hour non-stop stretch every week. “After all that work, this is what we get? We’re not even safe in our workplace. Then what are we doing all this for?” he said.

(Excerpt from The Guardian)

Scottish Parliament begins debate on new independence referendum

S

cotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sought backing from the Edinburgh parliament on Tuesday for her proposal to hold a new referendum on independence from the United Kingdom, the first formal step in a process resisted

by London. The Parliament started a two-day debate on Sturgeon's proposal to hold a referendum in late 2018 or early 2019, with a vote expected on Wednesday. The cur-

rent balance of power means Sturgeon is almost certain to win the chamber's backing to formally ask London for permission to press ahead.

"It will simply not be acceptable for the UK government to stand as a roadblock to the democratically expressed will of this parliament," said Sturgeon on the first day of debate.

Scotland voted against independence by 55 to 45 percent in 2014, but Sturgeon

argues circumstances have changed since then because the UK as a whole voted in a referendum last year to leave the European Union while Scotland voted to stay.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said last week that "now is not the time" for a new choice on Scotland's future as complex divorce talks between the UK, the world's fifth-largest economy, and its 27 EU partners are about to get under way.

In a heated debate, Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, accused Sturgeon of acting like a "bulldozer", putting independence above all else despite not having public support for another vote.

Davidson's party, the main opposition to Sturgeon's Scottish National Party, has proposed an amendment opposing any independence referendum before April 2019.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

The US ban on electronic devices larger than a smartphone is being imposed as an anti-terrorist precaution

T

he US and UK are banning laptops from cabin baggage on flights from certain countries in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Turkey. The US ban on electronic devices larger than a smartphone is being imposed as an anti-terrorist precaution.

It covers inbound flights on nine airlines operating out of 10 airports. Phones are not affected. The British ban, announced hours after the American measure, is similar but applies to different airlines.

Downing Street said airline passengers on 14 carriers would not be able to carry laptops in cabin luggage on inbound direct flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

The Turkish Government said the US

ban was wrong and should be reversed. Large electronic devices will still be allowed on board in checked baggage.

Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau said his country was also considering restrictions on electronics in the cabins of planes. British Airways and EasyJet are among the airlines affected by the UK ban.

The nine airlines affected by the US ban are Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Kuwait Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Qatar Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.

They have been given a deadline of 07:00 GMT on Saturday to impose the ban, US officials said, adding that the restriction had no end date. (Excerpt from BBC News)

16 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Public Infrastructure Ministry Ramsammy’s Ruminations addresses Ruimveldt flooding The cesspool of lies continue … long overdue – residents

F

ollowing years of frustrations from residents in North and South Ruimveldt, Greater Georgetown, the Public Infrastructure Ministry has stepped in to alleviate flooding in the areas.

Compounded with structural issues and squatting on Government reserves, heavy rains cause constant flooding in parts of North and South Ruimveldt and clogged drains cannot be cleared.

In a walkabout on Tuesday, representatives from the Public

The Ministry’s Community Coordinator, Neilson McKenzie, explained that the project will principally fall under capital expenditure, further explaining that the total cost is still being ironed out.

It was further explained that the current drainage works have followed recommendations by a Dutch team which assessed the city’s system. To this end, acting Mayor Sherod Duncan highlighted that discussions have been held to determine if a water storage reservoir can be constructed aback

This resident makes her way through the floodwaters

Infrastructure Ministry commenced the South Ruimveldt drainage project, which will see the rehabilitation of six culverts on Aubrey Barker Road as well as the cleaning of drains and alleyways.

South Ruimveldt to relieve flooding in the area.

The Acting Mayor further explained that while Central Government is providing the financing, the Mayor and City Council will add some of the needed ma-

– the Mexico rice contract was an outlandish lie

T

A flooded section of Ruimveldt on Tuesday

chinery and labour. He noted that residents from the community would be employed with the project.

Residents however noted that the imminent works are long overdue, with many saying that City Hall should have already enacted measures to reduce the flooding.

“I want them dig proper drains cause the drains block,” Pam Gaime told Guyana Times, adding that she has experienced the flooding over the last years.

Meanwhile, another resident who preferred to remain anonymous expressed great anger at the prolonged flood situation. “[Monday] the rain come down suddenly; people taking off they stockings. I does walk with me long boots all the time cause me an able walk in the water, somebody got to do something. I tell them leh we come out

and block de road; then we would get action but nobody an want do it,” the woman stressed.

Donnette (only name given), another resident of the flood affected communities, related that City Hall should have already employed measures to correct the situation and not depend on the intervention of Central Government.

“The Mayor and City Council supposed to come and check what’s to be done and do it but them an doing that – is not everything you got to leff on Granger [President David Granger].

He can’t go from village to village to see what’s going on,” she stated, adding that she has lived in the area for the past six years.

Over 500 metres of road works will be carried out in the project which is expected to last for the next two months.

Tuschen accident case file sent to DPP

D

ays after a fouryear-old was struck down and killed at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), the case file has finally been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

According to the Divisional Commander of the D Division (West Demerara), Leslie James, the file has been sent to the DPP for further advice before charges are laid against the female driver who allegedly struck and killed four- year-old Ramkarran Mohan.

Mohan, of Lot 1088

Dead: Ramkarran Mohan

Tuschen New Housing Scheme, EBE, was returning home in the company of

his brother and uncle when he met his demise.

Reports are that the child and others went to purchase a ball around 11:00h on Tuesday last when the accident occurred. The uncle of the lad related that he was standing at the corner of the road with each of the boys holding his hands, waiting to cross the road when the silver Toyota Preimo, bearing registration number PVV 5084, struck Mohan.

The woman was reportedly unaware that she struck the child and only stopped after the boy’s uncle ran in front of the vehicle.

The child was rushed

to the West Demerara Regional Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The woman, who is the daughter of a senior Police Officer, was held by Police, but was later released on $20,000 station bail.

When Guyana Times spoke with the grandmother of Mohan on Tuesday, she relayed that the family had made contact with the investigating officer in the matter, who refused to give them any information.

“We are making arrangements to get a lawyer to deal with the matter, because we want justice; I want justice for my grandson.”

Guyana to benefit from CDB’s US$40M regional poverty reduction loan

T

he Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has announced US$40 million in funding for poverty reduction in eight countries in the Caribbean, through the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF).

The funds will support improved access to quality education; water and sanitation; basic community access and drainage; livelihoods’ enhancement and human resource development services in low-income and vulnerable communities under the ninth phase of the BNTF (BNTF 9), according to a CDB news update issued Monday.

Apart from Guyana,

Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname are to benefit.

According to the Barbados’ CDB Director of Projects, Daniel Best, “The participating countries share many common characteristics and face a number of challenges inherent to small, open economies.

BNTF 9 will respond to the development needs of these countries, which face challenges associated with limited diversity in production and extreme vulnerability to natural hazards, which is now exacerbated by climate change and other external shocks.”

Initiatives under BNTF9

will be implemented during the period March 2017 to December 2020, the news release stated. Governments of the eight participating countries will provide total counterpart funding of US$6.04 million.

The BNTF Programme began in 1979. It supports a socially inclusive development process that empowers the poor and vulnerable, and supports institutional development. BNTF has implemented more than 2750 sub-projects, directly impacting the lives of more than three million beneficiaries in poor communities.

The programme is CDB’s main vehicle for tackling pov-

erty in the Region, through the provision of basic infrastructure and skills training towards improving the livelihoods of beneficiaries in participating countries.

BNTF projects are implemented through grant financing from the Bank’s Special Development Fund, the news release stated.

BNTF aligns with CDB’s objective of poverty reduction through inclusive and sustainable economic growth, as articulated in the Bank’s Strategic Plan 2015-2019.

Guyana has been a beneficiary of many CDB loans for various aspects of the country’s development.

here was good news late last week that Guyana had inked a contract to export 150,000 tons of rice and paddy to Mexico. Supposedly, the information was provided through the Agriculture Ministry. The Minister never denied the story. No one in the Agriculture Ministry disclaimed the story. The Guyana Rice Development Dr Leslie Ramsammy Board did not disown the story.

But even as I read that report, and as much as I wanted it to be true, I knew that the story was suspect. Mexico imports some 800,000 tons of rice and paddy, about 80 per cent of its needs, mostly from America. In fact, because Mexico is part of the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA), imports from any other country outside Canada and America must be surcharged with tariffs, unless America waives any objection.

I also knew that the price that Mexico could import rice and paddy from other trade partners, such as Vietnam, India, Thailand, Argentina and Uruguay would make Mexico among the lowest priced market for Guyana.

Less than one week since the Agriculture Ministry claimed we had inked a rice deal with Mexico, we have verified that the Agriculture Ministry lied to rice farmers and the people of Guyana. Guyana was never part of the arrangement in which Mexico signed an order to import 150,000 tons of rice and paddy, tariff-exempt, from Argentina, Uruguay, India, Vietnam and Thailand. As the news reached disappointed farmers that Guyana is not part of the Mexico arrangement, the Agriculture Minister disowned his own Ministry. Who is in charge? The buck stops first at the feet of the Agriculture Minister and then at the feet of the President, his boss. This was an out and out blatant lie and Minister Holder is responsible for the lie. It is an insult to the farmers and to the country.

Mexico is, indeed, a potential market for Guyana’s rice and paddy. Mexico, particularly with the belligerence of Donald Trump about unfair trade, is looking to reduce its dependency on America to meet its rice demand. But the problem is that Mexico imports long grain rice with two to five per cent broken at about US$350 per ton CIF or even lower. Vietnam and other countries have been offering even lower prices.

This is why Guyana has difficulties recovering the Haiti market because Guyana is unable to compete with Vietnam there.

For export to Mexico, a miller would have to use about 32 bags of paddy to provide one ton of five per cent broken long grain rice. It means that the miller will export rice to Mexico at about G$2100 per bag of paddy. When one subtracts transportation and other processing expenses, the miller is really selling one bag of paddy to Mexico for about $1700 or less. The end result is that rice farmer cannot get more than $1500 per bag of grade A paddy; a price that will mean a farmer will lose on his investment. This is why the Mexican market remains a difficult proposition, unless Mexico pays Guyana a better price than India, Thailand, Vietnam, Argentina and Uruguay.

The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) promised new markets to add to the 35 international markets that existed at the end of 2014 and to pay farmers $9000 per bag of paddy. People like Nagamootoo, Ramjattan and people like Turhane Doerga, blitzed TV stations in Georgetown, Berbice and Essequibo promising $9000 per bag. Now rice farmers are reeling from discriminatory policies implemented by APNU/AFC. The loss of the Venezuelan market caused the price per bag of paddy to sink to the bottom of the barrel. Production has reversed downwards.

This week Alessie and Doerga have closed their operations in Guyana. The man who promised to take the rice industry to new heights and to pay rice farmers unbelievable prices is a victim to APNU/AFC’s mismanagement of this important industry.

It is now almost 18 months since Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo returned to Guyana after one of the numerous joyrides and jubilantly announced they would be replacing the squandered Venezuelan rice market with a new market in Mexico. Nagamootoo lied then and has been totally silent since. He has nothing to say now that the Agriculture Ministry again lied that Guyana would be exporting 150,000 tons of rice and paddy to Mexico this year.

The rice industry and rice farmers have become victims to the callousness and recklessness of the APNU/AFC Administration. It is unconscionable that they lie at every turn to the farmers. But rice farmers and millers are resilient and will survive, even if the Government has stupidly abandoned them. Just as they have found a way to export rice to Venezuela, rice farmers and millers will overcome their difficulties, in spite of APNU/AFC. (Send comments to doc_ ram@hotmail.com or to my FB page)

NEWS

17

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Visually impaired to benefit Police battle to subdue from electronic textbooks rowdy prisoners at court

T

he Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) on Tuesday received sponsorship to facilitate the conversation of printed textbooks to electronic format in an effort to aid in the education of visually impaired students.

The United Women for Special Children (UWSC) donated a cheque valuing $214,500 to the institution for the implementation of this special needs initiative.

The project will offset the conversion of 39 textbooks from printed literature to be accessible for teaching and self-learning on electronic devices. These educational materials will benefit students belonging to forms one to three who were previously denied such information, due to their disability.

Receiving the cheque was the President of the Council, Cecil Morris, who was accompanied by Gangesh Singh, known for his activism for the rights and access to opportunities for persons who are differently able.

Singh, who is also attached with GCOPD, expressed appreciation to THE UWSC for their contributions in the materialising of the project and noted that their donations will go a far way.

Emphasising the need for such a project in Guyana, Singh stated that, “Presently, the students (who are visually impaired) that are in the secondary school system cannot access textbooks merely because it is in printed format. They

A

UWSC President Jennifer Prashad presents the cheque to a member of the Guyana Society for the Blind

depend on persons to read it for them.” He went on to say that communication in the classroom will improve and the students will be more independent in their learning process with the aid of electronic devices such as computers and tablets. With the projected success of this programme, the Council further indicated intentions for expanding the reach to support students in the primary level as well.

The activist also pointed out that developed countries have already adapted this digital approach, given that it provides the best avenue for persons with disabilities to access quality education.

With the lacking of such provisions in Guyana, it is imperative that Guyana follow suit, giving those differently able a fair chance at a normal life.

Speaking on behalf of the United Women for Special Children was Jennifer Prashad, President of the organisation. She recognised the need to provide the necessary tools for the devel-

opment of students, especially for those with special needs. She noted that, “This project goes hand in hand with our mandate at the United Women for Special Children, which is to ensure that all students, all youths of Guyana, become productive members of society.” Prashad further pointed out that UWSC has been in existing for over 20 years and they have been working with schools and organisations to assist special needs individuals in similar projects. The conversion project is a collaborative initiative with the United Women, the Council for Persons with Disabilities as well as the Guyana Society for the Blind, which falls under the arms of the Council.

The Education Ministry also contributed to this academic venture by providing the textbooks which will be converted. This project is one of several approached taken in the past years, to enhance the lives of disabled individuals, maximising their specials talents.

Decomposed body found at Timehri identified F

our days after a partially decomposed body of a man was found in the lower flat of a building in Timehri, he was positively identified as Haniff Khan, 47, of Post Office Street, Grove, East Bank Demerara.

The body was identified by the man's brother, Fazil Khan, on Tuesday at the Memorial Gardens Mortuary.

Speaking with Guyana Times, the grieving brother explained that his sibling worked with a Chinese family on a farm along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway as a farmer.

His family was not aware of the demise of his brother until a relative informed them on Sunday afternoon.

"Somebody who know meh uncle tell he that meh brother dead and deh at the parlour," the man stated.

Upon receiving the news, his uncle and a younger brother went to the mortuary to identify the body, but owing to the state of decomposition, they could not recognise him.

However, on Tuesday, Fazil was accompanied by the said uncle to the mor-

Dead: Haniff Khan

tuary where he identified his brother by his hair style and the spaced teeth in his mouth. Now that the body has been identified, a post-mortem is expected to be conducted today to determine the cause of death, but the family is holding out that the man might have been beaten to death.

This was the conclusion after the family was told that the now dead man and another worker were engaged in a heated argument, which escalated into a scuffle while working on the farm days prior to the discovery.

The worker alleged-

ly picked up a cutlass and dealt Khan several blows to the body, the family was reportedly told.

"After we get the news we went to the Chinese people and then is when they tell me about the fight and that Police on the highway know about it... the Police claim that they carry meh brother for a medical and the doctors discharge he," the man related.

The man also noted that based on reports received, the Police at Timehri chased his brother out of the station after seeing his condition two Tuesdays ago. The man's brother is calling for the intervention of the relevant authorities so that justice can be served.

Khan's body was found on Friday last in the lower flat of a house in Timehri, East Bank Demerara. At the time of the discovery, the man's body bore several marks of violence.

Residents in Timehri claimed that the man was seen walking around in the village on Tuesday last with what appeared to be marks of violence about his body.

He was also heard groaning in pain.

fracas ensued between Police Officers and three prisoners at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Tuesday morning as law enforcement battled to keep the rowdy inmates under control.

The commotion was sparked around 10:15h by remand prisoners Orin Arthur, Yuri Vaswyck and Steven Prescott reportedly refusing to be handcuffed and placed into holding cells upon arrival at the courthouse.

Arthur and Prescott, the alleged masterminds behind the murders of Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Engineer Trevor Abrams and Sterling Products Ltd security guard Wilfred Stewart, were jointly charged with the offences in 2015, along with Rayon Paddy, who succumbed in the Camp Street Prison fire last March.

Several eyewitnesses on Tuesday related that three sets of handcuffs were flung from the van as it arrived at the courthouse’s entrance across the road into the St Andrew’s Kirk compound.

Two of the three prisoners involved in the fracas, (right) Orin Arthur and (left) Steven Prescott

They were later retrieved by a spectator.

Police ranks formed a barricade around the outpost area, while several other ranks armed with heavy weapons were poised for action.

Arthur had loudly demanded to see his lawyer after which he had a verbal altercation with a Police Constable, spitting colourful words at the Officer and caustically challenging the rank to shoot him as the Policeman stood with a rifle pointed in Arthur’s direction.

The Constable, visibly disturbed by the ordeal, responded to the inmate in the same manner.

Police Officers then or-

dered members of the public and the media to clear the area for safety.

The rank involved in the exchange with the inmate even threatened to arrest a reporter attached to another media entity, if he did not comply with Police orders.

As spectators cleared the area and moved to the balcony overlooking the scene, a rank instructed members of the media to go inside the courtroom while an inmate demanded the attention of the press.

The inmates were escorted back to the Camp Street Prison in the Police van almost an hour later, and the rest of the day passed uneventfully at the courts.

2 in custody after Moco Moco drug bust

T

wo persons are now in Police custody after they were caught cultivating a marijuana farm in Moco Moco, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

According to reports, the field was discovered around 3:30h when the Police were

conducting a patrol.

F Division (Interior Locations) Commander Ravindradat Budhram told Guyana Times that the one-acre farm was discovered with an estimated 1000 plants reaching up to nine feet.

The plants, according

to the Commander, would have amounted to 2.5 kilogrammes.

The two men were found and detained by Police and are expected to pass through the courts shortly.

However, investigations are still continuing.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

ARCHIE

Don’t complicate matters by trying to fit too much into (March 21- your day. Keep your life simApril 19) ple and your facts straight.

Stick to your plan and do things for yourself.

ARIES

Taking an active role in TAURUS events or activities that mat(April 20- ter to you will encourage you May 20) to use your imagination and rely on your instincts. Take care of health issues promptly.

DILBERT

Listen, observe and learn GEMINI as you go. Don’t feel you have (May 21to be first or take a risk to imJune 20) press someone. Protect your health and your financial situation.

Don’t make an impulsive

CANCER move or decision. Money mat(June 21- ters are best handled with care July 22) and an emphasis on frugality.

PEANUTS

Overreacting will make matters worse when dealing with friends, children or a loved one.

Observe what’s going on LEO around you at work or among (July 23your peers, but don’t interfere.

Aug. 22) Meddling will lead to blame.

Put your trust and time into getting ahead.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Taking an energetic apVIRGO proach to life and interacting (Aug. 23Sept. 22) with people you find stimulating and inspiring will spur you to take on interesting projects or learn something new.

Impulsive behavior will LIBRA be difficult to curtail. Try to (Sept. 23think before you do or say Oct. 23) something you will live to regret. Overdoing it in any fashion will be costly and emotionally draining.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

You’ll face problems when SCORPIO dealing with friends, relatives (Oct. 24and peers. Keep your promises Nov. 22) and be willing to work alongside others to bring about positive change. Don’t rock the boat.

Making a move or changSAGITTARIUS ing your surroundings will (Nov. 23- give you a boost. You don’t Dec. 21) have to overspend if you are willing to do the work yourself. Physical and mental improvements will pay off.

Set a steady pace and make CAPRICORN sure you do your own thing.

(Dec. 22A disciplined approach when Jan. 19) dealing with deadlines, superi-

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

ors or institutions will help you divert someone who is trying to dismantle your plans.

Something or someone AQUARIUS from your past will cause (Jan. 20problems if you haven’t Feb. 19) cleaned up unfinished business. Make a point to put things in place quickly so that you can move on.

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

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

PISCES You’ll face some opposition (Feb. 20- if you aren’t readily available March 20) when needed. Don’t overschedule or crowd your agenda with matters that someone else can take care of for you.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

19

Jadeja is No 1,

Federer beats Wawrinka to Indian Pujara climbs to No 2 Wells title in ICC rankings

— Vesnina stuns Kuznetsova in remarkable comeback

A

Cheteshwar Pujara

R

avindra Jadeja has overtaken R Ashwin at the top of the ICC Test rankings for bowlers, after taking nine wickets against Australia in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Cheteshwar Pujara was also a major gainer as his 202 off 525 balls propelled him above Virat Kohli to become the top-ranked India batsman in Tests. He was at No. 2, behind Australia captain Steven Smith.

The highest ranked West Indian batsman is vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite at number 20 while fast bowler Kemar Roach at number 24 is the highest ranked West Indies Test bowler.

Although the Ranchi Test was drawn, at the end of the fourth day, the hosts had seemed in quite a dominant position thanks to these two players. Pujara, by facing more balls than any other Indian (where data is available) in Tests, secured a whopping 152run lead though Australia had put up 451. It was the third double-century of his career, second against

Australia, and it helped him continue a rich vein of form in the 2016-17 home season - 1259 runs at 66.26 with four hundreds and seven fifties.

Jadeja, meanwhile, has outbowled his closest competitor Ashwin in the first

five-wicket hauls in 24 innings. The changes he has made to his bowling, namely the ability to draw batsmen forward with flighted deliveries, as opposed to his usual method of bowling darts to get bowleds and lbws have made a strong impact. Kohli, at the end of the Ranchi Test, singled out Jadeja as “standing apart” from the rest of his bowlers.

Smith consolidated his place at the top of the rankings with scores of 178* and 21 in Ranchi. Smith has 941 rating points is now joint-fifth highest ever with Peter May. Only Don Bradman (961), Len Hutton (945), Jack Hobbs and Ricky

Ravindra Jadeja

innings this season - a sign that he was becoming a threat even without the pitch helping him too much.

In all, Jadeja has taken 67 wickets at 22.98 with four

Test ranking at March 19, 2017 Team

Matches

Points

Rating

India

36

4338

121

Australia

44

4797

109

South Africa

33

3528

107

England

50

5071

101

New Zealand

41

4011

98

Pakistan

36

3494

97

Sri Lanka

42

3761

90

West Indies

30

2077

69

Bangladesh

22

1444

66

Zimbabwe

10

48

5

Ponting (942) have ever got more.

India will hold on to their position at the top of the rankings at the April 1 deadline for a cash award of $1 million. Australia and South Africa, on the other hand, have a chance to take over the second position. If Smith’s men at least draw the upcoming Dharamsala Test, they will finish at No. 2. South Africa can take over if Australia lose, and they either draw or win the Hamilton Test against New Zealand. The team that finishes second will be awarded $500,000 and the third-placed team will get $200,000. (ESPNcricinfo)

ustralian Open champion Roger Federer beat Stan Wawrinka 6-4 7-5 in an all-Swiss final to win the BNP Paribas Open - his fifth Indian Wells triumph.

World number 10 Federer claimed the first set before being broken for the first time at this year’s tournament in the first game of the second set.

Wawrinka, the world number three, went 2-0 ahead before Federer won three games in a row on his way to the title.

Elena Vesnina beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-7 (68) 7-5 6-4 in the women’s final.

Federer becomes the oldest champion in the tourna-

Roger Federer has won 90 career titles

ed just over three hours as Vesnina came back from the dead to secure the biggest title of her career.

Eighth seed Kuznetsova edged a marathon first set lasting 71 minutes by winning a tie-break.

Vesnina, the 14th seed, trailed 4-1 in the second set before winning four games in a row to force a deciding set.

She trailed 4-2 in that set but again won four successive games to clinch victory and she collapsed to the court with a mixture of ecstasy and exhaustion at the end.

Vesnina, 30, was playing in her first final at a ‘Premier Mandatory’ event - those at Elena Vesnina is a three-time Grand Slam doubles champion Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, Madrid and Beijing. ment’s history, surpassing great to back it up by winKuznetsova has now lost Jimmy Connors, who was 31 ning in America. three finals at Indian Wells, when he triumphed in 1984.

“It’s a dream start to the having also been runner-up This was the 23rd meet- year. I have totally exceed- in 2007 and 2008. (BBC Sport) ing between Federer, an 18- ed my expectations. It’s been time Grand Slam winner, an unbelievable start to the and Wawrinka. year.”

Federer, 35, has beaten Vesnina’s remarkable his compatriot, who was in comeback thrills crowd tears at the end, 20 times.

The women’s final last“This has been a fairy tale week,” said Federer.

“It’s a beautiful feeling.

Maybe it’s not as surprising as Australia but it’s still

Miller blames...

FROM PAGE 23

Louis claimed an exceptional four for four; Tonge an impressive four for 16; while Joseph, who started the Scorpions demise, took two for 36.

The second innings then saw Taylor and pace all-rounder Rovman Powell leading the way for Jamaica with two wickets each, and Joseph and Louis taking five for 43 and four for 23, respectively.

“Though the conditions were challenging, we should have batted better in both

innings,” continued Miller.

“We should have shown more fight, more guts and determination, and batted more sensibly, as some of us got out by playing some stupid shots.”

Jamaica, who, over the course of the last two rounds of matches has fallen from first to third, will next play Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in eight-round action in Port-of-Spain, starting on Friday.

The tournament consists of 10 rounds. (Jamaica Gleaner)

GDA’s AGM postponed D

ue to a lack of a quorum on Sunday March, 19 at the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) Pavilion, the Biennial meeting of the Guyana Darts Association (GDA) was postponed.

The meeting is now set for April 5, 2017 at 18:00h at the said venue. The current president of the association is Jamwant Bhupan and Vice President Dr. Terence Joseph.

GDA is urging all members to be present at the venue to ensure the very important meeting takes place.

20

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

GCB/DMLAS/MOE/NSSCL Combine Phase

Rain shifts North Georgetown vs Rest of Georgetown clash

T

he Guyana Cricket Board/ Demerara Mutual Life Assurance Society/ Ministry Of Education/ National Secondary School Cricket League

Combine and the Rest of Georgetown (players from South and East Georgetown) at the Ogle Community Centre in a 50 Overs aside match, from 09:30h.

ground, Bourda but had to be rescheduled due to the unfavorable playing condition at the GCC ground.

The flooding is as a result of rain in the capital city Monday and Tuesday.

The state of the world-famous GCC ground, Bourda on Tuesday afternoon (Dexter Ceres photo)

Ashmead Nedd

Alphius Bookie

will continue on Saturday March 25, 2017 with the tantalizing matchup between North Georgetown

This match was previously scheduled for today for the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC)

Sachin Singh,

At the conclusion of the Georgetown match, a Georgetown Combine District team will be se-

lected to play MahaiconyEast Coast also at the Ogle Community Centre Club ground on Sunday 26 March, 2017 from 09:30h.

North Georgetown X1 will come from: Alphius Bookie, Aren Beharry, Amel Tilku (Christ Church), Juspice Jones, Joshua Gardener (Richard

Ishmael), Ashmead Nedd, Lester Cupidor, Sachin Singh, Dwayne Dick, Garrick Persaud, Orande Chase, Kadeem Parris, Trevon Edwards, Tyresse Prescod, Tai-rlys Payne, Tyrese Craward, Shalom Paulis and Lose Blair (Chase Academy).

Rest of Georgetown (South-East Georgetown)

X1 will come from: Carlos Pollard, Dequan Bamfield, Qumar Torrington, Chad Shivrattan, Tuen Hicks, Sunil Ramlall, Aubry Thompson, Osapho Greene, Stephon Wilson, Daniel Paul, Delon Allen, Ameer Singh, Wayne Bollers, Kester Mc Mc Allester, Nkosi Beaton and Jamal Micheal.

Man Utd’s Schweinsteiger Talented Tallawahs to join Chicago Fire can retain CPL M Paul Nixon

J

amaica Tallawahs coach Paul Nixon remains confident the franchise is capable of winning back-to-back Caribbean Premier League (CPL) titles despite a major overhaul to the squad this season.

The Jamaica-based fran-

crown — Nixon Lendl Simmons, but in the mind of many will still be short of competing for major honours. Nixon’s assessment of the squad and its potential is somewhat different.

“I’m hopeful of making it three titles out of three – I wouldn’t be going back

ent to be losing but we landed Lendl Simmons, who is a world-class player,” Nixon said.

“Imad Wasim falls into that bracket, too, as does Shakib-Al-Hasan. Rovman Powell is a very exciting young kid, who can clear the ropes from ball one. He

The Jamaican Tallawahs are the 2016 defending champions

chise has lost several key players ahead of the new season, with captain and talisman Chris Gayle chief among them. The big left hander has since opted to move to the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. The wounds for the Tallawahs go deeper than that, however, as they will also be forced to cope without superstar all-rounder Andre Russell and Chadwick Walton, who both made telling contributions last season.

In response the team has added talented batsman

if I didn’t think we had a chance!” Nixon told The Cricket Paper.

“We’ve worked together to get a squad that has a lot of talent, even if it isn’t full of the star names like others are,” he added.

“We are going to have to jiggle our order around a little bit this year, having lost Chris Gayle and Chadwick Walton, who got a century against England in one of the Three Lions’ warmup games before they whitewashed the West Indies.

That’s obviously a lot of tal-

also bowls very clever medium pace, and he’s a bit of a Dimi Mascarenhas- type cricketer. Kesrick Williams is also a Tallawah for this season, and I’m amazed nobody picked him up for the IPL. He was one of the bowlers of the CPL last year, on good pitches, and he’s a real talent.”

The 2017 CPL season will bowl off on June 29 with the Jamaica Tallawahs opening their title defense against Saint Kitts & Nevis Patriots on 2 July, in Basseterre, St Kitts.

anchester United have agreed to let midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger join MLS side Chicago Fire.

A deal between the clubs was agreed on Monday and is subject to a medical and visa being secured.

The former Germany captain, 32, has signed a one-year contract with an option for a further year.

“I am sad to leave so many friends at Manchester United,” he said.

“But I am grateful to the club for allowing me the chance to take up this challenge.”

He added: “I have enjoyed working with the manager, players and staff but I have to reserve special thanks to the fans.

I will always remember their energy and their passion.”

Schweinsteiger, who led Germany to World Cup victory in 2014, had talks with Chicago Fire last year but opted to stay at United beyond the end of the January Bastian Schweinsteiger window.

However, Fire requested the midfielder join them now and, as Schweinsteiger was unlikely to play any significant part at United for the remainder of the season, the Old Trafford club have sanctioned his exit.

Last week, he trained with some junior members of the United squad while the remainder prepared for their Europa League

game against FC Rostov.

“We would have preferred it to happen in January but United were understandably reluctant to let him leave. I think we wore them down with our persistence,” said Chicago Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez. “ B a s t i a n Schweinsteiger is a great player with great vision and a phenomenal soccer IQ. He doesn’t have the same physical attributes as he had as a teenager but people should be wary not to underestimate the heart of a champion,” he added.

Schweinsteiger, who was signed by the Old Trafford club under former boss Louis van Gaal in July 2015, trained alone or with the Under-23 side at United after Jose Mourinho took over as manager last summer.

He returned to the first-team set-up before a Europa League game against Fenerbahce in November and played his first game for the club this season in an EFL Cup win over West Ham on 30 November.

However, he has made just three further appearances for the club - scoring one goal — with his last outing coming as a substitute against Saint—Etienne in the Europa League on February 22. (BBC Sport)

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Tallawahs want Sabina CPL

final

Sabina Park in Kingston

I

n considering the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament mutually beneficial to regional economies, Jamaica Tallawahs Managing Director Ron Parikh is of the view that Jamaica’s Sabina Park would be the perfect venue for this year’s final.

CPL, the domestic Twenty20 cricket league in the West Indies, is to be played among seven countries - Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, St Lucia, and the United States, which hosted last season’s final in the state of Florida.

Hopes of a home finale This year, Parikh, whose team will be defending the title, wants the grand finale at home.

“We would love to see the finals in Jamaica with the support of our partners and government, and hope to see it in Sabina Park,” he said.

He was quick to point out that the CPL is economically beneficial to each country and should be backed by their respective governments.

“The key is that not only the CPL, but also each team gets continued support from their respective regional government, as it’s mutually benefiting to promote this economically and financially viable sporting event in the Caribbean,” Parikh told The Gleaner.

CPL is dubbed the biggest party in sports, and according the Tallawahs director, it grows bigger and better, each year.

“Tallawahs’ brand continues to grow internationally and continues to thrive each year along with the popularity of CPL, not only in the Caribbean, but also the US frontier,” he reasoned.

Tallawahs brand He has made it clear that the Jamaica Tallawahs brand would grow in size and popularity again this season. It will bowl off in June. “We look forward to build a bigger fan base and continue to support our local Tallawahs fan base,” he outlined.

“We have some great local partners that have supported us in the past, and we hope to receive continued support from our partners to build up the momentum coming in to the home games at Sabina Park,” continued Parikh.

The Jamaica Tallawahs owners will be looking to rev up even more support at their Sabina Park home, and across the island.

The managing director was clear that the two-time champions will be going all out for a third title this year.

“We have a strong team for our 2017 championship chase, and all the team members are equally qualified and talented to represent the Tallawahs and go through the hard road it is to win an unprecedented third championship,” he underlined.

Defending their title will be hard to do, but Parikh remains confident they will have a strong support staff and players to do it. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Helena softball set for Sunday

OF in your area?

Contact our

Circulation Department on

Phone: 223-7230 EXT: 35

Wellman Masters will look to add to their silverware this weekend in Mahaica

H

elena Management Ballfield annual fundraising softball tournament is set for Sunday March 26 at Helena Number 1 and 2 cricket grounds.

The tournament will be played in the masters 40 years and over category. The teams expected to take part are; Wellman Masters, Savage Masters and two teams from Mahaica.

Entrance fee is $10,000 and trophies and hampers will be up for grabs. There are barbeque tickets presently on sale and the price is $1000 each.

The Helena Management Ballfield Committee will utilize your support to do development work at the venue.

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

Local referees ace Scalpels, FIFA fitness tests

GHB/Smalta U-14 Developmental Indoor League

Silencers

lead points table Sherwin Johnson was on track during one of the fitness drills at the Leonora Stadium

L

ocal referees and assistant referees were on Saturday sent into a series of gut wrenching fitness tests at the Leonora National Track and Field facility with an overall pass rate of 63% for the group of 27 officials tested.

This is part and parcel of the ongoing assessments by FIFA to ensure match officials are able to cope with the demands of topflight and international football.

Five out of six elite group male referees, all six elite group male assistant referees and three out of five female assistant referees passed the tests.

“Fitness tests are very essential,” said Guyana Football Federation Executive Committee member and President of the Guyana Football Referees’ Council Dion Inniss. “The game demands very fit match officials – as fit as the players.

We administer these tests at least three times a year to ensure that our match officials are in peak condition.”

FIFA toughened up the fitness tests for referees last year, as part of efforts to ensure that match officials could keep pace with the intense energy of top-flight international football. Within a short time limit, referees are required to

complete a test for “repeated sprint ability” with six bursts over 40 metres, and an “interval” test of a series of 40 consecutive, high-speed runs over 75 metres that are interspersed with 25-metre recovery, walking sections.

Assistant Referees must also complete a “change of direction ability” test, which corresponds to the particular demands of running the line. “You have to prepare to officiate in any conditions,” said 29-year-old former football player and referee, Gladwin Johnson from Berbice. “The game demands fitness from the referee – the modern game is much faster, so we have to keep ourselves fit as referees.”

The tests are part of FIFA’s continuous worldwide assessment of member association-affiliated match officials, alongside an annual medical examination. Failure to pass the tests means that match officials are not eligible to take part in elite professional competitions or matches organised by the national member association, CONCACAF or FIFA. Unfortunately some of Guyana’s lower level male referees and Assistant Referees did not meet the strict fitness requirements for international referees.

Dexter Marques (centre) and the rest of the Guyanese boxers who will be in action on April 9

By Romario Samaroo

I

n the Guyana Boxing Board of Control’s first event for the year dubbed ‘Locked and Loaded,’ Guyanese Dexter “The Kid” Marques goes toe to toe with Venezuelan Luis “Alberto” Requena Zarraga in a 10- round frantic fury in the flyweight division.

The fight is the feature bout of the card and the Guyanese pundit is ready for the challenge ahead. According to Marques, he has not seen much of the Venezuelan but the way he trains he is not worried, mainly focused on Requena coming and bringing a good fight since that is what he always looks forward to in an opponent.

“I will just go out there and do my stuff, I don’t really do much talking, I leave it out in the ring and the Venezuelan, I hope he come and bring a good fight cause I always look forward to a good fight and that is the only way I can prove myself and

do what I got to do and move through the ladder to the other fights,” Marques stated.

Looking at Marques’ career of late, he has been out of action but made it clear he is not rusty.

When asked if this issue was a problem he responded by saying “yes I was out the ring for a while but that does not mean I was out of the gym, I was always in the gym I keep my body fit, do what I have to do and come the 9th of next month I got a lot of things in stored to show the public Dexter is still there and need a world title shot, this is my time now.”

President of the Guyana Boxing board of Control (GBBC), Peter Abdool noted that Marques’ “natural weight is 112 pounds (lbs) and at that weight he has never seen anyone give Dexter any problems at all.”

Assessing the career of Marques, he has 17 professional fights, winning 15 and losing two. However, those two fights were explained by Abdool.

“The two loses were to Elton ‘Coolie Bully’ Dharry where he [Dexter] went up from 112 lbs, which is his natural weight to fight Dharry at 118 lbs, he didn’t make that weight, he entered the fight at 114 lbs, Dharry is very strong at 118 and walked him down and he lost the fight.

The second fight he lost to Leon ‘Hurry Up’ Moore, who is naturally heavier than that and can go from 118 lbs to 126 lbs so again he [Dexter] was fighting out of his weight,” Abdool said.

He went on to add that “He lost to two champion Guyanese fighters who were fighting at their weight and not at his which is 112 lbs.”

Requena has had a less colourful career when compared to Marques, having been in 17 fights as well but only being successful in eight.

The main event bout will decide where Marques career will take shape as the GBBC has already predicted a ladder in which they would like to see

him climb.

Looking at the other fights carded for the night, there are three amateur bouts with the first being the 120 lbs fight between Rewinne David and Akeela Malazon in a four-round punchfest.

In the second match-up (140lbs), Kelon Isaacs will go toe to toe with Euel Augustin, before Stephan Gouveia faces Jackford Joseph in the 145lb class. Both fights will be over three rounds.

In the professional fights, Imran “Magic” Khan will lock horns with Keeve Allicock in the six round lightweight affair while Edmond Declou will go in the squared circle with Winston Pompey for the third time in their careers in a six round Super middle weight clash.

The event will be staged at the Giftland Mall, Liliendaal on April 9 and admission is set at $1,000 for general admission and $2,000 for ringside.

St Joseph’s Akeela Ralph counterattacks the Fernandes sisters and top scorer Sarah Klautky of Marian Academy at St Stanislaus College

A

t the end of five weeks of non-stop action in the Smalta U-14 Indoor Hockey Developmental League, St. Stanislaus Hockey Club (SHC) seem to be making full use of their experience to dominate the competition in both male and female categories.

The U-14 league, which is in its first installment, has seen tremendous support from schools and clubs locally with most being based in Georgetown and the games rotated weekly across St. Joseph High School, Marian Academy and St. Stanislaus College. SHC have a commanding advantage with a total of five teams involved while GCC has two in each group.

Hikers Club has three with St. Joseph High (SJH) represented by two and Marian Academy and Old Fort having one.

Looking at the table for the girls division, seven teams are participating of which SHC Silencers have dwarfed the competition registering 13 points. To date they have scored 14 goals while their opponents have only managed to penetrate their defence six times.Silencers are trailed by Marian Academy who are on nine points and have scored the most goals in this division with a total of 26 but has allowed 11 goals to be scored on them. GCC Warriors are in third position with eight points while GCC Challengers and SHC Sensations have accumulated seven points to take the fourth and fifth position respectively. SJH are on four points and ranking sixth while Hikers are yet to get on the board suffering the heaviest tally of goals scored on them with 39 and are unable to score a single goal to date. Meanwhile, with nine teams in the boys group, SHC Scalpels are undefeated after six games with a perfect 18 points, scoring an astonishing 33 times. SJH boys are in a better position than their female counterparts ranking second with 16 points. Hikers Hockey Club (HHC) Garnett Street are currently in third with 14 points as SHC Samurai and SHC Scorchers are on nine points each to rank 4th and 5th. Old Fort, HHC Hatchets, GCC Thunderbolts and GCC War Dogs are ranked 6th-9th in that order.

The action is slated for the St. Stanislaus College from 16:00h on Friday.

James Lewis domino, cricket slated for weekend

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n Friday March 24 the ‘Sports Ambassador’ James Lewis and the Foreign Ministry promotion team would be staging the biggest Public and Private Sector Domino Tournament from 16:00h at the Ministry of Agriculture canteen on Regent road, Bourda.

All the government ministries’ teams should be participating in this competition along with teams from the private sector. At stake would be trophies, medals and cash incentives for the winner, runners-up and player with the most games in the finals.

Then on Sunday March 26 at Durban Park would be the venue for the biggest work place 6 overs a-side knock out tape ball cricket competition for trophies and cash incentives donated by Ministries of the Government and other sponsors.

Closing date for both competitions are today at 16:30h. The teams could pay their entrance fees to the coordinator James Lewis at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs registry department.

No late entrance fees would be accepted.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

Blake back handsomely at his best – Mills

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Limacol Football teams rewarded

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Champions! Western Tigers are extatic after winning the final at GFC on MArch 4

he top teams and the various standout performers of the recently concluded second Petra Organised Limacol Roundrobin Knock-out Football Tournament were presented with their prizes on Monday evening at simple presentation ceremony at the Brandsville Hotel, Campbellville.

Watched by a massive crowd at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC), Bourda, on March 4, Western Tigers won the riveting final against the Guyana Police Force FC 1-0 via a stunning free-kick from Collin Nelson.

For their unbeaten run in the tournament, Tigers copped the first place prize of $500,000 and the corresponding title while Police were awarded $300,000.

In the third place play-off between Santos and Linden’s Winners Connection, the latter won 5-3 on penalty kicks after the game ended 2-2.

The Linden unit won $200,000 while Santos had to settle for $100,000 and the respective accolades.

At an earlier presen-

tation ceremony, the winner of each group received $100,000, while the 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed finishers were given $50,000, $30,000 and $20,000 respectively.

On the individual aspect, Police Force FC’s Quincy Holder was the highest goal scorer (4 goals), while Western Tigers’ captain Phillip Rowley was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and teammate Troy Carrington was adjudged the best goal keeper.

Uitvlugt Warriors’ Jamal Harvey and Den Amstel’s Delon Lanferman had scored the fastest goal both netting in the first minute. In the 32 matches saw an average of 2.6 goals per match, 83 yellow cards and just two red cards.

Co-Director of the Petra Organisation Troy Mendonca in speaking at the ceremony contented that the winner of the tournament truly represented themselves with a strong desire to be victorious as throughout the entire tournament they were close matches

among teams.

Mondonca added that the tournament was a hallmark of the organizers’ endeavor to promote the sport of football giving community based teams a chance to showcase their talents and for fans to enjoy.

On that note, Mendonca stated that a collaborative effort is needed by all in the football fraternity to move the sport forward, emphasizing the need for improved facilities.

The Co-Director also thanked the support of Banks DIH Limited under the GT Beer Brand, Trophy Stall, Star Party Rentals and also the numerous fans for their continued support.

Meanwhile, Banks DIH Public Relations Officer Troy Peters disclosed that the company “is extremely was pleased to be part of the tournament since they anticipated it would be a success due to the tremendous support it received.”

He added, “It came off with a bang and we will continue to support football in Guyana.”

Miller blames pitch for Scorpions loss

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aptain Nikita Miller has pointed to pitch and playing conditions, as well as poor application, as the main reasons as to why the Jamaica Scorpions fell to a 34-runs defeat to the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on the weekend at Sabina Park.

The contest, the first day-night first-class fixture to be played at the venue, saw the Leewards scoring 71 and 133 and Jamaica replying with a record-low 56 and 114.

The match was also contested over two days, with the first day abandoned due to rain and a waterlogged outfield and the fourth and final day not coming into play.

“It was a challenging pitch, which was not at the standard it should have been playing a day-night game,” Miller said.

“But, having said that, I

Second day

Nikita Miller

think the weather played a factor in the preparation of the pitch as it had been raining days leading up to the start of the game.

“It’s fair to say, therefore, that the pitch did not get to dry out properly, and it played a role in both teams getting bowled out cheaply, especially in the first innings.

Beginning on the second day, the game saw fast bowlers Jerome Taylor and Marquino Mindley making brilliant use of the conditions.

The experienced Taylor, who was recently recalled to the West Indies Twenty20 team, and Mindley, playing in his third game of the season, got the ball to swing appreciably in and out, as well bounce sharply, which mesmerised the Leewards batsmen.

Taylor ended the first innings with five for 31 and Mindley, two for 13.

It was then the turn of the Leewards fast bowlers to make their presence felt. They were led by their experienced Gavin Tonge, and emerging West Indies speedster Alzarri Joseph and young Jeremiah Louis.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

len Mills, the head coach of the Racer’s Track Club, in announcing some of the worldclass athletes already confirmed for the 2017 renewal of the Racer’s Grand Prix, announced that Yohan Blake, was among those who would participate. He also announced that Blake, who has spent the past two years coming back from two career-threatening hamstring injuries, was back to his best.

The announcement triggered reactions from the audience gathered at the Jamaica Pegasus because most know that Mills is not a man who speaks loosely. Every word he utters is carefully chosen before it is spoken, which makes his ut-

terances on Friday, all the more meaningful.

They become even more meaningful when you consider what being ‘back to his best’ actually means. The 28-year-old Blake is the second fastest man in history. Only Usain Bolt has run faster than his 9.69s set in Lausanne in August 2012, the year he copped double silver (9.75, 19.44) behind Bolt at the 2012 London Games; and the 19.26s ran in Brussells in September 2011, the year he became 100m world champion in Daegu, South Korea.

Blake’s manager Cubie Seegobin cautiously believes Mills’ words ring true.

“I am happy. The way he has come back,” Seegobin said.

Yohan Blake

“He came a long way back to make the Olympic final and to be fourth in the Olympics and to run 9.93. So we are happy about that and we’re building on that and I think this year; coach said it, I am not at training every day, but I think he is back.

If we can just keep him focussed, I think we will see 2011-2012 again.”

Without revealing much, Seegobin said there are still a few things that need to be worked out, but he is optimistic Blake will be better than he has been in the recent past.

“If we can keep him healthy I think we will build on the 9.93 of last season and I think everybody will be happy.” (Sportsmax)

Caribbean happy with Montagliani visit

CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani (third from right) and GFF President Wayne Forde (third from right) with other officials

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ONCACAF President Victor Montagliani recently held a series of visits to the Caribbean that included stops in Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Guyana, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

Montagliani finalized his trip in Kingston, Jamaica, where he officially opened the new Confederation’s office.

The President had the opportunity to meet with Member Associations and government officials, in addition to witnessing the advances of football development projects.

The meetings go to the heart of Montagliani’s ONE CONCACAF Vision, which is focused on key strategic pillars to further grow the game.

“My visits and meetings with Member Associations Presidents served as reaffirmation of the direction of the ONE CONCACAF Vision and the partnerships forged as the foundation of a new Confederation built on integrity, transparency and unity.”

Guyana Football Federation (GFF) President Wayne Forde expressed his support to the Montagliani’s vision.

“This visit by the CONCACAF President has been a fantastic boost for GFF and for the

profile of football in our country. It was an honor for us to have President Montagliani launch the new, nationwide under-15 league, and his positive message to our team was a motivation to continue its hard work in reforming and developing football in Guyana,” said Forde. “We are fully committed to working together with President Montagliani and the rest of the region to deliver his ONE CONCACAF vision so that we can rebuild trust in football and create more opportunities.”

These visits also presented the chance to emphasize the need of a collaborative effort with the government to advance football from grassroots to world-class competitions.

“We had an excellent meeting with President Montagliani. We looked at the current state of football and future ways to come together and collaborate on sports policies and development aspects to increase participation in the game,” said St. Kitts and Nevis Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Stanley Knight.

In the Dominican Republic, Montagliani joined the Federación Dominicana

de Fútbol (FEDOFUTBOL) in celebrating 100 years of football in the country.

On the occasion, FEDOFUTBOL President Osiris Guzman highlighted the importance and growth of football within the Dominican Republic.

“Counting on the presence of Montagliani, CONCACAF’s top official, in addition to Luis Hernandez (Cuba), Eric Labrador (Puerto Rico), and Yves Jean Bart (Haiti), offers a perspective of ??the relevance of this moment. Montagliani visited the country during his electoral campaign. We support the current administration and the president’s plans for football development throughout the Caribbean.”

On Wednesday, March 15, CONCACAF conducted the official opening ceremony of its new location in Kingston.

Montagliani was joined by the Confederation’s General Secretary Philippe Moggio, Director of Caribbean Football Horace Reid, Jamaica Football Federation officials, former Prime Minister Edward Seaga, State Minister in the Ministry of National Security, Senator Pearnel Charles Jr, and other government officials. (Sportsmax)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017

Sports is no longer our game, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our business

guyanatimesgy.com

Pg 23

Limacol Football teams rewarded handsomely

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Prize winners pose with their respective awards along with Banks DIH Public Relations Officer Troy Peters (extreme left) and Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca (fourth from right) at the presentation ceremony on Monday evening

Local referees ace FIFA fitness tests

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The elite referees were out in their numbers at the Leonora Stadium last Saturday

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