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

Issue No. 3182

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Friday, April 14, 2017

PRICE

Ruckus in the House as

Controversial SARA Bill passed by Govt majority Page 3

– Opposition MPs stage walkout, expected to mount legal challenge

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

GPF ranks to receive counterterrorism training in Russia P12 P8 Cuban couple charged for overstaying

P10 Duo remanded for 884 grams of marijuana

VAT on private education

P9

Cabinet refuses to budge, says no to revocation The coalition APNU/AFC Government side used its majority in the National Assembly Thursday night to pass the highly controversial SARA Bill, with the Opposition PPP/C Members of Parliament promptly staging a walkout (Carl Croker photo)

Fed-up Guyanese should step up

– make voices Page 5 heard, former President urges

Speaker disallows PPP’s motion calling for Land CoI to be revoked ...says matter “not urgent”

Opposition Leader visits Region 9 – residents complain about drug shortages, land title CoI Page 13

Page 2

– says tax will be reviewed in next year’s budget

Duo busted with illegal firearms, ammo P13 GRDB could P5 announce new rice variety in 2018

– Chief Scientist

2 news

friDAY, APRIL 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Speaker disallows PPP motion calling for Land CoI to be revoked – says matter “not urgent”

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he Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) motion calling for the revocation of the appointment of the Lands Commission of Inquiry (CoI) was shut down by Speaker of the House, Dr Barton Scotland, during Thursday's sitting of the National Assembly because he deemed it “not urgent”.

The motion, signed by Opposition Members of Parliament Anil Nandlall and Pauline Sukhai, had identified the issue as one of “national public importance.”

Among other things, the motion stated: "…this National Assembly calls upon His Excellency, President David Granger, to revoke the establishment of the aforementioned Commission of Inquiry forthwith. Be it resolved that this National Assembly calls upon His Excellency, President David Granger, to hold consultations with all the relevant stakeholders in order to determine a course of action that would accelerate the issuance of title to Amerindians for traditional lands, and address all matters in relation thereto and in connection therewith.”

Having read the motion and deeming it “not urgent,” the Speaker disallowed Nandlall from presenting it in the National Assembly.

When the former Attorney General questioned the reason for this and articulated his presumption that he was being barred from speaking in the house, the Speaker's

lone response was, “If that is so, then so be it.”

The PPP Members of Parliament (MPs) then stood up in protest against the Speaker’s decision, but he refused to alter his stance.

Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo; Opposition Chief Whip, Gail Teixeira; MP Irfaan Ali and a few others were noticeably absent from the proceedings, as they had been granted leave from Thursday's sitting of the National Assembly.

President David Granger established, on March 10, 2017, a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to examine and make recommendations to resolve issues and uncertainties surrounding the individual, joint or communal ownership of lands acquired by free Africans, along with Amerindian land titling issues.

However, the National Toshaos Council (NTC) – a body comprising of all toshaos in Guyana -- rejected Government’s decision to establish a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into land rights on the grounds of lack of consultation and that the two issues (lands acquired by free Africans and Amerindian land titling issues) are unique and need to be addressed separately.

“While we support reparations and repatriation of African lands, and addressing that issue with a great degree of urgency, the Indigenous lands’ issue cannot, and should not, be

Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland

viewed in the same light, nor can it be addressed under the same framework,” the NTC has emphasised.

Calling for the establishment of two separate entities to deal with the two different issues, the NTC has voiced its refusal to cooperate with the current lands CoI. “We call on His Excellency for a complete repeal of the mandate of this Commission, and to establish the Indigenous Peoples’ Lands Commission,” the NTC has said.

That body has noted that failure to do as they have asked would demonstrate that Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples are being marginalised by the Government of Guyana.

The Amerindian leaders have reminded that it was the Head of State who had made the promise, during the NTC Conference of 2015, to establish a “Hinterland and

Indigenous Peoples Lands Commission” to address all Indigenous land issues.

The NTC has also highlighted that, in the Amerindian Act of 2006, as a matter of law, there exists a process that speaks to the issue of Amerindian lands.

The Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) has subsequent-

ly expressed its support of the NTC's call for the scrapping of the Commission of Inquiry, and has said further that it would have advanced the concerns of the NTC in the National Assembly following a meeting the Leader of the Opposition had with the Indigenous peoples, wherein hundreds of Amerindians had turned up to register their concerns.

The PPP has said the CoI’s expansive mandate is dangerous and will undermine the legitimacy of Amerindian land rights and lead to the dispossession of Amerindian land titles and future land titling.

The PPP says it supports the NTC’s position that if the Government wants to “address individual, joint or communal ownership of lands acquired by freed Africans”, this should be addressed separately from Amerindian land titling.

According to the Party,

Amerindian land titling has been adequately addressed in the Amerindian Act of 2006, which provides a robust framework and clearly defined process for Amerindian land titling, which is supported by the Constitution and international law.

"The fact that under this statute almost 100 Amerindian communities have been able to acquire communal titles 'absolute and forever', representing over 14% of Guyana’s land mass, speaks to the success of this legal framework," the PPP has said.

Moreover, the PPP has outlined, "The fact that Guyana is the only country in this hemisphere that has issued such titles of communal land ownership to its Amerindian peoples is a living testimony to the consultative and participatory process which (has) led to the Amerindian Act becoming a reality."

No arrest in Automotive Art robbery

P

olice are continuing their investigation into the armed robbery committed on two employees of Automotive Art on Croal Street, Georgetown on Wednesday, but they are yet to make an arrest. They are currently reviewing the surveillance footage taken from the CCTV with intent to identifying the perpetrators.

It has been reported

that two armed men relieved two employees of that business establishment of a bag containing close to $1 million in cash.

The workers had just returned from a commercial bank on the day in question, and as they exited their motor car, a black car reportedly pulled up alongside them and stopped.

A man carrying a hand gun exited and grabbed

the bag that contained the money before reportedly discharging a round into the air and hurriedly re-entering the waiting motor car, which fled the scene.

An official of the paint company, confirming that less than $1 million had been taken, told media operatives that the two workers had gone to the bank to collect “change money”.

news

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friDAY, APRIL 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, April 14 – 05:00h-06:30h and Saturday – 05:30h-07:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, April 14 – 05:55h-07:25h and Saturday – 06:15h-07:45h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny intervals in the early morning will be followed by heavy rain showers, with light rain showers in the afternoon hours and partly cloudy skies in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius..

Winds: Easterly to East north-easterly between 3.57 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 06:05h and 18:28h reaching maximum heights of 2.70 metres and 2.59 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 12:02h reaching a minimum height of 0.57 metre.

wednesDAY, April 12, 2017

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Ruckus in the House as

Controversial SARA Bill passed by Govt majority – Opposition MPs stage walkout, expected to mount legal challenge

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he State Assets Recovery Bill 2017 was passed after a tumultuous debate in the National Assembly on Thursday evening, but the Opposition has made it clear that the Government can expect legal challenges to the bill from the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and possibly from civil society.

Contention arose in the National Assembly after Government Member of Parliament and Minister of Public Telecommunications, Cathy Hughes, contended that the bill speaks of civil proceedings against those in wrongful possession of state assets. She stressed that “no one would be arrested.”

But according to Opposition MP Juan Edghill, the bill clearly indicates that power is conferred on the Director of the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) to decide what kind of proceedings will be initiated against suspects.

Indeed, a perusal of part two, section seven (three) of the bill reads that: “In discharging the functions of SARA, the Director shall consider whether the recovery of State property may be better

secured by means of criminal investigations and criminal proceedings.”

The bill goes on to state: “the Director shall decide which particular operations are to be mounted by SARA, and how those operations are to be conducted.”

Edghill argued that many of the bill's core functions are already provided for in the laws of Guyana. He expressed concern that the bill in fact confers on the Director extra powers that supersede the powers of other heads of agencies.

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman said Government's implementation of the bill was just in keeping with the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).

Trotman lambasted the

Opposition for not implementing such measures to recover state assets.

But Edghill said Government was not really serious about going after corruption in a unilateral way. He observed that many of the UNCAC's provisions -- such as those to oversee campaign financing -- have been completely ignored by the coalition. Edghill also observed that the foremost persons within the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) are all people known for their strong political views and their activism against the PPP. He referred here to SARU head, Dr Clive Thomas, and SARU executive Eric Phillips, against whom the PPP filed a police complaint as recently as last month for perceived threats against party officials

and against Leader of the Opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo.

The Opposition's pleadings for the bill to be sent to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee for a review were ignored, and upon Trotman moving a motion to adjourn proceedings immediately after Edghill's 30-minute presentation, there were loud cries of dissent.

When the Government side used its majority to pass the bill, the Opposition members promptly staged a walk out of the National Assembly.

At an impromptu press conference held outside the Chamber, top PPP officials backed Edghill as he decried the hasty passage of the bill.

He referred to the bill as an attempt to silence the Opposition, and observed that the motion to adjourn came just as salient points in the bill were being raised – points which he said were not even addressed by the architects of the bill.

“We want to express our grave disappointment with the move by (Raphael) Trotman to use the Standing Orders that the question be put….What he essentially did was shut down the debate. turn to page 13

WBD man died from drowning, blunt force trauma – PM report

A

post-mortem conducted on Wednesday by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh on the body of Richard Ramkissoon, the 21-year-old whose body was found on the Orangestein foreshore, East Bank Essequibo last Tuesday morning, has determined that he died from blunt force trauma and drowning.

Police ‘D’ Division Commander Leslie James has, however, confirmed that the investigation into Richard Ramkissoon’s death

is still ongoing. “We need to know what might have caused it [blunt force trauma], therefore an investigation has to continue,” he said.

Ramkissoon, of Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara, reportedly drowned on Sunday, but his body was discovered between boulders at the Orangestein foreshore on Tuesday morning at about 07:30 hrs. He had reportedly gone on Sunday with his girlfriend to the koker at Parika, East Bank Essequibo to swim,

during which he reportedly drowned.

Ramkissoon was allegedly carrying his girlfriend on his shoulders into the water, but as they ventured farther out into the Essequibo River, the young man suddenly disappeared under the water while his girlfriend, who reportedly could not swim, started to shout for help as she fought to stay afloat in the river. The young woman was allegedly rescued by public-spirited citizens who were nearby, but Ramkissoon perished.

Dead: 21-year-old Richard Ramkissoon

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friDAY, april 14, 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

Good Friday

C

hristians around the world, inclusive of Christians in Guyana, will today be observing Good Friday.

Christians on this day commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ at Calvary by observing a really quiet and solemn celebration as they reflect on his suffering and death on the Cross. It is a commemoration to remind Christians that innocent Jesus suffered brutally at the hands of the worldly authorities.

In Guyana, we live in a multireligious, multiethnic society in which, to a great extent, we coexist peacefully, unlike many other countries in the world with a similar culture. For many countries, the conflict over religious co-existence has been unsolved for years and has led to much violence and suffering for the peoples of those nations.

For us here in Guyana, we experienced a disturbing event a few weeks ago when a pastor from Faithful Word Baptist Church (FWBC) went into several public schools purporting to be preaching the Word of God, but rather unleashed a venomous attack on Hinduism beliefs.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center website, the FWBC, which is based in Arizona, United States, is classified as a fundamentalist group with a history of hate speech that has seen it being banned from entry in at least three different countries.

The American hate speech watchdog group has listed the church as a hate group. Having been listed as a hate group that spreads hate speech, it is disappointing that such a group made its way into our public school system – where our children in this multireligious society converge – without the knowledge of the Education Ministry and more so the Government. According to media reports, it was after a very vigilant member of society wrote a letter to the editor in the local press that this issue was brought to the fore.

The Education Ministry itself has admitted that it had no previous knowledge of the school visits

by FWBC, nor did it in any way facilitate the visits.

It also stated that the FWBC took advantage of a lack of familiarity with regard “to documented external visitor policy and the misplaced goodwill of administrative staff on what they believed to be an innocuous intervention, as well as a general ignorance of the church’s reputation”. To its credit, permission was granted via the individual school administrations without knowledge of the Education Ministry.

In this instance, it appears that it was a one-off event in three schools, but it was a dangerous one that is downright alarming. Religious conflict as we have witnessed in other parts of the world has brought nations to their knees.

It is a conflict that will remain as a burning issue unfortunately for many more years to come. Here in Guyana, religious leaders – whether Christian, Hindu, Muslim – teach about the enormous positive role religion has played in the lives of many. Guyanese society as a whole celebrates each other’s religious activities. This is evident at Christmas, Phagwah, Easter, Youman Nabi, Diwali and Eid. As we observe the Easter celebrations with the Christian community, let us as a nation be ever vigilant of those who seek to destroy the fabric of our multicultural, multi-ethnic, multireligious society.

Happy Easter to all our readers!

Christians around the world observe Good Friday today, after holding Maundy Thursday services. The photos above are scenes from the Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday service at St George’s Cathedral last evening

Guyana’s unstable foreign exchange market unnerving – PSC to Central Bank Governor

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he Private Sector Commission (PSC) has indicted to the Governor of the Bank of Guyana (BoG), Dr Gobind Ganga, that the instability of the foreign exchange market is “unnerving”.

PSC representatives raised their concerns in regard to the availability of foreign currency and other issues at a meeting with Dr Ganga on Monday last, and despite his assuring them that there is an adequate supply of foreign exchange in the country, the PSC representative declared that events which occurred of recent are worrisome.

“It was pointed out to the (Bank of Guyana) Governor that Guyana (had) enjoyed a stable rate of exchange over several years, and the present change is unnerving,” a statement from the PSC on Thursday detailed.

In other to further support his position, Dr Ganga provided statistical evidence to the PSC representatives to show that there is in fact an adequate supply of foreign exchange available.

He explained to the PSC representatives that the Guyana dollar should remain relatively stable because of the current low prices of imports of petroleum and petroleum products, which more than offset the decline in export receipts.

“The Governor opined that one should not pay more than G$215 to G$218 for a US dollar, but conceded that there is currently a relatively short waiting period for persons who wish to purchase foreign currency. He also cautioned that demand should be screened to establish the legitimacy of the requests,”

Governor of the Bank of Guyana (BoG), Dr Gobind Ganga (sixth from left) with PSC members following the meeting on Monday

the release from the PSC outlined.

Dr Ganga revealed during the meeting that the BoG is exploring reports that foreign goods meant for another country were being paid for using foreign currency sourced from Guyana. He also said there were some flows of foreign currency to Suriname by businesses that collected US dollars in payment for goods.

Dr Granga pointed out that, even with all the speculation in the market, the depreciation of the Guyana dollar was modest.

The Private Sector Commission has promised to collaborate with the Central Bank to regularly monitor the system to defend the currency against speculative threats.

There has, of recent, been a contraction in supply of foreign currency, with the demand pressures mounting and market participants anticipating continued shortage of foreign currency. As a result of the low supply versus corresponding high demand, the value of the local dollar has declined.

Government has blamed the hoarding of US currency by some in the private sector as being responsible for the shortage, while others point to the decline in foreign

earnings on exports in recent years.

Many economists have forecasted that, if this situation persists, the value of the Guyana dollar will continue to plummet. In the end, the lower value of the Guyana dollar will result in higher prices for the consumer goods which are overwhelmingly imported. The inflationary pressures will place further pressure on the average Guyanese, who is already bombarded by job layoffs consequent to the economic slowdown in all sectors of the real economy, except for gold mining.

But according to the Monthly Economic Bulletin Report prepared by the Economic Policy Analysis Unit (EPAU) of the Finance Ministry’s Budget Office, the Urban Consumer Price Index for Georgetown increased by 1.4 per cent between December 2015 and December 2016.

The report said the major driver behind the inflation rate of 1.4 per cent for 2016 has been rising food prices -especially for fruits, vegetables, pulses and pulse products, and spices. However, it noted that the prices for clothing and footwear and repairs have declined by 3.1 and 2.4 per cent respectively.

The report outlined that, historically, inflation in

Guyana has tracked inflation in the United States, so rising US inflation may put upward pressure on prices in Guyana, partly as a result of rising prices for US imports.

According to the Finance Ministry’s report, the official exchange rate for the month of December 2016 stood at G$206.50 for US$1.

Dr Ganga told Guyana Times on Wednesday that the inflation rate has been relatively stable over the past few months, despite concerns about the volatility in the foreign exchange market.

He said he did not have the figures for the inflation rates for the past two months, the period over which concerns about the foreign exchange market have skyrocketed.

Several weeks ago, some city banks were charging Gy$230 for US$1. , and many businesspersons and ordinary citizens were complaining about being turned away by cambios and commercial banks over claims of foreign currency shortages. This has led to the exchange rate skyrocketing to an all-time high in a flourishing black market.

Dr Ganga told this newspaper that the rate has not changed from Gy$206.50 for US$1, as the Bank of Guyana was still buying foreign currency at that price.

friDAY, april 14, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

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News

Fed-up Guyanese should GRDB could announce step up, make voices heard new rice variety in 2018 – former President urges – Chief Scientist

F

ormer President Donald Ramotar believes it is time for all Guyanese to protest what he describes as the “anti-national and anti-developmental moves” by the APNU/AFC coalition Administration.

“Guyanese, if you are fed-up, then step-up, make your voices heard!” Ramotar has declared.

His sentiments are expressed in an article he wrote and sent to the Guyana Times for publication. The full text of that article is published below: The recent setting up of a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) “to examine all issues and uncertainties surrounding the claims of Amerindian Lands titling; the individual, joint and communal ownership of lands acquired by freed African, and any other matters relative to land titling would be public welfare,” is the latest move by Government, (and it) is creating disunity amongst the peoples of this country.

This has caused an uproar in the Amerindian community, as they see that once more this move can push them to the margins of society. They see that all the great gains they made during the PPP/C Administration are going to be eroded by the APNU+AFC government. At the centre of the government, holed up in the Ministry of the Presidency, is Mr Eric Phillips, who seems determined to rewrite the history of this country.

It is known that for centuries the Amerindian people not only lived on the land in their specific areas, but they

Former President Donald Ramotar

have protected the environment. They managed to understand the laws of nature, and lived within those laws.

In so doing, they were able to preserve our forests and our environment, so that today we are one of the foremost countries in relation to protection of the natural environment.

The establishment of this CoI, therefore, raises many questions. In the first place, this was done without consultations with the Amerindian community. As it stands now, the Amerindians have legal rights to the land. What should be discussed now (are) the extensions that many have applied for.

However, this move by the regime is intended to stop this process. People like Phillips are selling the idea that the Amerindians were not the first people here. This is a clear signal that the regime has probably set this body up to come to the conclusion that the Amerindians should not enjoy the rights that the

PPP/C Administration ensured (were) put in law.

This regime wants to change the law to the disadvantage of the Amerindians.

The regime, by taking that step, is also setting the ground that can lead to disunity amongst the peoples of this country.

It is strange that this regime has set up a whole ministry which they claimed is to promote social cohesion. They even named it the Ministry of Social Cohesion. Yet, almost every act they have executed is promoting disunity.

This CoI is the latest so far in a long list of measures.

They have practised racial and political discrimination in the dismissals from the public service. They have done the same in employment to the public service. We also see the same pattern in the dispossession of farmers of land, and many persons who were allocated turn-key homes and house lots have suffered the same consequences.

We have seen discrimination in the awarding of scholarships, and in the admission of students to the law programme at the University of Guyana.

By their actions, this regime is doing its best (or worst) to sow discord, disunity; and yes, moving against social cohesion.

It is time for all Guyanese to protest these anti-national and anti-developmental moves by this regime.

Guyanese, if you are fed-up, then step-up, make your voices heard.

This is my view. What is yours?

Local rice farmers touring the field of the Burma Research Station at Mahaicony, ECD

By Alexis Rodney

T

he Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) could announce the availability of a new variety of rice as early as 2018, if all goes well, Chief Scientist Dr Mahendra Persaud has said.

Any such announcement will depend on the amount of work put in to see the complete production of this variety.

Dr Persaud made this announcement in engaging more than 100 farmers from Regions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, who were invited on Thursday to participate in the “field day” exercise of the Rice Research Station of the Guyana Rice Development Board, where they were given a full tour of the fields and exhibition area. This has been the first such exercise conducted by the Rice Research Station for 2017.

Dr Persaud said he could not give a specific time when

the availability of this new variety would be announced, but he has assured that the GRDB is working to ensure it successfully completes all the trials that it needs to go through to ensure its establishment.

According to Dr Persaud, there are 14 varieties of rice currently in commercial cultivation in Guyana, and their successful establishment dates from as far back as in the 1970s. “The push (now) is to have another one that is of much better quality”, he told Guyana Times.

Over the last five years, GRDB has released a number of varieties. Dr Persaud said there was not much done for rice earlier. However, there is now “a good programme that is responding well”, he told Guyana Times.

“We have so many varieties at the GRDB. What we are trying to do (is), in order to improve our productivity and tolerance to seed pest,

we need something better -- a better plant and variety to counteract this (scourge),” he said.

Dr Persaud said this push to develop a new variety would always involve a higher yield, better pest and disease management, and better plant qualities.

He said the GRDB has been investing in bringing materials from overseas and in carrying out its own research.

Following a lengthy tour of the rice field, farmers were able to gather valuable information necessary for the successful promulgation of this new variety of rice, and even made recommendations to the Board, which Dr Persaud said would be taken into consideration.

Farmers who spoke with this publication said they were thankful for the opportunity to get a first-hand view of the work being carried out by the national rice board.

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fridAY, APRIL 14, 2017

Page

Foundation

Rigging children’s brains for happy memories

By Christine L Carter, PhD

W

hen I was in fifth grade, I was teased ruthlessly each morning on the bus to school.

I had frizzy hair I tried to style like Farrah Faucet’s and buck teeth. I was awkward and had a tendency to brown-nose. Worst of all, my bus stop was the last one, giving the mean children ample time to plot how they would torture me.

You might think this experience would have scarred me, but truly, it didn’t –if anything, it has made me more able to empathise with other victims of bullying.

So why isn’t this memory painful for me?

Neuroscientist Rick Hanson has a scientific explanation.

In his fabulous book on “the practical neuroscience of happiness, love, & wisdom”, Hanson explains that we can take positive steps to determine which memories stick with our children.

Life is full of difficulties and mean children. But Hanson argues that the key isn’t to avoid the pain that life presents – it’s through our challenges that we learn deep lessons we couldn’t learn any other way. Instead we can foster positive experiences that offset those challenges.

Unfortunately, we are a bit hard-wired to mostly remember bad things while forgetting the good ones.

According to Hanson, our mind acts “like Teflon for positive” memories and “Velcro for negative ones”. This is not good for our happiness: If most of our memories are negative, we come to perceive the world as depressing, even

threatening.

Fortunately, Hanson gives us a method for raising children who have more positive memories than negative ones, children who have happy associations with their childhood and whose outlook on life reflects that. Here’s how to “Take in the Good”, as Hanson calls it.

Teach children to notice the good things that are all around them.

Practise actively looking for the positive: Those flowers we planted are blooming; our neighbour was so nice to help us with a difficult project; school

was particularly fun today. Regular gratitude practices help with this. The key, according to Hanson, is to “turn positive facts into positive experiences”.

Draw out – really savour – those positive experiences. This aspect will forever change the way my children and I do our “3 good things” practice at bedtime. The idea is not just to hold something positive in our awareness for as long as possible, but also to remember the positive emotions that

go along with them. Now my children list something that is good about their day, like that they had fun with their friends, and we really think about how good it felt to be playing and enjoying friendship. This evokes what was rewarding about a “good thing”, and helps use our brain chemistry to strengthen connections associated with the memory.

Let it all sink in. Have your children imagine that the good thing you were just talking about “is entering deeply

into [their] mind and body, like the sun’s warmth into a T-shirt, water into a sponge, or a jewel placed in a treasure chest in your heart”.

I did this with my daughters last night, individually: I asked them to pick one of their "3 good things" from the day, and then went through the steps above. My seven-year-old did a little disco dance lying down in bed while I instructed her. She seemed quite happy, but not really like a t-shirt soaking in the warmth of the sun. My nineyear-old, on the other hand, had a rather transforma-

tive experience for a schoolkid. I was so surprised (why, I'm not sure) and delighted, I whipped out the flip camera to record the moment. This is something we'll be doing every night from here on out.

Minus the camera.

These good things that we recall and experience can actually over-write negative memories. I don’t remember the pain of being bullied, and I’m sure that’s because of the way my parents handled the situation. After school, I would tell my parents all about what was happening.

They would give me their full attention and care; their support was palpable, and positive. My dad would lead the whole family in coming up with witty come-backs to the teasing. Although I never had the courage to use the smart and funny one-liners he came up with, having them in my head gave me a sense of power. On balance, the positive attention I got – all the laughing we did at dinnertime, the love and concern – infused a difficult time with humour, comfort, and support.

In addition, my positive-thinking parents always pointed out the good friends I had waiting for me after I got off the bus (in the picture above), which made me feel extra-loved. All the strong pleasant emotions that were evoked in the aftermath of being bullied became key features of my childhood memories. Although my parents didn’t know the neuroscience behind what they were doing, I’m glad to understand it so that I, too, can help my children “take in the good” – even, or perhaps especially, during trying times. (psychologytoday)

guyanatimesgy.com

Happiness needs an invitation, misery barges in

– we need to welcome moments of happiness, not mock or undermine them

By Gina Barreca, PhD

W

e all enter this world crying. Laughter is something we have to learn.

We learn to laugh through contact with somebody else that’s doing it, which, unless you’re a twin, is yet another difference from the whole “being born” business.

And although it is possible to laugh alone, like so many other things, it’s a lot more fun to do it with others.

As far as my Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist friend Gene Weingarten is concerned, the very moment we learn to laugh depends on having somebody else there. He believes it all comes down to peekaboo. (Yes, like so many other things.)

Weingarten argues that “peekaboo tickles before tickling tickles” and that a child’s first experience of humour goes back to the moment when the baby watched somebody cover her face with her hands who then yelled “peekaboo!” in glee as she removed them. That irrepressible combination of surprise-plus-continuity is at the heart of it, says Weingarten of The Washington Post (I’m referring to peek-a-boo, not to the paper, you understand).

We adore being a little bit shocked, but we also immediately want to see that our shock is just silly. We want to be reminded, by the release of laughter, that what we love has not actually disappeared.

Psychologists have referred to this as “object permanence”. Perhaps you’ve referred it to it in less clinical terms if, as I have, you have begun what turned into a marathon session of peekaboo with a tyke who has been affected by too much excitement, sugar, or double-espresso shots. Kids will play peekaboo until the cows come home, or until it simply smells as if they did.

But our appetite for that kind of fun dwindles as we grow up. It is slowly replaced by the mind-numbing drudgery of life. After all, there’s kindergarten with its endless crayoning, crayoning, and crayoning. And school? With the horror of, well, learning? And sitting? And snacking before learning again? No wonder we lose our mirth.

(You think I’m kidding? I’m not –at least, not entirely.)

A sense of humour is not hardwired into our systems once we get past the peekaboo stage; if you’ve ever commuted to work by bus you know this for a fact. But a sense of humour can be developed as can other talent or skillset. Like carrying a tune or picking up the check, however, some people never master the art.

Some folks don’t realise that there is no such thing as an ordinary life.

They believe themselves to have cornered the market on misery, frustration, and disappointment. They tell you about their unhappy childhoods and dysfunctional families as if they were the only ones ever to have been ritually humiliated even before “America’s Funniest Home Videos” went global. They complain about their parents, kids, jobs or neighbours to the point where their tales of woe are, like certain exotic foods, hard to swallow.

But bad times, we must remember, are inevitable: we all face death, we all face suffering. You have two alternatives: you can crack up or you can crack a smile.

Unlike bad times, however, good times aren’t bullies who break down the doors and barge in. Joy and pleasure are, instead, excellent guests and, as such, they wait for an invitation. You have to open the door to life’s best moments; you have to invite them in and welcome them when they arrive.

To be honest, I’ve always found that it’s best to make a big fuss when good times appear at the threshold. You want them to feel absolutely at home. You wouldn’t want them to feel that while you’re happy enough to see them, you were expecting a little more razzle-dazzle. They might not come again. They depend on genuine hospitality. You wouldn’t want them to think they’d arrived too late, or were deemed insignificant, or were weighed and found wanting.

Survival, or making survival worth the bother, depends on seeking joy, uncovering and discovering humour, and, in one of life’s great ironies, carefully nurturing a sense of the absurd.

Remembering to laugh is as essential as learning how to peekaboo in the first place. It can’t make the darkness go away, but it does admit the light. (psychologytoday)

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friDAY, APRIL 14, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Manickchand says SARA Bill 2017 “poorly drafted” – dubs it “strangest bill ever”

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he controversial State Assets Recovery Authority (SARA) Bill 2017 has been labelled “poorly drafted” and the “strangest bill ever” by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) and former Minister, Priya Manickchand.

Manickchand told the National Assembly on Thursday that the Bill not only undermined constitutional offices and office holders, but showed reckless disregard for the country’s supreme law (the Constitution).

The former Minister pointed out that there was no proper consultation, and despite widespread condemnation, the Government was still determined to have the

said a government that was genuinely concerned about addressing corruption would have voted in favour of that motion, which called on every member of the House, includ-

PPP/C MP Priya Manickchand

Bill passed.

While explaining that the Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is not against asset recovery, Manickchand stated that the Government did not go about crafting this bill the right way.

“I believe the concept of asset recovery is excellent,

it is needed, and it is timely. But it is the way it is being done. And we are not against corruption or dealing with corrupt politicians. This is why we, on this side of the House, brought a motion to the National Assembly to say ‘declare your assets’,” she recalled.

The outspoken PPP MP

ing those in Opposition, to declare their assets.

“This Bill is worthy of being thrown into the garbage…I believe strongly that this is a defining time in our

country. This Bill in these circumstances concretizes what this Government is and our move into a descent in this culture,” she added.

TURN TO PAGE 15

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friDAY, APRIL 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

IN THE COURTS

Cuban couple charged for overstaying

By Paula Gomes

A

Spanish-speaking Cuban couple who left their home soil in hopes of securing a better life for their family were on Thursday morning arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, shortly after being nabbed

by Police ranks at Mabura, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

An interpreter attached to the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) took to the witness box to translate the charge which stated that Diaz Rodriguez and Juan Carlos Perez, between December 18, 2016 and April 11, 2017, failed to comply with conditions subject to which any permit had been granted, that is to say having been permitted to stay from November 18, 2016 to December 19, 2016, they overstayed the said period.

The unrepresented pair admitted to the offence with both individuals entering guilty pleas.

Prosecutor Arvin Moore related that the couple entered the country through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and uttered Republic of Cuba passports to immigration officials and were granted a one-month stay.

Cuban national Juan Carlos Perez pleaded for himself and wife to stay and work in Guyana

He continued that the period elapsed and this was discovered when their documents were checked by officials at the Mabura Police Checkpoint.

Rodriguez and Perez were then told of the offences and transported to the Central Immigration Office in

Georgetown, after which they were escorted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters where they were charged accordingly.

Perez told the court that he was a 47-year-old Civil Engineer, who had come to Guyana in light of the current hardships in Cuba. He explained that he and his wife pooled all their resources and came with nothing but good intentions, only seeking employment to support his ailing mother and three young daughters back at home.

A sobbing Perez apologised for his actions and begged the Magistrate’s forgiveness, even requesting that she found him gainful employment so he could continue to maintain his family.

His 33-year-old wife is reportedly a nurse back in Cuba and was employed at a local Chinese shop during her stay. The remorseful woman disclosed her wish not to be deported, as Cuba holds “nothing good” for them, rather pleading with the Chief Magistrate to allow them to continue to stay and work in Guyana.

The visibly distressed couple were ordered to pay a fine of $30,000 each, or serve a default of four week’ imprisonment after which they would be escorted to the nearest port of exit.

Disappearing…

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…children

here have all the children gone?? For years and years, the Common Entrance examination, which morphed into the NGSA, was written by 16,000 or so kids. That number was pretty constant -- just like our overall population. As recently as 2013, some 16,800 children between 11 and 12 years old wrote the NGSA. But every year since, the number’s been inexorably dropping: 2014 - 15,400; 2015 - 15,200; 2016 - 14,500 and this year 13,600.

What’s going on? Have 3000 kids been abducted by aliens? Has our birth rate dropped precipitously since 2002?? But this would have been felt 12 years later in 2014. Is the reduction in the numbers of children writing the NGSA related to the slow fyaah, mo’ fyaah of the PNC, which segued into gang-related political violence? Is it a case of “make war not love”? Inquiring minds want to know!!

Your Eyewitness wonders whether the explanation’s much more mundane and related to the issue that’s been exercising folks in the education sector - private schools. But as far as he knows, the private primary schools do have their kids write the NGSA, since most of their kids still want to enter the “premier” secondary schools. So, seriously, the Ministry of Education should launch an investigation into this drop in the NGSA age cohort.

But your Eyewitness was also struck at the lack of excitement that normally accompanies writing of the NGSA. Apart from Minister Rupert making some unlucky kid become even more nervous by dropping into her school and chatting with her, the coverage was pretty muted. Was it because the VAT charge on private education has everyone in that sector so het up?

But seriously, folks, the NGSA and private education are actually related. It is success or failure at the NGSA that, to a large extent, determines your life’s chances in Guyana; since the school you attend plays such a large role in determining the latter. Parents are confronted with the same question every year: If their kids didn’t make in to the top 1%, what then? Are they forever doomed to be dubbed as “failures”? After the Government denationalised the school system, private secondary schools provided another option; and not just for the wealthy, but for all concerned parents.

Then the competitive demand dropped to private primary schools, which were simply the “lessons” syndrome for 6th Graders writ large. So, while there are some rich parents fostering elitism in a couple of private schools, by and large, the VAT is punishing poor people who want better for their kids.

Rather than imposing a punitive VAT, all the Government needs to do is bring all public secondary schools to the same level as the public “premier ones”.

Voila!! Problem solved!!

…Hydro

A piece of news from the foreign section caught your Eyewitness’s eye. The state of Roraima in northern Brazil, abutting our Rupununi, is suffering from blackouts. As longsuffering consumers of the sporadic power GPL issues, you, dear reader, may ask, “What’s the big deal?”

Well, for decades, Roraima’s been supplied with electricity from the massive Guri Dam Hydro that Venezuela built in the 1960s. But with all their recent and not-so-recent troubles, the news item pointed out, with the neglect of maintenance to the transmission lines (now where’ve we heard this before??) the supply to Brazil’s Roraima will be getting worse, rather than better.

So what’s this to us? Just that when the PNC-led Government nixed Amaila Falls Hydro, they said they preferred a much larger 4000MW project in the Cuyuni basin, in which the Brazilians had expressed interest.

Do they still think Brazil’s gonna put their energy-needs egg in a foreign basket? Again??

…Judicial authority

Do you see a pattern developing? The Judiciary’s being cornered, buffeted and challenged by the Executive and the legislature it controls in their substantive competence of Constitutional interpretation.

Now new bodies like SARU and SOCU are legislatively “legitimised” to be investigators, prosecutors, judges, juries and executioners of political opponents. Is this judicial castration?

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

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friDAY, APRIL 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

VAT on private education

Cabinet refuses to budge, says no to revocation

– says tax will be reviewed in next year’s budget

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he Coalition Administration has formally taken a final decision on the 14 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on private tuition: Cabinet, on Tuesday last, decided to let the tax remain for the rest of the year, and have it reviewed for 2018.

“The views of stakeholders were reported to Cabinet, and Cabinet took into consideration those views which were made public at that forum; and after having a full discussion on this matter, it was the decision of Cabinet that the VAT on private education would remain in accordance with the budgetary projections for 2017,” Minister of State Joe Harmon told reporters on Thursday.

“It has, however, been agreed that this measure will be reviewed, along with all VAT measures, for the 2018 national budget – preparation of which will start in the month of June,” Harmon said at his regular post-Cabinet media briefing.

The initial announcement of this position was made on Friday last during the

Social activist and Attorney-at-Law Christopher Ram and Director of Nations Incorporated, Dr Brian O’Toole holding up placards at Wednesday’s protest

consultations held between Government and stakeholders who have been vigorously protesting against the tax imposition on private tuition.

Following that announcement by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, distraught and disappointed stakeholders stormed out of the consultations, and have threatened to continue their resistance against Government in various forms. Several protest actions have since been held, with concerned stakeholders

lashing out at the administration for wasting their time and holding a window-dressing exercise.

“He (Prime Minister) could have announced that before (no removal of VAT before 2018), then people could have decided if it was worth their while to spend half their day on an exercise that had very little value,” Director of the Nations University, Educator Dr Brian O’Toole, reasoned.

The educator also lamented Government’s failure to

US$7.96M agreement inked for Hinterland Sustainable Development Project

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he Government of Guyana and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) signed an external loan agreement for the financing of the Hinterland Environmental Sustainable Development Project.

During a post-Cabinet press briefing on Thursday, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon said that the external agreement was submitted to Cabinet by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan.

Harmon said Cabinet approved it being laid in the National Assembly in accordance with Section 3 (6) of the External Loans Act, Chapter 74:08 in the Laws of Guyana.

The Hinterland Environmental Sustainable Development Project will provide for the development of investment plans for the establishment of local value chains, the establishment of an investment fund for farmers, the execution of a

food and agricultural study in Region One (BarimaWaini), and institutional strengthening.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) report, the Project will be executed in all the sub-regions in Region Nine (upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), along with Sub-Region one, Mabaruma and Moruca, Region One and is expected to benefit over 80 Indigenous communities.

address the concerns of the stakeholders in its rebuttal. “The Prime Minister appeared to (have delivered) a prepared speech. If it wasn’t a prepared speech, it certainly failed to respond to not one of the points mentioned,” he stated.

Dr O’Toole said it was also tragic that Education Minister Dr Rupert Roopnaraine failed to share his views on the concerns raised by students, parents and other concerned citizens during the forum.

Despite Government’s pronouncement, the educator made it clear that the fight will not end until the results are favourable. “I guess the hope for everyone in Government is if you prolong something long enough, people will get tired of it and they will give up; but I know the key players in this won’t give up,” he declared.

President David Granger, during the Public Interest programme on Friday last, has said persons need to be more patient, tolerant and reasonable. The Head of State explained that in fulfilling a campaign promise, his Administration reduced VAT by two per cent and therefore it had to find ways to generate revenues which would be lost from that re-

duction.

But Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, at his party’s weekly press conference on Monday, pointed out that Government can afford to drop the imposed VAT on private education, which became effective on February 1, 2017, by slashing spending in unnecessary areas in order to maintain its desired revenue stream.

According to Finance Minister Winston Jordan, Government has projected to earn over $350 million per year from the VAT on private education. He has contended that the education tax was necessary because a number of private schools did not pay their full share of existing taxes, but Jagdeo is arguing that such an explanation defies logic.

According to the Opposition Leader, Government seems to have its priorities backward, since it could save much more than $350 million per year if it immediately rescinds the salary increases and lavish benefits given to ministers.

“The salary increases that ministers took in addition to their benefits will be more than $350 million alone! Are they saying that they have greater priority in terms of needs to State funds than the

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

20,000 students in Guyana who are going to private institutions?” Jagdeo queried.

Jagdeo has further slammed Government over other “unnecessary spending”, such as the $3.5 billion tax write-off to Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL); sums of money being spent on the “fixing up” of State House and the Ministry of the Presidency; and also the $12.5 million of taxpayers’ money being handed to Alliance For Change (AFC) financier Larry Singh for the Sussex Street bond, which could have otherwise been utilised to bolster revenues instead of taxing private institutions. (Vahnu Manikchand)

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friDAY, april 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

3 GPL workers charged for defrauding customer

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hree employees of the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) appeared on Thursday before a Georgetown magistrate jointly charged with fraud.

According to the prosecution’s case, Quincy

McKenzie, Garfield Oneil and Alicia Steele, with intent to defraud, demanded with menace some $40,000 cash from virtual complainant (VC) Mitra Persaud on April 7, 2017 at William and Queen Streets in the Georgetown ward of Kitty.

The three defendants reportedly visited Persaud’s home in relation to a dysfunctional meter which they told her had been tampered with. They demanded cash from the woman, and threatened to remove the meter in the event she did not pay.

The three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them by the magistrate, and Attorney-atlaw James Bond, representing McKenzie, related that his client is a 35-year-old father of one who permanently resides in South Ruimveldt, Georgetown and is not a flight risk. Oneil, he said, is a 29-year-old church deacon who resides at Diamond, East Bank Demerara; while Steele, 28, has a fixed place of abode in Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown.

Each member of the trio was granted bail in the sum of $40,000.

Quincy McKenzie was slapped with another charge, wherein he was alleged to have obtained, on April 10, the sum of $65,000 cash from the VC, Persaud, under the false pretence that he was in a position

Defendants Quincy McKenzie (left) and Garfield Oneil

to install a GPL meter at her home. The accused was granted $60,000 bail on this count.

All these matters are expected to be continued on May 15 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Duo remanded for 884 grams of marijuana

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wo men were jointly charged and remanded to prison on Thursday morning when they appeared before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts following a recent drug bust at Tucville, Georgetown.

Dexter Mannings, of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown and Jason Norton, of Sophia, Greater Georgetown, both aged 40, were allegedly involved in the unlawful trafficking of 884 grams of cannabis on April 10, 2017.

Their defence counsel told the Magistrate that his clients were occupants in the car where the marijuana was found. As such, he argued that the illicit drug could not be linked to them as they were mere passengers in the motor vehicle, which reportedly belonged to an associate of theirs, and who, for some reason, was not before the court.

The court heard that Norton had a medical condition and was discharged from the

hospital just a few days prior to his arrest.

His Attorney, on these grounds, requested reasonable bail for him.

However, bail was refused for both men.

The men are expected to return to court on June 3, 2017 and they will remain incarcerated until then.

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S RAIGHT What “ill-gotten cash” is Clive Thomas talking about?

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he Guyanese auto market is in the middle of a four-year decline, the longest multi-year decline since 1990. This situation is in response to the dwindling demand in the economy, as more Guyanese switch from a mode of confidence in the economy to survival mode. So what ill-gotten cash is Clive Thomas referring to?

Consumers usually buy products such as cars, and build houses when they feel very positive about their finances. Unfortunately, the number of people feeling positive about the state of the economy in 2017 has declined in geometric proportions from 2011 and 2012.

If one were to look at the two graphs above, one would find a rapid downward trend in the sale of reconditioned and new vehicles between 2013 and 2016. Based on my preliminary discussions with someone well aware of the car sales industry, in the first three (3) months of 2017, vehicle sales were even worse than it was in 2016.

This situation reinforces the low confidence in the 2017 economy, as more and more people observe how the growth of their real wages cannot compensate for the expansion in their cost of living.

After 2006, Guyana saw a steep increase in vehicles registered, until it finally peaked in 2012 at over 15,000 vehicles per year. It has since been consistently declining, until it finally broke through the “10,000 cars sold per year” level in 2015. In 2016, for the first time in nine years, vehicles registered fell below 8,500.

This performance signals to an analyst like me that an economic crisis is forming in Guyana, and it is incoming at a rapid pace. If progrowth public policy action is not taken now, this situation could push this economy, by 2019, back into the days when Guyana was not able to adequately service its international loans and its other international payments.

It therefore defies all logic why President Granger cannot manup and accept he has erred with Winston Jordan. It is imperative that, as President, he thinks of Guyana first and urgently moves to strengthen his economic management team. He has only one choice in his cabinet that has real experience at managing an economy -- Vice President Carl Greenidge. The longer President Granger hides in his ivory tower and avoids reality, the more the Guyanese people will lose confidence in the economy and his government. The consequences will be a permanent dark mark on whatever he conceives as his historical legacy.

It matters not who is in power, once the people lose confidence in the way the economy is being managed, there can be no turning back until there is a change in the leadership at the Ministry of Finance. The more President Granger resists, the more this challenge will persist, and the end game will be a rapid march to economic implosion.

Although, in 2011, the Guyanese people had declared their loss of confidence in the political leadership of former President Ramotar, the people still had confidence in Ashni Singh’s management of the economy. So, although people were changing their votes in 2011 from the PPP and PNC to the AFC, they were not pulling their assets out of Guyana. One only has to read the newspaper headlines from 2011 to grasp this fact. One newspaper in 2011 blared, “Guyana goes on a car-buying frenzy”.

At elections time, Guyanese usually get very cautious. Yet, in the month of the 2011 elections, Guyanese bought 1,188 vehicles. Even after a minority government was declared, the Guyanese people bought some 1,166 vehicles. Today, in March 2017, they bought less than 690 vehicles in that month. Comparing the two periods is like comparing chalk with cheese.

This poor management of the economy under Minister Jordan is having a profound impact on people’s psyches. This Guyanese economy has now fallen off its usual track, and consumers are feeling absolutely negative and hopeless about their economic future under President Granger. Just walk through the markets and interview the ordinary people, and they will reveal the real temperature in the economy. For the coming 12 months, hopelessness at all ends of the market will take centre stage, except in the harem that hosts the cabal of ruling politicians.

Please feel free to share your comments at sasesin1@yahoo.com.

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friDAY, APRIL 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Border controversy

UN SG’s representative here to fulfil mandate – Harmon

President David Granger meeting Ambassador Dag Havland Nylander and his delegation at State House on Wednesday evening when discussions were held on the ongoing border controversy with neighbouring Venezuela

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inister of State, Joseph Harmon on Thursday disclosed that the recent visit by the Personal Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in the Good Offices Process on the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela is part of his mandate in resolving the issue.

Ambassador Dag Havland Nylander and his delegation visited the State House on Wednesday evening where discussions were held with President David Granger and his team on the ongoing border controversy with neighbouring Venezuela.

At the post-Cabinet press briefing, Minister Harmon updated the media on the meeting. According to Harmon, Ambassador

Nylander’s visit is part of what is called his plan of action in relation to the mandate.

“So, his visit here came shortly after his visit to Caracas in Venezuela and it was basically a fact-finding mission and the President (David Granger), after listening and talking, gave the assurance that Guyana would have the confidence in the capabilities of the person who was identified by the Secretary General to undertake this very important assignment and that we will continue to work with the United Nations to ensure that we have a favourable outcome,” Harmon related.

Apart from Ambassador Nylander, the high-level UN delegation at

Wednesday’s meeting included: Guillermo Kendall of the UN Department of Political Affairs, David Hutchinson from the UN Office of Legal Affairs and Juan JeannetAcre from the Policy and Mediation Division in the Department of Political Affairs. They were accompanied by acting UN Resident Coordinator and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS) Country Director, Martin Odiit.

Meanwhile, also included in the Government team were: Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge; Minister Harmon; Guyana’s Ambassador to Venezuela, Cheryl Miles; Director General at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ambassador Audrey Waddell; foreign policy expert, Sir Shridath

Ramphal in the role of adviser and legal consultant, Professor Payam Akhavan.

Ambassador Nylander was appointed earlier this year to ensure the continuation of the Good Offices Process as laid out by the Secretary General until the end of 2017 with a strengthened mandate of mediation, with the understanding that “if by the end of 2017, the Secretary General concludes that no significant progress has been made towards arriving at a full agreement for the solution of the controversy, he will choose the International Court of Justice as the next means of settlement unless the Governments of Guyana and Venezuela jointly request that he refrain from doing so”.

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friDAY, APRIL 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

GPF ranks to receive counter-terrorism training in Russia

– as more Police Officers set to receive overseas training

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abinet has given approval for several police officers to participate in training programmes overseas, Minister of State Joseph Harmon announced on Thursday.

He said Cabinet has given approval for members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to participate in training courses in modern forms and methods of counteraction against terrorism and extremism. Minister Harmon said, “This forms part of (the) overall thrust of the Government to build capaci-

ty within the Guyana Police Force and to ensure also that the skillset of our police officers continues to improve.”

Assistant P o l i c e Superintendents Mitchell Caesar, Wayne DeHarte and Simeon Reid are slated to attend a training course to be held in Russia from April 15 to September

25, 2017. This course will address issues related to terrorism and extremism, counteraction against narcotics and psychotropic substances, and the organisation of units to combat economic crimes.

Cabinet has also approved Guyana’s participation

in a cooperation project hosted by the Caribbean Regional Drug Law Enforcement Centre in Jamaica.

Minister Harmon has said this course seeks to boost the capacity of countries along the regional cocaine trafficking transportation route to combat maritime trafficking in a coordinative manner. Corporal Higgins of the GPF will be participating in this course.

Over the past two years, members of the GPF have benefited from participation in more

than 200 overseas training courses. The GPF’s 2017 training schedule includes improving ranks’ capacity in training subordinate officers and inspectors with facilitation skills to increase standardisation across the Force.

Some of the recent training police officers have received include training to handle domestic violence cases, conduct trafficking-in-persons cases, training in the ‘use of force’, leadership, and cyber-security and cybercrime.

Mabaruma, Port Kaituma to benefit UG campuses to benefit from all-weather roads for 1st time from ICT upgrade

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everal communities in Mabaruma and Port Kaituma in Region One (Barima-Waini) are slated to get all-weather roads for the first time. Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on Thursday revealed that Cabinet has granted its approval for the award of contracts for the rehabilitation of six lots of all-weather roads in Mabaruma and Port Kaituma.

During a post-Cabinet briefing at the Ministry of the Presidency, Minister Harmon explained that the road works were important and urgent. He noted that during several ministerial visits to sub-region one and two in Region One, the res-

idents had voiced their concerns about the poor quality of roads in Mabaruma and Port Kaituma.

The Minister of State indicated that Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson has undertaken to visit and observe the works to be undertaken. “We expect that once infrastructure is put into a community, the community should help in protecting it because they are the ones who are inconvenienced when they are damaged or improperly used,” Minister Harmon stated.

The Central Kaituma Wharf Road to Old Road junction will be rehabilitated under Lot One to the tune of $51 million. Under Lot Two,

Phase Two, the Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge section will be repaired to the tune of $334 million. Lot Three will cater for Central Kaituma Catwalk Road to Oronoque, at a cost of $16 million, while under Lot Four, the Port Kaituma Road from Airstrip to Fitzburg Housing Scheme will be completed at a cost of $213 million.

The Kumaka junction to the waterfront by the market road area in Mabaruma will be rehabilitated under Lot Five for the sum of $66 million, while the Mabaruma main township road to airstrip road will be rehabilitated under Lot Six for $2 million.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) report, Minister within the Public Infrastructure Ministry,

Annette Ferguson had said during a recent interview that those roads were expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

The scope of works will see full rehabilitation of the roads using laterite, construction of culverts and auxiliary road works. “Majority of those roads are laterite roads so we would be using the laterite material along with a stabilised material so those are the materials that would be used to construct or repair the roads in those areas,” the Minister had explained.

Funding for these works is catered for in the 2017 Budget under hinterland expenditure. A total of $2.302 billion was allocated for the continuation of road rehabilitation and construction in the hinterland.

Public Telecommunications Minister Cathy Hughes

UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith

he University of Guyana is partnering with the Public Telecommunications Ministry to significantly upgrade the University's ICT platforms and digital inter-connectivity at all its campuses and centres around the country.

This partnership will be cemented in the near future, when the Ministry’s National Data Management Authority (NDMA) and UG co-sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

According to a joint statement issued by UG and the NDMA on Thursday, this collaboration, which began in late 2016, involves highest level negotiations between Public Telecommunications Minister Catherine Hughes and UG Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Ivelaw Griffith.

The University’s technical team was led by Professor Dr Paloma Mohamed-Martin, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Philantrophy, Alumni and Civic Engagement and Communications; Dr Fitzgerald Yaw, Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives; and Rayman Khan of the Centre for Information Technology.

The NDMA’s technical team was led by its Chairman, Floyd Levi, and included Dr Samantha Scotland and Director Malcolm Williams.

These two teams have been collaborating over the past few months, and together have conducted a detailed assessment of the existing fibre-optic system on the Turkeyen and Tain campuses, to determine what additional facilities would be required to connect them as a

network.

The collaboration has also produced a campus Wi-Fi hotspot system and has seen the installation of two stateof-the-art teleconferencing suites at Turkeyen and Tain.

These will be used in online delivery of courses between the campuses in Guyana and international institutions.

The campus fibre network will also be connected to the Georgetown fibre-optic network.

At the signing of this MoU, the university is expected to demonstrate the uses of the teleconferencing suite, a gift from Huawei Technologies of China which the NDMA has reconfigured for compatibility with the local fibre network.

The collaboration between the University and NDMA also includes some key synergies at the Ministry’s Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (CEIT), which is located on the Turkeyen Campus. The parties have committed to sharing research, instructional skills and materials. The CEIT is funded by the Government of India.

For the Ministry of Public Telecommunications, this is a key element in its national ICT initiative, which has education as its main pillar.

From the University’s platform, the Administration is gearing to achieve optimal delivery of tertiary level tutelage by upgrading the physical and technological infrastructure and Guyana’s human capital.

The MOU is expected to be signed by Minister Catherine Hughes and Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Ivelaw Griffith by the end of April 2017.

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friDAY, APRIL 14, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Opposition Leader visits Region 9 – residents complain about drug shortages, land title CoI

Toka to engage with residents. There they were treated once again to a cultural presentation and held fruitful discussions with members of the community.

Wrapping up the schedule for Wednesday, the final meeting was held at Karasabai, where residents highlighted a number of issues affecting them.

These include drug shortages and the David Grangerappointed Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into Amerindian land titling rights and Afro-Guyanese ancestral lands.

Before returning to Georgetown on Thursday afternoon, Jagdeo and his team engaged residents of Tiger Pond, Pipang and Taushida. And the Opposition Leader addressed the Regional Toshaos Council in Lethem on Thursday. Those discussions were centred on national and regional development.

O

pposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has this past week visited several communities in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

During those visits, he has interacted with residents, many of whom raised concerns about issues affecting them, such as drug storage and the controversial Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into land titling.

The tour of Region Nine kicked off on Tuesday with a visit to Fair View village.

The following day, Jagdeo and his delegation -which included Opposition Parliamentarians Irfaan Ali and Nigel Dharamlall as well as a number of the Party’s regional officials -- met with residents of Annai, Rupertee, Wowetta, Kwatamang, Apoteri and Crash Water. During one of those visits, they were treated to a cultural presentation staged by residents.

Later that day, the Opposition Leader and his team travelled to Massara, Kwaimatta, Yakarinta and

Scenes from the Opposition Leader's visit to Region 9

Duo busted with illegal firearms, ammo

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he Police in A Division (Georgetown-East Bank) , acting on intelligence, stopped a motor car on Land of Canaan Public Road, East Bank Demerara about 12:25h on Thursday and conducted a search during which two illegal weapons (.44 Revolver and a 9mm Pistol) with 11 live matching rounds were found.

The occupants of the vehicle, a 41-year-old resident of Bel Air Park, Georgetown and a 22-year-old resident of North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, were taken into custody and were assisting with the investigation.

The two illegal weapons

Controversial SARA Bill... from page 3

You would have noticed that we were starting to highlight and we were building a case to highlight the illegality, unconstitutionality, and every reason why this bill does not just need to go to a Select Committee, it needs to be revamped,” Edghill explained.

“This is a mad haste to pass through the legislation, to empower a group of political activists to witch hunt their political opponents,” Edghill declared.

Former Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, also pointed out that the speakers from the Government side came to the debate with prepared speeches and regurgitated aspects of the bill.

Opposition MP Anil Nandlall noted that even be-

fore the bill had reached the National Assembly, several important stakeholder organisations had expressed concerns about the bill.

“Despite all the concerns that have been raised in and out of the Parliament, a democratic government which cares about its image would want to ensure it goes the extra mile so as to be able to educate the public and deal with the apprehensions of the public. And here you have it, the Government did exactly the opposite,” Nandlall said.

The former Attorney General made it clear that the party would be mounting a legal challenge against the bill, regardless of whether members of civil society wished to do the same.

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fridAY, april 14, 2017

News

Overpaid contractors should not be getting more contracts – Bulkan ...says situation being addressed

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he Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has uncovered several cases of contractors who have been overpaid by regional authorities continuing to be awarded contracts although they have not refunded the sums overpaid, thus Central Government is adamant that it has a responsibility to prevent continuation of this unsavoury situation.

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan was asked about contractors who, despite being overpaid tax payers’ money, are still being given further contracts.

There have been at least two such cases for the year coming to light when the PAC met with Regional Executive Officers (REO) in different

Region Eight REO Rafel Downes

regions.

“This is being addressed,” he explained. “It’s a serious issue that we have to deal with. I think a lot of the pay-

ments have to do with earlier issues, going back to the previous Government. But we have a responsibility to ensure that those contractors being overpaid, they don’t participate.”

Bulkan noted that the Ministry is aware of the cases and would take measures to eradicate the practice.

Asked specifically what steps are being taken to address overpayment of contractors and to ensure that sums of money budgeted for regions are being used in ways they were intended to be used, the minister reiterated that “the situation is being addressed”.

“But this is nothing new,” he declared. “This is an inheritance. Both of these issues are inherited issues. We know (of) contractors who have been overpaid (sums of money, but) who have not responded (to requests that they return the overpayments, yet they) continue participating (in bidding for government contracts). We don’t want that (situation to continue); we want to step aside or purge ourselves of that situation. We are committed to high standards of

public accountability and transparency,” Bulkan said.

“I think our track record speaks for itself; and it is a proud one, and it differs from (that of) our predecessors,” he contended.

The issue of contractors being overpaid came to the forefront in the wake of several PAC meetings in Parliament Chambers, and several regional officials have being grilled by the Committee over red flags raised by the Auditor General’s 2015 Report.

At a PAC meeting on April 10, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) REO, Gavin Clarke, told the gathering that the national budget’s resources for the procurement of drugs for Region 10 were not meant to be spent.

However, it was brought to the attention of the Committee that there was a severe shortage of several drugs in Region 10 and the money set aside for the purchase of drugs had already been utilised.

Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) REO, Rafel Downes, was questioned about overpayment to con-

Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan

tractors, and could not provide answers regarding the measures being taken to rectify the situation. Downes has been advised to have the region’s attorney write the defaulting contractors in an effort to recover the sums of money owed.

One PAC member also highlighted that at least five of the 11 delinquent contractors had tendered for, and been awarded, additional contracts at the REO’s office, although they had not repaid what they owed the region.

PAC Chairman Irfaan Ali has deemed unacceptable

this situation in which the regional authorities continue to be recalcitrant in going after these overpayments.

In February 2016, Leslie Wilburg, REO of Region One (Barima-Waini), was questioned by the PAC about some $30 million in overpayment made to contractors in 2010 and 2011.

He had stated that those contractors had been written to, informing them of the sums of money overpaid to them. But when Wilburg claimed to have sought legal advice from the Communities Ministry in relation to this situation, things went downhill.

The PAC ascertained from Permanent Secretary Emil McGarrel of the Communities Ministry that letters Wilburg had sent to the contractors had been copied to the PS, but no legal advice had actually been sought.

This, and the fact that some of the overpaid contractors were still doing work for Region One, had caused Ali to put Wilburg out of the Parliament Chambers while the PAC was in session.

friDAY, april 14, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

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News

Brazil's Temer agrees US military drops “mother of to pension bill changes all bombs on IS” in Afghanistan amid corruption probe T B

he US military says it has dropped a 21,600lb (9800kg) bomb on a tunnel complex used by Islamic State militants in Afghanistan.

The GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast Bomb (MOAB), known as "the mother of all bombs", is the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used by the US in a conflict.

The Pentagon said it was dropped from a US aircraft in Nangarhar province.

The news came hours after the Pentagon admitted an air strike in Syria mistakenly killed 18 rebels.

It said a partnered force had mistakenly identified the target location as an IS position, but the strike on April 11 had killed rebels from the Syrian Democratic

The GBU-43/B bomb was dropped in Achin district on Thursday evening

Forces, which is backed by Washington.

The strike in Afghanistan follows last week's death of a US special forces soldier fighting IS in Nangarhar.

The GBU-43/B bomb was dropped in Achin district on Thursday evening local time, the Pentagon said. It

is more than 9m (30 feet) in length.

It was first tested in 2003, but had not been deployed in combat before.

"We targeted a system of tunnels and caves that ISIS fighters use to move around freely, making it easier for them to target US military

advisers and Afghan forces in the area," White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said, using another name for IS. He said necessary precautions were taken to prevent civilian casualties and "collateral damage".

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Syria chemical attack ‘fabricated’ – Assad

S

yria's President Bashar-al Assad says reports of a chemical attack by his forces were "100 per cent fabrication".

In an exclusive video interview with AFP news agency, he said "there was no order to make any attack".

More than 80 people were killed in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, and hundreds suffered symptoms consistent with a nerve agent.

Witnesses said they saw warplanes attack the town, but Russia says a rebel depot of chemical munitions was hit.

Shocking footage showed victims – many of them children – convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Sufferers were taken to hospitals across the border in Turkey.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said on Thursday that allegations of a chemical attack were

"credible" based on a preliminary examination of the evidence.

Assad accused the West of making up events in Khan Sheikhoun so it had an excuse to carry out missile strikes on the Government's Shayrat airbase, which took place a few days after the alleged attack.

"It's stage one, the play [they staged] that we saw on social network and TVs, then propaganda and then stage two, the military at-

tack," he told the AFP, questioning the authenticity of the video footage.

Assad also said the Syrian Government had given up its chemical arsenal in 2013, adding "even if we have them, we wouldn't use them".

Since 2013, there have been continued allegations that chemicals such as chlorine and ammonia have been used against civilians, by both the Syrian Government and rebel groups. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

razilian President Michel Temer has agreed to make further changes to a landmark pension reform amid fears that a corruption investigation into dozens of politicians could paralyse Congress, a senior lawmaker said on Thursday.

The draft proposal will likely reduce the number of years of work required to retire with full benefits to 40 from the original amendment of 49 years, said Congressman Carlos Marun, who leads the pension reform commission in the lower house.

Another major alteration sets a minimum retirement age of 50 for women and 55 for men, which would gradually increase to reach 65. The change means a softer transition for Brazilians who are closer to retirement age.

The changes could reduce the savings the Government expected with the reform to cut some of the world's most generous pension benefits.

Last week, Temer ceded to other demands to water down the proposal, which aims to limit ballooning pension expenditures that threaten the fiscal health of Latin America's biggest

Brazil's President Michel Temer listens to questions from the media during LAAD, the biggest military industry expo in Latin America in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 4, 2017

economy.

The reform is facing stiff resistance in the Government-controlled Congress; a newspaper survey last week showed that lawmakers in the lower house would reject the proposal as it stands.

The opening of corruption investigations into dozens of senior politicians and a third of Temer's Cabinet also threatens to slow Temer's legislative agenda in Congress. (Reuters)

Putin, Erdogan back India takes 1st step Manickchand investigation into towards ending HIV says SARA Bill... and AIDS prejudice chemical attack FROM PAGE 7

Activists in Agartala, in the Indian state of Tripura, light candles as part of an AIDS awareness campaign. A new law is designed to end discrimination against HIV-positive people [Jayanta Dey/ Reuters photo]

A

R

Russian President Vladimir Putin

ussian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed on Thursday to support an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons into the chemical weapons attack in Syria last week, Turkish presidential sources said.

In a phone call, Erdogan stressed to his Russian coun-

terpart that the use of chemical weapons was a crime against humanity, they said.

The April 4 attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, blamed by many Governments on the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, killed scores of people and prompted the United States to launch a missile strike on a Syrian air base in response. (Reuters)

landmark law banning discrimination against people living with HIV in India has sparked criticism, with one lawyer claiming the legislation could turn back the clock on tackling the virus to the mid-1990s.

India is the first State in south Asia to pass legislation prohibiting discrimination against the country’s 2.1 million HIVpositive people, with jobs, housing, education and hospitals particular areas of focus.

The HIV and Aids Prevention and Control

Bill, passed by Parliament on Tuesday, also bans staff in public places such as restaurants and shops from refusing entry to anyone with HIV or AIDS. Last year, the UN reported that one million people in India are now receiving treatment for HIV. There has been a drop in cases of discrimination in the country’s cities, but hostility towards HIVpositive people remains entrenched in small towns and rural areas, which tend to be more socially conservative. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Manickchand criticised Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Basil Williams for his speech, claiming that his statistics and philosophical ramblings were irrelevant and did not address the current circumstances.

The former Minister also questioned the rationale behind the Government’s move to have the Bill passed when it was aware that it would be challenged in the courts.

Williams, on the other hand, defended the Bill, stating that it would help to target and address corruption and the theft of State assets.

The Attorney General said, “The aim is to recover stolen State assets, implementing appropriate and effective measures. It demonstrates Government’s commitment and political will to address the corrosive effects of corruption.”

According to him, the provisions of the Bill are core driven, as persons are not targeted, but rather property.

Williams noted that the Bill contained many safe-

guards to ensure fairness in civil recovery proceedings.

“It is clear once law, this act will serve as a legislative mechanism to defer and prevent activities like misappropriation of public properties, money laundering, fraud, etc,” he stated.

Social activist and Attorney–at-Law Christopher Ram has criticised the Bill, stating that critical features of the Bill would inevitably be challenged in the courts causing delay and allowing guilty persons more time to hide their assets.

“We need to recover stolen or ill-gotten State assets. But it would be ironic and counterproductive if the SARA Bill as drafted is not radically restructured,” he stated.

The Bill has also been heavily criticised by many organisations, including the Guyana Human Rights Association and the Private Sector Commission (PSC). It was passed in the National Assembly Thursday evening with the Opposition PPP/C vowing to challenge its passage.

16 News Laparkan gives kites Food For The Poor pays fines for 4 prisoners to poor children – released in time to spend Easter holidays friDAY, april 14, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

– in spirit of Easter

with families, friends

Lucky children show off their kites in the presence of company officials and others

L

aparkan has embraced the spirit of Easter, spreading joy by giving kites to children from the Bless the Children Home orphanage and the children of the Charlestown community.

“It is a tremendous honour to be able to bring smiles

and excitement to children at this Easter time. It is also our way of giving back to society for their sterling support during the 35 plus years of existence for Laparkan in Guyana,” the entity stated in a release.

Laparkan, the largest shipping and logistics com-

pany in Guyana, offers a one-stop-shop service inclusive of air and ocean cargo imports and exports worldwide to more than 6000 ports including ports in the USA, Canada, Panama, Curaçao, Europe, Asia, India and Africa.

The released prisoners were treated at FFTP’s office to a simple ceremony, which included a special lunch, words of encouragement and hampers

F

ood For The Poor (Guyana) Incorporated (FFTP) has paid the fines to secure the release of four non-violent offenders in time for them to spend the Easter holidays with their families and friends.

The prisoners were incarcerated owing to their inability to pay the required fines, even though the amounts were minimal.

Upon their release, the prisoners were treated at

FFTP’s office to a simple ceremony, which included a special lunch and words of encouragement, via telephone, from the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FFTP Incorporated in Florida, Robin Mahfood.

They were also addressed

by FFTP Chairman in Guyana, Paul Chan-A-Sue; CEO Kent Vincent; Acting Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels and Monsignor Terrence Montrose who said a special prayer for the in-

mates.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, food hampers that included loaves of bread, clothing, personal care items and Bibles were given to the inmates. Cash for assistance with transportation was also provided.

Twice a year – in the week of Christmas and during Easter’s Holy Week – the FFTP Ministry Programme secures the release of inmates who have committed minor offences.

guyanatimesgy.com

Candia Paul

Naline Baptiste

E

ight young ladies within the community of Bartica will compete in several segments on Sunday evening, with the aim of winning the Miss Bartica Regatta title.

This pageant is set for the Bartica Community Centre Ground where the delegates will try to impress a high-level team of judges.

The delegates vying for the title are Miss Top Branz International Candia Paul; Miss Jag’s Aviation Crystal Williams; Miss Aruwai Resort White H20 Gabbriella Chapman; Miss Zhonghao Inc Lakeshia Christian; Miss Universal Melody Band Leah Smith; Miss Captain Prince Transport Naline Baptiste; Miss Falls Service Station Shania Thom and Miss Eldorado Trading Shyan Beaton.

The well-rounded delegates will be

Crystal Williams

Shyan Beaton

en young ladies will be officially sashed on Saturday evening as finalists vying for the title of Miss Guyana India title.

The event will be held at the Indian Monument Garden commencing at 19:00h.

The ceremony will be enriched with numerous mesmerising cultural performances by the Nitryageet Dance Group, Naya Andaaz Dance Group, dancer Adesh Rambarose, and singer Mahendra Ramkisson.

The delegates were shortlisted from a total of 30 applicants. They will now undergo rigorous training leading up to the grand finale on May 19 in the Grand Ballroom of the Guyana Marriott Hotel.

The grand finale will be

Lakeshia Christian

Leah Smith

Shania Thom

competing in the talent, swimwear, evening gown and intelligence segments. After the final leg of competition, the list will be narrowed down to the final three contestants, who will have the opportunity to answer the final question.

The final question will be the deciding factor as to who takes the coveted crown. The queen of the night will walk away with a cash prize, mobile phone, jewellery, cosmetics, a day trip to a resort not forgetting the crown and the floral bouquet.

The pageant will commence at 20:00h, and tickets will be available in advance at a cost of $3000. Apart from the actual pageant, there will be several entertainment groups that will keep the audience well-entertained as they perform dances, songs and other cultural items.

The crowned queen will be a part of the annual Bartica Regatta set for Sunday.

T

Miss India Worldwide Karina Kohli

Gabbriella Chapman

friday, april 14, 2017

graced by the reigning Miss India Worldwide, international model Karina Kohli among other dignitaries.

This year, the journey to the crown will see a segment of preliminary judging in Indian wear, evening gown, interview, personality, and talent. The grand finale is expected to be recorded for broadcast on local television stations.

This will not only enable the finalists to further their personal development, but will also create good role models and young leaders in our society for generations to come.

The Miss India Guyana Pageant leads directly to the Miss India Worldwide Pageant, managed by the India Festival Committee (IFC) in New York and hosted by numerous franchiseholding countries across the globe.

Over the past few years, the

international pageants have been held in Malaysia, South Africa, and Dubai with the most recent being in the United States of America.

Under Miss India Guyana O rga n i s a t i o n management, after a threeyear hiatus, Guyana was once again placed on the map as it secured a place in the top ten at the last Miss India Worldwide Pageant held in New Jersey, US. The talent piece which secured that position was composed and created by Miss India Guyana Organisation team members Derek Moore, Uma Bux and James Lomonga.

The Miss India Guyana Pageant is one of the most prestigious and family-oriented modern cultural pageants in Guyana. The pageant has, over the years, sought to develop young women of Indian origin through the many platforms and opportunities the brand has to offer.

Dancer Adesh Rambarose will be performing at the event

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friday, april 14, 2017

I

n what was one of the most sought-after ticketed events for the Easter season, the New Thriving Restaurant in Providence, East Bank Demerara in association with the Sonia Noel Foundation for the Creative Arts debuted “Afternoon Delight”, which included a fashion show and display.

“Afternoon Delight” is set to be a daily staple for the newly-built branch of the restaurant chain. From 15:00h to 17:00h on a daily basis, patrons will be able to order off the Tea and Dessert Menu, choosing from a wide assortment of teas and desserts.

Fashion designer Noel launched her prom collection, displaying very elegant and tasteful gowns for the upcoming finale of high school.

Displaying those pieces were actual students from St Rose’s High, Tutorial High, North Georgetown Multilateral and Nations University. One of the girls noted that the ‘experience was one she would never forget’.

The models were all adorned with jewellery

by Fiona Northe-Graham and make-up done by Meleesa Payne-Bishop, Leisa Gibson, and Niketa Hussain; Hussain was on site to give make-up tips

and advice and to apply any make-up or makeovers for patrons wanting a touch-up.

Also on site was Natasha Azeez, who has become wildly popular for her very unique and economically priced henna designs. In the background, attendees were ‘lullabied’ by the sweet and soft melodies of Keith Campbell on the saxophone and veteran musician Herbie Hancook on the guitar.

Two lucky patrons, in the junior and senior categories, won dinner for two at the New Thriving Restaurant for their very creative hat display.

New Thriving is intent on staging a show once per month to build the “Afternoon Delight” brand. May 6 will see the Tribute to Mothers’ edition; details will be available in the press soon.

Noel said: “”Afternoon Delight” is the perfect event to relax and have some tea with new and old friends, catching up with family or just having some me time. We wanted to create an atmosphere of pure relaxation a n d fashion, basking in the

beautiful ambience of the New Thriving Restaurant.”

Campbell and Hancook’s instrumentals with the vocals of Gospel singer Mariam Corlette Williams certainly added sophistication to this memorable event.

“Chutney meets Soca” for Helena Ground this Saturday

C

for National Stadium

S

lingerz Family will be celebrating its 16th anniversary in grand style at the Guyana National Stadium on Easter Monday, which will see 16 patrons each riding away with a motorcycle. This is the biggest anniversary celebrations to be hosted by the entertainment group and it is expected to be off the hook.

The event will feature live out of Jamaica “Free Links”, one of the most versatile dancehall DJs in the Caribbean. He will be accompanied by Selector Stainy out of the Fire Sound Music System. Also, out of the USA are the “youngest and baddest” DJs Ricky Platinum and Fire Oats.

The event will also feature Slingerz Family; DJ Magnum, and Guyana’s versatile soca artiste Jumo “Rubber Waist” Primo. In addition to the vibes, there will also be an award ceremony, where prizes will be awarded to the DJ of the Year, Fan of the Year and Promoter of the Year. The show will be hosted by the Prince of Youtube himself, Gaza Prince.

The event will also feature a live performance by a mystery Jamaica artiste.

The promoters are tight-lipped about the person’s identity, but promise to reveal the name of the artiste on the night of the show. Everyone will be admitted free before 20:00h; admission is $2000 after.

It’s Slingerz Family’s 16th anniversary bash and you surely don’t wanna miss this one…

hutney and Soca lovers on the East Coast of Demerara, particularly in Mahaica and its environs, are in for a treat on Saturday evening as XTRA Beer and Energy Drink host “Chutney meets Soca” at the Helena Number One Ground.

This is the first time an event of this nature is being held at the venue, and it is expected to be explosive. The event will feature the 2017 International Chutney Monarch Omardath Maraj, who will definitely perform “Ramsingh Sharma”, his winning entry at the recentlyconcluded chutney competition.

The song has b e e n

Omardath Maraj

playing on all the local airwaves and is probably known by all in Guyana. Maraj has several other hits that he will also perform.

Of late, he has been performing a few of the legendary Bob Marley tunes at his concerts, which were well received by the patrons.

He will be joined by Guyana’s provocative singer, Shelly Garraway, who is commonly known as Shelly G. This Soca singer will undoubtedly add some flair to the show and create the buzz that is expected.

Admission to the event cost $1000, and tickets will be available at the venue.

Gates to the venue open a t 18:00h and the show gets underway at 20:00h.

Shelly G

friDAY, april 14, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

Guyana Times/ TVG/RGI host

Easter fashion show

S

taff members of the Times Media Group were treated to an exciting fashion show on Thursday in celebration of Easter. Several staff members took to the catwalk to display their creative hats and outfits.

Those present at the event lustily cheered their colleagues as they modelled in fine style.

The various departments in the media group were represented. These included the newsroom, as well as the marketing, radio, production and graphics departments.

Although the event was dominated by fe- The four winners strike a pose after the show males, it was graced by the presence of three males whose catwalk moves brought much applause. One even wore a “cowboy” outfit symbolising the historic Lethem Rodeo, which is billed for this weekend.

In addition, there were two guest models, Little Sarah and Miss Takchandra who were both a bit shy on the catwalk, but impressed the audience with their beauty and courage.

At the end, the winners of the best four hats were announced based on their creativity, style and more importantly, how they were worn by the models. All in all, the event boosted the camaraderie among the various departments.

for Parika on Easter Monday

G

uyanese from all walks of life will be celebrating Easter in their own special way, and some of the biggest parties and concerts are planned to add to the excitement.

Persons on the East Bank of Essequibo will be in for a treat as XTRA Beer and Energy Drink are taking the vibes to the Parika Community Centre Ground for their Fun Day and Chutney Show on Easter Monday.

Omardath Maraj

KI During the day, there will be lots of family-oriented activities that will keep the kids and the entire family engaged. These include a kite-flying competition, a bun-eating competition and some athletics to create the right environment. Prizes will be awarded to the winners.

As the place gets dark, there will be one of the hottest dance competitions to be held at the venue. It will be opened to all and the winners will receive fabulous prizes, including cash.

Immediately after that, the Chutney Show will commence and will feature reigning International Chutney Monarch Omardath Maraj and former Chutney Soca Monarch Kris Persad (KI). The artistes are expected to arrive in Guyana on Sunday evening and promise to entertain to the fullest.

Adding some vibes to the event will be Gully Ras and Selector Diamond from Boom FM. Children will be admitted free to the Fun Day, while adults will be charged an admission fee.

“I’m A Big Deal”

19

Christopher Martin

concert for Easter Monday Night at National Park tarmac

T

he two featured artistes for the “I’m A Big Deal” concert are expected to arrive in Guyana this evening and will travel to the mining community of Bartica for a concert on Saturday evening.

Christopher Martin and D’Major, both of Jamaica, are expected to create quite a storm come this Monday evening at the National Park Tarmac.

Both artistes have performed in Guyana in the past and have a huge fan base here. The two artistes will be joined by New Jersey top DJ, Banky Hype. He, too, has performed in Guyana and is known for his energetic style.

Martin and D’Major are ready to perform and, without a doubt, they will not let down their fans.

Martin’s top tunes include “Take My Wings”, “Giving It” and “I’ll Be Your Driver”. Joining the cast will be Guyana’s own Jackie Jaxx, who has been blazing the trail with her provocative performances.

The gate to the venue opens at 19:00h and will definitely see several local DJs heating up things to set the mood for a fantastic evening. These local DJs include Gully Ras, Selector Diamond, Selector Face, DJ Seen Up, and DJ Magnum. Father Moey and the Determine Family will also be in the house.

The host of the show will be popular radio personality DJ Casual.

Tickets cost $2000 and are available at Elegance Jewellery and Pawn Shop, Durban Street; Jermaine Enterprise, Ketley Street; The Grill Kings, Mandela Avenue; and Big Switch Kitchen & Grill, Enmore, East Coast Demerara.

Jackie Jaxx

D Major

Win an all-inclusive trip for 2 to Jamaica in GTT-Fly Jamaica Easter Promotion

T

he countdown is on for a lucky GTT customer to win an all-inclusive trip for two to the beautiful island of Jamaica. As part of its Easter specials, GTT last week launched a promotion encouraging customers to top up more.

Customers are simply required to top up $1000 or more electronically before midnight on April 17 to be eligible.

The promotion has generated buzz as more customers are topping up in hopes of winning the generous prize that includes airfare, hotel accommodation, meals at the hotel and transportation to and from the airport in Jamaica.

Fly Jamaica Airways is on board with GTT for the promotion that will see the winner enjoying four days and three nights in Jamaica after the draw on April 18.

Two lucky customers will also win a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge each.

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friDAY, APRIL 14, 2017

Guinness "Greatest of the Streets" East Coast Zone …

Heated quarter-finals billed for Saturday

A

fter Wednesday evening’s opening matches in the fifth annual Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ East Coast Zone at the Haslington Market Tarmac, 16 teams have made managed to progress to Saturday’s round-of-16 and quarter-finals.

Defending champions Beterverwagting B were able to draw a bye while Top-7 won 2-1 on sudden death kicks against Beterverwagting A after the game ended 1-1; scoring for Top-7 was Phillip Williams in the 12th minute while Delroy Dean equalised in the 18th. Plaisance-A were also on 4/15/2017 Round of 16 Day 2- Haslington Market Square 18:00 hrs Lusignan Prison v Melanie B 16 18:30 hrs Plaisance B v Non Prel City Boys 17 19:00 hrs Clonbrook v BV B 18 19:30 hrs Melanie A v Young Jiggers 20 20:00 hrs C Division v Future Stars 21 20:30 hrs Turkyne v Top Seven 22 21:00 hrs Belfield Warriors v Plaisance A 23 21:30 hrs Buxton Diamond v Victoria Church Yard 4/15/2017 Quarter Finals Day 2- Haslington Market Square 22:00 hrs Winner of 20 v/s Winner of 18 25 22:30 hrs Winner of 21 v/s Winner of 16 26 23:00 hrs Winner of 17 v/s Winner of 22 27 23:30 hrs Winner of 24 v/s Winner of 23 28

the winning side as they defeated Golden Grove South 1-0- via Warren Gilkes conversion in the 13th.

In summary of the other matches, Plaisance B- 1 v Portmore United-B-0; Young Jiggers-1 vs Uprisings-0; Lusignan Prison-1 vs Nabaclis-0; Melanie-B-3 vs Annandale Warriors-0; Turkeyen-5 v Mahaica-0; Future-2 vs Doctor Yard Assassins-1; Buxton D&J-0 vs Non Pariel City Boys-0, Non Pariel won 1-0 on penalty kicks; Bare Root Mafia-0 vs Clonbrook Strikers-0, Clonbrook won 1-0 on penalty kicks; C-Division-0 vs Hard Ballers-0;

C-Division won 3-2 on penalty kicks; Victoria Church Yard United-1 vs Paradise-1, Victoria Church Yard won 1-0 on sudden death kicks, Belfield Ballers-1 vs Haslington Hypers; Buxton Diamond-0 vs Golden Grove North-0, Buxton Diamond won 1-0 on penalty kicks and Melanie-A-1 vs Haslington North-0. Organisers are urging the players to be prompt for an early start on Saturday.

GT Beer/NAMILCO/Star Party Rentals Futsal Final …

Back Circle’s chance to boss Sparta

Branded footballs arrive for EBFA U-11 League G T

The final is expected to be a see-saw affair of riveting action between Sparta Boss and Back Circle on Saturday at the National Gymnasium

he 2nd annual Ralph Green / East Bank Football Association (EBFA) Under-11 League was given a tremendous boost when Director of Sport presented a quantity of equipment to President of the association, Franklin Wilson.

The presentation was done at Jones’ Homestretch Avenue office.

Jones, a relative of the USA based sponsor, Green told Wilson and EBFA Secretary Wayne Francois said that Green was very pleased to once again support the development of the young lads on the East Bank and its environs.

The Sport Director complimented the EBFA for its consistency in playing junior tournaments and noted that it is absolutely important for a proper foundation to be set for young players who need to learn the fundamentals of the game early.

“Your association has been leading in this regard and you must be complimented. This Under-11 league provides an ideal platform for the eligible players on the Eats Bank to be seen and I am sure they will go on to do well at the other age group competitions and eventually at the national level. Keep up the good work; it is my pleasure to present the equipment on behalf of Mr. Green to you as I wish all the teams the best.”

Wilson in response expressed appreciation to Jones and Green for his continued partnership in East Bank football development.

“Yet again, Mr. Green is exhibiting his love for the

Director of Sport Christopher Jones hands over one of the customised balls to EBFA President Franklin Wilson in the presence of Association Secretary Wayne Francois

game and youths through his sponsorship of this very important age group level.

Last year we had six clubs participating with Agricola Red Triangle emerging inaugural champions. This year we are on track to more than double last year’s amount of teams due to the excitement that the tournament had created.”

This year’s competition is expected to kick off next weekend. Apart from the winning trophy, the top four teams will all receive medals whilst five top individual players will be rewarded with backpacks and trophies. The individuals to be rewarded will be the Highest Goal Scorer, Best Goalkeeper, Most Valuable Player, Most Disciplined Player and Most Promising Player. Sixteen medals would go to each player in

the winning, second and third placed teams while the fourth placed team would receive 16 participatory medals.

For the first time in any EBFA competition, customized balls would be used bearing the EBFA logo. This is a standard Wilson informed that the association would be aiming to duplicate for other competition as far as practicable.

Thirty-four numbered playing vests, one first aid kit, two captains arm bands, five back-packs, 74 medals and the customized balls were donated. Wilson further informed that Green is currently working on securing branded tee shirts for each player.

Only Players born on or after January 1st, 2006 will be eligible to participate in the tournament.

iant killers Back Circle will meet the powerful Sparta Boss in the final of the exciting Petra Organised GT Beer in partnership with NAMILCO and Star Party Rentals Futsal Championship on Saturday evening at the National Gymnasium.

It’s dubbed as the second coming of the two sides as inaugural finalist, Sparta Boss were stunned in the group stages with 2-3 defeat to the spirited Back Circle unit.

Back Circle who have a humongous following that packs the venue, disposed of former defending champions Bent Street in the semi-finals to keep their unbeaten record intact and sent another strong warning to their opponents.

Their only hiccup was a draw against Tiger Bay in the group stages but since then they have looked one of the most compact teams. The likes of Stephon McLean, Selwyn Williams, Akeemo Anthony, Sylvester Richardson, Curtez Kellman and Keron Joshua, all capable of turning a game on its head.

On the other hand, Sparta Boss have reached numerous finals, which means they have experience on their side. Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, Devon Millington, Cleon Forrester, Sheldon Shepherd, Eusi Phillips, Solomon Austin and Denis Edwards will again be the key to their chances of winning.

The preceding encounter between Bent Street and Sophia is also proving difficult to choose a winner but Bent Street could start as favourites given they won against the opponents in question 4-2 during the group stages.

In terms of line-up, Bent Street have a long list of star-studded players in the calibre of Konata Manning, Colin Nelson, Dwight Peters, Anthony Abrams, Joshua Browne, Okanie Fraser and William Europe.

However, whether or not they could stay with the pace of a fit Sophia unit will be the test that they will have to survive. Dwayne Lowe, Akeem Jaikissoon, Desmond Cottam, Shem Arthur, Sheik Kamal Orlando Jordan, Simon Emmanuel and Joshua Kamal have played as a team and could be a handful.

The popular tournament is organised by the Petra Organization and it’s Co-Director, Troy Mendonca; after a meeting with the relevant stakeholders is promising a safe and comfortable viewing experience for fans and players alike.

The winner will pocket $400,000 and the championship trophy while the second, third and fourth place finishers will collect $200,000, $100,000 and $50,000 respectively and the correspondingly accolade.

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the championship will pocket $50,000 and a trophy, while the Highest Goal Scorer and Best Goalkeeper will walkway with $25,000 each and the respective accolades.

Action gets underway from 20:00h.

21

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GUYANATIMESgy.COM

FRIdAY, april 14, 2017

CWI/PCL Digicel Regional 4-Day Tournament 2016-17…

Chance for younger players to showcase their talent – Crandon – Hemraj, Yadram, Rutherford added for Volcanoes clash

By Akeem Greene

T

wo-time defending Champions Guyana Jaguars enter their tenth round clash against Windward Island Volcanoes in the of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Digicel Regional Four-Day tournament missing several vital experienced players but Head Coach Esuan Crandon is contending that though the players absent will be missed it gives an opportunity for younger players to make a name for themselves.

Crandon in speaking to Guyana Times Sport on Thursday at the Guyana National Stadium said, “We were able to get three days practice in and the guys are in good shape’ we are missing five players so we recognise the senior guys have to take a bit more responsibility in batting and obviously the

young guys who are coming in they have to play their role.”

He added, “We lost some good players but it is a good opportunity for the others to showcase their talent but we still have to play good cricket with whatever eleven we put on the park and the young guys we selected are capable of doing that.”

The players out from the last match against the Barbados Pride are Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is playing for Lancashire in England’s Division One County Championship, Shimron Hetmyer, Vishaul Singh and Raymon Reifer, who have are a part of the President’s XI set to take on the touring Pakistan in a three-day match in Jamaica. Keon Joseph who missed the Jaguars’ last two matches through injury is also in Jamaica.

Their absence sees a recall for Steven Jacobs who last played First-class cricket in December 2015 and talented middle-order batsman Chandrapaul Hemraj, who played the last of his five matches in 2014.

The first-timers are youthful all-rounders Bhaskar Yadram and Sherfene Rutherford while Keemo Paul returns from a hand injury.

The Jaguars’ batting this year has been a cause of concern since last season’s highest run-scorer Leon Johnson has not best of his usual form only accumulating 281 runs in eight matches but at Thursday’s practice the West Indies left-hander was hard at work ironing out any issues with his technique given the fact that the team’s current leading run-getter Chanderpaul (662 runs) and Hetmyer (496) are absent.

Crandon, a former First-class all-rounder explained that the batters have not been out-of form but were reckless with their injudicious shots.

“It is not that they are short of form, they just need to be a bit more discipline and responsible and it will make it easy for the other guys coming and it will help the team a lot.”

The Volcanoes enter this clash on the back of a thumping eight-wicket win over Jamaica at Sabina Park; in that match they had bundled out the home side for paltry 56 in the first innings with seamers Delron Johnson (426) and Kyle Mayers (6-29) doing the damage. As such the coach is wary the threat the Islanders may pose to the locals. “They have a good team, they will be confident, with their win; we are losing play-

ers and they will want to capitalize on that and they have been bowling well and it will be a good challenge for us to go and play good and consistent c r i c ket,” Crandon stated.

A win for the Jaguars will practically seal their bid for a three-peat in titles since they are on 109.8 points, 4.6 ahead of Barbados Pride who have already played nine matches.

Guyana Jaguars Squad: Assad Fudadin, Rajendra Chandrika, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Leon Johnson (Captain), Bhaskar Yadram, Keemo Paul, Anthony Bramble, Romario Shepherd, Veerasammy Permaul (Vice Captain), Gudakesh Motie, Clinton Pestano, Steven Jacobs, Sherfane Rutherford. The first ball on Saturday is at 10:30h.

Old Fort host successful in-house tournament

By Romario Samaroo

O

n a Sunday packed with activities at the St. Joseph High School, Woolford Avenue, Old Fort managed to secure the school’s patio where they ran off their 2017 3 a side tournament in honour of Dexter Barry who was gunned down in 2007.

The club which is usually facilitated by the school and boasts a number of players who once attended the 120-year old educational facility, saw immense action across six divisions, catering from every category the club participates in under the umbrella of the Guyana Hockey Board.

T

he Easter weekend is here and national park in Georgetown will be a hive of activities not only with kite flying and picnics but with the annual Universal Auto and General Supplies 11-race programme on Saturday. The cyclists will then take on the road on Sunday to complete back to back days on the saddle to round off a memorable holiday weekend.

After relaxing and worship for many on Good Friday, the wheelsmen will all believe that it is their time to shine on Saturday when cycling returns to the inner circuit of the National Park, Thomas Lands for the 13th Annual Universal Auto and

In the Rookies class, Team Magnets which comprised Kai James, Shoran James and Jamal Gaskin secured the trophy over Buffalo thanks to Kai James’ penalty goal which also earned him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Brandon Abrams was adjudged the most improved player in this under-14 division.

The ‘3-stars’ combination of Lazaro, Raphael and Ronaldo Hopkinson made up the successful team following t their finals clash with Invaders in the male novice category. Warren Williams was the most improved player while Kai James with nine goals was the leading goal scorer and Rapheal Hopkinson the MVP.

General Supplies 11-race programme beginning at 09:00h.

Taking to the line first will be boys and girls in the various BMX categories ranging from 9 years old, 9 to12 years old, 12 to 14 years old, Open and Boys and Girls 12 to14 years old. The competitive Mountain Bike category will then be contested followed by the Veterans and Juvenile riders before the big guns take to the track in the 35-lap School Boys and Invitational feature race.

Michael Anthony is the defending champion of the main race, having won last year’s event in a time of one hour, 18 minutes, 08.62 seconds (01h: 18m: 18.62s). The other defend-

The top wheelsmen will return to the National Park following successive road races

ing champions of the other categories are Christopher Cornelius (Juveniles), Junior Niles (Veterans Under-50).

The programme is being coordinated by national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed, and is being sponsored by veteran rider Shameer Baksh, who is also the Managing Director of Universal Auto and General Supplies.

On Easter Sunday, the riders will take to the roadways for a 70 mile race. This race will begin at the usual starting point, in front of the National Sports Commission, Homestretch Avenue at 08:00h and see riders heading up the East Bank Demerara to the Linden/Soesdyke Highway where they will turn back at the Coca Cola sign and head to the city to finish just before Tank Street, Grove.

The event will be sponsored by Chin Chan Cycle Shop, Team Cocos (Ian Q-B Davis), Tony Chung's Body Work Shop of New York and Mark Duke (McRae Body Work Shop of New York).

The winner will receive $50,000, there will be cash prizes for the top six finishers in the open category, top three veterans, top three juniors, top three mountain bikers and top two ladies. There will 20 primes during the event which will be $5,000 per prime, so get set for lots of aggressive racing.

Entrance fee for the event is $2,000 and this includes after race meals and beverages.

Team Magnets which comprised Kai James, Shoran James and Jamal Gaskin won the novice division

The female novice was won by ‘Goal Chasers’ trio, Tamera Gomes, Akeaba Singh and Jennel Fredericks. The girls defeated Rouge by a one goal margin thanks to Gomes.

In the mixed category, Strangers team of Donnel Alleyne, Anthony Cole, Nandalall Persaud and Warren Williams came out on top of ‘Kill them all’ with Alleyne scoring her penalty goal. Alleyne was also awarded the most improved player.

Meanwhile, in the Female Open category G. Thirst defeated Savages with Tamala Glenn’s goal to see her team which included Veronique Sampson and Minosoda Culpepper lift the trophy. Romichelle Brumell was the MVP and Narina Cush was the most improved player.

Also, in the Male Open, God Slayers team of Dwayne Allyene, Jason Clarke and Anthony Cole won via penalty shootout against Old and Cold 4-2.Dove Simon was the MVP and Jason Clarke earned himself the most improved player prize.

Not only did this tournament allow the club to get in form, it also allowed students and those present in the school to see the action and some inquired about the sport in order to join the club.

The tournament was sponsored by Hair Obsession Barbershop, Niks Phonics Centre, Simcon Engingeering, Blue Sackie School, Andrews Supermarket, Audwin Graham, Dominique Degroot and the Plum store.

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, april 14, 2017

23

Junior table tennis team banking on home advantage to succeed G

uyana Junior Table Tennis players will be hoping that having home advantage for the Caribbean Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships will correspond in a large medal haul.

The Championships will serve-off today at 10:30h at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and in addition to Guyana, eight other teams namely, Barbados,

Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and French Guiana will battle for supremacy.

In light of this, national Coach Linden Johnson is calling on the public to come out in their numbers to lend support to the team. “I want to encourage the public to come out and show support; with the support team

Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket continues to grow in Guyana

The happy 114 boys and girls, along with the coaches and “Chirpy”, after their display at Providence on Sunday

S

cotiabank Kiddy Cricket made a spectacular return to the field of play with a stunning display of talent and skill by the enthusiastic children of Guyana on Sunday.

The 114 boys and girls drawn from eight schools across the nation participated in the lunchtime onfield demonstration at Guyana National Stadium as West Indies and Pakistan played in the second OneDay International of the Brighto Paints presents the Q Mobile Cup. The eager boys and girls were smartly outfitted in Scotiabank branded caps, sunshades, tops and bottoms and along the energetic green mascot; ‘Chirpy,’ the aspiring young cricketers were going through their displays with their respective coaches. The students hailed from North Georgetown Primary, Leonora Primary, Enterprise Primary, Saint Pius Primary, Redeemer Primary, Blairmont Primary, Greenwick Park Primary and New Diamond Primary.

Azam Mohamed, the 11-year-old captain of Enterprise Primary School, had the honour of joining captains Jason Holder and Sarfraz Ahmed at the toss to launch the Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket day of celebrations.

K.J. Singh, WICB’s Senior Project Officer, was delighted with the day’s event and promised more growth in the programme, now in its 18th year.

“The Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket programme continues to see significant growth. We have close to 140,000 young boys and girls from over 800 schools participating in the programme across the West Indies. This number will grow even more this year as continue to promote the game both on and off the field,” Singh said.

“There are exciting times ahead and we are very happy that our valued sponsors, Scotiabank, have continued their tremendous support for the programme, which bring smiles to the faces of so many children across the Caribbean. We are not just coaching future cricketers but we are moulding lives for the future development in the region.”

Several members of the West Indies men’s and women’s cricket teams are graduates of the Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Programme. These include Test and ODI captain Jason Holder, batsman Kraigg Brathwaite; as well as Shaquana Quintyne and Britney Cooper, who were part of the West Indies Women’s team which won the ICC World T20 tournament.

Under-18 players fine-tuning their preparations

should be stronger and be able to do well,” Johnson contended.

Johnson also felt that the group can do well at the champions given the calibre of the players.

The coach is hoping that the likes of Pricilla Greaves,

Kyle Edghill and Elishaba Johnson can make the most of the championship since they are in their last year at this level. Also on the radar will be Nicholas Romain, Miguel Wong to see how they progress likewise attention will be on 11 year-old

Kaysan Ninvalle who is expected to produce medals in the under-15 category.

Similarly, Xenphon Golia, who is also assisting with coaching, said that he has working with the players to improve their technique and develop strategies. “We are doing the fine tuning fort the tournament and I assure you that Guyana will do well at this tournament,” Golia lamented.

Guyana feared well at last year’s tournament with the junior boys securing a silver medal in a three-way tie with Dominica Republic and Trinidad and Tobago.

Guyana teams: Boys u-18: Kyle Edghill, Elishaba Johnson, Miguel Wong, Nicolas Romain; Girls u-18: Pricilla Greaves. Jamaali Homer, Tirishatha Semple

, Aneka Phillips and Boys u-15: Terrence Rausch, Kaysan Ninvalle, Videsh Deo, Triq Saunders, Niron Bissu, Isaiah Layne, Vishan Harrynaught, Brandon Jaikaran, Navindra Persaud, Yeudistir Persaud; Girls u-15: Selenas Jackman, Davonna Bess, Abigale Martin.

The competition will be used as the qualification event for the second Pan American Junior and cadet table tennis Championships scheduled for the USA in September of 2017. Additionally, it will see the top four teams from the Caribbean join the top four from Central American and South America to qualify for the Pan American event which will be held in Argentina July/August.

FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2017

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

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CWI/PCL Digicel Regional 4-Day Tournament 2016-17…

Chance for younger players to showcase their talent – Crandon

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– Hemraj, Yadram, Rutherford added for Volcanoes clash Guyana Jaguars Head Coach Esuan Crandon giving all-rounder Keemo Paul some batting tips during the team’s practice at Providence on Thursday

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Junior table tennis team banking on home advantage to succeed We are ready! Team Guyana after their final practice session at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Thursday (John Ramsingh photo)

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