GAWU's General Council puts strike on
Sugar workers targeted for discrimination by APNU/AFC – Ramsammy 33 graduate from SelfReliance Workshop
Govt moves to strengthen fight against drug trade
SunDAY, november 8, 2015 | guYAnAtimeSgY.com
Govt spends over $300M on audits and CoIs
By Michael younge
The bountiful wastage of taxpayers’ monies being expended to finance the numerous Commissions of Inquiries (CoIs) and State Forensic Audits, and “investigations” are currently bleeding the treasury of possibly hundreds of millions of dollars.
Concerns have been mounting over the profligate spending of state funds on what has been labelled the government’s “fishing expeditions”, which will in no way contribute to the development of the country or benefit the general populace.
In lieu of the government’s stonewalling on providing information from the inside, this newspaper has had to rely on information in the public realm.
Based on rough calculations with those figures and their extrapolations, government is expected to fork out some $300 million altogether to pay Commissioners for the various CoIs and Auditors for the various audits into state agencies. This may also cover the cost incurred by retaining staff for the various commissions.
In addition to their salary, Guyana Times understands that these individuals are being provided with meal allowances and that their travelling expense are covered by the government for the course of the operations they were retained to perform.
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo had promised to provide Guyana Times with the cost for all the CoIs and forensic audits, but to date the information is yet to be delivered.
Nagamootoo publicly committed to providing this information when asked by a Guyana Times reporter during a recent post-cabinet media briefing.
Nagamootoo had publicly instructed Public Information Officer Imran Khan to email the information to this newspaper but this never happened. Follow-up enquiries to receive the information proved futile since Khan claimed he is not in possession of the requested data, and that he is unsure when he will be able to get it for dissemination.
Guyana Times also contacted on official from the Finance Ministry who stated the Ministry is not in possession of the cost for the CoIs (that this information will be available at the respective Ministry). In relation to the cost for the State Forensic Audit, the official declined to disclose, citing that the information will be made available in Parliament.
Subsequent to that interaction, Guyana Times requested the same information from Governance
Minister Raphael Trotman during a post-cabinet media briefing who stated he is not in possession of the information. He however assured he will make contact with the Finance Ministry and disclose the information in due time.
The breakdown of the estimated $300 million costs shows that the inquiry into the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), which consisted of 11 commissioners, cost the state $71 million.
Additionally, the forensic audits into about 30 government agencies will cost more than $50 million. According to information already existing in the public domain, government will be spending some $50 million to pay handpicked auditors Christopher Ram and Anand Goolsarran for their audits (additional benefits were excluded from this calculation).
Some of the CoIs launched are the Public Service, GuySuCo, Education Sector, and the Mining Sector. The state forensic audits have been launched into more than 30 government agencies.
Not clear on reasons for audits
Making matters worse, no clear rationale has been proffered by government for the reasons of these various investigations into these agencies.
Junior Finance Minister Jaipaul Sharma had initially told Guyana Times the CoIs were to “satisfy donors”.
Sharma explained that one of the reasons the new administration is conducting these audits is to meet the demands of the international community.
He explained that before the APNU/AFC coalition went into government, the international community had indicated several expectations they have of the new government:
“The demands for this new Administration are a lot. We have to fulfil these demands, in areas of accountability and transparency… We aren’t doing this because we want to spend money or we want to witch hunt anybody… it’s a de-
mand and request from these agencies that transparency and accountability must be available.”
In another interview, Sharma noted that the reason for the audits were for internal purposes so the government could develop an understanding of the workings of the various agencies. His exact words here, “these are for internal purposes.”
Reports will be shelved
It is the contention of many that the reports emanating from these various undertakings will not be utilised but rather just be shelved and gradually be covered in dust.
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had previously concluded that the state forensic audits and CoIs are “a total waste” of taxpayers’ monies. He drew the comparison that while millions are being expended behind “fishing expeditions, ordinary citizens cannot even benefit from a reasonable salary increase.”
Jagdeo too expressed that most of the reports coming out of the inquiries and audits will not be used by the administration or relevant authorities; therefore, millions of dollars are basically being pumped into nothing:
“I am betting you that these reports will sit on some shelf and will not serve any
of the real problems that our people now face.”
On more than one occasion, Jagdeo had urged the government to give up on the chase and focus on issues of the people instead, contending that the audits and inquiries are not benefiting anyone: “I have one message to the government - get on with the business of managing our country, people out there need a clear signal where this country is going.”
Extravagant spending
Numerous comments are being made about the extravagant spending embarked upon by this administration since assumption to office. Millions have already been spent on the President’s inauguration ceremony and birthday bash.
More millions are being spent on the upcoming 50th Independence anniversary celebrations both in Guyana and New York.
Further, government ministers have awarded themselves a hefty salary increase.
All of these have occurred as the country is clearly now in the midst of a recession in which economic activity has ground to a halt.
Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman
Sunday Editor: Michael Younge
Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134
Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown
Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com
Editorial
For Development Banks
The seed of an important debate was sowed at the 2nd Caribbean Agri-Business Forum in Barbados during the past week on the merits and demerits of Development Banks in general and in agriculture in particular, in the region. One speaker from the ACP-EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development (CTA), Lamon Rutten, took a firm stand against such institutions while another local agricultural banking consultant disagreed vehemently.
Rather ironically, the CTA operates under the framework of the Cotonou Agreement and is funded by the European Union (EU). The Cotonou Agreement succeeded the Lome Convention, established to set a price for sugar “in perpetuity”, but which was unilaterally abrogated by the EU and a 36% price cut instituted. Apart from providing Europe with a guaranteed price at a time (1975) when sugar prices had spiked to a historic high, the agreement provided cover for the EU to institute an Agricultural Policy (AP) that resulted in one of the most massive state injection of funds and subsidies into agriculture the world had even seen. Needing to comply with new World Trade Organisation (WTO) regimes, the EU has now come up with the “Everything But Arms” (EBA) ploy as cover.
The denigration of Development Banks for agriculture is but a continuation of initiatives foisted on large swathes of the developing world under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) policy framework dubbed the “Washington Consensus” in the later 1980’s. Purporting to rectify conceded excesses in the enlargement of the state into production, the swing towards the market for allocation of resources became the fetish of “market fundamentalism”.
As Steve Maximay, the local agriculturalist pointed out at the Barbados meet, from his experience with our local development bank, Gaibank, there were definitely challenges that needed to be addressed in terms of intermediating funds to agriculture and development of other industries more efficiently, but there was no reason to throw out the baby with the bath water. Even more ironically, the “innovations” in banking in the countries that pushed the Washington Consensus (mainly the US, Britain and the EU) – primarily to blur the line between commercial and investment banks –has led to the collapse of their entire financial system.
Whether explicitly labelled as such or not, in the growth of all economies that can now be called “developed” there have always been institutions run by their governments to direct low-cost funds to particular industries identified at various times as strategically important. It is only because the concept of “development of economies”, as now understood, came into vogue after those countries had already taken off that they are able to now decry their utility.
But even though CTA’s Rutten testified that Development Banks would “stifle” the growth of agribusiness, would he rather the Caribbean go the route of, say, the US and Europe in providing massive subsidies to Agriculture? For instance, among the US 2015 Agri Spending Bills is the “Market Access Programme (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD)”, which are funded fully in both bills at US$200 million and US$34.5 million respectively. Then from the Farm Service Agency we have $3.5 billion for farm ownership loans and another $2.645 billion for “farm operating loans” all at bargain basement interest rates. That had come from the Senate Bill.
The House bill would provide $1.5 billion for FSA to “support the various farm, conservation, loan, and emergency programmes, and to help farmers and ranchers with implementation of the recently enacted farm bill.” The EU has comparable programmes.
In 2002, after bemoaning their US$3 billion food import bill during the three decades of the Caribbean Community’s (Caricom) existence, the regional bloc committed itself to achieving food self sufficiency via the Jagdeo Initiative in agriculture. It appears that the political will could not be mustered to consummate that visionary move.
It would be a shame if the region kills another initiative to remove the albatross of underdevelopment from our necks.
Vexing issues at Ogle Int'l Airport
Dear Editor,
We are a group of six smaller aircraft operators based at Ogle International Airport (OIA), operating aircraft on domestic routes.
We have for some time, adopted an amicable approach to resolving the myriad of serious and vexing issues we face on a daily basis with Ogle Airport Inc, the company running the OIA.
Much to our dismay, we saw an article in Stabroek Business on November 6, which seeks to canonise the management of Ogle International Airport by the Correia Group. This in our opinion is an obscene and covert attempt by the Ogle Airport Inc Board Chairman to monopolise public opinion in the face of an eruption of the unbearable discontent which is rife at the Airport.
Ogle Airport, while improving its regulatory compliance and infrastructure in the past decade, is in fact an anti-competitive and op-
pressive business environment.
The establishment of an aviation operation requires large amounts of capital and the operating environment definitely contributes to the success or failure of the enterprise.
Ogle Airport:
* refuses to allow cargo transport operations using the main terminal (although foreign operators including LIAT are allowed to do so).
The Airport management actually strongly suggested that we use Cheddi Jagan International Airport for our cargo operations, thereby adding cost to our operations.
* is consistently reluctant to respond to our needs in a timely manner,
* allows us no voice on issues affecting us,
* imposes staff on us with authoritative and confrontational attitudes, often threatening, shouting, and demanding,
* is sub-leasing land for facility development at prohibitive rates,
* is charging astronomically high fees for airport usage,
* introduced a toxic and draconian operators’ agreement which demands that we sign over liens on all of our property including our aircraft, among other odious provisions.
Considering the fact that the aforementioned issues are serious, imagine how difficult the operating environment is when compounded with anti-competitive issues by Ogle Airport Inc management, led by the Correia Group.
The Correia Group controls the airport as a creature of its business and has:
* Increased the cost of fuel
* Delayed the delivery of fuel to our aircraft
* Monopolised ground handling and other services
* Arbitrary terminated
tenancy contracts with the aim of forcing us out. This translates to a wholly hostile, difficult, and aggressive management system set up by the Correia Group to manage the day to day operations of the airport. This system is being used to unleash an attempt to regulate and rule of our daily commercial operations in a most anti-competitive and oppressive manner. We have now joined in unity and are now part of nine operators out of 10 that are disenfranchised by the actions of the Correia Group and their agents who manage and regulate the airport. We therefore urgently call on the Government to intervene, investigate and regularise this Airport for the benefit of all of its stakeholders.
Regards, Small operators of Ogle International Airport
No street lights in 6 months
Dear Editor,
It’s been six months now since I have reported to the supervisor of GPL and the regional electrical inspector of Anna Regina that a number of street lights on the public road is not working and which is posing dangers to people’s lives and limbs at night. I was told that this matter was reported to Cummings Electrical Company Limited who installed these lights and is responsible for the maintenance. Some 38 of these street lights which was installed along the Coast by this company at a cost of $11 million is out of order and not being used at all
and to date this company has not fixed them.
At night students and teachers who are coming out from the Anna Regina Multilateral School, teacher’s training school, Guyana School of Agriculture, etc can see nothing at the junction of the public road where one of these street lights is located and not working for the past four months. You don’t know when to expect somebody to come behind you and try to take your stuff from you or rob you of your things. One of the biggest concerns for businesses and costumers in the township is not having lights at night.
At nighttime it’s pitch
dark. I have been calling on the relevant authorities in the region for the last two or three weeks and you know they give me the round around and I feel that those who are responsible to see that these lights are fixed are sabotaging the government so people can give it bad name. Cummings Electrical Company I am told is aware the lights are off for months which I believe the issue can be rectified within a month but the company do not value Essequibians or they think we are a backward set of people. The quicker the minister of infrastructure can do something
about it, the better off we Essequibians will be here. As I travel going to Supenaam stelling at night I can see many of these street lights are not functioning and it is dangerous for motorist during the night with animals walking on the road as it is a factor in most of the car accidents; and people are easy target for vandals and thieves at remote and sparsely populated areas The lack of street lights towards Charity is another concern for residents, starting with those on the dangerous bends. Until now nothing has been done although the matter was reported.
TURN TO PAGE 5
Former President and current Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo was flanked by these seniors during an outreach and visit to New York over the weekend
We need help to save the sugar industry
Deae Editor, It was disturbing to learn, according to a report in the November 4, 2015 edition of Stabroek News, that GuySuCo’s CEO advised that the Corporation failed to produce about 6000 tonnes sugar arising from the sugar workers three-day protest action.
The goodly gentleman, who has worked for many years in sugar, could not have been truthful as he is fully well aware that the disclosure is misleading. The three-day strike was from Sunday to Tuesday. It is a known fact that even in the best of times, turnout of harvesters on Sundays is less than 50 per cent of a normal weekday turnout. It means that the CEO was alluding to almost 2000 tonnes sugar being produced per day, including Sunday.
Let the CEO point to any Sunday in the life of GuySuCo where 2000 tonnes sugar was produced, or let him point to anytime that 6000 tonnes were produced between Sunday and Tuesday of any week.
How could the company fail to produce the sugar given that the canes remain in the cultivation? Additionally, it is GuySuCo that boasted
Betrayal
Dear Editor, I was very upset as I was picketing outside the offices of Rose Hall Estate on October 27, 2015 calling upon the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) to engage in Collective Bargaining with the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers
perpetually in the past about “solid canes in the ground” whenever they could not achieve production levels due to their own mismanagement. However, it appears that the “solid cane in the ground” principle does not apply in the case of protest action. The hullabaloo lacks any basis and cannot withstand scrutiny.
The CEO is also reported to have said that the industry lost a further $38 million arising from stale canes that either were discarded or deteriorated due to the workers’ action. This like his previous assertion cannot hold water.
Can the CEO advise the public whether any canes were discarded and if so where? If there weren’t any discarded canes, he needs to provide empirical data that supports the extent of deterioration that resulted in 438 tonnes sugar being lost.
It is known that the factories process canes which have been burnt for over ten days even though the sugar recovery is not 100 per cent. Certainly canes burnt for about three to four days are still prime for sugar conversion. Is it that the CEO is being “intellectually dishonest” to use the Honourable
Minster of Agriculture words?
I also noticed that the Corporation disclosed that during the strike it utilized diesel costing some $12.6 million to maintain its factories. Using a price of $163 per litre for diesel, it meant that GuySuCo consumed about 77,300 litres of diesel during the strike period. The article, however, made mention 3000 litres per factory per day, ie 63,000 litres over the period.
Is it that GuySuCo is purchasing diesel above market price or deliberately inflated its diesel consumption upon instruction from someone? GuySuCo needs to explain.
Why does the top brass of the Corporation’s Management Team submit that the recent GAWU threeday strike was more effective than it was? Such portrayal is not in the interest of the Corporation.
Clearly, the credibility of the Corporation and the genuineness of their statements are under doubt in my view. The GuySuCo, through its reported statements, has inflicted further insult to the injuries already suffered by the sugar workers.
Yours truly, Alvin Perriera
of the working class
Union (GAWU) in keeping with the Trade Union Recognition Act when Member of Parliament Charandas Persaud, who has never spared any effort to attack GAWU, blurted out “why yall don’t go back to work, yall have nothing to get, yall look hungry”. Today, I am able to
know who the friends of the workers are and who are their enemies. I must say I was fooled and this experience is truly a lesson for me.
Yours faithfully, Name withheld by request for fear of victimisation
Minister Ramjattan clueless with a super salary
Dear Editor, Minister Ramjattan has so far rolled out three “master plans” for fighting crime that was totally useless and scientifically baseless.
First he started with the now unpopular “2AM curfew” where he said that it would have reduced crime, road accidents, domestic violence and generate a better workforce all at once.
From his perspective this was his silver bullet on the crime fighting front. As we can see now, the Minster had never provided any data to back up his position and in an ironic twist, he is now asking the entertainment business community to show data that they are losing money.
Secondly was his gun amnesty programme, which saw people dumping their unwanted guns to the police. With over 90 per cent being single shooter shot guns, can someone ask Minister Ramjattan how
many gun crimes in the past six months were done using shot guns? However, in his own fantasy world, he believed that it was a success?
Now the Minister is rolling out his latest “master plan” and that is a public consultation on tints on vehicles. His logic here, I am assuming, is that criminal activities occur mostly using tinted vehicles, and as such crime will reduce by making tints less darker or removing it all together.
Again the Minister seems to be so far from reality it becomes laughable. Everyone in Guyana, except for the Minister, can see that large number of deadly crimes have nothing to do with tints. Instead it is home invasions and motorcycles as transport.
The recent robbery of the money changers was done by motorcycle bandits. All or most of the Berbice/East Coast crimes were home invasions.
No street lights...
While sitting on my veranda I can see several lorries parked every night on the road in a blind turn coming out from the Cotton Field street where there is no street light and near to a pedestrian crossing.
These lorries have no reflectors and is a death trap for cars and motor cyclist who can lose control and suffer the possibility of a serious accident.
This is an area which the traffic police would hide with their radar gun to catch speed-
ing motorists without noticing the dangers of these parked lorries.
There were several fatal accidents on the Essequibo Coast with parked vehicles on the public road at night.
These vehicles pose a hazard. Statistics have shown that when in a collision with these vehicles on the road most drivers claimed not to have seen them. Therefore visibility is vital.
If a street light is not working like the ones that I
Can the Minister really look these victims in the eye with any conscience what so ever and say that his plans for fighting crime is working to protect them?
The reality is that Minister Ramjattan is clueless and visionless on the crime fighting front and to make it worse, he got a salary increase for his disastrous efforts. Instead we are seeing that Minister Ramjattan is wasting valuable time to disrupt a Hindu/Guyanese tradition of Diwali and cussing out Bharat Jagdeo.
One can argue that Minister Ramjattan is either a baggage to APNU/AFC that they cannot get rid of or they are all visionless like him.
I will let my fellow Guyanese decide.
Malcolm Watkins, CSCP
FROM PAGE 4
mentioned throughout the Essequibo Coast, drivers could be in great danger. We as citizen have the right to use the road in safety, and the municipality and local authority has a statutory duty to keep its roads and lighting in good repair.
Therefore, we as taxpayers have the right to report faulty lights to get them repaired and save lives.
Yours faithfully, Mohamed Khan
You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com
Page Foundation
TAnu Dev
his Wednesday night, Diwali will be celebrated all across Guyana. Well, from what I heard, it will also be celebrated on Tuesday night.
For the first time in the 177 years since our ancestors were brought to our shores, our diminishing numbers will not all be lighting our diyas to Mother Lakshmi at
Diwali burning bright!
“Let this Diwali burn all your bad times and enter you in good times”
the same time. I wonder how this will play out in my village.
The nights have become progressively darker and longer and finally when the moon and sun are in conjunction - and it's actually a "dark moon" since we can't see it - and at this time of the year we have the "longest dark night" of the year. It gives each of us the opportunity to ignite a light and banish darkness - literally with our diyas, but also with our bright actions in society to banish "darkness" there.
In the Hindu home, the females would be like whirling dervishes all day, whipping up a surfeit of dishesboth “sweet and salt” –but especially the sweet!
Before Diwali day itself, the house would have been
given a thorough cleaningboth inside and out. Hindus literally don't leave a stone unturned when sprucing up for Diwali because symbolically God as female in the form of Mother Lakshmi is welcomed into our house.
Who would want God to enter a grubby house? The diyas would have been readied: at least another dozen new ones to join the hundreds saved and cleaned from last year.
By six o'clock, families will be in their pooja rooms or in front of their “altar”, offering prayers to the deities, Mother Lakshmi in particular. The Goddess of Light, we pray to her on Diwali night - the darkest of the year (Amaawas night) and the first diya is lit. Appropriate bhajans would
be sung in harmony - one of the many wonderful ways that Diwali strengthens the family bond. And then the other diyas would be lit from the first and distributed inside, around, on, over and in front of the home. There is the friendly rivalry with neighbours for the most spectacular visual effect.
Diwali actually lasts for five days, with the day publicly celebrated as Diwali in Guyana, being the fourth night. For each of the five nights, prayers are offered to different deities and for each night, there’s a special significance.
However, the underlying message of Diwali on each of these nights is the same- the triumph of light (good) over darkness (evil). The lighting of the millions of diyas that
are lit every Diwali is significant - it means we are battling the darkness that is always waiting to overwhelm us. We’re forging our own paths in this life. And that’s important. You can only succeed if you build up good karma; if YOU take action and not if someone else acts for you. Removing darkness is not automatic.
Lighting diyas and fireworks and gorging on scrumptious sweets are really, really fun. But what is more lasting about Diwali is if with every Diya we light, we make a conscious decision to end darkness.
The darkness doesn't just mean external 'demons' like drugs, bad friends, etc, it also means tackling our own internal conflicts like trying to fix that negative aspect of
our personality or inculcating better discipline. On Diwali, family members from across the globe reconnect - whether they just call or even visit for the holiday is up to them but the important thing is that the bond is maintained.
So this Diwali, make sure you call that cousin you didn’t speak to since your niece’s wedding or since 2008. Diwali is about lighting up your life and banishing or fixing the dark aspects of your life.
So go out there this Diwali, light a Diya – within and without - keep on burning bright, and keep on shining.
And may our religious leaders not cause the darkness of religious dogmatism to widen.
33 graduate from Self-Reliance Workshop
Twenty-eight women and five men who successfully completed the “Self-Reliance and Success in Business Workshop”, on Friday received certificates at a graduation ceremony, hosted by President David Granger and First Lady Sandra Granger at their official place of residence, State House.
The workshop, which was aimed at building business entrepreneurship and empowering individuals to become self-reliant, was initiated under the auspices of the First Lady’s Office.
Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence; Business Minister Dominic Gaskin; Minister of State Joseph Harmon; Social Cohesion Minister Amna Ally; Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous
People’s Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe; and Seeta Nagamootoo, wife of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, were all present at the ceremony.
The first workshop was launched at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara, Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) with a batch of 12 women and was later taken to Blue Berry Hill, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) where a total of 21 persons benefited.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the First Lady said that the response to these workshops has been
overwhelmingly positive and that many persons and organisations have indicated their willingness to collaborate with her Office to extend the programme to communities in the hinterland, Berbice and Essequibo.
Meanwhile, Minister Gaskin, who delivered the feature address, said that programmes such as this one, contribute significantly to the national effort in the fight against poverty, hopelessness and the misery that results from the inequality of opportunity that has plagued our society for many years.
Seated in front row from left to right: Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence; Business Minister Dominic Gaskin; Minister of State Joseph Harmon; First Lady Sandra Granger; President David Granger; Seeta Nagamootoo, wife of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Social Cohesion Minister Amna Ally; Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe; Facilitator of the Workshop, Wayne Barrow and participants at State House
Jagdeo meets Guyanese in New York
– explains current political, economic climate
BY EDWARD LAYNE
Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo has been meeting with Guyanese based in New York, United States of America over the past few days, to update them on recent political and other developments in Guyana.
Jagdeo over the past few days met with senior citizens and Guyanese community groups there to explain the situation in Guyana.
The former Guyanese leader visited a Mosque and Mandir frequented by Guyanese.
During these engagements, the he spoke of the ongoing efforts to further strengthen the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), with heavy emphasis of injecting new blood in the country’s oldest political movement.
The Opposition Leader said the Party will continue to serve the people at the grassroots level.
Jagdeo spoke of the errors in the May 11, 2015 General and Regional Elections and shed light on the legal proceedings filed by the PPP/C, asking for a recount, due to several discrepancies on the part of the Guyana Elections Commission which were un-
earthed shortly after the polls.
He also spoke of the PPP/ C’s insistence in ensuring the election machinery is strengthened at Gecom so as to avoid a recurrence.
The former Guyanese leader exposed the true intentions behind the government ministers taking hefty pay hikes, while public servants were handed a mere 5 per cent increase, while pensioners’ water and electricity subsidies were removed, and the $10,000 cash grant for students in public schools was discontinued.
During the engagements, the Opposition leader also explained that the local economy has been on the decline since the APNU+AFC took office back in May.
Jagdeo highlighted that currently there is a total halt in economic activities as there is a lack of confidence by both local and foreign investors.
Jagdeo said from all indications rice and sugar – two cornerstone industries of the Guyanese economy – are not being given attention by government and explained that should this continue Guyana would be on the path to the darks days of pre-1992.
The former Guyanese leader also explained the ongoing political and racial discrimination being meted out to Guyanese of all ethnicities who are perceived to be supporters of the PPP/C.
Jagdeo earlier attended a meeting of the African
One dead, several injured in Mahaicony accident
One person is now dead while four others are said to be in serious condition after they were struck by a speeding car at Harmony Hall, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
Dead is Ireen Ramsay, 45, of Perth Village, Mahaicony, ECD. The names of the others who were injured were not immediately available to this newspaper.
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States’ Eminent Persons Group (EPG) in Brussels, Belgium, where he along with 11 other internationally experienced and politically astute former Heads of State, Ambassadors, heads and members of international organisations and Heads of Government, went to finalise a report on the Future of the ACP post-2020, when the Partnership Agreement with the European Union known as Cotonou Agreement comes to
While information remain sketchy about the accident, Guyana Times understand two cars were driving at a fast rate, when one of the drivers lost control of his vehicle and clipped the other vehicle, causing it to veer off the road, slamming into the people who
an end.
The EPG, of which Jagdeo is a co-Vice Chair, will present the finalised report to Heads of State and Government of the ACP when they meet in the near future.
The EPG was established
were standing along the roadway.
After causing the accident, the car reportedly sped off the scene. The other driver was taken into Police custody and is assisting with investigations.
The injured were picked up and rushed to the Mahaicony Hospital where Ramsay was pronounced dead on arrival. The others are being treated and it is expected that three might have to be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital. Guyana Times understands that the now dead woman, along with those injured were on their way home after attending a church service.
by the ACP in 2013 and was tasked with assessing the ACP’s performance, with the aim of proposing a fresh vision of the ACP as a contemporary international organisation in the lead-up to and beyond 2020.
Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo with youths of one of the Mandirs on his visit
SunDAY, november 8, 2015 | guYAnAtimeSgY.com
Changing behaviour…
O…in Government officials
ne day after your Eyewitness went into a rant on the Government holding out on its long promised “Code of Conduct”, the blessed document popped up on the Office of the President’s website. Was it serendipity or was it the effect of your humble Eyewitness’ quill? It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, does it? Except the members of the fourth estate should remember they’re duty bound to keep the rulers on their toes.
So what does the new great Code of Hammurabi say that’ll keep this Government on the path of righteousness? Well it does start out with a good premise: that Government folks who’re supposed to be “public servants” – in the real sense of the term – can't have their hands out when they deal with the public. The services they provide are supposed to be free. And being aware of how the “game” can be played, they can't fob off bribes as “gifts”.
So far, so good, no? The Code even specifies what counts as “unacceptable gifts” that’ll bring out the Rod of Correction: anything over $10,000 – or over US$50. So there goes that “Cross” pen, much less a “Coach” handbag!! But early in the day as it is, your Eyewitness needs some clarification. Does “gifts” have to be just stuff the Government official can hold?
How about those “free first class tickets” that were given to several Government Ministers to jet off to NYC for that inauguration bash in Brooklyn? Do they count as gifts? And those hotel rooms? And while we’re on the (vexed) subject of inauguration, do the $100 million – yes, that's MILLIONS – claimed to have been “donated” to fund the Stadium extravaganza, count?
This Eyewitness certainly thinks it does. Why else would all those contractors be shelling out all those mega bucks, but to earn the goodwill of the new powers-that-be that can give them contracts. Do we have to actually scour the list of fellas who were part of the posse just given Cabinet’s $1 billion – yes that BILLION – “no objection”?
Another stricture that stood out is the prohibition against GAMBLING – especially for high stakes. So at least playing Bingo or Lotto is OK. Or is it? So the entry stakes are low…but that payout in Lotto!! That’s certainly high stakes! And the ban on gambling with subordinates? They’ll blackmail?
But if we had the Code in place from the beginning as promised, it might’ve made the 50 per cent salary raise unnecessary. After all, since these were “quality” people to begin with.
The only reason they’ve would've strayed from the straight and narrow was because they didn't KNOW what was the “straight and narrow”, no?
…on food
After huddling for five days about how to cut the humongous bill we rack up in the Caribbean to import foodstuff, the best brains in the Caribbean and Europe says we must “grow more”!! Jeez, Forbes Burnham suggested that 40 years ago – but just placed the cart before the horse with “banning” before “growing” the foods.
But every generation must reinvent the wheel, we guess. However this Eyewitness is impressed that at least this lot realised they might be treading into no man's land when they suggested we must reduce imports of flour and potatoes. They reminded each other than in Guyana during the “Burnham days” those became fighting words. Jagdeo showed how it could be done a decade and a half ago in what became known as “The Jagdeo Initiative”. But we can't say the PPP had any good ideas, can we?
…on time of observations
Hamilton Green feels the time for placing the wreath at the Cenotaph for Memorial Day should be the local and not British “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month”.
Shouldn't he consult with all those fella's who’re revealed to be such experts on “time”, during the never ending Divali date controversy?
Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com
CCJ mourns the death of UG’s HoD of Law – vigil held in his honour at Law Dept
By Akeem Greene
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is currently mourning the death of one of the instrumental persons in the establishment of the Court, Sheldon McDonald.
McDonald was part of the Preparatory Committee which contributed to the development of the CCJ. President of the CCJ, Sir Denis Byron in a statement on Thursday was quoted saying “The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) notes with sadness the passing of Mr Sheldon McDonald, Head of the Department of Law, University of Guyana. Mr McDonald was a firm believer in Caribbean integration and played a pivotal role in the genesis of the Court. The Court wishes to profess its deep conviction that Mr McDonald’s integral and sterling contribution to its creation is now, and will permanently be, incontrovertible evidence of his unwavering faith in and unstinting contribution to Caribbean integration, jurisprudence and development”.
In addition, the President went on to say that “weeks before his passing, Mr McDonald had contributed a chapter to a publication being developed to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Court”.
In recognition of his passing, the University of Guyana Law Society
(UGLS) held a vigil at the Law Department where several students expressed
as a man of principles, as he would have tried desperately to instil the necessary essentials for us to be principled attorneys-at-law”. Several other students expressed kind words of remembrance of the former HoD, as many spoke of his stern nature but all concluded that he had their best interest at heart and only wanted the best for the Department of Law. Also in attendance at the vigil were several dignitaries of the legal fraternity as well as past students of the institution.
Expertise in Law of the Sea and related issues is acknowledged nationally, re-
their experiences with the former HoD. Speaking at the vigil was President of the UGLS Chevy Devonish, who in an emotional tribute expressed these words, “let us remember Mr McDonald
gionally and internationally. Within Jamaica, he was actively involved in the elaboration and passage of the Exclusive Economic Zone Act and the Maritime Areas
Act, as well as the Maritime Drug Interdiction Act, giving domestic legal effect to the Treaty with the United States of America.
In the late 1980’s, conceptualisation of a Law of the Sea Institute as a law and policy centre for this facet of national development. The present National Council on Ocean and Coastal Zone Management can be seen as the fruition of these efforts. Active participation in the work to get the Council off the ground and served as an original Member. Work with respect to the development of a Green Paper on this issue.
McDonald was involved in a vehicular accident on October 31 at Success on the East Coast of Demerara, just hours after attending the annual Law Social. It is understood that the 64-year-old received several injuries which resulted in him being placed in a condition called pneumothorax (the presence of air or gas in the cavity between the lungs and the chest wall), which caused swelling about his body.
The Jamaican-born was a patient of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he succumbed to his injuries on the Wednesday, November 4.
Based on reports, the Jamaican-born’s body will return to his homeland for burial. The UGLS is currently planning of hold a “wake” at the department; a date has not yet been confirmed.
Wine, women, song AND Gambling?
Satiricus knew there’s only so much that any man can bear. And most men weren’t like Lot, who, God knows, could bear a lot. But Rum Jhaat WAS like Lot in so many ways. He’d left his home in the east when he parted from his family who said there weren’t enough rice land to support them all. And so Rum Jhaat journeyed to the big city named GT even though he heard of their sinfulness
And though his family’d warned him of the temptations that went on in GT for a young buck like him with wife and children – mainly wine, women and song, Rum Jhaat still went because he wanted to save the people of GT. But every day he faced temptations. His spirit was willing to resist and the flesh was NOT weak, so Rum Jhaat decided to PRETEND to join the GTers in enjoying wine, women and song.
And pretended to enjoy himself. But in truth, he was VEXED with what was going on around himself with all this wine, women and song. Every day he GNASHED his teeth, but did not weep and wail. He’d been inducted into the sordid ways of GT by his older countryman Naga Man. Naga Man had been sent away by HIS family who told him there wasn’t enough fish in the ocean to share with him. Naga Man’s eye was VERY big. Naga Man told him he too wanted to save GT from their evil ways. But before they could change the GTers, the two of them would have to gain their confidence.
And under Naga Man’s tutelage, Rum Jhaat SAMPLED every Rum Shop in GT, KNEW every working girl and BLASTED “Rum Till I die” from morning to night. Soon he not only caught up with Naga Man but actually SURpassed him on the women and song. When it came to “wine”, Naga Man could out drink even a fish. But then he and Naga Man were elevated to High Office just when they felt they’d learnt the ways of the GTers.
But if the truth be told, they weren’t so vexed any more with the wine, women and song. In fact, they conceded in private, the carousing and carrying on wasn’t too bad! And so it came to pass when the Big Poombah asked Rum Jhaat to “crack down on wine, women and song”, Jhaat decreed that folks could drink for only 22 out of the 24 hours in the day, “I’s Bones could only drag working girls from the Bush and songs could still be blasted from stereos all day and night and even from vehicles.
But now the Big Poomba wanted to crack down on gambling? Forget it. He and Naga Man were heading back East. Too vexatious!
Islamic groups urge support for 2:00am curfew
Two local Islamic groups have voiced their support of the 2:00am curfew imposed on bars and nightclubs across the country and they are calling on all other religious bodies and social groups to follow suit.
The public debate on the 2:00am curfew recently resurfaced when the Private Sector Commission (PSC) announced that Government should revisit this decision since it is negatively affecting businesses across the country.
In a press release, the Anna Catherina Islamic Complex (ACIC) and The Guyana United Sadr Islamic Anjuman (GUSIA) expressed their full support of this shutdown time, noting that the PSC is refusing to accept certain facts.
According to the release, the bodies are contending that the PSC refuses to take in consideration that alcohol consumption is linked to many harmful consequences for the individual drinker, the drinker’s immediate
environment and society as a whole.
“Such social consequences as traffic accidents, family and domestic problems and violence and noise nuisances (linked to bars and clubs) are being addressed by Governments globally, not only Guyana,” the release stated.
The religious groups alluded to incidents of alcohol abuse which ultimately result in incidents like traffic accidents, family issues and violence.
The organisation contended too that drinking “costs money and negatively impacts upon financial resources particularly of a poor family, leaving other family members destitute.”
Against this backdrop, the two organisations are urging all religious and social groups to publicly voice their support of Government’s decision to impose 2:00am curfew.
“These are the efforts needed to curb the lawlessness in our society. Organisations must also be
cognisant of the role they are required to play for a better society rather than taking “tunnel-vision” approach to issues which can play a positive role in our young generation,” the bodies stated.
Bad for business
Meanwhile, the PSC had initially supported the 2:00am on similar basis but recently, the Commission came to the realisation that this imposed shut off time is severely bad for business. As a result, the Commission called on Government to revisit the 2:00am curfew imposed on bars and nightclubs located in the commercial districts and zones in the country, especially for those which comply with building codes that limit noise nuisance.
Additionally, considering the highly festive Christmas season ahead, along with the upcoming 50th independence anniversary celebrations, the PSC is at least asking that Government extends the 2:00am decree to facilitate visitors.
Sheldon McDonald
Some students at the vigil on Thursday night (Krest Cummings Photo)
Govt moves to strengthen fight against drug trade
… NANA to be launched soon
The formation of the soon to be launched National AntiNarcotic Agency (NANA) is a step in the right direction for Government, as it strives to improve its efforts to combat the rampant drug trade within the country. This was revealed by Minister of State Joseph Harmon.
Harmon made this disclosure during a meeting with the United States Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway at the Ministry of the Presidency. Government recently announced that it is in the pro-
cess of merging the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) with the Police Narcotics Unit, along with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Enforcement Unit, to form one organisation to tackle the drug crimes. This general body will be called NANA. Currently, these separate agencies have been working over the years and have succeeded in making several huge drug busts independently and in jointoperations.
However, the current Administration believes a merger of these separate entities will strengthen Government’s efforts to clampdown on the drug related crimes plaguing the country.
Harmon noted that ad-
Moreover, given the complexity of this undertaking, the Government was advised during the meeting by the US Ambassador, to ensure that this new agency’s mandate is clearly defined.
In its 2015 Elections manifesto, the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition as part of its ‘Public Safety and Security Plans,’ stated its intention to “establish a unified Drug Enforcement and Control Agency (DECA) to coordinate and execute the national drug enforcement policy between the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU), the Police Anti-Narcotics Unit (PANU), DEA, INTERPOL and other agencies.”
In keeping with that promise, President David
ect is underway, the US Government has committed to work closely with Guyana to tackle crime, as well as to lend support in the areas of enhanced training for the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The US Government also committed to providing assistance to Guyana in the area of preserving crime scenes and evidence.
Local DEA office underway Additionally, a local drug enforcement agency is underway for Guyana.
Ambassador Holloway had announced that the office will be ready by January 2016.
However, the US Drug Enforcement office in Guyana would play no part in the actual Guyana Police
ditional State resources will be made available to the agency and better training capacity for individuals will be provided to ensure the unit is brought to a higher level of strength.
Harmon also noted that the formation of NANA will not diminish the importance of CANU but will rather strengthen the operations of the country’s drug fighting system.
Granger had announced that Government will roll out a comprehensive National Drug Strategy Master Plan. The establishment of NANA is a major component of this master plan. The President noted too that the Plan will work towards tackling the issues of contraband, smuggling, human trafficking and gun trafficking.
Meanwhile, as this proj-
Force’s interception of drug suspects and narcotics, but will instead be providing intelligence and other data that would help their local counterparts carry out the interception.
There were a number of calls for the establishment of a local DEA office in Guyana to assist with drug trafficking, since Guyana is considered a transshipment point.
33 graduate from Self...
He explained that Government inherited an economy that simply could not provide jobs for every able-bodied citizen. He said that in order for Guyana to develop, those who cannot find jobs should not shy away from learning new skills and venturing into businesses of their own.
The Minister told the participants that while entrepreneurship is encouraged, they must not be oblivious to the risks that come with owning a business. He said that many people have lost their life savings because not every business guarantees a profit and this is why focus must be placed on careful planning; a skill that was taught during the workshop.
“This programme aligns itself well with one of the five main goals of the Ministry of Business,
which is to increase the economic opportunities and capabilities of vulnerable groups and individuals,” Minister Gaskin said.
This is achieved through the work of the Small Business Bureau, a semi-autonomous body, which falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Business. The Minister urged the participants to seize the opportunities that are available to qualifying businesses.
These opportunities include a collateral guarantee facility, which guarantees 40 per cent of the loan amount that allows for a reduction in the amount of collateral that businesses have to put up; an interest subsidy scheme, which would reduce the amount of interest; and a grant scheme to assist vulnerable persons to access financing for existing business ventures.
Facilitator of the Workshop, Wayne Barrow from Interweave Solutions, told the participants that they will be a great influence to members of their communities. He said that businesses, communities and the home are all interwoven and once individuals become self-reliant, all are positively affected.
Interweave Solutions is a non-governmental organisation that helps local organisations and congregations in developing countries to create self-reliance by providing them with the necessary training to implement and promote their own business plans.
A few of the participants outlined their business strategies in accordance with the six ‘Ps’ that they were taught. These are planning, paperwork, products, promotion, price and process.
A merger of these separate entities will strengthen Government’s efforts to clampdown on the drug related crimes plaguing the country
US Ambassador to Guyana Perry Holloway
Minister of State Joseph Harmon
Our right to speak
Whenever Indian Guyanese speak about our condition here, it always generates an interesting array of responses. Some are expected. The mockery and misrepresentations are mostly employed to denigrate and return us to silence.
Ryhaan Shah
Dr Baytoram Ramharack’s recent column in Guyana Times and his letter to other media entities asking where are the Indian Guyanese intellectuals who will advocate for our cause and provide guidance in our multicultural society drew replies from known antagonists and an interesting one that interpreted his concern as a call to promoting the “ethnicisation” of intellectual thought.
Dr Ramharack has already replied to that criticism, stating that there are dangers in an ethnic interpretation of knowledge and that a rereading of his statements cannot lead anyone to conclude that as being his intent.
While no one supports such an interpretation of knowledge, the very basis for much intellectual inquiry is the human condition, with all its myriad facets of race, creed, gender, culture, class, etc, and it almost always springs from a specificity of interest. Take away the specific and the personal from academic research and you lose the passion that drives it.
Women scholars met in Trinidad this past week to discuss Indian Caribbean gender relations and feminisms. The Indian Caribbean women who attended and presented papers incorporated their ethnic and gender experiences into their work. These did not lessen their scholarship but enhanced it.
The Caribbean is not without its own body of work that has examined the human condition of Africans and Indians here. Franz Fanon, Dr Walter Rodney, Dr Eric Williams, Dr Clem Seecharran, Professor Brinsley Samaroo, and Dr Ramharack himself are among many who have inquired into various aspects of our history and politics and have added to the totality of our understanding of ourselves.
While there is no lack of African Guyanese who continue to speak for their causes, whether they are political, economic, cultural, or for reparative justice, there are few Indian Guyanese willing to take up the advocacy for our interests, as Dr Ramharack posited.
Such advocacy should not be limited to Indian scholars alone but who else will ever speak for us? And no one could suggest that others should speak on our behalf unless silence and invisibleness really are the preferred state for Indians here.
The further case of the Indian Guyanese experience is that the negative criticisms come not only from without, but also from within.
Lincoln Lewis, Dr David Hinds, Eusi Kwayana and Dr Eric Phillips hardly ever attract negative comments from within their own racial group – or from any other group for that matter – when they speak for and from the African Guyanese position.
That particular own goal is reserved for Indian Guyanese and in a previous column, I wrote about the redemptive posture taken by some who are uncomfortable with their Indian identity which they view, somehow, as being oppositional to the idea of nationhood.
Their need to proclaim their objections and distance themselves from our advocacy plays to an audience from whom they wish acceptance and who welcome them as the ideal and exemplary Indian Guyanese. Whatever their reasoning, that is their right.
However, assimilation is in itself a state of surrender, of giving up and accepting loss and extinction as one’s lot and the push for Indians here to assimilate into a oneness that is premised on an African Caribbean status quo is rightly resisted by most.
Our Indian Guyanese identity is a constitutional right and beyond the attempts of colonisation or that of autocratic rule, it has never been accepted practice to reshape people to one’s will. Even the United Kingdom, after centuries and with its history of colonising others, is proudly English, Welsh, Irish and Scottish and accommodates new immigrant groups as citizens.
Changes have occurred and will continue to occur at their own pace and on our terms and, hopefully, we will always retain the values and customs that make us uniquely Indian.
Dr Ramharack has called for an equal space for Indian Guyanese in our national dialogue. Such dialogue would presume mutual respect and regard for everyone involved. However, some of the polemics that arose from this recent discussion show that we are hardly there yet.
In fact, they represent the incivility and cuss-down culture to which Guyana is held hostage. That such argumentations are given ready media space indicates the support they receive from certain sections of society.
That in itself is depressing and shows that we are nowhere near dialogue and a resultant solution to our ever widening ethnic divide.
Readers are invited to send their comments by email to shah@guyanatimesgy.com
Diamond businesswoman’s murder…
More than 2 years after murder, Police arrest suspect
More than two years after the murder of Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) businesswoman, Sirmattie Ramnaress, the Police arrested a suspect on Friday, who was found in possession of a diamond ring and the lap top belonging to the now dead woman.
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Guyana Times that the man was arrested at his home at Diamond, EBD, and is being grilled in relation to the murder.
According to reports gathered, the suspect claimed that the now dead woman had contracted someone named “Paul Bascom” to execute a close relative.
On the night the woman was killed, the suspect claimed that Bascom went
to the home of the businesswoman to warn the relative about “snakes” around him but instead, the woman came out of the house to enquire what was happening.
As she came out, three men including the suspect,
invaded the woman’ s property where they committed the robbery and the murder. However, Bascom was later killed in Diamond.
The lifeless body of Ramnaress, also called “Sabo”, of Lot 2430 21 Avenue, Diamond Housing Scheme, was found about 10:00h lying face down in her office near her garage.
Her throat was slit, her head bashed in and her hip was disjointed; sections of her multimilliondollar property were also destroyed by fire.
The entire bottom-flat of the house was completely drenched with kerosene and her house was ransacked, which suggests that the woman was robbed before she was killed.
The perpetrators also set alight a bond aback the house, which was com -
pletely destroyed. After the robbery, the killers escaped in one of the woman’s motor cars.
Further information received revealed that the recordings from the internal and external surveillance cameras were missing.
This indicates that the perpetrators were well briefed as to the locations of the devices. Investigators from the inception believed that the robbery might have been an inside job, since there were no signs of forced entry into the premises.
In addition, the woman’s property is protected by a high grilled fence and an alarm system, which, according to neighbours, did not go off during the night of the gruesome murder.
Dead: Sirmattie Ramnaress
Sugar workers targeted for discrimination by APNU/AFC – Ramsammy
Former Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy says he stands in complete solidarity with his sisters and brothers in the sugar industry. They deserve a pay increase and they deserve it now he pronounced and continued:
To withhold their increases and to threaten them with a “dreadful” Christmas are the most unholy unkindness that any government can impose on workers in any country.
Unfortunately, APNU/ AFC will not listen. They, therefore, must feel. Sugar workers must and will stand up for their rights, no matter which government is in place.
Sugar workers of Guyana will go on strike sooner than later, unless APNU/AFC wakes up from its dictatorial idiocy. The sugar workers will strike to protect their dignity and their fundamental right to negotiate their wages with their employer, GuySuCo.
Exercising their option to strike will be standing up for their right and has nothing to do with which political party they support. If politics is part of this strike, it is clear that APNU/AFC is making this matter a part of its own political struggle with the PPP.
I remind APNU/AFC that the powerful dictators that they seek to emulate, the People’s National Congress (PNC) of 1964 to 1992 once sought to quiet the sugar workers. They failed then and APNU/AFC will fail today.
I remind them too that the sugar workers took strike action almost daily with the PPP/C in government. The militancy of the sugar workers cannot be silenced now, just as they could not be silenced by the frightening British military in 1948 when sugar workers set Guyana on the road to independence.
It is utterly disgraceful the way APNU/AFC is treating sugar workers. It is even more disgraceful that those who for several years chastised the PPP/C for giving sugar workers only meagre wage increases and those who swore on their own mothers that they will give sugar workers 20 per cent increase are dead silent.
Not only are people like Nagamootoo, Ramjattan, Charandass, Ramaya and others silent, they are part of the APNU/AFC machinery that today is brutally abrogating the rights of workers for wage negotiation.
The sugar workers have been lied to and betrayed, not only by APNU+AFC, but by people like Nagamootoo who used to brag of his sugarworkers connection. Some of the sugar workers fell for the promise by APNU/AFC of 20 per cent increase, compared to the usual 3 to 6 per cent that they were guaranteed under the PPP/C, no matter what the financial and production woes of GuySuCo was.
How is it possible that sugar workers received between 2010 and 2014 pay increases of 4 to 6 per cent annually
when production fell dramatically for various reasons and GuySuCo’s financial struggles necessitated subsidies from the PPP/C government and today are being told to settle for zero increases after the best production year since 2010?
The simple answer is that the PPP/C cared for sugar workers and valued their dedication and contribution to the economy of our country. APNU/AFC simply dose not care for sugar workers, and have betrayed them.
The PPP’s consistent and guaranteed 3 to 6 per cent increases were dubbed by APNU/AFC as miserly and meagre. Today, the sugar workers are being told to stay quiet, thank God they have a job and settle for zero pay increase. They are told that they must not insist on any negotiation, and if they do APNU/ AFC will consider their action as political.
To tell workers to bear their chafe and wait until APNU/AFC could find time to discuss the COI Report is insulting to sugar workers and all Guyanese. The sugar industry is too important for us to treat with such disdain, but Minister Trotman has no shame in telling them to stay quiet and wait until APNU/ AFC can set aside a date to discuss their grievance.
The sugar workers have been told that there will not be the customary wage increase negotiation until APNU/AFC tells them. It is November already and 2015 is almost over. The fundamental right of all workers is to strike when their rights are infringed upon.
Clearly, the right of the workers to negotiate with their employer has been severely and maliciously infringed. The CEO of GuySuCo has the audacity and shame-
lessness to tell workers and their unions that there will be no negotiation until the government tells GuySuCo when such negotiations can take place.
But the wage negotiations are not up to the government or the CEO of GuySuCo. These negotiations are part of the industrial legal framework for labour relations in the sugar industry. In the most difficult production and financial years for GuySuCo, these negotiations took place. The PPP/C government was well aware of the financial difficulties of GuySuCo but always supported GuySuCo in meeting its obligations to workers.
APNU/AFC are in full control of the government now and they have their hands on the almost $US1 billion ($G200 billion) in reserve.
They are expending Guyana’s hard-earned reserve to travel around the world in style, give themselves unbelievable pay increases, reward their friends and families with contracts and jobs and always planning big fetes, but they have no time to devote to the real work of governing.
They told sugar workers they will deal with the workers’ wages after the Commission of Inquiry (COI) have submitted its report in September. The COI was one month late and then GuySuCo informed sugar workers that they have to wait again.
Now after expending some $75 million on the COI (let APNU/AFC tell me that I am wrong about this figure and publish the latest expenditures for the COI), APNU/ AFC tells sugar workers that the report is merely a preliminary one.
When will this very expensive report be completed? It is an insult to sugar workers that the COI is now being used as an excuse to trample on the rights of workers.
It is useless to remind APNU/AFC that there is an ongoing Public Service COI, but workers were given a pay increase. It is even more useless to remind APNU/AFC that they had promised to reduce the salaries and benefits of the President and the Cabinet because the PPP/C Cabinet members were “fat cats” living “Cadillac lifestyles in a donkey cart economy”.
It is shameless audacity on the part of APNU/AFC to take the most hefty pay increases in the world for the last decade and then turn to sugar workers and tell them to behave and wait until APNU/AFC is ready to talk, given that 2015 is almost at an end.
The sugar workers have every reason to go on strike and it has nothing to do with politics. The sugar workers going on strike is ensuring their fundamental rights are respected by a government that after only six months already is building its resume of dictatorship.
The sugar workers will expose the hypocrisy of APNU+AFC.
Younge’s Take
The cheap politics of the AFC
The Alliance for Change (AFC) lacks the political integrity, uprightness, and testosterones to ever speak to Guyanese again as an independent political organism.
Placed simply, the party has betrayed all of the ideals that it stood for as ‘the third force’ in Guyana not because it decided to join the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition but because it is willing to go along with all of the recent sins and poor policies articulated by those at the helm of the Government.
From its press statement released on Saturday, November 7, 2015, it is clear the party has no interest in standing on the side of the working class because of the benefits and perks that its principals now enjoy at the expense of the country’s treasury.
Greed, vindictiveness and pride have consumed all of those AFC leaders who once stood before the electorate to criticize the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) about the manner in which it governed, and the lifestyles pursued by its members.
Today, the evidence of extravagancies continues to climb and one only needs to look at the lifestyle, posture, tone, pension, and perks enjoyed by Vice Presidents Moses Nagamootoo and Khemraj Ramjattan to understand the double standards and shocking levels of hypocrisy that have enamored the core of the AFC’s leadership.
The attempt by AFC to lash out at the PPP over its stance on the exorbitant salary increases that will be enjoyed by the Government Ministers, and the PPP’s position on parliament was weak, a sign of desperation and a cheap attempt to justify the coalition’s climbing anti-people endeavors.
In essence, the party sought to create a diversion from the missteps of the government by claiming it had the “goods” on the PPP and evidence of some secret bank accounts being held by PPP members with fabulous amounts therein.
The AFC, which apparently came out of vacation mode, described the public outrage over the salary increases as a “hullabaloo”, again disrespecting the thousands of Guyanese, countless stakeholders and right groups who are hurt and ashamed by the Government’s selfishness.
The party’s statement has further convinced Guyanese that the AFC has lost its way. Whenever a political party reaches the point where it attempts to defend wrongs and excesses, it is unambiguously on its way to decline, and is contributing to the rise of tyranny and creeping authoritarianism.
If the AFC has evidence of PPP corruption while in office, they should hand it over to the police and relevant authority as it could not be anything new considering the party’s position from the time of its creation.
If the party fails to make public its information on the secret accounts, Guyanese should express outrage and pressure its principals to come forward with the information in the public’s interest.
If it does not, every single MP should resign for misleading the public and breaching its trust. After all, Guyanese have not forgotten the cheap publicly stunt pulled by the party when it said at the time of the budget debates that it had information the PPP had offered millions to then opposition APNU parliamentarians to vote against their party’s position on the no confidence motion.
In the end the party was found lying but that matter was swept under the carpet.
One would have thought the AFC would have been better served trying to keep its party offices open and officials working on the ground. The party should be working to produce authentic audit reports of its funding, campaign expenses and other internal matters ahead of its next staged convention.
The party should also waste no time in developing a public relations strategy that would seek to explain to voters its betrayal of its trust, the fact that its Prime Minister was fooled and reduced to an Information Minister under the very Cummingsberg Accord which should have seen him having ‘super powers’.
Guyanese must never trust the AFC again if it cannot demonstrate the dignity and integrity to at least openly disagree with its coalition partner on matters that touch sand of the country’s political foundation and culture.
Indeed under the new dispensation, change has come to Guyana and it has indeed exposed the true nature of a party that once offered people here hope and the chance of new leadership. The AFC cannot survive the next five years under the leadership of its current “fattened” executives.
Michael Younge
Former Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy
Rockstone: an AMERINDIAN Community
On November 2, the media carried an article captioned “Rockstone craves development – residents”
The article spoke of the “residents” who wanted the “farming community” to develop so as to enhance their livelihood.
The most striking aspect of this article, is that the word “Amerindian” was not even mentioned a single time. Yet, before being a “farming community”, Rockstone is before all an Amerindian community, with a recognized Village Council.
It is an Amerindian community faced with tremendous issues resulting from the Village Council’s inability to secure an Absolute Grant over its ancestral village lands, despite having made such a request to the Government of Guyana since February 6, 2003.
After several investigative reports issued by the Amerindian Land Titling team earlier this year, in collaboration with the GGMC, GFC and GLSC, all evidence of this impasse seem to point in the direction of vehement objections and encroachments by interest groups, where discussions are dominated by strong ethnic tensions.
To begin with, Rockstone was initially populated by Amerindian residents who were born and grown on the land stretching all the way to Anarika, or who migrated from different Regions. One would find a mainly Carib and Arawak population with some Patamona. However, groups of predominantly Afro-Guyanese migrated to Rockstone starting from the ’80s according to documented evidence, establishing homes and making requests for leases to the GLSC.
When the Rockstone Village Council requested a title to their land in 2003, staunch objections were made by these interest groups, most of who identify to be from the “Hebrews” group, claimed to be defined by a distinct cultural and religious way of life. However, the Amerindians of Rockstone pursued their request which in turn, due perhaps to the ethnic tensions which warranted an ERC Report in 2010, indicating that there were no ethnic issues save when control of the territory was raised. It also recommended that the land remain under State Control.
However, if one were to raise the issue of slow development in Rockstone, inevitably, the clash between interest groups would be the culprit. The Amerindians of Rockstone are deprived of their legal right to land as enshrined in the Amerindian Act No 6 – 2006 and the United Nations Declaration on the Right of Indigenous Peoples.
Then, the Rockstone Village Council is being bullied by a Community Development Council, an anomaly which was uncovered during investigations, headed by those who are rabidly opposed to Amerindian communal land.
The encroachment by interest groups has led to the establishment of shops which according to the Village Council, encourages alcoholism and drug abuse. The Village Council accused interest holders of contributing to the decadence of young Amerindians in the community, inclusive of high rates of teenage pregnancy.
Tourism in the Rockstone Amerindian community, including the Rockstone Fish Festival, is managed by the CDC, excluding the participation of Amerindians. The last Rockstone Fish Festival in addition to being unsuccessful, was dominated by less fishing and more drinking and “sporting” (Parikari and fly were not the predominant drinks).
Significant progress was made under the first phase of the Amerindian Land Titling Project through the Amerindian Affairs Ministry, to address the Rockstone request for communal land. This included facilitation from the GFC regarding forest concessions, and negotiations with the interest groups resulting in an agreement to excise the lands claimed by interest groups, while granting title to the Amerindians of Rockstone over the remaining land requested. Mining is almost inactive in the community.
It was a fair deal.
However, the May 11 Elections seem to have stalled progress in every sphere of this country, including for the Amerindians of Rockstone. Hopefully, the new administration will build on the work accomplished by the Amerindian Land Titling team, and continue in the same direction. A decision to do otherwise will speak of continued discrimination against the Amerindians of Rockstone.
The ERC report stated: “Historians will have to advise whether the Amerindians who now live at Rockstone came to this area to work with the industrial development taking place or whether the area was or was not an Amerindian Settlement such as Kato or Paramakatoi.”
This is a typical statement used discriminatorily by those who oppose indigenous rights to land. However, it has omitted one fact: Amerindians are the first peoples of this country, which has caused many Amerindians to declare that the entire national territory belongs to them.
They coastal plains were populated by Caribs, Warrous and Arawaks. But if this isn’t enough, then the age of the oldest Amerindian born and grown in Anarika and Rockstone serves to prove that Amerindian presence in Rockstone preceded any “industrial development”.
Additionally, if this argument was even to be considered, then a substantial amount of Amerindians would have been deprived of their legal rights to land today, especially in the Mazaruni. Amerindian land ownership is the key to unlocking development, even in Rockstone, a community which is more often than not presented to be all but indigenous.
(Please send question and comments to sundayarrow@gmail.com)
Another prisoner hangs self in Police lockups – OPR,
CID launch probe
Amason who was arrested on Saturday morning for threatening behaviour allegedly took his own life while in the Police lockups at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost. The dead man has been identified as Sham Harrynauth, 38, of Lot 48 East Ruimveldt, Georgetown. According to information received, Harrynauth was found by Police ranks at about 17:05h hanging in the cell. From all indications, he ripped the jersey he was wearing and turned it into a noose. He was reportedly the only prisoner in the cell at the time. An investigation has been launched into the alleged suicide. At least five persons have committed sui-
cide while in Police custody. In June last, convicted murder accused Ramseh Muniram was found hanging from a rope in a cell at the New Amsterdam Prison. The 27-year-old was serving a 76year sentence for the murder of his wife. Reports indicate that on the day of the incident, Muniram was released from his cell at about
15:30h to go the recreational area to have dinner, but was returned to his cell at 15:35h.
However, when prison officials checked at 15:45h, he was discovered hanging from a window to the back of the cell. Muniram was sentenced by Justice Navindra Singh on October 18, 2013, for the murder of his wife Sunita August.
Anna Correia
AFC denies dodging salarygate debate with PPP/C
The Alliance For Change (AFC) political party is denying that Members of Parliament of the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration are trying to avoid the impending debate on a motion to challenge the hefty salary increases it has awarded Government Ministers and imposed upon all parliamentarians.
The upcoming sitting of the National Assembly, where the motion to annul the increases was expected to be debated, was postponed by the Government. The request was made by AFC Executive Member Moses Nagamootoo who explained that several key Government functionaries, Members of Parliament and the Clerk of the National Assembly will be attending the Summit of South American Arab Countries (ASPA) which will be held in Saudi Arabia from November 9-13.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Opposition has commented on this development and accused the Government of avoiding the debate on the motion and of putting their overseas travel above the domestic issues and the National Assembly.
In response, the AFC denied these allegations.
According to the party, the PPP/C was guilty of the same. “The AFC finds this to be hypocritical for the simple reason that it was the PPP, when faced with a motion of no confidence in 2014 that not only postponed the sitting of the National Assembly but shutdown the House. The PPP was fearful of that motion to the extent that it recklessly prorogued the Parliament which was derailed for a full nine months. It was the APNU+AFC coalition Government that rescued Parliament and reconvened the Assembly after the polls,” the press release stated.
AFC insisted that the Government is ready to debate the motion while at the same time, accused the Opposition of playing a “game of cat and mouse with Parliament”.
“It first boycotted important sittings, and then, not to lose pay for its MPs, quietly slipped into the House whilst petitioning the court to declare the Parliament illegal,” the AFC said in defending its stance and proving its point.
Further, the AFC said it is “armed with cogent facts and statistics” that would “shame” the polit-
ical Opposition “for giving its fat cat super salaries and perks for stashing away fabulous sums in secret bank accounts and causing the disappearance of vehicles and other state assets.”
The AFC went on to say evidence of these “wrongdoings” are now coming to the fore, although in actuality, no such evidence of these allegations were presented nor were charges made against former Government Ministers to the extent which is alleged. Moreover, in undermining the gravity of the salary increase situation, the AFC said the hullabaloo was a “red herring” to divert attention from the PPP/C’s destruction of Guyana’s economy, bankrupting the sugar industry and failing to find alternative markets for rice.
These accusations from the AFC partner of the coalition Government come on the heels of its Government neglecting to attend to the woes of the rice farmers and sugar workers who have staged plentiful protests about the plight of their respective industries and whose calls on the Government for much needed support have been apparently falling on deaf ears.
GAWU’s General Council puts strike on hold ... makes last ditch proposal before downing tools
By Michael younge
The 50-member General Council of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) on Saturday decided to put its planned countrywide strike on hold so that a final claim could be made to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for discussions on the Annual Production Incentives for workers which is due to be paid at year-end.
The Annual Production Incentive (API) is enjoyed by all staff when the industry achieves and exceeds the production targets set for a given period.
GuySuCo has consistently reported that it has been achieving its weekly and monthly production targets since the new Government came into power and the overall targets were revised, given some of the constraints faced by the industry.
When contacted on Saturday, GAWU President Komal Chand confirmed that a decision was taken at the three and a half hour meeting to put any pending strike action on hold and to seek all other alternatives to get GuySuCo to return to the wages and salaries negotiation table.
He said that a majority of the representatives at the General Council Meeting felt that the Union needed to engage GuySuCo on the API issue to see whether its posture would differ from the one exhibited in relation to increas-
es for workers before the year end.
“So we have decided to formally submit a proposal to GuySuCo’s management on Monday for consideration and we hope that they will get back to us by the next week”, he said.
Asked what were some of the other underlying factors that influenced the decision to the put the strike on hold, Chand said that no formal decision was ever arrived at to strike in the first place but when analysis of the time was done, it revealed that worker turn out would have still been poor, given that it was a holiday in the new week.
He explained too that GuySuCo, in anticipating the strike action, failed on Saturday to prepare the fields and estates for harvest as workers turned up and there was little or no work for them to do at the estates.
“In a sense, they struck
against themselves… we are reminded of the CEO’s utterances that for every day of strike they lose 2000 pounds of sugar so they have self-inflicted a strike today (Saturday) as none occurred from our end”, he explained.
Chand stated that the union has also explored the need to get GuySuCo to return to the table and believes that over the next week, more attempts would be made to achieve success in this respect.
“We know that the Union is avoiding these wage discussions”, he said, before being asked whether the next step will be to speak directly to Government, to which he responded in the negative as discussions were not formally closed with GuySuCo.
Questioned whether his Union is coming under political pressure from the Government, given the utterances of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and the casual posture of Agriculture Minister Noel Holder, Chand responded in the negative.
“But I can tell that GuySuCo’s position appears to have a political undertone and seems to be getting support from the Government,” he remarked.
He is convinced that any attempt by GuySuCo to reject the offer to discuss the API and other pending issues will see higher levels of solidarity among workers and stronger calls for more assertive action to ensure that sugar workers are paid what they deserve.
GTU’s $200M returned to National Treasury – no consultation held with the Union about Teachers Revolving Fund
By Kristen MacKlingaM
Over $200 million that was allocated for the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) Revolving Fund which would have allowed a number of teachers throughout the country to construct their houses has been returned to the National Treasury.
This is according to GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald, who told Guyana Times on Saturday that at present, her Union is uninformed as to what is happening with regards to this Fund.
“When we enquired about this money, we were told that the $200 million plus, it was returned to the Treasury. As it is right now, the GTU is not aware of what is happening because we would have made enquiries. We would have spoken to the new administration with regards to having this project come on stream, having the house lots issued to teachers, but so far nothing is forthcoming,” she said.
Coretta stated that with regards to the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government’s declaration that teachers would be benefiting from a professional housing scheme, the GTU has
not been notified about the criteria for this programme, since no consultation was held with the Teachers Union to address this issue.
“I think it very distasteful and somewhat disrespectful when these ministers go out there and make all these broad statements and they tie organisations to them without even giving the organisation a call to say ‘look we are doing A,B,C and D and we are including you’. GTU has not been called on any such and so we have no idea as to what, when, how and what the criteria is going to be. As it is right now, the GTU according to our agreement which ends in December of this year, it has one part there that speaks about houselots being awarded to teachers and monies for housing revolving projects… We had over $200 million in a bank account that was supposed to be used to fund the housing project,” Coretta explained.
According to the GTU General Secretary, the process for the housing project that had been catered for would have ensured that selected teachers in every region be awarded $2 million as a loan.
“$2 million because it is a revolving fund and of course
there was a criterion, a list of conditions that was set up as to teachers would have been identified by their branches… GTU has 42 branches which we operate from, so in every branch we try to ensure that teachers benefit. So names of teachers would have been submitted to central GTU from their branches and as long as a teacher has a land, a transport, a title, a deed, with his or her name on that, then that automatically qualifies a teacher,” she further explained.
Guyana Times was told that in addition to this, the teacher must be a ‘financial member’ of the GTU, and the criterion that was put in place did not require a teacher to have children or be married.
“As long as you had a piece of land registered under your name then fine. The hiccup in that, with regards to getting that off, was that we couldn’t find a lending organisation, a bank, or any other organisation to come on board to administer this project, in terms of giving the monies out and ensuring that every month teachers repay whatever sum would have been required of them,” she added. (kristenm@guyanatimesgy.com)
GAWU President Komal Chand
SunDAY, november 8, 2015 | guYAnAtimeSgY.com
Sun Burst/EBFA U-17 League…
Huge wins for Herstelling, Agricola
Herstelling Raiders and Agricola Red Triangle recorded massive wins on Saturday when action in the second edition of the Sun Burst/East Bank Football Association (EBFA) Under-17 League kicked off at the Grove Playfield.
Avalon Jagnandan, the Sales and Marketing Manager of Continental Agencies Limited, the manufacturer of Sun Burst Orange Juices, performed the ceremonial kick-off before the four teams swung into action.
In the feature contest, Herstelling Raiders completely annihilated Diamond United 8-0, while Agricola Red Triangle outplayed Kuru Kururu Warriors 6-1 in the opening game.
Group B action set the tone for the competition, which would be played on a round-robin, knock-out format. Agricola Red Triangle, fresh off winning the Lens
Craft/EBFA Under-13 League, wasted little time in asserting control of proceedings.
Captain Brian Price netted the opening goal and the first of his double, a welldirected curling shot that beat goalkeeper Sherven Henry in the V at the far post in the fourth minute. The Linden/Soesdyke based Kuru Kururu Warriors bounced back by keeping the Agricola boys at bay for the remainder of the opening 35 minutes.
It was not until the second half, in the 50th minute to be exact, that Agricola was able to break down the Warriors again. Andre Henry it was who found the back of the nets for Agricola and that sparked a flurry of goals.
Reuben Stanford then took over to hammer in two goals of his own in the 52nd and 54th minute before Price completed his double in the 60th minute.
The Warriors, who did enjoy a few good moments of their own, were finally able to pull one back in the 63rd minute, thanks to Ishmael James. Shamar Hinds sealed the
deal for Agricola by converting the final goal in the 67th minute to formalise their 6-1 triumph, which ensured full points and a jump ahead in Group B, which also in-
League. He hit the net in the seventh, 33rd and 67th minute in a match that was dominated by the winners.
Seon Alfred, who was a prominent feature for Herstelling last year at the Under-17 and senior levels, along with National Under-17 goalkeeper QuazimYussuf, blasted the nets twice in the 28th and 30th minute, while James Walcott was on target in the 46th minute. The final goal was an own goal. The other team in Group A is Mocha Champs.
cludes Grove and Soesdyke Falcons. The top two will advance to the semi-finals.
Group A play got underway with Herstelling Raiders romping to a comprehensive 8-0 win over Diamond United. Daniel Nedd led the winners with the first hat-trick of the
Meanwhile, Jagnandan, in addressing the gathering before officially declaring the League open, expressed his company’s delight in supporting the development of youths, reminding that they have also been sponsoring other sports, including motor-racing, badminton and karate among others. He wished the team’s every success in the opening and ensuing matches, challenging them to be disciplined on and off the field of play. Matches will continue on Saturday.
All Saints, Fort Ordinance Primaries victorious
All Saints and Fort Ordinance Primary Schools registered comfortable victories in the New Amsterdam/Canje zone of the GCB/Scotiabank Kiddy Progression One Cricket recently.
At All Saints ground, Fort Ordinance Primary defeated Sand Voort Primary by 13 wickets. Batting first, Sand Voort managed 108-5 in 14 overs, with Nathan Christian hitting 27 not out. Bowling for Fort Ordinance, Kevin Kisten and Dillon Thomas both had figures of 1/2.
Fort Ordinance Primary made light work of their target, as Kisten returned with the bat to score a brilliant 50 not out. Kisten, along with Stephan Dindyal, who made 20 not out, completed the chase in just nine overs, as they lost just one wicket.
Over at Cumberland ground, All Saints Primary defeated Rose Hall Estate Primary. All Saints Primary posted 142-7 with Civion Arokium scoring 37, and Tiffany Pellew taking 2-6.
Rose Hall Estate Primary responded with 76-10 off 14 overs, with Arokium picking up 2-2. Kezia Gordon, the daughter of former national senior team pacer Jeremy Gordon, took 2-4.
Meanwhile, North Georgetown Primary defeated St Agnes Primary in the second semi-final of the North Georgetown zone, and will now face St Margaret’s Primary in the final.
Batting first, North Georgetown Primary had contributions from a num-
ber of batsmen as the posted 133- 8 in 14 overs. Shiloh Adams led the way with an attacking 37; Nigel Lowemade made 19, while Yannick Norton and Mervin Sears each scored 16. St Agnes Primary reached 116-5 when their overs expired, with Nikel Carter and Sherwin Sampson each scoring 30. Bowling for North Georgetown Primary, Shiloh Adams returned to take two wickets to complete a fine all-round effort to propel his team into the final. Mocha Arcadia Primary also made light work of Peter’s Hall Primary. Taking first strike, Mocha Arcadia Primary made 1067 in 14 overs, with Princess Williams making 24 and Demare Ellis 20.
Peter’s Hall Primary responded with 59-5 with Jamaul Browne and Matasia Inniss picking up two wickets apiece.
Kevin Kisten
Part of the action between Herstelling Raiders and Diamond United
YELLOW PAGES
sunday, nOvember 8,
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Five schools record easy wins
The Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) National Secondary School Cricket League (NSSCL) sponsored by Bank’s DIH Limited’s Coca Cola and Rainforest Water along with Digicel continued recently with Vryman’s Erven, Canje, New Amsterdam, School of the Nations and Leonora Secondary Schools recording easy wins.
Below are the summarised scores from the games played.
At the Cumberland ground: Canje Secondary School defeated Berbice Education Institute by 40 runs. Canje Secondary 106 all out in 25.3 overs (Trevon Stanlislaus 24, Kevin Sinclair 22, Nikeem Noble 2-12, Randy Ramnauth 2-14) Berbice Education Institute 66 all out in 29.1 overs (Kevin Sinclair 3-9, Joshua Bacchus 3-17, Zeynul Ramsammy 2-7).
At Berbice High School ground: New Amsterdam Secondary defeated Berbice
New Amsterdam Secondary School’s Simeon Budhan grabbed 6-17 against Berbice High School
High School by 108 runs. New Amsterdam Secondary School 167 all out in 29.5 overs (Garfield Benjamin 34, Joshua Deonarine 28; Naresh Chand, Raveshkar Budhu, Brandon Pydanna, Abdul Ramsammy and Bryan Mahadeo took two wickets each) Berbice High School 59 all out (Simeon Budhan 6-17, Ruben Latch 2-17, Naresh Chand 33).
At the Everest ground:
School of the Nations defeated Kingston Secondary by seven wickets. Kingston Secondary 88 all out from 14 overs (Shayaz Samad 11, Devin Shivraj 3-9, Bheem Hardyal 3-21, Christopher Baljit 2-11) School of the Nations 90-3 in 12.1 (Mark Ramsamy 42*, Terrence John, Orlando Smart and Shayaz Samad took a wicket each).
At the Zeeburg ground: Leonora Secondary defeated St John’s Secondary by 30 runs. Leonora Secondary 113 in 15.1 overs (Kevin Christian 36, Keon July 5-37) St John’s Secondary 83 all out in 17 overs (Mark Jeffers 4-25).
Vryman’s Erven Secondary defeated Tutorial Secondary School by two wickets. Tutorial Secondary School 180-5 (Melvin Singh 69, Rovaldo Europe 21*, Rajindra Beharry 20, T. Williams 2-39) Vryman’s Erven 181-8 in 20.1 overs (R. Williams 40*, Teron Sampson 39, S. Bacchus 32, Leon Swami 4-49, Melvin Singh 2-40).
International cricket round-up
CRICKET ALL-STARS, 1ST T20, NYC
Sachin’s Blasters 140-8 from 20 overs (V. Sehwag 55, S. Tendulkar 26, A. Symonds 3-15, Shane Warne 3-20) v Warne’s Warriors 141-4 from 17.2 overs (R. Ponting 48*, K. Sangakkara 41, J. Rhodes 20*, S. Akhtar 2-26).
Result: Warne’s Warriors win by six wickets
INDIA V SA, 1ST TEST, MOHALI, 3RD DAY
India 201 (M. Vijay 75, R. Jadeja 38, D. Elgar 4-22) and 200 (C. Pujara 77, M. Vijay 47, I. Tahir 4-48, S. Harmer 4-61) v South Africa 184 (AB deVilliers 63, H. Amla 43, R. Ashwin 5-51, R. Jadeja 3-55) and 109 (S. van Zyl 36, R. Jadeja 5-21, R. Ashwin 3-39).
Result: India win by 108 runs
AUSTRALIA V NEW ZEALAND, 1ST TEST, BRISBANE, 3RD DAY
Australia 556-4 declared (U. Khawaja 174, D. Warner 163, A. Voges 83*, J. Burns 71) and 264-4 (J. Burns 129, D. Warner 116, M. Craig 3-78) v New Zealand 317 (K. Williamson 140, M. Starc 4-57, M. Johnson 3-105).
Position: Australia lead by 503 runs with six wickets remaining
BANGLADESH V ZIMBABWE, 1ST ODI, MIRPUR
Bangladesh 273-9 from 50 overs (M. Rahim 107, S. Rahman 57, T. Iqbal 40, S. Raza 2-47, T. Muzarabani 2-64) v Zimbabwe 128 all out from 36.1 overs (E. Chigumbura 41, L. Jongwe 39, S. Al Hasan 5-47, M. Mortaza 2-13).
Result: Bangladesh win by 145 runs
The top performers pose with Alanzo Greaves (in red uniform) and his family
Evolution’s Marlon “Fishy” Williams to cop the title after the two pulled away from the pack and never relinquished their lead. With 200m to go, Marlon, who won 13 sprint prizes, threw teamwork out the window and attacked his namesake rival. Geron however, would have none of it, as he stepped on the pedals and stormed to the finish line ahead of Marlon. Greaves took third to complete the top podium spots, which saw 1-2-3 getting $12,000, $10,000 and $8000 cash respectively. Prizes were handed over by Greaves’ daughter and spouse.
Alanzo Greaves’ Birthday Classic…
Soldiers whip Police in Inter-Services T20
By Akeem Greene
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) produced a sterling performance which undermined any chance of the Guyana Police Force winning the Commander-in-Chief InterServices Officers T20 at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, on Friday.
Strolling out to bat in brilliant sunshine and in the presence of a handful of spectators, the Police Force openers never looked comfortable against the bowling of the Soldiers. Police lost their first wicket in the second over of the day’s proceedings.
In the end, Police limped to 95-9 in 20 overs. The “12th man” extras, top scored with 34, as Linden Lord made 17 and Whitney Bacchus chipped in with 13. Bowling for GDF, Andre McFarlane took 2-15 from four overs and Farhan Uthman supported with 2-19, also off four overs.
In response, the Soldiers raced to 98-2 from 14.3 overs, due to a sparkling 53 not out by James Fraser, who was later adjudged Man-of-the-Match and Best Batsman. McFarlane and Uthman received the Best Bowler and Best Fielder award respectively. The
competition saw teams from Guyana Police Force, Guyana Defence Force, Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Prison Service participating.
Earlier in the day, President David Granger bowled the first ball of the match, much to the delight of those present. Also in attendance were Guyana Defence Force’s head Brigadier Mark Phillips, Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud, Commander of A Division Clifton Hicken and other high ranking officials of the armed forces. (akeemg@ guyanatimesgy.com)
South American 10k Classic set for today
The 13th annual South American Classic 10k road race will take place today at its usual start point, the Earth Station on Carifesta Avenue, and will go up to the 4k turning point at University of Guyana Public Road. The athletes will then make their way to the National Park for the final stages of the race, which will begin at 15:00h.
As per International Associations of Athletics Federation (IAAF) regulations, person under the age of 16 will not be allowed to compete in the race. As such, 14:00h there will be an Under-16 1500m and an Under-13 800m race in the National Park.
President of the Athletic Association of Guyana, Aubrey Hutson, said at the
launching, which was held at the Kanuku Suites on Saturday, that they welcome all the athletes that are in Guyana for the races.
Athletes from Peru, Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, United Kingdom and the United States of America will compete today.
Technical delegate from Trinidad and Tobago, Allan Baboolall, said that “all systems are place as the route has already been demarcated in blue, the international colour for road racing.”
In addition, Baboolall explained that the route is extremely safe for all athletes.
The most attractive aspect about the race is the prizes to be awarded, as the overall winner will receive an 8-pennyweight gold medal and US$1,000 in both the
male and female category. Second and third place finishers will receive a genuine silver and bronze medal respectively, in addition to cash prizes.
As an incentive to local athletes, the first female and male athlete to cross the line will receive an additional US$500. Several of the athletes expressed confidence as they are hoping to do well and go for gold. With a total of 72 entries recorded for the Junior, Senior, International and Masters categories, the South American Classic 10k is expected to be a spectacle, especially with the likes of Eulene Josiah-Tanner and Cleveland Forde set to face some stiff competition from the Kenyans and Peruvians.
The victorious GDF team along with Brigadier Mark Phillips
Organisers of the event along with several of the athletes at Saturday’s pre-race briefing
Trophy Stall takes it to another level
If you’re a sport enthusiast or an avid follower of the sport pages, you would realise that ‘Trophy Stall’ is probably the most popular two words in local sport.
Not just because the entity provides a wide array of trophies, medals and plaques, but of the benevolence of its Managing Director, Ramesh Sunich, who seizes every opportunity to support, whether financially or otherwise, sporting activities across the country.
A businessman and avid softball player, Sunich prob-
ably understands his area of business, and its impact on the disciplines, more than anyone else, given the fact that he is also a functioning executive member of the Guyana Floodlight Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA).
The GFSCA last weekend held its international tournament, Guyana Softball Cup 5, and Sunich, who has been providing trophies and medals for top teams and individuals since the inception of the competition in 2011, took his contribution to another level.
All set for Jumbo Jet horse race meet today
Organisers of the Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and Racing Stable horse race meet have assured that all systems are in place for today’s event, slated to be held at the Bush Lot Turf Club race track in Sea View Park, Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, from noon.
Chief Coordinator Mohamed Nazrudeen Jr told this publication on Saturday that with entries topping the 70mark, a competitive day of racing is anticipated.
The organisers have put together an impressive eight-race programme, and over $7 million in cash, trophies and other incentives are up for grabs. The feature event will see the Fouryear-old West Indies bred and the E1 and Lower horses battling for a first prize of $600,000 over a distance of one mile.
Also sharing top billing is the race for Three-year-
“Ramesh Sunich always saves his best trophies for Guyana Softball Cup,” GFSCA Vice-president Jailall Deodass said prior to the tournament.
Several towering trophies, getting bigger with each passing year, were lined up for the three-day tournament, and they provided an amazing spectacle for fans at the final on Sunday night at the Demerara Cricket Club.
Many were seen taking selfies and posing with friends in front of the massive trophies, which were the height of the average person.
Fortunate enough to lay hands on the masterpieces were the men from Regal, who won both the Open and Masters categories.
They would be back next year to defend their titles, and so too would be Sunich to enhance his reputation as the man who popularised the ‘big trophies.’
Banks DIH refreshes SA 10k, Guyana Marathon athletes
Banks DIH Limited has teamed up with the organisers of the South American 10k and the first-ever Guyana Trail Marathon as the main beverage provider.
The local beverage giant has provided sponsorship through its Powerade and Rain Forest Water brands for the two prestigious events which will see both local and international athletes participating.
The sponsorship packages were handed over
to officials of the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) and Guyana Trail Marathon during a simple ceremony at Thirst Park on Friday.
Communications Manager of Banks DIH Limited, Troy Peters, said both events will showcase Guyana to the world and the company has continued to demonstrate its commitment to supporting athletics in Guyana.
He said athletes and officials participating in the 13th annual South American 10k road race
scheduled for today, and the Guyana Marathon and Half Marathon next Saturday will be hydrated with top quality products.
The South American 10k will take place today from the Earth Station on Carifesta Avenue at 15:00h; proceed to the University of Guyana access road, and return to finish at the National Park.
The Trail Marathon will start and finish in the Amerindian community of Santa
Mission.
old West Indies bred animals, also over a mile, for a winning purse of $400,000. There is also a race for Twoyear-old West Indies bred animals over six furlongs with $300,000 at stake for the winner. Animals classified G1 and Lower will be racing over six and a half furlongs for a similar first prize.
The other races are all over six and a half furlongs. The H1 and Lower horses will be galloping for a first prize of $250,000, while the I1 and Lower horses will be looking to take home the $200,000 top prize.
J1 and Lower horses will race for a pole position taking of $150,000, while the final race is for animals classified K and Lower, with the winner set to take home $100,000.
The horse race meet will be conducted under the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority. (rajivb@ guyanatimesgy.com)
Devi Sunich, the spouse of Ramesh Sunich, the Managing Director of the Trophy Stall, presents a huge trophy to Troy Kippins, skipper of Regal Masters, who won the Over-45 category at last weekend’s Guyana Softball Cup 5 (Avenash Ramzan photo)
Aratak
Top officials for today’s South American 10k seal the deal with Errol Nelson, Rain Forest Water Brand Manager
guyanatimesgy.com
Sri Lanka v West Indies, 3rd ODI, Pallekele…
SL win via D/L to sweep series 3-0
Sri Lanka’s seamers ploughed through the West Indies top order then weathered a Marlon Samuels surge to set up a 19-run Duckworth-Lewis victory and complete the series whitewash. Buoyed by Samuels’ 94-ball 110 not out, West Indies got to 2069 from their 36 overs, but, having had them at 105-
6 before a 135-minute rain interruption, Sri Lanka had that total scaled down via the Duckworth Lewis method. Kusal Perera topscored with 50 off 47 balls in a chase of 190. Sri Lanka had moved to 179-5 after 32 overs when rains came down again to end the match. The par-score at that final interruption was 160.
SCOREBOARD
West Indies innings (36 overs maximum)
J Charles c Dilshan b Malinga 4
ADS Fletcher lbw b Lakmal 6
J Blackwood c Dilshan b Malinga 2
DM Bravo b Lakmal 4
MN Samuels not out 110
D Ramdin† c †Perera b Chameera 4
JL Carter c †Perera b Mendis 6
JO Holder* c †Perera b Chameera 19
CR Brathwaite lbw b Mendis 18
SP Narine c Chandimal b Mathews 9
R Rampaul not out 2
Extras (lb-5, w-17) 22
Total (9 wickets; 36 overs) 206 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Charles, 0.4 ov), 2-12 (Fletcher, 3.4 ov), 3-16 (Blackwood, 4.5 ov), 4-18 (Bravo, 5.4 ov), 5-52 (Ramdin, 10.4 ov), 6-84 (Carter, 18.4 ov), 7-109 (Holder, 23.5 ov), 8-164 (Brathwaite, 28.6 ov), 9-195 (Narine, 33.5 ov)
Bowling: SL Malinga 7-0-432, RAS Lakmal 7-0-40-2 (3-w), PVD Chameera 7-0-39-2 (3w), TAM Siriwardana 5-0-170, BAW Mendis 8-0-51-2 (3-
AD Mathews 2-0-11-1
Sri Lanka innings (target: 162 runs from 32.3 overs)
MDKJ Perera† c Blackwood b Rampaul 50
TM Dilshan c Carter b Brathwaite 21
HDRL Thirimanne c Samuels b Holder 21
LD Chandimal c †Ramdin b Carter 23
AD Mathews* not out 27
TAM Siriwardana c †Ramdin b Holder 17
DSNFG Jayasuriya not out 11
Extras (lb-3, w-6, nb-1) 10
Total (5 wickets; 32.3 overs) 180 Fall of wickets: 1-40 (Dilshan, 5.3 ov), 2-95 (Thirimanne, 15.4 ov), 3-103 (Perera, 18.3 ov), 4-134 (Chandimal, 24.2 ov), 5-161 (Siriwardana, 28.2 ov)
Bowling: R Rampaul 5-034-1 (1-nb, 2-w), SP Narine 7.3-1-24-0, JO Holder 7-044-2, CR Brathwaite 7-0-401 (3-w), J Blackwood 3-0-160, JL Carter 3-0-19-1 (1-w)
St Angela’s, Enterprise in Courts
Volcanoes 127-2, replying to Jaguars' 362
(o/n 287-4)
A Fudadin b Mayes 4
R Chandrika lbw b Matthews 146
L Johnson c Smith b Shillingford 29
V Singh lbw b Shillingford 48
S Chanderpaul c Smith
b Shillingford 34
R Reifer c wk Ambris
b Shillingford 17
C Barnwell lbw b Liam Sebastien 28
A Bramble c Polius b Peters 6
S Jacobs c Liam Sebastien
b Shillingford 14
R Beaton c Bascombe
b Shillingford 5
G Motienot out 4
Extras: (nb-3, b-16, lb-8) 27
Total: (all out; 129.4 overs) 362
By Rajiv Bisnauth
Windward Islands Volcanoes reached 127-2, and put themselves in a much re-
position at the end of
Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-75, 3-179, 4-259, 5-301, 6-305, 7-325, 8-343, 9-357, 10-362
Bowling: Matthew 19-9-330, Mayers 12-4-44-1, Peters 20-5-53-0, Shillingford 42.413-107-6, Liam Sebastien 27-5-65-1, Polius 9-1-36-0
Windward Islands
Volcanoes first innings T Theophile lbw b Barnwell 46 M Bascombe b Jacobs 11 D Smith not out 35 K Lesporis not out 26
Extras: (nb-1, w-3, lb-4, b-6) 14
Total: (for two wickets; 47 overs) 127
Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-78
Bowling: Beaton 9-2-340, Reifer 6-1-11-0, Jacobs 13-3-28-1, Barnwell 10-223-1, Motie 9-0-26-0
(WICB) Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-day game against the Guyana Jaguars at the National Stadium, Providence, on Saturday. When bad light ended play at 16:54h, Devon Smith and Keddy Lesporis were at the crease on 35 and 26 re-
spectively. The tourists still trail the Jaguars first innings total of 362, by 235 runs.
Earlier, off-spinner Shane Shillingford continued where he left off on day one, and was again the chief tormentor, finishing with figures of 6-107, as the Jaguars managed a further 75 runs before they were bowled out midway through the second session.
Resuming under overcast conditions, Jaguars opener Rajendra Chandrika, on 140 overnight, began the day somewhat circumspect, while Raymond Reifer, the other overnight batsman, played with much comfort, hitting Shillingford for a huge six, before rain stopped play after 5.2 overs.
Once play resumed, Chandrika, seemingly having lost his concentration, was trapped leg before wicket to Mervin Matthews for 146. His innings spanned 425 minutes from 333 deliveries, with 21 boundaries.
Reifer (17) followed soon after, edging behind to Sunil
Ambris to give Shillingford his fourth scalp at 305-6. Christopher Barnwell and Anthony Bramble came together, but the latter struggled for 25 balls before he was removed by left-arm seamer Kenroy Peters for six.
Steven Jacobs joined forces with Barnwell and together the pair survived some anxious moments to reach the
lunch interval at 342-7.
After the break, Barnwell’s promising innings was cut short when he was trapped leg before wicket to off-spinner Liam Sebastien for 28. The visitors found more success when the Dominican completed his six-wicket haul by removing both Jacobs (14) and Ronsford Beaton (5).
St Angela’s Primary and Enterprise Primary will face off in the final of the Courts Pee Wee football tournament after both schools made it past the semi-final round on Saturday at the Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park. St Angela’s Primary topped West Ruimveldt in the final game of the day, coming out victorious with a 1-0 win to advance.
After a number of near chances, Keyon Douglas scored the game’s winning goal in the 38th minute, due to a defensive blunder by West Ruimveldt.
In the second game of the day, St Pius and Enterprise Primary ended in a nil-all draw with Enterprise moving to the final with a 3-1 penalty win. The final will be played on Tuesday at the Banks DIH ground, Thirst Park, with a few playoff game s set to start at 11:00h before the championship game.
w),
Guyana Jaguars first innings
Marlon Samuels was the lone bright spot for the West Indies with a hundred
laxed
day two of the first round West Indies Cricket Board
Action between St Angela's and West Ruimveldt during their semifinal game (Treiston Joseph photo)
Shane Shillingford finished with figures of 6-107