Guyana Times Daily

Berbice rice farmers tell Ramotar of P their plight 13

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 2087 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Monday, March 31, 2014

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Put nation first

$3.7B to GPL will stave off 12 per P2 cent tariff hike – PM

Dr Ashni Singh to Parliament on budget debate:

Canada recommits to developing small business P3 sector

Police P7 making small dents in Berbice ganja trade

This one! This young lady became enamoured of this stylish wedding gown during a tour of the Wedding Expo being held at Duke Lodge, Kingston (Carl Croker photo)

WPA aggrieved Third Port Mourant

by Rodney ambush Inquiry snub See story on page 17

– says members free to participate

See story on page 9

victim dies

SASOD bemoans spike in sexual violence

P12

IDB forecasts three per cent growth for P12 Caribbean economies

2 news

monday, March 31, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

$3.7B to GPL will stave off Urling knocks $10,000 12 per cent tariff hike – PM per child initiative – teachers urge transparency G overnment said that the $3.7 billion allocation to the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) will help stave off a 12 per cent hike in tariff.

Budget 2014 provides a sum of $7.7 billion to help meet the needs of electricity generation to the country. Of that amount, $3.7 billion is for the GPL Inc, and its 170,000 customers, while $3.2 billion is earmarked for the continuation of power subsidies to Linden and Lethem.

Prime Minister (PM) Samuel Hinds, who has oversight for the energy sector, explained that the provisions to GPL, would see the forgoing of what should have been a 12 per cent increase in electricity tariff for GPL customers this year.

Speaking on the National Communications Network (NCN) programme, “Budget at a Glance”, the Prime Minister said on the average, a customer is getting a subsidy of $22,286 this year.

This amount would vary for a smaller customer, who may only be getting a $5000 support for the year, and for a large customer or business, that support may run to $500,000 or $1 million per year, he explained.

Upgrade

The Prime Minister said the support for GPL is directed more towards capital expenditure and two programmes. The Government has been receiving assistance from the Chinese EXIM Bank and from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). In the case of the EXIM Bank, GPL has an ongoing programme to upgrade its transmission and distribution systems. This programme is nearing completion and GPL is seeking to expand the upgrading exercise.

“It should be finished by July, and GPL is looking to do some additional things, and that includes to start on an additional sub-station at Williamsburg on the

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds Corentyne coast and also to expand the Number 56 Substation,” he said.

The 2014 injection to GPL provides too, for the expansion of electricity service to the islands of Wakenaam and Leguan. He said that provisions have been made for these two Region Three island residents to have a 24hour electricity service.

“We have been providing them with limited services mainly in the evening, but with the growth and development of all areas, particularly with the schools and putting in computer systems, more or less everyplace now wants lights not just at night, but 24-hour power. It is a step in our growth and development, and we budgeted for that at Leguan and Wakenaam,” Prime Minister Hinds said.

Also covered are the preparatory works for the replacement of the generators at GPL power station at Anna Regina in Region Two, and for a new power station at Bartica in Region Seven. Government had put in two new generators in Anna Regina in 1996, but now that the area has grown, and the generators are getting close to their 20-year life span. GPL has therefore been seeking to start preparatory work for their replacement, the PM said.

In Bartica, people have been calling for a new power station away from the waterfront. GPL has some locations

in mind and will start preparatory work in this regard this year. The money will also cost non-technical and technical losses of electricity.

Meanwhile, in the case of Linden, with the budgetary allocation which is a provision for the benefit of 10,500 customers in Region 10, the subsidy per customer will work out to $291,000 per year or close to $24,000 per month on the average, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said when Linden’s average consumption is compared with Georgetown; it is about 50 to 100 per cent more.

Electricity consumption

He said that one reasonable assumption is that people in Linden could cut back their electricity consumption use to nearly half of what it is without suffering any significant loss or comfort.

He pointed out that Government’s argument has been that it would like to see Linden grow and develop, but the town needs to do so on a sound basis. The Prime Minister again made the call for Linden to start the transition to GPL rates, as it has now been two years since Government began discussions in this regard with the APNU and this was put on hold.

“We need to start the transition… it is going to be painful… but this is something that is outstanding, that has to be made. Linden cannot grow and develop strongly on electricity rates that are only 10 per cent of what is required,” the Prime Minister said. Government’s plan had been to, over a five-year period, transition Region 10 to GPL rates. In the first instance, it was to move the customers to half of the GPL rate, to ensure that everyone across the system is treated equally. This plan which was accepted by APNU was later rejected by the party following outcry from their constituents in Region 10.

BY SVETLANA MARSHALL AND GOMATIE GANGADIN

F

ormer Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) President Clinton Urling said the $2 billion set aside to assist children in the public education sector could have been better spent in other areas.

Speaking at a recent press conference, Urling said “We are particularly pleased with the social programmes contained in the budget to help struggling families get their kids to school,” but on the same note, “the said money could have been channelled towards increasing the salaries of teachers and ranks of the Guyana Police Force”.

Additional support

In an effort to provide additional support to parents with school aged children, the Donald Ramotar administration will this year provide a cash grant to parents of every child attending a nursery, primary or secondary school in the public education system. For every child, parents would receive $10,000 for 2014.

“This grant can be used to meet such costs as transportation, and will provide added impetus to raising enrolment and attendance rates, in addition to having the effect of increasing the disposable incomes of parents of school aged children,” Dr Singh had said in his budget presentation. This initiative is expected to benefit approximately 188,406 families.

According to Urling, for this programme to be effective, appropriate mechanisms will have to be put in place to ensure that the funds allocated fulfil its objective. Failure to imple-

ment the requisite systems can result in logistical and resource problems during implementation, he argued. He further opined that to ensure efficacy, the Government would have to spend and utilise additional resources, both human and financial.

“This measure also raises the question as to whether the monies allocated could not have been allocated to increase teachers’ salaries or increase the salaries of the Guyana Police Force.

It would be much easier to do in terms of implementation and the cost of doing so would have been cheaper,” the outgoing GCCI President argued.

But besides this suggestion, GCCI said it was pleased with the 2014 national budget, describing it as “a steady, attractive and people-friendly budget, building on the achievements of its predecessors”.

Move in right direction

The GCCI’s suggestion came days after the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) said the Government could have made a meaningful contribution to the education sector by using the $2 billion to purchase boats and school buses to transport children from their homes to their respective schools. Responding to the suggestion made by the GCCI, several teachers across the country said the $10,000 is a move in the right direction.

Marlyn Young, Headmistress of the Hope Secondary School, East Coast Demerara, related that the increase in the salaries of teachers, whether it be $10,000 or more, will be a most welcome gesture.

“You cannot even afford a small vacation from the

Former GCCI President Clinton Urling

salary you as a teacher receive. If you do have financial back up or support from other persons in the home or family environment, there would be many things that you will not be able to afford,” she noted.

The professional, who has been a teacher for over 39 years, told this publication the teachers are the most important persons in the education system, but are paid meagre salaries for a big job. She noted that any increase to the already small salary will go a big way in initiating better performances from the teachers and contribute to an increased standard of living for them.

Another teacher, Colleen Ramkissoon who serves as the Headmistress for the Mon Repos Primary School, stated that while she believes many will welcome the initiative, the money can be used for a different purpose; one which can benefit the lower classes.

“First of all, when this money is given to the parents, it does not mean that they are going to be attending schools because parents can very well collect the money and then stop the child from school. There is no way the Government can monitor how the money is spent. If they want to assist the students, then they can implement a kitchen system where meals can be prepared every day and given to the children in the primary and secondary schools that are from unfortunate backgrounds and cannot afford even a meal a day,” she related.

However, she supported the call for the money to be added to the salaries of the policemen and a teacher, noting that the money is too little for a challenging task.

“As a teacher, you have to be very, very passionate about teaching and children or else you will not make it. The salary is small and teachers and policemen always welcome whatever little can be added to it,” Ramkissoon shared.

She noted that this amount can be added to the uniform allowances of teachers, which is $8000, when a good working shoe is $8500.

3 Canada recommits to developing small business sector News

monDay, March 31, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Monday, March 31 from 05:30h-06:30h The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Monday, March 31 from 17:00h-18:30h

WEATHER TODAY

BY SVETLANA MARSHALL

Countrywide: Thundery showers are expected during the day and into the afternoon, with light showers in the evening and clear skies later in the night. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees and 27 degrees Celsius.

Wind: North easterly between zero to 4.91 metres per second.

High Tide: 04:46h and 17:09h reaching maximum heights of 2.87 metres and 2.82 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 10:22h and 22:58h reaching minimum heights of 0.42 metre and 0.43 metre respectively.

Saturday, March 29, 2014

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C

anadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Nicole Giles has recommitted her country’s readiness to help Guyana foster economic growth among Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

According to Dr Giles, SMEs are the unsung heroes of economic development, with larger companies often taking spotlight. Speaking at the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Annual General Meeting (AGM), she said as part of its objective to engender Sustainable Economic Growth in Guyana, Canada continues to give much needed support to local SMEs. Last November, Canada financed the establishment of a Credit Bureau here, helping to improve business opportunities and simultaneously offering support to small and medium businesses. The Credit Bureau provides information on prospective borrowers and their credit worthiness.

Complementing the Credit Bureau was the Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry’s (GBTI) Risk Management Initiative, which came on stream in February 2014, following collaboration between Canada and the bank.

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“This initiative will design a more comprehensive prediction model that is specifically tailored for the SME sector, one that is not only based on financial ratios derived from accounting data,” the Canadian Higher Commissioner said, adding that the timeliness of the Risk Management Initiative will help small and medium businesses to take advantage of a plethora of commercial opportunities, including those offered by the

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Nicola Giles

presence of Canadian mining companies working with Guyana.

Boosting of the great accomplishments made by Canada, Dr Giles pointed out that Canadian companies are leaders in the extractive sector, both at home and abroad.

“We recognise that more needs to be done to assist our firms wherever they work in the world and to do so using the ‘Canadian model’ that aligns our political, trade and development objectives internationally.”

To ensure the required assistance is offered to Canadian companies operating abroad, last year the Government of Canada amalgamated its Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) into a single Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) to spoon out better results.

Dr Giles said too that Canada strongly believes that a Canada-Caricom trade agreement would bring about further prosperity and sustainable economic growth to both Canada and the Caricom region, and

all its citizens.

“We further believe that it would complement and help further develop the regional cooperation that already being undertaken through the Caribbean Single Market and Economy initiative,” she added.

Security

Canada has benefited greatly from its free trade agreements with other hemispheric partners.

It remains optimistic that the Canada-Caricom trade negotiations will end on a successful note in June, opening avenues for Guyana and neighbouring countries to reap the benefits.

Turning her attention to security, the Canadian High Commissioner underscored the importance of security plans in the commercial sector. To this

end, Canada and Guyana have chosen to cooperate on niche, key areas of security, impacting both Guyanese and Canadian interests.

In February, Guyana and Canada joined forces to tackle the threat posed by the use of fraudulent documents through the implementation of the Fraudulent Document Detection Project.

“The Fraudulent Document Detection Project strengthens the ability of Guyana's law enforcement to detect identify theft and document fraud, thereby enhancing Guyana’s border security,” she explained.

Additionally, training was provided by the Canada Border Service Agency, and fraudulent document detection kits were provided by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

In addition to the resources provided by Canada, the Guyana Government provided the training facility and a wide range of human resources from the various security services.

“This project will not only help to prevent identity theft and the illegal movement of people through Guyana’s borders, but also has a trade facilitation role by encouraging the quick and efficient movement of legitimate travellers – such as, business people – through Guyana’s borders.” (svetlanam@guyanatimesgy.com)

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monday, March 31, 2014

Views Editor: Nigel Williams 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

Budget debate

T

oday, the debate on the Budget begins. Politics as “war by other means” will be its defining feature. The affair will be more reminiscent of, say, the Battle of the Bulge than a debate between different ideological camps over the economic policies undergirding the Government’s spending estimates.

In fact, one of the major characteristics of the debate will be the lack of ideological orientation in the speeches from the Opposition benches. Has the predicted end of ideology (and presumably, history) culminated in Guyana?

In the U.S., for instance, their budgets are characterised by sharp ideological differences between competing macroeconomic schools – generally Kenysian versus supplyside economics. Cynics might say that this is a matter of “Tweedledum” versus “Tweedledee”, but the U.S. does demonstrate that even within the neo-liberal paradigm, there can be real debate about the consequences of the policies derived from the various schools of thought in that paradigm.

Take, for instance, the position of the Democrats that support Kenysian interventionary measures by the Government that are designed to encourage and even stimulate economic growth in a mixed economy. This was their position even before the crash of their economy in 2008, which led to explicit “stimulus packages”.

Within the Keynesian model, there would also be a stress on strong regulatory oversight, to temper the excesses of monopolistic agencies and institutions.

The Republicans, on the other hand would generally favour more laissez-faire policies or supply-side economics to stimulate the economy through lower taxes, emphasis on market solutions to bottlenecks, and smaller government.

In Guyana, what we will see is merely cherry picking of the estimates on the Government’s Budget and chopping off sections without any evident rhyme or reason – ideological or economic.

Take the redistributive function of the Budget that we have examined in this space before. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has emphasised, even to the extent of courting removal from office, that it is a “working-class government”.

While the Opposition had never evinced such ideological clarity, it is evident they cannot disagree with the ideological thrust of the Budget to direct more available resources into the pockets of the poor. As such they are forced – because they conceive of their role as the “Opposition” as merely to “oppose” – to cavil about the quantum of the benefit (such as the increase in the Old Age Pension) or hurl accusations of the Government “buying votes”. These are critiques bereft of any analytic rigour, because they have no ideological moorings – but only political opportunism.

The function of the Budget to direct resources to those sectors of the economy that the Government believes should be strategically developed to deliver growth to the economy, likewise does not elicit the quality of the debate that it should.

Take the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project (AFHEP) which the President has confirmed is still on the cards.

The Opposition have not clearly stated their position on the public/private partnership model that the Government introduced with the Berbice Bridge and AFHEP – but have merely sniped on specific details that are standard in this form of investment.

On one hand, the Opposition attempted to criticise the Government for increasing the external debt, but yet criticise this new investment vehicle that seeks to bring in equity for necessary infrastructural investments from outside, private partners. Because of their ideological flaccidity, the debate from today will be redolent of this type of inconsistency. We would advise the Opposition to reflect deeply about their positions on economic development.

It would appear that they have no real problem with the overall thrust of the Budget. Since they, or no one else, can have any way of knowing with absolute certainty as to which quantum of spending will deliver what precise result, shouldn’t they approve the Budget and let the people decide on the efficacy of the Government’s policies at the next elections?

Recently, photographer Amos Chapple spent some time in Saint Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city. He used a small drone to lift his camera high above the cathedrals and fortresses, capturing some amazing aerial photos. The Hermitage Pavilion wreathed in dawn mist. The little “whipped cream” pavilion was an example of the decadence which would eventually topple the Tsarist autocracy.

It was famous for parties where tables laden with food would rise from beneath the floorboards into groups of delighted guests (The Atlantic In Focus)

Nava-raatri is a call for spiritual awakening Dear Editor, Hindus are currently observing one of our very and perhaps most sacred and auspicious festival – Navaraatri. In its literal sense, it is nine nights of worship, prayer, introspection, and scriptural recommitment.

Religious observances, traditional worship have, at times, more than one significance. Apart from them being the adoration of the Divine, they are commemorative of thrilling bygone events, allegoric when interpreted from the occult standpoint, and are significant pointers guiding man on the path of God-Realisation.

Nava-raatri is one such event. Outwardly, the nine days of worship are featured with wide performances of ritualistic worship. It is dedicated to worship of God as Mother – the feminine aspect in three prominent names, viz, Durgaa, Lakshmee and Saraswatee.

However, underlying all outward engagements during this occasion, there must be a more sublime and profound inward transformation of life, that every spiritual aspirant seeks to undergo. This deeper purpose of Nava-raatri is captured in its division of three sets of three nights each, to which the spiritual aspirant in his life of spiritual pursuits adore the different aspects of the Supreme Goddess. This has got a very sublime, yet thoroughly practical truth to reveal.

In its cosmic aspect, it epitomises the stages of the evolution of man into God, from manhood to Godhood. In its individual import, it shows the course that his spiritual pursuits should take.

The central purpose of existence is to recognise your eternal identity with the Supreme Spirit. It is to grow into the image of the Divine. The Supreme One embodies the highest perfection. It is spotless purity, “Niranjana”. To recognise your identity with That, to attain union with That, is verily to grow into the very likeness of the Divine. The spiritual seeker has, therefore, as the initial step, to get rid of the countless impurities and the un-divine elements that have come to cling to him in his embodied state. This transformation is to be had during the first three nights (first section of Nava-raatri), where the Supreme is worshipped as Mother Durgaa. Then he has to acquire lofty virtues and auspicious divine qualities. This happens in the second three nights of the season, wherein the Goddess as Lakshmee in adored. Thus purified and rendered full of purity and goodness, knowledge flashes upon him like the brilliant rays of the sun upon the crystal waters of a perfectly calm lake. This is to be had in the final section of Nava-raatri in which Saraswatee is worshipped.

This arrangement has also a special significance in

the aspirant’s spiritual evolution. It marks the stages of evolution which are indispensable for every seeker of spirituality, through which everyone should pass.

One naturally leads to the other, and to short-circuit this would inevitably result in a miserable failure. Nowadays, many ignorant spiritual seekers aim straight at the appropriation of knowledge without the preliminaries of purification and acquisition of divine qualities, and complain that they are not progressing in the path. How can they? Knowledge will not descend till the impurities are washed out and purity is developed. The pure and good plant can grow on no impure soil.

Therefore, Nava-raatri if observed as pointed out above brings man to realise his higher self and to feel the Supreme Spirit within – all of which helps in the journey of realising the Ultimate Goal – to merge with the Supreme.

There are two birds on the same tree. One is perched at the top and the other below. The bird which is sitting on the top is perfectly serene, silent and majestic at all times. It is ever blissful. The other bird, which is perching on the lower branches, eats the sweet and bitter fruits by turns. It dances in joy sometimes. It is miserable at other times. It rejoices now and weeps after some

time. Sometimes it tastes an extremely bitter fruit and gets disgusted. It looks up and beholds the other wonderful bird with golden plumage which is ever blissful. It also wishes to become like the bird with golden plumage, but soon forgets everything. Again it begins to eat the sweet and bitter fruits. It eats another fruit that is exceedingly bitter and feels very miserable. It again tries to become like the upper bird.

Gradually, it abandons eating the fruits, and becomes serene and blissful like the upper bird. The upper bird is God – the Supreme Spirit within. The lower bird is the individual who reaps the fruits of his deeds, viz., pleasure and pain. He gets knocks and blows in the battle of life.

He rises up and again falls down as the senses drag him down. Gradually, he develops dispassion and discrimination, turns his mind towards God, practises meditation, attains selfrealisation and enjoys the eternal bliss of God, which is the end goal of life. Navaraatri must foster and help in meeting this end.

In essence, Nava-raatri is a call for spiritual awakening.

Yours truly, Pandit Charranlall Nandalall Secretary of Sanatan Vaidic Dharma Pandits’ Sabha, Region Three

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Congratulations to the CJIA security committee Dear Editor, I must commend the Guyana Police Force’s Anti Narcotics Unit and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) for their great work as it relates to the nabbing of individuals found guilty of attempting to traffic narcotics through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at Timehri.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee highlighted that the successful interceptions are as a result of the massive investments in training.

Personally, I agree with him, since I do believe that with welltrained personnel and facilities in place, there is minimum chance of these individuals be-

ing successful in their illegal ventures.

However, the element of human and professional integrity must be favoured, and it is for this reason that I will always support the efforts of the Police and Customs.

Police officers on a daily basis are expected to exercise moral choices. Additionally, it is an act of professional discretion that determines whether an officer will decide to arrest someone or not.

In fact, the proper use of this discretion requires police officers to be ethical, educated, and well-trained in order to make sound and professional judgments in the course of their du-

ties.

These decisions involve a number of factors and one of them has to do with the temptation to sell out or to accept a bribe as we all know it. Law enforcers worldwide all encounter the realities of crimes and their various ramifications, and are often pressured into a web of corruption. At the end of the day, it all comes back to the integrity of these individuals.

Once again, I commend the relevant authorities for practising a lawful culture that takes the interest of our Guyanese people to heart.

Sincerely, Anna Badree-Griffith

Dealing with litterbugs Dear Editor, A man was recently ordered to do community service after he was found guilty of littering. Personally, I think that this new approach will surely send a message to all Guyanese, emphasising on the zero tolerance for those who irresponsibly dispose of their garbage.

However, in this particular case, the individual accused was tasked by another to dispose of his garbage in exchange for a few dollars.

Ideally, they should have both been punished. Moreover, I detest the fact that many contin-

ue to exploit the poor and destitute to do their dirty work.

I chastise those who have little or no regard for proper sanitation and the aesthetics of our country. Many of us fail to realise that the irresponsible act of littering has, for quite some time, contributed to the clogging of our drainage systems.

Moreover, it is important for the respective Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) to address such matters, in addition to the development of small garbage heaps around the city before it gets out of hand.

Another issue that must be addressed is the dirty habit of passengers disposing of their garbage through the windows of cars and buses in which they travel.

It is undeniable that the act of talking will no longer solve our litter problem and so it calls for us to be more proactive. If we are truly serious about addressing this litter problem in Guyana, we need to implement and apply strict laws and consequences for those found guilty of littering.

Yours sincerely, Naresh Mangru

Protecting women and children Dear Editor, Matters of domestic violence continue to plague Guyana and have, in fact, been responsible for the deaths of many women and even their children over the years.

Not so long ago, two children were savagely chopped to death by their father after his efforts to reconcile with their mother were futile. The badly injured woman was dealt several chops about her body, but was fortunately able to flee the scene. Believed to have commit-

not only seek to intercept weapons on the street, but also those that are in transit on their way to Guyana.

Some organisations often require a security scan for every individual who wishes to enter the compound or proceed onward.

These scanners detect any metal objects that an individual may have in his or her possession, and should any discoveries be made, further checks are prompted.

A group of scientists are currently in the process of developing a mobile scanner that will be able to detect weapons being carried on the streets. The scanner will be able to pick out the outline of knives, guns and other weapons hidden underneath clothing and other secret places, thus enabling the officers to target criminals long before they strike.

Athletics and books

Dear Editor, In aid of the “Say Yes to Reading Programme”, the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), in collaboration with the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), recently donated approximately $500,000 worth of books to six cricket clubs.

It is accepted that many of our youths have great talent.

However, it is important that we teach them how to strike a balance between their education and extracurricular activi-

ties in order for them to be wellrounded individuals.

Ideally, much more emphasis needs to be placed in school on the importance of reading.

Moreover, every school should have a mandatory rule that requires any student involved in a sport to be able to maintain a required grade point average (GPA) in order to remain involved in the sport.

With many of our youths today being involved in unlawful activities and being victims of teenage pregnancies and drug

abuse, it is important for us, as adults, to steer them to a less self-destructive path, and evidently, reading is one of the key ways to do so.

Aside from encouraging our youths to read more, we also need to spread general awareness on the importance of reading. We will all benefit from reading in the long run, so I encourage everyone to read, just read.

Respectfully, Marie Heyliger

putes, they should be removed from the household to minimise any chances of physical or emotional harm. Everything should be done in our nature to protect our women and children.

I urge the relevant authorities to implement systems and improve old ones in order to provide safety for both our women and children who are victims of domestic violence.

Yours truly, Name withheld by request

Solving public transportation problems Dear Editor, An amenity like public transportation should really not be a problem, but, unfortunately, it is, and it is important that we find a way to resolve our current situation. I believe that the minibus system needs a complete overhaul.

Many bus owners appear to be more interested in decorative features such as mag rims and music systems.

Additionally, many of them are breaching multiple traffic rules including loud music, overloading and detouring from their specified routes.

As it relates to the tariff for transportation, it is a fixed cost that is determined by the relevant authorities, and they

The fight against illegal guns Dear Editor, Records show that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) managed to seize approximately 111 illegal guns during the year 2013, and though I must commend them for their efforts to curb gun crimes in Guyana, I still believe that much more needs to be done.

Approximately 28 pistols, 39 revolvers, 31 shotguns and 13 rifles were seized, the majority of which came from the United States and Brazil.

It, therefore, means that the GPF and all other relevant authorities must

ted suicide, the man was shortly after found dead.

Generally, men don’t realise the value of their spouse until they separate. Many of them flounder and realise that they have taken many things for granted, yet their egotistical nature will prevent them from making amends. Overall, they find the situation to be overwhelming and are unable to deal with it rationally.

Personally, I believe that when children are caught in the middle of the parental dis-

It is daunting to know that illegal guns are bountiful in Guyana and are falling into the hands of all the wrong people.

Personally, I think that for every illegal weapon that is confiscated, its origin must be sourced in order for us to minimise easy sourcing of these weapons.

Moreover, we must implement better laws applicable to all individuals who are illegal holders of firearm licences and other weapons.

Sincerely, Vimla Harrichand

are, in fact, the only ones who can legally make alternations to such fares. Presently, both minibus operators and hire car drivers are unlawfully increasing their fares and inconveniencing many passengers.

In fact, many passengers are victimised and discriminated against on a daily basis; and for those eager to get home after a hard day, they are left with no choice but to pay the increased fare.

I must commend the Government for advising commuters to desist from paying the demanded increase.

Unfortunately, all is not well when this approach is taken, since many operators simply pay no heed to those unwilling to pay their price. The present

minibus culture can be quite overwhelming at times, and it is for this reason that many Guyanese yearn for the return of the big buses.

These buses are much safer and can comfortably accommodate more people. I am positive that the decision to reimplement big buses will be a good one, and so I urge the Government to pursue this direction.

I speak for many when I say that the resolving of the current transportation woes is greatly anticipated.

Transportation arrangements must be made more conducive to the nation.

Yours faithfully, Eulyn Fitzgerald

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Foundation

Parenting For Success

The dangers of emotional abuse: Alissa’s story — ChildLinK’s vision is a Guyanese society where every child enjoys the right to a childhood in a safe and caring family, free from poverty, violence, and exploitation

E

leven-year-old Alissa Khan lives in a rural community in a small two-bedroom house with her mother Juliet. Her grandmother, uncles, and aunts live in a large two-storey house at the back of the same yard. She has cousins who live a few communities away and on weekends, they usually visit their grandmother.

People, from time to time, would say how lucky Alissa was to be part of such a large family that cares for her well-being, but Alissa didn’t think they care for her. She knew that her mother loved her and in turn, she loved her mother more than anything else in the world.

However, all her life, Alissa had been treated differently by her extended family.

This treatment was especially perpetrated by her grandmother and uncle. Alissa was not welcome at her grandmother’s house like her cousins, and whenever they visited, they were not allowed to

play with her, either in the yard or in the house. They would turn their backs on her and say, ‘Mummy, says we’re not allowed to play with you, Alissa.’ Whenever her aunts, uncles, and cousins came to visit, her grandmother would have treats for the children but nothing for Alissa. Grandma would tell the girls how beautiful they all were, and the boys how strong they were, but nothing kind was said to Alissa.

‘You’re here all the time, what’s special about seeing you?’ Her grandmother would say when Alissa looked disappointed.

teacher noticed that her grades had dropped and she was no longer interested in outdoor activities and hanging out with her school friends. Sometimes, the class teacher would catch her in a daze in during class sessions.

Not much was thought about the sudden change of behaviour until one day Alissa got really sick in school and started to complain about abdominal pains and a headache. She was taken to the sick bay at school to lie on the bed and relax in the hope that the pain would ease.

ter to the hospital, the teachers began to question Alissa about what she had eaten that morning for breakfast; she said toasted bread and eggs. A teacher then asked her if she had drunk anything: it was this question that made Alissa look up at the ceiling and begin to cry.

The teacher explained to Alissa that she cares about her and wants to help her, but can only do so if she told her what was upsetting her.

With tears rolling off her cheeks, Alissa told the teacher that that morning when

Emotional abuse

The way Alissa was treated by her extended family always bothered her mother, Juliet. Alissa would cry to her mother, and ask her why they treated her so badly.

Her mother would try to comfort her in the best way that she knew how: ‘Alissa they’re just jealous because you’re so beautiful!’ But Alissa could see that her mother was afraid of her grandmother too, because she never openly said anything to them concerning the way they have been treating her At school Alissa’s class

better if you had died as a baby then we would all have been better off today.” Alissa told the teacher she had run behind the house and started to cry and that was when she saw the kerosene in the tin.

She said she had decided to drink it, because she wanted to die. Upon hearing this, the teacher immediately sent for a ChildLinK counsellor who was at the school at the time.

The Counsellor suggested that the child be taken immediately to the hospital for treatment. Just then the mother walked in and assisted in taking her daughter to the hospital.

No acceptance

Her condition worsened and she began to vomit in the sick bay. The headteacher immediately contacted her mother.

While waiting for Juliet to come and take her daugh-

she was filling water to take a bath, her uncle came and pushed her away from the pipe and threw away her bucket of water, yelling, “You must not use this pipe to fill water! It would have been

After the incident was related to Juliet, she broke down in tears and wept for her daughter. The next day, Juliet was asked to visit the school to have a discussion with the Counsellor. Juliet told the Counsellor that since Alissa was born, her grandmother, uncle and aunts have been constantly harsh and bitter towards the child. According to Juliet, an arranged marriage had been set for her with an older man who resides overseas. The plan was for her to marry this man and then send for her parents and siblings, in the hope that

they could live a happier life abroad. This plan was ruined when Juliet fell in love with a younger man and got pregnant. They all tried to convince her to terminate the pregnancy, but she refused to abort her baby.

“When Alissa was born and I looked upon her face I knew I had made the right choice, she was so beautiful and for the first time in my life I was glad for someone to love and care for, I could never give up my baby for them,” she said. After Alissa was born her family made it very clear that they would never accept the child, “but I didn’t care; she was mine and I love her”.

Juliet said she had always been aware of the ill-treatment towards Alissa and had tried as much as possible to keep her away from them.

She sighed, “I guess she needed to feel accepted by them. I was not aware of the incident this morning. If I had known, I would have protected Alissa.” The Counsellor reassured Juliet that what had happened that morning was not her fault, but something needed to be done about the extended family whose behaviour was clearly having a negative impact on Alissa’s well-being. Juliet said she would make a report to the police station about the incident. The Counsellor arranged a meeting with the extended family to further discuss the situation, but no one turned up. As a result of the incident, Alissa started to attend counselling sessions that focused on building a positive self-concept and adapting appropriate coping mechanisms that would neither hurt her or anyone else. Juliet was able to remove herself and daughter from the environment to a better home environment where Alissa feels loved and accepted by those around.

Child protection is everyone’s business. Do not hesitate to report child abuse; you could be saving a life: children deserve to grow in a safe environment from abuse.

If you know a child that is being abused, please make urgent contact with the Childcare and Protection Agency on telephone numbers 227-4082 or 2270976.

Please contact ChildLinK on telephone number 2317174 or at programmes. childlink@networksgy.com for any support you may need on parenting and any other challenges that you may be experiencing with your children.

news

7

monDay, march 31, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

Police making small dents in Berbice ganja trade B Division Commander Brian Joseph said the police have been working to put an end to the large-scale cultivation of marijuana along the Berbice River, but the fight against the narcotics trade must be won by citizens.

In light of recent reports of a ramping up of cultivation, Joseph informed this publication that he and his ranks in the division are working assiduously to en-

illegal substance to persons.

“We have been targeting several known drug houses across the division and even conducting raids when we receive information,” he said, pointing out that if one would look at media reports over the past two years, the division has made great strides in this area, as several arrests and convictions were made.

tion among residents, with many expressing fear for their lives. According to information, some 800 pounds of marijuana cultivated there was off-loaded from a small boat along the Berbice River and transported to a larger vessel, allegedly bound for Suriname last week.

Sources say that the financial transaction for the prohibited substance took place a stone’s throw away from the police headquar-

Eradication exercises

Divisional Commander of Berbice, Brian Joseph

Some of the ganja seized by ranks in Berbice during their many raids

sure the prohibited substance that is allegedly coming from the area does not become widespread and affect or impact the community.

Guyana Times had reported last week that largescale ganja cultivation up the Berbice River, more specifically at De Veldt, Sand Hills, Tataballi and Gateroy, has caused much consterna-

ters in New Amsterdam.

The substance was reportedly bought by a Dutchman.

Several residents are fearful for their lives as the illegal cultivation has been flourishing in the absence of eradication exercises for the past two years.

One resident of De Veldt, which is some 50 miles up the Berbice River, said there is an excavator worth $10

million, acquired by a known “ganja entrepreneur”, reportedly from the proceeds of his illicit activities. Reports indicate that the excavator was purchased in Georgetown and taken to the Berbice village via river and road transport.

The ganja cultivator in question has been arrested three times for the unlawful activity, but, in the absence of concrete evidence, he was subsequently released. In 2010, the suspected drug dealer was arrested and two speedboats and other articles were seized.

Commenting on the issue, Joseph emphasised that since his installation as Commander of the Division, numerous raids have been conducted on various drug houses across Berbice in order to curb the selling of the

Numerous persons have been charged for the possession of marijuana; more recently, a Sophia woman caught during one of the division’s exercises against this scourge was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. Joseph also disclosed that in 201, several eradication exercises were conducted up the Berbice River.

On January 31, 2013, he said ranks in Berbice conducted an eradication exercise at Morgeston, Upper Berbice River, where they found one field measuring about five acres containing approximately 12,000 cannabis plants between one and 10 feet tall, two nurseries with about 10,000 seedlings, 27,000 kilograms of dried cannabis and a camp measuring 20x12 feet in size.

Police ranks destroyed the drug.

Additionally, on February 15, 2013, another eradica-

tion exercise took place at Kimbia up the Berbice River where two fields, measuring about two and a half acres with about 5000 plants ranging from one to 10 feet, and an estimated 12,000kg in cannabis were found and destroyed.

The same day ranks also targeted the De Veldt area where one field, containing 450 plants ranging from one to three feet in height, and an estimated one kg of dried

holders need to take an active role in assisting to curb this illegal practice,” the B Division Commander said.

Joseph noted that parents must speak firmly to their children about the dangers of the drug. “We must ensure that all Guyanese send a strong message to our children – that ganja is harmful…” He said the fight against drug abuse must, in the end, be a citizens’ campaign “because every citizen

Ganja plants destroyed by police

cannabis were found and destroyed.

“We are taking many concrete steps to protect our children and their future. We’re working to get hard-core drug users off the streets, to make sure they can’t commit crimes, and infiltrate our youths… We’ve put more police on the streets, but we cannot do it alone –parents, teachers and all other stake-

has a direct stake in the outcome”. Joseph pointed out that eradication exercises will continue; however, the division is only equipped with one boat that is operable and this is causing a setback. He asserted that notwithstanding the time it may take, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will bring down all the drug houses in Berbice. (Taken from the Berbice Times)

Post-mortem for slain Logwood taxi driver today

A

post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted today on the body of the taxi driver who was killed on Friday evening in his car at Stratsphey, East Coast Demerara.

The body of Roopchand “Dave” Darsan, 24, of Lot 98 Logwood, Enmore, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was found around 00:30h with a single gunshot wound to the head. He was in his motor car which had crashed into a trench at Stratsphey Railway Embankment.

From reports gathered, the bullet had entered the young man’s neck just under his chin and exited from the top of his head. The engine

of the car was reportedly running with music booming through the built in speakers.

His sister Devika Darsan told Guyana Times on Sunday that the police had confiscated the car with all her brother’s belongings, including his cellular phone and documents. She noted that the police have taken fingerprints from the car and are running tests, however, up to Sunday; they did not have any leads on who might have killed her brother.

The grieving sister related that since the incident, they have been hearing conflicting stories about the events leading up to her

brother’s death.

“We heard that some of the taxi drivers are saying that he picked up passengers at the park while some are saying that he left the park alone, so I don’t know what to believe,” she stated.

Devika described her brother as a very loving person. “My heart is bleeding for him… this is taking a toll on my entire family because my brother was a good person and had many friends,” the distraught sister said.

When this newspaper visited the home of the 24-yearold taxi driver on Saturday, his mother had related that Roopchand left home sometime around 18:00h to go

Dead: Roopchand Dave Darsan

work. Then about 21:15h, she saw him at the Enmore Junction, so she called him

and he told her he will be returning home in 30 minutes since he was down with the flu.

The devastated woman recalled that she went to bed and was later awakened by voices calling out to her. Upon enquiring, she was informed that her son was shot in his car at Stratsphey, and as such, she called her husband who was at work and told him.

The woman said she along with her daughter and son-in-law hurried to the scene where she saw him in the car, but the police did not allow them to get close to him.

In tears, the woman related that after a while, the car was pulled from the trench and her son’s body was removed, place in a hearse and taken away.

The police, she added then towed the car to the Vigilance Police Station.

As the woman pour out her emotions, she said her son never troubled anyone and was not sure of the motive behind the killing.

However, she added that a few nights ago, her son was reportedly threatened at Gajadar Service Station, Foulis, ECD, but was not sure that his death had anything to do with that incident.

8 News

monday, march 31, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

$796M set aside for Amerindian youth development

A

merindian communities across Guyana will continue to receive special attention, with the Amerindian Affairs Ministry receiving more than $1.142 billion for capital projects this year.

From that sum, $1.1 billion was set aside under the Amerindian Development Fund. Under this scheme, the Amerindian Affairs Ministry will utilise $796 million to facilitate the continuation of the Youth Entrepreneurship and Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP).

In 2013, $200 million was spent on YEAP when it was launched in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine, with 198 persons receiving training in basic computer skills and solar panel installation. This allocation to the YEAP initiative will al-

low for its expansion, with Regions Two to Six and 10 in line to reap the benefits.

Hinterland Scholarship Programme

In addition to funding YEAP, $66.6 million has been allocated for the Hinterland Scholarship Programme, a move which is expected to benefit more than 470 students. Last year, $74.6 million was used to facilitate the Hinterland Scholarship Programme.

Additionally, village offices and multipurpose buildings will be constructed, while monies would also be used to purchase sport gear, musical instruments, drip irrigation systems, tractors, and implements.

An additional $6 million was budgeted to rehabilitate the Amerindian Hostel in Georgetown, while

Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai

$13.5 million would be used to purchase boats and outboard engines, enhancing water transport between Amerindian villages. In the area of land transport, $20 million was allocated for the purchase of vehicles, including All-Terrain Vehicles

(ATVs) and motorcycles. Air conditioning units, desks, chairs, filing cabinets, fans, refrigerators, freezers and beds will be sourced using some $3 million.

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, in delivering the 2014 Budget presentation, said, in 2013, $77.9 million was spent to commence demarcation and extension activities in eight villages while investigation activities continued in another seven villages. Additionally, 26 Community Development Plans were initiated with the primary objective of enhancing socioeconomic development within the priorities of identified communities.

More than $1 million was used to support beekeeping, the marketing of crabwood oil products and the strengthening of fish ponds and pineapple production.

Mahaicony mom still hospitalised – autopsies to be conducted today on children

T

he 21-year-old woman who allegedly poisoned her two children last Thursday evening is still hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Awena Rutherford is said to be recuperating well in the open ward at the city hospital after she too allegedly consumed a poisonous substance at their Perth, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home.

According to a source, when the woman was first admitted, doctors were not sure whether she would survive; however, she is “coming around”.

Rutherford was reportedly complaining of intense stomach pain and was constantly vomiting.

Meanwhile, post-mortem examinations are expected to be conducted today on the bodies of one-year-old Jabari Cadogan and fouryear-old Odecia Cadogan, both of whom died as a result of consuming rat poison (carbon tablets).

Eyew tness Bile and Venom...

M ...from Ramkarran

ost have heard the aphorism, “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”. It’s obvious that Congreve, its originator, never met Ralph Ramkarran – the archetypical thwarted ambitious politician. Thomas Jefferson, however, knew a thing or two about the species and advised: “Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition.”

And this is the story of Ramkarran, who, in his SN column, attempted a hatchet job on former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Attempted. Ever since he slunk out of the PPP/C after 50 years of plotting to be President, he’s blamed Jagdeo for thwarting his ambitions. As late as the run-up to the PPP/C choosing its presidential candidate in 2013, Ramkarran was so fulsome in his praise of Jagdeo that even his now bosom buddy Freddie Kissoon thought he was brown nosing. Then after losing to Ramotar, Jagdeo’s name became mud to him.

In the PPP/C, Ramkarran lived off the name of his down-toearth father Boysie Ramkarran, a close confidante of Cheddi Jagan. That dependence on the beneficence of others to give him a free pass because of his father produced Jefferson’s “subservience and venality” that characterised Ramkarran for the rest of his political life. The “subservience” ensured that Ramkarran would never speak his mind – he’d always test the political wind and then follow the crowd. He tried to “get along by going along”.

The pandering, however, never earned him the respect of those who knew him well. He proved the maxim that those who don’t stand for something will fall for anything. And no one respects those who have no backbone. And then there was the venality that Jefferson predicted.

To project a “Mr Clean” image, Ramkarran pretended the Government contracts flowing through his law firm “Cameron and Shepherd” during the early PPP years was serendipitous.

And that’s why his rage against Jagdeo for practising “crony capitalism” rings so hollow. It’s just hate against Jagdeo for derailing his gravy train.

And we arrive at the “ambitions”. Spineless men like Ramkarran sit in the shadows of greater men and nurse their ambitions. “Only if they had the chance!!” is their constant refrain, as they play it safe. They expect leadership to be handed to them on a platter.

And when others with the courage to seize the moment become leaders, small men like Ramkarran feel thwarted. And we have the raging furies that far exceed that of any woman.

Scorned or otherwise.

Gwan that side, Ramkarran!

...on the PPP/C stalwarts

Awena Rutherford

On Thursday, Rutherford reportedly called the father of her children, Jabari Cadogan Sr, who resides in the United States and they reportedly got into an argument.

She then left and went to pick up the children who had spent the day at their father’s sister, Marcia, in Anns Grove, ECD. While there, the wom-

Jabari Cadogan

Odecia Cadogan

an reportedly told her children’s paternal aunt that she will get a surprise for her birthday which was the following day.

Later that evening, relatives were informed that the young woman had allegedly poisoned the children and herself.

Cadogan Sr was reportedly trying to get the children overseas and rela-

tives speculated that this might have caused the woman’s action, while others claimed that the woman was stressed from an abusive relationship with another man that recently ended.

Relatives claimed that the man used to abuse Rutherford and had even threatened her. Rutherford is currently under police guard.

But while Ramkarran tries to throw mud at Jagdeo, he ends up betraying his opinion of his erstwhile comrades of 50 years. They’re people with no minds of their own who became putty in the hands of Jagdeo because of their greed. Ramkarran condemns “crony capitalism”. This Eyewitness would like him to say which economy in all of history has developed under capitalism without some persons earning profits and becoming wealthy.

Communist China? Only the U.S. has more billionaires. So is China practising “crony capitalism”? Ramkarran then goes on to claim that PPP/C leaders were all either removed or “bought out”. If one man could do this to the party leaders nurtured by Cheddi Jagan, it doesn’t speak that well of the great man, does it?

Ramkarran tries to get his foot out of his mouth by saying this happened to the leaders “unwittingly”. That is they were probably sleeping and didn’t have the wit to see what was going on? Not a very flattering picture, eh?

...gestating

But where was Ramkarran, who presumably had his wits, all this time? He was a “Prince” in the party because of his father, no? Why didn’t the man who would be President open his mouth, to denounce the “big, bad, Jagdeo”. Is it because he had no guts?

Or is it because it’s his bile speaking now?

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monDay, march 31, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

Dr Ashni Singh to Parliament on Budget Debate:

Put nation first

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

F

inance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh has urged the National Assembly to put the nation first as the 2014 Budget debate begins in earnest this afternoon.

Already the Opposition has warned that the debate will be difficult and that there will be significant amendments to the estimates totalling $220 billion.

“I call on all parties involved to keep in their active consciousness, the pur-

gust Assembly are ultimately representing. Let us act prudently, responsibly, and intelligently in the interest of these persons who we are elected to represent. Let us ensure that the single mother who commits diligently to sending her children to school receives Government support via the National School Feeding and Uniform Programmes; the cottage farmer who depends on electricity to grow his business is provided with affordable and accessible electricity; the health-care providers in our hinterland communities who depend on accessible roads and bridges to deliver vital medications, that our future generation of children have a clean, health environment because of initiatives like the Low Carbon Development Strategy.”

Recommendations

The Leadership Council of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) held its statutory quarterly meeting at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on Hadfield Street, Georgetown on Saturday where the estimates were discussed.

According to a release, the coalition’s Member

“Let us demonstrate that we can work together from the hallow chambers of the National Assembly to build 'A Better Guyana for all Guyanese'” – Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh pose of their seat in the Parliament and their responsibility to the people who have placed them there,” Dr Singh said in a statement Sunday evening.

“I appeal to my colleagues in the National Assembly for serious and civil debates of Budget 2014. This should not be treated as a stage for political grandstanding.

This third budget of the 10th Parliament, like previous budgets, is another opportunity for our elected officials and leaders to demonstrate to their constituents and all people of Guyana that they can, and will, work in the interest of the nation,” he added.

Since the presentation of Budget 2014, there have been mixed reactions to some of the measures outlined in the estimates. While generally civil society and other organisations have lauded the budget, they raised specific objections and in some cases, concerns about some aspects.

“These are the voices that the members of the au-

of Parliament (MP) Carl Greenidge delivered a presentation on the 2014 Budget, after which members of the Council discussed and made recommendations for positions to be taken in the National Assembly.

The Council was also given an update on the

Third Port Mourant ambush victim dies – had received 68 pellets during shooting

work of the Special Select Committee on the AntiMoney Laundering and Countering of the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill. The meeting was chaired by APNU Chairman Brigadier David Granger, the release said.

Dr Singh’s statement said that Budget 2014,

Dead: David Harpaul

BY NAFEEZA YAHYA

A

APNU Shadow Finance Minister Carl Greenidge

like those before under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government, is a reflection of its policy to foster economic, social, and infrastructural development throughout all sectors.

“This PPP/C Government has repeatedly and consistently demonstrated its commitment to the people of Guyana with each year’s budget being larger than the previous one.

Each and every Guyanese has a role to play in developing this nation, members of the National Assembly no less. Let us demonstrate from this high office of the National Assembly, that we will not play political football with another year’s budget. Let us demonstrate that we can work together from the hallow chambers of the National Assembly to build 'A Better Guyana for all Guyanese',” the statement concluded.

nother victim from the January ambush at Port Mourant, Berbice, Region Six has died. David Harpaul, 38, who was shot in his abdomen on January 30 last in the Backlands of Port Mourant, succumbed to his injuries Sunday morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

According to his wife, Trecia Harpaul, he had been a fighter for the past two months. Mrs Harpaul said she is shocked at his passing .The woman was optimistic of him recovering as he had shown tremendous improvements from the time of the shooting to his death.

She said David did five surgeries, but never recovered fully, the surgeries were done to remove 68 pellets which were lodged in his abdomen as a result of the gunshot wound he sustained in the incident at the backdam.

“He was in and out of the hospital, he even spent some time at a private hospital and was later discharged and spent four days home; when he was home, he was happy because he would always ask to come home.”

She added that while he

was at home, he developed some complications so they had to rush him back to the hospital.

The woman, who broke down in tears, recalled speaking with him briefly on Saturday. She was by his side when he opened his eyes, looked at her and smiled, muttering a few words before going back to sleep.

That was the last time she saw him alive. Mrs Harpaul related that amid tears, she was at the hospital on Sunday morning, in front of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) waiting to see him and saw a few doctors rushing in and out and had a feeling that something was not right.

Shortly after, she received a call from home, informing her that the hospital had called for her. She went and enquired of the doctors and her worst fears were confirmed.

A huge loss

She related that since her husband was hospitalised, they did not have a full conversation as he was always on a ventilator and could hardly speak.

The grieving wife said Harpaul will be missed terribly and she still cannot believe he is no more. She is also coming to grips with the reality that the breadwinner of the family will not be there to take care of their needs anymore.

He leaves to mourn his wife, their two children, a daughter, 15, and a son, 14.

On Thursday, January 30, two gunmen opened fire on five workers who were employed with Kris Jagdeo Construction and Spready’s Bakery. During the attack, two persons died.

They are Krishnand Jagdeo of Free Yard, Port Mourant and Seafield Layne, 48, of Number One Village, Corentyne.

They died instantly while

Clement Griffith, 48, of Ankerville Port Mourant; Zamil Ibrahim, 26, also of Port Mourant and David Harpaul, were all shot and hospitalised.

Harpaul succumbed to his injuries, Griffith was treated and sent home while Ibrahim remains a patient of the New Amsterdam Hospital and is expected to be discharged shortly.

According to his mother, Sharmila Ibrahim, he is paralysed from the waist down, but is healthy. According to a hospital source, the doctors have been trying desperately to let him regain his ability to walk, but there is nothing more that they can do locally.

His mother is awaiting a letter from the doctors at the institution so the family can access overseas help. In the meantime, she is hoping and praying that her young son can one day walk again.

Meanwhile, the police are still continuing investigations and have detained and questioned several persons, but no one has been charged.

They have a lead on a suspect and are tracing his whereabouts to bring him in for questioning.

10

guyanatimesgy.com

m onday, march 31, 2014

News

Radio station launched in Berbice P Green Jah

resident Donald Ramotar on Saturday launched a radio station in Berbice, telling the audience about the gains made in press freedom since 1992 while stressing his Government’s commitment to maintaining this status.

According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) report, President Ramotar said the proprietors of Little Rock Radio, Rockcliff and Pearl Christie must be congratulated for what he described as their role with the multimillion-dollar investment.

Stating that he felt very comfortable with the ownership of the new station, President Ramotar said radio must have a developmental role as Guyana is a developing country. He stressed, however, that while radio can be used for good purposes, it can also be used negatively.

Government has opened up the broadcast frequency with several new radio and television stations being granted licences. Among the new r--adio stations are Radio Guyana Inc, Telecor and Cultural Broadcasting Inc, and Hits and Jams Entertainment.

President Ramotar highlighted the role of radio in the genocides of Rwanda a few years ago and its use by the Nazis in Germany during World War II, and urged that such situations must always be guarded against.

Several key issues such as the Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project, budget cuts, and even the Anti-Money Laundering Bill which were adversely affected by the political Opposition’s stance were noted by the President

President Donald Ramotar, the Christies and staff of Little Rock Radio in New Amsterdam, Berbice

who said radio must be used to keep persons informed.

“More information is needed to ensure persons are aware of the misinformation being spread by those who want to distort the truth”.

New Amsterdam Deputy

Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mark Roopnarine said it was with great pride that he too congratulated the Christie family whom he described as a “transformational force in the commu-

Rockcliff Christie, Pearl Christie, President Donald Ramotar and Naomi Christie in the transmission studio of Little Rock Radio

Mayor Harold Debydeen stated that “self-motivated and self-confident” are the words he would use to describe the owners of the new station. He urged them to not only be entertaining but also educational, as he offered congratulations on behalf of all Berbicians.

nity”.

He added that they are poised to take the Little Rock brand to greater heights in the community as they transform lives by doing more than just educating and entertaining people through their programming.

Congratulations were

also extended by Region Six Chairman David Armogan, who lauded the family’s pioneering efforts in various businesses throughout the years. The sharing of information, he noted, is vital and mention was made of the fact that oft times, events are reported by various media before public officials responsible for the affected areas are even officially informed.

Giving a brief history of the Little Rock business operations, Naomi Christie, daughter of the proprietors, said the company’s initial radio licence application dates back to the early 1990s, followed by a re-application in 1997. The radio station began testing on February 23, this year with feedback being garnered from the local listening audience.

The station covers the entire Berbice area and extends to the East Coast of Demerara. It is also streamed online.

The Little Rock Company began operating in the 1980s with a hotel, then expanded in 2005 with the Little Rock Suites on the Main Street of New Amsterdam. It currently employs 60 persons.

don’t trust Rum Jhaat scissors

O

ld people seh de more tings change, de more dem does stay de same. But on de other hand, some tings and some people does stay de same, yet dem does get wuss. De budget debate gon start today and it gon be de same setta people like last year. But in many ways it gon be wuss than last year.

De High Court done seh that no body can’t cut de budget, but Rum Jhaat run out de other day to buy another scissors to cut de budget. De A-Gee done tek away de one whah he had last year. But Rum Jhaat musbe tink is paper or cloth he goin to cut.

Green Jah lil more smart. He seh he wanna see changes in de budget. So Rum Jhaat musbe hopin that Green Jah gon borrow he scissors. But Rum Jhaat ain’t know that Green Jah know that he Rum Jhaat is a cutthroat. So Green Jah gon never trust Rum Jhaat scissors.

De House gon miss Ms Backer. De Bell Crier know she restin in peace, although Green Jah de old soldier treat she like de enemy in a war. That was a lady who stand up fuh Green Jah. But Green Jah didn’t stand up back fuh she.

Is Green Bridge who run he mouth and tell people that Green Jah don’t stand up fuh no body nowadays.

Green Bridge self seh that Green Jah don’t stand up fuh none a dem big guns in de FLAPNU no more.

Accordin to Green Bridge, Green Jah own gun ain’t wukkin good.

But dem Green Jah supporters seh that Green Bridge only think he is a big gun, he still can’t shoot good like Green Jah. But whah dem supporters don’t know is that de old soldier does turn back, shoot people in dem foot when he don’t want dem behind he. Just ask Core Bin. Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! De House gon miss de Ganda Man too. While one MP restin in peace, he musbe gone to get another piece!

Fire ravages Mon Repos business A

n early morning fire on Sunday has left a couple counting their losses as millions went up in flames at their business place Tony and Cavita Shopping Mart in Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.

According to reports reaching Guyana Times, the fire began around 05:30h and completely destroyed the appliance and clothing store, which is situated at Lot 94 Mon Repos Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, on Melsha Road.

The owners of the business, Raul “Tony” Persaud and his wife, Cavita, who live a village away, were unable to save anything from the blaze that reduced the building to ashes.

Speaking to this newspaper, the businesswoman related that they vend

at the Mon Repos Market on Sundays and she was about to leave home to go meet her husband, who had already left, when her sister called and informed her about the fire. That was between 05:30h and 05:45h, she recalled.

The businesswoman said that she immediately alerted her husband and rushed to the business place where she saw the entire wooden building on fire. “The whole building was engulfed in flames… nothing couldn’t get save,” she stated.

Break-in

Persaud added that the Fire Service did not come until the entire building was burnt to ashes – after 07:00h and the firefighters arrived without any water.

She estimated that more than $4 million were lost in the fire and revealed that

had broken into the store and stolen many electrical items, including a flatscreen television and amplifier, along with clothing and other items sold at the premises.

Second fire

The ashes of the Mon Repos business place

neither the building nor the items were insured.

She noted that she operated the store on Saturday and when she left, everything was in order. The businesswoman explained that she did not believe that the fire was electrical in origin, since only one light on the exterior of the building was on.

She further pointed out

that the fire appeared to have started in the back of the building.

Ask whether anyone would want to cause harm to she, husband or their business, Persaud said she was unaware of such; however, she did not think anyone from the area could have done it.

She disclosed that two weeks ago, someone

She noted that the perpetrators of both incidents may be the same. After the break-in, the couple had installed a grilled door at the shop.

She further disclosed that there is a small space between the ceiling of the building and the walls and someone could have thrown something inside the building to start the fire.

Several years ago, there was a huge two-storey building at the location from which Persaud’s mother-in-law operated a successful business; however, a fire had completely

destroyed that building. It was only recently that the couple built the structure and began a new business there, only to have it taken away in another fire.

A neighbour told this newspaper that he woke up early Sunday morning, but was still in bed when he heard noises downstairs and thought someone was in his yard, so he alerted his wife and they remained silent.

However, a neighbour then called out to them and it was when they went downstairs, they saw the fire next door.

The man said the fire had apparently spread throughout the interior of the building and was beginning to engulf the exterior. Another neighbour had called and informed the owner, as well as the Fire Service.

11 Feature

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, march 31, 2014

Times Notebook

Pass the budget T

oday, debate starts on the 2014 Budget.

The budget establishes a firm foundation for continued growth and acceleration of the economy and the social welfare gains of our people.

Parliament must do the responsible thing – pass the 2014 Budget. It would be reckless to do otherwise. Times Notebook is not asking any Member of Parliament (MP) to rubber stamp the budget. It is merely requesting that MPs put mechanisms in place for the accountable and efficient implementation of the budget provisions.

New dispensation Funding arrangements contained in the budget are reasonable and are needed. The new dispensation of the combined Opposition enjoying an advantage of one seat more than the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) must be used in a positive way, not in a manner that works against the welfare of the nation.

This Government now presents for consideration its 22nd budget since democracy was restored.

The PPP/C has governed Guyana through its longest period of economic growth and social gains since adult suffrage in 1953.

The Budget 2014 debate begins today. Times Notebook urges MPs to give support to Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh in approving the 2014 Budget

Between 1964 and 1971, Guyana’s economy grew modestly for seven straight years. That era of growth that started with the PPP and terminated with the PNC dictatorship coincided with our first years of independence.

Subsequently, from 1972, Guyana started a journey of up and down development culminating in 1992 with Guyana’s economy and social welfare development no better than it was in 1964.

Under this Government since 1992, growth has been steady and should Guyana continue its growth this year, it will

be 18 of 22 years of economic growth and significant social development.

This is a track record that is envious since no government in Caricom can match it.

No country has had eight years of sustained growth or 18 of the last 22 years, as Guyana has.

The consequence is that Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which was about US$350 per capita in 1964 and remained at about the same in 1992 is now about US$3600 per capita. This is a track record to celebrate.

The sustained economic growth has allowed

Guyana to bring its debt crisis under control. In 1992, our country was regarded as one of the most indebted nations on earth, with a debt of US$2.1 billion, 750 per cent of Guyana’s GDP. Debt management The 2014 Budget shows that Guyana’s debt stand at about $1.3 billion or about 43 per cent of GDP. This Government has earned respect by crafting larger budgets every year and yet be able to keep our debt at below 50 per cent of GDP, when most Caricom countries

are struggling to prevent their debts surpassing 100 per cent of GDP. Even with oil, Trinidad and Tobago is not better than Guyana in terms of managing its debt.

Dr Cheddi Jagan insisted in his time that economic development must not be attained without social development.

Nothing in our social development agenda is more compelling than what we do as a country for our children and our elderly.

The 2014 Budget provides more than $32 billion for education and $22 billion for health. It provides for school uniforms for all children in primary schools, and $10,000 per child to support attendance to public schools and meals and snacks for thousands of children.

Deserving of support It provides for an increase in Old Age Pension for almost 45,000 of our elderly people and provides for subsidies for elderly people who must pay electricity and water bills at a savings to pensioners of about $4 billion.

We hear the demands of the Opposition and even some supporters of the Government that these provisions could be even more.

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has said that the Government of Guyana should have ca-

tered for public school transportation. This is already a commitment by the PPP/C Government.

But the Government has decided that instead of waiting until it can afford such a large programme, it will provide interim support for families.

The same argument is made for the Old Age Pension. Increasing it to $15,000 is a commitment of the Government.

Financial circumstances But rather than waiting until its financial circumstances is such that it can implement such a commitment, the Government has implemented a programme of progressive improvement of the Old Age Pension.

It is provisions like these that make the 2014 Budget proposals deserving of support. Times Notebook urges MPs to give support to Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh in approving the 2014 Budget.

Any politician who establishes a barrier to the passage of the 2014 Budget exposes himself or herself as being a Grinch that wants to steal our chance of upward development trajectory.

Readers are invited to send their comments by email or Facebook to times.notebook@gmail. com.

12 news

monday, march 31, 2014 | guyanatimeSGY.com

SASOD bemoans spike in sexual violence S ociety Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) Secretary Zenita Nicholson has bemoaned the high level of sexual and domestic violence cases in recent times, noting that enough is not being done in delivering justice to the victims.

As recent as Saturday, a 76-year-old woman was sexually molested and strangled in her home in Linden.

Sexual Violence Act

Speaking at International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims observed on March 24 each year, Nicholson said even though the Sexual Violence Act was signed into law in 2010, it did not come into effect until 2013.

She further explained though the act is in place, there is much more that needs to be done for victims of sexual abuse, more specifically sex workers and victims of police brutality.

The top SASOD official made specific reference to the Colwyn Harding saga, where the young man of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, alleged that Police Constable 19175, who was later identified as Devin Mahendra Singh of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, in the presence of two other senior officers, forced a baton into his behind, while he was in custody between November 15 to 18, 2013.

Society Against Sexual Orientation and Discrimination (SASOD) Secretary Zenita Nicholson making a point at the forum

Nicholson stated that to this day, justice for Harding, 23, has not been served and the authorities seem to have forgotten the young man and his fight for justice.

“Colwyn’s mother, Sharon Harding is still fighting her best to access justice for him and we must not sit silent. We must support this strong woman in her fight against grave injustice,” she emphasised.

Echoing her sentiments was Danuta Radzik of Help and Shelter, who related that “with more frequent allegations being made against the police for utilising forms of sexual violence as a means of torture to interrogate those in their custody, over 570 cases of child sexual abuse being reported to the Childcare and Protection Agency in 2013, and with a prosecution rate of about one per cent for rape cases in Guyana, the collaborating human rights

groups have taken note of how sexual violence is destroying society and are determined to work towards securing justice for victims who suffer in silence because of Guyana’s flourishing rape culture”.

Struggle

Radzik spoke of the struggle of sex workers, particularly in the mining areas who are taken advantage of on a daily basis. It was said that when reports are made by the abused workers to the police stations, they are blatantly told that they cannot be raped as they are already selling their bodies for a living.

They are subsequently asked to leave the premises of the police station and never to return despite the fact that they face rape and sexual abuse everyday in the line of their work.

In this regard, the call was made for training to be

given to the Police Force to deal with rape and sexually abused victims, for the reports of victims to be taken seriously and for stigma and discrimination to be reduced if not abandoned.

The forum, which was a collaborative effort between the Colwyn Harding Support Group, Help and Shelter, Red Thread and SASOD, was held at the Saint Stanislaus College’s auditorium. The event attracted members of the general public, students from the University of Guyana, and several interested organisations.

It sought to dispel notions held by society that a woman’s way of dress and behaviour encourages rape.

Odd

“The ways you dress have nothing to do with being raped. This should not be an issue because if a man wears short pants, I am sure he will not be at risk of being raped as a woman.

Too often this is the excuse that is being used by the perpetrators of these acts,” Radzik mentioned.

The groups called for the abolishment of corporal punishment in schools, noting that it is a form of cruelty on children.

They also calling for the relevant authorities, ministries and other stakeholders to “get serious” about the growing trend of sexualrelated crimes and the impact it is having in society, and to implement strategies to combat and serve justice to the victims.

GCCI to donate 10 breathalysers to Police Force

I

n light of a shortage, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has promised to donate 10 breathalysers to the Traffic Department of the Guyana Police Force.

The chamber has already begun the sourcing of the breathalysers, and the initiative is one of several good gestures of the chamber for 2014.

Also on the agenda is the ongoing research on Intellectual Property Laws and Human Capital Development seminars.

GCCI has long called on policy-makers to update the nation’s Intellectual Property Law, noting that the current laws are not adequately updated to protect 21st century businesses that depend on these products.

In 2013, GCCI undoubtedly penetrated several sectors within the country from education to politics, making invaluable contributions to national and international discourses.

In January 2013, the chamber hosted a leadership seminar at the Pegasus Hotel, sensitising the busi-

ness community on real of the Business Guyana and practical experiences of Magazine in May, its leadership that have helped Competitiveness Manifesto to transform businesses. in June and by September, GCCI had also collab- the second edition of orated with the Tourism the Business Directory Ministry and the Small Magazine (2013/2014).

Business Bureau B y to facilitate a November ‘Small Business 2012, it Empowerment had joined S e m i n a r ’ hands with last April. the United Targeting miNations Agency cro, small and for International medium enterDevelopment’s prises, through (USAID) Skills the seminar and Knowledge businessmen for Youth and women Employment were equipped (SKYE) to launch with the reqa Youth Job uisite knowlBank. The job edge and skills bank now serves needed to proas a resource for pel growth and GCCI members development; in and other employparticular exers when in pansion and GCCI has promised to need of semithe generation donate 10 breathalysers to skilled laof employment. the Traffic Department of bour.

These are just the Guyana Police Force In the two of the 11 realm of polseminars hostitics, GCCI’s ed by the chamber in 2013. executive members met Additionally, GCCI with the ruling People’s launched its fourth edition Progressive Party/Civic

(PPP/C), A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) on critical issues. The delayed Local Government Elections, national security, the Amelia Falls Hydropower Project, political stalemate in the National Assembly, the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Bill and the controversial USAID Leadership Programme are among issued placed on the table when the chamber met with the politicians.

This trend is expected to continue even with Clinton Urling stepping down as his term comes to an end.

Urling was the youngest President in the history of GCCI to serve. In addition to serving two terms at GCCI, he is also the Vice President of the Private Sector Commission and General Manager and co-owner of German’s Restaurant. Come Thursday, a 21-member council which was recently composed, will elect a new President for the chamber, along with four other executive members.

IDB forecasts three per cent growth for Caribbean economies

L

IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno

atin America and the Caribbean economies are set to grow at three per cent in 2014 and 3.3 per cent in 2015, thanks to improving economic conditions in the U.S. and Europe, a study issued by the bank has said.

This is in line with the region’s baseline potential in the absence of growthinducing reforms to boost productivity, according the 2014 Latin American and Caribbean Macroeconomic Report, titled Global Recovery and Monetary Normalisation: Escaping a Chronicle Foretold.

Improved economic prospects in the U.S. and Europe will help boost growth, and there is an upside potential that the U.S. economy will grow at a stronger pace than anticipated, providing additional growth potential to the region, and particularly to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, whose economies are more closely tied to the U.S.

Potential negative risks

The Latin American and the Caribbean region also faces two potential negative risks: financial shocks if interest rate hikes in the U.S. are faster than expected and a drag on real growth in the region if there is slower economic growth in China.

South American economies are especially vulnerable to a Chinese slowdown.

Though the region’s economies are on a more sound footing than they were during the shocks of the mid-1990s, most countries are in a weaker position than they were in 2007, prior to the onset of the Great Recession.

In recent years, public debt and dollarisation levels have risen, and countries have increased fiscal expenditures in programmes that are more difficult to dial back in countercyclical ways, according to the study, which is issued on the side of the annual meeting of the IDB. Looking ahead, higher interest rates in the U.S. could mean declining capital inflows, which will hurt

growth and, in some cases, lead to exchange rate depreciations and higher inflation.

Countries, especially those with fixed exchange rates, will need to rely less on monetary options and enhance fiscal countercyclical tools.

“Fiscal balances have deteriorated and rebuilding fiscal buffers should be a priority especially given current uncertainties,” said, IDB Knowledge and Sectors Vice President Santiago Levy.

There may also be risks stemming from the strong growth in domestic credit and the issuance of dollar external debt by non-financial firms, two phenomena that are linked.

Domestic credit has doubled in the last four years, while firms have issued substantial amounts in dollars and the deposits of those firms in local financial systems account for almost 60 per cent of total deposits.

Financial supervisors need to monitor and assess such risks carefully. Latin America and the Caribbean region may also be at an increased risk of a so-called Sudden Stop scenario in capital flows.

Fiscal deficit

This is a more dramatic event whose impact depends on a country’s fiscal deficit, on the current account deficit and the level of dollarisation and reserves, among other variables.

Most countries in the region have seen these indicators deteriorate in recent years.

“This report suggests that reserve levels, while higher in many countries, are below levels that are optimal given the risks of a Sudden Stop scenario,” said IDB economist Andrew Powell, who coordinated the study.

“We need to take a closer look at reserve levels in this environment of heightened risks and higher fiscal deficits. And we need to monitor private sector currency mismatches and liquidity risks. We cannot be complacent.”

news

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monday, march 31, 2014 | guyanatimesGY.com

Berbice rice farmers tell Ramotar of their plight

A section of the gathering during the meeting with President Donald Ramotar and other key stakeholders in the rice industry

R

ice farmers in Berbice on Saturday told President Donald Ramotar about their plight in securing better prices for their paddy and their anxiety regarding the lack of markets for the bumper rice crop.

Ramotar while assuring that his Government was doing all in its power to improve the situation, congratulated rice farmers for a job well done, having produced a record 535,000 tonnes last year.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) reported that rice has been having tremendous success over the years, and farmers’ enthusiasm has resulted in the 2012 production reaching over 400,000 tonnes.

“I want to congratulate you for the tremendous work that you have been doing.

Your effort has helped in the development of our country.

As you know, we have had the longest period of economic growth in this country and you have made a good contribution,” GINA quoted

the President as saying.

Guyana has experienced eight consecutive years of economic growth averaging five per cent.

Secure drainage, new and improved farming technologies and new rice varieties are among some of the interventions over the years, on the part of Government that have been fuelling the rice industry’s growth. Government has also moved to secure several markets for rice farmers, the largest being Venezuela.

The issue of markets, however, remains a concern in light of growing production.

Price taker President Ramotar pointed out as well that there is the issue of generally Guyana being a price taker for its agriculture products. “We do not set the price for rice. We have to take the price that the market gives,” he said.

The President said that one idea to perhaps address the issue is to set up a price stabilisation fund, “so that we can have a uniform price

for rice for as long as possible”.

He noted that, “ When we have high prices, we can put up the money in the institution where it can keep growing, hire people who are specialised in that area to invest and make more money, and when the price comes down, the money can come back in the industry to stabilise it,” he said.

The industry is bothered by issues of exorbitant prices for fertilisers and drying facilities for rice. Government has already moved to work with the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the Rice Producers Association (RPA) on providing to farmers cheaper access to fertilisers.

On the question of drying rice, the President suggested that, “we should work together and pool resources to buy dryers to preserve rice and hold onto it for better rice”.

Government, cognisant of maintaining the strong performance of the rice industry ,has set aside in Budget

New restaurant, bar open

T

he Status International Hotel located on Croal Street and Sandy Place, on Saturday opened the doors to its spanking new restaurant, bar and salon.

Speaking at the inaugural event, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds charged the proprietor Sergio Matos, a Brazilian national, to not only promote his country’s culture through food but also promote Guyanese food and delicacies.

He told the gathering that the Government always welcomes investors to the country, since they boost the local economy and also provide many individuals with job opportunities.

Guyana Tourism Authority President Indranauth Haralsingh echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiments, stating that the opening of the restaurant and bar will add to the growth of the local economy.

Haralsingh urged Matos to continue in the quest of providing quality service as too often restaurants in

The interior of the newly-launched Status Restaurant

Guyana open and only offer high-quality, customer-oriented service at the beginning, after which the service leaves much to be desired.

“Do not let this be another restaurant that will offer high-quality service at the start. Continue to offer a high-quality, customer-oriented service tomorrow, next year, and 10 years from now. We have increased flights to Guyana and tourists will be seeking

out these restaurants and services, so let’s give them an experience to take back to their countries,” he remarked.

The hotel currently offers first-class accommodation, a gym, a salon, a boutique, and now a restaurant and bar.

The Status Restaurant will be opened from as early as 07:00h and will offer an array of dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

2014, the sum of $500 million to help maintain its competitiveness. The industry will also benefit from this year’s investment in drainage and irrigation.

“I want to assure you that every single year we have been investing more in terms of infrastructure in the budget. This year, we are putting more money in drainage and irrigation, working to eliminate flooding; both farmlands and residential areas will benefit,” he said.

President Ramotar pointed out that while the world economy is at three per cent growth per annum, Guyana has been developing at a rate of five per cent per annum, and to maintain this growth, Government will continue looking at new ways to improve the industries that have been fuelling growth of the Guyanese economy.

Meanwhile, RPA General Secretary Dharamkumar Seeraj said the reasons the farmers have been doing so well are because of the farmers themselves, working with other stakeholders, the price received and increase in consumption.

Acreage and yield

“Because of improvement we have had in production, attributed to acreage and yield, we are faced with a situation where we will have to sell more and more rice to Caribbean markets and Europe.”

He said there are challenges, but is optimistic they will be addressed with Government’s interventions.

Seeraj said the Extension Department has made inroads in fuel use, new techniques, soil analysis and the results of the latter have determined the fertiliser regime.

There have been noted improvements in production and quality, and Seeraj said the RPA stands committed to increasing the extension services. Rice production is again expected to exceed 500,000 in 2014.

Driver in Greenwich Park accident yet to be charged

T

he minibus driver who allegedly caused the death of a 58-yearold U.S.-based Guyanese at Greenwich Park, East Bank Essequibo, is yet to be charged. However, he was released on bail.

Around 20:00h on Wednesday evening, Mohan Lall of Queens, New York City, was struck down by a speeding minibus on the Greenwich Park Public Road. He reportedly died on the spot after the minibus struck and flung him several feet away from where he was crossing the road.

Guyana Times understands that the police are still conducting investigations into the matter. This newspaper was reliably informed that investigators are preparing a file to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

Investigators are yet to take statements from witnesses; as such, they had to release the driver, popularly known as “Gunman” from Leonora, West Coast Demerara on bail over the weekend since the constitutional 72 hours for detainment would have expired on Sunday. A post-mortem examination conducted on Friday revealed that the 58-year-old man died as a result of multiple fractures about the body. He had suffered a broken neck, ribs, hands, and feet.

The man had arrived in Guyana some six weeks ago and was staying at a family friend across the road, where he was heading at the time of the accident.

Lall was immediately rushed to the Leonora Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival by doctors. Halima Mohamed, with whom Lall was staying, related that the man came to do some renovation work on his home located across the road.

She revealed that on the

Dead: Mohan Lall

night of the accident, he had gone to check on his house, but took a long time, causing her to get a bit worried.

“I tell my husband 'Mohan ain’t come back yet' and as soon as I say that, we hear the hard impact and everybody run out and we see he pitch and fall in front we house,” she recalled.

The woman recounted that after noticing that it was Lall, she immediately alerted her husband and told him to bring out the vehicle so they can take him to the hospital. “Neighbours start come out and by the time we take out the vehicle, they say he dead. We couldn’t do anything, that was it, so we call the police,” she noted.

Mohamed pointed out that the bus driver stopped after hitting Lall, but instead of going to render assistance, he caught another vehicle and reportedly went to the police station.

The grieving woman disclosed that Lall got into an accident years ago and was badly injured. He was hospitalised for months and steel was inserted in his right leg.

Mohamed noted that they have informed Lall’s family in the U.S. and they are expected to arrive later today for the man’s funeral on Thursday. Lall leaves to mourn his wife, daughter and other relatives.

Man held in connection with Linden murder A

man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Linden pensioner Yvonne Adams whose partly decomposed body was found inside her home on Saturday afternoon.

Lancelot Hosannah was arrested and taken into police custody on Sunday. He is currently assisting police with investigations.

The body of the 72-yearold woman was discovered by neighbours at approximately 16:45h on Saturday inside the bedroom of her home located at South

Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie.

Reports indicated that the woman was discovered with an electrical iron cord wrapped around her neck and parts of her body bore marks of violence. Adams, who lived alone, was reportedly last seen by neighbours on Thursday evening.

Hosannah was reportedly the last person seen leaving the woman’s residence prior to her death.

Neighbours became suspicious after Adams was not seen on Friday and Saturday.

There are also reports that the house in which the pensioner lived had been vandalised.

However, neighbours reportedly did not hear any noises coming from the home over the course of the two days which suggested that something was amiss.

This newspaper understands that Adams, who lived in the United States of America for some time, upon retiring, returned to Guyana.

An associate of the woman noted that she recently suffered a stroke.

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guyanatimesgy.com

monday, march 31, 2014

Regional

Venezuela death toll rises Settle those differences, PNP amid new protests official tells members

Carabobo’s State police officers stand next to graffiti that says in Spanish “Isabelica in war” during an Opposition protest in the Isabelica neighbourhood outside Valenci

T

he death toll from weeks of protests for and against the Venezuelan Government has risen to 39 after two people died in separate incidents, according to the Interior Minister, Miguel Rodriguez.

A 44-year-old man died when he was struck by a high tension cable as demonstrators on Saturday carried a billboard to form a

barricade in San Cristobal, a centre of anti-Government protests.

In Maracaibo on the same day, a 33-year-old man was killed after a homemade mortar bomb he was carrying exploded, according to Rodriguez.

The Venezuelan Government has faced a wave of street protests since February 4, with demonstrators angry over high

levels of crime, hyper-inflation and shortages of essential goods.

Nicholas Maduro, the elected socialist President, has branded the demonstrations as a plot orchestrated by the United States to overthrow his Government.

Many of his supporters have also held rallies.

Rival demonstrations were held in the capital, Caracas, on Saturday.

“They arrest protesting students but leave criminals and thugs free. We are isolated and voiceless,” said retired engineer Elias Jorge.

Marta Perez, 50, added: “We are tired of not having enough food to eat, and criminals killing our children.”

Supporters of Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, meanwhile marched to the presidential palace to rally against the anti-Government marches.

H

yacinth ShakesWarren, the People’s National Party (PNP) Hanover West Constituency Chairman, has called for an amicable resolution to the bitter conflict that she said could destroy the governing party’s machinery in the constituency.

“I hope that for the party’s sake the matter will be resolved amicably and they will stop this whole foolishness which is not good for the party,” Shakes-Warren told the Jamaica Observer on Friday.

She was referring to a slew of charges and counter charges between sup-

porters loyal to Member of Parliament for the area, Ian Hayles and Lucea Mayor Shernett Haughton, who is also the Chairman of the PNP-controlled Hanover Parish Council.

Haughton, who represents the Green Island Division, has for several weeks been under pressure from the majority of councillors at the Council to step down as Chairman.

The councillors, who seemingly have the support of Hayles, have said that they are dissatisfied with Haughton’s leadership of the local authority and have vowed to unseat her.

Three weeks ago, the

monthly general meeting of the Hanover Parish Council fell through due to the lack of a quorum, as the controversy surrounding Haughton’s leadership of the local authority appeared to be deepening.

The meeting was scheduled to begin at 10:00h.

However, just over an hour later, the mayor entered the chambers and thanked members of various State-run agencies, Parish Development Committee representatives and members of the media for coming out. She latter stated that the meeting had fallen through because of the lack of a quorum. (Excerpt from Jamaica

Observer)

Brazilian forces occupy favela ahead of World Cup

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Cuba approves foreign investment law

C

uba’s National Assembly has unanimously approved a bill aimed at making the Communist-run island more attractive to foreign investors.

The law slashes taxes on profits from 30 per cent to 15 per cent and gives new investors eight years of exemption from paying taxes.

The change is seen as a key part of President Raul Castro’s reform package, aiming to modernise Cuba’s economy.

The Government in Havana opened the island

to foreign capital in 1995.

But in recent years, Cuba has seen a fall in foreign investment and moderate economic growth. The economy grew by 2.7 per cent in 2013, well below the government’s seven per cent target.

Cuba’s economy is seen as highly centralised and inefficient, but almost 500,000 Cubans now have licences to operate small, private businesses.

Presenting the law at a special televised session of the assembly, ministers were at pains to stress

that the government was not “selling” the country, but taking steps to ensure its prosperity as a socialist state, the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford reports from Havana.

The text of the bill has not yet been released, but is expected to introduce several incentives to investment when it comes into force in three months’ time.

The reform is not expected to attract investment from the large Cuban community in the United States, under the 50-yearold U.S. economic embargo.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Police probing TT Minister for assault of ex-girlfriend

Sacha Singh

T

rinidad's Tourism Minister Chandresh Sharma is under investigation by the police for the assault of his former girlfriend.

Sacha Singh, the Managing Director of AMS Biotech Security Concept and AmSure T&T Ltd, who is in her late 20s, met with officers of the St Joseph Police Station on Friday at her Piarco business and gave a statement of Sharma’s alleged physical

abuse during an altercation on March 12 at Grand Bazaar.

Though a police investigation into such a matter can take as long as six months, the Sunday Guardian learnt that because of the high-profile nature of the matter, it is being fast-tracked. (Assistant Superintendent of Police) ASP Joanne Archie, public information officer of the T&T Police Service, Saturday confirmed that an investigation was being conducted by the police against Sharma: “Statements were recorded and the investigation is in progress.”

Archie said “a charge or charges” may be laid after the investigation. Sharma’s investigation comes days after former Minister of the People Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh was fired by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Tuesday, following allegations of disorderly behaviour on board a Caribbean Airlines flight on March 16.

Police were told that Singh met Sharma in the car park of Grand Bazaar, near Toppers around 07:45h on March 12.

Sharma had agreed to meet Singh at the mall. In the back seat of Singh’s car was a 12-year-old girl and her mother, a schoolteacher. Sharma entered her Mercedes Benz car and sat in the front passenger seat, where questions about the child arose. The child eventually moved and Sharma spotted her.

The child called out to Sharma who acknowledged her. Singh began to ask Sharma about maintaining the child. Sharma and the girl’s mother came out of the vehicle arguing. Shortly after, there was a scuffle between Sharma and the woman. During the melee, Sharma urged the woman to stop hitting a Brahmin boy. Singh came out of the car and held on to Sharma’s tie, but was slapped across the face. (Excerpt

from TT Guardian)

The armoured vehicles moved into the Mare slum at dawn

B

razilian security forces have moved into a slum near Rio airport, as part of efforts to drive out drugs gangs before this year’s football World Cup. The vast Mare favela is considered to be one of the most dangerous drug-trafficking areas in the city.

Authorities have been carrying out a slum “pacification” programme aimed at making the city – which also hosts the 2016 Olympics – safer. Large quantities of weapons were reportedly seized in Sunday’s raid.

It began before dawn, when more than 1000 police backed by soldiers and armoured vehicles took up position in Mare, one of Rio largest shantytowns.

The area – close to Rio’s international airport – is home to about 130,000 residents.

The BBC’s Julia Carneiro in Sao Paulo says it has become a hub for drug traffickers who have been pushed out of other communities by the pacification programme.

The authorities said the whole area was occupied within 15 minutes. But in the afternoon, clashes erupt-

ed between rival groups and a 15 year-old boy was killed.

Residents said the unrest started with teenagers hurling stones at each other but ended in a shoot-out.

At least another three people were injured and taken to a hospital nearby.

Earlier, police had seized “large quantities of drugs and weapons” hidden near the Olympic Village, GloboNews TV reported.

The favela pacification programme was launched in 2008, when Rio launched a successful bid to host the 2016 Olympics. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Gonsalves again hints at snap elections

S

t Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has for the second time in as many months signalled that the next general elections will be held ahead of the 2015 constitutional deadline.

“Comrades, when I told you to go on your marks, I wasn’t making sport, you know,” Gonsalves told supporters of the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) at a rally in Barrouallie on Saturday night in celebration of the party’s 13th anniversary in office.

“As a countryman, I know the saying that the same rope which does hang sheep is the same rope which does hang goat. And I want to say this, as a man, further, from the country, is not long rope that does hang cattle, you know; is short rope.

“And we going gi’ (give) NDP a short rope as we go between now to the next general elections,” he said.

Gonsalves, whose ULP will be seeking a fourth consecutive term in office, first hinted at early general election in February as he ad-

dressed the ULP’s annual convention, telling party supporters to get “on your marks”.

Some political observers say that the polls can come as soon as July, while others believe that it would come towards the end of 2014.

Gonsalves, 67, who during the 2010 election campaign asked voters to give him another term to mould a new generation of leaders, suggested to party supporters on Saturday that the next election will be his last as party leader. (Excerpt from CMC)

15 Around the world monday, march 31, 2014

guyanatimesgy.com

Russia and U.S. end crisis talks Erdogan: Poll win a blow to

R

ussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his United States counterpart, John Kerry have ended crisis talks on Ukraine with no sign of whether progress was made.

The meeting in Paris was hastily set up after Russian President Vladimir Putin phoned U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday.

Russia has annexed Crimea and there are reports of thousands of Russian troops massed close to Ukraine’s borders. Earlier Lavrov set out demands for a neutral and federal Ukraine, an idea Kiev called “full capitulation”.

However, Lavrov has categorically denied any plans for an invasion. But he has stressed Moscow will protect the rights of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers, after pro-European Union pro-

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was due to give a press conference after talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

tests in Kiev led to the ousting of Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych. He had faced months of protests after pulling out of an association deal with Brussels.

On Sunday, the U.S. ordered its top general in Europe to return early from

a trip to Washington.

General Philip Breedlove, NATO’s supreme allied commander in Europe, had been due to testify to Congress, but a Pentagon spokesman said his return was prudent “given the lack of transparency and intent from Russian leadership about their military movements across the border”.

Hours before the Paris talks were due to take place at the Russian ambassador’s residence, Lavrov told Russian state TV that Ukraine should come up with a new Constitution “providing for a federal structure” and neutrality.

The Russian Foreign Minister said Moscow, the U.S. and European Union should act as a support group for Kiev to begin a nationwide dialogue that did not involve the “armed radicals”. (Excerpt from Reuters)

immoral politics

T

urkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed victory in local elections, calling results a victory for democracy and a blow to the “immoral, aimless politics” of his rivals.

Erdogan warned his rivals would “pay the price” for their loss as preliminary results on Sunday showed his Justice and Development party, known as the AKP, took about half of all votes cast.

The main opposition Republican People’s Party, known as the CHP, had 28 per cent and the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP,

had 13 per cent, the Anatolia news agency reported late on Sunday.

The elections, which were being held amid corruption allegations and damaging security leaks that have shaken the 12-year rule of the AKP Government, were widely seen as a vote of confidence for the rule of Erdogan.

At a rally in Ankara in the early hours of Monday, Erdogan said that “democracy and free will” had won.

“These poll results show more than who won, it shows who lost,” he said.

“Immoral politics have

Libyan Parliament passes law to organise new elections

Syrian crisis: Freed Spanish journalists back in Spain

T

wo Spanish journalists taken hostage in Syria have returned to Madrid after six months in captivity.

El Mundo correspondent Javier Espinosa and freelance photographer Ricardo Garcia Vilanova were earlier freed and handed over to the Turkish military.

The pair arrived at Torrejon de Ardoz airbase, where they were welcomed by overjoyed friends and family. Scores of journalists are believed to have been

kidnapped or killed by rebel fighters in Syria.

Espinosa, 49, and Vilanova, 42, were seized by al-Qaeda-linked militants The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), near the Turkish border in September.

El Mundo said the two journalists had at the time been trying to leave Syria at the end of a two-week reporting mission.

Four members of the Free Syrian Army – the main Western-backed rebel

group – who were protecting them were also captured but later released.

The Spanish daily said the kidnapping was initially kept quiet at the request of the men’s families. Many kidnappings are played down in the hope of aiding negotiations.

In December, 13 major international news organisations signed a letter urging Syrian rebel groups to stop kidnapping journalists, and to free those currently held. (Excerpt from BBC News)

If Modi wins election, neighbours can expect a more muscular India

I

ndia will get tougher on territorial disputes with China and in its old rivalry with Pakistan if Opposition Leader Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister in May after a general election, two of his aides said.

Modi, a Hindu nationalist who is the front-runner to win the five-week election starting on April 7, has taken an aggressive tone against the two neighbour-

ing nations. On the campaign trail, he has warned Beijing to shed its “mindset of expansionism” and in the past he has railed against Pakistan, an Islamic state, for attacks by Muslim militants in India.

“I swear in the name of the soil that I will protect this country,” Modi said at a rally in Arunachal Pradesh last month, a region claimed

by China.

India, China and

Pakistan are all nuclear powers. They are also jockeying to take positions in Afghanistan as Western troops start to withdraw from the war-torn nation after a 12-year insurgency.

India has fought three wars with Pakistan and had a 1962 border skirmish with China. It came close to a fourth war with Pakistan in 2001, but since then, its foreign policy has been mostly benign. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Boys, carrying flags, sit on a tank in Benghazi, March 19, during the third anniversary of an attack by pro-Gaddafi forces on Benghaz

L

ibyan lawmakers approved a new election law on Sunday, paving the way to call general elections later this year.

Last month, the General National Congress (GNC) assembly agreed to hold early elections, in an apparent

effort to assuage ordinary Libyans angry over political chaos in the country nearly three years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.

Deputies had initially agreed to extend their term after the original mandate ran out on February 7 to al-

R

bound plane disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board.

International investigators have concluded that, based on satellite data, the missing Boeing 777 crashed somewhere in the southern Indian Ocean.

The search zone shifted on Friday after further analysis.

But while aircraft continue to spot debris in the water, nothing recovered by ships has so far been verified as being from the plane.

Some relatives of the 153 Chinese passengers on

board Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have refused to accept the Malaysian account of events and blame the authorities.

On Sunday, several dozen family members travelled from Beijing.

After landing in Kuala Lumpur they held a news conference at a hotel holding up banners that read “We want evidence, truth, dignity” in Chinese, and “Hand us the murderer. Give us our relatives,” in English. (Excerpt from BBC

News)

low a special committee time to draft a new constitution, but their move sparked protests.

Parliament approved a law to organise new elections. Candidates have to run as individuals, banning parties from drawing up lists. It is now up to the elections commission to set a date.

The GNC is deadlocked between Islamists and nationalists, compounding a sense of chaos as Libya’s fledgling army tries to assert itself against unruly ex-rebels, tribal groups, and Islamist militants.

Many people in the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nation blame mainly the Congress infighting for a lack of progress in the transition towards democracy since the overthrow of Gaddafi in 2011. (Reuters)

Thailand’s ‘red shirts’ gear up for a fight

Malaysian flight MH370: Chinese families vent anger

elatives of Chinese passengers from the missing Malaysian plane have vented their anger at Government officials, after arriving in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Chanting “Tell us the truth”, they said they wanted the Malaysian Prime Minister to apologise for what they regard as misleading statements.

Eight ships and nine planes searched around 252,000 square kilometres (97,000 square miles) of ocean for debris on Sunday. The Beijing-

lost. Politics on tapes, on false recordings have lost.

Immoral and aimless politics have lost.”

He took aim at rivals who sought to capitalise on the leaked recording in their campaign against him, and the press.

“I ask the Leader of the Opposition if he didn’t have the recordings, what would you have said on your campaign?”

“You only utter lies and false statements. They have lost again today. To the members of the press, democracy has won at the polls, today free will has won.”(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra prepares to cast a ballot at a polling station in Bangkok, March 30

T

he clock is ticking for Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who faces impeachment within weeks, but her supporters are hatching plans to thwart any move to dismiss her, with some leaders assembling what amount to militias.

Yingluck has until later today to defend herself

before the National AntiCorruption Commission (NACC) against charges of dereliction of duty over a ruinously expensive rice-buying scheme.

If the Commission recommends Yingluck’s impeachment, and the Senate then seeks to remove her, it could be a tipping point for the pro-Government “red

shirts”, who have mostly stayed out of the fray since anti-Government protests first flared in November.

“We’ll act when our democratically-elected Prime Minister is kicked out by the elite,” Suporn Attawong, a red shirt leader known by followers as “Rambo Isarn”, told Reuters in Bangkok.

Leaders of the red shirt movement, formally called the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), say they are mustering recruits to be sent for military-style training in order to protect their own protesters if they go to the barricades.

Thailand’s eight-year political crisis broadly pits the Bangkok elite and middle classes against the mostly rural supporters of Yingluck and her influential brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted as Premier by the military in 2006. (Excerpt from Reuters)

16 news

Monday, march 31, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

$1B cleanup to be a multi-Ministry effort …monies not for City Council – Whittaker

By Jomo Paul

M

inister within the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry, Norman Whittaker on Thursday said the $1 billion allocation in the National Budget for a countrywide cleanup would fund an inter-Ministry effort.

He related that the project would see a committee being formed to brainstorm ideas to not only clean up the city but other parts of the country. The committee will involve persons from the Ministries of Public Works, Natural Resources and the Environment and Agriculture and the City Council. He added that there are plans to include persons from the Private Sector Commission, a move he welcomed.

He further explained that the committee will be working to determine the nature and extent of work to be done and the main areas of focus, under the proposed cleanup project for the country. Currently, he further explained, a few preparatory aspects of the project have already been determined, including public awareness.

The Minister maintained that under the Solid Waste Management European Union grant, the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry has been able to acquire more than 700 receptacles, which have since been placed at strategic locations throughout out the city. He said

Minister within the Local Government Ministry, Norman Whittaker

a number of these bins have been given to the City Council, schools, hospitals, and health centres, principally within the commercial area In the same breath,

Whittaker underscored the fact that the monies for the project would not be given to the City Council. “This is not a handout… this is another attempt on the part of the Government to improve the environment,” he said, adding “we are not about to hand the City Council anything”.

Just one day after the National Budget was presented in the National Assembly by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, in which the $1 billion cleanup proposal was announced, with over half of the amount stipulated for Georgetown, both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Georgetown publically condemned the Government for its decision.

The Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green had stated at a press conference on Tuesday that City Hall

Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board U.S.

Cambio Rates Bank of Guyana

$1335.00

Cambio

$202.67

Cur

Buying

Selling

GBP

$339.73

$343.98

Gross

$254,331

Net

$236,527

CAN

$183.79

$185.91

Selling

$262,426

USD

$205.98

$208.44

Indicators as on March 25, 2014 $1311.70

Low/High

$1306.20

USD Per Once

$1312.70 $1317.70

+2.10

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+0.16

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Mar 25

USD GBP EUR Mar 20

USD GBP EUR

AM

PM

1314.75 796.87 951.82

1313.50 794.81 952.23

AM

PM

1327.00 802.78 962.64

1327.00 804.63 963.62

Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green

few vendors and commuters in an effort to gather their thoughts on the proposed project. One woman who identified herself as Sabrina Persaud, a “topup” vendor, related that she welcomed the proposal from the Government. She maintained that it was something that should have been done a long time ago as the Garden City has been in a state of complete disarray for quite a number of years.

Another young lady, Wanda Hytmiah said that not only should the Government clean up the streets but they should allow the city’s Councillors to raise their own funds.

“I am not backing the Council because there is really no excuse for the state of the city, but I mean the Government should allow them to do one, one fine thing to raise some money,” said the woman.

Investors' guide

Fixed as at July 24, 2013 Calculated at 94% purity

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did not want monies from the Government but rather independence to acquire its own funds. “We don’t want handouts from the Government. The Council wants its independence to

Improper dumping of garbage has been a major problem for some time

Market statistics

Bid/Ask

Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green

be able to earn its own revenue. When we offered to do the lottery, they took it over; parking meters, they took it over,” said the Deputy Mayor, adding that the $500 million allocated to the city was a “joke… just a tear drop in the ocean”.

She further opined that she was at wits’ ends as to how the $500 million would be spent, stating that whichever ministry is handed the task should collaborate with the Councillors of the city. “I would like them to sit with the Mayor and Councillors to discuss how we are going to spend this money… we must sit down at a round table and decide how to spend that $500 million in the city of Georgetown, this is not an election gimmick for the Government,” stated Green.

Mayor Hamilton Green told media operatives that the proposal was unnecessary, adding that he “smell a rat”. He posited “this $500 million will be for propaganda purposes, there is no suggestion that there is the vital component of sustainability, where is the sum to maintain its cleanliness over the next month or years?”

Over the years, the City Council has been at odds with the Government as it relates to the well-being of the city. The quarrel intensified in 2013 after Carol Sooba was appointed Town Clerk. The councillors have since claimed that the Town Clerk is a political tool within their organisation.

Guyana Times took to the streets and spoke to a

Indicators Crude Oil

Price Silver

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$20.00 $1418.00

Change %

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Last: 16367.88

Changes: +91.19

% Change: +0.56

Open:16279.20

High:16407.18

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% YTD: -1.26

52Wk Hi:16588.25

52 Wk Lo: 14382.09

Wall St Week Ahead: U.S. jobs and Russia to rule stocks

U

.S. stock investors will take their cues this week from March jobs data and diplomacy to defuse East-West tensions over Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region.

Friday’s monthly jobs report, the most widely watched U.S. economic indicator, is expected to show that employers added 200,000 jobs in March to non-farm payrolls, according to a Reuters poll of economists.

If the March jobs figure is strong, that could convince stock investors that the U.S. economy’s recent setbacks related to the weather were only temporary.

The rebound in hiring started last month despite the icy weather. Employers added 175,000 jobs to nonfarm payrolls in February after creating 129,000 new positions in January.

“We potentially could

have a big positive surprise.

The polar vortex is over, and I believe we could get a snapback in payroll numbers that is significantly better than expected,” said Doug Cote, Chief Market Strategist at ING U.S. Investment Management in New York.

Job growth would be a plus for the market, which has suffered a bout of volatility as some of the most highflying shares, including biotechs, tumbled in the past week.

Watching Russia and Ukraine

When trading begins today, investors will keep an eye on developments involving Russia and Ukraine.

Over the weekend, the Ukraine crisis prompted the United States to send its top general in Europe back to the Continent early from a trip to Washington.

On Sunday, the Pentagon called the move a prudent step, given Russia’s “lack of transparency” about troop movements across the border with Ukraine.

The Pentagon made the announcement as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met in Paris to work out the framework of a deal to reduce tensions over Russia’s annexation of the Crimea region in Ukraine.

Wall Street will get more data on the broader economy this week as well.

The Institute for Supply Management will release its national surveys for March on the manufacturing and services sectors, on Tuesday and Thursday respectively.

The indexes are expected to show improvement from the previous month as well.

(Reuters)

news

17

monday, march 31, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

WPA aggrieved by Rodney Inquiry snub – says party members free to participate in inquiry

WPA Chairman, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine

T

he Working People’s Alliance (WPA) on Sunday said it feels aggrieved that it has been left out of the setting up of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the death of Dr Walter Rodney and said individual party members are free to engage the Inquiry since the party has not been officially acknowledged as a participant by the powers that be.

In a statement, the WPA said it wishes to remind the public that it had formally written to President Donald Ramotar since March 7, expressing concerns over the Terms of Reference (ToRs) and composition of the Walter Rodney CoI. “To date, we have received no response from the President. Ignoring WPA’s expressed concerns on so vital a matter is unworthy of the President and does not contribute to the development of a healthy political climate in Guyana,” the party said.

It added that it certainly is not conducive to the national reconciliation and political healing, which had been the last position of the Rodney family and the WPA, as enunciated in a joint statement in 2005 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Dr Rodney's assassination.

“WPA states again that our party was not consulted on the creation of the Terms of Reference for the Commission of Inquiry. As far as we have been aware and based on the President’s pronouncements and on remarks of leading spokespersons of the PPP and the PPP/C

government, the Terms of Reference was the creation of the Government of Guyana in consultation solely with the Rodney family. According to the government spokespersons, the Rodney family had insisted on the exclusion of political parties from the process. In the absence of any denial by the Rodney family to the Government’s contention, WPA must accept the Government’s position as factual.”

The WPA said it is not one of the organisations which the Commissioners saw fit to meet on their recent support building exercise, “even though it has historically been for over three decades the leading voice calling for an inquiry into the assassination of Walter Rodney”. The party said it should not be forgotten that it was the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) which abstained on its own motion in Parliament in 2005 which sought to establish a CoI into Rodney’s death. The motion was supported by the WPA, the now defunct Rise, Organise and Rebuild Guyana (ROAR) and the People’s National Congress (PNC).

Not required to respond

“After a careful assessment of the issues involved for and against participation in the work of the Commission, bearing in mind the family’s genuine pursuit of closure on this grievous matter, conscious of its responsibility to Walter Rodney, his family, the nation, the region and the international community, WPA recommends that each individual party member be free to engage the process of the inquiry as he or she sees fit, taking into consideration that the party itself has not been officially acknowledged as a participant by the powers that be.”

Meanwhile, last week, President Ramotar told a news conference that his Administration had no responsibility to the WPA, and as such, is not required to respond to its letter on the Walter Rodney Commission ToRs. The Head of State, however, said that he will soon respond to the party. President Ramotar said that he had seen no need to meet with the WPA, since

The late Dr Walter Rodney

the request for the establishment of the Commission was made by the late political activist’s family. “As I said before, I didn’t have an agreement with the WPA to set up this Commission, it came about from the Rodney family, and all the technical things were done,” he told reporters.

He said persons should seek out responses from family members to ascertain the reasons they have exercised reservations on involving the WPA, the political party that was partly founded by the late Dr Rodney.

The President said the WPA had been loud in its call for the establishment of the Commission and he finds it rather strange that it still has so many misgivings about its establishment. “They want to narrow the Commission to only the day that Rodney died; what context would that have?” he questioned.

Questions were raised as to the real reason the Commission has only now been set up. Ramotar acknowledged that back in 1992, former President Cheddi Jagan had pledged to launch an investigation, however, this was never realised.

He explained that the late President had tried to investigate the historian’s death, but could not because the accused Gregory Smith was living in French Guiana, which at that time, did not allow for persons to be extradited to their home country where

capital punishment was in the law.

Asked about the cost of the Inquiry, Ramotar revealed that while he did not have the exact figure at hand, the expenses incurred for the Commission are very high.

The WPA last week had also labelled as “shameful” the non-response of the Head of State. According to the party, over three weeks have gone by since a letter signed by the party’s Chairman, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and Executive Member, Dr Clive Thomas, was sent to the President, registering the party’s concerns over sections of the ToRs. The leaders had said that the incident was unfortunate since other reports were made public, while no formal contact was made with the party.

Strays

The WPA, earlier this month, had raised concerns over paragraph four of the ToRs, which it said “strays a considerable distance from the precisions of paragraph one”. Section four of the ToRs tasks the Commission with “examining the facts and circumstances immediately prior, at the time of, and subsequent to the death of Dr Walter Rodney”. Questions were also raised about the granting of an absolute pardon to persons who may have been involved in the death of Dr Rodney.

The letter said that “it would seem to have the Commission of Inquiry tiptoe in the direction of a Truth Commission, even while the Terms of Reference and the prevailing conditions fall far short of the complex requirements of a Truth Commission. Perhaps, it is enough, at this stage and in our conditions, that it pins the flag of reconciliation on its mast”.

The PPP/C had stated that the decision to exclude the PNC and WPA in the formation of the Commission and the crafting of its ToRs was taken considering the request made by Dr Rodney widow, Patricia, who asked that the two political bodies not be involved by way of consultations. According to the party, Mrs Rodney did not want the inquiry to become politicised.

“Big defeat” for French Socialists F

rance's governing Socialists have suffered big losses in municipal elections, early results show, with the Opposition UMP claiming victory and the far right celebrating further gains.

UMP leader Jean-Francois Cope hailed what he called a "blue wave" of support for his centre-right party. The far-right National Front (FN) was heading for victory in up to seven towns, early results indicated. The Socialists have been hit by growing dis-

content over the economy.

Turnout in Sunday's second-round vote was low, which was bad news for President Francois Hollande's Socialists as it was their supporters who were not voting, BBC Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield reports.

Marine Le Pen's National Front was on course for victory in the southern towns of Beziers and Frejus and in Villers-Cotterets north-east of Paris.

The centre-right UMP appear poised to capture a number of key cit-

ies, including Saint-Etienne, Reims and Roubaix, our correspondent says.

A reshuffle – and quite likely a replacement for Prime Minister JeanMarc Ayrault – could be announced as early as today, he adds.

In Paris, which has had a Socialist mayor since 2001, Socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo claimed victory over her UMP rival.

It was seen as a consolation for the governing party on a night of setbacks.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Tax evasion still rampant despite improvement in regional system – IDB study

A

n Inter-American Development Bank study has found that despite marked improvements in the tax administration in Latin America and the Caribbean, tax evasion remains widespread.

In a recent study titled “More Than Revenue: Taxation as a Development Tool”, the Bank said tax collections have increased approximately 30 per cent for each dollar of output or income in Latin America and the Caribbean in the last 20 years. Most of this increase is due to improvements in tax administration. It said tax administrations now boast technical and budgetary autonomy and highly qualified professional staff, while their collection function, focusing on large taxpayers, has been strengthened, thanks in part to the

random: “they focus on taxpayers who show most evidence of sophisticated and substantial tax fraud. This targeting is a bad thing for fat cats who have nowhere to hide, but much better for the majority of taxpayers for whom the probability of being sanctioned is even lower.”

But this is not all. “When fraud or other offences are detected, the penalties are not applied with sufficient vigour. Tax fraud is well defined in Latin American legislation, but judgments are almost non-existent on average, in every country in Latin America.”

The report said that in a few countries, there has been not a single judgment for tax fraud in the last five years. A note of caution: in Chile, Colombia and Mexico, the number of judgments is

widespread use of technology.

“However, the challenges facing tax administrations are greater than their achievements. A large number of workers and businesses in the region never have contact with the tax authority. Although some are exempt by law from filing tax returns, most simply hide from the tax administration through the use of avoidance strategies or directly illegal fraud,” the study found.

According to the IDB, half of the potential collection of individual and corporate income tax is lost through evasion, along with over a quarter of the tax revenues that VAT should raise. The Bank said the main reason is that the probability of being punished for tax evasion is virtually nil.

“To begin with, few people are registered taxpayers – only 10 per cent of the population in Latin America compared with 59 per cent in developed countries. Of the registered taxpayers, only 2.8 per cent are subject to general audits each year and an insignificant 0.2 per cent are subject to in-depth audits.”

These numbers, the Bank said, can be misleading because the audits are not

reasonable and could be increasing. As a result of this permissive chain, the impact of audits on total revenue is a meagre 1.6 per cent on average in all Latin America (and much less than that in most countries).

According to the Bank, raising the potential cost of evasion is an essential step, but possibly not enough. The efforts of tax administrations would be more effective if there were more “tax morality”. According to polls taken by Latinobarómetro, only one in two Latin Americans think tax evasion is reprehensible.

The factors that undermine tax morality include the unpopularity of the Government in power, the belief that the country is not headed in the right direction, and the perception that public entities are not tackling the most pressing social problems, such as security or unemployment.

People’s motivations and fears about paying or evading tax are so varied that a wide variety of stimuli and incentives would be needed to substantially reduce evasion. Unfortunately, many of the factors that affect tax morality are beyond the scope of action of tax administrations.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, march 31, 2014

thursDAY, march 11, 2010 | guyanatimesGY.com

archie

By Bernice Bede Osol

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) You may be uncertain and lack direction.

Be honest about the way you feel. Spending some time with the youngsters in your family will lighten your mood as well as prove informative.

dilbert

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19) Strive to do your best, and don’t allow criticism to upset you. Be confident in your judgment – you will be able to make wise choices and good decisions.

Calvin and Hobbes

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Don’t hesitate to speak your mind. Accept an invitation that allows you to meet new people and broaden your outlook and interests. A romantic connection will enhance your life.

Peanuts

CANCER (June 21July 22) Get out and mingle.

Sign up for a new activity or take advantage of arts and recreation facilities close to home. You are likely to meet someone who shares your interests.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22) Your optimism could lead to trouble. Dreams are good to have, but deal with practical matters first. Focus on your career and take a realistic look at your financial situation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) Your artistic abilities will be on display today.

The children in your life will be delighted to share a hobby or craft with you, and you can enjoy things through youthful eyes for a while.

ARIES

LIBRA

(March 21-April 19)

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

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Sebastien spins Windwards to the summit

monday, march 31, 2014

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76 as the Windwards, resuming from 135 for three, were dismissed for 238. Keddy Lesporis, unbeaten on seven at the start, slammed 42 from 50 balls with six boundaries.

Leg-spinner Anthony

Martin claimed five for 58 while seamer Gavin Tonge picked up three for 55.

The Windwards walked away with 17 points for their efforts while the Leewards collected just three.

SCOREBOARD Windward Islands 1st Innings 292 Leeward Islands 1st Innings 171/9 Windward Islands 2nd Innings D Smith c Saunders b Martin 77 T Theophile c Thomas b Tonge 27 S Ambris b Willett 7 K Peters c Powell b Leonard 12 K Lesporis c Thomas b Tonge 42 R Currency c Thomas b Tonge 9 L James+ c Thomas b Tonge 8 S Shillingford st Thomas b Martin 3 L Sebastien* not out 5 M Mathew c Powell b Martin 17 N Pascal b Martin 16 Total: (68.1 Overs) 238 Extras: (4b, 8lb, 2w, 1nb) 15 Fall of Wickets: 1-83, 2-103, 3-127, 4-143, 5-184, 6-192, 7-194, 8-196, 9-214, 10-238.

Bowling: G Tonge 15-5-55-3, A Martin 25.1-4-58-5, K Walters 6-0-39-0, Y Leonard 15-1-46-1, K Powell 2-0-8-0, T Willett 5-0-20-1.

Leeward Islands 2nd Innings K Powell* LBW Sebastien 54 J Liburd c Smith b Sebastien 10 O Peters LBW Sebastien 2 D Thomas+ c Theophile b Smith 6 T Willett c James b Peters 41 A Saunders LBW Sebastien 17 J Hamilton c Lesporis b Sebastien 5 Y Leonard LBW Sebastien 0 G Tonge c James b Peters 13 A Martin c Theophile b Sebastien 1 K Walters not out 7 Total: (55.3 Overs) 162 Extras: (0b, 5lb, 1w, 0nb) 6 Fall of Wickets: 1-57, 2-61, 3-70, 4-82, 5-115, 6-129, 7-131, 8-147, 9-154, 10-162.

Windward Islands 2nd Innings Bowling: N Pascal 4-0-22-0, M Mathew 5-1-12-0, K Peters 9-0-45-2, L Sebastien 22.33-49-7, S Shillingford 8.2-46-0, D Smith 6.4-1-23-1.

Lewis Hamilton wins Malaysian GP, ahead of Nico Rosberg

L

ewis Hamilton took a dominant win in the Malaysian GP to lead Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg to a one-two finish.

The Briton was in control from the start, converting his pole position into a lead at the first corner and controlling the race.

Rosberg was unable to keep up, and concentrated on ensuring he stayed ahead of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso took fourth after Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo hit trouble.

Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg was fifth.

Hamilton dedicated the win to the families of the passengers lost in the disappear-

Lewis Hamilton

ance of flight MH370.

“Incredible,” he

said.

“After such a difficult weekend and a long winter, I just feel so grateful. I’d really like to dedicate it to the families, after such a tragedy three weeks ago.

“The team were spot on with all the pit stops and calling and timing, the info was spot on. What a great car, what a great job from everyone.”

Team-mate Rosberg added: “I got a great start and that allowed me to get into second place. In Turn Three I got a bit sideways, plenty of action there - but it worked out well. Then it was just a question of trying to keep up with Lewis, but he was a bit too quick today.” (BBC Sport)

Martina Hingis wins Miami doubles title with Sabine Lisicki

TO let

VEHICLES FOR SALE

aptain Liam Sebastien produced careerbest figures to spin Windward Islands to a comprehensive 197-run win over Leeward Islands with a day to spare in their fifth round, Regional Four-Day match here Sunday.

The right-arm off-spinner captured seven for 49 as the Leewards, set an improbable 360 for victory, slumped to 162 all out at the National Stadium.

Only Test batsman and captain Kieran Powell showed any grit with a top score of 54 while Tonito Wilett scored 41.

Powell and Javier Liburd (10) put on 57 for the first wicket but when Sebastien removed Liburd, the next nine wickets fell for 105 runs.

Sebastien also accounted for Powell, after the West Indies left-hander had pounded 11 boundaries in a breezy 92-ball innings.

Willett also tried making a fist of it, hammering five fours off 74 balls before he was ninth out with defeat beckoning.

Earlier, Devon Smith added just one to his overnight

F

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ormer world number one Martina Hingis won her first title since 2007 as she teamed up with Sabine Lisicki in the Sony Open doubles.

Switzerland’s Hingis and German Lisicki beat Russian duo Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 4-6 6-4 10-5 in Miami.

Hingis, 33, claimed her last title seven years ago in Doha before retiring later in 2007, only to return in some doubles events last year.

She has won five Grand Slam singles and nine doubles titles in her career.

“It’s very exciting,” said Hingis. When you convert the match point, you’re like, ‘Yes, we did it!’’ It’s amazing.”

Hingis won the singles title in Miami in 1997 and 2000, beating Monica Seles and Lindsay Davenport respectively, and she won the doubles title in 1998 and 1999 alongside Jana Novotna.

Hingis won just three of the five matches she played

Martina Hingis (left) and Sabine Lisicki share their moment of glory (Reuters photo)

when making her comeback alongside Daniela Hantuchova last year.

Miami was Hingis and Lisicki’s second tournament together, after they lost in the first round in Indian Wells, and the pair saved seven match points in their quarterfinal against Anabel Medina Garrigues and Yaroslava

Shvedova.

The wildcard team then won the last seven points of the deciding super tie-break against sixth seeds Makarova and Vesnina to give Hingis her 38th WTA doubles title.

Hingis is projected to move to 60th in the new doubles world rankings, while Lisicki will move up to 36th. (BBC Sport)

20

guyanatimesGY.com

Monday, march 31, 2014

Novak Djokovic beats NZ targeting ‘complete Rafael Nadal to win performance’ – Williamson Sony Open in Miami New Zealand v Sri Lanka, World T20, Group 1, Chittagong

N

ovak Djokovic took his winning run against world number one Rafael Nadal to three matches with a superb victory in the Sony Open final.

The Serb, 26, won 6-3 6-3 to claim his fourth Miami title, moving him ahead of Pete Sampras and two behind Andre Agassi in the event’s all-time list.

Djokovic, the world number two, broke serve once in the first set and twice in the second as he dominated Nadal.

The pair now hold all nine elite Masters 1000 titles between them.

Nadal, 27, will hope to regain the initiative as the tour heads to Europe for the clay-court season, with Djokovic having won backto-back hard-court Masters titles in Indian Wells and Miami.

Djokovic might have been without head coach Boris Becker, who is recovering from hip surgery, but he could not have played much better as the world’s top two players met for a record 40th time on Sunday.

The Serb saved a break

Kane Williamson has impressed as an opener in this tournament (AFP photo)

Novak Djokovic (Reuters photo)

point in the opening game and began to put the pressure on Nadal, moving 4-2 clear when a huge forehand clipped the back of the baseline.

He closed out the set after 40 minutes and tightened his grip further with another break at the start of the second, moving Nadal from side to side before firing a backhand winner into the space created.

Nadal was hanging on as

best he could, and he fired a brilliant forehand winner down the line to stave off another break point at 3-1 down, but his hopes of finally landing a first Miami title were slipping away.

Djokovic attacked the Spaniard’s serve once again at 5-3 to earn two more break points and converted his first match point in a stunning 30-shot rally that ended with a half-volley into the open court. (BBC Sport)

Liverpool tops Premier League

L

iverpool moved to the top of the Premier League as they humiliated a woeful Tottenham side at Anfield.

A second-minute Younes Kaboul own goal, following Glen Johnson’s low cross, put the Reds on course for an eighth successive league victory.

Luis Suarez made it 2-0

after Michael Dawson’s error, and the Uruguayan then had a header pushed onto the post.

Philippe Coutinho added a third goal from 25 yards and Jordan Henderson’s low free-kick sealed the rout.

Victory moved the Reds two points ahead of Chelsea and four in front of Manchester City, though

Manuel Pellegrini’s side have played two games fewer than their title rivals.

However, with both Chelsea and City still to visit Anfield, Brendan Rodgers’s team have their destiny in their own hands. Six wins from their last six matches will see them win the league title for the first time since 1989-90. (BBC Sport)

Australian Bowditch leads by three shots at Texas Open

A

ustralian Steven Bowditch chipped in at the first two holes on his way to a three-shot lead after the third round at the $6.2 million Texas Open on Saturday.

Boosted by the hot start, Bowditch continued to display an exquisite short game, recovering from some poor long shots to notch just one bogey on his way to a four-under-par 68 at the TPC San Antonio.

“I didn’t hit the ball real well today at all,” Bowditch told reporters after posting a 12-under 204 total with one round left.

Matt Kuchar (65) carded the lowest round of the week to storm into a tie for second on nine-under with fellow American Andrew Loupe (70), who bogeyed the parfive 18th.

K

ane Williamson has said that New Zealand would target a “complete performance” for the first time in the tournament as they attempt to secure a World T20 semi-final spot by beating Sri Lanka on Monday.

Brendon McCullum’s side have won two of their three games but could have made their position even stronger if they had managed to put away South Africa when they needed seven runs off the final over with five wickets in hand. Williamson was far from bullish about New Zealand’s chances of beating the No. 2-ranked side but said he hoped the team would play to their considerable potential in what is effectively a quarter-final.

“The nature of T20 is there’s a lot of things you can’t control and it one or two players step up, then we can beat anyone and we certainly have the players to do that,” Williamson said. “We’ll be going into the game with confidence and we have personnel to win this game. We know Sri Lanka have a very good

side and have been playing good cricket throughout the group stage.

“We’re yet to put together the complete performance that we know we’re capable of, so if we can keep working on what we have been doing it would be nice to put it together tomorrow.”

Williamson has quietly impressed after being recalled to the team as an opener and is currently New Zealand’s leading scorer.

McCullum, who became the first man to pass 2000 T20 international runs in their last game, also appears to be easing into gear, hitting a match-winning 65 to set up victory against Netherlands and keep the team on track for the last four.

“When Brendon comes out he tends to play the game we all know he can and he plays in that style no matter what,” Williamson said. “Coming in at three you have that freedom, which is what we want from our best T20 player. It’s been great he’s coming up with a few performances, hopefully he can continue that.”

New Zealand’s recent

record in T20 against Sri Lanka is not in their favour, without a win since 2010 and beaten in a Super Over at the last World T20.

Williamson said they taken note of England’s successful chase on Thursday, when the evening dew severely hampered Sri Lanka’s spinners.

“They played outstandingly in that game,” Williamson said. “We’ve played Sri Lanka a lot before but playing in these night-time games here it’s a different game with the dew factor. The ball seems to skid on more and get quite wet, so there’s all those things to consider. England showed the perfect way to chase down a big total against a very good bowling attack, so it would be great to be able to copy that.”

England also successfully neutered Lasith Malinga, leaving him wicketless in a T20 international for the first time in more than a year. Malinga will also have the added burden of captaincy to deal with against New Zealand, after Dinesh Chandimal’s suspension for slow over rates. (Cricinfo)

Worker dies in Sao Paulo World Cup stadium accident

A Steven Bowditch

The event lost its biggest attraction when fivetime major champion Phil Mickelson withdrew on his 11th hole, citing a pulled abdominal muscle. His decision seemed purely precautionary, only two weeks before he shoots for a fourth green jacket at the Masters.

Bowditch had never held an end-of-round lead

in 110 starts on the PGA Tour before Friday, so his start to the third round was a perfect tonic to calm the nerves.

He chipped in for birdie from 25 feet at the par-four first and then holed out from nearly 30 yards for eagle at the par-five second, leading comfortably for the rest of the day. (Reuters)

nother man has died while helping to build the Sao Paulo stadium that will host the opening match at this year’s World Cup in Brazil, a hospital spokesperson said on Saturday.

He is the third construction worker to perish while working on the Arena Corinthians on the outskirts of Sao Paulo and the seventh to die in building Brazil’s World Cup arenas.

Fabio Hamilton da Cruz fell about 25 feet to his death on Saturday morning, said a spokesperson for the Santa Marcelina hospital where he

was taken.

He was installing floors on the temporary stands being constructed at the ground that will host the Brazil-Croatia opener on June 12, Corinthians said in a statement.

Brazil’s Sports Minister confirmed Saturday’s death and said he would wait for a full report about the incident.

“The Sports Ministry registers its deepest sympathies over the death of Fabio Hamilton da Cruz,” it said in a statement. “We express our total solidarity with his family and friends.”

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke tweeted that he was “very saddened by the tragic death” of the worker and sent his condolences to the man’s family and friends.

Fatal accidents have also occurred in Manaus and Brasilia. Another worker died while working on Palmeiras’s arena in Sao Paulo, but that stadium will not be used for the World Cup. Two workers lost their lives building stadiums for the World Cup tournament hosted in South Africa four years ago. (Reuters)

Monday, march 31, 2014

guyanatimesGY.com

21

Australia v India, World T20, Group 2, Mirpur

Yuvraj, Ashwin deliver clean sweep W

e’ve been expecting you, Mr Singh.

Many an India fan wanted Yuvraj Singh out because he had been plodding and prodding around this tournament even though he took most wickets and scored most runs for India between the two World Twenty20s. India, though, persisted with him, even giving him an extra chance at the expense of Shikhar Dhawan who made way for Ajinkya Rahane who simply had to be tried. Yuvraj struggled here again, reaching 13 off 21 before he exploded to end up with 60 off 43, showing just why MS Dhoni has shown so much faith in him. That innings provided a middling innings the acceleration it needed, after which R Ashwin’s wily spin triggered an almighty collapse from Australia, who were already out of the tournament and weren’t quite there in the chase.

Pakistan’s win over Bangladesh earlier in the day had already knocked Australia out, but India still had a lot of interest in this match. All their previous wins had come winning the toss and bowling first, so they wanted to bat first and also wanted to play around with their combination a lit-

Ravichandran Ashwin

tle. Rahane’s inclusion and Mohit Sharma’s were the decisions made before the toss, and even though Dhoni finally lost a toss - his first in 13 internationals - India got their wish when George Bailey inserted them in.

India’s worst first 10 overs of the tournament followed as Rohit Sharma fell early, and Rahane and Virat Kohli failed to convert starts. Suresh Raina didn’t

look at home either, and at 66 for 4 in the 12th over, India were struggling for the first time in the tournament. Yuvraj had only just about start timing the ball, and in the next over Brad Hodge provided him a long hop to get away a bit. James Muirhead came on to bowl the 14th. Australia’s spinners had suffocated India by then, conceding just 40 in seven overs.

This time, though, the legspinner missed his length two balls in a row.

You couldn’t have got away with that against the vintage Yuvraj. You couldn’t get away with that against this Yuvraj either. He sent them both sailing over midwicket for sixes. He had seen blood now. Some of his silken yet brutal shots came out in the end, most notable of which was his movement away from the stumps to get under a full ball outside leg and send it inside-out over long-off for six.

All of a sudden, the bowlers were the ones fumbling, not sure where to bowl because missing the areas even by inches resulted in sixes. Seventy runs came in five overs starting with the 14th, and even though Yuvraj didn’t finish off in style he had given India what looked a fighting total, especially given the form of India’s attack.

The only problem with the total was you had to make allowance for the fact that India were up against a side that had nothing to lose. It showed in how Aaron Finch threw his arms at the first ball of the chase, and got four for it. However, Australia were too reckless and India too disciplined for

this to become a blitz of any sort. The daredevilry of a side that was on its way out was all there, but the execution wasn’t. After India had bowled a few tight overs at the top, keeping them down to 19 for 1 in four overs, it was all six or out.

Yes, there were five sixes, but there were five dismiss-

als doing that as Ashwin spun his way to the best figures by an Indian spinner in Twenty20 internationals, and Australia crashed to their third-worst defeat.

Now if the New Zealand-Sri Lanka match is not washed out in the other group, India will face South Africa in the semi-final. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD India innings RG Sharma c Muirhead b Hodge 5 AM Rahane c †Haddin b Bollinger 19 V Kohli c White b Muirhead 23 Yuvraj Singh c Maxwell b Watson 60 SK Raina c Finch b Maxwell 6 MS Dhoni*† b Starc 24 RA Jadeja run out (Watson) 3 R Ashwin not out 2 B Kumar not out 0 Extras (lb 6, w 10, nb 1) 17 Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 159 Did not bat: A Mishra, MM Sharma Fall of wickets 1-6 (RG Sharma, 0.4 ov), 2-46 (Kohli, 6.2 ov), 3-53 (Rahane, 8.2 ov), 4-66 (Raina, 11.3 ov), 5-150 (Dhoni, 18.3 ov), 6-152 (Yuvraj Singh, 19.1 ov), 7-158 (Jadeja, 19.5 ov) Bowling: BJ Hodge 2-013-1, GJ Maxwell 4-0-201, MA Starc 4-0-36-1, SR Watson 4-0-36-1, DE Bollinger 4-0-24-1, JM Muirhead 2-0-24-1

Australia innings (target: 160 runs) AJ Finch c Kohli b Ashwin 6 DA Warner c RG Sharma b Ashwin 19 CL White c Jadeja b Kumar 0 SR Watson b MM Sharma 1 GJ Maxwell b Ashwin 23 GJ Bailey* c Kohli b Jadeja 8 BJ Hodge c Jadeja b Mishra 13 BJ Haddin† c Rahane b Mishra 6 MA Starc run out (Raina/†Dhoni) 2 JM Muirhead c †Dhoni b Ashwin 3 DE Bollinger not out 1 Extras: (lb 3, w 1) 4 Total (all out; 16.2 overs) 86 Fall of wickets 1-13 (Finch, 3.2 ov), 2-19 (White, 4.2 ov), 3-21 (Watson, 5.1 ov), 4-44 (Warner, 7.4 ov), 5-55 (Maxwell, 9.1 ov), 6-63 (Bailey, 10.3 ov), 7-75 (Haddin, 13.2 ov), 8-79 (Starc, 14.3 ov), 9-83 (Hodge, 15.2 ov), 10-86 (Muirhead, 16.2 ov) Bowling: B Kumar 3-0-71, MM Sharma 2-0-11-1, R Ashwin3.2-0-11-4, SK Raina 1-0-16-0, RA Jadeja 4-025-1, A Mishra 3-0-13-2

Shehzad century sets up massive England qualify for semi-finals win for Pakistan from 52, they weren’t going to get anywhere near the target, even if Shakib Al Hasan and Nasir Hossain gave the Shere Bangla National Stadium a handful of opportunities to exercise their

lungs. The contest had long ended, and Australia’s players, waiting for their match against India, watched on resignedly as their semi-final hopes slowly evaporated. (Cricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

Ahmed Shehzad celebrates Pakistan’s maiden T20 century

A

hmed Shehzad pummeled Pakistan’s first ever T20 century, propelling his side to a 50-run win over Bangladesh and setting up a virtual quarterfinal against West Indies on Tuesday. Shehzad punished some ordinary bowling from Bangladesh’s seamers - he scored 87 off 39 balls against them - to ensure Pakistan didn’t suffer any long-term effects from a mid-innings dip, when they lost three wickets for 28 runs in 29

balls.

With Shahid Afridi tonking 22 off 9 balls late in the innings, Pakistan set Bangladesh 191 to win.

Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque made a decent start, but Bangladesh’s innings disintegrated after both fell in the space of nine balls to leave them 36 for 2 in the sixth over.

In the next 34 balls, Bangladesh lost two more wickets to the spinners and didn’t find the boundary even once. With 135 needed

Pakistan innings Ahmed Shehzad not out 111 Kamran Akmal† c Ziaur Rahman b Abdur Razzak 9 Mohammad Hafeez* st †Mushfiqur Rahim b Abdur Razzak 8 Umar Akmal c Tamim Iqbal b Mahmudullah 0 Shoaib Malik st †Mushfiqur Rahim b Shakib Al Hasan 26 Shahid Afridi c Ziaur Rahman b Al-Amin Hossain 22 Sohaib Maqsood not out 1 Extras (b 3, w 9, nb 1) 13 Total (5 wickets; 20 overs) 190 Did not bat: Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Zulfiqar Babar, Saeed Ajmal Fall of wickets 1-43 (Kamran Akmal, 4.3 ov), 2-70 (Mohammad Hafeez, 8.5 ov), 3-71 (Umar Akmal, 9.2 ov), 4-154 (Shoaib Malik, 17.4 ov), 5-188 (Shahid Afridi, 19.4 ov) Bowling: Mashrafe Mortaza 4-063-0, Al-Amin Hossain 4-0-37-1, Shakib Al Hasan 4-0-21-1, Abdur Razzak 4-0-20-2, Mahmudullah 3-0-24-1, Ziaur Rahman 1-0-22-0

Bangladesh innings (target: 191 runs) Tamim Iqbal b Umar Gul 16 Anamul Haque c & b Saeed Ajmal 18 Shakib Al Hasan c Umar Akmal b Umar Gul 38 Shamsur Rahman c †Kamran Akmal b Shahid Afridi 4 Mushfiqur Rahim*† lbw b Zulfiqar Babar 2 Nasir Hossain st †Kamran Akmal b Saeed Ajmal 23 Mahmudullah not out 17 Ziaur Rahman c †Kamran Akmal b Umar Gul 0 Mashrafe Mortaza not out 17 Extras (lb 3, w 2) 5 Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 140 Did not bat: Abdur Razzak, Al-Amin Hossain Fall of wickets 1-30 (Tamim Iqbal, 4.2 ov), 2-36 (Anamul Haque, 5.4 ov), 3-44 (Shamsur Rahman, 8.1 ov), 4-47 (Mushfiqur Rahim, 9.1 ov), 5-91 (Shakib Al Hasan, 14.6 ov), 6-112 (Nasir Hossain, 16.6 ov), 7-116 (Ziaur Rahman, 17.4 ov) Bowling: Mohammad Hafeez 3-0-16-0, Sohail Tanvir 3-0-260, Umar Gul 4-0-30-3, Saeed Ajmal 3-0-20-2, Zulfiqar Babar 3-0-24-1, Shahid Afridi 4-0-21-1

P

ace bowler Anya Shrubsole starred as England clinched their place in the Women’s World Twenty20 semi-finals with a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka.

Shrubsole struck with the second ball and finished with 3-9 as only one player passed 10 in Sri Lanka’s 85-9.

“The standard of cricket in the women’s tournament has been awesome and there have been 9,000 or more fans in every day. There were some nerves against West Indies in

England’s first game, but the batters are starting to pick up their form.”

Sarah Taylor made 36 and Heather Knight 21 to help the 2009 champions seal victory with 24 balls left.

England lead Group B with three wins from four games, but West Indies have one match left and could finish top. Australia and New Zealand are favourites to qualify from Group A, with the semi-finals taking place in Mirpur on Thursday and Friday. (BBC Sport)

SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka Women innings AC Jayangani lbw b Shrubsole 0 BYA Mendis st †Taylor b Grundy 7 HMD Rasangika b Shrubsole 5 HASD Siriwardene* not out 38 PRCS Kumarihami c †Taylor b Gunn 6 LE Kaushalya c & b Grundy 5 SS Weerakkody c Grundy b Hazell 8 KDU Prabodhani c †Taylor b Shrubsole 2 I Ranaweera b Gunn 0 HM Samuddika st †Taylor b Sciver 1 RS Vandort† not out 1 Extras (w 12) 12 Total (9 wickets; 20 overs) 85 Fall of wickets 1-0 (Jayangani, 0.2 ov), 2-12 (Rasangika, 4.3 ov), 3-17 (Mendis, 5.4 ov), 4-25 (Kumarihami, 8.1 ov), 5-30 (Kaushalya, 9.1 ov), 6-55 (Weerakkody, 15.2 ov), 7-65 (Prabodhani, 16.2 ov), 8-78 (Ranaweera, 18.4 ov), 9-79 (Samuddika, 19.2 ov) Bowling: A Shrubsole 4-1-

9-3, D Hazell 4-1-22-1, RL Grundy 4-1-13-2, JL Gunn 4-021-2, NR Sciver 4-0-20-1 England Women innings (target: 86 runs) SJ Taylor† st †Vandort b Siriwardene 36 CM Edwards* lbw b Siriwardene 17 HC Knight c Rasangika b Prabodhani 21 LS Greenway not out 8 NR Sciver not out 1 Extras (w 3) 3 Total (3 wickets; 16 overs) 86 Fall of wickets 1-51 (Taylor, 9.1 ov), 2-64 (Edwards, 11.2 ov), 3-85 (Knight, 15.4 ov) Bowling: KDU Prabodhani 3-0-10-1, PRCS Kumarihami 1-0-8-0, LE Kaushalya 1-012-0, HASD Siriwardene 4-015-2, I Ranaweera 4-0-23-0, HM Samuddika 3-0-18-0

22

guyanatimesGY.com

Monday, march 31, 2014

Police are relay champs Demerara, Berbice seize GCB U-15 Inter-County Tournament…..

– St John’s takes school title

control on day one

D

Winston George crossed the finish line to win the men’s 4x200 metres for the police club (photo: Treiston Joseph)

By Treiston Joseph

T

he Police Progressive Youth Club dominated at a relay championship which was hosted by the club on Sunday at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary.

The youth club amassed 116 points to win the event ahead of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who came second with 88 points and Christianburg Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) ,

Leota Bobb eases over the finish line to help police capture the female 4x200 metres relay event

3:27.7s.

In the 4x200 metres, the GDF was second in 1:33.0, while CWSS was third in 1:39.9s. The 4x400 metres was much of the same as the GDF finished second in 3:36.2s, while CWSS was third in 4:00.3s.

On the women’s side, police captured the 4x100, 4x200, 4x400 and medley relay events in 52.1s, 1:47.6s, 4:14.3s and 1:52.5s respectively. The police men’s team also won their medley

74 points; Kingston High School was second with 43 points; and Tutorial High School third with 35 points.

Queenstown Secondary finished fourth with 26 .

St John’s did not leave anything to chance, winning the male and female medley, male and female 4x400m, the male 4x100 and the male 4x200 metres.

At the presentation ceremony held immediately after the event, coach of the Police club, Lyndon

efending champions Demerara and Berbice dominated the opening day to seize momentum in their respective first-round games in this year’s Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) sponsored Igloo Ice Cream Under-15 Inter-County Two-Day tournament on Sunday.

Led first by right arm offspinner Sagar Hithiramani (5-11), Demerara bundled out the President’s X1 for a paltry 71 in 36 overs at the Demerara Cricket Club ground, before Joshua Persaud slammed an aggressive 105 in their reply.

Robin Williams (14) and skipper Stephon Williams (10), were the only two batsmen for the President’s X1 with double digits. Left arm spinner Ashmead Nedd (428) and Bhojnarine Singh (1-8) were the other wickettakers for Demerara.

Demerara in their allocated 38 overs, closed on 235-4. Persaud’s innings consisted of 15 fours and three sixes, while skipper Bhaskar Yadram made 56, inclusive of 10 boundaries.

Alphius Bookie was unbeaten on 41. Danesh Kowlessar was the best bowler on show for the President’s X1 with 2-9.

With already a lead of 164 runs, the President’s X1 lost the wickets of Robin Williams, Anil Singh and Stephon Williams batting a second time.

When bails were lifted, they were 37-3 with

Steve Deonarine

Christopher Campbelle not out on 19.

Over at the Everest Cricket Club ground, Berbice dismissed Essequibo for 124, before ending their innings on 194-7, a lead of 70 runs.

Joshua Jones top scored for Essequibo with 30, while extras contributed 35 to the total.

Steven Kalamudin,

Junior Williams, Kris Ramnarine and Junior Sinclair took two wickets apiece bowling for Berbice.

Steve Deonarine top scored with 44 in Berbice’s reply, while Kevin Sinclair and Surendra Budhoo made 39 and 20 respectively.

Govindra Gobin (2-25) was Essequibo’s best bowler. Play is scheduled to start at 09:30hrs at both venues.

WICB Regional Four-Day Tournament

The Police Progressive Youth Club celebrate victory

third ,with 78 points.

Olympian Winston George was in the thick of things, helping the police club to capture the men’s 4x200 in 1:31.7s metres and the men’s 4x400 metres in

event in 3:28.1s.

Meanwhile, in the school’s competition which was exclusively sponsored

by Hits and Jams entertainment, St John’s College emerged overall winner with

Wilson, thanked their sponsors which included, GuyOil, MaCorp, Digicel, Wartsila, Hits and Jams Entertainment and former Commissioner of Police Leroy Brummell.

Mohammed’s maiden double century puts T&T on top

J

ason Mohammed scored his maiden firstclass double century to give Trinidad and Tobago maximum batting bonus points – five – against the Combined Campuses and Colleges on the second day of their Regional Four-Day championship day/night fixture at Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, on Saturday.

Mohammed scored 220

off 344 balls with 24 fours and five sixes to lead the hosts to 451 for eight declared off 116.5 overs.

T&T pacer Shannon Gabriel then got a wicket with his sixth ball, sending back Shacaya Thomas for five but T&T were effectively a bowler short after skipper Rayad Emrit stayed off the field with back spasms.

Gabriel had to share the

new ball with Darren Bravo, and while both men troubled the batsmen, it was Gabriel who continued to take the wickets.

He had Kyle Corbin lbw for 14 with the score on 29, however that was all T&T would get as CCC went into the tea interval on 41 for two after 15 overs. Gabriel had two for 19 at that stage.

(Trinidad Express)

Barbados tighten grip on 4-Day match v Jamaica

T

St John’s College collects the winner’s trophy

itle-holders Barbados maintained control of the fifth-round Regional Four-day game against Jamaica by extending their lead to 274 runs at tea on Sunday’s third day.

At the break, the Barbadians were 55-0 after dismissing Jamaica for 204 in the post-lunch session.

Barbados captain Kraigg Brathwaite is not out on 25, while his left-handed opening partner Omar Phillips is on 29.

After Jamaica started the day on 150-4 in reply to the Barbados score of 423, the visitors tighten the screws with accurate bowling from both ends. Offspinner Ashley Nurse took

4-63. Jamaica’s all-rounder David Bernard did not bat after injuring his knee on Saturday. Observer Online has not yet confirmed if Bernard will take any further part in the contest.

Scores: Barbados 423 (142.3 overs) and 55-0 (18 overs); Jamaica 204 (84.2 overs) (Jamaica Observer)

Monday, march 31, 2014

guyanatimesGY.com

23

Sir Garry Sobers’ 60th debut anniversary S

ir Garry Sobers - the Right Excellent Sir Garfield St Aubyn Sobers, to accord him his full title as a knight of the realm and the only living national hero of his native Barbados - is not the type who makes a fuss over his achievements as, in the words of the 1965 calypso, “the greatest cricketer on Earth or Mars”.

If he were inclined to play down his two coincidentally simultaneous anniversaries on Sunday, he is sure to have been reminded of their significance several times in the past few days.

They mark the start and the end of his celebrated Test career.

March 30 is 60 years to the day since Sobers first appeared in a Test match for West Indies, against England in 1954 in Kingston’s Sabina Park.

It is precisely 40 since his last, also against England, in Port-of-Spain’s Queen’s Park Oval in 1974.

He took the field at Sabina as a boy of 17 from the working-class district of Bayland on the outskirts of Bridgetown, raised, along with five siblings, by a mother widowed by the loss of her seaman husband to a German torpedo during World War II; her second son had no formal coaching, just a love and an aptitude for any ball game.

He was a late, like-for-

like replacement for leftarm spinner Alf Valentine, who was injured; he batted at No. 9. His selection was based primarily on his unquestionable talent, obvious in only two preceding first-class matches for Barbados, against the touring Indians the year before and the Englishmen earlier on their tour. He was so anonymous that Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack listed him as H Sobers in the India scorecard.

“Not a soul was there when I walked into the dressing room, they were in the nets practising,” Sobers recalls of the day he turned up in the Kingston Cricket Club pavilion for his debut Test. “You then looked around and saw the names on the team sheet - Weekes...

Worrell... Walcott... Rae...

Stollmeyer...

Ramadhin...

I said to myself: ‘You’ve arrived, you’ve made it’.”

A return of 28.5-9-75-4 and scores of 14 not out and 26 as England won by nine wickets verified his temperament as much as his skill.

By the time he strode on the Queen’s Park Oval 20 years later, also against England, for his farewell match. after 92 Tests against all five of West Indies’ opponents of the day, he had certainly “made it”.

It was a shame, but immaterial, that there was no grand finale; he was out for

Sir Garry Sobers

0 and 20 and collected just three wickets in the match.

He had long since become a batsman supreme, departing as Test cricket’s leading scorer, with 8032 runs, at an average of 57.78.

His 26 centuries had been bettered only the insatiable Don Bradman’s 29. His 235 wickets in three contrasting left-arm styles were second to Lance Gibbs among West Indians. His 109 catches, snared mostly with Venus-flytrap reflexes in the slips or round the corner off Gibbs, were eight short of Colin Cowdrey’s tally.

He captained West Indies in 39 matches, the most until Clive Lloyd came along to carry his formidable teams for 74.

His name remained af-

Kerwin Clarke is...

fixed to 365 not out against Pakistan in Kingston in 1958 as the highest Test innings for 36 years until Brian Lara, a similarly gifted West Indian left-hander Sobers had mentored since he appeared in the annual, long-running International Schools tournament in Barbados that carries Sobers’ name, passed it in 1994.

They are statistics that explain Sobers’ widely acknowledged status as the most complete all-round cricketer of his time, indeed all time. They do not tell the whole story of his remarkable endurance.

His first 85 Tests were in succession; no one had ever had such an unbroken sequence. He is adamant that he never left the field, not once, in any of them.

In addition to West Indies and Barbados, he had three stints with South Australia (where he became the first player to complete the double of 1000 runs and 50 wickets in an Australian season), with English county Nottinghamshire for seven years, and with clubs in the Lancashire League. He captained Rest of the World teams against England and Australia.

At the height of Sobers’ preeminence in the 1966 series in England, the renowned English writer Sir Neville Cardus contended

that he was “even more famous than Bradman ever was, for he is accomplished in every form of the game and has exhibited his genius in all climes and conditions”.

On the Saturday of the final Test of the memorable 1960-61 “tied Test” series, the temperature at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was as roasting as it was at the recent Australian Open tennis, where some players were felled by heat stroke.

It didn’t stop Sobers sending down 22 consecutive eightball overs on the day, mostly in his quicker style - and returning for another 19 on the Monday.

Such exhausting facts are even more astonishing given his legendary enjoyment of life, a capacity I marvelled at during several nights on tour in his company. He was never concerned that it would affect his game. It was his way of relaxation. Cooped up in his room, he said, would unnecessarily get him worried about the cricket. To each his own; his justification is in the record books.

And what about keeping as fit as he did? Certainly gym work and personal trainers were hardly known during his time.

“I used to swim a lot. I used to live at the beach. I used to play a lot of beach cricket. I played cricket eve-

ry day,” he said. “There was tennis and other sports [he represented Barbados at soccer and basketball even before he did at cricket]. I got myself fit because I knew how fit you had to be to be at your best for five days of a Test match and not leave the field.”

As we marvel at the action, athleticism and allround ability of the players in the current World T20 in Bangladesh, it is not difficult to imagine how Sobers’ talent would have flourished in the abbreviated formats that came along after he had swapped the cricket field for the golf course, a place where he habitually indulges what has long been a passion. It is another sport that he has inevitably mastered.

Now 77, the passing years have generally treated him kindly. He has been technical consultant to the West Indies team and advisor to the team’s sponsor.

For the past three decades, his global fame has made him the ideal ambassador for Barbados tourism, the island’s economic mainstay.

The hilarity heard from the boxes at Kensington Oval, where he and several of his old mates gathered for West Indies’ three T20 matches against England last month suggested a kindling of happy memories.

(Cricinfo)

From page 24

Guest poser Jeff “Classic” Beckham and Hugh Ross certainly entertained the large audience

Miss Figure Nadina Taharally receives her prize from Banks DIH Non-Alcoholic Beverage Manager, Clayton McKenzi

In the final pose-down, Clarke was up against other category winners Devon Davis (bantamweight), Marlon Bennett (lightweight), Sylvester Andrews (welterweight) and Alex Hamilton (heavyweight).

On the distaff side, Desilyn Clarke emerged champion of the Miss Bikini competition ahead of Donella Long and Shawnell Warner.

Nadina Taharally won the Miss

Prior to Clarke’s sizzling display, American Jeff “Classic” Beckham wowed the crowd with a tremendous performance as guest poser of the evening.

The 32-year-old, boasting 280

pounds of muscles, was a hit with the crowd as he strutted his well defined physique to the tunes of popular tracks, including “Wine Pun Me Button” which captivated the audience.

Figure title ahead of Clarke and Letitia Myles, who finished second and third, respectively.

Alisha Fortune won her fourth Miss Physique title in the other segment of the night.

Monday, march 31, 2014

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

Kerwin Clarke Yuvraj, is Mr HRC 2014 Ashwin TOP SCORES

ICC World Twenty20: India 159-7,Aus 86; India Women 151-5, B’desh Women 72-8; SL Women 85-9,England Women 86-3; Tennis,Sony Open: N.Djokovic beat R.Nadal 6-3 6-3

Australia v India, World T20, Group 2, Mirpur

deliver clean sweep

See story on page

21

Yuvraj Singh

The respective category winners during the final pose down

By Avenash Ramzan

C

heered on by a massive, vocal and appreciative audience, Kerwin “Chisel” Clarke warmed his way to a successful defence of the Mr. Hugh Ross Classic title on Saturday evening at the National Cultural Centre.

Winner of the title in 2012, a confident and welldefined Clarke waltzed his way to victory ahead of four other competitors in the final pose-down.

Standing at 5’9” and weighing 173 pounds, Clarke was a cut above the other athletes with his poise, confidence and elegance on stage.

The crowd’s continuous reverberation of Clarke’s name every time he stepped on stage may have influenced the outcome of the judges’ decision as he was a clear favourite with the large audience.

Continue on page 23

S

2014 Mr. Hugh Ross Classic Kerwin Clarke with Hugh Ross

Sir Garry Sobers’ 60th debut anniversary

ir Garry Sobers - the Right Excellent Sir Garfield St Aubyn Sobers, to accord him his full title as a knight of the

realm and the only living national hero of his native Barbados - is not the type who makes a fuss over his achievements as, in the

words of the 1965 calypso, “the greatest cricketer on Earth or Mars”.

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, Tel: 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230, 223-7231, Fax: 227-0685 - SALES AND MARKETING - sales@guyanatimesgy.com PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.

See full story on page 23