Guyana Times Daily

P Centre for abused children opens in Berbice 13

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 2122 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

IMF forecasts 4.3 per cent growth for Guyana

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Fogging P2 activities for parts of Georgetown

See story on page 12

Sonu Nigam rocks National Stadium

Would-be carjackers nabbed, thrashed

See story on page 11

P2

PPP urges end to undue media attacks on public P7 officials Sugar industry can improve with good management – GAWU P8 Bollywood Playback Singer Sonu Nigam wowed the thousands who attended the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha’s “Klose to My Soul” concert Sunday evening at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara. Nigam was backed by a 25-member troupe from Mumbai (Marceano Narine photo)

Fifth victim Guyanese of cocaine girl killed poisoning clinging to life in NY crash See story on page 16

See story on page 2

GT&T not P12 opposed to Telecoms Bill – CEO

ECLAC proposes P17 blueprint for equality, sustainable development in region

2 news

tuesday, may 6, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

Guyanese girl killed Fogging activities for parts of Georgetown in NY crash

The fogging team of the Vector Control Services of the Health Ministry is ready to tackle the scourge of mosquitoes

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A

The mangled vehicles involved in the crash

nine-year-old girl who had just left church was killed in Brooklyn, New York (NY) on Sunday when a motorist suspected in a hit-and-run crash fled a traffic stop and caused a three-car wreck, Police said.

Rebecca Ramnarine, a fourth-grader from St Albans, Queens, died at Brookdale University Hospital shortly after the17:00h accident in Canarsie. A 62-year-old man driving with a suspended licence had been pulled over because his Honda Odyssey matched a description of an SUV involved in a hit-andrun crash, Police said.

As police were talking to the driver, he drove off, raced for a few blocks and rammed into the back of a Hyundai Elantra in which Rebecca was a backseat passenger, Police said. A third car was also involved in the crash.

“I saw the EMS try to take my daughter out of a mangled car. She was lifeless and had blood all over,” said Rebecca’s mother, Abiola Ramnarine, 38.

The mom and her husband were in a car about two minutes behind Rebecca, who was riding with a friend, Faith Cummings, 11, and her mother, Esther Cummings, 42. They had just left services at Restoration Temple Assembly of God in Canarsie and were headed to dinner when the crash happened.

Esther Cummings, her daughter and three other people who were riding in the second vehicle hit by the Odyssey, a Toyota minivan, were all being treated at Brookdale. Police said all five had minor injuries, but friends said Faith Cummings had a broken pelvis.

Rebecca was a rambunctious girl who loved fashion,

her mother said. "She loves to dance. She wanted to be a paediatrician. She had a heart of gold."

As the grieving mother and father, Richard Ramnarine, stood outside the emergency room at Brookdale, the man suspected in the crash that killed their daughter was inside the hospital being treated.

“He took my daughter’s life and I’m hurting, but I don’t feel like I want to go in there and hurt him,” Richard Ramnarine said.

Rebecca’s father said that when he reached the scene of the crash and saw the crushed car his daughter was in, he was forced to take a step back.

“I didn’t know the condition of my daughter. I just knew it was something I wasn’t ready to deal with,” the father said. As for the driver of the Odyssey, he said, “I’ll let the system take its course.” (New York Daily News)

he Vector Control Services of the Health Ministry on Friday last hosted a malaria smear fogging demonstration exercise at the Square of Revolution for the media, to enhance sensitisation on its ongoing fogging programme to eradicate adult mosquitoes.

The Vector Control Services will recommence fogging in selected communities with much focus on the Capital City. This exercise targets communities such as Charlestown, Werk-en-Rust, Newburg, Wortmanville, Kitty, Bel Air, Ogle, Queenstown, and Sophia. It is expected to commence at 17:30h daily.

Speaking at the brief demonstration exercise was Vector Control Services Director, Dr Reyaud Rahaman, who advised residents to open their windows to allow the fog into their homes and buildings to kill the mosquitoes that are inside.

He noted that the fog is not dangerous to human health and residents of the targeted areas should not be alarmed or worried. He added that it is also safe for pets, but birds should be kept covered during this exercise.

Dr Rahaman said residents should, however, cover all drinking water and secure all foodstuff both

cooked and uncooked.

He also advised that individuals suffering from asthmatic conditions should avoid direct contact with the fog mist.

He highlighted that while malaria may be one of the leading vector borne diseases, there are many others, some which may be fatal. These include Chikungunya, Dengue, Lymphatic Filariasis, Leishmaniasis, and Chagas.

Chikungunya is one of the more worrisome, said Dr Rahaman, and this exercise mostly targets this disease and malaria because they have similar symptoms and are transmitted by mosquitoes.

Would-be carjackers nabbed, thrashed

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wo men are in Police custody after attempting to hijack a car on Saturday.

The men approached a car which had come to a halt and attempted to take the car from the owner. Reports are that the two carjackers known only by the names

One of the two robbers being revived by residents after the beating

The plastic mask one of the men was wearing

“Hawker” and “Rockford”, approached 70-year-old Mohammed Ali, also called “Cha Cha”, at Mursalin Street, Albion Front, Corentyne. The men opened the car door and entered the vehicle and choked Ali in an attempt to gag him with the use of duct tape and a piece of cloth.

According to one eyewitness, the elderly man fought for his life as the criminals

managed to seize his car keys. However, they were unsuccessful in their bid to take control of the car. The eyewitness said a relative who was also present made good his escape after realising that one of the men was carrying a firearm at the time while the other was wearing a plastic mask.

An alarm was raised and residents surrounded the area and apprehended the two before they could get the car moving. The men fled the car, but were caught and the duo was handed over to officers at the Albion Police Station.

The eyewitness said residents gave the two a fine trashing before the Police came. The firearm was also handed over to the Police.

Charges are expected to be laid shortly.

News

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tuesDay, may 6, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Tuesday, May 6 from 09:00h-10:30h The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Tuesday, May 6 from 08:20h-09:50h

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Thundery showers and heavy rain showers can be expected during the day with partly cloudy conditions in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations.

Temperatures are expected to range between 25 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Wind: East north-easterly between zero and 4.91 metres per second.

High Tide: 09:03h and 21:48h reaching maximum heights of 2.22 metres and 2.13 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 02:35h and 15:12h reaching minimum heights of 1.06 metres and 1.00 metres respectively.

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Farmers welcome quota system for rice exports R ice farmers across the country have welcomed the recent announcement by the Agriculture Ministry on the implementation of a quota system for the export of rice.

Speaking with Guyana Times, a well-established rice farmer noted that the system will aid in ensuring that millers pay farmers the standard price for paddy, which would be the paddy price recommended by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the Agriculture Ministry.

“I personally feel that the quota system for the Venezuelan market is a wonderful thing. If you pay the price that the Ministry or GRDB set, that’s good… but if you want the quota system and don’t want to pay the price... you are going to have to agree with those who are allocating quotas,” said the rice farmer who hails from the West Coast of Demerara.

The farmer, who asked for anonymity during the interview, also noted that the Government ought to be fair when it is distributing the rice quotas for the Venezuelan export market and in doing so, ensure that all of the millers who would have acted in accordance with recommendations by the Ministry and the GRDB are rewarded with sufficient markets for their efforts.

The veteran rice farmer said “rationally when the price is set, nobody can rob the farmer”, adding that without the operations of millers, rice farmers’ produce would go to waste and without the farmers, millers essentially have no way of earning an income.

“It is a two-way street... give them markets according to their quota intake,”

the farmer said, adding that if a miller should choose to suspend or close down his milling operations in a particular area because he feels slighted by the Government or the farmers, the consequences for farmers would be dire since paddy is a perishable good and it takes quite some time to effectively set up milling operations.

Fair millers to be given priority Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy had said millers who were paying rice farmers “next to nothing” for their paddy will be the last to be served, as new shipments begin under the rice export deal with Venezuela.

He said those who were “fair” would be given priority by the Government and this practice would continue in the future. “If you do not treat the rice farmers with the fairness and respect they deserve, then there will be consequences that may be severe to your businesses,” Dr Ramsammy had warned millers in an interview with Guyana Times.

The Minister told this newspaper that he recalled that at the beginning of the current crop, the millers were being “profoundly unfair” to farmers in that they were offering them just about $3100 per bag of paddy.

On a similar note, the rice farmer related that he was disgusted with the Rice Factories (Amendment) Act of 2006, which replaced the Rice Factories Act of 1998 and repealed the Rice (Regulation of Manufacturing and Marketing) Act of 1985.

He related that the 42 days stipulated for millers to complete payments to farmers have proven to be

Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy disadvantageous to farmers and should be amended.

“That legislation is faulty and should be removed,” he declared, explaining that not only should there be stricter penalties for the millers who fail to adhere to the regulations of the Act, but there is also need for the enforcement of the Act. Stymieing progress He further explained that some rice millers would pay half of the monies owed for paddy on receipt, but would still fail to complete payment of the remaining sum in the 42-day period stipulated.

The Act also stipulates that if in any circumstance, the miller goes over this grace period, then he or she is required to pay the farmers an interest rate that is two per cent higher than the going interest rate of the Bank of Guyana. “How many millers pay that two per cent beyond Bank of Guyana interest rate?” questioned the farmer.

This regulation, the

farmer pointed out, has been blatantly ignored by some of the millers in the country who are attempting to stymie the progress of the rice farmers. This, he further related, has proved to be very disadvantageous for rice farmers who may have other commitments such as bank loans and other financial responsibilities.

“This is a dangerous path to tread, because one day confrontation between millers and farmers will have dangerous effects…. It can happen one day,” said the farmer, as he explained that something needs to be done to rectify the perceived lacunas in the legislation before a serious matter arises.

He highlighted that a possible solution would be open dialogue between the millers, the Rice Producers Association (RPA), the GRDB and the farmers, since the farmers in particular “do not want anybody to go away with the false impression that he is being victimised or sidelined”.

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tuesday, may 6, 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

Beauty pageants N

owadays, beauty pageants seem to be a going thing, branded as a medium of empowering women, raising awareness of topical social issues and some would say promoting tourism. Hardly a week passes without a report in the media of some pageant, which come in many varieties, with some generating more interest than others.

Anyone who even half-heartedly follows the local entertainment industry will know of the Miss Guyana Universe Pageant (the queen of all local pageants), and should know of the Miss Guyana India Worldwide Pageant.

These are also the Miss Amerindian Heritage Pageant, the Miss Linden Town Week Pageant, the Miss Bartica Regatta Pageant, the Miss Wakenaam Night Pageant, the Miss Earth Pageant, the Miss Jamzone Pageant, and not forgetting the Mother and Daughter Pageant.

The pageant fever is definitely permeating the air and appears to have struck a chord. Some of the contestants, if not most, would have been inspired by internationallyrenowned beauty pageant winners such as the stunning Aishwarya Rai, the lovely Halle Berry, and our own, the beautiful Shakira Baksh-Caine.

Even talk show billionaire Oprah Winfrey once participated in a beauty pageant. Winfrey was offered a job as a local radio newsreader the day after she competed in a local black teenager beauty pageant in Tennessee.

Many successful women used pageants as a stepping stone to launch their careers, and today enjoy the status of global icons; they are influential voices on women issues and are symbols of empowered women.

So beauty pageants can indeed provide a platform for women empowerment, but conservatives would ask how much so and why physical beauty should be given prominence over virtue.

On the local scene, the question of how cannot be more relevant. One is tempted to ask apart from Baksh-Caine, how much the winners of the local pageants have been empowered by their token prizes and bestowed titles?

No one hears of the winners of any of the local pageants securing a scholarship to pursue a degree programme at the University of Guyana, or further afield for those who happen to have a first degree; practically none of them are part of any women’s advocate group; and quite surprisingly, they are seldom hired as brand ambassadors.

The latter could be local pageants are not really promoting grace and elegance, but rather presenting a spectacle for flaunting and flattery, and theatres for cheers and jeers.

The scenes sometimes leave much to be desired when one considers the issue of empowerment, which is rooted in the thrust of presenting women as strong, confident and informed participants on issues affecting society. These pageants appear to have lost their relevance.

Some are not only self-defeating in projecting a positive of women but are sources of negative influence on teenage girls as what they do, is to set out to define an image of how a beautiful young lady should look, and the image they should all aspire to.

The truth of the matter is physical beauty is illusionary and such beauty without virtue is like an apple without taste.

Further, really and truly, no young lady who has been heavily groomed and painted can really be declared beautiful.

The harsh truth, too, is that Guyana does not have an industry for local pageants to thrive to the extent where contestants can really make a name for themselves locally, much less gain any sort of international repute.

Guyanese also, to a large extent, are still conservative and view the description of beauty contestants on an international stage in bikinis as ambassadors, as ridiculous.

And why not. In a society where moral values are rapidly deteriorating, Guyana can do less with bikini-baring diplomats, and focus more on the education of girls and providing employment opportunities for vulnerable women as means of empowering them, while working closely with the religious institutions to restore moral values in society.

This cannot be achieved through pageants and pageantry, but through purposeful leadership from every sector of society.

The Skeletal Smoker – one of the exhibits at the health fair hosted by the Health Ministry at the Bedford Methodist Church at Robb and Camp streets, opposite Republic Bank on Saturday to conclude Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA). The 12th celebration of VWA took place from April 26 to May 3 with the regional slogan: “Vaccination: Your best shot”.

See story on page 10

A wicked attempt to cast aspersions on the work of GRDB Dear Editor, The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) finds it necessary to respond to a number of misleading stories in the local media. We believe that these stories are intended to create mischief and promote confusion. While the GRDB does not want to enter into a war of words, we must correct the misrepresentation and outright false statements.

There have been speculations on prices paid by Venezuela for Guyana’s rice and paddy as was quoted in the Kaieteur News. The quoted prices are deliberate distortions. Guyana does not benefit from the prices quoted of $850 per tonne for white rice and $520 per tonne for paddy. The GRDB is hopeful that Kaieteur News is unaware of the true price and not engaged in spreading deliberate lies.

Shipping arrangements from the inception have been facilitated through several shipping agencies namely Pacific Chartering Services Inc, Houston, Texas, USA; Alexander and Balke Limited, General Agents Reliance Shipping Ltd Denmark; Shiptrade Panama SA Panama; Sea Trade Link SA Panama; Global Sea Carrier SA Panama; Guyana Intership Agency; Georgetown and Nova Scotia Manufacture Company Ltd, Georgetown.

These shipping agencies have been contracted following established tender procedures including public advertisements. The contract includes: – freight, demurrage

rates, loading and discharge conditions, etc.

The rates paid by GRDB for freight is consistent with rates that have been and are presently charged. The rate of $56 noted by Kaieteur News was falsely represented as freight charges when in fact they were charges for freight, demurrage rates, loading and discharge conditions, among others. Kaieteur News and its so-called ‘insider’ created the false impression that we are paying $56 only for freight.

We hope this will clarify the issue for Kaieteur News.

If in fact Kaieteur News was aware that this $56 was for more than freight this means they were deliberately publishing a lie.

Kaieteur News and its ‘insider’ reported that GRDB was paying the highest wharfage cost in the world, quoting a charge of US$12 plus vat for stevedore and wharfage.

This is a wicked attempt to cast aspersions on the work of GRDB. The truth is that there is a non-negotiable price determined by the Shipping Association of Guyana. We would like to pay a cost that is much lower and we urge our friends at Kaieteur News and its ‘insider’ to join us in our advocacy with both Shipping and Wharf Companies for a more favourable price.

It is important that Guyana meets the quality specifications of our various markets.

Venezuela has an established standard for white rice and paddy. They also require monitoring of these standards relating to quality and weight at the

loading ports, but contractually require that these be done independently of GRDB and the Guyana Government.

The Venezuelan buying company LACASA contracted a Cuban company called ‘Cuban Control’. The cost of $3 per tonne is not negotiable by GRDB but established through this contracted arrangement.

For Kaieteur News and its ‘insider’ to suggest that the charges are an unnecessary inclusion by GRDB is reckless and only intended to foster confusion and create the impression that GRDB is trying to benefit from the arrangement.

This is far from the truth and is merely a mechanism intended to safeguard the market and is imposed on GRDB through a contractual obligation.

The Kaieteur News stories sought to imply that GRDB inappropriately engages middlemen in its arrangement with Pacific Chartering Services Inc Houston, Texas, USA; Alexander and Balke Limited, General Agents Reliance Shipping Ltd Denmark; Shiptrade Panama SA Panama; Sea Trade Link SA Panama; Global Sea Carrier SA Panama; Guyana Intership Agency; Georgetown and Nova Scotia Manufacture Company Ltd Georgetown.

We state unequivocally that no middleman has been involved in putting these arrangements together. As stated these arrangements are in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and we would want Kaieteur News and its ‘insider’ to tell us who these alleged middlemen

are.

These and other misrepresentations by Kaieteur News are intended to create friction between the Board and other stakeholders within the rice industry.

The truth is that GRDB that the industry particularly rice farmers derive maximum benefits. We remind everyone that prior to the Venezuelan market being concretised farmers were paid an average of $2000 per bag. Since 2010 when the Venezuelan market emerged, farmers have received in excess of $3500 per bag of paddy.

We continue to invest monies to improve the industry and to strengthen our markets. The effort by Kaieteur News to misrepresent the arrangement by GRDB can only create confusion and conflict by utilising hearsay and falsities.

There are ‘insiders’ who have sought to have unfair advantages and benefit disproportionately from the Venezuelan market. Our efforts to ensure the benefits of a preferred market are fairly distributed have caused some players to resort to misrepresentation and Kaieteur News and Stabroek News have been eager to take such ‘hearsay’ stories and cast aspersions on the GRDB. We urge responsible reporting and we stand ready to answer all queries relating to the rice industry.

Respectfully submitted, Agriculture Ministry

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Why I referred to the Opposition's behaviour as cavalier and irresponsible (Part Two) Dear Editor, In my personal opinion, if collateral damage is to continue being the order of the day come budget time, Guyana’s fragile developmental trajectory cannot continue to suffer these multiple annual interruptions to its progress without irreparable damage to its competitiveness. This is patently not why our electorate enfranchised the Opposition with a majority.

In addition to Mr Ramjattan’s letter, I note a letter in response to mine from Mr Sasenarine Singh, who if it is the same person, was a year or two ahead of me at Queen’s College. Whilst I wish to thank Sase (if this is the same person I went to school with, I feel he would be comfortable with the use of his first name) for his kind words,

especially those directed at the institute, I also at the same time would like to encourage him to not rush to label those who comment as peddling propaganda.

I do understand that Sase has chosen to be politically involved, but I would like to ask him to respect that I on the other hand have carefully chosen, over the eight years I have been Director of IAST, to remain scrupulously apolitical.

And I think it is important for those who would be our political leaders of tomorrow, such as Sase, to make room for the technocracy of this country to have a say and not to rush to place them in political categories.

To lose what little of that voice we have left in this country is to entertain a barren, deso-

late society which is too Orwellian for comfort. I welcome opinions that are opposed to mine – as a person whose entire life has been spent in the pursuit of scientific explanation of our natural world, I value different perspectives. But I do not take kindly to being accused of peddling propaganda.

And lastly, I have been exhorted by Mr Alfred Bhulai to apologise to the Opposition. I have never met Mr Bhulai, although I know of him by reputation from students of his who later did their MSc and PhD degrees under my supervision.

Unanimously, they all had glowing praise for his mentorship, and therefore by extension, I also have held Mr Bhulai in high esteem.

Despite this esteem, however, I am afraid I

shall not be apologising to the Opposition. One, because I did not seek to insult them, but simply to ask them to fulfil a role which they were elected to serve, and two, because as Mr Ramjattan’s letter clearly established, no offence was taken by my letter.

Mr Bhulai seems to also labour under the assumption that the IAST enjoys a privileged position because its Director expects that its staff should be paid. Until and unless the Government chooses to shutdown the institute or fire its staff, then I shall tirelessly work to ensure that they are paid, dear Editor.

There is no privilege in this – simply compensation for their hard work, protection for which is enshrined in our laws and codices and hard won by our coun-

try’s long years of valued trade unionism. As for capital funding which the agency has received over the years, I am happy to provide to Mr Bhulai the very thorough justifications for funding which is provided by staff at the institute whose compensation he is willing to regard as privileged.

Not only the justifications, but the many cuts and checks and balances at multiple hierarchies that are usually a part of the process, and the sustained level of advocacy and representation that I have personally invested to convince Government of the wisdom of research and development expenditure.

All my professional life I have competed for research funding and until now, have never been accused of enjoying privileges because of my fund-

ing success, despite, for example, being responsible for more than 25 per cent of the entire research funding received

by Trent University; an institution with multiple hundreds of faculty members such as myself.

It is therefore somewhat odious to be so accused, but I shall not demand an apology from Mr Bhulai.

Instead, I encourage him, as I have multiple others at the University of Guyana, to continue to fulfil the pivotal roles they have provided to so many students over the years, and to partner with the IAST to provide much needed research innovation to our growing country.

Yours sincerely, Suresh Narine Director, IAST

From 2005 to 2012, the AFC produced no audited statements Dear Editor, Kindly permit me to reply to a letter published in another section of the press. I do feel that the writer is not from Region Six but from the AFC’s cabal in Georgetown.

The headline and the complimentary close both have “Region Five” instead of Region Six. But revealing as that may be, it is of little significance to the lies and misinformation stated in that letter.

UG student Loan Firstly, in my programme, “Commentary”, I corrected AFC Councillor Donna Mathoo when she told Berbicians that Dr Ashni Singh deliberately bundled the UG Student Loan with the LCDS programme, that is, the Amaila Hydro Project so that the combined Opposition was forced to cut everything under that head.

I pointed out that since November last year, both APNU and AFC were given written notifications to attend the 2014 budget consultation and that in December last year, the AFC leader refused by saying that it was too

late. The AFC had ample time to make their recommendations with regards to the head.

I further pointed out that at that time Dr Singh was still collecting estimates from some regions.

I then exposed the lie by stating the fact that since the UG Student Loan was introduced in 1993, it was always presented under that heading, “031 Policy and Administration”.

Furthermore, five years of budget estimates are on the Finance Ministry’s website and all persons, especially UG students, can Google it to verify the veracity of my statement. For all those five years, the UG Student Loan and the LCDS programmes were together!

I also went at length to explain that by the very nature of the expense, it cannot be shown under a different heading, since under “031 Policy and Administration”, the monies are to be used to facilitate the provision of critical financial and other support services to enable effective services delivery. Both the AFC and APNU did not object to this during the budget

consultation.

The AFC manifesto I did not say that anything was wrong with the “AFC manifesto”, as the anonymous letter writer is claiming. I exposed the fact that the AFC has in their own Action Plan the very items that they are cutting from the 2014 budget.

I quoted from the following heads from the AFC’s Action Plan: hinterland development, trade policy, renewable energy, health care system, tourism and education policy. I provided ample evidences from the AFC’s manifesto to prove that they should have cooperated with the PPP/C Government, since these very projects are contained therein.

Something is definitely wrong with the leadership of the AFC. They have miserably failed to keep their own promises!

Even if the AFC is not in Government, they should have cooperated on issues and projects which they themselves want done.

The letter writer seems to be confused with the meaning of a specialty hospital. It is a hospi-

tal which will specialise in providing a special type of medical service such as heart surgery. According to the definition in Webster’s Dictionary, it is something (as a branch of medicine) in which one specialises.

The letter claimed that I think all doctors are specialists in their field and therefore all hospitals need to be specialty hospitals. Even oil-rich countries cannot afford all their hospitals to be specialty hospitals.

AFC leaders Next, the letter writer took umbrage when I spoke about cronyism, unaccountability and corruption within the AFC. I want to ask him to ask the then General Secretary Mr Sixtus Edwards about the findings of the inquiry which investigated allegations of fraud and cronyism brought against two party members.

That investigation found one member guilty and that he/she should be disciplined, but the AFC leader sent a press release to Stabroek News saying that “it was all a misunderstanding and miscommunication”.

Donna Mathoo was so hurt by this that she said that she would wear her AFC T-shirt and protest in front of the AFC office! When I questioned the party about this, I was asked to keep quiet for the sake of the party. Even the members of that inquiry were not informed about the press release until they saw it in the press. These are the strongest and honest politicians the letter writer is bragging about!

Ramjattan should check the financial statement that was circulated at the AFC 2012 conference. It was not only unaudited but highly inaccurate. From 2005 to 2012, the AFC produced no audited statements, although its Constitution speaks about an annual audit! What hypocrisy! In another article, I will give details of these inaccuracies.

Rationale main reason for my programme, “Commentary”, is to expose the lies and misinformation peddled to viewers in Berbice and I have no hidden agenda except that I want the AFC to support The

social and economic development, and I do not want to spend my remaining years under another PNC Government. I have suffered enough.

I have worked three jobs, including cutting cane and the present trend of the AFC reminds me of the UF position in 1964 and, although the UF leader regretted his actions afterwards, he could not have changed the numerous sufferings of the Guyanese people which followed. Even the British and the Americans regretted their inputs into the 1964 elections and their pre-independence support of the PNC. I will continue without fear to expose the lies, deceit, hypocrisy, and dishonesty of the AFC! I do not have the time to delve further in some of the nonsensical conclusions drawn by the writer. I humbly exhort this letter writer to keep on listening to my “Commentary” and you will get smart one day.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf AFC Councillor, Region Six

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BY GIULIA RHODES

A

fter he was made redundant three years ago, Nick Corston was casting round for something to do. He was keen to spend time with his children before jumping into work again and with that in mind, he thought about how inspired he had been

by Sir Ken Robinson, the pioneering educationalist.

Nick had seen Robinson’s 2006 TED talk, in which he makes an impassioned plea for an education system that values creativity as highly as literacy. More than 20 million people have seen that talk and also found Robinson’s visionary but pragmatic ideas inspirational.

At around the same

guyanatimesgy.com

Foundation

time, Nick was also struck by a magical arts event for children put on by Gavin Turk and Deborah Curtis at Camp Bestival – the House of Fairytales. He had gone to the Dorset festival with his wife, Amanda, and their sons, Sam, 10, and Jesse, eight, and they were all enchanted by it: “I saw a field full of children inspired by creativity. It was amazing.”

Nick says he had “a bit of an epiphany”. His own big idea began to take shape.

He has a degree in electronic engineering and has always loved inventing, making and doing, but he also wants to ensure that Sam and Jesse are able to share these interests. He came up with an acronym: Steam.

It stands for Science, Technology, Engineering,

Art and Maths. The Steam project is all about stimulating children’s interest in all of these – so that they develop a rounded set of skills and appreciation, learning to play and think creatively and inventively.

“I wanted to make a lasting change for my family, to give the boys a sense of where the imagination can lead. I also realised that if we tried to do something as a community we could pool skills and reach so much further.”

At the school gates, he petitioned the head teacher of his children’s school.

The Corstons and another parent, Jacky Schroer, had come up with a plan for a day of art, technology and science activities for all the pupils at St Saviour’s

Primary in west London.

They wanted a favour: could they have the school for a day?

“I tend to just talk very quickly until people say yes,” says Nick.

Six months later, the school held its first Steam day with the help of teachers, 60 parents and all the local businesses, artists and assorted “creatives” they could rope in.

Three years on, Steam Day is an annual fixture at the school. The children have tried spin painting, beat-boxing, animation, wire sculpture, clay modelling, computer coding and paper engineering. They have built an eco car, which they will race at Goodwood, and a games arcade from cardboard. “The children

absolutely love it and the sense of collaboration and pride in what they are doing is fantastic.”

Nick is keen to pool ideas and experiences with other families and schools.

He plans to explain his vision for a national creativity day at Kidcrafters – a “mini-conference, TED-type thingy” he has set up for parents on May 11. Twenty five parents and experts will deliver short talks and workshops on creativity, technology, education and family.

“We need to inspire parents because we only get one chance at bringing up ‘Generation Tomorrow,’” he says.

This autumn, Sam starts secondary school. “He probably won’t want to be seen

dead with me before long,” says Nick. “I want to spend time with my sons, to offer them these opportunities because the moment will be gone in the blink of an eye.

I hope they will find their ambitions and their passions. That is so important.”

Nurturing children’s creativity is vital as preparation for a future we can’t yet see, Nick says. “We don’t know how quickly the world is going to change – engaging children creatively, letting them use their imaginations and solve problems will help them develop into rounded, flexible, interesting, collaborative, personable individuals. We don’t want them growing up afraid to try new things or of making mistakes – that’s how you learn and have ideas.”

He doesn’t want this project to come across as just another must-do for timesqueezed, guilt-tripped parents already anxious about their children eating the right foods, spending enough time outdoors, thriving at school and all the rest. “My kids aren’t constantly making things or writing books. We try to come up with interesting outings, but their natural gravitation is still to Minecraft and Clash of the Clans. It is about balance.”

It is Nick’s hope that Sam and Jesse will one day look back on a childhood that was interesting, fun, creative and varied.

Computer technology, of course, plays an important role in their lives, but so do more traditional resources.

Last year, the family watched "Caine’s Arcade", a documentary about Caine Monroy, a nine-year-old Los Angeles boy who filled a long summer by building a games arcade out of cardboard boxes.

“The next morning we found Jesse in the kitchen making cardboard models.

We hadn’t prompted him to do it. Children want to make things. We must nurture that.” (The Guardian)

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Rodney CoI PPP urges end to undue media attacks Reverend Gilbert says he has forgiven PNC on public officials

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he People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has called on media houses to end what it described as personalised attacks on public officials as it joined the rest of the world in observing World Press Freedom Day on Saturday.

In a statement, the party said it wishes to recognise the important contributions made by the press corps to the development of a more democratic and developed Guyana as the world observes World Press Freedom Day 2014. It said World Press Freedom Day 2014 is being observed in Guyana at a time when the press has never been freer to criticise, report, and give coverage to all matters under the sun and all issues of national importance.

“The PPP acknowledges the right to report freely without undue Government interference and coercion and will continue to support any and all media entities that put the future of Guyana and its people first by safeguarding their interests.”

The party said it holds the view that considering the atrocities faced by the press during the early 1970s and 1980s, there is much to celebrate in Guyana today as the whole media fraternity has come a long way. “As we celebrate World Press Freedom Day, the PPP calls on all responsible and impartial press entities to reflect on the murder of Catholic Standards Journalist Father Bernard Darke, the circumstances which led to the censorship of the media by the PNC regime (now led by David Granger), the banning of newsprint and several other atrocities, which undermined press freedom in Guyana during that era.”

The party also condemned in the strongest terms what it deemed as the barefaced attempts by the Opposition to financially strangulate the state media, and its right to report and air freely the developmental agenda of the Government and the people of Guyana.

Tide of hardship

“The PPP stands foursquare behind the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Government Information Agency (GINA) throughout its tide of hardship imposed by the spiteful political Opposition in their reckless desire to cut off critical information to the public. The party demands an end to politically-inspired acts aimed at depriving the state media [of] critical funds and for the allocations disapproved in the 2014 Budget.”

The party also noted what it said is the political venom and hate spewed by the Kaieteur News and Stabroek News in their attempts to destabilise and undermine the ruling PPP/ Civic Administration. “The party wishes to remind the Opposition media that their acts, by their very nature, un-

PPP General Secretary Clement Rohee

dermine the principal tenets of press freedom and freedom of expression in Guyana.”

Additionally, the PPP called on all Guyanese journalists to recommit themselves to a higher level of journalistic practice, which will enable them to focus on the promotion of the developmental agenda of the country.

“The party believes that journalists need to address the development agenda with the same zeal and intensity as they pursue their own selfish and narrow political interests. The PPP is committed to an environment where the news and information is fuelled by facts and not the whims and fancies of the rumour mills.”

Freedom not limitless

Taking a swipe at US Ambassador to Guyana, D Brent Hardt, the PPP described the diplomat as a known meddler in local politics. It said Hardt must be rebuked for his assertion that censorship of the media is practised by the Government, while he purposefully ignores the Opposition slashing of the budgetary resources for NCN and GINA. This exposes the political duplicity of this individual, it said.

“The party will always support fair and objective journalism and demands an end to the callous, personalised attacks which are most times riddled with libel and defamation against the President, his Cabinet Ministers and public officials.”

“On World Press Freedom Day 2014, the party reiterates the call for the establishment of a watchdog oversight committee that would be tasked with creating the environment in Guyana that would see the development of higher levels of press freedom and freedom of expression. Also, the PPP holds strongly to the position, that the power the media has is not limitless and, therefore, in the exercise of their duty, journalists must be responsible and professional. The party salutes all journalists in Guyana, the Caribbean, and further afield who are pursuing their national, regional, and developmental interests responsibly.”

etired Reverend Rueben Gilbert said he has forgiven the hierarchy of the People’s National Congress (PNC) and all those who were involved in oppressing him during the 1970s.

He made the disclosure last Friday, just before the curtains came down on the first session of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry at the Supreme Court building. He had returned to be further crossexamined by PNC’s legal representative, Basil Williams and members of the Commission.

At the beginning of his testimony last Wednesday, Gilbert told the hearing that he had suffered tremendously at the hands of the then ruling PNC Government headed by the late Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham.

According to him, his illtreatment was directly related to his close association with the founding leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), Dr Walter Rodney.

Queen’s Counsel Jacqueline Samuels Brown, during her cross-examination, asked the Reverend, if – given all the atrocities that were allegedly met-

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ed out to him by the PNC Government – he, as a minister of religion, has forgiven those who caused him grave discomfort. He responded: “I have written in recent times and in those articles, I said that I have forgiven those persons who have done me wrong.”

Gilbert said he gave the same answer to a Guyanese Journalist who had interviewed him back in 1992, a few months before general elections. The Journalist, Gilbert related, had asked him if he would wish to see his enemies brought to justice, should the PNC Government change. He had replied “to prove that would cause Guyanese to suffer greater suffering than they have gone through during that period”.

Gilbert recalled returning to Guyana in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree and being unable to obtain a job for almost two years. According to him, it took the intervention of then Opposition Leader Dr Cheddi Jagan to secure him a job as a teacher in 1971.

He related too that he was severely beaten by organisations that were under the control of the PNC Government.

Retired Reverend Reuben Gilbert

Gilbert was asked by Queen’s Counsel SamuelsBrown if he had ever taken legal action against the PNC Government by way of claim or compensation. He explained that he could not because of the political situation at the time.

“The condition of the country at that time, it would be a waste of time going to the Police, it would be a waste a time to say that you would try to get justice through the system. It was a kind of situation you would find in countries that were run by dictators,” he said.

He explained that one attempt may have been made, but did not get anywhere. He said the Education Ministry, then headed by Shirley Field-Ridley, had claimed that it could not locate his credentials and he went to see the Ombudsman, seeking redress to his problems.

Meanwhile, PNC’s Basil Williams, during his crossexamination, recalled Gilbert’s testimony whereby he said he had asked his brother Neville, who was also a member of the PNC, to stay at his home, while he fled for safety.

Gilbert told the Inquiry on Wednesday, that because of plans by the Youth Socialist Movement (YSM) to have him killed, he had asked his brother to stay at his home, while he sought refuge for the night at the University of Guyana. He said it was not until the following morning, while his brother was relaying what had transpired the night before, that he revealed the plan of the PNC Government to have him killed.

Williams had submitted that he was not thinking about the safety of his brother. However, Gilbert maintained that he had a duty to protect himself.

Pushpanjali

he Indian Commemoration Trust hosted its 14th Pushpanjali “Offering Flowers” at the Monument Gardens, Church and Camp Streets on Monday.

At the event, organisers honoured three persons for their outstanding contributions.

Ameena Gafoor receives her award from Sattaur Gafoor was honoured for his Business Magnate, Yesu Persaud for her outstanding achievements in industry outstanding contributions to the Literary and contributions to civil society Arts in the Caribbean and the wider diaspora

Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Carl Singh received an award for his outstanding service to the justice system in Guyana

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tuesday, may 6, 2014| guyanatimesGY.com

Sugar industry can improve with good management – GAWU

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he Guyana Sugar C o r p o r a t i o n (GuySuCo) can turn around its present crisis with good management and a satisfied labour force, Seepaul Narine, General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) has said.

Speaking at last Thursday’s May Day rally at Port Mourant, Narine said the sugar industry which plays a vital role in the development of Guyana’s economy and employs thousands of Guyanese has the turnaround ability.

“The wide interest shown in the industry in recent months testifies to the value of this industry to our country. GAWU welcomes the interest shown but cannot see eye-to-eye with those who offer ill thought out solutions like selling out estates or diversifying to ethanol or put lands to aquaculture, at the same time as a stakeholder we would like to see the industry becoming viable as this would surely impact on the quality of life of our membership”, Narine stated.

He went on to say, that with the knowledge to grow with good management, a satisfied labour force and

various innovations, GAWU is confident that the industry can regain its profitability status in a short time.

Despite challenges faced in the sugar industry, they are confident that the industry will meets its target of 216,000 tonnes in 2014.

“In 2013, the industry produced 186,807 tonnes, it’s the worse performance in 22 years. Poor production last year and accumulated debts over the years resulted in the industry’s debt being approximately 10.8 billion Guyana dollars against those significant challenges our union pursued and was able to secure a four per cent wage/salary increase and five day’s pay”.

In 2014 already, just over 65,000 tonnes of sugar has been produced – a positive sign that the target of 216,000 will be achieved.

Region Six Chairman David Armogan during his address spoke of Government’s commitment to workers interest, thus the allocation of $6 billion to assist the sugar industry.

“Today, you are working in an industry that is facing some severe problems, you are working in an industry that has seen gross production in many years. GAWU is known for its militancy lo-

GAWU General Secretary Seepaul Narine

cally and for solidarity for workers across... today all the workers across the world are in solidarity with you.

"You have to understand that your responsibility at this time, that the industry that has employed you is struggling, your role has to be a little bit different in as much as you are known for your militancy and as much as you are known to fight every day for your rights and increased wages and salaries and better conditions of work, we are operating today at a different time and a different environment and therefore your understanding at this time that you are working in an industry that employs the highest amount of people in

this country, so it’s too big to fail, Government will do all it can do save the industry,” Armogan remarked.

Member of Parliament, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo congratulated GAWU. “People will come to you and tell you all sorts of things about your union, they are saying the union is not representing its workers, you have an industry that is not meeting its target and yet the workers in that industry get an increase every year.

Had it not been a union like GAWU that would not have happened, so GAWU must be commended for standing beside it workers.”

Mahadeo also reiterated Government’s commitment towards the sugar industry.

“Those who want to talk about shutting down the industry and rear tilapia, last year the Opposition voted against putting money in the sugar industry to keep it afloat. On the other hand, the Government said we are not going to close the sugar industry. We know we are in a bad patch, we will work towards getting it better, we know we have made mistakes, we will correct them, we know that GuySuCo serves Guyana well and this Government will not allow sugar to go down.”

Police launch anti-crime youth club I n many communities across Berbice, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has taken the lead in implementing innovative juvenile crime prevention and intervention efforts as part of an overall community-oriented approach to policing.

In line with this, the Development Association of Fort Ordinance (DAFO) in collaboration with the GPF B Division last Wednesday launched a youth group in the community.

This launch complemented a series of youth clubs across Berbice by the Police in B Division. President of DAFO Stanley Jacob stated that the aim of the organisation is all about development and making the community a better place in every aspect of their livelihood.

Since its formation, he said DAFO has formed a community policing group and installed several street lights in its effort to assist in curbing criminal activities in the area. He said too, they continue to work assiduously on several other projects so as to ensure the community is safer.

“Youths are the future of tomorrow and we want our youths to become more actively involved in every area and aspect of development,” Jacob said.

Deputy Commander Stephen Mansell, who was elated to be a part of the event, explained that the initiative aims at supporting strong measures to prevent

The handing over of sport gear to the youth club

juveniles from becoming involved in illegal activities.

He said through youth-focused community oriented policing, they are hoping to reduce the availability of firearms to youth, strengthening anti-drug and antigang measures, and building healthy communities through expanded youth opportunities.

The senior Superintendent of Police added that the main focus of the group is to engage the youths meaningfully in sport and educational activities.

The Deputy Commander also highlighted that the young people will also be placed into a Scout Group to enhance their skills, while underscoring that they will also be a part of the GPF’s summer camp and work study programme this year.

“They will be taught to become computer literate,

assist those who cannot afford to attend school and educational items and whatever necessary needs the less fortunate youths may incur,” he stated.

“The bottom line of this youth club is discipline and therefore we need our youths to be positive, competitive and to excel in their every endeavour,” Mansell said, while encouraging the parents to take an active part in the success of this first launching in the community.

The initiative is part of an ongoing outreach programme of the Police Force in order to give back to society and to increase public confidence and the force’s image.

He said that the Police alone cannot fight crime but the citizens need to work in partnership with the force to stamp out crime and ensure safety and security.

“Youths who embrace the culture of violence are most likely to be those who feel that they have no stake in society and no trust in the adults who are supposed to provide them with safety and guidance. Communities must address the culture of violence and lack of opportunities and alternatives, reaching out to youths who feel disenfranchised from the adult world and provide them with positive opportunities,” Mansell opined, while extending congratulations to the DAFO/Police Youth Club on behalf of the Commander of B Division Brian Joseph who was unable to attend the event due to other pressing duties.

Also present at the event were Officer-in-Charge of Sub Division One Guy Nurse, Sergeant Michael Newland and Sergeant Hamilton.

Eyew tness Fossilised...

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...racists our Eyewitness has written before about some folks stricken by the mental illness of hypergraphia.

These people just can’t stop writing...they go on and on and on...You’ve seen them in the letters’ pages day after day, haven’t you? Asquith Rose, Harish Singh, Ms Maxwell. Be kind to them – the condition’s actually caused by a physical defect in the brain. But apart from the obsessive writing, they’re just like other folks.

But their compulsion opens a window into their minds. Look at the latest letter written by Rose and his sidekick Singh. It reveals the racist assumptions of a lot of folks when it comes to African Guyanese. The hypergraphia sufferers made the following syllogistic argument.

Major premise: Indians vote PPP, Africans vote PNC, and Mixed and Amerindians vote PPP. Minor premise: Indians have migrated. Conclusion: the PPP can never, ever regain a majority in Guyana. Now you see the humungous, racist flaw in all of this, don’t you? Even if their major premise was correct, these racist wankers assume that no matter what the PPP does, Africans, who’re now the majority, will never vote for them.

Now people who hold one set of beliefs about other people – no matter what the latter do – are holding stereotypes about those people. And when the beliefs are linked to race – the PPP’s “Indian” – the stereotype is racist. But your Eyewitness will never believe Rose and Singh’s contention that African Guyanese are so racially fossilised, they won’t vote for the PPP – regardless of the latter’s policies and record.

Sadly, however, while most Guyanese might not be afflicted by hypergraphia, some do think along similar lines when it comes to the voting behaviour of African Guyanese. They obviously believe that the latter are so imbued with anti-Indian emotions they can never change their behaviour.

And what’s even sadder is, it’s precisely this assumption about Africans that made Europeans enslave them. Slavery was “for their own good”, since they couldn’t reason for themselves, they had to be taught by those who could.

Your Eyewitness believes that it’s high time Guyanese come down hard and denounce this standing libel against African Guyanese. While as a minority, African Guyanese might’ve huddled together in fear for their security, now they’re the majority – we’re certain they’ll display rational choice behaviour.

And they’ll vote for the party that’s shown it developed the country during their turn at the helm, rather than the one that ran it into the ground. And we all know which is which, don’t we?? Even the hypergraphia afflicted. ...fence sitters Ex-Speaker Ralph Ramkarran said a mouthful on the Rodney Inquiry in his latest column in the Stabber News.

(We’ll dispense with the fig leaf of the “blog”.) The gist of what he said is that all the players in the highly charged 1978-1980 political landscape ought to give testimony.

He thus agrees with the PPP on the point over which APNU has broken a long lance: that the said time frame is too “expansive”.

But Ramkarran went beyond his usual homilies about the lamb lying down with the lion and living happily ever after. He named some of his erstwhile comrades – “Clement Rohee, Gail Teixeira, Harry Nokta and Moses Nagamootoo, now of the AFC” – and asked that they talk about the “rigged elections, authoritarian rule, violence, intimidation, lack of permission to travel to the hinterland, to hold public meetings, deprivation of newsprint and more.”

But if “Nagamootoo, now of the AFC” should testify, shouldn’t Ramkarran – 50 years inside the PPP – get off the fence he’s teetering on, and do the same? Show some testicular fortitude, Ramkarran! ...invertebrate Because he fears a racial Armageddon, an exMuckraker wanker Roy Paul proposed the Rodney CoI “just ascertain the real cause of the death of (Rodney) and refrain from naming any group or individuals suspected of being responsible.”

It’s the truth that’ll set you free, spineless wanker.

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guyanatimesgy.com

t uesday, may 6, 2014

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Americas Vaccination Week concludes with health fair cines for polio and measles, among others.

Dr Woolford stated that there were not any alarming viruses because the Health Ministry has been up to date with their immunisation programmes, especially with the health centres across the country.

She pointed out to Guyana Times during the interview that “Guyana has not recorded any serious vaccination programmes over the last two decades”.

Since the inception of the VWA in 2003, more than 465 million individuals of all ages have been vaccinated during campaigns conducted under the framework of the initiative.

Young people engage in discussion at the health fair

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he 12th celebration of Vaccination Week in the Americas (VWA) themed “Vaccination: Your best shot” recently concluded at the Bedford Methodist, Church at Robb and Camp streets, Georgetown opposite Republic Bank.

The theme was chosen to encourage people to protect themselves and the region against the importation of polio, measles, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, in time for the upcoming 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

VWA is an extraordinary effort led by the countries and territories of the region to advance equity and access to vaccination. VWA activities strengthen the national immunisation programmes in the Americas by reaching out to populations with little access to regular health services, such as those populations

A young boy winces as he is vaccinated at the health fair

living in urban fringes, rural and border areas and in indigenous communities.

Speaking with Guyana Times, Maternal & Child Health Services Director Dr Janice Woolford noted

that it was amazing travelling around the country conducting immunisation programmes.

She stated that during the outreaches and the fair, they have been giving vac-

VWA also provides a highly visible platform to raise population awareness regarding the importance of immunisation and to keep the topic on the forefront of political agendas.

The health fair featured the services of Guyana Parent Hood Association (GRPA) and other related agencies.

De Mayorfuh-Life ketchin minibus

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ver since de Town Clerk cut off de Mayor-fuhLife gas money fuh he gas guzzler vehicle whah he does drive around GT de garbage town wid, half a Green Ham runnins get cut off. That had to be de only reason why de Mayor-fuh-Life was tryin to cut off de Town Clerk from sayin a prayer fuh a council meeting and from doin she lawful wuk.

Then, of course, de Mayor-fuh-Life was also tryin to cut off de Town Clerk from tekkin care of de garbage situation in GT de garbage town over de Easter weekend. This musbe a man who like garbage apart from bein garbage he self. De longer Green Ham deh in de wuk, is de more garbage pilin up in and outta de s*ity council.

When yuh tink of garbage in Guyana, yuh can only naturally tink of Green Ham. One a de councillors seh de Mayor-fuh-Life certainly lookin de part and some days he does be smellin de part. In terms of Green Ham words and deeds, well it ain’t got no doubt bout that bein garbage.

De other day, some body see de Mayor-fuh-Life bummin a ride pun de Cemetery Road wid two fivegallon containers in he hand. That was after he run outta gas while drivin around to see if de Town Clerk was doin any ting in GT de garbage town.

A minibus stop fuh he, but before he coulda get in de bus, de conductor tell he that he can’t bring water in to de bus. But Green Ham assure de conductor that it wasn’t water and that de containers was empty. Well, every body doubt he, because dem know he like to tell lies since de days a de Pee-N-C. Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! And imagine de bus had some people who does vote fuh he. It was only when de Mayor-fuhLife explain that he was actually bummin a ride to meet Ram Sammy in Berbice to collect some bio gas fuh he vehicle, that dem believe he!

guyanatimesgy.com

Drivers in Sunday night’s smash-up in custody

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Dead: Kurt Bascomb

he drivers of the two vehicles that were involved in Sunday night’s fatal smash-up at Craig, East Bank Demerara have been taken into custody.

This was confirmed by Crime Chief Leslie James on Monday. James said the two men were treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital and were subsequently released into the custody of the Police to assist with investigations.

The drivers have been identified as Marvin Small and Fyad Azeem. Charges are expected to be laid after the investigations are completed.

According to reports, Small was driving a Raum, returning from a creek outing with Kurt Bascomb, 22,

11 News Sonu Nigam rocks National Stadium P TUESday, may 6, 2014

Majeed. They, along with the two drivers, were transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital for further treatment.

At the Diamond Diagnostic Centre on Sunday evening, an eyewitness who assisted in taking the injured persons to the hospital recalled that both Barton and Bascomb were alive after the collision, but died upon arriving at the medical facility.

The man also noted that the hospital is not “ready” to handle such serious cases, citing the lack of ambulances and doctors' in effective communication. He said the Cuban doctors cannot relate to English-speaking people and vice-versa.

Bascomb’s mother, who was also at the hospital, re-

resident Donald Ramotar and First Lady Deolatchmie Ramotar were among the thousands who Sunday evening enjoyed the talent of renowned Bollywood Playback Singer Sonu Nigam.

Nigam was backed by a 25-member troupe from Mumbai, including a large selection of Bollywood’s best musicians at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

The concert, organised by the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, was held to commemorate the 176th anniversary of Indian Arrival in Guyana and the Sabha’s 40th anniversary.

The proceed went to the Sabha’s Bal Nivas home for vulnerable children. (See story on page 13) The facility, which is located at Ankerville, Corentyne, Berbice, has the capacity to house comfortably, approximately 60 persons. The facility materialised after a series of mas-

sive fund-raising events, including mega concerts featuring Bollywood’s singing sensations.

President Ramotar, who briefly addressed the thousands of supportive Guyanese at Sunday evening’s concert, applauded their support for a worthwhile cause and encouraged their support of other such ventures.

The President also hailed the concert as a fitting tribute to the Indian foreparents who came to Guyana and despite difficulties, managed to upkeep their culture.

“Today, 176 years after, we have the top artistes of India coming to entertain us, that is a testimony of the fact that our foreparents managed in difficult and very harsh circumstances to maintain this culture and to give it also a specific Guyanese flavour,” he said.

On May 5, 1838, 233 men, five women and six children from India, the first

Bollywood Playback Singer Sonu Nigam thrilled the audience at the National Stadium Sunday night

batch of immigrants, arrived onboard the Whitby at Highbury to supplement the multiethnic, multicultural society on which Guyana today prides itself.

The concert which also featured a performance by upcoming Bollywood Playback Singer Jonita Gandhi, was also the

The sold out crowd at the “Klose to My Soul” Concert at the Guyana National Stadium

Dead: Delon Barton

of Lot 426 Grove Housing Scheme and Delon Barton, 33, of Lot 206 Grove, while another Raum containing Azeem and three others was heading to Timehri.

While at the Craig double bridge around 18:30h, Azeem reportedly lost control of his vehicle, slamming into Small’s Raum. A motorcycle that was close by was also hit by one of the Raums but the rider did not suffer any serious injuries. Residents immediately pulled the occupants from the wreckage and rushed them to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where Barton and Bascomb were pronounced dead on arrival.

The other persons injured were Zanie Azeem, Fizal Azeem and Hemwattie

lated that she was at home when her daughter was informed of the accident, but she did not think it was anything serious.

The woman said when they arrived at the hospital; they saw a lot of people there and knew something was wrong.

She recalled seeing her son’s motionless body in the Accident and Emergency Room next to that of his close friend, Barton. Barton leaves to mourn three children while Bascomb leaves to mourn two children, parent, and eight siblings. Their bodies were taken to Lyken’s Funeral Home. The Police are continuing their investigations.

A dance troupe performs during the “Klose to My Soul” Concert at the Guyana National Stadium

Guyana leg of Sonu Nigam’s 2014 World Concert Tour titled “Klose to My Soul”, featuring tributes to Indian musical legends such as Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Lata Mangeshkar, RD Burman and Kishore Kumar, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

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tuesday, may 6, 2014 | guyanatimeSGY.com

IMF forecasts 4.3 per cent growth for Guyana T

he International Monetary Fund (IMF) has predicted a 4.3 per cent growth rate for Guyana this year even as it is projecting that economic activity in Latin America and the Caribbean will stay in low gear in its 2014 forecast for the region.

During his budget speech, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh had stated that Guyana’s economy is projected to expand by 5.6 per cent in 2014, with the non-sugar economy projected to grow by 5.2 per cent.

He told the National Assembly that the inflation rate is pegged at five per cent compared to 0.9 per cent last year, the lowest rate in decades. Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 5.2 per cent last year while the non-sugar GDP rose by 6.3 per cent. In 2013, the country’s economy recorded its eighth consecutive year of growth.

Meanwhile, the IMF said the recovery in the US and other advanced economies are expected to bolster export growth, but lower world commodity prices and rising global funding costs are likely to weigh on activity across the region.

The IMF’s Regional Economic Outlook for the Western Hemisphere released on April 24 in Lima, Peru, projects regional growth of 2½ per cent in 2014, down from 2¾ per cent in 2013. Weak investment and subdued demand for the region’s exports held back activity in 2013, as did increasingly binding supply bottlenecks in a number of economies.

For 2015, the IMF projects a modest pickup, to three per cent.

According to the report, Latin America still faces a number of downside risks. The key risk is a sharper decline in commodity prices caused by weaker demand from some of the major commodity-importing economies, especially China. Although the effects from a gradual and orderly normalisation of US monetary policy should be contained for most of the region, increased capital flow volatility also remains a risk.

remove obstacles to growth.

Growth in the other commodity exporters – Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Venezuela – is projected to fall sharply in 2014, to about 2¾ per cent from nearly six per cent in 2013. The IMF said that fundamental policy adjustments are needed in Venezuela to avert the risk of disorderly dynamics.

Control public spending

Divergent growth dynamics

Growth in the financially integrated economies – Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay – in 2014 is expected to remain the same as in 2013, at 3½ per cent. However, the average growth number masks considerable divergence across countries.

Mexico’s economy is expected to rebound to three per cent this year, owing to a stronger US recovery and normalisation of domestic factors.

In Brazil, activity is expected to fall below two per cent in 2014, as weak business confidence continues to weigh on private investment.

The IMF said the key policy priorities for the financially integrated countries include a careful calibration of macroeconomic policies, a clear focus on reducing financial vulnerabilities, and stepped-up structural reforms to

Further policy adjustments are also needed to restore macroeconomic stability in Argentina, especially in the context of less favourable prospects for global commodity prices. The other economies in this group will also need to control levels of public spending, which have increased sharply over the past decade owing to strong commodity revenue.

Economic activity in Central America is projected at about 3½ per cent in 2014, similar to last year’s level. Looking ahead, the IMF pointed out that a consolidation of public finances is necessary to reduce fiscal and external imbalances, and to ensure debt sustainability. Consolidation efforts would have to include both expenditure restraint and higher tax revenues.

Growth remains tepid in most of the Caribbean. The tourism-dependent economies are expected to grow on average by 1.4 per cent in 2014 and the commodity exporters by 3.2 per cent.

Reducing high public debt levels remains a key challenge in much of the Caribbean along with further efforts to address long-standing competitiveness problems, notably in the tourismdependent economies. The Regional Economic Outlook also contains three background studies.

The first analyses the impact of US monetary policy normalisation on Latin America and the Caribbean.

The second study looks at the impact of lower commodity prices on economic growth in the region.

The third background study looks at the changes in the cyclicality of fiscal policy across Latin America.

GT&T not opposed to Telecoms Bill – CEO

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uyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) Chief Executive Officer Radha Krishna Sharma on Wednesday said while the company has some reservation with the Telecoms Bill, it is not opposed to it as reported by some sections of the media.

“I am not aware of any view that we are against liberalisation,” the CEO said, noting that Guyana’s leading telephone company has always supported, and will continue to support the initiative.

“We have publicly spoken for liberalisation. We have no issue with liberalisation. There is need for the telecommunication sector to be deepened and strengthened,” he noted.

However, Sharma related that while the company has welcomed the Bill, it did not mean that all was well and that they had no concerns.

“We obviously have some concerns and those

concerns have been articulated in our submissions to the Select Committee,” Sharma disclosed.

The Telecommunications Bill is currently sitting before the Parliamentary Select Committee, which is expected to address the concerns relating to the Bill.

Asked by media operatives to disclose what were some of the concerns GT&T had with the Bill, he communicated that he had debated in his mind whether he should pronounce on the concerns raised at the level of the Select Committee and came to the conclusion that it was not the wisest idea.

“I have debated in my mind whether it would be the best of protocol to discuss with the media… you have got to understand that a Select Committee is part of the legislative mechanism and I honestly came to the conclusion that it would be bad protocol for me to discuss what we have presented.”

He was quick to assure,

GT&T Chief Executive Officer Radha Krishna Sharma

however, that once the issues had been ironed out, the public will be the first to be informed.

The Telecommunications Bill, which was first introduced in 2011, was seen as a major disruption to an industry which has for more than two decades been dominated by GT&T. If the Bill

is passed, the way for competition from other companies will be paved.

GT&T is currently the only company licensed to install and operate landlines.

It also offers cellular and Internet service as well.

Cabinet Secretary, Dr Roger Luncheon, who had first spoken publicly of the Bill, had noted that following the implementation of such legislation, the terms and conditions of the agreement that GT&T had signed with the People’s National Congress (PNC) back in the day will become non-existent.

The company also controls the international calling sector, since all international calls have to be routed through their switches. Digicel, on the other hand, which has branches in a number of regional territories, has been offering only cellular service across the country. The latter company is however required to route its international calls through GT&T.

Sugar industry being used as political football – Lincoln Lewis

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uyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) General Secretary Lincoln Lewis said he is not pleased with way the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is managed, contending that the operation of the struggling industry is now a “political football”.

Lewis was at the time speaking at GTUC’s Labour Day rally on Thursday last at the Critchlow Labour College, Woolford Avenue.

He noted that the sugar industry was built on the labour of slaves and indentured servants, but today, despite being in the hands of the free, it is being treated as personal property.

“The belief by the PPP [People’s Progressive Party] and the Government that no one except them must speak or seek to influence the direction of GuySuCo must now be cast aside,” he stated.

Lewis pointed out that GuySuCo is a state entity and it belongs to the people of this country, and as such, the GTUC has a responsibility to speak out against the problems affecting the industry.

According to Lewis, the state of the industry is not as a result of the lack of financial investments, but because of poor management.

“With all the technical support, the lot of the sugar workers has not improved; industrial activities still remain the highest in all Guyana’s workforce. Cane cutters and factory workers are exposed to dangerous factory and field conditions.

It is time sugar workers learn the truth about the industry within which they work,” he stressed.

The GTUC General Secretary explained that the calls by many for the Government to account for and provide a constructive recovery plan have fallen on deaf ears.

Unanimously passed

Lewis emphasised on the fact that the basic living conditions of the sugar workers have not improved much over the years, and this, he pointed out is evident in the way in which they are transported to work.

“Workers are transported in crowded trucks with minimal physical space between them, and in this age where human rights take precedent over any economic activity. It is not that GuySuCo could not have invested in improved transportation and other facilities for field and factory workers,” he opined.

At the end of the rally, a motion was presented by the GTUC and unanimously passed for Government to “ensure that there is a development of comprehensive plans for GuySuCo

GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis

that is feasible and can return the industry or reform it into a viable economic entity”. The motion resolved that a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency taskforce should be established to “investigate and analyse the relevant industry and make recommendations for the development of the industry”.

Meanwhile, at the same time, over at the National Park where the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) held its rally, General Secretary Kenneth Joseph called out GuySuCo for not paying workers in accordance with a recent tribunal.

He said that it is a blatant disrespect since Labour Minister, Dr Nanda Gopaul had also pronounced on the issue, calling on the corporation to pay sugar workers.

“I am surprised when a Corporation’s management can refuse to cooperate with the union refuse to adhere to agreements and show blatant eye-pass to a sitting Minister of Government,” Joseph said.

Not a bailout

Government has plugged some $6 billion of the 2014 Budget towards the revitalisation of the sugar industry. This amount was deemed a “bailout” by the combined Opposition; however, despite many talks of disapproval, the money was passed.

In his budget presentation, Agriculture Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy said the industry will recover and 2014 will prove to be a turning point for its performance.

“Sugar is Guyana’s past, sugar is Guyana’s today, our present, and sugar is Guyana’s future,” he had stated. The Minister had subsequently denounced the notion that the $6 billion allocation was a “bailout” for the industry. Minister Ramsammy recently announced that GuySuCo is likely to meet its first crop target of 74,000 tonnes for this year’s production.

news

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Tuesday, may 6, 2014 | guyanatimesGY.com

Centre for abused children Thousands attend IAC opens in Berbice Indian Arrival Day event … at Anna Regina

Bollywood star Sonu Nigam cuts the ribbon to open the new shelter for abused children. He was assisted by President Donald Ramotar and First Lady Deolatchmie Ramotar as well as President of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Dr Vindyha Persaud

By Nafeeza Yahya

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hildren and women who are victims of abuse and domestic violence will now have a safe haven with the commissioning of the multimilliondollar “Bal Nivas”(Centre for Abused Children) on Monday at Ankerville, Port Mourant in Berbice .

The centre, an initiative of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS), is capable of providing temporary housing for up to 60 children and their mothers from across the country.

It also houses a counselling area, a skills training centre, computer centre, library, and health care facilities, which help to make life better for victims by providing the necessary support and assisting in the creation of an atmosphere of love and warmth. GHDS President, Dr Vindyha Persaud said the building was constructed to serve the people of Guyana.

“It is a sad day when our children need these kinds of facilities, because you would like to think every child has a safe place to be.

However, we are aware of the realities of life, we are not blind to those realities and because of those realities, because of the fact that our children need safety and security , because of the fact that we feel the sense of responsibility and because of the fact that we adhere to the motto of the GHDS taken from the Gita “action thy

duty, reward not by concern” – today, this shelter is born”.

Dr Persaud reflected on the vision of her late father, Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud who founded the GHDS, as it was his vision that is finally a reality.

In his address to the massive gathering, President Donald Ramotar congratulated the Sabha for the timely completion of the home.

He noted that the centre is one which will benefit the entire country and complement the existing legislation and facilities in place.

Extremely impressed

“At the level of Government, we have introduced legislation: new laws on sexual offences, laws against domestic violence and human trafficking, but it is very clear that passing these legislation is not enough; we need more in order to enforce them. It is facilities like this that help to create an atmosphere in this country where everyone will speak out and when that would have happened, we would have gone a very far way to eradicate these antisocial behaviours from our society.”

The guest of honour, legendary Bollywood Playback Singer Sonu Nigam, who was there from the beginning of the project, expressed his appreciation to the Sabha for allowing him the opportunity to be part of this historical event in Berbice.

“Guyana has touched me in a way different, there is so much of innocence in this country, purity in the souls. I am really humbled by the love shown to me by Guyanese.

I am extremely impressed with the simplicity of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha and allowing me to be part of Bal Nivas from the beginning to now. I can see what all of you dreamt and now it has manifested.

I know the people that will benefit from this; I wish you prosperity for the shelter,” he said on Monday, one day after his “Klose to My Soul” concert before a huge crowd at the Guyana National Stadium, the proceeds of which went to the centre. Other fundraising activities hosted by the Sabha included other mega concerts featuring Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan. In addition, donations came from local businesses, devotees of the Minnesota Vishnu Mandir, families and many others.

In May 2012, Nigam, along with President Ramotar, unveiled the plan and design for the shelter.

The facility was constructed by Kascom Engineering who came in for tremendous praise from everyone for a job well done. The Sabha expressed gratitude to all those who assisted in making this project a reality and also appealed for continued support of the facility that should be operational in July.

A section of the gathering at the IAC Mela at Anna Regina

By Indrawattie Natram

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ll decked out in their cultural Indian attire, thousands of persons converged on the Anna Regina Community Centre ground in Region Two on Monday to commemorate the 176th Anniversary of the arrival of Indians in Guyana.

It was an occasion where the Indian Arrival Committee (IAC) staged

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subject theme,” the Council said in a release on Monday.

“The first launch takes place on Friday, 9th May in Barbados, and the theme for the event in Barbados is Tourism.”

Guyana is set to host the launch with the Agricultural Science theme on Monday, May 12, with Trinidad and Tobago to follow on May 15 with the Entrepreneurship theme.

St Lucia will host the launch which focuses on the Performing Arts on May 16 with the final launch set for Jamaica on May 20, at The Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston starting at 10:00h.

The final theme is Physical Education and Sport.

CXC is partnering with the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Cultural Development Foundation of St Lucia, the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), and various tertiary institutions in Jamaica to host the events.

“This step is a giant leap toward providing our youth with the knowledge, the confidence and insights needed to change the quality of the experience we sell.

worlds and cultures, our ancestors came from various parts of the world, we should appreciate,” he posited.

He said too that Guyanese should be cognisant of their diverse cultures, which have opened windows of opportunities beyond measure. These cultures, he emphasised, ought to be respected and appreciated. “I wish to reiterate and appeal that I have

Nachgana Dance Troupe performing at the Anna Regina Centre Ground

an enthralling show, displaying the rich culture of East Indians. Khalnayak Academy out of Trinidad and Tobago, Nachgana, Shelita, Aurora and Khandai were among the popular dance troupes that dished out mesmerising performances to the beat of folk songs and traditional Indian music.

In addition, well-known singers from the twin-island Republic, Adesh Samaroo and Rasika Dindyal, both with songs leading the regional charts, joined the local Ravi D band, pushing

Five new CAPE subjects for 2015

ome September 2014, five new-generation subjects for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) will be taught for first examination in 2015.

The subjects are: Agricultural Science, Entrepreneurship, Performing Arts, Physical Education and Sport, and Tourism.

All five subjects are being launched by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) during May. “The five subjects will be launched in five CXC participating countries with each event having a specific

the crowd further into a celebratory mood.

A wide variety of Indian and local cuisine and drinks were on sale, much to the satisfaction of patrons.

Although organised by the IAC, the event received overwhelming sponsorship from the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) Company and Banks DIH. In the midst of the celebration, Region Two Chairman Parmanand

Thousands of tourism frontline workers who are in positions to make or break this industry will now have an opportunity to get a tertiary education. For them, a CXC certificate, or just the knowledge gained while studying for that certificate, could be an absolute game-changer,” CTO Secretary General Hugh Riley said about the introduction of Tourism at CAPE. The introduction of the five new subjects follows the launch of Digital Media in September 2013. This now brings the total number of subjects offered at CAPE to 30. (Jamaica Observer)

Persaud congratulated the IAC for staging the wellorganised event. While reflecting on the first batch of Indians who arrived in Guyana 176 years ago, Persaud said the Indian ancestors have left rich legacy for Guyanese.

“Arrival Day is a celebration of a nation carved out of the meeting of many

made before for everyone to continue to strive for and promote greater harmony in our relations with another, let us work to overcome the barriers of suspicion, hatred and mistrust which are often planted by those who seek to divide us to facilitate our exploitation,” Persaud implored.

14

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, May 6, 2014

Regional

Attorney’s murder a “well-orchestrated Second Caricom-Turkey high level meeting hit”, says Trinidad Security Minister

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ational Security Minister Gary Griffith has pledged every resource necessary to solve Sunday’s murder of senior counsel Dana Seetahal.

The National Security Minister has described the attorney’s murder as a “well-orchestrated hit,” adding that her death is an immeasurable loss to her profession, the country and the region.

Griffith said he has advised the acting Police Commissioner Stephen

Williams to use all the resources available to him to solve the crime. “We will not rest until those who have committed this most unspeakable act is brought to justice,” he said in a statement.

In response to the slaying, Williams said: “It’s shocking. Crime is a concern especially violent crime. It’s a shocking incident, one you least expect.

I had a conversation with her at around 12:45 pm on Saturday and everything was fine.”

National Security Minister Gary Griffith

The acting Police Commissioner said he had been apprised of the killing and head of Homicide ACP Wayne Dick has been in constant communication with him. Williams assured there will be a thorough investigation, and that his officers are on the scene doing a basic investigation.

Meanwhile, a TT$1 million reward is being offered

by Crime Stoppers for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those involved in Seetahal’s murder. (Excerpt from Caribbean360)

23 dead, more than a dozen injured in tragic Haiti bus crash

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t least 23 people were killed and 17 others injured after a bus crashed in the southwest city of Jeremie over the weekend, authorities have confirmed.

They said the accident occurred near the coastal town of Roseau and that most of the dead were from the town of d’Anse d’Hainault on the

far western tiop of the country.

The Mayor of the city of Jeremie, Ronald Etienne, confirmed the accident occurred on Saturday and that the cause was not known, but roads in the rural areas of Haiti are always in poor shape and blamed for several tragic accidents. (Caribbean360)

set for Istanbul

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n an effort to expand and consolidate ties between Caricom nations and Turkey, a second high level meeting between the Government of Turkey and representatives from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) will take place in Istanbul from May 12 to 14.

The last meeting took place also in Istanbul in 2008. The 2008 meeting was attended by representatives from Turkey and Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, according to Suriname’s Ambassador to the UN, Henry MacDonald, who represented Paramaribo at that meeting.

Turkey started negotiations with Caricom in 2007 to sign a consultation and cooperation agreement. In

2011, this culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on consultation and cooperation between Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu and Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque in New York.

The MoU also emphasises cooperation in the promotion of trade, investment and tourism, along with the areas of natural disasters, commerce and scientific and technical exchange.

Recently, Davutoğlu visited the Caribbean to lobby Caricom support for Turkey’s candidacy for a UN Security Council rotating seat. Davutoğlu became the first Turkish Foreign Minister to visit Haiti and The Dominican Republic in April.

Turkey and Spain are both competing for that Security Council seat. (Excerpt from Caribbean News Now)

Five Honduran 57 per cent enroll for St Lucia on a slippery youth gang members tertiary education in TT fiscal slope, says MP killed in jail fight

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he country’s participation rate in the tertiary sector has grown. So said Tertiary Education and Skills Training Minister Fazal Karim as he toured the soon-to-be opened Metal Industries Company (MIC) Institute of Technology, Diego Martin Technology Centre and YTEPP training facility at Diamond Vale Industrial Estate (Factory Road), Diego Martin.

Karim, asked if he was satisfied with the participation of the country’s citizens in such programmes, said yes but indicated there was always room for improvement.

He said, “When I became Minister in 2010, the participation rate in the tertiary sector was 42 per cent, with the expansion of these facilities and facilities like this, the Government of

TT has set a target by May 2015 of 60 per cent to be accomplished. I am pleased to announce to you that we are currently at 57 per cent, and I am convinced that by May 2015 we will meet and exceed that percentage.”

Karim said the People’s Partnership manifesto said it would have expanded the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses (Gate) to vocational studies. “A society cannot only be built on academia,” he said. The $1.5 million refurbished centre houses six classrooms, a computer lab, an l-shaped food preparation room among others.

Courses to be offered at the centre includes a mix of both the traditional and non-traditional courses such as animation, patient care, small engine repair among others. (Excerpt from Trinidad

Guardian)

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n the final day of debate on the 2014/2015 estimates of expenditure in the House of Assembly, Opposition member Richard Frederick said that new and innovative revenue measures were required “to halt the slippery slope on which Saint Lucia finds itself from a fiscal standpoint.”

According to Frederick, direction is necessary to lead Saint Lucia on a better path, based on the two days of debate on estimates of expenditure, which painted a miserable financial statement of the island’s finances.

“Once again, we cannot finance our monthly bills with our monthly earnings, so we have to borrow to finance, not only our recurrent expenses, but all capital projects as well,” he pointed out.

“Two things need to be done. We need to desperately cut our expenditure, especially recurrent, and attempt to increase our revenue intake. And although there has been a slight decrease in our recurrent expenditure of $22 million from the estimates, this has to be just the beginning,” he continued.

He noted a disparity in the law that prejudices revenue collection between Government departments.

On the one hand, he said, manufacturers who, having collected taxes on behalf of the Government and people, are permitted to roam the streets without any sort of arduous effort being made to collect those monies, whilst an importer, whose goods are at customs is sometimes held to ransom. (Excerpt from

Caribbean News Now)

Outsider Juan Carlos Varela wins Panama election

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pposition leader Juan Carlos Varela has won the presidential election in Panama with almost 40 per cent of the votes.

Varela, who is currently the vice-president, had distanced himself from outgoing President Ricardo Martinelli.

Correspondents say Varela has taken credit for Martinelli's economic success, but has promised a cleaner, more transparent government.

The president's preferred candidate, the governing party contender Jose Domingo Arias, came second.

President Martinelli had actively supported the campaign of Arias, 50, and the leader's wife Marta Linares was the candidate's running mate.

Critics said his support for the Arias-Linares team was an attempt by Martinelli to hold on to the reins of power.

Under the Panamanian constitution, presidents are obliged to step down after one term and are banned from running for the two following terms.

Varela, a former centreright ally of Martinelli, fell out with the president after he was dismissed from his post as foreign minister in 2011.

After he had achieved an unassailable lead in the poll, Varela, 50, told Reuters news agency that "better times are

on their way".

Alluding to allegations of corruption against Martinelli's government, he said his would be "an honest, humane government of national unity".

Hearing of Varela's win, Martinelli said "I know the candidate, and really, may God help us!".

He said in light of Varela's success he would change his plans of "enjoying life" and go into opposition instead.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Raids in Honduran jails routinely uncover hundreds of weapons used in deadly prison fights

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ive youths have been killed in a gang fight in a prison in Honduras. Officials said the five, all of them under 18, belonged to the M18 street gang and were attacked by members of the rival Mara Salvatrucha gang.

The fight happened in El Carmen jail in San Pedro Sula. Last year, the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights accused Honduras of giving up on rehabilitating criminals and leaving prisons to be controlled by their inmates.

Police said armed members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang threatened the guards and forced their way at gunpoint into the area where M18 gang members are held.

They then opened fire, killing five and injuring one.

Neighbours reported hear-

ing an explosion, but Police denied grenades had been used in the gang fight.

There are conflicting reports on whether the assailants were also inmates or whether they had forced their way in from the outside. Officials said three of the alleged assailants had been arrested.

Honduran prisons are notoriously overcrowded, understaffed and wracked by violence. In February 2012, some 360 prisoners died in a fire in Comayagua prison north of Tegucigalpa.

Non-governmental organisations have urged the Government to improve its prison system but little has been done since the deadly fire. San Pedro Sula has the world’s highest homicide rate for any city not in a warzone, according to United Nations figures. (Excerpt from BBC News)

15 Around the world tuesday, may 6, 2014

guyanatimesgy.com

Boko Haram threatens India’s Modi takes Nigeria’s to sell kidnapped schoolgirls election battle to Gandhi citadel

Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate for India’s main Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), speaks during an interview with the ANI television service at Gandhinagar in the western Indian state of Gujarat in this still image taken from video April 16

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ndian Opposition candidate Narendra Modi, riding a wave of popular anger against the ruling Congress party, took his campaign to the Gandhi citadel on Monday, telling vot-

ers it was time to send the dynasty packing for its broken promises.

Modi, in the final leg of a mammoth general election, took his campaign to the seat of Congress heir appar-

ent Rahul Gandhi, breaking a tradition in which top politicians stay off each other’s home turf.

Such has been the intensity of the campaign and the opposition between Modi and the Gandhis that he did not spare even Rahul’s father and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated in 1991.

“In 60 years, three generations have been wasted here.

"This family has destroyed your dreams. I have come to fulfil your dream,” the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) told a large crowd.

Opinion polls show the BJP and its allies taking the largest share of seats in the five-week election.

Congress, in power for the past decade, faces its worst defeat.

Rahul Gandhi, the party’s campaign ‘face’, has been ineffectual on the stump and it has fallen to his sister Priyanka to lead late efforts to defend the family’s seats in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh that vote on Wednesday.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

China jails man for leaking military data

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man in Guangdong has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for leaking information on China’s military, state media say. News reports have not named the country which received the information, nor given the man’s full name. He has only been identified by his surname, Li. Li had leaked 23 classified documents, of which 13 were considered highly classified, state media said. He had also passed along photos of military installations and movements.

Some of the information he had garnered was from military journals which can only be ordered and accessed domestically, according to Chinese media.

Reports said that Li started work at a coastal city in Guangdong in 2000.

In May 2011, a stranger posing as a woman contacted Li on the Chinese instant messaging platform QQ and asked to be his friend. People’s Daily said the stranger acted “warmly” towards Li and showed a keen interest in his work and life, eventually becom-

ing his confidante.

A month later, the stranger revealed to Li that he was actually a man, and called himself Feige (Flying Brother). Feige supplied Li unspecified amounts of cash so that the latter could procure military journals through the national library.

Li also followed Feige’s instructions to conduct long-term surveillance on key military installations, according to People’s Daily.

Li is said to be not the only one recruited by Feige. (Excerpt

A woman holds a sign during a protest demanding the release of abducted secondary school girls from the remote village of Chibok, in Lagos May 5

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he leader of Boko Haram on Monday threatened to sell more than 200 schoolgirls his Islamist militant group kidnapped in northeastern Nigeria last month.

Boko Haram militants stormed an all-girl secondary school in the village of Chibok, in Borno state, on April 14 and packed the teenagers, who had been taking exams, onto trucks and disappeared into a remote

area along the border with Cameroon.

The attack shocked Nigerians, who have been growing accustomed to hearing about atrocities in an increasingly bloody five-yearold Islamist insurgency in the north.

“I abducted your girls.

I will sell them in the market, by Allah,” Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau says in a video, chuckling as he stands in front of an ar-

L

own interests ahead of victims by shielding priests involved in the rape and abuse of tens of thousands children around the world.

The Vatican ratified the UN Convention against Torture in 2012 but argues it is responsible for enforcing it only within the boundaries of its geographic state, the tiny Vatican City in Rome, and that it does not apply to the actions of priests around the world.

S

urvivors of a deadly mudslide in Afghanistan’s north are struggling to cope three days after the disaster struck, with fighting breaking out as they scrambled for emergency aid in the country’s north.

Villagers scuffled with each other in a bid to get access to food, water and tents, after 15 army trucks arrived with supplies in the village of Aab Bareek in Badakhshan province.

Police fired warning shots in the air before the aid was sent to a dispensing cen-

tre at the provincial capital Faizabad, a two hour drive from the stricken village.

The displaced villagers complained of nearby towns taking supplies meant for them.

“People from other villages came here and received help but the actual needy people are ignored by the officials,” Rahmatullah, a villager who lost five family members, told the Reuters news agency.

“There is no proper plan to give aid to the needy,” he said. Hundreds of families

are struggling to get food and shelter in the remote part of the country, after Friday’s landslide killed hundreds of people.

Al Jazeera’s Abdullah Shahood, reporting from Badakhshan, said people were digging and looking for relatives themselves but a lack of machinery and equipment was hampering their search efforts. “They haven’t given up… but it is impossible with no technology and just [using] shovels [for] digging piles of mud to recover the dead bodies,” Shahood said.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

World facing polio health emergency

from BBC News)

But the children’s rights panel rejected this legal argument in February and criticised the church for secretiveness, its unresponsiveness to victims and its protection of offenders.

It recommended the Vatican immediately remove any priest who was guilty of or suspected of child abuse, turn cases over to the police and open its files on offenders and the bishops who covered up for them. (Excerpt from France24)

Reuters)

Afghan mudslide survivors fight over aid

Vatican to face new UN grilling over child sex abuse eaders of the Catholic Church face another public grilling over the global scandal of child sex abuse by priests. A UN committee meeting in Geneva on Monday and Tuesday is expected to examine the church’s performance in terms of torture.

This comes three months after another UN human rights panel, the Committee for the Rights of the Child, savaged the church for having put its

moured personnel carrier with two masked militants wielding AK-47s on either side of him.

“Allah has instructed me to sell them. They are his property and I will carry out his instructions,” he says.

Boko Haram, seen as the main security threat to Nigeria, Africa’s leading energy producer, is growing bolder and extending its reach.

The kidnapping occurred on the day a bomb blast, also blamed on Boko Haram, killed 75 people on the edge of Abuja, the first attack on the capital in two years.

The group’s name means “Western education is sinful” and Shekau in the video makes reference to the fact that the girls were undergoing Western education.

The militants, who say they are fighting to reinstate a medieval Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria, carried out a second bomb attack more than two weeks later in the same area, killing 19 people and wounding 34 in the suburb of Nyanya. (Excerpt from

The disease, which causes spinal and respiratory paralysis, can kill and remains incurable but vaccines have assisted in its almost total eradication today

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he World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the spread of polio is an international public health emergency.

Outbreaks in Asia, Africa and Middle East are an “extraordinary event” needing a coordinated “international response”, the agency says.

It recommends citizens of affected countries travelling abroad carry a vaccination

certificate.

It says Pakistan, Cameroon, and Syria “pose the greatest risk of further wild poliovirus exportations in 2014.” The WHO recorded 417 cases of polio worldwide for the whole of 2013. For 2014, it had already recorded 68 cases by 30 April – up from 24 in the same period last year.

Polio mainly affects chil-

dren under five years old. The virus is transmitted through contaminated food and water, and multiplies in the intestine. It can then invade the nervous system, causing paralysis in one in every 200 infections. It is capable of causing death within hours.

“The conditions for a public health emergency of international concern have been met,” said Bruce Aylward, WHO Assistant Director General. He was speaking after last week’s emergency meeting in Geneva on the spread of polio which included representatives of the affected countries.

“The international spread of polio to date in 2014 constitutes an ‘extraordinary event’ and a public health risk to other states for which a coordinated international response is essential,” the WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee said in statement. (Excerpt from BBC News)

16 news

tuesday, may 6, 2014 | guyanatimeSGY.com

From humble beginnings:

Sattaur Gafoor builds world-renowned business complex Continued from Monday

Starting over

Gafoor settled in Barbados and with the aid of his Japanese business counterparts, started a similar business there and soon spread his wings to other small islands such as Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica and St Lucia.

“The greatest change I had to make is when I went to Barbados, because I was leaving behind over 28 years of hard work and developing a business; but on the bright side, I was exposed to a different concept of business in Barbados.”

His business progressed, but his patriotism, coupled with urgings from the new President, Cheddi Jagan in 1992, brought Gafoor home, and he soon set up shop at Land of Canaan with a manufacturing complex.

“It brings great satisfaction to me to know that I can make a contribution to my country, more particu-

Gafsons Industries Limited Chief Executive Officer Sattaur Gafoor larly, to employment opportunities for Guyanese,” he declared.

By 2001, the company had established five outlets in Georgetown. These too were not without their challenges, which included traf-

fic congestion and security issues. It was these considerations that finally led to the decision to move to Houston and to create what is now regarded as the flag ship of the company.

The business grew steadily and in January 2002, all operations were centralised at the Huston Complex, which now boasts the administrative block and a modern shopping mall. The company has also established retail outlets at Parika and Rose Hall, and he says, “I am somewhat proud that at each of these locations we have air-conditioned shopping facilities, a wide range of products at reasonable prices and customer service.”

Gafsons Industries Limited is run by a Board of Directors, which includes no Gafoor family members, and has plans to start a middle-class housing complex of more than 200

Caribbean edges closer to adopting fisheries policy

homes across the Demerara River. The company has also just completed a $1.5 billion modern housing facility at Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, which is being rented to members of the diplomatic community.

Giving back

A strong believer in education as the key to improving ones status in life, Gafoor himself did not have the opportunity to further his studies, having been involved in the business. This is perhaps one of his greatest challenges, as he recalls the constraints of not being able to marshal ideas to bankers as he sought to develop his business in the early years.

It is for this reason that he remains a strong advocate for education, and has established a Toastmasters club for his employees, the first company in Guyana to

do so. It is compulsory that every senior employee attend for at least six months to help with speech delivery, self-confidence and planning their careers.

He is involved in numerous initiatives to give back to his community, including the Small Business Development Fund (SBDF), which facilitates small loans to entrepreneurs looking to start a business. The Guyana Government and the British and American embassies have also contributed to the fund.

“One obtains a satisfaction of degree and pride when you help someone who has an idea of gainful self-employment, but has failed to obtain the finance to commence the business, and this is where we play a role,” he said.

The company also has a fund from which senior employees with more than five years service can benefit. It

also contributes to a pension scheme through SBDF. The SBDF has gained international recognition, and the International Financial Corporation has agreed to contribute US$300,000 to enhance the programme.

As far as the company can, it also responds to a number of requests from churches, youth groups and various other social and cultural organisations for material support. Every day, the company provides 160 lunches – 100 for school children, 40 for senior women with no dependents and remainder for needy persons.

Responding to the question of when he will retire, Gafoor’s response was “until I die. They will bury me in this place, unless I become mentally incapacitated”. It is no wonder that his story continues to be one of success and inspiration to the Guyanese people.

Fifth victim of cocaine poisoning clinging to life …as Police search for main suspect

I The Belize-based Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) says the region is closer to adopting a fisheries policy

T

he Belize-based Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) says the region is closer to adopting a fisheries policy which it describes as a progressive agreement for the cooperative management of shared fisheries resources in the Caribbean.

It said advocacy, awareness-building strategy and effective use of in-country mechanisms to facilitate adoption of the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP) by the Caricom leaders were the main agreements emanating from a threeday meeting in Dominica last week.

“The policy is a progressive agreement for the cooperative management of shared fisheries resources in the region and many of the principles, goals and objectives of the CCCFP are already integrated into the activities of the CRFM whose mandate includes concentrating on efforts to develop related protocols to harmonise various systems critical to a regional approach to fisheries management systems,” the CRFM said in a statement.

CRFM Executive

Director Milton Haughton said the recent meeting was of particular historical significance to the region, noting that the first sub-regional Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) to facilitate cooperation in the conservation, management and sustainable use of the flying fish resources shared among countries in the Eastern Caribbean was endorsed by the forum.

“This action paves the way for a new era of fisheries management in the region,” he said, “one that engages stakeholders in the management decisionmaking process and utilises a holistic approach that considers human well-being, ecosystem and governance issues.”

Presentation

He said the FMP will be presented to the Ministerial Council for endorsement at its next meeting scheduled for May 23 and formalised through signature of an accompanying resolution by the Flying fish Ministerial Sub-Committee.

Other concerns discussed at the meeting include the impacts of climate change and illegal,

unreported and unregulated fishing as well as initiatives to improve fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance and to foster regional cooperation in the management the region’s flying fish, lobster and queen conch fisheries resources and related ecosystems.

The forum reviewed a draft declaration on the conservation, management and sustainable use of the Spiny Lobster, which is to be updated with recent scientific information and inputs from stakeholder consultations by member states through the CRFM Fisheries Working Group before submission to the Ministerial Council for approval.

A similar declaration for harmonisation of regional management strategies for the Queen Conch is to be prepared, based on the outputs of an EUfunded Project under the ACP Fish II Programme to improve and harmonise the scientific approaches required to inform sustainable management of the species in the region, the CRFM statement added. (CMC)

nvestigators are searching for the man who dropped off the cocainelaced SSS Tonic that killed four persons on Sunday.

This was confirmed by Crime Chief Leslie James, who disclosed that the two persons who were initially taken into custody on Sunday have been released and the Police are now looking for two other persons, including the man who dropped off the tonic, which was to be taken to the US. Relatives identified the man only as “Barney” and said that he is known to the family.

Natasha George

Simone “Ngina” Price, 36; her husband, Alex Blair, 42; her son Jahaquel Blair, seven; and her best friend, Natasha George, 36, all died shortly after consuming the tonic. Price’s elder son Jamal Waterman, 12, survived. He is at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he is said to be in critical condition.

Investigations revealed that the bottle of SSS Tonic,

Simone Price

along with cassareep and chicken foot, had been left at the house by a man known to the family for an overseas-based niece to transport on her return to the US. However, the woman did not take the items because she was heading to Pennsylvania, and they had to be dropped off at Queens, New York.

On Sunday after returning home from church, the Price family decided to take the specified dosage of the tonic. George, who was also there at the time, was encouraged to take some too.

Immediately after taking a teaspoon of the liquid, Jahaquel cried out for abdominal pain. A few minutes later, the pain worsened so his mother attempted to take him to the hospital, but she collapsed.

George then began to froth from the mouth and also fell to the ground.

During the commotion, Alex also collapsed. They were all picked up along

Alex Blair

Jahaquel Blair

with Waterman and rushed to the hospital where they were immediately attended to by doctors. Price and George succumbed shortly after, then Alex took a turn for the worst and died almost an hour later.

Jahaquel took his last breath around 16:50h on Sunday. The Police in a release on Sunday stated that the family ingested SSS Tonic in which a quantity of cocaine had been dissolved.

news

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tuesday, may 6, 2014 | guyanatimesGY.com

Nationalism should take front-seat to anti-govt sentiments – Teixeira

P

residential Adviser on Governance Gail Teixeira said the media in Guyana has a responsibility to be balanced, and when it comes to development, must make true decisions based on the nationalist point of view.

Speaking on a panel discussion in observance of World Press Freedom Day on the National Communications Network (NCN) recently, the Presidential Adviser noted that the media’s role is to be the fourth-estate, to observe, watch, write about,

inform, analyse, criticise on all aspects of development that are taking place in the country.

The other members of the panel were Adam Harris, Editor-in-Chief of Kaieteur News and Edward Layne, Senior Editor at NCN while the moderator was Dario McAlmon.

Teixeira said that the media must not be seen only as a critic of Government, but also a critic of civil society, and as such, must hold themselves to a higher standard of not being a proponent of

any particular view, since in essence, they are historians and their standards require much greater responsibility on their part on the issue of whether they cover a story and how well they cover it.

“Unfortunately a lot of what comes out now is – ‘are you for the Government or are you against the Government?’

– and who loses in the end is the people in terms of, they are not being given the full scope of the information that is available,” Teixeira noted.

Anti-development reporting

She pointed out that the Government also loses, and as well the country as the media anti-development reporting not only hurts the image of the press, but also the image of the country, as it hinders the country’s ability to attract investors.

She noted that oth-

Presidential Adviser on Governance Gail Teixeira

er media houses and owners recognise this in other countries, and as such, if one were to examine some of the newspapers in the region, one would realise that all the crime issues are way down in the newspapers because the media understands that their countries’ economy depend on tourism.

“These are decisions

that editors, that the owners of the media make... that kind of balance is not here and we have to find a balance,” Teixeira urged.

“We have come out of a period of lack of democracy where the press; Mirror and Catholic Standard in those days and then later Stabroek News, had to scrounge for paper....

We have come into a peri-

od where the press is open and basically unregulated,” she said while noting that there must be balance to ensure this freedom is not abused.

“That is not to say that you are asking them to sweep things under the carpet, but you are asking them that when you are raging headlines that you are hurting the country.

“You may have enough influence to change the Government eventually and that might be the intention, but the impact on the country and the impact on development cannot be replaced,” she noted.

She said that this is one of the issues that the media owners, not the journalists have to make, since while there can be professional ethics in terms of the journalists, it is the owners and editors that set the tone and policy for the media houses. World Press Freedom Day was observed on May 3.

ECLAC proposes blueprint for equality, sustainable development in region

L

atin America and the Caribbean must bet on social compacts that promote development with equality and environmental sustainability, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) says in the document “Compacts for Equality: Towards a Sustainable Future”, presented at its 35th session, which began on Monday in Lima, Peru.

Given the limitations the region faces in sustaining the economic and social improvements achieved in the last decade, ECLAC proposes reorienting development on the basis of equality and environmental sustainability. This must be manifested in compacts that ensure, among other objectives, a redistributive tax structure, an increase in productivity, improved public goods and services, better governance of natural resources, and the growth and diversification of investment.

The Commission is presenting the position paper, which contains its strategic proposal on development for the coming years, to representatives from its 44 member states and 12 associate members who are attending its 35 session – the event convened by the regional organisation every two years – which will be held until May 9.

The document warns that the region faces a crossroad that combines external restrictions, such as the stagnation of demand and the loss of international trade dynamism, with endogenous problems that limit future development.

Among the latter, high rates of labour informali-

ty, low levels of investment with little incorporation of technical progress, a deficit of public services, and pressure on the environment can be pointed out.

In light of this situation, ECLAC proposes several axes of transformation that must be reflected in social pacts within different spheres, with a medium and long-term vision. The proposed agreements include a fiscal compact to strike a better balance between public and private goods in providing for the general welfare, a pact to universalise social safety nets and improve public services, a compact for environmental sustainability, and a pact on the governance of natural resources.

ECLAC’s blueprint also contemplates a compact on investment, industrial policy and inclusive financing; a pact promoting equality in the world of work; and a covenant among members of the international community on development and cooperation beyond 2015.

This proposal completes the so-called “equality trilogy”, which includes the main documents from the last two sessions: “Time for Equality: Closing Gaps, Opening Trails, unveiled in 2010 in Brazil, and “Structural Change for Equality: An Integrated Approach to Development”, released in 2012 in El Salvador.

Hand-in-hand

The Commission contends that it is not necessary to give up equality to be more efficient, that institutions play a key role in the distribution of wealth, and distribution policies must go hand in hand with pro-

ductivity policies-meaning that a structural change is needed. As ECLAC has said before, equality is the goal, structural change is the path, and policy is the instrument.

Structural change demands that we look for synergies between productivity increases, social inclusion and the green economy on a local and global scale through knowledge-intensive and high demand activities, so that more and better jobs can be created.

The Commission stresses that in the last decade, the region has achieved a significant reduction in poverty, unemployment and income inequality; broader educational and social safety net coverage; a deepening of democracy; and the consolidation of economic stability.

In 2013, Latin America’s poverty rate was estimated at 27.9 per cent of the population, compared with 43.9 per cent in 2002.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate was 6.4 per cent in 2012 versus 11.2 per cent in 2002. In fact, employment has been the main factor in reducing poverty and it is, for ECLAC, the master key for achieving equality. The United Nations regional organisation warns that after a period of economic bonanza in 2010-2011, the region’s economies decelerated in 2012 and 2013, which seems to anticipate future scenarios of lower growth and less dynamism in the labour market, which in turn could affect the pace of poverty and inequality reduction.

According to new projections from ECLAC, Latin American and Caribbean countries will grow an average of 2.7 per cent in 2014

due to limited dynamism of the region’s principal economies. The 2014 regional growth rate would be slightly higher than 2013 (2.5 per cent), but lower than the rate forecast in December (3.2 per cent). In this context, ECLAC advocates for fiscal compacts that enshrine tax reforms to increase public resources, building stronger and more efficient public institutions and achieving a greater redistributive impact. These pacts must be the mechanism that makes the other social compacts viable.

Consumption

The Commission explains that in recent years, growth has been led by consumption and not by investment. In recent years, an increase in household income has resulted in a striking rise in consumption, which has in turn improved wellbeing in sectors traditionally deprived of access to some goods and services.

However, the consumption pattern is strongly pro-cyclical and volatile, with a bias towards private consumption based on income brackets.

Private consumption per capita in Latin America and the Caribbean grew at an annual rate of 2.4 per cent on average between 1990 and 2012, above the 1.7 per cent registered by countries grouped in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in the 1990-2010 period.

In the case of mining, fiscal revenue from that sector in Latin America and the Caribbean tripled as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) during the period of price increases

Latin America and the Caribbean must bet on social compacts that promote development with equality and environmental sustainability, ECLAC says

from 2004 to 2009 (1.98 per cent) when compared with 2000-2003 (0.6 per cent).

Between 2010 and 2012, mining sector revenue continued to grow and reached an average 2.65 per cent of regional GDP. To maximise their contribution to development, the Commission proposes a compact for the governance of natural resources to ensure the state’s progressive participation in the income derived from their exploitation and the creation of institutional mechanisms that allow for that revenue to be saved for future generations and for efficient public investment.

ECLAC also advocates for balancing out the expansion of consumption with greater investment. Up to now, it has shown low rates of growth and been concentrated in non-tradable sectors or in natural resources.

The regional organisation proposes a compact that could achieve, through industrial policy incentives, greater and more diversified investment with the aim of creating a productive structure that promotes technical progress, reduces productivity gaps, encourages broader social inclusion, and provides greater resilience in the face of external shocks.

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guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, MAY 6, 2014

thursDAY, march 11, 2010 | guyanatimesGY.com

archie

By Bernice Bede Osol

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) Your patience and tolerance will be lacking today. Before you blurt out something hurtful, consider being on the receiving end of your intended comment. It’s a good time to put your energy into self-improvement.

dilbert

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19) Meet-and-greet events will lead to new friendships and opportunities.

Don’t move too quickly.

Savour the moment and build on solid ground.

Strive for equality.

Calvin and Hobbes

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Focus on finishing what you start. Proof that you have what it takes to be successful will be directly linked to accomplishing what you promise. Put your best foot forward.

Peanuts

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

SUDOKU

Monday's solution

You can accomplish anything you set your mind to if you stay focused.

Embrace a challenge with strength and courage, and you will grab the attention of someone who can influence your future.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Your plans may not conform to what family members have in mind.

Keep to yourself and don’t waste energy trying to convince others of your ideas. Work on finetuning your concepts; the time to present them will come soon enough.

CANCER (June 21July 22) Your health may become troublesome today.

Be vigilant so that minor ailments don’t worsen. Financial dealings will prove profitable. Take care of personal paperwork and legal matters.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22) Avoid being overbearing today. Show your friends and colleagues that you have a sense of humour and can be a team player. People will find you more attractive if you’re congenial.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) Be aware of your surroundings and keep your defences up. Protect your valuables and be prudent with regard to handouts.

A jealous colleague will try to undermine you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23) It’s unfortunate, but you cannot always protect the ones you love. Offer them your support, be a sounding board and give positive suggestions, but don’t try to take over their lives.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22) Someone will get the wrong idea if you appear to be wasting time. Keep busy, do your job diligently, and resist the urge to put off things that should be completed today.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

SAGITTARIUS

Take advantage of any chance you get to draw an audience. You can make great progress by promoting what you have to offer. Speak your mind in order to gain support.

Travel and educational activities will bring you the highest return. Your adventurous mood will lead to new discoveries, connections and direction.

Embrace the future.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

tuesday, may 6, 2014

19

GCB Inter-County U-19 Tournament….

Sewkarran’s hundred hoists President’s XI – bowlers put Demerara in control

the President’s X1, 238-6 at the break.

Upon resumption, Vivian Albert (5) was dismissed quickly, before Mohamed’s flamboyant, 70 balls innings, inclusive of 10 fours and four sixes helped propel the President’s X1 total.

He shared a frenetic, 51run, eighth- wicket stand with Daniel Lewis, who made 11.

For Essequibo, off-spinner Akil Wallace was the best bowler on show with 5-96. Kemo Paul supported with 2-54, while Drakes, Akini Adams and Avenash Persaud finished with a wicket apiece.

Demerara in Control

Avishkar Sewkarran plays fluently through the off-side during his innings of 109

By Rajiv Bisnauth

A

vishkar Sewkarran scored a sparkling century as the President’s X1 dominated the opening day against Essequibo in the second round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Inter-County three-day tournament on Monday.

The middle-order displayed remarkable application after the President’s X1 lost two early wickets.

At stumps at the Demerara Cricket Club ground, Essequibo were nine without loss, replying to the President’s X1 first innings total of 332.

Ricardo Peters and Avenash Persaud will resume today on one and five respectively.

The right hander, Sewkarran slammed 109, while Ronaldo Mohamed made 75 and Ryan Shun, who was dropped four times made full use of the reprieves, hitting 70.

After winning the toss, opener Sunil Singh (7) and Nick Ramsaroop (10) were the wickets to fall early.

They were removed by medium pacers Travis Drakes and Kemo Paul in quick succession.

However, fellow opener Shun and Sewkarran ensured no more damage was

done, despite several good deliveries and some chances that went abegging until the interval.

The duo put on 150 runs for the third-wicket stand, with Sewkarran hitting eight boundaries and six sixes off the 147 balls he faced, while Shun played second fiddle, hitting six fours off 144 balls. Essequibo captain Kemo Paul was unable to devise a strategy to separate the well-set pair, until the stroke of the tea interval.

Travis Persaud (9) and Shivnarine Srikissoon (9) were the other batsmen to fall before the interval, with

Demerara ended the first day against Berbice in a strong position, reaching 70-2, after bowling out the visitors for 140 in 44.1 overs at the Georgetown Cricket Club ground.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul was unbeaten on 18, and with him is Rudolph Singh on one. The batsmen dismissed were Brian Sattaur and Ronaldo Renee for 24 runs apiece.

No play was possible for the entire first session, due to seepage on the pitch, but when play finally commenced at 12.20h after multiple inspections, the Demerara bowlers dominated the proceedings.

The Demerara medium pacers bowled with great discipline with Keon Morris, being the most destructive with 4-42. Daniel Basdeo (2-25), Sherfane Rutherford

Tagenarine Chanderpaul cuts during his unbeaten innings

(1-13) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul claimed (1-13), all bowled with great control.

No Berbice batsman reached 30 and no partnership realised more than 47, as the visitors adopted an ultra-cautious approach in tough conditions after winning the toss.

The day started with Shimron Hetmyer (24) and Balchand Baldeo (27) putting on 47 runs for the first wicket, but the visitors then lost six wickets for just 31 runs. Hetmyer, Baldeo, David Latchaya (4), Ashkay Homraj (2), Sharaz Ramcharran (14) and Hakeem Hinds (0) were the

batsmen who perished.

With Berbice in a huge spot of bother at 78-6, Viendra Gooniah and Arif Chan consolidated the innings with a partnership of 37 runs before Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who was introduced with his medium pace, claimed the wicket of Gooniah for 22, and at tea the Berbicians were 117-7.

The innings was quickly wrapped up upon resumption, with Chan contributing 18 and Parmanand Ramdhan 14 not out, being the other principal scorers.

Play will resume today at GCC at 09:30h, while the game at DCC will get under way at 10:00h.

Pacesetters win, advance to second-division final

– Nets rally past Colts

By Treiston Joseph

T

he Trinity Grid Holding (TGH) Pacesetters outran the Pepsi Sonics on their way to a 56-54 win on Sunday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

Despite the close score line, Pacesetters’ high- tem-

po style of basketball was effective against the Pepsi Sonics who are known for their half- court style of basketball that requires a slower tempo to the game.

The Pacesetters never allowed the Sonics to settle and find their rhythm by being active on defence, deflecting passes that resulted

in an open- court attack and fast buckets on the other end of the court.

While being able to push the pace of the game, the Pacesetters were also able to win the rebounding battle, gaining a number of garbage points at the rim which helped them to maintain a lead throughout the game

and right down to the end.

Calvin Harding played a big game in the post for Pacesetters, leading the team with a game- high 14 points, while Travis Williams had 10 points in the win.

Junior Lovell led the Sonics with 14 points of his own, while Jermaine Reid had 12 points in the close loss.

Meanwhile, the Republic Bank Nets were able to oust Bounty Colts from the tournament with a 57-590 win to advance to the final .

The Colts, who led throughout the game were unable to hold onto the lead in the final frame as the Nets mounted a comeback with easy shots in the paint.

Mortimer Williams was the high- point man with a game- high 21 points, while Michael Richards dropped 12 points.

Nicholas Cassius played well for the Colts, scoring a team- high 16 points and was the only player for the Colts to reach double figures.

20

guyanatimesGY.com

tuesday, may 6, 2014

Daredevils v Super Kings, IPL 2014

Super Kings flex batting muscle once again Smith, who had already passed 50; they had MS Dhoni waiting to come in.

In the end, they simply had too much batting firepower, even if they did suffer a small hiccup.

Super Kings seemed to have it wrapped up after they took 17 off the 18th over, bowled by Mohammed Shami. Bowling with both third man and fine leg in the circle, he sent down three poor deliveries: a short, wide ball that Smith was only too happy to slash behind square for four, followed by two long-hops that Smith pulled for six and four.

But it only took one wicket - Smith holing out in the penultimate over after a powerful 79 off 51 - for pan-

ic to set in, albeit momentarily, and show Daredevils what may have been had they possessed a more penetrative bowling attack.

Despite conceding a boundary off the first ball, Wayne Parnell only gave up five from that over.

It left Super Kings needing 11 off the final over.

Unadkat had the ball for Daredevils; Super Kings had Raina and Dhoni. It was an unequal contest in terms of Twenty20 pedigree and experience, and all it took was one ball in Dhoni’s slot - the second of the over - for it to disappear over the long-on boundary and the equation to come down to four from four. There could only be one result from there. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Dwayne Smith belts the ball down the ground (BCCI)

T

here had been a light, on-off drizzle right through the match, and it grew in intensity over the course of the Chennai Super Kings chase. Fifth ball of the 15th over, Suresh Raina aimed a big drive at a full, off-stump ball from Jaydev Unadkat and edged it past the wicketkeeper for four. Raina pumped his fist.

Super Kings were 127 for 1. They still needed 52 from 31 balls, but they had edged ahead of the DuckworthLewis par score. It would seesaw this way and that

over the next few overs as the rain fell and the insects swarmed in the haloes around the floodlight towers. Super Kings were ahead after taking 14 off Wayne Parnell in the 16th over; Delhi Daredevils were back on top after a frugal 17th, bowled by Jaydev Unadkat.

Throughout that time, Super Kings were in control. They had only lost one wicket, and it soon became apparent the umpires would not take the players off the field. They had Raina at the crease; they had Dwayne

Delhi T20 innings (20 overs maximum) Q de Kock run out (Raina/ Jadeja/Sharma) 24 M Vijay c du Plessis b Jadeja 35 KP Pietersen* b Sharma 0 KD Karthik† c Sharma b Hilfenhaus 51 LR Shukla c Pandey b Ashwin 0 JP Duminy not out 28 KM Jadhav not out 29 Extras: (lb 6, w 5) 11 Total: (5 wickets; 20 overs) 178 Did not bat: WD Parnell, S Nadeem, Mohammed Shami, JD Unadkat Fall of wickets: 1-36 (de Kock, 4.1 ov), 2-37 (Pietersen, 4.3 ov), 3-108 (Karthik, 12.6 ov), 4-119 (Shukla, 13.6 ov), 5-120 (Vijay, 14.2 ov) Bowling: BW Hilfenhaus 4-0-34-1, IC Pandey 3-1-26-

0, MM Sharma 4-0-51-1, RA Jadeja 4-0-23-1, R Ashwin 4-0-29-1, DR Smith 1-0-9-0 Chennai T20 innings (target: 179 runs from 20 overs) DR Smith c Vijay b Parnell 79 BB McCullum c Vijay b Shukla 32 SK Raina not out 47 MS Dhoni*† not out 12 Extras: (b 4, lb 5, w 2) 11 Total: (2 wickets; 19.4 overs) 181 Did not bat: F du Plessis, M Manhas, RA Jadeja, R Ashwin, BW Hilfenhaus, IC Pandey, MM Sharma Fall of wickets: 1-82 (McCullum, 11.2 ov), 2-168 (Smith, 18.4 ov) Bowling: Mohammed Shami 4-0-42-0, WD Parnell 4-025-1, JD Unadkat 3.4-047-0, S Nadeem 4-0-270, LR Shukla 4-0-31-1

Serena coasts past Swiss qualifier in Madrid

T

op seed and defending champion Serena Williams cruised past teenage qualifier Belinda Bencic into the Madrid Open second round on Sunday as the world number one began her quest for a 60th career title.

American Williams, chasing a third consecutive triumph at the premier clay event in the Spanish capital, dispatched the 17-year-old Swiss, ranked 98th, 6-2 6-1 to set up a meeting with unseeded Chinese Peng Shuai.

Bencic, the youngest player in the top 100, broke the Williams serve once in the opening set but crumbled thereafter and lost her own five times.

Williams was looking fresh after a month off following her second-round defeat in Charleston and sealed victory with her 11th ace of the match for her 13th consecutive win in the Spanish capital.

“I was playing such a young player and she had nothing to lose and she has such a bright

Serena Williams

future so it wasn’t very easy going out there,” Williams said in an interview made available by the WTA. “But it feels good to get a win under my belt on clay,” added the 32-year-old, a 17-time grand

slam singles champion.

“I think I played well, I went for a lot of winners and they actually went in so I was like wow.

“I love the crowd here, I love the Spanish. They just have so much life.”

Williams was joined in the second round by Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova, who had a tough test against unseeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea before coming through 6-1 5-7 7-6.

Seventh-seeded German Angelique Kerber was trailing French qualifier Caroline Garcia 6-3 2-0 when she had to retire because of a back injury.

“I’ve been feeling my back for a few days now and felt it again in the first set and it was getting worse as the match went on,” Kerber said.

Maria Sharapova of Russia, the eighth seed, and 11thseeded Serb Ana Ivanovic also went through, seeing off Czech Klara Koukalova and American Madison Keys respectively.

(Reuters)

Djokovic withdraws from Madrid Open with arm injury

Novak Djokovic

N

ovak Djokovic has not managed to shake off an arm injury and has been forced to pull out of this week’s Madrid Open Masters event, the Serbian world number two said on Sunday.

Djokovic, who was hampered by the injury, thought to be his right wrist, at last month’s Monte Carlo Masters where he lost to Roger Federer in the semifinals, said he hoped to be back for the Rome Masters starting next Sunday.

“I am very sorry for the Madrid tournament and all the Spanish fans to have to pull out,” Djokovic said on the ATP website (www.atpworldtour.com).

“I did everything possible in order to play in Madrid, which is one of the biggest events of the year, but unfortunately my right arm injury has flared up again,” he

added.

“Now I will take some time to recover and heal my injury, hoping I will be ready for Rome. I look forward to returning to Madrid next year.”

Djokovic would have had a chance of toppling Rafa Nadal from the number one spot at the clay event in the Spanish capital.

If Spaniard Nadal, who won in Madrid last year, had failed to reach the quarter-finals and Djokovic had triumphed in the final the Serb would have overtaken him at the top of the rankings for the first time since October.

Nadal has been well below his scintillating best on his favored clay in recent weeks, losing in the quarterfinals at Monte Carlo and Barcelona to compatriots David Ferrer and Nicolas Almagro respectively.(Reuters)

LA mayor foresees lengthy legal battle with Clippers owner

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os Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Sunday he expects Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling to put up a “long, protracted fight” to retain ownership of the team after being banned for life from the National Basketball Association because of racial comments.

Garcetti, appearing on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” program, was asked about a potential boycott of Clippers games if Sterling balks and said, “I would certainly keep that arrow in my quiver.”

Last week NBA Commissioner Adam Silver fined Sterling $2.5 million and imposed a lifetime ban after the revelation of taped conversations in which he told his friend, V. Stiviano, that he did not

want her to bring black people to Clippers games or pose for pictures with them.

The NBA Board of Governors is expected to meet within the next two weeks to vote on forcing a sale of the team.

Sterling, who built a fortune estimated at $1.9 billion through Los Angeles-area real estate holdings, bought the Clippers for $12 million in 1981 and the franchise now is valued at $430 million by Forbes magazine.

Garcetti said he had spoken with Sterling, urging him to apologize for his comments, but that he expects an ugly legal battle.

“I think that he thinks that he’s going to be the owner for a long time, that he wants to stay the owner,” Garcetti said. “And I said, ‘This will be a long, protracted

fight and a painful thing for our city ...’”

Garcetti said Sterling’s continued ownership could be “very tough” for the Clippers players, who advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs Saturday, since further success would profit Sterling.

Kevin Johnson, a star guard for the Phoenix Suns in the 1980s and 1990s and now mayor of Sacramento, California, served as an emissary for the NBA players union after Sterling’s conversations were revealed.

He said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he would like to see a unanimous or near-unanimous result when owners vote on making Sterling to sell the team.

A three-fourths vote by the board of governors would be required to force the sale. (Reuters)

SPORTS

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Royals v Knight Riders, IPL 2014

tuesday, may 6, 2014

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Pravin Tambe exults after dismissing Ryan ten Doeschate for his hat-trick (BCCI)

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autam Gambhir had hoped Kolkata Knight Riders had learned from conceding winning positions in multiple matches this season, but losing six wickets for two runs after 70% of the target of 171 had been mowed down by a century stand between himself and Robin Uthappa indicated there was still a lot of work left to do. Rajasthan Royals were the beneficiaries this time as they recorded their fourth victory in five IPL matches in Ahmedabad.

An equation of 50 from the final six overs is not cause for alarm and Knight Riders had all 10 wickets in hand, but the events that unfolded at Motera were almost unfathomable. Shane Watson pried out Gambhir to tip the dominoes. An inexplicable promotion for Andre Russell did not last long and before the over ended three wickets were down. Pravin Tambe claimed a hat-trick off the first three balls of the next over to complete the worst collapse for the first six wickets in T20 history.

Before those nightmar-

ish few minutes, Uthappa had cemented the team’s belief in him by melding stability and enterprise together. His fluency allowed Gambhir to work himself

into form. Both batsmen embraced percentage cricket, concentrating on keeping a straight face coming down on the ball. Uthappa used his feet to bolster his hits through and over midon while Gambhir peppered the cover boundary. It wasn’t the most eye-catching innings but it was what Knight Riders needed from their captain and victory seemed more probable than the eventual outcome.

Suryakumar Yadav and Shakib Al Hasan were suddenly faced with a required rate over 11 in the final four overs. They swung and swiped and even enjoyed a couple of free hits but they could not muster the necessary pace. Having drained the wind from Knight Riders’ sails, Watson returned to bowl an intelligent final over to finish things off. This is the second time in a week that Royals have stolen a match from under Knight Riders’ noses. Gambhir’s men couldn’t overhaul an equation of 16 off 12 and lost after the match was pushed into a Super Over. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD Rajasthan T20 innings (20 overs maximum) AM Rahane run out (Narine) 30 KK Nair st †Uthappa b Shakib Al Hasan 44 SV Samson† c Pandey b Narine 37 SR Watson* c SA Yadav b Narine 31 STR Binny c ten Doeschate b Vinay Kumar 11 SPD Smith c SA Yadav b Vinay Kumar 3 JP Faulkner not out 1 R Bhatia not out 6 Extras (lb 3, w 3, nb 1) 7 Total (6 wickets; 20 overs) 170 Did not bat: TG Southee, PV Tambe, R Tewatia Fall of wickets 1-52 (Rahane, 6.3 ov), 2-105 (Nair, 13.3 ov), 3-136 (Samson, 16.2 ov), 4-153 (Watson, 18.3 ov), 5-163 (Smith, 19.3 ov), 6-163 (Binny, 19.4 ov) Bowling: R Vinay Kumar 4-042-2, UT Yadav 3-0-31-0, Shakib Al Hasan 4-0-25-1, SP Narine 4-0-28-2, AD Russell 3-0-270, RN ten Doeschate 2-0-14-0

Kolkata T20 innings (target: 171 runs from 20 overs) RV Uthappa† c Bhatia b Watson 65 G Gambhir* c †Samson b Watson 54 AD Russell b Watson 1 MK Pandey st †Samson b Tambe 0 Shakib Al Hasan not out 21 YK Pathan c & b Tambe 0 RN ten Doeschate lbw b Tambe 0 SA Yadav not out 9 Extras: (lb 5, w 3, nb 2) 10 Total: (6 wickets; 20 overs) 160 Did not bat: R Vinay Kumar, SP Narine, UT Yadav Fall of wickets: 1-121 (Gambhir, 14.1 ov), 2-122 (Uthappa, 14.3 ov), 3-122 (Russell, 14.5 ov), 4-123 (Pandey, 14.6 ov), 5-123 (Pathan, 15.1 ov), 6-123 (ten Doeschate, 15.2 ov) Bowling: SR Watson 4-0-213, TG Southee 3-0-33-0, PV Tambe 4-0-26-3, JP Faulkner 4-0-27-0, R Bhatia 3-0-300, R Tewatia 2-0-18-0

League to appoint CEO to supervise Clippers

T

he National Basketball Association said it will appoint a chief executive officer to supervise the daily running of the Los Angeles Clippers while plans are drawn up to sell the franchise.

The NBA has already said it wanted Clippers owner Donald Sterling to sell the team after he was banned for life from the league and fined $2.5 million for racist remarks.

The NBA said the decision to appoint a CEO had

been made with the approval of the Clippers but the league did not say who would be given the job or when the appointment would be made.

“The best way to ensure the stability of the team during this difficult situation is to move quickly and install a CEO to oversee the Clippers organization. The process of identifying that individual is underway,” Mike Bass, the NBA’s Executive Vice President, Communications, said in a statement on

Saturday.

Sterling was banned from any further ties with his team or professional basketball and stripped of his seat on the NBA governing board days after two websites released audio recordings in which a voice said to be Sterling’s is heard criticizing a female friend for “associating with black people”.

The scandal has angered fans and players, with numerous commercial sponsors pulling their support for the team.(Reuters)

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guyanatimesGY.com

tuesday, may 6, 2014

Gibson hopes for Singh hits double ton for batting turnaround Speedboat for Kiwi series GSCL INC/NSC Independence Cup

– three finalists known

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est Indies coach Ottis Gibson says several performances in the Regional first-class season have offered hope the regional side can make amends for last year’s poor showing in New Zealand, when the Black Caps arrive in the Caribbean later this month.

The Windies were completely outplayed in the three Test series late last year to lose 2-0. They were also facing certain defeat in the opening Test before rain intervened, to force a draw.

Gibson said it was important the Windies turned the page on that series and showed what they were capable of as a batting unit.

“It’s good to see a lot of hundreds coming from a lot of places because that’s indicative of good batsmanship in the region and that’s what’s required at the next level,” Gibson told the Sunday Sun newspaper.

“We haven’t performed well as a batting group recently in Test cricket and we need to look at that.

Plus, when last we went to New Zealand we let ourselves down a bit especially in that aspect so I think on our home patch now it’s important that we show that what happened there

Gibson…we haven’t performed well as a batting group recently in Test cricket

is not the way we want to play cricket.

“But I’ve had several meetings with (Director of Cricket) Richard Pybus and he has a clear idea where he wants to take the cricket.”

New Zealand arrive in the Caribbean at month end and will play three Tests and two Twenty20 Internationals, in a tour running from May 29 to July 6. West Indies are expected to embark on a training camp here within a fortnight.

Gibson said judging from the returns from the first class tournament, West Indies had plenty options to choose from in

forming their bowling attack.

“Spin dominated the bowling again in regional cricket so it was good to see Jerome Taylor back on the park as his coming back into cricket is a big plus for us with Kemar Roach out with an injury,” Gibson pointed out.

“Hopefully Kemar will be okay as well and then that gives us a really strong fast bowling line-up to choose from. Then we still have Shane [Shillingford], Sunil Narine and now Sulieman Benn is bowling very well again this season so it looks like we can choose a really quality bowling attack.” (Jamaica Observer)

Over 100 countries sign petition against internet costs at Commonwealth Games

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ports Journalists from more than 100 countries have signed a petition protesting against the Internet fee imposed by the organisers of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

About 150 signatures were collected from journalists from 103 countries attending the just concluded 77th Association Internationale De La Presse Sportive (AIPS) congress in Baku, Azerbaijan, who supported calls by AIPS to the organisers to reconsider the decision to charge internet fees for journalists covering the event from July 23 to August 3.

The organisers have insisted on charging £95 for wireless media Internet service fee for journalists and an inflated £265 for photographers, which must be paid in advance.

Already, accredited journalists have received invoices seeking payment for the Internet services at the games.

The petition is a follow-up to letters sent to the Chief Executive Officer David Grevemberg and a meeting between AIPS President Gianni Merlo and Scottish Sports Minister Shona Robinson over the issue.

According to the petition dated April 29, 2014,

the journalists, all members of the AIPS, some of whom have been accredited for the games ‘register the strongest protest to the Glasgow 2014 commonwealth Games Organising Committee for the shortsighted policy for not providing free internet access for accredited media covering the games.’

AIPS made it clear to the organisers that it was unacceptable to have the Internet rate cards at the games for a fee, a service that was provided for free at the Sochi Olympics and will also be offered at no cost at the World cup in Brazil. (Trackalerts.com)

peedboat XI’s Greg Singh blasted a double century for his team, who defeated Karibee Boys by 185 runs in their final preliminary round matchup of this year’s Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc/National Sports Commission inaugural Independence Cup matchup at the Carifesta Sports Complex ground yesterday.

Competing in the Male Open category, Singh struck 28 sixes and seven fours in his 205, which along with Wazir Husain’s 34 (5x6s) and 25 by Ganesh Narine that included three sixes and one four, piloted Speedboat XI to 363 all out off their 20 overs.

I. Hussain, S Rangasammy, L Veerasammy and K. Khamlall took two wickets each for 48, 57, 62 and 75 runs respectively for Karibee Boys, who in reply were bowled out for 178 off 15.1 overs, with J. Mohammed hitting 10 sixes and two fours in 80.

M. Sooklall offered support with 23 (2x6s, 1x4), as S. Hussain took 4 for 13 and P. Alleyne and A. Seepersaud 2 for 43 each for Speedboat XI. At the Everest Cricket Club ground, Regal XI defeated Farm XI by 15 runs in an exciting and enthralling encounter, which saw Lennox Marks and Sheldon Perch adding 135 for the seventh wicket for a struggling Farm XI, to offer them a glimmer of hope.

Earlier in the contest, Narvin Singh 52 (5x4s, 3x6s), Richard Latiff 40 (6x6s), Safraz Esau 39 (6x6s) and Kwesi Joseph 31 not out (3x6s, 1x4), steered Regal XI to what they thought was an unassailable 242 for 6 from their 20 overs.

Imran Hussain took 2 for 22 for Farm XI who in reply were shakily placed on 85 for 6, of which Anand Rooplall 33 (4x6s, 2x4s) was one of the batsmen back in the pavilion, before Marks and Perch came together and revived their innings.

They hit sixes at will against the Regal XI bowlers, who seemed lost to find a solution until Marks, who struck 12 sixes in his 76, was caught on the deep midwicket boundary, with 23 more to win from three overs.

It came down to Farm XI needing 16 from the final over, after Perch 52 (6x6s, 1x4) was sent back in the penultimate over, and they failed to get it, losing their final wicket off the second delivery to be bowled out for 227 off 19.2 overs, thanks to Mohammed Ayume’s 3 for 43.

At the St. Stanislaus

ground, Floodlights XI defeated Enterprise Legends by 218 runs in an Over-40 contest, even as Memorex inflicted an 80-run defeat on Wolf Warriors in their Open category contest at the same venue, while at the Everest Cricket Club ground, Frontline Rangers got past Parika Defenders by 65 runs in an Over-40 contest.

Batting first, Floodlights XI, on the back of Mohammed Samlall’s unbeaten 87 (9x4s, 4x6s), an undefeated 77 from J. Sumair that included seven sixes and six fours and 75 (10x6s, 3x4s) from G. DeFranca, posted 293 for 3 off their 20 overs, before they restricted their opponents to 46 for 9 off nine overs.

M. Seebarran struck two fours and a six in the topscore of 17, as R. Raghubir and Wayne Jones took three wickets each for 18 and 20 runs respectively, as Floodlights advanced to the semi-finals where they opposed Regal Masters.

Frontline Rangers batted first and posted 178 for 3 off their allotted 20 overs, thanks to Manoj Malone’s unbeaten 74 (6x4s, 2x6s), 41 from Mohammed Rafeek and 26 from Sheik Mohammed, before they bowled out Parika Defenders for 113 in 18.4 overs.

V Karran 34 and R. Ramsamugh 23 were the principal scorers for Parika Defenders, whose batsmen failed to negotiate the bowling of Ryan Singh (4 for 18) and Toney Singh who supported with 2 for 18.

At the St. Stanislaus ground, Memorex batted first and posted 167/8 before being bowled out off 16.3 overs by Wolf Warriors, thanks to Waheid Edwards’ 52 (4x6s, 4x4s) and Vishaul Phillips 26 (3x6s, 1x4).

Mohammed Karim and Azad Zaman took three wickets for 36 and 37 runs respectively, backed by Narine Bailey’s 2 for 19 for Wolf Warriors, who in reply were bowled out for 88 in 15.2 overs, with only Safraz Karim 28 (3x6s) and his brother Mohammed 16 reaching double figures.

Chetram Budhu, Chandrasekhar Arjune and Enaam Singh took two wickets each for the victors.

Semis

In the semi-finals of the Male Open category, Regal XI and Memorex defeated Speedboat and Trophy Stall respectively, to book a place in today’s final where they will do battle for the $500,000 first place prize and trophy, while in the Masters category, Regal Masters will oppose frontline Rangers for the $400,000 cash prize.

In the first semi-final which was contested at the St. Stanislaus ground between Trophy Stall and Memorex, the former won the toss and invited the latter who travelled all the way from the Ancient County of Berbice, to take first strike.

They responded by posting 221 for 7 from their 20 overs, led by Balram Samaroo 53 (4x6s, 3x4)s, an unbeaten 50 (7x6s, 1x4) from Roy Jafferally and 42 (4x6s, 2x4s from Vishal Phillips, as Fazal Rafiek took 3 for 47 and K. Bissoondial 2 for 39 for Trophy Stall, who in reply were limited to 218 for 9 from their 20 overs.

Rafiek returned with the bat to topscore with 38 (3x6s, 2x4s), R Ramnauth an unbeaten 32 (3x6s, 2x4) s and Bissoondial 21, but it was not enough as Memorex, who were led by Phillips’s 3 for 30 and J. Percival 2 for 20 completed the win by three runs.

In the second semi-final, Regal XI asked Speedboat to bat first and bowled them out for 174 from 19.4 overs, despite Anand Bharat 66 (6x6s, 3x4s) and Ganesh Narine 24.

Lakeram Roopnarine took 3 for 25, Esau 2 for 24 and Pritvi Motilall 2 for 42 for Regal XI, who in reply reached 175 for 4 from 14.5 overs, thanks to Narvin Singh 74 (6x4s, 5x6s), 27 (3x6s) from Patrick Rooplall and 48 (3x4s, 3x6s) from Chien Gittens.

In the Master’s Category, Regal Masters asked Floodlights to bat first and bowled them out for 183, even as DeFranca topscored with 92 (9x6ss, 6x4s) and 21 from Jones, with Clyde Butts leading Regal Masters’ bowling with his 3 for 22, while Troy Kippins and Mahendra Arjune picked up two wickets each.

In reply, Regal Masters reached 184 for 5 from 19.1 overs, led by Eric Thomas 41 (5x6s, 2x4s), 39 from Younis Yusuf, 35 from Arjune and an unbeaten 22 from Lance Adams, while in the other semifinal which was played simultaneously, Frontline Rangers posted 156, thanks to Malone 42 (5x4s) and 38 from Sheik Mohammed.

J Persaud and F. Mohammed took 3 wickets each for 22 and 29 runs respectively for Industry Super Kings, who were bowled out for 143 in reply, even though I. Mohammed topscored with 51 (4x6s, 4x4s), 36 from Kennard Luke and 34 from J. Persaud, as D. Mohabir and Ryan Singh took three wickets each for 20 and 31 runs respectively for Frontline Rangers.

tuesday, may 6, 2014

guyanatimesGY.com

23

wins Furniture World/ West Indies Fullbore shooting Millington First Impressions 60-miler c’ships fire off in Jamaica

Team Guyana vie for individual honours from today

Ray Millington receives his prize from Janet Ikell of furniture World, while other winners and co-sponsor Gail Victor,look on appreciatively

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Guyana’s debutant at the West Indies Fullbore C’ships in Jamaica, Sherwin Felicien, (sixth from left), proudly hoists the Golden Arrowhead at the opening of the championships at the Twickenham Park ranges, Spanish Town, Jamaica

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uyana’s debutant Sherwin Felicien, hoisted the Golden Arrowhead as the local shooters joined their regional counterparts at the 2014 West Indies Fullbore shooting championships which opened Monday at the Twickenham Park ranges in Spanish Town, Jamaica.

Seven countries Antigua/Barbuda, Barbados, Bermuda, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, hosts Jamaica and a visiting Canadian team are competing in the five-day tournament amidst drought-like conditions, humid and dry on the

Caribbean island.

Chief-of-staff of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), Brigadier Antony Anderson, welcomed the visiting teams before firing off the first shot to officially declare the championships open.

Brigadier Anderson was assisted by President of the West Indies Fullbore Shooting Council (WIFSC) Norris Gomez of Trinidad and Tobago and veteran Jamaican shooter Major (retired) John Nelson.

The actual competition will get cracking on Tuesday, but the shooters were involved in practice shooting

at 300 and 600 yards ranges on Monday, while a welcoming reception was held in the evening at the Jamaica Rifle Club.

The Guyana delegation arrived in the wee hours of Sunday morning and Team Captain Mahendra Persaud held a meeting with the squad which included United States-based shooters Sigmund Douglas and John Fraser.

The individual competition will take place from Tuesday to Thursday while the two team matches are carded for Friday and Saturday.

GSCL INC/NSC Independence Cup

lying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) riders turned the tables on their competitors from the Trojan Cycle Club (TCC), when the Furniture World/First Impressions 60-miler was held on Monday.

Ray Millington led the way with an outstanding sprint to the finish line to earn him victory over team- mate Kurt La Rose and Thuran Harris of Carlton Wheelers. The two FACC riders put their youth to good use as the veterans failed in the last 10 metres of the race.

Earlier, the three had made an early break and held on to the lead for the remainder of the race, finishing some five minutes before the rest.

The event rolled off from Furniture World at Main and King Streets in New Amsterdam and proceeded

to Number 43 Village on the Corentyne before returning to New Amsterdam to finish at Main and Alexander Streets.

After the early break and the trio out of sight with only about 15 miles completed, a bunch of four: Neil Reece, Audrel Ross, Syborne Fernandes and Elijah Brijjader broke away from the others, but their getaway was shorted-lived as Wasim Hassnu led the others back to them.

The sprint to the finish line for fourth saw FACC riders also dominating as Brijadder outsprinted the group to roll in fourth ahead of Hassnu, Ross, Jamal Jarvis and Fernandez in that order.

La Rose and Millington each took three sprint- point prizes while Harris grabbed two.

Maricia Dick continued

her winning streak when she finished ahead of the pack of females, who rode from Number 37 Village to the finish line, covering a distance of 25 miles.

In congratulating the winners, organizer of the event and coach of FACC, Randolph Roberts, explained that the event was used as a warm-up for the Berbice cyclists who are preparing for the annual Independence three stage cycle race set for 17th and 18th May. The winners received monetary awards which were handed out by co-sponsors Janette Ikel of the Furniture World and Gail Victor of the First Impression Hotel of Hampshire, Corentyne.

The race was open only to riders from Regions Five and Six. (Andrew Carmichael)

Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal Competition

Eagles edge Retrieve Unknowns to grab second title

– Scheme outlasts Amazings on penalty Regal Champs and Mike’s kicks for third place Wellwoman advance to semis E

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OTH Regal Champs and Mike’s Wellwoman booked their semi-final spots in this year’s Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. / National Sports Commission inaugural Independence Cup 10/10 competition yesterday.

Competing in their Group ‘B’ encounter at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation ground, Regal Champs first faced Mike’s Wellwoman in the first match-up of the day, as Blue Angels waited to face the losing side in their first match-up of the day.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Regal Champs posted 66 for 7 off their 10 overs, led by skipper Nalini Sumintra’s 20 and 14 Mathura Cambridge, in the face of Haseena Mohammed and S. Davenanda, who took

two wickets each for 10 runs and Alicia Bobb-Semple’s 2 for 11.

In reply, Mike’s Wellwoman reached 67 for 6 from 9.3 overs, led by Abena Parker 15, Joann Van Sertima 14 and 13 from Bobb-Semple, while Akaze Thompson took 3 for 7 in an effort to keep Regal Champs in the hunt for the win.

In their second game of the day against Blue Angels, Regal Champs who needed a win to keep their semi-final hopes alive, restricted their opponents to 62 for 5 from their 10 overs, with G. Stanford topscoring with 21 (3x4).

Cambridge took 2 for 11 for Regal Champs, who in reply reached 64 for 4, led by an unbeaten 22 from Sumintra and 18 (3x4) from Daniels, as S Sawh took 3 for 12 for Blue Angels, who

in their second game against Mike’s Wellwoman were restricted to 87 for 3 in their 10 overs.

L Gilkes struck six fours in her topscore of 45 and received support from J. Garraway who made 17, while Mike’s Wellwoman in reply reached 89 for 3 from 7.4 overs, as Parker struck two sixes and two fours in her 25, receiving support from S Chester and Zola Telford with 16 each.

In today’s semi-final, Regal Champs will take on Trophy Stall Angels who topped their group on the previous day, while Mike’s Wellwoman who topped Group ‘B’, will do battle with Karibee Strikers, who placed second to Trophy Stall Angels, with all matches being played at the Everest Cricket Club ground.

agles took full advantage of a moment of fortune and withstood a barrage of threatening raids from Retrieve Unknowns to cart off the top prize and one year bragging rights, when the final of the Linden segment of the Guinness ‘Greatest of de Streets’ Futsal competition ended on Saturday night at the Mackenzie Bus Park.

Played before a capacity crowd that was in the midst of the Linden Town Week celebrations and a large section of the community in a festive mood, Eagles Renna Chester’s fortuitous goal which occurred in the 7th minute of play was enough to hand them the first prize of $400,000 and a place in the national playoffs scheduled to be played sometime in June.

It came when a Retrieve Unknowns defender attempted to clear the ball from their goal area, but instead fired his shot on to Chester only to see the ball rebound and head into the goal.

It was a disappointing re-

sult in a game that produced fireworks from the first whistle, as both teams exhibited clever skills and offence- oriented tactics.

Both teams attacked with menace, but robust defending and the fear of a swift counter attack kept the contest on a knife’s edge.

When the half- time whistle sounded there was no change to the score-line as Eagles clung tenaciously to their 1-0 advantage.

In the second period, Retrieve Unknowns came out aggressively in search of the equalizer and enjoyed a few moments when it seemed as if was only a matter of time before they got it, but once again Eagles just as they had done in the inaugural tournament when they defeated the same opposition, refused to wilt under the constant pressure.

With time running out, Retrieve Unknowns pressed desperately for the goal to level the match and could have conceded more goals had it

not been for streaks of luck with the long ball landing most times agonizingly just outside the uprights with no defender in sight.

The final whistle eventually sounded to hand Eagles their second title since the concept was introduced to the mining town.

Retrieve Unknowns for their effort were rewarded with the $200,000 runner-up prize along with a spot in the national finals.

Earlier, Scheme beat Amazings 3-1 on penalty kicks after full time ended with the scores level at 1-1.

Meanwhile, Baptiste in a short comment said he was satisfied with the organisation of the tournament and fans could now look forward to the commencement of the East Coast Demerara edition, which is set to start shortly, before the national finals to determine which team will represent Guyana at the Caribbean tournament in Trinidad and Tobago in June.

tuesday, May 6, 2014

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