Guyana Times Daily

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Issue No. 1802

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Monday, June 17, 2013

Guyana receives

PRICE

See story on page 3

prestigious FAO award

Ramotar says co-ops can help save sugar industry See story on page 7

Apprentices of the GuySuCo Training Centre dancing on stage to the Indian song “Rang Hai Nasheela”, during the 65th Enmore Martyrs’ Day commemoration on Sunday (Carl Croker photo)

Plaisance fire leaves one dead – two houses burnt, four homeless

See story on page 2

GT&T aims for revolution in rural connectivity See story on page 17

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Police P8 constable accidentally shot in armoury APNU team discusses P9 Amaila Falls Project with IDB officials Bosai’s P9 expansion plans still on – Persaud ECLAC plugs investment in education, science, P10 technology and infrastructure Aranaputa toshao P12 concerned about rise in teenage pregnancy Voters to decide fate of GT&T jingle and song P13 contestants

2news

monday, june 17, 2013 | guyanatimeSGY.com

Plaisance fire leaves one dead

– two houses burnt, four homeless

By Bhisham Mohamed

A

woman was burnt to death in the wee hours of Sunday by a fire suspected to have started from a lit candle in her Plaisance, East Coast Demerara home.

The fire reportedly started at 03:00h. The charred remains of Suzanne Sylvia Mc Neil, 37, of Victoria Street, Plaisance, ECD were discovered by fire officials in her bedroom lying on the mattress by fire officials just about 05:00h in the morning. The fire also destroyed another house leaving at least four homeless, while it scorched another.

Smoke

Reports reaching this publication revealed that smoke was seen coming from Mc Neil’s bedroom and within minutes, flames engulfed the entire building.

The fire quickly spread to

a nearby house and despite desperate measures to contain the blaze to one location by public-spirited citizens who formed a bucket brigade, their efforts proved futile.

Guyana Times understands that Mc Neil would normally turn off her electricity supply and used candles since she was not employed, and could not afford a heavy electricity bill.

Mark Mc Neil, a brother of the dead woman, told media operatives that he received a call from a sister-in-law around 04:00h, informing him that his sister’s house was on fire.

The traumatised man explained that he lives on the East Bank and by the time he reached his sister’s home, it was already burnt to the ground. He said that from all reports gathered, neighbours were unaware that his sister was in her house when the fire started, claim-

The burnt-out houses, one of which Susan Mc Neil once occupied

ing that they did not hear screams or any commotion.

However, it may not have been possible for anyone to hear screams since there was a party in the neighbourhood.

Mc Neil said his sister

moved the area a few years ago and did not have any children. She liked her freedom and used to work, but stopped a while ago. The woman’s body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Home.

The other home that was

destroyed by the fire belonged to Avney Aldridge, who was at the time attending a wedding, but her two sons were left at home. The eldest son, a teenager, explained that he was looking at television about 03:00h when they heard sounds of glass cracking. He said out of curiosity, they peeked through the window and saw Mc Neil’s home on fire.

The teenager said that they panicked and ran to their grandmother’s home and called out to her and related what was happening.

Simone Aldridge, an aunt of the two boys, explained that she ran to the scene, but by the time she arrived, her sister’s house was already on fire.

Grocery shop

She disclosed that her sister operated a grocery shop and it was only a few days ago that she stocked up. The woman said the house was well furnished with at least five freezers, television sets, bicycles, stereo systems and other home appliances and furnishings.

Her sister, she said, was at a wedding and was immediately summoned home, but upon her arrival, she bore witness to a severely burnt concrete structure.

Aldridge further explained that Mc Neil might have met her demise while sleeping.

Attempts to solicit a com-

ment from the owner of the shop proved futile. The sister could not have estimated the losses but it could be in the millions of dollars.

Third house

The occupants of the third house which was damaged told Guyana Times that after seeing the fire, they started to remove household items in case the fire had gone to their home.

Although the house was badly damaged, they appeared grateful that it was not burnt to the ground like the other two. “The fire was behaving like crazy so we did not take chances,” one of the occupants stated.

He said he was awakened by screams of “Fire!

Fire!” and did not hesitate to run out of the house, but as he went, he picked up whatever was in his path. He said that the men in the neighbourhood formed a line with buckets and tried to put out the blaze, but it was too much.

He was not aware that Mc Neil was at home when the fire started, but upon learning that the woman met her demise, he expressed his sadness. Both the police and the fire service have launched a probe into the fire since it is not clear why the woman was unable to escape the burning building. (bhisham@guyanatimesgy.com)

Decomposed body found at Kitty

T

he decomposed body of a man was on Sunday morning found at Shell Road, Kitty, Georgetown, about 09:30h by passersby. The man was unidentified and is believed to be a vagrant.

According to information, the man of East Indian

descent believed to be in his 50s, was wrapped in some old clothing and his surroundings were filled with old pieces of materials. The badly decomposed body body was taken to the Lyken Funeral Home to await identification.

News

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monday, june 17, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

bridge openings

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Monday, June 17, from 10:30h to 12:00h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Monday, June 17, from 09:55h to 11:25h.

Weather

Countrywide: Thundery showers are expected during the day, with cloudy skies in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 26 and 27 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly at 4.91 to 4.02 metres per second.

High Tide: 10:47h and 23:20h reaching maximum heights of 2.34 metres and 2.37 metres.

Low Tide: 04:17h and 16:46h reaching minimum heights of 0.90 metre and 0.88 metre respectively.

saturday, June 15, 2013

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Guyana receives prestigious FAO award – Hinds praises women farmers in acceptance speech

T

he Food and A g r i c u l t u r e Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations on Sunday formally recognised Guyana and 37 other countries for reducing hunger by half well ahead of international targets for the year 2015.

FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva presented the award to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds during a highlevel ceremony attended by several heads of state. A total of 18 countries received diplomas for early achievement of targets under both Millennium Development Goal One (MDG1) — to halve the proportion of hungry people by 2015 — plus the more stringent World Food Summit (WFS) goal of halving the absolute number of hungry people by 2015. They are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Djibouti, Georgia, Ghana, Guyana, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Nicaragua, Peru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Twenty countries received diplomas for meeting the MDG1 target alone.

They are: Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chile, The Dominican Republic, Fiji, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Malawi, Maldives, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Togo, and Uruguay.

Recognition

Recognition in both cases was based on hunger reductions achieved between 1990-92 and 2010-2012. The WFS goal was set in 1996, when 180 nations met at FAO headquarters to discuss ways to end hunger.

The MDG1 target was established by the international community at the UN General Assembly in 2000.

In addition, eight countries were identified as being on track to meeting the MDG1 hunger target: The Bahamas, Chad, China, Ethiopia, Gabon, Rwanda, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.

“To each and every one of

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds receiving the FAO Achievement Award at the special awards ceremony

you, I want to say that you are living proof that when societies decide to put an end to hunger, and when there is political commitment from governments, we can transform that will into concrete action and results,” Graziano da Silva told the countries’ representatives.

“FAO is proud to work with all our member nations, developed and developing, to reach our common vision of a hunger-free and sustainable world,” he added.

Elimination of hunger

The director general pointed out that there were 928 days until the 2015 MDG deadline, but he urged countries to go beyond that and aim for the complete elimination of hunger. “We are the first generation that can end hunger, which has plagued humanity since the birth of civilisation. Let’s seize this opportunity,” he said. Graziano da Silva said strong regional commitments were supporting national anti-hunger efforts.

He also thanked the international donor community for helping to initiate and scale-up successful hungerfighting actions in numerous countries.

The FAO chief also pointed out that 15 developing countries already had hunger rates below five per cent dating back to at least 1990: Argentina, Barbados, Dominica, Brunei

Darussalam, Egypt, Iran, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Distinct honour

In accepting Guyana’s award, Prime Minister Hinds said it is a distinct honour for him on behalf of President Donald Ramotar to receive the special award in recognition of Guyana’s success in combating hunger and making outstanding progress in guaranteeing food security for citizens. “We are pleased that the FAO has recognised Guyana as one of the nations to have met the anti-hunger targets. I wish to pay special tribute to the secretary general, Mr José Graziano da Silva and his staff and I thank them all for their support.”

Hinds also expressed congratulations to those countries that have also made significant progress, and like Guyana, have been awarded. “As Guyana accepts this award, I wish to acknowledge that food security is not a single issue; it is an interdependent and interconnected set of issues involving agriculture, energy, the environment, government policy, and, for developing countries like Guyana, our overall growth and development.”

He told the FAO head that as proud as Guyana was as a nation to be so highly

honoured: “I believe that a special tribute must be paid to our women and women worldwide, on this occasion. Of course, the women who are among our farming communities will immediately come to mind. Praise for their production and marketing of farm produce is well known, greatly admired, and deserving of outstanding recognition. The women farmers of Guyana who produce vegetables, herbs and spices, root crops, whether on small plots, in kitchen gardens, or as workers on estates are well known to be hard-working and very skilled.

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monday, june 17, 2013

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

Debunking ‘wild’ claims

A

few weeks ago, Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai had cause to publicly rebut statements made jointly by the Guyana Organisation of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP) and the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). It was reported that the statements by the Amerindian groups were made during the session slated to examine the Consolidated Report on extractive industries and their impact on indigenous peoples.

Now why would representatives of these groups go to an international event and unjustifiably ‘bad mouth’ the government and the work that is being done in relation to improving the rights and ensuring the continued development of Guyana’s indigenous peoples? Guyana has indeed come a long way in terms of creating the necessary legislative framework to guarantee the protection of indigenous peoples’ rights.

While there is still much to be done, Amerindians are far better off now as compared to the pre-1992 era under the People’s National Congress (PNC) regime. Now they can boast of development that is people-centred, they can boast of improved infrastructure, new schools and more trained teachers, improved health care, economic projects that are transforming their villages, access to solar energy, and the list goes on.

The point we wish to make is that even though some may want to criticise the government for the policy direction it is taking as it relates to indigenous peoples’ issues, the country has travelled quite a distance and it would be helpful if stakeholders were to recognise and acknowledge this, especially when making presentations at international forums such as the one recently held at the UN headquarters.

At the high-level UN event, a number of blatant inaccuracies were aired in relation to outstanding Amerindian land claims and “the government’s rush to hand out lands for mining, forestry, and other interests without the free prior and informed consent of the Amerindians”. Concerns were also raised about the collective rights of indigenous peoples being violated and about the Amerindian Act not being adequate to protect Amerindians.

We have noted that Minister Sukhai has made it clear that government’s approach through the relevant sectoral ministries is to execute and apply a policy of balance and fairness, while ensuring and safeguarding the collective rights of Amerindians to land in the issuance of concessions to extractive industries.

For the sake of emphasis, it should be underlined that the Amerindian Act is harmonised with the Constitution and the rule of law is upheld. In keeping with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Minister Sukhai was reported as telling the UNPFII that “the Amerindian law provides the indigenous peoples with the authority to make decisions and grant approval as is stipulated by law with respect to mining. Amerindian village councils and the village members hold veto powers over small and medium-scale gold mining.

It should be noted also that mining conducted in any titled village should receive the explicit approval of the village council, and be subject to the legal process which involves negotiation with the applicant and full consultation with village members for approval. The negotiation process is steeped in the free prior and informed consent (FPIC) concept, as is stipulated in the Amerindian Act and presents no opportunity for a topdown approach by government.

Minister Sukhai also provided some clarity on the perception that profits from extractive industries have no trickle-down effects to indigenous communities. The Amerindian Act on payment of “Fees, Royalties and Tributes” has significant scope for the development of Amerindian villages. Amerindian village councils are the authorities which receive tribute payments from mining operations conducted in their titled lands.

That said, we are pleased that the minister, without any delay, was able to set the record straight by detailing government’s policies in respect to indigenous peoples and mining. While the government must continue to support the efforts to provide a space and opportunity for frank and effective discussions on all matters relating to national development, it must not and cannot allow blatant inaccuracies by a few to be peddled without rebutting them.

If this is not done, it sends distorting messages to the international community which could result in negative consequences as it relates to future engagement with international development partners.

Miss Connecticut Erin Brady is crowned the winner of the Miss USA 2013 pageant by Miss USA 2012, Nana Meriwether, Sunday, June 16, in Las Vegas (AP Photo/Jeff Bottari)

Recognising the NGSA top students Dear Editor, Special performances must be recognised. It is a basic fact of life. In sports, we have MVPs (Most Valuable Players). Do we ask about the rest? In ac-

ademics, we have scholarships for those who excel. Many companies, with their employees’ children faring well, will invest in the children.

I think that we have

much to celebrate. Schools these days have their speech days for various levels and special students are highlighted. I suggest the same for these children, who are about to en-

ter a different sphere in life. There should be some kind of special ceremony for them.

Yours truly, Deosarran Komal

Pillion riding is now a matter of grave concern Dear Editor, Wearing a helmet is mandated by so many countries, and not only for motorcyclists and pillion riders, but even for cyclists. The evidence is quite clear that the use of helmets could prevent deaths.

I think that pillion pas-

sengers are now becoming a safety issue on motorcycles.

Motorcycles are enjoying a very high proliferation in Guyana. I see many parents and adults carrying sometimes two children on their motorbikes, and both without helmets.

Motorcycle dealers, police

officers, and driving instructors must now make a concerted effort to enlighten the public about pillion riding.

It is not just a natural thing.

There are some safety factors to consider.

In some countries where the traffic is buzzing, many juvenile and inexperienced driv-

ers cannot get on the freeway.

They have to build up their experience and expertise.

I think that pillion riding must have some conditions – not everyone riding a bike can tow someone at the back.

Yours respectfully, Fabian Gonsalves

Taxi drivers must operate with more caution

Dear Editor, I never really trust figures, and this was endorsed as I read of the taxi driver who was beaten and left in a drain. The last crime report had a hint of optimism, but I felt pessimistic anyway, and now, that lingering fear has returned where overall safety is concerned. This particular incident is very disturbing and it raises a number of is-

sues.

The taxi driver, a 26-yearold man, was severely brutalised and his car was stolen by three men who were his passengers. Currently, this driver is hospitalised as a result of the vicious attack.

I have heard rumours that suggest that there is a ring operation. Cars are rented and reported as stolen or hijacked. If and when they are

found, they are at least semistripped.

The next issue is that of the vulnerability of taxi drivers. They must guard against being attacked, robbed, and getting their cars stolen.

Taxi drivers are dealing with strangers, taking people off the streets and from their homes, with no knowledge of them. All of these mean risks.

Some drivers of taxis overseas fit their car with a screen, to protect themselves from assault. Screens are made from materials that can withstand a knife attack or a hard body impact. This is a consideration for our taxi drivers right here.

Respectfully submitted, Zandra Thomas

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, june 17, 2013

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

Discourteous, errant, What is needed for improved and brazen drivers driving?

Dear Editor, The complaint from a woman is that she started to drive and just as she was about to cross over, the driver of a motor vehicle just cut into her lane, forcing her to pull aside. According to the woman, this driver went on to jump the traffic lights at a corner. Will this kind of behaviour ever stop?

Many taxi services do not assign specific drivers to particular vehicles. So this makes the situation even worse. This kind of problem is found elsewhere in the world and I know of one place that did something about it.

Elmwood Place in Ohio had to implement cameras at the stop lights. The devices have raised nearly US$2 million in a short period of time, even while angry drivers and shopkeepers keep complaining bitterly.

The initiative and initial investment came from private companies, but the traffic department in Ohio welcomed the ploy. Many other states in the U.S. are going this route.

Cities and towns in many parts of the developed world are now working with private companies, installing cameras, so as to catch drivers speeding or running red lights. They then split

the fine proceeds, generating big profits for the companies that are at the forefront of safety for all citizens.

Much needed revenue for municipalities is generated this way too. I think Guyana has to think like this now. The idea is not farfetched. The camera thing may be the way to go.

Yours faithfully, Quincy James

Dear Editor, I want to read more stories that tell me that bad drivers are coming up for hearing. Add to this is my desire to see them get severe penalties if and when found guilty. I notice that bail was granted for one minibus driver, who came up for causing death by his driving folly.

The recorded details are most annoying as they reflect some of the things that usually take place on our roadways.

On the day in question, the defendant was allegedly driving on the public road and then turned east into David Street, Georgetown.

At this point, the front of his minibus struck the man, knocking him unconscious.

The driver, much to his credit, rushed the victim to the hospital in an unconscious state.

The first thing here that

I see is speed and moreso at a turn. This driver was risking a spin-off for sure. Many of them have this bad habit of swerving into the streets, instead of taking a slow turn. Maybe, if this was a slow move into the street, the driver would have been able to stop in time, or the hit would not have been that severe.

So far, this erring driver is really cooperative and he seems quite remorseful. However, all of this will never reverse what he did.

I am sure he is learning a valuable lesson. He should pass this on too. His bail is $150,000.

This incident has a few implications and valuable lessons: time wasting – this driver is wasting so much time now when instead he could have been carrying on with his life, and being sorry is almost always too late.

A thought is racing

through my mind. This I picked up from many minibus operators. They are always talking about targets.

The scenario is that owners and drivers have set goals for the day – the owner has to get a fixed amount of money, and then the drivers seek to pay the conductors, and then rush to make as much as possible for themselves.

This kind of mindset spells accident. This is something that must be looked at. Many countries limit driving hours to a split shift system – drive for four and then rest and drive again.

This kind of system has value to it, and some innovative steps should be implemented.

The fact is that our minibus drivers are at it for too many non-stop hours.

Respectfully, Sherwin Simmonds

Guyana did itself proud in the Some serious issues regarding fight against global hunger the employment of pensioners Dear Editor, I am never surprised by Guyana’s success whenever the topic is food. If ever we are to be short on food, it has to be because of outright laziness or taking things for granted. One person did write about the quantity and types of fruits being wasted in Guyana.

I can attest to this absolute foolishness. We do waste a lot of our farming produce.

When it comes to fishes and other water food too, it is the same. I walked by a canal one afternoon after work, and I witnessed a catcher literally scooping the bottom of the habitat for a special species of small fish.

I mean not only was the species small, but the catch

was for the babies. He gets a good price, as the export market for this particular fish is very huge. This is wasting of another type and it is more dangerous, seeing as it suffocates procreation.

Guyana is set among some 38 countries that have met internationally established targets in the fight against hunger. This comes long before the deadline set for 2015.

So far, a lot of progress has been made, as hunger worldwide has declined over the past decade or so.

However, there is a whole lot more to be done, as some 870 million people are still undernourished, and millions of others are suffering from the consequences

of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The bottom line is that about one-tenth of the world’s people are in want of food.

Hunger across many nations has three basic elements at work: neglect of regular and appropriate agriculture, the ongoing global economic crisis, and the significant increase of food prices in the last several years.

In Guyana, we are kind of immune to these so far, but that does not mean that we must become complacent. We have to continue our agricultural drive and engage in a concerted effort to stop our wasteful ways.

Yours sincerely, Salome Narine

Dear Editor, I have some serious concerns about this Annandale pensioner who was found dead in a canal. The details from the press are somewhat disturbing. The man was deemed a watchman and he was attached to the Lusignan Community Centre ground.

How come a man of 74, and possibly prone to drinking, was in the employ of an entity? I see some illegalities here. Many Guyanese are of the opinion that the presence of anyone is enough to ward off any thief as such.

This is not really so.

In the past year or so, quite a few watchmen have been murdered – one in a

mandir. Employers who use these kinds of people should be charged for cruelty and insensitivity. I know that maybe these men need the extra income, but at what price?

Now my other concern is that the family members lodged a complaint at the Vigilance Police Station, but were told to check the area properly, since the 24hour period was not up. This kind of ruling does not make sense, even if it is enshrined.

It is like many schools here in Guyana. They have a policy to report absence only after five days. By then, a child may be killed. If a child is not in school, then before the day is over, the matter

should be attended to.

As for a missing person, a response should be as soon as something contrary to the expected takes place. People die in minutes and too much can happen in a 24-hour duration.

Lessons can be learned from this incident: watchmen and being old cannot go together; police must respond more quickly; and employers must not utilise cheap labour – these watchmen get a pittance.

I ask for the relevant authorities to intervene.

Yours sincerely, Resident of Lusignan Name withheld by request

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Foundation

Positive parenting

Avoiding harsh punishments

Parenting For Success

- ChildLinK’s vision is a Guyanese society where every child enjoys the right to a childhood in a safe and caring family, free from poverty, violence, and exploitation

P

arenting for success is about: Avoiding harsh punishments like beating altogether and shouting excessively. The aim of all parents is to instil in their children the correct behaviours to allow them to live and function in the home, school, and society. Instead of punishing a child, parents should seek to correct them and guide them in correcting their behaviours. Of course effective parenting doesn’t happen overnight. If you have always shouted and hit your child, it will take hard work to turn things around. It may even seem that the behaviour is getting worse for a while, but keep at it and eventually your child’s behaviour will get better and you will become less stressed.

Not all children are the same.

Embrace and celebrate their differences. Take some time to think about the three statements below, and see which one best fits your child/children. * Peaceful, easygoing, quickly to do what you tell them – hardly ever gets into battles with you. * Can sometimes cooperate and behave well, but have moments when they seemed determined to ignore your wishes. * Almost never does what you ask without a battle – seems set on having things their own way.

Remember all children test the limits and boundaries you set at some point in time. This is an inevitable part of growing up, learning, and becoming an independent person. Younger children will constantly test you. This is not being naughty and disobedient – it is the only way they can learn when you mean what you say, and what the limits to their behaviour are. Instilling

By Rebecca Eanes and Laura Ling

While criticism or fear of punishment may restrain us from doing wrong, it does not make us wish to do right. Disregarding this simple fact is the great error into which parents and educators fall when they rely on these negative means of correction. The only effective discipline is selfdiscipline, motivated by the inner desire to act meritoriously in order to do well in one’s own eyes, according to one’s own values, so that one may feel good about oneself may “have a good conscience”. – Bruno Bettelheim good behaviours takes a lot of patience and understanding and no parent can do it perfectly all the time. There will be days when you will be too busy or too tired, and feel that you can’t be reasonable or put in the efforts required.

All parents behave in ways they regret at some times; for example, shouting or even beating. If this happens, be quick to say you are sorry, kiss and make up, and try again. This teaches them a very valuable lesson in understanding that parents are human, make mistakes and can apologise.

Alternative methods of correcting a child’s inappropriate behaviour

Related consequences:

A related consequence (sometimes called a logical consequence) is when parents impose a consequence that is related to the behaviour they wish to discourage. For example: * If a child is mucking around and spills his drink, he must wipe it up. * If a bike is left in the way, it gets put away for the rest of the afternoon. * If children are fighting over a toy, the toy is put away for 10 minutes.

Losing a privilege:

With this type of consequence, the child loses access to a favourite object or activity because of unacceptable behaviour. The ‘privilege’ is not necessarily related to the difficult behaviour.

For example: * A child who is not cooperating with

the rules of the home might not be able to attend a party. * For a child who swears at her dad, you might want to take away TV time. * A child who is hitting his/ her sibling may be sent to a quiet place for 10 minutes.

Time-out

A time-out is another type of consequence. It involves having your child go to a place – a corner, chair or room – that is apart from interesting activities, and other people, for a short period of time. It can be used for particularly difficult behaviour, or occasions when you both are feeling very angry and you need to take a break from each other to calm down.

It pays to implement consequences calmly and in a neutral tone. Try not to make it personal – instead of talking about a ‘bad child’, talk about the rule and the child’s behaviour. Getting very angry or frustrated makes the child more likely to think about how mad you are (which can be rather entertaining, scary, or exciting) rather than about learning from the situation.

Remember hitting children is teaching them that violence is the way to solve a situation, not talking things through. Children who are often hit learn that it is okay to hit others when they are angry and frustrated and they may hit and bully other children. Role modelling is the most basic responsibility of parents. Remember as Stephen R Covey said: “Parents are handing life’s scripts to their children, scripts that in all likelihood will be acted out for the rest of the children’s lives,”.

Please contact us on telephone number 231-7174 or email us at programmes.childlink@networksgy.com for any support you may need on parenting and other challenges you are experiencing with your children.

“O

ur goal as a parent is to give life to our children’s learning – to instruct, to teach, to help them develop self-discipline – an ordering of the self from the inside, not imposition from the outside. Any technique that does not give life to a child’s learning and leave a child’s dignity intact cannot be called discipline – it is punishment, no matter what language it is clothed in.” – Barbara Coloroso.

When we first came across this philosophy of non-punitive parenting, we'll admit we were unsure about it. We had the same fears and thoughts many of you may be having. Don’t children need to be punished for misbehaviour? Isn’t that how they learn? Is non-punitive parenting permissive?

Won’t my children take over the house and become unruly tyrants who have no manners, no respect, and no boundaries? The answer, of course, to all of those questions is no!

Traditional behaviour management processes stem from the behaviourist movement based on the work of BF Skinner. His theory asserts that children will behave in certain ways if they receive rewards (positive reinforcement) and that undesirable behaviour can be diminished by withholding the rewards or invoking pain (both of which are termed ‘punishment’). I believe this theory may be suitable for training animals, but not so much for raising children. The major flaw here, of course, is that we cannot change or control the behaviour of any human being other than ourselves, at least not in the long-term.

Since BF Skinner, we have made strides in understanding child development and the importance of secure attachment between parent and child, which encourages healthy development. Secure attachment builds resilience, paves the way for how well your child will function as an adult in a relationship, and has a positive impact on brain development.

What we now know to be true is that punishment, in fact, actually increases misbehaviour in

children, fosters resentment and disconnection, and, very importantly, does not teach the child a better way to behave. How can children subjected to this model be expected to learn major concepts about relationships, feelings, choices, etc when receiving an unnatural consequence inflicted on them by an adult? Punishment simply misses the opportunity for a child to learn an important concept about themselves or others. On the contrary, children who feel empowered, respected, and connected will behave better and internalise values.

If you’ve been parenting using this traditional model and want to make the change to positive, non-punitive parenting, where do you begin? The first big step is a complete paradigm shift in the way you think about raising children. The second step is to understand that relationships, not punishments, influence behaviour.

While it is true that we cannot control the behaviour of another human being, we certainly can have an influence on it, but we can only have that influence through relationship. Building relationship is the heart of positive parenting.

How do you foster a connected relationship, especially if you’ve previously used punishment?

Build a foundation of trust

All good relationships take work. Take the time to build that foundation of trust, and you will reap the rewards with a connected parent-child relationship that lasts for a lifetime.

Respect is mutual

Show your child the same respect you want him to show you and others.

Example is the best teacher.

Prioritise time with your child

Dr Laura Markham says, “In relationships, without quantity, there’s no quality.

You can’t expect a good relationship with your daughter if you spend all your time at work and she spends all her time with her friends. So, as hard as it is with the pressures of job and daily life, if we want a better relationship with our kids, we have to free up the time to make that happen.”

Resist the urge to be punitive

It is hard not to fall back on old habits when your buttons get pushed. Take a deep breath and focus on the goal.

Don’t let little rifts build up

Every difficulty is an opportunity to get closer or create distance. (positiveparenting.org)

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monday, june 17, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

Corentyne High School grad to Ramotar says co-ops can launch book on reunion night At 65th Enmore Martyrs' anniversary commemoration

help save sugar industry

P

resident Donald Ramotar on Sunday said consideration may be given to employing co-ops as a means of turning around the fortunes of the sugar industry if the idea resonates well with stakeholders as he reiterated calls for the resuscitation of the ailing sector.

The president expressed the view at a ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of the Enmore Martyrs, who were killed on June 16, 1948, during a protest for better working conditions.

On Sunday, persons gathered at the site of the Enmore Martyrs’ 'Monument, to honour the sacrifices of Lall, Harry, Puran, Surajballi and Lalabaji, who were gunned down as they fought for better wages and living conditions on the estate.

The annual ceremony which featured several cultural items was attended by several ministers, members of the diplomatic corps, trade unionists, relatives of the slain men and scores of residents.

Delivering the feature address, President Ramotar said the sugar industry paved the way for the country’s development, pointing out that every other industry that exists in the country benefited from the sugar industry, whether by managerial skills, finances or other categories of work.

“Many of the top organisations have their beginnings in the sugar industry,” he said, underscoring that the industry still has a significant role to play in the development of Guyana.

The president said many of the challenges confronting the industry are beyond the control of the administration, pointing to the change of sugar prices and investments which have not been as successful as expected, notably the Skeldon Modernisation Project.

He noted too that culture of the industry, particularly between management and workers has not changed, emphasising the need for the bitter disagreements to be resolved both in an urgent and mutually beneficially manner. Ramotar said the government is ready to accept all “workable ideas” that will help in the positive transformation of the industry.

“If the workers and the union feels that if they know and understand the industry very, very good and they can produce better than the management, contemplating giving the lands to the co-ops and let them produce because sugar is produced in the fields, and I’m ready to work with any other suggestions that come forward so that this industry, this mighty industry, this great industry that have been responsible for all our presence here, that it should not

President Donald Ramotar places a wreath on the Enmore Martyrs’ Monument on Saturday

go down.”

The president contended that challenging times bring out the best in people, and said he looks forward to the cooperation of all to restore the prestige of the sugar industry.

Stop the blame game

“Stop making excuses, stop the blame game and let us together try to turn this industry around and allow it to continue the role that it has played, a major factor for development in our country. We have to restore the fields, the lands which have given cane for centuries must be nourished to be able to continue doing that, but the main thing is to see what we can do quickly to put this period behind us.”

Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) President Carvil Duncan said the five sugar workers were mercilessly killed while standing up for justice. “Those sugar workers were not rioting, they were not fighting, they were not resisting arrest, but in reality they were echoing a call for improving working conditions and an opportunity to have a union of their choice to represent them.”

He noted that the cane harvesters began striking against the “cut and load” system and was looking to the trade unions for help; however, the unions were “in bed” with the plantocracy. Duncan explained that Dr Cheddi Jagan had promised that he will fight until the workers were freed and that was the “beginning of a political struggle”.

The trade unionist stated that today, sugar workers across Guyana are afforded the freedom to a union of their choice. “Today, the workers in the sugar industry are better off than they were in 1948, they are enjoying decent salary; their working conditions have improved,” said Duncan Today, he said a workers’ college is built to educate sugar workers and there is a Sugar Welfare Fund, which provides housing for sugar workers. The trade un-

ionist urged Guyanese not to let the martyrdom go in vain, but continue to work towards improving the lots of the working class.

Memory not faded

Guyana Agricultural and General Workers' Union (GAWU) President Komal Chand said the courageous struggle of the five Enmore Martyrs constitutes an inspiring chapter in Guyana’s history. He noted, “A new generation of workers now working in the factory of the Enmore Estate, but the memory of the martyrs have not faded; their sacrifice continues to earn the respect of workers across the country.”

Chand recalled the brutality meted out to the sugar workers at the plantation, noting that the struggle began on the plantations along East Coast Demerara. He said on the fateful day, many workers were injured, apart from the five killed; pointing out that the incident has left a lasting impact on the lives of many persons, notably including D, Jagan, who fortified his commitment to end colonialism in Guyana.

“In these times, we and the country must look forward not backwards, those men struggled to improve our lives so let us all set our sights on a brighter future,” he said, “Sugar played a pivotal role in building our economy through the cruelty of slavery and indentureship and exploitation.”

He noted that after 47 years after gaining independence from colonialism, the sugar industry continues to serve the country in multifaceted ways and Guyanese must not allow the industry to fall. “I urge you once more to bring production to a level whereby despite unfavourable pricing, the industry will once again perform profitably and offer significant benefits,” Chand stated.

The trade unionist noted that the martyrs’ sacrifice should be a motivation and a guide, in that Guyana and the sugar industry can overcome adversity as long as the people remain “vigilant and militant”, in unity.

“D

ivide and Conquer”, a book by Barry L Sukhram, will be launched on June 29 when graduates of Corentyne High School – re-named J C Chandisingh Secondary School – meet at Leonard’s of Great Neck, Long Island in New York to celebrate the school’s 75th anniversary.

In April 1953, the first general election under universal adult suffrage was held in British Guiana and was won by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

In October of the same year, after 133 days in office, the PPP government, headed by Dr Cheddi Jagan, was removed from

office and the Constitution suspended by Britain’s Winston Churchill-led government.

Between the suspension and the next general election in 1957, the PPP split into two factions – the PPP, led by Dr Jagan, and the People’s National Congress (PNC), led by former PPP Education Minister Forbes Burnham.

“Divide and Conquer” will seek to explain these events and explore how they affected the local struggle for self-government from the colonial power, as well as whether the Cold War influenced the outcome.

Sukhram shows that while the Cold War was a

factor in the suspension of the Constitution, there were other factors at work, such as the opportunistic infighting within the PPP and the lack of a cohesive ideology.

He also reveals that had the Constitution not been suspended, there would not have been any ‘split’ as some had claimed.

Sukhram graduated from the Corentyne High School in the Class of 1958 and is married to Shirine Sankar, also a Corentyne High School graduate and former teacher. Both Barry and Shirine are from Rose Hall Village, as it was called back then, and now reside in England.

Guyana receives prestigious...

“But I wish to give attention to the great task performed mostly by women – our mothers and grandmothers, wives and sisters, aunts and various relatives who provide the management of our households to ensure that healthy and nutritious diets are provided to thousands of families, rural and urban, in our country.”

Continued investment in agriculture

The Guyanese prime minister said he was conscious that the job is not yet over. “Until we have eradicated poverty – utopian as this may sound – where every citizen has access to

enough healthy food, our job would not be completed. The government of Guyana will, therefore, continue to invest in agriculture, expanding safety nets and social assistance programmes and enhancing income-generating activities for the rural and urban poor to improve the food situation of the country and ultimately the standard of living for our people,” he stated.

At the international level, he said Guyana stands ready to support initiatives which would complement its strategy on the transformation of the country’s agriculture sector.

The ceremony was at-

From page 3

tended by numerous representatives of FAO member states including: President Boni Yayi of the Republic of Benin, President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, President Porfirio Lobo Sosa of Honduras, President Ricardo Martinelli of Panama, President Nicolás Maduro Moros of Venezuela, Prime Minister Ralph Gonzalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Prime Minister Gabriel Arcanjo Ferreira da Costa of the Republic of São Tomé and Principe. The ceremony took place during the week-long meeting of FAO’s highest governing body, the Conference.

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monday, june 17, 2013| guyanatimesGY.com

U.S.-based medical team to undertake massive outreach T

he Action Performance Committee (APC) and the Loma Linda University, South California, USA will today commence a massive medical outreach targeting more than 1000 persons from across Guyana.

The groups that hail from U.S. are also receiving tremendous support from the Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and the Davis Memorial Hospital. Head of the APCled medical mission, Janice Emanuel Bunn said the three-week venture will focus primarily on dental care for the first week before expanding its services to residents in Regions Two, Four, Six, and 10.

She explained that currently, the APC is backed by two dentists and eight dental students from the Loma Linda University.

With Parika being the first stop today, the joint team will move through the East Bank and the East Coast as it offers a wide range of dental care services.

However, on June 23, the team will be backed by a batch of primary care physicians and specialists in various fields, in addition to nurses and other health officers, totalling approximately 30 persons. The team will subsequently journey to Charity, Anna Regina, Ituni, and Kwakwani among other communities.

Services on offer

Bunn said the team will be offering clinical services in addition to addressing persons with special complications.

She anticipates that the team will attend to hundreds of diabetic, obese and hypertensive persons. That was the reality of the mission last year; a situation she said was appalling.

“People were walking around with cholesterol lev-

Eyew tness Supply chain worries...

The team of overseas-based Guyanese with lecturers and students of Loma Linda University Medical and Dental School, South California, USA

els 300 plus, that’s inexcusable, people were walking around with their blood sugar level significantly high, if it was the U.S. and those patients came in, they would have been taken to the emergency unit immediately,” the APC head explained.

The overseas-based Guyanese said people residing in Guyana should strive to maintain healthy lifestyles and familiarise themselves with their family history. She explained that many Guyanese have inherited health traits which can be risky if not detected early.

Better quality of life

“I would like to see Guyanese come to a realisation that their health is their greatest assets, and if they recognise that, they will take better care of their health, we have the good fruits and the vegetables, and all the good food here. If we eat well, we exercise well and we do the things that are required, we will enjoy a better quality of life.”

Asked why the team chose Guyana, Bunn said the mission is her way of giving back to the society that groomed her from birth before she departed for the U.S. “Why Guyana, because I am Guyanese and I feel very committed that when you are blessed, you need to bless others. I have been fortunate

to live in the United States for close to 40 years and was able to get a world-class education, so I felt that it was my duty to give back to my people.”

Lawrence Holloway, a general dentist at the Loma Linda University Medical and Dental School, said this is his first trip to Guyana and he is more than overwhelmed to offer his service to Guyanese. He said the university often executes missions across the world and when it was approached by the APC, it was privileged to assist. “We are all excited about this trip and every member of our team is looking to help as many people as we can and that’s our mission, to help,” he said.

Collaboration

The health ministries director of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists told Guyana Times that the ministry has been collaborating with the APC for the past four years.

The Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists throughout the three weeks will provide food, accommodation and help in organising the field work.

“As a church, we don’t only believe about preaching the Bible, but we also believe that man has other dimensions, physical, mental, medical, spiritual and social di-

mensions... so we are focusing on the health aspect by fulfilling the medical needs.” He said the team will be boosted with the support of Adventist doctors and nurses operating within the districts being visited.

This is the fourth year the APC is offering its services to Guyana, receiving for the first time the services of four nonGuyanese doctors. Last year, the team saw approximately 1000 persons in Guyana, but with dental care added to the portfolio, more persons will be screened and treated. Using their own finances, equipment and medical supplies, both the APC and the Loma Linda University have pledged their continuous support to Guyana.

The APC intends to expand its services to other countries within the Caribbean and South America such as St Vincent and Grenada following requests. According to the medical team, they have no boundaries.

Police constable accidentally shot in armoury

A

police constable attached to the Tactical Service Unit, Eve Leary, Georgetown was on Sunday morning accidentally shot to his lower abdomen by one of his colleagues in the armoury.

Constable Christopher Albert, 20, of Berbice, Corentyne was accidently shot by another rank as he was loading his .38 revolver. According to information reaching this newspaper, the two policemen had assumed duty about 07:00h and shortly after the incident occurred.

After the gunshot was heard, other ranks ran to the gunroom where they saw Albert lying on the ground with blood oozing from his lower abdomen. He was picked up and rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was listed as stable. Attempts to secure a comment from a senior police official proved futile. Guyana Times understands that the other police rank has been placed under close arrest.

T

...in hospitals

he visit of a parliamentary sub-committee to a couple of West Demerara Hospitals – one primary (Leonora Cottage) and the other secondary (West Demerara Regional at Best) elicited expressions of outrage from politicians from all the political parties – including the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). This is a healthy sign and we hope it’s the beginning of a new orientation where we can point to shortcomings in the delivery of public goods without getting our underwear in a knot about which “party is to blame”.

There’s no question the health sector is under the control of the Ministry of Health. But as with everything else in Guyana, there’s a “but”... and the “but” is about politics and race and whose toes the ministry has to be circumspect in stepping on. But we’re not going there today.

Today, we want to talk about all those expired drugs found in the “morgue”. That put a whole new slant on the word “expired”.

The terms “supply chain” and “supply chain management” have gained great traction in business circles since the 1990s to take care of that coordination problem in an increasingly interconnected world. Nowadays, components and parts of a single device – much less the needs of a medical system in a country – have to be readied from different countries and available on demand or else the whole system crashes. Refinement of supply chain management ensures that this doesn’t happen.

It’s obvious that what’s lacking at the hospitals over in West Demerara is a good administrative system with a solid handle on supply chain demands. When the affiliated company to this newspaper – the NEW GPC – was being flailed for the warehousing it was offering free to the government hospitals, we said openly that just building a government warehouse will not replace it.

We knew it needed systems to be put in place and them to be managed by competent professionals to ensure that we didn’t end up with the exact situation we’ve found ourselves in. There is the old cry of “water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink”. But that pales in comparison to having drugs expiring figuratively and literally in morgues.

An effective medical system isn’t just about having a certain number of doctors per capita. The administration and the supply chain needs are even more crucial. We hope that politics will not get into the reforming of the system as it has in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

...sugar

The news that we’ll be losing the remaining “preferential” market for our sugar to Europe in a couple of years has to be the final straw on that camel’s back.

With all our (justified) outcries when they slashed our original prices – which had been agreed to contractually – the prices still remained pretty high. Just about as high as those achieved in the recent bullish world market. So we’d better start thinking seriously about our options in sugar.

Here again we have severe supply chain management problems. Unlike say, diamonds or gold, which are dug from the ground and sold...the production of sugar is a very long drawn-out process extending over months and involves inputs from several countries. We’re talking supply chain demands. Take fertilisers. Have we been sourcing enough to deliver sugar cane of sufficient sucrose content?

We know that we’re not getting enough canes into the factories. Why? Because we’re not planting enough? Our yields have fallen even though we’re ratooning after only three crops. Why? Here again the problem is one of administration and supply chain management. We’d better get our act together. Or privatise.

...politics

How come Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) and erstwhile comrade of Dr Walter Rodney, isn’t making a presentation at the WPA’s symposium to mark the 33rd anniversary of the great patriot’s assassination? Supply chain problems with words?

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monday, june 17, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

APNU discusses Amaila Falls Project with IDB officials A t the invitation of Opposition Leader David Granger, the Inter-American Development Bank (IBD) Country Representative Sophie Makonnen, along with her Office Support Assistant Sheron Roberts, met with A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) representatives to discuss the current status of the IDB involvement in the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project.

Granger was accompanied by the shadow ministers for public infrastruc-

ture and communications, Joseph Harmon; local government and regional development, Ronald Bulkan; foreign affairs Deputy Speaker Deborah Backer; and finance and economic development, Carl Greenidge; as well as policy adviser Lance Carberry.

According to an APNU release, Granger explained the reason the meeting was requested and pointed out that the opposition needs to be kept informed of developments, particularly in view of the importance and likely

Bosai’s expansion plans still on – Persaud

B

osai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated (BMGGI) US$100 million expansion project is still on stream, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud.

According to the minister, recent discussions with BMGGI indicate that the company is still proceeding with its expansion project.

In March 2012, the bauxite company announced that it was in the process of securing an additional area for the mining of ore and the erection of a third kiln.

The additional area, Block 37, will allow the company to have access to more ore, hence, the investment in a third kiln − kiln 15. With the initiation of these two mega projects, the company will be moving to market two new products: multite and proppants, products that will rapidly increase the company’s revenues.

Speaking with Guyana Times during a recent interview, Minister Persaud said the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry is still in the process of finalising the licence which will pave way for the company to have access to Block 37.

“They have applied for prospective licence for a number of areas to open up new mines and we are currently considering those in the context of the strategic plan for the bauxite industry,” the minister explained.

He said too that the Natural Resources Ministry is in constant dialogue with the company about the possibility of additional value added products that will further diversify the industry.

Turning his attention to the dust collector systems, Minister Persaud said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently monitoring the situation, interacting with various

stakeholders, including the company on the effectiveness of the first completed dust collector.

It is anticipated that the second of two US$8 million dust collector systems will be completed in July. At the beginning of the year, the company said the unit would have been completed by the first quarter of 2013. The delay was linked to the monthlong unrest in the mining town which started on July 18 and spread into August last year.

Meanwhile, the dust collector system attached to kiln 14 continues to operate effectively. Since its installation in July 2012, the company has seen a significant reduction in the number of complaints from the public about bauxite dust pollution. On Friday, July 13, 2012, the BMGGI created history when the dust collector system attached to Kiln 14 went into full operation.

The construction of the multimillion-dollar dust collector system dates back to 2007 when talks were initiated by the company. The BMGGI had promised the people of Linden to erect the systems and have them operational by September 2009, but this was followed by a number of failed promises as the company was faced with a number of delays. These failures and constant changes in deadlines had resulted in the company facing heavy criticism, with recorded instances of protest actions. Residents from 2009 to as recent as mid-2012 had stated that Bosai’s slothful approach towards bringing an end to the dust problem was unacceptable, noting that the dust in the atmosphere has serious health implications.

Opposition Leader David Granger and his team meeting with the IDB representatives

impact of the Amaila project on the Guyana economy.

In that context, the op-

position has asked for copies of the key documents to enable the conduct of its

own review. According to the APNU, Makonnen explained the special procedures which

are being used by the IDB in preparation for the eventual submission of the project to the IDB board sometime in October 2013.

The documents explaining the IDB procedures will soon be made available to the APNU. Currently, the IDB is undertaking a detailed due diligence investigation which should be completed by August 2013. A number of critical studies are being undertaken, including a comprehensive environmental impact study and an economic feasibility study, along with a detailed evaluation of GPL to determine its capabilities and capacity to manage the power from the Amaila Falls Project. Specialist assistance will have to be made available to overcome any discernible deficiencies in GPL.

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News

ECLAC plugs investment in education, science, technology and infrastructure – at int'l seminar on tax policy

I

nvestment in education, science, technology and infrastructure, along with improvements to the budgetary framework and better tax evasion controls, are key to raising the level of tax revenues in the region’s countries. This is according to Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena.

The senior United Nations official was one of the main speakers at the International Seminar on Tax Policy: Challenges and Trends, organised by the Centre of Public Finance Studies (CEFP) of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, in conjunction with ECLAC and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) last week Friday.

The meeting in the Chamber of Deputies was attended by Mexico’s Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit under-secretary for revenue, Luis Miguel Messmacher; OECD Tax Director Grace Pérez-Navarro; CEFP Presiding Officers vice-president, Deputy Patricia Elena Retamoza; and ECLAC’s Mexico subregional headquarters director, Hugo Beteta.

Reforms

“Thanks to a series of reforms, the tax burden has moved in the right direction over the past decade, and this has facilitated a significant rise in social spending. [...]

However, tax policy still has

a low impact on countries’ fiscal policies in general, which is reflected in the low level of tax receipts,” Bárcena noted According to ECLAC data, the average tax burden of Latin American countries was just above 14 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the period 20002011, compared with 11.5 per cent between 1990 and 1999, while the region’s social spending rose from 10.2 per cent of GDP in 1990-1995 to 14.3 per cent between 2005 and 2010. In Mexico, the tax burden decreased slightly in 2000-2011 to 9.3 per cent of GDP, having risen to 9.6 per cent in 1990-1999, while in Brazil the figure rose from 18.4 per cent of GDP in 19971999 to 22.3 per cent in 20002011. In Argentina, it rose to 16 per cent in 2000-2011 (from 12.3 per cent in 19901999) and in Chile, it increased from 16.1 per cent to 17.3 per cent in the same time period.

Social spending

ECLAC figures on all the region’s countries with official information available show that social spending levels have risen, when comparing the five-year periods of 19901995 and 2005-2010. Cuba is the country that spends the most in this area, with 36.6 per cent of GDP in 2005-2010, followed by Brazil (24.5 per cent); Argentina (23 per cent); Uruguay (21.4 per cent), Costa Rica (19.3 per cent) and Bolivia (17.5 per cent). Chile’s social spending was 13.9 per

ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena

cent in this period, while Mexico posted an average of 10.1 per cent.

Bárcena stated that “increasing collection requires, inter alia, reducing tax expenditure, limiting special regimes, strengthening fiscal federalism, and increasing income tax collection”. She added, “We believe that public finances need to respond to a progressive fiscal policy. We must focus on investment (especially in human capital) and assign resources for future generations.”

According to Bárcena, “Mexico invests 23 per cent of GDP in total, but investment in research and development stands at just 0.39 per cent, which is much lower than other countries such as the United States (2.9 per cent) and Sweden (3.4 per cent). Mexico has the means to become a knowledge and information so-

ciety.”

She also emphasised that tackling cyclical fluctuations in the economy required reducing the dependency of fiscal revenues on the exploitation of natural resources: “We must discuss natural resource governance. It is vital to decide how to distribute the productivity resources generated from natural resource exploitation”. Regarding the fiscal covenant, Bárcena declared that it is essential to achieve a social agreement, based on the principle of reciprocity, concerning the origin, destination, and composition of the resources needed to finance the state.

Virtuous circle

She affirmed “We must create a virtuous circle between collection, public management, accountability, and empowerment of society, so that people see the concrete results of policies. This is the basis for a covenant. Also, Mexico has a unique opportunity to use a new perspective to achieve the right balance between state, market and society”.

Director Beteta addressed the seminar by presenting an analysis of the country’s social accountability matrix that can be used to provide an exante assessment of some fiscal measures based on their impact on population deciles, with a view to supporting decisionmaking in a project of structural change for equality.

De newest bully in GT I n small days, de villages does always have a street bully.

So when yuh playin wid yuh friends and de bully come round, every body does have to give he a game, or pack up and run home. In school, was de same ting. Every classroom had a bully who every body used to friken.

Nowadays yuh also got big people bully and Guyana got plenty bullies. If yuh turn up in Parliament and listen to some of de members talk, dem sound just like bullies and behaving just like bullies. Parliament suppose to be a place where every body is honourable, but not so anymore. Is plenty of de members tryin to bully one another.

Yuh go pun de road to ketch a mini bus and de conductor talkin to yuh like a bully and de driver drivin like a bully. If yuh decide to tek a taxi is de same ting. Sheer bullyin pun de road. Even de police dem who stopping yuh pun de road talkin like dem is bullies and want to bully yuh fuh a bribe.

De media got plenty bullies too. Plenty of dem media bullies want to tell people how fuh run dem business and want to know people business. When dem don’t know, dem does speculate and report de wrong ting and then have to apologise. But plenty of de same media bullies doin a lotta illegal tings and dem tink no body know bout dem dutty business.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie!

Well, de newest bully in de Garbage Town is de mayor fuh life Green Ham. De mayor fuh life still can’t pay off de **ity council light bill and he wife taxes, or pick up de garbage.

But now he sendin de **ity constables fuh bruk up people stall in Bourda!

EU will continue to foster resilience among poor, says Barroso

T

he European Union (EU) will continue to build long-term resilience among the most vulnerable, tackle the root causes of hunger and poverty and improve nutrition, its president, José Manuel Barroso told a Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) conference on Sunday.

Barroso, president of the European Commission, accepted an award for the EU’s €1 billion initiative against hunger, partly implemented together with FAO in response to high food prices in poor countries.

Priorities

In presenting the award, FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva praised the EU for having used agriculture as a solution for the crisis: “As a result of these and other efforts, agriculture and food security are once more seen as entry points for growth and development strategies in many countries, and increasingly designated as priorities for international development assistance.”

The award ceremony took place on the opening day of the 38th FAO conference.

Barroso accepted the Jacques Diouf Award for the EU Food Facility, launched by the EU in response to the food price crisis in 2008-2011. The facility helped 59 million people in 50 countries.

“The programmes financed under the food facility allowed

smallholders to increase and diversify their sources of income, through better land, livestock, and water management,” Barroso said.

Barroso stressed that the EU will continue to respond to food crises in vulnerable areas, like in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, affected by poverty, climate hazards, high and volatile food prices, pressure on natural resources, rapid demographic growth, fragile governance and political instability. The EC shares the prize with the Indian NGO Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), which is helping extremely poor women through the integrated provision of agricultural extension, financial, literacy, education, care, housing, and health services.

“When women build food security, they are able to educate their children, save, plan for future, participate in planning, and participate in decision-making processes,” said Reema Nanavaty on behalf of SEWA. “Such food security brings sense of dignity and self respect.”

Other awards

The Kenya Forest Service won an FAO award for its implementation of the Sustainable Livelihood Development Project in the Mau forest complex. The service receives the Edouard Saouma Award, which is presented to the institution or institutions that have

won the Margarita Lizárraga Medal 2012-2013 for its significant contribution to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture development and to the practical and tangible application of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries in the Central American countries.

Outstanding contributions

President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso implemented with particular efficiency a project funded by FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP).

“The project has created new sustainable livelihood opportunities among forest adjacent communities and the service has witnessed reduced incidences of destructive activities in the forest,” said David K Mbugua on behalf of the Kenya Forest Service.

The Guardian newspaper’s global development team won for its reporting on agriculture, food security and poverty, with emphasis on progress made towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The team receives the AH Boerma Award, which is presented biennially to a journalist or journalists who have helped to focus public attention on the world food problem.

The Organización del Sector Pesquero y Acuícola del Istmo Centroamericano

Three FAO field officers with the most outstanding contributions to the advancement of their country or countries of assignment received BR Sen Awards. The award for 2011 is shared by project manager David Doolan, who through his technical expertise, leadership and ability to keep operations going despite a difficult environment lifted whole communities out of poverty in Pakistan, and senior forestry officer Patrick Durst for contributions to forestry over his 19-year career in the Asia-Pacific region.

The 2012 Sen Award goes to Luca Alinovi, senior emergency and rehabilitation coordinator and officer in charge of FAO Somalia, for outstanding leadership, innovative approaches and a major upscaling of operations in famine-torn Somalia. The conference voted to accept Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, and South Sudan as new FAO member countries, bringing the total to 197 members comprising 194 member nations, one member organisation (European Union), and two associate members (Faroe Islands and Tokelau).

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monday, june 17, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

Times Notebook G-2: China, U.S. launch new global political order W hen President Xi Jinping of China met with President Barack Obama of the United States on June 7 in California, it signalled the most important political development of our time, a development in the making for decades – the Group of Two (G-2) – consisting of China and the U.S. Before President Xi, President Hu Jintao reluctantly advanced the G-2 idea through stealth, but Xi is making it happen explicitly as part of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”, as he unveils a new Chinese worldview. He does so with confidence, but with a reluctant and uncertain.

Obama and America

The Annenberg Summit of the presidents of the two most powerful nations in the world has understandably attracted global attention. The Chinese see the meeting defining a “great power relationship”.

G-2

The Americans see it as a great power meeting an emerging great power. But the truth is that this G-2 summit was held at a time when China is the most powerful economy in the world and at a time when global challenges – such as energy insecurity, climate insecurity, health insecurity, global trade and financial insecurity, insecurity because of terrorism, and cyber-insecurity – threaten all of mankind.

There are various political and economic groupings of countries, such as the G-7; the G-8; the G-20; the G-77; the America, Britain, Canada (ABC) grouping; Brazil,

Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS); the Pacific Alliance; the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA); and others today. But the G-2 has the potential to influence the politics and economics of the world like nothing has done before and to create a new global political order.

Many years ago, in the 1970s, a secretary of state of the U.S. argued that the America should nurture a relationship with China. The U.S. secretary of state in the 1970s was Henry Kissinger.

He was serving under the then President Richard Nixon. The U.S. Ambassador to China was George Bush Sr who was Chinese President Xi Jinping meets U.S. President Barack Obama later to become president of broiled in “Watergate” and It mostly assumed the posthe U.S. in 1988. eventually resigned as presi- ture that the U.S. did not need dent. Bush some years later China to continue as the most Cold War became president of the U.S., powerful economic and politiNixon joined Kissinger but he became engaged in the cal force in the world. Every and Bush to famously “open “Desert Storm” invasion of developed country sided with the door” to China in 1972, Iraq and lost to Bill Clinton in and embraced the U.S. in the in a move that was in di- 1992. last 40 years. Most developing rect contradiction of the Cold countries were beholden to the War between the AmericaU.S. and Western Europe durRelationship led West and the Russia-led China did little to pro- ing this time.

East. President Nixon and mote the concept of a G-2 in Chairman Mao Zedong start- the time since Nixon. As the Developing countries ed a détente that was sup- late Chinese president, Deng Few developing countries posed to have initiated a G-2, Xioping articulated, “China were bold enough as Guyana but it did not happen. must hide its brilliance, and to openly embrace a relationThese three men posited bide its time.” China wanted ship with China, fearing that that it was in America’s in- to consolidate and strength- such relationships with China terest to pursue friendly rela- ened its reforms and it want- would jeopardise opportunitions with China, even then. ed to focus on its traditional ties for help from the U.S. and Kissinger at the time famous- partnerships with other de- Western Europe. In 1962, Dr ly referred to the two countries veloping countries. But this Cheddi Jagan and the People’s as the Group of Two. Many reality has quietly changed Progressive Party (PPP) dared chastised them for embarking and China sees that it is in its to forge political ties with on friendly relations with “au- interest to pursue a G-2 rela- China, envisaging China as a thoritarian”, “developing” and tionship with the U.S. future global superpower and “atheist” China. Yet Kissinger The U.S. before now was adapting a foreign policy pospaid many visits and George mostly comfortable with its ture of non-alignment.

Bush Sr cultivated close rela- boast that it was the most sucDr Jagan and the PPP tions with Chinese officials. cessful economy in the his- stood resolute that true nonNixon made a formal visit tory of the world and it was alignment meant relationto China. But Nixon got em- the leader of the free world. ships with countries in the

Peace Corps helping to build community library at Sandvoort

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he United States Peace Corps Volunteers will be building the first community library in the remote village of Sandvoort, located on the west bank of the Canje River to boost literacy standards.

According to Peace Corps community educator Matthew Cusimano, this project seeks to push the community to create its own learning tools and enhance literacy where it is much needed. “Projects like these through the Peace Corps bring a community together and the people from the community volunteer to make sure that is 100 per cent Guyanese, and therefore belongs to the community,” said Cusimano.

He continued: “The initiative is one that brings motivation to the community and other surrounding communities, because it shows other villages that projects can come off the ground.”

The community educator said it took eight months to

find the funding needed to construct the library. They are presently using a space at the Sandvoort Primary School. The proposed library will be accessible to the community and the construction is scheduled for July while the children are out of school and the building will hopefully be completed by September, in time for the new academic year.

Communitydriven project

Cusimano said, “I want to emphasise that it was the community that came up with the idea for this project. They saw an issue within the village, and they took it upon themselves to correct it, without scapegoating outside forces or sitting on their hands. They are responsible for 31 per cent of the total project costs, and they’re volunteering their time to construct it, and are solely responsible for ensuring that it lasts well into the future.”

“Grandmothers and

mothers of the students are volunteering to cook for the construction team, while older brothers and fathers of the students are the ones doing the constructing. If I didn’t believe this was a community-driven project, I would not have gotten involved.”

The community library is one of the many projects overseen by the Peace Corps in Guyana. It enables the community to acquire the tools necessary to enhance development and further educate the youths through reading and literacy. Cusimano noted that Peace Corps projects serve as emotional builder for the people of the villages and a guide to self-help initiatives for development. He emphasised that because the project is undertaken by the villagers under the guidance of the Peace Corps, it becomes a source of pride for the villagers and provides a sense of accomplishment of participating in community social, economical and educational

empowerment.

Cusimano revealed that out of more than 100 applications from around the world, the village had won a library construction grant from Better World Books, a U.S.-based organisation, which has provided significant funding.

Worthy cause

He said, “The basis for awarding our school was that they saw the pictures of the children hard at work, and hence they knew that their money was going to a worthy cause because they believed in the children. We’ve also worked closely with Jenn Hales and Venus Persaud from the Georgetown-based NGO REDbandaid who have contributed materials as well.”

Sandvoort is a tiny village of about 1000 acres, which is home to some 80 families with a population of about 275. It is famed for its emancipation celebrations.

interest of the Guyanese people, and not based on political and economic power and ideology. Subsequently, the Forbes Burnham-led government continued this posture and formally entered into an alliance with China in 1972.

Guyana has strengthened this principled approach in the last 20 years under the PPP/Civic governments.

China in the early 1970s barely commanded one per cent of the global economic growth, whereas the U.S. then commanded about 30 per cent of the global economic growth.

Whilst successive U.S. governments have largely ignored the Nixon-Kissinger-Bush G-2 initiative, China has changed the global political and economic configuration.

In 2012, China had more than 33 per cent of the global economy. The U.S. has moved in the opposite direction to less than 13 per cent of the global economic growth.

Meeting

On June 7 when President Xi met President Obama, the G-2 notion of Nixon, Kissinger and Bush became reality. There was no formal G-2 agreement. But the G-2 plane has taken off, even if it remains an informal truth.

China knows that recognition by and relations at the political and economic level with the U.S. will register its place and its ambition as a superpower on the global stage.

The U.S. knows that relations with China are an imperative for the U.S. to sustain its role as an economic and political power to go along with its military power.

The G-2 is an inevitable

consequence of the economic and political power that China has developed in the last 30 years. During the first week of June, Xi made his first trip as president to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to go along with two earlier trips as China’s vice-president.

During the weekend of June 8, virtually all LAC agriculture ministers attended the first China–LAC Ministers of Agriculture in China.

China's influence

Similar meetings are being held with African countries. Chinese companies in the meantime are investing in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. China is making available grants and loans to these countries. China is not only seeking to entrench itself in the political and economic spheres around the world, it is seriously seeking to win hearts and minds.

Like it or not, the G-2 is a new political and economic global order. The agreement between the leaders of these two nations to work together to reduce global carbon emissions underlines the potential for good. But there are many challenges for them to overcome as they continue to look at each other with great suspicion.

Dr Jagan and Guyana saw the reality of G-2 more than 50 years ago. Nixon, Kissinger and Bush saw it more than 40 years ago. In the 1970s, Nixon wanted America in the pilot’s and co-pilot’s seat, dictating to China. In 2013, the G-2 plane has been launched on cruise control. But Xi is the pilot and Obama appears uncomfortable in the co-pilot’s seat.

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MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

The long road to equality – disability advocate shares her challenges

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wenty-two-year-old Ivory Duncan lost her right leg following a tragic accident when she was just 15 years old.

Her parents, who she described as people of humble means, persevered in assisting her to live her dream and pursue a degree in communication studies at the University of Guyana.

Duncan recalls that life became increasingly difficult since her parents were simultaneously raising two other children with disabilities. “… But I am grateful I have a loving family and I am working to accomplish my dream of getting a degree and having a career.”

Advocate

Duncan is presently employed at the Leonard Cheshire Disability Young Voices Network as an advocate for the rights of youths with disabilities, and also volunteers at the National Commission on Disability.

She explained that fulfilling such dreams requires an extra effort from young people with disability that is not demanded of others.

Relating her ordeal to get to and from classes, Duncan stated that she has no op-

tion but to travel by taxi which can prove extremely costly over time.

Her only alternative would be to take a boat across the Demerara Harbour Bridge, neither of which she can accomplish as she is wheelchair-bound.

“Paying for a taxi is expensive and my parents already struggle to make ends meet. Attending university is also a physical challenge.

It is difficult making my way to classes because the classrooms are often not accessible to wheelchair users,” Duncan pointed out.

She detailed that there are long flights of stairs and when she finally manages to get to the classroom, she is so flustered and frustrated that she finds it hard to concentrate on lectures.

“But I am trying because I know it is better to try and fail than to fail to try.”

According to Duncan, the challenge begins long before reaching higher education.

Challenges

She warned that children with disabilities can easily become shut-ins; hidden away from society and prevented from attending school or making meaningful contributions to society.

Ivory Duncan

She believes that they should be encouraged to attend mainstream schools that include vocational training with the available support services.

Duncan pointed out that special-needs schools should offer a complete curriculum for students with disabilities to help develop their minds and provide opportunities to achieve academic excellence.

She said many children and young people with disabilities are eager to pursue higher education, so it is very important that they be given the same options as other students in terms of choosing courses along their career paths.

Duncan stressed that it is the mandate of learning institutions and governments to accommodate and support students such as herself so that they can pursue the education they need to achieve the goals they have in mind.

“Accommodating children and young people with disabilities includes things like adjusting the entry requirement and criteria for passing and making sure learning material, examinations and class schedules are user friendly. Teachers must be properly trained and given a chance to pursue additional overseas instruction in order to improve the quality of education.”

It is Duncan’s opinion that schools should utilise Braille and other forms of communication as necessitated by the students even as she pointed to a great lack of special equipment and resources in local schools.

Facilities for disabled persons

She said making educational institutions disabilityfriendly also means setting up facilities and transportation services that persons with disabilities require, as there should be disability ramps, accessible toilets and

elevators for those unable to take the stairs.

“All aspects and all levels of education from elementary school to university need to be made accessible.”

Duncan advised that the ministries of education and public service should work collaboratively to assist students with disabilities who are academically-inclined and desire to go beyond secondary school.

This assistance, she said, should include grants, loans and scholarships.

“Governments also need to make sure that education opens the same doors for students with disabilities as for everybody else… My parents have invested a lot of effort and more money than they can really afford to help me get through school and university. Now I am working hard, in spite of the challenges, to come to classes and learn because I know that is what I need to do to get the best out of life,” Duncan pointed out.

She expressed hope that on completion of her education and in pursuit of employment, she would be recognised for her abilities, qualifications and potential.

As a young person with disability who has worked

hard to educate herself, Duncan believes she deserves, as much as anyone else, the opportunity to fulfil her dreams, earn a good living for herself and make a meaningful contribution to society.

Like her, countless other young people with disabilities are striving towards a future that cannot be taken for granted.

Barriers

She questions whether persons like herself can overcome the physical and financial barriers to higher education, whether they can make it through to graduation from university or vocational school and what kinds of jobs they will be able to secure.

She wonders too whether they will have equal opportunities or get the chance to prove themselves in the competitive world of employment.

“If not, how they will become productive citizens and meaningful contributing members of society on equal terms with those who have no disability?”

Duncan’s story was recently featured in the State of the World’s Children’s Report 2013, which focuses on persons with disabilities.

Aranaputa toshao concerned about rise in teenage pregnancy

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ranaputa Toshao Mark George said while progress has been made in the development of his community, he is concerned about the rising level of teenage pregnancy.

George told media operatives on Saturday that this scourge is on the increase and is becoming one of the most prevalent social issues that need to be addressed at the earliest opportunity. He explained

that the village council has been attempting to counsel young people, especially teenage girls, but there needs to be more solid intervention from other stakeholders. On this note, he disclosed that the welfare department of the Education Ministry has been contacted.

George also added that the Human Services and Social Security Ministry has been made aware of the pressing issue. “This

full advantage of the service in a responsible way.

Pointing to another challenge, the toshao said that the main road connecting Linden to Lethem is becoming a major problem, claiming that it is in a deplorable state. The very vocal leader also revealed that when it rains, the access road is a challenge for drivers as they have to manoeuver around potholes and slush.

He called on the Public Works Ministry to rehabil-

Aranaputa Toshao Mark George

An aerial shot of Aranaputa Valley, North Rupununi

thing is more serious among the school children… we can only do so much, but we need help to correct and, if possible, alleviate the problem.”

Now with the launch of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) cellular site in the community, he is not sure if young people will take

itate bridges and culverts along the Linden/Lethem passage. George said the ministry should act early before there are oth-

er fatalities as a result of bridge collapses.

With respect to heath issues, he is calling on the Health Ministry to upgrade the Aranaputa Clinic to a regional hospital since the present facility serves residents in Annai and surrounding communities. On a daily basis, he said, more than 50 patients are treated for various illnesses although there is only one resident doctor on duty.

In addition, he explained that is a major problem with respect to delivery of babies since there is only one mid-wife who has to service Annai and its environs. There is also need for an ambulance to be stationed at the Aranaputa Clinic for cases of emergencies. Guyana Times understands that patients have to be rushed to the clinic on motorcycles which can cause other implications.

The presence of at least two more doctors and another mid-wife would help tremendously with the effective running of the health clinic.

Finally, the toshao revealed that the use of illegal drugs among young people is also a major concern of the council. There have been a number of reports made to the police who would visit the areas periodically; a police outpost must be erected in the Annai area, he added.

News

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monday, june 17, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

Voters to decide fate of GT&T jingle and song contestants

Working guidelines for mining sector coming – Dr Gopaul

– packed NCC watched finals

he ratification of the International Labour Organisation’s Decent Country Work Programme in 2012 and the United Nations Convention on Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) is an indication of the seriousness that government places on ensuring the safety of those in the workplace.

Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul, during a recent interview on the National Communications Network (NCN), indicated that a draft order crafted with input from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has been sent to Cabinet for scrutiny and future implementation. The 308-page document sets out guidelines and working conditions for the mining sector, said Minister Gopaul. “The act was passed in 1997; we are now presenting the act. It will also cover the construction industry and several other industries and sectors.”

By Bhisham Mohamed

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he National Cultural Centre (NCC) Friday evening came alive as the 19 finalists of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) Bollywood and English segments of the jingle and song competition took to the stage leaving their mark as the competition winds down.

The Bollywood segment of the competition was held earlier before a vocal audience which cheered and even danced as their favourite contestants performed. The highlight of the evening was an excellent performance by Bibi Halima Khan, who stepped up her game after a very ordinary semi-finals show.

She received a standing ovation from the judges after her performance which lasted for about six minutes. She was described as a vocal powerhouse with a magnificent voice.

Devchandra Ramrattan was also a favourite in this year’s competition from the inception and did not disappoint his fans on Friday evening. He had the audience rocking, but he definitely did not match his

The 10 finalists in the English segment of the GT&T Jingle and Song Competition

appeared on stage amid smoke and a sparking lighting effect.

Thankful

She performed a popular tune by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal from the movie “Dabaang” titled “Chori Kiya Re Jiya”.

She looked splendid in a blue, white and silver Indian outfit. After her performance, she thanked the telephone giant for the opportunity bestowed on her as she is fortunate to assist young children in Berbice to showcasing their musical and vocal talents. Singh’s performance was followed by a kathak presentation by Kenrick Cheeks. The other

a powerful voice, but his song selection was not up to par.

The English segment of the competition commenced with T’Shanna Cort, who performed the song “A Moment Like This”. She started off pretty well, but suffered a vocal disorder coming down to the end of the song. She has definitely blossomed into a wonderful performer.

Rocking performance

Souvenir, who performed Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved”, definitely created the vibes and had the crowd rocking. His performance was the best in the competition

The finalists of the Bollywood segment of the competition

performance at the semis.

Bounty Singh, who was brought back into the competition after he was eliminated, also proved to be a top contender for the $1 million and the brand new car available for the winner. His melodious voice echoed within the walls of the NCC. Another contestant to look out for is Andy Rambarack, who also performed exceptionally well at the finals compared to the semis. The judges for this segment were Joel Ganshaam, Sherryann Dyal, Sookranie Persaud, and Aditya Persaud.

Meanwhile, the evening got underway almost an hour behind schedule with the hostess introducing the judges who were elaborately dressed in Indian wear. After the judges made their way to their seats, the Shakti Strings Orchestra spiced things up with a 15-minute musical performance after which the reigning Bollywood winner, Gailann Singh

finalists: Reshma Persaud, Yeataindra Singh, Harresh Singh, Danishwar Bisessar and Erick Sukrah, all had their followers. Their chutney pieces were the highlight of their performances. Sasenarine was unable to perform due to unforeseen circumstances.

The English segment saw a sold-out NCC as the contestants’ fans walked with their placards, posters and other materials that evidently showed their support.

After their performances which thrilled the thousands present, undoubtedly Natasha Yhap for her vocal ability and creativity; Ryan Hoppie for vocal ability, crowd appeal, and stage performance; Lerone Souvenir for vocal ability and crowd appeal; and Dorian Obbermuller for vocal ability and crowd appeal were the top contenders.Michael Small also did a fantastic job and will be remembered for relevance and crowd appeal. He has

thus far. Small, the little Berbician with a big voice, made his appearance on stage using the aisles of the NCC, performing the popular reggae tune with the lyrics “How Many More Jah”.

Next was Edward Perez, who belted out Beres Hammond’s “Feel Good”; he had all the groovy moves but his vocals let him down, nevertheless he was encouraged to continue doing what he loves to do.

With one of the most powerful voices, Yhap took the stage by storm, pushing her rivals into a corner. She performed “I Will Survive”

by Gloria Gaynor, and made it her own. Darren Benjamin was responsible for his own downfall.

He sang the tune “Be Your Driver”. His presentation included calling a young woman on stage as he serenaded her which did not go down well with the judges.

Lemuel Chestor took to the stage after Benjamin and sang the song with the lyr-

ics, “When I see your face”.

The crowd went crazy as Ryan Hoppie made his way on stage and started his performance in a dramatic way after which he was missing for a few seconds and then returned in an all white suit. He sang Chris Brown’s version of “Crawl” and did an excellent job while performing.

After his performance, the hostess had to wait a while until the crowd was settled before asking for the judges’ comments.

He made way for former calypso singer Diana Chapman who did “Roll On The River (Proud Mary)” by Tina Turner. Decked in a golden outfit, it was a total imitation of Turner’s performance when she sang the song decades ago.

Closing off the night was the popular Dorian Obbermuller. Dressed in a black costume, he performed “Titanium” by Cia. His vocals were on par, making him one of the top contenders for the $1 million and brand new motor car up for grabs. The contestants will have to wait for a while to find out their fate, since immediately after the airing of the finals on national television, the voting, which will last for two weeks, started. The contestant will each have a number so that fans can vote for them. (bhisham@ guyanatimesgy.com)

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Health and safety

Occupations must be driven by consciousness of occupational health and safety, the minister stressed, recalling several recent workplace accidents caused by negligence.

“We are unhappy over the number of fatal accidents we have had within recent times.

You would know in particular that at Buckhall there was an incident which claimed the lives of about five persons and our inspectors went to the areas to conduct investigations and examine what happened.

They didn’t come out with a favourable report. They believe it was negligence, that the employers turned a blind eye to safety and we are looking at the report, studying the report to see what action we think should be taken against the employers,” he said.

The Labour Ministry can prosecute those employers who fail to observe the safety rules and it will not shirk its responsibility to prosecute those guilty of infractions, said Minister Gopaul. “They must comply with safety at all times.”

Labour Minister Dr Nanda Gopaul

Asked about the move by businesses and mining operations to establish themselves in increasingly remote locations, Minister Gopaul said as far as possible, officials visit these locations to ensure that laws are being followed, once they are made aware of operations by various stakeholders such as the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. Visits are not just conducted when accidents occur, he added.

He commended organisations such as the Guyana Women Miners’ Organisation and other stakeholders for helping to root out and investigate instances of child or forced labour and trafficking in persons. The minister noted that given the large size and remoteness of some locales, regular visits are sometimes difficult, and appealed to employers to “know the laws, ensure that you observe the laws, don’t engage in trafficking, don’t engage in child labour or you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law”.

The fact that many nonnationals are also operating in interior locations is one which led to the publication of Guyana’s laws in Portuguese and Chinese languages, he added.

“We don’t want to prosecute persons in a willy-nilly manner, we want to educate them first, we want to bring to their attention our laws so that they can comply.

We will take a tough line against violators and none will be spared,” he declared.

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monday, june 17, 2013

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Power cuts hit Mexico City after earthquake

Some restaurants and residential buildings in the capital were evacuated as a precautionary measure (AFP)

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exico City has been hit by a series of power outages after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck in the centre of Mexico, with officials saying there was no other damage reported.

The quake struck just after midnight local time (0519: GMT) on Sunday, southwest of the city of Huitzuco, in Guerrero state, according to Mexico’s National Seismological Service.

Some restaurants and residential buildings in the capital were evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Buildings shuddered in the city, a witness told the Reuters news agency.

Although the earthquake was felt strongly in the capital, “in the preliminary report, Mexico City was not damaged,” Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera wrote on his Twitter feed.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) downgraded its initial measurement of the quake to magnitude 5.8 from 6.0.

USGS geophysicist Randy Baldwin told Al Jazeera that the earthquake occurred at a depth of about 55km, which would help minimise damage. (Al Jazeera)

Telecoms provider lauds efforts leading to Jamaican arrest in lottery scheme

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he telecommunication provider FairPoint Communications Inc has lauded the efforts of the authorities in exposing Jamaican lottery scammers who have been “robbing Americans of millions every year”.

It praised Republican Senator Susan Collins for leading “the way in bringing light to this problem and initiating Congressional hearings on the issue.

“Her actions have paved the way for this scammer being charged for bilking millions from unsuspecting senior citizens,” said Mike Reed, Maine state president for FairPoint.

In a statement, Reed

also praised U.S. federal authorities for their investigation leading to the arrest.

Earlier this week, U.S. law enforcement and immigration authorities said Jamaican O’ Brian J Lynch, 28, pleaded guilty for his role in a telemarketing lottery scheme that defrauded hundreds of senior citizens.

The guilty plea resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).

Lynch faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of US$250,000.

Reed said that, in March, FairPoint began a public awareness campaign against the scam and worked with local law enforcement officials, state attorney generals and federal lawmakers “to unmask the growing problem of the Jamaican lottery scam that is stealing millions every year from Americans.

Reed said the public awareness campaign gained national and international attention, prompting additional media coverage that initiated a U.S. Congressional hearing “and moved the Jamaican government to take action”. (Excerpt from CMC)

Haiti moves a step closer towards Ecuadorian minister meets WikiLeaks founder Assange in London eradicating elephantiasis

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aiti has finally carried out a nationwide campaign to get rid of the parasitic worms that cause elephantiasis.

Haiti has waged other campaigns against the condition, characterised by severe disfiguration of the legs and arms. But until now, it has never managed to adequately reach residents of the chaotic capital Port-au-Prince.

The latest effort by the Haitian Health Ministry now puts the country on track to wipe out elephantiasis within the next four years, said a study published in the Morbidity and

Mortality Weekly Report.

Elephantiasis or lymphatic filariasis is a cruel condition. Parasites invade the lymphatic system and cause grotesque swelling, primarily of the legs, but also, at times, of the arms and scrotum.

In some parts of the world, lymphatic filariasis is called “big foot.” But even this term downplays the extent of the disfiguration it creates.

People are the only known host for the roundworms that causes elephantiasis. The fight against the disease focuses on mass deworming campaigns. In Haiti that means getting

everyone to swallow two pills. The idea is that if you can get 65 per cent of the population dewormed for several years in a row, the parasites can no longer survive in the community, and they disappear for good.

The mass distribution of deworming pills will have to continue for another four years before health workers are confident that the parasite has been eliminated from Haiti.

Haiti is one of just four countries in the Americas where elephantiasis remains endemic. It is also still found in parts of Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Guyana. (Excerpt fromnpr.com)

Firetruck file missing, original report removed from ministry

The truck that caused the controversy

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he file containing the original report on the controversial firetruck has gone missing from the National Security Ministry of Trinidad.

A source at the ministry, who asked not to be named, told the TT Guardian the file had been removed on Thursday. The TT Guardian, however, had obtained a copy of the file before.

The contents of the file include a draft note for Cabinet on the retrieval of the water tender that ran off the Blanchisseuse Road on November 17.

The note taken to Cabinet on December 3 was not that original draft, but a second version created to reflect changes to the price, the distance the water tender ran off the road, and the length of time it took to

move it.

On the draft note, the initials “HM” are written next to the changes to be made.

A note written by a ministry official on a minute sheet says the changes were requested by the “Honourable Minister”.

The minister of national security at the time was Jack Warner.

On the final version of the Cabinet note, NS (12) 313, the price for moving the tender has been reduced from TT$10,189,115 to TT$6,850,000.30.

A zero was inserted to reflect the distance the water tender fell to read “150 metres” and not “15 metres,” the figure in the draft note stated.

Chief Fire Officer Carl Williams reported that the water tender had run 15 metres off the road. An amateur video posted on YouTube estimated the distance at 60 feet. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Julian Assange and Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño met at the London embassy

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cuador’s foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, has met the founder of the WikiLeaks website, Julian Assange, at his country’s embassy in London.

Assange, who has been living in the building for a year was “in good spirits” despite the “limitations of his accommodations”, Patiño said.

The WikiLeaks founder has been granted political asylum by Ecuador, but will be arrested if he leaves the

building.

He is wanted for questioning over two sexual assault allegations in Sweden.

But Assange denies the claims and fears he will be handed over to the U.S. authorities, who are investigating WikiLeaks for publishing confidential U.S. diplomatic documents.

Patiño will discuss Julian Assange’s case with UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague today.

“I was able to say face

to face to him, for the first time, that the government of Ecuador remains firmly committed to protecting his human rights and that we continue to seek cast-iron assurances to avoid any onward extradition to a third state,” Ecuador’s foreign minister said.

Assange said he was “immensely grateful” for the support shown by the Ecuadorian president and the people of Ecuador.

The WikiLeaks founder arrived at the Ecuadorian embassy in the Knightsbridge area of London a year ago on Wednesday, after the UK Supreme Court refused to reopen his appeal against extradition.

The British government has spent about £3 million on police officers to guard the embassy around the clock.

A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: “We remain committed to seeking a diplomatic solution to this situation and must also ensure that our laws are followed.” (Excerpt from BBC News)

Venezuela signs gun control bill

V

enezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro signed a gun control bill into law in a bid to rein in the country’s runaway violent crime.

“I hereby sign into law this gun control law, for peace in our nation,” Maduro said on Friday in an address in Vargas state.

The bill will allow sentences of up to 20 years in prison for any civilian convicted of illegally carrying or selling a firearm.

It also restricts the sale of ammunition to civilians,

and bans weapons from being shown in public places.

“Any arm that is confiscated will be destroyed immediately ... the sale of weapons and ammunition also ends,” said National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello.

There are some exceptions: people are allowed to use weapons to protect their property and themselves when in danger, and security personnel can use them when transporting valuable items.

The bill was promoted by

late President Hugo Chávez, a leftist-populist in power since 1999 who died on March 5.

The ruling socialist party, or PSUV, and two opposition parties approved the bill.

In the first quarter of 2013, there were 3400 murders. That followed another year of bloodletting that saw about 16,000 homicides nationwide in 2012, according to government data. There were 15 million firearms – legal and illegal – in the country of 29 million in 2009. (Al Jazeera)

15 Around the World

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013

Hundreds of thousands rally for Turkey’s Erdogan amid protests

T

urkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan rallied hundreds of thousands of supporters at an Istanbul parade ground on Sunday as riot police fired teargas several kilometres away in the city centre to disperse anti-government protesters.

Erdogan told a sea of flagwaving supporters that two weeks of protests had been manipulated by “terrorists” and dismissed suggestions that he was behaving like a dictator, a constant refrain from those who have taken to the streets.

Riot police fired teargas into side streets around the central Taksim Square as he spoke, trying to prevent protesters from regrouping after hundreds were evicted from the adjoining Gezi Park, the centre of the protests, late on Saturday.

“They say ‘you are too tough’, they say ‘dictator’.

What kind of a dictator is this who met the Gezi Park occupiers and honest environmentalists? Is there such dictator?” Erdogan said to

N

Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and his wife, Emine wave hands at supporters as they arrive at a rally of the ruling AK party in Istanbul on Sunday

roars of approval from the crowd.

“The attitude across Turkey with the pretext of Taksim’s Gezi Park is not sincere. It is nothing more than the minority’s attempt to dominate the majority ...

We could not have allowed this and we will not allow it,” he said.

Bulldozers removed barricades and municipal workers swept the streets around Taksim, sealed off by police

on Sunday after thousands took to the streets overnight following the raid by riot police firing teargas and water cannon.

The umbrella protest group behind the Gezi Park campaign, Taksim Solidarity, called for demonstrators to gather peacefully again in the square, but Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu made clear they would not be allowed to do so. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Nelson Mandela’s improvement sustained – South Africa

F

ormer South African President Nelson Mandela continues to get better in a Pretoria hospital, current President Jacob Zuma has said.

He added that the revered ex-leader remained in a serious condition as he recovered from a lung infection.

“Over the last two days, although he remains serious, his doctors have stated that his improvement has been sustained,” Zuma said.

He added that Mandela “continues to engage with family”.

Zuma made his remarks while addressing a gathering for Youth Day in KwaZulu-Natal province in

remembrance of the 1976 Soweto uprisings against apartheid. He asked the audience to join him in wishing Mandela a happy Father’s Day. The BBC’s Mike Wooldridge in Johannesburg said Mandela’s grandson Mandla spoke in a similar vein on Saturday, talking of good progress – but no-one has yet indicated when he might leave hospital.

While they might hold out hope, many South Africans clearly recognise his continuing vulnerability.

Mandela became South Africa’s first black president in 1994 after leading the struggle against apartheid.

He stepped down five years later.

He has been in intensive care since he was taken to hospital on June 8 for the third time this year. Each visit has provoked greater concern in South Africa and around the world over the welfare of the global icon, who will be 95 next month.

Mandela’s wife Graca Machel has been at his bedside regularly since calling off a trip to London last week.

Before his latest admission to hospital, he had been ill for some days, with a recurrence of his long-standing lung problems. (Excerpt from BBC News)

UK and Russia “can overcome Syria differences”

U

K Prime Minister David Cameron and President Vladimir Putin can overcome differences on Syria to bring new momentum to efforts to stop the killing in Syria. This is according to the prime minister.

Cameron said it was no secret he and the Russian president had disagreements over Syria, but they shared a common aim – to end the conflict. Both wanted to keep Syria intact and get a transitional government in place, he said.

Putin was at No 10 for talks ahead of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland.

Speaking after the meeting, Cameron said they had

North Korea wants to hold high-level talks with U.S.

also discussed the “rules of the game for the world economy”, particularly on tax and company ownership; and working together more closely on issues like science and space, trade, and investment.

Speaking to John Pienaar on BBC Radio 5 live, he said President Putin’s arming of Syrian President Bashar alAssad’s regime would not stop the West from arming the rebels.

He said Moscow could not veto the West, explaining: “I don’t think anyone has a veto, but...we won’t get a successful peace conference unless everybody does everything that can to help bring it about.”

orth Korea on Sunday offered highlevel talks with the United States to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, but the White House said that any talks must involve Pyongyang taking action to show it is moving toward scrapping its nuclear weapons.

The offer came only days after North Korea abruptly cancelled planned official talks with South Korea, the first planned talks in more than two years. The North blamed the South for scuttling discussions that sought to mend estranged ties between the rival Koreas.

The North Korea National Defence Commission in a statement carried by KCNA news agency on Sunday said Washington can pick a date and place for talks and the two sides can discuss a range of issues, but no preconditions should be attached.

“In order to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and to achieve regional peace and safety, we propose to hold high-level talks between the DPRK and the United States,” said the spokesman for the North’s National Defence Commission in the state-

ment. North Korea’s official name is the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The United States will discuss the new offer in meetings with Japan and South Korea in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday, a senior administration official said.

Washington has been sceptical of any move by Pyongyang for dialogue as it has repeatedly backtracked on deals, the latest in 2012 when it agreed to a missile and nuclear test moratorium, only to fire a rocket weeks later. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Iranians count on presidentelect Rohani to bring change

I

ranian president-elect Hassan Rohani, who won a landslide victory promising better relations abroad and more freedom at home, on Sunday paid his first visit since the vote to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who will ultimately decide the pace of any change.

Rohani, a mid-ranking Shiite cleric, is an Islamic Republic insider who has held senior political and military posts since the 1979 Islamic revolution and maintained a good rapport with Khamenei, Iran’s most powerful man.

Iranian media reported that Khamenei congratulated Rohani, wished him success, and gave him “the necessary guidance”.

Rohani’s trouncing of his hardline rivals, who miscalculated the public mood and failed to overcome factional differences and field a single candidate, received a cautious welcome in Washington, although Israel warned against “wishful thinking” about Iran’s fu-

Supporters of moderate cleric Hassan Rohani hold a picture of him as they celebrate his victory in Iran’s presidential election on a pedestrian bridge in Tehran, June 15

ture direction.

While no reformer himself, Rohani gained the backing of the politically sidelined but still popular leaders of the reform movement. His call for an end to an “era of extremism” won over many voters tired of the economic crises and crackdowns on free speech that marked Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s presidency.

However, Rohani’s surprise win – taking just over 50 per cent of the vote – is

not expected quickly to resolve Tehran’s nuclear stand-off with the West or break its commitment to backing President Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s civil war.

U.S. President Barack Obama’s chief of staff Denis McDonough said: “If he (Rohani) is interested in, as he has said in his campaign, mending Iran’s relations with the rest of the world, there is an opportunity to do that.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

Greek PM dismisses talk of early election over TV closure UK Prime Minister David Cameron

On Friday, the U.S. announced it would supply some rebels with direct military aid after seeing evidence of chemical weapons use by Assad’s regime.

Moscow is unconvinced about the evidence on chemical weapons and has said it will supply President Assad with advanced anti-aircraft missiles.

Putin said Moscow was not breaching any laws by supplying arms to the “legitimate government of Syria”.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

G

reek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Sunday dismissed talk of an early election over the abrupt closure of the state broadcaster, which brought protests from viewers, workers, the opposition, and his coalition partners.

Samaras defended his decision to close ERT and relaunch what he said would be a smaller, more efficient version as a way for Greece to show it was serious about implementing reforms and saving money under the terms of its international bailout.

But a clash between the

prime minister and his two left-wing coalition partners over when and how to resume public broadcasts has raised the prospect of political turmoil, just a year after Greeks went to the polls, and the derailing of the bailout.

“If some people naively believe that they can trap us into an election dilemma, let them not tire themselves,” Samaras told a gathering of his conservative New Democracy party in the seaside town of Nafplio in the Peloponnese. “Nobody wants it.”

The opposition Syriza

party said Samaras’s decision to close ERT was “the climax of his authoritarian policy” and urged Greeks to rally in Syntagma square in Athens today at 20:00h (1700 GMT), where party leader Alexis Tsipras was to deliver a speech.

The Communistaffiliated trade union PAME also called a rally near ERT’s headquarters, where workers had been gathering since its closure.

The decision to take the 75-year-old ERT off air at midnight last Tuesday has split the fragile coalition.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

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monday, june 17, 2013

guyanatimesgy.com

Africa

Caribbean

Republic Bank in Ghana: Risk and reward Cote d’ Ivoire feels crunch

R

epublic Bank’s decision to increase its stake in the HFC Bank in Ghana from 8.9 per cent to just over 32 per cent is one of the more interesting developments in Trinidad’s corporate sector in a long time.

The Republic Bank purchase of additional shares in HFC Bank is a development that means that in the space of six months or so Republic has gone from zero presence to being the single largest shareholder of a bank in

the second biggest economy in West Africa and the bank has also cemented its position in Barbados by acquiring the remaining 34.86 per cent shareholding in what used to be known as the Barbados National Bank.

The acquisition of 68,854,703 shares at US$0.30 a share from the Aureos Africa Fund may have been opportunistic, but it certainly provides the financial institution with a platform to serve as a beachhead for local investments

in Ghana’s hydrocarbon industry.

In the recent past, the state-owned National Gas Company, the majority state-owned Phoenix Park Gas Processors, as well as some private local interest, have been in Ghana looking at opportunities in the energy sector there.

The establishment of Republic Bank in Ghana certainly will provide the impetus for the reach into the West African energy scene. (Trinidad Guardian)

North America Google tests balloons to beam Internet from near space

G

oogle is launching balloons into near space to provide Internet access to buildings below on the ground. About 30 of the superpressure balloons are being launched from New Zealand from where they will drift around the world on a controlled path.

Attached equipment will offer 3G-like speeds to 50 testers in the country.

Access will be intermittent, but in time the firm hopes

to build a big enough fleet to offer reliable links to people living in remote areas.

It says that balloons could one day be diverted to disaster-hit areas to aid rescue efforts in situations where ground communication equipment has been damaged. But one expert warns that trying to simultaneously navigate thousands of the high-altitude balloons around the globe’s wind patterns will prove a

difficult task to get right.

Google calls the effort Project Loon and acknowledges it is “highly experimental” at this stage.

Each balloon is 15 metres (49.2ft) in diameter – the length of a small plane – and filled with lifting gases.

Electronic equipment hangs underneath including radio antennas, a flight computer, an altitude control system, and solar panels to power the gear. (BBC News)

of cashew revenue theft

A

bout a third of Côte d’Ivoire’s cashew nuts are smuggled abroad every year, robbing the country of a valuable income stream.

“More than 100,000 tons of cashew nuts are illegally exported every year,” said Siaka Coulibaly, the chief of staff at the Ministry of Agriculture.

It is estimated that 150,000 tons of cashew nuts were smuggled through the northern and eastern borders of the country in 2011, repre-

senting a US$130 million loss to the national economy, a UN expert panel said in an April 2013 report.

Former New Forces rebels in the current administration of President Alassane Ouattara are part of a “military-economic” network smuggling cocoa, cotton, cashew nuts, and other natural resources mainly to Ghana, said the report.

“The network also systematically impedes proper control and interdiction of smug-

gled goods by the recently redeployed state authorities such as the police, the gendarmerie, the customs authorities, and the water and forestry police,” it said.

Cashew nut production has grown steadily in the past decade to become the country’s third export produce after cocoa and coffee. Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s second largest cashew nut exporter.

This year’s output is estimated to be 480,000 tons, 50,000 tons more than in 2012. (allAfrica)

Asia

China orders firms to curb pollution

T

he Chinese government has ordered firms in heavy-polluting industries to cut emissions by 30 per cent by 2017.

Under the new rules companies will be legally obliged to improve their pollution control equipment and will be penalised for excess emissions.

Analysts said enforcement of the targets was likely to fall to local governments.

The announcement did not specify which industries would be affected by the new

emissions rules.

However, earlier this year ministers hinted that industries such as iron, steel, petrochemicals, and cement would face new targets.

The State Council announced the emissions targets as part of a document that approved 10 measures for tackling environmental problems, including: Curbing the growth of energy-consuming industries like steel, cement, aluminium, and glass; refusing

permission for new industrial projects if they failed to meet required standards, and strengthening enforcement of the current penalties regime.

Some of the biggest and most successful recent protests in China have been triggered by environmental concerns.

In 2007, residents of Xiamen staged a series of protests against the construction of a chemical factory in the area and forced the local government to back down.(BBC News)

Middle East Barriers to homeownership Qatar tightens caps on banks’ securities investment dividing Britain, youth say Europe

M

ost young Britons say rising barriers to home ownership are dividing the country socially and economically, and one in five has abandoned the dream of ever owning a property, a survey by mortgage provider Halifax said.

More than 70 per cent of 8,051 survey respondents said the country was being split between those who could and those who

could not buy a home, which in the long run could impact neighbourhoods, families and the job market, the Lloyds Banking Groupowned (LLOY.L) lender said on Monday. The respondents, aged between 25 and 40, said the effects included leaving their generation without sufficient resources for retirement, affecting social mobility, and widening the country’s wealth gap.

Market statistics

House prices rose steeply in Britain from the late 1990s until the global financial crisis broke in 2008, and they have been kept high by a combination of factors.

“Home ownership is clearly still an important goal for a lot of people, but fewer and fewer people consider it to be something they’ll be able to achieve,” said Halifax’s Mortgages Director, Craig McKinlay. (Reuters)

Cambio Rates

Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Bank of Guyana

Fixed as at January 7, 2013 Calculated at 94% purity

Buying

Selling

U.S.

GBP

$310.58

$344.58

Cambio

CAN

$161.50

$181.42

Gross

$312,663

$205.58

Net

$290,776

Selling

$322,632

Cur

$198.42

USD

$1645.25 $202.17

Indicators as on June 14, 2013 Live Spot Gold

Indicators

USD Per Once

Bid/Ask

$1385.70

$1386.70

Low/High

$1373.00

$1389.40

Change

-02.70

-0.19

June 14 USD GBP EUR June 13 USD GBP EUR

London Gold Fix AM 1386.25 885.33 1039.71 AM 1377.25 878.40 1036.77

Crude Oil Price Silver Platinum

US$ per barrel

Change %

$104.95

+0.12

USD per Ounce

Change %

$21.85

+0.07 -28.00

$1450.00

PM 1385.00 883.63 1040.96 PM 1383.25 890.35 1038.18

Q

atar’s central bank has tightened its curbs on how much banks can invest in stocks and bonds, according to a circular released by the central bank and seen

by Reuters.

Banks’ total investment in equities and debt instruments must be limited to 25 per cent of their capital and reserves, though debt instruments issued by the government and national banks are exempt from the limits.

Previously, under instructions to banks issued in November 2011, the limits were 30 per cent each for equities and debt instruments.

Among other restrictions, the central bank set new limits for investment in individual companies and unlisted securities, and introduced a 15 per cent ceiling for total securities investment outside Qatar.

Real estate investment by Islamic banks will be limited

to 10 per cent of capital and reserves; previously, the limit was 30 per cent.

The central bank did not give the reasons for its new rules, but Qatar is gearing up to spend tens of billions of dollars on major infrastructure projects, and it is seeking to develop its government debt market partly to help finance this. No timeframe was given, and central bank officials could not be contacted to elaborate. (Arabianbusiness)

Investors' guide Japanese PM Abe’s true test: Rising government bond yields

A

benomics’ massive monetary stimulus was supposed to depress long-term interest rates to spur economic activity, but the Japanese government bond market has other ideas.

Banks, unable to make money on their Japanese government bonds (JGBs) anymore, have begun sloughing off their holdings, putting upward pressure on yields.

Major banks sold off about 11 per cent of their holdings in April alone.

Large lenders have hiked their prime rates to make up for the loss of earnings on JGBs, which threatens to price potential borrowers out of the mortgage market, while higher long-term rates could

sap corporate Japan’s already anaemic demand for loans.

That puts at risk the very activity Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had intended to spark with the Bank of Japan’s massive quantitative easing (QE) on April 4, when it promised to inject US$1.4 trillion into the economy over two years. “QE policy doesn’t mean just buying more government bonds.

Buying more bonds is just a tool, a means to achieve lower interest rates,” said Takuji Okubo, chief economist at Japan Macro Advisors.

Worried investors

“QE is also convincing the market that yields will stay low, and the Bank of Japan is

not doing the latter,” he said.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year JGB is still very low both historically and compared with other sovereign debt. But it has jumped about half a percentage point from the record-low 0.315 per cent reached the day after the BoJ unveiled its radical plan to double the monetary base over two years to achieve two per cent inflation. At one stage in recent frenetic trading, it reached one per cent.

The plan’s rationale was that the intense burst of monetary stimulus would drive down interest rates, as the central bank bought an amount equivalent to about 70 per cent of new issuance each month. (Reuters)

Business concept – Industry life cycle analysis

Last:15176.08

Changes: +180.85

% Change: +1.21

Open: 14992.54

High: 15202.27

Low: 14953.45

% YTD: +15.81

52Wk Hi: 15398.48

52 Wk Lo: 12035.09

A method for analysing industries based on the idea that they go through a series of identifiable life cycle phases (for example, introduction, growth, maturity). The information gained from defining where an industry is in its life cycle is used to determine the risk/reward ratio of a potential investment. For example, investing during the introduction phase is high-risk since future growth is uncertain. However, an early investment also has the potential for the greatest return.

news

17

monday, june 17, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

MAB hosts health fair in observance of Father’s Day

Aranaputa cell site commissioning

GT&T aims for revolution in rural connectivity T T

he commissioning of the new cellular site at Aranaputa in Region Nine is part of the overall goal of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited (GT&T) to stimulate a revolution in rural connectivity for small farmers and other microscale producers.

This announcement was made by GT&T Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Radha Krishna Sharma at the commissioning ceremony, which was held at the site on Saturday. He said the company is looking forward to the “rural transformation”, which will be brought about by the advent of the mobile phone in the various communities.

Sharma said many other economies have seen that expanded rural connectivity and the growth of mobile services appear to be stimulating a greater wave of optimism among villagers and service providers than has been achieved in previous phases of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for development.

Planning strategy

The CEO said GT&T considers the Linden-Lethem corridor vital to Guyana’s current and future commercial and national development interests. “To this end, we have, as part of our planning strategy and capital expenditure allocations, continually factored in im-

barked on because the North Rupununi area was being insufficiently served by rural radio booths. Also, Sharma said this strategic demographic area serves as a hub for North Rupununi in business, educational, and health matters, and as such, wider access to the national network is needed.

Transformation

GT&T CEO Radha Krishna Sharma

proving voice and data communications along this region, notwithstanding the high deployment costs of rural communication infrastructure,” he said.

Along this corridor GT&T has cell sites at Wisroc and Mabura, and now one in the Aranaputa Valley. There are also two in Lethem, with works in advanced stages at the important Kurupukari crossing.

“These mobile deployments are the first stage of a rollout plan,” said Sharma.

He said the next phases will include green power solutions and broadband delivery, given the importance of data to ICT development and commerce.

“This facility will no doubt have a transformative effect on our lives, both in the manner we conduct business and our social relations,” the CEO said.

“In this context, I must mention the duality of benefit with our mobile cellular service and the recent launch of Mobile Money Guyana Limited – the concept of an electronic wallet integrated in our mobile phone infrastructure is of tremendous significance in remote and rural communities that are typically under-banked.”

He said GT&T’s plans for investment and expansion are many and the company will continue to expand and upgrade services to ensure that Guyanese, wherever they live, have easy and affordable access to these vital services.

Sharma stated that GT&T intends to continue optimising its coverage and monitoring of traffic trends that will further guide planning in conjunction with broadband deployment and delivery. He said the compa-

ny acknowledges that mobile data rates via the current 2G system will be insufficient for the long-term needs of communities.

“Of course, this is not a matter that is entirely in the hands of GT&T. It is for several years now that we have been engaging the government in discussions on spectrum allocations,” he said, noting that plans are in train to upgrade to a 4G network.

Liberalisation

The CEO said the company has publicly stated that it welcomes the liberalisation of the telecommunication sector, noting that the deepening of this “important” industry is integral to the overall development of the country.

“However, liberalisation needs to be done in an orderly, structured manner, so phased that it reflects transparency and, from our perspective, a recognition of, and respect for, contractual rights and obligations,” he said.

Sharma further pointed out that investors’ confidence can only be enhanced when the sanctity of contracts and legal agreements are respected.

In closing, the CEO extended sincere thanks to the community and the regional officials for accepting GT&T into all the villages and the hospitality shown to the company’s team.

he Men’s Affairs Bureau (MAB) in collaboration with the Health Ministry on Saturday hosted a health fair targeting about 300 persons, primarily males.

The event in observance of Father’s Day held in the compound of the MAB attracted scores of persons and offered an array of services, including free dental services, blood pressure testing, blood sugar testing, HIV /Aids testing, body mass index testing, among others. The blood bank was also at the fair, capitalising on the opportunity of persons wanting to donate blood.

MAB administrator Diego Alphonso said, “We decided to host the fair since we believe that as men, we do not take care of our health as we should… until something happens when it’s really, really bad then we would go and check up on our health.”

He noted that the blood drive was also incorporated into the event since in society it appears as if men are only taking lives; hence this is symbolic of men giving and saving life.

“Men are seen as the villains so we want to show that there are still good

men in society and even those who are not good, they can still make a meaningful contribution and improve their life.”

He encouraged men in society to make meaningful contributions while he called on other men who may be sidetracked, or are in the wrong path, to “buck up” and strive to be the best role models they possibly can. Alphonso encouraged persons to visit the bureau to get guidance if they have issues affecting them.

“If you feel provoked to a point where you think you’ll become a perpetrator to domestic violence for example, you can come in and we can talk options and an alternative since we say violence is not the solution to our problem, violence is the problem in society.”

Alphanso disclosed that the bureau will strive to make the fair an annual event. The event was held under the theme, “Men taking responsibility for their health and their families.” The MAB launched in 2011, aimed to holistically address the needs of men in relation to social problems between men and women and to root out the causes of domestic violence.

Festival City shooting victims Former Jamzone queen launches shoe store recovering Wider access

The Aranaputa cell site, which will serve Annai and its environs, was em-

F

ormer Miss Jamzone 2010 queen Jovan Krystal Wilson on Saturday launched her shoe store called Krystal’s Kouture. The store is located on Charlotte Street, Georgetown.

The simple ceremony commenced with a prayer

by Pastor Keith McGowen of the New Covenant Teaching Centre, who blessed the building, asking God’s divine guidance and strength be showered on the former queen as she moves into the world of entrepreneurship.

Present to chaperone the former Miss Jamzone was reigning Miss Guyana Universe Ruqayyah Boyer, Former Miss Guyana World 2006 Dessia Braithwaite, several business representatives, family and friends.

Krystal’s Kouture will officially be opened to the public today. The motto of the new store is “Making every stepper a trendsetter”.

Speaking with Guyana Times, Wilson said good things come to those who wait, noting that the store was birthed out of her natural love for shoes and spirited interest to become a busi-

Jovan Krystal Wilson

nesswoman.

The Miss Jamzone 2010 queen stated that it is quite easy for women to look around and recognise the lack in variety and versatility matched with quality and affordability in the local shoe industry and it was this realisation that gave her the urge to seek to revolutionise the choices for women Wilson further stated that during her reign as Miss Guyana Jamzone, she ran the idea with the public who seemed to approve it, and she decided to give it a try.

The young businesswoman said being a former model; she understands the importance of happy feet so her new store will be providing an extensive collection of trendy, authentic and affordable heels. The mission is to provide Guyana with an upscale selection for every occasion, and to surpass expectations by providing outstanding customer service.

She told those present that by staying focussed in pursuing their dreams, there is absolutely no force that can stop them.

T

he two persons who were shot during a robbery in Festival City, South Ruimveldt are recuperating at the Georgetown Public Hospital, a close friend of the family has informed Guyana Times.

According to the reliable source, 67-year-old George Grimes, who sustained a gunshot wound to his left shoulder and his 31-yearold daughter-in-law Ruth Rodney Grimes who was shot in her abdomen, underwent surgeries Sunday afternoon to remove the bullets that were lodged in their bodies.

Meanwhile, Grimes’ son, Kevin Grimes, has received several stitches to the head for the injuries he sustained after being gun-butted.

Reflecting on what transpired on Saturday night, the eyewitness who wishes to remain anonymous said they were sitting on the veranda of a one flat Lot 1858 Festival City residence when three men dressed in

black barged into the yard shortly after 19:00h. At the time, Kevin and his friend were watching some wedding photos on a laptop computer.

He said one of the gunmen dragged Kevin into the sitting room where the two began to scuffle. The eyewitness and Ruth were held hostage outside.

After hearing a noise in the living room, Kevin’s father ran to his rescue. The three men began to fight, resulting in the second gunman entering the living room, leaving the gunman in the yard “on the lookout”.

By this, time the eyewitness had made good his escape through the back door. He said while proceeding to the back door, he heard several shots fired. Grimes and his daughter-in-law who came home from the U.S. for vacation were shot. The three bandits fled the scene taking the laptop, cash and jewellery. The police have launched an investigation into the matter.

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guyanatimesgy.com

monday, june 17, 2013

thursDAY, march 11, 2010 | guyanatimesGY.com

archie

By Bernice Bede Osol

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) Your future success could be predicated upon how much you ante up.

When the stakes are high enough, your drive and motivation will give you the confidence you need to succeed.

dilbert

(June 21July 22) Don’t be too quick to jump to conclusions, because quick assessments are apt to be faulty. If you take time to check out the facts, you’ll be on much firmer ground.

AQUARIUS

LEO

(Jan. 20Feb. 19)

(July 23Aug. 22)

Try not to unfairly judge someone you meet for the first time. If given half a chance, this person could be an asset as a friend and as a valuable contact.

Calvin and Hobbes

CANCER

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Be careful, because ego could exert a strong influence on your decision-making processes, which could lead to poor judgment on your part. Take “me” out of the picture.

Do not expect more from friends and family than they have the right to expect from you. And if you think you’ll soon be in need of some help, maybe you should offer some yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) Intangibles are likely to confuse you, because you might not be able to grasp what they’re all about. Stick to what you can feel and touch, and you’ll fare much better.

Peanuts

SUDOKU

ARIES

LIBRA

(March 21-April 19)

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Your concerns regarding a person vital to your current plans will be put to rest. This person’s behaviour will clearly demonstrate his or her steadfast support.

Although you’re usually a pragmatic person, today you could be more of a daydreamer. To be on the safe side, rely more on logic than on imagination.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) To achieve something important, you need to rely only on yourself and nobody else. You’ll have greater success without helpers who don’t fully understand what you’re doing.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22) Business conditions can be a bit tricky, but as long as you conduct your affairs in a methodical manner, you should still come out on the profit side of the ledger.

Saturday's solution GEMINI (May 21June 20) Be prepared to take on a leadership role in a group endeavour. Once you provide the necessary wherewithal to accomplish a goal, everyone will follow.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21) Someone you’re not especially fond of might lead you toward something quite beneficial. Don’t allow emotion or prejudice to interfere with opportunity.

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Kuwaiti court dissolves country’s parliament

K

uwait’s top court has dissolved the parliament and called for new elections after an opposition challenge to the voting system was thrown out.

Head judge Youssef al-Mutawa said the Constitutional Court made its decision after examining and rejecting the challenge.

The case had questioned the constitutionality of a change to the electoral system ordered by the emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed alSabah.

Mutawa said the hearing had decided not to make a ruling on the challenge, in effect leaving the emir’s decree unchanged. Al-Sabah is described as “immune and inviolable” in the constitution. The government said the new system, which reduced the number of votes per person to one from four, brought Kuwait in line with other countries.

However, opposition politicians said the decree was unconstitutional and an attempt to stop them from forming a majority or bloc in the parliament.

Al-Sabah had used emergency powers in October last year to change voting rules, six weeks before the country was due to hold parliamentary elections.

Opposition politicians boycotted the poll, and on the eve of the election tens of thousands of Kuwaitis

The court rejected a case questioning the constitutionality of a change to the electoral system ordered by the emir

marched in protest against the decree.

Protest march ban

The Interior Ministry said on Friday it would not allow any unlicensed protest marches.

“We will never allow any rallies or marches outside Erada Square,” said a statement from the Interior Ministry, referring to a designated protest area opposite the parliament.

State news agency KUNA said any protesters who break the law would be dealt with firmly.

Political parties are banned in Kuwait and the four-vote system helped opposition MPs form alliances in elections and gave them more clout in the parliament.

Islamic, nationalist, and liberal opposition groups

said the emir’s decree would enable the government to manipulate election results and subsequent legislation as a consequence.

The case has international significance because political stability in Kuwait, owner of more than six per cent of global oil reserves, has traditionally depended on cooperation between the government and the elected parliament, the oldest and most powerful legislature in the Arab Gulf states.

The country sits in a strategic position between Saudi Arabia and Iraq and across the Gulf from Iran.

Kuwait has been ruled by the Al-Sabah dynasty since 1750, but the opposition has repeatedly said it is challenging the constitutional system and not AlSabah rule per se. (Al Jazeera)

U.S. NSA “probed fewer than 300 phone calls”

T

he U.S. government searched for detailed information on fewer than 300 phone numbers last year, according to a government paper.

They were among millions of phone and email records collected by the National Security Agency (NSA) in 2012, it says.

The paper adds that such searches led to two men who were plotting to attack New York’s subway system in 2009. The newly declassified paper has been circulated within the government by U.S. intelligence agencies.

It was made public by the Senate Intelligence Committee on Sunday.

The document appears to be an attempt to counter accusations that the government went too far in investigating potential militant plots.

The administration insists that even though the NSA collects massive amounts of data on message traffic from U.S.-based telephone and internet companies, such data collection is legal, subject to tight con-

Details of the surveillance programmes were leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden

trols and does not intrude on the privacy of ordinary Americans – and that gathered data is destroyed every five years.

The paper repeats assertions by administration spokesmen that NSA email and telephone data-collection programmes helped disrupt “dozens of potential terrorist plots here in the homeland and in more than 20 countries around the world”.

No details about the plots or the countries involved are

revealed.

The paper’s release follows a testing week for U.S. intelligence officials who testified in Congress, defending programmes that were unknown to the public – and some lawmakers – until they were revealed by a series of stories in the Guardian and the Washington Post newspapers.

These were based on information leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who is in hiding in Hong Kong. (BBC News)

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monday, june 17, 2013

England reach semis with win over New Zealand E ngland defied the rain and a late New Zealand rally to book their place in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy with a tense 10-run win at Cardiff on Sunday.

A target of 170 in a game delayed by five hours and reduced to 24 overs per side appeared well within the Kiwis’ reach after England lost their last seven wickets for 28 runs.

But the hosts bowled splendidly, especially with the new ball, to restrict New Zealand to 159-8 despite Kane Williamson’s valiant 67 off 54 balls.

Although they spent much of the second innings in the ascendancy, England could breathe easily only when Williamson skied Stuart Broad to James Anderson at extra-cover in the 22nd over.

That Broad was millimetres away from being penalised for a no-ball – and some replays suggested he should have been – was typical of a day on which England’s hopes of progressing hung precariously in the balance.

As it is, England, as likely Group A winners, look set to face South Africa in the first semi-final at The Oval on Wednesday.

Should Australia beat Sri Lanka convincingly today, England will qualify as runners-up and meet India

of clear thinking in the latter overs as Kyle Mills’s 4-30 saw him become the leading wicket-taker in Champions Trophy history.

Ian Bell had already been reprieved by Franklin when he drilled Mitchell McClenaghan to short extra-cover in the second over, and Jonathan Trott clipped Mills to midwicket shortly after.

A 75-run stand for the third wicket between Cook and Root was far from fluent until Cook launched Franklin back over his head for six then unveiled a ramp

by Nathan McCullum – was also made apparent as New Zealand slipped to 62-5 in reply on a surface that spent much of the day under cover.

Anderson was chiefly responsible for inflicting the early damage, inducing a rash pull from Luke Ronchi that found third man and bowling Martin Guptill via an inside edge two balls later.

The required run-rate had climbed to more than eight an over by the time Ross Taylor failed to overturn an lbw verdict, but that remained a realistic possibility until Brendon McCullum was superbly taken low down at deep square-leg by Joe Root off Bopara, who ac-

Murray wins Aegon Championships at Queen’s

A

ndy Murray won his third Aegon Championships title and completed the perfect preparation for Wimbledon with victory over Marin Cilic at Queen’s Club.

The Briton’s serve was especially impressive as he won the rain-delayed final 5-7 7-5 6-3.

Victory capped a week that had proved an ideal return from the back injury that forced him to miss the French Open.

Murray, the world number two, will now turn his attention to a week of practice, before resuming his quest for a first Wimbledon title.

“I worked very hard in the time that I had off to try and get myself back in the best shape possible,” he told BBC One. “My team helped me a lot, they were patient with me and it’s why I was able to come out and play so tough in the last couple of matches.”

A second Monday final in three years had looked a possibility at Queen’s, but after a rain delay of more than three hours, and one aborted attempt to start, play began at 15:29 BST. Murray made the first breakthrough with a whipped cross-court forehand in game two and served his way out of trouble facing three break points in the next, but from 4-1 the

Andy Murray

tide began to turn.

Two forehands dragged down into the net saw the Scot give up his advantage, and when he fell awkwardly while trying in vain to convert a break point in the next game, a shriek of pain rang around the Centre Court.

“The courts have taken a bit of a pounding this week – it’s been extremely wet – and I just slipped,” the 26-year-old told BBC Sport afterwards.

“I was a bit sore in the groin area, thankfully it wasn’t too bad.”

Murray dusted himself down and carried on, albeit rather cautiously, but the momentum was now with Cilic and the fifth seed broke again for 6-5, before fending off two break points to take

the set.

The sun was finally shining as the second set began, and Murray’s fortunes brightened as his serve clicked into gear.

Cilic managed to cling on in the face of three break points in game five, but unable to make any headway against Murray’s serve, the pressure was always quickly back upon him.

The Croat almost made it to the shoot-out of a tiebreak but a brilliant lob set Murray on the way to a break in game 12, and Cilic netted a forehand on set point.

As he did in Saturday’s semi-final win over JoWilfried Tsonga, Murray accelerated towards the finish line with some sublime play in the final set. (BBC Sport)

(BBC Sport)

SCOREBOARD

English players celebrating their victory on Sunday

in the last four at Cardiff on Thursday.

New Zealand will be knocked out unless Australia win – but only by a margin that ensures the Black Caps maintain their superior net run-rate.

A large portion of the credit for England’s safe passage must go to Anderson, who claimed two key early wickets and finished with 3-32, while Ravi Bopara – their fifth bowler – numbered the dangerous Brendon McCullum in his haul of 2-26.

The value of Alastair Cook’s innings of 64 off 47 balls – albeit one in which he was dropped three times

shot over the wicketkeeper.

Root perished for 38 as he made room to pull McClenaghan, before Cook offered a return catch to Nathan McCullum to spark England’s collapse.

The out-of-form Eoin Morgan followed, lbw sweeping Daniel Vettori, and when James Tredwell steered Mills straight to third man England had gone from 1413 to 169 all out in the space of five overs.

Thanks to Anderson and company, it was a collapse that did not prove crucial.

counted for James Franklin in his next over.

Williamson, driving and pulling forcibly, and ODI debutant Corey Anderson, who swung merrily, gave England cause for concern with a sixth-wicket partnership of 73 off 45 deliveries.

Broad atoned for an over from Bresnan that cost 19 by ending Williamson’s counter-attack, Corey Anderson perished moments later and James Anderson ended an erratic final over by finding Nathan McCullum’s edge.

England’s innings, which began five and a half hours after they lost the toss, was equally frantic – marked by rash strokeplay and a lack

England innings A Cook* c & b N McCullum 64 I Bell c B McCullum b McClenaghan 10 J Trott c N McCullum b Mills 8 J Root c †Ronchi b McClenaghan 38 E Morgan lbw b Vettori 15 J Buttler† c N McCullum b Mills 14 R Bopara c Williamson b McClenaghan 9 T Bresnan run out (Franklin) 4 S Broad c N McCullum b Mills 0 J Tredwell c McClenaghan b Mills 0 J Anderson not out 0 Extras: (lb2, w4, nb1) 7 Total: (all out, 23.3 overs) 169 Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-25, 3-100, 4-141, 5-143, 6-159, 7-166, 8-169, 9-169, 10-169 Bowling: M McClenaghan 5-0-36-3, K Mills 4.3-0-304, C Anderson 1-0-4-0, D

Vettori 5-0-27-1, J Franklin 2-0-20-0, N McCullum 4-030-1, K Williamson 2-0-20-0 New Zealand innings M Guptill b Anderson 9 L Ronchi† c Trott b Anderson 2 K Williamson c Anderson b Broad 67 R Taylor lbw b Bresnan 3 B McCullum* c Root b Bopara 8 J Franklin c Morgan b Bopara 6 C Anderson c Anderson b Bresnan 30 N McCullum c †Buttler b Anderson 13 K Mills not out 5 Extras: (lb8, w8) 16 Total: (8 wkts, 24 overs) 159 Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-14, 3-27, 4-48, 5-62, 6-135, 7-140, 8-159 Bowling: S Broad 5-0-25-1, J Anderson 5-0-32-3, T Bresnan 5-0-41-2, R Bopara 5-0-262, J Tredwell 4-0-27-0

Rose makes history at Merion

J

ustin Rose clinched his maiden major title to become the first Englishman for 43 years to win the U.S. Open on Sunday.

The 32-year-old triumphed by two shots from five-time runner-up Phil Mickelson and Jason Day on a gripping final day.

Rose, also the first Englishman to win a major since Nick Faldo in 1996, fired a level-par 70 to end one over as overnight leader Mickelson carded 74.

Australian Day took 71 as England’s Luke Donald (75) collapsed to six over on the treacherous Merion course. Rose, the world number five, looked up to the sky with tears in his eyes after he tapped in his final putt, and admitted later to thinking of his late father Ken, his long-time mentor.

Mickelson needed to birdie the last to force an 18-hole play-off today, but the fourtime major champion could only make a bogey five. “A lot of us come from great men and we have a responsibility to our children to show what a great man can be,” said Rose of his gesture when he was presented with the trophy on the 18th green.

“I couldn’t help but look up to the heavens and think that my old dad Ken had something to do with it.”

Rose, who was born in Johannesburg but brought up in Hampshire, burst onto the wider scene as a 17-year-

Justin Rose

old amateur when he finished fourth in the 1998 Open at Royal Birkdale.

He went on to miss 21 consecutive cuts when he joined the paid ranks, before winning his first professional event in 2002. His biggest victory to date was the WGC Cadillac Championship last March. Rose’s previous best major finish was tied third in the U.S. PGA behind Rory McIlroy last year, while he has had six other top 10s in majors.

The last Englishman to lift the U.S. Open was Tony Jacklin, who won at Hazeltine in 1970. Rose first hit the front at the eighth hole as the lead changed hands countless times on a tumultuous final day.

Mickelson was seemingly finished after two double bogeys in his first five holes, but the mercurial home favourite holed his second shot for an eagle at the 10th to re-

gain top spot and reignite his challenge.

The pair duelled down the notorious final stretch, but Mickelson was unable to clinch a first U.S. Open title and avenge his Ryder Cup singles defeat to Rose last year.

“This is tough to swallow after coming so close,” said Mickelson, who was celebrating his 43rd birthday.

“This was my best chance on a golf course I really liked. I felt like this was as good an opportunity as you could ask for and to not do it hurts.”

Open champion Ernie Els (69) and Americans Jason Dufner (67), Hunter Mahan (75) and Billy Horschel (74) ended tied fourth.

World number one Tiger Woods’s challenge was already over before the final round and he ended 13 over after a 74, while secondranked Rory McIlroy took 76 for 14 over. (BBC Sport)

MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Balotelli scores winner for Italy M

ario Balotelli showed off his strength and rapidly developing talent by scoring the winner in Italy’s 2-1 victory over Mexico on Sunday at the Confederations Cup. In the 78th minute, Balotelli collected a perfectly placed acrobatic pass from Emanuele Giaccherini and muscled in between two defenders to break a deadlock in the first official match at the renovated Maracana Stadium.

Celebrating his 100th appearance with the national team, Andrea Pirlo had given Italy the lead with one of his trademark free kicks in the 27th.

Mexico equalised in the 34th minute, when Javier ‘’Chicharito’’ Hernandez converted a penalty kick after Andrea Barzagli tripped Giovani Dos Santos. ‘’I was dreaming of a free-kick goal,’’ Pirlo said. ‘’It was important to win the first match and now we have three days to recuperate. It’s nice to be applauded in a legendary stadium like this.’’

In an entertaining Group A match, Italy dominated possession while Mexico relied on counterattacks, coming close when Andres Guardado hit the crossbar in the 11th.

Italy moved level with Brazil on three points in the group after the hosts beat Japan 3-0 in the tour-

Future bright for Windies, SL, says Edwards

Italy’s Mario Balotelli celebrates his winner against Mexico at Maracana Stadium on Sunday

nament opener Saturday.

The Azzurri had not impressed in their last two matches, drawing with both the Czech Republic in a World Cup qualifier and with Haiti upon arriving in Brazil earlier this week, but Pirlo and Balotelli made the difference this time.

For his 13th goal for Italy, Pirlo curled a spinning shot over Mexico’s wall into the top left corner after Balotelli earned the foul that set up the deadball shot from 30 meters (yards) out.

Mexico’s equaliser came after Barzagli let Dos Santos get by him to set up Hernandez’s 33rd goal in 51 appearances for Mexico. The 25-yearold Hernandez, who plays

for Manchester United, is on course to better the Mexico record of 42 goals held by former great Jared Borgetti.

As usual, the temperamental Balotelli by turn misbehaved and by turn proved unstoppable.

At one point midway through the second half, Balotelli kicked his boot across the area after being thwarted by Mexico’s stubborn defence.

But the AC Milan striker finally broke through as the match appeared headed for a draw, holding off Mexico captain Francisco Rodriguez then powering past another defender, Hiram Mier, to slot the ball in as he skidded across the grass.

Much like at last year’s

European Championship, when he scored both goals in a 2-1 semifinal win over Germany and pulled off his shirt after one of them, Balotelli reacted by stripping off his jersey to show off his muscular physique, earning a yellow card.

Perhaps worried that he might pick up a second yellow card, as in the match against the Czech Republic, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli replaced Balotelli in the 85th with Alberto Gilardino. Balotelli walked off to a warm reception from the sold-out crowd.

Balotelli rarely celebrates while playing club ball, saying often that he saves his goal festivities for big national team matches.

(Fox Soccer)

Ethiopia progress, South Africa knocked out

E

thiopia progressed to the African playoffs after knocking 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa out of the race to Brazil with a 2-1 win in Addis Ababa.

The come-from-behind victory means the Ethiopians cannot be caught in Group A, with one round of matches still left.

South Africa started perfectly when Bernard Parker scored after 33 minutes.

But Getaneh Kebede levelled just nine minutes before Parker scored a spectacular own goal after 70 minutes to hand Ethiopia victory.

Yet the East Africans’ passage to the final round of African qualifying was cast into doubt as FIFA announced disciplinary proceedings against them late on Sunday.

Should they avoid sanction, coach Sewnet Bishaw will hope to continue his success with Ethiopia – with the team a two-legged tie away from qualifying for the World Cup for the first time.

However, they are likely to face difficult foes when the play-off draw is made on September 16 as they are only ranked 29th in Africa – with the five best-ranked

21

Ethiopian fans celebrate their team’s victory

teams being seeded for the third and final round of qualifying.

“Absolutely devastated about the result,” wrote South Africa midfielder Dean Furman, who played the 90 minutes in Addis, on Twitter.

“We gave everything but it was not to be. We must now grow stronger (and) prepare for the next campaign.”

The defeat continues South Africa’s poor record in World Cup qualifying since the last time they managed to reach the finals off their own steam – when doing so in 2002.

They missed out on the 2006 edition before qualifying automatically for the 2010 finals as hosts.

Not since 1986 World

Cup hosts Mexico failed to appear at the 1990 finals has a team that staged the World Cup failed to qualify for the next edition of the tournament. Meanwhile, the win caps a remarkable revival in the fortunes of Ethiopia, one of African football’s founding fathers.

The East African nation, which is far more famous for its prowess in athletics than football, took part in the inaugural Africa Cup of Nations in 1957, finishing second in a three-team tournament.

They won the tournament as hosts five years later, but faded in power as more African nations entered international football after gaining independence.

After the 1970 finals,

Ethiopia qualified for the Nations Cup in 1976 and 1982, but were then wholly absent from the finals until qualifying for this year’s tournament in South Africa.

With many fans watching on a big screen in Addis Ababa and others tuned in around the country, Ethiopia fell behind as Parker latched onto a long ball from goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune before drilling home.

The turning point in the game arguably came seven minutes later as Reneilwe Letsholonyane had a golden opportunity to double South Africa’s lead – only to fail to fire home.

With South Africa knowing that victory would have taken them to the top of Group A, it was to prove a costly miss.

Moments later, Ethiopia – which stay unbeaten in the group – profited from poor defending by South Africa, with four Bafana Bafana players failing to clear and so allowing Kebede to find the net from a tight angle.

Twenty minutes from time, Parker scored his spectacular own goal – and South Africa were clinging on at the end as Khune denied Ethiopia two further clearcut opportunities.(BBC Sport)

West Indies A Captain Kirk Edwards and Sri Lanka A Captain Dimuth Karunarathne share the Two ‘Test’ trophy after the series ended 0-0

K

INGSTON, St Vincent – West Indies A Team captain Kirk Edwards believes the future of both West Indies and Sri Lanka cricket looks bright after both A teams played to a 0-0 draw in the two ‘Test’ series over the last two weeks.

Edwards was speaking moments after his side shook hands, ending a rainhit second ‘Test’ at Arnos Vale in St Vincent where the entire day two was washed out. He feels the selectors on either side should be happy with how both teams played in the series.

He said, “It was a chance for the people to actually play and show what they could do. I think it’s a positive for both West Indies and Sri Lanka that they have players that could play over a four-day period, which they will be looking for these players to move into Test cricket. I think both territories should be pretty pleased with the way the players went about the job.”

The matches though were far from any exciting spectacle as the first ‘Test’ at Warner Park consisted of 1273 runs with six batsmen getting centuries and another four getting halfcenturies. On to St Vincent and after a sunny first day, days three and four suffered heavy losses to rain that ultimately ended any chance of a result.

But had the rain not intervened at Arnos Vale, Edwards was optimistic of one team grabbing a win.

“When you go into a game, you’re looking for a result and cricket is funny as we saw in St Kitts; one team gets a huge total and the next team comes in and chases down that total so who knows who would have gotten stuck in here at Arnos Vale?” Edwards stated.

But amid Warner Park’s batsman-friendly pitch and Arnos Vale’s rain, there were periods of play in which West Indies A players dominated, effectively putting their hands up for the selectors to see.

These players impressed

Edwards who said, “We had Fudadin getting a hundred, Leon Johnson getting his first hundred, Narsingh getting a hundred, and Nikita Miller I thought bowled really well, and that’s the guy who has been doing well for a very long time.

Obviously getting a chance to play four-day cricket for the A-Team, he grabbed it with both hands. But then Cummins bowled really well for his four wickets in this game along with the talented Cotterell so we have a lot of positives.”

Not mentioning himself, the skipper too hit a remarkable 190 in the first ‘Test’ in a knock that lasted 404 minutes, facing 276 balls, stroking 26 fours and a six. His ultimate goal is to get back into the West Indies Senior Test team, but his plan to get back at the highest level is very simple; “My job is to score runs so every opportunity I get, it’s just to go out there and do that.”

Having captained his native Barbados to regional four-day success this season, Edwards felt privileged to be handed the role of West Indies A Team captain, though he admitted, it was a step up from leading at the domestic level. He said, “It’s totally different because when you’re captaining the West Indies, you’ve got guys coming from different places so in such a short space of time for us to gel it was kind of difficult whereas in Barbados we are more familiar with each other so that was just the difference.”

Edwards flew home on Saturday night as the next phase of the series sees both teams playing two Twenty20s at Arnos Vale on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Both matches start at 14:00h Atlantic Standard Time (13:00h Jamaica Time). The West Indies A Team Twenty20 squad will soon be released for those two matches.

Following the two Twenty20s, both teams travel to Grenada for the final leg of the series which entails three one-days on June 23, 25 and 27. (windiescricket)

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monday, june 17, 2013

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Dattsingh wins Banks Premium pool competition – cricketer Nakita Toney takes female title

A

mar Dattsingh came from behind to claim the Banks Premium pool completion last week at the Top Notch Bar, East Canje, Corentyne.

Dattsingh, of Port Mourant, made the best play of the final and snatched victory from the cue of Fizal Khan, also of Port Mourant, to take the $60,000 first prize. Khan was in striking distance but missed his final shot before his fellow villager made good on the opportunity. He had to settle for the $40,000 runner-up prize.

In the first of the bestof-three final, Khan won the first game, leaving his opponent with one ball on the table while in game two the result was turned around, setting up an exciting final

Banks DIH Berbice Branch Manager of Joshua Torrezao hands over the winning trophy to Amar Dattsingh

game. Both players’ nerves showed as they missed shots that seemed easy in the preliminary round.

Earlier, in semi-final action, Khan disposed of Tameshwar Surishpaul

of Canefield, East Canje.

Dattsingh defeated Jamal Ali of Tain in their semi-final.

In the playoff for third place, it was a fight to the last ball with several shots

Rose Hall organisations benefit from RIP

being taken. Eventually, Ali won the game and took the third place trophy and $20,000.

Nakita Toney easily won the female title and carried away one case of beer and a

The winners of the female and male categories Nakita Tony and Amar Dattsingh

trophy. The event which attracted players from across Region Six and lasted for

several weeks was sponsored by Banks DIH Ltd. (Andrew Carmichael)

James and Yaw are the future of 400m running in Guyana

By Treiston Joseph

T

Alex Foster (left) making the presentation to the coach of Jammers Boxing Gym, Gregory Cort

F

our organisations on the Corentyne have benefited from the Rapid Impact Project (RIP) and are now in a better position to deliver their mandates.

On Friday, boxers, cricketers and footballers benefited from the project when the Home Affairs Ministry, through the Citizens’ Security Programme, which is sponsored by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), handed over equipment to the Rose Hall Town Jammers Boxing Gym, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) and Rose Hall Town Pop Stars Football Club.

St Francis Community Developers also received equipment at Friday’s presentation.

The biggest contribution was made to the boxers who received gloves, head gear, speed balls, body armour, skipping ropes and mouth guards, among other equipment used in the gym for coaching.

The footballers received balls, nets, shim pads and hoses (socks) while the cricketers received several

Alex Foster making the presentation to Eon Hooper of RHTY&SC

boxes of balls. Games were presented to St Francis.

The games include chess and domino and will be used by persons who use the facilities at the organisation.

The Citizens’ Security Programme seeks to empower young persons with skills to take them through life.

According to Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, the IDB-sponsored programme

seeks to prepare youths for a positive lifestyle by providing them with the necessary skills.

Local representative Alex Foster made the presentations to Troy Paul from Pop Star, Eon Hooper of RHTY&SC and Jammers Boxing Gym coach Gregory Cort. Community Action Officer Zaïre Ali received for St Francis. (Andrew Carmichael)

he art of the 400 metres, built to test the speed, strength and speed endurance of an athlete, has seen the likes of Olympian Winston George, Stephan James, Jason Yaw, and USA-based Guyanese athlete Kadecia Baird all making history for the nation one way or the other.

However, with Goerge currently away on a training stint and already qualifying for the World Championships in the 200m, and Baird already in the U.S. and slated to represent Guyana at the World Games, Guyana Times Sport will look at the way in which both Yaw and James have blossomed in their own way at the art of the 400m.

James, who stands at 6’ 3”, is now in his first year at the open category and was Guyana’s most consistent junior over the past two years. The South American under-23 bronze medalist is tall, strong and evidently gifted with talent.

His work ethic ensured sub-47s times consistently on the international scene.

While James is not the quickest in terms of leg speed, the burly sprinter makes up for it with his overwhelming strength and willpower.

Meanwhile, Yaw, who stands at 6’ 2”, is a natural talent who combines strength and an above-average leg speed. He will develop more with additional work.

The flow of the 400m comes naturally to the

Jason Yaw

Stephan James

lanky sprinter at the tender age of 15. It was proven when he won his Carifta bronze medal with a sub48s time.

James and Yaw on the international scene have done well, running personal records on numerous occasions. They, however, continue to run slower in their final as compared to their preliminary rounds, which means coaching techniques by their coaches Sham Johnny and Julian Edmonds have to be revisited.

From a technical standpoint, James and Yaw have not yet mastered the way to run the 400m and its different phases. Although James has been improving in the way he runs his phases, the race plan needs to be more concrete along with the type of form used for those phases.

The allusion to the type of form used for varying

phases is due to the fact that the great Michael Johnson, the world record holder, ran the final 100m with his toes pointed outwards so as to use a different group of muscles that were fresher and would give him more speed to finish faster.

This being said, there is room for greater improvement from both athletes, especially Yaw. He is young and already clocking times James clocked when he was an under-20 athlete.

Moreover, while they both might be pretty young James, 20, and Yaw, 15, they are arguably the future of Guyana’s sprinting. However, the major difference between the two is that James’ work ethic has made him into the better 400m runner; Yaw, on the other hand, was basically born for it.

MONDAY, JUNE 17, 2013

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

Guyana’s female hockey team winless in Canada – coach/manager relishes exposure From Ravendra Madholall in Toronto

G

uyana’s female hockey team continued their poor form after the completion of the fourth round on Friday at the Cassie Campbell Community Centre, Sandalwood, where the Canadian national championships were staged.

However, head coach and manager Phillip Fernandes, relished the opportunity of the girls participating in the championships for the first time. The tournament was used as preparation ahead of this year’s Pan American Games.

In their first encounter, the Guyanese were whipped 11-0 by the hosts’ national under-23 team while in the second game they were humiliated 14-0 at the hands of British Columbia.

Guyana showed improvement in the third and fourth matches against Alberta and Ontario respectively, losing 2-0 on both occasions.

Notwithstanding the daunting margins of defeat, Fernandes felt the exposure for the girls is tremendously important for them as it is part of their quest

Guyana’s female hockey team strike a pose before their game on Friday along with team management and coach

for supremacy at this year’s Pan American championships, billed for Argentina in September.

Fernandes acknowledged the fact the goalie was quite lethargic after regular custodian Alysa Xavier arrived late in North America due to her GCE A Level exams.

“I think we just missed

out on a number of opportunities in all our games so far; conceding 11 and 14 goals really demonstrated the poor defence and certainly the absence of Alysa (Xavier), but we have to be thankful for the Hockey Federation up here for hosting us.”

He continued: “The ex-

posure is definitely ‘wonderful’ and I think the girls have learnt a lot so far; the competition is stiff and we playing against some international veterans, but it is part of our preparations for Argentina later in the year.”

Fernandes also mentioned that the limited use of an artificial turf, perhaps,

was the biggest disadvantage for his troops since they played throughout the year in Guyana on grass and now had to adapt to the artificial surface.

“It is going to be a big hindrance for us given the fact we don’t have an artificial track in Guyana and then coming and compete

with teams that are familiar with it, so I think that can contribute to our poor performances so far; it is imperative that we travel overseas prior to major tournaments to expose our players to competition on such a surface,” Fernandes divulged.

According to Fernandes, his coach Rawl Davson put in some technical work since their arrival in Canada a week ago and the players showed great enthusiasm and commitment and maximised on the opportunity.

Fernandes stated that with the absence of three senior players, the result certainly was affected. Sonia Jardine could not make the trip due to studies, while Vanessa Pires was ill and Cora Towler was not issued a visa.

Meanwhile, Fernandes reserved special thanks or two Canadian Guyanese personalities, Noel Danny and Errol Campbell for making the trips around Canada possible. “They have been supportive since the commencement of the tournament in various ways”, Fernandes said, adding that the Guyanese community was also very generous.

Black Sharks stun NA Charlestown cop ScotiaBank/Pepsi...

Warriors in Mackeson basketball tournament FROM BACK PAGE

N

ew Amsterdam Warriors took the teeth out of Fyrish Black Sharks in game three of the Mackeson Top Six basketball tournament in New Amsterdam on Sunday at the Vryman’s Erven court, New Amsterdam. The Warriors came off a late start to win 7858.

The Black Sharks dominated the first quarter 18-7, but when the players returned to the court for the second quarter, the Lower Corentyne boys saw 10 unanswered points go by. Martin Witherspoon was on fire, scoring 14 points in that quarter and receiving support from Kirk Frasier, who scored 11 points in that segment.

The two moved the score from 27-11 to 29-30 and from there the Warriors kept a tight game going into the interval trailing 35-33. The third quarter the boys from New Amsterdam made their intentions clear and had a 17-point lead at the end of that segment, 43-60.

Witherspoon had a gamehigh 23 points while Randy Richardson was again among the points, scoring 22. Fraser was the only other player in double figures with 11. For the Sharks, Linden Joseph and Jawell Fraser each scored 14 points apiece.

The competition continues on Wednesday with Black

Sharks of Fyrish coming up against Canje Knights.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Smithfield Rockers got the better of New Amsterdam Warriors when the two teams met in the second match at the same venue.

They won 39-32 as they used their strong defence to prevent the Warriors from living up to their name. Despite a late third-quarter charge by the Warriors in the all New Amsterdam affair, they failed to go into the final quarter with the zest.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was deadlocked at 7-7 as both teams placed more emphasis on defence. The margin did not change when the half-time whistle sounded with the score on 17-17.

At the end of the third quarter, the score was tied at 22 with Richard Bowen scoring 10 points.

The final session brought out the best in both teams, but the Rockers were superior and finished the game with a sevenpoint lead. Randy Richardson, playing for the Rockers, had a game-high 13 points.

Enoch Vanderstoop and Leroy Edwards scored five apiece for the winners while Ruben Crawford, Jermaine Lambert ,and Neil Wills were the principal scorers for the losers.

Mackenzie High’s keeper stretched out as Omari James nestled his first of two goals in the back of the net (Treiston Joseph photo)

James copped the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, while Mervin Carter of Charlestown won the best goalkeeper award. Naylon Loncke was also named the best coach for the male version of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Tutorial High School played undefeated in the round robin style final to amass six points and lift the top trophy on the distaff side of the tournament.

Tutorial first defeated Berbice 2-1 with Ronett Mohan scoring in the 11th minute, while Trishel Janis secured the win in the 47th minute for the Georgetown-based school.

Their second match against Wisburg Secondary out of Linden ended 2-0 as Shaquanna Hope nudged a goal in the 24th minute and Kirtisha Underwood hammered one in the 59th minute.

Berbice finished second in the standing with three points after a 2-0 win over Wisburg in the secondplace decider.

Hope was dubbed the female MVP while Octavia Zion from Tutorial was named as the females’ best goalkeeper. Andel Bethune was named the best coach for the female tournament.

Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Christopher Matthias congratulated the players after the tournament, saying that “football is not about winning, losing but promoting a way of life”.

Both major sponsors of the tournament ScotiaBank and Pepsi pledged their support for next year’s edition of the tournament as it was revealed by the organisers that they will be looking to spread to more regions in the coming years.

s

monday, june 17, 2013

TOP SCORES

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

England 169 (Cook 64, Mills 4-30, McClenaghan 3-36) beat New Zealand 159-8 (Williamson 67, Anderson 3-32) by 10 runs

Charlestown cop ScotiaBank/ Pepsi schools’ football title –Tutorial High takes female title

Charlestown Secondary celebrate victory by striking a pose just after receiving their winning trophies and medals (Treiston Joseph photo)

By Treiston Joseph

C

h a r l e s t o w n Secondary rode on Omari James’ hot streak to pull off a 3-2 win over Mackenzie High School of Linden in the Scotia Bank/ Pepsi national schools’ football tournament on Sunday

INSIDE TODAY'S SPORTS

Rose P20 makes history at Merion

at the Education Ministry ground, Carifesta Avenue.

The match, dubbed “Georgetown versus Linden” started slowly with Mackenzie looking more likely to score as they played with more of an attacking style of football.

Much like he did in pre-

vious games, James blasted the ball into the right corner of the net to open Charlestown’s account in the 31st minute and ended the 35-minute first half 1-0.

With the blast of the whistle for the resumption of the second half, Linden’s keeper made a terrible mistake

Tutorial High School pose for cameras after receiving their trophies and medals at the presentation ceremony held immediately after the game (Treiston Joseph photo)

by advancing outside the 18yard box and James took advantage and placed the ball in the back of the net from 25 yards out to register his second goal in the 36th minute.

However, Mackenzie, who were always attacking, continued their attacking style of play and final-

ly registered on the score sheet with a 47th minute goal from the right flank by Shaquille Campbell.

Charlestown would further kill all hopes of Mackenzie equalising or even winning with a 56th minute goal from Anthony Bartholomew, who drib-

bled round a defender on the right flank finishing with a low kick that rocked the left side of the net.

Mackenzie High would then attain a consolation goal in the 66th minute as Randel Hoenkirk tapped it in for the Linden side.

Turn to page 23

Jeffrey wins 50–mile Father’s Day road race R

aynauth Jeffrey rode away with the 14th edition of the Father’s Day 50-mile road race on Sunday which ended close to the Demerara Harbour Bridge, West Coast Demerara.

The event, sponsored by Guyoil under the Castrol brand, saw Jeffrey taking the race in a sprint finish just ahead of Shane Boodram to record a time of 1:55:31.

Warren “Forty” McKay finished third, ahead of Junior Niles and Shaquille Agard who finished fourth and fifth respectively, rounding out the top five of 52 starters.

While Agard finished fifth in the seniors, he was the first junior to cross the finish line ahead of Mark Harris who finished second to outlast Mario King who placed third.

In the female version of the event, Hanzina Barret topped the field to finish ahead of Naomi Singh and Toshwanna Doris, who finished second and third respectively. Meanwhile, Talim Shaw rode away with the veteran event to top Ian Jackson; Kennard Lovell picked up third.

Top finishers of the Father’s Day 50-mile road race pose after completing the event just before the Demerara Harbour Bridge

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