Guyana Times -- Tuesday, August 20, 2019

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4021

tuesday, august 20, 2019

PRICE

Paltry half-year sugar performance

Where is the $30B GuySuCo bond?

Page 3

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Young mother P12 seeking answers after baby dies 2 days post-delivery …no evidence of negligence – doctor

…PPP Presidential Candidate questions value for money

Berbice motorcyclist “We thought he dies after crashing killed our mother” into pedestrian – daughters recall Page 2

…as lone gunman attacks Grove family

See story on page 2

Bandits shoot Minister's bodyguard during attempted robbery

Guyanese trade P9 mission to attend oil and gas exhibition in Scotland CSEC results

Ministry P11 blames new structure for low Maths passes

Page 14

Disciplinary action for City Hall officials over misplaced money

Page 10

GCCI laments Govt’s sloth in preparing to regulate oil & gas …urges urgent setup of petroleum commission, regulatory framework Page 7

Virgin Atlantic downplays P9 reports of exploring Guyana route …after Govt Minister claimed he spoke with airline’s top officials

Businessman remanded on $2M fraud P8 charge

2 News “We thought he killed our mother” – daughters recall TUESday, august 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

…as lone gunman attacks Grove family …Police took hours to respond

By Devina Samaroo

T

he usually quiet community of Diamond/ Grove Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was thrown into a state of shock during the wee hours of Monday when a single gunshot went off.

Neighbours scurried to their windows where they saw a dark shadow disappearing in the distance.

A family had just been robbed.

The Fredericks, originally from the Essequibo Coast, had been renting an apartment in the Section C Block Y zone, which is mixed with a few developed houses and abandoned lands with overgrown bushes – a common sight in many housing schemes.

Marcia Fredericks, 49, was standing in her yard trying to get a taxi to take her young nephew to Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

It was 03:00h and while the stillness of the night still prevailed, being up at those hours was not unusual for this working mother who is employed as a cleaner and would usually get up before the break of dawn to prepare for the day’s work.

In the presence of the child, the lone masked man jumped the unpainted concrete fence and dashed towards the startled woman.

mild head injuries, proceeded to take the child to the stelling.

The two daughters, too scared to go back home, sought refuge at a neighbour’s house.

Daylight eventually came, and the girls made their way back home.

Shortly after, a team of police officers, heavily armed, arrived in a pick-up – more than three hours after the emergency call was made.

The ranks came from the Brickdam Police Station in the capital city, Georgetown.

They took a statement and promised to have a detec-

tive from the local station follow-up.

For now, the family will be living in fear, recounting that near-death experience and entertaining the even more dreadful thought that help from those vested to serve and protect is not as reliable as they had hoped.

Berbice motorcyclist dies after crashing into pedestrian Some of the ranks who arrived at the crime scene some three hours after the emergency call was initially made

He grabbed her by her hair and dragged her inside the house, where it is alleged that he began to beat her with a gun.

Her two daughters, who were inside, cried for help.

The elder daughter ran to the back of the house while the younger, just 18 years old, began to battle with the bandit.

At this point, the gunman turned the gun in the young girl’s direction and threatened to shoot if she did not comply with his demands.

“I told him we didn’t have anything,” the teenager recalled.

After some time, the perpetrator decided to leave. He grabbed a cellular phone and darted towards the street.

As he was departing, a gunshot went off, presumably to ward off the neighbourhood

dogs, which were already gathered at the bridge, barking ferociously.

“When I heard the gunshot, I thought he killed my mother,” the visibly shaken elder daughter recalled.

The ordeal lasted just a few minutes. The gunshot alerted neighbours, who were quick to render assistance.

The nearest police station, located just a minute drive’s away, was contacted. The officer promised to send someone right away.

The family, along with neighbours, waited in the shivering night, and still, no patrol arrived. A second call was made to the station and again, an empty promise was provided.

After some thirty minutes, the family decided to just let it be. The mother, despite her

A

24-year-old man of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice (WCB), lost his life following an accident on Sunday evening at the Number 42 Village Public Road, WCB. Dead is Latchman Hansraj called “Kevin”.

Reports are the young man was on his way home from a horsing event when the accident occurred.

According to the police, Hansraj was riding motorcycle CJ 5154 at a fast rate of speed when he collided with 19-year-old Franyelys Rondon of Lot 78 Plantation Washington. The police stated that Hansraj fell onto the road and received injuries while the motorbike continued sliding and collided with a motorcar, which was parked on the northern parapet.

Both Hansraj and Rondon were picked up and rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital, where Hansraj was pronounced dead on arriv-

al while Rondon was treated and sent away.

The accident occurred at about 23:00h on Sunday. The graphic designer left home at about 13:00h to attend a horseracing event.

His cousin, Bridgepaul Hansraj, said it was the police who informed the family of the accident.

“The police told us that he fell with the bike and the bike fell and skate away about one hundred and fifty feet and hit a car. They told us that he suffered head injuries and the police took him to the hospital but when they reached, he was already dead,” the cousin stated.

He said when he saw his cousin, his face was covered in blood and a laceration to the top right side was visible along with a wound to his left leg.

A helmet was found on the road next to Hansraj after he fell from the motorbike.

Bridgepaul referred to his

Dead: Latchman Hansraj

cousin as a very quiet person, saying that he did not speak much. “He would go out with his friends and lime,” he said.

Two years ago, Hansraj’s father died. Now he leaves two brothers and his mother to mourn.

news

3

TUESday, august 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, August 20 – 05:00h – 06:30h and Wednesday, August 21 – 05:00h - 06:30h.

Tuesday, August 20 – 06:50h – 08:20h Wednesday, August 21 – 07:30h – 09:00h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine is expected throughout the day.

There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to East SouthEasterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 07:14h and 19:32h reaching maximum heights of 2.57 metres and 2.52 metres.

Low Tide: 12:48h and 13:08h reaching minimum heights of 0.64 metre and 0.69 metre.

saturday, AUGUST 17, 2019

LOTTERY NUMBERS 02 08 10

20 21 22

FREE TICKET

15 Bonus Ball

monday, august 19, 2019

DAILY MILLIONS

05 08 15 16 23 LUCKY 3

3

6

8

0

Afternoon Draw

6

3

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01

04

05

07

PAY DAY

02 05 06 16 17

Where is the $30B GuySuCo bond? …PPP Presidential Candidate questions value for money

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

N

Paltry half-year sugar performance

17 18 19 SUPER PAY DAY

02 04 08 13 16

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

W

hen Government arranged a $30-billion bond guaranteed by the State and National Industrial and Commercial Investment (NICIL) assets, it was supposed to recapitalise the sugar sector. But the poor performance of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) for the year raises questions about how the money was actually spent.

The recently released Ministry of Finance halfyear report tells of a sector still mired in trouble.

And according to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Presidential Candidate and parliamentarian, Irfaan Ali, the population needs answers for how this money was spent.

“Of concern is the Government guarantee $30 billion bonds of which the Government utilised approximately $17.6 billion and is yet to provide an explanation to the people of Guyana regarding the use of these funds”.

“In his report, the Minister also stated that NICIL repaid $785.3 million during the first half of 2019.

Given the poor performance of GuySuCo during the first half, an urgent explanation is warranted,” Ali said in a statement on Monday.

The 2019 mid-year report had found that at the end of June 2019, GuySuCo recorded a cash surplus of $843 million when compared to a deficit of $3.8 billion in the same period in 2018. However, sources have attributed this to the Corporation having received a total of $9.3 billion, of which $3.9 billion came from NICIL’s Special Purpose Unit (SPU) to fund its operations and capital projects.

“The Corporation exported 37,836.7 tonnes of sugar, of which 33,263 tonnes were sold to the EU market at a higher price than budgeted, resulting in an increase of $1.3 billion in export sales.

Current expenditure was $8.1 billion in the period under review, $2.7 billion lower than the corresponding period in 2018”.

“The Corporation’s capital expenditure was $334 million, 90.3 per cent lower than the budgeted amount of $3.4 billion, primarily due to delays in funding for capital works. The Corporation projects a deficit of $920 million at the end of 2019,” the report also said.

GuySuCo was also found to have fallen short of its production targets for the first crop, with output reaching 33,531 metric tonnes of sugar. There were delays in the start of production, which attributed to the late delivery of materials for critical repairs to boilers in the factories.

In addition, the Corporation had to contend with extended equip-

PPP Presidential Candidate Irfaan Ali

ment maintenance at the Uitvlugt factory. Thus, the commencement of cane harvesting was pushed to late February. The report also warned that all these things could affect production for the rest of the year and 2020.

And in the Bank of Guyana’s recently released first quarter statistical bulletin, it had showed that sugar experienced a major decline of 34.3 per cent, owing to the restructuring process the Corporation is undergoing.

Estates

Since the closure of the four estates, leaving more than 7000 sugar workers jobless, Government has moved to divestment the facilities.

United Kingdom company, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), was subsequently contracted to carry out valuations of GuySuCo’s assets up for sale and had invited expressions of interest from potential buyers, though it was recently revealed that the political climate has stalled these transactions.

The bond was arranged last year by Republic Bank Limited, through

its Investment Banking Division, with law firm London House Chambers, headed by Devindra Kissoon acting as a transaction attorney.

It was arranged at a rate of 4.75 per cent interest. A source close to the Finance Ministry had told Guyana Times that while the interest rates secured would appear to be very favourable, the implications of failing to consistently repay the bond and related interest rates would be dire.

Indeed, SPU Head Colvin Heath-London has previously confirmed that specific NICIL assets are on the line, should they default on the bond. In addition, concerns were previously raised that GuySuCo was not account-

ing for how it was spending the money, though it subsequently denied this.

Meanwhile, Ali also warned that while the report’s monetary statistics paint a “rosy picture” of the investment climate, there are worrying indicators.

According to Ali, the monetary statistics revealed that credit to the private sector increased in all the key sectors.

“However, the growth in credit should be cause for concern since the commercial banks are increasing credit at a time when the economy is struggling, and non-performing loans are increasing. The ratio of non-performing loans has trended upwards from 5.97 per cent at end-June 2014 to 12.58 per cent at end-June 2019”.

“Meanwhile, the reserves for loan losses reduced continuously from 67.24 per cent to 37.05 per cent. Thus, while less reserves are set aside to cater for loans losses, there is a continuous increase in non-performing loans. Since the most critical risks that confront the banking system is credit risk, all should be concerned, rather than happy with the growth in credit,” he said.

4

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESday, august 20, 2019

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Police response to pleas for help

O

n Monday morning, two young girls thought they lost their mother at the hands of a lone gunman when she was attacked while standing in her yard waiting for a taxi to take her young nephew to Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

What was appalling in the dreadful situation was the fact that neighbours called the Police station— which is just a few streets away— but their pleas for help from law enforcement went in vain, since no one showed up immediately.

Over the years, there have been numerous media reports of persons seeking the help of Police— via 911 or otherwise— while armed robberies have been in progress, but resulted in the caller being given a number for the Police station within jurisdiction. In the case of the two young girls on Monday, their plea for help started at about 03:00h, but the Police never turned up until almost 06:00h. Many, over the years, have lamented the poor Police emergency service.

In desperate situations when crimes are being committed, and could mean the difference between life and death, the citizenry would naturally expect not just professionalism, but a swift and effective response by law enforcement. There can be no alternative to this.

In addition, some repeated excuses as per the media and victims are, “you need to call another station as this one does not have jurisdiction” and “only two ranks are at the station and as such are unable to assist”. Unfortunately this has been the harsh reality for some. It renews the nagging concern over the many ranks seen on the roadways at any given time dealing with traffic-related issues, but often not enough in the nights to respond to armed robberies.

Motorists have alleged of being unduly harassed by Policemen during the day and it is not unusual to hear of that disparity in presence alluded to. This does not take away from the need to curb errant road users; however, taxpayers would expect nothing short of the desired response when it comes to attack from bandits.

In many past incidents of crime, often the sloth or lack of a response by the Police is noted. Again, this does not take away from the fact that there were times when the Police responded promptly and confronted the armed perpetrators.

However, none can deny the distressing reports of residents bemoaning the lack of a timely response. Sentiments would be further riled in the unfortunate circumstances when a life is lost at the hands of bandits.

Experiencing an attack by armed bandits is a most traumatising experience which can linger with time. It haunts and is relived over and over in the minds of the victims.

Indirectly, relatives are also affected having to grapple with the horror their loved ones were forced to endure. Tardiness and a perceived lack of concern by the Police would therefore only serve to exacerbate sentiments.

While such trauma would be referred to in the reports, there is uncertainty over mechanisms, if any, that is implemented for mitigation. This is clearly an area for which capacity building is urgently needed and which could help foster improved relationship between the related authorities and residents.

Obviously, the Police have challenges and one is the inadequate number of ranks. That reality unfortunately does not bring respite to residents who find it difficult to accept excuses for slow or a lack of response. These scenarios have unfortunately led to an erosion of confidence in the Police by many citizens and understandably so. There is further erosion when Policemen are fingered and charged for breaking the law including, committing or assisting acts of robberies.

The hierarchy of the Guyana Police Force has faced challenges in building and furtherance of confidence in the Force by the Guyanese people. While many social initiatives are ongoing in this regard, the bottom line will always be the response to and the reduction of crime.

With crime being everybody’s business, the Police’s leadership and the ranks will have to be supported, and they must continue to find innovative ways of meaningfully engaging residents and to be effective to build confidence in all aspects of the system, including quick response to Guyanese pleas for help.

A section of the Guyana Night presentation at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Trinidad on Sunday evening during CARIFESTA XIV (DPI photo)

US in secret talks with Venezuela’s socialist boss Diosdado Cabello

T

he United States has opened up secret communications with Venezuela's socialist party boss, as members of President Nicolas Maduro's inner circle seek guarantees they would not face retribution if they cede to growing demands to remove him, a senior US administration official has told the Associated Press (AP) news agency.

Diosdado Cabello, who is considered the most powerful man in Venezuela after Maduro, met last month in Caracas someone who is in close contact with the Trump administration, said the official. A second meeting is in the works but has not yet taken place, according to the report published late on Sunday.

The AP withheld the intermediary's name and details of the encounter with Cabello out of concern the person could suffer reprisals.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to discuss the talks, which are still preliminary.

It is not clear whether the talks have Maduro's approval or not.

As President of the country's Constituent Assembly, Cabello, 56, is a major power broker inside Venezuela.

He has seen his influence in the government and security forces expand as Maduro's grip on power has weakened.

But he has also been accused by US officials of being behind massive corruption, drug trafficking and even death threats against a sitting US senator.

The administration official said that under no circumstances is the US looking to prop up Cabello or pave the way for him to substitute Maduro.

Instead, the goal of the outreach is to ratchet up

As President of the country's Constituent Assembly, Cabello, 56, is a major power broker inside Venezuela [Photo by: Manaure Quintero/Reuters]

pressure on the regime by contributing to the knife fight the US believes is taking place behind the scenes among competing circles of power within the ruling party.

Similar contacts exist with other top Venezuelan insiders, the official said, and the US is in a listening mode to hear what it would take for them to betray Maduro and support a transition plan.

Cabello did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But an aide said the US has been increasingly knocking on his door, desperately looking to establish contact.

Savvy and well prepared

The aide rejected the notion Cabello was somehow betraying Maduro, saying that Cabello would only meet Americans with the President's permission and if it contributes to lifting sanctions he blames for crippling the oil-dependent economy.

The aide spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss political affairs publicly.

A person familiar with the July encounter said Cabello appeared savvy and arrived at the meeting with

the US-backed envoy well prepared, with a clear understanding of Venezuela's political problems.

As Venezuela's crisis grinds on, a predictable pattern has emerged where Juan Guaido, who the US and dozens of other countries recognise as Venezuela's rightful leader, has been unable to woo the military and take power.

But Maduro lacks enough strength to apprehend his rival or rescue the collapsed economy amid ever-tightening US sanctions.

Earlier this month, the US slapped fresh sanctions that seize all of the Maduro government's assets in the US and threaten to punish companies from third countries that continue to do business with him.

Talks sponsored by Norway between the Opposition and Government have been slow-going and were suspended this month

by Maduro, who accused Guaido of celebrating the US' "brutal blockade".

Cabello, the Venezuelan military and the US Government are not a party to those talks.

Breaking the stalemate

To break the stalemate, some conspirators are looking to the US to devise a plan to protect government

insiders who turn against Maduro from future prosecution.

The US has repeatedly said it would offer top socialists relief from sanctions if they take "concrete and meaningful actions" to end Maduro's rule.

In May, it quickly lifted sanctions against Maduro's former spy chief, General Manuel Cristopher Figuera, after he defected during a failed military uprising.

As the Head of the Constitutional Assembly, Cabello has the power to remove Maduro, a position that could come in handy in any negotiated transition.

It is not clear who initiated the contact with Cabello.

But the US official said Cabello was talking behind the back of the embattled socialist despite his almost daily displays of loyalty and frequent harangues against President Donald Trump.

An Opposition politician briefed on the outreach said Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino and Interior Minister Nestor Reverol are among those in indirect contact with the Americans, underscoring the degree to which Maduro is surrounded by conspirators even after an opposition-led military uprising in April was easily quashed.

The politician spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to discuss the talks.

The AP was unable to verify the opposition politician's account.

Cabello has long been seen as a rival to Maduro, someone who has more pragmatic economic views and is less ideologically aligned with communist Cuba.

He sat to the right of Hugo Chavez when the late socialist designated Maduro, to his left, to be his successor in his last public appearance before dying of cancer in 2013. (Al Jazeera)

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESday, august 20, 2019

5

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Minister Felix has failed to provide any reliable information

Dear Editor, I have written twice on the subject of Haitians’ arrival in Guyana asking that the Minister of Citizenship, Mr Winston Felix, explain the fact that, according to him, over 8000 Haitians recently arrived in our country and less than 2000 are recorded as having departed.

I asked a simple question: “where are the 7000 odd un-

accounted-for Haitians?”

I am not the only citizen who has expressed this concern, but instead of providing an answer to the nation, the Minister singled me out for attack and called me “xenophobic”. He also failed to provide any reliable information. Mr Felix, instead of holding a press conference and facing the media on a subject of major public inter-

est and concern, stages an ” interview” with the Public Information and Press Services of the Ministry of the Presidency to feed him rehearsed questions.

Acknowledging that the Haitians cleared customs and immigration into the country, unbelievably, he has to rely on Brazilian immigration records to tell us that just under 7000

Haitians have arrived in that country but can offer no evidence that they have legally departed Guyana. In other words, the Haitians who arrived, under our immigration laws, are still in Guyana.

Winston Felix should know better than to call me, of all people, “xenophobic”.

Let me remind him that I have served my country lon-

ger than he ever will, in and out of the Cabinet under two Presidents, the founder of the party he now represents, Forbes Burnham, and later former President Desmond Hoyte.

When Guyana was beset by the horrors of Jonestown, I was assigned a diplomatic mission by President Burnham, in the USA, to defend our country’s name

and reputation, appearing in over 20 television programmes, including NBC and CBS, yet Felix has the gumption to call me “xenophobic”. If anyone needs to apologise, it’s you, Mr Felix.

Do your job Mister Minister.

Hold a press conference, tell us the truth.

Dear Editor, The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), by law, is supposed to be in readiness to hold elections at any time and the Houseto-House activities run contrary to the mandate of the constitutional agency and the rulings of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which recently addressed pertinent judicial hearings to which the organisation is bound.

Keith Lowenfield, as the CEO of the GECOM Secretariat, does not have the functional responsibility to hire staff for GECOM. Neither is the Secretariat authorised to do House-toHouse Registration on its own. It is the Commission, comprised of the Chairman and Commissioners, which has the authority to Gazette the date of commencement of House-to-House Registration. In this instance, Keith Lowenfield has undertaken to conduct the activities with biased contradictory intent and to the whims and fancies of the PNC/APNU dictate.

Further, there is no publication of commencement of House-to-House Registration on the date July 20, 2019, by the GECOM Secretariat in the Official Gazette. Such is required if the activity was formally approved and sup-

ported its constitutional role.

More serious is the fact that GECOM did not write the PPP Chief Scrutineer, Mr Mustapha, requesting his party’s List of Scrutineers to work during the House-toHouse Registration.

Additionally, it is public knowledge that the Commission was not properly in place at the commencement of the Houseto-House Registration since the Chairman had resigned.

Lowenfield cannot usurp the position of the Commission while outside of the court; the lawyer, Marcus, cannot speak bindingly on citizens on behalf of GECOM because he is not under employ as a staff of GECOM. It will be interesting to see how and who is paying all these lawyers for GECOM. One will recall that Marcus had informed the CCJ that GECOM would be ready for election on December 25, 2019, when Opposition Commissioners, who are a part of the Commission, had no knowledge of any such position. The cakeshop-like approach of the Government Commissioners and Lowenfield belies the full uncertainty and lack of confidence that is now publicly enveloping the organisation.

Importantly, the APNU/

AFC previously went to Parliament and extended the validity of the voters’ list from three months to six months. The APNU/ AFC previously advocated the Continuous Registration followed by a short period of Claims and Objections as the approach to be utilised, to sanitise and have a valid voters’ list for elections.

The voters’ list has remained updated using this manner for over 10 years with no complaints from this cabal. Only recently, its credibility and validity as well as the mechanism for the update, using the continuous approach, were publicly favourably approved by GECOM legal adviser and Mr Lowenfield.

It is, therefore, unacceptable for this shifting convenience to accommodate for extending the life of the fallen Government.

With the passing of the constitutional timeline since the passing of the No-Confidence Motion, the APNU/AFC Government ought to be in caretaker mode.

The failure of the Cabinet including the President to resign from these functions makes them unconstitutional. They must resign! The Court said that it is up to the Elections Commission to determine a way forward with-

in the confines of the constitutional provisions. Hence, it is imperative that the now imminent Justice Claudette Singh, as Chairman of the GECOM, gives the quality leadership that she possesses, and adheres to the Guyana Constitution and guidelines for the earliest process of Elections.

Further, it is most opportune to remind the GECOM Commissioners that Ms Yolanda Ward, the GECOM Public Relations Officer, along with the Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield, recently said that GECOM is ready for elections. Further, GECOM Legal Officer, Excellence Dazzell said that GECOM must be in a state of readiness for the holding of “free and fair” elections.

This scrapping of the

present House-to-House Registration is necessary as logically and rationally, it would achieve no more than the Continuous Registration and Claims and Objections approach. It is a waste of money and only serves the delaying and dodging from elections by the APNU/AFC Government. This Houseto-House activity is not authentic since there is no PPP scrutineer signature on the registration form.

GECOM must follow the Constitution and do what is in the interest of this nation. We must have a period of Claims and Objection and prepare a List of Electors which would allow the President to announce the earliest date for National and Regional Elections.

Vincent Alexander’s and the PNC’s use of inflated

figures to misguide that 230,000 persons have been registered, is most ridiculous since there was no verification. How could GECOM commence the training of election officials? Who recruited elections officials?

Who decided on the elections materials? Who decided on essential and non-essential elections material?

The procurement of elections material is under serious investigations. The Secretariat spent hundreds of millions of dollars on radios, clippers and non-essential materials that were never used for the purpose for which they were procured.

The lawlessness continues and time will tell who will answer.

ing GECOM to make crucial decisions. Most remain hopeful that GECOM’s esteemed Chairperson, Justice Claudette Singh, will give effect to the spirit and intent of the provisions of Guyana’s most supreme law and the several judgments of the various courts interpreting that law, including our highest court. The Caribbean Court of Justice on July 12, 2019, said clearly that: “The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has the responsibility to conduct that election and GECOM too must abide by the provisions of the Constitution”. Those Constitutional provisions are clear to any sensible, reasonable person who is not looking for an excuse to dodge the holding of the overdue National and Regional Elections; that is, that elections must be held within three months after a Government falls to a No-Confidence Motion or, in these circumstances, the shortest possible time thereafter.

The shortest possible time that allows for necessary amendments to the National Register of Registrants would be to host a Claims and Objections process. Engaging in such a process, fairly, does not require, in my considered view, until December.

Indeed December would make it one year since the Government fell. The position of the parliamentary Opposition has been clearly stated repeatedly. It echoes the views of the majority of Guyanese.

The ball is now in GECOM’s court. All eyes are on its Chairperson and those Commissioners. We are watching and waiting for them to act within the dictates of the Constitution.

Our children as grown-ups will know what decisions they took and how it affected the nation, just as we now know what decisions were made in those horribly dark days of dictatorship and who made them.

losses and is being passed onto consumers in Guyana (70 per cent of $52.5 is about $36.75).

What this means is that GPL should be breaking even and not racking up losses. Clearly, something is wrong in the operation of GPL when it is racking up losses as well as when there are numerous blackouts.

Customers not paying

their bills is indicative of them not having huge disposable income which is symptomatic of the Guyana economy not performing well.

Another indication of the Guyana economy not performing well is the rise in the non-performing loans rate.

Dear Editor, The declaration from Minister Valerie GarridoLowe that elections will be held this year, sometime in December, according to “information from the President” – as reported in a section of the media on Saturday, August 17, 2019 – seems to be another attempt of the APNU/AFC to defy the most supreme law and hide from the electorate for as long as they can.

Editor, the Acting Chief Justice, Roxane George, on August 14, 2019, was clear that General and Regional Elections ought to have been held since March 21, 2019. Something all reasonable patriots knew from a mere reading of the Constitution.

That time has passed because of the APNU/ AFC’s incredible excuses, which have been exposed as such. It is now incumbent on GECOM to address its readiness for elections to be held in the shortest possible time.

Guyanese are baffled at the length of time it is tak-

Dear Editor, Electricity cost in the UK is about 14.5p per kWh (about $36.5 per kWh).

While in Guyana it is about $52.5 per kWh. When we take into account the loss due to electricity theft, defective meters and line losses (which account for about 30 per cent), we see that the electricity cost is roughly the same as the commercial

Dear Editor, The Turkeyn Research and Polling Institute (TRPI) plans to conduct an opinion poll later this month on matters pertaining to the coming election. TRPI was founded in 1990 by Professor Dr Baytoram Ramharack, a Guyanese born American trained political scientist who teaches in New York.

The polling organisation conducted its first opinion poll in Guyana in 1991 and several annual surveys thereafter, all of which were published in the mass media.

TRPI was dormant for a while and has decided to revive its operations especially since there is a scarcity of public data for research purposes particularly on support (or lack thereof) of varied political figures and issues of national importance. With elections on the horizon, TRPI has decided to conduct

opinion tracking polls to determine popular support for presidential contenders and parties and which political figure has the best shot at capturing the presidency. The poll will also find out peoples’ opinions on a host of contemporary issues.

TRPI is seeking interviewers to assist with querying respondents in the fields. The interviewers are needed to assist with the research surveys (interviewing respondents) that will be done primarily in person in face to face interactions.

Interested individuals can write to turkeynpolling@ gmail.com Prior experience is not required as training will be provided. The surveys are simple and straight forward.

Prospective applicants must be versed in English to read questions if required. The answers are ticked off and later computed and tabulated, and the findings will be released to the public.

Sincerely, Kit Nascimento

Delaying, dodging from elections by Govt

Sincerely, Priya Manickchand

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

GPL should be breaking even, not racking up losses

Yours faithfully, Sean Ori

Poll to find out peoples’ opinions on contemporary issues

Yours truly, Dr Kirk Meighoo Consultant, TRPI

6

tuesday, august 20, 2019

Page

Foundation

H

as this ever happened to you? You’re dressing for a date and when you pull on your favourite jeans, you can no longer button them. Or you’re running down the football field when you notice that your legs rub together in a way they never did before. Maybe when you look in the mirror it seems like your pores are taking over your face.

If you’ve ever felt out of step with your body, you’re not alone.

Growing up and out (or not)

Most of us are prepared to deal with the obvious physical changes of growing up. Girls expect their breasts to grow and guys expect to become more muscular.

But the body often goes through other changes before, during, and after puberty – and sometimes these changes can be very different from the ones we expect to happen. For example, both girls and guys may notice themselves growing in unfamiliar places, such as the butt or belly. Or they may grow taller and skinnier.

Some people get a temporary layer of fat to prepare the body for a growth spurt. Others fill out permanently.

Some people eat healthy foods and work out but still gain weight. Others chow down on everything in sight and still stay skinny.

Eventually it all balances out and most people adjust to how their “new” body moves and works. But it can take some getting used to. What happens to people physically during puberty can influence how they feel about their bodies and themselves for a long time to come.

Take Nikki, for example. She was an accomplished dancer with her heart set on following her mother’s career in ballet. But at 13, Nikki grew several inches taller and developed the kind of figure most girls long for – unless they’re dancers.

Nikki’s friends envied her curves, but Nikki felt heavy and awkward. Now 19, Nikki says it took her longer to get over the false perception of herself as a fat girl than it did to let go of her dreams of being a dancer.

Adjusting to a new body

We become more aware of looks right around the time our bodies begin changing. This can make physical changes difficult to deal

with emotionally.

Adjusting to a changing body is about more than just looks, though. Lots of teens base their self-image on how their bodies feel and perform. Until a year ago, Wes, 15, was a lean, fast sprinter who could always be relied on to win the race for his track team. Wes has ADHD, and some days it seemed like running was the only thing he could do well. So when he started developing a stockier, more muscular physique and his sprint times got longer, Wes’ confidence took a serious bruising.

Changes in our bodies’ appearance, performance — even such minor details as the way they smell — are all perfectly normal parts of growing up.

So what can you do to help yourself adjust physically and emotionally? Here are some ideas.

Beware – don’t compare! It’s natural to look at our friends for comparison. But it’s not a good idea. Comparing ourselves with others is problematic because everyone develops differently and at different times. If you go through a growth spurt early, you may feel too tall. Yet your friend may be thinking that he or she is too small.

It’s usually hardest for the people who develop first or last.

It’s also a bad idea to compare ourselves with celebrities and models. In reality, most people don’t look like the limited body types shown in the media.

(Actually, the models often don’t look like that either: Many of those “perfect” bodies got that way through photo editing, not nature.) Ads sell fantasy, not reality.

Treat your body well. Making educated choices about food and exercise is part of developing a mind and life of your own.

Healthy eating and exercise can also give you some control over how your body turns out. Plus, exercise is a mood booster. If your changing body has you feeling sad or confused, it may help to go

for a walk, play with your dog, or throw a Frisbee with your friends.

About three quarters of all teens quit sports around the time their bodies develop. Often it’s because the changes in their bodies influence which sports they compete in. Although you can still do any activity if you really are interested in it, some people prefer to switch to another activity. Wes put his strength and running skills to use playing football. And Nikki was able to combine her great figure with her love of dance when she discovered belly dancing in college.

(Excerpt from kidshealth.org)

T

his Sound and Volume Vibrations Science Experiment can be done while enjoying a variety of music! It’s fun and easy learning activity for kids of all ages.

Materials:

Radio or CD player with music Large glass bowl Plastic wrap Rubber band Pieces of tissue paper This is also a very loud experiment, so consider that when doing it with the kids. Use ear protection or think about their sensitivity to sound. I keep this set of ear protective ear muffs on hand for various science experiment ideas like this.

Directions:

1. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the top of a glass bowl and straighten as best as possible. Wrap a rubber band around the plastic wrap to hold it in place. Gently pull on the plastic wrap under the rubber band to make a very tight fit onto the bowl.

2. Crumble up a few small pieces of tissue paper and set them onto the plastic wrap.

3. Place the bowl next to a speaker and play music. Is the paper moving?

Turn up the volume: Now what happens?

Try another type of music: What level of volume makes the tissue paper move?

4. Take it one step further! Line up tissue paper balls and guess which will fall off first.

Concepts demonstrated:

Sound vibrates air. The sound from the speakers makes the air vibrate which makes the plastic wrap on the bowl vibrate. This makes the light pieces of tissue paper bounce around.

Since music is so different, no two songs sound the same or make the food wrap vibrate at the same volume. (premeditat-

edleftovers.com)

news

7

TUESday, august 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

GCCI laments Govt’s sloth in preparing to regulate oil & gas …urges urgent setup of petroleum commission, regulatory framework

R

eports about disproportionate agreements with oil companies have prompted the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to reiterate calls for the government to set up an adequate regulatory environment for the oil and gas industry.

Making this call was GCCI President Nicholas Boyer, who on Monday spoke during a press conference at the British High Commissioner’s residence.

According to Boyer, the chamber has called time and time again for the government to speed up prepara-

Finance Minister Winston Jordan

tions for first oil.

Boyer has reiterated these calls in the wake of reports claiming that British oil firm Tullow, which recently found oil in the Orinduik block, will be re-

Department of Energy Head, Dr Mark Bynoe

covering its one per cent royalty payment to Guyana as cost oil.

“We need to set up our regulatory bodies for the oil industry. Until we set up a petroleum commission and as part of that commission you have a local content committee and whatever other parts you need to regulate it, insulate that from too much political control, until you do that, if you notice with the Exxon and Tullow contracts, there are very varying terms.”

“So we need to move management of our oil industry out of direct control of political actors, insulate it and make it transparent.

And when its transparent, I think you’ll see more of a harmonization. We need to activate a petroleum commission and even if we don’t staff it with the best, we can always contract them on an

as needed basis.”

Boyer noted the benefits of contracting the skillsets needed such as petroleum lawyers and engineers, investment bankers and energy consultants, they can do studies on international standards for Production Sharing Agreements (PSA), review what Guyana has in place and advise appropriately.

“And then they can highlight the risks and rewards, to us, for putting certain terms in, taking certain terms out and where we fall on a world comparison. And then, transparency would allow everybody to add their own judgement,” Boyer added.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner Gregory Quinn noted that notwithstanding the criticism, Tullow’s role is still a vital one. When it comes to the terms of the contract, however, the diplomat left that to Tullow and the Government to discuss.

“The Tullow Oil find is good for Guyana for two simple reasons. One, it demonstrates that there is oil outside of the Exxon Block. So it isn’t just about Stabroek, its bigger than that. Secondly, it brings in a whole new set of companies, countries and operators.”

Recently, it was announced that the Department of Energy would be hiring an inter-

President David Granger

national firm to do, among other things, a needs assessment for the petroleum commission.

Department of Energy Director Mark Bynoe has said that the commission will be based on “ best practices.”

NRF

Another matter that came up was the Natural Resources Fund, which will save the revenues earned from oil and gas. Recently, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had complained that the Private Sector Commission (PSC) was yet to respond to an invitation to submit nominees to the NRF oversight committee.

Boyer stressed, however, that the non-response was because of a change over in management.

“The letter got caught during a change over. And they are responding to

the Minister,” Boyer explained. “That I know for sure, because we are a sectoral member of the Private Sector Commission.”

It was only in June that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Roraima Group of Companies and aviator, retired Captain Gerry Gouveia, was elected as Chairman of the PSC. He replaced Desmond Sears at the commission’s 27th Annual General meeting.

When it comes to the NRF oversight committee, the Parliamentary Opposition has since refused to submit a nominee given the government’s current

GCCI President Nicholas Boyer

caretaker status. In fact, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo made it clear that the Natural Resources Fund Bill will be reviewed by a People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government.

8 News

TUESday, august 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Vendor to face judge, jury over murder of teen

T

wenty-two-year-old Rickland Bovell of Swan Village, LindenSoesdyke Highway, was committed to stand High Court trial for the murder of David Toney.

Toney, 18, was killed during an argument over the non-payment for the transport of cabbage in April 2019.

Bovell was not required to plea to the indictable charge, which stated that on April 19, 2019 at Timehri Docks, East Bank Demerara, he murdered Toney.

When the matter was called on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrates’

Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan, she ruled that having considered the prosecution’s evidence, the court is of the opinion that a prima facie case has been made out against the accused. Hence, he was committed to stand trial at the next practicable sitting of the Demerara Assizes.

Bovell remains on remand until the hearing and determination of the trial in the High Court.

Reports are at approximately 03:30h, Bovell, a vendor, was engaged in an argument with Toney and his parents over payments for

the transport of cabbages.

It was reported that the now-dead teen’s parents would usually hire young men in the neighbourhood to load their produce into a canter truck to transport the vegetables to Georgetown.

However, on the day in question, Bovell and two others turned up at the victim’s home and there was an argument over payment between Toney’s father and two of his workers.

Shortly after, a fight ensued between Toney’s father and the men when Toney intervened. Bovell allegedly pulled out a knife from the waist of his pants and

The plan…

G

Rickland Bovell

stabbed the teenager to the abdomen.

The teen fell to the ground and was picked up and rushed to Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Businessman remanded on $2M fraud charge

A

businessman who is accused of defrauding $2 million from two persons and evading Police custody was on Monday remanded to prison when he made his first court appearance.

Cliff Jacobs, 28, of Lot 264 Low Creek, Soesdyke Highway, appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The charge stated that on September 26, 2018, at Charlotte Street, Georgetown, with intent to defraud, he obtained the sum of $800,000 from Inshan Singh by falsely pre-

tending that he is the owner of properties situated at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, and that he was in a position to sell one of the properties.

It was further alleged that on September 24, 2018, at Church Street, Georgetown, he incurred a debt of $1.1 million from

Austin Munroe by the use of fraud.

Jacobs was represented by Attorney-at-Law Paul Fung-A-Fat, who asked the court for his client to be released on reasonable bail.

However, Police Prosecutor Shellon Daniels objected to bail on the grounds of him being a

flight risk, since during the early stages of the investigation, Jacobs was released on his own recognisance and was ordered to report to the station every week, but he failed to comply.

Daniels further indicated that Jacobs provided the police with a wrong name, stating that he is Joseph Troy Gomes and it was only recently that an officer saw him in a supermarket and arrested him.

The Magistrate, after listening to the prosecutor’s grounds of objection, remanded Jacobs to prison.

The case will continue on September 13, 2019.

he discharged a firearm at Sherryann Persaud with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause her grievous bodily harm. Another charge stated that on August 13, at Middle Road, La Penitence, while being armed with a gun, he robbed Sherryann Persaud of two phones val-

ued at $343,000. The final charge stated that on August 2, at Lodge, Georgetown, while being armed with a gun, he robbed Jomo Paul of a chain valued at $250,000 and $220,000 in cash.

Police Prosecutor Adduni Inniss objected to bail being granted to the defendant on the grounds of the serious nature of the offences and the penalty the charge attracts. The prosecutor also highlighted the fact that Bourne has similar offences before the court.

Magistrate Daly, after listening to the facts, remanded Bourne to prison.

The case will continue on September 23, 2019.

Accused serial robber remanded to prison

C

arlton Bourne, a 24-year-old man who is accused of four armed robberies, along with discharging a firearm at one of the victims was on Monday charged for the offences when he made his court appearance before Magistrate Leron Daly in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The first charge stated that on July 26, 2019, at Norton Street, Lodge, while being in the company of others and armed with a knife, he robbed John Nedd of two phones and other items valued at $314,000.

The second charge stated that on July 23, at Norton

Street, Lodge, Georgetown, while being armed with a gun, he robbed Nicholas Jones of a phone valued at $55,000, a ring valued at $100,000, and other items valued at $189,000.

Additionally, it is alleged that on August 13, at Middle Road, La Penitence,

…on sugar uySuCo announced that by this yearend, they would’ve racked up an almost $1B deficit – $920million to be exact. Yup!! After Granger’s unilateral shuttering of 4 estates and throwing 7000 workers into the streets supposedly to stop the “bleeding”, we’re back to square one!! Now you’d think the PNC would do some introspection about the sugar operations since it’s clear that the supposed “dead wood” wasn’t the problem?

But then, dear reader, you’d be assuming the PNC’s interested in the survival of the sugar industry, wouldn’t you? And as we learnt in that schoolyard taunt, when you “assume” you make an “ass” out of “u” and “me”!!

As we’ve pointed out ever since this newspaper exposed the PNC’s nefarious plan to shut down Wales Estate just before Christmas 2016, the PNC’s end game is to destroy the backbone of their bête noire, the PPP. And sugar workers have been that backbone ever since Cheddi Jagan wept at the graveside of the five sugar workers who’d been gunned down at Enmore.

He’d vowed to form a political party that would represent their rights and the rights of all working peoples and he kept his promise. They, in turn, remained implacably at his side like a rock. And the PNC wants to ensure that whenever the next elections are held, there’d be no rock for the PPP to turn to. Just look at how the PNC followed up with their mass firings. While training sessions for jobs in the new oil economy were held in all parts of the country – the sugar belt was avoided as if they had the plague!

When closures had been mooted before, there’d been talk of leasing the abandoned sugarcane fields to the fired workers and transition them into cash crops for the Caricom markets. But instead of following up on that, the PNC secured a $2.6 billion grant/loan from the CDB and used it to rehabilitate, drain, and irrigate lands behind Ithaca, Buxton, BV and Mocha – all PNC villages – then organised the people into co-ops and made marketing connections to Caricom for their produce!!

After the Bauxite industry had been downsized in the late 1980’s and the alumina plant shuttered, the free electricity programme had been continued through a subsidy to GPL, initiated by the PNC Government of Desmond Hoyte. This was supported by an equivalent sum from the PNC-imposed levy on sugar. But now that the PNC shut down sugar, they never even suggested the POSSIBILITY of subsidising the electricity bill of the fired sugar workers!!

At every elections since 1992, the percentage of votes from Berbice has declined via migration: the PNC wants to give that process a push.

Just enough to keep that 5000 vote gap!! …on voting Everyone thought after Justice George’s decision on H2H, Chairman Singh would’ve had her Commission make a decision on the way forward on elections in accordance with our constitutional commands. There are so many reasons for calling it quits of the H2H project and going directly into Claims and Objections. Why does she need a WRITTEN copy of Justice George’s decision?

All she had to do is ask her CEO Lowenfield for an update on his H2H timeline he’d issued when he got the directive from her predecessor and she’ll see that there’s no way elections can occur in time to fulfil the Constitution’s directive of elections within 3 months after a NCM’s passage. Then there’s the CCJ’s advice: “The Court must assume that these bodies and personages (including GECOM and its Chair) will exercise their responsibilities with integrity and in keeping with the unambiguous provisions of the Constitution bearing in mind that the No-Confidence Motion was validly passed as long ago as December 21, 2018”. …on friends The digital age is changing human relationships. For instance, it has spawned a new species of friends. We now have “internet and online friends” who we may never see IRL. What’s that you ask??

“In real life”!!

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

news

9

TUESday, august 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Virgin Atlantic downplays reports JetBlue planning team to arrive of exploring Guyana route in Guyana in Sept – Patterson …after Govt Minister claimed he spoke with airline’s top officials

Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

U

nited Kingdombased Virgin Atlantic Airways has downplayed reports that it is interested in operating in Guyana.

Guyana’s Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, told reporters on August 16 that he recently spoke with top officials from the international airline about the possibility of coming to the country in 2020.

“They were on a Skype call to myself and Minister of Finance [Winston Jordan] on them coming here…This was the Director of the airline [with oversight for] routes. He’s going into a meeting and he would like to know what is Guyana’s position, saying he would like to put Guyana on their route for 2020,” Minister Patterson had revealed.

The news was widely publicised, even outside of Guyana.

However, online news entity Simple Flying later

published an article “Virgin Atlantic denies Guyana flights rumour” – in which the company reportedly stated “There’s no truth in this, I’m afraid. We’re always reviewing our route network but we currently have no plans to launch flights to Guyana.”

Guyana Times reached out to Virgin Atlantic, whose representative said they do not have any confirmation of plans to launch in Guyana.

“Virgin Atlantic is constantly evaluating numerous new route opportunities but nothing has

firm if this is factual information”.

Several international airlines are reported to have expressed an interest in operating in Guyana, with the burgeoning oil and gas sector on the horizon.

The Public Infrastructure Minister had also disclosed that there are two other major international airlines looking to expand their routes to Guyana.

American carrier JetBlue had announced its intention to operate here, but Director General of the GCAA, Egbert Field said that nothing offi-

P

ublic Infrastructure Minister David Patterson has announced that JetBlue team will be arriving in Guyana next month.

“They will be mounting a mission next month… the first or second week of next month. They will start looking at things like facilities, hotels, staffing,” said Patterson in an exclusive interview with the Department of Public Information.

The minister was responding to the reports that that the American carrier is expected to add Guyana to its international routes in early 2020.

“From my understanding, they received the aircraft late, so it is pushed back a bit.

They were supposed to start in November and they are still pushing [towards the launch of operations in Guyana],” Minister Patterson explained.

Furthermore, while noting Guyana lacks a direct link

to Europe, progress is being made in that regard.

According to Minister Patterson, “The [Guyana] High Commissioner in the UK contacted us saying that Virgin Atlantic was looking at Guyana and they are doing their 2020 routes-hubs programme, and they say they want Guyana to be a part of it.”

Minister Patterson stated that he will work alongside the Minister of Finance, Hon. Winston Jordan to examine the feasibility of Virgin Atlantic’s expansion of service to Guyana.

“That hasn’t been resolved as yet, but there is an ongoing discussion… I have made

phone calls directly to the [Guyana] High Commissioner to the UK and empowered him to talk directly to Virgin about bringing their services here.”

Commenting on Guyana being an attractive hub for other airlines, Minister Patterson expressed confidence that with ‘first oil’ in 2020, many more airlines are expected to come on stream.

With the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority turning the sod last Friday for its new headquarters, Minister Patterson said “the need for a robust and an increased GCAA is indisputable,” as Guyana’s aviation sector increases.

Guyanese trade mission to attend oil and gas exhibition in Scotland been confirmed for this.

We do monitor any changes in the market place and will re-evaluate our studies when the need arises.

However, new route plans remain confidential until we release news to the press,” the company stated.

When asked specifically about the talks between company officials and Government Ministers, Virgin Atlantic said: “We have no confirmation of this so we are not able to con-

cial is before him from that airline. “[JetBlue is] supposed to submit their formal application to us and it has been some time now we’ve been waiting for that,” the GCAA Head posited.

Already, US carrier, American Airlines, which is already operating from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), is scheduled to expand its services here in December, with daily flights to New York City.

Scenes from previous SPE Offshore Europe exhibitions

O

n the vious and forts to have

heels of a pretrade mission deliberate efScotland share

its oil and gas expertise with Guyana, a new trade mission is being scheduled to allow 15 Guyanese companies to trav-

el to the oil capital of Europe, in Aberdeen Scotland.

Turn to page 11

10 news

TUESday, august 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Disciplinary action for City Hall officials over misplaced money

S

everal employees of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) were endorsed for disciplinary actions to be levied against them after the Local Government Commission completed its probe into a bag of money that was found in of the municipality’s vehicle that was to be de-

posited at a city bank.

Guyana Times understands that since June 20, the money was sent to be deposited at the bank but sometime after, the money was found in Chief Constable Andrew Foo’s vehicle. Foo’s M&CC-assigned vehicle was being used by the Council to conduct their daily

business.

After this revelation, the bag containing the Council’s seal was retrieved and an investigation was launched by the Commission. The constitutional body recommended disciplinary actions for acting Town Clerk Sharon HarryMunroe, City Treasurer John

into the entity’s management.

Documents were required by the Auditor General but the Council failed on its end to provide the relevant information. In July, reports surfaced that a large portion of documents were still outstanding for the audit to be completed. As such, the Local Government Commission was advised of the situation.

In addressing the matter, the Town Clerk was re-

last September, a massive Commission of Inquiry unearthed damning findings to which 31 recommendations were forwarded. The Inquiry found that a plot of land owned by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) was leased by the Council to a shipping company and payment receipts were lacking.

One of the first outlines on the list of recommendations

Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry-Munroe

Douglas, Clerk of Markets, Sherlock Lovell, among other officials. No actions will be taken against the Chief Constable since he was not involved in the handling of the money or the vehicle at that time.

It is expected that these officers will have a chance to formulate an explanation as to why these actions should not be pursued against them.

This turn of events comes in light of the fact that HarryMunroe was sent on administrative leave earlier this month after being involved in issues relating to the Council’s operations.

Reports were that this decision surrounded the internal audit into City Hall’s financial operations. Audit Office of Guyana was requested to conduct a forensic audit

City Hall

portedly hauled before the Commission to explain as to why these official papers were yet to be submitted.

In recent time, the Local Government Commission has been called in numerous times to probe mismanagement or other forms of negligence at City Hall. Just

called on the Commission to enforce disciplinary measures against senior staffers of the Town Council, with the Town Clerk, Royston King, as the chief for gross misconduct, and Harry-Munroe being labelled as ‘incompetent’. King was later relieved of his duties.

GNBS drafting standards for construction of latrines

S

oon contractors will be required to submit to certain requirements set by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) when building a Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrine.

A draft standard has already been developed and the Bureau will be consulting with the general public today at the National Library on Church Street, Georgetown, from 09:30h to hear their views. The document gives recommendations for the design, location, construction, and maintenance of the VIP latrine. It is applicable to individual housing units or institutions in rural areas where one unit is designed to serve five persons.

To begin with, the VIP latrine is an improved sanitary solution for human excreta. It differs from the traditional latrine in that it is fitted with a tall vertical vent pipe to allow odour out. It also has a fly screen fitted at its top to prevent flies and other harmful in-

sects from breeding.

According to the draft, “All information on the nature of the soil and subsoil conditions should be obtained. This should include the approximate height of water table and any available record of flood levels or information as to the variation, seasonal or otherwise, in the high water table”.

Further, it states that the soil should be explored at a maximum depth of 2.4 metres to determine the soil horizons and soil types, grading, structure and permeability.

Drainage factors such as the slope of the ground and position and nature of surface water drains should be ascertained. The draft also says that full-time and part-time users shall be determined in order to determine the capacity and size of the latrine.

Importantly, these structures must be built on sites that are “well-drained” and above flood levels. They should also be constructed at a safe dis-

tance away from water sources. In fact, it has been proposed that they be built at least 0.6 metres above the mean water table level. The latrine should be at least 30 metres away from wells and springs.

“Other information that should be taken into account in the design [of] VIP latrine includes: the position and nature of outfall ditches and small streams; the position of any boreholes, wells, or spring,” GNBS said.

Additionally, it is proposed that before works commence to construct the latrine, plans of the proposed sanitation facility may be prescribed by the relevant Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) or Town Council.

In the past Guyana has experienced flooding which led to several diseases such as leptospirosis. A person becomes infected when they come into contact with filthy water, contaminated by urine and other waste.

news

11

TUESday, august 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

CSEC results

Ministry blames new structure for low Maths passes T

he pass rate for Mathematics at this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination was well below 50 per cent and the Education Ministry has squarely blamed these results on a few structural changes in the papers.

Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson said at a recent engagement that this ‘little shift’ directly affected the children and, thus, caused a mere 43 per cent overall pass percentage.

“Mathematics came in at 43 per cent, the same thing we had last year, but there was a little shift in terms

of the structure of the paper. The concept was there and so the shift threw some of our children off track but you learn from lessons,” Hutson indicated.

The senior education official, however, informed that they will review these results and employ a newer approach to produce better results. He stated that teachers need additional training in content and methodology.

“I could say that we are now familiar with the shift and what CXC will be doing but not withstanding all of that, we will continue to train our teachers in content and methodology because

I think those two areas are critical…Mathematics is a subject area that will require lots of practice and familiarity the different strands and therefore concentration will be focused on those particular areas”.

In just over eight months, students from across the country will sit the examinations again. In fact, preparations would have already begun with those who would enter their final year in September. As such, Hutson is convinced that the performance will develop.

“We believe that come next year, you will see an improved performance in Mathematics and…I think

Guyanese trade mission to attend...

d on Monday during a press conference at the British High Commissioner’s residence.

High Commissioner Gregory Quinn and Georgetown Chamber of Commerce Chairman Nicholas Boyer announced the trade mission.

According to Boyer, they will be attending SPE Offshore Europe, which he described as Europe’s largest offshore oil exhibition.

When asked what he hopes to see come out of Guyana’s participation, Boyer cited the

chance to network and learn.

“We wanted to take advantage. Because if we didn’t take advantage this year of going, we’d have to wait after next year when it’s held again. So the British High Commission and our High Commission in the UK worked with [us] and we came up with a way to represent Guyana there. We got 15 companies on board, with 20 delegates.”

“The way how I see it, education. Because some of us learn by doing. You don’t have enough time to

go back and take a lot of classes. So the second part is networking. You need to present a face to these companies. Picture companies outside of Guyana, trying to do research on companies in Guyana. We don’t have a ton of information that is readily available online,” Boyer added.

According to the Chairman, GCCI will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Aberdeen to enable more partnerships and networking between the two loca-

Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson

we will be better prepared to deal with the concepts…

The improvement that we

From page 9

tions and their respective chambers of commerce.

Local content

Besides helping to facilitate this trade mission, Boyer referenced the role the Chamber is playing in local content and helping companies get in on the oil and gas action. The GCCI Chairman noted that presently, they have been given the draft Local Content Policy to review.

However, he noted that the Chamber is looking at local content from a holistic

would have seen in many of those areas were as a result of workshops, training sessions and basically have to do with building capacity with our teachers and, so we have seen that”.

This year, some 11, 467 students were registered to sit the examinations this year with 67,000 subject entries. Apart from Mathematics, there was improvement for English Language, with a 77 per cent overall success as opposed to 67 per cent in 2018. The performance improved across 21 subject areas while seven showed constant figures. Seven subject areas demonstrated de-

clines namely – Caribbean History, Economics, English B, Integrated Science, Human and Social Biology, Textiles and Clothing, and French.

For the science subjects, there were improvements in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, and both double and single awards Agricultural Science. This followed for the business subjects, being evident in Office Administration, Principles of Business and Principles of Accounts, whereas Electronic Documentation Preparation and Management (EDPM) maintained constant performance.

perspective, as well as acting as a liaison between members of the Private Sector and the relevant Government regulators.

“As a Chamber, we have initiatives we are undertaking and events that we do, for companies. Then we have conversations we facilitate between companies and regulatory authorities. And what we are saying is that local content has to be a holistic approach.”

“Holistic in the sense that we need a regulator, we need a policy, we need our regulatory agencies, not just the Department of Energy, that have anything

to do with the oil and gas sector, to be aligned so that we can get projects started quickly and get people hired quickly. Even the Ministry of Citizenship, because they will have to issue work permits for any expatriates we need.”

Last year, Guyana sent out a trade mission to Aberdeen, Scotland, in November.

Agreements were also signed between Aberdeen and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC). This year’s SPE Offshore Europe will last from September 3rd to 6th.

12 news

TUESday, august 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Young mother seeking answers after baby dies 2 days post-delivery …no evidence of negligence – doctor

Devi Balram’s baby girl with an oxygen mask at the private city hospital

T

he life of a mother is never the same after she loses a child.

There is a certain level of darkness that envelops her existence as she mourns the death of that precious tiny being that she carried and nurtured inside of her for nine months. She loses a piece of her heart and quite often loses part of her existence.

Feeling that sense of loss is Devi Balram, a young mother who recently lost her child after delivery at a popular private city hospital. This loss has led the family on a path to seek answers since the hospital’s authorities are not providing them.

It was during the Christmas holiday season that Balram found out that she was pregnant. She immediately started to glow and life began to revolve around her as she was now nurturing another being inside of her. The family began paying extra attention to her and they dealt with

every morning sickness symptom, every craving and ensured that every doctor visit was completed.

They were very excited about the arrival of the newest member of their family.

The pregnancy was normal with little to no known complications. The doctors had determined that her delivery would have been smooth because the baby appeared to be normal and the mother was in fine health.

However, life dealt Balram and her husband, Shiva Warner, a deadly blow. One that they never thought they would have been on the receiving end of.

On August 4, the young mother was at her Good Hope, East Coast Demerara home going about her daily routine when she began to feel some level of pain.

She immediately alerted relatives, who prepped and transported her to a popular Georgetown private institution so that she could deliver her baby.

The decision to use the

private hospital was made because the family felt that Balram would have received a higher level of care as opposed to the public hospital.

Also, they were somewhat worried because of the stories they heard coming from the public hospital. They decided to spare no expense so that the baby could have the best possible entrance into the world.

After she arrived at the hospital on the morning of August 4, she was examined and admitted since the doctors determined that she was in labour. A short while after she was admitted, a senior doctor at the institution proceeded to rupture the amniotic sac to release the fluid and get the birthing process started.

“They checked me to see if I was open and they said yes it was open and I was supposed to get the baby Sunday…I was there in pains with contractions,” she said.

Balram was in labour for a few hours and in immense pain. She pleaded with the doctors for some relief and it came to her in the form of an injection and that is where the family believes that things went downhill. The nurses and midwives continued to monitor the mother and the child during the delivery process and both heartbeats and blood pressure were normal.

Following the injection, Balram explained that she was encouraged to push as midwives pressed her tummy to aid the delivery. However, her baby was stuck in her birthing canal for some 25 minutes.

“About two hours after she said the baby was about to come and them start to instruct me and tell me when to push because I wasn’t really feeling pain but when the baby was coming I was feeling the pressure. I was pushing to my best effort while they were instructing me and I don’t know, the baby got stuck and they were giving me confidence like she will be there soon, keep pushing but I didn’t realise the time that she was stuck there. After the last push, she slit me and the baby came out,” she explained.

After she delivered her daughter, Balram knew something was amiss but she was too exhausted and trusted her healthcare providers to ensure that her baby was safe. The baby was not crying and Balram became very eager.

The doctors told her that the baby came out “blue” which indicated a lack of oxygen. She became very worried. The young woman immediately broke down and requested to see the child on August 5.

Relatives who were present at the hospital and know what transpired after the birth process told this publication that the child was given oxygen with an adult mask.

Balram’s daughter took her last breath sometime around 00:00h on August 6.

Documents seen by Guyana Times state that the child died from intestinal bleeding and cardiac arrest. The family believes that the baby’s death was as a result of negligence.

Devi Balram and her husband, Shiva Warner, sharing a joyful moment in expectance of their child

Although this may be the case, Balram’s grandmother, Juliet Coonjah, the Regional Vice-Chairperson for Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) said they have been waiting for over one week for a response by the hospital. In addition, they said they were made to foot the entire bill and no compensation was offered.

No negligence

Although relatives of the mourning mother are contending that a caesarian section (C-section) should have been performed on the young woman to avoid the infant being trapped in her mother’s passage for such a long time, a senior doctor at

the institution has claimed that the baby’s death was not as a result of negligence.

In an interview with this publication on Monday, the doctor explained, “We did an investigation and there was no evidence to suggest there was negligence”.

When asked about the injection that family members claimed was wrongly administered, he responded, “They can claim whatever they want to claim but the hospital has done its internal investigation and we found there was no evidence of negligence on the part of the doctor nor the nurses,” the doctor said. (Davina Ramdass)

news

13

TUESday, august 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

Teachers to be trained to No new schools to offer CAPE next year teach English as 2nd language

T

he Education Ministry on Monday said it has no plans to add more schools to the list of existing ones that offer the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

This is according to the Ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Murtland Haley.

In a brief interview with this newspaper on Monday, Haley said no such plans were discussed. He, however, assured that if the Ministry so decides, the information will be shared with the media.

The PRO reminded that this year for the very first time, students in Linden sat the examinations at the Christianburg Wismar Secondary.

Statistics shared by the Ministry on CAPE results showed that nine students sat 25 subjects in total during the exam at that secondary school. Further, a pass rate of 92 per cent was recorded there.

In Guyana, only 15 centres allow students to sit CAPE. These centres are found in only four of the 10 administrative regions.

These regions and the centres are: 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Mackenzie High School, Christianburg Wismar Secondary; Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) - Berbice High, New Amsterdam

…to cater to Venezuelan migrant children

N

Secondary, Guyana Private; Four (Demerara-Mahaica) President’s College, Bishops’ High, Queen’s College, St Joseph’s High, St Rose’s High, St Stanislaus College, Marian Academy, Adult Education Association and Chase’s Academy; Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) – West Demerara Secondary School.

This year, during the months of May and June, 880 candidates from 10 secondary schools and five private institutions wrote the examinations in Guyana.

Last year, 923 entries were received. Some 4224 subject entries were recorded in 2018 while 4223 were received this year. A pass rate of 93 per cent was maintained.

This year, results for CAPE and the Caribbean Secondary Examination Certificate (CSEC) examinations were announced on August 14.

An increase was noted in the number of candidates securing Grades One and Two passes, as students obtained a 100 per cent pass rate in 31 units along with 75 per cent or more in another 30 units.

Bishops’ High secured this year’s best overall pass rates, having attained 98.44 per cent, within the public school system. Meanwhile, the Saraswati Vidya Niketan private school achieved a 100 per cent overall pass rate.

The Ministry had listed former top CSEC performer Michael Bhopaul of Queen’s College as best CAPE student.

Bhopaul secured Grade One passes in eight units, however, it was later disclosed that Shanomae Milling of St Rose’s High School is this year’s top student.

Milling, according to the Ministry, wrote 11 units and achieved nine grade ones and two grade twos.

MMA-ADA warns tractor operators about traversing on embankments

T

he Management of the Mahaica MahaiconyArbary Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) has warned operators of tractors and trailers to steer clear from the secondary canal embankments as this may pose danger.

The Authority in a notice published in the daily newspaper on Monday explained that it has evidence of farmers frequently traversing this area. The agency explained, “These embankments were not designed or intended for these purposes, since the traffic can significantly reduce the freeboard and result in overtopping when the canal is at full supply level”.

As such, the MMA-ADA asked that farmers desist from this practice immediately. Furthermore, it warned that persons found contravening this notice will be dealt with “accordingly”.

Just a few days ago, General Manager of the MMA-ADA, Aubrey Charles, on the sidelines of a signing ceremony between the Authority and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), complained that scores of farmers within Region Five (Mahaica-

MMA-ADA General Manager Aubrey Charles

Berbice), who utilise drainage and irrigation services, fail to pay required charges for same, as agreed.

In fact, he signalled the Authority’s intention to take legal action against such farmers.

Charles noted that farmers presently owe an excess of $1 billion for irrigation and drainage services.

The MMA-ADA official further explained that a number of farmers have recently begun expressing worries over the rapidly deteriorating state of main roadways into rice lands.

But according to him, the roads cannot be fixed without monies being spent.

Nevertheless, Charles made mention of the Authority’s efforts to rehabilitate the roadways, given that the farmers account for over 45 per cent of the country’s overall rice production.

“A group of farmers came and they met with me, and they were pointing out the deterioration of the road network. I had to inform them that the maintenance of all the drainage and irrigation as well as the roads, it cost about fourteen million dollars per month and the farmers are not paying, they’re way behind the fourteen million which it costs to operate and maintain the system….So, on one hand, the MMA is trying its best so as to make the roads accessible and on the other hand, we appeal to farmers to pay their charge,” he explained.

On this note, the General Manager underscored that the MMA-ADA will take legal action against the farmers to have them pay in full the outstanding monies owed to the entity. This, however, is the Authority’s last choice but will be resorted to if the monetary figures keep increasing.

ineteen teachers will soon commence training, which will equip them with the necessary skills to teach English as a second language to children of Venezuelan migrants in Barima-Waini (Region One).

The Education Ministry has been working with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to develop educational interventions, which will improve the learning and communication skills of these children. Eight communities in the region are expected to benefit from this initiative.

The UNHCR representative on the MultiStakeholder Committee, Cecilie Guerrero, made this announcement at Monday’s stakeholder meeting, which was held at the Department of Citizenship.

The Committee is tasked with monitoring the arrival of Venezuelan migrants into Guyana.

Guerrero informed the Committee that 17 teachers from Region One and Two will gather in Mabaruma later this week for the training, which will last until the end of the month. The two Georgetown-based teachers, she said, will be trained to be trainers. These teachers

will be tasked with training their colleagues whenever and wherever the need arises.

The Committee was informed too that the Canadian-based facilitator, who will be conducting the training, arrived in Guyana earlier in the day.

So far, in excess of 800 Venezuelan children are enrolled in schools.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is working along with the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) to implement a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project, which focuses on the provision and storage of water, sanitation and hygiene promotion interventions in

six communities in Region One. As part of this project, a 100-metre well will be drilled at Whitewater, Region One, to provide water on a consistent basis to residents. This will complement the rain water harvesting tanks, water storage facilities and portable water filters, which have already been handed over to the communities.

Given the positive impacts made in Barima-Waini through the pilot project, the two entities are now looking to roll out the project in Cuyuni – Mazaruni (Region Seven). It will target three communities in its initial phase: Eteringbang, Arrau and Kurutuku.

14 News

TUESday, august 20, 2019| guyanatimesgy.com

Bandits shoot Minister’s bodyguard NIS to train employers on online submissions during attempted robbery

T

he bodyguard of Minister Keith Scott was shot twice on Monday during an attempted robbery.

Reports are the 62-yearold man, who is a member of the Rural Constabulary, was shot at about 06:30h at Market Street, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

According to Police, two males on a motorcycle pounced on the elderly man and demanded his jewellery.

The police in a statement said that the man, who was armed with a Force-issued handgun, refused to comply and was

shot twice by the pillion rider in the lower region of his body. Reports are the men fled empty-handed after the victim drew his service weapon and discharged a round in their direction.

The elderly man was rushed to a city hospital and is reported to be in a stable condition. Police have since launched an investigation. No one has been arrested.

“Labour laws must be complied with” – Ally

T

he Social Protection Ministry has reinforced its policy on ensuring that businesses and organisations in Guyana operate in accordance with the stipulated laws which govern the nation.

Additionally, it was emphasised that specifically private businesses “must comply with the laws,” which the Ministry will ensure happens.

This pronouncement was made by Social Protection Minister Amna Ally on Monday during an interview with State Media.

Minister Ally is quoted by the Department of Public Information (DPI) as saying that her office has been working to initiate the legal requirements for various agencies regarding the dos and don’ts of employment of staff. According to Minister Ally, just recently a com-

plaint was made to her office about a particular security agency underpaying its workers.

“The situation was investigated and we have found it to be true. We are going to take action because we cannot allow workers out there to suffer … We are going to take the agency to court,” Minister Ally emphasised, adding that there is a possibility that the company’s licence will be revoked.

According to Minister Ally, the Labour Department has also encountered situations where managers are deducting monies from employees’ salaries for their National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions, but no records of such are being reflected at NIS. She said presently, over 50 employers were taken to court for acting against the law.

“We assure that these practices will not go unnoticed and it is not being harsh to managers. We are seeking to ensure that in all respects they comply with the requirements”.

Further, Minister Ally reminded radio listeners of several initiatives undertaken by the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA).

She explained that the Agency focuses primarily on children’s welfare and in some cases caters for their parents. The Minister highlighted that currently, Regions 3, 4, 6 and 10 are benefitting from training exercises, while works are in place for the remaining regions to commence similar training sessions.

Minister Ally said representatives are in all 10 administrative regions and each location is working to achieve the same goal.

T

he National Insurance Scheme (NIS) will be hosting a two-day training exercise this week for employers or accounts personnel with the intent of teaching them to make submissions online.

The sessions will be conducted free of charge, between August 22 and 23, 2019, at NIS Brickdam, Georgetown Roof Garden.

In an interview with this publication on Monday the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Dianne Baxter, explained, “We are encouraging the employers to submit contributions using the internet so it’s those persons who are involved in that process there we are doing training with and giving them a soft copy of whatever it is that is required for them to do the submission”.

She further noted that a soft copy of the schedule will be given to the trainees to guide them in uploading and preparing their documents for NIS contributions.

The introduction of this, Baxter said, will aid in re-

ducing the amount of paper stored at the agency. It will also reduce time wastage and help in the data cleansing process. “It ensures that the information that they have on their system is in sync with what we have at NIS. That deals with correct names, matching of names, NIS numbers and so on, so once everything is okay there will be no rejection when they go to send the information via the internet”.

Although data will be shared with NIS through this process, Baxter was keen to note that actual payments will still be made at the office.

She informed that NIS is working on its online payment process and is, in fact, testing that system out.

For now, the PRO said employers still have the option of sharing information with the agency via flash drive or CD. “Those who haven’t attended the training, we will still accept paperwork but we are just trying to give several options,” she said. Baxter added that the

focus is to have all businesses come on board with this venture, however, there still are a few persons, who prefer to do actual paperwork, that NIS is trying to convince.

Using this online system, employers would send NIS a copy of their schedule with their cheques so that it can be stamped. An electronic receipt or acknowledgement saying that they would have received the contributions will also be sent via the internet.

The PRO noted that they are hoping to introduce this system at local offices around the country and not just in Georgetown.

So far, she said, businesses have already begun responding to the training.

This would be the fourth round of training being conducted by NIS for the year in this regard.

Back in April, the electronic mode of data transfer for employers, which will reduce the long waiting time and resources, was launched.

news

15

TUESday, august 20, 2019 | guyanatimesgy.com

$16M water ambulance commissioned

A

$16 million water ambulance to serve the community of Barakara along the Canje River in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) was on Monday commissioned

by Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence.

“Not only access to health, but timely access to health… and I know that this will fulfil that request in terms of the residents from not only Barakara, but the other communi-

ties will benefit from this river ambulance that is equipped with oxygen and all the other things for patients who will be in need of such on their way to the New Amsterdam Hospital,” Minister Lawrence at the commissioning.

She admonished that the new equipment should only be used for the purpose intended.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary within the Public Health Ministry Collette

Adams noted that the commissioning of the river ambulance was a significant event for the Ministry.

“This ambulance is unique. I don’t think that there is another one like this in the country so I ask that you care it”.

She said the regional administration will be responsible for providing personnel who are expected to commence training on Wednesday.

In April last, Minister

Lawrence handed over a water ambulance to the communities of Siparuta and Orealla, which are situated along the Corentyne River.

The fully-equipped boat with all the necessary medical equipment— inclusive of an oxygen tank, heart monitors, stretcher and other equipment— has since played a critical role in providing support in a fast and efficient manner as patients are being transported to the Skeldon Hospital.

The new one-of-a-kind water ambulance for Barakara

Jamaica Education Minister urges adults to desist from corporal punishment

M

inister of State in the Education, Youth and Information Ministry, Alando Terrelonge, is imploring adults to desist from using corporal punishment as a means of discipline.

“Some adults believe that children cannot learn unless you beat them. I want to say to all adults that those days are behind us. It is time we stop maltreating our youngsters, it is time we start speaking to them, it is time we start to discipline them with love,” he said.

Terrelonge was speaking at the opening ceremony for the 15th Caribbean Cuboree, held recently at the Ocho Rios High School

Minister of State in the Education, Youth and Information Ministry, Alando Terrelonge, interacts with cub scouts from the Scout Association of Jamaica at the opening ceremony for the 15th Caribbean Cuboree, held recently at the Ocho Rios High School in St Ann

in St Ann. He told the Cub Scouts

that they have a right to be protected from all forms of

tendering” last November to handle the demolition of the building which formerly housed Besson Street Police Station and the company was also recently awarded a contract for garbage collection services for Housing Development Corporation projects.

“I want to ask the Prime Minister, if this same company, this same Foster Cummings, PICAL Services Limited that was awarded contracts for garbage collection service in HDC Developments,” said Bissessar.

“So what procurement process was used here?

Selective tendering again?

What is the value of these contracts? Why Is PICAL the contractor to receive these multimillion-dollar contracts?” she asked.

Cummings, who is the general secretary of

the People’s National Movement, was reappointed as a government senator on Wednesday following Garvin Simonette’s resignation.

Simonette resigned when a 2014 DUI charge in the United States was revealed after he was announced as the Prime Minister’s choice to take up the Public Administration Ministry following Marlene McDonald’s removal.

Cummings had been removed from the Senate on July 21, to make way for Minister of Communications Donna Cox’s appointment to the Senate bench.

The UNC political leader also asked if Klydon Enterprises, which was awarded a contract to construct a community centre for $1,209,329.53, had any connection to Cummings.

“This Company was

abuse, including physical punishment, which can affect their mental health and development.

“As children, as youth, you have the right to ensure that no one beats you, no one ill-treats you, no one abuses you.

“You have the right to an education, to food, to clothing, to a loving and stable home where you are also protected, and so when we speak of banning corporal punishment, we speak about it because we don't want anyone to abuse or illtreat any of you,” Terrelonge said.

He noted that same disciplinary techniques employed by the Cub Scouts

can be use by parents to discipline their children at home.

He further implored parents to stop telling children “that their place is in some corner, and that children must be seen and not heard…because what every single Cub here can demonstrate is that they can listen, they can learn and they can function without being abused.”

In the meantime, Chairperson of the Caribbean Scout Secretariat, Zaida Joaquin, lauded the Cub Scout Association of Jamaica for hosting Caribbean Cuboree this year. The week-long camp was held from July 30-

August 5.

She said that the Cuboree, held every three years in countries across the region, provides a “great opportunity” for Cubs to develop holistically and engage in cultural exchange activities.

Jamaica's last hosted the event in 1991.

The aim of the Cuboree is to provide the opportunity for boys and girls, ages seven to 11, to interact, experience different cultures and foster lasting friendships.

Scouts believe that such engagement will create a better world where people learn from each other, support each other and treat each other equally. (Jamaica Observer)

Kamla questions contracts to Govt Senator

U

nited National Congress (UNC) Political Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has raised questions about recently reinstated Government Senator Foster Cummings’ connection to recently awarded state contracts.

The Siparia MP, while addressing the UNC’s National Congress at the Couva South Multipurpose Complex, Couva, questioned the award of state contracts to three companies: Cummings and Associates Company Limited; PICAL Services Company Limited; and Klydon Enterprises Company Limited.

Two of the companies, Cummings and Associates and PICAL, list the senator and his wife as directors.

The Opposition Leader said PICAL was “handpicked” through “selective

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar arrives at the UNC special national congress meeting at Couva South Multipurpose Hall, Couva on Sunday

only incorporated on 25th November 2015, right after the general elections. It has no shares, no assets but has been awarded a $1.2M contract,” said PersadBissessar.

“What is coincidental is that the same lawyer who files the annual returns for

PICAL Services Limited filed for Klydon Enterprises Limited.”

The Opposition Leader noted that last November, the office of the Prime Minister had taken responsibility for Udecott, and as such asked the Prime Minister if he was aware of

these connections.

“I want to ask whether there is any link between Klydon Enterprises Limited, Cummings & Associates Company Limited and PICAL Services Limited?

Whether there is any link between Senator Cummings and either of these companies?

“What was the procedure used by Udecott to award the contract to Klydon Enterprises Limited?” asked Persad-Bissessar who stated in 2004 Dr Rowley, as then Housing Minister, admitted in Parliament that PICAL had received a state contract for an NHA housing project in Edinburgh 500.

Guardian Media reached out to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley for a response to the UNC leader’s statements but did not get a response up to the time of publication. (T&T Guardian)

tuesday, august 20, 2019

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Salvadoran rape victim jailed for stillbirth not guilty of murder

E

l Salvador rape survivor Evelyn Hernandez was found not guilty of charges of aggravated homicide by a Salvadoran court Monday in a case that was the latest win for feminist activists fighting to end the criminalisation of women suspected of having abortions.

Prosecutors asked for a 40-year sentence during the retrial of 21-year-old Hernandez, who was the latest woman to go to trial for an abortion-related crime in El Salvador, a country that enforces its total abortion ban with a harshness unseen in nearly every other country.

“Justice for Evelyn was delayed and denied for too long, but today the courts

Evelyn Hernandez, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a suspected abortion, attends a hearing in Ciudad Delgado, El Salvador [Photo by: Jose Cabezas/Reuters]

determined what we already knew to be true: Evelyn is innocent,” said Paula AvilaGuillen, a human rights lawyer and Director of Latin American initiatives at the Women’s Equality Centre, in a press release sent to Al

Jazeera.

Hernandez experienced a stillbirth in April 2016 at her home in a rural part of El Salvador. She said she did not know she was pregnant at the time and that the pregnancy was the re-

following a position paper released in September last year on the need to reform the Common External Tariff (CET) for a sustainable future for the Caribbean sugar industry.

The Communications and Media Officer with the SAC, William Neal, said Caricom was still lagging “far behind” as the efforts continue to revitalise the sugar industry.

In the position paper, the SAC, a trade association supporting the interests of sugar producers within

Caricom, said that a truly regionally integrated sugar industry has for decades been undermined by international European Union and United States policy towards imports of raw sugar.

It said at times of globally high sugar prices, regional manufacturers and industrial users of sugar have long called out for Caribbean suppliers of sugar to give preference to supplying the regional market, but “sadly the market incentives of artificially high sugar prices in Europe and the US pre-

sult of a rape. Nonetheless, Prosecutors accused her of aggravated homicide. In her first trial that ended in July 2017, she was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The country’s Supreme Court annulled her sentence in December 2018 based on a lack of evidence and ordered a retrial. Hernandez was released from prison in February 2019 to await the verdict of her case. She spent nearly three years behind bars before she was released.

“I’ve always said that I’m innocent,” Hernandez told reporters outside the court on Thursday when the retrial resumed. “My goal is to continue studying”. (Excerpt from Al

Jazeera)

Barbados: Caribbean sugar industry faces ‘binary choice’, says SAC

T

he Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) is reiterating a position that the regional sugar industry faces a binary choice of either enforcing a robust regional domestic market in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) or risk closure with all regional sugar and molasses imported into the Caribbean at volatile global prices.

A spokesman for the SAC told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) Monday that there has not been no changes to the environment

16

vented that vision from ever coming to pass.

“Yet a regional sugar industry supplying the needs of industrial users of sugar in the region makes sense – both to reduce import costs, support Caricom industries, and provide long-term consistent pricing beneficial to both buyer and seller”.

The AC said that this is the model which is in place in the vast majority of sugar-growing regions around the world and it believes it can be achieved in Caricom.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Argentina’s Economy Minister resigns as peso sheds value

A

rgentina’s Economy Minister Nicolas Dujovne has resigned amid a financial crisis exacerbated by the President’s defeat in a primary poll.

The country’s peso shed 20% of its value against the US dollar after President Mauricio Macri suffered the resounding loss last Sunday.

In a letter to the President, Dujovne said he had given his all.

Macri was beaten in the primary elections by his left-wing rival Alberto Fernández.

Fernández’s running mate is former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who presided over an administration remembered for a high degree of protectionism and heavy-handed State intervention in the economy.

He won the primary with 47.7% of the votes with Macri receiving 32.1%.

Following the primary result, credit-rating agencies Fitch and Standard & Poor’s downgraded the country’s debt rating amid concerns about a possible future default.

Days after the defeat, Macri announced a series

T

The port of Cedros

were intercepted by the Coast Guard.

Williams said they were initially told the vessels were detained because the port clearance documents from Venezuela did not specify that cargo was on board.

However, he said a manifest was sent to the Coast Guard and Customs via email informing them that the vessels were transporting copper.

“The Coast Guard is claiming they never received it is a lie because Customs received it. It is not even the Coast Guard’s responsibility to determine whether a vessel has cargo on it or not—that is the job of Customs and

Excise.

They also have a Marine Interdiction Unit that deals with that.

The Coast Guard’s job is to maintain and secure the maritime borders.

“The proper documentation was provided, is not that they tried to come into the country illegally, they followed the necessary process and procedures required to have vessel enter T&T for purpose of transacting business,” charged Williams.

He further claimed that the Coast Guard acted without informing the Customs and Immigration officials.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

of measures including income tax cuts and increases in welfare subsidies. Petrol prices will also be frozen for 90 days.

Dujovne said that the Government’s economic team needed “significant renewal”.

“I believe my resignation is in keeping with my place in a government that listens to the people and acts accordingly,” he wrote.

He will be replaced by Hernan Lacunza, the current Economy Minister for Buenos Aires province.

A Cabinet shuffle has been rumoured for several days. (Excerpt from BBC News)

2 Jamaicans, a Canadian to appear in court on drug charges

Trinidad: 2 Venezuelan vessels sink while being towed T

wo Venezuelan vessels carrying copper and with a crew of eight sank off Cedros, Trinidad on Friday while being towed to the Coast Guard’s Staubles Bay, Chaguaramas base.

The men, all Venezuelans, some of whom had to be rescued from the water when the vessels submerged were detained at Staubles Bay up to Sunday evening.

The incident has raised several questions, including why the Coast Guard did not allow the vessels named Frilay and El Cufi to dock at the Cedros port when the necessary paperwork was done and the proper procedure was followed.

Why were the vessels being taken to Staubles Bay? How did the vessels, which left Tucupita on Thursday with approximately 4,000 tonnes of copper, sink?

John Williams, owner of ABC Trinidad Customs Brokerage Company Limited is demanding answers.

He said his company ensured that the necessary 24-hour advance notice of the vessels’ arrival and other relevant details were provided to the Coast Guard, Immigration Department and Customs and Excise.

However, around 08:00h on Friday the vessels were just a stone’s throw away from the Cedros jetty when they

Nicolas Dujovne resigned on Saturday after a week of economic turmoil

hree people who were held at the Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados on Friday were charged with trafficking drugs valued more than $230 000.

Twenty-year-old Serena Daniella Gentles of #7290 Meyer Drive Malton, Mississauga, Ontario; Annika Andrea Henry, 32, of Sevens Road, Maypen PO, Clarendon; and 59-yearold Osbourne Dixon of #14 Aretena Place, Queensbury, Kingston were charged with possession of cannabis, possession with intent to supply, trafficking and importation of cannabis in separate incidents.

Gentles arrived from New York onboard JetBlue Airline flight #BB1261 from John F Kennedy Airport.

During a search of her luggage by Customs, 47 transparent vacuum-sealed packages, each containing a quantity of vegetable matter suspected to be cannabis, were allegedly discovered.

She was handed over to the Police along with the suspected cannabis and was

interviewed and charged.

The weight of the suspected cannabis was 26.5kg with an estimated street value of $212 000.

Henry arrived in Barbados on-board Caribbean Airlines flight BW455 from Jamaica on Friday. She was interviewed by Police from the Drug Squad and referred to Customs to be searched.

Four vacuum-sealed transparent packages, each containing a quantity of vegetable matter suspected to be cannabis, were reportedly found concealed within a false side of her suitcase.

She was arrested and handed over to the Police where she was further interviewed and charged. The weight of the suspected cannabis was 1.8kg with an estimated street value of $14 512.

Dixon arrived in Barbados on Friday onboard the same Caribbean Airlines flight for a seven-day vacation. After clearing immigration, he was stopped and interviewed by members of the Drug Squad.

(Excerpt from Barbados Nation News)

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, august 20, 2019

17

Around the World

Hong Kong readies for further Omar al-Bashir trial: protests after huge, peaceful rally Sudan's ex-President 'got millions from Saudis' H

ong Kong is gearing up for further protests this week after hundreds of thousands of anti-Government demonstrators braved heavy rain to rally peacefully on Sunday, marking a change to what have often been violent clashes.

Police said on Monday that while Sunday’s demonstration was mostly peaceful, there were breaches of the peace in the evening when some protesters de-

faced public buildings and aimed laser beams at officers.

It was a far cry from the violent clashes between protesters and riot police throughout the summer, with activists storming the legislature and targeting China’s main Liaison Office in the city. The weekend was also noteworthy for a lack of tear gas use by Police.

The protests, which have presented one of the biggest challenges for Chinese

President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012, began in June as Opposition to a now-suspended bill that would allow suspects to be extradited to mainland China for trial in Communist Partycontrolled courts. They have since swelled into wider calls for democracy.

Aside from Lam’s resignation, demonstrators have five demands - complete withdrawal of the extradition bill, a halt to descrip-

tions of the protests as “rioting”, a waiver of charges against those arrested, an independent inquiry and resumption of political reform.

On Sunday, protesters spilling out from Victoria Park, the designated rally area on Hong Kong island, streamed onto major thoroughfares toward the city’s financial centre, chanting for Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam to step down.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

'Manufacturing normalcy': Kashmir students stay away from schools

T

he main Government offices and some schools in Indianadministered Kashmir have reopened after a two-week shutdown amid fear and tension over the Government's decision to revoke the region's autonomy.

Government employees on Monday resumed their duties at the Civil Secretariat, the headquarters of the Indian Administration, following directions issued last week.

The directions also included the reopening of nearly 200 primary schools in selected areas of the disputed region.

Most schools, however, were empty as wary parents refused to send their children to school while the sit-

Most schools in Srinagar had no students in attendance

Since August 4, an unprecedented communications blockade has been imposed in the region, cutting the region from the rest of the world and preventing contact within Kashmir and with the outside world.

While some landline phones have been restored, residents said it was not enough.

The authorities have not commented on the restoring of internet and mobile phone services, which are the more common modes of communication in the region.

Srinagar's State-run Kendriya Vidyalaya school reopened on Monday, but the staff there said only 100 out of more than 1000 students turned up. (Excerpt from Al

uation remains tense amid low-intensity and sporadic protests.

In a news conference in Srinagar, Syed Sehrish Asgar from the region's information department said "30 to 50 per cent" of staff was present in the schools

on Monday.

Several parents Al Jazeera spoke to said the Government was trying to "manufacture normalcy" by risking the lives of younger children amid the worst crisis Kashmir Valley had witnessed in decades.

Jazeera)

voy into Syria was an act of aggression and it had entered to help insurgents fighting an army advance around Khan Sheikhoun, a rebel-held town that was bombed with sarin gas in 2017.

The advance on the town, in rebel hands since 2014, threatens to encircle insurgents in their only patch of territory in nearby Hama province and could put a Turkish observation post there at risk.

After eight years of civil war, the northwest is the last big stronghold of the opposition to Assad, whose military has been waging an offensive there since the end of April with Russian help.

Turkey, which hosts some 3.6 million Syrian refugees and warns it cannot accept more, fears the onslaught in Idlib could cause a new influx.

Turkey’s Defence Ministry said the military convoy was attacked en

route to one of its observation posts in the northwest.

It said the attack violated Ankara’s agreements with Moscow, which had been informed in advance about the convoy.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britishbased monitoring group, said the convoy was stuck on a highway after airstrikes prevented it from continuing southwards. It said a fighter accompanying the convoy was killed. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Those plans have been dropped by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in favour of a new approach to be set out at a later stage.

The Home Office said EU citizens currently living in the UK would still have until December 2020 to apply for the right to remain under its settled status scheme.

"Freedom of movement as it currently stands will end on October 31 when the UK leaves the EU, a spokesperson said.

"After Brexit, the Government will intro-

duce a new, fairer immigration system that prioritises skills and what people can contribute to the UK, rather than where they come from."

Under the withdrawal agreement, negotiated with the EU by former Prime Minister May, freedom of movement would have stayed for a two-year transition period.

However, MPs repeatedly voted down May's deal and unless an agreement can be reached the UK will leave without a deal on October 31.

A

Omar al-Bashir appeared in court in a cage on Monday

detective has told a court in Sudan that former President Omar al-Bashir admitted to receiving millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia.

Bashir appeared in court on Monday to face corruption charges, which his lawyers say are baseless.

He was ousted in April after months of protests, bringing an end to his nearly 30 years in power.

In June, prosecutors said a large hoard of foreign currency had been found in grain sacks at his home.

On Sunday, pro-democracy activists and the country's military leaders, who had removed Bashir, signed a deal paving the way for elections.

Police investigator Ahmed Ali Mohamed told the court that Bashir admitted to receiving $25 million (£21 million) from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

He also said the 75-yearold former President got other money from Saudi Arabia.

Bashir faces charges related to "possessing foreign currency, corruption and receiving gifts illegally".

In April, Sudan's military ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said more than $113 million (£93 million) worth of cash in Sudanese pounds and foreign currency had been seized from Bashir's home.

The ousted leader had been due in court in July but the trial was postponed for security reasons.

In May, Sudan's public prosecutor charged Bashir with incitement and involvement in the killing of protesters.

The charges stem from an inquiry into the death of a doctor killed during protests that led to the end of Bashir's rule in April. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Iran warns US against Turkey says airstrike hit Syria convoy, killed three seizing oil tanker

T

urkey said a Syrian Government airstrike on a Turkish military convoy in northwest Syria killed three civilians and wounded 12 on Monday as Syrian troops advanced on rebels in a key town.

The airstrikes hit near the convoy that was approaching frontlines in Idlib province, two Turkeybacked rebel sources and a war monitor said.

Syrian state media said the despatch of the con-

Brexit: EU migration rules 'to end straight after no-deal'

T

he UK Government has said EU free movement rules will end immediately if there is a no-deal Brexit on October 31.

Under May, two options had been considered to prolong the rules, which allow EU nationals to live and work freely in other countries in the bloc, under no deal.

One option was for the rules to be extended until January 2021, and another was to allow EU citizens to stay for three months before applying for a longer stay.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

Johnson has said he wants to reach a new agreement with the EU but is willing to leave without a deal if one cannot be agreed.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

The Adrian Darya 1 was allowed to set sail from Gibraltar despite a request by the US to hold the ship

I

ran has warned the United States against attempting to seize an Iranian oil tanker that set sail from Gibraltar after being impounded for six weeks.

The Adrian Darya 1, previously named Grace 1, headed east into the Mediterranean Sea on Monday hours after authorities in Gibraltar rejected a request from Washington to hold the ship.

Its destination was the Greek port of Kalamata, according to shipping data.

Abbas Mousavi, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, told a news conference that any attempt at seizing the vessel, which has a cargo of 2.1 million barrels of crude oil, would have "grave consequences".

"If such an action is taken or even if it is stated verbally and not done, it is considered a threat against the maritime security in international waters," said

Mousavi.

The British Royal Marines seized the ship on July on suspicion it was shipping oil to Syrian violation of European Union sanctions.

Iran had denied the tanker was ever headed to Syria.

The British move triggered a sharp deterioration in relations between Iran and the United Kingdom, and Tehran subsequently detained a British-flagged tanker in what was seen as a tit-for-tat move.

Gibraltar's Supreme Court ordered the release of the Iranian tanker last week after authorities in the British overseas territory said it had received written assurances from Iran that the ship would not be headed to countries subject to EU sanctions.

Tehran denied it had made any promises about the ship's destination to secure the release. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, AUGUST 20, 2019

ARCHIE

ARIES

Go directly to the source

(March 21- and get the information you April 19) need to make the right de-

cision. You’ll have more to gain if you are productive and do things yourself.

Someone will offer an inTAURUS flated proposal. Get what(April 20- ever you want in writing May 20) before you make a commitment. Take care of business personally, and avoid being duped by someone.

dilbert

Physical activities will GEMINI help you lower stress and (May 21June 20) lessen anger. Stop worrying about someone or something you cannot change, and focus on making your life better.

Choose peace over discord.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Helping someone may make you feel good, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you or use you. Offer suggestions, but use your energy and money to better yourself, not others.

A conversation will be eye-opening. Listen to others, but don’t make a drastic change just because someone else does. Use the information you receive and come up with a formula that works for you.

Personal change can be VIRGO (Aug. 23- made. Consider what’s outSept. 22) dated or no longer your thing and make adjustments.

Spiritual growth and lifestyle changes are favored, while joint ventures are not.

Calvin and Hobbes

Pay attention to the people who have always been (Sept. 23- there for you. Neglecting Oct. 23) your responsibilities will result in complaints. Take care of personal affairs and tell someone how much you care.

LIBRA

SUDOKU

SCORPIO Make practical choices, (Oct. 24- even if someone is trying to Nov. 22) push you in a direction that intrigues you. Put safety first and you’ll have no regrets.

SAGITTARIUS Use your charm to get your way. Enthusiasm will (Nov. 23be infectious, and compliDec. 21) ments and affectionate gestures will help you gain popularity. You’ll get good results if you honor your promises.

solution for last published puzzle

Take your health, perCAPRICORN sonal finances and relation(Dec. 22ships seriously. Don’t miss Jan. 19) out because you neglected to take care of business or failed to recognize what someone else was doing or saying.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Get together with old friends, relatives or someone you used to work with, and you’ll be offered information that can help you make a personal decision.

Romance is highlighted.

PISCES Check out what others (Feb. 20are up to and see if you can March 20) pitch in and help. You can make a difference and gain respect at the same time.

tuesday, august 20, 2019

19

Manchester United held to draw at Wolves ─ after Pogba fails from spot

F

or a while, it looked as if Manchester United would enjoy the rare feeling of leaving Molineux with three points and fresh optimism.

In a first half dominated by Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s team, Anthony Martial fired them into the lead.

Wolves, however, came roaring out at them in the second half, and drew level, thanks to a wonderful goal by Rúben Neves. Paul Pogba then missed a perfect chance to put United back in front when Rui Patricio saved his 67th minute penalty.

The way United exploited Chelsea’s naivety at Old Trafford on the opening day proved they are dangerous opportunists. The challenge here was to provide evidence of more rounded development.

Doing so in this arena would be especially encouraging, given how they floundered at Molineux last season. United had come here in March in the week after a sensational Champions League comeback at Paris Saint-Germain, a victory that went a long way towards securing the manager’s job on a full-time basis for Solskjær, and not only in the mind of overexcited interviewers like Gary Neville.

But Wolves proceeded to dump them unceremoniously out of the FA Cup, and then

beat them here again in United’s next away league match. United’s form got worse after that, especially on the road, as they were thrashed at Barcelona and Everton before; perhaps most embarrassingly of all, drawing at Huddersfield.

Thus they pitched up at Molineux this time without an away win since that false dawn in Paris. So nifty opponents were not the only thing in their way here: they also had to overcome a strategic, even psychological, hurdle.

At least the manager had new tools. Only six of the United players who started the defeat on their last visit here were redeployed from the beginning this time, with the alterations including United’s three summer recruits.

Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were obvious selections, but Daniel James’s inclusion intrigued. It was the young winger’s first start since his arrival from Swansea, his goal-scoring appearance off the bench against Chelsea apparently earning him a promotion.

“He gives us the X-factor of his pace, and he’s incredibly hard working off the ball,” said the manager of the 21-year-old before kick-off. No doubt, he had hoped that James’s speed, especially on the counterattack, might have helped to

curb the offensive enthusiasm of Wolves’ left wingb a c k Jonny.

As for Wolves’ approach to the game, they saw no need to change. Nuno Espírito Santo fielded the same side that began against Leicester last week, which included 10 of the players who started the win over United in April.

United began by dominating possession here, but without necessarily controlling the play, Wolves being a supremely well organised side who are adept at keeping teams at arm’s length. The action was tight and intense.

The hosts were the first to threaten, albeit without mustering a shot, in the eighth minute after Raul Jiménez tricked and bullied his way past three defenders before feeding Matt Doherty, whose cross was turned behind for a corner.

United, though full of energy and bold intent, did not really disturb their hosts until the 18th minute. Paul Pogba released Rashford with a smart pass from midfield, then Rashford toyed with Ryan Bennett on the left before

Ashes 2019…

England name unchanged squad for 3rd Test against Australia

E

ngland have named an unchanged squad for the third Ashes Test against Australia at Headingley on Thursday.

James Anderson, making progress with his calf injury, will play for Lancashire second XI in a three-day match beginning on Tuesday. England say the 37-year-old will be assessed “on an ongoing basis”.

The two sides drew the second Test at Lord’s on Sunday, although Ashes holders Australia were given a scare by the England bowlers.

Anderson, who is England’s leading Test wicket-taker, had aggravated his calf injury during the first Test at Edgbaston, which Australia went on to win.

There is a longer gap between the third Test, which ends on 26 August, and the fourth at Old Trafford, which begins on 4 September; this would give Anderson time to test his fitness.

Pace bowler Jofra Archer, who replaced Anderson at Lord’s, impressed on debut with some hostile spells and speeds of up to 96mph.

The England squad for the second Ashes Test comprised: Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Jason Roy, Ben

Stokes and Chris Woakes.

Short presentational grey line Anderson bowled just four overs of the opening day of the Ashes, and was unable to play any further part in the first Test.

Batsmen Jason Roy and Joe Denly have both keep their places, despite having struggled with the bat in both Tests. Roy, opening the batting alongside Rory Burns, fell to a three-ball duck in the first innings, and made just two in the second.

Denly took a superb catch on the final day to dismiss Australia captain Tim Paine, but he was unconvincing at times with the bat.

Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow seemed to find some form at Lord’s with scores of 52 and an unbeaten 30, and he kept well during Archer’s hostile spells.

Archer’s pace and hostility troubled Australia’s batsmen. Smith was ruled out of the remainder of the Test with concussion, and is a doubt for Headingley; while his replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, was also struck in the grille.

Off-spinner Jack Leach, recalled in place of Moeen Ali for Lord’s, also bowled with control, and took 3-37 on the dramatic final day.

England have not lost a home Ashes Series since 2001. (Excerpted from BBC.COM)

pinging over a wicked c r o s s towards Martial.

But with t w o defenders challenging him, the striker was unable to apply a decisive finish from close range.

Still, Solskjær could take heart from his youthful side’s dynamism and enterprise.

James, though, had to accept a lesson in the 24th minute, when he was booked for simulation after nudging the ball past Joao Moutinho and taking a tumble.

Maybe that was born of the youngster’s frustration at being unable to get much involved in the game. Soon, however, United came up with something more admirably inventive, and Wolves had no answer.

In the 27th minute, Scott

McTominay and Jesse Lingard combined sharply before Rashford slipped a cute pass through to Martial, who raced away from Willy Boly and rammed a first-time shot high into the net. Rui Patrício had no chance.

Now United had the home team where they wanted them.

Wolves would have to open up more, at some point. But deprived of the ball, Wolves’ first thought was to avoid suffering more damage, as United’s passing and movement grew even more confident. In the 35th minute, Conor Coady had to step in to make a vital tackle on Martial after the forward wriggled past Bennett in the box. Moments later, Boly had to strain to intercept a cleverly looped pass by Pogba towards Martial. Just before half-time, Boly had to charge to the rescue again to thwart Martial, after the increasingly troublesome striker forced Bennett into a mistake at the edge of the box.

Wolves welcomed half-time when it came.

Nuno made shrewd use of the pause, replacing Doherty with Adama Traoré, who soon used his thrilling pace to push United backwards and spread alarm in United’s defence.

After a free-kick, won

by Traoré and delivered by Moutinho, Jiménez glanced a header against a post. One minute later, Wolves drew level in brilliant style.

After a short corner on the right, Moutinho pulled the ball back to Neves at the edge of the area. The younger Portuguese took a touch, and then swept a wonderful curling shot into the net via the crossbar.

Pogba led United’s attempt to regain a grip on the game.

He gained an ideal chance to restore their lead in the 67th minute when he was tripped by Coady following a one-two with Lingard.

Patricio, however, read his powerfully struck spot-kick, and batted it away. (Excerpted from the Guardian)

CGI issues revamped academy contract…

Competitive 3-tier contracts for 2019/2020 season

C

ricket Guyana Inc. continues to lead the way in formulating and enhancing the territorial professional franchise structure. It has issued a comparative 3-tier contract system, as is done with the regional franchises, which include facilitation of coaches, physiotherapist, strength and conditioning, management staff, as well as the creation and facilitation of a training venue with first-class standards.

This year’s offer of the tier Academy contract for the 2019/2020 season is perceived as a significant step for CGI and its beneficiaries, as it was implemented due to a robust drive to make the recipient allocation of Academy contracts more competitive and valuable.

This initiative has resulted in Academy players being offered ranked ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ contracts. Last year’s monthly Academy contract fee per player of $75,000 is now the amount given for ‘B’ contracts. The 2014/2015 season initial monthly Academy contract fees per player of $50,000 is now the value of a ‘C’ contract; and spiralling $100,000 monthly fees per player are now being offered to those who are awarded ‘A’ contracts.

The directors of CGI are of the view that the 3-tier Academy contracts provide an added incentive for players to work hard at improving their game in an effort to give themselves the best opportunity of performing outstandingly well on a consistent basis.

In comparison to what had obtained in previous years, outstanding players are now being provided opportunity to benefit more financially from local contracts, especially in cases where they may have narrowly missed out on regional franchise contracts, or have been noticeably recognized by CGI for exceptional performance in the locally conducted training and preparatory programmes.

The directors of CGI credit the Academy structure with providing unwavering support to five-time champions the Guyana Jaguars, ensuring that replacement players are well prepared and equipped to excel at the regional and international levels.

The 3-tier Academy contracts will be complemented by the usual management staff, with two (2) Academy coaches, a physiotherapist and strength and conditioner. Further, during the early path of the 2019/2020 season, the Academy is also likely to benefit from training facilities of first class standards, which will be situated on the LBI grounds.

For the 2019/2020 season, Robin Bacchus and Joshua Persaud have missed out on offers for Academy contracts, with last Year Academy player Bhaskar Yadram being picked up by the Windward Islands Volcanoes Franchise, while Raun Johnson had opted out of last year’s contract during the latter part of the season. This season, Trevon Griffith signs on to a CGI Academy contract after plying his trade with the Jamaica Scorpions for the last few seasons.

The 2019/2020 Academy Contracts are allocated as follows: Ranked A: Trevon Griffith, Akshaya Persaud, Antony Adams and Richie Looknauth.

Ranked B: Kemol Savory, Ronaldo Ali Mohamed, Raymond Perez and Kevin Sinclair.

Ranked C: Ricardo Adams, Kevlon Anderson, Kevin Umroa and Ashmead Nedd.

Prior to the signing of the 2019/2020 Academy contracts, all earmarked contracted players met with CGI representative Anand Sanasie, the Academy coaches, and Technical Advisor Colin Stuart to examine and discuss players’ expectations and contract obligations.

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

tuesday, august 20, 2019

Daniel Williams secures scholarship to US college – wants to study Mechanical Engineering – Region 10 ecstatic

G

uyanese athlete Daniel Williams has been granted a scholarship at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Mississippi, USA, and is expected to take up same later this week.

This young resident of Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice), who has dominated the National Schools Track and Field Championships for many years, has been heartily congratulated by the Region Ten Regional Democratic Council (RDC) through its Regional Chairman, Renis Morian.

Accompanied by his mother, Williams paid a courtesy call on Regional Chairman Morian, to whom he expressed his personal gratitude, as well as to the councillors of the region, for the unwavering support and assistance that was provided him over the years.

Reginal Chairman Morian, in expressing heartfelt congratulations to Williams, spoke about his discipline and dedication to the sport as the primary pillars that have resulted in his success over the years.

“This is a young man who, from as long as I can recall, has always been very disciplined and dedicated to athletics, and these are qualities that are critically important if athletes are going to succeed today,” Morian said.

Morian stressed that both he and the councillors are elated at the news that Williams has secured the scholarship, and they are confident he would become a superstar in the future.

Morian is urging other athletes in Region 10 to remain steadfast, committed, disciplined and patient. He reminded that the successes of Williams didn’t come overnight, but rather through diligence, commitment, and most importantly sacrifices to achieve the best.

He also advanced that any student can emulate the efforts and contributions of Williams, stating that his RDC remains committed and dedicated to those making meaningful and positive contributions to the holistic development of Region Ten. “I want to reiterate my congratulations to (you), Daniel Williams, on your achievement of getting a scholarship; and May God bless you to claim many more. Through your hard work and determination, you have proven to be a student and athlete that the residents of Region

Regional Chairman Renis Morian and Daniel Williams, holding the acceptance letter for Hinds Community College in the presence of his mother

Ten, Linden, would like to recognise and encourage to continue your educational aspiration as you join many other students from around

CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championships…

the world at Hinds Community College,” Morian said.

The young athlete has expressed sincere thanks and gratitude to the Regional Chairman for his continued support and assistance, which he dubbing as being very significant to his motivation, thus resulting in his continued success.

“My family and I are very thankful for the continued and significant support that we have received from Region Ten, and more in particular the Regional Chairman, Mr Renis Morian; as it has helped me in difficult times. And today I would like to repeat our sincere thanks and gratitude. I, however, would like to state that as I leave for my scholarship, I would continue to give of my best so that my country, and most importantly the people of Region Ten, can remain proud and supportive of me,” Williams said.

Williams, who was born in the mining town of Linden, started participating in athletics at the primary school level, where he excelled. As he progressed to secondary school, his successes continued, with him being a regular feature at the National Schools Championships.

In 2017, he became the most decorated athlete, winning records in the High Jump, 100M, 200M and 400M races as he competed in the U12, U14, U16 and U18 categories.

His athletic prowess was not limited to the track. Williams attended the Mackenzie High School (MHS), and in 2015, writing the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) Examinations, he secured one Grade One, four Grade Two, and three Grade Three passes from the eight subjects that he wrote. He went on to sixth form at that very institution, and completed Unit One at the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

The young man admitted that he harbours aspirations of studying Mechanical Engineering, although he is currently a student at the University of Guyana, pursuing a degree in Computer Science.

“I am extremely elated over this scholarship, and I can promise the people of Guyana that, while at Hinds, I will certainly be giving of my best, thus bringing further success to Guyanese athletes,” be assured.

Commonwealth Cricket League…

20-strong Guyana squad Shivpersaud hands Warriors jets off for tournament win over Madras Cricket Club – rain ‘decides’ encounter

B

Several members of the 20-person squad

T

he Guyana contingent that would be participating in the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship first-round qualifiers in Curacao today jetted off for that destination.

In this squad are 6 internationally-based and 14 Guyana-based players, which comprise 2 goalkeepers, 5 defenders, 8 midfielders and 5 forwards.

They will be engaged in this competition, which began on August 17 and will conclude on August 25.

Head Coach of this National U-17 Women’s Team is Akilah Castello. She said that while some last-minute changes had to be made to the squad, individual technical and physical evaluations have influenced the selection of the final 20.

“Continuous individual technical and physical assessments were done to arrive at the final squad. We believe that, provided the girls are technically and physically prepared, we will have a better chance at managing tactical decisions one match at a time,” Castello said.

Guyana’s first match will be against hosts Curacao, and it is scheduled for Wednesday 21st August at 20:30hrs at the Stadion Ergilio Hato Willemstad.

Guyana’s next ‘Group D’ matches will be as follows: against St. Vincent & the Grenadines on 23rd August at 18:00hrs; and against The Bahamas on 25th August at 17:00hrs.

According to CONCACAF, 32 teams will be

participating in these qualifiers, which comprise of the lowest-ranked 16 teams and the 16 higherranked teams, all based on the CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Ranking as at July 2018. The top-finisher of each group will advance to the knock-out stage of the championships.

The 16 lower-ranked teams are: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Guyana, Honduras, Martinique, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines and US Virgin Islands.

Each of the 16 higher ranked teams has been placed in one of four groups: E, F, G and H, and play will be in a round-robin format, following which “the top three finishers in each of the groups will join the winners of Groups A, B, C and D (from the qualifiers) in the Round of 16,” according to CONCACAF. The 16 teams participating in the group stage of the Final Championship are (in alphabetical order): Bermuda, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States.

The knockout stage of the competition - the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final - will be played in its entirety in a single match elimination format, with the finalists and third place finisher automatically qualifying for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2020, according to FIFA.

albiner Shivpersaud, Zeeburg Cricket Club’s (ZCC’s) senior player who has been drafted into the Commonwealth Cricket League currently being played in New York, now represents the West Coast Warriors Cricket Club (WCWCC) in the New York League.

In a Warriors’ 30-over match against the in-form Madras Cricket Club, played at the Flushing Park in New York, the ever-reliable Shivpersaud was able to take his team over the proverbial line with a well composed 94.

Winning the toss, the Warriors decided to bat, thinking to capitalise on the condition of the pitch before further degradation should occur through the vagaries of the weather. They never got things going, and lost wickets at regular intervals, which pegged them back and forced them to go on the defensive.

T h e n came Balbiner Shivpersaud to the Warriors’ rescue, bringing deliverance as he forged a vital partnership with Rajin Rahaman, who was eventually bowled for 40.

Playing his shots even as wickets fell around him, Shivpersaud almost singlehandedly dug the Warriors out of their proverbial grave, so that when his wicket eventually fell for 94, resurrection had already been completed, with

Balbinder Shivpersaud

the Warriors having amassed a total of 207 off their allotted 30 overs.

Bowling for the Madras club, Avinash Lalbeharry took one wicket, while Airshad James, Garda Khan and Ryan (only name given) each bagged three wickets.

Needing to score 208 for victory, Madras found themselves confronting a task too steep to complete, and

soon lost the wickets of Garda Khan and Denish Mangroo for scores of 6 and a duck respectively.

With the pressure mounting, Ryan and Rafman Khan began to open up, and looked comfortable in so doing. But the rains came and left both batsmen stranded on 44 and 12 runs respectively.

Thus the Warriors won the game via a higher net run rate.

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, august 20, 2019

CLASSIFIED ADS DRIVING Shalom Enterprise Driving School Address: 2nd Coral Street, Stabroek Georgetown. Also obtain an International Driving Permit covering 131 countries. Tel: 227-3869, 622-8162/659-3381. Join us on Facebook.

FOR SALE MIX BREED PUPS, ROTWEILER WITH RICHBACK CONTACT 253-3114 / 692-0126 TRANSPORTED HOUSELOTS SARAH JOANNA EAST BANK DEMERARA # 673-9231 / 216-4063/ 685-5476

spirituality & ASTROLOGY OM SHAKTI ASTROLOGY. MEET PANDIT ONCE AND GET PERMANENT SOLUTIONS FOR ALL YOUR PROBLEMS, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. JOB, LOVE, HEALTH AND DOMESTIC PROBLEMS 100% GUARTANTEED. CALL OR WHATSAPP 692-9449. LOCATED – ECCLES EAST BANK DEMERARA.

wanted SEAMSTRESS CONTACT: 601-9855, 253-3070

NOT RECEIVING

YOUR DAILY & SUNDAY COPIES OF THE

21

Clean and Fresh Initiative…

Bennett urges individuals to come out in support J ust two weeks remain before the ‘Miranda B’ Empowerment Club, in collaboration with the Ruimveldt Children’s Aid Centre (RCAC), presents ‘Clean & Fresh’, an initiative that would see the RCAC being cleaned and repainted so the children there can feel comfortable in September.

In a sit-down with this publication, the young and dynamic Miranda Bennett, the mind behind this initiative, said: “I am really happy with this initiative. The RCAC has been in existence since 1992. The RCAC is a home away from home for children aged between five and 18 years and living within Rumimveldt, Riverview,

Albouystown, Yarrow Dam and surrounding communities.

“The centre also offers an after-school (venue) that caters to the needs of more than 60 children, suppling them with hot meals, school supplies, and a safe haven among other things. And this is my way of giving back, one where I can use my platform to influence others.

“We are currently in need of paint, so I’m asking everyone to come out and support and make the necessary contributions.”

No stranger to the world of sport, Bennett is currently one of Guyana’s top female martial artists, and is a certified martial arts instructor.

A volunteer at RCAC for close to 5 years, Sensei Bennett is seeking donations of such items as paint (sky blue, orange, white and black; but other colours welcome), paint brushes, cleaning supplies and hardwood (1×4).

She is also asking for volunteers to help with this great project, which she deems as a very worthy cause.

Bennett also provides martial arts training as a beacon of hope to participating students.

This Clean and Fresh Initiative is slated for completion during the period August 31 to September 1, (before the new school term begins) with work lasting from 9:00 hrs to 17 hrs daily.

Mini-Cadet and Pre-Cadet Table Tennis Tournament…

Local contingents depart

GUYANA TIMES

in your area?

Contact our

Sensei Miranda Bennett

Reddish tops Williamson in NBA rookies survey

Circulation Department on

Phone: 223-7230 EXT: 55

The local contingents have departed the local shores, and will be competing on Wednesday

By Timothy Jaikarran

G

uyana’s National Mini-Cadet (11 years and under) and Pre-Cadet (13 years and under) table tennis contingents departed these local shores yesterday for the Dominican Republic, to contest the 2019 Caribbean Mini- and Pre-Cadet Championships scheduled for August 19-27.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport, one of the appointed coaches, Dwain Dick, said in response to a question regarding preparedness of the team: “I think that we have done almost everything there was to do in terms of preparation.

“For the past month, we have been practising at least two times a week, and have really been pushing those hours in. The tournament will commence on Wednesday; therefore, we have been giving us a few practice sessions before the game to become acquainted with the table and the venue.

“In order for the team to be successful, there must be that cohesiveness. It’s all about them gelling together and coming out on top.”

Guyana’s representatives, a very formidable group of players, includes National 13, 18 and 15-years-and-under Boys’ Champion Jonathan Van Lange.

The talented Colin Wong, Krystian Sahadeo and Dhanesh Persaud, who are all in their fourth and final cycle of competing at the Mini- and Pre-

Cadet levels, will form Guyana’s Under-13 Boys’ team.

The team also consists of the Boys’ 11-yearsand-under player Malachi Moore, who is currently in the Dominican Republic participating in the World Hopes Caribbean training camp; and the fast-improving and energetic Ebo Mc Neil (debutant Linden).

The Under-11 Girls’ team consists of national 11- &13-years-and-under Girls’ Champion Jasmine Billingy; as well as the talented Akira Watson and the tenacious Samara Sukhai, who are strong candidates for possible medal performances.

The teams will be coached by Shavin Greene and Dwain Dick, with assistance from Colin France.

At last year’s event, a total of 7 countries participated, including Guyana. Guyana was able to bag silver medals in the U-13 Boys’ Doubles, which saw Kaysan Ninvalle and Jonathan Van Lange taking to the podium.

In the entire competition, Guyana placed 5th with 230 points. The 2019 edition of the tournament will see Guyana aiming to be among the top three, and trying to medal in most of the categories.

The competing teams include Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St Lucia, and St Vincent & the Grenadines.

The major sponsors of these teams include Beacon Café, Payless Variety Store and Ready Mix Concrete Ltd.

Z

i

o

n

Williamson's fellow NBA rookies d o not expect him to have the best career of the players in h i s draft class, with Cam Reddish coming out on top in the league's annual rookie survey.

Only five per cent of respondents in the survey believe Williamson will have the best career of the 2019 draftees.

Atlanta Hawks guard Reddish, meanwhile, received 19 per cent of the vote for the question. Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (16 per cent) and Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (11 per cent) also ranked higher than Williamson.

Three other players – Jaxson Hayes, who will play alongside Williamson for

the New Orleans Pelicans; RJ Barrett and Coby White matched the small forward at five per cent.

Reddish, who was selected at number 10 by the Hawks, and Williamson were team mates at Duke Blue Devils.

Williamson was the story of college basketball last season, and averaged 22.6 points along with 8.9 rebounds, while shooting 68 per cent from the field.

He was the consensus top prospect in the 2019 draft, and the Pelicans chose him with the number one pick.

However, Williamson is favoured to win the Rookie of the Year among members of his draft class, as 35 per cent of respondents in the survey predicted he would take home the award. (Excerpted from Sportsmax)

22

tuesday, august 20, 2019

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

University players get chance at "Biggest Party in Sport" H

aving signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of the West Indies (UWI), to support the UWI’s efforts at giving their students the best possible sporting opportunities, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has invited five cricketers -- from those who have excelled during the 2019 UWI Faculty of Sport (FoS) World Universities T20 Competition -- to join CPL franchises for their pre-tournament training camps.

The teams which participated in the inaugural staging of the World Universities T20 Competition were: Combined Colleges and Campuses (CCC), the 2019 CWI Super50 champions; Tertiary Sports Association of Trinidad & Tobago (TSATT); University of the West Indies (UWI); USA Combined Universities (USA); and the Oxford MCCU (UK).

The criteria used in selecting the players included Batsman: player scoring the most runs in the tournament; Fast Bowler: fast bowler taking the most wickets in the tournament; Spin Bowler: spin bowler taking the most wickets in the tournament; Wicket Keeper: not necessarily having the most dismissals, but consideration was given to positioning, technique, and involvement in the game; Fielder: not necessarily claiming the

most catches, but consideration was given to run-outs effected, athleticism, and throwing accuracy.

Michael Hall, Tournament Operations Director for CPL, said: “We are firmly committed to working with the University of the West Indies (UWI) to help unearth the next generation of cricketers who can go on to represent the region on the international stage. By creating this opportunity, we hope to get more of our student cricketers interested in playing at a higher level. After all, critical thinking is a key ingredient for success in sports as well as life.”

Daren Ganga, Project Officer at the UWI Faculty of Sport, and LOC Chairman for the UWI World Universities T20 Tournament, stated: "In the spirit of collaboration and development of sport in the region, the UWI Faculty of Sport has shown exactly how healthy relationships with sporting stakeholders like Cricket West Indies (CWI) and Caribbean Premier League (CPL) can con-

tribute significantly towards building capacity in young people, and advancing our sporting stock.

“The UWI Faculty of Sport blazed a trail with its inaugural World Universities T20 Cricket Tournament in January 2019, and intends to host said Tournament every two years, with the blessings of all stakeholders in cricket.

“More significantly, with this inaugural tournament, we created a real conduit for student athletes to effectively transition from amateurs into professional cricket. Student cricketers had the opportunity to compete in a professional university cricket tournament earlier this year. Unknown talents were unearthed, and as you can see, the very best performers were rewarded with opportunities to advance their cricket careers alongside CPL Franchises.

“Effectively, CPL, CWI and the UWI have improved the player-development pathway in the region, and strengthened the tertiary tier of cricket considerably with this initiative."

The players were selected on the basis of the following performances:

Best fast bowler

Jalarnie Searles (CCC) – 9 wkts @ 14.44 / SR 13.33 / Econ 6.50 / BB 3 for 13 (Assigned to Trinbago Knight Riders)

Best batsman

Christopher McBride (Oxford) – Matches 6 / Innings 6 / Runs 245 / 3 x 50s / HS 74 / Ave 40.83 / SR 136.87 (Assigned to Jamaica Tallawahs)

Best spinner

Dominic Clutterbuck (Oxford) – 11 wkts @ 15.45 / SR 14.73 / Econ 6.30 / BB 3 for 24 (Assigned to Barbados Tridents)

Best wicketkeeper

James Seward (Oxford) – 5 catches, 5 stumpings and 1 run-out (Assigned to Guyana Amazon Warriors)

Best Fielder

Keron Cottoy (CCC) won the award for best fielder, and was selected in the Player Draft by the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, guaranteeing for himself even greater involvement in this year’s tournament.

Courts Annual 10K Road Race set Johnson departs, Maximo arrives for Sunday September 15 Golden Jaguars Football team…

– Hutson urges athletes to be punctual

The cheque in support of this September 15 event is being handed over Márcio Máximo will step in as Guyana’s interim Head Coach

A

fter just one year at the helm of the senior men’s national football team, the Golden Jaguars, Head Coach Michael Johnson has accepted a position in England and has thus tendered his resignation to the Guyana Football Federation (GFF), effective 13th August.

Details of the position he has accepted will be announced soon, it has been declared.

The GFF has since appointed Márcio Máximo as the Interim Head Coach for the 2019-2020 CONCACAF Nations League (CNL) campaign. This appointment takes effect from August 21.

These developments follow Johnson’s successful tenure with the Golden Jaguars, having led the team to its historic participation at the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2019, which no doubt has boosted his professional profile and created opportunity for him to advance.

GFF President, Wayne Forde, speaking on behalf of the Executive Committee, said he was proud of the work done by Johnson, especially in aiding the professional development of the senior national programme and the creditable performance of the team at its inaugural Gold Cup participation.

The Executive Committee of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) wishes coach

Johnson well in his future endeavours.

Meanwhile Máximo, a Brazilian national, comes to the post with a CONMEBOL pro licence and more than 30 years’ experience as a coach and coaching instructor at both club and national team levels. He has, to date coached the Brazil National U-17 and U-20 teams (1992-1993), Qatar National U-20 Team, Cayman Islands National Team (1999-2002), which resulted in Caribbean Cup and World Cup qualification respectively; and the Tanzania National Team (2006 – 2010), which reached the qualifiers for the World Cup – Germany and South Africa – and also qualified for the African Cup of Nations for the first time ever.

This coach has also worked with club teams across the world, including Germany, Saudia Arabia, Costa Rica and Scotland (United Kingdom).

The new Head Coach, who is expected to arrive to Guyana next week, will reside in Guyana during his eight-month tenure, and will work with the Guyana-based senior national team players to improve their chances of breaking into the team.

He is also expected to contribute to the national development programmes and coaching education initiatives. Following the conclusion of the CNL qualification, a performance evaluation will be done, which will inform next steps to be taken.

I

n keeping with its commitment to continuously promote sports, Courts Guyana has decided to pump in excess of two million dollars into its Annual 10K Road Race.

For an eighth occasion, the furniture giant is making it possible for athletes to showcase their ability over a 10-kilometre (km) distance.

The event is scheduled to be staged on September 15 from 06:00 hrs, and top and emerging athletes, as well as members of the general public, are all invited to compete in the event. Prizes in excess of two million dollars are up for the taking.

At a simple press conference, Courts Brand Manager Odetta Aaron said, “This partnership has been going on for a number of years, (and) it has been successful and fruitful. We are happy that we can host such an event in order to promote a healthy lifestyle; so we are happy to be on board with the Athletics Association of Guyana.”

President of the Athletics Association of Guyana, Aubrey Hutson, expressed gratitude for the partnership between the two entities, and said the AAG has now added the Golden Mile category to cater for the

President of the Athletics Association of Guyana, Aubrey Hutson

age ranges of 10-12 and 13-15 years.

“We will have our junior category, male and female category, and three masters’ categories. Our prize money remains the same, and we must say thanks to Courts for their continued support (of) this event. While it has been a staple event on the AAG calendar of events, we have seen the numbers grow every year.

“We plan to have a smoother event this year, where at 06:00 hrs we will be sending off our masters, open category and juniors. We have been receiving a lot of calls from athletes as to when this event will start, but we would like them to know that registration will close off

Courts Brand Manager Odetta Aaron

one week prior to the launching of the race.

“We also would like to encourage our athletes to be on time for the event, as we will not be issuing bib numbers to those who turn up late.”

The senior category will be competed for $100,000, a hamper and trophy; while the Masters category will see the winner carting off $20,000.

Winner of the Senior Open category will pocket $100,000.

There was an increase in prize money in last year’s event, and the same will occur this year.

Defending champions Winston Missinger of the GDF and Aliyah Moore of the Guyana Police Force will be keen to defend their titles in this 2019 edition.

guyanatimesgy.com

tuesday, august 20, 2019

23

CPL ticket sales kick off G

uyanese cricket fans have ensured they would not miss the action at this year’s “Biggest Party in Sport”, as they copped their Hero CPL tickets on the first day of sales -- Monday.

The Ticket Sales Office at 238 Camp and Quamina Streets in Georgetown opened its doors on Monday morning to eager Caribbean Premiere League fans who wanted to ensure that they would witness some of the biggest names in T20 cricket compete at the National Stadium at Providence.

The CPL Ticket Office will be open on weekdays from 8am to 5pm; on Saturdays from 9am to 5pm, and on Sundays from 9am to 2pm. As per usual, tickets for the Red and Green stands are priced at Gy$5000, while Orange stand tickets are priced at Gy$3000. Tickets for the Grass Mound remain at Gy $2000.

The tickets currently on sale are for the Guyana Amazon Warriors’ match against St. Lucia Zouks on September 5; vs St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots on September 7; and vs the Barbados Tridents on September 8.

It is important to note that tickets sales for the final two home games — against the Jamaica Tallawahs on October 3 and Trinbago Knight Riders on October 4 — will go on sale from Monday, September 9.

Guyanese cricket fans and loyal supporters of the Guyana Amazon Warriors are urged to uplift their tickets at the soonest possible time, so as to avoid the rush when match days are near.

A range of Guyana Amazon Warriors’ merchandise is also on sale at the Camp and Quamina Streets office. In addition to replica T-shirts, fans can also buy hats, flags, whistles, bags, cricket gear, and even phone cases, which are all available.

Further information can be obtained from the Ticket Office on telephone numbers 231-5344, 502-0448 or 502-0454.

Winfield Brathwaite Tournament…

Guyana romp to 4th consecutive victory

By Jemima Holmes

T

he Guyanese boxing team were the ones celebrating when the curtains came down on the Winfield Brathwaite Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors Boxing Tournament on Sunday night, after three nights of gruelling competition.

The celebrations were a tribute to Guyana’s fourth consecutive overall victory in the rapidly growing Caribbean tournament.

However, prior to the festivities, a number of deciding bouts were still on the cards for Sunday night, featuring boxers from Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Cayman Islands, Grenada and St. Lucia.

The fight of the night was without a doubt the lone female encounter on the cards between Guyanese Alisha Jackman and Trinidad and Tobago’s Shirley Wolfe. While the fans were eager to witness the female fight, they were not prepared for what Jackman had in store for her 52kg Junior Women’s bout.

From the sound of the first bell, Jackman let loose a series of punches, much like a pocket rocket, surprising her opponent. The blitz was

Alisha Jackman (blue) was in complete control of her encounter

enough to not only shock, but unravel Wolfe within seconds of the fight’s start.

Thereafter, Jackman continued to land blow after blow with power, leading to the match referee stopping the encounter just a little over a minute in the first round.

The victory sealed the deal for the Guyanese girl, who copped the ‘best female boxer’ award for the second year in a row.

Emmanuel Pompey was another conqueror in the ring for Guyana. Personifying the Guyanese proverb ‘small axe does cut down big tree’, Pompey was not fazed by his opponent in the 81+kg Juniors bout, although he appeared to be larger in stature than the Guyanese.

With a few lusty blows from the jump, Pompey was able to rattle Cayman Islands’ Deshane Vousden in the first round. However, his victory came 1 minute and fifty seconds into the second round, after the referee halted the bout.

The excitement that obtained in the final bout

Patrons lined up to get their hands on CPL 2019 tickets

Ramdhani cops CAREBACO Under19 triple-crown

Emmanuel Pompey landed one powerful blow after the other

on the second night of competition (Saturday last) was replicated in the final bout on Sunday evening -- a ‘thriller of a humdinger’ which involved Juan Rodriguez of the twin-island Republic of Trinidad & Tobago taking on Guyana’s Patrick Harvey in a 60kg Juniors’ encounter. This fight left spectators divided on who the winner would be.

While Harvey’s agility gave him the edge in the first round, Rodriguez made it even in the second by countering with speed and determination.

But with the decision left up to the third round, Harvey made a case of punishing his opponent for the eventual victory.

Patrick Harvey was later adjudged “The Best Junior Boxer”.

Also in the winner’s row on Sunday evening were Guyanese Richard Howard, after facing off with St. Lucia’s Kishone Pierre in the 52kg Youth bout; and T&T’s Nyrel Hosein, who defeated Travis Inverary of Guyana.

St Lucia had their revenge when Gilchris Medard used his lanky stature and long reach to get the better of Wayne Castillo in a controversial decision.

Owing to the high medal count of the Guyanese contingent, Guyana emerged as the Caribbean School Boys & Juniors Champion for the fourth year in a row.

Trinidad and Tobago were the runners-up, while St. Lucia copped the third position.

Also in regard to special prizes, Aljalle Jokhu of T&T was awarded ‘The Best Boxer’ prize for the Schoolboys division.

Reflecting on the three nights of competition which were hosted at the Cliff Anderson’s Sports Hall, one of the Guyana team’s coaches, Sebert Blake, beamed with pride at Guyana’s achievement.

“The guys worked. They proved that they are the best in the Caribbean; so I would give them an A+ now,” he proudly declared.

The successful Guyanese contingent

G

uyana’s National Anthem was played thrice at the Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium in St. Michael, Barbados on Sunday Evening, while the Golden Arrowhead flew proudly to signify Guyana’s dominance at the Caribbean Regional Badminton Confederation (CAREBACO) Championships.

Following Guyana’s participation in five divisions, the Guyanese contingent walked away with four medals, three of which are Gold.

Priyanna Ramdhani was the star of the bunch, copping Gold in the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles divisions. Tyrese Jeffrey shared the gold in the mixed doubles with Ramdhani, while he and Akili Haynes copped Bronze in the men’s doubles category.

In the women’s singles final, Suriname’s Imani Mangroe made Ramdhani

work for her Gold medal in a thrilling three-set encounter. Ramdhani won the first set 21-8, but Mangroe fought back to take the second set 18-21. Ramdhani was able to pull off the victory by taking the third set 21-17.

In the mixed doubles, the Guyanese pair of Tyrese Jeffrey and Priyanna Ramdhani had a walk in the park towards Gold with a two straight sets’ win over the Barbadian pair of Dominick Scantlebury and Robyn Sobers. They won 21-11, 21-9.

Priyanna later teamed up with Trinidad and Tobago’s Chequeda D e Boulet and dispatched Suriname’s Imani Mangroe and Chaist Soemodipoero in another two- set encounter, winning 21-18, 2111.

The Guyanese contingent will now be looking to maintain their stellar performance at the upcoming CAREBACO Senior championships.

tuesday, august 20, 2019

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

guyanatimesgy.com

CPL ticket sales kick off Johnshon departs, Maximo steps in Page 22

Page 23

Ramdhani cops CAREBACO U-19 triple-crown

Winfield Brathwaite Tournament

Guyana romp to 4th consecutive victory

Page 23

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.