Guyana times 26 january 2018

“Gross disrespect” forces media to walk out GDF Officers' conference P16 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 3462

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Friday, January 26, 2018

GRA losing $90B

... due to tax evasion, vehicle smuggling

PRICE

$80 vat included

WHAT'S INSIDE: Petroleum Commission Board

Page 17

Opposition, civil society could be P10 included

Guyana-Venezuela border woes

Govt to investigate illegal road, Syndicato gang killings Page 3

Pensioner beaten as armed bandits rob Corentyne family Page 20

Child mysteriously dies at Suddie Hospital

Brazilian fugitive recaptured P15

by Guyanese lawmen

Page 5

…Region 2 to launch probe

GDF to undergo massive restructuring Page 5

Man bemoans Police sloth following assault P9 reports

Greenidge P8 to head Guyanese delegation to India

…must be more agile, efficient in response to domestic issues – President Granger Finance Minister Winston Jordan; Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President David Granger and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo at the opening ceremony of the two-day GDF Annual Officers' Conference

Fatal shooting of mentally-challenged prisoner

Controversial oil contract

Protesters Govt defends predissatisfied approving ATVs, with other equipment manslaughter charge – says oil giant to use equipment for onshore base Page 2

Page 15

Guyana to host 24th InterAmerican P17 Congress in March

2 News

friDAY, january 26, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Fatal shooting of mentally-challenged prisoner

Protesters dissatisfied with manslaughter charge

By Ramona Luthi

S

everal persons on Thursday picketed the Georgetown Mayor and City Council as they called for the City Constable who fatally shot a mentally challenged man while in Police custody two weeks ago to be charged with murder.

The persons chose City Hall on Regent Street as the venue for their protest because they were against the alleged indiscretions involving Mayor Patricia Chase Green and Town Clerk Royston King.

At the forefront of the demonstration, holding a placard in defence of her now deceased nephew, Marlon Fredericks, who was killed on January 14 2018 on Regent Street, Georgetown, was Pearl Younge.

Younge, with tears in her eyes, expressed distress at the fact that her nephew’s

Marlon Fredericks’ aunt, Pearl Younge

killer, identified as a City Constabulary officer, was charged with 0manslaughter and not murder.

“The man [Fredericks] was shot at close range, very close range. This is very serious and we’re angry, aggrieved and angry at the way

that the Constab handled this thing…Manslaughter has special reasons. The charge should be one of murder and not manslaughter,” she told media operatives on Thursday as she stood in the blazing sun.

The elderly woman further blamed City Hall for the obvious lack of training displayed by the Constabulary officer who brutally attacked her relative and called on the relevant authorities to step in and implement measures to prevent a reoccurrence.

“You and I as well could have been hurt because some untrained maniac is just moving around…There are certain procedures that should be followed before using force and I’m wondering if these Constables are trained to use force. You can’t just shoot a person like that or use excessive force on an unarmed person like that…We [relatives] were in close proximity… I hope

The small gathering of persons who stood protesting on Thursday in front of City Hall

that the relevant authorities will see and look into this thing so that we won’t have a reoccurrence of this thing,” she said.

In addition, other persons who stood in support of the woman touched on allegations made that City Hall was the entity that paid $800,000 in bail for the implicated City Constable’s re-

lease.

“There are many things that City Hall has done…I’m out here this week because City Hall says that they’re cash strapped. They have no money. They wanna put a fee on garbage and everything but they can find $800,000 plus legal fees to bail [the] Constable who murdered a vendor. [Who] shot him in the back, shot him in cold blood,” activist Don Singh said.

He called on the Local Government Commission and Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan to intervene as there is need for significant change.

At the scene of the protest, he also sarcastically questioned whether the standard operating procedures for city Police was “shoot first, ask questions later.”

The small group vowed to return again next Thursday to continue their protest.

It was previously reported that Marlon Fredericks, was arrested by Police and then shot by a City Constabulary officer one day later, after it was alleged that the wanted man was attempting to escape lawful custody.

The incident occurred just outside the City Constabulary outpost on Regent Street.

Fredericks was shot

and killed in the presence of his mother, Claudette Fredericks, who had gone to the outpost to visit him, Guyana Times understands.

Police in a subsequent release had detailed that Fredericks “who was in custody at the Outpost for assaulting a peace officer and simple larceny, allegedly forced his way outside of the lockup when it was opened to let out another prisoner… A struggle reportedly ensued between the victim and the Lance Corporal who tried to restrain him and in the process the prisoner ran out the Outpost and was fatally shot once in the lower back by the Lance Corporal who was armed with a service pistol.”

Eyewitnesses reported however, that the man was not attempting to escape custody but was running towards his mother when he saw her.

Since then, Fredericks’ mother has been calling for justice for her son.

Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia Chase Green disclosed that the Guyana Police Force had taken over the matter, while highlighting that the M&CC’s City Constabulary Department intends to do everything to bring closure, depending on the outcome of the Police investigation.

news

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friDAY, january 26, 2018 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

Guyana-Venezuela border woes

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

Friday, January 26 – 11:30h-13:00h and Saturday, January 27 – a night retraction at 01:00h and a day retraction from 13:00h-14:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, January 26 – 10:45h-12:15h and Saturday, January 27 – 12:15h-13:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Sunny to partly cloudy skies can be expected throughout the day, with light rain showers later in the afternoon. Light to thundery showers are expected in the evening, with temperatures expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-easterly to North North-easterly between 3.57 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 11:43h reaching a maximum height of 2.37 metres.

Low Tide: 05:09h and 17:52h reaching minimum heights of 0.93 metre and 0.83 metre respectively.

wednesDAY, january 24, 2018

LOTTERY NUMBERS F

03 04 05

20 21 26

14 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018

DAILY MILLIONS 03 04 21 22 26 LUCKY 3 5 3 8

6

Afternoon Draw DRAW DE LINE

04

08

14

15

2

9

Evening Draw

19 20 21

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

Govt to investigate illegal road, Syndicato gang killings

By Samuel Sukhnandan

A

recent discovery was made by citizens in the interior leading to the Venezuelan border which has since been partially dismantled and protected, Senior Government Minister Raphael Trotman has said.

The Minister said the matter was reported to the Natural Resources and Public Infrastructure Ministries who called in the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) for assistance in trying to get the matter addressed.

“We were able to take some measures to investigate and curb what could have been a new artery heading to the border, which would have been unpoliced,” Trotman said Thursday.

While the exact location of that road was not disclosed, the Minister said the matter was discussed with the security forces and the matter is now being handled properly.

Asked whether his Ministry has received reports from miners about being threatened or harassed by the members of the brutal Syndicato gang of neighbouring Venezuela, Trotman answered in the affirmative.

He said, “It is a source of concern and as things continue to take place in Venezuela, we have seen more activity of these illegal or irregulars as they say, along the border.”

Trotman revealed also that the matter is now before the joint security and border protection agencies, as well as the National Security Committee for which President David Granger has oversight.

Responding to concerns that these gang members pose a major threat to Guyanese especially those living and working close to the border separating the two countries, he said it is being investigated.

The Minister said it is a national security matter that has caught Government’s attention as well.

Referring to an incident where a video circulating on social media showed a young Guyanese man being beheaded, Trotman said his Government condemns those brutal acts of violence.

“We condemn the killing of anyone particularly if the person is Guyanese and in such a vile and abhorrent manner of a beheading… and I know the matter is being investigated,” he added.

There have been previous reports of similar incidents along the Guyana-Venezuela border at other parts of the country. In July 2016, it was reported that a heavily armed gang of Spanish-speaking men terrorised Guyanese villagers in a Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) border village with Venezuela.

It was indicated that the men, whom villagers say are Venezuelans, have been crossing the border committing robberies and extortion in the village of Arau. These gang members were also accused of taunting Army and law enforcement officials with high-powered weapons and grenades.

Villagers in that region would have said that the gang is part of Syndicato which operates as a rogue body in Venezuelan villages, specialising in extortion. The gang carrying out the attacks has attempted to indulge in the same types of tactics on the Guyana side of the border.

Villagers in Regions One

(Barima-Waini) and Seven said while incursions by Venezuelan criminal elements are not new, the nature of the attacks has become worse over recent times.

Venezuela is experiencing the worst economic crisis in its history, with an inflation rate of over 400 per cent and a volatile exchange rate. Heavily in debt and with inflation soaring, its people continue to take to the streets in protest. There have also been huge shortages of food supplies.

Besides that, Venezuela has long claimed a huge tract of land known as the Essequibo, which comprises nearly 40 per cent of Guyana’s current territory. The decades-old controversy was brought back into the spotlight following the discovery of oil in Guyana which led to Venezuela reiterating its land claims.

Relations between Guyana and Venezuela have worsened ever since United States oil giant ExxonMobil an-

nounced in 2015 that it had found oil in Guyana. Venezuela has staunchly been against oil exploration in Guyana’s Stabroek Block, where multiple oil deposits were found by ExxonMobil.

A high-level meeting was fixed between Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and a Venezuelan delegation to discuss the border controversy in October this year. This was aimed at reaching a resolution through the Good Offices Process until the end of 2017.

No resolution has been met since but Guyana has indicated that it is prepared to go to the International Court of Justice as the next means of settlement to the controversy.

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friDAY, january 26, 2018

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

Sugar’s future F

or two years now, the Government has been vehemently defending the highly unpopular decision it took to send home over 4, 763 sugar workers as part of its strategy for turning around the fortunes of this country’s ailing sugar industry.

The coalition Government has also been called upon time and time again to justify its decision to completely close three sugar estates while merging the others in attempt to make the industry more financially viable and cut off permanently the supply of billions of dollars in subsidies from the public purse which kept the industry afloat and alive.

Additionally, it has denied that its decision to cut off aid to the industry was political and racially motivated even though those who are most affected by the Government’s decision to a large extend hail from communities which have traditionally and solidly voted for the Peoples Progressive Party and are overwhelmingly Indian-Guyanese.

As a result, various spokespersons inside David Granger’s Government and those sympathetic to its ideologies outside, have also hailed the decision as “bold” and “necessary” because they feel that sugar was bleeding the treasury dry and GuySuCo could soon become bankrupt because it’s distressing financial status.

According to State Paper on the Future of the Sugar Industry presented to Parliament by Agriculture Minister Noel Holder GuySuCo had incurred a debt of close to $82B by 2015 while its production in 2016 had fallen by 18.7 percent. The company, according to Noel, had seen a foreign exchange earned by the crop decline by 15 percent.

The Government claimed that the crisis led it to invest $32B dollars over since 2015 in the industry.

In fact, Holder’s State Paper listed a number of things to be done to save the industry as it referenced the Commission of Inquiry’s recommendation that GuySuCo be privatized over a three-year period while no effort be spared to look at other serious diversification options to end its reliance solely on sugar revenue.

Holder felt that a smaller industry would be easy to manage and with the amalgamation of sugar estates at Albion-Rose Hall, Blairmont and Uitvlugt-Wales, GuySuCo could finally meet revised production and commercial targets.

His paper assumes that with the divestment of assets at the closed sugar estates and the some form of diversification activities, the industry’s prospects looked better.

Holder again rejected the suggestions by independent analysis that the Government had no plan for the industry when it embarked upon implementing the proposals in the State Paper. His Government, has ignored the voices of reason and intelligence that are crying for it to reconsider its approach to a the entire industry.

No one is against saving the industry or the policy of agricultural diversification. The PPP nor the other independent critics have never rallied against restructuring GuySuCo or reducing the subsidies spent on keeping the industry alive.

Everyone is against the manner in which the Government went about the entire process and the suspicious political plots that were concocted to sell of prime assets to people close to the industry who would then turn around invest little and make huge profits that would enrich only a small circle.

The truth is, the Holder’s state paper is biased in focus. It does not address the core problems facing the industry and does not offer a wide array of options that if explored could have seen sugar still being kept afloat at the very same scale. The Paper was anti-sugar worker from a welfare standpoint and did not contemplate the socioeconomic impact that downsizing the industry could have a unique group of people.

The Paper did not look at costs for severance, benefits and other emoluments for thousands of workers who would have likely been sent on the breadline. It failed to even suggest that drafts a strategic reemployment strategy for those skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labourers that formed the core of the industry.

It deliberately ignored the role played by sugar in shaping a modernized Guyana and adding wealth to the very treasury that the Government is now shutting to the industry. What is even more sad is the fact that it does not even reference the contributions made

by Sugar to assist bauxite when it was on its death bed or the role it played when things were bad in Guyana under the rulership of former PNC regimes.

The Paper’s entire thrust appears political. Sugar could have been saved if the Paper was done by people with knowledge of the industry and people who understood the importance of restructuring without economically sabotaging those who died and toiled for a modernized Guyana.

The Government cannot be serious when it said that was the paper that outlined the future of the industry because it is unrealistic, anti-union, anti-workers and anti-development. We must change direction and change course by developing a serious strategic plan or the Government, influenced by anti-political sentiments, will run GuySuCo into the ground after sucking all of the political sweetness out of it.

Highly unpopular decision to downsize Guyana’s sugar industry

The Duo 2-Zen-0 perform during the Gala evening of the 42th Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival in Monaco (Reuters)

The morbid one is Freddie: not the PPP, PPP/C, nor Jagdeo, the transformer Dear Editor, Let me acknowledge publicly that I read the “Freddie Kissoon Column” whenever it is at hand. So, too, do I read “Peeping Tom”, “Ian on Sunday”, “Future Notes”, “So it Go”, and other columns.

I do not do so as a Freddie fan; far from being a fan, I do so respectful -- as I should be -- of the opinion of any fellow Guyanese, and aware that Freddie’s view would be informed by some scholarship; although in my view it is too often forced, selective and distorted, all in efforts to be critical of the PPP and the PPP/C. Freddie’s article on Jagdeo, in KN of Tuesday, January 23, is true to form.

Morbidity would be a more apt description of Freddie than of the PPP, PPP/C, or former President and current Leader of the Opposition (LOP), Jagdeo, who provided the great opportunities for the transformation of Guyanese and Guyana for the better.

In Freddie’s Column, paragraphs 2,3,4 and 5, as well as the fourth from the end, there are quotes from a recent press conference of the LOP, in which Jagdeo reiterates forcefully what has been the aspiration of the PPP (and the PPP/C) from its conception: a party that in its leadership reflects Guyana, so that us Guyanese, thrown together so recently, historically speaking, may see in the leadership of the party -whatever our race, religion, or region of Guyana from which we come -- fellow citizens looking like ourselves, who could empathize with us.

No doubt, there have

been a number of instances when any number of PPP and PPP/C persons may have fallen below our high ideals of seeing and treating with each other primarily as Guyanese; but whoever questions the earnestness and persistence of the PPP in this regard should look to historical facts: the four founding members in 1943, composing the PAC (Political Affairs Committee) – Cheddi, Janet, Jocelyn Hubbard, Ashton Chase; the grabbing of the recently returned young lawyer L F S Burnham to be Chairman of the newly founded (in 1950) PPP; the formation in 1990 of the PPP/C when it appeared that there might be a return to fair and free elections, adding and combining new nonPPP persons (patriotic and not anti-PPP) with those who had stuck with Cheddi and the PPP during the years after 1964.

I want to reiterate that whilst in office, we -- PPP/C, including President Jagdeo -sought to do in the context of the time and resources available what was good for developing Guyanese and Guyana holistically. I can’t recall ever going through a list detailing that this programme is for Indians, this for Africans, this for Amerindians, and so on.

As I have recalled on previous occasions, in 1994, we put aside the commitment of the then outgoing PNC to close the bauxite operations forthwith if profitability could not be found by the international manager. We read in the newspapers today about all the things our Coalition Government has to

face in reforming our sugar sector.

Well, we PPP/C and Jagdeo, faced all the same issues (about paying severance pay promptly, and reconciling and making good the workers’ saving scheme, statutory remittances to GRA and NIS, and so on). We did what we had to do without any fuss, as we were Government for all Guyanese and Guyana.

Concerning the four specific examples given by Freddie of actions taken by the PPP/C under Jagdeo to seemingly alienate AfroGuyanese, one who is not morbid would see them as possibly mistakes, though well intended; and well-intended they were: (i) whatever was in Roger Luncheon’s mind when he told the court that “no African Guyanese at the time was qualified to be a diplomat”, there must have been subsequent review, because soon thereafter, without notice and fanfare, a number of African Guyanese were appointed diplomats. (ii) The then Chairman of the ERC recalls endeavouring to gather data from many agencies of Government and private institutions to give an ethnic breakdown of their interactions with the public.

The universal response was that there was not the practice of determining and recording the ethnicity of clients. It was thus indicated that a bigger project was necessary to obtain the useful information desired. (iii) Siting of the 1823 Monument at the seawall was appropriate, as the design evoked the uprising and struggle, and it could be readily erected at the seawall

site. Siting at Parade Ground should, and probably would, have attracted considerations of other designs appropriate for that site, perhaps designs evoking the “torture, mutilations and executions” perpetrated at that site. (iv) I went to the trouble of obtaining and reading a copy of the letter referred to by Freddie, and it could only be considered “venomous” in the pain of its truth. Some persons see similar sentiments and concerns expressed by Freddie himself in his series entitled “Voodoo Political theory”. I, like Jagdeo and Ramotar, sense no case for sanctioning that lady.

We, PPP/C, cannot hold out that we set out to do anything specific exclusively directed and intended for Afro-Guyanese, but we will hold out that Afro-Guyanese shared equitability in the growth and development that all of us Guyanese engaged ourselves in during the years of the PPP/C in office.

We are not reluctant to acknowledge the actions of former President Desmond Hoyte which (re)opened roads to growth and development.

I am not reluctant to argue that, subsequently, we have to largely thank Jagdeo as an exceedingly competent and practical economist and politician, as Finance Minister and then as President.

It so happened that in the same issue of KN, in an article titled “Getting Help”, Peeping Tom remarks on how skillfully and successfully Bharrat Jagdeo had managed the effects of the world financial crisis of 2008. continued on page 5

news

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friDAY, january 26, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

GDF to undergo massive restructuring …must be more agile, efficient in response to domestic issues – President Granger

P

resident David Granger has announced that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) will, over the next few years, undergo massive restructuring and transformation to create a more agile, flexible and efficient organization; one that can respond to any form of domestic or international crisis.

Granger, Commander-inChief of the Armed Forces, has said the restructuring process is important as it would allow for a greater level of efficiency in the execution of that military organisation’s mandate and development.

He was addressing the opening ceremony of the two-day Annual Officers Conference which commenced on Thursday at Base Camp Ayanganna. Being held under the theme “Effective transformation for Total National Defence”, this conference has been boycotted by the media, whose members walked out of the conference as a result of the poor treatment meted out to the press corps.

Changes will be made to the Engineering Corps, the President promised, with greater emphasis being placed on public infrastructure. The Agriculture Corps will focus on food production for the Force and victims of natural disasters; and the Signal Corps will be re-established as the main arm for the advancement of information and communications technologies and telecommunications within the Force.

“Several corps of the Force are being reformed and recapitalised. The Agriculture Corps will embark on agro-processing in order to produce foods which can be preserved and packaged as compact rations for soldiers on long-range patrols and field operations, and as emergency supplies to citizens affected by natural disasters such as floods.

“The Air Corps and Coast Guard will be upgraded to allow for continuous surveillance over our airspace, maritime space and land space, and to support search-and-

President David Granger (third from right in front row) at the conference

rescue services to persons in distress.

“The Engineering Corps will be restructured and reequipped to enable it to re-engage in the development of public infrastructure and assist in disaster relief efforts in other countries affected by natural disasters. The Corps will expand the Force’s capability to generate electrical energy from renewable sources in all military bases and camps,” he said.

President Granger declared that this was being

done to allow for greater organisational and operational efficiency. He spoke last week about the re-establishment of the National Cadet Corps, which is also in keeping with the restructuring of the Force.

He said cadet training centres will be built on a regional basis alongside Militia drill halls.

“The corps will inculcate the five standards of service embodied in the Force’s Manual of Values and Standards, especially “…responsibility; respect for the

Child mysteriously dies at Suddie Hospital …Region 2 to launch probe

A

mother is now seeking answers after her daughter succumbed at the Suddie Public Hospital earlier this month under mysterious circumstances.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Thursday, the child’s mother, Devina Persaud, related that her four-year-old daughter, Valentina Amara Persaud, was taken to the Suddie Public Hospital at around 04:30h on January 10, because she was having a seizure. Persaud explained that this was an on and off occurrence with her daughter.

“When we reached the hospital we couldn’t find anybody, no nurse, no doctor anything. We had to search the hospital to find somebody”, Persaud stated. Upon locating a nurse, the child was admitted and given a valium injection to which she responded well. “She sleep and eat and play, she was okay,” Persaud continued to explain.

The hospital visit allegedly became fatal when Persaud

The child’s blackened body

was informed that little Valentina would need another injection.

“And then the nurse came and said that she had to get another injection and she gave her the injection and she cry and she breath just cut.”

After this occurred, the doctor on duty was reportedly passing and witnessed what had transpired. “The nurse

asked the doctor would you be on shift this afternoon and she said yes and the nurse said alright come let me tell you this thing,” the grieving mother said.

The duo then left the room and failed to explain to the child’s mother what had happened. The child’s body was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital

The morbid one is...

It would be informative and good to have listings for our citizens who were able to acquire their first vehicles and/or their first homes during the period 1992 to 2015, with the PPP/C and Jagdeo in office, to enter their names; and I would be ready to wager a big jill that it would be found that Afro-Guyanese have enjoyed a reasonably proportional improvement when compared to what AfroGuyanese and all Guyanese had before 1992.

Turning to the “poor Sam Hinds” in the last two paragraphs of the column, Freddie seemingly forgets the circumstances, the foregoing of the PPP and the unwritten cov-

enants under which Cheddi and the PPP formed the Civic Component. Recall that when it looked like the anticipated 1990 election might be fair and free, not rigged, Cheddi Jagan, recognizing the estrangement and isolation that would have grown between our peoples post 1964, and sensing the need once more to pull our Guyanese people together, formed the PPP/C, seeking to bring into an extended leadership (and support base) any Guyanese who at that time was not hostile to, and was ready to work with, the historical PPP to rebuild and restore and take forward Guyana. It was obvious that, once again, Afro-Guyanese

for a post-mortem to be conducted.

“They didn’t allow anybody to go in and witness and like nobody explain what happen or anything,” Persaud said. The child’s mother also told Guyana Times that her uncle had spoken with the doctor who informed him that the child’s heart and kidney had burst. She also had bruises on her mouth and her body also appeared “black, black” at the time of the post-mortem.

Meanwhile, Region Two Chairman Devanand Ramdatt, expressed his disappointment over how the matter was handled. “As Chairman I will be asking for an investigation to be conducted because this child should not have lost her life at a health care institution,” Ramdatt stated.

A report was made to the Anna Regina Police Station and the family of the deceased child is still awaiting progress on the investigation.

from page 4

were particularly sought after

by Cheddi and the PPP, even when they may have been at the heart of the PNC earlier.

Jagdeo is carrying on along the long-held aspirations of the PPP and PPP/C. It was known at the time that Cheddi was seeking an Afro-Guyanese Civic member to be his running mate and Prime Ministerial candidate.

Again, as was widely known, the then well-known economist Dr Clive Thomas headed his list, which was said to include other then known persons: Gordon Todd, Aubrey Armstrong, Maurice Odle, all known to, and respected by, Cheddi. It was when those (and perhaps others) could

not, for various reasons, accept Cheddi’s offer that the name of then unknown but lucky Sam Hinds came on the table, and he has not been poorer for it.

Sam Hinds was a novice to politics, he had no expectations of becoming President, and his stepping aside was him being true to the unwritten PPP/C covenant.

A document presented by President Jagdeo about 2005, titled “Building Trust”, points to what all Guyanese (including Freddie) should be working towards.

Yours truly, Samuel A A Hinds Former President and former Prime Minister

law; respect for others; correct conduct; and appropriate social behaviour,” he said.

Additionally, the President said the reinforcement of the Force’s high command has started with the restoration of the appointments of Adjutant General and Inspector General, among others.

“The Force is being brought up to its authorised strength to allow it to be deployed to any part of the country in any weather or terrain, and at short notice. The ‘reserve force’ – the Guyana People’s Militia – is being rebuilt in every administrative region. The Militia is an essential arm of the regional system. Each regional capital town will have its own unit, eventually to enable (it) to respond more promptly to render assistance to residents in the event of emergencies.

“The Force is the premier agency charged with responsibility to protect our homeland against the new security threats, such as environmental degradation, flooding, and drought,” he said.

The Head of State has said the changes are in keeping with the Force’s responsibility to protect this country’s patrimony. The President noted it is recognised that the Force faces numerous challenges in safeguarding the national territory, including airspace,

borders, marine resources and rivers; and as such, Government is working to ensure that these are addressed.

President Granger has also said that Government, ever mindful of its duty to secure territorial integrity and sovereignty, has been engaged in various vigorous diplomatic initiatives over the past 32 months.

“These efforts have been all aimed at reaching a peaceful resolution to the territorial controversy which arose out of the contention by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela that the arbitral award of October 1899, by which Guyana’s borders were formally delimited under international law, was null.

Guyana is still engaged in a renewed Good Offices Process, but we remain confident that the process will eventuate in a juridical settlement of this controversy – one that has stymied the development of our state since Independence.

“The Force has embarked on a programme of long-range patrols aimed at re-affirming our national territorial borders from Punta Playa to the Kutari and from Ankoko to Orealla,” he said.

The GDF Chief of Staff, Brigadier Patrick West, in his presentation, said that despite the challenges faced in 2017, the GDF remains resolute in its mandate. As the Force begins its planning for 2018, the Chief of Staff said, the Force will be moving to improve its capabilities and capacity for the continued security of Guyana’s borders and citizens.

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Minister of State Mr. Joseph Harmon, Minister of Public Security Mr. Khemraj Ramjattan and Minister of Finance Mr. Winston Jordan were also present at the opening ceremony.

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friDAY, january 26, 2018

Page

Foundation

Failure to Launch: The “Wheel of Motivation”

By Jeffery S Smith, MD

I

want to share a concept that helps to understand motivation and lack of it in young adults struggling to launch. I call it “the Wheel of Motivation”.

Evolution has architected our brains to avoid discomfort. For most mammals, stress and discomfort are indicators of potential danger, so avoiding them is natural and even good for survival. But for us humans, with our complex world, risking discomfort may be just what we need in order to develop those skills and confidence that we need for success.

The Wheel can turn in either direction, towards engagement with life and its accompanying stresses, or away from engagement.

When young people follow their instinct (and a lot of cues from their 21st Century environment) to avoid discomfort and stress, the Wheel starts to turn in reverse. At first, the result is relief, but turning away from mainstream life has negative effects as well. The young person falls further behind peers and begins to feel uncomfortable about that, maybe ashamed, though who would admit that? Instead of feeling happier, the young person feels more irritable, angry, stressed, and unhappy. This can be so intense that it rises to the level of clinical anxiety and depression.

guyanatimesgy.com

Here’s the important thing about the Wheel. Instead of feeling happier and more relaxed, those who seek to relieve their stress actually become more sensitive to all kinds of discomfort. The more they avoid stress, the more oppressed they feel by anything that disturbs their shrinking world. So the predictable result is a vicious cycle

that only gets worse.

When family or helpers suggest going in the opposite direction and moving towards becoming more productive and engaged, those activities only promise more stress. The young person resists actively, often using anger to fend off attempts to encourage change.

But the same Wheel of Motivation can go towards life as well. When positive movement happens, the young person anticipates more stress, but the actual result is to feel more positive and confident. There may be a good deal of

resistance to recognising this at first, but small steps taken voluntarily (even with some arm twisting) has a remarkable effect. Positive steps, even though stressful, lead to less discomfort and stress for each action taken in a positive direction. The result is a virtuous cycle where each turn results in more pleasure and confidence and less pain and discomfort, not more.

The biggest reasons for resisting positive steps have to do with seeing a mountain looming ahead.

There is so much ground to be made up, it seems impossible. So the job of family and helpers is to direct the young person to the present and to avoid too much focus on what lies ahead.

Putting “one foot in front of the other” and doing the “next right thing,” no matter how minor, is the formula for getting the Wheel of Motivation moving in a positive direction where it can eventually become self-sustaining. The great importance of the Wheel of Motivation is that doing is more important than talking or even understanding on the part of the young person. Taking positive steps, even ones that are insignificant in themselves, has the effect of making the next step easier. Trying to explain, convince, or even “motivate” the young person can even be counterproductive. What counts the most is actual movement. (psychologytoday.com)

What makes children resilient?

By Ugo Uche

W

hen working with young children and teens who struggle with varying degrees of social anxiety, it soon becomes apparent that what makes a young person resilient to challenges they experience with their peers is their mindset.

Specifically, a mindset of self-correction. I will describe a mindset of self-correction as one where the teen habitually evaluates how he or she is responding to daily challenges, with the goal of becoming more successful in effectively responding to daily challenges. Most children whom I

meet with initially operate from the mindset where others should be corrected. This is a mindset that focuses of the behaviour of the group with a focus on what the group should be doing better.

An example of the mindset where others should be corrected is the now popularised anti-bullying campaign. With the goal of bringing bullying to an end by changing school cultures that unintentionally promote bullying for the better.

While this is a mindset educators and parents should adopt, it is not advisable for a young person to adopt this mindset, for the simple fact that young people have no power on an individual level to change the mindset and behaviours of their peers.

So, a young person who adopts a mindset on how others should change for the better or becomes acute-

ly aware of the problematic behaviours of his peers, relative to his or her good behaviour, experiences significant feelings of helplessness when he or she is bullied.

This is because in most cases the bully either doesn’t care about breaking school rules or operates on a level of social sophistication that affords him or her to dodge being disciplined by the school authorities.

Another way the mindset that focuses on the behaviours of others is detrimental to children is that it leads children to the belief that their happiness is dependent on the behaviours of others around them. This is problematic, as we can-

not control the behaviours of others.

The ideal mindset for older children or teenagers to have is one of self-reflection and personal growth.

Teaching this mindset to a young person is challenging as their minds are not fully matured yet to thoroughly grasp the information. However, in my work with children, as they learn and internalise the concept of forgiveness and the importance of embracing challenges, I routinely witness a shift occur when their overall concept of a solution to whatever they are experiencing starts with a focus on how they can respond to their challenges differently.

From issues with social anxiety, ADHD to depression, when children and teens begin the process of seeking the solution within themselves, healing begins.

(psychologytoday.com)

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GRA sets up Special Unit to audit Exxon operations certain timelines (involved).

For instance, audit must be commenced within a twoyear period and all these other things,” Statia related.

By Jarryl Bryan

T

he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has announced that its Oil and Gas Unit (O&G Unit) is up and running in preparation for ExxonMobil beginning commercial production of oil in 2020.

While this conforms to the necessary measures identified in a key international report, there is still the matter of training.

During a press conference on Thursday, GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia was questioned about the status of the unit. He related that specialized training will soon be provided for its staff -- something overseas counterparts are assisting with.

“It has actually been established; but what has happened (is that) we have to train persons in the oil and gas sector. Oil and gas accounting is unique in Guyana; it has not been looked at, so our staff is being trained by the Overseas Technical Assistance (programme) of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS),” Statia explained.

He also explained that the GRA has secured the services of trainers from the United Kingdom (UK) in addition to those from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As part of Guyana’s bilateral ties, some of the staff will also undergo oil and gas training in Trinidad and Tobago, he

IMF

GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia

explained.

Asked about the size of the staff complement, Statia related that only 23 persons would be operating in the unit. He urged, however, that the public be cognizant of the authority’s role, and noted that GRA is avoiding overstaffing the unit.

“GRA is only the revenue arm of the Government, and you have to look and see what would be the function of the Petroleum Commission and all these other things,” Statia said. “Because, depending on the make-up of the Petroleum Authority, you would know what role each person would play. But we have been ahead of the game,” he confided.

“We have started looking at these activities since a year ago, and we have some staff that have been trained to look specifically at the oil and gas activities. There are

In a report done on the oil sector last year, the IMF had urged the Guyana Government to start as soon as possible auditing all exploration and development costs being racked up by ExxonMobil.

When he presented the 2018 budget last year, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had alluded to the impending establishment of an Oil and Gas Unit at the GRA. The IMF had said establishment of this unit should become a priority of the Government.

“It will be important for this unit to start verifying and undertaking audits of cost incurred during the exploration and development phase, which is getting underway now. It would be advantageous to establish close working relations between the GRA and the sector regulators, to ensure that the limited petroleum sector expertise in Government is applied most efficiently,” the IMF had stated in its report.

Investments

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres. Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is the operator, and holds a 45 per cent in-

Exxon’s operations in the Stabroek Block

terest in the Stabroek Block.

Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd holds a 30 per cent interest, and CNOOC Nexen Petroleum Guyana Limited holds a 25 per cent interest.

Since ExxonMobil’s 2015 oil find in Guyana, the country has attracted international attention and this has precipitated intense sensitization exercises. In May 2015, Exxon confirmed that more than 295 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs were encountered at its Liza 1 exploration well.

To give an idea of the company’s total investment, Exxon has put the Liza Phase 1 project costs at over US$4 billion. It is estimated that the lease capitalization cost alone for the

Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel is US$1.2 billion.

The company subsequently found oil in the Liza 2, Liza 3, Payara, Turbot 1 and Ranger 1 wells. It has also started drilling in its Pacora well, with additional drilling planned for this year.

Guyana will have to au-

dit and verify cost oil claims Exxon will make on its revenue. Exxon is expected to use revenue from its production in order to recoup its capital investment. Whatever remains of this is the ‘profit oil’ Guyana will have to split with the oil company and its associates.

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Corentyne robbery

Bandits cart off firearm, $2M cash

– key suspect arrested

B

andits on Wednesday evening broke into a Corentyne home and carted off a quantity of gold jewelry, foreign and local currencies, and a licensed firearm.

The incident took place at Lot 208 Mandir Street, Clifton Settlement Tain, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne).

The intruders removed two sets of foreign currency totalling US $3,150 along with $300,000 Guyana dollars. The jewelry stolen is valued at $900,000. No one was at home at the time of the incident According to Bhagwandin Mukhram, also called ’4011’, a mechanic, he and his wife left home at about 19:00h and returned four hours later when the discovery was made.

Bhagwandin Mukhram

The 63-year-old man said when he got home he went straight to the front door and opened the padlock.

“After I open the padlock, I pull the door and noticed it bolt from inside. So

I go around to the back and I see the bottom half of the door opened.”

The man related that as he proceeded to enter the house, he stepped in six inches of water. He revealed that the pipes at two sinks were turned on and left running.

“When I see that happen downstairs, my mind run straight on the firearm, and so I run upstairs; and when I go in the bedroom, the safe open and there is no firearm inside,” he related.

It was a Remington semi-automatic shotgun which he had since 2003.

According to Mukhram, entry to the building was gained by using an object to wrench open the door.

This publication was shown marks on the door, indicating the way the intruders

had gained entry.

The Police were summoned, and as they commenced investigation, they went to the home of the suspect, situated three houses away and next to where Mukhram and his wife were being entertained by a neighbour.

Initially, the investigators got no response when they went to the house, but after threatening to break the door, the lone occupant opened the door.

The building was searched for items which were removed from Mukhram premises.

Nothing was found, but a chisel and a hammer were removed from the house.

The items match the marks left on Mukhram’s door.

Greenidge to head Guyanese delegation to India A

Guyanese ministerial delegation will be visiting India next week to attend several high-level meetings.

The delegation will be led by Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, and includes Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman.

During the State visit, which is scheduled for January 29 to February 3, they will be attending the Guyana-India Joint Commission and the InterMinisterial Consultations.

The visit will provide an opportunity for the two States to further enhance

Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge

relations through an exchange of political dialogue

as well as for the fostering of economic and cultural cooperation.

The Joint Commission facilitates talks between the two countries on all aspects of bilateral relations while the Inter-Ministerial Consultations allow for dialogue in areas of common interest at both the regional and global levels.

“Since the independence of Guyana in 1966 and the immediate establishment of political and diplomatic relations with India, our mutual relationship has been strong. Our ongoing social and cultural cooperation is a reflection of this

close link,” stated Minister Greenidge.

“The visit is intended to set a policy framework for medium to long term cooperation,” he added.

While in India, the Foreign Minister is also expected to sign and ratify the Framework Agreement on the establishment of the International Solar Alliance, a platform through which sun-rich countries collectively address common challenges related to the use of solar energy.

This will serve to advance Guyana’s efforts to establish a “Green Economy”, including through its renewable energy sector, as well as further solidify the bond between the two countries. Also slated for signature is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the cultural exchange programme between the two Governments.

Guyana and India have already collaborated on several development projects in areas such as infrastructure, energy, information and communications technology (ICT) and agriculture. Additionally, in 2016, the two States signed an MoU, which allowed for the creation of a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology.

Formal diplomatic relations between Guyana and India were established on May 26, 1966.

This visit of the ministerial delegation to the Asian powerhouse comes on the heels of a public exchange between Head of the local Department of Public Information (DPI), Imran Khan, and Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingham.

Turn to page 20

Stockholm syndrome…

S

…in sugar? ome claim there’s a schism developing in the PPP over the (abject?) stance taken by the leader of GAWU, Komal Chand, to the Government’s devastating unilateralism in the sugar industry. Your Eyewitness hopes there’s no precipitate action taken because it’s clear Komal Chand isn’t responsible for his actions. He’s suffering from “Stockholm Syndrome”!!

What’s this, you ask, Dear Reader? Well, it was coined in the 1970s when four hostages were taken captive during a bank robbery in Stockholm, Sweden. Wiki describes the syndrome thusly: “strong emotional ties that develop between two persons where one person intermittently harasses, beats, threatens, abuses, or intimidates the other.” The emotional ties can become so strong some captives identify with the captors, start defending them and, after being released, won’t testify against them!!

Let’s look at what happened between sugar workers and the Government that resulted in Komal Chand gushing after a meeting with the President, Nagamootoo and Ramjattan: “We have listened and we are satisfied that you are concerned with the issues. We are ready to work along with the Government to explore the options and we are going to give our best to see the situation out. You are right that there are no winners in this…”

Now, Komal Chand, to use the terminology introduced

by GuySuCo’s Chairman Clive Thomas, is the “agent” of 17,000 sugar workers (the principals) who’d been duly shelling out their dues for decades for the Union to represent their interests against their employer GuySuCo, owned by the Government of Guyana. And what happened to those “interests”?? Without any discussion with GAWU, and against the recommendations of their CoI, the Government/GuySuCo combine shuttered Wales Estate and threw 1700 workers out on their ears!!

Then after claiming they weren’t REALLY closing down the industry, the Govt/GuySuCo – again not giving Komal Chand the time of day – suddenly closes another three estates and fires 4700 more workers!! Enough abuse by the Govt/GuySuCo honchos holding Chand captive? Naaah!

For good measure, they refused to pay the last 4700 fired workers their severance – as mandated by law! negotiating on his knees – crooned, “we are satisfied that you are concerned with the issues”!!! What concern??

As agent for the fired workers the only issue on the table was justice being secured for them. Story done! At best, get a commitment for new employment for them and at worst ensure ALL THEIR SEVERANCE IS PAID! But because of his Stockholm Syndrome, Chand can’t see this! Poor sods! He should be taken into a back room at ILO HQ and counselled!!

…and the Government Now that your Eyewitness has raised this Stockholm Syndrome problematic, it’s dawned on him maybe that’s what has caused the Government in general, and the Big Three in particular, to be acting so when it comes to protecting our oil patrimony!

Think about it. Here it was they were whisked away in private jets to faraway places and locked away for days with all those big-time lawyers. While no Guyanese has gotten close enough before Trotman to tangle with these lawyers, those fellas CHEERFULLY boast like with everything, their state produces the BIGGEST!!

While Trotman’s also a lawyer, being of the Guyanese sub-species – and in the bottom rung at that - he’s just your run-of-the-mill minnow! Those big-time lawyers must’ve worked him and his team over something terrible.

And Stockholm victims Trotman and crew are now DEFENDING the oil company!! …and Guyanese voters It would appear your Eyewitness has latched onto a really good explanation for a lot of strange behaviour in Guyana.

Could it be PNC voters were so abused over the years by their leaders, they actually WANT an imploding economy?

Burnham’s legacy.

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

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Man bemoans Police sloth Recaptured rape suspect following assault reports granted $200,000 bail

A

keem Bailey of John and Durban streets, Georgetown is now fearful for his life after weeks of allegedly being stalked by his ex-girlfriend in several public places around Georgetown, with its accompanying embarrassment and abuse.

The 27-year-old visited the Guyana Times on Wednesday, appearing significantly distressed.

According to Bailey, he and the 26-year-old woman (named) had reportedly been in a relationship for several months in 2017. However, when the young woman travelled abroad during the latter part of the year, things turned ‘south’ in a manner of speaking, and the duo parted ways.

This was until the young woman returned to Guyana in December last, when she began stalking Bailey.

“She came back to Guyana and I was already moving on…She started harassing me, telling me that I cannot leave her, and she’s gonna be dangerous to me and whatever, and I started feeling scared,” he explained.

Further, the young man recalled, “I was at a party on Laing Avenue and she and her brother harassed me

Akeem Bailey

[physically and verbally].” He noted that the matter was reported at the Ruimveldt Police Station, but the woman was never arrested.

Bailey alleges that the woman’s most recent attack on him was on Tuesday last, in the vicinity of Cool Square, while he was in the company of friends. “I was standing, having a conversation with some friends. There was a car [that] pulled up. Her brother came up, slapped me with a cutlass, she draw a gun out of her purse and harassed me,” he recounted.

Bailey told this publication that the woman and her

brother physically assaulted him, and at one point the young woman grabbed his shirt, pointed her weapon at him, and demanded that he get into the trunk of her motor vehicle.

“My friends had to jump in and say, ‘Y’all can’t kill he; ‘cause if y’all kill he, y’all gotta kill me!” he posited.

Again, Bailey alleges that he reported this incident at the Ruimveldt Police Station.

He, however, alleges that upon enquiring when action would be taken against the woman, ranks attached to the Station posited that they could not arrest the woman from her place of work.

Bailey further alleges that the woman claims to work as a personal assistant to a current Minister of Government, and would usually boast -while harassing and abusing him in public -- that her position is shielding her from prosecution.

When this publication made efforts to contact the Ruimveldt Police Station to confirm whether reports of these incidents had been made, it was explained that the Officer in Charge was not in the building, and no one was left in charge to relay the information requested.

Prayer Breakfast leads Interfaith Harmony Week 2018

I

n a bid to foster and enhance the growth of religious diversity in the Guyanese nation, the Inter Religious Organization (IRO) of Guyana has announced that its annual Prayer Breakfast will be hosted at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) on February 1, and would be the event to usher in the United Nations’ Interfaith Harmony Week for 2018.

This announcement was made by the IRO on Thursday, when it was also announced that there is collaboration with the Social Protection Ministry (MSP) to ensure the event is a success.

Some of the key speakers for this year’s Prayer Breakfast are Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, the

United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guyana, and representatives of parliamentary political parties.

The IRO has outlined that the breakfast would be followed by an Interfaith Symposium which would see involvement of the Ministry of Education and secondary school students from regions Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica).

The IRO has also announced that this year’s activities would include a cultural concert to be held at the National Library on February 3 from 17:00 hrs, and a panel discussion slated to be hosted at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus on February 5.

Held in the first week

of February each year, the Interfaith Harmony Week observances seek to promote dialogue among all religions, faiths and beliefs, and all UN member states are encouraged to support and spread “the message of interfaith harmony and goodwill in the world’s churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, and other places of worship”.

Interfaith Harmony Week was adopted by the UN Gen Assembly in October 2010, and this year’s theme is titled “Love of God and Love of one’s Neighbour”. At last year’s event, President David Granger described Guyana as “a model for interfaith harmony” in the midst of hostile relationships and religious conflicts across the world.

– also fined $45,000 for assaulting sister, unlawful escape

By Shemuel Fanfair

O

ne day after being recaptured by Joint Services ranks in Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara (ECD), Devon Ally of West Minster, West Bank Demerara (WBD), on Thursday was swiftly arraigned at the Wales Magistrate’s Court, where he was granted $200,000 bail for rape of a child under 16.

At his appearance before Magistrate Annette Singh, 21-year-old Ally did not waste the court’s time and he admitted that he escaped lawful custody when he fled the La Grange Police Station on January 2, 2018.

He also owned up to assaulting his sister, causing her actual bodily harm.

After some consideration, Magistrate Singh fined him

La Grange Police Station

$30,000 for the unlawful escape charge or a default sentence of 16 weeks in prison.

For assaulting his own sister, Ally was handed a fine of $25,000 or two months’ imprisonment.

When he was arrested on Wednesday, Police indicated that Ally was found with two plastic face masks in his possession. He had fled the La Grange Police Station just one day after New Year’s Day, in the moments after he

was detained for suspicion of committing rape.

This was not the first prison escape from the La Grange Station in recent memory as murder suspect Anthony Jhagroo had fled the station lockups in July 2016 after he had been held in connection with the murder of mechanic Yogeshwar Shivcharran, who was beaten at Belle West, WBD and had succumbed to his injuries six days later.

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Petroleum Commission Board

More Opposition, civil society members could be included

By Samuel Sukhnandan

B

ased on recommendations from several international agencies, Government is now considering having more members of the Opposition and civil society sit on the Board of the Petroleum Commission, which will have general oversight of the local oil and gas sector.

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman has said this development would help to make the Commission larger and more inclusive. Agencies such as The Commonwealth, International Monetary Fund and the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) helped in drafting the proposed legislation.

At present, the draft Bill provides for only seven persons from civil society, academia and the Parliamentary Opposition to form part of the Commission’s Board; but recommendations have been made to have the numbers increased to possibly three from each of the abovenamed interest groups.

The draft legislation is now before the Special Select Committee of the Parliament, and Trotman has said he would meet with the committee to discuss the possible increase in sitting board mem-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

bers. The next step would be to take the proposed amendments to Cabinet for approval.

He said, “I anticipate that Cabinet will say, ‘Yes’. I can then work out a process with the Clerk of the National Assembly (Sherlock Isaac) on how to either withdraw what is in Parliament or add amendments to it. The Clerk will advise how we proceed with that.”

Commentator and Attorney-at-Law Ralph Ramkarran was the first to suggest that the number of persons sitting on the Commission should be increased. Ramkarran feels that 12 members are not enough,

and there should instead be 15 members, including one more each from civil society and the Opposition. He told an oil seminar last year, “…to give them a little more weight…one extra gives more voice to the people”.

Addressing another concern raised about the draft bill, Minister Trotman said it is not the Government’s intention to exercise excessive power over the Commission. He explained that just as in the case of other agencies, like the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC), the Minister will have all-encompassing powers to make orders. However, in the case of this sector, Trotman said, Government would consider a number of suggestions for more devolution of ministerial powers.

He said, “I have no desire to hold power…because petroleum is seen both as a national matter and, of course, could be a potentially divisive one… There is no desire of Government to hold or to hog the resources, and so anything that makes it a national asset…”

The Parliamentary Opposition has made known its general disapproval of the Bill, which was laid in the

National Assembly by the Minister in mid-last year.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo has claimed that the bill in its current form is both “oily” and “slick”, and rather than a national Commission being created, it appears to be more like a “Trotman Commission”. According to Jagdeo, the bill gives the minister too much power.

Section 8 of the Bill details that the Minister is allowed not only to provide policy guid-

ance, but to also give direction to the Commission regarding a number of other issues. These include the size of the establishment, the employment of staff, and the terms and conditions of employment; the provision of equipment and use of funds; reorganization, or such works of development as to involve a substantial outlay on capital account; training, education and research; among others.

The Bill makes provi-

sion for the establishment of a Petroleum Commission to serve as a regulatory agency for Guyana’s oil and gas industry. The establishment of a new regulatory agency will see the responsibility taken from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC).

The draft legislation is currently before a bi-partisan select committee for further consideration, before it goes back to the National Assembly for approval.

Linden sweeper/cleaners protest

GPSU still awaiting word on way forward

A

day after part-time sweeper/cleaners employed by the Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) staged a protest for better salary and improved working conditions, Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Regional Representative, M aurice Butters has indicated that the Union is currently awaiting word on the way forward.

The female workers, attached to various schools across Linden, were summoned to a meeting by Regional Executive Officer (REO) Maylene Stephen following the protest on Wednesday.

According to Butters, who was part of the meeting, the REO has made a promise to make enquiries as to the way forward for the employees.

"We were able to get somewhere, though it (meeting) was not as productive as expected," Butters noted. He

said the REO claimed not to have any information regarding a raise of pay for the employees, though, he noted, there was an announcement regarding same by Minister of State Joseph Harmon.

This, Butters said, has already seen sweeper/cleaners from Georgetown who were in a similar position benefiting.

"She (REO) promised to get answers and said she would let us know as soon as she gets through," the GPSU representative went on to state.

He further accused the regional administration of not being proactive regarding the workers issues and fearful of making independent decisions. He went on to state that the Union had previously met with the Education Ministry, where representation was made in relation to the workers issues and it is also awaiting word from the Ministry.

According to the employees, they are dissatisfied with

a number of issues, including their meagre salary and "deplorable" working conditions.

The female employees, who stood outside the RDC building on Wednesday holding placards, made demands for their positions to be "regularised" so that they can be paid at least the minimum wage, as they pointed out that the current $24,740 they receive presently is insufficient. The protesters also made demands for the provision of working gear and improved working conditions.

Some revealed that they were never given work contracts to sign and are not being paid via a banking system, but rather receive their payments via envelopes, instead of a payslip. They contended that though they work for four hours daily, their jobs are just as strenuous as employees who work for eight hours. The employees noted that a promise for raise of pay also went unfulfilled.

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Venkatachalam Mahalingam

O

n the occasion of the 69th Republic Day of India, I extend my warm greetings and felicitations to all Indian nationals and readers of this esteemed newspaper.

The Constitution of India came into force in India on this auspicious and historic day in 1950.

The Indian Constitution which has the distinction of being the longest written Constitution in the world, provides us with a comprehensive, inclusive, and dynamic legal framework to guide and govern India. The Constitution which has withstood vagaries of time, has enabled the fledging nation to grow into a Republic with impeccable democratic credentials where 1.25 billion Indians have the chance and opportunity to realise their dreams.

India has taken a wide range of social, economic and developmental initiatives, at both macro as well as micro levels to align its procedures, processes and systems with the best in the world particularly during the last three years. Now India is among the fastest growing major economies.

India is also positioning itself as global manufacturing hub leveraging the 1.2 billion people who are below 35 years of age and hungry for technology enabled growth under its “Make in India” initiative.

A grand beginning has already been made through “Digital India” and “Skill India”. Through these initiatives, combined with a new eco-system of a formal economy and unified tax regime, the government is trying to create a new India.

Since the adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), six months ago, India completed its voluntary review of SDGs. India has mapped each of the SDGs to its own development programmes and schemes both at the federal and state levels.

For over half a century, India’s flagship initiative – Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation, has offered training and skill development to 161 partner countries around the globe and from Africa alone, over the last decade, over 25,000 stu-

dents have been trained in India on these scholarships.

In India we have created what we call “Aadhaar”, the world’s largest biometric based database which covers 1.15 billion people and digitally authenticates 40 million transactions daily. The number of smartphone users in India is projected to exceed 500 million by 2018.

India is taking steps to create a greener world by taking concerted action on countering climate change through initiatives such as the “International Solar Alliance.” Under our Clean Energy programme, in just three years, India has doubled renewable capacity from 30 thousand megawatts to about 60 thousand megawatts. Solar energy generation has increased over 80 per cent in the last year alone. India is ready to forge cooperation with Guyana in its Green State Development Strategy under which Guyana plans to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy in power sector by 2025.

The year 2018 has been a significant year for both India and Guyana since the year falls on the 50th anniversary of establishing full diplomatic relations between our two countries. I may confidently say that India and Guyana have been enjoying excellent relations both in bilateral and multi-lateral fronts.

India and Guyana have much in common such as the same colonial past and freedom struggle, and both are multi-racial and

multi-cultural societies. While India takes its pride with its firm belief “Unity in Diversity”, Guyana’s national motto is “One Nation, One People and One Destiny.”

The relations between India and Guyana, particularly during the last two and a half years have broadened and strengthened in various fields and there have been meetings between the leaders at the highest level. The most notable was the meeting between the Honourable Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Guyana, Brigadier David Granger in September 2015 at New York. Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge had an official meeting with India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, MJ Akbar during September 2016. We now eagerly look forward to the visit of Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs to India next week who will lead a delegation which includes the Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman.

The total trade between India and Guyana which hovers around US$35 million is far below potential that exists and India is striving to enhance the trade and investment opportunities in agriculture, education, mining, renewable energy, etc.

The development cooperation between India

and Guyana on various infrastructural projects and capacity building is purely based on the requirement and priorities of Guyana.

The on-going development projects such as Bypass Road between East Coast Demerara and East Bank Demerara, upgrading of primary hospitals, supply of ocean going passenger ferry, procurement of pumps and setting up of an IT centre have seen steady progress during the last one year. India’s assistance to Guyana in capacity building particularly through ITEC and other scholarships will continue.

India’s engagement with the Caricom Secretariat and Caribbean countries in general has deepened as well as broadened with generous emergency aid, evacuation of nationals of nine countries and development assistance for the projects undertaken by Caricom after the recent hurricane disaster. India’s assistance to Caricom Secretariat is also continuing through capacity building assistance by training its diplomats as well as upgrading its IT systems.

I take this opportunity, once again, to greet my fellow citizens in Guyana on this occasion of 69th Republic Day of India.

Long live India – Guyana friendship! Jai Hind!

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T

Guyana

he Commission of India was established in Georgetown in May 1965. The Commission was made into a full-fledged High Commission of India in 1968. The Indian Cultural Centre was set up in 1972.

The relationship between India and Guyana ever since the independence of Guyana in May 1966 has been close and cordial with a high degree of understanding. The warmth in the relations remains unaffected with changes in governments either in India or in Guyana. The late Shrimati Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, visited Guyana in 1968; the late Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, the then Vice President of India, visited Guyana in 1988 and Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the then Vice President of India, came on a State visit to Guyana in 2006.

India and Guyana all along view each other as strategic partners and cooperate in the international arena where there exists a clear convergence of views on issues of mutual interest.

Guyana, however, closed down its Mission in India in 1990 due to economic reasons, but reopened it in 2004. Then President Bharrat Jagdeo made a State visit to India in 2003, and in 2004, President Jagdeo was the Chief Guest at the second Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations and received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award.

The cooperation between the two countries in sharing developmental experience is mainly routed through the Indian Technical & Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) under which 40 scholarships are granted every year in various

India C

courses. In addition, some urrently, India is assisting with the two Line experts are also deputed of Credit (LOC) projects – the US$15 million to Guyana from time to time on request in specified East Bank/East Coast Link Road and the areas of activity. Several US$17.5 million upgrade of three primary hospitals. other scholarships are also The supply of pumps for US$4 million and an available to Guyanese to ocean-going ferry costing US$18 million, of which pursue long-term courses, $8 million will be a grant. Also, the establishment of to get acquainted with India, and to learn the Hindi the Centre of Excellence in Information Technology language in India. at the University of Guyana, which is a full grant India has offered credit project, is worth US$1 million. facilities to Guyana for use in mutually-accepted time to time. designated fields, with agriculture and Information Technology, being ITEC Scholarships two of these. Indian companies have also The Indian Technical and Economic expressed interest in biofuel, energy, minerals, Cooperation Programme, popularly known and pharmaceuticals. as ITEC, was launched in 1964 as a bilateral programme of assistance of the Government of Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) With the objective of strengthening and India. Over the years, more than 300 Guyanese broadening their relations in the cultural nationals have undergone training under ITEC field, India and Guyana concluded a Cultural in various institutions in India. In addition, some Agreement in 1974 which came into force on experts from India are deputed to Guyana in March 31, 1977. Pursuant to this agreement, specified areas. the first Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) for Other scholarships 1994, 1995 and 1996 between the two countries Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) was signed in 1993 in New Delhi during the visit has instituted scholarship schemes for students of then President, the late Cheddi Jagan.

Cultural troupes from India under the CEP, from certain Asian, African and Latin countries and outside the CEP, have been visiting and (including Guyana). These are: (i) General Cultural Scholarship Scheme for performing in different parts of Guyana from

undergraduate, postgraduate and for pursuing research (ii) ICCR Scholarships meant for training in dance, music, painting, sculpture and other forms of fine arts (iii) Commonwealth Scholarships meant for nationals of Commonwealth countries for higher education.

Guyanese nationals have been availing of these scholarships every year on a regular basis.

Indian Cultural Centre

The Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) in Georgetown was established in 1972 with the objective of strengthening cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and Guyana and their peoples. The Centre runs regular classes on Yoga and Dance (Kathak). The Centre has a well-equipped auditorium where cultural events are organised on a regular basis.

The teachers and students of the ICC participate in events by the local community on culture, mythology and works of eminent scholars and authors. Apart from running regular classes in Yoga and Dance (Kathak), the Centre in the recent past introduced teaching of Indian Folk Dances which have become very popular with young girls.

In fulfilment of their aspirations and wishes, the Centre also on a monthly basis organises screenings of Indian films in its auditorium which garner admiration from one and all. turn to page 14

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reservations.

Three flights of winding stairs lead to the Restaurant’s plush interior, where guests are greeted with a warm, welcoming smile. According to the General Manager, Suyash Asthana, most dishes are prepared using a variety of

The Restaurant’s plush interior

O

ver the last five years, Aagman Restaurant has been serving up a wide array of eclectic and expansive Indian cuisine, full of rich flavours and originality. Guests are invited to enjoy their sumptuous delicacies in what the eatery describes as a “multi-sensory dining experience”. Located on Sheriff Street, their gourmet Mughlai Cuisine is adapted from the imperial kitchens if India and is replete with authentic flavours which are achieved by using only the finest ingredients and cooking techniques (Mughlai cuisine consists of dishes developed in Medieval India at the centre of the Mughal Empire. It represents a combination of the cooking style and recipes of Central Asia and North India).

The name "Aagman” is derived from India's

ancient Sanskrit script, which means "Arrival” or "Beginning". This restaurant was a start up by budding entrepreneurs Dr Raj Rishi Meena and Mrs Neha Asthana Meena, who were inspired and fascinated by Guyanese people and their culture.

Aagman Restaurant opened its gates on May 26, 2013 – Guyana’s Independence anniversary.

While there is a plethora of other options available to sample Indian cuisine in and around Georgetown, the sheer opulence of the establishment continues to attract discerning guests. Aagman’s expansive menu offers a veritable feast, with a wide array of choices in Indian, Chinese and fusion cuisine; there are also specials available for a variety of occasions.

While open seating is on a first come, first served basis, VIP seating is available with advanced

Aagman caters for big and small groups

Caribbean Curry Powder

Indentured workers from India arrived in the Caribbean in the mid-1800s. They made curry a vital part of West Indian cuisine.

Curry is especially popular in the English speaking islands of Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica.

Colombo Powder

Colombo powder, or poudre de colombo, is similar to curry powder but, it contains a unique ingredient: roasted uncooked rice. Colombo seasoning is used mostly on the French islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Martin and St. Barts. It gets its name from the city of Colombo in Sri Lanka.

Garam Masala

Garam Masala is another Indian spice mix used in Caribbean cooking. It doesn't contain turmeric or chilies, therefore it's a milder spice. Garam masala is added near the end of cooking time of a recipe. It can be used by itself or added to a curry dish.

Cumin

Cumin is also called Gebrah or

Jeera. Cumin is a key ingredient in Colombo powder, curry powder, and garam masala. Most Caribbean curry dishes begin by sautéing cumin seeds in a little oil before adding other ingredients.

This adds a nice earthy flavor and fragrance as well as a warm peppery bite to curries, soups, chutneys, dals, breads, chokas, meats, and vegetables.It’s even used in salads and beverages.

Nigella seeds

Nigella seeds are also called mangrice, black cumin, onion seeds, and kalonji. These tiny black seeds come from a flowering herb, which has a carrot-like, earthy flavor. The seeds resemble o n i o n seeds and have a gentle onion taste. This spice is roasted, ground, o r sautéed before it’s used in breads, raitas, salads, lentils, chutney, and vegetable dishes. turn to page 14

spices, which are sourced from India; added to this, the restaurant’s interior design creates a relaxed atmosphere which is complemented by the colourful décor. A dining experience at this restaurant is sure to stimulate the palate and the senses. Menu items include Fish Hariyali Tikka, Tandoori Chicken, Paneer Butter Masala and Punjabi Channa Masala among many others.

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Guyana/India...

Education

days to declare India as republic? On the occasion of 69th Republic Day, let’s solve the mystery.

Timeline

The Constitution of India

J

anuary 26 is celebrated as the Republic Day of India. It was the day the Constitution of India, prepared by drafting committee, headed by BR Ambedkar, came into force and replaced the existing Government of India Act, 1935.

The Constitution was formed, taking into consideration the ethnic communities, multiple religions and regional tribes, thereby, completing the journey of becoming a sovereign democratic republic.

Republic Day is celebrated in honour of the efforts of several Constitution makers who made sure the smooth transformation of India

into a constitutional democracy.

To celebrate the day when the largest democracy in the world was created, a series of events are organised in Delhi, the national capital. The events includes lighting of government buildings in the National Capital Region for a week, a grand parade from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India Gate involving all the three wings of the armed forces, performances by tribal and folk groups representing the state they belong to, among others.

Ever wondered if India got freedom on August 15, 1947 why it took two years, 11 months and 18

1927: Bhagat Singh along with few other leaders came forward with ‘complete freedom’ initiative.

This idea inspired young Congress leaders including Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose.

1928: A resolution was passed by the Indian National Congress for ‘Dominion Status’ but the British rejected the proposal stating that India is not capable for the Dominion Status.

1929: During the Lahore session, the Congress chose Jawaharlal Nehru as the President and demanded for Purna Swaraj; that is, complete independence.

1930: To celebrate the occasion, the last Sunday of January (which surprisingly fell on the 26th) was fixed. Hence, Independence Day was celebrated with Nehru hoisting the flag on the banks of Ravi river in Lahore.

1947: On August 15, India gained complete freedom from Britain.

1949: The Indian Constitution was formed by November 26.

Those who were a part of the first Independence Day celebration (January 26, 1930) came to a decision to celebrate the Republic Day on January 26; this is how the Republic Day is celebrated on January 26.

The existing Education Exchange Programme between India and Guyana provides for grant of scholarships, establishment of Chairs of Studies, Academic Exchanges and other arrangements in the field of education. Scholarships have been granted to Guyanese nationals in the fields of Hydrology, Engineering, Cyber Technology, Management, Education, Agriculture, Horticulture, Banking and Financial Services, Environmental Protection, and Public Management, etc.

India has also committed to partnering with Guyana in its developmental efforts in several areas, including infrastructure or capacity building. India is ready to offer its hand to Guyana in developing its health infrastructure, both in primary health care and specialty fields, road infrastructure, irrigation and drainage, and marine transport.

High Commissioner of India, Venkatachalam Mahalingam on

the occasion of the 67th Republic Day Reception emphasised that Guyana and India have commonalities in terms of colonial past, freedom struggle, and both are multi-cultural societies with a firm belief in “Unity in Diversity”.

Guyana and India have continued to enjoy warm and friendly relations based on historical and cultural links, shared values of democracy and freedom and respect for each other on the basis of equality. This relationship has further strengthened in recent years with enhanced cooperation in various fields and meetings between leaders at the highest level.

Moving forward

Bilateral relations between Guyana and India have recently been reinforced; the Government of India is currently assisting with several local developmental projects. High Commissioner Mahalingam said India was cognisant of the developmental needs of Guyana and was providing assistance.

Currently, India is assisting with the two Lines of Credit (LOC) projects – the US$15 million East Bank/East Coast Road Link and the US$17.5 million upgrade of three primary hospitals; the supply of pumps for US$4 million and an ocean-going ferry costing US$18 million, of which $8 million will be a grant. Also, the establishment of the Centre of Excellence in Information Technology at the University of Guyana, which is a full grant project, is worth US$1 million.

In other areas of cooperation, the two countries are looking to further develop ties in Guyana’s health sector and the coconut and sugar industries. Pharmaceuticals are one of the largest imports from India, while forest and forestbased products comprise the major exports from Guyana to India.

It is expected in 2018 that Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge will discuss further areas of cooperation, with the aim of strengthening the relationship between the two countries.

East Indian Spices in West...

Fenugreek

Fenugreek is also called mathee or methi. The leaves of the fenugreek plant are cooked and eaten like greens or dried and used to season meats. The taste is similar to arugula. The seeds are collected from pods that the

plant produces and then roasted or sautéed. The slightly bitter seeds are used to season hot and sour soups, vegetable dishes, dals, pickles, fish, and seafood.

Neem

Neem Leaf is also called

from page 12

from page 13

Vapu. This herb is used to season vegetables, stews, curries, and dal recipes. It has a bitter taste and pungent aroma.

It’s also a medicinal herb used to stimulate appetite, relieve headaches, and clear intestinal worms.

S RAIGHT

news

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friDAY, january 26, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Controversial oil contract

Govt defends pre-approving ATVs, other equipment – says oil giant to use equipment for onshore base

The leadership on the sugar issue is ineffective

A

n effective leader always thinks about the “WE” rather than the “I”. Reading the Alliance For Change’s column in the Kaieteur News of January 21, 2018, exposed that Guyana is doomed once we have such low calibre thinkers in Government.

Nowhere in that column can I find language that offers answers to the questions – what needs to be done? How to progress these actions on this sugar issue with human awareness?

I would say such political trite has no place in public discourse but unfortunately, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder went to Parliament and augmented such banality with patent falsehood when he stated that the Granger regime consulted adequately with all stakeholders before it took those draconian decisions in the sugar issue. That statement was a total and absolute falsehood.

At least one would expect that if the decision was to shut down all these factories, then Team Granger would have the common decency to at least pay the full severance benefits to those who were placed on the breadline in accordance with the law. But Minister Holder will have none of it. And when you think that is where the subterfuge and deception on this sugar issue ended, up comes Finance Minister Winston Jordan who uttered an extremely uninformed and disingenuous position that payment of the full severance will adversely impact inflation without offering practical context.

Academically, all Government expenditure will have an impact on inflation, especially the billion dollars travel budget for Team Granger that was assigned for in the 2018 Budget. Equally, the even more reckless expenditure of hundreds of millions to continue the outfit of State House 1 and 2 on Main Street along with all the eight-car motorcade for President Granger and Prime Minister Nagamootoo. But you’ve got to be an economics moron to think that the Central Bank of Guyana cannot adequately influence monetary policy to combat these bumps in Government expenditure. It is elementary Minister Jordan and it is called contractionary monetary policy.

The evidence is there to prove that under President Jagdeo in 1999 and 2000, the Armstrong Commission instructed that 31.6 per cent and 26.6 per cent respectively be paid out as wage increases across the entire Public Sector in those years. Jagdeo agreed with the findings of that Commission and paid these significant increases in public service wages but yet the inflation rate over the period 1999-2011 averaged 6.5 per cent. If one was to do a similar comparison between 2006-2008, when the average wage increases were six per cent, the average inflation rate was 8.5 per cent. Why the variance? Full credit had to go to the Bank of Guyana for contractionary monetary policy during 1999-2001 to steer the inflation rate into single digit after an aggregate wage increase totalling over 50 per cent in a two-year period.

There are those who might say that the Minister of Finance was a bit premature in his statement or that he took the attitude of a failed academic who thinks everything stands still while he thinks about what to do. But he must exercise greater caution on his public statement or else he can pigeonhole himself into a corner, as a very ignorant "fella" when we all know there are three ways to combat the possible inflation using the Bank of Guyana.

Would the Minister rather social implosion because of these delayed payments in the sugar belt which can redound to much more than the measly G$5 billion that he his cribbing about today? Please get some backbone man and do the right thing!

All Guyana would like to see an end to the conflict being created by this Granger regime inside the sugar belt and thus me more than many welcomed the initiative when President Granger invited and met the sugar unions. It was a progressive step in the right direction. Unfortunately, I was reliably advised that Granger left the meeting prematurely. How more irresponsible can a public official be? Here you have all the key players in the room and you prematurely quit the meeting? Would Burnham have done that? Certainly not!

When you have the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union in the room, you roll up your sleeves and go to work until a sensible middle ground is reached. A good leader is someone who has a vision, can bring common sense to the real issue, can relate to the plight of those in the room and have the mental fortitude to invent the future and bring the conflict to an end.

Running from the room was nothing but intellectually shortsightedness. These delayed decisions and the knee-jerk reactions from Granger are causing great harm to the nation. What is his obsession if not solving the big social-economic-political issues in the nation? In the final analysis, President Granger’s leadership on the sugar issue remains ineffective.

Please share your thoughts at sasesin1@yahoo.com.

A

fter details of the contract between Guyana and ExxonMobil were released, some observers were left flabbergasted that the Government had pre-approved importation of a number of items, including All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), when the company’s operations are largely offshore.

Government, however, is contending that these items are all necessary for the oil giant’s operations. At a press conference on Thursday, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman claimed that the equipment would support Exxon’s future onshore base.

“May I recommend some research?” Trotman asked in response to questions from the media. “There’s something known as an on-shore base, and maybe I’m hoping to visit one nearby. But these are large areas. We’ve established a small modular onshore base at Muneshwer’s.”

According to Trotman, “There’s mud, there’s pipe,

and there’s grease. ATVs are normally the mode of transportation on an on-shore base. We’re hoping to do one in Berbice and maybe one in Essequibo. And they sometimes cover 20 acres of land.

They’re not nice, pristine places; they are filled with dirt, so there’s nothing startling about ATVs. Even though you’re off-shore, you have to have an on-shore presence.”

According to Annex D of the 2016 oil agreement, Exxon will be able to import ATVs, bulldozers and forklifts, among other things.

Article 21 of the contract exempts Exxon from having to pay duty, Value Added Tax, levies or imposts on all equipment required for its operations.

Article 15.4 of the renegotiated contract also provides for the Government itself to pay the company’s income tax. To facilitate this, the oil company has to submit tax returns to the Government.

In addition, Article 32 stipulates that Government

Brazilian fugitive recaptured

by Guyanese lawmen ed, charged and committed to prison for various offences, including trafficking and possession of narcotics and possession of ammunition.

The unit is currently headed by Superintendent Michael Sutton, who is supported by Corporal Fitzgerald Adolphus and several other ranks with years of experience in the mounted section of the Force.

Brazilian fugitive Roger Batalha Rodrigues

M

embers of the Guyana Police Force’s Mounted Branch stationed in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) on Wednesday arrested a Brazilian fugitive during a patrol in the Takutu River area.

The fugitive was positively identified as Roger Batalha Rodrigues who recently escaped from a Brazilian prison with 99 others.

Based on reports received, during the patrol on Wednesday, the fugitive was seen acting in a suspicious manner upon seeing the ranks. He was detained for questioning and it was at that time he was positively identified.

Rodrigues at the time of his escape was serving a sentence for vehicular theft. He was handed over to law enforcement officials in Brazil.

Since the establishment of the Mounted Branch in Lethem in 2015, a number of persons have been arrest-

say: “the foregoing obligation shall include the obligation to resolve promptly, by whatever means may be necessary, any conflict or anomaly between this agreement and any such new or amended legislation, including by way of exemption, legislation, decree and/or authoritative acts.”

On-shore base

Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman

cannot modify the contract, or increase any fiscal obligation the company has. This therefore puts a cap on the taxes, royalties, duties, fees or charges outlined in the contract.

Government also has to compensate the operator if a change to existing laws causes loss of revenue for the company.

According to Article 32.3 “If at any time after the signing of this agreement there is a change in the laws of Guyana… and such a change has a materially adverse effect on the economic benefits, including those resulting from the fiscal regime provided by this agreement… the Government shall promptly take any and all affirmative actions to restore the lost or impaired economic benefits to the contractor, so that the contractor receives the same economic benefit under the agreement that it would have received prior to the change in law or its interpretation or application.”

The contract goes on to

After he was appointed Country Manager of ExxonMobil’s local operations, Rod Henson had announced that the company would be relocating its onshore operations from neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago to Guyana.

He had told participants at a meeting that it was not a case whereby ExxonMobil would be looking to build a facility for its support services, but would rather put out tenders, and anyone interested in providing the shore-based services could present a proposal.

Trotman had, in 2016, announced that Cabinet had given its ‘no objection’ to the establishment of the onshore industrial site in the area of Crab Island, Berbice.

He had said it would be forged through the joint efforts of the ministries of Natural Resources, Public Infrastructure and Business.

Construction was announced for early 2017, and the investments from the private sector and Government’s infrastructural work and support were to be equivalent to US$500 million; but there have been little details on the Crab Island proposal.

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News

“Gross disrespect” forces media to walk out GDF Officers’ conference

Media operatives heading out of the GDF compound on Thursday morning after storming out of the Annual Officers’ Conference over disrespectful treatment by the army

By Vahnu Manickchand

A

pproximately 20 media operatives from both private and State entities on Thursday morning stormed out of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Headquarters after “gross disrespect” and poor treatment were meted out to them when they turned up to provide coverage of the army’s Annual Officers’ Conference.

This is the second year that the media had experienced difficulties in covering the GDF Officers’ Conference.

The GDF had invited the press to cover the opening ceremony of the Conference, asking that the media representatives be at Base Camp Ayanganna for 09:30h.

Being cognisant of the army protocols, the majority of the media operatives arrived way ahead of that time and were made to wait in the benab outside the compound on Thomas Land.

After some time, the group of reporters, cameramen and photographers was made to walk all the way to the other end of the compound (closer to Carifesta Avenue) and instead of being taken straight

to the Officers’ Mess Hall where the event was being held, they were diverted to another building where about 20 of them were cooped up in a small room.

This caused the media operatives to voice their concern and discomfort to GDF Communication Officer Major Earl Edghill, who indicated to them that they would be escorted to the conference room shortly.

In protest of the treatment meted out to them, media operatives informed the army personnel that better arrangements needed to be made to accommodate the press at GDF events. In fact, they decried the fact that they were made to walk several yards in the scorching sun when most of them, particularly the cameramen and photographers, were carrying heavy equipment.

They also reminded the officer that they needed to arrive at the conference area ahead of time in order to set up their cameras and run their microphone cables. In furtherance of their protest against the treatment they received, the press questioned why they could not have used the entrance on Vlissengen Road that

leads to the sports ground since it was closer to the building where the conference was being held.

However, Major Edghill explained that civilians entering the GDF compound were required to pass through the main entrance at Thomas Lands. They then requested, in this case, for transportation to be made available next time.

About 15 minutes later, media operatives were removed from the cramped room and escorted to the Mess Hall where, upon arrival, they realised the event was already underway as Chief-of-Staff, Brigadier Patrick West, could be heard speaking.

The members of the press were then led into the lounge area on the bottom floor, where they were offered beverages “as a consolation” but refused the refreshment.

Major Edghill subsequently resurfaced and led the press members to the upper flat where the event was ongoing with Brigadier West delivering a presentation.

Already frustrated and angered by what was transpiring, media operatives felt further disrespected when they entered the conference room to find that no proper arrangements were made to accommodate them. They were told to set up their cameras at an angle whereby speakers at the podium would have been caught on the side.

Additionally, there was no seating arrangement for reporters, who were expected to remain standing beside the seated gathering, which comprised Commanderin-Chief President David Granger and Government Ministers as well as top-ranking military officers.

This situation caused the operatives, led by Vice President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA) Zoisa Fraser and Executive Member Denis Chabrol, to boycott the event.

As the 20-odd media representatives were making their way out of the compound, they were approached by GDF Press Officer, Colonel Michael Shahoud, who attempted to salvage the situation. He pulled aside the GPA Vice President, explaining why the me-

dia was prevented from covering the conference from the beginning.

“The conference has taken a new dimension … There are some things of national security (being said at the Annual Officers’ Conference) that the Chief-of-Staff would not want in the public’s domain, and for obvious reasons,” he posited.

Colonel Shahoud added that for the past two years, under the leadership of Brigadier West, sensitive information has been included in the Chief-of-Staff’s presentation. However, he was informed of

corted, via a bus, to the Mess Hall for the conference. However, upon their arrival, President Granger had already started his feature address, which upset the members of the press.

Meanwhile, the GPA in a subsequent statement on Thursday condemned the treatment of the media operatives, calling it “gross disrespect”.

“The Guyana Press Association would like to use this opportunity to remind the Guyana Defence Force of the importance of the media, not only as a group but as a

GDF Press Officer, Colonel Michael Shahoud talking to members of the press as they head out the compound

previous occasions when the media would comply with instructions not to record or publish sensitive information disclosed during such events.

The Colonel went on to say the media would have been allowed in the conference room to set up their equipment in time for the President’s address. “That is what we invited you for,” he stated, but he was reminded that it would have been improper to be setting up while a speaker was at the podium, or worst if the Commanderin-Chief had already started his speech.

Last year, media operatives who arrived at the GDF Headquarters for the event were placed in a briefing room for over an hour before they were finally es-

major partner that also works to ensure the integrity and sovereignty of this country. The media does not work in a vacuum and its members should be treated with the respect it deserves,” the Association noted.

The GPA further added it was unfortunate that the GDF continued to engage the media in this manner, when it has not acknowledged repeated attempts by the media representative body to engage and work towards a better relationship.

The new GPA executive body, which is now being headed by veteran broadcast journalist Nazima Raghubir, said it wrote the GDF since January 15, 2018 for a familiarisation meeting but has gotten no response to date.

Bagotville fatal wife stabbing case

Accused proclaims innocence, admits infidelity – as prosecution rests its case

F

ollowing the rocky relationship he shared with his spouse and her subsequent demise by stabbing nearly two years ago, the accused, Miguel Barker, called “Allan”, was finally allowed to give his version of events when he gave an unsworn statement from the witness box at the High Court on Thursday.

Barker’s address to the court followed the prosecution resting its case in the murder trial.

Donessa Barker, called Vanessa, was brutally stabbed on the afternoon of April 30, 2015 at the inner Bagotville, West Bank Demerara (WBD) residence where they were staying.

The accused, before a 12-member jury and presid-

The defendant, Miguel Barker will soon know his fate

ing judge, Justice Narvindra Singh, maintained his innocence on Thursday despite evidence being presented earlier this week that he

jumped out of the window just moments after his wife was stabbed. He did, however, tell the court that some time before his wife’s death, she found out that he was cheating on her and moved out of their Albouystown, Georgetown home.

After spending a significant amount of time detailing that he could not find his wife, and the different places where he lived, Barker jumped to the time when he was arrested in early May 2015 at Sophia and claimed that he was physically assaulted and tortured by Police.

He later alleged that the Police would do just about anything to get the information that they needed.

“It is a whole lot of injus-

tice going on right now and the Police don’t care about nobody but themselves.

When they arrested me, they didn’t care about my feelings,” the accused killer told the court.

“I am innocent. My mother always tell me a man who hit a woman is a coward,” Barker claimed.

His lawyer, Maxwell McKay, called two witnesses to the stand: the accused’s aunt, Natasha Barker and his sister, Tashanna Barker, a serving member of the military. Tashanna claimed that she saw the injuries on her brother when she went to the La Grange Police Station on May 6, 2015. Under an intense cross-examination by State Prosecutor Abigail Gibbs,

the witness denied suggestions that she fabricated her story to support her brother’s case even as she never gave a statement to Police or in the Magistrate’s Court during preliminary proceedings.

Earlier this week, Shanieza Clarke who left the jurisdiction after allegedly witnessing the initial moments after Donessa’s killing said, in her testimony via Skype from Suriname, that “Allan” was seen with a knife on the night prior to his wife’s killing. Clarke, who lived in the home where the couple were staying, also indicated that the murder accused turned to the side and looked at her before he jumped out of the window.

“I walked towards the

room and I saw Allan Barker stooping at the window and he turned to the side and looked at me, and I saw Vanessa Barker with blood on her face,” the witness related on Tuesday.

“After he jumped through the window, Vanessa run out of the room and fell on the front landing. She was panting for breath and blood was shooting out from her neck and hand,” Clarke further testified.

Before the woman’s death, the couple had been married for almost two years. Prosecutors Tiffini Lyken and Narissa Leander are assisting with the State’s case. Closing addresses will soon be presented as a verdict looms for the accused.

News

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friDAY, january 26, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

GRA losing $90B ...due to tax evasion, vehicle smuggling

T

he Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has said tax evasion and cross-border smuggling of items such as vehicles remain countrywide problems with which the authority is grappling even in this New Year.

Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, Mr Godfrey Statia, has said the entity lost 40 per cent of its revenue for last year -- some $70 billion -- through tax evasion. He complained that the situation exists at all levels, and has said it has implications for overall budgetary allocations.

He said, “If we collected $170 billion last year, 40 per cent is (roughly) $70 billion.

And if you collect $70 billion more, I’m sure the Minister of Finance would be able to balance his budget. I’m also sure that all the capital projects we would like to have and see started would be completed. But you have tax evasion at all levels.”

The Commissioner General also posited thus-

the entity has been dealing with the problem by utilizing its Law Enforcement and Investigation Division and going after defaulters. In addition, more staff rotation has been employed. Asked about the status of cases made by the Law Enforcement and Investigation Division, Statia related that several individuals are presently before the courts.

Vehicles

GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia

ly, “At the level of customs, there’s a lot of under-invoicing. Or if they don’t do that, they would use incorrect codes. If you could actively collude with the broker, you would see a simple analysis would show that people have been using incorrect descriptions to get past that. We have lost all discipline. Value systems have broken down, and it’s countrywide…we have to face it.”

According to Statia,

Statia also addressed the issue of the vehicle smuggling racket. He related that over 2000 vehicles have entered Guyana from Suriname, but did not depart Guyana. Purchasing the vehicles and then bringing them over with false number plates is a practice designed to cheat the system of duties, he explained.

“You found that thousands of vehicles were being imported from Suriname and Brazil and were not going back (there). (And they were) using old registration numbers (to operate on

A vehicle with fake number plates

the roads),” Statia related.

“You also found that people were abusing the process (by) using fake vehicle numbers, fake diplomatic numbers, and all these things.

The other day I saw a DPL 501. Nowhere in the United States Embassy (are there) 501 vehicles,” he declared.

Statia affirmed that Government has not abandoned a project to introduce number plates with special security features, but the project has been put on the back burner as conflict arose regarding jurisdiction.

According to the tax chief, there was some uncer-

Ex-GDF rank’s trial

Defendant was at crime scene – prosecution’s main witness

tainty as to whether his entity should handle the project or the Ministry of Public Security. He noted, however, that the project should get under way in 2018.

Prototypes

Prototypes of modern vehicle registration plates with security features had been submitted to Government in 2016 to enable Government to introduce a centralised and more secure system. A

Guyanese company called EuroSign, based in Miami, Florida, USA, had made the proposal to Government Ministers, officials of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), and members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Traffic Department.

The recommended licence plates will be embedded with security features that stymie the use of falsely registered plates, and enable easier tracking and identification.

The new centralised system would see the issuance of standard licence plates for all categories of vehicles, including diplomatic vehicles, State vehicles and Joint Services’ vehicles.

In December 2015, a German company had submitted a proposal for special licence plates for vehicles, to assist in tracking traffic offenders as well as vehicles used for criminal activities.

Guyana to host 24th Inter-American Congress in March

– while accused claims she had good relations with murdered housewife

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s the High Court trial of former Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Private Abiola Jacobs nears its end, Samantha Sabbatt who narrowly escaped an alleged attack on her life on Thursday testified via Skype from London, England, to what she witnessed on the night that Agricola, Great Georgetown housewife, Donna Taylor was murdered.

Sabbatt was an overseas British guest of the Taylors at the time of the housewife’s demise while Jacobs was the estranged girlfriend of Taylor’s son Bertrum Taylor, Jr. She admitted that she had an intimate relationship with her friend’s son at the time she was staying there and that Jacobs was kind to her whenever she visited Bertrum Jr. Recounting the events of January 31, 2014, when Taylor’s motionless body was found, Sabbatt told the jury that she was in the bedroom of the upper flat of the home when she heard footsteps, voices and a male later shouting for her to open the door, moments after the lights were switched off.

Knowing that it was only her and Donna Taylor at home, the star witness stated that she remained still and quiet and refused to comply.

She said that she looked up through the lattice work at the top of the bedroom wall and saw the defendant about six feet away and that they stared at each other for about

Murdered Agricola housewife Donna Taylor

Accused former GDF rank Abiola Jacobs

five seconds. Sometime after, the accused walked off and Sabbatt said the lights came on and she jumped through the window into the verandah and sustained injuries in a bid to save her life. On February 1, 2014, Sabbatt recalled attending a confrontation with Jacobs where she told her: “Sweet girl, you never saw me.” The witness stressed that she never told Bertrum to break up with “Abby”, a named by which Jacobs was known.

Under cross-examination by the defendant’s lawyer, Adrian Thompson, Sabbatt repeated several times that she did not fabricate her story after the Attorney disputed her recollection of events.

Thompson suggested that the witness could not have made out whom she saw on the night of the attack as the lights were off but the witness

highlighted that the street lights were bright enough for her to make out that it was Jacobs’ face see saw and her outline in shadow.

Following the conclusion of the star witness’ evidence, State Counsel Mandell Moore announced that the prosecution was not calling any other witness. As such, Jacobs led her defence via an unsworn statement from the witness box, which meant that she was not allowed to be cross-examined.

From her standpoint, she and Donna Taylor had a good relationship and were friends even after the relationship with the woman’s son ended. Jacobs told the 12-member jury that she last saw the woman alive on January 29, 2014, at the woman’s home.

She maintained her story that on February 1, 2014, she received a phone call inform-

ing her of what transpired, noting that she later went to the Taylors and saw Bertrum crying.

After seeing other family members, she went outside and Police approached her and questioned her about her whereabouts. Jacobs claimed that after being taken away for questioning, an officer shouted at her and verbally abused her and went through her mobile phone when she was being questioned at the Police station. All the while, she maintained her innocence as she concluded her testimony before the jury and presiding Judge James BovellDrakes.

On that fateful night, Taylor was discovered with her throat slit and hands behind her and her shirt wrapped around her neck.

The jury had been told that Taylor’s daughter, Marcelle Collymore, the accused Abiola Jacobs and her mother had a fight on the day of her mother’s demise. This was also confirmed in the evidence of Police Superintendent Joel David who testified that Jacobs informed him that she spoke with Taylor on the day of her death. Superintendent David had also corroborated that the survivor of the attack; Samantha Sabbatt, had placed Jacobs at the scene of the crime.

Justice Bovell Drakes adjourned the matter to Monday when the accused will know her fate.

Ministers and other officials seated at the launching of the 24th Congress

By Yanalla Dalrymple

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uyana will be hosting the 24th InterAmerican Congress of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Tourism of the Americas on March 2122, 2018 at the Marriott Hotel. Under the theme “Connecting the Americas through Sustainable Tourism”, the Congress was launched on Thursday at the Umana Yana, Kingston.

The Government of Guyana and the OAS General Secretariat signed a cooperation agreement on Thursday for the organisation of the event.

It will be the first ever high-level OAS meeting in Guyana. According to Minister with responsibilities for tourism, Dominic Gaskin, this sort of meeting raises our profile as a country and also makes us eligible to showcase the country at a high level.

“I’m proud that Guyana is hosting this event and I am also honoured to be a part, we can now have a place at the table and by the hosting of this Congress.

Permanent representative of Guyana to the OAS, Jean Ricot Dormeus, said, “It’s a historic occasion for

Guyana. We look forward with pleasure and anticipation to welcome you all to Guyana. For us, sustainable tourism is critical for our development as a nation.”

Moreover, Dormeus noted tourism can significantly expand economic opportunities for our citizens. It should be sustainable, ensuring that the economic, social, cultural and environmental elements are fully respected.”

The Congress will feature key topics like showcasing cultural and tourism resources, imputing the tourism agenda of the Americas, advancing interests in the area of transportation and strengthens Guyana’s connection with the Americas giving more flesh and substance to the continental destiny National Coordinator and Chairman of the Tourism Board, Donald Sinclair, asked “what does hosting this event mean for Guyana?”

Sinclair then explained that apart from showcasing Guyana’s’ culture, it will also strengthen its ties with other countries. The 23rd Inter-American Congress of Tourism was held in Lima, Peru, in 2015.

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friDAY, January 26, 2018 | guyanatimesgy.com

Govt promises to release Pensioner beaten as armed bandits rob Corentyne family more oil contracts soon

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overnment has made a commitment to have all contracts signed with all companies undertaking oil exploration activities in Guyana released by the end of this month. The contract with ExxonMobil has already been released.

This announcement was made by Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman when addressing a media conference on Thursday in the boardroom of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNRE).

“We remain committed to releasing all contracts in the natural resources sector,” he said, noting that correspondence has been sent to these companies about this plan.

The family members were seated together when the bandits attacked

By Andrew Carmichael

A

67-year-old pensioner was beaten in the presence of her two grandchildren when armed bandits invaded the family’s home at Port Mourant on Thursday evening.

The incident took place at about 19:00h at Lot 270 Ankerville, Port Mourant, Berbice and in the presence of the pensioner’s two terrified grandchildren.

The pensioner, Ahilyah Akunjebehari, was relaxing under the house with her 12-year-old grandson and was being visited by her 22-year-old granddaughter and her baby when two men appeared suddenly. One of the men quickly unscrewed the bulb in the yard, thereby diminishing visibility by any onlooker.

The other men carried a gun and a piece of metal pipe.

According to Akunjebehari, she was struck in the head before they raided her home and robbed her of various items.

“Just as they approached me one put a gun to my head and said don’t run.”

The pensioner explained that the men demanded cash and jewellery. She said one of the bandits removed the four gold rings she was wearing on her left hand.

“I don’t know how much for those jewellery, dem gold ring make very long; is my mother had given them to me a long time ago,” the 67-year-old woman related.

Meanwhile, threats were also made to take away her grandson if she did not cooperate and provide the robbers with what they wanted.

“Me beg them alyu nah carry away me grandson; what you all gon carry he and do wid am,” she related.

She said she was then lashed on the head with the gun again. However, the elderly woman remained focused but scared and invited the robbers to go into the house and take whatever they wanted but cautioned them to spare their lives.

Her grandson, she said, was told to sit on the ground and raise his hands in the air as he sat. According to her, the bandit carrying the iron pipe went inside her home and searched for several minutes. During that time, he collected US$600 and approximately $40,000 local currency from a bag.

Akunjebehari said the men also carried away an electronic tablet which was next to her when they arrived. “The tablet I does use to go on Facebook,” she explained.

Meanwhile, from the time the intruders got on the premises, the woman’s two-year-old great grandson seemed terrified. According to his mother, Vidya Kallooram, the baby was crying and it is his cries that might have alerted neighbours.

Kallooram said she was instructed to nurse the baby but told the robber that the

baby does not nurse. She was then instructed to hold the infant and prevent him from crying.

The men left the same way they entered the yard, jumping the back fence.

They disappeared into the bushes at the back of Ankervillle and headed towards the Bangladesh area.

Akunjebehari says following their exit, she and the others quickly went inside and called the Police who arrived shortly after.

Hours later, bandits struck again in the same street.

While Akunjebehari lives at the end of the street – about half a mile from the Corentyne Highway – bandits broke into a home situated four houses from the highway along the same street popularly, called ‘Dispensary Dam’.

Reports are that at Lot 159 Ankerville, Port Mourant, a kitchen was broken into. This publication understands that the incident occurred sometime between 02:00h and 07:00h on Thursday morning.

The bandits turned two surveillance cameras towards the wall, as they broke into the kitchen and removed two gas stoves and two gas cylinders and fittings.

The men also took away an electric saw. Losses are estimated at $130,000. The Police are investigating both incidents. No one has been arrested.

Greenidge to head Guyanese...

Khan had accused the Indian mission of interfering in the country’s internal affairs and attempting to engage in destabilisation of the coalition Government. His statement was in light of the recently-concluded Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Parliamentary Conference held in New Delhi earlier this month, where a 23-member Guyanese delegation attended upon invitation of the Indian Government.

The delegation, which was the largest at the conference, comprised 17 Opposition and three Government parliamentarians as well as three Mayors – all of Indian heritage.

The DPI Director, in

a Facebook post, asked whether the Indian High Commission deliberately invited only three Government backbenchers and specifically ignored Government Ministers of Indian heritage.

In response, however, the resident Indian diplomat, who was tagged by Khan on the post, explained that the top hierarchy of both the Indian and Guyana Governments were aware that the invitations were for 23 Members of Parliament and three Mayors of Indian Origin who were not Ministers.

“Hence reckless comments on such a serious issue on social media with the clear intention to mislead the general public by

Article 15.4 also provides for the Government itself to pay the company’s income tax. To facilitate this, the oil company has to submit tax returns to the Government.

That’s not all. Article 32 stipulates that Government cannot modify the contract or increase any fiscal obligation the company has. This therefore puts a cap on the taxes, royalties, duties, fees or charges outlined in the contract.

Government also has to compensate the operator if a change to existing laws causes loss of revenue for the company.

But there are provisions for Exxon to fulfil its cor-

A page from the ExxonMobil contract

“…the responses received so far have been that there is no objection to the release,” the Minister explained.

Trotman says that by releasing the other oil contracts, Guyanese will have a better understanding of what is taking place within the sector. These contracts are expected to be posted on the MNRE’s website.

“We have started with petroleum -- and for the record,

From page 8

none other than Director of Public Information is unfortunate, irresponsible, unprofessional and to say the least, mischievous given the excellent bilateral relations being enjoyed by both India and Guyana and the ongoing friendly cooperation in various multilateral fora,” Mahalingham said in a comment on the post by the Government’s information chief.

While there were several arguments pertaining to whether Khan should be asking these questions, or whether it was a direct attack on the Indian High Commissioner, several persons found it strange that Khan, a public office bearer,

let me just say we are not stopping at petroleum; but because petroleum seems to be, (and in fact is), the most important topic on everyone’s mind -- we thought we’d start there and then we will work our way around all. It’s a process, but we have started,” he declared.

The Minister has dismissed recent criticisms about the Exxon contract.

He noted that concessions in the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) follow industry best practices and norms.

“I challenge anyone to check any part of the world where there are contracts of this nature… Countries in-

would raise these concerns with a foreign mission in such a forum.

Meanwhile, Government had subsequently distanced itself from Khan’s comments, with Minister of State, Joseph Harmon saying that the personal view expressed by the State official did not reflect that of the coalition Government.

“It does not represent the position of the Government.

We have excellent relations with India and we continue to work on those relations.

It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement that we have with that country and we would like to work towards ensuring that it gets better,” he had said.

variably offer concessions to companies to come to their countries; it is done for bauxite (and) it is done for gold,” he explained.

The Minister noted that there are various risks involved when a company invests in a country that is new to a resource -- in this case, Guyana and its oil. “You give concessions for imports…it was done for all of the other oil companies. It is part of the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act; section 51 allows for these favours,” he explained. Last year, Government released the Production Sharing Agreement between itself and ExxonMobil after pressure was mounted for it to be released, so that it could be properly scrutinized. Upon the contract’s release, it was recognised that there is contained therein clauses for the company to put aside millions for Local Content, but is also granted sweeping tax concessions.

That contract was signed in June 2017 between the coalition Government and ExxonMobil and its partners in the Stabroek block.

In Article 15 of the contract, Exxon is exempted from paying Corporation, Excise or Value Added Tax (VAT) on its earnings from petroleum.

porate social responsibility. These include setting up a fund for social and environmental projects to which Exxon has to contribute US$300,000 per year.

The sums roll over, and the company, together with Government, will determine which projects to fund.

The contract sets aside another US$300,000 per year to ensure Guyanese personnel are trained at local and foreign universities and conferences. There are also provisions for a continuous review of Local Content.

Guyana’s high-risk status has been changed since ExxonMobil’s 2015 oil find in the Stabroek Block — and before the renegotiated contract. In May of that year, Exxon confirmed that more than 295 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs had been encountered at its Liza 1 exploration well.

In late June 2016, Exxon’s drilling results at Liza 2 revealed more than 58 metres of oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs in Upper Cretaceous formations. The well was drilled to a depth of 5,475 metres at 1,692 metres water depth. Drilling results confirmed recoverable resources to be between 800 million and 1.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

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sports

RHTY&SC congratulates Pestano on

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Super50 selection

he Management and Members of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC), MS extended their profound gratitude to colleague Clinton Pestano on his selection on the Guyana Jaguars Super50 squad for next week’s Regional tournament which will be held in Barbados and Antigua.

Pestano, who is the current vice-captain of the club’s Gizmos & Gadgets First Division Team, would join Assad Fudadin as the second player should he make the final XI to play Senior Regional Cricket in 2018. Fudadin represented Jamaica Scorpions in the recently concluded FourDay Cricket Tournament.

Pestano over the last nine years has been an outstanding performer for the Rose Hall at the junior and senior levels. He has represented Guyana at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 levels.

Last Year, he made his debut for the Jaguars at the Senior level. According to a club release on Thursday “We would like to remind him that the Rose Hall Town Youth

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& Sports Club proven formula of success has been discipline, commitment and hard work and it is our hope that he continues to do so. With so many talented all-rounder emerging from Guyana’s Cricket Structure, it is very important for Pestano to perform if he wants to keep his place in the team.”

Since the club’ formation in 1990, it has produced a total of sixteen national senior players and are confident the likes of Kevlon Anderson, Junior Sinclair, Keith Simpson and Kevin Sinclair would one day wear the senior cap.

The ten cricket teams of the Club on Tuesday last presented Pestano with a financial contribution to assist him to be fully prepare for the upcoming cricket tournament.

Clinton Pestano

Browne eyes recall for Smith after record-breaking season

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Devon Smith

indward Islands Volcanoes opener Devon Smith’s standout season has the Cricket West Indies selectors thinking of giving him another shot at opening for the Windies in the near future.

The Grenadian scored 1095 runs over the course of the 10-game season at an average of 84.23 and became only the fourth batsman to score more than 1000 runs in a season and establish a record for most runs scored in a single regional first-class season.

The 36-year-old Smith has not had a stellar run for the Windies having played in 38 Tests between 2003 and 2015. In those Tests, 67 innings in all, he amassed 1593 runs at a paltry average of 24.50. He scored one century and six half-centuries.

However, despite the poor run for the Windies, Smith’s performance this season, merits consid-

eration for another call to the Windies senior squad that lacks someone of Smith’s experience.

Courtney Brown, Chairman of Selectors at CWI, admits that Smith’s performance makes a case for a recall.

“Devon’s performance was outstanding throughout this year’s PCL season,” Browne said.

“As a seasoned player his excellent season augurs well for him personally and regional cricket, as it sets a standard for other cricketers to follow.”

Smith scored six centuries during the season, five of them unbeaten – 151* against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, 107* and 154 against the Jamaica Scorpions, 116* against the Jamaica Scorpions, 119* against the Guyana Jaguars and 185* against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes. He also scored a 95 against the Jaguars. (Sportsmax)

EBFA facilitating Timehri Panthers’ reformation

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ollowing a few years of inactivity due to administrative challenges, the Timehri Panthers Football Club (TPFC) is back up and running and set to participate in the East Bank Football Association (EBFA) leg of the GFF/Pele Alumini Frank Watson U15 Intra Association League which kicked off on Saturday last at the Grove Playfield.

Taking the lead to organise the club whilst ensuring that the youths in the area are gainfully occupied as regards football and to have the opportunity to showcase their skills with the ultimate aim of donning national colours, is former goalkeeper of the club, Adrian Gonsalves.

The club’s Under-15 team was present at the March Pass on Saturday last and is eager to get cracking. EBFA President Franklin Wilson complimented Gonsalves for stepping up at a crucial time to bring some direction to the club which has been one of the main pillars on the East Bank.

Wilson expressed joy for the youths in the area which he said are talented and just need someone to mobalise and give them direction. President of the Guyana Football Federation, Wayne Forde was also on hand on Saturday last and also praised Gonsalves for taking the lead.

The EBFA in association with Dion Inniss, GFF Executive Member with responsibility for the EBFA took the opportunity to present a number of bibs, jerseys and a football to Gonsalves as a means of encouragement.

The association would also be working with the club on finalising a new constitution as well as overseeing elections of a new body in the near future.

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friDAY, january 26, 2018

Star quartet ditch Windies bid for World Cup berth – Hetmyer, Bishoo earn selection

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ieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Darren Bravo, and Andre Russell have all decided against joining the Windies in their fight for a place in the next ICC Cricket World Cup ahead of qualifiers in March.

The Windies fall from grace in the One Day International format of the game saw them forced into qualifiers for the qualification tournament scheduled for March in Zimbabwe, but according to Chief Selector, Courtney Browne, some of the more senior players have decided they would rather fulfil commitments in the Pakistan Super League.

“We contacted some of our well-known senior cricketers to ascertain their availability for the tournament and we are pleased that Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels have indicated their full support and commitment to the cause. Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Darren Bravo and

Andre Russell, however, indicated that they were unavailable to help us qualify as their priority was playing in the Pakistan Super League,” said Browne in a release from Cricket West Indies announcing a 15man squad for the tournament.

Gayle and Samuels will be led by regular Windies ODI skipper Jason Holder, with stock Test leg-spinner, Devendra Bishoo, also getting a nod.

Carlos Brathwaite, who has spent some time away from the ODI set up has been recalled along with Barbadian pacer, Kemar Roach.

The Full Squad reads Jason Holder (captain), Jason Mohammed (vice-captain), Devendra Bishoo, Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cotterell, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Nikita Miller, Ashley Nurse, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, and Kesrick Williams.

Despite the disappointment of missing some of the more senior members in the squad, Browne believes the team has a balance of youth and experience that will prove hard to beat.

“We are pleased to announce a squad that has a combination of experience and youth. Given the importance of the West Indies qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, we thought it was important that we chose players who brought not only skills but experience to the table, combined with younger players who had performed creditably on the international scene,” said Browne.

Another notable absentee is Dwayne Bravo, who Browne says, CWI did not contact because he had indicated he was no longer available to play for the Windies.

The Windies are in Group A of the qualifiers along Ireland, The Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, and the ICC World

Shimron Hetmyer (left) and Devendra Bishoo Cricket League Division 2 winners.

The Caribbean side will begin their bid for World Cup berth on March 6 with a game against the Division 2 winners. (Sportsmax) WINDIES ICC World Cup Qualifiers Schedule:

Tuesday, March 6: v WCL Division 2 winners at Old Hararians Thursday, 8 March – v Papua New Guinea at Old Hararians Saturday, 10 March – v Ireland at Harare Sports Club

Monday, 12 March – v Netherlands at Harare Sports Club Thursday, March 15 to Friday, March 23: Super Six stage Sunday, March 25: FINAL at Harare Sports Club

GHB’s 2018 season get cracking with Bounty Tournament

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he Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) will get the ball rolling this year with a oneday field hockey tournament on Sunday slated for the National Stadium, Providence.

The tournament which is being sponsored by Bounty will be the first of many activities slated for

2018; it is just the beginning of a highly anticipated year with the National male and female teams set for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Barranquilla, Colombia in July.

The first tournament will feature all the clubs in Guyana; they will all be looking to shake off the rust and gain early momentum and

form with an eye on the second division 7-a-side league which begins in February with the Saints Ground earmarked as the primary venue.

All respective clubs have resumed training and the competition on Sunday will be sure to be of the highest quality.

The GCC clubs will be looking to come out on top of

rivals Old Fort and Hikers; however with each club having national players among their ranks Sunday’s tournament will provide entertainment.

Hockey fans will have an interesting year to look forward to as GHB’s 2017 accomplishments included the more than admirable hosting of the Pan American Indoor Championships;

our hospitality and logistics were executed to perfection to the point that the GHB received congratulatory notes and plaudits from the Pan American Hockey Federation.

In 2018 the sky will be the limit for the GHB with the CAC Games beckoning close, a number of tournaments are slated for the first half of the year as the

National teams will look to get in much needed practice.

Among those activities slated for the first half of 2018 are; the four-a-side U-14 Schools competition, the U-18 7-a-side Outdoor league, the Farfan & Mendes Men’s Outdoor league and Lucozade’s Indoor League with a Pre-CAC Warm-up Invitational in Barbados crowning it off in June.

Will 2018 see the revival of professional boxing in Guyana?

Asks Michelangelo Jacobus

F

ollowing the outstanding crowd turnout at last Saturday’s “Sangre Malo” International fight card, plans are in the pipeline for another card to be held in February.

The “Bad Blood” card came about courtesy of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control and promoter Nexgen Global Marketing ; however, also integral to the successful hosting of the fight card was Ray Campbell Jr who has ties in the USA with the Havoc Boxing group, according to sources it was through him that the GBBC/NexGen Global collaboration was able to land Venezuelan boxers.

For the last couple of years professional boxing in Guyana has been “yo-yo” like; a card here a card there. However with the success seen at the Bad Blood card the GBBC will follow through on its promise of hosting a card a month.

The quality of boxing on offer last Saturday exceeded the crowd’s expectations and left fans wanting for more. The fact that some Guyanese boxers haven’t fought in two years and the likes shows the want of such cards on a regular basis.

Boxers such as Kwesi “Lightning Struck” Jones; Guyana’s national heavyweight champion hasn’t fought in a professional bout since 2013. That alone speaks volumes of the lack

Dexter “De Kid” Marques will take on UK’s Jay Harris for possibly Guyana’s next world title in May

of ring action in Guyana over the years.

Our local lads Dexter “De Kid” Marques and

Dexter “Cobra” Marques are no doubt talented; Marques has a title shot in May when he takes on the United

Kingdom’s Jay Harris for the Bantamweight Commonwealth title at the Copperbox Arena in Wales.

At the very least Marques needs another fight in between now and May to shake off any additional ring rust that he may have; the GBBC’s proposed plan of a card a month would no doubt facilitate this.

The “Cobra” since defeating Atwell in 2016 hasn’t been the same boxer, more exposure and a reinvigorated mindset will no doubt exercise him of whatever mental ghosts have been haunting him.

This is a challenge from Guyana’s boxing fans and sport enthusiasts; can the GBBC revive boxing in Guyana and help the “Land of Many Waters” back to the stature and respect it once held? Guyana and our gladiators in the “squared circle” need it.

friDAY, january 26, 2018

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Milo schools football continues focus on gender-based violence ...“There is no excuse for violence” – Dr Bassier

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he sixth annual milo schools football tournament has once again partnered with the Ministry of Public health to promote the issue of gender-based violence. Ahead of this Saturday’s kick-off, the organisers have managed to secure the alliance of the Ministry of Public Health in an effort to bring greater awareness on the social ill.

Public Relations Officer of Ministry of Public Health Terrence Esseboom speaking at the press briefing on Thursday at the National Library, noted the importance of the players

learning to develop both social and physical skills.

Esseboom drew a parallel to football where players are shown various cards for infringements on the field and the same applies to life which is one of the main reasons they should try to curb their vexation.

Likewise, Men's Health Coordinator, Dr. Dennis Bassier advocated for young men to realise the value and impact of having a healthy physical life and this tournaments helps promote the development of one’s well-being.

Bassier also highlighted the theme is “there is no excuse for violence” and reminded the attendees that violence is not gender-biased. He further encouraged the boys at the gathering that they are the men of tomorrow and they should avoid gender-based violence at all cost”.

Meanwhile, Guyana Football Federation Technical Director Ian Greenwood re-affirmed his commitment to schools in offering technical assistance.

According to Greenwood all of the 24 participating school have been contacted by the GFF and they will have licenced coaches attached. Additionally he explained they will be visiting schools to discuss their plans on technical development and what It entails for Guyana’s football.

T h e

Men's Health Coordinator, Dr Dennis Bassier

Hamilton Green 9-A-Side B/Day Inter-Ward Tournament

16 L

teams to contest for $70,000

ocal football coordinator and former National coach Lennox Arthur will be returning to the West Coast of Demerara with an Interward Nine-a-side football tournament in honour of former Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green’s 83rd birthday.

The village of Den Amstel will see two days of action at the community ground as eight sides will battle for bragging rights, a trophy and a winners’ purse of $70,000 while the runners-up will be compensated with $30,000 and a trophy.

The playing dates for the tournament are set for Sunday (January 28) and February 4 at the Den Amstel Community ground.

On Sunday eight matches will be played with the winners advancing to the quarter-final stage to be played on February 4 at the same venue.

The quarter-finals,

Semi-finals and final will all be played on the same day.

No entry fee is required for the teams; all teams are asked to be present at the playing venue at least an hour before scheduled kickoff time. In addition four substitutes are allowed per team and each game will last 30 minutes with a half being 15 minutes. If at the end of full-time scores are tied, the winner will be decided via sudden death penalty kicks.

The sixteen teams are; Jetty, Plaisance, Zeelugt, Kuru Kuru, Wales, Sara Lodge, Crane Rovers, Soesdyke, Pouderoyen, Bagotsville, C r a n e , Friendship, Uitvlugt, V e g a e Boys, Den Amstel and Tiger Bay. T h e Knock-out fixtures for Sunday are:

Jetty vs Plaisance (14:00hrs) Zeelugt vs Kuru Kuru (14:30hrs) Wales vs Sara Lodge (15:00hrs) Crane Rovers vs Soesdyke (15:30hrs) Pouderoyen vs Bagotsville (16:00hrs) Crane vs Friendship (16:30hrs) Uitvlugt vs Vegae Boys (17:00hrs) Den Amstel vs Tiger Bay (17:30hrs)

A section of the gathering at the briefing on Thursday at the National Library

Englishman also stated they will be scouting for young talents to place in their respective programmes to become prospective national players.

Petra Organisation’s CoDirector Troy Mendonca explained the change in rules for the tournament. The rules had initially stated if you revived two y e l l o w cards in separate matches you will miss the other match but now indiscipline players will be

faced with a ‘sin bin’.

The concept means players who receive a yellow card on the field of play, they will have to sit out 10% of the time reaming in the match, which essentially means the team will play a man down.

Balls were also donated to each of the schools to aid in their preparation. On Saturday at the Ministry of Education ground from 12:00 hrs Buxton Youth Development will play Business School followed by St Roses High and Cummings Lodge from 13:30 hrs. The final match of the day will pit threetime defending champions

Chase Academic Foundation against Carmel Secondary.

The following day another triple header will occur as South Ruimveldt battle Charlestown from noon after which Masters Academy face Queenstown Secondary from 13:30 hrs. Curtains will be drawn on the day’s proceedings when Sir Leon Lesson clash with Uitivulgt Secondary from 15:00 hrs.

The under-18 Teams will be hoping to secure the first place prize of $500,000 which goes towards a school project. Second to fourth, will receive $300,000, $200,000 and $100,000 respectively which also go towards school projects.

FRIDAY, january 26, 2018

Sports is no longer our game, it’s our business

guyanatimesgy.com

Pg 22

Andre Russell

Star quartet ditch Windies bid for World Cup berth

– Hetmyer, Bishoo earn selection

Darren Bravo

Sunil Narine

Milo schools football continues focus on gender-based violence Pg 23

...“There is no excuse for violence” – Dr Bassier (L-R) Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca; Men's Health Coordinator, Dr Dennis Bassier; GFF Techical Director Ian Greenwood and Public Health Ministry Public Relations Officer Terrence Esseboom

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