Guyana Times Daily 14th Oct 2013

Union hails NEW GPC INC as model private sector company

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Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana Issue No. 1921 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Monday, October 14, 2013

Jagdeo calls on

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WHAT'S INSIDE: See story on page 3

opposition parties to say what they stand for

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the Essequibo rally

President makes first trip with roll-on/roll-off ferry

Dead gunmen were on robbery charges – police P2 Mr and Miss Talented P10 Teen crowned

See story on page 17

President Donald Ramotar interacts with passengers on the MV Sabanto on his way back to Georgetown after speaking at a PPP/C rally in Essequibo on Saturday (GINA photo)

How greed and complicity bankrupted Guyana Stores Limited See story on page 7

4 days to go

Govt awaits P12 M&CC proposal to restore Kitty Market P13 CJIA passengers to bypass security screening at Piarco Eviction of oil explorer

Guyana P17 looking for peaceful resolution

2 news Dead gunmen were on robbery charges – police monday, october 14, 2013 | guyanatimeSGY.com

according to reports. The police also retrieved a female wig that one of the men was reportedly wearing during the shooting. The motor car in which the men arrived was driven away by a suspected accomplice and has not yet been located.

The firearms, ammunition and wig that were retrieved after the shootout

J

ermaine Canterbury, 20, also called “Chow” and Mark Anthony Joseph, 19, also called “Two Grand”, of Lot 17 Hogg Street, Albouystown who died during a shootout with police on Saturday evening on South Road were previously charged with robbery under arms, police confirmed on Sunday.

Romeiro Branco Gouveia, 19, of Lot 64 James Street, Albouystown, who was also shot in the incident, is another known character.

Canterbury was reportedly released from prison on March 27, 2012, on $100,000

bail. He was charged for the armed robbery of Rajendra Singh of First Choice Jewellery Store and Pawn Shop during May 2010.

His cohort, Joseph was released from prison on January 22, 2013 on $150,000 bail. He was charged for the armed robbery of Andrew Yaw in December 2012.

Branco Gouveia was released from prison on May 6, 2013, on $200,000 bail after he was charged for the armed robbery of Foulis Service Station owner Cecil Gajadhar on March 25, 2013.

In their first statement since the shooting, po-

Dead, Mark Anthony Joseph

lice said on Saturday evening they received information that a robbery was planned on an occupant of the K&VC Hotel, South Road, Georgetown, so ranks staked out the building.

Opened fire About 20:30h, the police observed that a motor car bearing registration number PPP 8539 had stopped in Alexander Street.

Three men exited the vehicle and were heading in the direction of the ho-

Romeiro Branco Gouveia soon after he was arrested for the robbery committed on Cecil Gajadhar in March

tel. The police challenged the men who responded by opening fire on them, so ranks returned fire. During the exchange of gunfire, Canterbury and Joseph were fatally shot while Gouveia was shot to his face. He is a patient under guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

An unlicensed .32 revolver with two live rounds and one spent shell, and an unlicensed .38 snub-nose revolver with three live rounds and three spent shells were recovered from the scene,

Accusations Gouveia, however, declared his innocence and accused the police of murdering his friends and attempting to murder him. He reportedly told his father, Donald Gouveia that on the fateful night, he, along with his friends, were going to his girlfriend’s home on South Road when they were attacked by the police.

He claimed that he was some distance ahead of Joseph and Canterbury on South Road in the vicinity of the K&VC Hotel, when he heard gunshots.

The injured man alleged that as he turned around, he saw his two friends lying on the roadway and as he attempted to run, he was

caught, taken to the scene, and shot to his face. According to the distraught father, his son is in pain but he declared his innocence.

Guyana Times understands that after the shooting incident, Canterbury and Joseph were put in the back of a jeep and sped away to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where Canterbury was pronounced dead on arrival and Joseph succumbed while receiving medical attention.

When this newspaper visited the K&VC Hotel on Sunday morning, the doors were locked. Staff members of the hotel who asked to remain anonymous explained that when they heard the loud sounds, they initially thought they were firecrackers going off, but after they heard screams, they realised the seriousness.

An eyewitness alleged that when the men saw the police advancing towards them, they attempted to escape by jumping into the South Road canal, but were dragged out by the police after they were shot.

Local govt youth programme progressing smoothly

T

he US$150,000 Youth Empowerment Inclusion and Reconciliation Programme (YEIRP) is progressing smoothly, Local Government Ministry Permanent Secretary Collin Croal reported on Friday.

From today, 17 of the 30 youths from Regions Two to Six and 10 will commence their three-month work attachment at various entities within their respective regions. Croal explained that the remaining 13 youth leaders are already employed, so there was no need for a work attachment.

He told media operatives that the selected youths have been trained in keeping with the objectives of the programme, which seeks to address the challenges of inadequate youth participation in governance and social changes that deprive them their rights.

Subsequent to the completion of the internship programme, each of the selected regions will be allotted $1 million for the execution of community projects by the selected representatives.

Another aspect of the YEIRP initiative is the establishment of information technology communication (ITC) hubs within the six regions.

“These hubs are intended to be placed with a computer and internet access,” he explained.

Already locations for the six ITC hubs have been identified and the computer systems are being procured.

CARILED The youth employment programme, which is slated to be completed by March 2014, is being executed in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme.

Turning his attention to another programme ex-

ecuted under the supervision of the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry, the permanent secretary told reporters on Friday that the Caribbean Local Economic Development Project (CARILED) is back on track.

Acknowledging that the project had encountered some serious hiccups during the early stages of its implementation, Croal said Guyanese will soon benefit from this initiative, as the issues have been ironed out.

The process of recruiting local economic development officers (LEDOs) has ended, and project documents are presently being designed, he revealed.

CARILED is currently under the stewardship of the new director; Alix Yule, following the resignation of Dr Naresh Singh who stepped down after allegations of unethical conduct while heading the programme.

The national coordinator is now Dhanraj Singh, who took over following the resignation of Parmanand Chandernauth.

CARILED is a six-year, Cdn$23.2 million programme funded by CIDA. It was formulated with the aim of stimulating sustainable local economic development (LED) through the strengthening of competencies and capacities in local agencies of central government in a number of Caribbean Commonwealth countries.

It is estimated that the project will help approximately 50 local governments/agencies to implement or facilitate LED initiatives, with up to 500 micro, small and medium size enterprises (MSMEs) in seven countries. Guyana signed unto the programme in August, 2012.

News

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Monday, October 14 from 13:30h to 15:00h.

The Berbice River Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on Monday, October 14 from 12:45h to 14:15h.

WEATHER TODAY Countrywide: Thundery showers are expected during the day, with clear skies in the evening over coastal regions and near inland locations. Temperatures are expected to range between 25 and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East south-easterly to easterly at 4.02 metres per secomd.

High Tide: 00:14h and 12:58h reaching maximum heights of 2.27 metres and 2.32 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 06:21h and 18:56h reaching minimum heights of 0.88 metre and 0.90 metre respectively.

saturday, october 12, 2013

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monday, october 14, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

Jagdeo calls on opposition parties to say what they stand for

By Michael Younge

F

ormer President Bharrat Jagdeo has urged supporters of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) to defend their government and Guyana’s future from the continued “opposition assault”, which he said could jeopardise the achievements of the past 21 years.

He told a rally organised in Essequibo to mark the party’s 21st year in office that while it was important to celebrate the accomplishments of the PPP/C, it was more important for those who have benefited to remain alert because much is at stake.

“Comrades, we need to understand what is at stake here.

We can come here and celebrate 21 years of accomplishments ,but if we do not defend it or become soldiers of the cause... people will snatch this away from us... and the Kaieteur News and others will continue to misrepresent us,” he charged.

He said the time was ripe for supporters of the party to remain mobilised and to ensure that they play an integral role in making certain another PPP/C victory at the next election. Jagdeo urged those present to become engaged in house-to-house activities to ensure that all of their comrades were registered in the communities where they live.

He said they must continue to champion the cause of the party, with the aim of educating others about its accomplishments with respect to the transformation and democratisation of Guyana. Jagdeo stressed that PPP/C supporters must understand too the importance of remaining informed about what is taking place so that they can be in a position to combat the “lies, dis-

A section of the gathering at the PPP/C rally Saturday evening

tortions and misinformation” peddled by the opposition.

Much at stake

“Much is at stake. We cannot be caught again because of lack of our own preparedness,” he insisted. Jagdeo, who is also an executive member of the party’s central committee, said the PPP/C embarked on a period of introspection and found the reasons behind the loss of its parliamentary majority.

He confirmed that already steps are being taken to correct these shortfalls, while underscoring the importance of re-securing the majority in the National Assembly. Jagdeo said since the party lost the majority in Parliament, Guyanese have benefited from the opportunity to see the opposition’s true colours.

He argued that it has also given them a glimpse “of how the opposition will behave if they get into government”, as he condemned the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) alleged misuse of their parliamentary power.

Jagdeo also decried the opposition’s posture which has seen them voting against almost every development proj-

ect advanced by the government. He said they appear to be against every policy and project put forward in Parliament because they want to flex their parliamentary muscles.

“All we hear from the opposition is what they are against. What do they stand for? Nothing!” he answered, naming projects such as the Amaila Falls Hydro Electricity, Marriott Hotel, Guyana Sugar Corporation improvment, One Laptop Per Family, and Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion.

“You can’t run a country by being against things. You have to define your plan for the future,” he argued. “So they are against Amerindian development...sugar...helping rice farmers ...giving computers to the poorest families of this country...”

Development needs

The PPP/C understands Guyana’s developmental needs and has defined and redefined its policies to propel the growth of the economy in every sector, the former president said.

He said the opposition do not have any concrete plan or counter proposal that could stand the test of scrutiny, hence their

stance on developmental projects.

“We are firm in our conviction and know where we are going,” he declared, as he reminded Guyanese of the state of the economy and the standard of living before the PPP/C took office. He recommitted the party and government to improving the lives of citizens despite the challenges. He noted that the government believes in fixing problems when they are detected and has worked hard over the last 21 years to rebuild the economy and the image of the country.

“If we didn’t have to pay back the US$2.1 billion debt that the People’s National Congress (PNC) left us over the last 21 years, this could have been a developed nation,” he opined. “Let no one diminish your party or its achievements.

If you allow them to do that, they will diminish you,” he advised supporters, urging them to be proud of the gains.

Jagdeo, as expected, addressed many of concerns raised by the opposition on issues of corruption “They can only talk about corruption, but you arm yourselves with the facts because we have a glorious future,” he noted.

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guyanatimesgy.com

monday, october 14, 2013

Views Editor: Nigel Williams Tel: 225-5128, 231-0397, 226-9921, 226-2102, 223-7230 or 223-7231. Fax: 225-5134 Mailing address: 238 Camp & Quamina Streets, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

Editorial

PM’s reflections

T

his year the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is celebrating 21 years in government. Due to tremendous pressure on the People’s National Congress (PNC) from both local and international stakeholders for the holding of free and fair elections, the PPP/C was returned to office on October 5, 1992 after winning the general elections of that year.

Over the past few days, we have taken note of the many debates and discussions taking place in the letter columns of the daily newspapers and at other public forums regarding the achievements of the PPP/C government during its tenure in office thus far.

We believe that we need to seriously examine where we came from under the PNC’s 28 years of dictatorship rule in order to fully appreciate the tremendous gains made over the years under the PPP/C. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds a few days ago made some useful reflections which we wish to share with our readers.

Hinds recounted the years leading up to 1992 as a period in which Guyanese were desperate for a change.

He recalled that massive inflation and food shortages reinforced the feeling in many that it was time for a change. In other words, everyone in Guyana was looking for a new way out.

Recalling his vision at the time of the PPP/C gaining power, he said that given the conditions under which persons had become accustomed to living under the PNC administration, it was clear that persons had to become re-accustomed to living within the framework of the law.

This was due to the measures that many were forced to adapt and use to survive, with many citizens breaking laws out of necessity.

For the prime minister, what separated the PPP/C from the PNC was his party’s willingness to work with people and focus on their needs. Despite this, he said that while some pundits questioned the wisdom of his government taking the reins of power, given the state of the country, the PPP’s founder, Dr Cheddi Jagan, was always confident of the party’s ability to turn the economy around and move its development forward.

This positive attitude, according to the prime minister was reflected in the housing drive which advanced once the PPP/C gained power. The move to survey and map out lands for housing, meant that many more persons were able to plan, save and eventually build their own homes.

To date, more than 100,000 Guyanese now own or are in the process of owning their homes, as a result of this housing drive which continues to evolve.

Further, the country has re-established a marketled economy after years of decline under the previous administration, and the economy has been restructured in a way so as to support increasing levels of social sector and infrastructural investment alongside private sector– driven economic growth.

There is evidence to show that Guyana is being transformed into a modern nation with a people-centred approach to national development under the PPP/C administration. In the social sector for example, there has been an enormous amount of improvements in the areas of education and health care delivery among others.

That said, we believe that much more could have been done, and much more ought to be done to make Guyana the country where every citizen could achieve their dreams. As we have been noticing, a select few who label themselves analysts are looking at the PPP/C’s report card from a narrow, partisan political perspective. But they cannot change the facts and figures which convincingly show that Guyana has moved leaps and bounds over the years.

Guyanese must not be oblivious to the developments that are taking place in the country. The road has been a long and rough one, but the PPP/C has given Guyana a renewed hope so that every citizen, irrespective of race, religion, class or party affiliation could dream big.

In full bloom!

The young ladies who contested the Miss Guyana Talented Teen 2013 pageant are all smiles as they took time out to pose for Guyana Times before the start of the pageant on Saturday evening at the National Cultural Centre (Carl Croker photo)

Guyana is a land throbbing with positive energy Dear Editor, The “I Believe Campaign” seeks to reach out to every Guyanese beyond political, ethnic and religious barriers. Despite the crime, at every level, Guyana is a very peaceful country.

There is a rich mix of people in every area – schools, teams, markets and businesses. We get along really well.

I went to quite a few

of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) games and what I saw was very revealing – everybody manifested a spirit of congeniality.

I sat next to a Digicel employee who is from a different ethnic background and we enjoyed the game, totally oblivious of our differences in skin tone.

In fact, this gentleman and I have different tastes in fad and clothing, but

again, these are superficial things. This is the kind of educating, informing and communicating we need in Guyana.

Related to this is the fact that if we can enjoy a game of cricket together, then we can labour together to build Guyana.

I was following the recent senseless school protest in Georgetown – students were affected and not a race or a religious group.

These students came from all kinds of backgrounds.

However, some people took this to stretch themselves politically, and even engendered some of the actions. The good Guyanese people must rally against.

We must not allow the pessimistic and the opportunistic ones to take away the good from our country.

Yours sincerely, Zameer Hassan

The SWAT team must not be delayed Dear Editor, The idea of the development of a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team in Guyana is a commendable one. However, I believe that the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) should continue to play a role in crimefighting as it successfully has over the years. These two units can alternatively or jointly be used when necessary.

Just a few days ago, a new group of military police officers were approved for duty in Honduras, in an attempt to fight rampant crime and violence. This new strategy has already raised concerns among human rights defenders, who see the new military force as a setback.

The group is expected to target zones, neighbourhoods, residential developments, human settlements and public spaces, where

gangs of criminals plot their plans to commit illegal felonies.

It is ironical how human rights concerns are mostly about being humane to criminal developments, yet there is rarely ever, if any voice at all heard when honest and hard-working citizens are killed.

Just recently in May, Venezuela’s top security official announced that the government of President Nicolas Maduro will use the military to fight rampant violent crime. This too raised some concerns among activists who warned that the initiative could lead to human rights violations.

What many individuals fail to realise is that when people are killed in crime sprees it is also considered as human rights violations. The SWAT team idea is already being deterred by

members of the opposition parties, but as far as I am concerned, it is either the criminals go, or the general population fall prey to them.

One advantage of the SWAT team is that a vigorous ongoing process is being carried out to identify and select members from the Guyana Police Force suitable for recruitment.

The Commissioner of Police Leroy Brumell said, and I quote “I can assure you that my deputy commissioner of law enforcement … is one of the persons taking them through the process. We want to ensure that we get the right type of persons.”

Another advantage is that the Home Affairs Ministry is utilising the services of The Emergence Group (TEG), a Washingtonbased consultancy firm, to obtain the requisite assistance in this initiative.

Given that this is a fairly new experience to us, we stand to benefit greatly from the expertise and skills that will be offered by TEG. In addition, it will also offer a higher level of confidence; primarily because of the involvement of neutral outsiders. It is evident that the recent series of crimes have not subsided, and it is just a matter of time before criminals strike again.

The sooner the SWAT team takes effect, the better it is going to be for all of us.

In the meantime, the police should remain alert and responsive. It is their full responsibility to minimise and prevent crimes in Guyana as much as possible. Every effort should be made to resolve criminal activities on their behalf.

Yours truly, Ronald Isles

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monday, october 14, 2013

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

PPP/C must continue its campaign GuyExpo fulfilled expectations to keep the nation informed Dear Editor, I’ve always been abreast with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) as it relates to them being in office, particularly during their 21st anniversary celebrations.

Over time, multiple presentations have been made by several PPP/C’s leaders, but to my dismay, it took me sometime to really absorb the achievements of the party, and so I have decided to share my thoughts.

An ideal spokesperson should habitually remind the nation of where the country is today, as compared to where it was prior to 1992. They should also reassure citizens that Guyana has no doubt significantly progressed over the years.

Prior to 1992, there was mass retrenchment, fear of the law enforcement units, a shattered judiciary system, food crisis and a significant lack of interest in vot-

ing. Though I hold no vast knowledge in politics, I know enough to say that many individuals never showed much interest in voting, primarily because elections were blatantly rigged.

Again I reiterate that the people of this country should be reminded of how they suffered at the hands of the previous government. They should be reassured that their fundamental rights would not be denied. On a lighter note, credit has to be given for the distribution of information across Guyana via the media, whether it’s radio, television and/or electronic media.

Regrettably, I have to ask, how many people actually follow the media, particularly the radio. In addition to that, how reliable is a radio broadcast? In Guyana, the state radio outlets have become channels of entertainment, and a sordid one at that.

I happened to visit NCN’s

booth at this year’s GuyExpo and to my dismay they had nothing educational or enlightening to offer. The behaviour in the booth itself was actually a bit discreditable. This can hardly be considered as a mitigation measure. Politics is about informing the minds of those against you. The PPP/C should efficiently utilise all of its resources to reach out to people.

Finally, I’d like to add that the PPP/C has an outstanding reputation and should take such opportunities to advance itself, but at the same time not take anything for granted. They unfortunately didn’t seize the opportunity to do so at GuyExpo 2013, but they can quickly rebound by ensuring efficient and effective use of the media and by venturing out to people and places.

Yours respectfully, Evelyn Yusuff

Fire prevention is everybody’s business Dear Editor, Emphasis on fire prevention is going to be most topical for the next few days.

Fire safety measures are very important to any one at any place; whether at home or work. This is because of the terrible damage that fire can cause to property and life. Fires and emergencies are quite common these days, and Guyana is not excluded. There has been a rise since the days of old. Thus, it is very important to be prepared at all times.

Do we conduct regular checks on all electrical appliances and connections in houses or buildings? I did read about a few fires caused by poor electrical connections and appliances. A single short circuit can cause a huge fire, therefore, we must ensure that all connections are okay and that all appliances are well connected and fitted to avoid fire out breaks. Simple things like these can go a far way is preventing fires.

Do we remove all flammable materials around us?

Objects and containers that contain flammable substances should be kept away from children too. Things like old

wood and cardboard can prove deadly if and when there is a fire. These must go too and not just the kerosene or gas container.

Do we have fire extinguishers? It is very important to install fire extinguishers in most buildings. This is aimed at ensuring that in cases of an emergency, the fire can be easily put out. People must be trained to use them as well. And how about fire alarm systems and exit doors – do we engage in these? Fire alarm systems can help in alerting the occupants of a

building. Exit doors came to mind when an entire family went down in Berbice a few years back. Even willing neighbours could not force an entry at the time.

I do use Camp Street a lot, and there is a building at the junction of Charlotte and Camp streets; it is a disaster waiting to happen. It may fall or it can be lighted very easily. Something must be done.

This is what fire prevention is all about.

Yours sincerely, Emmett Anthony

Dear Editor, Extremely educational and entertaining, this year’s GuyExpo proved itself to be record breaking against the others held over the years. The thousands of people who turned up during the Thursday to Sunday event could surely vouch for this. It was no doubt worth their time and their effort. I am also pleased to read that many overseas entities are already planning for 2014.

As though I wasn’t already extremely pleased, on the final night, I overheard a Surinamese actually express absolute awe as it relates to the event. She was

part of a group that hosted a booth which focused on a product called Ozone; a special brand of washing product that emphasises care for the atmosphere. What was even more significant was her thoughts on the rapid growth of Guyana and the emphasis placed on creating and sustaining a healthy atmosphere.

I couldn’t help but remember President Donald Ramotar’s expression of optimism that this year’s expo would aid in creating strong linkages between local and foreign businesses, and judging from the Surinamese national’s comments and the

many foreign companies already anxious about next year, it is clear GuyExpo 2013 was successful in achieving its goals and expectations.

As a spin-off, GuyExpo 2013 helped in nurturing a spirit of unity. Many times we take this unity for granted when we allow ourselves to become victims of greedy and opportunistic politicians.

We all have to build this nation, irrespective of creed and colour. In many ways, this spirit of unity is exactly what Guyana needs to keep moving forward.

Yours truly, Anthony Greaves

Flouting the minimum wage order Dear Editor, What is so difficult about the core features of the new minimum wage order that stipulates that some categories of workers are to work five days per week, eight hours a day and earn $35,000 per month at the minimum?

As for those companies that have been sluggish in the implementation of this new order, I agree that there is hardly anywhere in the world where in a legislative intervention, where one day later, you would miraculously end up with a 100 per cent compliance.

However, if the stalling is a ploy, these companies must be dealt with. Some

of them have reportedly issued warnings to employees that if they should scream foul and report, they would have to find new jobs. This is an area that must be investigated.

The word from government is that it is depending on the Labour Ministry and employees everywhere to be vigilant and inform government about such employers who callously disregard the provisions of the order.

There are many employers who used to criticise government for underpaying its lower tier workers.

Now that government has manifested its concern, how come these same em-

ployers are not following suit? I think that many of them are embarrassed.

Many have been taken advantage of and government has done a great work in implementing this minimum wage ruling.

We cannot go back from this. We must build into this other factors such as medical benefits and corporate insurance, among others. If we do not have a start, we will end up nowhere.

We complain when we go outside and are victims of low salary and exploitation, so we must not tolerate it here.

Yours faithfully, Esther Morris

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monday, october 14, 2013

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Foundation

Can you be a parenting expert if you only have one child?

By Jessica Ashley

I

have been writing about parenting as long as I have been a parent, and have been a professional parenting writer most of those nine years as well. I have been a parenting editor at one of the most-viewed women’s lifestyle sites online, have been quoted as a parenting expert in national magazines, interviewed for that same expertise on national and local television and radio, and have contributed to many parenting websites on babyhood, big child, single parenting, and now tween issues.

But something has always felt itchy to me about seeing the comma followed by “parenting expert” next to my name. It’s because all of these tips and advice and interviews and anecdotes come from very limited experience. I have one child.

Not everything I have written has come solely from the nine years of mothering one son. I’ve done my journalistic due diligence in interviewing paediatricians, psychologists, financial professionals, firefighters, coaches, teachers, safety techs, and many, many other parents. I’ve read. A lot.

I’ve scoured journal articles, read up on child development, dug as deep as I can on deadline.

Still, hearing myself being called a parenting expert is like a sweater that’s been through the dryer.

guyanatimesgy.com

Sometimes it is a cozy reminder of all that I’ve done, all the places I’ve been, all the hard work and late nights and emotion that goes into writing about everything from adoption to recalls. And sometimes I squirm inside it.

My best parenting, I’ve learned in this near-decade, comes from informed in-

stinct.

I read, I ask questions, I gather advice and then I go with my gut. The moments I am most proud of as a mother have happened when no book or message board or mother of many children is around and I just have to trust that I will find my way through a problem or tears or possible medical crisis or tiny broken heart or tantrum or horrific hangnail on a toddler’s thumb.

I’ve learned a lot in those moments, probably more than I have from being bookish and interviewy with

friends and doctors and my own parents. I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I love about being a mother (the trust), what I don’t (playing cars and cleaning child vomit from my purse) and what I love about being my son’s mother (the long, deep conversations way past bedtime).

But I am still in awe, stumped, confounded on things that other mothers I know

have released over years and having another child and another, and maybe more than that. When I am at a loss, I often turn to my friend Meagan. She has FIVE children, I think often, she has to know the answer to this.

And most of the time, she does. And most of the time, that answer is to go back to my gut feelings. I’ve never doubted that she can speak fluently about parenting because she has become one so many times. Expert?

Absolutely.

I’ve certainly gotten equally good advice from my friends who have fewer than five children. And I think – I hope – in those circles where women congregate to support new mothers with insights on diapers and colic and making your own baby food (or not) and curfews and screen time, that I have offered some good words, too.

I’m just not sure if I can call myself a parenting expert if I’ve do this thing one time through.

Maybe that doesn’t matter or maybe it matters far more than I can even know.

We do love titles, especially when it is shorthand for saying, “LISTEN TO THIS LADY TELL YOU FIVE SIMPLE WAYS TO DO THIS THING!” And I am grateful for the professional opportunities I’ve had to learn and tell other parents stories and information that empowers them, makes them feel connected, soothes their weary, overtired, tantrumed out souls.

I’ve loved doing what I do for a living.

And who I am professionally is not always exactly the same as who I am at home (I mean, at home when the laptop’s closed). What I do know for sure is that I am an expert in my own child and my own way of parenting.

Part of holding that title for me means that I am always learning, observing, adjusting as my boy becomes more and more himself. And perhaps as I do, too. (babble.com)

Why you shouldn’t feel guilty about second child syndrome

By Chelsea Day

W

hen I had my first two children eighteen months apart, I was wracked with guilt over the lack of attention my second baby received compared to the first. The first time around, I did it all: the weekly pictures, the hand-prints, stories every night and cuddle time each morning. Now, I juggle sippies and bottles and respond to round-the-clock needs of a baby and a toddler. The minute I finish changing one, the other needs a bath or a snack.

My second child has received a completely different sort of parenting than my first. It’s a hard thing

to admit, that I’m not “fair.”

Slowly, though, I’ve come to realise it’s okay that my second doesn’t have my full attention all the time. I think it’s better for him in the long run.

The second child may not have all those special moments with mom and dad, but he has something better. A sibling. A family.

I’ve been amazed at the interaction between my oldest and my youngest, and while a big brother’s antics are certainly no replacement for a mother’s enduring patience, we strike a graceful balance together.

Sometimes I feel a pang of guilt over the lack of physical attention towards my second, and I’ll look up to see his brother giving him a gentle forehead kiss.

I worry that I’m not teaching him enough, and then I see the toddler gesturing towards a book and showing off his letter skills. “A, B, C.” They learn together now, and that smart little baby keeps up. Children are incredibly adaptive, and it’s amazing to see how the second piggybacks on all the time and attention that the first one received. It’s almost as if I was teaching them both before he even arrived.

Parenting is different the second time around, and it’s something to be celebrated. In place of the oneon-one time and the quiet moments, we have laughter and togetherness. I’m sure it’ll be an ongoing transformation as I watch these children grow, and an ongoing effort to assure myself that I’m doing a good job. I know with two, we may be shorter on resources to do all the extracurriculars and send each child to camp.

But we’ll have one heck of a boisterous, joyful home.

And that, I will never feel guilty about. (shine.yahoo.com)

7 How greed and complicity bankrupted Guyana Stores Limited G news

monday, october 14, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

uyana Stores Limited (GSL), which was privatised on October 1, 2000, is for all practical purposes insolvent. The financial statements at December 31, 2009 reveal that liabilities of $1,673,617,000 exceed assets of $826,406,000 by $847,211,000.

In addition, just three days ago, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) announced that it had won court action to recoup $354,000,000 in taxes from GSL up to an unknown past date.

Furthermore, the 2009 financial statements are now three years outdated, so it is reasonable to assume that the financial situation would have deteriorated even further. Without trying to cause undue alarm, the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and other small shareholders face the frightening reality of losing their investments outright.

At this stage, liquidation seems inevitable and the only realistic chance of recouping some of the losses lies in finding a suitable buyer for GSL’s once prime real estate.

Ordinary shareholders, such as NIS, are, however, last in line to recoup in the case of liquidation proceedings – so if they are lucky, they will receive a few cents on the dollar.

Greed

self-anointed guru of accountability and transparency is reminded that, as a practising accountant, he is first and foremost guided by ethics.

As an auditor, he may not be directly linked legally to wrongdoings, but if he provided financial advice, consultancy or accounting services, as has been reported, then he will be equally culpable in this massive heist.

Guyana’s Enron

Kaieteur News owner and publisher Mohan Lall, aka Glenn Lall

gious company.

In the nine years after privatisation, the company’s cumulative profit, before payments to directors in the form of interest, consultancy, allowances and accommodation, was recalculated at a mere G$19.6 million, yet the directors, Mohan “Glenn” Lall and Tony Yassin included, bilked $602.9 million from GSL. This in a nutshell is the cause fof its demise.

Circumvention

In reviewing the financial performance of the company, January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2009, it became very apparent that greed was the primary factor behind the spectacular downfall of this once presti-

Under the Companies Act of 1991, a company is prevented from paying dividends unless there exist retained earnings/profits. This means shareholders cannot withdraw monies in the form of dividends unless profits exist in the

Opposition adviser Lallbachan Christopher Ram

first place.

This proviso is essentially a safeguard to risk bearers, that is, lenders and creditors, which have a vested interest in the continued solvency and profitability of the entity.

To belabour this important point, one cannot spend what one did not earn, or else one is actively seeking trouble.

With earnings being as minimal as they were, the directors devised a brazen method to withdraw money in the form of interest, consultancy, allowances and accommodation.

In other words, they did not bother to wait for profits. They methodically and selfishly bilked the company in the face of losses from the get-go in 2001. Under this method, minority sharehold-

Gouveia urges passage of firearms bill to help curb crime

C

hairman of governance and security within the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Gerald Gouveia has reiterated the call for the passage of the Firearm Amendment Bill as one of the many efforts needed to curb the recent upsurge in crime.

Speaking to Guyana Times during an exclusive interview, Gouveia acknowledged that there have been a number of gun-related crimes, which he believes stem from a lack of adequate policies in place to address these events.

“That is vitally important because you could have people importing guns into Guyana in pieces and nobody can do them anything, but when they get into Guyana, they put the pieces together. So we need the laws, we need the new firearm bill to be passed in Parliament,” he said.

This move, he said would allow authorities to regulate and police such activities.

The Firearm Amendment Bill, which was taken to the House by government, would have seen tougher penalties for gunrunners. However, it was voted down by the combined opposition merely because the legislation was tabled by Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee.

Meanwhile, he also highlighted the need for the

PSC Governance and Security Chairman Gerald Gouveia

Guyana Police Force (GPF) to be equipped with the requisite tools to investigate and solve crimes. This, he said was discussed during a recent meeting the PSC had with Minister Rohee, the newly-appointed police commissioner and other members of the GPF.

Strengthening efforts

He said they also looked at what is being done at the level of the Security Sector Reform Programme, with the view of strengthening efforts.

“In the private sector, we don’t reward you for efforts, we reward you for results. We want to see the police harness and control the surge that seems to be happening.”

He noted that “issues of

gathering intelligence and people feeding the police with information” need to be taken into consideration. “The police must also have the legal parameters to do the kind of information gathering they want, whether it’s through wiretapping or through using information from people and so on.” In light of this, Gouveia urged the general public to support the work of the police by providing information when available, since this is usually a challenge for ranks.

“We have to help the police, every one of us, every organisation, every individual person. The fight of crime, while the police is on the forefront of it, the police need the help of citizens,” he stated.

Gouveia reiterated that there is need for much more action and results, noting that the apparent upsurge in crime is “frightening” to the business community and the population as a whole.

Police statistics indicate that there has been a five per cent increase in serious crimes, with 98 murders being recorded at the ending of September. The total number of serious crimes recorded between January 1 and September 31 was 2927 compared to 2832 for the same period last year.

Owner of the majority share in Royal Investments Inc, Tony Yassin

ers are conveniently removed from the equation since the need for dividends is eliminated.

Details of payments to directors and details of other expenses are not disclosed in the financial statements, which leave room to question what other methods were used to drain the company of its resources.

Complicity and the auditor

That these exorbitant extractions would eventually bankrupt the company is plain to anyone who wants to know. Mohan “Glenn” Lall and company never gave consideration to NIS and the other small vulnerable shareholders who were most brutally sidelined.

Lallbachan Christopher Ram, the auditor, would have been fully aware of all that transpired. This

Whatever comes out of Guyana’s Enron, given the exalted status Lallbachan Christopher Ram enjoys in the opposition fraternity, he should have followed his own advice and resigned after the first couple of years. On the basis of ethics alone, he has been an abysmal failure and a betrayal to the accounting profession.

The business community is calling for the GRA to disallow $602.9 million in payments to the directors as a matter of principle. The GRA has the law on its side, since these amounts are far from justifiable in deriving income in the particular circumstances.

The GRA also needs to ensure that the errant directors have fulfilled their personal income tax responsibility on all monies received or accrued in their favour.

A full investigation by the Guyana Securities Council (or whomever has jurisdiction) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana is needed. All guilty parties must face the full force of the law.

8 news

monday, october 14, 2013| guyanatimesGY.com

Climate change sensitisation session held in West Berbice

Eyew tness

Arid argument...

...about Amaila t comes to a point where sometimes you decide you just can’t take it anymore. We wonder when Guyanese will reach this point about the lies and misinformation being peddled about the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project (AFHEP). Especially by the MuckrakerKN. With a project of that magnitude, no Guyanese would disagree that we have to be careful of possible skulduggery on funds to be spent. Hey...when you’re dealing with human beings; that has to be your default setting.

But if you’re ever to accomplish anything, there’s got to be some balance between prudence and persecution.

If Guyana is ever going to get cheaper electricity to attract manufacturing companies here and take us out of the plastic bucket economy, we’ve got to get real. If anyone needed to be convinced that the AFHEP is being persecuted rather than probed, they only need to look at the lurid headlines the Muckraker’s been running about the Amaila river running dry.

Since when can this be news rather than the “cuss down”, “talk name” and gyaaf Dem Boys have over cheap liquor at the local rum shop? Every single news item about AFHEP had mentioned the extensive area that would be flooded to act as a reservoir to deliver a steady flow in and out rainy seasons.

In case Dem Boys couldn’t read (whether from a deficient childhood education or too much cheap liquor), they could’ve looked at the “artist’s impression” of the facility they carried with every concoction they brewed.

Every hydroelectric project in the world has to cater for reduced water flow from its source river...and they do this by creating reservoirs just as AFHEP would do.

And it was publicly mentioned on so many occasions that much of the present capacity of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) would remain in place to act as backup to also cater for periods of reduced generation or supply, for one reason or another.

Did Dem Boys think the government would throw away the GPL generators as the People’s National Congress (PNC) and Hamilton Green did with the steel rails from the railways they decommissioned?

We were rather surprised that Leader of the Opposition David Granger would pander to this kind of reckless gossip-mongering. Surely he knows that the hydro project of the founder leader Forbes Burnham back in the 1970s also included a reservoir to cater for reduced water flow.

This is no way to destroy a project that can lead to power independence.

I

Region Five residents paying keen attention at the climate change consultation

T

he Agriculture Ministry and the Office of Climate Change (OCC) on Saturday convened a meeting with West Coast Berbice residents to update them on the status of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).

Speaking at the Bush Lot Secondary School, Region Five, Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy underscored the importance for every Guyanese citizen becoming climate smart. He noted that the devastating impacts of climate change are very real, and cannot be ignored.

Climate change is a longterm shift in weather patterns over periods of time ranging from decades to millions of years . According to a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), there is conclusive new scientific evidence that human activities are causing unprecedented changes in the Earth’s climate.

As a small, developing country, Guyana has taken

on a leadership role in this global fight, and is considered a pioneer in tackling the problem.

In 2009, former President Bharrat Jagdeo launched a revolutionary strategy that is today seen by the rest of the world as one of the working models that can significantly address the issue of climate change, while providing the much needed financial resources, repositioning economic activities, and developing new environmentally and economically sustainable alternative developmental paths.

LCDS

Minister Ramsammy said Guyana’s LCDS “is about all of us, and, therefore, all of us should be part of making it happen…

Guyana can take pride in the fact that we are leading the world in a new trajectory that will bring relief, help every citizen and will ultimately contribute to a better country, better region and a better world”.

The national strategy provides the overarch-

ing framework for achieving Guyana’s long-term developmental goals, using appropriate green growth strategies.

On November 9, 2009, Guyana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Norway in which the latter committed to providing Guyana with up to US$250 million by 2015 for forest services. This money goes towards priority projects identified in the LCDS. Thus far, Guyana has earned three payments from Norway totalling US$115 million, and an audit has recently been completely in preparation for the fourth payment.

Presidential Adviser and Head of the OCC, Shyam Nokta said climate change is one of the top global issues that all countries must work to address. He noted that although Guyana has not been emitting large amounts of carbon, it will feel the same catastrophic impacts as those that have contributed significantly to this phenomenon.

Nokta noted that

Guyana has already been experiencing the effects of climate change – unpredictable weather patterns, which primarily affect agriculture, the main economic activity in Region Five.

Further, with the rise in sea levels, the entire coastal zone, including agricultural land and infrastructure, will be severely affected.

“We have to be aware of these changes and start thinking of how we are going to respond… we have included climate change planning in all of the economic sectors especially agriculture,” he said.

New technologies

The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) has being conducting research on drip irrigation technologies that would allow for the conservation of water and the introduction of new crop weather-resistant varieties.

Nokta is calling on all citizens to make the necessary changes at the household, community and business levels.

The LCDS is now in its implementation stage. In this regard, on October 14, President Donald Ramotar will be launching a micro and small enterprise development project to lend support to small businesses and vulnerable groups at concessionary rates to stimulate the creation of new, low-carbon jobs and build capacity. “… we project the creation of as much as 2000 jobs in the first three years,” the presidential adviser posited.

Some of the other LCDS projects include: solar panel distribution, Amerindian Development Fund, Land Titling and Demarcation, and upgrading of drainage and irrigation structures.

Mention was also made of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, which has been put on hold as a result of the non-support of the opposition. Minister Ramsammy affirmed government’s commitment to ensuring that the country’s long-standing dream of cheap and reliable power is realised.

...allowing Hughes' slackness The ordinary man in the street – the Tom, Dick or Harrilall, if you will – surely can’t be blamed for feeling there’s a conspiracy in the legal fraternity (from all sides of the fence, political and otherwise) to protect Nigel Hughes. How’s there going to be any faith in the system that’s supposed to protect us from the law of the jungle if this nonsense keeps up much longer?

What’re we talking about? That’s the whole point, isn’t it? We shouldn’t have had to ask that question if the system had functioned as it should’ve. Lawyers are officers of the court – it doesn’t matter whether they are on the prosecution or defence “side”. They have to ensure that justice is dispensed and not denied. One requirement is that they must make their interests known.

Now, here it was that Hughes had been the lawyer (for six years) for the foreman of the jury in the high profile case where he was defending the accused in the Lusignan Massacre. And he stood mute when the judge asked about such knowledge! Just before the jury – led by the foreman – freed the accused!

But rather than bringing up Hughes on disciplinary charges, everyone’s hemming and hawing. A “blackrobed” wall of silence? ...from Venezuela The seizure of the ship our government contracted to survey our ocean resources by the Venezuelans must be condemned by the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the rest of the international community. Not a piece of curass!!

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monday, october 14, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

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guyanatimesgy.com

monday, October 14, 2013

News

Mr and Miss Talented Teen crowned

T

he National Cultural Centre (NCC) in the wee hours of Sunday erupted with cheers and jeers as the 13th Miss Guyana Talented Teen and the inaugural Mr Guyana Talented Teen were crowned.

After long hours of competition, Miss Peter’s Hall Tiffani Bonner, 15, outshone her seven rivals to cop the coveted title, one that she truly deserved as she was radiant from the start.

Bonner also copped the prize for Best Evening Gown, with a Randy Madray design.

Outshining his competitors to cop the first ever Mr Guyana Talented Teen title was Mr Beterverwagting Kefa Wesley Smith, 16, who was among the top four but not a favourite to win the title. He sealed the deal with his response to the final question.

He was also given the prize for Best Talent for performing a version of R Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” as well as Best Male Body, Best Introduction and Mr Congeniality prizes.

In the female category, the first runner-up spot went to Miss Enmore Chelsea France while Miss Liliendaal Romichelle Brumell and Miss Linden Reona Howell were adjudged second and third runners up respectively.

In the male category, Mr Anna Regina Dennis Glasgow copped the first runner-up spot, followed by Mr Grove Fazil Rahaman and Mr Parika Kevin Smith d.

The Stick-to-itiveness awards went to Mr Diamond Linden Isles and Miss Liliendaal Romichelle Brumell respectively. The Miss Congeniality Award went to Miss Cummingsburg Crystal Fraser while Chelsea France was awarded the priz-

ter the scheduled time with an opening dance by the delegates who were well dressed in black, blue and silver outfits complemented with hats.

Immediately after the opening dance, the delegates introduced themselves to the audience and the judges.

While some eloquently delivered, others were a little stilted as nervousness stepped in. The first cultural presentation of the evening was done by the founder of Majek Fingers Drumming School Orlando Primo and a talented young member. The performance was thoroughly enjoyed by the scant NCC audience.

Swimsuit segment

Mr Guyana Talented Teen Kefa Wesley Smith and Miss Guyana Talented Teen Tiffani Bonner

es for Best Introduction.

The Best Smile prize went to Reona Howell. Closing off the list of special awards was Mr Diamond Fazil Rahaman, who was adjudged the Best Dressed Male.

Excitement Speaking with Guyana Times moments after being crowned, the two title holders expressed their excitement to have been rewarded for their hard work.

They both stated that their three months of intense training definitely paid off. Smith disclosed that his greatest rival in the competition was Dennis Glasgow, but believes he won the title when he answered the question: “Which are you? Are you mummy’s son or an Amazon warrior?”

In response, he clearly stated that he is a “mummy’s

boy”, stating that his mother has been his motivation and inspiration. He also said that she clothes, feeds and shelters plus stands by him in difficult times.

A vociferous Smith also explained that he will continue to promote the pageant and with his title, men participating in pageantry will have a voice. On the other hand, Bonner said her main rival in the competition was Chelsea France, but she managed to subdue her. She also promised to represent Guyana well at the Miss Caribbean Teen Pageant slated for St Kitts Nevis in December.

Both winners thanked the franchise holder of the pageant Pamela Dillon for the opportunity of opening new doors for them.

Meanwhile, the pageant started close to an hour af-

The National School of Dance also performed an energetic piece which set the tone for the swimsuit segment. The female contestants were decked in two-piece tiger-printed swimwear. The only young lady who used a one-piece was Brumell, who sustained injuries to the torso in an accident two days prior to the pageant.

Taking the lead from there was Bonner, followed

by France and Miss Plaisance Tiffany Ferguson. The male delegates wore a beach shorts and sported towels.

They made way for the talent segment which saw some excellent pieces in the form of poetry, dance, song and dramatic displays.

As the delegates prepared for the evening wear segment, the audience was entertained

by Tennicia De Freitas.

The evening gown segment saw some splendid outfits that wowed the audience.

Some of the outfits were designed by Neilson Nurse and Randy Madray.

After this, the special prizes were announced, followed by the final four and then the question-and-answer segment began. After a while, the decisions were handed down and some in the audience were disappointed.

De Mook and Tony Assin get expose one time

W

hen people shame, dem does do all kinda tings fuh cover up dem shame, especially when dem get expose from de inside out.

On de other hand, some a dem so bareface that dem does be brazen and behave like when nutten ain’t happen. Yet other people does try fuh change de subject and talk bout other tings whah ain’t mek no sense, hopin that people gon believe dem.

Is every day dem boys whah seh dem is boys and does dress like boys, but dem is not boys, gettin expose one by one. Dem gettin expose inside and out and upside down. But this is not de same kinda exposin and upside down whah does tek place when dem boy meetin together. That kinda exposin got a “s” in front, or is a totally different word whah begin wid “b”.

De Kocheur mud man now get expose so much bout he backtrackin ways, plus he links to de criminal “underworld”, accordin to de U.S. guvament – de same people whah he like to run to fuh complain like a lil baby – that he tryin fuh change de subject and he start talkin bout Amaila Falls. But no body ain’t fallin fuh that!

Instead of he havin de pulse of criminals, he own pulse now beatin fast fast and he face puffin like when he constipated. He even shame of he own name. From Mohan he turn to Glenn. But people not sure if he mean Glenn or Hen. However, de best name fuh he is Mook. But a Mook Hen is unheard of.

So de Mook Hen must make de Guinness Book. That gon be de first Mook in de Guinness Book.

De Mook Hen so shame when he get expose bout de taxes whah he owe de s*ity council that he call Madam outta he bed fuh change up de story. But when de story buss out bout how he and he best friend Tony Assin thief from de run down store pun Water Street, water fall from he eye to he toe.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! And de Mook Hen can’t even turn to Lall Bachan fuh help, because people done hear bout he!

11 News

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, october 14, 2013

Times Notebook The stage for a modern Guyana was set 50 years ago T

he Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) this month celebrates its 50th anniversary since its opening. On September 9, 1963, then Agriculture Minister Brindley Benn signed the order establishing the GSA. When the GSA was established 50 years ago, it was as part of a plan to prepare Guyana for independence and to begin the modernisation of the country. Part of the package was an educational component.

Significance of agriculture

Former president, the late Dr Cheddi Jagan and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government at the time recognised the significance of agriculture in nurturing an economy with sustainable growth and a nation that was food and nutrition-secured. The GSA was established to ensure Guyana’s agriculture sector was the pillar on which the country’s economic fortunes were built.

The human capital development programme saw the establishment of the University of Guyana (UG), and this year the institution also celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Today, Guyana’s doctors, teachers, lawyers, engineers, accountants, managers, pharmacists, medical technologists, nurses and other professionals are graduates of UG. There was one other plank in the plan for building human capital through education and training in Guyana. Dr Jagan and the PPP realised that the country must offer its children secondary education – the quest for universal education for Guyanese children became

50 years ago the first enrolment at GSA comprised 25 male students. Today the school caters for both males and females with a total of 125 students graduating this year

a part of the plan which began implementation 50 years ago.

Public secondary schools in many regions of Guyana opened their doors around that time, 50 years ago.

It was the first time that the children of poor Guyanese families were able to gain access to secondary education.

Before that, there were only a handful of secondary schools in Guyana and most of these were private, fee-paid schools.

By 1990, secondary school education was only available to about 35 per cent of Guyanese children who were eligible to attend high school.

Today, because of the visionary leadership of Dr Jagan and the PPP, more than 90 per cent of children in Guyana have access to secondary school education.

It was also around that time, 50

years ago, that the teachers training college started as an in-service programme, with teachers training being done at various places at evening classes around the country. At the time, most of Guyana’s teachers were untrained. Less than five per cent of teachers then had any training. Today almost 60 per cent of Guyana’s teachers are trained.

Another component of the package of development initiatives resulting from the vision of Dr Jagan and the PPP was building an industrial base. Few realised that the industrialisation of Guyana was started by the establishment at the time of the first ever industrial park in Guyana – the Ruimveldt Industrial Park.

This is one of the earliest, if not the first of the industrial parks in the Caribbean. Today, most of Guyana’s giant industries are still operating from that site. Consider

Banks DIH, Kissoon’s Group of Companies, Continental and Beharry Group of Companies. They all started out of the first industrial park.

There were other parts of the package for the modernisation of Guyana, preparing it for independence. Dr Jagan started agricultural settlements such as Black Bush Polder, Canal Polder, Tapakuma and Mara and established irrigation infrastructure such as Dawa, Mibikuri and Manorbishi pump stations.

These today are critical elements in the growth of agriculture in Guyana, providing a sustainable base for the growth of the economy and creating jobs for people.

Transport sector

It was about this time too that Dr Jagan initiated an improvement of the transport sector by expanding the ferry services in Guyana through the construction of ferry boats locally. The Torani and other boats which still ply Guyana’s rivers were constructed about 50 years ago.

Every modern country had to have a hotel industry. Guyana’s first international hotel – the Pegasus – started about this time too. People questioned then, too, if Guyana needed an international hotel. But the Pegasus also is about 50 years old now, although it continues to serve.

But Dr Jagan and the PPP also recognised that a financial infrastructure must be established to support the creation of a nation and to support the country as it moves

from being a low developing country to a middle-income country.

Guyana’s Bank of Guyana started about 50 years ago too.

Around 50 years ago, through vision and bold leadership, the modernisation of a nation started. It is unfortunate that political machination in Guyana by the U.S. and the UK with local politicians resulted in slowing down that first modernisation thrust.

Development

Since 2001, another such period of rapid development has been taking place, initially led by former President Bharrat Jagdeo.

The building of the Berbice, Mahaicony and Mahaica Rivers bridges, the expansion of highways and bridges, the construction of a ferry service to Nikerie, the construction of the UG campus, the construction of the Takatu Bridge, construction of a stadium, an aquatic centre, an athletic track, an improved airport, the upgrading of the Ogle Aerodrome and many others have poised Guyana to become a modern state.

But the work is not complete.

Guyana need to complete the Amaila Falls Hydro Electricity Project (AFHEP), the Marriott Hotel initiative, and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project. The country must be bold and visionary, just like Dr Jagan was when he started those initial transformative projects 50 years ago.

Readers are invited to comment on this article via email (times.notebook@gmail.com) and on Facebook.

12 News

monday, october 14, 2013 | guyanatimeSGY.com

Union hails NEW GPC INC as HIV business coalition to host model private sector company members’ outreach

G

uyana Labour Union (GLU) General Secretary Carvil Duncan has praised the NEW GPC INC for creating a model for other businesses to follow, as regards the way workers should be treated.

Duncan told Guyana Times on Friday that this is important to be placed on record, as the relationship between the union and the NEW GPC has grown tremendously over the years, and is likely to continue growing, based on fruitful outcomes of negotiations.

The GLU general secretary said his union represents a large number of employees working for the pharmaceutical giant. He recalled the time when negotiations were taking place with the Privitisation Unit to have the company purchased by its new owner Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop. He said at that time, Dr Ramroop had promised to try his utmost to ensure that the economic standards of workers are improved and job security is assured. This promise has been kept, he said.

Duncan stated that he has recognised that the NEW GPC has now set a record for other companies to follow, as the company takes pride in supporting its staff. He also noted that negotiations for increase in salaries and other

GLU General Secretary Carvil Duncan

matters never lasted for more than two to three hours and most times the demands of the union are met, and workers in generally are fully satisfied.

The GLU executive said this has created a cordial relationship between the union and the NEW GPC. “At no time did the GLU take any action against the company or had taken protest action, due to demand not being met,” Duncan asserted.

He said there are cases also where the company had bent backwards to ensure workers are satisfied.

Front runner

“So we can easily say that the NEW GPC is a front runner where relationships with the union are concerned,” Duncan stated.

He listed a few unique benefits given to staffers, which include transportation from work to home. These, he said are motivational factors that had led to the warm relationship the two entities share. He reiterated that it is fair to say that the NEW GPC treats its workers kindly and with a lot of respect.

This has allowed workers to give of their best as they work towards achieving all their goals.

He said too that in instances where the company makes a good profit, staffers are not left out in the process of being equally compensated.

Further, Duncan said there has never been a complaint lodged with the union against the company, which is testimony to the respect and honours workers have in working with the NEW GPC. “As general secretary, we are satisfied with the benefits the workers receive form NEW GPC and we are even more convinced that NEW GPC is a model company and in this regard, we plan to present a token of appreciation to the company for that.”

The standards set by the NEW GPC must be adopted by all private and public sector companies, he said.

This will only lead to better production and quality work from workers, and more income for the company.

Caricom’s critical agriculture research body out of money – several members states not paying up

A

griculture ministers within the region have committed to paying their dues to ensure the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) remains functional, as the body continues to suffer from lack of funds, owing to member states’ defaulting on their payments.

This was disclosed during a press briefing at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Lilendaal, Greater Georgetown on Friday, to highlight the outcome of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) meeting at the end Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2013.

In light of the call for more investment in research and development in the agriculture sector, it was recognised that Caribbean countries need to bring themselves in compliance with satisfying requirements for contributions to CARDI, which is viewed as the only research and development body in the region.

Addressing media operatives at the briefing, Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy said the commitments by regional ministers were made during a board meeting with CARDI representatives. He said it was agreed that investment

in research and towards the sustenance of CARDI is critical to improving the elements of agriculture and the economies of the region.

However, the regional representatives declined to disclose the magnitude of the institution’s deficit, noting that it could only be addressed by CARDI heads.

Grenada’s Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Roland Bhola, who also chaired the COTED meeting, said the islands with arrears have already made specific arrangements to satisfy their outstanding contributions which will be paid over a period of time, while others have given definite dates to have their arrears paid out.

Arrangement

As it relates to his country, Bhola said, “We are behind by a year I think in arrears. An arrangement was entered into with CARDI as to how payments will be made over a period of time, trying to keep the years to come current while we pay the arrears.”

Meanwhile, Dominica’s Agriculture and Forestry Minister Matthew Walter said CARDI is here to stay.

He said Caricom heads of government met in June this year and agreed that CARDI is an indispensable body.

Walter added that “a payment plan is put in place for every country, those who are experiencing financial problems, to ensure that they pay their arrears gradually.”

According to the Dominican minister, his country too has outstanding payments to CARDI, noting that a payment was recently made. “We are willing to put in place a payment schedule that has been discussed with CARDI to be able to cover the arrears that we owe.”

Meanwhile, Dr Ramsammy said although Guyana suspended its participation in CARDI a few years ago, the regional institution maintained its support for Guyana.

“Guyana has always been convinced that there is a place in agriculture development and the development of our region for CADRI,” he said. As such, Dr Ramsammy said the Agriculture Ministry has been in negotiation with the regional institution to resume participation.

He said it was agreed that upon Guyana’s resumption, it will pay its full quota of contributions for 2013, as well as its outstanding arrears. However, it was agreed that it is the collective intention of all member states to ensure that CARDI stands firm.

– to highlight plans for 2014 a sit-down with current members, potential members, and members from internal donor body.

This event is geared towards updating potential members about the GBCHA, in an effort to bring more persons on board.

By Whitney Persaud

T

he Guyana Business Coalition on HIV/ AIDS (GBCHA) will be meeting with its members to discuss benefits that are being gained through its partnerships and ways to enhance the services being provided by the organisation.

During an exclusive interview with Guyana Times, GBCHA Director Suzanna French said for the remaining of the year, the organisation will be focusing on numerous member outreach activities geared towards involving directors and managers.

“We are keen on finding out at this critical time of the year how our services have been benefiting the companies that have been working with us and some of the expectations of the executives for 2014,” She said, According to French, one of the major highlight will be discussions on some of the upcoming activities to be undertaken for the next two years.

The director said the coalition will also seek to bring its members and partners up to speed with the highlights of the Guyana programme, the mandates of the international outreach as it relates to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other critical elements which are affecting works

Highlights of 2013

GBCHA Director Suzanna French

here in Guyana.

The member outreach activities will take the form of visits directly to companies to speak with these executives.

Programmes

“We will be talking to them about the programmes, which will be continuous throughout the workplaces, some of the activities that the secretariat will be having with them,” French added.

The activities will also focus on what the GBCHA will be doing to sustain its day-today operations.

“This is in terms of the planning of fundraisers we are going to be doing and some of the resources we are going to go after,” she stated.

In addition to this, the coalition will be hosting an executive breakfast to have

Some of the highlights of the year have been the expansion of the group’s mandate from HIV to genderbased issues, specifically violence.

“This is because over the last few years we have received feedback from members, which indicate that there is need for the target to be placed on other health and wellness issues in addition to HIV,” She added.

According to the director, as a result of the success the organisation has had with its HIV programme, which includes the formal workplace and peer educators’ programmes, it has been able to build on those strengths and incorporate gender-based violence into the work plan.

“So we have been working closely with Help and Shelter to do outreach with its members to share information as to how members can respond to prevent gender-based violence in Guyana, as we know this is a critical problem in the country right now,” she stressed. (whitneyp@guyanatimesgy.com)

Govt awaits M&CC proposal to restore Kitty Market

L

The dilapidated Kitty Market

ocal Government Minister Ganga Persaud said his ministry is awaiting a proposal from the Georgetown Mayor and City Council on the rehabilitation of the dilapidated Kitty Market.

At the time, Persaud was addressing media operatives at his Kingston office on Friday. He disclosed that City Mayor Hamilton Green has written him on the issue, asking for government’s invention.

He said while the Local Government Ministry has no problem lobbying for financial support to save the market from a total collapse, his ministry is awaiting a proposal.

“What we need to see from the municipality are their plans and ideas documented

for the Kitty Market and then maybe how the council intends to achieve these plans.”

However, he expressed disappointment in the Georgetown Mayor and Town Council’s failure to take up its responsibility.

“Under the Urban Development Programme, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development acting on behalf of the government of Guyana, would have sought and received a loan from the IDB, to focus on municipal government and municipal infrastructure. During discussions... the municipality of Georgetown identified the Stabroek Market,” he explained.

According to Persaud, based on discussions at the

time, it was the responsibility of the municipality to execute repairs to the Kitty Market, but while government upheld its part of the bargain, City Hall under the stewardship of Green is yet to come through.

“The government of Guyana fully executed the projects at the Stabroek Market and we met our commitment to the max, the city has met no commitment with regards to the Kitty Market, but now finds it convenient to pass it over to the government of Guyana.”

Meanwhile, Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba told Guyana Times on Sunday that City Hall is hoping to “bring back the Kitty Market”. According to Sooba, the city engineer is evaluating the facility to determine the areas to be rehabilitated.

Following the evaluation, the council is expected to arrive at an estimated cost to save the building.

Earlier in the year, the Guyana Fire Service listed the Kitty Market among derelict buildings within the city, tagging them fire hazards.

news

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monday, october 14, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

Reducing food import bill critical to regional development W

hile there has been much talk surrounding the growing food importation bill of Caricom, Guyana’s Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy said this issue could be addressed only if all members states work to exchange agricultural produce, rather than importing from outside the region.

Dr Ramsammy made this comment while delivering the feature address at the launch of the Caribbean Agricultural Extension Providers Network (CAEPNet) on Wednesday at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. Dr Ramsammy said Guyana alone has the capacity to produce enough rice to be sold to the entire region.

He noted that many countries within the region are heavy food importers, even though many of the foods imported are produced within the region. The minister believes that this issue could be addressed, creating positive growth and wealth for the region.

Import substitution is being examined in an effort to reduce the region’s food im-

IICA representative Ignatius Jean

port bill. Information suggests that the region’s food import bill stands at some US$4.5 billion.

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) representative Ignatius Jean said efforts are being made to address the situation.

Jamaica, he said in moving in this direction, as that country has recognised that agriculture can be an ATM for generating economic growth and reducing debt.

The country has begun to examine how it can substitute some of its imports.

“What they have done is

Agriculture Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy

assess their situation as to ascertain the foods they have been importing and to match that against what can be produced in the country,” he stated.

Jean explained that the Jamaican government developed a strategy towards developing about nice or 12 agro-parks. The government is putting in infrastructure like roads, irrigation, drainage and technical support services and would lease the lands to some of the private sector companies to grow crops that will match the imports.

Further, the govern-

ment’s local private sector companies are looking to cut the import bill of grains used to manufacture animal feed. Already, cassava is being looked at to be used as feed for livestock as well as sorghum. One company, Caribbean Broilers, is looking at producing sorghum with an initial start of cultivating 100 acres, with the aim of increasing it to 700 acres.

But there remains one issue. Are countries willing to spend extra to grow more locally? Jean said, “To position yourself if you have a worst case scenario and boats cannot come to the Caribbean, what do you do, it’s one thing to look at import substitution, but we will not be able to substitute some products, there are some products we will never be able to produce, but there are some things we can do.”

Among the issues being examined at the Caribbean Week of Agriculture is the region’s ability to network to make the best of food produced locally, the challenges of transportation in the region and other challenges being faced.

CJIA passengers to bypass security screening at Piarco

T

CJIA CEO Ramesh Ghir

he tedious process of disembarking at Trinidad and Tobago’s Piarco International Airport and passing through security before boarding an aircraft to the United States will be something of the past – effective November 1, 2013.

According to a release from the CJIA, the United States of America Transport Security Administration (TSA) has approved the request for the alternate procedure to be applied for passengers from Guyana transiting in Port of Spain (POS).

“It means that passengers leaving Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and passing through POS

can do so hassle free. The existing process prompted numerous complaints and we had to urgently address the situation with Caribbean Airlines (CAL) officials,” Transport Minister Robeson Benn was quoted in the release as saying.

In August, Minister Benn and acting Tourism Minister Irfaan Ali met with CAL senior executives including Chairman Phillip Marshall and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jagmohan Singh to address several concerns with the airline, including the treatment of local passengers transiting POS. CJIA CEO Ramesh Ghir held a follow-up meeting in Trinidad, and high on the agenda was the re-screening process. “…so it was decided that CJIA and CAL will jointly approach TSA to review the application for an alternative procedure. Now this has borne fruit, passengers do not have to deplane,” Ghir added.

The CJIA release said too that TT Civil Aviation Authority Director General and CEO Ramesh Lutchmedial told Minister Benn that he was happy “we have been finally able to resolve this”.

PGS honours outstanding Second round of consultation on youth policy held employees

A section of the gathering at the consultation held at the Regency Suites Hotel, Hadfield Street, Georgetown PGS Chief Executive Officer Dougal Kirkpatrick (centre) and the awardees

P

rofessional Guard Service (PGS) on Saturday hosted its quarterly presentation award ceremony at Kirkpatrick’s Garden Room, Meadow Brook Gardens, where outstanding employees were recognised for their hard work.

At the ceremony, seven ranks attached to the service were honoured, along with three members of the Guyana Police Force.

All 10 awardees received cheques.

The PGS ranks rewarded were Baton Lieutenant Bharat Ruplal, Armed Lieutenant Withman Heyliger, Lieutenant Malcolm Walker, Deputy Bank and Factory Shift Commander Winston

Richmond, driver Lennox Thomas, inspector Forbes Brisport and Senior Shift Commander Mohamed Imran Yahan.

The police officers honoured were Corporal 17750 Jordon, Woman Corporal 20435 Benjamin and Constable 19911 Liverpool.

Since the company was bought by Dougal Kirkpatrick in 1994, it has been giving out awards every quarter of the year as a way of saying thanks to their ranks for a job well done, and also there is an annual presentation award ceremony where the best ranks are honoured for their outstanding performances.

PGS Chief Executive Officer Dougal Krikpatrick

said the force needs to continue to be proactive so that it can prevent robberies, stating that members of the service must be better communicators so that the body can function more efficiently.

He went on to say that there are more developments for the service in the near future, adding that by the end of November the company is expected to have six bulletproof cashtransport vehicles.

Kirkpatrick said the service is not just guarding banks, but is an open market for business, factories and private homes.

The members of the service are highly trained in the use of firearms by the Guyana Police Force.

T

he second consultation for the drafting of the National Youth Policy saw a positive response from youths when it was staged on Saturday at the Regency Suites Hotel, Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

Speaking at the consultation, United States for International Development (USAID) representative Glenn Bradbury told the youths that they are the soon-to-be leaders of Guyana, and it is their obligation to ensure a better future for everyone.

Bradbury charged the National Youth Council Steering Committee members to be committed and to understand the value of what they doing, adding that they are the voices of youth.

“You try to make at

the end of the day a better Guyana, not just for youth, but the entire people of this country and not just for the colour of their skin… always be aware that you are working for everyone… not for who they are and what they have, but you are working for the common good of the country.”

He also emphasised that young people must stay and work to develop their country, making reference to a recent newspaper article which stated that 80 per cent of persons who graduate from the University of Guyana migrate. “That is not good enough,” he declared.

Meanwhile, former member of St Lucia’s National Youth Council Andrew Rhikkie Alexander pointed out to the steering commit-

tee members that there will challenges, but they must remain strong.

“I say you press on, move on with passionate intensity and with peaceful militant non-compliance.”

The National Youth Policy, which is currently being crafted to address existing and emerging youth development challenges, is likely to be completed by year-end. Consultation began in September and is expect to be completed sometime this month.

Policy consultant, Barbadian Derek Alleyne, is being assisted by the National Youth Steering Committee and the National Stakeholders’ Council. In September, Alleyne had told the media he and his team needed at least 2500 questionnaires completed from at least 15 villages across Guyana to give them the necessary data to craft the policy.

After the data collection, he disclosed that a draft youth policy will be prepared and sent to individuals in the various communities, community leaders and focus groups for review, before it is sent to the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry and the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) for assessment. The team will then meet with Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony and CYP members, and if they have no objections, the document will be accepted.

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guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Drug bust made by British Colombian peace frigate in the Caribbean talks stall, tension

T

he British Royal Navy says a warship deployed in the Caribbean seized cannabis and cocaine with a street value of £58 million (US$92 million) in two busts just days apart.

On Saturday, the Royal Navy said in the most recent bust, the HMS Lancaster intercepted £55 million of cocaine and £3 million of marijuana – one bust took place in the middle of a thunderstorm, while the second saw Lancaster’s Royal Marines “sniper shoot out the engine of a speedboat.”

The Navy said Lancaster’s “double whammy” is the fifth and sixth busts in a couple of months – bringing her tally to over £160 million.

The cocaine seizure be-

Lancaster with her embarked U.S. Coast Guard team successfully hauled 17 large packages of contraband out of the water, which proved to be pure cocaine

gan when the frigate responded to a call from a Canadian tanker, which

spotted a speedboat dashing across the Western Caribbean.

Tests confirmed the 400kg drugs were pure cocaine, worth about £17 million – but cut several times over for sale on the streets, its value would be £55 million.

“Whilst the cannabis haul – 1.2 tonnes – wasn’t as high value, the bust was equally dramatic,” the Royal Navy said.

“It was played out in a raging thunderstorm off the coast of Costa Rica, after Lancaster’s Lynx ‘Spartan’ had spotted a fast craft and began to track it,” it added.

Commander Steve Moorhouse, HMS Lancaster’s Commanding Officer, said: “This is another fantastic result for Lancaster – and the multinational counter-narcotics effort as a whole. (Excerpt from

Antigua Observer)

Mayor of big Venezuelan city arrested in corruption probe

S

tate security agents have arrested the mayor of Venezuela’s third-largest city for alleged corruption after President Nicolas Maduro asked lawmakers to grant him decree powers he says he needs to fight graft.

Valencia mayor Edgardo Parra, a member of the ruling Socialist Party, was picked up at his

home late on Saturday by the national intelligence agency Sebin, the attorney general’s office said.

It was the most high profile arrest so far in the president’s anti-corruption campaign.

Venezuela’s opposition says Maduro’s request last week for fast-track powers is aimed at targeting them under the guise of battling

graft. The government denies this, and says Parra’s arrest proves it will go after corruption wherever it exists.

“We will not protect anyone who commits a crime involving public funds, which are sacred because it’s the people’s money. There are no untouchables here,” said Francisco Ameliach, the governor of

Carabobo state and another member of the ruling party, told state media.

Valencia, a city of about two million people, is the capital of Carabobo. A statement from the attorney general’s office said Sebin agents had found “criminal items of interest” during the raid to arrest the mayor. (Excerpt from

Reuters)

New network security equipment available to the Caribbean

U

nmatched performance, efficiency, and lower costs are among the key benefits that Caribbean governments and businesses can expect from the recent unveiling by FORTINET, a U.S.-based worldwide provider and leader in network security, of their Fortigate 3700D series security appliance which is believed to be the world’s fastest data centre firewall.

According to Fortinet’s Country Manager for the English-speaking Caribbean Gilbert Perez, the new appliance comes equipped with plenty of 10G and 40G interfaces that regional data centre customers demand and is able to achieve speeds of up to 160 Gigabits per second (Gbps) firewall throughput while delivering best-

in-class performance, ultra-low latency and IPv4 to IPv6 performance parity.

“Now more than ever, Caribbean businesses and government institutions are clear about the importance of

network security to their organisations.

The Internet continues to transform the way the Caribbean conducts business and our citizens live their lives.

As cyber security and cyberattacks continue to be a challenge for many organisations in the region and across the world, it is critical that many of these institutions adopt a different and more effective approach to securing critical data. Today, businesses and organisations must shift from a siloed and disconnected approach to network security to a fully converged and consolidated model that protects its users, devices and data and, at the same time, significantly reduce operational costs,” he said. (Caribbean News Now)

Argentina's Cristina Fernandez goes home after brain surgery

A

rgentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has left hospital five days after having surgery to remove a blood clot on her brain.

President Fernandez, 60, was in high spirits and had already returned to her official residence, a government spokesman said.

She suffered a head injury in August and was told last week to halt her congressional election campaign.

Doctors have advised her to have “strict rest” for 30 days.

She has also been advised

Doctors have told Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner to observe strict rest for the next month

to avoid air travel for the next month. “She remains in high spirits. Constantly recovering. She sends her love”, presidential spokesman

Alfredo Scoccimarro said shortly before Fernandez was driven away from Favaloro Foundation hospital in Buenos Aires.

“Due to the favourable post-operative evolution of the president, it has been decided to discharge her today,” the medical report read. It is not clear when the president will reassume her duties.

A day after doctors discovered the subdural haematoma, Kirchner complained of loss of sensitivity in her left arm.

Her two-hour emergency operation meant she was forced to abandon a campaign before congressional elections on October 27. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

mounts

T

he Colombian government and leftwing FARC rebels ended a 15th round of peace negotiations on Sunday trading accusation over responsibility for the slow pace of the talks and for the first time failing to issue a joint statement on their progress.

Polls in Colombia show the population is tiring of the talks, which have dragged on for 11 months with only a partial accord on agrarian reform, the first point of a six-point agenda.

The parties currently are negotiating on the rebels’ future political participation and still have before them the issues of reparations to war victims, the narcotics trade, ceasing hostilities and implementing the agreement.

The Colombian govern-

ment wants a peace accord by the November start of a national electoral cycle, a deadline both parties and observers now say will not be met and may complicate the talks. That process concludes with a presidential vote in May. President Juan Manuel Santos, who is expected to run for a second term, has staked his legacy on bringing an end to the conflict, and both sides have now floated the idea of a pause in negotiations until the elections are over.

The government issued a statement on Saturday, for the first time a day before the round of negotiations ended, accusing rebel negotiators of deliberately stalling the deliberations by bringing up issues not on the agenda and using the talks for propaganda purposes. (Excerpt from Yahoo! News)

Gender equality policies to be discussed in Dominican Republic conference

G

ender inequalities in the digital economy will be examined here this week at the 12th Session of the Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The October 15-18 intergovernmental meeting, organised by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the government of The Dominican Republic, will be opened at the Hotel Hilton Santo Domingo.

According to ECLAC, regional authorities, international officials, experts and representatives from civil society and the region’s business sector will attend the conference.

The session will focus on gender equality, women’s empowerment, and information and communications technologies (ICTs), ECLAC

said. As a basis for debate, ECLAC executive secretary Alicia Bárcena will present the document “Women in the Digital Economy: Breaking Through the Equality Threshold.”

The agenda includes roundtables, panel discussions and side events (the latter organised by other United Nations agencies and civil-society organisations) that will discuss the links between productive development and equality, ICT access policies, the contribution of these technologies to the health of the female population, the situation of women in business and science, and the generation of specific indicators and statistics, ECLAC said.

It said conference participants will examine the reality of rural and indigenous women in the sphere of ICTs. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

15 Around the world

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, october 14, 2013

Iran rejects demand to ship Rioting erupts in Moscow after killing blamed on migrant out uranium stockpiles

Iran has been negotiating on the nuclear issue since 2006 to lift UN sanctions

I

ranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said yesterday (Sunday) Iran had rejected the West’s demand to ship their enriched uranium stockpile abroad. Talks about Iran’s nuclear programme are due to start in Geneva tomorrow.

Araqchi’s comments may disappoint Western officials, who want Iran to ship out

uranium enriched to a fissile concentration of 20 per cent, a short technical step away from weapons-grade material.

However, Araqchi, who will join the talks in Switzerland, was less hardline about other areas of uranium enrichment, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes but the West fears may be aimed at developing

nuclear weapons capability.

“Of course we will negotiate regarding the form, amount, and various levels of (uranium) enrichment, but the shipping of materials out of the country is our red line,” he was quoted as saying on state television's website.

Israel, which has been lobbying world powers to keep up sanctions against the Iranians and has threatened preemptive military action if it deems diplomacy a dead end, demands a total removal of Tehran’s enrichment uranium stockpiles along with a dismantling of its enrichment facilities.

Asked why the Iranians should be stripped of all their uranium if they were also to be stripped of the means to purify them to bomb-grade, Israeli officials say they fear Tehran may have covert enrichment plants unknown to world powers. (Excerpt from France24)

Vatican takes the Lord’s name in vain

T

he Vatican has withdrawn thousands of official papal medals from sale after discovering they had misspelled Jesus’ name.

A Latin inscription around the edge of the medals to mark the first year of Pope Francis’ pontificate referred to “Lesus”.

The medals, produced in gold, silver and bronze by the Italian State Mint, went on sale in official Vatican

stores on October 8 but were withdrawn two days later after the error was noticed, the Vatican Publishing House said.

The inscription is Francis’ papal motto, taken from a meditation by the 8th-century English monk the Venerable Bede on a passage of the Gospel in which Jesus calls St Matthew to be an apostle.

It reads on the Vatican website as: “Vidit ergo Jesus

publicanum, et quia miserando atque eligendo vidit, ait illi, ‘Sequere me’” or “Jesus therefore sees the tax collector, and since he sees by having mercy and by choosing, he says to him, ‘follow me’”.

Before they were withdrawn, four people purchased medals displaying the error, which could fetch high prices on rare coin markets, Italian media reported.

(Al Jazeera)

R

ioters smashed shop windows, stormed a warehouse and clashed with police in a Moscow neighbourhood yesterday in the biggest outbreak of anti-migrant unrest in the Russian capital in three years.

Demonstrators, some chanting racist slogans, vandalised shops and other sites known for employing migrant workers in the southern Biryulyovo area after the killing of a young ethnic

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers volunteer in north-west Syria

T

he International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says gunmen have abducted six of its workers and one Red Crescent volun-

teer in north-west Syria.

A convoy carrying six ICRC staff members and one Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteer was intercepted by unidentified armed

BBC News)

The head of President Vladimir Putin’s human rights council criticised law enforcement bodies for not doing enough to prevent the attacks on businesses employing migrants.

This month he said Russia needed migrant labourers in industries such as construction. But in a nod to anti-migrant sentiment, he suggested their numbers could be restricted in some other sectors including trade.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Vietnam holds state funeral for “Red Napoleon”

T

ens of thousands of people gathered on Sunday in Hanoi to pay their final respects to General Vo Nguyen Giap, the war hero nicknamed the “Red Napoleon” who oversaw the defeat of the French and American forces in his country.

As soldiers in white uniforms stood to attention, officials wrote messages of condolence hailing Giap as a communist hero – brushing over his post-war relegation to the political sidelines and his later outspoken criticism of the government.

“He had an outstanding talent in military leadership,” wrote Communist Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong in a book of condolenc-

General Giap was the military commander credited with overseeing the defeat of French and U.S. forces in his country.

es, according to state media.

“He made a huge contribution and rendered special, great services to the Vietnamese revolution,” Trong wrote in a book also

signed by Premier Nguyen Tan Dung and President Truong Tan Sang.

Lauded as a military genius for the guerrilla tactics that defeated both the French and American armies the general, a former history teacher turned military commander, led his troops to victory over France in 1954 at Dien Bien Phu, the battle that ended French involvement in Indochina.

He later played a key role in Vietnam’s defeat of the United States in 1975.

Despite being politically marginalised after the country’s reunification in 1975, Giap remained a national icon – even among those born after the war. (Excerpt from France24)

African Union says ICC cannot prosecute sitting leaders

Red Cross workers A kidnapped in Syria gunmen near the town of Saraqeb in Idlib province, ICRC spokeswoman Rima Kamal told the BBC. “We call for the immediate release of the seven colleagues abducted this morning... who work tirelessly to provide assistance to those most in need in Syria. Incidents such as this one unfortunately will undermine our capacity to assist those who need our help,” she said.

Kidnappings, particularly of aid workers and journalists, have become increasingly common in the north, where much of the countryside has fallen into rebel hands.

The abductions will clearly complicate further the already difficult and dangerous task of providing humanitarian aid to all parts of the country, he adds, at a time when the UN is pressing all sides to allow freer access. (Excerpt from

Russian widely blamed on a man from the Caucasus.

Some in the crowd, which grew to number several thousand, set off from the shopping center and stormed into a vegetable warehouse employing migrants from the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Some Biryulyovo residents criticised the police for the latest arrests, drawing a contrast with what they said was too much leniency in the treatment of migrants engaged in illegal activity.

frican nations slammed the International Criminal Court on Saturday for putting sitting head of states on trial and called its handling of Africa “unfair.”

African Union ministers demanded that cases against Kenyan and Sudanese leaders be deferred.

African leaders called on Saturday for the prosecutions of Kenya’s and Sudan’s presidents by the International Criminal Court to be halted, amid complaints the body has only ever pursued Africans.

An African Union sum-

mit in Addis Ababa was held to discuss Africa’s relations with the court, which has convicted just one man, a Congolese warlord, and has only charged Africans.

It said the U.N. Security Council should defer the trial of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta under article 16 of the court’s Rome Statute, which allows for an initial delay of a year, or it would seek an alternative means of postponement.

“If that is not met, what the summit decided is that President Kenyatta should not appear until the request we have made is actually an-

swered,” Ethiopian Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom told journalists in Addis Ababa after the meeting.

Rights groups had urged African nations not to turn their backs on the court, which they say is vital to ending what they see as a culture of impunity in African politics.

“Calls for immunity of the highest-level officials run counter to justice for victims,” said Elise Keppler of New York-based Human Rights Watch. “No one should be above the law when it comes to the gravest crimes.” (Excerpt from France24)

Visa rules for Chinese coming to the UK will be relaxed

V

isa applications for Chinese visitors entering the UK will be simplified, Chancellor George Osborne has announced.

The announcement came as part of Osborne’s week long trade visit to China in which he is trying to persuade Chinese companies to invest in the UK. Under the new plan for

visas, Chinese nationals visiting the European Union will not need to submit separate visa applications for Britain, if they book with selected travel agents.

Currently, visitors can apply for a single visa to visit much of Europe, but a separate one is required to travel to the UK. It is thought that extra paperwork is deterring

many Chinese visitors from including the UK in a trip to Europe.

The move will be welcomed by UK businesses who want to benefit from Chinese tourists.

According to the government, last year 210,000 visas were issue to Chinese nationals and they contributed around £300m to the economy. (Excerpt from BBC News)

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guyanatimesgy.com

International Financial and Economic Report Chairman, Guyana Americas Merchant Bank

O

n Thursay, the Dow Jones index surged 323 points on the news that the U.S. Congress and President Barack Obama were opening talks about an extension of the debt ceiling limit for six weeks. The idea is that the government shutdown will be lifted soon and, while virtually no one feels that a deal can be reached in November that both sides will accept, it is a start.

China and Japan, who together own US$2.4 trillion of U.S. treasuries, have already warned the government about any possible default. Yet, more importantly, many investors will decide that they will reduce (if not totally eliminate) holdings of funds in the United States amounting to trillions of dollars because of the risk of something going wrong in the future.

Obama nominated Dr Janet Yellen as the next chairman of the Federal Reserve to succeed Dr Ben Bernanke when he retires on January 31, 2014. Dr Yellen is expected to be confirmed and be endorsed by the Senate Banking Committee and by the full Senate.

Dr Yellen’s nomination coincided with the publication of the minutes of the September 17 and 18 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting with many policymakers arguing that central bank was likely to reduce its pace of bond purchasing. But, in the event, the Federal Reserve continued to buy US$85 billion of treasury and mortgage securities each month because the central bank was worried about the strength of the economy.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut its global outlook for this

BY GEOFFREY BELL

year and next as capital outflows further weakens emerging markets and, of course, warned that a U.S. government default would “seriously damage” the world economy.

According to the IMF, world growth will be 2.9 per cent in 2013 and 3.6 per cent

forecast also assumes that a U.S. government shutdown will not last very long and there will be no default.

The IMF concludes that growth in the world economy is in low gear, the drivers of activity are changing and downside risks persist. China and a

As with so many things, the U.S. economic data releases were badly affected by the U.S. government shutdown.

As a result, only a few were published this week and none from the U.S. government although the Federal Reserve (which is independent) re-

in 2014 which are -0.3 per cent and -0.2 per cent lower than their forecasts of three months ago. Emerging countries are expected to grow by 4.5 per cent this year which is 0.5 per cent less than forecast in July and 5.1 per cent next year which is 0.4 per cent less than a short time ago.

Advanced countries are forecast to grow 1.2 per cent in 2013 and 2.6 per cent in 2014 led by the U.S. and assumes that short-term interest rates will not be raised over this period in the United States. The

number of emerging market economies are coming off cyclical peaks and growth rates are expected to remain below the levels attained in recent years.

In fact, emerging and developing economy growth rates are now down three percent from the level in 2010, with Brazil, China and India accounting for about twothirds of the decline. One of the biggest risks facing the world economy is that of higher interest rates in the United States when “tapering” eventually ends.

mained open and published the minutes of the September 17 and 18 meeting of the FOMC on Wednesday.

Consumer borrowing rose more than projected in August with US$13.6 billion increase following a US$10.4

billion gain in July according to the Federal Reserve (last Monday). Jobless claims rose 66,000 to 374,000 in the week ended October 5 with half due to California working through a backlog caused by a switch in computer systems and the other half a result of the shutdown of the Federal Government as companies lost government business.

Same-store sales in September rose 2.3 per cent but missed analysts forecasts of an increase of 3.4 per cent. This morning [Friday], the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey fell from 77.5 to 75.2, a ninemonth low.

In overseas news, German exports rose one per cent in August from July and industrial output increased by 1.4 per cent but factory orders fell 0.3 per cent. The Bank of England left interest rates and bond purchases unchanged at the Monetary Policy Committee meeting on October 8 and 9.

The Central Bank of Brazil raised interest rates 50 bps to 9.5 per cent yesterday for the fifth time in a row and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank, sold more than US$1 billion to launch the first offshore rupee bond programme in India’s history.

Ten-year rates are 2.66 per cent as compared with 2.64 per cent and 30-year bond yields are 3.71 per cent as compared with 3.73 per cent. There was

a period on Tuesday when one-month treasury bills rose from 0.15 per cent to 0.27 per cent but other interest rates stayed stable.

The euro has remained fairly stable at US$1.36 while the pound fell from US$1.61 to US$1.59 as did the Swiss franc from 0.90 to 0.91 and the Japanese yen from 97.2 to 98.3. The Brazilian real continues to rise and is now at 2.18 and thanks to higher interest rates and the Mexican dollar to 13.08. Similarly, the Indian rupee increased marginally to 61.1 while the Indonesian rupiah was essentially stable as was the Chinese yuan.

Oil started the week at US$103 a barrel West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and ended at US$101 and gold prices were US$1296 late last Friday and are now US$1269 an ounce. As can be expected, the Dow Jones index had a roller-coaster rise ending last week at 15,072 and then on Monday fell 136, on Tuesday 159, on Wednesday rose 26 and on Thursday increased 323 points to 15,126. This morning [Friday] by 10:30h, the Dow Jones index is up about 30 points.

Almost everyone says that the U.S. will not default on its debts and the government shutdown will be ended soon.

But this is no way to run the world’s biggest economy and the major international currency.

Market statistics Gold Prices – Guyana Gold Board

Cambio Rates

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

Bank of Guyana

Cur GBP CAN USD

Buying

Selling

$327.14 $197.62 $204.99

$331.24 $199.90 $207.43

U.S.

$1335.00

Cambio

$202.67

Gross

$254,331

Net

$236,527

Selling

$262,426

Indicators as on October 11, 2013 Live Spot Gold

USD Per Once

Bid/Ask

$1273.20

$1274.20

Low/High

$1261.80

$1290.30

Change

-13.20

-1.03

AM

PM

USD

1285.75

1265.50

GBP

804.30

793.27

EUR

947.15

933.54

Oct 10 USD

Crude Oil Price Silver Platinum

London Gold Fix

Oct 11

Indicators

AM

PM

1298.00

1298.50

GBP

814.51

814.41

EUR

959.56

960.50

US$ per barrel

Change %

$111.80 USD per Ounce

+2.45

$21.34 $1367.00

Change %

-0.34 -14.00

Last: 15237.11

Changes: +111.04

% Change: +0.73

Open: 15126.52

High: 15327.30

Low: 15100.13

% YTD: +16.28

52Wk Hi: 15709.58

52 Wk Lo: 12471.49

Investors' guide

Starting a restaurant business (continued) Setting up your restaurant Now that you have raised enough capital to open your restaurant, you’ll need design teams – both exterior and interior – to help your concept sketches become a reality.

Only hire reputable contractors, researched thoroughly on sites such as the Better Business Bureau, to avoid being ripped off. Make sure your space is efficiently used, functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. Finish off the design with lighting and music.

Insure that your designers are well aware of your budget limitations, and that they

make cost effective choices.

Purchase kitchen equipment wisely – while cheaper models may save you money in the short run, costly breakdowns can cause your operations to grind to a halt. Schedule a regular maintenance schedule for your equipment before you even open your doors. You’ll also need to order computers and cash registers, and the pertinent software.

Now that the building is ready, you’ll need to set up relationships with vendors, and choose an established food service – such as Sysco – to provide you with the raw ingredients. Keep a careful inventory of available ingredients and

expiration dates, as well as more expensive ingredients that can be substituted with cheaper alternatives. With the help of an experienced chef, create a master recipe book, and write an easy-to-follow manual for other employees to follow. Then, calculate the cost of the ingredients plus labour for each dish, then pick a reasonable price that will generate profits. Once you’ve decided on the final menu and costs, design an attractive menu with the aid of an experienced graphic designer.

If you plan to serve alcohol at your restaurant, apply for the proper permits. (Business Dictionary)

news

17

monday, october 14, 2013 | guyanatimesGY.com

President makes first trip with Guyana looking for roll-on/roll-off ferry Eviction of oil explorer

peaceful resolution

By Whitney Persaud

P

resident Donald Ramotar said government is committed towards a peaceful resolution between Venezuela with regards the recent eviction of an oil explorer in Guyana’s waters by that country’s navy.

“This is a very sensitive issue, but I will say that we are committed to working it out for a peaceful resolution,” Ramotar told Guyana Times on Sunday.

Following the interception of the U.S. research vessel by Venezuelan Navy officials on Thursday, President Ramotar had given directives to Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett to discuss the arrest of the RV Teknik Perdana with officials there.

To this end, a meeting was arranged and will see the foreign ministers of both countries, Rodrigues-Birkette and Elías Jaua Milano having deliberations this week on the matter, with a hopeful outcome of satisfaction by both parties.

Guyana had condemned the action by the Venezuelan and requested immediate release of the vessel and its crew.

But the crew and technical personnel on the vessel, which according to reports comprised five Americans, two Britons, five Malaysians, 14 Indonesians, two Russians, two Brazilians and a French citizen, was given orders to shut down the vessel’s engine and equipment.

According to reports, the Teknik Perdana was conducting seafloor surveys in search of hydrocarbons in an offshore concession granted by Guyana to the U.S.based company Anandarko, when it was held up by the Venezuelans.

Claims But the El Universal Newspaper in Venezuela said the Foreign Ministry of that country has expressed “strong protest” and its “profound concern” about how “foreign vessels authorised by the government of Guyana burst without authorisation”

The MV Sabanto

A

Guyana’s Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elías Jaua Milano

in its territorial waters.

That publication reported the head of the Strategic Defence Region Integrated Maritime and Insular of the Navy of Venezuela, Admiral Angel Martinez as saying that the ship is docked at a port in Margarita.

The El Universal Newspaper quoted the admiral as saying that the ship was conducting scientific work not authorised by Venezuela and he ordered it to proceed to port.

He said the U.S. vessel was escorted by the Yekuana of the Navy of Venezuela.

The Venezuelan government, according to the publication, has asked Guyana for a “satisfactory explanation” and said the boat was intercepted in waters within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Reports from Venezuela said the ship had sailed on October 8 from Georgetown after having been hired by the government of Guyana and was carrying out scientific research work supported by sensors (sonar), without authorisation of Venezuela.

the Yekuma – an oceangoing offshore patrol boat that monitors the Exclusive Economic Zone – trailed the seismic vessel before obstructing its path. Crew members were required to change their route and were directed to Margarita Island in Venezuela.

“Guyana maintains that the ship was well within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, but Venezuela has, however, claimed that the vessel had travelled into its territorial waters, and, as such, the crew acted illegally. The crew was instructed to switch off the engines of the vessel and shut down its seismic equipment,” the statement added.

The crew was escorted by the Venezuelan naval team out of Guyana’s waters and arrested approximately 17:45h, the statement continued.

“These actions by the Venezuelan naval vessel are unprecedented in GuyanaVenezuela relations. One point is clear and that is that the RV Teknik Perdana was in Guyana’s waters when this incident took place.”

The Guyana government stated it will “employ all peaceful means to facilitate a prompt return to the status quo ante, since neither the Venezuelan naval vessel, the agents of Venezuela, its government nor any other state, has the authority to exercise any action in Guyana’s territorial waters, its continental shelf, or its Exclusive Economic Zone without its expressed consent.” (whitneyp@guyanatimesgy.com)

Unprecedented A Guyana Foreign Ministry statement last week described the incident, which occurred late on Thursday as “unprecedented in GuyanaVenezuela relations”.

It insists that the seismic vessel, the RV Teknik Perdana, was in “Guyana’s waters when this regrettable incident took place”. The ship and its crew were detained by the Venezuelan vessel around 16:00h. According to the ministry’s statement,

GGMC worker missing after boat collision

A

n employee attached to the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) is feared dead after the boat in which he was travelling collided with a fishing vessel in the Pomeroon River on Saturday around midnight.

The man has been identified as Patrick Ramkellawan of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara.

According to information received, Ramkellawan and his colleagues were performing duties in the Pomeroon River when they

collided with the fishing vessel. The vessel reportedly did not have lights.

As a result of the impact of the collision, Ramkellawan fell overboard and never resurfaced.

A search party was established, but up to press time, there was no sign of the missing man.

While information about the accident remains sketchy, a member of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) said the movement of vessels on the waterways in the dark is a breach in regulations,

and the GGMC should have been more responsible.

The official added that an investigation will be launched into the accident, and once completed, the necessary actions will be taken.

He reiterated that passengers’ boats must not be on the waterways during the night, whether hired or not.

Attempts to make contact with members of the GGMC and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud proved futile.

fter delivering the feature address at a well attended People Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) 21st anniversary event in Essequibo over the weekend, President Donald Ramotar travelled from Supenaam to Parika via the MV Sabanto.

The president voiced his

admiration for the comfort and new standards set by the Chinese-built vessel as he interacted with passengers from the Cinderella County.

The president was given a tour of the facilities and met with the vessel’s crew.

He urged them to endeavour to maintain the high stan-

dards needed to ensure that passengers and others who use the ferry are continuously satisfied.

He also reminded them to be cognisant of the key service that they provide to many who depend on the modern vessel, along with its sister the MV Kanawan, as this is essential to the country’s development and enables the safe and reliable movement of persons, goods and services.

The ferries, Sabanto and Kanawan, each has three decks and can accommodate up to 800 persons, 44 cars and 20 trucks, and can travel at a speed of 12.5 knots, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported. The MV Sabanto that services the Supenaam to Parika route

BBCI recognises contribution of retired teachers

T

he Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) donated a trophy and a medallion for the most supportive Male Retired Teacher of the Retired Teachers Group for the New Amsterdam and East Canje education districts in observance of International Teachers Day 2013. The company said it was privileged to have the opportunity to make a donation towards this event, since the dedication and efforts made by retired teachers are often overlooked by society.

In photo, BBCI Administrative Assistant Bibi F Alli hands over the trophy and medallion to the most supportive Male Retired Teacher, Mr Cheong on October 8

City Hall to pass resolution for demolition of derelict buildings – GCCI says issue should be a priority

T

he Georgetown City Council is waiting for the passage of a resolution before it can go ahead and tear down old buildings that pose a threat to citizens’ life and limbs.

This is according to acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba. During a telephone interview with Guyana Times on Sunday afternoon, Sooba said the council is already examining the matter and owners of such building have been notified to take the necessary actions.

If for any reason they fail to comply with mandatory procedures as laid out

by City Hall, then the next step is to tear down the buildings at the expense of

the owner by councils’ staff.

This comment was made in light of the call by Guyana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to make the removal of derelict buildings a priority.

In a release to the media, the chamber said it supports the position taken by the Guyana Fire Advisory Board in relation to the removal of derelict buildings in and around the city.

“Since 2009, the buildings were inspected, photographed and the city engineers’ department was informed of the eminent danger that these building create throughout the city,” the release read.

The chamber said during the period 2009-2013,

a total of 38 buildings were identified for action and four years later the appropriate actions have not been taken.

It noted that it finds the matter particularly timely and relevant as Guyana is observing Fire Prevention Week. “Derelict buildings, in addition to contributing to the destruction of life and property, and reducing the aesthetics of the environment, are fire hazards,” the release stated.

The chamber said it was looking forward to a timely response and action from the relevant authorities so that the bulging list of old buildings can be trimmed, ensuring a safer environment for citizens.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

monday, october 14, 2013

thursDAY, march 11, 2010 | guyanatimesGY.com

archie

By Bernice Bede Osol

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) Stand up and be counted. Persistence will result in being handed the reins of leadership.

Don’t let past experience frighten you from taking on more responsibility. A positive change will raise your earning potential.

dilbert

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19) Apply your knowledge and experience to a job you’ve been given, and you will excel. Someone you meet will change your outlook and your immediate future.

Calvin and Hobbes

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Personal matters must be handled with integrity and, above all, honesty.

There will be no room for vague or misleading information. If you want to take advantage of an opportunity, build on your reputation.

Peanuts

SUDOKU

CANCER (June 21July 22) Get out and take time to play. Entertainment or traveling to an unfamiliar destination will brighten your day. Emotional encounters will stimulate your senses. Take action and follow through.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22) Play it safe when it comes to domestic affairs.

Listen carefully and prepare to make whatever changes are necessary to keep the peace. Make sure you think things through carefully before taking a plunge.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) Shoot for the stars when it comes to making valuable connections. How you express your desires and ideas will capture the attention of someone willing to help.

ARIES

LIBRA

(March 21-April 19)

(Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Shy away from anyone who appears to be holding back information. Step into the spotlight and take control of whatever situation you face, but do so with compassion and understanding.

Set the record straight when it comes to how you want things done, at home and in the workplace. Change is imperative and should be initiated before you find yourself hemmed in.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Follow your heart and your dreams. Live in the moment and enjoy what life has to offer.

Participate in activities conducive to building a close bond with friends and family.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22) Emotional matters will surface; dealing with them quickly will help you avoid a scene. Be prepared to use a bit of force if necessary. A different approach will keep you in the lead.

Saturday's solution GEMINI (May 21June 20)

SAGITTARIUS

Disillusionment will set in if you believe everything you hear. Read between the lines, especially when dealing with affairs of the heart. Using force will backfire.

Positive change is heading your way. Keep your chin up and your finger on the pulse of events.

Participation will be key when trying to impress someone you want to spend more time with.

(Nov. 23Dec. 21)

news 19

YELLOW PAGES

monday, october 14, 2013

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T

he Essequibo Coast has been significantly transformed during the 21 years of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, President Donald Ramotar said on Saturday evening.

He was at the time speaking at a rally on the Essequibo Coast to mark the party’s 21st anniversary since its victory at the polls in 1992.

The president’s address came after former President Bharrat Jagdeo, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee as other government and regional officials rallied residents for support even in the toughest of times.

Earlier in the day, President Ramotar held a meeting with stakeholders from the business community in the region where the need for expansion of the thoroughfare and new street lights were identified.

“This road… to come from Adventure, it used to take five and six hours. I experienced that personally coming to this coast… this road used to be called Abortion Road. Today, it is 38 miles of paved roads,” President Ramotar said.

Investments in the region’s physical infrastructure stand at $528.21 million. The targets have been rehabilitation and expansion of major highways, upgrade of almost 90 per cent of internal community roads and upgrade of

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farm to market roads from mud dams to fair weather roads.

Turning his attention to the social sector, Essequibo again stood out, particularly where education is concerned.

The country’s top Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) performers hail from the Essequibo Coast. Two students copped 20 and 18 grade ones respectively which will likely help Guyana retain the top spot in the Caribbean for a second consecutive year, an optimistic President Ramotar said.

Investments

Their successes were attributed to the investments that have been made in the education sector throughout the country. During the period 1992 to 2012, all schools in Region Two were rehabilitated while new facilities were constructed. Among them are the Aurora and Wakapao secondary schools, the Guyana School of Agriculture and the Essequibo Technical Institute.

Wakapao Secondary School, with an dorm, was the first for the hinterland area within the region. The president expounded on other pioneering initiatives like the University of Guyana’s plan to introduce online courses, and the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project that seeks to equip the population

with the knowledge of computers.

He explained to residents the endless possibilities that Information Communication Technology (ICT) offer, like working in the comfort of one’s own home. The government is making the investments with the overall goal of transforming Guyana into a developed state, but in the new political dispensation, that process has constantly been challenged.

The Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP), for example, was voted down by the parliamentary opposition majority even though the benefits of the project to the Guyanese economy are well known. The expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and the construction of the internationally-branded Marriott Hotel are also targeted by opposition.

Additionally, with plans to build a Specialty Hospital and offer services to locals and foreigners at a fraction of the original cost, the aim was to promote health tourism. That project too has been shot down by opposition legislators. Under the new political dispensation, the 10th Parliament has made no achievement other than budget cuts and opposition piloted resolutions that are counterproductive and contrary to legislative norms and practices, the Government Information (GINA) reported.

Man dies after ATV crashes into truck

A

Bartician was on Sunday afternoon killed after his AllTerrain Vehicle (ATV) slammed into a parked truck at Karrau, Mazaruni River, Region Seven.

The accident reportedly occurred about 11:30h.

Albert Cummings, 35, of 2½ Miles Road, Potaro, a general manager of a mining company, reportedly suffered a broken neck and died almost immediately. His body was transported to the Bartica Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body is at the hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mor-

tem.

According to information received, Cummings was travelling at a fast pace and ploughed into the parked truck as a result of the poor visibility caused by the dust in the area.

He was at the time heading out of the company’s mining concession to Bartica. He was alone when the accident occurred; based on reports, no other person was injured.

Guyana Times understands that Cummings worked for the son of Ricky Ramnarine, of 59 First Avenue, Bartica. When contacts were made with the

Ramnarines, a relative explained that the 'boss' was busy assisting the family of the dead man. She disclosed that Cummings began working with the company about a month ago.

This publication was told that upon receiving the devastated news of her husband’s death, Cummings’ wife had to be rushed to the Bartica Hospital where she was treated and sent away.

Cummings is survived by his wife, their weeks-old infant daughter, parents and siblings. The police have launched an investigation into the accident.

Two more St Lucian officials threaten media operative

I

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Ramotar says Essequibo exemplifies development under PPP/C

f the cap fits, wear it, is an expression used to tell someone that, if they think a remark or criticism of them is true, they should accept it – advice that a St Lucian attorney has apparently given two of his clients, both of whom are well known public officials in the island.

Duane Jean Baptiste of Amicus Law Chambers, representing, St Lucia’s Tourism, Heritage and Creative Industries Ministry Lorne Theophilus and Saint Lucia Senate President Claudius Francis, has written to local broadcaster Timothy Poleon regarding an article originally published by Caribbean News

Now on September 25.

According to Baptiste, Poleon read the article in its entirety on his radio programme (Newspin) and, further the article as read contained the following words, which, he asserts, were defamatory of Theophilus and Francis: “No reason has been given by the U.S. government for the apparent disparity in the treatment of Frederick, which was based entirely on hearsay and innuendo and apparently fabricated allegation, contrasted to the continued ability of two prominent St Lucian government officials to enter the U.S. and effectively

travel freely and with immunity/impunity on diplomatic passports when they have a known history of violent sexual assault.”

Baptiste claimed that, although Theophilus and/or Francis were not specifically mentioned, it is clear that the words complained of would reasonably lead people acquainted with them to the conclusion that they were the individuals referred to. This, Baptiste stated, is buttressed by the specific references to Theophilus and/or Francis by callers to Poleon’s programme, which were in no way discouraged by him (Poleon). (Excerpt from

Caribbean News Now)

20

guyanatimesGY.com

monday, OCTOber 14, 2013

shines as Test India succumb to Australia Gazi ends in draw pace, batting power E

A

ustralia showed just why they have been so successful in ODIs in India, and just why India’s usual template of chasing anything their profligate bowlers concede often comes short against the visitors.

Their batsmen powered their side over 300 on a slow and, at times, uneven pitch on Sunday. Their fast bowlers then extracted appreciable bite from the same pitch and used the short ball intelligently to finish the contest by the end of the batting Powerplay.

Tellingly, India have never successfully chased 300-plus against Australia, and this was their 11th failed attempt, this time

James Faulkner picked up three wickets (BCCI)

MS Dhoni was bowled by Clint McKay (BCCI)

against a side lacking several first-choice players.

The only time India looked relatively comfortable was during the 71run third-wicket partner-

ship between Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina, who was promoted to No 4 ahead of Yuvraj Singh. Shikhar Dhawan had gone early and Rohit Sharma had given away yet another start. The

SCOREBOARD Australia innings P Hughes c Raina b Jadeja 47 A Finch c Kohli b Yuvraj Singh 72 S Watson c Jadeja b Yuvraj Singh 2 G Bailey* c Raina b Ashwin 85 A Voges run out (Yuvraj Singh) 7 G Maxwell c RG Sharma b Vinay Kumar 31 B Haddin† lbw b Ashwin 10 J Faulkner c Vinay Kumar b I Sharma 27 M Johnson not out 9 C McKay not out 11 Extras: (lb 3) 3 Total: (8 wkts, 50 overs) 304 Fall of wickets: 1-110, 2-113, 3-146, 4-172, 5-214, 6-231, 7-264, 8-293 Bowling: B Kumar 7-2-41-0, R Vinay Kumar 9-1-68-1, I Sharma 7-0-56-1, R Ashwin 10-0-55-2, R Jadeja 10-0-35-1, V Kohli 1-012-0, Yuvraj Singh 6-0-34-2

India innings S Dhawan c †Haddin b Faulkner 7 R Sharma c Hughes b Watson 42 V Kohli lbw b Watson 61 S Raina c Doherty b Faulkner 39 Yuvraj Singh c Hughes b Johnson 7 MS Dhoni*† b McKay 19 R Jadeja c Bailey b Faulkner 11 R Ashwin c Watson b McKay 5 B Kumar c Voges b Finch 18 R Vinay Kumar b Voges 11 I Sharma not out 1 Extras: (b 2, lb 4, w 5) 11 Total: (all out, 49.4 overs) 232 Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-66, 3-137, 4-147, 5-166, 6-192, 7-196, 8-200, 9-230, 10-232 Bowling: M Johnson 10-0-38-1, C McKay 10-0-36-2, J Faulkner 8-0-47-3, X Doherty 10-1-540, S Watson 8-0-31-2, A Voges 3-0-18-1, A Finch 0.4-0-2-1

asking-rate was above seven an over, but the duo was keeping up with it.

Raina has never hidden his ambition of batting up the order, but that will have to be backed by a curbing of his urge to go for the glory swipe over midwicket, a stroke that serves him well while finishing an innings.

He’d seemed to have weathered the inevitable early short-ball test to motor to 39 before he tried the shot against James Faulkner and mishit to third man. India were 137 for 2 when Raina fell; they would crumble to 232.

Mitchell Johnson hadn’t played the Rajkot T20 in which India chased 200plus.

He took the first new ball tonight and delivered a searing spell of extreme pace, hitting speeds over 150kph regularly. He also took the key wicket of Yuvraj, the architect of the Rajkot win who came in at Raina’s fall, setting him up with a couple of full deliveries before squaring him up with a shortish one and inducing a poke to the wicketkeeper.

Kohli looked the most solid of the India batsmen and made the most runs for his side, playing with his usual limited-overs solidity.

As he went past fifty, Kohli seemed to be hitting the cruise mode that he gets in during big chases. His defence was as sure as his driving, but even he was set up smartly, this time by Shane Watson.

Three successive short balls - the last of which Kohli went to pull and missed - were followed by a good length delivery. Kohli played across the line and was trapped in front.

Ravindra Jadeja had raced through his overs to deliver a miserly analysis of 10-0-35-1, but faced with varied fast bowling under pressure, he again came across as a limited batsman.

A mistimed slog to mid-on ended his misery. (Cricinfo)

ven as the first Test meandered to a draw, Bangladesh had plenty of reasons to celebrate, not least among them Sohag Gazi’s performance on the final day on Sunday.

A Test hat-trick, only the second by a Bangladesh bowler, gave him a singular place in cricket history - he became the first cricketer to score a hundred and take a hat-trick in a Test. That was not the only record he claimed.

When Mushfiqur Rahim managed to latch on to a rebound off his chest, to get rid of BJ Watling off the third ball of the 85th over, Gazi became only the third player in this decade to score a hundred and take five wickets in a Test, after R Ashwin and Shakib Al Hasan.

Having taken two wickets off successive balls in that over, Gazi then went on to complete a hat-trick, courtesy a one-handed catch

Sohag Gazi takes in the applause for his hat-trick (AFP)

at first slip by Shakib, who dived forward to catch the ball close to the ground.

The early finish to the game on the fourth evening meant that the possibility of rain loomed over the final day, but the weather stayed clear. New Zealand,

SCOREBOARD New Zealand 2nd innings P Fulton lbw b Sohag Gazi 59 H Rutherford lbw b Nasir Hossain 32 K Williamson c Anamul Haque b Sohag Gazi 74 R Taylor not out 54 B McCullum* b Sohag Gazi 22 Corey J Anderson lbw b Sohag Gazi 8 B Watling† c †Mushfiqur Rahim b Sohag Gazi 0 D Bracewell c Shakib Al Hasan b Sohag Gazi 0 I Sodhi not out 22 Extras: (b 11, lb 4, nb 1) 16 Total: (7 wkts dec, 90 overs) 287 Fall of wickets: 1-48, 2-149, 3-200, 4-250, 5-260, 6-260, 7-260 Bowling: Abdur Razzak 32-5-

116-0, Rubel Hossain 6-0-21-0, Sohag Gazi 26-4-77-6, Shakib Al Hasan 9-1-19-0, Nasir Hossain 9-4-20-1, Robiul Islam 4-1-90, Mominul Haque 4-0-10-0 Bangladesh 2nd innings Tamim Iqbal c Williamson b Martin 46 Anamul Haque c Anderson b Martin 18 Marshall Ayub lbw b Sodhi 31 Mominul Haque not out 22 Shakib Al Hasan not out 50 Extras: (b 2, nb 4) 6 Total: (3 wkts, 48.2 overs) 173 Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-99, 3-101 Bowling: T Boult 4-1-90, D Bracewell 5-0-14-0, Corey J Anderson 2-2-0-0, K Williamson 10-3-24-0, B Martin 16-4-62-2, I Sodhi 10.21-57-1, R Taylor 1-0-5-0

however, began the fifth day slowly. They were consolidating and, with Peter Fulton at the crease, they achieved that. Fulton kept the Bangladesh spinners at bay in his own way, with the bat coming down from his 1.98 metre frame and defending the ball low to the ground. He scored 59 runs in more than three hours, adding 101 for the second wicket with Kane Williamson.

Fulton fell leg-before to Gazi in the second hour of play, and was followed by Williamson who was out after adding 51 runs with Ross Taylor for the third wicket. Williamson made 74 off 150 balls, with two fours and a six, but was out to a freak dismissal: his fierce pull got lodged between Anamul Haque’s thighs and the short-leg fielder held on to complete the catch.

Taylor accelerated a bit after lunch, hitting Abdur Razzak for three consecutive fours in the first over after the break, as he and Brendon McCullum added 32 runs from 3.4 overs. (Cricinfo)

Pedrosa beats Marc Marquez for Malaysia win

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arc Marquez extended his MotoGP championship lead to 43 points with three races remaining after finishing second to Dani Pedrosa in Malaysia on Sunday.

Honda’s Pedrosa climbed from fifth on the grid to win at Sepang for a second straight year and move 11 points behind second-placed Jorge Lorenzo overall.

Marquez and Lorenzo had a thrilling duel, with Marquez taking second after passing his rival with 11 laps left.

And that means the 20-year-old can win the title in Australia next weekend.

With 75 points still available this season, only the top three in the standings remain in title contention.

But Marquez, last year’s Moto2 champion, is heavy favourite to win the premier class in his first season.

Despite qualifying

Dani Pedrosa during Sunday’s race

on pole at Sepang, the Spaniard saw countryman Lorenzo take the lead at the start but the Yamaha rider was passed by Pedrosa on lap five.

That led to a battle between Marquez, Pedrosa’s Honda team-mate, and Lorenzo for second.

It was the buccaneering championship leader who prevailed, squeezing past reigning champion Lorenzo on the inside and forcing him to the outer limits of

the track as the two machines made slight contact.

With Pedrosa comfortably ahead, Marquez was content with second, telling BBC Sport: “It was quite hard and it was too much risk to try and catch Dani.”

Pedrosa, who secured his 25th MotoGP victory and third of the season, said: “The conditions were extremely hot. On the grid I was already super-warm and I knew riding would be a lot tougher.” (BBC Sport)

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Vettel closes on title with win in Japan S

Spin and heat lessen mismatch

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Sebastian Vettel

ed Bull’s Sebastian Vettel won the Japanese Grand Prix from team-mate Mark Webber on Sunday but must wait to win his fourth world title.

Vettel has a 90-point lead over Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso with only 100 still available and is almost certain to seal it at the next race in India.

Alonso was fourth, behind Webber and Lotus’s Romain Grosjean at Suzuka.

Vettel’s fifth win in a row came after a perfectly executed strategic race after falling to third at the start.

The German, who started second behind Webber, slipped to third at the start as Grosjean catapulted into the lead from fourth on the grid.

Vettel narrowly avoided front-wing damage after being clipped by Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes on the run down to the first corner. The touch punctured Hamilton’s tyre, which damaged his rear bodywork and forced him into retirement.

Grosjean led through the first pit stops, with the Red Bulls measuring their pace behind.

When Webber stopped on lap 25 and the Lotus and Vettel stayed out, it became clear the Australian would be doing three stops and his rivals only two.

Grosjean made his second stop on lap 29 but Vettel waited a further eight laps and his controlled driving and the unmatched pace of the Red Bull meant he was only 2.1 seconds behind the Frenchman when he returned to the track.

On his vastly fresher tyres, Vettel took only three laps to catch and pass Grosjean heading down the pit straight to start lap 40, at the end of which Webber made his final stop, fitting the faster medium tyres rather than the hards his two rivals were using.

Webber was with Grosjean by lap 45 but found it much harder to pass the Lotus than Vettel had, finally managing it going into Turn One at the start of the 52nd of 53 laps.

The time he lost ensured he was not able to challenge his team-mate for the lead, which might have been possible had Webber managed to pass Grosjean straight

away.

“Ichiban, ichiban,” Vettel said on the team radio after the race - “number one” in Japanese.

“I’m blown away with today’s (Sunday’s) race,” he said afterwards. “I had a very, very poor start. I clipped a little bit the front wing, I couldn’t go anywhere.

“We looked after the tyres and had incredible pace towards the end and we managed to beat Romain and Mark towards the end.”

Vettel needs a top-five finish in India to be absolutely sure of the title, but will also seal it if Alonso scores no more than 10 points more than him.

Behind the leaders, Alonso had started eighth and moved up to sixth behind team-mate Felipe Massa at the start.

The Spaniard lost a further place to Hulkenberg when Sauber made an earlier first pit stop.

But he was able to pass Massa into Turn One on lap 26 after the Brazilian had cost himself time by going defensive into the chicane.

Misbah-ul-Haq will be hoping for a more solid show from Pakistan’s top order (AFP)

only managed a draw in the series in Zimbabwe last month. They are far more in their element in the UAE, where the pitches give their spinners more to work with.

The big question mark for Pakistan remains their batting, and whether it has

E

David Lynn

fourth round in 16th place and came back from six shots off the pace, making nine birdies and a bogey.

Having birdied the 17th, he then enjoyed a stroke of fortune on the 18th after his approach narrowly escaped the water, before safely two-putting. (BBC Sport)

the backbone to keep out a potent South Africa attack.

Misbah-ul-Haq has become a master of the firefight after his top-order batsmen keel over, but he’ll need more support if Pakistan are to pose a challenge to the No. 1 side in the world. (Cricinfo)

Djokovic beats Del Potro to win Shanghai title

(BBC Sport)

Lynn claims second European Tour title ngland’s David Lynn shot a finalround 63 to win the Portugal Masters and give him a first European Tour title since his KLM Open win nine years ago.

The 39-year-old was eight under for his round to set a clubhouse target of 18 under that proved unbeatable.

South Africa’s Justin Walters finished a shot behind in second.

Overnight leader Paul Waring of England shot a level-par round to tie for third with Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.

Jamie Donaldson of Wales was among those who shared sixth place at the Oceanico Victoria course in Vilamoura, with England’s Ross Fisher a shot further back.

Scotland’s Scott Jamieson failed to back up his stunning third-round of 60, suffering three bogies on the back nine for a one-over par 72 to fade to a tie for 13th.

Lynn, runner-up to Rory McIlroy at the 2012 US PGA Championship, started the

outh Africa have shown their dominance at home, blanking opponents in both series last season, and in England and Australia, where they have won on their previous two visits.

Their focus will now turn to underlining their superiority on the spin-friendly tracks in the heat of Asia from today.

They get fewer matches in Asia - Vernon Philander, an integral member of the side, is yet to play a Test there - and they haven’t quite been as commanding on visits there: South Africa drew against India in 2008 and 2010, and shared the series against Pakistan in the UAE three years ago.

Though they were not outclassed in any of those contests, the series win has proved elusive in recent years.

While South Africa are a settled unit, three of their regulars are returning after lengthy breaks: Graeme Smith was out with a foot problem, Jacques Kallis opted to take a break after the IPL and JP Duminy, while he has made limited-overs appearances recently, last played a Test nearly a year ago after being sidelined with an Achilles injury.

Pakistan, in the meantime, have had a humbling year. They were out of their depth in South Africa and

W

Novak Djokovic

orld number two Novak Djokovic retained his Shanghai Masters title with a thrilling 6-1 3-6 7-6 (7-3) win over Juan Martin Del Potro on Sunday.

The 26-year-old took advantage of the Argentine’s sloppy service game in the first set before his opponent fought back to take the second and level.

Del Potro saved two match points in the 10th game of the decider, but the Serb proved too strong in the tie-break.

The Shanghai crown is Djokovic’s fifth ATP Tour title of the year.

The victory also caps a good two weeks in the country for the six-time major winner, who came into the

tournament having beaten world number one Rafael Nadal to land his fourth China Open title.

“It was a great experience again in Shanghai with a thrilling performance from both my opponent and myself,” said the 2013 champion.

“I think the tournament had a fantastic final. I’m just very glad to go out as a winner from the court tonight (Sunday night) from such a close match.”

In Sunday’s final, Djokovic raced through the first set as his opponent failed to find any rhythm with his first serve, winning just eight points from 14. The figures were worse on his second serve - three from 11.

The Australian Open champion broke Del Potro in the second and fourth games before the Argentine finally opened his account for 5-1.

However, Djokovic took a one-set advantage when the world number five’s return went wide in the next game.

Del Potro improved in the next set and carved out two breaks points in the second game, taking his chance at the first attempt with a great return that brushed the line. He then held serve and took the set with a love game in the ninth.

There was little between the players inside the Qizhong Arena during the decider until the 10th game, when Djokovic had two match points at 5-4.

He wasted the first with a long return and was then deceived by the kick of Del Potro’s serve.

However, Djokovic made the most of his opportunities in the tie-break - and produced arguably the shot of the match when he hit an incredible cross-court dipping volley to take the minibreak to go 4-2 up.

The former world number one then held his nerve to take his 15th Masters title, while Del Potro’s search for his first continues. (BBC

Sport)

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monday, OCTOber 14, 2013

City Inn/Inter City Taxi sponsors 10/10 tape ball cricket competition for primary schools

Three of the best ready for Kensington

West Indies Women’s Captain Merissa Aguillera

Krishnand Jaichand, proprietor of City Inn/Inter City Taxi Service, hands over the sponsorship cheque of $110,000 to UCCA president Dennis De Andrade. Also in photo are other executives of the UCCA

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ity Inn Suites/Inter City Taxi Service, of Skeldon, Correntyne, has come on board with the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association to sponsor the Upper Corentyne InterPrimary School 10/10 tape ball cricket competition.

The competition will feature 10 primary schools in the Upper Corentyne area.

At a presentation ceremony held recently at the

City Inn Suties, proprietor Krishnand Jaichand, who is also the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce president and an executive member of the UCCA, said that he was pleased to be part of what he described as bringing back the passion of cricket to the younger generation in the Upper Corentyne area.

He hopes that one day

some of the players represent Guyana, and even, the West Indies.

The UCCA president Dennis De Andrade, after receiving the sponsorship cheque of $110,000 thanked Jaichand for the support and encouraged other business entities to follow suit.

The competition, which was approved by the Ministry of Education, will commence on Friday at the

Crabwood Creek ground with first round matches involving Crabwood Creek Primary, Skeldon Primary and Corriverton Primary from 12:00h.

The UCCA executives also urged all parents, especially those living in close proximity to the ground, to support the young cricketers and be a part of a new era of cricket development in Upper Corentyne.

Tendulkar’s role in a nation’s rebirth

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orget cricket for a moment. What was Sachin Tendulkar’s historical significance?

Tendulkar’s career has coincided with the emergence of India as a world power and an economic giant. So, by a quirk of history, the Little Master has for 24 years been a symbol of the rise of India. Perhaps he did more than that, and helped to inspire it.

Twenty-four years is a long time in sport. To find out just how long, watch some footage of Tendulkar’s early career. His maiden Test hundred against England in 1990 proves the point.

A boyish Michael Atherton, himself less than a year into international cricket, bowls Tendulkar some friendly leg-spinners.

Atherton, after collecting over 100 Test caps, is now 12 years into his second career as a journalist and broadcaster. David Gower looks on wryly from the slip cordon.

The bowler whom Tendulkar hit for three runs to bring up his hundred was Angus Fraser. I played in a cricket match with Gus this summer: he’s lost a yard or two over the last 24 years.

Here is a measure of Tendulkar’s longevity: the senior opponents Tendulkar played against in 1989 are up to 40 years older than kids he shares the field with

ing triple (as India does today): the World Cup trophy, the most lucrative domestic league and by far the greatest political clout in the game’s international governance. Even English cricket, in the heyday of the MCC’s hegemony, had to settle for two of those three prizes.

Growth

Sachin Tendulkar

today. Lamb and Botham have given way to Bairstow and Root; Tendulkar has been there all the way through.

The changes in India have been no less profound over the period of Tendulkar’s career. In 1989, the Indian economy languished in protectionism and introversion. Major international companies either ignored India altogether or tried and promptly gave up. Coca-Cola, for example, disappeared from India in 1977 (only to return in 1993).

Change

We forget just how much India has changed in 20 years. When I started playing cricket in India in the 1990s, the airports were abysmal; now they have some of the best in the world.

The beginning of India’s economic recovery was almost exactly the moment of

Tendulkar’s emergence as a global talent. Bankrupted by the rise in oil prices caused by the first Gulf War, India had to turn to the International Monetary Fund for an emergency bailout in 1991.

Humiliation led to renaissance.

Manmohan Singh, given a licence to reform as finance minister, dismantled trade restrictions and opened up India to foreign investment.

Anticipating economic revolution, Singh quoted Victor Hugo: “No power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come.”

This was the backdrop of Tendulkar’s career, and it fell to the Little Master whether or not he craved the role - to embody and inspire a new India.

Cricket increasingly provided India with a way of proving itself on the world stage. Indeed, never in the history of cricket has one nation possessed the follow-

Cricket has also become an engine of domestic growth. Without cricket, it is unlikely India would have evolved such sophisticated and lucrative television networks.

As James Astill points out in his new book The Great Tamasha, cricket is what Indians pay to watch.

In 2011, Indian advertisers spent $3bn (£1.9bn) to buy airtime on televised cricket, a quarter of the total spent on TV advertising. Cricket hasn’t just reflected Indian modernisation, it has also driven it.

Sporting greatness is not just about talent, or even achievement. There is always context. For 24 years, Tendulkar has carried the passionate and irrational expectations of a billion people.

When India won the World Cup in 2011, Yuvraj Singh captured a deep truth: “He has carried the burden of our nation on his shoulders for the past 21 years.

So it is time that we carried him.” (BBC Sport)

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ridgetown, BARBADOS – Three of the world’s best women’s cricket teams will take to the field at Kensington Oval over the next two weeks for the region’s first ever international women’s tri-nation series.

The West Indies Women will take on their counterparts from England and New Zealand in a Women’s T20 International Series from today to October 26.

All of the matches will be played under lights and live television coverage will be made available throughout the Caribbean.

West Indies Women’s Captain Merissa Aguillera is very happy with the decision to air the matches live throughout the region, noting that it will only help to further develop women’s cricket.

She made the point that fans have heard about the success of the women’s team, but unfortunately have never seen them in action.

“Women’s cricket has been developing rapidly and I think the more matches we get on television the better for us. I think this is a good opportunity for people to see us showcase our talents,” said Aguillera.

The West Indies are upbeat following its recent ODI series win against New Zealand just last week but Aguillera noted that they are not complacent heading into the TriNations competition.

“We are pretty much confident going in and hopefully we can carry the momentum. This is going to be an incredible series, playing against the top two teams in the world and we know that we are going to deliver as well. In order to be the best you have to beat the best and these girls are the best so we know what we have to do to stay fo-

cused. There is a lot of room for improvement especially in our consistency and our batting, we have to pick up the slack in certain areas,” said Aguillera.

Staci-Ann King, Julianna Nero and Shanel Henry have been drafted into the team for the series and Aguilera hopes they will be able to showcase their talents.

New Zealand Captain Susie Bates noted that despite losing their last two matches against the West Indies, she was confident with the line-up they have.

The New Zealand team that played in the ODI series against the West Indies will contest in the Tri-Nations T20 Series.

“I know some of our girls especially with the bat can really stand up and perform,” said Bates.

England Captain Charlotte Edwards noted that every tournament they come into there is pressure on them as a team, but they are looking forward to playing in the West Indies.

“We relish the opportunity of playing out here in the West Indies, none of us have ever played in Barbados, it looks like a fantastic ground and we are really looking forward to getting underway next Wednesday against New Zealand,” said Edwards.

England may have just arrived in the Caribbean but they have been playing a lot of cricket in the leadup to the tournament.

Edwards made the point that their season only ended a little over two weeks ago and doesn’t think that not having played in the Caribbean recently will be a hindrance.

The first match in the series will feature host West Indies coming up against New Zealand today from 19:00h. (First published in the Barbados Advocate)

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Albouystown, runners-up receive Inter-Ward prizes

Jamaal Douglas, Mackeson Brand Coordinator, addressing the players last Thursday

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Canje move atop InterWard football table

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anje moved to the top of the points’ table in group B of the Hearts of Oak Masters FC Inter-Ward football tournament in New Amsterdam when they disposed of Fyrish 3-0 on Friday night at the All Saints ground in New Amsterdam.

Canje, who started slowly, took some time to get into their own although three goals were disallowed.

However, when a fourth goal was disallowed the players protested and the goal was eventually awarded in the 15th minute.

The goal was attributed to Sham Mohabir while

Shazam Parris netted in the 24th and 26th minutes of the game to give his team a 3-0 lead at the half time whistle.

The second half saw Fyrish playing more responsibly but could not find the back of the net.

Earlier in the evening, a Kevon Grenville 57th minute goal helped Manchester hold on to a 1-1 draw against North New Amsterdam. The home team had taken the lead in the 47th minute through a Delroy Ferdinand goal.

The tournament features eight teams that have been divided into two groups; the two top teams from each group will qual-

ify for the semi-finals.

Matches are played on Friday and Saturday nights under lights. The competition started on September 27.

In results from games played so far, South New Amsterdam got pass North New Amsterdam1-0, while East Canje and South New Amsterdam played to a 1-1 draw. Last weekend Manchester and Fyrish played to an exciting 3-3 draw and Rose Hall Town overpowered Joint Services 3-0.

The competition is organised by Hearts of Oak Masters Football Club and coordinated by Neil Humphrey.

Bradley beats Juan Manuel Marquez to retain title

AA Albouystown/Charlestown representative receives his team’s cheque from Jamaal Douglas

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he Mackesonsponsored Trinity Grid Holdings (TGH) Pacesetters InterWard basketball champions, Albouystown/ Charlestown and runnersup, Wortmanville/Werk-enRust, were rewarded last Thursday with their cash incentives from ANSA McAl, following the champion-

ships’ three-game a week earlier.

Mackeson Brand Coordinator, Jamaal Douglas urged the players to remain disciplined and maintain high standards in their communities before presenting them with their prize monies at the ceremony at the company’s headquarters at Beterverwagting,

East Coast Demerara.

Alberttown/Bourda was fourth in the tournament after losing to Plaisance/ Vryheid’s Lust in the third place playoff.

The competition was reintroduced as a fundraiser for TGH Pacesetters this year after a three-year hiatus from the local basketball calendar.

Sheer gold!

Junior Niles

from back page

Meanwhile, there were many attacks during the race involving the in-form Alanzo Greaves, Godfrey Pollydore, McKay and others, but the change of gear at Providence by DeNobrega, Persaud and Choo Wee Nam all but sealed the race for the winner.

The three cyclists worked in tandem and opened up a sizeable lead on the pack. They were never caught by the peloton and with 100m before the finish were still together. However, DeNobrega in the fina metres pounced and took the victory.

Persaud whose sprinting ability was superior to Choo Wee Nam’s had to settle for the bronze.

This year’s event that was sponsored by Kadir Mohamed’s family attracted a record 48 cyclist,s including female champion, Naomi Singh.

Other category winners were Junior Niles (veteran under 45), Ian Jackson (veteran over 45) and Ambrose (junior).

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Juan Manuel Marquez takes a hard shot to the head in Saturday’s fight

merican Timothy Bradley retained his WBO welterweight title with a split-decision victory over Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Two judges gave Bradley, 30, victory - 116112 and 115-113 - while the other scored it 115-113 for Marquez, 40.

In a tactical bout, a late left hook from Bradley was one of few big shots.

On the undercard, Orlando Cruz failed in his bid to become the first openly gay world champion as he was stopped by Orlando Salido in the seventh round.

Salido, 32, regained the vacant WBO featherweight title after improving his career record to 40 wins (28 knockouts), 12 defeats and two losses, while Cruz slipped to 20-3-1, with 10 wins inside the distance.

Cruz, also 32, said: “I went into the corner and he hit me with a good shot. The fight was close until then.”

Marquez, who had two narrow defeats and a draw against Filipino great Manny Pacquiao before a sixth-round knockout victory in their fourth fight in December, rocked Bradley in the ninth and felt he had done enough to win.

“I know I did my job and

Timothy Bradley

I’m happy with what I’ve done,” he said, after his seventh defeat in 63 fights. “I landed the best shots... to win a fight it’s not always necessary to win by KO.” Marquez, bidding to become the first Mexican to win world titles in five weight classes, added: “I’ve been robbed six times in my career. I clearly won the fight.”

But Bradley, who beat Pacquiao - also on a split decision - in June 2012, said: “He couldn’t touch me. I gave him a boxing lesson.”

Unbeaten Bradley, who took his career record to 31 (12)-0, could now face an-

other match with 34-yearold Pacquiao, who fights American Brandon Rios in Macau on 24 November.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine made an impressive professional debut with a fourth-round knock-out of Mexican featherweight Jose Ramirez in a scheduled 10-round bout.

Lomachenko, who won gold at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, is contractually guaranteed a 126-pound world-title shot in his second fight which could be against Salido or WBA champion Nicholas Walters in the new year. (BBC Sport)

monday, october 14, 2013

TOP SCORES

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

Australia 304-8 beat India 232 by 72 runs; New Zealand 469 (Williamson 114, Watling 103) & 287-7 dec drew with Bangladesh 501 (Mominul 181, Gazi 101*) & 173-3

Sheer gold!

DeNobrega takes ounce of gold in three-way sprint-to-the-finish

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aul DeNobrega’s classy performance on Sunday was rewarded with sheer gold, literally.

In a three-way sprint-to-the-finish of the second annual Kadir Mohamed Memorial Ounce of Gold road race, the 19-year edged out Paul Choo Wee Nam and Robin Persaud to also cart off the trophy that was up for the taking.

It was learnt that the ounce of gold is worth approximately $225,000 and is the highest first place prize for a one day cycling event in local cycling history.

DeNobrega clocked three hours, 12 minutes and 39 seconds and secured three sprint prizes in the grueling 80-mile (133km) race from Homestretch Avenue to Dora on the Linden Highway and back to the point of origin for the finish.

Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams of Roraima Bikers Club, Albert Philander, Orville Hinds, Warren ’40’ McKay, Alonzo Ambrose, Chris Holder and Eric Sankar rounded out the top 10 positions that carried monetary prizes.

DeNobrega, after the race said he “just needs to continue to stay focused on the saddle for the Digicel race and the five-stage road race next month.” turn to page 23

Paul DeNobrega

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Captains Charlotte Edwards (England), Merissa Aguilleira (West Indies) and Suzie Bates (New Zealand) at the launch of the Women's T20 Tri Series on Saturday

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