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Kids and Joy Foundation reaches out to Region 2 residents, children P12

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 3130

Monday, February 20, 2017

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Wales fallout

Closure resulted in economic misfortune for farmers – industry insider Page 7

...says even promises of rice cultivation were not kept Parking meter scandal

High Court order means ‘paid parking on hold’ – former AG ...says respondents would be in breach if project continues Pages 3&10

...Keep M&CC, SCS on the run – urges Ramkarran

Juveniles P14 recaptured after escape from NOC Actions of CDC Deputy Director suspicious – Region 10 Councillor P10 – says no receipts presented after monies collected

Orange P14 marmalade to transform Hiawa village

POTS Guyana calls for public support P17

Roraima “Race to the Altar” winning couple announced P12 Flair, creativity and energy: the reigning bands in the Large Youth Bands category of the annual Republic Bank Mashramani Pan-O-Rama Steel Band Competition performing at the 2017 competition, held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Sunday. From top left: The Bishops’ High School, North Ruimveldt Secondary and GBTI Buxton Pride Steel Orchestra

Preparations for CARIFESTA 2017 on stream – PM Stuart

Page 9

DJ in ECD P8 accident dies, girlfriend hospitalised

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BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Monday, February 20 – 13:00h-14:30h and Tuesday, February 21 – a night retraction at 01:00h and a day retraction at 14:00h-15:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, February 20 – 11:50h-13:20h and Tuesday, February 21 – 12:50h-14:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Heavy rain showers with sunny intervals can be expected throughout the day, with partly cloudy to clear skies expected in the evening.

Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-easterly to East North-easterly between 3.12 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tides: 11:20h reaching a maximum height of 2.13 metres.

Low Tides: 04:47h and 17:32h reaching minimum heights of 1.15 metres and 1.08 metres respectively.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

LOTTERY NUMBERS N

07

13 14

17

22

25

FREE TICKET

DAILY MILLIONS 13 14 20 23

26

LUCKY 3 7 8 9

0

Afternoon Draw

5

1

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

05 11

12 13

15 18 20

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

Parking meter scandal

High Court order means ‘paid parking on hold’ – former AG – says respondents would be in breach if project continues

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n spite of an ‘order nisi certiorari’ being issued

by Chief Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards against them, Mayor Patricia Chase Green and Town Clerk Royston King have committed to ensuring that paid parking is re-implemented in Georgetown from today.

This announcement has raised eyebrows among legal experts and stakeholders alike, and according to former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, that ‘order nisi certiorari’ has placed a hold on paid parking until the High Court hearing, scheduled for February 27, before Justice Brassington Reynolds.

In an interview on Sunday, the Attorney noted that if the city were to continue implementing the proj-

cause why the order should not be made absolute, then the order nisi is discharged.”

He noted that if the respondents do fail to show cause, then the order nisi is upheld and made absolute, thus quashing the decision.

“What that means, therefore, is that until the case is concluded, the decision (in this case) the parking meter contract and its implementation has been put on hold by the order nisi.”

In violation

Nandlall observed that if vehicular clamping were to resume today, then they would be violating a court order. Flouting a High Court order, Nandlall observed, was a serious matter.

“And therefore, the Chief Justice should be requested

From left: Public Relations consultant Kit Nascimento, Town Clerk Royston King, Mayor Patricia Chase Green and Head of Smart City Solutions Amir Oren during the press briefing at National Communications Network on Friday

ect or force anyone to pay for parking before the hearing, this would be tantamount to violating a court order.

“A writ of certiorari is one of the prerogative remedies which is granted to quash decisions made by public officers, public authorities or statutory tribunals. The order is granted, firstly by an order nisi being issued calling upon the other side to show cause why a particular decision should not be quashed.”

“When that order nisi is issued, it puts that particular decision, which it imputes, upon hold until the (respondents) show or does not show cause. If the other side succeeds in showing

to summon (respondents) before her to answer for violating the court order. Because a court order (would) be violated and that is not a matter that should be treated lightly.”

The High Court order was granted on Thursday last after an application for judicial review was made by Attorney Kamal Ramkarran, on behalf of Mohendra Arjune. Georgetown Mayor Patricia Chase Green, Town Clerk Royston King and unspecified City Councillors were named as the respondents.

The writ had stated that, “an order nisi of certiorari be and is hereby granted to quash the decision of

the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown to enter into an agreement on or around 13 May, 2016”.

In addition, the order prohibited the respondents from making “any amendments thereto for the establishment of parking meters in Georgetown with (Smart City Solutions – SCSI) and all acts and things thereafter which flowed from that decision”.

The order also curtails the power of the Town Clerk.

According to the High Court order, “this court orders that an order nisi of certiorari be and is hereby granted to quash the decision of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown and the Town Clerk empowering and authorising the Town Clerk to sign and operationalise contracts with (SCSI) for the establishment of parking meters in Georgetown and all acts and things done or caused to be done thereafter flowing from that decision”.

It also revoked “the decision of the Mayor and Councillors and anyone acting by or through them or under their directions or instructions or on their behalf to exempt persons or categories of persons from paying fees for parking in the City of Georgetown and being subject to penalties for parking in Georgetown”.

The respondents also have to show cause against all the orders made by the Chief Justice to quash their decision to enter into the contract, which has already caused weekly mass protests in front of City Hall.

Their day in court is set for February 27, 2017, before Justice Brassington Reynolds. Should they fail to comply, the document noted, they will be held in contempt of court.

Unfazed

Since the implementation of the order, however, the Mayor and Town Clerk have remained unfazed.

During a pre-recorded press conference at National Communications Network

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall

(NCN) on Saturday, Mayor Chase Green was quoted as saying that “as of Monday next, we will resume the implementation of the parking meter project.”

The statements have been heavily criticised, with lawyers from the lobby group Movement Against Parking Meters expressing consternation during a town hall meeting on Saturday.

The issue is a hot topic among citizens, in particular on social media platforms. Already, there have been weekly mass protests outside of City Hall.

There is another court order concerning the parking meters in the High Court, scheduled to be deliberated on by Justice Reynolds today. This one, which was brought by New Building Society (NBS), features the Town Clerk and Communities Minister, Ronald Bulkan as respondents.

In that writ, the respondents have to “show cause why a writ of certiorari should not be issued to quash his approval/decision to approve the Parking Meter By-Laws made under the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01 made on or about the 23rd day of January, 2017, in that the said approval or decision to approve was of no legal effect and was made unlawfully and in breach of statute.”

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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, sales@guyanatimesgy.com

The Yankee dollar

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s the dispute continues as to whether or not there is actually a shortage of US currency available locally, the Economist ran a very interesting article one week ago that reminds us of the critical role the American currency plays in anchoring the economy of the world, including ours. As the title, “Donald Trump and the dollar standard” suggests, the volatile United States (US) President may also affect the volatility of that standard and consequently the world’s economy.

Directly after World War II, when the World Bank and IMF were founded to coordinate the world economy, the US dollar, which was pegged to the price of gold, became the reserve currency, even as the US had to keep the requisite quantity of gold to “back” its currency. But in 1970, when the US, under pressure, unhitched the dollar from gold, countries increasingly began to keep their reserves in dollars - which are never kept in the banks of the individual countries, but in the US Federal and “correspondent” US banks. This is done as a hedge against volatility swings on the premise that with the US being the dominant economy in the world, it would be least affected by uncertainties.

Presently, almost US$10 trillion of debt is also denominated in dollars - rising exponentially from the US$1 trillion in 1980. The use of the dollar as a reserve currency and to denominate debt gives the US not only great power over the world’s economy, in that its fiscal and monetary policies ripple through almost every other economy, but also it can finance almost any amount of fiscal deficits since the paper it prints and calls “dollars” are automatically accepted for goods and services by the rest of the world. The latter, from this perspective, is financing America’s debts.

The Economist’s article offers a perspective on another topic that has surfaced recently in the ‘foreign currency shortage row’: exchange rate controls. At the time of the establishment of the Breton Woods financial institutions, about 40 per cent of countries had capital controls, but this grew to over 50 per cent by the 1980’s, which is remarkable when one considers that the number of countries had doubled through decolonisation in the same period. But from the 1980’s when the Washington Consensus insisted on liberalisation of financial markets, countries with capital controls plummeted down to about 12 per cent. This was accompanied by the comparable exponential increase of foreign reserves - especially denominated in United States Dollars - held by the “liberalised” economies. But in the last two years, there has been a mirror image increase in countries with exchange controls and decrease in the volume of foreign reserves. Guyana should take notice of this move to stabilise exchange rates via controls, rather than reserves.

The Economist highlighted that in light of Donald Trump’s declaration, his administration intends to “put America first”, especially in returning “production” to US shores. While on one hand some may feel that the US is getting a free ride to import foreign goods with the pieces of paper it prints, this - as we have seen - is not viewed kindly by domestic manufacturers and their work force.

They point out that it is not “the US” that is gaining, but the one per cent.

It is feared that if Trump goes ahead with his promise to cut taxes and increase domestic spending massively, this may lead to inflation that would make the US reserves and dollar-denominated foreign debt less attractive and lead to an exodus that can threaten the entire global economy.

Alternately, or in tandem, countries may decide to abandon the dollar as their hedge against volatility and impose tariffs and capital controls to perform that function as in the past. In either scenario, small countries like Guyana, which depend of global free trade, could be crushed.

Another more benign scenario could be the role of a reserve currency becoming shared by other currencies such as the Chinese Yuan. China had already declared it is willing to step in.

The spotlight was on nursery and primary schools across Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) during the annual Children’s Costume and Float Parade which was held in Linden last week. In the nursery category, the South Amelia’s Ward Nursery won first place with their costume entitled “For a Greener Guyana, Save our Trees”

The most common cause of stress nowadays is dealing with idiots

Working with idiots can kill you!

I diots in the office are just as hazardous to your health as cigarettes, caffeine or greasy food, an eye-opening new study reveals.

In fact, those dopes can kill you! Stress is one of the top causes of heart attacks – and working with stupid people on a daily basis is one of the deadliest forms of stress, according to researchers at Sweden’s Lindbergh University Medical Center.

The author of the study, Dr Dagmar Andersson, says her team studied 500 heart attack patients, and were puzzled to find 62 percent had relatively few of the physical risk factors commonly blamed for heart attacks.

“Then we questioned them about lifestyle habits, and almost all of these low-risk patients told us they worked with people so stupid they can barely find their way from the parking lot to their office.

And their heart attack came less than 12 hours after having a major confrontation with one of these oafs.

“One woman had to be rushed to the hospital after her assistant shredded important company tax documents instead of copying them. A man told us he collapsed right at his desk because the woman at the next cubicle kept asking him for correction fluid – for her computer monitor.

“You can cut back on smoking or

improve your diet,” Dr. Andersson says, “but most people have very poor coping skills when it comes to stupidity – they feel there’s nothing they can do about it, so they just internalize their frustration until they finally explode.”

Stupid co-workers can also double or triple someone’s work load, she explains. “Many of our subjects feel sorry for the drooling idiots they work with, so they try to cover for them by fixing their mistakes.

One poor woman spent a week rebuilding client records because a clerk put them all in the ‘recycle bin’ of her computer and then emptied it – she thought it meant the records would be recycled and used again.” (Excerpt from snopes.com/humor)

Guyana lacks political maturity Dear Editor, This letter is in reference to Mr Hemsworth Carter’s retort (Guyana Times February 16) of my argument for constitutional change (February 14).

Carter feels political maturity will solve Guyana’s myriad of problems. But he does not say why the country lacks that maturity and how we will achieve it.

Politicians are selfish creatures and will never willingly share power, regardless of their level of maturity unless it is so enunciated and clearly spelt out in a constitution.

Carter seems to suggest that Guyana does not need constitutional change or a referendum giving the people a voice on how they should be governed. He asserts that many countries

don’t have referendums in constitutional acceptance and that the people play no role in how they are ruled.

He seems to suggest the same for Guyana. I take an opposite view – the social contract position as pronounced by great philosophers that the people are sovereign and they must decide on how they should be governed. If people play no role in their governance, dictatorship is inevitable, as indeed happened in Guyana between 1966 and 1992 under the People’s National Congress.

Carter accepts the Burnham Constitution even though he knows it is illegal; it was not approved in a referendum. How can anyone accept an important document as a Constitution without the peoples’ input? Even

if one is opposed to a referendum, as Carter is, and feels that only Parliamentary approval is needed (as indeed happened in many countries) for its adoption, surely the Parliament must be legally and properly constructed for such an important undertaking. In democratic countries, like the US, UK and India, for example, the Parliament (Congress) is duly elected in free and fair elections. Thus, the Parliament could speak for the people and suggest or undertake constitutional changes although the peoples’ voice is best heard through a referendum.

Unlike in democratic countries, Guyana’s Parliament between 1968 and 1992 was not properly constituted. Elections were rigged; the people

were not allowed to cast ballots of their choice. Thus, Parliament could not speak for the people. Off course, Carter can now argue that the peoples’ vote is not needed in selecting a Parliament and that in many countries, people are governed without Parliamentary debate.

Indeed, in most of Africa, Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe, between 1950 and 1990, the people played no role in how they were governed or how their Parliament was chosen (appointed). Carter may favour such a system. I take no opposing liberal democratic position in which the peoples’ rights are absolute, and they must be given the ballot to choose their representatives and rulers. continues on page 5

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

SARU’s real purpose (Pt 2) Dear Editor, Let’s examine the claim that Guyana was losing between $25-$35 billion annually in procurement fraud and see whether the proposed State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) legislation has any bearing on them whatsoever.

The claim is that Guyana was losing between $25-35 billion annually in procurement fraud. Without questioning the integrity of the estimate, this means that the APNU government, since acquiring Office in 2015, would have been able to increase savings or public expenditure by at least $50-$70 billion by simply eradicating the corruption in procurement and without raising a single dollar in taxes and fees.

Likewise, the APNU government, since acquiring Office in 2015, would have been able to add $180 billion to the

economy by simply stopping illicit capital flight. In short, by simply eradicating procurement frauds and curbing illicit capital flight, the APNU government should have added between $230$250 billion of new money to the economy without raising a single dollar in taxes or fees. Where is the evidence of this?

In fact, what we have seen is the total opposite of this. We have seen an increase in taxes and fees to the tune of 10,000 per cent in some cases, and billions of dollars in public debt. Solving the procurement fraud issue requires the establishment of the procurement commission and updating the necessary laws and administrative rules, and curbing the illicit capital flight problem requires updating the relevant regulations and enforcement of compliance. None of

these common-sense solutions has anything to do with SARU. If the Government is serious about these issues, it should be putting forward legislations that would solve these problems. To date, no such decision has been taken, which raises the question of whether these claims were based on facts in the first place.

The final claim is that Guyana was losing $188 billion through the underground economy. The definition of an ‘underground economy’ is economic transactions not measured by government statistics and ignoring government regulations and laws. The underground economy is also referred to as the ‘black market’, ‘shadow economy’ and ‘parallel economy’. Note that these are not illegal transactions, they are legal transactions.

To bring the underground

Guyana lacks political...

Carter chastises me for making reference to ethnicity in my argument for constitutional change that would address the ethnic competition for power. But that is the issue in Guyana – ethnic security that results in a contest for political power that is shaped by ethnicity. Where has Carter been living?

Ethnicity defines almost everything in the society.

Carter does not want to address that elephant sitting in the room and that has been crushing the society for the last 175 years, more particularly so in the last 70 years.

Guyana is a peculiar society in which race influences voting. We have to address that problem

head-on – because one race controls the levers of government and the others are excluded. As has been our history, one race participates in development and the others are shunned the process. That system leads to failure and underdevelopment.

The ethnic issue has to be addressed head-on and must be done constitutionally in which all groups play a meaningful role in governance in accordance with their composition in the nation. If the ethnic issue is not addressed and a workable solution found, the country will not make much progress. Carter does not want to address that elephant sitting in the room and crushing the society.

economy into the formal economy, therefore, requires broad-based reforms and improvement enforcement. For example, simplifying and streamlining business registrations, the acquisition of Tax Identification Numbers (TIN), making it simple and easy for small and bottom-house businesses to get registered and even establish support systems for such businesses to be encouraged to get on board with government’s rules and regulations, pay their fair share of taxes and contribute to shared prosperity of Guyanese.

And again, the Government’s actions are exactly the opposite of what is required to bring the underground economy into the formal economy. For example: the Government increased the cost of acquiring TIN; increased regulations that would make it harder for

small businesses; increased the effective tax rates on households; and the list goes on. In short, the measures taken by the Government would feed the underground economy instead of curb it.

Note that none of this has anything to do with SARU yet again. So, the entire justification of SARU is based on problems for which SARU’s existence would not resolve and its real purpose is to empower the Executive to take justice into the Government’s hand by circumventing the courts.

Let me end by saying that I do believe that anyone who stole from the public should be charged, placed before the court of law and for judgment, and penalties as permitted by our Constitution. The SARU Bill which would empower the Government to confiscate private property without due process is undemo-

from page 5

Carter seems opposed to a system in which power is shared among the varied ethnic groups. The ethnic issue has to be addressed head-on and must be done constitutionally, in which all groups play a meaningful role in governance in accordance with their composition in the nation.

Because of the ethnic division of population and their composition in the population, one cannot have an electoral system in which a ruler is elected through a minority vote as happened in 2011. There must be some kind of pow-

er-sharing. The leader of a party (or ethnic group) must compete for votes from the other groups and/ or court members outside of his ethnicity in order to win office. A majority of votes required would force some kind of power-sharing arrangement.

Off course, the ideal system is one in which powers are constitutionally elucidated to be shared by all the parties.

Carter calls for political maturity as a solution to the political conflict in Guyana. But maturity has been lacking since the for-

mation of the first political party in 1950 – 67 years on and there is not maturity.

And the reason we don’t is political selfishness and ethnicity. So politicians will not address the ethnic question or giving power to the people.

Only a properly constructed Constitution can be relied upon to empower the people. And such a Constitution must be approved by the people, not imposed on the people by Burnham-like characters.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

cratic and unconstitutional.

Currently, the Government has the power to investigate and prosecute anyone who acquired public or private assets illegally, prosecute such individual and let the court decide their innocence or guilt, without SARU’s existence. Moreover, the entire justification for the SARU Bill is based on policy issues for which SARU’s existence would not solve. Instead, it would be added burden on taxpayers to fund SARU’s operation. Lawmakers should reject this Bill until its mandate can be made explicitly clear, sufficient evidence of the problems it seeks to resolve are available and its operation would not violate an individual right to private property and due process.

Sincerely, Dhanraj Singh Economist

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Foundation

Tips anyone can use to save more and spend less

The 5 most important

money lessons to teach your kids

BY LAURA SHIN

iven how important financial skills are to navigating life, it’s surprising that our schools don’t teach children about money. As a parent, however, you can teach your child important financial lessons – and you should.

a Financial Life, and a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability who spearheaded the creation of Money as You Grow, which offers age-appropriate money lessons for children.

Kobliner says children as young as three years old can grasp financial concepts like saving and spending. And

“Look at the mortgage crisis and how many families lost their homes – 3.9 million foreclosures in the US. Look at the amount of money – $1.1 trillion –owed in student loan debt. The amount – $845 billion – we owe in credit card debt. It’s pretty clear that adults don’t know much about money. To help the next generation avoid the mistakes of their elders, and to live financially fit lives, they need to be taught the essentials about money,” says Beth Kobliner, author of the New York Times bestseller Get

a report by researchers at the University of Cambridge commissioned by the United Kingdom’s Money Advice Service revealed that kids’ money habits are formed by age seven.

“The sooner parents start taking advantage of everyday teachable money moments (for example, give a six-yearold US$2 and let her choose which fruit to buy), the better off our kids will be. Parents are the number one influence on their children’s financial behaviors, so it’s up to us to raise a generation of mindful consumers, investors, savers,

G

and givers,” she says.

Below are the top money lessons to be learned at each age, as well as activities to illustrate each point.

Ages three to five The Lesson: You may have to wait to buy something you want.

“This is a hard concept for people to learn of all ages,” says Kobliner. However, the ability to delay gratification can also predict how successful one will be as a grown-up. Kids at this age need to learn that if they really want something, they should wait and save to buy it.

Money lessons at this age set the tone for later on. “You really can’t start too early,” says Kobliner. Speaking of her own family, she says, “When we go into a store, if I say, ‘We don’t have money for this,’ they’re smart – they know we have credit cards,” So, she would say, “We’re here to buy a gift for X, and we’re not going to buy anything for you, because we’re not here for that.” Kids then quickly learn that going into a store doesn’t always mean you’ll buy something.

Activities for ages three to five 1. When your child is waiting in line, say, to go on the swings, discuss how important it is to learn to wait for what he or she wants.

2. Create three jars – each labelled “Saving,” “Spending” or “Sharing.” Every time your child receives money, whether for doing chores or from a birthday, divide the money equally among the jars. Have him or her use the spending jar for small purchases, like candy or stickers. Money in the

sharing jar can go to someone you know who needs it or be used to donate to a friend’s cause. The saving jar should be for more expensive items.

3. Have your child set a goal, such as to buy a toy.

Make sure it’s not so pricey that they won’t be able to afford it for months. “Then it just gets frustrating, and it gets

money to the savings jar, help her count up how much she has, talk with her about how much she needs to reach her goal, and when she will reach it. “All those behaviors are really fun for kids,” says Kobliner. “And it gives them a sense of the importance of waiting and being patient and saving.”

hard for them to wrap their head around. It’s really more about her being cognisant that she’s saving for a goal than, ‘Oh, I really need her to scrape together those US$10 to buy the tutu.’ You want to set them up for success,” says Kobliner. If your child does have an expensive goal, come up with a matching programme to help her reach it in a reasonable timeframe.

(Kobliner says that while an allowance is a personal choice for every family, at this age, a small allowance could help a child save for these goals.)

Every time your child adds

Ages six to 10 The Lesson: You need to make choices about how to spend money.

At this age, it’s important to explain to your child, “Money is finite and it’s important to make wise choices, because once you spend the money you have, you don’t have more to spend,” Kobliner says. While at this age, you should also keep up with activities like the saving, spending and sharing jars, and goal-setting, you should also begin to engage your child in more adult financial decision-making.

Activities for ages six to 10 1. Include your child in some financial decisions. For instance, explain, “The reason I chose the generic grape juice rather than the brand name is that it costs 50 cents less and tastes the same to me,” says Kobliner. Or talk about deals, such as buying everyday staples like paper towels in bulk to get a cheaper per-item price.

2. Give your child some money, like US$2, in a supermarket and have her make choices about what fruit to buy, within the parameters of what you need, to give them the experience of making choices with money.

3. When you’re shopping, talk aloud about how you’re making your financial decisions as a grown-up, asking questions like, “Is this something we really, really need? Or can we skip it this week since we’re going out to dinner?” “Can I borrow it?”

“Would it cost less somewhere else? Could we go to discount store and get two of these instead of one?” (Forbes.com) TO BE CONTINUED

BY GINGER DEAN

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n today’s economy, saving money is a top priority for many individuals and families. Enacting moneysaving measures can help families prepare for a brighter future. Cutting back on a family budget can be difficult but is certainly not impossible. There are many simple cost-cutting measures that anyone can use to save money. The following ten tips provide easy ways to save money on a day-to-day basis.

Make the most of produce sales. Buying fresh fruits and vegetables can bolster the health of anyone’s family. Unfortunately, these items are often among the most expensive on a shopper’s grocery list. To make the most of produce sales, learn how to preserve fresh food. Buy in bulk when you find a great sale and put aside preserved items for later use.

Research inexpensive ingredient substitutions.

If you use recipes for the majority of your cooking, you may be using expensive ingredients that can make a big dent in your grocery budget. Look up substitutes for butter, cream and other expensive ingredients. There are inexpensive alternatives to almost all frequently used ingredients.

Bundle your car, home and life insurance. Paying separately for auto, life and home insurance can get expensive. Ask your insurance agent if you will receive a discount for bundling policies. Before renewing an insurance policy, shop around and see if you can find the cheapest car insurance rate quotes out there.

Evaluate your TV and Internet needs. High-speed Internet, cable subscriptions and satellite television often come at a hefty price.

Carefully evaluate whether or not you really need these services before committing to a lengthy contract. Look for less-expensive options and keep your eyes open for special promotions and deals.

Purchase a family phone plan.

Most individuals consider a cell phone an absolute necessity. You can save on cell phone costs by purchasing a family phone plan. Be sure to carefully monitor how many minutes and text messages each family member uses. If you can, avoid buying a data plan as they can be very expensive.

Consider buying refurbished electronics.

Everyone loves owning new electronic toys.

Instead of purchasing brand-new electronics off the shelf, check to see if the manufacturer offers refurbished goods. Refurbished electronics work just as well as brand-new models and are generally offered at a reduced price. (Forbes.com)

news

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Wales fallout

Closure resulted in economic misfortune for farmers – industry insider ... says even promises of rice cultivation were not kept

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tugboat captain in the industry’s heydays, Gordon Thomas, was an integral part of life on the Wales Sugar Estate, on the West Bank of Demerara, as he was responsible for transporting the cane.

However, since the closure of the estate, misfortune has followed the displaced workers.

This is according to the tugboat captain, who, during a recent interview on the television show, ‘The Factor’, revealed that while there have been incidents of some workers resorting to seeking assistance or “begging”, others have ventured into small-sale cash crop farming.

In September 2016, the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) had announced that 484 acres of the Wales estate would be used for rice cultivation. Tenders had been put out for massive land clearing to be done.

Thomas revealed that even though the Government had announced its intention to diversify and enter into rice cultivation on parts of the land, even that promise was not been kept.

“They said that they want to plant rice. They said they are expecting to reap rice in March. I want the public out there to know that there’s nothing, they just plough some land there and leave it like that and it has been (overgrown) with bushes again. People need to go out there and see what’s going on. They ploughed about eight to nine fields.

They take away all the ma-

chines.”

Government had also put out tenders for infrastructural works for the transport of cane to Uitvlugt, located on the West Coast of Demerara. The tender had included building bridges.

But even then, workers had complained of the transportation costs.

On the Factor, co-panelist Ravi Dev explained that sugar, when reaped, must be transported as quickly as possible to be ground, since the greater the exposure to the elements, especially

was not feasible for them to transport their cane to Uitvlugt. He stated that many have turned to cash crops.

“They have already abandoned it and they’re doing that because they cannot afford to take to Uitvlugt.

Because there’s nothing more that they can do. It’s not worth it for them to take in their cane to Uitvlugt, so some of them turned to planting cassava.”

Jobless youths

According to the tugboat

est with you.”

Meanwhile, Dev made a case for the sugar fields to be turned over to farmers. He posited that the land could be divided into 15 acre plots and be given to those farmers who are willing to cultivate it.

“If Wales or Uitvlugt Estate were privatised and if the sugar cane is done in private hands like farmers, you can run those things profitably,” Dev emphasised.

And with the land now abandoned, the panelists expressed worry that the land

Wales Estate workers during the recent protests

sunlight, the more the cane would lose its sucrose content. This, he said, would result in less profitability.

The tug captain revealed that workers had already abandoned the cane they were expected to transport from Wales to Uitvlugt, as they have no road to transport it on.

Thomas said that instead, some farmers have turned to alternative means to earn a living, since it

captain, at this point youths are just walking around in a state of idleness because there are no longer job opportunities in Wales.

“There’s nothing in Wales that they put in place for these people to restart working to sustain themselves, because before I left home, about five (former employees) came to me asking for something. They don’t have anything. It’s really ridiculous in Wales, to be hon-

was intended for other uses besides sugar. A compari-

Tugboat Captain Gordon Thomas

son was made with the pilot project that management firm, Booker Tate, had initiated to encourage individual farming, including its start of the Belle Vue community catering for sugar cane farmers.

“Bookers experimented with giving workers acres to plant and they built a housing scheme, Belle Vue. This Government is supposed to be for the people. That was a colonial power that did that.

Why couldn’t we? You are not having any risks. The farmers are telling you they will plant it,” Dev continued.

Last year, GuySuCo Chairman, Dr Clive Thomas had stated that land for

cane farming would be made available to displaced workers.

Thomas was quoted as saying that “the closure of Wales is immediately linked to the commencement of diversification programmes envisaged to begin in October coming this year.

Some of these programmes involve land for workers to engage in peasant cane farming and land for their other crops as well.”

Since the process started to close the Wales Estate and transfer workers to Uitvlugt, ostensibly due to GuySuCo’s cash strapped status, there has been staunch opposition.

This opposition has come not only from the workers, but also other stakeholders such as the People’s Progressive Party.

Former Wales Estate workers protested as recent as last week, contending that since they have refused to work at the Uitvlugt Estate, the Government was dragging its feet with regards giving them the severance pay they deserve.

Government is adamant, however, that workers have been paid their severance.

8 news

monDAY, february 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

DJ in ECD accident dies, girlfriend hospitalised

F

ive days after colliding with a motor lorry along the Haslington Public Road, on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), a labourer attached to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Kristoff Spencer, 21, of Lot 99 Charles Street, Golden Grove, ECD took his last breath in the wee hours of Sunday morning. His girlfriend, Ebony Scott who was also involved in the accident

The deceased: Kristoff Spencer

remains hospitalised.

Based on reports received, the now dead man

who was also a deejay was riding his motorcycle heading to Georgetown when he collided with a motor lorry which was heading in the opposite direction. Scott was the pillion rider.

Calwin Wilson, a close friend of Spencer told Guyana Times that the truck was reportedly attempting to make a right turn into a street at Haslington, when the collision occurred.

Spencer sustained a concussion, broken legs and in-

very caring young man.

Several close friends took to Facebook to express shock at the passing of the young man. Former Carib Soca Monarch, Kwasi “Ace” Edmondson related that Spencer was indeed a young man who was eager to learn and was versed in the deejay business.

Edmondson expressed his deepest sympathies to the family and close friends of the deejay.

However, the driver of

The canter truck that collided with Spencer

The mangled motorcycle after the accident

juries to his spinal cord.

Since then, both Spencer and Scott have been patients at the GPHC. Wilson explained that the young man started to deejay with Real Vibes after which he joined the Gold Rock Music System. He described Spencer as a young man full of potential, who socialised with the ‘crew’ when he was not at work. He was a lover of music and a

the motor lorry was arrested and released after the 72hour detention period had expired.

In light of the death of the young man, the Police are expected to institute charges against the lorry driver.

Spencer leaves to mourn his parents and four siblings. An autopsy is expected to be performed today.

Grading…

Y

…the Government

our Eyewitness doesn’t have good memories of grading: in school, the teachers had their favourites who literally got “free passes”. These were the weasels who sucked up to them. Grading, then, has the challenge of facially neutral criteria versus subjectivity, in applying those criteria. So when evaluating Prezzie’s claim that his A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government deserves an “A” for their performance up to now and Opposition Leader Jagdeo’s retort he deserves an “F”, how do WE grade those grades?

It all started when Prezzie was asked on his softball programme “The Public Interest” to grade his Administration. And that’s a problem right there: which mother’s gonna admit she has an ugly baby? Even when she has to tie a pork chop on her neck so that the dog would play with the kid!! This is Prezzie’s Government… what do you expect him to say? To be honest, your Eyewitness thought he’d say “good” or sum such nebulous rating. Like telling the ugly baby’s mother her child’s “interesting”!

But when Prezzie awarded his “A”… he had to know he was asking for it. When he blamed “any fall backs” in performance to the departed PPP government, he conceded not everything was hunky-dory! And while there are obviously systemic continuities between any new government and its predecessor, surely Prezzie was going out on a limb here.

So it was not surprising that Jagdeo promptly cut the limb out from under Prezzie and suggested he was living in some sort of “fantasy” land. And as we know, while fantasies can be satisfying to folks who wile away their days daydreaming, as the Opposition Leader pointed out, it can be a nightmare to the citizenry if a daydreaming president governs on the basis of his fantasies. But the “F”, he awarded, can arguably also be the result of subjective factors.

What were the criteria he used? There was “business”.

Now while the Government has stoutly denied this, the folks who should know - the business community have confirmed the assessment that business stinks. To high heavens! By a concrete metric - the foreign direct investment has plummeted. So has foreign currency circulation - which pushed the exchange up, and the Government had to (scarily) intervene. Then there was crime - where contrary to the Government/Police “statistics”, citizens are huddling and shivering in their homes. And so it went…

But when the matter had all but died down, up pops the AFC with a long shopping list purporting to show why the Government deserved its self-awarded “A”. But all it did was remind citizens they took more than they gave on Value Added Tax, old age pensions and the 15 other items mentioned!

But then, the AFC has to prove that even dead meat has some value!

…the Private Sector

But the urge to grade the Government wasn’t confined to our top politicians and a lackey Coalition partner: the Private Sector Commission (PSC) just waded in. And that says a lot, doesn’t it? Why would even a sycophantic questioner ask Prezzie to grade his Government if he didn’t think something was amiss? The Opposition Leader may have a vested interest in painting the Government in a bad light - but the biggest Private Sector organisation?

Business leaders aren’t noted for taking on governments of the day. Most of them “go along to get along” - especially when, as in underdeveloped countries like Guyana, the state generates such a large chunk of GDP. So, when the PSC declares a “loss of confidence” in the Government, things had to have hit rock-bottom. And any halfway-smart government would’ve listened!

But not this PNC-led APNU/AFC. In a rabid, purpleprosed response, it claimed the PSC was “a political stool pigeon to repeat the propagandistic chatter of the Opposition”!!!

Those whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad!!

Caricom’s threat

Your Eyewitness experienced a frisson of excitement when Caricom threatened “consequences” if their directives weren’t followed!

Until he read the threat was to their own officials who weren’t MEETING as frequently as ordered!!

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

news

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MONDAY, february 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Preparations for CARIFESTA 2017 on stream – PM Stuart W

ith the 2017 C a r i b b e a n Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) set to be held later this year in Barbados, the nation’s Prime Minister, Freundel Stuart, has hinted at a rounded cultural experience for the hundreds of regional and international patrons expected for the Region’s premier festival.

CARIFESTA XIII will be held from August 17 to 27 under the theme “Asserting Our Culture Celebrating Ourselves”.

Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of the recently concluded InterSessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caribbean Community (Caricom), the Barbadian leader outlined that his Culture, Sports and Youth Ministry which is leading the charge on the preparations for the festival, has been very active and timely in its planning.

“We’re getting all of our infrastructure ready and significant numbers of countries have already indicated that they are coming to Barbados and that they are going to be par-

CARIFESTA 2017.”

Additionally, the Barbadian Leader sought to remind that his home country had hosted CARIFESTA back in 1981 and so this is not virgin territory for them.

“So we know the course.

CARIFESTA 81 was, from every report that I can remember, was a successful and we intend CARIFESTA 2017 to a resounding success as well.”

Local media has reported Barbados’ big plans for the usual spectacular opening and closing cer-

ticipating in CARIFESTA. So we are, on present indications, on score to be ready for the day on which the festival is supposed to begin and we’re optimistic that we are going to have a very successful CARIFESTA.” According to Prime Minister Stuart, the level of enthusiasm evident not only in Barbados, but also in those member countries willing to participate gives the satisfaction of an impending successful CARIFESTA in Barbados in August.

Alluding to what visitors can expect from Barbados

at this year’s festival, the Head of State explained that all CARIFESTAs have their own unique characters because they take place in different countries. He noted that since the first CARIFESTA held in Guyana, the festival has since changed its character to reflect the nation where it is being held.

“Each host country tries to put its own cultural stamp on the festival and therefore, we expect that Barbados, while we’re having visiting artistes from other parts of the hemisphere, there will be a peculiar Barbadian stamp on

emonies, the super concerts featuring some of the Region’s top artistes, and sultry country nights.

During the recent Caricom Inter-Sessional Meeting, the regional Heads of Government acknowledged the importance of the festival to the Caribbean identity and urged full participation in the event. In fact, they accepted the offers of Trinidad and Tobago to host CARIFESTA XIV in 2019 and Antigua and Barbuda to host CARIFESTA XV in 2021.

10

guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, February 20, 2017

News Parking meter scandal

Keep M&CC, SCS on the run – urges Ramkarran

F

ormer Speaker of the National Assembly, Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran, believes that if Guyanese continue to boycott the highly controversial Metered Parking Project, then the Administrators will eventually give up on its implementation.

In his weekly column, ‘Conversation Tree’, Ramkarran pointed out that the divide and rule policy of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and Smart City Solutions (SCS) – the company contracted to carry out the paid parking initiative, is in full force with concessions being granted to those who negotiate, thereby giving credibility to the monopolistic secret deal.

“The danger of some people being entrapped by concessions could potentially weaken or even derail the movement to resist the monopolistic secret deal. If more people park and pay, the City Council and SCS will feel that it would be only a matter of time before we all cave in and their obduracy will be strengthened.”

To this end, he outlined that it is necessary for the ‘Movement Against Parking Meters’ (MAPM) to continue to lead and inspire the peaceful resistance of metered parking.

If SCS and the City Council expand the metered area to make it difficult to park outside the metered zone and walk, then Ramkarran suggested that persons must be prepared to take other measures to park but not to pay.

“Motor vehicles owners must starve the green monsters. They must park outside the zone. If the city is prepared to resist for as long as it takes, the green monsters will starve and die… The review of the charges and the draconian penalties show that the SCS and the City Council are on the run! Keep them running!”

On Friday, the M&CC and SCS announced the resumption of paid parking in the city with a series of changes to the payment structure. This is despite pending High Court actions and orders, putting a stay on the project.

According to Ramkarran, taking a wave

Former Speaker of the National Assembly, Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran

of promises of transparency made by the governing coalition seriously, Guyanese culminated in relatively large numbers in the street protests, rejecting the monopolistic parking meter secret deal.

“A less than transparent City Council entered into a secret agreement with foreigners and a Guyanese excon, who believed that we can be shafted.

The plot emerged in secret: take total possession of our city streets for 20 years, with a potential of 20 more, rent them out to us at exorbitant prices, pocket and take away millions in for-

eign exchange, leave only a pittance for Guyanese. As MAPM’s latest pamphlet put it, the City Council contributed the major part of the investment, our land, and will receive the minor part of the return, 20 per cent. One person described it as a contract from hell,” the former Speaker penned in his weekly column.

He went on to say Guyanese were deceived

by SCS with a plagiarised website from its sister company, pretending to have first world experience. Ramkarran continued that it is on this basis that its first charges, as shown in MAPM’s pamphlet, were higher than the highest in the US. He added that even with the 50 per cent reduction, the rates would still be higher than the highest and still unaffordable to most Guyanese.

The former Speaker added that, among the other elements of the secret agreement between City Council and SCS is the granting of a monopoly to the foreign company. Ramkarran pointed out that monopolies are unlawful under the Civil Law of Guyana Act, which was the main com-

plaint against the Guyana Telegraph and Telephone Company (GTT).

The Senior Counsel pointed to the fact that the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) was established to fix rates because of that monopoly held by GTT. On this note, he added that

He noted that the parking meter charges and their reduction were fixed in secret discussions between the City Council and SCS, without any regard for the economy of Guyana and the capacity of vehicle owners to pay.

“What is to prevent the

A minibus with a clamp from SCS for a parking violation

this secret parking meter deal has now been challenged in court as unlawful on the ground that there was no tender process and that it is a monopoly.

According to Ramkarran, the objective of utility commissions, like the PUC, is to protect the public interest and no sane Guyanese can now rely on the City Council to do so.

SCS monopoly, in collusion with the City Council, in the absence of a utility commission, or public scrutiny, to unilaterally increase charges? It is an unregulated monopoly, which would be unacceptable anywhere else. Everything is wrong with this horrible deal from hell – secrecy, monopoly, disadvantage, profiteering, exploitation, plagiarism.”

monDAY, february 20, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

11

News

Actions of CDC Deputy Director suspicious – Region 10 Councillor ... says no receipts presented after monies collected

R

egion 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) Councillor, Dexter Harding, said he is suspicious of the actions of Deputy Director of the Community Development Councils (CDC) and fellow Councillor Sandra Adams, after she allegedly failed to issue receipts a year after collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars from various CDCs in the Region, including the Coomacka CDC. Harding, who also serves as Chairman of the Coomacka CDC, said that recently residents have been enquiring from him what was done with the monies collected, which were expected to be used to execute drainage contracts, as well as for the construction of an office for Adams. To date, he noted, no receipts have been issued.

“In Coomacka, we have benefitted from two drainage contracts and from that money, $100,000 for each contract has been deducted

by Ms Adams’ office. To date, no receipt or supporting document has been given to the CDC to cover this deduction.

At a meeting last year with all the CDC heads of Linden, Ms Adams stated that she needs a contribution from each CDC from each drainage contract for the building of an office for her, under her Deputy Director of CDC portfolio. To date, we have not seen the commencement of any construction of the office,” he noted.

Harding, during the most recent statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic

Regional Chairman Renis Morian

Council, brought this and other issues to the fore, as he asked Regional Chairman Renis Morian to assist in getting some clarity on these issues. The Regional Chairman then asked Adams to respond, who then said that she would seek advice from the National Director of CDC’s in Georgetown, as it relates to the issuing of receipts.

Harding further stressed that in 2016, officials from the CDC went to the Three Friends area to host elections, during which the majority of votes fell in favour of the people. Nevertheless, he said appointments were made, much to the dissatisfaction of the community, which then called for a voting process to be conducted.

“It so happened that it was squashed. Two months after, the same officials went back, they formed a group. They called the people in the community, formed a steering commit-

tee and they made a promise to the community, saying if in three months’ time it’s not functioning, they will come and have an election, and up to today, no election.

Meanwhile, the community is not benefiting from contracts like the drainage work,” Harding told Guyana Times.

He had also voiced his concerns during the statutory meeting. He told the Council that the will of the people must be respected in a democratic society and that he believes in consultative democracy. Harding recently told this publication that while Adams had visited the community to install a new CDC, it seems she was not pleased with the results and had deemed the election “null and void”.

“In relation to the Yaribo/ Three Friends issue, Adams had indicated to the Council that after the election, residents became loud and out of order, therefore she called off the election,” he said.

Harding has, however, alleged that Adams is “selecting” persons to hold CDC positions.

Adams denies allegations

Meanwhile, when contacted on Wednesday, Deputy Director of the CDC, Councillor Sandra Adams, said the monies which were collected were “donations”, to which members of the CDCs, including Harding, had agreed to during a meeting, to go towards the construction of an office to conduct CDC exec-

utive meetings. Presently, she said there is no place to conduct such meetings, and as such they are conducted at the People’s National Congress Reform’s Party office, which is not the ideal place.

The initiative, she said, was also supported by her Director and they are presently awaiting the completion of the document for the land before commencing construction of the office.

“I don’t know anything about receipts; it’s a donation from all the CDCs… If they tell themselves that I am taking it and put it in my pocket, I am sorry. The Directorate of CDC is aware of everything…” she stated.

Adams further denied influencing the appointment of members of the CDC as she claimed that in fact, Harding has a problem with one of the people on the committee. “I have not selected anybody. The people in the community, because of

Deputy Director of the CDC, Councillor Sandra Adams

the confusion and they can’t seem to cooperate with each other, submitted names…

The names that were put up for the Interim were done so by members of the community… It has nothing to do with any friendship or anything,” she said.

As it relates to not returning to the community for the process, Adams said she has a lot of work to do.

“I am not a robot. I have many other things to do. So if three months pass and I ain’t return, it doesn’t say that I have to do it right away… I am dealing with a hundred and ninety-something CDCs across the country, not just Three Friends,” she said.

She added that Harding should have come in to her office and explained the issues, noting that she is tired of the issue which appears to have a political air.

“I think people should try to cooperate more for development, instead of trying to be petty. I am tired of them and their crap. They want to make everything like it’s a political issue.”

During a meeting with former Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence last year, D&I employees in Linden had also complained of giving money towards the construction of a CDC office, which did not materialise.

12news

monDAY, february 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

Kids and Joy Foundation reaches Roraima “Race to the Altar” out to Region 2 residents, children winning couple announced

S

cores of children and the elderly living within the Good Hope, Pomona communities in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) were the beneficiaries of food supplies, toys and school supplies compliments of the Kids and Joy Foundation. Over 185 persons benefited from the Pomona venture.

Founder of the Foundation, Diane Shaw explained that that the entity has provided items for persons in unfortunate situations. Shaw said that this

A

Children who benefited from the venture

and public spirited citizens.

Elders received blankets and food items, while the children

Two of the village’s elders who expressed their gratitude for the Foundation’s generosity

most recent venture was a collaborative effort between Food For the Poor Inc and corporate citizens.

She said that donations came from commercial banks

were gifted toys and school supplies including books and stationery.

Shaw added that last Christmas, the Foundation reached out to children from

various Amerindian communities.

The Foundation partnered with Pomona Women and Youth Organisation to make the humanitarian project possible and according to Chairman of that group, Ronald Ragoobeer, the objective of their organisation is to reach out to the less fortunate in the communities.

He said the non-profit organisation was happy to partner with the Foundation in bringing the project to Pomona.

In the past, the Pomona Women’s Group hosted several substance abuse and HIV awareness programmes.

One pensioner, Dillha Ragubir, expressed her gratitude towards the Foundation for their generous gesture.

keem Peter, who had reportedly proposed to his now fiancé, Kerron Boston 49 times before she agreed to wed him, were on Friday announced as the winners of Roraima Airways “Race to the Altar” wedding expo competition at the Duke Lodge Hotel.

The final segment of the contest saw six couples of various ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds contending for the top spot, presenting a tough challenge for the panel of judges to make their pick.

The couples were: Akeem Peter and Kerron Boston; Roderick Grant and Kacy Datson; Colwyn Boyle and Kittindie Pearson; Rajesh Chandrapaul and Romana Puran; Dale Thomas and Lauriel Inniss; and Gregory Loo and Keisha Fraser.

Member of the panel of judges, Sacha Persaud, stated that the winning couple “demonstrated an outstanding commitment to each other, potential of good ambassadorship for wedding expo and the public’s support to their relationship made them this year’s winner.”

After the announcement was made, an emotional Boston expressed his gratitude to supporters/voters, sponsors and the Roraima Team as a whole.

Also present at the event were representatives from the Government

Akeem Peter and Kerron Boston - The winning couple

and Corporate Guyana, who extended best wishes to the couple. President of the Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce in the United States Wesley Kirton; Public Relations Officer, Nadia De Abreu; Savita Singh, Marketing Executive of Hand-in-Hand Insurance; and Kester Harding, Technical Officer of the Social Protection Ministry, were also present in support of the event.

The wedding expo was launched in March of 2009 by the Roraima Group of Companies; the company’s Chief Executive Officer Captain Gerry Gouveia

stated that apart from the fact that the event will play a role in helping to popularise Roraima’s recent multi million-dollar acquisition, its “other major significance” is that it will enable the marketing a of number of small and medium-sized businesses in the wedding and entertainment sector.

The couple was awarded with a fully paid wedding package, among other gifts. The wedding will be held on March 25, 2017, at the Roraima Duke Lodge commencing from 17:00h.

Members of the public are invited to witness the ceremony.

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monDAY, February 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

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guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, february 20, 2017

News

Orange marmalade to Barbados willing transform Hiawa village to help neighbours T A Crime in the Caribbean

s Regional leaders continue to be concerned over the high-level of crime in the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Barbadian Prime Minister Freundel Stuart has offered his country’s assistance to curb the societal scourge in neighbouring countries.

Barbados is said to have the least violent crimes than many of its Caribbean neighbours and according to its Head of State, “So far as is possible, we will render whatever assistance that we can to our colleagues in the Region to the extent that any advice we may give is thought to be able to render benefit to them.”

Stuart was at the time speaking with reporters on the side-lines of the recently concluded 28th Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom. Asked what advice he would give to this fellow Member States who are grappling with high crime spate, he pointed out that with its experience of general crime stability, Barbados will try to assist in whatever way in terms of advice and/or strategic planning to help tame the upsurge in crime.

“We try to share these things with other countries and to a certain extent that works, but when all is said and done, crime problems cannot be solved by advice, it has to be solved in their context and position.”

The Prime Minister reflected on other Member States that are experiencing “horrible crime challenges” such as Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Kitts and Nevis. He pointed out that Barbados is fortunate to not be dealing with such challenges and credited this to law enforcement’s detection rate

Prime Minister of Barbados Freundel Stuart

which is highly effective.

“We try to make sure that the perpetrators of crime are brought to justice. Now all of our countries have challenges with deals in the Criminal Justice System. That is a mountain we are trying to climb, but it helps people considerably to know that when crimes are committed, the Royal Barbados Police Force can be trusted to scurry out the criminals and are being brought to justice and that keeps faith alive in the society.”

According to the Prime Minister, if in jurisdictions there are only a 15 or 20 per cent detection rate, then that undermines the confidence of the public. “We don’t have that problem… It’s just that historically we’ve not been victim to that.”

During the Inter-Sessional Meeting, Regional Heads resolved to increase their efforts to curb the scourge, including greater focus on the social determinants of crime, especially among the youth. To this end, they committed to ensure their Attorneys General and Ministers responsible for

Legal Affairs take action to finalise agreements which are essential to the implementation of the Regional Crime and Security Agenda.

The Leaders also committed to take full advantage of opportunities for capacity-building to address existing and emerging threats, including those related to Cybersecurity and Cybercrime, Crime Prevention and Drug Demand Reduction.

The Caribbean Human Development Report 2012: Human Development and the Shift to Better Citizen Security report published by the United Nations Development Programme last year, found that high levels of violent crime are hindering development in the Caribbean.

“The increase in violence and crime in Latin America and the Caribbean is an undeniable fact that erodes the very foundation of the democratic processes in the Region and imposes high social, economic and cultural costs.”

It went onto highlight that with Latin America and the Caribbean accounting for merely 8.5 per cent of the world’s population; the Region puts out some 27 per cent of global homicides. The report found that countries such as Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago continue to struggle with its crime situation, recording 1,192 and 410 homicides respectively in 2015.

“Violence and crime are therefore perceived by a majority of Latin American and Caribbean citizens as a top-pressing challenge. The resulting alarm has often led to short-sighted, mano dura (iron fist) policies, which have proven ineffective and, at times, detrimental to the rule of law.”

he Social Protection Ministry will be collaborating with the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) to provide jobs for the residents of Hiawa village. Plans are underway to establish a production facility for orange marmalade in the village.

Hiawa is a small Indigenous community located in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), with a population of about 400 persons.

The residents are mostly involved in citrus farming.

Oranges are usually harvested by the thousands and sold to other villages.

The former Social Cohesion Minister, Amna Ally, now Social Protection Minister, during a visit in 2016, had proposed the establishment of a unit to produce marmalade – a preservative made from citrus fruits, especially bitter oranges, prepared like jam.

Director of the IAST, Dr Suresh Narine told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that the Social Protection Ministry will be funding the establishment of a facility which will be manufacturing and marketing orange marmalade. This project will be coordinated and supervised by the IAST. “We were informed by

Director of the IAST, Dr Suresh Narine displaying a sample of orange marmalade

the residents that Hiawa has large numbers of orange trees, and we are currently putting together the final project document in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Protection to construct a facility there to produce orange marmalade. IAST has already formulated the marmalade and has branded, packaged and market-tested the product in advance of the facility being built so that we can move quickly with it,” Dr Narine said.

Apart from creating employment for villagers, this project will see persons being trained in the manufacturing and marketing fields. This facility should

increase economic viability within the community, GINA said in a release.

The name of the marmalade is ‘The Taste of Hiowa Organic Orange Marmalade’; the bottle reads “Enjoy the taste of Hiowa’s organic oranges sustainably grown on the pristine slopes of the Kanuku Mountains, ripened by the crisp clean mountain air and fed by crystal clear springs.

Handpicked by the Macushi Peoples of the Region, our oranges are gently stirred in traditional, open pans to give you a delicious, robust marmalade,” Dr Narine highlighted.

IAST continues to undertake projects aimed at enhancing the livelihoods of Indigenous farmers and producers in Regions Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine with funding from the Government. The Director stated that the entire Geographical Location of the Rupununi and High Pakaraimas in itself is a marketing strategy.

When in production, the intent is to have both national and international distribution and in keeping with the model adopted by the IAST for its successful Rupununi Essence line of cosmetics, 100 per cent of the profits will be reimbursed to the Hiawa community.

Juveniles recaptured afer escape from NOC

T

wo juveniles who are presently serving their time at the New Opportunity Corps (NOC) located at Onderneeming village on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) escaped from the facility on Friday last.

However, due to intensified efforts by the Police from G Division (Essequibo Coast/ Islands), both teenagers have since been recaptured at different locations and taken into custody.

According to information, 16-year-old Chris Charles of lot 34 Friendship, East Bank Demerara was sentenced to two years for simple larceny, while Noel Husbands of 667 Parfait Harmony, West Bank Demerara was sentence to one-year for damage to property.

At around 19:00h on February 17, they were both in their holding cell

A section of the New Opportunity Corps

on the western side of the compound of the institution. However, one of the guards, during a routine check, discovered the grill work on the western side of the cell was opened.

Further checks revealed that the two male juveniles were missing. Following their escape, there were reports that two were seen in some bushes in the compound.

monDAY, february 20, 2017

guyanatimesgy.com

15

Around the World

Somalia Mogadishu car bomb: Trump holds interviews for Security Adviser to replace Flynn At least 34 people killed

U

nited States (US) President Donald Trump has begun interviewing candidates for the position of National Security Adviser.

He has selected four candidates: adviser Keith Kellogg; former UN ambassador John Bolton; Lieutenant General H R McMaster; and Lieutenant General Robert Caslen.

The role became vacant when Lieutenant General Michael Flynn was fired after just three weeks and three days in the job. Trump’s first choice, Retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward, turned down the role, citing “personal reasons”.

General Flynn stepped down after misleading Vice President Mike Pence over

Retired Vice Admiral Robert Harward turned down the job last week

his conversations with Russia’s ambassador to the US. When asked about speculation that he was not allowed to bring his own staff at the National Security

Council, Harward told the Associated Press: “I think that’s for the President to address.”

Retired General and former CIA chief David Petraeus is also no longer

a candidate, Trump’s press secretary Sean Spicer said on Saturday.

Petraeus retired as CIA Director in 2012 after it emerged he had given top-secret material to his biographer, with whom he was also having an extramarital affair.

President Trump deflected accusations that he was struggling to find a replacement for General Flynn, telling reporters on Air Force One on Saturday that he had “many, many that want the job”.

The President is spending the weekend at his properties in Florida for the third week in a row. He has called his Florida Mar-a-Lago club the “Southern White House”.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

India and US in talks on F-16 jet factory

U

S defence company Lockheed Martin said on Thursday that talks were taking place between the United States and the Indian government over its offer of setting up a factory to produce F-16 fighter planes in India.

Lockheed is pushing ahead with its proposal to transfer the F-16 production line to India to supply the Indian air force, but it

understands that United States President (US) Donald Trump’s administration may want to take a fresh look at such plans.

“The conversation at this point has progressed between governments,” Randall L Howard, Lockheed’s head of F-16 business development, told reporters at an air show in the Indian city of Bengaluru.

Trump’s criticism of

US auto and drug companies moving manufacturing overseas and then selling goods back to the United States has raised concern over Lockheed’s plans, though in this case the factory would supply the Indian military rather than export to the US. India’s defence ministry issued a request last year asking foreign manufacturers if they were willing to produce a single-en-

gine combat plane in India in collaboration with a local partner as part of the government’s drive to build a domestic industrial base and reduce imports.

Sweden’s Saab is the other contender, offering to make its Gripen fighter in India.

India’s air force desperately needs new planes to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet-origin fighters.

(Excerpt from Times of India)

Witnesses spoke of carnage and chaos in the aftermath of the explosion

A

t least 34 people have been killed and about 50 injured in a car bomb blast in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

The car blew up in the city’s southern Madina district, officials say.

The blast – which ripped through shops and food stalls – is the first major attack in the capital since the election of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed earlier this month.

No group has claimed responsibility, although alShabab militants are likely to be the prime suspects.

On Saturday a senior alShabab commander vowed to target the President’s supporters.

Sheikh Hassan Yaqub said that anyone who collaborated with the new President – who he described as evil-minded – would be at

risk of attack by the Islamist group.

President Mohamed has condemned the bombing, accusing al-Shabab of being behind the attack. He urged Somalis to unite against the group’s brutality.

The new President visited some of the wounded, as well as the site of the blast on Sunday. He has offered a $100,000 reward to anybody who supplies information leading to the capture of those responsible.

“It was a horrific and barbaric attack only aimed at killings civilians,’’ he said.

An ambulance driver told the Associated Press that some of the injured had died on their way to hospital.

“Many of them suffered extensive third degree burns and others were burned beyond recognition,” he said.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Thousands of Thais North Korea murdered Kim obstruct search Jong-nam, says South Korea for wanted monk S

Followers of Dhammakaya Temple appealed for international assistance

T

housands of followers of Thailand’s largest Buddhist temple have defied Police orders to evacuate the 1000 acre facility, hindering the search for the monastery’s former head monk who is wanted for allegedly accepting $40 million of embezzled money and money laundering.

Followers of the Dhammakaya Temple, north of the capital Bangkok, held posters on Sunday calling for Police to retaliate and appealed for international attention and assistance.

“We have cooperated with the government every step of the way but this is one step too far,” Phra

Pasura Dantamano, a temple spokesman and senior monk, said.

Police said on Sunday that non-residents of the temple must evacuate the premises to accelerate the search as temple activities were standing in the way of Police forces, while resident monks were ordered to convene at an exit point.

“We are conducting these steps so that we can conduct the search process as quickly as possible, so that we can return the temple grounds to the worshippers,” Woranan Srilam of the Department for Special Investigation said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

outh Korea has said it believes the North Korean regime is involved in the murder of Kim Jong-nam.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s half-brother was killed at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur airport last week.

“We believe the North Korean regime is behind this incident, considering five suspects are North Koreans,” said Seoul’s unification ministry spokesman.

Malaysian Police have already detained one North Korean and they say they are looking for four more.

Despite widespread speculation that North Korea was behind the killing, there

Kim Jong-nam had been critical of the North Korean government

has been no proof. Deputy national Police Chief Noor Rashid Ismail identified the latest North Korean suspects in a press conference on Sunday.

He named them as Ri Ji

Hyon, 33; Hong Song Hac, 34; O Jong Gil, 55, and Ri Jae Nam, 57.

He said the men left on February 13, the day Kim was killed, and had arrived on different days within the

previous fortnight.

“I am not going to disclose where they are,” said Mr Noor Rashid, but confirmed that his force was working with world police body Interpol.

He also that they held normal, not diplomatic, passports. Malaysian police believe poison was forced into Kim’s face he waited to board a flight to Macau.

They say Kim sought help at an airport customer service desk before he died.

Noor Rashid said Kim told the desk that “two unidentified women had swabbed or had wiped his face with a liquid and that he felt dizzy.”

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Germany scrambles fighter planes for Jet aircraft after communication snag

T

he German Air Force scrambled two fighter jets for a Jet Airways flight after the Cologne air traffic control could not establish contact with the Indian aircraft due to a reported communication failure.

The Boeing-777 was flying from Mumbai to London on Thursday (February 16) as 9W-118 and was overflying close to the German city Cologne when its cockpit crew did not respond to ATC communications.

With no response from

the Indian aircraft, German Air Force scrambled jets to escort the Jet aircraft.

However, these planes managed to establish an intercept contact following which the Jet pilots established contact with the ATC. Once the communication was re-

stored, the aircraft (VTJEX) continued its flight to London.

A Jet Airways spokesperson confirmed the scare over German skies and that the crew of flight 9W-118 have been grounded. (Excerpt from Times of India)

16 news

MONDAY, february 20, 2017 | guyanatimesgy.com

VOX POPULI

What the people say about

I SAY...

14% Value Added Tax (VAT) on private education Daniel Gray, SelfEmployed – Georgetown

“I think that there should be no tax on education, whether it is public or private, because sometime parents can barely afford the school fee, but still send their child to get a good education. If the Government cares about the education of the future generation then they should not make us pay tax for it. Since the new Government in power, all that they are doing is finding ways to make money to full their own pockets and to hell with the people, that is my view.”

David Simpson, SelfEmployed – Georgetown

“I think it will definitely be very hard on parents, especially single parents because the salaries that are being paid to people these days can hardly maintain them, let alone an additional fee. Everything in Guyana has seen a raise in price, not only educational services. So this will definitely put an additional strain on those that will be affected.”

Jaenel Lewis, Nurse - West Coast of Demerara

“If the Government cares about education and believe that it should be a public good, rather than a commercial service, they should make sure they spend people’s hard-earned tax money on a working and properly functioning public school system – only then can you tax on private education as a luxury.”

Tewanna Douglas, University of Guyana (UG) Student

Matthew Chester – Paradise, ECD

“Firstly, I do not think it is fair for students attending private schools to pay 14 per cent VAT and I at all, do not support it. Persons who attend private institutions mostly belong to the upper class where finance is not an issue, however, there are also students belonging to the working class who attend same; thereby I feel that this is a very inconsiderate move made by the Government. I believe that education is a basic necessity and it is absolutely “unnecessary” to impose VAT on same.”

Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD) – “I think that the Government is putting pressure on everyone, both the rich and poor; the lower working class being affected more, obviously. The quality of education in public schools across the country is usually of poor quality with a few exceptions, of course, and as such parents (even of working class) who desire quality education for their children opt to send their offspring to private institutions.

The implementation of VAT at 14 per cent then puts strain on this class of citizenry, who may have no option but to send their children to public schools which they had been evading from the inception. It may benefit everyone in the long run only if the resources are invested in the welfare of Guyanese citizens, otherwise I personally think it is harsh.”

Shekinah Stewart, UG Student

Lisa, Sales Representative – Corentyne

“I don’t understand, is them private school that got to pay VAT? Well if dah is it, is like everything they want put VAT on now. Next you gon hear that go got to pay on how much you do in the toilet. This Government sick…”

“It is a barbarous act directly on the parents who now have to find the extra dollars to have their children access a better education.

The parent /guardian providing the extra for their child/children, in addition to other expenses, are left with a forced notion to alternatives; this would be hard labour having a long-term effect of scarring livelihood for them and their family.”

“Well I see it as unnecessary, private education complements public, and the public schools cannot accommodate all the students in Guyana. Finance Minister Winston Jordan did allude to the fact that a number of private charter schools (that) do not pay taxes. I think the Government should try to regulate such private schools rather than imposing VAT on all of private education because this would affect the students of the schools that do already pay taxes and follow the laws.”

Akeem Charles, Student at the Guyana Technical Institute

“Well I would say it’s unnecessary to have VAT on private education because not every child can learn from public school education system and some parents do not find favour in public schools.

Education is something everyone has the right to have, but making it difficult for people to access it is unjust, besides it’s already expensive to study in private schools.

Ebenezer Shultz, Lessons Teacher - West Coast Berbice

Dalon Chapman- Linden

“I think that people should not pay VAT on education, the cost on private education in my opinion should decrease instead. I think education should not be something that you pay for. However, since you already have to pay for private education, I don’t think you should have added burden on paying more in the form of taxes.”

Juan Pablo Cupido, Journalist - Cummings Lodge

Shanice Chesney - Linden

“When you look at it, the Government overdoing the thing.

Everything is VAT, VAT, VAT. Cost of living already high. Recently we got VAT on the Internet and VAT on a bunch of other things. Now VAT on private education. At one time VAT like it was out of style, now like its back in style.”

“Education the key to this country’s growth so what is the Government telling us, that we have to pay VAT on what we are going to learn?

Somebody needs to explain to President Granger that VAT is Valued Added Tax. Value cannot be added to education be it private or public schools offering it. Since there is no added value to the produce that it cannot attract VAT. If they want to tax the private schools, which I don’t believe they should be doing, then they will have to do so on their annual registration tax; not VAT.”

news

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monDAY, February 20, 2017| guyanatimesgy.com

Anna's

Life in the Grade A Cook-Up Republic

P

resident Granger believes that the coalition deserves a “Grade A” for its performance, or in his words, “cleaning up the mess” inherited from the previous administration.

But it’s difficult not to find such an assertion presumptuous.

Quite audacious if you ask me.

Through a local electronic media source, Granger insisted that the “progress [the coalition has] made in the last 21 months” was “phenomenal in terms of trying to make Guyana a law governed country” Anna Correia and that “the Guyanese people could look forward to a much improved quality of governance” by the end of his Government’s first term.

What law-governed country he refers to remains a mystery, considering the multiplication of fatal crimes and their degeneration into forms of brutality we’ve hardly witnessed in recent years. Granger’s best response as to why Guyana, under his leadership, is under siege by brazen, murderous criminals, is to blame the former PPP/C administration. With a straight face, the President conveniently limits the current crime situation to the actions of those children who lived through the crime wave which hit Guyana in the early 2000s. Unsurprisingly, and in a manner befitting his penchant for rewriting history, Granger omits the basis on which the crime wave occurred, including the PNC’s involvement in arming criminals and fuelling the ethnic turmoil which marked this period of violence. His adamancy in admitting the Government’s current ineptitude in containing and repressing crime in Guyana, reflects a vision narrowed to one that is merely delusional and incomprehensible for a President who claims to want to wipe out crime. The resulting myopia is one which focuses on crime as a product of narcotics when in fact, crime is pillared by poverty. And it is this flawed approach in governance that has caused the steady increase in crime since 2015.

The people’s frustration is the best barometer to measure and grade the Government’s performance, and the vigilantes bred by the said frustration are one of the indicators of the public’s lack of confidence in the rule of law and the police force. This decaying governance is reflected not only in the laissez-passer modus operandi of the Granger administration, which allows blatant corruption to attack democracy across the country in favour of party paramountcy, cronyism and nepotism, but is also demonstrated through the uneducated disdain of coalition leaders for the plight of the small woman and man.

One will not revisit the counterproductive measures inflicted on human development and traditional income earning sectors, but instead will look to the attitudes of two coalition leaders in the persons of PNC member and corrupt Mayor of Georgetown, Patricia Chase-Green who continues to trample civil rights and democracy, and AFC Region 3 Councillor, Mandy Sookdeo who was actively part of the vigilante that beat a petty thief to death in Good Hope just last week. This is the vision of Granger’s coalition members in a country where the economy has shrunk by almost half in less than two years (despite having attained stability with a 3-7% growth for the eight consecutive years preceding Granger’s installation); where poverty, paranoia and fear have birthed vigilantes; where loss of jobs continue to affect all sectors of the economy; where social disparities linked to irrational austerity measures are increasing; where corruption doesn’t bother hiding its face and where the growing number of protests are being backhanded by a Government that gives not two cents about democracy. Reminiscent of another era isn’t it?

Indeed, it is Guyana’s regression that is “phenomenal” and so is its “quality of governance”. While continuity in governance entails highlighting the deficiencies inherited from previous administrations, but it also renders new governments responsible for enforcing stability and progress not only by remedying the weakness of past governments, but by building stronger institutions which allow for socio-economic and human development through inclusive and participatory democracy.

It is truly pathetic that all President Granger and his party loyalists can do when cornered by criticism for the coalition’s gigantesque failures, is lament about those of the PPP/C and in so doing admit their incompetence in correcting same, instead of answering why after less than two years in Government, the majority of Guyanese cannot wait to rush to the polls in 2020.

And it is in 2020 that the people will grade the Granger administration for the “phenomenal” disaster it has proven to be. Good luck with your Grade A President Granger. You won’t be getting mine.

POTS Guyana calls for public support

T

he low turnout for the suicide prevention walk, hosted by the Prevention of Teenage Suicide (POTS) Guyana last Saturday, has prompted its representatives to call for intensified support.

Under the theme: “Be the one to save a life, speak up, speak out”, the walk started at 08:00h in New Amsterdam, Berbice, commencing at Philadelphia Road and ending at Garison Road.

POTS, who has been advertising the event for months now, was disappointed with the turn out.

Only twelve persons turned up to the walk, but nevertheless, they all braved the morning heat and walked in solidarity for the worthy cause.

Berbice was the targeted area because of the high suicide rate in that region.

However, despite the low turnout, the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) was not deterred from its mission to spread awareness throughout the county.

According to the publish-

Members of the Prevention of Teenage Suicide (POTS)

er of POTS, Sasha Rawof, the NGO is hoping to further target schools in Berbice.

Rawof explained that the organisation will be preparing and giving lectures to the students and teachers, educating them and bringing “much needed” awareness on the issue of suicide.

The POTS representative said that Berbice is the focus of the organisation currently and much work will be done there.

However, she used the opportunity to make the call for the support of the Berbicians so that their work can be continued. Later this month

POTS Guyana will be hosting a blood drive in the area.

The volunteer programme is working to prevent suicide among teenagers in Guyana through education, training and support. Already, the Education Ministry has collaborated with POTS allowing it to tour schools in all 11 education districts so as to interact with students.

GTT as part of its ‘do more’ campaign, which is geared towards fulfilling the company’s corporate social responsibility, has supported Punch’s efforts with a $4 million donation which will be G-Talk Suicide

Hotline, Regional Billboard programme throughout Guyana, I-commit to Life bracelets and the premiere of the “Staying Alive” music video which will be us used to fund seven of 10 billboards which will be erected in each region of the country advertising the efforts of POTS Guyana.

This is being done through a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Health and Education and corporate Guyana.

The organisation was officially launched in September of 2015 by former Miss World, Lisa Punch.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, February 20, 2017

ARCHIE

Live your dream. Don’t deny yourself the right to get (March 21- ahead. Choose to be in conApril 19) trol, and make your decisions based on what’s best for you.

Personal improvements are favored.

ARIES

Leave nothing to chance.

TAURUS Use your talent, skill and ex(April 20- perience to help you gain reMay 20) spect and the confidence of those who could help you advance your plans.

dilbert

You may have a good idea, GEMINI but your timing is question(May 21June 20) able. Consider ways to build on what you have in mind before you tell your plans to the people from whom you wish to receive assistance.

Give yourself a chance to discover something new.

(June 21- Taking part in cultural events July 22) or classes that make you more self-aware and mindful is favored. Master your people skills.

CANCER

Peanuts

Take a big step forward.

LEO Bring about the changes that (July 23will make you happy. Expand Aug. 22) your horizons, friendships and mind. Network with others and learn from the people you encounter.

Trouble at home will arise VIRGO (Aug. 23- if you don’t discuss your plans Sept. 22) with the people who will be affected by your decisions.

Emotions will flare up if you aren’t fair.

Calvin and Hobbes

Face challenges head-on. Be LIBRA willing to bring about change (Sept. 23that will make your life better.

Oct. 23)

Making a move, following an educational pursuit and nurturing important relationships will be in your best interest.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

TODAY’S WORD — ENTICES

Turn your focus inward.

SAGITTARIUS Learn from your mistakes and (Nov. 23- refuse to get involved with inDec. 21) famous individuals trying to take advantage of your good nature and generosity.

(ENTICES: en-TISE-es: Attracts by arousing hope or desire; lures) Average mark 19 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 25 or more words in ENTICES? The list will be published tomorrow.

SATURDAY’S WORD — HAUBERK hake hare hark hear herb bake baker bare bark

beak bear beau brake break burka rake rehab rhea

RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” is not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. To contact Word Game creator Kathleen Saxe, write to Word Game, Kathleen Saxe, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Copyright 2015, Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

Discussions will lead to SCORPIO controversy, but in the end, a (Oct. 24unique solution will be found.

Nov. 22) Don’t shy away from sharing your feelings if you want to bring about positive change.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Rely on your insight and CAPRICORN experience to avoid conflict.

(Dec. 22Head in a direction that feels Jan. 19) comfortable and safe instead of giving in to pressure and someone’s unpredictable force.

You can live the dream if AQUARIUS you use your intelligence and (Jan. 20ingenuity to maximize what Feb. 19) you have to offer. Make romance a priority if you want your personal life to improve.

PISCES Keep a close watch on (Feb. 20- your co-workers and employMarch 20) er. Gather information that will help you outmaneuver anyone who tries to get in your way.

monDAY, february 20, 2017

19

United’s legend Dwight Yorke ‘denied entry into US’ under Trump’s border laws

M

anchester United’s legend Dwight Yorke has been 'denied entry into the US' under Donald Trump’s new border laws as he 'has an Iranian stamp in his passport'.

According to former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys, the United ambassador was refused to enter the country under the border controls recently put in place by President Trump.

Keys posted on Twitter: 'Well done @realDonaldTrump. Man U ambassador Dwight Yorke denied transit access to Miami cause he has Iranian stamp in passport. #crazy' President Trump passed a controversial executive order, which has since been overturned, banning visas for seven Muslim countries, including Iran, last month.

The former Red Devils frontman was a pundit on beIN Sports on Thursday night to provide analysis for United's 3-0 win over Saint-Etienne in the Europa League. On Friday morning Yorke was allegedly stopped on his transit to Miami.

It is unclear why former Aston Villa, Sunderland and Blackburn forward Yorke was travelling to the US, but his ambassadorial role takes him all over the world and regularly sees him play in United legends XIs overseas.

Trump caused uproar with his executive order banning entry from seven majority-Muslim countries – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – for 90 days at the end of January.

Approved refugees, valid visa holders, non-US dual citizens and US legal residents were detained, were barred from planes or ordered out of the US immediately following the order.

Enforcement was suspended when a federal district judge in Seattle issued a temporary restraining order against the order.

The injunction was upheld by the ninth circuit court of appeals in a ruling on February 9. (Dailymail)

Dwight Yorke

Sparta Boss steals Hicks takes Stage 1 of title from Hustlers LFSB memorial Clash of Champions…

R

The victorious Sparta Boss and the organisers of the tournament after the finals on Saturday

T

he curtains came down on the inaugural New Era Entertainment/ Eyefull Entertainment Stag’s Clash of the Champion 2017 with Sparta Boss being crowned champions after they defeated Dave and Celena’s Hustlers at the McKenzie Sports Club Hard Court Tarmac, Linden on Saturday night.

Dave and Celena’s Hustlers would conclude Saturday night as a night they threw away two titles after falling to Showstoppers in a separate futsal contest.

As expected, hundreds of futsal lovers turned out to show support to their hometown team, Dave and Celena’s Hustlers who are the kings of futsal in Linden as well as being one game down in the two match series after losing to Georgetown champions, Sparta Boss in the Georgetown leg of the tournament.

Under the gloomy weather, Dave and Celena’s Hustlers started the game with the intent of cashing in on the home court advantage as Sparta Boss looked to be out of sorts and struggling to acclimatize.

At one point in the match the audience thought Dave and Celena’s Hustlers would run away with the match and the $200,000 winner take all prize after leading the match 10-6 until Sparta Boss found their footing to sink seven goals like a gun on rapid fire, im-

mediately startling the Dave and Celena’s Hustlers’ goal keeper.

Sparta Boss muscled their troops together to secure 13-12 victory in a nail biting final worth recording and watching over and over.

Calvin Drakes was the star for Dave and Celena’s Hustlers with a five goal outing, well supported by captain of Dave and Celena’s Hustlers, Jermain “Brown Boy” Scotland with a hatrick.

Meanwhile for the victorious Sparta Boss, the experience of Devon Millington was the decider that separated the boys from the men with six goals. Sheldon Shepard was also in fine form for Sparta Boss with a hatrick of his own.

Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Co-director of New era, Kennrick Noel said he was delighted with the turnout at both venues, the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue for the first night and the MSC tarmac for the last night.

Attributing the tournament as a success, Noel indicated that while this was the first, fans can definitely expect more in the coming future and with there being some of the ‘kinks’ being worked out.

In the other match of the night, Town Buses defeated Town Cars.

ecording his first win of the year, young ‘We Stand United’ rider from the ancient county, Andrew Hicks made use of the familiar surroundings to secure the lead position in the first leg of the Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham Memorial Three-Stage race on Sunday.

This is also Hicks’ first victory since moving over to the senior division when the year began. Catching the early morning sun, the road race that was booked for Berbice began at 07:00h with the riders pedaling off from New Amsterdam with the largest turnout of the year, 56 riders taking up their mark to head to Rosehall Town and back.

18-year-old Hicks recorded the win in a time of one hour, three minutes and 34 seconds (01:03:34). He was trailed by Team Cocos’ pair Stephano “Sunny” Husbands and Hamza Eastman. Eastman has been producing some fine performances in the year as he has so far registered podium performances in almost all the cycling meets of the year to date.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport after the race, Hicks was jubilated to win his first senior race and extended much thanks to his family who supported him and highlighted the familiarity with the condition that was key to his victory.

Fresh off his victory on Saturday, Team Evolution’s Paul De Nobrega finished in fourth place while We Stand United’s Raphael Leung secured 5th and Geron Williams finished 6th.

Meanwhile, the second stage will take place next Sunday (February 26) and will see riders resuming action at 07:00h pedaling at top speeds from the mining town, Linden to Georgetown.

The final stage will also be held the same day (February 26) from 14:00h when the wheelsmen will proceed from Georgetown to Belfield and return.

When the race began six years ago it was done in the form of only one stage before expanding to two stages four years later and it finally expanded to the stage it is now.

The winners will be rewarded with cash prizes for the 94th birth anniversary of the former president.

Last year it was Team Gillette Evolution who dominated the race with Raul Leal clocking in five hours, 54 minutes and five seconds for the top podium spot. He led his club mates, Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams and Orville Hinds on the podium to underline their dominance.

He won the first stage in Berbice, placed fourth in the second stage (Linden to Homestretch Avenue) and pedaled in second the final stage from the National Cultural Centre to Andrew Hicks Belfield and back to win.

20

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

monDAY, february 20, 2017

Australia v Sri Lanka, 2nd T20I, Geelong…

Gunaratne 84* caps stunning series win Lehmann overseeing the Test squad in ets, the latter India, were in total control for much of the over. (SportsMax) run-chase.

Ashton Turner, James Faulkner and debutant Jhye Richardson each struck in their first overs, before Tye Australia innings (20 overs maximum) went one better by removM Klinger c †Dickwella b ing Dilshan Munaweera and Bandara 43 Milinda Siriwardana with AJ Finch* c & b Bandara 12 successive deliveries in the BR Dunk b Gunaratne 32 fifth over.

MC Henriquesnot out 56 However, Gunaratne TM Head c †Dickwella b steadied the ship alongside Kulasekara 4 Chamara Kapugedera (32), AJ Turner c Siriwardana b Prasa before accelerating in devasnna 7 tating fashion just when the JP Faulknerlbw b Malinga 1 match appeared to be over as TD Paine† lbw b Malinga 7 a contest.

PJ Cumminsb Kulasekara 3 All bar one of the 38 runs AJ Tyelbw b Kulasekara 0 accrued by Sri Lanka in JA Richardsonb Kulasekara 0 the last 12 balls came from Extras (lb-5, w-3)8 Gunaratne, who wrapped Total (all out; 20 overs) 173 up victory by smashing Tye Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Finch, over cover with two needed 2.4 ov), 2-63 (Dunk, 6.4 ov), off the last ball and may now 3-113 (Klinger, 13.2 ov), 4-121 attract significant interest (Head, 14.2 ov), 5-134 (Turner, in Monday's Indian Premier 15.6 ov), 6-144 (Faulkner, League auction.

16.6 ov), 7-162 (Paine, 18.3 Earlier, Henriques had ov), 8-169 (Cummins, 19.3 ov), 9-173 (Tye, 19.5 ov), 10top-scored for Australia with 173 (Richardson, 19.6 ov) an unbeaten 56, having been Bowling: SL Malinga 4-0-31dropped on 19 by Kapugedera.

2, KMDN Kulasekara 4-0-31-4 There were also handy in(w-2), JRMWS Bandara 4-0nings of contrasting pace from 32-2 (w-1), EMDY Munaweera Michael Klinger (43 off 37) 1-0-22-0, DAS Gunaratne 3-0and the recalled Ben Dunk (32 26-1, S Prasanna 4-0-26-1 off 14), before Lasith Malinga Sri Lanka innings (target: (2-31) and Kulasekara (4-31) claimed a flurry of late wick-

striking thrice in the final

SCOREBOARD

A

Asela Gunaratne struck back-to-back match-winning half-centuries

sela Gunaratne clubbed 37 runs from the final two overs alone to finish unbeaten on 84 and secure a remarkable Sri Lanka win in Geelong.

An extraordinary innings of 84 not out from Asela Gunaratne enabled Sri Lanka to claim a second successive last-ball triumph over Australia and victory in their threematch Twenty20 series.

Australia appeared certain to level the rubber at 1-1 on Sunday and set up a decider in Adelaide when they reduced Sri Lanka to 40-5 in reply to 173 all out at Geelong's Kardinia Park - a venue hosting international cricket for the first time.

The tourists still required 36 with two overs remaining, only for Gunaratne - a

half-centurion in the first T20I - to launch a brutal assault that turned the match on its head.

Gunaratne brought up his fifty with the first of three successive sixes off Moises Henriques in the penultimate over, and completed his individual rescue mission by taking Andrew Tye for one maximum and two fours after Nuwan Kulasekara had been dismissed.

As a result, Sri Lanka were able to celebrate the most unlikely of two-wicket wins, with Gunaratne's 46-ball knock likely to linger long in the memory of those who witnessed it.

Australia, who are being coached by Justin Langer in this series with Darren

174 runs from 20 overs) N Dickwella† c †Paine b Faulkner 14 WU Tharanga* c Richardson b Turner 4 EMDY Munaweera c †Paine b Ty e 10 BKG Mendis c †Paine b Richardson 5 DAS Gunaratne not out 84 TAM Siriwardana c Turner b Ty e 0 CK Kapugedera c Dunk b Cummins 32 S Prasanna c Head b Faulkner 7 KMDN Kulasekara c Klinger b Ty e 2 SL Malinga not out 1 Extras (lb-2, w-5)7 Total (8 wickets; 20 overs)176 Did not bat: JRMWS Bandara Fall of wickets 1-5 (Tharanga, 0.5 ov), 2-22 (Dickwella, 2.2 ov), 3-27 (Mendis, 3.3 ov), 4-40 (Munaweera, 4.2 ov), 5-40 (Siriwardana, 4.3 ov), 6-92 (Kapugedera, 12.3 ov), 7-119 (Prasanna, 15.2 ov), 8-160 (Kulasekara, 19.1 ov) Bowling: AJ Turner 2-015-1, PJ Cummins 3-028-1 (w-1), JP Faulkner 4-0-32-2, JA Richardson 3-024-1, AJ Tye 4-0-37-3 (w-1), MC Henriques 4-0-38-0(w-2)

New Zealand v South Africa, 1st ODI...

Proteas prevail in Hamilton thriller SCOREBOARD New Zealand innings (34 overs maximum) DG Brownlie c Behardien b Morris 31 TWM Latham† lbw b Morris 0 KS Williamson* b Shamsi 59 LRPL Taylor c & b Morris 1 NT Broom c Behardien b Morris2 JDS Neesham c †de Kock b Rabada 29 MJ Santner c †de Kock b Rabada 17 C de Grandhomme not out 34 TG Southee not out 24 Extras (b-1, w-9) 10 Total (7 wickets; 34 overs)207 Did not bat: IS Sodhi, TA Boult Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Latham, 3.6 ov), 2-69 (Brownlie, 13.1 ov), 3-72 (Taylor, 13.6 ov), 4-82 (Broom, 15.6 ov), 5-108 (Williamson, 20.5 ov), 6-136 (Santner, 26.4 ov), 7-156 (Neesham, 30.1 ov) Bowling: K Rabada 7-1-31-2 (w3), CH Morris 7-0-62-4 (w-1), AL Phehlukwayo 5-0-28-0 (w-1), Imran Tahir 7-0-42-0, T Shamsi

7-1-39-1, JP Duminy 1-0-4-0 South Africa innings (target: 208 runs from 34 overs) Q de Kock† c Taylor b Boult 69 HM Amla c & b Williamson 35 F du Plessis lbw b Sodhi 14 AB de Villiers* not out 37 JP Duminy c & b Southee 1 F Behardien b Southee 0 CH Morris c Boult b Santner 16 AL Phehlukwayo not out 29 Extras (b-2, lb-3, w-4)9 Total (6 wickets; 33.5 overs)210 Did not bat: T Shamsi, K Rabada, Imran Tahir Fall of wickets 1-88 (Amla, 15.2 ov), 2-117 (du Plessis, 20.1 ov), 3-125 (de Kock, 21.3 ov), 4-126 (Duminy, 22.1 ov), 5-126 (Behardien, 22.2 ov), 6-156 (Morris, 26.4 ov) Bowling: MJ Santner 7-033-1, TA Boult 7-0-45-1, TG Southee 6.5-0-47-2 (w-2), C de Grandhomme4-0-27-0, IS Sodhi 7-0-36-1, KS Williamson 2-0-17-1 (w-1)

R

ain led to a reduced-overs contest in Hamilton, but there was drama aplenty as South Africa sneaked home with one ball to spare. Andile Phehlukwayo and AB de Villiers proved the heroes as South Africa edged out New Zealand by four wickets in a thrilling, rain-affected one- Andile Phehlukwayo sweeps the ball Home skipper Kane Williamson had Amla caught and day international in Hamilton bowled for 35, before a frenetic passage of play saw Faf du on Sunday.

Inclement weather reduced the first ODI of five to 34 Plessis (14), De Kock, JP Duminy and Farhaan Behardien overs a side, but there was no shortage of drama in the fall in quick succession.

Du Plessis was lbw to Ish Sodhi, De Kock dragged Trent shortened contest as South Africa twice seized control only Boult to short midwicket and Southee's clever changes of to be pegged back ahead of an absorbing finale.

The tourists proved economical with the ball for much of pace - on a surface offering appreciable assistance to the New Zealand's innings, but Colin de Grandhomme (34) and bowlers - put him on a hat-trick.

Morris also departed to Mitchell Santner with 54 runs Tim Southee (24) shared 51 in 23 deliveries - taking 25 off still required, but Phehlukwayo - who could have been Chris Morris (4-62) in the final set of six - to lift their side to caught by diving wicketkeeper Tom Latham on two - and De a score of 207-7.

A startling collapse in the subsequent chase saw South Villiers kept their composure to take 22 from the last two Africa slide from 117-1 to 126-5 in the space of 14 balls, overs. Phehlukwayo's maximums were particularly timely, while De Villiers finished things off with a straight four off Southee (2-47) again coming to the fore.

However, De Villiers (37 not out) and Phehlukwayo (29 Southee to secure South Africa's 12th successive ODI win.

Morris had starred with the ball at the start of New not out) saw the Proteas home with one delivery to spare, the latter striking crucial sixes in each of the last two overs Zealand's innings, claiming the first four wickets - including Latham for an 11-ball duck - as the hosts slumped to 82-4. having offered a chance early in his innings.

Williamson did his best to hold things together, comQuinton de Kock top-scored for South Africa with a 64piling 59 from 53 balls, but it took De Grandhomme and ball 69, but New Zealand clawed their way back into the Southee's late hitting to lift the Black Caps to a competitive match after the left-hander had shared 88 with Hashim total. (SportsMax) Amla.

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21

Wills elected Circuitville Jaguars FC President

wan

Wills has been elected President of the Circuitville Jaguars Football C l u b based at Yarrowkabra, Linden Soesdyke Highway.

T h e club’s first general meeting was held on Friday afternoon last at their field where Wills and eight other executives were installed by President of the East Bank Football Association (EBFA), Franklin Wilson.

Also in attendance at the meeting was Technical Advisor to the EBFA, Winston Benons.

The other positions are : Samuel Simpson (Vice President), Donetta Phillips (Secretary), Jessica Hamilton (Treasurer), Obene Nelson (Assistant Secretary/Treasurer), Matthew Sue-Kam-Ling (Admin Officer), Melissa Joe, Ernest Adams and Deceius Mundo (Committee Members).

Wilson commended Wills and his young executive for taking up the challenge to organise the game in the area and noted that they have been showing admirable commitment ever since writing to the EBFA to be affiliated.

The club has been doing well in the GFF/NAMILCO Flour Power National Intra Association Under-17 championship and are in third place (16 points) of 9 teams following the conclusion of the first round.

They are currently preparing their senior team to compete in the EBFA Senior League which will kick off next month as well as the association’s annual Under-11 competition which will also commence next month.

Benons in remarks also complimented Wills and the executive whilst encouraging them to inculcate the correct attitude and work as a collective. He encouraged them to be respectful display good desire and be disciplined.

The new body was also encouraged to treat the players well and be positive examples.

Wills thanked his fellow executives for taking up the challenge and they all committed to doing their best to make Circuitville Jaguars FC one of the best clubs in the EBFA.

GCB/DMLAS/MOE/National Secondary Schools Champions League…

St Cuthbert’s Mission Secondary wins Upper Demerara/ East Bank title

S

t. Cuthbert’s Mission Secondary secured the Upper Demerara/East Bank District title on Thursday when they defeated East Bank champions, Diamond Secondary School at Bayroc Ground in Upper Demerara.

Opting to take first strike Diamond just manage 111 all out off 19.4 overs of their allotted 30 overs. Romario Persaud made 19, including two sixes and Joel Craig also scored 19 runs, which included three fours and one six. Bowling for St. Cuthbert’s Mission, Zak Ferreira grabbed four important wickets for 28 runs off four overs while Mark Clenkian 2-22 of 3.4, and Paul Henry 2-10 from one over supported with the ball.

In reply St. Cuthbert’s Mission once again made hard work of an otherwise easy score, reaching their target with two wickets to spare off 19.4 overs. Zak Ferreira, turned in a good all round performance, by hitting 32 which inclusive of four fours and one six to add to his four wickets, while Elroy Dundas made 24 with four fours and one six.

Bowling for Diamond Secondary Joel Craig managed to grab the best bowling figures for his team as he finished with 4-25 from 5.4 overs, while Mavindra Dindyhal took 3-23 from six overs.

The win for St. Cuthbert’s Secondary meant that they took the Upper Demerara/ East Bank District Title, and will now face the winner of the West Demerara District on February 24, 2017 at the Meten-meer Zorg ground on the West Coast Demerara.

Before that Saraswat Secondary and West Demerara Secondary will reach on February 21 at the Meten-meer-zorg ground to battle for the West Demerara District Trophy and for a place to meet St. Cuthbert’s Mission Secondary.

On Monday February 20, last year’s GCB/NSSCL champions, Chase Academy will meet Charlestown Secondary to determine the Georgetown District champion and for a place on February 28 to play the Mahaicony/East Coast District Champions.

Mahaicony Secondary and IBE will play on February 21 at the Fairfield ground to determine the Mahaicony/East Coast District winner.

The match between East Bank Essequibo Zone Champions, Parika Salem and Leguan Secondary which was scheduled to play on February 17, 2017 in Leguan was washed out without a ball being bowled. This match is now rescheduled for February 22.

22

GUYANATIMESgy.COM

monDAY, february 20, 2017

GCB Female Inter-county 50-over…

Berbice reign continues

− Campbelle scores even century

B

erbice reign as the top county in senior female cricket continud as they thumped Demerara yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Ground, Bourda in the Guyana Cricket Board inter-county 50-over competition.

West Indies player and tournament MVP, Shemaine Campbelle was instrumental in the victory as an even unbeaten century from her led Berbice to 214-6 from 50 overs batting first. Campbelle who batted at number four faced 138 deliveries while accounting for three fours and a six on her way to achieving the player of the match award.

She was supported by Katana Mentore, who faced 115 balls for 54 batting at three and sharing 150 runs for the third wicket with Campbelle.

Only Melanie Henry (12) of the other

batters reached double figures while 34 extras aided the Ancient County batting card.

Hema Singh was the best bowler for Demerara with figures of 2-34 from nine overs while Mandy Mangroo, Haseena Mohamed and Keisha Schultz claimed a wicket apiece.

Demerara replied with 139-9 in their 50 overs, with June Ogle and Mandy Mangru being their principal scorers. Ogle, who recently return to cricket after a personal break for more than two years top scored with 40 while Mangru scored 24.

The pair shared 65 runs for the third wicket partnership and kept Demerara on course to achieve a possible victory until Ogle was removed at 91-3.

After Ogle’s dismissal wickets crumbled as the scoring rate dried up and Demerara’s innings finished at 139-9 from 50 overs,

Shemaine Campbelle

Turmoil continues in Berbice Cricket T

here continues to be an ongoing spat with members of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) in coming to a definitive conclusion on the way

ly resigned from the post as President after his executive tenure would have dissolved from December 31, 2016. Since his resignation, 1st Vice-president

ship), Malcom Peters (life member, 35 years membership), Keith Foster (former President), Rabindranauth Seeram and Albert Smith.

In an invited commented on the matter, Somwaru stated that these persons were not elected members but rather appointed by the former President and he “rescinded” their services since “they are not functioning.”

Somwaru furthered added that “I want honest people who are willing to work over and beyond to get Berbice cricket moving forward.”

However, some of the affected officials believe that the “dismissal letters” were influenced by some in higher authority as a way of taking control of the BCB. Intriguingly Somwaru

of the board of the county’s affair can so it can be sorted.

However, Somwaru was not willing to disclose who was or were the person(s) that asked him to undertake this job, adding that he is not a “puppet” of the GCB. Somwaru who is also the President of the Guyana Cricket Umpire Council is in firm belief that a partnership with the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is integral for the county’s cricket to grow.

Meanwhile, President of the GCB, Drubahadur stated that the matter said that he did not know of the dismissals but explained that at the GCB’s last Annual General Meeting, “there was large contingent from Berbice and they want to

Copy of the letter to call a recent board meeting

forward for the board considering there is an injunction placed against the board by Godwyn Allicock and David Black.

The rational being the injunction stemmed from the fact that Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club along with Young Achievers were inadvertently omitted from the Guyana Cricket Administration Act 2014 as voting members and would have participated in the elections to elect Anil Beharry and executive, which the plaintiffs of the injunction deemed to be illegal.

However, the issue at hand now stems from the fact that Beharry recent-

Dhieranidranauth Somwaru assumed the responsibility of President.

Guyana Times Sport was on Thursday provided with documents with Somwaru assigning to the post of President and “dismissing” members of the board, during his time in office so far.

An official close to the matter told this publication that the decisions were unwarranted and they were done so without the permission of the board’s executives and more the letters given stated that Somwaru was President of the board.”

Those dismissed were Julian Cambridge, Hubert Evans (30 years of member-

A copy of the letter of the letter given to Albert Smith

revealed that he “believes he can get the persons who currently have the injunction against the board to drop the matter” and that he was asked to take control

move-on, recognizing that not being part of the GCB, they are suffering, and Mr. Somwaru in his capacity wants to move the situation forward.”

losing by 75 runs. Off spinner Plaffiana Millington was incredible for Berbice as she captured 2-14 from 10 economical overs of mesmerizing spin.

The win mean Berbice have now won the title on four successive occasions. In their first match they dismissed Essequibo for a record low 15 runs on Thursday.

At the post match presentation, Chairman of National Selectors Rayon Griffith said it was pleasing to see both teams bat through 50 overs, however, he urge Demerara to come up with ways to be tougher opponents to Berbice. He also congratulated the team from the east for yet another successful performance.

The former first class player said 22 players will be shortlisted soon for the Regional tournament billed for April 20 to May 14.

Elite League matter is closed in FIFA’s opinion

F

IFA’s Director of Member Associations and Development for the Caribbean and Africa Véron Mosengo-Omba said the Elite League dispute was over as far as the global governing body of football was concerned, wrapping up a two-day visit to Guyana this week. This comment was made during a press conference at the Boardroom of the Guyana Football Federation Inc. (GFF) on Friday.

Four clubs boycotted the top league after the GFF Executive Committee decided, within its statutory rights, to invite two extra teams into the competition. “The problem of the league is not a FIFA problem, this problem is governed by the GFF Statutes,” Mosengo-Omba said at the end of his trip. “We exchanged correspondence with the GFF about this. For us, this case is over because the solution to this problem is in the Statutes.”

“What d o t h e Statutes of the G F F say? They g i v e the competence to the Executive (Committee).”

FIFA, the world governing body of football, has written to the GFF to confirm the national body’s right to decide the composition of its competitions. FIFA also stated that the expansion of the league did not automatically require a change in the GFF Congress membership. Citing the GFF Constitution, FIFA said only the Congress could authorize such a change in its membership.

During his visit, Mosengo-Omba met Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Minister Within The Ministry of Education – Department of Sports Nicolette Henry to explore areas of possible cooperation between FIFA, the GFF and the government to support the development of football.

The senior FIFA representative also held discussions with the GFF Executive Committee staff, and encouraged the staff to continue to work hard to reform and improve football in Guyana.

guyanatimesgy.com

monDAY, febRuary 20, 2017

23

Petra/Milo Schools U-18 Football…

The winning Parkes brothers! Andy (left) and Benjonel

North Georgetown demolish Central High 10-0

O

n a day where 21 goals were scored, North Georgetown Secondary hammered 10 into Central High as the fifth annual Petra Organised Milo Schools Under-18 Football Tournament continued at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta on Sunday.

Nehemiah Gomes was the torn in the flesh of the Smyth Street-unit as he netted five goals, scoring in the 9th, 21st, 28th, 56th and 58th. He was supported by Rueben Miller who etched his name on the score sheet twice, first in the 36th then in the 62nd. An own goal in the 5th and additional goals from Marcos DeLima (38th) and Brandon Solomon (39th) accounted for the other three goals.

School of the Nations were also on the winning side as they defeated Dolphin Secondary 3-0 via goals from brothers Benjonel and Andy Parkes. Benjonel landed the first of his double in the 55th, with the next being the 67th; Andy scored in the 64th.

Similarly, St. George’s High edged a determine Mae’s Academy 3-2 after Anthony

Pierre scored the winning goal in the 67th. Pierre had earlier scored in the 7th and teammate Oren Williams in the 45th.

For the opposition, Diego Britton (34th) and Darshan Persaud (56th) gave their side hope of walking away with a point.

In the final match of the day, Tutorial High came from behind to defeat Queen’s College 2-1. The Camp Road side had held the early lead in the 25th when Gaven Houston made a conversion. However, a first half double by Zion Gary orchestrated the victory after he scored in the 25th and 35th.

Thirty two secondary schools across Georgetown are competing for the $500,000 first prize while second, third and fourth placed finishers will pocket $300 000, $200 000 and $100 000 respectively, that will go towards a school project.

The tournament is set to continue this weekend at the aforementioned venue.

Bounty Farm Ltd Handicap Tournament…

Dias tops wins pen category I

n Open category Deje Dias (-2) showed why over the years he has won several crucial team matches for Guyana when he clawed his way back from match ball down in the second game to secure victory over Daniel Islam (+3) as the Guyana Squash Association (GSA) in collaboration with its corporate sponsor Digicel customary Bounty Farm Ltd Handicap Squash Tournament at the Georgetown Club Inc. courts concluded on Sunday.

The final day of the five-day tournament was thoroughly exciting as spectators and supporters were treated to another day of spectacular squash.

In The first game was close throughout and when Deje caught Daniel at five all it seemed as if Deje would easily win this game but Daniel had other ideas. From five all the game went back and forth with Daniel eventually winning the first game 15 – 13. When Daniel won the first three points of the second game with Deje seemingly exhausted it appeared all over but Deje has always been a fighter. Somehow he won the next six points to close to within two points of Daniel then after losing a point won the next five points to take the lead at 9 – 7.

From that point onwards the two players traded points and when Daniel reached

to match ball at 14 – 13 it appeared all over.

Deje however won the next two points with spectacular shots to force a third and deciding game. Daniel now appeared to be

respective semi finals matches on the previous day with Deje (-2) outlasting Javid Rahaman (+5) 15 – 12, 14 – 15, 15 – 12 while Daniel (+3) had easily outplayed Adam

Winners! The various victors showcase their silverware gained at the conclusion of the exciting tournament

the more tired of the two players and when Deje caught him at six all and then moved straight to thirteen the game was as good as over. Deje would eventually close out the match 15 – 7. Both finalists had won their

Alves (+7) 15 – 8, 15 – 10.

In Category A Abosaide Cadogan (+5) won her first senior tournament when she held her nerve to outlast Madison Fernandes (+5). Abosaide won the first game 15 – 11

with both players showing remarkable retrieving abilities. The second game was close throughout but Madison eventually won this game 15 – 13.

The third game was never close as Abosaide quickly moved out to a six point lead which she never relinquished and won the third game 15 – 4. Both these players had upset wins in their respective semi finals matches the previous evening. Abosaide (+5) beat defending champion Samuel Ince-Carvahal (-8) 9 – 15, 15 – 3, 15 – 12 while Madison (+5) easily defeated Gianni Carpenter (-6) 15 – 13, 15 – 5.

In the Open category third place playoff Javid Rahaman (+5) came from one game down to defeat Adam Alves (+7) 7 – 15, 15 – 13, 15 – 6 while in Category A Samuel InceCarvahal (-8) secured an easy win against Gianni Carpenter (-6) 15 – 5, 15 – 6 for third place.

In the Open category plate final Joe Mekdeci (+4) took care of Regan Pollard (-14) 15 – 4, 15 – (-6) while in the Category A equivalent James Mekdeci (+7) easily defeated Zachary Persaud (+7) 15 – 3, 15 – 9.

In the battle for third places in the two plate categories Johnathan Antczak (+7) outlasted Douglas De Groot (+7) 15 – 11, 14 – 15, 15 – 7 while Nicholas Verway (+10) defeated Isabella Ramjohn (+12) 15 – 8, 15 – 7.

Showstoppers cop 2nd Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ title S

howstoppers totally dominated this year’s West Demerara/East Bank Demerara Zone annul Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Football Championships to claim their second consecutive title at the Pouderoyen tarmac on Friday evening.

Watched by a massive crowd, the defending champions were aligned with Hustlers in the final and made light work of the opposition after Dexroy Adams scored a double, netting in the 7th and 35th minute.

Showstoppers walked away with $450,000 for being the victors, while Hustlers received $150,000.

In the third-place playoff, Money team edged ESPN 1-0 via goal from Amoniki Buntin in the 17th; Money team won $100,000 while ESPN went home with $50,000.

Meanwhile in the first semi-final, ESPN drew with Hustlers 2-2 but the latter eventually won 2-1 on sudden death penalty kicks. with Leroy Linden (22nd) and an own goal in the 24 being the scorers for the former while for the latter, John Waldron (7th) and Kwame Holder (14th) where the men with the conversions.

In the next knock-out match, Adams made the difference against Money Team, when he scored in the 8th minute.

The action will turn to Berbice in the second week of March, with East and West Berbice merging to form one zone.

Captain of Showstoppers Hubert Pedro (centre) collects the championship trophy and prize money from Guinness representative Robeson Brotherson in the presence of teammates and Banks DIH Limited members

M0NDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2017

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

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Petra/Milo Schools u-18 Football…

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North Georgetown demolish Central High 10-0 It was high-intensity in all matches on Sunday afternoon at the Education Ministry Ground, Carifesta (Marceano Narine Photo)

GCB Female Inter-county 50-over…

Berbice reign continues – Campbelle scores even century

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The victorious Berbice team pose with winning trophy. Coach Andre Percival is second from right standing along with GCB Officials Colin Europe (extreme left) and Rayon Griffith (right)

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