Guyana Times Daily

Human P2 capital’s importance in national development highlighted Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyana-times.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 3011

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

PRICE

Less than 12% of oil revenue for Guyanese

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Mahaicony businesswoman found murdered P9 in home

Page 3

Nagamootoo’s office ‘misused’ Contingency Fund …used advances for tax-free bonus

Corentyne woman stabbed to death by reputed Page husband 17

Page 7

Guyana, US sign historic pact to combat offshore tax evasion

$80 VAT INCLUDED

Page 9

Businessman robbed P17 near Police Headquarters City businessman allegedly hired men to torch P7 Gafoors bond

Aircraft found at Yupukari originated P16 from Colombia

Former news anchor appointed GNBA’s CEO P17

Finance Minister Winston Jordan and US Ambassador Perry Holloway sign the agreement at the Finance Ministry’s boardroom on Monday. The agreement will see Guyana and the United States having strengthened networks to clamp down on financial crimes

NEW GPC fulfilled all contractual obligations to Govt Page 2

– roasts Guyana Chronicle’s biased reportage

Lone gunman storms Woodlands Hospital – carts off cash Page 11

AG 2015 Report

Finance Minister questions AG’s professionalism ... AG’s office an independent body – Ali

P10

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

NEW GPC fulfilled all contractual Human capital’s importance for national development obligations to Govt – roasts Guyana Chronicle’s biased reportage

T

he New Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (NEW GPC) has exposed the Guyana Chronicle over a biased article it published on Monday which erroneously suggested that the pharmaceutical giant failed to honour its contractual obligations to the Ministry of Health for the supply of drugs between 2011 and 2015.

The Governmentcontrolled Chronicle in a Page 10 article referred to

the Auditor General Report for 2015 which claims that NEW GPC is still to supply drugs and medical supplies valued $11.8 million for 2011 and $44.9 million for 2013.

“The company wishes to categorically state that it has completely fulfilled its obligations under contracts with the Ministry of Health for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015,” the NEW GPC said in a statement.

The NEW GPC added that it was willing to share

this information in the form of delivery notes with the Auditor General if he so pleases.

“NEW GPC also wishes to reiterate that in the future if the authorities are unable to locate documentation the company will be willing to assist since as the Chronicle article proves, there is obvious bias in the reporting as only NEW GPC was singled out as a supplier for mention by name,” the company stated on Monday.

highlighted

T

he prosperity of a country is determined by its human resources capital, which must be regarded as equally important as financial capital.

This was underscored during consultations on a strategy aimed at enhancing the country’s human resources capacity.

Acting Chief Education Officer (CEO) Marcel Hutson, in the opening remarks, explained that education and human resource development were critical elements in unlocking Guyana’s potential.

“Human resource development is the most vital area for the Caribbean Region because ideas for innovation, quality and continuous improvement, as well as other critically important inputs needed to

Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine

Programme Manager Eduardo Ali

compete in the highly competitive world come from people and not from machines,” he explained, as he emphasised the need for prudent investment of the country’s human resources.

The initiative, titled the Regional Education and Human Resource Development Strategy, was coined by the Caricom Secretariat and consultations on the draft document were held on Monday in collaboration with the Education Ministry at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) in Kingston.

Programme Manager Eduardo Ali, in giving an overview of the strategy, disclosed that it comprised four strategic objectives.

The first is to ensure a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship is fostered within Caricom Member States.

Secondly, developing people to ensure they contribute to regenerative societies which are continuously improving.

Thirdly, to eliminate wastage in the education system by remedying the number of inefficiencies in the various education models, which often have mismatches with the labour force.

And the fourth objective is to ensure the labour force is provided with the neces-

sary training and skills to contribute significantly to society.

Furthermore, there are two critical areas of concern for the strategy, which fits into the broader mandate of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

According to the Programme Manager, the primary focus of the strategy is SDG Four: Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning.

The second is SDG Eight: To promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all, which, he said, works hand in hand with SDG Four.

Education Minister, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine underscored the role of education in improving the country’s human resource capacity and its relevance in a globally competitive world.

“The objective is to create a strategy that will enable the development of the workforce, equipped for 21st Century economic and societal requirements,” he stated.

Many countries have succeeded in achieving economic prosperity by effectively mobilising their human resources, including Japan, Singapore, Germany and Hong Kong.

news

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tuesDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 | guyana-times.com

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, October 18 – 05:00h-06:30h and Wednesday, October 19 – 05:00h-06:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Tuesday, October 18 – 05:45h-07:15h and Wednesday, October 19 – 06:30h-08:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Weather: Sunny conditions are expected throughout the day interrupted by light rain showers in the late morning hours, with clear skies in the evening. Temperatures are expected to range between 26 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Between East South-easterly to East Northeasterly, ranging from 4.47 metres to 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 06:30h and 18:43h reaching maximum heights of 2.75 metres and 2.80 metres respectively.

Low Tide: 12:18h reaching a minimum height of 0.53 metre.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

LOTTERY NUMBERS J

04 07 10 14 17 18 27 Bonus Ball

FREE TICKET

Monday, October 17, 2016

Daily Millions

02 03 12 20 25 LUCKY 3 5

2

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Afternoon Draw

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Evening Draw

Draw De Line 04 11 12 13 15

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

Less than 12% of oil revenue for Guyanese W

ith optimism high about oil and gas production in Guyana being inevitable and much talk about the tremendous economic benefit this can bring to Guyana, many may be disappointed to learn that, according to sources, the country will receive less than 12 per cent of oil revenue when production starts within the next few years.

According to sources, Guyana’s chunk of any oil revenue was pegged at less than 12 per cent.

ExxonMobil anticipates it will begin pumping oil by 2020 – about 100,000 barrels per day in the initial stages.

The Government was expected to renegotiate the exploration contract with ExxonMobil, but what is not known is if this less than 12 per cent is what was agreed to initially when this contact was inked 17 years ago or what was derived from the renegotiation process.

When contacted, Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman said he was travelling in an emailed response and did not respond to Guyana Times’ follow-up email for a comment on the issue.

In July, Finance Minister Winston Jordan had insisted that he requested a review of the contract with ExxonMobil, since this was Government’s way of ensuring that Guyana got the best possible deal from the extraction of oil when production began.

“At the end of the day…

you have to say whether we are doing what is best for the interest of the national population and I can tell you we are indeed doing that.

A 2009 agreement or 2006 agreement or whenever the agreement was originally made was at a time when there was no discovery of anything, now there is oil,” Minister Jordan had said.

While there has been much talk from the Government about the potential of oil revenues to transform Guyana, there has been very little information on what exactly is the Government’s share of the earnings.

Already Guyanese were told not to expect too many jobs in the oil and gas industry here, as most of the jobs will be for foreigners with the requisite expertise.

On May 20, 2015, ExxonMobil announced a

significant oil discovery in the Stabroek Block with its Liza 1 well hitting more than 295 feet of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoirs. Then, there was a second announcement in June 2016 that the drilling results from the Liza 2 well, the second exploration well in the Stabroek Block, located some 120 miles offshore Guyana, confirmed a “worldclass discovery” of oil with a recoverable resource of between 800 million and 1.4 billion oil-equivalent barrels. Exxon’s Liza 3 well was spud last month and that result is expected in coming weeks.

ExxonMobil Corp was recently fined a whopping US$74 billion for under-

paying royalties in the central African nation of Chad where the company has been drilling for 15 years.

According to international reports on the mega fine by Chad courts, the amount is about five times more than that country’s Gross Domestic Product, which the World Bank estimates at US$13 billion.

The High Court in the capital, N’Djamena, announced its ruling on October 5 in response to a complaint from the Chad Finance Ministry that a consortium led by ExxonMobil had not met its tax obligations. The court also demanded the Texasbased oil giant pay US$819 million in overdue royalties.

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guyana-times.com

tuesday, october 18, 2016

Views

Seniors in concert

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

Editorial

The struggle to eradicate poverty

T

he United Nations (UN) International Day for the Eradication of Poverty has been observed on October 17 each year since 1993. It promotes people’s awareness of the need to eradicate poverty and destitution worldwide, particularly in developing countries.

This year’s theme is: “Moving from humiliation and exclusion to participation: Ending poverty in all its forms”.

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere” explicitly recognises that poverty results not from the lack of just one thing but from many different interrelated factors that affect the lives of people living in poverty.

This means we must go beyond seeing poverty merely as the lack of income or what is necessary for material well-being — such as food, housing, land, and other assets – in order to fully understand poverty in its multiple dimensions.

The theme this year – selected in consultation with activists, civil society and Non-Governmental Organisations – highlights how important it is to recognise and address the humiliation and exclusion endured by many people living in poverty.

According to the last official poverty measurement survey in 2006, 36.1 per cent of Guyana’s population lives in poverty, including 18.6 per cent that were living in extreme poverty.

The 2006 measurements confirmed that poverty and extreme poverty were stronger in the interior areas of the country, and were uneven if regions were taken into consideration.

Further, the UNICEF Situation Analysis of Children and Women in Guyana 2016 found that 47.5 per cent of children 16 years old and younger are living in poverty in Guyana. These are indeed startling statistics. The report says that “poverty in Guyana has a child’s face”.

The report emphasised that out of all poor people in the country, most of them were living in areas categorised as rural coastal, followed by urban areas and rural interior. It noted that due to the population distribution in the country, most of the poor people would be living in Region Four; nonetheless, in percentage terms, poverty is massive in Regions Eight, One and Nine, where more than 70 per cent of the population living in those areas were considered poor.

One of the challenges in calculating poverty in Guyana, the report indicated, is to find a measurement that can encompass different cultures and lifestyles that are present in the country.

Guyana has signed onto the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which advance on the Millennium Development Goals call to end poverty. “This time the SDGs on its target 1.2 openly indicate that poverty must be reduced among women and children,” the report said.

UNICEF recommends following SDG targets 1.1 and 1.242, to develop and implement a methodology to yearly measure poverty and vulnerabilities, capturing the different cultural peculiarities in the country. “The method should allow for monitoring poverty at national level, and, at the same time disaggregate poverty for different ages, regions, geographical areas and ethnicities. The method for monitoring poverty should clearly define child poverty, and should adopt a multidimensional measure that complements the monetary method,” the report stressed.

It added that the country should take into consideration strengthening support to families in situations of vulnerability, in particular single-parent families through systematic, long-term policies and programmes to ensure access to social services and sustainable income opportunities.

Given this reality in Guyana, it is vital that everyone, more importantly the policymakers and officials, take note of how we can surmount this problem within a specified timeframe, following the recommended guidelines.

Eradicating poverty in Guyana is a long-term goal that will require more than talk and promises and needs to go beyond one day a year for raising awareness of this issue. All Guyanese deserve equal opportunities to prosper and more importantly, they deserve to have a government that works diligently and one that recognises the urgency in fighting to end poverty.

In her message on the occasion, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said: “Delivering the poverty eradication goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development demands renewed policy approaches and more comprehensive and sophisticated knowledge. Beyond traditional mechanisms of poverty reduction, poverty can be only solved by tackling inequalities.

So long as injustice and exploitation are embedded in economic, social and cultural systems, poverty will continue to devastate the lives of millions of women and men.”

Senior citizens had an opportunity to showcase their talent under the patronage of First Lady Sandra Granger on Sunday at the Umana Yana. Directed by veteran journalist Francis Quamina Farrier, a concert was hosted as part of Month of the Elderly, featuring songs, poetry, monologues and instrumental music for the entertainment of invited guests and fellow senior citizens from the Palms Geriatric Home, the Dharm Shala, the Uncle Eddie’s Home, Archers Home, Holy Family Home and the Salvation Army Home

Bartica, a town in despair?

Dear Editor, Greetings to the readers and fellow subscribers! I must say that in this new dispensation of government, a lot was promised with only a little actually being done or still to be achieved. When would they actually formalise a project from scratch and see its birth? One is yet to see.

I must say in this little Guyana, this land is rich and diverse in many ways; I guess that's why people say it, "politicians are fighting for a share".

I guess with what one has to fathom every day, the struggles, the silent tears and utter frustrations of the real and true Guyanese who day in day out yearn for a better livelihood for their families, only then can one say if the politicians are for them or for their own selfish nature.

I know, I've strayed from my caption. It hurts, it just hurts. But my beloved birthplace is suffering and continues to suffer with this new dispensation. Why? How? Why: It was this gov-

ernment’s promise that Bartica was going to be the first green town… but blackouts persist. Are there inadequate or lack of qualified personnel to find a solution to avoid continuous periods of blackouts?

The only logic is that we get new engines. While I agree with this, the ugly truth is that it's just a figment of our imagination.

Apparently, parts of the engines are coming from the east, west, north and south. Now the MPI is sending engineers to help.

Like seriously, it only begs to ask; don’t we have qualified people here, or are they saying what I'm thinking, "incompetence"?

I wouldn't discredit the workers here to that degree, but really and truly, our situation has got out of control. Are we only paying our bills to avoid disconnection? Because it seems only this is very detailed about GPL's operation. Being a resident of this community for 20-odd years might be too little to describe this village of ours’ plight of electricity, it has been well documented. Names have changed

of government and as well institutions, but the same problems persist… human resource has grown but that still doesn't solve this problem.

How? Bartica is known as the hinterland’s gateway; boasting of gold and diamond outside of that the business community has grown and come a far way. Employment rate is adequate, but everything comes to a grinding halt when there is no electricity! Can you believe it?

I'm sure many can relate.

While many, suffice to say, "well off" enterprises have invested heavily in having another source of electricity, most of the developing businesses suffer.

We've recently had the so called "local government elections". For what purpose? I’m still trying to fathom some sort of reasoning.

Bartica was granted Township status, but what has changed? Same old blackout and poor water supply, the same ones in the so called "Mayor and Councillors" office. Let me be very frank, it was just for position and nothing

else. Because if you see the Mayor or his deputy five times a month, you see them plenty.

They are only seen when there is a photo op with their cohorts of the government fraternity.

Sad to say, but they have duped many into voting, and Bartica suffers…

When there is no electricity, there is no water (many can verify), the only other source is the river, which many people use but it is heavily polluted (7th Avenue beach, just to name one).?

The information that GPL is indicating online (for those that have adequate Internet access) isn't of much assistance to help one out of the current state of affairs in Bartica.

Before I leave, I must say that on the campaign trail the Madam Deputy Mayor was very vocal on the plight of adequate power supply, but one has to wonder where the steam is, much more the fire. I guess now madam knows about bureaucracy…

Regards, Niranjan

guyana-times.com

tuesday, october 18, 2016

Audit at City Hall

5

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

A new frontier of bribery and persecution Dear Editor, It is considerably irritating to see the City Constabulary of Georgetown, move to a new frontier of venality, bribery and persecution; clearly with the consent and urging of the administration of the Council.

For many years these law enforcers who were better known as Market Constables, Sardine Police, etc were notorious for their hounding and harassment of vendors both stationary and itinerant, but they now seem to have outgrown this pool of victims and have new target groups.

For some odd reason without any call for assistance from the National Police or without any visible void in this area, the City Constabulary has jumped into traffic control and management. Clearly without any proper training these officers are not only redundant but indeed a nuisance, as they are hardly interested in improving traffic congestion and the ‘Hot Plate’ but are more interested in shaking down the minibuses, taxis and drivers at large for very frivolous reasons.

They could be seen all over the city annoying motorists with some fabricated traffic violations that they claim persons have committed in order to lure them back to City Hall to either waste the time of the motorist or to obtain a backhander to avoid an unjustified prosecution process.

The senior officer leading the charge of this racket is well known to every vendor in Georgetown for his dishonesty and bullyism, and should therefore be arrested by the national Police for his criminality, but rather is left to prey on poor people, an activity that he has accelerated with retirement approaching.

Why is the City Police not commissioned to bring an end to the noise nuisance created by the CD carts rolling around the city blasting music laced with the vilest of lyrics? Why is the City Police not dispatched to bring an end to the sale of rat poison and other toxic substances by vendors, something that is strictly prohibited by the Poison Control Board?

Why does the City Police not be made to stop the Three Card trick men from fleecing innocent passers-by? Why does the City Police not enforce the law that prevents men from displaying their genitals and from urinating in public, a most disgusting practice particularly for

women? Should the City Police not be utilising their time and effort to remove those vagrants from the pavements who cook, sleep, bathe and live right there?

Instead they are driving and riding around looking for persons that have building materials left outside their yards for a day or two to demand a bribe.

Rather than buying a garbage truck to clean the city, they have bought a tow truck to get involved in impounding vehicles. These Constables have been collecting fees from market vendors for years without issuing receipts. Where does the money go? In their pockets, of course.

How much longer must the poor vendors, motorists, and the public at large be left at the mercy of the City Constabulary and the Council? Could someone in authority please intervene and rescue us?

Sincerely, Shanta Singh

Dear Editor, Finally! There seems to be some effort being made to arrest the runaway train of corruption, nepotism, incompetence, bullyism and mismanagement at City Hall.

I have observed a report in the press which states that the Minister of Communities based on the advice of the Auditor General, shall be having an audit carried out on the $300 million which the government gave to them and for which they have not reported how it was utilised.

Although this is the mere tip of the iceberg of the more than $3 billion that the Council has squandered over the last 18 months improperly awarding contracts to friends and giving jobs to family, frittered away on failed projects such as the Green Conference and Expo, the Merriman Mall outlandish enhancement project, wasted on multiple foreign trips, and on paying cooks, gardeners, chauffeurs, bodyguards and other security attached to a former mayor, not to mention other staff on the Council’s payroll but who work elsewhere on assignment with this same former official.

Surely what will be re-

vealed from this very limited audit if the Auditors are allowed to carry out their responsibilities without interference would reveal that there not only needs to be a comprehensive forensic audit of all of the Council’s financial transactions and a review of its human resources that is laden with friends and family of senior officers but indeed that there needs to be a Commission of Inquiry done to give the citizenry at large some insight into the decades of wrongdoing at City Hall.

In the meanwhile, it is my fervent hope that for this limited audit that is being

done, the two principal officers responsible for handling the city’s finances, would be sent on administrative leave in order to ensure that there is not even the perception of interference, that the staff do not feel intimidated and reluctant to cooperate with the auditors, and to prevent the deletion of information and disappearance of pertinent documents, all prereq-

uisites to a thorough fiscal examination.

Anyway, kudos to the Minister of Communities and the Auditor General, because it is clear that the administration of the Georgetown Municipality would never activate an independent, comprehensive and professional audit of the Council’s systems as they know that would be the beginning of the end for them.

Best regards, Jermain Johnson

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guyana-times.com

Foundation

Recovering after a rocky start to the school year

By Dr Joan Simeo Munson

I

f your young child has had a rocky start to the school year, you are not alone!

The following suggestions can help you start the school year off right — even if they’ve already stumbled.

“Experiencing a few bumps along the way is a normal part of starting something new, so make sure to give yourself a break if you and your child struggle a little in the beginning of the year.”

My child is aggressive Many young children are aggressive, mainly because they don’t know how else to act in a situation that causes them stress or anxiety. Some children are naturally calm and can self-regulate their mood and actions, others really struggle with this. Since your child acts out more, it is imperative that you assume the role as the adult and that she knows you mean business.

This can be done in a loving manner in which you re-claim your role and she learns how to calm herself. Start by talking to your daughter when she is calm.

Then, create a “rules chart” for school and hang it where she can see it. Ask for her input about what the rules are and add them to your list. Some examples can be: “No Hitting”, “No Biting”, “Be Nice to Teachers”, “Be Kind.” Explain to her that she is a big girl now and she will have to follow these rules.

Next to the rules chart, create a “Good Behaviour Chart” and lay out colourful stickers or pens where she can place a marking each time she is caught being good at school or home. This will encourage her to react differently and motivate her to exhibit good behaviour because every child, even strong-willed ones, love positive reinforcement. After collecting X amount of stickers your daughter earns a reward, which can include staying up 20 minutes later that night, extra story time with you, an opportunity to watch a DVD or anything that you think she would like.

My child can’t focus “My child really has a hard time focusing… He’d rather run around the

room or colour… Does he have ADHD and do I need to get him tested”.

There is no exact answer to this question, as it will take time to figure out if your son truly has ADHD or is just a typical Third Grade boy with a lot of energy. Most boys this age prefer to run, jump and play than sit still in a classroom and learn.

Unfortunately, being able to do this is a necessary part of his development, so it is important for you to help him navigate this terrain.

I’d start by having a conference with his teacher. Next, I would create a plan that will help your son get organised. Many times the main issue for young children with focus issues isn’t necessarily a diagnosis of ADHD, but a lack of organisation. Buy him a day planner that he can write in everyday any assignments, notes, or things he needs to do at home (ie, “Get permission slip signed”, “Bring money for party”. It helps to have the teacher sign

off on his planner each day to ensure he has the right things written down or to add anything he might have forgotten.

Also, whether with you or with his teacher, have your son clean out his desk, backpack, and cubby area once a week. Set a day, (say Friday’s) and stack notebooks, organise pencils, throw out papers, get rid of old assignments, and bring home water bottles or plastic containers.

At home, set aside a quiet space for your son to do school work and have the necessary materials (pens, pencils, sharpener, paper, etc) available. If your son is high energy, allow him a cooling off period after school so he can run around, relax, and have a snack before he starts his work. Try to be as consistent with his work routine as possible, explaining that he is to do his work each day at the same time. Break his work into small segments, setting a timer for each. For example, you can say “I’m going to set the timer for 20 minutes and need you to sit and finish your Maths. When the timer is done you can take a 10-minute break”, then set the timer again for his break. This makes homework more manageable. As always, make sure your son is getting enough sleep each night, has minimal access to electronics and television during the school week, and has at least an hour each evening that is electronic free prior to bedtime.

Young children who don’t want to go to school The good news is that most children adjust perfectly well to kindergarten, even if it takes a few weeks (or months).

At home there are numerous things you can do. First, talk about kindergarten in glowing terms, as in, “It’s nice that in kindergarten you’re able to have such a cool playground at recess!” or whatever benefits the school has to offer. An incentive might help sweeten the deal.

Examples of this can be offering a later bedtime “now that you’re a big girl”, or you can create an “I’m a Big Girl Now” chart that lists all her rules and responsibilities around school. Examples are: “Get dressed; eat breakfast; bring backpack to car; get into car each day; going into classroom every day.” Each time she completes a task on the chart allow her to put up a sticker and after earning so many she gets a reward.

Lastly, try to keep a consistent schedule at home. This should include the same bedtime each evening, nutritious meals and snacks, limits on how much access she has to technology, and enough exercise through play or sports. (Excerpt from

Empowering Parents)

My child has a

HARD TIME

making friends

“M

y son is in first grade and we are really worried about his social group. Last year, he was very quiet and seemed to be lagging behind the other kids in social situations, like making friends or playing at recess. He only got invited to one birthday party the entire year even though other kids seemed to be getting together more frequently for parties and for play dates. This breaks my heart and I don’t want this school year to be the same.”

It is really hard to watch your child not be as socially active as other children, especially when it appears they are being excluded. All parents want their children to fit in and be accepted. But I’d like you to consider a few things. First, have you talked to your son about how he feels about his social life? Many times when children hang out with just one or two other children parents assume they are miserable, when in fact many children prefer one-on-one play over the manic hustle and bustle that often goes along with young children’s play groups. So make certain that your son views this as a problem before you assume it is one.

Second, during these tender years many parents project their own childhood anxieties onto their children as they navigate through school. It is not uncommon for parents, who may have struggled socially or were shy, to see their children’s social situations as problematic, when in fact it has more to do with their own feelings around how they were treated by peers during their childhood. This can be a very difficult, yet potentially rewarding time for a parent as they gain insight into their child’s world. A question then to ask yourself is, “Is this my child’s problem or mine?” The answer can propel you into action on behalf of your child or give you the opportunity to pull back and examine your feelings.

Lastly, consider that your child may simply have a different temperament than you. Introverted, reserved or shy children tend to feel overwhelmed in large groups and prefer the quieter play of one buddy.

Having said that, if your child is struggling to make friends and is unhappy, now is the perfect time to help him.

Consider asking one or two children over that your child connects with for week-end play dates or after school gettogethers. Try to do this regularly and get to know the other parents so your child can get invited to their houses as well.

If your child wants more friends, but lacks the social skills to make them, help him develop these skills. Review how to introduce yourself, how to ask someone to join in a game, or how to share. Tips for making friends can include: request a play date after school, form a team at recess, or pinpoint children who have shared interests.

Lastly, make sure your child is not annoying other children. Many children who lack social skills do things inadvertently that make it difficult to form friendships.

Examples are children who are overly bossy, won’t share, or are overly sensitive to their surroundings. By discussing these potential pitfalls with your child you can help them create a better environment for making friends. (Excerpt from

Empowering Parents)

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tuesday, october 18, 2016 | guyana-times.com

AG 2015 Report

Nagamootoo’s office ‘misused’ Contingency Fund … used advances for tax-free bonus

Auditor General Deodat Sharma

A

uditor General Deodat Sharma in his 2015 Report has cited the Office of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo for misuse of the Contingencies Fund and diverting monies drawn down from the Contingencies Fund for purposes it was not intended for.

Sharma in his Report stated that Nagamootoo’s Office in December 2015, requested an advance of $11 million from the Contingencies Fund and stated the reason for the advance was for the Government Information Agency (GINA) to offset a part of its debt to the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), publisher of the Guyana Chronicle newspaper. However a portion of that sum was used for another purpose, which constitutes a breach of the financial regulations.

This is based on the fact that the payment of GINA’s debt to GNNL does not constitute an emergency but rather a routine expen-

diture and therefore, the Contingencies Fund should not have been used. This expense should have been budgeted for in the annual budget.

The use of the Contingencies Fund for the routine expenditure is a breach of the financial principles.

The Prime Minister, who always portrays himself as a bastion of accountability, was found wanting with the report revealing that his Office did not just misuse the Contingencies Fund, it went a step further to use the advance for purposes it was not intended.

According to Sharma’s Report, an examination of the requisite payment vouchers and other supporting documents revealed GINA paid GNNL the sum of $9.450 million, whilst the remaining $1.550 million was used to pay employees of GINA non-taxable bonus for 2015.

This constitutes a further breach of principles governing the use of public funds.

It is important to note that while in opposition, Nagamootoo was at the forefront of a campaign against the GINA, including the reduction of that entity’s annual budget to $1 in 2013 and 2014.

Sharma’s Report stated that during 2015, the APNU/AFC Government abused the Contingencies Fund through a total of 11 advances for which the requisite laws did not cater for.

He said that the advances abused the Contingencies Fund by an amount in excess of $600 million with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) being the biggest recipient of almost $300 million.

Other breaches

Sharma’s

Report

also

to the lone bidder and according to the quotation, 50 per cent of the cost must be paid on “Firm Order”, while the remaining 50 per cent is to be paid on delivery.

“However, the full amount was paid to the supplier on 4 January 2016 via cheques numbered 05612925 and 05-612926.

Notwithstanding this, the vehicle was delivered in September 2016,” Sharma observed in his Report.

He has since recommended that the Office ensure there is “full compliance” with purchase agreements.

Similar instances are replicated across ministries of the government during 2015.

The Auditor General complained in his Report that despite his recommendations for measures to be implemented to tackle issues of this nature, there continues to be very little ac-

tion by officials.

“The Audit Office continues to view the lack of action towards the implementation of prior recommendations with serious concerns and suggest stringent action be taken to address these findings, especially those related to overpayments on construction works, lack of weak internal controls, including poor record keeping and breaches of relevant Legislation,” he stated.

City businessman allegedly hired men to torch Gafoors bond

P

Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo

highlighted other breaches by Nagamootoo’s Office which include flouting of the Stores Regulation.

Sharma observed that the Office’s inventory was not being kept up-to-date and as such it was difficult for the auditors to verify the accuracy of stock on hand.

Sharma urged that the Office ensure that it adheres to the Stores Regulation.

Meanwhile the PM’s Office was also cited for a breach of a purchase agreement involving vehicles.

The AG Report stated that under the Office’s Capital Expenditure, a sum of $19.405 million was used to purchase a $5.3 million Toyota Corolla car, a motorcycle at a cost of $203,000 and a Toyota Land Cruiser valued at $13.8 million.

Sharma said while the Office would have received the car and motorcycle, the issue was with the Land Cruiser.

He explained in his Report that the procurement of the new Toyota Land Cruiser was awarded

olice are following a new lead that a city businessman paid two men to set the Gafoors Houston Complex on fire.

One of the two men was detained and during questioning allegedly told investigators that he and his accomplice were paid to commit the act, a source close to the investigation disclosed.

The source stated that the businessman, who is the owner of a dry goods business, allegedly paid the two men $40,000 to torch the bond. The source said the suspect reportedly told the Police that he and his accomplice were responsible for the two fires that devastated Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sattaur Gafoor and hundreds of his workers.

Within the span of a few hours of reopening his bond, which was razed by a fire just four months ago, Gafoor was forced to watch the rebuilt bond go up in flames with his Christmas stock. The CEO has since hired a private investigator to investigate the matter because he believes

The recent fire at Gafoors Complex

that the fire was arson.

The source said further that the suspect (name withheld) was caught red handed in an attempt to set the Complex on fire for a third time on Saturday.

The suspect, the source said, is a former employee of Gafoors. Meanwhile, Gafoor confirmed that the Police had arrested someone and that the arrest was made Sunday morning at about 04:00h.

“I have avoided confrontation with anybody at all cost so I don’t know who would do this because I have no problems with anyone,”

Gafoor told Guyana Times.

He had previously stated that despite what persons might think, he did everything within his power to prevent another fire and so it shocked him when in “just 10 hours after we opened the bond, it burnt down”.

The veteran Guyanese industrialist had told the media that the previous fire placed a lot of financial strain on the company and the Board of Directors had taken a decision on what to do in the event of another occurrence. turn to page 13

8 news

tuesdAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 | guyana-times.com

IN THE COURTS

Bartica Massacre Eyew tness trial delayed again Helping …rescheduled for today

hand…

T

he trial of the infamous five allegedly involved in the heinous Bartica Massacre is scheduled to finally commence today after several delays – nearly one week after the jury was originally meant to be empanelled.

On October 12, the jury was scheduled to be empanelled, but this was postponed to October 13.

However, as more pre-trial issues came up among the legal team, the trial was further delayed to October 17.

Today, once there are no more delays, the empanelling of the jury is expected to be done before Justice Roxanne George at the High Court.

More than 30 witnesses are expected to testify in the case, but it is expected that applications may be tendered for additional witnesses to offer evidence. The lead Prosecutor is Diana Kowlessar, while the other State representatives are Tuanna Hardy and Narissa Leander.

Mark Williams, Celbert Reece, Dennis Williams,

T

The accused being escorted by law enforcement

Michael Caesar and Roger Simon are all facing 12 counts of murder, one count each of terrorism and unlawful wounding and three counts of break and enter and larceny. Number one accused Mark Williams is represented by Attorney Roger Yearwood, while the other Williams is being represented by Saphier Hussain, Reece by Madan Kissoon, Caesar by Maxwell McKay and Simon by Peter Hugh.

Last Wednesday, the five men accused of the brutal 2008 slaughtering of 12 persons made their first appearance at the High

Court. They are accused of being among a heavily-armed gang, which attacked Bartica, leaving the 12 people, including three Policemen, dead. When the incident occurred, the Police had contended that now deceased Rondell “Fineman” Rawlins was the leader of the criminal gang.

Those killed in the devastating rampage were Irving Ferreira, Edwin Gilkes, Dexter Adrian, Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakir, Constable Shane Fredericks, Constable Ron Osborne, Deonarine Singh, Ronald Gomes, Ashraf Khan, Abdool Yasin, and

Errol and Baldeo Singh on February 17, 2008, sending shockwaves throughout an already tense country.

On that fateful day, the gunmen had terrorised the town, overrunning the Bartica Police Station and robbing several business places during an hourlong attack. The massacre is widely believed to have been linked to the Lusignan Massacre, which had occurred just three weeks prior. In that January 26 attack, 11 persons lost their lives. Bartica co-accused Mark Williams is also implicated in the Lusignan Massacre.

Taxi driver charged for converting money to his own use

A

taxi driver was fortunate to be granted bail when he appeared at the Georgetown

Magistrates’ Courts before the Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan on Monday, charged with fraudulent

conversion.

Chaitram Suknandan, 37, of 135 Grove Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara,

...forgotten?

here’s been some extended letters from ex-PM Sam Hinds and ex-Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker defending the charge by David Hinds that the PPP didn’t do squat for Linden while pouring out largesse for the sugar industry - which is a trope for “East Indians” - but which was explicitly charged. And in this exchange...lies the tragedy of Guyana. A tragedy that has been playing out for sixty years - since the split of the PPP and which is obviously still unfolding.

The tragedy is intractable not because of some unique twist in the psyches of the several groups competing for power in Guyana, because it’s present in all severely divided societies. Cyprus? The Turkish groups always accuse the Greeks of spending more on Greeks. Malaysia?

The Chinese and Indians always complain the Malays are getting most of the gravy train.

Sometimes, like in Trinidad, there might be so much revenue pouring in (there due to oil since the seventies) that everyone gets a piece of the pie. Not EQUAL pieces mind you, but enough to Dampen the fires of disquiet. But now that oil is running out and budgets have to be cut, just wait and see the squeals as to who’re taking the heaviest burden. And it won’t be funny...tragedies never are.

The problem is, because the votes to get governments into office cleave along ethnic lines, and they have to reward their supporters...even if a government doesn’t actually do so, the assumption is, it has! Take the case in point cited by David Hinds. Under the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement from the 1950s and then its successor Lome΄ Protocol, Guyana’s sugar earned a preferential price. However beginning in 1975 when there was a huge spike in sugar prices, a levy was imposed on sugar which drained off all profits. Amounting to at least ONE BILLION US DOLLARS by the time the PPP finally ended the levy in 1999. Which moneys were first frittered away on the failed Hydro by Burnham...then used in the Consolidated Funds to subsidies places like Linden and projects like “cooperative industries” for party card holders.

If those moneys had been reinvested in sugar, the 60-year-old Skeldon could’ve been long replaced - and Hinds wouldn’t have had to bemoan the “largest investment in Guyana” being for the “benefit of Indians.

But are we ever going to hear a “balanced” account?

Not in this life. And this is why your Eyewitness was excited that in its manifesto APNU/AFC had promised an “Ethnic Impact Statement” on all governmental initiatives to preempt ethnic bitching.

But this has died stillborn...And the fight goes on!

...for agri?

Fraud accused, Chaitram Suknandan

pleaded not guilty to the allegation brought against him.

The charge stated that on October 10, 2016 at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, while being entrusted with money to pay a mortgage ($90,000) by Shawn Mahadeo, he converted same to his own use and benefit.

However, the defendant, who is attached to the Green Ice Taxi Service, begged the Magistrate to give him one week to return to money.

The Magistrate agreed and the matter was adjourned to October 20, 2016, to be called at the Providence Magistrate’s Court.

When will this government wake up and accept that folks need more than words when they’re faced with an economy that’s collapsing like a house of cards on their ears. PM Nagamootoo was delivering remarks to the farming community of Mahaicony on “World Food Day”.

Now Mahaicony farms rice- which is in a real pickle after Nagamootoo’s government allowed the Venezuelan market for half our exports to be lost - without even putting up a struggle to save it.

And guess what? Nagamootoo was insensitive enough to tell the rice farmers that Venezuelans are starving and need food - even though they’re awash in oil!! Now didn’t it cross Nagamootoo’s mind that this starvation would’ve given the Venezuelan government a great incentive to have us continue shipping rice? Nagamootoo didn’t mention the Mexican rice market he claimed he “secured” a year ago!

And to rub salt into the wound, he reminded the rice farmers that sugar had to diversify. He didn’t mention they were going into rice - to compete with rice farmers!

...on waning libidos?

Placing Trinidad even on the worldwide Yahoo newsfeed was - for the second year in a row - they’re # 1 IN THE WORLD on porn searches!!

And here your Eyewitness thought all that fleshy exposure during Carnival would’ve satiated them!!

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

NEWS

9

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18 , 2016 | GUYANA-TIMES.COM

Mahaicony businesswoman Guyana, US sign historic pact to combat offshore tax evasion found murdered in home

Sister of the now dead woman speaking with the media

A

Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, businesswoman was on Monday morning found dead with her hands bounded and mouth gagged in the bottom-flat of her house.

Dead is Bibi Nesha, 56, of Lot 4 Novar, Mahaicony.

Reports are that the woman was found at about 06:00h by her nephew who went to check on her after she was not seen since Sunday afternoon. She was found lying face down and from all indications, her neck might have been broken, with lacerations about her body. Her house was also ransacked, leading Police to believe that she might have been robbed and then killed.

At the home of the dead woman, her sister Shauna Ali explained that she received a telephone call from

The house in which the woman’s body was found

a neighbour informing her that the her sister was not seen since Sunday afternoon. She recalled that her sister is someone who would wake up very early and open her shop located in the lower flat of the house.

She said that the neighbour told her that the gate was padlocked from the inside and although they called several times, there was no response.

“I sent my small son and tell he if he call and she nah answer, jump over”, the grieving sister stated.

Upon arriving at the house, the young man followed his mother’s instruction but as he entered the yard, he continued to call out for his aunt but still no response.

“He walked to the back, he see a door open and when he go in, he see she hand tie up, he see she foot tie up

and he rush back home and tell we,” the sister stated.

She further stated that her sister lived alone and confirmed that the house was ransacked. The dead woman had been operating her business for quite some time and would normally supply farmers in the area with pesticide and weedicide. She also sold phone cards and other items. Several of the items were missing.

Following the discovery, the Police have arrested a teenager, who is being questioned. He is reportedly from the same village and had an argument with the woman on Sunday when he reportedly threatened to end her life.

Guyana Times understands that the teenager is a known trouble maker in the community.

Police are continuing their investigations.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan and US Ambassador Perry Holloway signed the FATCA Agreement at the Finance Ministry’s boardroom on Monday

G

uyana and the United States have strengthened networks to clamp down on financial crimes with the historic signing of the Foreign Account Tax Compliant Act (FATCA) agreement.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan and US Ambassador Perry Holloway officially signed the agreement on Monday in the boardroom of the Finance Ministry.

FATCA is a 2010 US federal law that American citizens (including those living outside the US) file yearly reports on their non-US financial accounts to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

This network collects and analyses information about financial transactions in order to combat domestic and international money laundering, terrorist financing and other financial crimes.

US Ambassador Holloway explained that this information exchange process would create a stronger and more stable global financial system.

The Finance Minister emphasised that the signing of this agreement was the beginning of a new phase in Guyana-US cooperation on tax and anti-money laundering matters.

He noted too that Guyana has already undertaken a number of measures to im-

prove domestic legislation to support this agreement.

Meanwhile, Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Commissioner General Godfrey Statia explained that in the past, the tax body has been using the incorrect procedure to access account information on Guyanese in the USA. “There was the incorrect procedure being used whereby we were not sending it (requests) to the IRS (Inland Revenue Service). We were sending it to the (financial) institutions,” he explained, noting that the GRA has no jurisdiction over those external institutions. (Devina Samaroo)

10

guyana-times.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

News

AG 2015 Report

Finance Minister questions AG’s professionalism

... AG’s office an independent body – Ali

F

inance Minister Winston Jordan has criticised Auditor General Deodat Sharma for failing to consult with the Ministry for clarifications and explanations ahead of the publication of the Annual Report 2015.

“There was a period not so long ago when the Auditor General’s Report before it was published used to come right here in the Ministry of Finance where it was edited for content and other things before it was published…

How can we move from that one extreme where it came here and it used to be edited to another extreme where it doesn’t come anymore and it

L Finance Minister Winston Jordan

Auditor General Deodat Sharma

PAC Chairman Irfaan Ali

“I am not telling the Auditor General how to do his work. He does his work however he wants to but I

tory for consultations.

He simply emphasised that he expects a level of integrity and professionalism from the Auditor General.

“An opportunity to be heard is the least we will ask for,” he stated.

In offering clarity on the revenue shortfall, Jordan explained that this is a result of the amendment of the environmental tax law which was as a result of the controversial Rudisa beverage case.

“If the AG wants to comment on the shortfall of revenue, he better make sure he goes into the categories to see where the shortfall occurred and seek an explanation if he wants to do that because in some categories you might have over performed and others you underperformed,” he said, noting that it is critical to analyse the reasons for the

underperformance.

Moreover, the Finance Minister said the Auditor General in his Report does not take into account the fact that the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change government was not in Office for the entire 2015 and that the 2015 National Budget was not passed until midyear.Meanwhile, People’s Progressive Party Member of Parliament, Irfaan Ali, on Monday pointed out that the Auditor General office is independent.

Responding to Jordon, Ali noted that he found the statements by the minister “unfortunate.”

“As the Minister of Finance may recall it is the PPP/C administration that created the environment for an independent Audit Office under the Public Account Committee. The Auditor General was never required to change or modify any of his findings. As per normal audit process the auditors are required to conduct an exit interview with the management of every agency they audit. As usual the findings and any clarifications are discussed at this meeting,” Ali said.

He pointed out that every agency is given an opportunity at the end of the audits to respond or provide information to justify any claims they may have.

“The agencies response is also incorporated in the Auditor General’s report.

It is in this respect that I find the statement by the Minister to be worrying.

As chairman of the PAC the independence of the AGs office is of absolute importance to ensure accountability and transparency in Government. I would urge every stakeholder to examine the content of the Auditor General’s report and deal with the issues raised, examine the findings and let me remind the Minister that every agency including the Ministry of Finance has an opportunity to respond to the AG’s report when their Ministry or Agency comes before the PAC.”

“The independence of the AG's office is of absolute importance to ensure accountability and transparency in Government” – PAC Chairman Irfaan Ali gets printed unedited without any opportunity for us to explain anything that may appear to be out of the ordinary,” the Finance Minister expressed during a press conference on Monday.

He observed that the report contains information which paints a sordid picture of the Government owing to the lack of explanations and clarifications on certain issues like the shortfall in Current and Capital Expenditure and Revenues.

Beyond the Classroom: International Travel and Engagement – Part 2

would expect from an autonomous, independent institution, a level of integrity, professionalism and competence when these things are being produced,” Jordan noted.

The minister declined to say whether he believes politics is the reason the Finance Ministry is no longer consulted prior to the publication of the Report.

However, Jordan said he is not desirous of amending the laws to make it manda-

ast week, I addressed the first objective of my paper which is my personal experience with regard to international engagement with the expectation that students may find it useful in pursuing their own international engagement. In this column, I will discuss my other two objectives: why international engagement is important beyond the classroom and the benefits of international engagement in promoting personal growth and development.

I sincerely urge this audience, particularly the students, especially those who have Dr Lomarsh Roopnarine ventured out of their rural community for the first time to treat destitution, degradation and deprivation as a determination and motivation to greater achievement. You have made the first step towards that direction by the mere fact that you are here at Jackson State University.

You should be proud of this direction. But you must now use this opportunity to build bridges rather than barriers to other opportunities, including the exposure to places beyond your own comfort zones.

I urge you not to forget your past. It is probably your coveted possession. It is probably your only possession. It is probably your only privacy. But I would like to reassure you that certain aspects of your only possession, your insular past can only be a progressive past when a certain level of prosperity is accomplished through the willingness to engage in programmes and places beyond the confines and concentric boundaries of this campus and community.

You may ask why. I ask why not. The world has certainly become a shrinking place through the forces and facets of globalisation. Distant and different communities are now closely connected through the digital world. In some ways, borders between countries are now less realistic and more imaginative.

While I do understand some disadvantages so associated with an ever-rapidly integrated globe, the earthshaking changes around us cannot be avoided. Educators, teachers and students have little or no choice but to take advantage of this omnipresent global trend. To do otherwise would simply be counterproductive to growth and development. We have to become global citizens in order to compete and do well. We must not only become a member of the established academic family of institutions, but we must also belong to the established institutions of the academic family. International travel and international exposure is one way to achieve this endeavour.

I endorse the approach that teaching cannot be restricted to a classroom setting. Travelling and interacting with other cultures is valuable to personal enrichment as well as family and community fulfilment and development. The argument that exposing students and educators beyond the classroom is too expensive is risible since ignorance of the world is more expensive.

My attendees, I would like to inform you in no casual terms that the benefits of travelling are enormous. Studies after studies have shown immersion and interaction with another culture even occasionally enhances and expands the mind, erases stereotypes, helps to deal with culture shock and provides firsthand experiences rather than relying solely on textbooks and inclass instructions. To be sure, there is a difference and distinction between vacation and travel, the former is escape, while the latter is immersion and interaction. Nonetheless, when these two events are combined, the benefits to the individual mind are incalculable.

Undoubtedly, international exchanges and experiences sharpen students’ awareness, foster independence, strengthen leadership skills, promote courage and mould good citizenship.

Research has demonstrated that students who engage in international travel tend to have high grades, do better at job interviews and in challenging situations. Students who engage in international travel tend to be good ambassadors for their school, community and themselves.

International travel will certainly take students to majestic places but also to submerged places of world. I am convinced that students as well as teachers learn more when information is taught in relation to real-life situations when information is localised and when active participation is encouraged.

I am also convinced that life whether as a student or a teacher is a continuing learning process. In this regard, it is important to provide students and teachers with the tools necessary such as international travel and exposure so that they can transfer their skills into the workplace and to answer their own questions when they finish college. I think that these are the major differences between being taught and being educated. (Send comments to lomarsh.roopnarine@jsums.edu).

NEWS

11

tuesday, october 18, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Lone gunman storms Sugar workers strike again Woodlands Hospital – say being treated as “second-class citizens”

E

– carts off cash

A

lone gunman executed a brazen robbery on the Woodlands Hospital, Carmichael Street, Georgetown on Monday morning, carting off an undisclosed sum of cash. The incident took place about 07:30h.

Reports are the man staked out the hospital and made his move as the night

cashier was about to switch over to a colleague, ending her shift. He reportedly held the night cashier at gunpoint and relieved her of the money the hospital collected overnight.

The man then exited the hospital and made good his escape in a waiting motor car.

Senior Police ranks have confirmed that the robbery

took place and are working on the theory that it might have been an inside job. No arrests have been made, but investigators have acquired the surveillance footage with the aim of identifying the lone gunman. Officials at the private medical institution were reluctant to provide any information when contacted.

Gun, ammo found at Arakaka, NWD

A

n unlicensed single-barrel shotgun and four cartridges were on Sunday unearthed at a mining camp at 13 Miles, Arakaka, North West District (NWD). Based on reports, the Police received information and went to the area where a search was conducted, thus leading to the discovery of the gun and ammunition.

No arrests have been made as Police continue investigations. Recently, the Guyana Police Force reported that some 67 illegal firearms were seized between January and September.

These include 29 pistols, 21 revolvers and 17 shotguns.

Only on Saturday, a Providence, East Bank Demerara man was arrested with an illegal .9mm pistol and 12 matching rounds of ammunition at “WarLock”, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown. The miner re-

The gun and matching ammunition found at Arakaka, NWD

portedly went to visit his girlfriend when the Police carried out a raid and the il-

legal gun and ammunition were retrieved after he was seen disposing of same.

ven as the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is being encouraged to engage in “good-faith negotiations” to find a “reasonable settlement” to workers’ pay increase demands, sugar workers are excluded and “are seemingly being deemed as second-class citizens”.

This is according to the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), which noted on Monday that workers across the sugar belt have taken strike action in an effort to reiterate calls for GuySuCo to employ “good-faith bargaining” to improve pay and work conditions.

GAWU further explained that at a meeting held Thursday last with the State-owned entity, queries were made whether provisions would be made for pay increases.

However, GAWU noted that GuySuCo’s representative informed that “none had been made, but adjustments could be made to facilitate an increase”.

The Union reasoned that the Sugar Corporation was “once again seeking to deny a pay rise for 2016”, noting that sugar workers were disallowed 2015 and 2016 pay increases, which were awarded other State workers.

“The sugar workers have been excluded and are seemingly being deemed as

‘second class citizens’. It can be safe to say that the standard of living of the sugar workers and their families have deteriorated in the face of the rising cost-ofliving. We remind that the Ministry of Finance’s 2016 Mid-Year Report pointed out that food prices rose by 3.2 per cent in the first half of this year,” GAWU expressed.

The Union stressed too that these moves by the State entity had a “debilitating effect on morale and commitment in the industry”, which were vital for the industry’s turnaround.

The workers on Monday, once again, used the opportunity to express their opposition to the closure of Wales Estate, and the lack of several incentives which they felt they were owed.

“Workers also raised their voices against…

GuySuCo’s denial of paidrelease for workers to attend the Union’s Congress and Union meetings; the denying of workers to attend Union-sponsored courses during the cropping periods; the denial of transportation assistance for workers to attend Union activities; the withdrawal of prorated Weekly Production Incentive (WPI) awards; the denial of collective bargaining in 2015; a pitiful 2015 [Annual Production Incentive] API award, among other things,” the Union stressed.

“At this time, GAWU urges continuing dialogue will be necessary to address the other concerns of the workers. The current approach is not helpful to the process and can very well lead to greater disharmony and discontent among the workers and we implore the Corporation and those who give direction to quickly abandon this course,” the Union added. Over the last several months, a series of protest actions have ensued over many of the decisions undertaken by GuySuCo. However, the entity has long decried its cashstrapped status, which was late last year singled out by President David Granger.

In his recent address to Parliament , in the absence of the political Opposition, the Guyanese Head of State stated that Government was forced to divert money from economic and social programmes to “rescue the ailing corporation” with an immediate injection of $12 billion last year and an additional $11 billion in 2016, a $23 billion bailout in 18 months.

“These transfers exclude the servicing of GuySuCo's debts in respect of the Skeldon Estate Modernisation Project – a monstrous and monumental US$200 million mistake and, probably, Guyana’s single most costly industrial catastrophe of all time,” he had noted.

12 news

tuesDay, october 18, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Increase in cases of diarrhoea, Islamic Development Bank to vomiting in infants at Linden Hospital fund National Psychosocial …numbers "not alarming" – officials Rehabilitation Complex

T

here has reportedly been an increase in the number of children treated for diarrhoea and vomiting at the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) over the past week.

However, officials at the medical institution have indicated that the numbers were not alarming.

Chairman of the Board of the medical institution, Mortimer Mingo said the situation should not be regarded as an "outbreak", while he asserted that the Hospital was equipped with the required drugs to treat such cases.

"It was reported to me that...we have seen an increase in the number of babies, mostly infants, coming in with diarrhoea and vomiting. We do not consider the amount of people we've seen – that it has reached any epidemic stage," he said.

Mingo added that while the institution was currently unaware of the source of the illness, LHC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Farouk Riyasat; paediatricians; the hospital's Medical Superintendent, Dr Steve Mark; staff and the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) are on top of the situation.

Region 10 Chairman Renis Morian

He also revealed that many of the patients who were admitted to the Hospital in connection with the symptoms have since been discharged.

LHC Medical Superintendent, Dr Mark also explained to Guyana Times that while there has been an increase in patients seen with the symptoms, the numbers were not alarming. He said while the patients were from Linden, they were not from one particular location, but various communities.

In the event of an outbreak, Dr Mark said, the cases usually are derived from a particular location.

As a result, he maintained that a connection cannot be easily detected.

"We have noticed it. We have the staff on hand; we have the doctors on hand; and we have the ward facility at hand. We are making note of it, we are looking at the data. The regional people have been informed. I think even some sampling was done. So, we are looking at all the factors and then we can pinpoint a particular area, location or cause, because right now we don't know what is causing it," he explained.

Dr Mark affirmed that the Hospital was monitoring the situation, while he explained that information would be gathered following a meeting with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) later on Monday. Asked whether the Public Health Ministry was made aware of the situation, he posited that officials would inform the state Agency once the relevant information was gathered.

In light of the reports, Region 10 Chairman Renis Morian visited the hospital on Monday and met with officials there in an effort to get a first-hand look at the situation.

R

epresentatives from the Islamic Development Bank recently met with Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton and promised to fund the new National Psychosocial Rehabilitation Complex (NPRC) project, slated for 2017.

The project is expected to cost approximately US$20 million and facilities will be constructed in Regions Two (PomeroonSupenaam) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) along with an upgrade to the Ministry’s Mental Health Unit. This will see the provision of emergency clinical services to persons needing diagnosis, care and treatment, the Public Health Ministry said.

The high-level meeting included Dr Norton; Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings, technical officers from the Ministry and Sayed Aqa, Vice President, Cooperation and Country Programming Complex.

According to the Health Ministry, the institution will be designed to reduce

Reactivation of Kara Kara toll booth

Linden loggers, LM&TC strike 25% deal

D

uring a consultation on the reactivation of the Kara Kara toll booth last week, a deal was struck between members of the Logger's Association in Linden and the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) for registered loggers to pay 25 per cent of the total accumulative cost for trips made on a monthly basis.

The loggers, once registered, will only be required to pay based on the number of trips they make while carrying logs past the toll point at Kara Kara, Mackenzie. In the past, the loggers were required to pay each time they passed the toll point.

During the consultation, loggers registered their concerns over the hardships they were presently facing, and made requests for concessions during the start- up phase of the reactivation.

The municipality initially proposed a payment of 50 per cent of the accumulated rate; however, the loggers disagreed, and suggested 30 per cent instead. Both parties eventually settled at 25 per cent.

At the conclusion of the consultation, Mayor Carwyn Holland said that owing to the many hardships facing the loggers and the fact that they already pay taxes, the concession was granted. He

also advised those businesses to ensure that they were registered in order to take advantage of the rate.

"So, let's say, the (monthly) rate, according to the toll point is $7000, they'll be required to pay 25 per cent of that cost. This is (for) the Linden-based loggers with the logs...Once they pass with the trucks and with the items as is in the schedule.

They have to bring in their registration to be on the registered list of operators...

They can come in to the Council and get registered.

Once you're registered in Linden, you get the 25 per cent deal, (this is) to help the Linden businesses to pick

up. The agreement between us and the loggers is to have this for one year and then it would be reassessed, to see whether we're going to take it off or whatever," Holland explained.

The Mayor reminded that tolls would not be required for vehicles which were not carrying logs.

The loggers and LM&TC are yet to arrive at a toll amount, which loggers would be required to pay.

With the reactivation of the Kara Kara toll booth in the pipeline, the municipality has hosted a number of consultations with the community’s stakeholders.

Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton

the role of the National Psychiatric Hospital in the mental health system in Guyana. This aligns with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation recommendations to improve quality services and standards in mental health, through the provision of better and specialised services in psychosocial rehabilitation, forensic psychiatry, drug abuse rehabilitation and psychogeriatric care.

This involves a careful reintegration of patients into family and society, reducing psychiatric beds and transforming the functions of the institution.

It has been recorded that 10 to 15 per cent of Guyanese have had a mental disorder at any one time.

“This means that 78,000 to 114, 500 Guyanese are suffering from a mental disor-

der and require some level of mental healthcare service.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among Guyanese, hence the Ministry of Public Health will continue to work closely with its technical partners to eliminate this epidemic,” the Ministry said.

The Complex is expected to provide diagnosis, management and treatment to persons with suicidal tendencies, affected disorders, general anxiety disorder, panic attacks, post-traumatic disorder, psychosis and violent behaviour, acute onset psychosis and chronic psychosis. The institution is also expected to provide care and treatment to persons suffering from psychosis due to medical conditions (HIV, NonCommunicable Diseases); substance abuse; hazardous drug reactions and interactions; personality disorders; epilepsy and dementias (Alzheimer). It is also expected that regional health facilities will be equipped and better able to manage mental health patients in various regions who are required to be inpatients for a period of time. So far, Minister Norton has commenced consultations with the PAHO, which has opted to give full technical support, especially in the area of training to improve mental health services.

news

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tuesday, OCTOBER 18, 2016 | guyana-times.com

PM warns of hate speech at InterReligious TV consultation P

rime Minister Moses Nagamootoo urged participants of the consultation session into the establishment of an Inter-Religious Television Station to be mindful that freedom of expression does not include “hate speech” incitement of hostility against any other religious faction or people.

He made this pronouncement in his keynote address at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre in Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, where representatives from different religious organisations had congregated.

He said that he believes the establishment of such a television station would enable cultural diversity and foster social cohesion, it is imperative religious beliefs

are not imposed on people.

Emphasising that Guyana is a Secular State, Nagamootoo stated that people have a right to accept religion or not, and therefore he indicated that plurality of beliefs is important, since it is demanded in the Constitution.

He stated that the TV station should not exploit any susceptibility of those watching the programme or provoke any disrespect for other religions or choice of belief. He however asserted that a television programme can enable national development and social cohesion by creation of a united, strong, viable nation.

He asked that the consultation sessions be recorded and placed into a publication “so we can

Some of the participants of the Inter-Religious Television Station consultation on Monday

use this as a kind of module and analyse it and see whether today we are developing a model that can be adopted in other parts of the Caribbean.”

Newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana National

Broadcasting Authority (GNBA), Dr Prudence Lewis-Bhola indicated that the development of such a TV station is quite “uncommon” but commendable since it can generate cohesion among the people and make Guyana a pioneering

country.

She stated that the station would have the potential to impact the morale of society but should not incite tension among religious groups.

“They should have a common value,” she said,

reminding them of broadcast standards, regulations and compliances.

“The intent must not be to create uniformity or conformity…but to uphold religious freedom,” she emphasised.

She added that GNBA is keen on safeguarding the morale of Guyana, and would be happy to collaborate with stakeholders and is supportive of the “governing policy” that is presented.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Inter-Religious Organisation Pastor Ronald Mc Garrell stated that it has been an “uphill task” getting the proposal for the television station off the ground but they had persevered with the intent to expose Guyana to a variety of religions.

HIV transmission knowledge limited among adolescents−UNICEF report L ess than half of the adolescent population in Guyana between ages 15 and 19 has a comprehensive knowledge on HIV/ AIDS, the United Nations Children Fund Situation Analysis of Children and Women 2016 said.

The report indicated that one of the most important prerequisites for reducing the rate of HIV infection is accurate knowledge of how HIV is transmitted and strategies for preventing transmission. It stated that a large majority of the women and men aged 15-49 have heard of AIDS – 98 per cent and 97 per cent, respectively, however the percentage of those who know of both main ways of preventing HIV transmission – having only one faithful uninfected partner and using a condom every time – was 75 per cent for women and 74 per cent for men.

It highlighted that less than half of the adolescent population between 15 and

19 years (47.7 per cent for women, and 33.2 per cent for men) have comprehensive knowledge on HIV and AIDS—which is that they are aware that consistent use of a condom during sexual intercourse and having just one uninfected faithful partner can reduce the chance of getting HIV and a healthy-looking person can have HIV. It stated further that these persons are not able to reject the two most common local misconceptions about transmission/prevention of HIV in the country.

“As a matter of fact, among all the age groups in the research, the group between 15 and 19 for both men and women has the smaller rate of comprehensive knowledge,” it said, noting that for the population between 15 and 49 years, comprehensive knowledge on HIV is also small: 55.6 per cent for women and 48.6 per cent for men.

It highlighted that com-

prehensive knowledge was particularly low among both women and men living in Region 5 (28 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively) as well as those living in households with an Amerindian household head (39 per cent and 34 per cent, respectively). In Region 9, the comprehensive knowledge of men aged 15 to 49 is higher than women. In all other regions, and all other socioeconomic characteristics men know less on HIV/AIDS than women.

Notably, it stated that despite the fact that 81 per cent of the girls between ages 15 and 19, and 71 per cent of adolescent boys in the same age group know a place to get tested for HIV, the rates for those who were actually tested are much smaller—30.6 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively.

So far, the Public Health Ministry and the Ministry of Education have been collaborating in two policies aimed at secondary school

City businessman allegedly...

He lamented that all of his stocks for the Christmas season were destroyed, and that although he has insurance for the building and the stocks, he was not insured for the profits lost.

“Within 64 years there has never been a fire,” he lamented.

“It was literally impossible for it to take place,” he said in referring to Monday’s fire, adding that it left him totally “lost for words”.

“If you were in my place, what would you do if there was a third fire? It’s not that easy to start back again,” he

said.

Officer-in-Charge of Operations at the Guyana Fire Service, Compton Sparman had indicated that the Fire Service was also baffled by the fire, since there was no electricity or any heat source to start the fire.

He stated that the materials stored in the bond were tiles and white cement and a small number of Christmas decorations.

“So, we want to know how it could propagate at that level. No electricity, if you look it is a bond that

from page 7

was constructed based on the last fire that they would have had. But because I think they cramp for space make they use the bond. No electricity, no form of heat source that dwells within, so we will have to dig deep.

Nobody was inside,” he said, adding, “It started in Bond Six and confined in it…”

When contacted on Monday for an update on the fire, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle stated that he was not aware of anyone being arrested;however, he said the Guyana Fire Service’s investigation was ongoing.

students—the school health and nutrition and HIV/AIDS policy was disseminated in 2009 and the Health and Family Life Education programme, which focuses on reducing teenage pregnancy

and HIV prevention.

The Health and Family Life Education programme 2013 evaluation revealed that if the intervention is to have greater positive impact, much more work needs

to be done in the area of teacher training; learning materials; teacher attitudes towards sensitive topics; parental involvement; whole school approach; and effective referral systems.

14

guyana-times.com

tuesday, october 18, 2016

Regional 2nd Brazilian prison clash kills 8 A

t least eight inmates have died at a prison in the city of Porto Velho in north-western Brazil.

The prisoners died from smoke inhalation after fellow inmates set mattresses alight in the Enio dos Santos jail in Rondonia state.

The prison director said the clash was set off by the transfer of the leader of a criminal gang to the jail, which is controlled by a rival gang.

Officials said there could be a link to a similar incident in Roraima state.

There, 10 inmates died in clashes on Sunday between a gang calling itself First Command of the

Relatives gathered outside the jail in Roraima after news of the riot broke on Sunday

Capital, or PCC, and their rivals, Comando Vermelho (Red Command), the state authorities said.

Police initially said 25 inmates had been killed, but the figure was later revised down.

The incident in Roraima happened during visiting hours. About 100 visitors were taken hostage and later freed.

Police said they had regained control of both jails.

Brazil has the world's

fourth largest prison population, with more than 620,000 inmates.

The PCC is a powerful criminal gang first established in a São Paulo prison in 1993.

It has since expanded to become a powerful organisation which engages in drug trafficking far beyond the prison walls.

Its members frequently clash with those of the Comando Vermelho, a gang originally founded in Rio de Janeiro.

Many of the most powerful gang leaders are often moved from jails far away from their home states but they are still able to run their criminal network from inside prison. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Insurers assess impact of Hurricane Nicole

T

he insurance bill for Hurricane Nicole could be less than that for the double whammy of Fay and Gonzalo two years ago.

But island insurers said it was still early days for estimating total costs — and that the Category 3 Nicole could lead to an increase in water damage claims compared to the smaller storms which hit in quick succession in 2014.

Michael Freisenbruch, President of insurance firm Freisenbruch-Meyer, said: “It could have been a lot worse. As a very guarded opinion, thus far I’m more positive now than I was prior to the storm.

“While we are very fortunate that the damage was not worse, early total reserves for our firm are not insignificant. In terms of claims, it’s not as busy as Gonzalo so far, but again,

it’s early days.

“It’s really contingent on an insured’s ability to inspect properties fully and sometimes on the initial inspection, things look fine, but there is some damage that appears shortly afterwards. We take the view that we need several days before we get a real handle on volume of claims and costs,” he said.

The firm had 85 claims

by Saturday and it has

brought in an overseas loss adjuster to assist.

The total 2014 bill for the island was estimated by analysts AM Best to be between $200 million and $400 million, while the firm added that, because domestic insurers were “heavily insured with managed retentions, it is anticipated that the brunt of the storm’s financial impact will once again fall on reinsurers”.

(Excerpt from Caribbean360)

Bahamas warns passengers trying to smuggle Samsung phones on board aircraft

B

ahamian civil aviation authorities Monday warned passengers that they risk causing a “catastrophic incident” if they seek to evade a ban on travelling with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile phone by placing it in their checked luggage.

Several countries have banned passengers from having the phones in their possession when boarding flights over concerns of the phone’s fire-prone batteries.

In a statement, the Department of Civil Aviation said it has instituted a ban on air travel in The Bahamas on all Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone devices, effective Monday, October 17.

“As a result of the ban, these devices may not be transported by passengers or crew on their person, in carry-on baggage, or in checked baggage on flights to, from, or within the

Travellers to or from The Bahamas are banned from transporting the phone

Commonwealth Of The Bahamas. The phones also cannot be shipped as air cargo.

“The banning of these phones from airlines will inconvenience some pas-

sengers; however the safety of all passengers is paramount,” the department said.

It said if passengers attempt to travel by air with their Samsung Galaxy Note7 devices, they will be denied boarding.

“Passengers who attempt to evade the ban by packing their phone in checked luggage are increasing the risk of a catastrophic incident. Anyone violating the ban may be subject to criminal prosecution, in addition to fines.”

The Department of Civil Aviation said that passengers currently travelling with Samsung Galaxy Note7 phones should contact Samsung or their wireless carrier immediately to obtain information about how to return their phones and arrange for a refund or a replacement phone. (CMC)

Pilots union denounces statement by LIAT

T

he Leeward Islands Airline Pilots Association (LIALPA) has described as “irresponsible” a statement by the Antigua-based regional airline, LIAT, warning passengers of possible disruptions as a result of ongoing talks between the two parties.

“We have not issued any threat to the company for any industrial action. I went on record...clearly stating to

the public that if certain demands were not met I would return to my organisation for some direction,” LIALP President Carke Burke told Antigua’s Observer Media on Monday.

In its weekend press statement, LIAT said it was advising its passengers to monitor electronic and print media, as it continues to hold talks with the pilots’ association.

LIAT said while the company and LIALPA discuss a number of internal industrial matters, the service provided to the public by LIAT is being threatened with disruption by the pilots.

Last week, LIALPA called on LIAT to end the “stalling and delaying tactics” and provide accounting information regarding the retirement funds of its members.

It said it has been try-

ing unsuccessfully for the past three years for the cashstrapped airline to provide the information and as recent as December last year, the company refused to respond to proposals from its Attorney.

The union said that it has no other choice but to make a public appeal for LIAT to produce audited statements of pilots’ contributions into their Retirement Fund. (Excerpt

from Jamaica Observer)

Colombia’s ELN rebels reject “express peace process”

C

olombia's second-largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), says it will not be rushed into a peace agreement.

The Marxist rebel group said it rejected an "express peace process", after the Colombian Government pushed for speedy peace talks.

The two sides have agreed to open formal negotiations in neighbouring Ecuador on October 27.

They have been engaged in an armed conflict for more than five decades.

The rebels wrote on Twitter (in Spanish) that "we are in total disagreement with the push for an express peace process because progress can't be made with narrow time limits".

The ELN said that it wanted civil society to be involved in the search for a permanent peace deal.

The Colombian Government for its part is keen to reach a deal with the ELN as soon as possible.

The Government is still reeling from the rejection

by Colombians of a peace agreement with the country's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

That agreement was reached after almost four years of talks in the Cuban capital, Havana.

But it was rejected by a narrow margin in a popular vote on October 2 by Colombians, many of whom thought it was too lenient on the FARC. Government and ELN rebel negotiators announced back in March that they would open formal peace negotiations.

But the talks, originally scheduled to start in May, were delayed after the ELN rebels failed to meet the Government's demand that it stop kidnapping people.

The ELN has since made a commitment not to carry out any more kidnappings, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said. (Excerpt from

BBC News)

T&T medical chief urges public: Do more to combat spread of Zika Virus

Dr Karen Sohan

M

edical chief-ofstaff at the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital, Dr Karen Sohan is calling on citizens of Trinidad and Tobago to do their part in helping to eradicate the spread of the Zika Virus.

Her pleas follow the diagnosis of five unborn babies with brain abnormalities whose mothers contracted the Zika Virus during their pregnancy.

The Sunday Guardian quoted Sohan as saying that “four of the cases were in keeping with anomalies caused by the Zika Virus.”

In an interview Sunday,

Sohan said: “I am calling on citizens to do their part by cleaning up their environment and ridding it of any artefacts that would harbour mosquitoes through which the virus is transmitted.

“Local documents show that the virus does not come from vaccinations or chemicals in the water supply as had been speculated, but from virus-carrying mosquitoes.”

Sohan noted that the Health Ministry, through the specialist committee set up which she heads, has been doing all that it could to assist pregnant women in this difficult time.

“I would like to really commend the Minister of Health for his support on this project.

“I have found him genuinely interested in dealing with this issue confronting pregnant women and women considering pregnancy, and he has always been willing to listen to any suggestions or advice provided by us in the management of Zika-related cases.”

Sohan also called on private healthcare providers to not take advantage of the situation, but to give assistance to pregnant women in an ethical and responsible manner. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

tuesday, october 18, 2016

guyana-times.com

Iraq launches Mosul offensive I

raqi Government forces launched a US-backed offensive on Monday to drive Islamic State from the northern city of Mosul, a high-stakes battle to retake the militants’ last major stronghold in the country.

Two years after the jihadists seized the city of 1.5 million people and declared a caliphate from there encompassing tracts of Iraq and Syria, a force of some 30,000 Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Sunni tribal fighters began to advance.

Helicopters released flares and explosions could be heard on the city’s eastern front, where Reuters watched Kurdish fighters move forward to take outlying villages.

A US-led air campaign has helped push Islamic State from much of the territory it held, but 4000 to 8000 fighters are thought to remain in Mosul.

Residents contacted by phone dismissed reports on Arabic television channels of an exodus by the jihad-

Peshmerga forces gather in the east of Mosul, October 17, 2016

ists, who have a history of using human shields and have threatened to unleash chemical weapons.

“Daesh are using motorcycles for their patrols to evade air detection, with pillion passengers using binoculars to check out buildings and streets,” said Abu Maher, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

He and others contacted were preparing makeshift defences and had been stock-

piling food in anticipation of the assault, which officials say could take weeks or even months. The residents withheld their full names for security reasons and Reuters was not able to verify their accounts independently.

The United States predicted Islamic State would suffer “a lasting defeat” as Iraqi forces mounted their biggest operation in Iraq since the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

UK bank closes Russian State channel RT’s accounts

A

British bank has withdrawn banking services from Russia’s Stateowned news channel RT, drawing condemnation from Moscow.

The decision by NatWest, which is due to come into force in December, was announced on Monday morning by the news outlet’s editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan on her Twitter page.

“Our accounts in Britain have been blocked. All of them. ‘Decision not to be dis-

cussed’. Hail to freedom of speech!” Simonyan said in a tweet posted in Russian.

A statement published on RT’s website included a copy of the letter from NatWest announcing the closure.

In the letter, the bank says the decision to close the account was final and it “was not prepared to enter into any discussion in relation to it”.

However, in a press statement issued on Monday, NatWest said it was “reviewing the situation” and would

be in contact with RT. “These decisions are not taken lightly,” the bank said.

“We are reviewing the situation and are contacting the customer to discuss this further. The bank accounts remain open and are still operative.”

The UK Treasury Office said it would not comment on the issue but sources confirmed that there were no new obligations put on British banks in their dealings with Russia since February 2015.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

China launches manned space mission

C

hina has launched two men into orbit in a project designed to develop its ability to explore space.

The astronauts took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northern China.

They will dock with the experimental Tiangong 2 space lab and spend 30 days there, the longest stay in space by Chinese astronauts.

This and previous launches are seen as pointers to possible crewed missions to the Moon or Mars.

An earlier Tiangong – or Heavenly Palace – space station was decommissioned earlier this year after docking with three rockets.

The astronauts on this latest mission were Jing Haipeng, 49, who has already been to space twice, and 37-year-old Chen Dong.

The Shenzhou-11 took off from China’s northern Gansu province on Monday morning

In a pre-mission interview with online portal China News, Jin said: “There is definitely some pressure with this mission. I’ve even been dreaming about it at night.”

“I’m not thinking about the bouquets, the applause or the glory. What I’ve been thinking more about is

whether I have grasped all the knowledge and skills, whether I have addressed the weak areas.”

In a congratulatory statement to the astronauts carried by State media, President Xi Jinping said he hoped they “vigorously advance the spirit of space travel”.(Excerpt from BBC News)

15

Around the World

Russia announces Aleppo humanitarian pause

R

ussia has announced a “humanitarian pause” in its bombing of the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Moscow said it would halt operations in Aleppo on Thursday for an eight-hour span between 08:00 (05:00 GMT) and 16:00.

The Russian Defence Ministry said the pause was agreed so that civilians and rebels could leave the city.

But United Nations agencies say at least 12 hours will be needed for that to happen.

“We would welcome any pause in the fighting, but there is a need for a longer

pause in order to get the aid in,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Russia’s announcement came on the day 14 members of one family were reportedly killed in a strike in Aleppo.

Volunteer rescuers in Syria said eight children and two women were among the dead after heavy bombing in the past 24 hours, with “bunker-buster” munitions shaking the ground.

Russian Defence Ministry official Sergei Rudskoy announced the pause in attacks on Monday afternoon.

“For that period, Russia’s air force and Syrian Government forces will halt air strikes and firing from other weapons.”

Russia has come under increasing criticism from Western nations for its attacks on rebel-held east Aleppo, with the US and several prominent political figures accusing Moscow of war crimes.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council also published findings on Monday that concluded Russia’s involvement – along with Syrian Government forces – may amount to war crimes. (Excerpt

from BBC News)

Clinton emails: ‘Quid pro quo’ bid to bury Benghazi message

A

State Department official offered a “quid pro quo” deal if the FBI would change the classification of a Hillary Clinton email, FBI documents indicate.

Under Secretary of State Patrick Kennedy asked the bureau to unclassify the message so it could be archived, “never to be seen again”.

He made the request in relation to an email about the 2012 attacks on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.

But the FBI said it did not change the classification level.

The email in question described reports in November 2012 that Libyan Police were arresting suspects in the attack of two months earlier, which left Ambassador Christopher Stephens and three other Americans dead.

The 100-page FBI document published on Monday

Hillary Clinton

says an unnamed FBI official was “pressured” in summer last year to change the classified Clinton email to unclassified.

The official said he had received a call from a colleague – whose name is also redacted – at the FBI’s International Operations Division.

The colleague said he had been contacted by Kennedy asking him to change the email’s classification level

in “exchange for a ‘quid pro quo’”.

The State Department, the document says, offered to “reciprocate by allowing the FBI to place more agents in countries where they are presently forbidden”.

Kennedy, according to the document, followed up on this matter at a subsequent meeting, spending 15 minutes attempting to influence the FBI to unclassify the Clinton email. (Excerpt from BBC News)

WikiLeaks: Julian Assange’s Internet access ‘cut’

W

ikiLeaks says an unidentified “state actor” has shut down Internet access for its founder, Julian Assange.

The transparency activist has been claiming asylum at London’s Ecuadorean Embassy since 2012 to avoid extradition over sex assault allegations.

There was no way to immediately verify if he had been knocked offline, and if so, how a state actor was suspected.

WikiLeaks has recently been releasing emails from Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

The anti-secrecy organisation did not return calls and emails on Monday, though it said in a tweet: “We have activated the appropriate contingency plans.”

A woman who picked up the phone at the Ecuadorean

Julian Assange has been claiming asylum at London’s Ecuadorean Embassy since 2012

Embassy said: “I cannot disclose any information.”

The Ambassador has not yet responded to emails, and London’s Metropolitan Police declined to comment.

The WikiLeaks claim follows the latest emails it disclosed from a hack of Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta’s emails.

It released three tran-

scripts on Saturday of Mrs Clinton’s paid speeches to Goldman Sachs, which her campaign had long refused to release.

The Democratic White House candidate’s camp has claimed the cyber-breach was orchestrated by Russian hackers with the aim of undermining the US democratic process. (Excerpt from BBC News)

16 News

tuesDay, october 18, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Aircraft found at Yupukari GWI defends use of originated from Colombia controversial Antinfek

T

− preliminary report completed

J

ust over two weeks of intense investigation into the discovery of an aircraft at Yupukari, Upper Essequibo-Upper Takutu, the preliminary report of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) led by Brigadier Retired, Edward Collins, was on Monday handed over to State Minister, Joseph Harmon.

The preliminary investigations revealed that the aircraft found on September 13 bearing registration number N767Z

The aircraft upon arrival at CJIA

Retired Brigadier Edwards Collins presenting the preliminary report to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon

originated from Colombia.

Enough intelligence gathering suggested that the aircraft developed engine problems and the pilots had a requirement to conduct a certain manoeuver in order not to lose consciousness.

“When they got to Guyana, because the aircraft could not start, it remained there for a while.

We have evidence to suggest that the residents found that site by August 18, 2016,” Collins revealed.

The Commissioner noted that during the investigations, it was also discov-

ered that residents were reluctant to provide information to the security forces. In light of this, it is likely that recommendations in the final report will include the development of better relations and communication between the security sector and the communities in those areas.

Concurrent to the CoI, a the Joint Services team headed by Superintendent Hugh Denheart of the Guyana Police Force, is conducting investigations and will pursue and probe the areas beyond the scope of the Terms of Reference

of the Commission.

Upon receiving the report, Harmon expressed Government’s gratitude for the work, which has been completed so far, even as he noted that the administration looks forward to the final document and its findings and recommendations.

“We look forward to the final report when its gets here as well as the recommendations to improving the communication in the hinterland and our borders and the timeliness of that information to the centre where the decisions have to be made,” the minister stated.

The Cessna aircraft was discovered hidden in a clump of bushes by Joint Service patrol.

Immediately upon discovery, a team of Joint Services—GDF, GPF, CANU—investigators was dispatched to the area.

Upon checking the US registration number, it was discovered to be false.

The aircraft was subsequently repaired and flown to Cheddi Jagan International Airport. It is currently secured at the GDF Air Corps Hangar.

Gunmen storm Diamond supermarket

F

ive armed men on Monday stormed a well-known supermarket located in Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Hua Supermarket, located at Lot 521 Section A, Block X, Diamond Public Road, was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash and other valuables.

The tenant of the building, identified only as “Deepa”, confirmed the robbery occurred to Guyana Times.

“Deepa”, who lives in the upper flat of the building, was cleaning her home when a staffer knocked on her door to inform her of the incident.

She explained that the proprietors of the establishment were not present

The Hua Supermarket which was stormed by gunmen

at the time of the robbery, but their relative who was there was beaten by the gunmen.

Reports indicate that the perpetrators also cut the telephone line to ensure that no one would be able to call for help.

This is the second time gunmen hit the property, as the owner of the building disclosed that she was robbed in July.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

he Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) on Monday defended its decision to use the chemical Antinfek in the treatment of potable water, stating that claims that the product is harmful for human consumption are false.

Guyana Times first reported that GWI was using the chemical, which not only Haiti refused to use, but is without certification from the US National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and failed to demonstrate its ability to meet the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) limited protection microbiological performance targets.

However, GWI in a statement on Monday said that Antinfek is an organic chemical that is being researched while noting that reports that the use of Antinfek has replaced that of chlorine for the decontamination of water were untrue.

“GWI also wishes to categorically state that chlorine is being used as the sole disinfecting agent in all the treatment plants, while laboratory studies are being done on the use of other treatment alternatives. For the period of September– October, 2016, GWI purchased 342 cylinders of chlorine gas from JCI Jones Chemicals and Ansa McAL Group of Companies to treat water,” the statement said.

It also argued that it was found that the residual concentration of chlorine has a short life, thus it does not

protect the water from recontamination during prolonged storage, while highlighting that Antinfek was tested by a number of other laboratories in Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Switzerland, Ghana, Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago and Germany, all showing favourable results in its use.

This publication reported that the matter regarding the use of Antinfek was

recently raised at the level of GWI’s executive meeting when it was discovered that Antinfek was procured, being used and will be used for disinfection at different locations within GWI. This newspaper has seen internal communication at GWI, which points to the fact that the GWI’s Scientific Services Manager had vehemently objected to its use.

According to the communications seen by this publication, the meeting heard that online information with regard to Antinfek suggests that the product has failed to gain certification

by NSF. It was also reported to the GWI management that the trademark application made for Antinfek has a status of ‘abandoned’ since December 2006 as the applicant failed to file a ‘statement of use’.

Antinfek is manufactured by Dovebiotech Group of Companies which describes the chemical as a powerful organic bio-polymer-based compound, effective in decontamination of water against waterborne diseases, bacterium and fungi.

Internal communication seen by Guyana Times corroborate reports that the GWI Scientific Services Manager, in outlining objections to the use of the chemical, pointed out that not only is the information on the product’s label insufficient and incomplete but “to date we have not been able to source equipment to test for Antinfek in water and as a department, we cannot monitor its use.”

It was pointed out too that research suggests that the chemical was not recommended for approval for household water treatment distribution in Haiti, which had no NSF certification for drinking water use.

But, GWI in its statement argued that it was just one university which determined that the chemical was not safe for use in Haiti, which is insufficient to disregard its advantages altogether.

Region 10 Farmers Association hosts Coconut Expo − creative uses of coconuts displayed

W

ith the official opening of Guyana’s Coconut Festival just days away, the Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Berbice) Farmers Association on Monday hosted a coconut exposition at the LindenGeorgetown minibus park, in Linden.

The event saw the display of numerous creative coconut products as well as coconut seedlings. Products on display included coconut oil, achar, sugar cake, salara, pointer brooms and even hats and clothing. Dishes that utilised coconuts, including the popular cook- up rice, were also featured.

One exhibitor, Ms Razack, a farmer from West Watooka in Linden, took time out to explain her displays as she outlined the numerous uses of coconuts.

She explained that when dried, the coconut husks can be used as a substitute for sand and grass for students involved in school projects.

Additionally, she said the copra can be used to make bags, decorations, craft and floral arrangements. Grated frozen packaged coconut,

Ms Razack outlining the many uses of coconuts

a product of Linden-based manufacturing company Chanzar's Enterprise was also on display at the Expo.

Prior to the hosting of the event, the Association also hosted a coconut essay writing competition, which attracted the participation of various primary schools in Linden. The students were required to write an essay titled, "What would it take to set up a coconut industry in Linden?”

Brandon Bynoe copped first place, while Matina Gentle, both of the Watooka Day Primary, copped second place. Third place was awarded to Jameela

Sampson of the Amelia's Ward Primary School.

Speaking at the event, resident Bayberd Winslow Parris said the community was home to many coconut trees; however, residents were not making good use of the product.

Parris declared that it was time that citizens of Linden make better use of coconuts, emphasising their many uses. In a gesture to promote farming and the planting of coconut trees, attendees also received free coconut seedlings. The farmers also took the opportunity to showcase numerous other vegetables and fruits.

News

17

tuesday, october 18, 2016 | guyana-times.com

Corentyne woman stabbed to death by reputed husband

A

Corentyne, Berbice woman was stabbed to death by her reputed husband of 19 years on Monday afternoon.

Dead is Yansen Tamika Brush, 38, of Lot 20 Second Street, Ulverston Village, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The mother of four operated the canteen at the Alness Primary School. Her reputed husband, Winston Benjamin, also known as “Blood”, is a cane harvester attached to the Skeldon Sugar Factory.

Reports are the stabbing took place at a shop two houses away from Brush’s home about 13:30h on Monday.

Owner of the shop, Beverly Green related that the now dead woman was stabbed five times before collapsing. Recounting the incident, Green related that Brush was a customer at the shop along with her reputed husband.

“Yansen came to buy Kool-Aid; Winston came like a minute after to buy sugar, when Yansen saw Winston I see she move aside a little. So I ask she ‘Wha happen to ya’ll two?’.

Yansen then say them quarrel and she weary sin she soul and seh God

Dead: Yansen Tamika Brush

and the court will decide.

As soon as she said that, Winston whip out a knife and he immediately start stabbing Yansen.”

According to the shopkeeper, Brush tried to escape, but there was not enough space for her to escape from the cane cutter.

“So I run around and try to grab the knife from Winston and so Yansen escape from Winston and she tried to go out the gate, but the gate was closed and she just head into the house.”

Green explained that she continued to hold on to the suspect, who took off his shirt in a bid to get away, but she continued to hold on to him and attempted to take the knife,

but he switched it to another hand.

“He start saying ‘loose me, gal; loose me, gal’, so I loose him and he run down the street and out to the road and when I turn to go in, I see Yansen bleeding in front the door; she collapse… she give a deep breath and she eye turn up an she was lifeless,” Green further related.

She said the suspect headed towards the backdam area and took with him the knife which he used.

The dead woman’s sister, Roxanne Brush told Guyana Times that Yansen moved back home four years ago, but still shared a visiting relationship with Benjamin. She referred to the first 15 years of their relationship as abusive.

The dead woman’s sister explained that she heard screams coming from the shop. “I run out. Then I see the shop lady holding Winston and I run in and see Yansen bleeding.

The last thing she tell me is ‘I'm not going to make it,’ and then she collapse,” the grieving sister recalled.

Brush leaves to mourn her father, siblings and four children ages 18, 13, 8 and one. (Andrew Carmichael)

Businessman robbed near Police Headquarters

A

fuel dealer of Barima, North West District was on Monday relieved of close to $6.2 million by four armed men in the vicinity of Police Headquarters, Eve Leary.

The 32-year-old businessman, Randy France and his taxi driver for the past six years were reportedly sitting in a parked car at the Kingston seawall close to the Tactical Services Unit, Eve Leary when he was relieved of a bag containing the money.

Reports are the businessman travelled to the city to transact business at

the Guyana Energy Agency but before going for his appointment at 13:30h he went to a city bank where he changed a cheque worth $5, 610 000. In addition, he had another $630, 000 in his possession. However, after leaving the bank, the duo went to the German Restaurant where they purchased some food and went to the seawall where they had lunch and waited for the 13:30h appointment at GEA. It was while waiting they were accosted by the gunmen.

The man's driver’s licence, passport, Tax

Identification Number (TIN) and Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) card for another bank were also in the bag with which the gunmen escaped from the scene.

Upon doing so, the men then entered a Toyota Raum and made good their escape. The Police have since arrested the taxi driver in connection with the robbery, but the businessman has been using his services for the past six years.

The Police are continuing their investigations.

17-year-old charged with robbery under arms

S

herwin Thompson, 17, of Lot 24 West La Penitence, Georgetown, was slapped with two counts of robbery thus he appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

It is alleged that on October 13, 2016, at Georgetown, while being in

the company of another and armed with a gun, he robbed Diana Richards of $14,520.

Also, on the same day and at the same location, he robbed Stephen Emanuel of an undisclosed sum of cash.

His female attorney denied the allegations, explaining that her client was wrongfully accused and was also

beaten by villagers in a case of mistaken identity.

However, the prosecution contended that the defendant was caught and beaten by villagers after Richard’s raised an alarm as she was being robbed.

He was remanded to prison and is expected to return to court on October 25, 2016.

Former news anchor appointed GNBA’s CEO F

ormer Guyana Television (now renamed National Communications Network), Dr Prudence Lewis-Bhola has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA).

The GNBA in a statement Monday said that its governing board officially appointed Dr Lewis-Bhola effective September 26, 2016.

“Possessing a wealth of experience in broadcasting for over a decade and an extensive background in private sector management, Dr Lewis-Bhola exemplifies all the requisite skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to successfully execute the mandate of the GNBA,” the statement said.

Newly-appointed CEO of GNBA, Dr Prudence Lewis-Bhola

Dr Lewis-Bhola currently holds a doctorate in Transformational Leadership, as well as a Bachelor of Laws and a Social Sciences Degree in

Communication from the University of Guyana.

The GNBA said that the new CEO is convinced that there is much to be done at this time and is eager to make a positive contribution to the GNBA and the broadcast sector as a whole.

“Keenly aware of the issues and challenges of the local broadcast landscape, she is optimistic that much can be achieved from meaningful engagement and collaboration with all stakeholders in the broadcast industry,” it stated.

According to the broadcast authority, Dr LewisBhola has already begun strategic planning sessions with GNBA’s senior management and intends to hold consultations with broadcasters over the next two months.

2014 Plantain Walk fatal stabbing

Murder weapon tendered into evidence

A

s the trial of a Plantain Walk, West Bank Demerara, mother accused of fatally stabbing her common-law husband, Curtis McKinnon, 38, two years ago continues, the murder weapon was tendered in evidence at the High Court.

Nicola Joseph is on trial for allegedly killing her husband on July 21, 2014 at their home during an altercation.

In the case being heard before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow and a jury of seven men and five women, Police Constable Alex Solomon took to the witness box on Monday where he explained that he was the first Police rank to arrive in the bedroom of the Lot 12 Plantain Walk home where the stabbing occurred.

The courtroom was shown a brown-handled stainless steel knife that was tendered as the murder weapon. Additionally, a blood-stained mint green mosquito net was also tendered as evidence.

Under cross-examination

by Defence Counsel Sonia Parag, the witness was grilled as to why the murder weapon was not photographed as with other pieces of evidence at the murder scene. Constable Solomon explained that as he was first to arrive, he wanted to secure the murder weapon, noting that it bore drops of blood stains. Solomon however admitted that he was unaware whether or not the knife was dusted for fin-

Curtis McKinnon

ger prints. He further noted that the knife was not shown to the two other Policemen Sergeant Dyal and Sergeant Singh - both of whom arrived on site sometime later.

The two children of the murder-accused also took the stand to give evidence.

At this point Joseph faced her head down for much of the two testimonies.

First up was 19-year-old Joshua Perou who explained that his stepfather shared a bedroom with his mother, and the four siblings, including himself shared the other bedroom.

He stated that on the day in questioned, “Uncle Curtis” went into the bedroom along with his two young sisters, who were also the children of the deceased man. The jurors were told that his mother, Joseph, arrived home some 30 minutes after and an argument ensued. However, he told the court that he could not make out what was being stated.

He explained that he pulled the curtain to see

what was occurring but was told by his mother to leave the room.

While the young man stressed that he could not recall if his mother had anything in her hand, he noted that she went into the kitchen after which she returned to the bedroom.

Minutes after, he heard a “chocking sound” and pulled the curtain and saw his step-father bleeding from the chest area. All the while, the witness claimed that his mother was standing at the couple’s bedside.

Perou added that he panicked, then ran to get neighbours, assistance, who assisted in transporting his stepfather to the hospital via taxi. When questioned by Prosecutor Siand Dhurjon, the witness told the court that he never saw injuries on his mother that night. When further questioned, he said that the couple shared a loving relationship and that the July 2014 incident was the first time such violence occurred.

The defence however sought to establish that his mother was being beaten at the time of the altercation.

Meanwhile, the 17-yearold’s sister confirmed most of what her brother told court about the argument.

However, she explained that she did hear her mother complain of being beaten and added that when her brother went into the room, he shouted: “Uncle Curt and mommy, ya’ll stop!” The matter will continue at the High Court this morning.

18

guyana-times.com

tuesday, october 18, 2016

ARCHIE

Be receptive to new ideas, but reluctant to follow some(March 21- one who hasn’t got a good April 19) track record. It’s up to you to conduct your due diligence before entering into a partnership or negotiation.

ARIES

Money matters should be TAURUS dealt with carefully and se(April 20- cretively if you want to avoid May 20) loss and disputes. A physical challenge will help clear your head enough for you to find a unique solution.

dilbert

Emotions will surface GEMINI quickly, leaving you in an (May 21awkward position if you don’t June 20) have an alternative plan in place. Nurture important partnerships before the situation spins out of control.

Gravitate toward the unusual and do things that allow (June 21- you to use your creativity and July 22) imagination. Walk away from no-win situations and people who are spoiling for a fight.

CANCER

Peanuts

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Keep emotional matters in perspective and stay focused on what you can do to make things better. Home improvements or alterations to your living situation will lead to personal benefits.

Test your skills before you VIRGO go public with a project. You (Aug. 23may want to do a little fineSept. 22) tuning to avoid criticism.

Problems with a loved one will surface if you aren’t attentive.

Calvin and Hobbes

LIBRA Your ideas are interesting, (Sept. 23- but may not hold water. Make Oct. 23) sure you pay attention to every little detail to avoid a costly mistake. Rely on your experience and call in experts when in doubt.

WORD GAME

SUDOKU

Discuss important matSCORPIO ters with discretion. Giving (Oct. 24personal information to the Nov. 22) wrong person will come back to haunt you. A romantic relationship will take an interesting turn.

Lead the pack instead of SAGITTARIUS standing in the background.

(Nov. 23- Speak up, air your views and Dec. 21) don’t worry about being opposed by someone jealous of your charisma, confidence and skills.

solution for Last Published Puzzle

Live, learn and experiCAPRICORN ence.

It’s important not to (Dec. 22judge what others do, but to Jan. 19) focus on the best way to improve your skills, knowledge and expertise.

Money matters can be adAQUARIUS dressed and contracts can be (Jan. 20negotiated. You stand to make Feb. 19) gains if you stick to your principles and honor your promises. Romance is encouraged.

Celebrate your success.

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

PISCES Don’t feel pressured to (Feb. 20- make a decision you aren’t March 20) equipped to make. Walk away from anyone using emotional blackmail to coerce you into something that doesn’t feel right.

tuesdAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship

Liverpool & Man Utd play out disappointing draw

Guyana drawn alongside Jamaica, Bahamas in Group A

Manchester United keeper David de Gea saves a shot from Philippe Coutinho

The draw was conducted in Doral, Florida, USA

T

he Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) and Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW) yesterday conducted the draw for the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship Bahamas 2017, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Doral, Florida, USA. The draw, which determined the groups and match schedule for the tournament that kicks off on February 20, in Nassau, was opened with welcoming remarks from Philippe Moggio, CONCACAF General Secretary and Anton Sealey, President of the Bahamas Football Association. The event was conducted with the assistance of Bahamas National Team players Gavin Christie and Leslie St. Fleur.

Tournament host Bahamas, who was seeded into Group A will face Jamaica, Belize and Guyana.

In Group B, defending CONCACAF Beach Soccer champion Mexico was joined

by Guatemala, Canada and Guadeloupe, while United

States, Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda and US Virgin Islands make up Group C. El Salvador will be in Group D with Costa Rica, Panama and Turks & Caicos Islands.

The Malcom Beach Soccer Facility will host all group, quarter-final, semifinal, third place and final matches.

The champion and the runner-up of the competition will join host Bahamas as the three CONCACAF representatives in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup 2017. In case Bahamas (host of the World Cup) and/ or Guadeloupe (Non-FIFA Member) reach the final match, the World Cup spot(s) will be allocated to the next best placed team(s).

In an effort to further develop Beach Soccer, each one of the sixteen participating Member Associations are guaranteed to play six games, with all competing for final tournament placement, until the last match date.

For the draw, the Participating Member Associations were separat-

CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship Bahamas 2017 Groups

Group A Bahamas Jamaica Belize Guyana

Group C

United States Trinidad & Tobago Antigua & Barbuda US Virgin Islands

Group B Mexico Guatemala Canada Guadeloupe

Group D

El Salvador Costa Rica Panama Turks & Caicos Islands

19

ed into pots of four balls according to the Beach Soccer World Wide Ranking dated September 2016. The draw started by selecting from a separate pot, which contained the five teams with the same exact ranking (38).

These teams were drawn and placed into Pots 3 and 4 respectively to complete the distribution of the teams into those Pots. The teams were then drawn into the four groups, from those final pots of four teams each.

CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship Bahamas 2017 Schedule Monday, February 20, 2017 Guatemala v Canada Mexico v Guadeloupe Trinidad & Tobago v Antigua & Barbuda United States v US Virgin Islands Jamaica v Belize Bahamas v Guyana Tuesday, February 21, 2017 Costa Rica v Panama El Salvador v Turks & Caicos Islands Guadeloupe v Guatemala Canada v Mexico Guyana v Jamaica Belize v Bahamas Wednesday, February 22, 2017 US Virgin Islands v Trinidad & Tobago Antigua & Barbuda v United States Turks & Caicos Islands v Costa Rica Panama v El Salvador Belize v Guyana Bahamas v Jamaica Thursday, February 23, 2017 Canada v Guadeloupe Mexico v Guatemala Antigua & Barbuda v US Virgin Islands United States v Trinidad & Tobago Panama v Turks & Caicos Islands El Salvador v Costa Rica

L

iverpool and Manchester United played out a goalless and uneventful stalemate on a disappointing night at Anfield.

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool would have drawn level on points with leaders Manchester City with a fifth successive Premier League victory, but were subdued by a classic Jose Mourinho performance of defensive organisation and discipline.

United did not allow Liverpool to build the momentum and intensity that has characterised their game this season, while Mourinho’s limited attacking ambitions ensured chances were at a premium.

The Portuguese was still grateful for two fine secondhalf saves from goalkeeper David de Gea, who dived low to stop Emre Can and saved athletically from Philippe Coutinho’s 25-yard effort.

United’s best chance also came in the second half, but the unmarked Zlatan Ibrahimovic directed Paul Pogba’s cross off target.

The visitors had just 35% of possession - their lowest in a Premier League match since Opta began recording the data in 2003-04.

While this deadlock does little for the ambitions of both teams, there is no doubt who will be the happier manager.

This was, in so many respects, the most Mourinho performance of his short time at United.

Klopp came on to the pitch at the final whistle to applaud Liverpool’s fans,

but there was a tinge of disappointment in his measured tread as he trudged off.

His side’s promising start to the season has been built on pressing opponents into submission - a high-pressure style that has brought victories at Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as nine goals in two home wins against Leicester City and Hull City.

But Mourinho picked a powerful, athletic side and instructed them to turn the tables on Liverpool’s pressing game.

Ander Herrera was at the heart of United’s smothering gameplan, almost operating in the pockets of Coutinho and Roberto Firmino in midfield, while Liverpool were never given a second.

They simply could not find a way through.

United held their shape and discipline, much to their manager’s satisfaction, although he still needed those two superb saves from De Gea, and a magnificent saving tackle from Antonio Valencia to stop Firmino as he raced in on goal.

It was classic Mourinho, a tactic he has perfected and utilised throughout his career, and Anfield’s increasing anger and frustration will have been music to his ears.

Peripheral Pogba

This match should have been the perfect stage for the £89m Pogba - but once again he was a peripheral figure.

The world’s most expensive player was used in a more advanced role and is certainly on the same wavelength as Ibrahimovic, delivering a perfect cross which the Swede should have converted.

In other aspects, though, he operated on the margins of the game and failed to exert the influence expected of a player of his quality and experience.

United will expect much more as the season goes on.

Referee Taylor keeps control

Anthony Taylor was the man in the middle in every sense after the heat generated by the appointment of the Manchester-based official for a meeting between these two fierce rivals.

Mourinho said the appointment made it “difficult” for Taylor, and put him under pressure - comments being investigated by the Football Association - while former referee Keith Hackett even suggested it represented a risk to his and his family’s safety.

It certainly increased the scrutiny on Taylor, who felt the wrath of The Kop within minutes - complete with colourful reminders about his place of residence - when he did not book Marcus Rashford for a foul on James Milner.

It was to the official’s credit that he did not buckle in the atmosphere, kept discipline without resorting to a rash of yellow cards, and controlled a game that always has explosive potential. (BBC Sport)

20

W

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

tuesday, october 18, 2016

Stafanie Taylor

est Indies women’s captain Stafanie Taylor believes that having come back to level their five-game One Day International series against England puts the regional side in a good place to go on and win the make or break ODI at Sabina Park on Wednesday.

Playing in the fourth ODI, down 2-1, The West Indies were bolstered by a brilliant allround performance from the skipper, where she made 85 before turning up in the field to bag 3-22 from 10 overs of bowling.

“It sets us up well going into the last game. We know that it is not going to be easy but we want these points,” said Taylor, who scored her runs from 129 deliveries, hitting six fours and two sixes. Taylor was referring to points garnered for winning games that are part of the ICC Women’s Championships.

Those championships pit the top eight cricket-playing nations against each other, with the top four earning automatic berths to the Women’s World Cup. The West Indies are joint second with England on 22 points.

“I think the win was more needed than my performance,” said Taylor, saying that much of her job as skipper is to motivate some of the younger players in the team.

“The team is young and I think sometimes we get a bit flat when things aren’t going well. But we have a saying

We really want CONCACAF wants to give those points - minnows more qualifiers Stafanie Taylor C that if we have that belief then we can do it. I believe that all we need is just motivation. It’s just for me to motivate young players,” said Taylor.

There can be no better motivation than Taylor’s

that point. “[The collapse] wasn’t much of a surprise. We were supporting, we just needed a breakthrough and we knew with new batters at the crease you can create pressure,” said Taylor, who gave

Lots will depend on West Indies Women Skipper, Stafanie Taylor who is in good form with bat and ball

performance in the last game and she is very much aware of the importance of not just the performance but of the timing of it.

“I think it came at a good time, I think it was crucial for me to stay out there and get the team to a good target,” said Taylor.

When the West Indies bowled, England were in a very strong position but collapsed, losing eight wickets for 48 runs, making it the second time that something of that nature had happened. The collapse was not a surprise for Taylor, who believes her team were doing all the right things up to

the English credit for the way they approached the total.

“They got a good start, give them the credit, I think they batted well, I can’t really say our bowlers bowled really badly ... but I think they just created their opportunities,” she said.

Come tomorrow, the skipper is aware that a stronger allround performance will be necessary.

“We are at home and England are away. We need to make our presence felt.”

The fifth and final ODI bowls off at 09:30h (Jamaica time) on Wednesday at Sabina Park. (Sportsmax)

ONCACAF chief, Victor Montagliani, is looking seriously into revamping the region’s World Cup qualifying format.

The move, Montagliani has said, would be so as to give some of the smaller territories more opportunities at big football.

According to Montagliani, the fact that only six countries are still in with a chance of making it ro Russia, with two years to go before the World Cup there, poses a problem.

At present, there are Victor Montagliani home-and-away fixtures among the smaller of the CONCACAF teams, who are then joined, almost three years before the World Cup, by the six seeded teams in the region.

At that point, there are 12 teams in three groups of four, which will then be whittled down to six for a hexagonal finalround group.

According to Montagliani, this process, which has been around since 1998, does not afford the smaller teams very much international experience, and therefore little in the way of improvement.

But some of the bigger nations, the United States in particular, under the guidance of coach Jurgen Klinsmann believe this is a step in the wrong direction.

Klinsmann, for instance, believes the United States can only benefit by playing more quality games, the number of which would be reduced by any process that makes the qualification process more inclusive. (Sportsmax)

Kyrgios banned for 8 weeks & fined $25,000 by ATP

Nick Kyrgios

A

ustralian Nick Kyrgios has been banned for eight tournament weeks and fined $25,000 (£20,560) for his behaviour - including “lack of best efforts” - during last week’s Shanghai Masters.

The 21-year-old patted the ball over the net several times when serving in his 6-3 6-1 defeat by Mischa Zverev.

He also began walking back to his chair before a Zverev serve had landed.

Kyrgios has agreed to an ATP plan that he consult a sports psychologist, which would reduce the ban to three weeks.

The world number 14 said he was “truly sorry” and would “use this time off to improve on and off the court”.

He added: “I regret that

my year is ending this way. I do understand and respect the decision by the ATP. “The season has been a long one as I battled several injuries and other challenges towards the end of the summer.

“My body finally just gave out in Shanghai both physically and mentally.

“This is no excuse, and I know very well that I need to apologise to the fans.”

Kyrgios’ eight-week suspension would end on 15 January 2017, but by committing to the ATP’s “plan of care under the direction of a sports psychologist” he will be able to return on 7 November.

Tennis Australia said Kyrgios has agreed to seek professional help and that it would continue to offer advice.

During his match against Zverev, Kyrgios also argued with a fan and received a code violation for swearing, after which he was fined $16,500 (£13,546)

for breaching the ATP code of conduct.

Last week, British world number two Andy Murray said he was “not convinced” a fine was the best solution.

“Sometimes players do need protecting. Sometimes he goes into press and says things he regrets,” said the Scot.

“In those situations he maybe needs to be guided a little bit better.”

World number one Novak Djokovic said: “I share the opinion of many players and many people in the tennis world that he’s one of the greatest talents the game has seen lately.”

In 2015, Kyrgios was banned for 28 days and fined $25,000 for making lewd remarks about Stan Wawrinka’s girlfriend during a Rogers Cup match in Montreal.

He was also criticised for his displays at Wimbledon and the US Open, and withdrew from Rio 2016 following a row with the Australian Olympic Committee. (BBC Sport)

YELLOW

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21

sports

Former West Indies Captain Jimmy Adams has left his role as head coach of Kent after 5 seasons

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he 48-year-old, who played 54 Tests and 127 one-day internationals, joined the club before the start of the 2012 campaign.

Kent finished second in Division Two of the County Championship this year, missing out on promotion.

“I’ve enjoyed my time at Kent which has been a great learning experience for me,” he said.

“I wanted to be involved in a club that was seeking to grow and I am fortunate to have found that here at Kent over the past five seasons.”

Kent’s second-placed finish in Division Two is their highest since Adams’ first year in charge, when they

Jimmy Adams succeeded Paul Farbrace as Kent’s head coach

ended the season third in the table.

With Division One being restructured for the 2017

season onwards, only one promotion place to the top flight was available.

However, Kent are cur-

rently calling for arbitration with the England and Wales Cricket Board as Durham were relegated for financial reasons, allowing Hampshire a reprieve from the drop rather than Kent being promoted.

Kent’s best performance in the One-Day Cup under Adams came when they reached the semi-finals in 2014, while they progressed to the last eight of the T20 Blast in 2015.

Kent chairman George Kennedy said: “Jimmy’s commitment to developing Kentish cricket talent is shown by the core of homegrown players now at the heart of our professional squad.” (BBC Sport)

Jeffrey, Toney win big at Barbell Wars A

fter the dust was settled at the Queens College Auditorium, it was Marino Jeffrey and Tiniesha Toney who powered their way to top honours in the Barbell Wars on Sunday. The highly competitive championship was made possible through the efforts of Fitness Express and Guyana Amateur Power lifting Federation.

The competition attracted a number of the country’s top lifters and was split into male and female categories in the novelty dead lift.

In the Male division, Jeffrey piped Daniel Sooklall for first place while Paul Adams rounded off the top three positions.

In the female division Tiniesha Toney en-

Daniel Sooklall and Tiniesha Toney display their prizes

joyed the spoils and was closely followed by Krystal Chanderban and Shawnell Warner who finished second and third respectively.

Top female contender, Nessa Bhagwandin won the Novelty dead lift while Erwyn Smith won it for the males.

The organizers wish to expend thanks to their sponsors, De Sinco Trading, Trophy Stall and Pizza Hut and all spectators and athletes who turned out.

While the event was a success, it was not short of hiccups however, the organizing committee is aiming to make this an annual event and fitness enthusiasts can expect a much more high-caliber 2017 edition of the event.

Australian Test players "like a tumour"

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x-Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has said some players have been “like a tumour” on the sport, but denied calling Shane Watson “a cancer”.

Appearing on Australian Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes programme, Clarke addressed many of the controversies that defined his 115Test career.

He spoke about how he thought he was a bad vicecaptain and that he had riled former team-mates.

But he also attempted to clarify previous comments about his team-mates.

According to leaked court documents, former coach Mickey Arthur claimed in 2013 that Clarke had called Watson “a cancer” on the national side.

But Clarke told the programme: “No, I didn’t say

that.

“I said that there is a number of players, a group in this team at the moment, that are like a tumour and if we don’t fix it, it’s going to turn into a cancer.”

Asked if that applied to Watson, Clarke replied: “Shane was one of those players, yes.”

Clarke also shed light on an infamous dressingroom blow-up at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2009 after the Test win over South Africa.

Team-mate Simon Katich reportedly grabbed then vice-captain Clarke by the shirt over a disagreement about when the team song would be sung.

He said he had “every reason” to be angry, but “I don’t think my language was appropriate”.

Clarke also revealed that

Michael Clarke and Shane Watson during the 2013 Ashes Test series

cricket has never been the same for him after the death of his friend and team-mate Phillip Hughes.

Hughes was hit in the neck by a ball in November 2014 and died a few days later.

“I guess I probably tried to tell myself that there was

a chance he’d be OK,” Clarke said.

“But I think I knew there wasn’t. I spent the whole night talking to him. That breaks my heart the most.

“It was always hard to play cricket after that. I felt fear for the first time in my life when I played cricket.” (BBC

Sport)

22

GUYANA-TIMES.COM

tuesday, october 18, 2016

Bravo makes Pakistan toil for late victory in 400th Test

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akistan’s bowlers held their nerve to seize a 56-run win over West Indies after an intense, attritional fifth day in Dubai, in which Darren Bravo led his side’s plucky tilt at a comefrom-behind victory. Bravo scored a 249-ball 116, taking his side to within 83 runs of the target, before Pakistan finally overcame his dogged resistance to wrest back a match that had looked like slipping away. They wrapped it up with 12 overs remaining, to register a memorable win in their 400th Test.

For much of the final day, Bravo proved to be an immovable object at the centre of the Dubai cricket ground. He carried forward his fine form and doughty resistance from the first innings, showing the application and patience to rebuff whatever Pakistan Misbah-ul-Haq ran Miguel Cummins out much to the delight of Yasir Shah threw at him. His forward defensive shots, of which there a tired drive off Yasir Shah, managing only to squirt the ball were many, were perfectly middled, and he was equally con- back towards the bowler, whose sensational diving catch was vincing when leaving the ball. On occasion, he unfurled one of the last, decisive turn on a gripping final day. his crisp drives or cuts to the off-side boundary, but his knock Yet West Indies had made Pakistan work much harder was more about grit than flair. for the win than they would have expected after a promising Bravo began the day batting on 26 off 67, with West Indies start to the day. After Pakistan’s demoralising collapse on the on 95 for 2, still 251 runs short of their target. After seeing previous day, Amir’s first-ball wicket was just the tonic they Marlon Samuels depart off the first ball of the day and los- needed. It was a rather unremarkable delivery, bowled from around the wicket, pitching on a good length well outside off and angling in. Samuels was drawn into poking at a ball he could easily have left and a thin edge was gleefully accepted by Sarfraz Ahmed behind the stumps.

Blackwood, coming in at No. 5, played a scratchy knock, fishing at balls outside off, with the bat well away from the Pakistan 1st Innings 579/3 dec ML Cummins run out (Misbahbody.

He got away with numerous plays and misses against ul-Haq) 1 West Indies 1st Innings 357 Amir, as well as a checked drive off a slower ball that fell beST Gabriel run out Pakistan 2nd Innings 123 tween mid-off and mid-on. But it was to spin that he perished, (Babar Azam/†Sarfraz Ahmed) 1 when he played a length ball from Mohammad Nawaz from Extras (b-5, lb-7, w-5, nb-4) 21 West Indies 2nd innings deep in his crease and was wrapped on the pads in front of leg (overnight 95/2) (target: 346 Total (all out; 109 overs) (2.65 runs per over) 289 runs) stump. Chase then joined Bravo for a partnership that steadiFall of wickets 1-27 (Brathwaite, KC Brathwaite b Mohammad ly revived West Indies and unsettled Pakistan over the course 6 8.1 ov), 2-87 (Johnson, 25.4 Amir of 28.2 overs of stubborn fight. Wahab and Sohail Khan testov), 3-95 (Samuels, 31.1 ov), LR Johnson lbw b Mohammad ed the batsmen with occasional bouncers and yorkers, Amir 4-116 (Blackwood, 42.4 ov), Amir 47 bowled probing lines, the spinners plugged away - but Bravo 5-193 (Chase, 70.6 ov), 6-194 DM Bravo c & b Yasir Shah 116 (Dowrich, 71.2 ov), 7-263 and Chase looked untroubled through it all.

MN Samuels c †Sarfraz Ahmed (Bravo, 94.6 ov), 8-276 (Bishoo, By the 71st over, Chase’s confidence had grown to the exb Mohammad Amir 4 101.5 ov), 9-277 (Cummins, tent that he dared to drive Yasir against the turn for a bound104.2 ov), 10-289 (Gabriel, lbw b J Blackwood ary through midwicket. Perhaps that was when confidence Mohammad Nawaz 15 108.6 ov) became overconfidence. Next ball, Yasir flighted another one Bowling: Mohammad Amir 23RL Chase b Yasir Shah 35 5-63-3 (w-1), Sohail Khan pitching outside leg and Chase attempted the same shot again.

SO Dowrich† b Wahab Riaz 0 10-1-22-0, Yasir Shah 41-6-113This time the ball turned past his outside edge to crash into not out 40 2, Mohammad Nawaz 18-4-32JO Holder* leg stump. Two balls later, Wahab yorked Shane Dowrich to D Bishoo lbw b Mohammad 2, Wahab Riaz 17-1-47-1 (nb-4) hit his middle and off stumps, sending him back for a first-ball Nawaz 3 duck. West Indies were now reeling at 194 for 6, and Pakistan had a firm grip on proceedings again.

But Bravo was still at the crease and he had his captain, ing Jermaine Blackwood inside the first hour, Bravo shared Jason Holder, for company. The two men saw the side through a fighting 77-run fifth-wicket stand with Roston Chase and to dinner, leaving 114 to win in the final session. They concontinued his vigil well after Chase departed. As West Indies tinued to chip away at the target after the resumption, and pursued what would have been their second-highest success- Pakistan’s anxiety gradually built. ful chase, more and more came to depend on Bravo. He shoulWhen Amir wrapped Holder on the front pad with a dedered that burden until almost an hour into the final session. livery that appeared to be sliding down, Pakistan’s review of But with 83 runs to win and four wickets in hand, he played the not-out decision seemed more out of desperation than expectation. Hawk-Eye gave them no respite.

Another hopeful review followed when Yasir’s appeal for a catch at slip was turned down. The ball had gone off Holder’s pad. Pakistan had no reviews remaining. West Indies were 84 runs from victory. The tension was mounting.

Two balls later, Yasir flew to his left to take the return catch of Bravo that decisively swung the match in Pakistan’s favour. West Indies’ last three wickets added 26 runs, but the sting had gone out of the contest, and a pair of run-outs handed Pakistan a hard-fought win.

SCOREBOARD

Roston Chase clips the ball away in his stand of 77 with Darren Bravo

(ESPNcricinfo)

GFF/NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power National Under-17 League...

Beavers beat 7-man Wales

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Telbert Baptiste

he action continued over the weekend in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Power, National Under-17 League at the Den Amstel ground, as part of the West Demerara Football Association (WDFA) leg of matches with Beavers FC continuing their winning ways when they trounce a seven-man Wales FC 1-0.

The lone goal in the match came off the heels of Telbert Baptiste in the 21st minute. On Sunday, another match was marred by red cards, with FC Eagles eventually winning over Golden Warriors after protest.

On Saturday, Slingerz FC will clash with Wales United from 12:00h then on Sunday Den Amstel will host FC Eagles.

Title sponsors NAMILCO, have been urging both players and persons at large to live a healthy lifestyle by indulging in the usage of its heath oriented products Maid Marian Harvest High Fibre Whole Wheat Flour, Maid Marian Wheat-Up Breakfast Porridge, and Maid Marian Multigrain Flour among many other products.

Dancing is harder than cricket

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est Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has rated dancing as a harder discipline than cricket following an appearance on Indian dance competition show ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’.

The cricketer seemed fairly comfortable after dancing to a string of songs from India actor Salman Khan’s films, even copying a famous towel routine from the ‘Mujhse Shaadi Karogi’ title. The West Indian has admitted that being on stage had proven to be far harder than being on a cricket field.

“Dancing is harder than cricket. I finish off cricket practice in four hours, but with dancing, I have to keep at it for seven hours to make sure I am good,” Bravo said.

“Cricket is easy. I was born to play cricket so it comes naturally to me. Dancing is more difficult and challenging but it’s fun. I am here to give my full energy for ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’. I will give my best and try to win the tournament.” Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9, similar to the American reality show ‘Dancing With The Stars’ is a popular Indian dance reality show that pairs a dance professional with an amateur partner for various dance routines, which are then judged by a panel. The programme aired on Colors channel, is judged by Karan Johar, Jacqueline Fernandez and Ganesh Hegde. (Sportsmax)

guyana-times.com

tuesday, october 18, 2016

23

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anks DIH Limited has continued its support for the Inter Guiana Games when officials of the company presented a sponsorship package to the National Sports Commission ahead of the Games in Guyana this weekend.

Banks DIH will provide Rainforest Water a n d Powerade, a sports drink with electrolytes for the athletes and officials participating in the Games set for Friday to Sunday.

Water Beverage Brand Manager Clive Pellew made the presentation to Assistant Director of Sport Brian Smith during a simple ceremony at the NSC Office on Homestretch Avenue. Also present were Errol Nelson Band Manager of Banks DIH and R. Sooklall, Accountant of the NSC. Student athletes from Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname will compete at basketball, volleyball, badminton, futsal football, table tennis, swimming and track and field.

Smith thanked Banks DIH for supporting the annual Games which started back in 1967 and involved the three neighbouring territories that comprise the Guianas.

Assistant Director of Sport Brian Smith receives the sponsorship package from Banks DIH Water Beverage Manager Clive Pellew while Errol Nelson and Ms Sooklall of the NSC look on

National youth players headline Futsal team

Jeremy Garrett

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he 2016 edition of the Inter-Guiana Games between Guyana and Suriname are quickly approaching and the latest sport to name their team is Futsal.

Some of the 12 players selected are no stranger to the football arena since they have donned national or senior club football colours including Jeremy Garrett, Ryan Hackett and Kelsey Benjamin.

As per the rules of the competition, all participants must be 19 years old or under, as well as enlisted in an educational institution, of which all of the athletes satisfy.

The squad reads: Douquon Wilson, Romario Pain, Joel McGarrell, Ryan Hackett, Odel Gulliver, Jeremy Garrett, Daniel Collyer, Kendolph Lewis, Dobby David, Nyk Nichols, Cecil Jackman and Kelsey Benjamin.

Ryan Hackett

Thomas McKinnon will serve as Head-Coach while the Goalkeeper Coach and Team Manager positions will be occupied by Eon De Vieira and Dwaine Moses correspondingly.

The team officially entered encampment on Friday at the National Gymnasium and will be there until the completion of the tournament.

Guyana will be playing against Suriname during October 21-23 and there will be six other disciplines as part of the Goodwill Games; Volleyball, Track and Field, Swimming, Table Tennis and Badminton.

The venues to be used are; the national track and field facility at Leonora, the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue, the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Homestretch Avenue and the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal.

The talented pair of U-18 boys Heimraj Resaul and Mark McDonald will be looking to have a good run in French Guiana Sarah Klautky

I

n an effort to win the Tennis Inter Guiana Games after finishing second last year, the Guyana contingent will be made up of 12 of the best talented youth players.

This was revealed by President of the Guyana Tennis Association, Grace McCalman who is pleased with the team selected and is confident that the Golden Arrowhead can be flown proudly when the team travels to French Guiana for the Games.

Guyana will be sending both boys and girls across four age categories. In the Boys Under-12, the Marian Academy pair of Jeremiah Kalekyezi and Vadeanand Resaul will represent while Marian Academy’s Sarah Klautky and Sekai Akilah Jones of Green Acres School will be playing in the U-12 Girls.

In the U-14 division, Marian Academy

boys, Joshua Kalekyezi and Jordon Beaton were selected along with Ciara Pooran of St Rose’s High and Kalyca Fraser of Central High School.

Afruica Gentle of A p e x Secondary and Nicola Ramdyhan of The Bishops’ High will be competing in the U-18 Girls while the experienced Heimraj Resaul of Marian Academy and Mark McDonald of Reyaz Business Institute.

The competition began back in 2012 and was hosted

in Guyana last year. The organisers wished to make a clear distinction of the Games as separate from the Goodwill Games which will be hosted in Guyana this weekend.

The tournament which usually attracts the three Guianas; French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname will now include Martinique for the first time in the history of the event.

It is expected that the team will depart Guyana for French Guiana overland on October 26 and will spend a night in Suriname. The locals are scheduled to arrive at their destination on the night of October 27 for the Opening Ceremony while the competition will run from October 28-30.

Kalyca Fraser

tuesday, october 18, 2016

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

Pg 22

Darren Bravo celebrates his fighting ‘pink ball’ hundred

Bravo makes Pakistan toil for late victory in 400th Test Misbah-ul-Haq leads his team off after their hard fought victory in the Day/Night Test

Inter Guiana Games 2016…

National youth players headline Futsal team Pg 23

The National Gymnasium will host volleyball and badminton over the three days

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