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Guyana is ripe for investment

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week ending june 2, 2013

ISSUE NO. 144

- Minister Ali tells See story Florida forum on page 6

Guyana’s progress on gender equality hailed Page 24

Acting Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali listens to a delegate at the forum

These two young ladies performed a classical Indian dance at the Women’s Progressive Organisation cultural event to mark its 60th anniversary at the National Cultural Centre

Georgetown-Lethem road closer to reality

Page 12

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NEWS

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Argentina to expand bilateral relations with Guyana T

he Argentine embassy in Guyana celebrated the 203rd anniversary of Argentina’s 1810 May Revolution with a reception at the Pegasus Hotel Wednesday evening. The revolution was the last in a series of political events that installed the first government in Argentina.

There was no hostility involved, but it is called a revolution because it resulted in a dramatic change in Argentina’s political, social, and economical landscapes. According to Argentina’s Ambassador to Guyana Luis A Martino, his country is on a path to expand bilateral relationships

Argentine Ambassador to Guyana Luis Martino (left) in discussion with President Donald Ramotar and Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn RodriguesBirkett during a reception held at the Pegasus Hotel to mark the 203rd anniversary of Argentina's 1810 May Revolution (Carl Croker photo)

with Guyana and most importantly Caricom through trade and still maintains a relationship with the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

“Regional integration stands in the forefront of my country’s foreign policy and to reach this goal we strive for full respect of the democratic institutions, as well as ensuring the rule of law as special conditions of integration,” said the ambassador. He contended that the process of integration must include social prosperity for all the people and nations of South America. The ambassador said Argentina intends to expand its

relationship with the Caribbean region and Guyana plays a fundamental role as a bridge between South America and the Caribbean.

“I am happy to announce that we have already made the first step to open other embassies in the region – Suriname, Barbados and St Lucia,” he said, adding that “this position is the process to strengthen our political relations with Caricom and the Community of Latin American States (CELAC). During my tenure in Guyana, I will seek to strengthen our bi-lateral relationship as a whole.”

M e a n w h i l e , Continued on page 11

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INTERNATIONAL

Caribbean culture..

To contact: Guyana Times International

New York Office 106-15 Sutphin Blvd, Jamaica NY 11435 Email: guyanatimesnyint@gmail.com Tel no: 718-658-6804 Guyana Office Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana.

Tel no: (592) 227-0704, 227-0709.

Fax (592) 225-8696, 227-0685 Email: guyanatimesint@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

“Brutal” talks?

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etween stops in Colombia and Brazil, U. S. Vice President Joe Biden dropped into Trinidad and Tobago to sign a “Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA)” with the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

While President Michel Martelli of Haiti, as the current Chairman of Caricom, signed on behalf the community, Prime Minister of TT Kamla Bissessar-Persad described the three hours of discussions that preceded the signing as “brutal”. It is to be hoped that the TIFA, being a revision of the one originally signed in 1991, would lead to more substantive achievements than its predecessor. This should not be difficult since nothing was achieved under that initiative.

The annexed “action agenda” looks impressive: “World Trade Organisation (WTO)- related matters; bilateral trade and investment arrangements; cooperation in regional and multilateral areas; support for regional integration; cooperation to promote and respect fundamental labour rights, social protection, and workforce development; and the facilitation of trade and investment opportunities.”

But buried among the usual fluff – the “framework for the discussion of issues to address the digital divide through the promotion of innovation and the dissemination of technology for increasing competitiveness, job creation, economic development and trade”, there was the trade and investment-related legislation enacted by the U. S. which foreign governments and banks have to comply with. These include the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), and the U. S. Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA) that have already engaged the attention of most Caricom countries.

The last point highlights the consequences of relations between entities where the asymmetry of power is so vast. Basically it comes down to Caricom being pressured to comply with the wishes of the U. S. while the latter cherry-picks what, if any, of Caricom’s issues they may consider. It is against this background that the “brutal” exchange that was conducted between the U. S. vice-president and the Caribbean leaders can be evaluated.

Biden was very clear about what the U. S. was looking for from Caricom: “Our search for growth, jobs and affordable supplies of energy, our fight against transnational crime, and the protection of our climate and our environment...” The U. S. vice-president, on the other hand had nothing to say about our long-running trade dispute over his country’s subsides for U. S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico rum producers, for instance. Just as its subsidies to its sugar, cotton and rice farmers have helped to cripple poor farmers in the Caribbean as well as elsewhere, the rum subsidies have the potential of destroying this vital source of foreign revenues for our beleaguered economies.

The turmoil and devastation wrought by criminal that the U. S. unilaterally deports back to the Caribbean was raised but it is certain that nothing will be done since this issue has been raised for over a decade and most recently to Biden’s boss, President Barrack Obama in the same location during the 2009 “Summit of the Americas”.

The region is still waiting for the agreements from that meeting to be put into effect. A good signifier as to what will be the fate of this meeting can be gauged by the fact that the “implementing mechanism” will consist of a single Caricom nominee sitting with a counterpart from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

The sad truth is that while there are vital strategic interests of the U. S. involved with Brazil (trade, currency manipulation) and Colombia (drugs), Caricom was only squeezed into Biden’s itinerary because the President of China Xi Jinping will be visiting TT later this month. Unlike the U. S., the Chinese have been making substantial investments in the region – from The Bahamas in the north and Guyana in the south and The U. S. have to be concerned at the goodwill that China has been earning. Caricom’s single greatest asset in its foreign relations is that it commands 15 votes in the UN General Assembly.

This is the only “brutal” fact that commanded the U. S.’ attention.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and TT Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar try their hands at playing the steel pan

Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo to join environmental panel in Toronto

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ormer President Bharrat Jagdeo will be featured on an environmental issues panel organised by the Trent Centre for Biomaterials Research on June 3, in Toronto, Canada.

‘The Carbon Conversations: Charting a Sustainable Future’ discussion series, now in its second year, addresses the core of the planet’s crisis – carbon and the world’s dependence on carbon by-products. The Trent Centre for Biomaterials Research engages a broad spectrum of thinkers in Carbon Conversations – from students and scientists to philosophers and consumers – to generate discourse about carbon-related sustainability issues and the future of the world. The panel will be focusing on the question: “Environmental sustainability and avoided climate change: mutually exclusive to development and for-profit commercialisation?”

According to a release from the centre, joining Dr Jagdeo on the distinguished Carbon Conversations panel are: David Patterson, a Trent University alumnus and current chair and chief executive officer of Northwater Capital, a company that has invested significantly in green and clean energy technologies; and Annette Verschuren, a member of the Order of Canada, former president of Home Depot Canada and Asia, and chair of the Clean Energy Task Force for Ontario. Verschuren’s company ‘NRStor’ is focused on storage of clean and green energy.

“Our planet’s dependence on carbon is interwoven into literally all aspects of our lives: energy, materials, culture, security, geo-politics, trade, development, and ultimately, our existence. How we manage it is therefore not a question that must be answered by a few isolated facets of our society, but frames a discussion for all hierarchies of society,” said Dr Suresh Narine, director of the Trent Centre for Biomaterials and moderator of the Carbon Conversations panel.

“This panel is particularly exciting because it brings together a third world leader, who has emerged as a global leader advocating that avoided deforestation can and should be linked to economic development, along with two captains of industry whose for-profit companies have found growth opportunities in reduced carbon and cleaner energy technologies.”

Jagdeo was named president of Guyana in 1999, taking on the role as one of the youngest heads of state in the world. He was re-elected twice, serving the maximum number of terms. During his presidency, Jagdeo led Guyana as the country embarked on one of the world’s most ambitious low carbon development strategies, while maintaining 99.5 per cent of its rainforest.

Guyana is on track to become the world’s number one user of clean energy by 2017.

Recognised as a global champion of the environment, TIME magazine named Jagdeo a “Hero of the Environment”

in 2008. In 2010, he was a recipient of the United Nations ‘Champion of the Earth Award’, and was asked to serve on the UN Secretary General’s High Level Advisory Group on Climate Finance.

From 2005 to 2006, Jagdeo was chairman of the board of governors of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. In 2012, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature appointed him high level envoy for sustainable development in forest countries and a patron of nature. Currently, Jagdeo is president of the Global Green Growth Institute.

Hosted by the Trent Centre for Biomaterials Research, Carbon Conversations is a recurring discussion about climate change, environmental stewardship, economic development, culture, ideology and the consumption of resources.

The Trent Centre for Biomaterials Research (TCBR) at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada is on the cutting edge of research and technology development that is changing the world. With the aim of creating a more sustainable future, the TCBR brings together the social sciences and humanities with science to develop and examine biomaterials within an ethical framework, focusing on agricultural utilisation and geographical, environmental and commercial impacts. One of only a handful of programmes of its kind in the world, the TCBR is a leader in this life-changing realm of research.

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Bribe website gets reports of Gy$6.4M thus far - police, GRA, Public Works Ministry implicated

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total of Gy$6.4 million was reportedly paid in bribes since the launch of the Home Affairs Ministry’s ipaidabribe website – an online forum that gives citizens a chance to report anonymously on corruption in the public sector.

According to an analytical update on the website, since the May 16 launch of ipaidabribe.gy, thus far, three agencies and seven departments have been bribed. The most bribes were collected by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), followed by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Public Works Ministry.

The price for corruption as of Tuesday midday was Gy$6,426,708 from some 48 bribe reports.

The GPF has thus far collected 10 bribes, rating an 80 per cent over the other three top agencies.

According to the most recent report, a Samaritan noted paying Gy$5000 for jumping the traffic light.

This was reported on the ipaidabribe.gy website on May 19 at 15:37h. The bribe was paid on April 24.

The site also implicated the Providence Police

Station, Police Traffic Headquarters, and the East La Penitence Police Station as some of the places bribe incidents occurred.

Meanwhile, another report was made on the GRA on May 21 at 17:39h, where a bribe was allegedly not paid to the Customs and Trade Administration and the individual stated, “I have a vehicle on the wharf for over two weeks awaiting the papers to pay duty. I have now started to pay wharf storage fees; it looks now like I am being pushed into paying a bribe to get the papers to facilitate me paying duty.

What more, GRA, why the sloth, last time I find out the official said that there is no problems, so what is the problem!”

In a bid to reduce public corruption, the Home Affairs Ministry earlier in May launched the website ipaidabribe.gy, which will give citizens a chance to document cases of them being required to bribe public officials.

The website will encourage the accountability of government officials, political leaders and every Guyanese citizen serv-

ing in private or public organisations. This gives Guyanese an open invitation to use the Internet to report graft and bribery.

According to officials at the recent launch, demand for bribes is widespread in Guyana – police officers are chronically accused of shaking down motorists while customs officers are also regularly accused of demanding cash for allowing imported goods to be released.

Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee stated during the launching of ipaidabribe.gy, authorities will try to stamp out that culture of bribery.

It is modelled after similar websites launched in India, Pakistan and Nigeria in recent years.

The site asks citizens to write about their experiences with corrupt officials and it will cover every ministry and state agency. Rohee mentioned officials will “investigate any reports made on the site”.

It was agreed by top officials of the ministry that modern thinking allows for innovation in fighting crime and corruption in order for the country to move forward.

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Guyana is ripe for investment

- Minister Ali tells Florida forum

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cores of business executives, investors, and other trade officials converged in Miami, Florida to be part of the Caribbean Trade Centre’s “Invest Guyana” Forum held last Thursday, with acting Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister Irfaan Ali telling them that Guyana is ripe with countless investment and unexplored market opportunities.

Ali, who was the feature speaker at the event, explained that Guyana remains one of the strongest economies in the Caribbean and Latin America, boasting on average a 4.5 per cent annual growth rate between 2007 and 2012, along with stable fiscal and macroeconomic policies. The minister stated that the Guyanese economy has outshone others in several areas, specifically in the creation of a conducive labour, trade, business as well as corporate environment. He emphasised that notwithstanding the rapid

Wesley Kirton receives a special award for his service to the Guyanese diaspora in Florida from former President Bharrat Jagdeo at the independence celebrations in Miramar.

expansion of the economy, government has been able to maintain single-digit inflation rates as well as stable exchange rates through carefully crafted and implemented macro-economic policies.

Fiscal incentives

Ali argued that the country has been deemed one of the most attractive investment locations because of a myriad of measures, in-

clusive of its fiscal incentives, access to regional and international markets, adequate and expanding infrastructure, as well as the availability of a wide range of natural resources.

“Given the buoyancy of the domestic economy and conducive macroeconomic environment, it is not surprising that the country has attracted unprecedented foreign direct investment total-

ling US$1326.4 million between 2006 and 2012,” said Ali. “Domestic investment also expanded exponentially over the same period, as reflected by the growth in credit to the private sector which increased from Gy$30.6 billion in 2006 to Gy$82.6 billion during 2012.”

He said the fiscal incentives available in the country are aimed at attracting investment in the manufacturing, agriculture, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), tourism, and oil and gas sectors, while highlighting that investors can see themselves benefitting from zero customs duty and consumption tax on most plant machinery and equipment, zero customs duty and consumption tax on raw and packaging materials used in the production of goods by manufacturers and small businesses, and unlimited carryover of losses from previous years.

Minister Ali also told the Florida forum that investments can also have access to specific incentives and benefits in various sectors depending on the venture they wish to undertake, listing the fisheries, forestry, tourism, mining, housing, ICT, and agri business as examples.

He said the consumption tax waivers and tax holidays are also part of the country’s investment regime.

Market access and opportunities

In terms of accessing markets and the availability of cheap inputs, Ali said Guyana has easy access to markets in Latin American and Caribbean – 33 councontinued on page 13

ACP grouping urges EU to honour Contonou accord

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uyana among other sugar producing countries of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group, are calling on the European Union (EU) to honour its commitments under the ACPEU Cotonou Accord and Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA).

The ACP countries are arguing that abolishing sugar quotas before 2020 could cripple their developing economies. Chairman of the of the ACP Subcommittee on Sugar, Ambassador Patrick Ignatius Gomes of Guyana, in a letter to the current chair of the EU Council of Agriculture S Coveney, reiterated the ACP group’s strong concerns about the upcoming CAP reform and its effects on small and vulnerable sugar exporting ACP countries.

A December 2012 report by the European Commission Services entitled “Prospects for Agricultural Markets and Income in the EU 2012-2022” confirmed the results of earlier studies that the expiry of sugar quotas in 2015 would lead to a reduction of the domestic sugar price in the EU. The ACP sugar group said this would make imports, including preferential access, less attractive. The group said imports would fall from 3.5 million tonnes in 2012 to 1.5 million tonnes in 2022. “Moreover, the report states that the EU would move to self-sufficiency and may even become a net exporter from time to time,” the ACP group added.

Gomes noted that the damage to ACP sugar industries and, more widely, to ACP economies will be immense. He said with current ACP exports to the EU in the region of 2.3 million tonnes, and considering competition from other countries and increasing imports under free trade agreements, the inescapable conclusion is that ACP sugar exports will drop to a negligible fraction of what they are today, or be wiped out altogether from the EU market.

The Guyanese diplomat said the conclusions of the commission’s own report “represented a serious disregard, on the part of the commission, of the commitments made in the Cotonou Partnership Agreement

Ambassador Patrick Ignatius Gomes

and EPAs in terms of maintenance of preferential market access for the ACP. Back in January, the European parliament’s Agriculture Committee voted to maintain the bloc’s system of strict national sugar production quotas and minimum prices for beet sugar until 2020, rather than scrapping them from 2015 as proposed by the commission that would delay the lifting of an annual limit on EU sugar exports fixed under a World Trade Organisation agreement, currently set at 1.35 million tonnes.

This means that quotas for sugar from Guyana and other African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries will continue up to that period instead of ending in 2015 as originally envisaged.

Late last year during a ministerial meeting of the ACP, Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett had posited that studies conducted so far have found that the abolition of the EU quotas will result in market instability.

She pointed out that the EU’s impact study predicts a 45 per cent fall in prices compared to the market prices reported in September 2012.

According to her, it is a fact that ACP countries stand to lose 850 million euros over the period 2019/2020.

Rodrigues-Birkett said then that such a situation would jeopardise the efforts and investments of these countries to render their industries more competitive.

She said it will call into question the coherence of the EU policies in the fields of the agriculture, trade and development.

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Berbice can become major tourism destination – Tourism Authority head

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ead of the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Indranauth Haralsingh said the agency is willing to explore the potential of promoting tourism in Berbice by working along with the private sector, in an exclusive interview with Guyana Times International.

Haralsingh is encouraging corporate businesses to invest in the development of the ‘Number 63 Beach’. However, he said government must play its part if the business sector is to make an impact in the further development of the facility, and by extension, make Berbice a major tourism destination.

He said the Number 63 Beach was only one of several opportunities for investment in the tourism industry in Berbice, as, “Berbice has a number of famous people from Cheddi Jagan to Edgar Mettelholzser and so many famous cricketers, along with a number of other people. Bird watching is also possible.

Berbice is famous for a few waterfalls.”

Haralsingh noted that there are also tremendous opportunities for fishing in

GTA Director: Indranauth Haralsingh

Berbice, which is referred to as the ‘Ancient County’.

One of the unexplored areas of opportunity is that of site trips to famous places and the homes of famous people in Berbice.

“Cuffy came from Berbice and this year we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the slave rebellion which was led by Cuffy. A few days ago, we celebrated the 175th anniversary on the arrival of the first East Indian immigrants to Guyana and Highbury stands out; it is the first place where they set foot on the shores of the then British Guiana.

It is a very historic place.

People will love to go on tours. You could actually take people on a pilgrimage.”

He said there is also great scope for agro-tourism in Berbice, noting that Berbice is home to the four top sugar estates in the country. He also noted that rice and cash crops have great potential for tourism in the region.

There is also a wide scope for river trips at places like Fort Nassau, while certain villages could be places of interest to visit.

“The Berbice Bridge is the sixth longest floating bridge in the world and many people will like to come and cross the bridge and take photographs of themselves on the bridge.

There is also a rich culture in Berbice… so Berbice has potential and there are many opportunities for entrepreneurs. Sadly though, Berbice only has one tour operator.” That tour operator only provides trips to the Upper Corentyne, Haralsingh noted.

He said GTA can work to help develop capacity, but it needs to work with entrepreneurs who see the opportunity. These opportunities are great since more that 70 per cent of persons who arrive at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport are going to Berbice.

8 News Caricom, U.S. ink trade Independence and investment pact for me T week ending june 2, 2013 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

he Caribbean C o m m u n i t y (Caricom) and the U.S. signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) on Tuesday in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Caricom Chairman Michel Martelly, president of Haiti and U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden signed on behalf of the two sides. The signing ceremony took place following a meeting between Caricom heads of government and the U.S. vice president at the Diplomatic Centre in Port-of-Spain.

The agreement is expected to strengthen trade and investment ties between Caricom and the U.S. as it would serve as a mechanism for the two sides to develop practical strategies on a wide range of trade, investment and economic cooperation issues, a Caricom Secretariat release stated.

This is seen as essential to spurring economic development and diversification of the region, and to contributing to improvement in the well-being of citizens. The implementation of the agreement will be executed under the mechanism of the Caricom-U.S. Trade and Investment Council, which will be led by a nominee of the Caricom

U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden with Caricom heads of state

chair and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

The TIFA, which is the result of a revision of an agreement signed in 1991, takes account of the multilateral trading environment created by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), as well as changes in the regional environment brought on by the implementation of the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME).

An initial action agenda, which is annexed to the agreement, sets out areas for attention which include matters relating to the WTO; bilateral trade and investment arrangements; cooperation in regional and multilateral areas; support for regional integration; cooperation to promote and respect fundamental labour rights, social protection, and workforce development; and the fa-

cilitation of trade and investment opportunities.

In addition, the agreement establishes the framework for the discussion of issues to address the digital divide through the promotion of innovation and the dissemination of technology for increasing competitiveness, job creation, economic development and trade, as well as for discussing U.S. trade and investment-related legislation which have extra-territorial impact.

Specific examples of legislation in this regard are the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), and the new U.S. Food Safety Modernisation Act (FSMA).

There are also other issues of critical importance to Caricom, particularly with respect to export development, which through engagement with representatives and officials of the U.S.

administration and the Congress, mutually acceptable outcomes would be achieved.

Among the issues of critical and urgent importance to Caricom are the threat faced by Caricom exports of rum in the U.S. market and the U.S./ Antigua and Barbuda cross-border gambling services dispute. In addition, the agreement will allow for monitoring of developments in the context of the U.S. president’s 2013 Trade Policy Agenda.

Signing of the revised TIFA also signalled the formal launch of the revitalised Trade and Investment Council (TIC) which would be essential for Caricom and the U.S. to engage in the areas mentioned. A first meeting of the U.S.-Caricom Trade and Investment Council under the revised TIFA is envisioned before the end of 2013.

Guyana will not neglect ties with traditional partners – president

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resident Donald Ramotar said while Guyana strengthens its relationship with countries in Central and Latin America, it has no intention to diminish longstanding ties with the countries where traditional relations existed.

Addressing a packed National Park gathering on Saturday during his independence message, Ramotar said, “We aspire to be a responsible member of the international community and remain wholeheartedly committed to the objectives of the Caribbean Community and the eventual realisation of a single market and economy.”

In putting this decision into practice, both Suriname and Guyana have approached multilateral institutions to undertake a feasibility study for the construction of a bridge across the Corentyne River.

The bridge does not only

seek to increase peopleto-people contact, but will make travel easier while stimulating greater economic activities between the two neighbours.

Presently, Guyana is working with Brazil on infrastructural integration, where a deep water port and a fully paved Linden-Lethem road, which would permit Guyanese products to be traded into additional and much larger markets, benefitting many industries through higher export volumes.

Ramotar revealed that senior-level teams from both countries are working diligently to accelerate the realisation of the projects.

Meanwhile, over the years, Guyana has also enjoyed better relations with western neighbour Venezuela, where its trade relations have expanded to include improvements on future endeavours.

“Much of the im-

provement had to do with the visionary leadership of the late President Hugo Chávez and his close colleagues.

Chávez was truly a citizen of Latin America and the Caribbean,” said President Ramotar.

“However, it is expected that the present development and other future developments will place greater demands on the need to improve local trade facilitation efforts. The president noted that the government of Guyana is moving forward on many fronts to reduce the time and cost associated with trade. One of the measures being pursued is a fully computerised state-of-the-art Single Window Automated Processing System (SWAPS) – which is expected to bring major improvements and benefits to traders and citizens alike.

“It took nearly a decade for UNASUR to finally come into legal

force since the integration strategy of creating an institution that would cater to achieve overall development of the continent, rather than simple economic integration, was first mooted by Brazil during the first South American Summit at Brasilia in August 2000. It was during the third Summit of Heads of State in Brasilia on May 23, 2008 that the South American nations signed the Constitutive Treaty to constitute UNASUR as “an entity with international juridical character”.

The South American region has been experiencing various local as well as transnational security challenges, including illegal drug trafficking, increased crime rates, illegal firearms, extreme levels of social inequality and poverty.

It is in order to develop a cooperative mechanism for resolving these challenges, UNASUR was created.

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By Anu Dev

or me, “Independence” is more of a personal concept than anything ‘national’. Sure I understand that on May 26, 1966 we received independence from Britain. But as far as my Caribbean Studies have shown, it was more the adopting of a flag, a constitution, a motto and a pledge, than anything else.

I mean, when I look at our economic standing (I dare not call it ‘economic development’) we’re just about where the British left us back in 1966.

Is that what being independent is all about? When my parents and grandparents wax nostalgic about the “old days”, they seem to feel things were much better then. I don’t know about that. Their bases of comparison were obviously quite limited. Today we have access to information 24/7 streaming into our consciousness about how far ahead other countries are.

And we have to stop insisting that we’re not to be compared with the ‘developed nations’. Why not??

We’re weaselling out. Look at South Korea. When we received independence we were far more developed than they were. Somehow they were able to get their act together and get on with the business of creating wealth for their people and they’re as developed as you want to get.

Surely you can’t get more developed than Samsung. It’s South Korean. Well, maybe Apple can (I’m the ultimate Apple fan-girl)…but look where they make all those lovely iPads and iPhones.

China…which was even more ‘backward’ than us back then. And now South Korea and China produce almost everything you can think about …and then some. Through that achievement, they’ve lifted most of their people out of poverty. Now that’s independence!!

Look, I’m not saying it’s easy. I’m sure it wasn’t a breeze getting those economies to where they are today. Recollecting (rather dimly, if the truth be told) my snippets of history, there was a whole deal of struggle waged. Even at my age I know that nothing is achieved without struggle. Wasn’t it Fredrick Douglass, the U.S. ex-slave, who said that even crops can’t grow without the earth being rent apart?

But it seems to me that “independence” is just a word to a lot of our leaders and another reason to have a party for most others. I mean, I have to come to Georgetown five days a week to get to school.

There’s garbage everywhere!!! How can we call ourselves “independent” when we have to allow an American diplomat to start cleaning up our capital??

Have we no shame???

So I return to independence being a personal notion at this time. I believe that we just can’t depend on those who are getting paid to “develop” the country. You and I – and all of us – are the country. If we promise to do our best to develop ourselves, our country will eventually be developed. Provided we remain here, of course.

And that’s what I’m recommitting myself to do this Independence Day: to remain in this country until death do us part. My family could’ve been living in the U.S…probably at a much higher standard of living. But I’m proud they’ve made a decision to be here. I don’t have a green card, and don’t intend to get one.

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times International, Industrial Site Ruimveldt Georgetown, Guyana or guyanatimesint@gmail.com

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The mangrove project What’s next after the bribe website? is most impressive Dear Editor, Guyana was able to impress the Norwegian Ambassador to Guyana, whose recent visit ended with a strong confirmation of what the mangrove project is all about and how well executed it is. We must not take for granted this project, even at the physical level. It should be noted that there have been many failed mangrove restoration projects over the years, invariably wasting both time and money.

One case study from North Sulawesi, Indonesia shows that the government planted the same disused shrimp pond area five times over a period of eight years.

Seedlings were planted

without regard to ecological requirements and resultantly died within a year after each planting.

Nonetheless, project money was continually made available for re-planting, without addressing the cause of the failure. So it is more than the mere physical and repeated failure, without proper analysis, this did not deter the Indonesians.

The ambassador had expressed an interest in visiting the reserve to meet the women producers who make up the Mangrove Reserve Women Producers (MRWP) group, now operating as a cooperative along the East Coast Demerara. The ambassador toured the

Mangrove Reserve and met the women involved in the production of agri-products in mangroveforested areas.

Restoration and rehabilitation of existing or former mangrove forest areas is extremely important today. In fact, given the importance of mangrove forest ecosystems, and the current threat to these coastal forests, this is an unavoidable imperative. Actual planting of mangroves must be carefully managed, as mangroves annually produce hundreds or thousands of seeds or seedlings per tree. But these have to be controlled via proper hydrologic conditions.

Yours faithfully, Lennox Joseph

Corporate Guyana and the fight against HIV/ AIDS Dear Editor, For anyone who has been diagnosed with HIV, there is the need for support and compassion. All too often HIV positive people become targets of AIDS discrimination and stigma.

On top of handling new health challenges, they sometimes face rejection by family and friends. They may be forced out of homes, lose jobs, or even become victims of violence.

HIV/ AIDS is serious business, and many factors can lead to discrim-

ination and stigma.

HIV is a deadly disease that many people fear; some adults still wrongly believe that they can catch HIV through casual contact, such as sharing a drinking glass or touching a toilet seat; and many people connect HIV and AIDS with behaviours that are already stigmatised, such as sex between men or injecting drugs.

These kinds of misconceptions prevent people from talking about their HIV sta-

tus. Fear of rejection and worries about confidentiality also prevent many from getting tested for HIV. This means they may spread HIV to others without knowing it.

A recent event demonstrated that the fight against HIV/ AIDS is being supported by many big- name companies in Guyana. I encourage more involvement from leaders of all types and as many companies as possible.

Yours faithfully, Kurt Wills

Guyanese should emulate Cleveland's action to rescue victims

Dear Editor, The three abducted women in Cleveland, Ohio were rescued with the intervention of neighbours and police.

It shows that if people take an active interest, crime can be successfully fought. In Guyana, people don’t offer much assistance to the police.

In fact, in some communities, people collaborate with criminals because they are beneficiaries of the largesse taken from hard-working people.

CBS News reported that about 45 per cent of kidnapped victims have been found or rescued.

That is a relatively high

success rate compared, say with Guyana where few, if any, are freed after being victims of kidnapping or disappearance.

So many cases of disappearance have gone unanswered in Guyana for decades, especially under the dictatorship.

In the U.S., hundreds disappear every year, whereas in Guyana, only a handful are reported missing and fewer kidnapped.

Yet the Americans have a significant success rate compared with Guyana’s. Guyanese police need to do a better job in finding the disappeared and kidnapped.

And people in Guyana need to cooperate with police to solve crimes. We are a small society and have an idea of who are committing the major crimes, preying on hardworking people.

Guyanese need to stop taking this handsoff approach.

They should keep a watchful eye on their surroundings for criminal activities and call in the police for help. Teamwork and cooperation between people and the police will help to bring down crime in our country.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Dear Editor, The response on anonymous reporting of corruption in the public sector is overwhelming.

The project, aimed at exposing and combating corruption was officially launched on May 16, and so far, three agencies and seven departments have been bribed, as reported online.

It is one thing to know of a wrongdoing but quite another to prove it and do something about it. The next challenge is to nab both bribers and receivers.

For example, across the borders around Guyana, many items are coming in via the smuggling route. We all know this. There is a clandestine operation from both sides – the receiving officers and the issuing ones. This explains why incoming chicken still threatens the local market. This is not rocket science. It is simply stating the obvious.

How about what obtains in the interior?

Many people have procured overseas market for Guyana’s raw gold.

They visit the interior, collect the gold and then

take it across, mostly to Suriname. This explains how many small and street corner businessmen can put up mansions and buy fancy vehicles. Universally, there is a growing problem of corruption.

So Guyana is not peculiar in this sense.

The recent report, from a survey commissioned by the Trinidad Express Newspaper, shows that approximately nine of every 10 people interviewed in the latest Market Facts and Opinions (MFO) survey say they believe corruption is widespread in the government and the local business community in the twin island republic. In fact, 70 per cent of the sample of respondents opined that there was more corruption in the government than in the previous 12 months.

In Guyana, it is a case, where the Home Affairs Ministry launched the website so that citizens can report and document cases of bribery and corruption.

But how will this kind of information be used to actually catch the ones involved, or even impli-

cate those who are taking the unlawful money?

In fact, those who make the offer should be held accountable too.

The website is supposed to encourage the accountability of government officials, political leaders and every Guyanese citizen serving in private or public organisations. But will it work? Yes and no are two simple and obvious answers.

The campaign will work if the act of bribery can actually be proved. It is good to report but what do we do about verification. If we can have a few sting operations, it would really help. Then the flip side is that the efforts to curb corruption and bribery may never work, if both parties are comfortable with the transaction.

So as much as I commend the efforts of the Home Affairs Ministry for making the big effort, it is up to the people, maybe the ones not involved, who can really help to put this malaise to an end.

Yours truly, Dillon Spencer

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New GT&T CEO calls on Granger

R

ecently appointed Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Radha K Sharma last Wednesday paid a courtesy call on Opposition Leader Brigadier David Granger at his office on Hadfield Street, Georgetown.

Granger was accompanied by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) shadow public infrastructure and communications minister Joseph Harmon, shadow education minister Amna Ally and Policy Adviser Lance Carberry.

The leader of the opposition welcomed the CEO and indicated that the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)

The killers of…

APNU leader David Granger accompanied by Joseph Harmon and Amna Ally in discussion with GT&T Chief Executive Officer RK Sharma

and now the APNU had historically enjoyed a very cordial relationship with his predecessors at GT&T. The CEO took the opportunity to brief Granger on some of the major projects that are being undertaken

by GT&T, including the US$50 million fibre-optic cable, and the install-

ing of “hot spots” at the University of Guyana and other selected institutions.

Granger and the APNU shadow ministers shared with the CEO some of the challenges facing the communications sector and their hopes and aspiration for the future of Internet

technology and telecommunications in Guyana.

There was agreement that, to enhance the delivery of education in Guyana, there is the need to install the necessary infrastructure to facilitate distance learning and making the information super highway a reality for all Guyanese.

Language Some people don’t know when to quit. Generally if you’re talking and the eyes of the people around you start to glaze over, that’s a clue. If you’re writing and no one wants to publish or read your stuff, that’s another dead giveaway. But Ruel Johnson seems to have the skin of a rhino…an old and weathered rhino. No one picked up his “Fictions” which he’s been trying to hock since 2009 but…

So he’s taken to flogging the government to provide him with a sinecure in the fledgling Caribbean Press as “a consulting editor or executive editor” (no less!!!), as he declares in his latest (prolix) letter-to-the-press.

On this editor business, to paraphrase the scuttlebutt on teachers, we guess those who can, write, and those who can’t, edit.

Now we have nothing against providing for the needy (after all we are a welfare state, no?) but there’s a major problem with this fellow Johnson. It’s signalled by his insistence in using the word “interrogate” to suggest he went beyond high school (he didn’t). After we warned him about the obnoxious affectation. He threatened Minister Dr Frank Anthony: “Whether engaged or not, I will continue to monitor and interrogate the management of cultural policy in this place.”

Now why the hell couldn’t he just say “question”?

Sadly, just this Sunday, the man who gave him his break early on, Ian Mc Donald warned about the point we’d made earlier to the journeyman “writer”. That the use of such words that are not “clear and understandable… hides, manipulates, or cosmetises the truth…”

Why couldn’t Johnson make the following random samples simpler? “Let me clarify some not exhaustive issues with regard to the press…”, “there continues to be obscurity on…”. This is a fellow who dubbed as “sublime” his description of “fatherhood”: “Fatherhood is this strange gift, an ecstasy comingled with something subtly darker, this inextricable grief existing at the very core of it, the spectre of the sadness of Laocoön, a nebulous, miasmal fear seeping ever outward in some blind, unconscious quest to poison and corrupt the heart.” Good grief!!!

Compare this with a couple of fellas who also didn’t finish high school but are considered “writers”.

Shakespeare: “Noble fathers have noble children.” And Euripides: “It is a wise father that knows his own child.”

We hope that Guyana is spared the infliction of one such as Johnson and his Orwellian language. …progress Presidential adviser Gail Teixeira promised that by June we’ll receive the proposals from the intergovernmental team from Brazil and Guyana for the road between Lethem and Georgetown. The plans will be submitted to the presidents of the two countries and then, hopefully, for final approval by their respective legislatures.

And this is where we will have the roadblock (literally and figuratively). Never mind that we’ve been waiting on this highway, which will open up our country for development, for over 30 years. Never mind we’ll then be connected seamlessly to the fifth largest economy in the world. Naah…The opposition will throw their usual spanner into the works with their one-seat majority – like they’ve done with every single infrastructural project the government has laid before Parliament.

The president also indicated that the government will be proceeding with the old Del Conte road project connecting Parika with Makouria on the East Bank of the Essequibo River and then onto Bartica. The Alliance For Change (AFC) had already said they support such an initiative, but now that the president has taken up the baton…expect them to find some excuse to reject it. Wankers!!! …snails The head of the Rice Producers Association (RPA) has warned Essequibo rice farmers about an invasion of snails in their fields. Is he kidding? Does he know the price of snails in France versus the price of rice?

We could afford to bring back the Concorde to fly them over!

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Freddie lose a bet

F

reddie Kissmansoon seh he never lose a bet yet in he life. Not that de Man Kisser got much of a life anyway, but he tell de whole of Guyana that he so good that he don’t ever lose anyting. Well, clearly de Man Kisser don’t consider pride and dignity anyting worthwhile, because he done lose these a long time ago.

And if yuh count de number of times de Man Kisser thief books at UG and in Canada, yuh would have to believe that he right, because he never get ketch wid all dem thiefin books. Not to mention de number of times he get kick out from writin fuh all dem newspapers in Guyana, and then get kick out from UG too.

De only paper fuh which de Man Kisser can still write all dem farticsles is, of course, de Kocheur mud paper, because de Kocheur mud paper does print any and every piece of **it.

Now, after de Man Kisser try to bum an extra big pizza at de Mario’s, and dem tell he that he gotta pay fuh it, he get vex and cuss up everybody, and then deny that he cuss up everybody. De Man Kisser so spunctious that he believe he can do anyting anywhere anyhow and nobody could tell he anyting.

But de Mario’s owner Mr Camp Bell and all de waitresses ketch de Man Kisser lyin, and de Man Kisser had promise to stop writin all dem farticles if anybody ketch he lyin, but he still writin. It look like what de Man Kisser mean is that unless somebody ketch he tellin de truth, that is when he gon stop writin, because he tellin so much lie, he don’t know de truth anymore.

Ting-a-ling-a-ling…friend tell friend…mattie tell mattie! And if yuh don’t believe, ask de Man Kisser bout de time when a guy name Hemraj Munitam kissed he pun he lips. And he had like it!

Argentina to expand bilateral relations with... from page 3

President Ramotar said Guyana is elated to have an Argentinian diplomat posting on local shores, pointing to the ties of the two countries’ governments.

“Argentina, as a country with rich history and highly advanced industrial sectors with a wealth of natural resources, has made great strides in nation-building, being a member of the G20 and significant trading partner, and Guyana congratulates Argentina’s people and wish them happiness and prosperity,” said President Ramotar.

He noted that although Guyana celebrated 47 years as an

independent nation, it is still a young age in the life of developing countries.

“We are seeking to modernise our sectors to make them competitive in the global market and infrastructure is critical in this regard, and we look forward to enhancing our bilateral programme by focusing on areas of common interest,” said President Ramotar.

Argentina’s population is around 41 million, with 86 per cent of European origin, mostly Spanish and Italian.

More than 90 per cent of its people are Roman Catholics.

No arrest for sawmill supervisor’s murder – teen girl in love triangle questioned

U

p to late Wednesday afternoon, investigators were grilling the teenager suspected to be involved in the triangular love affair which led to the death of 22-yearold Thandu Singh on Tuesday at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, while the main suspect remains at large.

Singh, who is also known as Khemraj Singh and “Tony”, was found on Tuesday afternoon with his throat slit and head bashed in his cottage behind a lumber yard. The man, formerly of Airy Hall, Essequibo Coast, worked as a supervisor/ caretaker for the lumber exporting company.

A close relative of the teen told this newspaper that she was brought from Airy Hall, upon the request of the police. She was questioned about the triangular love affair and confessed that she loved the deceased.

The relative ex-

Murdered: Thandu Singh

plained that she returned for work on Wednesday last and did not see the girl, but upon enquiring from one of her daughters, she was told that she went to the Essequibo Coast. Later that evening, she reportedly received a phone call from the teen, telling her not to worry and that she was happy.

After realising what was happening, the relative said she “gave up” her opposition to the match and accepted that

if the teen loved “Tony” (now deceased) she had to respect that and support her. She added that too many persons have lost their lives after they did not get familial support in such situations and she did not want the same thing for her relative.

She admitted that she did not believe “Tony” was not the right person for the young woman, so relatives decided that the teen should marry the suspect, “Bangogee” whom she met about a year ago. The woman in the middle of the controversy had only known “Tony” for a few weeks.

The aggrieved relative disclosed that “Tony” was undisciplined and showed no respect to the family, but the couple were madly in love.

“He take she to Essequibo so that they could get marry on Monday, but I thought he stay up there with she…

I nah know he come back to Land of Canaan,” the

woman added.

She further stated that after being informed that the girl had gone to Essequibo, “Bangogee” turned up at her house, and told her “if the two ah dem like one another, they should get married”. “Tony”, she added, had given her a phone, but she destroyed it and he thought that it was the murder suspect who had done so.

The last time she saw “Bangogee”, the relative claimed, was when he left for the interior to drop off a load of fuel, but she was later told that he was at a wedding in Leguan, Essequibo River. She said that she did not know that he had returned to the village until Singh’s body was discovered and he was listed as the prime suspect.

After the discovery, a blood stained hammer, suspected to be the murder weapon, was found in the house and was taken by the police as evidence.

Increasing cassava yields – FAO offers sustainable farming model to meet increased demand

'S

ave and Grow', an environmentally-friendly farming model promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) can sustainably increase cassava yields by up to 400 per cent and help turn this staple from a poor people’s food into a 21st century crop.

In a newly-published field guide detailing Save and Grow’s applications to cassava smallholder production, the FAO noted that global cassava output has increased by 60 per cent since 2000 and is set to accelerate further over the current decade as policymakers recognise its huge potential.

But using the inputsintensive approach pioneered during last century’s green revolution to boost cassava production risks causing further damage to the natural resource base and increasing the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change. The solution, says the FAO, lies in the Save and Grow ap-

proach which achieves higher yields with improved soil health rather than with the heavy use of chemical inputs. Save and Grow minimises soil disturbance caused by conventional tillage such as ploughing, and recommends maintaining a protective cover of vegetation over soil.

Instead of the monocropping-normally seen in intensive farming systems-Save and Grow encourages mixed cropping and crops rotation, and predicates integrated pest management, which uses disease-free planting material and pests’ natural enemies to keep harmful insects down, instead of chemical pesticides.

Spectacular results

The approach has yielded spectacular results in trials organised in Vietnam, where farmers using the improved technologies and practices boosted cassava yields from 8.5 tonnes to 36 tonnes – an increase of more than 400 per cent. In the Democratic Republic of Congo,

through training in the use of healthy planting materials, mulching and intercropping, farmers attending field schools achieved yield increases of up to 250 per cent.

In Colombia, rotating cassava with beans and sorghum restored yields where mineral fertiliser alone had failed.

Cassava is a highly versatile crop grown by smallholders in more than 100 countries. Its roots are rich in carbohydrates while its tender leaves contain up to 25 per cent protein, plus iron, calcium and vitamins A and C. Other parts of the plant can be used as animal feed, and livestock raised on cassava have good disease resistance and low mortality rates.

One reason driving increased demand for cassava is the current high level of cereal prices. This makes it an attractive alternative to wheat and maize, particularly as cassava can be processed into a high-quality flour that can partially substi-

tute for wheat flour.

Food security

But, together with its importance as a source of food and food security, cassava also has a range of industrial uses that give it huge potential to spur rural industrial development and raise rural incomes. Cassava is second only to maize as a source of starch and recently-developed varieties produce root starch that will be highly sought after by industries. Demand for cassava as a feedstock for the manufacture of bioethanol is also growing rapidly. Another important consideration is that of the major staple crops in Africa, hardy, resilient cassava is expected to be the least affected by advancing climate change.

With Save and Grow, developing countries can thus avoid the risks of unsustainable intensification, while realising cassava’s potential for producing higher yields, alleviating hunger and rural poverty and contributing to national economic development.

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Georgetown-Lethem road closer to reality D

etailed proposals of the long awaited road construction project from Georgetown to Lethem are to be unveiled by June, Presidential Adviser on Governance Gail Teixeira told Region Nine residents.

She made the announcement on the eve of Guyana’s 47th Independence anniversary at the St Ignatius benab, following a cultural presentation ahead of the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead at midnight.

“There are two major teams now between Guyana and Brazil, and Venezuela that have been meeting over the last few months… for the development of the road from Brazil to Georgetown, and in June, what is called the infrastructural team will be reporting to the presidents of the two countries on what are their proposals and designs and other issues,” Teixeira said.

The highly anticipated project is one that former Brazilian President Luis Inacio-Lula da Silva had assured would be the next major undertaking to follow the Takutu River Bridge that was commissioned in 2009.

When complete, the stretch of road will significantly reduce travel time which from Georgetown to Lethem takes about 12 to 13

Presidential Adviser on Governance Gail Teixeira interacting with Rupununi youths at the St Ignatius benab

hours at present, and make business more efficient, particularly the transport of goods and services.

Government, through the Public Works Ministry, has over the years been responsible for maintenance works on the long stretch of road which in the rainy season poses a challenge to commuters, particularly heavy-duty vehicles.

The paving of the road is also necessary given the large scale plantation type agriculture in the Rupununi Savannahs. In 2010, harvesting of rice in the Rupununi commenced at Moco Moco, Region Nine.

The Georgetown to Lethem road was chief

among the priorities of a meeting between officials of Guyana and Brazil that led to the establishment of a border committee to focus on a regime for the frontier territories; Lethem and Bonfim.

The stringing of the 560 kilometres of fibreoptic cable from Brazil to boost Guyana’s Internet connectivity was also part of the agenda. The project that began in the third quarter of 2012 has reached the stage where it is expected to be operational by September this year.

Teixeira told residents to be optimistic about this project, and the opportunities that will be provided for communities in the hinter-

land where the cable passes through.

“Connectivity in terms of Internet is critical in this modern world of technology… young people want Twitter, BlackBerries and Facebook… the Internet is the gateway to information and also the possibilities and opportunities for this country to develop more industries and to create more jobs for our people,” Teixeira said.

Teixeira’s address also focused on developments in Amerindian communities under the current administration since 1992, and the opportunities which Amerindians have, quite unlike other countries’ natives.

Naga Man jumps ship S

atiricus was getting worried. He was a man of routine and order. And when things bucked the routine, Satiricus fretted. Now Satiricus had a soft spot for the Naga Man. He looked like such a son of the soil…heck, he looked like he lived in the soil!

But for over a month now, he hadn’t been sighted. Suddenly all you heard from the KFC quarters was from the Jhaat.

The Jhaat on trafficking (he thought the build up on the East Bank Highway was too dense)…the Jhaat on money laundering (he thought there were already too many Chinese in Guyana in the laundry business)…the Jhaat on sugar (he liked his tea sweet – five spoons).

And so on. The man was everywhere.

Satiricus knew that Trotman, the Jhaat’s old rival, was now out of the way. NoGel was being comforted after his heart affairs.

But what about the Naga Man? Did goat bite him suddenly? Satiricus missed hearing the old Naga Man cussing out his “so and so” grandson. Or telling how the king had promised him the kingdom but no one else heard. But luckily Satiricus had just been handed the Naga Man’s diary. Courtesy of his wife’s niece – maid to the opposition.

Dear Diary, Ah tell you, Dear Diary, this jumping ship business ain’t easy. When Ah was a young man, Ah jump from Just-Ice Party to PPP. No!!

Not de Short Man Party. Ah don’t mess with things like dat! Dis was de old Just-Ice in de old days. Dem fellas in de PPCEE never let me forget dat. Dem never trust me. Ah lie and tell dem Ah was too young.

Ah do everything fuh mek me de leader… but deh never forget the Just-Ice thing. Ah skin me teeth and seh “Ah is a party man”. Same thing. But when de Jhaat tell me he gon mek me vice chairman, I finally jump the PPCEE ship fuh KFC. But de problem is Ah never ask the Jhaat, “vice chairman” of wha?

(Ah had fuh drink me rum, when Ah remember how schupid Ah schupid.)

De fust thing he do is fuh back de Trot Man fuh de Speaker wuk. Ah coulda do a better job.

Ah know more big words dan Trot Man. So Ah had to sit wid all dem lil bais on the floor. But at least Ah get fuh talk. And you know how Ah like fuh talk.

But Dear Diary, guess wha? De man suddenly decide is only he gon talk. He seh Ah shouldn’t bak de hospital. He tek big money on the hospital business. Ah doan even mind de money. But Ah getting old…I might need de hospital.

He suppose to let somebody else run fuh de president next election. But he decide he gon be de man. But Ah gon show he who is man. Is me who get all dem seat fuh KFC. Ah gon jump ship again.

(Ah gat fuh finish out de bottle, Dear Diary.

Is Independence Day)

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CIOG honours top Islamic official C

entral Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) President Fazeel Ferouz on Tuesday honoured Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) General Secretary Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who is currently on a twoday visit in Guyana.

Ferouz presented Dr Ihsanoglu with an award following his arrival in Guyana. The award was presented at the CIOG’s headquarters in Woolford Avenue, Georgetown. Dr Ihsanoglu is accompanied by a five-member delegation, which includes his wife, Fusun Ihsanoglu.

Meanwhile, a release from the Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that, as part of his visit, Dr Ihsanoglu will pay courtesy calls on President Donald Ramotar, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.

Following a meeting with the president, the secretary general will be presented with a plaque in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the OIC during his tenure. The secretary general will also meet with CIOG representatives and will have an interactive session with representatives of the Interfaith Community in Guyana.

Dr Ihsanoglu, of Turkey, is the first democratically-elected secretary general of the OIC.

of global peace and harmony.

It is a multilateral organisation of 57 countries from mainly Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The OIC includes many rich nations such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran,

President of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), Haji Fazeel Ferouz presents an award to the visiting General Secretary of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at a dinner hosted in his honour at the CIOG headquarters on Tuesday. Also present were former President Bharrat Jagdeo, Ministers Irfaan Ali and Dr Frank Anthony, Member of Parliament Manzoor Nadir, and senior CIOG and OIC officials

He was re-elected for a second term of office in 2008. Since he took the office as the ninth secretary general in January 2005, he has taken serious steps to make the 57-member organisation a more effective body.

Dr Ihsanoglu is known for his contributions to scholarly debates on inter-cultural dialogues and, with his institutional and personal initiatives, he has earned recognition at intellectual circles as a leading contributor to rapprochement among various cultures, particularly between the Muslim and Western worlds.

Guyana was first granted observer status within the OIC on

September 27, 1995 and became a member on October 1, 1998. Guyana and Suriname are the only two countries in the Caribbean Community (Caricom) which are members of the OIC. Dr Ihsanoglu recently concluded a historic first visit to Suriname to bring that country into the fold of cooperation under the OIC projects, particularly in the field of economic development. The CIOG said it hopes that the visit to Guyana would help strengthen the bilateral relationship between the OIC and Guyana.

The OIC is one of the world’s largest intergovernmental bodies involved in the promotion

Guyana is ripe for...

tries with a collective population of 580 million individuals. He said the regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is estimated at US$ 4.9 trillion (at current prices), while its annual merchandise trade bill is approximately US$ 1.6 trillion – six per cent of the world’s total merchandise trade.

He said too that even as some countries in the world continue to fight for competitive market access, Guyana still has a wealth of unexplored opportunities which investors should seek to maximise. He assured that billions of dollars could be garnered by businessmen with the right concepts and attitudes towards maximising profits.

The minister assured that the cost of doing business in Guyana is also relatively low, while citing a recent report from the Caribbean Electric Utility Services

Corporation, which dubbed the prices for domestic electricity in Guyana was the fourth lowest in the Caribbean.

He also shared details about Guyana’s move to construct the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, which would be the flagship of its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), while explaining that with its commissioning and functionality, the cost of business would be reduced dramatically. He also reported that Guyana has one of the lowest wage rates in the Caribbean and Latin America, with a workforce that is highly literate and trainable.

The forum, which focused on trade opportunities, was held in partnership with the Consulate of Guyana in Miami.

More than 150 business executives attended the event. Corporate sponsors included Seafreight Agencies, Laparkan Shipping and Caribbean

from page 6

Airlines. (Excerpt from Guyana Times)

Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Brunei Darussalam, Gabon, Turkey, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) is an organ of the OIC of which Suriname is also a member.

Guyana’s ambassador to the OIC, Dr Odeen Ishmael said the visit of the OIC secretary general to Guyana is of great significance since it will place the Guyana in the spotlight in all the member states of the organisation.

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Ramotar salutes WPO’s fight for women’s liberation T

he Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) was last Saturday saluted by President Donald Ramotar during a cultural ceremony to mark its 60th anniversary. In the presence of a packed audience at the Natural Cultural Centre, President Ramotar hailed the WPO for its outstanding contributions to the lives of Guyanese women and the integral role it played in the economic, political, social and educational development of the country.

“They were a part of the struggle for independence, the women’s movement for independence and they were a part of the fight not only for independence, but even in the conditions of colonialism, led the fight for social improvement and economic gains.”

He said the WPO fought vigorously against prejudice and inequality, not only for its members, but women across the country.

He singled out former

A section of the audience at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown

President Janet Jagan for her sterling contributions in the fight for democracy and equality.

Reflecting on the past, President Ramotar said Jagan faced many challenges and attacks, first from the colonial powers at the time.

“Unfortunately, she was demonised by the same people she fought for, but indeed, she was a force for the PPP.” The hardship en-

dured by the WPO’s founders and members during the mid-50s did not go in vain as today, 60 years after, women have progressed in all aspects of society.

He said the conditions for the advancement of women are far more favourable with all being granted the opportunity to be educated, noting that more women are graduating from the University of Guyana

than men.

It was also pointed out that in an effort to empower women in Guyana, the Housing and Water Ministry has allocated 15 per cent of the houselots distributed over the past five years to single mothers.

WPO President Indra Chandarpal in her lengthy presentation reflected on the history of the organisation, and emphasised its

achievements.

Positive change

She said prior to the formation of the WPO, its forerunner, the Women Political and Economic Organisation (WPEO) was formed in 1946 before the advent of the first political party; the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

“Even though it lasted two years, it had already provid-

ed a catalyst for women, especially for those who were living in the city in abject poverty.”

Following the staging of the first elections held under adult suffrage in April 1953, the WPO was formed 26 days after, notably by the first three women parliamentarians, Janet Jagan, Jane Phillips-Gay and Jessie Burnham.

At the time of the formation, many women were uneducated because many of them had dropped out of school at an early age to care for their families. However, realising the importance of education in development, the organisation initially lobbied for all girls to complete school.

“This was done through the medium of newspaper articles and various types of meeting.”

The ceremony at the National Cultural Centre marked the beginning of one year of activities to celebrate the WPO’s jubilee anniversary. The organisation currently boasts a membership of approximately 5000 persons.

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Barbados, Guyana to work on immigration issues

B

arbados Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Maxine McClean, has acknowledged the need to work on immigration issues between Barbados and Guyana as an impetus to further deepen the existing bilateral relationship. She made this observation last Friday during a reception to mark Guyana’s 47th Independence anniversary at its consulate in Sefton Lodge, Brittons Hill, St Michael.

Noting that the country had been able to solve a range of issues as they arose, McClean said a special area of work needed to be undertaken at the Barbados-Guyana Joint Commission.

“That pertains to the management of cooperation issues in the sphere of immigration on which a workable solution must be found. My ministry and the consulate general, since its establishment here in July last year, have been in constant contact on immigration issues as they arise,” McClean pointed out.

The foreign minister further stated: “Like with all families and friends,

Minister Maxine McClean

relationships often suffer some strains. But, despite these, I believe that over the years, our countries have set an example to other countries on how bilateral relations between neighbours, should be conducted.”

Highlighting the positives in the bilateral relationship, McClean alluded to the critical role played by Guyanese innovators and enterprises in the post-independence development of the Barbadian private sector landscape.

She contended that these investments had created an indelible mark on the country’s development and singled out the achievements of

Banks Breweries and Laparkan for special mention. She also mentioned the achievements of Barbadian businessman Sir Kyffin Simpson.

“These are two companies with global reach of which both our countries can be proud. This is one of the several features of the ties between our two countries. Today, we note Barbadian businessman Sir Kyffin Simpson, has made a major investment in Guyana. His 30,000 acre agricultural venture is about to harvest its first rice crop,” McClean said.

The foreign minister expressed the hope that the existing relationship would “continue to grow and strengthen and that together, we will continue to seize opportunities on issues of mutual concern to the benefit of our people”.

In attendance at the independence event were members of the Barbadian cabinet, members of the diplomatic and consular corps, Guyanese expatriates and other specially invited guests, who were welcomed by their host, Consul General Michael Brotherson.

(Barbados Advocate)

Fourth body recovered after Cuyuni boat mishap – captain likely to face criminal charges

D

ays after the 'Black Angel' capsized in the Cuyuni River leaving four persons dead; the fourth body was on Wednesday afternoon recovered in the vicinity of Matouk Falls, Cuyuni, where the accident occurred. The body of Shawn Robinson of New Amsterdam, Berbice was fished out of the rapids about 17: 30h by a search team consisting of relatives and co-workers. Up to late Wednesday afternoon, police were making arrangements for the badly damaged body to be transported to the Lyken’s Funeral Home, Georgetown.

The bodies of William Patoir of New Amsterdam, Berbice and Junior Bandoo of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo were discovered on Sunday about 16: 00h, while body of Clive Welcome also called “Basil” or “Bazzo” of First Avenue Bartica was found on Monday morning.

Severn Williams, the owner of the boat that capsized, told Guyana

Dead: Clive “Bazzo” Welcome

Times International that the body of Robinson was fished out of the Cuyuni River and was in a bad state. He added that the police were contacted upon the discovery, but up to 18: 00h, they were still to visit the area to bring out the body.

Crime Chief Seelall Persaud disclosed on Wednesday that police are continuing their investigation while the captain remains in police custody.

It is believed that the captain of the vessel, Junior Lyte was not qualified to drive the boat, especially in that area.

His competence was also questioned by the Maritime Department

Administration (MARAD) and an investigation has been launched. He is likely to face criminal charges.

M a r i t i m e Administration officials are also investigating the accusation that not all of the passengers were wearing life jackets at the time of the accident. Those who were equipped with life jackets were the ones who were saved.

In January, 10 persons perished when the boat they were travelling in collided with another at Crab Falls, Mazaruni River, Region Seven.

According to reports, two boats were travelling in the opposite direction just below Crab Falls, 25 miles upstream from Bartica when tragedy struck. All of the passengers onboard the two vessels were tossed into the deep waters. The boat was travelling out of Puruni and had 12 passengers, 10 of whom were discovered dead.

The boat was propelled by a 200 horsepower outboard engine and was reportedly split in two.

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Antigua-Barbuda to benefit from major economic project with Qatar

Dr Baldwin Spencer

A

ntigua and Barbuda is positioned to benefit from the establishment of a major economic project with the state of Qatar.

Dr Baldwin Spencer, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, recently held official talks with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, regarding cooperation for the new Azure Bay property development project.

According to Spencer, the Azure Bay project

when implemented will represent the largest high-end hospitality development opportunity in Antigua and Barbuda.

The proposed property will include a five-star hotel, condominiums, 18hole championship golf course, a wellness clinic and spa, a deep water marina, heliport, casino and luxury retail centre.

Spencer further stated that Antigua and Barbuda has agreed in principal to signing an economic, commercial and technical cooperation agreement with Qatar designed to enhance the relationship between the two countries.

During his stay in Qatar, the prime minister also held talks with the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al Thani, Minister of Business and Trade, Jassim Bin Abdelaziz Bin Jassim Al-Thani and Chief Executive Officer of the Qatar Development Bank, Mansoor Bin Ibrahim Al Mahmoud.

(AB gov’t)

President, Granger meet again over ‘pressing issues’ A

mid parliamentary gridlock, President Donald Ramotar and Opposition Leader David Granger on Wednesday held closeddoor talks to discuss how they can better govern the country. The meeting was held at the behest of President Ramotar, Granger pointed out in a release.

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) chairman said, as is publicly known and recognised, there are many pressing national issues of governance, that require a timely resolution by the president, and which the opposition leader wants to discuss with him.

Guyana Times International was told that a similar meeting will be held today (Thursday) with the leaders of the Alliance For Change (AFC).

Ever since the convening of the 10th Parliament, there has been a fierce battle for control of the National Assembly, with the opposition routinely using its one-seat majority to pursue its agenda, which in

President Donald Ramotar

the view of government has been anti- nationalistic at times.

The most recent of cases was the budget presentation, which saw the opposition slicing several billion dollars, including major projects, notably, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion and the Specialty Hospital projects.

The opposition also recently used its majority to stymie the passage of the anti-money laundering amendment bill, which puts Guyana in jeopardy of being sanctioned by the international community.

The president has also vetoed two opposi-

Opposition Leader David Granger

tion sanctioned bills.

Only last week, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) called on the government and the parliamentary parties to convene an extraparliamentary meeting to address the establishment and operationalisation of the public procurement and integrity commissions.

“These are matters of grave public and national interest, but, unfortunately, we are not as yet being heard. The commission believes that the time has come for an end to the procrastination on these matters.

The time has long passed for the government and the political opposition to respect and put the national interest before their political agenda and give effect to the constitutional commitment they have made to the electorate and the nation on the setting up of these commissions,” the statement said.

AFC has made the setting up of the Public Procurement Commission a precondition to the party supporting the passage of the anti-money laundering bill.

In light of this move, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/ C) has contended that the AFC is trying to hold the government at ransom.

APNU said it has submitted its nominees for the commission.

The PPP/ C said government remains open to discussions with the opposition on setting up of the commission.

According to media reports, the issue regarding the setting up of the bodies did not come up for discussion at the meeting with Granger and Ramotar.

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Amerindian Affairs Minister provides clarity at UN forum M

inister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai today (Thursday) publicly rebutted statements made jointly by the Guyana Organisation of Indigenous People (GOIP) and the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) of Guyana at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). The Twelfth Session of the Permanent Forum of the UNPFII is being held from May 20 – 31 at the UN Headquarters, New York.

The statements by the Amerindian groups were made during the session slated to examine the Consolidated Report on Extractive Industries and their impact on Indigenous Peoples.

A statement issued

by Minister Sukhai explained that as partici-

pants examined the situation of indigenous peoples and extractive industries on Friday last, the final presentation of the day was made by the two groups in the joint statement.

“A number of inaccuracies were contained about outstanding Amerindian land claims and Guyana government’s rush to hand out lands for mining, forestry and other interests without the free, prior and informed consent of the Amerindians, and in violation of the collective rights of indigenous peoples, mining and other extractive activities, issues with the Amerindian Act, and the role of UNDP with regards to projects on indigenous lands,” Minister Sukhai said in her statement.

Setting the record straight, Minister

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai

Sukhai stated that Government’s approach through relevant sectoral ministries, execute and apply a policy of balance and fairness, while ensuring and safeguarding the collective rights of Amerindians to land in the issuance of concessions to extractive industries. This, she emphasised, has always been consistent in not granting property rights for

mining, forest or other interests in Amerindian village tilted lands.

“With regards to the assertion that miners’ rights supersede that of the indigenous peoples land rights, this is not the case,” Minister Sukhai insisted.

She emphasised that the Amerindian Act must not and does not appropriate lands from legal title holders, and Guyana’s Constitution protects the Guyanese people against deprivation of their property.

The Minister further pointed out that the Amerindian law is harmonised with the Constitution and the rule of law is upheld.

In keeping with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) Minister Sukhai told the UNPFII, “the Amerindian law

provides the indigenous peoples with the authority to make decisions and grant approval as is stipulated by law with respect to mining. Amerindian village Councils and the village members hold veto powers over small and medium scale gold mining.”

She emphasised that mining conducted in any titled village should receive the explicit approval of the village council, and be subject to the legal process which involves negotiation with the applicant and full consultation with village members for approval.

The negotiation process is steeped in FPIC (former prior and informed consent) as is stipulated in the Amerindian Act and presents no opportunity for a top down approach by Government.

The Amerindian Affairs Minister told the

UN Forum that a few critics of the Amerindian Act continue to call for its revision, feeling that it is weak on land and mining rights. However, the Act establishes a legal process to titling of lands, mining and for settling land claims.

The New York Session is a prelude to the September 2014, World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

A total of 200 indigenous participants from seven regions– Asia, Africa, North America, Central and South America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and the Russian Federation and Central Asia and Transcaucasia, the Arctic, and the Pacific – are expected to participate in the global meeting.

Govt to spend Gy$100M to improve Lethem’s power supply

R

esidents of Lethem and the surrounding Region Nine communities can expect an improvement in their electricity supply within a year, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds told residents as he held a meeting at the Arapaima Primary School on Friday.

The prime minister announced plans to purchase two new 750kVA power generating sets, at a cost of Gy$25 million each, along with plans for a new power station.

The station will be sited on relatively high ground in the commercial/industrial area and will be constructed within a year. This decision was taken due to flooding in the community which

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds touring the Lethem Power Plant with the company’s board officials

often affects the present power station, according to the prime minister.

Owing to steadily increasing costs, electricity consumers will pay an increase in tariffs, Prime Minister Hinds said.

“Presently, if tariffs

are calculated, the cost is way below what the actual costs are, and this gap, as the region develops more, it’s a cost that will increase as more persons demand electrical power.” It was acknowledged that while persons have

the right to self-generate power; it is felt that the Lethem Power Company Inc can generate electricity more cheaply to supply the community.

Currently, according to the prime minister, residents get the

first 15 kilowatts free every month, then they pay Gy$45 for the next 45 kilowatts used, versus an actual cost of Gy$90, with the next 55 kilowatts charged at Gy$55 per kilowatt.

It has been suggested that residents continue to get the electricity “lifeline” of the first 15 kilowatts free then pay Gy$52 for the next 45 kilowatts and Gy$65 for the next 55 kilowatts thereafter.

Prime Minister Hinds noted, “We must appreciate the fact that rates have not been increased since 2008 and costs of spares and fuel have been increasing over the years.” Government subsidises approximately 1000 residents to the

tune of Gy$18 million per year and gives a grant of Gy$105 million to the power company for its operations.

About 80 per cent of the grant package is spent on fuel alone, and according to the prime minister, this percentage is similar to what is obtained by other electrical power companies such as the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc. Lethem’s power supply has steadily increased from an average of six hours per day to approximately 22 hours per day, and the prime minister said this has been one of the factors behind the continuing growth of the community, said the Government Information Agency (GINA).

Guyana to chair CDB board of governors

G

uyana’s Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has been elected to chair the board of governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) over the next year, the Government Information Agency (GINA) has reported.

In his capacity as chairman elect, Dr Singh addressed the closing ceremony of the CDB’s 43rd annual meetings, just concluded in St Lucia. He commended the bank for its contributions to the cause of Caribbean development and to improving

the lives of the people in the region since its earliest years of existence.

To sustain and increase the impact of this historical contribution over the years, he called on the bank to work to increase the rate of loan approvals and disbursements for borrowing member countries in the year ahead.

The minister said the bank must immediately arrest and reverse the recent decline in approvals and disbursements by taking all actions necessary to “rapidly” scale up and “accelerate” project

identification, approval, and implementation, in collaboration with all borrowing member countries.

In addition, Dr Singh said the bank must reverse the phenomenon of negative net flows to its borrowing member countries, which occurred in 2012 for the first time in several years.

The finance minister also urged the CDB to accelerate efforts to broaden its membership, stating that it is important that efforts be made to widen the bank’s mem-

bership in the interest of growth and expansion for a bigger and better institution.

He specifically identified Suriname and Brazil as hopefully the next members of the CDB. “It should come as no surprise that I eagerly await the opportunity to welcome these two South American neighbours of my own country to membership of our own Caribbean bank, priding ourselves, as we do in Guyana, as the bridge between South America and the Caribbean,” said

Dr Singh. “I trust that we can conclude the processes involved to secure full membership by these two countries before the current year is over, and that we can advance discussions with other potential new members, both within the region and from beyond.”

Dr Singh succeeds St Lucia’s Prime Minister Dr Kenny Anthony as chairman of the CDB’s board of governors.

The finance minister also previously chaired the Commonwealth Finance Ministers

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh

Meeting in 2007 and the Commonwealth Ministerial Debt Sustainability Forum from 2008 to 2009.

22 News One Laptop Project opens learning horizon for visually impaired persons in Guyana G week ending june 2, 2013| guyanatimeSinternational.com

overnment continues to work through its One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) initiative to ensure that every Guyanese becomes imbued with Information Communication Technology (ICT) skills to contribute to the socioeconomic development of themselves and Guyana as a whole. Such an opportunity was on Friday last provided to 34 visually impaired persons.

They were supplied with user friendly laptops appropriate to their disability when the OLPF Secretariat continued its Region Four distribution drive at the Guyana Society for the Blind (GSB) at St Phillip’s Green.

The laptops possess the computer software; Job Access with Speech (JAWS) that allows for the visually impaired user to read the screen of the laptop using either a text-to-speech output or a refreshable Braille

display. A keyboard and a headphone each were also given to the beneficiaries.

Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster was present during the distribution. In 2012, during the first phase of the OLPF countrywide distribution, the GSB was supplied with just over

Human Services and Social Security Minister Jenifer Webster presents a laptop to one of the 34 visually impaired recipients at the OLPF distribution exercise at the Guyana Society for the Blind

Visual impaired persons at the OLPF distribution exercise at the Guyana Society for the Blind

20 laptops.

Minister Webster said the provision of

a second round of laptops to the GSB showed, “Government’s commitment to ensuring that all

those persons in our society who are vulnerable, have access to facilities that we are offering”.

“I think that it is time that vulnerable persons have more exposure, and this is an area where I feel there are

more training opportunities being provided to the vulnerable to be able to do a lot more. We are happy, and we are proud to be providing, and to be given these opportunities through the OLPF project to the Guyana Society for the Blind,” she said.

She challenged the recipients to make good use of the opportunity afforded to them, and pledged the government’s commitment to working in whatever ways possible to support them, and other vulnerable people in the society.

She said the ministry will be looking at other innovative ways of working with the GSB and is committed to support financially, its literacy programme.

Spin-off

As a spin-off from the laptops supplied and the training provided, the GSB began offering Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) classes in vari-

ous subject areas for visually impaired students. This relationship also supports their literacy programme.

These recipients will be provided with 30 hours of training (two hours per day) instead of the normal 10-hours mandatory training.

One of the recipients is Desiree Noel Harniss, who expressed her pleasure at being supplied with the laptop and the opportunity to gain the skills to use it.

“I am happy to be here and to receive my laptop. I was born blind, and I think this would be good for me, I never went to school, that is why I am happy to receive it.”

Another recipient, Rudolph Andrew Wickham expressed similar sentiments.

“What I am actually glad about is that I would get to learn how to use a computer. I’m glad about getting to chat with friends abroad and here in Guyana,” he said.

13 Guyanese lawmen being trained by FBI in TT T

hirteen Guyanese law enforcement officials are attending a series of training courses spanning from May 13 to June 28 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, at the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) Police Academy.

According to a U.S. embassy statement, in these courses, participants developed their skills relating to criminal gang and organised crime investigations, intelligence gathering for law enforcement and crime scene investigations.

This was the first

time Guyana has sent students to the Trinidad-based academy. Instructors from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) are conducting the training course.

U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, D Brent Hardt toured the TTPS Police Academy and met with the first group of Guyanese law enforcement officials participating in the training as part of a recent visit to Trinidad and Tobago.

The ambassador expressed appreciation to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Academy leadership for facilitating

Guyana’s participation in the training.

The ambassador pointed out that the expansion of regional training programmes and regional centres of excellence is a primary goal of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) – the ongoing security partnership between the Caribbean and the United States.

Such training allows for more capacity building training to be delivered at lower cost. More importantly, it helps build personal connections among Caribbean law enforcement agencies that are essential to

U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, D Brent Hardt poses with some of the local lawmen attending the course

combating transnational criminal activity.

The ambassador told participants that “criminals operate across borders, and law enforcement agencies must be equally nimble if they are to remain effective

in combating criminal activity.”

The CBSI partnership with the Caribbean was launched by U.S. President Barack Obama at the fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago

in April 2009 and is a cornerstone of an integrated, multilateral hemispheric security strategy that seeks to enhance citizen security, promote social justice, and combat illicit trafficking.

New York mayoral candidate John Liu impresses Guyanese

C

ity Comptroller John Liu, who is running for mayor, impressed the Guyanese gathering that turned out to listen to his plan for the city and what he will do for the large Guyanese-New York community.

Attorney Kawal Totaram introduced Liu as “a friend of the community” at a public forum hosted by the Richmond Hill Democratic Club.

Liu visited the community several times when he was running for comptroller, as well as after he was elected. He reminded the audience that he never turned

down an invitation from Richmond Hill Guyanese and he has hired members from the community to work in his office.

Liu, who is seeking the mayoralty, said he was pleased to visit Richmond Hill and that he was there to discuss issues affecting the community. He reminded listeners that this is a big year in the politics that will result in deep lasting changes from the harsh climate of the last decade. He said working people have had a difficult economic environment under the Bloomberg administration. He also said people

have been made scapegoats of what has gone wrong in the city.

Liu said Bloomberg gave a lot of subsidies to corporations, but he said “the businesses created virtually no jobs in the process. In the meanwhile, the working class got no subsidies and privileges”.

Flat tax

The mayoral candidate said he is opposed to the tax system. He said New York City has a flat tax and if elected, he will “introduce a progressive tax so that the wealthy will pay more while the middle class and the working class

will pay less taxes”. He said, “If the tax system is fixed, people will have more disposable income and everyone will be better off with people spending more and jobs created.”

Liu said his priority is to fix the school system. He said he is a product of public school and will pump resources to improve public education.

Liu also said he is in favour of the immigration amnesty and of allowing legal residents to vote in the city for city offices. “I am proud to be an immigrant.” He said politicians say they are

pro-immigration, but offer no financing for programmes for immigrants.

He plans to change that. He said it was a long time since an immigrant has been elected mayor. He said immigrants from Italy and Ireland served as mayor, but no Asian has been elected as mayor. “But that is not why I am running. I want to make a real difference in peoples’ lives.”

Liu said better times are ahead for the city and “we need a long sustained economic recovery. I need your support to become mayor. The

City Comptroller John Liu

polls are underestimating my support. I can win once you come out and vote for me. When I become mayor, I will change the city,” Liu said.

Feature

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A successful privatisation: NEW GPC INC (Part IV, conclusion) T he Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation (GPC) started out as part of the Bookers Group of Companies, which apart from owning most of the sugar industry in colonial Guyana, also had wide commercial interests. Not without much truth, the common name for the colony, “BG”, was said to be an acronym for “Bookers Guyana”.

In the 1920s, Bookers Drug Store was formed to manufacture medicines, which, up to then, had all been imported into then British Guiana. It expanded to encompass a wide range of over-the-counter drugs, such as Limacol and Ferrol, which earned wide brand recognition in the Caribbean.

After the parent company was nationalised in 1976 – and renamed the Guyana Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited – it became the major supplier of pharmaceuticals to the government of Guyana and the health sector. But as with all the other commercial enterprises, the government had nationalised, the company was run more on political rather than commercial lines. Like the others, it inevitably began to shrink and lose money.

Privatisation

As part of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme imposed on Guyana under the People’s National Congress (PNC) in 1989, the GPC was scheduled to be privatised in the second phase –under the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government as it happened. Unlike those conducted by the PNC in phase one, the sale of the GPC was advertised locally in 1999.

The PPP/C had moved very forcefully to make the privatisation process more transparent.

According to the Privatisation Unit, “of the six bids received, three were shortlisted for further evaluation. The other three were eliminated due to the failure to respond and submit much of the required information. Overall, the one bidder who has been consistent and the most honest in the submission of all information was Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (QAII).” The company was AntiRetroVirals (ARVs) produced by NEW GPC

that made Guyana one of the few countries that had a practical plan to counter an outbreak. On this point, it is useful to highlight the importance of having a vibrant pharmaceutical producer in Guyana.

In the event of an emergency, the NEW GPC has expertise and inventory that could make a big difference. This was made clear a few years earlier, during the floods of 2005, when the company manufactured Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) and a number of critical medicines to bring relief to those affected.

Pharmaceutical supplier

NEW GPC INC, Farm, East Bank Demerara

headed by a local doctor, Dr Ranjisinghi Ramroop.

Privatised in parts

The sale was consummated in December 1999 when QAII paid Gy$458 million for 60 per cent of the shares of the company, which it renamed NEW GPC INC, and incorporated under the Companies Act 1991.

In addition, onto the NEW GPC was foisted “loans” extended to the old GPC by the New York financier Warburg Group, to the tune of some Gy$200 million. The PNC government had used this “loan” facility to cover all sorts of secret deals made by their political directorate.

According to the IMF Report of 1997, the total GPC asset base was valued at Gy$706 million, but what is often overlooked is that, as the latest report by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) concedes, “GPC was privatised in parts”.

The GPC property at 201 Camp Street, Georgetown, which housed Sijan Plaza, was sold to what became Citizens Bank for Gy$247 million.

The GPC’s head office at Ruimveldt Public Road, Georgetown, which had manufacturing facilities for Limacol, among other products, and most importantly a shipping wharf, were also stripped from the company and sold to the Guyana National Shipping Corporation (GNSC) for Gy$344 million. It was clear in retrospect that the new company had bought a “pig in a poke”.

It is ironic that when the government sold a further 30 per cent of the company for

Gy$200 million to the NEW GPC, which exercised its first option clause, there were some complaints. Based on how the assets were stripped, the NEW GPC should have received a refund. The remainder of the 10 per cent shares is held by the government in trust for the employees.

But unlike what some others have done with their privatised companies, the NEW GPC owners buckled down to create one of the most successful private companies in Guyana. It demonstrated that a well run private enterprise company can be successful here.

Building a NEW GPC: people

The NEW GPC was given six months to vacate the Ruimveldt property, which necessitated immediate huge capital injections at the Farm, East Bank Demerara Plant to install a new manufacturing line, a warehouse as well as offices for staff. Three new buildings had to be constructed, as well as every one of the older ones, refurbished. Overall, the new owners were to inject some Gy$600 million after it acquired the company.

In making the move from Ruimveldt, the company used the opportunity to rationalise its structure. One of the problems with government-run enterprises is their top heavy management structure with numerous levels of executives and line staff. The NEW GPC reduced the overall staff, especially from the management strata at Ruimveldt, for example through retirements, from 300 to a present 200, approximately. Very interestingly, however, the overall salary scales and total labour costs have increased due to profits generated from increased productivity.

The company was able to increase its productivity by focusing on visionary human resource practices. Training of staff at all levels is paramount and salaries and fringe benefits offer incentives for staff to become trained and remain with the company. Staff receive up to four weeks vacation – six in some instances – annually with pay after just four years employment.

Less than four years, vacation is graduated based on

number of completed years.

Staff also receive leave passage, meals, uniforms, bus transportation for employees in East Coast Demerara, West Coast Demerara and South Ruimveldt, Georgetown. Safety gear and other equipment are standard. The relations with the unions, Clerical and Commercial Workers Union (CCWU) and Guyana Labour Union (GLU) are, not surprisingly, excellent.

Through these and the overall atmosphere of creating a collegial environment, the NEW GPC has been able to buck the trend of migration of qualified Guyanese and retain its staff.

The corporation maintains one of the largest internship programmes with the University of Guyana (UG) for students of chemistry and pharmacy.

Building a NEW GPC: products

Since it took over the original company in 1999, the NEW GPC has added over 60 new products to its line. The most famous was launched within two years of its acquisition when it started to produce generic HIV/ AIDS Anti-RetroVirals (ARVs) in 2001 at below US$360 annually to treat one patient – compared with the US$500010,000 then being charged by U.S. companies.

It was able to do so by partnering with Indian companies such as Matrix. This facility allowed the government to treat Guyanese AIDS patients free.

The company remains the only Caribbean company to produce ARVs. Another pioneering venture, which earned the country international accolades, was its partnering with the Children Hospital of Toronto, Canada and the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) to develop the “Sprinkles Programme” to deal with the major problem of micronutrient deficiencies among children and women in Guyana.

The programme reduced overall cases of anaemia by around 30 per cent among pregnant women and children under five years old. The IDB was presented with an award by the U.S. Treasury for its role.

In addition, when the threat of bird-flu arose, the company manufactured “Flumavir” (Oseltamivir Phosphate) and

The NEW GPC was able to retain its old position as the largest supplier of pharmaceutical products to the government’s health sector. In recent years, this has been criticised by some with short memories who forget that very few of the dozens of companies privatised by the government in the 1990s survived, much less prospered.

The NEW GPC continues its bequeathed Guyanese tradition. The NEW GPC invested billions into the most extensive and modern warehousing facility for the government’s pharmaceuticals, which it offered free of charge to them. It is not appreciated how complex was the infrastructural network to man the pharmaceutical supply chain for the government.

With the announcement that the government has constructed its own warehouse, it shall have a basis of comparison. No other private pharmaceutical company and in our estimation, the government, is in a position to offer the services of such a facility.

Export

Another major problem with the old regime under which GPC operated and which helped to kill it, was its protected market that eschewed competition and its attendant productivity gains.

The NEW GPC is not only forced to compete locally against global producers, but has pursued a vigorous exportled strategy which forces the company to lift its products to the highest international standards.

The NEW GPC is “good manufacturing practice” compliant – the gold standard in the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry and has been able to compete with the best in Caribbean as well as U.S. and Canadian markets. Its packaging and other marketing demands have been met – including the ones where most other local companies flounder – on time deliveries.

In short, the NEW GPC has very well been the most successful privatised company in Guyana and is registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is poised to go on to make the country and its shareholders proud.

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Guyana’s progress on gender equality hailed G

uyana has earned favourable reviews by the United Nations and developed countries around the world for its work in the area of advocating gender equality among its citizenry.

The nation has been ranked high among the first 20 countries to attain positive feedback from international and long-established organisations, fighting feverishly for gender equality. This is according to Women and Gender Equality Commission (WGEC) Chairperson Indra Chandarpal.

She recalled her time as human services and social security minister, and pointed out that when Guyana had to present its report at the fourth world congress on gender equality, it was quite a difficult task.

Chandarpal said the

Women and Gender Equality Commission Chairperson Indra Chandarpal

country has seen a drastic improvement in this regard.

“The Women and Gender Equality Commission is always promoting gender in that sense, and people got to understand that we are talking about access to opportunity, that irrespective of colour, creed, and gender – whoever you are – opportunity

must be made available to you and not because you are a woman, you must not get equal pay or you should not get a job or make less money than a man. Women should not be treated in no way different from their male colleagues,” she insisted.

She said gender equality is alive in Guyana, but admitted that there are instances where some sections of society fall short in this regard. However, efforts are in train to make sure gender inequality is rooted out and exposed at all costs.

An empowered woman can do wonders

Chandarpal said persons must be aware that an empowered woman can do wonders for a developing economy in various capacities.

In Guyana, there have been improvements in maternal health, life

expectancy and access to quality healthcare, as gender specific services are available to women.

She pointed out that the historical socioeconomic disparity between men and women, which is necessary for the advancement of inequality, has evolved.

She reiterated that people must overcome the relics of the past to begin seeing women as equal to men, since tradition holds true and the challenge is for men to find newly-defined relationships in which both genders can exist.

Recognising that there have been performance gaps in its work, the WGEC has come up with a five-year strategic plan, which it hopes would chart a course for it to monitor and protect the human rights of women and guard against discrimination.

“My hands are clean” - PM Kamla says she’s not afraid of any probe

P

rime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar last Friday night declared that she was not afraid of any form of investigation — whether by the Police Service, the Integrity Commission, foreigners or “anybody” – into email trail allegations, as she turned to a massive crowd at Mid Centre Mall, Chaguanas, to get their vote of approval, as her administration marked a third year in governance.

“My hands are clean and my heart is pure. I have nothing to fear,” Persad-Bissessar told the crowd at the PP government’s third anniversary rally at UNC heartland in her feature address.

“It is before the police, it is before the Integrity Commission.

Whoever else they want to send it to, I have no problem with that. They cannot distract your government. I tell you, I have no fear.”

Of calls for the email trail to be investigated by foreign experts, she said, “Now they are saying bring somebody from abroad, bring somebody from anywhere. I have no problem with who is brought in, who is not brought in. Just investigate it! I do not care, investigate it. From outside, from inside, investigate.

Integrity Commission, Police. ”

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar as she addressed supporters last Friday

Persad-Bissessar observed that on the very day the allegations were made by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley, the matters were referred to the police.

“When Dr Rowley came to the Parliament and it came into my hands, I did not wait one minute. I sent it straight to the Commissioner of Police for investigation,” she said. “The allegations made this week by the Honourable Leader of the Opposition in Parliament are false, malicious and reckless. We reject every single one of them! The spin on this issue stops here.”

Last Friday night’s event saw PersadBissessar turn to the crowd, seeking and receiving their vote of con-

fidence.

“Thank you for coming here tonight, thank you for showing full confidence in your government!” Persad-Bissessar said.

At the same time, Persad-Bissessar tabled a motion of her own on the Opposition Leader who last Friday continued to face pressure over his widely-criticised presentation during his noconfidence motion in Parliament on Monday.

“Tonight I ask you, do you have confidence in the Leader of the Opposition?” she asked.

“No!” the crowd replied.

“Do you have confidence in Dr Keith Rowley?” she asked. “No!” was the response. She said, “His motion has backfired.

Today I say we have no

confidence in the Leader of the Opposition.”

Opting not to present political “goodies” or report on the achievements of her government as she had in anniversary speeches past, PersadBissessar instead sought to capitalise on developments of the past few days, focusing on continuing to heap pressure on Rowley over his widely-criticised email trail allegations which alleged a conspiracy to murder, pervert the course of justice and illegally spy.

With Local Government Elections due later this year, the Siparia MP waded into the Opposition for walking out on the vote on their own no-confidence motion last Wednesday night. (Excerpt from TT Newsday)

A section of the gathering at the PP government third anniversary celebrations

Moving the goalposts N

…in procurement ow we’ve finished “celebrating” independence by jumping through the hoops established by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), we come to the not unrelated matter of the Public Procurement Commission. Obviously, we think that the idea of such a commission is a good one: who would complain about a “watchdog” to ensure that we’re getting the bang for our public buck? After all, the money comes out of our pockets, no?

But we’ve found to our cost (very high cost) that in these things, the devil is in the details. One of these details just surfaced in a letter from long-time People’s National Congress (PNC) activist and University of Guyana (UG) lecturer – who the opposition appointed as their representative on the Broadcast Commission – Sherwood Lowe.

Seems that Lowe – who undoubtedly represents the view of the opposition A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC), since they placed so much confidence in him – doesn’t believe that the test of who will be awarded contracts by the procurement commission should be who’s most qualified. You know… like who can best do the job most competently at the cheapest price. No siree Bob!!! Such a commission would be a “paper tiger”.

Lowe and the opposition believe that we should employ a new criterion to create, presumably a “real” tiger. The procurement commission must “include socioeconomic-rebalancing in the interest of all groups and communities”. You heard that right: the members of the procurement commission will now be using their own judgement to award contracts “in the interests of all groups and communities”.

Now while this may sound like “affirmative action” like they have in the U.S., we don’t have laws on our books to say who’s a minority or disadvantaged group and so on. So I guess we’ll be winging it on the basis of how the procurement commission members “feel”. From the strident utterances of Khemraj Ramjattan, David Granger, et al, at Linden and elsewhere, we know who they think should be helped. If one community can get electricity practically free while the rest of the country reels under costs double that of New York City, imagine the contracts they’ll be getting to make things “regulah”.

We’ve already tried this nonsense during the Forbes Burnham years…and that “real tiger” helped to destroy this country, where the only economies we can be compared with today are sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti. Even in America, with all their good intentions, it hasn’t helped the targeted communities – only fostered a dependency on government handouts. Is this what we want in Guyana after 47 years of “independence”?

Gimme a break!!! …on Caricom There’s been a vigorous debate precipitated in the Caribbean’s “chattering class” over the sentiments expressed by a Jamaican lawyer Ronald Mason for Jamaica to exit the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

What seemed to upset most folks was not that Mason criticised Caricom, but that he denied that he was any kind of “Caribbean Man”. He was “a Jamaican” he declared jingoistically.

Now we’re not so sure why anyone is upset with Mason, who is an immigration lawyer and so must’ve had some experience with this “Caribbean one love” ideal versus the reality. After all, most people have completely forgotten that founding fathers of Caricom, like William Demas, have poignantly spoken about the cultural ties that bound us together as “one people”. We’ve forgotten because nobody talks about it and no one talks about it because hardly anyone sees it as a reality.

Ask every Bajan or Trini and he or she will also proudly assert their national identity…even the small islanders, rather than any Caribbean identification. It’s probably only Guyanese who talk about “Caribbean identity” as our youths imitate unintelligible Jamaican patois in their dancehall jive and ditto the Trini-lilted Chutney rum songs. So it go. …on corruption What’s this about focusing on the businessmen who New York state Senator John Sampson “shook down” for “retainer fees”? Who’s the “corrupter” and who’s the “corruptee”?? Let’s stay focused guys.

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Thousands of Guyanese witness ‘Independence’ showcase

The Golden Arrowhead being hoisted in the presence of President Donald Ramotar, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Culture Minister Dr Frank Anthony and Chief of Staff, Commodore Gary Best

T

he night sky was illuminated with a spectacular fireworks display by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), symbolising the dawn of Guyana’s 47th Independence celebrations, minutes after the Golden Arrowhead was hoisted Sunday morning. This was only one of the many other side attractions witnessed

by President Donald Ramotar, First Lady Deolatchmie Ramotar, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony, members of the diplomatic community and thousands of Guyanese from all walks of life, at the National Park Saturday night.

Prior to the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead, the nation heard a message from a GDF officer who led a team to Mount Ayanganna; the highest point in the country, to hoist the country’s flag at 00:00h to mark the 47th Independence anniversary.

The hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead and the magnificent fireworks had left the huge crowd in awe, but before that, the National Park was made a lively theatre with five hours of cultural extravaganza.

The annual celebration kicked off with a musical instrumental rendition by the National Steel Orchestra and was subsequently followed by some very energetic stage performances by the ‘Nrityageet’ dancers.

Captivating the crowd’s attention were the talented Randolph Critchlow and his col-

league who, through poetry, addressed not only the road to Guyana’s Independence, but also highlighted the challenges Guyana still faces as a nation.

Dressed in the colours of the Golden Arrowhead, Guyana’s reigning chutney/soca monarch and three-time calypso king, ‘Young Bill Rogers’ graced the stage and dished out one of his favourite songs from his collection of calypso music.

This was followed by an interlude of dance and then a march past by the Guyana Defence Force.

Members of the Guyana Police Force also put on a spectacular physical display show.

The National Steel Band and Choir belted out several national songs, including “O Beautiful Guyana”. Soca artistes Roger Bowen and Kwesi Edmonson were among the other performers who graced the occasion as they ushered in the country’s Independence celebrations.

On May 26, 1966, the Union Jack was lowered for the last time, signalling the end of colonialism in Guyana and simultaneously paved the way for the hoisting of the Golden Arrowhead, which marked the birth of a new nation; an independent nation.

Independence brought an end to centuries of struggles by the inhabitants of the country at the time, unforgettably the slaves, the indentured labourers and subsequently the working people and leaders who fought strenuously to end colonial domination.

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Feature

week ending june 2, 2013 | guyanatimeSinternational.com The queen being greeted by officials in British Guiana on her royal tour in 1966

A royal visit to welcome Guyana’s independence A

then 20-year-old reporter Claudette Earle, now a retired newspaper editor, pens her firsthand experience of the festivities during HRH Queen Elizabeth’s visit in the monumental year of 1966 just prior to Guyana gaining independence. With her permission, Guyana Times Sunday Magazine reprints a now historic event.

“The little child and his mother were among the hundreds who had walked miles down the East Bank road before 7 o’clock that morning in order to secure positions of vantage along the streets the queen was scheduled to pass.

They had stood behind the police cordon for more than 90 minutes. They presented a lively picture of colour in their bright holiday attire.

The morning was warm, and dozens of multi-coloured umbrellas brought slight respite from the increasing heat.

Guyanese were in a state of suppressed excitement for this was the first time a reigning sovereign had deigned to visit this country.

Seasoned with long waiting, the people suddenly heard the muffled roar of the outriders’ motor cycles, and they strained their necks to see her

as she came into sight, seemingly gliding by in the Austin Princess.

To the hundreds of Guyanese assembled so orderly on the streets, she was all they had read about and much more.

Her complexion was an exceptional asset, and her deportment, though regal, was void of haughtiness. Fetchingly attired in a day dress of jade and primrose yellow with a fluffy white hat, she had alighted earlier from the plush luxury of the Royal Yacht Britannia on to the solid greenheart wharf of Sproston’s to begin a two-day tour of the country.

Guyana was the first stop of her Caribbean itinerary and, significantly enough, 1966 was the year of our Independence which occurred four months after her visit. Many felt that her royal presence in this country was England’s manner of making a tacit and graceful seal to the 152 years of colonial rule of British Guiana– a grand exit to the old era.

It was also a time of searching and preparation for the average native, for at that time Guyanese were being urged to assume the independence of spirit. And if the visit was meant to be goodbye, we could not have excelled ourselves.

Indeed, the 40-year-old sovereign actually voiced our thoughts and aspirations when, in replying to the Prime Minister’s speech of welcome on the balcony of Parliament Building, she exhorted us: “Now is time to look forward with hope and resolution that all of this land, of whatever ancestry or creed, shall enjoy a shared prosperity and happiness as citizens of Guyana.”

Eclipsed only by the independence celebrations, which was the event of the year, Queen Elizabeth’s visit was a most momentous national event in the country. Day and night, wherever she travelled, the streets were heavily lined with people all eager to cheer tumultuously. They came not only from Georgetown and its suburbs, but from the sprawling coastal belt and the farflung areas in the hinterland.

For days prior to the visit, the city has assumed a gay and holiday appearance.

Thousands of multi-coloured bulbs traced sparklingly the definitions of business places at night, while during the day, flags and buntings in a riot of colours fluttered noisily in the breeze.

The Guyanese government had proclaimed Friday, February 2 a holiday in honour

of the visit, enabling thousands of the working population the opportunity of seeing the sovereign. And, true to Guyanese style, she was accorded a fantastic and thoroughly warmhearted welcome. Waiting to greet her were Governor Sir Richard and Lady Luyt, Prime Minister Mr Forbes Burnham, and the Chief Justice Sir Joseph Luckhoo. After replying to the speech by the prime minister she visited the emblematically ornate and sombre chamber of the house.

The queen was welcomed by the speaker, Mr. A. P. Alleyne, after which she and Prince Phillip unveiled fulllength portraits of themselves, each on either side of the speaker’s chair. Thence the royal party glided slowly through the lined streets to the civic reception at the Promenade Gardens where a section of Georgetown’s citizens waited.

Coolly confident of car-

riage, and grateful of person, the queen met and chatted lightly with councillors both of the Georgetown and New Amsterdam Town Councils.

Her sincere interest never lags in the face of any pressure of exhaustion. This commendable aspect of her personality was unfolded before the curious and wondering eyes of the public during her brief stay.

She always appeared fresh and interested in everything about her.

Later that day, when the sunshine was hottest, the queen – ardent racing fan that she is – was the cynosure of all eyes when she and her entourage attended the special meeting of the Demerara Turf Club at D’Urban Park.

Thousands had borne the heat of the sun and were converged on the Park to see her. She rewarded them with friendly smiles and waves.

And yet her official engagecontinued on page 35

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Health corner

The liver

By Hillary Ramroop

T

HE LIVER is the only organ in the human body that can regenerate itself after damage. This means that a person can have his or her liver partially removed and the cells in that remaining portion of the liver will divide until the liver is practically the same size as before. Liver failure occurs when the damage to the liver has reached the point to where the liver is unable to repair itself. Typically, liver failure occurs progressively over many years. But, acute liver failure occurs quickly sometimes even in 48 hours.

FUNCTIONS: The liver is the largest organ in the body in terms of weight (3.5 pounds) and carries out a number of functions such as manufacturing proteins, metabolizing carbohydrates and fats, cleansing the body of alcohol, drugs and other harmful substances and aids in digestion and absorption of fats and vitamins. With many organs, such as the heart, a scar replaces damaged tissue. However, cells of the liver known as hepatocytes divide and replace damaged cells so the liver is able to repair itself.

CAUSES OF LIVER DAMAGE: According to Web MD, common causes of gradual liver failure are: • Hepatitis B (from blood and cer-

tain bodily fluids) • Hepatitis C (from blood and certain bodily fluids) • Long term alcohol consumption • Hemochromatosis (a inherited disease that results in too much absorption of iron), • Cirrhosis (a permanent scar that forms over normal cells and impedes their functions) • Malnutrition Causes of Acute liver failure (rapid liver failure) are: • Acetaminophen (Tylenol overdose) • Viruses like hepatitis A, B, C (in children) • Reactions to certain medications • Ingestion of poisonous wild mushrooms SYMPTOMS According to Web MD, Early symptoms include: • Loss of appetite • Fatigue • Diarrhea • Nausea More serious symptoms include: • Jaundice (causes a yellowish colour in the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes in the mouth) • Bleeding easily • Swollen abdomen • Disorientation • Sleepiness • Coma • Swelling of the leg with fluid (edema) Cancer can also affect the liver PREVENT LIVER FAILURE • Consume alcohol moderately (Remember alcohol is a poison) • Hepatitis vaccine • Eating a proper diet • Practice proper hygiene • Avoid handling blood products

Indo-Caribbean Alliance to host Awards Show on June 7th in NY

A

fter five years of dedicated service to the Richmond Hill community, the Indo-Caribbean Alliance (ICA) will be hosting its very first Indo-Caribbean Awards Show on June 7th, 2013.

The festive night will feature performances by Terry Gajraj and many other artistes who have donated their time for this worthy non-profit event. Attendees will also feast on a 12-course dinner and unlimited drinks, including a vari-

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ety of special cocktails. .

The evening will feature a special art exhibition by Dr. Andil Gosine.

ICA is a youth services non-profit organisation created by several young adults from the community, including Richard & Faudia.

Some of the organisation’s free programs include; youth mentoring, tutoring, SAT prep classes and areas covering youth leadership.

This ICA inaugural Awards Show is consid-

ered to be the organisation’s largest fundraiser to date. All proceeds will go towards the programs that are being run.

ICA is operated by an all volunteer membership. The organisation can be reached at team@indocaribbean. org. Tickets for the gala event is available online at www.indocaribbean.org or persons may purchase them at 127-16 Liberty Ave (Crossroads).

Legal corner

Check your credit history, just in case

By Richard Kistnen, Esq.

N

ow that tax time is over, and summer heat approaches, many of us are ready to enjoy being outside. We may set aside many of the headaches that have chased us, especially during the winter months.

Credit card bills from holiday shopping, increased utility bills from battling winter heat, lawsuits that may have been commenced against you. There is one area, however, in the arena of credit history that tends to follow people, even though they may have been satisfied.

Judgments recorded against individuals often stay recorded against people, although they may have expired or, in some cases, have been satisfied.

In practicing consumer bankruptcy, I come across and review many credit reports. In addition to containing current and closed accounts, credit reports often include public record information, such as bankruptcy filings and judgments recorded against an individual. Once in a while, I will ask a client about

a judgment which appears on a credit report, and the response is that the particular account was closed after a settlement was reached with the creditor. What most people do not realise is that in addition to resolving the account by a settlement, for a judgment to be removed from your credit history, paperwork must be filed in the court clerk’s office in which that judgment was recorded.

Many debt collectors and creditors fail to file the proper paperwork to remove a judgment from public record because of the cost and resources involved in filing such papers. This paperwork, known as a Satisfaction Piece or Satisfaction of Judgment, indicates that a judgment was satisfied by payment or otherwise by the plaintiff and defendant. Without this paperwork being filed, the judgment continues to be reported as open and not satisfied. This, no doubt, comes at a cost to the debtor-defendant because, over time, the cost of credit for that person is increased due to that judgment being open. That is, you are

paying more for credit due to a judgment that has been satisfied but still being reported as open.

In the case of someone who has previously filed bankruptcy, you should be aware that an Order of Discharge voids a judgment that has been recorded pursuant to a discharged debt. If there are preexisting judgments, after having filed for bankruptcy, you ought to communicate to the plaintiff-creditor and demand that some sort of paperwork be filed in the court clerk’s office to close out the judgment.

Otherwise, as mentioned previously, it will continue to have an adverse impact on your credit and the cost to obtain such credit.

Ultimately, the next time you check a credit report or run a lien search, take a look at the public records section. If there are judgments listed, be sure to follow up and resolve them. Otherwise, you are unnecessarily paying more for credit. If you have any questions, please contact the Law Office of Richard Kistnen, (718) 7382324.

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Independence and economy Part I

The economy at Independence W

hen we look at the economy of Guyana at the time of independence there are a few facts that the modern reader must bear in mind. The first is that most economic activity was geared to produce primary products for the "home" colonial power or its proxies generally foreign, for further processing. The result is that the economy was classically

economic team did visit but nothing materialised. Ditto with West Germany and a second request for the US to include BG in its agriculture surplus program. A request for loans to establish a flour and feed mill also fell on deaf ears.

Finally, the British did agree to a five-year $110m 1960-64 development plan.... but came up with only $5 mil-

The struggle of sugar workers for better wages and working conditions were the dominant feature of industrial relations in the colony.

The companies used molasses, the by-product of sugar, to produce rum, which was another import product, for export. Bookers were also involved in a wide range of commercial activities ranging from pharmaceuticals car im-

$8 million was spent on housing for bauxite workers who now received electricity free of cost from the excess capacity of the alumina plant. Bauxite workers averaged about 6,000 and were the most highly paid workers in Guyana.

Rice

Rice was one of the brightest spots in the pre-independence economy. The mission from the UN had reaffirmed

In the post-slavery era, Guyana established a very entrenched peasantry that was augmented by the East Indian immigrants for the sugar industry who decided to exchange their return passages for small plots of land.

The farmers have always kept the population supplied with ground provisions and vegetables, a small amount of which was exported to the Caribbean islands.

The Rupununi was famous for its massive cattle ranches that rivalled those of Texas, and cattle brought up to the coastland on an overland cattle trail, but increasingly by air after being slaughtered at Lethem. On the coastland, farmers reared cattle, sheep and goats that kept the country self-sufficient in meats.

Small fishing boats went out to sea and kept the populace well supplied with protein from fish and shrimp.

Forestry

"underdeveloped", that is, our natural resources and manpower remained un-utilised or under-utilised on account of lack of economic development fostered by the colonial power.

It must be understood, however, that while the general economy might have been underdeveloped, the facilities to produce the primary products were quite highly developed. The economy was therefore no very diversified.

The second was that the PPP government that had regained power in 1957, after being ousted in 1953, in addition to governing under colonial tutelage, faced the additional burden of being considered too 'radical'. After winning the 1961 elections, the PPP earned the ire of the new US president Kennedy who had been humiliated by the Cuban Bay of Pigs defeat. Between 1961 and 1964 when the government was ousted, the US waged a CIA covert operation that brought the economy to its knees.

Quest for development funds

Back in 1953, the World Bank, which was supposed to be providing development funds for the poor nations, recommended the development of "more agricultural land through D&I and the improvement of the transportation system." When Jagan applied for a loan on these recommendations in 1958, while in London, he was rebuffed.

A visiting World Bank expert repeated the recommendations and Jagan applied again.

Another rebuff.

He'd also asked the British for a loan but was rebuffed.

When he secured a Swiss bank commitment for a loan of ÂŁ6 m, the British refused to stand guarantor. Passing through Washington, he was told to wait. The following year a US

lion of the $24 million for the first year. In 1961 Kennedy succeeded Eisenhower in the White House and the destabilisation of the PPP government was set into motion.

Jagan's visit to Canada after his US visit yielded no loans.

The west had shut the door on Jagan but he was denied access to friendly socialist countries since he had no control over foreign relations.

Hobbled as he was, Jagan left a country to the PNC/UF coalition, granted power by the US/UK combined, which was in as good a shape as any of the neighbouring Caribbean countries and other British colonies in Asia and Africa.

Sugar was still dominant in the Caribbean, and in fact, Barbados was even more dependent on that crop than Guyana. In literacy rates especially Guyana with its 83 percent was poised for takeoff on the solid foundations of its basic industries, especially in sugar, rice and bauxite, even though they were in private hands.

Sugar

At independence, sugar was still "king" as it had been from the formation of the colony three centuries before. Most of the arable prime coastal land was owned by two companies: Bookers and Demerara Sugar Ltd- which consistently produced over 300,000 tonnes of brown sugar annually, which was shipped to Britain for refining.

The sugar companies did not mechanise the field operations of sugar cultivation beyond tillage, and employed almost 28,000 workers for tasks such as cutting and loading canes, which were consequently extremely labour intensive.

They were the largest employers in the country and their labourers were the most ill paid.

ports, department stores and travel agencies, to shipping and stock feeds.

Bauxite

The second most important product was bauxite, mined by the Canadian company Alcan through its local subsidiary DEMBA at McKenzie, Christianburg and Wismar (now Linden) in the Upper Demerara Region, and the US company Reynolds in the upper Berbice region. Bauxite production reached 3 million tons annually in the 1960's.

Bauxite was the most capital intensive industry in Guyana.

By then, Guyana had become one of the largest producers in the world and the highest producer of calcined bauxite that was used to build industrial kilns.

From 1961, a new plant to convert bauxite to alumina was built at a cost of $57 million, and in 1962 started production, which soon reached 300,000 tons. An additional

that agriculture should be the foundation of developing Guyana. A five-year development programme of 19561960 was launched, and the government initiated two of the most ambitious rice farming schemes up to that point: the Black Bush Polder scheme in Berbice and Tapacuma in Essequibo. The Boeraserie project in East Bank Essequibo was also launched. The total acreage under rice was doubled between 1957 and 1964, with producing also doubling to 155,000 tonnes.

The traditional West Indian Markets could not absorb this increased production, and Jagan secured a more lucrative market in Cuba in 1961 - the year of the Bay of Pigs. This was one of the red flags to the US. The PNC in opposition at this time dubbed the PPP government a "coolie rice government".

Farming, livestock and fishing

By the time of independence, Guyana was self sufficient in the supply of lumber to build homes. Some timber, especially greenheart, which was world famous for piles for wharves, was exported.

Manufacturing

While Bookers had established several light manufacturing ventures successfully, by the time of independence, Peter D'Aguiar, who was to become the leader of the UF, has launched the very successful Banks Brewery, with some ancillary industries. The PPP government set up the Ruimveldt Industrial Estate in an effort to spark local investors to increase the manufacturing capabilities of the country. Several contacts were made with eastern bloc countries to assist but these were soon aborted in the polarised ideological climate set adrift.

It was intended that the entrenched mentality of the local business class to only engage in commerce in imitation of the British import agents be broken, and they could appreciate that they could make quite healthy returns from manufacturing.

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A royal visit to welcome Guyana’s... ments were not done for that day.

After knighting Sir Lionel Luckhoo at Guyana House during the afternoon, she boarded the yacht for a brief respite before leaving to attend the prime minister’s reception at The Residence.

On the way, she viewed Georgetown, now a fairy city. The beautifully illuminated Town Hall was the most outstanding of them all. The lofty edifice, with its tall spire, was studded with hundreds of white bulbs; here, it seemed to us, was a precious gem of gigantic proportions artistically cut and set in the heart of the city.

More than 2,000 people were entertained at the reception. And Queen Elizabeth, elaborately begowned and wearing a diamond tiara in her hair, heard for the first time the thrilling staccato rhythm of the masquerade band, while she gazed, and marvelled, at the tall lady on the stilts.

The night, bewitched with glitter and magic, presented a most suitable background for such an auspicious social function. Guyanese talent and culture in their varied forms impressed deeply all those present. Seven-yearold Pulmattie Gobin Ram proved herself to be an artist with remarkable promise a she danced her way into the hearts of all. Present also at the function was the 100-strong National Symphony Choir, and the Silvertones Steel Orchestra, which panned the story of “Uncle Joe”, while choreographer Pat Anderson led the Theatre Guild Dance Troupe in some exotic contortions.

leaned forward on her chair, her face mirroring pure rapture at the spectacular performance.

The popular Indian song, “Sohani Rhaat”, to which the girls danced beau-

Thousands crowded the streets to get a glimpse of the queen

tifully in a slower tempo, was a wonderful example of cultural integration… the theme of the nation since. Other displays by the youths of Guyana followed, and songs in blessing of the queen were sung. Presentations to the queen by three children were made before the royal couple drove around the The queen on one of the trains in British Guiana

If Friday’s schedule was considered tight, Saturday’s was even tighter. In the morning the queen attended the spectacular Children’s Rally which was without argument, the highlight of the festive activities surrounding the Royal visit.

Never before was such a display of channelled inborn grace and rhythm of the Guyanese given. A mass choir of 10,000 voices drawn from 32 schools in and around Georgetown told the stories in songs of “A Coloured Girl in the Ring”, “Bessie Down” and “Hear Auntie Bess”, accompanied by the skilful arrangements of the Police Force Band. And, in the while, these spirited little imps, 210 of them, cutely attired in short white dresses with coloured frilled panels matching the lovely hibiscus crowns on their heads, danced surely with perfect precision to the delight of the royal party. The queen

The queen herself looked charming in blue silk intricately cut to give a split level effect.

Her other immediate engagement was to open the Industrial Fair

ground to acknowledge the tumultuous ovation of the children.

Then, in the dazzling heat of the approaching midday sun, Queen Elizabeth travelled up by railway coach eight miles to La Bonne Intention where she viewed a rural display. She was presented with a map of Guyana in gold. Dance groups, including comfa and masquerade bands, performed.

Later that afternoon she was again bound for another engagement, this time to open the Queen Elizabeth National Park on Thomas Lands. And it was an exceptionally fashionable turnout of Guyana’s fairer sex. They excelled themselves in the interpretation of current dress trends. Exquisite creations of chiffon, floral nylon fabrics, and embroidered linens, matched with absurdly fitted picture hats and impossible stiletto heeled shoes, made many men turn for a second glance.

at the B.G.C.C. ground. So genuinely interested was she in the display of Guyana’s products that the spent 40 minutes more than her allotted touring time. And while a popular steel orchestra proposed “A unto Her Majesty” in calypso song styling, the queen visited the Amerindian village and evinced keen interest in the making of cassava bread and cotton spinning.

Thus ended the official visit of the sovereign. And, as the car finally conveyed the royal party to Sproston’s

from page 32

wharf, thousands of Guyanese, jampacked behind the police cordons, strained their bodies in an effort to catch a last look.

“Captain, Captain put me ashore. I doan want to go anymore! Itanami gon drownded me…” caroused hundreds of Guyanese in mock-mournful tones while they swayed rhythmically to the slow tempo of this time-honoured folk song, bidding, as they sang, goodbye to the queen. Her Majesty stood on the deck of the Britannia, visibly affected by the compelling undercurrent of Wet Indian beat.

All the tension and strain of preparation for this brief tour were released in this gay free-for-all sing-song. In fact this was the culmination of the warmth of sincere Guyanese hospitality accorded their monarch.

Yes it was truly the most relaxed period of the visit. We were happy because everything –every event – had moved smoothly and efficiently. And, as we said goodbye, we tried to convey the message of our culture to the heart of the queen.

Fifty persons, including the governor and the prime minister, had been her guest for dinner. They all stood leaning against the rails, their faces alight with pleasure and excitement as they looked upon the swirling joy-makers. Drumming her fingers lightly on the rail, the queen kept time to the sultry interpretation of “Lilli Gal”, “Wata Wash a Sea”, and the farewell bidding “Goodnight aye, Good night O”.

And on this note the thrilling tour ended.

Guyana had done herself proud on the two days and had, indeed, showed the rest of the world what she was capable of doing with the utmost ease and grace.”

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fun time

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This week's Crossword

J k es Too fast

A turtle was walking down an alley in New York when he was mugged by a gang of snails. A police detective came to investigate and asked the turtle if he could explain what happened. The turtle looked at the detective with a confused look on his face and replied “I don't know.

It all happened so fast.�

Questions for kids

What do you call a bee that is having a bad hair day?

A Frisbee!

What do you get when you cross a sheep and a bee?

A bah-humbug.

Why did the elephants get kicked out of the public pool?

They kept dropping their trunks.

Snake's new glasses

An old snake goes to see his doctor. "Doc, I need something for my eyes. Can't see well these days."

The doc fixes him up with a pair of glasses and tells him to return in two weeks.

The snake comes back two weeks later and tells the doctor he's very depressed.

Doc says, "What's the problem -- didn't the glasses help you?"

"The glasses are fine, Doc. I just discovered I've been living with a water hose the past two years!"

Interesting facts

This week's Puzzle

Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?

A. All invented by women.

Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?

A. Honey Q. There are more collect calls on this day than any other day of the year?

A. Father's Day Q. What trivia fact about Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny) is the most ironic?

A. He was allergic to carrots.

Might as well go fishing

A young guy from Texas moved to California and went to one of those big "everything under one roof" stores looking for a job. The manager asked, "Do you have any sales experience?"

The kid said, "Sure, I was a salesman back home in Texas."

The boss liked the kid so he gave him the job. "You start tomorrow. I'll come down after we close and see how you did."

His first day on the job was rough, but he got through it. After the store was locked up, the boss came down to see how things went.

"How many sales did you make today?"

The young man replied without hesitating, "One." The boss said, "Just one? Our sales people average 20 or 30 sales a day. How much was the sale for?"

The kid said, "$101,237.64."

The boss said, "$101,237.64! What did you sell?"

The kid said, "First I sold him a small fish hook. Then I sold him a medium fish hook. Then I sold him a larger fish hook. Then I sold him a new fishing rod. Then I asked him where he was going fishing, and he said down at the coast, so I told him he was gonna need a boat, so we went down to the boat department and I sold him that twinengine Chris Craft. Then he said he didn't think his Honda Civic would pull it, so I took him down to the automotive department and sold him that 4x4 Blazer."

Amazed, the boss said, "A guy came in here to buy a fish hook and you sold him a boat and a truck?"

"No, he came here to buy a box of necessaries for his wife and I said, 'Well, your weekend's shot; you might as well go fishing.'"

Paraprosdokians

see solution on page 46

(A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part.)

The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse always gets the cheese.

Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.

I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

I try to watch what I eat and yet my eyes just aren't quick enough.

news

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Canada-based Guyanese celebrate 47th Independence anniversary in Toronto also recognised.

Kris Sawh, a cricket supporter in Toronto, who came to Canada in 1971, was recognised for his contribution to the

Independence Festival Cup over the years.

Former Consul General Dhanny Doobay collected a plaque too for his outstanding work

during his time in service.

Meanwhile, several outstanding Guyanese dignitaries were on hand to be part of the celebra-

tion and they were joined

by Barbados Consul General Ferdinand Gill and Michael Willius, St. Lucia’s Consul General to Canada.

Guyana’s High Commissioner to Canada Harry Narine Nawbatt addressing the gathering in Toronto

By Ravendra Madholall

A

s scores of Guyanese living in Canada turned out on Saturday evening at the Elite Banquet Hall and Convention Centre in Toronto to commemorate the country’s 47th Independence Anniversary, Guyana’s High Commissioner to Canada Harry Narine Nawbatt reflected on the country’s rich history and progress marked over the years.

Noting the event as ‘a milestone for Guyana’, which gained Independence in 1966, Nawbatt said it was a very important occasion for Guyanese from around the globe to reflect on the country’s history and achievements.

“As we congratulate ourselves on the occasion of Guyana’s 47th anniversary of independence, it is essential that we reflect on our past, our achievements, our successes, our failures, where our country is at present as well as its future,” he said.

Nawbatt noted that ancestors brought from Africa, India, China and Europe all worked along with the original inhabitants of Guyana, the Amerindians, to achieve the status of an independent state.

“They struggled both during colonialism and after, for us to achieve a better standard of life,” he said adding that, “Guyana has, over the past 47 years been able to build on those struggles and has created opportunities in almost all areas of our social, political and economic life.”

Nawbatt highlighted that Guyanese in Canada have, at the individual level and through their respective associations, contributed tremendously to the developments of their native country, for which he expressed great admiration and gratitude.

He also read a message from Guyana’s long-serving Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who Nawbatt said, wanted to congratulate Guyanese, both living abroad and those at home, for achieving the unprecedented landmark, which is a manifestation of citizens’ continued hard work and commitment.

Guyana’s Head of State Donald Ramotar also sent a congratulatory message to the Guyanese community in Toronto and expressed confidence that the gala affair, along with the activities that are being organised as part of the Guyana Independence Festival, will be enthusiastically supported.

Guyana’s Honorary Consul General to Canada Sattie Sawh, in her remarks, expressed similar sentiments.

“It [is] my honour to bring greetings to all Guyanese on the glorious occasion of Guyana’s 47th anniversary of the achievement of independence; our country is celebrating this milestone, we cannot help but reflect, recognize and rededicate,” Sawh stated, adding that, “we reflect on the contributions of our fore parents to the establishment and development of our homeland and their efforts to maintain and accelerate our national progress.”

The event included a raffle and presentation of recognition awards which took place before the toasting of champagne at midnight as businessman Albert Ramcharran was given a plaque for his contribution over the years.

Oswald Reece, who has served in the Guyana Independence Festival Committee as ‘Sarge’ after migrating to Canada in 1970, and former Toronto Police Officer Elbert Ross, who has been living in Canada since 1971, were

Guyana’s Honorary Consul General to Canada Sattie Sawh and others at the event (Photos courtesy of Bobby Ramlagan)

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Feature Independence and economy Part II: 1964-1992

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The economy: the PNC years: 1964-1992 T

o evaluate the tragedy that befell the Guyanese economy after the PNC/UF coalition took over in 1964, one cannot look at it in isolation but rather in comparison with its Caribbean neighbours such as Barbados, which also became independent in 1966. At independence, by all social and economic indicators, the Caribbean countries were roughly similar. This is not surprising in light of the fact they were all formed and run as "sugar economies".

But by the end of the PNC rule, scholars could only compare Guyana's economy with sub-Saharan Africa or Haiti, while the cohorts for Barbados were the developed nations. What had happened in the intervening twenty-eight years?

It all boiled down to the megalomaniacal visions of one man: Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. In the beginning, Burnham followed an orthodox path of development in line with the wishes of his US and British sponsors who had backed him to replace the PPP government of Cheddi Jagan. In coalition with the fiercely capitalist oriented UF of Peter D'Aguiar, Burnham embarked on infrastructural development such as highway from Georgetown to Linden in the south, to the Corentyne in the east and Parika in the west.

One of the early actions was to cancel the rice contract with Cuba in line with the US embargo on trade with that country. A US company took over the marketing of rice and encouraged the production of long grained and extra long grained varieties that would satisfy the European market. The price for rice and paddy was reduced in 1966, the year of independence, as farmers were caught in a pincer movement as prices for inputs rose sharply and duty free concessions on fuel were removed.

In a move that spelt the crippling of the rice industry, the Rice Board sold the rice on a booming world market but did not pass on these profits to the farmers.

Not surprisingly, production began to fall.

However the PNC government was unable to attract the foreign direct investment in the "industrialisation" by invitation model followed by most of the Caribbean.

By 1968, the PNC had ditched its erstwhile partner and in 1970 declared that it was not only a republic but a "cooperative" republic. It was announced that rather than "private businesses" the cooperative would be the unit of production in all areas of economic life: • state control of most of the economy (including the nationalization of the sugar and bauxite industries and most foreign banks; centralized allocation of bank credit, foreign exchange, and imports; and price controls) • the development of a state-owned manufacturing sector • state control of education • The creation of an “executive presidency” with broad powers, including immunity from prosecution and authority to dismiss parliament.

"communist" Jagan.

The management of the industry was passed on to its supporters and reorganised to reflect the new "cooperative socialist" ethos. Employment rose from 6,000 in 1971 to 7,335 by 1979. Production initially rose rapidly in the mid-seventies commodity boom, but it was discovered by the end of the decade that much of the profits was on account of very little re-invested into the physical plant. Production plummeted from the eighties; from a high of contributing almost 15 percent of the GGP in 1980" it was less than 5 percent in 1992. By then employment had been slashed to less than 3,000 with more in the offing. From being the most lucrative source of employment in the country Linden was reduced to penury.

The socialist ethos also backfired in Guyana losing its position as the world's number one supplier of calcined bauxite, a premium product used for making kilns for producing steel etc. while the product was superior, Linden just could not deliver in time. Customers would rather have the "inferior" Chinese product that was delivered promptly. It is ironic that today, the largest Chinese supplier of calcined bauxite has control of Linden operations.

The upper Demerara River settlements of Mc Kenzie, Wismar and Christianburg were renamed "Linden" in honour of Burnham. Burnham returned the honour, so to speak, by choosing to seize control of "the commanding heights of the economy" by nationalising the bauxite industry in 1970. DEMBA became GuyBau and Reynolds became Bermine. As we have said, this was controlled by Canadian and US corporations, and must have surprised the latter country especially in view of their installation of Burnham into power to counter the

"Food" Nothing more illustrates the course the economy took during the PNC era than the 1972 "Feed, House and Clothe" development plan the PNC declared would be fulfilled by 1976. On the "feeding" part, the PNC tried to make a virtue out of a necessity by declaring a "buy local" programme on basic food items that had been banned. Flour, yellow split peas and Irish potatoes, for instance, had become staples in the Guyanese diet, and their absence caused severe hardships

Bauxite

"Feed, Clothe and House the Nation": Bannings, Guy-lines and starvation

among the ordinary people.

The elite continued to find ways to obtain these goods through their own channels. Smuggling of these foods from neighbouring countries introduced a whole new form of economic activity that entire communities from Berbice to Essequibo plunged into. Food stuffs had to be imported through the government agency and distributed through the oddly named Knowledge Sharing Institute (KSI). Long lines to wait to purchase these foods became a degrading feature of Guyanese life. They were dubbed "guy-lines" by local wags.

"House" The housing the nation promise was well summarised by historian Odeen Ishmael: "But when 1976 ended, this national goal was not achieved. In the area of housing, for example, the plan called for the building of 65,000 “housing units” at a cost of G$250 million. In King’s own words, the targets were specified, thus: “As is well known the target that we have set is 65,000 housing units. We have already built 5,000 of these in 1972, and our plan is to increase the tempo of building activity to 8,000 in 1973; 13,000 in 1974; 17,000 in 1975; and 22,000 in 1976.”

From its inception, this housing plan was sharply criticised by the opposition, who raised questions about how it would be financed, considering that the government had announced that it would seek funding from multilateral agencies.

Actually, the PNC administration was unable to garner any such funding, and the whole housing plan was a colossal failure. Burnham himself was forced to admit this fact in his “address to the nation” on December 14, 1976 when he declared: “We promised to house the nation. continued on page 40

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The economy: the PNC years... . . . We have not done so. . . . Our statistics show, however that we have built 33,000 units. The rest of the nation is still to be housed.”

However, Burnham’s statistics were badly flawed. Using the government’s own statistics, the PPP showed that only 1,061 units were built in 1972; 1,128 in 1973; 1,037 in 1974; and 941 in 1975.

This gave a grand total of 4,167 or only 6.5 percent of the target set in the FCH plan. And even this small amount was concentrated in Georgetown or in rural

Afro-Guyanese communities from which the PNC drew political support."

“Clothe” The less we talk about clothing, the better. The PNC attempt to grow cotton by the National Service in the intermediate savannahs was an astounding failure.

A weaving and dyeing operation brought in by the Chinese government had to resort to importing cotton which could only produce fabric at twice the world market price. The Sanata Complex was closed down and was in ruins by 1990. Shortage

from page 39

of foreign currency to import clothes and fabric left the nation almost naked.

Debt

Even though the economy was collapsing on all fronts because of the heavyhanded political interference, the government kept up its elevated level of public spending. Internally it began to print money and externally it began to borrow heavily. In 1978 it accepted an IMF loan but soon defaulted and was deemed "uncredit worthy" and effectively blacklisted from external borrowing.

The first policy led to runaway inflation that saw the black market rate for the US dollar rising to at least fifty times the official, controlled, rate. The second policy decision pushed the total public 'debt-toGDP' stood at an unsustainable 500 percent by 1988.

Sugar

In 1974, the price of sugar surged to record highs, and the PNC imposed a levy on the profits that saw the government pocketing $475 million. Unlike Barbados, which placed half of its levy into housing for sugar workers, the PNC embarked on grandiose public projects such as a Hydro Project on the Mazaruni which eventually collapsed, and the nationalisation of the industry. In 1976, the PNC nationalised the sugar industry and embarked on the same politicisation of its management structure and operations that it had introduced into bauxite.

Not surprisingly, the industry collapsed and by 1990, when the PNC was forced to bring back foreign management, production had dropped to 130,000 tonnes down from the 395,000 production of 1971.

By 1985 when Burnham died on the operating table in a run-down Georgetown Hospital, the economy had collapsed to such an extent that basic infrastructure such as roads and bridges were in com-

plete disrepair. Blackout periods in the electrical grid exceeded periods of electricity supply. Wages had fallen by 40 percent, and 40 percent of the workers were earning the minimum wage: less than 50 US cents daily. Since 1976 the GDP had shrunk by 31 percent. Inflation of 50 percent eroded the already shrunken wages: the GDP per capita figures were now lower than sub-Saharan Africa, which is usually cited as examples of failed states.

Education and health facilities, once on par with the Caribbean, were in shambles, with rats gnawing the feet of babies.

Guyana was saved from being a complete disaster by three factors: the flourishing illegal economy, the cash remittances that Guyanese citizens received from relatives living abroad and the country's near self-sufficiency in food production.

Hoyte's gambit

In 1988, Desmond Hoyte, Burnham's successor decided to reverse gear: he abandoned the cooperative socialist experiment and signed an agreement with the IMF. A donor country group arranged for a US$180 million loan for Guyana to pay off its arrears on the country's debt that had now swelled to US$2.1 billion.

He agreed to the IMF conditionalities and initiated an Economic Recovery Program starting in 1989.

The programme involved massive devaluations of the Guyana dollar; privatisation of 14 of the 51 companies owned by the government; eventually floating the dollar, which settled by 1992 to GY$125 to US$1-a ten-to-one decrease in value.

Private companies were brought in to run the sugar and bauxite industries. After an initial dip in the GDP, the economy started to expand.

By 1992, Guyana had only returned economically to where the PPP had left it in 1964.

Fashion

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enchant in St. Lucia, Tobago Sonia Noel (right) on the runway in St Lucia also showcasing her new magazine, Makin' Style

T

he new stylish resort collection from fashion doyenne Sonia Noel, which was recently presented in St Lucia at the enchanting Bay Gardens Resort, and the Tobago Fashion Weekend, left many fans and critics captivated.

Noel, who was in St Lucia to launch and promote her quarterly fashion magazine, Makin’ Style, made the decision to showcase the new collection at the same time. During the two-week annual celebration, two shows were held, and both Mariska’s Designs and First Resort had significant presence at all of the events by renowned Caribbean personalities and fashion divas of the island.

The collection was also the highlight of the evening at the recently held Tobago Fashion Week.

First Resort depicts the easy, carefree, uninhibited nature of Caribbean lifestyle presented in breathing, eco-friendly, caressing textiles that capture the attitude of leisure.

Noel infuses her signature latticing, kaftan silhouettes and versatile wraps, to come up with this irresistible collection for an urbane, winning look.

The designer plans on continuing displaying her collection in the U.S.A. For more information on the collection call 226-3099.

(Photos by Inken Janning and David Wears)

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arts & Culture 'Progress Through Unity' n.d.

George Hope

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T

he National Gallery marks its twenty years since its beginnings with the opening of ‘An Anniversary Exhibition’, at Castellani House.

A press release from Castellani House stated that more than 90 paintings, sculptures, ceramics and drawings from the National Collection of Art will be on show in the gallery’s ground floor and main first floor, showing the range of styles, techniques and media, and the outstanding quality of works which represent Guyana’s culture, landscapes and way of life, as expressed by many of the country’s leading artists.

The release added that the National Gallery was inaugurated on May 24, 1993, with Janet Jagan its first Chairman of the Board (the gallery’s Management Committee) for fourteen years until her death in 2009- this period broken only by her service as President of Guyana between 1998 and1999.

Founding member of the board, leading architect Albert Rodrigues, now serves as Chairman.

The gallery’s May exhibition, the press released noted, also marks Guyana’s 47th independence anniversary, as well as International Museum Day (IMD), founded by the International Council of Museums in 1977 in order to highlight museums and galleries, their collections and their role in society. This year’s theme is “Museums (Memory + Creativity) = Social Change”.

The exhibition was opened to the public from May 24 and will continue until August 3. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, and Saturday from 2pm to 6pm. The gallery closes on Sundays and holidays. Admission is free.

Artist Terence Roberts explaining his piece 'Untitled' (Seawall Composition) c. 1975 at the exhibition

'A Slice of Itiribisi' (2006) Merlene Ellis

'Galaxy I' (1981) Omawale Lumumba

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feature

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Umblita Van Sluytman was the independent country’s first international pageantry contestant

Miss Guyana World 1966

U

Crowned as Miss Guyana 1966

mblita Claire Van Sluytman, crowned Miss Guyana World 1966, was Guyana’s very first national pageantry contestant to have represented the country since gaining its independence.

She also competed in the Miss Universe pageant in 1966 and was in the fi-

nals of both pageants.

Hailing from Pomeroon, Umblita was regarded as “one of the most beautiful women of colour” in both pageants.

She made a big splash in her national costume in London for the Miss Universe pageant. Due to her beauty and poise, she was cast in a staged

play in Las Vegas in which she played a beautiful queen.

A piece written by international writer Alejandro Guevara Onofre in 1966 covering the Miss Universe pageant, reported, “Like Guam, the new South American Republic of Guyana- ex British colony- sends its first national contestant to Miss Universe…

Subsequently, in November, the exotic young [beauty] became one of 15 semi-finalists in London, United Kingdom, beginning a new era for Guyana's exotic beauties...”

According to her sister Rose Marie Knowles, on her Myspace account profile, “Umblita was Indian, Portuguese and Dutch, and became Miss Guyana at 19 years of age. She was quiet and poised and beautiful. A gentle and beautiful girl.

She was the first Miss Guyana to go to the Miss World and Miss Universe contests, and was loved by all who saw her. She was placed in the semi-finals and received letters

from all over the world telling her she was one the most beautiful and graceful women they saw in the contest. She was a pleasure to know and a great honour for all who met her. Umblita passed away in 2004.”

Knowles added, “The judges said she glided like a swan on stage and had no-one to help her to prepare for her competition. She was the most gracious and poised woman I ever saw. She is

greatly missed and was very brave as she faced her death. We love her dearly and there will never be another like her. She was everything beautiful and good that walked among us. She did everything to perfection. She was perfection.”

Although not much is known about Umblita’s life in Guyana, the gracious words of her sister and admirers from abroad attest to the fact

that Umblita significantly placed her newly independent country on the international map in the pageantry world, and set the bar high for other Guyanese beauties to follow.

In 1967, Umblita’s successor, Guyanese Shakira Baksh, at the age of 19, came third in the Miss World contest held in London. In 1969, Guyanese Pamela Patricia Lord was third runner-up.

Umblita Van Sluytman (right) featured in an international magazine during the Miss World 1966 pageant

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New book follows Guyana’s history from earliest settlement to independence

“T

Dr Odeen Ishmael

he Guyana Story: From earliest times to independence” by Odeen Ishmael traces the country’s history from thousands of years ago when the first indigenous groups began their settlement in the Guiana territory to our independence in 1966.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine Dr Odeen Ishmael, recalled how “The Guyana Story”, started: “It all came about when I realised that very little was known of our history of the many years before 1950,” he said.

“When I began writing short essays on our history, I concentrated at first on the period of Dutch colonisation

of Guyana. After these were posted on the web, I received numerous email requests from students – Guyanese and non-Guyanese – for other aspects of our history.”

The essays he speaks of form a serialised edition on a webpage, also called The Guyana Story (From Earliest Times to Independence) on the website guyana.org, copyrighted in 2005 that features a collection of short essays which, according to the site, the author hopes would “build an awareness among young Guyanese in particular, of the rich heritage of the people of Guyana.”

It appears to have done just that, and “[t] he result,” Odeen continues, “was that after

a period of almost seven years, I managed to put together more than 180 chapters from the earliest period of our history to the attainment of Independence. In doing my research, I was able to examine thousands of documents housed in Spanish, Dutch, and British archives as well as the Library of Congress.”

Ishmael is described as a veteran Guyanese diplomat, and is currently Guyana’s ambassador to the State of Kuwait and the State of Qatar, having previously served as ambassador to Venezuela (2003–2011) and to the United States of America (1993–2003), where he was also Guyana’s permanent representative to the Organization of American States, and was dean of the diplomatic corps for Latin America and the Caribbean in Washington DC. He has written extensively on Guyanese history, education, and culture as well as political developments in Latin America and the Caribbean, and particularly on the political integration movement in South America.

He was decorated with the Cacique Crown of Honour in 1997, and honoured with the Martin Luther King Legacy Award for international service in the USA in 2002.

Divided into six parts, “The Guyana Story” first examines the “earliest inhabitants”, before

leading to the period of early European exploration and Dutch colonization and the forcible introduction of African slaves to work on cotton and sugar plantations.

In a March review, the book was described as also scrutinizing the effects of European wars, and the final ceding of the territory to the British who ruled it as their colony until they finally granted it independence in 1966. It includes the Indian, Chinese, and Portuguese indentured immigration, showing how the cultural interrelationships among the various ethnic groups introduced newer forms of conflict but at the same time, brought about cooperation in the struggles of the workers for better working and living conditions.

The final part describes the roles of the political leaders who arose from among these ethnic groups from the late 1940s and began the political struggle against colonialism and the demand for independence.

This struggle led to political turbulence in the 1950s and early 1960s when the country was caught in the crosshairs of the cold war resulting in joint British-American devious actions that undermined a democratically elected pro-socialist government and deliberately delayed independence for the country until a government friendly to their international interests came to power.

“As I point out in

Preserving our heritage through pictures

the book's introduction, I make no claim to perfection and urge others to do research and their own writing of our history,” Dr Ishmael noted, which recalls the always contentious issue of recording Guyana’s history and the fact that

Ishmael is also the editor of the book, “Cheddi Jagan - My Struggle for Guyana's Freedom” and has written the foreword to the book “From Bondage to Deliverance - Indentured Labour in Mauritius and British Guiana”, (2006) authored

'The Guyana Story' book cover

there is always more research to be done of our past, and the need for more researches to take up the cause.

The picture on the book cover, Odeen revealed, is a depiction of Fort Nassau on the Berbice River during the 18th century. It is a reproduction from an oil painting done by his wife, Evangeline, with whom he has two children: a daughter, Nadeeza Ishmael and a son, Safraz Waseem Ishmael.

by Indian historian Dr Saroja Sundararajan.

Additionally, Ishmael is editor of the online GNI Publications, and has published a series of documents on Guyanese history, including “The Campaign for Socialism and Democracy in Guyana (1965-1992)”.

“The Guyana Story” (2013) has 688 pages and is fully illustrated.

A two-volume British edition will be published later this year.

(Guyana Times Sunday Magazine)

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Street market scene with telegraph poles, British Guiana (no date)

Hollywood

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Affleck gets honorary doctorate from Brown University

A

cademy Awardwinning actor and director Ben Affleck has received one of six honorary doctorate degrees from Brown University, AP has reported.

Affleck was among

the artists, writers, scientists and educators to receive the degrees from the Ivy League school at commencement exercises Sunday. He received a doctor of fine arts degree. The Massachusetts native directed, pro-

duced and starred in ‘Argo’, which won this year's Oscar for Best Picture.

Others getting honorary doctorates were author and MIT Professor Junot Diaz; retired Stanford University bacteriologist Stanley Falkow; Tougaloo College President Beverly Wade Hogan; medical doctor and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President Risa Lavizzo-Mourey; and Miami Dade College President Eduardo Padron.

The university conferred more than 2,400 degrees last Sunday.

(Times of India)

Jourdan Dunn's son inspires her to model

B

ritish model Jourdan Dunn says her son Riley inspires her to work hard and be successful in the modelling industry.

"I look at my son and he inspires me to do more and work harder. I'm not doing this only for me," femalefirst.co.uk quoted Dunn as saying.

The 23-year-old misses him terribly when she travels for work.

"It's hard. We're super close and he's a real mummy's boy. His father has him at the weekend, but my mum's my main support," she said.

Dunn started modelling when she was 14.

She was first approached by a scout from Storm Modelling Agency. She admitted she didn't be-

O

R

eese Witherspoon, Scarlet Johansson, Amanda Seyfried and Jessica Chastain are among the list of actresses vying to play former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in the upcoming biopic about her life 'Rodham'.

The coveted role in the political drama, set for a release close to the 2016 presidential election, centres around the early years of Clinton's marriage to President Bill Clinton, and her time as a 26-year-old Washington lawyer, the New York Daily News reported.

Johansson is said to be a top contender for the role in the flick.

"We're very fortunate that a lot of really great actors are interested in playing these roles. We're in an envi-

able position," director James Ponsoldt told The Independent. (Times of India)

Gemma Arterton wants to be role model for young girls

G

emma Arterton has revealed that she chooses only those roles which she thinks will act as a good example for young girls.

The 27-year-old actress, who is playing the role of a scantily clad, lap-dancing prostitute in her latest movie 'Byzantium', told the Hunger Magazine that she always thinks about the young girls in the au-

dience to the point where it's probably not helped her in terms of her ca-

reer, the Daily Express reported.

The former ‘Bond girl’ further insisted that even though she has to play the role of a victim or a user or a villain at times, she tries to depict women in a positive sense.

"When you play the hero, you don't do it wearing a bra and knickers," she said. (Times of India)

Johnny Depp offers roles to homeless people lieve she could be a model when she was a teenager.

"On the outside I look elegant, but then I open

my mouth and it's all over. I was always told I could do it, but I didn't want to hear it," she said.

(Times of India)

Bruce Dern wins Cannes’ best actor prize

ne of the stars of Hollywood's 1970s golden age, Bruce Dern, won the best actor prize Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival for his performance in Alexander Payne's ‘Nebraska’, AFP has reported.

In the recession-era road movie, the 76-yearold Dern plays an alcoholic father who believes he has won a million-dol-

Top actresses vying for Hillary Clinton role in biopic

lar sweepstake.

Dern has enjoyed a long career playing villains and psychos which earned him honours early on, although he struggled to escape being typecast.

Dern, who began acting in the 1960s, appeared in the 1974 version of ‘The Great Gatsby’ with Robert Redford, and played a baddie in last year's Quentin

Tarantino bloodfest ‘Django Unchained’.

Payne's black and white movie set in a crisis-ravaged American Mid-West, sees Dern's character, Korean veteran ‘Woody’, take a road trip with his long suffering son David from their home in Montana to his father's Native Nebraska to claim his purported million-dollar winnings.

Born in Chicago in 1936, Dern started out on television before breaking onto the big screen in roles including westerns with John Wayne, whom he shot dead in 1972's ‘The Cowboys’, the only actor to kill the Duke onscreen.

The actor however, was not present at the ceremony on the French Riviera to accept his award. (Times of India)

A

ctor Johnny Depp has reportedly offered

two homeless people a chance to feature in his forthcoming sci-fi film ‘Transcendence’ after spotting them in Albuquerque, Mexico.

They have been offered short roles.

"Johnny always likes to help out the community when on location.

While scouting out the area around Albuquerque, he came across these two characters. He was straight on the phone to the cast-

ing director," femalefirst. co.uk quoted a source as saying.

It is not the first time the actor has helped out people living on the streets. In 2011, he had bought a hat from a homeless person.

His film ‘Transcendence’ is directed by Wally Pfister.

Releasing April 2014, it also includes actors like Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy and Rebecca Hall. (Times of India)

‘Directing would make me obsessive’ – DiCaprio

A

ctor Leonardo DiCaprio fears that getting into movie direction will make him "obsessive".

The 38-year-old is cautious about following in the footsteps of fellow actors-turned directors such as Ben Affleck and James Franco, because he fears that stepping behind the camera will be too much for him.

"I've been talking about directing a lot. But I'm still not sure I'm going to do it. When you're a director, you have so many different elements you need to be in control of," contactmusic.com quoted DiCaprio as saying.

"I get very obsessive when I do movies and it encompasses my life. And I don't know how I'd react to 200 different people asking me questions. I might spiral off into some other dimension of obsessiveness. For now, playing the character and being responsible for

myself is what I'm doing," added the ‘Titanic’ star. (Times of India)

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Aishwarya Rai to walk runway for ‘amFar’

B

ollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who was recently busy with the 66th Cannes International Film Festival, has extended her stay in the French Riviera to attend a fashion show for amFar

(The American Foundation for AIDS Research), IANS has recently reported.

‘The Ultimate Gold Collection Fashion Show’ for AIDS research will see Aishwarya walking the red carpet dressed in an exquisite gold-themed outfit designed by Tarun Tahiliani.

Aishwarya, who is at Cannes as the ambassador of leading cosmetic brand L’Oreal Paris, has been a supporter of AIDS research and has attended the amFar event at Cannes a couple of times now.

She has made arrangements to extend her stay at the movie extravaganza so that she could attend the fashion fundraiser. Aishwarya will also participate in the auction, proceeds of which will go towards AIDS research.

Aishwarya has been asked to wear a gold-themed Tarun Tahiliani outfit for the gala since he is going to be the only Indian designer showing his creations at the Ultimate Gold Collection Fashion Show. (Bollywood Celebden)

‘My dad is my hero’ - Sunny Deol

H

e enjoys a huge fan club and many would be idolising him, but for Sunny Deol his "protective" father Dharmendra, Bollywood's 'He Man' of the 1960s and 1970s, is his all-time favourite hero, Sunny told IANS in an interview recently.

"My dad has been my hero since my childhood. Parents rub on to their children. You have that identity with little bit of your father, mother and granny.

What a man turns out to be is a reflection of what he has absorbed from the family," he added.

Launched by his father with hit movie ‘Betaab’ in 1983, Sunny proved his mettle with films like ‘Ghayal’, ‘Damini’ and ‘Gadar - Ek Prem Katha’.

The 56-year-old says the Deols are happy in their own space.

"We don't indulge with anybody, we don't interfere with anybody, we are happy with what we are doing.

We have our own space and we just do what we want to do. We are very honest people and we don't mess with anybody. Dad has been here for over 50 years now and that is the kind of respect that the family has," he said.

Tagged as an action hero, Sunny feels that "if the character is not lovable, then the action will not make any sense" as he revealed that he would like to "do more variety because it lets me rediscover myself". (Times of India)

Sonakshi Sinha to Anil Kapoor, Tabu team up once again endorse hair oil brand

‘D

T

hey have previously worked together in hit films like like ‘Virasat’ (1997) and ‘Biwi No. 1’ (1999). But since then, the two National Award-winning actors have never been cast in a film together. Now, over a decade later, Anil Kapoor and Tabu will return to the big screen together in director Abhishek Sharma’s next comedy, titled ‘Sharmaji Ka Atom Bomb’.

The film is expected to go on the floors by the end of the year.

“It is a comedy-drama, on the lines of the Italian film, ‘Life Is Beautiful’ (1997). Both Anil and Tabu were hooked to the storyline the moment Abhishek narrated it to them. And they have substantial roles to play in the movie,” says an insider close to the development.

Though the ‘Tere Bin Laden’ (2010) writer-director was supposed to start working on the film around May-June, he delayed the schedule to accommodate Kapoor’s dates, as the actor is currently busy wrapping up the Indian ad-

aptation of the US TV series, ‘24’.

When contacted, Kapoor confirms the news, saying, “It’s a small film that has the potential to become an atom bomb at the box office. Abhishek is one of the most talented directors around.

It will be great fun to work with him.”

(Hindustan Times)

abangg’ famed actress Sonakshi Sinha is the new face of ‘Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil’. She says oiling her hair with the product helps her battle the styling aids and chemicals she has to use on her tresses as part of her profession, reported IANS. “All the styling aids and chemical products I use through the course of the day [are] bound to take a toll on my hair. And then of course, there are the usual problems of pollution and stress, which just damages my hair further,” Sonakshi said in a statement.

The 25-year-old says she has tried using other hair oils, but in vain.

“I’ve tried oiling my hair regularly, but that still doesn’t seem enough to counter all the ill effects suffered by my hair on a daily basis. That’s when I discovered Vatika Enriched Coconut Hair Oil; it was actually recommended to me by my stylist,” she added.

Now she feels her hair looks “simply awesome” thanks to the product, which is said to be a pure coconut oil enriched

with eight additional herbs like henna, amla, lemon and neem.

The brand also announced southern superstar Samantha Prabhu as its ambassador for south Indian markets.

(Bollywood Celebden)

Mumbai bomb blast inspires Nikhil Advani to make film

F

ilmmaker Nikhil Advani, who is gearing up for his film ‘D-Day’ says Mumbai bomb blast “affected” his life and that inspired him to make the film.

“It’s fictional characters. We have taken events from India’s history and used them as

triggers. I am particularly obsessed with the fact that I was 21 when the bomb blast happened in Mumbai… it affected my life, quite a lot and I wanted to make a film to that particular event and that’s why this film was made,” Advani told IANS reporters during the first Look and trailer launch

of ‘D-Day’.

‘D-Day’ is the story of four unassuming protagonists, all with varying back stories and a common mission that brings them together on foreign soil to execute one such mission. It explores their journey, their choices, their loss, their victory.

The director said, “My film is about the most wanted man in India. The story is about an operation that takes place in Karachi to bring this man back to Indian shores.”

Directed by Nikhil Advani, ‘D-Day’ features Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan, Arjun Rampal, Huma Quereshi and Shruti Haasan. The film is slated for release July 19.

(Bollywood Celebden)

bollywood

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Priyanka building muscles Madhuri nervous about to play Mary Kom performing with her Kathak guru

A

ctress Priyanka Chopra's looks may not have any similarities with boxer Mary Kom, but she is working hard to get into shape to play the Olympic bronze medallist in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film.

"I don't believe in

size zero. Yes, I have lost weight as I am training myself for my next film. I am working hard to build muscles for my character, which is inspired by Mary Kom," said Priyanka, in an interview with IANS. The 30-year-old actress, who doesn't shy away from shedding her

glamorous image to try different characters as she did in ‘Kaminey’ and ‘Barfi!’, finds the journey of Mary Kom, a girl from Manipur who went on to become five-time world champion, inspiring.

"It's not a biopic but it is a film, which is inspired by her life. I personally find her journey very inspiring. This film talks about how to grab the right opportunity, work hard and how sheer hard work can bring success. I am very nervous about the film as it is very close to my heart," Priyanka said.

The 30-year-old Mary Kom was honoured with Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour, this year. (Times of India)

Prachi Desai confident new film will do good business

A

ctress Prachi Desai, who will soon be seen in Sanjay Duttstarrer action film ‘Policegiri’, says although her co-star won't be there for promotions, she is confident about the film's good business. Currently, Sanjay is in jail to serve his remaining jail term in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case.

"I have to say that everyone (film's crew and the cast) will do their best. It's unfortunate what has happened. We do understand that but, at the same time, we are doing our best. I am sure there are people who love him (Sanjay) for what he is," Prachi told IANS in an interview.

"They are still going to go to the theatre (to watch Sanjay's film Policegiri) no matter whether he goes to their cities to promote the film or not," she added.

Meanwhile, Prachi is excited about her look in the film. After being seen in ultra-modern look in her last release ‘I, Me Aur Main’, this time her character is more "colourful" and "approachable".

"There is no particular look, but we have tried our best to keep it as young and colourful and as approachable for people," said the 24-year-old.

"I am just happy experimenting with looks and with ‘Policegiri’, I guess I am getting a chance to do that again."

Slated to release July 5, ‘Policegiri’ also features Prakash Raj and Om Puri.

(Hindustan Times)

Ranbir Kapoor loves having fans

F

or Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, appreciation by his fans is like a barometer of his success.

The actor, who is gearing up for the release

of his next ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewan’, explained that when “we are travelling or we go for some promotional events, we meet some people who really want to meet us,

take a picture with us, take an autograph… I love doing it”.

“I am standing here because of them. If I go somewhere and no one asks for a photograph or an autograph, then I would feel very bad.

Fans are like my report card. The more fans you have means you are doing well at your job,” the 31-year-old told IANS reporters at an event.

Though the son of Neetu and Rishi Kapoor had an unimpressive start with ‘Saawariya’ in 2007, Ranbir later carved a niche for himself with his performances in ‘Rocket Singh – Salesman Of The Year’, ‘Wake Up Sid’, ‘Raajneeti’, ‘Rockstar’ and ‘Barfi!’. (Bollywood Celebden)

M

adhuri Dixit, who would be performing with noted classical dancer Birju Maharaj, feels honoured that she would dance with him but is nervous at the same time.

The legendary Kathak guru and his disciple will soon be seen in a special

‘jugalbandi’ act on the dance reality show ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’.

"I am happy and honoured that I will be dancing with him...I am afraid...getting butterflies in my stomach. I am nervous if I would be able to match up to him. I will treasure this moment," Madhuri told PTI reporters at the launch of the show.

The two will perform together for the first time on television. The classical dancer choreographed Madhuri's songs in ‘Devdas’ (2002) and ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ (1997), and recently did a song for her upcoming film ‘Dedh Ishqiya’.

Meanwhile, Madhuri said she is excited to judge yet another season of ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’ "as it brings out interesting journey of contestants. I think anyone can dance but it is important to put your heart and soul for a performance," she said.

The show will go on air from June 1.

(Hindustan Times)

Shruti’s father is her inspiration

A

ctress Shruti Haasan, daughter of veteran actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan, says her father has been very inspiring for her.

She marvels at her father’s dedication and says “he has the same enthusiasm that a newcomer has for his work”, reports IANS. The 27-year-old Shruti is also impressed with her father’s directorial skills and minces no words in praising him for that.

“He is a good director. He brings in an actor’s point of view very clear-

ly. When you see his film, you know an actor is thinking about how to direct the film,” she said as she also divulged that she hasn’t ruled out acting in a film directed by her father someday.

After doing Bollywood films like ‘Luck’ and ‘Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji’, Shruti will soon be seen in two more Hindi projects – ‘Ramaiya Vastavaiya’ opposite Girish Kumar and ‘D-Day’ with Arjun Rampal, Rishi Kaporr, Irrfan and Huma Qureshi. (Bollywood Celebden)

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Independence and economy Part IIi

The economy: PPP: 1992-2013 T

he PPP took over the Guyanese economy that had been ravaged by the PNC and had just recovered through the IMFimposed 1989 ERP to a level where the PPP had left it in 1964. But it was not a matter of just marking time. The rest of the Caribbean had marched on and, for instance, the per capita GDP of Barbados was now 20 times greater than ours and we had slipped behind the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. We were barely above Haiti in this hemisphere.

Our most important resource - human capital was almost completely depleted, as 89% of Guyanese with skills emigrated to OECD countries. Because of the opportunities for rentseeking (seeking gains from one's position) in state-controlled enterprises, corruption had become endemic in the system. This was to prove one of the major obstacles in moving Guyana forward from its very low economic base.

Growth

But through discipline - and not blind adherence to the IMF-

dictated ERP - Guyana achieved growth between 1992 and 1997, of almost 7% annually. Sugar, rice and almost every sector other than bauxite - grew to deliver better wages to the workers. The removal of import controls meant that shops were stocking consumer items not seen in the country for decades.

The PPP government, however, refused to continue with the massive retrenchment in the Civil Service that had been initiated by the PNC and increased spending in the social sector to assist the most disadvantaged members of society. Extreme poverty was slashed by a third to 19% between 1993 and 1999 and absolute poverty by 19% to 34%. These were extraordinary accomplishments and poverty-related spending continued to exceed 20%, which would have further reduced the incidence of poverty.

The PPP redrafted the ‘privatisation guidelines’ and began a Phase 2 of divestments with the focus on local investors, rather than foreigners, which the PNC had stressed. The gains and

profits from privatisation would remain in the country. Rehabilitation of manufacturing facilities and increased employment were the new ‘watchwords’. Privatised companies such as the New GPC plunged into cutting edge manufacturing of HIV/AIDS ARV's,

that the greatest progress was made. The short term relief of a bridge loan obtained by the PNC in its waning days, also meant that to service the debt of US$1.5 billion, the country would have to expend 94% of its revenues. This was beyond "unsustain-

industry.

Opposition induced downturn

Following the elections of December 1997, the PNC embarked on a series of protests and street violence that brought economic activity to a halt and plunged the GDP into a de-

trying to reorient it away from the colonial pattern of being primary producers for the developed economies. It has embarked on a Low Carbon Development Strategy that combines the benefits of creating a green economy - hitched to ICT4D (Information

An aerial view of the road to the Amaila Falls under construction

for instance, and brought in foreign exchange from exports.

Removing debt albatross

But it was in the field of debt relief, under new Minister of Finance and later President (from 1999) Bharrat Jagdeo,

able".

The government, under Jagdeo, who was a trained economist, was able to secure debt write-offs to such an extent that debt servicing was reduced to a manageable 20%. Today, formerly healthy economies such as Barbados and Jamaica are having to deal with their debt overhang, while Guyana can still continue borrowing.

crease of 1.8% in 1998.

Increased violence from organised gangs, aligned to the Opposition PNC in the following years, ensured that growth between 1998 and 2005 averaged a measly 0.3%.

This period of stagnation has cost the Guyanese economy dearly because the longer we remain mired in the SubSaharan GDP levels, the harder it will be to break free.

For Guyana to catch up with its Caribbean neighbours that had surged ahead while the PNC was destroying the economy, meant that it would have to maintain double-digit growth rates for at least two decades. With an average growth rate of 7.1, sustained to 1997, Guyana was poised to achieve this target. Only bauxite remained troubled, even though over US$23m was injected and debts of US$30 million assumed by the government between 1992-1994. The PNC had so destroyed the infrastructure and poisoned labour relations that foreign prospects for its privatisation were skittish. Bauxite continued to be downsized with government providing huge subsidies is electricity and other areas to the residents of the mining town. With the huge Omai gold mine operating in full swing, gold was picking up the slack in mining. It was not until the PPP was able to persuade Rusal (Berbice) and Bosai (Linden) that hope was returned to the

With the government taking control of the violence against the state, growth of the economy was resumed - but at a lower average rate of around 4.5% between 2006 and 2012. This is also correlated with the continued agitation of the opposition so that there is no consensus on the nation working together to build the economy.

While the growth in the last seven years is very positive compared to the declines in the economies of our Caribbean neighbours, we must stress that we need to attain double-digit growth rates to catch up with them.

It should be of no comfort that their economies might decline. Sugar, which, facilitated by the government, brought infrastructural development and research, has reached its highest production and export figures ever. Sugar, unfortunately, has declined and might have to be reorganised at the least or even privatised.

For our economy, the government has been

The consequences of opposition protest

Return of growth

and Communication Technology for Development) - that can achieve this goal.

Already its carbon sequestration component has garnered US$250 million from Norway for green projects. Unfortunately, the Opposition continues its campaign to stymie growth - because it fears its support will dwindle and they have nixed the use of those monies to launch the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project that could make Guyana petroleum independent.

And of course, also save valuable foreign currency.

The present economic prospects

No Guyanese can deny that this government has made tremendous economic progress since it took over the reins of government.

That progress would have been increased by quantum leaps if the Opposition had accepted the political system, which it has shaped more than any other political entity. There is not a country in the world that can develop if every policy initiative of the government will be opposed in the streets.

The latest refusal of the Opposition to debate the money laundering and terrorism funding bill is a case in point.

How can the country develop into a modern economy if its laws in this crucial area are not brought into conformity with the internal regime being created? Guyana cannot afford to be branded as a rogue state.

SPort

51 Blake targets three gold medals in Moscow K

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I N G S T O N , Jamaica – World 100m champion Yohan Blake says his main goal this season is to win three gold medals at the World Championship in Moscow from August 10 to 18. The double Olympic sprint silver medallist and secondfastest man ever in both the 100m and 200m, says his goal includes retaining his world title.

“My big goal this year is to retain my title at the World Championships

and to win three gold medals there,” Blake told Swedish media outlet SVTplay.se. “I have told myself that this year I am going to be an alien because I want to invade; I want to take over the world”. Blake capitalised on a Usain Bolt disqualification in the final of the 100m at the last instalment of the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, winning the gold medal ahead of Walter Dix of the USA and veteran Kittitian Kim Collins.

The 23-year-old went on to post a personal best of 19.26 in the

200m. He enjoyed a stellar 2012 after beating Bolt twice at the nation-

al trials, before picking up silver medals in the 100m and 200m at the London Olympics and running the third leg on Jamaica’s record-smashing 4x100m relay team.

“When I retain my title and become a world champion for the second time, I think that will be a good season”, Blake boasted.

Only two others have managed to win successive 100m gold medals at the World Championships.

American Carl Lewis

won three consecutive titles in 1983 (Helsinki), 1987 (Rome) and 1991 (Tokyo), while his compatriot Maurice Greene also boasts a threepeat with wins in 1997 (Athens), 1999 (Seville) and 2001 (Edmonton).

“I can be more than historic because I know what I can do,” the Jamaican sprinter declared. “I have been training really hard and I know what I can do. I am going to be more than historic.”

(Caribbean 360)

Digicel launches exciting CPL campaign

K

ingston, Jamaica – Digicel, proud sponsor of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL T20), has launched an exciting new marketing campaign in support of its sponsorship of the new T20 cricket tournament.

The new campaign went live last week with the launch of Digicel’s “Play Your Part” Facebook competition, where fans can win the chance to either present the “Man of the Match” award or conduct the coin toss for the opening CPL T20 games, which will be held in the six host countries – Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, and Trinidad and

Tobago. In addition, the leading communications provider will also be flying the winners of the competition to the CPL T20 finals in Trinidad and Tobago.

Inspired by the “Carnival T20” theme for the new tournament, Digicel’s marketing campaign will include its extensive “We’ve Come to Play” advertising campaign, promotions, PR and a packed schedule of social media and online activity across its Facebook, Twitter and ‘www.digicelcricket.com’ online platforms.

In the coming days, Digicel and CPL T20 will be rolling out its “Name the Mascot” campaign, which will invite fans to

submit a creative and exciting name for the iconic character that is featured in the CPL T20 tournament logo. The winning entry will be adopted as the official name of the mascot for the lifetime of the tournament.

To help its fans get access to the unique carnival atmosphere of CPL T20, Digicel will also launch a “Text to Win” competition where fans can win an exclusive “Party Pass” that will grant them access to CPL T20 matches – including limo transfers to the stadium and access to the party stand for the winner and 10 of his friends.

Fans can also get closer to the action by engaging in live

chats with some of the superstars of CPL T20 – including Digicel brand ambassadors Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels – by visiting its Facebook page and the www. digicelcricket.com website.

Digicel will also lend its weight to match days so that fans can enjoy the very best of Caribbean entertainment that will be showcased at the stadiums across the region.

Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Digicel Group Head of Sponsorship, James Wynne, said; “The build-up to CPL T20 is very much underway and we at Digicel are hugely excited about the upcoming campaign to promote

our sponsorship of what will be the biggest sports tournament in the region this summer…

CPL T20 is all about the merging of sports and entertainment and so it’s a tournament for everyone to enjoy and we’re hoping to bring our customers and cricket fans as close to the action as possible.”

Action begins with the first of 24 matches on July 30 as six franchise teams from Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and St Lucia will play exciting and entertaining matches in the hopes of reaching the finals in Port-of-Spain on August 24 and be crowned CPL T20 champions. (WICB)

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Forde, Jossiah-Tanner capture second consecutive Independence titles

By Treiston Joseph

W

ith 200 metres left to go, Cleveland Forde sprinted past Kelvin Johnson to take his second straight Independence Day half marathon on Sunday morning when the event concluded in front of the Sport Ministry on Main Street, Georgetown.

The event, which started at Paradise, East Coast Demerara, quickly saw the leaders separating themselves early, as Forde, Johnson, Cleveland Thomas, Lionel D’Andrade and Kevin Bailey set a fast pace. However, Forde, Johnson and Thomas separated themselves at Buxton, before Thomas was dropped somewhere at Lusignan.

Forde and Johnson continued to tussle for position but Johnson held a slight 10-metre advantage from the University of Guyana access road head until the final 200 metres. Forde displayed his superior sprinting ability to clock a winning time of 1 hour, 14 minutes, 37 seconds (1:14:37s) to claim the

Cleveland Forde (right) receives his winning cheque from Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Dr Frank Anthony at the presentation ceremony held after the half marathon

Gy$75,000 first prize for the gruelling 13-mile event.

Johnson registered a time of 1:14:43s for the second position to outlast D’Andrade, who finished third with a time of 1:15:13. Thomas was fourth with a time of 1:15:32s while Dennis Horatio, who fell off the pace early, finished fifth in 1:18:44s.

“It was around the pace I expected but I felt a bit pressured although I was running reserved because I have been do-

ing a lot of races and I’m dealing with a groin injury…I still expected a more comfortable race but he (Johnson) seemed to be more comfortable than I was and I had a good finish, but my focus now is to get healed up because I can’t continue like this and do more damage to myself,” Forde told Guyana Times International Sport after the race.

Meanwhile USAbased Euleen JossiahTanner easily ran away with the women’s ver-

sion of the event with a time of 1:30:07s.

Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Ashanti Scott was second in a time of 1:39:51s; local distance queen Alika Morgan was absent from the field but was present to witness the event.

Adama Roberts finished third in a time of 1:46:56s while Jevina Straker took fourth in 1:52:46s, leaving Samantha Williams in fifth with a time of 2:25:49s. In the master’s event, Surinamese Guillermo Udenhout took the top prize of Gy$50,000, finishing the event in a time of 1:24:42s while Ian Archibald placed second in a time of 1:28:25s.

Orin Jossiah was third in a time of 1:32:55s.

In the women’s version of the masters category, multidiscipline athlete Alisha Fortune had to make use of her 100m speed in the final metres of the event to take the top prize of Gy$50,000 ahead of Cyrleen Phillips in a time of 2:04:16s. Phillips finished the event in second with a time of 2:04:19s, while June

Joseph was third in a time of 3:02:12s.

The 55 and over masters category was won by Lleweden Gardner in a time of 1:32:52s. He finished ahead of Maurice Fergundes who clocked 1:50:11s; Carlton Stephenson was third with a time of 2:01:24s.

Meanwhile, officials of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Sport Ministry promised to make the event bigger and better in 2014 at the presentation ceremony held after the event.

Euleen Jossiah-Tanner all by herself to win her second straight half marathon event

I backed myself, says Pollard K

OLKATA, India – West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard says he backed himself to play a match-winning role for Mumbai Indians as wickets tumbled around him in the finals of the Indian Premier League on Sunday. Pollard smashed an unbeaten 60, after Mumbai Indians had slumped to 52 for four, to setup a 23run win over Dwayne Bravo’s Chennai Super Kings and claim their first IPL title.

“Nothing much was going on in my mind when wickets were tumbling. I just wanted to focus on my game. I just wanted to back myself and my ability,” said Pollard.

“I know what the team needed from me at that point in time. These are the games that you have to win for your

franchise and thank God it came off and we actually won”.

Pollard has emerged as one of the most important players in the Mumbai Indians set-up this year.

The Trinidadian all-rounder has not only shone with bat and sometimes with ball, but he has been a game-changer with his exceptional fielding as well, plucking certain sixes in midair.

“I have been playing for the Mumbai Indians for four years and to get this opportunity and to be able to pull it off, it is fantastic. It is something I will cherish forever”. Sunday’s victory for Mumbai Indians was Pollard’s third win in major tournament finals over the last year.

He was a part of the West Indies team that won

the World T20 finals in Sri Lanka late last year and the Trinidad and Tobago outfit that Caribbean T20 title earlier this year.

“It is a fantastic feeling.

And that is what I was talking about before this final, that I have been in two winning finals before and I just wanted to keep that record going,” he told IPLT20.com.

“And now in the next few days, we have another important tournament coming up, the Champions Trophy. We (West Indies) are looking forward to that as well. Dwayne Bravo is going to be our captain, and we are really enthusiastic about it and let us see if we (West Indies) can play good cricket and come out on top over there as well”. (First published on CMC)

Kieron Pollard (right) has a word with Dwayne Bravo

Hemraj, Beaton heading to... my cricketing career,” he declared.

“As you know, Guyana does not have the kind of facilities and coaching that you would get at the HPC, so I’m really looking forward it. This means a lot to me because as you can see, the HPC was able to produce quality players over the years, who went on to play Test cricket, like

[Veerasammy] Permaul for example.”

Permaul, the West Indies left-arm spinner, is among four Guyanese who have passed through the HPC programme.

The others are fast bowler Brandon Bess, who was called up by the West Indies selectors to play a Test match against South Africa while being part

of the programme in 2010, and openers Rajendra Chandrika and Trevon Griffith.

Beaton has appeared in 14 First-Class matches, five List A and five T20 games for Guyana, while Hemraj has three First-Class matches under his belt. The pair would be looking to emulate Permaul and Bess and represent the West Indies at the highest

level.

from back page

New batch

Apart from Hemraj and Beaton, the new batch of Sagicor HPC entrants includes Test discard Adrian Barath of Trinidad, fast bowler Quinton Boatswain of Montserrat, West Indies opening batsman Kraigg Brathwaite of Barbados, opener John Campbell of Jamaica,

wicketkeeper Shai Hope of Barbados, all-rounder Akeal Hosein of Trinidad, wicketkeeper Steven Katwaroo of Trinidad, all-rounder Kyle Mayers of Barbados, allrounder Dalton Polius of St Lucia, all-rounder Raymon Reifer of Barbados, batsman Tyrone Theophile of Dominica and batsman Hayden Walsh Jr of Antigua.

Sport

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Windies hit the ground Guyana-born cricketer Samlall running at Cardiff camp Singh dies on field in Toronto

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Members of the West Indies team doing warmup drills at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff, Wales on Monday morning (WICB Media photo/Philip Spooner)

C

ARDIFF, Wales – West Indies continued their preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy with a full training session on Monday, the day after arriving in Wales.

The squad, under the guidance of Coach Ottis Gibson, went through their drills at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff – where they will face Australia in their first official warm-up match on Saturday.

Gibson has been at the helm for over three years and said one of the keys to success in this tournament is proper preparation. The 44-year-old is familiar with conditions in Wales, having played for Glamorgan in the English County circuit in the 1990s.

Looking ahead to the tournament he said: “It is who gets settled quickly enough or who gets

used to the conditions quickly enough that will do well. That can then have a major say, as well, and that’s what our aim is... to get ourselves acclimatised as quickly as possible. It is all about gelling as quickly as we can to ensure that when the main event comes on June 7, that we are ready for them.” Gibson added: “Getting out of the group is our first challenge and getting to the semi-finals, and then our aim is to be playing on the 23rd of June in the finals. I think we have a pretty good record in finals.”

The ICC Champions Trophy will feature eight teams: Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies.

The tournament will be played across three venues – Cardiff Wales Stadium, Edgbaston and

The Oval – from June 623.

The Windies have been drawn in Group B alongside the Indians, the Pakistanis and the South Africans. They open against Pakistan on Friday, June 7 at the Oval and return to the famous venue on Tuesday, June 11 to take on India.

The final preliminary match will be against the Proteas on Friday, June 14 in Cardiff.

West Indies won the ICC Champions trophy back in 2004 – when Brian Lara’s team beat England in the final at the Oval. Several members of that squad, including skipper Dwayne Bravo will play in the upcoming tournament.

Gibson said the sensational victory in the ICC World T20 tournament in Sri Lanka last October has given the team great confidence.

e was considered a great gentleman and his profound passion for cricket will always be remembered.” These were some of the words expressed by a representative of the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket League following the sudden death of over-40 player Samlall Singh. On Sunday many of his colleagues were shocked to hear of his demise when he collapsed on the field when his team Miracle Cricket Club was opposing Pegasus Cricket Club in the continuation of the major league over-40 25over round robin tournament in Toronto. He was 54.

Singh, a right-handed batsman scored an aggressive half-century before he died and his teammates stated it was a sad and unforgettable day for them.

Born on the East Coast of Demerara in Guyana, Singh came to Canada over two decades ago and immediately took up the sport, representing Miracle Cricket Club over the years and his performances were also impressive.

“He will definitely be

Samlall Singh

missed for his wonderful personality and friendliness; I know he was a great ‘lover’ of the game but seeing him die on a cricket field certainly [is] devastating,” Krisho Singh Ramnarayan told this publication via telephone on Sunday afternoon after his team won by 22 runs.

President of the Ontario Masters League, Azeem Khan, was also saddened by the player’s passing and expressed sincere condolences to his relatives and friends and revealed that the league has lost a true player.

“Over the years we have played against Singh, and always enjoyed the friendly competition he offered; in-

deed without his effort – he top scored with 52 Miracles would probably not have won the game yesterday (Sunday),” he expressed.

He continued, “The League’s most enthusiastic cricketer, Samlall, brother of Henry and Ron Singh, has gone to a more peaceful, restful world and on behalf of the Masters League, we offer our sincere sympathies and condolences to his family and friends; words alone cannot express the hurt and shock being experienced by his fellow cricketers, family and friends.”

Singh worked for parking arrangements with the Enforcement Officers where he lived while he coordinated placement of tents for Paul Party Rentals at his backyard in Scarborough.

His wife Indira Singh was saddened by the news while their three daughters Ashley, Brittany and Chattel were in a state of shock following his death. They declared he was a great father and always supported cricket since their migration to Canada in 1983.

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England beat New Zealand to take Test series 2-0

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relieved England just found time between the rain showers to wrap up a 247-run victory over New Zealand in the second Test and with it a 2-0 series sweep on Tuesday. On a tense final day at Headingley, England needed 86 minutes in two separate passages of play to take the final four New Zealand wickets they required for victory.

Stuart Broad caught and bowled captain Brendon McCullum in the third full over of the day and Graeme Swann broke an entertaining 56-run partnership when he had Tim Southee caught at slip for 38.

After an anxious twoand-a-half-hour rain stoppage, Swann removed Doug Bracewell to claim a 10-wicket match haul and James Anderson had last man Trent Boult caught behind as New Zealand were finally bowled out for 220.

Swann, controversially left out for last year’s Test here against South Africa, became the first spinner to take a 10-wicket Test haul at Headingley since Derek Underwood in 1972.

England’s failure to bowl out New Zealand on Monday night, coupled with Tuesday’s forecast of heavy rain, had threatened to deny the hosts

England’s captain Alastair Cook is flocked by his teammates as he showcases the team’s latest victory trophy

victory.

But after an early morning downpour the rain eased off, allowing play to start at 11: 45h BST, with New Zealand – chasing an improbable 468 to win – resuming on 158-6.

England soon broke through, Broad stooping to claim a fine return catch when Kiwi skipper McCullum pushed a full toss back towards the bowler.

Southee threw the bat in his characteristic manner to reach 38 before he nicked Swann to slip where Jonathan Trott – who had dropped a similar chance moments earlier – held on.

However, with England two wickets away from victory, the players were taken off for rain.

With the tension mounting and light rain still falling

from dark grey clouds, Cook finally crowded men round the bat. And the tactic worked as Bracewell was taken low for 19 by Ian Bell at silly point to give Swann his 10th wicket of the match.

New Zealand’s numbers 10 and 11 then battled through eight runless overs to increase England’s frustrations. But the decision to replace Swann with Anderson paid immediate dividends as the Lancashire paceman found the edge of Boult’s bat to spark overdue celebrations among the England players.

It was Anderson’s 307th Test wicket, moving him level with Fred Trueman in third place on England’s all-time list.

The hosts will be delighted to have won the series so convincingly, but questions remain over a safety-first approach that left the outcome of the match at the mercy of the weather.

Cook declined to enforce the follow-on on day three despite a 180-run first innings lead over a side they had skittled out for 68 and 174 in their two previous innings, and then chose to delay a declaration until New Zealand required 468 – 50 runs more than the highest successful run chase in Test history.

Despite such a healthy cushion, Cook eschewed the option of all-out attack on Monday afternoon and frequently fielded men on the boundary to contain the flow of runs.

Cook will no doubt argue that the ends justify the means but greater aggression may be called for when England begin their quest for a third straight Ashes win at Trent Bridge on July 10. (BBC Sport)

guyanatimeSinternational.com

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

week ending june 2, 2013

Hafeez, Narine in Guyana CPL team – Harper is head coach

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ormer West Indies off spinner Roger Harper has been named head coach of the Guyana franchise in this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) which bowls off later this year. Harper, a former head coach of the West Indies cricket team will be assisted by former fast bowler Curtly Ambrose.

Mystery off spinner Sunil Narine has been assigned as the franchise player for Guyana, while Pakistan’s Captain Mohamed Hafeez is the international star.

Other assignments include Antigua, which will be coached

by Vivian Richards, who will be assisted by Phillip DeFreitas.

Marlon Samuels has been assigned franchise player, while former Australian Captain Ricky Ponting is the international star.

The Barbados team’s head coach is Desmond Haynes and he will be assisted by Robin Singh. Kieron Pollard is the franchise player and Pakistani batsman Shoaib Malik is the international star.

Additionally, Paul Nixon will coach Jamaica, assisted

by Junior Bennett. Chris Gayle is the franchise player and Sri Lankan legendary off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is the international star.

Team St Lucia franchise player is West Indies Captain Darren Sammy and former South African opening batsman, Herschelle Gibbs, the international franchise.

The head coach is Andy Roberts and his assistant is Matthew Maynard.

Team Trinidad will be led

by Dwayne Bravo, while New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor is the international franchise player. Former West Indies opening batsman Gordon Greenidge is the head coach and he will be assisted by David Williams.

Guyana International Star Mohamed Hafeez

Guyana head coach Roger Harper

Guyana assistant coach Curtly Ambrose

Jamaica Franchise Player Chris Gayle

Team St Lucia Franchise Player Darren Sammy

Trinidad Franchise Player Dwayne Bravo

Barbados Franchise Player Kieron Pollard

Guyana Franchise Player Sunil Narine

Antigua Franchise Player Marlon Samuels

Hemraj, Beaton heading to Sagicor HPC

By Avenash Ramzan

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irst-Class cricketers, Chanderpaul Hemraj and Ronsford Beaton, leave Guyana on Friday to commence their maiden stint at the Sagicor High Performance Centre (HPC) at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. Left-handed middle-order batsman Hemraj and exciting fast bowler Beaton are the only two Guyanese among the 14 players chosen from the various territories affiliated to the West Indies Cricket Board.

Both players said they are looking forward to the one-year encampment, where they are expected to be exposed to a range of topics revolving around

Chanderpaul Hemraj

Ronsford Beaton

cricket and life.

The players, drawn from the various territories of the region, will be enrolled for a one- year programme, which will start with the encampment on Saturday.

All the players selected are below the age of 25, and represent a wide cross section of the young crop of regional players.

The 19-year-old Hemraj, a left-handed middle-order

batsman, said it is indeed an honour to be part of the Sagicor HPC programme.

“I’m really happy to be part of this. This means everything to me,” Hemraj told Guyana Times International Sport earlier this month.

He added, “This is certainly an opportunity for me to better my cricket skills. I’m also looking forward to the other aspects of the programme, because this is not just about cricket, but shaping a wellrounded individual.”

The 20-year-old Beaton, a product of Reliance village on the Essequibo Coast, said he will seek to use the stint as an avenue to improve his overall cricket. “It’s a big step in continued on page 52

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